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Out of the Furnace (2013)
Ruined a farcical ending
Put simply, Christian Bale's character wants to get vigilante justice on a redneck criminal responsible for his brothers death. The head of the local police force turns up before Bale is able to raise his gun, aim, and blow this criminals head off. The police officer, in reality, would have gunned down Bale's character before he was able to kill the other man. This film would have us believe that the head of people not only allowed the murder to happen, but he was then part of a cover up. Did he get some shovels and help Bale dig a six foot hole to put the body in as well? Ridiculous.
I'm willing to suspend my disbelief...but not this much.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
The humour ruins it for me
This could've been a solid Sci-Fi film if it had taken itself more seriously. It had all the elements of horror, the Aliens looked terrifying, do we need to sidekick making jokes every few seconds? It completely takes me out the movie and ruins the tension.
I had the same criticism for the movie 'Underwater'. We don't need a comedian employed to follow the lead actor around cracking jokes constantly. I can't remember seeing that in Terminator. Please stop!
Arrival (2016)
Sensational
A stunning story which asks deep philosophical questions about life, and the choices we all make. If you could see your life, from beginning to end, would you still make the same decisions? It stays with you. Some very powerful and moving scenes.
Batwoman (2019)
Horrific
Gave season 2 a try as I wondered how they would approach the change in actor. They did it in the worst possible way. The new actor discovers a plane crash, walks in to the wreckage, and hold up the Batwoman suit. She decides to put the suit on an go fight crime. Now, if someone held me a Batman suit I couldn't go out and be Batman. Ridiculous! This might actually be the worst show I have ever seen.
Dreamkatcher (2020)
Why is it called 'Dreamkatcher'?
The story is about a dreamcatcher so why the misspelling of the movie title? Is it so it wouldn't conflict with the Stephen King adaptation? I think something similar happened a few years ago when they made a movie called 'Total Rekall' about a company called 'Total Recall' (the original Arnold Schwarzenegger movie).
This stuff just irks me, that's all.
The Irishman (2019)
A massive failure.
I've seen Scorsese's classic: The Departed, Goodfellas, Casino, Wolf of Wall Street, Ragin Bull, Taxi Driver, etc. This movie 'The Irishman' isn't in the same league as the his other movies, it's not even the same sport.
Some may think a rating of one star is harsh but given the director, the actors, the massive budget, this is hugely underwhelming. A massive failure to deliver on the hype.
The movie started off as a story about a hitman played by Robert De Niro. I think the main character was suppose to be a very interesting person but for me he wasn't. Al Pacino's character (Jimmy Hoffa) comes in to the movie about an hour in and I was more interested in his story than anything else. After Hoffa's inevitable disappearance there's another hour of old men shuffling about in prison, picking out caskets, where they are going to get buried, etc. It turned in to a snoozefest.
The CGI was hyped up about how these guys were made to look younger and older. It was suppose to be amazing - It's not. It's jarring as hell. There's this strange blue eye effect going on that I couldn't quite understand. Despite changes to their faces they still move around like geriatrics. There's one scene De Niro is beating someone up and it's hilarious because he can barely stamp on the guys hand properly. Keep in mind De Niro is in his mid 70s and it shows in the body language. They should've used younger actors.
When the end credit came up I was like 'what the fudge?! That's it?!' This was just a truly forgettable experience. I will never watch this movie again.
Joker (2019)
The Most Accurate Depiction Of Mental Illness I've Seen
Let me preface this review by saying that I suffer from mental ill health. I've had PTSD for the last 20 years. During that time I've been on many medications, been to therapists, been to peer-to-peer support groups, etc. I've seen real human suffering and endured it myself.
I was cautious going in to this movie because I thought it might hit too close to home and trigger something in myself. I felt deeply effected by this move at an emotional level. The line "The worst thing about having a mental illness, is people expect you to behave as if you dont." couldn't be anymore true. There are people walking among you all day and you wouldn't even know it because they've learned to hide it so well.
