tlooknbill Reviews

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Still laughing about scenes the next day! It just keeps giving!

[10/10 · 17 May 2022]

It's mainly a movie humorously celebrating the craft and art of cinema as a plot within a messed up plot driven by the exaggerated self absorbed ego of it's lead actor, Nicholas Cage playing himself.

A movie within a movie that allows Cage to parody his celebrity status and "How Come I'm Not In That Movie" reputation as an aging actor who seems to be in every movie ever made in the last 30 or 40 years...I lost count.

They even parody the current trend in movies lately of CGI'ing younger versions of aging actors having Cage getting weird on his younger self where you're trying to figure out what era they're sourcing the younger version from and of course it's seamless and quite convincing CGI.

I'm laughing as I'm typing this review. This movie is such a refreshing alternative to all the Marvel super hero overkill currently in theaters.

Loved this movie!

Pinocchio (2019)

Fellini style retelling of a classic with lots of love up on the screen by all creatives.

[10/10 · 31 December 2020]

I have a graphic art background and had to see this retelling of Pinocchio just from the trailer. The craftsmanship in cinematography, color, set design, costumes, makeup and lighting is inspiring escapism and desperately needed change from all the mediocre movies that have come out in the last decade and especially during this pandemic.

I actually teared up just from seeing the amount of love of the craft put into this movie and in how the story is told. Everything looks authentic and mixes realism with the right amount of special effects that don't appear digitally dropped in that maintains a truly dreamlike experience.

I felt like I was in old world Italy somewhere back in the 1800's. Like walking into a Michelangelo painting come to life.

It pretty much touches upon all essential plot turns as in the Disney animated version but adapts to live action interpretation that comes across more down to earth and much more poetic and from the heart.

Archenemy (2020)

Grind house tone of original Mad Max with the psychological ambiguity of The Joker.

[9/10 · 15 December 2020]

At the start thought this was going to be a cheezy stylized graphic novel of a homeless alcoholic man who wants to be a super hero to fight street crime.

But was totally taken by surprise by the intelligently stylized way of mixing graphic novel style picture dreams of this homeless man telling of who he is and where he's from that at first you don't know whether to believe due to the fact he knows way too much about science, but is a drug addict and alcoholic, another clever use or excuse that plays into the plot to explain how he gets his uncanny strength and ability to take a lot of pain and injury and keep walking and talking. No fantastical CGI effects except at the surprise ending. The guy really looks like he's getting the crap beat out of him. No flying or special weapons from super hero race of aliens like a Superman tale.

This movie is very gritty and violent much like The Joker but in a dream like way due to the clunky jump cuts in advancing the plot that appears produced in a very cut and run frenetic pace very similar to the original Mad Max that left me just as rattled when I first saw it in the early '80's.

This is not a Marvel style super hero movie! And that's what makes "Archenemy" so entertaining. You don't know what is going to happen next. The way the plot unfolds in making you believe or disbelieve the homeless guy is a super hero is quite philosophical in a power of the mind aspect in motivating people to make a change where sometimes the first step to make change is just moving forward beyond one's safe wheelhouse. I was thoroughly entertained by this movie.

Come Play (2020)

A beautifully scarey monster movie from a childs point of view.

[10/10 · 3 November 2020]

I really enjoyed the originality in how the movie makes a vague distinction between possible supernatural influences verses online child predators in telling a story about a very creepy and scary monster that seems to seek sympathy for being lonely and having no friends by communicating t his through an online children's book to an Autistic child who can't speak and say no to this monster. I was beginning to think this was going to be a kind of Maurice Sendack "Where The Wild Things Are" kind of tall tale. BIG NEGATORY ON THAT! This is some scary movie on a psychological level I've not seen in other similar movies about monsters.

This is clever on so many levels in toying with the audience at the same time drawing them in as to what it is and what it wants with an Autistic child who can't speak to say no to the monster that it doesn't want to be its friend.

Very good special effects and convincing looking monster and very scary. I don't know if this would freak out kids at the age of the child actors that experience this monster. I know at that age I would just soiled myself and ran out of the theater screaming.

I predict this is going to be a classic horror movie on lines of the Chucky, the killer doll in The Child's Play movies. You've been warned!

The Kid Detective (2020)

Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective, becomes Jeff Lebowski in Canadian suburbia.

