There are great designs here. Interesting ideas. But it seems noone really tried writing a script. No stakes are given. No real goals. The hero truck tries to get to Terminus. How far they have left? No clue. Is there an impending deadline? Maybe. At the beginning they talk about shaving off an hour of transport time. Great. Then they stand still for a day or so. No penalty.
Reviews
46 Reviews
Guns Akimbo
(2019)
The most fascinating thing about it was how little I gave a fudge about them.
17 April 2020
It is a weird feeling here. Taken on its whole. I should love this film. All the bits are in there. But. There's something about the execution. It just felt... Well. A bit lazy.
I wanted to love it. But it was just so. Uninspired. I couldn't bring mysel to like any of the characters. The action scenes, while flashy, were lacking in punch. The premise felt old.
I wanted to love it. But it was just so. Uninspired. I couldn't bring mysel to like any of the characters. The action scenes, while flashy, were lacking in punch. The premise felt old.
Outbreak
(1995)
If Contagion was made as a 90s blockbuster action thriller
28 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Ok. Yes. Is it oozing of 90s cheese and bombast? Oh yes. Does it take ginormous liberties with facts? Probably.
But as a fictional film. Is it a rollercoaster thrill ride? Yes. Yes it is.
From the explosive cold open ripped straight out of a Metal Gear backstory to showing how one monkey can spread a deadly decease to hundreds of victims in a matter of days. Forcing military units to contain a township in america. Using deadly force if need be This story moves like a bat out of hell almost from the first scene. Stakes are made clear and the main characters are doing their damnedest to fight the threat using all the powers they have at hand.
The one downside I think, is that if you are not willing to suspend your disbelief and accept how simplistic the solutions are, how quickly they project to have a cure, and how, in a manner of hours, with a literal ticking clock deadline. They go from having one single carrier of antibodies to having isolated and successfully tested the cure on a main character. And still have time for a daring aerial disarmament using the same persons. As I'm writing this, the current real life pandemic has basically all pharmaceutical corporations working overtime and the projected time to get a working vaccine is... 12-18 hrs... Uhm... Days... Sorry... I mean MONTHS... If the amount of salt that's needed to swallow the timeline of the film is too much. Then I can clearly see how one might not enjoy watching it.
In a way it reminds me a fair bit of the show 24 that started airing a few years later. It's a great thrill ride... With larger than life characters in a heightened drama world and it cuts all the "boring" details out If you don't bother looking too closely at the details...
But as a fictional film. Is it a rollercoaster thrill ride? Yes. Yes it is.
From the explosive cold open ripped straight out of a Metal Gear backstory to showing how one monkey can spread a deadly decease to hundreds of victims in a matter of days. Forcing military units to contain a township in america. Using deadly force if need be This story moves like a bat out of hell almost from the first scene. Stakes are made clear and the main characters are doing their damnedest to fight the threat using all the powers they have at hand.
The one downside I think, is that if you are not willing to suspend your disbelief and accept how simplistic the solutions are, how quickly they project to have a cure, and how, in a manner of hours, with a literal ticking clock deadline. They go from having one single carrier of antibodies to having isolated and successfully tested the cure on a main character. And still have time for a daring aerial disarmament using the same persons. As I'm writing this, the current real life pandemic has basically all pharmaceutical corporations working overtime and the projected time to get a working vaccine is... 12-18 hrs... Uhm... Days... Sorry... I mean MONTHS... If the amount of salt that's needed to swallow the timeline of the film is too much. Then I can clearly see how one might not enjoy watching it.
In a way it reminds me a fair bit of the show 24 that started airing a few years later. It's a great thrill ride... With larger than life characters in a heightened drama world and it cuts all the "boring" details out If you don't bother looking too closely at the details...
Spenser Confidential
(2020)
Wait... This was supposed to be a comedic action film?!
7 March 2020
Marky can be good. Peter Berg is a decent enough action director.
Sitting here. Struggling as hell to keep my attention on the film. I pull up my phone and open IMDB in a vain attempt to find something interesting about this film. As I read the reviews I stumble over several mentions that this is supposedly an action comedy.
Well. Stuff happens. People occasionally get into scuffles. I really cannot give any fudge about any of it.
I'm 36 minutes in. Spenser is thrown out of a bar after yet another fistfight I cannot see the point of. You know what? That's it. I give up.
Even as part of the Netflix Originals lineup, which means I'm not paying extra to watch it... It's still not worth more of my time.
Sitting here. Struggling as hell to keep my attention on the film. I pull up my phone and open IMDB in a vain attempt to find something interesting about this film. As I read the reviews I stumble over several mentions that this is supposedly an action comedy.
Well. Stuff happens. People occasionally get into scuffles. I really cannot give any fudge about any of it.
I'm 36 minutes in. Spenser is thrown out of a bar after yet another fistfight I cannot see the point of. You know what? That's it. I give up.
Even as part of the Netflix Originals lineup, which means I'm not paying extra to watch it... It's still not worth more of my time.
The Dead Don't Die
(2019)
So Jim Jarmush did a Zombie film.
15 February 2020
I can probably count the amount of Jarmush films I've seen on half a hand at most. And I can't really say I've been a fan of what I've seen.
But this guy who usually does arthouse films did a Zombie flick? Uhm. Ok. That alone made me curious. Now I've seen it, and I think I have to seek out more of this guys stuff.
Looking over others reviews I see a pattern of tons of people who call this dull and dreadfully boring. Well, call me a contrarian, but for me this was a refreshingly irreverent sendup of a genre that's been so ground into the ground by endless upon endless rehashings of the same story. Just to have characters in a Zombie film who actually have consumed zombie media is shockingly uncommon.
Staunchingly refusing to go for tiresome tropes we follow a diverse cast of characters in a tiny town in the middle of USA as they come to realize that maybe because of strange new ways of getting natural resources halfway around the world, there might now be a full on Zombie apocalypse upon us. The tone is irreverent. Flauntingly illogical and surreal at times. And I loved it. The ending is a bit anticlimactic while at the same time made me go " wait... So this was all a remake of THAT FILM?!". If you expect a normal horror flick in the tone of the Romero inspired genre. You may well be dissapointed by the unnatural acting, the plotting that seem haphazard at times. And the flippant attitude. I hesitate to compare it to classics like Shaun of the Dead though the humor is similar and we follow people who quickly grasp that the events line up with characteristics of the genre and just accepts that they now have to destroy brains or remove the head to survive.
If anything. It's a bit more like Dupieux masterpiece Rubber. You might just need to embrace the odd surreal stylings in order to enjoy. It sure ain't for everyone, but it did work for me!
But as Adam Drivers character did say many times throughout the story. This will end badly... And he knows... Because he *REDACTED SPOILER*.
But this guy who usually does arthouse films did a Zombie flick? Uhm. Ok. That alone made me curious. Now I've seen it, and I think I have to seek out more of this guys stuff.
Looking over others reviews I see a pattern of tons of people who call this dull and dreadfully boring. Well, call me a contrarian, but for me this was a refreshingly irreverent sendup of a genre that's been so ground into the ground by endless upon endless rehashings of the same story. Just to have characters in a Zombie film who actually have consumed zombie media is shockingly uncommon.
