spacecrabed Reviews

Spaceman (I) (2024)

Cast Away in Space.

[8/10 · 26 April 2024]

I quite liked this film, I haven't seen Adam Sandler this instrospective and physically inactive before but it turned out well. His flat vocals actually really work as he looks terrible and for the somber feel in general of the movie.

The ending is a little long winded however and a little more of Carey Mulligan would have been good as she's a great actress.

The feel of the film has something very similar with Cast Away but with more inner thought perspectives and maybe a more obvious narrative.

I didn't really notice the soundtrack, it's subltle and non intrusive.

Overall I would recommend this film unless you are looking for a big action flick, this is more like cast away in space.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Good but flawed.

[7/10 · 16 August 2023]

Stylistically very competetent, visually pleasing and giving good insight into the different characters around the story of the bombs creation & their history. Most actors deliver a convincing and well thought out performance. At times it is easy to get lost as the time period queues are very subtle from Pre-War Europe through to Post War US Communist paranoia so you have to keep your wits about you. Where this film really falls down is it's attempt to make the audience feel sorry for the main character during an inquest, given he just helped masacre two civilian cities. That idea is rediculous and an impossible feat. The movie should have ended at the deployment of the weapon and not an attempt to make the audience feel pity for a then rich scientist involved.

Mad God (2021)

Visually Stunning

[8/10 · 24 March 2023]

I really liked Mad God, I found the visuals to be really interesting, offering so much to the eye that it can be watched over and over as long as you can take some of the disgusting scenes depicted. Where it probably falls down is in the narrative, giving very little away, the film won't explain anything at all so you work harder than with most films to follow the story: the visuals are it's strength and if you don't process them you could miss the point. Borrowing imagery from World War One this film warns what constant conflict can lead to and tells it in a way it's never been seen before and I'd recommend it if you are into giving something different a go.

Police Story (1985)

Great fun & Worth a Watch

[8/10 · 27 September 2022]

I nearly watched this film as a favour to a friend who has this in his top ten and was prepared to roll my eyes the entire time but wow what a surprise.

This film shows an amazing amount of creativity, thought & hilarity: it's as close to a comedy anime as you can imagine. A live action Lupin the 3rd.

Watching this makes me wonder why Hollywood needs to drape soooo much CG in fight scenes when better scenes were done in the early 80's without the tech.

The action is pretty intense and many scenes will have you either laughing your head off or wincing in pain.

If you only see one Jackie Chan film please make it this one!

After Yang (2021)

No Depth, lots of fluff and some style

[2/10 · 27 September 2022]

This film breaks a lot of rules when it comes to story telling: Characters have no history and therefore you feel nothing for them, it tries to use that emptiness to make you care about an android but that doesn't work either. The characters have zero continuity: An Irishman and an English lady have a Chinese daughter with an American accent with no link or explanation. It's set in the future but you never see anything other than indoor scenes, a garden & tunnel giving a real claustrophobic feel.

It's so bad that where you are supposed to "feel" something they actually have the characters repeat a line like a broken record: very annoying.

The good bits:

The picture image is gorgeous: lush garden greens, soft indoor browns and light effects that are truly beautiful such as a reflection on a vehicles window.

The soundtrack is never overbearing: simple, good and soft unlike many films these days.

In summary this film is bad, real bad. Great cinematography and subtle soundtrack cannot fill the void of not knowing the basics about what makes a story.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Great Science Fiction: a fresh take

[8/10 · 16 March 2022]

I really liked this film

Convincing acting & characters with some impressive backdrops of open space or a wasteland version of earth that draws you in

I have to admit I am a sucker for a space film so if you are like me then definitely give this film a go

There are some difficult questions that this film poses but take nothing from the enjoyment.

The Velvet Claw (1992– )

Great show, Interesting and Educational

[10/10 · 16 March 2022]

The Velvet Claw is really an incredible documentary outlining the race for dominance in the animal kingdom which happened after the loss of the dinosaurs

It breaks down the path of different animals by family group and explains the natural pressures which exist and how the shape evolution of existing and extinct creatures

The show even explains changes to the planet and what consequences they have

It has interesting music, great animations (the whale one is particularly beautiful)

Highly recommend it and I'm surprised the BBC has never reissued this gem.

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

Intense

[9/10 · 23 December 2021]

This revenge film is unashamedly English and I love it

With a myriad of colourful (albeit not very likeable) characters this film is a refreshing departure from most revenge films out there

The settings and shots hold your interest and the silence of the main actor leave you wondering what's going to happen next

The actors play their role perfectly with the main protagonist really standing out as something special

Great film: give it a go if unsure.

