Saltburn, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse & Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Movie Reviews

Finally managed to watch four big 2023 releases before the end of the year. Ended up writing quite a bit for a couple of those below, so I decided that I’ll post my John Wick: Chapter 4 review later today. That one deserves a post of its own…

– Saltburn (2023) – I have no clue why, as these “filled with pretty people & trying to be edgy while actually being very shallow” movies normally annoy the shit out of me but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Isn’t being shallow the whole point? This movie isn’t very deep but I loved the dark humor, especially from Pike, Grant & Mulligan who were all fantastic. 

Those characters were actually the highlights for me (I’m old). Mulligan was funny as hell & Pike’s one-liners were brutal. But I have to admit that Barry Keoghan, who gives me the bloody creeps, was brilliant. And, being old, I don’t know who the hell Jacob Elordi is but he was great too (Yeah, I know he’s in that Euphoria thing which looks like something I’d hate with a passion). I hated all these people SO much. But in that good “love to hate” kind of way. The story isn’t exactly the most original but the characters & the dialogue were fun & I liked not always knowing where the story was going. 

And I still believe that rich people truly are this f*^ked-up & that these movies just like to pretend the characters are an exaggeration. Which reminds me that I absolutely HATED last year’s “rich people suck” movie Triangle Of Sadness & found The Menu very overrated. So, again, not sure why but Saltburn just worked for me in a way that those didn’t. I think it was just much more fun to watch than those were? Fennell’s Promising Young Woman is definitely the better film but I have to admit that I had more fun watching this one. But even though I enjoyed this I can absolutely see why some hated it…

And, Film Miasma, I honestly don’t know what you’d make of this film (strong hatred could be a possibility?) but you really should watch it as you could quite literally use one of your favorite tags…

My Rating: 8/10

– Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023) – I absolutely love the animation style in these films & the characters are great. I’m a bit sick of superhero films but found Into The Spider-Verse a breath of fresh air. While this was still very good, I just far preferred the story in the first film. This one is starting to get messy, which is something that annoys me about the MCU & not what I want from these. We’ll see what the next film is like…

My Rating: 7.5/10

– Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023) – Hmm. Well, I decided after the last film that I’ll just pretend the first three are a trilogy & this film hasn’t changed that. This wasn’t awful but, as with most sequels of the past 20 years or so, it’s just so pointless. For me, it didn’t really ruin Indiana’s character so that’s good at least (that’s more than I can say for the Star Wars sequel trilogy). 

Thought this started out quite well with the sort of fun adventure story I expect from these films. And I loved seeing a younger Indiana Jones again (although some thought that looked terrible it seems but, whatever, I’m old and my eyesight is shit so it looked good to me!). And I really don’t like the little I’ve seen of Phoebe Waller-Bridge so was very worried about her being in this but I found her character… not hateful, at least. But I certainly would have no interest in watching her as the lead character if that’s their idea?

I just found myself literally falling asleep in the middle of this & it took a few tries to get the whole thing watched. And I can’t explain why as it tries to have the same type of story we got in the first three films. But it’s just so soulless? It feels like it’s trying too hard to copy previous successful elements, such as trying to give us a new Short Round character. 

Oh well. I don’t know exactly what this movie is missing but I shouldn’t be falling asleep in the middle of an Indiana Jones film. It didn’t ruin its legacy for me and it wasn’t as bad as I feared but, like with The Crystal Skull, I’m barely going to remember a thing about it in a couple of years.

My Rating: 7/10

Missing, Renfield & Champions Movie Reviews

Three decent 2023 releases today…

Missing (2023)

Directed by Will Merrick & Nick Johnson

Starring: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney, Nia Long

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Its plot follows June Allen, a teenager who tries to find her missing mother after she disappears on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend.

My Opinion:

Really enjoyed this, as well as the film Searching. Thought being set entirely on screens would be annoying but it works very well. Both have solid stories, which is more important than the screen gimmick. I love a fun mystery thriller! Used to get films like this more often. I miss them. Searching was a bit better but both were very enjoyable & I’d happily watch further standalone sequels.

Oh yeah – just realized that’s the girl who was the friend in The Last Of Us. I liked that episode. And I liked that dude’s character in the below photo.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Renfield (2023)

Directed by Chris McKay

Based on Dracula by Bram Stoker

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Nicolas Cage

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Renfield, Dracula’s henchman and inmate at the lunatic asylum for decades, longs for a life away from the Count, his various demands, and all of the bloodshed that comes with them.

My Opinion:

For some reason I wasn’t expecting this to be the Deadpool of vampire movies but I had a lot of fun with the OTT comedic violence & Nicolas Cage actually being less wacky than usual. Nicholas Hoult was funny & I really liked Awkwafina‘s character plus they worked well together. I love horror comedy, though, so can see this not working for everyone. One of 2023’s more enjoyable films for me.

My Rating: 7/10

Champions (2023)

Directed by Bobby Farrelly

Based on Campeones by Javier Fesser & David Marqués

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars Woody Harrelson as a temperamental minor-league basketball coach who, after an arrest, must coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities as community service.

My Opinion:

Enjoyed this. Can’t say it’s something we haven’t seen a lot (angry guy is ordered to work with people who are seen as less fortunate & sees the error of his ways & becomes a good person – Holy shit, how many times have we see this?!). But what can I say? I like a feelgood film with genuinely likeable characters & this ticks those boxes. A predictably pleasant watch.

My Rating: 7/10

Blow Out (1981), Onibaba (1964) & Pretty Woman (1990) Reviews

Happy Black Friday, All! Hope the Americans had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday (I forgot all about it. Didn’t even watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!). Anyway, I’m sick of posting reviews of movies I found “meh” lately so here are three good ones…

Blow Out (1981)

Directed & Written by Brian De Palma

Starring: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz

Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget slasher film, unintentionally captures audio evidence of an assassination involving a presidential hopeful.

My Opinion:

How does this 1981 film look so much better than most the shit that gets made now? Do love De Palma when he’s at his best. Have ranked this 6th of his films, but those 6 are all excellent. Travolta is surprisingly good in this, I liked the story and loved the sound effects & movie stuff, and it had great imagery which I’m always a sucker for (love the shot in front of the flag as well as all the shots with the fireworks in the background). Great stuff!

My Rating: 8/10

Onibaba (1964) (Japanese: 鬼婆)

Directed by Kaneto Shindō

Starring: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satō, Taiji Tonoyama

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.

My Opinion:

I actually knew nothing about this but it seems popular so I had to check it out as I love this sort of thing. The film looks fantastic & there’s some great imagery, which I loved. Plus a wonderful eerie atmosphere & gorgeous isolated setting. And a creepy hole! It took a while for the story to really get going but the final act made up for that (although the ending was too abrupt). Glad I checked this one out.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Pretty Woman (1990)

Directed by Garry Marshall

Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Ralph Bellamy, Jason Alexander, Héctor Elizondo, Laura San Giacomo, Alex Hyde-White

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film’s story centers on Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward and wealthy businessman Edward Lewis. Vivian is hired to be Edward’s escort for several business and social functions, and their relationship develops during her week-long stay with him.

My Opinion:

Finally rewatched this one with the daughter for the first time. Hadn’t seen it in years. Think it has aged well, although it’s certainly one of those very ‘90s romcoms (which is fine with me – they were a guilty pleasure at the time). Love her or hate her, Roberts is great here & truly made this film the big hit that it was. A fun & very quotable film with great outfits.

Cinderfuckinrella!

My Rating: 8/10

Summer Of 84 (2018), The Boogeyman (2023) & Haunted Mansion (2023) Reviews

One I liked a lot today, one I thought was perfectly fine, and one that was family-friendly.

Summer Of 84 (2018)

Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell & Yoann-Karl Whissell

Starring: Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, Rich Sommer

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous.

My Opinion:

Watched this immediately when I saw it’s from the directors of Turbo Kid. This isn’t as fun as that one but both later grew on me a lot. I think I just found the end of this so jarring that I didn’t know what to make of it but, later, decided it’s great that something took me by surprise for a change. It’s not perfect. It’s too slow & is hurt by Stranger Things comparisons but it still felt refreshingly different to me. 

I can’t explain why but Stranger Things has a “trying too hard” vibe for me that I didn’t get from this movie, despite both trying to convince us of their ‘80s settings. I can certainly see the comparisons, though, with both having groups of likeable teenage ‘80s kids fighting against something evil. I’m not big on Stranger Things – I think I prefer Summer Of 84. I’d say Stranger Things is better is on character development, which was a bit weak in Summer Of 84. Oh, and I found the acting a little dodgy, which isn’t something I often notice. Plus the dialogue was a little… clunky? Strangers Things feels more polished but I’ve thought more about this movie since it ended than I ever did about that show.

This is a movie I think I’m wanting to love, as that ending really did elevate things. I wish the rest of the movie had lived up to that as, overall, this had the potential to be great. Can see it possibly becoming a cult favorite, though? Kind of like Turbo Kid. Is that a cult hit? Both of them should be. I think it would be deserved, as I do think Summer Of 84 has something unique about it despite it seeming very similar to other things in this genre on the surface. These directors certainly have potential. I’m curious about their other work now…

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Boogeyman (2023)

Directed by Rob Savage

Based on “The Boogeyman” by Stephen King

Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.

