paulclaassen Reviews

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Incredibly well made, but insanely slow and ultimately quite boring.

[4/10 · 19 May 2024]

'2001: A Space Odyssey' depicts the world from primitive times to the moment computers start thinking for themselves, and becoming superior to Man who invented them. This film will not satisfy every palate, and the ending is like poetry that needs to be analyzed.

The film starts off in prehistoric times, and almost looks like a documentary - without narration. It then jumps ahead to the space era. Here, Dr Floyd from the National Council of Astronautics travels to the Clavius base on the moon. The purpose of his visit is to gather additional information to the possibility of an epidemic at the base.

However, we would never know the results of his investigation, as the film then jumps ahead 18 months and we meet Dave and Frank on a mission to Jupiter. Their ship is controlled by a super computer called HAL. When Dave and Frank become concerned about HAL and plan to disconnect it, HAL takes matters into its own hands.

'2001: A Space Odyssey' is a symphony of beautiful visuals and colourful imagery. Stanley Kubrick's vision of space travel can be considered the pioneer of sci-fi movies. The film also takes its time showcasing these marvelous visuals, accompanied by a classical score. '2001' looks incredible considering it was made almost six decades ago.

However, the film concentrates so much on the visuals that it is insanely slow moving. You can easily use the fast-forward button at times and you won't miss a thing! Every...scene...is...just...so...slow... Apart from this, it also really wasn't all that interesting. The story could have been told in about half the time. And can someone please explain that strange ending? I can't imagine people were satisfied leaving the theatre back in 1968...

Despite being an extremely well made movie, '2001: A Space Odyssey' was just way too slow for my liking, and I became bored. The visuals alone was not enough to keep me interested, and I was relieved when the credits rolled.

The Great Escape (1963)

Sorry, but I'm disappointed.

[5/10 · 18 May 2024]

I've been wanting to see 'The Great Escape' for a while, and now that I've seen it, I'm a bit disappointed. I'll tell you why in the closing paragraphs, which will contain spoilers.

A Group of Allied airmen are taken to a new prisoner camp, and from the moment they arrive, they make plans to escape. Steve McQueen stars as Hilts, who is known to be an escape artist. However, he fails several times which sees him being sent to 'the cooler'.

Bartlett (Richard Attenborough) then comes forward with a daring escape plan. They are to dig tunnels to the nearby forest, and about 250 men will be able to escape at once. The film follows the realization of this plan. This is a very long film and most of the film revolves in the execution of this plan.

And this is where I'm going to tell you why I'm disappointed in the film, so if you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want spoilers, stop reading now. When an escape plan is set into motion, the excitement comes in the anticipation of seeing them succeed. However, in 'The Great Escape' they don't! Only 76 of the men manage to escape, but most of them are killed, while the rest are captured again. Hardly a great escape, is it? Supposedly based on fact, the film is however mostly fictional for the sake of a wider appeal.

This highly acclaimed film is also notable for its motorcycle chase and - apparently - the motorcycle jump scene. Let me put this in perspective: the 'jump' scene literally lasts all but a second, and isn't truly all that magnificent. Back then I suppose it was, but looking at how stunts have evolved over the years, the stunts in this film are nothing in comparison. Even the chase scene, which was intercut between other scenes, wasn't all that exciting (by today's standards). Unfortunately, this is the problem with many of the older films: they become so dated that they don't compare well to new films - especially action films.

There's no doubt in my mind this film must have been extraordinary back in 1963, but the film industry has come a long way over the last six decades!

Infested (2023)

Watch it if you dare!

[7/10 · 18 May 2024]

I have to mention this at the beginning of this review: if you have Arachnophobia, I definitely don't recommend 'Infested'. Ever since I was bitten by a spider a while ago and experienced the worst pain ever, I hate spiders, so I don't know why I still watch movies about spiders...

Kaleb lives in a run-down apartment building. He has a history of theft and dealing with drugs, but now he makes an honest living selling shoes. He collects exotic pets, which he keeps in his room. One day he buys a small spider. From the film's opening scene, we know this is no ordinary spider, so this creates nice tension.

When the spider gets out of the temporary box Kaleb keeps him in, all hell is about to break loose in the building as the spider multiplies, and grows. (No spider on earth can reproduce or grow at the rate the spiders in this film do, so yeah, it is exaggerated for the sake of suspense. Just don't take it too seriously and you'll have a jolly good time.)

