Saturday, July 15, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Movie Review: Stay Alive
I've said this once before and I'll say it again. American horror movies do not scare me. What seems to be lacking in these horror movies are the sense of capturing the human psychological feeling (what the crap?!). Note that I mentioned HORROR and not VIOLENCE. Gore belongs to VIOLENCE while creepiness and supernatural suspense belongs to HORROR. With that said, let's start with our own movie synopsis...
Storyline:
"After the brutal death of a friend, a group of friends find themselves in possession of a video-game called "Stay Alive," a blood-curdling true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as the Blood Countess. After playing the game when they know they shouldn't, however, the friends realize that once they die in the game--they die for real. As their numbers begin dropping and as they begin dying in the ways they died in the game, the remaining friends realize they must defeat the Blood Countess or accept their fates."
-source: here
Scare factor:
Basically throughout the show, there are very very few real good scares. Mostly are just plain cheap scares...stuff like some shadow walking behind, or the sudden image of "the bloody eye" (what's with that anyway?! i dun get it...whose eye is that?! why is it flashing?!). The ghosts are clearly animated (bcoz they're in-game, that takes away half of the scare factor, but it's a good try). I can easily find these in Fatal Frame too.
Characters:
Oh hell...horror movies never made it through without considering the characters' AI. It's always the same...they all try to be the hero and always go by the saying, "you wait here, i'll go check it out". For all humanity's sake, why don't you freaking carry a crowbar or something?! Havent you heard of Gordon Freeman of Half Life?! Havent you heard of the nameless marine in Doom 3?! He even went to hell, survived, and came back for MORE! What the hell you sissies think you are, empty handedly "checking things out". Bullsh*t man...
Movie Inspiration:
It's very clear that this movie adopted its gameplay from the famous Fatal Frame/Clock Tower series. Also, not forgetting the DIRECT COPY of the Japanese horror movie, Ju-On. The bluish boy and his mother can be seen a lot of times in this show...in animated form. Lots and lots of the boy's and his mother's clones...hmm...sweet! It kinda entertained me when Fatal Frame turned out to be like the run n' gun shooter, "Black", for the PS2/Xbox. A hybrid perhaps...?
*SPOILER ALERT* The ending? *SPOILER ALERT*
I was expecting one fellow (Frankie Muniz) to complete the game in order to beat the Blood Countess, but no...the rest of the survivors had to search for this...haunted house to eliminate her, face-to-face. What a bore...at least animation gives me more satisfaction. I mean, it's always better that way for a change, don't you think so?
*END OF SPOILER*
Overall, I kinda watched this movie to convince myself to stop gaming, but this show failed to do so. In fact, it just feels like a parody of Ju-On and Fatal Frame and Black. Oh gosh...must play more games...
Storyline:
"After the brutal death of a friend, a group of friends find themselves in possession of a video-game called "Stay Alive," a blood-curdling true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as the Blood Countess. After playing the game when they know they shouldn't, however, the friends realize that once they die in the game--they die for real. As their numbers begin dropping and as they begin dying in the ways they died in the game, the remaining friends realize they must defeat the Blood Countess or accept their fates."
-source: here
Scare factor:
Basically throughout the show, there are very very few real good scares. Mostly are just plain cheap scares...stuff like some shadow walking behind, or the sudden image of "the bloody eye" (what's with that anyway?! i dun get it...whose eye is that?! why is it flashing?!). The ghosts are clearly animated (bcoz they're in-game, that takes away half of the scare factor, but it's a good try). I can easily find these in Fatal Frame too.
Characters:
Oh hell...horror movies never made it through without considering the characters' AI. It's always the same...they all try to be the hero and always go by the saying, "you wait here, i'll go check it out". For all humanity's sake, why don't you freaking carry a crowbar or something?! Havent you heard of Gordon Freeman of Half Life?! Havent you heard of the nameless marine in Doom 3?! He even went to hell, survived, and came back for MORE! What the hell you sissies think you are, empty handedly "checking things out". Bullsh*t man...
Movie Inspiration:
It's very clear that this movie adopted its gameplay from the famous Fatal Frame/Clock Tower series. Also, not forgetting the DIRECT COPY of the Japanese horror movie, Ju-On. The bluish boy and his mother can be seen a lot of times in this show...in animated form. Lots and lots of the boy's and his mother's clones...hmm...sweet! It kinda entertained me when Fatal Frame turned out to be like the run n' gun shooter, "Black", for the PS2/Xbox. A hybrid perhaps...?
*SPOILER ALERT* The ending? *SPOILER ALERT*
I was expecting one fellow (Frankie Muniz) to complete the game in order to beat the Blood Countess, but no...the rest of the survivors had to search for this...haunted house to eliminate her, face-to-face. What a bore...at least animation gives me more satisfaction. I mean, it's always better that way for a change, don't you think so?
*END OF SPOILER*
Overall, I kinda watched this movie to convince myself to stop gaming, but this show failed to do so. In fact, it just feels like a parody of Ju-On and Fatal Frame and Black. Oh gosh...must play more games...
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