davispittman Reviews

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

Work like this takes true talent

[9/10 · 4 August 2018]

Let's travel back in time.... way back to the time of the settlers. Things were very different back then. Religion had a much stronger presence in society. Along with that, you had rampant paranoia of witchcraft. These two historical facts play a big role in the core plot of The Witch.

The plot focuses on a family that has just been banned from a village. With nowhere else to go, they travel outside of the village and try to make it on their own. They start growing their own harvest, each member of the family doing their part in the work. They rely heavily on their very intense Christian faith. Unfortunately for them, weird things start to happen.... starting with the children.

Soon it becomes clear that supernatural forces are at work around them. The only question is.... who is to blame? Paranoia plays a role here, so much so that it eventually leads everything to a breaking point.

The acting in this film is some of the finest you'll see. The performances given scream talent, you can really tell that this cast was passionate about their roles. Anya Taylor-Joy blew me away as Thomasin, she really captured the emotion and depth necessary to play the role. Kate Dickie is also great here, she plays Katherine, the distraught mother. Dickie throws herself into this role and delivers a truly captivating performance. Lastly, is Ralph Ineson, who plays the extremely devout Christian father. I loved him in this role! He totally nailed it as William, portraying a confused, angry father trying desperately to understand what's happening to his family.

I absolutely adore the score in this film. It's so unsettling and sets the perfect tone. That along with environment and visuals create a very chilling watching experience. What I love about films released by A24, is that they are all so raw and disturbingly realistic. If you want real horror and it's an A24 horror film, you're almost guaranteed quality. The ending is another great asset this film carries, it ends in the most chilling and unsettling way. I refuse to spoil anything, you'll just have to see for yourself.

9/10 for The With.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Good, but not a 10

[7/10 · 3 August 2018]

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) is a good action film, I don't think anyone can deny that, but I don't love it. I know a lot of people are claiming this is the best one in the entire franchise, but I don't agree.

I loved both Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation. I liked Rogue Nation the best, and for good reasons, but I just didn't get that same feeling of complete satisfaction after seeing this one. I feel like everyone is praising this film for it's really great action and giving it 10's just for that. I give it a lot of points for it's cool effects and action, because it does those things really well. But I feel like it suffered in other areas. I don't think the performances were quite as strong here as they were in the previous films, with the exception of Cruise. Not saying that the acting was bad because it wasn't, but I just didn't feel as invested as I did in the others. I also don't think the pacing was as good. And I felt like the other films had more content wise, I felt like I had been on a wild fun adventure afterwards. I did not get the same feeling here, I felt like parts of it were exciting and fun, but as a whole I don't think it was nearly as strong.

7/10 for Mission: impossible - Fallout.

The Devil's Rejects (2005)

Lackluster sequel

[4/10 · 3 August 2018]

The Devil's Rejects (2005) is a sequel to House of 1000 Corpses (2003). This sequel features the same characters, but with a very different kind of plot. In this film, the sadistic serial killer family is running the show, the victims aren't the stars here, the killers are. The family is on the run throughout the entire film, with the police and a sheriff with his own agenda after them.

There are several different reasons as to why I'm not giving this film nearly as high of a rating as it's predecessor. One, is that it's not nearly as creepy. I feel like all the scariness was sucked out but they piled on the sadism and crudeness. In my opinion, that is a big mistake. I liked the first so much because it wasn't just pointless nasty violence, it was actually creepy and had a unique plot. Here, not so much. Two, there wasn't enough interesting details here to keep me engaged. This film felt very run of the mill and lacked the creativity of 1000 Corpses.

The writing was also pretty messy, I feel like they just cursed for the sake of cursing. I am no prude and I have no issue with cursing, but when it's literally every two seconds, it comes across as lazy.

Overall, this is not a good horror film and it's predecessor is much better. 4/10.

