Better Watch Out (2016): fun little movie. I try to go in blind on most movies so I had no idea where this was going. I’m glad I didn’t spoil it. It’s not an award winning story but it’s a good time. I would have loved this as a kid.

7/10

World War Z so I’ve had a good run lately with decent movies. I was scanning zombie movies, considering rewatching 28 days later, and realized I’d never seen World War Z. IMDB has this movie rated at 7/10. That’s pretty good for a horror movie. I honestly have no idea how this movie is rated that high. There’s no character building, just a bunch of people running around in chaos.

I turned this movie off somewhere a little over an hour in so I can’t really give it a rating. Nonsense/10. I want my hour back.

Prisoners of the Ghostland, 2021. 4/10

Director: Sion Sono


https://64.media.tumblr.com/067a1baa...31cdd15a2.gifv

Yeah, not a lot of depth, and not a very good movie. A decent degree of what they call "production value"... which is technical expertise and usually a big budget. I had some fun watching the big budget special effects applied to the zombie theme. The ending turned quite weird actually, like a DC movie. ::big grin::

For me, it looked like one of the more servicable blockbuster films of the past few years. But scary? Not so much.

I couldn’t make it to the end. Lol

I don’t think any movies are “scary”. I just need a damn plot involving characters I feel like I know a little. This movie went into chaos immediately which is silly to me.

Different strokes for different folks though. I know there are movies I like that no one else does.

The Endless: I’d give it a very solid 6/10. I enjoyed this movie. I think with a little bigger budget and some small tweaks it could be even better.

That what I prefer, not knowing anything about a movie when I see it. I like to be surprised.


Yeah, I'd say it was serviceable. I was mildly entertained.

I didn't want to look out the window after Sinister. It's one of those perfect late at night horror movies to watch.

I'm the opposite. I didn't like the sequel at all. It was like The Descent 2. Both showed stuff you didn't need to see.

I reviewed Hide and Seek either here or on HorrorDVDs. The humor was good. Especially that car scene. But I thought the movie should have been more serious considering what they were dealing with. And I thought the twist with one character was too obvious.

I do the same. I’ll read the plot but thats usually it, unless it’s a movie I doubt I’ll like. I’ll watch those trailers and see if it convinces me I need to see it.

The Advent Calendar, 2021. 7.5/10

Director: Patrick Ridremont

Pontypool: Another good solid 6/10. I really thought it was headed a certain direction and it didn’t but I also felt like there wasn’t a good solid conclusion. Fun watch though, I’ll definitely remember it.

Looks intriguing.

I had the same thoughts. Loved the idea and direction but was disappointed with the last half.

In the midnight hour, a lone DJ broadcasts the strangest - and scariest - tales from the outer edges of Kirlian, a lost city somewhere in Argentina.

8/10
Magnificent animation.

I felt like they could’ve added 5 (hell, 1 more minute)more minutes and showed them step outside to reveal something that gave us a better idea of what was going on and it could’ve went from a 6/10 to a 7/10 or 8/10 for me. I thought the DJ was a very entertaining character.

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NAKED LUNCH (1991). The source novel by William S Burroughs is so obtuse and all but impossible to determine its course. Really, Cronenberg was the best choice for a film of NL and wisely, He decided it would work better using part of the narrative mixed with WSB life events.

Visually, NL is stunning with good score by Ornette Coleman Trio, but the story is so weird...almost a chore to get through. Good casting with Peter Weller (so emaciated in here), Judy Davis and Roy Scheider turning in good performances, especially Davis. "Bill Lee"(Weller) uses a lot of drugs in here and We are treated (if that's the right word) to his visions. Very off the wall they are, especially the bug/typewriter with the talking.....Well, I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it.

Worth seeing, especially for Cronenberg completest. **1/2

Rare Exports

One of my favorite Christmas horror movies. I watch it every year.

I watched it for the first time last year. What a delight!

Yay! More Rare Exports love!

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I was intrigued, myself and put it on the NETFLIX queue.

