Halloween Sequels (II - Resurrection) Review

Was gonna do separate reviews for each of these movies but decided to combine them into one big chunk, since I don't really have a whole lot to say about many of them. so without further ado here are my thoughts on the Halloween sequels.

Halloween II (1981)

In the first 15 minutes of this film a 17 year old kid dressed as Mike Myers gets pinned against a van by a police car that promptly explodes for no reason and it's absolutely ridiculous.
And that's not all, as the film is riddled with dumb moments, but you know what? it's still quite a fun watch overall. It takes a more general Slasher approach, with more violence and Donald Pleasance continues his enjoyable ramblings as the constantly on edge Dr. Loomis. ***

Halloween III: Season of the witch (1983)

 

This one gets a lot of flack for not having Mike Myers and being a completely different and new film as the studio wanted to carry on using the Halloween moniker but with a new film idea each time like an anthology.
Despite that though if you view this as a standalone horror as you're supposed to, this is actually quite an enjoyable film. Yeah some of it is still a little silly but it's got a nice little mystery that keeps it intriguing, as well as a couple good gruesome moments. My brother remarked that it's a bit like a James bond film except the spy elements are taken out and replaced by horror ones, I don't think he's far wrong, plus the film has quite a dark ending that I found to be quite effective. ***

Halloween 4: The return of Michael Myers (1988) Review

So of course Season of the witch failed and they brought back Michael Myers, and this is where the series starts getting a lot dumber, although this entry may be the blandest of the entire series.
Mike Myers is alot less intimidating (though his lowest point is still to come), there's barely any suspense or violence and it just kinda drags, especially towards the end. The most enjoyable stuff seems to be Dr Loomis and his rambling again, with the biggest highlight being when he's picked up  off the side of the road by a reverend, and honestly, they should have just made a road movie between those two as I would watch the shit out of it. **

Halloween 5: The Revenge Michael Myers (1989)

I thought 4 was bad...then 5 comes along and delivers this incompetent garbage.
I swear this film is meant to be a comedy because all I kept doing is laughing throughout. Myers has an awful and bothersome flappy neck on his mask making him the least scariest of the franchise, in fact Dr. Loomis is more terrifying in this, always bugging the poor Jamie Lloyd kid who is now psychic for some reason. There's also weird sound effects at certain points and the music score is a bit off and not quite working. 

Then of course you got the start of the Thorn bullshit and the whole thing is just inept. I think I still enjoyed it more than 4 but for all the wrong reasons. **

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

 

I watched the producer's cut of this but also skimmed through the theatrical cut to compare and both are pretty bad with awful climaxes, but the producer's cut is a little more coherent with a better soundtrack opting for a more minimal atmospheric score like the first one which is quite a effective and completely ruined in the theatrical cut with added rock guitar riffs and squeals. In all honesty I was actually quite enjoying the producer's cut up until the big reveal towards the end and then the whole thing just falls apart. 

Here the Thorn stuff comes to the forefront, which is awful and ridiculous, but I do commend them for trying something a bit different I guess. And despite all the gobbledygook, the film is still more consistently put together than the previous film. **

Halloween H20: 20 years Later (1998)

 

AKA Laurie vs. Michael. Here the series shoots up in quality and provides the best sequel.
This one is set 20 years after the first two films events and completely disregards all the sequels that came after it, with Jamie Lee Curtis making a return as Laurie Strode.
The film itself is very enjoyable from start to finish and flies by at a brisk pace. The climactic showdown between Laurie and Michael is great and one of the series best highlights.
It still has its hokey and questionable bits, but for the most part this is a competently well made and executed Slasher. Plus I found LL Cool J playing a security guard that writes erotic fiction rather amusing. ***1/2

Halloween: Resurrection

Here's the series dips down again. It follows on directly from H20 and while the first 10 - 15 minutes are actually pretty good, Busta Rhymes then gets added to the mix and things turn into a farce.
Now I did like the whole Myers house being used for a internet horror show idea and maybe if they had minimized Busta Rhymes to a cameo or took him out completely, the film as a whole would have worked better. But his presence just makes things more comedic feeling and almost like a 'scary movie' parody at times, especially the ending, which I'm sure felt like a spit in the face to long-time fans of the franchise at the time.
Having said that, I didn't take the film all that seriously and actually thought it was pretty fun including Busta Rhymes whole shitck for just feeling bizarre and out of place. Most definitely a product of the early 00's  and honestly more enjoyable than 4, 5 and 6. **1/2

 

Halloween (1978) Review

I admit I don't have the same amount of love and attachment to this film as most people, in fact I saw the Rob Zombie remake long before watching this. But I still do have a strong appreciation for it and can see why it is so highly influential and regarded as a classic.

