Buckster69 Reviews

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Highlights A Problem with the Whole MCU Project

[14 July 2022]

After 'End Game' essentially drew a line under 'Phase 1' any subsequent movie featuring those characters, really is just a frippery, or worse, a cash grab.

This movie underlines that sentiment to the extreme.

Yes, fun and colourful but doesn't really add much, if anything,

Midnight Mass (2021)

Intriguing but a little stodgy.

[4 November 2021]

The set-up lured you in. A flawed prodigal son and a mysterious priest arrive on a small isolated island community where each character plays out their kitchen sink lives. Fans of Stephen King will instantly recognise the signs that small town America is about to be subverted in a maelstrom of self-inflicted horror fuelled by past regrets and secrets. A town where evil can quietly breed.

Flanagan initially does well, but I feel that the format of 7 hour-long (sometimes a little longer) episodes allowed too much scope for navel gazing and existential monologuing by some of the more uninteresting characters, to the point where it drifted into almost becoming a showreel for Flanagan's wife, Kate Siegel.

Hamish Linklater carries the entire show. A standout performance as the priest. Ruminative, brilliantly jittery and conflicted (of course). I do hope that he lands more roles off the back of this turn, he had great timing.

I think that maybe a cut to 3-4 episodes could have condensed this into a modern horror classic, akin to 1979's Salem's Lot (David Soul). The plot tension was often killed off by overly long conversations, particularly in the last episode where a 10 minute monologue by Siegel's character just took the wind out of the climatic ending.

Enjoyable but needed a good editor.

Trainwreck (2015)

Sub-Standard Version of Bridget Jones

[8 August 2015]

We watched this primarily because Tilda Swinton (or her makeover) had been featured quite heavily in the UK press.

The movie is essentially a poor, lewd US version of Bridget Jones without the style or character performances.

The only really difference from the aforementioned movie is the main character is portrayed as a hot bedding laddette with a morbid fear of commitment. Hardly a unique premise but this simplistic plot is strung out way too long and by the end you just want the whole thing to be over, having learned nothing and provided one or two laughs from the experience.

Amy Schumer is neither kooky enough to be Goldie Hawn or outrageous enough to be the late great Joan Rivers. Also, if this is the best you can do on your first effort.........

Sabotage (2014)

Gaming Goes to The Movies!

[24 March 2015]

This film is the logical output of a team brought up on Grand Theft Auto and Ghost Recon, to mention just two . The stylised action sequences are punctuated by poorly scripted 'cartoon' characters in 'cut scenes' and strung together by a wafer thin nonsensical plot so full of holes someone could get hurt. The level and frequency of bad language and general offence is totally unnecessary, it doesn't abate throughout the movie and has obviously been ramped up to create a degree of edginess to proceedings. It just becomes an embarrassment for the notable actors.

The writers constantly remind us of their lack of subject matter knowledge, from the outset they confuse the roles of DEA SWAT with DEA Agents (think Navy Seals vs FBI). These are two mutually exclusive types of policing that have been unrealistically crashed together to create the premise. Anyway, as such the team seem to go about their business in a sort of pseudo 'Sons of Anarchy' world between a scuzzi group hut and the local DEA office.

The cinematography (in the broadest sense of the term) cannot seem to create the visual parameters or syntax to allow the viewer to understand what is happening within a scene's environment. Therefore, a snazzy mansion party full of horrible dial-in non-American types, depicted at the opening to the movie, is strangely forgotten when our SWAT team go through the err....front doors and appear to go straight to into the err....basement and find the $2bn crime stash cunningly hidden under a err.....tarp, beautifully illuminated in the middle of a room. All the while, the Russian/Middle Eastern cheese and wine event in the house seems to be largely unaffected.

The dealer and owner of the mansion must have been very honest and exact in his last tax return as the DEA seem to know that $10m (0.5% of the $2bn) has gone missing, even after the team incinerate the huge pile of cash in order to cover up their actions. Arnie, the head of team, doesn't get in trouble for destroying the $2bn (IRS must have been delighted) but for the missing $10m.

The rest of the movie follows an incredibly well trodden double cross / team death format and barely warrants a summary. If you can make it past the pole dancing level, sorry, scene then you have done well.

There must be some 14 year old boys pretty worried about their Hollywood careers after this effort.

