#cinephile communi

[starsandpopcorn]

'RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne' Micro-Review: It’s hard to tell where to start with this series since it struggles to embody so many different themes and genres. What is certain is that 'RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne' is stuffed to the gills with erotic and grotesque imagery, which seems to fit into the series at first, but starts to spiral out of control and quickly becomes gratuitous. Despite the fact that the anime tries to hide behind the element of gender theory, it is fairly obviously a vehicle for that sort of imagery. The core premise of the series though does offer some intrigue, but it’s too bad that it becomes so muddled by the end. ⠀ ⠀ While the 'RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne' may have a great hook, in the beginning, the sexual imagery gets a little too creepy by the end of it (a throne of naked women? Really?). It’s hard to imagine what sort of audience this series is aimed at since it seems like a thinly veiled attempt at fetish-oriented pornography. Still, there must be an audience out there for it and I wish them luck with this. After all, who am I to be hating on them?⠀ ⠀ Read more on starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #animetowatch #animereviewer #animereviews #animesub #animerecommendations #animerecommendation #animereview #animeuniverse #animefriends #animeinsta #animestuff #animeinstagram #anime4life #animepage #animeforlife #bestanime #starsandpopcorn #Rin #RinDaughtersOfTheMnemosyne https://ift.tt/2VJUFhq

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Satanic Panic’ Micro-Review: I’ll be the first to admit that Shudder doesn’t specialize in films that are “high art.” It’s a service with a very specific audience and is very in tune to what that audience likes. In other words, horror fans love cheesy, terrible, bloody movies. With that in mind, ‘Satanic Panic’ is actually a lot of fun. It touches on some of the same elements as films like ‘Ready or Not’ that show how despicable the 1% is and how far they’re willing to go to hold onto their power. This time around the wealthy are actually in league with Satan and make up a coven that has to sacrifice a virgin in order to stay in power. When their virgin turns out to be not as advertised, they’re up a creek until a pizza delivery girl shows up. You can probably guess what happens next once they decide to use her for their evil purposes.⠀ ⠀ There are plenty of times where ‘Satanic Panic’ starts to fall apart. A lot of plot points don’t make a lot of sense. Characters make dumb decisions that lead to their demise. Just some logic problems in general that become pretty glaring if you stop and think about them for too long. However, there are so many parts that cracked me up and the actors are all hilarious in it. As a horror film, ‘Satanic Panic’ leaves a lot to be desired. As a horror-comedy though, it’s actually pretty damn good. I really liked the cast in ‘Satanic Panic’ Rebecca Romijn is seriously at her best (along with her husband, Jerry O’Connell in a cameo), Hayley Griffith proves to be a great final girl and Ruby Modine proves she has a knack for horror-comedy (you might remember her from ‘Happy Death Day’). All in all, I know that ‘Satanic Panic’ wasn’t a “good movie” but I had a lot of fun watching it and that’s what really counts at the end of the day. Shudder certainly does make some amazing “bad movies” that fans of horror will love. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movielover #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #satanicpanic #shudder #horrormovies https://ift.tt/2UFLOyr

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Line of Duty’ Micro-Review: ‘Line of Duty’ is a really weird movie. I started off really hating it because of the self-righteous character that Courtney Eaton plays in the film. In fact, I actively hated everything about her from the way she ignores the ethics of journalism to the way she violated the law and hid behind a juvenile understanding of the concept of “freedom of the press.” In other words, she was written the way that so many people over the age of 45 see Millenials and it’s infuriating. That being said, her character manages to overcome so many of her shortcomings that I actually started liking her by the end, and there’s something to be said for a solid character arc. She's joined by Aaron Eckhart who has so much charm and charisma I’m surprised we don’t see him more in big-budget blockbusters. He plays a uniformed officer in ‘Line of Duty’ that walks her a mile in his shoes as he races to find a kidnapper. Of course, there’s plenty of social commentary happening between these characters as they deal with their preconceived notions of one another. This gets a little heavy-handed at times, but aside from that ‘Line of Duty’ is actually a pretty fun movie.⠀ ⠀ ‘Line of Duty’ plays out in real time, which means it starts right in the middle of the action as Eckhart’s character is thrown into the deep end of a crime that’s already in progress. This is great because everything unravels for the characters at an incredibly fast pace. This keeps you focused on what’s happening in the now, instead of giving you a chance to pick apart how nothing the bad guys do actually makes any sense. Luckily, even in the slower moments, the humor and chemistry between the two leads keeps the tone light and distracting (in a good way). At first glance, ‘Line of Duty’ looks exactly like the kind of movie that you would expect to get a VOD release rather than a theatrical one. However, it’s good enough that I honestly think it deserved one. Either way, this is a great film to check out while under self-quarantine. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #instamovies #moviereviews #starsandpopcorn #lineofdutymovie #amazonprime https://ift.tt/34143D3

