In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Monday, 26 September 2011

Black Devil Doll (2007)

So I guess they thought they'd "improve" upon the original by hiring an all-white cast. More than anything, I found myself distracted by all the botched-up boob jobs of the broads depicted in this schlockfest. Provides an origin story for the Black Devil Doll ripped straight out of Child's Play. This time around, they play it for straight comedy, instead of the unintentional comedy/"horror" of the original. It's an improvement, but not by much.

½ I can fap to this! out of 5

Black Devil Doll From Hell (1984)

Holy mother of fuck. Quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen in my life, and I don't say that lightly. Shot on home video, poorly dubbed, horrendously acted, with the most repugnant "musical" score ever known to man. Notable I guess for the scene where a ventriloquist dummy rapes a virgin Christian woman. This in turn opens up a deep sexual awakening in her, except she can only be satisfied by the doll. I felt like I was watching a fucked up porno for the most part. Unforgettable...for better or for worse.

A surefire recipient of the Nutshell Turd Award.

0 puppets scare the living shit out of me out of 5

The Puppet Monster Massacre (2011)

I know what you're thinking...but it's better than it sounds. This zero budget puppet show plays exactly like your typical bad formulaic horror movie...only with an all-puppet cast. This is actually an improvement over said typical bad formulaic horror movie. Amusing voice-work (which is really all this movie is) and some blood splatter effects and you've got yourself a picture worthy of a third-rate knock-off of House on Haunted Hill.

2 Raimi-Campbell homages out of 5

Little Johnny: The Movie (2011)

"Australia's answer to Family Guy" this is not. Revolving around the butt of an old joke, foul mouthed pervert Little Johnny and his well-meaning uncle are featured in this series of Flash animations resembling a movie. Some bits reminded me of old Peanuts gags. The "plot" follows Little Johnny in his efforts to afford a new bicycle so he can impress the little girl he fancies. Meh for the most part. Vulgar for vulgar's sake, which is rarely ever funny.

1 cock-a-doodle-doo out of 5

Son of Morning (2011)

Going nowhere 20-something Phillip is propelled to stardom when he is photographed crying blood and hailed as the next Messiah. All the responsibility and power goes to his head, even as he says and does nothing and the media project their own ideals unto him. Then there's also the little matter of the Sun dying... Loses momentum after awhile, but it's a wild ride on the way there.

3.5 "More talking gerbil" out of 5

Sunday, 25 September 2011

Paris, Texas (1984)

A bearded Harry Dean Stanton walks around the desert in an empty haze. Has he found some grade A weed, or something more tragic? The remainder of the film fills in the four-year blank in his mind, very slowly but hauntingly poetic.
The cinematographer (Robby Müller) deserves a large chocolate medal for his work. 147 minutes is perhaps too long, but the last half hour will nail itself to your memory, when Stanton shows the world what it means to be an actor.

4 strums by Ry Cooder out of 5

Suck (2009)

It's either very brave, very stupid or playfully ironic to call your movie Suck when it does. A so-called 'comedy' about a so-called 'rock' band that... suck. Draft in some rock stars for a readymade audience. Throw meat at Moby the vegan? Have Alice Cooper say “Welcome to my Nightmare,” and turn Henry Rollins into an asshole? Oh, the ironic hilarity. I struggled to make it to twenty minutes. The FFW button is my friend; it will likely be yours too.

0 something funny and ironic that is neither out of 5

DRIVE [2011]

What if David Lynch played it straight and directed a Quentin Tarantino script in the style of a '80's Martin Scorsese flick. You'd probably get Drive.
Danish director (of Pusher fame) Nicolas Winding Refn crafts a well-paced, violent, bizarre, heist thriller following the story of an unnamed character played by Ryan Gosling. It's got a supporting cast that couldn't be better, including Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks. Everything about it is reminiscent of the '80's right down to the stylish score and source songs.
It's a quiet little modern noir that is easily one of my favorites of the year.

