Category: Horror

Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Director:  Taylor Hackford

Screenplay: Jonathan Lemkin, Tony Gilroy; based on THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE by Andrew Neiderman

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Connie Nielsen, Tamara Tunie, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Debra Monk, Vyto Ruginis, Laura Harrington, Pamela Gray, George Wyner, Chris Bauer, Heather Matarazzo, Leo Burmester and Craig T. Nelson.

Tagline: The newest attorney at the world’s most powerful law firm has never lost a case. But he’s about to lose his soul.

The Plot…

Kevin Lomax is a young, newly married hotshot lawyer.  Kevin has never lost a case.  That could change when Kevin comes to realize his client, a teacher, accused of molesting a student, is a guilty pervert.  Kevin considers his options.  He could excuse himself from the case.  He could not do his best and allow his client to be found guilty.  Kevin makes a decision.  He brings the young girl to the witness stand and destroys her credibility.  His client gets off and Kevin’s undefeated streak is intact.

When John Milton’s big time New York City law firm offers Kevin a job, he is surprised… and interested.  Taking the position would mean uprooting his wife and moving from a small suburban home to the big city.  He’d get a lot more money and prestige, but have less time for his wife.  There’d be temptations that would be hard to resist.

But it’s not like he’d be selling his soul.  Right?

Court is in session!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Keanu Reeves accepted a lower salary in order that there was enough money in the budget to get Al Pacino.  When Pacino learned of this, he donated to charity the same amount that Reeves lowered his pay.

The boxing match that takes place in the film was an actual title fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Bryant Bannon.  Jones won by a second round TKO.

Keanu Reeves turned down Speed 2: Cruise Control but chose to make Devil’s Advocate instead.

In the last scene of the film Al Pacino looks into the camera breaking the fourth wall and speaks his last line.  I love it.

Devil’s Advocate (1997) rates 4 of 5 stars

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

Director:  Gareth Edwards

Screenplay: David Koepp; based on characters by Michael Crichton

Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Bechir Sylvain, Ed Skrein, Lucy Thackeray, Billy Smith and Jonny Lavelle.

Tagline: A new era is born.

The Plot…

Martin Krebs, an executive at ParkerGenix, offers Zora Bennett two million dollars to head a dangerous expedition.  If Zora accepts, her team will go to an abandoned dinosaur research laboratory located on a remote island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.  The island was deserted when experiments to mutate dinosaurs got out of hand.  Several scientists were killed and the dinosaurs escaped.  Now the mutated creatures thrive on the island.  It is illegal for anyone to go there.

ParkerGenix scientists believe that dinosaur DNA holds the key to a cure for heart disease.  Zora accepts the offer.  She recruits fellow mercenaries Duncan Kincaid, LeClerc, Nina and Bobby Atwater.  Martin Krebs from ParkerGenix and paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis will round out the team.

Their mission is to sneak onto the island, locate the three dinosaur species, retrieve DNA from each and get back alive.  It won’t be easy.

The mission is made even more difficult when nearing the island, they receive and SOS from a sinking sail boat.  They arrive in time to save a father, his young daughter, his grown daughter and her boyfriend.  Because they are so close to the island, and the clock is ticking, they have no choice but to bring the survivors along.

As their boat nears the island, it is attacked by several Spinosaurus dinosaurs.  Several crew members are knocked overboard.  The craft is driven ashore but now useless.  Those that make it to the island alive will have to survive 24 hours.  At that point a rescue helicopter will circle and attempt to pick up survivors.

Getting through the 24 hours alive will be difficult enough.  Attempting to complete their mission is still a goal.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is the only Jurassic Park sequel to feature all new characters.

Jonathan Bailey who plays Dr. Henry Loomis, can also be heard playing clarinet in several orchestral tracks of the film’s score.  Baily also performs the solo heard when his character first touches a dinosaur.

There are plenty of scares and intense scenes as expected.

There is a baby dinosaur that appears throughout the film once the team gets on the island.  Its inclusion seemed out of place to me unless they were shooting a children’s movie.  Yeah, it is cute, but for me seemed so out of place.

Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo are excellent.

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars

Species (1995)

Director:  Roger Donaldson

Screenplay: Dennis Feldman

Stars: Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker, Marg Helgenberger, Jordan Lund, Don Fischer, Virginia Morris, Esther Scott, William Utay, Roger Donaldson and Whip Hubley.

Tagline: For three million years, the human race has been at the top of the evolutionary ladder. Nothing lasts forever

The Plot…

SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) scientists are elated when they receive a transmission. The message contains alien DNA.  So the government funds a laboratory to splice the DNA with that of female human.  Scientists are shocked when the baby “girl” begins growing at a rapid rate.  They name the child Sil.

Within a short time Sil is the size of a pre-teen.  Super smart and strong, the scientists become concerned when Sil displays violent outbursts while sleeping.  The decision is made to terminate Sil before she reaches full strength.  When the execution fails Sil escapes.  Soon she will reach adulthood.  At that point, she will be infinitely more dangerous.

The government pulls together a team that includes anthropologist Dr. Stephen Arden, molecular biologist Dr. Laura Baker, “empath” Dan Smithson, and mercenary Preston “Press” Lennox.  They are to track and kill SIL.  A backup squad will be on standby to assist.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sil was designed by Swiss artist H. R. Giger.  Giger also designed the creatures in Alien.  Giger created the “nightmare train” effects used when Sil is dreaming.  Interestingly enough, Giger had been attached to an alien on a train film titled Isobar.  Isobar was to star Sylvester Stallone, but the film was never made due to Carolco Pictures’ financial troubles.

Species features the theatrical movie debut of  Natasha Henstridge who played Sil.

Dennis Feldman, Species screenwriter, followed up with a four-issue comic book adaptation drawn by Jon Foster as well as two alternate comic book continuations: Species: Human Race and a one-shot Species: Offspring. Feldman also wrote the sequel film, Species II.

Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly showed interest in the script but moved on due to budget restrictions.

I loved the idea of the team of diverse talents that included an empath.

Species (1995) rates 4 of 5 stars