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Dingbat horror movie from him what made Get Out. A nice middle-class family goes on holiday to their beach house, but soon disturbing memories are a-stirring and their evil doppelgangers are blocking up the driveway.
One is often tempted to wonder what inspired a particular film. In this case I would hazard a guess it was somebody giving Jordan Peele $20 million and him vaguely remembering a nightmare he had the previous week, which (lacking any other ideas) he turned into a script. Being terrorised in your home by a brutish double is a great idea, but difficult to get a full-length movie out of, which may be why the film largely abandons logic and plausibility in its second half in favour of the fractured reality of a bad dream.
That said, I enjoyed the sheer madness of the escalating storyline even though I didn't honestly find it that scary. Some great performances and some good jokes along the way, but it feels more like an experiment in pushing narrative boundaries than a serious attempt at a horror movie. Nutty but fun.
One is often tempted to wonder what inspired a particular film. In this case I would hazard a guess it was somebody giving Jordan Peele $20 million and him vaguely remembering a nightmare he had the previous week, which (lacking any other ideas) he turned into a script. Being terrorised in your home by a brutish double is a great idea, but difficult to get a full-length movie out of, which may be why the film largely abandons logic and plausibility in its second half in favour of the fractured reality of a bad dream.
That said, I enjoyed the sheer madness of the escalating storyline even though I didn't honestly find it that scary. Some great performances and some good jokes along the way, but it feels more like an experiment in pushing narrative boundaries than a serious attempt at a horror movie. Nutty but fun.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Battleship (2012) in Movies
Mar 7, 2018 (Updated Mar 7, 2018)
Zombie reflexes in the Hollywood blockbuster machine sputtered into a grisly half-life and pondered the question 'if movies about the Transformers toys make so much money, what other toy/game based rubbish can we railroad audiences into going to see?' And the answer that came back was 'let's do a movie based on Battleship, featuring the pop-star Rihanna'.
Utterly dimwitted action blockbuster and Michael Bay pastiche; the weird thing is that Michael Bay pastiches are marginally better than actual Michael Bay films, mainly because if your starting point is a Michael Bay film the only way is up. This is still insultingly stupid. The actors deserve some kind of credit for getting through the film with straight faces, given it includes a laboriously contrived sequence where the characters are basically playing real-life Battleships against the aliens. Somehow made even worse by the way it fawns over members of the military (subtext being that it's unpatriotic not to like this movie). The special effects are not too bad but considering this is a movie with a $210 million budget that's like saying they remembered to put film in the camera.
Utterly dimwitted action blockbuster and Michael Bay pastiche; the weird thing is that Michael Bay pastiches are marginally better than actual Michael Bay films, mainly because if your starting point is a Michael Bay film the only way is up. This is still insultingly stupid. The actors deserve some kind of credit for getting through the film with straight faces, given it includes a laboriously contrived sequence where the characters are basically playing real-life Battleships against the aliens. Somehow made even worse by the way it fawns over members of the military (subtext being that it's unpatriotic not to like this movie). The special effects are not too bad but considering this is a movie with a $210 million budget that's like saying they remembered to put film in the camera.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Oct 11, 2018
It doesn't make a lot of sense to make a film about a Spider-Man baddie that doesn't even mention Spider-Man, but then it doesn't strike me as an especially good move to make a superhero movie where the protagonist is a cannibalistic blob with teeth, and Venom manages to be both; welcome to 2018. TV reporter torches his own career, decides to investigate dodgy tycoon, ends up sharing his body with bad-tempered man-eating alien blob with teeth - looking on the bright side he can now shoot tentacles out of his armpits.
Generally a very good reminder of all the reasons why Sony were so wise to hand the actual creative side of the Spider-Man movies back to Marvel, because the script of this movie goes clunk-clunk-clunk from beginning to end; character motivations change in the twinkling of an eye and key plot points are merrily ignored when they become inconvenient. The only reason to watch the movie is Tom Hardy, who finds unexpected reserves of comedy in rather unlikely places. Still a bit of a mess though, certainly compared to the main sequence Marvel films.
Generally a very good reminder of all the reasons why Sony were so wise to hand the actual creative side of the Spider-Man movies back to Marvel, because the script of this movie goes clunk-clunk-clunk from beginning to end; character motivations change in the twinkling of an eye and key plot points are merrily ignored when they become inconvenient. The only reason to watch the movie is Tom Hardy, who finds unexpected reserves of comedy in rather unlikely places. Still a bit of a mess though, certainly compared to the main sequence Marvel films.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Stairs (2019) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
Toby Osmond (3 more)
Story
Tom Paton
Alana Wallace
Don't Go Down
This movie is everything you would hope for in a Tom Paton flick and a hell of a lot more. A high concept psychological horror/thriller like you wouldnt believe that plays in the sci-fi genre realm. So yeah its a mind melding genre bending smorgasboard.