Well, erm, I don't think "jolly good time" is the correct term to use here. Honestly, some of the scenes were so suspenseful that I could hardly stand it! The director understands (our) fear. He knows what creeps us out and the tension gets under your skin. 'Infested' is one of the most suspenseful spider movies I've seen!

If you think the spider effects look realistic, this is because 200 real spiders were used for the film! Sure enough, some spiders were CGI, but fact remains there were actual spiders on set for the actors to interact with. This added to the realism of the film.

Although this is not a gory film, this will be a difficult watch for some viewers. As mentioned, if you suffer from Arachnophobia or have a distinct dislike in creepy crawlies, it might be best to avoid 'Infested'. As the film progresses, there are more and more spiders and the film becomes incredibly tense. This is a very well made film, and I enjoyed the fact the film also concentrated on the characters, allowing us to root for them. Despite being exaggerated towards the end, this is still one of the best spider movies out there. Watch it if you dare!!

Rear Window (1954)

Simple, and engaging.

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

Jeff (James Stewart) broke his leg taking photographs on a race track. Now he is stuck in his apartment with his leg in cast. All he can do to pass the time is to watch the neighbours through his window. His girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) visits him, as well as nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter).

Having watched a guy look after his bedridden wife for a while, Jeff is alarmed the one night to see the man acting very suspiciously, with his wife missing. Convinced the man murdered his wife, Jeff calls his detective friend Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey) to investigate. However, Tom doesn't believe a crime has been committed and believes the woman went away for a while.

Lisa, who also was reluctant to believe Jeff at first, also becomes suspicious of the man and they decide to investigate themselves. The film is mostly set in Jeff's apartment and we see events unfold as he does. The viewer never really know what actually happened and whether a crime was indeed committed, and we discover the truth as Jeff, Lisa and Stella does.

The film has a good production design. I liked James Stewart in the role of Jeff, and enjoyed the film's simple yet captivating premise.

Abigail (2024)

Tiny dancer.

[6/10 · 15 May 2024]

Young Abigail is a ballet dancer, and she is from a wealthy family. Her dad is a very powerful man. Hired for a 24-hour job by a guy named Lambert, six criminals kidnap Abigail from her home. The intent is to ask a $50 million ransom. To protect their identities and due to the nature of the job, the criminals are given fake names.

Abigail is taken to a secluded mansion (and I must say I enjoyed the setting in this big old house). Joey (Melissa Barrera) is instructed to look after Abigail, but after the young girl remarks "I'm sorry for what's about to happen to you", Joey gets spooked. When she tells Frank (Dan Stevens), he insists Abigail reveals who her dad is...and things start getting out of hand from there.

I absolutely LOVED the first half of this movie. The mystery element allowed for a few unsettling moments. Even though I knew this to be a vampire movie, it was still unpredictable. I found it to be a fresh take on a very familiar genre. I was captivated, on the edge of my seat and glued to the screen.

Being a vampire movie, you know someone is bound to be bitten by a vampire, and will become a vampire themselves, so no spoilers in mentioning this. Only, when the characters start turning, the film became all too familiar and became standard genre stuff. Even so, it was still entertaining, but I definitely enjoyed the first half much more.

Be warned, this film gets gory and bloody! And I mean bucket loads of blood!! It's best to finish your popcorn and snacks before the third act. This is not the kind of movie I expected Dan Stevens to do, but I must say I rather enjoyed this different role for him.

In general, this is a nice addition to the vampire genre. It has a good script, good score, good sound effects, good make-up, good photography, and I thought 15-year old Alisha Weir did a wonderful job as Abigail.

Hurricane Bianca (2016)

Plain and simple and entertaining.

[6/10 · 14 May 2024]

In real life Roy Haylock is a drag queen who goes by the name of Bianca Del Rio. He stars in 'Hurricane Bianca' as Richard Martinez, a homosexual school teacher. When he is taken for a ride and his colleagues and students at the new school are nasty to him, Richard becomes Bianca Del Rio to get revenge.

'Hurricane Bianca' has a simple premise, but I thought it was well executed. Although mostly slapstick, some of the jokes and events in the movie were actually funny. I enjoyed Bianca Leigh as Karma Johnstone, who becomes Richard's mentor in a way. She was also the most fleshed out character with an interesting back story.

I also enjoyed Denton Blane Everett as Coach Chuck, a real stud-muffin who falls for Bianca! The 'romance' interest between Chuck and Bianca allowed for many hilarious - and awkward - moments.

