Review Nightwish (1989): Campy but pretty disturbing!

genre: horror, science fiction

A professor and four graduate students journey to a house in the mountains to investigate paranormal activities, but let's just say they got more than they bargained for. 

Nightwish starts out quite strong with an eerie opening scene. Turns out it's a dream that is being monitored and recorded by a group of scientists. They way they conduct this is pretty high tech and they act like it's the most normal thing ever. Yet the professor is disappointed since none of his students are able to project their own deaths. Apart from that being horrifying and potentially traumatic why would anyone want to do that? Well, apparently these students all have a screw loose because they do want to please the professor as much as possible. Besides who doesn't want to be able to control their own dreams. Ok, they do have a good reason. Because if they accomplish what they are set out to do then they will get their college degree. So like good little students they venture out to this house in an area where a lot of UFO sightings have occurred. For some unknown reason they have tasked Brian Thompson as Dean to drive them there. Right from the beginning we get to know that Dean is a maniac and immensely unlikable. I don't know if he was asked to ham it up so that he could serve as a red herring or that he just didn't care. Either way he isn't what you would call a trustworthy type. It doesn't even seem that Alisha Das as Kim likes her lover / boyfriend that much and she is not exactly stupid. So why oh why is she even with him? Unfortunately it's one of the many mysteries in this film you won't get answers to. And trust me you will be grateful since the main one is pretty unnerving on it's own.

Now I could go into details. But that would ruin the viewing experience. While there are many creative and clever twists in the film it can't hide the stereotypical tropes of supposed intelligent characters not acting smart. Some of them act so unreasonable and psychotic you start to wonder why anyone would still remain there. No college degree is worth the agony and torture the students are put through. Then certain events occur and you sort of get an idea why they might have been acting like that. And just when you thought you were on top the film decides to put everything on it's head and give you another twist. This one is quite clever since it could be what the characters have found out towards the end but it could be yet another red herring creating an infinite loop of possibilities. Pretty disturbing if you ask me.

One could argue that some of the cheesiness hurts this film a little. However in hindsight without it the film would not have the same impact at the end. Like it or not it has a role. Some of the special effects might look outdated. The majority of the practical effects still look good and scary. They are immensely effective and certainly sell the nightmare two of the major characters are going to. Both Elizabeth Kaitan and Alisha Das are strong female characters who use their wits to get out of their predicaments. But they aren't afraid to be sexy and feminine. Pay attention SJW's! It is possible to be strong and embracing good looks at the same time. Definitely one I can recommend!

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Review Sound of Violence a.k.a. Conductor (2021): One of those that will divide horror fans!

genre: horror, thriller, slasher

Sound of Violence is one of those horror films that has a pretty creative idea but then fails to actually do something memorable with it. And I honestly don't understand why writer / director Alex Noyer chose the easy way out. Also warning, I am usually very careful when it comes to spoilers. But in this case it was hard for me not to go into the specifics. I don't think these will ruin the viewing experience. 

So right after I had watched this full feature film I was compelled to watch the short this was based on. And while it features the same important scene the tone is vastly different. You can watch it here underneath but I advise you to only do this after you have seen Sound of Violence otherwise you will ruin a key moment for yourself.

SPOILER ALERT (WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK)

END SPOILER ALERT

I have to admit though that this scene is incredibly effective in both productions. However I think in Sound of Violence it's easily more shocking since at that point you are still wondering what to think of the main character Alexis Reeves. She has gone through something truly horrific and traumatic but apparently has managed to come on top and have a normal life. Or at least that is what we are led to believe. Because then above scene happens and it's hard to garner any sympathy for her. Alexis was deaf but after going through the traumatic event she experienced sound in a such profound way that she could hear again and at the same time derived some extreme form of pleasure from it. One could argue that her shock is so immense her mind came up with an unique way to deal with this event. That being said it could also be a case of her always being mentally disturbed and this was the moment her true self was outed.
However this is where the film will divide the horror fans. Is this an ordinary slasher? Or is this a psychological thriller? Or both? Aren't there many other horror films who do the same? Why is this problematic in this one. Because there is no story or background to back up the psychological elements. There is a large gap between the opening scene and when we get introduced to Alexis as an adult. Once you realize this is nothing but a slasher the total experience becomes a little disappointing. 
I am sure most die hard fans won't have any problems with the blood and gore. But it's so blatant and completely fantastic that is becomes a little ridiculous. Especially when Alexis makes no attempt whatsoever to hide her actions. That is the most unbelievable of all. She conducts these experiments but then doesn't clean up after herself? Doesn't she realize that this way she will get caught and won't be able to experiment any further. The finale is truly mesmerizing. It's stupid and beautiful at the same time. It's here where Alexis has an epiphany. Except, it's too late. 
It's probably very easy to hate on this film. In hindsight I don't think this would be fair. I do think the film has many redeeming elements. Best of all is the acting. Both Jasmin Savoy Brown and Lilli Simmons do a real good job of selling you the events. I only wished that the scene at the end was set up differently. It seems rushed and less devastating as it could have been. I mean it's still all kinds of messed up however it could and should have been more dramatic. 
Overall a compelling watch but can't help but feel that there was more in this film. It could and should have been more profound. Or perhaps even a little darker as to amplify the notion that there is no such thing as shades of grey when it comes to being evil.

