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donnellymatt
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Reviews
'Twas the Fight Before Christmas (2021)
A lot of misplaced downvoting gives this a lower score than it deserves
I guess a lot of people on here don't understand how to rate films. You'll notice a lot of 1/10 - 5/10 votes from people not liking the "villain" of the film. Ya duh, he's a lunatic. That's kind of the point here. The film itself is a very fun and fascinating, albeit sometimes frustrating watch. It's a well made narrative about a bully playing victim, while abusing and destroying an entire community and something I think a lot of people can relate to in these times. Fascists are crying wolf all over the place, co-opting struggle and oppression as their own. The giddy glee this man takes from hurting his community under the guise of "helping" others is jarring and genuinely frightening.
The Righteous (2021)
Great tension, but kind of falls apart
I have mixed feelings about this one. First, the pros. It looks incredible, cinematography is stunning through the entire picture. I also really enjoyed the tension building throughout. Plot and tone-wise it reminded me a lot of Brimstone and Treacle, or the more obvious Night of the Hunter. The music was well crafted and helps immensely in building the tone of the film. And for the most part I thought all of the performances were great. But...
I wasn't a fan of Mark O'Brien's performance overall. It felt a little forced at times and his glossy eyed bad boy just didn't work for me. There were also issues with the plot, mostly small stuff but I also found the final act to be a little too short on information. Obviously that's intentional but I feel too much was left unsaid about what exactly is happening.
Overall, definitely worth a watch if you're into slow-burn tension filled occult/folk horror. But you may be disappointed with where it all ends up.
Hotel Poseidon (2021)
Excellent world building and lots of fun
In the vein of Piotr Szulkin or Terry Gilliam, this film does a great job of transporting you to another world altogether. One that, though confusing and unquestionably disgusting, is immensely fun to witness. Full of interesting characters, jarring conversations, and some incredible music and sound editing, this film is definitely recommended to those wanting to experience something new.
Gummo (1997)
One of the great American films
A stark rumination on American Life and pop-culture as experienced by a huge number of people throughout rural America, entwined in a whimsical, almost slapstick, vaudevillian free-for-all of madness and farce. It's totally insane. It creates it's own lexicon, which in and of itself is incredibly rewarding.
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway (2019)
Top notch cinema
This thing is pure entertainment, through and through. Anyone rating it less than 7.5 is a half-witted soup-head with poor taste.
2015's "Crumbs" introduced me to the director, another incredible film, and I waited patiently for this to arrive in 2019. It's totally absurd and utilizes all sorts of different styles, both visually and narratively. An abstract, slap-stick, espionage, thriller-comedy, exploitation stop-motion nightmare of pure cinematic bliss. Watch it as soon as you have the opportunity!
THANK YOU MIGUEL LLANSO, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE!!! xoxoxoxo
Away (2019)
Go see this movie
Truly a uniquely inspiring film, Away captures a delicate balance between immense intricacy and sheer minimalism with ease and sustains it for the entirety of the film. This harmony exists in every aspect of the production and makes for an extremely satisfying time. I can't wait to own a copy and watch it many more times for years to come. If you get an opportunity to see a screening then do it! You won't regret it.
The Jurassic Games (2018)
If you gave this movie anything but a 10 you're in the wrong business
Seriously, what the s#$^ did you fools expect? This movie is EXACTLY what you should expect it to be going in. Stupid, cheap and mildly entertaining. The setup at the end left me super stoked for a sequel as it finishes with everything I've ever wanted to see in a dinosaur movie. A fine way to waste a couple of hours on the couch with a loved one.
Is it Jurassic Park? $%^# no! And it isn't trying to be either.
Southern Rites (2015)
Great story, decent movie
POSSIBLE SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
The film itself, as a film, may not be worth the 9 I gave it. It is obviously pretty slanted, though I disagree with the other review that said the crime didn't smell of racism, and it's got some pretty shoddy editing tricks and a fairly disoriented narrative. That said, this was likely done on purpose for effect, so take that how you like.
I gave it a 9, rather than say a 6.5, because of the material and how important I think it is for people to see stories like this one. While you may or may not conclude that the crime itself was based in racism, the blatant racism within the community and all the way through the criminal process was jarring, to say the least. I'm certainly not oblivious to the fact that racism is still just as prominent as ever but you really get a good, albeit severely upsetting, glimpse of it in action in one small southern town.
The side story of the sheriff is equally as telling and infuriating and, I thought, was an excellent addition to the overall arch of the film.
I didn't really like the director (she's not in the film but there are some audio bits of her) as she seemed to either not be willing to ask some of the hard questions that one would want to ask in her position (or at least I would), or she just passed on or missed the opportunity. That said, the fact that she does let Norman Neesmith go on and on at times without interruption allows for some fairly stirring moments which are quite beneficial to the political power of the film. He really shows himself as a monster towards the end. And again, while the crime itself may or may not have been a result of racism (I think it's clear it was, I truly don't believe Norman would have held two white boys hostage before shooting at them but who know) the end result really hits home how real a problem racism still is in America, not just in Montgomery County. ALL Politics aside, at the end of the day the boy who died didn't deserve to die. And while Norman may or may not have meant to kill him mentally, he did physically. It was not an accident. He used his gun to keep the boys there and then when they tried to run away he shot at them. That's what guns do. Then after taking a life he has the gall to say "what about me?".. A truly despicable sight.
And if you're a hard-right, gun-totin', shoot-first-ask-later kind of person who dreams of yesteryear when things were good and wholesome and a black person knew their place, well then you'll probably hate this movie tremendously.
Shin Gojira (2016)
I don't understand the rating on this movie...
It should be much higher than it is. The movie was so much fun, and so intelligent and witty. Truly an incredible satire of the political climate in Japan. The dialogue is rapid fire and incredibly funny throughout.
If you're looking for 90 minutes of monsters fighting then you'll be disappointed I guess, but if you're OK with a well written political satire that has some pretty bizarre but excellent monster effects then I say you should ignore the average rating on this thing and give it a go!
Madeline's Madeline (2018)
A unique perspective on mental illness and mother/daughter relationships
I definitely did not find this to be one of the most bizarre and incomprehensible films I've ever seen. It just happens to be coming from a unique perspective and requires a bit of focus.
All three lead performances are incredible, I agree with a previous comment that they're all Oscar worthy. Certainly, Helena Howard is a force and in my book gives one of the best performances I've seen this year. She has an incredibly bright future ahead of her and I look forward to seeing more of her.
I just love the way Josephine Decker's mind works. I've enjoyed her previous films and they seem to just get better with each release. Cinematography, pacing, narrative, performances, sound design; all of the elements here are intricate and purposeful and captured with precision.
I can understand someone not enjoying the film because it is not a straight forward drama, it's brimming with anxiety and confusion and youthful naiveté (all of which are there for good reason) and does require a certain level of dedication as a viewer, but if you can give it a chance and take the time to digest the emotional roller coaster that is Madelin'e mind I think you'll be happy you did.