rpalen Reviews

Black Swan (2010)

Arronofsky wins again!

[9/10 · 15 June 2023]

By far, the best film I have seen in 2010 (so far). Darren Aronfosky remains one of the most daring and visionary directors of modern cinema --- sort of like a more accessible version of David Lynch. If you are looking forward to films like "Little Fockers" or enjoy Will Ferrel movies, this is NOT the movie for you. However, if you enjoy challenging and ground-breaking films that keep your mind turning and haunt you long after the film has ended --- I highly encourage you to seek out BLACK SWAN. Natalie Portman puts in one of the best female performances in many years as the 'perfect' young ballerina cast as the Swan Queen in a NYC Ballet version of Tchiakovsky's "Swan Lake". As her Director tells her early on in the film, if he were just casting the White Swan she would have the part hands down. The challenge is that he needs a dancer who can embody both the good and evil sides of the Swan and become the Black Swan at the end of the ballet after the death of the White Swan. Aronofsky does for ballet what his film THE WRESTLER did for professional wrestling. Those who just watch entertainers will have a difficult time understanding the unseen challenges in becoming a character. Those in the business know this well. You can be technically 'perfect' but still have difficulty finding or 'losing yourself' in a character and finding that level of believability that allows you to connect with the audience on the highest level. Portrman's character goes through a metamorphisis in this film as she challenges herself to find the Black Swan that exists somewhere in her persona. Unfortunately, it comes at a price. An outstanding film to look at and listen to and for serious film-goers only!

Ragdoll (2021)

Strayed from the novel --- but entertaining

[7/10 · 20 December 2021]

As usual, the film adaptation of the novel could have been great if they had stuck closer to the source material. Lucy Hale --- a Yank Detective with this team in London? Just would not happen and her character is a Male Brit in the novel. Killer is changed, ending is changed, but this version of Ragdoll can just be enjoyed on its' own as a decent mystery/thriller mini-series that chose to make major alteration from the far better novel.

Dread: The Unsolved (2018–2019)

Low-Budget but Chilling Content!

[9/10 · 8 August 2021]

Really wish there were more episodes of this series that I discovered just this week on Tubi. There are several different stories --- ranging from supernatural to unsolved true crime --- and some of them are legitimately spine-chilling. Wish some of these stories would be made into movies or mini-series --- especially the sinister Russian puppeteer who used actual corpses and the writer from NYC haunted by the demonic child named David. Worth a look and far more satisfying than the many anti-climatic docu series I regularly turn off on cable.

Boggy Creek - The Bigfoot Series (2019– )

Unwatchable.

[1/10 · 18 June 2020]

I have a soft spot for horror and love anything with Bigfoot --- I'm currently reading the Sasquatch novel DEVOLUTION by Max Brooks. That being said, Boggy Creek - The Bigfoot Series was beyond awful and I couldn't get past the first two episodes. Cheesy can sometimes be okay, but there has to be a good story filled with suspense/horror to make it work. This TV Series fails on both of those. The acting is some of the worst I've ever seen, at some points beyond cringe-worthy. The effects and Bigfoot suit were awful and pure cheese. I really would love to know what the reviewers who gave this between a 7 & 10 were thinking. I wish I could have given it less than a 1. Perhaps, a golden turkey (or Yeti, in this case). Avoid at all costs!!!

Cardinal (2017–2020)

Terrific adaptation of Giles Blunt's thriller series.

[10/10 · 8 February 2018]

Most film/TV adaptations of first-rate thriller novels fall short of their source material. They either miscast roles, change characters demographics or alter the plot/ending to suit their own filming needs.

I am proud to say that this adaptation of one of my favorite thriller series --- GIles Blunt's John Cardinal novels --- hits it out of the park. This is done, possibly, because Mr. Blunt served as a producer. I would like to think that the filmmakers simply recognized there was no need to mess with perfection. The casting of Billy Campbell as Detective John Cardinal is spot on. The depiction of cold, stark and icy Algonquin Bay, Canada, is handled perfectly as the landscape becomes its own character in the narrative.

I don't want to give anything away about the plot --- and those who have read the Cardinal series will know that this is from the first novel. Instead, I merely wish to give my endorsement and recommendation to this chilling thriller that has me anxiously waiting Season 2 (available on HULU in 8 days)!

The Snowman (2017)

This is the perfect example of not listening to the reviews.

[10/10 · 26 January 2018]

This is the perfect example of not listening to the reviews. If you have read ALL of the terrific Jo Nesbo novels featuring Detective Harry Hole (as I have) you will love this. If you are not in that category, I can see how the movie would seem slow and methodical. This is classic Norwegian noir brought to you by the same Director who did the classic "Let The Right One In". The mere fact that so many high profile actors chose such small roles just to work on this film (J.K. Simmons, Val Kilmer, Toby Jones, Jame D'Arcy, et. al) shows just how important this work is. At times, it was almost distracting to see so many recognizable faces while trying to follow the grisly tale of The Snowman Killer. I absolutely love it and hope that other Nesbo/Harry Hole fans become as vocal as I have. It would be a shame if we don't get any more Harry Hole novels made into films (starring the great Michael Fassbender) because of the views of the ignorant masses.