Maybe it's just nostalgia that makes me love _The Land Before Time_, but I'm pretty sure the beautiful scenery at least does hold up. And that theme music, oh my God, right in the chest... That might be nostalgia again...
_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

Despite myself, I actually rather enjoyed this. Certainly the plot is pretty far-fetched, but once the film gets up a head of steam, it is quickly paced with some well placed jump scenes that work quite well. Stephen Lang is effective as the blind fella, trying to rescue his "daughter" from her long-lost family, and is especially so once we find out just quite why they are so keen on re-uniting. Madelyn Grace is also quite competent as the young girl "Phoenix" and I found Fiona O'Shaughnessy's particularly odious "mother" character quite detestable too. Not great, no, but kills an hour and a half easily enough and reminds you to always honour your dog - or else!!

Got to be the definition of an all star (albeit all male) cast in this gripping demonstration of just how inventive and ingenious people can be when incarcerated and facing a bleak (if any) future. Each character in this WWII POW drama brings something different to this ensemble of style and imagination. Richard Attenborough stars as the proverbial pain in the ass to his Nazi guards having repeatedly escaped before, and he puts together his "X" organisation to work every scheme imaginable to get people out of this supposedly escape proof "Super-Stalag ". Steve McQueen forms an unlikely alliance with Angus "the Mole" Lennie; James "the scrounge" Garner with the expert, tea-drinking, forger Donald Pleasance whose eyesight is failing rapidly; Charles Bronson and James Coburn and a whole raft of seasoned British actors bring this whole enterprise to life in a gritty, sometimes amusing, but ultimately determined way. Hannes Messemer "The Kommandant" also deserves mention as he seems to still cling to some of the basic tenets of human decency as he tries to stop the Gestapo from implementing their more drastic solutions. Elmer Bernstein tops the whole thing off with a cracking score. It is long, certainly, but at least we can be certain we get out at the end...

I can't watch this any more. It's a fun movie, one that my dad made me watch as a kid. One that I loved...
.... and then Eddie Izzard killed it for me. Now whenever I try to watch it all I do is think about his stand-up bit. I think it was from his "Dressed to Kill," maybe "Circle," but whichever it was, that is how you know you're hysterical, when you forever utterly ruin a classic movie because your routine surpasses the film you're making fun of.
Anyway, Izzard had a point, so it's fair I can't not think of him whenever I watch it. He turned Steve McQueen's character into a joke and I love him for it.
But, if you haven't seen the stand-up, it's a fun movie. It's not as good as Stalag 13, but it's more of an action film and one that, well, Izzard had a point but it's still a fun movie.

Not just great, simply magnificent more like!
"Wait a minute, you aren't seriously suggesting that if I get thru the wire and case everything out there, and don't get picked up, to turn myself in and get thrown in the cooler for a couple of months so you can get the information you need"
Smart, witty and directed with adroit hands by John Sturges, The Great Escape is standing the test of time as a joyous multi cast family favourite. Based on the real accounts of allied soldiers escaping en mass from a German POW camp back in 1942, the film is involving from start to finish, due in the main to the wonderful array of characters on show. We follow them from the moment they arrive at the camp right through to the stunning climax, and it is with great joy I say that none of the cast lets the side down, they all do great work for the astute and undervalued Sturges. A number of great set pieces align with Elmer Bernstein's fabulous score to never let the blood settle, and in among the cheeky slices of humour is palpable tension to make this simply one of the best films of its type, in fact one of the best films ever.
Sturges and his writers, James Clavell & W.R. Burnett, adapt from the book written by Paul Brickhill, someone who speaks from experience having been one of the prisoners of super POW camp Stalag Luft III, which of course is what The Great Escape is born from. Sturges was fascinated by the story and after trying without fail for over a decade to get it onto the screen, he finally succeeded. The success three years earlier of his star ensemble Western, The Magnificent Seven, enabled Sturges to realise his vision, the result of which is still enthralling new generations with each passing year.
The cast is made up of notable thespians and iconic heroes. Steve McQueen (enticing the American audience in one feels), Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald, Donald Pleasance, James Coburn, James Garner, David McCallum, John Leyton and Gordon Jackson. Which of course is a pretty tidy roll call, but the input and impact of Hannes Messemer as the Camp Commandant, Colonel Von Luger should not be understated. His scenes have a real humanistic quality that shows a softer side of Germany to the one ruled by a certain despot (the finale here offering up the counter opposite of the war), the writers smartly, and rightly, not tarring a nation with the same old brush.
A wonderful involving movie that puts characteristic heart in bed with the action and suspense laden plot. 10/10