The make-up is really well done, and is almost identical to Roy Haylock's real-life Bianca persona, so I won't be surprised if he did the make-up himself. I also liked the costumes. The film in general was predictable, but it was kinda fun seeing Richard get his revenge.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

A New twist on an otherwise serious war movie.

[7/10 · 13 May 2024]

Trust Guy Ritchie to bring us a completely unique presentation of a serious matter. 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' is based on fact and tells the story of Operation Postmaster - a secret mission - which was carried out in 1942. Many people lost their lives during this operation (which off course is exaggerated in the movie) and yet the film has a lighthearted narration which sees the soldiers cracking jokes whilst killing the enemy. This is indeed a very different approach but it allowed for a highly entertaining movie which is not to be taken too seriously, and that was funny and enjoyable instead of nail-biting suspense.

I absolutely loved Henry Cavill here, in the role of Gus March-Phillips, who leads the operation. In fact, the entire cast was just brilliant and I also thoroughly enjoyed hunky Alan Ritchson as Anders Lassen. This character was so inventive when it came to killing people, he was an absolute delight to watch!

So, Gus March-Phillips is recruited to lead Operation Postmaster - a mission to cut off supplies to the German submarines in Nazi-controlled waters. Gus selects his own team, which consists of Henry, Freddy, and Anders. On their way, they rescue Geoffrey from captivity, and include him in their team.

Then there are agents Marjorie and Heron, who is sent to the island of Fernando Po, so Marjorie can get close to Nazi Commander Heinrich Luhr in order to get information from him.

The film follows the team as they execute their daring and ambitious plans. With every obstacle, they have to devise a new and more daring plan, and it was a lot of fun to watch! There was a bit too much killing for my liking, but the action sequences are fantastic and in general the film is thoroughly entertaining. The cinematography is good, and the Oscar-worthy score is AWESOME!! This was one of the best film scores I've heard in a while.

From an entertainment perspective, 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' delivered!! The film's climax is action all the way! I loved it.

Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966)

Not the jungle man we've come to know, but still an entertaining action adventure jungle movie.

[6/10 · 12 May 2024]

Mike Henry is a delicious specimen. Any Tarzan movie starring this hunk of a man is worth watching, even if just to marvel at that great physique. Together with that soothing voice, he is a gentle giant (similar to Clint Walker). When not dressed in his skimpy jungle attire, Tarzan is a distinguished gentleman. Either way, he is a sight for sore eyes! Mike Henry is also - to my knowledge - the only hairy-chested Tarzan. Oh, and those muscular legs!

But enough of Mike Henry for now. 'Tarzan and the Valley of Gold' is an action adventure that revolves around the legendary city of gold. When a young boy who knows the location of the city is kidnapped by the ruthless criminal Vinero, it is up to Tarzan and his animal compadres to save the boy - and the city.

More often than not Tarzan reminded me of James Bond. His antics were reminiscent of the secret agent, and at times Mike Henry even looked like Sean Connery from his 60's Bond movies. He was not the stereotypical jungle man as we've come to know Tarzan, and he had a wide knowledge of...well, almost everything!

'Tarzan and the Valley of Gold' is not always believable, but from an action adventure perspective, it was very entertaining. This is a good option for a family friendly movie night. Kids will love the animals and the call to adventure.

I, Madman (1989)

When books come to life...

[6/10 · 12 May 2024]

'I, Madman' is not to be confused with 1981's slasher movie 'Madman'.

'I, Madman' happens to be the name of a novel...in the movie, that is. Virginia, who works at a book store, is obsessed with writer Michael Brand's work. In search of his book 'I, Madman' she one day arrives home to find the book in front of her apartment.

Much of the events in the film is the visualization of the story as Virginia reads it. But when people start dying, the villain in the book becomes very real to her and the lines between fact and fiction starts to blur. Virginia's boyfriend is Richard, a cop who investigates the murders. When Virginia tells him she knows when the next murder will take place, he disregards it as her obsession with the novels - especially with her having a habit of scaring herself whilst reading the novels. Virginia believes the killer to be author Michael Brand himself.

The villain is a truly creepy character and looks like an antagonist straight out of your worst nightmare. The make-up is very well done. In general, I rather enjoyed this movie and thought it wasn't half bad.

The Slayer (1982)

Things ain't always what they appear to be.

