DEAD SILENCE  

This movie has EVERYTHING needed to make any movie scary. The scenery, the music, the plot, the plot twists and the horrible way the victims die. The only thing it doesn't have is horror. That's right, there is not one single scary moment in this entire film. It may be totally terrifying if you're 8 yrs or younger but hell, even Santa scares you then. The only scary thing about this film is it was waste of 1 1/2 hrs and $18.50. I give it 1/2 star out of 5. Enough it make it awful but not bad enough for cult status.

Submitted by Chicago Johnny

WILD HOGS        

The three biggest things this film has going against it are:
1. The best scenes in a movie are usually all in the trailers
2. With a name like Wild Hogs you expect this film to be really good or really bad.
3. The first 15 minutes can put you to sleep.

That said, I can now address each issue and more.

1. The best scenes are not in the trailers.
2. Expect it to be a really good film if you can get by #3
3. Yes, the first 15 minutes can put you to sleep.

But this is stilll one very funny movie. As slow as it starts, it does pick up momentum, all the way through the final credits (don't leave until they're over). From everything about the way this film is characterized, it seems to be Tim Allen's vehicle with assistance from Martin Lawrence & William H. Macy. Nothing could be father from the truth. John Travolta does a stand out job (thanks in no small part to Ray Liota's character). And William H. Macy's bumbling programmer biker is a real treat. Tim Allen seems to have most of the lines and Martin Lawrence does have a great "carnival" scene but beside that they are just filler for the real humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this film... after the first 15 minutes.

Submitted by Chicago Johnny

300      

Welcome to another installment of "Hollywoods Fractured History". If you're looking for any historical accuracy at all you will find precious little in this film. Yes, 300 Spartans took on an estimated 1 million Persians (Historians disagree on the nimber placing the army from 100 thounsand to 2 million). Yes they held off the Persans for 2 days (killing approx. 25 thousand and sustaining losses of only 2 or 3... that's soldiers). And yes, Sparta was a warrior state that held the pass at Thermopoly, lead by it's warrior king Leonitus. Outside of that little else is historically correct. If that is what this film is graded on, history, it fails miserably. However, if you are grading this film on it's merits as an action/drama, it still fails. The self-proclaimed "Future of Film Making" is anything but new. Slow motion, even while panning, to freeze frame is just a merging of old technologies to produce an effect that still looks a bit old. The narration is plodding and the segways from one scene to another are, at times, incongruous and disjointed. there are one or two moments of this film that do grab ones interest but you can see almost all of them by watching the trailers. I give this film 2 1/2 stars out of 5 , just because some of the cinematography is excellent. I recommend this film at 3 stars for die-hard action junkies with an aversion to authority.

Submitted by Chicago Johnny