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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated One Missed Call (2003) in Movies
Oct 28, 2021
Ah, okay - so it's like đđ¶đđŽđŠ without any of the themes (or at least more reductive ones in their place) or terrifically written characters, trying to cash in on the exact same story premise/structure as đđȘđŻđšđ¶ and đđ¶-đ°đŻ: đđ©đŠ đđłđ¶đ„đšđŠ. Seemed doomed from the start, but enter reliable workhorse Takashi Miike - who manages to make this a terrifying masterclass in what a good horror movie should look and sound like. My fifth film of his down in my ill-fated quest to watch as many films from his gargantuan filmography that can reasonably be acquired on physical media, and stylistically it's my favorite by a mile thus far. Even his better films I confess tend to look a little flat to me but this is just *drenched* in dread: unnerving music, ripper practical effects, and gripping cinematography among many other positives. The opening ten minutes are flawless and the entire last act (end credits included) is fucking outstanding, had me glued to my seat begging for more. Stuff in the middle rocks too, go figure (the third death in particular is not only perfectly anticipated, but a real screamer too). Like a lot of Miike, scenes here can go on for a little too long - but when the final product is otherwise put together this expertly it's impossible to argue with. I'm sure the American remake sucks ass as much as this kicks it.
Mrs March has to be amongst the most unnerving, chilling characters Iâve read about. Iâm terrible for not reading the synopsis of books. I tend to go by the cover and/ or the last paragraph of bloggers and reviewers reviews (I tend to read the first and last couple of sentences. Iâm sorry, I hang my head in shame đ). Nine times out of ten this approach works for me - and boy did it work well with Mrs March!
I was captivated by the writing in this novel. Itâs like the horror movie where you hold your hands over your face whilst continuing to watch between your fingers, because you just canât stop watching.
This is a descent into paranoia and madness, and I feared for the safety of her husband and son, as well as Mrs Marchâs. On the outside, she seems to be completely calm and in control.
Mrs Marchâs husband is a successful novelist, and his latest novel is causing something of a stir. When a shopkeeper suggests that the main character is based on Mrs March, it sends her in to a tailspin. This character, after all, is a prostitute! Is this what people think of her?!
The tension builds and builds until itâs almost unbearable. I couldnât put it down though, and was left breathless at the end. This isnât a book for the faint of heart - and boy did I enjoy it!
I was captivated by the writing in this novel. Itâs like the horror movie where you hold your hands over your face whilst continuing to watch between your fingers, because you just canât stop watching.
This is a descent into paranoia and madness, and I feared for the safety of her husband and son, as well as Mrs Marchâs. On the outside, she seems to be completely calm and in control.
Mrs Marchâs husband is a successful novelist, and his latest novel is causing something of a stir. When a shopkeeper suggests that the main character is based on Mrs March, it sends her in to a tailspin. This character, after all, is a prostitute! Is this what people think of her?!
The tension builds and builds until itâs almost unbearable. I couldnât put it down though, and was left breathless at the end. This isnât a book for the faint of heart - and boy did I enjoy it!
RÉX Regent (349 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.
Though we never even lay eyes on it until the final few moments of the film, the Wicker Man, both as pagan image and classic horror flick, has become an icon of the genre.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Directorâs and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in âthat endingâ. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
âDonât you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?â
But Woodwardâs character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970âs sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970âs and one which has endured to earn itâs classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Directorâs and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in âthat endingâ. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
âDonât you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?â
But Woodwardâs character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970âs sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970âs and one which has endured to earn itâs classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) in Movies
Dec 13, 2019
Sleepaway Hell Camp 1993
Since its Friday the 13th today, im going to review, the one that couldnt have the Friday the 13th title because new line couldnt have the title. The one that teased Freddy vs. Jason at the end of the movie, and then didnt happen for anethor 10 years. The one that was the ninth one. This one continued teenagers being teenagers. The one with Jason being blowed up in the beginning and transfering his soul from people to people, wait what??? Why???
The Plot: After being blown away by a team of FBI agents, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) needs to find a way to overcome certain death. When his bloodied remains are sent to the morgue, his heart, still intact, is able to hypnotize a coroner and take over his body. After brutally dispatching a couple of FBI agents, he heads back to his favorite stomping grounds: Crystal Lake. Jason commences another teen massacre while a bounty hunter (Steven Williams) discovers the only way to kill him.