Staunchingly refusing to go for tiresome tropes we follow a diverse cast of characters in a tiny town in the middle of USA as they come to realize that maybe because of strange new ways of getting natural resources halfway around the world, there might now be a full on Zombie apocalypse upon us. The tone is irreverent. Flauntingly illogical and surreal at times. And I loved it. The ending is a bit anticlimactic while at the same time made me go " wait... So this was all a remake of THAT FILM?!". If you expect a normal horror flick in the tone of the Romero inspired genre. You may well be dissapointed by the unnatural acting, the plotting that seem haphazard at times. And the flippant attitude. I hesitate to compare it to classics like Shaun of the Dead though the humor is similar and we follow people who quickly grasp that the events line up with characteristics of the genre and just accepts that they now have to destroy brains or remove the head to survive.
If anything. It's a bit more like Dupieux masterpiece Rubber. You might just need to embrace the odd surreal stylings in order to enjoy. It sure ain't for everyone, but it did work for me!
But as Adam Drivers character did say many times throughout the story. This will end badly... And he knows... Because he *REDACTED SPOILER*.
Sky Line
(2015)
Great concept. But they didn't have enough relevant content to fill the time.
9 October 2019
The idea of a Space Elevator is fascinating. In this documentary they keep talking about Fountains of Space though I first heard about it in the forgotten sequal to 2001, called 3001. Same author though. And I think the Fountain book was older so that point may be irrelevant.
But that is kind of the thing. The documentary is supposed to be about the space elevator but as none has been built yet the filmmakers are stuck with documenting the efforts in building it. But since biilding it is stuck in the stage of material science the film itself gets stuck in an endless loop of "we basically need unobtainium, we think it's carbon nanotubes, but we can't as yet build even half a meter of the stuff". That's about all we got out of it. The rest is filled out with long stretches of irrelevancy, some schisms in an early company doing engineering on the subject, some kids saying it would be neat to build it etc etc.
I understand that it's hard to find new data to present since we are locked in by material scince before we can progress. But as it is, it feels like the relevant content of this 70 min documentary could have easily been summed up in a 7 min youtube video.
But that is kind of the thing. The documentary is supposed to be about the space elevator but as none has been built yet the filmmakers are stuck with documenting the efforts in building it. But since biilding it is stuck in the stage of material science the film itself gets stuck in an endless loop of "we basically need unobtainium, we think it's carbon nanotubes, but we can't as yet build even half a meter of the stuff". That's about all we got out of it. The rest is filled out with long stretches of irrelevancy, some schisms in an early company doing engineering on the subject, some kids saying it would be neat to build it etc etc.
I understand that it's hard to find new data to present since we are locked in by material scince before we can progress. But as it is, it feels like the relevant content of this 70 min documentary could have easily been summed up in a 7 min youtube video.
To the Stars by Hard Ways
(1981)
Wait, Sovjet SciFi did THIS?!
25 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Sovjet era scifi has long been a frustrating fascination for me. Oftentimes the ideas they want to explore are more interesting than the western cokiecutter outings. Yet their technical limitations and quest for pleasing heads of state tends to neuter what could be a great film.
In many ways. This film is both. For its time and place my jaw dropped multiple times by the sheer playfulness in execution, the visuals are surprisingly grand, the editing snappy, and there are some very fun ideas... In a film that in the end is almost forced into an allegory about the dangers posed to environments by greed and unchecked capitalism.
The editing and shot choice is somewhere between 60s era new wave and even modern day Hideaki Anno (sorry about the random anime reference, but man, it felt like his style) with jow haphazardly it cuts out fat in transportation and mastering the blocking of characters on the wide sovscope screen (tech specs tell me it's 35mm negative. But it sure feels like 65mm). The imaginitative designs feels like a Moebius Space Opera. Say what you want about sovjet era sci fi... But it sure looks like they had fun making this one.
So, the story itself is probably the weakest point. For large chunks it flirts a bit much with the edge of aimless meandering. I wasnever really bored, but I did wonder at times what the goal was, why were we watching these scenes?
To be perfectly honest, I decided to watch this film, I found it by random chance and put it on my youtube playlist for movies people have uploaded. The only real reason for me to embark on its trip tonight was because half the title happens to be Ad Astra, the same as a coming Hollywood film, and I got curious wether this had any relation to it. It now seems not.
But I am very happy to have tried it out. It reignited a need for me to continue to seek out these forgotten space operas. Even if this one had a few pacing niggles.
Oh, and the youtube upload I watched seem to have english burned in dubtitles, because there was a few places noone talked but dialog kept being shown on screen. I could follow the story alright anyway.
In many ways. This film is both. For its time and place my jaw dropped multiple times by the sheer playfulness in execution, the visuals are surprisingly grand, the editing snappy, and there are some very fun ideas... In a film that in the end is almost forced into an allegory about the dangers posed to environments by greed and unchecked capitalism.
The editing and shot choice is somewhere between 60s era new wave and even modern day Hideaki Anno (sorry about the random anime reference, but man, it felt like his style) with jow haphazardly it cuts out fat in transportation and mastering the blocking of characters on the wide sovscope screen (tech specs tell me it's 35mm negative. But it sure feels like 65mm). The imaginitative designs feels like a Moebius Space Opera. Say what you want about sovjet era sci fi... But it sure looks like they had fun making this one.
So, the story itself is probably the weakest point. For large chunks it flirts a bit much with the edge of aimless meandering. I wasnever really bored, but I did wonder at times what the goal was, why were we watching these scenes?
To be perfectly honest, I decided to watch this film, I found it by random chance and put it on my youtube playlist for movies people have uploaded. The only real reason for me to embark on its trip tonight was because half the title happens to be Ad Astra, the same as a coming Hollywood film, and I got curious wether this had any relation to it. It now seems not.
But I am very happy to have tried it out. It reignited a need for me to continue to seek out these forgotten space operas. Even if this one had a few pacing niggles.
Oh, and the youtube upload I watched seem to have english burned in dubtitles, because there was a few places noone talked but dialog kept being shown on screen. I could follow the story alright anyway.
Ánima
(I) (2020)
Well... That was a... Thing...
7 July 2019
I get I may not be the intended audience for this. Thom Yorke was a name I had to look up and still don't know if I like his stuff. And Paul Thomas Anderson, while a critical darling, has always left me kind of underwhelmed. But ok. I like experimental stuff and the teaser released on youtube did at least promise it would be a short experiment. Going so fas as to spell out what a one reeler used to be... Which I guess would have been fun to hear Quentin Tarantino spout out during a brief interlude.
But within seconds of pressing play (it's released by netflix now in 2019 though acvording to IMDb it's a 2018 thing. Maybe it was in festivals back then?). Within seconds, I got a reeling case of oh, crap... It's one of THOSE...
In short. It's a simple man meets woman courtship story told without dialog and set to... Modern dance and some music that felt kind of bland. The humans move around like puppets imitating various poses of normal life in rapid succession while the male protagonist alternates between joining them in their routine and being confused by them. And in the midfle they are on a slanting floor filmed so it looks like they are leaning imposdible angles. Gosh, Batman, I haven't seen that one before.
And that's the main gripe I have here. The story is simple and open for new angles but apart from the floor being askew for a bit the whole thing again left me cold. The dancing, instead of revealing or illustrating where mainly obfuscating and off-putting and distracting. So instead of it being an awesome experience I just kept asking the 15 min runtime to get on with it.
I think the credits mentioned VistaVision, but other than that I couldn't say anything here was worth remembering.
I hesitate to call works pretentious... But when it so clearly wants to be analyzed and studied and at the same time not rewarding any effort with any insight... I would call it pretentious... Because, man... PTA at least used to be able to choise a story and tell it adequately even if I wasn't wowed by his previous works...
But within seconds of pressing play (it's released by netflix now in 2019 though acvording to IMDb it's a 2018 thing. Maybe it was in festivals back then?). Within seconds, I got a reeling case of oh, crap... It's one of THOSE...
