fred-83 Reviews

Prophecy (1979)

Could have worked as a character drama

[4/10 · 9 July 2009]

I'm in the process of re-watching some of the old horror movies I saw as a kid. I remember the boxes with the often lurid cover art standing by the VHS player, and I couldn't wait for the evening to come, so I could watch them. OK, despite the negative reviews this one has gotten, the first 3/4 works surprisingly well. It could have worked as a more low-key character drama with some environment, Indian myths superstition-elements. What drags the movie down is the mutant bear. Though probably OK by the standards then, it looks risible now. The last 1/4 collapses totally, and seems to have been quickly thrown together without any enthusiasm. The ending is very abrupt and leaves many question marks. It is as though Frankenheimer abandoned the movie altogether. What works is Leonard Rosenmanns score, the locations, photography and the overall fine acting. A pretty entertaining Sunday afternoon movie if you don't have too high demands.

Total Recall (1990)

Most effective during the Philip K. Dick moments

[6/10 · 29 March 2009]

I remember this one wholesale and quite fondly. Re-watching it now, I still think the environments and technologies are lacking, as I did the first time I saw it. Verhoeven is more concerned with carnage and action than setting up a believable futuristic environment. Most of the sets seem to just what they are: movie sets. Especially when the story switches to Mars the milieu never becomes credible. Aside from that, the action is generally impeccable, the Goldsmith score suitably majestic and bombastic. I love Michael Ironside but sadly he haven't got much to do here, besides sneering and looking tough. The most effective moments though are the Philip K. Dick moments, when the reality of what is going on is questioned. It gives the movie a certain intriguing tension that ordinary action flick lack, and lifts it up slightly above a ordinary popcorn movie. I would really like to read the discarded Cronenberg script, he worked for a year on the adaptation before stepping down. I guess the producers were trying to emphasize the action elements too much for his taste. If my memory implants are correct I also recall how awkward and uncomfortable Arnold seemed, especially in the opening scenes, and drawing huge laughs from the audience.

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

Occasional nice atmosphere (minor spoilers)

[4/10 · 3 November 2008]

I always have high hopes for any project with Clive Barker's name attached to it, this one is no exception since it is based on one of my favorite short stories of his. Good things: the photography, production design, the occasional nice atmospheric moment, some fine music cues. Not so good: the story is too formulaic, predictable and unbelievable at times, one or two scenes downright silly, and some aspects of the plot are never explained at all. I'm usually against over-explaining things, but here the wrong things are left unexplained. On the other hand, some things could have just as effectively been left unseen, especially towards the end. I also wish Kitamura would have kept the murders in the effective and nightmarish style of the first killings, instead of going down the Matrix road of action and stylization, and in my view detracting from the overall atmosphere. There is a fine line to walk in this kind of genre, but you need to be grounded in some kind of reality and then gradually transcend it without becoming too implausible. This is one of the aspects which doesn't quite work here. I find it interesting to imagine what the result had been with some other aesthetic. Here I think the film could have benefited with some avant-garde flavor, perhaps Michael Hanekes odd timing, naturalistic settings and locked down, unflinching camera approach. However, movies are generally notoriously hard to make, and good one's even harder, so I keep waiting for the exceptional Barker movie I still hope will come some day. And if you want a moments morbid entertainment you could do worse than watch this.

It (1990)

Reasonably entertaining despite some misjudgment's

[6/10 · 11 June 2008]

I read the book back in the eighties, and saw this one the moment it arrived on VHS, and remember it with some fondness. There are some nice horror elements that have survived the translation to film, but I think there is a huge misjudgment in making Tim Currys clown character so over-the-top. When I read the book I pictured him as a soft spoken, controlled and menacing character. He would have been much more effective if portrayed in that way. Therefore, many scenes have zero creepiness for me, and relies on spectacle only. But due to the power of the story and the young actors, it gathers momentum and tension up until the resolution of the first childhood section. Sadly, the adult part of the story is lacking, both in the acting-, directing- and special effects-departments. That leaves the grand finale sadly lacking, and I would have liked to have seen included the surreal "explanation" of the "it"-monster from Kings book. All we get is a laughable papier-maché spider and little else. Maybe just seeing fast glimpses of the monster would have been better, like in the recent Cloverfield. Reasonably entertaining though.

