Regardless of your position on the rights and wrongs of this Israeli/Palestinian conflict, there is no other conclusion to draw here but that the ordinary families living on the West Bank are being treated appallingly by the Israeli state. To see little more than adobe one-room houses bulldozed and domestic water pipes sabotaged is little short of outrageous and no wonder the troops were doing their best to stop filming. This documentary focuses on the struggles of Yuval and Basel as they try to prevent the destruction of their community as best they can. Their's is a peaceable fight - they have no guns or rockets, nor do they advocate their use. They just want to get on with their subsistence lives in peace. People can always argue about the legalities of who got there first; who is supposed to have a claim on the land - and whose claim could/should or will take precedent, but for images like this to be seen around the globe is the equivalent of a PR disaster for the Netanyahu government and for it's credentials. Now, of course, this film makes no attempt at balance so what we are shown is very much as intended by the filmmakers, and that's designed to exemplify the attitudes of the settlers - and violent people at times these are too, so yes it can appear a bit one-sided, but when you send a squad of heavily armed troops, tanks and demolition personnel to a village for the sole purpose of destruction - not even of repurposing the buildings - then the moral argument is lost before it's even began. These young guys are sleeping under the stars staring an uncertain future in the face and those who wish to dispossess them clearly couldn't care less about what happens to them, their elderly parents, their young children - even their herds. If you take such an obnoxiously hostile attitude to people, then you cannot be surprised when that transposes itself into sentiment of hatred, rancour and resentment. People have been fighting over this land for millennia, surely it's time for the international community to impose a settlement that respects both communities? Naive? Pipe dream? Well maybe, but so long as the West continues to arm and re-arm the IDF and it's own legal system arbitrarily decides what to do with those of different faiths and heritages, then it isn't hard to wonder just how long these two young men will remain content to try to use social media and public opinion to alter events, and end up taking more direct means themselves. It's simply put together and all the more potent for that.

"Tom" (Andreas Pietschmann), wife "Julia" (Émilie Duquenne) and their two teenage kids are having a peaceful boating holiday when huge meteor-sized things start falling from the skies. Next thing - well where has the ocean gone? Their boat is now perched on what we assume is the sea bed, an arid desert like landscape, and the family are suitably perplexed. What now? Well they do manage to make contact with a nearby diver whose bell was stranded on the sea bed, and he tells them some stuff about the poles being reversed and the water all skedaddling to the far side of the Earth. Maybe go join up with him? Well before that can happen they encounter another survivor, but he's a nasty piece of work and soon the family are reduced in number and having to make their way on foot to find their radio contact before they are crab food. Yep, it's terrible. It's not that it's just entirely implausible from start to finish, it's that the acting is as bad as I've seen in ages and the fact that it is in French ought not to put you off unduly because there is precisely nothing at all in the dialogue that enhances either the film in general or any sense of peril that's distinctly absent throughout the entire ninety minutes. What was most worrying was that it ends as if there might be a sequel. As my annual Paramount+ subscription comes to an end, I really am wondering whether this really is the best they can do from a century of film-making.

Survive is a competently done survivalist, end of the world, action thriller, that feels incomplete.
This French film has all the right ingredients, a family boating vacation, a sudden, extreme change in the earths oceans and some crime/horror elements, that look promising. Regrettably, whilst this film is superficially, quite watchable, it feels less than satisfying when viewed as a whole. I think the main reason is it doesn't take key aspect of the film's story far enough, for it to amount to anything particularly substantial.
On the upside the acting is strong, the character development is reasonable if not exceptional, the core premise and setting is creative, plus the special effects are competently done.
In summary, a moderately watchable survivalist, apocalyptic action thriller from France that shows promise but just needed to further develop the key elements it introduces into the story. As it stands, an alright watch.

