ropipgi-581-487166 Reviews

Sting (2024)

Much better than expected.

[8/10 · 16 May 2024]

A small horror movie about a single spider have no business to be this good.

The subplot about a family under pressure could be mistaken as directed by Steven Spielberg. Yes, the acting and dialogue is actually that good.

Exactly the right amount of gore, cute moments and tension.

You like the characters you are supposed to like, and you dislike the characters you are supposed to dislike.

If you liked movies like Arachnophobie, Eight legged freaks, Evolution, Life or Night of the creeps - this movie is really for you.

The only reason i have for not giving it ten stars, is that it really isn´t scary enough. Perfect movie for Netflix and chill, or a for a first date at the movie theater.

Siksa Neraka (2023)

One of the best Indonesian movie i have seen.

[8/10 · 8 May 2024]

With great acting, paperthin story and amazing effects this movie presents a story about a tragedy that happens to an, on surface religious and nice family.

It present an excellent visual case of the absurdity of punishment in hell for people that do the slightest sin, according to several religions - and in this case the muslim faith.

Music, directing, light, makeup and everything else that are done to make a movie, is all top notch, and the people behind the camera can take this movie and show anyone in hollywood how you make a good movie.

This movie in the end, show that how much you pray to God and how many people you share your beliefs with, in the end, it is the actions that counts. Have you shown kindness to someone this week ?

Gods of the Deep (2023)

Another one for Lovecraft lovers.

[4/10 · 8 February 2024]

Sure, this is a movie that suffers from an incredible low budget, but the story and will to tell it is there.

I have no idea on why it is so difficult to make a Lovecraft movie that include the mental thrill and feeling that something is really wrong in the beginning, the weirdness and terror when people realize what they are up against, and the final pure horror when they see how insignificant humanity are in a cosmic sense.

This movie made a brave affort to do the last two parts at least, and in part actually did it well.

Finally, i must say i absolutely loved the final ten minutes and the final scene. So with some popcorn, and with some love for any attempt to do a Lovecraftian movie, not the worst movie to spend an evening with.

The Quantum Devil (2023)

Science in a Lovecraftian universe.

[6/10 · 23 October 2023]

There have been so many attempts to expand of what Lovecraft wrote - and it usually falls short.

That is not the case this time. Sure, it is not a shining jewel of a movie by any means, probably due to lack of budget.

That said, long parts of the movie is carried by Neil Dickson and his wonderfully written monologues. There is several nods to other movies, and despite being filmed in Belgrad - something that usually show actors without much talent, that is not the case this time.

Some scenes ( like the shower scene ) goes on a little long and are oddly edited, while other scenes are perfectly edited.

Scenery and music and CGI are ok - and some of the makeup is quite good.

I would have liked more of the backstories of the characters filmed, with hints of what happened before the movie - instead of just having it narrated, but i get it - that budget again.

In the end, due to acting and well written story, any lover of Lovecraft should not miss this. If you have a date with a girl that like a little horror, but thinks the usual slasher movies are a little much - this is perfect.

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Fun for the moment, but forgettable.

[6/10 · 7 October 2023]

This was not the movie to breathe life in the Haunted Mansion attraction Disney wanted.

The house and scenery is very well done, but the movie have a very weak plot. Some really great name among the cast - but why would they use adults in the first place ?

This is the perfect movie to make another "Goonies" that kids would love and imagine themselves to be part of when they visit the attraction in real life.

An adult slowly walking at an addict, is not scary. A ten year old doing the same thing is scary. How is this so hard to understand for the writers ?

The characters in the movie had all different occupations - now, imagine the movie, but with 9 to 12 year old children to parents with the same occupations. That would be a better movie.

This was like the first Harry Potter movie, if all the teachers had all the adventures.

Trauma Therapy: Psychosis (2023)

Thriller with surprising twists.

[7/10 · 23 September 2023]

I agree that it is bad when producers put in the Tom Sizemore part, just to add him as a name connected to the film. His part add nothing to the film, so i base my opinion to the rest of the movie, and i think it is a really good movie.

