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Post by Fenril on Oct 11, 2017 21:29:40 GMT -5
 - Never let me go. (UK, 2010. Dir. Mark Romanek). 28-year-old Kathy reminisces about her life, centering in her friends Tommy and Ruth. From their seemingly idyllic childhood in a boarding school named Hailsham —until a teacher started revealing something disconcerting to them, to their adolescence in a cottage —until it became increasingly clearer to them (and to us) that something was very wrong with their world, to present time —where the truth about their existence and purpose has become all too clear, all too inescapable… Quiet, powerful character drama with a subtle sci-fi background. Helped by excellent performances and an inspired score. Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. As with the best narratives, there are all sorts of interpretations about this movie’s (and more so the book’s) themes. Some merely see a subtle dystopia tale; some see a reminder of our own mortality and about the importance of keeping in mind what’s really important. It’s even possible to see a certain parable about victims of colonizations (pay attention to the contrast of “I’ll prove I have a noble soul” versus “We tried to prove that you have souls at all”). Perhaps the conclusions are best left for each viewer to decide, to take what they can from the story. |
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Post by Fenril on Oct 17, 2017 17:06:28 GMT -5
 - Unfriended. (2014, dir. Leo Gabriadze). Six high school chums hold a group Skype session. Making arrangements for a concert, shooting the breeze… a normal school night. Except for that one anonymous extra-party that just won’t leave and who seems to be spying on them. The one anonymous party who seems to have so much control over their chat session, their individual computers… and over everybody. Could this have something to do with the anniversary of Laura Barns? The girl who committed suicide after a long string of cyberbullying incidents? Especially when these six kids happened to have a hand in each of those incidents… A YA horror movie very much in the vein of teenage thrillers from a few decades back (think Christopher Pike, Patricia Windsor, and the like), but in film and updated for the current generation. As violent and titillating as the young and not so young crowd would like (albeit, with most of the gore snipped just out of focus, also as expected. Likewise, there is some online flirting, but no actual explicit nudity or sex). The plot is quite unoriginal, to be sure: It’s every supernatural revenge story you have ever seen; the sole novelty being that this one is told entirely on the span of one group chat session (in other words, almost all via a computer screen). But that is the point: It’s just a simple campfire tale, or in this case just a simple popcorn movie. Jump scares and mandatory plot twists included, too. In short, pure entertainment, and definitely recommended in that vein. |
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Post by Fenril on Oct 17, 2017 17:17:54 GMT -5
 - XX. (2017. Various Dirs.). An horror anthology consisting of four horror tales (five if you count the wraparound) about women, and from four (or five) female directors. “The box”, directed by Jovanka Vuckovic, based on the short story by Jack Ketchum. “The birthday party”, directed by Annie Clark. “Don’t fall”, directed by Roxanne Benjamin. “Her only living son”, directed by Karyn Kusama. And an untitled wraparound in stop-motion animation, directed by Sofia Carrillo. With one exception, all four entires are about mothers —more to the point, about women who happen to be mothers and who find themselves in an extraordinary situation. In “The box”, Susan sees her children and husband fall prey to an unexplained affliction that leaves them unwilling to eat anything, until they start wasting away. In “The birthday party”, Mary tries to hide her husband’s suicide so it won’t ruin their daughter’s birthday party. In “Her only living son”, a woman with the alias “Cora” grapples with her teenage son’s violent impulses, even as the people around her seek to snatch him from her —but she is more than prepared for this situation. And the wraparound shows us what at first appears to be a monster seeking a heart to revive her… friend? Daughter? “Don’t fall” is the only broken link in the chain, telling the story of a group of campers who fall under the clutches of a prehistoric monster. This entry has a more B-movie feel, with sketchy characters (two of the women are lovers… or so it would seem, it’s never really made completely clear) and a bare-bones plot. It’s a well-made entry, but it would feel more at home in a more tongue-in-cheek anthology. For example, it would have made a good “Tales from the crypt” episode. The other entries are much more interesting, especially because none of them are quite horror stories. Or rather, all of them are something else besides horror —all are essentially an art movie short disguised as an horror tale. “The box” did a couple very interesting changes to the original story. For starters, it changed the main character, narrator and survivor, from the father to the mother. But this doesn’t just switch genders, it gives a whole new dimension to the story. What saves our protagonist in both versions is the fact that they were always somewhat isolated, somewhat uncaring. Because of this, they were not able to see just what was it that obsessed their family so and took it from them. But with Susan, what keeps her apart is her consciousness as an individual. When her husband chides her for eating and enjoying food even as their children are willingly