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After.Life (2009)


Starring: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long


This was really not what I expected though truthfully I didn't know what to expect. From the preview I thought either a warped serial killer using mind games to trick his victims into believing they are already dead or some sort of psychic who actually communicates with the dead that he cares for. After having seen the film I'm still not sure. It's kind of like that story of the lady and the tiger where she has to pick between two doors. Behind one door is a tiger that will kill her and behind the other is a way out. The story ends just as the door opens leaving the reader to wonder what happened or perhaps inviting the reader to finish the story however he/she wants. Either way, it was an enjoyable movie.





Vampyr (1932) 5/10

WARNING: spoilers below
Didn't enjoy this very much at all and I'd say I liked about 20% of the film. I was fascinated by the early scenes as they're often like a contemporary handheld style. I liked the imagery with shadows separated from visible living bodies. Léone's leering is pretty scary – my initial thought was that the actress could be mimicking a bat – and the scene where she's lying back after being bitten stood out too as it reminded me of The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli.



Joker (2019)



This was f*ing METAL! 9.5/10

Perhaps the best movie in the "comic book" movie genre since Spider Man 2 (yes, I do think Spider Man 2 is the benchmark for the genre). Although this movie is like, completely different from all others in the genre, it might be closer to Logan but I think its more like Taxi Driver with a murderous lunatic character. I think that the movie could have been even stronger if it were slightly more subtle towards the last parts of it (which means it would have been a 10/10).

The quality of the performances and of the movie overall was sky-high. It was a very "tactile" experience: you really feel like this thing is happening for real. In that sense, it reminded me a bit of movies like Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D (except for the last 20 minutes or so). Overall, an almost flawless movie and certainly a great example that shows that Hollywood can still do the trick when it has too.



Raven73's Avatar
Boldly going.
Maleficent Mistress of Evil
7/10.
Ending was rushed. Otherwise, another nice twist to the fairy tale.
Angelina Jolie doesn't seem to age.







Amazing movie. Very surreal sense of dark humor. definitely a product of its time as well. loved it.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Hell's Heart (Ryan Denmark,2015)
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The Day the Earth Froze (Aleksandr Ptushko, 1959)

Steel Toes (Mark Adam & David Gow, 2007)

Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Mads Brügger, 2019)
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Wildly entertaining and suspenseful but Insane pseudodocumentary/conspiracy theories presented by the director and investigator Göran Björkdahl..
Minutes (Jim Cummings & others, 2017)

Sun Choke (Ben Cresciman, 2015)

High School Hero (Arthur Dreifuss, 1946)

Around the World of Mike Todd (Saul Swimmer,1967)


Showman Mike Todd with his wife Elizabeth Taylor[/i]
Ghosts of Sugar Land (Bassam Tariq, 2018)
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The Book of Birdie (Elizabeth E. Schuch, 2017)

Essential Killing (Jerzy Skolimowski, 2010)

Indian Horse (Stephen S. Campanelli, 2017)
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Native Canadian Saul Indian Horse (Ajuawak Kapashesit) has to overcome racism and later alcoholism to participate in hockey.
Kill 'em All (Peter Malota, 2017)

Bartleby (Jonathan Parker, 2001)

Who's Watching Oliver (Richie Oliver, 2017)

The Laundromat (Steven Soderbergh, 2019)
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Widow Meryl Streep tracks down two defrauding SOBs (Gary Oldman & Antonio Banderas) to Panama.
And Breathe Normally (Isold Uggadottir, 2018)

A Leaf is the Sea is a Theater (Jonathan Schwartz, 2017)

One Night Stand (Mike Figgis, 1997)

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (Nick Broomfield, 2019)


Marianne Ihlen and singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen share some idyllic time on the Greek island of Hydra.
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page




Yesterday (2019)

This is a cute basic alternative reality film which contains a charming boy/girl delayed love story of the type that was done so well in the 1940s and ‘50s.

With a story by Jack Barth, screenplay by Richard Curtis, and directed by Danny Boyle, the film stars Himesh Patel (
East Enders), Lily James (Baby Driver), and a significant role for pop star Ed Sheeran.