America Unchained (2007)

Pointless, USA

[7 July 2009]

Realising that Morgan Spurlock and others are stealing his act, 'stunt comedian' Dave Gorman attempts to break into the lucrative documentary market by travelling coast-to-coast USA without utilising corporate amenities and services, euphemised as 'The Man'. Frankly, whoever commissioned or bought this project didn't think through the fact that petrol (gas), amongst other things, can only be refined and distributed by 'The Man', it's relatively inconsequential that it is sold to you by an independent outlet. In fact, at one point, whilst engrossed in his rose-tinted homage to 'Mom and Pop', Gorman's wreck breaks down and is saved by a garage run by 'The Man'. Game over.

Acknowledging that the whole concept is a more than just a little dull and deeply flawed, Gorman decides to spice things up by trying to visit places whose names embody the American spirit, such a towns named err…'Spirit' and 'Independence', therefore conveniently elongating the entire journey in a bid to add some drama. In fact, even his producer/camera-person, Stef Wagstaffe, awakened to the fact that she was engaged in career suicide, leaves the movie half way through, never to return. This leaves Dave to indulge in a fast food binge in a town called Moab, courtesy of (guess who?) 'The Man'. Combined with the stark realisation, that along with his drive thru dinner, this venture was heading down the toilet (in true Spurlock style), Gorman still continues his pointless and failed quest, with only the occasional hint of the slowly disappearing human story that lines the modern day U.S highway.

There are simply too many anguished in-car shots of Gorman driving around the U.S heartlands in search of fuel to make this remotely interesting. The last quarter of the film whimpers to a conclusion leaving you, like Gorman's unused spare fuel tanks, feeling empty and only mildly diverted.

Gorman is neither big enough stateside or American for any nostalgic observation to be meaningful nor is the subject matter that close to the hearts of his other audience in the U.K. Therefore, you have to ask the question; What was the point?

An American Haunting (2005)

Whatever Possessed Them to Make This.......

[31 October 2006]

It's difficult to know where to start when trying to decide where this film failed. The acting was in the most part sound, between the younger actors and more established players there was no one you could single out as being particularly good or bad. The production values were high and apart from the odd anachronism or smattering of modern patois things were very much in order. The crew did a great job of recreating early nineteenth century America in a corner of Romania. So why the low rating ? In short, the abundance of horror clichés and an unnecessary modern day sub-plot.

Based on a true story, the legend of the Bell Witch (true or not) is well documented thus any attempt to interpret an existing story will be held up to greater than average scrutiny. Surely, instead of relying on cheap teen scares and a very tired chorus (how many times do we have to hear the ghostly chant of discordant nursery rhymes?) the director and writers would have done better keeping to the well established facts of the original legend. The constant use of ratio warping and boom camera, flying around the room, swooping amongst heads of bemused actors whenever the malevolent spirit was present, wore thin after the fifth time. 'The Exorcist' was heavily referenced in a number of scenes, underlining the lack of originality and over reliance on other works. In reality, the apparent possession of an adolescent would have created a considerable amount of parochial paranoia in such a small community, prompting all sorts of conjecture and prejudice generally involving allegations of witchcraft and demonic involvement. Combine this, with the secret dysfunction of the family and they could have produced a piece akin to 'The Crucible'.

What we are left with is an entry level exercise worthy only for those still attending pyjama parties. An opportunity missed.

House of Wax (2005)

Dawson's Creek without a Paddle

[10 April 2006]

Mercifully, we hired this movie, not by choice but more by accident (damn the internet!).

I'm reasonably open minded on remakes. Handled correctly, they can freshen up a story or examine the original subject from a different perspective. They can also be used as release schedule padding or as a D-list star vehicle. Do we need another slasher movie with angst ridden but horny middle class college kids? Character development and horror have never made easy bed fellows and the current trend for script writers and directors to plumb for the age old plot of 'twisted twins living in haunted house meet meddling teens', highlights the current lack of imagination in Hollywood. I almost felt I was watching an episode of a Dawson's Creek clone inter-cut with shots from a Friday 13th clone. OK, so we don't expect our characters to behave in a logical manner when in dire peril but a director must realise that you can only expect an audience to suspend their disbelief once in a movie, you can't turn it off and on.

This was a film made by a director brought up on MTV and Scooby Doo. Even with the handicap of poor acting talents there is nothing stopping a director and writer trying to make their respective marks with something that alludes to the original book or script.

Oh, I am sorry, it appears that the film was 'ironic', the classic marketing repost for any film that turned out to be so horrible and contrived it excluded itself from the genre in which it hoped to be categorised.

