Last Seen Contemporary Movie

[Tommy Jarvis]

Black Mirror: Be Right Back 2013 ★★★½

This episode of Black Mirror taps into the same vein as Her and one or two similar titles.

Mind you, it does it pretty well. With an engaging story that I was completely into until the end. Compliments to Haley Atwell as Martha. And Brendan Gleeson's kid as Simon.

Tau 2018 ★★½

An home robotics thriller with a kidnapped women stuck in a house with a psychopatic tech mogul who has somehow has a experimental system which basically morphs Hal from 2001 and Ed 209 into one system. Scratch that, this robot beats the crap out of ol' Ed.

It's entertaining and Maika Monroe is still as solid as ever, but in her filmography, this would have to take a backseat to her other work.

Bombshell 2019 ★★★½

When #MeToo hit Fox News.

Is this movie “fair and balanced”? Well, it certainly goes a bit deeper into the complexities of sexual harassment cases. Not so much the cases themselves, the facts are clear. More in the portrayal of how each of these women come to the decisions and actions they (under)take in the end and the considerations they (have to) ponder. One significant moment is during Kelly's first testimony when she notices that she is witness W and asks “Am I number 23?”. How it only then fully dawns on her what's really going on. Kudos to Charlize Theron there. Good job.

If anything, the acting is pretty solid. Being from Europe, I only know Megyn Kelly and I have to say Charlize Theron was the most convincing out of all three. In the other case, I cannot judge the resemblance, but in all honesty, I just saw Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Best testament to the quality of the acting: this has a small role for Mark Duplass (the creep from “Creep”) and his, for lack of a better word, “creepy” star is outshined by a great John Lithgow.

Recommended for fans of period pieces. The big productions that capture the zeitgeist of an era.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Remnants 2013 ★★½

Decent found footage available on YT.

Nothing groundbreaking or mindboggling. Just, you know... okay characters, good build up, nice pay off, suitably vague,...

If you're a sucker for found footage (like me), this is a nice addition for your collection.

You can check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAEuouBgXKU

High Tension 2003 ★★★

Alexandra Aja's debut does not lose much steam on a rewatch.

Interestingly, for a movie known for its brutality, it does not really spend all that much time on the actual torture and gore. Sure, there is plenty of gore and disturbing imagery, but just as much attention goes to the chase, with the main protagonist running from the killer. Until of course the big twist.

High Tension is still a very solid calling card for the man who went on to do The hills have eyes remake and movies like Oxygen. He masters the visual craft of setting up atmosphere and he can do his fair share of gore. Thus earning High Tension a place between other French extremes like Inside and Martyrs. And while I am not the biggest fan of their work, the choice to prominently feature Muse in the score does work in the movies favour.

Natty Knocks 2023 ★★★

Robert Englund, Danielle Harris and Bill Moseley feature in a nice little slasher with a bit of a Stranger Things-vibe in it. Though that's easy to say when the protagonists are kids.

Said protagonists are a duo of friends, consisting of a Ryder Strong facsimile and young McLovin', whose main merit was whining and keeping me wondering wether he was meant to be this annoying.

The legend (the faded B-movie star accused of withchraft and burned) is a tried and true concept, but it was well worked out here and it gave the killer a decent backstory. The kills were okay and at least one kill made me hate the killer even more.

The sequel bait at the end was obvious and predictable (yes, it involves the little black book being found), but it was still fun to watch.

3 stars. Well deserved for a fun style exercise.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Black Mirror: White Bear 2013 ★★★★★

Holy shit, is this great writing.

The opening scene immediately has you hooked in a way not unlike some of the better horror films, with a character waking up in a 28 Days Later-ish setting. What is happening? Why is everybody filming her?

It then sets up a dystopian narrative, but – when you least expect it – pulls the rug from under you. Not once, but twice. Second time in the end credits. And in such a masterful way, my goodness.

Five stars well deserved.

Goodnight Mommy 2014 ★★★★

A movie about unheimlichkeit from the people who invented the word. That should be a conving tagline.*

The story is shrouded in a bit of mistery since we never get to see the actual accident, only the aftermath (which I'm guessing involves fractures and/or burn wounds to the face). Neither do we get to know who this mistery woman really is or what her goals are.

What we do get to see is a tense story about estrangement, about the horror of having to walk on eggshells in your own home. Afraid to set off your own mother of all people. And what's worse: the slightest thing can. Making for an atmosphere where you as a viewer are constantly on edge, discomforted in one way or the other. Like in the scene with the Red Cross volunteers, or the game scene where they unmask “Mommy”.

