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The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook (2014)
2014 | Horror
Minimalist Creep
Wow was I surprised by this. My daughters have been after me for a while to watch, but I have to not being a big fan of modern CGI horror like The Conjuring, Insidious, etc. I made the mistake of including this film in that group and I was wrong.

Modern audiences have grown short attention spans even having film studios get rid of opening film credits, so it is refreshing these days when a film takes its time and leaves something to our imagination. I have written in several reviews the last few years that just because modern filmmakers can do something, doesn't mean they should. Modern CGI effects leave virtually nothing a movie maker can accomplish with enough imagination are computer work done to it; however, I still maintain the "Jaws" theory of the less you show the audience the more they have to used their own imaginations and therefore the film's "Babadook" becomes even more scary.

I loved the way the creature was shown mostly in shadow and not really given a good glimpse most of the way through. Even when it presents itself, you don't really get a good look at it and a lot of the scare is also through creepy, haunting sound effects.

I guess I will have to listen to my daughters from now on!
  
Show all 3 comments.
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Andy K (10823 KP) Dec 11, 2019

No I haven't Lee thanks I'll check it out.

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Katey Bassett (610 KP) Dec 11, 2019

Agreed, it follows was good. Very creepy.

Coming to America (1988)
Coming to America (1988)
1988 | Comedy, Romance

"Coming to America. Duh. We [can] leave it at that. I’ll start with the “duh” connotation. It’s an awesome movie. I can’t exactly remember the first time I saw it. I think I was really, really young, when it came on television — I think when it came on HBO or something. I don’t know that I was old enough to see it in the theaters. I doubt it. When I did see it at home, it was when cable first came out. There was only so many movies that would get played over and over again. Thank God Coming to America was one of them. I can quote it from the beginning to the end to this day. It was Eddie Murphy in his prime. Arsenio at his most confident. It was just an awesome concept. Super duper rich African dudes coming to Queens, trying to live regular. While you got Mr. McDowell thinking that he’s the king of the hill and stuff like that. It was a really funny movie. So much character work. I really appreciated those dudes –especially in the end credits, seeing how many characters they really played. I already kinda knew. But it was an awesome surprise to find out that Eddie was the little old man in the barbershop and stuff like that."

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Baz Luhrmann recommended War and Peace (1956) in Movies (curated)

 
War and Peace (1956)
War and Peace (1956)
1956 | International, Classics, Drama
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"One of my great all-time loves in cinema, and I’ve seen it three times, is Bondarchuk’s War and Peace. Not a lot of people may have seen that film. It was made during the Soviet era. I’d be happy to see it again — it is, however, 12 hours long. It took 10 years to make, and some actors lived and died during the period of making the movie. It’s a little bit influenced by being a ’60s film, so it’s got a bit of a trippy edge to it; it’s a little bit abstract. But it has some of the finest examples of Russian acting of that era. I was profoundly affected by the Russian theater and the style of Russian acting. It was shot on cameras and film stock that we simply never have access to. If I’m not mistaken, during the opening credits the camera is in a cosmonaut’s space capsule being shot into Earth. It’s probably the biggest crane shot of all time. At first you think, “Well this is going to be tedious,” but stay with it and I think you’ll find yourself drawn in. And the girl who played Natasha [Lyudmila Savelyeva] is a dead ringer for Audrey Hepburn and she’s one of the most luminous stars that ever found herself on the screen."

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Irrational Man (2015)
Irrational Man (2015)
2015 | Drama
Murderous Woody Allen >> Romantic Woody Allen. Not quite sure why this monstrously clever rush is relegated as slight while just cute fluff like 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 gets BP noms but hey, more for me. I was initially turned off by this movie's writerly cynicism but soon realized that it was necessary to play into the whole, and reflexively appreciated it more immediately upon realization. Found this to get more and more lusciously beguiling as it went along, pretty much everything you'd want from a story about a philosophy professor who gets embroiled in a crime plot - complete with all of the knowingly self-satisfied dialogue and exploratory (but ultimately [intentionally] bullshit) ethical/moral dilemmas one could hope for. Phoenix and Stone are next level and this is rich with atmosphere without ever being even the slightest bit gaudy. Mainly just an incredibly good idea with a proper execution to back it up, I'm sure I'm alone in this one but this pretty much had my heart pounding more and more with anxiety as it went along - including multiple prolonged sequences where it wanted to burst right out of my chest the whole time - allowing me only to breath a sigh of safe relief upon the first sting of the end credits. Adored it, no doubt one of Allen's best.
  
Leatherface (2017)
Leatherface (2017)
2017 | Horror
'The BoreGore Generation...'
Is it me or do the majority of films released via Lionsgate follow almost identical film making styles and patterns? It seems to me these days that you can take any old franchise that is currently doing well, take its name, say it's a prequel/reboot/origins and churn out a dull and predictable viewing experience.
It's all here... the pre-credits scene setting things up for us: Just watch that and you pretty much know what to expect for the rest of the film. Gore: Sadly the usual post Hostel/Saw kind of gore. Victims getting killed by unusual, elaborate and highly impractical devices (why murders can't be content with axing, stabbing and gutting their victims anymore is beyond me. Seems like these newbies get their kit from Acme these days). Crushed skulls. Removing of extremities. Gut ripping predictability. Plenty of graphic scenes but we have seen it all before. Hundreds of times. Personally I've become desensitized to this style of gore. Tedious. Maybe I'll nickname it "BoreGore"... Even the soundtrack is as generic as it comes, low moody noodling that goes nowhere. So at least it is keeping consistent with the film. Generic is actually the best way to describe this film. To be honest I didn't expect much going into this film. At least they got that right...
  
Hellboy (2019)
Hellboy (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Better than online reviews suggest
Contains spoilers, click to show
Firstly, this version of Hellboy doesn't deserve only 17% on Rotten Tomatoes!

Yes it's different to the 2004 Hellboy, it's less jokey, more serious and darker.

I love Ron Pearlman in the 2004 Hellboy film, lets face it, he is an amazing Hellboy but I was very happy with David Harbours version of Hellboy. He played the tournamented demon perfectly. He was serious, yet funny.

Also I love the fact that in this version, Alice is played by a young, black woman, who is feisty and powerful. Sasha Lane plays the psychic, badass amazingly.

Throughout the film there is a few surprises in terms of who you'd think would star in this film, alot of familiar faces, and big names.

The storyline is well done, it's more like the Hellboy comics I read growning up than the first films. There is dark plots, Hellboys inner struggle of trying to keep his demon side down, amazing effects and real emotions.


I feel it's only let down was the fact is came out in cinemas as two major Marvel films also came into the cinema.


I very much look forward to a sequel, and judging by the first clip after the credits.....and the reveal of a certain favourite characters hand......it looks like a sequel is very much on the cards.
  
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    Forest by Seekrtech

    Productivity and Lifestyle

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