Lasting impressions

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Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)


Thanks to CosmicRunaway for the recommendation, this was a real treat. Worked on so many levels, it's a wonderful story about a son devoted to his Mother, while giving us a glimpse into a historical time that is the complete transformation of Germany. It's heartwarming, funny and really allows us to not only go through this history lesson, but it was as if I was actually experiencing it. To see the drastic changes the country has gone through, how quickly a civilization can adapt, but it was also tragic to see how easily the past can be forgotten. The changes Germany has gone through were very much necessary, but seeing the rise of capitalism and with it commercialism I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. It was realizing that there was a certain simplicity that would be forever lost. Combine with that the story of a family doing everything they can to keep a loved one happy which was as touching as it was humorous. The score was perfect and emphasized each element of the story beautifully. There were some things that needed to be improved, however. The editing for example. Some scenes cut-off too abruptly, to the point where a few times I thought there was something wrong with the stream. That threw me off a bit. Plus the character of Lara which I found annoying most of the time and thought some of her scenes were rather useless. But, all that aside, I really enjoyed this movie.



Dorfpunks (2009)


A film about your typical apathetic punk kids. It's decent enough and comes with a great soundtrack. The story isn't the greatest, I didn't really connect with the characters very much, in fact I found some of them often annoying. The movie's portrayal of a bunch of kids getting into the punk scene was pretty accurate, yet felt obtrusive. Though it captured the frivolous and detached attitudes rather well, there was a forced aspect to it that made it feel overall cheapened. But, even through all that I don't dislike it. There were some interesting or even touching scenes that gave the film some spark. Plus I'm just a sucker for anything showcasing the punk culture. In conclusion, though this movie needs some fine-tuning I still got some entertainment out of it.



I like films about punk culture as well. My favorite is probably Suburbia (1983), from the same filmmaker as Decline of Western Civilization. It can get cheesy (non-professional actors), but it's worth a watch if you haven't already seen it.



I like films about punk culture as well. My favorite is probably Suburbia (1983), from the same filmmaker as Decline of Western Civilization. It can get cheesy (non-professional actors), but it's worth a watch if you haven't already seen it.
Yeah, I've seen it and liked it, but you're right it could get pretty damn cheesy or down right corny sometimes. But hey, I love the scenes with TSOL and DI on stage performing some personal favorites of mine. Let's not forget that opening scene.



Looks like the place to find some hidden gems. Keep up the good work
Thanks, man. I'll try not to let you down.



Kenny (2006)


Our dear Kenny works in the waste management industry. It's a tough, disgusting and too often thankless job but he does it all with an optimism that is both inspiring and admirable. Shane Jacobson is a master at creating lovable, funny and generally heartfelt characters that will remain with you until well after the film is over. The mockumentary style of filming compliments the story very well, so kudos to Clayton Jacobson. Speaking of the story, the brother duo (Clayton & Shane Jacobson) also have a real knack in this department. They created a world known all too well in reality, that is the working man's reality. Giving us a glimpse into a profession that is all too easily dismissed, but doing so with a flair of confidence or even fortitude that's motivating. Add to that the humor which Shane is ideal for, both subtle and perfectly timed and you have here a great movie.



The 80's Post:


Girlfriend from Hell (1989)


The devil is on the loose and possessing an innocent high school girl. Who better to capture the devil than one of God's bounty hunters and the devil's ex-boyfriend. It's raunchy even down right cheesetastic but I adore this movie. Given, I haven't seen it in years, yet be it for nostalgic reasons or what have you, it holds a special place in my heart.


Fade to Black (1980)


Eric Binford loves movies, they allow a great escape from Eric's dreary life. But once everything begins spiraling out of control he decides to take matters into his own hands all while dressed as his favorite film characters. A lot of craziness ensues, some fun, some gruesome. Yet there's also a depth to the film that for me made it so much more than just a typical slasher. Dennis Christopher did a phenomenal job creating a creepy yet oddly poignant character. The combination of all those things make this for a movie to remember.


