Log: week 29 / 2018
Very basic comedy, but that's exactly what makes it bearable. David Spade is fully commited to his loser dad persona, Nat Faxon is clearly an Ed Helms replacement but does well considering. The fact that the final 30 minutes don't switch to drama is a real plus, all in all pretty decent filler.
Second part in Ray's Apu trilogy, slightly better than the first one. Also slightly shorter and less dependent on overbearing drama. This part leaves more time for smaller, more inconspicuous slices of life. It's as far removed from modern Bollywood cinema as you can imagine, but not necessarily better.
The start of Satyajit Ray's career and the first part in Ray's famous Apu trilogy. It felt like watching an Indian version of Italian neo-realism, not quite my cup of tea. There are maybe one or two small highlights, but the rest left me completely cold. Not my kind of drama.
Should've started a lot quicker, but once Nishimura takes his foot off the break the film shoots into overdrive. A crazy plot, extreme gore and random weirdness make up most of the final hour. It's a whole lot of fun that doesn't let off, but the dull start and lack of diversity hold the film back a little.
Would've been better if Tau had paid a bit more attention to its scifi elements. Sadly the film is too preoccupied being a somewhat questionable thriller, only reverting to scifi for some cheesy AI drama. It's a shame, because the film is aptly stylized and has some pretty memorable scenes.
No doubt Weistra meant well when he directed Kristen. He made the best of an ulta-low budget and delivered a creative horror film that has a couple of nice ideas. Sadly the execution is terrible. The film fails to conjure up any kind of workable atmosphere, instead it comes off like a complete knock-off.
Ye Lou's first, clearly the work of someone still figuring out his own identity. Don't Be Young is a surprisingly fun, creative and atmospheric genre film, but it lacks the hand of a seasoned director and it can't quite compensate with its youthful enthusiasm. The talent was already there though.
Somewhat questionable romantic comedy. Rich asshole falls off his boat, suffers from amnesia and ends up with a soon-to-be nurse who pretends to be his wife. The comedy is tame and the romance predictable, but at least the atmosphere is pleasant and the film isn't needlessly dramatic.
Satoshi Miki is one of Japan's greatest comedy directors. His weird, absurd and sometimes deadpan sense of humor is generously present, but it's Suzuki Matsuo who makes the biggest impression here. A stellar and memorable performance that draws a lot of laughs.
So maybe you have a 12 year old kid who doesn't like to watch kids comedies anymore, but you're the prudish kind of parent and you want to give him something clean and santized to watch? Just show him this. Fun Size is like a castrated version of a subpar Seth Rogen comedy.
Crimi Clowns is no doubt a franchise that needs something in the way of introduction. It's not the kind of film you casually recommend to someone in the hope that it will magically catch on. First of all, it's a franchise with strong local roots, though I wouldn't call it typically Flemish. It's not as if tons of comparable series and films are being made here on a regular basis. The comedy is quite particular and typical for this region though. Then there is the setup of the franchise, which is also pretty confusing. There's a 3-season TV series and two feature films, but they largely overlap each other. The franchise started out as a TV series, spanning 2 seasons. These episodes were then re-cut to make the first film. This film version was followed by a more cinematic follow-up feature (Crimi Clowns 2.0: Uitschot), which was then fleshed out into a third season. The overall quality of the franchise is pretty consistent throughout, but this second film does benefit from a more cinematic approach. Gone are the ugly 4:3 ratio and the rather cheap TV look, though don't go in expecting a fully-fledged cinematic experience. To be fair, the look of the film is supposed to have a more hand-held/home video like quality to it, but it's equally clear this wasn't just an artistic choice. This second film is a real improvement over the first one though, even when its TV roots haven't disappeared completely. The story is a direct continuation of the first film and even though it's easy enough to follow, I'd advise against diving right into the second film without having seen the first one. The story may not be all that puzzling, but watching the first film will at least give you some kind of grip and context on why there's a family of criminal theater clowns killing and rampaging at will. While there is a clear storyline here, it doesn't make too much sense as it's merely a crutch for the dark and crude comedy on display. Trying to summarize it is going to make it sound even sillier, so I'm not even going to make an effort. What the film does offer is a crazy, often absurd and pleasantly blunt sense of humor. The characters are all depraved, trashy and crude, the film is violent, unfiltered and off-kilter and most importantly, Crimi Clowns 2 manages to surprise throughout. There are Nightmare before Christmas rip-offs, flashy shoot-outs and gruesome murders, strange clown interludes and mad car chases. It may all feel a bit disconnected and random, but it sure makes for one hellish ride. Crimi Clows is a strange beast. It's a little like Man Bites Dog, with a little Ex Drummer and Small Gods thrown in for good measure. You can also mix in some New Kids and House of 1000 Corpses if needed, but even all of that only gets you about halfway. Most importantly, it's its very own thing, a film/franchise that needs to be experienced and felt to be understood. It's a tough recommend as it's virtually impossible to predict someone's reaction to it, but if you like your films weird, be sure to give this one a try. Read all
Somewhat predictable but very effective apocalypse film. A big event wipes out the American West Coast, Will and his future father in law vow to rescue Will's wife-to-be Samantha. Slow and moody, executed to perfection, but it lacks something to set it apart from so many similar films.
An 80s classic, but god knows why. After a while I just gave up searching for anything positive. The acting is atrocious, the action scenes are laughable and it's all so incredibly serious that it's hard to imagine the people making this had any clue what they were doing. Better to avoid this one.
Story about a film projectionist who becomes a film pirate to make ends meet. Caught in the middle is his young son, who has to help his dad out with his illegal business. It's a pretty basic drama, the direction feels a little flat and the acting isn't anything special. Not bad, but forgettable.