Seminal masterpiece. One of the only movies I'd consider a must-watch. Dialogue for every character is perfect throughout.

Spaced, S02:E02. Director Edgar Wright. Writers Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. [Tim's boss letting him go, for yelling at a child that wanted to buy Jar Jar merchandise]

"I was like you once. Blonde hair, scraggly little beard, childlike ears. Full of beans, and spunk. I let my principles get in the way sometimes. I punched a bloke in the face once for saying Hawk the Slayer was rubbish."

"Good for you."

"Yeah, thanks; but, that's not the point, Tim. The point is, I was defending the fantasy genre with terminal intensity; when what I should have said is, "Dad, you're right; but let's give Krull a try, and we'll discuss it later""

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Originally I had a story about why this movie means so much to me here, but I removed it.

In short, I had something quite unbelievable happen while watching this, and now I love it an unusual amount.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

The perversion of sex and power. I loved the red and blue motif used to represent each, and all of Kubrick's symbolism, attention to detail, and the hypnotizing Christmas lighting. There's other messages that can be observed as well about marriage, female sexuality, fidelity, and more. So many layers to this movie, you could go on for days when talking about a Kubrick film. You could write a full review just breaking down one scene. So many unbelievably excellent movies from that man. Seriously a genius.

The perversion of sex and power is shown in a number of ways, including: ritualistic sex orgies, store-owner Milich pimping out his underage daughter, a sacrifice for redemption, and retributive execution for exposure, and one can only speculate about the missing content.

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

So what is at the end of the rainbow for Dr Harford? The harsh reality about his status. After all of his years of hard work becoming a doctor, and all this time thinking he was working his way to the top... He realizes even at the top of the middle class, it's nothing in comparison to true wealth and power. This realization is painted on his face as he cracks open a beer in his now seemingly ordinary kitchen.

"Alice, I happen to be a doctor."

💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵

The haunting score always stays in my head for days after re-watching this - all of it does, really. This movie sticks with you.

🎭

CONSUME

This movie has a six minute fight with Halloween for my favorite Carpenter movie. The length of the fight almost inadvertently a metaphor for the cognitive dissonance one can go through when seeing reality through a new filter.

I love it's campy B-movie nature and conspiracy-laden dystopian fiction; complete with subliminal messaging and formaldehyde-face aliens creating secret societies with human collaborators.

I especially love its anti-capitalist themes, and the fun it has while tackling important topics like capitalism, advertising, and consumer culture.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... And I'm all out of bubblegum."

This creates an experience. Through the strong lead performance, and the sound and camerawork, it helps you to see the holidays through the filter of someone battling addiction - or even mental illness (which addiction can sometimes be sequela of)- and how even family gatherings can feel like a horror film when you're battling with your own mind.

One of the ideas that I like about Thanksgiving is the concept of focusing on gratitude. I am grateful for all my Letterboxd friends. I appreciate having a place where I can be myself around amazing people 🍁🍂

The television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is notable for attracting immense interest from scholars, with some academic settings even including the show as a topic of literary study and analysis.

National Public Radio describes Buffy as having a "special following among academics".

There have been a number of international conferences on the topic - including when University of East Anglia professors Carol O'Sullivan, Claire Thomson, Catherine Fuller, and Scott MacKenzie hosted over 200 scholars for the first international conference on Whedon.

In a 2012 study, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was named the most studied pop culture work by academics, with well over 200 papers, essays, and books devoted to the series - examining the themes of the show from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives; including, but not limited to: sociology, psychology, philosophy, theology and women's studies.

Commentators of the entertainment industry, including: The Village Voice, PopMatters, Allmovie, The Hollywood Reporter, The Washington Post have all cited Buffy as influential; some even citing it as the ascent of television into it's golden age - Typically suggesting that it was responsible for re-popularizing long story arcs on primetime television.

It won two Emmy awards, and was nominated 14 times. It won 6 Saturn awards, and was nominated 8 other times. Sarah Michelle Gellar was nominated for a Golden Globe. What was considered snubs in lead Emmy categories resulted in outrage among TV critics, and the decision by the academy to hold a tribute event in honor of the series after it had gone off the air in 2003.