starving, she casually replies “Well, I have to eat, don’t I?” The will to eat is the will to live, and that is what both children and their father lose (the son even literally states that he does not care if he dies). But Susan isn’t uncaring. The infamous nightmare sequence where her family feeds on her corpse while she smiles in satisfaction illustrates her desire to sacrifice herself for her family. But it’s a desire she will not act on in real life. Even at the end, when she seeks the man who started the curse in the first place, her last words to us are: “I’m hungry”. Susan will never fall prey to the box because she cannot let go of her will to live. Is this good or bad? Depends on your interpretation. “The birthday party” has been called a black comedy. There is something of this, yes, though it’s only comedic in how exaggerated the situation seems. Nothing Mary does can really help, and despite her money, it soon becomes clear that nobody will help her in any way. The neighbors are more interested in the prestige of the party (which is appropriately absurd because it’s a birthday party for a seven year old), her maid scoffs at her and her husband —well, he just HAD to commit suicide right before their daughter’s birthday! The unreality of the situation is heightened with the visual designs: The sets look somewhat false (they often feel like something out of Peewee Herman’s house. You wouldn’t be surprised if a piece of furniture suddenly started dancing), everybody is dressed in garish bright colors, Mary attends the party still dressed in a night slip and her bathrobe. The children’s costumes look more like something from a tv show than like something an actual child would willingly wear (one is dressed like a toilet, in foam!). The decorations, balloons and ribbons, are all in black and white (and there is a giant panda bear costume. As Mary and her husband are white and their daughter Lucy is black, this is apparently a really over-the-top way to make “black and white” the actual theme of the party). And of course, there is the infamous joke of the full title, as the ending reveals: “The birthday party, or, The memory Lucy suppressed from her seventh birthday that wasn’t really her mom’s fault (even though her therapist says it’s probably why she fears intimacy)”. Essentially, it’s the tale of a woman who just cannot win, no matter how many privileges she seemingly had. The last entry, “Her only living son”, has mostly become famous for implying that it’s a sequel to an infamous horror tale that… Meh, SPOILERS AHEAD: …it hints that it’s a sequel to “Rosemary’s baby”. “Cora” is a false name the protagonist has assumed. Her son is named “Andy”, her ex-husband is a famous actor and the people around her are Satanists (though they never say “Satan!”). But there is more to this movie than just that one gimmick. The real hearth of this story lies in Cora’s determination to save herself AND her son; failing that, to save both their souls. As Andy’s father (the devil?) descends for him, Cora clutches Andy and angrily asks: “Where was he, through your first day of school, through the measles, through everything? Where was he when I was doing all the heavy lifting? What right does he have to decide that you are his and not mine?!” Where in Rosemary’s baby it’s ultimately maternal instinct that may doom the protagonist, here, it’s what saves her, what ultimately lets her assert her independence even against impossible (literally supernatural) odds. XX is somewhat uneven (word has it there were originally going to be two more entries, and from directors who also specialize in art films disguised as genre features); even so, it’s overall thought-provoking. Certainly far more ambitious than other recent horror anthologies of the decade. Worth a look. |
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Post by Fenril on Oct 17, 2017 17:27:13 GMT -5
 - Rosemary’s baby. (1968, dir. Roman Polansky). Moving to the luxurious Bramford apartment house was a dream come true for the Woodhouses, actor Guy and wife Rosemary. Despite the nosy next-door neighbors and that one suicide on the block, things were looking up. And when Rosemary found out she was pregnant, everything was perfect. Well, except for that one feverish dream she had a while ago during which the devil itself raped and impregnated her. But it was just a dream… right? Infamous chiller based on the novel by the unparalleled Ira Levin. One of the most famous horror movies of all time, that made the career of both director and cast, and that gave rise to the 70’s wave of satanic thrillers. There have been so many analyses of this movie and the book from so many angles (feminist essay, critique of materialism, paranoia-inducing thriller, subtle religious meditation, etc. etc.) one sometimes wonders what is there left to say. Well, for starters, what is left to say is: This movie still holds up as flawlessly as ever, with slowly mounting suspense and a terrific mise-en-scene. That the performances are as captivating as you have heard, and that it’s easy to see why this movie remains influential to this very day —there are so many themes packed into every scene, so many carefully orchestrated sequences that still deserve a good study. Perhaps the best recommendation one can make is: DO watch it. And if you still like it, it might be good idea to check out the rest of both Polansky and Levin’s oeuvre. There are so many treasures awaiting… |
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Post by Fenril on Oct 17, 2017 17:38:56 GMT -5
