bostockleigh-75918 Reviews

The House That Jack Built (2018)

Not for the sensitive viewer.

[8/10 · 12 March 2024]

This movie disturbed me, and it worms it's way into the darkest corners of your mind.

"The House That Jack Built" is probably the finest portrayal of a psychopath that's ever been put on film. I include "Hannibal Lecter" "Dexter" and every other popular portrayal because there's something almost likeable about those characters, and that means the actors have missed the point.

Matt Dillon's portrayal, the acts he commits, and the manner in which he commits them in The House That Jack Built are all expressions of beastial, utterly cruel and disgusting behaviour. Every progressive scene is harder to bear, harder to watch and harder to forget.

The movie is definitely not a pleasure to watch, Jack is not a person you want to remember - and THAT'S a psychopath.

Anthony Hopkins and the rest are light entertainment compared to Matt Dillon.

In that way Lars von Trier has directed a masterpiece that's unlikely to be challenged.

And it's disgusting.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Excellent movie.

[9/10 · 18 August 2023]

The secret to understanding this movie is not reading the book first, or preparing by reading reviews, it's simply paying attention to what is being shown and said on-screen. This is not a movie for popcorn and idle chatter. I watched it having read nothing more than the title, and yes, it was challenging, but as soon as a movie becomes challenging, I know I have to pay attention to all the little clues the director feeds me and allow the story to build and take form in my mind. The clues are all there, and everything converges beautifully in the last 15 minutes. Suddenly it all makes sense and at that moment you realise you've just watched something special.

The Year I Started Masturbating (2022)

Excellent Movie

[10/10 · 31 May 2023]

Contrary to some other reviews, I found this movie hilarious and uplifting. Masturbation does feature, obviously, and it's up to the viewer to decide whether to take it literally or metaphorically - either way, it works. We follow the main character through what should be the most depressing period of her life, during which time circumstance forces her into the company of people she'd never have ordinarily met, all of whom enrich her life, while at the same time she re-evaluates her existing relationships from a new perspective. They say when you hit rock-bottom, the only way is up, and she rises like an surprised Phoenix from the ashes. If you do take my advice and watch this lovely movie - watch the credits to the very end.

The Last Days of American Crime (2020)

What a bore.

[2/10 · 27 May 2023]

This is one of those movies that everyone involved (including those who watch it) simply wishes had never been made. Despite what appears to have been a sizeable budget, the script and screenplay offer no coherent story and no tension whatsoever. Each scene appears unconnected to the next, and it rambles on, something like this review, until by the end of the movie one has forgotten the premise offered at the beginning. I could have stated all this in one sentence. Embarrassing and nonsensical on every level. Some movies are SO bad they make you laugh - this one is just horrifically bad. Period.

The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021)

I'd advise against it.

[1/10 · 11 September 2022]

This might have been interesting if Mark Cousins had spent a little extra on the budget to pay for a real Narrator, however, he didn't and his slow, mind-numbingly boring speech grates, and grates until at 23:50 into a TWO AND A QUARTER HOUR movie, not only do you hate what you're watching, but you hate him, his accent and the fact that you're actually inflicting this pain upon yourself - all you have to do is press "ESCAPE" and you'll be free! This is a pity because I'm sure some of the movies he mentions here are notable. I hope he doesn't try acting. It's the sort of dull monotone that either indicates he thinks he's too clever to show emotion or he simply has no emotion. As far as the content goes, he simply describes what you're seeing on the screen. There are no secrets imparted or anecdotes regarding the techniques he's supposed to be telling us about. This has all the quality of a teenager's first high-school project.

Love, Death & Robots (2019– )

Pure magic.

[10/10 · 26 May 2022]

It's impossible to summarise this series as each story is unique. Suffice to say it's a gem. "Jibaro", the last episode of series 3, is magnificent - a work of art and totally unforgettable. If you don't watch this you're missing something unmissable.

Annihilation (I) (2018)

Superb movie quite unlike any other.

