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catherinemalvin
Reviews
Possession (1981)
This movie feel like if you had a fever dream while riding a roller coster
This is a rare movie. This is a movie that feels like 100% of the movies runtime is the feeling of being crazy and it's only going to get crazier. The acting by both leads are a career best with them actually losing their mind. The camera work helps bring on the feeling of going insane with its chaotic cinemtography and camera movement. The way the characters act help bring everything all together in how they interact with the world they live in. The events that happen in the film are pretty ambiguous and are definitely fall on the side where you have to interpret what the whole movie meant and what things/characters symbolize. I feel it does a good job on pulling that off. It didn't feel boring or it was style over substance. Highly recommend for any psychological horror fans.
Evil Dead (2013)
Not bad for a remake for a classic hour movie
This movie was a pretty solid remake. The story is pretty good but, I feel there are things it does good on it own but also has a few things that doesn't work as well it could have. It has very impressive practical effects. The violence in the movie is brutal and visceral. It's definitely more serious than the previous movies. Not really going into the campiness side of things. The main character I liked, her character brings a new hero for this franchise who's both well written and different. Some of the characters aren't as good they're not bad but just not as memorable. Overall a lot better than other horror movies but, not the great remake ever.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
My least favorite Evil Dead movie
While my least favorite Evil Dead movie, not a bad movie. I think this movie is pretty ok. I liked the cinematography, the setting, the two female leads are acted very well. The practical effects are pretty good and gory, but not as creative or used as much as previous Evil Dead movies. The pacing was a bit slow in some places. I felt it took too long in some places were I felt more should have progressed a little quicker. More should've happened between the characters a bit more so the emotion connection between the characters and the audience could've been stronger. The ending was the best part for me.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
One of the best films ever made
If you've heard it once you've heard it before but pulp fiction is an example of great filmmaking. It really is Tarantino's best movie and one of his masterpieces. From start to finish it is a smart, charming, well-constructed and fun ride. Everything about this movie works on every level. The writing is incredible with monologues with so many quotable lines that about controversial topics without feeling too preachy. The acting is flawless; you can't get more perfect with this casting everyone gives an Oscar worthy performance. Every second of this film you are glued to the screen. This movie is able to have both violence and humor in it without ever taking away from it. The film is the blueprint to how to make a love letter to movies. Some thing I feel Tarantino knows how to do very well.
Batman (1989)
One of my favorites
This movie was one of the first dark and gritty superhero movies and I'm glad that it was made. This movie a great example of when a director is allowed to have creative control over a movie and knows what he's wants and what he is doing. The set design showed us Gotham City in a way that we had not seen before and allowed us to see a desperate city that is in need of someone to help. We see a Batman going up against someone who is the darker side of freedom. Both Keaton and Nicholson both give great performances and work off each other so well that when they're both on screen you feel the complete black-and-white feel to their characters but, also the feel that they're both extremely disturbed characters. The movie has both a bleak, dark and a retro art feel to it and perfectly blends together without feeling tonally off. With music that gives us a dark but overall strong feel to the Batman. Overall a really great and fun start to the beginning of dark and gritty superhero movies to come.
Batman Returns (1992)
Not only a great Batman movie but, a great Christmas movie
This is beautiful, gothic and champy movie perfect for the family during the holidays. This movie is a well done sequel to one of the best superhero movies of all time. This movie has perfect casting, an incredible score by Danny Elfman, beautiful set design that screams 'Burton'. Micheal Keaton continue to kill it as Batman. Michelle Pfeiffer gives my favorite Catwoman performance of all time and favorite in the movie (she is my Catwoman). She is able to have the most complex character in the whole movie and give a performance with two alter personalities but never bore us with either. Keeping us glued to the screen whenever she is on it. Danny DeVito kills it with his over the top but, entertaining performance. Christopher Walken is just an absolute delight through out this whole movie. The set design it something out of a beautiful gothic horror movie that makes the Christmas time setting all the more beautiful. This movie is not as good as its predecessor. It has some warts but, I love this movie warts and all. The movie can tonally feel a little off with things that are meant to be intimating but, just simply aren't. Moments that are incredibly dark out of nowhere. But, overall this movie is a lot of fun and I enjoy it.