In short. It's a simple man meets woman courtship story told without dialog and set to... Modern dance and some music that felt kind of bland. The humans move around like puppets imitating various poses of normal life in rapid succession while the male protagonist alternates between joining them in their routine and being confused by them. And in the midfle they are on a slanting floor filmed so it looks like they are leaning imposdible angles. Gosh, Batman, I haven't seen that one before.
And that's the main gripe I have here. The story is simple and open for new angles but apart from the floor being askew for a bit the whole thing again left me cold. The dancing, instead of revealing or illustrating where mainly obfuscating and off-putting and distracting. So instead of it being an awesome experience I just kept asking the 15 min runtime to get on with it.
I think the credits mentioned VistaVision, but other than that I couldn't say anything here was worth remembering.
I hesitate to call works pretentious... But when it so clearly wants to be analyzed and studied and at the same time not rewarding any effort with any insight... I would call it pretentious... Because, man... PTA at least used to be able to choise a story and tell it adequately even if I wasn't wowed by his previous works...
The Wandering Earth
(2019)
Was this a 10 hr series in China?
14 June 2019
Things happen. Characters run in random directions. Stuff are important somehow, Threats are threatening apparently. Someone whips out a minigun and fires into something for some reason to achieve some goal. Then they lug the last nuke or something in the snow until one of them randomly goes psycho and shoots at it until it's broken. But it's ok because someone has another one which can be used in some way... And someone randomly freezes to death, who? I don't know but it sure is important I guess. At least the music tells me that it's important. . . And I'm pretty sure that's a migrane coming in... Or maybe it's another nonearned piece if drama?
If the above reads like an incoherent mess, then yes. That is how it felt. And the most infuriating thing about it is that underneath this alohabet soup of a script are some extremely interesting concepts and ideas. Too bad the film has no intention of actually telling a story with it.
As a fan of Mythbusters I've followed the podcast called Tested.com. And in it Adam Savage repeatedly mentions The Three Body Problem and other books by that author. Wandering Earth is one of those. And. Well. I sure hope the book is better at exploring these ideas than the film is. Because when your film is less interested in skillful storytelling that the later Transformers films. Then I hope the source has more to offer.
In short, it feels like a really good 10 hr Netflix series cut down to a 2 hr runtime. And no thought was spent on what to cut and what to leave in. Just cut whilly nilly at wherever the razor hapoens to land in the bin of short ends. Resulting in something that resembles more like an extended a VFX promo reel or a cheap cutscene of a generic sci fi FPS game.
2 stars out of 10 simply because it was at least in focus for the most part and it didnt put my projector on fire... So it had that going for it, which is nice I guess. ..
If the above reads like an incoherent mess, then yes. That is how it felt. And the most infuriating thing about it is that underneath this alohabet soup of a script are some extremely interesting concepts and ideas. Too bad the film has no intention of actually telling a story with it.
As a fan of Mythbusters I've followed the podcast called Tested.com. And in it Adam Savage repeatedly mentions The Three Body Problem and other books by that author. Wandering Earth is one of those. And. Well. I sure hope the book is better at exploring these ideas than the film is. Because when your film is less interested in skillful storytelling that the later Transformers films. Then I hope the source has more to offer.
In short, it feels like a really good 10 hr Netflix series cut down to a 2 hr runtime. And no thought was spent on what to cut and what to leave in. Just cut whilly nilly at wherever the razor hapoens to land in the bin of short ends. Resulting in something that resembles more like an extended a VFX promo reel or a cheap cutscene of a generic sci fi FPS game.
2 stars out of 10 simply because it was at least in focus for the most part and it didnt put my projector on fire... So it had that going for it, which is nice I guess. ..
Serenity
(I) (2019)
It's probably fine... If you've never tried to watch movies outside the norm before.
1 June 2019
Ok. I rented this one on a whim. Matthew is usually good, Anne is usually too. And Djimon needs bigger roles... Oh, and both the movie poster and the title seems oddly familiar for a casual fan of Firefly.
About a third of the way in I am conteplating shutting the damn thing off. It's such a boilerplate generic noir thriller. Especially when the cardboard cutout femme fatale rolled in. So I reached over to my phone to scroll through a few reviews here on imdb. The reviews kept saying to keep attention as a giant twist is on the horizon. So ok. I took deep breaths and decided to muscle through.
Pretty soon hints, about as subtle as golf clubs whacked through my head that this island story is something else. And halfway through I now had a pretty clear picture of what is going on and will happen. Or maybe the twist is yet to come? Maybe?
Nope. Like the average episode of Black Mirror there is an interesting story here, but handled with so little care and craftmanship that I only want to get the whole thing over and done with.
Like I titled this review, you may be wowed by this if this is your first foray into the wonderful world of cinema outside the norm. I just wish that first taste was delivered with some form of original thought. Because I've seen all of this handled so much better by minds who actually wanted to try something new.
Hell... If they actually stuck with the noir thriller but did it well, I'd even prefer that.
So no, I do not recommend it. There are so many better ways to experience stories like these.
About a third of the way in I am conteplating shutting the damn thing off. It's such a boilerplate generic noir thriller. Especially when the cardboard cutout femme fatale rolled in. So I reached over to my phone to scroll through a few reviews here on imdb. The reviews kept saying to keep attention as a giant twist is on the horizon. So ok. I took deep breaths and decided to muscle through.
Pretty soon hints, about as subtle as golf clubs whacked through my head that this island story is something else. And halfway through I now had a pretty clear picture of what is going on and will happen. Or maybe the twist is yet to come? Maybe?
Nope. Like the average episode of Black Mirror there is an interesting story here, but handled with so little care and craftmanship that I only want to get the whole thing over and done with.
Like I titled this review, you may be wowed by this if this is your first foray into the wonderful world of cinema outside the norm. I just wish that first taste was delivered with some form of original thought. Because I've seen all of this handled so much better by minds who actually wanted to try something new.
Hell... If they actually stuck with the noir thriller but did it well, I'd even prefer that.
So no, I do not recommend it. There are so many better ways to experience stories like these.
Prospect
(2018)
A gritty western.. in space.. and it does work
22 May 2019
I have loved westerns and sci-fi. But while the mashup between the two has been done before it often feels half baked. But here, the focus is on the bits that works in bith genres and they rake the opportunity to explore what the genres do have in common. The effects are more than convincing and the characters all get to shine even when appearances can be brief. The plot, while simple on the verge of simplistic is fleshed out just enough.
It's about a girl having to trust an untrustworthy man in a situation where a single mistake each minute can easily result in a very painful demise. Like with The Martian, it needs no more and doesn't pretend to do what it cannot.
We need more well made sci fi like this. If only to make the case clear that sci fi is capable of so much more than pewpewpew ( though, I of course enjoy those stories also... I just want variation)
In short: try it out. At least they tried something different .
It's about a girl having to trust an untrustworthy man in a situation where a single mistake each minute can easily result in a very painful demise. Like with The Martian, it needs no more and doesn't pretend to do what it cannot.
We need more well made sci fi like this. If only to make the case clear that sci fi is capable of so much more than pewpewpew ( though, I of course enjoy those stories also... I just want variation)
In short: try it out. At least they tried something different .
Bone Tomahawk
(2015)
Spartan and brutal. Kind of refreshing actually.
1 April 2019
So, I saw Brawl in Cell Block 99 a few months ago. Mainly on a whim. Had no idea what kind of film it was until the violence really kicked my teeth out. So I looked around to see what else this director has had a hand in. Mainly Dragged Across Concrete, which is yet to be released here as far as I know, and this here Bone Tomahawk.