Also: how much is Mommy an imposter and how much of a sociopath/psychopath is in the boys?Because it would not surprise me if you could make a case for the second theory as well. From their mannerisms, body language and the way they speak once they gain the upper hand. Cold. Measured. Dare I say callous at times? Are they innocent boys going mad after unmasking their abusive “mother” or are they psychopaths (like Eve 8 and Eve 9) torturing their “innocent” mother?

Four stars. Well recommended.

*K.Brockman-voice: That oughta hold those SOBs.

The Tent 2019 ★1/2

The tent that... oh, ok. (pause) Wait, what?

This short's main problem is that it plays it straight. Turn this into B-movie style campy schlock in the vein of Slugs, The deadly spawn, Troma, fifties and sixties stuff and you have potential.

Now? Nah.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Knock at the Cabin 2023 ★★★½

There is something about Shyamalan dialogue. I cannot put my finger on what it is, and I am certainly not claiming to be able to do better. But, unlike other directors, his dialogues nearly always have me involuntarily think “Who talks like this?”.

That said, Knock at the cabin qualifies as one of his better movies. Not as good as Split or The Sixth Sense, but still pretty solid. He knows how to build up this odd atmosphere that goes… more

Murdercise 2023 ★½

Murdercise is one of those schlockfests where you can tell that... the whole cast... they're in on the joke. They know what's going on.

It has all of the eighties sleaze in a good kind of way. Too many things to mention: the C-movie they watch together, the mousy heroine and her makeover reveal (“If you ladies will excuse me, Richard Gere will soon pick me up and take me to a polo game”), the nepo mom coming on to the nerdy assistant,...

It did nothing right, and because of that, it's great.

Lane 9 2019 ★★★

Fun little short with a nice retro vibe. Not sure wether Russell was really dead/alive or just a hallucination.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Independence Day 1996 ★★★★

The best way to deserve this movie? It did dumb well.

New fun drinking game: spot the lines that became funnier after "the slap".

Also: Bill Pullman is majorly underrated.

Also also: This movie probably has the best... extra... ever.

Teaching Mrs. Tingle 1999 ★★½

I remember seeing the trailer for this one and being intrigued by the plot summary, but for some reason never got around to watching it in theatres or on video. Then I got in my twenties and into more arthousey stuff and Mrs Tingle went off my radar, until now.

Kevin Williamson delivers his first and only directorial effort, while riding the wave of success after Scream and Scream 2. Maybe he feels he is better at writing than at directing? Who knows.

It's an entertaining flick, although more twisted comedy than horror. This is also where the Scream-success becomes baggage: while this movie has some good ideas and plot devices here and there, you expect more. From the writer portrayed as clever and witty, you expect more than your standard small town folk trying desperately to escape thing. In its own, it's okay. If you let Scream set the bar higher, then you'll be more likely to notice the plotholes.

It was fun to see a few familiar faces pop up in the background (Molly Ringwald, Vivica Fox, Michael “David St Hubbins” Mckean), but if anyone makes this worth the price of admission, it's Helen Mirren. She is simply amazing as the titular Mrs. Tingle, with an Anne Robinson in The Weakest Link-type meanness to her.

[TaeKwonZombie]

The Haunting (1999)

I've been meaning to watch this movie since the 2000's seeing it displayed at Wal-Mart.....The castle was beautiful in this, reminded me of the Bloodborne game...I actually really loved all the jump scares, and computer effects, not bad, but not a masterpiece either.

[TaeKwonZombie]

Lake Placid (1999) cheesy little monster movie with a giant crocodile in a lake. In this you get to see a giant croc eat a grizzly bear...not bad computer effects for its time? You also get to see an old lady who feeds it cows as if its her pet. Maybe she took some notes from the killers of Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Red Snow 2021 ★★★

Red Snow looks like a (halfway) decent vampire romcom-ish romp set at Christmas.

The cast was solid, the leads had chemistry and some of the jokes were actually pretty good. Though I am still in doubt about the season's greetings pun. Is it bad, good or "so bad it's good"?

What do you think?


Cocaine Bear 2023 ★★★★

Cocaine Bear delivered everything a movie with that title was supposed to.

This Braindead-light is situated somewhere in the middle between splatstick and movies like Zombieland. With one shot completely lifted from the latter. If you know, you know.

I understand Elizabeth Banks got a bit of flack for her take on Charlie's Angels. I have not seen it that one yet, so I cannot say if it's justified. But here, she did a solid job, delivering a very enjoyable bit of eighties retro. With one character looking kind of like Tom Delonge in the video for Blink 182's First Date. Cheers, Liz.

The characters and the plot were appropriately silly. The kills were a decent mix of gore and whoopsies. The time flew by, not in the least because the cast turned it into an enjoyable comedy with solid performances across the board. Wether it's Keri Russell as the mom or the kids or the hijinx with the gangsters or the park rangers. Ray Liotta plays a goofy version of his mob characters and Ice Cube Junior seems to be going for that same grump-schtick his father does whenever he does a comedy.

