Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

^ i had an issue with the logic at one point that broke the tension but overall it's a fun little indie sci-fi flick, with an appropriate ending. I'd be more likely to compare it to 'Cube' or '13 Tzameti' than 12 Angry Men

::Edit:: 13 Tzameti is a really underrated flick, but its foreign language and B&W, so its hard to recommend to people - it was remade for the US as '13' with Mickey Rourke, Jason Stathom, and some others but the remake cheeses out on a few things leaving it kind of forgettable

Calibre - I hate to be "that guy" but...this movie is getting pretty rave reviews (93% on RT, saw it on a list of "must watch Netflix movies," called out by some heavy-hitters on social media and podcasts as one of the best Netflix horror movies)...and I just don't get it.

It's not BAD, or anything, but "two guys go hunting and accidentally kill someone and try to cover it up," is a premise that has essentially been done a LOT, and there's no real twist on that to be found here. It just is a good version of that basic premise. Very little originality, right down to having some of the same red herrings and contrived tension devices as every other movie with this premise until the story goes where anyone who's seen a movie with this premise knows it must.

I'd think this would be more a movie that general audiences who aren't already familiar with this kind of stuff would glom onto as being "so good and dark and stuff" while those of us more verse in genre film would sit back and say, "I mean...it's fine, but if you want a REALLY good take on this idea, you should instead watch..."
3/5.

Watched Future Shock! The Story of 2000 AD on Prime. It's about the British comic magazine that publishes Judge Dredd, among other series. At first I didn't like this doc because it seemed like a puff piece. It starts out, they establish the magazine, the talk about how counterculture they are, how crap everyone else was, and how daring they were, and talk up the creative successes of Judge Dredd, Nemesis, and several other strips. How many times have we seen a version of this same documentary? You know, a totally masturbatory affair. Then it gets to the point where several of the main artists and writers leave for DC Comics in America and the talent that stays starts wondering why they're being paid so badly and at that point it becomes like a real documentary and a much more interesting one.

Jaws - 10/10

Ha! We just watched Jaws the night before last. It really is one of those few movies I would say is perfect. It’s amazing.

Winchester - Not bad, but not stellar either. It could have been called Horror Cliche The Movie. However, every effect and ghost was practical, so I definitely give it a lot of credit for that. However, the last half hour was kind of boring as the movie should have went for a psychological aspect rather than straight up being a haunted house film. Still, it had an interesting set up even if the characters weren't all that thrilling. I can't say it is anywhere near memorable, but certainly no where near as bad as I heard. Overall, I give it a solid 7/10.

Early Man - I really liked Shaun the Sheep which is basically the only reason I checked out this. It's not as good. The story just isn't up to snuff, and doesn't leave much room for GETTING up to snuff.

It's still got that same sweet sense of humor, and I always appreciate a movie that really knows how to embrace being light-hearted children's fare without also talking down to kids and being moronic, but it doesn't hit the high notes of the studio's best work. 3/5

First Reformed - If you're in the mood to ponder the question "Will God forgive us for what we've done to the Earth?" and everything that question means (Is there a God? Does he forgive? Are we doing anything to the Earth? Is it too late to be fixed? Should we despair? Should we hold out hope? What's next? What's the best we can do with the time we have?) then you'll like First Reformed.

If you'd like an actual movie to be connected to those ponderous musings, then First Reformed will leave you cold.

Ethan Hawke was good. 3/5

Little Evil - As a follow-up to Tucker and Dale vs Evil, it's woefully underwhelming, but as something I kind of stumbled across on Netflix, it was mostly fun. The movie clips along pretty well until the climax, which goes a bit too action-heavy and winds up neither funny nor horrific, it just sits there.

You'll have fun with it if you're not expecting much and it is decently clever (though it could have played up the "what SHOULD be done about the boy" angle more), but it's not terribly laugh out loud funny all the time. Fun enough. Maybe an October watch? 3/5

Villainess - I kept hearing about this movie and eventually just bought a cheapish copy of the bluray off ebay - the action sequences were technically very impressive and I expect to see them aped in Hollywood films - but overall it's not a movie I will revisit as often as John Wick or The Raid films - its a bit convoluted which isn't helped by some non-linear story telling, but the very nihilistic violence is probably the answer to the question "why haven't more people seen this film?" - if you like action films there are three very good fight scenes of significant length that are definitely worth watching (the 1st person fight that opens the film, a motorcycle sequence, and a bus sequence climax) but the drama that ties the rest of this 2+ hr movie together keeps it from being the instant classic that I have heard so much about.