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Wake Wood’ Micro-Review: I have to hand it to the horror genre. It’s single-handedly convinced me not to ever have children thanks to all the insanely creepy kids that keep popping up in their movies. Even though it’s a pretty blatant ripoff of ‘Pet Cemetary,’ I found myself engrossed with ‘Wake Wood.’ It features a family that loses their daughter too soon and moves to a quaint Irish town named Wake Wood. Well, creepy stuff happens in Wake Wood and soon they discover that the townspeople pose dark magic that allows them to bring the dead back for three days. The couple jump at the chance, but, of course, “sometimes dead is better.” ⠀ ⠀ Despite being reductive in the way it tackles the whole “dead kid come back evil” cliche, ‘Wake Wood’ has an impressive cast of actors that really breathe life into this disturbing tale. Aiden Gillen (from ‘Game of Thrones’) and Eva Birthistle star as the grieving mother and father opposite of Timothy Spall as the creepy town leader. Their talent proves more than enough to create a sense of empathy and sell even the less believable gory sequences. Most of horror is how actors react to their circumstances and they raise the stakes perfectly as they soon learn that their precious daughter came back wrong. ⠀ ⠀ While ‘Wake Wood’ is a pretty exciting ride from start to finish, it stumbles in the third act and ends up limping across the finish line. It’s not enough to ruin the movie, but it does make it pretty obvious where the inspiration for it came from. I won’t spoil that part for you. The thing about movies is that pretty much every idea has been done to death. So, I can’t blame ‘Wake Wood’ for taking a page from one of the greatest horror writers of all time. It certainly changes enough with the setting and characters to keep it well away from copyright infringement. Still, in doing so it felt more like an imitation than an original movie. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy getting creeped out by it though. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #instamovies #starsandpopcorn #WakeWood https://ift.tt/3bs36G7

[starsandpopcorn]

‘I See You’ Micro-Review: I have to give it to ‘I See You’ for being one of the most oddly original thrillers I’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to really talk about this movie without including some minor spoilers. So, if you plan on watching it, you should stop reading this review now.⠀ ⠀ Okay, so there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to the plot of this film. This is especially refreshing because the first 30 minutes or so seem pretty straight forward. A family is going through a crisis that might tear them apart as the father hunts a serial child abductor tormenting their community. It seems like ‘I See You’ is setting itself up to be a final confrontation between the psycho and the cop as the family is drawn into their crossfire. That’s about as far from the case as you can get through. Weird stuff starts happening and a big reveal halfway through complicates everything. I’ll admit I was pretty bored during the first act, but as things escalated, I found myself becoming more and more sucked into the intricate web that film started to weave. ⠀ ⠀ ‘I See You’ goes from “ho-hum” to edge of your seat thriller over the span of about 10 minutes. It gets incredibly dark and pretty soon you have no idea who the good guys even are anymore. The film blindsided me, and because of that, it was a great movie to watch unfold. Just when you think the big reveal has come, something else comes up. Hats off to writer Devon Graye and director Adam Randall for pulling together one of the tightest thrillers I’ve seen in a long time. If you’re looking for a film that will keep you guessing and make your skin crawl with anticipation, you definitely need to check out ‘I See You.’ ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #ISeeYou #thriller https://ift.tt/33LIfeh

