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chrisj892009
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An error has ocurred. Please try againI have included only the first 7 films and not the 8th because I ignore it for obvious reasons, nor have I included the Rob Zombie movies for the same reasons. The 2018 reboot was good, but as I generally don't like a lot of newer movies, I've decided not to add it to the list.
I like only the first 7 films of the franchise.
Reviews
Close (2022)
The Importance of Friendship
They don't make films like they used to, but every so often you'd be surprised to find a hidden gem amongst the rubbish they churn out in Hollywood nowadays. We don't need CGI or special effects to make a good movie now, and if you want a good story, the best you can find comes from independent cinema, especially foreign cinema.
This one is very special indeed because it hits hard and we all can relate to the fact that we've lost someone, someone 'close'. The story here follows best friends, Léo and Rémi, who are practically inseparable. They spend every waking hour together, as well as having sleepovers. On their first day of high school they are questioned by their classmates as to whether they are a couple. Léo begins to realise that he and Rémi's affection for one another does appear as though they are much closer than just friends and slowly attempts to distance himself from Rémi, while making new friends and joining the ice hockey team. One night they are having a sleepover, Léo decides to stop sleeping in Rémi's bed with him and moves to a separate bed, and when he awakes to find Rémi next to him he becomes aggressive with him, causing Rémi to become hurt and confused. One morning when Léo travels to school alone, something which he and Rémi always did together, Rémi attacks him in the school playground. On the day of a school trip, Léo is confused as to why Rémi is absent and back at school he is informed that Rémi took his own life. Léo, filled with regret, tries to suppress his grief and move forward, while trying to avoid Rémi's mother in fear of her knowing the truth. When Léo eventually opens up he then learns to express his grief.
By the end of the film you are left with this sad, empty feeling because you can only imagine the pain that Léo is experiencing, the pain of losing your best friend, the memories, and the guilt and regret of not being there when a friend needed you, and most of all, the loneliness. Although not exactly stated, the affection they felt for each other was perhaps more than just friendship. The film is well written and directed amazingly by Lukas Dhont, as well as the fantastic performances from Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele and Émilie Dequenne. One thing that you realise from watching this is that you should never let peer pressures influence you to turn your back on a genuine friend, regardless of the reason. Good friends are few and far between, so let them know how much they are appreciated.
Highly recommended. 10/10.
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016)
I should have expected it...
As a die-hard fan of the original series, I have to say, I am one of very few who didn't find the big screen version that great.
One thing I wish to point out, the first and foremost, is how much I detest Edina's house in this movie. I just don't see why they couldn't have kept the original Monsoon House we all came to know and love.
Like many films made today, Ab Fab unfortunately fell victim to the same fate as many studio-produced movies. It would have worked much better as a low-budget independent feature, or a BBC TV movie, where the script and performances would have flourished beyond what we see now in most Hollywood blockbusters.
Funny in bouts, thanks to Jennifer Saunders' script, the film remains lacklustre, as what could have been one of the funniest movies of the past decade, has been reduced to the typical, ridiculous, slapstick shenanigans one can expect from a studio production.
Classic TV shows just don't work on the big screen!
Clink (2019)
Mediocre prison drama
As a fan of prison dramas such as Bad Girls, Prisoner: Cell Block H and Wentworth, I was intrigued when I heard that a new women's prison drama would be coming UK screens in 2019. When I heard that that it was going to be an original production for 5Star and that it was going to be called "Clink", I started to think bad acting, awful writing and that it won't last beyond the first season. After watching the first episode, I have to say I was pretty surprised, as it was a little better than I expected it would be. The one thing that actually got me interest was that Alicya Eyo who played prisoner, Denny Blood in Bad Girls was going to be the governor in this series. When I watched it however, I wasn't exactly bored, but wasn't thrilled either. Nothing dramatic, no fights, not even a sense of threat. The prisoners are actually polite. The acting is just ok. There isn't that nervous build-up when you know something big is coming. It's no Bad Girls and I doubt it ever will be as good, but I think it may have potential to go somewhere. I can't exactly recommend it, but at least watch the first episode, you'll know if you want to go any further.
Home and Away: Episode #1.4938 (2009)
Strong Stuff!
Home and Away is known for its extremely dramatic story lines, and over the years it's tackled everything you could probably think of. The storyline here follows the rape of Charlie Buckton, trying to prove that her attacker Grant Bledcoe did actually rape her when she was about 15. Charlie tries to convince her daughter (who until recently pretended to be her sister) Ruby, who was conceived through the rape, that Grant did sexually assault her and several other women who previously admitted it to Charlie. Charlie has used a stunner gun on Grant (in a scene that was edited by Channel 5 in the UK), and is holding him hostage in an abandoned shed, where she plans to force the truth out of him by torturing him. Ruby discovers where Charlie is and what she is up to, and tries to talk her out of harming Grant, just as she getting through to her, Ruby tries to rescue Grant, and it's revealed that Grant did, in fact rape Charlie. The pair tell Grant to leave town as he threatens to expose what Charlie has done, but Ruby plans to stand by Charlie and lie for her if Grant reports her.
This is one of the more stronger episodes of Home and Away, in which it deals with, not only adult themes which are present throughout, but the intensity of what is going on between Charlie, Grant and Ruby. In the past, the show has suffered editing from UK channels ITV and Channel 5 (which still makes minor edits), and its episodes like this for which this happens, other reasons being that there could be brief scenes of strong violence. This may be a strong episode, but also a great one.
9/10
McLeod's Daughters (2001)
A Brilliant Show!
As a guy, i am not a fan of TV shows aimed at a women's audience, which i guess McLeod's Daughters is, but when i first watched this show a few years back, i found it to be great and entertaining. Apart from the annoying pop soundtrack, this is a brilliant show, it is well acted and it seems to be believable and realistic up until around season seven anyway. Claire and Tess were great as the two original McLeod's sisters, and with the arrival or new characters and the departure of the original characters. Like Home and Away and Packed to the Rafters, McLeod's Daughters is another great show to come for down under. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Australian television.
8/10.