The Watcher (DVD)

...mean you can get all the top titles on DVD months earlier than you would here in Blighty and cheaper too, when I bought my player thats what I originally thought, but since then I´ve had the (and I use the term loosely) pleasure of viewing the Region 1 (American) Release of the Watcher, a movie thats been hyped up so much it has to be said when we strip down to the bare bones its a bit of a let-down. Settling down with my staple movie-watching diet ...
...movie, we soon found that the thought of the damage to my teeth (and my wallet when the dentist finds out) this kind of food will do was scarier than the tale we were watching, and all this after a great opening. We start off seeing a Police stake-out on a building, it soon becomes obvious that the character Keanu Reeves is playing is the man they´re searching for, in fact in a change to your regular horror movie - you know who the murderer is within ...

Angelus 28.09.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...is not a patch of the original SOTL - Wait a week for the release of another serial killer movie - 'The Watcher'. Due to be released generally on Friday, March 9th - I was privileged to see a Press screening at UIP's offices in London on Wednesday. This is my review of the film, which I'd highly recommend to anyone as a cracking movie and well worth the wait (it was released in the US back in September according to my production notes) Beware ...
...not be alone!!! The new dark, chilling, psychological thriller from director Joe Charbanic. pits David Spader as ex FBI agent Joel Campbell against serial killer David Griffin played by Keanu Reeves in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Both Spader and Reeves give superb performances - Spader as the ex Los Angeles FBI agent, Campbell, who is living on the edge of insanity after suffering a nervous breakdown caused by the loss of his lover in a fire, ...

nipples 23.02.2001 (03.03.2001) · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

Does the term 'generic' mean anything to you? Well, The Watcher can best be described as generic, nothing more nothing less. Its not a good movie, its not a bad movie, it just...generic. It is a movie which puts a serial killer at the centre of a case involving a pursuing burnt-out FBI agent and centres a whole bunch of games around this pursuit to torment him. Its a movie you have seen countless times before but with different actors and a barely ...
...It has no place in the world because its seat has already been taken and standing room is becoming rapidly limited, and there are surely very few people who are desperate enough to see serial killer movies anymore to warrant making a little more space. Its is just so distinctly....AVERAGE! The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en and The Cell provided the benchmark for this type of movie to meet, The Watcher doesn't even come close. It features James Spader ...

wampyrii 07.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...Thinking he is away from the crazy man, who has carried out these atrocities, he is seeking help from a psychiatrist to help him over the nightmare. Unbeknown to him, ‘the watcher’ has followed him to Chicago, and is about to start the horrendous killings again! His nightmare is about to re-start all over again. Keanu Reeves plays David Allen Griffins- the serial killer. Campbell takes the case on, and during some telephone conversation ...
...of killing the victim without warning, he will send a photo of his next victim and allow the FBI until 9 o’clock to find her. IF they don’t find her, then her life is over! Little clues point Campbell to the right place, shame he was too late by minutes! In one scene the girl is standing at the back of him, while in a lift! Griffin’s picks his victim and then ‘watches’ them. He knows their every move! When they come ...

dabmim 16.02.2002 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...are real blockbusters. Silence of the Lambs, the Psycho series, and The Bone Collector ring true in our minds as marvelous pieces. Sometimes, however, crime drama/suspense movies are utter tripe. I'm sure we've all seen some piece of hardboiled detective bilge that we'd never want to see again. The Watcher fits somewhere in the middle. It combines terrible, contrived plot lines with some magnificently suspenseful elements and a mix of acting capabilities. ...
...moved to Chicago to escape the strain of his earlier job when he pursued a serial killer. Unfortunately, the serial killer has followed him to Chicago to begin his spree anew. It is from this that a rather innovative game of serial murder begins. The killer selects one target almost at random, sticking to young, attractive, yet somehow societally inept women (already there's a reality lapse...what these attractive women are doing home alone talking ...

Blacknarwhal 24.12.2000 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

Over the past few years, cinema goers have been treated to an increase in films of this genre-"Seven", and of course "Hannibal" to name just two. It seems the human, rather morbid interest in serial killers continues, in real life and on our screens. And so "The Watcher" is released. This is not a terrible film, just rather boring. There is not enough characterisation, I came out of the film not actually remembering the name of the main character, ...
...feel it necessary to follow the cop from LA?), and the flashbacks to some kind of fire that obviously had a great effect in shaping the outlook of the cop(sorry, I really can't remember) are not made clear. I was also disappointed with Marisa Tomeis character, from being a strong figure at the start of the film, she became a typical damsel in distress, waiting for rescue by the big strong man. Having said all this, there is suspense, especially ...

Karyn 26.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...again he wants to re-start the “game” as he sees it. Spader is initially reluctant to get involved, but when the picture of the next victim lands at his feet he is forced into action. The cops have 12 hours to find the girl in the picture, not an easy task in a big city. Twelve hours later they find her just too late, a second picture is provided of the next intended victim. Again the chase is on to find the girl in the picture. And ...
...give it all away!). The theory behind the film is excellent. The idea that the police are not only hunting the serial killer but also the victim is a brilliant one - a new twist on what is now a very old story. However, that is the only good thing about the film. I left the cinema feeling cheated as the ending was very typical of this type of movie. It certainly isn’t worth seeing at the cinema (which I did!) but might be worth a look when ...