For one, the score is fantastic and has become iconic in itself, the haunting piano arrangement is instantly recognisable and just hearing it is enough to put most people on edge.

 The story is very simple but effective and for the most part maintains a terrific atmosphere and provides a great deal of suspense, with Michael Myers threatening presence being felt throughout the movie and effectively utilising a few popular Giallo elements like the killer POV.

However there are certainly some things that feel a bit dated and a little laughable at times, also the film's lack of gore compared to later slasher films may also make it seem a little tame for a modern audience. My brother for instance, who is a huge Slasher fan actually finds the film a little boring since the suspense doesn't really work on him and there's not enough that really goes on around that. So I can understand people not being that big on it since the suspense is arguably the film's biggest factor for engagement.

Personally, I do find this to be a great suspenseful horror whose achievements and influence outshine its flaws, but it's not something I would re-watch much. ****

Phantasm II (1988) Review

Released 9 years after the first one. This sequel starts right after where the first one left off and then jumps ahead 9 years as Reggie and Mike go on a journey to see out and take down the Tall-man once more, setting a bunch of trends that follow throughout the rest of the sequels including Reggie becoming the main hero and his attempts at trying to have sex with every woman he picks up.

This marks the only film in the series where Mike is played by a different actor, but I think he fits the role fine here and is a decent enough replacement, though I guess it is slightly jarring to go from him back to the original actor in the next film.
The Tall Man and Reggie are still played by original actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Bannister though, as they would be for the rest of the film series.

The film also had a considerably bigger budget so of course they utilise that to the fullest and like alot of film sequels make thing bigger and bolder with more action and special effects as well as a somewhat lighter tone which all makes for a very fun and engaging experience.

The main theme heard in the first movie is retained, but the score itself is more generic and sounds similar to every other horror film of the time. It also delivers a similar fake-out ending to the first  which may annoy people but I was fine with it.

So yeah, while it does still have flaws and is much more conventional than the first film, lacking that same level of intrigue and mystery, I still found it to be almost as enjoyable. But then I do really like fun action horrors and this one in particular as a certain charm to it. ***1/2

A Star is Born (2018) Review

I'll I admit I went into this thinking it was gonna be some hokey feel-good film, I mean how can you not with a poster and title like the one above and with the way it's been marketed.
So of course to my pleasant surprise it was instead a strong emotional drama that was actually great and quite far-way from feel good or happy.

The film is lead by two fantastic and genuine feeling lead performances from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I'd says it's probably the best performance I've seen from Cooper thus far and Gaga really fits in so naturally with her role with them both having tremendous chemistry together.
They are also back up by a good supporting cast with Sam Elliott in particular being the other stand out of the film.

The soundtrack is also really good performed beautifully by Gaga and Cooper who collaborated with a bunch of different country musicians among other personnel to compose and produce it. The songs feel very genuine and fit perfectly with the story and characters.

there are a couple of odd moments and things feeling a bit rushed but overall I think Cooper has done fantastic job with his debut and shows a lot of promise as a director. Crafting a drama that has a lot of heart and is just as much as bout a star on the decline as it is about one on the rise and the conrtast between them.

I'll be very surprised if this don't pick up any Oscar noms. ****

Phantasm (1979) Review

This cult classic is certainly an interesting one...

The beginning is structurally very odd and feels a bit jumbled, but it soon finds it's footing and has heaps of intrigue which manages to keep you engaged throughout, revealing little details as it goes on but never fully explaining everything before delivering a sort of fakeout ending that links the film to themes of grieving and dealing with loss that gives it a psychological edge (which of course is dissipated in the sequels).

It's also got quite a good score on the go which is very reminiscent of music Goblin would produce for Dario Argento.

Characters do make some questionable decisions )particularly the main kid), The acting isn't the best and the atmosphere is inconsistent but Phantasm is a strange and enjoyable horror that's got a bit of unique vibe going for it which makes it clear why it became a cult favourite and spawned a franchise.

the Tall Man may not be the scariest of guys, but actor Angus Scrimm manages to give the character an intimating presence that certainly made an impact. ***1/2

Johnny English Strike Again (2018) Review

With this type of movie it's best just to go in and see how much fun you can have, cause at the end of the day these films are just a string of comedy set-pieces connected together by a very basic plot..
With that being said I certainly did get a few good laughs out of this, particularly in a sequence involving VR, although there was also a fair amount of comedy that fell dead on it's arse too, but may have got a chuckle out of child me.

