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REVIEWSPREVIEWS: Secondhand Lions
Secondhand Lions should have been released in the first week of summer. Instead, this tale of two old men and their great grandnephew, who has to spend the summer at the mercy of his two granduncles, has only just hit the stores. That’s Hollywood for you!
Set in 1960s Texas, Walter (Haley Joel Osmond) is marooned with the two oldies after his mother refuses to take him along on her (mis)adventures. But the laid-back, crumbling house that the two geezers (screen veterans and Oscar winners Michael Caine and Robert Duvall) call home has much more excitement than meets the eye. With no television or telephone, the pair of has-beens spend their time shooting salesmen who dare to come to their doorstep, and fish in the nearby pond! But the oddest thing is the old men’s endless flow of cash.
Numerous rumours are afloat. Some say these two were bank robbers or Mafia hitmen. Others claim they were just ordinary criminals on the run from the law. But exactly where the cash is stashed is a mystery that has kept people talking and unwanted family members coming. However, for Walter, it is the stories of endless bravery and valour that the two experienced in their youth that throws light onto their mysterious past.
Secondhand Lions has all the ingredients of a classic. A definite, clean-cut must see for the whole family. Don’t miss it.—Atif Khan
Cabin Fever
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Written and directed by rookie Eli Roth, Cabin Fever boasts of real, gripping horror and high class special effects. Though not a big budget flick (it only cost $1 million), the director displays maturity and control over his script and creates a world of helplessness with the panache of a virtuoso.Five college friends are taking time off in the woods after their exams. They are all set to have fun and party, but little do they know the horror that awaits them. After an incident involving a raving poacher, a deadly virus plagues their bodies with a contagious disease that devastates its victims’ skin and makes them vomit blood. As one of the students starts showing symptoms of the virus and her skin starts burning, the group decides to lock her in a shed, afraid to see her die in front of their eyes. They keep suspecting who the next victim will be. The suspicion and paranoia keeps building until climaxing in a gory end.
This is not a bad movie, barring a few over-the-top grisly scenes that hardly convince. On the other hand, it’s good to see the young and inexperienced cast delivering a few captivating performances and giving some genuine chills. The graphics are first rate and the scenes where the effects of the virus can be seen on the characters’ faces will surely catch your attention.—Azeem Haider
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