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Sons of Anarchy (2008)
Deep Country.
Charming, a quiet California town with four gangs trying to keep it that way, but as they say with peace long lasting get ready for war. The motorcycle club SAMCRO sits right in the middle with Clay Morrow as president and surrogate son Jax teller as second in command and war is what insues.
Kurt Sutter bought up within the shadows of a New Jersey prison has written an incredible, smart, griitty focus on the fringe cutture of Bikers that is Sons of Anarchy.
As much it is crme show it is also a story of the grind that comes from being within with Gemma Teller the matriach of the club holding all the men together with the horror that comes with in it...and there is horror.
Sons of Anarchy was released by the Linson Brothers 'Yellowstone' in 2008 and was immediately scheduled to continue. The reason being..It aloud the viewer to venture in and get out safely . More than the Soprano's with their connection to the street,we delve into a crime family.to see what it takes to manage an American outlaw motorcycle club.the show has and still is a massive success with long lasting and new fans impeccably supporting Kurt's prose.
One of the greatest shows ever written and you will never get the sound of a beautiful Harley engine out of your mind again. A journey from the street and compelling and wonderful television.
Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer (2020)
Voices.
What you notice most with The Bundy cases and what was addressed correctly by the Judge in the main trial was the total waste of humanity experienced. Ted Bundy had choices. He wasn't a street X Con angry at what ever!!! He was maticulous and smart. I will not comment on appearance. He had decided to end futures and no young woman was safe.
Falling for a Killer focusses on the woman involved and rightfully so.
You will cry with Karen Sparks. ..Her testimony is the worst I have ever heard . You will cry with Elizabeth Kendall and her amazing daughter, The two Ted Bundy spent most of his original time with.
This is not feminist properganda. This is a group of amazing people finally answering against the worst Serial killer of all time. ...A person who wanted to take light. The woman here have to praised. They don't attack they just say what was done wrong to them...very graceful. Ted was the worst of the worst.The Bundy tapes have nothing on this achievement.
A must watch on Prime Video.
Intruder (1989)
Its Actually a 10 out of 10
All I can say is wow, When I finished I sat and said 'I am an awe of you" and thats a week of Joker and Once upon a time in Hollywood. Intruder is easily the best 80's slasher. There are fundamental reasons. The slow build which makes you appreciate the characters, the amazing camera angles, the gore but at the end of the day it is scary. I am a old soul of horror fims but this movie in the third act is so so creepy. as said this is probably my biggest surprise in film ever. A must watch.
The Confession Killer (2019)
Bigger show than Bundy but not bigger than Bundy.
It has been going on for the ages. Siding with your captors. Henry Lucas is the biggest Serial killer of all time that killed one person his mother. This Limited series is an amazing tale of one of the greatest miscarrages of justice handled so poorly by the Texas Rangers when challenged by the legals and the street Sheriffs It is a stunning doco better than The Bundy tapes... interesting to note. One said I killed everybody one said I killed no body. both were lying. Henry Lee is engaging at the very least. This is a stunning tale of numbers more than anything. A must Watch as an article on early 80.s law enforcement in America.
It (2017)
January Embers
Stephen King adaptations can be a mixed bag. For every masterpiece, A Shawshank Redemption and The Shining there are other productions that sit opposite, CELL, Bag of Bones and the deplorable Mist TV series to name a few. King has a huge body of work and some times it takes a film director to make or break his writing for a cinematic audience.
Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Cary Fukunaga announced a cinema version of IT in 2014. Muschietti had directed MAMA and Fukunaga had gone into bat for Woody Harrelson and Matt Mcconaughey for the first season of True Detective. It was an interesting peering and then the production went quiet. until the first trailer.
Based on the the Novel by King and the television version which featured Tim Curry as the clown antagonist obsessed with killing children the question was; would the trailer that broke the internet match up to everything read and seen before? and if so would it be better?After two full versions Andy Muschietti had a lot of work to do.
Bill, Ben , Beverley, Richie, Mike, Eddie and Stanley live in the fictional town Derry Maine. They are all very early teenagers and find comfort among each other and are very close. Early on Bill loses his brother and it soon becomes obvious that Derry houses a demon so evil that adults cannot see it leaving it to the teens to do something about it. This is a very Stephen King story.