So if anyone ever tells you Whedon is a talentless hack, it's almost certain they've never seen Buffy or Angel in their entirety; and, your best possible response is, "What was your favorite MCU/DCEU movie?"

If they say he's incredible as a creator, executive producer, writes music very well, and that his television series' are still inspiring art till this day; but, that his feature length films aren't always the best, I couldn't argue with that. However, anytime he'd pop into the director/writer chair for an episode on one of his series, it was always one of the best episodes - Which is why I find it so confusing that a lot of his movies just don't land for me. Though Whedon did say he hated what the director and producers did to his original script for this film, so maybe he just works best without studio interference - like on his movies Serenity and Much Ado About Nothing.

I'd really like to love this movie, because one of the most influential series of all times started right here, but I just can't.

This review may contain spoilers.

Starting with a dream-within-a-dream that lasts for 8 minutes, already demonstrating the absurd humor and surrealism have increased to the extreme, with the dream sequence ending with a cartoonish cut-out, all after an opening title card explaining a town without children, this '90s acid trip with Freddy is wild. Only in the late-night MTV era could kills like the video game kill happen. I enjoy it for the time capsule it is; and, also, because I love surrealist humor and how dark the Kathryn Krueger arc can get.

I also just love off-the-rail sequels, in general, like: Friday the 13th part VII: The New Blood, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Curse of Michael Myers, and Freddy's Dead. The A Nightmare on Elm St franchise is what got me into horror at a young age, and I love 7/9 of the movies.

"Where are you from?"

"I DONT KNOW!!"

Love director Rachel Talalay, and her (and most of the crews) work with John Waters. I loved that this one begins in a recovery shelter for troubled youths. Sets the outsider vibes right away. I liked the new characters Maggie Burrough/Kathryn Krueger, Tracy, and "Doc". Also liked how the recovery shelter is so wild they confiscate things like crossbows and pipe bombs.

I love absurd humor, so this has one of my favorite Wizard of Oz references. Love characters like random and crazy Roseanne and Tom Arnold in a reverse-Childen of the Corn town, or the delirious teacher in the abandoned high school teaching Freddy 101, or the "Skip to My Lou" lady. With some of the strange and unique characters it creates in Springwood, it's understandable why Spencer compares it to Twin Peaks.

"I'll get you my pretty! and your little soul, too!"

Once entering Springwood, it dissolves into dream logic structuring and more dreams-within-dreams; and, it wasn't traditional for dream initiation in the franchise, but it works for an off-the-rails sequel, and it fits the '90s ADHD viewing experience well - A time when some were just sitting on their couch late at night, like Spencer, just melting away, into random bizarro shit, music videos, and extravaganzas of colors; not caring about what happens and just enjoying some nice visuals and random laughs. "Let's trip out."

Also had Tracy's super creepy dad and the Natural Born Killers-esque sequence with the dialogue, "Here! Do you love me now? He's dead! He's Dead!" which felt very similar to Mal's quotes "How sexy am I now?" or her jumping up and down shouting, "He's dead! He's dead!" after murdering her father. NBK was actually released a few years after Freddy's Dead too. In spite of being released near the very beginning of the nineties, Freddy's Dead somehow had peak '90s vibes, and was maybe more inspirational than most care to realize - particularly to surrealist humor and '90s childrens horror.

"Don't talk to me about father's."

"Yours come to visit to?"

"Yeah -- everytime I close my eyes."

Some decent practical effects at times in this one, like once the ear starts transforming.

Freddy's pervy vibes are jacked to the extreme with the humor and surrealism. There's some suburban scenes with him as a creepy father that are lit and shot in a Lynchian manner, as well as the aforementioned flat out Twin Peaks reference. (Wizard of Oz was also one of Lynch's favorite movies and it has that reference as well)

My ultimate dream would be David Lynch doing a unique vision of A Nightmare on Elm St, as well as an off-the-rails sequel that's completely different in tone. The first one with original Nightmare ('84) vibes mixed with very dark Fire Walk with Me vibes. The second one some Freddy's Dead vibes mixed with Twin Peaks television series vibes.

"Daddy's waiting for you, little girl."

