Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Review

This 80's christmas slasher is one that can be described as half decent.
All the origin stuff in the first half I found to be quite interesting and actually had some ok acting, once it shifts into the actual slasher stuff though, things get a bit mixed. There's a few nice kills and bloody moments (in the uncut version at least) but there's also a few dull moments, with some sequence being padded out to fill the run time.
The movie is certainly sleazy and twisted but surprisingly tackles a few issues like trigger happy policemen and the certain effects of abuse and trauma, of course its all done in the most basic of ways, so its not particularly depthful, but its still oddly there
Overall I think this isan enjoyable enough slasher flick, nothing great but not too bad. ***

A Taxi Driver (2017) Review

Here's a Korean film based on a true story about the Taxi driver who helped transport a german reporter into Gwangju during it's democratisation movement in 1980.
Its a drama with some thriller and action elements mixed in, one that is deeply moving and utterly fantastic.
Song Kang-Ho plays as the Taxi driver and puts on a superb performance as you'd expect. I definitely got engrossed with his character and he's backed up by a really good supporting cast including Thomas Kretschmann as the reporter. There's a great dynamic between Kretschmann and Kang-Ho's character especially in trying to overcome the language barrier between the two.

The film actually starts out quite light hearted with a fair amount of humour, but it gradually turns more serious whilst retaining some of its humour and includes a few tense sequences, as well as strong emotional moments that had me in tears. The film is certainly a little romanticised and is very sentimental but it still works really well and manages to remain very engaging and moving.

Cinematography is also good and there's one particular standout scene in the film set at night time where only orange light is used to illuminate the setting and it looks incredible. The contrasting orange and black makes for some stunning imagery and mixed with the added smoke helps create a perfect atmosphere and setting for the events that ensue.

The film does have a hefty runtime of 137 minutes, but it certainly never drags and unfolds at a good pace. The only thing I wasn't too keen was a car chase scene, which seemed a little too fantastical  and a bit needless, but It's still effectively done and doesn't detract much from the film at all.

Overall this is a really great film fronted by strong performances that effectively sheds lights on a horrific event and represents well those unsung heroes of vital importance who never necessarily expect or want the recognition, but certainly deserve it. Highly recommended. ****1/2

Chaw (2009) Review

So here's a pretty fun but kinda lackluster South Korean monster movie about a mutant killer boar who roams the forests of  small village, killing and eating any person it comes across.
The film has a fun tone, playing out like a black comedy, though some of its humour doesn't quite work and feels a bit off.
The films execution is also a little rough, some of the editing and camerawork are a bit messy and its really lacking in the gore department which is bit of a shame.
Still some of Monster action isn't bad, the Boar being brought to life with a mix of practical and CG effect which are decent and works well enough.
The film also has its fair share of odd moments including couple of weird characters and despite is execution I quite enjoyed this overall. Its run time is almost 2 hours, which is too long for this kind of film but I wouldn't say it dragged at all and I think it's the films inherent oddness that keeps your attention.
Overall it's not the best but there's enough there to make it fun. **1/2