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Reviews
Barbarian (2022)
Outstanding thrill ride
What a surprise this was!
Went into the film expecting some form of "female survivor of domestic violence" storyline based on the previews and the first act of the movie. Was pleasantly and roughly surprised with the action that drastically pivoted the plot away from the protagonist's struggle with men to the horror plot hidden underneath.
As the movie went on, the continued parallel around Tess' relationship with men is explored in Justin Long's character and how they explore their interactions. While a part of the film, the message is not overbearing and adds a nice interpretation to the horror aspects of the film.
As for the horror aspects, the plot, while something that's been done before, was a pleasant surprise as it detours significantly from the expectations that the first act sets. The action flows smoothly, the characters believeable, and the creature design well done.
All in all a great film to have had little to no expectation of - I'm bummed I hadn't watched it sooner!
The Bye Bye Man (2017)
Watchable, not memorable
The Bye Bye Man is a pretty straightforward, formulaic, "figure out the story of the evil" style horror movie. Entertaining enough as you watch the protagonist stumble through tracking down the source of the horror and confront it. The main characters are convincing enough and the writing workable, even if it is predictable.
Unfortunately the acting of some of the supporting cast leaves much to be desired, with a flat performance by the past victims/survivors of the horror cheapening the turning point of the movie. To add to the emptiness of the turning point, the protagonist panic deduces his way into a method to combat the evil plaguing him.
The movie ends without resolving some of the symbols that they sprinkle throughout that hint at a greater backstory or mythology, lwaving room for a sequel or prequel, and with the big bad being mysterious enough that it would be worth diving into a continuation of the story.
Eden Lake (2008)
Toxic masculinity kills
This was a film that was hard to watch - namely because the premise is so real.
With a slow start, Eden Lake quickly comes into being the portrait of what is entirely possible when a person's and family's moral compass is twisted and abandoned due to the circumstances that they have lived through. What makes this film so horrifying is that this scenario is altogether too real - a family rallying around the terrible actions of its children, the perpetuation of violence, the fear to face violence allowing it to continue on its destructive path... all things that are explored well and thoroughly in the time of the film.
The ending is a gut punch, though expected, as you find yourself hoping for something better, something to redeem the characters that have gone through so much. But with the way the film ends we are left with a reminder that the worst monsters are sometimes simply men.
Lovecraft Country (2020)
The real horror here is the writing
I really REALLY wanted to like this one.
After the midpoint of the season though, the show goes way off the rails in terms of the writing. The visceral horror of the magic setting and the racial conflict falls flat as characters fail to develop in meaningful ways. The drama between characters starts occurring as repetitive and any merit any of the characters may have had dissolves. The writing falls apart and episodes start feeling either disconnected or extremely expository, making the pacing of the show rough to watch.
So far as the horror and science fiction elements that tie it to lovecraft go, they start heavy and then fade away to the interpersonal drama between characters. Lovecraft becomes an almost insignificant backdrop or plot mechanism to propel the poorly written characters forward.
The racial tension that the show addresses is a powerful topic that is unfortunately addressed without tact. The racial issues are at the fore, diminishing the magic and science fiction elements to be nearly meaningless. This show could have effectively been a historical drama without the lovecraftian elements. The writers miss a prime opportunity to create equivalencies between the pervasive and insidious nature of racism with the pervasive and insidious nature of a lovecraftian horror and instead push the racial conversation into your face.
Ultimately the show falls apart due to the poor writing. The acting, despite flat characters, is great; the creature design is great; the mythos and world building is workable; and the addressing of racial issues is done well. However, without a well written connect between the many episodes or a connection to the material or work that it borrows its name from, Lovecraft Country ultimate becomes a racial interpersonal drama that squanders the rich mythos that would be available to it if it had leaned powerfully into the work.
Zashchitniki (2017)
Looks better in short form
Was inspired to watch this due to short clips on TikTok... the film itself however is not nearly as interesting as short form content made it seem.
Perhaps it was the dubbing, but the dialogue was stilted and the pacing of the movie offers little in the way of character development. The character designs occur as copies of Marvel characters and, while intriguing, aren't compelling. Compounded with the middle grade CGI, one is left with the feeling of a film aspiring to be something bigger that it is.
Overall, it's watchable, though I would strongly recommend watching with subs. Much is lost in the flat voice acting in the dubbing which, when placed with flat characters and CGI, leaves this film wanting.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Rolling Nat 20s all around
Cast chemistry great. Storyline great, with appropriate side quests and back story. Humor level perfect. Conclusion spot on.
