Change Your Image
Kremer-Thomas
Reviews
IMDb on the Scene - Interviews: Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)
Not really scary
I watched this movie together with my son, who is a fan of the game series. After seeing Willys Wonderland half a year ago, which amused us with its absurdity, I hoped to have a similar pleasure.
Unfortunately, Fredys didn't deliver. It was neither scary, nor funny. Since I don't know the games, I probably didn't notice the fan teasers.
The plot rather trickled along, there was hardly any suspense and the kill scenes were unspectacular, probably out of consideration for the younger audience.
The twists were announced with such loud fanfare that they were old before they even came to fruition.
The film could have been funny, the actors tried hard, but it seemed as if the director wasn't sure what genre he wanted to serve.
All in all, I was really surprised that the movie had almost two hours and not much really happened.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Sorry, but this is badly written.
I watched the series until the end, even though some scenes almost caused me physical pain.
It wasn't the cast or anything like that, it was the execution.
One big mistake Amazon made here was to use familiar names that fans have a certain idea of. Then these characters were squeezed into a new image that didn't fit the existing ideas.
It would have been easier to create a new character that works independently of the canon. If big names have to be used to have a recognition value, then the new elf could have been given Galadriel as a mentor. First problem with hardcore fans solved.
Unfortunately, this was dispensed with here. I'd like to touch on a few things here that were particularly hard to digest.
Right at the beginning of the first episode. After an introduction with Galadriel in childhood, we come, after an introduction about the war with Morgoth, to a climbing scene on an ice wall. One could think that this elf troop has never been in the mountains. Unsecured, only with ice hooks and boot tops, in direct line behind each other, they climb there. I know, elves have a higher stamina, but even fantasy has to follow certain rules to work. If one of the higher climbers were to fall, he would drag the rest down. A little reality and climbing experience could have been applied here.
At the end of the first episode, Galadriel decides to jump off the boat at the last minute instead of returning to Valinor. In the middle of the sea, with no idea in which direction the mainland could lie. One might think that in her centuries of life experience, it should be clear even to her that this is an extremely bad idea. Elves do not normally have a homing beacon.
Bad decisions made for no good reason are a common thread throughout the episodes and are unfortunately not uncommon. My wife gave up after the first episode and said she had better things to do with her life.
I, unfortunately, was not so smart.
What's also incredibly irritating are the red pegs, which are so noticeable that you want to bang your head on the edge of the table. Sauron's eye under the stranger was one of them. What viewer could possibly believe that this could be Sauron when Galadriel has been chasing him around Middle Earth for centuries? It just feels wrong.
There is always criticism that critics just can't handle Galadriel's role as a strong woman. I would like to contradict that. As an example, I will use Killjoys, which had a well-written strong woman lead. With RoP, I wished that Galadriel would disappear as soon as possible so that they could finally introduce a well-written character with depth that you can sympathize with.
Here, too, I was unfortunately disappointed.
All in all, this series has so many flaws that I'm glad I canceled my Amazon Prime membership beforehand so I wouldn't have to finance a second season.
They could have made a big splash with the series and the cast, but unfortunately the writers didn't get that far.
The two stars are for the CGI wich looked.decent.
Rimini (2022)
Avoid this film if you can
We saw the film in a sneak preview. A bet with my wife forced me to watch it to the end. In retrospect, I wish I had swallowed my pride and accepted defeat.
Whoever rated this film so highly either got paid or must have had something to do with the production. After about half of the film, the once-full cinema hall was empty except for three couples, and the other people left the cinema in a hurry.
But I digress, here are a few things about the content:
There was no real story. We watch an ageing pop singer drinking, smoking and occasionally getting into bed with one of his fans for a fee. If you're into granny sex, this film might be up your alley.
That's all that happens for a long while. Then a young woman shows up and you hope things will change and pick up speed, but unfortunately they don't. The missing daughter only comes to sue her father for child support. Since he has no money, he decides to resort to blackmail. With what? With a homemade mobile phone video of a threesome. Here we are forced as viewers to watch the unspeakable video over the actors' shoulders.
The money is extorted, the daughter is paid off, then she decides to move in with her boyfriend and his family. The hero of the story does not like this. And that is how the film ends.
I found out later that the director is planning a second part. I will do my best to give this one a wide berth.
The film had neither wit nor suspense, the humour, if there was any, was as deep underground as the mother buried at the beginning.
The hero's singing brought tears to my eyes, but only out of despair.
My advice therefore takes up a quote from good old Gandalf. If the film is playing near you: Fly, you fools.
