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Pulp Fiction, Memento, Sin City, Cloverfield, Avengers
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Ren she da zhan (1982)
Gruesome but captivating animal horror
I don't remember now how I found out about this film - with that said, I'm so glad I did find it and that I watched a VHS rip on YouTube.
This movie is insane. As soon as I saw the concept, I knew I had to watch it. But it exceeded any expectations I had. It starts with how they kill the snakes; I don't consider this as a spoiler as it's in the plot summary. They use a freaking BULLDOZER! They say there are 80 THOUSAND snakes in the pit when they find it. You need serious firepower for that.
The ridiculousness only goes up from there. I definitely recommend this film if you enjoy cult horror, or even a kung fu/martial arts fan, you would enjoy. I got Shaw Brothers vibes.
The one thing I didn't love is what I assume to be the live skinning of a snake, as well as the killing of many snakes in that first scene setting the pace for the murder rate through the runtime. I'm posting this as a warning for this who watch and aren't expecting to see a snake heart still beating, or a snake and a badger fighting to the death. If it makes you feel any better, it really makes you root for the snakes! The badger part was really unnecessary, and goes on for way too long.
Watching the snakes get their revenge is pretty insane. So many snakes! The snake budget for this film must have been astronomical. It's awesome watching them cause destruction in large numbers, including a massive Boa.
In all, give this a try. Skip the animal cruelty if you would rather avoid it - they make it obvious when it's about to happen. Aside from that, I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
Evil Dead (2013)
A Bloody Spectacle
As with any remake, I had a lot of hesitation towards this film. I enjoyed the initial trilogy of films, and didn't think a reboot was the right way to go about it.
While the film itself is still hit or miss, there is no doubt that the film achieved its goal - you're not going to forget it.
The amount of blood and gore in this film is shocking at times; you wonder in moments how they're pulling a specific part off. While the acting performances themselves are nothing special, they did an excellent job of playing into their wounds and injuries. There are some truly cringe-inducing moments.
The story itself is another aspect that I couldn't care much about. They try and change around the backstory of the cabin, etc., which I get, but it was all means to an end. The film is to showcase the impressive practical and visual effects. Let me go on record however in saying that I wasn't a huge fan of the deadite design. Some looked a little bit too cartoonish.
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Short, sweet, and sad.
I stumbled upon this film while looking into Best Picture nominees. It wasn't the longest film, and it was available on YouTube, so I decided to watch.
Really touching film, a sad one for sure. There's a lot of touching scenes that really made me pain for the people involved in this "incident". The film is compact, but it packs a powerful punch. Worth a watch if these kinds of films are up your alley.
The Night Stalker (1972)
Nothing quite like a TV Movie
They really don't make TV movies like they used to. I love this idea for a film; a detective looking into a modern day vampire - it's so simple, but quite enjoyable. This is the first film I had seen the lead in aside from Christmas Story, and I thought he was great. I also love the ending, although I do not want to spoil it. The fact this has a sequel excites me and I plan on watching it shortly.
Given this is available on YouTube to watch for free, I can only recommend this so much for the horror/sci-fi fans out there. Surprised this is not more of a cult film in today's age.
The Elephant Man (1980)
This really is an incredible movie... but man
This is a brutal film. It's got that Lynch vibe. He's one of my favorite directors and this film was just so jarring in such a way only he could pull off. It's absolutely gutting at times. What a performance.
That said, I'm not sure, while amazing it is, I ever want to see it again. That is a compliment in itself. Maybe we shall cross paths again someday. But not any time soon. This one's going to be stuck in my head a while.
The Signal (2014)
Tries to do too much...
This film tries to pack a lot of mystery and information into a relatively short run time, and I'm not sure they succeed in putting together an effective mystery. A lot of the twists and turns were fun, but there were, at least in my opinion, too many.
The film did have some great looking CGI, for what it's worth, but anyone who can read (literally) can sniff this plot out very early on. Worth watching once, but never again.
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore. (2017)
A Charming and Witty Black Comedy
With all of the new content that Netflix has been churning out in the past few years, it becomes easy for someone to miss a new film or TV series that they could have enjoyed. I had heard about I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore for some time, but it got lost in the shuffle of my Netflix queue list once it was released. I finally got around to watching it, and I'm very glad that I did.
The film is based around a depressed and bored woman who goes on a hunt for her missing stuff when she becomes a victim of a home invasion. I had not seen much of the lead, Melanie Lynsky, before this film, but she was a delightful surprise. She played her character with genuine emotion and expression. She was a perfect fit for the role. Elijah Wood was also excellent in his supporting role. His character, an off-beat but brave neighbor, stole the film for me.
In all, if you want something that is short (93 minutes), and makes you experience a variety of emotions from laughter to sadness and horror, this is the film for you. It is charming and witty film that makes you feel good as you watch it. I definitely recommend this film.
Hollywoodland (2006)
A pleasant surprise!
