HabaneroBuck's Reviews

Black Mirror: Nosedive (2016)

Season 3, Episode 1

8/10

16 January 2017

This episode of Black Mirror is notable for its sharply satirical tone as opposed to bleak subject matter. In that regard, it has a different feel, but not a different tenor (unapologetic cynicism), from all of the other episodes. This one is played more for dark humor than for gut-wrenching tension and surprising revelations, and it is effective in that regard. By no means the best of the series, it was vastly entertaining, eliciting more than one gut-laugh.

Bryce Dallas Howard delivers a character we find shallow, inventive, ambitious, sympathetic, inspirational, and pitiful, often simultaneously. Two of the best performances I've seen in all of modern video have been delivered in Season Three of Black Mirror, and her work here stands side-by-side with that delivered in any other feature of note (Jerome Flynn's turn in "Shut Up and Dance" being the other outstanding role).

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Black Mirror: Men Against Fire (2016)

Season 3, Episode 5

8/10

Strong and mature content involved

12 January 2017

I find it interesting how everyone likes or dislikes different Black Mirror episodes in different proportions. A great deal of your opinion of an episode has to do with personal experiences and philosophies, a successful echo of the use of "Mirror" in the title.

Men Against Fire was really testing my patience for the first thirty minutes, the first time I had experienced agitation with an episode of the series. We have already seen so many of these themes with "History of You" and "Playtest" that the main character's fascination with the technology around him was belaboring any point that needed to be made. However, the episode did a fantastic job of bringing it all together and causing the viewer to re-examine previous events, a la "Shut Up and Dance". With a clever turn of events, all of the reasoning was explained to my satisfaction. Another solid theme explored by Season 3.

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The Signal (2007)

1/10

Hugely disappointed.

16 September 2009

I will keep this brief. I love thought-provoking, surprising, under-recognized films. That is what I like. The Signal promised to be that. It is not. Growing up, I loved The Toxic Avenger, Evil Dead I & II, Bad Taste, etc...anything low-budget, over-the-top, well-done, I can appreciate despite its obvious budgetary constraints. This film is NOT an indy classic. Don't confuse it for one...it's a bargain bin one-dollar CD trying to pawn itself off as Sebadoh, Pavement, MF DOOM, etc...it is NOT an indy classic, let me reiterate! Read some of the other 1-3 star reviews. I paid 5 bucks in the bargain bin thinking I found a little nugget. I found a butt nugget. Actors will never work again...directors and writers won't either. Don't bother.

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The Third Man (1949)

5/10

Unsympathetic

25 September 2008

Watched it last night. I was not engrossed, which surprised me. The main character is a writer of some sort, but he completely lacks imagination. He's entirely straight-forward, utterly lacking in the nuanced sophistication that makes for a good investigator. The motivations of many of the characters are dubious at best, such as the appearance of the Third Man. Orson Welles did fine, but the role is not as legendary and epic as we are lead to believe. Not seeing this film will not make one any less of a film connoisseur.

The camera-work, shadows, and atmosphere are to be commended. The actors other than Joseph Cotten are very good. Overall, it makes for a "so-so" film by today's standards. Some older films created tension quite well, but this film simply doesn't, which is probably a prerequisite for a thriller to succeed, no?

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Looker (1981)

7/10

The way kids' movies used to be.

30 May 2007

Those of us who grew up on HBO programming in the early 1980's will easily remember the "light gun" from Looker, as the film was one of the most played flicks in HBO's catalogue. The movie was suspenseful, entertainingly acted, and possessed some cheap effects that were, nevertheless, fun to behold. The PG-rating for films with adult characters has really disappeared in the era of making money off of PG-13 films, and that's led to a reduction in films of this character.

"Looker" is not without weaknesses such as lapses in logic, but it possesses the traits of a typical Michael Crichton story that make for a thoughtful excursion into another person's world. Albert Finney was memorable for his confused and determined (if strikingly unathletic) doctor trying to unravel the mystery before him. Time shift scenes and the score make for positives, as well.

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Nashville (1975)

8/10

Gleefully fun and thought-provoking.

28 May 2007

A splendid breeze of a film, with the 160 minutes not feeling too long at all. The fact that none of the songs is familiar makes it easier to sit through the numerous musical performances, many of which are quite skillfully played and sung. A slice of life rather than a story, most viewers will have no problem appreciating Nashville on its own terms. The film holds up very well over time; perhaps being a superior presentation in another era, as a strict parallelism of the characters and events is no longer forced onto the film by its new generation of viewers.

Favorite scene: Keith Carradine (Tom) tells the "servant" to write himself a hit as he passes the guitar so as to make a phone call. The chauffeur rips off some very tasteful chords...he might very well have a hit!

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Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

7/10

Interesting, but a little disappointing.

1 May 2007

Not a classic, though I'm sure there are plenty of elements to this film that were original and innovative. The surrealism, camera-work, score, and acting were pretty good. The characters were somewhat believable, though there are occasional nagging questions about the sheepishness of some. The black guy should have been a "really black" character, not the lighter skin tone that we see here. The film has no night shots, and thus the expedition down the river feels out of whack in terms of its timing. It's a good, weird little film, but I never felt like I was watching one of the greats. Occasional moments of absurdity detract from the somber tone, taking some scenes a step beyond satire, which is what works well in a film like this.

I love watching older films on DVD. It felt timeless with its clear picture and 16th Century setting. Worth watching.

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Requiem for a Dream (2000)

3/10

High on the incredulity scale.

10 February 2007

Warning: Spoilers

I echo most of the negative comments, but the main problem I had with the film was my continual questioning of events as the story progressed. Drugs are bad, and that is fine, but they are NOT that hard to find. In essence, the problems faced by half of the cast was a result of the scarcity of narcotics in NEW YORK CITY. Should I find this scenario credible? One can manage heroin addiction using prescription painkillers (which is what folks like this would have resorted to), rather than driving 600 miles away or engaging in an uncomfortable orgy. They could have scored some dilaudid, hydrocodone, oxycontin, or even methadone to get them through the dry streak. Two thousand dollars in hand, and not an idea about what to do?

Actors all did fine. The characters were unsympathetic. The story is depressing but simultaneously leaves one reticent for the fact that there are not many redeeming qualities exhibited by the users. Tyrone and Marion did not have shocking denouements...their path is standard for many users. Emotionally manipulating...visuals were fair...story was simple-minded. I was underwhelmed, and I do not find this film to be particularly artsy, though I will grant that it is daring in some sense.

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Storm of the Century (1999)

2/10

Imbalanced Perception of Humanity

15 May 2006

King has never composed a realistic community. You can recognize character traits here and there that are quite accurate, but the sum is always lacking. That deficiency is evident here. Sure, you can find plenty of individuals who would behave the way these characters do, but the entire town is imbalanced towards King's perception of a sniveling, amoral, stupid mass of humanity. Even the main character could not make a valid argument against the evil presented to the town because he did not have a moral compass. No one did. And the moral of the story is atrocious and unfaithful to reality's experience.

A decided bit of tripe with some tense moments thrown in.

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