My Opinion:

Enjoyed this, but I’m always forgiving when it comes to Stephen King adaptations. As it’s a short story, I thought they fleshed this out well. I liked the sisters & their relationship. Can’t say it’s something we haven’t seen before but it had decent characters & an effectively creepy villain, which is more than can be said for a lot of horror. Some good imagery & I loved the use of that light-up ball. I want one!

My Rating: 7/10

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Directed by Justin Simien

Based on The Haunted Mansion by Walt Disney

Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
In the film, Gabbie (Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon) enlist the aid of a team (Stanfield, Haddish, Wilson, and DeVito) to help exorcise the ghosts around them.

My Opinion:

I appreciate family-friendly Halloween movies. There are better ones but this was enjoyable enough with likeable characters. I saw the Eddie Murphy one just two years ago & barely remember it so think I prefer this one. But also think I’ll forget this one in two years too… Oh, it’s way too dark & drab-looking, though. Did it have to look so dull just to set the mood? And I kept picturing Ahsoka! (Not a bad thing)

My Rating: 6/10

Totally Killer (2023) & M3gan (2022) Reviews

Two 2023 (U.K.) horror releases today. One a pleasant surprise & one a bit of a disappointment.

Totally Killer (2023)

Directed by Nahnatchka Khan

Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The story follows Jamie (Shipka) who, after her mother is murdered by the same Sweet 16 Killer who went on a murder spree 35 years earlier, travels back in time to 1987, where she pairs up with her mother to catch the killer during his original spree and return to her timeline before she is trapped in the past forever.

My Opinion:

This was really good fun! A combination of the Happy Death Day films (I prefer Totally Killer) & The Final Girls (which was a better slasher, but I found Totally Killer more funny – loved its humor). But of course I’m going to be a sucker for anything set in my ‘80s teen years. I’ll never get sick of “teen girl travels in time either to or from the ‘80s” movies. A killer soundtrack too, of course. Thumbs up!

I’ll add a few images from this one…

My Rating: 7.5/10

M3gan (2022)

Directed by Gerard Johnstone

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis, Amie Donald

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Its plot follows an artificially intelligent doll, who develops self-awareness and becomes hostile toward anyone who comes between her and her human companion.

My Opinion:

This was even worse than I was expecting but I can’t hate it since I always love a creepy doll or killer robot movie. Predictable every step of the way & that dance was dumb as hell but, who cares, it was a bit of fun. Made me appreciate the 2019 Child’s Play more, though, as that did a better job with the high tech killer doll thing & was more enjoyable. It also took way too long for anything to happen in M3gan.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Cryptozoo, Elemental, My Life As A Courgette & The Monkey King Movie Reviews

Finally! The last of the reviews for what I watched in September! Can move onto October’s horror movies next…

Cryptozoo (2021)

Directed & Written by Dash Shaw

Starring: Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie, Louisa Krause, Thomas Jay Ryan

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Cryptozookeepers try to capture a Baku, a dream-eating hybrid creature of legend, and start wondering if they should display these beasts or keep them hidden and unknown.

My Opinion:

I’m often a fan of bizarre films & this is indeed a weird one. I quite liked it but I can’t explain why so I guess I’ll keep this short! Reminded me a lot of trippy adult animation from the ‘70s, such as Fantastic Planet, so that may be why as I love that era. Feel like I’d give this a higher rating if it actually was from the ‘70s instead of now. Story was average but I liked the animation & inventive animals.

I’ll add several images below so you can see what this one looked like. Trippy, man.

My Rating: 7.5/10

My Life As A Courgette (2016) (French: Ma vie de Courgette)

Directed by Claude Barras

Based on Autobiographie d’une Courgette by Gilles Paris

Starring: Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccoud

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
After losing his mother, a young boy is sent to an orphanage with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love.

My Opinion:

This was good. Liked its style & liked the kids. Depressing as hell, though. Can’t stand seeing kids abused or abandoned. But it had uplifting moments. I also find it highly amusing that it’s Zucchini in America & Australia (and Letterbxd) & Courgette everywhere else. As it’s a French film, I’ll stick with calling it My Life As A Courgette.

My Rating: 7/10

Elemental (2023)

Directed by Peter Sohn

Starring: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O’Hara

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, the story follows fire element Ember Lumen (Lewis) and water element Wade Ripple (Athie), who spend time together in the city while trying to save a convenience store owned by Ember’s father, Bernie (Del Carmen).

My Opinion:

I miss when Pixar could do no wrong. This was very average. Pixar’s finest have so many much-loved, amazing characters but I haven’t cared about any of them in recent films. Water Boy was annoying & angry Fire Girl was unlikeable. And I don’t even know their names so that says something. Horny Tree Boy was okay. Bring back things like WALL-E, Monsters, Inc & Inside Out, Pixar! Please. I’m begging.

My Rating: 6/10

The Monkey King (2023)

Directed by Anthony Stacchi

Starring: Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, BD Wong, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Stephanie Hsu

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Inspired by an epic Chinese tale, translated into an action-packed comedy, a Monkey and his magical fighting Stick battle demons, dragons, gods and the greatest adversary of all – Monkey’s ego.

My Opinion:

That monkey was an asshole.

Okay, that’s all I wrote on Letterboxd so I’ll add a bit more here. Seriously, though, this monkey was an absolute wanker. I rarely enjoy a film when the main character is just too unlikeable.

Asshole monkey aside, the story was also a mess. Admittedly, I was tired & also annoyed by asshole monkey so I wasn’t paying loads of attention but I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I had to read the entire plot synopsis while in the middle of watching this thing. This is animated entertainment aimed at kids – I don’t want to have to fucking read about it to try to figure out what the hell is going on.

I did read this on Wikipedia: “It is a prequel to the classic Ming dynasty novel, Journey to the West.” Well, shit, I’ve heard of that. Think that’s quite famous? So I don’t want to trash some beloved classic or something just because I have no knowledge of it. It’s probably a great story. Is there an asshole monkey in that?!

I should also add that it reminded me that I went to see Damon Albarn’s & Jamie Hewlett’s stage adaptation, Monkey: Journey to the West (Gorillaz dudes). I had completely forgotten about that! How?! I can’t remember a thing about it. What’s wrong with me?? I certainly don’t remember an asshole monkey in it…

My Rating: 4.5/10

Love At First Sight, Vacation Friends 2, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves & How To Blow Up A Pipeline Reviews

I’m back! But exhausted after posting so many reviews recently. This weekend I hope to catch up on comments & on reading blogs! Have watched very few movies in October so far, so at least I don’t have to go crazy reviewing a million things. But they’ve all been horror, so I might try to review them in time for Halloween.

Here are three 2023 movies I enjoyed. And one 2023 release (in the U.K.) that I didn’t enjoy so much.

Love At First Sight (2023)

Directed by Vanessa Caswill

Based on The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy, Jameela Jamil, Rob Delaney, Sally Phillips, Dexter Fletcher

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Hadley and Oliver begin to fall for each other on their flight from New York to London. The probability of ever finding each other again seems impossible, but love – and London – may have a way of defying the odds.

My Opinion:

Really enjoyed this, but I’ve liked Haley Lu Richardson since the excellent Columbus (highly recommend). Sweet story, good chemistry between couple & I always like American/British romance as that’s my own situation. Jameela Jamil’s appearances were cheesy – just narrating would’ve been better. But still my favorite 2023 rom-com-dram.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Vacation Friends 2 (2023)

Directed & Written by Clay Tarver

Starring: Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, John Cena, Meredith Hagner, Steve Buscemi, Ronny Chieng, Jamie Hector

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
A couple who meets up with another couple while on vacation in Mexico sees their friendship take an awkward turn when they get back home.

My Opinion:

Okay, sorry, I found both of these movies pretty damn funny? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve found nothing truly hilarious since like 1992 & most modern comedy is awful but these two made me laugh. John Cena & Meredith Hagner are great as the outrageous couple while Lil Rel Howery & Yvonne Orji work so perfectly as the normal couple putting up with their crazy shit. PLUS, this one has Steve Buscemi! I adore Buscemi and he’s brilliant here as always. He does comedy so well. Love him.

Enjoyed this. Think I originally gave this half a point less than I might have after seeing its low rating. Screw that – I’m putting it back to 7. It’s fun & the actors are perfect in these roles. Plus… BUSCEMI!

My Rating: 7/10

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

Based on Dungeons & Dragons by Hasbro

Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

My Opinion:

The rating for this on Letterboxd is a bit too high but it was good fun & better than I think anyone was expecting. It’s so rare to get a good family-friendly adventure comedy now that everyone is extra enthusiastic when we do (we had movies like this constantly in the ‘80s). Great characters & everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, especially Grant & Pine.

Speaking of the ‘80s, it made me remember that I loved the Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon. Anyone else watch that?! I’d love to see it again. Wonder if it would stand the test of time…

My Rating: 7/10

How To Blow Up A Pipeline (2022)

Directed by Daniel Goldhaber

Based on How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm

Starring: Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Irene Bedard

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
It relies on ideas advanced in Andreas Malm’s 2021 book of the same name, published by Verso Books. Malm’s nonfiction work examines the history of social justice movements and argues for property destruction as a valid tactic in the pursuit of environmental justice.

