Yet another hit King adaptation that's practically perfect and a horror classic. Again it excels at everything Carrie did but Misery is surprisingly more tense throughout. Of course a big round of praise for the actors Kathy Bates and James Caan who practically make this film. It doesn't really show much up until the end and lesser actors would absolutely not be able to sell the amount of tension and fear that's required to keep this one interesting. I mean the whole setting is claustrophobic and small yet Misery never feels restricted or dull through its hour and forty minute runtime. In fact, most of the time the film is at its weakest when it deviates from the farm and focuses more on the Sheriff character, I still don't understand what he contributes to the story. The ending is also a bit of a letdown as you can tell it must've been filmed rushed or as an afterthought, but everything else, super good.
Reviews
47 Reviews
Carrie
(1976)
A Great Period Piece
9 November 2022
What I always admired about this film is its ability to hold back the good stuff until it really deserves it. It plays with the supernatural in smaller ways throughout but it's more focused on developing these characters beforehand which is really what gives Carrie substance. Not to say there isn't anything goofy about it, you get a lot of camp and excess from the movie's villains, but it's still well done in portraying Carrie as an ultimately sympathetic protagonist, we care about her and that's what matters the most. This is something I will admit that Stephen King does very well, he sets the premise and then works up to the climax in a way that feels natural and deserved. And of course there's always that extra help directors do when adapting his works that ultimately makes the story simpler and better. I'm glad this one's always been a staple of horror as you can tell the cast and crew worked really hard on it despite some clear "made for TV" moments. Only huge knock against this one is the awful soundtrack.
House
(1977)
Sometimes a pane to watch, mostly a-door-able
9 November 2022
In a way the broken logic of House's filmmaking is its own horror, it's disorienting and nonsensical as anything could be really. This works both for the movie and against it as House is undeniably annoying for most of its runtime. But that in turn makes it incredibly watchable and entertaining as well and even in today's modern cinematic landscape there's still not much like it. I enjoy the enthusiastic performances of the cast, I enjoy the dated and goofy looking visual effects, and I enjoy the fact that the underlying story is simple enough to give the film at least some kind of cohesion. Make no mistake though this one's not for everyone and like I said, this one can be super annoying. More so on the soundtrack side of things, I think the tunes themselves are good but hearing that piano piece one time too many got irritating. If you're willing to put up with an experience, go with House, it'll always find ways to surprise you. But don't expect it to be a smooth ride all the way to the end.
The Thing
(1982)
The Thing About The Thing
22 October 2022
I'm a John Carpenter kind of guy so I must say I go into his films already enjoying them. Watching The Thing biased for many years and then watching it with my partner last night kind of opened me to the fact that some people just don't gel with this movie. And honestly, I don't really get it at all. The effects, they are fantastic not just for the time but they still hold up today. Yet they're over the top enough to make the film energetic and fun and honestly make the even more dreary bickering of the station crew lively. The suspense is also so well laid and executed and the different things you might pick up on as you watch this film make it such a fun rewatch. Pair that with a fantastic cast and you just get a horror film for the ages. But you know what I'll admit? The suspense does take a little while to build, and to be quite honest I don't remember the first act of the film being so slow. I feel like there are two critical scenes that could've either been trimmed down or cut entirely as they really only reinforce what we as an audience already know. But as a ride or die Carpenter guy this is only a concern for other people. For me, this is still so good.
Ringu
(1998)
Just As Well...
20 October 2022
This one's alright, I think both versions of Ring have their strengths and weaknesses. The American remake has that one creepy scene and is more entertaining throughout, this one takes itself pretty seriously and has an elevated atmosphere. Both tales I find don't really come together organically though, the mystery is built up but the way it's solved is through spoon feeding dialogue and flashbacks. One reason I like Ju-On so much is how literal it is and how much more effective and straightforward the scares are. Same with Dark Water which has essentially the same mystery but a better plot development. It also tried to be a little too emotional for what the film was actually able to achieve, there were parts that obviously were supposed to be sad but they feel weak because of the film's presentation and writing. Again, Dark Water does this better. I'm making Ring out to seem worse than it is, it's still a fun film to binge in preparation for Halloween, it's just not an instant go to for me.
