muximas Reviews

Murdoch Mysteries: Station House of Horror (2023) Season 17, Episode 5

Sleep inducing horror

[1/10 · 7 November 2023]

This was like the Simpsons tree house of horror but without the humor. So what was left? Cheap copies of existing horror or twilight zone stories that you already know. Don't watch it with children as they might not sleep well after the chucky doll part. As adults neither me nor my wife enjoyed it either. Drab, boring. All this while we love the show and the actors...

As I still need to write two hundred characters for the review to be accepted: Where was George Crabtree, the most fun, most human and most likeable character in the series just when we needed him most? At least he might have brought some life to this episode.

Hazard (2022)

Three stars for the few good things.

[3/10 · 21 January 2023]

A man and his beloved car's day is about to go down the drain. Dimitri Vegas, not being an actor is quite good in his role. Jeroen Perceval has a habit of overdoing his roles so much that all credibility goes out of the door and you can only see him as a parody and he isn't helped by a very weak script. A good actress like Jennifer Heylen should have gotten more screentime. The music in this film has 4 tracks that were used in another flemish movie from 2022, the very well made and entertaining 'Zillion', which is weird for 20 year old music tracks. At times H4ZARD looks like a video clip which to me comes across as archaic and lazy. Maybe that's why the director only gets to make one movie every decade. Avoid this one at all costs, there are plenty of flemish movies and series that range from good to excellent, this one is not part of that collection...

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953)

For those who love melancholy

[10/10 · 27 January 2022]

The genius of this movie is how Mr Hulot, a proto-Mr. Bean character observes how every generation experiences a vacation at sea differently but at the same time as the others without much interaction. You will watch the movie with different eyes if you rewatch it every 20 years. Absolutely brilliant.

Mr. Holmes (2015)

Another Beautiful Mind

[10/10 · 13 August 2019]

The greatest detective of all time (according to his friend John) is in his autumn years. The struggle with a deteriorating mind and body and the haunting consequences of his final case will finally, with the help of a young boy, lead him to a crucial new insight.

Absolutely brilliant and touching performance by all of the actors but especially by Sir Ian McKellen who proves that he is one of the absolute all time great ones.

W. - The Killer of Flanders Fields (2014)

Underrated

[8/10 · 8 August 2014]

This is not a film for everyone as it has some quick very graphic still pictures of extreme torture but still enough to make almost everyone uncomfortable. But given the theme of the movie it's acceptable in the way it's presented.

The movie follows former commissioner Witse of the same TV-series who is now two years into his retirement. The film assumes knowledge of the depressed nature of the main character.

When Witse's long lost sister turns up because her daughter is murdered our antihero starts an investigation of his own, more out of boredom than because of family ties. While the preparations for the remembrance of the first World War are going on around Ieper a cat and mouse game with the killer starts and forces Witse to face his own personal demons.

The photography and direction as well as the actors all deserve a big thumbs up, the dark theme kept a lot of people from seeing this movie but in time it will probably be recognized for what it is. A well made film.

Forbidden Warrior (2005)

Entertaining

[8/10 · 30 September 2010]

Seeing all the negative reviews I just have to write one that contradicts this. People seem to go into this movie with expectations of another Crouched Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This it is not, having trained in 5 different martial arts I could appreciate the fights in this movie a lot more than those in CT,HD though as there are no ridiculous fights in tree tops or moves so fast that they are impossible to pull off...

I love the movie Kung Pow and although that was an intended totally ridiculous movie this one did have some references to it, but it also had a lot of references to Star Wars with the very Obi-Wan like Master, an evil empire chasing the princess and the orchestral score.

Most of the scenes were cut a little short and the actors may never get any Oscars but at least it never felt like the movie was dragging along (LOTR - are we there yet?) and it had adventure, treason, romance, a master and an apprentice, decent not over the top fights, some kind of land pirates, magic, an ancient riddle, and a Chosen One...

I watched the movie with my 16, 18 and 22 year old kids and none of us got bored, at times we good a good laugh with the references to other movies and we enjoyed it, only the lack of a decent ending was a let down but kept us wanting to see the sequel...

It's not a pretentious movie and if you can look at it that way it's really a good one!

You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)

Funniest anti-war movie ever!

[8/10 · 11 October 2008]

My aunt was married to a Jew and I have lived in a neighborhood with 90% Arabs so I know how these people behave.

This is not a film for people who are easily offended by sex jokes, but those who wrote that it is a racist movie are wrong. Yes, it is full of stereotypes but that is what comedy is all about: Exaggerating some parts of peoples personality. Besides, the movie doesn't pick a side with the Jews or the Palestinians, it doesn't insult either side, it even manages to show how the terrorists (whichever side that is) are just misled people who believe they do the right thing.

There are a lot of running gags in the movie, the hummus, the faygelah jokes, the fizzy bubbeleh, the goat and more that I can't remember. It doesn't have the best script ever but the jokes keep on coming at a fast rate and the underlying message is a very strong one: We don't HAVE to keep on fighting.

If all the extremists in the Middle-East and elsewhere would see this movie perhaps there is still hope because the message of peace in this film is a very strong one.

2001: A Space Travesty (2000)

Absolutely brilliant...

[18 November 2003]

For years I have been suffering Insomnia but then I got my hands on the DVD of 2001 A Space Travesty... for weeks now I have been trying to watch the movie for more than fifteen minutes but I can't... I fall asleep every time. So this movie is absolutely brilliant... as a cure for insomnia!

Centennial (1978–1979)

The most memorable miniseries ever

[13 January 2003]

When looking up what Timothy Dalton had done over the years I saw Centennial in the list... immediately it brought back a lot of memories. I saw the series when I was 12 years old and I was very impressed with it. The way Pasquinel ventured out alone into the unknown and made a living by trading beaver skins, the way he meets his indian wife, the friendship he develops with Alexander McKeag, The honest Levi Zendt, the great cattle drive... after all those years those things are still in my memory and I recommend this series to everyone who has a chance of seeing it.

I hope they put it on DVD because this is one series I would really like to show to my children, I am sure they would love it just as much as I did back then.

Rollerball (2002)

Gladiator on Skates

[8/10 · 28 May 2002]

Despite the title I do NOT want to compare this movie to Ridley Scott's masterpiece but it certainly is not as bad as some reviewers say it is... in fact I found this movie to be higly entertaining. There are no 'great' actors except for Jean Reno (who is not as good as he usually is though) but the typecasting is perfect except for Chris Klein who looks way too 'nice' but who is doing a very good job nevertheless... I don't know why he looks and sounds almost exactly like Keanu Reeves though.

At times the movie looks like you're watching a video clip but I guess that's just the sign of the times... The actionscenes in and out of the stadium are very exciting and never dull. There is some background information on how everything came to be but you have to pay attention or you miss it.

I also loved the references to the world of professional wrestling.

I give this movie a 7.5, it's not a 'great' movie but if you are willing to be entertained you'll be entertained by it...