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Review The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021): Entertaining but not scary!

genre: horror, mystery, thriller

Apparently James Wan realized that The Conjuring 2 was a bit too much and decided to tone down a bit and have events be more focused. However by doing so it completely diminished the dread and terror. 

Now there is some suspense to be had at first but soon you realize it doesn't really matter much since the reveal is a bit disappointing. Or perhaps that is not the right way to phrase it. It didn't do much for me since nothing actually exciting was done with the new take on demon hunting. The Warrens have to deal with a new kind of threat and are a little overwhelmed because the evil entity can't be destroyed in the traditional way and therefore is almost invincible with devastating consequences. I liked this idea because this would mean they would have to approach things differently or seek some help. They do but unfortunately not in the way I had hoped. You might be wondering what this new threat is. Well, it does seem to fit in the universe. And actually could have opened up bigger implications and consequences. If you think about it the definition of the conjuring is more applicable to this new threat. One possible outcome could have been that you could be under the impression you have eliminated the threat but actually only have destroyed a minion and not the boss. I personally would have liked both The Warrens getting in over their head and both almost getting killed only to realize the true battle hasn't even begun yet. Unfortunately they do deal with the boss like they would in your average Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode.  

There are bits of awesomeness happening. Only far too late in the film. Now I don't mind the fact that there is no constant dread present. Although it is something the whole franchise is famous for so perhaps not a good idea to completely remove it from the film. What I do think is problematic if there are no scares whatsoever. I am not talking about jump scares but more those moments where you do feel the fear and because of that feel the adrenalin rushing through you. It's almost an accomplishment that there isn't a single moment like that present. I am not sure if we can entirely blame director Michael Chaves for this. He did quite well with The Curse of La Llorona. Perhaps it's the way the story is told. Not enough is done to build up the threat. It's just there. James Wan is capable of having several evil entities running around in one film and still manage to give each of them their own unique presence and fear factor without detracting from and compromising the main plot. This could imply that Wan wasn't as much as involved with this production as he has been with his earlier productions. Or perhaps there were some other factors plagued the film. Whatever the reason fact remains this last entry in the franchise is not scary. 

Overall adequate for sure but what is the point of a horror film if it's not going to be scary. 

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Review Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021): I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I was going to be.

genre: horror, thriller, crime

So Chris Rock decided to do a Saw movie. His reason was to do something different than he usually does. And it does seem like the next logical step into improving his craft as an actor. Except for one big problem. Chris Rock is a very limited actor. 

I must admit that when Spiral starts and he enters the scene I did end up laughing because of his jokes which helped me getting into the film. At first I was afraid the jokes were going to be distracting. But honestly I think somehow it kept things balanced between the thriller and horror bits. His serious moments in the beginning are decent enough but gradually get worse and worse. He keeps yelling and looking funny as if he is parodying a character from a Saw film. He totally fails to bring that levity and depth that is needed to make you believe the events. Because let's face it. Most of these murders are highly unlikely. I mean if you think about the one in the opening scene. It just can't happen. Especially if it is revealed that the killer apparently was there after to pick up a certain body part with police and paramedics present. And what about the trap that was set up? How could you set up a trap that elaborate without anyone noticing? Especially if trains are running through that tunnel day and night? And what about the camera's that are present? Sure the whole Saw franchise was filled with these impossible traps but as gruesome and improbable as they were it was the dynamics between The Jigsaw Killer and his victims that sold you the events. To see the fear and dread in their eyes. And to witness the despair of their predicaments is what made things seem real and unnerving. In large part this was because the actors managed to depict this fear. Chris Rock for whatever reason can't do this. Speaking of the traps. They are unimaginative and bland. Real shame!