Luckiest Girl Alive
(2022)
Decentest Film Alive
10 October 2022
I'm glad they got a high profile person like Mila Kunis to lead this film because if her performance was missing I doubt this would be turning heads at all. Not that the story is terrible, it's certainly nowhere near the worst thing I've seen, but it definitely has its "made for Netflix" film moments. The big knock against this is the internal monologue of the main character. It's completely unnecessary, consistently the worst written and most jarring of all the film's dialogue, and legitimately detracts from important moments. Every internal monologue in this film basically restated the obvious emotions we could already feel from Kunis's excellent performance. I don't understand this decision, it feels very lazy from a storytelling standpoint. The film doesn't look great either and there are several moments where dialogue scenes are shot in a baffling and distracting way. I think the thing the film does best is put its main character in situations where her trauma is invalidated, not respected, and how it affects her work life. That was very good and I think how this film deals with that made it worth pulling through. But the mediocre things paired with the fact that the film is too long make this one not terribly memorable. Also Connie Britton is just bad in this film.
Freaks and Geeks
(1999–2000)
Cool and Good
6 October 2022
I watched a few episodes a long time ago when I was in middle school. I don't know what I was thinking then because I thought it was boring. Man I was an idiot. This remains to this day one of the most unique and heart-tugging coming of age shows. Probably the best one if I'm being honest. And the fact it got one excellent season that deals with every character before it wraps up is even better. I don't even want a second season because I really can't see where else the show can go from that gut wrenching season finale. To have a show that gets so much leverage out of this situational style of humor, and do it well for the vast majority of 18 episodes, is just incredibly special. Also literally every single actor is great including the guests. Also, can I just say this series has some of the best uses of preexisting songs? Usually it irks me in shows, especially modern ones, when I hear popular songs played anytime something emotional is happening. But this one does it well.
Event Horizon
(1997)
Less Event, More Horizon
6 October 2022
Very very very very disappointing. This film doesn't even work as a fun gory romp because all the gore and squeamishness I was promised got cut out of the film. Not that if it was included the film would magically become great, but it would be more entertaining if we saw some crazy action. As it is everything is disappointingly standard in this movie with the main gimmick being an abandoned and haunted space ship. It tries to be more psychological in the first half but it falls on pretty standard scare tropes. And it just becomes a standard action film once it really gets going, and my goodness do scenes of this drag. Most of my entertainment came from the super cool sets and props that they built, and then some of the acting which is admittedly better than I expected. Why I say this was disappointing is because it could've actually been done in a way that was more interesting and unique but as it is it just feels flat. I do have to say there are some interesting parallels between this film and Danny Boyle's Sunshine and I can't help but feel like Boyle was somewhat influenced by this.
Barbarian
(2022)
+2 to Horror, +4 to Suspense
6 October 2022
So...uh...didn't know the guy from Whitest Kids U Know could actually do a decent film. The less said about this film the better, and honestly one time is enough for me for this film. Even though I enjoyed it, it plays to literally every single fear I have, so it was not an enjoyable watching experience per se. Seriously the first two thirds of this movie had me going "No thank you!" and wanting to crawl away in shame. I do think it loses some power as it nears its finish because it gets admittedly a little too over the top. I also didn't really like what they did with Justin Long's character. He killed his performance obviously but I do think it just added an unnecessary element to the story. Other than that this is very good, very well made, go watch it. Even if you don't like it I reckon the movie will still be very memorable. Huge props to Anna Drubich who turned in an excellent score. And also the set designers, once you see this you'll know what I mean.
Monster
(2022–2024)
Decent
30 September 2022
Man this series is a bit of a shame since this is the best looking Ryan Murphy production to date. Best written too though that's not saying much, this show still has its rough points. And I mean rough. The obvious one is the flashback childhood scenes of Dahmer which include terrible child actors and really awful dialogue from the younger versions of his parents. There's also the moral quandary some people have with this show which I definitely felt at some points. There just seemed to be some stylistic elements that maybe glorified or put Dahmer in a better or more sympathetic tone than maybe the directors wanted to convey which came off real uncomfortable. Also the fact that the victims families aren't receiving more compensation from the series yet it mentions Lionel Dahmer's troubles with his book, it's just hypocritical. Also it's too long. There. Everything else is either fine or good. The acting for the most part from the adults is well done and they even deliver some poor lines in a way that felt more natural. The series looks great. The greater focus it had on the victims and their families was a good inclusion though they are totally lying when they mention that this show isn't from Jeffrey Dahmer's point of view. That's only true for maybe three episodes. And of course the sixth episode is great and I feel like it deserves all the praise it's been getting. Pretty conflicted on this one but I was compelled to watch it all so there's obviously something to it.
