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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated American Horror Story - Season 9 in TV
May 10, 2020
The ninth season of AHS, subtitled "1984" is definitely up there in terms of silliness. However, where this has been an issue for me with a few previous seasons, this time around it's a huge strong point.
1984 is one big homage to 80s slasher films, in particular Friday the 13th. If you've read my any of my reviews before, you will know that I bloody love a slasher, even the shitty ones, so this premise was always going to be a winner for me.
A big change this time around is the absence of big AHS names. No Sarah Paulson, no Evan Peters, no Kathy Bates. Their presence is certainly missed in some sort of capacity, but the cast we have do a solid job at carrying the season. Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd take centre stage here, and are both great. We also see some familiar faces in Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, John Carroll Lynch, Finn Wittrock, Leslie Jordan, Lily Rabe, and Dylan McDermott, so it still has that signature AHS feel. A couple of newcomers are introduced as well - Matthew Morrison and Gus Kenworthy are both hilarious. Zach Villa plays real life serial killer Richard Ramirez (who briefly appeared all the way back in Hotel) and the guy is genuinely menacing. If another season of Twin Peaks ever gets made - he's a dead ringer for Killer Bob.
One of the highlights is "villain" Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch). He's such a finely crafted character, that he honestly deserves to stand next to the Jason and Freddy's of the slasher world.
The story is pretty fun. Mixing 80s campy horror with more familiar AHS elements (such as ghosts not being able to leave the place they died etc) and is pretty engaging for the most part. It gets a little convoluted near the end, and lacks the depth that seasons such as Asylum and Roanoke gave, but it's forgiveable considering the quality of everything else.
As a final thought - the synthwave version of the theme tune is fucking awesome.
1984 is one big homage to 80s slasher films, in particular Friday the 13th. If you've read my any of my reviews before, you will know that I bloody love a slasher, even the shitty ones, so this premise was always going to be a winner for me.
A big change this time around is the absence of big AHS names. No Sarah Paulson, no Evan Peters, no Kathy Bates. Their presence is certainly missed in some sort of capacity, but the cast we have do a solid job at carrying the season. Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd take centre stage here, and are both great. We also see some familiar faces in Leslie Grossman, Cody Fern, John Carroll Lynch, Finn Wittrock, Leslie Jordan, Lily Rabe, and Dylan McDermott, so it still has that signature AHS feel. A couple of newcomers are introduced as well - Matthew Morrison and Gus Kenworthy are both hilarious. Zach Villa plays real life serial killer Richard Ramirez (who briefly appeared all the way back in Hotel) and the guy is genuinely menacing. If another season of Twin Peaks ever gets made - he's a dead ringer for Killer Bob.
One of the highlights is "villain" Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch). He's such a finely crafted character, that he honestly deserves to stand next to the Jason and Freddy's of the slasher world.
The story is pretty fun. Mixing 80s campy horror with more familiar AHS elements (such as ghosts not being able to leave the place they died etc) and is pretty engaging for the most part. It gets a little convoluted near the end, and lacks the depth that seasons such as Asylum and Roanoke gave, but it's forgiveable considering the quality of everything else.
As a final thought - the synthwave version of the theme tune is fucking awesome.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Kong: Skull Island (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Beauty and the Beast
The fact that Legendary Pictures are busying themselves with an epic Godzilla vs King Kong showdown is one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood. Naturally, this presented a problem for Peter Jackson’s Kong who simply doesn’t measure up against the giant lizard in 2013’s Godzilla.
And in Hollywood, size really does matter; therefore the monstrous ape has been given a monumental upgrade featuring an all-star cast and some serious talent behind the camera. But is Kong: Skull Island as bananas as its trailers would suggest? Or are we looking at something a little more mainstream?
At the climax of the Vietnam War, a team of explorers and mercenaries head to an unchartered island in the South Pacific in an effort to document its inhabitants. Little do they know they are crossing into the domain of vicious man-eating monsters and the legendary Kong.
With a cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L Jackson and John C Reilly, you’d be forgiven for thinking everything is hunky dory over on Skull Island, but this spectacular film isn’t without its flaws. A lack of character development and a severe tonal imbalance mean it’s a beautiful near miss that thankfully manages to pull itself up from a crash landing.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts in his first big budget feature directs a film that is absolutely staggering to watch, with stunning cinematography and exceptionally well-choreographed battles between the gigantic ape and his many adversaries. Giving indie directors the chance to work with big studios to produce blockbusters is something that seems incredibly popular at the moment.