"Shut the fuck up, man!"

Maybe the most comedic and campy Freddy, but also erasing people from reality; so, that's kinda crazy. He also finds ways to haunt people outside of Elm St/Springwood as well. The kill counts are lower, but the sexual perversion is cranked to the extreme. I feel like some of the themes of pedophilia and incest would have been exceedingly dark without the absurd humor to create a contrast, and that it actually does well in balancing the two.

I thought the idea of the final girl entering the mind of Freddy was a very creative idea. I loved seeing inside Freddy's mind and the Alice Cooper moment with a young Freddy... "You want to know the secret of pain? ... If you just stop feeling it, you can start using it."

One of my all-time favorite movies. It's very special and motivational for me.

I loved the character Alice in number four. Loved her daydream of standing up to her father, and how it's implied that she had to learn about controlling her dreams after suffering from nightmares caused by him. I use to have night terrors when I was a child, and didn't feel safe/at peace, awake or asleep; and, it's truly a terrible feeling - you never really get a break from your suffering. After having enough nightmares and night terrors, I kind of learned to recognize when I was dreaming and I'd close my eyes really hard in my dream and then open them and I'd normally open my eyes in real life - sometimes I'd have to try a couple times. That's one of the reasons this franchise resonated with me so much when I was younger. I was terrified of Freddy in the original because he reminded me of a recurring demon I had in my dreams, I loved three because they learned to fight it, and four because Alice mastered conquering fear. I loved Alice. I also loved Luke Skywalker for some similar reasons. I wanted to learn to master my emotions, and understand the human psyche so well, that another person would never be able to hurt me. I wanted to understand the human experience, and how darkness consumes people, so that I could empathize with them, and they'd never be able to emotionally affect me; because I'd understand their actions, even if I didn't agree with them. I wanted to become so present, self-aware, and full of love that no external stimulus could ever provoke negative feelings, like fear or anger. I wanted to be like a Jedi and a Dream Master. I wanted to be able to face reality and my dreams without being afraid.

Strong opening dream sequence and reuniting of Ken Sagoes and Rodney Eastman; I'm bummed Patrica Arquuette didn't come back though.

Loved the usage of "Anything, Anything" by Dramarama a couple times. And enjoyed a lot of the score too. Hard not to watch this movie and just jump up and dance and sing, "ILL GIVE YOU ANYTHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING!!!" because the nostalgia trigger catalyzes immense joy, and memories of watching this over and over in my youth.

Love the red and green lighting used in several scenes. I liked a lot of the different settings. Old fashioned diner settings get immediate brownie points with me. The movie theater setting. The funhouse horizontal revolving cylinder. The beach setting and shark Freddy. The spa setting and invisible kung-fu Freddy.

Speaking of different variations of Freddy... nurse Freddy... naughty teacher Freddy... Kinky.

The bench-press-bug-transformation and bug trap kill is definitely my favorite of the franchise, and maybe one of my favorite movie kills of all-time. You know you're in good hands when you see the name Screaming Mad George in the opening title sequence.

Freddy becoming more comedic and doing stuff like eating souls in the form of human meatball heads - or "soul food" - is fine by me. I honestly love this movie.

Alice with her late-'80s, punk, and kung-fu vibes near the ending.... "Fucking a"

Loved the battle between Alice and Freddy in the abandoned Gothic cathedral, and the "evil will see itself, and it will die" and it's meaning. If psychopaths like Krueger had the capacity to feel emotions like the rest of us, the pain and guilt of what they've done would kill them inside.

Also loved the wishing fountain ending, and it's implied meaning of overcoming trauma and/or living in fear. The original had a good ending as well, with Freddy disappearing after Nancy turns her back on him; but then the Freddy-car and doll-mom being pulled through the window kind of ruined (for me) what I considered a perfect ending - so I kind of prefer the ending here.

"Welcome to Wonderland, Alice."

