You've seen the memes. Y'all know what it is. Here's my quick review of Bird Box.
This movie is better than I was expecting. I was expecting a movie with a goofy half-assed premise and no thrill and what I got was a surprisingly suspenseful flick with great performances from Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Sarah Polley (who unfortunately isn't in it for long) and Trevante Rhodes (if you haven't seen Moonlight, I HIGHLY recommend you see this because he's in it and he's fantastic). In fact, I would go as far to say that Trevante Rhodes steals the show and proves that he is truly a star in the making. That's not to say that Sandra Bullock doesn't put in a compelling performance as the badass Malorie because she absolutely does. Is this a perfect movie? No, the script is uneven, some of the writing is just plain bad, some parts move really slow, and parts of this movie reminds me more of a glorified (and better) version of The Happening (which I guess is actually a compliment?). But as far as a memorable movie goes, it lingered with me long after I had seen it, which I think is a true measure of its memorability. There are plenty of scares and suspense and, while it may not be seen as a classic so to speak, it's an unforgettable modern-day horror flick that's better than the average 21st century horror movie. PSA: Please don't do the "Bird Box" challenge. It's dangerous and foolish and might get you killed. End of PSA. Rating: 7.2/10
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Halloween is upon us and there are plenty of Halloween films to watch and enjoy! However, growing up, I didn't really watch a whole lot of Halloween films, so all of the following family-oriented films I've only watched for the first time within the last three years or so (and the last two I've only seen in the last two days). Bring on the reviews! Also: mild spoiler alert!
Many many many many people love Halloween and Halloween-oriented movies. I'll be honest, I was never too crazy about Halloween until about 2-3 years ago and as a result I've missed out on a lot of the so-called classics. The films I'm reviewing in this review are not super scary gory slasher flicks, but rather family-purposed films that everyone can enjoy. Two of the films I'm reviewing are bonafide well-loved cult classics that I watched for the first time within the last three years (Hocus Pocus and Nightmare Before Christmas) and the other two I watched in the last two days while I was sick and home from work (Return to Oz and The Witches). Each movie will be rated on two scales: a boo factor (how scary/creepy is it) and an overall rating (is it a quality movie?). The movies will be listed from worst to best. And please, remember that these are MY opinions and I know a lot of people will not necessarily share the same views on a couple of these. Hocus Pocus (1993) - Okay, so I KNOW a lot of people really like this film, maybe goes as far to say that they LOVE this film. Honestly, I don't really get the love or the hype. Granted I didn't see this movie until two years ago and maybe it's a nostalgia thing, but I ended up feeling very unsatisfied by it. I will say, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are ICONIC as the Sanderson sisters and I think their acting is pretty decent for the most part, maybe a little over the top at times, but that also comes with the territory of the movie so I'll forgive that. What I CAN'T forgive is the terrible story, the awful script, and the dreadful pacing. I'm sorry, but this is not a good movie. Things would happen where I would go "why did that happen, that makes no sense". The story goes all over the place and is a complete directionless mess. The child actors are atrocious. There's nothing scary about this movie whatsoever (except how bad it is), although I don't think the point of this movie was to ever scare anyone. While it holds a special nostalgic place in many people's hearts, I can't get behind this movie nor do I think I will ever go out of my way to watch this movie again. It captures the Halloween spirit well enough though, it's just...not a good...movie. Boo factor: 0/10 Rating: 2.5/10 The Witches (1990) - Based off of Roald Dahl's book, I had heard a lot about this movie for a while, so I figured the Halloween season would be the perfect time to watch it. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Anjelica Huston does a fantastic job as the Grand High Witch. You can clearly tell that she's having the time of her life being over the top. Jasen Fisher, who plays Luke, also does a great job, avoiding the dreaded bad child acting trope. Not only does this movie delivers on the scares but it also goes into really grotesque territory. Three moments that really stuck out to me: when the Grand High Witch takes off her mask to reveal her monstrous true self, when Bruno transforms into a mouse due to the potion that the witches gave to him, and when all the witches transform into mice near the end (which honestly is damn near nauseating). I can see how, if I were a child, these moments would be really frightening. The puppetry used in the film is exceptionally good thanks to the Jim Henson company (Fun fact: this was the last film that Jim Henson was involved with before his death). The story is engaging and fun, a unique take on a concept that has been around for hundreds of years. There were a couple moments in the film that probably could've been cut out completely and I wouldn't have missed it, like the affair between the maid and the hotel manager (which didn't further the plot at all). Also, the ending seemed wildly