[9/10 · 29 October 2020]

Canadian made movies seem to create a dream like parallel "more innocent" American universe which is what I felt watching this "Ghost World" like indie film of a boy detective now attempting to solve his first murder mystery as a young man but in the same suburbs he grew up in as a boy solving minor issues and mysteries asked by his school mates which is hilarious if not endearing on its own as it's illustrated quite humorously in flashbacks.

It is this localization of his connection and familiarity with the community that cleverly aids him in solving a missing person and recent stabbing of an Asian boy reminiscent of a Columbo episode but in a Napoleon Dynamite kind of droll community. It's clunky, slow paced and pretty sloppy as it slogs and meanders along eventually leading to the ultimate pay off but in the most disturbing scene considering its innocent suburbia setting.

This is a smartly made movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it for its mix of humor and unusual methods of sleuthing by knowing the community better than the cops who were also solving the same missing persons and murder cases.

The ending is a big surprise but not as usual surprise endings go in detective movies because it's as slow paced and unassuming as if you're watching someone clear the table after a potluck dinner making it just weird and disturbing but in a thought provoking way. I certainly didn't see it coming.

Kajillionaire (2020)

One of the better flim flam flicks that uniquely defines what qualifies as a family.

[9/10 · 12 October 2020]

Kajillionaire shows adventurously how poverty sucks especially living in a big city with aging parents without a nest egg whose personality quirks and sense of values seem to span the entire Autistism spectrum with the father and mother exhibiting cult like tendencies as wacky parents with odd habits and priorities as they try to make rent living in a business building.

I loved the originality and unique way it mixed scam artist home life with a world that seemed to make reality a nightmare in itself just to survive.

Some of the scams are so hilariously thought up and executed as if everyone had ADHD, obsessive compulsive traits and autism as the driving force for planning and stick-to-it-ness that left me laughing quite a bit, and then amazed the convoluted scams were successful.

This is a heavily character driven movie portraying a vagabond family raising a single daughter (now in her '20's) who wants attention from her family to know for sure of their motivations for living such a bleak existence. She plays along with these scams to role play as a way to appear as clever and diabolical as her parents much like if they were a band of gypsies where all those involved show who they really are at the end.

I'm getting the Blu-ray of this as soon as it comes out. They don't make Indie movies like this any longer which makes "Kajillionaire" a rare find.

The Rental (2020)

Cleverly toys with the audience's established notions of the thriller genre.

[10/10 · 4 August 2020]

The pandemic has me wanting to get out and see a movie so I checked IMDB reviews and watched the trailer only to be a bit disappointed. Screw it! Went anyway.

Ok, yes it's kinda' predictable with unknown to me actors but why was it getting me to talk at the characters in the theater (the theater was empty) as the plot slowly and casually unfolded with a dark and brooding atmosphere and creepy POV's by both the director and cinematographer? it's a very well acted, beautifully photographed slow paced mature interpretation of the thriller genre. And after it ended I felt I saw a very good movie because I was thoroughly entertained. HUH?! Was I being hypnotized into liking what appears to be a contrived movie?

I mean every preconception and logical conclusion associated with this movie genre were displayed on screen but setup, presented and resolved with a quick delivery that defied all of this. Things aren't as they obviously appear which is even more evident at the end of the movie that had me scratching my head days after when it finally dawned on me this was a clever way to loop back to dash even further the audience's preconceptions of what they thought they saw and at the same time what it implies about short term vacation rentals like AirBnB.

There's an antagonist that later appears you think is who he's suppose to be, motivated by actions you conclude is obvious revenge or entrapment as events and circumstances slowly unfold to prevent the renters from calling the police. No. That wouldn't make sense due to it conflicting with the screwed up relationships between the two couples that create more complex motivations and intent. How is this going to be resolved without police intervention?

The writer, director and cinematographer appear to be guiding the audience using familiar short and brief scenes mixed with long contemplative camera angles and odd out of focus close ups that sneaks up on the audience to vaguely reveal a dark figure right of screen so you're not sure what it is but have to obviously conclude is the antagonist, or the landlord? And of course it's not WHO the audience thinks it is. Or is it? It's a very intelligently told thriller. I highly recommend it.

