Reviews

Dream Scenario? More like a horrific bout of insomnia.

I'll admit I was enticed by the interesting premise and the promise of some Nic Cage brand ham-star magnificence but there's none of the Wild At Heart Raising Arizona Family Man spirit in this movie. Although Nicolas Cage is indeed reprising his role as a grandiose narcissistic loser - an intentional non-entity - I'm convinced there is no amount of intertextual memetic magic that could elevate this (lack of) material. There's one attempt at a serial gag targeting influencer culture that gently grazes the realm of satire... but that's it. The character development is artificial, there's no thread to the narrative, and each "scenario" plays out like a disjointed webisode from an early 00's online shredded wheat ad campaign. If only I had known to skip ahead to the scene where everything's on fire and the fashion Stops Making Sense.

This is not the laugh out loud comedy that the trailers and critics would have you think. Personally, I found producer Ari Aster's own Beau is Afraid to be far more cohesive and hilarious, and am left wondering what the scenario would've looked like with him at the helm.

If you truly seek a strange, dreamy dark comedy that messes with convention, check out Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss, Greener Grass, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The King of Comedy, or PG: Psycho Goreman. Ok everybody be safe out there, I love you, hope you have a very Happy Boxing Day!

That theme song. It's so gigantic, so ominous. Absurd even. The haunting hammered hymn of dissonance bookends every scene, looming around each set of interactions. Midway through the film, as it played for like the umpteenth time, it occurred to me- this theme song is a character, too. The music hovers over the couple (and the actress) like an evil spirit that's always sneering, quite sarcastically,

' you've done nothing wrong '

I must admit I was reluctant to stick it out until the bitter end (it's not often a pleasant film, and many scenes go beyond cringe), but it was certainly a rewarding challenge, and I am glad I committed and got to experience the full impact.

This movie is for fans of demanding stories about severely damaged people working through psychological trauma in the only way they understand, such as: Rose Plays Julie, Mysterious Skin, Elle, Serenity (2019), First Reformed, & Snow Angels. . . If you find these kinds of films enjoyable, then I think you'll find something to resonate with in May December, it hits pretty hard. Ok, please be safe out there, I love you, hope you have a nice breakfast, even if it's night!

Ok let's ignore the lazy writing and unidimensional caricatures for a moment because it's painfully obvious nobody did their due diligence for this show. Aside from trying to shift the demographics of the cast, the attempts to turn Chicago into "Detroit" are superficial and kinda pathetic. People in Michigan don't treat marijuana as a taboo narcotic, the "Rouge" River and other so-called landmarks featured are incidental or ridiculous, and the sprawl of the Detroit Metro area is almost completely ignored in the cinematography/editing of stock footage. Ooh they're driving towards Northville via the South Loop omg! This production feels like a cheap knock off. When I saw the very distinctive Pilsen neighborhood/18th street graffiti I rolled my eyes, like c'mon really? Detroit hustles harder. This requel legacy show is the bootleg weak sauce version of an otherwise fantastic guilty pleasure series - don't even bother with City Primitive. Watch the Low Winter Sun instead.

Normally wouldn't dare write a review after only two episodes but partway through watching these I suddenly had the urge to be stabbed repeatedly in the skull with the spoon they were using to feed me. It could've been due to all the exposition in the dialogue or the fact that the so-called "world building" (ok, pun intended) ignores the existence of Science. Maybe it was Common appearing as a caricature of himself. Or it might be true that the pulpy source material doesn't actually have any story connecting its sadistic mysteries together. Suffice to say, imagining my own brain being spooned from my head by tiny Graham Yosts was more enjoyable than trying to follow this series of cliffhangers-for-future-seasons. In a few episodes after we get used to the weird bait & switch casting, impossible premise, dark and dreary set design... Who knows?! Silo could be as spectacular as the final season of Game of Thrones. If you really want a mean claustrophobic Science Fiction experience try something like Primer, Stalker, City of Lost Children, Brazil, Dark City, the second season of Channel Zero, or the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Ok be safe out there I love you have a nice day!

It's not surprising that this show is underrated, especially mid-run, considering the slow unveiling of its thematic material and the cool, polite cruelness of most of the characters.. While the pacing of this show might be a great excuse to give up on it early, I thought about abandoning it simply because the schemes in the show are a bit dead-on or even prescient.. made me think of bitcoin and other scammy "to the moon" type endeavors.. Which I've come to understand is the whole point, and might explain the proto-futuristic universe, an absurd setting to try and give perspective to an absurd premise that in a normal retro 1950s would just be more pleasantville banality. But it's ultimately inconsequential: at the core you'll find a scathing critique of capitalism (if you are willing to peer underneath the gimmicks). The showrunners of Hello Tomorrow seem to be more interested in exploring the psychology and economics involved in running a confidence game where the value of the investments being touted is completely intangible or immeasurable. It isn't necessarily an easy show to watch, but it is rewarding to draw the parallels to our current reality: buying memories of the future, cultivating potential energy to be stored in the imagination - trading in on the Dream of a Better Life.

