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Primal Rage (2018)
PREDATOR meets DELIVERANCE meets TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE meets HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS
I thought this movie started out silly (rock-throwing goons in the beginning and character developing that seemed over-the-top,) built up momentum quickly into a Deliverance style narrative, then transitioned quickly into a Predator 1 & 2 knockoff, before transforming completely into a Texas Chainsaw Massacre type of premise. The acting was dull but was accentuated by the exposed bodies of the lead actors throughout the first two acts and made more fun with try-to-hard dialog and goofy sub-characters. It also moved through the aforementioned titles' plot styles pretty seamlessly. Almost all of the Native American parts were a little off-putting, and the third act was tied together way too quickly, with little explanation, but the rest of the sequences were engaging and interesting. The kills were super-gory and bloody and were the highlight of the film. I never thought I'd like a bigfoot movie besides Harry and the Hendersons!
Dune: Part Two (2024)
A really fun and very engaging addition to the Dune series
I saw this opening weekend in 4DX at Regal Theaters (the theater where the seats move, water sprays in the air, air blasts you, the theater fills with smoke, lightning flashes, etc.) I had a completely amazing experience with the movie. Denis Villeneuve is one of my least favorite directors. I thought Prisoners sucked, Blade Runner sucked, and Arrival sucked. But his vision came to completion with this installment of the Dune series. His first Dune movie, in 2021, was rather bland all-around. This one was filled with action sequences to the brim. I also commend him with his efforts in artistic cinema with the black and white Harkonnen world. Austin Butler was really great, as was Zendaya. There are many flaws in the movie such as where it skips parts of the books or changes them, mechanics of some of the sci-fi elements, and some of the actors lack of commitment to their roles. But overall, it was a really fun and entertaining movie that impressed me a lot. Riding the 4DX seats while they were riding the sandworms was a blast!
Zombeavers (2014)
Funny scenes combined with jump scares
This was a really great low budget new horror film riding a wave of resurgence of the genre. Despite actively rooting for each of the main characters to die because of their inherent unlikability, it rounded out a nice cast of actors to fill the screentime. The practical effects were very goofy, but there was still room for ample jump scares. It was really cool to see Bill Burr make an appearance, too. It follows tropes of the zombie subgenre but breaks away enough from the norm to still be unique and watch-worthy. The plot was scatter-brained but comes full-circle and made sense. It was definitely a funny and comedic attempt at zombie flicks.
WolfCop (2014)
Practical effects worth seeing
This movie was good on many levels which harkened back to the golden days of horror filmmaking. Practical effects galore, it was a low budget gore-fest which brought good acting and plenty of entertaining scenes. Through watching the low budget display of practical effects, the viewer is sucked in to the screentime. Willie was one of the best supporting actors in a horror film whose comedic acting was a delight to watch. Even though it dragged a bit in some of the scenes around the drunken main character, the storyline kept it moving quickly enough to make it worth it. While I wouldn't recommend this as one of the best of the genre, it was definitely worth seeking out.
...E tu vivrai nel terrore! L'aldilà (1981)
Lucio Fulci was a one-of-a-kind genius of all time
The Beyond reaches beyond the stereotypical tropes of horror and is an outstanding and visionary masterpiece. It is multi-layered and contains not only gore and jump scares but also tense and permeating supernatural auras which grip the viewer in terror. Inserted as the second of the Gates of Hell Trilogy by Lucio Fulci, it is one of the best horror films of all time. The first in the Gates of Hell Trilogy is not nearly as well thought-out, but the third stands out as a solid sequel even if it is almost completely unrelated. It is almost better to regard The Beyond as a standalone film and appreciate its many assets as an orchestrated piece. The last scenes are grisly and grinding, while the first scenes are startling and shocking. Fulci was a genius without comparison.
