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The King of Comedy (1983)
The King of Comedy (1983)
1983 | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
While I vaguely knew the name of the film I'd never seen it and didn't really get the vibe that I wanted to, after seeing the Joker though I was hit by so many comments on it in reviews that I really needed to see it.

Rupert Pupkin dreams of a life as a stand-up comic. Almost every night he's outside the local studio to see his idol Jerry Langford to try and get the big break that will launch his career. Rupert's obsession for success starts to completely run his life and with his newfound "friendship" with Jerry he becomes even more unstable and crosses a line there's no coming back from.

Before I comment on anything specific I want to point out that the rating of the film isn't really anything to do with its quality, it's more to do with me. I absolutely hate awkward comedy and awkwardness in general on screen, it makes me uncomfortable and I would much rather just leave that awkward feeling to my everyday life than have it in my downtime too.

The story idea is a solid one (if it hadn't been then I'm sure Joke would have done more original thinking) and the idea of obsessive fan culture is something I think all generations can get along with. Because of that fact I can see it appealing to a variety of people if they can get past the dated feel to it.

Robert De Niro did a great job as Pupkin, and even in the short clip above you can see that in his behaviour changes to his environment. The dynamic with each individual character changes from confidence to anxious and irritated and you get a sense of what's going on in his head. His performance escalates nicely and when you combine his actions with those of Masha (Sandra Bernhard) you get quite an impact at the end.

I get the feeling it might be a little... bland... for modern audiences at times. That might not be quite the right way to describe it. It plods along at a good pace but there isn't any deviation from its focus on Pupkin and if that doesn't click with you then it might not be something that can keep you interested.


If this hadn't come up in my Twitter polls of films to watch then I probably wouldn't have reviewed it. It's a good film, with solid acting and everything is a perfect snapshot of its era, but it just isn't for me. If I'd watched it years ago and certainly if I'd watched it before Joker came out then I might have been able to engage more with it. I can see why so many people love it but it just isn't for me.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-king-of-comedy-movie-review.html
  
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales and Poems
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales and Poems
Edgar Allan Poe, Dawn B. Sova | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.1 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
A genius of the horror and macabre genre (2 more)
A true inspiration (personal opinion)
Tense and horrifying writing
His lesser work, is obviously lesser (0 more)
Quoth the Raven, Nevermore
If you have read my reviews on the film 'The Raven' and the TV series 'The Following' the you have already read about how I adore Edgar Allan Poe and how he is my biggest inspiration in writing, especially of my Gothic Horror poems.

The poems he has written are chilling, enjoyable and indeed are works of a genius, that some at the time, maybe even still to this day, would call the writings of a mad man. The life of Poe is one filled with tragedy and bewilderment, and he has inspired so many writers across all mediums over the years, and is one of the most famous writers known to man. Almost everyone I have ever met knows, at the very least, the line of 'Quote the Raven, Nevermore' and this is just one of the staples that this man has left throughout history.

His short stories aren't all horror, same as his poems, but it has to be said that his Horror fiction is certainly his best. Though I have not yet read all of his short stories, or even half, the one's that I have read have given me a clear idea that whilst his work remains interesting to read, his horror is by far the most entertaining and thrilling.

Edgar Allan Poe will always remain my biggest inspiration for my writing, and I hope to one day have a collection of writings, that are just as loved as his.
  
Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
Story (3 more)
Acting
Humor
Unexpected twists
It's long? (0 more)
This Parasite gets under your skin...
I will try not to spoil anything, because I really enjoyed watching this movie unfold. It's the kind of film where you can't really guess where it is going, because where it is going is so strange...

Based on the director, I expected sci-fi or horror. This movie isn't either of those genres: it is basically a human-level character study, but in a universe with slightly-cartoonish logic.

I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you watch the movie you might agree.

The main family is broke. They have no money for food and their neighbor recently put a password on their wifi, so they don't even have phones that work. When the son gets the chance to become a tutor to a rich girl, even though he isn't qualified, he jumps at the chance. And, slowly but surely, he and his family plan ways to get all four of them hired on at the rich owners' house.

