Short: SIGNS (2009)

This is what great films are about! I can’t help but feel the main character’s emotions every step of the way; I feel sad when he was sad and was happy when he was happy. This short is simple yet so complex in emotionality that I actually clapped at the end. Job well done! Watch it!!!

Invitation Only (2009)

Taiwan’s first ever slasher horror is also a porn film. The sequence of the film goes like this: sexy girls dancing and kissing, boobs, sex, more boobs, sex, gore, gore, gore, and finally, more sexy girls. I did not expect much of a plot since I knew this is a slasher flick, but seriously, the weak attempts at the justification of the killer’s motives was unnecessary. Yup, the word unnecessary basically describes the entire movie. And there were some scenes in it which were nothing short of bizarre; particularly, the scene where the main character squishes a cockroach and wipes its squashed liquid on the wall, followed by a shot of the cockroach crawling away with its entrails hanging out. I’ve to admit, the reason why I watched this film was because of Maria Ozawa, and after watching it, I’d advise the company that made this to cut out the rest of the garbage and market it as another one of Maria’s works. Also, Maria was only in some scenes and she died way too early into the movie. Stay away from it.

Pandorum (2009)

It’s been a while since the studios made such a sweet sci-fi flick. It reminds me of the first Alien movie. And the twist at the end made it even more satisfying to watch. I’ve been a fan of Ben Foster for a while since I saw him in “3:10 to Yuma”, and am glad to see him tackle a different genre. Dennis Quid did an acceptable job, nothing much to comment on. Watch it.

Inglourious Basterds

Overall the suspense in this film is leagues better than some of the so-called "thrillers" out there. Without resorting to flashy action sequences Tarantino managed to create an atmosphere of fear in scenes where the characters are just simply having a conversation. This is what great storytelling is about. However, occasionally Tarantino would revert back to juvenile humor with violence thrown in for violence sake. If he just kept consistency in his writing and direction, then this film would definitely be better. Tarantino needs to mature as a director. Maybe watch it.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

In the beginning first half of the film, it was amazing. The story and pacing is excellent. But towards the end, everything just went downhill. The ending is disappointing; if he, Gerard Butler's character, is as smart as they say he is, he won't put all his eggs in a basket. The time limit of a conventional feature film absolutely screwed this film. Watch it if you want.