Netflix recommendations can't be trusted!

I had put two movies at the top of my DVD queue due to my Netflix recommendations. Unfortunately, both films fell flat.

The first was Eyes Front starring Michael Madsen and Christopher Stapleton. Written and directed by Darren Doane, and apparently going straight to DVD, this social commentary on serial killers was distributed in 2008. Doane stepped outside of his usual punk music videos to make this full-length film but, in my opinion, he didn't step far enough. The editing, the cinematography, the music all made me feel like I was watching an hour-long music video. The storyline is extremely weak as we follow the separate lives of two killers. Madsen plays a family man seeking redemption after killing his wife, while Stapleton plays a cunning and maniacal serial killer. I understand that Doane was trying to present a controversial perspective on what might lead someone to kill, but neither the plot nor the character development ever went deep enough to make things interesting.

The movie trailer teases us: "Look inside the mind of a killer." I'm glad they cleared that up, because I thought I was simply looking at a really, really bad film.

The second movie was a remake of Brian DePalma's 1973 Sisters, this time with Chloe Sevigny and Stephen Rea. The first few minutes were quite promising with an eerie soundtrack playing behind a beautiful montage of twin fetuses in the womb. But that's where the good stuff ended and this droning, unimaginative remake lost my interest (the acting was pretty awful, too). Also released straight to DVD, this version cannot compare to DePalma's genius in bringing us scares, suspense, and scenes that make us turn away in terror. Do yourself a favor and skip this one, but watch DePalma's original.

Not wasting any jumpers on either of these movies and you shouldn't waste your time.

Until next time,
L