out of place and forced and just didn't work in my opinion. It seems like it was ONLY put in there so the film could wrap up with a "happy" ending. In fact, Dahl himself hated the ending of the movie as it deviates from the book's ending completely. Aside from a couple bumps in the road, this movie is a fun Halloween treat and I would definitely recommend giving this movie a watch. Boo factor: 6/10 Rating: 8/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - I know people are OBSESSED with this one and there's so much Jack Skellington memorabilia out there it makes my head spin. A Halloween favorite, Christmas classic, and Emo sacred text all in one. Funnily enough, I didn't see this movie until about three years ago either so I'm really late to the party. One thing that stood out to me immediately is the animation style. First of all, I really like stop-motion animation, primarily because of just how impressive it looks and how much work goes into making and producing it. Second of all, the animation in this movie still looks fantastic, which is saying a lot considering this movie is 25 years old. Granted, stop-motion animation has come a long way since then (don't believe me, just watch Kubo and the Two Strings), but it still holds up great to today's standards. Another thing I especially liked is the music. Danny Elfman's iconic score and songs are still referenced by my friends and my wife to this day and I can't blame them either - they're pretty catchy (also Danny Elfman is an excellent singer, just wanted to throw that out there). The story is solid and unique, the characters are pretty memorable, there's a couple of mild scares (especially with Oogie Boogie), and the pacing is pretty zippy for the most part. Although personally I feel like it's not something I would rewatch over and over again, I will agree that it is an enjoyable film and I can see why many people love this movie. Boo factor: 3/10 Rating: 8.3/10 Return to Oz (1985) - I think the last time I watched Wizard of Oz all the way through was junior year of college, and I've only seen that movie twice all the way through. Is it a 10/10? Absolutely. Cinematically, it is a masterpiece. Is it my cup of tea though? No, and it's not a movie that I'd ever go out of my way to see. However, I feel much differently about Return to Oz. Return to Oz is the unofficial sequel to Wizard of Oz, taking place six months after the events in the first movie. Dorothy is now a melancholic insomniac who only thinks about Oz, and after being almost brainwashed by a sadistic doctor, is whisked away back to Oz where she finds new friends and enemies and must save Oz from total annihilation. Just from that quick synopsis you can tell that this is a completely different movie from the 1939 classic. From beginning to end, the tone is significantly darker and the atmosphere is eerie and creepy. Long gone are the bright and vibrant colors of the Emerald City and the Yellow Brick Road. Even though this movie is advertised as a family film, I know that as a child this would've given me nightmares. The nightmare fuel: the Wheelers, the Nome King's hellish transformation, the heads and headless body of Princess Mombi, all of which are frightening and sinister. Seriously, watching the scene where Dorothy awakens all of the heads of Princess Mombi in the hallway and the sight of the headless body springing up awake to give Dorothy chase was a sickening and hair raising experience. Also, it should be noted that this is a DISNEY film. As in, Disney financially backed, produced, and released this film. A very odd choice for Disney, but it also proved to be a disaster for Disney as it was a box office flop. However, regardless of how much of a box office flop this movie was, I actually liked this movie a lot. I appreciated the darker tone of the story and the fact that it stayed tonally consistent. I really liked the performance of Fairuza Balk as Dorothy and I think she played a much better Dorothy than Judy Garland, not that her performance was bad but I just liked this version of Dorothy better. I liked that Dorothy was portrayed as the strong-willed hero and the savior/protector rather than a wide-eyed worrisome damsel in distress. The special effects are particularly good, especially for the Nome King, designed and animated by the legendary Will Vinton. The character designs and set pieces are imaginative, striking, and dreary, but they work perfectly for the story. I liked most of the new characters introduced, like Jack Pumpkinhead and Tik Tok. Sure, they're not as iconic as the Cowardly Lion or the Scarecrow, but I think they're able to hold their own nonetheless. What surprised me was that there were some genuine emotional moments in here, some of which caught me off guard because I just wasn't expecting it in this particular movie. I loved that nothing was predictable in this movie. I wasn't able to sit there and easily guess what was going to happen next because it would take frequent sharp turns, leaving me a willing participant in this wild ride of a movie. Is this a perfect movie? No, as some of the writing is questionable and some things I feel are glazed over and not explained as thoroughly as I'd like. But, and this is a Bold Statement here, I would watch Return to Oz again before I'd watch Wizard of Oz again. Boo factor: 8/10 Rating: 9/10 I am not a horror movie enthusiast in the slightest. However, I heard so much positive buzz about this movie from my friends (and the critics) that I had to watch it for myself. It is without a doubt one of the best movies of 2018. Here are my thoughts on A Quiet Place.
