... Mirrors sadly for Sutherland is not going to follow in the success of his previous dalliances into horror.
Five years ago the Mayflower department store in the centre of New York suffered a terrible fire, but several years on the owners and the insurance company have still not settled over ... Read review
From Alexandre Aja - the director of The Hills Have Eyes comes Mirrors - a supernatural ... more
thriller starring Kiefer Sutherland as Ben Carson a troubled ex cop who must fight to save his family from an unspeakable evil that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
...Hills Have Eyes, Haute Tension) mirrors and quickly snapped up the opportunity. Mirrors sadly for Sutherland is not going to follow in the success of his previous dalliances into horror.
Five years ago the Mayflower department store in the centre of New York suffered a terrible fire, but several years on the owners and the insurance company have still not settled over various issues in the insurance policy. Ben Carson (Sutherland) ... ...discover the vast amount of mirrors in the department store, and how clean they all are, that is accept all for one, which has handprints on if from waist height to the top, about 40 feet high. As the night progresses Ben sees things in the mirrors, and these things follow him home to the apartment he shares with his sister. Ben soon realises that something is not quite right in the department store as the creepy occurrences get weirder and weirder, ... more
During the American writers strike that affected every popular US television show, 24 star Kiefer Sutherland found that he had time to take up a movie role between series. Keen to return to the horror genre after the movies Flatliners, and The Lost Boys bought him worldwide fame the actor received the script for Alexandre Aja's (The Hills Have Eyes, Haute Tension) mirrors and quickly snapped up the opportunity. Mirrors sadly for Sutherland is not going to follow in the success of his previous dalliances into horror.
Five years ago the Mayflower department store in the centre of New York suffered a terrible fire, but several years on the owners and the insurance company have still not settled over various issues in the insurance policy. Ben Carson (Sutherland) recently suspended from the police force (after accidentally shooting a fellow police officer) is more than eager to take up a post as night security patrol in the dilapidated department store. Having suffered a breakdown after the accidental shooting, Ben is broke and separated from his wife and children until he controls himself, feeling the time alone will help things Ben has high hopes for his new job.
On Ben's first night he is amazed to discover the vast amount of mirrors in the department store, and how clean they all are, that is accept all for one, which has handprints on if from waist height to the top, about 40 feet high. As the night progresses Ben sees things in the mirrors, and these things follow him home to the apartment he shares with his sister. Ben soon realises that something is not quite right in the department store as the creepy occurrences get weirder and weirder, before finally one night he becomes engulfed in flames, only to discover seconds later that it's just an illusion. As Ben looks further and further into incidents at the Mayflower, he gets to understand that the building is controlled by a sinister force not of this world.
Although not an adaptation from the recent surge of Japanese/Korean/Chinese movies that have rocked the world then turned into lesser vehicles once hitting Hollywood, Mirrors is clearly inspired by this sort of movie, it has a familiar dowdy ring about it, dark, dismal, and with a plot that really stinks.
I cannot begin to say when I realised the movie was going quite so badly, I suspect I kind of knew before I even settled down to watch the movie even though I had enjoyed previous Aja offerings. The biggest deal of all is that in order to set the story there are a lot of bad plot devices to explain what has happened before the movie started. First up is the newspaper in amongst all of Ben's possessions saying "Police Officer Killed" with a photo of both Sutherland, and the deceased officer. Next up is the arrival of the Ben's sister Angela (Amy Smart) who tells the viewing audience three times that she is his sister, in case there is any doubt. Then Ben moves on to the home of his estranged wife Amy, and in a two minute slot they explain the whole of the last few months story in case you had not picked it up. I appreciate stories need telling, but sometimes it's nicer to spread things out and let the story slowly develop. But it was bath-time that finished the movie in my eyes, having not encountered the "mirrors" of the movie's title, one of the characters rips their own jaw off while having a soak, and to be honest the explanation as to why this has happened is just pathetic.
None of the characters are the sort that you might want to share an elevator with, Sutherland is confused about who he is, slipping back into Jack Bauer mode at every given opportunity, when he pulls a gun out he has that dopey Jack Bauer look, I half expected him to die only to reveal it was all a hoax five minutes later, rather like he does in EVERY single series of 24. Amy Smart is pretty as ever but dull as dishwater "I am your little sister after all", a fact she reminds us of every single time she appears. Paula Patton who plays the estranged wife Amy is just badly miscast, she tries her best but a poorly written character and a kind of fake look just don't add up to very much. As for the kids, give them a good spanking and send them to bed, they are just awful both the actors and the characters.
When you have got over the poor performances, terrible screenplay, you then have to contend with pretty substandard effects. In moments of horror things are not too bad, but the delivery of other effects is just abysmal. The Mayflower is a real building on the ground floor, then computer generated from there on up, and clearly so, these are nowhere near usual movie standard effects. The interior of the store is even less convincing, rather than going to any effort to make the inside look burned out, you can clearly see that the furnishings have been painted blue.
Mirrors is due in UK cinemas on 3rd of October, but to be honest there are far better movies out there you could spend your money on, if you're looking for tension you might be better off with Murder She Wrote.
