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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies
Jul 20, 2019 (Updated Jul 20, 2019)
Bemusingly inert zombie pastiche/comedy. The good people of Centerville, USA, find themselves besieged when 'polar fracking' shifts the world off its orbit and raises the dead. Is anyone going to make it through the night?
Sounds like a knowing pastiche of B-movie tropes (there indeed appears to be a nod to Plan Nine from Outer Space at one point), and indeed it is, but if this is really a comedy they forgot to add any jokes. There are some amusing moments and the zombie-pocalypse is certainly well staged, but the film seems more concerned with cultivating a baffling, deadpan weirdness than actually telling a coherent story. For instance: Tilda Swinton plays the town's undertaker, a sword-swinging eccentric with a Highland Scots accent. The punchline? Tilda Swinton's character is called Zelda Winston! Oh, my sides. Various other bits of self-aware cleverness also intrude. Characters appear, don't do much, and then exit; Romero is referenced without any new angles being taken on his ideas; there is no conclusion worthy of the name. If the film is trying to send a message about pointlessness and futility, it needn't have taken it quite so much to heart.
Sounds like a knowing pastiche of B-movie tropes (there indeed appears to be a nod to Plan Nine from Outer Space at one point), and indeed it is, but if this is really a comedy they forgot to add any jokes. There are some amusing moments and the zombie-pocalypse is certainly well staged, but the film seems more concerned with cultivating a baffling, deadpan weirdness than actually telling a coherent story. For instance: Tilda Swinton plays the town's undertaker, a sword-swinging eccentric with a Highland Scots accent. The punchline? Tilda Swinton's character is called Zelda Winston! Oh, my sides. Various other bits of self-aware cleverness also intrude. Characters appear, don't do much, and then exit; Romero is referenced without any new angles being taken on his ideas; there is no conclusion worthy of the name. If the film is trying to send a message about pointlessness and futility, it needn't have taken it quite so much to heart.
Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Happy Death Day 2U (2019) in Movies
Dec 19, 2019 (Updated Dec 19, 2019)
Slightly disappointed...
I think it was inevitable that this one would struggle to live up to the surprise success of the first movie. I really wanted to like it, as I did genuinely enjoy the first installment but couldn't help feel slightly disappointed this time around.
For me it felt like the movie lost it's way early on. Where Happy Death Day knew exactly what it was (very much a comedy slasher) This time out we lose the slasher aspect after about 15 minutes for a more scientific take on events, trying to explain what caused the Groundhog Day effect in the first film.
The writing felt lazier this time around, with the multiverse angle being used for the millionth time and some of the dialogue and jokes coming across as cringe worthy and incredibly corny in places.
Overall it's no big surprise that they tried to cash in on the first movie but for me sometimes less is more and on this occasion, I think I'd prefer to remember Happy Death Day as the comedy slasher it was supposed to be in the first place.
For me it felt like the movie lost it's way early on. Where Happy Death Day knew exactly what it was (very much a comedy slasher) This time out we lose the slasher aspect after about 15 minutes for a more scientific take on events, trying to explain what caused the Groundhog Day effect in the first film.
The writing felt lazier this time around, with the multiverse angle being used for the millionth time and some of the dialogue and jokes coming across as cringe worthy and incredibly corny in places.
Overall it's no big surprise that they tried to cash in on the first movie but for me sometimes less is more and on this occasion, I think I'd prefer to remember Happy Death Day as the comedy slasher it was supposed to be in the first place.
Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Stan & Ollie (2018) in Movies
Jan 12, 2020 (Updated Jan 13, 2020)
A must see for Laurel & Hardy fans...
This movie is a funny, moving and heartfelt biopic of the great Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy.
Director Jon S. Baird and writer Jeff Pope clearly have a great love for Laurel & Hardy and this shines through in Stan & Ollie. You can definitely see this film has been made with love and respect for the legendary comedy duo, which makes it a must see for Laurel & Hardy fans.
Steve Coogan & John C. Reilly are absolutely faultless with their performances. I have read a few reviews that don't really give Steve Coogan the credit he deserves for this role. For me he proves he is so much more than his Alan Partridge character that a lot of people can't seem to see past. Like the real thing it takes near on perfect comedy timing from both men to perform the routines and they do the original performances a huge justice.
To wrap things up whether you are a Laurel & Hardy fan or not this is still a very well made movie, with two exceptional performances from the lead actors. This should definitely be one to add to your watch list.
Director Jon S. Baird and writer Jeff Pope clearly have a great love for Laurel & Hardy and this shines through in Stan & Ollie. You can definitely see this film has been made with love and respect for the legendary comedy duo, which makes it a must see for Laurel & Hardy fans.
Steve Coogan & John C. Reilly are absolutely faultless with their performances. I have read a few reviews that don't really give Steve Coogan the credit he deserves for this role. For me he proves he is so much more than his Alan Partridge character that a lot of people can't seem to see past. Like the real thing it takes near on perfect comedy timing from both men to perform the routines and they do the original performances a huge justice.
To wrap things up whether you are a Laurel & Hardy fan or not this is still a very well made movie, with two exceptional performances from the lead actors. This should definitely be one to add to your watch list.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Personal Services (1987) in Movies
Jan 19, 2020
Not many people get a film based on their life while they're still around: prostitute and brothel madam Cynthia Payne had not one but two released in the same year (this and 'Wish You Were Here') - makes one proud to be British. A typical story of rags to riches, embellished with a vast amount of kinky sex and tawdry etablishment hypocrisy - not entirely surprisingly, the women here are the tough and clever ones, the men who come to them are awkward, fragile creatures.