Some good acting is always a good start of a movie, and with a story that in parts have been done before with the theme of how far are you going to obey a "leader" if he promise you a better life ?

With a probably quite low budget, the movie have several tense scenes, and no matter of what kind of insecurities we have, we probably identify with some of the people in the "program".

Perhaps the movie should have a trigger warning, as some of the people in the movie had a quite tragic background and if you are a survivor of similar things, it might be tough to watch.

That said, i was prepared for a twist, and saw it coming a mile away - but this is a movie that feed you a twist, so you are unprepared to the next one.

I loved that !

Island Escape (2023)

Really great idea

[4/10 · 18 September 2023]

First the good part.

Bruce Wemple have written a really good story for a movie, with some dialogues and twists that show a promising future for him as a script writer.

Now the bad part.

Acting, clothes and equipment for a supposed elite special ops team - instead they looks rather as the weekend bbq buddies with a grill, some beer and 20 pounds of pork.

Top secret highly advanced research laboratory on an remote island, that dabble in DNA and similar things to make humanity resistant to viruses, in two small tents ???

You got to be kidding me !

Something must have gone wrong there. They must have a tight schedule filming and suddenly the building they wanted to film in suddenly said no for some reason, or something.

With a big budget and better actors, this could been a really good film - so i give it an extra star rating for that.

The Virus (I) (2014)

Good idea for a movie, not as good presentation of that idea.

[2/10 · 16 July 2023]

Great idea for a movie - horrible execution. I get that it is on a shoestring budget and probably on a short deadline, but when "actors" read lines with the same compassion as they read a phonebook from 1955, it is up to the director to guide, lead and take the scene again until it sounds right. None of that seems to be the case here. The tempo of the movie is also really bad. Long unnecessary scenes just to stretch the movie a bit longer, makes nobody happy. There was a clear opportunity just to add a couple of subplots in the middle, just to add to the school kids doing school kids stuff. The ones that were there, did nothing to add to the story. Perhaps work with a better director/writer - and sell the idea to a big studio ?

Trilogy of Terror (1975 TV Movie)

Good ratings due to nostalgia ?

[4/10 · 4 March 2023]

This might be classed as a horror movie over 45 years ago, but today you have more fright and scares in your daily soap opera.

There is not much that holds up to what we regard as " terror " today. That might have to do with how much of a big thing a murder was back in 1975, while it is a almost daily thing today. We also expect some real music,effects and camera angles today that enhance it all.

( why they had Asian inspired music, for a scary polynesian och African doll, i never know - the drumming they had in the first Jumanji movie would have been perfect.)

Even as a child, i reacted on how stupid it was to thry and grab a knife with your fingers in mid stabbing motion. I also thought that Karen Black were laying it thick with the stage ready drama in the first two, and " i am going to be the next scream queen " in the final episode. Looking at her career, it seems Hollywood agrees. That said, i am glad she have been busy all the years, and seem to be working still today. Not every actress can say the same.

So for an entertaining movie, with some popcorn and friends that are not 100% invested in what you all are watching, it might make an entertaining evening at least.

Dark by Noon (2013)

Not worth your time.

[2/10 · 16 January 2023]

This is quite an interesting idea, about time travel and what people would use it for. But the story is paper thin and the bad people are so over the top bad that they are not in any way believable.

The main character and his daughter are so totally wrong for the parts and no lines are said in a way any normal human would talk.

So how to save this mess ? Well you could cut it down to 30 minutes, and make a short film of it. Instead we have long scenes that give nothing else than prolonging the runtime.

Nothing good to say about it then ?

Well, the actress that played the old lady were ok, and also the music.

The short glimpses of graphical effect were good enough i guess, but put in little random here and there without any real meaning behind them.

So to sum it up, i saw it so you don´t have to.

Section 8 (II) (2022)

What were they going for here ?

