Reviews

This sad attempt at cashing in on Friedkin's genre bending film has absolutely nothing in common with the original, despite a two second appearance by Linda Blair and a five minute one by Ellen Burstyn.

What is so disappointing is that it could have quite good given its clever use of a version, of sorts, of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' if only in a trance version and the odd interesting line or two. But this is no horror film. It's as lame as a cold pork pie.

The build up (to nothing) takes up the first hour. From there it's all downhill. The final scene is unintentionally hilarious.

Gone is the sense of atmosphere and terror of the original movie...this is strictly a paint by numbers number.

Cheap sets, lousy script and ordinary photography. The acting is so over the top it's almost unbearable to sit through.

This isn't even a 'B' grade film. It's more a lousy Lifetime Channel anfternoon offering with a bucket of raspberry cordial tossed around the set to indicate blood. What is really lacking is the Pea Soup.

If anyone wants to attempt an homage to 'The Exorcist' simply do a better, updated version of the original. Same story, modernised script, vastly improved special effects Now that I'd pay to see!

How this film received the kudos it did is beyond my comprehension.

It's an overacted, poorly constructed and un-involving mess, To say it's boring is a compliment, It is an excruciating exercise to sit through the dull and tedious is an understatement. The soundtrack of screeching strings adds to the cocopony.

What should have been a shocking tale of the creation of the Nuclear Bomb is merely a word salad with no sense of audience involvement.

I expected a truly engaging movie about a frightening subject. What I got instead was a snoozefest.

I felt absolutely no engagement with any of the characters or the storyline, Good luck sitting through this garbage.

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Ryan Murphy is a genius, of that there is proof beyond question. But even a genius needs to check themselves occasionally. This series of Feud is a borefest. Naturally, the production values are top shelf, as with all his productions but they are so terribly heavy-handed and overdone under the direction of Gus Van Sant (another genius) that they drown the entire effort.

The acting is, like Capote himself, so over the top -from all involved- that getting through this dirge is, I imagine, what walking through wet cement would feel like.

This is not an entertaining tale. It's a dark, twisted portrayal of a truly twisted queen, as bitter as they come.

Capote is the true swan here...the ugly one, swanning around with a poison pen thinking he is so very clever. Much like this series. It's just nasty. Why Murphy is so obsessed with the most awful characters in Gay History is perplexing. Perhaps he's lancing boils so their stories are finally out there in all their horror so hopefully they're is no need to return to them, But he's doing the Gay community no favours by perpetuating the hate bigots so thrive by. He needs to move beyond the land of stereotypes and perhaps consider if he has some self loathing, internalised homophobia going on. Because it's certainly thriving in his screen work.

BRIDESHEAD revisited, regurgitated, re-framed, re-written and revenged.

So, what say about this ? The acting is superb. The sets are sumptuous. The ending somewhat redemptive after taking forever to get there. The story...well, preposterous for the most part until you realise you're being had. Not necessarily in a bad way though.

I found the slow pace of this movie quite a struggle for the first half. You know something is going to happen. The signs are all there. But it's a frustrating wait for it to actually happen. That is both its mastery and its flaw.

Are we watching high Art here or just a silly depiction of the vacuousness of the British class system? Or a combo of both? Is this a David Lynchian style Downtown Abby on acid?

No...this Director is unique and clearly enjoying toying with his audience.

Like a carpet snake wrapping itself slowly around its prey's neck, you don't know that you've been tricked until it's too late.

I won't spoil the denouement, suffice to say it's somewhat shocking, if absurd. I couldn't decide if it was worth the time I'd put into it or not. The final scenes, however, are so powerfully presented and darkly, beautifully haunting - somewhat reminiscent of Derek Jarman's works - it pretty much convinces you you've just watched a masterpiece. Kudos to the lead actor who bravely closes the film completely naked in an extended (literally!), intriguing scene. It's a very special touch of brilliant direction of which there are many throughout 'Saltburn'.

I was left somewhat numb by the experience- not necessarily in a bad way though...curious, both disappointed and satisfied in equal parts.

