movies

The Sunlit Night (2019)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

The Sunlit Night (2019) – IMDB

On the whim, I stopped watching the trailer and started to watch The Sunlit Night on Hulu. I liked it enough I thought what could go wrong? I was in the mood for something light and a little funny, random. Something indie. What starts off well for a girl who is looking for a spark of life in her paintings travels to Norway to work for a renowned painter. This is an escape from her life in the States where she was dumped, parents divorcing, lifeless paintings, and her sister getting engaged. She needs a spark. As it progressed with beautiful scenery of the great, grassy sloped mountains holding clouds at their peaks, with crashing waves all around Norway was a treat to see. I was ready to get lost in this foreign land and see what lay ahead. Too bad the story wondered off and itself got lost.

The main protagonist was such a BRAT. She’s supposed to be working for this guy she thought highly of but decides to parade around by either not listening or deciding to flirt with some guy who sold her a sandwich back home. Frances, the one we’re following around, has a rough relationship with the Norway painter. He may not be the easiest person to work with due to the deadline the painting project needs to be completed by but this isn’t some vacation. Yet Frances holds little respect for a man who even admits his wrong doing. Get the project done, sooner the better, then jump around in your naked overalls to your heart’s desire. She is entirely misguided and a total disregard for the work she sought out. There was something she mentions to sandwich boy about painting was her focus and everything else was her escape (distraction). By the end, she still seemed like the same person, no change. What she said earlier made no sense to me, I tried to, but also didn’t care enough to sit around to understand.

The Sunlit Night has some interesting characters. The initial interaction with Frances and her family were comical. Zach Galifianakis is joyful to see but wasted. Gillian Anderson a shock to see but wasted. The whole side story with sandwich boy who can twist dough I thought was pointless. The grocery girl was interesting. The painter was interesting. I had interest in the landscape and the people in it. But I got nothing from it. I would have appreciated more of a transcendental story of a woman coming to Norway, learning of the people, herself, the land, HOW TO PAINT, and close with her being a better person who has new found respect, spark for life. Instead we got this brat.

I couldn’t bring myself to care for Frances. She had careless motivation and disregard for those helping her. It was hard to believe she changed in the end. Maybe I would have cared if she did. The whole time I was waiting for some revelation, like it was trying to say more than what it was offering. I didn’t get it. If you did, please tell me, might not care but I got open ears if I missed something.

The Sunlit Night was definitely missing a stroke of life.

Avatar (2009)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Avatar (2009) – IMDB

When James Cameron’s Avatar first came out I was in high school. I didn’t think much of it initially. Drawing the likes of Atlantis, Pocahontas, and The Last Samurai in terms of story, I wasn’t blown away as my peers were. This was due to gung-ho-testosterone-fueled characters making sarcastic jabs at each other to fill a conversation much alike James Cameron’s classic Aliens along with a simplistic, overdone story of an outsider who finds solace and understanding in a generally viewed inferior side. Yes, the views and spectacle was epic but I was not won over. Needless to say, I enjoyed it for what it was as Avatar chopped it up on screen and hit all the right points. It strung at the feels, intense fight sequences, and technically speaking, was a marvel to look at.

A shade over a decade later, Avatar: Way of Water is released. Time to rewatch the OG before I hit the theater. Got to say, many of the visuals hold up to this day. Very, very few, close up shots with CGI looks a bit wonkey. The impact of the latter half of the movie still hits hard. The story takes time in setting up with its two and half hour run time, investing you in the Pandora world. Everything that is touched, matters. Every action, matters. A decade later it got me thinking, this is something that would happen if we left Earth and found a rare resource elsewhere in our star-studded sky.

It’s common to hear history repeats itself. To me, that’s what Avatar is about. At least what I see. If we came across a colony of people, an alien population, what would our initial greeting be like? Would we hold out our hand for trade? Start planning extermination so we can whip out a new roadmap? Think less of a tribal community instead of learning what they can offer? Or destroy something sacred. Think of the land and sky, how we’re here and not as disconnected from our own natural, organic network. With this in mind, Avatar has a close relation to Broken Arrow. A story about a man who tries to bring peace between the Apaches and the American Government.

We are capable of recycling our history. We are also capable of leaving this planet. I don’t think we are meant to stay, we are here to learn how to take care of ourselves and the nature around us. We have been experiencing the consequences of not doing so. That’s the beautiful thing of cinema, it reflects our life and our future.

