Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Dr. Whom]

WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! (2018): Matvey goes to Andrey's apartment with a hammer, intent on killing him, but finds the task harder than he bargained for; flashbacks explain why the young man is trying to kill this stranger. Memorable gruesome melees, a truly despicable villain or two, and a heaping helping of twists and suspense make this ultraviolent Russian thriller, mostly set in a single apartment, a noteworthy low budget debut for writer/director Kirill Sokolov. He should move on to bigger things; with the way he directs fight scenes, I wouldn't be shocked if Hollywood called.  4/5.

I was planning to see that in the Brussels BIFFF festival, but the corona virus decided otherwise

[FatFreddysCat]

"Religulous" (2008)
Stand-up comic, talk show host, and noted skeptic Bill Maher wonders why the world still clings to religion in this sarcastic pseudo-documentary, in which he travels the world and talks to a variety of people of many faiths. His conclusion: no matter if it's Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, or whatever, religion in and of itself is pretty much insane. I doubt that Maher has ever been very popular among the devout, and "Religulous" certainly won't change that, but if you've ever questioned your faith (or anyone else's), it makes for an interesting, funny (and occasionally frightening) 90 minutes.

[Rev. Powell]

VAMPIRE BURT'S SERENADE (2020): Burlesque stars and drag queens team up to defeat a douchey vampire, singing forgettable songs along the way. Who would have guessed that someday Kevin Richardson would be working with even weaker material than he did in the Backstreet Boys? In it's defense there are a few chuckles and the ending is exciting and gory, if you can make it that far. And it is free on Amazon Prime. 1/5

[Rev. Powell]

COME TO DADDY (2019): A recovering alcoholic (Elijah Wood, in a bad haircut and pornstache) receives a letter from the father who abandoned him as a child and goes to visit him at his remote beach house; of course, all is not as it seems. Begins as a drama, slowly introduces black comedy elements, and ends as a thriller; too slow to get started, but gains momentum with the third act twist. Stephen McHattie is great as the crusty alcoholic, but unfortunately not on screen enough. Also free on Amazon Prime. 3/5.

[pacman000]

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Needed a patriotic film. Capra's drama of the U.S Senate pits an idealistic young man against a corrupt political machine, which puts him in power as a stooge, then tries top break him when he finds out the truth.

Something about the soundtrack: scenes with Smith & his supporters use bits of American standards, like Yankee Doodle & My Darling Clementine; scenes focused on the Taylor Machine use more modern music.

[indianasmith]

EXPOSURE (2018) - A young couple, James and Mira, head up to his grandparents' cabin in the mountains to spend a secluded holiday and patch up their shaky marriage.  Little do they realize a malignant, lurking force there will turn them against one another and transform James into a monster.

This one looked promising, but was honestly very slow in developing, and short on explanation.  Was the malignant, transforming force alien in origin, or supernatural?  Why did Mira come back when she had nearly escaped?  Overall, not terrible, but not great, either.  2.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

IN FABRIC (2018): What appear to be a coven of witches working at an upscale department store sell a cursed dress first to a bank teller divorcee; the "artery red" frock later passes to a washing machine repairman and his fiancee. Enter the "prism of retail" in this strange horror/comedy/satire from Peter Strickland; the combination of dry and absurd humor mixed with stylish surreal horror may not be for everyone, but if you're in the target demographic, you won't need a hard sell. 3.5/5.

[indianasmith]

TRAIN TO BUSAN - I had heard of this movie for several years; last night I finally decided to give it a watch and I was not disappointed.  Most of the movie takes place aboard the titular locomotive; as the train is leaving the station, an infected girl stumbles aboard and soon the train is crawling with bloodthirsty zombies as a handful of passengers try to survive.  Well developed characters, intense survival drama, and some pretty spooky zombies of the "rage virus" variety make for an excellent viewing!  5/5

[claws]

Doctor Sleep (2019)

The Shining's Danny "Doc" Torrance is all grown up but his life is a mess. Things get more complicated when he befriends a teenage girl also gifted with the shining. When the girl interferes with an evil group of energy eating "psychics" Danny must return to the Overlook hotel one more time.

Technically Doctor Sleep is great with amazing stuff going on. Whenever they recreated moments from Kubrick's The Shining with lookalike actors (Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers and the creepy twins) it gave the movie a cheap feel that just didn't sit right. Besides that, the big showdown was actually pretty weak in my opinion. I will have to rewatch the theatrical version, and will watch the extended director's cut as well before I'll give Doctor Sleep a rating.

[Rev. Powell]

CAN'T KILL THIS [AKA f**k YOU IMMORTALITY] (2019): An old hippie couple tries to track down an old friend, who, it seems is unable to die. Sometimes amusing quirky comedy, but brought down by some weak performances, and with serious tone issues--you wouldn't normally expect this much silly gore in an elderly stoner comedy, and no one was asking for that cynical ending. 2/5.

[Trevor]

CAN'T KILL THIS [AKA f**k YOU IMMORTALITY] (2019): An old hippie couple tries to track down an old friend, who, it seems is unable to die. Sometimes amusing quirky comedy, but brought down by some weak performances, and with serious tone issues--you wouldn't normally expect this much silly gore in an elderly stoner comedy, and no one was asking for that cynical ending. 2/5.

Just that title makes me 

[Trevor]

I watched Welcome Home, Soldier Boys on Youtube the other day: weird flick indeed.

[Rev. Powell]

JESUS SHOWS YOU THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY (2019): A CIA agent (who also happens to be a hunchbacked dwarf and pizza connoisseur) accepts a mission to go into "Psychobook" to combat the virus "Stalin" released by the Soviet Union. Meet the President of Ethiopia (a kung fu supervillain) and Jesus himself inside this virtual reality world inside which is itself nestled in an alternate reality where the Cold War never ended, and technology is simultaneously stuck in the 1990s and decades ahead of where we are today. You've never seen anything quite like this absurdist psychological thriller/camp comedy. 4.5/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984)
Prequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" sends Dr. Jones, his kid sidekick, and a ditzy nightclub singer (future Mrs. Spielberg Kate Capshaw) into battle against an ancient Indian death cult. This non-stop action film is darker and has a way bigger mean streak than the first "Indy" film --  some scenes of mayhem were so over-the-top and horrific that it led to the creation of the PG-13 rating!

[Rev. Powell]

SEVEN STAGES TO ACHIEVE ETERNAL BLISS (2018): Claire and Paul figure out why their new L.A. apartment's rent is so low: their bathtub is a sacred site for a bizarre cult whose members break in to commit suicide there. Moderately amusing black comedy that lacks a killer instinct. 2.5/5.