Log: week 14 / 2020
Dark and uncomfortable horror/mystery that follows a weird cult. A tad slow during the middle part and clearly aimed at those who prefer an arthouse aesthetic over gore and thrills, but the direction is strong, performances are captivating and the mystery is upheld until the very last scene. An impressive film.
Starts off as a solid ode to the popular JRPG franchise, ends as an ode to the entire genre. The animation is nice, though the art style wasn't my favorite. Plenty of cute details and recognizable franchise cues hurl you through the first part of the film, the ending makes sure that Your Story is memorable beyond the fanboy appeal. Nice.
Mediocre retelling of the failed terrorist attack on the Thalys. The film earns bonus points for using the actual people present that day, but Eastwood's focus on predestination, patriotism and religion leaves a foul aftertaste. There's also lots of filler material, with little to no time spent on the attacker. Should've been better.
Rather plain film that is low on actual horror. Because of that, the focus lies more on story and performances and those simply don't cut it here. The parallel stories are a little tame and the ending is predictable. Still short and well-paced and because of that somewhat entertaining, but one of the weaker films in the series.
Very pure comedy where simply everything is played for laughs. It's all extremely silly and over-the-top, but I feel that I often miss this type of film nowadays. The cast is well in on the joke, there are so many memorable quotes and even though not everything is funny, the hit to miss ratio is more than sufficient. Fun!
Typical late-60s Wakamatsu. Shot in black and white, a background of political revolution and free love. Wakamatsu made a gazillion of these films around that time. This one is very thin on plot though and 80 minutes is a tad long, but Wakamatsu fans probably won't be disappointed. Not his best, but still worth watching.
Decent Mexican horror flick with minor fantastical elements. The possession part of the film isn't too original, but there are some novel elements that set this film apart from its peers. Some nice gory bits, solid direction and decent acting make this simple but entertaining filler. Nothing exceptional, but horror fans will have a good time with this one.
A solid but basic haunting story, with the necessary drama and a somewhat expected twist. The story has a very Asian feel to it, but the cast and setting make it a typical American horror flick. Short enough not to be boring, the direction is decent and even the actors are on point. Nothing spectacular, but pretty okay.
A charming little drama, mostly thanks to a strong performance by Offerman, but the rest of the cast isn't too bad either. The film is light-hearted and not too complicated, with the scenes between Offerman and Clemons as clear highlights. The music is absolute terrible though, but for once that didn't kill the film.
Somewhat mediocre film that is low on actual horror, but saves itself by keeping a lighter tone. There are a few decent twists and Dahl keeps the mystery going until the end, but the actors aren't great and the direction is quite bland. Like all the Fear Itself entries, pacing and running time help a great deal with the overall impression.
Mediocre action flick that has a few tense scenes, but consists mostly of bad filler. Poor performances, dull cinematography and a boring villain make this a tough film to love. Typical 90s mainstream fodder that appears tepid, underwhelming and unnecessarily slow nowadays, but at least there are some decent moments.
Weird and full of wonder. Ninagawa's Diner is dark and outrageous, but the extremely colorful and bold direction give it a brighter appeal and a certain lightness you would not expect from a film like this. Ninagawa once again proves she is one of Japan's most talented active directors, a true delight.
Classic Cheh Chang martial arts romp, featuring one of the studios more famed martial arts heroes. The introduction is a bit long and uneventful, but in true Shaw Bros fashion the finale makes up for that. Not really a stand-out feature in Chang's oeuvre, but martial arts fans won't be disappointed by this one.
Standard horror/mystery film about a family moving into a new home. The disappointments room concept is interesting, sadly it doesn't really add anything new. Actors and presentation are decent and there are a few tense scenes, but in the end you've probably seen this all before, by a more capable director. Classic filler.
A very basic werewolf story that adds little to the gazillion werewolf films already out there. The gore is almost completely absent, no real on-screen transformations and performances are pretty week. It's decently paced and short enough not to get boring, apart from that there's no real reason to watch this film, unless you're a major werewolf fan.