[5/10 · 6 May 2024]

Kay is an artist whose recent work is being criticized for being too abstract. Her inspiration comes from nightmares she's having about a beast pursuing and attacking her. Together with her husband David, her brother Eric and his wife Brooke, the four of them go on vacation to a secluded island.

Kay is still plagued by nightmares and this causes tension between her and the rest of the party. However, things soon take a horrible turn which sees them fighting for survival.

The early 80's saw the release of dozens of slasher movies. 'The Slayer' might sound like an all-out slasher movie, but the film is unusual in the sense that we never get to see the antagonist. Even when the killings start, we don't see the killer. There are also only four characters in the film, so not really a slasher in the true sense.

Due to the small cast we got to know all the characters better, allowing us to root for them. There were a few nicely done suspenseful moments as well. In general, though, the film might disappoint fans of the genre for lack of gore, and an unseen villain.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Blah-blah-blah...blah-blah-blah...blah-blah-blah...

[3/10 · 5 May 2024]

I know I'm in the vast minority here - and you can crucify me for saying this - but I hated this movie. Quintin Tarantino's movies require an acquired taste, and I guess I haven't acquired that taste yet. I found this utterly boring and quite annoying, actually.

So, most of the film is set in a warehouse. The Reservoir Dogs are a bunch of thieves. A Heist - which is not shown to the audience - went wrong, and now the thieves are trying to figure out which one of them is the "rat", who alerted the cops. They suspect one of them is an undercover cop, so the film sees the men talking, yelling, swearing, talking, yelling, swearing, talking, yelling, swearing...oh, whatever, I hated this! I swear, almost the entire movie revolved around these men arguing about who the rat is!! Ugh, enough already; this is so not my kind of entertainment!!

I mean, need I say more? There was nothing else happening here, and very little was actually shown to the audience. For most parts, the viewer had to envision what happened. I quickly loose interest in movies with too much dialogue. Add a couple of swear words in every single sentence and I'm tempted to hit the STOP button on my remote.

When they had that 5-minute conversation in the beginning of the movie about tipping in a restaurant, I should have stopped already. I don't normally enjoy neo-noir crime movies. Did I enjoy 'Reservoir Dogs'? Well, the answer to this is obvious: it's a resounding NO!!

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

They're gonna need a bigger boat...

[7/10 · 4 May 2024]

If you've been following my blog, you'll know by now I'm no Godzilla fan. Yet, every time there's a new Godzilla movie I find myself watching it - maybe hoping there would finally be one that I enjoy. And such was the case with 'Godzilla Minus One'. I think the biggest reason I enjoyed this blockbuster 'Godzilla' is the fact it was not made by Hollywood. I also enjoyed the fact this movie was not set in modern times. Another reason I enjoyed the movie more than the American versions, was the fact I liked the characters. (Most of the characters in the Hollywood films are bland and one-dimensional).

'Godzilla Minus One' starts in 1945 during World War 2. Koichi Shikishima is a Kamikaze pilot who abandoned his duties and pretended his plane was faulty. When Godzilla attacks a military base and Koichi freezes up when ordered to shoot the creature, Koichi is blamed for the deaths of the soldiers. This, together with the fact he abandoned his initial mission, sees Koichi being branded as a coward.

Returning home, he finds the city in ruins, having been bombed. He meets Noriko, who found a baby and now cares for it, and reluctantly allows her to stay with him because she has nowhere to go. Koichi finds a job disposing of landmines that were planted in the sea during the war.

Although a monster movie, the film also concentrates on character development and human drama. This allowed me to root for the characters in their fight against Godzilla. Godzilla is a giant, ugly sea monster and the film showed no mercy when it came to destruction and human casualties - just as it ought to be when a giant prehistoric creature attacks a city.

After causing unimaginable destruction, the authorities must now devise a plan to kill the monster. While the film's first half was pretty much character driven, the second half delivers more action as the fight against Godzilla ensued. I absolutely loved the film's toned down score (as opposed to the loud and bombarding score of most of the Hollywood blockbuster movies). In fact, the score was absolutely stunning. The visual effects are also incredibly good!

The film is also a display of heroism in the face of disaster, and an enemy almost impossible to defeat. I must be honest, I did find Godzilla's ability to produce heat rays causing atomic bomb like destruction maybe a bit too much, but that's just my opinion and it was still all good. This is a very entertaining movie.

Night School (1981)

A Slasher with style and substance.

[6/10 · 2 May 2024]

'Night School' might give the wrong impression the film is set at a night school. It is not; neither are the murders committed at the school. As it turns out, most of the victims are all from Wendell College, the night school.

