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Lenard (726 KP) rated Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) in Movies
Mar 21, 2019
Nancy Drew first starting investigating mysteries in River Heights in 1930. She has changed little in all of her connotations. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I met her young in life. This new movie tried to mix her wholesome identity with some millenial ingenuity with very bad results. It isn't that she is no longer relevant, just her Hidden Staircase story is. The film plays very much like a Scooby-Doo mystery with all Velma and no Shaggy or Scooby. A stubborn old woman played by the still vibrant Linda Lavin's house is being haunted. Also, River Heights is a potential site for a new train. Nancy Drew is introduced as a viligante fighting for the less popular girls. All of this makes for a movie that is of little interest to modern girls or women who grew up on Nancy Drew in the 80s. Luckily, little was spent to market this dud.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Killer Shrews (1959) in Movies
May 3, 2019 (Updated May 3, 2019)
Well, it was inevitable, wasn't it? When you make a list of those wild creatures that inspire sheer terror in everyday folk, forget about sharks, snakes, spiders, wolves, and the rest - shrews! Shrews are the really scary little buggers. Or so the makers of this film appear to have decided. Unconvincing ship captain (Best) ends up on a hurricane-wracked island populated by mad scientists and the giant, savage shrews they have spawned; much utter nonsense ensues.
Bad acting is compounded by post-synched dialogue and the impressive range of accents on display from the cast, but the thing is that this isn't just a monster movie where the monsters are shrews, it's a shrew-based monster movie where the shrews are realised by a combination of dogs in costume and sabre-toothed glove puppets. Genuinely very funny to watch; objectively deserves a very low score but highly entertaining if you're in the mood.
Bad acting is compounded by post-synched dialogue and the impressive range of accents on display from the cast, but the thing is that this isn't just a monster movie where the monsters are shrews, it's a shrew-based monster movie where the shrews are realised by a combination of dogs in costume and sabre-toothed glove puppets. Genuinely very funny to watch; objectively deserves a very low score but highly entertaining if you're in the mood.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) in Movies
May 6, 2019
Decent Wayne western
When four brothers return to their home town to attend their mother's funeral, they soon discover her estate was not as they remember and the circumstances around the death of their father warrants further investigation.
The bad guys eventually present themselves and the good guys are arrested for causing trouble with the local law.
Getting to love Wayne more and more the more films of his I have watched. I can see now how he had such a commanding screen presence which still endures so many years later.
It was great to some some of my other favorites actors including George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper in supporting roles. Also, I didn't think Dean Martin could pull off a western role while staying sober, so he was a pleasant surprise also.
Overall the movie delivers the mostly standard OLD West movie elements including some great shootout scenes which makes it easy to recommend.
The bad guys eventually present themselves and the good guys are arrested for causing trouble with the local law.
Getting to love Wayne more and more the more films of his I have watched. I can see now how he had such a commanding screen presence which still endures so many years later.
It was great to some some of my other favorites actors including George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper in supporting roles. Also, I didn't think Dean Martin could pull off a western role while staying sober, so he was a pleasant surprise also.
Overall the movie delivers the mostly standard OLD West movie elements including some great shootout scenes which makes it easy to recommend.
Awix (3310 KP) rated War on Everyone (2017) in Movies
Mar 6, 2018
Slightly baffling deadpan black comedy parody of American cop thrillers (probably - it's hard to be sure). A pair of incredibly corrupt New Mexico detectives discover previously unsuspected reserves of decency and honesty as they encounter a ruthless gang of thieves.
One of those movies which seems to be trying ridiculously hard to go over the top, but with an absolutely straight face: the main characters aren't just corrupt, they're absurdly corrupt, and the plot at times seems to be intentionally provocative and also absurd (the story relocates all the way to Iceland at one point, but only for about five minutes). It's so in-your-face extreme in some of its attitudes and jokes that it's quite hard to engage with as a story for much of the time. But McDonagh is too good a director to make an entirely bad movie and there are some impressive moments and sequences along the way. But still a strange and difficult-to-figure-out movie.