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Taking Of Pelham 123 (2009) in Movies
Jun 12, 2020
Get Off My Train
The Taking of Pelham 123- i have seen this movie about 7 times now, and its a good movie. Full of drama, suspense and thrills. Not alot of action though. When I watched the first couples times, i didnt realize it was a remake. It wasnt until like the 4th or 5th time, i realize it was a remake. Both Denzel and John were excellent in this film. I really liked John as the villian and wish he can play more villians, cause he is really good as the bad guy.
The plot: Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?
Its a highly entertaining movie, and a must watch film.
The plot: Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?
Its a highly entertaining movie, and a must watch film.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Mortal Kombat (2021) in Movies
Dec 17, 2021
Characters (2 more)
Visual effects
Half the script
A tale of ice and fire
As a fan of the MK Franchise and seeing almost all tv/movie take on it I was both hyped and in fear of what may come of this.
Although it's not the best MK adaption available it's also not the worst (see MK conquest Imco) the character looks are almost spot on (Liu Kang wasn't quite right imo) and the plot seemed to have duped me (I was led to believe that scorpion & sub zero were the central characters, shame)
But for all the bad there is the good-
The fight sequences are spectacular, yes there may been random videogame references thrown in but concidering there during a fight scene and how it goes down... I there actually quite well placed (Kudos 😉).
The visual effects are beautiful, although their not there the whole time Scorpion and sub zero are hands down the best characters in the movie perfectly portrayed with Sonia blade in at a solid 3rd.
Main character Cole young seems to be just a plot filler, but the movie itself is not to be missed.
Although it's not the best MK adaption available it's also not the worst (see MK conquest Imco) the character looks are almost spot on (Liu Kang wasn't quite right imo) and the plot seemed to have duped me (I was led to believe that scorpion & sub zero were the central characters, shame)
But for all the bad there is the good-
The fight sequences are spectacular, yes there may been random videogame references thrown in but concidering there during a fight scene and how it goes down... I there actually quite well placed (Kudos 😉).
The visual effects are beautiful, although their not there the whole time Scorpion and sub zero are hands down the best characters in the movie perfectly portrayed with Sonia blade in at a solid 3rd.
Main character Cole young seems to be just a plot filler, but the movie itself is not to be missed.
365Flicks (235 KP) rated Bad Frank (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
I love it when a movie can come completely out of nowhere and surprise this humble reviewer. Bad Frank is exactly that, A movie that on paper looks and sounds like most other Kidnap Revenge thrillers you may have seen over the years. But let me tell you that Bad Frank is far from some of the copy and paste garbage out there.
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
I was instantly drawn to this Flick after stumbling upon its Twitter page and hey full disclosure I saw Tom Sizemore and Brian O’Halloran and thought ‘Okay, Im in’. Little did I know that after contacting the movies director I was about to watch a somewhat by the numbers movie that takes all of the numbers and turns them on there head with a great tightly written script and one hell of a powerhouse performance (not by either of the two men I named above by the way).
Bad Frank is about a man named ummmm Frank. Frank (played by Kevin Interdonato) is a seemingly normal guy living a seemingly normal existence. He seems to have it all, but you can tell right from the outset that the man has got some demons. We learn that he is on some serious medication to deal with his head aches from a life of regrets, He is estranged from both his mum and dad and struggling to keep his marriage together. Frank is pulled into an easy money job by his buddy Travis (Brandon Heitkamp) who is in deep to Donny Shakes (O’Halloran). What is promised to be a quick job brings Frank face to face with an old acquaintance he would rather forget. Things really go sideways on the job and in turn his life, when Franks wife Gina (Amanda Clayton) is kidnapped by face from the past Mickey Duro (Sizemore). I am gonna stop plot wise now because anymore and I am giving too much away.
Tony Germinario has pulled an absolute stormer out of the bag for his debut feature length movie, a fact that was completely lost on me upon viewing. For a budget of roughly 80k he has used all tricks at his disposal to make it look like a multi million dollar flick and Bad Frank looks all the more impressive for it. A lot of the time a the script to a movie like this can get lost in its own simplicity but Tony wrote a script that really didnt conform to what I was expecting and gave the lead a chance to deliver. So lets just talk about the lead, Kevin Interdonato brings an absolute realism and intensity to this role that sucks you right in and leaves you kinda second guessing yourself, anything could happen with this guy at any moment and that to me is scary. I went from feeling sorry for this guy to thinking well he deserved everything and ending up thinking ‘SHIT’.
Tom Sizemore is in fine form as Sizemore always is. An actor that I personally love and wish got more of the beefier roles but it was great to see him on screen and like I say, seeing his name splashed on the poster was one of the reasons I sought this one out. Then there is Brian O’Halloran doing his thing as he does (always liked this dude since his Clerks days nice to see him spreading his wings).