The entire production is charming, actors are great, the cinematography is vibrant and interesting, and it is well written, albeit deliberate. It's not one of those cliffhanger shows to get excited about for next week but I imagine it will be a good show to binge and will hold up to multiple viewings. Highly recommended if you enjoy series like The Morning Show, Terriers, Dead Like Me, or the film An Honest Liar.

This show is pretty darn hilarious & raunchy & also super sweet.. fair warning tho: the sound seems to be haphazardly mixed for like Dolby 5.1 surround or a cinematic setting, & it varies greatly in dynamics (ranging from unpleasantly loud to indecipherable) The sound editing is also kinda chaotic- sync issues, distracting dynamic jumps, extremely abrasive music edits often drown out bits of dialogue, which is frustrating cos this show is laugh out loud funny & my lil' sensitive misophonia-having booty found it very much worthwhile even with the hectic OST literally clipping over lines of dialogue. . So it's probably worth checking out. Reminds me of The Nevers meets Everything's Gonna Be Okay with a pinch of Ash vs. Evil Dead in there. Ok be safe out there, love you have a nice day!

No joke. Wildly entertaining animation & dynamic storytelling make for one impressive cinematic adventure: The Last Wish was probably the most fun I've had watching a film since PG: Psycho Goreman.. It's platinum-solid family affair with tons of in-jokes, expertly crafted dialogue, & pitch perfect performances from its actors. I did not expect nor desire to enjoy this movie as much as I did, & indeed I would watch it again. Highly recommended for fans of other instant classics such as The Brave Little Toaster, Zazie dans le Métro, Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, Boris & Natasha, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, or A Bug's Life. Ok love you, be safe out there & Super perfundo on the early eve of your day.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching this movie, it is easily the most pretentious version of Hamlet ever filmed, and it is excruciatingly entertaining. It's just that I liked it for all the wrong reasons. It is so brilliantly stupid. Nicole Kidman plays Nicole Kidman, the accents are silly, the pacing is uneven, and the antagonists are basically idiots. There isn't a single nuanced character, the director has reduced every potential moral musing to a kill or be killed scenario. All the ArtHousery in the world couldn't obscure the exhausting tropes propping up the limpid spine of this film. So if you're legitimately looking for something super duper pretentious, NordyMan is about as agonizing and cathartic as Mother!, but without the cerebral elements. Otherwise I recommend viewing this in a MST3K setting, with ample riffs ready.

This isn't a feel good movie but it's funnier than Good Time by the Safdie bros, which has similar themes ..but Count of Three is an altogether different experience. It's filmed in an unpretentious style, the writing is realistic and evenly paced, and the overall tone is consistent. It works well as a comedy because it never veers into self-mockery or melodrama, despite using Papa Roach as an auditory set piece - the film is littered with raw emotional payoffs that offset the grim humor. If you like films such as Four Lions, Harold & Maude, The Battery, or even something as intense as Mike Leigh's Naked, you won't be disappointed with this one. & to everyone who worked on this movie you created a right brutal masterpiece & you ought to be proud . Thanks.

If somebody told me these were amateur cosplayers who self-produced an homage to their favorite anime I would be kinda impressed ...but this is a Netflix joint. It is a half-baked rehashing of the anime series, often beat for beat, and the overall tone feels like it is mocking the original anime, not bringing it to life. Actually I think you might like it if you are into "post-irony" or Lisa Frank or Fyre Island or cryptocurrency. But if you want some genuine, good live action intergalactic hilarity try Red Dwarf or Firefly or Mandolorian or the BBC version of Hitchhiker's Guide.

Cowboy Beflop is like a generic artificial grape flavored beverage when what you really wanted was red wine. Or heck even a wine cooler would've been nice. . .but girl this ain't even Faygo. Well at least the OST is brilliant, it is worth enduring all that bloated kitsch just to let your ears get a glimpse of that Seatbelt magic.

This movie is tough to classify - it is a suspenseful work of art that unfolds very, very deliberately. The cast has serious chops, the sound design is flawless, & it really showcases some all-around heavy duty filmmaking..like this is some Criterion collection level shiz. Simple, elegant, dark, pensive, & mean. For fans of the cathartic slow burn - if you liked Killing of a Sacred Deer, a Zed & Two Noughts, or Nothing Bad Can Happen - this film is for you.