Solstorm (2007)

Fairly mediocre

[3/10 · 25 March 2008]

I was looking forward to seeing this, mostly because I have frequently visited Kiruna, where it was shot, the past few years. Technically there is a solid craftsmanship at work here, the photography is nice and so forth. Still, where it is lacking is in the scriptwriting and directing departments. The storytelling is unfocused, confused and sometimes just plain sloppy. Crucial information is conveyed by jarring use of voice-overs, where it just as easily could have been worked into the dialog. The backstory of the congregation and the charismatic leader is not properly setup and explained, and thus never becomes believable. I get a sense of post-production tinkering, along the lines of "oh, we should explain this or that because we forgot (could't afford) to shoot it...etc". The use of fast cross-cutting between dramatic events, flashbacks etc, is irritating and oftentimes deprives scenes of dramatic potential (possible spoiler: the incident with the dog, for example). Despite the best of intentions, this emerges as a fairly mediocre movie. I have not read the book on which it is based, and if this is anything to go by, I probably will not bother. Isabella does the best she can with the thin material, as well as most of the other actors. All in all, the scriptwriter and director is to blame here.

Revenge of the Dead (1983)

Some fascinating surreal imagery but lacking in story

[6/10 · 2 March 2008]

This is a quite entertaining little horror-film, but by no means any major classic. I had expected a bit more, since seeing an image from the film in the wonderful Eyeball-Compendium, which triggered my imagination, Possible spoiler: A severed head lying on the ground of an endless and dilapitated corridor. It has a somewhat thin and confused story, but a nice atmosphere and some effective scares. Pupi Avati seems to be a director above his material in this case, and he does add to the dream-logic of the plot with some fascinating surreal imagery and compositions indicates that he could have done more with less lacking material. The acting is not too impressive but he has at least found some striking locations to work with to great effect, the monumental design of the institute for example. Some of the final shots are quite extraordinary, creating a sense of melancholy and loneliness with a simple yet very effective juxtaposition of imagery. That image alone is enough to push this film a bit above the rest. Next mission is to check out Avati's Arcane Enchanter.

She-Shaman (1996)

A psychological minefield

[7/10 · 12 November 2007]

May contain minor spoiler. Szamanka is reminiscent of The Piano Teacher and Last Tango in Paris, but where Michael Haneke is subdued and restrained, Zulawski is quite the polar opposite. Hanekes ID unleashed, if you will. Frantic camera-work and extreme performances, sometimes bordering on the laughable, but still held together in some strange way. I also remember feeling the same way about Jack Nicholsons performance in The Shining, the first time I watched it, overplayed but still exactly within the boundaries of the movie and the vision. The cinematography is truly impressive, adding to the sense of doom and despair with its deep, rich blacks. I always admire Zulawskis use of the camera, here he excels in the use of Steadicam, and he manages to make the most out of the locations and the superb sets with his eye for staging's, angles and timing. Zulawski seems to be, like in many of his other movies, very interested in extreme ways of behavior, the limits of speech and expression. Here he treads a psychological minefield, creates a unpleasant but still fascinating journey toward the climax of an obsessive and doomed relationship. Not for everyone but if you enjoyed (if that is the right word), lets say: if you were intrigued by the aforementioned The Pianist and Last Tango, you would want to see this one. Zulawski is one of the most interesting European directors alive today, I hope he will be active again in the future.

The Third Part of the Night (1971)

Amazing cinematic velocity

[7/10 · 4 August 2007]

Just watched the excellent Second Run DVD release of this film, and I was not disappointed. He must be one of the most underrated directors alive at the moment. In each of his movies (I have only seen two others) he manages to create an amazing cinematic velocity, you are not sure about the meaning and of the plot twists, but you are defenseless against the intensity of the camera-work, editing, performances and staging. He uses film in the way I usually find most interesting, to convey dream states and give fragmented views into other worlds, in that sense he is like Bergman when he was at his best. I can't help comparing the two since Bergmans recent passing and my seeing this film happened almost simultaneously...Watching this film is like experiencing someones nightmare, based in a gritty reality but at the same time far removed from it, and also managing to convey political issues in a non-realistic way. Which is the way I prefer, not ramming it down the audiences throats, but keeping it in the subtext for you to explore if you want.