I view Avatar differently now. A spectacle that opens the doors to the future. A story that’s easy to grasp but a pill that’s harder to swallow.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Planet of the Vampires (1965) – IMDB

Planet of the Vampires had one of the best sets. It is old and dated, but the crystalized rock formations and dehydrated looking tentacle trees with colorful hues of glowing fog and ambient lighting creates a thick atmosphere you’d need to shower your eyeballs after. This planet our fellow travelers land on isn’t what it seems, naturally. There are cool effects that experiment with the idea of landing on a foreign planet. One specific shot which is clearly taken underwater but is cool in it’s execution with plumes of smoke and dust rising around the toy ship that’s meant for a bathtub with a sandy floor. There are unnecessary set pieces that seem extra like the floor space on the bridge with enough room provided for a buffet unless you’re utilizing it for laying corpses on top of each other.

Not going to lie, the first hour or so is all mystery. It may drag a bit possibly due to it’s age of release but the story itself unfolds rather slow. Albeit, when remains of a foreign lifeform is discovered it grabbed my attention and I was in awe. It was cool seeing something like this, someone had the mindset to expand the world a little further creating something original and a sense of wonder. I think Planet of the Vampires, despite the wonderfully realized sets, is a small movie, but a big inspiration to any succeeding sci-fi flare. Alien (1979), for example, takes many notes from this flick and The Thing (1982) as well. This movie is respectable for it’s accomplishments despite it’s age. To be honest, I’d enjoy a reimagining of this story. Full of twists that I wasn’t expecting towards the end, amazing set pieces for the planet Aura, and an eye for wonder of what’s out there!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) – IMDB

Licking. Crossdressing. Silliness. Pizza. Welcome to the weird 90’s offering of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There’s nothing painfully worthy to get in to here so I’ll make this quick. I was curious about seeing this one depending on the two leads. Every actor has one horror movie to star in, mostly at the beginning of their career, The Next Generation has two! Is worth your time and curiosity? Bottom line, no. Letting the movie sink in after a couple days, I’m realizing I wasted my time watching it and the overall experience became degraded. In fact I’m not entirely sure why this was made. It didn’t offer anything new, it was simply a rehash of the classic. What it did do was show how weird and wild southern hillybillies can be in their most crazed dysfunctional family fashion.

Leatherface appears small and like a dog complaining for a toy he can’t reach. To be screamed at with mad man wielding a chainsaw sounds terrifying when they’re grunting for action but something about this 90’s flick doesn’t cut it.

The two leads give the best performances. Unfortunately they shouldn’t be given the hillbilly script and oblivious sense of characters. They gotta start somewhere right? Renee Zellweger is the unfiltered heroine with untapped, shining light of courage to her later career highlight for me Cold Mountain. Her chemistry is cut throat and intense with Matthew McConaughey who is raw, menacing, and his on-screen presence full of demand. His crazed persona threatens the very character he lovingly portrays in any rom-com.

The two leads were the best thing about Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. Outside of that there really isn’t anything to watch. It’s laughable with a side of eye rolling. Not gory or disturbing as you’d come to expect from this genre/franchise. Zellweger and McConaughey did great in their roles for what was given, I wouldn’t say it’s worth your curiosity though.

Pet Sematary (1989)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Pet Sematary – IMDB

Not what I expected. Hailing from 1989 this classic crawled out of the burial ground to me. Disclaimer: I find Stephen King adaptations’ goofy, cringy, and weird. However, there have been a few exceptions, most notably (to me) The Mist among other revered classics that remain popular. Other mentions include Secret Window, which is predictable but enjoyable. The other being Dreamcatcher, which has excellent moments, but falls too close to the cheesy/oddball category which is something to say since I enjoy such shortfalls and see them as positives in other flicks. Silver Bullet, for example, has some great effects including a werewolf but the enjoyment value for me is subpar and incredibly stringy cheesy. The kid is better off using rocket boosters in the final race in Little Rascals than fighting the big baddy on a bridge. The Shining is not mentioned due to the film being more of Kubrick’s interpretation. Getting off track here, King has a knack for telling the supernatural. Pet Sematary involves his all; the supernatural, the loving family, Maine, creepy person, mystery, and innocent children. To include what I have mentioned above, Pet Sematary caught me off guard. Not thirty minutes after the movie ended I am still thinking about it…more along the lines of how this movie got under my skin and how will it remain with me in the forth coming days. Let’s just say I got up shortly after the credits rolled to use the restroom, and not closing the door all the way, my dog, my lovely dog, opened the door and stares at me. I thought she rose from the grave.

