The Pandemic Pre-Show Rundown

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So, let's take a quick look at how I rated the 10 films I watched for the pre-show:

CHILDREN OF MEN - *****  

Best movie of the pre-show, a phenomenal, moving film, with powerful performances and some extraordinary cinematography. I cannot recommend it highly enough.  

CONTAGION - ****1/2  

Easily the best pandemic-type film in terms of the science. great acting all-around, some surprises, and very prescient.  

RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR - **  

Starts off strong, claustrophobic and bleak, ultimately let down by bad science. BOO-ums!  

PONTYPOOL - ****1/2  

Extremely clever, well-acted, low-budget thriller in what amounts to a stage-play on film. Stephen McHattie is a Canadian national treasure.

12 MONKEYS - *****  

A sci-fi tragedy by Terry Gilliam. A great film that I don't personally love.  

REC - ****1/2  

Easily one of the best found-footage style horror-flicks ever made, very much in the style of a first-person survival-horror game. A great flick!  

MAGGIE - ***1/2  

Good film, and a strong, dramatic performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A slow burn, but pretty powerful.  

REC 2 - ***1/2  

This worthy sequel to the original cranks up the first-person survival-horror videogame-style nature of the original to an 11.   

BLINDNESS - ****  

A pandemic of blindness causes the world to unravel, and showcases the worst aspects of humanity before finishing up with the best aspects, and giving us hope. Not for everyone.  

THE SEVENTH SEAL - *****  

An absolute masterpiece of cinema, Ingmar Bergman uses the black death as a setting for the story of a disillusioned knight, played excellently by the late, great Max von Sydow. 

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