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lathe-of-heaven
If anyone wishes to see my movie lists, just write me at my e'mail address: 'lathe.of.heaven@gmail.com' and by way of reply I will be happy to send you my lists if you want to take a look. I also would love to see your rare movie lists too. Presently, I am ONLY interested in copies of rare, OOP, or commercially unavailable films, or perhaps copies of DVDs and Blu-rays from other regions that are not available here in the U.S.
I do NOT trade originals; I am ONLY interested in trading copies of films for our own personal collections and for our own enjoyment.
Jaime (Southern California)
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Quan min mu ji (2013)
Very clever, well plotted, suspenseful Crime Thriller. Blu-ray V:9 A:9 Beautifully photographed...
I'm not going to repeat all the plot details like the other 5 or 6 reviewers have done. By reading them, you likely already have a pretty good, basic idea of the story : )
But, I will say that I thought the film was very well done, extremely clever and involving. Well acted throughout by all involved (DAMN... is it somehow racist to say that I swear these Chinese actors are almost always amazing!) What really makes the movie is the clever plotting and what also really impressed me was the added dimension towards the end where perhaps one's impression of certain people may not turn out to be quite what you expected (is that vague enough :D) This really gives what already is a great film, a further layer of depth and character.
Seriously though... I really liked the characters. The powerful businessman was quite smooth, the prosecutor very focused and determined, and what is interesting is the bearing and manner of the defense counsel. Right from the beginning her manner strikes you as rather odd, but that is just another well thought out development of this excellent and entertaining story.
If you like clever Crime Thrillers, especially ones with a lot of turns of subtlety, and you hopefully don't mind reading subtitles (assuming of course that you do not already speak Chinese) you should really enjoy this slightly complex, yet very riveting film...
No il caso è felicemente risolto (1973)
Good story, but not terribly entertaining the way it was done... Blu-ray A:9 V:9
I can see why people may like this film. Basically, it is a very good idea and the acting is perfectly fine. I liked the main guy and all involved. It's just that to me personally, the story moved along so slowly and almost pointlessly at times. I really do like the well made Giallo films and such, and I know this one is more of a somewhat suspenseful police / wrong man story, but if perhaps they had plotted the innocent man's actions a little tighter and gave a little more meaning to the things he does rather than spending about half the time with him just aimlessly running around, I honestly think it would have had more impact. There just wasn't very much 'focus' for the audience here. There didn't seem to be that tension that would hold an audience and keep them in true suspense. I think the story was just too loose and kind of generalized and vague, rather than plotting the story in such a way to have just a little more complexity so as to ratchet up the tension and suspense and really draw people in.
Without giving anything away, I really did like the scene towards the end which was a bit of a surprise. Let's just say that the conversation and explanations added a nice textured layer to the story, and to me was probably the strongest scene. It also gave a new layer of depth to the story which was nice, and gave it a bit more meaning in the way it played out from that point. But overall, I felt that the pace for this kind of clearly Hitchcockian story was WAY too laid back and bland. If they had given more depth and texture to both of the primary characters I think it would have really helped the story a lot. And, just a secondary observation... The soundtrack I thought was pretty lame. It didn't fit the theme of the movie at all. It was this odd, very repetitive song that reminded me more of a romantic couple walking along the beach or downtown, and NOT anything I would associate with a Crime Thriller. I think that if they had given it a really goosed up soundtrack like many films at that time, it really could have added to a more tense, suspenseful mood, instead of this bland, flat song they keep playing over and over. Most odd...
A decent watch, well acted, a good story, but just ultimately not really that terribly engaging as a movie experience. I think based on a strong curve between people who primarily like these kinds of films and people in general, ones who are familiar with this style will probably like it better (although there honestly are much better and more gripping ones out there) But, my thought is that for people in general, they're likely to find it kind of slow. Reviewers have compared this strongly to 'INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION' which goes a LOT farther to demonstrate corruption and political favouritism by the authorities. But, this one barely touches on those themes at all, despite what some of the reviewers say. I gave it a '6' which I feel is a bit generous, but going by other reviewers here who apparently do like these kinds of films and really liked this one, I tilted my rating a bit more towards those who would likely favour it...
The Banishing (2020)
A very well crafted English Haunting. Extremely atmospheric and effective with a nice, creepy backstory...
If you happen to like authentic films about Classic English Hauntings, this one is excellent. This is truly one of the best movies of this Genre that I've personally seen in quite a while. Wonderful atmosphere full of foreboding and dread, but at the same time still subtle and artful.
I'm guessing that the few reviewers here say that it is boring because of the pervasive overkill in most Horror movies these days. This is not one of those. So, by comparison it might appear to be slow. Don't get me wrong, I love over the top Horror films too (see the recent very entertaining 'WILLY'S WONDERLAND' or the Classic 'REANIMATOR' for example) BUT... when we are talking Classic British Ghost stories or Hauntings, in my lowly and wretched opinion, that is a completely different type of animal. With this type of movie atmosphere and mood are EXTREMELY vital in slowly tightening the tension and dread as the cryptic reasons underlying all this phenomena are unveiled. Thus, the need not only for subtlety, but also, precisely so that it will NOT come across as 'Boring', it needs to be crafted very carefully with a lot of attention to detail and a skillful director who can bring out and continue to build the intensity in such a way that it keeps ratcheting up the Horror for the audience (with a good dose of Mystery I might add)
I feel that they did an excellent job here and thus the reason that I gave it an '8', which FWIW is a rating that I do not give out very frequently. The current 4.x rating I honestly believe is merely a reflection of the few people who just simply do not care for this particular type of Horror film. No disrespect to them of course. But something that I always, ALWAYS try to emphasize time and again in my reviews, especially where I think a movie is done really well but is rated very low, is that just because ***YOU*** find these kinds of movies 'boring' doesn't mean that there aren't indeed many others who really like this kind of film. One, that I might add, is a Genre that is rarely done well. So, again, in my dubious opinion, this is a genuinely well made, quality film that is clearly done with a lot of thought and precision which I feel would be very entertaining to those who like really good British Haunting or Ghost stories.