So yeah I found the film to be  mildly amusing with a slight charm, but these films have never aspired to be more than just some pleasant passing entertainment and that's really all it is, just more of the same kinda of stuff rehashed with added elements like Johnny being out of touch and old school.

I guess you're enjoyment of this will come down to your connection to the character and sense of humour. I personally have attachment due to being a fan of the first movie when I was a kid, so even if there's barely anything to it, I've got no issues with a simple spy spoof that will have me smiling every now and again. **1/2

Venom (2018) Review

There's a good movie lurking somewhere in Venom's back gooey depths and it lies specifically in the fun Venom/Eddie Brock dynamic that serves to be the films main highlight. Tom Hardy is clearly having fun in his role which is why it mainly works well and serves to be enjoyable.
The CGI is also fine but does get a bit messy at times particularly in the climactic fight but I don't think the editing helped with that either.

My point though is that I liked the portrayal of venom here, It's just a shame that its' all wrapped in a bog standard story and some messy craftsmanship leaving you with a film that is kinda entertaining but mostly lackluster.

May have just been better if they just did a spider-man film with this venom, the problem with origin origin films is that the majority of them go down similar paths and they just don't end up being interesting enough, so I wouldn't call Venom outright bad, it's  just very meh. **1/2
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A Simple Favor (2018) Review

take some of the hunour and tone of Paul Feig's previous films and mix it with Gone Girl and this is what you get. A fun little thriller that is based on a novel from last year which looks a lot more serious than this film ended up being.
But it's the playful tongue and cheek tone that really makes this work especially with it getting a little farcical towards the end. Though I'm sure there are fans of the novel who are displeased with this deviation which is fair.

The film is ripe with twists and turns that keep it interesting, some more surprising than others and it does a good job of leading you  in a few directions to make you guess what going on before the big reveals finally come in, though it arguably maybe takes a tad too long for the reveals to come through as my interest did wane a little bit in the middle before getting hooked right in.

Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick both put on very solid central performances playing contrasting characters that both have things that their hiding beneath and the supporting cast was pretty good too.

In the end what you get is a solid thriller with an intriguing story and a good dose of humour that may not have the heft and weight of gone girl but still provides an all around fun time. Probably Feig's finest film to date.. ***1/2

BlacKKKlansman (2018) Review

Before this I only ever seen one Spike Lee film...the Oldboy remake. Of course that movie turned out to be trash but I was always curious to check out Lee's good stuff and luckily I got a glimpse of that with Lee's latest film BlacKKKlansman which turned out to be rather excellent.

The film is based on the true story of a black detective in the 1970's who with help from his team try to infiltrate and expose the local Klu Klutz Klan residing in Colorado springs.

Now though it is based on a true story there are of course creative liberties that are taken to make things more interesting but without sacrificing the stories validity or things Spike may be trying to say.

Spike also balances the tone here tremendously well consistently switching the line between serious and funny.The best example of this being the KKK, the way they are represented is often quite farcical and not in a forced way but just inherently with their words and actions, but then there are also times where what they say and do is deeply discomforting.

Spike also does a great job of comparing and contrasting the KKK with the Black power movement which again reinforces the ridiculousness of the former, though Spike also doesn't shy away from a few of the negative aspects that were prevalent in the latter.

Spike is also clear to remind us of the racial issues we face in the modern day with a very serious and hard hitting ending which many may argue as preachy but it's Spike just enforcing his point and wanting a change.

This is all also backed up by some great acting with a cast that includes John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier and Topher Grace among others all of who put on strong performances.

What Spike Lee has crafted here is great movie that has power and social relevance and whilst you can argue that certain scenes go on longer than they need to do, I personally found the film to be a compelling  experience from start to finish. ****1/2

Star Trek: the Motion Picture (1979) Review

The first in the original Star Trek film series and it's a very good one indeed.
Here Captain Kirk and his original enterprise crew reunite to investigate a huge strange energy cloud that is making its way towards earth.
It's a rather simple story but it's soaked in intrigue and kept me engaged throughout it's over 2 hour runtime as the mystery of the cloud and whatever lurks inside it are slowly unravelled.
It's almost devoid of any action which I've seen pop-up as a criticism but I really never found it a problem since I found the story compelling enough and helped by the fact that it's well acted by everyone.

There's also some great visual stuff on the go especially when they finally reveal what is hiding in the cloud with some solid set design and effects on the go, Yeah quite a bit of it look dated but it all still retains a certain charm to them and has some really cool bits.
I will admit that they do seem to stretch out a couple of these effects sequences longer than they maybe should have but i never found it much of hindrance.

