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Midnight Special (2016)
Slow burn without spoon-fed plot points.
It was refreshing to have a film, especially a science fiction film, that was not full of exposition dialogue and techno-babble. The story slowly reveals itself as it keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. The big reveal could perhaps have been more abstract, in keeping with the vagueness that gets us there, but for me this did not deflate the tension that had built to that point. The film neither betrayed my trust nor insulted my intelligence. I was impressed with the production design and cinematography choices which kept the film grounded in a spectacularly unglamorous world, highlighting the otherwise minimal special effects. Well done! Bravo!
Splice (2009)
So bad it's bad.
This may be the dumbest movie I've ever seen.
That's all I really wanted to say.
It neither asks nor answers any philosophical or scientific questions. It fails to entertain other than by evoking laughter of disbelief. In this respect, there was, perhaps, some value, but mostly its disrespect for the viewer was frustrating and infuriating.
Apologies to everyone who worked hard to make this happen, but wow. Just wow. The filmmaking is to standard which unfortunately puts it out of the running as a future B grade cult classic. There was actually a major budget it seems.
Everything that happens and everything that is said is shockingly outrageous.
Beware of these shark infested waters. It is one wtf scene after another. These people and this story are completely ridiculous even for "science" fiction.
How could any of the characters in this story ever have gotten that far in life? Each character shows an extreme lack of any kind of intelligence or judgement.
Horror and sci-fi inherently tell stories that spin out of control, but every character in this film says and does the most not only inexplicable but also inconsistent things.
It's just ridiculous. Consistently ridiculous.
The Car (1977)
Underrated sound design in Halloween marathon fodder
The least scary movie ever? As a B grade horror film, the production values are probably on the better side of par. The highlight of the film may be the sound design for the titular Car. This aspect of the the film, in particular, is fantastic.
Objectively speaking, the script, and direction are abysmal. The climax seems never ending, but the lack of budget or vision made the finale ultimately unsatisfying.
There was no budget for second takes or script doctoring after building the car? There were a lot of scenes with actors standing around seeming with no sense of what they should be doing.
A positive, if subordinate, portrayal of Native American characters lifted the film somewhat.
Having not seen The Car since accidentally watching it as a very young boy, and being thoroughly scared at the time, it was interesting to note how many plot devices found their way unconsciously into later play activities. Media, regardless of quality, can be more powerful than we imagine. As an adult the attraction of rewatching this film was simply as a curiosity piece to rediscover what it was that lodged this so deeply into my memory. It was in some ways both better and worse than expected.
Kids might be scared.
It's a decent flick for a Halloween marathon.
Hanna (2011)
Worth seeing
There were a lot of things to like about this film, but it's lust for leaping proverbial sharks ultimately leaves it somewhat unsatisfactory. Definitely worth seeing, but probably will fall short of most measures of greatness. There are great moments scattered throughout the film, however, and those tend to be enough to carry us through some occasional eye rolling.
That seems like a pretty adequate assessment, but I suppose the minimum character limit is why so many reviewers feel the need to recap the entire film before pronouncing their judgement.
All I'm saying is that it probably won't live up to the expectations set in the trailer, but it's still pretty cool.
White Noise (2022)
About 30 to 40 minutes too long
For a while there were some strong National Lampoon vibes, only much darker and much drier. There was one point where it actually felt as though Adam Driver could be the next Chevy Chase, should he choose to pursue such a career path, and this movie could become a franchise. However, after about an hour and a half the long, protracted gag that is the premise of the film began to feel tedious. At that point there was still 30 to 40 minutes left in the run time. The dynamic is fun in its way, generating some knowing chuckles at intervals throughout. The absurd nonsense that is every line of dialog feels as though it would work better in an episodic series format. Personally, I needed an intermission, at the very least.
Zardoz (1974)
Allegory both brilliant and juvenile, brutal and imortal.
