Movie Review: CAPOTE

In this biographical movie about author Truman Capote and the writing of "In Cold Blood," actor Phillip Seymore Hoffman plays Capote and delivers what I'm sure will be an Oscar-nominated performance.

The movie focuses not on the murders depicted in "In Cold Blood," but the relationship between Capote and one of the convicted killers. Capote befriends (to some extent) the killer in the process of discovering his perspective on how his life events had led him to the point of committing such an horrific act of violence.

"In Cold Blood" turned out to be the final completed work written by Truman Capote. Many believed -- as did Capote himself -- that writing that book completely exhausted him -- it took the very best of him as he wrote the one of the very best of American literature.

This is a fascinating and illuminating story as much about the eccentric author as it is about his subject.

Don't miss this movie.

Cheers!

Ft. Oglethorpe's Carmike 10-Plex & SAW II Review

I finally went to the new theater on Battlefield Parkway - Carmike 10-Plex. I went to see SAW II, the sequel to SAW. Before I get into the review, I have one issue with the theater: Why is there no road-side marquee showing the movies? The reason I haven't gone to this new theater thus far is that when driving down 2A, I'm never informed or inticed about any movie playing. I'm sure that there's some sign ordinance or restriction; but if I was Carmike, I'd find some way to advertise what's playing...

The original SAW was a clever concept, just not implemented as well as it could have been. With the sequel, and as with most sequels in the horror genre, my expectations were not exactly high. That said, I was given basically what I expected. The typical pattern for horror movies is that in each successive iteration of a horror movie concept, the killings must do two things:

1. Become more disgusting and gross; and,
2. Become more numerous.

SAW II did exactly that. In the original movie, one of the things that made it interesting was that the real tension was the interplay between two characters trapped in a room. In SAW II, there were about eight people trapped in a house, with increasingly novel death traps awaiting them.

As with all sequels, the novelty is gone. The only suspense is about who or what will the "twist" be? Other than that, it's just kill, hack, bleed... same ol' horror stuff.

Disappointing, but about what I expected.

If you liked the original SAW, then you'll probably like this one... or at least not hate it. But, try to see it at least at a matinee. That way, you won't hate yourself for paying full price.

Cheers!