Tony Todd auditioned for the role of Creighton Duke, which went to Steven Williams. He should of been in it.
In November 2017, Adam Marcus revealed that an overlooked plot-point of the movie is that Jason Voorhees is actually connected to the Evil Dead franchise. The filmmaker stated, âPamela Voorhees makes a deal with the devil by reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son. Itâs not like I could tell New Line my plan to include The Evil Dead, because they donât own The Evil Dead. So it had to be an Easter egg, and I did focus on itâŠthereâs a whole scene that includes the book, and I hoped people would get it and could figure out thatâs what Iâm up to. So yes, in my opinion, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. Heâs one of The Evil Dead.â
Marcus revealed Creighton Duke's intended backstory, "A teenage Creighton was out on Crystal Lake with his girlfriend. Jason capsized their small boat and pulled the girl down into the lake. Creighton tried to save her but could not. She was never seen again. Creighton vowed revenge and from that moment on he spent his life in the study and pursuit of Jason. He became a bounty hunter just to fund his work in taking down his nemesis.
Im not sure why this movie excist, but it does. A question is unanswered is how did Jason go from a kid at the end of part 8 to a full adlut in this one. Also how did Jason get back to Crystal Lake from Manhattan? Question that will not have a answer too.
Its still entertaining kind-of, its still a popcorn horror film kind-of. Its Jason Goes to Hell.
The Plot: After being blown away by a team of FBI agents, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) needs to find a way to overcome certain death. When his bloodied remains are sent to the morgue, his heart, still intact, is able to hypnotize a coroner and take over his body. After brutally dispatching a couple of FBI agents, he heads back to his favorite stomping grounds: Crystal Lake. Jason commences another teen massacre while a bounty hunter (Steven Williams) discovers the only way to kill him.
Tony Todd auditioned for the role of Creighton Duke, which went to Steven Williams. He should of been in it.
In November 2017, Adam Marcus revealed that an overlooked plot-point of the movie is that Jason Voorhees is actually connected to the Evil Dead franchise. The filmmaker stated, âPamela Voorhees makes a deal with the devil by reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son. Itâs not like I could tell New Line my plan to include The Evil Dead, because they donât own The Evil Dead. So it had to be an Easter egg, and I did focus on itâŠthereâs a whole scene that includes the book, and I hoped people would get it and could figure out thatâs what Iâm up to. So yes, in my opinion, Jason Voorhees is a Deadite. Heâs one of The Evil Dead.â
Marcus revealed Creighton Duke's intended backstory, "A teenage Creighton was out on Crystal Lake with his girlfriend. Jason capsized their small boat and pulled the girl down into the lake. Creighton tried to save her but could not. She was never seen again. Creighton vowed revenge and from that moment on he spent his life in the study and pursuit of Jason. He became a bounty hunter just to fund his work in taking down his nemesis.
Im not sure why this movie excist, but it does. A question is unanswered is how did Jason go from a kid at the end of part 8 to a full adlut in this one. Also how did Jason get back to Crystal Lake from Manhattan? Question that will not have a answer too.
Its still entertaining kind-of, its still a popcorn horror film kind-of. Its Jason Goes to Hell.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Killer Alligators and Buckets Of Blood
Crawl is a 2019 disaster/horror movie directed by Alexandre Aja and written by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen. It was produced by Sam Raimi and Craig J. Flores and also Ghost House Pictures and Raimi Productions with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper.
Beth advises her sister, Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), an aspiring University of Florida swimmer to get out of the state, because a Category 5 hurricane is nearing. Concerned for the safety of her father, Dave (Barry Pepper), she goes against police instructions to evacuate, and goes to check on him. Hayley finds Dave's truck at their old Coral Lake home, where she goes into the crawlspace underneath the home to find her father. Now they both find themselves in a struggle for survival as large, ravenous alligators block their escape and they race against time as flood waters rise.