A police thriller that's just a little too basic. Not a big Eastwood fan and the dreary 70s cinematography doesn't do the film any favors, but the action scenes are solid and the plot is entertaining enough. Should've been a bit shorter, a better lead actor definitely would've helped, but it wasn't all that terrible either.
Despite the subject matter, Takashi Zeze made a very tender and subdued drama that follows the life of a couple of women directly and indirectly impacted by the adult entertainment industry. The actors do a great job, the presentation is solid and the drama works well. A fine drama that is sure to please the fans.
Yuen Chor takes another stab at romance. I'm actually surprised he made so many movies outside the martial arts genre, though I get why these films didn't travel well. The direction here is in fact quite nice, but the plot is pretty dull and the acting is well over-the-top. I'm sure there's an audience for these films, but I'm not part of it.
Fun biography that pretty much delivers on its title. Harron keeps a nice balance between angelic and naughty, the zeitgeist comes across quite well and Mol is pleasant as Page. For those who only know Page by name and want a quick but worthwhile introduction, this film is not a bad start. Better than expected.
Fessenden revisiting an earlier film. A decent short that takes a pretty basic formula and turns it into something solid. There's not much here you haven't seen before, not too many surprises either. The creature is pretty cool though, there are a few somewhat gruesome scenes and the pacing is fine. Not bad.
A poor rip-off from much better martial arts films. The fights are dull, the training sequences are uninspired, the acting is poor and the cultural bias is painful to watch. What remains is the skeleton of a martial arts film that could pass for amusing, were it not for the total incompetence of its directors.
John Woo doing Chinese opera sounds intriguing, but the result is mostly just grating and tiresome. The film looks nice enough and the romantic plot is sufficient, but the music is ever-present and did get on my nerves after a while. Unless you're a big fan of Chinese opera, or a Woo completist, you might think twice about watching this one.
Sombre and sinister horror film. Pesce finds a nice balance between grim and elegant, which makes for a pretty unique contrast. The actors do a good job, the cinematography is beautiful and the score is moody. The horror elements are maybe just a little too safe, but apart from that this is one impressive debut.
A pretty basic closed community horror flick. Harron doesn't cover much new ground with this film, the lead actor is a bit iffy and it's not as atmospheric or creepy as it should be. The pacing's nice though and these stories are always fun to watch, but in the end I expected a little more. Not Harron's best work.
Immensely popular Chinese animation that borrowed heavily from its American counterparts, but worked them into a thoroughly Chinese story. I wasn't a big fan of the art style and the humor, but the setting was nice, the fantasy elements were well done and the action was often impressive. Not bad, but a bit too childish.
Weird, mysterious and quite unsettling. Poots and Eisenberg are both great, but it's the kid (in all its forms) that really stands out here. The styling is solid (though the CG a little underwhelming), the film retains its mystery until the very last scene and the soundtrack is effective. A very nice surprise, a little more polish and Finnegan is ready for a masterpiece.
Not a big fan of the zombie genre, the complete overkill of zombie flicks this past decade hasn't improved that situation. But Bousman's film really isn't all that bad. The direction is lively, the actors do a solid job, the gore is on point and there's a fun twist at the end. The film still feels a little too safe and expected, but entertaining nonetheless.
Solid remake of Turist, which easily outshines the original. It's not just the somewhat tepid man vs woman conflict that drives the film, but also the Americans on holiday in Europe part that is good for a couple of laughs. Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus are both fine, the presentation is polished and the comedy is decent. I expected worse.
Fun and rather gruesome film that brings together a late night shift at the police station and a cannibal from the bayou. The result is a moody and atmospheric little film that shows Gordon's early millennium stuff is well worth a try. Solid actors, nice effects, good pacing and tense when it needs to be. Best of the Fear Itself shorts so far.