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American Horror Story: Fire Island (2022)
Is the series a response to the Dahmer series?
The episode and the whole series thus far seems an uncannily accurate view of how it felt to be in the gaybourhoods between the 1950s and the 1980s, with the toxic masculinity, the predator hunting for sex and man-to-man violence that so often targeted the young and vulnerable.
The last scene of this episode is why I'm writing this- it was so touching and very evocative for perhaps anyone who has lost someone to sexual violence.
I have not built up the courage to watch Dahmer yet, having lost some friends to mass murderers, but season of AHS season seems very heartfelt, honest, respectful and relevant for LGBTQ2S people, and specifically male survivors of homophobic violence; their family and friends.
The Boys (2019)
This is not like any other super-hero show ever
Now that I am watching Season 3, I have broken down and just need to write a review. Eric Kripke, creator, and primary writer of the Boys, reminds me of several works by Alan Ball , and Quentin Tarantino.
It's excellent because there's so much talent packed into every shot. It's very well cast, has excellent character-driven plots, and the stories it tells are extremely relevant to this moment in American popular culture. It explores situations of fascism, corporatism, Nazism, racism, misogyny, and many other forms of ideological violence so the stories it tells are extremely relevant to this moment in American popular culture. (It's no surprise some accuse it of having political bias, perhaps recognizing their own partisan shortcomings being represented amidst these ideological conflicts.)
Almost every character is wonderfully complex, but not overwhelming or staged- and yet each character often appears as both underdog, and anti-hero at different moments of their journey.
Every single cast member soars throughout each season- the actors are deeply inspired and it shows in every single shot.
The writers have also mastered using gore or cringe-humour, and often at the same time, to punctuate it's most significant plot points. Both the narrative thrust, and the tension are held very tightly in every episode.
It's special effects are also wonderfully produced.
One small caveat is that both the tension of the plot, and some scenes are truly so wonderfully created, that you may wish to steel yourself- they are more impactful than anything you may have seen before- especially in a episodic series type show.
But if you can prepare yourself for some serious gore, you will nonetheless find that it is 'balanced' with a relevant and meaningful story with a lot of humour, and insight.
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
A grittier film than the others before it
The action in this film matches the other Terminator films, such as Terminator 2.
Moreover, you don't need to watch the other Terminator movies, like part 3,4,or 5,. You can go from T2 to this one. This is definitely a Terminator film in terms of pacing, and similar plot devices as used in 1,2,and 3. Overall, though derivative of earlier works in this series, it's a great action sci-fi film.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
Excellent addition; matches the high quality tenor of the contemporary series
I wanted to make a spoiler free review to counter some of the misinformation I've recently seen across movie review sites about this latest chapter. (Does anyone else suspect state organized propaganda to dissuade audiences from being exposed to provocative plot points? Anyway....)
This story was an excellent interpretation of the old comic book material about Phoenix. It was particularly good because of Sophie Turner, whose insight into the character was very well tuned. All the actors were excellent as usual and the script was perfect, and perhaps this latest story is just a bit darker than the usual xmen fare. Every scene was visually stunning and some of the shots that the director chose were innovative and well chosen for particular emotional scenes.
In terms of quality and audience enjoyment I think it fits between Days of Future Past and Apocalypse. Not quite as good as the former, but perhaps a bit more complex and intriguing than even Apocalypse. Along with the other latest reboot chapters, it easily deserves a 10/10.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Force Awakens Hater Loves The Last Jedi
I didn't like The Force Awakens very much. My critique was entitled "Majestic pastiche bordering on retrospective parody."
This movie however is an excellent addition to the Star Wars Universe. I almost never attend a theater but this was worth every penny of the overpriced ticket. This movie has wonder, excitement, action, introspective parts, and narrative thrust. The effects are extraordinary, and memorable themes from John Williams provide nostalgic high powered melodies. There is definitely some 'movie magic' in parts, especially in terms of the physics of the Star Wars universe and it THREW ME OFF EACH TIME. Other than that I was lost in the movie, and it defies the Hollywood film formula. The plot also provides an interesting social critique of how war has made people rich.
There are many outright lies about the details of this movie in many reviews that I've read on IMDB in what seems to be like an organized campaign. I could almost imagine that war industrialists, and their political hounds would have an interest in diminishing this film.
Jem and the Holograms (2015)
Very good film; Needs to be re-released NOW.
I was waiting with high expectations for this movie, but couldn't find a theatre. Eventually I got to see it by extraordinary means. I felt quite satisfied after watching it. The film is a 'very good' contemporary adaptation of the original series by any standard. Not 'excellent' for middle aged men like myself, but particularly 'excellent' for little boys and girls. Nonetheless, the film can make a grown man, especially if he has a daughter, cry 'like a little- boy'.
This was probably the most 'feel good movie of the 2015'. There were many excellent roles for women. All of the actors are well chosen, and the characters are memorable. There was a humanitarian emphasis in the plot as well, though slightly different from the original series.