Deeply unsettling - in a subconscious type of way; for me, it created a disturbing trance-like state I haven't experienced since The Exorcist III. Hypnotizing sound and score. Unique cinematography and writing. The twist/narrative structure and eye symbolism do excellent at conveying it's social commentary about how what we consume can affect us, and I personally loved that; it's done from a very unique approach. There's some good practical effects and eye gore at the beginning and what appears to be a genuine eye procedure that made me squirm uncontrollably. Unnerving performances from Zelda Rubinstein and Michael Lerner - Talia Paul and Àngel Jové do decent as well. One of the best hypnosis sequences I've seen in a movie, as well as one of the best (TW & spoiler) mass murder shooting sequences. I believe this movie intentionally wants to make you uncomfortable so that you question your viewing choices, and I applaud it for that.

A hidden gem from Bigas Luna.

______________________________________________

Thanks for the recommendation, WraithApe.

Please feel free to recommend any unique horror movies you think I may enjoy in the comments or on my recommendations list

The Wrong Turn franchise is one of the few 21st century horror franchises to spawn several sequels, amongst the likes of the Saw, Paranormal Activity, and Conjuring universe franchises. 2003 was an excellent year for lovers of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hills Have Eyes-inspired rural horror/cannibal/mutant unofficial slasher subgenre, with movies like: Wrong Turn, Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('03), and House of 1,000 Corpses.

I really like the character design and make-up for the inbred cannibalistic antagonists Three Finger, Saw Tooth, and One Eye. The characters live in a remote forest in West Virginia and hunt travelers.

I really like the opening title sequence as well.

Seeing the Slayer (Eliza Dushku) lead a slasher was incredible for me. I was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this movie came out just ten days after the series finale of Buffy. The cast is filled with small screen stars, including: Jeremy Sisto from Six Feet Under and Law & Order, Emmanuelle Chriqui from Entourage, and Desmond Harrington from Dexter. I think everyone did a great job, but I especially love Dushku and Harrington; and, how they subverted the final girl trope with Harrington. Dushku is in several of my favorite television shows: Dollhouse, Tru Calling, Angel, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

A lot of the cast did their own stunts. Harrington broke an ankle. Chriqui dislocated a shoulder. Julian Richings got set on fire. A lot of the cast and crew got covered in poison ivy.

This one is hands down my favorite entry in the franchise. This particular entry was written by the writer of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. He dipped out of the franchise afterwards, but he is the writer of the reboot Wrong Turn: The Foundation; and, as a fan of H4, and the original WT, I'm ittedly kind of excited to see what he does. He seems to be fairly adept at rehashing classic slasher material into an entertaining action-horror fashion.

I do pretty much like the whole franchise though - the loathed #6 probably places second for me (will do a review soon). The sequels know they're bad, and I know it, but I still watch and enjoy them. I can say the same for most B-horror or direct-to-DVD horror.

"Hey! I'll swallow your soul! I'll swallow your soul! I'll swallow your soul!

I watch horror films throughout the entire year, and I watch a lot of movies with a Halloween setting throughout October; but, there is one horror franchise I save for Halloween day itself.

It's a tradition I've kept since I was fifteen, and it makes the rewatches very exciting and special. This transcendent experience cannot be consdensed into words - except for maybe one... Groovy.

🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃

This is one of the most iconic and analyzed movies out there; so, even saying, "what hasn't been said?", has already been said hundreds of times.

Legendary score. Signature camera work. Horror icon Michael Myers. Scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. Source of inspiration to countless films. A masterpiece of independent filmmaking and the seminal slasher. 🤡🔪

I hope everyone has an excellent day! 🎃🍁🍂

I felt like this movie was very different than the rest in the franchise.

If you look beyond any frustrations you may have had with continuity and unfinished arcs, etc., it really assists with appreciating what they did here specifically in this entry. The franchise as a whole may not work, though I believe this one works very well if you separate it from the franchise in your mind a bit. The biblical allegories help this one work as a standalone piece as well. (The game featured several biblical quotes as well)

Even beyond the franchise, I'd consider it an excellent action movie; and I love that it has elements of horror, science fiction, and drama. I enjoyed it's anti-capitalist and anti-fascist messages throughout, and it's themes of identity and hope. I also feel like this movie did excellent at emulating gameplay experience (maybe not RE gameplay though), with the excellent set pieces, cinematography, and elegant yet adrenaline-fueled editing; as well as it's time clock and race to complete the goal. Retribution did excellent at emulating leveling with the suburbia sequence, the Toyko sequence, and the final-boss Washington D.C. ending and stuff as well; and, I'm happy that Anderson was able to learn from the experimentation in his previous films for his magnum opus here.

