keithbrown-90195 Reviews

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Ahead of Its Time

[9/10 · 9 July 2018]

I can't believe this movie was made in 2001. It seriously has a sense of humor that feels so modern. You can just picture the memes and gifs that would come from this nowadays.

Anyways, the plot is absurd, but pretty funny. The music is catchy. The characters are ridiculous and the villains are amazing. Only thing that holds this back from being a perfect movie is Tara Reid. They needed a smart actor to play someone so dumb, but, you know, it's just Tara Reid being Tara Reid..

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Tonally Inconsistent

[5/10 · 5 October 2016]

It's a horror movie in concept, but not entirely in execution. I'd call it kooky and bizarre, with some social and political commentary thrown in around the margins.

A young boy and two older criminals break into their landlord's mansion, hoping to score a loot that will help them pay off the increased rent. To get more than they bargained for would be an understatement. Personally, I got most of my enjoyment from the reunion of Twin Peak's Big Ed and Nadine, doing their best to bring the camp levels through the roof. Big Ed running around the house dressed in a gimp suit with a shotgun in tow screaming bloody murder is a sight to behold.

While the story is fun in a backwards Home Alone sort of way, I thought Craven really struggled balancing the right tone. There are scenes that are too gruesome and scary for children, but the tension never materialized and the titular people under the stairs are never used to incite fear. I guess I just couldn't get a grip on what it was exactly trying to do, and it hampered my enjoyment.

It's still a decently fun watch, something I wish I experienced at a younger age, to be sure.

National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)

Unfocused and Gross

[3/10 · 4 October 2016]

Van Wilder wants to be the next iconic gross out teen movie. It has all the necessary ingredients, but it takes those ingredients and mixes in a little bodily fluids and serves it to you uncooked on a soggy paper plate.

I don't think this movie delivered one worthy laugh. It has jokes, but they're not funny. It has gross out gags, but they're so gross that they're impossible to enjoy. It has a smarmy leading man who hadn't fully realized his charm. It has a comatose leading lady whose best years were already behind her. And it has supporting characters who are so one dimensional you can't be bothered to pay attention to them.

The story tells of an undergrad who can't be bothered to grow up and graduate. He'd rather be the big man on campus. A reporter is sent to write a piece on him, and they eventually hit it off. Her pre-med boyfriend has other plans. Hi-jinks ensue. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. It does nothing story-wise that hasn't been done before and better. It has a lame final act where Van must get his life together and prove his worth to his school, to his girl, and to his dad.

Ryan Reynolds is likable, but he's not quite likable enough to make up for everything around him. Tara Reid, who I'm crushing on at the moment due to recently seeing her in Urban Legend, is bad here. She's unable to emote convincingly in her face or voice and she looks much worse for wear than in her late 90s heyday. This discrepancy makes the central romance fall completely flat when it should have been the movie's heart and highlight.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Solid Marvel Movie

[6/10 · 21 September 2016]

These movies keep creeping closer and closer to what I like about action movies, but they never quite get there. Points though for this one for not climaxing with a giant airship crashing into the Earth.

The central conflict in Civil War revolves around Cap's friend Bucky, still known as the Winter Soldier. The Avengers crew are torn from within by a decision made by The Secretary of State to monitor and oversee the group. Half of the Avengers are willing to accept this decision, half of them are against it. They have ideological reasons for their decisions, but they don't really matter because in the end their reasoning for their decisions are much simpler and emotionally-driven and are pretty much entirely about Bucky. Who do we side with? What would be the right thing to do? Well, the answer is obviously to side with Captain America, because his name is in the title and these movies are much to popular with general audiences to have him choose the wrong side.

I still don't like the action scenes in these. They feel clumsy in their camera-work, saved only by the sound editing. And the sense of where the characters are in relation to each other is really off.

