#FilmReview MovieReview

[marrrowoflife]

The Fly (1986) - Review

Be afraid, be very afraid...

I have never written a film review in my life - or at least if I have, it apparently wasn’t worthy enough of being remembered - so keep that in mind while reading this. I’d also like to make a quick mention of the fact that I’m not entirely sure how to write a film review, so please excuse me if this is the biggest load of shit you’ve ever read. Anyways...

(Do I need to put a spoiler warning for a movie that came out nearly 40 years ago?)

I watched David Cronenberg’s The Fly about a week ago, and since then I have not been able to stop thinking about it. This film has absorbed my brain in all of its disgusting, melty, emotional and beautiful glory, and I’m not complaining, and I don’t think I ever will complain. 

I’m a big fan of Jeff Goldblum (who isn’t, really?), and I can say that I agree with the people when they say that The Fly is easily his most iconic, influential, and outstanding role. I knew right from the beginning that Seth Brundle was going to be a character that I absolutely adored, which only made his utterly unfortunate outcome all the more difficult and emotional for me to sit through. I found that Seth’s kind nature and playful personality makes it extremely easy for the audience to fall in love with him particularly quickly, and watching him as he’s struggling to stay himself becomes extraordinarily heartbreaking the more the film continues on. 

I’m an empath, and I find that it is easy for me to sympathise with characters no matter who they are, and this film took that feeling to the next level. There was one particular scene that stood out to me the most, and it’s when Veronica visits Seth after 4 weeks of not seeing him, only to find that something has gone horribly wrong. He is becoming a human fly. He sits her down and he explains to her what has happened before he momentarily reaches up to scratch his ear, just to then discover that it has fallen off into the palm of his hand. 

“My ear,” Seth says. You can hear the fear in his voice, and your heart shatters into a million tiny little pieces, only to be stomped on, vacuumed up and thrown in the garbage when he follows it up by crying; “I’m scared, I’m so scared,”. 

This film is a tear jerker in disguise as a horror flick. 

The Fly made me weep, bawl, sob so hard I ended up giving myself a headache. And it wasn’t because I was scared or disturbed, (although I will be discussing how impressively horrifying the special effects makeup in this film is in just a moment), it was because I felt so sorry for everybody. Seth, Veronica, even Stathis towards the end there. Seth and Veronica’s love story has to be the most tragic of them all. Romeo and Juliet had it easy compared to these two. Veronica having to watch the man she fell in love with turn into a puss ridden, vomiting, limping, rotting insect while being secretly impregnated with his half human/half fly baby was devastating, and admittedly at times I felt worse for her than I did for Seth. And while Stathis was a perverted creep for a majority of the film, watching him get his hand and foot melted off by Seth’s - or should I say BrundleFly’s - acidic vomit for trying to save Veronica was yet another tough watch. 

I could list on and on the moments in this film that saddened me, but the one that I think affected me the most was right at the very end. Seth/BrundleFly comes crawling painfully out of his Telepod, merged with part human, part fly, and part machine. He stops in front of Veronica and reaches up with one gangly, deformed hand and aims the gun she possesses to his head, begging for her to kill him. In that moment, you really stop to think about everything they went through together, and how their lives changed dramatically, even if it wasn’t for the better. It’s harrowing to watch, really. Veronica hesitating to kill Seth/BrundleFly because deep down inside she still loves him, and Seth pleading for death, a release from the monster he had become. 

Anyways, to break away from a topic that doesn’t revolve around me sobbing violently; I’d like to move onto the special effects makeup. 

Impressive doesn’t even begin to describe how incredibly done the makeup in this film is. Seth goes through a lot of different stages the more he starts to become BrundleFly, and each stage is more disturbing than the last. He’s pimply at first, pale with dark rings under his eyes, and unusually sweaty. It’s only when Veronica visits him after 4 weeks that you realise things have taken a turn for the worst. His skin has started decaying and his hair has begun to fall out. He’s still sweaty, and he’s starting to rely on canes to help him stand up straight. These two beginning stages are, in my opinion, the least disturbing of them all. It’s only when later on in the film, he demonstrates to Veronica how he’s learned how to climb walls and digest his food like a real fly now that his teeth no longer work. That’s when you start to get uneasy. His skin is rotting away, and he’s starting to become bloated, his teeth are beginning to fall out and he has begun losing more and more hair. The only thing that seemed odd to me was how easily he had welcomed it into his life. He seemed almost excited to show Veronica the way he eats and the way he can stick to the ceiling without falling down. I assume it’s because in his 50% human/50% fly mind, he finds it to be normal behaviour, and part of him still wants Veronica to write her book about his world-changing invention and the newly found dangers of it. 

