The-Sarkologist Reviews

Vanilla Sky (2001)

One of Those Films

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

This is actually one of those films that you could write countless number of essays about, and be wrong in every single one of them. Well, not quite because this is one of those films that leaves a lot of things open to interpretation - like for instance how long does the dream last. One website was pretty sure that it was from the car crash to the end of the film, however the film says that it is from the time in which he falls asleep drunk on the side of the road.

Mind you, you can't really trust what the film says, and I suspect that this is on purpose. The thing is that most of the film involves the protagonist telling a prison psychologist a story of how he got up to the point in which he is in. As such, we can only trust what he is telling us, but as the film progresses we begin to realise more and more that we cannot actually trust what we are being told.

The interesting thing is that while the film opens itself up to interpretation, Cameron Crowe does give us quite a few hints. Like, for instance, we have the rego sticker on the car being due to expire on the 30th February. Crowe apparently suggested that this was a mistake, but decided to run with it. Then there is the second scene (not the first, where he wakes up in an empty New York, though interestingly if you pay attention you will note that the voices on the alarm are different) where he wakes up draped across his bed. As far as I was concerned, he was alone in his apartment, but then after he pulls his grey hairs out, we discover that there is a woman in the bed (though I suspect that this was also on purpose).

Yeah, this film is one of those films that you can consider a psychological thriller, though there is a suggestion that there are some sci-fi elements. Sure, that is certainly the case, but the thing is that I believe that that plays a second role to the main part of the film. Also, I suspect that a lot of the questions that are raised about how long the dream sequence is also plays second fiddle. The reason I say this is because the film seems to be focused more on the development of the main character.

Like, the first part, which is repeated, shows him removing grey hairs from his head. Then, he turns up in a completely abandoned New York. As the film progresses we come to realise that this dream has more to do with how he sees himself, and how he gives himself meaning. It is people, and people admiring him, and his looks, that define him. Basically an incredibly self-centred character. Take away the people, and he is nothing. However, take away his looks, and he is also nothing. This is no doubt why he suffers a disfiguring injury, but when the dream sequence starts, his face is completely restored.

Actually, it is why he is intermittently putting the mask back on, and taking it off - in a way he is coming to terms with who he is, and his identity. This is why the end of the film he is offered a choice - a red pill/blue pill moment - stay asleep in a dream world, or wake up and face the world as it has become, as a person that no longer has the power, influence, and wealth that he had at the beginning. His decision is what defines his character.

Oh, and the broken guitar - I suspect that this means something as well, as it is something that is featured. Sure, it could be in part his eccentricity (and I suspect the guitar that Jimi Hendrix smashed would be worth quite a lot). Yet, it could also represent his shattered mind, but also alludes to the second part of the film, where a thing of beauty - himself - has been shattered.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Yeah, it was fun

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

Well, I'm not sure how well this film is going to go because it certainly does feel like they are trying to milk the franchise for as much as they can get. Still, as a franchise film, I do have to admit that I did actually rather enjoy it. Sure, the number of characters might be somewhat problematic, but I didn't feel that it dragged the film down too much. Okay, sure, it does mean that the development was a little tricky, but in part I did feel that it worked.

Anyway, the Spenglers have basically moved back to New York and have taken up residence in the old fire station and are now busting ghosts. However, they run into a bit of trouble, which is what happens when you are firing nuclear powered guns in New York and blowing away parts of buildings. Anyway, it turns out that the ghost storage facility in the fire station is getting full, and they are looking for new ways to store the ghosts (and it turns out that there is another experimental facility being developed). Also, there is a sphere that is uncovered that turns out to contain a ghost from the ancient past, and the ghost, through some complicated maneuvering, manages to escape.

I have to say that it does follow on from Afterlife quite well. Like, I do appreciate how they bring back the old Ghostbusters, and of course Bill Murray still shines. Also, having Dan Ackyrod playing a more significant role also helps as well. Yeah, it's a pretty good, and quite enjoyable film that carries on the franchise in a decent direction.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Love and Time Jumping

[6/10 · 25 May 2024]

Okay, a part of me was expecting something a little different from this film than what actually happened, but then again a lot of it has to do with how time travel is a concept that could be used in many different ways. Like, for instance, a romance they had in Doctor Who involved one party travelling one direction in time, and the other party travelling the other direction.

Well, this film doesn't quite work like that. Actually, it simply doesn't work like that, namely because while the main character does time travel, it isn't for huge periods, and that they sort of form a strong relationship. However, he does time travel to the point that the lady knows of him before he does, so when they meet in the library, she knows exactly what is going on.

Mind you, one of the things I've noticed is that it doesn't seem to be all that consistent. At one point he says that he can only travel into the past, but later on in the film he starts travelling into the future. Sure. One could suggest that he travels into the past and buys the lotto ticket, except it becomes obvious later in the film that he can travel into the future, and this is never actually explained. Then again, his ability to time travel isn't really explained all that much.

Still, it isn't a bad film, and it certainly does add a different element to your typical time travel film. Yeah, I liked it, and it is worth giving it a try, especially if you want to see a romance with some sci-fi elements added into it.

