All posts by Joseph Savitski »

Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995) Movie Review

Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 30, 2004

Keita Amemiya returns to robot territory with “Mechanical Violator Hakaider”, and seems to have learned his lessons well from his previous efforts. The result is a visually impressive and entertaining film that will satisfy...

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Moon Over Tao (1997) Movie Review

Moon Over Tao (1997) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 30, 2004

You’d be hard pressed to find a stranger cinematic amalgam than “Moon Over Tao”. As an odd mixture of the past and future, the film is only partially successful in what it tries to...

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Hardware (1990) Movie Review

Hardware (1990) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 25, 2004

One of the bleakest, most inventive, and nihilistic films of the 1990s was barely noticed when it was first released, but thanks to cable and video rentals, “Hardware” has slowly gained a following that...

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Zeiram 2 (1994) Movie Review

Zeiram 2 (1994) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 25, 2004

The original “Zeiram” must have made money for somebody somewhere, because a sequel was released three years later. They really shouldn’t have bothered on our account, since the resulting film is more akin to...

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Gunhed (1989) Movie Review

Gunhed (1989) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 23, 2004

Whenever you see the credit “directed by Allan Smithee”, you know you won’t be experiencing life to the fullest for the next hour or so. Like the names Titanic, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl,...

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Fist of the North Star (1995) Movie Review

Fist of the North Star (1995) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 22, 2004

You would think you’re in safe hands with the creative team behind “Hellraiser II” working on the live action version of “Fist of the North Star”, but you’d be wrong. Incoherent and working from...

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Hellraiser 2: Hellbound (1988) Movie Review

Hellraiser 2: Hellbound (1988) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 21, 2004

After the phenomenal returns on the first “Hellraiser”, New World executives managed to pick their jaws off the floor long enough to quickly green light a sequel. The result is a worthy follow up,...

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Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth (1992) Movie Review

Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth (1992) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 20, 2004

Miramax started off their Dimension Films subsidiary with a bang with the release of the third “Hellraiser” film, awaited by fans for almost four years. Their patience has not gone unrewarded, for Pinhead is...

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303: Fear Faith Revenge (1998) Movie Review

303: Fear Faith Revenge (1998) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 16, 2004

“303″ is a film that is hardly original, and is in fact very reminiscent of American slasher films, even though at times it shows promise in the solid direction and excellent camerawork. Then again,...

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Boa vs. Python (2005) Movie Review

Boa vs. Python (2005) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 12, 2004

The first warning sign that something dreadful is lurking on a DVD is the sign on the package promising a free ticket to the new snake movie “Anacondas”. How good can this film be...

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Star Wars: The Dark Redemption (1999) Movie Review

Star Wars: The Dark Redemption (1999) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 7, 2004

For fans who can’t wait for next year’s “Episode III”, this fan-made offering should help tide them over for the next several months. While not on par with the official films, “Star Wars: The...

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Godsend (2004) Movie Review

Godsend (2004) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 6, 2004

The makers of “Godsend” should be arrested for false advertising, as this film is anything but godly. A dreary and dull piece of work, its only saving grace is the performance of Robert DeNiro;...

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Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) Movie Review

Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 5, 2004

“Halloween III” has long been viewed as the bastard child of the “Halloween” series and is frequently the subject of scorn and derision. Michael Myers is glaringly absent, replaced by an entirely new set...

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Full Eclipse (1993) Movie Review

Full Eclipse (1993) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 5, 2004

“Full Eclipse” offers an extremely clever premise: an elite task force of police officers who literally hunt criminals. Oh, and they happen to be werewolves to boot. Although slick and entertaining, it’s too bad...

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Taking Lives (2004) Movie Review

Taking Lives (2004) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski September 4, 2004

Moviegoers have always had a perverse fascination with serial killers and their heinous acts. The concept of someone hunting their own species attracts audiences like Paris Hilton to a photo-op. “Taking Lives” tries to...

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Halloween 7: H20 (1998) Movie Review

Halloween 7: H20 (1998) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski August 31, 2004

At first glance, the 20th anniversary “Halloween” film should have been spectacular. It boasted a story by Kevin Williamson, whose work on “Scream” made him hotter than First Baptist Hell. Jamie Lee Curtis (“True...

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The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) Movie Review

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski August 31, 2004

Most people barely remember this offering, which aired back in November of 1978 and was never repeated again. There’s a reason for it being kept under wraps, mostly because it wasn’t exactly “Star Wars”‘...

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Suspect Zero (2004) Movie Review

Suspect Zero (2004) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski August 30, 2004

There have been a lot of serial killer films, but none about a killer that hunts other serial killers instead of innocent victims. “Suspect Zero” presents that scenario and manages a fine job of...

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Kichiku (1997) Movie Review

Kichiku (1997) Movie Review

Joseph Savitski August 29, 2004

Probably the most amazing thing about “Kichiku” is not the amount of gore, but the fact that it was made by a third year college student name Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, whose skill at depicting the...

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