The bottom line is I will now watch this again knowing what I know, having now seen it. I suppose that's a credit to the Writer/Director that I'd put myself through the slow choke again.

Oh Dear. How did this bore fest ever get made?

Take an impossibly good looking cast, dress them in sumptuous winter outfits and snazzy Christmas pyjamas for the night scenes. Cure the orchestra and yell 'Cut'.

Cut the script. In half. Cut the endless talking. Cut the gooey ivory smiles plastered on their faces. Cut any plot. Cut any sense of these actors playing real people. Cut any meaningful back-story. Change the title to 'The Bigger Chill'.

The corny music is so intrusive it consumes the entire thing.

A bunch of people who apparently went to college together as youths decide it would be fun to have a reunion at a dead friend's winter getaway cottage. It's not much fun for them. It's not much fun for the dead friend, although at least he didn't have to put up with his boring friends. It's not much fun for us. That's it. That's all you get. I was hoping for some serial-killer to arrive to turn up the heat. But instead we get a lot of snow.

The actors are all very nice. The outfits are all very nice. The cabin is very nice. But nothing happens. Literally nothing. Just snow. Snow happens. Or maybe a snow making machine happens.

These folks have to be the most boring people on earth. They just sit around- usually in twos- and talk. They have nothing must to talk about. Maybe they should have had a seance and channelled their dead friend. That might have brightened the immensely dull procedings.

I have absolutely no idea what audience this stale film was meant for.

It's utter rubbish.

Omg this is a trip well worth taking! . It is soooooooo funny but definitely not one for the kiddies! Or for religious bigots. It is quintessentially Australian and if you know anything about Australians you know they are not afraid to drop a few swear words and are expert at making movies like no-one else does. "A Savage Christmas" is in a class of its own in terms of pushing the envelope! Reminiscent of the dysfunctional family in an older film which was also brilliant, "Home from the holidays", the Savage family are utterly chaotic in the way they relate to each other. It's also so refreshing to see Trans characters included in a family film, as they should be, because they all have families and they are the pivotal characters around which this completely crazed bunch learn how to really be a family.

It's not preachy in any way but right wing conservatives will have their chicken feathers flapping at full speed if they venture into a cinema to watch this marvellous film. They'd be better off packing their bags for the Rapture!

If you want a movie that will make you laugh from beginning to end, "A Savage Christmas" should be right up your alley. It's hilariously uplifting! Highly recommended!

This biographical movie simply is not in the league of Baz Lurhman's mind-blowing "Elvis" or Bryan Singer's stunning "Bohemian Rhapsody", which is a total surprise given Elton John's deep involvement in its production.

It should have been amazing and deeply moving but it ends up like sitting on the back verandah sipping on a luke warm cup of tea hoping the scones and cream are on the way. Sadly, the kitchen closes soon after the opening titles and the audience remains scone-less. Even the costumes are sad. Good lord, any Drag Queen could do better grabbing the closest item in their wardrobe.

Elton is indeed the Pinball Wizard and is a wonderful humanitarian but this movie delivers very little in telling that story and nothing in the way of "wow". There are no wow moments. Much of it, in my opinion, was miscast and the editing is truly crap. It's all over the place. Such a disappointment. It reeks of being a studio film. There are no surprises here sadly.

Nothing can compare to seeing Elton John live. Especially this lame production. Such a pity. He deserved better.

This film is a heap of thrills with enough humour to contrast with the scares, of which there are many.

It's quite a bloodbath and generally well cast with good lead actors taking the reins. Or more accurately, wings.

The thrust of it is a twist on Christian theology but don't let that put you off...it's just a necessary plot device to frame a plot of good versus evil.

The special effects are fantastic and there are enough scare jumps to keep the excitement going.

Without spoiling anything it's basically a potential end of days story but you won't know how it's going to end...until...the end!

The two angels are both very handsome and it's a pity they didn't get it on together as the ultimate twist!

That would have been quite an ending! Enjoy.

Where to start?

What an appalling mess. A non-existent storyline. What exactly is this? An hysterical mumbo jumbo of lines and characters that makes no sense whatsoever.

