#119 - Super Dark Times (2017)

Soaked in atmosphere, the film is a coming-of-age film focused squarely on the nightmarish reality of loss of innocence told through a visually compelling and horrific tale. 

Whilst the main plot centres around the accidental killing of a friend, the repercussions of the act on our main characters is where the tensions builds as they both struggle to fully comprehend what they have done, both in the act and decision to cover it up.

This slowly moulds their relationships with both themselves and others as paranoia, fear, and insanity creep into the forefront. The cinematography only reinforces this bubbling menace, high shots of twisted trees in winter and long, empty streets a perfect metaphor of the slowly warping mental states 


- 7.5/10

#118 - Parker (2013)

"What starts as your typical Statham action affair slowly devolves into a messy, and incoherent mess of a story. 

Lopez is shoehorned into the film and it makes no sense why she needs to be in this at all, the second act turning into damage control as it desperately tries to link its meandering plot threads with absolutely zero finesse. The exposition is weak with too much plot convenience occurring throughout, it's almost as if the script writer gave up halfway through and let a poorly programmed AI finish it. 

The editing is amateur, with cheap dissolves being used numerous time to end stodgy scenes, the action often grinding to a halt to explore another ludicrous plot extension"  


- 3/10

#117 - LOOK - SEE [shorts] (2018)

"An interesting, classic jump scare style monster horror, a decent premise of dread that's captured fairly well.

The monster, though perhaps unintentionally slightly humorous at first, gets enough scenes of carnage and warrant destruction to shift from amusing to a dash of disturbing, with some of the best shots being aftermaths of the creatures rampant destruction rather than the tension that builds to the crescendo of fatality.

A shot of a victim in a toilet cubicle is especially visceral, with limbs twisted and blood spray arched and set against the white of the interior. Overall, despite there not being much that is new, this combination of shorts wears its influences well and teeters towards enjoyable over eye-rolling"

 

- 6.5/10

#116 - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

"Considering the gargantuan challenge the Russo's had in juggling a plethora of superheroes, the pacing is brisk and whisks by astutely - each scene giving the bare minimum time to establish the mood before flying on to the next. And so enters the villain.

 Thanos has numerous scenes which rise above simply generic evil, the terrifying end game apparent and even understandable when the stakes are literally the universe. The best scenes are routed in character dilemma, whether they be humble earth people or grandiose space creatures. 

Without personal attachment what care is there for even world ending catastrophe? Luckily, there are enough scenes to make us care for the major players in this universally intense dilemma"


- 7.5/10

#115 - Beyond Skyline (2017)

"A more apt title would be 'beyond genre changes' as the plot whips through different styles of film that all could have easily been fleshed out into one solid story and mood rather than flitting between like an anthology. 

The film starts off as a frantic survivor film with shades of Cloverfield rubbed into the frames, then classic b-movie sci-fi on the alien ship, the set design and costume actually rather good. Finally comes the martial arts action half after a ludicrous crash scene complete with secret drug smuggler tunnels, fist fights with aliens and guns aplenty. 

It's all rather ridiculous, but you cannot help but  continue the ride, wondering just what might happen next"


- 5.5/10

note: this is the 25/04 film, watched then and review posted early hours of 26/04

#114 - Cargo [short] (2013)

"Straying away from the gore and violence, Cargo is a short film about the biggger picture and survival, not of oneself, but the family that survives once the virus has rampaged and overtaken your own body. A man frantically escapes from his car with his young baby as his wife, zombified, ravages at them, trapped in the car. 

A not to subtle camera turn to a wounded arm and we know the dad is good as gone, and so he works towards reaching the safe zone, not for him but his child. 

It's simple, but effective, music setting the emotional scene as his plan eventually succeeds, the child rescued, and the tragic plan finally succeeded"


 - 7/10

#113 - 6 balloons (2018)

"Addiction is a premise well trod in cinema, and it can be hard to see how this can be looked at in an original light, but this mesmerising and deeply personal piece of one day in the life of an addict, and the sister who is always looking after him, never feels on the nose or pandering with emotionally manipulative easy material. 