This movie was pretty awesome and better than I thought it was going to be. It was surprisingly delightful the way they built suspense and kept the tension in scenes. It was also pretty brutal with the blood and gore in the kill scenes. Kayla Scodelario performed amazingly and was great as Hayley Keller. Definitely an action-packed blood soaked adventure. The special effects were a little too unrealistic for me, especially in the beginning, which I thought would have bothered me more; but the plight the characters were in was done in such a way, that it just really draws you in. I know a lot of people would probably criticize the alligators behavior in this film too but I'm sure that could be said of movies like Jaws as well. If you don't over analyze it, you'll allow yourself to enjoy a rather exhilarating experience. I give it a 8/10.
This movie was pretty awesome and better than I thought it was going to be. It was surprisingly delightful the way they built suspense and kept the tension in scenes. Kayla Scodelario performed amazingly and was great as Hayley Keller. Definitely an action-packed, blood soaked adventure. The special effects were a little too unrealistic for me, especiallywhich I thought would have bothered me more but the plight the characters were done in such a that it just really draws you in. I know a lot of people would probably criticize the way the alligators behavior in this film but I'm sure that could be said of movies like Jaws as well. If you don't analyze it too harshly you'll allow yourself to enjoy a rather exhilarating experience. I give it a 8/10.
Beth advises her sister, Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), an aspiring University of Florida swimmer to get out of the state, because a Category 5 hurricane is nearing. Concerned for the safety of her father, Dave (Barry Pepper), she goes against police instructions to evacuate, and goes to check on him. Hayley finds Dave's truck at their old Coral Lake home, where she goes into the crawlspace underneath the home to find her father. Now they both find themselves in a struggle for survival as large, ravenous alligators block their escape and they race against time as flood waters rise.
This movie was pretty awesome and better than I thought it was going to be. It was surprisingly delightful the way they built suspense and kept the tension in scenes. It was also pretty brutal with the blood and gore in the kill scenes. Kayla Scodelario performed amazingly and was great as Hayley Keller. Definitely an action-packed blood soaked adventure. The special effects were a little too unrealistic for me, especially in the beginning, which I thought would have bothered me more; but the plight the characters were in was done in such a way, that it just really draws you in. I know a lot of people would probably criticize the alligators behavior in this film too but I'm sure that could be said of movies like Jaws as well. If you don't over analyze it, you'll allow yourself to enjoy a rather exhilarating experience. I give it a 8/10.
This movie was pretty awesome and better than I thought it was going to be. It was surprisingly delightful the way they built suspense and kept the tension in scenes. Kayla Scodelario performed amazingly and was great as Hayley Keller. Definitely an action-packed, blood soaked adventure. The special effects were a little too unrealistic for me, especiallywhich I thought would have bothered me more but the plight the characters were done in such a that it just really draws you in. I know a lot of people would probably criticize the way the alligators behavior in this film but I'm sure that could be said of movies like Jaws as well. If you don't analyze it too harshly you'll allow yourself to enjoy a rather exhilarating experience. I give it a 8/10.
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Lee (2222 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Jan 18, 2019 (Updated Jan 18, 2019)
A strong start to this concluding chapter but ultimately Glass fails to deliver
Kevin Wendell Crumb, or more specifically the Horde within him, are up to their old tricks again - kidnapping and chaining up four cheerleaders in a disused warehouse, subjecting them to the impressive and unsettling array of characters so brilliantly introduced to us in Split. Meanwhile, David Dunn runs a security company with his son, venturing out on walks to try and get a sense of any bad guys out on the streets, continuing the work he began in Unbreakable. Delivering justice in his hooded poncho, he's earned himself many names but social media seem to have settled on 'The Overseer'. He's keen to find and save the cheerleaders and following a brush with their captor on a nearby street, manages to discover their location with the help of his son, who provides help and direction over an earpiece. He sets them free, just as The Beast returns. A fight breaks out and Glass gets off to an impressive start, finally bringing together two distinct parts of a movie universe that's been very slowly built over the last 19 years.
But their fight is cut short by Dr Ellie Staple, a psychiatrist specialising in people who believe they are superheroes. She's brought with her a team of heavily armed soldiers who capture both men and take them to the hospital where Dr Staple works, Raven Hill Memorial. Mr Glass is already being held in the hospital, slumped in a wheelchair - motionless and with just the occasional facial tic to show that he's still alive. Is he faking it? Spoiler alert: yes he is, but then I'm sure you knew that anyway!
