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Speak No Evil (2022)
Don't watch this stupid pointless movie!
Not only is this movie terrible, it's also pointless.
I was intrigued by the trailer of the remake and decided to watch the original first.
Big mistake! Now I only hope that the remake will be able to improve upon the utter failure of this movie, and by the looks of the trailer there's some action involved, so a real fight and stakes will be presented to us.
Whereas the original is just a showcase of stupidity. I don't want to elaborate on all the faults of this so-called film, of which there are plenty, mostly because I don't want to hide this text because of the spoilers since I would like at least one person to see my frustration and be spared the torture of watching this so-called film.
I've seen it compared to Funny Games and Get Out - both excellent movies, not without faults, but leagues ahead of this monstrosity. So, watch those movies instead, please! Don't let my torture go to waste.
Uncle Buck (1989)
A feel-good movie!
Overall, it's a lovely film that grows on you like Uncle Buck himself. Macaulay Culkin on the brink of Home Alone is entirely adorable and a star in the making, for sure. And little Gabby Hoffman is similarly adorable. However, the sullen teenage daughter was getting on my nerves the entire movie. Maybe I missed the part where it was clear why she was so mean and mad at everyone? Just because they had to move to a different city? But she's already found a boyfriend, so how bad can it be? And in contrast with the other child actors, this one just wasn't good... But apart from that, the movie is still worth a watch, especially if you're feeling down or lonely.
La sociedad de la nieve (2023)
Such disrespect to the real people involved
I was determined to give this movie a harsh 1-star review but it just feels wrong out of respect for the victims and survivors of this story. Too bad this movie wasn't made with the proper respect.
Now tell me, how are the viewers supposed to take seriously the story that makes no sense and defies all laws of nature? Yes, I know that it is a true story but I refuse to believe that this is really how things went down. The most glaring problem to me is the treatment of cold in this movie. It is simply not possible for human beings to survive in extremely low temperatures, literally covered in snow, while dressed the way that the characters are dressed in the movie. They are wearing a layer-two layers of clothes, max, not even making any attempts to find anything to reinforce their skimpy clothes - there were so many suitcases, including the one with sweaters and other clothes that we see a character open and immediately disregard. They're all wearing tennis shoes, no scarves, no hats, no gloves... All of the characters should have lost all their fingers and toes to frostbite within a week of being in the mountains. Miraculously, Nando and a couple of other guys start wearing hats towards the end of the movie - so they had them the entire time and just refused to wear them, so as not to mess up their hair??
And sure, they huddle in the fuselage but it doesn't provide any warmth, yet do we see them light a fire even once? But they have working lighters halfway through the movie, and I'm sure there were things to burn (including the clothes that they refused to wear) but nope, no fires to be found anywhere.
I haven't seen the movie Alive that, according to reviews, tells this story so much better, but just by looking at the photos from the film I can tell that they did a much better job in terms of believability - characters wearing layers, hats, gloves, scarves, and making hats and scarves out of shirts, while also wrapping up their legs and feet in whatever layers they could find. And what do you know? There are characters sitting by fires, in multiple pictures! Could it be that the reason for this was that those filmmakers actually cared about the story and the people involved in it, so they wanted to do them justice? Not to mention that the real-life Nando was a consultant on the movie.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who can't tell any of the characters apart? I thought that Nando was the narrator till the actual Nando went on the hike to try and get help. And I still don't know even the names of the other guys on the mission - maybe one of them is Robert? Also, there was Marco or Mauricio who got... frozen in ice somehow? I have no idea - see how bad this movie is? And I paid my full attention to the screen because I had to read subtitles. Nope, it's not me - it's the incompetent writers and director who have no idea how to build characters, among other things.
Overall, Netflix continues to churn out terrible movies - good job, guys.
Saw X (2023)
Not what I was expecting, and all the better for it!