Instead, it is a powerful look into not just the addiction of drugs but how it affects those that care for them - the addiction of love for those that constantly fall into the deep end no matter how many times you pull them free, and the heartbreak of finally breaking away"


- 8/10

#112 - Bill Hicks: Revelations (1993)

"It's hard to put into words a Bill Hicks performance. His perfect blend of satire, cynicism, and cuttingly blunt deconstruction of both the world and the premise of a joke in general is fascinating to watch. Sometimes you can never be sure if his general disdain is directed to the very people laughing as he speaks, most classically in his rant to advertisers:  'Kill yourself. Just kill yourself. This is not a joke. Kill yourself'. 

Spots on drugs, the government reaction to drugs, religion, conspiracy theories are all tackled in a seamless blend from the absurd to the viciously real - the audience never quite sure what is going to be attacked next" 


- 8/10

#111 - The Beast Within (1982)

"The Beast Within is a muddled and often confusing mess of a horror, with streaks of brilliance slicing through the general mundanity. 

The story follows 17 year old Micheal, who is afflicted by a mysterious illness no doctor can cure. The parents know that it could be linked to the mother being savagely attacked 17 years prior and they return to the deep south town where it all happened, only to juggle a cover up conspiracy as well as the frequently violent and erratic outbursts from their son.

 It takes a rather long time to get going, and it's the gore which saves this from become just another snoozefest 80's horror" 


- 4/10

#110 - Into the Wild (2007)

"Like a dream, this tragic but endearing tale of a man removing himself from the standard society floats through its narrative with an almost illusionary magic. 

The story drifts through the explorations, both frustrating and uplifting for the audience and our protagonist, the friendships garnered as he goes feel real and visceral, a testament to the keen eye of the director that gives us just enough to make it feel genuine before striding into the next scene with no hint as to what it may bring. 

Despite the plot feeling almost meandering at times, it is more an affection of style than lazy writing - a beautiful essay on being human"

- 9/10

#109 - The Gunfighter [short] (2014)

"Amusing and unique, this short has a simple but brilliant premise that all the characters in the film can hear an omniscient narrator who slowly reveals all their secrets much to their chagrin. 

Set in the wild west, a gunslinger steps into a saloon to order a drink, and it's not long before the narrator starts thirsting for blood as he pushes all the confused characters against each other despite their protests for peace to each other. 
But, as Chekhov once said, 'once a gun is introduced it must be fired' and indeed it is not long before all the guns start shooting and the inevitable bloodbath is complete" 

 - 7.5/10

#108 - You Were Never Really Here (2017)

"A merciless and relentless gut punch of a cinematic experience. Ultra claustrophobic scenes are interspersed with wonderfully brilliant and often serene, stark framing that perfectly contrasts the state of the protagonist's mind against the banal bustle of the ordinary world. 

Phoenix is on terrifyingly terrific form, more often than not telling us everything we need to know with a squint of the eye or slope of the shoulder, his silence and reactions to the plot just as revealing and more fluid and believable than any exposition dump. 

It quickly becomes a hammer like strike of rising tension, an unrelenting force of story telling coupled with perfectly executed directing"


- 8.5/10 (maybe a 9 after further consideration - will update soon)

#107 - T Rex of the Deep [documentary] (2009)

"Unfortunately feels more like a tv episode than the documentary it is advertised as, with constant recaps and unnecessary cgi interactions with actual people. However, past that is just enough scientific information to put a small amount of meat on the skeleton of this piece. 

The life cycle, size, and contemporaries in the ocean make for interesting viewing, and learning more about the Mosasaur sparks that child-like  beautiful wonder for the mindbogglingly ancient history of creatures of the deep. 

It concludes with a life sized replica head, complete with teeth,  created to test the ferocity of the creature's bite - an imaginative if speculative conclusion to the show"


- 5.5/10 

#106 - These Final Hours (2013)

"End of the world films can often feel lacking in bite, or, more often than not, trying too hard to pull your heart strings in a sappy tale before the inevitable destruction.

 This is not that. 

Whilst low budget, the ties built between our hesitant protagonist and the girl he rescues feel sincere, and each step in the journey to return her to her father reveals more about both him and the message the film tries to portray of what truly matters in a moment of complete calamity. It's very well done, without saccharine sentiment to force an emotional response, instead building on deserved emotional delivery"  


- 8.5/10 

#105 - The Art of Shadows {short} [documentary] (2017)

"Film Noir is an intriguing genre, and its influence is ingrained into the essence of so many films nowadays that it's almost criminal how we often forget about its origins. This informative short documentary on how film Noir came to be sheds light on numerous elements of what drove the people behind the films to make them and focuses on the history of this wonderful style. 