A dinner party from hell or what? We quickly learn that hosts "Sarah" (Shirley Henderson) and husband "Tom" (Alan Tudyk) are having to sell their luxury home else face repossession. For some reason that seemed like a good reason to invite long-term friends "Richard" (Rufus Sewell) and wife "Beth" (Olivia Williams) round for food. It's the latter who throws a real spanner in the works by inviting the eponymous "Jessica" (Indira Varma). Let's just say that the hostess and this guest get on like a house that's already burnt down, and as the vino flows (tiny measures in huge great glasses) things come to an head that leaves the four with quite an headache. What now ensues might well have worked on stage, indeed the entire film has a theatrical style to it, but I found it all just a bit to hysteria-prone, contrived and over-dramatic. None of the actors are on especially good form, especially the lacklustre Tudyk and the script seems more determined to make sure each character gets their moment in the spotlight rather than designed to offer us something to laugh - or even smile at. On that front, there are the odd lines to make you titter, but just not enough of them to pass this feature-length more miss than hit sit-com. It will pass ninety minutes easily enough at Christmas on the telly, but nothing much more than that, sorry.

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is wise not to take any liberties with the already well established traits of some characters. Lydia Deetz is a case in point. She now hosts a television show devoted to all things paranormal. This film also easily recreates the look of the original and who would have ever believed such a thing was even possible 36 years after "Beetlejuice" was first unleashed upon unsuspecting audiences back in 1988. This superior sequel is fast paced fun from the very start and it has plenty to say for itself in the most colourful and typically crazy terms imaginable. The bizarre visual effects are splendid, the recreation of the surreal afterlife is marvellous, and it all adds up to an impressive and above all a highly recommended film.

Having recently watched the original in anticipation of this film, I was struck by just how lean it was. In comparison, this felt bloated with too many subplots that lead nowhere.

An enjoyable second helping of 'Beetlejuice'.
'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' isn't far adrift the original, even if I'd still rank the first film higher. I gotta say those behind this did a good job with the teaser trailer, I hadn't even seen the 1988 flick but that got my interest. Speaking of trailers, I'm glad they changed that cringey pilates instructor line for Astrid - right call!
Michael Keaton remains the best cast member, though Winona Ryder and newcomer Jenna Ortega are not far off. Willem Dafoe doesn't feature much but naturally still manages to be one of movie's strong points. Justin Theroux's character didn't really do anything for me, while Monica Bellucci feels a little underused but perhaps not; what we get from her as Delores is still decent and arguably enough.
Sounds like Tim Burton doesn't want to another sequel, which is probably for the best but if the studio wanted to go behind his back I, I'm afraid, would have to allow it on this occasion strictly for the obvious title possibility. Though I guess the ritual has already occurred with the two titles combined. Fairs.

"Lydia" (Winona Ryder) has made a good living from her ghost-hunting style books and broadcasts much to the sceptical chagrin of her teenage daughter "Astrid" (Jenna Ortega) but they have to try to get on for the funeral of "Charlie" who was married to their mother/grandmother "Delia" (Catherine O'Hara). Meantime, in the underworld "Delores" (Monica Belluci) has quite literally stapled herself back together and is bent on reuniting with her eponymous husband (Michael Keaton) but he's les than enthusiastic at the prospect. Luckily, the young "Astrid" meets the handsome "Jeremy" (Arthur Conti) and before we know it, she has opened a portal to the nether world that soon has her mother racing around to rescue her from eternal damnation whilst the opportunistic stripey fellow tries to use that predicament to keep himself from his ruthless spouse who is leaving an increasingly gruesome trail of carnage for TV detective "Wolf" (Willem Dafoe) to sort out. There are plenty of enjoyable enough shenanigans going on as this quickly paced film knits these threads together, but somehow I found it all just a bit too flat. Like an "Addams Family" film that's over-written and doesn't feature anything like enough of Keaton or Dafoe and features way too much of Ortega's typically teenage character whom Hades probably wouldn't have wanted. It does rally well at the end with help from a big cake and the dulcet tones Richard Harris - great to hear that with cinema sound again, but aside from a characterful effort from O'Hara this didn't really want me saying his name once let alone thrice. It's fine but hasn't much spark.