But I think, for once, I felt invested in these characters and their lives. They're usually so...distant, untouchable almost. The first 90 minutes are the typical Marvel set up, with the final hour giving way to something a bit more ambitious. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are the most human people in this universe, and to have them square off is the best move they could have made at this point.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Bombastic Finale to the Trilogy

[6/10 · 19 September 2016]

I've read that this is the most expensive movie ever made. It totally looks it. The production design is out of this world, and there are a handful of moments of such visual beauty that take my breath away. The confidence Disney had in these movies shows in every aspect of the production. There's a long stretch where Jack Sparrow occupies a deserted purgatory, conversing only with multiple versions of himself and a large group of crabs, which happen to be made of rocks. It's an audacious sequence for a family blockbuster.

There's also new locales, new characters, a mythical pirate lore introduced, and backstabbing and twists aplenty. It's all very complicated, so much so that the story is hardly worth following. You know what you're in for when you watch this; everything else is just a means to an end.

I do wish that with all of the attention paid to the complicated story and the production design that they had focused on making this at least a little bit fun. It's almost like they felt the story slip away from them and then overlooked the unique tone that made this such a smash in the first place in an attempt the steer the ship back on course.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Overblown but Still A Lot of Fun

[7/10 · 19 September 2016]

It starts off knowingly acknowledging the fact that Pirates of the Caribbean and Jack Sparrow have become pop culture phenomenons in the years since the release of the first movie. It's a bit jarring, and watching it now after the fervor surrounding the series has died down certainly makes the winking more distracting than amusing. That quickly goes away though, and we're whisked away into a story that is all over the map, a tone that less elegantly dances between slapstick humor and grand adventure than the first movie, and a Jack Sparrow that no longer feels fresh.

Still, there's no denying that many of the set-pieces here are pretty astounding, especially for how they're handled simultaneously. I love the Kraken attacks, even if they go to that well maybe one too many times. The organ playing while the ship cracks in half is a great, epic moment. Then there's Davy Jones, a CGI creation that still looks great a decade later and Bill Nighy's performance which manages to feel human.

I think this one was my favorite when I used to watch these when I was younger. It's definitely the movie I where I developed a crush on Keira Knightley. I don't think it's my favorite anymore, but it still certainly carries a rangy sort of charm once the story kicks into gear about half an hour in.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Great, Modern Swashbuckler

[8/10 · 19 September 2016]

I've always liked this movie. It's lighthearted and grand all at once, with an iconic character and performance at its center that still feels wholly fresh and original despite the overbearing nature of the character in subsequent films. And his introduction is so good; iconic even.

Despite the presence of Jack Sparrow, it's Elizabeth Swann that's the true protagonist here (and the first 3 films). She's solid, and so is Keira's performance, and it allows the strangeness of the story to creep in from the margins without overwhelming the main narrative. The romance with Will Turner is definitely the weakest aspect of the movie, but it doesn't detract from the fun of the story and it's certainly necessary for the film to work as a whole.

I love the throwback to the era of sword fights and battles with cannons on pirate ships. When I think of adventure, I always look to this movie. The rousing score definitely helps, but also the open ocean and the tropical locations. They really make the best use of the blue waters and palm trees.

Romance, daring escapes, backstabbing, ancient curses, comedic bumbling; it's all here, with great production values and a sharp eye for the visual witticism.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

The Dullest MCU Movie

[4/10 · 18 September 2016]

I really enjoyed the first Thor. It was actually probably my favorite of Marvel's phase one films. The mixture of high Asgardian fantasy mixed well with the fish out of water humor on Earth. I'm sure having Kenneth Branagh in the director's chair certainly helped. He has a good touch for switching between high drama and light humor.

The Dark World arrived at a time when Marvel needed to build its larger universe's ultimate conflict. As a result of this, the antagonists in this movie feel undercooked and nonthreatening. Maybe its their designs, which look alarmingly low budget, but they are maybe the weakest villains yet in the MCU.

There was ripe opportunity here to make it a personal threat, where Jane's life was legitimately at stake. But the human element of the Marvel movies always plays second fiddle to the spectacle, and this story line is no more than a brief distraction until we get to the ships colliding into cities and CGI explosions.

