I didn't know this had a late night talk show subplot, and I watched it after Late Night With the Devil, so that was an unexpectedly themed double feature.
Joaquin Phoenix is really convincing; I actually had a nightmare last night about Joker. It feels very disconnected from everything else I know about the character though. This Joker doesn't give me criminal mastermind vibes. I don't think this guy can plan a heist. If I put all of that aside, it's a pretty good drama.
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This was pretty cool. I don't usually like "found footage" movies due to the shaky camera work and the tendency to feel disjointed with the cuts. Found footage of a late night talk show doesn't have those issues. It feels more like a faux documentary. The lead is the only actor I recognize, so it was easy to feel immersed in this being old talk show footage
I didn't think it was especially scary. It was suspenseful though and kept me guessing. It's an original and interesting concept that was executed very well.
From director Greg McLean, the genius behind two of my favorite films, <I>Wolf Creek</i> and its sequel, <I>Wolf Creek 2</i>, comes this balls to the wall, insane film about a government experiment that pins everyone against each other in a live or die situation, and where only one can live. If you ever had any negative feelings/thoughts about any of your coworkers, maybe even the company itself, this is the film for you. However, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ability to work remote, a situation similar to <I>The Belko Experiment</i> will never, ever come about. Or will it?
Written by James Gunn, who's behind many of those <I>Guardians of the Galaxy films</i>, including the awesome <I>Dawn of the Dead</i> (2004) and <I>Slither</i>, you'll see a number of familiar faces in the crowd, but they don't last for long as they become bait in this hunt to kill thriller feature. Upon introduction to many of them, for which we learn about their character's personalities, you can't wait to see how they are killed and, boy, is it fun to watch!
Our rewatch on our LG OLED TV in filmmaker mode was a dream come true as we watched multiple people get butchered on on our big (small) screen, much to our delight, for 90 minutes. Keep these films coming!
<b>Final thoughts:</b>
Great premise with a solid story and even greater outcome. All hail McLean!
Just as good on the rewatch. I love Ben and his NKOTB fandom. Did they go a little too wild with Bowers though? Carving his name in kids and everything? It's a bit much.
I know I didn't really like Chapter Two though, and watching this makes me feel like I HAVE to rewatch Chapter Two also.
The best part of the film was when the end credits began to roll.
I waited for the #100HorrorMoviesIn92Days challenge to watch this (and a number of other films), and it was definitely worth the wait.
What felt like a mix between <I>The Silence of the Lambs</i> and <I>Se7en</i>, <I>Longlegs</i> is an original story all of its own and a scary one at best.
The cinematography is outstanding. What may seem like a slow-moving film is set by design, thanks to Perkins' camerawork that takes us through a story about finding a person responsible for horrific crimes committed over a number of years. Nicholas Cage is... Nicholas Cage. As Longlegs, he's indescribable as the prosthetics and additional makeup render him unrecognizable, but that's not all. His character's speech and performance is one not to be missed, and we can only hope that he continues in the genre.
Oh, and the ending? Wow.
<B>Perfect Black</b>, a feature on my LG OLED TV, made this already-creepy, tense film creepier, setting a darker tone for all that displayed across the screen. What a feature!
<B>Final thoughts:</b>
Run, don't walk, to see this.
Abigail is one I will definitely watch again. It doesn't take itself too seriously while still delivering the horror moments. It reminds me of the late 90s/early 00s horror movies with an ensemble of stars-on-the-rise getting picked off until only the final girl remains. Melissa Barrera is great here; you can't take your eyes off her. Kathryn Newton is the scene-stealer.
I wish I didn't already the twist, but it was in the trailers. I guess they figure "vampire ballerina" will get more eyes than "kidnappers in a house", and they're probably right, but it would have been very cool to have been surprised.
The much-anticipated <I>Alien: Romulus</i> is sure to razzle and dazzle fans both old and new. With a sleek story, beautifully designed sets, practical effects, and one particular familiar face, this is a pleasant, yet frightening addition to the 40-plus year old franchise.
Set between the events of <I>Alien</i> and the absolutely perfect <I>Aliens</i>, the prior's story is a focus here, but not <B>the</b> focus, although we learn of the previous film's events through a reliable source. The face huggers are so well-crafted and animated here, their presence onscreen is a terrifying welcome to what the film will eventually evolve into, which is a dark, alien-infested mess that takes down character after character, some in welcoming ways and others in a not-so-pleasant manner. This is an <I>Alien</i> film, and viewers will be pleased with how this it fits well between the two mentioned above in order to fill the <I>Alien</i> storyline.
Overall, viewers will be pleased with the aliens' (Xenomorph) creature design and set structure, especially after the <I>Aliens</i>' set that gave a glimpse of how they colonized the ship. The same is done here, but not as great. The cinematography paints it as a dark abyss, almost parallel to the David Fincher-directed <i>Alien³</i>. It's not a complaint, but rather a compliment as it adds to the experience. Still, we'd like to get a better visual on those magnificent sets.
<B>Final thoughts:</b>
You did well, Álvarez.
Admittedly a little clunky but it is so much fun!
Lugosi is amazing and Dwight Frye equally so.
There are parts of this that I truly hate, and there are parts that make me laugh. Overall it's a bit much for me, especially the chaotic camerawork.
Kudos to everyone involved though because I do think they made exactly what they set out to make, so mission accomplished, and they seem to have had a lot of fun. Also I do love Jason Statham. If they ever make Crank 3: Highest Voltage (maybe Maximum Voltage?), I will see it at the theater.
I have a lot of miscellaneous thoughts. Overall it is fine. Definitely cheesy at times but I'm assuming that's largely due to the source material.
1) My name is Stormy, so maybe this is hypocritical, but Lily Blossom Bloom, Ryle, and Atlas are wild name choices.
2) If I had grabbed my friends and worn my florals expecting a Barbie experience, I'd be pretty mad. Very misleading marketing.
3) The rooftop scene that Ryan allegedly rewrote during the writers strike does SOUND like his writing. Lily is dropping sarcastic quip after sarcastic quip. I did like that scene though. Young Lily felt like a different character entirely, and I'm wondering if the alleged adult Lily dialogue rewrites caused that. Young Lily had no quips. Good casting though; she looks and sounds like Blake.
4) My favorite part was Lana Del Rey "Cherry" playing when the vibe starts to go dark. It hit hard.
5) I'm not especially fashionable, but Carhartt definitely paid big bucks for Blake to wear all those gigantic jackets and overalls, right? There were SO many overalls.
"Is that sherry?" "No, it's Lisa."
I got this on Blu-ray for my birthday yesterday so now it can enter my rotation of teen comedy comfort rewatches.
