Black Mirror: San Junipero 2016 ★★★★

At first, the mood in this episode reminded me of a short story by Ray Bradbury. Something about people time travelling to escape a war. Can't remember the title.

It then turns into this love story and, while not as dark as some of the previous stories, does still hint at the time travelling aspect. All while unfolding a charming love story.

This, again, is where BM's major strength kicks in. Once you get your “twist” (it was old people travelling in VR all along), one character delivers a powerful monologue about things like choice, dealing with pain, euthanasia and eternal life. Leaving the viewer stunned. It then tacks on a happy ending, from where I stand partly still to counter the bleakness of the previous episode.

Excellent writing and very good cast nonetheless. Four stars well deserved.

Bella Mafia 1997 ★★

An epic mob tale of murder, betrayal, revenge, a whole bunch of arranged marriages and a lot of drama. In just under two hours.

One star for the idea of having women run a mob family. Add a half for Jennifer Tilly as the comic relief. And a half more for Vanessa Redgrave as the mater familias. Dennis also does his usual shtick here.

The rest feels so fucking rushed. Give me some to breathe, movie. It hardly takes time to flesh out the characters. It's just kill after marriage after kill. With a venging angel with such a cartoonish psycho look it becomes funny.

This should have been a (mini) series.

Night Swim 2024 ★★

PG13 horror with all the flaws that come with the territory.

A few good visuals earn the second star, but Blumhouse can do and has done better.

Desolation 2016 ★★½

Okay for a found footage.

Okay tension wise. You can tell the makers took a cue from the hands on the wall in Blair Witch. Also liked the shots of the nurse, they looked okay.

Half star extra for the last shot with the straightjacket.

Life of Belle 2024 ★★½

A bit divided about this one.

It does have scary moments. The mom going crazy makes for some eerie imagery and the idea of having children as a main character in a found footage turns out to work quite well.

The main cast is certainly better at acting than the folks we see at the start. Especially the reporter. Looks less like a reporter and more like a speech from a middle management person who spent the last few minutes… more

The Mechanical Dancer 2020 ★★★★

Doctor Caligari meets Edward Scissorhands. With a bit of Phantom of the opera-ish melodrama thrown in.

Excellent animation, likable characters, a great classical score and a good pace. Well recommended.

Sam and Doug 2023 ★★★½

One of the better shorts and one of the better zombie films. With Doug reminiscent of Brendan Gleeson's character in 28 Days Later.

The minimalistic setting makes for the budget for credible special effects. And there is at least a happy end. Hurrah!

Donnie Brasco 1997 ★★★★

Depp as an undercover Fed who brings down a good part of the mob. Does this explain why he has such good lawyers?

All jokes aside, this is a very good crime movie. About the people on the ground, the people who get their hands dirty and who are not always equally stable. Suiting Michael Madsen's style perfectly. And when the plot calls for it (ie things are going too easy), red tapes and bumbling colleagues get in his way.

You want me to do a chicken coop joke now? Fuhget about it! Oh yeah, there's an entire scene devoted to the meaning of that. And as funny as it is, you are still hardly any wiser by the end.

The two main stars excel above the others. Pacino as the hurt soul, broken after many years of unrewarded loyal service. Even getting to Pascone so much at one point that he's willing to give him a lot of money to realize his dream. Depp as your typical undercover cop with a broken psyche and a, shall we say, difficult family life. Separate mentions for Anne Heche as the neglected wife and Bruno Kirby as the kiss ass mobster.

Four stars well deserved. And it's on Netflix. Fuhget about it.

Black Mirror: Men Against Fire 2016 ★★★

BM do their take on District 9. With a bit of Holocaust like mood thrown in and a few games with a bit of a video game like feel to it.

A young soldier finds out that roaches that they are chasing are, in fact, people. And by the time the psychologist-like characters, played excellently by Michael Kelly, gets to him, he's already too far away in order to really get back.

Solid story. Solid cast. Solid across the board.

Triangle 2009 ★★★★½

I must agree with some of my friends here. At the end, this demands a rewatch.

This is an awesome psychological horror that relies on atmosphere and tension and even more so on the full-circleness of it all. Hardly any scene goes to waste here and the cherry on top is that you only realise that at the end.

Melissa George is simply amazing as Jess. You completely buy into her character and her plight.

Four and a half stars. Well recommended.

Audition 1999 ★★★★★

On a rewatch, I was mostly struck by the excellent build up. All the red flags that popped up throughout the film. Though some of it could attributed to hindsight as well.

Still... a five star classic of Asian horror. With a torture scene that will you squirm in your seat. And the glee in Ashami's eyes while at work just adds an extra layer.

Bob Marley: One Love 2024 ★★★½

For some reason, I came into this one thinking it would be a documentary. It turned out to be a biopic, with the flaws that come with the genre. You could tell that the family was involved in the production process. In any case, we get a lot of Bob's music and that's always a plus.

It also made me realize how little I know about the person Bob Marley. How I mostly look at him the way a lot of Europeans do. In the first place as a music icon with legendary songs. So I cannot exactly pinpoint a specific scene and say “this and this is inaccurate”.

That said, throughout the movie, Marley nearly always looked just a little bit “too good to be true”. For most of the film, he seems careless and happy go lucky to a point where you as a viewer get somewhat sceptical, while his darker sides (like the infidelity) are mostly glossed over. Or perhaps even forgotten.

What they do right, though, is make Bob look good. I'm not talking image wise, but cinematically. They use all the tricks in the book to make Kingsley Ben-Adir look as charismatic as the real Bob Marley was. That way, thee movie gives an insight into his god like status in Jamaica and other parts of the world.

Three stars for an entertaining film and a half star for Marley's music. If you can look past the flaws of the standard biopic, this is a solid piece of cinema. If you can't, I'm sure there are documentaries that more accurately depict Marley's life.

Excellent Cadavers 1999 ★★

A TV movie I got in a DVD box under the name Falcone. In short, it's a story about a huge investigation that brings down a large part of the Italian maffia.

Chazz Palmentieri (a man that can drop a coffee mug like it's nobody's business) stars as Giovanni Falcone, while sporting a Mario-stache that does not really become him. Judging from the pictures at the end, he does kind of resemble the real life Falcone, but that's about it.