[5/10 · 5 January 2023]

This is what happens when the writers and/or directors have different ideas on what kind of movie they will end up with.

Someone wrote this as a actionfilled B movie with the usual unintelligent bad guys, henchmen that goes one at the time against someone that just killed 10 of your buddies, and a Bond villain, that just is out to cause as much murder and mayhem as possible without any real reason. ( The only number we got were 3 million dollars, and some vague clients from other countries. )

Then someone wanted this to be a drama movie about family, grief, loss and how family can be more than just blood band. I am ok with a flashback to a happier time with your family in a movie, but here i lost count after the fifth time. We get it, just stop it - now i am irritated.

If you wanted some action scene with Dolph lundgren or Mickey Rourke, just forget it. They are Bruce Willing it up as much as they can, and hardly move at all. He is very sick, what is their excuse ?

So action or drama ? Well it fails in both part, as we really don´t care about the characters.

They Came from Beyond Space (1967)

Better than expected on small budget.

[6/10 · 6 December 2022]

It is quite clear that the Doctor Who treatment ran wild in Britain at this time. Science fiction were not proper way of telling a story, unless it had some redeeming quality in way of thought provoking anti military message.

With that in mind, it quite explain that 50% of the movie is about gathering information before taking any kind of action. I am not sure if this is where Elon Musk came up with the idea of his space x program, but it sure is in the movie.

The biggest surprise is how bad acting we get from Jennifer Jayne, someone with a long career behind her - but this was a really hectic time for her, so we might cut her some slack for the blank expression through the whole movie. When they saw that there were no chemistry, they really should have just dropped the love interest plot. I have seen kitchen utensils with more interest with each other.

This is many years before he played Batmans butler, and he looks almost the same 35 year later, how did Michael Gough do it ?

One thing most other people never mention is how wonderful the set pieces looks. There is so much knick knacks everwhere, if you look.

Sure, you have people running through the same corridor as they did back then, but crisp colors and it is supposed to look new, and it really does.

There is lots of panels with blinking lights everywhere and you just have to admire the 60s style of clothing.

With a bag of popcorn, some crisps and a cool beer - it sure is an entertaining movie.

Control (2022)

What you can do with low budget and great talents.

[7/10 · 15 November 2022]

After watching the trailer, to my surprise this movie seemed to have the same creepy feeling as the computer game with the same name - not that i expected it to have any similarities.

Some great acting but what stand out the most is the brilliant writing and dialogue. It paints character in a believable light with both faults and redeeming qualities.

I was hanged up on some of what looked like storyboard inconsistency, but it turned out to have great explanations in the end thanks to the solid writing.

After a world building like this, as usual when a movie is thought provoking, i want a sequel set in the same universe, perhaps a bigger studio would want to support everyone behind this movie, as it were better told than some of the bigger budget movies on the same theme ?

I have to deduct one star for the padding with the dream sequences that were far to long, and two for the low budget - but otherwise, great movie.

H. (I) (2014)

Slow film that demands much of the viewer.

[6/10 · 23 October 2022]

First of all, i would almost call it a must read before this movie to at least have read the Iliad by Homer. ( watching the movie Troy, does not count. )

I am usually adverse to movies with a slow tempo, but thanks to great acting, amazingly written dialogue and a cinematography that captures ordinary life, without it getting gritty or depressing.

There is so many themes packed in this movie, with seemingly minimal effort that it is hard to count them all.

About the ending. My first instinct is to wanting to have a few more clues on what was going on, as it is hard to figure out what events are just a artistic metaphor and what are real clues on what is going on.

But after a little thought it was actually perfect, we get the same information as the rest of the city, that follows the local news.

So in conclusion, not a film for everyone - but if you want to follow some ordinary peoples life during an catastrophic event, this is for you.

Flashburn (2017)

Good acting and good ending.

[2/10 · 13 October 2022]

There is no doubt that this could have been a really good movie. With the current situation of several pandemic strains in the world, what seemed like an unlikely situation for humanity, the background of this movie seems quite possible today.

