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Reviews
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023)
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
This documentary tells the story of the youth therapy programs that were founded by the now late Steve Cartisano. Really it doesn't take a genius to figure out these things will end up most of the time very badly, you're mixing rebellious teens with the wilderness, with figures of authority that rely on corporal punishment and abuse their power and you've got a recipe for disaster.
The doc was okay but I felt it could've had more of an impact, I would've maybe done less screen time from Steve's family, since they weren't in the camps and what I believe the viewer is looking for was more first person accounts of what happened. I think we could've seen more stories that never made it to the screen. And the ones that did I felt were very rushed. They should've made this into a mini series and divided the stories so that we could've gotten more information and details with that format.
Maybe Steve had good intentions at the beginning but like a famous quote says "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" and these kids marched down that road far too many times before anybody put a stop to it.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Lonely in the Marsh
If you are anywhere near the Bookstagram or Booktube world then you'll know that for a time this was the 'it' book in almost all of the book hauls and book recommendations that you'd see. I'd heard about it but then kind of forgot about the book and never read it. I usually prefer to read the book before watching the movie whenever it's possible, but honestly the plot wasn't interesting enough for me to invest days or weeks into reading it. I saw it on Netflix and said why not. The first few scenes where her family slowly starts to disintegrate and this little girl is left all alone really pulled at my heart strings and made me cry, to think of a child abandoned by their own blood is something my mind and soul cannot comprehend. It's even more depressing because the family dynamic portrayed in the book is an experience that a lot of people can relate to. I have a very loving family so it breaks my heart that children have to go through such difficult upbringing because of their parents sins.
In terms of the directing of the movie I would've prefer there to not be so many court scenes and let the events play on by themselves, I did enjoy the cinematography of the nature and the family house where a lot of the movie took place blended very well with the landscape and tone of the movie. I do feel like some of the storytelling that we'll probably find in the book was rushed and the romantic relationships with the protagonist didn't really have the time on screen to develop that much for me.
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Death of innocence
I felt myself watching this film with a distraught look on my face and a heavy heart. I can't say I understand what this lifestyle is like since I've lived a completely different life from the protagonist, but I am still able to feel all of the hurt, the abandonment and the pain through the tv screen. This will take you literally to civil war in a country with no order, no security or rights, where people are killed faster than cattle and revenge is the daily meal of the day. You will see the remnants of war through the eyes of a child that was forced to grow up far too quickly. In the end we see that while the boys have left the battlefield, there is still a war that's waging in their minds and hearts.
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
It's a Frosty kind-of Christmas
I come from a country that is heavily influenced with American culture and even though it doesn't snow over here I've heard that Frosty jingle when I was younger in the holidays. I would say it's a pretty basic Christmas premise with the kids, the villain, the magical protagonist made out of inanimated objects and, of course, as in most classic Americana films, ol' Santa Clause. I think it's fine for what it is, it had its funny moments, but nothing to write home about. Sorry if I'm not crazy over it, it was alright to maybe put as a background on a holiday party but certainly not my favorite Christmas short film I have watched. As I'm writing this the 25th of December I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.🎄