Paradox (III) (2016)

Time Loops in Time Loops

[7/10 · 25 May 2024]

Well, I have to say that this film was actually quite a surprise considering that I really don't expect all that much from movies on Tubi. I guess that is why you will end up finding some absolute gems, a lot like this one. I guess one of the reasons that I ended up watching this film was because I had felt a bit ripped off by the last one I watched and wanted to try a new one.

So, this film is about a group of people who are experimenting with time travel, and go down into a bunker were they lock themselves away from the rest of the world. One of them travels an hour into the future to discover that the bunker is littered with dead bodies, and goes back to attempt to warn everybody. Thus, what ends up happening is that they are all trying to work out who the killer is.

Like, this film actually has quite a few time loops in them, but from the name, you can probably deduce that the idea is that no matter how hard you try, you aren't able to actually change anything. What ends up happening is that everything that you do pretty much sets the stage for everything else. Sort of like destiny.

It also has some very interesting twists in it, though I don't want to give anything away. It's a low budget film, but it works really, really well, and has a pretty good ending as well, something that you probably won't expect despite everything that has gone on before it.

Yeah, it's free on Tubi, and certainly worth watching.

Time Jumpers (2018)

Poor Attempt at Twilight Zone

[3/10 · 25 May 2024]

I have to say that this film started off really well, and all the sudden, half way through it suddenly switches to a different story. To be honest, this was really disconcerting because I felt that there was much more to be told of the first story than was actually told. The same was the case with the last story as well. I guess this is the reason why I really didn't actually like it.

However, the thing with this film is that it reminded me a lot of The Twilight Zone, namely that it was a collection of short films made into a larger film. As I mentioned, two of them, namely the middle two, were complete, which was good, but the other two felt as if a lot more could be said. Like, the first one just ends, and it really leaves you wanting more, and it is a shame that it is difficult, if not impossible, to find out if there is a satisfying conclusion.

So, the first story is about a boy who find a device that sends himself back in time ten minutes, and he uses it at school to make things work out better for him. However, things eventually turn foul, and it turns out that despite being able to go back in time, the time jump is limited, so if he leaves it for too long, he is basically trapped in that specific time line.

The second one was basically a time loop where a woman desires to travel in time, and then meets herself. But it turns out that it is an infinite loop that she cannot escape from. The last one seems to be more of a horror story as opposed to a story about a time loop. Actually, the third one is the same as well. I have to admit that the third one was the best, and I would recommend watching that one. It's in German, but fortunately there are subtitles. I won't say anymore than that because it is quite suspenseful, and a well made story as well. It's just a shame that the others aren't.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

A Cultural Phenomena

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

Well, it certainly seems that this film has produced a whole array of memes within the couple of weeks since it was released in the cinemas. It is almost as if this film has quickly become a cultural phenomena. Like, it's a pretty good film, even if only because of the cinematography, which was absolutely fantastic. Though, having grown up on a steady diet of Lynch's version, I do find myself always comparing this film with that one (I have read the book, but it was ages ago). It also means that I'm pretty familiar with the story.

The problem is that there were a number of divergences from the book. For instance, it appears that the time that the events take place have been compressed from three years to one, which means that Alia isn't born (which also means that she doesn't kill the Baron either). Then there is the whole thing about there being two factions, one that is secular and one that is fanatical, and it turns out that Chani is from the secular one, which leads to an interesting ending.

Then again, I suspect that the creators assume that most of the audience don't actually know the story. Like, I'm only familiar with it up to the end of the first book, but the film did end on a cliff-hanger, suggesting that there is more to come (something that didn't seem to be the case with the Lynch version - though there is another version that also includes Dune Messiah and Children of Dune).

As I mentioned, it was a pretty good film, especially the cinematography - that was amazing. However, my main gripe would be that it felt as if the film ended a bit too quickly, which I have to say is odd for a film that happens to be two and a half hours long. Actually, that was even more strange considering that the battle in the first film seemed to take up half of the film, so I was expecting that the battle here would take about as much time, though it didn't. Also, there didn't seem to be much mention of the wierding way (though it wasn't ignored, it was just that Lynch changed it in his film because I didn't want to do kung-fu on sand dunes).

Anyway, yeah, it's certainly worth watching, and despite it being a pretty long film, it did keep me hooked right through to the end.

Rapture (II) (2019)

What Was This?

[2/10 · 2 May 2024]

If this is supposed to be a Christian movie it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. As some have suggested, it sort of starts off like some horror, or alien invasion movie, but then goes off to be some sort of end times Christian film, though it is sort of trying to be subtle about it. The problem is that it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, particularly if you happen to have an idea of what it is talking about.

Basically it is about a group of people who are caught in what is supposed to be the end times. All electrics shut down so they have to walk, and then they discover that they can't eat or drink anything because if they do they are struck down with some horrid disease. Then every so often some strange thing appears in the sky and starts zapping people. Oh, and some creatures are slowly advancing on them, and when they get close, you explode.

Yeah, it makes no sense, especially with the lightning parts of it. Like, are they supposed to be taken to heaven because if so, why does the Christian character always hide from it. Also, why are people that aren't Christian, like the leather clad dude, zapped? So, the wife decides to become a Christian, and then walks out to be zapped, as if she realises that it is the escape, but the woman who explains everything to her decides to stay behind.

