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danxfielding
Reviews
Deadloch (2023)
Comedy starts over-the-top, then calms down by the end
I loved it. If you've seen "Only Murders In The Building", it's what OMITB would be like if it were set in a small Australian coastal village.
The main woman character is the only person who's genuinely serious and all the others zipping around her are nuts. I agree with the reviews that say you have to be in the right mood. It's definitely not typical, plain-vanilla comedy, it's more wry/deadpan, except for the main character's partner who can be a little extreme at times. I gather from other reviews that some people hated her, but just keep in mind that she's the exact opposite of the understated main character.
It is somewhat unusual in the way that the tone gets more serious in later episodes, so perhaps that confuses people. In any case, I found it hilarious at first and then I stuck around for the murder-mystery. If there's not a second season I may have to cancel my subscription to Prime.
The Magicians: Unauthorized Magic (2015)
A good kick-off
Some viewers seem to think they packed too much information into this premiere episode, while others found it not exciting enough. I think they struck a good balance and hit just the right note. There's not THAT much information: Quentin has some mental issues, magic exists, a school for magic exists, and the school rejected Julia so she's forced to join up with unofficial, counter-culture magicians who are called Hedge Witches. Oh, also the antagonist is introduced, but I'm already flirting with spoiler territory so I'd better stop. One more thing: the school is nothing like Hogwort's. I think it's a great start!
Straight Up (2019)
Not about Gay vs Straight
I disagree with 90% of reviews, this is not about a guy deciding whether he's gay, straight or bisexual. He's ASEXUAL: he doesn't like, need or want sex. However, not a single character in the film is smart enough to figure that out, so we're treated to the incredible frustration of watching people talk about gay vs straight when that's far less important than the fact he's asexual.
Sure that possibility is briefly mentioned a couple of times, but only 1% as much as the comparatively trivial gay vs straight issue. Unfortunately, the director says labels are too limiting so no character is ever allowed to say "asexual" (even though the labels straight and gay are used hundreds of times, even including the title).
The acting of Katie Findley is superb, as is usual for her, so that almost salvages this annoying film, but not quite. The frosting on the cake is a very nebulous, ambiguous, confusing ending... oh perfect. What a frustrating mess dressed up as a gay guy trying to be straight, when really he just hates sex. What a waste of 1 hour & 35 minutes.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Much better than a horror film
I'm tempted to point out that certain films aren't about the plot, they aren't about action, they aren't even about characters... they're just about atmosphere, about mood. This excellent film is a little like that, but that doesn't do it justice, because the mood changes in different parts of the movie. That's intentional, of course, because this film works on many levels... it delves into different genres, or pays tribute to different genres, at various times.
Before I get too deep in the weeds, let me say I enjoyed the hell out of this film. It's not fast paced, but it's wonderful. The viewer must have patience and be willing to tolerate a slow moving film, cuz it sure ain't no action film. In one scene the two main characters are standing a few feet apart and it must take 7 or 8 minutes for them just to turn and slowly move close to one another.
The film is very well acted (and no it's not devoid of characterization as I hinted at in the first sentence). The strongest aspect may be the cinematography, which is superb. Obviously there's a strong element of Film Noir, but you'll even get a bit of a Tex-Mex-Western vibe in a couple of places. In terms of "horror", it's really very mild by today's standards, so don't expect that. Also don't expect much dialog, because it's rather sparse and understated in that regard.
Anyway, I loved it, it's different, and I can't believe it's the director's first major feature film.