quabalist Reviews

Mythic Quest: A Dark Quiet Death (2020) Season 1, Episode 5

monumental filmmaking

[9/10 · 24 January 2022]

The guys from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia rank amongst the creme-de-la-creme of TV writing.

Mythic Quest is not my favorite show, but I won't deny that it is enjoyable and well-written. This episode though... Wow. Incredible. We don't even know who these characters are when the episode starts. Totally out of the blue this non-cliched romance drops on the audience, and from then on we are invested in their relationship through ups and downs. I don't even particularly enjoy romance stories in general, but this is just fantastically done, by actors and writers both. Wouldn't be surprised if this makes its way to filmschools some day.

Joker (I) (2019)

Uninteresting

[6/10 · 23 February 2020]

I guess all the kids who hail this as a masterpiece have never seen Taxi Driver. There are way better dark brooding psychological descent into madness because society sucks movies out there. After about 20 minutes I lost interest in this movie, because by that time everything it has say was already said and done. Vapid storytelling for people who've never seen a world without facebook and google. Joaquin's performance is the only redeeming quality. Still, his performance in The Master (2012) was better, ofcourse amplified by the late master himself, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Will not rewatch The Joker ever again. Once was more than enough. I might rewatch Taxi Driver again soon, to wash this overhyped nonsense out of my mind.

Midsommar (2019)

Nothing new under the sun

[1/10 · 7 October 2019]

This would have would so much better without the relationship fluff and its related undertones. If it would have been documentary style about the ritual, without annoying tourists going "oh my god" and being obnoxious as hell, this would have pulled me in way more. Alas, the desire to stay within the demarcated storytelling lines don't help this movie. It tries too hard to be some kind of cross between Wicker Man and Eyes Wide Shut, but it is not even half as enjoyable or shocking as either. All in all, nothing new under the sun, just one more pretensious "masterpiece" that looks impressive but in the end is just another weak cliché that takes itself waaaay too serious.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Visual Timetravel

[8/10 · 5 September 2019]

A few days ago I experienced this movie in the theatre. The more I think about it, and discuss it with others who have seen it, I am convinced that this is a masterpiece. Better than Pulp Fiction. Better than Inglorious Bastards. The detail in Once Upon A Time is amazing, the devil is definitely in there. Never have I witnessed such elaborate depth in cinematography, sets, props and background noise and extras. This film transports you visually back to Cali in the 60s. If you want a movie with nonsensical action and a forced storyline, this is not for you. This reminds me more of a Jarmusch flick than anything else, slow and thoughtful, poetic and immersive. And that acting from DiCaprio is hauntingly beautiful, in my opinion he is becoming the best actor of this generation, he hasn't missed a beat since Shutter Island, to the best of my recollection.