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Awix (3310 KP) rated Murder by Decree (1979) in Movies
Feb 27, 2018 (Updated Feb 27, 2018)
Ah, nothing says 'fun' like a movie based on the activities of a brutal real-life misogynistic serial killer. Classy Sherlock Holmes pastiche is as much a vehicle to disseminate one particular Jack the Ripper theory as it is entertainment; fortunately it works very well as the later.
Not really a very good Sherlock Holmes movie - Holmes and Watson are clearly twenty years apart in age, weirdly, and Holmes' fearsome intellect is not much on display; his main method here seems to be to wander about until he stumbles over the solution to a mystery. But a distinguished cast and nice production values make up for the all-over-the-shop script, and the action at the end of the movie is well-staged. Hardly an ideal Holmes, but an entertaining mystery-thriller in a post-Hammer horror sort of style, issues of taste excepted.
Not really a very good Sherlock Holmes movie - Holmes and Watson are clearly twenty years apart in age, weirdly, and Holmes' fearsome intellect is not much on display; his main method here seems to be to wander about until he stumbles over the solution to a mystery. But a distinguished cast and nice production values make up for the all-over-the-shop script, and the action at the end of the movie is well-staged. Hardly an ideal Holmes, but an entertaining mystery-thriller in a post-Hammer horror sort of style, issues of taste excepted.
Awix (3310 KP) rated American Ultra (2015) in Movies
Sep 3, 2020 (Updated Sep 3, 2020)
Competent but slightly underwhelming action comedy feels like one of those films which invites an 'it's .... meets ....' kind of description. My attempt would be that it's Clerks colliding with the Bourne Identity, as useless stoner Jesse Eisenberg discovers he is actually a brainwashed CIA assassin in line for termination by his employers. What will his girlfriend Kristen Stewart (yes, he's probably punching above his weight a bit) say?
The basic idea is sort of funny, but for this to work as a comedy it would need considerably better jokes, and while the action is competently staged (gory, though) it's not done with the style or scope to make the film distinctive. Not actually bad - reasonable performances and the script has a solid structure - but not accomplished or entertaining enough to really stand out. As it is, feels like an Edgar Wright pastiche, if there's such a thing, but very pedestrian.
The basic idea is sort of funny, but for this to work as a comedy it would need considerably better jokes, and while the action is competently staged (gory, though) it's not done with the style or scope to make the film distinctive. Not actually bad - reasonable performances and the script has a solid structure - but not accomplished or entertaining enough to really stand out. As it is, feels like an Edgar Wright pastiche, if there's such a thing, but very pedestrian.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Eagle Has Landed (1976) in Movies
May 22, 2018 (Updated May 22, 2018)
Pretty reasonable, slightly silly all-star war movie; the Germans attempt to bring the Allies to the negotiating table by kidnapping Churchill. Sent on this improbable mission is Michael Caine's decent paratrooper officer and his men, and ridiculously Irish IRA man Donald Sutherland. Spoiler alert: Germany still loses the war.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Mar 8, 2019
Predictably solid Marvel brand-extension is another of those movies where the main character is never actually referred to by their superhero codename, which is a little odd as the film is unafraid to embrace the silliness of its subject matter elsewhere. Slightly convoluted plot concerns Brie Larson's character, who is a fierce alien warrior or a feisty USAF jet pilot (finding out exactly who she is is central to the plot). Aliens infiltrate Earth in 1995, Larson has to team up with Samuel L Jackson (pre-eyepatch) to stop them.
Generally pretty good fun, especially once you get past the (intentionally?) cryptic first act. Good jokes, good action, and the film's big moments are well staged. Larson, Jackson, and Ben Mendelsohn all contribute thoroughly tongue-in-cheek performances which are exactly what the material demands. Dances lightly around the potential girl-power subtext, although arguably misses a trick by not putting the Spice Girls on the soundtrack. Maybe next time.
Generally pretty good fun, especially once you get past the (intentionally?) cryptic first act. Good jokes, good action, and the film's big moments are well staged. Larson, Jackson, and Ben Mendelsohn all contribute thoroughly tongue-in-cheek performances which are exactly what the material demands. Dances lightly around the potential girl-power subtext, although arguably misses a trick by not putting the Spice Girls on the soundtrack. Maybe next time.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Shout (1979) in Movies
Apr 15, 2019
Watchable sort-of horror movie, distinguished by a good cast. These days we'd probably call it a post-horror movie, but they didn't have those back in the 1970s (maybe it's a pre-post-horror movie). An innocent couple are terrorised by a stranger who claims to have magical powers, including a deadly shout.
No-one in The Shout behaves remotely like a real person would, and the title is a bit misleading as the actual Shout itself (while a big moment and fairly well-staged when it comes) doesn't have much to do with the plot. But it does have a very good cast and the various strangenesses of the story can be explained by the fact this is a tall tale being told by the inmate of an insane asylum. Not the great lost British horror film some would have you believe it is, but a curious and distinctive tale.