The rest is the song and dance we know by now from Maffia movies with revenge and executions and the infamous omerta. Speaking of which, here's an interesting question: Can someone name me a mob movie without a marriage scene or talk of marriage? The actors do what they can, but there's only so much they can do. As far as I am concerned, mob movies is a subgenre where you can easily stick to the classics by Puzzo and Scorsese.

Nothing exceptional, but an okay tv movie.

When the Time Comes 2022 ★★★★

A pretty bleak post apocalyptic zombie flick.

We open with a man sitting at a CB radio trying to contact the outside world. Throughout the story, we get a clear look at how somber their situation is. Combined with hints to an earlier, more worryless life.

Very solid as a short, but not something to cheer you up after a long day.

Crocodile Swarm 2024 ★★★

This one was more fun than it ought to be.

On a surface level, it looks like a shitty low budget horror with terrible CGI. But it somehow ends up working as a campy romp reminiscent of the monster movies and creature features of the fifties. Unintentionally funny like when Sam is in tears for the umpteenth time. Or the moment when Lily lights the flare. Oops! Or the effects when the croc shakes Faith around like she's a rag doll (though the effects make it look like he's holding a mannequin between his teeth).

It's still entertaining in a weird way. With a few fun chase sequences towards the end and moments with Sharknado levels of bollocks. One at the end with Mike and the one with the jumping crocodile. If you know, you know.

Crocodile Swarm. Perfect for one of them tubi trash nights.

The Nun 2018 ★★★½

Glad I finally got around to this one.

While the story – a secret entity that needs to be contained – is not very original, The Nun does manage to come with good moodsetting and some great visuals like the turning and burning cross at the burning cross.

Jonas Bloquet is good as Frenchie, floating back and forth between charming and flirty. Why they made him French Canadian is unknown to me. Taissa Farmiga delivers a well dosed performance. She does not take over the screen as in “here I am”, since her character is not written that way. But when necessary, she does command your attention.

Good stuff overall. Pretty entertaining with some good moments. Makes me want to watch The Conjuring 2.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- 2024 ★★★

I wonder what the anime definition of overacting is. When do they say “this was a tad too much”? With all the screaming and crying and giggling.

My impressions as someone not too familiar with the genre:
1) it's better to catch up before dropping in in an ongoing series. Sometimes, I had a bit of hard time following and sometimes, I had no idea what was going on.
2) The fight scenes are still filmed within an inch of their lives, feeding into my nostalgia for the time when I watched Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya on TV.
3) The comedy works and that plays in this movie's favour as well.

4) A fun watch inviting to start this series some time.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter 8/10

I really enjoyed it!

YELLOWBRICKROAD (2010). The population of a small New Hampshire town walk onto a trail after seeing THE WIZARD OF OZ and dying off with one or two survivors. Many decades later, a group decides to hike the trail in their search for answers with all sorts of odd occurences coming their way.
This really had such potential...an interesting idea, lovely scenery (I thought the area they were hiking in was actually New Hampshire and was right, up in the Northern part of the state) and a couple of creepy moments. But soon, a BLAIR WITCH PROJECT ambiance takes over and it becomes a bunch of noisy irritating people meeting well deserved send offs. **1/2

BORIS KARLOFF:THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER (2021). Very good doc on the Horror icon with good input by David Skal, Greg Mank, Peter Bogdonavich, Guillermo Del Toro, Dick Miller, Roger Corman and his daughter Sara Karloff, who is older than he was when He passed and looking very much like him. Plenty of clips from his better known films with some TV shows and audio interviews. Some good history of a somewhat contentious family background and info on how He help found the Screen Actors Guild. ****

I really liked The Conjuring. Conjuring 2, I didn't like the story as much, but it did star Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) Warren, who are just really enjoyable heroes, and it was directed by James Wan, so had good production value.

The Nun doesn't have the Warren's or Wan, and the previews made the film look disjointed and unnecessary. I saw a review saying it had "inconsistent logic and narrative slackness", which grates on my nerves.

That looks really good. I see azm prime has it with ads.

That looks really good. I see azm prime has it with ads.[/QUOTE]

Check it out, Sculpt..I'm sure You will like it. My wife has so much saved on TUBI, ROKU etc, it's sometimes difficult to make a choice.


FULL BODY MASSAGE (1995)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A successful yet unfulfilled Art dealer is looking forward to visit from her regular masseuse (who she may have romantic feelings for) but finds a replacement waiting for her (Bryan Brown). As He works her over, they talk about past relationships, family backgrounds, differing views on art, etc and that's it for about an hour and a half,
Being from SHOWTIME and the title, You would expect this to be an "Erotic Thriller", but while there is nudity, there's more conversation than anything else, sort of along the lines of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE.

Depending on your outlook, this may interest You with the topics discussed or put You to sleep, but there are two good reasons to watch FBM and they are Mimi Rogers. All I could wonder is how Tom Cruise could have given up on a body like that::confused:: **1/2

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/blTpMrN06e4/maxresdefault.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SblwiQlVIgY/maxresdefault.jpg

Road House (2024)
8/10

Really well-made fun action drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It's a simple story told tightly with Gyllenhaal providing some fun depth of expression as a kindly ex-MMA fighter who takes a job as a bouncer. Sort of a troubled Shane character. Conor McGregor does a feisty job as a fist for hire. Available as part of azm prime.

MIMESIS: NOSFERATU (2018). A good premise-A young man with an extremely unhealthy obsession for the 1922 film NOSFERATU-that lose steam as the action shifts to a school planning to make a play of the film with lots of audio-visual support, but there are conflicting personalties and odd goings-ons behind the scenes.

I found this sort of compelling at first, especially with series of "In-jokes" involving the characters names, but the film can't seem to decide if it wants to be Art House or Teen movie . Trying to mesh the two just doesn't work. Also, MN is kind of a cheat with cast billing as the two "stars" should be classified as cameos. **

Destroy All Neighbors 7/10

DARK BLUE (2002). Pretty good look at corruption and coercion in the Los Angeles Police Department on the days leading up to the 1992 riots over the Rodney King verdict. Quite gritty and profane, but Kurt Russell is superb as the alcoholic ask-no-questions loose cannon Third Generation Policeman. ***1/2

The Old Ones, 2024


https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w300//lSb...vJpnO44wXw.jpg



The First Omen, 2024





Baghead, 2023

Dogman, 2024, 7.5/10


https://64.media.tumblr.com/a40aab2f...09b484ccd.gifv



Monkey man, 2024. 8/10


https://64.media.tumblr.com/c0519970...a56d70b3b.gifv

Time to play catchup again.::wink::

You Will Never Be Back 2020 ★★★

Fun little Spanish short about getting lost between dimensions.