What a crazy film! It seems to be at once both high art and utterly juvenile. Based on the promo shot of Connery in his exterminator uniform, perhaps low expectations were easily triumphed. This image makes a poor advertisement for a film that has a lot more going for it. The artistic ambition and execution of the production design and cenematigraphy were as solid as they were surprising. It feels a bit more like 1968 than 1974, however, so it probably should not be described as, "Ahead of its time." Some of the theatrical staging is quite ambitious, and the cast seem to draw upon dance as much as theater. Sadly, some of the cringe can be a bit difficult to overcome. Looking past the editing indulgences the film was surprisingly impressive.
Color Out of Space (2019)
The Cage Factor
Nick Cage is in beast mode for this one. If that's your thing, here ya are. Good lookin' flick. Yeah, all movies like this require logic to be set aside occasionally.
The Player (1992)
Slow burn
Some crazy post-modern stuff goin' down in this suspense feature. Both the drama and the satire are almost too subtle, but engaging throughout. Good choice if you're tired of the usual fair, but don't wanna go full-on art flick.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
One decision
The docudrama approach was a mistake. Repeatedly taking the viewer out of the drama at hand cheapens the overall effect and hurts the momentum built by the dramatic scenes. Otherwise it was entertaining and nostalgic, but also a sober reminder of the accusing finger of fanatacism.
In Time (2011)
Comic book sci-fi trappings on familiar tropes
Around the mid point it seemed a little too clever, but also not nearly clever enough. By the end I'd say I grew to enjoy it just by sort of giving in to the easy Friday night popcorn universe on display. Not bad if you have some...time... to kill and don't wanna hafta think too much.
Death Wish (2018)
As advertised
No more or less than expected. Having seen Bronson's portrayal, few surprises lurked beyond how long it would take until the snap. Tune in, turn off, and let Bruce Willis drop in to his usual fare. Unlikely anyone who'd watch this reboot would hesitate based on IMBD reviews.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Painfully Brilliant
It's a film that is easily recognizable as being brilliantly produced while also being an utter slog to get through. It's power is astounding, yet the results are nothing but painful.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land (2021)
Weak Saturday Morning Kids Fare
This does not appear to have been made for adults. If you're 8 years old and don't know much about this universe, it will probably be entertaining enough. Normally shows start off with a strong pilot and get weaker throughout the first season. Anything weaker than this would be utterly anemic. This could not possibly be the ruthless, desintegration-happy bounty hunter Boba Fett, nor do any of the other Tatooine residents ring true. If you are a completist who must know every detail of every character's back-story, my sympathies for the slog that this looks to be. Have something else ready to do because this won't require undivided attention.
The Harder They Fall (2021)
Awesome
Haven't been blown away by a movie like this for a long time. Netflix expectations couldn't be lower, but such an amazingly fresh take that also heaps on homage after homage. So much respect for both now and then in this fim . The Fela Kuti soundtrack choice was ace. Well done.
Heat (1995)
Could've been longer.
Two of the female characters, in particular needed to be fleshed out more to define their motivations. The quiet tension was not dull. It was also refreshing to see a film with less than 50% of its action being people texting or talking on their phone, however by 1995 the mobile phone had already become a key element of plot development. So much in the film cannot happen without wireless communications.
The run time was not the slightest problem. The film kept me involved throughout only bothering me when it seemed to skip to climaxes without /enough/ development.
SPOILER
The gunfight in downtown LA kind of jumped the shark,.
Ad Astra (2019)
Massive Spoilers: Do not read this review.
¡SPOILER ALERT! You've been warned.
Brad P. Actually dies in the fall from the antenna and the rest is his purgatory until he can make peace with his demons.
Blood Red Sky (2021)
Destined to be a cult classic.
Started out kind of interesting, but ultimately was pretty stupid. Good for a few laughs, and I dare you to not laugh at least once. In the end I kinda felt bad for the actors. Most of them were giving it all they've got, but unfortunately what they were asked to do was ridiculous. Perhaps I'm asking too much of a genre film.
The Serpent (2021)
Souteast Asian Backpacker's Guide to Not Getting Scammed
Lesson number one: Don't party with smarmy dudes who offer you shady gems.
Although capturing the period, places, and characters fairly well, it's just waaay too long. Perhaps out of respect to the victims, the producers felt it necessay to detail each and every encounter? Hard to say, but watching the same con unfold numerous times got a little boring.