Well it's 2024, and that means that movies like this get a 10 of 10 even though back in the 90s, 00s, 80s, they would get maybe a 5/10.
The good news is, save a mention of meh, Climate Change it is basically Meh politics free. There is no lecturing. It makes no attempt to shame the audience for being male, straight, white, Christian, or Jewish. All it does is try and entertain the viewer... and I appreciate that.
And, honestly, I can see Ortega as Ryder's daughter. I really can. I know there's a racial thing going on there but, honestly, personality wise, it was really the perfect casting. Especially for her daughter in the Beetlejuice world. It was just spot on casting and though Ortega doesn't do a 1:1 capture of Ryder's attitude in the first movie, she is close enough where I'm primed to believe it.
However... the red pen is your friend. Bellucci should have ended up on the cutting room floor, you didn't need that plotline. Dafoe should have been rewritten to exclude the Bellucci line. The focus should have just been on Ortega and Ryder and the Deetz family again.
It tried to do too much and the result was that you didn't really become invested in any of the plots.
But, again, in 2024 eyes, it's a good flick compared to the political crap everyone else is making.

Recapturing the sparks of brilliance that made a movie a screen classic is a tall order to fill, to be sure. It can be difficult to work the same magic a second time, especially if the first effort was so eminently memorable. And, when the sequel in which that second sought-after lightning strike takes 36 years to come into being, the chances of realizing that level of success once more can be even slimmer. So it is with this long-awaited follow-up to director Tim Burton’s 1988 classic horror spoof, “Beetlejuice.” It’s an offering that, despite some flashes of inspired lunacy, significantly pales by comparison. To begin with, the film gets off to an incredibly dull start; it took me almost 45 minutes before I even cracked a smile (though I’ll admit the humor comes along at a more sustained pace from this point onward). Then there’s the picture’s convoluted plot, which has several story threads that could have easily been pared back, if not eliminated entirely (never mind the fact that this offering’s predecessor suffered somewhat from the same problem, though not nearly to the same degree as here). And then there’s the sometimes-disjointed narrative, which could have used some tidying up in spots, particularly when it comes to the inclusion of bits that work but that don’t seem to bear any meaningful correlation to one another. To its credit, however, the picture features the same stellar production design that distinguished the original, smatterings of raucous humor that genuinely echo the first film, and fine performances by its three principals – Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara – who effectively re-create the iconic characters they portrayed previously. However, many of the new cast members brought on board for this installment (Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe and Monica Bellucci in particular) add little to the production, serving as disappointing reminders of those who are missing this time around (most notably Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Sylvia Sidney and Glenn Shadix). In many regards, I honestly must admit that this release’s shortcomings don’t surprise me that much, as they’re typical of so many of the other lackluster attempts that have been made at reviving numerous classic movies and television series (though I was hoping that a filmmaking talent as gifted as Tim Burton might defy those odds with this offering). It’s undeniable that a small dose of heartwarming nostalgia can be a pleasant tonic for those who could stand to have their spirits lifted a bit, but don’t expect some kind of miracle cure from this one – the medicine needs to be stronger to accomplish that, and this remedy simply isn’t up to it.

Without revealing any spoilers, I want to share my thoughts on the sequel titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Originally released in 1988, this sequel maintains the same humorous tone as its predecessor. It offers a blend of cheesy charm and new characters that bring fresh energy to the screen.
The nod to Charles Deetz in the film was both clever and funny, seamlessly incorporating the character despite the actor's passing. The filmmakers managed to pay tribute to the original while staying true to the comedic essence established by Tim Burton in 1988.
Michael Keaton reprises his role as Beetlejuice with impeccable comic timing and character evolution. While he may have put on a few pounds, his performance remains as entertaining as ever. Winona Ryder shines in her lead role, transitioning from her role in "Stranger Things" seamlessly.
Jenna Ortega delivers a standout performance, embodying her character with skillful development. Surprisingly, Willem Dafoe's character, whom I initially had reservations about, turned out to be quite comical and well-executed. Bob's appearance in the film is endearing, and his character is sure to win hearts.
Fans will likely be clamoring for Beetlejuice baby toys after watching the film. One minor disappointment was a particular wedding scene that felt overly drawn out and reminiscent of the 1980s era. It could have benefited from some editing to avoid dragging on.
I missed seeing Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis make even a brief cameo in the film, given their absence was noticeable. The digital recreation of the sandworm from 1988 was enjoyable, but the 2024 version lacked the same charm, coming off as cheesy rather than exciting.
The buildup surrounding Dolores, a new character, was intriguing but fell short in the climax, leaving me wishing for a more impactful resolution. Despite this, considering the 35-year gap between the original and the sequel, the film holds up decently.
Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice offered a fun and laughter-filled experience. I recommend watching it in theaters to appreciate its entertainment value. It's a worthy sequel that captures the essence of the original while introducing new elements. So, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-review-a-nostalgic-magical-return-with-ambitious-missteps/
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice captures the original's magic but stumbles over its narrative ambition.
Tim Burton manages to maintain the visual charm and peculiar atmosphere that captivated so many viewers, with the cast fully embodying both new and classic characters. However, the narrative structure, overloaded with characters and subplots, leads to some disenchantment, and the dance sequences don't quite reach the level of its predecessors.
That said, there's still lots of joy and fun in reuniting with Betelgeuse and the bizarre world he inhabits, as well as enjoying Danny Elfman's unforgettable score. Excellent for watching with the family!"
Rating: B-