His near final form is erratic, and he is becoming more fly than human by the day. His eyes have grown black and he can no longer fit into his clothes. Even though his exterior is disturbing, his personality is the same, and he still somehow finds a way to joke around about his “Brundle Museum”, a place behind his bathroom mirror where he keeps the parts from his body that have fallen off, including his ear, his nails, and his teeth. The behind the scenes photos of Jeff being put into the makeup in this scene reveals that he was in the makeup chair for 5 straight hours. Mad respect. 

The final transformation. The pièce de résistance of the film, aka, one of the most disturbing things I think I may have ever seen (yeah, I lied earlier about not being disturbed. How could you not be disturbed watching this film?). I admittedly wasn’t expecting BrundleFly to practically explode out of the shell of Seth, but hey, it was undeniably a very impressive effect. I had seen images of  his final form online prior to seeing the film, and I found myself wondering throughout the film; how is he going to get to that stage? Could it be considered a plot twist that the remainders of Seth’s rotting skin was being used almost as a pod for the final form of BrundleFly to break out of? I’m going to say yes, purely because I wasn’t expecting it. I felt especially bad for Veronica in that scene, accidentally ripping off the jaw of her mutant boyfriend, but mostly because she was right there face to face with Seth when he finally turned into BrundleFly. It’s a freaky looking creature, you can’t deny it, but I couldn’t help but think that it’s mandible thing flapping about looked a little goofy, but again, I’m not really complaining. 

Overall, I loved The Fly. I thought it was a beautifully tragic love story paired together with horribly revolting vomiting and body horror. I’m not really sure how to end a film review other than discussing how much I enjoyed it. Do I rate it? Do I rate the film out of 5 or out of 10? I don’t know. 

As Jeff Goldblum would say;

I give it 10 Goldblums out of a possible 10 Goldblums, the only thing that disappointed me about this film was that not once did Seth Brundle rub his grubby little hands together like a little fly. 

[fuckingrazorz]

Movie review

District 9 (2009)

THIS this movie is exactly what I think about when I think about sci-fi movies. I feel like If alien and human contact were a thing they would be treated the same way they're treated in this movie. I did not expect this movie to be emotional at times but it was. Kept this review spoiler free because if you haven't seen it you definitely should as it is an incredible movie shot in a very unique way.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Eragon (2008)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

My craving for new Star Wars stories has reduced me to looking up knock-offs of the popular franchise. I’ve seen all kinds of stories, but most ended up being simply generic sci-fi/fantasy tales or movies that had a last-minute coating of laser swords, robots and blasters added onto them. What I was looking for was Eragon; a Star Wars rip-off so blatant you could write the script yourself - just remember to substitute “lightsaber” for “dragon” and there you go!

It’s all set in Middle-earth... I mean a world named Alagaësia, home to humans, elves, dragons, and dwarves. Actually, there aren’t many dragons. Years ago, all the wizard/knight dragon riders were betrayed by the evil Galbatorix (John Malkovich), who killed them all and now rules unopposed. Our hero is Luke SkyPotter... I mean Dragon... I mean Eragon (Ed Speleers), a 17-year-old boy who finds a dragon's egg stolen from Galbatorix by Princess Leia, I mean Arya (Sienna Guillory). Eragon and the newly-hatched Saphira (voiced by Rachel Weisz) meet with Obi-Wan Kenobi... I mean Brom (Jeremy Irons), who sets them on a path to save the kingdom.

The comparisons to other franchises are obvious. A Star Wars-like story structure, set in the world of Lord of the Rings, complete with Uruk-hai chasing our hero, ringwraiths, elves, etc., there’s a dash of Harry Potter thrown in with the scar on Eragon’s hand and his spellcasting abilities. I already started poking fun at the movie in my synopsis, but you would too if you'd seen the film. “Alagaësia” is no "Middle-earth", Galbatorix sounds like the name of an anti-depressant, and other wild titles like Durza, Murtagh, Nasuada are all lost upon audience members who have not read the books.

