midnight_cinephile Reviews

Bunker77 (2016)

Well Done Doc that is important as a historical footnote to surfing and skating

[10/10 · 11 July 2021]

Smart, crafty and well executed, this is a documentary non surfers will enjoy as much as surfers.

This film falls firmly In the tradition of Riding Giants ,Dogtown and Z boys ,etc as a great historical ode to the roots of an athletic culture and an incredible era gone by.

I really enjoyed this film and watched it twice in quick succession. Bunker was a flamboyant figure that could have only been made in America and specifically California.

I get the feeling that had he not had an endless amount of cash at his literal disposal he would have gone a lot further in the surfing world as a surfer and as a designer.

The interviews with the Hamilton family and Bunker's close friends , lovers and employees give a rich personal insight to a character that really was larger than life and could have only existed in that time and place - 1960s-1970s.

There was a lot of work, love and thought put into this film with the interviews, re-dramatizations , slick editing and all of the restored archival film and audio.

Thankfully Art Brewer caught Bunker with his camera at his peak, his glowing youthful pre multimillionaire purest version which immortalized the "Genetic space child" before the drugs overtook him.

It's a shame that there is not more archival footage of bunker surfing but the film did a great job with what little was available. This film also stands as an obvious cautionary tale of excess and waste and yes once again hard drugs really suck, Welcome to the 27 club Bunker...we hardly knew ya.

The Saver (2015)

Hope is all we have

[9/10 · 1 December 2020]

Redemption, hard work and tenacity prevail.Top notch acting by everyone especially Imajyn. A lovely realistic portrayal of a troubled teenage woman and her ascent to adulthood. Respect and praise for a heartfelt quality piece of Canadian aboriginal film that celebrates hope, life and it's challenges that we all face at one time or another.

Ozark (2017–2022)

No Likable Characters - Really runs out of steam by season 3

[5/10 · 12 April 2020]

Dear Ozark cinematographer - please stop it with the damm "dark" filters on everything / every episode -It's played out and loses it's impact.

Season 1 was compelling, Season 2 not bad but not great, by the time we get to season 3 the characters and plot lines are vapid and falling apart at the seams. It seems that season 3 was rushed because of the success of the previous seasons. It's hard to believe or sympathize ANY character motivation in season 3 as they are all selfish murderous lying scumbags.

Everyone save for perhaps Wyatt, Jonah and Charlotte are just not believable anymore.

The series has turned into a cartoon-like unrealistic universe akin to the Santa Clarita Diet. Marty is an immoral automaton and basically an emotionless piece of cardboard that "is great at laundering money and remaining calm under pressure", Wendy is now a full on sociopathic megalomaniac missing any and all sense of reality. I hope they can whip the 4th season back into shape. As it stands this series has lost all of it's credibility, momentum and sense of nuance and "art".

Miss Sharon Jones! (2015)

We will miss you so much sharon

[10/10 · 2 December 2016]

Massive respect to the folks involved in making this wonderful film We are selflessly afforded an inside look at the strength and courage of this dynamic,inspirational woman's life. I feel lucky to have seen Sharon and the Dap kings many times and this film just reinforces her legacy and legend. Having been around several cancer afflicted people in my family this documentary hits home for me on multiple levels. This inside look at the Boldest Soul Sister is real,fearless,poignant,hopeful and gracious. Thankfully someone realized that Sharon is a national treasure and a portion of her life needed to be documented. What an incredible gift she had! Sharon made the world a better place. Her infectious high energy,incredible one of a kind voice and legendary stage presence are laid bare for all to see. This is the real thing,and it is something we will not see the likes of any time soon. GENUINE Rest in Paradise Sharon ,we love you and miss you already. Amen Sister.

I Dream of Wires (2014)

Don't waste your time with this,Instead twiddle your knobs

[1/10 · 24 January 2016]

For anyone actively involved in synthesizers be it modular,rack mounted,keyboards,plug ins/outs new or vintage on any level will find this doc amateurish and incomplete. Hard to believe that this film was red lighted and budgeted with such an unprofessional script and production values.

There are HUGE gaping holes and flaws in the timeline of the development of synthesis.