So I now sat down to see if it would be in the same vein. And afterwards I can say yes. It is similar in tone and style. The look felt a little cheaper. Something about the lighting I guess. But the point in it isn't to be pretty. There are nice views but it isn't the point. The point is to tell an old school gut punching western. The kind that I've read about that's supposed to have been all the rage during right about the time the film is set. There is no frill. No hiding the ugly. And they barely got away with depicting native americans as unholy beasts by simply having a more regular indian in civilised clothes describe the villain tribe as troglodytes. Like Brawl it skates past on a razor sharp edge.
In most eyes probably barely defendable. The dialog is gruff. The violence is ugly. The morals, even among the heroes, is described as unquestionable, simply because of the lack of it.
And yet. Like Brawl. There's a brutal honesty to it. And I think at the halfway point, or thereabouts, I noticed that there haven't been any music. It is a sparse movie told with as little in the way of sugarcoating as they could manage. And in a movie landscape with so much excess in everything but the violence, to see one or two really double down on depicting the ugliness of it. It was kind of refreshing.
Now I'm even more excited to see what Dragged Across Concrete can provide. Because I think this director is one to keep an eye on.
So I now sat down to see if it would be in the same vein. And afterwards I can say yes. It is similar in tone and style. The look felt a little cheaper. Something about the lighting I guess. But the point in it isn't to be pretty. There are nice views but it isn't the point. The point is to tell an old school gut punching western. The kind that I've read about that's supposed to have been all the rage during right about the time the film is set. There is no frill. No hiding the ugly. And they barely got away with depicting native americans as unholy beasts by simply having a more regular indian in civilised clothes describe the villain tribe as troglodytes. Like Brawl it skates past on a razor sharp edge.
In most eyes probably barely defendable. The dialog is gruff. The violence is ugly. The morals, even among the heroes, is described as unquestionable, simply because of the lack of it.
And yet. Like Brawl. There's a brutal honesty to it. And I think at the halfway point, or thereabouts, I noticed that there haven't been any music. It is a sparse movie told with as little in the way of sugarcoating as they could manage. And in a movie landscape with so much excess in everything but the violence, to see one or two really double down on depicting the ugliness of it. It was kind of refreshing.
Now I'm even more excited to see what Dragged Across Concrete can provide. Because I think this director is one to keep an eye on.
The Girl in the Spider's Web
(2018)
I can't say I'm mad, I'm just dissapointed.
30 March 2019
First off. Yes I'm a Swede. Yes, I've seen the previous films (not the extended cuts of the Swedish films). But no, I haven't read the books. And frankly, I am not in the camp of CHANGE NOTHING! that a lot of fans are in.
But, also, frankly, the worst thing about this newest edition was that it bored me. It didn't make me angry or anything. It just drained me of excitement.
I was dismayed when I heard that David Fincher had his plans for his Rated R trilogy of films scrapped by the studio (Sony). And then, after years, we got trailers. A seemingly semi-rebooted franchise. With new actors, new direction, and a take somewhat different to Finchers and the Swedish one. Ok, I said, with little in terms of reassurement. I like different. This won't be a simple rethread. And hey, I actually like both Don't Breathe and the Evil Dead remake. Maybe Fede Alvarez can get something worthwhile out of his mission statement?
Well. Now that I've seen the result. I'm hoping Sony just stops it with these films.
The decision to remake the films in english but keep the Swedish setting was bizarre enough in Fincher's adaptation. But he did do the story justice and his visual mastery was a joy to behold and the man simply knows how to direct a thriller. This film? There are some nice camera work but that's about it. The script is a jumbled mess. The characters are nonexistant. The logic is far fetched at best. And seeing this franchise devolve into outright scifi tech and Roger Moore era James Bond hijinx was especially hard to stomach in a movie that wanted me to take it seriously as a gritty thriller.
That's not to say that the original series of films was devoid of far fetched events. Lisbet crawling out of a grave and getting rescued by real life boxer Paolo Roberto was quite a sight to behold back in the originals. But it was motivated in a weird way and earned.
In short. Nothing in this film feels earned. Stuff just happens. Characters merely exist. The accents are baffling and hard to decipher. The tech and leaps of logic done are pretty much pulled out of crevices.
While I didn't expect Fincher, I did expect something that could grab my attention like the other works I've seen from the director. But I struggled to bother with following the loosly tangled mess of threads that I was presented with.
Such a shame. So much could have been done with this...
But, also, frankly, the worst thing about this newest edition was that it bored me. It didn't make me angry or anything. It just drained me of excitement.
I was dismayed when I heard that David Fincher had his plans for his Rated R trilogy of films scrapped by the studio (Sony). And then, after years, we got trailers. A seemingly semi-rebooted franchise. With new actors, new direction, and a take somewhat different to Finchers and the Swedish one. Ok, I said, with little in terms of reassurement. I like different. This won't be a simple rethread. And hey, I actually like both Don't Breathe and the Evil Dead remake. Maybe Fede Alvarez can get something worthwhile out of his mission statement?
Well. Now that I've seen the result. I'm hoping Sony just stops it with these films.
The decision to remake the films in english but keep the Swedish setting was bizarre enough in Fincher's adaptation. But he did do the story justice and his visual mastery was a joy to behold and the man simply knows how to direct a thriller. This film? There are some nice camera work but that's about it. The script is a jumbled mess. The characters are nonexistant. The logic is far fetched at best. And seeing this franchise devolve into outright scifi tech and Roger Moore era James Bond hijinx was especially hard to stomach in a movie that wanted me to take it seriously as a gritty thriller.
That's not to say that the original series of films was devoid of far fetched events. Lisbet crawling out of a grave and getting rescued by real life boxer Paolo Roberto was quite a sight to behold back in the originals. But it was motivated in a weird way and earned.
In short. Nothing in this film feels earned. Stuff just happens. Characters merely exist. The accents are baffling and hard to decipher. The tech and leaps of logic done are pretty much pulled out of crevices.
While I didn't expect Fincher, I did expect something that could grab my attention like the other works I've seen from the director. But I struggled to bother with following the loosly tangled mess of threads that I was presented with.
Such a shame. So much could have been done with this...
Batman Ninja
(2018)
Decent effect animation. But there's nothing connecting the visuals.
24 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ok. For what I dreaded to be yet another project of DeadEyedGelflings I must admit that there is some talent in the animation department here. Sure, the characters look and move like cel shaded fighting game button masher models. But compared with most of its ilk I can at least see some effort to impress wirg visuals. The effects animation looks kind of cool. I will admit to that.
The main problem however is that visuals alone cannot carry what is essentially just a long string of incoherent scenes of action set pieces. Characters appear from left and right, spouting exposition at best or empty gags at worst. Stuff... Happens. References are made. Explosions occur. At one point I assumed I was nearing the end. But when I checked the play time. It turned out I was only a third into a 1.5 hr long story.
In short. This is a bloated mess of unnecessary characters that contribute nothing of value. And there is never a feeling of momentum or showmanship in the storytelling.
When I think of films like this I remember the old motto of Matt Stone and Trey Parker:
"Buts and therefores... NEVER and then!"
This is just a long string of "and then".
How else would one describe a film where Batman joins forces with the Bat Clan of Ninja warriors to fight the rogue gallery of villains who themselves have giant mecha fortress robots, Robin even recruits millions of monkeys who with the help of millions if bats join together to form a giant kaiju Batman god... And still... In the middle of all that insanity. Stuff I would be cackling maniacly with joker-luke glee over seeing when directed and scripted with competence... I am instead forcing myself to stay awake out of... what... Pride? Why?