American Fiction (2023)
Not too high-brow but very in-depth view of modern American struggles
This is a really wonderful movie about the struggles of writing and with being a black person in modern society. Instead of giving in to the woke world which surrounds us all the time now, it bucks against it. Rather than feeling like you were watching an internalized story about people from other communities, you could feel involved in the story. I have been a long-time fan of Sterling Brown and his performance in this film was well done, through-and-through. I actually first really noticed Jeffrey Wright in Asteroid City, which was directed by Wes Anderson last year, and remarked in my review how he delivered a strong performance. But Wright's unique ability really shone through in this one and he was a delight to watch. Being a writer can be very frustrating, and this film truly showed what kinds of anxieties and problems can arise in the creation of art. I really enjoyed it.
Scream (2015)
Better than the SCREAM movie series
Scream: The TV Series did what the movie series could not in many ways. It created a giallo-esque atmosphere of murders and mayhem which are nearly impossible to figure out for the audience, with great acting and beautiful screenwriting. It also did without the meta- involvement of the movies, which gave it a much more authentic and realistic feel to the series which was lacking in the movies. Many people will complain about season 3, but I personally didn't see too much difference to make it as completely unenjoyable as they all seem to think it was. Seasons 1 & 2 take place in the same timeline with the same actors, and certainly does well to stretch the writing and make it not only believable but also interesting to watch. Season 3 is seen as a reboot, wherein the cast are mostly black actors and actresses, and I think it was better than decent, and was in fact pretty good on its own. When I first sat down to watch the third season, I felt like it wouldn't live up to the first two, and put it off for a couple years before I revisited it. I was happily rewarded with a good story and hard-to-figure-out plot twists. It seemed slightly more involved with the meta- aspects which are overbearing in the movie series, but not so much to be distracting. Overall I loved this series, it's one of the best thrillers/horrors ever to be released. The slow draw of the series will be difficult to imitate for all time.
Mother! (2017)
Psychological horror at its finest
This was a film which divided audiences and spoke to people's intelligences quite frankly. It's an abstract view of motherhood as seen from the view of a woman trapped in purgatory with the devil. Purgatory, in the Christian sense, is of course a place where unbaptized babies go in limbo of being sent to heaven or hell. Yet, in mother!, there is a brooding sense of nightmarish qualities to her life's descent into "living" hell, and terrorization as manifested from her husband (the sympathizing antagonist.) She is sent to purgatory with pregnancy with neglect and shunning as her punishment. This juxtaposes the traditional definitions on many interlinked levels. The acting is superb from Javier Bardem and well underplayed by Jennifer Lawrence. The supporting cast such as Ed Harris do a magnificent job exacerbating the scenes of mayhem for the viewer. Darren Aronofsky is truly a visionary director, taking a YA novel which was the basis for the movie, and melding a world which slowly and gradually creates an unbreakable anxiety all the way to the ending.
Cape Fear (1991)
John D. MacDonald and Martin Scorsese are a dream team
Movies about the police and lawyers generally are a blind spot for me, as I can't stand police procedurals and courtroom dramas. I got into this movie because of the author of the book it's based on, John D. MacDonald. I found out about him when I read a collection of short stories called "Pulp Masters," after reading a collection of Oxford mysteries, and was so enamored with his storytelling that I sought out several of his books which were amazing. He truly was a master story-smith with an astounding amount of knowledge about a bewildering array of topics. He also was from Utica, where my father grew up, and attended Syracuse University where my mother is alumni. He died in 1986, five years before the filming of Cape Fear. I also had written a novella (unpublished) which centered around the area surrounding Cape Fear in North Carolina, and even involves a hike along the boardwalk of its titular waterway. The acting in this is impeccable from Nick Nolte, Juliet Lewis, and Robert De Niro. De Niro's performance is truly cringe-worthy and was difficult for me to watch and enjoy. The writing was top-notch, and although I haven't read the book it was based on, 'The Executioners,' I'm sure it was riveting. For the reasons that I don't enjoy this kind of story on screen, I don't give the movie super-high praise, even though it was by the affluential Martin Scorsese's direction. It was rattling and unsettling to see the characters' actions and motives play out, and I would have preferred to try to read the book. Good movie, overall, but not my cup of tea. I think it would be great to see more screen translations of MacDonald's books.