Glorious (2022)
I liked the whimsical humour
The film may not be for everyone, but it is an entertaining chamber piece that managed to amuse me.
Good, there were a few mistakes and the content could have picked up a bit more momentum, but overall the 79 minutes entertained me well.
If you like Lovecraft and the bizarre humour doesn't put you off, apart from the litres of blood, then this is the place to be.
The voiceover by J. K. Simmons was superb, the CGI effects left something to be desired, but were okay. Ryan Kwanten may not be the best actor, but he captured the madness of his character well. A little more content about his background would have been suitable to fill the time with more interesting facts.
Overall, the film entertained me for the first time in a long time. Now, that we're getting tired of all the superhero films, it was a good change of pace.
I can recommend it to people who are not put off by the absurdity of the situation and the plot. A few beers can't hurt either.
Zvyozdniy razum (2022)
It tried so hard...
But never delivered. As other people have already written, the special effects are okay, but the rest leaves a lot to be desired.
Bad actors, no emotion on any level and a story so full of holes that you want to run away.
The initial idea is okay, but then it goes downhill.
One of the biggest mistakes is the origin of the sphere and the spaceship. They were found on Earth, but as we learn in a rather labored twist, our heroes bring the Sphere with them into the past. And now we have the problem of the usual time travel story. Where did the object originate? Did it just appear so that it could be found? If it really is of extraterrestrial origin, then there should be two spheres in the future.
The biorobot was equally questionable. Where did all the slime threads come from? What does it need them for? And why didn't he do his job properly and kill the crew when he had the chance?
The film was entertaining in the beginning because of its badness, but it quickly lost its appeal. We only finished watching it because the popcorn was okay.
Das Privileg (2022)
Good try, poor implementation
The film has a strong beginning, but then it tries to bring too many genres under one hat and fails to do so over the entire length. Some of the characters were flat clichés and other things so nonsensical that one doubted that the scriptwriters had read their own scripts.
The cast was good, at least the teenagers, the adults seemed too stiff and as if they had no desire to make a horror film.
The horror then also came rather short. After a while I only watched the film because I wanted to know how many more film genres they could accommodate.
As a German, however, I have to admit that this film, even though it has a lot of gaps, is one of the better examples of our cinematic art. With most productions from my country, I switch off much earlier.
A few examples of the illogical mistakes.
No drug dealer would greet his clientele the way it happened in this film. There will never be a collection of exotic animals, drugs and plants for sale in such a shack. The danger of police control would be too great.
The planned exorcism was complete nonsense. It was also nonsense that the corpses of the two operators would be used for mushroom cultivation a short time later. Who comes up with this nonsense? The ending strongly hints at a sequel, which I hope will never come.
Next time, please, less mixture and a well-planned story with a bit more logic.
No Time to Die (2021)
Sometimes we wished he just had taken his time
Of course, one can argue about taste.
In my eyes, this was one of the worst Bond films in a long series. Starting with a funeral elegy that was more whimpered than sung, you thought Bond was already dead.
The beginning was a good start to introduce the main villain. One would have liked more of him at the beginning. After three quarters of an hour, the film accomplished something that no Bond has ever done before. We left the cinema and enjoyed ourselves differently for the next two hours.
Actors get older, no question, but Craig in this film lacked all the more the charm and sarcasm that distinguished the earlier Bonds. The chemistry between Bond and the female characters, he was close to, was somehow lacking. Also, one should consider whether Bond's partner at the beginning of the film might have some serious daddy issues. After all, she is with a man who seems to be about thirty years older.
The screenwriters were so intent on portraying Bond as a battered, bleak character that I lost interest in him within a short time.
One wanted to shout at him 'Just take your time, dying isn't so bad'.
Now I haven't seen the remaining two hours, maybe they were a firework of humor and great acting, but I dare to doubt it.
Usually we say that if a movie couldn't captivate us after 20 minutes, then it's not worth it. Due to the high cost of cinema, we even gave this movie 45 minutes. It was in vain.
What was missing was charm and a reason to hope for the character to survive. At least the older films still achieved this.
Even though the sexism and some of the jokes in the early films were very dubious, it still made up part of the Bond series.
The Kingsmen recently really surprised me in a positive way in this regard. The two films were very much in the style of the old Bonds, but adapted to our times. Amusing and entertaining.
I wish the last Craig Bond had taken a leaf out of that book.
Night at the Eagle Inn (2021)
It Wasn't surprising, but i liked it
There are a lot of Haunted House/Hotel movies around.
I stumbled over this one by accident.
