roger1865

I remember not seeing any promotional material for this movie, no trailers, billboards or ads and I really wish I did. I unfortunately did not see this in theaters but rather saw it via DVD rental and I'm glad I took a chance on it. I went into it not expecting much and predicted it was going to be a formulaic crime thriller and I was wrong. The three characters we are introduced to seem paint by the numbers but our protagonist Rocky is fresh take on the "does wrong to do good" troupe. The set up is interesting on it's own but once they make it to the house, it really takes off and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Stephen Land as the antagonistic Blind Man is nothing short of incredible. His presence is intimidating, his voice is chilling and his disability never makes him feel any less threatening. The suspense you feel in certain scenes is complimented by its cinematography and sound design. This is truly a great modern horror/thriller.

I grew up watch the classic Fresh Prince of Bel Air and still watch it from time to time so when I heard about a remake (or whatever this is) I was hesitant but willing to give it a fair chance. After the first episode I realized, oh no this was a mistake. This show has enough differences in it to be it's own show and have no ties to the original show. It is just way too dramatic and over the top that I cannot believe that someone was actually paid to write this type of dialog. I would expect this level of bad writing from an old soap opera or cheesey CW show but man, does this take the cake for weird lines in a show. The acting is fine I guess considering the material they are working with. It is humorless, bland, boring and very in your face about a message that never sets. I know it is not supposed to be funny or have any humor but considering that it is not working as a drama, maybe they should reconsider its direction. The very few serious and dramatic moments in the original show blow anything this show has to offer, acting wise and writing wise.