After all, Gareth Edwards took up the challenge of rebooting Godzilla in 2013 with stunning results and Colin Trevorrow was entrusted by Steven Spielberg to rekindle the public’s love affair with Jurassic Park back in 2015 and that worked a treat too.
Here, Vogt-Roberts utilises both of those franchises to great effect, even managing to shoehorn a tasteful reference to Samuel L Jackson’s Jurassic Park character, Ray Arnold. Elsewhere, though, the film falls a little flat. The constant switch in tone from comedy to action leaves a sour taste in the mouth, though John C Reilly’s stranded pilot is a pleasure to watch and lightens up proceedings.
Tom Hiddleston does well in the leading role, though as an SAS operative, he feels a little miscast and Samuel L Jackson’s Preston Packard is immensely dislikeable and his gripe with Kong is forced. It creates a subplot that doesn’t really need to be there.
The special effects, however, are top notch, helped by the splendid cinematography. The gorgeous sunsets and sweeping tropical landscapes have a whiff of Apocalypse Now and the misty terrain brings back memories of Jurassic Park’s first sequel, The Lost World.
Overall, Kong: Skull Island is a stunning film filled to the brim with colour, charming effects and great performances. However, it is a little light on character development and that tone issue is frustrating at times, but as a precursor to a mighty monster battle, it does a fine job in continuing the franchise and setting its future.
Leaving the cinema, though, I was left with a concern for when the two behemoths, Godzilla and Kong, finally meet. Each film has given their respective creature a ‘personality’, and if one of them must inevitably die, who on earth do you choose to perish?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/03/10/beauty-and-the-beast-kong-skull-island-review/
And in Hollywood, size really does matter; therefore the monstrous ape has been given a monumental upgrade featuring an all-star cast and some serious talent behind the camera. But is Kong: Skull Island as bananas as its trailers would suggest? Or are we looking at something a little more mainstream?
At the climax of the Vietnam War, a team of explorers and mercenaries head to an unchartered island in the South Pacific in an effort to document its inhabitants. Little do they know they are crossing into the domain of vicious man-eating monsters and the legendary Kong.
With a cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L Jackson and John C Reilly, you’d be forgiven for thinking everything is hunky dory over on Skull Island, but this spectacular film isn’t without its flaws. A lack of character development and a severe tonal imbalance mean it’s a beautiful near miss that thankfully manages to pull itself up from a crash landing.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts in his first big budget feature directs a film that is absolutely staggering to watch, with stunning cinematography and exceptionally well-choreographed battles between the gigantic ape and his many adversaries. Giving indie directors the chance to work with big studios to produce blockbusters is something that seems incredibly popular at the moment.
After all, Gareth Edwards took up the challenge of rebooting Godzilla in 2013 with stunning results and Colin Trevorrow was entrusted by Steven Spielberg to rekindle the public’s love affair with Jurassic Park back in 2015 and that worked a treat too.
Here, Vogt-Roberts utilises both of those franchises to great effect, even managing to shoehorn a tasteful reference to Samuel L Jackson’s Jurassic Park character, Ray Arnold. Elsewhere, though, the film falls a little flat. The constant switch in tone from comedy to action leaves a sour taste in the mouth, though John C Reilly’s stranded pilot is a pleasure to watch and lightens up proceedings.
Tom Hiddleston does well in the leading role, though as an SAS operative, he feels a little miscast and Samuel L Jackson’s Preston Packard is immensely dislikeable and his gripe with Kong is forced. It creates a subplot that doesn’t really need to be there.
The special effects, however, are top notch, helped by the splendid cinematography. The gorgeous sunsets and sweeping tropical landscapes have a whiff of Apocalypse Now and the misty terrain brings back memories of Jurassic Park’s first sequel, The Lost World.
Overall, Kong: Skull Island is a stunning film filled to the brim with colour, charming effects and great performances. However, it is a little light on character development and that tone issue is frustrating at times, but as a precursor to a mighty monster battle, it does a fine job in continuing the franchise and setting its future.
Leaving the cinema, though, I was left with a concern for when the two behemoths, Godzilla and Kong, finally meet. Each film has given their respective creature a ‘personality’, and if one of them must inevitably die, who on earth do you choose to perish?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/03/10/beauty-and-the-beast-kong-skull-island-review/
Jackjack (877 KP) May 10, 2020
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) May 10, 2020