To be honest, there is only one good end times film out there, and this isn't it (and it certainly isn't Left Behind either). Mind you, it landed up on Tubi, so that probably explains everything. Oh, and I just checked, and it seems as if the director happens to be a pro-Trump apologist. Enough said.

Fraternity Vacation (1985)

Feels Like a Shakespearian Comedy

[7/10 · 2 May 2024]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and actually suggest that this reminds me of a Shakespeare play. Okay, there are certainly some cultural differences, namely that losing one's virginity wasn't something that people would write plays about in his time, and I'm not sure whether T&A were a particularly big thing back then either (though honestly, there is a lot we don't know, though considering that women were forbidden from appearing on stage probably says a lot). However, when it comes to dick jokes and toilet humour, well Shakespeare certainly abounds in that.

Like, the film seems to start off as being your typical nerd has to get laid type of film, that is until they get to Palm Springs and run into their rivals from back home. Sure, they are trying to get the nerd laid, but that seems to be a bit more of a side plot to the rivals making a bet as to who can sleep with the girl Ashleigh first. When they made that bet the first thought that came into my mind was 'I bet Shakespeare wrote a play along those exact some lines' (I don't think he did, but it sounds like something he would do - though apparently in Love's Labour's Lost there is a competition as to who can get married first).

In fact, as I watched it, I could pick the two princes and their lackies, of course the lady that they are trying to court, and the mean duke in the form of the Sheriff, who while being defeated, is humiliated as opposed to being killed. Of course, the way that they attempt to woo Ashleigh has some intelligence about it as well. Mind you, I'm not sure whether you can put Wendel into a Shakespearian play since there didn't seem to be the concept of the nerd back though, though there are some suggestions that you might have the bookish philosopher fall into that category (though that doesn't seem to be a Shakespeaian trope).

Mind you, I'm not sure what Roger Ebert meant when he referred to the women as being objects because I thought that Ashleigh did have a character beyond being a pretty face. Like, yeah, there were characters there that were the pretty faces, such as the two girls that hung around the two rivals (in fact the male characters seemed to be less memoriable, what except for Mother Tucker, but that was actually a pretty cool name).

Look, despite my arguments that you could literally rewrite this as a Shakesperian play, it is still a college sex comedy, and it is pretty much what you would expect from the eighties. Yeah, just because you can say that the plot comes across as Shakespearian, doesn't mean that it has been executed in a way Shakespeare would.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)

Lost in the Woods

[5/10 · 2 May 2024]

I guess I ended up seeing this film because I did rather like The Dry, and wanted to see the sequel, though in part I wasn't really all that enthusiastic about rushing out to the cinemas to do so. Mind you, what ended up happening was that we weren't doing anything else, so yeah, we decided to kill some time while watching the film.

Look, it is similar to the previous film where there are a lot of flash backs. It involves a group of women that go out hiking and end up getting lost. It is set in a fictious national part that is pretty much cut off from the rest of the world, so it is somewhat different from the previous film. Also, there happens to be a storm rolling in, so the search for the missing woman has a time limit applied.

Okay, normally the federal police wouldn't be getting involved in a search and rescue, except for the fact that the missing woman is an information source in regards to a fraud and money laundering case that they are involved in. As the film goes on, you actually start to really dislike this woman, and of course the whole idea of why she is helping them out comes clear as well.

Mind you, it isn't your typical murder mystery, namely because there are quite a few twists and turns. The whole idea, and the way that the film is constructed, is designed that you really shouldn't be taking any of the statements of the people involved at face value. The idea is that they are supposed to be unreliable narrators, and you are meant to be suspicious of everything. Mind you, I suspect that this is what police should be doing as well.

Look, it wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't as cut and polished as some of the other films that I have seen, even Australian films. It certainly does have some good parts about it, but, yeah, it did fall down in parts.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Everything Changes

[7/10 · 2 May 2024]

This movie pretty much changed everything, but ironically a lot of these low budget films have the habit of doing that. Sure, it might not be the first film to have a bunch of students getting progressively killed of, but rather it has more to do with the methods Rami used to make this film. In fact, it has since become a cult film (though I have to admit that I prefer the next films, where it went from being a serious horror movie, to being much more tongue in cheek).

As I mentioned, it is about five students who go to a cabin in the woods for a holiday. What we know though is that there is something lurking in the forest (though we never actually see it - despite the fact that the characters know that something is there - particularly at the end). In fact, this method has a name - Rami vision - namely we are watching from the point of view of something, we just don't know what it is.

In a way, it works much, much better, than actually seeing the thing, because for some reason, when we see the thing, the mystery, and the horror, actually disappears. It's like that mystery film that when everything is revealed we sort of roll our eyes in the way that it was better when we didn't know, as opposed to when we did.