The Turning (2020)

1961's "The Innocents" with Debra Kerr is a MUCH BETTER version of this movie.

[1/10 · 7 February 2020]

Never read the Henry James book "The Turn Of The Screw" The Turning is based on. I'm making my comparison for entertainment value to the 1961 version of this movie "The Innocents" which I'm now going to buy the DVD next chance I get just to clear my palette and disappointment from "The Turning".

I'm not really motivated to write negative reviews of a movie most of the time but this has weighed on me for several days on how bad it is that I had to check if my opinion was shared in IMDB reviews. It was! 3.7 average rating out of 150 reviewers. YIKES! That's the lowest I've seen on any IMDB reviewed movie.

I won't belabor the point about the wonky ending that has clearly been expressed much clearly in other reviews. I'll just say I'm in total agreement with other's opinions.

"The Turning" had so much potential as ghost stories go. I loved the cinematography, but the flow, pacing and confusing relationships of the characters was tiresome to watch.

Now on to watching the 1961 "The Innocents". More convincing depiction of ghosts with a less is more approach.

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Gorgeous depiction of '50's New York in color & music despite dense plot.

[7/10 · 4 November 2019]

If you couldn't keep up with Chinatown's and LA Confidential's plot and continuous placing and connecting of characters' names associated with civic and political corruption then Motherless Brooklyn will have you drowning in it.

That's why I give it a seven rating. It's almost 2 1/2 hours of figuring out what's going on and who's doing it, but at least the look and sound of the movie provides a huge respite with the best sounding Bee Bop jazz and lush background theme soundtrack I've ever heard in a movie.

As a photographer I thought the cinematography was stunning in color and composition, less film noir and more '50's style New York street Kodachrome photography with compositions of odd reflections and angles interspersed smoothly with the flow of the narrative master shots in a style similar to Winogrand and Vivian Maier.

The variety of vintage '50's automobiles in pristine and brand new condition with the rich look of Kodachrome color is another treat. The sound of the rattle of car doors slamming is even accurate.

Mine (II) (2016)

Close to Oscar worthy writing and performance if edited down a bit.

[9/10 · 16 August 2019]

Bought the DVD at Big Lots just to see Armie Hammer hold his own in a movie. I was not disappointed. I was riveted throughout the entire film. The writing and pacing reminded me of classic '60's Combat and TV Western episodes that could brilliantly focus on a brief and simplistic plot line in order to slowly ratchet up the suspense and tension till ya' can't stay still in your seat.

One quibble is it went too long toward the climactic ending. It kept introducing unnecessary flashbacks that psychologically motivate Armie's character's decision making where you can't tell which are from his memories of his past relationships with friends and family or from him losing his mind and seeing visions from being out in the desert standing for hours with his foot on a land mine.

The movie put me there with the character and that's the mark of a well made movie. I can't believe it's gotten so many bad reviews.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Most advanced 300 year old technology & all it can do is fight? REALLY?!

[5/10 · 20 February 2019]

Went to see this just to find out why the character had bug eyes as I was told the plot would reveal and it didn't. Others said it was Cameron's homage to the large eyes drawn in the Manga cartoon animation style. This movie has so much eye popping CGI any resemblance to Manga was totally lost on me. I never watched the old limited frame rate animation back when it was popular in the '90's and I'm a cartoonist.

I did go see it for the CGI artistry which was VERY good and realistic but the overall look with its thick halo edge sharpness and overly contrasty color grading made it all seem like an animated Brothers Hildebrandt illustration. I think the Sony 4K projector I saw it on might have needed some recalibration. Not sure.

The plot points made by "KingofyourCastle" review is spot on in that there's too many contradictions in Alita's motivations driving her character as an innocent caring teenager but yet can commit such brutal acts without second thoughts makes me not care about her.

I was left feeling why should I care about this world she occupies? Nothing makes sense in the plot. It comes across totally constructed like some hologram to allow her to demonstrate her martial arts prowess.

It's a beautiful looking movie depicting a world I don't really care about. Avatar I did care about and thought much better than Alita.

Cold Pursuit (2019)

Even the Snowplow has a sense of gallows humor.