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ Micro-Review: I think I’ve been a little spoiled when it comes to animated family movies recently. Pixar definitely sets the bar high every time they release a new movie, but also a lot of the small studios are upping their game and making their new films at least tolerable. ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ isn’t necessarily awful, but it fails to make any sort of lasting impression. The premise is one that could have been a lot of fun with an oddball group of monsters coming together to fight off an alien invasion. However, it never really takes advantage of its core concept to the extent that I was hoping for. Sure there are some cooky monsters with some serious voice talent behind them (Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, etc), but the film doesn’t use them to their full potential. I mean, there are some laughable moments, but there isn’t a scene that really stands out as hilarious or even especially awesome. It’s all just a little too “meh.” Instead, ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ keeps recycling the same gags over and over.⠀ ⠀ I have a great respect for how much work goes into an animated movie. Creating each and every frame must be exhausting. The animation in ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ is a bit unsettling at times though. The monsters look fine, but the humans and the aliens in it are a little too similar to gross caricatures. There were a few times where I found myself involuntarily frowning when a few characters popped up on screen. It just left the film lacking in charm. ⠀ ⠀ There are so many good animated movies available to stream right now, that I don’t feel that bad saying that ‘Monsters Vs Aliens’ is one that you can probably ignore. It’s not good. It’s not bad. It’s just… Well, you get the idea. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #MonsterVsAliens https://ift.tt/2QKoheJ

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Depraved’ Micro-Review: I was just thinking the other day that it would be nice to see a good modern adaptation of the classic ‘Frankenstein’ story. As luck would have it, ‘Depraved’ is exactly that. In fact, I might go so far as to say it’s one of the best Frankenstein adaptations I’ve ever seen. That’s probably because if indie movies want to stand out they have to get really creative in the ways that they tell their stories. That’s exactly what writer/director Larry Fessenden does as he modernizes Victor Frankenstein into a doctor returning from the war with PTSD. After seeing so many of his friends die needlessly on the field of battle, he devoted himself to trying to defeat death. Thanks to the backing of a pharmaceutical company he gets the chance too. His creation, an amalgam of body parts and a “spare” brain, starts off with a childlike wonderment as he has to learn everything from scratch again. He grows quickly though and struggles to deal with his emotions and missing past. ⠀ ⠀ ‘Depraved’ feels like a small film, but that promotes a sense of intimacy between the characters. All of them have their issues and their own mental issues to deal with. This makes the inevitable clash between maker and creation all the more intense because both of them are monsters in their own right and innocent at the same time. They are products of trauma and that makes it easy to sympathize with them both. Of course, as an adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’, we all know how the story has to end. However, ‘Depraved’ leaves audiences conflicted over the story. It’s not a disappointing one, but rather a thought-provoking one about whether intentions or means are more important. I definitely recommend ‘Depraved’ for not only horror fans but for anyone looking for a well-told film in general. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #Depraved #horrormovie #Frankenstein https://ift.tt/3bkI5NF

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Conan the Barbarian’ Micro-Review: Alright, I saw the new ‘Conan the Barbarian’ when it first came to theaters in 2011. I wasn’t a huge fan of it then but thought I’d give it another chance since I’m pretty much locked in a room thanks to COVID-19. Well, it’s pretty much exactly how I remember it. A film that’s more focused on the character than the story. Because of that, it’s a bit of a mess. A hero is only as good as their villain, and since ‘Conan the Barbarian’ doesn’t really have a very intimidating or memorable villain (I just watched it and can’t remember the guy’s name), it means Conan isn’t nearly as impressive as he could have been. Sure there’s some flashy swordplay and it’s kind of fun seeing a baby Jason Mamoa on screen. However, I’m not sure if he was the best fit for the role. Now, I can totally see it, but back then he hadn’t perfected that special gruffness that makes him seem like the kind of guy you don’t want to make eye contact with. In fact, I k got more of a swashbuckler vibe than a blood-soaked warrior one.⠀ ⠀ Maybe I’m just partial to the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger films, but I really was not a fan of the 2011 ‘Conan’ film. It just didn’t have the same heart to it. Schwarzenegger, while hardly one of the most skilled actors in Hollywood, really sold his performance. Even when the films were at there most absurd, he made you not want to question any of it. This time around, it didn’t have that same epicness to it. Sure, the film traveled to a variety of locations, but I felt detached from all of them. It was as though I knew I was looking at sets rather than incredible exotic locations. My mind just wasn’t willing to invest in suspending its disbelief over this lackluster remake. By now, most of you probably learned the hard way about this movie, but if not, I definitely don’t recommend it. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #ConanTheBarbarian #JasonMamoa https://ift.tt/2xluw1E

