Great movie that is magical and touching. Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry are both incredible. It's not completely without its longeurs, but the touching interplay between Wallis and Henry, the scenes of strange imagery, and the music, create moments of beauty and wonder.
Decent enough, but disappointing coming from Hitchcock after a run of classics. Although Hitchcock occasionally pulls off some great individual scenes, it mainly seems too slow and talky, and relies on some weak and unconvincing psychological plot devices.
Great idea, and the clinical look of the film fits very well. The film's main weakness is a rather unfocused narrative that takes a while to get moving and concludes rather unsatisfyingly:
I would have thought Tesser and her employees would have been up on charges of murder, or even bioterrorism. In this world I would have thought killing a celebrity would be the ultimate sin, but she just has a line about her position being legally airtight and the matter is dropped.
And a minor complaint: the butcher character mumbles most of his lines.
A very promising debut feature. I look forward to the next generation of Cronenberg films.
Quite good. Effectively delivers its jump-scares and creates a decent creepy western mileu. I do have reservations about the reliance on CGI, and the ending isn't particularly strong.
Beautiful art direction and animation, but it's wasted on an appalling cliched script that's about at the level of "Captain Planet". Combined with the dated slang and poor songs, it's a movie that becomes better with the sound off.
I realise that personal taste plays a big part in the making of any list, but does anybody with a copy of this book know why he included the multiple-award-winning "Kung Fu"? Also, there are a whole slew of excellent to decent horror titles there: "Suspiria", "Profondo rosso", "The Black Cat", "Creature from the Black Lagoon", etc. which lead me to believe that the author just has a general dislike of the horror genre.
Great performance from Hepburn, but the whole enterprise is let down by a silly screenplay, where the plot requires the villains to enact an overly complex, frustrating, and ultimately self-defeating scheme.
Very good movie. One of the most well thought-through time travel movies, powered by the fascinating the philosophical conceit at its centre:
what responsibility should the central character bear for comitting increasingly awful crimes which he only commits because he knows that they already have been committed? In effect it's the time travel ontological paradox, but applied to the conception of criminal acts.
It's also interesting that it bears a lot of similarities to Triangle (2009), which would makes a fascinating comparison with this as it imagines a similar time loop but in that case
the future personas succeed in altering the past events
Pretty good, but the original short felt as though it had much better pacing, and was more focused on the central story of Sparky's relationship with Victor and the other townsfolk.
Given how much the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre relied on realism, remorseless logic and suggestion, it's amazing how far this sequel goes into contrived falseness, nonsensical scenes and in-your-face gore. It really does completely undermine the horror.
In spite of, but also because of, this new mise-en-scene, the film does actually end up being entertaining, and contains a few effective scenes amid all the silliness.
Good movie, on a par with Antichrist, and with another fantastic performance from Charlotte Gainsbourg. Like Antichrist, it's filled with beautiful imagery and a sense of sadness and doom. Also like Antichrist, it's not without its flaws: the film doesn't feel entirely satisfying, Justine's melancholia makes her a very unsympathetic figure, to the point where you wonder why the other characters put up with her so much, and the bit where she reveals some psychic ability just so Von Trier can add in another dose of nihilsm feels very out of place.
Perfunctory film-making, just as bad as the first Ghost Rider. More the quality I'd expect from a Direct to video release than a Sony-backed Marvel superhero film starring Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba and Ciaran Hinds. The plot is dull, containing nothing suprising or interesting, and is terribly written into the bargain, with underdeveloped characters delivering dreadful lines.
In its defence, it is watchable and occasionally a faintly amusing or bizarre scene will occur to relieve the tedium.
Marilyn Monroe is very good in this, and is suprisingly a far more magnetic presence than Olivier, who gives a rather hammy performance. The film unfortunately is overstretched and becomes very dull at points, and I didn't feel the romance or the humour worked at all, mainly because the Regent is a sleazy oaf who uses his power and status to bed women he takes a fancy to. The first night's dinner practically plays out like a date rape warning film.
A terribly written and unfunny film, which, despite the occasional flash of flair, Michel Gondry seems completely lost as to how to direct. At least Christoph Waltz puts in a good performance, even if it is the same performance as he did in Inglourious Basterds.