Memorializing one’s family history is an exercise that can provide a valuable record of our relatives’ past and establish the legacy that has carried through the years to the present day. It can also teach us much about what distinguishes one’s kindreds in terms of their characteristics, accomplishments and values. The impact of that can be quite revelatory, too, producing a chronicle of inspiring insights and profound achievements of one’s relations, especially those that emerged in the face of challenge, adversity and cultural limitations. In her second documentary feature, director Lina Soualem has sought to capture a loving record of those qualities in this highly personal film that charts the lives of four generations of her family’s women, including herself, her mother (Emmy-nominated actress Hiam Abbass), her grandmother and her great-grandmother. The picture primarily follows the experiences of the filmmaker’s three ancestral generations during their lives in their Palestinian homeland from the days of the creation of Israel in 1948 to the time of Abbass’s emigration to France, where she began her acting career and gave birth to her daughter. In doing so, the film juxtaposes the family’s individual history with that of the larger cultural backdrop against which their story is set. It also provides viewers with a look at the actress’s return to Palestine with her daughter after a prolonged absence, a time of remembrance and reflection. As touching and uplifting as this story can be, however, there are times when it starts to play more like a highly polished home movie than a theatrical documentary. It also would have benefitted from a deeper look at the historical back story and how its events helped shape the lives of these courageously determined women. That’s particularly true in the wake of recent developments (even though this film was made before them), given that the inclusion of such background material would have leant a more profound understanding to the longstanding prevailing circumstances in Palestine and the role that they played in the unfolding of this family’s story. Moreover, the film seems to puzzlingly downplay Abbass’s career accomplishments, achievements that marked a key turning point in the family’s history, one specifically inspired by her yearning to leave the “suffocating” conditions of life in her homeland. Soualem certainly deserves kudos for her attempt to deftly mesh personal and cultural considerations in this film, her heart clearly in the right place. However, the overall mix doesn’t quite gel as well as it could have, leaving viewers with a story that may be moving and poetic but that somehow feels somewhat incomplete. Perhaps that comes from being too close to the material, no matter how sincere one’s intents might be – and how earnestly one wants to see those goals fulfilled.

I love how angry this lady is. She's so smart. Every day she'd cut me to pieces; asking me why my chihuahua is wearing clothes.
Great emotion. Tension. How is that house so fucking organized? Box it up.
She's better than Culkin. A much more real pain. A much tighter run time. It is the best sad film.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste turns in a splendid performance here as the troubled "Pansy". She's married to "Curtley" (David Webber) and mother to "Moses" (Tiwaine Barrett) but suffice to say she's not an happy woman. Her glass is most definitely half empty as she delivers monologue after monologue of depressing observations about the decline of society as she picks a fight with just about everyone and anyone she can - including her family. That family also includes her more upbeat hairdresser sister "Chantelle" (Michele Austin) and it's through that familial link that we start to discover just what might be driving this obsessively destructive behaviour. It's an observation of a few day in their lives, with limited information available to us before an even less well defined conclusion, but it does provoke thoughts on the importance of family and the perniciousness of grief and mental illness on not just those who suffer themselves, but on those who suffer by association. To that end, there's also quite a touching effort from Barrett as a son who is reserved and may well have learning difficulties of his own as he walks the streets, headphones glued to his head, cutting a rather lonely figure. The dialogue is intense, either delivering the wittily angry rants of "Pansy" or the more convivial ones of her sibling and her young daughters more intent on living the joys of life. It doesn't hang around and is, at times, both an entertaining and difficult watch as it showcases an actor who can invoke a gamut of emotions seemingly effortlessly. I could have done with just a little more context as we are left a bit rudderless at times, but it's still a formidable effort from MJ-B that's well worth an hour and half.