Maybe not four star material, but an okay mood piece with a solid lead.

The Babysitter 2017 ★

Unfunny.

Unscary.

Unfinished.

Why did this warrant a sequel?

Black Mirror: Hated in the Nation 2016 ★★★★

Like with other episodes of Black Mirror, this is one of those cases of “the less you know, the better”.

I will say a few things, though, even if they are mostly in the category “if you know, you know”.

Kelly McDonald's character: I liked the contrast between the cop who's “seen it all” and who's like oh you kids and your stupid gadgets and her crushed appearance during the trial.

The story leads you somewhere before pulling a swerve on you like in most cases. Suffice it to say that it provokes deeper thought on what we do on social media and that it has what's best described as a Skynet launch moment where the endgame becomes apparant. Couple that with a moment from The Stepfather and you are set. Oh yeah, and they make bees scary.

The final scene seemed a bit tacked on, to give the viewer at least a bit of respite and redemption. But that's nitpicking, considering how great the rest is and how on point the actors are.

Four stars well deserved.

Gods of the Deep 2024 ★½

This poor man's version of The Abyss delivers a solid load of B-movie schlock.

It of course concerns a team of scienticians, this time lead by mister Pickman, aka Evil Santa. With a bit of a Vince McMahon-voice at times. We get your dollar store MacCready, the singer from Midnight Oil, Posh Evil British Lady, and a woman who can't stop talking about her kids. They especially love how... not dead she is.

The monster looks like a giant plastic Ctulhu, the effects are laughable and the end is suitably ludicrous.

Play Me 2023 ★★★½

A fun little short about disorientation and amnesia.

Add a bit of Joan Kramer and... you're good.

A Shot in the Dark 2020 ★½

Forgettable monster flick.

No memorable scares, monsters or performances.

Imaginary 2024 ★★★

Two and a half stars for an overall entertaining and solid PG 13 horror with some good visuals and a solid cast. The kind of movie that makes you want to imdb half the cast. Tom “Jesus” Payne kind of looks like a Dutch singer called Waylon. Also add a half star for at least an attempt to tackle a real life fear (will the family of my new partner accept me as a stepparent and what if they don't), be it perhaps not really subtle.

A few of the jumpscares are well executed, but they are certainly not all zingers. The story was also a bit too predictable with the stepdaughters turning around, the big reveal about the mom and the fake out near the end. Or with Gloria turning on them. As I said, subtlety is not this movie's strong suit.

That said, a fun night out for people who enjoy the Blumhouse style.

Prey for the Bride 2024 ★★½

Okay little slasher, but with a kind of predictable plot and killer reveal. Not so spoil but (if you know, you know) it contains a spoon of corn syrup

The kills are okay. Basically your standard stabbings and one to keep you eye on. Downside: the most bitchy character gets the most disappointing kill.

The Breed 2006 ★★

A house on fire explodes and Michelle Rodriguez comes out completely unscathed, because there's no bollocks like B-movie bollocks.

While the idea in itself has some good moments – granted, I was afraid of dogs as a child and recently watched Cujo again, so it's not all that hard for me to find violent dogs frightening – and in more competent hands, it could be better. Some of the chase scenes are well done, and Michelle Rodriguez is great in the scene with the cable line and the garage. Then again, other moments cannot help but look silly: the dogs on the wing of the plane, some of the dialogue (especially Dollar Store Paul Rudd and his “big brain responsible” brother), the ending,...

Not even Brad Pitt's boxer from Snatch would like these dags.

Black Mirror: USS Callister 2017 ★★★½

BM: We are taking Star Trek...
Me: Oh, a wholesome story about nerd escapism?
BM: And we will turn Kirk into a colossal sociopathic twat.
Me: There we go. That's the BM I know.

This was however written by a fan – I think – and the finale was more exciting than some of the original Star Trek episodes. Also good at showing the pettiness of dictators. Nonetheless, by Black Mirror standards a pretty staightforward and lighthearted affair. Which does not make it any less well written and made, mind you.

Black Mirror: Arkangel 2017 ★★★½

Helicopter parents end up having the helicopter blow up in their face and the rotor cut off their head. With a feminin spin of Oedipus to boot.

This can stand on its own and be a powerful social drama. Now it does not blow you away the same way some of the other BM episodes did, amongst others because - from a storytelling point of view - it's pretty staightforward and fairly predictable. Does that make it any less well executed, acted,...? Of course not.

El Conde 2023 ★½

Not sure why, but I totally was not on board with this one.

All I saw was a poorly done Spanish Wes Anderson-pastiche with neither the esthetics nor the charm of the quirky characters. I did not get a single laugh out of this one and the vampires often seemed like an aftertought.

The Teachers’ Lounge 2023 ★★★★

The teacher's lounge (aka Das Lehrers Zimmer) is a tought provoking movie on themes like prejudice, racism and jumping to conclusions.

We follow Carla Novak, a math teacher who seems like what we nowadays consider an old school liberal. Standing up for what she believes is right. When a thief is going around stealing things, she makes the bold decision to try and set up a trap. She then tries to work things out with the supposed suspect, but then of course things really go south.

This story is mostly carried by the actors and they all do a great job. Leonie Benesch as Carla, caught and torn between her ideals and principles and her professional surroundings. Tormented by the idea by whatever she does in good intentions only seems to make things worse. I wonder how much of a conscious choice it was to give this character a Polish background. Both actors in the Kuhn family. Both reacting so fiercely that the suggestion something deeper is involved also surfaces.