I'm surprised by how good this 80's slasher actually was. It has style and substance and made for an interesting whodunit murder mystery.

The film starts with a young teacher being beheaded at school after everyone had gone home already. Lt. Austin (Leonard Mann) is called to the scene. As he investigates, more murders take place - the one more bizarre than the other. They all have one thing in common, though: each victim's head is found submerged in water.

We meet Professor Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder), who has a personal interest in the girls at the college. Eleanor (Rachel Ward) is one of his affairs. Thought to be Vincent's only love, she is insanely jealous of him. Their relationship is taken to the next level when she announces she is pregnant.

Wendell College administrator Helene Griffin also has an interest in the girls (erm, make that a personal interest, as well), and then there's the somewhat mysterious Gary, a peeping tom with mental issues, who works at a restaurant.

The suspense is well crafted. All the characters in the film served a purpose, and were not merely added to become victims. Most of the characters were well fleshed out, and I rooted for them. Although it might seem obvious at times who the killer might be, there are interesting reveals during the final act. 'Night School' is actually a darn good movie that I somehow missed back in the day.

American History X (1998)

An Unpleasant watch.

[5/10 · 2 May 2024]

By the time the film ends, it feels like a good movie. I however can't deny the fact that 'American History X' was mostly an unpleasant viewing experience. With all the racist remarks and foul language, it really was not a pleasure to watch. I've said this so many times before but can't stress it enough: I hate any kind of racist depiction in movies. In this day and age I don't want to be reminded of racial issues. We are - or should be - all equal.

What I admire about the film, though, is its good script, good character development, good photography, and good performances by the entire cast. Edward Norton, especially, was fantastic, and he owned every scene he was in.

Edward Norton stars as Derek, an arrogant neo-Nazi who was jailed for cold-bloodedly shooting hijackers. Derek's younger brother Danny is a kid with an attitude, and is quickly following in the Derek's footsteps.

When Danny's history teacher asks him to write a paper on Derek - called American History X - Derek's life is told through backflashes (shown in black and white) as Danny writes the paper. With Derek now being released from prison, he is a changed man. His girlfriends and friends are still part of a gang destined to 'set things right' in America.

'American History X' deals with many different issues - mostly racism - and due to its subject matter, I did not really enjoy the movie. This is not my kind of entertainment. As mentioned, the ending almost made me believe this was a good movie in its entirety, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Exhuma (2024)

Creepy and foreboding.

[6/10 · 1 May 2024]

Note: this review might contain spoilers.

An American family contacts Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun), a shaman, when their baby son has a mysterious illness. Hwa-rim helps people who need to rid their homes and families of ghosts, demons, or supernatural beings. She discovers the baby's illness is due to a curse from the grave.

On behalf of the family, Park Ji-Yong (Kim Jae-cheol) shows Hwa-rim and her partner Bong-Gil (Lee Do-hyun) the location of the family's Grandfather's grave. Accompanying them, is feng shui expert Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min-sik) and funeral home owner Ko Young Geun (Yoo Hae-jin). The grave is in a remote location on a mountain, and there is no name on the grave. The family now wants the grave relocated, but on arrival Sang Deok senses something evil.

Hwa-rim performs rituals to ward off evil spirits, and the grave is excavated. The coffin is to be cremated. When one of the diggers kills a snake with a human head, evil spirits are unleashed and shortly after it starts to rain. Apparently, cremation can't be done when it rains as it will prevent the grandfather's spirit from smoothly moving upward.

When a custodian at the funeral home opens the coffin, a vengeful spirit is unleashed. Now, the Grandfather's spirit targets his family members, but when the coffin is cremated, the curse is lifted. However, later it is discovered there was a double burial on the grave site, with a large coffin being buried vertically underneath the Grandfather's coffin, and this is when things start going terribly wrong!

'Exhuma' is a creepy film with a constantly foreboding atmosphere. One never really knows what to expect. There were a few confusing moments here, but in general this is a good movie. The make-up and visual effects are very good. 'Exhuma' reminded me of a cross between the Korean film 'The Wailing' and the Cantonese film 'Rigor Mortis'.

Spartacus (1960)

When slaves rise up against Rome.

[7/10 · 30 April 2024]

Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) has been a slave since the age of thirteen. He is among a handful of slaves selected by the Roman Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) to be trained as gladiators. (I absolutely loved Peter Ustinov in the role of Batiatus; he was fabulous!)