I also really liked the soundtrack which I felt greatly added to the unease and atmosphere. So, if you DO like these kinds of Classic British Horror films, ones that are done in the Classic subtle style, but one that ultimately is pretty darn effective and creepy, then there is a very good chance that, unlike the few here who found it 'Boring', you might really end up liking it very much like I did.
Come Play (2020)
Good premise, some nice atmosphere. A pretty decent first half... But, ultimately not done as well as it could have been.
Firstly, I do like these kind of 'fun' child based Horror films. Not necessarily a 'GREMLINS' type of fun, but along more serious, creepy lines. Like some reviewers here, I agree that the idea itself is not bad at all, but as some have said, I also feel that it was not done all that well.
The first half is pretty decent in building up the story and creepy atmosphere, and I thought the main boy was actually quite good in what could easily be a poorly done role. I also really liked his 'best friend' too. That actor came across really well as a believable character, again not often true about child actors. But, contrary to what some others have said here, in my lowly and wretched opinion, the mom was not a very good actress at all. Her reactions and 'acting' really came across to me as very amateur most of the time. I also felt that The 'Drama' and dialog were not done very realistically.
And honestly, like the last 20 minutes or so I really got the impression that the writer/director just didn't really quite know how to end it. The movie was only about 1 1/2 hours, but during that last act, I truly felt that certain scenes were just drawn out so long that you almost lost all of the suspense that was built up beforehand. And, with a rather light film like this one, you really need to move it along and keep cranking up the tension tighter and tighter to be effective.
This movie has some seriously divided reviews. People either raving (literally) and giving it a '10', or just saying it is pure $hit and giving it a '1' I don't agree with either extreme myself. The way it started off fairly well, I truly was hoping to like it. I very much like the more Fantasy based Horror films if they are done well (think the awesome Guillermo Del Toro) This movie had SOME of the atmosphere and feeling of Del Toro, but very, very much on the 'light' side...
I'd say that if the story had just been developed as consistently as it started, and if the pacing of the last act had been tightened up considerably, and most definitely if the 'Drama' had been written and acted better (especially by the mom) I really do think it could have come across as far more effective than it did. The boy truly was excellent, and if they had trimmed out some of the poorly done 'Drama' and moved the suspense along better, I do think we would have had a pretty light, but fairly entertaining Horror film.
36.15 code Père Noël (1989)
Great idea, nice atmosphere, good soundtrack, and an excellent start. But, ultimately completely falls apart towards the end...
I usually don't go to the trouble to write negative reviews, but when I saw the generous rating here and how many have given it fairly positive reviews, FWIW, I just had to leave my thoughts here about this film.
First off, like I mention in my title above, I really did think the idea was great and I truly thought the first 1/2 of the movie was very good in setting up the home and atmosphere which I felt were done very well. BUT... I don't know what the director was smok'n, seriously, but once the 'action' got going I honestly thought it was handled very, very poorly. The pacing was WAY off and dragged at the oddest moments right at the places when the audience is quite understandably expecting some kick@ss action. I mean, not to spoil anything, but one tense moment they stop the action cold and the boy suddenly starts crying for his Mom for a number of minutes (What...??!) And then, again right in the midst of the all the pandemonium they stop the action dead again and play this 5 minute Christmas song...
Some of the action 'gags' were good, but the way they were very sloppily executed and with really odd, long, slow-motion pauses, dragging out what should have been quick and deadly I thought took all the suspense right out of it. For a movie with this type of theme (yes, think 'HOME ALONE') you get NONE of the quick excitement or action or cleverness that you would expect.
Honestly, I was completely puzzled by the approach of the movie makers. I mean, at least to me, it seemed like any chance they had to 'crank up the action', they did almost everything possible to deflate it...
Just a very, very odd film. Like I say, great premise, nice layout and settings, and in my lowly and wretched opinion, any suspense or true excitement is completely and totally ruined by the way the 2nd half of the movie was done.
I gave it a '5' due to the nice atmosphere and the neat home and the (at times) excellent soundtrack. However, I really felt let down 'Bigly' on this one. A real shame too, because if it had just been done better, I'm sure it would have been a very fun and entertaining movie, but alas, I honestly don't think so...
Watch the excellent and far better film 'THE AGGRESSION SCALE' (2012) which is quizzically rated lower than this one, but I gave it an '8', for a much better and more entertaining ride... (It also stars the rarely seen Dana Ashbrook from 'Twin Peaks' in an excellent role)
Ji yi da shi (2017)
I agree with the other positive reviewers here... Very clever story, well written and acted with some nice design touches...
Firstly, I really liked the movie. I thought it was very well done and the idea behind it is rather clever. It is primarily a Crime / Psychological Thriller with just a touch of Science Fiction having to do with the memory procedure.
Secondly, I see that for some odd reason, people seem to be downvoting all the positive reviews. I don't understand why ones would do that. But, downvoted or not, I very much liked this film and gave it a strong '8', which FWIW is rather rare for me to rate a movie that highly.
Something else I really liked was the cinematography and set design. It was fairly subtle and not intrusive or overbearing at all, but just some really nice touches such as the memory center and the guy's office inside it. The machinery used in the procedure, and just the way things were lit and the really textured buildings and the way some of the rooms were dressed. Like I say, it was fairly subtle, but I really liked some of the imaginative touches that gave the film a lot of flavour.
Be ready for some nice twists of course. Some of these Chinese Thrillers do that kind of thing really well and this is most definitely one of them.
Highly recommended!
Irresistible (2020)
Wow... I LOVE Jon Stewart, but what the HELL happened here...???
That pretty much says it. And, quite honestly I was extremely surprised that I really did not like this movie. I normally don't go out of my way to write a negative review, but since I was really expecting SO much better from such a fantastically funny guy (Stewart) and am so truly disappointed at what I saw, I thought maybe I'd better just come here and leave some brief thoughts about it.