My Opinion:

This was okay? I didn’t care about anyone except maybe the girl who was dying & her girlfriend & childhood friend. Everyone else was annoying as hell. And why did that dude keep spitting all the time? Why do dudes spit? Anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah. This movie. I just didn’t care. Story okay but godawful character development. Which is bad when each one got focused on separately.

My Rating: 6/10

No One Will Save You (2023) Review

No One Will Save You (2023)

Directed & Written by Brian Duffield

Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Zack Duhame, Lauren Murray, Geraldine Singer, Dane Rhodes, Daniel Rigamer, Dari Lynn Griffin

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
An exiled anxiety-ridden homebody must battle an alien who’s found its way into her home.

My Opinion:

This is growing on me. I know it’s interesting as it’s getting a rare long review from me. Do love alien invasion movies but also love how it’s representing alienation in this, which I think the story portrays well. Brian Duffield‘s film Spontaneous is my favorite of the 2020s so far, which I think does a brilliant job representing being a teen in troubling times. I’m definitely watching out for his work now.

This movie isn’t as strong as Spontaneous but I like its unique, almost dialogue-free approach. And I’m not yet a fan but Kaitlyn Dever does a very good job in what was probably a challenging role. Would like to have seen less of the aliens but I’m also a fan of ‘50s-Twilight-Zone-era cheesy-looking aliens, which I assume this movie is going for, so I accepted that. Although we couldn’t really “see” them – this is one of those movies where it’s so dark that you can’t see a damn thing half the time (my only big complaint). But I realize that helped set the mood & I think also helped to emphasize the character’s isolation.

Have to add that I absolutely loved her little lit-up village. I have similar for Christmas – does this mean I could actually have my little village out permanently & not just for Christmas?! Does this also mean that I feel isolated just like this character??? Hmm. (Probably)

Okay, yes – I think this movie is growing on me. It’s no Spontaneous but I love what it represents. It’s certainly not perfect & the alien stuff kind of dragged on for too long. I also found the character hard to like despite feeling sorry for her (I know we’re not meant to love her, though). Also not sure how I feel about the ending yet. But I like that there’s the question of “Is this all in her mind?” and I think the ending makes that more of a possibility. I always like a movie where people can have different interpretations on what it all means.

I think Duffield is a talented storyteller & I’m glad this one is getting such a good reception. I find that surprising with its cheesy alien look, as I wouldn’t think a younger audience would go for that. Maybe it helps that Dever has been in a lot of popular films for that generation? Hopefully this also means that more people will now check out Spontaneous & see that in a different sort of light as I found that one very meaningful & thought-provoking as well.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Tenebrae (1982), The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1971) & The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) Reviews

Kind of forgot it’s October “Horror Month”. Should’ve saved these Argento reviews for Halloween! Oh well.

Tenebrae (1982) (Italian: Tenebre)

Directed & Written by Dario Argento

Starring: Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma, Carola Stagnaro, John Steiner, Veronica Lario, Mirella D’Angelo

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars Anthony Franciosa as American author Peter Neal, who – while in Rome promoting his latest murder-mystery novel – becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who may have been inspired to kill by his novel.

My Opinion:

I of course love Suspiria & Deep Red so have been working my way through the rest of Argento’s films. Although I’ve enjoyed all the rest, they’re obviously disappointing compared to those two. So I was very happy to finally see another one that I liked a lot (though it’s still not up there with my top two). I’ve ranked Tenebrae a definite third in my Argento ranking here.

Is it partly because John Saxon is in this? Maybe. Gotta love someone who has been in films with Bruce Lee & Freddy Krueger! Also happy to see Daria Nicolodi again, who I really liked in Deep Red. It’s also easily one of the better & more coherent Argento murder mystery stories & has stronger characters than some of his work. Plus, we get another great Goblin score in this! (Well, three of the guys from Goblin so it’s still Goblin). It’s the Goblin scores just as much as Argento’s signature style that make me love these films. Great stuff! But I wonder if I should stop at the 8 I’ve seen as I’ve now surely seen the very best of his work…?

My Rating: 8/10

The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1971) (Italian: Il gatto a nove code)

Directed by Dario Argento

Starring: James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Catherine Spaak

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Two journalists try to solve a series of murders connected to a pharmaceutical company’s secret experiments, becoming targets of the killer themselves.

My Opinion:

I quite liked this one. I read that it’s Argento’s least favorite of his films? Damn. It stars Karl Malden and his nose & I really liked his character & relationship with the girl.

The story was fine – a pretty typical Argento “murder mystery” (his stories are all a bit average). It doesn’t have as much of the great Argento look going on but does have a score from the brilliant Ennio Morricone (that I have to admit I don’t remember now – It must not be on Apple Music like his other Argento scores that I have on my playlist?!). Maybe the story is just too straightforward for fans? It’s certainly a more simple story & has far less weirdness than his other films. I do prefer the weirdness & stunning visuals of his other films but found this film more enjoyable than a lot of them.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) (Italian: L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo)

Directed by Dario Argento

Starring: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Umberto Raho, Mario Adorf

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
It stars Tony Musante as an American writer in Rome who witnesses a serial killer targeting young women, and tries to uncover the murderer’s identity before he become their next victim.

My Opinion:

As I said above, I’ve been exploring Dario Argento’s work since loving Suspiria & Deep Red but it’s hard to fully appreciate someone’s other work when you started with their best.

There’s some striking imagery in this one, mainly in the art gallery scenes, but not as much as I want & expect from Argento. Great Ennio Morricone score I already knew as I love Morricone but I still prefer Argento’s collaborations with Goblin as they’re an even more perfect combination. This film has atrocious acting as always & a run-of-the-mill story. But at least the story was more coherent than in some of his other films.

I could do with rewatching this someday as the version I saw was in English (I’m assuming it should’ve been in Italian?!?). I far prefer subtitles & hearing that original language, so that may have ruined my enjoyment a bit. Plus I think I was just really tired (as usual!). Still some good stuff in this, though. Was worth checking out. And it’s my favorite Argento movie title. The Bird With The Crystal Fucking Plumage? Seriously?! Love it.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Linoleum (2022), The Artifice Girl (2022) & Possessor (2020) Reviews

A couple of good & I think slightly obscure sci-fi films here. And one not-as-good sci-fi body horror.

Linoleum (2022)

Directed & Written by Colin West

Starring: Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn, Katelyn Nacon, Gabriel Rush, Michael Ian Black, Tony Shalhoub

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
When the host of a failing children’s science show endeavors to achieve his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by constructing a rocket ship in his garage, a series of bizarre events occur that cause him to question his own reality.

My Opinion:

Ever watch a film & not pay attention & then the end punches you in the gut & you’re like “Damn, what an ending! I should’ve paid attention”? This film. Damn. What an ending. Can see why it’s compared to Donnie Darko & I’d add Predestination & maybe even Brigsby Bear, though not as good as those. Wish it had grabbed me earlier on but will be great to rewatch with knowledge of the end.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Artifice Girl (2022)

Directed & Written by Franklin Ritch

Starring: Tatum Matthews, Lance Henriksen, Sinda Nichols, David Girard, Franklin Ritch

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators. After teaming up with the program’s troubled developer, they soon find that the AI is rapidly advancing beyond its original purpose.

My Opinion:

Love when intriguing “smart sci-fi” discreetly appears on services. This one has a great concept & explores some deep ideas when it comes to Artificial Intelligence and its ramifications that, admittedly, have been explored in many films. But there are some fresh ideas here that make it worth watching if you’re a fan of this genre. Starts better than it ends but was still a rewarding watch.

My Rating: 7/10

Possessor (2020)

Directed & Written by Brandon Cronenberg

Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Riseborough portrays an assassin who performs her assignments through possessing the bodies of other individuals, but finds herself fighting to control the body of her current host (Abbott).

My Opinion:

Been desperate to see this as I’m a fan of David Cronenberg’s body horror (I ranked his films here) so wanted to check out his son’s work & I liked the look of that freaky melty face on the cover. Well, freaky melty face is the best thing about this. I was very disappointed overall. And, yeah, I expected violence but bloody hell. Stabby stabby stab stab. Holy shit. Bit too much for me. I’ll stick to his father’s good old fashioned, fake looking, wounds that look like genitals, parasites into orifices, watermelon head exploding body horror. 

Okay, I didn’t actually hate this. I just didn’t like it as much as I was hoping. I’ll probably still check out his other work. But the story in this wasn’t anything we haven’t seen done much better in other sci-fi films & the excessive violence seemed pointless. But the ending wasn’t too bad. And I admit I’m liking Andrea Riseborough‘s choices in roles (big fan of Mandy). Plus I always love seeing Jennifer Jason Leigh. So it was still worth a watch. I’ll just lower my expectations before I watch his other films. Probably very hard to be compared to his father all the time, too, but that’s going to happen when sticking to the same sort of genre.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Lamb (2021), Petite Maman (2021) & Close (2022) Reviews

Liked these three foreign films a lot, which are all on Mubi. Have added all three to My Top Ten Films Of The 2020s (so far) list.

Lamb (2021) (Icelandic: Dýrið)

Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film’s plot is about the birth of a human/sheep hybrid of mysterious origin and the couple who adopts the child as their own.