Slaves are treated like animals, and those in power have no feelings for them whatsoever. They would have slaves kill each other purely for entertainment. Spartacus makes friends with the slaves, and when an opportunity arises, they overpower the guards and manage to escape. Now, the slaves are building their own army in revolt against the Romans.

Laurence Olivier stars as Crassus, a wealthy Roman senator and the film's main protagonist. Jean Simmons stars as Varinia, also a slave and the love interest of Spartacus. I enjoyed the developing romance between Spartacus and Varinia. The film follows Spartacus as he builds his army and plans to avenge the Romans, even if it seems impossible to fight against such a mighty power.

From all the costumes to the magnificent sets and thousands of extras, 'Spartacus' is an incredible production. In a time before CGI, the scale of the production is jaw-dropping! The film apparently had a cast of 10,500 members (with all the extras). Today the extras would simply be added with CGI in post-production. And this is why I enjoy older movies so much; it was real film making. On every level, 'Spartacus' is a film of epic proportions. It's hard to believe this film was made more than six decades ago!!

If I had to compare 'Spartacus' to more recent films, movies like 'Gladiator', '300', and the TV series 'Rome' comes to mind.

Taxi Driver (1976)

How many times did I yawn?

[4/10 · 29 April 2024]

There really is one character here that matters, and that's taxi driver Travis Bickle (very well portrayed by Robert de Niro). From a character study point of view, this is an effective film, but if it's an entertaining movie you're looking for, 'Taxi Driver' is not a good option. I'm sorry, but I was not entertained by this slow (yes, and boring) movie, no matter how high the acclaim.

26-year old Travis gets a job as taxi driver. He works long hours - mostly at night when the "filth" (as he calls it) roam the streets. When he notices a woman one day that seems 'different' to the rest of the people he quite literally stalks her, and finally asks her out. This is Betsy (with a rather annoying portrayal by Cybill Shepherd). When she agrees to go out with him (not that it took much convincing) he takes her to a theatre that shows porn movies! Needless to say, that date did not go well!

I must be honest, I never really rooted for Travis. I found him pushy and arrogant; even obnoxious. He is a hypocrite and a liar and he never really had good intentions. Then again, I suppose this behaviour added to the character study. He clearly is disturbed, and in that regard the character is well set-up. As the viewer, we have to understand this guy does not think or reason the way normal people do. (In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with taking a girl to a porn movie on their first date!)

The film does take its time before anything of significance happens, though, and I yawned several times. I kept wondering when something exciting was going to happen. I almost stopped watching at the 30-minute mark, but decided to sit it through. Around the 1-hour mark there's promise of something eventful happening, but alas, I would have to wait unit the final act before the action arrived. Even then, I did not agree with Travis' methods, and definitely never rooted for the guy.

'Taxi Driver' is another example of a highly acclaimed, multi-award winning movie I believe will loose its appeal with the new generation. Its just too slow, and not even all that interesting...

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Hills are alive with the sound of music!

[8/10 · 27 April 2024]

The Nuns at the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg are not convinced free-spirited Maria (Julie Andrews) is ready to be a nun. The Reverand Mother then sends Maria to naval officer Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) - whose wife recently died - to look after his seven children.

The children are between the ages of five and sixteen. With Georg running the house as if he is on one of his ships, the children are subjected to a very strict upbringing and not even allowed to play. At first, it seems like its going to be a daunting task for our inexperienced young heroin, but as she gets to know the children - and they her - a strong bond forms between them.

When Georg goes away to visit Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker) - whom he intends to marry - Maria and the children get a chance to be adventurous. In the process she becomes a mother figure to them. I enjoyed Maria being a free-spirited yet strong character who never allowed Georg to intimidate her, and she always voiced her opinion.

The love story was predictable, I suppose, but it is a beautiful and romantic story and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I must say, for a three-hour long movie, it was surprisingly fast-moving and I was never bored. On the contrary, I enjoyed every moment very much. The film took a very different direction during the third act, which I never expected, and it was wonderful.

'The Sound of Music' boasts fantastic sets and production design, beautiful costumes, good cinematography, good and funny dialogue, and superb performances. I absolutely love this delightful movie!

The Survivor (1981)

Confusing and forgettable.

[4/10 · 27 April 2024]

'The Survivor' is not to be confused with 1984's 'Sole Survivor', which is also about a plane crash leaving only one survivor.

