Movie Diary 2018 by pahaK

I kind of can't wait for that sh*tty shark movie. I know it's going to be ****, and yet, I'm looking forward to it.

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Hunter's Blood (1986) N

Bunch of big city dudes go deer hunting. After actively trying to get under the skin of local rednecks they finally meet degenerate poachers who are willing to test their mettle. What follows is not-so-epic battle between two groups of idiots.


Like majority of these films Hunter's Blood also spends the first half building its characters. In this case the result is awkward and clumsy. Every character and every line of dialogue is so desperately trying to enforce its message that I can't help but think that either the writer assumed his audience to be stupid or he's stupid himself. First 40-50 minutes are just awful cinema and being a B-movie is no excuse because writing isn't expensive.

After horrible foundations are laid the more action oriented second half isn't as bad. Writing is still bad, the music during the forest chases is terrible and acting doesn't improve but at least it tries to be a proper action thriller. I also like the 80s attitude where (generally) the heroes respond with reasonable force to life threating situation (i.e. kill the threat).

With that script Hunter's Blood never really had a chance. Otherwise it's technically passable, even has couple of decent actors and OK effects. As a whole it's bad but with better characters and dialogue it could have been mediocre.

The Equalizer 2 (2018) N

Just like in the first film Robert McCall is still helping those in need. There's no real plot to summarize here as the film is mostly built of more or less random encounters. One of these incidents is closer to McCall than the others and gets more screen time but it doesn't turn the film into a story in traditional sense.


I thought the first movie was OK, maybe even barely good, but the sequel lacks content and doesn't add anything meaningful to the saga. Its attempt to uphold McCall's mythic nature just makes the character boring; Denzel Washington here is like black Steven Seagal (and sadly I'm talking about Seagal past his prime) and that's a waste of his talents. It's an action film that severely lacks in the action department.

All the twists are very predictable and none of the characters have any depth. Outside the main case nothing really has any consequences and the result is unconnected series of random events with minimal cause and no effect. On a positive side I liked the attitude (which is very 80s) and McCall's pep talk to artist kid gets my approval.

A disappointing sequel and a waste of good actor. Few OK action scenes and nice old school attitude redeem little but it's till quite bad.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) N

A surgeon has been meeting a 16-year-old boy whose father was his patient before he died. Eventually he introduces the boy to his family and everything seems to be fine. Then the surgeon's son gets sick and things take more sinister turn.


I didn't know anything about the film before watching (except the good reviews it's got) and it's the first Lanthimos movie I've seen. I was expecting a horror-drama (it's listed as a horror on the streaming service I used and I remember it being mentioned in relation to Hereditary). I suppose it's fair to say that I didn't get exactly what I expected.

The very first thing that hits me (and keeps hitting until the end) is the acting and dialogue. I don't understand why Lanthimos wants his actors to recite their lines without emotion or why the dialogue is completely insane and out of place. What's the point of turning the tragedy into (unintentional?) comedy by making skilled actors woodenly blather about water resistance of clocks or armpit hair?

I like the cinematography and soundtrack but the awkward acting and stupid dialogue ruin the whole story. I don't think tragedies benefit from generating facepalms and bursts of laughter. Maybe Lanthimos could find another signature for his films or just make comedies because he seems to visually proficient director.

All the points are for the visuals, soundtrack and few good laughs. As a tragedy the film is a failure.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) r

Becky is on the run from her violent husband. She goes to live with her brother Otis, an ex-con on parole, in Chicago. The third person sharing the apartment is Henry, another ex-con whom Otis befriended in prison. Becky finds the shy Henry charming while Henry himself is introducing Otis to his favorite hobby, murdering random people.


Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is gritty and brutal movie. It's not a slasher per se but still the first comparison that comes to mind is Maniac (for some reason I'm also thinking Haneke but I could be wrong as I haven't seen his films in over a decade and never really liked them); both films share the same downbeat feel of broken people lost in the crumbling concrete hell and also the same grainy looks of the urban wasteland.

Unlike slashers Henry is more interested in its characters than actual murders (there's some violence here and it's nasty too even though we're actually shown very little). Writing is mostly fine but the first proper discussion with Becky and Henry feels forced and very clumsy way to jump-start their relationship. The film also skips completely the reasoning why Henry involves Otis in his crimes (while somewhat simple Henry also seems very careful and Otis' behavior is careless). Other than that the triangle works pretty well.

Henry doesn't seem to have any clear motive for his murders. In a sense this is a flaw but I suppose the idea is that killing itself is his motive; I find this little boring and easy solution (it's plausible, sure, but I'd say that majority of serial killers have little more complicated motives). I'd wish someone would make a proper film about Peter Kürten.

Little light on story and characters Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is still good serial killer movie. It manages its budget restraints extremely well and all leads give good performances. Soundtrack is pretty nice as well.

Rush (2013) N

James Hunt and Niki Lauda compete against each other on track and become the best of enemies.