But that's because it;s all accompanied by Jerry Goldsmiths fantastic score, the exact kind of majestic film score that helps keep you hooked and it's very clear to see why he ended up scoring a load of other Star trek stuff with even a slight variation of main theme from this film being used as the main them for the Next Generation series.

Overall the plot may be too thin and basic for a lot of people to enjoy but I still found it be very well executed and enjoyable making for a really solid bit of sci-fi. ***1/2

Diagnosis: Death (2010) Review

Here's a low budget New Zealand horror comedy featuring Rhys Darby, Jermain Clement and Brett Mckenzie from the  Flight of the Conchords TV Show. however despite being the main selling point they only feature in small roles which make up the best moments of the film.

As for the rest of the movie...well it's very messy but somewhat fun. It is pretty simple kind of mysery/ghost film, the pacing is all over the place and horror elements are very bare and generic but there are couple of good bloody moments in there towards the end.
There's also some awkward sexual stuff and speaking of awkward the acting from the two main characters is pretty clunky and some their interactions sound a bit unnatural.
I did enjoy the performance of the Suze Tye though who plays Nurse Magaret Bates she worked well and was fun in her role.

So yeah overall I think there's enough in there to find enjoyment, it's not that funny but still provides a couple of laughs and it's clunky execution is entertaining in it's own way. Just don't expect much from it. **1/2

Angel Dust (1994) Review

Here's a decent Mystery/Psychological dram directed by Gakuryu Ishi (known here as Sogo Ishii).
It follows a young woman named Setsuko Suma who must help solve a series of murders that are being carried out every monday at 6pm on young women. But the film is much more than just this mystery.

Setsuko is a lot like Will Graham from the Hannibal Series in that she has strong empathy and is able to get into the mind of a killer and as the film goes on the focus shifts more onto her and how the case among other things are affecting her psyche.
It's like the film is made up of two halves with the first hour being more about the mystery and the second  hour focusing on the psychological stuff.

The other important character to note is Dr Rei Aku, a man with a sense of mytsery who always seems very calm and smug. He runs an anti-brainwashing clinic and at one point we see footage of his practices which serves to be one of the films main highlights.
It's these two characters and the phycological elements that are actually the most interesting parts of this film and that's the issues as altough it manages to stay quite intriguing throughout, it never manage to fully invest me and at times I could find my mind drifting away from the film.

It is very steadily paced and has quiet and subdued atmosphere which does work to a certain extent but also feels like it's more distancing the viewer rather than absorbing them as intended. The film actually borders the line of horror but never quite steps into it and if anything maybe one of it's problems is that never goes completely full on with its ideas.
There are also a few things that are never really explained that may cause some frustration and confusion especially since it doesn't all quite gel together well enough.

The Cinemtography is decent though if not completely remarkable aside a few good visual bits and the acting is fine too.

So there's certainly is some interesting sequences and stuff going on I just didn't think it was super enjoyable. I'm sure there are other people that will get much more from the film and if you like psychological films some mystery mixed in then it could be worth checking out just be cautious of it's pacing and atmosphere which could be off-putting and make it difficult to get into the movie.

This is the 3rd Gakuryu Ishii film I have seen thus far and I've had a similar experience with all of them, where all of them were intriguing but never fully gripped me. Maybe one day I'll find a film of his I really like, but for now this was still decent. ***

A Pool Without Water (1982) Review

 Video version of this review can be found here: https://youtu.be/IQrzNB-Wv00

This is a solid film directed by Koji Wakamatsu that follows a man who has a seemingly average life with a Mundane job and family with two kids. One day he saves a girl from being raped by two men which creates a spark that slowly boosts his confidence and as he continues to encounter the girl he saved among other things, he becomes inspired as things taking a disturbing turn and he begins to act upon his perverse desires.

Now of course Wakamatsu is most well known for his Pink films which revolve around sex and this one is no different. However I must give a warning to anyone considering watching this as this film does involve scenes of Somnophillia  which is basically women getting things non-consensually done to them whilst they are asleep or knocked out....and the film is quite repetitive with it.

So this definitely is not a comfortable viewing experience and it will probably disgust and deter a lot of people. But interestingly these scenes are actually filmed quite sensually almost we're like seeing them from the perpetrators perspective which will either cause more discomfort, diffuse it or even make it funny. I have actually seen people regard this as a comedy which I wasn't exactly the experience I had with it but I can understand while people can view it that way as it does have comedic elements and things that are laughable.

