Post by daniel on Jan 5, 2015 18:16:17 GMT -5
Having a "I'm stuck in bed sick" movie marathon means I caught up on a lot of films, and I want to open discussion on all of them, but I'm not about to plaster the front page with review threads, especially since some of them are old, so I thought I would consolidate here. I'll try stay in order of what I saw:
1. Housebound. This one is interesting, kind of Evil Dead-esque in that it has horror elements, but also is self-aware and somewhat silly at times. While there is the usual tropes of things-that-go-bump-in-the-night and trying to find a ghost and the mysterious story behind a house, the film goes in a bit of a different direction and becomes something more akin to the tone of Shaun of the Dead. There are other films I recalled while watching this, but mentioning them would be a spoiler. Still, the lead is a very complicated person, but like Lisbeth Sander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, she can't keep the audience out and becomes very likable. 8/10
2. Honeymoon. This is a bit of a psychological thriller, where we are led mostly by isolated paranoia. The payoff was very anti-climatic, and I felt like the movie was building up to a lot more than what was really going on. Nothing groundbreaking here, and it starts out slow, stays slow, and kind of fizzles out in the end. 3/10
3. Late Phases. Clint Eastwood meets Silver Bullet. A blind war vet moves into a retirement community, where the elderly and their dogs are being picked off once a month. It sounds silly on paper, but this is done seriously and had a lot of good exposition revolving around a man who is comfortable with his own mortality. 8/10
4. The Babadook. I'm not saying this movie wins points for originality, but what it does is spin a story so well that you are completely immersed into gut-wrenching psychological intrigue and horror. The book used in the film is scary as hell, and everything that unfolds follows suit. Can't say much because a lot of the buildup in the film is the audience wondering if there is a true presence in the home, or the mother and child are having psychological fits. 9/10
5. Rob the Mob. Not so much a mobster movie as much as a Bonnie and Clyde story starring Michael Pitt. It's based on a true story of a young couple who ripped off John Gotti's business fronts, so the conclusion is easily spoiled online. It's still interesting to see how things spin for the young, volatile couple. 7/10
6. The Guest. Quite the brutal thriller - a man shows up on a family's doorstep, claiming to be a friend of their deceased son who died in the war, and wreaking havoc on anyone who messes with the family. When his secret becomes revealed, all hell breaks loose. 8/10
7. Coherence. What starts as an interesting premise becomes a total mindfuck. A meteor passes over the dinner party 8 friends are having, and suddenly they find themselves in a Twilight Zone-esque situation. Bizarre and intriguing, but feels like it belongs more on a live stage than as a cinematic release. 6/10
8. Horns. Harry Potter grows horns, giving him the power to cause people to confess their darkest secrets, and give in to his power of persuasion. This comes in handy as he finds himself wrongfully accused of raping and killing his girlfriend, and seeks out to find the true killer. I didn't expect such a smart and entertaining whodunit, and the love story at the middle of it is nothing less than heartbreaking. 9/10
9. The Town that Dreaded Sundown. This is basically what happens when someone decides they want to make the movie Scream, but remove all the comedy and silly elements. The lead is every bit as engaging as Neve Campbell, and the story is a great page in the encyclopedia of slasher films. 8/10
10. Tusk. What the fuck did I just watch? This was like Human Centipede, but with more prolific actors and a director in Kevin Smith. When a podcaster played by Justin Long goes in search of the next great story to share with his audience, he finds himself in the hands of a deranged madman who wants to reconnect with the best friend he ever knew. While the film itself is bizarre and thin, Johnny Depp turns in one of his best, and most unrecognizable, performances as a French ex-policeman.
11. Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2. This is like every other "going on a trip only to run into a mad man" movie I have ever seen. I read a lot of old reviews, and apparently back in 2005 this was brutal and controversial, but I didn't find any of it to be even close to the likes of Saw or Hostel. The antagonist is like a deranged hillbilly Crocodile Dundee, and I didn't find him all that scary, more silly than anything. The sequel was really unnecessary, and really turned the killer into a laughable loon. 6/10, 3/10
1. Housebound. This one is interesting, kind of Evil Dead-esque in that it has horror elements, but also is self-aware and somewhat silly at times. While there is the usual tropes of things-that-go-bump-in-the-night and trying to find a ghost and the mysterious story behind a house, the film goes in a bit of a different direction and becomes something more akin to the tone of Shaun of the Dead. There are other films I recalled while watching this, but mentioning them would be a spoiler. Still, the lead is a very complicated person, but like Lisbeth Sander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, she can't keep the audience out and becomes very likable. 8/10
2. Honeymoon. This is a bit of a psychological thriller, where we are led mostly by isolated paranoia. The payoff was very anti-climatic, and I felt like the movie was building up to a lot more than what was really going on. Nothing groundbreaking here, and it starts out slow, stays slow, and kind of fizzles out in the end. 3/10
3. Late Phases. Clint Eastwood meets Silver Bullet. A blind war vet moves into a retirement community, where the elderly and their dogs are being picked off once a month. It sounds silly on paper, but this is done seriously and had a lot of good exposition revolving around a man who is comfortable with his own mortality. 8/10
4. The Babadook. I'm not saying this movie wins points for originality, but what it does is spin a story so well that you are completely immersed into gut-wrenching psychological intrigue and horror. The book used in the film is scary as hell, and everything that unfolds follows suit. Can't say much because a lot of the buildup in the film is the audience wondering if there is a true presence in the home, or the mother and child are having psychological fits. 9/10
5. Rob the Mob. Not so much a mobster movie as much as a Bonnie and Clyde story starring Michael Pitt. It's based on a true story of a young couple who ripped off John Gotti's business fronts, so the conclusion is easily spoiled online. It's still interesting to see how things spin for the young, volatile couple. 7/10
6. The Guest. Quite the brutal thriller - a man shows up on a family's doorstep, claiming to be a friend of their deceased son who died in the war, and wreaking havoc on anyone who messes with the family. When his secret becomes revealed, all hell breaks loose. 8/10
7. Coherence. What starts as an interesting premise becomes a total mindfuck. A meteor passes over the dinner party 8 friends are having, and suddenly they find themselves in a Twilight Zone-esque situation. Bizarre and intriguing, but feels like it belongs more on a live stage than as a cinematic release. 6/10
8. Horns. Harry Potter grows horns, giving him the power to cause people to confess their darkest secrets, and give in to his power of persuasion. This comes in handy as he finds himself wrongfully accused of raping and killing his girlfriend, and seeks out to find the true killer. I didn't expect such a smart and entertaining whodunit, and the love story at the middle of it is nothing less than heartbreaking. 9/10
9. The Town that Dreaded Sundown. This is basically what happens when someone decides they want to make the movie Scream, but remove all the comedy and silly elements. The lead is every bit as engaging as Neve Campbell, and the story is a great page in the encyclopedia of slasher films. 8/10
10. Tusk. What the fuck did I just watch? This was like Human Centipede, but with more prolific actors and a director in Kevin Smith. When a podcaster played by Justin Long goes in search of the next great story to share with his audience, he finds himself in the hands of a deranged madman who wants to reconnect with the best friend he ever knew. While the film itself is bizarre and thin, Johnny Depp turns in one of his best, and most unrecognizable, performances as a French ex-policeman.
11. Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2. This is like every other "going on a trip only to run into a mad man" movie I have ever seen. I read a lot of old reviews, and apparently back in 2005 this was brutal and controversial, but I didn't find any of it to be even close to the likes of Saw or Hostel. The antagonist is like a deranged hillbilly Crocodile Dundee, and I didn't find him all that scary, more silly than anything. The sequel was really unnecessary, and really turned the killer into a laughable loon. 6/10, 3/10