My Opinion:

Liked this a lot, but I’m a big fan of weird movies. You never know what you’re going to get with the weird ones, though – I either love or absolutely hate them. So what worked for me here? Not sure. But I thought the setting was gorgeous, the acting was great & they were very believable as a loving but lonely couple. I so wanted them to live happily ever after with cute lambhumanbaby.

My Rating: 8/10

Petite Maman (2021)

Directed & Written by Céline Sciamma

Starring: Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Stéphane Varupenne, Nina Meurisse, Margo Abascal

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film follows a young girl coping with the death of her maternal grandmother by bonding with her mother.

My Opinion:

I liked this very much. Happy I’d read nothing about it beforehand so was very excited when she met the other little girl & I immediately thought “I know who that is”. Really loved the story being told in that way & the relationship & the quiet grief which felt very “real”. Great stuff.

My Rating: 8/10

Close (2022)

Directed by Lukas Dhont

Starring: Eden Dambrine, Gustav de Waele, Émilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film follows two teenage boys whose close friendship is thrown into disarray when their schoolmates notice their intimacy, causing a rift between them.

My Opinion:

A heartbreaking film with fantastic performances, especially from Eden Dambrine. Child actors deserve more credit – he’s brilliant. I’m picky when it comes to these “emotional dramas”. Too many feel contrived but this felt very genuine to me in terms of how those in real life would react in this situation. Also loved the gorgeous setting of a flower farm in Belgium. A beautiful film.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Air & Tetris Movie Reviews

Here are two more of my very short “8 line paragraph that fits into the Letterboxd feed” reviews. Was gonna post these with my Barbie review last week but then I rambled on about that one for ages. (Loved it)

These were good too. Finally! Some decent 2023 films!

Air (2023)

Directed by Ben Affleck

Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan.

My Opinion:

Surprised how good a movie about shoes ended up being. Topped my 2023 list until seeing Barbie. I feel like really good “inspiring true story” movies used to be far more common. I miss them. Films have just been so disappointing the past few years. Damon was very good, Affleck wasn’t too annoying, the story was fantastic, and the soundtrack was great. Good stuff!

My Rating: 8/10

Tetris (2023)

Directed by Jon S. Baird

Starring: Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Anthony Boyle

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film is based on true events around the race to license and patent the video game Tetris from Russia in the late 1980s during the Cold War.

My Opinion:

Enjoyed this. Didn’t think a movie about getting the rights to a video game would be that good but it really is a fascinating story. Does drag a bit in the middle (I may have snoozed) and this year’s movie about a video game isn’t as good as the movie about shoes. But it’s certainly one of the better straight-to-streaming films we’ve had the past few years.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Long, Hot Summer (1958), All The King’s Men (1949) & Titanic (1997) Reviews

Okay, I have 20 movie reviews to post for all the movies I watched in July. I’ll try! Let’s start with these three, including some sexy Paul Newman…

The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

Directed by Martin Ritt

Starring: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, Orson Welles, Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The movie is based in part on three works by William Faulkner: the 1931 novella “Spotted Horses”, the 1939 short story “Barn Burning” and the 1940 novel The Hamlet. The title is taken from The Hamlet, as Book Three is called “The Long Summer”. Some characters, as well as tone, were inspired by Tennessee Williams’ 1955 play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a film adaptation of which – also starring Newman – was released five months later.

My Opinion:

*FYI – I wrote this review before looking up the above Wikipedia synopsis. Guess I was right on the Cat On A Hot Tin Roof comparison! What an idiot. I should’ve read about it first.*

Did I watch this just because young Paul Newman was on the cover? Yep! I didn’t know anything about this one – I’d say it’s similar to Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Both have a sexy & troubled Newman, horny attractive people, and a fat & grumpy old patriarch. Not as good as Cat but definitely worth a watch to see fantastic actors at work & the chemistry between Newman & Joanne Woodward.

*HELLO!*

Man, I did this quick review on Letterboxd without even mentioning that Angela Lansbury is in this too. Love her! Miss her. Murder, She Wrote rules! Loved seeing her in this as well.

My Rating: 7.5/10

All The King’s Men (1949)

Directed by Robert Rossen

Based on All the King’s Men 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren

Starring: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, Joanne Dru, John Derek, Shepperd Strudwick

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The plot focuses on the rise and fall of the ambitious and ruthless politician Willie Stark (Crawford) in the American South.[2] Though a fictional character, Stark strongly resembles Louisiana governor Huey Long.

My Opinion:

Watched this while on services as I’m working on a Best Picture Project. It’s a good film. I’ve not seen the other nominees from that year & am sure it was deserving of the Oscar but it’s not as strong as many of the other Best Picture winners. It dragged in the middle & the acting didn’t stand out for me despite acting wins. Did like the supporting actress who reminded me a lot of Judy Garland, though. And I appreciate the timeless story of political corruption. Worth a watch but not ranked very high in my list of Best Picture Winners (all ranked here).

Never saw the 2006 adaptation but would be curious to see how it compares.

My Rating: 7/10

Titanic (1997)

Directed & Written by James Cameron

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner, Bill Paxton

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Incorporating both historical and fictionalized aspects, it is based on accounts of the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912.

My Opinion:

This movie sure does divide people. I’m a fan. Not an “OMG I’ve watched this 100 times!” fan, but I’ve always really liked this & am happy my daughter finally watched it with me. Winslet & DiCaprio are lovely together, I still love her wardrobe, and the instrumental score is great until Celine Dion starts singing over it. The scenes with “old Rose” haven’t aged well, though. Cheesy.

My Rating: 8/10

Brian And Charles, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Causeway & Bros (2022 Movie Reviews)

Four 2022 releases today. All pretty good! Liked one of these a lot.

Brian And Charles (2022)

Directed by Jim Archer

Based on Brian and Charles by Jim Archer

Starring: David Earl, Chris Hayward

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
After a particularly harsh winter Brian goes into a deep depression; completely isolated and with no one to talk to, Brian does what any sane person would do when faced with such a melancholic situation. He builds a robot.

My Opinion:

Liked this a lot, but it’s very much “my thing”. Also really like Lars And The Real Girl so was worried this would be too depressing with its similar theme of loneliness & I need more uplifting films currently. This was bittersweet, but with much more sweet than bitter. A pleasant watch with very likeable characters. A lovely, quirky delight! (My daughter hates my overuse of the word “quirky”).

Charles as a stroppy teenager was the best. Charles Petrescu! Anyone have an old washing machine I can borrow? I could use a new friend.

Have added this to my list of My Top Ten Films Of The 2020s (so far).

My Rating: 7.5/10

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

Directed & Written by Cooper Raiff

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The plot centers on a 22-year-old college graduate (Raiff) who starts making money as a party starter while he also strikes up a relationship with a 32-year-old mother (played by Dakota Johnson, who also produced the film).

My Opinion:

One of those movies I did really enjoy while watching it so gave it a decent rating but am now thinking I’ll probably never give it another thought ever again. Not a fan of Dakota Johnson & feel like she’s played this sort of character loads. But I really liked the character played by Cooper Raiff (who I didn’t realise was also the director & writer). I always think “Why the hell don’t they make more movies with characters who are actually likeable?” so, hey, that’s what we get here! Also thought Vanessa Burghardt was great as Johnson’s daughter and enjoyed her relationship with Raiff‘s character. It was very sweet. I just wanted him to be happy!

Actually, maybe I did quite like this. One of the better Apple+ offerings that I’ve seen. But I still feel like it’s not going to be a very memorable film.

My Rating: 7/10

Causeway (2022)

Directed by Lila Neugebauer

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Harvard

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film follows a soldier struggling to adjust to her life after returning home to New Orleans.

My Opinion:

Solid performances from Jennifer Lawrence & Brian Tyree Henry. Cared about their stories & was rooting for them & their friendship to succeed. Movie felt a little too short & ended too abruptly. Didn’t feel like we got to know either character well enough so would have liked them to be fleshed out more. Another decent Apple+ film but could have been better with more character development & more of a resolution.

My Rating: 7/10

Bros (2022)

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Starring: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane as two gay men in Manhattan who avoid commitment but are drawn to each other.

My Opinion:

A funny comedy for recent years (which may not be saying much as I don’t think I’ve truly loved a comedy film since the early ‘90s. Why does modern comedy suck?). But I got some good laughs out of this one. The main character just got on my nerves slightly (although I liked his humor). I’d probably rate this more highly if I liked him a bit more. His hot boyfriend was very likeable, though, and their relationship was fun to watch. Loved their fight in the park. And the fake Hallmark type movies. An enjoyable watch.

My Rating: 6.5/10

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), Smile (2022) & I Am Legend (2007) Reviews

Three horror movies for today! One a rewatch that I really like. And one that was disappointing, although it wasn’t bad. Plus a cult classic…

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Directed by Robert Fuest

Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Peter Jeffrey, Virginia North

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Doctor, scientist, organist, and biblical scholar Anton Phibes seeks revenge on the nine doctors he considers responsible for the death of his wife.

My Opinion:

This was interesting. Liked its style & its whole pre-Phantom Of The Paradise vibe (that movie rules).