Essentially this film is about a man who becomes bored with his average life and begins to do what makes him happy even if it is a little extreme and as things go on, he becomes more and more carefree in his actions and not bothered by the consequences. And He is played by actor Yuya Uchida who I think puts on good performance here.

Despite what the character does though the film is actually somewhat morally ambiguous and isn't completely against him and even in some aspects on his side. It can be very difficult to really understand what is going through this characters mind but at times it does feel like that he thinks what he's doing is actually good in some ways, especially when you consider the affects it has on one particular woman that he focuses on. Thus the film does have a rather peculiar ending and stance and his probably gonna rub alot people up the wrong way.

but that's the thing about Wakamatsu he was a provocative filmmaker that liked to question what the audience was viewing and there's always something more going on beneath his films seedy and perverse surface that make them inherently more interesting.

The film also a proper 80's electronic score which includes a rather chilled smooth synth track and a more upbeat funky one which are pretty fun.

I think there were a couple of confusing story bits early on but overall this was a really nicely shot and solid film, but it's definitely a difficult one to recommend, I think Wakamtasu fans are the ones that will most appreciate and like it but everyone else may have a more negative reaction and in particular if you cannot stand non-consensual stuff then stay well away from it.
Maybe the best way to enjoy would be as a comedy after all..either way it's not exactly great and I would probably never watch it again but it was still a pretty interesting watch. ***

The Visitor In the Eye (1977) Review

 Video version of this review can be found here: https://youtu.be/uPXReBFKIJk

Now this a 1977 adaption of a story from the Osamu Tezuka Manga 'Black Jack' directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi.
Now I'm very unfamiliar with the Manga, the most that I know is it follows a surgeon called Black Jack who has miracle healing hands.
Here the focus isn't on him though, instead it follows a tennis student who accidentally gets hit in one eye causing it go blind. With seemingly no hope of recovery she gets taken to the surgeon Black Jack who gives her a cornea trnasplant that successfully restores her sight. However despite the surgery's success she soon begins to randomly see images of a mysterious stranger that she becomes drawn to.

This initial setup kinda makes it sound like a horror movie but it is in fact a mystery romantic drama and it is the mystery to be solved that serves as the main focus of the story, it's a pretty simple one that easy enough to unravel apart from the actual specifics, so it manages to keep a good sense of intrigue throughout as it reveals to us more and more details.

Tonally and stylistically it share similarities to Obayashi's previous film 'Hausu' with Obayashi continuing to bring elements from his earlier days of  directing commercials. This film is obviously  a lot more striaghtforward than House but is still quite melodramatic and romanticised which may be off-putting for some but works with this material particulalrly the romantic elements.

It also brings in big camera movements, matte paintings and strong mood lighting to it's visuals making for a very nicely shot and executed film that is very visually interesting.

There's also a recurring piano theme used throughout that links in with the story and characters which is quite nice.

the acting isn't bad either, as I mentioned it is quite melodramatic but it works and they have a couple of interesting people playing certain roles. Black Jack is actually played by Jo Shishido who is fun to see in the full character get-up  and makes a change of pace form his usual Yakuza roles.
Etusko Shimoi also plays a small role that is the opposite of the usual badass she is known to be in martial arts movies.
Plus Sonny Chiba has a small cameo which I didn't even realise til later on.

Now the film is pretty shallow and doesn't have much depth to it, but it manages to keep your interest through it's mystery and the way that it is filmed/

It may not offer more beyond that and I'm not sure what fan of the manga think or if this is even a successful adaptation, but as a simple mystery film with a dash of romance it's pretty solid overall. ***

Paradox (2018) Review

This bizarre little film was ported straight to Netflix a couple of months ago and is directed by actress Daryl Hannah and stars Neil Young and his backing band Promise of the Real.
It's a kind of psychedelic Western with musical excerpts mixed in, performed by Neil Young and is band which were written and recorded for specifically for the film.
Now It's a bit of a mess in all honestly and seems to lack any sense of direction with even it's camerawork and editing seeming to be little all over the place.
There's no narrative to speak of it's mainly string of sequences featuring the characters doing stuff.
I couldn't tell you what any of it means but I did actually enjoy it to a certain extent. The music is pleasant and pretty decent overall, the runtime is only 72 minutes so it's a relatively short ride, the hazy atmosphere is consistent and there's enough going on to keep your interest even if it it is baffling and doesn't seem to make much sense.
Also Willie Nelson shows up and robs a bank with Neil I guess?..so yeah if you like Neil Young and want to see him in something odd then check it out, other than that I'm not sure many people will find much to enjoy here outside the music. ***