paulcmiranda Reviews

Walt & El Grupo (2008)

Great if you already know the history and context

[6/10 · 1 May 2019]

The footage and some of the stories are interesting, but even the "modern" footage looks like it was shot in the 70's. Not sure if they intentionally processed the film to look that way or if this is just a recent recutting of older footage. Mostly I wish the footage had been weaved into a true story and/or placed into context with other stock footage so you had a sense of what was going on in the world. As-is, it's a lot like listening to my older family members telling stories without being able to ask them questions. But don't miss the bonus features since the dvd does contain the full 40+ minute Saludos Amigos.

The Good Exorcist (2018)

Needs more post-production

[8/10 · 28 February 2019]

Cheap, Fast, Good: Pick two. I think with another week of post this movie could have had a little better sound design and visual effects without blowing the budget. Of course, cheesy effects are a staple of this sort of fun movie, so I can overlook that but what sticks out in this and much more in Grandma's House is the lack of environmental sound. Compared to traditional movies it takes you out of the moment sometimes.

The Son of No One (2011)

WHY!?

[3/10 · 9 September 2018]

I kinda get that it's trying to capture the atmosphere of post-911 NYC, but the motivation for every bad decision made by all the characters is so baffling as to be unbelievable. I get that the kids did some stupid things but nothing that would have caused them as much trouble as they later ran into. I get that the police want to protect their own, but the lengths they go to in this film are not believable. I get the reporter wanting to shine a light on corruption, but would she really allow herself to be completely used for a political agenda with no investigation of her source? But most unforgivable of all.. why the hell would somebody completely destroy the lives of her childhood friends for... what? What the hell was she attempting to get? Attention for the plight of people living in the projects? To hurt the detective that was the only adult to ever do anything that helped her friends? To ruin his political ambitions because... WHY!? WTF!? I don't mind the hour I spent watching the beginning of the film since it seemed to be leading to something, but the ending is just pure garbage. If a young script reviewer had killed this project nobody would have gone looking for the body.

The Sound (2017)

#toostupidtolive

[1/10 · 5 May 2018]

I think I made it half an hour into the movie before the stream of incoherent hashtags had me rooting for the protagonist to get killed. There were a few brief interesting moments when Christopher Lloyd makes his entrance but the succession of characters that wander into the lack of a story just remind me of how unprepared our hero is for her adventure. As a "scientist" she should be worried about the real physical harm that can come to somebody wandering into "a rat infested pit covered with graffiti", to borrow a line from the movie. The story had some potential but it went nowhere for so long that no payoff could ever be worth the wait.