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Chocolat (2000)
Chocolat (2000)
2000 | Comedy, Romance
Chocolate is like some ancient Mayan magic that cures bigotry delivered by globetrotting, all-knowing hooded messengers… or some shit? Lol idek just imagine taking any of this dumb shit seriously, couldn't be me. Spoof level of this sort of pure sap Oscar bait, like the full product of one of Kirk Lazarus' 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 trailers. Binoche is beyond annoying as one of those one-dimensional, overly-effervescent 'Mary Sue' (I shudder to even use that term after the Star Wars fanboys sucked it of all its meaning) types - I'm truthfully shocked they didn't cast Julia Roberts here lmao. Part unintentionally comical (Alfred Molina brutally murdering a chocolate assortment display with a letter opener), part irresistibly sweet - much like a confectionary itself (kudos to Dench and Depp), all brainless silliness (just have to wade through a lot of inauthentic syrup to get to the good stuff - which still ultimately isn't enough). Why was this genre of film ever an unironic fad? Still convinced the only reason this was made was for Peter Stormare to be able to successfully use every accent known to man in movies. So it's such a shame that with all this considered it ends up being just watchable.
  
Until Dawn
Until Dawn
2015 | Action/Adventure
A refreshing addition to the horror genre
Until Dawn took me completely by surprise. I had heard that it was decent but just wasn't drawn to it whatsoever. I ended up eventually downloading when it was made available on PlayStation Plus, and it still sat there for a few months before I finally started it up.
I have no idea why I waited so long - I was immediately hooked.
The opening scene sets up a huge amount of intrigue, to the point that I ended up playing through the story in a couple of days, and then playing through a couple more times just to see all the various story routes.

Everything you do results in a butterfly effect, and can change the story dramatically, to the point that every single character can survive the story, and every single character can perish - it's all based on what decisions you make throughout.

As far as scares go, for the most part, Until Dawn made me feel uneasy, with it's eerie setting, and the fact that you're not sure what is exactly trying to kill you, or even what is real, for a good chunk of the game, leaving you desperately trying to figure out what's happening.

The final third of the game is where that aspect drops, and all hell breaks loose.
Add to this some pretty nice performance capture, with some familiar faces littered around (Rami Malek, Peter Stormare, Hayden Panettiere, to name a few), and you have a winning formula.

Go and play it!
  
Penguins Of Madagascar (2014)
Penguins Of Madagascar (2014)
2014 | Animation
8
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Those cute little feathery spy guys are back in an all new action packed adventure. If you are unfamiliar with the Penguins of Madagascar animated series on Nick there is no need to worry. Here is a quick rundown; Skipper is the leader, Kowalski is the brains, Rico is the loose cannon, and Private is the rookie. This film takes off right after Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted when the Penguins are trying to escape from the Afro Circus song that seems to be driving everybody insane but also shows how they became a group and got their start.

   This lighthearted film takes a break from all others that seem to always tug at those heartstrings. It is packed full of recognizable actors and a great script. The Penguins themselves are voiced by not so recognizable actors but are the ones who worked on Madagascar like animators directors etc. The real recognizable voices are those from the rival espionage crew the North Wind. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the gray wolf leader of a pack, Ken Jeong from the Hangover films, as a cute little seal, Annet Mahendru as an owl and Peter Stormare as a polar bear with a huge heart. Let’s not forget the big purple octopus villain played by John Malkovich whom has the perfect villain voice.
   The script is chalk full of great humor for both kids and adults and is very entertaining. The writers used a lot of clever word play and great gags to entertain the audience throughout the entire film. Visually though the film can be viewed in 3D but as in most films it is not necessary to enjoy the 90 minutes of sheer silliness. This is a great film to take the kiddies to and also the adults like myself who are big fans of the flightless feathered quartet.
4 out of 5 herring
  
American Gods  - Season 1
American Gods - Season 1
2017 | Drama
An intriguing & decent adaptation
I really enjoyed the book and had heard good things about the show, and I’m please to say that for the most part this is a very good adaptation.

I completely agree with everyone else that has compared this to Hannibal. From the effective visual imagery and the dream sequences, to the impressive amount of blood and gore, it’s difficult not to recognise parts of Hannibal in this. Unsurprising though considering they’re both made by Bryan Fuller. Ian McShane is truly fantastic as Mr Wednesday, they couldn’t have picked anyone better and even Ricky Whittle is brilliant as Shadow. He really has come a long way from his Hollyoaks days! There are also some great cameo/supporting performances from Gillian Anderson, Crispin Glover, Peter Stormare and Orlando Jones.

