Filip_Pruncu Reviews

Satan Rides the Media (1999 TV Movie)

A classic

[8/10 · 21 September 2023]

This is a classic documentary on the Norwegian BM scene centered on Varg Vikerness. Many other documentaries followed. Lords of Chaos book appeared a year before this documentary. Now we know that many of the things which appeared here and in the book and other documentaries were exaggerated and false, many people in the BM community coming out and telling the true story or their part of the story. But, truth be told, no matter how you put it, it was an intense period and no other music genre was so committed to expressing itself outside the lyrics and the music like BM has. A dark music with a dark history.

This documentary is one of the earliest that tried to cover what happened back then, and I think it did a decent job, considering it came out in 1999. They could've interviewed more musicians and people in the underground scene, yet they wanted to bring this documentary as a crime documentary more than a music documentary, thus they brought all the police and journalists at the time to speak about how they seen the events.

Unfortunately, Varg was depicted as a satanist, which he was not, but I guess it's better for the media picture.

All in all, this remains a cult documentary.

Curiosa (2019)

Doesn't deliver

[6/10 · 26 August 2023]

It's just... dull. The actors are doing their best, but the slow paced, no-surprise directing and story just don't do it any good. I personally didn't feel any connection to any of the characters, it seemed like a cold movie with no soul.

Many people here like the music score. I don't. I don't see why you would use contemporary music in a period drama movie. They could've used some classical improvisation.

The french of the fin-de-siecle... cliche or not, they were amazing. But this film doesn't seem to catch the magic of them and those times.

It's repetitive, slow paced at times, empty from emotional point of view. Just doesn't deliver.

Teambuilding (2022)

Painful

[2/10 · 27 January 2023]

I must admit that this was a big disappointment. All the fuss in the news and the social media, all the marketing, and all the discussions around this film have made me very curios about it, and the trailer made me think this might be a good film. Well, unfortunately, that is not the case. For many reasons.

One of the reasons why this movie is bad (in my opinion) is the bad humor, which is weird because there were about four of five times that I actually laughed, but it's too little compared to the many cringe and awkward moments that this production has delivered. It was full of bad, childish, stereotypical jokes gone too far, which for us Romanians are not funny anymore, they have been used too much over the years and they have been overused here. People talk about the foul language. Well, foul language can be great if it's well used, but here it was just a poor attempt.

Second of all, the story itself. While the story of a corporation and corporate life is a great story for a comedy, this has been taken too far away from reality and made into a parody of the actors, writers and directors of the movie, not the subject itself. The corporate language is something that can be exploited in a comedy, and it was well done to a point (example: the scene in the bus) but then it went too far again. The relationship between the colleagues, the boss, the team leader, the cleaning lady, the other departments and so on, all of these could've been well exploited for a comedy, but this movie failed to do so. Another great trait of corporate life that could've been exploited is the way it changes people and people's mindset, the way they differ from other people in personality, thought and social interaction in general. But this was perhaps avoided, or just forgotten (although there's much talk in Romania about the way people are changed by corporations). The interaction between the employee and the customer is another great story, but here it was completely away from reality. They should've explored the frustrations of the customers and the employees and made it fun, but instead they turned it into something grotesquely false and exaggerated. There are many aspects of corporate life that could've been exploited, but they were forgotten or just simply presented very artificially. I mean, who the hell has such competitions, and how could the fate of a department depend on a cup?! No, not happening in real life. Oh, bosses and team leaders smoking weed with employees? Yeah, that is real. But again, it wasn't exploited enough.

Last but not least, the actors. Ok, Matei Dima acted well, Cosmin Nedelcu/Micutu acted ok, Roxana Condurache got the team leader role and done it ok'ish, Anca Dinicu acted good, Anca Munteanu was good and funny. But then we go to the bad batch, led by Nicu Banea. Poor guy, he was extremely cringe, extremely bad at acting and painful to watch. And he had the same effect in L-a Seral. The bad batch is completed by Adrian Nicolae, who acted as he has been told, being given a bad role and he just acted the way he was supposed to (in a very exaggerated role). Well, without naming the rest of the cast, I can say they were just not the right decision. Not even Serban Pavlu, a respected actor. He seemed to be a bit out of character and didn't deliver much.