Sean Patrik Flanery is acting above everyone else in the movie, and he have clearly become an AAA actor and even better since the days as Indiana Jones.

The music is awesome, and it was a good idea to spend some extra money of the budget to get a known composer that could capture the mood of the story.

I loved the couple of twists and turns and they capture the slight panic, doubts and handicap of someone with memory loss.

Now , why the low score ?

Everything else in the movie screams " low budget ". I looks like a weekend project by a film student. They clearly had to cut scenes and places to film, by budget reasons, but that means that some dialogue in the beginning of the movie, doesn´t really add up as there probably were some actions scenes that had to be cut. The CGI is also really bad by 1995 standard, even worse today.

Spider in the Attic (2021)

Really bad CGI destroy this movie.

[2/10 · 10 October 2022]

The actors are doing their best with what they got, and the script throw in some real world problems to make us like the characters.

However, they have no idea on how to write characters in crisis, and that make everyone behave like.

We have a situation where we have a big deadly animal in a house we are in - what to do next ?

Well, they make all stupid choices from there on and with that all sympathy for the characters goes out the window.

Then we have the CGI. Someone saw that and thought it was ok ?

We are talking 2001 PS2 CGI here.

I however liked the ending.

I would really like a sequel with bigger budget taking off from there...

Interceptor (2022)

Popcorn action

[6/10 · 18 September 2022]

There have been a trend in the last couple of years to give lead actresses a " John Wick/Joch Mc Claine " character that are kick a** and hopefully leads to sequels, and i am all for it.

This is a clear B movie, with nuggets of great moments. It sure have some big flaws, and they could have tried to film in more locations of the main building than a single room. I also find the military security in the movie so bad that it suspend belief.

Elsa Pataky is however acting on another level than everyone else in the movie. I also liked that the motivation of the bad guys are things people today actually believe, and might serve as a warning that military staff today, might research carefully what they see and hear in media.

The subplot of the history in the military by the main character is both something that have happened and give credibility to the will of her.

For an evening with a thriller with action segments while you eat some popcorn, you can do worse.

Attack of the Unknown (2020)

Good ideas wasted by poor budget.

[4/10 · 6 August 2022]

There is some really awesome ideas to the plot and characters in this movie.

Clearly they had very poor budget to implement it all and it makes me even more curious on what they had to take out of the script.

Many scenes and characters are only in there to fill up time, and you have many moments and dialogue that doesn´t goes anywhere.

The directing in the movie is so bad that in many fights and scenes, you have no idea on what is going on, and there is several scenes where they shoot at something we are unable to see - possibly meant to have some CGI thing in them, but cut for budget reason.

Not worth watching if you want a sci fi movie a evening with friends - but if you are interested in movie making, costumes or make up, it might be interesting for you on how to not make a movie.

Kind of sad story - five times the budget, and Emmerich or Spielberg behind the wheel - it might actually been a decent movie.

The Sandman (2022– )

One of the best netflix shows so far.

[9/10 · 6 August 2022]

It is always hard to depict a strong comic to tv, but with the help and involvement of the author, they made it as close as they could.

I loved the directing here, where we got some episodes as true horror, to some episodes as really sweet interludes.

While the script were perfect, i really hated the actress that played Death.

She did an awesome job and is clearly a brilliant actress, but why cast her in this role and why Coleman as Constantine when Matt Ryan already is the guy ? Surely they could have come up with something better here ?

I don´t mind putting black and females in roles in tv shows, as they have been whitewashed for years, but that goes to a point. However you want to use black and female actors, you can not use Oprah as playing Abraham Lincoln as an example.

Now to another really good part of this show - the details.

The crums on the table in a diner, the fat dripping, when someone reveal what is under their " third mask " and some of the glances by actors in scenes that needed no dialogue, to name a few examples.

I hope for many more seasons.

Timebomb (1991)

Not really sci fi.

[6/10 · 4 August 2022]

With elements from the many attempts of brainwashing by the US military we have here some action filled thriller from the point of view of one of the victims.