The action is nearly non-stop, and is constantly altering between different types of foes: A giant winged creature similar to the one in the game RE5, enormous hoards of the T-virus infected humans - also some different variations and mutations earlier in the movie (with great make-up), Umbrella Corp workers, Wesker, a cult of survivors in a Mad Max-esque fortified vehicle, C-virus mutants called Bloodshots, and loads of "zombie dogs"

The writing and directing is a lot more focused than previous entries, and is able to stay entertaining throughout. I love the sequence explaining why Umbrella chose to orchestrate the apocalypse. The fight action sequences are overall the best I've seen in the franchise. The fight choreography is great. Anderson's direction is refined after a lot of experimenting with previous entries. The editing perfectly compliments the thrill of the action.

I'd still love a rebooted franchise, with a focus on classic characters like Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy; but, I kind of love these movies we got as well.

"I'll tell you what this is... a mind control dictatorship. A costume of democracy. The perfect brainwashing media machine."

In this sequel, Bill Williamson shifts his anger to capitalist oligarchs and imperialists, focuses on the reality they've created, and forcefully uses their controlled news medium to spread his message; in an attempt to try and shatter that reality for the oblivious populace - With the hopes of creating reform, and a world where our primary interests are taking care of our planet and each other.

There's still some black humor, like the bingo scene from the original. For example, someone is forced into yoga at gunpoint. The writing definitely screams Uwe Boll - his message's are sometimes contradictory, the writing in this trilogy often sounds unsophisticated, and also has very extreme monologues (original quote is heavily edited due to content) like:

"...the billionaires, the big bosses, the CEOs, the scumbags, the liars, the governors, the lobbyists, the senators... they're all the same... we need a, we need a cleansing."

I can still find something to enjoy in each one of the three Rampage films, though. The first was my favorite. I don't believe this movie is ing mass murder - or murder in general. As filmmaker Eli Hayes stated in regards to the first film, it's a, "curiously competent commentary on a collapsing capitalist culture and it's all-too-relevant correlation with hopelessness, societal self-destruction, psychopathy & serial slaughter."

I love Brendan Fletcher's performance in the trilogy; this guy seriously deserves more recognition.

From what I've seen of Uwe Boll's filmography so far, I only like movies where he's the writer and director; most of his infamous video game adaptions had been from different writers, and Boll only directed. For the Rampage trilogy and Assault on Wall Street, you can tell that he put a lot of ion and emotion into the movies; and, even if he wasn't able to articulate the best at times, I can still see what he was going for, and can appreciate it.

I was so excite to experience this moviefilm. The amount of emotions I went through, is about as mind-blowing as some of the content. Even though I knew for a fact Sacha Baron Cohen came out of production alive, whenever he was about to sing for that crowd full of people, it was so intense that I couldn't help but feeling concerned for his life - even he seemed hesitant to sing for those people. I've read he had to wear a bulletproof vest for a couple scenes, and I'd be willing to bet that was one of them. Then he even gets them to sing along. (That one took me back to "In My Country There is Problem" from the episode "Peace" of Da Ali G Show - loved the show and it's movies, absolutely ecstatic we got a surprise fourth movie)

I felt like the writing and structuring in between skits was done a lot better this time around. Incorporating skits into a storyline can sometimes be a complete mess (Impractical Joker's: The Movie), but other times it can be done well (Bad Trip and Jackass presents: Bad Grandpa) I think what they did here was very impressive and raises the bar; especially impressive because the production had to work around an unexpected global pandemic. ittedly, there's a couple scenes where I'm still pondering over their authenticity - which is not something I've ever done with Sacha's previous work.

Maria was an excellent addition to the cast. Ken Davitian only had a ing role in the first movie, but Maria has a leading role with Cohen for this sequel. She handled herself very well in every situation. I can't imagine trying to stay in character for some of the stuff in this movie. Very talented actress. These skits don't only take courage, but they take a lot of skill in order to be convincing.

