josephloveys Reviews

The Temptation of St. Tony (2009)

Something Special

[9/10 · 14 September 2023]

I think it's an awesome film. I watched it twice, a few months apart. Gotta let the first watch settle I guess.

Tony is a decent guy but the world he lives in has some values that are crappy. Well, that's our world isn't it. Should we give to the poor person who bothers us? While we're having a fine time in our nice homes.

Who is cheating on who, mistrusting wife says to doubting husband. His lover finds him nice, and her father is a miserable man.

Bur none of this prepares you for the final third of this movie when he goes to a strange club after his girlfriend is kidnapped and taken there. Things get real strange then, and the last part of this movie is terrific and bizarre.

I Am Trash (2014)

Really disturbing

[7/10 · 10 June 2023]

Not too many movies disturbed me as much as this one. I think even for viewers who are used to difficult to watch movies, this one will still be hard to get through. Well, it was for me. I took a break about halfway through. Went for a walk, came back and finished it.

Anyway, this is the third movie of the director's "bad family" trilogy. They are obscure movies, but they are all heavy for those who like disturbing content. I liked Mother is a Whore the best but it was also really tough to watch. Father is a Dog was also a shocker with a bit of pitch black comedy I guess.

For me, I Am Trash went beyond those, which if you watch those before this one, you might go... damn, really? Yeah, it's a very messed up and twisted movie but well made too. If you don't like sick sexual stuff, probably best to stay away.

Tsuitô no zawameki (1988)

A unique film

[8/10 · 13 February 2023]

I saw this the other day on youtube and it has been on my mind a bit since, as often happens, you know, after seeing an extraordinary film that leaves you stunned for a while, a few hours, a few days, or longer. Some even stick around years later any time you are somehow reminded of them. Having watched my share of movies I know most are forgettable, even many good ones. They all sort of just blend together and recalling their details isn't important anyway, even when after watching, you thought, "that was really good." Well, I've seen many good and great movies too, and can't really tell you much about most of those.

There is a lot of strange stuff in this film, it really is weird. Although so much happened in this one, and there is still some stuff to unpack psychologically, I won't ever forget that I saw this. Someday I might revisit it. I'm not surprised it is an obscure film, the contents are not really something that can be mainstream cinema, but are told in a dark and often beautiful way. It was said the director spent five years getting this one made, and certainly the final product, a bit too long, and not "perfect" at all, reflects that labor of love.

A unique film.

Camp 14: Total Control Zone (2012)

Interesting

[8/10 · 23 November 2021]

I've been interested in North Korea for years and have heard a few stories about people's escapes into China and then later resettling in South Korea. There's some good videos on YouTube about that. This one was different as Shin was born in a death camp and I'd never heard much of that experience before. It's incredible what this guy experienced in his life, and of course tragic too. Just today I happened to find the book Escape from Camp 14 in the library, so I'm guessing that will add more details to this remarkable story.

The Toolbox Killer (2021)

Disturbing

[8/10 · 19 October 2021]

The crimes of Bittaker and Norris were brutal and there are plenty of details and images in this doc that will be upsetting for some viewers. It's a well-made doc and certainly shows compassion for the victims and family/friends of victims too. One interesting aspect is how the criminologist was able to get Bittaker to talk when he had refused to do that before. Her approach was successful.

Rose West: Born Evil? (2021 TV Movie)

I doubt she was born evil

[7/10 · 26 August 2021]

An interesting look into the life and actions of Rose West. Horrific upbringing, sick father. Are any of these killers raised in a loving home? Probably not. When she met Fred West the horrors began. Two sick people working together, can be so much worse than what either might do solo. I thought this doc was all right and interesting enough.

Hoodman (2021)

Not bad

[6/10 · 20 June 2021]

I found it OK overall, nothing special. Seemed to me like the second half was better and a bit different. Like it took on a different tone, more somber I guess. The first half was pretty formulaic, kinda cliche. You could tell it wasn't a polished work by an experienced group of movie people, it looked amateurish. But it got better I thought, and the main idea was sort of interesting. Nothing great, but watchable.

Get the Picture (2013)

Outstanding

[9/10 · 27 September 2020]

I liked this. I don't know much about photography or journalism. But this is also about humanity. The main guy John Morris was an important person. At over 90 years old in the film he is still sharp and compassionate. He had quite a life.

Much of this film is about war. There is a strong antiwar message. There are incredible photos, many quite famous. Some you may have known for many years. The power of the picture is clear. You can see something as a young person and remember it all your life.

Saved by Grace (2016)

Not my kind of movie

[5/10 · 21 April 2016]

Honestly, I couldn't finish this one, so maybe I'm not the right reviewer to pay any attention to. It got way too preachy for me, so I shut it off with about a 1/2 hr left. If you liked the show "Touched By An Angel" you'll probably like this movie. I don't understand the other reviews gushing over it. Guess I never really liked this type of stuff with its heavy-handed God messages and clichés of "everything happens for a reason" or "all you need is faith.." It was all too fake for me, though I guess lots of people believe in all that. There's the flashbacks to life being idyllic before the tragedies, there's the patriotism, all that sickening stuff. Not my cup of tea at all.

Raw Visit (2014)

Harsh

[8/10 · 23 April 2015]

This is an odd movie, just over an hour long. I found it entertaining so I gave it a high rating. Maybe the acting wasn't all that good, but I found the main character gave a pretty good performance. There's isn't much talking in this movie. Over half the movie has very little action. But the ending is harsh. Basically it's about revenge. A woman's husband and daughter are murdered by two men for reasons that aren't clear. When she comes home and finds them dead, she checks her computer for video footage and see one their faces. For some reason they remove their masks. Then she finds out where they live though I'm not sure how, and it's a really long drive to get to their house. So for over half the movie, the woman is just traveling, reliving memories of being with her family, and runs into one of the killers a few times. I'm not sure much of this makes sense. Anyway, the ending is pretty harsh, and not at all pleasant.

No No: A Dockumentary (2014)

Interesting story about lesser known great player

[9/10 · 4 April 2015]

I've always been a big baseball fan and I barely knew this guy's name beyond the no-hitter story. He was an important and courageous player in speaking out against unfair treatment back when there was still a lot of racism in the game and to make it in the big leagues as a black man you had to be a star. His honesty about his drug and alcohol abuse also helped open the door into this darker side of sports. Baseball has always been a traditional game interested in protecting its image, so guys like Ellis were a challenge. It seems to me that he was good for the game and helped change occur at a faster rate than it might have without him.