One would think that Samuel L. Jackson could provide the depth and weight Chris Rock failed to bring but unfortunately his role is nothing more than a glorified cameo. It also looked like he didn't really care for the project. Like he was there to film the scenes in between projects he did care for. Apart from one story element I don't really see the need for him to be there. As for the rest of the cast. They are pretty serviceable I guess but none of them are heavyweights. 

This wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the other big problem this film suffers from. The murder mystery itself. It's totally predictable. At least for me. I could deduce from the voice (even when it's modulated) who it was right from the beginning. Not that hard if there aren't that many red herrings to begin with. I had hoped that they would at least play around with expectations and do something new or twisty. I mean are we dealing with a copycat killer or a succesor to Jigsaw? It could have added some gravity to events. As is now the reveal seemed like what you would see in a regular episode of Criminal Minds only far less spectacular.  

That being said. I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I was going to be. I expected failure but for the most part I found myself enjoying it even if I do think they could have stepped up a few notches to make events more thrilling and unnerving. Can I recommend this? No. But if you happen to catch it I won't feel like a total waste of time.

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Brief thoughts on things I have seen lately ( Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021), SAS: Red Notice (2021), Wrath of Man (2021), Cruella (2021).

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Undoubtedly many reviewers already have said all that could be said about the following titles. But humour me maybe I'll surprise you with my unique insight.

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Review Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (2021)

Starting with Without Remorse. Apparently John T. Clark is an Tom Clancy's second famous fictional character next to Jack Ryan. Without Remorse is his origin story. That already should give you an idea about what to expect. If by any chance you were hoping for a Taken or John Wick with Michael B. Jordan then you will be heavily disappointed. Actually even if you weren't expecting anything you will have a hard time liking this little film. Tom Clancy films used to be huge. Without Remorse however feels like a TV Film with some big names. Almost everything even the action is generic and predictable. My wish for this to contain at least some nice close quarters and or military combat was squashed pretty soon. Yes there is somewhat of a nice scene towards the final part of the film. You won't get there without feeling bored. For whatever reason the film's pace is super slow. The supposed intrigue is not thrilling or suspenseful at all. So what is the point? Avoid this. It's not worth your time.

Review SAS: Red Notice (2021)

If you happen to have caught the trailer you might have gotten the idea that SAS: Red Notice is some kind of low budget B action film made for TV. And you would be right. This is exactly what it is. So is it any good? It certainly isn't bad. I think there is enough there to merit a watch. Although a lot of fuzz is made about main character Tom Buckingham, a psychopath who finally found love? At the start of the film it's almost like they are setting him up to be the next James Bond but eventually ends up as a Tom Clancy hero. The action is adequate. But Ruby Rose as the main villain? Come on, that is just ridiculous. The rest of the solid cast give the film some credibility. The story however is utterly predictable. In essence this is an average but mildly entertaining Die Hard on a train.

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Wrath of Man a.k.a. Cash Truck (2021)

One could mistake this film for a standard Jason Statham film where it's all about the ass kicking and nothing else. While he does a hefty amount of ass kicking it's a little more substantial. At least that is what Guy Ritchie wants you to think. Ritchie is a veteran when it comes to crime flicks and he is very adapt in creating iconic characters and events. Usually with a big comedic undertone. In this one the comedy is left out and you have one serious film that never lets up. It's very effective for sure but ultimately does feel empty. You don't really get to know the characters. To be fair it's not really necessary. Although I had hoped a for a better ending though. It's all so predictable. Overall Wrath of Man is fun while it lasts. 

I am aware this is a remake of Le convoyeur (2004). Very soon I will watch that one and compare the two. 