Switching between emphasis on lighting and plot, it's a great 50/50 slice on the cinematic techniques of lightning in black and white, as well as the birth of crime and gritty emotion within cinema at a popular level"

No rating as this is more a small wedge of information and would be almost impossible to give an arbitrary 'rating' to, instead I will simply recommend it - search it on yt to watch, it's only ten minutes.

#104 - Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

"The writing retains that wonderful sharpness and charm that made the original so endearing with dollops of well done humour and zaniness that will delight all just like its predecessor. The visuals are fantastic, the scope of the food animals enormous with every pun you could possibly think of sandwiched into the run time. 

However, what makes this feel stale in comparison to the first film is a shockingly simplistic plot considering what they have to work with. The nefarious villain is bland and unoriginal and the characters go through the typical story arc with obvious rigidity that betrays the creativity found everywhere else"


6.5/10

#103 - Human Interviews - Jessica Zollman [short] (2018)

"Well, I'm confused, what even is this? Is this a mockumetnary style interviewing of people for...what, for something? Well, who can be sure, it's advertised as a short? I guess? It is not. So normally this would be moment of backtracking, of halting an embarrassment when the realisation is what was watched was a moment..a sketch, whoops...errr well part of this project is spontaneous bizarreness like this (maybe) so this could be considered an anomaly of the project, or more likely a strange moment that confirms that ot all links on youtube will lead to intriguing shorts, there could be nowt but wat?"


??/10

#102 - Robot & Scarecrow [short] (2017)

"Told almost entirely through striking visuals and score, this charming but ultimately melancholic story is truly a wonderful example of taking a well worn  trope (the love story) and completely reworking it for a new angle. Set to the backdrop of a pulsating music festival, the humans are mere garden ornaments that our two characters - the scarecrow and the robot - sift through as they find each other and indulge in a day of exploration and free will, each rebelling against their own set path, perhaps a metaphor for us all to embrace life and remember there is more than eat, work, sleep, repeat"


- 7.5/10

#101 - Small Town Crime (2018)

"Never quite sure if it wants to charge into full on pulp, comedy, or serious thriller, this is still a good slice of all three without ever reaching full potential it could have probably had with a bit of tweaking. The plot of a washed up cop wanting redemption has been played thousands of times, but Hawkes is believable in his role for the most part.  

Many conflicting emotional arcs are set up but never really completed, merely fizzing into the next scene  to almost complete abandon by the end - an enjoyable meal but one course short of hitting the spot" 


- 6.5/10

#100 - Suburban Gothic (2014)

"Definitely a divider, the sardonic comedy and oddball dialogue may grate on others but works aplenty if it's a tune your humour plays to. Despite a rather banal plot, the strength of the actors and their wonderfully deflated deliveries in many cases elevates every scene, a peppering of mumble jokes and sharp tongues that shows great attention to detail in the scripting process. 

Whilst it might be a little rough around the edges, there is a raw earnestness to the film that brings it above simple comedic horror, a story of finding your place in the world and being accepted"


- 8/10

#99 - Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2018)

"Nothing more than a below average, cookie-cutter zombie film that somehow managed to get 'day of the dead' attached to it. There is nothing new, everything retreading of what other films in the genre have done a million times better before, warranting the question: why even bother? A flat, static plot that goes nowhere slowly, with some rare practical effects the only reprieve from a merciless torrent of ugly CGI blood, removing even the gore checklist as something worthy from this survival horror. Avoid like the zombie virus itself, one for only the most very die-hard of genre fanatics"


- 2.5/10

#98 - A Quiet Place (2018)

"A concise, taut horror that wrings every drop of unease out every scene that plays. The premise of sound being the cause of horror is a brilliant one and is played on multiple layers through the characters themselves (be it literal sounds made or plot devices of the deaf child's hearing aid) and the general landscape the film resides in. 

