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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Mean Season (1985) in Movies
Feb 10, 2021
The Killer Calls
The Mean Season- is a great suspense thiller.
The plot: After reporting on the murder of a teenage girl, journalist Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is contacted by the killer (Richard Jordan) known as the "Numbers Murderer," who offers exclusive information about the deaths. With the cooperation of the police, who tape the killer's phone calls, Malcolm agrees and soon becomes famous. Jealous of the attention the journalist is receiving for his coverage, the Numbers Murderer kidnaps Malcolm's girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway).
The film was named after the term of the same name that refers to a pattern of weather that occurs in Florida during the late summer months. In order to achieve accuracy for the scenes that take place in the busy newsroom, the filmmakers used Miami Herald reporters as on-set consultants and extras and shot in the actual newsroom as opposed to recreating it on a soundstage.
Its a great crime thriller.
The plot: After reporting on the murder of a teenage girl, journalist Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is contacted by the killer (Richard Jordan) known as the "Numbers Murderer," who offers exclusive information about the deaths. With the cooperation of the police, who tape the killer's phone calls, Malcolm agrees and soon becomes famous. Jealous of the attention the journalist is receiving for his coverage, the Numbers Murderer kidnaps Malcolm's girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway).
The film was named after the term of the same name that refers to a pattern of weather that occurs in Florida during the late summer months. In order to achieve accuracy for the scenes that take place in the busy newsroom, the filmmakers used Miami Herald reporters as on-set consultants and extras and shot in the actual newsroom as opposed to recreating it on a soundstage.
Its a great crime thriller.
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.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Soul (2020) in Movies
Dec 30, 2020
Soul is Pixar at its most cerebral
In the last few days I've seen Pixar's latest animation - "Soul" - described by various reviewers as a cross between "Inside Out", "Coco", "La La Land" and "Whiplash". I'll add to that some older movies with more obvious parallels with the story: 1946's "A Matter of Life and Death" with David Niven; 1941's "Here Comes Mr Jordan" with Robert Montgomery and its 1978 remake - a personal favourite of mine - "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty. For these all tell the story of someone plucked from the world a tad too early.
In "Soul", Joe (Jamie Foxx) is a talented jazz pianist always dreaming of getting to be a big time session musician. He is stuck though in a worthwhile but unappreciated job as a high school music teacher. But his luck is - temporarily - about to change when an old successful student (nice touch) recommends him to provide backing to the fearsome jazz star Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett).
Just as things seem to going his way, an open manhole cover has other ideas, and Joe falls to his 'death'. Feeling his soul has exited the world too early, and just before he gets his big shot, Joe's spirit struggles to return to the world with the help of reluctant soul/recruit "22" (Tina Fey).
Pete Docter seems to have done it again with "Soul". The man behind Pixar's hugely successful "Up" and "Inside Out" has the magic touch with these animated classics. He's had more than his share of Oscar success. (Although having gone straight to streaming on Disney+, does it qualify for the Oscars this year? Or have they relaxed the rules?) Assuming it is eligible, you'd be a brave man to bet against "Soul" winning Best Animated Feature this year.
For there are some sequences of this movie that are breathtakingly effective. The fall of Joe from the "stairway to the great beyond" to the pre-life domain (as shown in the trailer) is a masterpiece of graphic design. (And do I detect in there a tribute to the "stargate" in "2001: A Space Odyssey"?) What makes these sequences distinctive is not the afterlife soul's or the "great before" souls, who resemble blue variants of Casper. It's the 'counsellors' of the realms. They are surreally drawn Picasso-style in 2D and - although easy to draw for preschooler's with a crayon - might be a bit of a stretch for them to relate to.
But will the kids get it? I know that my 6-year old grandson enjoyed watching it. But ultimately, this is principally a Pixar film squarely targeted at adults to enjoy. Indeed, the themes of death and afterlife might be disturbing for younger children (as in "Coco"). They will certainly struggle to understand the land of lost souls, where those obsessed with their work or hobbies (metal detecting! LOL!) are almost beyond reach. And surely the message of 'enjoying the everyday here and now' rather than getting too wrapped up in career or life goals will only be relatable to adults.
"Soul" is brim-full with Pixar quirkiness. As per normal, the movie has a lot of detail that will need multiple watches. And I can confirm that the pause button helps! For example, "22" has been an earth-apprentice for so many millennia that he has had just about every mentor who's ever passed through. His 'den' is wallpapered with "Hello, My Name is ...." badges, and a pause at that point reveals mentors as varied as Gandhi, Aretha Franklin, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking! And in the end titles, the usual list of babies born during production are "Recent You Seminar graduates"!
The movie also features two of the most distinctive voices from UK television. Graham Norton plays Moonwind: a sign-spinning hippy and lost-soul-sea piratical captain (I've honestly not been taking drugs). And Richard Ayoade, a UK TV regular but familiar to US audiences from his role in "The IT Crowd", plays Counsellor Jerry (well, one of them!). Alice Braga, as another Counsellor Jerry and most recently seen as the doctor in "The New Mutants", is another familiar voice
For once, Michael Giacchino doesn't get the scoring gig. Instead, this went to the "Nine Inch Nails" partnership of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. (The soundtrack for "Mank" was their most recent work). The music is perhaps not as immediately accessible as some of the previous Pixar scores. But I think will be a 'grower'.