Cruella (2021)

Got to admit that I can't hate on this film for the fact that this is not a scene of scene live action reboot of an animated classic. However the decision to do a prequel that clearly is foreshadowing what is to come is a little puzzling. On one hand it does give you some sense of why Cruella De Vil is who she is. But at the same time this film also undermines her character. Actually the film plays out events that don't exactly fit in with Cruella from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. For the most part it is expected of you to just go with the events otherwise you will have a hard time enjoying it. And yes for the most part I was on board. But there are quite a few flaws that stood in the way of my enjoyment anyway. The duration for one thing. Events are either prolonged artificially or they are repeated. I will never understand this practice especially if it detracts my viewing pleasure. The Baroness (Emma Thompson) is more evil than Cruella. I understand in context of challenging Estalla into becoming Cruella. However you are let to believe that she is going to change even more between this film and the original. Why not show those changes? 

That being said. There are some real fun moments especially involving the dogs. There is one scene in particular that had me in stitches. I mean a little dog dressed up as a rat is among the funniest things I have seen in my life. Besides the dogs were cute and definitely increased the fun factor. I liked some of the dynamics. Emma Thompson is a real master in making herself super evil and yet still relatively likable. But I was expecting more. If this film was intended for adults it fell short. However if this was intended for kids it was quite dark. Overall Cruella is a bit of a mess tone wise and intention wise. This certainly won't be for everyone but I can't deny there are enough fun moments to call this entertaining.

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Review Seance (2021): A good little horror flick!

genre: horror, mystery

Honestly I wasn't aware that Seance had been written and directed by Simon Barrett. But in hindsight it makes sense. While it's not nearly as strong and powerful as The Guest or You're Next it certainly is a good little horror flick.

Like with The Guest Simon plays around with genre conventions. It also does look and feel like it's heavily inspired by (or paying tribute to) Giallo specifically Dario Argento's work Suspiria and Deep Red. But it also has a little Mean Girls in it. Normally a combination like this shouldn't work but surprisingly it does. And I would credit that to the tight direction. Barret demonstrates how to properly execute misdirection. Mind you, it's not that shocking or surprising but effective nonetheless. I do think that is because of the excellent acting by most of the cast. They really sell the events. Especially Suki Waterhouse did a good job. 

I also would like to add that the duration of 92 minutes helped enormously. While nothing feels rushed the fast pace lets you focus on the mystery. I must say that it's real refreshing to watch a film that is not getting distracted by all kinds of boring subplots. Although through the interactions, dynamics and gestures between the characters you get a good idea of what is going on between them. Very subtle and beautiful. Such a contrast to being told and explained of what is going on every five minutes. 

However this film isn't without flaws. The reveal at the end was interesting but fell short. It wasn't super satisfying especially since the reason given was a bit ridiculous. In hindsight though there is a small scene where you get exposed to one of the characters being treated in a certain way. Unfortunately it's something that quite a few people go through and it's not that hard to imagine that it could drive someone to insanity. Still it doesn't diminish the fact that Mrs. Landry very easily is to diminish events and carries on like nothing has happened. But now I think about it that is exactly how some of the events played out in Suspiria. In a way this is brilliant. At the same time it's very convenient.

Overall I had a blast with Seance and I can really recommend it.

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Filmography Dark Castle Entertainment

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Listed are here all the titles produced by Dark Castle Entertainment which is an American film production label and a division of Silver Pictures. I have seen most films on this list but for some reason haven't written reviews for them yet. Consider this a work in progress.

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1999 House on Haunted Hill

2001 Thirteen Ghosts

2002 Ghost Ship

2003 Gothika

2005 House of Wax

2007 The Reaping

2007 Return to House on Haunted Hill

2008 RocknRolla

2009 Echelon Conspiracy

2009 Orphan

2009 Whiteout

2009 The Hills Run Red

2009 Ninja Assassin

2009 Splice

2010 The Losers

2011 Unknown

2012 Dragon Eyes

2013 Stash House

2013 Getaway

2014 The Apparition

2015 Bullet to the Head

2016 The Factory

2017 Suburbicon

2021 Seance

TBA Orphan: First Kill

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Review Army of the Dead (2021): Even for Zack Snyder this is very disappointing!

genre: action, crime, horror

Since Army of the Dead was announced I was looking forward to this title. The fact that Zack Snyder was involved didn't detract my anticipation because the trailer did make it look like it wasn't going to be pretentious. It was going to be light and fun. At least that is what I had hoped for.