I actually quite enjoyed the climax of the movie, which is usually not the case for these. There's always a light comic touch to the Earth scenes in these Thor movies, and they thankfully continue that trend even during scenes of mass destruction. It's nice to see Thor asking for directions on the Underground, or confused office workers witness two supernatural beings slide down their window in agony. While not exciting for a story point of view, it was entertaining. Plus, I really liked Natalie Portman's red rainboots.

It's too bad then that I was really not a fan of the first 75 minutes, where much of the action needs to be explained to us for it to have any weight, and then for the action to be middling at best. I don't know if it's Alan Taylor or what, but his Terminator film was just as generic and dull as this felt for a good long while.

Mildly enjoyable in the end, but a forgettable entry in the grand scheme of things.

The House on Sorority Row (1982)

Formulaic Slasher, but Quite Fun

[7/10 · 18 September 2016]

The House on Sorority Row is formulaic, but I'm sure it only feels that way because so many slashers have taken its template and mined it for their own use. We follow the good girl, the girl who is sure to be our final girl, and we're introduced to the other characters who all reveal flaws that will surely lead to their deaths at the hands of our killer.

In this movie, the first act introduces a motive for our killer, and we spend the rest of the movie trying to guess who it might be, while also wondering when and where our next victim will be offed. Some kills are better than others, but that can be said for all slashers.

Unlike the best the genre has to offer, the movie never makes you truly care for any of the victims, they all played a part in a crime early in the movie, and that hinders the movie's ability to get you invested in their fates, but it's still a fun time. I enjoyed the scenes at the party, particularly one scene where the camera in one smooth shot follows each of our sorority sisters as they try to act naturally as they keep a terrible secret.

For any slasher fan this is a can't miss. For anyone looking for something more, you can probably do better elsewhere.

The Hole (2001)

Fun and Twisty B-Movie

[8/10 · 18 September 2016]

I'm a bit of a sucker for B-movies that display some sort of style and point of view. Plus, Keira Knightley's been a bit of a crush of mine as long as I've been old enough to have crushes. Luckily, this movie was a great surprise to me because I found it really enjoyable, with a great electronic score and some twisty plot points.

After a girl is found, disheveled and mentally and physically abused, an investigation is opened to find out what happened. The tale of the military bunker, The Hole of the title, is told in flashbacks, but is everything we're hearing the truth? I really loved the way the movie pulled you in with the opening moments, because you're left wondering how this girl came to be in such a state, and what happened to the others 3 kids with her.

The directing is flashy, with some cool camera choices and a good use of the space in the bunker. You really feel like the place would be a fun getaway for these people, but it would also start to feel claustrophobic once you've been in there for longer than you want. They way the friends begin to turn on each other was realistic and scary.

The acting from the leads is fantastic. I only know Thora Birch from American Beauty, but her accent here surprised me because although I'm not British I was impressed she did it well enough to have me check up where she's actually from. The two guys are good too, you feel their friendship and their hurt and frustrations when things go south. Keira's role and performance really surprised me. It was so fun to see her act closer to my own age and be a bit sexual because she's usually so mature and posh and dignified. It also confirms my belief that she's always been damn beautiful.

Give this a try! I hope it sucks you in and surprises you in the same way it did for me.

X-Men (2000)

A Dated but Important Superhero Entry

[6/10 · 18 September 2016]

The gulf that exists between this film and where superhero movies are now is so vast that X-Men feels quaint by comparison. But there's something to be said for a plot that mostly keeps a strong focus on character and a compact running time. The resources for large-scale spectacle just wasn't there yet, which may have benefited the end result in some aspects, but it leaves you feeling like there's something missing. There are some clunky action scenes, which does add a bit to the old-fashioned charm, but it does also make it feel quite dated.