[10/10 · 3 January 2022]

If you want an in depth review, buy a newvspaper - all I have to say is it's not a movie you can absorb fully on one viewing. I loved it when it was released and since then it's beckoned me back on numerous occasions, only getting better each time I've watched it. Tonight I watched it with full comprehension and that was the best yet. I probably won't watch it again, but I'm here to tell you that this is a very special movie indeed. Watch it at least twice before you judge it.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

There are two iconic Spider-Man movies:

[10/10 · 26 December 2021]

"The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". It really is as simple as that. The tale is told brutally and the ending of the second movie is emotionally devastating, burning itself into your memory and your soul. In fact, it haunted my dreams for a while. If a movie can do THAT, it's an excellent movie indeed.

Hancock (2008)

Excellent but misunderstood.

[8/10 · 6 June 2021]

The people who give this a poor rating are those who went in looking for a superhero movie. On the surface, that's what this appears to be, but as the story progresses it becomes apparent that the heroism is secondary to the story and it's actually a love story. I'm not here to spoil the movie for anyone, but many will understand the concept of two people who seem destined for one another, but when together, they're weaker than when they're apart, leaving them one option - show their love by distancing themselves. This is why there's been no sequel - the story has been told.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

Oh dear.

[4/10 · 17 April 2021]

It starts off well but then turns into a grinding, tedious, repetitive bore that makes you feel as trapped as the spectres it portrays. Pity.

Modern Family (2009–2020)

Excellent start, terrible finish.

[3/10 · 12 March 2021]

I'll be short and to the point - the first three seasons are excellent comedy, and from season 4 it becomes slapstick. One star for each good season.

Spree (2020)

Total Dreck.

[1/10 · 31 December 2020]

Occasionally I watch a movie so bad that I'm angry with myself for wasting the time. This is probably the best example of such a movie. Won't waste my time writing more - just don't bother.

Maniac (2012)

The POV camera shots ruin the movie completely.

[3/10 · 6 December 2020]

I don't know what they were thinking by filming it this way but it's terrible. The storyline is passable but it comes across as a low budget hack-job. They got away with using one camera.

Skyline (2010)

Excellent movie.

[8/10 · 4 October 2020]

Never trust the ratings on IMDB - this movie comes in under 5 stars at the time of writing but the follow up "Beyond Skyline" comes in at 7.5 stars and it's a much weaker movie. I suspect it's because this, the first, isn't the traditional gung-ho hard man hero movie people want. However it's far more realistic in terms of the scenario. I'm keeping away from spoilers, because I don't believe in them. My advice is, if you enjoy Alien movies, watch this with an open mind, imagine yourself in the same situation and I can almost guarantee that you'll thoroughly enjoy it.

Climax (I) (2018)

Straight people need not apply.

[10/10 · 14 September 2020]

As with all Gaspar Noé's movies, this is intense. I'm not going to drone on and on about the depictions and the "artistic message" because there is none. It's a hard look at LSD. Those who have BEEN Acid-heads at some point in their lives will understand everything, feel everything, and those who haven't will be lost.

Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Awful.

[2/10 · 8 August 2020]

Michael Douglas looks like a straight man doing a bad impression of a gay man which is exactly what he is. When Hollywood is FULL of genuinely gay actors some of whom can act, there's no excuse for these parodies - to me it's on the same level as a white man blacking up to play a slave. And I'm straight. Not worth the effort.

The Courier (2019)

Great opening titles

[4/10 · 8 July 2020]

The first few minutes of this movie are bursting with promise - colourful pin-sharp landscapes of the city - excellent shots of the courier speeding through London at night, tension building as a witness is escorted to an "undisclosed location"... then the acting starts, and the promise evaporates like the morning dew. The acting is amateur at best, and within 30 minutes you're wondering if you've made a wise choice. Ten minutes later and you know you haven't, but you figure you may as well sit through it, because after all, you're in Lockdown and you have nothing better to do....