I think for the small budget and the Corona Lockdown Situation they made something good out of it.
It wasn't really surpsing and you have heard the story a lot of times, but i think, the acting was good and the atmosphere had it's peeks.
All in all it was a nice little movie that i enjoyed with my wife.
No gore that would have chased her away but enough creepy things to keep us watching.
The Spine of Night (2021)
Very poor animation
Okay, it seems they tried something like the old Lord of the Rings animation from. Ralph Bakshi, made in 1978,
or Fire and Ice, or the Heavy Metal animation from 1981.
But they failed on full length.
The animation of the characters is just bad. The story that connects the individual parts is hair-raising and incoherent. The voice actors deliver their usual quality, but that doesn't save this mess.
About 40 years ago this film would have been hailed as state of the art, today you wonder how they found animators willing to voluntarily produce such rubbish and lend their name to it.
It's a real pity, I had hoped for a successful realisation.
The Girl in the Woods (2021)
Better watch the Shorts on Youtube
When i saw, that Crypt TV made a full series of the Brute shorts i was exited.
The Youtube Movies were great, the acting superb and the pacing on top.
Now we get the series and it's rather disappointing. I didn't like the charakters and the story drags along. Stopped after three episodes and got back to Youtube to rewatch it there. Hope they will make more of their fantastic short movies.
Vengeance of the Leprechaun's Gold (2020)
Pretty bad
I've seen a few leprechaun films over the years, but this one is by far the worst.
The actor of the eponymous creature does a poorly imitated accent. If you remember the good old films with Warwick Davis, which were bad in a good way, then you can only shake your head at this one. The leprechaun here is boring and sounds more like a bear with a broken voice. The plot is very predictable and hardly offers any amusing moments.
This film managed to make me turn it off halfway through. I was hoping for a sequel to 2018's Leprechaun Returns. That film was not to be taken seriously either, but offered much more fun.
My advice is to stay away from this film and watch the old ones from 1993 instead.
Breach (2020)
Why is Bruce Willis suddenly only making B movies?
After the trailer, I was hoping for a nice Alien movie with the typical Bruce Willis coolness.
Unfortunately, I got to see neither the one nor the other.
The opening plot shows a world on the brink of destruction. Environmental destruction, pollution and a virus threaten to wipe out humanity.
As usual in such films, only a privileged few are allowed to take the plunge into another world. Unfortunately, there are also opponents here who want to sabotage the flight.
And this is where it starts to become illogical. Where the being brought along comes from is not mentioned in any way. It seems more like an alien life form than a creature bred in a laboratory. The behaviour of the crew in the face of this threat is grossly illogical in places.
The fact that one of the main characters only thinks of the ultimate weapon against the monsters when it is already out of reach borders on debility. As a substitute, a homemade schnapps must be used, which is mixed from rocket fuel and other things. Even in the near future, these ingredients are unlikely to be edible,
The ending is also illogical and should hopefully not point to a second part.
Bruce Willis must owe a lot of people a lot of favours or be in the dumps to accept such film offers.
I hope he gets his act together and makes a comeback with movies that are above B-- level.
Girl (2020)
Better than I expected
The film was an instant decision, the story sounded like something to pass the evening with.
I was amazed at how much it managed to captivate me.
The lead actress does a good job of getting to the heart of her role, in my opinion. Mickey Rourke may have aged, but he plays the perfidious sheriff with bravura. There were a few hiccups, the death of one of the characters in the fire was a bit too crude and comedy-like for me personally.
The question of why the sheriff and his brother did not continue the pursuit on the first day soon arose. If you have a confidant of a murderer you better look for her before she can leave town. A bit illogical, but necessary for the plot.
The story knew how to keep you interested.
Overall, the film was dirty and therefore more realistic than some other Hollywood thrillers. I wouldn't watch it a second time now that I know the premise, but it won me over the first time.
Black Pumpkin (2018)
Bad take on the 80s
With its soundtrack and general appearance, the film looks like a bad horror from the 80s.
The actors deliver their dialogue in a bored manner and the characters are so clichéd that they cannot be taken seriously.
Normally I watch films to the end to form a good opinion. I switched off this cheese after half an hour.
The characters were so boring that I didn't care who lived or died. No development or interesting background.
For me the film was a waste of time, only the IMDB rating of almost 5 stars made me give it a chance.
I guess the 10 star ratings are bought, or given by staff of the film.
Don't Click (2020)
The Trailer is just Click bait
The film has neither an interesting story nor a useful resolution.
Don't click had an interesting idea, but the execution was boring nonsense with interspersed snuff scenes.