Every artificial noise is a source of worry as the tension increases, building characters you care for and want to succeed. The third act is a relentless knot in the stomach, a true testament to the wonderful direction"


- 7/10

#97 - The Stowaway [short] (2018)

"Impressive both for its visuals and story, this slice of sci-fi is a despairing examination of when a negative eventuality cannot be overlooked, no matter what is tried. The cold reality is an inescapable death for one of the characters and this is a wonderful consideration of morality clashing with the cold logic of a ship designed with everything running to optimal - literally the weight of the stowaway will lead to the failure of the ship's mission. It's simple - the old adage of 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - but very effective"

- 7.5/10  

# 96 Nightcrawler (2014)

"Like a fever-dream, this gloriously dark film is a brilliant examination of humanity - it exaggerates the worst in us, that of the need to succeed no matter what the cost, in such a beautifully absurd manner that despite all his misgivings and lack of morality, you cannot help but want our anti-hero to succeed. As the stakes rise, so the understanding of people seems to wane, the lengths gone for the best shot or the best video trumping basic compassion. It's a beautiful mess that keeps devolving and highlighting the worst in people, and it's brilliant"  


- 8/10

#95 - Holidays (2016)

"Horror anthologies can often be a tough nut to crack: do you trace them round a wrap around story, do you have a central theme?  'Holidays' is short films 'inspired' by a different holiday, however the results are sadly underwhelming. Often the stories feel shoehorned round a festivity rather than organic and inspired to the source holiday, perhaps only one or two (the first in particular - valentines day) really feeling up to scratch. The others are, for the most part, a rather vapid affair; tame slices of simmering horror which burnout before they even begin" 


- 4/10

#94 - Alienator (1989)

"Belonging to that special kind of schlock that warms my heart, Alienator is an ultra low rip off cross thread of terminator and predator. The film is set around a killing machine in a ludicrous outfit and arm cannon trying to eliminate a space outlaw who crashes in on a caravan full of twenty-somethings who looked like they were driving to the set of a different movie. Turgid dialogue, excruciating overacting, cheesy effects - it's all in a days work for notorious sleaze director Fred Olen Ray who's lovable stamp of terribleness is strangely watchable"


- 3.5/0

#93 - The Problems Anonymous [short] (2017)

"An intriguing slice of dystopian fiction. In the future those deemed 'perfect' must report to the hospital to be assigned an imperfection, because as they say 'imperfections are relatable'. It's an interesting concept honed down to a brisk ten minutes of curiosity and set up which does pay off. The premise of what makes someone stand out to others and that it must be through a lens of negativity is a glorious absurdity that translates into a frightening reality - the 'lie to get by' as mentioned in the film. Definitely worth a watch"


- 7.5/10

note: crazy weekend/start to the week travelling/celebrations has led to a couple of missed days. I've caught up where I can (2 films in 1 day the other week, and again there will be two today). Normality should be resumed now. 

#92 - Interstellar (2014)

"A tale of two films, the slow decline of hope shown on Earth against the creative potential of our protagonist's children was delightful and sets up the stakes from when the space aspect occurs, the family unit a microcosm for the entirety of the lofty hopes and worries of the planet Earth as it decays. The space parts are a visual cacophony of lofty ambition, eye rolling on the nose sentiment, breathtaking effects, bizarre plot contrivances, and Kubrick inspired dimension warping. It's all rather messy but it grips rather than pushes away"


- 7/10

#91 - Selma (2015)

"Powerful performances are the lifeblood of this gripping historical drama based on the 1965 selma to montgomery voting rights marches. It could have been so easy for this to be overly dramatical or inherently bias in the pictures painted of those involved, but this a portrait created with careful strokes of a tender brush, one that examines and shows the potential for violence even when the philosophy of king was anything but. Oyelowo is  stunningly excellent in his deliveries, the words infectious in their vigor and inspiration to strive for rights"


- 7.5/10

#90 - Breaker [short] (2017)

"A fun sci-fi short dripping in Gibson inspired cyberpunk. The aesthetics are vivid and colourful with lots of tight shots that enlarge the sense of overcrowded claustrophobia re-enforced in numerous scenes. Show don't tell is in full force as we are thrown straight into the story, which skirts from intriguing to, unfortunately, a never fully developed disappointment - the premise is enjoyable but would have worked much better in a full feature rather than short, and this is definitely a short I would enjoy to see fleshed out  into feature length"


- 6/10 


note - this is the review for the 31/03 film. As I was at a wedding all day I was unable to watch something, so instead there will be two reviews today