It's in equal parts stupid, nuts, absurd, depressing, non-sensical rubbish that goes nowhere.

The upside is the pain only lasts three ours. The best line is the end of one episodes that finishes with the line 'cup of tea?' By that stage I needed something stronger. Like morphine.

How this ever got the green light from NETFLIX is beyond me. Surely if they want to keep the LGBTQ+ audience feeling wanted they can do better than this rot.

TORE is beyond bad. It's cringeworthy. The dubbing into English is about the only thing it succeeds in.

This crap is just one fight scene after another. Any storyline there might have been in the beginning gets lost by the ridiculous number of corny shootouts. The only upside is the female roles get to stand up to the dudes in equal amounts. They should all implode and settle for a sixty minute movie.

Ghost Protocol is unbelievably boring with a lame script and predictable acting. And of course the Russians are again the villains. Sure they deserve to be but when will Hollywood find another enemy not based on nationality? Kinda racist, no? Last time it was the Arabs.

The special effects shoot each other out until a viewer finds the whole exercise implodes upon itself.

The ending is so sappy it's funny. It's way past time to end this Francise. It's no longer entertaining. It's just a mess of pathetic not so "special effects".

Tom Cruise really needs to find another income source. Sad.

This film is an excellent example of the Documentary genre. Expertly researched and edited to allow viewers not familiar with the material to engage with a true story easily and compassionately. It has moments of mystery and a sense of a thriller and ultimately is a simple tale of a legendary activist who fought for truth and justice in a time where the LGBTQ community were only just showing their collective voice.

The death of Marsha P. Johnson was a turning point in holding police and their political string-pullers to account and the rare film clips of Marsha and her friends give the film an extra layer of engagement.

It's not hysterical. It's not over-done. It's not a film that can be dismissed. In its gently unfolding way it tells the story of this incredible personality of the Stonewall Riots.

Highly recommended for all audiences.

Beautifully told, this romantic story is superior in every respect. Superb acting, expertly written and directed it delivers arguably the best Gay film to date.

Avoiding stereotypes and framing it in a seemingly impossible story arc, this wonderful movie rises far above expectations and delivers a special film that leaves you with a full heart and a skip in your step.

The lead actors are totally believable and handsome to boot!

The synopsis suggests a story that would be difficult to imagine and one laden with syrup but what you get is quite the opposite...a believable story with wedding cake but no syrup! ( you'll get the joke if you watch it).

Highly recommended for audiences of all persuasion. Fabulous!

What could have been a powerful series is ruined by uneven casting wrapped in an over-dramatic script and a very weak ending. The two lead actors are so over the top in their roles it's a struggle to stick with it.

It's very quickly turns into a third rate soap opera, littered with unbelievable characters. The depiction of drug addiction rests on the shoulders of a few actors that overdo it, which pretty much puts up a barrier from the story and the viewer.

It has its powerful moments - mainly towards the end - but it ultimately falls in a heap.

This story - based on fact- needed an "All the President's Men" treatment. Instead it goes for the "Dynasty" style but without Crystal Carrington. NETFLIX's 'Painkiller' is the superior version of this story and much more realistic but both are a hard swallow. Though the latter goes down more credibly.

A 6 seatbelt roller-coaster ride of fun. Extraordinary cinematography and CGI, perfect casting, great soundtrack, mind-blowing special effects and an entertaining, if a tad predictable, storyline. I loved every minute and the fun short clip in the middle of the end credits was a laugh inducing hook for a possible sequel.

I loved the humour that was a pleasant framing for the script. Ignore the usual negative trolls throwing shade at it...it's two hours plus of excitement and fun. Dwayne Johnson and Pierce Brosnan head a near perfect cast.

The special effects are truly stunning.

I do hope there is a sequel that does justice to this effort. Highly recommended!

So many big names here and such a load of garbage. If you wish to watch an extraordinary thriller about Robert Hannsen's story then check out the film "Breach". This version is so bad in so many ways. It has about as much tension as a TV commercial. I can't believe the so called talent involved in this sad endeavour could deliver such a wet pancake of a movie.

