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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Killing Gunther (2017) in Movies

Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)  
Killing Gunther (2017)
Killing Gunther (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
7
6.1 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A dysfunctional team of young assassins set out to make a name for themselves by killing the most notorious hitman of all time, Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in Killing Gunther. Hiring a documentary crew at gunpoint to record their every step, including the undeniable proof of the execution itself, they attempt to discover Gunther’s true identity and whereabouts. But before the team can even cock their guns, things go from bad to the most horrible ever; Gunther is onto them and gleefully plots some deadly punishment of his own. The infamous killer torments the team, turning them against each other, as he remains seven moves ahead. It doesn’t take long for the hunters to become the hunted in this non-stop, cat-and-mouse dark comedy.
  
World's Greatest Dad (2009)
World's Greatest Dad (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Drama
8
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Lance Clayton is a pretty well-established writer, in a sense. He's written several novels and children's books. The problem is none of his work has ever been published. Every submission to publishers has been denied. So Lance tells himself that if his next novel is rejected, he'll give up writing. Lance is also a high school poetry teacher that's on the verge of losing his course due to not having enough student interest. During all of this, Lance has his hands full with his son Kyle. Kyle doesn't seem too interested in much of anything other than the most disturbing type of pornographic videos while continually acting out at school and is on the verge of being transferred to a school for students with special needs. Then, as if that wasn't enough, Lance is seeing the art teacher, Claire, who wants to keep their relationship a secret while not getting too serious. So, it's safe to say that Lance has his hands full. On top of it all though, he's afraid of dying alone. Lance winds up getting everything he's ever wanted after a certain situation presents itself, but soon realizes having all of that doesn't automatically make you happy.

World's Greatest Dad hooked me the first time I read about it debuting at Sundance. I heard, "dark comedy," and, "Robin Williams," and was instantly interested. Then the trailer and plot summary really reeled me in. The result is a film that not only surpassed expectations, but also went in an unexpected direction. When a film is described as a dark comedy, it has usually still stuck to specific guidelines. Maybe it still followed a similar formula to what other comedies did before it. These other films that are labeled as dark comedies don't really break any new ground. World's Greatest Dad goes beyond that. It breaks any ground rules that were laid before it and doesn't follow any sort of formula. When they say, "dark," they aren't kidding. The subject content is pretty disturbing yet is somehow still humorous.

Robin Williams plays the role of a dad who's trying to do his best with the obstacles life has thrown at him incredibly well. With everything that's going on in his life, even in the moments of the film where he doesn't speak, it looks like he's constantly thinking about something. Always dwelling on what's going on around him with the people who are close to him in his life and trying to decide how he's going to handle this situation he's gotten himself into. While his role does show a bit of his comedic side, Robin Williams proves he can handle serious roles rather well with this performance.

While I obviously can't say much about what direction the film goes in without completely spoiling the film, I will say that the trailer does a good job of not giving any of that away. Once the film makes that turn though, it really follows through with it and doesn't let up. One of the best parts of the experience of watching this film for the first time is seeing how far the concept of the film is going to go. As Lance buries himself in this, people begin to say the actions that were taken changed their life for the better. If you told a lie that did that to not just one person, but practically an entire high school...how would you tell them the truth?

World's Greatest Dad is not going to be for everyone. Some people will love it and others will just downright hate it. The film isn't just dark, it's DARK. That and it's a very different kind of comedy with an unexpected turn of events. Most of the humor is very dry, so if that's not your thing then I wouldn't recommend it. For me personally though, it's one of the most interesting films I've seen in quite some time.
  
Evil Dead II (1987)
Evil Dead II (1987)
1987 | Comedy, Horror
Let's not beat around the bush here, Evil Dead II is quite simply, one of the best horror movies ever made.
Picking up immediately after the first one concludes, the narrative dives headfirst into another night of chaos for Ash Williams, stuck in a possessed cabin in the middle of nowhere. The breakneck pacing never relents, ensuring that the entire runtime is horrifically entertaining. The serious tone of the first isn't completely replaced, but a dark, slapstick-comedy coat of paint is laid on thick, and it works perfectly with just how absurd proceedings become. This aspect is also bolstered by Bruce Campbell. He manages to be a badass protagonist, but his physical comedy performance is perfectly on point, and his descent into utter madness is well realised. The physical effects work is nothing short of spectacular, and Raimis unique shooting style benefits from a bigger budget.

Evil Dead II is a true, all-time horror great. It's frequently hilarious, flat out ridiculous, has generous lashings of gore, and still manages to deliver some solid scares in spite of its goofiness.

Absolutely. Fucking. Perfect.
  
Tag (2018)
Tag (2018)
2018 | Comedy
Trigger warning: miscarriage (0 more)
Yikes
Contains spoilers, click to show
This movie started off as a fun, mindless romp but in the second half of the movie, one of the characters pretends to have a miscarriage and it is used as a joke among the other characters. As a woman who endured four traumatic miscarriages, this was a very dark turn for me and I could not focus so much on the movie as my nerves were made raw from their callous treatment of a sensitive, traumatic event that happens to more women than you think. Miscarriage has been a taboo topic in society and women have had to suffer in silence. It should not be used so lightly as a plotline in a freaking comedy. As I said, it ruined the movie for me and I do not recommend it.