I like X-Men more than most superhero stuff just by the nature of the world in which they occupy. Their problems and sufferings are easy to relate, and the antagonist's perspective is clear and understandable. The conflicts are driven by character choices that remain consistent. The varied abilities of the mutants has endless potential for the screen. Plus, they really feel like a team, where each character serves a useful purpose and is given real personality.

I'm not always the biggest fan of where superhero movies have gone, but this was clearly an important piece in getting the ball rolling. It's too bad that the genre's progress has made this more of a historical artifact than an enjoyable movie.

Finding Dory (2016)

A Charming Continuation of a Classic

[8/10 · 18 September 2016]

Finding Dory does something pretty special: it finds a way to organically continue the story that was left off from the previous film without compromising what made the first film so special in the first place. Dory's backstory is such a natural question to answer that it's amazing this movie wasn't made sooner.

There's a lot more slapstick this time around, and the actions of the fish out of water and a slippery octopus seems worlds apart from the world in Finding Nemo, but the heart is still there, and so are the great characters and voice work. Plus, I just love the color the Ocean provides. Scenes in the aquarium are bright and lively and I could watch a whole movie just exploring that tank and meeting the various sea creatures that reside in there.

Young Dory is maybe the cutest character I've ever seen, and her determination to find her family is what made her such a breakout character 13 years ago. This film doesn't really reach the great heights of Nemo, but it certainly adds a whole lot of charm to an already charming world. I hope Pixar continues to make original and creative movies, but if they want to make more sequels they need to look no further than this movie to get an idea of how they should be done.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Beautiful but Emotionless

[6/10 · 17 September 2016]

Gorgeous, for sure. The natural lighting and the camera's ability to seemingly reach unreachable locations is continually breathtaking. But dammit, I didn't really care one bit about this. I've always found it difficult to connect with the characters Inarritu creates. There's a sense of detachment with every single one of his films, as if I'm being told a story by someone who I don't really want to hear a story from.

As a survival story, it's fun. I enjoyed all the various obstacles placed in Leo's way on his journey back home. It became a perverse sort of enjoyment after a while. And the action scenes all have a thrilling quality to them that felt visceral and real and painful. If it took itself a little less seriously and just embraced its greatest qualities it could have been a wild ride akin to Mad Max.

For me, in the end, I think it fails completely with the father/son relationship, the relationship upon which the whole movie relies. His desire for revenge made logical sense to me, but not emotional, and the finale felt anti- climatic as a result.

Deadpool (2016)

Smugly Satisfied with Mediocrity

[3/10 · 13 September 2016]

I was honestly expecting the worst with this. I found the trailers supremely annoying and a whole movie like that was going to drive me up the wall. It still kind of is, but I was able to get into it. The story is as generic as they come, but hey, it's a small, intimate story that doesn't try to be anything more than it is. I can appreciate that.

It's funny how this is structured. It really doesn't need to do the whole flashback thing, because they catch up to that point midway through rather than at the end, but they wanted to start with an action scene to grab you. I suppose it works.

I'm finding it difficult to really write down what I think of this. It's certainly smugly satisfied with itself, but it's also charming in a weird way regarding the love story. About 10% of the jokes and references are worth a smirk, but when there's a handful of jokes or references every minute, that's a pretty high number of smirks, even a few laughs.

But I can't fully get on board with this at the end. It's too standard and basic. The simplicity of the story can be boring. Pointing out flaws in other superhero movies doesn't negate the fact that your own movie succumbs to those flaws in an even more egregious fashion.

I do need to give credit to Reynolds and the production team. They deserve props for bringing this to the screen and pleasing the die- hard fans.

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Ethereal and Mysterious

[9/10 · 13 September 2016]

After 5 films now, it's clear that Sofia Coppola is a formalist first and foremost, but it's still a little alarming how thoroughly she was able to adapt the tone of the book's prose to the screen, especially as a first time director. The melancholy and mystery of Eugenides' words absolutely permeates every frame, complemented perfectly by the fantastic period detail: 1970s, suburban America, an idyllic homestead as any, filtered through a fever-dream haze. As per usual, the soundtrack choices are spot on. Filled with classics from the 60s and 70s, and a splash of modern and ethereal additions by Air; the music is essential, and expertly paired with the gorgeous images. I don't know if there's ever been a more fitting introduction to a character than Trip Fontaine walking down the halls of his school to the guitar wails of Heart's "Magic Man".