There are far better things to pass the time, like watching paint dry.
The Jack in the Box (2019)
Nice little Horror movie
I liked the approach with the demonic Jack in the box. It deviated a little from the usual patterns.
The acting performance was passable throughout. Some reactions were a bit exaggerated, but the film was not made to win an Oscar.
The actor who was responsible for Jack gave a great performance. The partly snake-like movements gave the character a very special pattern. The mask was creepy enough to keep you happy.
The interwoven historical backgrounds were credibly placed and made it more plausible.
Only the design of the box was a bit strange. The use of the rune pattern on the edge suggests that the box should be much older. The included figure, however, seems rather new-fashioned. A small break, which should not distract from the fun factor of the film.
The story was very predictable, but that shouldn't stop you from watching. The violence was very limited, only in a few scenes you get to see a little more fake blood. But this does not harm the film.
Also the end was already known. Note: If someone tells you what can go wrong in a ritual, then it will go wrong.
We had our fun watching. It was much better than some hyped films. While in Hereditary I wished it would finally end and fall asleep in between, Jack in the Box at least kept me awake.
Onus (2020)
Nice acting but nothing more
Onus is unfortunately a very disappointing film.
The horror is very limited.
The actors' acting performance is good, but not good enough to save the one and a half hours of boredom. Equipment and ambience are well chosen.
The end of the film raises more questions than a Chinese manual for a French toaster.
The visions that haunt the main protagonist make no sense. The reaction of the young woman when she tries to escape is simply stupid. In several shots you see a whole collection of walking sticks with metal knobs. Why doesn't she take one as a precaution to defend herself? Probably because this plot would not have fitted with the script writer, but it only makes the movie more unbelievable.
The argument that she was chosen because no one will miss her is nonsensical.
Even if the girl doesn't keep in touch with her family, it will eventually become apparent that she has disappeared. At the latest, when the rent is not paid, someone will ask questions.
All in all I would not recommend the film to anyone in their right mind. A little more background on the being they sacrific for, a little more action and the film would have won a lot.
Artemis Fowl (2020)
Not what i expected
I read the first two books some years ago and found them interesting. When I saw the trailer for the film, expectations were high. Especially since the cut of the trailer showed some things in a completely wrong context.
Oh man was I disappointed.
The performance of the actors is generally okay.
Judie Dench and Colin Farrell are among my favorite actors. Unfortunately their roles were very limited.
The young actors did a solid job.
Unfortunately, this didn't improve the script, which left a lot to be desired.
Especially Domvoi Butler's niece was a disappointment. In the books it is his sister, who can also give a good grip.
The niece is introduced as a tough girl, but the only thing she does in this movie is to bring Artemis a sandwich.
Why? Why was this character in the film if she doesn't get at least a few action scenes?
The ending hinted at a sequel, which hopefully will never happen.
If you don't know the books, you might be able to overlook some script weaknesses. Still, it's not enough for more than a tired smile.
The Call (2020)
Nice setting but bad story
I liked the setting in the 80s. The characters were well cast, unfortunately they couldn't tear out the tired script.
The plot was simple, but it took half an hour to get to the call.
The carnival at the beginning, which later also plays a model role in the house, was completely out of place. It was not needed and only dragged the whole thing out. I guess after IT and similar movies carnivals are considered scary.
The equipment of the house was confusing.
Why the hell did this old couple have so many skulls, demon sculptures and the like standing around? If I understood the time of action correctly, maybe three years have passed since the girl's death and the present time. Before that it was a daycare for small children. Where did all these sinister things come from in such a short time? Of course it underlined the claim that the old woman was a witch, but it was meaningless.
The sequences in the in-between world were mediocre and not really scary. A little blood in the face and some scars with make-up on them didn't really make it scary.
The end of the movie was outrageous and crowned it all.
The question still remains why the old lady felt so much hate for the newcomer. He was the only one who didn't throw any stones. So why call him twice to tie him up after he escaped the first time?
I like Lin Shaye, she did a good acting job here too. Unfortunately she dies quite early and in between she only appears as a zombie.
All in all time wasted.
Gretel & Hansel (2020)
It's not a Horror Movie at all
When I started watching the film I expected one of the usual horror flicks with a fairytale motif. But the film took a very different turn. There were only a few moments that served the horror aspect.
It was more the story of a young woman who starts to find her own way in life.
A coming of age, if you like. Metaphorically disguised and depicted in an extremely complex way.
The actors are grandiose throughout. I liked the actress of the witch, she balanced on the narrow path between cynical emancipator and caring grandmother.