[10/10 · 16 February 2019]

You'll find that out at the end. Myself and audience members were laughing at several similar scenes throughout the movie that seemed to almost parody Liam Neeson's other revenge killing type movies. Even the snow seemed to be a character that foils the bad guys. The Colorado scenery is beautifully photographed which adds a surreal contrast to all the carnage.

As other reviews point out the pacing and timing felt like a Coen Brothers movie somewhere between Fargo and No Country For Old Men.

This is really a surprisingly good and entertaining movie. It's VERY different from Neeson's "Taken" movies. There is no martial arts hand to hand combat. It's just Neeson getting right to it going up the chain of drug gang connected bad guys and eliminating them one at a time the quickest way possible.

There's just so many laughable mishaps you wouldn't expect attempting to reach the yuppy drug lord kingpin who comes across so stupidly arrogant but disturbingly ruthless.

This is not your typical violent revenge killing movie and that's in a good way.

White Boy Rick (2018)

About 30 minutes in I walked out of the theater...

[4/10 · 26 September 2018]

I guess I just didn't want to see another tough and gritty realistic looking drug related crime drama that reminded me of what it was like living in the '70's for African Americans even though the movie's story takes place in the '80's.

I didn't live in those cities back then and never took or sold drugs. There were movies on TV and on the big screen back then that made that life style so darn depressing. And that's exactly what I started feeling within the first 30 minutes.

I didn't care about the characters even though they were well acted. Maybe it was the slow pacing of how the characters related to each other. I mean it crawled even up to the Las Vegas scene. I kept asking myself why do I not care? Why don't I find this movie interesting? I didn't want to know what was going to happen next. So why am I watching this?

I love movies especially tense and realistic ones like "White Boy Rick" but it came across more like your typical socially conscious PBS gritty documentary portraying the dead end lifestyle of a drug culture where there's no hope in sight. It's the same reason I don't watch reality TV about prison life on those investigation detective cable channels.

Maybe the movie is just too realistic at recreating a time I'ld like to forget. It is a very well made serious movie but it's just not a story I'm interested in. The trailer saying it's based on a true story I thought was going to be a story that would unfold similar to "American Hustle" which I liked. "White Boy Rick" unfolded alright but never opened up and 30 minutes waiting for that to happen just wasn't worth my time.

Searching (III) (2018)

An abduction thriller through the eyes of a giant smartphone screen.

[10/10 · 11 September 2018]

At least if you see it on the big screen.

I really enjoyed the originality in the concept, plot and writing in this movie but it did make me want to never look at another smartphone screen again similar to what the Blair Witch movie did to movies made with the hand held camera.

It almost got claustrophobic watching the plot unfold through the character's continuous online social media navigation routines we're all familiar with. I can now see how addictive it is especially with a smartphone.

But that's the genius of this movie because this familiar world distracts and comfortably lures you into following a father desperately tracing his missing daughter's online activity that makes regular forensic investigation pale by comparison.

You really gotta' keep up and pay attention just as if you were the desperate parent conducting the same search. It puts you in the same mindset of the father which has a very different and unique gripping effect over other movies of this genre. A kind of cold detachment from real human personal connections from a social aspect amplifies this effect making it creepy on another level psychologically. It's too real and that's what makes it scary.

And then the end just blows you away because you weren't watching carefully. You gotta' see this movie!

Unsane (2018)

An intelligently written and produced movie made on an iPhone 7.

[10/10 · 2 April 2018]

Much like 1963's "Shock Corridor", "Shock Treatment" with Stuart Whitman and the recent "A Cure For Wellness" the paranoia and conspiracy theories abound only "Unsane" makes it more believable in a modern hospital clinic setting that lumps together in the same living area patience with a wide range of ailments from drug addiction to severe mental illness.

This facility tricks the main character into signing admittance documents without telling her verbally she's to be committed for 24hr. observation. The motivation alluded to by one of the patients is that the clinic is set up more as a business much like big pharma where the real incentives for helping the patient are obscured by how much money can be had from the insurance companies footing the bill to keep the patients much longer by reporting mishaps involving altercations caused by other patients who are quite unstable to begin with.

You know where this is going but there's an interesting twist to the plot that kinda' sounds like it was pulled from actual "You won't believe this but this is true" crime data involving a former abusive boyfriend becoming an employee at the facility.

