You may have noticed that last week’s list of the top 20 Movies of all time contained three movies starring the same popular actor. In fact, he is also the top grossing actor of all time–Samuel L. Jackson. The movies, with top twenty ranking[1. Top 20 Movie rankings are according to participants in the K_Line Christian Online survey] are:

[9] PULP FICTION, 1994* (43%)
[15] SNAKES ON A PLANE. 2006* (21%)
[16] [ANOTHER MOVIE, not listed here] (21%)

FOOTNOTES:

• GENRE: Thriller, Mystery, Horror
• ACTORS: Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci, Justin Long, Josh Charles, Chandler Canterbury, Celia Weston, Shuler Hensley, Anna Kuchma, Rosemary Murphy, Malachy McCourt, Laurel Bryce, Luz Alexandra Ramos
• RATING: R
• PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. Nudity. Presentation of Death is contrary to Christian beliefs. Bad language and questionable situations. Some violence, but there is little gore or excessive blood. If a behind the scenes look at a funeral parlor (heavily fictionalized) makes you queasy, I don’t think you’ll enjoy the subject matter here.
• INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is intended for fans of the genre, and may not be appreciated by others.
• GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) A young woman has a fight with her boyfriend, and storms off in her car. She’s killed in a car wreck. Wait. Oh, yes–she’s killed in a car wreck. (?)





• REVIEW: I have no idea why the title of this film has a “dot” in the middle of the name, “After.Life”. This story presents a view of what happens to a young woman after she dies, but before her her funeral. If this concept doesn’t sound like something that would interest you, rest easy. That may not be what the movie is about at all. This is one of those movies that keeps you guessing as to exactly what is happening. The whole presentation is extremely creepy. Which is good for a horror movie. The lead roles in this film are played by Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, 1993) as the funeral director, and Christina Ricci (Black Snake Moan, 2006[1. Black Snake Moan also stars the top grossing actor of all time, Samuel L. Jackson]; and Addams Family Values, 1993), as the possibly recently departed. I don’t know what corpses really wear while awaiting their funerals, but in the case of Christina Ricci’s character, it is not much. As the story plays out, you are never sure whether she needs to call 911, or just relax and accept her fate. In the end — and despite lots of leads and possibly false leads — there is a strong argument that the central question in the film is never answered.
• RECOMMENDATION:[2. If you wonder why zombie themes and horror films have space on a Christian website like K_Line Christian Online, please see my blog post on point] This is a horror[2. Although I label this movie as “horror”, some would call it a thriller or mystery.] movie. Many people will be highly offended by every movie in this genre. Additionally many people will be offended by the presentation of death in a manner contrary to Christian beliefs. Or maybe not. In any event, this is an interesting story, which is played out well. If you enjoy thoughtful horror, you should appreciate After.Life.
• RATING (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★

FOOTNOTES:

• GENRE: Action
• ACTORS: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Malahide, Craig Bierko, Brian Cox, David Morse
• RATING: R
• PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. Plenty of cursing and questionable situations. Lots of violence.
• INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is not suitable for children. Many people (me included) will be put off by the degree and nature of violence.
• GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) A school teacher and single parent (Geena Davis) woke up eight years before the movie starts with a bad case of amnesia. She doesn’t know anything about her life or her past. She was two months pregnant, at the time, which was her only clue. She conveniently gets back her memory and “skills” from her previous line of work, just as the bad guys from her former life realize she’s not dead. They prefer her dead.




• REVIEW: Is a “killing spree” socially, legally or morally acceptable if the the guys being killed work for some people who are pretty bad? I know, this is fiction, and I’ve given higher ratings to movies with a higher overall body count. Maybe there’s a moral message in this movie, but I don’t know what it is. As the kill meter keeps ticking, I have the uncomfortable feeling that maybe a lot of people getting killed aren’t really bad people–rather just “security guards” for bad people. But again, this is only fiction. Although a film of this nature should be excused for not being 100% realistic, this one is peppered with a few too many implausible situations. Example: the two main characters randomly find walkie talkies when overpowering the bad guys at their stronghold. The radios work on a frequency that the two heroes are tuned in to; but none of the bad guys intercept their radio conversation. Another scene shows an explosion on a bridge which is so powerful that it literally rains automobiles (not PARTS of cars, but the entire cars) on the good guys–yet the explosion leaves the good guys, in their car completely unscathed. I’m not sure, but I think that scene breaks some fundamental laws of physics. And one last quibble with the whole movie: Geena Davis is really annoying. I don’t hate ALL of her movies, but her character in this movie is awful. On the other hand, the top grossing actor of all time, Samuel L. Jackson, puts in a solid performance, which someone compensates for Geena Davis.
• RECOMMENDATION: This is an “Action” movie. Many people will be highly offended by every movie in this genre because of the violence, bad language and other questionable elements. However, even if you are a fan of this genre–I’d recommend you skip this stinker.
• RATING (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★