Byzantium movie review.

Bloody Undead! Un-Bloody-Dead! It’s even worse than bloody cats! Undead, what’s the bloody point?!

Indeed, the undead seems to be a popular trend at the moment. We’ve got plenty of shows and movies of zombies, ghosts, and vampires to go around. Shows like The Walking Dead do plenty of justice for zombies, but vampires, however, are not doing so strong. Popular hits like Twilight (noted for “bringing back” the vampire genre) have a deserved reputation for being weak, manipulative teen fare (highlighted by a terrible role model of a lead character). However, there are smaller, better films released that remind us what made the sub-genre so fascinating in the first place, Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In being one of them. Byzantium, the latest from Interview with a Vampire director Neil Jordan, is also one such film.

After Earth movie review.

Of all the careers in Hollywood, none was more unfortunate than that of M. Night Shyamalan…

Unfortunate, indeed. Believe it or not, there was once a time when Shyamalan made good movies. The Sixth Sense we all know is a terrific film, Unbreakable might be the most underrated film of all time, Signs is a great, suspenseful Sci-Fi, and even The Village has its own spectacular merits. But, after leaving Touchstone Pictures, Shyamalan fell from grace hard. Starting with Lady in the Water, he made three horrible films in a row, and has practically become a punchline in his own industry. His latest film, After Earth, didn’t ease things. A starring vehicle for Will Smith’s son Jaden, the studio went so far as to hide Shyamalan’s name in advertising. However, the plan backfired. It seemed like the film had bigger problems than just Shyamalan. So when all is said and done, the movie is finished, and I get to thinking, I come to the conclusion that… It’s not that bad.

Let me just clarify. I am not saying this is a good movie, but it’s perhaps Shyamalan’s least bad film since leaving Touchstone.