Shamefully, I have very little Vincent Price experience beyond Edward Scissorhands, House On Haunted Hill and of course Michael Jackson’s Thriller. He was entertaining here with his campy “face acting” and his always cool sounding voiceover. The movie was good, cheesy fun (which is what it was going for, right?). The idea was fantastic with Phibes seeking revenge for his wife’s death & basing his murders on “the Ten Plagues of Egypt from the Old Testament”. That’s some great Seven-type stuff going on there. Then it had a crazy Saw-type ending, which was brilliant (and far better than those disgusting films). This movie has clearly inspired many other horror films since.

This film didn’t quite live up to the potential of its amazing plot synopsis or to its super cool poster on Letterboxd. I feel like it’s probably one where people appreciate their memory of it, as it has some very iconic scenes. In all honesty, Phantom Of The Paradise is the same way for me. Neither film is perfect but they sure are stylish. And that’s something I always appreciate even more than plot, acting, etc, which is why Phantom Of The Paradise went way up in my estimation upon reflection. This may do the same. I can certainly see why it’s a cult classic.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Smile (2022)

Directed & Written by Parker Finn

Based on Laura Hasn’t Slept by Parker Finn

Starring: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist named Rose Cotter, who, after witnessing the bizarre suicide of a patient, goes through increasingly disturbing and daunting experiences, leading her to believe what she is experiencing is supernatural.

My Opinion:

Was really looking toward to this one as I liked the creepy trailer & images plus I’d seen it compared to It Follows, which I loved. Was very disappointed. 

Do like the story idea which, yes, is very similar to It Follows. And the smiling faces were creepy as hell but only the first girl really pulled it off without looking a bit dumb (probably why she’s on the poster). Did think Sosie Bacon did very well as a stereotypical “everyone thinks this person is fucking crazy” horror movie victim slowly being driven mad. I don’t know – All the elements are there that I tend to love in supernatural horror films. This one just didn’t quite work for me and I’m not sure why.

Didn’t realise until after that this is yet another one that was a short film first and I find those often feel too stretched out when made into a feature length film. I do think pacing was a bit of an issue. And I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Also thought the ending looked a bit too silly, although I’ve seen far dumber things in horror so I guess I can forgive that. Think I just really wanted to like this one. But it was just okay.

My Rating: 6.5/10

I Am Legend (2007)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Based on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson & The Omega Man by John William Corrington & Joyce H. Corrington

Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Dash Mihok

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
Loosely based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, the film is set in New York City after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving Neville as the last human in New York, other than nocturnal mutants. Neville is immune to the virus, and he works to develop a cure while defending himself against the hostile mutants.

My Opinion:

Have always liked this one a lot. Probably my favorite Will Smith movie. I love that dog so much! 😦 😦 😦 😦

Reviews on Letterboxd seem a bit harsh, though. Maybe helps that I’m not familiar with the Richard Matheson novel & am not really bothered by dodgy special effects. I just love post-apocalyptic films. And that dog. And Bob Marley. And loneliness.

My Rating: 8/10

The Whale (2022), Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (2022), Ticket To Paradise (2022) & Next Of Kin (1982) Reviews

Four quickies before June! Three 2022 films & a crappy old Australian horror…

The Whale (2022)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Based on The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The plot follows a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher who tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter.

My Opinion:

Was prepared to hate this as not really an Aronofsky fan & this looked as depressing as Requiem For A Dream (which I’ll never watch again, but the score is a masterpiece & one I listen to a lot). This was definitely worth the watch for the fantastic performances from Brendan Fraser & Hong Chau, though. I had sympathy for them & cared about their characters. Unlike Sadie Sink‘s character – Good god was she hateful! The boy was an annoying shithead as well.

Fraser‘s performance is absolutely heartbreaking & his Oscar win was well deserved. I found this most similar to The Wrestler, which is the one other Aronofsky film I like okay but in both cases it was more for the brilliant performances from the main characters than for the movies themselves. Like Requiem For A Dream, however, I’d never want to sit through this one again. Unlike that one there is a slight feeling of hope in The Whale, though. But the look in Fraser‘s eyes broke my damn heart. So, yeah – a great performance indeed.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (2022)

Directed by Anthony Fabian

Based on Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico

Starring: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo, Ellen Thomas, Rose Williams, Jason Isaacs

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own.

My Opinion:

This was pretty delightful. I’m not a very girly girl but I was all “OMG give her the red dress!!!”. That dress was lovely. This is the very definition of a feelgood film. But I was disappointed when later looking it up to see it was first an Angela Lansbury movie?!? Adore her! Want to see that version now.

My Rating: 7/10

Ticket To Paradise (2022)

Directed by Ol Parker

Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier, Billie Lourd, Lucas Bravo

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
A romantic comedy film starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts as a divorced couple who team up to sabotage the impending wedding of their daughter in Bali.

My Opinion:

Perfectly fine rom-com. Clooney & Roberts look great and work very well together. Predictable every step of the way but who cares? The whirlwind romance was as unbelievable as always in these type of movies. Pleasant & passed the time. I’ll forget it in a year.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Next Of Kin (1982)

Directed by Tony Williams

Starring: Jackie Kerin, John Jarratt, Gerda Nicolson, Alex Scott

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
In a rest home for elderly people, a daughter reads her mother’s diary. Soon events that are mentioned in the mother’s diary begin to happen to the daughter.

My Opinion:

I watch this kind of stuff thinking it’ll be some hidden horror gem. Look at that great pulpy poster! And quite high Letterboxd rating! Took me a week to finish as I kept falling asleep out of sheer boredom. I guess it was fairly atmospheric but the story couldn’t have been more basic & the pacing was so slow & the “crazy ending” wasn’t that crazy but I suppose it just felt that way to some since fuck all happens until the final 20 minutes.

Disappointing. But I liked the very ‘80s style diner.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Something Wild (1986) Review

Something Wild (1986)

Directed by Jonathan Demme

Starring: Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta, Margaret Colin, Tracey Walter, John Waters

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
A free-spirited woman “kidnaps” a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.

My Opinion:

Really enjoyed this. Having grown up in the ‘80s, I’m very fond of the VHS covers I’d see when renting movies. There are still quite a few I remember very well that I never got around to actually seeing (this being one of them, as well as After Hours which I’ve wanted to see for all these years & still haven’t). I always love an ‘80s New York setting & the scenes in the city didn’t disappoint. At first I was a bit annoyed with Melanie Griffith’s “Manic Pixie Dream Girl Before The Phrase Existed” character but she grew on me a lot. And I really liked Jeff Daniels in this – he’s an underrated actor. 

The film was fun as we watched Griffith & Daniels on their crazy day out but it really picked up with the appearance of Ray Liotta as Griffith’s menacing ex. Liotta really could play unhinged characters perfectly & he’s absolutely brilliant in this film. Loved him in this. It’s an odd film & I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first. But when it finished, I think I kind of loved it. And it’s so ‘80s, which is always a hit with me. Likely not a film for everyone these days but one that I’m sure is a favorite of some Gen Xers around my age. 

I need to stop wasting my time on all the current releases just to keep up with Film Twitter, etc, when I far prefer older films like this. Especially from directors such as Jonathan Demme. After watching this, I decided to keep up the trend by watching two other older films I’d not yet seen from Cronenberg & De Palma as I like their work (Naked Lunch & Dressed To Kill). Definitely liked Something Wild the most but all three were far more rewarding than any of the 2023 releases I’ve seen so far this year.

Oh, just need to add that I’m terrible at remembering movie character names so tend to use the names of the actors when talking about a movie. But I know Daniels was named Charlie in this because, fucking hell, Griffith says “Charlie” A LOT…

My Rating: 7.5/10

I’m Your Man (2021), John And The Hole (2021) & 20th Century Girl (2022) Reviews

Three quickies today. These weren’t too bad…

I’m Your Man (2021) (German: Ich bin dein Mensch)

Directed by Maria Schrader

Starring: Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw, Wolfgang Hübsch, Annika Meier, Falilou Seck, Jürgen Tarrach, Henriette Richter-Röhl, Monika Oschek

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
In order to obtain research funds for her studies, a scientist accepts an offer to participate in an extraordinary experiment: for three weeks, she is to live with a humanoid robot, created to make her happy.

My Opinion:

Always love sci-fi films exploring AI & its dangers & what it means to be human. I’ll always watch this subgenre although it’s been done so much that the ideas have pretty much all been explored in previous films already.

I’d say this one brings something fairly new to the table, though, in really focusing on if we could have a truly meaningful relationship with a robot specifically built to be our ideal mate in every way. It’s certainly something to think about. So I could have a Chris Hemsworth-looking robot that pretends to be madly in love with me & caters to my every need?! Hmm. Several years ago I’d have gone “No thanks!” (I’ve seen The Terminator way too many times) but the human race is pissing me off so damn much lately that I’m thinking, you know, “Mayyyyyybe?”…

My Rating: 7.5/10

20th Century Girl (2022) (Korean: 20세기 소녀)

Directed & Written by Bang Woo-ri

Starring: Kim Yoo-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, Roh Yoon-seo

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
A South Korean film that depicts the friendship and freshness of first love against the backdrop of 1999.