That's all I will say, because discovery is important for this movie to work. There is a lot of drama and real-life class struggle, but the movie is often punctuated by humor that takes a second to register. It might be a physical sight gag; it might be a turn of phrase; it might be a facial expression; but I found myself laughing out loud, even as uncomfortable things were happening.

If you don't mind subtitles, I strongly recommend Parasite. It is as good as the reviews say.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated The Intruder (2019) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
The Intruder (2019)
The Intruder (2019)
2019 | Thriller
When are couples moving into a new home going to realise that there is a lot more to worry about than just making sure all of your stuff arrives in one piece. If it’s not things going bump in the night or uninvited demons, it’s seemingly sweet as pie neighbours with an ulterior motive.

Annie (Meagan Good) and Scott ( Michael Ealy) think that they have found their dream home, away from the concrete jungle of the city with an idyllic setting in which to start a family. Step in Charlie (Dennis Quaid), a kind hearted widower who is selling in order to start a new life with his daughter in Florida – or so it would seem, as we know, looks can be deceiving.

Dennis Quaid nails the disturbed seller turned psycho
The film has been battered with reviews saying that it forgoes plot in favour of setting up a good jump scare, but do you know what? I don’t mind that.

I’ve always been a sucker for this type of genre and this one is no different. There are the obvious plot holes, some laughable, like how come it takes Annie so long to realise that Charlie has psychotic tendencies, despite Scott practically spelling it out for her? Or the fact that everyone seems to be drawn to a particular linen closet. It moves along enough to keep you entertained with Quaid giving a good account of himself and clearly having fun.

Director (Deon Taylor) seems inspired by classic home invasion thrillers but offers nothing new that we won’t have already seen before – you can just throw this one onto the pile with all the rest.
  
Dune (2021)
Dune (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
As I'm writing this, it's been a few days since I watched Dune and I still don't fully know how to process it.
I will start by saying that it's visually stunning. Dune is extremely pleasing to look at from start to finish, from the lush greens and blues of Caladan, to the harsh firey desserts of Arrakis, all of these pallettes jump off the screen. These settings are utilised frequently in countless wide shots and make for do e wonderful vistas. In fact, the whole film is shit beautifully, and I'd expect nothing less from Denis Villeneuve.
All of this works hand in hand with an incredible music score Hans Zimmer. As is standard from Zimmer, every musical point is huge, and turns Dune from a movie into an experience.
The cast is stacked of course. Timothée Chamalet and Rebecca Ferguson absolutely steal the show, and all if the characters are engaging and interesting.
All of this being said, Dune did leave me feeling a little cold. I'm not overly familiar with the source material, so I can accept that I'm not necessarily the target audience, but I felt a lot of the lore was muddied. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to fully appreciate the finished product, but I just felt exhausted when the credits rolled, and not in a good way. It's certainly one I'm going to have to revisit to from a proper opinion on.

Despite my reservations, I still appreciate the epic scale of Dune, and I can fully see why it's been getting glowing reviews across the board. Keeping my fingers crossed for part two!
  
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Oliver Bowden | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
No Den Defence to play (2 more)
A brilliant send off to Ezio
Combining Revelations with the Embers short film
The final journey of Ezio Auditore
Ezio Auditore is now old and frail in this final chapter of his life. Though he can still move and fight like an assassin, better than any civilized man, he is old and growing frail with each passing day.

Following the story of the third and final game in the Ezio story line, as seen in the Ezio Collection video game, and combining it with his final moments told in the 'Assassin's Creed: Embers' short film with more detail, as books do best.

The Revelations Novels offers us insight into the mind of an aging Ezio, as he journeys to Constantinople where the Templar Order are threatening to destabilize the Ottoman Empire. Ezio meets new friends even after all these years, such as Yusuf. Ezio also discovers more about his ancestor Altaïr and the mystery behind what lies in Altaïr's tomb beneath Masyaf.