Incredibly generic "animal attack" movie, with all the scenes you've seen before dozens of times. It does pick up a lot of energy towards the ending, but the setup goes on for ages and is dreadfully dull.
Oddly, 2007 was full of killer croc/gator movies, with Rogue, Black water, Primeval, Croc, Lake Placid 2, Supercroc and Supergator all being released in the same year.
Quite a few tense and exciting moments, but silliness and predictabilty let the film down. The way the wolves act - seeking revenge, acting like slasher movie villains, patiently waiting around for the characters to do stuff - is often laughable.
In the movie's favour, some of the attempts to add emotional depth sometimes work, especially in the final scene and scene with the girl's long hair, but sometimes just lead to long conversation scenes where the film sags.
Decent enough film, with some effective and tense action scenes. The acting is quite broad by some of the supporting players, but Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role is excellent. Downsides are an underveloped future society that never seems very believable, the unnecessary length of the film (the Hunger Games themselves don't start till exactly half-way through), and an unoriginal plot that was done much better by "Battle Royale", and even "The Running Man".
Very bad. Some of the dumbest characters I have seen in any movie. They make the clowns in "Prometheus" look like masterminds. Only worth watching for the occasional moment of gore.
Comments 351 - 375 of 502
Movie comment on Beasts of the Southern Wild
ChrisReynolds
Great movie that is magical and touching. Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry are both incredible. It's not completely without its longeurs, but the touching interplay between Wallis and Henry, the scenes of strange imagery, and the music, create moments of beauty and wonder.Movie comment on Marnie
ChrisReynolds
Decent enough, but disappointing coming from Hitchcock after a run of classics. Although Hitchcock occasionally pulls off some great individual scenes, it mainly seems too slow and talky, and relies on some weak and unconvincing psychological plot devices.Movie comment on Antiviral
ChrisReynolds
Great idea, and the clinical look of the film fits very well. The film's main weakness is a rather unfocused narrative that takes a while to get moving and concludes rather unsatisfyingly:A very promising debut feature. I look forward to the next generation of Cronenberg films.
Movie comment on Dead Birds
ChrisReynolds
Quite good. Effectively delivers its jump-scares and creates a decent creepy western mileu. I do have reservations about the reliance on CGI, and the ending isn't particularly strong.Movie comment on FernGully: The Last Rainforest
ChrisReynolds
Beautiful art direction and animation, but it's wasted on an appalling cliched script that's about at the level of "Captain Planet". Combined with the dated slang and poor songs, it's a movie that becomes better with the sound off.Movie comment on Island of Terror
ChrisReynolds
Rather dull and predictable until the last ten minutes. The monsters are completely unthreatening, but rather amusing in their goofiness.Toplist comment on 150 Movies You Should Die Before You See
ChrisReynolds
I realise that personal taste plays a big part in the making of any list, but does anybody with a copy of this book know why he included the multiple-award-winning "Kung Fu"? Also, there are a whole slew of excellent to decent horror titles there: "Suspiria", "Profondo rosso", "The Black Cat", "Creature from the Black Lagoon", etc. which lead me to believe that the author just has a general dislike of the horror genre.Movie comment on Wait Until Dark
ChrisReynolds
Great performance from Hepburn, but the whole enterprise is let down by a silly screenplay, where the plot requires the villains to enact an overly complex, frustrating, and ultimately self-defeating scheme.Movie comment on Los cronocrímenes
ChrisReynolds
Very good movie. One of the most well thought-through time travel movies, powered by the fascinating the philosophical conceit at its centre:It's also interesting that it bears a lot of similarities to Triangle (2009), which would makes a fascinating comparison with this as it imagines a similar time loop but in that case
Movie comment on Frankenweenie
ChrisReynolds
Pretty good, but the original short felt as though it had much better pacing, and was more focused on the central story of Sparky's relationship with Victor and the other townsfolk.Movie comment on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
ChrisReynolds
Given how much the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre relied on realism, remorseless logic and suggestion, it's amazing how far this sequel goes into contrived falseness, nonsensical scenes and in-your-face gore. It really does completely undermine the horror.In spite of, but also because of, this new mise-en-scene, the film does actually end up being entertaining, and contains a few effective scenes amid all the silliness.
