Post by sjg on Oct 6, 2020 9:52:08 GMT
First Time Viewing:
The Master Touch (1972; Michele Lupo) – Kirk Douglas stars in an Italian movie shot in Hamburg, Germany. Douglas is a safe-cracker freshly released from jail who is offered one last job. He is helped by a young trapeze artist (Guiliano Gemma). This has the obligatory car chase and some fight scenes, as well as one of Ennio Morricone’s most obscure scores.
6/10
Midsommar (2019; Ari Aster) – I would say this is best enjoyed as a fun black comedy with some hilariously bizarre scenes. I saw it as a criticism of organised religion. Like Hereditary it’s over-directed and too leisurely paced to be really gripping, even though it looks gorgeous. Florence Pugh proves that her ace turn in Lady Macbeth was no fluke, this is one lady who can definitely act.
6/10
Psycho II (1983; Richard Franklin) – Decent sequel with a terrific Perkins.
6.5/10
Psycho III (1986; Anthony Perkins) – A bit cartoonish and clearly not to be taken too seriously. Still a fun slasher.
5.5/10
Reasonable Doubt (2014; Peter Howitt) – Derivative legal thriller with Samuel L. Jackson sleepwalking through his part.
4/10
Stretch (2014; Joe Carnahan) – No wonder this was originally shelved by Universal, it’s an unholy mess of a movie which makes Smokin’ Aces look like a masterpiece in comparison.
2/10
Summer Of ’84 (2018; Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell) – Homage to 80’s kids and horror movies let down by its lack of originality.
4/10
TV
Humans (2015) – Season 1 – This remake of a Swedish TV-show is too slavishly indebted to the original to really be able to forge an identity of its own. Only Gemma Chan shines as a female android.
4/10
Repeat Viewing:
Bone Tomahawk (2015; S. Craig Zahler) – I had seen the second half of this years ago, decided to watch the entire thing now. Zahler is clearly a man with a unique vision, his laconic dialogue has a Cormac McCarthy-esque quality. I just wish the movie would’ve been more interesting visually. The low budget unfortunately shows. The beginning is also painfully slow. Emotionally it remained a bit distant and cold even though Kurt Russel and Richard Jenkins brought their A-game. I was less taken with Patrick Wilson’s performance, he did what was required of him but nothing more.
6/10
Psycho (1960; Alfred Hitchcock) – Well, it’s a classic and still holds up well if we exclude the ending which is obviously over-explained.
8.5/10
Haunter (2013; Vincenzo Natali) – This is a movie I didn’t really like much at first, but it grew on me after repeat viewings. The first act can seem a bit confusing and requires the viewer’s full attention and quite a bit of patience, but once it kicks into gear after about 30 minutes it becomes a fascinating time-loop-ghost story.
6.5/10
Psycho II (1983; Richard Franklin) 7/10
Psycho III (1986; Anthony Perkins) 5/10
Reasonable Doubt (2014; Peter Howitt) 5/10