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Showing posts from October, 2023

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

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  Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure  Time: 1h 33mins Director:  Dean Parisot Quick Summary:  Once told they'd save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, two would-be rockers from San Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny. Oh sure, rehash the same storyline for the third time, I had no problems with it the first two times.  This one was difficult to watch, as the pair are really just bumbling around for the whole film and don't actually achieve anything themselves. It's more their daughters, who admittedly had more charm even though they had zero personality, that ends up saving the day. Maybe it was just me, but seeing 50-year-old men act like stoner airheads was more cringe than funny. I feel sorry for their wives who should have really divorced them years ago. Even though this is the same length as the other two, it felt so much longer. It really did drag. Honestly, to set you up with how bad

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

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  Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Peter Hewitt Quick Summary:  A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals. Alright, to give this one credit, this starts out really well. Not that I liked the first one much, but this was a lot weaker than the first. At least the title was right about this one. They continue with the same airhead, dumb repetitive humour but this time, it's so much more this time and still I didn't find it that funny. Actually, I think they were dumber this time around.  I will say, at least the plot was a little bit better this time around, though it got incredibly predictable and sidetracked at some points. The games they play with death to get out of being dead went on for way too long. As the Grim Reaper William Sadler does the best that he can but is given no real funny lines resulting in his performance feeling a bit of a waste. However, I did enjoy small moments from

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

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  Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Stephen Herek Quick Summary:  Two rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine. I'll be honest, I don't find much of this film funny but at least I got some enjoyment out of it. Yes, I can see how this is funny to a lot of people, but to me, it's just stupid and very dated. I enjoyed the first half hour more when the dynamic duo's catchphrases and mannerisms were fresh but lost interest the longer it went on with the constant repetition of the same catchphrases were really shoved in at any moment possible, which honestly got really irritating to me. As well them both being airheads, was funny for so long.  I think the story is actually really fun, bringing people from the past to help with a history assignment and watching them interact with the then-modern world. There were a lot of silly moments

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

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  Genre: Horror/ Adaptation  Time: 1h 49mins Director:  Emma Tammi Quick Summary:  A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won't be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy's. The teenager in me is very angry with this. I don't know what exactly it is about this that makes it so far from what the games were like, but Jesus. Honestly, this felt more like a drama story about some guy trying to get a job to keep his little sister from going to their horrible aunt. Not a lot of it actually takes place at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, the place where the games actually take place. Maybe the story wasn't that interesting but it really dragged out for a while. I know I should judge it from a fresh perspective, but I am someone who followed the games fully throughout my teenage years, and this felt like such a gut punch to the fans.

The Killer (2023)

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  Genre: Thriller/ Crime Time: 1h 58mins Director:  David Fincher Quick Summary:  After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn't personal. I find it absolutely brilliant that even though this assassin completely messes up a super big hit, he is chill about it. He casually picks up his stuff and leaves. This guy is methodical and knows what to do for every second, saying to himself throughout the film "anticipation don't improvise." and "stick to the plan". He never allows himself to feel empathy and follows his plans down to the smallest of details. Though he has a brilliant sense of dark dry humour that I really enjoyed throughout. His constant monologue stayed calm throughout, even through the most stressful situations which shows how well he has trained himself. As well, to further his being such a bizarre guy, his only form of music is the Smiths which plays out throughout the film

The Wedding Singer (1998)

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  Genre: Romance/ Comedy Time : 1h 35mins Director : Frank Coraci Quick Summary:  Robbie, a singer, and Julia, a waitress, are both engaged, but to the wrong people. Fortune intervenes to help them discover each other. This was cute and all, but not entirely that interesting. Adam Sandler is just a vibe throughout the entire film though and I'm loving it. I think the first half of this movie is really sweet, and has a lot of heart to it. It's all very fluffy and charming, honestly, it's just pure fun.  Adam Sandler is pretty much a massive loser in this. He's a wedding singer, and not a very good one either. He specialises in doing terrible covers of 80's songs. But I'll be honest, I actually enjoyed them a lot, maybe it's just the strange charm he brings to almost all of his films.  His life gets worse one day, his wedding day, to be exact, when the bride doesn't turn up. Now in a deep spiral of depression, our hero doesn't see any way forward. His

