NOW WATCHING
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Number 6
Ancient Mariner
It was in the Now Reading thread. I mentioned the film while writing about the book.
I watched it when it came out. I hadn't read the book yet, so I loved the film; very original plot, decent characters, and some brilliantly built scenes with tension to spare. It wasn't until I read the book the next day that I started to notice some flaws here and there, not related to the film itself, but to the way some stuff were translated from the literary work to the screen. As a film, I still think it's great, well developed and original, but as an adaptation it falls short.
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It's just another one of those Netflix horror films that thinks not revealing anything about what's happening is somehow a shortcut to suspense. I felt unsatisfied by it.
Speaking of which, right now I'm watching Outlaw King, also on Netflix, with the gf. I had to promise not to do a mock Scottish accent ever again and we skipped the tittie scenes because the daughter is in the room (although Chris Pine's willy flashed for a moment), but at least I can use it as an excuse to have a single malt.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
I'll watch it eventually, the reason I haven't yet is because I still see it as a ill timed rip off of A Quiet Place. A movie about not being able to make noise? How about a movie about not being able to see! Sooo.... When I get over that I'll watch it.
What I did watch was The Appearance. I enjoyed it. The build up to the climax is great, but you can see the end before the big reveal. I mean... it's about a church investigation in the middle ages... nothing's changed. Still a very fun ride. While tagged as a horror movie I found it more in line of a suspenseful film.
What I did watch was The Appearance. I enjoyed it. The build up to the climax is great, but you can see the end before the big reveal. I mean... it's about a church investigation in the middle ages... nothing's changed. Still a very fun ride. While tagged as a horror movie I found it more in line of a suspenseful film.
Number 6
Ancient Mariner
You couldn't be more wrong. I've heard a lot of people talking about that, but Josh Malerman's book came out in 2014, with the first draft having been written as early as 2008. Film rights to the book were acquired in 2013 (before the book was even released) and initiated production in 2016/17. No Quiet Place ripoff there; if anything, it was John Krasinski (or whoever it was that came up with the story) who ripped off Bird Box.
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Number 6
Ancient Mariner
That's also not the movie's fault. The book hardly explains anything as well.
Number 6
Ancient Mariner
Just keep in mind that most of the people who didn't like the film but didn't read the book seem to forget the book even existed. Comparisons to A Quiet Place and accusations of plagiarism are completely unfounded, as is the talk of the movie being bad because it doesn't explain anything when the book in which it was based on did the exact same thing. It's okay to dislike open endings and demand explanations from a fictional mystery, but pin that on the original work, not the film adaptation.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
My hero academia: season 2 ep 17
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Upon a couple of recommendations I decided to watch MANDY. It was described to me as a "psychodelic horror." Um, it was definitely psychodelic, but it wasn't scary in the slightest. I still enjoyed it. It is literally a trip. The use of visuals and music were fantastic and it was VERY intertaining. Dialog is minimal, cryptic and the plot is a done to death kidnapped/partner is murdered other left for dead revenge story. Nicolas Cage was a pleasant surprise. After his horrible career choices as of late (Ghost Rider, Wicker Man remake, etc.) I wasn't too sure, but he did a good job here. I kinda want to rewatch it intoxicated in some way shape or form lol. While it won't scare you it will definitely entertain you. Title track was done by King Crimson, I only know that because the openning credits tell you haha.
Number 6
Ancient Mariner
Thanks for the insight. I still wasn't sure if I'd see it or not, but it sounds interesting from some stuff I've read around, your post included.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Finished watching seasons 7 and the 8th and final season of Voltron Legendary Defender. I'm speechless. What an awesome remake. It's amazing to me how many seasons they pumped out in so little time and they were able to flesh it all out. The ending is unexpected, emotional, a punch to the gut in a good way. Also, it took the whole series, but I finally got my epic transformation music in Voltrons final transforming montage. That was my only complaint all along. The original series may be horrible in hindsight, but man, that theme song is unequaled. Here... still not up to the original, but it did make me happy. Highly recommended.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Rewatched The Thing (1982) and it's still just as amazing as ever. At this point I'd probably say it's a Top 3 film, alongside Die Hard and Apocalypse Now (though I'd need to rewatch it because I only saw it once, but damn was it incredible).
If that's the case, then that makes things worse, because what I said would apply to a lot more horror media. I realise that mystery is a part of good horror, and it's what I like about it the most, actually. I also appreciate that true horror comes from that core of the mystery that remains unexplainable. But what I saw in the film just looked like a lazy copout, in the sense of "if we show them all blindfolded, we don't have to show what's actually going on, and hence we don't have to come up with something that's actually going on". Not having a proper story with the excuse of leaving it all to the viewer's/reader's imagination just seems like a lazy shortcut to me, sorry.
Not that a resolution per se means the story will be good. Case in point: "Parfum" on Netflix. It's a German quasi-adaptation of a very popular novel that just really blows your mind at how stupid, clichéd and primitive it is. It had a very intriguing idea revolving around a group of five terrible people that could have worked had it not been turned into a crime story, because crime stories are all that German film producers will produce. Hence, it received an incredibly ham-fisted resolution that came out of fucking nowhere and makes little sense. Absolutely none of the characters were likeable. All of them were written in such a one-dimensional, bluntly clichéd manner that for most of the time, I kept waiting for character moments that gave us another dimension to them, that almost never came. Virtually the only one was a pimp who ended up caring for a kid, which is a cliché in itself. Avoid.
Number 6
Ancient Mariner
Not sure if what I'm about to say could be considered as spoilers, but anyhow...
It seems to me that it isn't the lack of a solution that you found annoying, but the creatures' lack of development. With that, I can agree about the film. The book delves much more into the creatures, still not giving any answers about what they are or where they came from, but it's much more open to theories than the film. In the film, we learn that the creatures are horrible monsters that want to decimate humans, while the book at certain points makes us question if the creatures are really intentionally killing people or not. We still don't get answers, but the creatures themselves are better developed.
Maturin
Sköldpadda
Watched Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
First of Disney's Star Wars I didn't go to see at the pictures. A good film. But really, the only thing I remotely care about concerning Disney's Star Wars is to see Episode IX go down. We've got a third film of a massive trilogy and the goodwill's run out & the canvas is blank. That is interesting.
First of Disney's Star Wars I didn't go to see at the pictures. A good film. But really, the only thing I remotely care about concerning Disney's Star Wars is to see Episode IX go down. We've got a third film of a massive trilogy and the goodwill's run out & the canvas is blank. That is interesting.
Go down as in "crash and burn" or go down as in "let's see what happens"?
I wish they'd found someone other than JJ to do it, though. Not Rian Johnson, not JJ. Someone new and interesting, maybe with actual experience directing a huge science fiction/space opera film.