An amazing performance from Evan Peters brings some insight into the monster that was Jeffrey Dahmer.
Dahmer’s crimes were disgusting and awful and what the families went through ( and I am sure still do) was nothing short of hell. The families of the victims are well represented, so much so that I was angry in a number of episodes at how the authorities treated them. What this series does is show various perspectives of the horrific killings and the consequences on not only Darhmer but others affected by the events.
I knew of Dahmer before this series but now I feel I know more about the impact his actions had on others and the failings of the police and authorities during his killing spree.

This is a well executed series about Jeffrey Dahmer - famous serial killer and a cannibal. Evan Peters (actor playing Dahmer) does a terrific job, which speaks about his talent and professionalism. He definitely deserves Oscar for his acting. Also, I watched the documentary of Jeffrey Dahmer after this and I was surprised how well creators of this TV show included even small details from real events. Overall, it's a must-watch series if you're interested into serial killers movies and series.

I was so excited to hear this movie coming out. It didn't disappoint. My two greatest horror killers of all time battling each other. Love this movie.

***Worthy new millennium entry in the Friday & Nightmare franchises, until they clash, that is***
To be expected, 2003's "Freddy vs. Jason" mixes together elements of the "Nightmare" and "Friday" franchises. Both franchises had essentially ran out of gas in the early 90s -- the last conventional "Friday" movie, before 2001's "Jason X," came out a decade earlier and the last "Nightmare" movie almost as long. So mixing up the formats was a great way to introduce these modern monsters to a new generation as well as re-introduce them to the old.
THE PLOT: Freddy Krueger, the wicked spirit of a child molester/serial killer, is trapped in hell and unable to wreak havoc on the youths of Springwood, Ohio, because they have forgotten him and therefore no longer believe. Krueger's diabolical plan is to lure Jason from Crystal Lake, NJ, to Springwood and inspire him to go on a killing spree, which would naturally be blamed on Kruger, thus giving him the power to return.
Some say "Freddy vs. Jason" is more of a "Nightmare" film than a "Friday" film, and I can see why, but it's really an equal parts crossover. Once Jason is led to Springwood it essentially becomes a "Nightmare" movie with Jason as the antagonist until Freddy gains enough power; by that time the story switches to Crystal Lake for the finale and even provides an insightful flashback (via a dream sequence) of Jason's youth and abuse.
One of the highlights takes place early in the second act: Jason's flaming attack at a teen party in a cornfield; it's a dynamic sequence and features great opticals.
As with all the Friday films, "FvJ" features a nice assortment of women, beginning with the cameo of Heather (Odessa Munroe) in the opening reel. She's pretty much on par with the cameo of Agent Marcus (Julie Michaels) at the beginning of "Jason Goes to Hell." From there we have cutie Katharine Isabelle as a secondary protagonist and Monica Keena as the heroine. It took me about half the movie to warm up to Monica but she ultimately won me over.
"Freddy vs. Jason" is a noticeably more technically sophisticated than the first nine "Friday" movies. Don't get me wrong, it's very cartoony and hardly scary (except for jump scares and gore), but it LOOKS so much better and has more oomph. The story’s also way more involved than the first eight entries and “Jason X,” which makes the film play better on repeat viewings.
The fight between the two monsters in the closing act is a cinematic tradition going back earlier than 1945's "The Wolf Man vs. Dracula" (aka "House of Dracula"), but it's the weak point of the movie for me because it's just too cartoony. The film works as horror with either Jason or Freddy attacking the youths, but when they finally clash in the action-packed climax it's just too comic booky.
The film runs 97 minutes and was shot mostly in British Columbia, Canada (e.g. Buntzen Lake, Anmore), but also Toronto.
GRADE: B

I don't think I can go so far as to call _Freddy vs. Jason_ good. But I can still be honest about the fact that I love it. Considering it mad-grabs the humour from both its delivering franchises late-stage entries, with the bizarre, ethereal yet quippy flavour of _Elm Street_, and the body count of a _Friday the 13th_, how could I not?
Crappy acting, unbelievable SFX, hack script, completely disrespectful to the canon of both parents, yet eminently re-watchable for any occasion.
_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