The story is simple and easy to follow. Dread follows, however, with every passing scene. Definitely something in the air lingering and it’s not rotting animal corpses. It’s actually hard for me to explain the feeling of dread. Maybe it’s the neighbor across the street. Comfort of an ominous trail disappearing into the thicket. A Native American burial ground which is never meant to be messed with. But really it’s more than that, perhaps the music setting a terror vibe that etched from the tree line in to the safety of the home. Then finally, into our protagonist’s anxious but venturous mind who only wants to keep what they already have obtained, unfortunately wrongfully stolen. Yes, like always, music was key. Especially in the final act. I hear the same sounds in horror today and is still effective. Notable mention to the final walkthrough of the house sequence. To think of the synopsis of Pet Sematary it does not ring any attention bells with the exception of being a King adaptation and a classic. In regard to my already premature expectation of anything King, including my forgetful thrill of seeing this many years ago yet under irresponsible substance usage, I did enjoy Pet Sematary.

And now, without further ado, my qualms. Everything was found forgiven till the final act. Which got messy. I don’t want to spoil anything per usual but I must make it said. Like King, things got a little…cheeky. I do not find children scary, they are more of a nuisance when utilized as a scare tactic. This is a gimmick and I don’t agree with the popular opinion they are scary. Sinister for example, which one day I hope to formulate words about on this site sometime, tried to make them scary. Punch them. This would happen to be my biggest criticism. Not fair? Jud didn’t think so either.

All in all, this is what I took away from it: Pet Sematary made me cringe but in a gross way. It got me spooked and care for the family. It made me pet my dog and want to look out for my future children. And sometimes dead is better, but also look out for the high road.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Shin Godzilla (2016) – IDMB

Shin Godzilla (Film) - TV Tropes

Immediately from the fading Toho logo the action begins. We are introduced directly to a disturbance in the water, a small ripple of what is to come. Quick to short introductions, quick reactions to an abrupt danger, Shin Godzilla has us humans franticly clamoring about when this disturbance in the water causes some industrial damage. Not knowing what to make of it, political officials struggle throwing solutions around trying to control and remedy the situation before it worsens. That is until a creature manifests with ungodly destruction. It is then our politicians must decide the fate of the monster and of Tokyo, nonetheless, any vulnerable city ripe for ruin. And if they don’t decide quick, another foreign power house will and the results will be catastrophic.

Shin Godzilla let’s off heat early on, opening the majority of the movie for us to watch and listen to important figures make important decisions. How exactly would scientists and government officials react to handle a situation involving innocent lives that demand a response? Each individual represents a respective department but not so much a character, so they reflect a whole department serving as their character trait. Like how the chain of command is used or a Biologist worrying about his image before making an accusation or an interpreter speaking on the behalf of the President.

Godzilla is horrific and monstrous. Retaining his iconic screech, the new look offers new terror as he sluggishly stampedes through Tokyo. It is epic and devastating to see Godzilla leave destruction around his massive presence. There is something more costly to his devastation this time than other previous iterations. His effect on the city below his feet has more weight and severe consequences. This is reinforced by the awareness of costs of damage and images of innocent people scrambling about. The military goes to great lengths to rid the behemoth. But Godzilla is an intimidating, indestructible force. In contrast, it shows how humans can be monsters as well. To nature itself and to each other. From dumping waste in the ocean to dropping bombs on cities’ foreheads. Almost as if Godzilla is the waking life form for nature to retaliate.

To continue, Godzilla is a natural disaster in physical form. Japan suffered a massive earthquake in 2011 that also cause radiation leakage. In the midst of chaos, people needed to evacuate. Shin Godzilla focused on those who were in charge of regulating the population on information and what is required to do for safety without causing additional harm. But you can’t control chaos. Nor nature. It is then officials realize let go of the textbook, the regulations, protocols, and barriers and let the populace decide what is best to do to survive in a natural disaster.