With Kevin and David both trapped in specially designed cells, preventing any outbursts of strength or transformations into violent personalities, the movie immediately slows in pace while Dr Ellie sets about evaluating them, trying to prove that they're delusional in their beliefs regarding their abilities. It's another chance for James McAvoy to shine, showcasing 20 of the 24 personalities within him, while David Dunn takes a bit of a backseat, brooding in his cell for the most part. Meanwhile, Mr Glass is quietly masterminding something bigger than anyone can imagine. Pretty much the remainder of the movie is set within the confines of the hospital - a tricky juggling act combining the slow burn mystery of Unbreakable with the thrilling horror of Split, which for the most part I found to be enjoyable, entertaining and at times thrilling. The problems began for me when Mr Glass begins executing his big plan, and all three break free from their cells. This latter part of the movie is full of tension and repeatedly builds towards something that it never manages to fully deliver on, ultimately resulting in disappointment. It kind of just fizzles out, with a few twists and turns along the way that are nowhere near as impressive or inventive as previous M Night Shyamalan offerings. And while I fully appreciate and understand what he was aiming for with regards to the ending, it just didn't quite work for me at all. A bit of an anticlimax to what was a very strong and promising start to the concluding chapter of the trilogy.
But their fight is cut short by Dr Ellie Staple, a psychiatrist specialising in people who believe they are superheroes. She's brought with her a team of heavily armed soldiers who capture both men and take them to the hospital where Dr Staple works, Raven Hill Memorial. Mr Glass is already being held in the hospital, slumped in a wheelchair - motionless and with just the occasional facial tic to show that he's still alive. Is he faking it? Spoiler alert: yes he is, but then I'm sure you knew that anyway!
With Kevin and David both trapped in specially designed cells, preventing any outbursts of strength or transformations into violent personalities, the movie immediately slows in pace while Dr Ellie sets about evaluating them, trying to prove that they're delusional in their beliefs regarding their abilities. It's another chance for James McAvoy to shine, showcasing 20 of the 24 personalities within him, while David Dunn takes a bit of a backseat, brooding in his cell for the most part. Meanwhile, Mr Glass is quietly masterminding something bigger than anyone can imagine. Pretty much the remainder of the movie is set within the confines of the hospital - a tricky juggling act combining the slow burn mystery of Unbreakable with the thrilling horror of Split, which for the most part I found to be enjoyable, entertaining and at times thrilling. The problems began for me when Mr Glass begins executing his big plan, and all three break free from their cells. This latter part of the movie is full of tension and repeatedly builds towards something that it never manages to fully deliver on, ultimately resulting in disappointment. It kind of just fizzles out, with a few twists and turns along the way that are nowhere near as impressive or inventive as previous M Night Shyamalan offerings. And while I fully appreciate and understand what he was aiming for with regards to the ending, it just didn't quite work for me at all. A bit of an anticlimax to what was a very strong and promising start to the concluding chapter of the trilogy.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 2, 2020
Right off the bat, this latest remake of the classic H.G. Wells story shows us just how suspenseful it can be. Itâs the middle of the night and a wide-awake Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) quietly climbs out of bed so as not to disturb her sleeping partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). It quickly becomes apparent that she has been waiting and planning for this moment to leave him for some time now, and she is absolutely terrified of waking him up. She creeps through their spacious modern glass home, gathering some of her belongings and occasionally checking a mobile feed of the CCTV camera that she has re-positioned in order to see Adrian asleep in bed. Already the tension is unbearable, and weâre only a few minutes into the movie!
A few weeks after her dramatic escape from Adrian and Cecilia is now in the safety of a friends house, police detective James (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). Itâs clear that the years of living with an abusive and controlling partner have taken their toll on Cecilia and she can barely even bring herself to leave the house, fearful of every stranger that passes her by. We donât get to see any of what went on in her relationship with Adrian, and we barely know anything of him either, other than he is a tech billionaire and an expert in the field of âopticsâ. So, when word reaches Cecilia that Adrian has committed suicide, weâre even more in the dark about him. He becomes more of an unknown to us, making him all the more mysterious, and the events that consequently unfold throughout the movie all the more terrifying.