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)

Very enjoyable slasher

[8/10 · 26 July 2018]

I enjoyed Part 3 in the Friday the 13th film series. I know that it's dumb at times, but you gotta know what these films are going into them, then judge accordingly. I think I liked this one better than part 2, and I for sure liked it better than the first film. The characters were good enough for this type of film, Ginny was a good survivor and star, and I also really liked Rick's character too. Some of the kills were kinda creative, and they weren't like overly disturbing because of how old this is. There are really only two simple things I want in these movies. One: characters that I don't hate, ones I can like enough to watch. Two: when things get going, try to keep my attention and don't be super cliché and dumb. I feel like for the most part this film gave me those two things. Would've been interesting to have seen it in real 3D. 8/10 for Friday the 13th Part III.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Even better than the first!

[10/10 · 20 July 2018]

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) is just a great film, plain and simple. If you liked the first film, then you're guaranteed to absolutely love this sequel/prequel.

It stars Amanda Seyfried, who returns as Sophie, Lily James as young Donna, Christine Baranski as Tanya, Julie Waters as Rosie, Colin Firth as Harry, Pierce Brosnan as Sam, Stellan Skarsgard as Bill, Andy Garcia as Fernando, Dominic Cooper as Skye, Jeremy Irvine as young Sam, Alexa Davies as young Rosie, Jessica Keenan Wynn as young Tanya, Hugh Skinner as young Harry, Josh Dylan as young Bill, Meryl Streep ad Donna, and finally... the lengendary Cher as Ruby! One very talented cast! I thought everyone was cast wonderfully and played their roles very well. Of the new cast members, I especially loved Cher, Lily James, and Josh Dylan.

The writing is witty and clever, much like the first. And I think I liked the songs and musical numbers even better this time around. Ofcourse the first Mamma Mia really delivered on that, but something just clicked better this time. I think it's the addition of the new cast members, when you combine all that talent together it just works. The young Donna flashback part of the film is all done well, mainly thanks to Lily James. This is for sure better than the first and one of my favorite musicals!

10/10!

Christian Mingle (2014)

Oh dear god.... pun intended

[1/10 · 18 July 2018]

The only reason I watched this cringe fest was because I made a deal that I'd watch this if my friend watched a horror movie. I knew going into it that it would be bad, but wow just in the first 10 minutes it was worse than I thought. The plot revolves around Lacey Chabert's character and Jonathan Patrick Moore's character. Chabert's character is desperate to find "mr. right", so she goes onto the religious dating site, Christian Mingle. Now is she a Christian? No ofcourse not... and that's how we get our movie. This movie literally does everything wrong, like I'm just wondering who thought this was a good idea.... The acting is atrocious, Chabert has a few scenes where I'm reminded that she's actually a decent actress, but my god she just has no material to work with. The dialogue is soooo cringeworthy, there were many times I just felt so emberrased for the actors involved. They try to be funny with the fact that Chabert isn't a Christian, and she has to pretend to be one around his family... but it's not funny at all. The "comedic" moments are just flat out cringe inducing, instead of being genuinely funny. And then when you're not cringing, you're just being preached at. 1/10, shockingly bad.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Very impressed!

[9/10 · 17 July 2018]

I didn't think I was going to like this film going into it. I was kinda weary of it because I really didn't care for Rob Zombie's Halloween remake. I'm very pleased to say that I was surprised by how much I really liked this film. It's genuinely terrifying and it uses classic horror tactics that work. There's a lot of originality too, and I love that in this genre because so many horror films, especially nowadays can be so cheesy and stereotypical. I wasn't bored ever while watching this, I just became more interested because of it's originality. The actors all did a really great job, I was impressed especially by the actors playing the killer family. The third act of this film is really great and it's one of the best third acts of any horror film I've seen. I won't spoil anything because I want everyone to see it who hasn't already, but suffice to say that atmosphere has a big role in the third act. Atmosphere actually has a big role in the whole film, they did a really good job creating a creepy atmosphere that works. If you want a horror film with some originality, give this one a try, Rob Zombie did a great job.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

A (very) guilty pleasure......