Jaws (1975)

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  Genre: Adventure/ Horror Time: 2 Hours Director:  Steven Spielberg Quick Summary:  When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down. I was absolutely glued to the screen while watching this. This is more than "Just a Shark Movie". So many parts of this are so iconic, like the shark POV shots underwater which are so cool, and one of the most iconic motifs in cinema history so much so that even children recognise the sound. It creates such good tension once you hear it that it will surely get your heart racing. Also, one of my favourite dolly zoom moments I have ever seen is when the sheriff realises there is actually a shark in the water and you can really see when that moment hits. It's just such a neat scene, as well as being absolutely terrifying. To my surprise, there is actually a lot of drama within this film to do with the humans, and really the s

Totally Killer (2023)

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  Genre: Horror/ Comedy Time: 1h 46mins Director:  Nahnatchka Khan Quick Summary:  When the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" returns 35 years after his first murder spree to claim another victim, 17-year-old Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, determined to stop the killer before he can start. You know what this was pretty fun actually. It's as if someone mixed Back To The Future and Scream together.  I think one of the funniest parts to me was that the lead, "Jamie", constantly criticises how life was in the '80s, such as how easy it was to just walk into a school and find a student with no verification for who she was, the use of homophobic slurs, and just how generally reckless they all were. Sometimes, it felt a little forced and I groaned at a few, but for the main part, they were funny.  I did really like the lead, She does a great performance and her character is very likeable and extremely funny. Everyone else in the movie is also quite

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

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  Genre: Musical/ Family Time: 2h 24mins Director: Ken Hughes Quick Summary:  A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land. This is the most sweetest and fantastic musical ever. There is something for everyone in this. This movie really does a great job at being funny, very adventurous, musical, and throwing in some romance too. It has a good balance. Honestly, this is so sweet and fun and just simple. It will really warm your heart. This is a childhood classic for me, and admittedly I had a lot of nostalgia watching this again. The songs are unforgettable and beautifully staged, and the choreography is mesmerising to watch. Honestly, I don't think I dislike any of them at all. My favourite is one where the two adults pretend to be dolls to distract the king of "vulgaria" and the whole routine is so fun to watch as the m

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

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  Genre: Drama/ Crime Time: 3hours 26mins Director:   Martin Scorsese Quick Summary:  When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery. I was absolutely glued to the screen for the entire time, this story is so interesting and powerful at the same time.  The Osage tribe, a community that lived in peace and harmony, was faced with a sudden and disruptive change when oil was discovered on their land. As word of their newfound wealth spread, waves of outsiders descended upon their land, determined to take what was not rightfully theirs. They were sadly unable to prevent the discrimination and abuse that followed, which started as verbal insults and eventually led to physical harm. It was then that William King Hale, a man with a sinister plan, entered the picture. With his eye on their riches, he orchestrated the marriage of his nephew Ernest to a member of the Osage tribe, waiting p

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

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  Genre: Horror/ Slasher Time: 1h 30mins Director:  Rick Rosenthal Quick Summary:  Six teenagers, who are eager to experience thrills and adventures, spend the night at the childhood residence of an escaped serial killer for a reality TV show. But he returns to brutalise them. Okay, for a start, I knew I was in for a horrible experience when they killed Laurie off. Also who funded this MTV-styled film? Who wrote this too? The dialogue is awful. Like laughably awful. And then they got the worst actors I have ever seen and threw them into a reality-styled TV of them walking around Micheal Myers house. To which it turns into a boring teenager slasher film. The cast does nothing to help things, all the characters are cardboard stereotypes and honestly, I didn't care about any of them. Busta Rhymes is absolutely ATROCIOUS in this. His entire purpose in this movie seems to be to deliver the worst examples of wisecrack-by-numbers dialogue I've ever heard which was probably hilarious

