Log: week 15 / 2020
Nifty little aquatic horror that feels at times a little too held back by its lack of budget, but builds up a nice tension and shows just enough to keep the intrigue going. The direction is solid, the cast does a good job and the effects are pretty decent, it's also quite topical with all the infection and quarantine stuff going on. A good, effective horror flick.
Fun and quirky crime flick that thrives on its Britishness. It's a bit Ritchie-light at times, but Vaughn does his very best to keep things stylish and entertaining. A solid performance by Daniel Craig, some great secondary actors and plenty of visual flair make sure this film was still a lot of fun the second time around.
Very typical Minnelli musical that starts off with a lot of hassle and problems, spends the last half hour stuck in musical numbers and turns out a happy ending from out of nowhere. Astaire and Charisse are professionals, but lack the energy to make this a better films. This film is sure to appeal to core musical fans, I'm just not one of them.
A solid time loop film that includes some nice comedy, thriller and horror elements. It's a pretty crazy mash-up of genres and Paxson doesn't always feel fully in control of her film, but the result is pretty amusing nonetheless. A nice find for people who love a good genre mash-up, even when not everything feels as polished as it should be.
Stylish and somewhat perplexing drama that incorporates some very light thriller and horror elements. The direction is beautiful, the acting is sublime, but there's a slight disconnect between both halves of the film, which makes that the dramatic climax doesn't reach its full potential. Very intruiging film though.
It's all very cheesy, but at least Mulcahy tried to make it atmospheric. The direction is solid and the bigger set pieces look nice enough. The performances are painfully bad though and the story isn't all that exciting either. A better lead and a shorter running time would've helped this film tremendously, but it turned out differently.
A small and subtle drama. The Japanese country side isn't all that exciting and Nishikawa takes her time to tell a moderately interesting story, but the sluggish atmosphere does have its perks. The direction is solid, the actors do a good job and the film left me fulfilled. Not the most dashing film, but a nice find nonetheless.
I finally watched this one, but was disappointed to find a rather tepid high school comedy. The performances are mediocre, the comedy lacked wit and the ending was terribly cheesy. I'm sure some people will appreciate this film as a relic of its time, but it has aged pretty badly and has few redeeming qualities.
Decent documentary on the two Voyager missions. Sadly the makers tried a little too hard to be inspirational, which is not that easy when you're dealing with outdated tech. The interviewees are a tad boring and the mission never feels as grand as it actually is, but at least the topic was interesting and the doc gives a good recap of the facts.
A surprisingly straight-forward drama by Ishii. There's certainly no lack of disease-based dramas in Japan, but this stands out as one of the better in the genre. The direction is subtle, performances are great and the emotional climax is dignified. Not as edgy as some of this other work, but well recommended for fans of Japanese cinema.
Nice blend of fantasy, action and just a blip of horror, not unlike Chinese Ghost Story. At its best this film rivals its famous peer, but the filler scenes are of a much lower quality and the score is pretty disappointing. But cinematographer turned director Sing-Pui O shoots nice pictures and there are some memorable scenes. One for the fans.
Extremely quirky, weird and funny, but not quite as insane or out there as the work of Jim Hosking, to which this film bears a striking resemblance. There's still plenty to like here and fans of eccentric comedy should definitely seek this one out, but for me it stopped just short of being a true comedy masterpiece.
Classic Allen, though I didn't quite expect to see a real murder mystery. In the end it doesn't even add that much, this is still the big Woody Allen show, with rattling dialogues, cultural references and a light-heartedness that suits the film. I found it quite nice, but like most of his work, it all depends on whether you can stomach Allen's trademark style.
Stylishly directed romance. Performances are more than solid and the film looks lush from start to finish, but the plot is a bit too basic and the drama isn't always fetching. Some details (like the setting and illness) add a novel twist to the film, but it's not enough to turn it into a bona fide masterpiece. Very nice though.
A mediocre romantic drama that lacks charm and likeable characters. It tries to compensate with an idyllic setting and some pretty young faces, but in the end that doesn't really cut it. It's not the worst film and it does provide some easy entertainment, but there are better films out there that offer exactly the same ingredients, only prepared by a better cook.
Quirky little comedy that makes good fun of the usual high school drama, with some pleasantly over-the-top characters and a couple of solid punchlines. The cast does a good job, there's plenty of jokes that land, only the ending was a bit too corny for my taste. Still, I had plenty of fun with this one, not something I'd expected up front.
Decent documentary that sounded better on paper. It's interesting to think about what computer/brain interfaces may bring in the future, but the exploration of this idea was executed rather poorly. The applications that are already possible today are a bit more interesting, but they were hardly mind-blowing.
A decent mix of comedy and romance, though it's clear the comedy bits work better than the romance. It's all quite cliché and over-the-top, which isn't too bad for a comedy, but in the end it's hard to really feel for these characters. It's not a bad film, pretty decent filler, but I hoped for a little more from Ône.
Another solid horror flick by Bousman. The evil convent isn't the most original setting and the film doesn't hold too many surprises, but the execution is on point, there are some nice, gory bits, the atmosphere is creepy and the actors do a solid job. Pure genre work that is sure to please the horror fans.
A very solid sequel that offers a nice blend of financial thriller elements, surveillance police antics and some kick-ass action scenes. Add a bunch of famous Hong Kong actors and a lofty budget and you have a film that may not be all that original, but delivers on its premise. Prime big-budget entertainment done well.
A nice film to close down the series. A cabin in the woods, an evil lurking outside and stories writing themselves, all the elements are here for a solid horror film. And director Rodriguez does a good job. The effects are a bit iffy, but the gore is nice, the performances are decent and the tension is on point.