'Hard Truths' features superb performances and an extremely hearty narrative, it's genuinely one of the saddest films I've seen in a long while; these type of real, gritty stories are always more impactful to me than the more manufactured drama (not that that's bad).
Marianne Jean-Baptiste is outstanding as Pansy, a character that is on the surface quite unlikeable but due to her performance as well as smart writing it is actually easy to still care for the character; it's clear why she is the way she is. Michele Austin is also terrific, I couldn't put my finger on where I remembered her from - TV's 'This Is Going to Hurt'.
David Webber and Tuwaine Barrett are effective in their roles too, arguably not difficult characters to play but I did feel for them both. Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown and even Jonathan Livingstone manage to stand out too, albeit comparatively minorly versus Jean-Baptiste and Austin.
As saddening as this film can be, there is also a fair bit of comedy thrown in there - most, if not all, of which is funny. That scene with Jean-Baptiste and Gary Beadle sticks out, even if Beadle's character is rather over the top. The blend of humour and serious is perfect.
For the third week running (weirdly, having not ever happened before), I got to see two films at the cinema back-to-back. This week, it was this and Drew Hancock's 'Companion'. Safe to say, two very different movies! Highly enjoyed them both though.

As many of us can attest, the strains of daily living and the ghosts of our past can take their toll on us in myriad ways, leaving us frazzled, frustrated, depressed and perpetually angry. We may not like the emergence of those outcomes, as they can effectively isolate us from others, including those we’re thought to care most about. But those conditions can become so overwhelming that we can’t cope nor allow well-meaning others to step in and help us. Such is the case for fifty-something middle class British housewife and mother, Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who constantly complains, yells and criticizes everybody and everything around her, including her hard-working husband, Curtley (David Webber), and withdrawn 22-year-old son, Moses (Tuwaine Barrett). Curtley and Moses have been so beaten down by her irate nature that they no longer put up a fight with her, reconciled to her unendingly ornery persona. In fact, the only family member who tries to understand Pansy is her younger sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), who worries for her sibling’s state of mind and increasingly shaky mental health. It’s never made completely clear why Pansy acts out as she does, especially in terms of the exacting standards to which she holds others for everything, though there are hints that much of her relentless discontent is rooted in the pain of a past she can’t bring herself to relinquish. Some onlookers also contend that her behavior is little more than a way to attract the attention and sympathy of others, but there comes a point where their patience and tolerance run out, prompting them to give up and leave her to stew in her own anguish, a solution that brings her no closer to meaningful resolution. As with many of his other film projects, writer-director Mike Leigh again presents viewers with a character study of an individual who fruitlessly wrestles with her circumstances without direction and ultimately comes no closer to resolving them than where she was when the opening credits rolled. Consequently, some may find this a frustrating, repetitive cinematic experience, yet, to its credit, the film also paints a realistic, candid portrait to which many of us can probably quietly relate. In telling Pansy’s story, the filmmaker concocts an intriguing mix of comedy and drama, though the laughs generated here may prove to be not so funny as the protagonist’s saga plays out, particularly in terms of the impact she has on others and herself. To that end then, some might argue that “Hard Truths” offers us no easy answers or plausible solutions, but isn’t that often the case where working through life’s hard truths is concerned? While the character development here could stand to be a little stronger at times (especially in terms of back story) and some ancillary narrative threads could have been easily eliminated – elements not uncommon in Leigh’s pictures – this is arguably the director’s most intimate, heartfelt and accessible release. In large part that’s thanks to the film’s National Board of Review Award-winning screenplay and its excellent performances, most notably Jean-Baptiste’s award-worthy portrayal, one that has deservedly earned her BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nominations. Given the foregoing, this may not be the easiest picture to watch, but it’s sure to provide us with much to reflect upon both for others – and ourselves – as we seek to figure how to assess life and the challenges it presents us.

