scarredpariah Reviews

65 (2023)

1965

[5/10 · 9 July 2023]

Something for dinosaur, sci-fi and action fans. If you can embrace the absurd nonsensical plot, overlook the ridiculously flimsy sci-fi elements, treat it as a comedy (even though it's played straight) and enjoy predicting every cliché then it can be an entertaining romp. An homage to similar films from half a century ago, but with a little shameless pathos and contemporary special effects.

65 is an apt title as it's filmed in the style of a dinosaur movie from 1965. Every natural hazard imaginable can be fallen into within a couple of miles of bizarrely mixed terrain. A couple of dinosaurs are reasonably faithful depictions while the others are fantastical dinosaur-like lizard monsters. Somehow, every single one of them is a predatory carnivore. Every single one. Driver, impressively, stumbles into the worst ecosystem ever. He even picks up a companion who has their own language, reminiscent of a few other classics in the 'lost world' genre. All that's missing is Raquel Welch.

Midnight Mass (2021)

A worthy offering

[7/10 · 7 October 2021]

I wasn't a great fan of the creator's previous shows and had low expectations which didn't improve after the first episode of awkward expository dialogue. But the next few episodes improved with solid character development and slow-burn atmosphere with just enough mystery to bait the hook.

While lacking in surprises, there was a good balance between predictability and well-structured inevitability, at least for the strong middle act. As with most horror productions, things fell apart a little toward the heavy-handed conclusion, but not as badly as previous offerings. The run time could probably have been cut by a quarter thanks to a few almost interminable scenes but otherwise it was not time wasted.

Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage (2019)

A Korean 'Bad Lieutenant'

[7/10 · 5 May 2019]

The film takes its time to lay out a well-constructed and engaging story with character development solid enough to deliver some emotional scenes toward its conclusion. Light on action but strong on plot and drama, with a convincing antihero 'bad cop' protagonist, and excellent support. The score is subtle, and the lighting is suitably moody. While it doesn't have the impact of 'The Man From Nowhere,' it's still worthwhile viewing.

Mandy (I) (2018)

Nic Cage is back with a vengeance

[8/10 · 29 March 2019]

A vengeance story painted lavishly with psychedelics and mysticism, leading to a descent into blood-drenched violence. After a slow introductory first act, the pace picks up effectively despite continued use of long, languishing shots throughout. The simple, linear plot is buoyed up by a magnificent, grandiose soundtrack, with rich, saturated lighting and bold camera-work.

More accessible than Beyond The Black Rainbow, there are nods to the rock music, horror and fantasy of the era within a well-crafted world filled with unique, evocative detail. The immersion into this world is marred slightly by an issue that plagues many modern films: much of the dialogue is quietly rasped or whispered, while there are sudden onslaughts of booming music, requiring the viewer to keep a hand hovering over the volume control. But this is forgivable considering the many qualities of the film, including an energetic performance by Cage reminiscent of some of his earlier work.

After Life (2019–2022)

Starts strong, but has an unconvincing character arc and a terrible message

[5/10 · 12 March 2019]

This show tries to walk the tightrope balancing between light comedy and serious issues. Unfortunately, when it slips, it falls hard, and doesn't attempt to acknowledge that it did so. Some thoughts on grief, suicide and related behaviors ring true, especially in the first few episodes, but these become cheapened and dissolved into a sickly sweet syrup to fit the ridiculously heavy-handed rom-com mold which, by the end, can feel pretty offensive.

One minor issue with this show is that it only works if you find Gervais's character as entertaining and endearing as everyone he meets seems to. Flashbacks show him supposedly being funny but it had me wondering if his wife faked her death to escape constant torment from his cruel pranks.

A more substantial issue is that the other characters seem to only be there to prop up his ego, rather than genuinely challenge him, suffering his barbs with no complaint while going out of their way to make his life more bearable. This damages the credibility of his character development, which feels unconvincing, especially compared to similar character arcs such as in As Good As It Gets.