One of those movies which seems to be trying ridiculously hard to go over the top, but with an absolutely straight face: the main characters aren't just corrupt, they're absurdly corrupt, and the plot at times seems to be intentionally provocative and also absurd (the story relocates all the way to Iceland at one point, but only for about five minutes). It's so in-your-face extreme in some of its attitudes and jokes that it's quite hard to engage with as a story for much of the time. But McDonagh is too good a director to make an entirely bad movie and there are some impressive moments and sequences along the way. But still a strange and difficult-to-figure-out movie.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Thor: The Dark World (2013) in Movies
Jul 21, 2018 (Updated Jul 22, 2018)
After Avengers, I was pumped to see this movie. Who didn't want to know what ended up happening to Loki and Thor? Well, I think that most people weren't impressed, me included. In fact, I'd only seen the movie twice before I rewatched it on my flight from hell a few days ago.
It wasn't as bad as I remember, but I may be more forgiving as of late. Loki and Kat Dennings' Darcy, were by far the best part of the film, but the story fell a little flat. Kat It felt rushed. After this film, I wasn't sad to see Jane Foster gone, as she was relegated to a damsel-in-distress character, which I wasn't a fan of. It was definitely the reason I think it was a good idea to axe Foster in Ragnarok.
I think they wasted Christopher Eccleston's Malekith too. Malekith was yet another generic Marvel villain, which wasn't a good thing to be post Avenger's 1.
It wasn't as bad as I remember, but I may be more forgiving as of late. Loki and Kat Dennings' Darcy, were by far the best part of the film, but the story fell a little flat. Kat It felt rushed. After this film, I wasn't sad to see Jane Foster gone, as she was relegated to a damsel-in-distress character, which I wasn't a fan of. It was definitely the reason I think it was a good idea to axe Foster in Ragnarok.
I think they wasted Christopher Eccleston's Malekith too. Malekith was yet another generic Marvel villain, which wasn't a good thing to be post Avenger's 1.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Crash (1996) in Movies
Aug 31, 2018
Do you get turned on after being in a car crash?
Contains spoilers, click to show
The people in this movie do and it pretty messed up. I love David Cronenberg and all his body horror films and also the deeply provocative and sometimes controversial subject matter in his films; however, this one seemed just a bit too random and out there for me.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a great steamy sex scene in a film as much as anyone, but this movie seemed like a never-ending stretch of handjobs and random nastiness for no reason whatsoever.
The characters were not even that interesting in that all they wanted to do was grope, suck and fuck each other just for the turn on of being around a crashed car and that didn't really make any sense.
Do yourself a favor and watch Naked Lunch or Videodrome instead.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a great steamy sex scene in a film as much as anyone, but this movie seemed like a never-ending stretch of handjobs and random nastiness for no reason whatsoever.
The characters were not even that interesting in that all they wanted to do was grope, suck and fuck each other just for the turn on of being around a crashed car and that didn't really make any sense.
Do yourself a favor and watch Naked Lunch or Videodrome instead.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated The Toolbox Murders 2 (2013) in Movies
Jan 6, 2019 (Updated Jan 7, 2019)
Okay.... So.... This is a sequel???
Before we go any further... If you don't know who Chaintel Lewis is in the horror world.... Then we can't be friends anymore.
Lewis is a one-handed actress. She lost her hand in an accident but didn't let thay stop her.
Anyways. Keeping this short and sweet... Like i wished this movie was... Two words for you.
Background Noise.
While trying to grasp at the original from 1978. This movie fails to get a grip on the origonal content. Man kills people with objects from a toolbox.
The remake, which this is the sequel to, is jist as bad. I can usually always find the silver lining in any gore filled horror fest... But I just couldn't wrap my head around this one.
Kudos to Chauntel for doing her best to try and carry this one. But, it just didn't peak my interest.