The Deadly Spawn (1983)
Great practical effects, good story dialogue, okay b acting, mediocre camera work, horrible set design
I tracked this down after watching the mediocre Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor, which I had seen billed as its sequel. However, there's also a Don Dohler series called The Alien Factor which is completely unrelated. Overall, I thought this was a pretty well executed flick. The acting is only slightly below par, and the dialogue is pretty interesting even though it all leads nowhere special. The idea of a youngster who obsesses over horror movies and then becomes immune to the actual horrors of his real life is a trope which is used plenty since the days of this 80s sci-fi gore fest. The practical effects in this were really pretty well done, but a lot of the sets were not well thought out at all. The lighting and costume designs were pre-90s mastery and are often confusingly bad. I thought it was pretty interesting and way more competent for its time than anything by Don Dohler, but still campy enough to be considered a b-movie. I'd recommend for anyone looking for some good gore with practical effects.
Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor (1990)
Kind of fun with a lot of bad acting
This was an interesting watch with b-rate acting and quite cheesy special effects. I heard that it was a sequel to The Deadly Spawn (1983,) and tracked down the original for a while. The aliens in both are significantly related to one another, but it is a strange addition to the series if it is one. They mention in this that there had been a previous invasion of aliens, which leads me to believe it is an actual sequel. There's also an Alien Factor by director Don Dohler which is completely unrelated and has its own sequel called Alien Factor 2. This was overall a pretty fun watch with plenty of creative practical effects that make it kind of worthwhile. Still, I wonder if it is a sequel, prequel, or standalone?
The Trial (2017)
Long series with lots of satire
Hey there, On Cinema co-host Gregg Turkington... This was hands-down one of the dumbest things I have ever sat-through, and I had to stand up and sit back down several times, and still consider it an overwhelming entirety of a full sit-through. 'The Trial' movie is just a court recorder, shamelessly not moving the camera angle, during a case involving ramped up junkies overdosing at a trashy music festival on enhanced vapes. I laughed at this, satirically, but not in a very comedic way. Ridiculously long, dry, and remarkably unfunny. Yet Heidecker and his costars still use their time to be intriguing, multi-faceted, in-depth with their character analyses, worth a chortle or two, and put together for a good use of film. In other words, great show awesome job.
Down by Law (1986)
Great film
Altogether I think that the film, "Down By Law" (1986) by Jim Jarmusch featuring Tom Waits, is one of cinema's finest noir pieces, an obvious montage through the arts of its time period, but held together at its essence, which is the perceived voyeur's agreements with the sometimes awkwardly staggered and dragging exaggerations made by the true minds of the film. This context within context is somewhat familiar to the actors and writers whose hand at the work is seen like a stark author's stencil's dark shading on the texture of the characters at work in the movie. The exemplary effort given by the both the entire teams of the production and writing seem to fit seamlessly as though the stages were set and the actions seemed to flow out of the actors through the piece in the easiest, while at the same time, most mind-blowing orchestration through which the music plays on the rhythm of the story, and viewer. Great early attempt by Jim Jarmusch in film-making, and a true classic. Special recognition, definitely, for Roberto Benigni who was truly fun.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Borat: Not Boring At All...
