Log: week 30 / 2022
I was fully expecting to see a French Noir, I got a Nouvelle Vague film with minor crime elements instead. I'm not complaining, mind, my affinity with the French New Wave is much bigger than with its noir scene, though I don't think Truffaut is the best the Nouvelle Vague has to offer. While there are some clear crime elements present, the direction is a lot lighter and less constrained than you'd get from an actual noir. Aznavour isn't great though and Truffaut isn't quite as frivolous as some of his contemporaries. The film has its moments, but not enough to put it up there with the best Nouvelle Vague films.Read all
A quirky British comedy with a hefty portion of drama. Or a proper drama with some typical British wit. The film is pretty well-balanced and floats between both genres with deceptive ease, though it lacks a certain edge to excel at either one of them. It's still a pretty fun ride though. Though the theme is quite heavy, the presentation is pretty light. Brosnan is solid, Poots is cheeky, and even Collette doesn't overdo it. The structure of the film is a bit messy and neither the drama nor the comedy is too captivating, but it's a pretty pleasant watch throughout. Decent filler.Read all
80s nostalgia caught in documentary form. With a documentary like this, where not much video material survived of the subject, and interviews form the core of the film, you're bound to get a feeling of exaggeration. The makers embrace it, but in the end, it felt like I was mostly watching a collection of wild tales of an era gone by. Not quite that interesting. In this current day and age it's difficult to believe a place like that existed, at the same time I don't necessarily dislike the idea of having these less-controlled environments around. The conclusion of the doc seems to be pointing in the same direction, I'm just not sure if the footage of a mother visiting the grave of the son she lost there fitted in with that sentiment. An amusing doc, but nothing too memorable.Read all
A simple Taiwanese horror film. There's a bit of extra complexity in the plot, with several timelines and repeating events that are woven together, but few people will watch this film hoping to find an intricate mystery. The Bridge Curse is familiar horror fodder, primarily produced to scare and haunt. The performances aren't that great, the urban legend is basic and the scares aren't all that original. The execution of the horror elements is pretty decent though, and the pacing is slick. The Bridge Curse is simple horror fodder done well, which is more than enough when looking for proper horror filler.Read all
I wasn't really sure what to expect, I'm still not quite sure what I just witnessed. Dosuemon is a very crude, amateurish sex parody based on Doraemon. I wasn't aware there was a market for this type of thing, then again, the film looked so cheap that there probably isn't much of a market needed to break even. Best know what you're getting yourself into when you decide to watch this one. The performances are grossly overstated, the comedy is quite vulgar, and it's no surprise this film looks dirt cheap. At the same time, there's a dedication to the material that does result in a couple of chuckles along the way. Not enough to call it a successful comedy, but with a little refinement this director might just make it.Read all
A Turkish classic that looks at least 3 decades older than its actual release date. I've been slowly trying out some of these older Turkish films, as they're often backed by an avid fan base, but I can't say I find much to my liking there. Red River, Black Sheep felt extremely dated and slow, failing to make me care about the lead characters and their romance. The cinematography is dire, the soundtrack horrible, the performances forced. The plot is pretty predictable and even though the film is pretty short, it ended up feeling almost twice as long. There were a few tepid attempts to elevate the film, which was at least something, but not what I call riveting cinema.Read all
A very basic horror flick. Open 24 Hours isn't too bad, there are moments that show potential, and with some extra fine-tuning this could've been prime horror filler. It's just a little too sloppy and lazy for that. Relying on genre clichés is fine, but the execution must be perfect, and that wasn't always the case here. The paranoia elements are pretty poor, the plot is incredibly simple and the background drama is overdone. The gore is decent though, the setting is moody and there are some brutal scenes, though none so extreme to make this stand out from the crowd. It's a decent enough horror film, just not all that remarkable.Read all
Troublesome Night 7
The seventh film in the series finally ditches Herman Yau. Not that it changes much, except that Yau finally had time to move on to better things. I'm not a big fan of the Troublesome Night series, the mix of tepid horror and bland comedy doesn't really work for me, but clearly, the series enjoyed some success (or was at least cheap enough to make, to recoup the investment). Troublesome Night is never scary, the effects are minimal, and the narrative trumps the atmosphere. The performances are pretty weak (even though there are some very familiar faces - Louis Koo is still around) and the finale leans more toward drama than actual horror. These films are short and simple, but they lack the proper genre qualities to make them work.Read all
Shark flicks. It's been years since they were popular, yet some directors keep putting them out. Andrew Traucki loves a good animal scare, so it's no surprise to see him make a sequel to The Reef. Stalked is a pretty generic shark flick that could've been put out under any other name, but if you love a pretty beach, pristine waters and a frightening animal, this one won't disappoint. The setting is lovely, and the shark scares are effective, if nothing you haven't seen before. There's a bit too much bland drama scattered throughout the film and the ending comes off a little simple, but The Reef: Stalked is decent enough genre fun. As long as you know what you're getting yourself into.Read all
Evil kappas. The problem with this particular yokai is that it is often portrayed as a friendly spirit. I just might have seen too many films with cute and cuddly kappa to be truly terrified by these creatures. Of course, the kappa featured here looks more horrific than many of its counterparts, but a menacing creature of horror it is not. Fuzzy images, jaggy camera work and some of the more gruesome folklore surrounding the kappa (apparently they rip your balls out through your rectum) are supposed to make you shiver, it just didn't quite work for me. It's still pretty decent genre fun and the short runtime is a blessing, I just liked the others better so far.Read all
Proper Dutch horror. Moloch isn't a film that aims to be different or unique, instead, it tries its best to be a moody, tense occult horror. And it does that pretty well, it's just that nothing really jumps out. It's perfect horror filler that is sure to please genre fans, others might wonder what the fuzz is about. The setting is perfect for a horror film and the build-up is pretty solid. The background story is eerie too, the effects and designs could've been better though, and the finale is a bit too by the numbers. Still, if you're looking for a fun and accomplished Dutch horror film, look no further.Read all
Jonas Govaerts proves he's more than just a talented genre nut. Cub was a great first film that showed his love for horror cinema, with H4Z4RD he delivers a stronger personal signature. It's a film that breathes 90s Antwerp, delivers a mix of dark comedy, weird crime and crazy action, and sports a set of characters that is just beyond. I'm not sure how well this film will travel beyond Belgian borders, but the comedy is spot on, the soundtrack is killer and the pacing is perfect. H4Z4RD is a film that does everything at 200%, exactly the kind of cinema I live for.