Acting is mailed in, script without any tension whatsoever, story ruined by the opening scenes..."Master Spy..." is about as bad as a Hollywood film can get. It's truly sad to witness writers, directors and actors in their decline.

Whatever they got paid for this borefest was way too much.

Deserves Zero stars.

If anyone ever needed a reason why the Hollywood Writer's strike should continue, like forever and ever and ever, and ever, it's this deplorable script. May they never work again! Anything to prevent studio writers from vomiting out this rubbish. The scriptwriters involved in this garbage should never be employed again.

This film is utter crap, on every level. Dreadful everything...script, acting, special effects, direction.

Thank God for Indie films...without them Cinema would be a vast universe of vacuity.

No wonder the general public are deserting cinemas in droves when this sort of bilge is the sort of vacuous idiocy the major studios are coming out with. Thank goodness for Netflix, Stan, Pecadillo and Prime that aim for higher standards.

There's not much in cinema more repulsive than Straight actors attempting to portray Gay characters and this film is proof of that.

It's a truly repulsive film, full of stereotypes, with outrageously poor acting, apart from the Arabic characters, that uses the two Gay characters as a ploy to tell the story. Played with ridiculous flamboyance and shallowness, it is truly a stomach churning watch. If rich English people are realistically depicted in this nonsense than God save the King.

It could have been a poignant, moving story but instead ended up like a script from The Great Gatsby found in a garbage bin. Utterly offensive .

An exceptional prequel to The Exorcist we know and love, though completely different in almost every sense - at least until the end- this stands alone as a really good film.

It's certainly a slow burn, with nothing in common with Friedkin's stunning version, it's nevertheless a moody set- up for it, with perhaps even higher production values.

This film requires patience and perseverance but the payoff is in the ending which links to the Friedkin production In the campest of ways. Just when you think you've got it all worked out, the ending is a roller coaster of twists and turns few will predict. I won't spoil a thing but fans of The Exorcist are treated with so many nods and winks they won't feel disappointed.

Without Netflix showing this I would never have known about its existence. I only knew about Dominion, which I found tedious and boring. This one is so much better.

Absolutely worth a watch but know it's very much a matter of hanging in there. Buckle yourself up at the end though! It's equal parts surprising and a touch hilarious but worth the wait.

When a movie franchise starts to rehash pretty much everything from its past movies and can't decide if it's a Dinosaur thriller or a lame version of James Bond film, you know it's time to give it a rest.

The opening scene which features a voiceover recapping previous storylines sets up (or down) what's ahead. It's signalling just how bad this is going to be. This movie is so unbelievably boring, despite having probably the most stunning special effects of all the series. It could have been so good with that budget but halfway through gets hijacked by an absurd sub-plot about a bunch of baddies engaging in illegal animal trading. The sub-plot then takes over and it morphs into a by-the-numbers shoot 'em up gangster tale. The acting is hilarious, especially by the bleach blonde head gangster. She almost single handedly sinks the film on first appearance. She looked like she'd just popped in from the next-door studio set of Interview with a Vampire, minus the teeth. Come to think of it, adding a vampire twist could have been fun!

I'm not sure how many writers were involved in this disaster (oh yes...there's also another sub-plot about Climate Change) but it appears they herded a bunch of them who were all working on different movie scripts into a room and instructed them to meld them all together to create 'Dominion'. Unfortunately they didn't unleash the dinosaurs into that room.

The absolute mess this film turns out to be could possibly have been slightly bearable if it wasn't so excruciatingly boring. That's the kiss of death for any movie.

What's next in this franchise? Sending them all into Space? Hopefully Elon Musk will go with them and we'll never hear from any of them again.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt sits certainly in the genius category of human beings. I first saw him in 'Mysterious Skin' which is probably my favourite film of all time.

I have followed his career across all the genres he has excelled in. I approached this latest project of his with a sense of hesitancy, as I suspected it was going to be too raw, too challenging for me to get a handle on.