After a relentless death that will go down in the halls of Horror as a great film murder. This becomes a very adult version of the story compared to the mini series but not so the novel which is even more adult. Stephen King WTF !!. The Clown PENNYWISE is pivotal early and Bill Skisgard is owning it in the first few seconds which is important not just for the story but also the cinematography sound and general tension.
Muschietti has done an amazing job. Stephen King has mentioned he did not expect this to be as good as it is and he is right. This is a fantastic horror film but in saying it pays homage to the classic 80's and also addresses the issues of teens growing up ( Well almost ) and creates an on screen entity that future films other that the sequel will struggle to compete with.
PENNYWISE is not nice, Hannibal Lecter not nice.
A film that has had the highest opening of any horror film ever and it deserves this, We deserve it , This is the mini series on steroids and fills the gap between the three. Smart acting directing and writing for a simple horror film which has fallen into very caring hands.
Bring on Chapter 2...It's going to get very nasty.
Grave (2016)
Growing Pains.
Walk outs in film are a dime a dozen, Bad acting , Terrible script or maybe the vibe is all off, it's all part of the Hollywood game. When 20 people walked out of RAW in Paris last year at it's first screening it was for none of these reasons. The reason 20 people walked out and two fainted is because RAW is one of the most intense films to come out of the European state in quite awhile,
The crime of RAW is not that it is provocative it is that has the intelligence to smooth it over with focused direction and smart writing thanks to the helm at both ends, Julie Doucornow in her debut.
Justine,played by an excellent Garance Marillier is a strict vegetarian in first year in veterinarian school On the first night her dorm is raided by senior students and so begins the process of a week long hazing exercise, One afternoon she is forced to eat a raw rabbit kidney. The results are almost immediate as she discovers within herself a craving for meat and as with the title preferring the raw variety. With all these events happening at the same time she struggles to find her place in school. Juggling students, family, teachers with a crippling disease I found my self drawing similarities between this and Brian De Palma's CARRIE.
Justine, at a loss slowly succumbs to cannibalism but you won't see any zombies or Italian inspired cannibals here. The second act leads us to the reasons all those people walked out and missed the payoff and satisfying end. At heart a cannibal film but also and more importantly a story of young woman trying to find her feet and the most blistering of circumstances.
An original film from a first time director and something you can surely sink your teeth into.
The Exorcist (1973)
A Re-Visit.
On returning to The Exorcist, the question is does it stand up to the test of time and to some degree was it a masterpiece in1973 the year of its release? I watched the extended cut in 1999 as I was to young to see the original at the cinema. I was stuck by the cinematography, sound and the acting of Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller and a very young Linda Blair. It combined to make a wonderful if not disturbing experience. With the enhanced visuals and sound it found it's true place. Last night I unwrapped the Blue-Ray version and settled in to watch it on a recently purchased 4 K television.
It was an amazing experience.One of the best in cinema for me.
This version enhances the picture and sound from its DVD counterpart and as director William Friedkin has mentioned there is more 'sounds' not just better sound. This is truly the scariest film of all time, By the third act I felt savaged. I saw things I missed from the DVD, one particular image will haunt me forever as I am sure it will others.
The Exorcist is based on the highly successful novel written by William Peter Blatty. It tells the story of Chris McNeil a successful actor in Washington DC where she resides in an upmarket rental property in Georgetown with her daughter Regan. Over three weeks 12 year old Regan attracts the attention of an evil entity. Chris can only watch hopelessly as her daughter succumbs to its sinister advances leading them all into horrible form of Hell.
A tale told with hyper realism and masterfully directed. A story of lost faith, confused science and family trauma. We are lucky to live in a time of technology and anyone who has watched The Exorcist over the years you need to see this version. In 1973 this was designed for Blue-Ray. The Masterpiece just didn't know it.
One of the greatest films ever made and now on its best platform.
Watch out for Latin women.
Tusk (2014)
Best thing since The Mac.
