At the Movies with Kane and BN

[chintai80]

Now having seen it... I'll say this about Almost Famous... kinda overrated.

 

[DKDetective]

I think I'm almost done with 2000... but I must ask before I make things final, any recs that flew under the radar?

@kvz5 @flickchick85 @Black Narcissus

Some of my faves of that year (in no particular order):

Memento
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Chopper
American Psycho
Gladiator
Almost Famous
In the Mood for Love
The Way of the Gun
Snatch
Shadow of the Vampire
Best in Show
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Unbreakable
You Can Count on Me
George Washington

Because I have not seen these mentioned, I thought I should mention these films to round out the list:
Pitch Black
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
The Contender (includes a pretty prophetic portrayal of a Mitch McConnell-esque villain by Gary Oldman)
Chocolat
Nurse Betty
Thirteen Days

 

[Kane52630]

The Devil All the Time

A mostly decent Southern Gothic noir that deals with backwood fanaticism and vengeance in the rust belt. Thematically it's got more in common to something like The Place Beyond the Pines only it's not nearly as engaging or well paced. It's pretty dark and full of doom and gloom. I will say the cast is stacked and almost all of them deliver a solid performance (especially from Bill Skarsgard & Robert Pattinson). It's directed and shot really well. The narration structure of the movie kinda gets in the way because at times it felt like a slideshow of a movie rather than living in it. Overall, while it's a solid movie with a solid cast, it could've been much better and lot shorter.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Antebellum

A socially conscious horror film in the vein of Get Out that fumbles the execution. Without spoiling it, I like the idea they were tying to go for, but structurally the script needed a better way to deliver what the movie was trying to say in a more clever way. It starts off really well, but it hard shifts away from the momentum to do something else until it comes back. While I enjoyed some parts of the middle it doesn't flow together as well. I will say I really liked Janelle Monae in this and Kiersey Clemons and Gabourey Sidibe were also really good. Despite the script, the direction and cinematography was excellent and I loved the shot at the very end. Overall, it's adds up as a horror movie that had the potential to be so much better than what it end up being.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Lost Girls & Love Hotels

A solid atmospheric mood piece set in Tokyo that deals with loneliness and addiction. For the most part it feels like a mash up between Lost in Translation and Fifty Shades of Grey. Alexandra Daddario proves herself here with her performance. I thought she was great as well as Takehiro Hira. The atmospheric cinematography does add a lot to the movie and William Olsson did a wonderful job directing it. My only issue with the movie is it doesn't go nearly as deep as it wants to. Catherine Hanrahan who wrote the novel also wrote this screenplay and you can kinda tell it didn't translate as well as she hoped. It ends up a bit hallow, but mostly decent in terms of character study. Overall, I really dug it, but this could've been much better.
3.5/5

 

[kvz5]

I think I'm almost done with 2000... but I must ask before I make things final, any recs that flew under the radar?

@kvz5 @flickchick85 @Black Narcissus

So I thought I responded to this but I guess I forgot to post it. I don't think there's anything here you haven't seen but here's my list of films that I enjoyed:

American Psycho
Bedazzled
Bring it On
Center Stage
Charlie's Angels
Chocolat
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Frequency
Gladiator
In the Mood for Love
Memento
Miss Congeniality
Requiem for a Dream
Unbreakable
Vertical Limit
X-Men

 

[Kane52630]

Enola Holmes

Surprisingly well done and fun. It's essentially a Nancy Drew story set in the Sherlock Holmes universe and it's tailor made for a teenage audience that want something not half-assed and lazy. Henry Cavill & Sam Claflin were decent as Sherlock and Mycroft, but Millie Bobby Brown holds her own as the lead and even elevates the film with her performance. The movie plays out like a fun caper with some coming of age sensibilities and I did like it balances the fun with the serious moments. Overall, really enjoyed it.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

My Top 10 of 2000

1. Memento
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. American Psycho
4. Cast Away
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
6. Gladiator
7. Traffic
8. X-Men
9. Erin Brockovich
10. Battle Royale


Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
In the Mood for Love
The Cell
Almost Famous
Ginger Snaps
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Snatch.
Remember The Titans
Hallow Man
Pitch Black
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Unbreakable
Best in Show
Shadow of the Vampire
George Washington
High Fidelity
The Emperor's New Groove


Lesser Shout Outs (in no particular order):
Mission Impossible II
Final Destination
Meet the Parents
Chicken Run
Bring it On
Gone In 60 Seconds
Scary Movie
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Ready to Rumble
What Lies Beneath
Road Trip
Shaft
Charlie's Angels
Snow Day
The Perfect Storm
The 6th Day

 

[Kane52630]