I have a "but" in my review. I sobbed like a young child during parts of "Up". And similarly, I was a mess as 'Bing Bong' faded away in "Inside Out". And yet here, my tear ducts remained stubbornly unchallenged. Perhaps this is a personal thing, and others were a soggy mess after this movie. But, for me, it simply didn't connect with me at the same raw emotional level that Docter's other work (and indeed other Pixar movies) have done. So, for that reason (only), I'm going to hold off my highest rating.
It's highly recommended since, notwithstanding this, it's a magnificent effort. (At the 11th hour, it made my "Number 7" slot in my Top 10 of 2020). It's also worth noting that it's mildly groundbreaking in being the first Pixar movie with a black leading character.
(For the full graphical review, please check out the full review in One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/12/30/soul-is-pixar-at-its-most-cerebral/).
In "Soul", Joe (Jamie Foxx) is a talented jazz pianist always dreaming of getting to be a big time session musician. He is stuck though in a worthwhile but unappreciated job as a high school music teacher. But his luck is - temporarily - about to change when an old successful student (nice touch) recommends him to provide backing to the fearsome jazz star Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett).
Just as things seem to going his way, an open manhole cover has other ideas, and Joe falls to his 'death'. Feeling his soul has exited the world too early, and just before he gets his big shot, Joe's spirit struggles to return to the world with the help of reluctant soul/recruit "22" (Tina Fey).
Pete Docter seems to have done it again with "Soul". The man behind Pixar's hugely successful "Up" and "Inside Out" has the magic touch with these animated classics. He's had more than his share of Oscar success. (Although having gone straight to streaming on Disney+, does it qualify for the Oscars this year? Or have they relaxed the rules?) Assuming it is eligible, you'd be a brave man to bet against "Soul" winning Best Animated Feature this year.
For there are some sequences of this movie that are breathtakingly effective. The fall of Joe from the "stairway to the great beyond" to the pre-life domain (as shown in the trailer) is a masterpiece of graphic design. (And do I detect in there a tribute to the "stargate" in "2001: A Space Odyssey"?) What makes these sequences distinctive is not the afterlife soul's or the "great before" souls, who resemble blue variants of Casper. It's the 'counsellors' of the realms. They are surreally drawn Picasso-style in 2D and - although easy to draw for preschooler's with a crayon - might be a bit of a stretch for them to relate to.
But will the kids get it? I know that my 6-year old grandson enjoyed watching it. But ultimately, this is principally a Pixar film squarely targeted at adults to enjoy. Indeed, the themes of death and afterlife might be disturbing for younger children (as in "Coco"). They will certainly struggle to understand the land of lost souls, where those obsessed with their work or hobbies (metal detecting! LOL!) are almost beyond reach. And surely the message of 'enjoying the everyday here and now' rather than getting too wrapped up in career or life goals will only be relatable to adults.
"Soul" is brim-full with Pixar quirkiness. As per normal, the movie has a lot of detail that will need multiple watches. And I can confirm that the pause button helps! For example, "22" has been an earth-apprentice for so many millennia that he has had just about every mentor who's ever passed through. His 'den' is wallpapered with "Hello, My Name is ...." badges, and a pause at that point reveals mentors as varied as Gandhi, Aretha Franklin, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking! And in the end titles, the usual list of babies born during production are "Recent You Seminar graduates"!
The movie also features two of the most distinctive voices from UK television. Graham Norton plays Moonwind: a sign-spinning hippy and lost-soul-sea piratical captain (I've honestly not been taking drugs). And Richard Ayoade, a UK TV regular but familiar to US audiences from his role in "The IT Crowd", plays Counsellor Jerry (well, one of them!). Alice Braga, as another Counsellor Jerry and most recently seen as the doctor in "The New Mutants", is another familiar voice
For once, Michael Giacchino doesn't get the scoring gig. Instead, this went to the "Nine Inch Nails" partnership of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. (The soundtrack for "Mank" was their most recent work). The music is perhaps not as immediately accessible as some of the previous Pixar scores. But I think will be a 'grower'.
I have a "but" in my review. I sobbed like a young child during parts of "Up". And similarly, I was a mess as 'Bing Bong' faded away in "Inside Out". And yet here, my tear ducts remained stubbornly unchallenged. Perhaps this is a personal thing, and others were a soggy mess after this movie. But, for me, it simply didn't connect with me at the same raw emotional level that Docter's other work (and indeed other Pixar movies) have done. So, for that reason (only), I'm going to hold off my highest rating.
It's highly recommended since, notwithstanding this, it's a magnificent effort. (At the 11th hour, it made my "Number 7" slot in my Top 10 of 2020). It's also worth noting that it's mildly groundbreaking in being the first Pixar movie with a black leading character.
(For the full graphical review, please check out the full review in One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/12/30/soul-is-pixar-at-its-most-cerebral/).