MAN BITES DOG (1992). Very low budget, B/W Belgian film concerning a film crew who record day to day activities of a Bon Vivant, who pontificates on many subjects (halfway through the film, You're wishing He would shut up) and also happens to be a vicious Serial killer. His mayhem is captured by the crew, they begin to get involved and eventually join in. Quite violent film, not really bloody, but very jarring scenes of destruction and a few severely distasteful vignettes,particularly one with a Married couple. Reminded Me a lot of "Found Footage" films like BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and the glut of "Reality Shows" that have become so prevalent. For whatever reason, Criterion seems to have problems bringing up subtitles on their films, making it difficult to follow (NAKED LUNCH also had this ), but was able to find MBD on YOUTUBE, uncut and with Subtitles. Obviously not for everybody, but worth checking out, although the most frightening thing I found in here was the laxness of the Local Police force, especially towards the end. ***

I look forward to your review!

The House and the White String 2020

A man buys a house at a police auction but of course odd things start happening. Not great but not horrible. A short watch at 44mins.

Leon's Broken Mind, 2011. 7/10

Director: Bazz Hancher


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmiJG2_AMy...brokenmind.jpg


This director reached out to me with two of his projects, one was real 'gore' 'sick' footage which I passed on.
And then this. This is my type of subject, the mental illness, depraved , sick mind of someone. In this case it's Leon, a poor abused guy that misses his mother. Pretty fucked up film, well shot and some sick scenes. Perfect for that 'deep' underground fan.

I can't imagine what the one you passed on is like. How flattering to be sought out by people to watch their movies. *proud*

Alien³

Like with Terminator, it seems like part 3 did more damage than the original sequel.

While Aliens expanded on the original concept, this one ventures more into generic action film territory. Not much to care about, though it's nice to Pete "Kobayashi" Postlethwaite get a small part. Even Sigourney Weaver looks a bit lackluster in this one and the Lance Henriksen cameo was a bit forced.

David Fincher probably did what he could with the script he was given, but at that point, he was still a way away from his later masterpieces.

It makes me want to say something nice, because somewhere in there, there's something that convinced a studio exec to give him the green light to do Seven. What it is? Not sure yet.

The Innocents, 2021. 7/10

Director: Eskil Vogt

Hurt, 2018. 7.5/10

Director: Sonny Mallhi




Loved the camera work.

You aren't saying that the sequels to Terminator and Alien are bad are you? Both Terminator and T2 as well as Alien and Aliens are the ways to handle sequels.

But with Alien 3, I attempted to watch the extended version a while back and couldn't finish it. I noticed that it did have a different ending. And it looks like it came straight out of Heavy Metal. But it's a terrible movie coming after Aliens. The premise of Alien 3 actually doesn't make sense.

I believe Alien 3 is the movie where an executive said they could film him using the bathroom on the wall and they would still call it an Alien movie. Sadly, that's the truth and also a terrible way to make movies, manage a movie, or run a movie studio. As you should be making the best movie creatively and in terms of story progression. Not something to just make money.

They haven't made a good Terminator or Alien movie since T2 and Aliens. I kind of like Prometheus but it also has the whole crossbreeding alien which I hate that starting in Alien 3.

Not at all. Both were amazing. In both franchises, the third part is where the diminishing returns started.

I think it would had been quite a different movie if they went with the other script: https://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Alien3.txt

But to be fair, I think it is quite hard to end a trilogy like that with a movie of the same level with different directors and different writers.

Land of the Blue Lakes 2021
subtitles

Found footage of a group of friends on a kayaking trip.

Not really my thing. Slow with an uneventful ending.

I thought you were saying that the first Terminator sequel did damage to the original.

There is something in T2 that could still be used in a sequel. I'm surprised that no one noticed it from all the directors and writers that worked on the sequels. I thought James Cameron might use it but I guess he liked the story from the last movie.

Doesn't really matter. I kind of used it myself for a quick outline for a Terminator 3. I find every movie after T2 to be a joke for the most part.

I know they made a comic from the original story. I haven't read it yet. But the only story after Aliens was the origin of the derelict ship. But they couldn't even get that right in Prometheus.

I'm curious about the upcoming TV show. But it's like Star Wars at this point. They made too many bad movies. I think only the new Halloween series says disregard the tons of sequels. I can't think of another series that does that right now.

Speaking of TV shows and Terminator... I thought the Sarah Connor Chronicles was pretty good. Two seasons.

Alien 3 was horrible compared to the first two. I was mildly entertained when I saw it. I've seen much worse. I thought it was an interesting story setting, but it just didnt come together. The ending itself was irksome.