Eragon sounds silly and looks ridiculous. Granted, the dragons and flying monsters are convincing but everywhere else, the word of the day was “cheap”. I feel terrible for Djimon Hounsou as Ajihad, forced to wear a bad wig or a ridiculous hat in every scene. All the costumes look like they’ve been dug out of every generic fantasy setting, or are so wild they make you wince. The armies of Urgals (the orc-like creatures) are just a bunch of dirty barbarians with war paint. If they had horns, yellow-ish gray skin, or their own language or something, then this movie would begin to stand out.

This movie is a mess. Events that should take years take days, none of the characters are interesting, and the world isn't the least bit immersive. Even if you forgive the unoriginal plotline or get past the inherent silliness, the story’s just not well told. Eragon's bad decisions don’t make him look like an overeager youth, they brand him as a colossal fool. The magic is easily recognized as a plot device whose “rules” only apply when the plot demands. It feels like a bad fan-fiction.

Scenes are so badly assembled they become confusing. At one point, Eragon and his mentor see a group of villagers being attacked by Urgals. Eragon exclaims that they need to help them and instead of doing anything, they go off to train. I understand you can't jump into a fight without being prepared, but those people are being killed right now! After the training montage… the people they were training to help are never seen again! I guess Brom or Eragon took too long to get through those lessons? If you're writing a story like this, have the heroes arrive right as the massacre is ending so Eragon can lament that he could have done something and then have Brom tell him that after this training, that statement will be true!

I will give Eragon this. It’s so derivative, so poorly directed/written and so easy to ridicule I’m upset we didn’t get a sequel. I’d love to see another one of these movies! Doesn’t the idea of dragon riders make you excited? Even badly done, it gets your adrenaline flowing. If you want a movie that’s easy to make fun of, and I mean REALLY easy, watch Star Wars to see what a good movie is, and then see Eragon. It’s a trainwreck but one I watch with affection. (Fullscreen version on Dvd, January 1, 2016)

[jonitadavisposts]

Congrats to @brendan__fraser for you @theacademy win My write up of the film. Link in my bio under "my articles" "Confession: I am a survivor of religious trauma. When I tucked into Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, that trauma was evident from the opening scenes. Every character and side story is touched by it, and the one tie that binds them all is the church and the damage created by that connection." Read the full review on theblackcapemag.com #TheWhale #A24 #BrendenFraser #SadieSink #SamanthaMorton #TySimpkins #HongChau #FilmReviews #MovieReviews #Film #Movies #Oscars #bestactor Reposted from @theblackcapemag https://www.instagram.com/p/CpttEZ7ujo_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jai-assbutt]

FALL 2022 - Film Review

⚠️ Spoilers for FALL 2022 ⚠️

TW ⚠️ Mentions of Death and Blood ⚠️

I got to see FALL 2022 and here is my review of said film. 

The level cinematic delight that come from FALL 2022 is wonderful. The shots that we are given, as though they may be expected with the premise of the film surrounding height and vast scenery, give the viewers a sense of comfort by its beauty at the same time as portraying the constant danger that surround the protagonists Becky (Played by Grace Fulton) and Hunter (Played by Virginia Gardner). 

Having the premises of the film be about overcoming ones fear, the fear that the film is centring its storyline around being overcoming ones fear of heights and overcoming ones fear that comes from witnessing what could be considered a violent death of a loved one. Having the death of Becky’s Husband, Dan (Played by Mason Gooding) be a constant knife that would find itself in between both Becky and Hunter’s relationship even when they are fighting for their lives. 

Having Dan refer to Hunter as “Ethan Hunt” during the beginning, already gives the viewers an insight into the attitude that Hunter has towards making the most of the time that is given. The death of Dan that follows shortly after acts as the opening to a curtain of what is to come. Even the off handed comment that Dan gives in relation as to how Hunter climbs, shows the viewers just how free yet caged Hunter truly is. 

The dynamic that is shown between both Becky and Hunter shows that even though the thick and thin, whether it be personal barriers or environmental barriers, that by working together and using each others resources that the goal is indeed in reach. Even if the path to get there is unconventional. Facing the elements; surviving with minimal resources, forces the pair to partake in acts of which one would only rely on when all else had either failed or be unobtainable. Methods of which, I shall not spoil. The connection that Becky and Hunter share, even when truths are revealed and limits are tested, shows what truly matters. 