The genre of Movies-that-build-up-to-a-supposedly-shocking-twist-that-the-entire-premise-hinges-on is very popular, but these films are extremely hard to do well. . and all the nods to thriller tropes and red herrings can't save The Vanished from being a predictable, disorganized mess. Lackluster plot and one dimensional characters unveiled through poor writing and acting makes for an inefficient, unfocused attempt at a thriller. I was annoyed with nearly every aspect of this film and only half-heartedly watched til the end to see whether the predictions I had made in the film's first 10 minutes were accurate - guess what? they were. The producers/director don't give their audience enough credit - most of us have already seen multiple versions of this paint-by-numbers psychodrama.. .If you really want to be engaged in an allegorical experience focused on grief, I'd suggest the series Haunting of Hill House. Avoid this movie unless you're a true masochist or were born yesterday.

If you are seeking historical accuracy in your period piece entertainment then may I suggest watching the Russian Ark instead. And if you're easily offended by the casual, albeit crass, mentioning of natural bodily functions, well ..then this is not for you either, you might prefer Catherine Zeta Jones the Great.

The fact that the entire cast converses in English should tip you off as to how seriously the showrunners take this subject matter - all of these scenes are written for laughs, and any anachronisms play to the comedic strengths of the show. It definitely helps if you have a macabre sense of humor but even if you wince at the gallows stuff it's got a wide enough variety of jokes, plus plenty of situational irony to keep one amused. And of course it's visually stunning, featuring intensely creative, colorful costumes and sets. The storyline nudges and winks at history, yet there is nothing sanctimonious about the satire because the writing is clever and the pace is brisk. Thankfully there's also excellent chemistry between all the actors (Adam Godley and Phoebe Fox shine in supporting roles) - it does seem like the cast is having a fantastic time with all the absurd material.

The Great is pure anarchic fun, full of ridiculous characters and perverse, sometimes violent, crude humor that mainly revolves around sex, sickness, and death. Highly recommended if you like any of these films: Quills, The Favourite, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Brothers Grimsby, Slums of Beverly Hills or The Death of Stalin.

This is a show for those who have learned to love the bomb. Huzzah

I knew nothing about this movie going into it. It's a very smug film that continuously pats itself on the back for being so smug. There isn't really anything unique or original about this 'coming of age' story - sure it has bright colors and drops some fuzzy cool cultural references (ooh Happy Mondays...Manic Street Preachers.. what year is this supposed to be?) but all of its charm is superficial. It is predictable, poorly paced, and the main character is frustratingly unlikeable. Her narcissism seems to always end up being rewarded even when things go awry for her. Paddy Considine is super enthusiastic as her father, but even his character still comes off as a total brat. Every character is a brat, there's no room for development or real redemption in the formula. I struggled to make it through this film, it is so unapologetically tone deaf... Maybe, just maybe, it's barely worth watching if only you can convince yourself that every single character is an extension of the author's completely self-absorbed persona, like a teenage music critic fever dream Fight Club but without the flair, ideologies, or big reveal.

I'm curious as to why so many people were so fiercely critical of this film, but I liked it quite a bit.

The title hints at how broadly the term 'horror' might be applied throughout a single movie. Some might consider it a parody, or a grim look at the dangers of bullying, but I feel like it is a more comprehensive critique of modern, 21st century self-obsessions and distractions. The style and pacing kept me engaged, and the acting is very self-aware, I'm left wondering how much of the scenes were improvised. It brought to mind Ryan Trecartin's I-BE Area, which is another, more insanely fever-pitched film...

The story focuses on a group of 12 year old girls, sometimes viewed through the predatory lens of a hand-held camera or cell phone, as they hang out together in a big empty mansion. It seems like almost every single line in the film is a sneer, a taunt, an insult, or some other form of abuse. Most of the expository elements are merely suggested, but the vicious behavior of these girls escalates into a few gruesome scenes. I must admit I had a sense of gleeful anticipation in imagining just how these brats might bite the dust. Nearly every character is unlikable, so this movie is a treat for a true horror fan, and could be a frustrating 100 minutes for someone who expects to sympathize with a strong lead.

Millennials might also cringe at the use of cell phones, snapchats, and text bubbles, but maybe that's because the obnoxiousness of these characters is so eerily familiar...taking selfies and pretending to have a good time. If you were raised by a smartphone, how would you function without it? Then the better question: How do you function with it? Maybe you're already asking that question, so this film provides a poignant interpretation of a world in which technology and other privileges motivate people to seek control through pettiness while they feel forced to change their own values constantly.

I thought this movie has a lot of content to re-investigate, its manic effect haunted me for a few days. I would definitely watch it again. Not for the weak, a high tolerance for awful little girls is required. It's an absurd social commentary with slasher elements and a strange, gorgeous setting. Give this film a chance...there's a wonderful, jaw-dropping music video nestled in the middle of the madness ...

Kudos to the director and cast of #Horror