**_If you’re going on a sea trip, don’t cheat Charon_**
Off the coast of the Sunshine State, a yacht excursion is threatened by a sudden storm wherein the survivors seek succor on a passing vessel, but it turns out to be no ordinary ship.
"Triangle” (2009) is a mystery/fantasy mixed with horror that inserts the myth of Sisyphus into the present-day scenario of a yacht outing, combining “Ghost Ship” (2002) and the contemporaneous “Dark Country” or, going back decades, "Haunts of the Very Rich" (1972). The TV flick "Ghost Voyage" came out over a year earlier and covered similar terrain.
While “Triangle” had ten times the budget I slightly prefer “Ghost Voyage” due to the emphasis on character and possible redemption, despite its cartoonish CGI. This one’s lonelier and bleaker but has its points of interest, including Melissa George as the lost, joyless protagonist. Yet it’s the brilliance of the concept and how it’s executed that scores the highest marks.
When it’s over, the more you reflect on the details, the more impressed you are. However, it's a one-of-a-kind flick and not everyone will appreciate what it offers.
I should add that the movie has zero to do with the Bermuda Triangle à la “Satan’s Triangle” (1975). ‘Triangle’ is simply the name of the sailboat.
The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot entirely in Queensland, Australia.
GRADE: B/B-

This review may contain spoilers.
I liked the beginning and end. The problem is the middle - I just felt like I was watching the same movie over and over. And over. 🙄 She didn't develop much as a character and not enough changed or happened to keep it from dragging on. Just a lot of her running around with the same expression on her face and slamming Hemsworth's head into the coat hook (ick).
Most importantly of all: get get a real bird to fly about or don't have one at all.

Loopy Looper!
Triangle is written and directed by Christopher Smith. It stars Melissa George, Liam Hemsworth, Michael Dorman, Jack Taylor, Joshua McIvor, Henry Nixon, Emma Lung and Rachael Carpani. Music is by Christian Henson and cinematrography by Robert Humphreys.
After their boat is damaged during a weird storm, a group of friends board a drifting ocean liner to find it seemingly deserted. One of the group, Jess (George), has the distinct feeling she has been on the ship before...
It at first glance seems to be a standard ghost ship type of film, where a group of pretty people are in serious peril, but this is much more. It proves to be complex piece, one in fact that kind of demands a second viewing to fully appreciate the twisty nuances within. Beautiful photography highlights some of the teasing imagery, which ascentuates the etheral tone to proceedings. Then once the story starts to reveal itself, your undivided attention is sought to fully grasp the deep psychological barbs at work. 8/10

**Fantastic Psychological Thriller!**
If you're browsing for movies to watch, go into this movie cold; without watching the trailers or any other reviews. A skillfully made thriller that reveals more details upon rewatching. If you enjoy mindf**k movies or science-fiction/psychological thrillers, you will love this film.

I watched a lot of movies and it had been a long time (over the pandemic year/s) since I have seen such a gripping thriller involving a family. In Run, a mother and a daughter's relationship starts to strain when the latter suspects her mother is doing ill on her. As you continue to guess what it might be, Run takes you by surprise. It delivers the goods and it keeps you hooked till the last second. Go, watch it already!

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Aneesh Chaganty's Searching was enough to add its debutant director-screenwriter to my list of "filmmakers to follow closely". Run solidifies Chaganty's place in Hollywood as one of the most technically impressive directors working today. His undeniable talent allows him to effortlessly generate incredible suspense throughout the movie's entire runtime, and his second feature-film is no exception.
Possessing the type of premise I enjoy the most in thrillers, Chaganty and Sev Ohanian's screenplay is packed with excruciatingly long takes, filled with extremely tense dialogues, shocking developments, and a brutal amount of pain. All are enormously elevated by one of the most physically-demanding, emotionally powerful performances I've seen in the last few years: Kiera Allen, who uses a wheelchair for mobility in real-life, turns her acting debut into a genuine, realistic display of the challenging obstacles people with her condition have to overcome daily.
Sarah Paulson continues her trend of playing truly evil characters, and I advise her to keep following this dark path of phenomenal interpretations. Her interactions with Kiera are remarkably intense. Story-wise, even though the constant revelations are narratively shocking, most of the script's developments are somewhat predictable. However, the "movie logic" problems stretch believability to a point beyond my limit, ultimately becoming one of those films people will either deeply enjoy or really hate depending on how nitpicky they choose to be.
I'm as moderate as I can be, and the truth is, I didn't really think about these logical issues during the actual viewing. Having in mind Run's brilliant technical attributes (notably Nick Johnson and Will Merrick's editing, and Torin Borrowdale's score), its two impressive lead performances, and its endless suspenseful atmosphere, I can't help but recommend it to every fan of the genre.
Rating: B+