As Cecilia begins to settle back into some kind of normality, she slowly lets her guard down, which as we all know is a big mistake! While Cecilia is alone, we start to get different points of view of her, as if someone is watching her. We focus on areas of the house where nobody is in shot, before panning around to revealâŠ. nothing. Cecilia is not aware of anything, and we havenât seen anything either, but youâre left on the edge of your seat, straining your eyes to desperately try and pick out some kind of evidence that someone or something is there with her. And then we begin to get confirmation that an invisible something is actually there â a falling knife, a kitchen fire and things being tampered with all start to put Cecilia back on edge, leading her to suspect that Adrian has found some way to continue making her life a misery. These events start off very subtle, but soon become more horrific and intense, clearly intended to gaslight Cecilia and portray her as crazy to everyone around her.
The traditional route for a movie like this would be to focus on our title character â in this case the invisible man. We might see a brilliant or tortured scientist, succeeding or failing with whatever theyâre experimenting with, before following them and the consequences of their actions. By giving us very little backstory to our title character, writer and director Leigh Whannell has chosen instead to focus primarily on Cecilia and the psychological horror she endures. Elizabeth Moss gives us the full range of emotions as she endures her terrible ordeal, and you really do share in her isolation and terror throughout. She completely and brilliantly carries the movie â progressing from the lowest of lows to finally, and brilliantly, deciding itâs time to fight back!
A few weeks after her dramatic escape from Adrian and Cecilia is now in the safety of a friends house, police detective James (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). Itâs clear that the years of living with an abusive and controlling partner have taken their toll on Cecilia and she can barely even bring herself to leave the house, fearful of every stranger that passes her by. We donât get to see any of what went on in her relationship with Adrian, and we barely know anything of him either, other than he is a tech billionaire and an expert in the field of âopticsâ. So, when word reaches Cecilia that Adrian has committed suicide, weâre even more in the dark about him. He becomes more of an unknown to us, making him all the more mysterious, and the events that consequently unfold throughout the movie all the more terrifying.
As Cecilia begins to settle back into some kind of normality, she slowly lets her guard down, which as we all know is a big mistake! While Cecilia is alone, we start to get different points of view of her, as if someone is watching her. We focus on areas of the house where nobody is in shot, before panning around to revealâŠ. nothing. Cecilia is not aware of anything, and we havenât seen anything either, but youâre left on the edge of your seat, straining your eyes to desperately try and pick out some kind of evidence that someone or something is there with her. And then we begin to get confirmation that an invisible something is actually there â a falling knife, a kitchen fire and things being tampered with all start to put Cecilia back on edge, leading her to suspect that Adrian has found some way to continue making her life a misery. These events start off very subtle, but soon become more horrific and intense, clearly intended to gaslight Cecilia and portray her as crazy to everyone around her.
The traditional route for a movie like this would be to focus on our title character â in this case the invisible man. We might see a brilliant or tortured scientist, succeeding or failing with whatever theyâre experimenting with, before following them and the consequences of their actions. By giving us very little backstory to our title character, writer and director Leigh Whannell has chosen instead to focus primarily on Cecilia and the psychological horror she endures. Elizabeth Moss gives us the full range of emotions as she endures her terrible ordeal, and you really do share in her isolation and terror throughout. She completely and brilliantly carries the movie â progressing from the lowest of lows to finally, and brilliantly, deciding itâs time to fight back!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Missionary (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Directed by Anthony DiBlasi (whom is no stranger to the horror genre) âMissionaryâ stars Dawn Olivieri (Heroes, True Blood, House Of Lies, CSI, How I Met Your Mother, Stargate Atlantis, The Vampire Diaries, Entourage, American Hustle) as Katherine, a young single mother recently separated from her husband Ian portrayed by actor Kip Pardue (Remember The Titans, Driven, The Rules Of Attraction, Hostel: Part 3, Mad Men, House) who is struggling to work full time, go to school, and raise their son Kesley (Conner Christie). One afternoon while helping Kelsey practice before tryouts for the junior high football team they are visited buy two Mormon missionaries. One of the two, Elder Kevin Brock (Mitch Ryan) offers to help Kelsey practice thereby âbending the rulesâ regarding Mormons and sports under the guise of hoping to convert Katherine and Kelsey to the Mormon faith. In reality, Kevin and Katherine become infatuated with each other despite their 10 year age difference and begin an affair which also seriously compromises what Katherine likes to refer to as âthe rules in the Mormon handbookâ. While Katherine sees this as only a âtemporaryâ yet passionate sexual relationship, Kevin becomes more and more obsessed not only with Katherine but becoming a father figure to her young son Kelsey and based upon âhis interpretationâ of Mormon doctrine believes that Katherine and Kesley are the family heâs been seeking since he joined the Mormon and that they will become his âcelestial familyâ. Eventually, Katherine decides that the relationship is not good for either of them and instead choose to reconcile with her husband Ian and attempts to quietly end her relationship with Kevin. Now obsessed and bordering on psychotic, Kevin begins to stalk Katherine and her son determined to make them his âfamilyâ at any cost.