In terms of the movie itself, I was stunned by its simplicity. No elaborate fight scenes, no CGI, no over the top super powers, etc. There's no need for it. This is a story about a man with a mental health issue. It starts with Arthur in a very difficult situation and things just keep getting worse, and worse. You can sympathise with him and therefore this movie can be painful to watch. Some people in the cinema I was at were laughing at points and I couldn't understand why. There's nothing funny about this movie. I do think a lot of people simply wont 'get it' and I hate saying that.
I think the acting and story is of the very highest level. In a world of constant reboots and old ideas Joker brings something new to the table. I don't think I've ever seen a movie like this. As much as I appreciate what a stunning movie this is I wouldn't see it again as I found it too painful to watch. I think people should know going in to this that you'll be watching a tale of human suffering. This could very well happen in real life it's so grounded. While the tale itself is one of tragedy its execution is simply masterful.
I'll be giving it a 10/10 and it deserves its place among the top of the IMDb 250.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
This is very well done.
Recently I watched the movie follow up to the TV show Deadwood and was very disappointed (I believe I wrote a detailed review on here as to why).
This, however, is very good. It pays homage to the original show in a much better way. This isn't a movie that's been fashioned for quick profit. It feels like a real tip of the hat to the original show and its fans. I very much enjoyed it. I felt very emotional towards the end and it's great to see some of the old characters back if even for a few seconds.
I highly recommend this.
Deadwood (2019)
We needed a season 4, not a movie.
I'm a huge enthusiast of the original Deadwood show. I watched it when it originally aired, and have watched it many times since then. I consider it to be one of the greatest shows ever made. As you might imagine, I was very excited about this movie and a return to Deadwood. However, I watched the movie yesterday and can tell you I'm disappointed with what I saw.
Here is the main issues I had with this movie: (This review will contain spoilers from now on)
- The dialogue is noticeably different. I did read that the original writer couldn't work on this show and my goodness does it show. The words aren't as memorable, poetic, witty, etc. It's all very bland when compared to the original series and there's none of those classic exchanges we remember so well.
- Doc Cochran had TB at the end of Season 3 and this was never addressed in the Movie. Also, E.B. Farnum's hotel might have a new balcony but how is it he can now move around the outside of the hotel building in secret passageways looking through peepholes? E.B. was always very intrusive when it came to the business of others and had such passages existed prior we would've been made aware of that during the original three seasons of the show. Also, Calamity Jane shoots a man dead in the movie which is very uncharacteristic as she always had a big mouth but you could "knock her over with a feather".
- Many of the characters have been brought back but they're not performing their original roles. Instead, they've been shoehorned in to others in order to further what little plot their is. Harry Manning, the harmless would be firefighter, is now a treacherous underling of George Hurst. Aunt Lou isn't a cook at the hotel anymore instead she's a midwife which is convenient since there's a baby needing delivered. Even Con Stapleton has somehow become a minister which is also handy as there's a body to be buried and a wedding to oversee. Yes, the show has many of the same actors but they weren't needed and have been shoehorned in to various roles for the sake of getting on screen.
- There is no new storylines here. The movie spends a good while reintroducing all the characters when they didn't have time for that. Once the characters have been introduced and they've tried to reignite the hostility between the camp and Hurst the movie is quickly coming to a close.
- Hurst is a brutal man who forces others to bend to his will. He wanted Trixie dead and bribed a couple of nearby Sheriffs to execute a warrant on it. He wanted a piece of land and the camp denied that to him. The Sheriff also embarrasses Hurst by yet again dragging him by the ear in to cells. Hurst is an extremely powerful person and you would imagine the Pinkertons would be called in and murdering to start taking place after this movie ends. There's no real resolution as far as Hurst goes we're exactly where we left off.
- Following on from my last point about Hurts. In season 3 Hurst kills the husband of Alma Garret to force her to sell her land to him. Alma complies because she has to, Hurst will stop at nothing to get what he wants. In the movie Alma buys a piece of land Hurst wants to install telephone polls thus putting herself in the exact same situation as she was back in season 3. That makes very little sense. Similarly, the killing of Ellseworth (Alma's husband) results in conflict with the entire camp and the Sheriff in a fit of temper locks up Hurst dragging him by the ear to jail. In the movie Hurst kills another man because he wants land, is lead to the jail house by the ear, but we're to believe Hurst will be issued justice this time? The same Hurst who can rig entire elections and have his man appointed Sherriff? The same Hurst who, with one call, can have the Pinkertons fall upon on Deadwood like locusts? The same Hurst who can bride just about anyone and swing juries whichever way he sees fit? A kicking in the thoroughfair wouldn't humble Hurst or make him back down he's a savage sociopath.