A Serious Man
(2009)
No Comment
29 September 2022
For now this one's getting a half rating. I'm not sure if I genuinely was annoyed at it or if it was just good enough to illicit that reaction. I felt like I was being preached to and also being left to create my own interpretation at the same time with this film. I don't know, I really can't place my finger on it. Something about this movie is rotten. The ending is haunting. I found the rabbi meetings exhausting. The funny bits were funny but also dreary. I definitely had no idea where it would eventually lead. If I had to say anything about this film, ignoring the quality, I'd say it's one of the more genuinely nightmarish films I've seen.
North Country
(2005)
More North Than South
28 September 2022
The court case that inspired this story is frustrating and infuriating. It's an important one to translate to the screen and for the most part I think this film works. There are a few creative liberties, a real big one as well, but it stays mostly on track and does a great job showing the awful behavior exhibited towards these poor women who just want to work. I also like the victim blaming aspect they included from some of the other female coworkers and Charlize Theron did a great job showing that emotion. The cinematography particularly of the mines was also pretty good and the kids weren't too bad. I do feel like maybe the film is a little long, there were scenes with Woody Harrelson and Sean Bean that I felt could just be cut out. The film also ends on a really disappointing note because the court scene is written in such a Lifetime Movies made for TV way and it doesn't really take the effort to wrap the case up in regards to the other victims. If a lot more taste and effort went into the ending I would be praising this much more. As it is, everything up until that scene is done well and worth your time.
Drop Dead Gorgeous
(1999)
Drop Dead Boring
28 September 2022
Complete waste of a perfectly good and talented cast. The few laughs I got out of the film either came from how tasteless it was, or Denise Richards who played her part really well. I don't see how this one is viewed as a cult classic on par with late 90's early 2000's films like Mean Girls or 10 Things I Hate About You. I'm not the biggest fan of those but at least I can see the appeal and it seems like there's some genuine message beneath those films. The characters are somewhat developed. This is just a cynical, raunchy, in your face bore. And sure I like crass humor as much as the next guy I'm not going to pretend I'm above this movie, but it's done in such a blatant and obvious way. Yeah we get it, one of the judges likes kids. Yeah we get it, one of the judges has a mental disability. Yeah we get it, this girl has an eating disorder. You didn't have to reuse the same jokes over and over. It's frustrating because this mockumentary style could have been used to some effect but the film doesn't even use it for a single joke except for one. And that turns out to be the best joke of the film. I know this is a lot, but I don't think this is the worst thing I've seen. Like I said, fantastic cast and they do seem to be trying. It's just so disappointing considering what it could have been.
VVery Good
26 September 2022
I always like it when directors nerd-out on their films, Eggers is one of those that loves to include tons of superfluous (and also meaningful) details into his scenes because the dude just likes history. If the old english speak isn't an indicator of that I don't know what is. This ultimately lends to him crafting some really enjoyable and immersive worlds and for his first movie The Witch is really well done and well budgeted technically. I don't think anyone could look at this film and say it wasn't gorgeous looking, which admittedly lends to most of its memorable moments. The story is pretty straightforward and easy enough to follow, I think it's just the dialect that throws some people off since admittedly as an American it can sound pretty goofy at times. It also wasn't the most complete experience for me because it does feel like there were moments where I felt like Eggers wanted to do more but because of the budget he couldn't. I do think his later films feel more filled to the brim. But I do think on rewatch there probably are new things to pick up on here and there.
Fargo
(1996)
You Betcha
24 September 2022
For some reason this film felt really comforting to watch even though it is pretty messed up in principal. But the setting of the sleepy midwestern towns in the beautiful snow and the film's humble tone make this one of the more interesting dramas to watch. Don't take that like it's devoid of action though, Fargo is interspersed with some surprisingly tense and hilarious moments. It just has a more microscopic lens on the characters of the story and the culture of their town. It also has an excellent soundtrack that fits the film perfectly and even adds to that comforting feeling I mentioned. I do think maybe it wraps up in a faster fashion than I was hoping, definitely the movie comes more alive when Frances McDormand's character steps in and I feel a few scenes from the first quarter could have been shaved down to include more finality for the plot. But as it is the film moves at a quick enough pace throughout where this doesn't bother me too much, it's just a bit unfortunate. Still very solid.