Brutal South Korean film about a serial rapist/killer (Min-sik Choi, Oldboy) who picks on the wrong girl when he kills and chops up the pregnant fiancee of a government secret agent (Byung-hun Lee, A Bittersweet Life, The Good, The Bad, The Weird) who proceeds to track him down, beat him to a pulp, place a tracking device on him, give him some money and release him. The idea being that he wants the killer to suffer and suffer and suffer, again and again, until his fear is as great as that of his victims, before he kills him.
I Saw The Devil is not without its faults; at almost two-and-a-half hours, it's too long, the brutal nature of the characters threatens to slide into absurdity especially when our killer takes refuge with a cannibalistic mate who doesn't mind his wife being raped (she doesn't mind, either; I guess your standards slip when your old man eats people for shits & giggles), and the concept of getting this serial rapist/killer to a point of sheer terror, like his victims - is flawed; this guy, as played by Min-sik Choi, is NEVER going to feel any fear. And so it is, by the end, rendering the whole catch/release premise redundant. That said, it's gripping, it's tense throughout much of the runtime, the lead performances are superb, it's astonishingly violent and gory, but it's meted out just right; more Seven than Saw, and it is photographed exquisitely. A serial killer movie bordering on torture porn, set in Korea in the snow, shouldn't logically have a colour palette this vivid, but every frame is just beautiful.

Bottle-episode sci-fi films have treated me pretty well in the past. _I Am Mother_ is not the greatest example of such a thing, but it is a fair one. Props in particular when it comes to the titular Mother, who absolutely feels realistic in this.
_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

As technology edges closer to our bodies, and the notion of genetic engineering and artificially intelligent drones begin to feel less outlandish, these age-old questions on the ethics and impact of science take on a more urgent dimension. ‘I Am Mother’ explores them with intelligence and style. Not only is it by far the best science fiction film to emerge from among the multitude of Netflix Originals, but cult gem status surely beckons.
- Jake Watt
Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-i-am-mother-finally-a-great-netflix-sci-fi-film
Head to https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/sff for more Sydney Film Festival reviews.

> At first in the past, all good things in the world were always denied.
Based on the real life story of a Nigerian forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu who discovered CTE disorder that most of the American football players are suffering from. So he fought for his theory against the NFL who was denying it. I was neutral when #OscarsSoWhite broke out, but for this movie I definitely agree on that. Whether he would have won or not, Will Smith name should have been in the best male actor in the lead list.
That's not at all, this movie did not qualify for any other category in the event which is not unfortunate, but deliberately the Academy chose a wrong side to stand. Felt like they are supporting NFL instead of fact and its own product. This biographical movie talked mainly about one particular sport, maybe there are other sports in the globe that might cause CTE as must as this one. Since Dr. Omalu's research came from NFL players, so it was all about between them.
This is a wonderful movie, I was very surprised for it. In the past, every good thing in the world was always opposed in its beginning, but later accepted widely like the global warming. I hope people aware of such thing is exist and act accordingly. No need to abandon the sport, just change the rules and the style of play. This is one of the best movie you could find from the 2015. I think it is a must see biopic, the credit must go to Ridley Scott who is the man behind for this movie to happen.
9/10

The original already had a little bit of that sly humour, and a hint of that sarcastic tone, but is still at its heart an actual horror movie. _The New Batch_ though changes it up and has that light-hearted, hokey, meta-humour in spades. It's a comedy. But it doesn't suffer for it, _Gremlins 2_ is an absolute joy.
_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

Excusy excusy! This movie is so hilarious. Kind of a raunchy comedy. Stays pretty funny throughout film.