I'll start by saying 'The Survivor' had the potential to be so much better, but no thanks to the director's vision of the film and choppy editing, I found the film difficult to follow at times. There literally were moments in the film where I had no idea what the hell was going on. To add to this, many scenes were so dark that one could hardly follow the action.

After a confusing start of various images edited together, a plane crashes, killing everyone on board except pilot David Keller (Robert Powerll). Not being able to remember anything since taking off, David is trying to find out what happened.

Clairvoyant Hobbs (Jenny Agutter) - a rather strange character in her own right - seems to have some sort of connection with the victims, and contacts David. She feels she was somehow involved with the accident. I didn't fully understand this character, nor their quest for answers. At times the film seemed to have a supernatural edge, but when the reveal came it had nothing to do with supernatural powers. Speaking of which, I can't say I agree with the twist ending.

'The Survivor' has a confusing premise and I won't be surprised if I forget this in an instant.

The Pit (1981)

A Kid with issues.

[5/10 · 27 April 2024]

12-Year old Jamie has no friends. He has trouble getting to know anyone. Some even refer to him as a nutcase. His best friend is Teddy, his teddy bear.

When Jamie's parents go away for a while, 24-year old babysitter/housekeeper Sandy stays with Jamie. At the age where Jamie is reaching puberty, he has magazines of nude girls. He also soon develops a crush on Sandy, despite her being much older than him. He even gets jealous of her boyfriend.

Much of the film revolves around the friendship (I'm being careful not to use the term relationship here) between Jamie and Sandy and in a way this set-up proves there to be something seriously wrong with Jamie. Jamie has a secret, which he feels confident enough to share with Sandy: he discovered a big hole (or pit) in the ground in the woods. At the bottom of this pit lives Trogs (or small Trolls), which he feeds raw meat.

When he has no more money to buy meat, Teddy suggests he feeds the Trogs all the people who are nasty to him (Jamie). It is never clear whether the teddy bear actually has a life of its own, or whether it is just voices in Jamie's head, and pretending to be Teddy talking to him.

With very little horror elements shown to the audience (except for one scene), the film is mostly a psychological horror about a young boy with tendencies to harm people. I suppose one could view this as a character study.

Unfortunately, when the killings started towards the end, the film looked cheap. The creature effects were not so well done. The film then also has an anti-climax ending. I did like the film's final moment, though.

Mirrormask (2005)

A Most unusual film.

[6/10 · 26 April 2024]

Director Dave McKean dared to be different with this most unusual film. With visuals unlike anything I've ever seen in a film, this certainly was a unique viewing experience. Many viewers might hate the film for being so different, though.

How does one even begin to explain this film? Think of your most fantastical, magical dream. Now give it a bit of a weird edge, and 'Mirrormask' would be a visualization of that dream. Truly unique is an under-statement.

But what is the movie about? Well, that's just as difficult to explain as the visuals. I must admit, this is not always the easiest film to follow. Helena is a young circus performer who works at her family circus. Helena hates performing and during an argument with her mother Joanne, Helena wishes her mother would die. Just before her next performance, Joanne collapses and is hospitalized, and Helena blames herself.

One night she wakes from a dream, and walking down the street encounters three performers. But nothing is ordinary or what it seems anymore and she enters an alternate universe filled with weird and wonderful characters. This world is gradually being taken over by shadows. Being mistaken for a Princess, Helena must find a charm to wake the sleeping White Queen. This might seem like a fairytale, but believe me, this is definitely more nightmare than fairytale!

'Mirrormask' is guaranteed to be beyond your wildest imagination as we follow Helena on her quest. The visuals are remarkable and the mind baffles as to how they accomplished this. The film also takes many interesting and unexpected turns. Give it a go; even if just for the visuals.

The film reminded me of films like 'What dreams may come' (1998), 'Imaginaerum' (2012), and 'Moon Garden' (2022).

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

There are no accidents.

[5/10 · 26 April 2024]

I love animated movies, but I remember watching 'Kung Fu Panda' many years ago and thinking it was definitely more suitable for a young demographic. With the release of 'Kung Fu Panda 4' I decided to watch the original again to see if I'd had a change of opinion, but - as it turns out - I don't. I still believe it is a cartoon for kids. (I also haven't seen any of the sequels).

Po, an overweight Panda Bear, has dreams of being a kung fu warrior, and his heroes are kung fu masters The Famous Five. His Dad, a goose, runs a noodle restaurant and has hopes of Po taking over the restaurant. (Interestingly, the film never explains how the goose came to be a Panda's dad. I would have liked a back story on this.)