The story does at least start off following the book but does veer off slightly as the episodes move on. In some cases, this isn’t a bad thing. I like what they’ve done with Shadow’s character, making him more outgoing and vocal than his too quiet persona in the books. This works. What doesn’t work is what they’ve done with Laura. I can see why they’ve wanted to make her a more central character, but for me this just doesn’t work. She’s so annoying and brash and the episodes that concentrate mostly around her were the dullest of the entire series. I just hate her whole angry persona and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s usually on screen alongside Mad Sweeney (who’s a great character), I’m not sure I could tolerate her. The show also puts you in the same position as Shadow, completely confused about what’s going on. It’s not too bad when you’ve read the book, but I can imagine it being a little too much if you haven’t.


In all a visually stunning show with a few flaws, but still some great potential.
  
The Last Stand (2013)
The Last Stand (2013)
2013 | Action, Mystery
It’s 2013 and Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in his first leading role in 10 years in
“The Last Stand”
Directed by legendary South Korean director Kim Ji-w oon, The Last Stand stars
Schwarzenegger as Ray Owens, a former LAPD narcotics officer who has left the
violence and bloodshed of the big city to become the sheriff of a sleepy border town
in Arizona called Sommerton Junction where the biggest crime is the town’s mayor
parking in the firezone on main street.

Meanwhile in Las Vegas, Gabriel Cortez, the most vicious and ruthless drug lord
since Pablo Escobar, stages a spectacular escape from FBI custody and takes off
in a stolen/modified Chevrolet Corvette C6ZR1.

With a FBI agent held hostage and a group of mercenaries, Cortez races towards
the Mexican border at over 200 mph and Sommerton Junction. Counted out by the FBI
and the military as just another ‘small town sheriff’ with a group of inexperienced
deputies, Sherriff Owens reluctantly accepts the truth that the only thing standing
between Cortez and his escape and the safety of the people of Sommerton Junction is
Ray.

Co-starring Forrest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman,
Peter Stormare, and Genesis Rodriguez, “The Last Stand” is a great action film
with an ensemble cast that follows the formula of the ‘action film’ but follows it
well. A basic/solid plot with plenty of spectacular stunts and explosions. After the
first 5 minutes, you don’t have a chance to leave the theater. The story unfolds
quickly, and you really don’t have the chance to look away. With plenty of comic
relief (most of it courtesy of Johnny Knoxville and Luis Guzman) and no romantic
scenes (except for one or two couples lip locking) I though the movie was a great
film. After 10 years, it was honestly a relief to see Schwarzenegger back in movies
as the lead and as part of an ensemble cast.

If there is one thing you can count on,
it is because Arnold always delivers when it comes to action movies no matter the scale,
and after so much time in politics it doesn’t look like he’s skipped a beat
and it’s a great escape from the winter chaos outside.

Welcome back Mr. Schwarzenegger!
  
22 Jump Street (2014)
22 Jump Street (2014)
2014 | Action, Comedy, Crime
Story: 22 Jump Street starts by filling us in on what happened in the last film like a previous episode. We watch Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) as they try take down a criminal The Ghost (Stormare) but much like the first one, things go slightly wrong. Jenko and Schmidt have to go to college undercover to uncover the latest drug craze. The two go through the opposite direction to the previous film and we get to see how they react to their reverse situations.

team

22 Jump Street uses the first ten minutes poking fun at the idea of a sequel, including talking about doubling the budget, how they got lucky first time after everyone thought the idea would fail. It also forced to tell the same story as well as actually having an upgraded office called 22 Jump Street with 23 Jump Street opening next door. We continue to get plenty of ‘it is a sequel’ jokes through the film so much so that it feels like a glorified extended version of a television show. it is full of jokes, action and personally I think the story is so easy to watch and laugh along with it could be the best I have seen in years. (9/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Jonah Hill: Schmidt big guy to the comedy double act who ends up going through the same problems of not fitting in as Jenko did through the first film. Schmidt gets romantically involved with a Maya a girl on campus who turns out to be Captain Dickson’s daughter. Jonah gives a great performance showing that he really has great comical timing. (9/10)

 scmidt

Channing Tatum: Jenko muscle of the comedy double act who finds himself in college finally getting a chance to fit in much like his time through high school first time. He gets a chance to live a different life which he never got a chance too with his connection with the football team, but his age will catch up with him. Channing gives a great performance showing he is just a muscle man he has comic timing too. (9/10)

channing

Peter Stormare: The Ghost drug deal the couple are after at first before he escapes, only to get into battle with him again once they uncover the truth about the supply at the college. Peter gives a solid performance giving his typical villain role. (7/10)

