Review of Club Dread (2004) by Russell C — 25 Apr 2010

[b][i]Dirty Pretty Things [/i][/b]is a movie with a great story and great acting. The twists and mystery of the main character is more suspenseful than most movies can ever dream of being. And nothing is really revealed until the very end. The pace is not the mainstream pacing of a movie, but I love shit like that.

Kevin Smith movies are entertaining for a few reasons. It's fun to watch a movie with clever references of other popular movies that Smith grew up loving. Smith is the master plumber behind all the toilet humor and dialogue that is done to perfection. But watching [i][b]Jersey Girl[/b][/i] was like watching a master plumber try to re-roof your house. Just cuz he's good at one thing doesn't make him good at another. This story is cliched and boring and slow. A few funny lines cannot shield us from the shitstorm of crap that is [b][i]Jersey Girl[/i][/b].

[b][i]Super Troopers[/i][/b] was a damn funny movie. The story sucked, but there were consistent laughs, and the writing carries the movie all the way through. [i][b]Club Dread[/b][/i] was again a crappy story, but it was missing the laughs that Super Troopers delivered. So you're left with an unfunny, crappy movie.

I really cannot emphasize enough how great [i][b]The Manchurian Candidate[/b][/i] is. This movie was way ahead of its time, and all I can say is see it as soon as you can. And forget the remake. The's no way it can match this masterpiece.

[b][i]Saved![/i][/b] was a fun little movie. Not great in any direction, but not bad either. The acting is sound across the board, and Mandy Moore in particular shines as the misguided Jesus snob. I think Jena Malone is a real talent, and seems to be one of those actresses who picks her roles very carefully. I think she'll be with us for a long time, and will spare us the teen-romantic-comedy dreck.