- Al Swearengen is the strongest character on the show. We want to see him cutting throats and working on his "deployments and flanking manoeuvres". Sadly, Al is portrayed as a shell of his former self in this movie and we're not treated to the formidable, intelligent, witty, cut throat we all know and loved. In the end it seems like they killed him off although we get a Soprano style fade to black rather than something conclusive so I guess we'll never know.
- Al, who is apparently dying, leaves his saloon to Trixie. Now, Al and Dan were cutting throats in the woods a long time before they even entered the Deadwood camp. They built the Gem Saloon together "blow for blow". Dan is Al's right hand man is nothing but a "creature on hind legs" without him. Yet, this new Al decides to hand the Gem over to Trixie (who has long since moved on and has an independently wealthy husband) and tells her she can turn his bar in to a dancehall. Dan's years of loyalty (something that these two would never break) apparently counts for nothing.
Lastly, the violence and swearing the TV show was renowned for is noticeably absent here. I don't know if it had to be dulled down for a straight to TV movie, or if it was due to having different writers, but it's certainly not the same. I didn't like the movie and honestly feel it would need a complete season 4 to do this program justice. I know many will say 'something is better than nothing' but in this case I disagree. If a 4th season was never on the table they should've just left it.
True Detective (2014)
I can't understand what Mahershala Ali is saying.
The biggest problem with season 3 for me is this guy Mahershala Ali. I cannot understand much of what he is saying. English is my first language so there's no reason why I and others should be struggling with this. Not only can I not understand what much of he is saying but he talks in such a boring and monotone way I tend to zone out. He doesn't pull me in to the story he kicks me out! His acting is terrible too I really think he's out of his depth here.
Halloween (2018)
Not a Halloween fan but really enjoyed this.
I haven't seen the original movie nor have I seen any of its sequels. I watched this as a standalone movie. I really enjoyed it and would describe it as more of a thriller than a horror.
From what I've read Michael Myers became a bit like Jason Voorhees in the Halloween sequels in that he took on a sort of unearthly 'can't die' attribute. It becomes a bit silly to see these super strong, and constantly regenerating characters, constantly brought back time and again to chase around sex starved teenagers.
This Halloween has a strong footing in realism, some of the death scenes are quite vicious, and I rather enjoyed it. I think it's getting a lot of had from the original fans who don't want to see a fresh take on this franchise. I also think any talk of another sequel should be forgotten less it devalues the entire point of this movie.
There was an original Halloween movie. After 40 years it got the sequel it deserved. Let's leave it at that.
Jawbone (2017)
Much Better Than I Had Expected.
Most of the modern fight movies depicting boxing are absolute garbage. I did like The Fighter with Christian Bale but that's the only one I can think of...until Jawbone.
Jawbone is a story of alcoholism, isolation, and a man just trying to get by with nothing. It reminds me a little bit of The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke which was also a very solid film.
There's a lot of clichés in Jawbone but that doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I remember watching an interview with Tarantino in which he said the stories of Pulp Fiction are all 'ones you've seen before but told in a different way' and that makes it special. It's the delivery of the story that makes a movie special even if it lacks originality in its themes.
This is a very solid movie and I enjoyed it very much. Sadly, it'll never get the recognition it deserves because the movie industry is oversaturated with very poorly made fight movies aimed at knuckle heads. Young men want to watch Fast And Furious type trash, or some story about a badass MMA fighter, and this is probably the demographic who will stumble across Jawbone and dislike it because it's not what they were expecting. This is a movie with a story and soul it's not about kicking ass, cars, and half naked women.
In any case, I'd just like to say well done to everyone involved in making the movies - I'm not easily pleased but you've achieved that with this movie.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Outstanding Television
I write this review having seen only one episode of this show. However, I've been a member of IMBd for over 10 years and consider myself a seasoned cinephile. I can already tell that we're witnessing something special.