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

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  Genre: Horror/ Slasher Time: 1h 28mins Director:  Steve Miner Quick Summary:  Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle Micheal one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance. Did I accidentally start playing a Scream film? This is the best-looking of the sequels, the first half, in particular, being close in style to the autumnal look of the original, something that none of the previous sequels did. Honestly, I didn't realise I was missing that in the others and it was really nice to have it back. The editing is pretty good too, it's not shot too darkly and there is an eeriness to the setting which a lot of the previous ones were missing too. This does a great job of breathing fresh life into a series that had gotten stale, and it was so nice to see Jaimie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode. This is fun and there is tension, creepiness and suspense. The deaths are the most creative and shocking since

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

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  Genre: Horror/ Slasher Time: 1h 27mins Director:  Joe Chappelle Quick Summary : Six years after Michael Myers last terrorized Haddonfield, he returns there in pursuit of his niece, Jamie Lloyd, who has escaped with her newborn child, for which Michael and a mysterious cult have sinister plans. The opening in this is so cool and really tense. It's such a shame how boring this film was overall. Honestly, I wasn't expecting the Halloween franchise to suddenly change from a stalker to a cult. Slowly these have been losing the atmosphere and tension that created the perfection of the original Halloween, and slowly that has been swapped for kills and wacky storylines. Admittedly, by now it does get a bit tiring to see the same pattern happen again and again with no good changes. While it has an interesting plot and some good suspense to it, it fumbles big time. Not all of the acting wasn't particularly great. Marianne Hagan is the leading lady and she is very likable but admitt

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

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  Genre: Horror/ Slasher Time: 1h 36mins Director:  Dominique Othenin-Girard Quick Summary:  A psychiatrist and a sheriff work together to stop the psychopath Michael Myers from killing his niece suffering from psychological trauma. So Micheal just floats down the river as an escape? Alright, pretty funny to watch him casually floating away though. The performances are pretty dead on. Danielle Harris is even better than she was in the last film and I just loved every single scene was in. Her chase scenes are so good, there's one scene in particular when she's trying to escape Micheal through a vent and has to climb upwards while he's stabbing through it. Loomis is just purely nuts in this and I'm living for it. At some point, he just starts beating Micheal with some wood. Go girl, beat his ass.  It's a shame Micheal isn't that scary in this one. I mean sure, when he's chasing Jaimie he's a bit scary, but otherwise, he just stands there for most of the

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

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  Genre: Horror/ Slasher Time: 1h 28mins Director:  Dwight H. Little Quick Summary:  Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him? Even though they basically brought Micheal magically back to life after the mess of the previous film, I'm enjoying this. Although I was disappointed to not have Laurie Strode in this one, it was interesting to see how her legacy lives on with her daughter and now she will have the struggle with Michael Myers. As we have a child protagonist was a really fun choice! She was a really good actor, especially for her age and I really enjoyed watching her on screen. She was honestly a real delight and admittedly a really good actor.  Even without her though, this movie is a lot of fun: Loomis is back and crazier than ever, and you have the classic horror tropes and a final set piece that makes sense and is super effective. Hopeful

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

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  Genre: Horror/ Sci-fi  Time: 1h 39mins Director:  Tommy Lee Wallace Quick Summary:  Kids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran Whose bright idea was it to make a Halloween film without Micheal Myers. That theme song will be forever stuck in my brain like a Parasite though. It is so irritating and it plays multiple times throughout. Wonderful how it really captures how truly annoying TV adverts can be.  The protagonists are just so damn boring. I honestly had no care for them. The premise of a corporation committing mass sacrifice of children to bring Halloween back to its pagan roots is super interesting, but it just doesn't play out interesting while watching it. It takes way too long to get into anything and reveal anything. The action was below mediocre & the whole premise was dumb & plot-holed. There's even a whole android reveal subplot which was just reall