It made me think about Miami Bici, and I'm trying to decide which one is better (or worse). But anyway! Conclusion is that these guys are not made for directing. They may be good actors, but Romanian cinema still has a long way to go when it comes to comedy.

Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2019)

Comes heavy on the heart

[9/10 · 21 December 2022]

I've discovered this movie through a friend of mine who highly recommended it. After watching it, I HAD to recommend it further to other people, since this is a movie that WILL have an impact on you.

I haven't seen the 2013 Korean movie, but I might, because this is such an interesting and heartbreaking story. And since it's been adapted from real life events, it's even more heartbreaking.

But getting back to Yedinci Kogustaki Mucize. The writers, Özge Efendioglu and Kubilay Tat done an amazing job, and the director, Mehmet Ada Öztekin, put the story perfectly on the screen with the help of Aras Bulut Iynemli, who has played his role perfectly. So yeah, writing/script, directing and the acting of Aras Bulut Iynemli, Ilker Aksum, Mesut Akusta, Yildiray Sahinler, Deniz Celiloglu and Sarp Akkaya made this into a masterpiece of emotional art. I was not impressed by the rest of the actors, but the ones I mentioned really deserve many applause. The pace is perfect and you cannot be bored, not even for a second, since everything is so well done that the two hours pass by without realizing, only by the weight it puts on your soul and how much you can take at an emotional level.

Besides the emotional value, it also has a religious and mystical value that ads up to the overall experience, an experience that will probably leave a mark on you. It gives us the opportunity to understand things better, and from other perspectives. You have the perspective of the child, the father, the grandmother, the teacher, the community, the political, the law, the criminal, the religious, the mystical, the way they differ and the way they connect to a point of human being as a whole, with all its imperfections.

In conclusion, if you want to experience the true magic of cinematic art, this is your chance.

Là-Bas (2012)

Dark and chilling

[10/10 · 15 December 2022]

While this has little to do with Huysman's novel, the atmosphere it delivers is perfect. I'm not one that usually appreciates experimental films, but this is special indeed. The dark and cold atmosphere, and music on the background, it all gives you the feeling of vulnerability. The description given on Vimeo given by Fabrice himself is perfectly suited for this simple yet complex scene (you can find the description on his website as well).

I would use a projector to put this on the wall of my bedroom, and the sound in the film would definitely need to be the only thing that could be heard in the room. I can only imagine the effect it would have on me or someone in the room.

Wednesday (2022– )

Goth girl goes to Hogwarts

[5/10 · 2 December 2022]

I've rewrote this review because 1) I finally finished the season and 2) Because I came to a better understand.

Now, of course, I could've been even more cruel and title this review "Scooby Doo goes to Hogwarts to meet the X-Men" but I'm trying not to offend anyone (too much). After all, there is a connection of Scooby Doo and the Addams Family as far back as the 70s.

With the promise I made to my 10 year old niece, I forced myself to finish the first season. In the original review I wrote here, I was saying that: "I'm at episode 3 and it is painful. It was a struggle to watch the first episode, but the more it goes on, the worse it gets."

But before I (and others) come to conclusions, I (we) need to understand some things clear: This is a coming-of-age series made for the adolescents of today. It is not for adults specifically, it is not R-Rated and most of all, we must understand that the new generation of teenagers are different from the teenagers we were. The difference in generations must be taken into account. After all, those who are fans of the 90s movies (like myself) will also see the 60s series differently, and the 60s fans (such as our parents) will see the 90s movies differently. I'll come to this subject again later in the review.

Now my thoughts.

While this has all the necessary 'tools' to be great, it just isn't (in my opinion). We have a cast with great actors such as Christina Ricci, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Gwendoline Christie and the new star Jenna Ortega who is really really good. We have Tim Burton who directed four episodes. We have music of Danny Elfman on four episodes. We have Romania, who could've been used as it is, instead of turning it into an American land. Even with all of this, it just couldn't deliver (to me).

It has nothing to do with the madness of the Addams Family tradition, it's more like a fantastic world of J. K. Rowling after listening to Bauhaus, while at the same time talking in teenage internet language. Painfully cringe, many times predictable. All the goth stuff you can think of, it's here, but presented in a way that is, like I said, cringe. I'm expecting that in a future episode we'll see Wednesday drinking absinthe in a cemetery and reading Poe's poems, or maybe using some Book of Shadows, Ouja Board and some occult-themed stuff (which wouldn't be new, but lets see how predictable this show will be). The grandiose moment when Wednesday pronounces "mansplaining", you know you got a Netflix production.