This is quite an engaging short animation about a rabbit who dreams of living in the perfect home. He draws himself a plan and then armed with a pointy shovel, sets off to dig himself in. He doesn't quite anticipate, though, that it might be hard work; that he is going to have some mishaps along the way and perhaps, just perhaps, he might be better seeking the assistance of his fellow critters who just want a nice home too - the same as him! It has a gentle message of inter-reliance and community spirit. No rabbit is a island and all that; and some of the facial expressions as our young friend gets perilously close to being drowned out are entertaining. There's a nice, jolly, score to accompany it and is worth five minutes to remind us that endeavours are usually best entered into as a team.

It's moving day for the family and with their furniture safely en route to Salt Lake City, the four head to the airport with their beloved pets. "Gracie" is a rather snooty dog and "Pedro" a street-smart cat who are in their cage going through the baggage process at the airport when they have one of their many spats. Next thing, they are tumbling amongst the conveyor belts, and well - they clearly are not getting onto the plane. Now they must try and use their guile, and a few new friends, to find out just how they can make the trip themselves and reunite with their dinner. They don't really like one another but after an altercation with a few savvy airport rats, have to learn to work together else they will end up in the pound - or even worse! Driven on by a pair of tenacious pursuers whom they assume are from the city authorities, off they set on a series of escapades. It's all fairly standard summer family fayre, this film, with decent animation and a couple of principal characters that gradually impart the virtues of inter-reliance, trust and of always keeping your collar on! No, you will not remember watching it afterwards, it's not a story packed with jeopardy or innovation, but there's plenty of action, a little sarcastic wit from the dialogue and some fun in a fairground for the denouement. It probably doesn't need to be seen in a cinema, but it's perfectly watchable.

As a massive Looney Tunes fan, it was questionable whether or not The Day the Earth Blew Up would even see the light of day let alone be released theatrically. Originally conceived as an HBO Max (now Max) original, the company decided not to release it at all.
Unlike Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical which was canceled mid-production and Coyote vs. Acme which is a fully completed film that was shelved, The Day the Earth Blew Up was shopped around to other distributors where GFM Animation picked it up for theatrical distribution.
In The Day the Earth Blew Up, Porky and Daffy have practically been together since birth. They’re raised by a burly, bearded, lumberjack-looking farmer named Farmer Jim. As the two grow up together, Daffy is the crazier of the two whereas Porky kind of goes with whatever Daffy does without voicing how he feels.
After Farmer Jim waddles off into the sunset (literally), Porky and Daffy are left with his home which they run into the ground over a handful of years. After trying to tend to various minor repairs before a neighborhood standards review, they are given ten days to fix the gigantic hole in their roof that they somehow overlooked. Otherwise, their house will be condemned.
Meanwhile, a meteor has crash-landed on Earth which smashes through Porky and Daffy’s roof upon entry. The meteor brings a strange bright green alien goo with it. After Porky and Daffy struggle to find a job to help pay for their roof, gum flavor scientist Petunia Pig comes along and offers them jobs at the Goodie Gum factory.
However, the scientist who discovered the meteor has been brainwashed by the goo and dumps more goo into the factory’s latest gum flavor batch that is shipping worldwide. Whoever chews this infected batch is turned into a gum-chewing zombie and the only one that knows about it is a lunatic duck that nobody believes.
The Day the Earth Blew Up takes a ton of influence from Bob Clampett; not only from the Looney Tunes shorts he directed but his animation style as well. The film is traditional animation, which means it’s hand-drawn, and every line of dialogue has a variety of memorable facial expressions that feel like they’re lifted straight out of The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946).
The animated sci-fi comedy has a long list of influences including several Bob Clampett shorts from 1946 including Kitty Kornered and Baby Bottleneck, old school creature features such as The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and surprisingly a meteor drilling story point that feels like it’s lifted straight out of Armageddon or The Core.
The film has a whopping 11 credited writers and four story consultants, which after watching the film isn’t surprising. The film changes course and objectives countless times over an all-too-quick 90 minutes. For those unaware, when HBO Max launched it was the streaming location for animated content. Part of that content was a new batch of Looney Tunes Cartoons that ran for six seasons. These new shorts took heavy inspiration from the original Looney Tunes with crisp animation, were still totally gag-driven, and even had a more adult kind of vibe much like Ren and Stimpy.
The Day the Earth Blew Up was created during that Looney Tunes Cartoons stint on Max, so it has similar high-quality animation. The film toys with lighting in a way that makes it feel like a classic horror film with drastic color changes and heavy shadows. And the monster and alien designs are so much fun. The lead alien, known only as The Invader, has a plan for Earth that is too absurd not to love.
The Day the Earth Blew Up deserves all of the support it can get. The film feels like a last chance for the Looney Tunes franchise to be successful. Traditional animation is also rare these days. When the inevitable embrace of AI is just around the corner and everything animated relies on CGI these days, hand-drawn animation hasn’t looked this good since Cuphead.
The Day the Earth Blew Up is a crazy unique take on alien invasion and zombie films with a Looney Tunes twist that is fun and hysterical. The eye-popping animation is gorgeous and glorious. This is a film for Looney Tunes fans, horror, sci-fi, and film fans alike. It captures the magic of the classics while delivering something entirely fresh and worthwhile.

