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DarioArgento-
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On the Fringe (2017)
Fun, Quick & Clever Watch
I randomly stumbled across this show online! Although I accidentally started with the finale and at first felt put off by its 'amateur' feel, I still ended up watching the series in its entirety and then re-watched the finale at the end again anyway.
Definitely would recommend!
Eager (2014)
10/10, A Masterpiece
EAGER by Allison Schulnik is a masterpiece. There's a clear sense of whimsy, magic and meaning present within it. These strong senses are a group effort, and Schulnik's bizarre yet beautifully sculpted animated figures are brought to life by the driving musical score of Aaron M. Olson and cinematographic direction of Helder K. Sun. EAGER can be felt within the soul. In the logical, analytical sense of viewing, it isn't immediately clear what it might be saying. In the intuitive, feeling sense of viewing, however; it's apparent that EAGER is communicating its themes on a deeper, subconscious, and emotional level. My own interpretation of what these potential themes consist of are: unity amongst living beings, transformation of the self and ego, and a return to nature and the Earth. EAGER also contains distinct psychedelic elements which are made apparent by its range in color choices and thematic elements relating to transformation, ego, and togetherness (there's also the smiling and dancing flowers). One take on the piece as a whole might be that it's a representation of a psychedelic and/or religious breakthrough from start to finish, and that we, the viewer, are bearing witness to this breakthrough. Again, this is all my personal interpretation, but the fact of the matter is that EAGER manages to be impactful without uttering a single word, and without containing traditional narrative elements.
Ultimately, Schulnik is representing the strangeness and beauty of what it means to be alive and to own a body. We're all just fragile, mangled messes of meat with no idea how we came to be, aren't we? Another artist who is working within this vein is Olivier de Sagazan. He's most known for his piece "Who is Behind Our Face?" which currently has 4.7 million views on YouTube. It is basically the embodiment of a 'cursed video'; don't watch it at night with the lights off. Sagazan is someone whose entire artistic practice centers around the use of clay on the body; his work constantly treads the line between the horror and beauty of being alive. He regularly uploads videos to his YouTube channel, and in the description of a video titled "Masterclass & Workshop with Olivier de Sagazan" - a video which is basically a glorified clay orgy - he states "To be covered with clay is an initiatory act that can be found in all primitive cultures. Clay has a liberating and creative power. A body covered with clay, as the primitives say, passes into the world of the spirits, between the sculpture and the ghost: It is a transfigured body, in dialogue with the "beyond."" This quote can be directly applied to the spirit of Schulnik's piece EAGER. These two artists would have a lot to discuss, I think.
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Zombies projectile vomiting blood amidst a poorly executed story
The zombies are great. They're aggressive as hell, the makeup is nasty and there are some gory scenes which keep you on edge. The Rage Virus is brutal and disgusting, and every time a zombie projectile vomits blood over someone or something, an angel is born. Unfortunately, that's pretty much it for this movie's redeeming qualities (save for a rad helicopter scene).
The main characters are not only one dimensional, but nobody is actually that likable to begin with. It has a few very familiar faces -- Jeremy Renner being one of them -- and overall the level of acting is high. The acting is not the problem though, nor is the budget. The problem is the way the story was executed: poorly.
It's got a fan-freaking-tastic premise, and unfortunately it was squandered. By the end, I felt three different ways about the 6 or so recurring characters: hate, neutral, or slight annoyance. Jeremy Renner's character gets close to feeling human, but even that one is a reach. People mostly felt flat. Except for the zombies, but they're not worth it enough to sit through this 1 hr 40 min crapfest. Don't waste your time, just watch the first one instead.
Annihilation (2018)
Mutation, Fungi, Psychedelic Vibes and Visual Stimulation Galore
If you like the premise of the video game The Last of Us, you'll probably enjoy this movie. There were also hints of Silent Hill (2006), Prometheus (2012) and even The Lawnmower Man (1992).
Originally, this movie was sold me to me as something along the lines of 'a bunch of women scientists fight some alien type crap and Natalie Portman is in it too'. Or at least that's how my brain categorized it. It's definitely a lot more than that, and after finding out that it's from the same weird dude behind The Beach (2000), I had to check it out.
It's an interesting story, lacks a little bit of substance but overall I'm glad I watched it. And I don't say that too often. The landscape and creatures found within it invoke both awe and terror, my jaw legitimately dropped more than once. The visual effects were absolute insanity. They're reminiscent of Google's DeepDream project... just a lot more smoothed out. Extremely bummed I didn't catch this one in theaters.
Definitely recommend.
Depraved (2019)
Cool modern take on an old story
It's not perfect, but what film is? It certainly is not within 5/10 territory, as its rating currently stands here on IMDb. The story was the opposite of flat, and it was neat to see this classic tale take some fresh turns. I'm a big horror guy, and a very picky one at that, and I would certainly recommend it to fans of the genre. It's perfect for a quiet day or night in, perhaps with some weed and popcorn, and plenty of time. It does run a bit long at just under two hours.
There wasn't enough blood and guts for my taste, but the gore we did see was extremely well-done and realistic. The makeup, prosthetics and special effects were extremely on point. Although there is a little bit of questionable acting, the main characters are believable and fit their roles well. Alex Breaux -- the dude who portrays Frankenstein -- couldn't have been a better pick with his angular and intense bone structure and height. If you're in the mood for a well-done take on Frankenstein and have a couple minutes, you're in for a good little treat.