Barbarian 2022 9/10 - (horror) A woman arrives at an AirBnB on a late evening during a downpour only to discover a man already in the house. He claims he had also booked the property on a different website. Due to an (in)convenient convention there is nowhere else for her to stay. The man invites her to stay in the house in the bedroom while he sleeps on the couch.
He seems like a nice guy. Too nice? Who can say.
I went into this one knowing only the above. I would highly recommend anyone else who is going to watch this to do the same. Don’t watch the trailer. Don’t read reviews (they are very positive fwiw).
This movie has some excellent scares. Some great acting. And some really good subtext to boot.
One of the best horror movie watching experiences I’ve had in years.
Saw the new Martin McDonagh flick. Will post a review tomorrow or Monday (will probably catch Tar that day, surprised only one poster has reviewed it).
The War is Over / La guerre est finie (Alain Resnais, 1966)
Diego/Carlos/Domingo (Yves Montand) is a member of a Spanish communist group in exile in France in the decades following the Spanish Civil War. When making a crossing under an assumed name and passport into Spain, he is briefly detained and questioned but manages to get free however under the continued suspicion of Spanish authorities. In the hands of any other director The War is Over would be a straight thriller or noir - and it is to a degree when directed by Resnais - however this is Resnais, so the plot and film also comes with lots of philosophical narration, affairs, fragmented narratives, and creative editing. A clear product of both the cinematic revolutions of the French New Wave and the political revolutions of the late 1960s; thrilling but subdued and thoughtful, optimistic but hopelessly cynical. The middle drags a bit, and admittedly I struggled to follow the plot at times (I was also sleepy after eating a big lunch right before the matinee showing so I kept almost nodding off), but it is a compelling film carried by a great performance by Montand. An extremely underseen film directed by Resnais and written by Jorge Semprún who most notably would pen the script for another great political thriller starring Yves Mintand, Costa-Gavras's Z.
Two brothers, Nino and Vicente (aged 10 and 17) live with their cruel father who is deeply in debt and possibly sick. When their father leaves and doesn’t return – potentially murdered (by the eldest son? Maybe) – the two brothers care for each other in their village with the help of Vicente’s girlfriend Clara who moves in with them. However, when their uncle realizes the father is missing, and is suspicious of Vicente, he kidnaps Nino and separates the siblings. Blood is Pedro Costa’s debut film and it is unlike the slow and deliberate films he is known for in his late career. That isn’t to say that it is a thriller or super fast paced, but it is a bit livelier than the slow cinema of most of his recent films. Despite the change of pace, Costa still has an incredible eye for images with extremely well composed shots in beautiful black and white cinematography. At times haunting and dreamlike, and less concerned with a coherent narrative than with evoking feels of romanticism of youth and love and the oppressions of guilt and filial love/hate, I loved this film and it is probably the film by Costa that has worked the best with me – it certainly is also his most accessible film, which may also be a factor. For those new to Costa, this would be a good starting point, with the caveat that things get a lot slower from here out. Really wish he made more films like this, to be honest.
During WWI, a young woman (Mia Goth) gets increasingly frustrated with being trapped on her family farm with her controlling mother and ailing father and aims to escape to star in moving pictures. I didn't quite like Ti West's X (which I gave a 5/10), so I'm surprised at how much I liked his prequel, which is an origin story for the character of Pearl. Whereas X is more of a slasher and clearly inspired by Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Pearl is a Stephen King-like horror and more suspenseful, twisted and dramatic. I was afraid that Mia Goth couldn't carry the film by herself, but, boy, did I underestimate her. She gives a committed performance that might be worthy of an Oscar nomination. In fact, it reminded me of Kathy Bates' performance in Misery. There's one standout scene in which she impressively delivers an emotional monologue for 5 straight minutes without a camera cut. It was mesmerizing. In general, she really conveys the conflict and pain that Pearl feels and makes her sympathetic even though she's not so innocent. In addition to the acting, I really liked the cinematography, camerawork and deliberate "Technicolor" look of the film that, combined with the plot, made it feel like I was watching a twisted spin on The Wizard of Oz. In all, the aesthetic of the film is very attractive. If I have one criticism, it's that the conclusion isn't as strong as I would've liked, but I can forgive that and it does have the most disturbing end credits that I've seen. Fans of X who expect something similar may be disappointed by Pearl because it's different. It's slower, less amusing and less "fun." It's deeper, more emotional and more unsettling, though, so horror fans who didn't care for X might not want to skip it. I'm glad that I didn't because I liked it quite a bit better. In fact, I'm curious to watch X again to see if I appreciate it more with this extra backstory.