Beezel is scary and faced paced. In the first story Mr. Weems tricked Apollo the photographer stay in the evil house. I was rooting for Apollo to get out of the house so he would not become a victim of the nasty witch. Both actors are excellent in this movie. The nurse in the second story was extremely compassionate which led to her demise. When she goes into the craw space the look of terror on her face had me gripping my seat. The last story is brings us a happy couple who wants to sell the evil house but the wife becomes possessed by the witch. This movie kept my attention and had me covering my eyes.the use of photography in the snow and the bare trees in impressive.

For an indie film that was likely created on a lower budget than most multi-million dollar films this was extremely impressive as it relates to the quality in which it was produced...likely on RED cameras? and holy mackerel the sound design was INCREDIBLE. Yeah the first 45 minutes is the freakiest but the jump scares and suspense throughout the whole film are well worth the watch. I haven't heard of Aaron Fradkin or Victoria before but I will for damn sure be checking out whatever they put out next. I hope someone recognizes the quality in which this was produced and gives them an opportunity to make another film in a similar vein with a bigger budget because the vision that they made come to life spoke volumes to anyone that appreciates the horror genre. Full support here. I hope others give an honest review like mine and appreciate this for what it is -- a truly creative and incredible work of art in a world that is so tough to stand out in.

This could have been quite good. As a black comedy, there was a lot of potential. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with the Western media, this film has had the life sucked out of it by "the message".
All flavours of "the message" are front and centre, humorlessly silencing, any potential for genuine black humour. Its a true shame too, because the book this is based upon, is pretty decent, as is the cast they have brought together, for this production.
Regrettably, entertainment comes a distant second to lecturing, leaving only a dry husk in its wake.
In summary, no amount of quality acting can overcome this incessant need to inject what is essentially, politicised woke messaging, into films and series. Its akin to being in a weird version of the USSR, where entertainment always has a political subtext. A solid pass from me.

'We Live in Time' is painfully brilliant. I had no clue what this was about, aside from its romantic comedy-drama genre, so went into it blind and, let me tell you, I was sold within the first few scenes. The acting from the two leads right at the beginning is just incredible.
That's only initially too, because the performances of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are sensational all the way through; some of the best acting I've seen for a while, their chemistry is absolutely on point. They are two people I already enjoy, but this is undoubtedly the best work I've seen from them thus far.
The film holds a heavy plot, though does an excellent job at making the highs high and the lows low. The non-linear narrative can be a bit back and forth, but I personally felt like the timeline largely spoke for itself anyway; all becomes clear. There's much emotion packed in there.

"_I'm worried that's there's a very distinct and real possibility that I am about to fall in love with you._"
I am not a fan of stories that keep jumping back and forth in time, but this does it well. It keeps me on my toes when it comes to relaxing and feeling sad, and I guess that's the point. The last scene had me gulping down some water.