Catwoman (2004)
The worst superhero movie of all time
This has to be hands down my least favorite superhero movie of all time. Yes, over 'Batman and Robin'. Not by much but, the reason that it's sightly above 'Batman and Robin' is because this movie has this ugly piss-stained filter that covers the whole movie. It's disgusting to look at. The whole movie is somehow both insane and boring at the same time to watch. The writing has to be the worst things about this movie. The 'story' is non-existent, the dialogue is just awful. I feel bad for Halle Berry cause I feel like even to this day she could make a good Catwoman but, her whole character is laughable through just awful dialogue and a superhero suit that looks like it was made by a teenage boy looking for something to gawk at. Instead of giving us an interesting complex character that we can follow, root for and understand through out this journey we instead just get a cardboard cutout of a person that feels like it was made specially for the male gaze. Overall an absolute failure of a movie. Would not recommend.
Batman & Robin (1997)
An absolute joke of a movie
I don't know how anyone could film this movie, edit it, watch it and not then not destroy it. This movie just feels like a over two hour toy commercial (probably that's because that's what it is). This movie has no redeeming qualities. The only way I feel you you could watch this is if you turn your brain off completely and forget all of the other good Batman movies you could be watching otherwise you'll lose it. Every single actor apart from Michael Gough's Alfred is completely miscast. Every single performance is over the top with terribly written dialogue that could only come from a bad porno. The story is also one of the nails in the coffin. Many of the characters goals make no sense. Like Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze thinking that they should team up. Overall this is a movie that not only fails the art of filmmaking but fails Batman.
American Psycho (2000)
Beautiful madness
This is a movie that will have people possibly confused and unsure of what they just saw. And don't worry that's ok. This is a movie that doesn't need you know all of the answers at the end it just needs you to know what exactly its making fun of. This movie could of very easily have been a terrible mess of a movie but with it's incredible performances, writing and direction it's able to pull off a practically impossible story to perfection. From Christian Bale moonwalking to Huey Lewis and The News to him become enraged at how someone else's businesses card has a better font than his. This movie is just glorious madness that just gets better and better with each viewing.
365 Days: This Day (2022)
Somehow more boring than the first one
Somehow this movie is not only more boring than the first one, it has less of a plot than the first one. The movie is just music video after music video. I can't believe I'm saying this but, at least the first movie had the plot of him trying to get the girl to fall for him. But, now that has happened what's the point?! Why are we still watching these two characters who I wasn't even rooting for in the first place just laying around being some of the most unlikable characters I have seen in awhile. It's not like the screenwriters thought to write a story that has us follow these characters through a relatable emotional journey like The Before Trilogy did no, its just music video after music video and maybe 15 minutes in total of plot comes up mostly at the end of the movie. And spoiler alert I still don't like them after this movie. If anything I dislike them even more cause they somehow act even dumber and more insane. The movie if you want to call it that does not earn its over hour and forty minute run time. It felt like an eternity watching this. This movie isn't even so bad it's good kind of like the first one, it's so boring you could you use this movie to torture someone if you ever get so mad at them you want them to suffer.
365 dni (2020)
They should've just called this movie "Stockholm Syndrome: The Movie"!
I felt like every 10 minutes of watching this movie I was going to have an aneurysm. This movie is not only the craziest, dumbest, shallow and most importantly disgusting movie I have ever seen it is also one of the laziest movies I have ever seen. This movie tries to convince you that you can kidnap a woman and she'll fall in 'love' with you cause...reasons?! It also doesn't help that the two leads have zero chemistry to speak of. Chemistry that has the spark of a wet matches and paper. This movie just feels like wish fulfillment for middle aged moms who are bored with their lives. (So not me). If I had a YouTube channel I feel I could make an hour long review of this movie talking about how many things there are wrong with thing movie and also just how wrong it is. Not only does this movie cross the line between consent and assault on multiple occasions it also tries to tell you that it's both 'ok', 'admirable' and 'hot'. Yeah when I said disgusting I meant it. This movie is only good for when you want a reason to tell at your TV and to be uncontrollably angry. Don't waste your time.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Not only a great sequel but, a great movie
It's rare to find a sequel like this. A sequel to a classic movie that is great also but, a sequel that is able to stand up on its own two feet without needed the help of the original to help keep the audience engaged or interested. This a rare type of movie. It is a movie that stays true to the themes of the original but, it's able to add more to them that add to the story by having it develop the characters new and old. The movie is also able to add to the visuals a new set for a new generation. The movies cinematography is also a stand out. Roger Deakins once again shows us that he is a master of his class with breath taking shots and visuals that you'll probably want to make it the wallpaper on your laptop. The movie is achievement not only in film but in world building for the long awaited second installment for an already well beloved cult-classic.