Mia Goth really is sensational in the film. The monologue you mention is so powerful and emotional. And then the following scene outside the house where she is back to being so utterly terrifying.
Personally I really liked X. Pearl was an excellent companion piece. Looking forward to the third in the trilogy MaXXXine.
Closing out my October horror binge. I'm sitting on 49 movies for the month, plus all of season 3 of Tales From the Crypt. I love horror but man I'm ready for something else for a few weeks. Classic glutenous guilt. Hahaha. But a few (likely final) thoughts for the month.
Prophecy. Kinda rote, serious late 70s horror/thriller about how awful man is to the environment. Are there CONSEQUENCES? Hell yeah there are. Not a bad movie exactly, but pretty on the nose. Notable for two things. 1) John Frankenheimer directed this and though it's not close to being among his best it's a good example of how a sturdy director helps a kinda middling movie. 2) There is a death in this that reduced me to tears ... of laughter. Hard, I can't catch my breath laughing. I'm laughing again as I type.
Close your eyes. Now picture a movie that's called Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge. You're probably about 90% correct. Enjoyable 80s schlock that's actually maybe a tad better than you might expect — there's several real stunts in this that hint at a budget that's probably more than I initially would've guessed. Plus a pre-fame Pauly Shore who is only just slightly weezing the juice. Baby Weasel.
Deadstream. A disgraced online streamer holes himself up in a haunted house as a stunt. Fine idea and largely technically well executed (it commits fully to that bit) but JFC I just wanted this main character to die. That is, in fairness, a large part of the movie. But that feature's also the bug. There is some fun to be had in the second half of this, but man I wouldn't begrudge anyone who bails in the first 45 minutes.
Isle of the Dead. A nice little gem of an atmospheric creepy movie from producer Val Lewton and Boris Karloff. Ghostly, vampire vibes, but grounded with Karloff playing the most dangerous monster of all ... MAN. hahaha.
Closing out my October horror binge. I'm sitting on 49 movies for the month, plus all of season 3 of Tales From the Crypt. I love horror but man I'm ready for something else for a few weeks. Classic glutenous guilt. Hahaha. But a few (likely final) thoughts for the month.
Prophecy. Kinda rote, serious late 70s horror/thriller about how awful man is to the environment. Are there CONSEQUENCES? Hell yeah there are. Not a bad movie exactly, but pretty on the nose. Notable for two things. 1) John Frankenheimer directed this and though it's not close to being among his best it's a good example of how a sturdy director helps a kinda middling movie. 2) There is a death in this that reduced me to tears ... of laughter. Hard, I can't catch my breath laughing. I'm laughing again as I type.
Close your eyes. Now picture a movie that's called Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge. You're probably about 90% correct. Enjoyable 80s schlock that's actually maybe a tad better than you might expect — there's several real stunts in this that hint at a budget that's probably more than I initially would've guessed. Plus a pre-fame Pauly Shore who is only just slightly weezing the juice. Baby Weasel.
Deadstream. A disgraced online streamer holes himself up in a haunted house as a stunt. Fine idea and largely technically well executed (it commits fully to that bit) but JFC I just wanted this main character to die. That is, in fairness, a large part of the movie. But that feature's also the bug. There is some fun to be had in the second half of this, but man I wouldn't begrudge anyone who bails in the first 45 minutes.
Isle of the Dead. A nice little gem of an atmospheric creepy movie from producer Val Lewton and Boris Karloff. Ghostly, vampire vibes, but grounded with Karloff playing the most dangerous monster of all ... MAN. hahaha.
I think I commented on Prophecy here at some point. Yeah.... Phantom of the Mall, I don't remember much, I should do a double screening with Chopping Mall.
I think I commented on Prophecy here at some point. Yeah.... Phantom of the Mall, I don't remember much, I should do a double screening with Chopping Mall.
