Unbiased Movie Reviews

Archive for the ‘Drama’ Category

Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She’s fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people’s souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé Rowena and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world.

Ligeia is very loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe’s short story and in reality the film doesn’t have too much to do with the short story, but they try to sell it to you that way. Regardless, a good film is a good film whether it follows the story closely or not, however Ligeia is not really a good film. It’s advertised as a horror/thriller, but was more of a made for TV drama. The way the plot was presented made the film very predictable, so it lacked any tension or shocking moments. On a positive note the production value wasn’t too bad and it had decent effects for not being a big budget Hollywood movie.

The acting wasn’t horrible, but it was very TV-Drama like, so some may like it depending on your preferences. Sofya Skya looked the part well of Ligeia, but some of her acting was hit or miss. Parts of Ligeia dragged and even though the film was under an hour and a half it felt much longer. Ligeia might be suitable as a TV movie of the week, but not much more besides that.
Ligeia Trailer

My Rating: 4/10

Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country. A limited release is often used to gauge the appeal of an independent film. This list is compiled of the best limited release films we have seen released in 2009. **Disclaimer** We try to view as many limited release movies as possible, but may miss some, so feel free to add any worthy limited released movies in the comments.

10: Defendor (2009) - Starring Woody Harrelson.

A crooked cop, a mob boss and the young girl they abuse are the denizens of a city’s criminal underworld. It’s a world that ordinary Arthur Poppington doesn’t understand and doesn’t belong in, but is committed to fighting when he changes into a vigilante super-hero of his own making, Defendor. With no power other than courage Defendor takes to the streets to protect the city’s innocents. Woody Harrelson puts on a great performance as Defendor and that alone makes the film worth checking out.

9: The Horsemen – Starring Dennis Quaid

Aidan Breslin is a bitter detective emotionally distanced from his two young sons following the untimely death of his devoted wife. While investigating a series of murders of rare violence, he discovers a terrifying link between himself and the suspects in a chain of murders that seem to be based on the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. An underrated thriller that may have a few short comings, but overall is a pretty decent film that may get overlooked.

8: High Life – Starring Timothy Olyphant

It’s 1983, and hopeless junkie Dick gets an unwelcome visit from the past – his seriously sleazy former cellmate, Bug, to be precise. Bug requires a crash course in the 80s: different music, different drugs, and machines in walls that dispense money. The latter development gives Dick an idea. High Life is a very quirky movie, and goes beyond quirky to be strange at times. It is however fairly entertaining and does a fairly good job of combining comedy with the crime aspect of the film.

7: Triangle – Starring Melissa George

When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety, a ship Jess is convinced she’s been on before. The ship appears deserted, the clock on board has stopped, but they are not alone… Someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. And Jess unknowingly holds the key to end the terror. Triangle is a good thriller that should keep you interested throughout to figure out what happened.

6: Malice In Wonderland – Starring Maggie Grace

An American law student in London. Knocked down by a black cab, she wakes with amnesia in a world that’s a million miles from home – Wonderland. We follow her adventures as she’s dragged through an underworld filled with twisted individuals and the lowest low-lifers, by the enigmatic cab driver, Whitey. She needs to find out who she is, where she’s from and use what wits she has left to get back home in one piece. Malice in Wonderland is a much more dark and modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland done in a creative way.

5: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans – Starring Nicholas Cage and Eva Mendes

Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. Nicholas Cage puts on a great performance as a corrupt cop who is a big drug addict, thief, and paranoid mess. It may be hard to sympathize with his character after witnessing everything he does, but as you watch Bad Lieutenant you can’t help but wonder if all his demons will catch up to him or not.

4: Bakjwi (Thirst) – Starring Kang-ho Song

Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. He realizes his sole reason for living: the pleasures of the flesh. Thirst is a Korean film that may need to be viewed with English subtitles which brings a new twist to the vampire movie genre and done fairly well.

3: Moon – Starring Sam Rockwell

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems. Without spoilers, Moon brings an interesting concept about what could happen if we decide to have people live on the moon for whatever reason. It is slow at times, but Sam Rockwell puts on a great performance and carries the movie with the assist from Kevin Spacey’s voice.

2: The Slammin Salmon – Starring The Broken Lizard Gang

The brutal former heavyweight boxing champion Cleon “Slammin’” Salmon (Duncan), now owner of a Miami restaurant, institutes a competition to see which waiter can earn the most money in one night: the winner stands to gain $10,000, while the loser will endure a beating at the hands of the champ. Although not as good as Beerfest or Supertroopers, The Slammin Salmon should be checked out by anyone who enjoyed either of the 2 previously mentioned movies.

1: Whatever Works – Starring Larry David

Attempting to impress his ideologies on religion, relationships, and the randomness (and worthlessness) of existence, lifelong New York resident Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen, including the audience. But when he begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment, his reclusive rages give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl’s worldly views to match his own. Larry David steals the show playing Boris and should please any fans of his.