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darknessintheglen
Reviews
Justice League (2017)
Overall well worth watching.
Having read/listened to many critical reviews prior to seeing this film and now having actually seen it I think its worth making the following point-in no way was this as bad as the critics suggested.Yes it was an error to portray Steppenwolf entirely via CGI.An actor with appropriate CGI support would have been so much better however it was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting.That goes for the film overall.I get the impression many critics couldn't wait to pan this film and were delighted to do so.Plot holes?Show me a superhero film that doesn't have plot holes.Thor:Ragnarok has them as does both Avengers films.In spades.Steppenwolf was a weak villain?What the hell do people think Ultron was?Dodgy CGI?Again-Ultron!(Also I think we all know Steppenwolf is just the entree for a much darker presence to come.)I enjoy the Marvel films however they have many of the same faults as this yet received nowhere near the same critical lambast.Oh well,you pays your money etc etc
Personally I enjoyed this and would watch it again.All of the criticisms I've read seem to me minor and if you liked it then I'd say keep on liking and to hell with the critics.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
weak
Having watched and largely enjoyed this films' predecessor and having seen the very positive reactions from members of the public,including some of my friends, I was looking forward to this film.Well,given this is a style of film making I rarely engage with my expectations were not great but still,ultimately,disappointed.The characters were paper thin largely conveyed by dialogue consisting of stock phrases and outright cliché.The development of the plot,such as it was,hardly mattered among the movements of the main characters and was as equally thin as the banal dialogue.the plot moved in its inevitable fashion to the end that was telegraphed so badly it could have been written by a child.This weak development of the plot was further hampered by the staccato style of motion which introduced numerous elements with no seeming relationship to each other only that they move the film to its conclusion.frankly most of this was unbelievable.The scene where Wayne and Alfred disagree with each other and Alfred leaves is a prime example of this.We are asked to believe that these two men who have known each other for so many years would end that relationship in the course of a facile conversation lasting little more than two minutes-ridiculous.this scene does what it was intended to do-move the film on to the next scene.the fact that the characters are like paper cut outs is incidental.The scene where the bomb is about to blow and Batman and catwoman are standing talking-thats what you would do when faced with an immanent nuclear explosion-she kisses him.Ohh boy.thats new.It is,though,a required element of a particular kind of film-big budget American "movies".Werner Herzog once made the point that when he is watching a film with a lot of movement he was watching an empty film.that is pretty much the definition of films like this.The Dark Knight was more than that but this film reverts to type.I know many have enjoyed this film and thats great but I don't think history will be so kind to it.Forgettable film flam.
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)
Dark humour and dancing souls :-)
Well,after watching this film all I can say is if you haven't seen it yet you MUST.Best performance from Nick Cage in years and surely one of his finest ever.Its unlikely,given the sheer craziness of the character,that the academy will consider Cage for an Oscar but he certainly deserves it- surreal humour,completely unhinged behaviour,guns,whores,drugs oh and not forgetting a couple of iguanas....................I haven't enjoyed a film so much for years :-))))Its great to see Cage finally play a really substantial role after some of the less than good films he's been involved in over the years (Kick Ass excepted).This is an absolute tour De force from him and just when you think it cant get any better/crazier.................it takes you that extra mile.I haven't laughed so much as when I did during the scene with the old ladies in the rest home and yet,what he is doing amounts to a form of torture but...............its as funny as hell!Welcome back Nick and long live Werner Herzog and his insane vision of film.
Repulsion (1965)
realm of the senses
This,along with "The Tenant",is my favourite Polanski film and one of my favourite films overall.It has all the trademark Polanski surreal and unnerving dissipation of,for the character involved,their view of the real coupled with their slow descent into madness.The mixture of visual effects-the walls cracking-and sounds alternating between near silence and sudden interruptions of bells,telephone calls etc combined with very little dialogue are all incredibly effective in drawing the viewer into the world of the film.Deneuve gives a wonderful performance and enhances the sense of unease that pervades the film with another performance of "less is more" similar to her display in "Belle de Jour".This,in my opinion,is the better performance.The scene where she clubs the boyfriend to death,the camera focusing on her face from below,shows her completely without expression and this,for me,serves to highlight the horror.Nightmares of rape,cracking walls,the decaying carcass of the rabbit,Carols' attraction and,at the same time,horror of the garment in the toilet,the unsettling sounds of footsteps outside her bedroom door....................its a masterpiece.My only advice to anyone who hasn't watched this film is to not watch at night and certainly don't do so alone.Or at least don't be alone for too long afterwards.Watch with a friend and have a good natter afterwards.It has a very unnerving effect and is liable to awaken all manner of ..............sensations.As indeed Polanski himself told me the other night................from the back of the cupboard where I don't go too often................:-)
The Wicker Man (1973)
A wonderful film.
Defying classification and genre this film is a remarkable experience.I first watched this a teenager and it has stayed with me ever since.The settings are brilliant and the music alone is incredible.Really i can add little that others have said but i would place this film easily in the top ten best British films ever.Quirky and always unsettling the development of the storyline is so natural as to mask the strangeness of the world Sergeant Howie has entered.The cinematography is excellent and the mix of characters combined with the wonderful soundtrack provide an incredibly powerful cinematographic experience.As a teenager I can remember being both excited and horrified at the climax of the film-Howies' screams set against the singing of "Summer is a comyin in" is incredible-bizarrely horrifying and comic at the same time.A classic.
The Wicker Man (2006)
Utter,total,complete etc -DROSS
An appalling remake of a classic.OK for those of us who are aficionado's of the original perhaps any remake is treading on thin ice but surely not as bad as this!The original has its own unique charm but sometimes a remake can provide a fresh perspective so I was prepared for something new........arrrggghhhhhhhh.The Wicker Man could certainly stand a makeover and perhaps provide the germ of some interesting ideas for a new film but this is a complete turkey.Even as a stand alone film this is very poor-script,acting-is there any?-direction..all very weak.What could have been a worthwhile project is reduced to a ridiculous attempt to live off the memory of the superior original.Bargain bin status beckons!
Razorback (1984)
Haunting and visually remarkable
I first saw this film over 20 years ago and it has remained a favourite of mine ever since.The plot is a little bizarre but the performances and cinematography are excellent in evoking a nightmare world of loss,desperation and pain.I wouldn't automatically bracket this film as a "Horror" at all but more a violent depiction of loss and the need for revenge.The grandfather obsessively searching for the Razorback is brilliant-pain,loss and terrifying determination.For me the only down is the ending which I felt strays into "schlock horror" territory too much.It could have been much better and more interesting in keeping with the rest of the film but,overall,it doesn't do the film too much harm.Quirky,bizarre,nightmarish and crazy-nice one.