It also never really takes a side and it does not have a clear cut ending. In fact, the ending switches between different emotions. How the final confrontation between Miss Novak and Oskar switches between harsh and a beautiful shared moment with the Rubik's cube. Even the final shot of Oskar and the policemen can either be seen as sad and grand. While he will probably get in deeper trouble now, he is still carried out on a throne of sorts. Highlighting different emotions. How those who want to can find common ground. And also how well meant actions can inadvertently lead to far reaching consequences.

It's not the most comfortable watch, but recommended for people open to thought provoking movies. And to subtitles.

Immaculate 2024 ★★★★

After a few bad experiences, I started to feel like religious horror was growing stagnant again. Luckily, Immaculate (together with some recent Islam-inspired movies) picks up the slack. First four star horror of this year in my opinion.

We kick off with a strong opening, with a nun fruitlessly trying to escape from the monastery, with a bit of The Vanishing to top it off. Also to the credit of the filmmakers, they at least don't go for the “five weeks earlier”-trope.

Fast forward to the introduction of our main protagonist, sorella Cecilia. For a mainstream horror, it does its best to recognize the beauty of the Italian language, but they still could have done more. I'm cool with subtitles and we all know the main reason for not putting in more non-English dialogue was the fear of frightening American teenagers.

But let's stop the nitpicking. Immaculate overall is a well paced moody reli-horror where the short runtime works in the movie's favour, thus not allowing it to lag. In order to achieve that goal, they sometimes rely pretty heavily on jump scares. So if you hate them with a passion, that will be a downside. Personally, I thought they were well done and they did not bother me. On the contrary the first few worked rather well. As did the reveals. Why sister Isabelle is so cold and even the somewhat predictable bit of “ehmagerd, they knew this stuff all along”. Or the funny bit about how a convent has this fancy schmancy technology at its disposal.

The gore is sparse at first, but becomes more and more explicit (and exquisite) as the movie goes on. With a gruesome ending topping it off with the most intense birth scene since Inside.

Well recommended. Check it out.

The Herd 2014 ★★★½

Melanie Light delivers a more than decent horror short. With enough gore to tide the hounds over, an ending that's as happy as possible under the circumstances and a bit of a (Spaceship Troopers-ish) twist to boot.

The better this sounds to you, the more this is recommended. And vice versa.

The Farmhouse 2022 ★★★½

Fun little Spanish short about a foulmouthed, cool 12 year old.

All's well that ends well and a neat little twist at the end.

That spells solid short in my book.

The Night Nurse 2022 ★★★½

Elderly lady gets chased by an Emma Roberts-looking vampire nurse. Who goes on quite a killing spree, it seems.

All's well that ends well, but then of course... oops.

Good stuff.

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel 2018 ★★

In this sequel to Hell House, we explore the backstory behind the Abaddon Hotel.

It's your typical FF romp with the typical screaming and running and oh my god what was that? And it has some kill fodder the same way a lot of slashers do.

Half star for the gore and another for the effect when the medium disappears.

The Conjuring 2013 ★★★½

After a good night's sleep, I'm still a bit on the fence about this one.

It is very well made and James Wan is without a doubt one of the better horror directors of his generation. The scares work, the cast is very good and Patrick Wilson and vera Farmiga make for a very believable on screen couple. And the ending is pretty intense.

Does this make it an epic masterpiece that warranted so many sequels and spin offs and what not? Not sure what, but something is keeping me from going that far.

Curve 2015 ★★

A sort of "confined space" thriller with a not very imaginative heroine, a generic villain and too many things that too obviously come and go when it suits the screenwriter. Second star for the flooding scene.

A Doll For Edgar 2019 ★★½

Predictable, but well done.

The Killer 2023 ★★★

What to say? In this one, Fincher is becoming more... fuck, what is the word I am looking for? It's certainly not mild, and poetic and philosophical here feel like these easy way out words when you cannot really think of anything else to say.

This time, he demands more of you as a viewer. You really have to be open to it in order to get into the story of mister You-can-fill-a-bingocard-with-all-his-aliases-and-then-some, partly because of his subdued and detached narration. Also, I love methodical criminals as much as the next guy (and like the next guy, I'm lazy enough to admit that this level of preparation is too much hassle), but this overload of constantly being on your guard and such... storytellingwise, it becomes somewhat monotonous after a while. And for such a methodical criminal, it sure seems like more stuff goes wrong than it should. The fuck up with the dominatrix, the botched sleeping pill with the dog. That somehow does not add up.

It does however add to a well done character sketch, of a killer with more money than he can ever spend, yet without a life to live with it. Too cold to really enjoy it and too distant to share that happiness with anyone else. Fassbender plays that pretty good and Tilda Swinton is as solid and reliable as ever.

If you come in looking for the edge of your seat adrenalin from Seven or Fight Club, this is not for you. This one is (by Fincher standards) more cinephile and, dare I say a tad more... whimsical? Whistful, perhaps? If you can get it, you will enjoy it.

Ps: Maybe it's me, but it seems like a lot of filmmakers nowadays have a thing for The Smiths. *Seinfeld-style* What is the deal with The Smiths? *cue the iconic bass line*

Susuk 2023 ★★½

Susuk is an okay Indonesian demon flick with a few solid scares.

I am not really sure what Susuk is, but based on what it looks like and the possible side effects, I'm at least hesitant to say that it's worth the bargain.

I can't say a lot about the cultural component of the story and wether or not it's an indictment of certain conservative beliefs. I mean, you don't have to be in Asia or have a Muslim background to see a conservative small village and a generic incel bully with his round up the boys moment.

What I can say is that the main actress did a good job portraying a woman that says “I love my sister and I will do everything in my power to save her, conformity be damned”. Particularly in the few sweet moment she has; one with her sister and one with her (hesitant) partner in crime and shy love intrest for the sister.

Susuk is not bad, just too twisty-turny to be really great. I am sure this is due to my cultural igonrance, but one fight looked a bit too silly (partly due to the CGI) in order to really clinch the third star. 2.75 stars, is that a thing?

For fans of Asian horror who want to make it easy on themselves with a Netflix night.

Bad Boys 1995 ★★

Why did I watch this? Because I saw it pop up on Netflix and I was like “yeah, why not?”.

It's a well produced action flick with a lot of buddy cop banter and it's Michael Bay, so we get an ending where everything explodes.