[7/10 · 17 July 2018]

Ok look I know it's bad, I do. I'm not saying that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a great film. All I'm saying is that it's a guilty pleasure of mine... like I had a lot of fun here! To me, this is just one of those films where you know it's bad while you're watching it, but you're just never bored and you're having fun. You got two leads who were very young at the time, who would later become Oscar winning A list actors.... that's pretty shocking to see in a film like this lol. I loved Renee Zellweger here, I actually think she and Matthew are the only good actors here, the rest are pretty laughable. But ya know this film really doesn't take itself very seriously at all, so it's fun to laugh at the atrocious acting, mainly given by the actress that plays Heather. Matthew McConaughey is absolutely bonkers here, like sometimes he's just crazy to be crazy. That's one of the many reasons this film is never boring... it's entertaining as hell to watch Matthew play this crazy over the top character. I had fun with the chainsaw chase scenes and actually did get kinda tense while Leatherface was chasing Jenny. I have absolutely no clue why Leatherface is a transvestite in this film, that's just one of the weird things they put in here, like the mechanical leg and the weird government thing. But overall, I think this film knows what it is and it just goes completely off the rails crazy. It's a guilty pleasure for me, I'm not saying this film is good, but I can't deny that I did have fun watching it.

The First Purge (2018)

The previous films were better

[6/10 · 16 July 2018]

I didn't dislike this movie, but I also didn't love it. I have not seen Anarchy, but I did see the first film and Election Year. I really enjoyed both of those films. This one just wasn't handled as well as those in my opinion. In the original purge movie, you had better, more experienced actors that commanded the screen better, Lena Heady and Ethan Hawke. And in the third, you had Frank Grillo, who has a great presence about him and can really shine in a franchise like this. I'm not necessarily saying the actors were bad here, but they didn't have that same presence. Also, the main "hero" is a gang leader and we're asked to root for him.... not the best character description for the protagonist. The action was more generic than I cared for, although there were some good scares that got me. I will say that I liked the main female protagonist as a character and I liked Marisa Tomei in her role, to be honest I would've liked to see more of her. Overall, The First Purge has it's moments, but unfortunately it doesn't live up to it's predecessors. 6/10.

Skyscraper (2018)

Thrilling action film

[8/10 · 14 July 2018]

Skyscraper is a very thrilling action film, and it entertains throughout the entire runtime. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars here alongside Neve Campbell, and they both give great performances. The acting here is solid from all cast members, even the child actors. The writing can get kinda cheesy sometimes, but let's face it, with a film like this, we're not really looking for Oscar winning dialogue. You can go into this film expecting a fairly predictable plot, but you still have a really fun time with it even though it is by the numbers. I loved the visual effects, they handled all that very well. I liked how they gave the wife (Neve Campbell) some more to do than you usually might see, her character is a badass, just like Johnson's. Overall, I've for sure seen better, more enjoyable action films, but nonetheless, I had a really good time with Skyscraper. 8/10.

The Mountain Between Us (2017)

It is cheesy, but entertaining most of the time

[7/10 · 12 July 2018]

The Mountain Between Us (2017) is pretty damn cheesy, you know what's going to happen, you really do. By the numbers is a good way to describe this film, and I don't necessarily hate that, a predictable film can still be fun and entertaining. I don't dislike this film, it has good things that keep it afloat. Those things are Kate Winslet and Idris Elba. These two actors are just very talented and have enough chemistry to mostly pull this off. You have to know what this film is to be able to enjoy it, it's a cheesy romance. But the film knows how cheesy it is and I think it has fun with it. There are scenes where I felt the corny nature of it all went a bit too far and I was just like ok let's get on with it, but that wasn't too prevalent. The visuals are all very beautiful and it's directed well, and it features good actors with enough working chemistry. If all that is enough for you, then you'll most likely like this film. I will say that I didn't expect the third act to be as ling as it was, but that was actually my favorite part of the film. I had a good enough time with this, and didn't take it too seriously. 7/10.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Charmed

[9/10 · 12 July 2018]

Charmed really is the best word to describe my feelings about The Time Travelers Wife. This film was just so enjoyable to me, it zipped by, felt like no time had gone by because of how engaged I was. Wasn't that the perfect way to describe the pacing for this particular film lol. I am not familiar with the source material this is based off of, so I can't speak to how audiences who have read the novel will feel about it, but I personally really enjoyed this. I think a lot of the film's strength comes from the two lead actors. Rachel Mcadams and Eric Bana are both so great here, and I love them as a couple, I think they have great chemistry. I like them better together than I like her and Gosling, that's how much I really loved them as a couple. The film builds the depth and emotion necessary for the third act, it invests you in these characters. The key to a film like this is to do a good job with investing us in these people and their lives, or else it just becomes crazy empty time travel film. The time travel aspect of the film is handled well and I think they do it in a way to where it doesn't become choppy. I really don't know why this film got so many negative reviews, I loved it and think they did a great job. 9/10.

