X-Men (2000)

3 / 5
Tagline: The future is here.
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Written by: Bryan Singer, Tom DeSanto
Actors include: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Length: 104 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I have never read one of the comic books (I'm guessing this was based on one) nor did I know anything about this going into it. An ex-boyfriend actually put this on (why he couldn't have waited until I wasn't visiting to watch it is beyond me) and well it could have been worse I suppose. The idea is that these mutants (with useful battle abilities) are outcast by society so they have a special school thing they go to. They then are faced with a battle between mutant terrorists (I guess not all mutants get along). The furry wolfman rip-off guy is the lead mutant (how original), and really the costumes and their special powers were a little too ridiculous for me to enjoy. I think I disliked this for the same reason I dislike most Troma films, I'm not a 12 year old boy. It had a beginning, an end, special effects, and action so if you look for those things in a film then this might be entertaining for you. Maybe you had to read the comics or something to really get into this, who knows? If you like superhero stuff than you will probably like this, I knew going into it I probably wasn't going to enjoy and gosh darn it I was right.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

The Keep (1983)

3 / 5 July '10
Tagline: THEY WERE ALL DRAWN TO THE KEEP. The soldiers who brought death. The father and daughter fighting for life. The people who have always feared it. And the one man who knows its secret... THE KEEP Tonight, they will all face the evil.
Directed by: Michael Mann
Written by: F. Paul Wilson, Michael Mann
Actors include: Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Ian McKellen
Genre: Horror, War
Length: 96 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Some good ideas here but heck it was based upon a book, there should have been some. The way this was filmed however is extremely muddled and much of it is quite boring and talky. It doesn't help matters that much of the dialogue is either whispered or the loud ridiculous Tangerine Dream soundtrack obscures the voices and is insanely loud. In other words, it tried to make my eardrums burst and I never took my finger off the volume button the entire film. The actual plot seems to be about a Keep that is a fortress that is guarded and protected, but when Nazis start poking around and they try to steal part of the keep (a nickle piece on the walls) they get a shocking surprise. See it's haunted with some sort of bad demon that infects a Nazi, and a good demon sort of infects a Doctor (Ian McKellen). Of course there is an impending battle between bad and good. It's visually rather interesting though it has too much fog in places, and the effects for the initial bad monster make him look like an angry cloud thing which was awesome! Only thing is as the bad demon kills he turns more into this cartoonish figure that is beyond silly. This really should have been so much better but it's ambitious, creative and something one just doesn't see everyday. It's really begging for a nice remaster, then I'd say go for it!

Availability:  Not On DVD