I was surprised when I came across this on HBO GO. I had never heard of it, nor the story that it was telling. After doing some light research, I decided to take the dive in and give it a try. I was not disappointed.
Now, I'm not going to tell you this was a modern classic. I think the film is lacking in a lot of areas. However, I sure as hell enjoyed it. I thought Adrien Brody put on an excellent performance. I thought that a Ben Affleck who was still trying to find his footing as a star actor (at the time) put on a great performance as well. The editing of the film, particularly the color tone, made for the film to become a much more immersive experience. If you love Unsolved Mysteries, or any other type of show or topic like that, then this film is a no brainer. I bet that anyone you know who lived through the 50's would remember this case. It was a big deal back then, and to see it play out was a lot of fun.
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Shadow of the Vampire is one that sticks with you.
First off, I want to praise the writer, Steven Katz, for this idea. To base it off an urban legend that shows just how powerful Max Schreck's performance in Nosferatu was, and do it so well, was really genius. The film starts of strong, slows down some, and then finishes with an absolute bang. The ending is one of the most captivating that I have seen in some time. John Malkovich puts on an incredible performance, and echoes just how far a director will go to complete a vision. Defoe also does a great job in his portrayal of Nosferatu. I just can't even describe how much I enjoyed the ending. The progression of the characters culminate in a grand spectacle of the past and the present. "I think we have it."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
You know what you are getting with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Before I start, I would like to say that while I did watch the cartoon series, played their games, and watched their first movies, I do not consider myself a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not that I don't find the concept interesting, because I do, but I usually found myself enjoying the X-Men and others more so than our four friendly turtles.
Regardless, while not being a big fan, I decided to take the dive into this movie even with the mediocre reviews. When I came out of it, the film was almost exactly what I expected it to be. Let me explain. I knew, going into the film, that it was a Michael Bay film. That aspect of the film is prominent and often. I also knew that the turtles were going to be CGI, and lo and behold, they were. I actually thought they looked really good, and I enjoyed the fact that they all had subtle differences that helped them stood out as individuals. I went into this film, just looking to have fun, and I came out being pleased with what I saw. I knew this wasn't going to be a great film, by any means. But for mindless action and fun, this movie is exactly as prescribed. I also found the performance of Will Arnet to be absolutely hilarious.
However, there is one part of the film that degrades to film to the borderline of a good movie, and an okay movie. That part is Megan Fox. She is just simply not a good actor. And to make matters worse, she shows up in almost every single scene. They would have a cool scene where Splinter was making the turtles do some intense meditation. It was cool to see their dynamic, and they were, of course, a lot of fun. However as soon as you go back to Megan Fox, who is either constantly complaining that no one believes about her turtle friends, or trying to over step her job description and be too ambitious, and does this in a very unconvincing fashion. In a sense, I understand the reason for her being casted as April O'Neil. She's a big name, and she's known as one of the more attractive women in the world. However, if the producers knew that there would be THAT much of her on screen, I am surprised they didn't take it in a different route. I could think of a dozen, or more, actresses who could have better filled the role.
All in all, I think when it comes to seeing this film, you know what you are going to get. You are not going to see a movie that will revolutionize film. You are seeing it because of two reasons. The first, you are looking for senseless action and a lot of fun. In that regard, the film hits a home run. The second reason is you are trying to watch your favorite turtles. I think the film does a great job in representing them, their differences, and I thought the guys playing them did a good job in charisma. However, I wasn't keen on Johnny Knoxville as Leonardo. So, all in all, if you are going into this film knowing that it won't be the best, you should enjoy it. However, if you are looking for a movie filled with great acting and an emotional story (or the original story of TMNT, they do rewrite a bit), then this film is not for you, especially if you aren't fond of Megan Fox as it is.
6.5/10
Lockout (2012)
Though very corny, Lockout is not a bad action movie at all.
Though this isn't a big name action movie, I still had fun watching Lockout. The action was good, and the characters were very fun. I enjoyed the main villain and his brother, and of course I enjoyed Guy Pearce. It wasn't as powerful as some of his other roles, but I still enjoyed him in this. The female lead Maggie Grace actually did a decent job, and although at some times I found her unconvincing, I enjoyed her in the film.
The one problem that I had with this movie was the plethora of corny, ridiculous one liners. Little one liners fill this movie up, and it really dimmed it down for me. The plot itself I really like, but the amount of one liners really ruined it in a sense for me. If you want some suggestions, go to the Quotes section of this movie's IMDb page and you will see exactly what I mean. Another problem I had with the movie, although minor, was the CGI. It was not very convincing, and was a bit corny in itself. That was minor, however. There is also some side plot about a briefcase which is totally irrelevant to the main plot.
In terms of the action, this movie is very solid. The action sequences are fun, and some of the characters that Snow encounters throughout can be very entertaining. There are a lot of interesting obstacles come about that Snow has to overcome.
If you have Netflix and you want to watch something with action that doesn't take itself too seriously, Lockout is the movie for you. Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace do a great job, and if you can get past the multitude of corny one liners, you will surely enjoy it.