This movie actually invites you into the world of Faerun and D&D in a powerful, fun way. Very little is missed and, for those that play D&D, each of the characters occurred as playable types (huge for game to movie adaptations).
Honestly hoping this establishes the roots for a franchise as the world of Faerun has so many stories to be told and, if the writing for these movies continues to be as bold, inviting, and well done as this movie was, the D&D legacy will live on for quite some time.
The nods to other movies was also perfectly tongue in cheek - you'll know them when you see them!
Ouija (2014)
Pretty standard horror fare
Not sure why the reviews of this film are so bad. Originally watched "Oija: Origin of Evil" and did not realize that it was part of a series. Had to follow up with "Oija."
The film is a pretty straight forward B-grade horror movie. Typical jump scares and plot points, with the mystery of the movie built well in the first half. During the second half of the film the writing does drop off a bit and becomes expository, telling too much rather than continuing the buildup of the first act. Because of that, the second half of the film feels rushed towards its ending which again follows the usual rhythm of horror movies.
Overall a watchable film that will ultimately be forgettable, and good enough for a watch.
Red Rose (2022)
Nothing to invest in
Reviewed at the beginning of episode four.
Three episodes in and the pacing of the show has already fallen apart, favoring acceleration for the sake of plot over properly developing the character motivations and relationships that would have you invested in a deep watch of the show.
The driving force behind continuing to watch is curiosity as to the supernatural / technological force that is terrorizing teens and claiming its victims, but the pacing of the writing and the decision making of the characters makes suspension of disbelief difficult.
By episode four the character decisions are ridiculously unbelievable and the pacing of the show falls apart, jumping from plot point to plot point in a vain attempt to keep suspense up. The holes in the show feel like something that will continue to expand (given other reviews).
The only reason I continue watching is that I need some sense of closure to the time invested so far. Hopefully the end of the show will prove rewarding and I do not have high hopes.
UPDATE - the writing goes to pieces by episode 5. Save yourself the time and don't start.
The Wretched (2019)
Worth a watch
Well enough done and the light touches of lore add a lot to the delivery of the movie. The pacing and stakes of the film are inconsistent though, with a slow build towards a surprise twist at the end. The protagonist is well done for a horror movie, without the usual string of bad decisions that plague horror films. The practical effects are good as well.
Overall the film suffers from a lack of intensity - good lore, good actors, and a good twist are left feeling incomplete due to any ante in the movie as the horror is reasonably contained to the protagonist's experience and he remains proactive throughout.
Cosmic Sin (2021)
Meant for background watching
If you're looking for something with decent sci fi effects and costumes and no plot (or twelve disjointed plots) this is passable. If you're looking for an actual science fiction movie with characters and plot, look elsewhere.
Honestly this movie would have been better on mute as a background visual overall than as a movie I attempted to watch. Stilted dialogue, incredibly implausible plot points, and disjointed action leaves you wondering where at the writers table or on the cutting room floor the movie failed to get put together in a cohesive manner.
Jersey Boys (2014)
Interesting, fun to watch, but unfulfilling
Clint Eastwood directs a great story on Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is fun, easy to watch but, after the credits roll, feels ultimately unfulfilling.
The movie has a great pace to it, with the iconic music of Frankie Valli and the era woven in appropriately and well. Where Eastwood falls short however, is in his creation of female characters. Characters that are initially extremely strong and seem to be a large part of Frankie's early life seem to disappear, reappearing only as plot devices. Other female characters that are supposedly to have a large impact on Valli's life (as told through the narration) debut and disappear as well, living out their time on the screen only as background characters that suddenly make impacts on the plot that are larger than the emotional investment that they solicit from the viewer.
About halfway through the film, Eastwood decides to illuminate the darker side of the Four Season's time in the spotlight, but he does so in a manner that provides little to no contrast to their current situation. The financial difficulty that Frankie and his group face due to Tommy's decisions do not seem nearly as drastic as they ought - half a million dollars of debt is thrown away in a conversation without the impact that it should have.
Ending the film as he does, Eastwood attempts a reconciliation to resolve the conflict that appears halfway through the film. The conclusion though feels almost as an afterthought - the scenario is just dressing for the four monologues that close the movie.
All in all, Jersey Boys is a fun film to watch, but if you're expecting to connect to any of the characters, you will not. Initially you can connect with Valli, but as characters pass through his life and as decisions he makes seem without substance, you find yourself more attached to the classic songs you know and love rather than the characters and the story that led to their creation.
Worth a watch, sure, but it's a film that you won't think on long after the credits have rolled.