Blade Runner (1982)
One of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time
This has to be one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time. With beautiful visuals, it's retro futuristic music, a Neo-noir feel and characters that help movie many of the themes of the movie forward. This is one timeless cult classic that I will never get tired of. A movie that will leave you with a foreboding feel from start to finish that makes you have a feel of paranoia. The movie uses literature, religious symbolism and dramatic themes that show how technology has effected us in more ways than one. With asking us to exam humanity and what truly makes us human. Which is why I feel it will never get old cause these are things that we will never truly have an answer for.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
One of Finchers underrated masterpieces
This is not only one of Finchers most underrated movies but, one of his best movies. Once again Fincher is able to take an over 2 1/2 hour mystery/thriller movie and able to keep us glued to every second of the movie and again asking for more. Not only remaking an already well-loved movie from Swedens 2009 movie version of the book. He is able to somehow improve on the story and make it a little bit better than the 2009 version. (Not saying I didn't like the 2009 version. I just like this one a bit better). Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara give us both one of their best performances of their careers. They play two characters that are polar opposites but give believeable chemistry and an unlikely duo. The movie tells a story of violence, corruption, generational trauma and what we become in the face of all of those things and how that can shape us or make us do things we may not really want to do. A story that will make you feel uneasy and unclean by the end. The writing is able to tell us a intense and emotion story without having any shock value that would otherwise take away from everything that makes this one of the best psychological Neo-noir films of the 2010's.
Zodiac (2007)
Finchers best film
This is Finchers best film to date and my personal favorite. Fincher is able to take a real and terrifying true story and turn it into a suspenseful detective story without it feeling exploitive or over the top. Even though it has an over 2 1/2 hour runtime it never feels like its lagging. It cuts to the chase and never goes in circles around what the story is really about. Even if you're not into true crime I feel you will enjoy this. With great performances to keep you engaged. The movie has that incredible quick editing that keeps the movie on yapper toes it has become Finchers trademark. The movie is able to grab and keep your attention and even at the end of the movie will have you asking more questions and for more. Not only a great movie overall but a great crime, thriller and mystery movie.
The Batman (2022)
A good start for a new trilogy
Is this a great Batman movie? No, I think that it is a good Batman movie with great performances, great cinematography, great music, and some great moments. But, it is not a great Batman movie overall. The Batman tries to tell a detective story similar to that of David Fincher's 'Seven' and/or 'Zodiac'. But, is not able to hit the marks that those movies were able to so seamlessly. The movie's three-hour run time didn't really hold it back in anyway. I never felt bored while watching it but, the movie did feel a little lacking in the final thirty minutes. Which is why I felt it was almost great. Overall I'm looking forward to see what is next for this new series.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Great movie!
Not only is this a great movie with great performances, great cinematography, great music, great storytelling and is a great Batman movie but, it is my favorite Batman movie. The film is able show the servility of the situation the that is presented in the world of this movie. Every single scene is believable due to the great performances and perfect casting. Christian Bale continues to kill it as Batman playing a man trying to stay true to his beliefs in this extremely desperate situation against a villain that puts his morals and goals to the test. Heath Ledger gives the performance of a lifetime. And not only is his performance the best thing in this movie but, the best thing in the whole Dark Knight Trilogy. He earned the Oscar. He shows a one of a kind villain that is the chaos to Batman's order. He shows through his chaos and trauma that even the most noble of heroes can be broken and turned into a villain. Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is a man who is trying to do good like Batman but, not because of trauma but, because he believes that he himself is good, he believes in the law and to follow rules, to have control over every outcome for him and any outcome that does not work out in his favor is simply just unacceptable. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are able to score a theme for able each character. From Jokers suspense fulled single violin string theme to Dents all-American theme. The movie is a tour de force of filmmaking. Christopher Nolan showed us that not only can superhero movies be dark, gritty and real. But, also ask us questions about mortality and ethics.