My Opinion:

My daughter really likes this South Korean romance drama & has watched it several times. Was so happy when she actually asked me to watch it with her! If you like overly dramatic teen romances, this one is well worth a watch. Very likeable characters & a good story. Will be shocked if they don’t do an annoyingly pointless American remake. If they do, watch the original instead.

But, man – these teens really need to learn how to communicate. Would have stopped so many misunderstandings in this. And those girls were soooo dramatic. That was cute, though. It’s a sweet film.

My Rating: 7/10

John And The Hole (2021)

Directed by Pascual Sisto

Based on El Pozo by Nicolás Giacobone

Starring: Charlie Shotwell, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle, Taissa Farmiga

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film revolves around a boy who discovers an unfinished bunker in the neighboring woods of his home.

My Opinion:

Was intrigued despite the bad reviews as I wanted to know why a boy stuck his family down a hole. Unfortunately, when the film ended, I still wanted to know why a boy stuck his family down a hole.

Didn’t hate this movie, though, and still liked the idea. Just don’t go into it expecting an explanation. Do wonder if it has a deeper meaning that I missed. And I think it may be trying to say something about how much it sucks to be an adult? But it also might just be a movie about a boy who stuck his family down a hole.

My Rating: 6/10

Resurrection (2022) & Piggy (2022) Reviews

My last two April reviews are two interesting horror films from last year. One of them is very much my type of thing which I didn’t love at first but has gone way up in my estimation since seeing it. I can’t quite decide how I feel about the other one but I know I’d never watch it again.

Resurrection (2022)

Directed & Written by Andrew Semans

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper, Tim Roth

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The plot follows Margaret (Hall) as she tries to maintain control of her life when an abusive ex-boyfriend (Roth) re-appears in her vicinity.

My Opinion:

Initially gave this a lower rating but have upped it after giving the film some more thought. At first saw it as simply a story of trauma from an abusive relationship, which it is, but then saw it as being just as much about motherhood & all the fears that come with that and I could then relate even more to Rebecca Hall’s character. Would’ve made a good double feature with Men and am sure this one is just as divisive as both indeed get pretty damn weird (which I appreciate). I preferred this one being more than just “all men are evil”, though, and Hall gives a great performance. Hate to use the word but Men also got a little too pretentious whereas this one for the most part stayed just the right side of that line. I feel it’s one that could go up in my estimation the more I think about it (as it already has).

I admit I do like a film that I have to look up afterwards to try to figure out what it’s meant to mean & love when there can be different interpretations. As I said, for me I could relate to the fears about motherhood & wanting to protect your child & how hard it is to let them go when they reach adulthood themselves. Others will get different things from this movie and I think there can be plenty of discussion on what’s real & what’s maybe not in this story. It’s definitely a like it or absolutely hate it film and I appreciate that it’s one I’m going to be thinking about for a while.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Piggy (2022) (Spanish: Cerdita)

Directed by Carlota Pereda

Based on Piggy (short film) by Carlota Pereda

Starring: Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene Ferreiro, Camille Aguilar, Claudia Salas, Pilar Castro

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
An overweight teen is bullied by a clique of cool girls poolside while holidaying in her village. The long walk home will change the rest of her life.

My Opinion:

Not sure how I feel about this movie. I can’t stand bullies so hated seeing this girl being tormented. Even though high school was a very very long time ago for me and I was never the victim of any severe bullying as one of the invisible “not popular but not unpopular” people, I still remember every single seemingly insignificant cruel thing from classmates & “friends” to this day. That teenage bullshit stays with you forever. And this character is humiliated, which is hard to watch. I’m so thankful that in my day social media didn’t exist, at least. I can’t imagine being a teenager nowadays.

So, yes, I didn’t feel any sympathy for the “mean girls” other than a little bit for the blonde one who clearly went along with things due to peer pressure. Being “in the middle”, I’m sure I didn’t always stand up for people when I could have as a teen (although I do remember speaking out sometimes). It’s very hard to do that at that age. Just not sure how I wanted this story to go or to end. And the main girl did some really stupid things, which was a little frustrating as I wanted to be fully on her side. I don’t know. I think I wanted the end to go the other way but that may not have been best for her character.

The one thing I do like about this movie is that it will have you questioning if you’d have done the same thing in her situation. I know we all like to think we’d do the right thing but you can certainly see why this character would hesitate to help after what they’ve put her through for presumably years. So I liked that moral dilemma but not sure I liked how that idea was executed in this film or how much bullying we had to watch this girl endure.

My Rating: 6.5/10

A Good Person (2023), Clock (2023) & Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Reviews

Finishing reviewing what I watched in April this week. Today we have a good one, a great one & a terrible one…

A Good Person (2023)

Directed & Written by Zach Braff

Starring: Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O’Connor, Molly Shannon, Chinaza Uche, Zoe Lister-Jones

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
Follows Allison, whose life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident.

My Opinion:

I really liked this despite being very sick of Florence Pugh. I’d say it’s my favorite straight-to-streaming film so far this year. Yes it’s a bit too over-the-top on drama but I liked the characters, especially Morgan Freeman’s character (always love him) and the granddaughter. Felt heartbroken for them. Unfortunately, Pugh’s character was the least sympathetic but she did well enough in the role. Her singing was annoying & so “Zach Braff trying to make girl seem cool”. Really liked why Freeman’s character did the model train stuff, though. It’s not a perfect film and is too tidy & predictable at the end but the characters & story worked for me. Things like this do happen & it’s hard to imagine how those involved are able to move on with their lives.

Man I love Freeman’s voice. (But don’t we all?)

My Rating: 7.5/10

Clock (2023)

Directed by Alexis Jacknow

Starring: Dianna Agron, Jay Ali, Melora Hardin, Saul Rubinek

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
This film by writer/director Alexis Jacknow will follow a woman’s desperate attempt to fix her broken biological clock.

My Opinion:

Well, I have a new last place of the 2023 U.K. releases I’ve seen so far. I liked the idea of this, as society puts too much pressure on women to become mothers. But it didn’t really explore that and just ended up being a dumb film & a dull horror. Not the first time a decent poster fooled me into watching a bad movie! And it won’t be the last…

My Rating: 4.5/10

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Directed by James Cameron

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Earl Boen, Joe Morton

Music by Brad Fiedel

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
In the film, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a Terminator—a highly advanced killing machine—back in time to 1995 to kill the future leader of the human resistance John Connor, when he is a child. The resistance sends back a less-advanced, reprogrammed Terminator to protect Connor and ensure the future of humanity.

My Opinion:

Absolute classic. Enjoying introducing my teen to my favorites from my own teen years. I remember this film blowing my mind when I went to it in high school & how massively popular it was (and how I loved seeing it spoofed in my next big movie obsession Wayne’s World). I watched this so many times back then but hadn’t watched it in probably almost 20 years. Still adore it. Have to admit that I saw this before seeing The Terminator but this of course made me watch that one and I loved it even more (I’m in the “The Terminator is better than T2” camp but they’re both amazing).

Sarah Connor kicked ass, Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled these sort of movies and I miss sci-fi action films being this damn good, the scene with Aliens woman, the man & the milk carton is still an all-time favorite of mine, Guns N’ Roses used to be cool believe it or not, and I’m to this day still weirdly upset over Miles Dyson. I really need to give James Cameron more credit as he’s clearly the reason I fell in love with sci-fi action films thanks to T1 & T2 but especially thanks to Aliens, which is possibly my absolute favorite movie ever if you forced me to only choose one film.

My Rating: 8.5/10

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) & Ghost (1990) Reviews

Posting the last of my March movie reviews. Figured I might as well stick these in a separate post before my monthly roundup since I’ve already reviewed all the rest of the movies that I watched in March. Had never seen The Beatles movie but Ghost was obviously a rewatch…

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

Directed by Richard Lester

Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film portrays 36 hours in the lives of the group as they prepare for a television performance.

My Opinion:

I’m a huge music fan & absolutely love The Beatles. Easily one of my top five bands & they probably have the largest number of songs I love by just one group. But I’ve never been one to obsess over band members themselves & had only watched Yellow Submarine (love it) and Peter Jackson’s Get Back (fantastic).

This was a lot of fun, although I was worried at first as it gets off to a rocky start and oh boy that was quite the acting (but, yeah, who cares – they’re musicians & this was clearly for their fans). So it took some getting used to but the movie won me over by the end. And the great music obviously helped. I loved how much goofy fun John Lennon was having and Ringo Starr’s storyline was the best and his so-bad-it’s-good acting ended up being one of my favorite things about this. I want to watch everything else they did now. They seemed to be having a blast making this (just like Foo Fighters in Studio 666). 

And not that anyone asked, but here’s my Beatles Top Ten 🙂

10. TIE: Happiness Is A Warm Gun & Carry That Weight
9. You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
8. I Am The Walrus
7. Helter Skelter
6. A Day In The Life
5. In My Life
4. Dear Prudence
3. Across The Universe
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
1. Eleanor Rigby

My Rating: 7.5/10

Ghost (1990)

Directed by Jerry Zucker

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The plot centers on Sam Wheat (Swayze), a murdered banker, whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Moore), from the person who killed him – through the help of the psychic Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg).

