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Monday: Kill Bill Volume 1

The story is a simple revenge story.

Kill Bill Volume 1
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Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors. He is able to be completely serious at times, and then out of nowhere throw a joke at the audience that works every time. Kill Bill...Volumes 1 and 2...will become classic Quentin Tarantino films.

The story is a simple revenge story. A woman by an unknown name is trying to kill a man named Bill and his descendants for killing everyone at her wedding and almost killing her. It is not an original story since it has been done many times before, but it manipulates the story well. It keeps the woman's name a secret the entire film and has perfect pacing.

The cast of Kill Bill Volume 1 is spectacular. Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, and David Carradine are all very well known actors. They each give stunning performances and can see the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their roles. This movie was made of hard work and dedication by the actors, director, and everybody involved. Each actor did great and will be remembered for these roles.

The visuals of Kill Bill Volume 1 are unrealistic. There is a lot of blood and gore throughout this movie. If you are squeamish, then this is not the movie for you. If somebody was to get his head cut off, there would be fountains of blood. The gore looked more like a mist than actual blood. Even though they do not look real, does not mean they are bad visuals. They are still well done and used at perfect instances.

Overall, Kill Bill Volume 1 is a masterpiece. It was filmed beautifully switching constantly between live action, black and white, and animation. A lot of this film is sword fights, which are choreographed perfectly. The movie in general is entertaining and stupendous film making. Kill Bill Volume 1 earns my highest recommendation.

Next movie: Kill Bill Volume 2

My Rating = Five Stars


Tuesday: Kill Bill Volume 2

less violence gore...but just as highly recommended as the first...

Kill Bill Volume 2
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Kill Bill Volume 1 focused on the violent aspect of the story, while Kill Bill Volume 2 focuses on the drama side. It is not nearly as violent as the first. It is more disturbing to your psyche than to your stomach.

Kill Bill Volume 2 takes place right after the first one. Uma Thurman's character is now after her main target, Bill. She encounters problems with his brother and other members of his "mafia" and personal life. The story improves in this volume and becomes much more original and strong. The first volume is just an opening to what was to come in the second volume.

The acting was just as well done as in the first. Uma Thurman puts on a brilliant performance, as does David Carradine. They both show real interaction and a lot of character development between the two. Uma Thurman shows how her character has developed with flashbacks showing a much more troubled side than was shown in the previous movie. The acting actually improved in parts of the film. It is nice to see actors become so close to their characters.

As stated already, Kill Bill Volume 1 is much gorier than Kill Bill Volume 2. There are not as many props shown in this movie. There is one eye gouging scene that is incredibly realistic which sends shivers down your spine. The visuals are just as unrealistic as the first film's, but there are just not as many of them.

Overall, Kill Bill Volume 2 was as incredible as the first movie. This one showed a more emotional and deep side the audience did not get to see in Kill Vill Volume 1. Questions are answered in this episode and Uma's character's name is finally said without being bleeped out. For anybody who likes Quentin Tarantino or just likes movies in general, Kill Bill Volume 2 is just as highly recommended as the first.

My Rating = Five  Stars

Next movie: The Tracey Fragments

Wednesday: The Tracey Fragments

...sadder and more disturbing than most...

The Tracey Fragments
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The past few years, Ellen Page has been climbing up the ladder of success. She has been in films such as Hard Candy and Juno int lead roles. She has also been in a film called The Tracey Fragments.

The Tracey Fragments is about a girl, played by Ellen Page, who is mentally disturbed. She rides the bus all night to relax and blames herself for her younger brother going missing and possibly dead. Her parents treat her as a ghost and she is slowly breaking down emotionally and mentally. It is a sad story that will make anybody depressed throughout the entire running time of the film. It is very hard movie to watch at times from how depressing it gets. The story is nothing new as there are a lot of other films like this, but it is sadder and more disturbing than most.

The acting of Ellen Page was flawless. She gives a believable performance as to how any teenager might handle the situations. I am becoming very fond of Ellen Page for her acting skills and the effort she puts into every role she is in. I will remember Ellen Page's name as movies continue to be released with her in them.