 

Wyatt Russell: Zook student that becomes good friends with Jenko, helping him get into the good with the sports team. The clues point to Zook but after thinking about the clues they realize they are reading things incorrectly about the fun loving footballer. Wyatt gives a good performance who has good chemistry with Channing. (8/10)

 

Amber Stevens: Maya student who befriends Schmidt and takes him down the calmer side of the college experience. After we are told she is the daughter of the Captain the comedy level raises. Amber gives a solid supporting performance. (6/10)

 maya

Support Cast: 22 Jump Street has a whole host of supporting characters who all give extra laughs, be in the Captain and his protection of his daughter or the jock who wants to take down the goal posts. They all add laughs the main characters work with.

 

Director Review: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller – Phil & Christopher direct this film almost perfectly to take the piss out of the idea it is a sequel and that the first one was successful after many other television shows turned films have bombed. (9/10)

 

Action: 22 Jump Street has good action with chases trying not to break anything while the villains smash everything. (8/10)

Comedy: 22 Jump Street is one of the best comedies I have seen in years, it offers plenty of puns that take the piss out of the idea of it being a sequel. (10/10)

Crime: 22 Jump Street focuses a lot of trying to solve the crime while undercover which works nicely for it. (8/10)

Chemistry: 22 Jump Street has some great chemistry between Jonah and Channing who create one of the best comedy duos in buddy cop history. (10/10)

Settings: 22 Jump Street moves to college which works as the actors are older and it pokes fun that they would have looked way too old for high school. (9/10)

Suggestion: 22 Jump Street is a must watch, you don’t even need to see the first one as it recaps you with a previously at the start. (Watch)

 

Best Part in 22 Jump Street: Chase for the campus.car

Worst Part in 22 Jump Street: I would say the supporting characters are slightly too stereotyped.

Best Action Scene In 22 Jump Street: Chase through the campus.

Funniest Scene in 22 Jump Street: The moment Captain Dickson finds out about Schmidt and his daughter.

 

Believability: No (0/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: Yeah could have one.

Post Credits Scene: Jokes about what sequels could be in the future.

 

Oscar Chances: No

Box Office: $331 Million

Budget: $50 Million

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

Tagline: These undercover cops are going to party like it’s their job

 

Overall: A Must Watch Comedy

https://moviesreview101.com/2014/12/22/22-jump-street-2014/
  
Day Shift (2022)
Day Shift (2022)
2022 | Comedy, Horror
6
6.9 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Vampires vs. The Bronx, Night Teeth, and now Day Shift. Someone over at Netflix really likes investing in vampire horror-comedies of varying quality. Day Shift, for the most part, is a competent and entertaining action flick, thanks in no small part to the cast. Jamie Foxx has shown time and again that he's more than capable of taking on lead duties, whether he's winning Oscars for music biopics, or kicking vampire ass up and down California. His chemistry with Dave Franco lays the foundation for much of the films humour, and introduces a kind of buddy cop dynamic into the mix. The cast is further bolstered with some smaller roles from industry veteran Peter Stormare, and living legend Snoop Dogg (patiently waiting for a Big John spin-off project).

The action scenes are a whole lot of fun. The vampires contort and twist in horrible ways, and are dispatched in equally horrible ways. There's plenty of blood and viscera, limbs flying about the place, decapitations. It's all well choreographed, fast paced, and hugely entertaining.

There's a lot going for Day Shift, but it does faulter at times. After an exciting opening scene, there's quite a lengthy dip in pacing. This leads to a lot of exposition dumps and world building. Crafting lore for a new IP is something that can be tricky to navigate, and Day Shift misses the mark in this instance. It's all well and good providing the audience with background information that would be everyday knowledge for these characters, but it's executed in a way that feels wayward and messy, and almost 100% through dialogue. And example of a film that does this kind of thing well would be Zombieland. Withing minutes, we know plenty of in-universe rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse, and it's done in a fun, breezy, and brisk manner. In contrast, Day Shift puts a pin in any sort of excitement to throw all sorts of exposition at us in a way that feels like it's relying on potential sequels for any kind of pay off. It's just a little deflating, and not even Foxx's charisma can keep it from becoming boring.
To add to the negative side of things, the villain of the piece is aggressively forgettable. There's a semi-clever reference to how estate realtors are evil, but other than that, she's just an uninspired bad guy that causes the protagonists mild peril. The narrative also suffers from the age old issue of characters doing stupid things to drive the plot forward. Some of the events that unfold don't make a huge amount of sense with what we've been told previously.