Not one mention of The ondes martenot,Mellotron, Erkki Kurenniemi - who always forgotten in these discussions, Raymond Scott, Daphne Oram,EMS synthi, Delia Derbyshire,The BBC radiophonic workshop,Kid Baltan and Tom Dissevelt and the Dutch hardware inventions/ contributions, Tod Dockstader & James Reichert and all of the soviet synths etc.

Just shameful omissions that exemplify a hasty hack job created by someone's trust fund.

If you have no knowledge of who Bob Moog or Don Buchla are then I suppose it is a very primitive poorly constructed primer,beyond that there is not much here for the real heads AVOID!

Tricked: The Documentary (2013)

What a load of brazen garbage,

[17 March 2015]

"TRICKED" ? Really? Are my heart strings supposed to be pulled by this joke of a film? Perhaps in a few cases some "adult" or in this case teenage women have had a gun put to their head and forced into "the life" but I suspect this is a rare occurrence and this is a very one sided documentary. Once again we have WASP Puritan ethics from the 1700's forming the foundation for sorely outdated moronic laws and vice oriented law enforcement.

Entrapping idiotic horny johns looking for a 30.00 dollar blowjobs is not real police work,it's shooting fish in a barrel. Cops that are on prostitution detail are belaboring the outcome and wasting taxpayer dollars-VERY LITTLE OF WHAT THEY DO WILL STOP THE PROSTITUTION GAME.

They should be out fighting real crime.

Cops have to make arrests and justify their salaries and fill quotas.

It's sickening to watch the facade of sanctimonious justified indignation as displayed by law enforcement in this so called "film".

THIS JUST IN : If prostitution was legalized,regulated and taxed there would be fewer pimps,violence or disease/unwanted pregnancies.

After thousands of years of studying human behavior the results are blaitantly obvious- PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BUY AND SELL SEX - do I have to cite the biggest cliché ever created ?

Whoring is the "world's oldest profession"

Get over it already,no one forced these ladies into a life of whoring.

Not for one second did I feel sorry for the gal who was "tricked" into being a whore in Boston as she went thru college.

She was smart enough to get into a good school,but somehow lost all of her common sense at that rundown motel 6 in Roxbury on that fabled evening on her hands and knees working for "toughie " the pimp?

The herd just got a little bit thinner.

She could have gotten a real job making low wages flipping burgers like millions of college kids all over the world to pay for her education. Hoe-ever ..the truth is she didn't...she chose whoring instead. Then we get treated to an interview with her mother crying foul about how her child's innocence was stolen?

Bitch please....wake up and smell the KY jelly. Your daughter wasn't "tricked" into anything,she was lazy and didn't want to work a real job. She had freewill and she used it.

I see a lot of women in the film who took the easy way out and DIDN'T WANT TO WORK A REAL JOB.

GUESS WHAT ? IT'S NOT THE PIMPS FAULT OR THE JOHN'S FAULT THAT THEY PUT THEMSELVES UP ON THE MEAT MARKET.

As for the film itself : there is nothing new uncovered here. This story is as old as the hills and has been covered extensively in many other documentaries and dramas.

Painting the pigs as Knights in shining armor and the girls as victims is a one sided portrayal of a complex dynamic.

Nothing in 'reality" is as it appears,nothing is ever so clean cut and black and white in the real world.

The truth and reality is that the world is a shade of grey and this film is half assed and biased,

Yes pimps are violent thugs, Yes,young women/teens and pre teens are selling their bodies to survive all over the world. This film is enabling the victim mentality and it is a one sided view of the game. I call BS.

edit: This review does not in any way advocate or condone the abuse or exploitation of minors____ EVER ! All of my comments pertain to adults over the age of consent-18-21 years of age PERIOD.

Banshee Chapter (2013)

awful and inept amateurish film making

[1/10 · 8 July 2014]

The back story on this was that the writer/director of this "film" was chosen by the production company and given a budget because he was Carnegie-Mellon alumni.

So basically we have a very amateurish hackneyed film made by a trust fund/ivy hipster click and it really shows.