Movie comment on Melancholia
ChrisReynolds
Good movie, on a par with Antichrist, and with another fantastic performance from Charlotte Gainsbourg. Like Antichrist, it's filled with beautiful imagery and a sense of sadness and doom. Also like Antichrist, it's not without its flaws: the film doesn't feel entirely satisfying, Justine's melancholia makes her a very unsympathetic figure, to the point where you wonder why the other characters put up with her so much, and the bit where she reveals some psychic ability just so Von Trier can add in another dose of nihilsm feels very out of place.Movie comment on Romper Stomper
ChrisReynolds
Riveting. Feels raw and powerful, especially in the action scenes bringing home the violence endemic in the characters' lives.Movie comment on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
ChrisReynolds
Perfunctory film-making, just as bad as the first Ghost Rider. More the quality I'd expect from a Direct to video release than a Sony-backed Marvel superhero film starring Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba and Ciaran Hinds. The plot is dull, containing nothing suprising or interesting, and is terribly written into the bargain, with underdeveloped characters delivering dreadful lines.In its defence, it is watchable and occasionally a faintly amusing or bizarre scene will occur to relieve the tedium.
Movie comment on The Prince and the Showgirl
ChrisReynolds
Marilyn Monroe is very good in this, and is suprisingly a far more magnetic presence than Olivier, who gives a rather hammy performance. The film unfortunately is overstretched and becomes very dull at points, and I didn't feel the romance or the humour worked at all, mainly because the Regent is a sleazy oaf who uses his power and status to bed women he takes a fancy to. The first night's dinner practically plays out like a date rape warning film.Movie comment on Tattoo
ChrisReynolds
Derivative, especially of Se7en, but good. The bleak atmosphere of impersonal urban landscapes and overcast skies is done very well.Movie comment on The Green Hornet
ChrisReynolds
A terribly written and unfunny film, which, despite the occasional flash of flair, Michel Gondry seems completely lost as to how to direct. At least Christoph Waltz puts in a good performance, even if it is the same performance as he did in Inglourious Basterds.Movie comment on Rogue
ChrisReynolds
Incredibly generic "animal attack" movie, with all the scenes you've seen before dozens of times. It does pick up a lot of energy towards the ending, but the setup goes on for ages and is dreadfully dull.Oddly, 2007 was full of killer croc/gator movies, with Rogue, Black water, Primeval, Croc, Lake Placid 2, Supercroc and Supergator all being released in the same year.
Movie comment on The Grey
ChrisReynolds
Quite a few tense and exciting moments, but silliness and predictabilty let the film down. The way the wolves act - seeking revenge, acting like slasher movie villains, patiently waiting around for the characters to do stuff - is often laughable.In the movie's favour, some of the attempts to add emotional depth sometimes work, especially in the final scene and scene with the girl's long hair, but sometimes just lead to long conversation scenes where the film sags.
Movie comment on The Man Who Laughs
ChrisReynolds
Strange how everybody finds the sight of Gwynplaine hilarious when he looks absolutely terrifying.Movie comment on A Boy and His Dog
ChrisReynolds
I found it to be dull, nonsensical, and poorly made. Sure, the twist at the end is nice, but it doesn't save the rest of the film.Movie comment on The Hunger Games
ChrisReynolds
Decent enough film, with some effective and tense action scenes. The acting is quite broad by some of the supporting players, but Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role is excellent. Downsides are an underveloped future society that never seems very believable, the unnecessary length of the film (the Hunger Games themselves don't start till exactly half-way through), and an unoriginal plot that was done much better by "Battle Royale", and even "The Running Man".Movie comment on Best in Show
ChrisReynolds
After the brilliance of Spinal Tap, I found this to be disappointing. Still a decent movie, but I felt that a lot of the jokes just fell flat.Movie comment on Cabin Fever
ChrisReynolds
Very bad. Some of the dumbest characters I have seen in any movie. They make the clowns in "Prometheus" look like masterminds. Only worth watching for the occasional moment of gore.Movie comment on Splinter
ChrisReynolds
Extremely by-the-numbers monster film with standard "stronghold under siege" plot. It's competently made and reasonably watchable, though.Showing items 351 – 375 of 502