The main problem, however, is that the character takes some appalling actions with no negative consequence for himself, but devastating consequences for others. His lack of remorse makes the audience, if they buy into it, complicit in his feeling of smug superiority over those he feels are less deserving people, denied their own redemption. So why should he find happiness?

Suspiria (I) (2018)

An uneven movement with some delicious morsels

[7/10 · 2 March 2019]

Suspiria, like Black Swan, paints another warning about the apparently extreme dangers that face anyone attending an acclaimed dance school. But while Black Swan focused on the dancers and built layers of tension from this, Suspiria opts for a broader view, sacrificing some impact in the process.

Like the much-maligned Mother! this film attempts to deliver a strong message, with heavy comparisons between the dance school and the external politics of 1977 Berlin. However, in doing so, it further splits its time between the dancers, their teachers, citizens outside the school, and the city itself. Rather than reinforcing the dance drama, this can distract from it, especially when some sequences have to be explained through exposition rather than being inferred. But while Mother! began with a slow pace, then quickened into a glorious, feverish nightmare, Suspiria has an uneven pace throughout, often dropping back to a meandering totter instead of pulling forward.

The film hooks in the viewer with the feel of an investigative mystery, but as the focus splits, characters are left trudging about for clues long after the audience has already been made aware of them. All the time devoted to uncovering a mystery that has already been revealed feels rather redundant, and doesn't do the pace any favors.

The tone of the film also feels uneven. There are several strong horror scenes but the connecting drama lacks sufficient tension and foreboding necessary to build an effective horror atmosphere, so despite some captivating visuals, it doesn't deliver in the way that films like Hereditary and The Witch do. Looking further back, Possession (1981) demonstrated far more effectively how to meld horror with politics in a divided Berlin.

Despite its flaws, Suspiria delivers its own evocative witch lore, hinting at some curious ideas about magic, and melds an engaging supernatural element with the art of dance. While not altogether successful in its attempt to take a more challenging direction than the original, the cinematography, mise-en-scene, and some of the performances are strong, even if the structure is not.

Veronika Decides to Die (2009)

Insulting, ridiculous schmaltz.

[2/10 · 6 May 2015]

Not even Thewlis can save this trash. It had potential, but ended up being a ridiculous watercolour romance. It's been described as dark and understated. It's not. It's light, obvious schmaltz. There's no attempt at any realism, and it's an insult to anyone remotely familiar with the workings of a psychiatric unit. It promises themes of suicide and mental health but shows no understanding of either, merely using them as a cheap vehicle for clumsy, clichéd, feel-good garbage. In addition, the protagonist has no redeeming qualities, or even enough personality for the viewer to care about. The music is distractingly awful, as is most of the acting and direction. It's cheesy as all hell. Even if you have another century to live, do not waste a precious 94 minutes of it on this.

Lahore (2010)

Dragged its feet and lacked punch.

[4/10 · 7 January 2015]

Considering the themes and potential, it was very disappointing. The evocative opening credits promised much more than the muted, dumbed-down mess that followed.

This film should have shed an hour to hit a more effective fighting weight. It was flabby, slow, dull and predictable. The sparse action choreography was passable, but not great. I would say it was more of a drama than an action movie, but the acting wasn't really strong enough for that, either.

Despite its many flaws and its heavy-handedness, it did manage to muster a little impact for the finale, but I'm not sure it was worth the slog.

Twixt (2011)

'Twixt inspiration and communication of the idea

[7/10 · 2 April 2014]

An author (Val Kilmer) known for his stories about witches, visits a creepy little town and is inspired by a quirky local sheriff (Bruce Dern) to embark on writing a tale about vampires.