His journey began as a pilgrimage, but quickly turns into a battle with the Templar's once more. With help from his new friends, and allies, Ezio must help stop the rising Templar army in order to find the missing keys to the Masyaf tomb. Through letters to his sister Claudia, and through the same format as the previous two Ezio novels, we read about Ezio as though we were watching him in the animus, but unable to control what happens, unlike the video game.

As mentioned in my previous review, I'm not sure how many times I can praise Bowden for his work on this series. All I can say is that he does not fail to entertain and reveal a new experience to the world of Assassin's Creed. If you have read my previous reviews then you know how much I praise this man for his work on the series of Novels he has written for the fans. Each one delivers a new thrilling experience and each one stays true to the events of the video game as much as possible. Of course each person who plays the video game plays differently. These novels give more of a sense of what the Assassin's themselves would have truly done in the events that unfold.
  
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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Okja (2017) in Movies

Nov 17, 2019  
Okja (2017)
Okja (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
1st half vs. 2nd half
Director Bong Joon Ho has a phenomenal track record of producing engaging, interesting, rich, vibrant and complex stories. From Snowpiercer to The Host to current critic favorite, Parasite his unique storytelling has proven he can be imaginative and still bring an audience through an entertaining, creative story. This time, as others have said in their reviews, it seems like a tale of two halves remarkably different in tone, scale and narrative.

A large corporation sells itself as leading the world in global food production as it creates 26 "Super Pigs" that it disperses throughout the world and allows them to grow for 10 years adopted by farmers. During that time, one of them, Okja, is seen alongside their adopted family in South Korea. A young girl and her grandfather have made Okja part of their family and love their companion immensely Eventually the corporation, along with one of their weird spokespeople goons arrive and say they are going to bring Okja to New York.

The girl, Mija, doesn't want this to happen and for her to lose her friend and life-mate, Okja, so she decides to pursue the creature and rescue it from whatever plans are happening and bring back to their mountainous farm.

Unfortunately, the differences in tone really handicap the film almost immediately. I really thought this appeared to be a family film like Babe or Homeward Bound, but then turned into some kind of exposition to inhibit cruelty to animals? Not sure. There was profanity throughout which of course doesn't bother me but would be off putting if you wanted to show this movie in schools or for small children. The innocence is lost when thugs arrive and try and kidnap Okja, or this animal advocacy group also arrives to attempt their own rescue to prevent anything against their will of happening to the beast.

It doesn't happen too often for me, but I was really confused as to what the movie was trying to say. I am a meat eater myself and am not sorry for it. I certainly believe people should be who they are and would not push my beliefs on anyone else. Is that what the movie intends? Does it want to just be an entertaining adventure?

My confusion prevented me from enjoying the movie as much as I wanted to, but was still entertained by what I saw.

  
Bloodshot (2020)
Bloodshot (2020)
2020 | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Contains spoilers, click to show
Man, I expected this to be absolute gutter trash based on some of the reviews I've seen here and there, but honestly, found this to be a pretty passable dumb comic book origin story.

The cast are mostly good (minus a couple of generic jumped-up-alpha-male-arseholes). Vin Diesel just being Vin Diesel (which I used to hate but these days kind of love-hate), Guy Pearce playing a typically shady villain, Eiza González representing the badass female quota nicely, and Lamorne Morris playing the sometimes amusing comic relief. They all gel well for the most part.
It also doesn't take itself to seriously - I was ready to hate Bloodshot within the first ten minutes due to some really on the nose dumbfuckery to do with Toby Kebbell's character, but later on, the movie references said scene and pokes fun at it, thankfully.
There's one particular great action set piece during the first third of the film (the one that made up a fair amount of the trailer) which earns Bloodshot more points than it otherwise would have, and the semi-Groundhog Day plot keeps the movie interesting for the most part.