A Man Escaped (Un condamné à mort s'est échappé)-1956
A lieutenant in the French resistance is arrested and taken to a prison to await his fate which for most has already been decided. Simple story but meticulously retold step by step. The daily routine in a small cell, the attempts to communicate with the other inmates, the sound of gunfire believed to be another execution, the thoughts of how to possibly escape. Based on a true story (of André Devigny), appears to be faithfully retold by Robert Bresson himself a prisoner of war in WWII. The story reminded me alot of Le dernier jour d'un homme condamné (The last day of a condemned man) a novella by Victor Hugo. Excellent film, was totally absorbed. Couldn't get over how much the lead actor resembles Alan Alda.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) - There's a lots to like and a little to dislike. For starters, I don't think I can take much more of Martin McDonagh's firecracker dialogues for comedy. I don't find it funny or witty after In Bruges, but I've also grown to dislike any wit that isn't elegant - it doesn't even have to be funny, just elegant. That's when it's the most satisfying.
Outside of that, what an enjoyable film. It's hard to screw up (physically) a beautiful world like Ireland, but I think the people who scouted this film did a really good job and the setting/shooting were efficient in creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that played well into how crazy the entire island was, really. Off the top of my head, I can count, what, maybe 10 physical settings during the movie? Maybe a couple less, maybe a couple more? I thought the constant repetitions of such settings and the constant jumps between them gave the film a somewhat realistic slice-of-life aesthetic that matched/contrasted well with its absurdist plot. In short, you could feel that these characters' lives were in a constant roundabout around the same bland places. Enough to drive you nuts. Enough that you can also lead a similar life in the biggest city in the world and which ends up making the questions the movie asks - though without any clear answer, which is fine - feel universal, despite the peculiarity of the setting.
While I am glad that McDonagh used cruelty to jumpstart his story because cruelty as comedy is often funny, it did nag me a bit that a lot of the stakes in the movie could have been solved by a polite discussion between friends. I know that there are ways to justify the opposite - Gleeson's character being insane (which he is), Farrell's character being too dim to get it (which he's not) - but I suppose that's part of the absurdism though I could have done without the obvious one sane character sees it through it all and leaves (and of course it's the caretaker, of course it's the reader) sub-plot. It seemed a bit too easy and too convenient. With that said, really fun film.
I watched a ton of horror movies recently and am feeling gassed. Probably because my personal Halloween started somewhere around last March based on my watch preferences...
Tales from the Hood (1995) - 7/10
In this anthology movie, three drug dealers are told tales of horror by a creepy funeral director.
Clarence Williams III stars in the wraparound story ("Welcome to the Mortuary") as Mr. Simms, an eccentric mortician who tells four stories of death to a group of drug dealers:
"Rogue Cop Revelation" - A traffic stop involving a new police officer goes terribly wrong, starring Anthony Griffith.
"Boys Do Get Bruised" - An elementary school student claims he was attacked by a monster, starring Rusty Cundieff.
"KKK Comeuppance" - A politician moves into a house with a troubling history, starring Corbin Bernsen.
"Hard-Core Convert" - A prisoner is offered freedom in exchange for participating in an experiment, starring Lamont Bentley.
Tales from the Hood was executive produced by Spike Lee, while being written, directed, and starring Rusty Cundieff. Cundieff is most well known for his work on sitcoms, like Clueless and Chappelle's Show. Despite being a stranger to the genre, I thought Cundieff nailed it with his first horror effort, producing a consistently entertaining horror film.
Consistency is the key word. Anthology movies are notorious for having one or two good stories that are surrounded by bad stories to pad out the run time. Tales from the Hood avoids this pitfall, giving us four relatively strong stories with an entertaining wraparound tale. Without spoiling it, the ending - while super not original for the anthology subgenre - is satisfying as hell.
Another thing Tales from the Hood does that separates it from the pack is interject some social situations into the story. Yes, there are ghosts and goblins in the film, but more serious subject matter such as abuse, racism, and police brutality are also covered. However, though these are serious issues, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, as we still get a good amount of cheese, comedy, and horror.
Overall, Tales from the Hood is one of the best anthology films I've seen, and a good film overall. Though the film doesn't revolve around the season of Halloween, I think this is a good choice for a Halloween night viewing due to its variety and atmosphere.