As far as genre and publicity goes, this movie is a misfire. It's not a horror. I'm not sure where the R-rating came from, other than a dark theme, some suggestive shots and some blood. It's not really a thriller, either. It toys with being a murder mystery, but doesn't hold up. As is often the case, the first half was fairly strong, demonstrating some great cinematography, and building some mystery, suspense, and humour, but it rapidly lost momentum. Weaving plot threads from present day, the 1950's, and the life of Poe, it fails to deliver anything really solid in any of them. It's a pastiche of Gothic horror cliché. But I hope that was the point, and I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

I interpreted the film as being an insight into the creative process of the writer rather than being confined to the expected structure of a horror/ thriller. The title suggests an in-between place that the protagonist inhabits, betwixt the inspiring images of his dream-world and the generic, lacklustre result of his attempts to bring it to life on the page. But that could be a tough sell to anyone not already familiar with that struggle.

Pacific Rim (2013)

Avoid if you're age 12 or older.

[5/10 · 22 July 2013]

Godzilla-like monsters are attacking coastal cities, and giant robots are constructed to fight them. You know it's going to be a mindless action movie. But with Guillermo del Toro directing and co-writing, I expected more.

It was awful. At least most kid's movies put in something for adults, but this one was painful. Sure, the visuals and grandeur were very impressive, and I didn't go in with high hopes of a complex story or a terribly memorable script, but I was certainly not expecting such painful doses of cheese and heavy-handed Lessons about Friendship and Family that turned it into a cartoon for young kids. Some acting might have been nice, too; the writing and performances were mostly cringe-worthy.

There were a couple of nice scenes concerning the hazards of interfacing the pilots' minds with the robot controls, but otherwise, it was a predictable, insulting exercise in ridiculous, physics-defying scenario-building and advertising for a range of action figure toys.

Dinotasia (2012)

A comedy of terrors.

[7/10 · 7 April 2013]

Dinotasia is not an educational documentary, it is purely a piece of entertainment. This becomes clear after only a few minutes into the production. If viewed expecting it to be informative and enlightening, you will be disappointed. But for entertainment purposes, as a dinosaur fan I found it very enjoyable. None of the creatures featured are identified by name, so some previous knowledge is expected -- this wasn't a big problem as I was able to identify all but one (and that was possible with a quick internet search).

It is not a serious production. Many of the encounters between species were designed for comedy value, and in most respects, it was a success. While sometimes it may have erred toward humanizing some of the behaviours, they were still kept within acceptable estimates of how the species may have acted. Much of it is still suitably primal and bloody, however.

Werner Herzog's accent is quite distracting but in some ways that adds to the entertainment value. It is quirky and offers a fresh approach to the narration of life in the Mesozoic. It's also kept to a minimum -- most of the production is narrative-free.

Visually it is a little rough in places (especially the beginning) but on the whole, the animation is of decent quality. The pace is fast, if a little haphazard, throwing the viewer into the action rather than spending any time on palaeontological evidence.

If you need facts and science, this is not for you. But if you're in the mood for a light-hearted perspective of how dinosaurs may have lived, this is highly entertaining. At least until the conclusion of the Cretaceous Period, for which I've still yet to see an upbeat depiction.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Formulaic Waste

[4/10 · 29 March 2013]

I'm shocked at the number of glowing reviews this movie has. It was merely another formulaic, predictable rom-com with lazy writing.

It started off great, with the potential to be edgy and insightful, and throw some genuine light on mental illness. The first half hour or so contained some great scenes, with a good performance from the two leads, sharp dialogue and some decent commentary on bipolar. But halfway through, it lost all of its wit and vision, abandoning it to descend into yet another unrealistic by-the-numbers rom-com.

If that's all you're looking for, then fine. But I was lured into watching it after being misled into thinking that it would be something more. Very disappointing.

Creep (I) (2004)

good metaphor, lacks momentum or credibility

[7/10 · 3 February 2005]

I think it's an above-average horror/ thriller but the characterisation is certainly lacking. The script does well at being credible even if the situations and developments may not. Good location and atmosphere - I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the 'creep' element is a metaphor for the danger of ignoring society's underclass, given the selection of characters and situations. If I'm reading too much into it then I guess it would just be an overly nasty chiller lacking in punch, momentum or credibility, but it still has its moments nonetheless. Anyone travelling deserted underground stations late at night may well find their surroundings seem a little Creepier after seeing this.