However, and it's a big however, although Bloodshot is fairly good for a fair portion of the runtime, it absolutely shits the bed in the final third.
Opting for a big CGI blowout (of course), the big final sequence just looks horrible.
The character models used in the fight sequences reminded me of Neo from The Matrix Reloaded, and that looked bad 17 years ago!
It's a loud, ugly mess that unfortunately de-rails any good that came before.
It also doesn't make a lick of sense, but WHO CARES, EXPLOSIONS AND CGI VIN DIESEL, WOOOOAHHH. It sucks.
I get the feeling that the ending (after the shitty fight scene) was supposed to be deep and left open to interpretation, but it just felt thrown on and confusing, and I also, I didn't really care by this point.

Ultimately, I would like to see Bloodshot get a sequel. This first outing is truly an origin film, and it would be interesting to see how further entries could flesh out the story, and borrow more from the comics.
I just hope this crappy Coronavirus pandemic is taken into account by the suits when looking at the poor box office.
  
Alone with Her (2007)
Alone with Her (2007)
2007 | Drama, Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Alone with Her starts warning statistics about how every minute 3 people become victims of stalkers and how easy it is to become one. We start by following our stalker in question Doug (Hanks) who has rigged a bag to wonder around with a hidden camera. When Doug picks his victim Amy (Talancon) he enters her house to place hidden cameras around her apartment while she is on holiday.

With the cameras set up Doug learns all the ins and outs of Amy’s live while she has no idea but when Doug starts trying to get to know Amy in person he uses his own information about her to make a relationship happen, but when things don’t go to his plan things turn sour and we see just how dangerous Doug can be.

Alone with Her brings us a disturbing look at how far a stalker can go, it all comes off early that it is just going to be watching but then when Doug gets involved in Amy’ life we get to see how far it goes. To think this film was made in 2006 just think how this could reach new levels with all the new technology we have in the world now. This film could make you paranoid about everything in your life but by the end it ends up going in an easy ending.

Actor Review

Colin Hanks: Doug is our stalker he likes to follow people’s lives when he picks his newest victim Amy he sets up cameras all over her house while following her around her everyday life, when things don’t go to his plan he starts getting involved in her life showing how dangerous he is. Colin gives us a disturbing performance that will use his charming side before showing his darker side.doug

Ana Claudia Talancon: Amy is the single lady that becomes the object of Doug’s obsession. She is unaware of anything going on but tore between what she wants from a chance meeting from Doug leading her to putting her life in danger when she finds out Doug’s true motives. Ana gives us a brave performance where she has to go through a lot during the film.amy

Support Cast: Alone with Her only really has two supporting cast members with Amy’s best friend and a potential love interest, they do what they need to but get eclipse by the two stars of the film.

Director Review: Eric Nicholas – Eric gives us a terrifying look at how a stalker could operate, with it starting off with simple watching before turning darker as the film continues.

Crime: Alone with Her shows how a criminal stalker goes about his plans.

Horror: Alone with Her shows how things end up getting out of hand when someone is watching your every move without you knowing.

Thriller: Alone with Her keeps you guessing to what will happen next and how far Doug will go.

Settings: Alone with Her keeps most of the settings inside the house of Amy as we watch everything she does this all works because it brings the horror of terror inside his own house.

Suggestion: Alone with Her is one to try because it does have a good idea of horror but does start slow. (Try It)

Best Part: The fact it could be real.

Worst Part: Slow starting.

Believability: This could easily happen to someone.

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: Could have one

Post Credits Scene: No

Oscar Chances: No

Budget: $1 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 18 Minutes

Tagline: Anytime. Anywhere. He’s watching.

Overall: Disturbing Thriller that will shock you with ow easy it is to become a victim of stalking

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/06/10/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-alone-with-her-2006/
  
Alien Abduction (2014)
Alien Abduction (2014)
2014 | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
5
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Alien Abduction starts by informing us this is based on actual footage found, *sigh*. This before going off to show us footage that looks like is being shot through a pair of fingers with screaming in the background. All this and the camera gets dropped out the spacecraft. The film then decides to inform us about The Brown Mountain Lights a location in North Carolina that has a high disappearance rate. Time for the experts and locals to give us their stories about what has been happening and a theory behind what is happening. More reading before we find out who the camera belonged too.