My Opinion:

Had the urge to rewatch this one as I liked it a lot when it came out in high school & I have fond memories of seeing it on a double date. I think it holds up well & that Whoopi Goldberg is just fantastic in it. Am so glad she won the Oscar for this – they really don’t like to reward comedic roles very often. And I’d forgotten just how much Demi Moore cries in the movie. If there was an Academy Award just for crying she’d have definitely been nominated that year too.

Still like the story in this movie a lot, the romance is good if you like that kind of thing, the baddie is oh so hateful, and Whoopi adds perfect comedic relief. They just don’t make such all-around entertaining films like this anymore. I feel like there’s something that most everyone could find to like in this film, whether you like romance, mystery, comedy, or the supernatural. But its rating seems a bit low so what do I know? And, like it or not, the pottery scene is a classic. You know a scene is iconic when there are loads of parodies (and when it gets referenced in Community). A very entertaining film. Wish we could have more like this one again.

My Rating: 8/10

Fall (2022), The Black Phone (2021), Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) & Come True (2020) Reviews

Four quickies today! One movie I thoroughly enjoyed, one I found disappointing, one full of the most annoying & hateful twats imaginable, and one that was sadly not very good despite the poster & plot synopsis sounding intriguing.

Fall (2022)

Directed by Scott Mann

Starring: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Darrell Dennis

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film is about two women who climb a 2,000 foot (610 m) tall radio tower and become stranded at the top. Dumb bitches! (that dumb bitches part isn’t via Wikipedia – that’s via Me)

My Opinion:

This was so dumb and so cheesy and so predictable and I enjoyed it so much more than the vast majority of films I’ve watched in the past year. It was exactly what I was expecting & wanting and you can guarantee I’ll watch the sequel just announced. I have an intense fear of heights so knew I wouldn’t be watching this in the cinema but that I’d watch it on a little screen the second it showed up on services. I do love “how the hell are they gonna get out of this crazy predicament” films. Is there a name for this genre of film?! We need more of them. I want more. Any recommendations for similar films? I’ll watch them all!

Oh. And I just wanted to add that I LOVE Converse & have had a pair in most every color but I fell on my ass on some slightly slippery cobblestones once because Converse are slippery as fuck. Are they really the shoe of choice for expert climbers?! I’m guessing not. But what do I know? Other than the fact that climbing up a tower like this is probably not a good idea, of course.

My Rating: 7.5/10 (I enjoyed this so much I was tempted to give it an 8/10 but it’s not a “good” enough film for an 8)

The Black Phone (2021)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Based on “The Black Phone” by Joe Hill

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
In the film, an abducted teenager (Thames) uses a mysterious telephone to communicate with the previous victims of his deranged captor (Hawke).

My Opinion:

Been desperate to see this as I’m a big fan of Joe Hill (and his father Stephen King, of course). Was disappointed with this film. While there were some things I really appreciated, such as the great performances from the two main child stars (Mason Thames & Madeleine McGraw – will be on the lookout for them in future projects), the film was just too slow & quite dull considering I thought it was a simple yet brilliant story. It was too obvious that it was a short story stretched into a film. Thought Ethan Hawke was effectively creepy & liked the mask.

The film just didn’t quite work and I can’t figure out exactly why as there are some great elements to it plus I always love a ‘70s or ‘80s setting. As I like the story a lot & was impressed by the performances it was certainly worth the watch. My expectations were maybe just too high as I was hoping to love this.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Directed by Halina Reijn

Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, Pete Davidson

Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb)
When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.

My Opinion:

Mixed feelings on this. Admit I expected to hate it as I’d heard that the characters were hateful (and, my god, they sure as shit are) and I can’t stand movies filled with nothing but annoying assholes. But that sometimes works for horror as we get to see the fuckers die, right?

I did hate this at first but it kind of grew on me as the death toll mounted and I did really like how it ended. Plus I like shit that glows in the dark. So I initially gave this half a point more but then changed it back after thinking about the movie a bit more. Because, I’m sorry, these assholes were just far too annoying. There’s not a chance in hell that I’d ever sit through this movie a second time. Entertaining enough for a one-off watch, though, and as I said I appreciated its ending. And I did think Maria Bakalova was pretty good. I’ve just come to the conclusion that I’m finally too old for this shit.

My Rating: 6/10

Come True (2020)

Directed by Anthony Scott Burns

Starring: Julia Sarah Stone, Landon Liboiron

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film plot follows a teenage runaway who takes part in a sleep study that becomes a nightmarish descent into the depths of her mind and a frightening examination of the power of dreams.

My Opinion:

I love a good obscure sci-fi film with an interesting concept so this sounded right up my alley. Plus the poster was cool. Soon realised that the “slow burn” mentioned in so many reviews was due to nothing happening until the very end. Which can be okay sometimes if that ending is amazing but this one was a let down. Sort of felt like this would’ve been better as a short film as it had a good look & mood but not enough story. But I appreciate that films like this get made and I think this one shows some promise. Am sure it has some fans even though it didn’t really work for me.

I watch a lot of movies like this and sometimes find an absolute gem. This reminded me of a great obscure sci-fi film that did work for me that I’m always recommending & that absolutely no one I know has watched. If you like this kind of thing, check out The Frame (2014).

My Rating: 5.5/10

Where The Crawdads Sing (2022), Triangle Of Sadness (2022) & To Leslie (2022) Reviews

I’ve managed to already review all the movies I’ve watched this month. Yay, me! So I decided to post them all this week instead of waiting for my monthly roundup post.

Three quickies below. One movie I quite liked, one movie I thought was a bit dull but had a good performance, and one movie I think I kind of hated. Of course, the one I liked the most is the one that had no Oscar nominations.

Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)

Directed by Olivia Newman

Based on Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer, Jr., Jojo Regina, Garret Dillahunt, Ahna O’Reilly, David Strathairn

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The story follows an abandoned yet defiant girl, Kya, who raises herself to adulthood in a North Carolina marshland, becoming a naturalist in the process. When the town’s hotshot is found dead, she is the prime suspect and is tried for murder.

My Opinion:

How is Marsh Girl less socially awkward than I am?!

This is one of those movies I really liked but can’t explain why. Some of it is ridiculous. “Marsh Girl” is far too pretty & miraculously smart & of course learns how to read in a heartwarming montage & accomplishes far more in life than most of us ever will. But I liked her and I liked the nice boyfriend & the couple from the town who helped her and I liked the story. That’s good enough for me. And I always like when assholes get what they deserve. Hell yeah. And I loved the ending. One of the better films I’ve seen so far this year.

My Rating: 7.5/10

To Leslie (2022)

Directed by Michael Morris

Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Andre Royo, Owen Teague, Stephen Root, James Landry Hebert, Marc Maron, Allison Janney

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Leslie Rowland, a single mother and alcoholic who squanders all the prize money she received after winning the lottery. She soon finds the chance to redeem herself when a motel owner offers her a job.

My Opinion:

Had to see what all the fuss was about. Am a bit baffled by the huge amount of celebrity praise as it’s a quite average “addiction movie” that we’ve seen many times. Think Andrea Riseborough was worthy of her Oscar nomination, though, as she did give a really good performance. She was especially good in the second half of the movie, which was much better than its very slow start. Worth checking out for Riseborough and for the second half of the film, which ended up winning me over with a strong ending.

My Rating: 7/10

Triangle Of Sadness (2022)

Directed & Written by Ruben Östlund

Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Burić, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Sunnyi Melles, Woody Harrelson

Plot Synopsis:
Rich people suck. And vomit. And shit.

My Opinion:

I now have a least favorite Best Picture nominee out of the six I’ve seen this year. EEAAO was my previous least favorite so I’m feeling very out of touch as I can’t quite figure out what people saw in these. What am I missing?

This started out okay in Part 1. Charlbi Dean (RIP) & Harris Dickinson played the only characters I almost gave a shit about. Okay, I know we’re meant to hate them all but do we really need so many movies stating the fucking obvious about the rich? Society is never going to change. I guess I’d just rather watch them get eaten by zombies in Land Of The Dead or something than see them vomiting & shitting all over the place. Or, speaking of society, I’d rather watch Society (1989). I thought The Menu was a bit of a mess but Triangle made me appreciate that similar story a bit more, although I think they both failed to make much of a point and aren’t as clever as they think. And I’d heard that this one was fun? It was far too long & I kept checking how much time was remaining once the puking & shitting started (there’s still loads of time left after that). It’s probably the least fun I’ve had watching a movie in a long time.

Okay, I wasn’t a fan of this movie but I didn’t absolutely hate it. I did like Charlbi Dean & Harris Dickinson as mentioned. And I thought Woody Harrelson was pretty great, although he’s played this sort of drunk dude so many times (but he’s so good at that so that’s fine). And, like most everyone, I also liked Dolly de Leon and the whole “I’m the Captain” thing in Part 3. That was good. So I’ve given an extra half a star for these four people. The bad just far outweighed the good in this film for me. Part 1 & 3 were bearable but I thought Part 2 would never end. I’m glad I watched it as I try to watch all the Best Picture nominees but I wouldn’t want to suffer through this one a second time.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Elvis, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On & Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Reviews

With the Oscars being on tonight, I figured I’d quickly post these reviews of a few more Oscar nominated films. Will do a full post later today with all the nominees & links to all my reviews of the 23 nominees I’ve seen.