This show has a familiar theme to it. A reporter sent back to her small home town to dig up a story and finds something very big. However it's the quality of acting, directing, and script, that truly take this to the next level. For example, Amy Adams' seems to have had a traumatic childhood and remembers things in a way that is so real it's quite unsettling. Images of her past are spliced in to the 'now' and it's a very uncommon way of telling us the story of her past that I don't think I've seen done as well before. She drinks and listens to load music to drown out the images. Very compelling and I think many human beings will connect with this.
Amy Adams is a wonderful actress and I'm excited to see her work on a TV series such as this. I'm certain she'll get a lot of recognition for this work. She's so understatedly beautiful as well it must be said. A top talent.
Survivors Guide to Prison (2018)
Criticises the prison system without offering alternatives
This documentary shows the viewer a handful of people who were wrongfully convicted and then suggests this could be widespread the USA. The current system is by no means perfect, and innocent people will sometimes be wrongfully convicted, but they represent a tiny percentage of those currently in prisons. Most of the people who are imprisoned deserve to be there because they've committed a crime and are being punished.
This programme suggests that imprisoning individuals doesn't work. Then what should we do with rapists, murderers, robbers, and drug dealers? They can't just walk the streets. I'm all for rehabilitation but that needs to happen in prison where the public can be kept safe from violent offenders and other dangerous people.
Lastly, this program pushes the idea that blacks are more likely to be convicted (which is true but not for the reasons given within the documentary). A disproportionate number of black people are incarcerated because of their culture, not institutional bias. Black people commit crimes in numbers way above that of any other ethnicity. There's a criminal culture within the black community and these people need to take responsibility for that. They're not being locked up for simply walking down the street.
Anon (2018)
A very poor movie indeed.
This movie carried the tagline "stylish sci-fi thriller" and I'm here to tell you it ain't.
Let me first mention that throughout the movie there's gratuitous nudity and scenes of sex. I'm a man who appreciates a nice pair of boobs as much as anyone but it wont make up for the lack of substance. Clive has sex with a high class hooker, we see the sex scene again as the hacker tries to remove that memory from the "ether", then he bangs the hacker as well. It's quite laughable really but I expect men who are of low intelligence and fancy themselves as a bit of a ladies man might be sucked in.
The movie itself, in terms of its sci-fi merit, is a miss. It's a detective solving a crime in a future where everything is the same except for something called the "ether". The "ether" is basically a data collection of everything your eyes have ever looked at your view can be live streamed. The hacker protagonist in this movie can manipulate that data and therefore is a person of interest. There's a twist at the end but it's underwhelming to say the least.
I'm a huge fan of the sci-Fi genre. Scanner Darkly, Oblivion, Minority Report, Blade Runner, Total Recall, Aliens, Terminator, you name it I'm in to it. This however is a very tame and uninspiring movie that brings no new concepts to the table and there's very little effort made in terms of the CGI or acting. A truly forgettable experience.
Couple in a Hole (2015)
Horrible
I've been a member of IMDb for over 8 years. Before now, I've only ever written a review for one movie and that was Sophie Coppola's 'Somewhere' travesty. Today I will write my second review: This movie is absolute garbage.
Two people living in a hole out in the woods is how it begins. It takes over 45mins before we even know why the hell they're there. Are they trapped out in the woods? What country are they even in? Then one of the two hole people visits the local shops hiding his face the entire time. Are these people criminals? What the hell is going on? It's a very long drawn out story and if you think the ending will be worth the payoff you're wrong. In the end the dead son turns in to a Pig and apparently saves one of the two lunatics hiding in the woods.
Avoid this like it was the plague.
Somewhere (2010)
Worst Movie Ever!
This is without doubt, the worst movie ever made. Biggest pile of pretentious crap to date. If you want to watch paint dry, people sitting around getting a tan, people smoking, and other assorted nothingness, then this is the film for you.
This has actually become a running joke between me and my Girlfriend. We made the mistake of buying it on DVD and we constantly loan it out to people telling them that it's a really great movie with a twist ending. Little do they know that it's a piece of crap. If there's a Spider running across my floor then Somewhere would be the CD case that you would use to squash it.
Honestly, it's that bad!