Yeah! That can happen! Check out some of the horror stories at adult assisted living facilities in rural areas of the country that take in anyone and everyone with any insurance and don't do thorough background checks on their employees.

I believe one of my relatives is experiencing pretty much what this main character goes through with regard to increased and added medication when my relative started out with narcolepsy and now is being treated with a string of bipolar medication. This movie has motivated me to find out about these kind of facilities. It's downright scary and so is the movie.

Death Wish (2018)

An original story much like how John Carpenter reimagined The Thing.

[10/10 · 6 March 2018]

And as Carpenter made it a much more entertaining movie not only in special effects but in the portrayal of human relationships, so does Eli Roth in Death Wish.

A doctor's motivation to preserving life as the hero makes more sense than Bronson's architect in stopping ruthless criminals who end life without hesitation with a police force already overwhelmed by gang violence in the city of Chicago.

Every little detail that drove the plot just made sense from the interesting use of smartphones and security cameras to political and racial discussions on vigilantism through media feeds on both sides of the political spectrum.

I felt this movie more cathartic for those on both sides of the gun control issue and what drives the recent school shootings. It also proposes scenarios how guns are acquired legally and illegally that I think very few consider in this debate. There are no mentally ill people shooting bad or good guys unless you consider Bruce Willis's doctor character as such.

This movie took me out of that mindset and just let me be entertained. A very well told story.

The Commuter (I) (2018)

A who's doing it & why action thriller. CG fx fight scenes are a game changer!

[10/10 · 19 January 2018]

This movie has everything. I was thoroughly entertained.

Original plot line, fight scenes that aren't just ass over elbows flying across the screen. Don't know how they did it but it shows actual fist to face contact of Liam getting his ass kicked. Very few viewer obscured camera angle trick shots. I could tell it was CG'ed but in a way that introduced blur that actually amplified the impact. A bit strange and unsettling effect that made me feel more sorry for Liam's character.

The plot is intricate and believable. They do explain how Liam as an insurance salesman knows how to fight so they're not insulting the audience's intelligence. It all makes sense just like Liam's "Taken" movies. Grounded with a very mature tone, a welcomed respite from the current super hero venues.

A lot of chess game strategic maneuvering that forces you to be fully engaged in who to trust and who's really behind the ordeal Liam's character faces.

I'll be buying the Blu-Ray when it comes out. I do believe this is as good as "Taken".

Downsizing (2017)

This ain't a Walt Disney movie, folks! It's comedic social satire!

[10/10 · 29 December 2017]

Downsizing shows an example of how new technological breakthroughs that seem helpful for society can actually make things worse in unforeseen comical ways.

It's also a story of one man's journey to discover his identity, value and purpose in life is not defined by the things and positions he seeks and pursues in society but by how he is motivated to serve and help others no matter how small or large in social stature.

He thinks things will be better, cheaper and easier while preserving resources and the planet if he shrinks to five inches tall only to find his life is made up of the same series of mishaps, unexpected encounters bumping along in his new life with every new person he meets is now pretty much the same as it was at his previous size. But now he's forced to make meaningful decisions that provide value for his self and others he tries to help that didn't require a much smaller stature. It's just that becoming small put him at the right place at the right time.

I think Hong Chau should win an Oscar in her depiction of a Vietnamese dissident who was forcibly "downsized" pointing out the use of this money/resource saving "technology" isn't equally valued.

I liked this movie in how it conveyed its message and story.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Foreign film feel with '30's era oddball characters beautifully filmed.

[10/10 · 10 November 2017]

From Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns to the makers of "Taken" there is something about European productions and their set locations in a movie that makes me feel like a stranger in a strange land as an American and Murder On The Orient Express has this in spades. It's engagingly balanced by its character driven story making it more gripping and entertaining though you do have to pay attention due to its use of flashbacks in connecting the dots.

I saw this movie in the theaters in '75 when I was a teen and was just taken to another world that felt dangerous with the "you're on your own" aspect of traveling abroad (without the traveler's diarrhea) while running into some of the most quirky, creepy, eccentric and odd behaving characters that one might expect to meet on a train in Europe in the '30's. This seemingly eccentric behavior runs interference in hiding the truth about why and what would bring together on one train 12 oddball characters who seem to have nothing in common. Poirot slowly and diabolically works his way in his questioning of the 12 to make the connections.