Some of the satire in regards to how women are treated was next level. I was bursting with joy for the menstruation, masturbation, and abortion skits; So much joy I was probably radiant. Tremendous amount of respect. The speech from the babysitter was really heartwarming too. I watch this pranks-on-the-public/social experiment-type show, and they always get genuinely thrilled when they come across people who are good-natured or intelligent. Maria Bakalova looked like she was hiding back tears because of how touched she was.

I loved that Borat still exposes racism, anti-semitism, and the absurd things people do without second thinking it; e.g. walking in the building in that KKK outfit, the wording on the cake, and the purchase at the farm goods store.

I don't like to talk about the government or coronavirus with people. So in regards to the satire/exposé/etc. on stuff like: McDonald Trump, the type of people who attend anti-mask rallies or believe Democrats are worse than COVID, perversion within the higher powers, or government/social responses to the virus and containing it's spread... I'll just say... Very nice. 👍👍

"How I yearn to throw
myself into endless space, and float above the awful abyss."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Starting with the MGM lions roar, muted, with a dubbed, "I forgot the opening line", this movie has a lot of unique humor.

I liked a lot of the running gags, like: Hines/Hanes, "sir Frank", or the pull-up masturbator. Also liked how the professor giving monologues slowly transforms into a bird as the movie progresses.

I loved the bird excrement calling card of the strangler. Especially when Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West) dies in ruby slippers, covered in bird shit, while some notes of "Over the Rainbow" plays, haha.

This Fellini-inspired movie follows a Where's Waldo-looking Brewster McCloud as he hides in the fallout shelter of the astrodome trying to build a bird suit that will allow him to fly. He's temporarily a driver for a wealthy disabled man that is perverted, vulgar, and greedy; and how Brewster treats him is pretty funny. There's also an investigation going on into a serial killer strangler.

Introducing Shelley Duvall, and super long and fake A Clockwork Orange-esque eyelashes, I really love her - Kubrick must've loved her, and her eyelashes, as well. I was a huge fan of Faerie Tale Theatre growing up, as well as Tall Tales & Legends, and obviously The Shining. Director, and five-time Oscar nominee, Robert Altman, worked with her again 6 other times, including projects such as: Nashville, 3 Women, and McCabe & Mrs Miller. (I hate Dr Phil for exploiting Duvall)

In addition to the unique comedy there's some technical elements that are notable as well. Some good cinematography. I really enjoyed the sound work and score for the car action sequence.

One of my all-time favorite depressing bizarro endings.

"...but we have to fly away... they'll put me in a cage."

___________________________________

Sally Kellerman's character drives an AMC Gremlin; Gremlins were originally folkloric mischievous spirits who caused malfunctions in flying machines - license plate BRD SHT.

I liked her M*A*S*H spoof scene in the fountain.

"Subvert normality. Destroy. Kill all hippies. Anarchy. Disco Sucks. Pretty vacant, eh?"

The strangest thing about punk and hippies, is that at first glance they seem day-to-night different, but at their heart, they're two experiences branched out from one core.

To a punk, modern existence is cyclic; their frustration is that the societal cyclic construct leaves no space for creativity, and thus no space for self expression. Their nihilistic attitude inevitably leads to self destruction.

The hippy also believes in a human experience that breaks the societal cyclic construct. Truly experiencing each moment... genuinely... and deeply... actually e x p e r i e n c i n g each moment... so much so, that a societally imposed schedule is dissolved into what can almost be described as a non-linear moment-to-moment experience, that aids in free-flowing subconscious thought and reflection. Within experiencing reality through this dream logic, it creates the space for creativity, within an enclosure that otherwise wouldn't allow for it.

Each with the desire to subvert "normality" - to be creative in a world designed to drain us of it. Each persona birthed from a collapsing capitalist culture.

Our human experiences are all expressed in different ways, but there are still problems at the heart of reality that we can all feel, regardless of who we are.

I don't care that this isn't about the movie, and I don't think Cebe would either; or Manz, for that matter. I don't know, doing a traditional review just doesn't feel in the spirit of this movie.

"Subvert normality."