The film Borat is the story of a young ambassador from an Eastern European country in the United States. It follows his path along from New York City to Hollywood, and all the pitfalls along the way. It is an extremely edgy mockumentary that hearkens comparisons to many films of coming to age in America, but without the sappy side stories, excluding Borat's obsession with Pamela Anderson which fuels his journey across the country, by way of a Baywatch magazine and eventually as an unwitting saboteur in the form of a DVD. It is a story that makes little sense, but brings attention to many stereotypes we take so easily for granted when living here in the U. S. A. Borat and his manager of sorts, a chicken, and a bear are all that we get for main characters. But the amount of laughs more than make up for any shortcomings that one might foresee. Much of the humor is very dry yet jolting. You will probably actually find yourself wondering how a man could be so under cultured, and totally lose track of the fact that this is indeed a comedic character portrayal, and not a real human being sent from Kazakhstan to learn the ways of American life. The best scenes are back-to-back, and the wheels keep rolling, even while our eyes are. His inept fear of Jews and Gypsies alike, are fairly unsettling, but his reactions are so outrageous that we can almost overlook the prejudice inherent in much of his "foriegn" viewpoints. My personal favorite scene is towards the end at a Church where Borat finds himself stumbling in to be redeemed and saved by an overzealous evangelist. But everyone will more than likely have their own moments of complete comedic satisfaction while being entertained by this film. The acting by Cohen is phenomenal, as stated before we can easily subdue our objective view and find ourselves as lost as he is in not only the plot but dialog of the film. The dialog is undoubtedly the stronger point of the picture, even amidst the tom-foolery of an overgrown man with a child's heart. Borat actually caught a big bit of flak from the actual government of Kazakhstan when he toured the States for interviews in character as Borat. On the white house lawn, Cohen threw an impromptu press conference touting the downfalls of the Kazakhstan government, which they retaliated to with a spread in The New York Times that intended to shoot down statements made by Sacha. However, despite these factors Borat managed to break records at the box-office.
Stand by Me (1986)
Favorite movie
Sure, it's an oldie but goo-die, but when the oldies are blaring from your television speakers, no DVD does it better for the amount of nostalgia offered here. I've seen this movie about 20 times, and it simply doesn't get old enough, to make it any easier to stand by and watch the children that we wish we knew and had as friends, wander through life whimsically yet in an education of the mind body and soul. Your heart may thump through their escapades along the train tracks of life, but you won't forget for a second that this is when and where life should have stayed. All of the young actors are brilliant, and even though the story was based on Stephen King, it is heartwarming.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Oppenheimer wins more by obligation, less by outstanding filmmaking
Usually, I like movies that have it all; comedy, horror, thought-provoking, surprises in plots, acting, etc. & Oppenheimer managed to scratch the surface of everything I like. The bombastic soundtrack swelling during moments like the atomic bomb detonation lent a huge theatric aura to the film, while inclusion of characters like Einstein made a lasting and memorable impact as well. The scenes of nudity, I could have done without, and the third act was so overwrought with the responsibility of narrating the lead character's struggles and woes that it was more than a little tiresome. Also, being that this movie was shot for IMAX, seeing it on smaller screens tends to hold screenshot decisions which while unique, are a little distractingly simplified, especially with regards to portraits of the characters, close-ups, and claustrophobia during board-room meetings and legal environments during the third act. Overall, I could hold the third act against the movie a lot, but it served a good enough purpose. I thought the scenes of devastation caused by the nuclear war and its outcome were portrayed tastefully and effectively. Meanwhile, the cogs and gears of the construction of the weapon were done with enthusiasm and an enlightened sense of urgent storytelling. This was a great film, one of the best ones in a year plagued by box office letdowns. Although I probably wouldn't watch it again, except to study Einstein's performance, it was one of Christopher Nolan's finest.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
This movie sucked so bad
Evil Dead Rise was a huge misstep for the Evil Dead franchise. Running off the fuel from the Evil Dead television series, they should've avoided so many mistakes made in this movie. For one, none of the characters were likeable at all. The entire family replaced a charismatic protagonist who held together the first three movies with a bunch of horrible people who were impossible to like. The least likeable characters in the movie are the only survivors at the end. Secondly, there were no jump scares. Zero. It was like they thought they could depend on blood and gore to carry the movie, and then were scared to use the blood and gore anyway. Thirdly, they tried to assemble a more realistic storyline without Sam Raimi's input, which turned out sadly to be just plain stupid. The actors themselves help ruin the plot on several occasions with overacting and dumb cliches. The final monster was the second-best part of the movie, and even its inclusion lacked any creativity and instead was just used annoyingly. That the opening credits were the best part of the movie should tell you that this one sucked, badly. It was made by New Zealand and Ireland in a joint venture, and I think that the offshoring of Evil Dead has permanently ruined the franchise. What a terrible movie.
