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Reviews
Still of the Night (1982)
Meryl wasn't impressed
Meryl Streep claims it is the worst film she's ever starred in!
I gave it 6 stars because that is the average score, as I have yet to see. I will make appropriate edits after I see it.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
I don't get it
The film is intriguing, but ultimately disappointing and rather baffling; as it seems incomplete. I have the impression that if it was written and directed differently, it potentially may have been a much better film, so I'm tempted to read the book.
Frayed (2019)
Disappointing
I wish I could give the series a better rating, but it fell flat for me. I did enjoy a brief scene in a cafe that almost reached it's potential in one episode, but overall this series neither works as a comedy nor as a drama, even though there are many fine actors involved. It's a pity, because it kinda almost works.
The Curse of Oak Island (2014)
I would rather watch something dry or evaporate
All I saw was a bunch of middle aged men talking, talking and talking a bit more about something that didn't really interest me. If the whole series was condensed into one 20 minute tv special, you may have something worth watching... maybe.
The Durrells (2016)
A wonderful series!
With the first two episodes I wasn't especially impressed, as I thought the series was trying too hard to be quirky. But I persevered, and quickly found myself addicted to the show! It has a wonderful balance of comedy and drama, the comic timing and physical humour is perfect, as is the casting, peformances and dialogue. I rarely give any movie or series such a high rating, but I couldn't help myself.
1BR (2019)
WORTH A WATCH
Persevere through the violence, and you will be rewarded. This is a great low budget film with a reasonable amount of suspense and creeps. A satisfying film! And the main lead is excellent.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
A rather satisfying horror
The first Conjuring was especially effective for me, as at the time I was actually being haunted by spirits and/or demons or whatever the hell they were - so at the time I was very drawn to anything of that nature as a means to gain answers to what I was experiencing. The Conjuring 2 was good but not as good as the first, and The Conjuring 3 was probably on a par with 2. The Conjuring 3 overall is certainly worth a view, and I felt quite satisfied at the end, but the suspense could have been milked a bit more, and I felt that it needed the visceral creepiness of the first Conjuring. It felt a bit 'horror by numbers', but I'm not complaining. Recommended.
Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime (2020)
I would have given the short series a ten if...
... IF the series didn't feature random supposed celebrities providing worthless and highly irritating commentry on Michael Palin's wonderful series. We only need to see Michael Palin providing a retrospective commentry thankyou.
The iMom (2014)
Good
I don't know what shorts it was up against for the AACTA Awards, but it's likely this short should have won. Impressed
Next Floor (2008)
One of the most important shorts ever made
No doubt an analogy of the cause and effect of how humans are having a detrimental effect on the health of our planet.
Beautifully done.
Slut (2014)
Good
Good set up for evolution of story. Well written, good performances, great sound and cinematography. Loved it!
Hellevate (2019)
Great little short
Snappy dialogue, crazy scenario and funny. Well done
He Walked by Night (1948)
Well worth a watch
I was largely glued to the screen from start to finish, as this is a superbly made noir - consisting of re-enactments seamlessly mixed with the occasional documentry footage. Performances are excellent, and the suspense is frequent. Recommended
Peopling (2019)
Largely I like
Analogies may well be rife in this wonderful short, but I haven't taken the time to figure out what they are. This is unique, weird, unsettling, and most importantly - entertaining. But I couldn't quite figure out what it was saying. A delight anyways
Inner Sanctum (1948)
Somewhat odd but ok
This is an effective, somewhat silly noir with some sitcom like characters, but it held my interest, and was quite suspenseful at times. Recommended.
Cerdita (2018)
Well written and shot short
Carlota is clearly a talented writer and director, and needs to make a feature that I would no doubt love to see. Review is very short, as I'm tired.
The Reckless Moment (1949)
Good but not great
Once you get past the unrealistic scenario of Joan Bennett's character dumping the body, I slowly got into this one. James Mason is good, but I wasn't entirely sold on Joan Bennett's performance, but in the end her performance was effective. Interesting camera work, good lighting, and it was interesting how there was a lot of casual dialogue not designed to propel the story, but to add an element of authenticity to the scene (irritating at times, but mostly interesting). Overall, the film was a rather satisfying noir.
Greatland (2020)
Better than you would think
Consider the review by Schrades22 as my intro. My high rating takes into account that the ambitious script was clearly filmed on a VERY low budget, and yet it worked... for me atleast. Yes, some of the performances were stilted, some of the cinematography was amateurish, some vfx were cheap, and I wondered if the writer had a political agenda, but MOST importantly the film had my attention from start to finish, and I enjoyed it.
This film is a testament to good writing, performances, music, and set design, no matter how low the budget. The direction and cinematography could have been better, but overall I recommend this film, and could easily watch it again.
Ghosts (2019)
Seems to be for kids
I only watched one episode - which left me NOT wanting more. To me the humour seemed very basic. I won't be giving it a second chance. OK for young kids though.
Kajillionaire (2020)
WORTH SEEING
I only knew of Miranda July by following her on Instagram, and this is the first feature film of hers I've seen, and I can't wait to see the next. I figured Kajillionaire would be insightful, unique and humorous ... and it was. Miranda is a pure artist - in that she is true to her creative vision; one that is without one iota of pretence. The film probably isn't her best effort, but compared to a majority of films - it's a masterpiece; but then again you shouldn't compare Miranda's films to others, as it is a wonderfully unique experience that only the wonderfully unique Miranda July could have created. Thankfully, Kajillionaire is not a mainstream Hollywood Blockbuster filled with cgi that spoon feeds you everything. Kajillionaire is a thought provoking, unique vision brimming with humanity.