I avoided the spoilers and anything related to this film, even the trailer, and I'm so happy that I did! I did not expect this to be the showcase of Tobin Bell's impressive talent and gravitas, but that's what we got and I am grateful to the whole Saw crew for it. Btw, I had no idea that Tobin Bell is 81 years old! This makes his accomplishments in the Saw franchise even more impressive for me.
As for this instalment, it's a more subdued Saw, exploring the depth of John Kramer's character. It almost feels like an Equaliser-style story of John righting the wrongs and punishing the really despicable people for their actions. It's so good to see Saw come back to the origins with John, Amanda and another surprise guest from the past.
All in all, an unexpected but very welcome return to the origins of Saw!
Bill Cunningham New York (2010)
We All Get Dressed for Bill
They say that if you live in New York long enough, you will encounter Bill Cunningham. You will see him at a runway show, or a high society banquet, but most likely you will see him in the street taking pictures of anyone who catches his eye. Bill Cunningham can be called a fashion photographer, but that would be limiting his work. He is a chronicler of life in New York City, of the people and places, and of course, of the clothes. Cunningham admits that he loves clothes, any clothes, because it perfectly mirrors the personality of the person wearing it. Even though Cunningham has no prejudice, he is able to spot trends emerging out of the bustle of New York City streets. That's why his column in The New York Times is so cherished by the fashion industry: even the highest ranking professionals like Anna Wintour take the lead from Bill in reporting the latest fashion trends.
"Bill Cunningham New York" is a documentary that follows its subject on his daily routine. And it is a routine, however unorthodox: Bill wakes up around 5 a.m. In a tiny Manhattan studio apartment, gets on his bike and sets about patrolling the streets of New York City, snapping any fashion item that catches his eye. Cunningham is an extremely dedicated photographer: he will literally jump in front of a car to take a picture. He always captures the fleeting moments, none of his pictures are choreographed. Most of the people that he photographs pay him no attention, since his face, concealed by his camera, is far less known than his work. I doubt that before this documentary was released Bill's face was ever shown on screen. He is perfectly happy to remain anonymous, since that gives him more freedom.
Bill's life is all about his work. Now in his early eighties, he lives alone in a tiny apartment and dedicates himself to photography. He can talk about his work for hours (as evidenced by this film), but he also doesn't shy away from personal questions. There are a couple of instances where he refuses to answer a question that hits too close to home, but most of the time he is honest, humble and delightful. In fact, Cunningham is such an appealing and warm character that by the end of the movie you feel like you've known him forever. There is not a single person interviewed for the documentary who can say a bad thing about him. He is reported to be a true professional with amazing integrity and a rebelliousness of the good kind, the kind that keeps him from going corporate and selling out. More importantly, he is an unbelievably positive person, who calls everyone "child" or "muffin", and appears to be in love with the entire human race. He says that his photographs are there to present the people in the best possible light, and he once broke off a contract with a publisher who tried using his pictures with snide comments.
I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in fashion or photography. You can learn a lot from Cunningham, who, for all his modesty and lack of an ego, knows exactly what he wants to achieve and will set anyone who doesn't get it straight. It is obvious that Bill's effortless style was formed through years of hard work and self-improvement. He strikes me as a man who would be doing his job even if he was never paid or published. In fact, he never takes more money than he needs, and he doesn't need a lot. That's the thing that stupefies his colleagues, but it sure keeps him honest and unbiased.
Most of all, watch "Bill Cunningham New York" if you want to remember what the Big Apple is all about: being an inspiration for artists and providing the best birth place for works of art.
31 (2016)
I love Rob Zombie movies!
Rob Zombie has a great way of creating the characters that you enjoy spending time with, even if they are demented psycho killers, and the characters that you can root for, even if they're not particularly good people. This movie has both, especially the standout star of the film, and the MVP of the title 31 game, Doom-Head - this guy needs his own movie! The actor, Richard Brake, was a creepy presence in Barbarian, and 31 gives him much more room to shine. The opening monologue is particularly impressive. And the other actors don't disappoint, but no one comes close to Brake, except maybe Zombie's better half, Sheri Moon, who doesn't play a maniac for a change. She is equally believable as the Final Girl and the Girl Who's Gonna Get the Final Girl.