Again, I was so blindsided by how poor this film was I almost don't know where to start. Maybe it was primarily the writing. I don't think Stewart wrote this, but I really found a lot of the dialog just plain painful. And, this may just be a personal thing on my part, but what the hell is up with someone stuffing their face every 3 minutes...? Is that so important to the story? Is that something we really want to see? I don't know... I'm truly at a loss to explain it. I really LOVE a good political comedy / satire, and I was especially in the mood for one after what we all have been through right about now. BUT... I'm sorry. To me, this movie was poorly written, and considering the talent involved, surprisingly poorly acted.
Anyway... I was genuinely hoping for SO much more from Jon Stewart and company. Maybe the stars just weren't aligned right, I don't know...
Shadow of the Hawk (1976)
The first half is excellent. Great use of visuals and soundtrack add to a strong mood... Blu-ray A:9 Excellent V:10 Sharp
I really liked the first 45 minutes of this one. Usually, films made around this time come across to me anyway as pretty dated and they usually are trying so hard to be 'cool' that they come across as pretty lame. But, this director really sets a nice moody atmosphere which fits the Native American story really well. Very good use of visuals and I loved the soundtrack on this first half and felt that it was very effective.
BUT... from about the part with the guy in the bear suit... Well... that was pretty dang funny. And then they wandered around a lot during the 2nd act. The 3rd act got a bit more interesting where the Chief was preparing his grandson in order to pass his powers on to him. Again, in the cave and towards the end the effects with the faces of the Evil Ones, I thought it was fairly effective.
I'm not familiar with the woman who played the lead, but I was quite impressed with her very naturalistic and pleasant performance. Again, so many times films made during this time the characters were so artificial and irritating, but I think her character was truly one of the very best I've seen from around that time. The old Chief was pretty good too with a nice, natural, earthy style and just a shade of dry humour.
There was a scene where the Evil Witch Woman was doing this ritual to conjure the snake. It actually caught me a bit off guard with how sensual it was in a very naughty way. Many things could have come across as extremely CHEEEEZY in this film, and some do, but I honestly felt that the director particularly (although I don't think I am familiar with his work) had a good sense for what visuals, sound, and timing had the most effect.
The Blu-ray is unusually sharp and the picture quality is superb. The locations and cinematography are lovely. The sound is done very well. I really loved the soundtracks to Horror movies around that time and slightly earlier because they were more heavily used and if effectively done could really added to the mood of a film. A great example is the 1973 Telefilm 'A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH' There are only two actors, Robert Culp and Eli Wallach, and almost all the scenes take place in this one isolated research station in the Arctic. But, the use of sound is so effective that what could have been very static, boring, repetitive shots really came across as extremely dramatic and scary. The first half of this film is like that.
The 2nd half after the guy in the bear suit does start to come across more loosely and not as good. But, there are some good atmospheric moments here and there. If he had been able to sustain the same level of mood and tension in the 2nd half, then I think it would have been a really good film with nice Native American Spiritual overtones. As it is, I basically give it pretty much what the average rating most others gave it. But, overall, if you look past some of the goofier parts, there are some great, effective moments in it. Watch out for that rather sexy ritual part. It just might catch you off guard too : )
Toys of Terror (2020)
Good premise, nice creepy location, but the acting is just not up to par...
I guess that pretty much says it. Bummer too, because I really liked the premise, and I totally dig Evil Toys, but unfortunately for me anyway the performances just kept taking me out of the film. The nanny, in my lowly and wretched opinion is particularly bad. I mean BAD... The older girl and the children are okay. The parents aren't TOO bad, although the odd, clipped way the director has the mom speaking constantly gets a bit annoying.
I think that at least to me this is just a case where there was a good idea and even fairly decent writing, but the director just didn't seem to be able to draw out very realistic performances from the players. And, when you think about it, if you have a story based upon Evil Killer Toys, you REALLY need to be able to draw the audience into the story by means of the characters, not to mention the writing and direction.
So, that's it basically, kinda short and sweet. A shame though... I would have really wanted to like the movie, but for me personally, that is indeed one thing which can really kill it for me in a film, if the performances or characters just don't come across well enough to sell the story.
But, with that said, if your tastes maybe aren't quite as demanding in the acting department and you can get into the story, you might find something to like...
Ghosts of War (2020)
Very cleverly written and well produced. Intriguing concept if you stay with it...
I cannot understand the low ratings here. Seriously... To me personally this is a very rarely well conceived film where you can tell a lot of thought went into it. It most certainly isn't your usual quickie slam/bang Horror film, but I feel that it is quite well written, acted, and executed. I KNOW that the ending is very divisive and about 1/2 of the people won't like it and about half (like me : ) REALLY love it!
The main thing that impressed me about this one is the clever concept and the intelligence behind it. At the beginning you may understandably think, 'Oh this is just another one of THOSE films' because of the War elements and the Supernatural overtones. BUT... it is honestly not what it seems. With so many Horror films cranked out these days and mostly of dubious quality, when one comes along that to me anyway is this clever and well done, I really enjoy it! The acting across the board was very good. The characters could have VERY easily come across as cliched stereotypes, but they truly did not at all. They were real, dimensional, believable people. I felt that the writing was definitely above average too.
This film is very intelligent, engaging, and suspenseful. It really keeps a strong grip on you all the way through and it keeps the audience guessing. And, without giving anything away (avoid Spoilers at all cost!) a great clever ending which even naysayers admit you will ***NOT*** see coming. Again, the ending WILL indeed divide people. I think what the deal is, is that if you have a super active imagination and you really like Sci Fi tinged Horror, and you don't mind imaginative 'leaps', then you will love it. But, if you are more of a practical person who prefers a more 'conventional' explanation, then this one may truly throw you. So, with that in mind, overall, this film is very well made, cleverly written, and very competently directed and acted. Even if you do not particularly love the ending or find it 'far-fetched', I think most people will appreciate all the thought and effort that went into making it.
Dead Awake (2001)
A perfect film of it's type. Flawless execution and beautiful writing. Most entertaining...
