Scream Bloody Entertainment

“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.” - Dion Boucicault

Not long ago I was checking out some new movie trailers when I stumbled upon a promising new sci-fi movie: Pandorum. Everyone seemed to love it, which only raised my enthusiasm and expectations for it, but in the end I’d find myself betrayed and rather disappointed…

Pandorum starts off pretty slick. We are introduced to Earth’s situation in the not-so-near, not-so-far future. A couple of centuries into the future, people on Earth are starting to run out of resources, so they decide to build a spaceship that would carry a few thousands of them in a hundred-year journey to a distant planet which resembles our beloved blue ball (or egg?).


Our main character, Corporal Bower (played by Ben Foster), is an astronaut aboard the aforementioned spaceship, who wakes up dazed and disoriented from a state of hypersleep. He is soon followed by his commanding officer, Lt. Payton (played by Dennis Quaid). They both suffer from memory loss and try to figure things out on this apparently isolated ship. Soon things will take a new turn as they encounter some unknown creatures and a few other survivors.

This movie’s plot and theme isn’t anything new, we’re already familiar with tons of sci-fi movies dealing with pretty much the same subject (Sunshine, Alien, Event Horizon to name a few) and there are also a lot of horror movies centered around that claustrophobic feeling of being all alone with weird looking monsters chasing after you, like The Descent, for example.


The title, "Pandorum", refers to some sort of mental illness that affects astronauts due to the effect of long-distance travel. Apparently, if you’ve got it, you’re just going to go gaga and somehow manage to kill everyone on board of your spaceship… much like that crazy dude in Sunshine.

The movie flows pretty slowly, adding little progress to the story in the long run. During the whole one hour and a half, you’ll just see our protagonists desperately trying to get to the ship’s reactor in order to reboot it and save the day, which only happens in the last 20 minutes of the movie. Actually, it wouldn’t make much difference if you would cut out the first and the last 20 minutes of the movie – it would have the same effect.


The rest of this movie is just a frustrating fight against the monsters. Oh, and apparently if you’re all alone aboard the ship for a couple of months, you’re gonna learn how to jump at impressive heights, grow some mad karate skills and be proficient with sticks and knives.

I can’t say that I was bored by Pandorum, because some parts were really entertaining, but in the long run most of it doesn’t make any sense, and it’s just silly to see some bloodthirsty creature throw a human his weapon as if it needs to kill its prey honorably.

“The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.” - Paul Valery

 “For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.” – William Penn

Christopher Smith delivers yet another promising horror movie in 2009. After Creep and Severance, two relatively praised films, comes Triangle. The movies themselves have no connection, but you can feel how Smith’s directing and writing keeps getting better in each one of them. While Creep and Severance had a more direct approach to the story and packed a bit more action, Triangle focuses more on the mystery element and remains (more or less) calm throughout.

The movie starts with a melancholic, yet soothing tune played over the piano as the cast and crew are being introduced over a bunch of simple, but effectively designed credits. We are also being informed that the film has been funded by the UK Film Council through money from the National Lottery, which I was very thankful for by the end of the movie. As a matter of fact, anyone involved in the production of this film deserves a big fat “thank you,” because Triangle is one of the best horror movies of the year.


This is one of those movies where it’s best not to know anything about before watching it, so I’ll try to keep the synopsis to a minimum: Jess (played by Melissa George) is a single mother who goes sailing on a yacht with a group of friends. Things start to take a wrong turn when their boat hits a storm and they are forced to board an ocean liner who just so happens to be passing nearby. The group realizes that something isn’t right when they discover that the ship is completely devoid of passengers. Furthermore, Jess has a feeling that she’s been here before. That’s all I’m gonna say – I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun. 


Triangle is a unique film. I’ve seen plenty of movies of the same type, but none of them seem to be similar to this one. This gives the movie quite an advantage and it’s interesting to see the whole plot unfold, not knowing what the movie will throw at you next. Triangle has been categorized as a horror film, which is more or less true. It’s got some “slasher” elements, but they come in small doses and hardly intervene with the mysterious and calm atmosphere of the movie. The film comes in contact with the horror genre mostly through the feeling of despair and panic it creates.

The acting is quite average, but Melissa George delivers an impressive performance. She displays her character’s emotions with remarkable flair and devotion. At first I was a bit doubtful of her performance, but she kept getting better and better. I can confidently say that this movie wouldn’t have been as effective without her. The characters in the movie don’t seem to be any smarter than in every other horror movie, which may annoy some, but it’s ultimately a rather small flaw.


It took a long time for Christopher Smith to write the script for Triangle, but it all paid off in the end. It takes a really long time to process this film and understand it – I don’t think I’ll ever be able to completely answer all the questions in my head, no matter how many times I rewatch it. Triangle is filled with twists and even though some can be seen from miles away, you never fully understand why. Some may consider that the movie has some plotholes or that it makes no sense, but looking further into it will get most, if not all of your questions answered. There are actually tons of forum threads devoted to explaining the whole story and coming up with various theories and whatnot.

