Deep Blue Sea

On a remote research facility - actually a former submarine refueling station - a group of scientists works on a cure for Alzheimer's disease. On of them, Dr. Susan McAlester, has not quite conducted herself as the code of ethics require her to. She secretly tampered with their test subjects - a trio of Mako sharks - to increase their brain capacity - because bigger brains = more test material to harvest, right. Well, actually, bigger brains = smarter sharks, also.

The first indication of the troubles to come is an attack on a boat full of teenagers by an escaped shark. After the incident, a representative of the financiers of the project, Russell Franklin, is sent to the research facility to investigate. To impress the man, the team takes brain tissue from the largest of the three sharks (all of them back in captivity now). During the procedure, however, the fish tears off one scientist's arm. Then the helicopter sent to rescue the injured man is downed by sharks, as well, taking with it part of the construction. The body of the poor injured researcher is then used as a ram to smash a window of the lab, flooding it.

At this point, Dr. McAlester confesses to her fellow scientists. After initially being angry at her, Franklin holds a rousing speach about the importance of group unity. Here follows the most ridiculously brilliant scene of the entire film. Franklin, who stands on the edge of a basin opening into the sea, is snatched off and eaten by two sharks. Mid sentence. The group rallying to find a way to get up to surface is ever dwindling in numbers and at the same time, somewhere inside the facility the cook Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (with his pet parrot) is also trying to escape.

The only people to actually make it to the surface are Dr. McAlester, the gung ho Carter Blake and Preacher, who is almost eaten by one of the sharks but manages to get to safety. In an effort to save her fellow survivors (and possibly make amends for what she has done) Dr. McAlester lures the - now also diminished number of - sharks away from the others by offering herself up as bait. Unfortunately for her, this works for the other two but she does not manage to escape. While she is being eaten, the last shark is shot by Preacher.

Has all the makings of a run of the mill don't-mess-with-genetics thriller, with just enough humor to make it worthwhile.

6/10

Big Fan

Paul is a die-hard NY Giants fan, hanging out in the parking lot of the stadium with his friend Sal, because they can't afford the tickets. Paul still lives with his mother, works as a cashier of a garage and spends his working hours composing little speeches to give when calling into his favorite radio show, where he is known only as "Paul from Staten Island".

When he and Sal run into their favorite Giants player Quantrell Bishop one night and follow him into a night club before going up and talking to him, what starts as light banter turns ugly when Bishop, who is intoxicated at this point, realizes that the two fans have been following him. Paul gets beaten to a pulp by his hero and spends a few days in the hospital.

He has a difficult time coping and deciding whether or not to pursue a law suit against Bishop, who has not been playing because of pending legal issues in connection to the beating. The Giants, meanwhile, cannot seem to see any land without Bishop, which prompts Paul to tell the police he 'can't remember' the incident and basically shutting down the investigation.

When his lawyer brother initiates a law suit without telling him, his name gets published in the papers and his radio talk show nemesis 'Philadelphia Phil' makes the connection that the victim is actually the regular caller 'Paul from Staten Island', Paul's little life comes apart at the seems. He takes off to Philadelphia to confront Phil.

Nice little film.

6/10