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girlcalledned
Reviews
Old (2021)
Student film vibes
I genuinely love The Sixth Sense and Split, and don't mind Unbreakable and The Visit and liked parts of Signs and The Village, but it's abundantly clear that M. Night needs to be a "story by" and producer only.
Not since The Happening or After Earth has it been more clear that he CANNOT write or direct dialogue. Like George Lucas with the Star Wars prequels, he's taken some excellent actors and made them deliver their atrocious lines as awkwardly and wooden as possible. With the good actors being bad, the properly bad actors look even worse. I try not to rag on kid actors too much, but the youngest version of the kids were absolutely insufferable as characters and were only slightly better than school play level of acting. Oof, and the song that M. Night's daughter wrote for the film that the daughter character sings throughout was so annoying and a complete non-song.
Like every M. Night movie, there are some absolutely gorgeous shots but then there's many more that make you feel like you're watching a student film, in that there's some really awkward blocking and an overuse of certain shots and styles. I think he was going for "disorientating" but it comes across as amateur and poorly edited.
Plot-wise it's actually a really cool and interesting concept (which wasn't M. Night's own creation anyway) but it fails in almost every way to be a competent film. At least The Happening was unintentionally hilarious with how bad it is, but Old is a painful chore of a movie that I definitely won't be seeing again.
It's not quite Avatar: The Last Airbender, After Earth or The Lady in the Water bad, but it's a sad state of affairs when a director this far into their career is still making such huge missteps and embarrassing blunders.
Return to Oz (1985)
Dark, disturbing, delightful
I've been enjoying this movie since I was four and it remains to be one of the best children's films that kids probably shouldn't watch.
From the very beginning of the movie you can tell that this isn't going to be your average colourful, cheery, cheesy sequel to a beloved classic. Instead we see a depressingly realistic depiction of the aftermath from Dorothy's first visit to Oz. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are in the process of building a new house but they have financial problems and Henry in particular is deeply depressed. They don't believe Dorothy's stories about Oz and even when Dorothy finds a key that she believes was sent to her on a shooting star, it's not enough to dissuade her caregivers in their decision to send Dorothy to a charming but somewhat dubious doctor for experimental electric shock treatment.
Through a series of events Dorothy of course winds up in Oz again, however it's a depressing shadow of its former glory, and just what IS the deal with these headless dancing girl statues? Who are the Wheelers? All is soon revealed in terrifying detail.
What follows is a mix of frightening visuals, gorgeous sets, truly impressive puppetry/animatronics, and an exceptional cast including Jean Marsh, Nicol Williamson, Piper Laurie, and a ten year old Fairuza Balk who does an amazing job of carrying the burden of such a large and well known role. She is Dorothy with an edge. Saccharine sweet and singing and dancing doesn't suit a child that has been through what she has, and Balk skillfully portrays a more knowing, mature, and savvy Dorothy.
For anyone who hasn't seen this movie and expects more of the same from the original film, I have some good news and some bad news. Music? Yes, and it's beautiful. Is it a . Musical? Heck no it ain't. Scarecrow, Tinman, Cowardly Lion? Nope (well a little bit, but not much). But the equivalents present here are objectively better characters imo. Emerald City? Eeesh sorta but not really. Instead we're treated to opulent antique rooms and subterranean cave lairs. Sad and effective emotional scenes that broke your little child heart? YES. And it doesn't go away with adulthood.
If you haven't seen this since you were a kid, you're in for a treat! If you're completely new to it, expect a bit of a trip! If you're a child, don't watch this unless you're okay with being mildly but delightfully traumatised by some 1980's camp but classy (yes it can be both) children's entertainment.
Rosemary's Baby (2014)
Not great but not inherently terrible either...
While obviously nowhere near as good as the original film, this effort does have some merit. Zoe Saldana is convincing as Rosemary, and the cinematography and sets/locations beautifully depict the gorgeous Paris setting. I appreciate that they didn't try to do a shot for shot remake, and some of the changes that were made work quite well. Changing the location from New York to Paris adds to the confusion and isolation that Rosemary experiences, as she's trapped in a country where she doesn't speak the language thus making her even more dependent on the assistance of the Castavets.
Because the film opens with Rosemary having a miscarriage, it also adds another layer to her constant anxiety regarding her eventual pregnancy and Guy's habit of distancing himself from her.
No one could ever hold a flame to the original film's Castavets' (Ruth Gordon's performance alone is truly unmatchable) so I appreciate that they didn't try to recreate the original performances or characterisation here. Rather than being eccentric older, and somewhat nosy neighbours, they are now sexy, affluent and extremely generous peers.
It may be because most people are already generally familiar with the original film and/or book (thus not being as subtle about everyone's motivations) and one of the main differences between the adaptations is that this one shows a lot more of the things that were alluded to or only partly shown in the original. For example, one of the Castavets' victims experiences a Final Destination fate in all its gory glory. There's a lot more blood and gore in general and I imagine would turn off a lot of people who loved the original's gradual tension and dreamlike sequences that are used to put the viewer on edge.
In general it's a competently made, but unnecessary remake. It's not really saying anything new, but there were enough changes and additions that it justifies it's existence to some degree.
Searching (2018)
Excellent storytelling
A really well written, well paced thriller. Having the story told exclusively through computer and phone screens works extremely well here, and John Cho gives a career best performance. Compelling, effective, and clever. Highly recommend.
Raising Dion (2019)
Really beautiful story
Raising Dion had been on my list for a while but I finally watched it and I'm so glad I did. The mixture of sci fi, mystery, and family drama works really well and the show does a wonderful job of addressing things like grief, single parenting, and racism (among other things). The cast are perfect in their roles and I actually really liked Ja'Saiah Young's performance as Dion. To me it didn't feel like he was acting - it felt like a realistic depiction of a lonely, hyperactive, smart, and layered kid. The show is paced really well and the story unfolds in a way that will keep you guessing but is intriguing and gripping, you'll easily binge it over a day or two. I definitely recommend this for an emotional, entertaining, effective and beautifully done watch.
Ginny & Georgia (2021)
Surprisingly good. Extremely bingeable.
A really surprisingly well written and acted show. Tbh I wasn't expecting much going in but was happy to see how well they handled certain topics and issues. It can sometimes be awkward to watch, as it's difficult not to get second hand embarassment from the cringey teen moments, but there's just so much to love here. Honestly, I'd be more likely to give it an 8 out of 10 but these Taylor fans are out of control. Eesh.