thedottedlion Reviews

Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

Really, it's as good as the other ones.

[9/10 · 21 January 2013]

I suppose a lot of people are disappointed, but as usual the series doesn't seem to bow to anybody's wishes and it forges its own way. Personally, I've been a big fan of the series as a whole, and I'll definitely see the next one.

You'll surely hear that this movie's boring, slow, blah blah blah. It's not your average slasher movie, and if you don't know that by now then you deserve to be bored. The movie is a slow burn. It takes its time and makes you squirm.

What I like most about these movies are the little quiet character moments that nobody ever seems to mention in their reviews. When family members laugh together or argue or whatever it pulls me into the movie. It makes it feel more real than your average "group of teens go to BLANK" horror movies (but I like a lot of those too).

The third one's the best, but this one ranks up there with the first two for me. I'm just happy to see a low budget horror series that has staying power without going the SAW route of extreme violence and silly serial killery plot lines.

Unsupervised (2012)

A kinder, gentler dirty cartoon.

[10/10 · 28 January 2012]

"Unsupervised", though a little subtler than it's lead in, is actually a great adult cartoon. It's a step up in animation from the usual cable cartoons, and it has something that I feel has been missing from TV animation for a while... good characters and thoughtful stories.

The two main kids are a bit like a sweet-hearted Beavis and Butthead, and they're surrounded by a funny and diverse cast of supporting characters. Anyone who grew up poor can identify with a few things from the first two episodes, which is maybe why so few people seem to understand this little gem.

The stories of the first two episodes are actual stories, which is good news for people who may tire from the shotgun approach of, say, every Seth Mcfarlane show (I like them, but you get the point). So if this alternatively cute and foul show gets canceled, you only have yourself to blame the next time you complain about the current trend of non sequitur jokes and one dimensional characters.

Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)

Forget the haters

[10/10 · 26 January 2010]

Just watch it for yourself. I was drawn in by Amy Pohler, someone I didn't really like before I saw this show, and i stayed because of the beautifully drawn characters. Because they're deep characters, they're not gonna slam you over the head with comedy. This ain't My Name Is Earl, people. The show's funny, but in a real, get to know everyone kind of way.

Even though I loved it, I'd say the first season stumbled a bit, but the second season gets funnier with every episode. Try it out, I bet you'll like one character right off the bat, and if you're like me you'll end up loving them all.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Cinema-therapy

[10/10 · 4 April 2004]

You've heard it all already. Jim Carrey's best performance. Oscar-worthy performance by Kate Winslet. Brilliant Love story, blah, blah, blah. It's all true.

Director Gondry uses his music video influences in this movie, but not as much as I had expected. The real star here is Charlie Kaufman, the screenwriter. He has crafted a beautiful, flawed, and quirky story full of interesting characters and ideas. Jim Carrey took a huge pay cut just to be in the guy's movie. Carrey got the script, saw that it was a Kaufman script, and accepted immediately. Kaufman is the new Hitchcock in that respect. People don't care what it is or how much they'll get, they just want to be a part of something real. Something different.

And, if anything, different is exactly what Charlie Kaufman is. His previous original screenplays, Human Nature with Gondry, Adaptation and Being John Malkovitch with Spike Jonze, are widely recognized as three of the most original stories produced in Hollywood in the past 10 years at least. This movie successfully merges the wonderful weirdness of those three, and incorporates a timeless love story that is as wonderful as it is unconventional.

The only thing that I didn't like about this movie was the fact that I came out of the theater aching for love. I'm not the sort of person who shows their feelings on the outside too often, but this one made me smile at everyone I made eye contact with on the long walk back to my place.

To me, this movie was the perfect love story, and if you haven't seen it, I suggest you go and judge for yourself.