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Cuando acecha la maldad (2023)
Disjointed, loose, disappointing
Unpleasant characters who garner no sympathy, combined with a loosely constructed plot, make this movie difficult to watch.
There are many positive reviews of this movie on IMDB, so this review is in the minority. How one reacts to a movie is subjective of course.
But an objective fact is that the writer and director of this movie are the same person. Far more often than not this kind of arrangement results in excesses and shortcomings, presumably because there is no one to check or balance the work of the other.
I saw this movie's score among fans so I had high hopes. (I never read the "critics" anymore.) This movie was a disappointment I'm sorry to say.
Barbarian (2022)
Original setting: destroyed Detroit
Using destroyed Detroit as a the setting alone gets this movie 4/10 - brilliant, original idea. Double that for an 8/10 total for the excellent use of a failed city's pathologies to advance an unpredictable plot.
The touches of humor were well done, but one character's cartoonish interest in measuring square footage detracted from the movie's otherwise considerable power.
The skeptical police were a little too much so, especially because there were two nice, locked, and undamaged cars on front of the house.
But really this is a fun movie to watch. I'm just putting in some critiques to hit the minimum character limit.
Blame (2021)
Solid fun
Solid fun movie with a lot of heart. There were small flaws but overall it is entertaining. Definitely it turns out to be different movie than it seems at the beginning.
The man in the travel lodge was a nice touch.
The Voyeurs (2021)
predatory landlords
Predatory landlords abuse their tenants in this allegory derived from Rear Window but without the masterful direction and soul and charm of the original.
War of the Worlds (2019)
Strong launch that went quickly to fumes
Strong launch that went quickly to fumes. It started like a great science fiction procedural and then devolved into exploring interpersonal relationships among the invasion survivors, among whom there were, improbably, intact families or parts of families.
The science of the sci-fi took a back seat to that overwrought interpersonal drama. If you're going to call it War of the Worlds then science, fictional or otherwise, ought to be front and center.
It's important not to lay blame on the actors. The cast was excellent and to a person they were great. So were the location shots. All sorts of devastated cityscapes, which is rare in apocalypse programs. Usually they're out in the rural areas.
If there is a second season, then I would like to suggest going harder on the science, fictional or otherwise. Finding out about the invaders, and how to challenge them, was more interesting than finding out about the fragile particularities of the humans.
The Lodge (2019)
John Carpenter's "The Thing"
John Carpenter's "The Thing" appears on TV for a few moments in the middle of the film, making those moments by far the best moments of this film. The rest of it was part pretentious film festival cinematography, part aspirational effort to invoke The Thing and The Shining because isolation and snow (the dog's name is Grady) and part puerile indictment of organized religion.
Producers: Do NOT fund it when the writer and the director are the same person or persons - it's a reliable recipe for disaster. There is no check or balance against self-indulgence or delusion.
Good Omens (2019)
Superlative reviews! A sure sign reviewers are attached to the film - all these review headlines are for this move ...
I quote: Wonderful adaption of the book! ... Absurdity that is absolutely brilliant ... An amazing rarity ... Well this show is bloody brilliant ... Clever captivating and intelligent Series ... Everything I've ever wanted ... Fantastic Writing and Excellent Casting ... Epic cast, Great acting and good fun ... Binge worthy series. ... Clever and funny ... Woah! Brilliant, fantastic, magnificent! ... It's Perfect. Thank You, Neil ... Absolutely Fantastic! ... David Tennant is perfection! ... This show is something special ... Really well done. ... This is what it should be like ... Sheer brilliance ... Fabulous! ... So good ... Beyond Binge-worthy ... Loved it! ... A fantastic adaptation! ... Well done! ... Brilliant Adaptation of the Book
Apollo 11 (2019)
Excellent
No talking heads, just a little news narrative audio from the time. Almost entirely the voices and images of the people who made it happen. A few helpful animated infographics. Excellent.
Bullitt (1968)
See it on the big screen if you can
Just saw it on the big screen for its 50th anniversary. On the big screen you'll see why it's such a great movie. Aside from the usual reasons - acting, script, action - this movie is great because it focuses on details almost forensically. One example is the taxiing airplanes, including one whose nose slowly approaches the camera. Another is a lever in the wall on the second floor that Bullitt pulls to unlock the front door of his walkup for a guest. Another is the telephonic device, a telecopier, that transmits a photograph over the phone lines. There are many more. It's like a time capsule of the state of technology in 1968. The camera focuses on each of them, like a tour guide, but without comment. It's for the viewer to observe and digest. And the viewer is invited to be intrigued by each one. It's like each of these details is another hardboiled character to meet as the plot advances. None of this is apparent on the small screen, which is where I've seen this movie before. I've never been impressed by this movie until now, after finally seeing it on the big screen.
The Witch in the Window (2018)
Nicely done
Nicely done. Superb execution. It's a rare movie these days that's any good when the writer, director and co-producer are the same person. No checks and balances usually, resulting in a self-indulgent mess.
Not here though. Good job to all concerned for making it a movie we out here can enjoy. There's one plot flaw but not a deal-killer (why did she put her husband and son in a haymaker? Not clear).
Lead dude reminds me of late 1960s/early 1970s U.S. leading men, like Richard Dreyfuss, Dusten Hoffman. So very nice to see that style of acting - authentic, personal and intimate - once again on the big screen.
Elizabeth Harvest (2018)
Moon on earth
"Moon" starring Sam Rockwell explored this ground better. The movie starts well enough but the big mystery is revealed and promptly gets lost in a love triangle/quadrangle (not sure which) that feels contrived. It may not have seemed contrived, or labored, had editing been more disciplined. Abbey Lee has a Jocelin Donahue-like beauty and acting ability, which are real positives. All the acting was excellent.
Hereditary (2018)
Overhyped and overlong
It's like Rosemary's Baby but not as tight and far less coherent. The movie maker was going for a slow burn but I slowly began to feel burned for paying admission as the flick unfolded. That it reportedly wowed a film festival audience was the first sign of trouble. That someone hailed it as "the Excorcist of this generation" was the second sign.
All the acting was great. The set design and cinematography were excellent. Loved the creepy house. But nobody QCed the script. The writer and director were the same person. That was the third sign. Unchecked artistic self-indulgence. I ignored the signs and went anyway. Don't you do the same.
February (2015)
Pretentious and self-indulgent
Virtually no storyline, plenty of overlong "art" shots and obvious rips from actual horror flicks - all are predictable products of a writer who is also the director. In this scenario, nobody is available to challenge whether the artiste's vision is coherent, let alone interesting or entertaining. Tripe results.
The Square (2017)
Bromidic tedium
Bromidic tedium interspersed with mildly amusing vignettes. Billed as a comedy. I think the extra-long scenes were intended to generate discomfort in the audience, but the attempt failed, repeatedly unfortunately. I had expected a lampoon of political correctness from the synopses I read, but that never occurred. Instead I saw a scattershot portrayal of weakness in people and it wasn't funny.
Cold Moon (2016)
Fail
The scary stuff is pointed at the antagonist. It was good scary stuff. The antagonist was great (reminded me of Robert Mitchum). Aiming the scary at the antagonist makes the viewer a disinterested third party. Had the scary stuff been aimed at a sympathetic protagonist, then - with all the talent on both sides of the camera in this movie - wowee.