4½ stunt-double masks out of 5

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON [2011]

I walked out of the theater at the hour and fifteen minute mark of this shitfest. So I figured if budarc could sit through Priest twice then I could sit through this beginning to end.
I'm not sorry I missed the remainder of the movie, however I would have liked to have seen the final hour in IMAX 3D, with the exception of the final showdown which is a HUGE letdown. Giant robots fight. Things go boom in slow-motion. Plenty of ass shots...and that's just Shia's face. Victoria Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gets plenty of exploitive shots as well.
As a CGI effect and sound effects film this is a work of art...for story, acting, direction and anything else is a steaming pile of shit.

1 "Missed It By That Much" out of 5

Jane Eyre (2011)

Dark, broodish and gorgeously shot...what's not to like? Strong-willed and independent-minded Jane Eyre braves a horrible upbringing and woos the heart of headmaster Mr. Rochester in this dreary Gothic tale. Not as tragic as I initially anticipated (and with an ending I'm still uncertain I agree with), I still soaked up every moment of this.

4 classic Victorian settings out of 5

The Tempest (2010)

An all-star cast, special effects, and a modern, rock tinged soundtrack (?) was not enough to save this snoozefest. In all fairness, I'm not really familiar with this play, but this movie did nothing to convince me otherwise. Russell Brand and Alfred Molina (as the two drunks) were great fun, but the rest bored me with their straitlaced interpretations. No offense to Shakespeare, but in my opinion the material was handled too blandly for contemporary audiences to properly digest.

1 save the text for the classroom out of 5

Saturday, 24 September 2011

AKMAREUL BOATDAL [I SAW THE DEVIL] [2010]

Director Kim Ji-woon is a genre-hopping master. From the hilariously silly, the just plain weird, super creepy to disgustingly violent, Ji-Woon manages to throw in all those elements into his latest feature length.
With masterful performances from Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun, I Saw The Devil is hypnotizing from beginning to end. It's a cat and mouse revenge tale, where the cat is particularly sadistic...and he's the good guy.
Although it does run about 15 minutes too long, there are a few huge plot holes and things that just don't make sense, I Saw The Devil is well-crafted, well-performed and good, sick, twisted fun.

4 Disappearing wounds out of 5

KILLER ELITE [2011]

When I first saw that Jason Statham and Clive Owen had done a film together I dookied in my pants a little...seeing that DeNiro was in it as well confirmed that dookie.
It's violent, filled with plot holes, it's violent, filled with magically healing wounds, it's violent, not particularly original and it's violent.
I loved it.
Seeing Statham and Owen duke it out something fierce, definitely takes the cake from Fast Five's Vin Diesel and Rock as 2011's ultimate showdown. DeNiro gets into the action himself which is an absolute squeal-worthy delight.
It's unpredictable enough to keep you entertained till the end and the enticing performances hold your interest during the non-action scenes. If you're an action-buff who likes to see it done right, then this is it served to you on a silver platter.

3 ½ Funny British Guy Curses out of 5

Secret Ceremony (1968)

Elizabeth Taylor, in one of her more interesting roles, plays an unhappy prostitute with some very silly wizard gowns. Mia Farrow steals the film as a young woman with some extreme psychological problems. Together the two women facilitate each other’s fantasy world.
The house in which Mia lives is full of decadent colour and baroque design and yet with an understated lighting it remains mysterious and eerie.
The film gave me the feckin wiggins; not in the usual horror movie or David Lynch way, but in a whole new way I've never experienced before. I found it uncomfortable but essential viewing.

4½ scary pervert scenes for Mitchum out of 5

Exorcismus (2010)

Troubled adolescent girl is plagued by visions of demonic possession and experiences sudden lapses of consciousness and self-control. Told from the girl's point of view, which I haven't particularly seen before, there are quite a few unsettling moments (and some silly ones), enough to separate it from the rest. A very mild recommendation, for the modern horror connoisseur.

2.5 leave the fucking Ouija board alone out of 5