While eighties action flicks had a certain charm to them, these ones seem to become more and more interchangeable. If you've seen one... (and I am sure many people will say the same about horror, and I am okay with that)

Dream Scenario 2023 ★★★★

Aka: Careful what you wish for

The most important piece of the puzzle fell into place during the end credits. Produced by Ari Aster. Now it makes sense.

We follow Paul Matthews, a somewhat mousy (not unlike Beau from Beau is afraid) and quite uncharismatic biology professor. His life is in a rut, his students don't pay any attention to him and his marriage... well, by the look of things the fizz has gone out of the cola some time ago. He mostly just wants a bit of recognition and appreciation, let's say 1 or 2... no, 1.5 percent of what Neil Degrasse Tyson has – though he somehow apparently has never found the time to actually write his magnum opus. Yet at the same time, he does find a way to be annoyed when someone else is inspired by his work. He tends to get whiny at times and the movie does not go out of its way to make him likable.

Then, through no doing or fault of his, he somehow starts popping up in various people's dreams with one hell of a ripple effect ensuing. At first, he enjoys the attention, with scenes that say “You really like me?”. He enjoys getting the recognition he so craved. However, the dark sides of this instant fame soon pop up as well. Like the scenes with the marketing company (with a pretty funny Michael Cera) who are all about the sensation of the dreams. And what about the plant thingy? Wut? Oh yeah, errr,... We can squeeze that in too. Sure(, fine, whatever; as long as you hock Sprite and other shit for us). Quite reminiscent of the white house cabinet in Don't Look up, with people less listening and more looking for ways to spin the message in their favour.

When he starts appearing in wet dreams (like the darkly comedic “sex sequence”) and violent dreams, is when the tables turn. People tend to see this as a movie about cancel culture and I agree that there is an element of truth to that.

At the same time, it also seems to like a reflection on the uncontrollable, unpredictable and at times volatile nature of public opinion and how quickly it can turn on someone, even though that person himself/herself has in fact not changed. In this polarized society with little or no middleground, we of course immediately go from 0 to 100. Turning Paul into a social pariah over something he neither started nor has any influence over. Heck, he has as much of a clue how this came about as we as viewers do. Nonetheless, people spit in his food, beat him up, spray paint his car,... He loses his family and at one point even gets shot at with arrows. And while, yes, he does get a book deal, it's also mostly a reminder how his life has become a reality/freak show. He goes from a stuffy professor studying dull plants to a sort of sideshow who cannot really trust anyone. With the glove scene as a moment that could go with Spinal Pap and the dwarf Stonehenge.

Cage delivers a very good performance as Paul. While we do get small spoons of Cage-freakouts, he never goes full ham as in Face/Off, The Wicker Man, Renfield,... By his standards, he is quite restrained in this one, thus making this one of his better performances, showing just how much he can do when he takes a role seriously. Would the Academy dare touch this one? Not sure. Could go either way. Curious how it will do in Cannes.

To whom would I recommend this? Based on where they stand on cancel culture, some people have already made up their minds and nothing I can say will change or open their minds. But if you liked Beau is afraid or Ari Aster's material or dark comedies in general, you'll probably enjoy this one too.

Shut Eye 2 2017 ★★½

First four or five minutes seem like your standard fake doc/FF romp.

Then it takes a hard turn and condenses A Clockwork Orange and Trainspotting into the length of about a music video.

If that sounds like it's your bag... enjoy. For me? Certainly not terrible, but saying it stands out is a tad much as well.

The Ritual 2017 ★★★★

Aka: The Blär witch mägik
Aka: Midsommar featuring the Sproose Moose

More than anything else, this is a showcase for Rafe Spall's range as an actor and the arc his character goes on. From cowardly turning away from his friend being killed in a robbery to ending up as the “final boy”, even helping along a limping friend who he clashed with earlier.

Is the story original? No. It's one of “those don't mess with nature, don't go here, cause here be monsters” stories. One of those horrors where, if you listen closely, at one point you can actually hear Cillian Murphy's character from 28 days later. “This is a bad idea. You know why? (pause) Because this is a REALLY bad idea.” The prologue is middle aged guy banter with nothing really standing out, except for the Belgium joke.

Does that matter? Horror aficionados will recognize that a good execution can make a movie just as well as a good concept does. And I must say that this one was executed very well. Well done jump scares, the monster's toying with Luke and his friends is well shot, the Wicker Man-like cultists are suitably eerie just like the hallucinations taking Luke back to the liquor store on that faithfull night.

Nice, moody and eerie with good acting all round. Good stuff.

Black Mirror: Crocodile 2017 ★★★

Black Mirror goes nicely bleak with a tale of an unwilling accomplice who gets in way deeper than she had wished for.

Movie buffs will recognize elements from I know what you did last summer and Shallow grave (ie you think you know your friends, but you don't really). Charlie Brooker makes for excellent writing with plenty of moments where Mia seems in the clear before having the rug pulled from under her. With a suitably bleak ending and with Andrea Riseborough (from Possessor, check that one out, btw) excelling as the frightened and determined Mia.

Maybe not top-3, but certainly one of the better episodes.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 2024 ★★

Well... they tried. They certainly tried.

Some of the scenes did try (and even partially managed) to recall the goofy charm of the original. But in the end, it just did not work.

The bad jokes (the whole Stay Puft subplot) outweighed the good ones (the Spin Doctors joke or the one about Mary Todd Lincoln).

The callbacks to the original more often were forced in than adding to the plot.

The finale was predictable and never fully captivated.

Walter Peck was the best example: bring him back because William Atherton is still alive, make him mayor because reasons and them turn him into a watered down doing his shtick version of what once was.

The original Ghostbusters became a classic, even though logically it should never have worked in the first place. Now it's just become cookie cutter family friendly stuff.

Two stars.

The Gentlemen 2019 ★★★½

This one had been spending some time in my watchlist. But it was not until it was recommended to me by a guy I had not seen in ages that I really decided to give it a go. Especially after it popped up on a TV channel's streaming platform. That's the upside to them airing a lot of films and putting all of them on their platform.

Guy Ritchie delivers a solid bit of gangster drama in the style that we're used to. At least this is about weed rather than coke or smack and the tone makes you hope for a forshadowing nature. It also has a good lead in Matthew McCougnahey with bits of both his usual charm and of his Killer Joe-callousness.

