Screenshots of the Recently Viewed

I’m about to head out, so I’m just going to post a few screenshots from recently viewed movies. This isn’t a continuation of the screenshot game, but I’ll leave the titles off in case you want to guess… The answers are in the extended entry. (Hints in the alt tag and you can click on the images for larger versions…)

Screenshot 1:

This is not Ghengis Kahn

Screenshot 2:

There are two characters pictured here, only one is human

Screenshot 3:

He is not a zombie yet, though he has been resurrected

Again, answers and quick comments in the extended entry…


And the answers are:

  • Screenshot 1: Mongol – This was a film I meant to catch up with at the Philly Film Fest this year, but I missed out and had to wait for DVD. It’s a historical epic charting the rise of Ghengis Kahn (called Temudgin in the film). It has strong visuals and solid battle sequences, interspersed with a couple of interesting relationships, but little else. The battle sequences are bloody and chaotic, and they’re shot beautifully, but never really approach the greatness of other historical action sequences. You do get a feel for Temudgin’s flare for strategy, but that’s not the focus either. It’s enough to make the film worth a watch, but I was left wanting more. Perhaps this was the intention, as my understanding is that this is the first in a trilogy chronicling the life of Ghengis Kahn… ***
  • Screenshot 2: The Ruins – I was actually surprised by this movie. It’s a well worn premise – teenagers in the woods fighting off monsters (in this case, a carnivorous plant, which is a subgenre that is itself cliched and actually rather silly) – but writer Scott Smith and director Carter Smith steer clear of tired plot devices and focus in on the psychological horror of the situation. There’s some gore too, but it takes a back seat to the tension that builds as the 5 teenagers attempt to survive this ordeal. It’s not a terrribly optimistic picture, but it is quite effective. ***
  • Screenshot 3: Versus – This Japanese action spectacle is about a forest which brings the dead back to life as zombies. There’s also something about these two warriors who have been battling for centuries, but it’s all just an excuse for people to shoot a lot of guns and swing a lot of swords (the mixture of gunplay and swordplay is not something you see all that often, but it’s used a lot here). It’s all framed with super-cool visual poses and spinning camera moves, and I’ll admit that it is somewhat effective in those respects. Unfortunately, the movie goes on far too long and the action sequences begin to feel tedious and uneccessary after a while. The plot, such as there is one, is simplistic and yet difficult to understand. It’s perhaps worth a watch for action fans (which I am) or zombie movie fanatics (which I’m probably not), and perhaps video game fans would get a kick out of it too (all that repetition and action makes it feel kinda like a violent video game). **