It is easy to see how Tony and his crew took Bad Frank to Film Fest International in London last week and was not only nominated for 5 awards but Tony himself won Best Director.
I am gonna recommend the shit out of this Flick, Bad Frank is not what you expect going in, there are some pretty cool curve-balls, it moves along at a quick enough pace and no spoilers but the final 10 minutes are a Tour-De-Force. Performances wise you are getting more bang for you buck in what the Director himself considers to be an “as Indie as it gets” movie (not that you can tell mind you).
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Lords of Chaos (2018) in Movies
May 28, 2019
This Was a Miss For Me
Lords of Chaos is the tragic story of a teenager trying to bring Black Metal to Norway. Let’s get this out of the way now: The movie is a mess. I didn’t feel enriched after watching it in any shape, form, or fashion. Instead, I left with a very bad taste in my mouth and a desire to cut on a comedy after watching something so morbidly depressing.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 2
”What are you watching?” my wife asked from the other room. “Sounds awful!” She wasn’t wrong as the beginning attempts to explain all the W’s to the backdrop of hardcore, in-your-face metal. The music isn’t the problem, but I feel like they should have chosen one or the other: Either jump right into the metal music and set the tone or narrate the backstory first. Both made for a horrible mix.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 4
Conflict: 5
Genre: 3
Memorability: 4
Pace: 1
Show a gruesome suicide. Burn 100 churches. Stab a man in the woods. There was nothing that could be done to really get me interested in this movie. A lot of the film felt like shock value which diminished my interest in what was happening. My eyes spent more time running from what was happening than being engrossed in it. Pacing is one of the most important parts of a movie. You screw that up and it spells doom for the rest of the movie.
Plot: 7
Resolution: 3
One of the worst endings I’ve seen in movies. The worst part is you absolutely know it’s coming, but director Jonas Akerlund decides to make you sit through it anyway. After it was over, I felt like I had been skunked.
Overall: 49
There are some things that this movie did well. As you watch these characters go off the deep end, it definitely feels genuine and real. Unfortunately, for every one good thing I can name about Lords of Chaos, I can think of ten bad. This was a miss for me.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 2
”What are you watching?” my wife asked from the other room. “Sounds awful!” She wasn’t wrong as the beginning attempts to explain all the W’s to the backdrop of hardcore, in-your-face metal. The music isn’t the problem, but I feel like they should have chosen one or the other: Either jump right into the metal music and set the tone or narrate the backstory first. Both made for a horrible mix.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 4
Conflict: 5
Genre: 3
Memorability: 4
Pace: 1
Show a gruesome suicide. Burn 100 churches. Stab a man in the woods. There was nothing that could be done to really get me interested in this movie. A lot of the film felt like shock value which diminished my interest in what was happening. My eyes spent more time running from what was happening than being engrossed in it. Pacing is one of the most important parts of a movie. You screw that up and it spells doom for the rest of the movie.
Plot: 7
Resolution: 3
One of the worst endings I’ve seen in movies. The worst part is you absolutely know it’s coming, but director Jonas Akerlund decides to make you sit through it anyway. After it was over, I felt like I had been skunked.
Overall: 49
There are some things that this movie did well. As you watch these characters go off the deep end, it definitely feels genuine and real. Unfortunately, for every one good thing I can name about Lords of Chaos, I can think of ten bad. This was a miss for me.
BackToTheMovies (56 KP) rated The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019) in Movies
Jun 21, 2019
With it being 50 years since the tragic Manson murders in California we have a year of Manson movies. We have the independent film Charlie Says which explores Manson and his cult in sensitive detail before the tragic night. We have Tarantino’s Once Up A Time In Hollywood which has been given the go-ahead from Sharon Tate’s sister to be made. Then we have this. The Haunting of Sharon Tate. An overly exploitative piece that twists truths to create a narrative and completely trashes the legacy of the late actress.
August 8, 1969, the night that Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger and Steven Parent were brutally murdered. The film focuses on the days before the tragic event. The movie dramatizes the slayings and plays on the notion that Sharon Tate predicted her own death in the days leading up to the slaughter.
Surrounded by bad acting and awful scripting it was a very poor choice to make this film in the first place. Writer-director Daniel Farrands has created an offensive and frankly insulting ‘thriller’. Hilary Duff stars as Sharon Tate and whilst she somewhat looks the part, she doesn’t have that raw magic and flair that Sharon had. This tragic event has been turned into some stock-horror slash um up movie with a psychic paranormal twist.
At one point Manson’s song ‘Cease to Exist’ plays to Sharon over a tape player and the Manson Family stalks Tate and her friends around her home. It really is that bad. The introduction of the movie shows real-life footage as a black and white Hilary Duff talks about her own death. The opening scene of the movie is enough to want me to turn off the film instantly.