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Guardians’ though feels like it is really trying to be a film on par with movies like ‘Avengers.’ It has some pretty cool costumes, impressive special effects (at times), and even some fun action/fight sequences. At the same time, it’s just too stupid for words. Director Sarik Andreasyan certainly has a solid eye when it comes to creating an over the top action aesthetic, and part of me believes that with a better script and high caliber of actors he could have been capable of creating a legitimate descent superhero movie. ‘Guardians’ though demands that you don’t ask any questions about the plot of the hero’s abilities. For example, the villain has the ability to control technology. Pretty cool when it comes to taking over AI drones or satellites. However, he can also control decommissioned cold war era trucks and machines, which don’t have any computers in them at all. ⠀ ⠀ Basically, ‘Guardians’ is made even worse by the fact that it’s a bad movie made well. Watching it, you can’t help but feel like this really could have been cool. However, it left me in stunned silence at just how terrible the writing was. Maybe if you watch it on mute and without subtitles it would be better, but anytime any of the characters open their mouths I found myself whispering, “oh no…” Still, with a few beers and a couple of friends willing to join you in making fun of everything happening on the screen, this could be the perfect movie to watch on a Saturday night.⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #Guardians #guardiansmovie #superheroes https://ift.tt/3agzzPx

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Sex Drive’ Micro-Review: There was a period when coming of age teen comedies went from the likes of John Hughes’ ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Ferris Buller’s Day Off’ to raunchy over the top, low brow sex comedies. Sure, there were some really great ones that came out (I personally loved ‘Not Another Teen Movie’), but a lot of them banked on audiences confusing cringe with comedy. ‘Sex Drive’ follows this trend for the most part as it basically updates the concept of the John Cusack film, ‘The Sure Thing.’ Basically, a virgin meets a super hottie online and she tells him she’ll go all the way if he drives across the country to meet her. Of course, he hops in the car with his buddies and heads out on the open road, and, of course, wild shenanigans follow.⠀ ⠀ Most of ‘Sex Drive’ follows the typical teenage sex comedy checklist from terrible misunderstandings to meeting bizarre characters to getting caught in compromising situations. However, there are a few parts that are actually good in this film. While his character hasn’t aged well, James Marsden is great as the antagonist older brother terrorizing the hero, Josh Zuckerman. At the same time, Zuckerman has some great chemistry with his co-stars Amanda Crew and Clark Duke. The real star though is Seth Green as an Amish man who helps the teens out and introduces them to the concept of ramspringa. Hell, I would even go so far as to say that it has some solid feel-good moments. ⠀ ⠀ ‘Sex Drive’ might be a cliche riddled mess of a movie, but it does have some fun moments to it. If you grew up in the age of ‘American Pie’ and feel a bit of nostalgia for those films even though you know that they really weren’t that great, then you will probably enjoy ‘Sex Drive.’ However, if you’re a bit more “woke” these days, ‘Sex Drive’ will not be easy to sit through.⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #SexDrive #teencomedy https://ift.tt/2y3geTQ

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Regression’ Micro-Review: The human mind is a complicated thing. At least, ‘Regression’ really hopes that you’ll buy that as it dives into the controversial regression therapy that psychologists swore by before it was revealed that it created false memories. With that little “spoiler” revealed, I’m pretty sure you know how this film ends.⠀ ⠀ ‘Regression’ wants so badly to be a dark thriller. A detective and psychiatrist discover, through regression therapy, that there is a satanic cult at work in their small town that many of their fellow citizens are a part of. The two become obsessed with finding the truth and every lead they follow spawns two more. The thing is that there are many instances where the plot moves forwards simply because of the stupidity of the characters. Ethan Hawke leads the film as the detective that blinds himself to logic due to the heinous nature of the initial crime that reveals the satanic cult in his town (a girl accuses her father of abusing her). I can’t blame him for being so angry, but he abandons the “innocent until proven guilty” of the law and acts on emotion rather than trying to build a case against his suspects. While Hawke does a pretty convincing job with conveying his anger, it’s infuriating watching him be so stupid.⠀ ⠀ “Regression” is a movie that is cringy and boring at the same time. Remarkably enough, it still manages to be a let down as well. It manages to strike an effective tone that kept me hoping that it would manage to find it’s footing and find enough suspense to become an effective thriller. No such luck though. Don’t let the intriguing premise fool you, because even as bland as ‘Regression’ is, it still manages to find a way to disappoint with it’s ending.⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #Regression #EmmaWatson #thriller https://ift.tt/397nr1T