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)

Really poor, slapped together sequel

[2/10 · 11 July 2018]

Ok, so i enjoyed the first Boo! Madea movie, but this sequel is just flat out bad. It has the worst problems that a comedy can have. This movie suffers from being criminally unfunny. I had lots of fun with the first one because it was actually funny, this one is NOT. I think I laughed like twice, and it wasn't hard laughs, just mild chuckles. I couldn't laugh hard because the material here is just bland. I really hate that this sequel is like this, because it could've been on par with the first or maybe even funnier. I think they just wanted to churn out a sequel really quickly since the first Boo movie did well. Ok so not only is this movie unfunny, but it's also badly put together. Some of the camera angles are kinda sketchy sometimes, and that's confusing since Perry has done so many films by now. Also, what I found extremely strange was some dubbing. It's like they thought they couldn't say damn or s**t sometimes, because they would (badly) dub the characters. Their mouths would obviously be saying the real word, but it would come out darn or crap, they do know those words are allowed in a PG-13 movie right?? And it's only sometimes, i don't know it's really weird. Kind of reminded me of when you see a movie edited for TV. Overall, this movie is just a dull unfunny sequel that could've been funny if they would've tried. 2/10.

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Gave me an empty feeling

[4/10 · 11 July 2018]

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) is the third installment, hopefully the last of the Pitch Perfect series. Only reason that I say I hope it's the last is because once you go as low in quality as this film, it is time to stop. I am a fan of the first Pitch Perfect, I gave that film an 8, admittedly I have not seen the second installment, but I don't feel like I needed to to get this one. This film gave me a very hollow, empty feeling from start to finish. The comedy has stopped working for the most part, yes there are a few laughs, but not a lot. Also, the plot isn't that interesting and the plot delves into absolute insanity. Like it goes from regular Pitch Perfect stuff to an action/spy movie and I don't feel like it worked. If they could do this well, then I say sure go for it, but they just didn't. The characters are the same, but they've just been placed in a bad film, and that's sad because you want the final film in a series to be good. I am sorry to say that Pitch Perfect only gets a 4.

The Snowman (2017)

Forgettable, convoluted whodunnit

[3/10 · 9 July 2018]

The Snowman (2017) is a just such a mess in a lot of ways. The first problem that this film faces is not being able to hold the audiences attention. My attention really started to stray and I started to check my phone and see how much longer it had just within the first half hour. The plot is the second issue, I feel like there was some real potential here, it could've been intriguing and the plot could and should have been executed in a much more coherent fashion. They would introduce certain characters that I didn't fully understand why they were even in the film at all. And they would have short scenes that tried to explain some things but to be honest, the film was so all over the place and hard to follow that I just didn't care. The characters weren't given very much depth either, one character is kinda given a backstory but that's it. Also, the final scene is soooo dumb, something happens that i just cringed at, it was a "seriously?" kind of moment. This film is just all over the place and I left it thinking: "well that just didn't make much sense". I'm a big Fassbender fan, and he is a great actor, and to be fair he actually does well here, but him and Rebecca Ferguson are the only good things about The Snowman. 3/10.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Fantastic Tarentino film!

[10/10 · 9 July 2018]

I haven't seen many Tarentino films, only the two Kill Bills and now this one, but I can say that if all the rest of his films are like this one, then I'm forever a fan. This is a fantastic film, it does everything right. The storytelling and the acting is what really stands out here. This film is told in chapters, and each chapter is essential to the overall story. Samuel L. Jackson gives an incredible performance here, ofcourse he never phones it in, but this performance is especially strong. The other one that really shines here is Jennifer Jason Leigh, she really shows her great acting abilities here as Daisy. Very deserving of that Academy Award nomination. The other cast members do great too, very focused and committed. The film is a claustrophobic western mystery film. I love that the film is vague and doesn't give you much to go off of. I was thoroughly entertained and never bored. How could I be bored with such great writing and such great acting? 10/10!