While the Addams family of the 90s (both the movies and the animated series which I loved as a kid) had a darker humor that made you laugh, here I didn't even smirk. Maybe I'm just one of the old generation that is lost in the past and can't connect with today's generation, and I'm stuck with the rather more offensive, darker humor of those movies. The humor in here is just too mainstream, too gentle, too cliché. Looking at the high praises given here in the reviews, and then going to the profiles of the people who wrote them, I understand that this is a tv series that is great for the teenagers of today. The generations differ, that is clear in many aspects, and this is one example. That doesn't mean I'm right and they are wrong, of course. The same is for me, who as a 90s Addams Family fan can't really enjoy the first shows from the 60s to the fullest, or even the 1998 adaptations which were truly horrible (even though Nicole Fugere was great and I was in love with her when I was a kid). I didn't even bother to watch the 2019 and 2021 animated movies. So Wednesday 2022 is not the worst.

Even so. You can't even tell it's a Tim Burton movie. I don't know what happened to Burton, but after Sweeney Todd he seems to have lost his brilliance. Yes, Dark Shadows and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children might have a bit of his touch, but not in the way we think of him. When you say Tim Burton you say Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, Corpse Bride and even though not directed by him, the classic Nightmare Before Christmas. Adding an Addams Family would've been a must-have in his profile, but this one just didn't work out.

The school for weirdos is actually more normal than the school I was at. The principle of the school (Gwendoline Christie) is out of character and more of a 'normie' than a 'weirdo'. The other actors are so plain that I can't even remember their names. There were those two teenagers in the bookshop trying to flirt as in a 80s teen movie. I don't remember their names, but that moment was so cringe I felt like screaming and slamming my face in the monitor. I guess I can be Wednesday too. I think that Thing has the best acting. Oh, and Christina Ricci is doing a good job at... whatever she's supposed to do/be in the film (later edit: found out her role in film and it's good, but her character's final discovery was made in a mediocre style). With all the respect I have for Catherine Zeta-Jones, she just doesn't make you feel like she makes a good Morticia, as for Luiz Guzman, again, not a good fit for a fantasy style movie (he will always be El Cid for me: from Oz). However, the worst character and actor here is Fred Armisen/Uncle Fester. When the guy came out I thought that he's like a villain from a Fox Kids/Nickeldeon/Nick Jr. Production who happened to steal Cruella de Vil's motorcycle while having Raiden's electric superpowers. What-is-this?! Compare Fred's Uncle Fester with Christopher Lloyd's Uncle Fester and you'll see the HUGE difference.

There are some good things here and there, and the dance scene is indeed great, Jena's moves and stare are perfect! The scene when she speaks in German to the tourists is also great, and it's something that really brings the real character of Wednesday as known in the Addams Family tradition. The piranha scene is also characteristic to Wednesday we all know and love. The scene when she plays the cello is also amazing, it actually gave me chills (good ones). The sword fight is great as well, her fighting skills in general are great. "Thing" being portrayed very human-like in character/personality (like he's one who likes to take care of his skin) is really cool as well.

Yes, goth girl goes to Hogwarts. This is so much like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Harry Potter, Scooby Doo and X-men that is so far from the original idea and charm of the Addams Family. Drop some teenage hormones, since it's a Netflix production, and there you have it. Enjoy the stew!

Copacul Dorintelor: Amintiri din Copilarie (2021)

Romanian cinema transcended from the one we're used to, like Mara transcends to the magical world

[9/10 · 13 November 2022]

I'm so glad that I've seen this movie with my 10 year old niece. However, since the sad story, I would advice parents to be careful if they have very sensible children, because this might affect them.

But the way the story was mingled with the harsh reality is amazing. They've done a great job with the story and writing of this movie. The musical score is much better than in most Romanian movies. The whole movie is a new experience and a breath of fresh air in Romanian cinema. It's new, it's beyond what it's normally done in Romania and it's good. The sound is good, which is something that always bothered me in Romanian movies. It is indeed very well made.