Needless to say, I really frigg'n LOVE this movie! I had seen it many years ago and I remember that it made a pretty strong impression on me. But, I hadn't seen it probably for over 15 years.
This is one of my very favourite types of films. Next to serious, Classic Horror or Science Fiction, this particular style I really love. It is very similar to Scorsese's Classic 'AFTER HOURS', but not quite as densely layered and quintessential, but pretty damn close. What I really like about these kinds of movies is that they are clearly NOT realistic in any way, but they are very stylized, usually including the use of photography and soundtrack, and this one has it pouring out every orifice.
The writing is stellar. It has an excellent sense of humour, but it is a very clever, dry, and extremely imaginative humour. This is 'Situational Humour' at its very best. There are a handful of films that are done in this style, and this one is supremely entertaining. I know Steven Baldwin is not who most people think of when they think of top-tier Baldwins, but for this movie and in this particular role he is bloody perfect. And man... Don't even get me started about Michael Ironside. This must absolutely be THE funniest role that he has ever had. Let me see if I can remember a few of the lines... "You ever seen midget cops?" The cop in the diner says, "Will someone tell this @sshole that there is no such thing as midget cops" The girl asks Baldwin, "You ever seen midget cops?" Ironside interrupts, saying, "Of course he hasn't... Not in uniform, they're undercover" "doing what?" the girl at the diner asks with a smirk. "When the circus comes to town... that's when the midget cops go to work" Baldwin asks kind of mockingly, "Is there really that much crime in the circus?" Ironside turns to him seriously and says, "Uh huh... Child prostitution" The girl says, "Oh c'mon... Ironside says gruffly, "Well, how do you think circuses make all their money...? From the beginning of time, children have been running off to join the circus. And, when they get there, what happens? They give them a shovel and point them at the elephant cage. Now, after a couple of days of shoveling tons of elephant dung, these kids get real miserable. ...and that is when the ringmaster steps in... He says, 'Hey little fella, want a new job? Well, tonight after the show, this guy is going to come around and you be reeeeeeeeal nice to him' " "That's why we need midget cops... to bust these perverts before they leave town with all our kids" "You are really sick" the cop says. "No, not me! Society... check out your fairy tails. You think the witch wanted Hansel & Gretel so that she could cook them, or Rumpelstiltskin wanted that kid because he liked changing diapers! How about the Pied Piper! He leaves town with every blond haired, blue eyed kid in Germany, and no every asks, 'Where did they go! What did they do when they got there!' And, what the PH*k is the Pied Piper anyway!" Heh... you really HAVE to see him and the way he delivers those lines. Absolutely Classic! And, there is a lot more; he easily dominates the film as the most standout character.
Anyway, sorry to get carried away, but there are a whole bunch of really great, funny, quirky characters in the film. And, I think along with the excellent writing, they are what really make this movie. Even some very subtle and throwaway lines, especially between the almost blind girl and Baldwin. Notice at the end when he asks here about her name. She mentions her 4th grade teacher... At that moment, you will pause and say, '4th grade teacher...??!' : )
I don't know why this film only is rated at about 5.1 or so, but I do notice that out of the people who actually wrote reviews, almost all of them are very favourable with 7-9 ratings, and I fully agree with them.
To me anyway, this is just one of those near perfect movies where the mood, atmosphere, writing, performances, everything just come together very well. Oh, the guy who plays the main cop too is fantastic! Even the story itself is surprisingly strong for this kind of film. Not to give anything away, but there are a few really good twists in it that I promise you will not see coming. FWIW, there is also a little snippet after the end credits roll for a little while. Nothing monumental, but just a nice closing touch.
This is one of those movies where it feels like there is a sense of 'Magic' to it. It is most definitely NOT realistic, but very stylish visually and in its use of soundtrack. I honestly feel that it is very well written with great performances all around. Just overall, a very very entertaining film. If you like movies along the lines of Scorsese's 'AFTER HOURS' you most likely will very much enjoy this one...
The Lodge (2019)
I agree with many here. Intriguing idea, and they really tried with the atmosphere. But, ultimately very poorly done and even more poorly acted...
Yep, that's about it. I can't imagine for the life of me why this film even has a 6.x rating now. I mean, there were MOMENTS here and there, especially with the long held shots of the miniatures and the Icon painting and such. It's like the framework was there, but quite honestly I just don't feel like they filled it in very well.
Poor Alicia Silverstone, GEEZ... Anyway, I normally don't go out of my way to review films that I don't like, especially when there are nearly 200 reviews already, but finding that this one has what I feel is a rather mysterious 6.x rating when the seemingly 'genuine' reviews appear collectively to be pretty bad, I thought maybe I would throw my 2 cents in here too.
Now, also in all fairness, like I mention in my subject line, I DO think that they were honestly shooting for a very atmospheric, desolate, isolated feel, VERY much like 'THE SHINING', even in the long static shots. So, like I said, I think the basic framework was there and the setting was good, but it's like the film makers just didn't really have any substantial idea as to what to do with it. And, really, to me anyway, I strongly felt that the acting was by FAR the worst part. Even our dear Ms. Silverstone, the little she was in the movie. But, mostly... really, REALLY bad acting all around. Maybe the children weren't too bad considering the awful writing (something else that really didn't help) but, other than the real effort with the atmosphere and the setting, you just REALLY wish that they had actually done something decent with it, that's all...
I guess that is what kind of moved me to bother even to write a review when I really didn't have a whole lot to say. I guess I feel that twinge or longing or something in my heart where I feel that something COULD have honestly been made of this idea and setting, but I truly think that between the poor writing and for some unknown, mysterious reason the film makers' inability somehow to elicit even the barest acceptable performances are really what took this film down hard.
Needless to say, although I did feel moved to come here and acknowledge the effort with the mood and such, I honestly cannot really recommend this film at all...
Evolution's Child (1999)
I agree mostly with the other reviewers' high ratings. A good solid, low-key Sci Fi Telefilm...
