Movie Night #56 was celebrating Michelle's birthday (Gary's girl, not my roommate).  She selected Ginger Snaps, Original Sin (a horrible movie, which I only own because someone pawned it off on me and I haven't had the decency to get rid of it yet), and Night Watch.  Since Laura and I went to go see Day Watch not too long ago, this will give me a good opportunity to review them both. 

     Movie Night #56:  Night Watch (2004)
     Director:  Timur Bekmambetov
     Cast:  Konstantin Khab, Vladimir Menshow, Mariya Poroshina, Galina Tyunina, Aleksei Chadov, Viktor Verzhbitsky
     Plot:  Centuries ago, there was a war between the forces of good and evil.  Immortals with powers beyond that of normal people.  These two groups were comprised of Others, who all must chose which side they want to be on.  One day, the two groups met on a bridge and fought.  The battle raged until both sides realized that neither could be the victor, and decided to create a Truce.  The Light Others would police the Darkness, called the Night Watch, and the Dark Others would police the Light, called Day Watch. 

However, there is a prophecy that one day, an Other more powerful than the rest will come into the world, and they will have to chose a side.  And their decision will upset the True forever.

Enter modern-day Moscow, and Anton (Khab) hires a witch to kill his ex-girlfriend's unborn child - a child he's told is not his.  However, he loses his nerve through the procedure, but is powerless to stop it.  The witch is stopped by the Night Watch, who had been trailing Anton to expose her illegal activities.  Anton then discovers that he is an Other, and has the ability to see the future. 

Twelve years later, Anton is working with the Night Watch, and has a vision of a Vortex above a woman that he sees on the subway.  It is a sign of the coming apocalypse, and that the prophecy is about to come true.  The Light and Dark both prepare for the coming battle - one trying to avoid it, and the other heralding its arrival.  But who is this powerful Other of prophecy, and which side will they chose in the coming conflict?

This movie is awesome.  I saw it on a whim with Anna and Carleena back when it was at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, and had no idea what I was watching.  I didn't even really care for it until about 10 minutes into the thing, when everything got sweet.  The movie grows on me the more I see it.  I showed it to Laura and she was enthralled - it was unlike anything she'd ever seen before.  Sure, it has witches and vampires and shapechangers in it, and a pretty kick-ass character that doesn't get enough screen time until the second movie (I'm of course talking about Olga, the Light Other that was imprisioned in the form of an Owl for reasons that aren't explained until the sequel).  If you like any of the things that I've talked about above, then you MUST see Night Watch. 

Watch it subtitled, as the subtitles in this movie are freakin' sweet. 

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After the flick, Scott and I went into my room to talk shop, and I think the group watched Evil Dead. 


     Movie Review:  Day Watch (2006)
     Director:  Timur Bekmambetov
     Cast:  Konstantin Khab, Vladimir Menshow, Mariya Poroshina, Galina Tyunina, Aleksei Chadov, Viktor Verzhbitsky
     Plot:  The battle between Light and Dark was not limited to the conflict on the bridge, as another battle raged on the other side of the continent over a mystical artifact called The Chalk of Fate.  It is said that whoever writes with this chalk can alter their fate completely, thus changing the course of events forever....

After the events of the first movie, Anton (Khab) has been charged with training Sveta (Poroshina) as a Light Other - Sveta being the polar opposite of Yegor.  It is said that the meeting of these two will result in a breaking of the Truce, something that the Day Watch greatly wants to have happen, and the Night Watch desperately wants to avoid.  However, when Anton is accused of a murder that he didn't commit by the Day Watch, it is up to him to clear his name and locate the Chalk of Fate, to set the things write that went wrong so long ago. 

I thought that I enjoyed the first movie, but I LOVED the second flick.  The budget seemed to quadruple, and the movie benefited from it so much.  The trailer had been shaking in my boots, loving every single visual to grace my little LCD screen.  When it comes out, I will be buying this movie - whatever the price, it's worth it.  Not only are minor characters from the first flick expanded on here, but the story overall is improved upon.  Even the main character have much more depth to them after this movie, and the sacrifice at the end was jaw-dropping.  The entire ending sequence is something to behold, as it's not a typical "conflict" that Hollywood would have us accept - but instead, it all takes place at a birthday party in a hotel. 

However, the ending was so satisfying, I'm curious to see how they can finish off the trilogy. 

That's right.  There's going to be a third flick, called "Twilight Watch" (could aso change to "Dusk Watch"), with the same director, writer, cast and everything.  I've met someone who's read the books that these movies were based on, and he just rants and raves about them - which means, I may have to give them a shot.  Don't rent it, BUY IT when it comes out on DVD.  Day Watch is everything that a sequel should be, and then some.