Richard Murray

VIP

5

I like how it looks - the framing and photography choices are mostly good. The quick cut jump scare thing is a bit old, but well done.

The story, though is wafer thin and even then, the supporting cast can't really keep it up. It seems to drag along to the end, which isn't a good sign for a film clocking in under 80 minutes. It may have played better as a 12 minute short.

Better than I expected, though there were a handful of times when the brother seemed to disappear, but I guess that's more poor continuity than a story element.

I think the first part was enough for me. Over two more hours? I'm picturing a whole lot more redundant talking heads slowly re-stating everything we've already been told.

It feels like it might coexist in the world Videodrome inhabits. Not pure horror, maybe, but... odd.

Tagline for the film: "We'll fix it in post."

They lied.

Oh, fuck off.

It's a mess of a naive masturbatory rock fantasy played out by a whole bunch of shitty actors and Malcolm McDowell.

I enjoyed the film for what it was, on its own - a revenge action film. The only real problems I have are in the third act, and that's a shitty place to lose the script.

The detectives are determined to find the vigilante killer, and then are basically "Oh, it was you, we know it, but LOL, whatev!" Sloppy doc left bloody fingerprints on pretty much everything everywhere he went, like the guitar in the pawn shop. This becomes not so much a story of a man's revenge as it does a case of sloppy detectives who I can only imagine must drink a lot. Then, there's the matter of the weapon conveniently stored in the table in the basement like he just knew that's where he'd be surprised by the big bad.

Up until that point, only a couple eye-rolls, but all in all, enjoyable. Not worth re-watching.

Edit: I watched The Foreigner later in the day, and it's a much better revenge film and a MUCH better action film. https://trakt.tv/movies/the-foreigner-2017

Dissident books flee the United States of America to go to Canada, escaping the book burning Salamanders.

A book is killed, and they speak of that work being 'lost to humanity.'

If the US is the only nation (or one of a number) with the book burners, then surely there are other nations with libraries or used book shops.

I have a thing where I try to finish watching films, regardless of how bad they are. Even the worst films can have aspects that are enjoyable. I watched nearly half, and it just wasn't turning around at all. Unappealing start to finish. Nothing engaging or interesting.

Sound people that don't care about consistent sounds or room feel didn't help, but the biggest problem is the lack of a beginning to end story. It feels like one story to the middle and then another when the 'secret' monster finally shows up. Nobody's surprised about what the cause of the ailment is. Nobody.

Dominic Monaghan seems to believe he's in a crazy future world, but Sarah Habel doesn't. She seems to be playing an actor playing the role. It doesn't feel right at all. I can forgive set issues and plot issues to a degree, but when a primary actor doesn't buy it, it's hard to take.

I'm guessing it's a cover of Rashomon w/ Millennials

I'm a bit disappointed that it's cut up so much. Sure, it's nice that there's shots and calls back to the development and practice of the routines, but I'd rather see more, wider shots of the performances.

Much of the third act pisses me off, especially when everyone becomes Spartacus.

I love the Carmelita mini-dance numbers

AHEM!
The sun has come up!
The day has begun!
Watching you flunk will be so much fun because you're orphans and you're probably dumb!

I hated Krypton stories in the comics. Hated. I was afraid of even looking at this series for fear it was like the first half hour of the 1978 Superman Movie that faithfully represented the snoozefest of Krypton stories in my mind.

This is better. Much better. My attention is theirs to lose.

None of the characters were even slightly interesting. Bunch of tropes with no personalities, dying one at a time until there's a Final Girl. Boring.

The first 40 minutes contain a whole lot of "It never occured to me what was really happening" - a fair bit of story, but this attempt to build suspense is silly in a documentary like this.

The side-by-side shots at the end. Pure gold. I lost track of which was original The Room a couple times.

Somehow looks both low budget and high budget at the same time... I didn't really find much redeeming here, but my five year old was a fan, cheering on Woody at the end. Even then, I don't think he'd even bother re-watching.

Annoying as fuck. So, mission accomplished?

"Hey, what's wrong, baby?"

Lame lame lame lame. Lame.

Saw this comment on Shudder - stupid fake comb-over bald...

"I worked on this movie and we know, we know, about the bald head... it makes him look like Baby Huey from those old comic books. The weird thing is that he's ACTUALLY shaved, it's not a bald-cap! But what makes it look weird is the way it's such a clean , straight line around his otherwise shaggy head, like he's given himself a "Friar Tuck". It doesn't look natural at all, but like he's some hipster who just doesn't give a fuck. And It's the ridiculous little top wisps he's got, too. UGHHH. Believe me when I say it shanks us every time we look at the finished film."

"This is not your average party."

Something about this reminds be of Lanthimos' Dogtooth, though lacking anything of a linear structure. What's dream, what's solitude or drug-induced figment? Who cares?

This is one of those films to see, but not so much to re-watch.