Elvis (2022)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
It chronicles the life of the American rock and roll singer and actor Elvis Presley under the management of Colonel Tom Parker.

My Opinion:

Really liked this but, wow – how can some of this be so great & some of it so absolutely dreadful? Definitely an example of a performance highly deserving of an Oscar but a movie that is not. 

I should start by saying that I know almost nothing about Elvis. Despite being a big music & movie lover, I’ve never liked many of his songs & have never seen his films. So, no, I can’t say how accurate these performances truly are, especially Hanks as I only know ”of” Colonel Tom Parker. But damn I thought Austin Butler was amazing. If he doesn’t win an Oscar but a rather rubbish version of Freddie Mercury did (and a really good version of Elton John wasn’t even nominated), I’ll be very annoyed. He oozes charisma & sex appeal in this film and I think he really captures the crazy effect that Elvis had on sexually repressed ‘50s America. He makes this movie. He feels like a star, which you need if you’re going to play someone as big as Elvis. I was impressed with how well he did as young Elvis as well as an older Elvis with many personal demons. Knew only a little of how much Elvis had been taken advantage of so found the ending quite heartbreaking and would say I appreciate the story of the life of this megastar a little bit more now. Know a documentary would be much more accurate, though, as I’m sure Luhrmann has taken many liberties with the facts. 

To quickly get the dreadful out of the way: Baz Luhrmann & Tom Hanks. For the most part, I don’t get on with Luhrmann’s films. I appreciate his style when it works but it often doesn’t. Found a lot of it just plain cringy in Elvis and the mixing in of modern music, which I know is his thing and is okay sometimes, was terrible in this. It was annoying and threw me out of the film a few times. And then there was Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. Oh boy. As I said, I know nothing about the real man but if he was truly as awful as this film makes him out to be (sounds like that’s the case), why did this story get told through him? The character was so obnoxious (did he actually talk like that?!) and we had to listen to him telling this story through the whole damn movie. I guess it kind of makes sense as he was so controlling of Elvis that he didn’t get to live his own life because of Parker. Maybe that’s why Luhrmann made the decision to have the story told through him but I just wanted more of Butler and WAY less of Hanks. I’ve never disliked Hanks before! So Luhrmann must be partly to blame. 

Oh well. The movie itself could’ve been much better but Butler was so fantastic & the story of Elvis is so fascinating that I still got a lot of enjoyment out of the film. Well worth the watch despite its big flaws, even if like me you’re not really a fan of Elvis Presley.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2021)

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp

Starring: Jenny Slate, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Dean Fleischer Camp, Lesley Stahl, Isabella Rossellini

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
It is based on a series of shorts of the same name written by Slate and Fleischer Camp. Slate reprises her voice role as Marcel, an anthropomorphic shell living with his grandmother Connie.

My Opinion:

Was eager to see this as it very much looked like my kind of thing (heartwarming & adorable – I love that shit plus adore cute anthropomorphic things). With the Pixar Oscar nominee being so disappointing this year, I was expecting to like Marcel the most but Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is easily my favorite & the one I think deserves to win. 

Still enjoyed Marcel but was a little underwhelmed by the story. And although it was a clever idea, the way it was presented as a documentary didn’t quite work for me and I can see why this probably worked better in the original shorts (if they were done that way?) than it did in this full-length film. Marcel was very cute, Jenny Slate’s voice was perfect, and his relationship with his grandmother was very sweet. For me, the movie slightly crossed the line into being a little too saccharine & trying a bit too hard. Did enjoy seeing the inventive ways of doing things that Marcel & his grandmother had to find to live their lives once they found themselves alone. And liked it showing how horrible society has become in this social media obsessed world (without being preachy about it).

It’s a nice film & my second favorite of this year’s Animated nominees but it may not be saying much as I think the other two I’ve seen are not very good at all (not seen Puss In Boots). I didn’t find Marcel as moving as I was hoping. It’s nowhere near the very best animated films from the studios I love the most (Studio Ghibli, Pixar & Disney). Am disappointed that Pixar have been so unreliable with their recent films and am missing the emotion we got from their very best stuff.

Was that a tampon at the end of Marcel??

My Rating: 7/10

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Angela Bassett

Plot Synopsis:
The same as any other MCU film.

My Opinion:

I’ve watched every Marvel movie (ranked here) and do enjoy them but I’m not a massive fan and it’s feeling like an obligation to watch them now. Would’ve been happy for them to stop at Endgame – the films are seeming more & more messy and pointless now.

With all of these films, I like the characters much more than the stories themselves & that was especially true of this film. The MCU has done a fantastic job developing some fascinating characters. The women in this are great. Letitia Wright & Danai Gurira were so much fun to watch & I liked their interactions with each other. Lupita Nyong’o was as brilliant as always as was Angela Bassett who definitely has a shot at winning that Oscar tonight. And the introduction of Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams was a nice addition – would’ve liked a bit more to do with her. So this one was off to a good start with strong characters. They obviously had a huge hole to fill and not having Chadwick Boseman is still heartbreaking but I thought they did well with handling that. 

Then it turned into the same MCU formula we always get. Which, fine, I get it – That’s what people want. Why mess with something so many people clearly love & is making them tons of money? But I often lose interest in these films halfway through when the same old fight scenes & the same old storylines occur plus this was FAR longer than it needed to be, which didn’t help. Although I care most about liking the main characters, it helps if I also buy into the story & the obligatory villain. The story wasn’t too bad but those blue Avatar-looking fuckers & boring-Aquaman ankle-wings dude weren’t working for me. I completely lost interest in the middle this time. I just wanted to get back to seeing the main kick-ass female characters together. The middle of this just went off the deep end (literally). 

So I’m mixed on this one. Good characters but overall a bit of a mess. But, as I say, I’m not a huge MCU fan so I’m going to be a bit more negative. I admit I like the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies the most so I obviously just like my superhero movies to be a bit more fun & lightweight than this one. It’s why I far prefer the MCU to current DC films.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Mass (2021) Review

Mass (2021)

Directed & Written by Fran Kranz

Starring: Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
The film stars Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton as grieving parents who meet to discuss a tragedy involving their sons.

My Opinion:

This is one of those 2021 movies that wasn’t released until 2022 in the U.K., so I’m counting it as a 2022 release (I refuse to go by American release dates anymore – it’s too confusing). Finally! A decent 2022 film! This has been a very disappointing year so far on streaming services. This is my ranking now:

Fresh – 7/10
Mass – 7.5/10
The Tender Bar – 6.5/10
Turning Red – 6/10
No Exit – 6/10
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – 4.5/10

I’m hoping to see 2022 U.K. release & Best Picture Nominee Nightmare Alley on Disney Plus before the Oscars this weekend to see where that ranks but it’s two and a half hours long so very unlikely the hubby will agree to watching that one. It doesn’t have a chance of winning anyway plus I don’t know why I’m so desperate to see all the Best Picture nominees when the Oscars piss me off more & more in recent years. I think I’m finally finished with the Oscars now if they don’t consider Best Original Score important enough to be awarded live. I’m a huge fan of movie music & know there are movies I love thanks to the score more than anything else (Mandy, Suspiria, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly for example). Imagine movies without John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Thomas Newman, etc etc etc!!!!! So screw you, Oscars!

Oops. I’ll stop ranting and talk about Mass. It’s a good film but obviously a very heavy topic. I’m not a big fan of dramas, either, so it’s always hard to know where to rank stuff like this when I’m a fan of fiction, fantasy & escapism. It’s not like I can say I “enjoyed” this movie as much as, say, A Quiet Place Part II which I watched before this one & liked a lot. And although Mass is fiction it’s a very real and sadly far too common occurrence (in America) & one I find very upsetting. Which is why for now I’ve ranked freaky horror comedy Fresh above Mass even though Mass is of course the better film & I’ve given it a higher rating. Yes, my ratings & rankings are confusing. Ha! Just thought I should try to explain that. And I’ll try to get a review done for Fresh this week…

I guess this might be a spoiler if you know nothing about Mass plus the plot synopsis doesn’t mention it but I’m going to say what it’s about (I think the plot is pretty well known). It’s about two couples who meet to talk to each other six years after a school shooting involving their two sons. They discuss what happened & who is to blame & what could have been done, etc. They meet in a church in a room that has been reserved for them & the whole movie is set there. There are no scenes or flashbacks involving the incident – it’s just these two sets of parents discussing what happened.

I’m not going to get into gun control & the mass shootings that are such a huge problem in America. All I’ll say is that I don’t understand it & it all seems completely insane to everyone living outside of the U.S. This movie thankfully doesn’t go into the main issues too much (mainly gun control vs mental health). They touch on the topics but the focus is more on how this incident has affected the two families. I also didn’t feel the movie forced an agenda, so that was good. I hate movies with an agenda, even when it’s something I totally agree with. The four actors did a good job, especially Ann Dowd and Martha Plimpton as the grieving mothers. All was also revealed by the end, which got pretty intense, and I felt sympathy for all four characters. I can’t imagine being in that situation but I think I’d find it impossible to ever forgive.

Mass is good & I’d recommend it for the performances but you need to be in the right sort of mood for a heavy drama. Too bad it’s not going to change anything in America. Sandy Hook didn’t, so nothing ever will.

My Rating: 7.5/10