Like, I could continue with this, but the story is pretty common knowledge. One of the main reasons that I wanted to watch it again was because I wanted to see where it all came from. Like, yeah, it certainly pushed an awful lot of boundaries (and the use to the term Dedites doesn't really work the same in a serious horror movie than it does in a spoof). Also, you don't have the demon possessed people crawling on the ceiling, but that has more to do with it being a low budget film. Still, quite a few things that were done in the film does go to show how it is possible to push a small budget.

Madame Web (2024)

Sort of Unneccesary

[7/10 · 29 April 2024]

A part of me is wondering whether some of these super hero films really need to be made, though I suspect that there won't be as many made from this point on because, well, the scene has become so saturated with them that I suspect people are starting to get sick of them.

This is one of those films from Sony where they are basically making films from characters that have appeared in the Spiderman universe. Mind you, a lot of them happen to be anti-heroes, though I'm not sure if that is the case with Madame Web. Actually, it seems like she is pretty much a minor character in the universe, though it appears that maybe they were trying to create the spider-women. However, I suspect that this won't be going much further.

So, the story is about this woman that was born in the Peruvian Amazon where her mother was on the hunt for a spider whose poison would heal her unborn baby. It also turns out that the venom of this spider also gives people bitten by it super powers.

The interesting thing that I only discovered afterwards is that some of the characters are actually from Spiderman. Like the ambulance officer is actually Peter Parker's uncle Ben (and as such the baby that is born at the end of the film is actually Peter Parker). Honestly, I didn't realise it, though it turns out that the film is set in 2003, which would make Peter 20.

Anyway, the bad guy in the film had stolen the spider, but is haunted by dreams of his death. As such, he decides to go and attempt to locate the three women who would kill him, though it turns out that they are teenagers. Mind you, the whole thing about attempting to prevent his death is that he actually brings it forward, as well as bringing the three women into contact with each other.

Okay, look, I didn't actually hate the film, but honestly, it certainly isn't one of the greatest, and I can see why people are starting to get sick of the whole genre.

J.E.S.U.S.A. (2020)

Confusing Without Narrative

[6/10 · 29 April 2024]

This is basically a documentary about how Christian nationalism, and how this concept and the Bible don't actually see eye to eye. However, I can't necessarily say that it is a good documentary because I don't feel that it provides enough of a commentary as to what is going on. Like, at the beginning we have a number of people speaking who believe that the Bible supports violence, and provide bible verses to support that view. This is confusing because it is starting to come across as a documentary that supports right-wing Christianity.

Mind you, my realisation changed when I discovered that one of the people they were talking to was Preston Sprinkle who, while he is conservative, doesn't subscribe to that brand of Christianty. In fact he has written a number of books about how we have got it wrong with dealing with the LGBTQ community. From the standpoint of this documentary though, it has more to do with his book on pacifism than on the way we treat non-Christians as the enemy, and act violently and aggressively towards them.

Anyway, the main purpose of this documentary is to demonstrate that it is actually nothing new. Like, Christianity was on the fringes right up until Constantine claimed to have had a vision before going to war against one of the other Emperors. He then proceeded to make Christianity the dominant religion in the empire. However, the problem is that for a pacifist religion, running an empire doesn't quite work. As such, a lot of theology came out around the idea of the just war, and this has come down to our time.

The problem with the just war theory, and fighting a war against Satan, and claiming that the enemies of the church are a part of the war against Satan is that it leads to the justification of violence, which doesn't sit quite well with loving your neighbour. Mind you, the last president that actually took a pacifist stance, Jimmy Carter, only lasted one term. So, it makes you wonder if you can actually be a political leader when a part of your job is going to war.

Another problem that arises is the idea of creating a safe environment. We need police to make sure that we live in a safe society, and to be honest there are a lot of countries out there that have police forces, but they are only violent when it needs to be. Like take England for instance, where the police wander around unarmed. Some teachers have argued the need to keep the country secure, but this leads to the idea of fighting your enemies before they can get to your country, which is the doctrine the US follows. However, that leads to some controversial wars.

As I said, it is an interesting documentary, but the problem that I found is the lack of a narrative. Sure, the idea is probably for us to listen to the people that are talking and to come to our conclusion, but I would have liked there to have been a narrator to build up the argument better.

Argylle (2024)

Over the Top Spy Action - The Best Sort

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

It is a bit of a shame that some good films seem to be falling really short these days of actually making their money back, which mean that the hints at the end (which I stupidly didn't see because I didn't expect there to be a mid-credits scene, and that the credits are more for resumes than anything else) are probably going to just fall by the wayside. Like, it just seems that these days, post pandemic, people just aren't going to the movies anymore. Well, they are, but not to the extent that they did prior.

Mind you, it isn't as if this film had a new idea. In fact, the premise reminded me a lot of the TV series Chuck. Basically we have this woman who writes spy novels, and is very popular as well. However, as she is travelling to visit her parents, she is approached by somebody who claim to be a spy, and that another agency is hunting her down. It turns out that the books that she has been writing are actually a lot closer to the truth than she realises.

This is sort of one of those over the top type spy films, much like Kingsman. Then again, that probably shouldn't be surprising considering Matthew Vaughn was the director of those films as well. In fact, I found out that there is a hint that maybe this film is actually connected to the Kingsman films, though I suspect that we won't actually be finding that out.

