Hey!
Gerald's Game - saw it last week and I too enjoyed it. 7/10
Blade Runner 2049 - 7.5/10
Blade Runner - 9/10
Stand By Me - wasn't a big fan, but I do intend to rewatch it sometime. 6.5/10
First Time Viewings:
Maelström (2000, Denis Villeneuve)
This one is about a woman that encounters a man that helps her come to terms with her life after plunging her car into a river. It's well made and acted, but I had a hard time caring about the plot. The last act was an improvement over the first two, but it's still just okay overall.
6/10
Fright Night (1985, Tom Holland)
In this one, a teenager learns that his new neighbor is a vampire, but no one will believe him. The film has a very good score from Brad Fiedel (The Terminator) and it's pretty entertaining throughout and has some great practical effects. The lead actor was just okay and one of the other teen characters was very annoying and poorly acted, but Chris Sarandon and Roddy McDowall are both quite good in their roles and make up for some of the other performances.
7/10
August 32nd on Earth (1998, Denis Villeneuve)
This was the first film of Denis Villeneuve and it's about a woman that decides to have a baby with her best friend after a car accident. The film is pretty well made and acted and is nice and short, but after a solid first hour, it loses its way a bit in the final half hour.
6/10
The Mosquito Coast (1986, Peter Weir)
This one is about an inventor that moves with his family to the jungle of Central America to build a utopia. The film has an interesting story with some great scenes here and there. The supporting cast is solid, but it's Harrison Ford in the lead role that really makes this one worth watching. He puts in some impressive work and I'd even go as far as to say its his best performance.
7/10
Prom Night (1980, Paul Lynch)
This Slasher film is about a unknown killer that stalks four teens that were responsible for the accidental death of a classmate 6 years earlier. The characters are mostly forgettable and the film doesn't do much to set itself apart from other similar films. It has a good soundtrack though and few scenes that I did like.
5/10
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987, Bruce Pittman)
I wasn't planning to watch any of the other Prom Night films besides the original, until I found out this one is generally considered better than the first one. It really isn't connected to the first one, but I agree it's slightly better, with a more interesting story and lead character. It still falls flat though.
5.5/10
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016, André Øvredal)
To coroners (father and son) are pulled into a complex mystery surrounding an unidentified woman they are performing an autopsy on. Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch are both quite good here, I liked the score, and the film is incredibly intense in parts. I wasn't a big fan of the direction the film began to take in the second half, until a twist late in the film changed my perception of it.
7/10
Blade Runner 2049 (2017, Denis Villeneuve)
I was pretty excited for this one due to the people involved, but I was left a bit disappointed. It's a good film though and I'm hoping I'll like it more on rewatch. The cast is really good, I liked the story for the most part, the effects are excellent, it has a very good score that captures the spirit of the original, and the cinematography is stunning. I think it just lacked the wow factor I was hoping for.
7.5/10
Terror Train (1980, Roger Spottiswoode)
This Slasher film was released the same year as Prom Night and also stars Jamie Lee Curtis. This one takes place on a train as the title suggests, which was a nice change up from the usual formula. Unfortunately the film is full of forgettable characters and there are far too many of them. I also found the twist pretty unsurprising. It has its moments though.
5/10
My Bloody Valentine (1981, George Mihalka)
Here's another 80's Slasher film that does little to set itself apart from all the others. Again, it has its moments for sure, including some great kills and gore effects.
5.5/10
The Prowler (1981, Joseph Zito)
Released the same year as My Bloody Valentine, I felt this one was quite similar in the story department. Like all the other Slashers I watched for the first time this week, this one has flat characters and doesn't ever set itself apart from other films from the genre. It does have some great kills and gore effects and is never boring, but it's not a very good film at all.
5/10
Basket Case (1982, Frank Henenlotter)
In this one a young man carries his deformed Siamese twin brother in a basket, while searching for the doctors that separated them against there will. The premise is creative, but it's not nearly as fun as it could have been and is bogged down by weak performances. There were some good parts though.
5/10
Repeat Viewings:
Enemy (2013, Denis Villeneuve)
This mindbender is a film that I find endlessly fascinating. It's hard to say exactly why I like it so much, but this is the third time I've seen it, so I guess there's something about it. It's wonderfully made, has a great score, and is lead by a strong dual performance from Jake Gyllenhaal.
8/10
Halloween II (1981, Rick Rosenthal)
This sequel to John Carpenter's classic is actually pretty good and held up well on this second viewing. It has some great kills, a pretty good atmosphere, and it's nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence reprise their roles from the first one. I also didn't mind the twist nearly as much this time.
7/10
Incendies (2010, Denis Villeneuve)
I liked this one when I first saw it two years ago, but not nearly as much as most people. I felt it was overlong and the pacing was off at times. This time those things didn't bother me as much and I found the film as a whole more effective this time. It's wonderfully made and very powerful and moving at times.
8/10
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988, Dwight H. Little)
This one also held up pretty well. Donald Pleasence is really good as Dr. Loomis as usual and the two main girls are actually likable and easy to root for. It's also really intense at times and has a chilling final scene. Best of the series that isn't the original.
7/10
Sicario (2015, Denis Villeneuve)
Third viewing and still very good. Great cinematography, strong performances, many terrific scenes, very intense, and a brilliant score.
8/10
The Thing (1982, John Carpenter)
This one has a memorable group of characters, good cinematography, great tension building, a terrific score, excellent pacing, and some of the best practical effects ever put to film. A classic that's always a great watch.
9/10
Movie Awards:
BEST FILM - The Thing
BEST ACTOR - Harrison Ford (The Mosquito Coast)
BEST ACTRESS - Emily Blunt (Sicario)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Josh Brolin (Sicario)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049)
BEST SCORE - Ennio Morricone (The Thing)
BEST SCRIPT - Taylor Sheridan (Sicario)
BEST DIRECTOR - John Carpenter (The Thing)
). with all of that said... i am not expecting all that much from it as it's mainly the director that has me a little more interested in it but i am just not sure if his general style etc can elevate the general subject matter for me or not as the only movie from that director i score a 7/10 or higher is Sicario and the next best outside of that for me is Enemy which i gave a 6-6.5/10.)