It was probably a story from the beginning with some time travel elements, as the amount of lives and resources to kill a medium level politician is absurd, unless he becomes very important in the future - but they had to cut out that part of the story for budget reason, but they kept the name of the movie.

With some popcorn and some friends - this is a great early 1990´s action/thriller movie to enjoy.

Incarnation (2022)

A movie with half of a story.

[3/10 · 30 July 2022]

This had the possibility to be a decent movie, if they actually finished a script. It starts like an ordinary haunted house movie, but totally forgot the who, why and how of the plot.

Nothing is explained, so why the ending happens is quite vague.

I would have loved this to be some world building, but instead we get a 45 minute middle part of the movie with noises and doors moving.

Something we have seen 100 times already, in better movies and with better effects.

10% not so scary, scary movie. 90% sleeping pill.

Below (2002)

This is the movie for you, if you like suspense.

[7/10 · 17 June 2022]

I love movies like this, where you have several clues of what is going on, several questions with several possible answers and to phrase a famous quote:

"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Bruce Greenwood is excellent as usual, and it shows that this was quite high budget for this movie. No bad actors and no mistakes in props, uniforms, background or set.

Well done movie, and it deserved better at the box office than it got.

The Quake (2018)

Direct sequel to the great movie " the Wave ".

[7/10 · 13 June 2022]

A movie catch your interest when you in the first part of the movie like the characters right away.

The slow beginning just makes the important reaction time needed in the end part of the movie seem so much shorter. Good acting, good action and you believe the reality of everything that happens in the movie.

Even the kids in the movie ( that i usually get annoyed by ) are relaxed and natural. Usually in US movies they say lines that seems to come from adults that write what they think children say, instead of just being kids.

This time there are moments where some characters seem to have " plot armour ". Whatever happens, they always manage to survive.

That makes the severity of it all be i little less real.

The movie ends with text explaining that everything in the movie could happen in reality - and a few years after the movie, it really did, but with thankfully less amount of deaths.

The Wave (2015)

When disaster movies are a little to real.

[8/10 · 13 June 2022]

A movie catch your interest when you in the first part of the movie like the characters right away.

The slow beginning just makes the important reaction time needed in the end part of the movie seem so much shorter. Good acting, good action and you believe the reality of everything that happens in the movie.

Even the kids in the movie ( that i usually get annoyed by ) are relaxed and natural. Usually in US movies they say lines that seems to come from adults that write what they think children say, instead of just being kids.

The movie ends with text explaining that everything in the movie could happen in reality - and a few years after the movie, it really did.

The Overnight (2022)

How to not make a story scary

[2/10 · 7 June 2022]

The first part of a story should have something that make the main characters likable or something we can identify with.

It is better to invest in a good makeup artist than just bying some cheap contact lenses at Amazon you see at any rave party.

Laughing children with some ketchup stains are not scary. Speaking latin is not scary. Wearing a black hoodie is not scary.

Black goo, can actually be scary, but it have to be in context and with some explanation.

Now there are actually some good nuggets in this mess.

Having 3 bad guys with different objectives is actually a really good one. This would add to the story if their different goals would clash more, how would the stalker react if he saw his lady being sacrificed ?

The house with ghosts repeating their last day as living, is also a good one - if only there were a reason to follow the clues to how that day was and what order it happened in. If the couple had found a diary, some pictures adn so on.

Moaning in a movie must be distinct enough so we understand what the characters hear, and what belongs to the soundtrack. The creaking of the floor in the beginning was very clear and effective, we heard a second creak from the left, and understood there were someone there. Why would this be dropped in the rest of the movie ?

There is more but brings me to the final nail in the coffin for me in regards of this movie, it lacks any subtlety. Any form of building suspense is soon destroyed here with some closeup, wobbling of camera or straight blurry fighting scene.

This might be ok, in your filming of the action in riding the rollercoasters at Disney, last vacation there - but is out of place in a thriller or horror.