No-one in The Shout behaves remotely like a real person would, and the title is a bit misleading as the actual Shout itself (while a big moment and fairly well-staged when it comes) doesn't have much to do with the plot. But it does have a very good cast and the various strangenesses of the story can be explained by the fact this is a tall tale being told by the inmate of an insane asylum. Not the great lost British horror film some would have you believe it is, but a curious and distinctive tale.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Predator (1987) in Movies
Feb 13, 2018
Testosterone-drizzled SF action movie. Elite team of mercenaries - 'veer wescuers, not assahseens!' declares Arnie at one point - are dropped into Latin American jungle on shady political mission, proceed to kill everyone in sight (maybe they need to reconsider how they think of themselves), discover formidable alien big game hunter has plans to turn them all into trophies.
The cast is charismatic, the action is exceedingly well-staged, and there's a very good monster (Jean Claude van Damme was originally supposed to play the Pred but was sacked for complaining about the suit and not being beefy enough). There's also a surprisingly understated subtext about the Vietnam War, for which fighting an invisible monster in the jungle is a not-unreasonable metaphor. Not far off the quality of the other big-name 80s SF movies; inability to produce an equally memorable follow-up suggests the Predator is a one-trick pony, however.
The cast is charismatic, the action is exceedingly well-staged, and there's a very good monster (Jean Claude van Damme was originally supposed to play the Pred but was sacked for complaining about the suit and not being beefy enough). There's also a surprisingly understated subtext about the Vietnam War, for which fighting an invisible monster in the jungle is a not-unreasonable metaphor. Not far off the quality of the other big-name 80s SF movies; inability to produce an equally memorable follow-up suggests the Predator is a one-trick pony, however.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Judy & Punch (2019) in Movies
Jan 23, 2020
Not many movies contain moments that leave me literally open-mouthed with astonishment, unsure whether to laugh out loud or moan with horror, but Judy & Punch (a comedy-drama-horror-fantasy) has one. The setting seems to be England in the very late middle-ages, where Punch, a sausage-loving puppeteer with a drinking problem, is making life hard for his capable wife Judy. Slowly but surely, the classic events of the familiar Punch and Judy story begin to happen (although they do struggle to insert the crocodile into the movie).
Lots going on here, most obviously a fable about male violence towards women (and how it is justified when it appears in entertainment). The movie isn't especially subtle about this, but it is inventive, well-staged, and played with energy. It does become rather uneven towards the end, but it is easily different enough from most other movies to be worth checking out. Probably not for the faint-hearted or squeamish though.
Lots going on here, most obviously a fable about male violence towards women (and how it is justified when it appears in entertainment). The movie isn't especially subtle about this, but it is inventive, well-staged, and played with energy. It does become rather uneven towards the end, but it is easily different enough from most other movies to be worth checking out. Probably not for the faint-hearted or squeamish though.
Robert Eggers recommended Andrei Rublev (1966) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Wailing (2016) in Movies
Oct 28, 2021
Babe, are you okay? You haven't even touched your rotting deer carcass. Better than 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘝𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 - A weird, absolute gonzo ripper of a ghost movie bursting at the seams with occult gibberish that shrieks with the agonizing intensity of a dying animal and wraps up with one of the most genius conclusions of the 2010s decade. On top of all that it's also chock full of exposed-nerve performances, amazing cinematography, and all these dazzlingly staged setpieces (highlights include the multiple rituals that are thrilling as *hell* and the literally dizzying chase sequence in the cliffside woods). Can't really say this wastes a minute of its 156 minute runtime - starting by very engagingly stringing along a deceitfully simple mystery which gradually morphs into a messy blast of at least three different genres all handled with originality and a wicked sense of inertia - with one of the best child performances ever translated to film. One of the few "begs for a rewatch" movies that actually warrants one.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Gorgo (1961) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
The poster tagline 'Like nothing you've ever seen before' is really pushing it a bit considering this British suitamation movie is composed almost entirely of bits from other, better-known films. Generations of British people have grown up believing they've seen a proper Godzilla film when in fact they were just exposed to this in their childhood. On the other hand, Eugene Lourie also directed The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, one of the original Godzilla's main inspirations, so you could say he's just repeating himself rather than actually being derivative.
Soundly scripted with a decent twist and pretty good performances, and the devastation of London by Gorgo's mum in the final reel is well-staged. Persistent rumour suggests that a young John Carpenter made an unofficial sequel, Gorgo Vs Godzilla, but no-one seems to know for sure if this even exists - shame, as on the strength of this outing Gorgo and his mum had potential for their own series. Only really of interest to fans of vintage monster movies, but a distinctive and rather distinguished entry to this genre.
Soundly scripted with a decent twist and pretty good performances, and the devastation of London by Gorgo's mum in the final reel is well-staged. Persistent rumour suggests that a young John Carpenter made an unofficial sequel, Gorgo Vs Godzilla, but no-one seems to know for sure if this even exists - shame, as on the strength of this outing Gorgo and his mum had potential for their own series. Only really of interest to fans of vintage monster movies, but a distinctive and rather distinguished entry to this genre.