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Light of My Life (2019)
This movie broke me!
Trying to pick up all the pieces of me off the floor after watching "Light of My Life"! This movie absolutely broke me! I fear that a few years ago (before I was a father) I may have shrugged off this movie in favor of something more "action-packed" and "gritty", but now that I am seeing life through the eyes of a father - I am not ashamed to say that I cried through this whole movie. I may be partial (because he is one of my favorite actors) but Casey Affleck perfectly captures the complexities and emotions of fatherhood. The paralyzing fear of losing your child, unconditional and incomprehensible love, the uncertainty of everyday decisions, the balance of discipline/love, the responsibility of providing and protecting, and the uncertainties that come from wondering if you are doing any of it right - are all things that I can deeply relate to and are portrayed with masterful, raw realism. I wish I could write more - but I truly don't think I can even begin to describe even half of what this movie made me feel.
Cape Fear (1962)
THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME
Robert Mitchum delivers the performance of his career as the most terrifying villain to ever be captured on film - Max Cady. It is an absolute travesty that he seems to have flown under the radar of mainstream Hollywood films for most, if not all, of his career. Because of this film, as well as "Night of the Hunter" - he has solidified his place in history as the most underrated actor of all time.
Gregory Peck, Martin Balsam, and Polly Bergen all delivered excellent, complimentary performances, and director J. Lee Thompson did a phenomenal job creating a world that seems lived-in and realistic. "Cape Fear" is ultimately 106 minutes of solid, genre-defining terror that simply demands to be seen by anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of the horror genre.
SCORE - 100%
ONE OF MY TOP 10 MOVIES
Captain Marvel (2019)
More of the same . . .
Predictable, schlocky Marvel writing and action - but this time without the charm that set apart the select few of its predecessors (Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor Ragnarok.) Sadly, the humor falls about as flat as the one-dimensional, predictable plot and the action scenes didn't attempt to do anything that hasn't been done before. Thankfully, Brie Larson is the one saving grace in an otherwise uninspired superhero movie, and does a remarkable job at bringing Captain Marvel to life.
Chernobyl (2019)
Brutal, Powerful and Extremely Hard to Watch
Chernobyl is by far the best TV show I have ever watched. Its brutal, powerful and extremely hard to watch; but it does a superb job of portraying the everyday heroes that gave their lives against overwhelming odds to protect millions from one of earth's greatest catastrophes.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
I don't understand the hype . . .
I don't understand the hype for this predictable, generic action movie. It wasn't bad per se - but it was very run-of-the-mill for me - and definately not deserving of the extremely high praise it is receiving. I found myself rolling my eyes everytime there was a "twist" which could be seen a mile away and I caught myself checking the time to see when it would end. Perhaps the worst offense of all is the way that this film distrusts the audience to handle its formulaic and simplistic plot (even resorting to show us a flashback of something we saw just a few minutes earlier.) I see nothing here that hasn't already been done better in other movies - and I just don't understand the praise it is receiving.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Pretentious Hipster Fodder
One of the most pretentious films I have ever seen. Bandersnatch leans on the gimmick of choice so heavily in an attempt to hide its horrendous script and abyssmal acting. Even the choices offer little to no consequences until about 3/4 of the way in - in which case they offer life or death consequences that are decided upon through menial decisions. I don't understand how well-made games like Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain (which are superior to this "film" in every way) are frowned upon for being little more than an "interactive movie" - while the poorly made schmuck that is Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is praised for being "innovative" and "fresh" for doing the same thing. The only reason review scores are as high as they are is because pretentious, millenial hipsters feed into the groupthink mentality.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Bone-chilling Horror
The very chilling, yet thought-provoking "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) was extremely ahead of it's time! While the film does suffer due to some very mediocre acting (with the exception of Robert Mitchum's performance) - I believe the cinematography and soundtrack justifies it's spot in the Criterion Collection. "The Night of the Hunter" exudes suspense, and obtained levels of psychological terror that no other film at the time could match. It is a shame that Charles Laughton never went on to direct another film because I think the cinema (both in his era and ours) would have learned a lot from him - specifically that an excellent Horror/Thriller movie does not need gratuitous amounts of gore or cliche jump scares to be to be truly terrifying!
Eraserhead (1977)
Unique and Terrifyingly Obscure
One of the most unique and terrifyingly obscure works of cinema ever created. Eraserhead acts less like a film and more like a window through which you gain a rare, outside glimpse at your own humanity. What David Lynch has created isn't as much of a narrative as it is a Rorschach test that allows you to navigate your own subconscious. To search for a concrete explanation of the events and characters of Eraserhead would be doing yourself and the film a great disservice. I would implore viewers to search themselves rather than the internet for answers - as it is only then that you will begin to understand the true purpose of the film.