AUGUST 2020 Films (50) Books (6) Continued

 


BLAIR WITCH 2

Not what you would expect from a sequel to Blair Witch!  An interesting group of characters to watch.  I really enjoyed the film for what it is but I was looking at it as a Blair Witch film.  This is just as a horror film set in the same wood with some interesting plot twists.


WINGS OF DESIRE

An incredibly profound statement on death, life and the human condition.  Some of the best cinematography and directing I have ever seen in black and white.



THE COLLECTOR

An interesting slasher film with a bad first 30 minutes.  The film comes into its own once it becomes a break in film mixed with a slasher film!


THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE

A fun but silly film that is well made and entertaining.


ALL HALLOWS' EVE

A great origin story in an alright film by a very talented filmmaker.


HOUSE OF WAX

The town of wax is the best part of this film and some incredible practical effects.


TERRIFIER

An excellent slasher film with ART THE CLOWN stealing the show!!!


LOVECRAFT COUNTRY

An interesting idea.  I wish we followed an unfolding story that went on for episodes I do not like the horror story of the week format.  The acting is great but the stories seem stretched and disconnected.




LEONARDO: THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST PORTRAIT

The film was fascinating as a look at an artist's signature and technique in painting and it is something I would love to learn more about.



GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH

An excellent look at the Game of Thrones set.


54

A solid character study and a story about falling and getting back up again.  "54" is about finding yourself and what really matters.


THE NICE GUYS

A great script but something is missing here!  Though these two actors are excellent their chemistry is off.  It is not quite a "KISS KISS BANG BANG" nor is it dull.  The ending climax is probably the best.


THREADS

I have studies nuclear weapons for a project before and "THREADS" is by far the most terrifying depiction of them on film I have ever seen...it is realistic and stunning.


HIGH SEAS: SEASON 3

This season is short and more then likely effected by the Covid 19 pandemic.  It is not quite on the level of the other two seasons and you sense that we are getting more and more ridiculous.


EDEN LAKE

It is neither charming or fun, this film is sort of a hopeless kill fest with no interesting hook.


FALL ANGELS

A gorgeous film that takes advantage of wide-angle lenses for close-ups.  This is one of the best low-budget crime thriller love stories I have ever seen.  Wong Kar-wai is a master filmmaker as he is able to capture feeling, character, and beautiful visual moments that actually hold meaning.


THE VOW

Wow, a scary hellish nightmare documentary series that is almost unbelievable, one must wonder if the main voices in the documentary know more than they are saying.


JO JO RABBIT

Not really my film.  It is not as funny or charming as the writer/director's other work.  It may be the subject matter.


THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS

Amazing technique in directing does not help the film be less boring but Welles is a legend and his later work is more engaging and he deserves the recognition.


JOHN WAS TRYING THE CONTACT ALIENS

Amazingly heart-warming story about A LIFE LONG PASSION, hope and aging.


LA NOTE

ANTONIONI delivers on developing interesting characters and beautiful examinations of them.


MY BLOODY VALENTINE

Fun but not necessarily a film I would return to due to 1) some very bad acting and 2) a boring plot.


HALLOWEEN 6

A great cast with some creepy moments makes for an enjoyable film.


BRIGHTBURN

A film that does not capture the fun of a comic book or the fun of a horror film.  

It is bleak and has incredible moments but it is not something to return to unfortunately.  The ending credits deliver what everyone wanted the whole film a fun time watching a little nut job destroying the planet and we all laugh and say "damn, look at that little guy go!"


ROAD TRIP

A very funny film that is a little gross.


DEVIL

A small film that is able to be thrilling in a tight space with fantastic characters.


CRY WOLF

A fun film that is able to capture the teen horror idea but is not as FUN as many others.  I have learned that a horror film has to try to be FUN and SCARY and it is hard to balance but MOST rewarding when both happen.


COME TO DADDY

An interesting film that has some GREAT horror moments of torture and more.  The film gets the most points in both its SCRIPT, PERFORMANCES and directing.  This is worth watching.


COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA

A film about the difficulties of marriage, alcoholism and aging.  It is inspiring in the end and beautiful.


CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

An unbelievable screenplay from the play by Tennessee Williams that absolutely left me speechless, this is one of the best films I honestly feel I have ever seen.


BODY BAGS

John Carpenter's acting steals the show in this anthology.


THE WIFE

Excellence in every depertment.


HOTEL PACIFIC

A film that makes us really understand the skill a person in the restaurant industry truly needs to poses.


THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

An excellent cowboy picture, fun for a SUNDAY afternoon.  You really get into these characters over the course of these long flowing epic cowboy/war/samurai pictures.


GALLIPOLI

 A passionately made film that is able to capture the spirit of youth and the horrors of war.


THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

A beautiful film that is held together by terrific performances, beautiful directing and cinematography.


HEART AND SOULS

A fun RDJ vehicle that captures a family film feeling into a unique romantic comedy.


GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKER'S JOURNEY

A wonderful look at a major director, deeply effected by the second world war.


JASON X

A strange sci-fi cross over that has a few funny and cool ideas.


PUNPKINHEAD

A satisfying teen horror film that really kicks in when the plot starts to go.


CAST A DEADLY SPELL

A fun noir film that uses cosmic horror themes.


ALWAYS

A beautiful film that captures the heart of a relationship.


JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

A fun film that is absolutely worth watching.


BEHIND THE MASK THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON

A great look at the SLASHER FILM genre in a funny and creates mockumentary way.


CAPONE

A good film that works due to an incredibly strong lead performance by TOM HARDY.

KLUTE

An amazingly strong thriller story that is intimate, tight and sexy.


SPY GAME

A cool film that is slow in some places but works due to its two lead actors.


JEEPERS CREEPERS 2

An amazingly fun horror story that realizes...a ridiculous concept that does not need realism can also be funny, scary and exciting!


HOUSE OF D

A brilliantly made film that is a little long at the end but has everything going for it.


RICHARD JEWELL

Wow.  I really did not think that I would enjoy this film as much as I did but Clint Eastwood is a master filmmaker.


THE UNIVERSAL STORY

An amazing book to read about the history of Universal Studios.


I, CLAUDIUS

An entertaining and funny book that illustrates much about the time and place.  The amazing ROMAN EMPIRE.


THE 7 HABITS OF THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

A book that is about PRIORITIES and how to balance the most important tasks in a day to achieve and relaxation, family and most importantly health!


ELEVATION

A good book with excellent characters.


CELINE JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT

An amazing book about masculinity.


TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

Virginia Woolf was so beautifully able to create abstract moments mean so much in the real world.