For a film that follows the blueprint for the classic slasher/stalker, I have to give it a great deal of credit.
The introduction of the âMormon Componentâ was an original idea that to the best of my knowledge no one had dared to utilize in a movie. Probably out of fear that it might anger the leadership and followers of the Mormon faith. This film did an exceptional job though of creating a âdistanceâ between the antagonist and the other characters in the movie who were Mormons so even those who are not familiar with the religion almost instantly know that Kevin is not a legitimate follower of the faith and that his actions are NOT those of an everyday follower of that faith. The casting of Dawn Olivieri, Connor Christie, and Kip Pardue as the Kingsmen family were spot on. They were truly believable as a struggling family that was going through rough times and trying to work through their difficulties only to be thwarted by a most unlikely circumstance in the form of a crazed stalker-type who twists his religious beliefs into justifying his violent and evil actions.
On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, Iâd give this film 3 stars. The film may not win any awards with the exception being an excellent job on the part of the actors and crew. The film does follow a blueprint of sorts as mentioned earlier for a slasher/stalker film and combined with original components definitely deserves a place in the scary movie section. Definitely NOT one for the kids as the film contains violence, gore, and some partial nudity. I would include it in a movie marathon on a Friday or Saturday night with a group of friends and some popcorn.
For a film that follows the blueprint for the classic slasher/stalker, I have to give it a great deal of credit.
The introduction of the âMormon Componentâ was an original idea that to the best of my knowledge no one had dared to utilize in a movie. Probably out of fear that it might anger the leadership and followers of the Mormon faith. This film did an exceptional job though of creating a âdistanceâ between the antagonist and the other characters in the movie who were Mormons so even those who are not familiar with the religion almost instantly know that Kevin is not a legitimate follower of the faith and that his actions are NOT those of an everyday follower of that faith. The casting of Dawn Olivieri, Connor Christie, and Kip Pardue as the Kingsmen family were spot on. They were truly believable as a struggling family that was going through rough times and trying to work through their difficulties only to be thwarted by a most unlikely circumstance in the form of a crazed stalker-type who twists his religious beliefs into justifying his violent and evil actions.
On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, Iâd give this film 3 stars. The film may not win any awards with the exception being an excellent job on the part of the actors and crew. The film does follow a blueprint of sorts as mentioned earlier for a slasher/stalker film and combined with original components definitely deserves a place in the scary movie section. Definitely NOT one for the kids as the film contains violence, gore, and some partial nudity. I would include it in a movie marathon on a Friday or Saturday night with a group of friends and some popcorn.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Circle (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Social Media involvement in political manipulation? Donât be ridiculous!
Set in the near future âThe Circleâ tells a horror story of the social media age involving an omnipotent American corporate, pitched somewhere between being Facebook-like and Google-like (note, lawyers, I just said âlikeâ!) Emma Watson (âBeauty and the Beastâ) plays young intern Mae who, partly through the aid of family friend Annie (Karen Gillan, âGuardians of the Galaxyâ, âDoctor Whoâ) but mostly through her own aptitude, lands a foothold job in customer services for the company. With the lush corporate campus fast becoming home, Mae is quickly singled out as having âexecutive potentialâ by the charismatic CEO Bailey (Tom Hanks, âBridge of Spiesâ) and his more taciturn sidekick Stenton (US comedian Patton Oswalt).
Progressively brainwashed into believing the companyâs intrusive snooping (a favourite motto is âSecrets are Liesâ) is all for âthe greater goodâ, Mae champions the cause until a tragedy rocks her world and her company beliefs to the core.