The music is very catchy but not overly pretentious.
The story works through an exposition of right and wrong in a manner that matches the original series- it has a moral. There is also a lot of media literacy built into the plot, and this is relevant and timely. As a fan of the original series, this update is very good, and though it makes a few changes, it was loyal. Any change from the original is definitely respectful, and some of these changes lead to the most touching moments of the film.
The roles were all quite difficult, involving the mix of dance, song and acting, but seamless performances and excellent direction made this innovative plot work like magic.
I saw many of the big films of 2015- this movie is in my top three for 2015. I enjoyed it far more than the recent Abrams-Disney-Lucas blockbuster.
I think the film needs to be re-released in the next month or two. It has a lot to offer, and it deserves to be the beginning of a trilogy.
I know time will change the rating, but the ridiculously low rating makes me question the value of IMDb ratings, or whether the movie is being sabotaged by Hollywood insiders. Was it a failure of marketing? Did some Hollywood person need little girls to remain media illiterate? I think the movie needs to be re-released!
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Majestic pastiche bordering on retrospective parody.
No SPOILERS*
JJ Abrams majestically directed a pastiche of Star Wars. There is some cleverness here but though JJ Abrams is a wizard at bending reality with film cuts, and plot holes, the trouble is that Abrams has broken too many rules to pull it off. They stack up like circumstantial evidence that Star Wars is a simulation, rather than "real"- as Han Solo would have us believe. Mythological powers, character's sacrifices, and even the very pacing of the film have all been turned into either frenetic moments, or 'time-stop' moments- breaching a parody during the most important scenes.
There is a believability problem both in the plot, and the mise-en-scene- the total visual experience that makes up each shot. Even the camera angles are 'unbelievable'. In several scenes (too many to mention) there is a mismatch between what we know of each character and their behaviour. Action scenes were too poorly cut or filmed to piece together, leaving an unsatisfactory bewilderment as to how cause and effect was unfolding.The Force mythology is also shaken up with a few plot devices that happen far too quickly to be sensible. Pacing in the film was perhaps the biggest problem, leaving deeper characters undeveloped, and other more simple characters, overdeveloped. Characters run off, alone, to create more narrative suspense in action sequences, but at the expense of 'developing' the friendship between characters. Overall, a new trilogy had need of a longer wind-up to develop the characters in relation to each other, but there's a few disassociated action scenes instead, without significantly advancing the plot.
The model and cgi blend allows 'anything' to be filmed (that we can imagine) but the original films faced many limitations in filming. This is what made it brilliant. Now the only restriction for the making of Star Wars is in the plot and the source material of Star Wars, its mythology, characters, character development, locations, pacing, etc. Upcoming directors and writers, and hopefully Rian Johnson, will harness these creative, filming and technical details, as a guidepost for further development and fan-based acceptance.As clever as JJ Abrams can be for all the movie magic he can achieve, it's far too clever at being completely insensible, and unbelievable.
PROS: Outstanding Visual Effects, Make Up, costumes, and Set pieces,sound engineering, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. New droid cuteness.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Hollywood can't handle mysterious fantasy epics
The most amazing thing about Tolkein, or Star Wars, was that you didn't know what happened in the middles or between the movies, or books. Tolkein's stories only loosely fit together because of how he wrote each one, but this was the most amazing thing about his writing. We were left to guess how Sauron turned to the dark, or what Gandalf, Sauron and Galadriel were doing before Lord of the Rings. One had to read the Simarilion, but even then one couldn't fit together the whole story because the world was so much bigger than its fractured records in Tolkein's prose.
This generation of movie makers, from Lucas to Jackson, have ruined the fantasy genre by seeking to tie together every storyline leaving little to mystery. There are so many repeated images and characutures of the LOTR that the Hobbit only makes Tolkein's world so much smaller. Movie magic ruined too much of the mystery of Middle Earth.
Even then, there are countless plot holes, and useless plot devices in the Hobbit. Now that three movies were created, the Arkenstone, and the Dragon's madness both are pointless next to the greed inspired by the actual horde of gold. At one point a bell breaks through a door, swinging as dwarfs exit, but disappears by the next shot. Orc commanders are not destroyed or suffocated by Arda's water, but somehow pretend to go to sleep in it. Even Legolas' story is tied into LOTR in a a dreary manner that reeks of a neurotic perfectionism that somehow misses the whole point of how big Tolkein's world really is.
If JJ Ambrams is smart, which I'm not counting on, he'll learn from Jackson's Hobbit movie, and Lucas' errors and make the Star Trek and Star Wars universes much bigger than they ever were before by purposely leaving things to mysterious developments that go unanswered- but without developing new gaping plot holes.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
A new paradigm of realism in fantasy worlds
The 5k, 48 frame per second, 3D footage w/ Dolby Atmos is truly incredible.