[starsandpopcorn]

‘The Hole in the Ground’ Micro-Review: Kids are creepy as hell. At least that’s my take after seeing enough movies where someone’s little darling turns into a full-on nightmare. There are a lot of them out there, but ‘The Hole in the Ground’ features an ancient legend thrown into the real world. I’m talking about the old fae legend of changelings. Changelings are fae that are left in the place of stolen children so that parents will be none the wiser that their son or daughter is actually missing. Instead, they’re left raising a monster while the fae do bad things to their actual children. It’s a pretty dark legend and that makes ‘The Hole in the Ground’ a very twisted movie. ⠀ ⠀ Seána Kerslake is at the center of the story as a mother who begins to doubt that the thing in her house is her actual son, Chris. Of course, it seems crazy that her child would be suddenly replaced with a doppelganger. After all, there is an actual disorder called Capgras delusion where people think loved ones have been replaced by imposters. ‘The Hole in the Ground’ starts small as little things are out of the ordinary. Chris’ behavior is only different enough that you could chalk it up to a little kid just being weird. This is where so much of the tension lies since Kerslake finds logic at odds with maternal instincts. It helps that ‘The Hole in the Ground’ is such a small film that there’s a feeling of intimacy that adds to the tension. Not a film for those of you who have kids and don’t want to be paranoid about them, but I think horror fans will love the mind games that it plays. It’s not quite scary, but it’s an incredibly tense and creepy film. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #‘TheHoleintheGround #horrormovies #horrormovie https://ift.tt/2xd62Yo

[starsandpopcorn]

‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ Micro-Review: It took me a while to give The Angry Birds movies a chance since much more often than not videogame movies suck. I was surprised that the first film was actually pretty watchable, and so, I gave ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ a shot. Don’t worry if you missed the first film, because there really isn’t enough substance for anyone to be “lost” when it comes to the plot of either movie. This one picks up pretty shortly after the first film that pitted birds and pigs against each other. This time though, they have to join forces against a new island that wants to destroy both of them. The bitter rivalry is still there, which sets the film up for plenty of hilarity as characters butt heads. There are also plenty of new ones that have their own opinions on the previous heroes, but despite their provocations prove to be indispensable. ⠀ ⠀ ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ might not be on the same level as Pixar films that all seem to have such insightful depth to them, but that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes you just want to spend a night watching cartoon anvils falling on heads (that’s not a spoiler). It’s perfectly acceptable to only watch a movie because of its seemingly mindless absurdity. In that regard, ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ is a great family movie. It’s much more watchable than a lot of bottom of the barrel animated movies that just want to lure children to theaters with flashy commercials so that their parents will be forced to part with a small fortune. Dare I say, ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ is actually a pretty good movie all things considered. It’s funny, it has a talented cast, and the animation is very lively. It’s far from Oscar-worthy, but it’s definitely perfect for family movie night. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #TheAngryBirdsMovie2 #angrybirds #familymovie https://ift.tt/399cugq

[starsandpopcorn]

‘Red Letter Day’ Micro-Review:Indie horror movies usually tend to be some fo the more creative entries into the genre these days. ‘Red Letter Day’ has an intriguing premise in which red letters are delivered to a neighborhood that pairs everyone up with someone who is in “opposition” to their own social values. They’re told to kill the person in the envelope before they kill them. Now here’s the kicker, there’s nothing forcing the people to act on these orders. No one is holding a gun to their head or saying that both will be killed if one doesn’t off the other. The letters just plant a seed of doubt and paranoia that lets the darkness inside the hearts of humans take over. As I said, the premise is intriguing and ‘Red Letter Day’ does a pretty decent job of carrying the idea through to the end. However, it stumbl.es along the way.⠀ ⠀ For one thing, it seems to invest heavily in all the characters being completely unreasonable in this whole situation. I can understand some people using it as an excuse to let their anger out, but some of the characters are just too stupid for words. It also feels a little small for the story that it wants to tell. There isn’t a lot of violence all things considered and I was hoping to see more of the psycho aspect of the people taking the letters seriously. There are some bloody moments, but the film establishes so much potential in the beginning that I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that it didn’t go full “purge” at one point. This is probably ‘Red Letter Day’s biggest downfall because since it couldn’t go toe-to-toe with a big budget horror film like that, it should have found creative ways to compete. Still, for what it is, ‘Red Letter Day’ isn’t half bad. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #RedLetterDay #RedLetterDaymovie #horrormovies https://ift.tt/33yiMoF