I'll leave you with this before you make your choice - The director resume reads "Directs music videos and TV commercials".

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Strange Evil Slush

[23 January 2006]

After the commercial success of 'Halloween' and the moderately successful release of 'The Fog', I would imagine that Hollywood bosses presumed that John Carpenter could do no wrong, thus green lights for 'Big Trouble in Little China' and 'Prince of Darkness'. Whereas 'China' didn't take itself too seriously and failed, the 'Prince of Darkness' simply failed, sending Carpenter's career into what must be now known as his 'Wilderness years'.

Horror is one of the hardest genres to script, partly because of a fine line between the believable and the ridiculous along which these films must often travel. When you are asking the audience to suspend a good portion of their rational mind, it helps if your back story holds up to at least a little mild scrutiny.

An ancient container supplied with a user manual written in a mix of old languages, has been kept in the crypt of a church in L.A (brought for no particular reason to the new world by the Spanish). The existence of the container replete with strange glowing contents has long been a closely guarded secret, well protected by an exclusive religious sect. When the last member of the sect dies the key to the crypt is handed to a local priest, brilliantly over hammed by Donald Pleasance. A small group of mature science students (with libidos of teenagers) led by a sceptical professor are brought by the priest to the church to investigate. We know that the contents of the container are evil because the crypt contains permanently lit candles. Also, there appears to be an abundance of creepy crawlies accompanied by zombie like street weirdos. Cue, contrived 'slasher' scenes as, sure enough, the demonic contents of the container slowly exerts its' malevolent presence on the trapped group.

The existential nature of the subject matter allows Carpenter to fill the script with bar room meta-physics and generous helpings of religious bunk. Bunk, that has been handled with far more aplomb in other films. This is one of the major gripes with the script, bad actors with big words just don't tick the 'Character Development' check box. Unfortunately for John Carpenter, he almost went out of his was with this film to prove that the late Debra Hill was probably the creative brains behind the aforementioned hits. Ironically, if he had played this one for laughs, it would have been genius and probably put Carpenter ten years ahead of the field. The industry just loves directors that parody themselves.

This is one for horror purists only.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Masterly and Commanding

[9 December 2004]

Few films manage to capture the era in which the original work was set and often rely on clichés of the particular genre at the expense of the core story. This film manages to avoid these pitfalls but more importantly serves as a worthwhile historical document. Anyone who is new to this period of history will not go far wrong keeping a copy of this movie as the attention to detail is excellent and adds to the experience as a whole (teachers take note).

This movie manages to tread a fine line between gritty realism and Boy's Own, portraying the pursuit of an elite French warship by an older embattled British frigate. The production values are very high and the dialogue and length allow the director a better than average framework for character development. The predominantly unknown British supporting cast (some aged as young as 12) are expertly handled and provide a counter balance to the excellent performances of Crowe and Bettany. Crowe's delivery is very reminiscent of Richard Burton, exuding a measured screen presence without overpowering the dialogue.

It would have been easy for the director to read through the salty notes of previous period pieces and deliver the usual tale of ocean going brutality and scurvy encrusted woe but Peter Weir's version of order through respect and camaraderie is far more believable especially when you realize that the sailor's greatest enemy was the ocean itself.

I found little to dislike and much to admire. Highly recommended.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Masterly and Commanding

[22 July 2004]

Few films manage to capture the era in which the original work was set and often rely on clichés of the particular genre at the expense of the core story. This film manages to avoid these pitfalls but more importantly serves as a worthwhile historical document. Anyone who is new to this period of history will not go far wrong keeping a copy of this movie as the attention to detail is excellent and adds to the experience as a whole (teachers take note).

This movie manages to tread a fine line between gritty realism and Boy's Own, portraying the pursuit of an elite French warship by an older embattled British frigate. The production values are very high and the dialogue and length allows the director a better than average framework for character development. The predominantly unknown British supporting cast (some aged as young as 12) are expertly handled and provide a counter balance to the excellent performances of Crowe and Bettany. Crowe's delivery is very reminiscent of Richard Burton, exuding a measured screen presence without overpowering the dialogue.

It would have been easy for the director to read through the salty notes of previous period pieces and deliver the usual tale of ocean going brutality and scurvy encrusted woe but Peter Weir's version of order through respect and camaraderie is far more believable especially when you realize that the sailor's greatest enemy was the ocean itself.

I found little to dislike and much to admire. Highly recommended.