Anyway, yeah, I actually liked this film. It had a lot of charm about it, and it kept me interested right through to the end. Mind you, the other thing is that it suggests that Henry Cavill is actually the leading actor, but it turns out that he doesn't actually have a huge amount of screen time. Still, personally, I would recommend it, and honestly, I hope it does end up becoming a cult film.

Civil War (2024)

Happening at Home

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

There is two aspects to this film, namely the role of the photojournalist in war, and what a modern civil war in the United States would be like. The thing is that if the focus was simply on the role of the photo journalist there are plenty of modern wars where this could have been explored, yet Garland seems to want to delve deeper than simply that.

Like, there are a number of impactful moments in the film with regards to the photo journalist, such as not being involved and simply recording situations. It raises the question of whether a good person doing nothing is just as bad as a bad person, and this is captured in the scene where she photographs a person being burnt alive. Of course, the other problem is that she simply could not intervene because if she did, well, she would have landed up in the same situation, so, as is stated a number of times in the film, the act of recording this can have an affect on making people understand the nature of war.

However, the aspect of a civil war in the United States I believe is playing this role as well. We notice a number of things in this regard. First of all we are not told how it starts, though we are given some hints. We know that there were a couple of massacres, and we also know that the president is in his third term. Another thing that people have commented on is the unlikely alliance between Texas and California, but the reality is that first of all they are pretty independent states and it is likely that they will put aside their differences to deal with a dictatorial president. Further, at the beginning of the film it is mentioned that even if DC falls, it won't be the end because what will happen is that they will fight for control.

Actually, I thought that this was a great element with the film - the whole idea is to explore the horror of war, but rather than being elsewhere place it in the United States. By not mentioning political parties, of the origins of the war takes us out of the current politics and the divisions we are currently seeing and focuses instead on the war itself. Like, we see extra-judicial killings, mass graves, and suicide bombers. In fact that suicide bomber at the beginning actually came across as something that could actually happen in the United States.

What we are seeing is a complete breakdown of law and order. We are told that the US dollar is practically worthless, so they use Canadian dollars instead. People are simply killing each other, and there is even an instance where some Cambodian style genocide has taking place. Yet what is scary is that it could actually happen. In a way this film serves as a warning as to what could actually take place. Like, notice how there are no UN peace keepers anywhere. The idea is almost that a Civil War breaking out in the US, with the weaponry that the US has would make it difficult.

An interesting thing to think about was would would the rest of the world be doing. Like, I suspect that everybody would simply be staying out of the situation. Sure, the world economy would have collapsed, but I suspect that the Canadian and Mexican borders would have been closed (and Mexico is probably quite happy that there is now a wall separating them from the US). The refugee crisis would be massive, though I suspect that many, if not most, of the wealthy would have already fled.

It is a harrowing film, but as some have also indicated, it is also an indictment of what modern journalism has become as well. However, my focus was on the nature of war, and the fact that it has been brought into the middle of the most powerful country of Earth. Let this serve as a warning to us all.

Poor Things (2023)

Frankenstein's Beauty

[9/10 · 6 April 2024]

Like my first thought with regards to this film is that it's Frankenstein, but in another way it isn't. Like, Frankenstein's monster is a hideous beast, but the version of the monster in this film is anything but. In fact, she is a very attractive woman, and I suspect there is a very good reason for this. When I think about it, you could say that this film is the opposite of Frankenstein, namely because while both are exploring the world, in the book, the monster is rejected, but in this film the monster is actually accepted. No doubt this is because the monster is actually a beautiful woman.

The story is that we have this scientist, but it turns out that his father had been experimenting on him (and it is actually possible, though never said, that he could be Frankenstein's monster). Anyway, he brings in an apprentice to take notes on an experiment that he had been conducting. Once you enter his home you discover that he has been performing lots of experiments, and it appears that this one could actually be his greatest. We quickly find out that what he has done is that he has taken the brain of a baby and implanted it into the body of its mother. As such, it turns out that we have a child in the body of a fully grown woman, and of course this leads to some rather interesting, and sometimes quite humorous, events.

The film has a very fantasy feel about it, but that is because we are actually seeing the world through the mind of a child, in all of the child's innocent. At first, the professor is doing his best not to corrupt the child, but it reaches a point where they have no choice but to let her go. The ironic thing is that this innocence leads a trail of destruction everywhere she goes.

Well, moreso there are people that try to control her, but not only do they inevitably fail, they destroy themselves in the process. The difference between the protagonist and most women of this era is that grown women have been conditioned to understand that in Victorian England they are property. However, she has not have this conditioning, and as such she reveals in her freedom, and fights back whenever anybody attempts to control her. In fact you could say that the main antagonist of the film is literally driven insane trying to make her his.

This is a great movie, one that reminds me of a lot of other great films in the past, and great directors. In fact it felt a lot like a Wes Anderson film, though the characters were no where near as stilted as his characters can be. It's certainly worth seeing, and Emma Stone has already won one award for such an outstanding performance.

