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DrexxelNec
Reviews
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Pretentious
The advertisements for this movie really drew me in, but when it was all over, all I could think was "pretentious". As in "let's make a movie that is deep and complex and full of 'message' and really shoot for that Oscar". But the final outcome of that big plan was a mess of a movie.
The most ironic part of this is that the movie was supposed to be about how crappy blockbusters are and how important "artful theater" is. And I *agree* with much of that message. I love live theater. I love *good* independent movies. And yet this artful movie was just a confusing mess, with tons of long try spells between anything interesting.
At least let me say something nice: Two thumbs up to Ed Norton for the incredible entrance scene he did. That was the highlight of the movie.
Out of Mind: The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft (1998)
One of the best HPL inspired movies ever
Having seen most of the films in the genre of "HPL inspired" from Hollywood to the HPL film festivals, I can honestly say that this film was one of the most enjoyable. It brought HPL to life in a believable, respectful and moving way (most of us who know HPL may recall that no motion picture nor audio tape of him is known to exist; only still photos and his writings, so this was something of a treat).
The few "monstrous" special effects were too hokey for this film, however and could have been either done better or left out and thus left to the imagination. Other than that, it was nice to see the mixture of name-dropping and time-interweaving done in the style of HPL's stories. That is, mysterious, suspenseful and ultimately pulling back the curtain to reveal cosmic horror behind it all.
Memorable moments: - HPL trying to sound out "Cthulhu" to himself - HPL's dignified manner of holding himself and his careful articulation - HPL describing the Nightgaunts which came to him in nightmares since he was 6 years old.
If you like HPL (not if you're a fan of the ultra-gruesome, not-in-the-style-of-HPL crap films like Re-animator and From Beyond) then you'll truly enjoy this movie.