This is a film, finally, that is worth seeing in the theatre. Just Like the first Star Wars in 1977, or the Lord of the Rings. This is a seamless view of a fantasy world.
While some have complained that 48 fps is somewhat jarring, it completely revolutionizes 3D. 3D had lacked some clarity and sharpness before, but the 48 fps completely fixes all fast action scenes, and enhances all 3D effects. Some scenes, if scaled properly, could hypothetically appear as if the movie were a stage play in the theatre. This is a true revolution and it is worth seeing the film in 48 fps. Clearly, this is where film is headed, and it is beautiful. Some computer generated effects are more noticeable, but all are an overall improvement from the Lord of the Rings series. On the other hand, clothing, make-up, and overall set design, is absolutely outstanding and manages to keep pace with the new resolution.
A famous Riddles in the Dark scene, and a guest appearance from a lead character from Lord of the Rings shows excellent enhancements, and again is brilliantly acted.The actors are all excellent, and some of the most enjoyable scenes involve the dwarfs.
The score is outstanding, again by Howard Shore, and the songs from the dwarfs were memorable, nuanced and sombre. There is a scene in the beginning where the atmospheric sound of the room is entirely dull and absent, and this was quite striking, almost suffocating in a way- just like a hobbit who lives in a hole-bravo!
Overall, I thought the narrative adaptation was extremely disciplined, conservative, and appropriate in almost all situations. Sadly however, the narrative middle, or the part where the suspense takes a break before a temporary conclusion, is too long. Jackson appears to want to show off his more popular actors in one scene that is somewhat distracting from the overall film. I heard that since there were few women in the movie, they lingered on a scene involving Cate Blanchet; sadly, this is noticeable. Some things are better left to mystery, and Jackson would also do well NOT to answer every curiosity to his audience. Continued restraint will be necessary for maximum effect in this film. If Jackson avoids tying every plot line he can to the previous Lord of the Rings, his work will be stronger overall as it will appeal to the narrative mystery held by the audience.
This was an extremely complex film to design and deliver, and it is truly an amazing accomplishment of our species to put this tome to film. One thing is certain; if you love cinema, and fantasy, you will not be let down. The people who made this film love their work, and it is clear in every aspect of this mostly very tight film.
This viewer can only imagine that the reports of 'sickness'. vertigo, or comments that the movie is unnecessarily long, are overblown, and perhaps are part of an organized attempt to undermine something outside the Hollywood production circuit. Irrespective of these overly critical perspectives, this film will still deliver one of the most worthwhile and technically rewarding experiences in the history of cinema.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
Evangelical/Zionist Hollywood doesn't like Antiquity.
It really is 'amazing' to see Hollywood, gushing at vapid garbage all the time, to only turn its back, and put up its nose, on this excellent treatment of an epic tale.
I have never seen such a great movie bashed so much on its opening weekend since Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and we all know why the media was so busy weighing in on that one.
This is as good as Lord of the Rings- perhaps even better considering original source material. So it gets me wondering, why is the media machine taking a crap on this movie?
Is it because, like Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Rome (HBO), the movies in this series expose the American imagination to polytheism? Is it because there's no Orc (arab) stand-ins?
The Iron Lady (2011)
Have some reviews politicized their expectations of the plot?
Some reviews that I have read suggest that the film should be more a political biopic, and so on, but they are projecting their fantastic idea that one film could ever be worthy of such a dynamic and interesting political figure.
The storytellers accomplished what they sought to accomplish, and Meryl Streep is brilliant. The film works as a character examination of an isolated, uncompromising, and often brilliant person, who rose to the political top, spouting principles that led to both good and bad situations for her personally, in different times of her life, and for much of Great Britain and other countries.
Rather than of a biopic, or a great epic of her political career, this film is about Thatcher as a person facing loss, and, as we all know, surviving with dementia. She feels things as she loves, loses, and becomes lost sometimes, and because of her principles or perhaps in spite of them is also shown to have overcome intense moments of personal vulnerability. In my view, the whole film was executed perfectly for what it sought to do and that was to give us an insight into Thatcher as she might remember about her life and what matters to her.
Da zui xia (2002)
Ridiculous and amazing
Drunken Kung-Fu, the English version, has a ridiculous dubbed version that makes it possibly even more funny than it was originally intended. This is a spoof of a martial arts film, rather than a violent film. The violence is effectively humorous and impossible, but well-performed at the same time.
The plot is quite simple. A brash young man confronts the local bully until an even bigger Ninja-bully arrives to destroy him. His nutty aunt and loony uncle, help him develop his martial arts through spirituality and potions, and with many household chores.
The kung-fu scenes are impressive, if not believable, and give way to silly mystical martial art inventions that will likely have you laughing out loud.
This is slapstick martial arts at its best and a rare genre that is likely to develop more and more throughout the years. Shaolin Soccer is a similar spoof of martial arts dramas....