Even the actors play well, though they are not full time actors. Matei Dima and Cosmin Nedelcu only recently started in the movie industry and they're doing well so far. Stand-up Comedians mostly, but they're doing a great job.

As for Maya Prediger who plays Maia in the film, she was great! Played very very well!

All in all, a very good movie that I recommend every family to watch.

I have my movie lists and tried to find a place to put this according to the genre. While it obviously can go in the Adventure - Fantasy category, it can also fall in the Dramedy genre.

Gentleman Jack (2019–2022)

Started well, continued mediocre

[8/10 · 5 November 2022]

I really enjoyed the first season. Suranne Jones does indeed fit perfectly in the character and acts great. The story is indeed fascinating, especially from a socio-historical point of view. However, season 2 has inclined too much on the disputes over miss Walker's family estate in my opinion, losing the central subject of the series: The relationship between miss Lister and miss Walker. Season 1 also kinda inclined too much on miss Lister's businesses. I think that the second priority subjects should've had less presentation, since by the 7th episode of season 2 it's becoming almost boring, just watching family and business disputes, instead of the relationship of the two women, which is of historical importance in the LGBT community.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Possible reality of AI shown in a movie

[7/10 · 23 September 2022]

I've seen lots of documentaries and read lots about the evolution of AI in real life, and it is scary. Right now, we have some robots that don't have a big AI, but we have AI that are not yet in robots. However, what they say about humanity shows how reality could come very close to what Terminator Dark Fate pictures here (with the obvious exaggerations... it's a movie, not a documentary!).

Now, people talk about this as being a failed movie and the the franchise of the Terminator should've been over. I must disagree. With a little more originality and more attention to details, a really good Terminator movie could come. Unfortunately, Dark Fate is not that film, but still it's not bad. I personally liked it. However, it's the details that count.

The action is good, the dialogue is not brilliant but neither is it cringe, the script and story is interesting. The actors are all ok, except for our lady Hamilton, whose character has been too cheesy. Sarah Connor seems to have become a very frustrated and arrogant old lady, but leaving that aside, not even the acting gets to you. It seems she forced her efforts and overdone it. Arnold acted ok for what he was supposed to do, however the idea of T-800 becoming Carl is again exaggerated. Not because of what a robot can become in time, but how they portrayed T-800 physically right now (won't say anything to avoid spoilers). Mackenzie kicked ass in this role, and was a good fit! Miss Reyes was... ok, I guess.

I see people complaining about the new Terminator villain, that he talks too much. Well, an AI does that. Not only it talks, but can do much much more, right now, in our own reality. An AI thinks, talks, acts very sharp, and in the future they will be much more advanced, so I don't think that this new AI Terminator is too chatty, but it's actually a portrayal of how an AI can become very convincing with words. Maybe it doesn't have that creepy vibe that the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) had, but it's still creepy, especially since it is almost unstoppable.

Also, for those who regret the ending of John Connor and the Judgement Day save, you must understand how time works and how the future can always be changed due to what people do in the present. If you keep doing the same mistakes, you will always have consequences in the future, and as long as people continue with the AI and Robots, this is inevitable, no matter how many times "the Connors" save the day. It's up to mankind to stop playing with fire and making AI more and more intelligent, and this doesn't apply only in the film, but in reality.

All in all, it's a decent to good movie, but could've been better.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Has its good sides and bad sides, but overall, a good sequel

[7/10 · 18 September 2022]

The movie has an old style vibe to it, a late 80s American movie vibe. It starts cringe, with cringe dialogue and predictable sentences, it was full of clichés, many of the parts about the kid and the father were predictable.

However, when the real action starts, it saves the movie. The action is top quality, gives an adrenaline rush in your veins.

The actors played done their job very well, especially Miles Teller. Ed Harris and Jon Hamm is no surprise that they fit perfectly in their roles.

I've read in many places that this sequel has surpassed the original, but I don't really agree. When Top Gun came out, it was something extraordinary, it remained a classic. This sequel is obvious that is somehow better, since cinema evolved since then, but times have changed and I don't see Maverick becoming a classic like Top Gun. There wasn't the same hype as with Top Gun. Maybe because we have higher standards today. It's hard to compare them, but it is indeed a good sequel.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

So far, so good

[8/10 · 17 September 2022]

I know my review won't be as popular, because my view aren't as popular. I'm not a big time book fan that is searching for all the missing things from the books, or twisted scenes from the book that came into the series. So here it goes!