 - Dear White People. (2014. Dir. Justin Simien). Winchester University prides itself as being one of the most prestigious, and most diverse schools, very much a post-racial safe place. Well, okay, there is only one majorly black dorm and it’s about to be torn down. And there’s been a few incidents of gay students being harassed. Not to mention the constant catcalling that women of color on campus have had to endure. Oh, yeah, and that invitation to a Blackface party… …in other words, there is a campus war about to explode. Sharp, incisive comedy from director Simien. While nowadays it’s primarily remembered for being the basis to the successful Netflix tv series, this remains an indie production more than worth a look. While some of the themes surpass the running time (which may be why the story actually works better as a tv series), there is so much thought-provoking, necessary analysis on display. Helped by remarkable performances and a witty script. |
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Post by Fenril on Oct 31, 2017 0:30:03 GMT -5
 - Happy Death Day (2017. Dir. Christopher B. Landon). College student Theresa is not having a good day —it’s her birthday, but she’s never been fond of celebrating it. And the day’s bad news just keep piling up —waking up in the dorm of a guy she barely knows, dealing with the teacher she’s been having an affair with, the jealousy of one of her sorority sisters, calls from her father that she does not want to take —oh, yeah, and the masked person who ambushed her in a dark alley and killed her. But then she woke up back in the dorm of that guy she barely knows, and that masked stranger jumped her elsewhere… She is living her last day on Earth over and over. Can she solve the mystery behind her own murder before she runs out of lives? Surprisingly effective slasher movie that manages to be scary, funny and genuinely suspenseful —quite a breath of fresh air! It is quite true that it’s “Groundhog Day / Before I fall” + “Scream Queens / Every 80’s - 90’s slasher movie”, and the movie is upfront with it. The characters directly reference “Groundhog day”. The time loop allows Theresa to play at least three mandatory slasher archetypes —she is the first victim, the comic relief and the final girl all rolled into one! Like in “Before I fall”, there is a moral weight into the mystery (Theresa has to face the consequences for all of her casual flippant remarks and actions). And like in “Scream Queens”, a gleefully satiric approach to the genre (albeit this time with much more likable characters) that is still a love letter to it. Overall, a fun movie all around. Recommended. |
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Post by Fenril on Nov 16, 2017 16:36:41 GMT -5
- Amadeus. (1984; Dir. Milos Forman). Nearing the end of his life, composer Antonio Salieri has a confession to make: that he was responsible for the death of his rival composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In flashback, we witness the lifelong frustration of a financially successful composer whose hard work seldom seemed to rise above mediocrity while his boorish rival achieved perfection seemingly without trying. In truth, it’s a tale of two artists haunted by their respective demons… Based on the stage-play by Peter Shaffer.
(NOTE: This review refers to the 2002 Director’s Cut). One of the most successful musical biopics of all time. to the degree that to this day it’s entrenched in pop culture (quite a few people would be surprised to find out that certain icons, lines and references came from this movie, however). As can be expected, the historical basis is quite exaggerated (for starters, the rivalry between Salieri and Mozart was pretty much invented for this tale) —which says plenty about critics who praise this movie for its “realism” and who sometimes accuse it of being “overlong” (and this was regarding the watered-down original cut that ran at two hours!).
Trivia aside, the real interest here is the movie itself. And what a fine movie it is! With lavish production values, wonderful performances and a script that properly develops it’s themes of genius versus mediocrity (but underneath that, the theme of man versus the unfairness of the world), it remains a movie more than worth a look. The soundtrack and recreation of assorted Operas and Operettas alone are especially recommend by yours truly.
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Post by Fenril on Nov 28, 2017 16:51:47 GMT -5
- Livide (France, 2011. Dirs. Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo). On her first day in the job, nurse-in-training Lucie is taken to the mansion of Mrs. Jessel —a former glorious ballet teacher now left a vegetable in her own bed. Legend has it, Jessel’s house hides a treasure. When Lucie shares this story with her boyfriend William and his brother Ben, it dawns on the youngsters that if the legend is true… well, that treasure just might be what they need to escape their dead-end lives on this tiny coastal town. So they will break into the mansion at night, on Halloween… what could possibly go wrong?
Maury and Bustillo’s follow-up to the infamous “À l'intérieur” (aka Inside) is remarkable for being an horror movie that takes almost the opposite approach. Inside was a splatter movie that more or less became one of the movies that heralded the “Torture Porn” movies of the late 2000’s (and for one reason or another, the European entries tended to be CONSIDERABLY nastier than their American counterparts). Livide instead feels almost like two different movies glued together:
A. A more traditional spook-fest with some nice bloody action, fairly sympathetic blue-collar characters and even a couple nice genre nods (a Haloween III homage, visual nods to both Suspiria and Dario Argento’s version of Phantom of the Opera).
