Movie Reviews

[stubbietubbie]

Another weekend, another trilogy of films to demean drunkenly.

 

First up, it's Star Trek Beyond.

 

Justin Lin (some of the Fast and the Furious films, amazingly) directs a rather facetious entry into the rebooted Star Trek film series, opting to make more of an extended episode with movie elements than a movie with extended episode elements, if that makes sense. It's still an assured creation, no doubt, besides the heavy-handed camera angles and blatant J.J. Abrams style/lens flare. Regardless, it's a film about Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) having a mid-life crisis and how it kills nearly all of his crew, Once again this new series has attracted a major player as the main villain (this time, the majorly handsome and majorly underrated Idris Elba) who if anything is under-utilised. And while not terrible as a whole, lacks something that distinguishes it from the previous films. Maybe I'll realise it at a later date, but for now, it's a: 3/5.

 

Next, it's My Scientology Movie.

 

A doco by Louis (pronounced Louie like Louis C.K.) Theroux, it's a dazzling representation of the fanatical nature of Scientology on the utmost levels. Theroux's signature apathetic style towards his interviewees is prevalent once more, with prolonged silences/stares that manage to draw out the important confessions, despite it's obvious intentions. Drawing out other things include the famous 'squirreling' nature adopted by this so-called religion (that we've seen before), and emphasises why people act the way they do by the brilliant use of wannabe actors themselves in Hollywood. It's an apparently equally sad and revealing view of something that teaches the base client unobtrusively, but threatens the very livelihood of those who (figuratively and literally) invest more. 4/5.

 

Finally, let's go into Independence Day: Resurgence.

 

You gotta hand it to him, director Roland Emmerich (Universal Soldier, Stargate, The Day after Tomorrow, and of course, Independence Day) practically redefined the blockbuster film. Gone are the primal fears represented by the original Jaws with man and shark battling for supremacy, now we have mayhem and destruction on a global scale as a prerequisite thanks to Mr. Emmerich. When you can make a film like 2012, it's no surprise that Emmerich turns things up to (20)12, because 11 obviously isn't enough thanks to an equal distribution of oldies (Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum) and attractive newbies (Liam Hemsworth - confusingly getting top bill, Jessie Usher - taking over the mantle of Will Smith who wisely opted out of this to shoot Suicide Squad lol, and Maika Monroe as a super-attractive pilot/daughter of Pullman's president in the first film) fighting not only an improved alien advance, but an alien that puts the queen from Aliens to shame bar the intelligence. And that'd be the point. It's more for so-called witty one-liners than, well, anything else, considering the promise. Oh well. 2/5.

[bloodycrashboy]

Got to watch Sucker Punch on the flight down to Melbourne.
Very good movie
8/10
Not something Mrs BCB would like but I found it very entertaining.
Confronting, sexy, sad, fantasy and video game all rolled into 1.

Also watched about half of Dead Pool
Did LOL.
Need to watch it in its entirety

[stubbietubbie]

It's Halloween, so why not?

 

Don't Breathe: 4/5

 

One of the most effective horror/thrillers I've seen in a long while. The premise is simple enough, but is imbued with enough cause and meaning in it's small cast to be quite effective. We have some petty crooks, who break into homes easily and with no ramification thanks to one of their fathers being a head of a security firm that they target their victims. Sick of lowly pay-offs - like so many heist films - they go for one last big score: a blind, retired veteran who supposedly got a big pay-off following his daughter's inadvertent death. Stuck in a dead-end town, with abusive or non-existent parents, a future with almost no certainty or resolve, we get a genuine backing for motivation here, if only really for the heroine Rocky (portrayed excellently by the talented and beautiful Jane Levy). Smartly setting the scenario with a continuous shot of key areas and objects (but with one or more uses/angles, adding to unpredictability) we know where key moments are, and appreciate the situation our trio of young thieves find themselves in.

 

It's riveting stuff; far, far more effective in it's horror element thanks to it's believability and lack of the supernatural (unless you feel the blind don't have heightened remaining senses - but even then it's never blatantly silly or cheap in use). The blind man in question is Stephen Lang, who I've loathe to admit I only know as the bad-arse elder soldier in Avatar who starts all sorts of sh*t in that film and again does it but in a more built-up fashion. He's obscenely fit for his age and I'd be very cautious to start something with him; blind or no. He absolutely kills it (in more ways than one) as his character utilises not only his prerequisite skills, but the following ailment caused by his service, and then his familiarity with his surroundings against his unfamiliar occupants. And then there's his goddamn rottweiler who's more an extension of his consciousness than a lovable pet. Really, Levy's two fellow fellas are just fodder to the acting show played by her and Lang, who chases her and her friends through the labyrinth of a house set out by director Fede Alvarez and cinematographer Pedro Luque (with one of the most effective uses of pitch black I've ever seen in film). 

 

It's the real star here, showing more than you think and has a smart twist at its tail, albeit with a more shocking than scary end to proceedings. The build-up to the final parts saves it from being a real mess, because the transition to more brutal, sadistic horror films has such a sensational build-up. But we really do know when it switches over, and while still enthralling, there's only so much we can suspend in terms of our belief. We can look back and appreciate the reasoning and motivation, but once the talking starts, Don't Breathe ironically runs out of breath, and we're left to a series of events that try to top each other in terms of shock value in rapid succession. Thankfully, there's no overuse of music to amplify tension or surprise when something happens, which doesn't mean it'll be memorable - but that's the point. The ending is also very throw-away; because it's not a cliff-hanger, regardless of how it's creators feel. It's. Not. That said, it's not a thriller horror I'm likely to forget in a hurry.