The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Pretty Not Funny

[3/10 · 6 April 2024]

This is another one of those films that I've basically got to sit down and write about how bad it really is. Honestly, I just didn't find it at all funny, though I guess my humour has changed quite a bit since I first watched this film back when I was a teenager. Yeah, this was one of those films that was replayed on television, though a number of scenes I suspect were cut, namely because there was quite a bit of nudity in it (which, ironically, isn't all that much in vogue any more).

Basically, it is a sketch show, but has been extended to the length of a film. It seems to be linked together by a news report, though there doesn't seem to be all that much of a reference to it in the title. There is a larger segment in the middle, which is basically a mock kungfu movie. Actually, there are a few mock sketches based upon what was popular at the time (included Blaxploitation).

Still, as I said, this is a pretty bad film, and honestly, I wouldn't try finding it on the internet because it seems as if nobody really wants to touch it. The only reason I watched it was because it was on the list of cult films.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Jason Statham - Need I Say More?

[7/10 · 6 April 2024]

Well, it's an action movie and it stars Jason Statham, so that should probably say everything about this film that you need to know. Actually, I should probably just say that this film stars Jason Statham which should pretty much tell you everything you need to know about this film. Like, he is this guy that is basically invincible, and he is on a quest to revenge some wrong done to a friend of him, and they send thousands of people up against him and they all lose.

Yeah, it's a typical Jason Statham film, but honestly, that is pretty much what I go and see his films for. Apparently, in these films he can't even get beaten up because apparently that is in his contract (I believe the Rock has a similar clause in his contracts as well). So, he's like this beekeeper and has been helping out this old lady. However, some scammers manage to steal all of her money, and all of a fund that she manages as well, so she kills herself.

Well, it turns out that this beekeeper like happens to be a highly skilled agent, though he has retired, and he's pretty upset, so he tracks down the outfit (which happens to be in the United States) and burns it to the ground. This upsets a few people, and they go out of their way to attempt to deal with him, until they work out that he is not the type of guy that you want to deal with. In fact if he is on your tail, well, you better run away really, really fast.

Mind you, when I noticed that it was about scammers, all I thought was that it didn't make sense because all of these outfits are in India, that is until you realise that there is a lot more behind this outfit than meets the eyes. The other thing is that it always surprises me how pigheaded people happen to be, but that is actually quite realistic. A lot of people, especially security guards, simply use their uniform, and their authority, to fulfil their duties, and it usually works - until it doesn't. Mind you, with a lot of these films you either see some bad guy security guard who you cheer when he gets beaten up, or the good guy security guard pleading for his life. Sometimes it will be nice to see some security guards (and bad guys) who have a lot of sense knocked into them, as opposed to simply being killed. Yeah, despite my beliefs, having bad guy killed just doesn't seem to do it for me.

Yeah, it's a pretty cool film, a fun action movie to watch to kill the time.

An American Pickle (2020)

Another Frozen in Time Film

[4/10 · 6 April 2024]

Sometimes the story of the person that gets frozen in time and wakes up years in the future can be somewhat interesting. I'm not sure if I can consider this to be one of those films, but in a way it is fun. Actually, half the reason that I watched it was because it was a Seth Rogan film, though sadly it doesn't seem as if it is like some of his older ones, the ones that have become cult films.

Anyway, it is about this Jewish immigrant to the United States. He and his wife come over due to the village in which they live constantly being ransacked by Cossacks. So, he gets a job at a pickle factory, and one night falls in and is pickled. Years later, in the modern day, some kids break into the abandoned factory and open the vat to discovered the pickled man. This causes quite a stir, and after a while they find his one and only descendant, who happens to be an app writer.

The film really has a lot to do with the really conservative guy from the past attempting to come to terms with the modern world. Actually, it seems to more have to do with the great-grand son and his pickled relative coming to terms with who each other are, and their relationships. Like, it is as if they guy is thrown into his life, and is so conservative they end up rubbing up against each other.

Ironically, he ends up being quite a good businessman, but also cuts lots and lots of corners. His grandson, jealous of his success, looks for ways to continue to undermine him, and it gets to the point where he is literally about to be thrown out of the country. However, as I mentioned, it really is about getting to know oneself, and ones heritage, and as such, they end up making peace, and have a happy ending.

Like, it wasn't a bad film, and yes, it was funny in spots, but it is still a trope that has been done many, many times before (like Rip van Winkle), so yeah, it really isn't anything new.

American Sniper (2014)

Once Again in Iraq

[5/10 · 6 April 2024]

The thing is that when it comes to Clint Eastwood movies a part of me really doesn't want to necessarily write them off as flag waving patriotic show pieces. Then again, people seem to think that the song 'Born in the USA' is America's unofficial national anthem when it is actually anything but. Sure, this film does explore the life, and the tragic death, of an Iraq War veteran who has notched up the most confirmed kills of any US soldier. Mind you, there are some questions regarding the accuracy of the source material, and of course the film, like a lot of films based on real people, also is a bit liberal with the material as well.

However, I didn't actually think it was all that bad. In part, it sort of reminded me of Blackhawk Down, but to be honest, Blackhawk Down was much more of a feel good film than this one, though I do feel that it may have held Chris Kyle up in a much better light. Still, the reality is that, like similar films (such as The Hurt Locker) there is a idea that war is an addiction. There is also this idea that war has a habit of sucking you in to looking at the world in a very black and white way. That, sadly, is unavoidable.

