Movies
A fun sci-fi classic, though a little dated, resulting in pacing and runtime issues. The film is actually at its best when it isn't trying to show off. The quiet, scientific-driven segments are nice and they build up the tension well enough. It's the action and explicit sci-fi moments that feel silly by modern standards. The plot is basic and nothing too special, but the presentation is mysterious enough and the urgency is tangible. Some scenes do feel too elaborate though, whereas the ending is rushed and somewhat silly. It was a lot better than I expected though, I just wish it had been 30 minutes shorter.Read all
As far as film-noirs go, I seem to prefer the shorter, limited location films. The Set-Up may be quite basic, but that's exactly what makes it fun to follow. No elaborate setups that don't really pan out, no long list of uninteresting twists, no unnecessary fat. Just a bare-bones skeleton and plenty of atmosphere. Stoker is a boxer who is hoping to get his big break, though it never seems to be happening for him. Until one night, when he finally dominates his adversary in the ring. The only problem is that he's supposed to be throwing the match. When Stoker doesn't want to go down, it's going to cost him dearly. Performances are decent, the tension is tangible and the stark black and white cinematography feels appropriate. The short runtime makes sure the film never gets boring, even though the pacing is quite slow (pretty much real-time). The ending is a bit bland, but otherwise not a bad film.Read all
Not bad, for a film noir. I've seen a lot of them these past few years and I've quickly come to realize that it's not a genre for me. In principle, there's a lot of room for mood and atmosphere, but practically speaking there are usually just endless dialogues and crummy fight scenes. The lighting is pretty nice and Wise spends quite a bit of time on establishing a gritty atmosphere. That works very well for the first half hour, after that the narrative takes over again and things become less interesting. But the film is relatively short and never dips below a certain base quality. Decent (for a noir).Read all
One of the big sci-fi classics. I'd already watched the remake with Keanu Reeves, which wasn't all that great. I didn't expect this one to be any better to be honest, but I did hope for a bit more oldskool sci-fi cheese. There's a little of that here, but not enough to entertain for the entire runtime. The plot is pretty simple. Aliens are visiting our planet and making a grand entrance. Conveniently, they look exactly like regular people, and they speak our language. They come with a warning, telling us to stop fighting among ourselves. If not, they'll step in and take matters into their own hands. The beginning and end of the film are quite cute, the middle part on the other hand is too dull and stretched out. The moralistic story is pretty childish, performances are weak and the film's too serious for its own good. Would've liked this a lot better if Wise had gone all in on the camp, sadly that wasn't in the cards.Read all
There are some light crime elements here, especially during the first half of the film, but it's more about the drama surrounding a woman who gets into a lot of trouble for things that shouldn't have landed her on death row. It's a pretty tragic story, but the film itself never was gripping or emotional. Hayward's performance is far from nuanced, the trial during the second half is dull and the crime elements in the first part were typical noir (read: quite dusty and forced). Two hours is way too long for this one, a case like this no doubt deserved a better film. Maybe noir and/or courtroom drama fans might find something here though.Read all
