Change Your Image
stvnqch
Reviews
Aliens (1986)
Overhyped... but yeah, I get it, it's James Cameron
This film is quite fun. Personally, I enjoyed Alien much more because of its atmosphere and its underlying themes of isolation and trust. It was a contained thriller that kept me intrigued from start to finish. But this sequel is much grander - much more expansive which could make or break it for me sometimes. Often, sequels feel the need to be bigger, be bolder, be more complex - and sometimes, it fails in spite of it, but I guess Aliens succeeds in that aspect.
I can't love this film but I do admire it. I just didn't think it would be this highly rated. I mean, sure, it's got its little moments with Ripley and the little girl and her badass character actually having the courage to go back and encounter this alien again. I just couldn't help but facepalm to the commando - "Rambo", idiotic, senseless and stereotypical soldiers that fall into that kind of archetype. OK, maybe I'm missing the point and it was trying to make fun of them by acting that kind of way but it was tedious to watch these forgettable characters. I had to forcefully disregard the one liners and un-witty jokes they made. It was like... OK... good one haha. I didn't really care if they were in danger because I didn't care for their character in the first place.
I must say, the final leg of this movie had me on my seat. It was nerve wrecking and it actually convinced me that perhaps, Ripley may not find the little girl and that they won't actually make it to the ship on time and best of all... that the A.I cyborg was a traitor and he left them for dead. It was extremely convincing and effective. I loved the last act of this film.
Overall, it was a fun watch, but it wasn't extremely thought-provoking enough to leave a permanent stain of awe or amazement afterwards. And it wasn't as terrifying as the first film. But, maybe I'm just overthinking things and I'm missing out on the inventiveness and excitement this film ultimately brings... because it does do that. So, yes, it's overhyped in my opinion, but it is certainly a great time.
La nuit a dévoré le monde (2018)
Refreshing... but has its shortcomings
This film was a breath of fresh air. I went in knowing it was a zombie movie and then got sucked in with the direction that it was going for. After the fifteen minute mark, I was sold with this movie. I thought, "Wow, this movie is genius." I loved the cinematography - it was all just so simple and gorgeous. I loved the character quirks and the subtleties that are shared with us. It's like we're there with him in this apocalypse and it raises the themes of isolation and what effects it can have on an individual whether short or long-term. This film is not afraid to be quiet and slow burning which yes, works at times but then...
A little bit halfway through the movie I asked... "Where is this movie going to go now? I mean, I know where the film was firstly going but... how is it going to end?" I suppose it was going to end with a bang, but it ended with a fizzle which is understandable considering the tone throughout the film but I just couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed.
I did love the scene where he instinctively shot the only survivor he encountered, mistaking them for a zombie - and then having that whole leg of the movie thinking of what could've been if the survivor wasn't shot. It even instilled the idea in him to leave his shelter and move on.
Overall, I thought this movie was well made and is one of the exceptions where character doesn't always have to be the most important element of the story because I believe it was just trying to be barebones by portraying the realism of isolation after a long time. Yeah, it'd be nice if the movie was more fleshed out with more philosophical stakes and character beliefs to push the narrative to be more interesting but I don't think this movie really calls for that...
With that being said, I will remember this movie for going into a different direction than other zombie films - but I can't help but feel like this movie can drag at times. I can't help but often question, "What direction is this movie going to go... I mean we've seen this already..." but I guess I may be missing the point if I'm constantly asking myself that. Hm, who knows... nonetheless, it was a fun watch.
The Evil Dead (1981)
I understand why people loved this film but...
The Evil Dead is a cult classic horror film and I was excited to see this because I've always been so interested in it. So, I watched it and it was rather disappointing - and maybe because there was so much hype and I had high expectations.
I can't lie and say this movie is a masterpiece. It's not - but I can say it's a cornerstone of the horror genre and it is definitely ambitious. It's not ashamed of being that ambitious despite not having the highest budget or levels of technology. I applaud Sam Raimi for this project - you can tell he knew what he wanted to do and wasn't afraid to show the world what he had in store despite these shortcomings. That, I can respect and admire.
Yes, at the time, it was probably incredibly inventive and terrifying. The audience in the 80's probably saw this film the same way I saw the remake (Evil Dead, 2013) which I thought was on par (in terms of ratings) with this movie but that's only because the remake nailed the gore aspect... take away that gore, and the remake is powerless, generic and just a recycled horror film.
I must say the first leg of the movie had me at the edge - they executed that very well and it was promising. But, moving along with the story, I found it comical and I just COULDN'T help but laugh at how comical some of the scenes were (it maybe goes to show how desensitized I am to horror flicks and how far technology has advanced) and how tediously annoying the "evil" laughing was.
Overall, this movie isn't all that bad - it was inventive at its time and has eventually inspired many horror films but... I'm more indifferent towards it than liking or hating it.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A fun and terrifying watch
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is one of the more horrifying and well made horror movies of the 80's and I applaud Wes Craven for this film. Firstly, the premise alone is haunting - I don't think I need to go too much in detail on how being chased in your dreams by some burned figure with knives as fingers, and not being able to sleep because of it is excruciating. I mean our main protagonist went on a seven day run without sleep in spite of Fred Kruger.
Speaking of the protagonist, I thought she was a complete badass and I loved the performances in this movie - they were genuine and believable. Obviously there are some little character choices and lines of dialogue that bothered me for the sake of narrative purposes but I typically suspend my disbelief for things like that now because they're only trivial matters.
Overall, this movie is well-made and it is what you'd expect it to be. The ending was a little bit anti-climatic but I understand the underlying reason of why it ended the way that it did (or at least I interpret it that way). Nonetheless, a fun and terrifying watch.
Random Acts of Violence (2019)
Had potential but was rather disappointing
The film's premise is interesting but overall lacked a sense of direction (especially at the midpoint of the movie). The technicality and cast of the movie was decent - although there was a stylistic choice of a darkish green tone in some of the scenes (I believe it was to mimic comic book visuals) which could make or break it for some people - but personally, it felt too much and unnecessary.
The film is scary in terms of the premise and could've been a lot more than just your conventional slasher flick, but the way it was executed narratively and character wise, it was more-so of a disappointing watch.