I've only seen a handful of horror movies in my lifetime, partially because I get scared very easily and I don't stomach horror movies very well. On that very short list includes movies like The Shining, It Follows, and Poltergeist, each of which is a quality movie with genuine scares, excellent performances, and an engaging story. Joining that list now is A Quiet Place, a movie directed by John Krasinski, who many people know as the lovable Jim Halpert from The Office. As stated before, many of my friends recommended this movie to me, so I went in with high expectations. Needless to say, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Basic plot: a family must live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. First thing that stuck out to me was the absence of sound, which plays a pivotal role in the context of the film due to the monsters ability to hear really well. The family must live in complete silence because any sort of noise will immediately attract the monsters. However, Krasinski takes that concept and applies it as one of the major themes throughout the film. Regan, the eldest daughter, is deaf and whenever we focus on her the sound is completely cut out so we can understand what she hears (which is nothing). It adds to the tension that's built around her because she's not aware of what's around her due to her hearing impairment. It's a brilliant move on Krasinski's part, creating a suspenseful atmosphere and allowing us to understand Regan and her struggles. It should also be noted that there is very little music, used as nothing more than ornamentation and adding to the theme of absence of sound. However, whenever Marco Beltrami's score does happen, it punctuates the creepy atmosphere of the film perfectly. There's also only two scenes with dialogue, but those two scenes are pivotal scenes and foreshadow what's to come for the Abbott family. Speaking of foreshadowing, this film goes to incredible lengths establishing foreshadowing for the rest of the film. From the cochlear implants to those two scenes of conversation to the basement, everything plays an important role in the film. The way everything is foreshadowed and structured almost resembles Signs, another great suspenseful film (yes, it is a good movie and no one can tell me any differently or change my mind). Another great theme that resounds throughout the film is the theme of family. The Abbott family is a very close knit family, considering that they are all that they have in their world. Lee is the survivalist of the family, making sure that he can provide for and protect his family. Evelyn is the nurturing mother as well as family doctor, looking out for the best interests for her husband and her children. Regan is the guilt-ridden teenage daughter, blaming herself for an accident that took place at the very beginning of the movie. Marcus is the eldest son who is being groomed to be the protector of the household. All four have an important part to play in the movie and each have their moment to shine. They're more than just stereotypical one-dimensional damsels in distress. They are well fleshed out characters that are enriched in bountiful amounts of depth, strength, and emotion. Their family is all they have so even through thick and thin they must stick together, something that is illustrated repeatedly throughout the course of the film. The best part of this film hands down is the acting. While Krasinski is great as Lee, it is Emily Blunt who gets the MVP of the movie, successfully running through the whole gamut of emotions as the pregnant Evelyn. This may seem a bit too informal, but my god, she is such a good actress and honestly extremely underrated. I don't know how she hasn't won 3 Oscars by this point because I am of the belief that she is one of the best actresses right now. Every scene where she was fleeing and hiding from the monsters contained some of the best acting that I've seen this year alone, and while there will probably be no awards thrown her way for her performance, it's at least Golden Globe worthy in my opinion. However, I can't forget the two other leads-Noah Jupe as Marcus and Millicent Simmonds as Regan. I know I have discussed this to great lengths before, but even though there are better than average performances, most child actor performances fall into either one of two categories: really really good or really really bad. Obviously, Jupe and Simmonds fall into the former, each delivering a stirring and emotive performance as the Abbott children. I though Jupe was great in Wonder and I found him to be even better in A Quiet Place. If Emily Blunt was the MVP, then Millicent Simmonds is the runner-up. Her performance was incredible, and even though not one word was said by her, no words needed to be said. Her defiant scenes with Krasinski were the best in my opinion, holding her own through the effective use of American Sign Language and body language. The fact that Krasinski cast a deaf actress as opposed to a non-deaf actress portraying a deaf character goes to show just how much thought was put into making this film. While I don't know how much we'll be seeing her in the future, Simmonds' casting in this particular film was one of the best decisions that could've been made. If there's any knock I would make on this film, it's the fact there's way too much lens flare for my taste. Of course, it probably doesn't help that Michael Bay, master of over usage of lens flare, produced the film, but hey, at least there isn't an obnoxious amount of explosions, poorly timed crude humor, bad CGI, and cleavage. Other than that, this movie is brilliantly shot. The movie is a master work on how to tell a horror story visually rather than bog it down with unnecessary jump scares and expositing. The fluent use of ASL and body language further strengthens the visual storytelling, successfully letting the audience know how everyone feels about the situation and each other without even saying a word. Lastly, this movie packs an emotional wallop, something I wasn't expecting at all, so much so that I did shed a tear (maybe a few honestly). It's all the genius of John Krasinski, who has delivered one of the best movies of 2018 by far. Through strong emotionally rich performances, well-crafted suspense and tension, and a dynamite and creative story, A Quiet Place should go down as one of the most ingenious and unique horror movies of at least the past decade. Rating: 9.8/10 |
AuthorBuster Bigelow: 30 year old lover of movies, cinema, and music. Whether you agree or disagree with my reviews, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Archives
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