Ebba The Movie (1982)


Documentary about Ebba Gron, one of the greatest bands to come out of Sweden. Like any documentary about musicians, this features scenes of the band performing some of their hits live, also the goings on behind the scenes and the general creative process. It's an Ebba Gron fan's wet dream.


Fast Talking (1984)


Steve is a teenager from a not so well rounded home. His Mother split and his Dad's a drunk and Steve lashes out however he can. Until one day he meets a mechanic that gives him the structure in life he needs. Good movie, but sometimes I was turned off by the deadpan acting. Some scenes felt very contrived.


Ladies & Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains (1982)


Corrine goes to a show and sees a punk band perform. Awestruck, she decides to start a punk band of her own. Soon enough the band gets media attention and Corrine and her band mates are rocketed to stardom. But everything isn't as great as it should be as things begin to crumble. This one was a very pleasant surprise. I went into this knowing next to nothing about it and was left mind-blown. A very ballsy, in your face movie that was both refreshing and years later still holds up. What makes this so different from the many films with a very similar concept is the no holds barred way it's executed. With that it not only makes the overall tone of the film both genuine and raw but took a relatively overused subject matter and really made it its own.


The Promising Boy (1981)


Slobodan lives a fairly normal life with his normal family and normal girlfriend. On what seems a regular day at the beach turns into a life changing experience. See, Slobodan's girlfriend accuses him of cheating when she discovers a hickey on his neck. The two get into an argument and she proceeds to knock Slobodan out with a paddle. He loses consciousness and later wakes up with a new sense of purpose. He becomes erratic, with no regard for anyone or anything. He also shaves and joins a band. I like the movie, but I'll admit it's not exactly perfect. That extra half popcorn is mostly for the music and featuring Idoli and Dusan Kojic.


Strangler vs. Strangler (1984)


Don't refuse a flower from this flower salesman or you'll regret it.

Pera Mitic is a flower salesman who lives with his abusive Mother. One day he's had enough and decides to go on a killing spree by strangling women. Especially if they refuse his flowers. This sparks a frenzy in town and a singer of a punk band (played by Srdjan Saper of Idoli) is inspired and writes a very special song dedicated to these grisly murders. What ensues is bizarre and hilarious. Oh and brought about what is possibly one of the greatest tunes, ever.


More to come...



Antibirth (2016)


Takes a while to get its footing but once it does it's a pretty decent flick. Lyonne was made for this role, not only is she a natural at playing a junkie but she has this undeniable charm to her that steals the spotlight every time. The story was interesting but I hated most of the special effects they went with. It gave the film a retro vibe, but I just wasn't feeling it. However, they did step it up where it mattered, so I can't hold it against them too much. Not bad, not bad. I'll go as far as saying I'd like to see a sequel to this. I'd go in further detail as to why but that would contain spoilers.



I Love Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)



31 (2016)


I'm not entirely surprised it turned out bad. I am kind of surprised as to how bad it actually turned out. Considering the guy has a sizable catalogue now, I assumed his technique would've improved. But no, in fact it seems to have worsened. This movie was poorly acted, poorly written (if you want to call it writing), poorly edited, poorly directed, hell it's generally a poor movie. As far as the acting is concerned it's as if he asked everyone to be as sh*tty as possible, because he had some decent names here and yet they all managed to be horrible. Also, I don't know why he insists on having his wife in his films. This movie alone was proof enough that she can't act. She's only decent if she's being a psycho, which by now is redundant. But let's talk about the directing for a moment. Rob Zombie directed this film like a complete amateur, going for close-ups that I take were meant to be claustrophobic and represent the manic nature of the story, but it only induced nausea and ruined any inkling of tension the scenes should've had. It's hard to get into a movie when the majority of your shots are of close-ups of someones eyeball or hair. The editing combined with this made for a completely unwatchable film. It's a real shame too, because he had a pretty decent concept.