The Fisher King (1991)

Gilliams best

[10/10 · 11 May 2007]

I re-watched this one last week, and was surprised how well it has stood the test of time. I remember it fondly since sometime in the nineties, when I saw it last, but was not prepared for it being this good! It is truly amazingly well-acted. Like in 12 Monkeys, Gilliam has comedy and drama perfectly in balance. He also stays on the right side of melodrama the whole time. The scene with Williams going over the top while being served dinner by Mercedes Ruehl is brilliant. The following Chinese dinner is also a high point and makes me weep with laughter every time. You truly feel for these characters, and want the best for them. Gilliam has the the good taste of letting the camera be unobtrusive in the majority of emotional dialog scenes, and let the performances speak for themselves. A true masterstroke. It also enhances the dynamics for the scenes with more extravagant visuals. One of Gilliams best, and I hope he still has more of these movies in him. I sincerely hope he only can find a script of this caliber again soon.

The Prestige (2006)

Wonderfully dark and tense atmosphere (Possible spoilers)

[8/10 · 4 May 2007]

Cristopher Nolan does it again! He is definitely someone to watch in the future. In THE PRESTIGE he creates a wonderfully dark and tense atmosphere, thanks to excellent use of music and superb cinematography and set design. There is hardly any day exteriors at all. The approach of scrambling the continuity works fine here and makes you pay extra attention, soon it will become such an often used device that audiences probably wont even notice. The acting is overall uniformly excellent, Michael Caine stands out as a center of gravity for the plot and the rest of the ensemble. Even David Bowie has improved his acting with age, and now also has great authority and weight, he hardly registers as "Bowie" at all. What you will make of the payoff is probably very individual, I thought it fitted the slightly surreal and dreamlike ambiance the rest of the movie had. The cinematography, as I mentioned, is stunning. It must have been an ordeal for the focus puller, since it is anamorphic, mostly hand-held, and often shot in under-lit locations.

12 Monkeys (1995)

I would love to see him adapt something by Philip K. Dick

[10/10 · 17 April 2007]

Without a doubt one of Gilliam finest moments. A perfect vehicle for him, although he did not write it himself. He manages to inject it with his own trademark quirkiness and idiosyncrasies without losing focus, as he have done in the past. Here he has, as in Fisher King, a strong script to work from. He is utterly unlike any other director out there, balancing the melancholy drama and black comedy elements with great skill. I remember being blown away by the first scene with Brad, what a total transformation! I hardly recognized him, and to be able to do what he does here is a sign of a serious hard-working actor. The intricate story lends itself well to multiple viewings, and I have returned to this film many times since 1996, and I probably will continue to do so. The score is also remarkably original for a Hollywood production. At first Piazollas accordion may seem to be a too bold a move, but it soon becomes clear that it works beautifully. The rest of Paul Buckmasters score is also right on the money. Now I would love to see Gilliam adapt something by Philip K. Dick. In retrospect, this is one of the top ten movies of the nineties, and continues to be high on my all-time top ten SF movie-list.

The Fifth Cord (1971)

Ambiance, architecture, atmosphere...

[6/10 · 14 March 2007]

A stylish, atmospheric giallo. Great score, great locations, superb cinematography by the great Storaro. The story, however, is quite muddled, but here, the mood makes up for that to a large extent. The cheesiest moments are the killings, where the cinematography jarringly becomes quite sloppy and day/night continuity goes out the window. This film makes me more curious about Luigi Bazzonis Footprints On The Moon/Le Orme, which I came across on VHS in a second-hand store many years ago. I was intrigued by the cover and the summary on the box, but I stupidly did not buy it. Regretting that the day after, I went there again and it was gone. Now my hope lies with Blue Underground, may they soon release it on DVD. Back to The Fifth Cord, its interesting to watch the blocking of some dialog scenes. What could easily have become, in a lesser director and cinematographers hands, simple crosscutting between two talking heads, here often becomes beautifully composed wide shots, sometimes with a dolly, sometimes static, using the rooms, spaces and architecture in a very cinematic way, and with great variety of the framing. A great lesson for aspiring filmmakers.