The main motivation we see of Chris Kyle is his overarching desire to protect people. That is certainly a noble motivation for going to war. However, I believe that when you happen to be in the military, you really don't have much of a choice, though there does seem to be this suggestion that you don't necessarily need to do four tours in Iraq in the same way that Chris did. The funny thing is that even when he returns home, he simply wants to get back there, as if he has unfinished business. Even after he decides that he has had enough, he still wants to return - as I have mentioned, war in an addiction.

The problem with some biopics though is that they don't necessarily have a plot, however some film makers do weave one into it. Like this one, where a conflict is set up between two snipers, and it comes down to attempting to best the other. Apparently this wasn't actually the case, but it does make for good cinema. Sure, it might not be anywhere near as good as 'The Hurt Locker' but I still liked it.

You've Got Mail (1998)

A Modern Take on an Old Concept

[7/10 · 6 April 2024]

As I was watching this film I could almost picture that it was no doubt based on an earlier work, and quite possibly a play. It turns out that is was, but it was also a rather obscure Hungarian Play, whose title was translated to 'The Shop Around the Corner'. Actually, that is probably being a little bit harsh because, as it turns out, it was actually quite a popular play to the point that it was turned into a major Hollywood movie. Mind you, in the original story, the medium of communication was by letter. So yes, this was just a modern remake, using modern technology, of a story that had been around for a long time.

Anyway, the story goes that a couple meet online, but they have no idea who the other is. In fact, they make a pledge that they will be as anonymous as possible. Mind you, in a city the size of New York that shouldn't actually be all that difficult - in fact that is one of the main reasons I moved to Melbourne, and that is because a larger size means a greater amount of anonymity. Anyway it turns out that they do know each other, it is just that they are in competition with each other - she owns a small, independent children's bookshop, and he is the son of a family that owns a corporate chain.

As you can imagine, which is the case with a lot of these romantic comedies, it is all about how they get together. Mind you, he works out who she is before the other way around, but that is sort of how things panned out at first (they were meeting up, and she was supposed to have the signal). Mind you, after a bit of pushing from friends, he ends up having to, not so much as to get into her heart enough that when the big reveal comes about, she is relieved as opposed to being put off.

Like, I have to admit that I really am not a particularly big fan of romantic comedies, but the thing is that this is almost as if it is done in an old style element. There isn't even the fact that they end up having affairs namely because the partners that they are with at the beginning of the film end up disappearing as the film progresses. I have to admit that this is actually quite a sweet film, and I'm not surprised that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks came back together after Sleepless in Seattle (not that I've actually seen it, but I'm sort of inclined to).

The Sting (1973)

Worth Watching to the End

[8/10 · 11 March 2024]

I wasn't really sure about this film at first, though I watched it because it was one of those films that had been on repeat when I was young, but that is no doubt because it was really popular. Anyway, I decided to actually give it a go one evening, and at first it just seemed to be way too confusing, but the bait and switch at the end turned out to be really good, and everything actually fell into place.

I suspect that they did that on purpose, making you wonder how this con was going to play out, and what the actual sting was going to be. You see, this film is about a couple of con men. They don't necessarily run small time cons, but one of them happens to make a habit of getting caught out in rigged gambling games (and of course the other turns out to be easily able to turn the tables on the others).

Anyway, when one of the mentors is killed, he is sent to Chicago to meet up with another con-man, and while there they plan one big con. Mind you, it is pretty difficult to work out how it is going to play out, and of course there are a couple of side plots going on, such as a hitman being sent to kill him, and him having to avoid him.

Yeah, in the end though, it turns out that this pretty elaborate con turned out to actually be a pretty good con. It's definitely a movie worth watching, and I have to be honest that it is a shame that they don't make films like this anymore.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Well, I Enjoyed It

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

Well, as it turns out, this will be the last of the DCEU films, and while I didn't think they were all that bad, it seems that people just really aren't wanting to spend money to go to the movies anymore. Mind you, I suspect that it has more to do with Marvel simply flooding the market with super-hero films and DC was just trying to play catch up, but doing it just that little too fast and thus ruining everything.

Or it could be that Zack Snyder had to leave Justice League, and as such his version of the film, and the direction that the DCEU was heading sort of ended up going all over the place. Oh, and they were also spending too much time just copying Marvel, and thus people just, well, saw it as a more disjointed Marvel offering. Well, that and probably they are just getting sick of super-hero films.

As for me, well, I have to say that I did enjoy it. Mind you, it was one of those films with a message, and that that is global warming is really bad, and for both the surface and the undersea realms. Anyway, I won't go into here but rather look at the film. Except, as a message, it is a good one to remind us of, but the reality is that we spend too much time wanting other people to solve it than to actually give up the goodies that we have (like our cars - but we do need public transport).

Anyway, one of the bad guys from the last movie, who has a personal grudge against Aquaman, gets his hand on an ancient trident that reveals to him oricalcum (which is a real substance, just not as sexy as the movies make it out to be) and he starts using this, and it causes the world to heat up much faster. As such, Aquaman, and his brother, whom he makes amends with, have to go and stop him.