Let me start by saying I have done a huge amount of research on MKYLTRA/MKNAOMI and the CIA/ US government's "clandestine" drug testing programs.....so this is familiar ground for me. This in of itself is a very intriguing and fascinating topic that has been widely researched and documented.Furthermore I am a huge fan of Hunter S Thompson and H.P.Lovecraft,and finally have also researched and have working knowledge of what number stations are.

Please see the conet project for more info on numbers stations.

The writer/producer/director seemingly and sophomorically was naturally intrigued by the aforementioned "spook" elements and felt he needed to write a screenplay combing all of these interesting and dark cul-de-sacs of literature and black ops.

I understand the impetuous and the attraction to dark,arcane and esoteric subject matter.

What I don't understand is the execution.I felt as though my time was wasted and my intellect insulted by this film.There was no real thread tying any of these elements together, There was no attention to detail,script writing or storyline. It seems as though a bunch of film school wannabe's smoked some high grade kush and wrote a half baked screenplay based on what they thought was cool, "spooky" and "dark"

The end result is garbage.

Gaping plot holes,vapid character development,unbelievable character actions that defy the suspension of reality or belief that that any film maker has license to use....clichéd trope after hackneyed senseless cliché,poor special effects culminating with a scary guy in a monster suit and insect gloves enveloped in a weak soundtrack/sound design.

Next time hire a writer that knows his craft son.

This was such a waste of very fertile material,money,human effort and time and hard drive space.

I was really surprised to find out the production team for breaking bad was involved in this toilet clogger.I reckon their input most likely saved it from being totally un-watchable.

This is a Pathetic,abysmal and atrocious film for uninformed people that are clueless about numbers stations,Dr HST,MKULTRA/human drug experimentation by the CIA and H.P.Lovecraft.

I wanted this film to be good,I really and truly wanted it to succeed but instead I was angered and my intellect insulted.

Please watch Jacob's ladder for a REAL and ASS-KICKING film about MKULTRA and the effects of BZ gas on Vietnam vets.

Avoid Banshee chapter if you pride yourself a film buff who has a modicum of taste and standard in their horror/sci-fi viewings,as this is cheap half-assed schlock made by rich kids.

I Want My Name Back (2011)

MAD LOVE FOR THE OG 3 Shame on the Robinson Family

[10/10 · 1 February 2014]

This is a well produced doc,that exposes the seedy underbelly of the music industry and the decimation of the Quintessential template/group for the HIP-HOP genre.

Let the truth be known,the Robinson family-Joe Sr,Sylvia now dead and their sons robbed.defrauded,and stole the identities of the original super fly talented sugarhill gang and proceeded to rob.ruin and perpetuate endless thieving fraudulent unthinkable atrocities against the main pillar of the lexicon.

This doc is an expose', and sets the record straight for once and all.

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!!

SUGARHILL IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE WONDER MIKE,CAZ AND MATER GEE PERIOD. all fraudulent suckas step aside and die with a quickness from the mighty arm of karma.

Hard Boiled Sweets (2012)

dross dreck trite cliché = garbage ;-(

[1/10 · 6 December 2013]

Was this a tax write off?

Who green lighted and financed such a horrible film?

PLEASE let me script and write a UK gangster flick,I promise it will be 10,000 times better than this awful pile of steaming dog poop.

Whose idea was it to use those stupid signed candy nic-names for the characters every 10 minutes? The director's girlfriend? DUMB!

What a mess….poor script,weak acting,cliché after cliché,pathetic HACKNEYED gangster trope after cliché after played out trope.

The only bright spot of this abysmal mess is the cinematography. Other than that you might be more enthralled and entertained if YOU stuck you head in the toilet,as this is indeed a class "A" toilet clogging straight to DVD/dumper of a film.Honestly I couldn't finish it because I could care less about anyone or anything in this film,and that is being kind. AVOID!

Parker (2013)

statham=cardboard Lopez=plastic, script=dumb ! made in china?