"Oh... innocence can be hell."

Very disturbing. Declared déjà un culte by critics at Cannes before even leaving the auditorium, this movie is truly something else.

The cinematography is stunning. Every frame looks like a vintage painting. I know the director handpainted all the wheat yellow, but it was more than just those beautiful landscape shots. I legitimately do not know how they accomplished this camerawork.

I loved the writing and directing by Philip Ridley. Ridley is also a novelist, playwright, songwriter, photographer, and a performance artist. His book In the Eyes of Mr Fury is considered a cult classic and an underground phenomena; and, after watching this - and The ion of Darkly Noon - I look forward to reading it. (He wrote a song for The ion of Darkly Noon that I really enjoyed as well, so might have to check out some of his music too)

I loved the score for this movie.

Some scenes the sound mixing wasn't the best, and in some scenes the performances weren't entirely convincing; but neither were notable enough to drag down this incredible piece.

Some of the disturbing content is so out of nowhere, but still so believeable, that my mouth was literally ajar more than once.

Terry Gilliam was clearly inspired by this movie when he made Tideland (2005)

Truly special film.

"What's the matter, kid? Don't ya like clowns?"

Southern Sawyer sleaze, painted like a serial killer hangout film; along the same vein of Henry's portrait. A sometimes fun, and sometimes unbelievably disturbing hellbilly exploitation film.

Whether you like Zombie or not, it's hard to deny how much ion his films had (until H2 and Lord's were both torn apart, and he started doing fan-service retreads) He clearly has a love of cinema - all of his movies have nods - but they're also filled to the brim with pure idiosyncratic creativity and charisma. His personality bleeds through all of his scripts, and I personally love creators who have a signature style. We have enough artists that you couldn't pick from a lineup.

My favorite Firefly's lead this sequel: Captain Spaulding, Baby, and Otis. The personalities of Otis and Baby are changed a little bit; but, I still love their characterization in this. It's also nice to get more screentime for Captain Spaulding; whose appearance was limited in House of 1,000 Corpses. I do miss grampa Hugo, though (RIP Dennis Femple)

I liked William Forsythe as the Elvis-loving, revenge-seeking, Lee Marvin-inspired sheriff. I also thought Danny Trejo and DDP made for a solid slimey duo, and liked the cameo by Brian Posehn. Loved that it had Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead), Michael Berryman (The Hills have Eyes), P.J. Soles (Halloween), and Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th/Hatchet franchises)

I liked the road movie Badlands vibe, instead of just doing more torture house - like most would do when offered a follow-up.

When this movie came out, I was still in school, and the praise from all of my rag tag band of weirdo friends was endless. With talks of how shocking and horrific the motel scene was typically being at the forefront.

The movie has several memorable scenes, though; my favorite being when Otis takes the boys out to the desert.

"I am the devil, and I am here to do the devil's work."

I really enjoy a lot of the humor in this, like, the tutti fruity scene, or the chicken purchase scene. Speaking of humor, I think it's funny how Texas Chainsaw 3D opens with a very similar intro, especially since the Firefly's are so Sawyer inspired.

I love the soundtrack for this movie as well.

Winner of numerous Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, this movie is often cited among Zombie fans as his magnum opus.

RIP:

Matthew McGrory (8/8/05)

&

Sid Haig (9/21/19)

************************************

P.S. in a deleted scene Rosario Dawson gets her throat ripped out by Dr Satan.

"Motherfuckers! Come in and get me, I'm ready for you! I hate fucking men!"

I love this movie.

Linda Manz is remarkable in this. An angry girl with a dysfunctional family trying to cope with the circumstances of her life through a tough attitude and a love of music. When it premiered at Cannes 40 years ago she was considered a sensation and many believed she would be a front-runner for best actress. (RIP Linda 8/14/20)

Hopper effortlessly steps into the role of the perverted and toxic ex-con father. Some truly uncomfortable scenes, but with some solid payoffs. Reportedly he made a lot of changes to the script and is an uncredited writer, and I could easily see that.

The sound work in some parts wasn't the best, but the soundtrack is amazing! Including pieces by Elvis Presley and Neil Young. Also a live performance by candian punk band Pointed Sticks, and some songs written for the movie by Powder Blues Band and also Jim Byrnes.

