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johnnyrev
Reviews
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
11 out of 10 for Desmond
Having just watched 'Hacksaw Ridge', and then immediately after the 2002 bio-doc about Desmond T. Doss's life, I can easily understand why Mel Gibson needed to give this story the Hollywood treatment. After a little research, almost unbelievably, this 'myth-making' Gibson movie turns out to be an accurate portrayal of the man, and a pretty accurate account of history.
The movie isn't perfect, but it's pretty damn good. What affects the viewer more than the brutal violence of war on display, more than the performances of the cast, more than Gibson's direction, is the unflinching determination, unselfish bravery, compassion and faith the real Desmond Doss showed throughout his life.
What a character.
Hats off to Desmond. A fine human being and an example to us all.
Everyone should know his story.
11/10 for the man.
8/10 for the movie.
The Shining (1980)
The Shining (1980)
I've loved movies, and horror movies, and Kubrick movies all my life. I saw this for the first time over 35 years ago. I liked it then but somehow it left me bewildered and unsatisfied. After all, Kubrick should have made the 'perfect' horror film, right? But, he didn't. Or did he? Ah, too many things must have gone over my head as a teenager way back when. 'The Shining' watched again 35 years later is definitely a chilling experience (even the soundtrack is terrifying in headphones). 'Chilling' not least because now I'm down with what movie analysts call Kubrick's 'hidden socio-concerns', and the implications as to what The Shining could 'really' be about are what make it truly horrific.
As a curious 46-year-old film buff, the more I learn about and examine, not just this movie but, Kubrick's other works, the more I begin to notice and decipher mysterious symbols, obscure metaphor, partially hidden social and political criticisms, story-telling on different levels - the cryptic and esoteric messages sent out by Kubrick to be decoded by his audience. Always thought he was a genius, but after watching The Shining again I now believe he was a bona fide subversive who had discovered far too much about the darker side of life during his time as a privileged A-list artist (watch 'Eyes Wide Shut' if you're not convinced). No wonder he shunned Hollywood for a life of privacy and isolation. Finally, it's not just the obvious genre tropes and clichés that make 'The Shining' terrifying; it's all the other stuff as well.
The Love Witch (2016)
Witty and beautifully shot gem
I'm happy this time-culture clash exists. The Love Witch is a pitch-perfect pastiche of late 60s, early 70s exploitation movies. A witty examination of shifting attitudes toward gender politics, sexual relations and male-female desire from a vantage point 50 years on by a female director with an obvious affection/obsession for genre and a deep knowledge of the source material.
Visually, the look and feel of the era's style of film is perfectly recreated. So much so, as I watched I sometimes had to remind myself that this was made only last year in 2016. The occasional (and very intentional) glimpses of modern cars parked on streets, and characters talking on mobile phones were, probably, intended to shake the viewer out of that particular delusion. Perhaps, this was a budget constraint cleverly used by Biller to the movie's advantage, as self-reflexive moments like these seem to serve as reminders of the artifice of cinema and cultural style.
Although The Love Witch is a 'feminist' movie, it's not polemically scathing or mean-spirited. In fact, quite the opposite holds true. The Love Witch is gentle and playful; at times sympathetic and forgiving. It is often satirical and ironic and, on occasion, just plain bonkers and laugh-out-loud funny. The dialogue is suitably stilted and the cast's deadpan deliveries are in keeping with the straight/jokey dichotomy of the initial set-up. As for the design and look, Biller (who had several jobs on the crew) really does nail it. Sets, lighting, costumes, hairstyles, photography, editing, acting, story, script, soundtrack all converge and conspire to recreate several genres and sub-genres popular in their day.
However, ultimately The Love Witch is more than just a nostalgic exercise in style. It's a playful tribute to genre movies that actually has quite a lot to say for itself. A retro-style movie with more intelligence and wit than the films it lovingly emulates.
The Eyes of My Mother (2016)
Partially successful foreign language art-house horror
'The Eyes of my Mother' is a morbid and austere little horror flick with a disturbing premise, disturbing imagery and heavy implications. Unfortunately, as with many other prestige horror movies with pretensions to high art, although it's beautifully shot in crisp b/w it suffers from a typical lack of ideas and intellectual depth, resulting in a depressing and empty experience, rather than an exhilarating, educating or illuminating one. Watch it and decide, but don't watch it with the family.
Fritt vilt (2006)
Bunch of Norwegian teens on a snowboarding trip find themselves isolated in mountain retreat with a hulking slasher on the loose
Reading some of the glowing reviews posted on this site i would just like to put the record straight before anymore unsuspecting punters waste their precious time and hard earned money on this uninspired and uninspiring movie. You won't find any 'spoilers' here because there is nothing to spoil. Really, what is all the fuss about? This has ALL been done before and done much better. You name the classic horror film and it is there for all to see, The Shining, The Hills Have Eyes, Evil Dead, Friday 13th, Misery, blah, blah. Of course, this does not necessarily have to be a bad thing, unless, like this movie, the creators have absolutely nothing more to add, ultimately turning what could have been a clever (and even darkly funny) European homage to the modern American horror film (pre and post 'Scream') into just another derivative, straight-faced and pretentious rip-off. Yes, unfortunately, the film 'Cold Prey' is seriously cliché ridden and devoid of ideas, suffering from a catalogue of negatives; uninspired and lazy direction; pedestrian script; bad dialogue; non existent character development; basic scenario but no plot (let alone sub-plot). I could go on. Most importantly, it never veers from the well beaten path of the sub-genre to which it well and truly belongs, sticking to the most basic of well-worn genre devises and plot construction like everybody's life depended on it (or not, as the case turns out to be). Spooky deserted hotel, isolated teens in peril, deranged killer on loose, hapless victims, final girl scenario, all punctuated far too frequently with 'powerful' sweeping aerial shots of the surrounding snow-scape (if i wanted this i would watch a Norwegian travelogue). Anyway, you get the picture. No surprise then that all this results in just another tedious and painfully predictable 'stalk 'n' slasher'. The location might be different but the song definitely remains the same.