slimecity-38663 Reviews

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Completely Disappointing

[9/10 · 22 March 2023]

Utterly disappointed with this film. Im disappointed that while there were diverse young ethnic females in this film, they did not put Captain Mitchell "in his rightful place" by making him look like a bumbling archaic male fool. Im also annoyed that I did not have any Hollywood social political agendas rammed down my throat. I was terribly annoyed that yet another great movie franchise was NOT forced to die a horrible, slow death at the hands of modern woke writers.

Great acting, beyond incredible direction by the great Joseph Kosinski, a pretty good story, amazingly-well filmed aircraft scenes, and just enough nostalgia and nods to the original just cant save this film. If you want to feel like a kid again (something that Hollywood productions have not managed to do to me for the last 10 years or so) then see this great film.

The Mist (2007)

Just OK

[5/10 · 24 February 2023]

Its OK. Obviously made at the time of borderline CGI though, which is obvious. At times the large bug effects had me in hysterics as they look naff by todays standards.

Like most Stephen King adaptions, this one gets really bogged down in making points on societal moral dilemmas and overwrought, detailed character development (there is far too much time spent on the nutty Christian woman for example).

The saving grace of this adaptation is that there are some fairly gross horror moments at times, and almost the whole cast of The Walking Dead are on here (plus Thomas Jane is great).

In my view this one just cant compete with the practical-effects awesomeness of either the Thing or the Blob - which I enjoyed far more. This movie otherwise has fairly glacial pacing which will put a lot of people off.

Not bad if you have time to kill I guess.

Andor (2022– )

This Disney effort is actually good

[7/10 · 2 December 2022]

Hard to believe I know, based on recent efforts (and manufactured good reviews on compromised aggregator sites like RT).

Good acting, good actors, actual realistic stories. Amazing set pieces. Good action sequences. A great lack of Mary Sue's saving the day, and the men in this are refreshingly portrayed not as being completely inept or utter clowns. There is also a refreshing lack of pointless fetch-quests that marked the recent Abrahms "movies."

The world-building is done with great care and the actual effort put into the writing shows. Well worth a watch (if you havent already given up on the Disney star wars milking machine).

The Entity (1982)

Yikes - utter snoozefest

[4/10 · 26 November 2022]

This is a product of its time, incredibly drawn-out and contains a whole lot of talky exposition.

You can tell that the production crew on this film was completely in love with recently-developed special effects too, this ghost can shoot palpatine-like lightening bolts and laser beams!

Theres a lot of talking, a lot of drawn out "I'd like to help you," and a lot of institutional disbelief at the events, etc. Budget Al Pacino is a therapist and tries to encourage our lead to see through her hysterical delusions at all costs, dammit!!!!

The only upside is Barbara Hershey, shes a great actor (refer to Black Swan) and dear god was hot in this film. Her young children only seem to serve as vehicles of screaming and panic in this film.

The Thing also came out in 1982. Watch that instead. Its WAY better, with fantastic practical horror effects.

She Said (2022)

Delivered in a somewhat predictable tone.....

[5/10 · 24 November 2022]

The movie is good however it very soon enters a recurring pattern "interview female victim, uncover everything Weinstein did to you, show the emotional trauma." Yes, we get it, he is a terrible person, repetition of the same formula doesnt necessary make that message hit harder. The two leads are great (esp Carey Mulligan, a fave from the film "Drive") and the film is peppered with guests including Alan Alda. Somewhat refreshingly, many of the men in the film arent pictured as evil, or otherwise too controlling of our leads - but the tone does get very preachy & heavy in places. The "all men are evil and need to take a good hard look at themselves" messaging is particularly cloying with the reaction to the PUA's in the bar, and also with the lead's speech about "perhaps post partum depression is a manifestation of all the evil that women have to put up with in this nasty patriarchal society..." (seriously, this actually happened). I liked it, but as mere male, I felt quite hectored by the end of it. The pacing isnt ideal, and some alternative viewpoints would have helped - (ie: what was occurring inside Miramax at the time of these troubles?). Still, worth a watch if you want to see merciless recount of many of these accusations unfolding.

The Boys (2019– )

Fantastic social commentary satire

[9/10 · 19 October 2022]

An amazing p*take that works on so many levels. Hugely entertaining from a purely action perspective, but it also satirises societies obsession with the superhero genre and vapid celebrity scene.

It also manages to successfully take stabs at the shallow selfishness of corporate greed and very well satirises America's culture of fear and world military domination (getting away with it by cloaking it in a comedic context).

The Billy Joel soundtrack songs played in this context are pretty funny. Also the feature leading roles by two great kiwi actors just make this show the best. Excellent editing that adds to the comedic elements and very good casting. Starlight is a treat on her own.