It is unfortunate we will not be getting a sequel to Shin Godzilla. Thanks to a contract signed for Godzilla being part the MonsterVerse in America and not being allowed to work on any new material for that time period. With this movie being a reboot not sure how Toho will continue their Godzilla legacy especially after the mild cliffhanger at the end. Too bad, I would like to have seen it.

Overall, Shin Godzilla can be a bit overwhelming due to the fast paced story which requires you to read subtitles quickly. It’s better not worrying about who is who first time round as it would just aggravate the viewing experience. I think the movie could have been slimmed down a bit from it’s two hour run time. It seemed they were focusing on the government’s procedures in a moment of chaos to an immediate problem and makes Shin Godzilla a bit of satire. As intriguing as it was, I could have used less of it.

Still, Shin Godzilla remains a stand out in the long running kaiju series.

Sound of Metal (2019)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Sound of Metal – IMDB

Sound of Metal (2019) di Darius Marder - Recensione | Quinlan.it

It terrifies me to lose one of my senses. Films like Sound of Metal truly leaves a lasting impression on you, making you re-appreciate what you have not lost. I thank all of those involved. There are a couple family members in my family that are deaf and it pops in my mind every now and then what if I were deaf and had to read subtitles for everything? What if I had to place my hand on a speaker to hear music? Or how will I wake in the morning to my alarm?

Placing myself into shoes without hearing would cause a lot of shock to me. Perhaps a similar reaction to what was displayed by Academy Award Nominated Riz Ahmed as Ruben. He was full of shock and denial from the loss of his hearing. In the midst of a tour for the metal head duo to rapidly losing hearing is a scary thing to behold. For living like a gypsy in an RV with his one and only, Lou, I wanted the best for him, to pull through and make it big somehow. Ruben was looking for a way to reverse the symptoms and take back his old life. Anything was better than living as a drummer who couldn’t hear his own beats. He was determined to find every way imaginable to fix the lack of sound hitting his ear drum. It’s not easy though and there are troubles with finding acceptance. This story is about Ruben finding his peace. And once it is lost, is sound really worth getting back? If by means you force something unnatural to a natural occurrence in life. This could only distort and fragment what you thought you truly wanted. Going back to the life you knew is a dangerous game, especially thinking picking up where you left off will be a cinch. But life rolls on and holding on could be an addiction.

Ruben goes through a spiritual, not a religious, experience when church bells ring to a sound of metal. Serenity is held in absolute silence. And some can not experience that let alone they sacrifice a moment for soothing silence through the ear canal. It is this experience that brings Ruben to complete solace and understanding. To finally sit, no more fighting to the change brought into his life, and so welcomes a new future. A fully new appreciation to the offers of life. Life can still be beautiful. It’s up to how you’re willing to drum along. Rock on.

Drunken Master (1978)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Drunken Master – IMDB

Drunken master (1978) - Yuen Wo Ping | ジャッキーチェン, 映画 ポスター, 映画

Jackie inspired many filmmakers and martial artists alike. Drunken Master is one of those golden examples. Focuses on a young man who is mischievous and arrogant. However, his life takes a round house kick when his punishments catch up to him and his father hires a drunkard to train his son. Drunken Master is mainly focused on Jackie becoming a better man, a better fighter. With the apprentice learning you can’t always get out of a situation by lying or hiding. And you may not be the best at facing your problems either. In a key moment when he becomes demasculinized and must crawl beneath dominance looming over him in order for Jackie to find his humble self. It’s here when he takes pride in learning and overcoming his foes. There are many fight scenes to the point it’s almost exhausting. But it’s quirky, the showdowns have fun with themselves. Never straying too far into the drama. There many jokes jabbing to one other mid fight and many slapstick humor that will hardly leave anyone displeased. And the fights are heavily clever and delightful, encouraging your reaction to be no less than Owen Wilson’s “Wow.” Drunken Master is persistent in it’s entertainment and the humor is highly expressionistic leaving you feeling like you’re not wasting your time watching a quirky kung fu movie. The sequel is just as good.

Heart and Souls (1993)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Heart and Souls (1993) – IMDB

Rent Heart and Souls (1993) on DVD and Blu-ray - DVD Netflix

Knowing if I were to browse the various mediums of movie streaming, half hour would float by, and I would impulsively hit play to preserve the time I had left in my life. (God forbid I’d be a wondering soul looking for a movie to watch.) Fumbling through my personal collection, I notice two copied movies that have been neglected, trapped in their own individual paper envelopes. One being We’re the Millers and the other titled Heart and Souls. Already had I taken a trip with the Miller’s to score some pot, I went with the latter for not knowing much about it and basically because I haven’t seen it.

