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markhopski
Reviews
Diabolik (2021)
A wonderful ride through the Italian Noire of Old
The cinematography and just overall attention to detail really drove this Italian Noire film to be a great experience. The storyline grew more complex as time passed and culminated in some good surprises at the end. The Directing made this a real tribute to Italian cinema and Italian culture at its best. This movie made me want to jump on the next flight to Italy and just soak it in all that much more the feeling that I left the auditorium with on this one. Not a detail was ignored as this was written, filmed and edited. Take it easy on the espresso before seeing this as you will want to take this in at a pace of sipping on a nice limoncello!!
Speak No Evil (2022)
Was building towards something great and took a wrong turn
Sitting in the Melia Auditorium in Sitges for this one with a BIG smile on my face for the first 90 minutes or so as the tension built with great momentum. Tense music for seemingly happy/normal screen moments was excellent choice and the Dutch/Danish culture clashes were terrific (favorite was the paying for the dinner scene - hilarious example of the deep pocket / short armed Dutch). This movie was really going to be a memorable thriller, but it went off the rails with the wrong turn our Danish folks took as the movie entered its home stretch. Such a disappointing finish to what was such a promising and well done first 90 minutes.
Grand Piano (2013)
Thriller, horror, suspenseful, none of the above!
My wife and I just saw this at the Sitges Festival and were unfortunately very disappointed in the movie. Elijah Wood is the focal point of the film and frankly, the script nor his ability were able to carry the movie to an even reasonable level of interest for us (let alone tension, suspense or anything near the edge of the seat). A critic stated this is Speed but with a piano. I say it is Speed at the relative pace of a piano. This really comes down to the story at hand and can a single scene movie keep someone interested to the point of being called a thriller? I really do not believe so and especially feel that way after seeing the film. The movie was just flat out boring. Very disappointing start to the SFF.
Splice (2009)
Off the deep end
I just viewed Splice at the Sitges Film Festival. The movie has a predictable first half - but it was well filmed and the introduction of the "creature" was quite good. The creature itself was also very creatively designed and its evolution throughout the film was well thought out. Unfortunately, halfway through the creature seems to hit puberty and then the storyline fell off the tracks for me, becoming further and further from anything reasonably believable. I could only laugh at certain extreme scenes as the film moved towards closure. This film had potential for at least being entertaining, but it cratered down the stretch and became a real farce.