I need to make a comparison with the prequel House of the Dragon, because they came at the same time, they are both prequels to great cinema masterpieces (and books) and they both come from the minds of great writers. Compared to George R. R. Martin's world before the events of Game of Thrones, meaning the House of the Dragon TV Show, The Rings of Power is more grandiose in visuals, but maybe lacking the magic of LOTR that we love.

Now leaving aside House of the Dragon, I'll speak only of The Rings of Power. The grandiose images that we were presented the the LOTR movies are still top quality. The fantastic world presented is still extremely fit for a Tolkien movie, no matter what the die hard fans say. The narrative is very interesting, but I will not get into that to avoid any spoilers. However, storyline is great. The actors are all great, but I must say that Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Robert Aramayo, Peter Mullan are perfect fits. The lines and the dialogue are good. I personally don't see anything bad so far. It's been only four episodes so far and I am personally satisfied of the work. And I'm pretty sure that what is best is about to come. Thus... so far, so good!

Lansky (1999 TV Movie)

Good, but not enough

[7/10 · 15 September 2022]

From my knowledge about Meyer, much of this is true. It's a very close portrayal of the man who was Mayer Lansky. However, this is NOT your typical mafia movie. It's not about the mafia itself, it's more about Mayer as a person, not Mayer as the brain behind the crime empire. The acting is good. I know people praised Richard Dreyfuss a lot, but I actually liked Joshua Praw (little Mayer) even more! Such a shame the kid didn't act more. Anthony LaPaglia was ok, Eric Roberts as well, but they didn't come close to their high acting performances. I think there's something missing in this. It's like the actors didn't have a good chemistry.

The movie is somewhere between the romanticized mafia movie and a documentary. It isn't too romanticized but neither is it too deep in what the man was and has done. It's good, but not enough.

Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006)

I was waiting for something to happen, or a moral or something... never came

[5/10 · 1 September 2022]

For an hour and a half I watched some very innocent couples, doing what couples do and... that's about it. Doesn't lead anywhere, there are no real funny moments, just plain British humor that reminds me of my grandmother's humor.

Indeed, a sunny day, people in love, all are different: Some are old, some are young, some are black, some are white, some are gay, some are straight, some are rich, some are poor, some are elevated and some are dumb.

All the dialogue is dull, the action slow, there's no moral of the movie, no event that gathers everything that happened in all that time.

I honestly don't know what I've seen. I'm blank.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Lets see how it evolves

[7/10 · 29 August 2022]

After ten episodes:

The last three episodes have saved it. Since the major events happening at the court, everything is being put into a better, more dynamic scene. Names we know from the past are starting to come back to our years. The fight for justice is inevitable, the honor of the House Targaryen must be restored and I'm pretty sure Season 2 will be much better.

Sure, it doesn't have the gory scenes and sexual scenes from GoT, but maybe there's a reason for it. Maybe it's meant to show that in the times before the reign of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, the lands were not so decadent. But that's just a maybe from someone who didn't read the original books.

After seven episodes:

There is something missing. It just doesn't seem to have anything to say to me. Maybe it does to you, I don't know. But what defines these series for me is that... it's the only series from which I don't eagerly expect a new episode. All the series I'm watching right now make me wait for the new episode. This one doesn't. All I get is family drama and political meetings. Even those aren't good enough to raise the standards. It just... bores me.

The only actors left that do make an impression now are Matt Smith and Paddy Considine. Fabien Frankel's role has faded, so did Rhys Ifans role. Matthew Needham is promising but gets little attention at the moment. Milly Alcock and Emily Carey were brilliant, now we are left with these actors who.. don't transmit anything. So far, I'm disappointed.

From 6 stars to 5 stars. Waiting for something to happen. Anything!

------------

After four episodes:

I am still waiting for something to happen. So far, nothing spectacular. Comparing House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, to The Rings of Power, the prequel to The Hobbit and the LOTR, this is weaker. Why am I comparing the two? Because they are both prequels to cinematographic masterpieces, from the writings of great writers, and they appeared in the same time. While The Rings of Power already presented a lot, House of the Dragon is still keeping a slow pace.

