Sunday, 30 August 2020
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020)
Survivors worldwide reveal the manipulation, abuse and emotional scars suffered at the hands of wealthy convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Their stories expose a sex trafficking ring of powerful enablers leading up to his 2019 arrest.
This documentary series gives a good and extensive overview about Epstein, his cronies and the crimes committed , but not much more insight than one could have arrived at by regularly watching the case in the news.
Saturday, 29 August 2020
It Comes at Night (2017)
Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.
Dark and effective post-apocalyptic drama is more focused on the psychological repercussions of a (vaguely sketched) catastrophe than on any horror tropes; although a strong effort, its elliptical tale-telling does diminish its impact.
Friday, 28 August 2020
Fehér isten (2014)
Thirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.
Powerful allegory paints a dark and pessimistic picture of mankind as more inhuman than animals could ever be; good performances, especially from the dogs.
Thursday, 27 August 2020
Ready Player One (2018)
When the creator of a virtual reality called the OASIS dies, he makes a posthumous challenge to all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune and control of his world.
Solid, lively sci-fi action drama is exciting, but is so overladen with pop cultural references, trivia and original ideas that it mars a lot of the entertainment it wants to offer.
Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Monday, 24 August 2020
The Nun (2018)
A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
Run-of-the-mill horror flick has good production value, a capable cast and a few atmospheric scenes, but the plot is incoherent and simply a succession of the usual horror tropes.
Sunday, 23 August 2020
Detour (1945)
Chance events trap a hitch-hiker Al Roberts into a tightening net of trouble.
Wonderful Film Noir classic that creates a hopeless fate almost too extreme to believe, but that's just as well part of its message.
On rewatching: Highly entertaining low-budget Noir drama with an over-the-top (and extremely unlikely) doom-laden plot - and a particularly vicious femme fatale.
Halliwell*: "A minor cult movie with as much doomladen dialogue and film noir angles as could be shovelled into a Poverty Row 'B' at the time. On the whole, less than meets the eye."
Maltin***: "Now-legendary B movie, filmed in less than a week, is the qintessence of film noir...(Savage, in an unforgettable performance), Ulmer makes best of his meagre budget."
Saturday, 22 August 2020
King of the Zombies (1941)
On a spooky island, three stranded travelers find an evil doctor working with foreign spies and in control of zombies.
Silly horror comedy with a dubious racist subplot softened by Mantan Moreland's hilarious performance.
Maltin**: "Stiff-necked zombies are incidental,but pop-eyed Moreland is a delight."
Friday, 21 August 2020
Thursday, 20 August 2020
Unga Astrid (2018)
Biopic of Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, the author of numerous children's books and creator of Pippi Longstocking.
This movie settles on a (rather dark) segment of the famous children's author's biography and does so with commitment, good period details and especially with some extraordinary performances.
Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Tuesday, 18 August 2020
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