Lewis is a one-handed actress. She lost her hand in an accident but didn't let thay stop her.
Anyways. Keeping this short and sweet... Like i wished this movie was... Two words for you.
Background Noise.
While trying to grasp at the original from 1978. This movie fails to get a grip on the origonal content. Man kills people with objects from a toolbox.
The remake, which this is the sequel to, is jist as bad. I can usually always find the silver lining in any gore filled horror fest... But I just couldn't wrap my head around this one.
Kudos to Chauntel for doing her best to try and carry this one. But, it just didn't peak my interest.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 25, 2019
The Christmas Holiday Speical
The Rise of Skywalker- is better than the last jedi but worse than force awakens. I mean it has good parts, intresting parts and alot of bad parts, no spoilers. All of go to this place to get this thing, than go to that place, than that place and continues on until the end. Still alot of unanswered questions from the pervious movies, still alot of questions from this movie, that will be unanswered. Alot of what the fuck moments from this movie.
The Plot: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.
A fitting conclusion to this saga. I felt that this whole new sega was way overhyped, just so much hype for them, that their were all okay.
May The Force Be With You All, and a merry christmas. Happy holidays and a happy new year.
The Plot: The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.
A fitting conclusion to this saga. I felt that this whole new sega was way overhyped, just so much hype for them, that their were all okay.
May The Force Be With You All, and a merry christmas. Happy holidays and a happy new year.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dracula Untold (2014) in Movies
Jan 10, 2021
Untold, uninspired, and underwhelming take on a Dracula origin story, very much in the style of a comic book movie. Historians look away: Vlad Tepes is a client king of the Turks, who is forced to rebel against them and seeks out demonic, blood-sucking powers to help him defeat his opponents. (Charles Dance, playing his mentor in evil, is the best thing in the movie.)
Mildly diverting as an empty spectacle (gasp as Superdrac uses his FIST OF BATS power to squish the Turks!) but essentially useless: the film fails to engage with either the historical Vlad the Impaler or the iconic Dracula. Luke Evans fails to communicate any essential darkness lurking in his character, just coming across as a nice guy who makes a bad decision under pressure. If Dracula's not going to be a properly evil monster, what's the point of him? Good effects and reasonable art direction, but misses the point in every narrative sense.
Mildly diverting as an empty spectacle (gasp as Superdrac uses his FIST OF BATS power to squish the Turks!) but essentially useless: the film fails to engage with either the historical Vlad the Impaler or the iconic Dracula. Luke Evans fails to communicate any essential darkness lurking in his character, just coming across as a nice guy who makes a bad decision under pressure. If Dracula's not going to be a properly evil monster, what's the point of him? Good effects and reasonable art direction, but misses the point in every narrative sense.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Four Christmases (2008) in Movies
Jan 16, 2021
Easily Forgettable
I honestly can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie. Not because it's good, but because I keep forgetting whether or not I've watched it. I literally watched it earlier today and I don't think I could recall the details of it.
I'm a sucker for Reese Witherspoon. She is one of my favorite actresses and probably always will be. But I feel like this is just not the type of role she should be playing. I feel like she is so high caliber and often times underestimated. She's capable of a lot more than this.
Vince Vaughn on the other hand? Typical movie for him. Nothing stand out, and isn't much of a main character, despite literally being a main character. I think that he settled into his niche and does what works for him, not a bad thing, but not anything that makes him worth remembering in most of his work.
I'm a sucker for Reese Witherspoon. She is one of my favorite actresses and probably always will be. But I feel like this is just not the type of role she should be playing. I feel like she is so high caliber and often times underestimated. She's capable of a lot more than this.
Vince Vaughn on the other hand? Typical movie for him. Nothing stand out, and isn't much of a main character, despite literally being a main character. I think that he settled into his niche and does what works for him, not a bad thing, but not anything that makes him worth remembering in most of his work.