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Reviews
The Peripheral (2022)
Scifi that doesn't beat you over the head
This story takes place in the near future, so the show doesn't beat you over the head with "futurey stuff," but presents these elements in a much more organic way. The setting is close enough to our own world that it doesn't require explanation and none is offered. From the first episode, the characters feel sympathetic and that helps a lot. I deducted one star, because the leading man is a bit weak. A flaw for which CGM more than makes up for with her own very charismatic performance.
The first few episodes see our heroine drawn into a mystery for which she's become totally invested through no fault of her own. High stakes having been established, she tries to establish alliances and close ranks in hopes of surviving the ordeal and uncovering the secrets behind The Peripheral.
What Would Jesus Buy? (2007)
A Documentary, Not a Comedy
While this film has amusing and humorous elements, it is NOT a comedy and to call it one is to delegitimize it. This documentary explores the commercialization of the Christmas tradition, which it rightly concludes has lost most of its spiritual meaning in favor of gift giving and the shopping that precedes it. The film further engages the viewer to consider the possibility that this obsession with commercialization bleeds into everyday life.
While many of the points are made by examining the sermons of the dubiously respectable self-styled "Reverend Billy" and his Church of Stop Shopping, which often makes for laughs, to say it is a comedy does not do it justice. This is a true documentary about a true phenomenon in America and a political organization that seeks to challenge it.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Plucky and pretty, but not good
I'm not at all shocked at the rave reviews on this site, as Tim Burton has a rabid fan base. Most of the time I'd agree. I love Tim Burton movies, because they are visually appealing to me. Now, I recognize that the movie is based on the play and not the actual real life story of Sweeney Todd, but I guess I expected good old Timmy not to pander to Hollywood/Broadway/the establishment in general, and get with the truly awesome story of the real deal. Or at least bring it close, but he got a little too fairy tale.
Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp both look absurdly, obviously evil in the movie to the point that a blind man could call it. The poor continuity involved in the setup of the house aside, the real story of dragging the bodies around the catacombs under the city and giving them to his girlfriend is much darker and more befitting. Killing her (Mrs. Pruett) at the end is just a cheap way to cover the gap and end the film without figuring out how he gets caught, because that element in the true story has been abandoned. Maybe I have just come to expect more from Mr Burton, but I would say that the film just lacks credibility.
The Devil's Chair (2007)
An Interesting Spin on the Classic Horror
I just got back from seeing this movie at the TIFF and I will start out by saying that if you are the type of person who likes to have everything clearly spelled out for you in a movie, this film is not for you. Likewise, if you are looking for a non-stop gorefest, you are likely to be disappointed. All of that aside, I thought the movie to be very interesting and certainly worth the watch. I've never been a fan of movies with narration, but this one executes it quite nicely. The narrative dialogue is witty and often injects a bit of humor into the film. The main story follows a man (Nick) in a mental facility for the criminally insane after he and his girlfriend enter an abandoned asylum and she dies. Nick insists that she was taken by a demonic chair. 4 years later, a doctor has him released, so that Nick, the doctor and his team can explore the scene of the murder and thing quickly go down hill from there. The cinematography in this film is interesting and the sound effects give the movie a lot more edge considering the gore is minimal aside from the liberal use of blood. Overall, this movie was definitely worth watching and I look forward to its release on DVD so I can watch it again!