I was surprised to see that this has only a 5.1 rating, when the people who bothered to write reviews, although stating some complaints, still gave it pretty high ratings (most of the 5 showing now give it an '8')
Whenever I write reviews here, no matter what type of movie, I always state that to me the very MOST important factor in rating a film is, 'Is it made well?' And, quite honestly in this case I feel that it is. Usually, with movies like this that have heavy Dramatic elements, many times I cringe at how overdone and overwrought they usually are. And, I was quite surprised that the acting for the most part actually was pretty good. The main doctor and the boy of course standing out very strongly in their roles. The parents were okay, but fairly average.
Now, this has absolutely NOTHING to do with the movie, and I apologize, but I just hafta say, I was REALLY pining in my heart for way Susan Gibney used to look in her lovely role in STAR TREK: TNG. I mean, to me anyway, she was absolutely stunning! FWIW, I usually don't get too worked up over most actresses. But, WOW! In her role in TNG as Geordi's love interest Dr. Leah Brahms I felt that she was shockingly beautiful! But, alas here in this film... thus the 'pining' part... she didn't look at all the same. She was rail thin and anorexic looking, quite the extreme opposite as she looked in Star Trek. Oh well...
Anyway, back to the movie, sorry... : )
I was honestly impressed by how well the story was told. The primitive soundtrack also really enhanced the mood of the film. I truly felt that, given this basically pretty simple USA Telefilm material, the director did a really good job in putting it together. And, given that I normally don't care very much for the more Dramatic elements, still, I thought that he elicited the best performances out of the actors (I was especially impressed with the boy - Nice and understated. VERY rare with child actors) and I thought that he handled the emotional scenes rather decently rather than overdoing them in an amateurishly heavy-handed way.
At the end (which of course I will not tell you about) I think that the audience feels that the story was told very well and in a satisfying way. A very 'Human' Science Fiction theme, but one told in what I felt was an intriguing and involving way...
Again, a fairly simple story, but despite what some said, the dialog, acting, mood, and pacing are indeed executed very well. Far above average, certainly for a USA Telefilm...
Twenty Twenty-Four (2016)
Like many of the GENUINE reviews here, I agree that the 1st 3/4 of the film was honestly done well. But, the last 20+ minutes truly could have been done better...
Okay, I can see right off that almost all of the reviews and the subsequent rating of these reviews are EXTREMELY slanted and strikes me as not being balanced and genuinely indicative of whether the film is good or worth watching.
Like ALL of the 'positive' reviews (come on... THAT many '10's..., really?) are heavily voted as 'helpful' and almost ALL of the negative reviews are voted as 'not helpful'
So, since I just finished watching the movie AND I see what I feel are all these not only disingenuous '10' reviews ("Just like Kubrick!" "Just like Ridley Scott!" Please...) and even more so, the way they were all voted up/down so extremely, I just had to at least drop my sincere thoughts about the film and just leave it at that.
I DO indeed agree with many here who stated that they did like the first 3/4 of the movie quite a bit. So did I... And, I fully agree with these ones who also state that the ending was indeed too long and overwrought. Like some of the review sites stated about this movie, it is not the ambiguity of the ending that is disappointing. Ambiguous endings WHEN DONE WELL can be great! However, to me after so carefully and painstakingly putting all the parts and angles and shots together so well, especially when working with such a static and simple setting and one person, I really feel that it just seems like a shame that the filmmakers did kind of a sloppy job on the last 20+ minutes or so. To me personally, they really should have cut out at least about 10 minutes of the ending, tightening it up. Because, just how long can you drag the audience through and sustain this emotional thing this guy is going through. And, also, in my lowly and wretched opinion, if they could have somehow just sharpened the ending somewhat, just to give it a lot more impact. So, just like many of the 'HONEST' reviewers here stated, I really did like the first 3/4 of the film and I truly felt the filmmakers put a HELL of a lot of time and work into it to make it as effective as they did. However, the dragged out, overwrought ending, to me anyway, really took a lot of the carefully and artfully built up tension and squandered it...
So, like many of the other reviewers here who apparently got the same impressions that I did from the movie, I also gave it a '5' But, I feel that with a much better constructed and shorter and sharper ending, it could very easily have been a few notches higher.
Durante la tormenta (2018)
WOW! Just, Wow... My review is completely unnecessary since there are so many good ones here, but this movie is extremely well made and packs a good punch... Blu-ray: A:9 V:8
Okay... My review is truly not needed and I normally don't write one when there are so many good ones already, but I was SO damn impressed with this film I just had to come here and at least say that.
This guy... and, I mean this director... IS indeed the next M. Night... PERIOD! If you not only really like serious Sci Fi but you appreciate movies that are extremely well made and put together, AND you like a very good twist or 2 or 3, then you will probably really like this one. Honestly, that is all I need to say...
Just to clarify, this isn't the big effects driven Space Opera 'STAR WARS' or 'TERMINATOR' Sci fi, although there is certainly absolutely nothing wrong with those types. BUT... for those who are hard core 'serious' Science Fiction lovers from the standpoint of a really good, intriguing, and sold story, then this film will most definitely do it for you.
That's about it. It might fool you at the beginning and you might think, 'Oh, this is just one of "THOSE" Science Fiction films', but no... It gets better, I promise you... Truthfully, part of the answer briefly crossed my mind early on, but the culmination of the story and the way it was done still basically blew my nutz off (I got better...) Despite 'guessing' a part of it, there were still a couple of additional powerful, completely unexpected surprises in store.
I gave it a '9' which FWIW I do not do often, but this guy, this director is TRULY amazing, hands down! I don't normally end my little reviews so strongly, but you need to see this...
8 (2019)
Very slow moving, moody lore based Horror Story. Beautifully crafted, but somehow ultimately lacking...
This is kind of a hard one to write about. If it were just the story alone and it had not been so well technically put together, I probably wouldn't have even bothered to write a review about it.