United 93 (2006)

Gut-wrenching

[8/10 · 31 January 2007]

Greengrass has made all the right choices in this production, unknown actors, naturalistic, a documentary feel, understated use of music (allthough he could have done without a score completely). The result is an absolutely riveting, edge of your seat movie. The editing is superb, and you get a gut-wrenching feel for the passengers and their reality inside that plane that day. The whole event seems to be played out in real-time, and also include the actual traffic control chief who was working that day. A very authentic feel throughout, despite my minor objection about using a music score. The extras on the DVD, which include the actors meeting the families of the victims, are deeply moving. A must-see movie.

Hour of the Wolf (1968)

The stuff nightmares are made of.

[10/10 · 14 December 2006]

This is a truly disturbing and frightening horror film, and one of Bergmans best, in my opinion. Here he balances on the edge between dream and reality in a way that is very effective, and seldom matched in his other works. We are not quite sure when we are inside or outside of Johans mind, if ever, the nature of the "demons" are all the more frightening in their ordinariness. The sequence with the little boy on the rocks makes the hair on my neck stand on end every time I watch it. The stuff nightmares are made of, and proof that you don't need tons of dollars, CGI and makeup to achieve a genuinely effective horror film. I would guess that this film has influenced, among others, Lynch and Clive Barker. There is a similar sense of claustrophobia in Hellraiser. The ending of Hellraiser also mirrors the ending of this film, although in a more graphic way.

Snapphanar (2006)

One of Swedens best efforts ever

[8/10 · 7 December 2006]

This is by far one of Swedens best efforts ever in the historical epic genre. It looks excellent and expensive, thanks to the effort of the superb cinematographer and Stein/Mårlind. In addition to the highly accomplished look of the film, the story is also fast-paced and holds together to the end, the acting is uniformly excellent as well. I admit to being somewhat biased in my review, as I have been connected to the production as a composer/arranger, alongside the main composer. I have written the orchestral arrangements and composed some additional horror/ambient music cues which has been put to great use and adds a nice flavour to the overall score, I think. Fun that another commenter noticed the music. Sadly, many people couldn't just accept this on its own terms, as a fun action film, and just saw the historical inaccuracies. Funny that many people enjoy western films although they seldom have anything to do with reality.

Blade Runner (1982)

Never been equalled

[10/10 · 7 December 2006]

Many have praised this one before me, so I will try to keep my comment brief. One of the few movies which still towers majestically over the majority of SF-movies produced before or since. I rate this, along with 2001 and Solaris, as masterpieces of cinema which take the medium to another level. Funny that there are three SF-movies on my top ten movies of all time. In this age of CGI, the environment created for this film has still never been equalled. It is not just the intense layering and detail, it is also the pace which we move through the environment that is just as important. Allowing us time to rest and contemplate the surroundings, along with the magnificent music, brings out so much more atmosphere and sense of place. The acting is interesting, mixing low-key realism with the highly theatrical style of Hauer and Turkel. Yet that mixing never feels out of place. Also, the important ingredient Ridley has in BR that has been lacking in some of his subsequent efforts, is a rich, multi-levelled story. The existential aspects, what is human, real versus artificial memories, the unanswered questions. Almost all movies I consider to be masterpieces have an unanswered question at the end and which brings me back for subsequent watchings. This is one of them. May it soon appear on a Special Ed. DVD with tons of extras.

Possession (1981)

One of cinemas most original voices

[8/10 · 5 December 2006]

The first movie I have seen by Zulawski, the easiest to find, and it makes me want to watch the rest of his body of work. Especially "Silver Globe". Possession has circulated in the periphery of my cinematic awareness for many years. Articles about the many distribution difficulties and cut versions made it all the harder to find the true one. A very edited copy existed in Sweden for a long while but I just never bothered. It was also never presented to me as the exceptional piece of work that it is, not until I got the awesome Eyeball Compendium, which features many interesting and well-written articles about Zulawski, among other things. Here is a director with a truly original and provocative vision. Despite the surreal and disjointed storyline, it is all held together by his sensibilities. There is no need for complete explanation, just sit back and enjoy the dreamlike atmosphere, the furious camera-work, editing and the dynamic acting and blockings. One of cinemas most original voices. I might start my own DVD-label just to release more of his work with the same care as this excellent copy from Anchor Bay.