[starsandpopcorn]

‘The Oath’ Micro-Review:A little late on this one, but ‘The Oath’ still feels timely enough for it to be worth a watch since it deals with the divide that politics can cause. Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish play a politically liberal couple who are faced with a sudden social issue where people are given an option to sign a loyalty pledge to the country and the president. Being liberal and terrified that this is a power play to instill nationalism in the public. Barinholtz character is especially outspoken against the oath to the point of being frenzied half the time because of the news, which makes him a little aggressive and insufferable. To add fuel to his fire, Thanksgiving is coming and you know that even when families say “no politics at the table,” politics will always come up.⠀ ⠀ On the surface ‘The Oath’ seems like a decisive film that’s meant to show the growing gap between American’s when it comes to social and political issues. That’s made perfectly clear when the family starts butting heads over the oath and their own views on it. However, ‘The Oath’ is actually a movie about families coming together despite their political difference to support one another. Barinholtz (who also directed) makes this clear by having the family rally when one of them is threatened by a small government organization that is making it clear that signing the oath isn’t exactly optional. At the stakes rise the family slowly comes together to present a united front protecting one another. ‘The Oath’ leans heavily on the actors’ chemistry and ability to create scenes with Robert Altman-esque dialogue (rapid-fire with many of the characters talking over each other). Don’t worry, ‘The Oath’ is a comedy at heart, it just really knows how to capture the issues this country is facing. Sure, the points it makes seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it wrong. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #starsandpopcorn #TheOath #theoathmovie https://ift.tt/2Upy3UE

[starsandpopcorn]

'Fresh Meat' Micro-Review: I’ve seen a lot of crazy movies over the years, but ‘Fresh Meat’ is one of the most delightfully twisted films I’ve seen in a long time. The film follows a group of criminals on the run after a jailbreak that take cover in a suburban house only to find out that it’s the home of a group of cannibals. Strangely enough, this film does not take place in Florida, but rather in New Zealand. Because of that, it injects a healthy dose of Maori culture into the story with the family of cannibals (though it is adamant that they are not cannibals because they are Maori, they just happen to be cannibals who are Maori). Either way, it’s nice to see a bit of diversity on screen and even better when the family becomes divided over the practices as the father (Temuera Morrison) becomes more and more fanatical.⠀ ⠀ Not every joke lands in ‘Fresh Meat’ but the premise and performances kept me invested in the story even when I groaned at certain points. Another issue is that the plot feels a bit stretched and lacks focus on the elements and dynamics that really work for the first half of the film. Still, there’s a certain charm to the insanity that lies at the core of ‘Fresh Meat.’ This is especially true with Hanna Tevita’s character who is not only struggling with her sexual identity, but also with her family suddenly becoming cannibals while she was away at school. Throw in the fact that she clearly has a thing for strong women and the criminals have a damn tough one in their crew (Kate Elliot), and her allegiances are strained to say the least. ‘Fresh Meat’ isn’t perfect, but it’s just such a strange and crazy film that I find myself wanting to recommend it to anyone with a dark sense of humor. ⠀ ⠀ Read full reviews at starsandpopcorn.com!⠀ ⠀ #moviereview #moviecritic #movieblog #filmreview #filmreviews #movietalk #filmtalk #movielover #movieaddict #movienerd #moviereccomendation #movienight #instamovies #filmblog #moviereviews #movies #movie #film #moviegoers #moviefreak #movieblogger #movielove #movieworld #starsandpopcorn #FreshMeat #freshmeatmovie #NewZealand #Maori #horrorcomedy https://ift.tt/2WpRKhH