All Hallows' Eve (2013) - 5/10
In this anthology movie, a mysterious video tape depicts three horrible acts of violence.
Katie Maguire stars in the wraparound story as Sarah, a woman who's babysitting two kids on Halloween night. One of the kids discovers a mysterious video tape in their Halloween candy, showing three tales of terror:
"The 9th Circle" - A woman is kidnapped by a murderous clown, starring Mike Giannelli.
Second Segment - A woman is stalked by an alien during a power outage, starring Catherine Callahan.
"Terrifier" - A woman is stalked by a murderous clown, starring Mike Giannelli.
All Hallows' Eve was written and directed by Damien Leone. Leone directed two short films in 2006 and 2011 (the first and third segments of this movie), and after posting them online was encouraged to turn them into a feature anthology film by producer Jesse Baget.
The result is a mixed bag, as is often the case with anthology films. "The 9th Circle" is an okay first story, but is clearly the lowest budget of the three and doesn't really go anywhere. The untitled second segment is somewhat of a drag, and the "alien" looks ridiculous. The final segment, "Terrifier", is the big draw of this movie, and is a good segment. The wraparound story isn't anything special, but does have a satisfying conclusion.
I once read the audience will put up with poor visuals, but not poor sound. After watching All Hallows' Eve, I understand this line of thinking - this movie is in desperate need of some acoustic foam. Some of the visuals aren't great, but the poor audio quality was somewhat distracting.
Regardless of my opinion of this film, All Hallows' Eve was successful in introducing audiences to Art the Clown, played by Mike Giannelli. Art has become one of the most popular modern day horror icons, starring in 2022's smash hit Terrifier 2.
Overall, All Hallows' Eve isn't a great film, but it needs to be noted that this film's budget was only $35,000. As a micro-budget horror film that isn't another found footage retread, I'd say All Hallows' Eve is pretty impressive. Thanks to Art the Clown's popularity, fans will likely return to this one for years to come. Though this film doesn't live up to Art's later appearances, it's still interesting to watch the character's ultra low budget origins.
Just got that cheesy B horror that I find myself craving on occasion. Whenever I watch and then review a movie I always ask myself if it accomplished what it set out to. This movie does. The plot isn't exactly inspired and the dialogue isn't exactly Steinbeck but each have their strong moments. Small town suffering from the mine closing and crooks that have poorly used the town's money. A chemical spill near a spider zoo has caused the spiders to grow to freakish size and are overrunning the town. David Arquette plays the lead and does a reasonable job at it, a young Scarlett Johansson plays the rebellious daughter of the sheriff, who happens to be Arquette's old flame.
Overall it had some funny parts, the CGI holds up reasonably well, a very digestible and easy watch if you don't want to think too much.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow(2020) - 6/10
Another cheesy B movie that I liked. This one I would say was more comedy than horror. It centers around a small town going through an apparent werewolf crisis. The killings all seem to be young women and it becomes an obsession of one of the town's police officers to find the culprit and solve the case. Written, directed, and starring Jim Cummings as that police officer it really seemed like his alcoholism and bizarre paranoid behaviour was the main subject of the film but he turns in what I thought was a great performance. His unhinged batshit crazy kept me engaged and laughing. Thought there was definitely something very unique about this movie, it isn't something I could call great but it was just disorientating enough to keep my attention.
Another cheesy B movie that I liked. This one I would say was more comedy than horror. It centers around a small town going through an apparent werewolf crisis. The killings all seem to be young women and it becomes an obsession of one of the town's police officers to find the culprit and solve the case. Written, directed, and starring Jim Cummings as that police officer it really seemed like his alcoholism and bizarre paranoid behaviour was the main subject of the film but he turns in what I thought was a great performance. His unhinged batshit crazy kept me engaged and laughing. Thought there was definitely something very unique about this movie, it isn't something I could call great but it was just disorientating enough to keep my attention.