Child’s Play was a fun little remake.

You go in expecting disaster and a convoluted mess. Especially when the opening sequence pulls a serious version of the classic Simpsons-bit - Here's your problem, someone set this thing to evil. Then it turns out to be not that bad and, at times, pretty entertaining.

No four stars, though, because the end was too wonky. But the kills are cool (apart the self driving car bit) and I found it a nice touch that the Kaslan logo reminded of Tesla.

Let's go over the comparison.

Chucky > Buddi

The original Chucky (if you don't count the cheesy sequels) had a meanness that this one dearly misses. Apart from one or two moments, the doll is not that scary.

Mark Hamill < Brad Dourif (but not by much)

Nothing touches on Dourif's performance, but it has to be said that Mark Hamill adds a nice touch, giving a hint of innocence to the Chucky character. Making it all the more creepy when he turns on you. You can tell that Hamill is a good voice actor. Makes me all the more curious about his rendition of The Joker. Any recommendations?

Aubrey Plaza > Catherine Hicks

Aubrey Plaza is more convincing as an overworked single mom.

Alex Vincent > Gabriel Bateman (definetily)

Alex Vincent did a good child performance, making Andy look cute and somewhat likable. Gabriel Bateman and his friends just go down the same kid character road set by Stranger Things. It's been done.

Alien Resurrection

More generic action and nowhere near the first two.

That said, the action in this one is better. The underwater scene is pretty entertaining and tense.

It also helps that the actors were better than in part 3. Or at least, they were played to their capabilities. Ron Perlman does a good badass and Brad Dourif is at his best when he does a weirdo. And of course the beauty of Winona. Even as a robot

I thought Sarah Connor Chronicles was hit and miss. Definitely didn't have the creativity of the original 2 movies. And the budget wasn't enough for a Terminator TV show.

I hated that the people behind the show seemed to make cliffhangers and attempted to get fans to extend the show. It worked once but not the second time. You would think the writers would construct a better ending since they barely made it to the second season after the first season. But I guess not.

Part of me thinks that maybe the TV show is the best after the first two movies. But it's really not a high bar to cross when I don't want to watch any Terminator movie after T2.

I still haven't finished that trilogy of books. The first one was good. I have a few Terminator comics and a recent one is on my list. Of course the recent videogame as well.

Spencer

There is a lot to be said about this flick. About it's qualities and it's problems. It has a few problems, but it remains a fascinating watch nonetheless.

The main problem is that it tries too hard.

It hits you over the head too hard and too often with the image of the frail little blond bird trampled by the heartless in laws and their cronies. About the hard life in a suffocating environment. As if we did not know. Or disagreed, for that matter. Yes, it must drive a person crazy. And yes, you can walk away.

Maybe, it's me being a republican (in the European sense of the word, mind you), but I cannot help but think that women like Diana (and by extension Meghan Markle) know/should know what they are getting into when they join this club. Anyway.

The portrayal of the royal family is both a strength and a frailty. The quality: it hammers home the central message. On the other side, especially Charles looked onedimensional and like a charicature. The embodiment of the stiff upper lip. Not even a slight trace of the man Diana fell in love with. Which begs the question even more: what made her love this man so much that she wanted to be there in the first place?

I cannot say much about the two boys, since I don't know enough about them and in that position, you tend to base your interpretation of the characters on the men they later became.

Which brings us to the star of the film. Which is justified, because she really carries the film. It is really striking how much scenes she spends alone and how little screen time the other family members have.

Being a European with an American accent, I am not well placed to judge the British accent she put on. But I understand how crucial this must be to the English viewers.

That said, Kristen Stewart delivers a tour de force as Diana. She really draws you into her world, using mostly body language and intonation to do so. A very strong performance, resulting in deserved Oscar buzz. Even if it's with an eyeroll at the typical Hollywood hogwash. Why typical? Because Kristen Stewart delivered strong performances in the past (as Joan Jett, for one), but it's not until she does the tragic woe is me character that the Academy notices.

Two small PSes:
1) I liked the kitchen chef because, imho, he had a bit of a Grand Budapest Hotel-air over him.
2) Jonny Greenwood does better scores than Thom Yorke.