I would have loved to stick with it but, like other commentators here, my own life experiences prevented me from hanging in. It's certainly something. But what that thing is, proved too disturbing for me to see it through to the end. I lasted 4 episodes. Such a pity.

'Mr. Corman' is a relentless tale of life's struggles, not just for the main character but for all those along the way.

JGL is without doubt an extraordinary talent. I dipped my toe into this project but the burn was deep.

I don't know who he thought the audience for this would be. It's certainly depressing, shocking, disturbing and thought-numbing (rather than thought-provoking). I don't think my rating is really fair given this series scope and the talent involved but it is what it is. For me. I get why some have given it ten stars.

Ultimately, for any Director to achieve in their audience a feeling of being consumed and beaten is a credit to their power. But what the point was here I will never know, because I simply had to tune out.

In the hands of an Australian or Canadian director this would probably be more subtle, more nuanced and more inviting but the hammer fell too quickly and kept banging and banging.

Less is always more.

I look forward to his next offering. JGL is too amazing a talent to ignore.

As one has come to expect, this Ryan Murphy production continues to grow his amazing stable of cinema treats.

It takes a brilliant writer to explore the character of 'a monster' that, whilst a horrifying psychopath, was also human. A human beyond redemption. Its aim isn't perhaps to show sympathy or even empathy for the nightmare that was Jeffrey Dahmer, but more to include his history, not as an explanation of that, but as allowing the audience to look in horror and wonder how and why this happened. There is more than one monster here. The Police involved made some major mis-steps that could easily have prevented many murders at the hands of this damaged, psychotic individual. The blood of at least one victim lays clearly on their hands.

The pace suits the material perfectly and the viewer may well be surprised at where in the Dahmer story this series begins. At first I thought , 'No, they're not!', but they did. And it's a brave choice by the two writers.

All the production values here are top notch, particularly the acting but the scriptwriting is where all the value comes from. It's a corker, taking a story and making it more than simply engaging...it's riveting.

A decent film to watch with wonderful acting and scenery that curiously keeps its audience at a distance by presenting rathe bizarre choices of its characters in their rather unconvincing relationships with each other.

Part soap opera, part just silly, it's redeeming feature is presenting the central Gay couple as relatable, likeable and far from the usual Hollywood stereotypes.

With a less rambling and absurd storyline, with characters making more credible and logical choices, this could have been a very special film. As it is, it's a reasonably pleasant, if mindless, distraction.

The actors are all attractive eye candy which disguises their often stupid story-lines. Surely it can't be that hard to write story arcs that add too, rather that detract from, the viewers enjoyment.

I have seen every film version of Macbeth and many a stage production over the decades, of varying standards. Even the best of these can't hold a torch to this magnificent achievement from Joel Coen.

Frances McDormand's interpretation of the role of Lady Macbeth is simply stunning. I've never seen anything like it.

Denzel Washington, is also but differently, awe-inspiring.

The sets brilliantly match the acting. The intelligent research into how this would play out demonstrates a director in full control of a vision not seen before, as it does a cast that brings this play to its audience in an almost other-worldly way.

The cinematography wraps the whole production in glorious and unexpected ways. The treatment of the witches is truly something to behold as is the final scene featuring the King's crown - I won't spoil it.

Framing the moody black and white setting with a single colour at the beginning and the end is yet another genius move.

This is glorious stuff!

What a gorgeous production this is...full of love and humanity. Perfectly acted, beautifully filmed, this is a rare gem. Well done Netflix for bringing us such exceptional cinema.

This is such a treat!

Australian Cinema is breathtakingly unique. Usually far more nuanced, better written and beautifully acted than it's brash, loud American cousins or its often predictable British sisters. This film is equally deeply thoughtful and quietly hilarious, though it deals with some dark material. Australian films have much in common with European cinema and sensibility but remain very different.

"A Month of Sundays" is a gorgeous slow burn. With extraordinarily relatable and expert acting and a script as tight as a wine cork it's a joy to watch. Turn your phone off. Lock the front door. Pull the curtains and relish every minute.