I'm a big fan of Jim Cummings. Odd dude. If you haven't seen them he's made two other different movies (at least set up wise) ...Thunder Road which I guess i would describe as a sorta dramedy aobut a divorced cop and The Beta Test which is a bit of a paranoid sex thriller. I hedge on the descriptions because just like you described Snow Hollow ... they're disorienting. He's got a strange comic tone built largely around his own persona. He's not the same character in all three movies but he plays them all the same. I'd previously described him as a being just a couple of degrees more serious than a zany Danny McBride or Will Farrell character. I think he's great.
He's also one of the cops who gets killed (spoiler) at the start of Halloween Kills
Lamb (2021) - What an odd mixture of the conventional and the bizarre. I'm not surprised that this came from a dream of the filmmaker and that what he thought was the meaning of the film changed after he watched it. From the start, I thought it might be some sort of obvious parable about the treatment of farm animals but...I don't know. The lambs do put in impeccable performances.
It's not a horror film and definitely does not go for scare but atmosphere. The only jump that one could reasonably get doesn't really set-up that way at all or if it was the intention, I don't think it worked. But I doubt it. Everything about the films screams intent. I think the films takes a little bit too long to get going (the first 15-20 minutes could have used come cuts. No need for that many images to convey the drudgery of farm life or their characters' quiet sorrows) but the interactions between characters are very well-done, add spice to a slow first-half and do it through no more dialogue than required.
The film did grow on me and now I think I really like it. It definitely lingers and is hard to shake. Not because of its plot or execution (though the CGI did make me wonder if I was getting trolled at one point) but its conception. I suppose it's not that far-fetched as a fictional tale and there's nothing that I could point to that seems out-of-place...maybe just the alienness that one may feel observing something strange genuinely trying to appear normal, which I suppose fits very well with the film's plot. Definitely one of those movies that can stain a viewer permanently - I think it might have with me. I recommended it to my wife today and I'm convinced she'll love it, though she's nowhere near into art films as I am. I just have a hunch. And I'm excited to see it for a second time...so, I suppose I really like it.
Up In The Air (7.0/10)-Pretty good movie about social isolation and workplace downsizing issues amongst other things. Clooney is pretty good here. A likable actor is needed because he really has a pretty unpopular worldview and you still end up at least not hating him and even sympathizing with him by the end.
Not sure if this a true romantic black comedy as some of the termination stuff is downright harsh and hard to watch, but there is some levity. Don't like Kendrick but she had her character down pretty well. Overall a good picture.
Showed it for my Human Resource Management class. Student impressions were generally favorable (versus hearing me lecture at least).
Lamb (2021) - What an odd mixture of the conventional and the bizarre. I'm not surprised that this came from a dream of the filmmaker and that what he thought was the meaning of the film changed after he watched it. From the start, I thought it might be some sort of obvious parable about the treatment of farm animals but...I don't know. The lambs do put in impeccable performances.
It's not a horror film and definitely does not go for scare but atmosphere. The only jump that one could reasonably get doesn't really set-up that way at all or if it was the intention, I don't think it worked. But I doubt it. Everything about the films screams intent. I think the films takes a little bit too long to get going (the first 15-20 minutes could have used come cuts. No need for that many images to convey the drudgery of farm life or their characters' quiet sorrows) but the interactions between characters are very well-done, add spice to a slow first-half and do it through no more dialogue than required.
The film did grow on me and now I think I really like it. It definitely lingers and is hard to shake. Not because of its plot or execution (though the CGI did make me wonder if I was getting trolled at one point) but its conception. I suppose it's not that far-fetched as a fictional tale and there's nothing that I could point to that seems out-of-place...maybe just the alienness that one may feel observing something strange genuinely trying to appear normal, which I suppose fits very well with the film's plot. Definitely one of those movies that can stain a viewer permanently - I think it might have with me. I recommended it to my wife today and I'm convinced she'll love it, though she's nowhere near into art films as I am. I just have a hunch. And I'm excited to see it for a second time...so, I suppose I really like it.
Saw it at TIFF. Had a mixed reaction similar to your own. I laughed at the wrong spot, which I think you will guess pretty easily where that happened. A mix of originality and "you can't be serious."
Saw it at TIFF. Had a mixed reaction similar to your own. I laughed at the wrong spot, which I think you will guess pretty easily where that happened. A mix of originality and "you can't be serious."
When Ada and Maria are dancing to Petur's music video? Or the full appearance of Ada's biological father?