B. A gothic fairy-tale that appears to take place in our world at first, and slowly takes our character all the way to the other side and beyond.
While the second half of the movie can feel jarring (it almost completely shifts tone and cast), the resulting experience is fairly unique, and a threat for fans both of horror and of dark fantasy.
Then again, not like those two things are so far apart…
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Post by Fenril on Nov 28, 2017 17:15:40 GMT -5
- Justice League (2017. Dir. Zack Snyder). When galactic conqueror Steppenwolf appears on Earth (his second conquest attempt in millennia) it’s up to a rag-tag posse of superheroes to band together and stop the invasion. Well, just so soon as they can actually learn to trust each other to work together as a team. And maybe see if they can bring back their best bet —recently deceased Superman. Once that is sorted out, though, this will be a blast!
A fairly entertaining superhero movie. It’s almost impossible to comment on this entry without paying attention to the fandom around it. The whole “Marvel vs DC”, now extended to comics, tv AND movies. If this “saves” the “DC Extended Universe”, if it balances the previous darker entries with the more genuinely heroic movie that was “Wonder Woman”, if CGI —
No, but honestly, forget all of that. The real interest with these movies is if they are entertaining or not. This one is, at least IMO. There is action aplenty, there is a good amount of humor… cinematic entertainment, simply.
There are flaws, certainly —the occasional not so good performance, or that the script is only loosely in continuity with those previous movies (how big a deal that is or not depends strictly on the individual viewer). Overall, though, it’s a fine spectacle.
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Post by Fenril on Dec 11, 2017 21:59:14 GMT -5
- Your Name. (Japan, 2016. Dir. Makoto Shinkai. aka 君の名は。) . High school students Mitsuha and Taki are both slightly bored with their lives —she in a mountain-surrounded small town, he in Tokyo. Both feel there is something missing. And both have just been catapulted into a strange situation: One day they wake up in each other’s bodies!
And this is only the beginning of a strange, yet heartfelt tale of identity and personal connections that stretch across space and time. It will be a ride they’ll never want to forget…
An amazing movie from one of the best regarded directors of current anime. With a surprisingly complex storyline (drawn from Shinkai’s novel, later also adapted into a manga), sympathetic characters, a few poignant observations at gender roles in current times —and above all, some of the most beautiful animation you’ll ever see. The backgrounds alone are downright gorgeous!
More can’t be said without spoiling a ton of the plot. Quite recommended.
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Post by Fenril on Dec 11, 2017 22:09:52 GMT -5
- The mask you live in. (2015, dir. Jennifer Siebel Newsom). An examination of malehood in the US —with a very careful examination of the many myths often constructed and enforced by the likes of media and publicity. From the notion of anything deemed “girly” understood as “bad” (emotions other than rage, vulnerability, curiosity…) to the hyper exploitation of violence and aggressiveness. Includes interviews with men of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as diverse Sociologysts.
From the director of “Miss Representation”, and essentially a counterpart to that other remarkable documentary. Both constitute a frank and downright necessary study of current gender roles. Quite recommended.
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Post by Fenril on Dec 13, 2017 19:18:20 GMT -5
- A bad moms Christmas. (2017, dirs. Scott Moore & Jon Lucas). After the storm of their last PTA meeting, friends Amy, Kiki and Carla are now attempting to whip up a good Christmas with their respective families —no easy task, when their respective mothers decide to show up unannounced. And if the first trio was wild enough, they have nothing on Ruth, Sandy and Isis. Let the disaster begin…
The underrated raunchy comedy “Bad Moms” gets an even raunchier sequel. And it’s… okay, so it’s pretty much what you would expect from a Hollywood sequel: Serviceable if thin plot, a solid cast playing somewhat sketchy (but admittedly charming) characters, and lots of wish-fulfillment humor. But like the original, the strength of this movie is that it’s every fratboy comedy you have seen except that this one is all about the women —so there are some nice insights about the often complicated relationships between mothers and daughters (and by extension, grandmothers, daughters and granddaughters), plus a nice helping of beefcake.
Overall, it’s just a simple easygoing comedy (well… maybe not quite a comedy for the entire family, unless everybody in yours is quite okay with the likes of a nine-year-old girl yelling “Holy Fuck!” or an extended shot of a gingerbread cookie shaped like a penis, with the frosting doubling as semen). You could do worse for a Christmas movie, really.
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Post by Fenril on Feb 5, 2018 20:17:22 GMT -5
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