07/07/2005 11:30 AM
Posted by VeggieSteph

July 4th Movie Madness: The Good

This past weekend I raided Blockbuster and picked up a bunch of movies I missed while they were in the theater. Some were bad (in this case, so bad even I groaned), and some were good. I saw about 8, so I am dividing them into multiple entries to keep from spamming the blog with a long list. Read on for looks at the good: Suspect Zero, The Toolbox Murders, Crimson Rivers 2, and tune in later this week for the Bad and the Ugly.



Suspect Zero starring Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Ann Moss

This movie treads familiar serial-killer territory, but at least it makes it interesting with a crazed killer and enough tension in the script and between characters to make it worth a watch. I’ll admit, knowing who the “bad guy” was early on didn’t diminish the story one bit. The hunt for him was still a good one.

The Toolbox Murders starring Angela Bettis, Juliet Landau

This is Tobe Hooper’s remake of the original 70’s movie, where pretty girls with big breasts get sliced and diced with implements in a toolbox. In this updated version, the girls have smaller breasts (in fact, I don’t remember any nudity), but the gore is still amazing, and the acting and story is pretty good for a horror movie. Of course there is a spectral back story with supernatural goings on, quirky characters that lead you astray, and a credible lead actress.

Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse starring Jean Reno

I rented this sequel because I enjoyed the first Crimson Rivers a lot. This thriller focuses on a group of monks who want to bring on the Apocalypse, and Jean Reno gets pulled in to investigate after dead bodies have turned up crucified. Jean Reno is such a great actor, and the special effects (i.e. dead bodies) are quite realistic. The mystery falls apart in the end; the story isn’t as good as the first. I missed Vincent Cassel as the sidekick this time around, but the replacement was a good one.