Some news, Mirrors review...

Hey guys! I've got some stuff to get into, so lets start with some headlines...

- Darren Lynn Bousman...yes, Repo! The Genetic Opera and Saw 2-4 helmer is working on a new Leprechaun film, and wants it to be set in the Wild Wild West...
- Game, the alleged second film from Crank duo Brian Neveldine and Mark Taylor, has been pushed back to summer of next year...
- Spy Hunter has been canned until further notice...
- Voltron is set to get a film adaptation, and on a moderate budget, by using the type of technology seen in films like 300 and the upcoming Watchmen film...thoughts???

Finally, I would just like to get into a little bit about Mirrors. It's the newest film from director Alexandre Aja, best known for the Hills Have Eyes remake (which, along with the first Saw, are probably the best films from the tourture porn genre), but also did a little indie French horror film called High Tension which is solid, and stars Jack Bower, I mean, Kiefer "my parents couldn't think of a better name, really?" Sutherland. It's basically about a former cop whose family is now the target of a being who is using mirrors to take the souls of it's victims. That is a really interesting premise, that works a little bit.

The best thing about this film is the amazingly creepy set decoration and the cinematography. The sets, especially in the burned department store, are really creepy and almost Silent Hill like. It's very dark, rusted, and the contrast between the concrete, brick and the dried out blood made any shot inside the department store, automatically creepy. The music, while a little cliche near the end, worked. Sure, you could tell what would happen based on music ques, but the way the music works with the characters interacting with the mirrors worked really well. Also, I know it may just be because I'm dumb, but I did not see the ending coming, based on the fact that the film had been so sort of cliche the entire time. Along with the solid ending, is one of the most insane bath tub scenes that rivals Cabin Fever for sheer turn-your-head-and-vomit-in-your-hand moments. All of these great things said, the film is heavily flawed.

The main problem is the lead performances. Kiefer Sutherland is not good, and neither is his wife, played by Paula Patton. Amy Smart is fine as Keiffer's little sister, and the two children in the film are really good. Also, while the ending is interesting, it isn't really well done, as I had no idea how or why this happened. Well, there's one reason why it happened, so there could be a sequel. The way this film ends is so blattantly hoping a sequel is made, that it left a sour taste in my mouth. The script is really straightforward and basic, and the characters are cookie cutter horror cliche's. That may be the biggest sin of this film. The premise is so interesting and inventive (outside of the fact that it's based on a Korean film, Into The Mirrors, and is basically a Twilight Zone episode), that the fact that it lives so close to the realm of cliche really bothered me. However, there were some scares, it looks GORGEOUS (for a thriller) and it's an interesting premise, so it's not a total loss.

Mirrors - 6/10


Alright, that's all I have for now, so come back later for more news and notes...

Go see something good!