Now the first half of this movie mostly is not about him, but about a weazle-ish, slimy PI (Hugh Grant as a dirtbag tabloid version of his romcom parts) and Charlie Hunnam (here the classy version of Connor McGregor in a suit) who tell the story of the rise of Mickey Pearson and his position going in. Sort of similar to Layer Cake, save Daniel Craig is a different kind of cool.

Suffice it to say it involves Russians, Chinese mobsters, one villain with terrible Cantonese and a bit of a Jeff Goldblum-vibe and some twists and turns. Nothing mindboggling, but the former mister Madonna knows what he is good at and thus does so.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.
No! Of course not!

For the people who liked Lock, Stock and so on or Snatch. Or fans of Brit crime in general.

The First Omen 2024 ★★★★

This is a worthy prequel to the classic The Omen. You can watch the two back to back and it does not lag all that much.

The cinematography is really well done: the introduction of the main characters, the set up, the building up of the tension, the setting the mood,... Even when they are trying to reassure Margaret, director Arkasha Stevenson manages to set up this subtle atmosphere where you can tell that there is more lurking underneath the surface.

Also, and this is a real plus these days: the callbacks to the original never come across as overly forced or in your face or what not. Father Brennan is in here for logical reasons – he has to be in here because of the connection with the 1976 movie – and Ralph Ineson not only portrays him well, but the make up department even managed to give him a bit of a resemblance to the original Brennan. Same goes with the suicide scene. It never felt like “oh, they're doing the thing because the other people did the thing”. It all flowed naturally.

Speaking of which... when called for, the gore did not hold back. Where the nanny just killed herself in The Omen, this one sets herself on fire as well. And this movie sees the decapitation scene from the original and says “hold my beer”. Not going to spoil it, but it has an equally high wow-factor. Holy crap.

It's not all great. There are always things to nitpick.

Finding the mark on Carlita (excellently played by Nicole Sorace) could not help but look a bit silly. Really, nowhere else to go? Then again, the second whammy reveal is done much better.

Bill Nighy does a good job and I know this is mostly on me. I'm so used to seeing him in comedy roles that I half expect him to crack a joke any minute. But he did win me over over the course of the movie. Good job, there.

Also, the final scene felt a bit tacked on. The scene in the car with the picture and the exposition was a perfect place to stop and that last scene, apart from offering a moment of respite and cosiness, did not really have that much to offer.

As you can (hopefully) tell from my phrasing, these are nitpicks. This is a geat horror movie and I could be mistaking, but I'm starting to believe that we might be in the middle of a new golden age (with Hereditary, Get Out, A quiet place and a handful of others) and I hope that time and future releases will prove me right.

Ride Baby Ride 2023 ★★★½

The car salesman look a bit cartoony, but the clash with the car makes for a very entertaining, more body horror focused version of Christine. Yeah, obvious comparison. What of it?

Still fun, though.

Pruning 2023 ★★★ Watched 09 Apr 2024

An interesting "humans are the real monsters" short on the rise of a pundit (probably inspired by Ann Coulter, Tommi Lahren and the likes). The horror is in the hallucinations - again, probably meant to go with her ideas spinning out of control.

The "vomit" scene makes for a disturbing visual that earns this short its third star.

SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER (2014). Another winner from Banger films-their METAL;A HEADBANGERS JOURNEY and BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE (about Rush) are also recommended. This focuses on the singer/performer Alice Cooper AKA Vincent Furnier from his early bands to mega stardom with The Alice Cooper Group. Afterwards, his solo career and while doing well initially and finding enduring love (wife Sheryl who is still with him and performs in the show), his addictions begin to take hold and threaten more than his career-it's a miracle He didn't pass away. I knew about the alcoholism, but it's revealed for the first time that He was also addicted to Crack cocaine-News followed slower in the early 80's and I remember being shocked at how cadaverous He looked while appearing on THE TOMORROW SHOW. He managed to recover and return to performing in 1986, where the film ends. And while I thought it was odd to leave it at that point, it's explained it had been eighteen years since Vince "became" Alice Cooper and it ties in to the lyrics of their first big hit called "I'm Eighteen". Also showing how the man has learned to live peacefully with the stage character.
Lots of good music clips and audio, what makes Me enjoy SDAC more is there are no "Talking Heads", ie, no present day person sitting and talking about past events. Use of photos with the VoiceOver as well as clips from THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI and the 1920 DR JECKYLL AND MR HYDE, which sort of make sense. Also, someone OTHER than Alice alone talks about the earlier days with thoughtful insight from Drummer Neal Smith and bassist Dennis Dunaway as well as other important people throughout the story.
And while I've enjoyed much of Alice's solo work (and also wondered what He was thinking on some of them) and He's been good every concert performance over the last 35 years or so (Eight times), it has to be stated that He will NEVER top the music He made with the group and while He seems to get along with them and praise their musical chops, He seems to often imply that He and He alone thought of the majority of their ideas. I'm also not happy that original Lead Guitarist Glen Buxton's 1997 is not included in the film's wrap-up and even more pissed off that R guitar/Keyboard Michael Bruce is not mentioned ONCE throughout the whole film-if You look at the credits on the albums, MB had quite the hand in almost all their songs. I know He and Alice have had differences , but "It was difficult to find him" just doesn't wash.
So while I'm not 100% happy with SDAC, I still quite enjoy it and think even a non-fan might be compelled to check it out. ****

In a Violent Nature 2024 ★★½

Well, this one added a new dimension the term slow burn. This is where a quickwitted, rowdy crowd comes in handy.

In a violent nature, answering the question “What would happen if Jason could not teleport and we had to follow him do more walking than Glen's group on their entire journey to Terminus?”.

Does that make this a one star shite bag? No. Not at all. When this movie's baddie does get to killing, it's often so mindbogglingly brutal that it veers into splatstick territory. Though there's too little of it and too far in between to really fit in with Braindead or Dead Snow.

Honorable mention for Lauren Taylor's cameo at the end. The cult heroine of eighties slashers such as Friday the 13th part 2 and Girls nite out appears as our knight in shining armour. Even though her story goes on for way too long and we end up on a weird “she is safe”/sequel bait shot.