Leap! (2016)

Worst animated film I've ever seen

[1/10 · 8 July 2018]

I expected this movie not to be good, but I wasn't expecting to hate it this much. Leap follows the story of a girl who runs away from an orphanage with her friend and wants to become a ballerina. Pretty predictable, by the numbers poor girl chasing her dreams story. It is so painfully clear that no one gave a crap about this movie, it just screams cheap and lazy. The characters are wooden and boring, and the story is so dull that you just don't care about it. There are great animated movies out there, just look at The Incredibles or Nemo or Cars, and those movies are great because yes they're fun and entertaining, but they also invested in development and characters. This movie just doesn't care about investing in the things that make a movie great. It's very clear what this movie is, it's a poorly thrown together mess that was dumped into theaters to try to make some money. 1/10.

Life of the Party (I) (2018)

Had a lot of good laughs

[8/10 · 8 July 2018]

Okay so I absolutely adore Melissa McCarthy, she's a hilarious person and most of the time I have great fun with her movies. Life of the Party gets added to the list of her movies I love. I just really enjoyed myself while me and some friends watched this in the theater. I loved all the actors, and they all brought their A game with the comedy. Maya Rudolph was a supporting cast member that i particularly loved. The writing was funny, it contains lots of great comedic moments, most of which involving McCarthy and her transition back into college life. Now it's certainly not her best movie ever, I'd say Spy and Bridesmaids are better, but nonetheless I had a lot of fun here and I think others will too. 8/10 for Life of the Party.

Election (1999)

Great film!

[10/10 · 8 July 2018]

Election is such a great film, a very smart comedy. The actors and the characters they play is what really makes this film. Broderick does very well in the lead role, but to be honest, Reese Witherspoon really shines the brightest here, clearly one of her best performances. The writing is well done, very deserving of the Academy Award nomination it received. The writing balances everything and it keeps you engaged until the very end. This is a dark comedy about these characters and how they affect each others lives, and I didn't know if I would like it to be honest, but I'm pleased to say it's now one of my favorite films. It's a really fun well made film for adults to enjoy. Election gets a 10/10.

Daybreakers (2009)

Better than average vampire flick

[8/10 · 7 July 2018]

Daybreakers (2009) is an above average vampire film. It's set in the future, which now is less than a year away lol, in 2019. 95% of the population has become vampires, and what's remaining of the human population must hide out or be captured and farmed for blood. But the vampires are facing a big problem: they're running out of human blood and are scrambling to come up some sort of substitute. Ethan Hawke's character is in charge of this at a blood supply corporation headed up by Sam Neil. Their attempts to try to come up with a viable substitute keep on failing until eventually they're faced with vampires who are turning into horrific creatures due to a lack of blood. The film really gets going when Ethan Hawke joins this group of humans. I'm not giving away spoilers so I elaborate on what happens when he teams up with them. I enjoyed this film for the most part, it features talented actors who deliver good performances, nice visuals, and the pacing is well done. It's not perfect, but it is entertaining and well done. 8/10.

Avatar (2009)

James Cameron strikes again

[10/10 · 7 July 2018]

Okay so I wanna talk for a minute about James Cameron. James Cameron is one of my all time favorite filmmakers ever, he is proven to be a true master at directing films. Look at his body of work and you shall see, it really speaks for itself. Avatar is a masterpiece in many ways to me. There's the amazing special effects and visuals that were so revolutionary back at the time of it's release in 2009. And those visuals really are incredible, seeing Pandora and all it's illustriousness is so enchanting. The effects pull you in, and the talented actors keep you interested in the captivating story. The actors really do a great job here, Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Michelle Rodriguez all give it their all here. The characters are likable and the film makes you care about them and root for them. The story is kinda predictable i guess, meaning there aren't a whole lot of big twists, but that's ok by me because the film is done in such a magnificent way that it doesn't need anything like that. Bottom line: this is a great story told by talented actors and illustrated with spectacular visual effects. There are also moments of real emotion here, and that's due to the depth in the characters. I 100% recommend Avatar to any and everyone! I'm so excited for these sequels!