I love how the narrator is never specified beyond being one of the boys. They, as a collective, share an experience, and then they share it with us. Even though we see more of them than their book counterparts (perhaps due to Coppola relating more with them than Eugenides did) the girls remain mysterious, elusive, and the boy's obsession with them is transferred to the audience. We watch and wonder, forming assumptions based on brief glimpses behind the curtain. Of course, we never come to understand them (because when have teenage boys understood girls?), but we make assumptions anyways because it's human nature. Surely the parents are at fault? But what about their peers? What about the media they consume? It's left deliberately vague and mysterious, and the desire to unravel and understand is certainly a reason for the continued relevance of both book and movie.

While the book was languid, the mundane turned extraordinary through expertly designed sentences; I often overlooked the sharp, black humor in favor of the mysterious beauty. The movie, to my great delight, is full of tiny moments – often provided by the actors, professionals of the highest order – where the smallest gesture or a look can bring the largest laugh. James Woods in particular gives a fantastic performance, all awkward positioning and uncertain conversation.

By the time the movie ends, it feels as if we've witnessed and experienced these events alongside our group of boys, the way that stories we've heard in our lives over and over seem to become our own memories. The aimlessness of the narrative feels like a group recollecting a series of events years later, unsure of the order in which the stories should be told. Like the character's memories, some stories linger in my mind, while others fade and are forgotten. Moments like dancing to "Come Sail Away" at the homecoming, or discovering the girl's bodies are forever burned into my cinematic mind. It's a pretty great achievement for Coppola and her team (and I think it's her warmest and prettiest looking movie too, credit to Edward Lachman where it's due).

Ghostbusters (1984)

Disappointing and Flat Upon a Rewatch

[5/10 · 12 September 2016]

Something about this movie doesn't really gel for me anymore. It definitely used to be a movie I loved. I remember having a lunchbox with the logo on it. I remember even loving the second one. My latest rewatch of this was one of the strangest and flattest experiences I've had with a previously beloved movie.

I'll start with the biggest gripes: firstly, it's sloppy. Winston is an almost comical afterthought, and the whole absurd (and hastily dropped) story line with Peck is shoehorned into the movie because they'd written themselves into a corner with no way of linking the story line with Sigourney Weaver into the main narrative. The earthquake in front of the apartments just before the climax is pointless and only seems to be in the movie so it could reach the allotted running time. Secondly, and it pains me to say this, for the most part I don't find it funny. There are jokes that I enjoy, and Rick Moranis is so, so perfect, but it's just really not what I'm looking for anymore. Finally, I was bored, and that was the most surprising thing to me. In many cases the more I'm familiar with a movie or song the greater my love grows. In this case, it just left me waiting for the parts I thought I liked, which never seemed to come.

This sounds like a pretty negative review. I think that's just the disappointment talking. I didn't hate anything about this. There are scenes and performances that I really like. The ghosts and demons are fun. The theme song is my jam. It was just an empty experience when I thought it would be anything but. Though I certainly would prevent anyone from watching this if they were so inclined. I just wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone anymore.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

Pure Atmospheric Dread

[9/10 · 12 September 2016]

Let me begin by saying this is perfectly constructed to recreate the feeling and mood of the time period. And even before the supernatural elements begin the cinematic frame is claustrophobic as the family leaves the plantation, and the disturbing sound design has constant wind and animal noises underlying the action. Natural lighting shrouds the film in darkness, and the time-appropriate dialogue has an edge of madness. The farm is under constant overcast, and the wood surrounding it has no traces of green or even the hint of something better around the corner. This is film making so precise it would be unnerving if we were to simply watch the family try and make it through the winter.

