slowdive23-1 Reviews

Expats (2023–2024)

"Magnolia" in Hong Kong

[7/10 · 12 April 2024]

From the opening prologue, you feel it's Magnolia, while not being subtle about it. Not that it matters, as it seems to be inspiration, but sometimes a little heavy handed.

I lived in HK for 12 years (and returning this September of 2024 after seeing up close and personal how big of a hot mess California is). There are a LOT of cliches in this series - mostly if you are familiar with them. The biggest cliche is the snobby Expat neighbors living at a high rise at the Peak, talking in insufferable, leisurely circles about how good they have it. This is spot on.

If you liked Babal, Magnolia, and Amores Perros, this will work well. Even has a dash of Irreversible with the chronology.

Oh, and the cinematography is excellent. Washed out, monochromatic color palettes with lens flares and plenty of soft focus. Excellent work which highlights certain emotions. Also works well in the somewhat claustrophobic spaces that makes up the majority of the environs in HK.

It's also hard not to notice how much of an old lady voice Nicole Kidman has - esp when she loses her faculties.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)

The Detachment of Cousins' Voice is the Whole Point

[10/10 · 20 January 2024]

It's almost halfway entertaining to hear people gripe about a man's voice for the narration of a 15 part series that is intended to deeply analyze the elemental scope of some of the finest film works in our history.

The detachment of his voice is how I stayed focused. I don't need suggestive intonation that cues an emotional feeling about a particular scene being analyzed or focused upon. Those who cannot get around the voice are the same type of people who cannot stand subtitles, revelatory monologues, and other tests of cinematic patience. Those people want the least amount of exertion of their brain cells so that they can just sit, veg out, and let the imagery do all the work.

This is a grand 15 part series that showcases highlights in films that I either: a) didn't appreciate to begin with, b) never saw before c) never even heard of before, or d) saw it with a different "cinematic lense".

While long, it embraces the stark beauty of quiet scenes, examining close ups, and most enjoyable for me, shows us scenes where decades old practical effects and camera trickery was brilliantly executed - not so much for the show off factor - but for the communication through artistic imagery factor.

Watch this series with the above mentioned in mind, and prepare for condensed film school on the highest level.

The Dropout: Old White Men (2022) Season 1, Episode 4

Riddled with Old Guy Investor Stereotypes

[10/10 · 11 March 2022]

This episode is subtle comedy GOLD! The best episode all around this far in this series, which has been building momentum without all the tropes and cliches.

Listen carefully to the insistent music in the lobby at Theranos between conference rooms meetings. There's anxiety and impending doom right below the surface. Alan Ruck is hilarious as the overly optimistic investor that's fairly low on the totem pole. The dialogue is fresh, vibrant and feels almost completely unrehearsed. Kudos to the wonderful direction in this episode!

Squid Game (2021– )

Ignore the Naysayers

[10/10 · 7 October 2021]

It's pretty unreal how shallow-minded many of the reviewers are here. They are griping about the acting. It's nothing short of brilliant, and very much representative of the Korean style. If those people watched Old Boy or Parasite, they would immediately realize the strength and potency of it, and how it plays well into the dimensions of the characters and the plot threads that surround them.

The sudden outbursts and taciturn restraint from the main and side characters are a mixture of subtlety and overreaching. It's a delightful balance here. It's also refreshing to see this instead of the atrociously mundane acting, like say in Clickbait where the actors are overly restrained so they can look attractive for the camera.

This series is immensely intriguing. Listen closely for the nuances of emotion even behind the masks. Kudos to the producers and writers for being bold and for - after ten years - getting this series put onto the small screen for us to relish in with giddy delight thanks to their tenacity with Netflix.

Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy (1982) Season 8, Episode 14

Within seconds, I thought I was watching another series

[9/10 · 12 August 2021]

This is a monumental episode, with a century passing to show us an literal impression left by Charles.

I'll cut right to the problem I have with this episode without spoiling:

This marks the second time we are cheated by NOT seeing the villain get his comeuppance for his reprehensible acts! It's so frustrating. The first time it happened was in S07E22 (The Lost Ones: Part II). In that episode, the major jerk of a father (who wanted to adopt James and Cassandra) needed a punch to the face as only Charles can properly execute. He was a complete A-hole and needed a serious dressing-down!

Loki (2021–2023)

MCU Fanboys will Complain

[10/10 · 1 July 2021]

Those who are used to having rollicking fight sequences and expensive action-oriented CGI thrown into their faces will be disappointed. This does not cater to adrenaline junkies who need action to engage their senses.