I'm not interested in racing at all and in general I don't like Ron Howard's films (I don't hate them but they just feel soulless and bland) so my expectations were very low. Fortunately the topic doesn't seem to affect Howard movie that much and Rush is just like the rest, easily watchable and as easily forgettable.

I didn't know much about the story beforehand (I was actually expecting Lauda to die in an accident and I'd never heard of Hunt) but the rivalry between Hunt and Lauda felt way too perfect and staged from the start (I Googled it afterwards and it seems that the whole grudge is made up). In my opinion that's a signature flaw with Howard whose films are always too polished and without any roughness of real life.

Technically Rush is great and acting is spot-on. Even the script is fine except the fact that everything fits in too perfectly, like planned from the dawn of time. For me the characters aren't interesting and the whole Formula 1 environment is complete turnoff. Despite of that the two hours went by moderately easy and it's not even close to being a bad movie. It's just not for me.

I love how your Hunter's Blood review began.

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) N

Newlywed British couple is on a honeymoon in continental Europe. When car troubles force them to stay in a small village they meet local aristocrat who invites them to dinner at his castle. The host isn't exactly what they expect though.


The Kiss of the Vampire is little different interpretation of vampire mythology. Unfortunately its more unique aspects don't make much sense (the way the film is written it's actually unclear if the vampires even feed, and if they do how do they find enough victims in such an isolated place).

There are good individual scenes (like the funeral intro and Carl's piano performance) but the whole is a mess. I think the movie tries too hard to separate itself from other vampire films and forgets that good story is the most important thing. The vampire cult is just dull idea and in the film's context it has too many logical issues.

Decent characters and acting, nice visual style, few great scenes and especially silly ending with plastic bats accompanied with stupid and boring story. Barely above bad but definitely not among the better Hammers.

I hadn't heard of The Night Comes for Us until recently, but it sounds very much like my type of action film. Pixote comes with the cricket stamp of approval, so that's enough for me. I'll probably rent Mile 22 at some point. Does Ronda Rousey get much screen time in it?

Galveston does indeed sound familiar, but seeing Ben Foster in the cast is enough to make me interested. I think I might've dozed off during the first Equalizer because I remember nothing about it. Not too interested in the sequel. Dogtooth is the only Lanthimos that I've seen and it was a potent enough viewing to remain fresh in my memory all these years later. Rush is a really well-made film. I didn't have any interest in the subject matter, either, but the presentation of the story and the performances made it compelling. Hadn't heard of The Kiss of the Vampire, but I've yet to come across a Hammer Horror film that I've outright disliked, so I'll keep an eye out for it.

I love Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. One of my favorite movies and perhaps the most unnerving examination of a serial killer that I've seen. Love its gritty, homemade quality, and Rooker is excellent. I think the absence of motives is partially what makes the murders so disturbing. Killing is an impulse he simply can't control. The ending with the suitcase is particularly haunting.

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I totally get the concept behind the absence of motives and it does kinda work. I'm just sad that (one of) the most common motives is so rare in serial killer movies - sexual gratification. Someone like Peter Kürten I mentioned in my review would be a perfect subject for a film but I'm afraid he's too gruesome for film industry to mettle with due to many of his victims being children.

The Leopard (1963) N

In 1860s Sicily Prince of Salina and his family live their lives in vast palaces while the kingdom is in turmoil. Old Sicily is dying as the insurgent army is about to bring it under the rule of Italy. What will come of the Prince, the rest of the old nobility and Sicily itself when the future comes with guns and high ideals?


The Leopard is the first Visconti film I've seen. I didn't even know about him before coming to this site and it's the enthusiasm of @Ultraviolence that got me interested. I don't usually enjoy these epic periodic dramas that much so I wasn't expecting to agree with all the praise but I still found the film very solid.

With practically no knowledge of Italian/Sicilian history The Leopard is at times little confusing. Some extra information would have made following it easier (for example I had to check what the plebiscite was exactly about after watching the film). Perhaps some of the silly comedic sequences could have been replaced with more historical information (though I admit laughing at Peppe Merde's description).

Visually The Leopard looks great (like many Italian epics do) but for me Visconti's love for opera is little too emphasized with scenes that feel like he was directing for stage instead of film. The great ball at the end and the short scene after that are the best parts for me so for once I can say that a film has a strong ending. Acting is little uneven but passable (also after recognizing Terence Hill I was always expecting to see Bud Spencer).

Very solid film for what it is. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd give another half a popcorn if I'd read more about the relevant history and do a rewatch in the future but for now it's just good.

Outlaw King (2018) N

In 14th century Scots led by Robert the Bruce are trying to repel occypying English army.


Outlaw King has interesting topic but it tries to fit far too big story in its two hour length. As a result it throws historical accuracy out of the window and makes the whole war seem more like a small skirmish. What in reality took about eight years seems to be just one in the film (from Robert becoming the king to routing the army led by Edward II).

