Last night I hooked up with Jaime of Something Cleverer fame to go see Van Helsing. I haven’t seen Jaime in months so it was about bloody time. She looks great. Very cute hair style. She’s moving to Ontario in August for more school, and that may be the last we see of her except for occasional visits. I’ll miss her. I wish we were closer friends.
Van Helsing shamelessly rips off whole legions of movies, with considerably less esprit d’homage (just made that up) than Tarantino. I’m not saying Van Helsing is a bad movie. I enjoyed it as solid summer fare. I’m just saying that even going in blind you very quickly start noticing the quotes and duplicated scenes. Honestly I don’t really care so long as I have a good time, and I did. This flick is a suitable heir to Dracula, although there’s really no comparison at all between Gary Oldman‘s ancient love-tortured undead dripping with evil and the vaguely comical Richard Roxburgh, although I have to admit I didn’t realize I was watching the same guy who played the contemptible Duke in Moulin Rouge. And what Van Helsing lacks in substance is balanced by the simple fact that Keanu is in Dracula. And doesn’t die.
Kate Beckinsale. Smoley hokes. The girl has grown up. Remember The Last Days Of Disco? She was sexy, absolutely, but not particularly memorable. The cute girl who lives down the hall, or something. The years have been very kind to her since. I haven’t seen Underworld yet, but I think I will now. Pity she just got married to the director. And she’s got a kid. Holy. Anyway, in Van Helsing she effortlessly dominates every scene she’s in. Talent, presence, or sheer drop dead gorgeousness I don’t know. She’s hot, she can act, and when she walks you have to watch. And where Hugh was struggling to pull off an English accent she had no trouble with Transylvanian. If she finds herself typecast as a super hero I guess I’m okay with that. Maybe she’ll show up in the next X-men installment. In more tight clothing.
So yes, by all means see Van Helsing. Don’t wait for video unless you have a really big tv. There’s a lot of detail and the effects are very rich (and don’t you deserve the best possible view of Kate?). Lots of noise, too. Full credit to the sound production gang. You guys know how to kaboom.
I just spent an hour wandering through the imdb. Did you know there’s a new Batman movie in production? And to resolve the confused, contused, confangled debate with Jaime last night: Alien vs Predator.
yeah. she doesn’t suck. watched underworld about 2 months ago and she would be the only saving grace.
Also AVP. I know! and the guy who directed it is under severe pressure from ‘internet chat groups’ in regards to the movie. He is going to screw it up apparently. Oh well, he gets to go home to Milla Jovovich at the end of the day. That has to be important for something.
COMMENT:
I thought we realized we had solved the debate when we discovered we were talking about the game vs the movie. Man that site kinda blows.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that the worse a movie is the less the trailer gives away, unless the trailer gives away everything because the movie only has one hook. Interestingly this trailer seems to do both, which can’t be a good sign.
Who IS Van Helsing? All of a sudden there is this character who has no history. I don’t get it! Does he have something to do with the original Dracula story? Pardon my ignorance on the subject. I’ll see it on my tv screen thanx…. have not been to a movie theater for 20 years, and don’t plan on going for another 20.
In the original story of Dracula by Bram Stoker, Van Helsing is one of the doctors recruited to help save Mina from Drac’s cold clutches. If you don’t do movies I recommend the book. Good stuff.