Log: week 9 / 2025
An anthology disguised as a regular genre film, high on style and sporting some interesting setups. Quarxx is a director with a strong personal signature who isn't happy to stick to established genre conventions. Films that deviate from the norm have been struggling this past decade, so it's not surprising to see some pushback against Pandemonium. If you appreciate films with a heavy stylistic focus and a tendency to avoid the beaten paths, be sure to give this one a go. It's one of the cooler horror films I've seen for some time.
A film that ties in with some recent Disney production (telling the story from the villain's angle), but is based on an older musical. Mind you, this is only part 1, there is more to come later. If you're into longwinded CG-laden musicals, this might be your thing, I can't say I was too impressed with this. In part because the story is very bland (it's a Frankenstein tale shoehorned into the Wizard of Oz plot), the performances weren't good and the songs aren't my thing. The land of Oz looks nice enough and there are some impressive set pieces, but it's not enough to warrant a 160-minute runtime.Read all
Don't get too excited by the monsters when reading the plot summary. This is a film that doesn't occupy itself with the outside. Apart from some ominous noises, you won't see anything remotely horrific. Instead, the film focuses on the people who remained in their location, forming a forced community. The mystery is decent, there are some familiar faces and the reveals scattered throughout are nice enough, but it can be a little too obvious which decisions were a direct result of a lacking budget. A bit more stylistic flair could've turned this into a better film, but it's still an enjoyable ride. Just don't go in expecting a thrilling genre film.Read all
Not the most original setup (travel back in time to stop the killer), but I tend to appreciate a self-conscious horror/comedy. The film definitely has its moments, it sports a decent cast and the pacing is solid, but the comedy just isn't smart or varied enough to make this a stand-out in its genre. The 80s slasher niche has had its fair share of parodies and the "80s aren't woke" jokes were pretty lame. The kills aren't too spectacular either, but that's not too uncommon for this type of film. It's not that I had a bad time, but the potential was there to do better with this material. Still, decent filler if you're in the mood for a horror/comedy.Read all
The last time I watched this (more than two decades ago), I was still majorly impressed watching a long(ish) tracking shot. And, fair enough, Anderson shows plenty of flair and offers up a nice mix of drama and (light) comedy. Boogie Nights is a film that bristles with energy, but I don't think it's still up there with the best. The cast is on point, Anderson does a great job capturing the setting, but the runtime's a little excessive (which is the result of the big cast of characters, but still) and the genre switch at the end didn't work that well. But if you haven't seen this one yet and you have some time to spare, you could do a lot worse.Read all
Antal's first feature film is a gritty thriller in the Hungarian metro. It's still his best film to date, as he would go on to chase more commercial projects in the wake of the success of this one, but I will say that I wasn't quite as impressed with Control the second time around. It's still an interesting film, just not quite as outstanding as I remembered it to be. It lacks either a bit of polish, or some extra grit to make a more lasting impact. The soundtrack is nice, the characters are interesting and the cinematography is proper (with some very cool scenes near the end), it's just that the pacing is a little off, especially during the first half of the film. Still, if you like something unique, this is an easy recommend.Read all
One of the older Chinese streamer flicks, but not a bad one. There isn't too much CGI, and the bits that are there don't look too bad. Other than that it's a simple detective story (in the vain of Detective Dee, but with different leads) that rushes through its plot in order to keep things slick and concise. The plot is a bit messy and the short runtime doesn't allow for many diversions, so the film dives right into the action and switches to mystery unraveling whenever things quiet down for a second. It's a nice mixture of genres, there's not a whole lot of time to get bored and the film looks colorful enough. Decent entertainment.Read all
This was a slightly iffy rewatch. There's an odd vibe that is reminiscent of a comedy, but there are no real jokes. This is a mystery with thriller and horror elements, though there is no real tension, no actual scares. When I first watched this film I found that rather intriguing, the second time around it's not as impressive. Depp's performance is nice and the setup is fun. His little road trip through Europe is silly though and the genre elements are poorly realized (the ending in particular is a complete joke). The film's awkwardness is still part of its core appeal, I just didn't enjoy it as much the second time around. It's still worth a go if you've never seen it.Read all
A film about a nun who visits her aunt and struggles with her faith/way of life, set in 60s Poland. I'm unsure why anyone would care to tackle this topic in the 2010s, but here we are. The film is shot in stark black-and-white and sports an old-fashioned 4:3 aspect ratio, so of course cinephiles love this one. The cinematography is nice, but nothing too out of the ordinary. The performances are limited, the score is distracting and the plot is plain dull. Some nice shots pulled me through the film and at least the runtime is short, but this is the kind of arthouse cinema that belongs in the 60s. It all felt terribly outdated to me.Read all
Antal and Neeson team up for a cute little thriller that spends most of its time in a car driving around Berlin. It's a solid enough setup, add some twists and Neeson's typical performance and you have a proper genre film that easily entertains for 90 minutes. Just don't expect anything more. The plot is simple enough, there are some decent action scenes and the build-up of tension is apt. The pacing is nice too and the runtime is limited, a good thing for a film that spends all of its time in a single location. I knew exactly what I was getting when I started this film and wasn't disappointed by the result. Solid.Read all
A stylish and concise Chinese neo-noir. With Eddie Pang in the lead, Sylvia Chang as a strong backup, and Hao Ning producing the talent was there, but director Shipei Wen is the one who turned this into a formidable genre effort. The cinematography is lush, the plot is neatly structured and the performances are strong. There's hardly any fat to the story, the finale is powerful and the pacing is pretty much perfect. It's still a core genre film, so don't expect anything too out of the ordinary, but the execution is flawless.