The story itself is basically pretty simple. You definitely will need subtitles for the non-English parts so you will be able to understand what the indigenous people are saying and dealing with, not to mention some important dialog between Lazarus and his, uh... companion. If you do not have subtitles, then you will not be able to follow the story very well, unless of course you happen to speak the South African language that is being spoken : )
I think one of the reviews that I read on one of the sites I normally check for films like this stated that he felt that this film had one of the best openings he had ever seen. I would agree. But, I don't feel it ever really reaches that level of intensity from that point on. And, FWIW, the cinematography, lighting, and editing are are done extremely well. The scenic shots are lovely. This is a VERY beautiful looking movie. BUT... in my lowly and wretched opinion I feel that although crafted really, really well, and the acting by the primary Lazarus was outstanding (the girl, not so much...) ultimately, to me the story was not really quite substantial enough or fully satisfying to fill it out completely. It was okay and certainly not terrible, and like I've mentioned, technically executed really well. I just don't think that it really packed the 'punch' that it could have. It kind of went in a more Metaphysical, ethereal direction as opposed to cranking up the intensity, which with this kind of Horror film I think would have worked better. The very, very ending though, not mentioning anything specific of course, but the ending at the very last moment is a little bit of a Gobsmack, but I didn't really quite understand it. As a matter of fact, I was just now kind of scouring the Internet to see if I could find some opinions or explanations about what it meant : )
Anyway, honestly not a film that I would get hugely excited about, I gave it a '6' which for me is just about at the borderline of maybe being worth a look. But, I really DID think it was a very beautiful movie and it was constructed very well, so I thought that it was at least worth a mention here...
I would say that if you truly don't mind extremely slow and fairly simply plotted films and you appreciate beautiful photography and some light but decent atmosphere AND you are not expecting a lot, then you might find this one mildly enjoyable.
All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
Very different... Quite creative and clever, really. Much better than it may appear at first...
I disagree with many of the negative reviews here. This was very different in it's approach and style for the usual Horror Anthology films. For my own taste, I usually do not care for many of the supposed Comedy/Horror movies that are made. I normally really prefer my Horror to be very serious and atmospheric and of course well done. But, in some rare cases where the film is just over-the-top insanity or really clever, I do like them, such as 'REANIMATOR', for example, which is one of my very favourites of that style.
This film, though, is again quite different. It does have a Dark humour throughout it, but overall it is fairly subtle. One thing that many of these kinds of movies usually have that I very much do NOT like is a self-conscious 'aren't we being so cool' vibe. Either that, or the characters themselves are so over acted, poorly written, and plastic that it is a complete turn off. But, I honestly found this film to be quite clever and well done. It IS very odd though, I will give you that. And, I can understand how the style may not be to very many person's tastes, thus the moderately low rating I'm sure.
But, I truly found this movie very engaging and well done. None of the characters, although extremely weird in some cases, came across as shallow or stupidly written. The way the stories played out, whatever was said or done in each 'story' seemed to fit the overall mood of each one. Now, one thing for sure, and I believe this could be a very big factor why many here either didn't like it or thought it wasn't very well 'executed' as some reviews stated, is that the stories themselves were quite abstract and in some cases thematic, but in a very vague and many times hard to follow way. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind 'vague' or weird at all, but in my lowly and wretched opinion it has to be done in a clever way and with some thought behind it. Not just odd for odd's sake (I'm looking at you 'LIGHTHOUSE' : )
They didn't really spell out in very much detail what precisely was happening in each story, but just gave the audience kind of a vague (there's that word again) impression of what was going on. I thought the approach as to how the theatre audience and we the movie audience 'saw' the stories differently was really very sharp and imaginative, with a little dry humour thrown in I thought as far as how the 'stage actors' came across. Clever idea...
Anyway, this one is SUPER hard to explain and recommend. I think what caught my interest was primarily that I found the way they told the stories was very clever, and yet used very 'normal' seeming dialog and such. Also, to me anyway, each story kind of created it's own mood which seemed to work. And, again, they deliberately didn't spell everything out for you, but gave you a general idea as to what might be happening. Some were more clear such as the story where the fellow locked himself out of his car. But, most of them were quite vague, but at the same time very intriguing I thought.
I gave the movie a '7' because I honestly felt that it was done very well, and 'executed' just fine. I thought the concepts behind the stories and the imaginative way they were presented were very clever, well written, well acted, and well though out. I think, though, that quite honestly many here just didn't care for it, and I can understand why. BUT... again, a point that I have made time and time again and something that I personally feel VERY strongly about is, not just 'rate the film well only if you LIKED it' No... The primary point to me is, is the movie made well. And I truly feel that this one was a lot more clever and creative and ultimately entertaining in kind of a weird, abstract way, but something that definitely resonated with me personally. However, clearly not a film for all people.
I would say that IF you like kind of abstract films where you enjoy odd little details and odd situations that may not seem readily apparent, and if you like odd little touches of dry oblique humour, and you just would like to see something a little different, you may indeed enjoy this movie. For me personally, I just kept finding these little touches really interesting, say for example but without giving anything away, the old guy and the way he was acting at the theatre. But, if you are looking for a straight forward Horror Anthology a la say 'CREEPSHOW', or like the serious old British Amicus Anthologies, etc., you might find this one a little unsatisfying...
Alien Outbreak (2020)
Decent, engaging Sci Fi / Horror film. Good Suspense, excellent effects. Not too bad at all really for a low budget Indie...
My thoughts pretty much go along with TheTopDawgCritic's review, but perhaps a bit more favourable. His Title states that he 'Wanted to stop watching, but couldn't' Well, in my lowly and wretched opinion, I honestly felt that the movie was fairly well put together and quite engrossing. There isn't a lot of huge action and effects, so expect definitely a tense, but somewhat lower key film.