Uncut Gems
(2019)
A Gem Of A Film
23 September 2022
Of course I can go on about how Adam Sandler is just the best thing in this film. Even with his great performance in Punch Drunk Love he is still an actor that doesn't get to show his range very much. And though the character he's playing here is cartoonish and exaggerated to a degree he still has an air of believability to him. In fact all of the actors in this movie do, even the stereotypical money collecting boss with his two goons. It's a very breath-of-fresh-air interpretation of a modern crime drama and that's what I think makes it so strong. And it's also just emotionally provoking seeing how many times this guy is willing to completely ruin his life and the people around him. If I had a criticism I'd say the first fifteen minutes or so are a bit too hectic and a lot of the very real dialogue in this film can hamper the viewing of someone with lesser knowledge of let's say basketball and betting. It's definitely not going to be a smooth watch for everyone. But it's just hard not to applaud how solid this film is written, acted, directed, and especially how well it's edited.
Shiva Baby
(2020)
Killer
23 September 2022
Perfectly captures that feeling of being young, being somewhere you don't want to be, and with people who are all older than you. And that longtime friend who is "more successful" than you stuff, ouch, that one hurt. This is one of the more in touch indie family films I've seen even though it does kind of have a ridiculous and coincidental upfront story. It's also really stressful to watch, at least for me, and it continually finds new ways to keep the story interesting throughout. Excellent acting as well, it's hard to think of these actors as anything other than the characters they play. Now it can be a bit redundant in parts, the underlying soundtrack doesn't help with how repetitive and consistently it appears. And though the editing is done well enough the film uses largely the same tricks during the more tense moments which gave the film a slightly point to point feel. But overall this is super well done and a very strong film especially for a debut.
Fleabag
(2016–2019)
Bag Of Fun
19 September 2022
Just a disclaimer I watched the first episode, then my partner watched episodes 2 to 4, and then I jumped back in from episode 5 of season 1 all the way to episode 6 of the show's second season. So I've only missed three episodes of the whole series, will I rewatch them? Probably not. But I think this is a great show and I'm glad I decided to join in with my partner. To say the show greatly expands, especially that first episode of the second season, is a very big understatement. I became quickly interested in all the characters even when I didn't know certain things about them from the episodes I missed. I mean Waller-Bridge really knows how to make a character feel distinct and like a real person even if the universe is definitely more on the cartoonish side. The acting is also really great and there's a ton of facial and physical expression alongside the dialogue, especially from the always wonderful Olivia Colman, and it helps make each characters motivations even stronger. I do wish maybe the ending episode was stretched out a bit, as it is there was a character I felt got a bit of an anticlimactic exit from the story which also kind of affected the outcome of another more important character's arc. I also didn't feel interested in the main character's friend (who I can't say much about), I just can't think of a memorable moment, aside from one, that directly involved her actions. But honestly she isn't in much of the show anyway so it wasn't a big hurdle to jump over. I think this is great, it's worth anyone's time since the series is tightly knitted into small bursts, and it has a phenomenal cast.
Uncharted
(2022)
Fool's Gold
13 September 2022
The more I think about this film the more I sour on it, it seemed boring but passable when I was watching with my friend but I realize if I was watching of my own volition would I still be sitting down? No. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg have no chemistry at all until the very end of the film which makes all the painful attempts at jokes forced and groan worthy. Sophia Ali couldn't keep a straight accent for the duration of this movie and her character ultimately has no bearing on the story since she literally disappears for the final act. The film is shot in a way that makes everything seem cheap and low budget even though it had millions to work with. Like, for some reason, every non-action scene is shot in a boring way where the footage onscreen looks like it's raw from the SD card. And the digital effects during the action sequences are really poor, I noticed a lot of the time especially for the final fight, the camera would just focus up on the characters because they obviously didn't want to put in the work to show the entire set-piece. Uncharted doesn't do the adventure action movie genre in a way that's entertaining or different enough from the classics, and it does it in a way that blends in with basically every modern action movie these days. There's no fun puzzle to solve, no satisfying payoff to the adventure, no fun chemistry between the characters, no action set-pieces with any punch. I don't see why you would take this over a longer, more involved video game. And I haven't even played Uncharted.