Truly deserving of its high score.

Mortal Engines (2018)

Hmmmm.......

[6/10 · 1 October 2022]

Great to see a refreshing lead face, Hera Hilmar, nom nom nom. However there is s till a lot of "girls know best" stuff going on here (but its not as bad as a disney dose of same). The concept is novel & interesting however once you are introduced to that, the storyline gets very predictable. Great to see Hugo Weaving in a mature role for him and also some kiwi actors, however they start to develop the daughter character then she seems to fall by the wayside after that. The effects are great. But the movie overall is overlong. I wanted to see this purely based on the fact it was a commercial "flop" in that there was no way it could recoup its production costs. I suppose the studio could forgive PJ one technical "flop" given how much money he has made them with other (also overlong) "classics." One thing that really stood out to me was how did they get away with some of the score motifs sounding exactly like Brad Fiedel's Terminator music score?!?!?!

Kimi (2022)

Its OK

[5/10 · 21 June 2022]

I was looking forward to another Soderbergh experience but ended up disappointed.

There are many references to the main character "being attacked" and "the police put her on trial more than her attacker," and that gives you some idea of what is about to occur. Honestly, at one point, an older woman tells our protagonist that she is so "strong and brave", at that point I wondered if this film was taking the P$ss or not.

The film is a bit ploddy and then for the last 10 minutes changes into some kind of Me Too generation Die Hard. If only the pacing was the same throughout.

The social messaging is piled high. I like some of the poignant references to covid WFH, however in the end, its not enough to rate this film up there with a far better Soderbergh film - Haywire. That film also features a "strong and brave" female character, but that truly kicks ass, with less social messaging, and in a far better film.

1pm Daily Update (2020– )

Not sure why the ratings are so high?

[6/10 · 27 August 2021]

Slightly enjoyable, however The Walking Dead still just nudges this one out.

Certainly a better effort than the other series thats on at the moment "How to Ignore a Housing Crisis, and Keep the Rich Getting Richer," but overall, these guys are better at doing their thing than the last lot of Producers.....

Unacknowledged (2017)

Very good, and credible

[8/10 · 8 August 2021]

Dr Steven Greer fronts a very well-research expose which systematically dismantles official government and media disinformation that has been in place since 1947.

Treating Roswell as a pivotal point in history (ie: after which, the official narrative sharply became very controlled), Greer puts together a large amount of direct 1st hand witness testimony to events, incidents and information suppression.

It also in-depth examines he concerted efforts by government (through controlled media) to vilify and ostracise anyone reporting UFO sightings, both through the media and the academic spheres.

It also examines which presidents had "no need to know" and the free technology that is lost to humankind because of such information suppression by the military-industrial complex.

The movie even (quite scarily) considers that the reason for continued information suppression of UFOs is that the next major "false flag" operation will be one or more faked "alien attacks" using reverse engineering craft. This is something that will no doubt be lucrative to those who really run planet earth.

A fascinating watch for believers & skeptics alike. Highly recommended. Includes a large amount of first-hand real footage (great for rebutting those who claim that no credible footage exists).

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Dated, and not a great representation of the actual events

[4/10 · 7 August 2021]

I watched this film in 1994 and it scared the jebus out of me. However watching it again - its clear that the most scary part of the film was greatly dramatised for hollywood effect.

Remembering that ultimately these events were incredibly traumatising to a person, so this film could have done much better justice to him. The fact that these events are recounted - many years later - by fairly down-to-earth blue-collar guys who werent publicity seekers, really lends to their credibility.

However, despite some great performances (including by Craig Sheffer, a veteran for some great horrors, and Robert Patrick) the film suffers from factual and pacing issues - spending a lot of time on the "we are innocent" issues of the remaining crew, and not enough time on the actual abduction. Including glossing over shady-agency government involvement and the full extent of what Travis went thru on the ship, as well as the full extent of the hypnotherapy that Travis went thru to recall the events.

In general - a better scary-as-hell fictional movie on abduction is Dark Skies - its more modern and its just way better done. A better (more recent) film on Travis' story is Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton.

Dark Skies (2013)

I keep coming back to this

[8/10 · 6 August 2021]

I love horror and scifi - and this is a perfect combination of both.

I love Keri Russell's range and woudl love to see more of her in movies in general. She plays the complex requirements of this lead effortlessly.

This movie is scary as hell and accurately portrays all the elements of what people allege occur in cases of alien abduction (weird constructions in the house, people teleporting inside & outside the house, implants, grays, missing time, etc).

Highly recommended to scare the bejesus out of yourself.