Zombeavers (2014)

Misunderstood

[8/10 · 6 July 2020]

The low ratings here are due to the fact that people think the director wants us to take this movie seriously when it's simply a parody of the B-Rated horror movies of the past: Hot girls in bikinis and short-shorts, horny guys, awful special effects and a bad script. It's so well done we should applaud and not criticise!

The Assignment (I) (2016)

Terrible.

[2/10 · 21 June 2020]

I decided to watch this because there are actors I trust starring in it. When I use the word "trust", I mean I trust them to read the screenplay before accepting the role. The whole movie is a disaster from start to finish - the acting couldn't have been worse if it had been filmed by an adult movie company in the 70s. They recite their lines as if it's the first time they've seen them projected on an autocue. It's not bad enough to be good either, it just stinks. I've given it two stars because I'm generous.

The Sinner (2017–2021)

Gripping and unsettling drama.

[8/10 · 20 June 2020]

Ironically the most irritating person in this series is the central character played by Bill Pullman - shifty eyed, indecisive, weak and comes across as totally unreliable and untrustworthy.... a true anti-hero, but the stories are good and they draw you in to the point of binge-watching. Acting and production is all acceptable though if you look too closely, there are holes in the plot here and there.

Dracula (2020)

Horrifyingly bland and incomprehensible

[2/10 · 13 January 2020]

I'm not going to waste any time dissecting this, it's not terrifying, it's terrible. I'm amazed that money was invested in this drivel. If you want to use a famous book as a hook, it's best that the writers and the director actually read the book and understand what made the book famous in the first place. Poppycock.

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 24 November 2019]

I was a great fan of PP1 & PP2, so it was a real let-down to see this. The story is weak, they haven't chosen good songs to perform, Rebel Wilson is just Rebel Wilson and John Lithgow adds the coup de grâce with the weakest performance of his life. Even so, I've been gracious and rated it 6 stars because the other cast members act well with the material they've been given. I won't say "don't bother" because everyone sees things with their own eyes, and even knowing what I know now, I'd have watched it anyway - the final scene is a fitting farewell.

Marcella (2016–2021)

Enjoyable, gripping, but a long, long way from reality.

[8/10 · 13 November 2019]

I've given a good rating because it's addictive. However Marcella is the most unstable, imbalanced, unpredictable woman you're ever likely to see in the role of a British cop in the 21st century. Considering that in reality, Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher was prosecuted for gross misconduct and lost his job for finding the body of Becky Godden-Edwards, who had been reported missing in 2007 and had been murdered by taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, simply because he acquired the confession without cautioning Halliwell or allowing him access to a solicitor, the things Marcella gets up to in series one would have her serving decades in jail. Her actions go FAR beyond any misconduct Steve Fulcher was guilty of and yet she STILL HAS A JOB! She's the kind of cop nobody needs on their side - in fact she's God's gift to any criminal she's investigating. So: View this purely for entertainment and don't dig into the details and you'll be okay. If you're looking for more than that, don't bother - it'll drive you nuts. Now for series 2.....

Meet Joe Black (1998)

A true benchmark in film making

[10/10 · 24 October 2019]

In protest to all the remade junk Hollywood is producing these days, I'm watching a movie that's as good to watch the 10th time as it was the first (and I speak from experience). This movie is a tribute to all who came together in it's making. It's Claire Forlani's finest hour, Brad Pitt is superb and Anthony Hopkins is brilliant to name a few. If you've never watched it, I challenge you: It will melt your heart, and it will become a standard. Hats off to the screenwriters who adapted the story so well, to the actors who plainly put their hearts into this, to wardrobe, lighting, scenery who put everything in place, and most of all to the Director who had a passionate and clear vision of what he wanted from every scene.

The Game Changers (2018)

Eye-opener - especially for the older generation.

[10/10 · 24 October 2019]

If you're a confirmed meat eater, this may be the most important documentary you ever watch in your life. Like Sugar, meat is a myth propogated by industry. Gladiators were strict vegetarians. If you can watch this from start to finish and you don't have an overwhelming desire to empty your fridge and freezer of anything animal-based, watch it again, because you obviously weren't paying attention the first time.