So, let’s talk about Heart and Souls. In the most effortless way of describing the story, a man is followed by four ghosts, souls, what-have-you. He is their link to accomplishing the four lost souls’ tasks. Being thirty years later, there have been number of movies like this. Rom-coms, ghostly-comedic-boohoos that have a focus on the dead’s transfiguration or the Man upstairs waving his hand for those in need of a second chance. Down to Earth and Ghost Town come to mind. Interesting to think why this theme is so common. Perhaps we’re not ready to let go. There’s a fear among us where we need closure, can’t leave any loose threads. For those we love or acts we seem to never fully see through.

The tunes featured in this feature blends a feeling of 50’s and feeling comfortably settled within the domain of the 90’s. You have the doo-wops complimenting the traditional 90’s violin-feel-good that you’d expect in a heart warming motion picture that represents the time period all to well. I will say now and may say again, 1990’s movies are the feel good, most wholesome of a generation. Big claim, I know. Considering the full spectrum of a decade, this is the most consistent. Special mention when the group fancies themselves into their own doo-wop of “Walk Like a Man”.

As for stand outs, they all work with one another. Some play harder in the presence of the story, however they all take equal share as the movie progresses. Despite the predictability, Heart and Souls is a fun ride we become invested in to solve the spirits’ last request; as one departs after the next we want these marooned spirits to fulfill their last wishes. Some are more expectant than others, but in the end, you can’t go wrong with a little wholesomeness drizzled with some sap.

Heart and Souls is a charming movie, perfected for the rainy Sunday afternoon. Whether we’re searching for the comfort of unsaid words with loved ones or simply the enjoyment of the afterlife presenting a humorous perspective of our physical lives, Heart and Souls safely delivers what it’s set out to do. With souls having an inner body experience with Robert Downey Jr. and some cheesiness along the way, this turns out to be a heartwarming movie about being with those you love. What else do you expect from a flick from 1993?

Little Nicky (2000)

Posted on by Talk Movies to Me

Little Nicky (2000) – IMDB

Little Nicky on Apple TV

Eh, not the worst Adam Sandler movie, I liked it, but tries a little too hard. Little Nicky has all your favorite pals here from Sandler’s cinematic family we’ve come accustomed to, even some unforgettable cameos. Devilish gags poking it’s harmless fork at heaven and hell. Not all jokes land however, they run a little too long like Little Nicky’s shoveled face and voice for the entire flick or just some jokes that sizzles out and is just not that funny. With that said, the premise of Satan’s son being sent to capture in a flask two of his brothers and bring them back to hell is fun enough to watch along with the metal-head, masochistic duo, the roommate, and the dog. In addition, some pleasant surprise of cameos.

The romance subplot is nearly forgettable between our repressed, devil spawn and an earthling. It’s uninteresting and kind of distracts from the story, however it shows Lil’ Nicky’s more sensible side (if he didn’t seem sensitive enough already). Still, Sandler shares screen time with yet another beauty and makes for a casual date night flick even if it is underused. It’s pretty much just “there”.

Seeing this was a box office failure, I can tell they put a lot of money into the music, special effects, sets, and including cameos. The special effects shows it’s time for sure, but most money was wasted on the music. They may use nearly five seconds of a song before they cut it for various reasons. For example one scene starts with Foo Fighter’s The Pretender, cuts away to something funny, then begins Pardon Me by Incubus, which quickly burns out. No song here is played along enough to create a feeling, a jam, or entertaining quality to enjoy. I wish they chose a few songs opposed to many and hear them play out respectively.

For fans of Adam Sandler and co, Little Nicky is still an entertaining movie that isn’t the best but is unique in it’s premise compared to Sandler’s other creations. Some gags are better than others like when Nicky is forced against his will and gives a lady the finger and says remorsefully “I’m Sorry”. Or when the Gatekeeper has a bit of naughty time with his hairy friend is wierdly funny. Also, there’s a beloved Chris Farley reference at the end which is funny on multiple levels that made my tummy tickle (God rest his lively soul). I’d likely rewatch flicks like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore compared to this but still, not bad for casual viewing.