The Rehearsal
(2022– )
Not Just A First Draft
8 September 2022
The thing I really loved about this one is it kept ramping up. Just when you think you'll be seeing the same ideas episode to episode like in a normal "reality show" Nathan comes up with some pretty outrageous stuff to keep us entertained and engaged. I also thought it was nice how meta it can get at times in a way that generally advances the story and helps sell the show's message. The actors and extras were really entertaining too. I will say that I wish some things were shown to us without Nathan Fielder's narration over it just because it would heighten the comedy more but honestly that's the only big fault I have. This has a lot of heart and I like that (although Nathan could easily just be pulling the rug when it comes to that stuff) and I think all the discussions surrounding the shows legitimacy miss the point, it's still entertaining and it still obviously took quite a bit of effort on the team's behalf.
Nope
(2022)
Yup
4 September 2022
Huge props for using music from The Congos and Exuma, great great albums. This was a fiercely well made film and I think it's the best that Jordan Peele's given us so far. The thing that got me the most was the effects, the threat felt like it had a real presence in the world. It felt physical and ironically, not too floaty. The acting of course was great and the script had a good meld of genuinely funny moments, and some really effective ones. This has one really excellent scene that I think stands among some of the best horror I've watched. Now, just like "Us" from 2019, this movie did kind of lose me in the last quarter. It shifted from a thriller to more of an action film and there were parts where it felt a bit less special and more standard. I wish there was more hidden from us in the end, I didn't want to get to know the threat as well as we did. I get that it's a staple of abduction films but some of it was just too much, especially since that excellent scene I mentioned showed very little in terms of what we're supposed to be scared of. This is still a very good movie though and a super entertaining one and there's still more praise I can heap on to it.
Set It Off
(1996)
Four's A Party
3 September 2022
I usually find heist films boring. This is one of two heist movies that I can actually get into. Really surprised this was F. Gary Gray's second film outing, sure he had other music videos under his belt but this movie was definitely more of a challenge to shoot and he was totally up for it. This film has that bright and saturated 90's Los Angeles look which really adds to the engagement a ton and the shots during the action scenes are kinetic and paced pretty well. But of course this would be nothing without the fantastic actors. Smith, Latifah, Elise, and the always underrated Vivica Fox are all spectacular and they contribute heavily to Gray's strong suit of watchable lead ensembles. Sure there were a couple scenes that might've bugged me more in a different film, but the performances all add a certain believability within the story's world which is always appreciated.
Alien
(1979)
EXTRA(ordinary)-TERR(ifying)-ESTRIAL
1 September 2022
One of the best lit films of all time, the attention and care towards how the sets, actors, and Xenomorph appear in darkness and light is so commendable and is what keeps this film looking so fresh. Alien is basically what happens when a creative team is given the ability to build an immersive world while also making a tense horror movie about an alien killing people on a ship. It has indulgent landing and launching sequences, an infatuation with the anatomy of its creature, accurate specs of its ships layout, it's not a hard sci-fi watch per se but you can tell if Ridley and the crew had more money this film would probably be much longer. As it is I think it has the perfect length, also huge props to that fantastic cast where every character is clear and well motivated. I love this movie so much.
Don Jon
(2013)
Dumb Jon
31 August 2022
So my big takeaway from Don Jon is that when women are nice to your family, ask you to take classes to help your career, perform for you sexually in a way that's pleasing, and watch movies they enjoy, they're being controlling and demanding. I'm sorry but is Scarlett Johansen's character really supposed to be the one we dislike here? This film aimed for something higher but Gordon-Levitt has the most surface level understanding of porn addiction and women. And the fact that the film almost got an NC-17 rating because there was too much porn in it, well, the irony is not lost on me. That being said, this film is hilarious and entertaining in all the wrong ways, hence the generously high rating of three stars. It truly is so misguided despite its intentions that it ends up being super watchable just by how exaggerated it gets. If you want the most uncomfortable laugh of your life, watch this. It legitimately feels like Joseph Gordon-Levitt self insert fanfic.
Possessor
(2020)
Married To The Worm
31 August 2022
Great special effects when they're onscreen, and I will say the final thirty minutes or so take the story and do something interesting with the concept. But I did not find it to be worth the hour and ten minutes of buildup. There were so many aspects of this idea that I wanted to be explored but the film just kind of took the safe route in terms of telling the story. So many shots and scenes just dragged on past the boiling point that it killed the momentum and drama and I just ended up not caring about the characters. I don't think the writers fit in the most interesting traits of either lead actors. I can't say it's an idea devoid of potential and for some this will be enjoyable. For me, the potential was lost and if it didn't look great I would have tuned out relatively early. I like my sci-fi to have emotion or be entertaining, this was too flat to have emotion and too slow to be fully entertaining.
Tell Your Friends