If this is what DC fans want nowadays, then I am severely out of touch with my peers. Because, again. Disregarding the effects animation and the segment that randomly switched animation style to that of the O-Ren Ishii segment of Kill Bill for no discernible reason. I see no reason why anyone would enjoy this boredom.
The main problem however is that visuals alone cannot carry what is essentially just a long string of incoherent scenes of action set pieces. Characters appear from left and right, spouting exposition at best or empty gags at worst. Stuff... Happens. References are made. Explosions occur. At one point I assumed I was nearing the end. But when I checked the play time. It turned out I was only a third into a 1.5 hr long story.
In short. This is a bloated mess of unnecessary characters that contribute nothing of value. And there is never a feeling of momentum or showmanship in the storytelling.
When I think of films like this I remember the old motto of Matt Stone and Trey Parker:
"Buts and therefores... NEVER and then!"
This is just a long string of "and then".
How else would one describe a film where Batman joins forces with the Bat Clan of Ninja warriors to fight the rogue gallery of villains who themselves have giant mecha fortress robots, Robin even recruits millions of monkeys who with the help of millions if bats join together to form a giant kaiju Batman god... And still... In the middle of all that insanity. Stuff I would be cackling maniacly with joker-luke glee over seeing when directed and scripted with competence... I am instead forcing myself to stay awake out of... what... Pride? Why?
If this is what DC fans want nowadays, then I am severely out of touch with my peers. Because, again. Disregarding the effects animation and the segment that randomly switched animation style to that of the O-Ren Ishii segment of Kill Bill for no discernible reason. I see no reason why anyone would enjoy this boredom.
First Man
(2018)
One heck of a movie.
2 March 2019
I remember seeing the trailers, being dismayed that the first actual movie about the moon landing was looking to be a mess of grainy shakycam. So I put off seeing it in the cinema. Ultimately it was too late and I had to wait for home video. And while I do have a decent home cinema system, I do kind of regret not seeing it on a giant venue.
The camera is shaky. Yes. And I am very hard to convince that a shaky camera is necessary. But. Honestly. It fit. I did get the sense of the claustrophobic experience inside those tiny capsules. Only having a tiny window to see anything. When things get out of control the camerawork is still readable. And the sound matches the visuals.
I have recently seen a similar attempt from Russian filmmakers to try to portray Gagarin on film. That was one misguided effort of propagandistic drivel. I mean. He probably was a great guy. But the film was dreary and formulaic... I feared that this film about Armstrong would fall into that same trap. But no. There was actual competence in the writing here.
And the scenes on the moon itself. Somewhat short. But at least they opened up the framing, let it be steady, and bumped the stock from grainy 16mm to glorious 70 mm horizontal IMAX.
One thing I do wish is that more of the film did depict details of the actual flight and mission. But then again... I'd probably prefer a complete recreation spanning 10 * hour long pretty uneventful episodes of a HBO show. Chronicling one day of mission time each episode or something like that. This is a one night movie and I am very happy with what I did get to see.
The camera is shaky. Yes. And I am very hard to convince that a shaky camera is necessary. But. Honestly. It fit. I did get the sense of the claustrophobic experience inside those tiny capsules. Only having a tiny window to see anything. When things get out of control the camerawork is still readable. And the sound matches the visuals.
I have recently seen a similar attempt from Russian filmmakers to try to portray Gagarin on film. That was one misguided effort of propagandistic drivel. I mean. He probably was a great guy. But the film was dreary and formulaic... I feared that this film about Armstrong would fall into that same trap. But no. There was actual competence in the writing here.
And the scenes on the moon itself. Somewhat short. But at least they opened up the framing, let it be steady, and bumped the stock from grainy 16mm to glorious 70 mm horizontal IMAX.
One thing I do wish is that more of the film did depict details of the actual flight and mission. But then again... I'd probably prefer a complete recreation spanning 10 * hour long pretty uneventful episodes of a HBO show. Chronicling one day of mission time each episode or something like that. This is a one night movie and I am very happy with what I did get to see.
Velvet Buzzsaw
(2019)
A lot of ideas. No real cohesion.
4 February 2019
It's a bit ironic, this film that wants to explore the vapid shallowness of the fine art world in a stylish horror movie setting... ends up inviting the very same criticisms that the finely dressed tastemakers in the film fling about.
Ok. Buzzwords aside. I did enjoy this film more than I disliked it. But in all earnestnest, it was by a hair. Knowing this came from the same guy who made the excellent psochological thriller Nightcrawler. This is like asketchbook of ideas for a giallo-inspired slasher. Each individually awesome. But there's no real throughline to keep us going. People pop up until they die gruesome deaths. It feels kind of slapped together haphazardly.
I expected more from Gilroy
Ok. Buzzwords aside. I did enjoy this film more than I disliked it. But in all earnestnest, it was by a hair. Knowing this came from the same guy who made the excellent psochological thriller Nightcrawler. This is like asketchbook of ideas for a giallo-inspired slasher. Each individually awesome. But there's no real throughline to keep us going. People pop up until they die gruesome deaths. It feels kind of slapped together haphazardly.
I expected more from Gilroy
Godzilla: The Planet Eater
(2018)
The trilogy is a great... cure for insomnia.
12 January 2019
Lifeless characters in generic situations rendered in stilted and dull visuals.
Toho really had no idea what to do with this subject, it seems.
And Polygon still has no clue about what makes visuals interesting to watch, even enjoyable.
The only thing it is good at is to bore me to sleep...
I'm just glad that this experiment is over so that maybe now the franchise can be given an animated story by a creative team that at least gives a damn, has a story to tell, and the talent to tell it in a way that is engaging and worth the budget spent on it. Because Godzilla in animatoon is not a bad idea in itself... But as one who has seen all the Toho Godzilla films there are some abysmal entries... But this is now the record holder. The lowest watermark... The most regrettable expenditure.
And I'm sure the medium of cel shaded CGI can be good... But Polygon Pictures sure isn't the way forward. I have yet to see them produce anything other than dead eyed Gelflings...
Toho really had no idea what to do with this subject, it seems.
And Polygon still has no clue about what makes visuals interesting to watch, even enjoyable.
The only thing it is good at is to bore me to sleep...
I'm just glad that this experiment is over so that maybe now the franchise can be given an animated story by a creative team that at least gives a damn, has a story to tell, and the talent to tell it in a way that is engaging and worth the budget spent on it. Because Godzilla in animatoon is not a bad idea in itself... But as one who has seen all the Toho Godzilla films there are some abysmal entries... But this is now the record holder. The lowest watermark... The most regrettable expenditure.
And I'm sure the medium of cel shaded CGI can be good... But Polygon Pictures sure isn't the way forward. I have yet to see them produce anything other than dead eyed Gelflings...
Tron: Legacy
(2010)
TRON: Legacy, might be worth a rewatch?
26 December 2018
Like the predecessor, if we're honest. Both probably bit off more than they could chew. But also, like the first one, I find myself returning to it every couple of years. Each time the flaws matter a little less.
Is the script full of holes you could drive a Recognizer through without folding in the legs? Yeah... Is Quora a strange and possibly troubling manifestation of the Born Perfect Yesterday trope? Yup... Does the atmospheric effects make sense in a digital utopia designed by a madman obsessed with geometrical perfection? Not really... Does it survive mostly due to Daft Punks EPIC soundtrack and the slick visuals? Probably...