This is not a mainstream film. I was surprised to hear Ellen page was doing a low-budget indie film. The visuals are obviously not an important part of this movie. The photography was fairly good. The editing was mediocre. Each scene was shown from many different angles at the same time. The screen is cut up into squares showing all different angles of what is going on. It is a smart idea, but overwhelms the mind and makes it hard to pay attention at times. A lot of the scene cuts are choppy and sloppy looking. However, overall, the movie looks fine and the photography looks good.

All in all, The Tracey Fragments is a decent movie. It has amazing acting from the lead actress. It has disturbing moments which can not be ignored. This is not a movie for everybody and has received mixed reviews. I recommend it as a rental to get your own opinion before considering a purchase.

My Rating = Three and One Half  Stars

Next movie: Spiral

Thursday: Spiral

...never moves too fast, never gets boring either.

Spiral
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Movies are coming from every direction now. There are made-for-TV movies. There are wide-release films. There are straight-to-DVD movies and a lot of the best ones are under the radar. Spiral is one of those films that nobody got the chance to appreciate, but is truly a good film.

It is about a man who is insane, but the quiet type who seems harmless since it's not quite clear exactly what's wrong with him. He meets a woman and it is hard to figure out why she continues to talk to him when he's so strange. They begin to fall in love, but there is something behind his cover that nobody is seeing. It is an interesting story and is a well-written movie.

Spiral has a cast of Joel David Moore (Hatchet), Zachary Levi (Chuck), and Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia and The Grudge 2). I easily recognized all three of these actors and they put on a wonderful show for the audience. Joel David Moore pulls off his mysterious, yet eerie, acting skills with flying colors. The cast could not of been picked better, they each have the look for his or her part and are able to interact so well that the relationships look real.

Since this is not considered to be a very popular movie, it does not have a big budget. The filmmakers do what they can with the money they were given and do just fine. There are a lot of nice shots of the city. This is an artistic movie that captures the atmosphere of eerie, yet beautiful, at the same time. The visuals that were caught on film are perfect for this movie.

Overall, Spiral is one of the best thrillers I have seen in a while. It has prickly suspense with amazing pacing. The movie never mioves too fast, never gets boring either. I have seen it three or four times and enjoyed it every time. There is an amazing ending with a surprising shock. Spiral is recommended for everybody to check out.

My Rating = Four  Stars

Next movie: Donnie Darko

Friday: Donnie Darko

thoroughly planned out...original and different...

Donnie Darko
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It is always tough to decide if a movie being released in a limited form is good or bad. Sometimes it's because of the budget of the company. Other times the studio doesn't think it is a quality movie that would do well. There are a lot of movies that do not make a lot of money, but deserve to for being out of the ordinary. Donnie Darko is one of those films.

It is about a teenager named Donnie who is starting to see a man in a bunny suit. The man talks to him about time travel and guides him around town. He warns Donnie that the world will end in 28 days. The story is very well written and thoroughly planned out. It is original and different from what the audience is used to seeing. This is something many films are lacking.

There are a few big names in Donnie Darko. It has a cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Swayze. I did notice some minor characters in the film as well who many will know. Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express) plays one of the bullies and does a fantastic job. Throughout the entire movie, Drew Barrymore is shown a couple times with very few lines each time. The acting overall is natural and nobody overacts his or her parts. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a splendid performance as Donnie, one that I will never forget. The acting is fine and is to be remembered when seeing the cast in future films.

As I stated before, this is a limited released film. The film studio did not suspect it to get so popular once it was out of theaters. The camera quality is poor and the visuals are not realistic looking. There are a couple crashes in the film and they look fake. Although, visuals alone do not make up a good movie.

Overall, Donnie Darko is a fantastic film. It is entertaining and makes the audience think. The ending is unexpected, unpredictable and is pure genius. Not everybody will fully understand the ending at first, but after seeing it twice or hearing it from someone else it will become cleart. Donnie Darko gets my highest recommendation!.

My Rating = Five Stars

Next movie: Donnie Darko 2

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