Tomb Raider (2018)

Surprisingly good

[9/10 · 7 July 2018]

Judging from the reviews of the Angelina Jolie Lara Croft films, ones that i have not seen, i thought this one would just be a cheap rehashing of those. Now having seen it, I can say that I was wrong. Tomb Raider is a very effective, well made action film. Alicia Vikander does well in the lead role of Lara. She gives the character depth and is a good fit. I also really liked Dominic West here, he did well as Lara's father. The story was interesting enough to keep one's attention till the end. The special effects are top notch, and the sound is some of the best I've heard. I loved the visuals and sound effects. This is definitely one to watch on Blu-ray and with surround sound. This film is not just another generic action romp, it has heart and you can tell the filmmakers were trying to bring a fresh take to the Lara Craft franchise. I really hope we get a second one, and I can't imagine we won't, with the way in which the film ends.

Letters to Juliet (2010)

Adorable, delightful entertainment

[9/10 · 6 July 2018]

Letters to Juliet (2010) is one of my favorite romance films. Yes, I realize it's cliché and it can be syrupy sweet at times. but ya know sometimes you need a film like that, feel good entertainment. I knew what i wanted to see going into this film, and I got just what I wanted out of it. A great love story, actually two great love stories, generations apart. The story is brought to life by the great cast. Vanessa Redgrave, who is ofcourse a legend, does really well in her role. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Claire, she really gives a very compelling performance. Seyfried is god as the lead, she also gives this role her all, I've seen her in films i really enjoyed (Mamma Mia, Chloe) and in films that i hated (Dear John), and this is for sure going in the enjoyable bin. The scenery is breathtaking, the acting is great, the story is sweet and one that i think everyone can enjoy. Sure, there aren't really any surprises at all, but I still loved it anyways. 9/10 for letters to Juliet.

Dead Man Walking (1995)

A profound experience

[10/10 · 5 July 2018]

Dead Man Walking (1995) is a very emotional film and some scenes, the graphic depictions of a rape and murder in particular. Even though it can be hard to watch sometimes, it still needs to be watched. This has some of the best examples of acting I've ever seen. The performances given by both Sarandon and Penn are absolutely incredible! Susan Sarandon is one of my absolute favorites and this is her best performance in my opinion. She's so emotionally raw and gives her all into every second of this performance. To me, the scene that puts these two legendary actors abilities on display the best, is when Sarandon is talking with Penn before his execution and he admits to the rape and murder. The realness and emotional heaviness of that scene was so large and it brings you into the film and makes you feel what these characters are feeling. Every scene in this film does that for me, I feel that strong emotion and the heavy weight placed upon all of these characters. You feel great sadness and anger because of the horrific crime and you understand the depth of each character and why they do what they do. This film has no 2 dimensional characters and no lazy writing, everything is carefully thought out with detail. This is one of my all time favorite films, and one I recommend to everyone that can handle the heavy subject matter. 10/10 for dead man walking. Or of the best!

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)

Disgusting, unoriginal, and completely useless sequel

[1/10 · 2 July 2018]

The Hills Have Eyes II (2007) is one of the worst if not the worst horror film I've seen. I didn't really care for the first film, but it wasn't just completely awful like this one. At least it had some things going for it. This film is a classic example of just churning out a stupid pointless sequel without caring whether its actually good or not, just because you wanna make more money. The actors aren't good at all at playing their 2 dimensional characters, characters that the film gives you zero reason to care about. The plot is just run of the mill and bland, and the execution of that plot is just lazy and dull. The visuals are even more grim and disgusting than the first, especially the opening scene. I can deal with gore and some graphic content as long as you give me a quality film to go with it. If a few scenes are graphic, that's fine as long as I care about the characters or whats going on. But I just couldn't here and to be honest the hour and a half felt longer because the whole time I was wondering when or if this film was gonna get any better. 1/10 for The Hills Have Eyes 2, not worth anyone's time, not even if you like these types of films.