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Renfield (2023)
Fun movie that doesnt take itself seriously
This is a fun light hearted movie with comic book style gratuitous violence. Nicholas cage is at his best once again being an over the top character. The gore special effects were very well done and the crew involved in the effects no doubt now have an excellent movie to showcase their abilities. The new orleans backdrop is both atmospheric and full of character. You can actually feel the humidity in some scenes. This movie has 3 things that are superb. The effects. The stylish cinematography. And acting that is light hearted and comically over the top. I enjoyed this movie and it was good entertainment. It didnt try to be more than entertainment and thus was quite an enjoyable watch.
Yume (1990)
Culmination that ultimately combines to form a thoughtful message
This is a collection of short films that form together to deliver a poignant message
Each short film has their own premise and have their own thought provoking poignant moments.
In a way this movie and what it tries to achieve in mechanics is explained or deliberated in the short film "crows"
But in combined total they form together to deliver a big message.
In each their own they are about innocence of childhood, death, regret, sorrow, destructive nature of humanity, the rejuvenating resilience of mankind, the cycle of life, and the consequences of irreversible mistakes and so forth
But in culmination this movie teaches or advocates living in peace and living at one with nature and accepting the cycle of humanity as a beauty in its entirety.
What this film achieves in experimental fashion is what makes this film a masterpiece.
Spaceman (2024)
Doesnt quite grasp that movies need to keep the attention of audience
A movie needs to first and foremost maintain the attention of audience.
Maintaining the attention can be done in a formulaic manner that is typical of human psychology.
The problem with this movie is layered.
For one its the plausibility of the scenario.
Why would they send only one astronaut into this months long journey inside that gigantic spaceship? All while the other nation in pursuit has multiple persons in crew? I highly doubt any country with the best and brightest scientists would send just one crew onto a monumental discovery by himself.
Second of all the loneliness this man experiences leads him onto a mental breakdown but this depth of isolation ultimately made him realize what he is truly about to lose back home that he left behind.
In life there are tons of people in recruiting and hiring that dont develop teams that get along. Whether it be hiring people that are too competitive and ultimately creating a toxic work environment or not realizing their ideology might be dysfunctional and detrimental to productivity due to self interest or prejudice.
It seems for the most detrimental reason they man that ship with just one person then they try to support him while he goes through a mental breakdown that stems from having issues to begin with back home prior to leaving on this mission.
In the end the story just doesnt make sense. Instead of finding cosmic epiphany the story ends up being about human frailty and faults.
This could have been done right but the director had problems with pacing and had a strong lack of substance in moments of the film to create an ultimately deep experience.
Dýrið (2021)
its an interesting movie
It provokes your mind to think about things that normally dont come to thought in daily life. Thus it is an interesting movie. The cinematography was unique and had style. All the actors contributed well as their characters. Its always haunting what people say last before they die and a scene in this movie depicts that. Noomi rapace is always dedicated to her craft and is a quality cast member. The scenery of iceland is epic and contributes to the surreal nature of this movie. Even scenes where they capture the characters doing daily activities was thought provoking. This isnt a movie that would be considered a masterpiece. But i enjoyed the film and i liked many aspects of the film.
Young Ones (2014)
beautiful and powerful western in post apocalyptic world
I found this move on amazon prime and this was one of the best movies i have seen in recent times. Acting was superb by the entire main cast. Kodi smit mcphee should have been nominated for golden globes or an oscar for his performance. The story is a true western but what is niche about this film is that it takes place in the future in a post apocalyptic world. The story is emotionally haunting. It will surely manifest in my thoughts now and then.
What deserves credit is not just the acting but also the direction of the film. The actors were truly in depth with their characters and of each of their motivations in every scene.
This movie is beautiful because of the plot that is so undeniably human and thus a true western in premise.
The pace of this movie was also so orchestrated that the entire story flows like a cold evening breeze coming through your window on a relaxing evening. The film in its entirely ends up flowing like an epic dream.
The Killing of Two Lovers (2020)
subtle masterpiece
The cinematography of this movie makes it feel like an album cover for an indie band through it's entirety. The main actor is a talented actor that is able to do his craft masterfully. The entire movie was brilliant in its pace, mood and atmosphere. The story is quite real and the place this story takes place makes it even more intensely real. If you lived in a small town surrounded by mountains but in the middle of nowhere what takes place in the story becomes even more focused. There is no place to escape the ramnifications of the decisions made nor can one ignore the consequences.