Extinction (2018)
Low Expectations From The Trailer, but WTH...
Starts out with some intrigue, takes a turn for the 'meh', then introduces a wtf? Plot twist in the third act, where an immigration politics subplot, entirely absent previously, also suddenly becomes about as subtle as a blow to the head. I guess if you make a film overtly about identity politics, the people who need to watch it, won't. Calling them "my enemy" at the end probably won't win many converts, though, so why bother with the subterfuge? Even unopposed to the film's real point, it left the feeling of having watched 2/3 expensive clickbait followed by 1/3 ad.
Escape from New York (1981)
So bad it's good.
Objectively, not a well-made movie. However, the quirky cheapnis of the period elevates it to a cult classic. There are some legendary actors involved, and perhaps that's where the production design went after mostly being devoured by the characature portayals which conversely leave strong impressions that more easily form a mythology of memory. In mid 2021 the idea of a city as prison actually resonates more sharply than ever before and the trick vaccine takes on even more ominous undertones. It's stranegely the kind of film one can enjoy repeat viewings of, perhaps because it doesn't ask much investment from the viewer. There's no sex at all, and surprisingly little violence, but when there is violence it's of the gruesome splatter variety.
Awake (2021)
The good, the bad, and the utterly ridiculous.
First, have the people behind this movie never once pull an all-nighter, or two? The rate of escallation is completely out of control, and ever so brief explanation of the premise toward the end fails to explain why there would be an abnormal acceleration of psychosis. That said, there were some interesting visual effects and some convincing performances expressing the state of extreme exhaustion. There was also a moment of dialog that /might/ explain some of the complete insanity by the drug being doled out at The Hub as a stop-gap measure, but so little is known by the end that it's hard to say if that was intentional. The ending was both poorly executed (pun intended) and completely unsatisfying. Laugh out loud unsatisfying. Perhaps a generous mood has improved the rating because the film makes less sense the more it's thought about. There were a few moments when scenes worked well and perhaps that was down to actor performances.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Parade of well-shot homage
Seeing the trailer, an homage to Hichcock was what was expected. In fact, the obvious comparisons to Rear Window are just the beginning. There aren' a lot of huge surprises, if any. However, the cinematography lives up to the task, providing a good deal of the enjoyment. The Hitchcock references also inspire a number of staging throwbacks that recall the theatrical influence often found in cinema of the day. There are some intense performances and some that don't seem to make sense., but faulty logic is a primary dramatic device.
The Outside Story (2020)
Endearing New York theater piece for your living room.
If you've ever had any affection for New York City, this is a well made film showing the city at its best. The mostly theatrical staging grounds it not only in the scope of is intentions, but also the tradition of its backdrop.
The Wedding Guest (2018)
Rewachability is good.
Would definitely see this again. There is so much going on in all the street and road scenes. I could imagine all but a few of the characters were not actors, but actual shopkeepers and passers by.
The sound design was fantasic. How long has it been since I've seen a film that I didn't need to keep a finger on the volume control to keep the dialogue audible, but in the next scene maintain agreeable relations with neighbors.
There are many unanswered questions in the story, but the quality of the acting delivers an arc that does not require exposition.
It never panders. It never parodies.
47 Ronin (2013)
Keanau is the second best thing in this confused mess.
Hiroyuki Sanada's talent is utterly wasted on this Hollywood by commitee CG fantasy. The next most on-point performance is by Keanau, whose traditional Japanese mannerisms are far more authentic than the lightweight daytime drama level of his other Japanese co-stars who are completely out of their depth. Only Sanada resists the misguided direction and production design that can't decide if the film takes place in Japan or China. The film's shortcomings don't stop there. Continuity shattering editing, and kaleidescopic visuals that completely obscure, perhaps intentionally, the action make the film difficult to watch. Ultimately the boredom of the story damns the film to an unrecommendable level. Sleeping sitting up in a chair was far more appealing than discovering the ending of the story. The three stars are solely for Mr. Sanada and Keanau. They are the only thing worth seeing here.