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I remember when I first heard about this movie - there was this cryptic trailer that was associated with producer J. J. Abrams. So of course that got people talking.

So when I managed to get the DVD to review I was both aprehensive and excited to see what the hype was all about.

The movie is about a group of friends in New York getting together to have a going away party for one of their own when strange things begin happening in the city.

The movie is told from the point of view of one of the characters holding a video camera.  Much like the Blair Witch Project, we see the story unfold as if we are part of the group, via the camera.

The movie revolves around the "attack" of the city by a large monster that we never really get a clear view up until nearer the end of the movie, and the friend's attempts at getting out of Manhattan using any means possible.

Have you ever taken a shower in the complete dark? I know it's weird. But try it...no really do it. I can almost gaurentee it's one of the creepiest things you can do. Maybe it's all the Physco refrences as we grew up but I couldn't do it. Trust me I tried. It's something about the darkness. I mean the shower curtain blocks your view of what's going on anyway but in the darkness it's double creepy. The reason I mention this is that I watched 30 Days of Night the other day. Trust me this film is way more than another crappy vampire film. Although the acting was just okay the film has two main things going for it. The darkness and the cinematography. Both were amazing. The film has a look that's almost all it's own, some may argue that the vampires are very zombie in their looks but I disagree. The way they walk, the way they communicate is all very vampire. As I mentioned the film doesn't have the best acting from Josh Hartnett and company, but it's not too bad. However what makes the film stand out is the way it looks. You see the last bit of daylight in the first in 15 minutes and from their on in you really do believe you are up in Alaska experiencing 30 days of night. Oh you want some plot do you? Fine...small Alaska town...vampires attack and kill people since the sun does not come out at all for 30 days...nuff said.


The film does have some low points, the whole evil child vampire has been done to death in a 100 films before this and although Josh does a good job I thought the ending was very cheesy Hollywood. Also what's up with the final fight seen? Someone leave me a comment about that below and please explain it. Even if your not a fan of horror or a film geek like myself this movie is worth a rent for the feeling of darkness and the cinematography. If you ARE a film geek this DVD has got to be nominated for one of the best "Film Schools in a Box" for 2008. It's has over 5 features and they are amazing. Everything from how they filmed all the night scenes over the course of 33 nights, to how they shot in the cold, to how they trained the actors to act like vampires. All amazing stuff. It also features some great candid interviews from the Director and all the actors. If you want to see some samples of  them watch below and then rent or buy the DVD to watch them all. So go rent or buy this one and then try taking that shower in the Dark....I dare you.

I give the DVD a B-

I'm going to start off by saying that this movie was nothing like I expected. First, I thought perhaps there was only a couple songs and not a whole freaking musical! Second, there was way more blood than I thought.


But you know what?  These are actually pleasant surprises.

Now, I'm not a big musical fan, so when the singing started in the first few minutes of the movie I said to myself "Oh great, what have I gotten myself in to?"  But you know what?  It's not all that bad.  In fact, the songs are really pretty good.

The story  of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is, as you might have guessed, about a barber (played by Johhny Depp) that goes a little looney.


In fact he goes right off the deep end and then some.  But in the end you actually feel sorry for him.  After all, he was wrongly imprisoned and lost his whole family because of a crooked judge, played by Alan Rickman.  Of course Mrs. Lovett, played by Helena Bonham Carter, only helps to feed Todd's blood lust.

I have to start by saying I'm a big fan of Stephen King. He is the master of horror. Not only does he put together some incredible stories, but his character development is second to none in my opinion.

That being said, I have been disappointed in the past with some of the movies which have been adapted from his books.  While for the most part I like them, there are a few which lack the richness of the story.

That is most likely because King goes into such detail in some cases.  For example, Delores Claiborne, which was a great movie, was still a better book.  There were details in the book which you just can't transfer to film.

That is why I was a little concerned upon hearing of this new movie based on a King story.  But let me just say the movie is brilliant.

"This country is tough on a man....you can't stop what's coming".

That is one of my favorite lines from the film I just watched. It's "No Country For Old Men" and after seeing it in the theatres and now on DVD's I have to say this is one of the best films I have watched in years. If you buy five DVD's this year make this one of them. "No Country for Old Men" is a genre bender. Is it a horror film? It's not a chase movie, not a road movie,not a horror movie, not a Thriller it's some sort of hybrid of all them. This makes the film very hard to describe. Maybe it's a dark thriller cinematic comedy? What can I say it's a Coen film. That's all I should have to say.



The scenery is fantastic, the characters are amazing, the acting is top notch and the dialog is amazing. In fact the scenery is so fantastic that west Texas itself almost becomes one of the characters in the film. Call me a film geek but Watch it and you will see what I am talking about. The fact that none of the three main characters are ever on screen at the same time, yet it works, should tell you how good this film is. As I said the actors are amazing with Javier Barden giving the performance of his life. The behind the scenes on the DVD are more of a love letter to the Coen brothers and the actors than showing you how the film was made, but they do have their points. The very, very brutal opening violence scene is well documented and amazingly sick to watch.

Simply put this is the one of the best films you will watch in 2008. Go buy the DVD today.

I give it an A+