Log: week 49 / 2018

Nice to see this spin-off that doesn't pay too much attention to its big bro, but apart from that it's still the same, somewhat childish, drivel. The world of Fantastic Beasts isn't very interesting, the beasts themselves lack charisma and the plot is too long-winded. Oh, and they should've just left it at one film.

A very plain and typical Western. It's really not my genre and this film does little to change that. Grumpy characters, tame gun slinging and an incredibly depressing setting. The film looks nice, with its warm, sepia glow, but the rest of it is way too standard for me to find anything worthwhile. Nice poster though.

Finally a more serious doc on modern stardom. YouTube, Instagram and Snapshat replaced the old celebrities, but it's clear that these modern stars are unaware of what drives their own success. It's an honest look into a world that remains hidden for most adults, but is influencing young kids across the globe.

Miike doing a more restrained film. 2018 has been a quiet year for him, with just a single release on the tables. There's still some weirdness of course, but it's the blend of science and fantasy rather than the characters and events that stand out here. Well-made, entertaining and amusing, but not a Miike classic.

Brett Simmons isn't the best and brightest horror director and his latest is little more than renewed confirmation of that. There are a couple of smart ideas here, but for a horror/comedy the comedy is more than a little predictable and the horror is tried and tested material. Borderline okay as empty genre filler.

Tsai's TV work is clearly not as great. The story of a kid suffering from a rare disease has potential, but the execution is plain. We see the boy as he struggles through school, while his mom tries to educate the world about the nature of his disease, but apart from some well-scored moments the film lacks impact.

Beautifully animated fantasy anime. The art style is quite unique (not that detailed but refined and lushly animated) and the film wrestles with some interesting themes, but the lore is a little overwrought and the film lacks subtlety. It's definitely worth watching, but there are some small details keeping it from a higher score.

Typical Almodͳvar. The story isn't bad and the film as a whole is entertaining enough, but he simply lacks the stylistic finesse to make it something more. He tries though, but those attempts are just awkward and distracting. It's a decent enough film, but very forgettable and not really worth the 120+ running time.

Amusing tale about a village that comes up with an ingenious plan to lend money to its landlord in order to prosper again. Most of the film is spend getting the money needed to pull of the plan. There's little to dislike here, but it's not a very notable film and Nakamura only does the bare minimum in order to get the story told.

Pretty standard post-Scream horror/thriller flick. The plot twists are hardly noteworthy and the familiar but decidedly second line cast does little to elevate the film. It's quite amusing and there are a handful of promising moments, but overall the film didn't age that well and it had a tough time keeping me engaged throughout.

A stunning and original fable spanning three different eras. At the core of The Fountain lies a very simple dramatic/romantic trigger, but Aronofsky builds an elaborate story around it and succeeds in giving it the necessary visual flair. It's not very subtle, then again Aronofsky's films rarely are. Exceptional film making.

A very solid genre film. What Keeps You Alive isn't very original. It's a cut and paste job from a trillion other films, but Minihan knows what he's doing. There's just enough playing with genre element to keep the tension alive and what it lacks in originality, it makes up for with execution. Fun and entertaining.

A complete and utter fluke. Horrible voice acting, intolerable characters, atrocious music and unbearably unfunny. It's one big, ADHD-fuelled mess that fails to add anything original to the US animation scene. For some reason stuff like this sells, but damned if I know why. I just hope there won't be a sequel.

A very novel and quite modern take on the coming of age genre. There's not a typical narrative, instead it's more about the experience of becoming a man. Czekaj's style is very direct and animated, making this a quirky, creative and overall oddball film. Not the easiest recommend, but definitely worth a shot.

Basic horror flick. The negative hype surrounding this film is a little exaggerated, but that's what you get when you try to sell a standard genre flick as something high profile. Slender Man is moody and atmospheric, but fails to be tense or original. It's decent horror filler for sure, just don't expect anything more.