I wanted to go 9 and a half. I love this film. It is not a masterpiece and I cannot seriously recommend it but personally it touched a raw nerve and I cannot stop thinking about it,telling friends about it and watching the scenes on Youtube. This is a very strange movie.
Wallace(Justin Long) and Terry (Haley Joel Osment,almost unrecognizable since The Sixth Sense) share a Podcast where they make fun of viral videos from around the world. One day Wallace sets off to find the owner of a particularly interesting one. It doesn't work out so he sits in a bar wondering whether to come home or find something else. He chooses the later after reading a letter in the cubicle.
He drives a couple of hours where he meets Howard Howe (Michael Parks) a former Sailor and they share Howard's story. That night Wallace is drugged and so begins his slow descent into Hell, The worst I feel that has ever been bought to cinema.
Kevin Smith the Director starts this as a comedy and even through the trauma of the third act this element still raises it's head but if only to confuse, making Wallace's story even more shocking. I have seen the everything from A Serbian Film to Martyrs to Human Centipede the awesome second one not the first but this movie stands shoulders above the rest which is strange to me being that it is a Justin Long/Kevin Smith vehicle which contains comedy.
See this film, it will haunt you and I truly believe you will never look at Justin Long the same way again. A Solid 9 and a half and holding a 10 for the sequel.
Better Call Saul (2015)
The world and everything in it.
Sorry to quote Tony Montana but within about 10 seconds of Better Call Saul you know you are back in familiar territory. This is the Breaking Bad world and Better Call Saul is part of a Sum of all parts. Yes it is that good.
The hype has been intense regarding Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould's new venture. Everyone expected that the only way to cater to everyones expectations is imitation but this is not the case. BCS stands tall on its own legs. The story is very different and it asks for your investment unlike Breaking Bad which grabbed you instantly.
I don't know how this would play out if it was a stand alone but Vince Gilligan gambled and did not stray from the path he set 5 years ago which works to the point of brilliance. The camera work made famous by Breaking Bad is back creating this vibrant familiar world. Bob OdinKirk replacing Brian Cranston is amazing as he was in Fargo. We have a way to go with the story and I won't say anything here regarding this but sign on...We are back in New Mexico.
Srpski film (2010)
An honest man's dark journey.
Milos, enjoys a normal life with his wife Marija and son Peter who both adore him. He is a former Pornstar having made lots of money but like most careers a break was needed and he had one and now he is broke. A former associate meets with him on a sunny day in a beautiful restaurant by the river. The tables and chairs are polished pine with manicured trees through out. Serbia is a beautiful place. Milos considers an offer to get back in the game 'Guerrilla' style. Un- edited Porn for a private contract and a small fortune for Milos's struggling family.
Filmed by young director Srdjan Spasojavic with an eye for detail A Serbian film is a disturbing vision from Mr Spasojavic. So much has been said about this film, maybe to much but for such a controversial film we start slowly as Milos physically and mentally prepares for the industry again from the inside of a bottle of Scotch. Another Srdjan,this time Srdjan Todorovic does a strong job as the sensitive and morally challenged Milos and I found his performance similar to that of Christian Bale's The Machinist. Our protagonist meets Vukmir the director of his film to be, an excellent performance by the charismatic Serjei Trifonovic. This is where the film moves in an unexpected direction and why it has been banned, censored and even had posts put up on YouTube showing peoples shocked reactions. I have always been an anti censorship campaigner. Growing up in New Zealand I watched horror films and between the eighties and nineties only a few weren't censored so I am a lending ear to a director wishing to push boundaries. I will stop here by saying Milos has made a really bad decision and it is left with editing, sound and special effects make-up people to follow up on. Not a lot of people know this but Srdjan Spasojevic hired the most professional film crew in Serbia and it shows. The scenes in the second half of the film are harrowing, made more so by the talents of the team behind them. Time was taken with this film although one of the editors did quit of course and throughout the film you will see why. I did feel that despite the argument; A Serbian film is not political, not at all and so Mr Spasojavic is lying or he is a little nervous about his baby. The Director has watched Hostel, Saw and all the others like the rest of us and this is his homage to these American juggernauts, it's just that he has done it better.