Certainly...
I saw clips of the first film on TV throughout my earliest years. Probably catching a full viewing on TV. But in earnest it was when I bought the DVD (appropriate) that I saw it in a way that was closer to the original intent and I could dive into the making of. The narrative was simple. Disney was on the verge of collapse and made a few insane bets. One of those bets were the first Tron. A flawed technical spectacle. They almost accidentally changed how cyberspace would look in media for decades on while not actually knowing how computers function. It flopped at the box-office. But it was so out there that the people who saw it refused to forget it.
So watching this in theaters in 2010 I knew little of what to expect except that a french House group I enjoyed was tasked with the music, and the trailers promised a few throwbacks for the fans. I walked out with mixed feelings. I saw the flaws but overall it was a ride well worth the effort. I got the BluRay and shortly after the 3D version.
And you know what?
I think that when watching a film like this one may have to dispense with normal expactations of narrative. Make sure the screen you see it on is huge. That the sound system can handle the range. Preferrably use a good 3D projector. Let it just wash over, full force. That is how this is meant to be enjoyed. I am not a fan of the trope of "just turn your brain off" as a way to convince readers to enjoy movies. I may however suggest that you simply divert towards other parts of the brain.
In simple terms it is mayhaps simpler (like a lot of fans and non fans alike already have since release) to describe it as a visualised concept album for Daft Punks latest collection of songs. Like Electroma, and Interstella 5555. The inteded experience when viewed with proper equipment is there on the disc. It may not be transcendent but while flawed it is there somewhere between visuals, sfx and music.
And like the first film. Though it underperformed in cinemas it probably did influence the esthetics of the almost decade since it was released.
Tron just keeps on aspiring to achieve things it probably never will. But it tries.
And I can admire that.
Is the script full of holes you could drive a Recognizer through without folding in the legs? Yeah... Is Quora a strange and possibly troubling manifestation of the Born Perfect Yesterday trope? Yup... Does the atmospheric effects make sense in a digital utopia designed by a madman obsessed with geometrical perfection? Not really... Does it survive mostly due to Daft Punks EPIC soundtrack and the slick visuals? Probably...
Certainly...
I saw clips of the first film on TV throughout my earliest years. Probably catching a full viewing on TV. But in earnest it was when I bought the DVD (appropriate) that I saw it in a way that was closer to the original intent and I could dive into the making of. The narrative was simple. Disney was on the verge of collapse and made a few insane bets. One of those bets were the first Tron. A flawed technical spectacle. They almost accidentally changed how cyberspace would look in media for decades on while not actually knowing how computers function. It flopped at the box-office. But it was so out there that the people who saw it refused to forget it.
So watching this in theaters in 2010 I knew little of what to expect except that a french House group I enjoyed was tasked with the music, and the trailers promised a few throwbacks for the fans. I walked out with mixed feelings. I saw the flaws but overall it was a ride well worth the effort. I got the BluRay and shortly after the 3D version.
And you know what?
I think that when watching a film like this one may have to dispense with normal expactations of narrative. Make sure the screen you see it on is huge. That the sound system can handle the range. Preferrably use a good 3D projector. Let it just wash over, full force. That is how this is meant to be enjoyed. I am not a fan of the trope of "just turn your brain off" as a way to convince readers to enjoy movies. I may however suggest that you simply divert towards other parts of the brain.
In simple terms it is mayhaps simpler (like a lot of fans and non fans alike already have since release) to describe it as a visualised concept album for Daft Punks latest collection of songs. Like Electroma, and Interstella 5555. The inteded experience when viewed with proper equipment is there on the disc. It may not be transcendent but while flawed it is there somewhere between visuals, sfx and music.
And like the first film. Though it underperformed in cinemas it probably did influence the esthetics of the almost decade since it was released.
Tron just keeps on aspiring to achieve things it probably never will. But it tries.
And I can admire that.
The Void
(I) (2016)
It has great practical effects.... I think... But that's about all it has.
20 December 2018
I love films with Lovecraftian themes, and I love some good body horror. I love practical effects too. But overall... This movie left me cold.
This is a kind of standard setup. Agroup of nondescript people find themselves trapped in a nondescript hospital where it turns out horrific bodyhorror transformationd are breaking out. It's just a shame that the filmmakers never really do anything with what they have in terms of story and plot. And while it's refreshing to see practical gore it would also have been great to do something interesting with the effort.
I understand the thinking behind most of the decisions. But the characters are frustratingly one note. The worst offender being the asian medical student who can't do... Well... Anything. Except scream and cry for help. But the others aren't that much better. And I know there is a tight line to balance on when it comes to how much of the creatures to show, too much and we loose mystery but too little and we likewise aren't even intrigued to know more. I also understand the desire to not waste time but the result felt so damned rushed.
The worst thing is that in the absence of me being invested I just couldn't help thinking of similar scenarios done better. From Robert Rodriguez doing Planet Terror to countless shlockly japanese gorefests. Set in hospitals with Lovecraftian undertones and filled with body horror.
It really didnt help that the soundmix was extremely muddled, but I suspect that that was a poor streaming conversion to 2.0 from an original 5.1 by the distributor.
In all it felt like a needlessly halfbaked story that I've seen done way better. Barely watchable in places with characters that had no personality or charm.
Ifgore is all you want or need, then yes, it has a lot of that. But frankly. You deserve more than simple viscera.
This is a kind of standard setup. Agroup of nondescript people find themselves trapped in a nondescript hospital where it turns out horrific bodyhorror transformationd are breaking out. It's just a shame that the filmmakers never really do anything with what they have in terms of story and plot. And while it's refreshing to see practical gore it would also have been great to do something interesting with the effort.
I understand the thinking behind most of the decisions. But the characters are frustratingly one note. The worst offender being the asian medical student who can't do... Well... Anything. Except scream and cry for help. But the others aren't that much better. And I know there is a tight line to balance on when it comes to how much of the creatures to show, too much and we loose mystery but too little and we likewise aren't even intrigued to know more. I also understand the desire to not waste time but the result felt so damned rushed.
The worst thing is that in the absence of me being invested I just couldn't help thinking of similar scenarios done better. From Robert Rodriguez doing Planet Terror to countless shlockly japanese gorefests. Set in hospitals with Lovecraftian undertones and filled with body horror.
It really didnt help that the soundmix was extremely muddled, but I suspect that that was a poor streaming conversion to 2.0 from an original 5.1 by the distributor.
In all it felt like a needlessly halfbaked story that I've seen done way better. Barely watchable in places with characters that had no personality or charm.
Ifgore is all you want or need, then yes, it has a lot of that. But frankly. You deserve more than simple viscera.
Skyscraper
(2018)
Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?
24 November 2018
It's Dwayne Johnson in a burning skyscraper with all that entails in tone and attitude. It's a fun ride with not really anything going on beneath. But then again, a mobie like this don't really need it.
Yeah there are gaps in logic, like how mr Billionaire can't be reached inside his panic room, even though we are shown numerous times the room being surrounded by mostly frail windows. Or the fact that the pearl projection room really doesn't make sense...
We forgive those aspects as long as the ride is fun. And it is both fun and fast. My main complaint may be that it may be a bit too fast in its storytelling and The Rock does have a habit of narrating to himself to remind himself (or rather, the popcorn munching audience) what his short and long term goals are. It's a bit on the nose but not too annoying.
It's fluff, but at least it's well made fluff.
Yeah there are gaps in logic, like how mr Billionaire can't be reached inside his panic room, even though we are shown numerous times the room being surrounded by mostly frail windows. Or the fact that the pearl projection room really doesn't make sense...