Capricorn One (1977)

Just enjoy the ride

[7/10 · 20 November 2006]

It has been a while since I've seen this one, but I remember it fondly as a very entertaining, swift-paced piece of work. Good acting and fun dialog, and a great Goldsmith score. I remember being enjoyed by the juxtaposition of Goulds investigation and the chase sequences. Hyams was very frank in The Directors, stating that his body of work is somewhat bland, but that he hoped he is still improving. I haven't seen his latest and I cannot completely agree with the blandness aspect, it is pretty solid, but this is still among his best work. Timecop was fairly enjoyable, but may not hold up too well today. End of days had it's moments but succumbed to big budget dumbness and overblown action. When a film is this entertaining, I can overlook a few plot-holes. Just enjoy the ride.

Silent Hill (2006)

nice, creepy atmosphere

[6/10 · 14 November 2006]

One of the better horror films for a while. It has a nice, creepy atmosphere, an effective music score which adds character. Nice touch to keep it electronic, makes a change from the typical orchestral sound. The film holds up well for the first hour fifteen minutes, then the plot starts to get a little more convoluted for its own good, and the ending just adds layers of more confusing stuff on top of what has come before. Some things do not need to be explained, and when the explanation just makes everything more confusing, better to leave it alone. These faults aside, it is a well made and atmospheric film which brings back fond memories of the good old 80s, when one first encountered Carpenter, Phantasm, Hellraiser and From Beyond. The focus here is more on the dense atmosphere of the decaying environments than cheap shock scares, which is very welcome. I actually came to think of Orson Welles The Trial, which has a similar surrealistic journey through a nightmarish and decayed world, and can also be described as a horror film in a way.

As It Is in Heaven (2004)

My God, what a mess

[1/10 · 24 October 2006]

This starts out quite promising and realistic and after about 45 minutes it descends into a unbelievable crescendo of melodramatic moments, enough for about three ordinary movies. They are just stacked on top of each other with diminishing effect. It is like watching a stage play directed by Fellini on acid. My God, what a mess. It was nearly unwatchable near the end. Movies like this make my head ache, my brain itch, my stomach acid, my ears bleed, my toes curl. I got so restless and impatient I had to get up and walk around, contemplating doing the dishes. That this train wreck of a movie was seen by 1,2 million Swedes makes me loose faith in humanity. People do not act and talk this way in real life and this amount of heartbreaking moments do not occur in a lifetime, let alone in a couple of days in this movie. What is also upsetting is that this was accepted as Swedens contribution to the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Do people actually swallow this? Utterly mind boggling. Kay Pollack, hope you don't have any plans for a new movie. Relax and do something else. What about welding?

Caché (2005)

A movie-making masterclass

[10/10 · 19 September 2006]

I will begin with a slight understatement which might seem obvious to some, maybe not to others: This is not a Hollywood-type movie. Knowing that this is a Haneke-film I was not expecting any clear answers at the end, so that was not as frustrating for me as it seems to have been for other viewers. The movie hints at several possibilities but I think it was a wise choice to leave it unresolved. This is his best film based on his original screenplay since Funny Games. I found Code Inconnu to be slightly mannered and unfocused, good but not great (Time of the Wolf I have not seen yet). He creates an unsettling atmosphere early, and the tension continues unbroken to the very end. I even sat concentrated through the end titles. As a directors he seems to bring the best from his actors, they always feel genuine, and he is a master of pacing and knowing when to move the camera, and when not to. His stagings are always tastefully done, precise and to the point, without any flashy angles and editing. This is a movie I think Kubrick would have liked. There is a similar minimalism and economy to the cinematic language. Another visual comparison could be David Mamet, who also is in favor of cutting away extraneous material and getting to the point. One of the best films I have seen in a long while. A movie-making masterclass and highly recommended.