The question is: how can you say dumb shit? If you can say it with a friendly smile, then pull up a beer and some snacks and enjoy the ride. If you can only say it in a condescending tone while spurning, this is not for you.

Kinsey 2004 ★★★

Kinsey is a solid biopic. You get a pretty comprehensive picture of how Alfred Kinsey became the man he would eventually be known as: somebody whose impact on the sexual revolution and the acceptance of gays and lesbians can probably not be measured nor expressed in words. Though it is a bit of a cold shower (no pun intended) that this research stems from a boring intellectual and a bookworm who just happened to stumble across this topic by the dumb luck (pun intended) of being very well endowed.

It shows the adversity Kinsey and his research encountered, both from white and blue collar folks, from prudes and people who were just afraid of discovering new things (ie they only have one question (am I normal?) and they want the answer to be yes, end of conversation). And of course the ignorance that reigned at that time. Something the movie gently pokes fun at in the first act.

That said, it's not all fun and games. Kinsey comes under scrutiny, prudes try to become monkey wrenches and Kinsey's own character and his OCD/workaholic tendencies get in his way. It raises the question how accurate this portrayal of Kinsey was, because there is something fascinating about how somebody can possess the type of warmth that gets everyone to open up and spill their guts, while at the same time not being able to (or even interested in) reading the room and trying to find the appropriate tone in his day to day life.

It also shows just how revealing this research was in one of the more touching scenes. When his father (again a great performance by John Litgow) opens up about the sexual traumas from his youth and the subsequent torture he experienced, before clamming up again, overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions and frustrations he cannot comprehend or handle. But it ends on a hopeful note, with one testimony that stood for the many people touched/liberated by his work.

Odd to see Laura Linney get the Oscar nod. Like most people in this movie, she was very good, portraying a complex character torn between her love for her husband and his work (I think she both understood the relevance of his work and admired the passion with which he dug into it) and her own feelings (the infidelity argument) and fears (this is beyond my comprehension, this is more than I bargained for). She was good, very good, but to say that she stood out that much to justify that? That might be a bit much.

Maybe not earth shattering, but a good watch nonetheless.

[Tommy Jarvis]

Resurrected 2023 ★★

I do not really understand why this is getting good reviews.

They could a lot more with this concept and the main culprit for missing the mark is the acting. Terrible across the board - apart from maybe the wife - and especially the clergymen who were less The Omen and more a straight version of James Woods in Scary Movie 2.

Throughout the first hour, I regularly had moments where I just wanted to turn this off: from to… more

Final Summer 2023 ★½

A solid slasher has a good looking killer and gruesome kills. This movie has neither. Young Stephanie McMahon is the closest we get.

The only positives are the final girl and the Thom Matthews-cameo.

Past Lives 2023 ★★★★½

This certainly lived up to the hype. We get a beautiful story about love and profound friendship. About following your dreams and about the things you can do for a true friend.

It's a feel good story without being sappy.

It avoids the easy traps of this type of tale: there are plenty of moments where a lesser writer would go for the easy way out and go with a bitter reaction. This movie does not. It's equally easy to go for cheap sentiment and ditto regrets. 2 hours of: Oh if only I had... None of that here.

The cast is amazing. You completely buy them as their respective characters and they fully understand where their character comes from.

The only critical note I could bring up is that the opening scene is completely unnecessary. It could easily be dropped and you would not miss it at all. Granted, this is coming from somebody who considers this a cliché because of modern day horror, a genre that Past Lives has nothing to do with, and I recognise that this is nitpicking.

It's tjockfull of touching moments and beautiful shots. Too many to name here and too much risks to spoil the movie.

Highly recommended.

[Tommy Jarvis]

The Reverend 2011 ★

One of the rare occasions where I was so bored I could not even finish it.

Only upsides were the cameos for Rutger Hauer and Doug Bradley.

Interstellar 2014 ★★★★½

One of Nolan's great epics.

Matthew McCounaghey (in the middle of his McCougnaissance) plays a frustrated engineer who somehow stumbles across a grand project to save what's left of the world at that point. Surrounded by an ensemble cast with – among others – Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, John Lithgow, Michael Caine,...

Their space mission combines the grandeur of 2001 with the tension of the better sci-fi thrillers. As a viewer, you are constantly involved in the storylines of the various obstacles that our protagonists have to overcome.

Is this a movie with an explicit climate message, or more of a cuationary tale to people with (too) much faith in technology in regard of climate. The ones that say: Don't worry, somebody will work out something. All this in an epic tale that can equally be enjoyed on a surface level.

Black Mirror: The Waldo Moment 2013 ★★½

Well told stylistiscally, but pretty predictable and the least of the episodes I have seen so far.