Hey, I enjoyed it, so I'll give it that, but as I have said previously, I suspect people are just starting to get a little sick of super-hero films.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Now for the Wife

[8/10 · 11 March 2024]

You know, after watching the first film a part of me really wanted to watch the next film to see what actually happens (and whether they actually stick with the continuity). Well, it turns out that they do, and at first it sort of appears that maybe the kids won't play as big as role, but of course, like with a lot of films, one shouldn't make too many assumptions. Anyway, this film ends up having the kids playing a significant role.

However, where the first film was about Gru becoming a father, this film is about him becoming a husband. You sort of work this out pretty quickly, especially since at the beginning, where he is throwing a birthday party for the kids, there is an insinuation that maybe he should look at hooking up with somebody. I do actually appreciate this with Gru because, well, as it turns out during the film, hooking up with randos generally does not work. Actually, having people play matchmaker is certainly a lot like that.

Still, it was a enjoyable film, and yeah, it does maintain the pretty same standard that the original film did. Mind you, we have Gru being recruited by some agency that is set up to fight villains, and of course there is a suggestion that Gru is a bumbling idiot. Well, okay, maybe he is, and the way that he tracks down the villain is dubious at best. However, it also raises questions about the agency who, well, falls for the fact that somebody has actually been set up, and that Gru is on the right track.

Yeah, it's fun, and it's also cool how we get to see Gru's further adventures, as a villain and as a father.

Despicable Me (2010)

Villains Also Want to be Loved

[9/10 · 11 March 2024]

Well, I finally got around to actually watching this film, despite the fact that it has been around for quite a while, and it is hard not to actually see Minions, well, everywhere. Like, it is sort of like Megamind, in that we have a supervillain who turns good, but it is somewhat different to that. Actually, the main reason I wanted to watch it was because they had a short before another movie I saw, and I decided that I would watch it to see what is about.

Anyway, the film starts off with somebody stealing one of the Pyramids. Everybody thinks that Gru did it, but it turns out that he didn't. Anyway, he wants to go one better and steal the moon. It turns out that there is another, younger, villain named Vector who also wants to steal it as well, so the boss of the Bank of Evil decides that Gru is too old and gives the money to Vector instead.

It also turns out that Vector's hideaway is impenetrable, except that he has a love of cookies, so he adopts some girls to sneak some robot cookies in there. Well, that is where all the fun begins because Gru, a super-villain who only has a horde of minions as his companions (as well as an old , evil doctor) suddenly must learn to become a father. Well, okay, he doesn't want to learn to become a father, but having the girls hanging around him starts to transform him.

I guess the idea of the film is that children have an ability to make hard people become much softer. Mind you, I don't buy it, but it's one of the feel good films, one where as the film progresses we actually discover more and more about Gru. Like, he always wanted to go to the moon, but his mother told him that he couldn't do it. That is certainly something I, and I suspect many others, can relate to. Namely we want to do something, somebody (usually in a respected position) tells us we can't, so we go out to prove them wrong. In the end it was something else we were looking for, and in Gru's case, all he wanted was to be loved.

Yeah, it's a pretty sweet film, and I can certainly see what it was so popular. Sadly, reality is much different, but I won't go down that road. Instead, I'll say that sometimes we need to actually dig to try and find out what we really want, and sometimes going to the moon just isn't it.

Oh, and another interesting thing is how orphanages are portrayed as being pretty horrid places. Actually, I really wouldn't be surprised, especially considering that children that land up there are considered to be unwanted and forgotten children. Like, there were some horror stories that came out of orphanages in other countries, yet here in the western world, they are still portrayed as being pretty nasty places. It is almost as if they are one of those necessities that nobody really wants. Sure, I have known people who have gone out of their way to adopt children, but the reality is, especially those who scream the loudest on the pro-life side, are probably the ones that aren't wanting to provide a strong and stable family life for these children.

Migration (I) (2023)

Predictable, but Fun

[6/10 · 24 February 2024]

The main reason I went to see this movie was because my brother wanted to see it, and the reason he wanted to see it was because it was about birds. Well, to be specific it is about a family of Mallards (ducks) who are happy in their pond, but the kids bug the father to go on a trip (no doubt because his girlfriend has decided to migrate to Jamaica for the winter). It turns out that they are heading in the wrong direction and find themselves in New York City.

Basically the movie is a kids movie, but it is fun. It's really an adventure where some ducks get caught up into a whole heap of trouble, including having to rescue a parrot from his cage, as well as being chased by a celebrity duck chef. Mind you, I did like the definition of a chef, namely a predator who kills birds for lazier predators to eat.

It is an interesting movie, though I suspect that it is getting more difficult to come out with new things. Actually, the interesting thing is that it opens with a short clip which explores what happened to the bad guy at the end is Despicable Me. That actually made me get off my butt and actually go and watch that film because, well, the Minions seem to be so ubiquitous these days that it is impossible to actually get around without seeing them, so of course I wanted to find out about their origin as well, or at least the first film in which they appeared.