Shortly into the movie, we're introduced to a figure in the woods. We're also introduced to a skin-crawling score that takes this movie to a new level of unease. Scenes that depict the daily routine of trying to survive on a barren farm are marked with dread; the inner-family fighting occasionally boils to the surface in moments of fear and rage; and lonely figures walking through the woods are under constant threat of the demon that lurks within.

I'm still trying to wrestle with the meaning of the title of the movie, because there were questions I had throughout that I'm not sure were cleared up by the ending, or muddled even further. I do like the suggestion that the powers of the satanic forces were working to tear the family apart from within.

By the end, it contains some of the most frightening moments and images in recent cinema. There's a laugh that I'll never ever forget. And then there's that goat, Black Phillip.

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Shiny but Passionless

[4/10 · 11 September 2016]

What a slog. When you adapt the bible and remove all the fantastical in an attempt to make it more 'realistic', you lose all sense of wonder and it becomes something akin to watching a history lesson. As the most personal book in human history, this adaptation feels strangely impersonal, as if the filmmakers had no love or attachment to the story, no real reason for wanting to make it. Since I have no personal connection to the story, it just became a chore seeing this play out. I doubt even a believer would be taken with this adaptation.

Trying to recreate the success of Gladiator, Ridley Scott has turned ancient Egypt into a civilization with shiny new monuments and elaborate costumes, and a chanting choir on the soundtrack to add some drama to the proceedings. The plagues that descend upon the Egyptians are given real world explanations, and shot in ways that undermine the attempts at ambiguity with Moses and his visions/hallucinations of a boy god.

i liked the score during those scenes with god, and the parting of the red sea has some thrilling moments, but this really doesn't believe in itself.

Also, it felt longer than the 150 minutes. It's an epic story that strangely feels empty.

The Hunger Games (2012)

A Shoddy Blockbuster Held Up by Its Characters and Ideas

[6/10 · 11 September 2016]

There's something inherently contradictory about the glossy and commercialized way this movie portrays its violence against children in the hope of mass popularity. I also feel a huge disconnect between the movie Gary Ross thought he was making and the material he was adapting. The result is a tone that works at first, but falls apart once we get to the Capital and the games begin.

A rare blockbuster that I can get behind for its characters, themes and ideas rather than its spectacle. It's a concept that requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, but if you go with it there's lot to latch onto and contemplate.

Katniss and her relationship with her younger sister is set up quite well, you feel they truly care for each other, even before Katniss volunteers. The camera is really shaky, and it does eventually become annoying, but I enjoyed how it was used at first. It made this world feel tangible, lived in.

Oh boy, once we get to the Capital though, B-movie film making. Bad CGI, crowd scenes, make-up, etc. I get that it's supposed to be tacky, but you can make the content of a film tacky without it coming across as cinematically tacky as well. The arena is boring, and as I said earlier, the violence is glossed over so it could nab that PG-13 rating. Stanley Tucci is pretty awesome, but he's mostly there to explain to us the absurd rules. Peeta The Rock is an unintentional laugh out loud moment. Those dogs aren't explained well enough and they look ridiculous.

The ending is pretty good, but it feels rushed. I don't know how big the books were before this film, but it's easy to see how this ending could have inspired millions of new readers who needed to find out what happens next without actually loving this movie.

Gravity (2013)

A Visual Masterpiece and Great Survival Story

[9/10 · 11 September 2016]

I'm glad to view this with all the hype behind it, because it was at a point where it felt like my thoughts about this movie were affected by all the talk surrounding me. I feel like that can be a good thing in many instances, but when I had many of my friends and family call it "boring", or state that "nothing really happens" my only reaction was to yell "you just don't get it!" like an angry pre-teen.

All that said, I'm glad to say that I still really love this. When it comes down to it, this is a survival story; all the elements are in place: the isolated and inhospitable environment, the loss of a loved one in the recent past, the untimely deaths of those who started the journey by their side, etc. Ryan has a pretty good arc, one that may slide too far into sickly sentiment, but it's very clear and visually compelling.