Usually, at least for me with these kinds of movies, is that most of the time there are numerous BAD things about the way they are done that definitely detract from the story and make it less enjoyable. But, that is what I liked about this one... There is nothing hugely amazing or monumental about it, but being an avid Science Fiction fan, especially of the more 'serious' type, I truly felt that it was a solid little film that was made well and put together in a competent fashion. YES, the 'shaky camera' got to be a little much for my taste at times and therefore I probably would have personally preferred a slightly more Classic approach that way, but I can see where the film makers were going for more of an intense, 'this is really happening' kind of vibe. Which, for the most part seemed to work fairly well.
The acting was nothing to get too excited about, but I felt that it was serviceable to the story and got the job done. Some complained about the lead woman, but I honestly felt that the way she came across was just the right balance, which I feel in this kind of role is hard to get right. She was strong and competent, but at the same time she didn't come across as artificially overbearing and obnoxious, which is how some woman in roles like this are superficially portrayed to beat the audience over the head with the fact that she is 'tough' This actress didn't have to do that, but just quietly but I felt believably took the lead as the 'sergeant' in a realistic, but low key way. Everyone else was just okay...
BUT... the thing I really liked about this movie that others have mentioned too was that I really dug the effects, robots, ships, and eerie creatures and the way they were portrayed. Whomever was behind this part of the production I felt did a great job! And yes, not to give anything away, but the ending may be a little unexpected, and it DOES kind of leave you a bit up in the air. But, I thought it achieved the effect the creators were going for.
Unlike some other reviewers here, I thought the Suspense was VERY palpable and intense at times and quite effective. And, something that I really appreciated which I referred to earlier on was that there weren't a bunch of STUPID things that were done that could have easily taken away from and diminished the effectiveness of the story. To me when I write these reviews from time to time, the PRIMARY thing I always try to stress is, 'Is the movie made well...?' A person may not like the type of film or may prefer a different kind of Science Fiction, but whatever the case, again, is it done well...? And, I feel that yes it was. MUCH better than many, many others out there that rely on a bunch of artificial, shlocky, Drama and screaming and nonsense. Just a good, solid story told in a decent way.
I would say that if you like fairly serious Alien-oriented Sci Fi and you can appreciate a fairly simple straight forward story, but one that has a strong sense of Suspense and Mystery and some pretty nifty low key effects, then there is a good chance that you might enjoy it...
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show (2017)
Absolutely great! Very entertaining, especially if you know anything about the show's history...
I am a REAL sucker for documentaries about comedians or comedian's shows, and this one is most entertaining and quite fascinating. I really liked the interviews with the people behind this show who are now VERY well known.
To me personally, I really felt that this show was SO damn funny, I just cannot get my mind around the fact that it failed (especially with the absolute deluge of execrable shows today!) BUT... sadly, the only thing I can think of and a lot of the reasoning comes from this documentary, is that it just simply was truly before it's time.
A DAMN shame too... When you consider the HUGE talent that was behind it, I can't even begin to imagine what they could have done with this show.
HIGHLY recommended for those who love Comedy and documentaries about Comedy...
Black Hollow Cage (2017)
Whew... I give the filmmakers credit for doing something different, but...
I must warn you people... This one is VERY different. And, like many other reviewers state here, S----L----O-------------------------W...
At first I was kind of into it liking the David Lynch vibe. But, once again, although I do indeed give the director credit for trying, it just shows that there is truly only ONE David Lynch.
Like one of the first 'Helpful' reviews stated above, a really great idea, although fairly simple, but just not executed quite right (at least in my lowly and wretched opinion)
First and foremost... IF you do indeed want to see this film, please do yourself a favour and DO NOT READ OTHER REVIEWS HERE! It's just yet another case where clumsy people state WAY too much either in the title of their review or in the substance of it. I'm sure it's not deliberate, BUT... to me, incredibly stupid (sorry... just trying to save you from ruining whatever miniscule possibility of sparse enjoyment that you MIGHT stumble across in this story)
Yeah, really too bad... I can see that with a much more creative and atmospheric, moody touch, this movie really could have been a hell of a LOT better. Another reviewer here (I ONLY read these User reviews AFTER I see the movies, NEVER before!) was kind of funny in stating how drawn out and very SLOW everything was. And, sadly I must agree... long, lingering takes are one thing, but I'm sorry, but the director although, again, making an effort I'm sure, just didn't have the chops to incorporate what I feel was the right accompanying mood, atmosphere, soundtrack (although at times it was perfect, but only at times) and I cannot for the life of me understand why he felt the need to artificially REALLY drag out the 'dramatic' scenes, particularly. I think I could have gone along with most of the pacing overall, but those scenes where either someone was killed or someone they loved was killed, etc., he drug it out WAAAAAAAAAAY too long.
Also, about the mood... And again, this is only my impression. But, if you wanna go the Lynchian route, just long, slow, cryptic takes are NOT enough. It is the WAY that he does it with mood, style, lighting, and above all SOUND. This director in my opinion just missed all that and I guess figured that simply just slowing everything way, way, way the hell down in and of itself was 'Artistic' enough.
It wasn't... (sorry...)
Like I say, too bad too. If you simply trimmed off the overly extended 'Drama' scenes number 1, and 2nd, added some real mood or other touches that would have given all that slowness some Psychological or Emotional 'Grab' to it, then I think you would have really had something here. Yes, it would still have been super slow and ambiguous (I'm STILL not quite absolutely sure about the ending - I'm going to try to look it up somewhere) but, if done 'properly', at least to me, I think it really could've been pulled off a LOT better than it was. I think that I am being SUPER generous giving it a '6', mainly because the idea was intriguing.
So, my 'recommendation' would be, ONLY as an artistic curiosity, and only, ONLY if you are an EXTREMELY patient person, there is the remote possibility that you might find something here.
Otherwise to everyone else who isn't into VERY slow cinematic experimentation and just wants to see a good, well made Horror / Suspense / Sci Fi film, this will not be the movie for you...
Doll Factory (2014)
I am being way, WAY too generous with this one. Mindless and silly, but fun...
*sigh... Okay, a '6' is being EXTREMELY generous here. But... it was kind of funny and the writers were moderately clever (make sure you notice the license plates on the police car)
Very, VERY silly! I mean, really silly...