Another nice little detail is how Ingvar's brother is introduced. Tossed from a car by a couple of silent punks, as if some insignificant rubbish discarded. That shot of him hiding behind the barn and seeing Maria taking care of 'business' was a very pretty, somewhat theatrical shot in such an icy film.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
3.30 out of 4stars
“Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) is an aging child star living with her wheelchair-bound sister Blanche (Joan Crawford), also a former child actress. Stuck living together in a mansion in old Hollywood, Jane spends her days caring for and tormenting Blanche as Blanche remains a shut-in on the second floor of their house.”
A great psychological horror that’s loaded with twists and commentary, atmosphere, and all while being carried out greatly by 2 screen legends, especially Davis. The film is about 2 older sisters in their own separate prisons dealing with their circumstances and each other. The mind games and stealth actions back and forth battle is a surprising dark delight to watch and includes some suspenseful, shocking, and memorable well shot sequences. It constantly ups the ante and has 1 clever surprise I admired. Themes include post-stardom/child-stardom, jealousy, guilt, isolation, control/manipulation, fear, mental illness, and responsibility. I’ve read people say this can be taken as a dark comedy, but I disagree. While I do see some things going on that fringe on camp and black comedy, I easily see them lean more heavily and flowing with the frightening-tragic ‘insanity’ issues Bette Davis character most specifically is exhibiting. There are also some funny notes about the production (and otherwise too) about the real hatred/rivalry that Davis and Crawford had with each other. Lastly, this movie feels like an obvious influence for Stephen King’s Misery.
The Phantom Carriage (1921) (silent)
3.25 out of 4stars
“On New Year's Eve, the driver of Death’s ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.”
A great fantasy drama horror that is a morality tale that sounds like Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” but is much more grim while also being based off of a novel. Historically very significant, with such acclaims and notoriety of heavily influencing Ingmar Bergman and specifically 2 of his greatest films, influencing The Shining, its special effects, its usage of flashbacks, on many top 10 silent horror film lists, and considered by some to be Sweden’s greatest film ever made. Technically feels very well made. We follow a lost dying despicable soul as he gets to examine his life in a third person view. Bleak and cynical but heavy on christian overtones and redemption. It rides an eerie troubling mood throughout, especially when the carriage and/or its cloaked scythe carrying driver presides on screen. Thematically it’s almost entirely about christian virtues in various lengths and forms, yet still a universal tale of selfishness/selflessness or evilness/goodness or sin/redemption or even “spiritually/supernaturally” the weight of one’s soul.
The Innocents (2021) (subtitles)
3.10 out of 4stars
“During the bright Nordic summer, a group of children reveal mysterious powers. But what starts out innocent soon takes a dark and violent turn in this gripping supernatural thriller.”
A great supernatural thriller horror that is a slow burn examination on the “innocence” of children with a heavily dreadful mood. Shot in a very unadulterated way, it lets the kids' actions tell the story in their world and from their points of view. Unsettling and shocking at times, yet also compassionate and playfully curious at others. Kids are able to experience emotions more powerfully than adults and often are more impulsive and reactionary on these feelings, along with having other “adverse” conditions from underdevelopment. I don’t think anyone likes to believe it, but some children are capable of seriously negative thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s only due to their limitations that drastic consequences don’t come from them. Input supernatural powers, and you see children more as their true selves. It’s quite scary when you think about it and experience that angle here. Inherent pureness is not an every child characteristic. All the kid actors are great too, especially the one playing the severely autistic girl.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
3.00 out of 4stars
“The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.”
A great gothic horror that is a super stylish and thrilling telling of the Dracula legend. Always appealing and engaging in some way. It’s a grand spectacle with a couple great actors chewing the scenery in the best way possible in Oldman and Hopkins (even if Hopkins German accent disappears at times), and a memorable short turn by Tom Waits too. Worthy of a watch for its visual appeal alone, especially respectable considering it’s a 30year old film now. Sensational, sensual, romantic, threatening, spooky/creepy, creative, has a theatrical feel, and of course a good amount of blood. Oldman expresses all the characteristics of the titular Dracula, the “man” and the “monster”, making the audience feel and see the range and complexity of this character. That said, the film is not perfect, but undoubtedly still a glorious bigger budget Dracula film, quality popcorn Dracula entertainment.