The Haunting of Sharon Tate still
With no care or respect being paid to the real-life counterparts, the movie has very little to say other than ‘you’re going to die soon’. There’s no feeling of empathy. The Haunting of Sharon Tate is just a 90-minute exploitation of a horrific night in Hollywood’s history.
https://backtothemovies.com/exploitative-trash-the-haunting-of-sharon-tate-review/
August 8, 1969, the night that Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger and Steven Parent were brutally murdered. The film focuses on the days before the tragic event. The movie dramatizes the slayings and plays on the notion that Sharon Tate predicted her own death in the days leading up to the slaughter.
Surrounded by bad acting and awful scripting it was a very poor choice to make this film in the first place. Writer-director Daniel Farrands has created an offensive and frankly insulting ‘thriller’. Hilary Duff stars as Sharon Tate and whilst she somewhat looks the part, she doesn’t have that raw magic and flair that Sharon had. This tragic event has been turned into some stock-horror slash um up movie with a psychic paranormal twist.
At one point Manson’s song ‘Cease to Exist’ plays to Sharon over a tape player and the Manson Family stalks Tate and her friends around her home. It really is that bad. The introduction of the movie shows real-life footage as a black and white Hilary Duff talks about her own death. The opening scene of the movie is enough to want me to turn off the film instantly.
The Haunting of Sharon Tate still
With no care or respect being paid to the real-life counterparts, the movie has very little to say other than ‘you’re going to die soon’. There’s no feeling of empathy. The Haunting of Sharon Tate is just a 90-minute exploitation of a horrific night in Hollywood’s history.
https://backtothemovies.com/exploitative-trash-the-haunting-of-sharon-tate-review/
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Bad Lieutenant (1992) in Movies
Oct 25, 2020
Great Character, Bad Movie
A corrupt cop is forced by a mob boss to pay off his debt or be killed. Hailed as a cinematic classic, Bad Lieutenant truly failed to grab me for a number of different reasons. It misses the mark in a number of ways.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Characters: 9
Love him or hate him The Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is one memorable character. Every scene he is in is unpredictable as you have no idea what he’s going to do next. While I was more on the hate side of things, I envied him at the same time. The Lieutenant does whatever he wants and gives zero shits about it.
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
A few scenes caught my eye here and there, but there was nothing overall that really stood as overly memorable or powerful. Visually I was unimpressed as it felt like a film just going through the motions. I wasn’t as immersed in the scenes or the world as I had hoped.
Conflict: 5
We know the conflict, we know what’s at stake, yet I can’t feel the true threat of it throughout the film. My other problem was The Lieutenant is such an awful guy that you don’t really care what happens to him. As a result, the conflict then becomes just mediocre.
Entertainment Value: 5
Memorability: 3
Pace: 5
You see a lot of casual day-to-day over the course of the movie which slows things down tremendously. Despite Lieutenant’s antics, the movie moves in a really boring fashion. You never get the sense that you are progressing towards anything.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 2
I was hoping for some kind of redemption here, but was extremely overwhelmed. When the credits roll, I was more depressed than anything. It solidified what was a crappy movie in my opinion.
Overall: 52
Don’t believe everything you read. All the critics said this movie was amazing, but it falls well short of today’s offerings. Then again, I’m willing to admit that I could be the one that’s wrong. Give it a shot at your own discretion.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Characters: 9
Love him or hate him The Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is one memorable character. Every scene he is in is unpredictable as you have no idea what he’s going to do next. While I was more on the hate side of things, I envied him at the same time. The Lieutenant does whatever he wants and gives zero shits about it.
Cinematography/Visuals: 6
A few scenes caught my eye here and there, but there was nothing overall that really stood as overly memorable or powerful. Visually I was unimpressed as it felt like a film just going through the motions. I wasn’t as immersed in the scenes or the world as I had hoped.
Conflict: 5
We know the conflict, we know what’s at stake, yet I can’t feel the true threat of it throughout the film. My other problem was The Lieutenant is such an awful guy that you don’t really care what happens to him. As a result, the conflict then becomes just mediocre.
Entertainment Value: 5
Memorability: 3
Pace: 5
You see a lot of casual day-to-day over the course of the movie which slows things down tremendously. Despite Lieutenant’s antics, the movie moves in a really boring fashion. You never get the sense that you are progressing towards anything.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 2
I was hoping for some kind of redemption here, but was extremely overwhelmed. When the credits roll, I was more depressed than anything. It solidified what was a crappy movie in my opinion.
Overall: 52
Don’t believe everything you read. All the critics said this movie was amazing, but it falls well short of today’s offerings. Then again, I’m willing to admit that I could be the one that’s wrong. Give it a shot at your own discretion.