It says in the blurb that this movie throws all the slasher rules overboard. While that certainly is true, that does not mean it makes for a gripping tale, though.

For gorehounds who like their slashers a bit out there.

The Deep Dark 2023 ★★★½

I enjoyed the isolated nature of the story and how help at the same time was so close and yet so far away. People compare this to Alien, but the closest thing was the scientist with his Ash/Burke-like backhanded attitude.

The backstory behind the monster was kind of convoluted, but I did like the gore of the kills and the opening bit in Morocco.

Overall an enjoyable flick for folks looking to expand their euro collection. Sacre bleu!

The Last Stop in Yuma County 2023 ★★★½

Your typical US roadside diner. No place to stop for gas for the next 160 miles. Nowhere to go until the gasoline truck arrives. But... you'll die for our rhubarb pie. Good one, that (and decent foreshadowing, mind you).

Of course, tonight's Gecko's (are they even brothers? Don't know, don't care) just happen to stop in this dinner on their way to the Mexican border. Needless to say, they don't take too kindly to folks messing up their game plan by tattling on them.

Last stop in Yuma county is a solid confined space thriller with palpable tention until the inevitable shootout. With one bank robber being a cool, ruthless killer while the other is more like a crossover between Stephen Baldwin in The Usual Suspects and Stephen Baldwin in Biodome (making for some well deserved comic relief). We get some solidly executed set pieces with amongst others a phone and some cups of coffee, not to mention a few laugh out loud moments (like the mother in law joke or the line “Does everyone have a gun here?”).

After the unavoidable firefight, the film can't help but slow down and drop in tension for a few minutes. Our unlikely survivor escapes by the skin of his teeth, only to finds himself in even deeper doodoo than before. This results in an unlikely final standoff and admittedly unexpected reveal about the truck.

A fun ride for thriller fans that horror fans will certainly enjoy as well.

The Funeral 2023 ★★★★

A lovely Turkish road flick with a subtle romance weaved in, in some aspects not unlike Let the right one in.

At the movie's opening, a young man who could double for Keanu Reeves' son is asked to transport a recently deceased young girl and lay low for a month. What could go wrong, right?

Of course, the girl (if there is an American version of this, she'll probably be played by Maisie Williams) turns out to be a zombie and needless to say, somebody needs to provide her need for flesh. Our reluctant hero does so and develops an odd but profound fondness for her.

Throughout the movie, our unlikely duo grows both closer to each other and further apart from the surrounding society, thus creating an reinforcing the us against the world feeling. The highpoint being the “delivery” to some sort of cult. Needless to say, it involves them kicking a lot of ass and taking even more names. With a perfect ending shot, making the movie not overstay its welcome but rather end on a great shot. With so many movies ending with the studio pressing the director to add one more jumpscare that has no rhyme or reason.

Well recommended. Don't fear the subs and check it out.

There Will Be Monsters 2020 ★★½

A short about a seemingly helpless lady and overly courageous rapists... with a first and then a second twist.

Not great, not terrible. A fun five minutes.

The Itch 2019 ★★★

Lady gets an itch and it all gets worse and worse... and worse... and then some.

Solid editing (adding to the surreal atmos) and a ditto ending. Makes for an okay short.

Braindead 1992 ★★★★★

Paquita: Your mother ate my dog!
Lionel: Not all of it.

Love how much brilliant quotable dialogue this one has.

A gem that survives every rewatch just as much as Lord of the rings.

Also: Imagine Leslie Nielsen had played the priest.

Cuckoo 2024 ★★★★

Da fuck?

This was...

Confusing: What was bad guy König's plan in the first place? I know it has something to do with pregnant women but what is it really? Fuck if I know.

Fascinating: Like the relationship between Gretchen and officer Mikkelsen-lookalike. Is he supposed her friend? Enemy? Frienemy? Or a figment of her imagination?

Gripping: The more it gets out of hand, the more my eyes were glued to the screen, even after a long and hard day. Drawn in by the visuals.

Surreal: What's with the at times looping shots and dialogue? Were the characters stuck in their own hallucination?

Unpredictable: No surprise given the confusing and fever dream-ish nature of this film. But at least two twists really come out of nowhere. With one being thoroughly depressing.

Also: Cool as hell.

Also also: What is the deal with people barfing in this hotel lobby (The food can't be that bad, can it)? Or with the lady chasing Gretchen? Was it me, or did she at one point even start looking like her?

This is not for everyone. But those who are open to it, will love it.

Civil War 2024 ★★★★

Alex Garland: So I was thinking of doing this war movie about a civil war in America.
Studio exec: Great idea. Keep going.
Alex Garland: It's all about this press photographer who's worn down by her job and became pretty jaded.
Studio exec: Sounds good. Who would you see play this part?
Alex Garland: Well I was thinking of Kirsten Dunst.
Studio exec: Good idea. (reflects) Wait, what? Lux Lisbon? The sweet, bubbly girl from Eternal Sunshine?
Alex Garland: That's what we're going with.
Studio exec: (exhales) If you say so.

In the days of John Carpenter and his Escape-movies, this would feel like pure sci-fi. Now, after the storming of the Capital, it comes across more as a cautionary tale. We never get an explanation for what started the war or why they want the president, let alone what he stands for. Only the consequences. We are at war, deal with it. How quickly things can go from (relatively) peaceful to utter chaos. With the camera lenses ready to capture the horrors of war.

Which brings me to my main point: Garland really did some excellent visual work here. With the aformentioned photographs capturing the madness of this conflict and with the wordless moments like the shock when Sammy dies (after his heroic rescue that costed him). Some people will hate this, but I think it visually really worked. The shot of Jessie in the mass grave makes for a haunting image. Or the random executions, like for example at the gas station. The way that one guy casually remarks he knows the guy who he is about to shoot gave me the chills. Same with the “What kind of American?”-line from all the trailers. You can taste the hositility and the distrust there. Brr. That's a long way away from what Barack Obama once said about how there is no conservative or liberal America, but the United States of America.

On a side note: I wonder how people who grew up in the final days of former Yugoslavia look at this story. What with a lack of two definable camps, but rather a plethora of different factions where it's never really which one the person in front of you adheres to or what is the safest way to conduct yourself. Or Syria, for that matter. No matter how somber or depressing this flick gets, reality still trumps fiction.