Besides the dragons, there is nothing spectacular in this. It is a lot of politics, but little action. And by action I mean both fights and sex scenes. If we remember the way GoT started, we can easily see that this has a milder beginning. Not only that, but some scenes and dialogue were even cringe, which is not acceptable in a work based on the writings of George R. R. Martin. Even more, many scenes were so predictable! This is very different from GoT and really doesn't come close to the grandiose atmosphere that it had. I'm still waiting, but so far, nothing to catch the eye.

From 7 stars it took it down to 6 stars.

------------

So far, the first two episodes were dull, and the second episode was very predictable.

The actors, however, are very good. Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans, Milly Alcock and especially Matt Smith are doing a great job. Actually Matt Smith seems a perfect fit.

The visuals are very good, the story is decent so far.

So for now, I'll give it a 7 star rating, and as the series go on, I will make changes to this review.

Elvis (2022)

Just... not enough

[8/10 · 22 August 2022]

The movie is ok and just ok. I am honestly disappointed after all the fuss about it before its release.

The movie begins too fast and doesn't stop at many critical points in Elvis's life, such as the time at Sun Records. Nothing about his rides with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis etc. Not about his time with Dixie. Actually, there is no natural flow, it's going so fast from scene to scene that it doesn't let you breathe for a moment the scene you just watched.

At first, when I've seen how The Colonel is being presented, I thought they wanted to put him in a better light than he deserves, but I'm glad that at the end he was presented correctly. He was how he was and even if the did help Elvis get to fame, he destroyed him.

Austin.... he's ok, although he doesn't look like Elvis, he does interpret him well. If the Presley family says he portrays him well, they know best. All the critics praised him, so who am I to judge?

Tom Hanks on the other hand seems to get into the role much better in my opinion, however the fake nose and fat costume aren't done so great, we can easily see they are just fakes.

I keep thinking about the Sun Records TV-Series and I think that it was more natural and more artistic. Also, it doesn't compete with other great biographical movies, Walk the Line, The Doors, Bohemian Rhapsody and so on.

Personally, I think the movie is ok but for a biographical movie about Elvis, it just isn't enough.

Cold Water (1994)

It just doesn't deliver

[5/10 · 21 August 2022]

I'm not saying it's a bad film, but it definitely isn't great. It's awkwardly filmed, the actors don't deliver any emotion. It's somehow.... dull. For a movie which should explode with emotion, this one just doesn't deliver. It has a good soundtrack, a good story (though very common), but the rest is blank. Not even the lines are worth any attention. I understand this is a low budget, independent film, but unlike others I've seen, it didn't get my attention.

Irina Rimes: On My Way (2022)

Nice, but confusing

[6/10 · 11 August 2022]

I like Irina and everything that she does, but I really don't understand what this documentary wanted to show. Her going back to the roots, trying to escape the chaotic lifestyle? Coming back home as a way to reconnect with herself? A road-trip while producing music? A little biographical documentary? All in one? It's confusing.

It's nice to watch, you don't get bored, her charisma catches you, Bubu bring his charm as well, but it's not something very deep, like you would expect from Irina. It's just... ok.

Clusterf**k: Woodstock '99 (2022)

From Peace and Love to Chaos and Rage

[10/10 · 11 August 2022]

This is the antithesis of Woodstock 69. I knew about the events from Woodstock 99, but I never knew them in detail, with extensive footage. I admit that I was impressed and shocked at the same time. As a fan of Korn and Limp Bizkit back in those days, the footage you find on Youtube is pure gold. However, what has happened in reality is something beyond words. I've been to many metal concerts, and I keep asking myself if I would've went to Woodstock 99 if I had the chance. I still don't know. When you grow up, you start to see things much more differently then when you were a teen, and what happened there was... hard to describe.

It was, in my opinion, a blend of bad management with angry kids and angry bands. Actually, many things contributed to what happened. But it's certain that a better management would've prevented this.

The documentary presents the events right in your face. I believe that for a three part series, it covered it pretty well, and the production of this documentary was well made. An honest presentation of what really happened at Woodstock 99. What Michael Lang wanted to do and what it turned out to be was completely different. In some ways, this is great, but in other, it's terrifying.