Host

Really enjoyed it. It's probably the first film that was filmed and takes advantage of the COVID setting of 2020. It's essentially a found footage movie that takes place on Zoom where things start to go awry after a seance. Really impressed how they managed to pull off a horror movie while on lockdown and make it work for the most part. The cast was great and similar to Unfriended Dark Web, you do kinda root for the characters. To me, this is what the first Unfriended movie wanted to be and couldn't in terms of plot. While there's some questionable logic like a lot of found footage movies, the pay off is worth it. Overall, a great start to my horror marathon this year and it could not be any more relevant to 2020.
3.5/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)


​

 

[Black Narcissus]

Ava

Eh, not bad and not good. I think Jessica Chastain is kinda starting to show her age a bit, at least enough for them other characters to still call her ''kiddo'' sound ridiculous. She looks damn good in jeans tho. Most of the action sequences are kinda boring and cliche, fast cutting etc. The only fight sequence that was worth a damn was the one in the hotel room towards the end. This also feels like they got Colin Farrell to shoot his scenes on the weekends, he was great tho. I recommend not paying to rent it like I did, wait for it on amazon prime when it becomes free or netflix. Some of the soundtrack tunes were good. This also extra serving of mopey family drama, which I needed less of, and needed more dumb action.

I'm still a sucker for this genre. The female assassin on revenge path, keep em coming.
6/10

 

[Kane52630]

Amulet

A slow burn metaphorical horror film that has a lot to say even if it takes a while to get to it. Without spoiling it away, Romola Garai who directed it, feels like she wanted to do a reverse version of a classic 60s horror movie. It's wonderfully directed, shot, and acted, but the horror doesn't really kick in until the last part of the movie and even then, some of it seems a bit confusing. Overall, I liked it but I wish I loved it. It's got all the ingredients to make a great arty horror film.
3/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

Sputnik

A solid sci-fi horror film in the vein of Alien and Species... with a little bit of Arrival thrown in. It's not really doing anything new, but it does take the Soviet Union angle to this type of story. Really dug the creature design and how it operates within its environment (not to mention the CG looks really good). The performances are pretty good, especially Oksana Akinshina who plays the lead. That being said, the only thing that kinda brings this down is some of the character motivations. Overall, a worthwhile scifi horror film that checks a lot of the boxes.
3.5/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

Vampires vs. the Bronx

A charming Spielbergian horror comedy that has a nice anti-gentrification message with vampires. It reminded me of other films like The Monster Squad and Attack the Block that sees a monster flick through the lens of kids. While there's some obvious cliched moments, I loved that it doesn't hold back on showing the real Bronx/NY and the people who lives there. I will say the three leads did an okay job, but the supporting cast did help a lot (like The Kid Mero, Sarah Gordon, and Shea Whigham). Overall, it's a fun little vampire flick that does have something to say.
3.5/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

The Other Lamb

A coming of age horror movie about a cult that is filled with mesmerizing imagery. It takes the Witch, Handmaid's Tale, and even The Village and kinda mashed them together and what you get is a portrait of a teenage girl growing up in a cult and learning there's something more. The cinematography does a lot of the heavy lifting and rightfully so, it's beautiful yet haunting to look at. Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman, & especially Denise Gough are phenomenal in it and the last act really drives it home. That being said, the only thing that brings it down is I wish there was more story at the start and end of it. They could've have easily made it 2 hours. Overall, really loved it. It's exactly the kind of mood piece horror flick I look for.
4/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

The Lie

Rich White People Do the Darndest Things: The Movie. It's no wonder why this was shelved for two years after TIFF. It's got a pretty typical set up plot for a thriller, but the only problem is all the characters are so inept that it doesn't even make any logical sense. You just see this family go down the hole with lies on top of lies where it didn't need to happen. While I did like the cast they got, they are all seriously overacting to the point where you get a lot of unintentional hilarious scenes. With the winter weather setting and the odd choices, it seriously reminded me of Snowman all over again only it's not edited by a cheese grater. Also, the ending is so hilariously bad. If it weren't for the directing & cinematography, it would be the worst film of the year.
1/5

 

[Kane52630]

Black Box

A scifi horror flick that tackles memory and loss which feels like if The Cell or Memento was a lost episode of Black Mirror. It's one of these where it's heavy on the emotional drama and light on horror, but it works. Plot wise, it's nothing particular new or original, but there are a couple of surprises. It's got a great all black cast and Mamoudou Athie, who's a rising star, really shines here as the lead. His performance alone elevates the material and you kinda wish the movie had a little more to give with a bigger budget. Overall, pretty good.
3/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

1BR

A phenomenal psychological horror film that gets creative points for using the apartment buildings in LA as the source of horror. Not to give too much away, but it is a commentary on cults like Scientology and nxivm and it does a great job on making you believe in the torment the main character goes through (played wonderfully by Nicole Brydon Bloom). Along with the brisk pacing, It's really well shot/edited and I really dug the how it ended. Overall, worth a watch.
4/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