This was truly an impactful story and film.
A masterpiece with a story that will hit home to anyone but frighteningly delivers with amplified ramnifications due to the fact that this is a small town where everyone knows everyone and youre in the middle of nowhere and the only reality is what you live. This movie had been lived by many persons in real life.
Il racconto dei racconti - Tale of Tales (2015)
mesmerizing fairy tale
Beautifully filmed. Other worldly filming locales. Great acting from many of the cast. Was by far one of the most dreamy and surreal fairy tales i have seen on film. Thought provoking scenarios. Will permeate within my psyche for days and even come back into thought years from now as all good movies do. The actress that played the princess who was forced to marry an ogre is by far the best actor in the film.
Beautifully filmed visually and has a dreamy quality to the film aesthetically. A lot of movies do not keep my attention in the first 20 minutes and i just cannot keep watching but this movie was interesting throughout.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
profound ending and masterpiece thriller/mystery
In times when movies lose my interest within the first 15 minutes this movie kept my interest and kept me watching fully engrossed for the entire 2 hours and 20+ minute duration of this movie.
Acting was very good.
The production design was cutting edge as they built that entire hotel just to shoot this film. The hotel does not exist in real life.
The ending struck me as profound and i will not divulge the ending to keep from spoiling the movie.
This was one of the best mystery/thriller movies i have seen.
Acting is full 10/10
production quality is full 10/10
cinematography was excellent without fault 10/10
this was a fully enjoyable film from beginning to end.
Gaia (2021)
beautiful thought provoking film
A lot of people rated this movie low for reasons that they believe the monsters in this movie were taken right out of the video game "last of us"
this movie is majestic because of many reasons and i will list merely 3 good reasons why this movie is a 10/10
1. It is very difficult to create the mood and tone that is in this film. Not too many films provide this kind of emotional ambiance and this complexity gives this movie high regard such as a very fine wine.
2. visually this movie is nearly perfect. This is quite an indulgent feast for your eyes in lush colors and striking images.
3. you will actually think about this movie after watching. And due to this reason this movie has value beyond the vapid films that are polluting the market these days.
I firmly stand behind my statement that this movie is an experience worthy of a 10/10 rating.
The House That Jack Built (2018)
wont disappoint if youre a fan of lars von trier
Has the signature weirdness of lars von trier films.
Was thought provoking in the end and ultimately a character study of a man with a myriad of personality disorders.
The ending is quite bizarre and unexpected.
You cannot have any sympathy for the protagonist because this is a person with a personality disorder that makes him absolutely incompatible with society.
His choice at the end that leads to his further demise without spoiling the movie also furthers the contemplation of a person that is ultimately truly evil.
When said even he doesnt get punished to the deepest depths of hell one must wonder what evil must one do to end up there.
Was an interesting movie but very long at over 2 and half hours long.
65 (2023)
this is an entertaining movie
Unfortunately people rated this movie low for unreasonable expectations.
Movies are first and foremost meant to be entertainment.
No matter how much artistic merit it has if the movie cant maintain the interest of the audience it fails its primary intent.
This movie kept my interest from beginning to end.
I didnt mind the scientific discrepancies nor the unrealistic outcomes of certain actions nor did i care to think about anything all the bad reviews even cared to delve into.
This is a movie. Its meant to entertain.
And entertain it did.
It also pointed out that adam driver could very well be the next academy award winning actor. He is a great actor that can convey emotions that can be felt by the audience clearly as the director intends to portray.
I was entertained.
Some scenes seemed to be paced wrong along with some action sequences a bit contrived and that is the only reason why i rated it 8/10.
Prey (2022)
mediocre action movie
Not much depth to the characters nor was there much depth to the plot. Its basically predator lands on earth 300 years in the past and commences his hunting game and then gets killed by the protagonist.
I watched the movie due to someones rave reviews about the cinematography.
The special effects are cheaply done.
The cinematography is quite average and nothing special.