Technically the film is fine but the narrative just doesn't work for the forementioned reasons. Battles look OK but unfortunately they'd be better fit for Game of Thrones than historical movie (exaggerated prowess of heroes, unnecessary drama and too little emphasis on tactics). I liked the brutality of the film though.

Could have been much better but could have been worse too. Most of the issues stem from the script that has some good scenes but the whole is ultimately flawed. Still passable film though.

I just don't feel like writing a proper review so...

American Ninja (1985) r

When I was a kid I really liked this one but then again I liked every film with ninjas. In reality American Ninja is extremely bad movie but fortunately it's occasionally bad in a good way and manages to avoid bad rating by unintentional comedy. Props to car chase where it rains in some shots and not in others.

It's had to find any good ninja movies these days.

Yeah. The last OK ninja movie I know is Ninja Assassin (2009). I suppose ninjas are out of fashion right now.

Spaced Invaders (1990) N

It's Halloween but young Kathy doesn't feel like celebrating. She's dressed up as an alien and feels alienated in the new town without friends and would rather stay home with her widower dad. But daddy needs to work so off to party and candy collecting she goes. Oh, and there's the Martian invasion of sorts too.


Spaced Invaders is quite standard kid or family movie with little more edge than these usually have (there's at least one death, references to genocide and torture, etc.). Obviously it also tries to teach compassion, love and other "good" values but either it fails miserably or actually makes fun of the cliche (maybe this is just hopeful self-deception); especially Kathy is like modern liberal who sides with the genocidal and murderous aliens refusing to believe anything bad about them even when they themself proclaim their goals.

Acting and writing are both naive and exaggerated but as I consider this a family film it doesn't really matter (I suppose watching family films is my chance to switch off some of my cognitive processes). Dialogue and humor in general could be a lot snappier but there's some charm in the awkard and childish mess.

I occasionally watch family films and while Spaced Invaders isn't anything special it's OK for what it is. Also needed to check IMDb to figure out why Kathy looked so familiar - she's the girl from the first Jurassic Park.

Peppermint (2018) N

Unoriginal revenge / vigilante film that seems to loan most of its content from Death Wish, The Brave One and Netflix's Punisher series. It's little boring and Garner is unconvincing as an action heroine (she's honestly too old for this). On the positive side it's built on the values that made 80s action films so good.

Not good but my fondness towards the vigilante films keep it barely above bad.



The Nun (2018) N

Another film to The Conjuring franchise but unfortunately this one is mostly a bust (only Annabelle has been worse in my opinion). By far the best thing in the film is its settings; both the Romanian scenery and the convent itself look great even though the cinematography doesn't seem to make them full justice. Story itself is rather stupid and the film is mostly made up from individual scenes that don't generate a proper narrative.

A bit dull and stupid horror that has good topic, beautiful settings and nuns. Oh, and Taissa Farmiga is very pretty.

She is .

Pulse (2001) R

A suicide, weird internet page and people missing or grown distant lead young Tokyo residents toward a mystery that has major consequences.


Pulse is pretty unique J-horror that is in some ways closer to the likes of Cronenberg and Carpenter than contemporary Japanese films. It's a strange hybrid of Prince of Darkness, Shivers (or Rabid) and typical J-horror ghost movie like Ringu. The result is a great movie that manages to blend all of its elements into highly emotional apocalyptic vision.

While Pulse is mostly considered a horror film it isn't very scary. It is very sad and depressing film though. Its main theme is loneliness and its depiction of it is devoid of hope; in life everyone is ultimately alone and death is no salvation but an eternity of cold and hopeless solitude. I often like sad films and Pulse surely delivers.

Technically the film is good: it's not visually flashy but its static or slowly moving camera fits the film's slow pace well, CGI is clearly dated but it still kinda works and soundtrack is really nice. Acting is OK too. Plot doesn't always make that much sense but like in Fulci's films it's more about the atmosphere anyway.

One of the best J-horrors (maybe even the best). It's not as scary as some others but it has almost unsurpassable feeling of loss and hopelessness.

The Predator (2018) N

Latest instalment in the intergalactic bass fisher saga brings predators back on Earth. It's up to bunch of mentally unstable (ex-)soldiers, a biology professor and a kid with asperger syndrome to deal with the bad boy.


The Predator was little better than I expected but I don't like the direction it's taking the franchise. It's not primarily action, scifi or horror anymore but comedy. Fortunately quite a few jokes work and the stupid dialogue between the characters is very amusingly written. Also huge thumbs up for the humor being surprisingly non-PC for today's Hollywood.

As an action-scifi-horror The Predator fails pretty badly though. There's zero suspense (unlike the first film even the characters seem to agree and everyone keeps their calm with ease), action scenes feel fake and dull, CGI blood is bad and and every scene is turned into a farce. The plot itself is also stupid and I'm afraid if there will be a sequel it's going to be something like Iron Man vs Predators.

An OK comedy but that's not exactly what I'd want from a Predator film. Can't say I hate it though as I laughed out loud several times.