Fargo (1996)
Not nearly as good as THE BIG LEBOWSKI; a mediocre Coen effort
This was a merely okay movie which has been blown way out of proportion by the easily swayed and entertainable masses. For me, a movie isn't truly amazing unless the quirky performances are standout and the script is multi-layered and full of twists and turns. This movie is predictable and the performances almost all blend together. People commend Frances McDormand for her performance in this, but I think William H. Macy is the only real show-stealer out of the whole cast, including Buscemi who is underutilized. There are a couple of really good cinematographic shots, such as Macy leaving the office building of his father-in-law when it looks like he is going to jump from the building, either out of disappointment or from incompetence of the plot. The actors all use heavy "Minnesota accents" but it seems more like a ploy to make fun of and laugh at people's speech. The detective work done in the movie is at best mediocre, and many of the tangents which the story goes on don't pay off nearly enough. The very end scene is okay as far as tangent storylines go, but the rest are half-in on building any character at all outside of the story. The 90s haircuts, cars, and atmosphere are kind of interesting, but this wasn't intended to be a period piece. The Coen brothers have made quite a few movies, and this one is one of the ones people always say is among their best. I like the Coen brothers' style a lot of the time, but this is far from being as good as The Big Lebowski and is hardly as inspired. From the opening credits' false claim that it is a "True Story," to the ending with the woodchipper, this was a movie you can just go without.
Monkey Business (1931)
Groucho's genius shines as hard as Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin, easily
The reckless and zany physical comedy of the Marx Brothers is outshined only by their lingual wordplay and hilarious puns. While others of the time (Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin) attempted to refine the purity of slapstick, the Marxes meshed a hundred times more laughs with their wacky, behind-your-back and in-your-face punchlines. Chico just about keeps up with Groucho as far as verbal comedy, while Harpo does his usual silent shtick with physical slapstick. Zeppo mostly does the job of moving the plot along with some form of normalcy. But Groucho, mind you, is comic insanity at its finest and pinnacle triumph. He's nonstop and constantly doing something so crazy you'd have to see it to believe it. The Marx Brothers' first movies were made in mimicry of their stage performances in the 1920s, while Duck Soup, the later picture, is often praised as one of their finest. But to me, when all calamity unfolds in Monkey Business, they are at the top of their comedy. Although the musical number near the end of the movie is slightly outdated, the rest of their talent shines throughout. A slightly more-complicated-than-it-should-be plot of stowaways on a ship who become involved with mafioso types onboard is still simple enough to be understandable and relatable to anyone. When there's a kidnapping, the four maniacs revel in their uproarious antics. As Groucho hangs off the rafters of a barn yelling at everyone, I couldn't ask for a more rewarding ending.
Joker (2019)
Between BRIGHTBURN and BATMAN BEGINS - a reinvention of character-building
While DC branched out with an evil version of Superman in Brightburn, it also built the sympathetically good side of Joker with Joaquin Phoenix. Played as a study of psychology in motion, this was one of the best superhero-based movies to be released on the big screen, even though it was all about the supervillain. Phoenix's performance is gut-grippingly good, and the supporting actors deliver perfectly on-point performances. The flexible and ambidextrous abilities of DC are amazing; feeding off human nature and building characters whose stories are a presence beyond the capabilities of most screenwriting. Joker's struggles are brought to light even while we (the community of comic readers) know that his infliction is venomous and unhealable. Truly a multilayered story, Joker is one of the best movies to come out in the 21st century, thus far.
Color Out of Space (2019)
One of Lovecraft's greatest translations to screen
H. P. Lovecraft was a complicated individual, as many who have researched his past may know. He was racist, schizophrenic, and brilliant. Of the movies inspired by his writing I would rank; Color Out of Space, Necronomicon, Reanimator, Dagon, and The Unnamable, in order. There have been quite a number of other movies made with his writing as mold, but those four were probably the best. Nicolas Cage is always a delight to watch and be entertained by, but this movie was a departure from most of his standardized fare. With some beautifully constructed scenes and some equally horrific scenes, there is a mix here which is great for horror enthusiasts. Tommy Chong is fun to watch as the hermit, too. This was a really fun movie that I can highly recommend to any horror junkie.
