Julia X (2011)

That was an excellent one.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

JULIA X is a very strange film indeed and that it works at all is down to the talents of writer/director P.J. Pettiette, who brings a ton of high energy slapstick to his production. This twisty-turny thriller turns out to be a black comedy of epic proportions, with virtually no story to drag down the pacing. It's simply a battle of wits between a serial killer and his supposed victims.The film benefits immensely from the presence of former HERCULES star Kevin Sorbo playing the killer. Sorbo is a likable, lovable screen presence and that continues to be the case here; you just can't take him seriously as the villain as his persona is exactly the same. The story sees him taking a woman captive with the intent to kill her, but the tables are turned early on.What follows is a gruelling journey of violence as incredible amounts of pain and torture are inflicted on each of the leading characters in turn. The special effects are effective, yes, but the film's light-hearted feel means that this never ventures into real torture porn territory; the intention is to entertain, not to disgust, so it's surprisingly enjoyable. I usually hate this genre so it's saying something that I enjoyed this one.

This was a great surprise. I rented it as a last option with some friends basically because it had Kevin Sorbo in it and looked vaguely interesting.What I got was a fantastic and funny game of cat and mouse where the tables are turned many times. To mention any of the plot would be to give too much away nut luckily the action escalates quickly and there's rarely a boring moment.Sorbo's performance is one of the best I've seen from him in a long time. Most of the humour and success of the film comes from him and his indestructible character known as 'The Stranger'. No one can defeat the mighty Hercules. This bloke can take some serious punishment and laugh it off with style.For those of you who like plenty of violence and blood (like me) there's plenty to be had here. Most of the film has a fun tone except for when it switches to the girls back story which then jolts the viewer into much more serious territory for several minutes before being taken back to the party. It's like being at a beach party with mates only to look down and realise a shark has taken your leg off at the knee, but then to look around and realise that acid your friend gave you at the party is kicking in but your still having a great time.Anyway I heartily recommend this film for a good time with mates or to impress your girlfriend with Sorboism (the new word for orgasm). Watch it just for the Ving Rhames seen at the end. This needs to happen more often to Ving.

In the intro we find out a serial killer is on the loose. He brands women with a letter and kills them.Julia and a guy are on a date. They are attracted to each other, so much so that Julia fantasizes about him but cuts the date short and leaves. Somehow, they guy manages to be in her car as she gets in it and kidnaps her. He takes her to some garage where he cleans up and shaves. She's hanging from some wires but frees herself. He finds her and brands her with an X. He drives her out to the country where he dumps another corpse in the ground. Julia escapes again, makes it a house--which is his house. They beat each other up. She escapes to some other building. He goes after her, they beat each other up some more, she knocks him out. A car arrives. It's Julia's sister, Jessica. They put the guy in the trunk and take him to their house where they torture him.We learn a bit about the girls' childhood and their problem with men. They also have problems with each other. Julia is the dominant one and doesn't let Jessica do anything. Jessica wants to take charge, she wants to kill. So she goes to a neighbor and seduces him, takes him home and puts him in a chair with the other guy. As the two talk we learn something about the stranger. He could free himself and the neighbor and escape.Instead, he frees himself and goes after his date so they can beat each other up. He's a masochist and enjoys it...and so does Julia but she doesn't realize it until late into the movie.Julia X features plenty of violence against women, against men, and lots of torture. If that bothers you, then this movie isn't for you. It also has a strong performance by Kevin Sorbo. Unfortunately you can't really have an entire movie on the basis of violence. It all gets too repetitive. The character of Jessica is a bit too wacky, considering things. The concept is actually a good one, even somewhat original, but more story was needed.

Kevin Sorbo aka Hercules aka Captain Dylan Hunt. It was just the hardest/strangest thing to see him as a serial killer. I mean, c'mon! And the scary thing is... he actually looked good doing it! So the movie is all about a serial killer. He kidnaps, rapes (we assume), kills and dumps the bodies of women. Then he meets Julia. Ahh, was there ever a match made in Heaven? Turns out Julia and her sis Jessica are almost like him. In the final fight I honestly saw it going one of either 2 ways... they stop and become a couple or kill each other. Did not expect the ending I got. Ahh well. And then Jessica is a cuckoo (screwed up majorly in the brain cuckoo!) who..., well, watch and see.If you are expecting a great movie, go away. This is for the B-movie lovers and low A-rankers. Shucks, i'd even rank it better than Re-animator (and I am a huge Jeffery Combs fan!). Overall opinion.... I liked it and had a good time watching it! Cheers