Add to the mundane mediocrity there is hardly a story here and none of the characters are developed enough for you to care if they live or die.
The main protagonist is always brooding and looking angry or scared.
I watched through the entire movie but to be honest with you i was not very entertained and the movie merely passed the time.
Gwledd (2021)
oddly interesting to keep your interest
Slow paced movies often lose my interest but this movie somehow kept my interest till the end and that in itself says there was a good amount of novelty to this film.
The cinematography had deep rich colors that made the entire film visually decadent.
The story itself was rather confusing and not easy to follow other than seeing that the family was basically becoming dismantled on that one evening.
The chaos that ensues is oddly satisfying due to the fact that the entire family is all about control and being refined and sophisticated. I am not quite sure why it was satisfying to see such a group of people becoming dismantled in such gruesome fashion.
The characters were somewhat psychologically nuanced.
Cinematography for this movie is 10/10 because its visually decadent in rich colors and hues.
The story is somewhat abstract and by story itself this is a very weak plot which i rate 5/10.
The acting is somewhat decent because i was convinced in some scenes that cadi is not mentally sound.
Was an interesting movie from beginning to end and nowadays its hard to find a movie that keeps my interest to the end so this movie actually wasnt as bad as the general review rating of 5 in my opinion.
Nomadland (2020)
heartbreaking and piercing masterpiece
Do NOT watch this movie if you are in a bad place in life this movie might effect you badly.
The ending of this movie is truly a display of the director's capabilities as it ties to a scene where the main character talks about her old home.
This is a movie about loss and grief. This is a movie about someone living their entire life affected by grief and loss.
One of my old homes was demolished and the house is no longer there. I had a dream about the occurence prior to knowing about the demolition. People have spiritual ties to their homes. So to revisit your former home as an abandoned place has an impact to your mind and soul so powerfully as it signifies loss and is a monument to a past that is no longer connected to the present other than your memories. It is as if your past is just a dream.
This movie is truly heartbreaking and i felt deeply moved by the story.
I have driven alone throughout the united states across many states and during my experiences i felt free and in awe of the vastness of the country.
This movie reflected the loneliness of traveling throughout the states alone by car. And this startled me in revelation.
This movie captured loneliness loss and grief more powerfully than any movie that i can recollect.
It is a masterpiece in delivery of certain thoughts and emotions but can be damaging to someone that is in a bad place in life. Only with my girlfriend with me after the movie did i feel a relief and comfort as this movie hit me too powerfully and hit home.
Only watch if you are no longer in a bad place because only then would you appreciate this movie for its portrayal of a lifestyle that ultimately reflects how some people live permanently grieving their losses by living off the grid.
Undergods (2020)
thought provoking but ultimately a satire
The movie is about how dysfunctional families ruin eachother and ultimately end up ruining the entire society by proxy.
Visually this movie is aesthetically interesting
the storyline is ultimately a satire on how society really is at times
a mosaic of various different occurences in different lives that ultimately is self destructive in whole
it shows how a persons life can be destroyed from having people in families that ultimately dont really care for eachother
this movie can be heart breakingly tragic to those that actually lived similar occurences in their personal lives and might rub the wrong way psychologically
in my experience most families have good bonds and support eachother in real life
so the ultimate premise of this story is that families ruin everything and from thenforth ruins an entire society because these families are what constructs as little pieces of a company, a neighborhood and ultimately an entire city. What i took from my viewing and perhaps someone else viewing this film might be different.
Thought provoking
and visually striking
but overall a grim look at humanity as an inevitable downward spiral
would be 10/10 except it kind of leaves you with a disgusting after taste that somehow makes you resent humanity for its inherent flaws.
The Fare (2018)
cannot hold my interest
I started the movie because the trailer was intriguing. Unfortunately it doesnt have much more to offer than what was shown in the trailer. The scenario repeats in a loop and thus becomes repetitive and tedious. It is hard to care for the cab driver because he has the charisma of a typical cab driver. The fare is also hard to care for because she hardly has any personality worthy of paying much attention to. This is a dull and boring purgatory stuck with two of the most boring people.
Feels like a poor mans david lynch film.
Feels like it should have stayed as a short film.
This is one of those movies that you feel is wasting your time the longer you invest your time in watching it.