The cast is excellent. Kirsten Dunst is really great, with her ever tired look and her persona of (trying to) not letting what she sees get to her. Wagner Moura also shines as her partner in crime, using humour and weed in order te keep it together. I also liked the dynamic between Lee and Jessie, though everyone who's seen a few war movies can see coming that one of these ladies will die by the end of the film (with another touching visual to boot). And between this and Black Mirror, Jesse Plemons is really good at playing sociopathic assholes.

Entertaining and very relevant. Check it out.

Fragile.com 2019 ★★★

The horror of lover boys in a mix with cam girls and dream imagery.

Makes for an entertaining and bleak short with a somber ending.

Slay 2024 ★★½

Priscilla, queen of the desert versus rednecks and vampires... except that this one is a lot more B-movie like.

The jokes don't always land, but the drag queens get some good lines and the Transyvania-line was pretty funny too. The fight scenes are okay. The self aware off screen fight jokes (“Oh my god, they're ripping that guy's head off”) are a bit too goofy for my liking, but maybe I was not really in the right mood for this.

Nothing unforgettable, but I'm pretty sure that there is an audience for this.

Black Mirror: Hang the DJ 2017 ★★★★

Tinder to the next level, but now through the eyes of Charlie Brooker. Not only does “the system” select your new partner, it even tells you how long you'll be together, up until the very second. With a timer not unlike the ones people hand out at restaurants these days.

And since it's Black Mirror, it gets pretty bleak at times.

Is it okay if I think about her?
If you don't mind me thinking about him.

Jeez Louise, how sad is that.

And yet, by BM standards, this is beautiful. Both a bleak look at how the system toys with aspiring lovers and a (weird) celebration of love that endures time and odds.

Thanksgiving 2023 ★★★½

Thanksgiving is an Eli Roth-flick with the flaws and gifts that he has made his own throughout the years.

Writing characters has never been his strong suit, but he has grown in this department. The reveal of the killer was a bit predictable, but the red herring thread was okay too.

But his main talent are visual tension and kills. The scary scenes are certainly very well directed and set up the mood for exquisitely gory kills.

No need for a for who. I like Eli and I think it's worth a watch.

Don’t Hang Up 2016 ★★★½

Don't hang up fared very well on a rewatch.

Once Mister Lee joins in on the fun, the movie really grabs you. Not that you care all that much about Sam and Brady (or Mosley for that matter), but you do want to know what they will do next, not to mention if and how they will survive this. Not in the least because the killer remains very menacing, not unlike Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth.

You can disagree on what shot the movie should ended on, but we can agree that it's a very entertaining watch until that point.

Black Mirror: Metalhead 2017 ★★★★

For me, Black Mirror is usually at it best when its bleak and boy, does this one deliver in that department. Also pretty gory by BM-standards.

We don't know much and we do not need to. In fact, this makes for a good example of “show, don't tell”.

Everything's gone to hell in this post apocalyptic world where people suffer so much that their peers would travel far and wide to at least provide some form of relief.

That is until they stumble into what I can only describe as Ravage from Transformers with Skynet technology. It will not stop... ever... until you are dead. You get no relief whatsoever, not even when you are as resourceful as Bella and (eventually) manage to kill one. And needless to say, the final shot is utterly and completely heartbreaking.

Tiger Stripes 2023 ★★★★

A long anticipated watch and was it worth it? There certainly were a lot of great things to it and I will certainly go in for a rewatch in an attemmpt to better understand it.

It's mostly a coming of age story. Yes, there is some body horror thrown in but throughout the film's runtime it's more dosed – you certainly will not OD on it – but the main focus is more on the alienation and people being shunned for being different, with Farah becoming more and more of a bully as the story progressed.

The trailer and the plot synopsis led me into seeing this as a version of Carrie, with a big difference being that Zaffan's father is still around and pretty much the character she connects with the most. But Zaffan is also way more lively as a character. Living the struggles of most teenagers, like trying to find a balance between living your life and pursuing your passions while at the same time trying to fit in and making friends. Floating back and forth between her attempt to join the girl scouts and her more sass moments where she stands up to Farah. Showing the type of courage that her other friend does not have. She also stands up to her mother and Dr. Rahim.

And Dr. Rahim is... he sure is a piece of work. From the very first shot, he drips Charlatan with capital C – I love how letterboxd cast him as snake oil exorcist – and is of course out of his debt when shit gets real.

This is not for people who don't look like open endings. This movie leavers a lot unresolved or perhaps better “unelaborated” like some of the supernatural elements or the fact that some of the bullies suffer from some sort of epileptic episode. To be fair, it only adds to the mistery and the only thing I liked less was the way the Farah storyline was resolved. But going into details there would go into spoiler territory.

A fascinating watch and well worth looking out for.

EXECUTIVE DECISION (1996). Decent action film of a huge jet airliner hijacked by Middle Eastern Terrorists and the attempts of a small group of commandos (placed on the huge plane mid-flight) to stop them. The always engaging Kurt Russell leads an all star cast and is worth a watch, although it's an over two hour watch. ***

Saw IV 2007 ★★½

The first entry in the Hoffman-saga looked better than I expected.

In spite of the monotonous nature of torture porn - work out the trap and move on - the pace did not lag all that much or often throughout the movie's runtime. Costas Mandaylor and Lyriq Bent make for a decent villain and a solid hero.

The convoluted soap opera-esque plot is both the charm and the flaw of this franchise. On the one hand, it's nice to spot the callbacks to part 3 and the elements hinting towards part five. On the other hand, it sometimes makes the story so convoluted it's not even funny.

But... we came for the kills and they were as gory, brutal and mean spirited as you would expect with the demise of Eric Matthews as the "icing on the cake". And a well executed (but in hindsight predeictable) reveal in the end.

In short, Saw is like Pringles: once you pop...

For Sale 7-8/10

A man tries to sell a haunted house.

Gotta say, I quite enjoyed this movie. It was well paced with lots of spooks. The main actor was rather wooden to begin with, but seemed to loosen up as the story progressed. An 80’s Bruce Campbell would have been perfect for the role.