At a ceremony for choosing the next Dragon Warrior, Po accidentally ends up being chosen. Now, he is being trained by Shifu, a red Panda. Meanwhile, the real Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung - a Snow Leapord - escapes from a maximum security prison. There's a back story telling us Shifu took in Tai Lung when he was little, and trained him, as well.

Action and adventure - and kung fu fighting - ensues, but I once again couldn't really get into the movie. I found it a bit too cartoonish; like a big budget kids cartoon. My opinion aside, 'Kung Fu Panda' is a film families can enjoy together. Kids, especially, will have a good time with the movie and fall in love with the characters. It is a story of good versus evil, with a message of believing in yourself - no matter what.

Riders of Justice (2020)

A Vengeance movie with substance!

[7/10 · 25 April 2024]

Fate is an interesting thing. It has its own plan for every individual, whether for the better...or not.

Trivial events lead to Emma and her daughter Mathilde taking the train instead of the car. When mathematician Otto gave up his seat on the train for Emma, fate was in his favour, but sadly not for Emma, and she was killed in what appeared to be a freak accident.

Otto believes nothing happens by chance, and he finds evidence that proves the accident was no accident. It turns out a key witness in a gang-related case and his lawyer were also on the train. Eliminating the witness, meant the gang members would go free. The gang in question: The Riders of Justice.

When Otto approaches Emma's husband, Markus (Mads Mikkelsen) with his findings, Markus is skeptical at first, but when irrefutable evidence indicates it was indeed no accident, Markus vows to avenge Emma's death and take out the gang members. With the help of Otto and his friends Lennart and Emmenthaler, they track down the Riders of Justice. Hungry for revenge and justice, Markus - a hardened soldier - is about to unleash his fury.

'Riders of Justice' is miles better than vengeance movies like 'John Wick' (ugh, hate that franchise!). It has more substance and character development than any John Wick film could ever wish to have. 'Riders of Justice' also has emotional depth, and fantastic performances all round. I also loved the subtle humour.

'Riders of Justice' takes us on a wild ride in a movie full of surprises. In a way, the film reminded me of films like 'Rendel' and 'Nobody'. I loved it!

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Well made and realistic, but it can be depressing.

[6/10 · 25 April 2024]

'Hotel Rwanda' is based on the Rwandan genocide which - according to Rwanda - killed around one million people during the 100-day war in 1994. Most of the victims were from the Tutsi ethnic group.

Don Cheadle stars as Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of the four-star Hôtel des Mille Collines in Rwanda. He is of the Hutu ethnic group, while is wife Tatiana is Tutsi. When the President - being Huto - was killed by Tutsi extremists, this resulted in the start of the genocide the very next day. In an instant, Paul's life was turned into a nightmare. With Tutsis being killed, Paul had to do everything in his power to save his family.

With the hotel guests having been evacuated, Paul soon had his hands full with Tutsi civilians looking for refuge at the hotel. The rest of the film sees Paul pleading for help from the United Nations, the Red Cross, and military officials. Fearing time is running out before all hell breaks out at the hotel, the film also becomes a nail-biting race against time.

Don Cheadle delivered a fantastic performance as Paul. 'Hotel Rwanda' is a very well made film, but it can be depressing - even more depressing because this is based on fact, and so many innocent people lost their lives in such a short space of time.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Television documents the chaos.

[6/10 · 23 April 2024]

TV presenter Jack Delroy went from humble beginnings to hosting one of the highest rated night shows, Night Owls. All went well until his wife died from cancer. After shunning the public and disappearing from the public eye, Jack surprised everyone by returning just a month later.

He is determined to pick up his career and aim to become the highest rated night TV show. He decides to interview - and give a demonstration - of a young possessed girl, Lily. His other guests are psychic Christou, former magician Carmichael Haig who wants to prove Christou is a fake, and parapsychologist author June Ross-Mitchell, who assists Lily.

The entire movie takes place on the set of the program. (Scenes when the cameras stopped rolling, were in black and white.) The film felt so authentic, it was almost as if I was actually watching a late night show - until things started going very wrong, off course. The performances were very good, and the visuals were also good - especially during the climax. There's also a twist ending that'll make you wonder whether you missed something during the course of the movie...

'Late Night with the Devil' was not entirely what I expected, but it was still a good viewing experience.