During the height of trouble the mood tries to be lightened by a new mention of names in the referral of the acts taking place. The name in question being “MacGyver”. Like “Ethan hunt”, “MacGyver” also gives an insight as to the circumstances that are presented and how they are handled. With the use of the minimal resources and the knowhow that might otherwise not be thought of, calls for the partake of dangerous situations all in the efforts to try and get saved. 

Another aspect of FALL 2022 that viewers may find enjoyable I would say to be the twists and turns that take place through out the run time. The biggest and most shocking reveal that takes place; being the most useful reattempt of using resources in the strive to hopeful success. Even then, the dangers do not dissipate. With the stakes as high as ever, the final stretch having acting like a bungee tied to rescue bobbing in and out of retch, audiences' may be finding themselves sitting on the edge of their seats and/or gripping at the arm rests watching as the last leap of faith takes place. Though you shall have to watch to find out the outcome. 

A negative that I took away from the screening was how during different shots, you could visibly see objects that were taken out in relation to the plot. For example, the rungs of the ladder that the protagonists are climbing will be missing in one shot to create tension, but in the next shot the same rungs that were missing shall be in there rightful place on the ladder making the climb appear to be seamless. Unfortunately, this happens more than once. Then again, it is kind of yet also not very visible to the viewer.

Before this film review comes to an end, I would like to add something that is a massive spoiler to the film but I personally liked quite a bit so feel free to stop reading if you have made it this far as to not have the near ending spoilt and the spence vanish. 

As a Marvel Fan and as a Fan of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, I could not help but be reminded of Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons during Season 2 of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. I shall leave this small add on at that in the hopes that it draws more people into watching FALL 2022 from another Fandom. 

Now this may seem like another massive spoiler so feel free to stop reading, yet, this is another attempt in trying to draw in another Fandom into watching FALL 2022. 

Even with his short screen time, Jeffery Dean Morgan (playing Becky’s Father) from what I could tell was trying to actually be a good father and was trying to be present in his Daughters life after what she went through especially. Which the Supernatual Fandom may find to be a shock, knowing JDM to be universally labelled as terrible father. 

[flippingoodfilms]

The Northman (2022) Director: Robert Eggers Simply a beautiful movie. gorgeous landscapes and cinematography. there were lulls around the middle of the film that hurt it for me, but the beginning and the climax were engaging and exciting. Casting for this film was well done, all the actors did great jobs and there were no weak performances. I do wish that we saw more of Willem Dafoe's character but that is a personal grip. The music was also very well done and fit the scenes. overall a great film for 2022 and glad I was able to see this one in theatres. #movie #movies #film #films #moviereview #moviereviewer #filmreview #filmreviewer #thenorthman #viking #cinephile #review #reviewer #rating #2022 #roberteggers #alexanderskarsgard #willemdafoe #anyataylorjoy #periodpiece #action #drama #hamlet #norse #norsegods #vikings #bjork #nicolekidman #ethanhawke #claesbang https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg5rNJMMK-z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kaz-foxsen]

Episode 379: Christine (1983)

Movie Theater Time Machine podcast begins Stephen King month with a review of "Christine". For more episodes, visit our website at movietheatertimemachine.com

[hororia]

Exhuma (2024)

🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Watched it at the cinema, and for the first time after god-knows how long, I feel a sense of relief. What an entertaining horror movie!!! To me, this is not a slow pace one. Just like everyone, I was also amazed by the performance of Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun as shamans. They were really good. Exhuma has all of a good horror movie has: comedy, intense plot, good actors, strong motives. There are scenes that I consider to give me some goosebumps.

However, there are some things left abruptly, the background of the story is likely presented in clarity. Too many things to tell in the middle of the movie. Also, many people compare it with The Wailing, I do not think it is the same. Exhuma is all about fantasy creature, while The Wailing will give you a real terror embodied from your day-to-day life (especially when you live in a village, or remote area).

[shadowspaceviser]

[2024] Parasyte: The Grey | Manga, anime, and now TV Show from Netflix S...

