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gregillig
Reviews
How It Ends (2018)
Apocalyptic hijinks.
A well done apocalyptic road trip movie. Nothing super original but engaging enough to overlook that fact. Disregard all the complainers about the ending. Not everything is tied up with a sweet little bow but if open endings don't bother you, it's satisfying enough. People are ridiculous nowadays with their need to have everything explained to them. Use your imaginations, they can be the best storytellers of all.
On - drakon (2015)
If obvious and overwrought is your thing...
A tale that's been told better before, a twist you'll figure out 5 mins into the film and a score so overwhelming and overwrought it makes the film hard to watch. If you want a hackneyed fairy tale out of Russia that features these things then go ahead and proceed. My advice is to avoid though. Decent (but not great) effects do not a good film make.
Father of the Year (2018)
A good combo.
Comedy is my least liked genre of film, because it seems so hard to make a good one. This is a good one. Part teen raunch, part coming of age flick, there are great funny performances from the entire ensemble and most of the jokes land pretty solidly. Ignore the low ratings from tasteless reviewers. Give it a chance.
The Trollenberg Terror (1958)
Cosmic horror and suspense, a la Lovecraft.
This movie is an underrated gem and holds up to this day. A sophisticated story, psychic powers, aliens, all topped off by a talented cast. Some viewers get hung up on dated special effects but you need to look past that. And for my money, the reveal still creeps me out, especially the sound effects. While not a H.P. Lovecraft story, this film is one of the most Lovecraftian films ever made and better than most of the celluloid attempts at his own fiction. Open your minds and hearts to one of my personal favorites.
Don't Speak (2015)
Beyond the PALE...
I enjoy low budget horror, probably more than most but I'll never understand why the writers (if there was one) populate these films with the most annoying unlikeable characters conceivable. The 7 young unfortunates in DON'T SPEAK are so awful that you spend the film wishing for their deaths. To top it off, for people vacationing in sunny climes, you will never find a paler group of human beings outside of a subterranean cave system where the residents have resided for decades. A decent premise can't overcome the lack of attention to detail, hammy acting and shallow characters. Avoid this one and never speak of it again.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Not for nostalgic fans but definitely for lovers of science fiction.
Ignore the naysayers and recent low ratings. If you enjoy great characters, interesting science fiction and gripping action this is the series for you. If you're unreasonably attached to former series in the Star Trek universe you may have issues with it. Discovery does not have that optimistic, cheery Roddenberry glow. This is gritty, dark material but for my money it's the best series since the original. It challenges the viewer the way the themes and plots of the first series did, but in different ways.
Season 1 was uneven but promising. Season 2 has been nothing but astounding. I don't want to give anything away so if you loved the 60's show, check out what happens prior to it via Discovery but don't get hung up on the advanced science and improved effects. Just enjoy the ride!
Boar (2017)
What do you expect?
When you watch a creature feature what do you expect? This one has it all. The acting and effects aren't the best but so what. They're good enough and better than most low budget efforts. And face it, we're here for the pig and he's a big'un. I appreciate the practical effects combined with the usual CGI and while it's not always realistic it is entertaining. There's guts galore for the gorehounds and things never get tedious. It's not Chawz but it's worth your time and joins the ranks of entertaining giant pig films.
Bad Apples (2018)
Illogical trash.
Why the hell doesn't anyone have a light on in their house in this movie? So many lapses in logic and reality along the way what could have been a stylish, if derivative movie ends up being a load of trash. Skip it, there's better out there.