[1/10 · 8 September 2013]

Hard to believe that a bunch of "professionals" got together and churned out this toilet clogger thinking that they were doing something"good" or creative".Who approved this script? A ten year old? Who red lighted this hackneyed garbage ? A moron? This is a prime example of why Hollywood sucks in 2013. Cliché after cliché,plot holes larger than the grand canyon,cardboard acting,plastic characters with zero depth or development. I won't bore you with the details,this film is lame,even the violence and the action or Lopez's ass couldn't save it. What an abysmal waste of my time. I was mad at myself for watching this. If you like real films made by pros such as David lynch, begman,Scorsese,bertolucci,ferrara,Fellini,even maybe Tarantino,do yourself a favor and re- watch one of their's and avoid this SCHLOCK. AVOID LIKE A TRAFFIC JAM INFESTED WITH PALUGE,

Modus Operandi (2009)

A grind house master work

[10/10 · 20 April 2013]

This is my first film review and I felt compelled to write it due to the low user rating.

Clearly Frankie Latina is in love with film as M.O. is laden with references to other films such as apocalypse now,north by northwest and an actual film editing scene-brilliant! Also the "film within a film" concept used several times to great effect. Furthermore this film just looks great in a grainy retro way that really works to keep the viewer interested. The director made the most of the Milwaukee locations and I think a quick foray into Japan for *hits and giggles which was super-fly! Hard to believe he did the whole film on super 8mm.

Mr Latina went very far out of his way to make this look and feel like a film from the 70's and he really nailed it-with props,locations and wardrobe/makeup. BRAVO HOMIE!

I'm not exactly sure how or what ex porn whore deluxe Sasha Grey contributed to this film other than her name in the opening credits but the sleaze factor is in full effect thru out this cinematic kitsch classic.

All of the late 60's/70's grind-house tropes are present and accounted for:

1.A bevy of Butt naked fly international bitches- 2.Gratuitous bloody violence- 3.More Hot Fly Naked Bitches-4.Torture scenes- 5.A Great Funky Ass soundtrack-6.Grainy "shot on film" appearance- 7.Plastic cardboard stiff acting and characters-8.Paper thin plot and script- 8.Dope ass sports cars - 9.Snuff porn-√10.Grainy non digital film stock/techniques - 11.Full frontal make nudity 12.CIA references

What this movie lacks in dialog and plot is compensated for with surrealistic and freaky cinematography. I really love the locations,costumes and soundtrack all of which hold this low budget grinder together. I was a bit disappointed that Danny Trejo was under utilized but I am assuming that time and budget constraints were the reason.

It was great seeing Mark Borchardt from "an American movie" in a prevalent role and I really have to give Mr Lantana props for casting him.

Mr Borchardt did a great job handling the role and I hope he gets more work in the future.

This film's only shortcoming is the weak plot and minimal,poorly written dialog. These problems are easily overcome with the cinematography and overall sleaze feel. I am looking forward to Mr Latina's future projects and would love to contribute music or act in one of his films.

Irreversible (2002)

couldn't get past the vomit inducing camera work

[1 August 2012]

for the first half hour the camera is upside down,sideways and inside out. I am pretty open minded and love most "art" and "foreign" films,but they should have titled this one "UNWATCHABLE"

coupled with the depressing subject matter,depraved story-line and violence I felt brain raped. Good thing I bought a 5 dollar bootleg copy of this toilet clogger. If this is representative of cutting edge cinema from France in the 21st century then I will look elsewhere for the real goods. Finally to conclude-I like violence and gore. I saw the devil ,tetsuo,,Let the right one in, Audition,Italian giallo, takashi mike's films etc are things I have enjoyed,but this film was lame.

Carmo (2008)

A great film

[8/10 · 2 June 2012]

This well written,scripted and acted film was a nice surprise!

It's amazing how a low budget film can easily outshine most of the garbage coming out of Hollywood these days with huge budgets.

I really enjoyed the on screen chemistry between "carmo" and "marco". These characters were heartfelt and realistically portrayed. The supporting characters were quirky,funny and very entertaining with their idiosyncratic schisms. It doesn't hurt that Mariana Loureiro is a total hottie and an incredible actress. I Highly recommended this Brazilian "road film" and I bet it that will keep you laughing and feeling good right til the end. I wish it was shot on film instead of digital but i'm sure cost was a concern in this film's budget,