video review : Death Proof

video review : Death Proof

The best thing about this Grindhouse flick is the song that plays at the end. It’s a cute ditty that fits the plot; about a stuntman named Mike who drives around in a Chevy Nova he describes as Death Proof. By the time the pretty girl in the passenger seat realizes that description only applies to him, she’s about dead.

It’s a two-part story that would be better as one. The first half, set in Texas, at least has sexy stylization going for it. It’s also overlayed with retro movie theater effects. The second (Tennessee) half, which looks more like a regular movie, is closer to a borefest than a joyride as it stalls itself in mundane dialogue.

my rating : 2 of 5

2007

video review : 10 Cloverfield Lane

video review : 10 Cloverfield Lane

Don’t be confused by the title. This is Cloverfield 2. It just looks and sounds a lot different than its predecessor. Imagine Blair Witch 2 with a decent plot. Not to say this sci fi thriller, which traps a “girl” named Michelle in an underground bunker with a crazy survivalist named Howard, isn’t a step down for the franchise.

There are moments of tension involving Michelle’s attempts to escape her virtual prison, which Howard and fellow inmate Emmett insist is actually a refuge against an apocalyptic fallout happening outside, but the ending, in which the truth is finally revealed, is unrealistic, silly even, compared to everything that came before it.

my rating : 3 of 5

2016