We forgive those aspects as long as the ride is fun. And it is both fun and fast. My main complaint may be that it may be a bit too fast in its storytelling and The Rock does have a habit of narrating to himself to remind himself (or rather, the popcorn munching audience) what his short and long term goals are. It's a bit on the nose but not too annoying.
It's fluff, but at least it's well made fluff.
Future World
(2018)
So James Franco tried his hand at Mockbustering
25 October 2018
Let's start off with me saying that I am one of those that thinks of Mad Max: Fury Road as something like the secular arrival of the messiah. Ok, that may be overstating it, but I have witnessed it an it was glorious.
Now. I am fully aware of the history of Mad Max releases. Pretty much all of them have had a following of lookalikes and outright ripoffs shortly after their arrival. And Fury Road is no different. James Franco, the co-director, makes no secret of what he's doing. It's a slightly higher budgeted mockbuster in the way of The Asylum ripoffs. But putting all that aside. How does it fair? Will this die historic on the Fury Road or just lie there and flail aimlessly while fellow warboys cry out "mediocre"?
Sadly, it is the latter. Oh, we can see what they were aiming for. They were just nowhere near having the knowhow to get there. And it's not even the endearing kind of lack of expertise that you can love out of sheer respect of their enginuity. No. It's just halfassedly done throughout... Or rather. I am sure the passion was there for most of the crew, but the script helped them in no way. And while it was interesting to see the long take wide angle approach as opposed to a failed mimicry of George Millers surgically handled fast cutting and center framing... It was still without the needed skill in editing and storytelling.
I cannot really say anything really nice about the film... Ok. Milka Jovovich as a tweaked out drug cultist was a charismatic addition to the film. But like everything else here it should have been in service of a vastly better handled script...
I do not recommend.
Mediocre!
Now. I am fully aware of the history of Mad Max releases. Pretty much all of them have had a following of lookalikes and outright ripoffs shortly after their arrival. And Fury Road is no different. James Franco, the co-director, makes no secret of what he's doing. It's a slightly higher budgeted mockbuster in the way of The Asylum ripoffs. But putting all that aside. How does it fair? Will this die historic on the Fury Road or just lie there and flail aimlessly while fellow warboys cry out "mediocre"?
Sadly, it is the latter. Oh, we can see what they were aiming for. They were just nowhere near having the knowhow to get there. And it's not even the endearing kind of lack of expertise that you can love out of sheer respect of their enginuity. No. It's just halfassedly done throughout... Or rather. I am sure the passion was there for most of the crew, but the script helped them in no way. And while it was interesting to see the long take wide angle approach as opposed to a failed mimicry of George Millers surgically handled fast cutting and center framing... It was still without the needed skill in editing and storytelling.
I cannot really say anything really nice about the film... Ok. Milka Jovovich as a tweaked out drug cultist was a charismatic addition to the film. But like everything else here it should have been in service of a vastly better handled script...
I do not recommend.
Mediocre!
Annihilation
(I) (2018)
It stays in my mind. Wee-aa-wee-ooohh... Uuh!
22 October 2018
Ok. I am about to blaspheme. But I did spend a good chunk of the day rewatching both this film and Tarkovsky's Stalker. And while I struggled to get through the old Russian epic I had no problem with this newer film.
Sure, Garland (director of the film) and Vandermeer (writer of the book) do claim that Annihilation wasn't an attempt to remake Stalker or Roadside Picnic, but the similarities are hard to ignore. As is the older H.P. Lovecraft story The Color From Out Of Space (where a meteorlike object creates havoc around the impact crater, deforming and mutating both flora and fauna, as well as emitting an otherworldly color not before seen by man)..
It is a fascinating subject for me to explore in these stories. Where alien entities not so much invade as just exist and we are forced to try and find out what makes the uninvited neighbours tick. Even when it may be represented by a skull-faced giant bear that uses human death screams as its hunting lure (guaranteed nightmare fuel there) or as seemingly harmless beautiful floral arrangements.
Intersperse that with combinations of Cosmic Horror like in The Thing, and pure old school Cronenbergian BodyHorror the characters end up trusting noone and no thing as both minds and bodies disintegrate throughout the tale.
If you didn't pick up on it yet, I friggin love this film. From the expertly handled effects and visuals to the otherworldly musical notes on the soundtrack. If I were to nitpick I kind of feel that the flash forward interview scenes that are intercut from the start was a bit unnecessary.
Now, after Dredd, Ex Machina and now Annihilation I can hardly wait to see what Alex Garland decides to tackle next as he is one of the most interesting voices in Movie SciFi right at the moment.
Sure, Garland (director of the film) and Vandermeer (writer of the book) do claim that Annihilation wasn't an attempt to remake Stalker or Roadside Picnic, but the similarities are hard to ignore. As is the older H.P. Lovecraft story The Color From Out Of Space (where a meteorlike object creates havoc around the impact crater, deforming and mutating both flora and fauna, as well as emitting an otherworldly color not before seen by man)..
It is a fascinating subject for me to explore in these stories. Where alien entities not so much invade as just exist and we are forced to try and find out what makes the uninvited neighbours tick. Even when it may be represented by a skull-faced giant bear that uses human death screams as its hunting lure (guaranteed nightmare fuel there) or as seemingly harmless beautiful floral arrangements.
Intersperse that with combinations of Cosmic Horror like in The Thing, and pure old school Cronenbergian BodyHorror the characters end up trusting noone and no thing as both minds and bodies disintegrate throughout the tale.
If you didn't pick up on it yet, I friggin love this film. From the expertly handled effects and visuals to the otherworldly musical notes on the soundtrack. If I were to nitpick I kind of feel that the flash forward interview scenes that are intercut from the start was a bit unnecessary.
Now, after Dredd, Ex Machina and now Annihilation I can hardly wait to see what Alex Garland decides to tackle next as he is one of the most interesting voices in Movie SciFi right at the moment.
Stalker
(1979)
Infinity... Of... Something?
22 October 2018
I know it's highly influential. I know the body of work of its director. I know how highly regarded it is.
I know all that. But... For the life of me I cannot see what everybody else seem to see in this nearly 3 hours of a contemplative roadmovie of enlightenment.
I remember stumbling over an old VHS cassette in a local library as a teen. I loved sci fi even then. And strange takes on cinematic language has always fascinated me. The blurb on the back intrigued me but when I saw it... All I could remember was boredom and endless shots of the three men doing nothing.
A few years later I tried again, this time a DVD from another library. But again. It was a chore to get through. Though I remember that something was strange with the encoding that maee certain elements wiggle slightly compared with the rest of the scene. The Bed of the beginning and ending for example.
And once more, today, I felt suddenly like I should give it another chance. I had obtained a nice Bluray in a boxsset of Tarkovsky blurays.
I am intrigued by the elements that this film consists of. The enigmatic environment of The Zone, the boy with telekinetic powers, the hallway covered in sand dunes. The mysterious black dog that befriends the titular stalker... The haunting music... There is so much here that should work. So much I should love
But when it comes down to it. It breaks apart. Its an endless series of excruciatingly long shots where the characters mumble half baked philosophies at each other. Each one uttered is worse thought through than the next. The Zone itself is reduced down to the most boring countryside imaginable. Everything about it is talked only about. Nothing is really ever shown. The stalker insists that the path constantly changes and any deviation from his instructions is mortally dangerous. And we are just supposed to take his word for it. Because god forbid we get to see the environment alter itself.. to see that there is any danger.. to see anything other than the endless takes of them mumbling during their travel toward The Room. I hesitate to say what they do when they finally arrive, in the interest of not spoiling too much... I'll just say that the runtime by then felt like an insulting waste...