American Psycho (2000)
3.00 out of 4stars
“A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.”
A great dark comedy horror satire headlined by a committed wicked Bale performance. First and foremost, it's the Christian Bale show. The character on paper along with his delivery and nuances is the main attraction. Vain and self-absorbed, yet jealous and never satiated, like a superficial addict. Everything and everyone is an object for him, and occasionally murder victim. The narration and dialogue feels endlessly quotable too. Whether spewing his lifestyle, internal feelings, philosophies, analyses, one-liners, or having a back and forth with another character, it’s always highly entertaining. The satire hits, but not as profoundly as it should about rich white city-dwelling businessmen being able to buy anything, get away with anything, and have their word/opinion be thought of as important and factual….even if it’s about Huey Lewis and the News. Or in other words, the insanity and the emptiness of a consumerist capitalist lifestyle.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
2.85 out of 4stars
“Two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.”
A great supernatural horror that mixes black comedy along with werewolves, puberty, and friendship/sisterhood. What you get is a teenage girl’s growth into a sexual mood swinging from a softer-spoken introvert, alongside werewolf happenings as her sister tries to cure her out of a fear of personal loneliness and outward care. The hi-jinks and leisurely transformation lead to some fun events and situations. Surprisingly light on full werewolf screentime/special effects, but contains a decent amount of gore. Also, has a lot of profanity.
The Day of the Beast (1995) (subtitles)
2.75 out of 4stars
“A Basque priest tries to commit as many sins as he can while teaming up with a metalhead and an occult TV personality to prevent the birth of the Antichrist in Madrid during Christmas Eve.”
A great absurd dark comedy with some horror elements that delivers the laughs in a blasphemous and satirical manner. A well paced wacky adventure ensues throughout, even if the ending doesn’t live up to the premise and buildup (feels more political in purpose than thrilling). It all works well, the fish out of water priest, the fun loving metalhead, the disbelieving TV personality, and the scattershot planning and journey all throughout the city. Surprisingly thought out throughout too with its agenda and/or mockery.
Pumpkinhead (1988)
2.50 out of 4stars
“After his son dies in a hit-and-run accident, Ed Harley seeks revenge against the teenagers responsible. With the help of a local witch, Ed summons the vengeful demon Pumpkinhead to hunt and kill the group of friends.”
A supernatural fantasy horror that is heavy on style, settings, and atmosphere. There is a lot to like. The folklore concept works well and the design and effects and lighting for everything is excellently done and executed: the creature, the town, the witch, the witch’s lair, graveyard, fog, etc/etc. The teenage targets here are more intelligent than your average group of horror victims. Henriksen in the lead also bleeds natural emotion through the screen. And the story has some nice and clever thematic workings going on about preeminently revenge and wrath, and pain and suffering too. But the whole film is criminally cardboard-like underwritten. Also the premise makes the movie sound like a slasher film, which it is not, as the murders are almost entirely very tame and basic.
I do love the idea of a film where the victim, the villain, and the hero are all the same person though.
The 100% true story of accordion virtuoso Alfred Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe), his rise to stardom by ripping off other people's music and how sex, drugs and alcohol fueled his tragic downfall. Biopics can be rather dry, but this one's juicy. It's hard to believe that it all really happened, but Al was there and co-wrote it, so it must have. Maybe his fling with Madonna wasn't quite as hot and heavy as depicted and maybe he didn't kill a dozen people to get her back, but a little embellishment is standard for biopics and it's still more historically accurate than The Woman King. It's as if Al wrote a funny song about his life, but without music, and then got Harry Potter for the video. Radcliffe does a great job wearing a wig and channeling Al's inner demons while Evan Rachel Wood blows bubble gum and strikes poses with her hands because those are things that Madonna does. I was worried that making light of the depravity of Al's short-lived career would be cringe, but I found it surprisingly entertaining and almost brilliant. I was even moved to tears at one point... from laughing. I feel ashamed that I ever doubted Al. Like him, this movie dares to be stupid and succeeds. If you've made it to the end of this poor excuse for a review, then you may be weird and this movie was made for you, too. It's free on the Roku app and website, no Roku device or account required, which is also weird.