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

The next stop of gangster movies and for James Cagney

[9/10 · 23 July 2022]

I don't know if this has already been said here, but this is how I view this movie in comparison with the previous gangster movies, such as "The Public Enemy (1931)", "Little Caesar (1931)", "Scarface (1932). I haven't seen "Dead End (1937)" and "Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)" yet.

Compared to those I enumerated above, this is on a different level. Different level of acting, of screenplay, of everything. Also, the actors got better lines, that's for sure! It's much better made, has a better story, and James Cagney evolved from his role in The Public Enemy to this one.

A pleasure to watch this gem, to watch Cagney and Bogart together.

The King's Man (2021)

A painfully cringe movie

[1/10 · 4 July 2022]

A painfully cringe movie, full of clichés and full of humor for preteen children. I rarely stop watching a movie to the end and I rarely give 1 star rating, but this has been a torture to watch. I'm not familiar with the other movies in the series, maybe I'll give them a try, hoping they are not as bad as this one. "The English Patient" Ralph Fiennes landed in a movie which could be the worst in his entire career.

Morbius (2022)

This is a paradox. Feels like a Horror B Movie, but with a big budget

[1/10 · 28 May 2022]

Leaving aside the original story of Morbius from the comics, this movie is bad from many points of view.

The ultra-exaggerated features, the transition from science experiment to paranormal experiment, it simply has no sense.

Jared's performance is good, but the character he played and the way he was supposed to play it, is just ridiculous.

The effects are good, but again, exaggerated. I don't know what I'm watching. A supernatural horror movie with a bad script and bad lines? What with the joke "holy water? Really?! - What?! I'm not taking any chances. It's triple blessed." This is ultra cringe.

I really liked Morbius from the animated series when I was a kid. I'm an adult now, and was expecting something interesting.

It's hard to make the story of Morbius with a realist touch, but this is way too far from anything realistic, that would have any sense.

My 2 cents.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)

I did not deserve this torture!

[1/10 · 12 April 2022]

This is an atypical review for an atypical film. I was commenting it while watching, and I'll write again everything I commented during the struggle to watch Jude's film.

IT CONTAINS SPOILERS! AND SARCASM!

• As a first impression, I don't think I've ever seen another film with so much product placement per minute, and the street shootings seem to have been done without peoples consent, many who were being filmed were practically unaware why there's a guy with the camera filming them, making them confused and awkward (for example, the scene with the girl at the library at looks at the camera like "wtf?! Why are you filming me?"). For now, just the usual dead rhythm, lack of dialogue and that weird atmosphere, distinctive to many new Romanian film.

• A bit later, a scene at the market, there's an old lady coming straight to the camera and saying "eat my c_nt". So, yeah, they were filming randomly on the street. Jude didn't seem to care about any aspect, because he is an "artist", thus he grants himself the power to do whatever his mind cooks.

• A scene later, when Emi gets into the building, they've seen a little flower that grew out of the asphalt. Wow, wow, wow! What a scenery! We must film it! We must show the beauty of nature! Art! Wow! * sarcasm *

• If you're walking on the street, be careful not to pick your nose. It's possible that Radu Jude will be there shooting a film, and you will appear on peoples screens while you're searching for your booger!

• A scene later. Lets film these communist blocks for two minutes!

• The covid mask seems to be a totem in this film of supreme hipsters. 17 minute (5 were with the sex scene) and they already talked three times about the mask.

• A scene later. Lets film this other weird building for another minute because we're soo artistic, soo independent, soo avant-garde!

• A scene later. Wtf?! He stops the camera for a while to film a random man on the streets carrying a watermelon, then moves the camera to film the Fornetti panel?!

• What am I watching?!

• As an observation. I think there's an obsession with crosswalks, blocks and commercials. My limited mind cannot understand these subliminal messages. But I think the entire movie could've been shot in an intersection.

• 23:24 minutes have massed and I'm heroically resisting! I feel the urge to get up, start running in the house, do some push-ups, do something, anything...

• Lets take some other shots with this random old building. It's old and ruined and looks so.. artistic! We're wasting the viewers time? So what?!

• I can't resist the shots with crosswalks anymore!!! They are too many! I'll dream of crosswalks tonight!

• Minute 33:09... I can't watch anymore. Pause.

• Next day, another chance, from minute 33:09. Yeah, another crosswalk. When this movie ends, I want to count the scenes with crosswalks, just out of curiosity.