The visuals have been talked to death. They're great, everyone knows it. What still amazes me is the way they're able to use the lack of gravity to create a sense of disorientation. There is no up or down, and the inability to control body movement creates an unbearable amount of tension during many set-pieces. The camera is always expertly placed, and the movements allow us to see and experience Ryan's journey with her. It's never overwhelming to the point of nauseating; we're in the perfect spot. And I love how much of the story in told with visual information. The barest of information is told to us with words, instead trusting the viewer to remain an active participant. You're eyes are constantly looking around the screen, collecting the same images that Ryan is seeing, trying to find something, anything that will help her get back to Earth safely.

I love the title more and more. Like I said above, the lack of gravity allows the filmmakers to play around with emptiness and camera movement simulating the disorientation and distress of the characters. At the end, when Ryan is back on Earth, the newly added gravity allows her to stand on her two feet and capture that amazing shot of her looking like a conqueror.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

A Truly Magical Start

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

It's hard to imagine just how influential the Harry Potter series has been on my life. It was released around the time I was born, and I can't really ever remember a time when it wasn't my favorite world to escape into. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first book I can remember becoming a fan of, and wanting to read it again straight away. I'm not even going to pretend that I can judge this without bringing over my fondness for the books.

For all the fault this first movie has, it feels like a soon-to-be classic, with many aspects featured here becoming ubiquitous in popular culture. The score by John Williams is recognized worldwide as a magical and wondrous piece of music, conjuring up images of broomsticks, wands, and giant castles hidden in the mountains. Hogwarts Castle itself is now an enormously successful theme park in Florida, Osaka, and more on the way. King's Cross has become a tourist attraction, with hundreds of fans waiting in line to take a picture with the trolley at Platform 9 3/4 every day.

The cast from the very beginning is stock full of British acting royalty, great actors sinking their teeth and relishing every bit of dialogue. The young actors do their best and it's fun to see them start off, knowing what lies ahead for them, both in the course of the series and afterwards as well.

The opening sequences have a real sense of mystery and wonder, possibly enhanced by the knowledge of the truth about Harry's real identity. The introductions to characters and places are perfect, most notably: Diagon Alley, Alan Rickman as Snape, and our first glimpse of Hogwarts.

The story is simple and mostly an excuse for world-building, but what a world to get lost in. In my head, Hogwarts wasn't so...practical, but it looks like a place a child of 11 would consider the most amazing place in the world. The creatures and rules and spells add to the fun.

The film does feature shoddy CGI (the quidditch match is particularly bad) and at 2 and a half hours it is overlong. It's hard to ignore, though, the place in popular culture it has attained and the earnest sense of wonder and fun that it offers to everyone who gives it a chance.

Memories of Murder (2003)

Engrossing and Haunting

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

A beautifully composed movie that sucks us into the investigation of a series of murders, and has us as obsessed and frustrated as our detectives. Tonally all over the map, but deliberately so, mimicking the way the investigation continually switches gears. Something that sets this apart from many cop movies, even the best ones, is the use of humor. The cops begin the movie almost as caricatures, broad and nearly comically inept. They slowly become people we identify with and feel sympathy for as we witness these murders by their side. A cop from Seoul takes over the investigation, before it slowly starts to take over him. The fact that this is all based on real life events draws us in deeper.

Time and setting are important. It tells us that it takes place during a military dictatorship when Korea was still emerging as an industrial nation. Torture is used to try and goad suspects into confessions, and DNA evidence must be shipped to America for evaluation.

Bong has a firm grasp at bringing a strong personality into his films. He's a skilled filmmaker, and a storyteller with bold ideas and the confidence that they'll work. The dynamic between his actors and the way he frames them offers heaps of visual information that hints at where the story may lead. I want to call this his best work. It's certainly a great film. The fact that he made THE HOST a few years later is a huge testament to his strong and diverse filmography.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

A Disappointing Execution of a Great Idea

[6/10 · 8 September 2016]

Wreck-It-Ralph creates an extremely promising world that's brilliantly designed and animated and fleshes it out with a story that's entirely generic and worn out. I remember liking this quite a bit when I saw it in theaters, but maybe I was just on a high after seeing Paperman play right before it. It's frustratingly mediocre, and the fact that it doesn't seem to have any ambitions beyond that makes it even more disappointing this time around.