Very few films feel so long to witness as this one. Sure it is 2 hrs 45 min. But it felt more like 12 hours.
Your mileage may vary of course. I may be in the minority. And I don't want to call the fans deluded. I just wish I could see the film you saw. I have tried three times now. On as many formats. Over 15 years. The ideas they are working with are fascinating , to say the least, which is probably why I have refused until now to give up on the film. But there is simply nothing here. Or at least, what is here have been explored by other filmmakers infinitely more efficiently.
Show... Don't tell... That's a mantra I thought was well accepted by well renowned filmmakers and critics alike. I am not so certain any more.
I know all that. But... For the life of me I cannot see what everybody else seem to see in this nearly 3 hours of a contemplative roadmovie of enlightenment.
I remember stumbling over an old VHS cassette in a local library as a teen. I loved sci fi even then. And strange takes on cinematic language has always fascinated me. The blurb on the back intrigued me but when I saw it... All I could remember was boredom and endless shots of the three men doing nothing.
A few years later I tried again, this time a DVD from another library. But again. It was a chore to get through. Though I remember that something was strange with the encoding that maee certain elements wiggle slightly compared with the rest of the scene. The Bed of the beginning and ending for example.
And once more, today, I felt suddenly like I should give it another chance. I had obtained a nice Bluray in a boxsset of Tarkovsky blurays.
I am intrigued by the elements that this film consists of. The enigmatic environment of The Zone, the boy with telekinetic powers, the hallway covered in sand dunes. The mysterious black dog that befriends the titular stalker... The haunting music... There is so much here that should work. So much I should love
But when it comes down to it. It breaks apart. Its an endless series of excruciatingly long shots where the characters mumble half baked philosophies at each other. Each one uttered is worse thought through than the next. The Zone itself is reduced down to the most boring countryside imaginable. Everything about it is talked only about. Nothing is really ever shown. The stalker insists that the path constantly changes and any deviation from his instructions is mortally dangerous. And we are just supposed to take his word for it. Because god forbid we get to see the environment alter itself.. to see that there is any danger.. to see anything other than the endless takes of them mumbling during their travel toward The Room. I hesitate to say what they do when they finally arrive, in the interest of not spoiling too much... I'll just say that the runtime by then felt like an insulting waste...
Very few films feel so long to witness as this one. Sure it is 2 hrs 45 min. But it felt more like 12 hours.
Your mileage may vary of course. I may be in the minority. And I don't want to call the fans deluded. I just wish I could see the film you saw. I have tried three times now. On as many formats. Over 15 years. The ideas they are working with are fascinating , to say the least, which is probably why I have refused until now to give up on the film. But there is simply nothing here. Or at least, what is here have been explored by other filmmakers infinitely more efficiently.
Show... Don't tell... That's a mantra I thought was well accepted by well renowned filmmakers and critics alike. I am not so certain any more.
Surprisingly great visuals but aggravating "protagonist".
20 October 2018
I will say this. It looks surprisingly good and despite the premise that sounds a bit much like a typical bible-thumper propaganda piece the religious aspects were thankfully downplayed for the most part.
What wasn't downplayed was the utter frustration of having to see a supposedly intelligent adult doing everything he can to catch hypothermia and die in 6 below... (And no. This film has nothing in common with the films 7 Below and 8 Below...)
Ok. The title doesn't specify if the -6 is in fahrenheit or Celcius. But let's be generous and say it's Fahrenheit since it's intended for american audiences. That equals -21 degrees Celcius. I'll give the film that... even though most of the film it looks like it's closer to 0 degrees C. And yes. Freezing to death is possible even in those conditions where water barely freezes if you play your cards wrong. But it's very surviveable if you keep a level head.
In the situation we see here there are two pretty much logical options. Go upwards towards the tourist trap you came from or go downwards until you find roads and go downhill with that road. This characters decision? Randomly walk around the mountainside both downhill and uphill and be surprised that you aren't getting anywhere. Even when the character stumbles on a suspiciously flat area on the mountainside with no visible vegetation on it he just walks out on it. And to no sane persons surprise... it turns out it's a lake that's barely frozen over (further making me believe it's closer to -6C than -6F because if it was more of the latter the ice would probably be thick enough to park trucks on). And all I could think was "If you want to die so badly why not just drown right there?"
Now. Ok. I know it's supposedly based on a real event. And the protagonist probably weren't "sober" so to speak since he seems to have been having serious drug problems. But if you want to see a person go through hell to get out of a sticky situation he put himself in, then I would suggest 127 Hours with James Franco stuck in a dessert cave. He at least tries everything before resorting to the act that got that person famous for surviving. This guy? Again. It may be real. But it's not compelling to watch a person do everything he can to die in a forest when I'm supposed to think he wants to survive.
Again. The cinematography is great. I only saw the Bluray release on a rental which had the 2.76:1 ultra panavision format (like Hateful 8). Seeing this with the tripple projection system must have been quite a treat. But that does not save this film from being a chore to sit through when the main protagonist is so hell bent on not succeeding.
What wasn't downplayed was the utter frustration of having to see a supposedly intelligent adult doing everything he can to catch hypothermia and die in 6 below... (And no. This film has nothing in common with the films 7 Below and 8 Below...)
Ok. The title doesn't specify if the -6 is in fahrenheit or Celcius. But let's be generous and say it's Fahrenheit since it's intended for american audiences. That equals -21 degrees Celcius. I'll give the film that... even though most of the film it looks like it's closer to 0 degrees C. And yes. Freezing to death is possible even in those conditions where water barely freezes if you play your cards wrong. But it's very surviveable if you keep a level head.
In the situation we see here there are two pretty much logical options. Go upwards towards the tourist trap you came from or go downwards until you find roads and go downhill with that road. This characters decision? Randomly walk around the mountainside both downhill and uphill and be surprised that you aren't getting anywhere. Even when the character stumbles on a suspiciously flat area on the mountainside with no visible vegetation on it he just walks out on it. And to no sane persons surprise... it turns out it's a lake that's barely frozen over (further making me believe it's closer to -6C than -6F because if it was more of the latter the ice would probably be thick enough to park trucks on). And all I could think was "If you want to die so badly why not just drown right there?"
Now. Ok. I know it's supposedly based on a real event. And the protagonist probably weren't "sober" so to speak since he seems to have been having serious drug problems. But if you want to see a person go through hell to get out of a sticky situation he put himself in, then I would suggest 127 Hours with James Franco stuck in a dessert cave. He at least tries everything before resorting to the act that got that person famous for surviving. This guy? Again. It may be real. But it's not compelling to watch a person do everything he can to die in a forest when I'm supposed to think he wants to survive.
Again. The cinematography is great. I only saw the Bluray release on a rental which had the 2.76:1 ultra panavision format (like Hateful 8). Seeing this with the tripple projection system must have been quite a treat. But that does not save this film from being a chore to sit through when the main protagonist is so hell bent on not succeeding.
Gotti
(2018)
Forgettable.
19 October 2018
I knew next to nothing about Gotti going into the viewing and afterwards I really can't say that he stood out from his peers either. He's a generic mob boss apparently. Nothing nothing really memorable throughout the whole thing.
But it was in focus (though underexposed to a tiresome level) and sound was serviceable I guess... That's the most positive comment I have about it.
But it was in focus (though underexposed to a tiresome level) and sound was serviceable I guess... That's the most positive comment I have about it.
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