The Power (II) (2021)

OK but not great

[5/10 · 29 July 2021]

Shouldnt be rated as high as it is, although perhaps the critics love it, as much as St Maud (a similar british, but far worse movie).

Another british take on horror. But as its part-funded by BFI, expect more heavy-handed moralistic tropes. Some great acting by the lead, but the movie suffers from slow pacing in many places.

Very good sound design and effective scene setting, but I was only scared in one scene, plus being set in the dark very easily creates an unsettling atmosphere, however the rest was very much overdone. Plus, ultimately its a revenge story of a ghost-done-wrong (which can work if done properly).

Worth a watch, maybe?

The Eyes of My Mother (2016)

Meh......

[3/10 · 18 July 2021]

Clunky and pretentious. The acting feels amateurish at times. Painfully overwrought story in places. I love good suspenseful horror and this is just average writing in a film thats trying too hard, but which doesnt get there.

Many people seem to love this film as its touted as "horror" but without jumpscares. Well, if you are after immersive, innovative, slow-burning horror without jumpscares there are plenty of better options to choose from including The Dark and the Wicked and It Follows.

Take Shelter (2011)

Just wow

[8/10 · 27 May 2021]

I want to see more movies like this.

I want to see more movies with Michael Shannon in the lead.

I want to see Jessica Chastain in more movies in general.....(lol).

An amazing slowburn that places a modern "Noah" character in the modern world. He has catastrophic cataclysmic visions, and whats worse, his mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at about the same age as he is now.....

Is he just crazy, or is he actually receiving visions of impending doom?

An awesome showcase of small-town life and how one tries to fit in when there is obviously something else going on. The reactions of the stretched, small-minded medical community are as real as they would be in reality.

Jessica Chastain is wonderful as usual, playing a supportive and compassionate wife with her usual effortless depth. Shea Wigham doesnt get enough credit in any of his films, and he is outstanding as well.

Mike Shannon plays the part as well as.anything that Daniel Day Lewis would do.

The tension is constant, the score is wonderful, the direction and effects at times make you feel that you are watching a very good horror film. The dream sequences in particular are outstanding.

Well worth a watch.

Come True (2020)

Effortlessly Awesome

[8/10 · 19 May 2021]

This film somehow manages to be a slowburn, but have tension all the way at the same time.

The lead manages to hold up her part in the plot very well. Other characters simply support her in her role (but there is a good reason why this is at the reveal).

The atmosphere is dark and menacing. The film is very reminiscent of It Follows with its slightly retro-vibe (without trying too hard). The nightmare scenes are quite disturbing and a treat for those into real horror. The soundtrack also gives a very Refn vibe (especially Neon Demon).

I was feeling just like watching something like this - something dark and scary but which also challenges the viewer to do a bit of thinking. The film doesnt even need a "twist" as its already very good. However I didnt even see the twist coming.

Very impressive - I want to see more from this director.

Escape Room (I) (2019)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 16 May 2021]

Taught, gripping, great room scenarios, good acting and great pacing.

What can Dr Wootan Yu do for you????

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

Worth watching - but not too scary

[5/10 · 13 May 2021]

I have found at least 2 horror gems on Netflix in the past couple of years, this comes close but doesnt rank up there.

Some great scene-setting, and really, really character development - Amanda Seyfried shines, and its great to see the spectacularly-foxy/sassy Rhea Seehorn in this film (from Better Call Saul). There are a few tense moments. But overall the plot is pretty formulaic and predictable, even lazy in places.

There are elements of Amityville to this, but time isnt really spent properly developing the mental decline of the main antagonist. Plus he's so "bad" that its often laughable - and that brings me to my final point - this is a horror made to honor the "me too" movement, its very feminine-power heavy. That works OK up to a point - but just watch it with that in mind.

James Norton does OK as a creep, but he's not a very convincing killer. Overall, its not bad and worth a watch with low expectations. I guess thats why its on Netflix after all....

Saint Maud (2019)

Overlong and tedious. A Critics dream obviously.....

[3/10 · 9 May 2021]

From a real horror fan who watched this based on a local critics review.....Well I learned my lesson here. The two main lead actors holds up their part pretty well. There is very little horror in this however. Very little tension either. Just an overlong treatise into mental illness that could have been compressed into, well, about one tenth of the length. Im a big horror fan and the high IMDB rating on this one smells like the critics getting together and rating a boring film highly. Not recommended. Another thing; while this film purports to be set in Coney Island, why the hell does everyone speak with an english accent?

The Block Island Sound (2020)

Suspenseful, gripping, well crafted

[7/10 · 3 May 2021]

Starts off as a family relationship study, that morphs into what you think could be an examination of dementia. This turns out to be a wrong turn - there are some slight horror moments but they are very well done. What you think is going on isnt going on, the categorisation of this film as "sci fi" is an indication of what is really going on.