That ensemble of convincingly cagey acting characters is what the audience and Poirot must break through aided by effectively and obviously placed brief flashbacks to confessions and character back story each character reveals that at first were obscured by first impressions. Of course Poirot humorously dismisses with smart ass and equally quirky European flare and sophistication the suspect's phony behavior as a form of personal interrogation to rattle them in order to draw out more detail that points to the real murderer. Standouts in this form of re-remembering what was said outside the context of first impressions at the start of the movie is performances by oddly pasty pale complected Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman's nervously, devout humanitarian character. The performances are not from your typical B-movie detective who done it.

As a teen I was totally confused by these flashbacks and line of questioning even though I had read several Agatha Christie novels including "Murder On The Orient Express". The book had no flashbacks. This movie actually creates a whole other more interesting and character driven way to tell a who done it detective murder mystery in a most elegant and stylish way while remaining brilliantly grounded and believable by the performances of top shelf actors in gorgeous and authentic looking '30's era costumes.

Through the years I've had to watch this movie several times in TV re-runs to understand the connections provided by the flashbacks even though I already knew the surprise ending. It's still fun to watch and I can't wait for the US release of the Blu-ray. I wish I could give the same review of the 2017 remake I saw last night.

The Snowman (2017)

A PBS styled gruesome murder mystery for the big screen where the butler did it.

[6/10 · 20 October 2017]

It's as if PBS decided to do a "Silence Of The Lambs" progressively edgy and gory styled detective story with the pace and attention to detail of a "Father Brown" murder mystery or "The Coroner".

Anyway, the production, cinematography and gorgeously orchestral and ambient musical soundtrack are the winners in "The Snowman". Never has snow looked so beautiful until you see it photographed in Norway.

To keep up with the plot you do have to pay attention to all the names of suspects, victims and time lines spoken abruptly in British accents within long contemplative pauses as if every character was avoiding breathing the cold air.

Val Kilmer is almost unrecognizable and his voice sounds dubbed which kinda' makes his character oddly more interesting where I wish he was given more screen time.

It's a decent, intelligently and beautifully produced movie perfect for curling up with some cocoa in cold winter months to find out who done it. I was just expecting more "Silence Of The Lambs" and less "Inspector Morse".

Audrey Rose (1977)

A movie that annoyingly asks how you'ld scream if you were burned to death in a fire..

[7/10 · 18 October 2017]

Well, I'ld be yelling my head off in excruciating agony running to plunge my entire body in the kitchen ice box. I certainly wouldn't be wining in a weak annoying high pitched tiny scream and flailing my hands against the window while running around the house which is what you'll be subjected to from a little girl reliving this experience through the reincarnated soul of another child occupying the same body who was years before burned to death in a fire from a automobile accident.

This little girl's reacting this way throughout the entire movie is the hole in the logic of the movie's entire premise though it is a very interesting concept for a movie plot. It just needed more emphasis either through acting performance and/or special effects to make it land right.

I finally watched this movie from start to finish a day ago after always catching this movie in the middle in reruns and kept hitting the remote because I just couldn't sit through this irritating screaming girl I at first thought was just being possessed by an evil spirit as some Exorcist movie wanna' be.

I actually misjudged this movie based on not knowing what this screaming girl's problem was. I felt all the adult actors did a very good job in making me suspend disbelief in a movie plot that effectively demonstrates how reincarnation could be shown and manifested in a human.

I mean most claims of reincarnation I've heard or read about don't provide any proof. This movie cleverly and compellingly shows it in a well written plot with convincing dialog and realistically gut wrenching emotion from the actors. Lot's of tears are called up by the actors in this one. There's not a lot of movies that approach this subject in this way with this level of seriousness and commitment by the actors and story line at the same time have it be a thoroughly entertaining experience which was the case with me.

I just couldn't get passed the little girl's thin sounding screaming from reliving being burned alive over and over.

Warning Shot (1966)

Most intricate & entertaining detective drama on why cops shoot first and ask questions later.

[10/10 · 11 July 2017]

...AND a LOT OF QUESTIONS since the entire plot hangs on a police detective investigating in his own defense for the ensuing trial for shooting in self defense a man who turned out to be a doctor in a black trench coat carrying a black case suspiciously running away from the detective giving chase during a foggy night stake out only to be cornered and what appears to be the doctor pulling a gun on him.