• Next scene. Lets film this random building too!

• Next scene. Lets film this other building, two minutes after the other building!

• From the voyeurist shots on the streets, we suddenly get to random images of communist Romania, some information about revolutions, some images of African natives, some with the army parade, to stories about WWII... because, why not? We're so artistic and avant-garde! Wow!

• After the images with the war and everything, we suddenly get to a scene with a nude girl (which I happen to know) and a weird joke that I don't understand (she is being chased by a guy with a bull mask. Wtf?!). Now I know how a psychedelic trip is like.

• Now come some jokes at a cash register, then some random shots at a library, then with the Orthodox Church... all of these with some subtitles with certain stories that I can no longer read. I'm watching as I'm looking into the void, while being on a mushroom trip.

• Other weird scenes... I went to the kitchen to get some milk. I want a Xanax. :(

• That's it! The action is starting! Emi comes into the school, she's getting her temperature taken by a watchman, she gets in school.... Lets see!

• Ok. We have this scene of public humiliation in a respectable institution. It's interesting, because according to Jude's speeches, he said that this film is trying to show reality of Bucharest, but this scene is totally parallel with reality. If any of you ever heard of such instances of public shaming in teaching institutions done by the board and parents, or if you think that this could be a possible thing in real life without some legal complaints, let me know. Meanwhile, we're watching the sex scene again, with the actress that is actually another acress in the sex scene (instead of the one that should've been).

• After an hour and some minutes, finally, there's something ok in this film. A discussion about ethics. A discussion which we all find anywhere, anytime. Actors are ok.

• Ok. This discussion about ethics has become one like those on Facebook, where idiots fight amongst each other with stupid arguments. And this is a long discussion, man! I've been watching it for about 29 minutes!

• Ok. I was not expecting her to transform herself into "Dildo Woman". : I don't know what I'm watching. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned! * sarcasm *

• The movie is over! Finally! Freeeeedooom!

To cite from IMDb Trivia, Jude said "The essence of cinema is to be a serious art, a serious discipline -- I would like it to be treated seriously." This is the same man that shot a scene with a naked woman being chased by a guy with a bull mask and a scene where the teacher transforms herself into Dildo Woman who starts.... Putting the dildo in the mouths of those present at the parents meeting.

Alice (II) (2019)

A very realistic drama

[9/10 · 14 October 2021]

I don't know why it has the "Comedy" tag on IMDb. It's no comedy, not even dramedy. This is the drama that can actually happen in real life. It's the struggle of families, the struggle of some addiction, the struggle to find your identity, the struggle to fight.

The story is very well written, albeit somewhat made for the main character to get even with her husband. The acting is quite good, really good actually if we look at Emilie Piponnier and especially Chloé Boreham.

It's a movie for mature people who know what life can be and how difficult it can be.

It's a very realistic drama.

Nobody (I) (2021)

Rambo meets Home Alone

[2/10 · 21 September 2021]

I was talking to my dad about this movie and I was telling him this is like a hybrid of Rambo, a single guy who kills everyone (except Rambo got some bullets and scars) and Kevin McCallister from Home Alone.

Apparently mikehowie-90-477334 beat me to it with the comparisong of John Wick and Home Alone.

Nevertheless... The same cliche as most american action movies: A single guy beats all the others, he is a retired agent of some sort or some guerilla fighter, people come into his life and he kicks their ass. And who does the brave American fight? Well, the Russians, of course! It's always the Russians that Americans fight in their movies (if they are not fighting monsters or aliens to save the world).

A poor attempt at making a good action movie.

Just my 2 cents.

Aurora (I) (2010)

This is a gloomy movie. It's cold, it's long, it's at times frustrating.

[6/10 · 29 October 2020]

This is a gloomy movie. It's cold, it's long, it's at times frustrating. And I think that's the idea of it. That's what Puiu wanted to put into it. These cold, long, frustrating feelings, the weird conversations and character. It's like some russian novel. I liked the idea, I liked Puiu's interpretation for this odd character, I liked the mood. Yes, maybe instead of making it a 3 hour long movie, it would've been better if it was set to only two hours. But nevertheless, it's a different kind of movie. All in all, not bad. 7 out of 10, though at first I was thinking about a 6.