Oh great now the film starts with the Morris family and their camcorder holiday being filmed by autistic 11 year old boy Riley (Polanski). The family which includes Katie (Sigismund), Corey (Eid), Jillian (Clare) and Peter (Holden) are camping out around the The Brown Mountain. On the first night the children see UFOs in the sky and film it but don’t seem to rewind and watch it. The family continues their trip and gets lost while travelling to the next location and the family finds themselves stranded very low on gas. What the family finds next is a string of abandoned cars blocking the road and investigating the tunnel they find themselves under attack from aliens.

We now have to deal with an over panicked family running for their lives against an enemy they can’t imagine beating. The family makes out hiding with generic redneck Sean (Bowser) where they have to survive the night.

Alien Abduction started off by really annoying me for first 5 odd minutes because of the amount of reading on a found footage film is too much. One thing that always annoys me with found footage is bad decision and this is filled with them starting very early on. Let’s list them panicking too much, turning the light on in the dark so the aliens know where you are, not turning around after finding plenty of abandoned cars and finally after the first light sighting why didn’t you just pack up and go home. I know a lot of these found footage films criticise why they carry on filming but I think this one gets away with it by making the kid autistic and needs to film everything to keep him happy. In the end this does have good scares but not original ones and you never really end up feeling truly scared as everything unfolds because you know how it ends thanks to the beginning. (4/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Katherine Sigismund: Katie Morris is the mother of the family who is all out to protect her family from the aliens, she tries to stay strong after the early loss of the father. Katherine does a solid job by making us feel like she really is the mother of the house. (6/10)

 

Corey Eid: Corey Morris is the eldest son who has to become the man after his father sacrifices himself to save the rest of the family. Corey does solid job and like most of the cast we really do believe they are just a family. (6/10)

 

Riley Polanski: Riley Morris is our autistic cameraman and we see nearly the whole film from his point of view, this helps use try and get into the idea of the fear he would be going through watching his family being picked off one by one. It is hard to rate someone behind the camera. (5/10)

 

Jillian Clare: Jillian Morris is the only daughter of the family who has to try and help keep Riley safe once the aliens start turning up. Jillian gives a solid performance but never really shines. (6/10)

 

Jeff Bowser: Sean is the nice redneck who lives in and around the mountains that helps the family try and survive the horror that is out there waiting for them. Jeff does a solid job and his character constantly turning up makes us believe they could survive. (6/10)

 

Support Cast: Alien Abduction doesn’t really have much of a supporting cast with the only character we actual meet in the father of the family who doesn’t last too long.

 

Director Review: Matty Beckerman – Matty does a solid job with the scares, but gave away too much information about the location because there was no reason or chance for the characters to learn about the history. (5/10)

 

Horror: Alien Abduction enters the found footage horror genre nicely but will end up going down as a standard one. (7/10)

Sci-Fi: Alien Abduction uses the alien abduction well but never really makes us see more than we need to about the ship. (6/10)

Thriller: Alien Abduction never lets you care about the characters because you know what happens at the end, not all found footage films need everyone to die. (6/10)

Settings: Alien Abduction puts us in a location that could very well have unexplained experiences happening there but surely people would suggest not going there on a camping trip. (8/10)

Suggestion: Alien Abduction is one for the found footage fans out there to try it isn’t special but does have its good moments. (Found Footage Fans Try)

 

Best Part: Not holding back with the first alien encounter.

Worst Part: Too much given away early on with the reading.

Kill Of The Film: Katie

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: Yes there are two.

Similar Too: VHS 2 Alien Abduction part.

 

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

Tagline: Fear The Lights

 

Overall: Found Footage falls from the sky here, literally.

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/22/movie-reviews-101-halloween-midnight-horror-alien-abduction-2014/