This might be one of the lesser of the teen sex comedies that came out of the success of the American Pie franchise and according to my previous rating I apparently didn't care for it, but with the Unrated version finally getting a Blu-ray release (previously only available on DVD), I had a good time with this one. It's not great and some things didn't work, I did like the core cast and some fun cameos. **3.25/5**

Not as good as the 1st. Not as funny either. It was ok, but could have been way better.

It deserved a better showing at the box office, and I really want to give credit to Hughes on putting all of this together with an eye for some of the early traditions of early man. He clearly did enough homework to keep it true to the period while still making the film entertaining.
I do however think the subtitles didn't help the box office showing at all, but added to the realism of the film over all.
Kodi Smit-McPhee though, he was able to carry the film while looking strikingly like Juliette Lewis, and, in some cases, moving like her. It was a bit of a distraction, especially when the men and women really needed to look more rawhide...a lot more rawhide.
Despite that, it was a compelling film, despite some of the CGI issues. It drew you in and actually felt like a trip in the Wayback Machine much more than 10,000 BC could have even dreamed of doing.
And, it was really that transportation back to early man that sells the film, and Hughes pulled it off far better than anyone could have hoped for the man that gave us "Dead Presidents" he clearly has a lot of talent in him to be able to transport the viewer back like that.

Good shots, awful plot

This film might be a tie with Grand Budapest Hotel for my favorite Wes Anderson. It's wacky and creative. The pacing is so fast that it will need another watch to really appreciate. I wish I'd seen it on a big screen :-( Did I mention the amazing cast and the super job they did?

Full review: https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/the-world-through-pastel-colored-glasses-the-french-dispatch-review
Watching a Wes Anderson movie is a feast for the eyes. Few directors have such a distinct visual language. When you are watching a Wes Anderson movie, the audience knows it’s a Wes Anderson movie. _The French Dispatch_ is no different. It is a series of vignettes from the fictional French foreign bureau of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun’s last issue following the death of its editor, Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray). Each scene is an extraordinarily detailed still life painting that welcomes the audience to the dreamy French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé. It’s what the world would look like if we were all wearing rose-colored glasses.

I suppose like any newspaper or magazine upon which this compendium effort is based, there are some "articles" more interesting than others - and that's what this offers. Three elongated features form the centrepieces of this somewhat surreal comedy. As you might expect from Wes Anderson, these stories are eclectic, and delivered well by a cast that were well up for their tasks. My favourite of the three features Frances McDormand and Timothée Chalamet offering us some sort of Hemmingway-esque parody of revolution fought over a chess board - with quite humorous results. Humour is a strong feature of this film. I would say comedy, not so much. One has to pay attention to what is going on to get the best from the acting, the script and, as importantly, the imagery which effortlessly mixes monochrome and colour, and which is also bright, vivacious, and frequently just as informative as the dialogue. It does run out of steam at times, the themes could have been a little more compact, and the two side-stories - especially the travel report with Owen Wilson at the top of the film didn't work so well for me. I'm not an huge fan of eccentricity - it is all-too-often just hit or miss, but here we have more hits than not, and with a healthy swipe at journalistic values along the way, a bit of romance and some daft antics from a rogue Benicio del Toro, this is certainly worth watching.

Impeccably well made, supremely enjoyable.
This is only the second Wes Anderson film that I've seen (fwiw, first was 'Moonrise Kingdom' which I didn't like all that much *hides*) and now I can better understand the hype that man gets. 'The French Dispatch' is quality, plain and simple.
The ensemble cast are a delight, with many a familiar face spread across each segment and each one of them bringing entertaining performances. Frances McDormand would be my standout performer, closely followed by Benicio del Toro. Though, to be honest, all them are terrific - from Owen Wilson to Adrien Brody to Léa Seydoux to Timothée Chalamet to Jeffrey Wright. Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray star too. Unreal casting, that!
Anthology flicks can be hit-and-miss for me personally, though to be fair my predominant previous exposure to them has been via those cheaply made Disney animated sequels from yesteryear so time will tell if that feeling holds. I'm pleased to say here, though, that I thoroughly enjoyed watching one develop. It helps that this release knits the segments together seamlessly, with stunning cinematography, editing et al. Loved the animated part, too.