Little Sister (2016)


A story about a girl named Colleen who's on her way to becoming a nun. But she receives some news that her brother has returned from the hospital after a horrible incident left him permanently disfigured. She decides to visit her family for a few days in order to reconnect. This is a pretty good movie, I liked the dynamic within the family. I felt for these characters and the process they go through just to have some form of connection. However, the movie had a tendency to jump from one thing to the other and the previous having no real closure before moving on. It hardly allows you to take time and process any emotion a scene is meant to invoke. I think if it had been fleshed out more and took on a slower pace it would've been a really top-notch film. But as I said, I did like it. Also had a pretty rad soundtrack.



Going to see if i can find the triangle-sounds like my kind of movie!
also curious about observance! so many interesting ones in the first page alone
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I saw Fade to Black back in the early 80's. I remember liking it but completely forgot it existed. I think I'd like to see it again.

I still am looking forward to 31. I'm definitely a Rob Zombie fan, although I'm not expecting a lot from this movie. For me, the more Sheri Moon, the better.



I saw Fade to Black back in the early 80's. I remember liking it but completely forgot it existed. I think I'd like to see it again.

I still am looking forward to 31. I'm definitely a Rob Zombie fan, although I'm not expecting a lot from this movie. For me, the more Sheri Moon, the better.
He really needs to branch out and try new things. I've yet to like any of his films, because even though they have a decent concept he always manages to botch it up somehow. I think he's stuck in this mentality of what he feels horror should be based on past directors, rather than gauging what would work best for his film. But that's just me.



Going to see if i can find the triangle-sounds like my kind of movie!
also curious about observance! so many interesting ones in the first page alone
Hope you find them and like them as much, if not more than I do.



Don't Breathe (2016)

CONTAINS SPOILERS

This started out so well, a lot of great suspense and intensity. I thought the bit where The Blind Man turns off the lights and everyone is in complete darkness was brilliantly filmed and was by far my favorite part. But after that everything pretty much takes a turn for the worst and I don't just mean for our supposed protagonists. The film quickly becomes repetitive and at some point I was just ready for Alex to die and Rocky to walk away. Because let's face it, we all knew she was going to be the sole survivor. It was very disappointing seeing a refreshing concept being butchered to such an extent with ridiculous tropes. They dropped the ball hard with that ending. It's difficult to appreciate the effort they put forth in making that first half so exciting and building that anticipation when this was the end result. Just tragic. I'm still struggling with the decision to give it an extra half popcorn.



Hotel Inferno (2013)


Some of the most ludicrous dialogue I've encountered in a film since The Room and just so happens to be delivered by Arnold Schwarzenegger (not really, though). Alongside what is an asinine story, featuring some exquisitely gruesome effects, all make up this little absurd gem called Hotel Inferno. It's filmed in POV and made to play out like a video game, where each level gets more and more grotesque and difficult for our "protagonist". I liked that they owned the fact that it's a ridiculous film and clearly just wanted to have fun with it. I have to say they definitely did a great job creating that fun experience for viewers (if you're into the sort of thing) and an impressive job with the special effects. I'm looking forward to watching the sequel.



The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2016)


Let me start off by saying that this film has some really interesting and intriguing ideas. Along with some pretty impressive special effects. However, the story needed a lot of work because it was all over the place if not downright silly. If they would've just put more effort into fleshing out the story this would've been a superb gem. But, with that said, I still hope they go through with the sequel because even though the story wasn't all that great I'd still like to see a conclusion. Considering where it left off, if handled right, the sequel could make for something grand.



Blair Witch (2016)


A massively watered down Blair Witch meets Grave Encounters with a pinch of Final Prayer. Generic characters, recycled concepts and jump scare, after jump scare, after jump scare, after jump scare, after....jump....scare.....

BLAIR WITCH SPOILERS