And yes, it was most definitely played for laughs. Make no mistake people. This is NOT one of your 'PUPPET MASTER' movies. Not even the bad ones, not even close... But, I am a complete sucker for killer doll/puppet/toys films. And FWIW, there are many, MANY others that are far worse, horribly done, poorly acted, truly insulting, and boring. Even though this is just about as low, low budget as you can possibly get, at least you can tell that they are indeed having some fun with this one. There are some snippets here and there that are really funny. Watch for when the boyfriend is miming behind his girlfriend as to what they are going to be doing later on. And, what was up with that WTF moment in that scene towards the end when the sheriff is giving a pep talk to the old black guy...??? I went back several times and I could not tell WHAT the hell happened there.
This is definitely a movie where several beers and a few good friends would really help... That is about as 'high' of a recommendation as I can give.
Yôgisha X no kenshin (2008)
Powerful and beautifully done... Exquisite in every detail with some nice unexpected twists... Blu-ray A:8 V:9
I'll just join in with the many (well, most of the 14 now listed) excellent reviews of this wonderfully made film. No need to go into a lot of detail here. Acting: Amazingly powerful. Writing and Direction: Perfect.
Normally, I don't get too carried away with more Drama heavy films, usually because either they are not very good or these elements are way overdone. Not here... Whomever the Director is, he not only guided the story in a very deft and effective way, but he also elicited the best performances by all involved. Quite a feat... Whenever I take the time actually to write a review here, I normally try to stress or emphasize however well made a movie is. That, to me personally regardless of Genre, is what really carries the most weight. And, this one, let me tell you, was done very, very well.
If you enjoy movies of high quality that really involve the audience, then I think there is a good chance you will like this film.
Mu ji zhe (2017)
A very well made, intriguing, Slow-Burn Crime/Mystery/Thriller. It takes a little patience, but ultimately packs a pretty good twisty punch... Blu-ray A:9 V:10
Hmmm... I wonder who's dogging all the reviews for this film? I just noticed before writing this that it seems like every review (all 6 of them at this time) have been almost comprehensively down-voted. Positive and negative ones. Odd...
Anyway... I just finished the movie, and I felt that it was very well put together. The pacing overall is rather slow considering it's almost 2 hour runtime, but if you follow everything and pay attention, it leads to a very powerful ending that you most likely will not expect... It is more of a Crime/Investigative Procedural rather than many of the more stylish Action films that come from there. The emphasis is more about the Slow-Burn Mystery than about flashy visuals. The acting across the board is quite strong. The atmosphere and cinematography, like the style of many of this type of film from the area, are nicely constructed and very effective. I particularly like the final montage during the last few lines.
Remember... Not everything is necessarily as it seems...
Trilogy of Terror II (1996)
Good try Dan... But, after 20 yrs Bro, I think you've lost whatever edge you had...
I frigg'n LOVE the first 'TRILOGY OF TERROR', and to some degree, I really like a lot of Dan Curtis's stuff from back then. The Kolchak films were particularly good, but I'm not sure he directed those.
BUT... the sad thing about this one is that although I really liked the actual stories themselves, as Old-Fashioned and Old-School as they were, unfortunately it was the bloody acting that completely killed it for me. Awful, Awful, AWFUL...! Seriously. I think honestly, if the director had just had them tone down the extreme over acting, and just really tried to maintain some believability, then I think they would have had something here.
And, for me anyway in my lowly and wretched opinion, the lead woman was truly atrocious. I'm sorry, but Lysette Anthony is NO Karen Black. As a matter of fact, I do not remember ever seeing her in anything else at all. Sadly, a very bad actress... The ONE thing that I will say, though, is that regarding the sets, atmosphere and the action, good ol' Dan was spot on! Without giving too much away, the rats in the first episode (it's called 'Graveyard Rats', so that's no giveaway) are great! The lighting and atmosphere in the 2nd tale are excellent. And, our old friend the highly caffeinated and spirited Zuni Doll and the way his movements and puppetry were done were terrific! I love his little screams when he is attacking or being attacked, just great!
BUT... again, with all that said... when all the performances are just plain horrible, it takes you right out of the stories, which for this kind of film, you REALLY need to suspend disbelief. So, although our good Dan Curis still has some great chops with the look and action, his ability to extract even passable performances out of his actors is clearly non-existent.
A real shame too... Otherwise I honestly feel that the movie could have been really entertaining in a 'CREEPSHOW', 'GRAVEYARD SHIFT' kinda way...
Freaks (2018)
Now THIS is true Science Fiction... A slow-burning Mystery, but for serious Sci Fi fans it is worth it!
My title pretty much says it all. For those of you who grew up reading 'serious' Science Fiction, you will appreciate this movie. It is very rare to find a Sci Fi film that would be what I would personally call 'serious', but this is it. Not exactly 'Hard' Science Fiction in the sense of it being real technical, but serious in the sense of it being in my lowly and wretched opinion, a DAMN good story!
I have no bloody idea who this little actress is, but if hopefully she can survive the dangerous rigors of Hollywood, she is going to be a PHENOMENAL actor... IS a phenomenal actor. Quite impressive. Most child actors usually I feel come across as either somewhat artificial or overdone, but definitely not this little lady. Restrained, controlled, and VERY believable.
Also, I got to hand it to ol' Bruce Dern... The dude was frigg'n MADE for this part. There were some very nice, but subtle touches of dry humour in just a few well placed areas too that gave the film a nice rounded emotional anchor. And, I loved the way the writers / director really did an excellent job keeping the audience truly guessing about what the HELL is going on, playing out the story and clues at just the right pace that I personally found quite riveting.
If you do enjoy serious Science Fiction and don't mind forgoing the big technological effects of your usual blockbuster Marvel film (not that there's anything wrong with that either : ) and you appreciate just a really well done story and a pretty darn good mystery if you go in cold, not knowing anything about it beforehand, then I think you will really find this movie not only very entertaining and involving, but also rather powerfully moving as well.
A nice find...