Unfortunately apart from a few fun moments Army of Dead was dead on arrival. Yes pun intended. The premise in itself is pretty simple and straightforward. A bunch of mercenaries are hired to pull a heist in Vegas. The twist is that Vegas is overrun by a horde of zombies. So chances of the team succeeding are very slim to begin with. But to be honest, most of the characters who get involved do look like they are able to make it happen. And most of them definitely come through and get their moments to shine. However because of certain plot decisions the most coolest and badass characters are killed of relatively early. I dont' understand this. Because with them at the helm of events they could have made Army of the Dead awesome. Instead we are left with one character specifically who I foresaw was going to be trouble the second she entered the screen. How exactly was I going to root for this obnoxious character who in large part is responsible for the death of beloved characters? This only would make sense if they could redeem her. But no. No such thing happens. The biggest problem is that Zack Snyder focuses on an age old thematic of the strained relationship between a father and daughter. It's obvious he had a path of redemption and reconciliation in mind but then does nothing to do something substantial with it. It also takes Zack Snyder too long to get to the point. In that regard someone really ought to talk to him and give some lessons how to keep things constrained yet substantial.

I know this is a zombie flick and you shouldn't really give that much thought to why certain things happen. But even the worst zombie films explain why the zombies happen or how they are different from what we know. Here there are different types of zombies. Slow ones ( my personal favourite) and super fast ones who are very intelligent and coordinated like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park. I am not really a fan of such creatures as they go against what zombies should be about. Zack Snyder doesn't seem to understand this. But I can't deny they did provide some cool moments. However they aren't scary. Since they act more like humans I couldn't really view them as monsters. Slow zombies represent former humans being who now aimlessly wander the world to eat flesh infinitely until they are stopped. You can see glimpses of the people they used to be. That is so much more scarier than super zombies. Not saying you couldn't make fast zombies scary. I mean good productions like Train to Busan and Kingdom show they can accomplish dread in a different way. In this flick though the dread is absent. 

Some redeeming elements. While there is not nearly as much as I had hoped the action that is present is solid. Especially when those badass characters like Chambers played by Samantha Win show their thing. Like I said most of the team members are likeable and you want them to make it. They are the ones that provide the fun factor by the way they behave and interact with each other. It's therefore very painful that they aren't given that much to do. It's mind-boggling really. 

Overall Army of the Dead is a very disappointing affair! I couldn't even be bothered to write a review right after I had watched it. Didn't care about it at all. My advice is to keep you expectations super low and you might gain some level of entertainment. But I personally was left unfulfilled. My craving for zombie goodness wasn't satisfied.

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Brief thoughts on things I have seen lately! (The Woman in the Window, Things I Heard & Seen, Invincible Season 1 , Batman: Soul of the Dragon, The Vault and Relic)

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You know I realized something! While I don't see anything bad with watching shows or films that are trending it does come with one huge issue. The fact that almost every reviewer on this planet (including me) often is reviewing that trending stuff. Usually the opinion given is predictable. At least when it comes to the big titles. I often don't have problems being honest of what I truly thought even if it goes against the popular opinion. But sometimes I just agree with the general opinion. When something is good it's good. Is it then really worth it for me to give that same opinion? I mean wouldn't my time be spent more wisely on titles that are forgotten, underrated or barely reviewed? Mind you if I really feel compelled to do a full review I certainly will. However for some titles I will only share brief thoughts. So here goes.

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The Woman in the Window (2021)

Is this thriller going to wow you! Is it going to put you on the edge of your seat and thrill you to the core? Not by a long shot. Despite it's many flaws it's solid and entertaining. It does help that it has a good cast even if some of the appearances might seem like a gimmick. I mean there were two Captain America's present. 

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

Normally I applaud the slow buildup of tension and suspense. But if it is this slow and doesn't deliver in the end you got a dud on your hands. The film could and should have been better. There was enough there to have made events more compelling. Only it never really dares to become outrageous when that is what the script demanded. I could detect that there was more to these characters then what you are getting. But now they are just bland. Mind you the actors do their best to make them more interesting only they are let down by weak direction and poor story.

Invincible Season 1 (TV Show)

Overall I loved it. It's gruesome and intense. While the animated show should be taken seriously it's obvious it parodies Marvel and DC with it's depiction of many famous characters like alternative versions of Superman and Batman. What would fights between super heroes really be like? Easily horrific to the maximum. But I do think they went overboard with the violence. At one point it's just boring. Yes, you heard me right. The writing was adequate concerning the main story but absolutely abysmal when it came to the sub plots. I mean screw Amber!

Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)

Kind of Enter the Dragon with Batman. I was under the impression that Batman was one of the most skilled fighters in the DC universe. If not THE most skilled fighter. Apparently this is not true and there are fighters who are far more skilled, like Richard Dragon. One could say that this animated film is his origin story. Well, I liked it. Enough action and fun to be entertained. But at the same time very forgettable. 

The Vault (2020)

Often I am always in the mood for heist films. But this one took me two attempts to get into. It's premise (undoubtedly) heavily inspired by the success of La casa de papel is trying to also do the heist of the century in the same location of the show, Banco de España. Unfortunately Papel is superior in every way. But if you keep your expectations low you will be entertained as long as it lasts.

Relic (2020)

This is one of those films that most likely will divide people or just have them stumped for all the wrong reasons. If you know a thing about old people and dementia then the message is obvious. Thing is that it goes about in a way where Relic starts out as a pretty conventional horror film and ends up being a psychological allegorical film you can't relate to. The film is eerie and unsettling but fizzles out due to heavy pretension without actually giving you the substance to back that up. Despite the lack of I would say it's worth a watch!

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Review Fortress (1992): I have seen things you people wouldn't believe, in this case Christopher Lambert's balls!

genre: action, crime, science fiction

You are probably wondering what kind of film this is. No, it's not a porn film. It's just to point out the many oddities that are featured in this film. I will leave it up to you if that is a good thing or not. Back in the days when I was a regular visitor of the video rental shops I wouldn't hesitate picking up the latest titles since frankly unlike now the quantity of releases was significantly less than now. While for sure some films were bad it never actually stopped you from renting them. If like me you had seen a lot you were counting on the newest releases and you couldn't afford to be picky. Besides Christopher Lambert could do no wrong purely based on his involvement with The Highlander franchise. In those days I also had no clue who Stuart Gordon was. In hindsight, it should have been obvious. His stamp is all over the film. 

So what is Fortress? If you think this is just a generic B action flick you would be mistaken. I'd say it's more a horror film disguised as a generic B action flick. Since to be honest a lot of events in this film are pretty relentless and gruesome. In another review I read that someone stated this to be Escape Plan if it had been good. This would imply Escape Plan is bad. Not in a long shot. However it is less sci fi than Fortress. While Fortress also can't escape it's simple premise it does attempt to do more with the little they have been given. The world depicted is a truly horrific place where people are imprisoned for having an extra baby even if the first baby never made it. While on a pragmatic level I understand why a country like China would enforce laws like these one could argue if things are really this black and white and if instead of following the rules to the letter should look at the spirit of the law. Well, this doesn't exist in this film. You are a criminal pure and simple. Where do they lock up these people? In an underground prison built with all kinds of traps and measures it's ensure you will never ever leave it alive. Sure because breeders deserve this kind of punishment. Anyway Christopher Lambert's plans are to escape this prison once he finds out his pregnant wife didn't manage to escape like he initially thought. I will spare you the details but it's not going to be pretty.

For one thing whether you like it or not you are going to be exposed to Christopher Lambert's balls. In a sex scene between him and actress Loryn Locklin as his character's wife it almost looks like he is penetrating her for real since she is sitting on his balls. It's hard to make out if that really occurs. But this being Hollywood I am pretty sure it's an illusion. And of course it's not real. No way, any actress would be ok with this even if maybe at the time she might have a thing for Lambert. And I am not stating they had anything. Just saying that if this were the case it still would be very unlikely such a thing would happen. But why though? Why was it necessary to show us this? Perhaps he did it to mess with us. Whatever the case, this alone was enough for me to re-evaluate what I initially thought of this film. I once thought this film was good. Now? I still think it's good. Although there are some elements to this film that are pretty confronting. Like for example the prison system in the United States. In Fortress things are exaggerated but do point out measures that are being carried out today. This film will definitely help you reconsider doing criminal things ever.

Most important to note is that despite the horrors Fortress is a lot of fun. It can be disgusting but I couldn't help stop laughing at the justice that was served to all the bad guys in this film. So certainly one to watch. Especially if you are a fan of Stuart's Gordon work.

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