If you don't watch this opening scene carefully you'll miss whether you saw a gun or wallet pulled from the doctor's coat because the weapon could not be found in the investigation.

You'll never figure out to the very baffling and surprising end what happened to the gun and question your own mind if there ever was one in addition to wondering why the doctor would run away from a cop.

To me it made no sense which made me follow along paying close attention throughout the entire movie's involved connect the dots investigation amid rather still good looking and well acted cameo's of Walter Pidgeon, Lilian Gish, George Sanders and a sexy, gorgeous Eleanor Parker.

I was so blown away by the level of specifics and detail in the plot that I had to look up the author of the book this movie was based on which IMO makes the "Columbo" series look like a Hardy Boys mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

The Circle (I) (2017)

Most interesting story concept to come along in a long while.

[10/10 · 11 May 2017]

Don't know why reviews are comparing this to the somewhat dark and hopeless "1984". "The Circle" is far more interestingly worse because it's deceptively wrapped up in a much more prettier, upbeat and smarter package.

My overall summation sees "The Circle" more like the Truman Show where it begs the question how much of one's private life would one give up for complete organized convenience and social transparency? Inclusion by intrusion.

You have no friends because you're a nobody? Become a somebody by having the world know your every move with all that data stored hidden away underground on mindless servers.

Only problem is you have to live your life keeping everyone updated through all devices, sort of a new kind of prison.

Disturbingly topical since that's what most of us are doing now with Facebook, Instagram and other social network sites except our addiction blinds us to seeing it as a prison and our data owned by someone that can't be controlled.

It's the smartest written theatrical release movie in the past 20 years.

Get Out (I) (2017)

A film that asks..."Why Does The Groundskeeper Run?".

[10/10 · 1 March 2017]

See the movie and test yourself. I mean really, as seen in the trailer even I didn't figure it out till after the ending credits. There is an ingenious reason for that but you'll have to listen carefully to the dialog from start to finish because almost every aspect of this movie including the title has a race based dual meaning depending which racial stereotype one leans toward. For instance one may think "Get Out" is referencing a racially exclusionary threat toward another race when it's actually the exact opposite made brutally evident at the horrific end of the movie.

That's the bizarre and clever way these social issues are approached and questioned from a racially sensitive perspective that flows effortlessly throughout the dialog without being obvious. A well written script that attempts to make the audience choose what race based lens they interpret the duality of each stereotype... upscale white liberals who admire African American abilities and strengths? Or African Americans who view that not as a compliment but as stereotyping? It addresses each race equally without being preachy balancing out the humor and racial uneasiness with an unexpected final solution at the end more horrible than the issues created by each race's differences.

It puts you in it from both perspectives where the humor acts as a release from the unease created from unjustifiable stereotyping by using them as jokes that left me nearly on the floor busting a gut laughing.

All in all I have to say "Get Out" was a thoroughly original and entertaining movie.

A Cure for Wellness (2016)

Beautifully creepy vivid film noire nightmare.

[9/10 · 20 February 2017]

Similar to the over the top dynamic contrast and crispy, detailed look from its director Gore Verbinski's "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movies "A Cure For Wellness" uses it to better effect in creating a hyper realistic bizarre and nightmarish feel to an old world Swiss health spa from what seems to date back to the '40's & '50's.

There's also an element of old world European creepiness and atmosphere similar to the "Taken" and "Hostel" series and throw in Ken Russel's "Liar Of The White Worm" in that I felt I was in a dangerous, foreign world where anything could happen and the police are in on it. The brief nudity of young and old of both genders actually made this film feel I was in a more normal world.

If ever there was a movie to make you want to visit the Swiss Alps it's this one. Beautifully detailed, dreamlike cinematography. Just the atmosphere and look of this film is worth the price of admission. Heck I haven't even gotten to the plot which I'm going to let other reviews explain. I still haven't figured out the connection to the eels in the water. I'll have to read a more detailed synopsis online.

You have to see this movie in a big wide screen theater. The close ups on the actors are stunningly real and rich in detail. That's what makes it appear like a vivid, fevered dream.

I give it 9 out of 10 stars for the slightly off kilter "Phantom Of The Opera" styled ending.