The 100% true story of accordion extraordinaire Alfred Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe), his rise to stardom by ripping off other people's music and how sex, drugs and alcohol fueled his tragic downfall. Most biopics are rather dry, but this one's juicy. It's hard to believe that it all happened, but Al co-wrote it and was there, so it must've. Maybe his fling with Madonna wasn't quite as hot and heavy as portrayed and maybe he didn't kill a dozen people, but a little embellishment is standard for biopics and it's seemingly still more historically accurate than The Woman King. It's as if Al wrote a funny song about his life, but without music, and then got Harry Potter for the video. Radcliffe does a great job wearing a wig and channeling Al's tormented personality while Evan Rachel Wood blows bubble gum and strikes poses with her hands because those are things that Madonna does. I was worried that making light of the sheer depravity of Al's life would be cringe, but, instead, I found it fairly brilliant. I was even moved to tears at one point from laughing. I now feel great shame for ever doubting Al. I found it to be a surprisingly entertaining and funny movie that dares to be stupid and succeeds, to say the least. If you've made it to the end of this poor excuse for a review, then you're possibly weird like me and this movie was made for you, too. If so, you can watch it for free on the Roku app and website even without a Roku device or account. Weird, huh?
Being a big history buff, it feels weird to type that I’ve never seen the original, but it helped give me a fresh perspective on this film.
I’ve seen countless war films before, with lots of horrific death and destruction, but perhaps growing up in the inner city and seeing young people actually die in real life may have hardened me to a degree I’m yet unsure of.
However, there is a scene in this film that really got to me, after Paul brutally stabs one of his ‘enemies’ during a hellish battle scene.
We linger there, watching this soldier slowly die in agony, his hand twitching uncontrollably and choking on his own blood.
This isn’t Paul’s first kill, but he breaks down knowing that he’s responsible for this soldier’s horrific suffering before he dies.
When Paul crawls over to apologize for what he’s done and raises his knife to cut away the soldier’s clothing and check his wound, the man misinterprets his intentions and makes a feeble attempt to grab Paul’s arm to stop him.
Paul then realizes what the soldier is thinking and tries to gently tell him he doesn’t want to harm him anymore…
It was this non verbal action that has stuck with me days later, out of all the carnage and human suffering depicted in this film.
The anti-war message couldn’t be more clear, as this isn’t a war exploitation film or adrenaline rush like Overlord.
It’s basically pure misery and tough to get through.
Had been in a lull unable to finish any film or start for over a month (mainly stuck on Emily The Criminal) so this is what I needed. A lighter take on the quirkiness of Knives Out. It's missing all the cleverness and suspense and the sort of directing that keeps your eyes fixed for the entire film but it does have Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell with some pretty fun on-screen chemistry. Does lose a point for not sticking to the not showing Agatha Christie bit and then when they do show her, she's voiced by that high-pitched girl who played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films.
To my knowledge I have only wilfully listened to one Weird Al tune in my life; don't remember what it was but it was more than enough for me. Despite my disdain, that review makes me actually want to see the movie, though I will undoubtedly miss all the in jokes of which there appear to be many. Did this fur ball actually have an affair with Madonna?
To my knowledge I have only wilfully listened to one Weird Al tune in my life; don't remember what it was but it was more than enough for me. Despite my disdain, that review makes me actually want to see the movie, though I will undoubtedly miss all the in jokes of which there appear to be many. Did this fur ball actually have an affair with Madonna?
To my knowledge I have only wilfully listened to one Weird Al tune in my life; don't remember what it was but it was more than enough for me. Despite my disdain, that review makes me actually want to see the movie, though I will undoubtedly miss all the in jokes of which there appear to be many. Did this fur ball actually have an affair with Madonna?
No, he met her only once, briefly. He's as straight laced and scandal free as they come and even abstains from profanity, alcohol and drugs. It's why a sordid biopic about him is funny. He's also really smart and educated and makes silly (but often clever) music because he enjoys it. He's extremely likable and respectable as a person. If you aren't a fan of him or his music, though, then my guess is that the movie won't be your cup of tea, but maybe having this slightly better understanding of him will help if you watch it, anyways.
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