Sand Dollars (2014)

Strong title which makes you think

[7/10 · 23 December 2021]

I really liked this film, it touches on opportunity, love, fake love/abuse, jealousy and a paradise vs future dynamic that many people in less developed countries have pondered upon

You'll see the type of typical tourists naivety that'll make you look in the mirror depicted here

There is a lot of silence in this film, many things are said via facial expression or distant shots with a gorgeous sun-kissed island background so if you like that Hollywood heavy narration and soundtracks that try and force your film journey it might not be for you

I would definitely recommend this as a random film choice for the evening so if you get the chance to watch it, take it.

Open Your Eyes (1997)

Entertaining and Engaging

[8/10 · 23 December 2021]

Really good film; the main actors suck you into their world and you genuinely feel for their characters predicament.

Mental health, paranoia, love, anger and frustrations abound in this film and their are some clues and twists that maintain your interest throughout

I'd recommend it if you have a date night with a lady over a night with the lads as concentration is needed

The narrative is hands off and you are given time to process the events, Penelope Cruz is absolutely beautiful in this film so there's an added bonus

Good film!

Kingpin (1996)

Whacky & Great

[9/10 · 26 July 2021]

This film has a great mix of verbal & physical comedy with the background of a hilarious situation where the main characters really deliver in the format of the American Road Trip

If you want a chuckle or a mood improver please give Kingpin a try.

Bill Murray acts as a real hateable character (yet still hilarious) and helps bring the film to conclusion while refreshing the main characters that are present throughout

Woody is really believable in his role as a down and out ex bowling champ and Randy, well,... give it a watch and decide for yourself

The film is punctuated by a good sound track that is always likeable and upbeat and not so tiresome (like ost's these days)

I watch it once a year or so and always laugh.

Lost Highway (1997)

Just Great

[9/10 · 8 July 2021]

I can't say I fully understand every aspect of the film, every time I watch it I catch another clue connecting different strings of the story

It's slightly besides the point

It flies in the face of normal story telling and you do have to disconnect from the normal movie rules which is what makes it special: trying to tie in two seemingly different worlds that collide

It's complicated! As they say

The acting is spot on, each character only giving you what's needed for that particular scene and not much else, all characters displaying basic desires that we can all relate to. Patricia Arquette is insanely beautiful and her use of vocal tone sets the scene while Bill Pullman pulls some faces that just say a thousand words

If you haven't seen it and it's an option I extremely recommend it, just leave some ideas at the door and press play with an open mind.

Cronos (1992)

Great creative and engaging film

[9/10 · 28 June 2021]

This is a really good take on the tired vampire subject. It'll surprise, disgust and sometimes make you guff in laughter.

The actors are all very solid and stay so even as the circumstances they are thrown into go spiral downward (which happens very quickly)

Every few years I pop this on: it seems to have an eternal entertainment factor, it's conservative with it's effects which makes it believable despite it's age. No CG here, all good acting, solid effects with great lighting and hard work

The pacing is perfectly quick not allowing you to get bored and not droning on with dialogue not directly involved in the main plot

I recommend this to anyone wanting to take a risk and see something new.

Uncle Buck (1989)

Love this film

[9/10 · 27 September 2020]

This is a unique film with colourful characters, good pacing, perfect humour and wow John Candy in probably his best performance.

Surprisingly it covers a few subjects like loss, family, teenage angst and relationships enough that they can be made fun of but not enough that they become ridiculed in themselves

I recommend this film for a Christmas watch

Monsoon (2019)

Uninteresting, unfocused & cowardly

[2/10 · 27 September 2020]

This film tries to tackle big subjects and there were interesting ideas but they all fall flat. It skims the surface and never goes anywhere. The colour palette is good at showing off Vietnam but what's the point when there is only one interesting camera shot? The feeling of being transported to another place should be rife throughout the film but when the main character always magically finds an English speaker wherever he goes that feeling is lost. The subject of meeting someone from the other side of the war is a good subject but after a couple of awkward convo's and a love scene it's over: When I was in the cinema this film got a standing ovation but all those people seemed to hail this as a ground breaking love film, I can only assume this is because the filmed failed at making any of the other subjects interesting or important. Boring, uninteresting, with mediocre acting. I would avoid.

Schemers (2020)

Fun, fast moving and entertaining

[8/10 · 27 September 2020]

I saw this randomly after missing another film at the cinema and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is convincing, the setting of a bleak 80's Scotland felt very genuine and it moves at a great pace. There's some good laughs in there and the historical context really brings it all together. A good watch for a rainy day, worth your time!