 

 

The Conjuring 2: 3/5

 

First off, I'll admit I've never seen the original, and only saw this on recommendation by a horror film buff who told me I could get away with seeing this without seeing its predecessor. Secondly, I was quite pissed while writing the previous review, and am now very pissed for this one, so I apologise to nonsense, inconsistency, and inaccuracies. I'll do my best.

 

If like me, you haven't seen the original, you're not going to miss much here. I'm under the impression that there's a lot of familiarities between The Conjuring and this sequel, despite a shift in location. We get a sense of where we were with a visit to Amityville, and that famous situation the Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) found themselves investigating. Here, we see Lorraine (Farmiga) see something in a séance reflecting the qualities fictional investigator Will Graham (of Thomas Harris' novels and the really superb Hannibal TV series, who I've blatantly shoe-horned into this review because I feel everyone must watch it) utilises a new character in the franchise to propel proceedings thousands of kilometres across the pond to the UK, where the unwitting Hodgson family are about to undergo a most terrifying and full-on experience of malevolent poltergeist activity.

 

I'm not shy to admit I'm a sucker for ghost stories, especially any attempts to apply scientific evidence towards it. I'm also not shy to admit that the likelihood of human spirits caught in some sort of purgatory is just as far-fetched as the belief of God banishing such entities from the tangible reality we occupy. But that reality can be damn close and that's why I enjoy it so. There's no legitimate evidence, but I like to suspend belief. So the embattled Warrens, sick of mockery by TV shows and so-called 'experts' head to England only on an observational stance as stated by the Church who sent them. They're just as cautious of ruining their credibility as the higher-ups who employed them. And the perceived evidence begins to stack up, from blatant encounters with others besides the Hodgsons, like police, TV crews, and the Warrens themselves, but actual filmed and recorded footage it harder to come by, with good reason.

 

Almost immediately you get reference to classic horror films, most importantly The Exorcist, which set so many benchmarks you can't fault a modern horror film cribbing some notes. But soon it feels too much like older classics that you lose sight of originality. The similarities are hard to ignore, the young, pretty girl possessed by a powerful, evil spirit, the professionals employed by the church to exorcise said demon, and the powerful display of faith and retribution on display show how much we still take older films for granted. And granted, The Conjuring 2 utilises effective CGI and camera tricks older film could never manage, but also provide more modern scares that a different. I still maintain that The Exorcist is most likely probably the scariest film I've ever seen, if only because of a realistic portrayal of something so many of us hold dear embattled against pure evil (and real, practical effects help a lot in the believability scale too), but also because it uses little to no jump scares; a common and very over-used element in modern horror.

 

Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious, Fast & Furious 7) is very good at what he does, no denying. But he's too caught up in reference to make something effectively original. The Conjuring 2 is a series of scary scenes where we know something is about to jump out, and we're waiting for it. But owing to his skill, we don't definitively know when Wan is going to spring his trap, thanks to assured camera movements, anticipating audience expectations, and sneaking in scares when we least expect it. But the music really kills his efforts, because more often than not it's building to something, and not a red herring. Conversely, the acting in this film is damn superb. Patrick Wilson is never not good (seriously, name a film, good-or-bad where he's sucked; I mean, he was so bloody good in Fargo season 2 it hurt), Vera Farmiga does her best impression of how Elizabeth Olsen will look (in 20 years time lol) and young Madison Wolfe - holy sh*t. She really, truly gives Linda Blair a run for her money, tonnes of make-up or no.

 

Whoops, I'm babbling again. But having seen this, despite dragging out, I'm interested in watching the original now. I just hope I haven't ruined anything for myself. What hit me hardest was the credits, viewing (and hearing) the real people this is based upon, and speaking of (SPOILERS), that super creepy, super fake Crooked Man demon is not super fake at all. It's apparently a real person whose just really good at exaggerated, stop-motion-like movements. Probably the scariest thing of all. *shudders*

[JETURBO]

Solid reviews are solid 

[stubbietubbie]

Damn, I really did make a lot of mistakes in that second review.

 

Welp, can't fix it now!

[Pixy Angel]

A few I have watch over the last few weeks.

 

Hell Or High Water - 7/10

 

 

Mr Church - 8/10

 

 

Imperium - 7/10

 

 

Mechanic Resurrection - 6/10

 

Skiptrace - 5/10

 

Laid In America - 5/10

 

Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates - 6/10

 

Sausage Party - 5/10 NOT FOR KIDS and not what you think.

[ROB83R]

Sausage party Double U TEE EFF did I just watch? 

Highly recommend not letting kids watch it especially if they have an eating disorder or are fussy. 

Probably should watch it whilst high on bath salts. 

[Pixy Angel]

Deepwater Horizon  - 9/10 recommend watching this one all

 

[Wilko16]

Downloaded and watched deepwater horizon after your recommendation

Very good film, talk about being in the scariest place on earth

Love how they give it to BP as well


Also

Sully 9/10

Well worth the watch, very similar movies

[Wilko16]

War Dogs 7/10

Unreal movie considering it's based on true story

Snowden 7/10

Great movie if you do a little research on Edward Snowden before watching, makes a lot more sense when you actually know who he is

I'm dyslexic and cannot turn off simple functions in tapatalk