Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Antichrist (2009) in Movies
Jan 13, 2020
Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsborough star as a pair of parents who's child dies because... and lets be honest here... They were too busy fucking to realize they left a window open... And the kid plummets to a violently horrible end...
What we see is the slow regression of emotional damage. A decent into insanity that holds no bounds.
Von Trier is a master of dread... A story teller that knows no bounds... No topic is too much for this man's keyboard.
I've often thought how his mastery of the genre could've been better served as a novelist.
His vision would translate well onto the pages of a 40000 page novel :)
This film holds together by the brilliant performances of Gainsborough and Defoe... Following the direction of one of the greatest minds horror has ever known.
The descent into madness is documented perfectly as Gainsborough's grief takes over her everyday life in a fashion that only she could translate onto the screen. She really is a magnificent actress.
Willem Defoe does his best to hold her together, but soon he becomes a victim to her insanity in a third act that will leave the viewer's head spinning with an awesome helping of WTF!!!!
Von Trier is a master of his craft. Leaving the watcher satisfied with the end result. Not a lot of movies can say that...
If this were a Thai Massage Parlour... You'd definitely leave with a happy ending...ish...
Enjoy this one weirdos... Its in my top 20 of all time great horror films...
Sure it's artsy fartsy type stuff... But its also brilliant in its imagery... No one shoots madness like Lars Von Trier...
Enjoy....
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2185 KP) rated A Likely Story in Books
Mar 13, 2020
Since this is book six in the series, we’ve gotten to know the series regulars pretty well, and it is fun to check in with them again here. A couple of the supporting characters even get their own sub-plots, and they added some great humor to the book. The love triangle is still going strong here, although it takes a backseat to some of the other storylines of the book. Yes, the mystery is the more prominent story of the book. Once again for this series, it doesn’t unfold in typical fashion, but I was no less hooked, and I had to know what Lindsey would uncover next as she worked to piece everything together. I did feel the ending was rushed, which left a couple of things dangling, but the big questions were all answered. We get the typical extras for this series – literature discussion questions, a craft project, recipes – as well as a bonus short story that is a lot of fun. Fans new and old will enjoy catching up with Lindsey here.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated The Hateful Eight (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Film is supposed to transport the audience to another place and time. The fact that the plot of “The Hateful Eight” mostly unfolds during a blizzard in a small cabin makes it a film which relies heavily on the development of its characters and the relationships between them. If this is done well, the audience can become entranced by the story.
But it is a very disappointing lack of character depth that makes the story fall flat. Many people will sit back completely prepared to let Tarantino take them on yet another adventure filled with gore, creativity, and depth. Yet, for many, that moment will never come.
The film starts out with an artistic introduction and some beautiful scenery, but then continues along at a slugs pace. The underdeveloped characters’ recite choppy and unconvincing lines. Samuel L. Jackson delivers his classic sharp tongued speech in the fashion which usually builds up to one of his great freak out moments. But this time, the buildup leads to nothing.
The plot, while attempting to catch the audience by surprise, waits too long and fails at this task as well. Sure, there is some gore of course. However, nothing like the infamous cringe-worthy scenes of Tarantino’s past work.
Personally, I was never fully consumed, and was left trying to enjoy the film out of a feeling of necessity. But no matter how much of a cinematic master Tarantino has proven to be over the years, it is undeniable that this just isn’t his best work.
I give “The Hateful Eight” 2.75 stars. But I really, really did, want to give it five.
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Beastly (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Sticking closely to the predictable and extremely overdone plot, Beastly offers audiences very little they have not seen before. Kyle is overdramatic. Lindy is suspiciously like the character Vanessa Hudgens played in “High School Musical”. And we learn that Neil Patrick Harris, while always funny, does not play a convincing blind man.
The film does have good scenery and a soundtrack that is high school appropriate. Moreover, the wardrobe is strikingly impressive. But trite dialogue and poorly paced emotional cues give the film a juvenile comedic result. Beastly is amusing and a little funny, however it completely misses the emotional connection expected from a teen adaptation of a famous romantic tale.
Further distracting from the film’s romantic plot are the numerous hollow side stories and plethora of unnecessary character details. From the sudden trip to Kyle’s family cabin to the violent fight between Lindy’s father and a drug dealer, the movie includes numerous scenes that should have been cut.
But still, even with all the downsides, I had no interest in leaving the theater, because Beastly was a high budget train wreck. Not unlike a B-movie in quality and dialogue yet with an impressive budget, an Olsen sister, and some serious face tattoos, “Beastly” is simply cheesy.
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