It’s a compelling notion-- Jack Malik, a small time musician/singer (Patel) awakens to an alternative world where the Beatles (along with several other subjects) never existed. He eventually is drawn into representing many of the Beatles songs as his own, and basking in the world wide popularity it allows him. The production almost brings it off. Its weakness rests in the middle section where the writing fell flat. Reportedly Barth’s original story was a little darker, which may have lifted the picture a notch higher. Here, Malik’s cold-blooded new manager, although capably played by Kate McKinnon, was over acted and likely miscast.

As it
is, Patel turns in a fine performance as actor and musician, impressively performing many of the featured Beatles’ songs. Lily James is as luminescent as she was in Downton Abbey, and Ed Sheeran gives a creditable treatment of a current pop star who gives way to Malik’s other-worldly song writing prowess.

The picture took a little too long to get to the payoff, while trying to tidy up the story line. They did manage to tease with several in jokes and double entendre song references, which were probably lost on a younger audience.

Still, the movie has an innocent young love feel to it, which most of us can relate to in our own experiences. The fantasy elements are clever and bring a smile to our faces.

Doc’s rating: 6/10



Rendel (2017)

A Finnish superhero film that blatantly borrows from Punisher, Daredevil and Mask. That alone wouldn't necessarily be that bad but Rendel is thoroughly incompetent and amateurish. The script makes no sense, direction is horrible, soundtrack is pretty much as cliched and generic as one can be, fights look like poorly choreographed professional wrestling and at least half of the actors seem to think the whole film is a joke (hard to blame them for being right though). On rare occasions the film gets bad enough to be funny so it gets ½ popcorn for it.

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Keith (2008)



A lovely teen romance/drama that is both believable and touching, special props to the actors of Keith and Natalie as they made this film a very compelling experience.




A Dog's Journey (2019)

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Sequel and improvement to A Dog's Purpose. I can't imagine young children watching this because there are a lot of heavy themes, besides the usual dog stuff. It was so sad sometimes that it was unbearable to watch. My wife was crying the whole time and my dogs were spellbound. I am a sucker for these movies and I thought it was one of the better dog movies I've seen.



Rick and Morty: Rick Potion #9 (TV, 2014) 6.5/10

WARNING: spoilers below
Particularly funny when the teachers get infected



A Killing In A Small Town (Stephen Gyllenhaal, 1990)

Better than average tv movie that owes a lot to Hershey's sweet performance



Rick and Morty: The Ricks Must Be Crazy (TV, 2015) 8.5.10

WARNING: spoilers below
I'd seen most of this a few months ago but didn't catch the end until now. Excellent ideas again. The giant telepathic spiders made me laugh – hmm, now where have I seen that before ?





Opening Night (1977) by John Cassavetes

I am beginning to strongly appreciate the films of Cassavetes, though this was quite a tough watch with a running time of two and a half hours. Its still a really interesting take on stardom, acting and mental illness. Mostly recommended to fans of Cassavetes.



John Cassavetes ranked:

1. Love Streams (1984)
2. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
3. Opening Night (1977)
4. Faces (1968)
5. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)



I'm Going Home (Je rentre à la maison) (2001) by Manoel de Oliveira

A great film that thematically revolves around solitude, retirement and independent filmmaking. I wrote more about it in my review thread. Highly recommended



Manoel de Oliveira ranked:

1. I'm Going Home (2001)
2. No, or the Vain Glory of Command (1990)
3. Aniki Bóbó (1942)



Fractured (2019)



Not a bad tight little thriller, Sam Worthington is believeable as a father that's life is upended. Its well acted throughout though you're always waiting for the sucker punch. Had it been a bit more linear it could have been more enjoyable.




Shadows: The Eye (TV, 1976) 4/10

WARNING: spoilers below
Good to hear a change of accent (Welsh) but the dip in form continues.

What was annoying in this one was the utter failure of the brother to see that something was amiss. The sister's almost in a trance and the father's pretty much on his way to being – both displaying a fey quality. More than once the brother experiences things that wouldn't make it easy to carry on peeling potatoes, which results in an inconsistent terror.

I feel like the 'haunting' should have gradually built up as the story progressed, and if only the acting had been less mannered and play-like, that could have oiled the wheels. The floral wallpaper is probably the scariest thing on view, and it was crying out for a bit of trickery to make the flowers spin, to add to the disorientation.

Series 3 next week and it will be interesting to see any differences after the two-year break.



Rats - Notte di terrore [Rats: Night Of Terror] (Bruno Mattei & Claudio Fragasso, 1984)
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Appropriately cheesy