This film ramps up the tension and is definitely a slow burn. But its another good recent horror in a similar vein to The Dark & The Wicked - worth watching, well written, made and well acted.

The quote at the ending really got me, in terms of humans being taken as samples, the way that humans take fish out of the water. Very creepy. The dad standing in the doorway saying "dog..." then "girl" is very freaky indeed.

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

This really hasnt aged well

[5/10 · 22 April 2021]

A good place to see Washington and our old pal Galdolfini. But expect your characters to be about as 2-dimesional as cardboard cutouts, and expect Travolta with a very fat neck faux-angrily shouting "you MF!" into a cellphone every 10 minutes.

Probably the highlight for me was the direction of Tony Scott very closely resembling giving a child-monkey on ritalin a camera and telling it to run around the block filming. Plus, of course, the cheesy "action" soundtrack.

The Godfather Part III (1990)

Pretty tedious to get through

[5/10 · 29 March 2021]

Its funny, while watching this, I wondered why the daugter's performance was so awful, I thought "she must be related to someone in the industry to have gotten this part" (you know, like a "Mullholand Drive" moment - "this is the girl") and now it all makes sense. There is a real lack of tension in this film and the pacing is all off, there are a couple of dead spots where the film slows to a crawl and nothing seems to happen. Or I got confused by the plot which seems to derail from the Corleones and focus, at times incoherently, on the Vatican and dealings/mis-dealings occurring there. Like other reviewers here, I also also really missed Robert Duvall and I dont know enough about the history of why he didnt appear a third time in this film. Its OK, but the high ratings arent justified. And overall, I have to say, the scene at the end (where the daughter dies) was so badly done I burst out laughing - but at least it mercifully ended her role.

Cargo (2009)

Tries, but doesnt succeed

[4/10 · 22 March 2021]

Not great unfortunately. Shows some promise at the start, but the characters are so two dimensional you cant get invested in them. Theres the handsome dark guy with the hidden agenda, the nasty pilot chick, the double-crossing deck-hand guys. The story isnt clear in places and its very hard to tell why people are doing things, ie: what their motivation is, in places. There is some pretty impressive set design and the hold itself is great. But then the film reverts to weird tech like immersing oneself in cold porridge to get into cryo-sleep. I mean - why? Things get pretty cliched and bombastic in places, in very predictable ways. If you are after a good foreign sci-fi, with heart (and without all the pretensions at trying to be a block-buster) Aniara is a far more rewarding watch.

Aniara (2018)

Wow - true quality sci fi

[9/10 · 8 March 2021]

This movie is the perfect blend of a real story and characters, and science fiction. Ie: the characters and their relationships are great and convincing (and its a good study of human behaviour) and the science is also "right." Ie: the food sources and the nature of gravity, the propulsion systems and the infinite vastness and loneliness of space are all explored, and very well. I'm a big fan of scandi drama but never a scifi from that part of the world - thoroughly recommend for some great acting portraying deeply flawed characters. very immersive as a true scifi experience as well.

The Empty Man (2020)

"I grew up in San Francisco...."

[8/10 · 23 February 2021]

2020 seems to be a good year for new horror, including this film.

It takes a long time for the intro setup to mesh into the rest of the movie - but when it does, the result is good. This film is what happen when a studio accidentally throws a ton of money and high production values at a very well written and directed film. There is no way that this film could have done well - its just too good for todays' Marvel-fed mainstream audiences.

I've never quite seen a horror quite like this. It starts off appearing to be a simple teen horror concept (ie: blow into this bottle, say "the empty man", and he will come...) but it evolves and twists and turns into so much more. The concept of the cop looking for the missing kid also seems cliched, until that also warps into something else.

After watching this film I sought out David Priors past work. Unfortunately there isnt enough of it. However AM1200 (a horror short) delivers very similarly-well-directed dark tension with a very good story about characters who are also in a hopeless situation.

It isnt until the end of the movie that you work out where the introduction fits in with the rest of the movie. The main twist in this film is probably one of the best things I have ever seen in a film, let alone a horror. The realisation that hits the main character (once he finally understands what is going on) will probably mirror your own expression as you realise the truth. This plot twists expectations on their head.

There are also some pretty fantastic directorial moves - look out for the scene with a map that zooms into a car driving along the road - its was done incredibly well.

Good acting, plot and ending. Well worth a watch if you like intellectual, tense, dramatic horror thats done well. Im SO keen to see more from this director. This film is simply fantastic (and no, Im not a fake reviewer, you can stick bad, overrated films like Nurse Maude where the sun doesnt shine....)