The change of the witch from the driving, emancipating force to the opponent in the last part of the film was unexpected, but still understandable.
The only thing that was a bit irritating about the movie was the set, because you could never be sure in which time the movie takes place. And where the hell did the horse come from at the end of the movie?
All in all I can recommend the film. However, not for horror fans who are looking for some jumpscares. You only get them very rarely.
Vivarium (2019)
What a waste of time
The film starts with a promising beginning.
The situation of being suddenly bound to a place and having no chance to escape is interesting. Unfortunately, it also ends there.
Watching two people wandering along the street, only to end up in front of house number 9 again, has no entertainment value. Also the rest of the life in the ideal home can not inspire.
The appearance of the child is a moment in which you expect that there is now a little bit more drive into the matter. The cut from baby to toddler is merciless. Well, probably they did not want to torture the audience with another half hour of nothing.
The next 75 minutes are dull boredom, only interrupted by some screaming fits of the child, who obviously knows no other way to demand his needs. Even the couple's drifting apart doesn't really create any tension. After half of the movie I didn't care if they live or die.
When finally some more movement comes into the matter, it is so confusing that it brings no satisfaction.
The end is to be expected and therefore hardly surprising.
All in all I would have preferred to watch my wall paint drying.
The trailer was promising, the product is in no way.
Better leave it alone.
Tower of Silence (2019)
Nice try, but not even mediocre
First things first.
I hope the team enjoyed the production.
Unfortunately the film uses almost every bad cliché you can imagine.
The mask and special effects are poor. That may have been due to the budget, but it would have been nice if the zombies hadn't all looked like tired panda bears.
The story isn't very complicated, with a little more effort they could have made it more interesting.
What bothered me most about this movie, though, was the underground choreography of the fights. It's so bad that you want to shout to the makers: Guys, watch some sword fights on Youtube, you can learn a lot in the process.
Or better yet, go to some live role-playing games and you'll get to see some good masks too.
I showed the film to my son (11) to give him a feel for how depressingly badly planned fights can look.
The actors try hard, but unfortunately they don't get beyond that.
It may have been the script, but most of the time they just seem confused.
I recommend everyone to save time and to avoid the film.
Treasure Hunter: Legend of the White Witch (2018)
Really bad Movie
I tried to watch this movie with some friends.
At first i thought they are making fun of me and the real movie starts a little later.
Oh man was i wrong.
The acting in this flick is terrible. The story seems to be put together from a lot of silly movies.
Filming scenes in sepia dosn't make them good or scary.
Best save your time.
The Dark Tower (2017)
That's no Dark Tower adaption...
It's utterly evil! That was the first thing my wife said after watching this movie. We were surprised that only four people were in the cinema (us included) but after the credits we knew why. We both read the books when we were younger. I liked them but they weren't my favorite. When we heard the movie is around 94 minutes we thought it must be the first part of something epic. We were so wrong.
The actors are quite good. We liked Walter, he brought something evil that suited him. Idris Elba didn't have much chance to give Roland what he deserves. Most time you see him shooting.
The story was a conglomerate of elements from the books watered down and mixed together. There were some nice hints on other King books but they couldn't help making the movie better. What was it that ailed us so much? Perhaps it was the fact that this movie didn't show the respect the 8 Books deserve. They just took a great name and made something loveless out of it. I know, most King adaptions aren't close to the books! But when I was young I loved IT and I even liked the movie. I just had hope that they make something nice out of it. After this we only hope that they will sell the rights to Netflix and they make an 8 year lasting series out of it. They showed some potential with Stranger Things and some other Series I really like to watch. So there could be a little light in the darkness.
There is a last thing to say, for all of you, who haven't watched this movie yet! Save your time and money. Even for someone who hasn't read the books this movie is a painful reminder that big Ideas can crumble to dust without enough screen time.
Storage 24 (2012)
Very funny Monster Movie
I just saw this movie after looking for some new horror movie that does not involve torture or mass murders. On first sight it looked a little bit cheesy, but after some time the actors worked great together. Knowing Noel Clarke mostly for his role in Dr Who i had hoped for some action paced running around and sure i got some. The story of the movie is rather simple and had some plot holes, the end was really refreshing and the CGI/Monster Make-up people did a good job. What gave the movie the little extra kick where the funny moments one would not have expected. The plastic dildo, the teddy bear murder or the 'rocket dog' were very amusing. All in all i had a great time with this B-Movie and could recommend it to everyone who looks for a little action. Hope they bring some more of this stuff in the future.