Triangle is not just some horror movie – it’s a special film filled with an amazing atmosphere and it’s more complicated than you would think. I totally recommend this flick, just be prepared when you watch it because it demands a lot of thought and attention. I’ve never seen the open sea look so creepy before.

I'm feeling pretty good about the movies I've seen in the past week. I didn't get to see as much as I wanted to (actually there's no limit to how many I wanna see), but the films I watched were way above average. I had a bit of a break from school so I managed to squeeze in a couple of movies during the week, but I definitely didn't wanna waste my precious time watching bad films, so I carefully chose what I was about to see. Time for take off!

15.02.10

Platoon (1986) - 8/10
I heard a lot of good things about this one, so I finally decided to watch it. As you may or may not know, Platoon is considered one of the best war films ever made. I, for one, thought it was great, but not exactly the best of the best, if you know what I mean. Now I don't wanna give it a bad name, because it was definitely awesome - I guess I just had my expectations set too high. The best thing about Platoon is definitely the acting. The movie had strong performances all over the place, but the two actors that really lead this movie were Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe. I only saw Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men before, but this movie literally changed the way I looked at the guy. I don't think it's possible not to enjoy this movie, since it's really got everything you could ever want. Solid acting, a great script and nonstop action. Platoon may not the best war movie out there, but it's definitely in the top.

19.02.10

Casino (1995) - 7/10
I have to admit, I was (slightly) let down by Casino. I didn't expect it to reach the potential of other Scorsese films such as Goodfellas (which it resembles quite a lot), but I definitely expected a little bit more. That doesn't mean that the movie wasn't good - don't get me wrong, it was great and above average, but it seemed as though it tried a bit too hard to be another Goodfellas. The best thing (and also the worst, I might add) was the complexity of the plot. Martin Scorsese shows you the world of Las Vegas like you've never seen it before. He takes gambling and the power of money to a whole new level, but doing so he sacrifices a great deal of things. For one, the story is incredibly complicated and you may find your brain in the middle of nowhere right out of a sudden, even if you pay attention. The fast pace of the movie doesn't help either, and you may find yourself annoyed at how things get thrown at you without even having time to process most information. The last hour of the film pretty much saves the movie, where things start to take a nasty turn and ultimately lead to a powerful climax. As with every other Scorsese film, the dialogue is brilliant and the actors couldn't be better. Robert De Niro delivers his usual bag of awesomeness, Joe Pesci gets to beat up a few more people and Sharon Stone adds some spice to the whole thing. Some people may be turned off by the complicated plot that ensues, but there's no denying that Casino is yet another fine piece from Martin Scorsese.

20.02.10

Two Lovers (2008) - 6/10
James Gray, the director of We Own the Night, takes on a new genre with his newest movie. Two Lovers is a romantic drama about a young man with a troubled past who is torn between two women. The film is a rather sad, yet honest look at the ups and downs of love. There's nothing special to be had here, but it's a solid movie that takes a closer and more intimate look at love and relationships. The lead actors delivered decent performances, although I'm starting to feel as though Joaquin Phoenix is only limited to play awkward roles.

21.02.10

The Departed (2006) - 9/10
Why the hell did I wait so long to watch this movie? What is wrong with me? That doesn't matter anymore, though, because I finally got to see The Departed! Damn, I expected it to be good, but this movie totally blew all my expactations away. I freakin' love this film! And how could I not? You've got Martin Scorsese doing what he does best, you've got Jack Nicholson playing a sociopathic mob boss, you've got Matt Damon in an unlikely role and you've got freakin' Leonardo Di Caprio delivering the performance of a lifetime. To top it off, you get Mark Wahlberg playing a witty and hotheaded cop and Vera Farmiga offering enough eye candy for a lifetime. The plot is amazing as well, which is unique and engaging from start to finish. Oh and let's not forget the music! This is too much to take, I'll stop now before I lose another night thinking about this movie. If you know what "movies" are and if you have even the slightest understanding of them, you need to watch The Departed... before The Departed watches you! Ok that didn't make any sense at all. Watch it anyways!

“Every survival kit should include a sense of humor.” - unknown author

“Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.” - Roger Babson

“A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist.” - Stewart Alsop

“Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.” - Dag Hammarskjold

“Keep true to the dreams of thy youth.” – Friedrich von Schiller

There’s nothing better than watching a movie you were sure would be bad turn into an entertaining and enjoyable experience. It seems as though you just can’t trust the film industry anymore. The biggest and most awaited movies turn out to be disappointing while some films you barely ever heard of can surprise you in ways you never expected. Often I find myself avoiding the big names and simply going for the rather ignored movies. Sure, that doesn’t always work, but you’ll know it’s worth it when it does.