Hubie Halloween

Was this dumb? Yes. Did this have a lazy script? Yes. Is it another excuse for Adam Sandler and his friends to make another movie together? Yes. Did this have an incredible Halloween production design? Surprisingly yes. I can't advocate for this movie because it is not good at all, but at the same time it didn't bother me. Maybe I'm easily swayed by the Halloween setting, but it is well made on a production level. Whatever character Adam Sandler was trying to pull is exactly the same character you've seen him in all the other Happy Madison productions which also ends on a teachable moment. Overall, It's a Halloween style Adam Sandler nonsense for 90 minutes.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Stuff

Finally saw it. It's a perfect mix of low brow campy B horror with high brow anti-capitalist Reagan-Era satire. It's pretty much The Blob meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Despite all the rough edges (the bad ADR, acting, questionable editing, green screen, ect), it's got the charm of a lot of 80s horror films. The effects holds up in such a disturbing way when it goes into body horror. Overall, I really love it.
4/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)

​

 

[Kane52630]

The Invisible Man

[laughs in Claude Rains]

5/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)
Day 9 | The Invisible Man (1933) (5/5) (REWATCH)
​

 

[Kane52630]

The Invisible Man Returns

Really liked it overall. I wasn't even sure how they would continue the story since Jack Griffin died, but they used the ol 'brother who you didn't know about before who recreated his work' trick. I did like they didn't use the brother to be the Invisible Man, but used a completely different character in this brother murder plot with Vincent Price. And Vincent Price's progression from normal to unhinge was great. The gags they used was pretty good even if you might notice some of the wire work. Overall, while it's not as good as the original, this has a lot to offer.
4/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)
Day 9 | The Invisible Man (1933) (5/5) (REWATCH)
Day 10 | The Invisible Man Returns (4/5)
​

 

[Kane52630]

The Invisible Woman

An interesting installment that caught me by surprise. I did not expect the full comedy swerve in this movie which was kinda disappointing. It's got a set up that is primed for a more serious movie with the lead actress going after her sexist employer. Instead that part becomes a skit with some funny reactions. The movie overall is nothing but a series of funny gags without a laugh track. As for the jokes themselves, they were not bad but very of its time obviously. Overall, it's decent for a comedy, but very disappointing for the potential it had as a horror film.
3/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)
Day 9 | The Invisible Man (1933) (5/5) (REWATCH)
Day 10 | The Invisible Man Returns (4/5)
Day 11 | The Invisible Woman (3/5)
​

 

[Kane52630]

Invisible Agent

Pretty much what I expected. Considering the year it came out, naturally this sequel would be a flag waving anti-Nazi spy movie. What kinda caught me by surprise is how eerily similar this movie is to Captain America the First Avenger from the set up to Peter Lorre who is essentially plays the Arnim Zola character. It seems on brand for Joe Johnston to be a fan of the Universal Monster movies. As for the movie, I did appreciate them connecting the first two movies with Raymond Griffin played by Jon Hall. The spy stuff is mostly predictable but fun. Overall, despite it not being a horror movie, it is some enjoyable pro American schlock.
3/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)
Day 9 | The Invisible Man (1933) (5/5) (REWATCH)
Day 10 | The Invisible Man Returns (4/5)
Day 11 | The Invisible Woman (3/5)
Day 12 | The Invisible Agent (3/5)
​

 

[Kane52630]

The Invisible Man's Revenge

The last entry in the original Invisible Man series (that's not a crossover) and it's by far the weakest one. It returns to it's horror roots and Jon Hall also comes back, but plays a completely different character with the last name Griffin. This one never commits to its premise and kinda meander through it's revenge plot. That being said, there are some bright spots and some of the gags do work for the moment. Overall, it's a halfbaked idea for a movie that was already running on fumes.
2.5/5

31 Day Horror Marathon 2020
Day 1 | Host (3.5/5)
Day 2 | Amulet (3/5)
Day 3 | Sputnik (3.5/5)
Day 4 | Vampires vs. the Bronx (3.5/5)
Day 5 | The Other Lamb (4/5)
Day 6 | Black Box (3/5)
Day 7 | 1BR (4/5)
Day 8 | The Stuff (4/5)
Day 9 | The Invisible Man (1933) (5/5) (REWATCH)
Day 10 | The Invisible Man Returns (4/5)
Day 11 | The Invisible Woman (3/5)
Day 12 | The Invisible Agent (3/5)
Day 13 | The Invisible Man's Revenge (2.5/5)
​

 

[Kane52630]

Evil Eye

It's essentially a Indian American supernatural horror film that gets into motherly paranoia. There's some decent performances by Sarita Choudhury and Sunita Mani who both carry the movie. Only problem is that it tries to lean too much on the melodrama and not enough on the horror side. You see through the structure and the twist of the movie before the 2nd act and once it gets to the horror stuff, it's extremely trite. Overall, pretty average.
2.5/5