Managed to stay awake - not easily - through Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them last night.

What was supposed to be the actual story there? What was the objective of the protagonists? What was the objective of the antagonists? Who even were these people and why should we be invested in them?

At the end, Newt claims that he's changed through this adventure. If the movie had demonstrated this in any way, there'd have been no need for that line. But we didn't see a change; we didn't even see a starting point, much less an ending point that was any different.

And, considering the title, one would assume that the "Fantastic Beasts" are supposed to be a major part of the appeal. But we didn't spend much time with them, and when we did, they were mostly pretty mediocre CG creations that rarely felt like they were in any way a part of the physical world occupied by the characters, much less like they were creatures those characters were interacting with in any meaningful way.

I guess it did some "world building," for whatever little that's worth. But world building should exist to support a narrative, not the other way around.

^ I remember liking that movie more than the Harry Potter movies, but now I'm struggling to remember the plot outside of the sequel bait at the end

I'm not that familiar with Harry Potter. I've only seen the third movie (really enjoyed it), and the fourth (really did not enjoy it).

^ Somebody can correct me but I think Fantastic Beasts is a prequel to HP, but based on existing lore within the HP books rather than real books - so it takes place in the same world. I remember liking that it was period genre, which I would like to see more of.

I thought Fantastic Beasts were books.

^ Fantastic Beasts is an in-universe Harry Potter book detailing the magical creatures. The main character in the movies is supposed to be the author of that book.

Butter - offbeat and fun...but rarely very funny. It's unique and interesting enough to keep you engaged throughout...but nothing super original or unexpected happens.

The cast will pull you through, the absurdity of the situations will keep you engaged and the general silliness will keep you happy.

It just won't be something you revisit all the time or anything. 3/5

Beyond Skyline - Uhhhh....WHAT? We reveal that a character from the original was pregnant (or maybe this was in the movie, but I just forgot because I haven't seen Skyline in years) but only like 4 months pregnant, so the blue mind control beam causes her baby to grow to term then be born into Frank Grillo's waiting arms, and never cries despite never being fed, and then 20 minutes later the baby is five years old but then ten YEARS later (in movie time) the baby is an adult, rather than 960, which she'd be at that rate of growth. This is one of the more sensible things that happens in this movie. This is too stupid to not be fun. -3.5/-5


The Strangers: Prey at Night - not GOOD, but it is briskly paced and if you're in the mood for some good stalk-and-slash horror, then you could do worse. Keep in mind, I'm a mark for synthpop, cool lighting, and cheap exploitation horror. -3/-5

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension - oof. What a turd. The movie always looked like a cool, quirky, cult 80’s sci-fi film. And that’s definitely what it’s trying to be. But that’s the problem. It’s trying too hard. WAY too hard. Desperately so. It’s like that guy in school who so desperately wanted to be sharp and witty but just wasn’t. At all. But he wouldn’t let it go. That’s this movie.

Huh. I dunno, I don't think Buckaroo Banzai works, exactly, but I wouldn't be nearly so harsh on it. To me, the biggest problem is its underdevelopment of the various Hong Kong Cavaliers. But I find it, overall, silly fun.

And, if anything, I find it kind of appealingly low key - even lackadaisical - in its weirdness. Most of the characters and the overall tone treat everything like it's just another day at the office. Pretty far, to my perception, from trying way too hard.

My favorite thing about the conceit is that this isn't Buckaroo Banzai's greatest adventure or most important adventure or first or last adventure... it's just a random adventure.

^ In the world where there really are a dozen of these movies this one is known as the one that introduces Penny and New Jersey and pays off thr jet car stuff from the origin story.

My biggest qualm with the movie is the rather stereotypical role Penny assumes.

Man, I thought it was awful. It's like the writers just threw in anything they thought was cool (or, really, what they thought OTHER people would think was cool - which is where the trying too hard complaint originates) without any rhyme or reason other than "hey, rock and roll is cool, jet cars are cool, motorcycles are cool, walking with a self-important strut is cool, Japanese stuff is cool, etc; so let's put all of that in the movie!"

But it just doesn't work. This movie was terrible and boring.

I definitely feel like it was a movie Richter and Rauch made to appeal to their own sensibilities more than anything else, but obviously that's a completely subjective takeaway.