Overall, another horror gem from Rob Zombie!
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Unwatchable
If there was a way to give it less than 1 stars, I would. This film is torture. The pacing is unbearably slow, the point... what is the point of this bilge? Beats me. Why was this film made? Who knows. Has Ari Aster lost the plot? You bet he has. I suppose we should have cared about Beau, but I didn't - he's not a character! He's a caricature of a character of a David Lynch movie. And David Lynch can't even pull off David Lynch sometimes.
Btw, the minimum requirement for the volume of a review is annoying. There's nothing to say about this nothing film, yet I wanna say something, if only to save at least one person the anguish of watching this pretentious garbage.
Antlers (2021)
An effective, atmospheric horror
Something sinister is going on in rural Oregon. The police find parts of a person's body with suspicious human bite marks on a corpse that could not have been destroyed like that by a human. And in a school, the new teacher discovers that one of her students might be harboring a terrible secret.
Without spoilers, this is an effective, atmospheric, horror/thriller. I have been looking for a truly scary movie and none of the horror movies that I've seen lately have come close to having any effect on me, apart from boredom and annoyance. But this movie... this movie got to me. Partly because of great direction, visuals, and acting. Especially the actor who plays Lucas is superb! I hope he has a bright future ahead of him. He really is wise beyond his years, to be able to convey so much trauma and horror with such restraint. It's very rare for a child actor.
Another reason why the movie is so effective is that it uses the horror elements to tell a larger story. In this case, the more obvious message is about how us, terrible humans, have hurt Mother Nature to the point where she is calling on her evil spirits to take revenge. And the message that had more effect on me and that is unveiled gradually throughout the movie is about the devastating effects of generational trauma. And how you might go about dealing with it in different ways - run from it, stay and try to deal with it through love or hostility, but the end result is almost never victory.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is "elevated horror" on par with Hereditary but it comes close. And that's saying a lot.
Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
Disney must be stopped
If it was possible to give this movie less than 1 stars, I would! Disney has outdone itself in the horrible and unnecessary remake department with this horrendous film. Everything that makes the original Home Alone such a beloved classic is ruined here. The entire concept is flipped on its head to the point where you wish the "robbers" would succeed in unaliving Not Kevin. Speaking of which - the actor who plays Not Kevin was adorable in Jojo Rabbit - how could they have made him so vile in this movie?!
I can't even talk about this anymore, don't want to give Disney more attention because that's just what they want.
The Accountant (2016)
Superb action thrill ride
Well done, Ben Affleck and Co.! I start with Ben because he is so awesome in this movie. It's delightful to see how he's progressed over the years, and how he continues to grow as an actor and filmmaker. This film rests heavily on him, and he carries the weight on his beefy shoulders with ease. The rest of the cast in equally brilliant, with a typical scene stealing performance by JK Simmons. I swear, the man can make any movie his own with as little screen time as possible.
I especially loved the relationship of the father with his sons. Sure, some might think that the dad was too hard on his sons, especially Chris, but that type of upbringing really helped and turned Chris from a potential victim into a champion.
The one thing that didn't work for me - hence 10 stars and not nine - the ending, the confrontation between Affleck and Bernthal. I'm not sure if the fact that Bernthal plays Aflleck's grown brother was supposed to be a surprise or not, but how was Affleck's identity a surprise for Bernthal? How many brilliant accountants with military training are there in the States? Perhaps this will become clearer upon another viewing, which this film clearly deserves.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
This did not work for me at all
Maybe I missed the whole point of the movie by expecting a light-hearted comedy about a trashy song contest? If not that, then what was this movie supposed to be? I can't figure it out. Judging by the amount of positive reviews on here, a lot of people like this movie - and good for them! But for me, this is a huge disappointment. Eurovision on its own is fun and silly, so the movie about it should be fun and silly too, right? Nope, it's boring and empty, and if not for Rachel McAdams, whom I adore, I would have quit the movie at the half-hour mark.