The best part about this series is the pacing. Slow burn combined with thoughtful dialogue and genuine emotions from very three-dimensional characters. No doubt there will be whining about the unconventional plot devices, and certainly the pacing will be a serious issue especially for the shallow-minded, but those people are forgetting the beauty of cinematic misdirects, character arcs, and excellent storytelling within this uniquely crafted story.

Mulan (2020)

A Dismal Live-Action Reimagining

[5/10 · 16 September 2020]

There are quite a few things wrong with this live action version on multiple levels. Instead of writing in paragraph form, I'll just list them out numerically, in no particular order:

1. Mulan possesses some other worldly super power that we are supposed to buy. I felt toyed with with this contrivance.

2. The extras are poorly directed ~ they gander, gawk, look overly surprised, overact even in distant shots, and point their fingers at the subjects with baffling implausibility.

3. The vivid colors are beautiful to look out, but seem to have a high degree of vibrance to hide the artificial backdrops and less than stellar CGI.

4. Mulan looks far too feminine around the regiment, and the soldier love interest is way overplayed, as if he already knows her secret. He seems to be catering to her femininity. At one point he gets a good look at her upper backside while she swims in all its feminine curvature, and doesn't notice in the slightest.

5. Mulan gets off the hook too easily when her deception is discovered. Seems too Disney friendly. Prior to the discovery, there's also a poor edited scene with her hair down and flowing in the midst of battle, and there's not a single shot of a reaction from a soldier to take notice of this.

I did like the actress, who isn't a traditional beauty by any conventional standard. She carries the film well, and does not try to look too angry and tough in close up. There are some heart tugging moments that she handles well enough.

Skip this and rewatch the original animated version.

Forensic Files II (2020– )

Stifled by Emotionally Charged Narration

[6/10 · 30 March 2020]

The late, great Peter Thomas was unmatched with his voice-over prowess. Perhaps it's unfair to cast Bill Camp in Thomas' formidable vocal shadow, but Camp is too suggestive, and overly insinuating. It's difficult to immerse oneself into the serious tone of the show with Camp's untrained voice over. Please hire Dateline's Kieth Morrison to fill the narrating shoes ASAP!

Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)

Michael Landon in his Senior Years Really Hit the Spot

[9/10 · 16 February 2019]

This show is a guilty pleasure of mine, mainly because of how innocuous the stories are. Michael Landon was never really all that appealing to me in "Bonanza", and I guess that was simply because he was a bonafide teen heartthrob coupled with the fact that when onscreen in close up, he was not very much of a subtle actor (that is, until about 6 seasons into the series). I suppose he did transition to "Little House on the Prarie" decently, but even his charismatic performances could not take away how boring the show really was (and still is). That is to say it was even outdated when it came out! The stories were very pedestrian and unappealing.

"Highway to Heaven", on the other hand, got away with being a little sappy and cheerfully sorrowful because of Michael Landon's very engaging acting work. This was truly his finest hour in television in my opinion, and he somehow finds all the right tones for individual vignettes. There are some nice episodes here in Season 3, and my favorite is "Jonathan Smith Goes to Washington" with guest star Eddie Albert (from Green Acres). It is a highlight role for Albert, one in which strong acting chops and sad-eyed expressions make for a memorable finale for Albert's career.

The Chocolate War (1988)

Chocolate War is Sumptuous Indie Entertainment

[9/10 · 16 February 2019]

This is a dark film with a somewhat comedic undercurrent. This is also notable for being a film that opened during the advent of post Altman/Cassavettes independent film (just one year before Sex, Lies, and Videotape, the indie darling that revitalized the movement) and it's a strong film even with its somewhat homespun theme. The highlight of this movie is actor John Glover's performance (who plays Lionel Luther in TVs "Smallville"). It's purely a stagework performance -- annuciating parables, Smiling jovially when giving bad news, and shelling out enormous body language. It's also a characterization with heart with sternness but never disparaging. This is very admirable work by Glover who really should have been nominated for an Oscar. Also Kudos to the director, Keith Gordon (who you may remember, played Rodney Dangerfield's rebellious son in "Back to School") plays Peter Gabriel's, "We Do What We're Told" at just the right moment, among other fine directorial attributes.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Sandler Knocks it Out of the Mattress Store

[10/10 · 16 February 2019]