Advantages: Not absolutely awful. Disadvantages: Clichéd storyline
...see strange things in the mirrors at the department store he tries first to explain it to his sister Angela, and then to his wife, but neither believe him. So he must discover the secret behind the mirrors himself. === Cast === Kiefer Sutherland as Ben Carson Paula Patton as Amy Carson Cameron Boyce as Michael Carson Erica Gluck as Daisy Carson Amy Smart as Angela Carson Mary Beth Peil as Anna Esseker John Shrapnel as Lorenzo Sapelli Jason Fleming ... ...The only cast member I recognise either by name or sight is Kiefer Sutherland, the rest were newcomers to me. === My Thoughts === It was an okay film, not great, but not absolutely awful either. The storyline was a bit clichéd and typical horror movie gumph, and when I say clichéd , I mean even down to the church roof being partly destroyed and needing repairs, which was a huge eye rolling moment. And it had every well worn horror stereotype going. ...
Fiver29 08.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mirrors (DVD)
Advantages: Original and different than releases in the last few years Disadvantages: appointing ending
...is intrigued by the pristine mirrors throughout the desolate run down building. At this point we find out that the previous security guard was obsessed with cleaning the mirrors in the building, unbeknown to Ben Carson this is the man killed at the start of the film Over the folloiwing days we find out that Ben Carson is a recovering alcoholic who was suspended because he shot his undercover partner. Since this happended the dad of two has separated ... ...his sister. The film then follows the strange goings on Ben Carson starts to see when he makes his hourly checks on the abandoned department building. Little does he know that the strange occurrences will change his life for ever and threaten the lives of the people he loves. Ultimately there is an evil force at work that Ben Carson must stop to survive. ***My opinion*** I was pleasantly suprised by the film. I knew it was a reboot of a Korean film ...
clumsy221 01.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mirrors (DVD)
Advantages: Kiefer's acting was really convincing! No really! Disadvantages: Keep LOTS of popcorn to hand, you need something to keep you entertained!
...icing is added by killer mirrors in which your reflection has a life of its own, a life that can give you death…
Sarcasm aside, the film still had its moments where, luckily for the amusement of those who were not exactly mesmerized by the film, I jumped and knocked over my pop corn on to the poor girls sat next to me. But again, taking away what little credit I give to the film, it’s not a mission to scare me! Though if you really do want to fish ... ...a mirror every time you walk past one. Having said that, thinking of how many mirrors were shot, broken and cracked in the shooting of this film, there is one thing that the director has guaranteed for himself, if not success! Wondering what? Plenty of years of bad luck! ...
sish786 03.06.2009
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Quick review of Mirrors (DVD)
Having read Spencer Hawkens review (09/08) I cannot help but put finger to keyboard and give my opinion of what both myself and my girlfriend thought was a really good film. In fact the reason I saw the review was because I was looking to see if it was available to buy yet!
I won't spoil the film by describing it fully but there were a number of moments where the cinema audience visibly jumped and if you don't look too critically at special effects and enjoy the film for what it is then you will enjoy it. Perhaps the ending was a little strange but then a lot of good films have that final twist which non-directors would write another way. Overall 9/10. ...
grahamterry1000 20.11.2008
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This is a good quality product that offers good value for money in the short term. Although as with most DVD products, the value will deteriorate over time and should be anle to get a cheaper version next year. It incorporates most of the latest features and technology that is currently available on the market.
The consumer will have to spend a short period of self-training in order to become fully acquainted with using the product. This can be achieved fairly efficiently by making reference to the guide/instructions that comes in the box.
After using this product for a few months I have not so far come up against any reliability issues but only time will tell. I therefore have to recommend the product. ...
Nazuku 18.07.2006 (22.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mirror (DVD)
Advantages: Well-made film with excellent plot Disadvantages: None, unless you don't like horror films!
. The re-opening is planned for a few days later and all the staff are preparing, despite demonstrations outside by families and friends of the dead.
Then the body of a female member of staff is found in the ladies'. There is no CCTV coverage to prove what happened to her; someone seems to have come out of nowhere and slit her throat. The police are called in, headed by a former associate of Wu's, but cannot find any evidence. Then another member of staff, from the same department, is found dead in a lift; again, without any sign of what happened to him. Wu has his suspicions, but no-one will listen to him. Can he find out what is happening before it is too late?
My first comment on this film has to be about the direction by Kim Seong-ho. He has taken the concept of the mirror, which has long been a symbol of split personalities ...
Advantages: Good acting, interesting characters, nice feel-good story Disadvantages: Babs trying to be plain just doesn't seem right!
The Mirror has Two Faces is a lovely little romantic comedy from 1996, it stars Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall and Pierce Brosnan. It is about love, marriage and the pressure women feel to live up to the media’s idea of what beauty is.
Barbra Streisand plays Rose, a (supposedly plain in appearance) Columbia University lecturer in New York, she’s very single, and puts all her energy into her work. She teaches romantic literature. Her other main hobby is eating, and she takes great pains in creating wonderful meals for her and her mother, Hannah (Bacall).
Rose seemed to have resigned herself to the fact that she will never meet someone to spend her life with. Rose is romantic at heart and really wants to find someone to fall in love with. She is lonely and wants to feel the thrill of being in love ...
20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Languages
Main Language
English
Dubbed Language
Spanish, Italian
Subtitle Language
Spanish, Norwegian, Finnish, Italian, English, Danish, Swedish
Technical information
Special Features
Deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by director , Making-of, Behind the scenes
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital
Professional reviews
Review
Aja's way with gristle and grue makes for a number of arresting images, and the second half, in which the secret of the mirrors is gradually revealed, is actually stronger than the first (TV Guide's Movie Guide, 22/08/2008)
DVD Description
After SWITCHBLADE ROMANCE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES, French director Alexandre Aja stays firmly grounded in horror territory with MIRRORS. In this reimagining of a Japanese horror film, Kiefer Sutherland plays an ex-cop whose home is invaded by spirits via its mirrors.
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