Ah yes, school break. There's nothing better than watching my fellow citizens go on their daily routine while I sit home on my chair with a beer in my hand and a slice of pizza in my mouth, watching movies and wasting time for as long as I like. Too bad that only lasted a week, but hey, it was still good enough. I got to watch quite a bunch of different movies, some good and some not so much. Nevertheless, it was still better than sitting on an incomfortable chair for 7 hours while listening to a crazed scientist-turned-physics-teacher trying to explain the theory of electromagnetic radiation. That dude needs to realize that most of us have an IQ lower than 200. Gosh, I still can't figure out how I've been passing this class for 4 years now. Oh well!

01.02.10

Cold Prey (2006) - 6/10
I had a good feeling about this movie right from the opening sequence. Thankfully only Americans seem to rely on hot chicks flashing their boobs in order to sell their sad excuses for horror movies. Cold Prey was really refreshing to watch, and for a moment there it really seemed as though my hope for the horror genre has appeared once again. Sure, the last minutes were kinda average and the movie as a whole doesn't seem to be more than just another slasher, but for some weird reason it was rather good, even for a slasher film. I'm not so sure what made this movie shine (maybe it was the awesome deaths or the chilly atmosphere). All I know is that it worked like a charm for me. Check it out, and hopefully you'll feel the same way.

02.02.10

Up in the Air (2009) - 8/10
I've been meaning to watch this since I ever laid eyes on the first review about it. I'm glad I did, and now I can confidently agree with everyone that Up in the Air was great. Sure, it is slightly overrated (I don't consider it the best movie of the year, but it's definitely in the top 10), but that doesn't change the fact that it was genius! Jason Reitman really knows what he's doing. Most of all though, Up in the Air made me think about my own life and what my purpose is exactly and compare that to Ryan Bingham's.

03.02.10

Bandslam (2009) - 6/10
Not sure if you guys heard about this one, but it's a new teenage drama/comedy/musical starring the very own Vanessa Hudgens (who we all know from "High School Musical"... ok, maybe not). Actually, scratch that. This isn't just another typical and clichéd teenage film; it's much more than that. The dialogue is surprisingly smart and the characters are quite interesting. And no, Vanessa doesn't ruin it. She actually does a rather good job, even though her character may seem a little ignored and left out as a whole. But more on that in my review, which shall be arriving in the next couple of days.

Case 39 (2009) - 4/10
Oh God. Whenever some famous actor/actress decides to take on a role in a horror movie, it just can't end well. Case 39 is just another one of those unfortunate failures. I really wanted to like this one, even though Renée Zellweger isn't exactly my favourite actress. The first 20 minutes or so were surprisingly well done and quite scary, but it all goes downhill from there. Deep down the hill. If you're curious, check it out, but I wouldn't recommend that. I was actually planning on writing a review on this one, but to hell with that, I've already said everything I wanted to.

We Own the Night (2007) - 7/10
There's two things you need to know about this one: Joaquin Phoenix plays the black sheep of a family full of policeman and Eva Mendes gets almost naked. Ok, one thing then. Seriously though, We Own the Night is a great movie. The end feels a little rushed and uneven in comparison to the rest of the film, but that's irrelevant. I recommend this one, especially because of Joaquin Phoenix's performance.

04.02.10

The Godfather Part II (1974) - 8/10 
The Godfather Part II wasn't exactly as good as the first one, but it definitely didn't disappoint me. The most intriguing thing about this movie is definitely Michael Corleone, who is played to perfection by Al Pacino. It's amazing to witness how he changed over the years, turning into a ruthless and slightly paranoid mob leader from an honorable ex-soldier who preferred to serve his country rather than give in to his father's plans. I hope Part III turns out to be good, because this series simply can't end in any other way.

05.02.10

Jaws (1975) - 8/10
I didn't expect that shark to look so freakin' real! It's funny since I expected some little shark toy scare to people for 2 hours. Watching that monster thrash and smash and bite and chew was really hardcore. Kinda like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, but with sharp teeth and a significant height difference. We shalt always be in thy debth, Mr. Spielberg, for creating the summer blockbusters, even if your creation spawned several abominations such as G.I. Jack. Who cares, the shark will always save the day. And the little children. Especially the little children.

07.02.10

Star Trek (2009) - 7/10
What better way to end the weekend and the right of freedom than watching Star Trek? I can't say I'm a big fan of the franchise. I actually thought "Klingon" was a magical blade until just recently (I don't even know how the heck I got that idea), but Star Trek was awesome either way. I don't think there's anything that I didn't understand, so if you're afraid of watching this movie because you dream of the mighty Klingon blade, forget about that and just go watch this. It's definitely one of the most entertaining movies of 2009, even if it's infested with a few nasty clichés. I shall most certainly write a review on this one, so prepare your Klingon blades for some action! Did I take that joke too far?