Despite these misgivings and a messy middle, Day Shift ends on a high note, with an entertaining final third, and ultimately manages to be a perfectly passable popcorn movie. What it lacks in substance, it's makes up for in style, and will surely leave most with a smile on their faces by the time the credits roll.
  
40x40

Darren (1599 KP) rated 8MM (1999) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
8MM (1999)
8MM (1999)
1999 | Action, Mystery
Story: 8MM starts as we meet private investigator Tom Welles (Cage) who is one of the most respected in the business. His latest job finds him working got Daniel Longdale (Heald) attorney to Mrs Christian (Carter) who finds an unusual film in her late husband safe, one that seems like a snuff film. Tom is hired to investigate whether it is a real tape or just clever piece of art.

Tom’s investigation which he disguises as a missing persons case leads him to Mary Ann Mathews (Powell) who has been missing for years. Learning about her disappearance Tom finds himself delving into the pornographic underworld of Hollywood. Tom recruits Max California (Phoenix) an employee from an adult store to take him into the underworld.

The deeper Tom gets into the world the more leads that get opened for him to investigate as he starts with producer Eddie Poole (Gandolfini) before finding himself in deeper than he could ever have imagined.

8MM takes us into a world we haven’t entered before as we watch how the underworld of porn has turned into the world of snuff. While the investigation is twisted filled and very much what you would expect it to be, it is the idea of the sexual drive from the villains that adds a disturbing factor to it all. We see this with how Tom reacts to everything in the film. I will say this contains a lot of disturbing material that can’t be easily watched but this does help show how far the world can go into darkness.

 

Actor Review

 

Nicolas Cage: Tom Welles is a well-respected private investigator, his latest job brings him into the seedy underworld of the pornographic as he looks for a missing person that could have been a victim of a snuff film. He must use all his skills to get into the world where he learns the shocking truth. Nicolas is good in this role where we get to see him in a dark situation compared to action star he has become.tom

Joaquin Phoenix: Max California works in an adult story, he has connections to the pornographic underworld as he teams up with Tom to uncover the truth about the snuff world. Joaquin is good in this role showing he is willing to take on the stranger roles.mike

James Gandolfini: Eddie Poole is an adult film producer that Tom starts investigating, he is as seedy as them come but does know something about the missing girl. James is good in the supporting role but we just don’t see enough of his character.

Peter Stormare: Dino Velvet is the pornographic producer that deals with all over the extreme porn, he is above Eddie in the chain that could well be the man behind the film Tom is investigating. Peter is solid in this role you could easily see him in but we don’t see enough of him.

Support Cast: 8MM has a supporting cast that all help the final outcome of the film, we have people who have been effected in their own way.

Director Review: Joel Schumacher – Joel gives us an intense mystery thriller that pushes the boundaries of right and wrong.

 

Crime: 8MM takes us into the underworld of the porn industry where the snuff movies do get made by the people involved.

Mystery: 8MM does keep us wondering what is happening and who will be involved.

Thriller: 8MM manages to keep us on the edge throughout the film.

Settings: 8MM takes us to all the underworld areas to show how the perverts of the world can find what they want.
Special Effects: 8MM has good effects to show the kills being involved.

Suggestion: 8MM is one to try, I do think it will be difficult to watch for certain people. (Try It)

 

Best Part: Eddie has to pay.

Worst Part: Hard to watch.

 

Believability: No

Chances of Tears: No

Chances of Sequel: Sadly, Yes

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Budget: $40 Million

Runtime: 2 Hours 3 Minutes

Tagline: You are never prepared for the truth

Trivia: The enema porno film seen at the porn swap meet is a genuine S&M film that was heavily edited for inclusion in the main movie.

 

Overall: Difficult to watch but good watch throughout.

https://moviesreview101.com/2016/06/11/franchise-weekend-8mm-1999/