[ryansmoviereviews]

Unhinged (2020)

Please check out my latest review. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Please subscribe! #movie #movies #moviereview #moviereviews #moviereviewer #film #films #filmreview #filmreviews #moviecritic #filmcritic #subscribe #like #share #review #follow

Dir Derrick Borte Written by Carl Ellsworth Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson, Austin P McKenzie. The day after he has murdered his ex wife and her new partner, a man (Crowe) has an altercation with Rachel (Pistorius) on the road. She herself is having a bad day – and soon he is taking his anger out on her – and begins stalking her and those around her. There are…

[adamwatchesmovies]

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)

Even though it disappointed repeatedly, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was worth it for 2007's animated micro-series Star Wars: Clone Wars. If you want to see a young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in awesome action sequences with character development and sights even the best special effects would struggle to bring to life, this offers it in spades. Stylish, action-packed, and teeming with memorable moments, this is the Star Wars you’ve been dreaming of.

From Genndy Tartakovsky - creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and the animated segment of Priest (the only good part). Clone Wars is an animated anthology series that bridges the gap between Episodes II & III. Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Mat Lucas), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Mace Windu (T.C. Carson), and Grandmaster Yoda (Tom Kane) battle the armies and minions of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As armadas of ships, legions of droids, and underwater militia clash, special op covert missions, fiendish monsters, ominous visions, and terrifying villains shape the future of the universe.

If you haven't heard of this series or dismissed it as a kid’s cartoon, you have no idea what you’re missing. This is no mere children’s entertainment, it’s Star Wars going back to its roots with a series of short adventures that tie together to make a gigantic story. There’s no way real-life actors or stuntmen/women would dare to pull off the moves we see here. They'd wind up digitally rendering people on digitally rendered background and at point... why not simply animate it all? This is the kind of story that shows what animation is best suited for. Atmosphere is generated through Tartakovsky's simplified color pallets and character designs. Nothing stands out as artificial, because it's entirely artificial. If you thought General Grievous was a pretty cool character in Revenge of the Sith, you haven’t seen anything yet, at best he’s a mere shadow of what you will witness here.

When it first aired, I fell in love with Clone Wars because of the cool villains and visual carnage. These depictions of Count Dooku, Darth Sidious, and the new foes introduced are instant favorites. The battles are varied and dynamic. This time, I was struck by the character arcs, particularly Anakin Skywalker's because of how much is done with the visuals. This is a confidently directed piece by someone who understands the power of silence. It’s so much more impressive to see a group of Clone Troopers take down an opponent by communicating with only hand signals than it is with them shouting orders at each other. Instead of actors, it's the animators doing the storytelling through the characters’ body movement. Anything extraneous has been trimmed out and tossed away to deliver a lean and satisfying epic.

This is a “movie” that no one will be able to agree upon because inevitably, the question of “What was the best part” will come up and everyone will have a different opinion. Will it be Mace Windu standing alone against impossible odds? The first encounter with General Grievous? The space battle whose uneven odds are tipped in the underdog's favor thanks to superior strategy? How about Kit Fisto in a prolonged underwater war, Anakin in a mission that would test his strength like none other before, or that part where Count Dooku and… well I don’t want to spoil it.

I do have some criticisms, and I know they’ll sound unfair. Technically, this is not a movie, but I’m judging it as if it was. It’s because it’s that good. Other television shows would struggle to stand next to it because it accomplishes so much in so little time. Star Wars: Clone Wars is only 2 hours long but it packs in as much as my favorite series’ do in an entire season-spanning arc. (On DVD, December 4, 2015)

[wetalkfilm]

What a Feeling Review - BFI Flare 2024

Opposites Attract and worlds collide in the sweet Romantic Comedy ‘What a feeling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Sometimes we find love in the most unexpected places. Following a chance encounter during a traffic incident, Fa and Marie Theres find themselves on the bumpy road to love in ‘What a feeling’ from writer/director Kat Rohrer. Marie Theres is a doctor, wife and mother to a teen. She…

[spongey445]

Picture This

Nothing says nobody like Sharpay Evans I guess Hello, Spongey here. Something I like to do is watch random movies on Tubi. Aside from the animated ones, there are a lot of random direct to TV and DVDs from the 2000s on there. We’ve covered our share of 2000s movies that have someone notable that drew on me. I got a fair few on my radar. This time we got one I bumped last year that I thought…

[film-book]

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Film Review – GOLDEN YEARS (2024): A Different Take on a Coming-of-Age Story https://film-book.com/film-review-golden-years-2024-a-different-take-on-a-coming-of-age-story/?feed_id=125586&_unique_id=65f451232b001