Frostbitten (2006)

Should have been a Swedish "Lost Boys"

[4/10 · 11 September 2006]

It is nice to see some genre-movies produced in Sweden, finally. This is an ambitious project but somewhat let-down by (among other things) a low budget. The script is very enjoyable with funny set pieces and some good dialog which, unfortunately, is not always delivered well. The direction is lacking, some scenes are very awkwardly blocked, hardly rising above film-school level, and some of these things can not be blamed solely on the low budget. The ending is too abrupt, also. Much effort seems to have been put into the special effects, and they generally look very good. The score is symphonic, which is a really good choice, and it works well, although it is a bit overused. The sound is also really bad in some places, which add to the "film school"-feeling. The Russian music during the opening titles is really inspired and creates a nice atmosphere (reminiscent of Polanski's "The Fearless Vampire Killers). It is sad that the rest of the movie doesn't quite hold up. But it deserves to be praised for its ambition and just because it at least tries to be different from every other film produced in our, film standard-wise, mediocre country. It should have been a full Swedish "Lost Boys" but instead we got about 1/3 of it. (Hm, the IMDb comments spelling device makes suggestions identical to what I have typed, happen to anybody else?)

Alone in the Dark (2005)

I thought it would actually be a lot worse

[2/10 · 9 September 2006]

Yep, finally seen it. I've seen worse but this is bad enough. Strangely, it was not so bad I had to fast forward or turn it off. Last time that happened was with the awful The Eye and the horrible remake of The Haunting (I get upset just thinking about it...). I may have nodded off towards the end but the story was a complete mess, never played the game but still, and there was zero tension and no scares. I would not recommend it to anyone, but I thought it would actually be a lot worse. It was simply confusing and boring, though technically quite solid. No wobbly camera-moves, and some OK blocking of scenes. Seems to me that Uwes bad rep has to do with the failure to meet the high expectations from gamers. If you just watch it as a stand-alone, low-budget action fare its bad, but not horrendous. Uwe might well have some visual sense, but he is no storyteller.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

I try to watch it at least once a year.

[10/10 · 25 August 2006]

What more can be said about this film that hasn't already been said? I'll try to throw in my two cents. I rate it as one of the best movies in all of cinema history. It is not only a mind-boggling technological achievement, but also an artistic milestone. I watched it at age 10, in a small, empty theater, and I continued to live inside it for weeks afterwards. I didn't understand it, but it was an epic experience unlike any other. It is a cinematic environment, for the viewer to inhabit, more than a plot-driven movie. It is as far as I know, the only multi-million dollar movie that truly challenges the viewer, redefines the medium, and dares asking us to fill in the blanks. It will probably remain as unique as it is, in view of the current production climate. Much has been said about the wooden acting of Lockwood and Dullea, but I feel it is just as easy to symphatize with them, if not more-so, than if they had been more traditional movie "heroes". It is easier to project oneself on the blank canvas of Dulleas face and ride along with him to the end, when there is no movie "personality" to like or dislike. For insights into the production, I recommend reading "The Making of 2001" and "2001 - Filming the Future". The amount of attention to detail and man-hours put into this film is truly astounding. A whole staff spent countless hours handpainting the mattes, a link in the chain towards the goal to expose all effect shots upon a single master, for maximum picture quality. The front-projection technique used for the opening scenes is another mammoth achievement. I try to watch it at least once a year.

Match Point (2005)

An absorbing drama

[8/10 · 12 August 2006]

A real return to form for Woody. An absorbing drama, great acting and beautiful cinematography. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers reminds me of a young Malcolm McDowell, he has a intriguing and intense face, and acting skills to match. One could say that its a variation on Martin Landaus plot line in Crimes and Misdemeanors. Match Point is one of those Allen-films were you are not missing the comedy, and it works very well as a drama/thriller. Some small dialog things might feel a bit out of date (Nola: "I need a drink", Chris: "This way"). I sense that directing sex-scenes is not Allens forte, and they are mercifully brief but makes their point. Maybe the policemen near the end are a bit broad in this serious context, but those minor things aside, this is a compelling movie. My theory that directors past their sixties has their best work behind them, is subverted here. Hopefully we have more great films to expect from Woody.