Whenever I watch a film I tend to form my own opinion first before checking out what the âgeneral publicâ on IMDB think. In this case, I must confess to being a bit surprised at our divergence of views: a lot of people clearly hated this movie whereas I confess that I found it very entertaining. Certainly with the alleged role of Russia in influencing elections around the world via social media, the film is most certainly topical! Many reviewers seemed quite upset that Watsonâs character is such a âdoormatâ, in that her views are so easily manipulated by the corporate machine. But not every woman â as indeed every man â can or should be a Joan of Arc style role model in every film: why should they be?
I actually found her indoctrination into âthe Circle wayâ as quite convincing, especially a creepy scene where two corporate lackies (Cho Smith and Amir Talai) say that theyâre not checking up on Maeâs social life, butâŠ. Watson enjoys extending her post-Potter repertoire well, but the talented John Boyega (âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ) is completely wasted in his role as Ty; the Wozniak-like genious behind The Circleâs technology. The script gives him very little to do other than stand around and look grumpy.
A wasted John Boyega with Emma Watson.
The film is sad in being the last movie appearance of the great Bill Paxton (âApollo 13â) who plays Maeâs sick father and who died of complications following heart surgery two months before the filmâs release (the film is dedicated âFor Billâ). Tragically, Maeâs mother in the film, actress Glenn Headly (âDirty Rotten Scoundrelsâ) also died suddenly at the age of 62, also due to heart problems, a couple of months after the filmâs release. Itâs surprising the film doesnât have a âcurse of The Circleâ tag on it.
The film was directed by James Ponsoldt, who also wrote the screenplay with novel-writer Dave Eggers (âAway We Goâ). I particularly liked the on-screen use of captioning (posts) which was reminiscent to me of last yearâs âNerveâ, a B-movie film I rated highly that also had a string social media theme.
While the ending of the film is a bit twee â a movie definition of âbeing hoisted by your own petardâ â itâs overall a thought provoking piece sufficiently close to the truth as to where society is going to raise the hairs on your neck.
Progressively brainwashed into believing the companyâs intrusive snooping (a favourite motto is âSecrets are Liesâ) is all for âthe greater goodâ, Mae champions the cause until a tragedy rocks her world and her company beliefs to the core.
Whenever I watch a film I tend to form my own opinion first before checking out what the âgeneral publicâ on IMDB think. In this case, I must confess to being a bit surprised at our divergence of views: a lot of people clearly hated this movie whereas I confess that I found it very entertaining. Certainly with the alleged role of Russia in influencing elections around the world via social media, the film is most certainly topical! Many reviewers seemed quite upset that Watsonâs character is such a âdoormatâ, in that her views are so easily manipulated by the corporate machine. But not every woman â as indeed every man â can or should be a Joan of Arc style role model in every film: why should they be?
I actually found her indoctrination into âthe Circle wayâ as quite convincing, especially a creepy scene where two corporate lackies (Cho Smith and Amir Talai) say that theyâre not checking up on Maeâs social life, butâŠ. Watson enjoys extending her post-Potter repertoire well, but the talented John Boyega (âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ) is completely wasted in his role as Ty; the Wozniak-like genious behind The Circleâs technology. The script gives him very little to do other than stand around and look grumpy.
A wasted John Boyega with Emma Watson.
The film is sad in being the last movie appearance of the great Bill Paxton (âApollo 13â) who plays Maeâs sick father and who died of complications following heart surgery two months before the filmâs release (the film is dedicated âFor Billâ). Tragically, Maeâs mother in the film, actress Glenn Headly (âDirty Rotten Scoundrelsâ) also died suddenly at the age of 62, also due to heart problems, a couple of months after the filmâs release. Itâs surprising the film doesnât have a âcurse of The Circleâ tag on it.
The film was directed by James Ponsoldt, who also wrote the screenplay with novel-writer Dave Eggers (âAway We Goâ). I particularly liked the on-screen use of captioning (posts) which was reminiscent to me of last yearâs âNerveâ, a B-movie film I rated highly that also had a string social media theme.
While the ending of the film is a bit twee â a movie definition of âbeing hoisted by your own petardâ â itâs overall a thought provoking piece sufficiently close to the truth as to where society is going to raise the hairs on your neck.