Ralph is a pretty lovable character by the end of the movie, though I had a really hard time feeling sorry for his plight at first because he seemed to cause all the problems for himself, but once he meets up with Vanellope and helps her along he becomes a big-hearted guy worth cheering for. I wish he had a better movie around him. I think the moral of being comfortable with yourself is a little hazily told, but it seems like a good lesson for kids.

I will say that despite my distaste for much of it I was never not engaged. The world is a lot of fun and the voice actors do well. I completely love the idea of the central station, that's so clever. So is the bad-guy group session. It's the details like that that make this movie worth watching, but they're also hints of a better movie that never arrives.

Halloween (1978)

Classically Terrifying

[9/10 · 8 September 2016]

It's kind of a shame that this movie is grouped with all the other slasher movies that were inspired and popularized by its success. I would hardly even call this a slasher, considering the tonal and formal dissimilarities between it and all the others. You know, kind of like how Nirvana are constantly grouped as a grunge band because they rose to prominence around the same time in the same place, when in actuality they don't really sound anything like those other bands. Maybe it works in the film's favor through comparison, but I still don't like it.

The movie is terrifying not because we know Michael Myers is a hulking, killing machine; it's terrifying through suggestion, by using shadows, static cameras, unexplained motives, and that creeping piano score. It's terrifying because we see the peaceful suburban neighborhood during the day where later in the night we witness these events unfold. It's terrifying because we follow these regular high school girls as they're terrorized and mercilessly killed by this unknown figure.

The film doesn't glory in blood and extravagant death scenes. It treats the deaths seriously, like huge moments that we shouldn't be excited for, but rather dread. It treats the audience like empathetic viewers rather than eager and bloodthirsty voyeurs.

There are those moments that have become cliché by way of theft from lesser talents: the suggestion that sex and drinking and general shenanigans leads to death, but done without the self-aware winking. This results in a film that feels familiar, but not dated. The whole film operates this way, and if you give yourself over to the concept without the baggage the genre has reaped, it's just as terrifying as it was when it was first released.

Les Misérables (2012)

A Grand Musical Made Dull

[5/10 · 8 September 2016]

Firstly, if Tom Hooper wanted to make the musical more like Victor Hugo's novel, then he should have just adapted the novel. The changes here from the musical work against the movie's favor because they turn the fantastical into the mundane.

Secondly, recording all the songs live on the set is certainly impressive, but as an audience member it felt like it reduced the ability of the songs and the music to convey the emotion of the scene. In a musical, the emotions come from the songs, and when a song is sung in a slobbery whisper the emotions are muted, no matter how well or realistically the actor is crying.

Thirdly, the on-set recording also constricted the camera's ability to capture wide shots. This created a claustrophobic feeling and for a musical with as grand a story as Les Miserables this was a huge problem. It also made each song look and feel the same, which is a real problem for a musical like this where every line of dialogue is sung. It gets tedious very quickly.

Fourthly, I don't think Hugh Jackman can sing the part of Jean Valjean. "Bring Him Home" kind of falls off the mark from every other version I've seen. Acting-wise, sure, but this is a musical and I had a hard time buying him. Plus, that new song "Suddenly" is a bore and was certainly made and inserted solely for a chance at an Oscar.

Fifthly, the stage actors, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras and Samantha Barks as Eponine, are terrific. They carry their songs with confidence and ease. They were a pleasure to watch and listen to. It's a shame their great parts were reduced for the more famous members of the cast.

Lastly, I can't hate this. I love the stage show too much and despite this feeling completely different I still watch it from time to time.