Suffice to say that "Tobias" (Andrew Garfield) isn't having a good day. He is sitting alone in an hotel room without even a biro to sign his newly arrived divorce papers. He sets off to rectify that but en route back unexpectedly (and painfully) encounters successful chef "Almut" (Florence Pugh) before he awakens, in a fetching neck-brace, in an hospital corridor. That's the tentative beginning for what becomes quite an engagingly portrayed love story that manages to marry quite a bit of humour with some tragedy, tension and toilet-floor activity as we are presented with two characters who might resonate with the viewer more than many. The story itself isn't really anything new. What makes this work is the dynamic between Garfield and Pugh. His is a more understated role, her's the more forceful - but both complement the other really quite effectively as the threads of their respective stories and of their burgeoning relationship are quite poignantly interwoven into a current timeline that has already pretty much telegraphed the inevitability of the denouement to us. It's that chemistry that rings true and even though the travails are rather piled up on the couple, their solutions to many of their issues are plausibly played out amidst some affection, temper tantrums, selfishness, tears and fine dining. Lee Braithwaite appears sparingly but quite usefully as her commis "Jade" who manages to allow us all to take the occasional breather from the increasing intensity of the plot, but essentially this is a two-hander that tugs gently at the heart-strings, but is not a film that oozes sentimentality. Always crack an egg on flat surface!

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/we-live-in-time-review-a-bittersweet-reflection-on-lifes-fleeting-moments/
"We Live in Time is a testament to the power of cinema that transcends the simplicity of its story with a moving, complex approach to the central themes of human existence.
John Crowley and Nick Payne deliver a narrative where form and content harmonize, using a nonlinear structure not as a mere stylistic gimmick but as an invitation to reflect on how time, memories, and personal choices shape who we are and who we love. With sublime, heartfelt performances from Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, audiences are guided through a delicate, authentic study of love, loss, and the fragility of our connections.
In the end, it leaves a bittersweet feeling: the remembrance of the fleeting beauty of shared moments and the inevitability of time that shapes and erodes everything."
Rating: A-

There are remnants of a good film in there, but 'The Whisper of Silence' is ultimately boring viewing.
One or two moments piqued my interest, though for the vast majority of these 90 or so minutes I was super unintrigued by events onscreen (or lack thereof). The main plot is literally about coffee tasting (!), the filmmakers were evidently going for the artsy approach but boy does it feel like a waste of screen time. The subplot with Alfredo at least offers something to watch with interest.
With all that said, I will say that I did actually like Laura Osma in the lead role. She has a great acting face, I know that's a weird thing to say but what I mean is I can see her acting in something like a bloody horror flick and killing it. Unfortunately, here, Osma doesn't have much to work with; in that sense, she actually does quite well.
This picture does admirably end with a stark message about women's rights, so that's something. Strictly as a movie: disappointing.

**By John Higgins **
_Source: Film and TV Now _
Legacy and loyalty are tested to the very limit in the Mexican noir drama EDNA.
Model Alejandro (Andres B. Duran) and writer Christopher (Louis David Horne) are estranged in life and live a spoiled existence in their respective fields. Christopher has a bitchy manager in Catalina (Lili Moreira) who has the hots for him and doesn’t think anything after a book signing to get him up close. Alejandro is struggling with the privilege of being one of the most attractive men, with an attractive partner in Camila (Maia San Miguel) , and resents the fact that he seems to be enough to find himself on page twenty-one of a newspaper.
However, their very brotherly bond comes to the fore when they turn up at their grandparent’s house for a Christmas celebration – and an old associate of their grandfather’s, Israel, arrives with the intent of collecting something from the family when the grandmother passes away – but not without kidnapping the younger brother, Mauricio, who is still a child. Truths and the sibling rivalry look like they are going to have to be put to one side in order to save the younger member of their brood…
An atmospheric and rather perverse take of family and friendship, Sergio Serra’s EDNA, which he directed from a script he co-wrote with Fernando Barrantes, could be viewed as a dream-like reflection of the inner thinking of its’ characters or an Almodovar-styled flip on the classic gangster genre, given that one of its’ characters is prone to a material and sexual fetish. Told in seven chapters, the essence of legacy is the main backdrop in a film that keeps the attention throughout, even if on occasion, viewers might well be drifting into a dream-like state during one or two specific moments of the narrative.
There’s a hint of Coen Brothers-style deception seen in their darker works here and its’ visual pallet reflects a more nostalgic veneer, with crisp sunny colours within the noir. One or two visual elements probably impose on the overall narrative causing the mind to drift, but its’ intent is solid – and arthouse and noir fans have something to cherish here.

_dedicated to everyone looking for an opportunity_