Joker (2019)
shocking for the first time but the shock value wears off
This movie is about humanizing a villain. The character joker is fleshed out to the point where he becomes real. Joaquin phoenix delivered an oscar worthy performance by fully manifesting a realistic portrayal of a person that becomes the joker. First time watching this movie i was shocked and moved by the portrayal. Then i watched the movie again about 18 months later. To my surprise all of the raw intense emotions i felt while watching the first time were no longer there.
This movie has shock value and elements to the story that make you rethink your perception of the joker. Its as if someone told you something very humanizing about a serial killer that makes you sympathize a villain. When you think of yourself as being wrong about something it causes a shift in your psyche. This movie did that.
This movie made joker seem like he isnt really a villain if anything you had to sympathize with the villain.
But when you watch this movie for the second time you already feel as though you no longer see joker as an absolute villain to begin with. And thus the movie seems watered down and not so intense or shocking.
I would rate this movie 10/10 if i watched it for the first time.
My rating also considers whether you can watch the movie again and feel the emotions again. And upon second viewing i did not feel what i felt the first time thus this movie is an 8/10.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
absolute masterpiece better than the first movie
This is by far the most visually stunning movie i have ever watched. This is also a movie that came out in modern times that completely recaptured the magic of hollywood movies back in the 80s and 90s albeit with modern cinematography.
This movie is a master class in capturing action scenes.
Tom cruise is currently 60 years old and he looks like he is still in his 30s in this movie that came out in 2022.
This is the best movie i have seen this year and possibly one of the best movie i have ever seen.
I am not a fan of formulaic hollywood movies but this movie is an absolute masterpiece in what hollywood movies used to be with modern day technology enhancing the cinema experience further.
I reiterate this is quite possibly the best movie i have ever seen. Will be known as a classic in 20-30 years!!
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
gratuitous and pompous but interesting
Too much gratuitous male nudity is my dislike. The characters are almost caricatures and end up being somewhat annoying. The movie was interesting enough when i watched it the first time but the second time i watched it i felt less intrigued. The mechanics of the curse was more understandable the second time watching the movie. Basically the curse manifests when one profits from the art. But the curse can only manifest through art. So if one profits from the art but rids of art entirely from ones life he curse cannot manifest. Visually this movie was very interesting. Watch it twice to get a better understanding of the mechanics of the curse albeit i already explained it in this review.
Ps my girlfriend did not like this movie at all i would rate this movie a 9/10 but she rated it a 7/10 and it rounds out to 8/10.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
captivating
Kept my interest and attention for the entire duration of the movie. Which probably means the pacing was done well. The movie was very fun to watch visually.
Sunshine (2007)
one of the most emotional films ever
Thought provoking film that breaks your heart in so many scenes all because of the devastating moments portrayed by amazing actors. This movie made me appreciate cillian murphy as an actor and danny boyle for his vision.
Pig (2021)
cinematic masterpiece that will haunt you
If you ever thought that nicholas cage is a bad actor in the past, this movie will absolutely change your mind. This is a beautiful movie. It touched my heart and moved my soul. I for one never thought nicholas cage is a bad actor. I enjoyed so many of his movies in the past. I always thought he is intense and highly nuanced. Well this movie is one of his best films. Absolutely heart breaking and hauntingly beautiful. A heartfelt movie.
A Ghost Story (2017)
my ex girlfriend picked this movie for us to watch
She thought this movie would be a good choice for me. The movie is nuanced and captures the essence of certain moments in a way that is characteristic of a movie that you think back on years later in some random moment in life. This movie made me cry at the end. Literally went from being touched then suddenly feeling tears flowing in my eyes and down my face. The ending truly struck me and not a lot of movies are able to capture moments as this movie did. This movie is one of a kind.
Expired (2007)
this movie broke my heart
First of all this was filmed in a city that i am very familiar with. I currently live over 2,000 miles away from my old town pomona. The movie breaks my heart because the characters are very real and they just feel like ghosts of people that actually existed in real life. Its one of those movies that makes me feel like my heart is going to stop the more i think about the story and the characters. I watched this movie over a decade ago and for some reason i thought of this movie tonight. I wish i kept the dvd. This movie is nostalgia to me.