Brightburn (2019)
Evil SUPERMAN spins a movie more textured than SHIN GODZILLA
For those who grew up attached to the dark side of DC versus the colorful spectacle of Marvel comics, this movie offers a glimpse at the content we crave. It spins the Superman story on its head, and where the original Christopher Reeve movie began with happy family gatherings and amusing wonderment of its characters, this one cuts it all quickly short and lands us in horror's field of startling and cringe-worthy plotline and onscreen mayhem. The young boy who discovers he has superhuman abilities goes onto be easily swayed to use them for evil. His grungy costume and revenge-fueled actions can the heroism of Superman and sticks him into the realm of modern terror. The scenes are dark and foreboding before becoming bloody and gory. This film was really a wonderful idea for the supernatural genre and was executed quite enjoyably. Of course, it could have gone further with the premise, but the places it stops are fulfilling.
Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (2023)
Wonderful adventure with colorful friends
This movie was a treat. Since the early 2000s began, there has been a shortage of great comedy movies where the central theme has been friendship, while at the same time the subgenre was mostly explored and discovered with such classics as Dumb and Dumber, Mystery Team, The Civil War on Drugs, Half Baked, and Wet Hot American Summer. As competently as Donald Glover's Mystery Team, this movie is a joyous ride through the lives of its heroes. Finally, a group of actors has stepped up to carry the torch. John Goodman's detached narration is buoyant throughout the movie, while Conan O'Brien does a great job of securing a high-brow humor against the rambunctious infectiousness of the younger cast. They skate through the opening scenes and enjoy each moment of the screenwriting which plays onto their abilities as comic performers. As SNL alum, the trio of Ben Marshall, Martin Herlihy, and John Higgins, know how to compose comedy underhandedly while playing on the deadpan silliness of their situations. Their sketches as featured on their YouTube channel are brightly constructed and the movie here follows in line. The soundtrack songs are top-notch choices, and even the dance numbers are fun to watch. Cedric Yarbrough and Gaten Matarazzo are lively on the screen, as well. Good laughs, great time.
Kyle Cease: Weirder. Blacker. Dimpler. (2007)
Compare this with Dan Klein's THIS IS COMEDY and an EVENING WITH TIM HEIDECKER
Kyle Cease began stand-up comedy with shows including "One Dimple," which this special borrowed from lightly. One of the nice things about Cease's style of comedy is that he can borrow from a previous show and still make it completely original with his unique creativity. He went on, after filming this, to become a motivational speaker rather than a comedian. Kudos to him for that decision; I'm sure he's making supportive, inspirational moves for the audiences. This is a one-of-a-kind special which boasts the surreal, sublime, abstract, land-on-your-face deadpan, and Jim Carrey-esque silliness and physical comedy bits, all in one package. The fact is, you'll never see somebody deliver bits like these with as much positive and refreshing enthusiasm for the rest of your life. If you enjoyed this, check out Dan Klein's This is Comedy and Tim Heidecker's An Evening with Tim Heidecker.
Scavengers Reign (2023)
The best animated series possibly ever, equaling AKIRA and THE LION KING
I just finished this series and thought it was awesome. To me, Japanese anime lacks the strong content of American anime on most playing fields. Aside from Akira, I've never really liked Japanese anime. The artistic direction behind Scavenger's Reign is on par with its Japanese contemporaries, but the amount of creativity seeping through every screen is amazing. The soundtrack is beautiful too, and the acting is on point. I loved the story, the arcs, and the plot development in this. After watching the short video on YouTube, Scavengers, I thought this would be lacking dialog and therefore not be as intriguing as it ended up being. You could draw comparisons with other sci-fi and fantasy worlds that were built by writers, but the sheer boundless creativity of this one is truly awe inspiring. At first, you might relate to characters, only to feel the tangible pain of seeing them betray you. Then, some redeem themselves. My eyes watered at the end of the series, something which most cartoons can't do to me.