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated What If (2014) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
384. What If. A pretty decent romantic comedy. A very formulaic romantic comedy, tho the performances and a decent soundtrack helped a lot. This is of the 'we can be friends' variety. Wallace a med school drop up, just can't seem to find love, then he meets Chantry at a party, sparks fly. He walks her home, and as that awkward moment of should I kiss her, she drops, yea my boyfriend, blah blah, Wallace stopped listening for a second. Boyfriend? Wtf? Anyway, the sentence ends with here's my number we can be best friends! He's like, yea. Then promptly loses it in the wind. The End. No, fate. They meet up randomly outside of an airport sometime later, and he is so ready to be friends with the girl he has the hots for! Will he find a way to get the girl? Gee, I wonder. Like I said, very formulaic. It is a fun movie, Harry Potter plays Wallace. Zoe Kazan plays Chantry. Wallace's best friend, Allan, is played by Kylo Ren. Its nice to look at and fun to listen to with a cool soundtrack. Check it out. Filmbufftim on FB
Eduardo Sanchez recommended Notting Hill (1999) in Movies (curated)
Rowan Atkinson recommended This Is Spinal Tap (1984) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Find Me Guilty (2006) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020
There are many ways you could frame defenses/reasons to watch this, but at the end of the day it will always be a one-man-show for Vin Diesel's consummate performance first and foremost. Unlike many I can't say this is his finest acting hour while 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 still exists, but it's undoubtedly in his top 5. While the film itself is riddled with sins (ungodly long, content with being just a breezy comedy rather than really interrogating its fascinating real life subject matter with anything deeper, pretty melodramatic, paced like shit, and why the ever-loving fuck is that score so loud lmfao it's embarrassing), this performance is faultless. Comedy and drama is married within it in such a way that makes it just unforgettable. Without Vin, there is no movie - he singlehandedly makes you sympathize with the mob, and he can effortlessly go from hilarious to heartwrenching in the very same scene. Even as a Vin defender, I didn't think he had this one in him. This is what full commitment to a role looks like, and that hairpiece is just intrinsically funny.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018) in Movies
Sep 30, 2020
Slaughterhouse Rulez is a textbook example of a swing and a miss. It tries to give us a nice slice of comedy horror, but executes it pretty miserably.
A few things I liked...
- The fracking company were moustache twirling type villains, and were fairly amusing in the tiny amount of screentime dedicated to them.
- The CGI for the monsters is pretty decent, and the practical effects for close ups are also good.
- The whole final act when the monsters eventually turned up was effectively entertaining
But....
It takes a painfully long time to get to that bit. The hour plus of runtime preceding the monsters attacking is mostly boring setup, messy pacing and dialogue and a waste of a good cast.
The younger cast are fine, but it's hard not to feel that Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Margot Robbie and Michael Sheen are just severely under utilised, in a sometimes humorous comedy that is trying ball achingly hard to be an Edgar Wright movie.
Slaughterhouse Rulez isn't awful by any means, more accurately frustrating because it feels like a much better movie is buried somewhere beneath the final product.
A few things I liked...
- The fracking company were moustache twirling type villains, and were fairly amusing in the tiny amount of screentime dedicated to them.
- The CGI for the monsters is pretty decent, and the practical effects for close ups are also good.
- The whole final act when the monsters eventually turned up was effectively entertaining
But....
It takes a painfully long time to get to that bit. The hour plus of runtime preceding the monsters attacking is mostly boring setup, messy pacing and dialogue and a waste of a good cast.
The younger cast are fine, but it's hard not to feel that Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Margot Robbie and Michael Sheen are just severely under utilised, in a sometimes humorous comedy that is trying ball achingly hard to be an Edgar Wright movie.
Slaughterhouse Rulez isn't awful by any means, more accurately frustrating because it feels like a much better movie is buried somewhere beneath the final product.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Evil Dead II (1987) in Movies
Feb 9, 2022
Let's not beat around the bush here, Evil Dead II is quite simply, one of the best horror movies ever made.
Picking up immediately after the first one concludes, the narrative dives headfirst into another night of chaos for Ash Williams, stuck in a possessed cabin in the middle of nowhere. The breakneck pacing never relents, ensuring that the entire runtime is horrifically entertaining. The serious tone of the first isn't completely replaced, but a dark, slapstick-comedy coat of paint is laid on thick, and it works perfectly with just how absurd proceedings become. This aspect is also bolstered by Bruce Campbell. He manages to be a badass protagonist, but his physical comedy performance is perfectly on point, and his descent into utter madness is well realised. The physical effects work is nothing short of spectacular, and Raimis unique shooting style benefits from a bigger budget.
Evil Dead II is a true, all-time horror great. It's frequently hilarious, flat out ridiculous, has generous lashings of gore, and still manages to deliver some solid scares in spite of its goofiness.
Absolutely. Fucking. Perfect.
Picking up immediately after the first one concludes, the narrative dives headfirst into another night of chaos for Ash Williams, stuck in a possessed cabin in the middle of nowhere. The breakneck pacing never relents, ensuring that the entire runtime is horrifically entertaining. The serious tone of the first isn't completely replaced, but a dark, slapstick-comedy coat of paint is laid on thick, and it works perfectly with just how absurd proceedings become. This aspect is also bolstered by Bruce Campbell. He manages to be a badass protagonist, but his physical comedy performance is perfectly on point, and his descent into utter madness is well realised. The physical effects work is nothing short of spectacular, and Raimis unique shooting style benefits from a bigger budget.
Evil Dead II is a true, all-time horror great. It's frequently hilarious, flat out ridiculous, has generous lashings of gore, and still manages to deliver some solid scares in spite of its goofiness.
Absolutely. Fucking. Perfect.