Xcom 27.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...movie and found that during the first twenty minutes that I just wanted the film to get on with it. I was not to put to fine a point on it bored stiff. I got the main premise of the plot pretty much straight off. Shell shocked ex-FBI investigator (Spader) goes up against the serial killer he didn't catch last time (Reeves) as he continues his killing spree. There are several minor twists and turns but these are not enough to raise the film above ...
...the film moves along at a fair rate, once it gets going that is, but it never seems to deliver much more than we have seen before in other similiar themed films. Spader is the highlight of the film and the story centres around him both in his current life and in flashbacks to previous encounters with Reeves. He gives a very good performance but this fails to raise the overall calabre of the film. Reeves is surprisingly good at times but does not ...

Chris-Duncan 16.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

Getting to the point i woz expecting much worse from this film, not only because Keanu wooden Reeves was the main charactor, but also the story seemed to be unmemorable and, and Keanu had also done it for a favour. However, i was pleasently suprised as the plot thickened and i was intrigued and basically really into it! I thought from the trailor there would be lots of blood and guts and that's about it but there was more to it. James Spader's ...
...excop haunted by his past,but, the biggest shock was how good Keanu was. O.k.He did try to copy the brilliant Crow at times which was a really bad idea, but apart from that his charactor was convincing. The story is that of Keanu, a serial killer carrying out ritual killings while Spader is part of the ritual and has 1 day to track the young girl who his is gonna kill.Plus thare's background and a psychologist thrown in. Go and see this, it's ...

siany 14.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...on import, I jumped at the chance. Serial killers have long provided Hollywood with dark, dreary thrillers and excuses for stomach-churning scenes of blood and gore. While not exactly ideal for family audiences, films such as The Silence of the Lambs and Seven have proved it’s a formula worth persevering with. Whether Keanu Reeves should be cast in the baddie mould of a serial killer, however, is more debatable. Reeves plays evil serial killer ...
...of stressful work delving into the mind of sick and twisted killers but just as he feels he is getting his life back on track, Griffin returns to haunt him. Campbell fears his past has caught up with him and realises he is going to have to outwit his psychotic nemesis before another innocent woman – someone quite close to him - is brutally murdered. The film also stars Ernie Hudson and Marisa Tomei; Joe Charbanic, who was also at the hem ...

Beretta 08.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...but I wasn’t disappointed with the film. I expected a sort of action film with lots of killing, fighting etc. and there was lots of killing in it but in more of a thoughtful way, if murderers can be thoughtful? The story starts by explaining that David (Keanu Reeves) is a serial killer. He gets in touch with Joel (James Spader) and tells him that he is going to send him a picture of his next victim and he has until 9pm to find her. As the ...
...simple as they seem. The storyline is very good though the first half an hour is a bit slow and I don’t think that I would watch it again but it’s definitely worth seeing. The soundtrack has something to be desired. The first song I heard was really good – a Rob Zombie number – but obviously that’s all they could afford because the rest of the soundtrack is useless and doesn’t really fit in with the film. Overall, ...

annette_tr9 02.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...They generate a fascination with the viewer. Take the Silence of the Lambs or Hannibal, for example. The killer is psychotic, crazy, and has half a dozen other insane personality traits to boot. But here we have Keanu Reeves playing a serial killer who is actually incredibly dull. OK so he likes to watch, but most of us can probably guess that anyway given the title. In short this film is not going to win any awards - if you watch it and expect nothing ...
...anamorphic picture. Much of the film is set in darkness, but the grainy nature of the picture that goes with this is minimal. Sound quality is also good, a decent 5.1 track which shows off your system more for atmospherics and placement of sound than all out explosions and total immersion in the film. So do the extras save the film? Sadly not. A trailer, cast and crew bios notes, and web-links are pretty much all that this disc has to offer. Worth ...

petrasol 01.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...Keanu Reeves as one of the best serial killers I have seen. It is the only film I have come accross where the killer has not been a mystery at all. It tells you the killer straight away. From then on its an excellent 'cat and mouse chase' between the Killer and the FBI agent. The director has done a great job because of the setting and the stunts within the film are excellent. The sound track to the film isnt really good to listen to on its own ...

Nickfeather 16.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...details about this film. The Watcher is directed by Joe Charbanic. No, I hadn't heard of him either. Apparently his previous experience is in tv commercials and music videos [including some for Reeves' band]. The music video influence is evident in the look of the film. The film stars James Spader [Secretary], Keanu Reeves [The Matrix] and Marisa Tomei [The Guru]. Keanu Reeves is a pretty big star for this type of film. Rumour has it that he agreed ...
...by Keanu Reeves. The killer taunts the detective by sending him photos of the next victim: he will kill the victims if the police don't find them by 9pm on the same day. As the film progresses it becomes clear that the detective has a personal as well as professional interest in the killer. [Now there's a surprise]. His viewpoint is shown in part through discussions with his shrink [Marisa Tomei], with whom he develops a close relationship [ a film ...

Florentine 16.05.2004 (05.11.2004) · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)

...tracking an FBI agent, slew the competition at the weekend box office but wasn't enough to keep movie revenue from falling behind last year's record pace. The thriller starring Keanu Reeves, James Spader and Marisa Tomei grossed $9.1 million Friday through Sunday, according to box office estimates Sunday. Another new release, the dark comedy ``Nurse Betty'' with Morgan Freeman and Renee Zellweger, opened strong with a $7.3 million gross. It had the ...
...on 1,459 screens. The re-issue of ``This Is Spinal Tap'' was the top grossing film in revenue per screen, averaging $5,400 in just 10 theaters. Last weekend's top film, the cheerleading flick ``Bring It On,'' dropped to No. 3, taking in $6.5 million on 2,416 screens. This was the seventh straight weekend that total gross revenue was less than the previous year. Until this weekend, however, box office receipts for the year were slightly ahead of 1999, ...

Fat_Abbot 11.09.2000 · Read full review
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Review of The Watcher (DVD)