The very essence of this film is not so obvious but it is indeed right beneath the surface for real cineastes to see, and that is Adam Sandler's acting magnificence playing -- no, not a neurotic psychopath or tempermental adult with a juvenile mind -- but a truly three-dimensional human being with shades of sadness, paranoia, likability, and an irreversible shyness. It would be an understatement to say this is Sandler's best performance; more accomplished and fully realized than anything, and to me and hopefully to Sandler fans it was a revelation seeing him release himself from his usual routine. It must be said that during my viewing of this film, the audience became impatient by NOT seeing Sandler in his normal Sandler autopilot mode, which was a sad sight. Instead they gave up, walked out not even interested in seeing Sandler demonstrating what is truly inside his acting soul. Do not give up on this film if you're thinking this is a full-fledged Sandler comedy (it is still very funny). Wait until you see Phillip Seymour Hoffman just chew up the scenery. A great film!

Dolls (1986)

Mansions and Storms and Killer Dolls, Oh My!

[7/10 · 16 February 2019]

This is a fun little movie, the kind you will definitely wanna pop on while you're having a few buddies over. It is indeed tongue-in-cheek horror, with moments of obligatory horrific doll killings with minimal cheese. The real star of this DVD release is the two commentaries on the disc. One track is with the cast, including the young child in the film, about 25 years contributing her fond memories with an unexpected glee. Their memory is surprisingly complete of a production process from some 20 years ago (at the time of the commentary recording), and it is good to hear from actors who, now much older, give credit to the evolution of horror films not from computer technology but from classic horror plots revisited like in this one (car breaks down in the rain, an old mansion nearby, child adjacent to peril but not within in, lots of lightning, storms, etc). The other track is from the director (who is married to Caroline Purdy-Gordon, who plays the uptight yuppie in the film) and he has some great filmmaking tips for up and coming directors. Lastly and not least, it's great to see this kind of movie in widescreen, unlike the first Child's Play film released on DVD which was inexplicably only available in full screen. Fun little movie with nice stop motion reverence to Sir Ray Harryhausen !

Silent Hill (2006)

Silent Hill Have Eyes of Bewilderment!

[3/10 · 16 February 2019]

I have a feeling quite a few young people will see this movie given their ever growing interest in horror films and video games, and even a good portion of 25-30 year olds will make their way to the theatre since the game made its debut on the Playstation system back in 1998. Not only will people be disappointed with the film, they will be leaving the theatre with knots in their stomach, moments from regurgitating their popcorn or other movie snack. The violence is so graphic that you just have to wonder what's next in terms of gore. I thought Even Horizon (1997) was graphic, grisly, horrific (not to mention brimmed with demonism), but Silent Hill somehow exceeds this. There are mutilations, children being burned alive, contorted and bloody disfigurements, moments of barbaric hedonism, rotting corpses, and so forth. To be entirely truthful, the story itself is not very interesting or involving, but credit must be given to a revelation at about the 90-minute mark. It is a flashback sequence explaining things in a manner that makes some things clear but it is too little too late. At the end, I wondered why Sean Bean would even be involved, but was even more bewildered by the acting performance of Rahda Mitchell, who is essentially the weight of the film appearing mostly solo onscreen. I am very easy on actors, but her voice is not commanding enough for important passages in the film. She also talks to herself in a regular voice, instead of "thinking out loud" as any natural person would do alone. In one sequence, she evades a cop by speeding, and when she is picked up later and arrested, she unconvincingly bellows, "What did I do!"

Doll Graveyard (2005)

Clocks in at 61 minutes -- with the title sequence!

[1/10 · 16 February 2019]

The only reason this is a worthy of a review is because is is just so terrible. Its it is even a movie, nor a "film" or "picture". This slapped together production clocks in at about 61 minutes, including the opening sequence and throughout the closing credits, which have been slowed down to lengthen the overall running time. What is more despicable is the fact that the director recycles an actor for budgetary reasons. He is not even asked to shave his goatee to look different! But wait....there is more -- I will list them as if I was grading a paper: 1) The dolls are not manipulated through stop motion animation, oh no, but through hand held movement 2) The actors are not all that surprised by dead bodies that pop out of nowhere 3) They do not call 911 because the production cannot afford guys in rented out paramedic and cop uniforms 4) A girl slips into a empty grave and is unconscious -- she is then buried alive by her own guilt-ridden father who does not bother to check her pulse 5) DO NOT RENT THIS MOVIE OUT OF CURIOUSITY!