The movie is severely depressing and dirty at times, but it's a realistic and bold approach to how bad parenting can kill someone's innocence and turn them into a walking middle finger surrounded by walls.

That ending is going to stick with me for awhile.

"I want to talk to you about dad."

"My ears hear what others cannot hear. Small, faraway things people cannot normally see, are visible to me. These senses are the fruits of a lifetime of longing. Longing to be rescued. To be completed. Just as the skirt needs the wind to billow, I'm not formed by things that are of myself alone. I wear my father's belt, tied around my mother's blouse, and shoes which are from my uncle. This is me. Just as a flower does not choose its color... we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free... and to become adult, is to become free."

Fairly dark and metaphorical coming-of-age about the integration of all aspects of your personality into a whole. The freedom of allowing yourself to be you, instead of suppressing things like ion or sexuality.

After the opening monologue we see India playing the piano. Playing with more precision than ion. Perfect posture. Void of humanity and just this idealized version of etiquette and perfection. Wearing the type of b&w saddle shoes a young child might. A set design and costume that could be timeless if there was no indication of the year, no personality to anything. After Indias mother interrupts her to ask that she helps in the kitchen, a spider crawls up India's leg - and will be seen again at another pivotal scene. The spider has several meanings.

Numerology equates the spider with the symbol for infinity. Spider is the totality of the life cycle – the beginning and end. After the aforementioned scene we cut to India's father's funeral, which is taking place on her 18 birthday. There's also a precise pan to her shoes.

In several traditions, the spiders symbolizes feminity. For example, in Ancient Egypt, the spider represented the deity and Divine Mother, Neith. In some American Indian tribes, the spider symbolizes the creator of the world, and therefore, is held in high regard for its feminine energy.

Just like the spider weaves their beautifully engineered web, we watch India as she enters into this stage of becoming a woman in her life cycle, tuning into herself to weave her own destiny.

Charlie in several scenes is almost a physical manifestation of her "shadow self" (psychologists say the “shadow self” is aspects of your personality, or your life, that you, or other people, deem unworthy, or not likable, and are therefore rejected, or repressed.)

Charlie sensually assists her with becoming ionate about piano. He delicately removes the shoes that represent her past and assists her with stepping into the woman she wants to become. She has a sexual awakening through watching him with her mother, and seeks out her own fulfilment. In a lot of ways this is about our protagonist becoming a woman.

Then there's also the direct narrative. Charlie, ever patient, like a spider, awaiting it's prey.

************SPOILERS**************

Also in the direct narrative we see an even darker version of fully embracing who you are. Just as India says in the opening, "we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free..." she sees herself and who she has become as a product of her environment and genetics. Anything is okay, even murder. Her father always had her hunting. Her uncle was prosecuted for a murder in his childhood. Once she's able to accept that murder is a part of who she is, she's able to allow herself to commit it and enjoy it.

Regardless of how you see it, once the spider leaves her, she has changed. She has entered into womanhood and is ready to start her life, or she has fully embraced the evil inside and found her calling as a natural born killer.

"There's a white horse... I'm afraid it's following me... Or trying to find me... It wants to take me away."

Social commentary about how people are treated by mental health professionals - even when there is nothing wrong with them. Particularly how horrific it is that conversion therapy is still allowed around most of the world; and the harmful effects of the hyper-religious.

Very powerful performances by Amber Deasy and Cora Fenton. When the protagonist played by Amber starts talking about her safe place at Ballybunion, I was very moved and started to cry; I did for the ending as well. Twice in ten minutes is not common for me, it's truly a testament to the power of this short.

Through the pictures the dad looks at of his daughter, and the shots of his daughters room, you can tell how sweet and innocent of a woman our lead is, and she's only hospitalized for her sexual orientation. Throughout the short you can see how the parents destroyed an innocent.

The cinematography by Jass Foley is crisp and beautiful and the production design by Kate Howard looks excellent as well.

I loved the writing by Paul Cahill and the excellent direction by Shaun O'Connor. I appreciate how much this short has to say. If you're unfamiliar with conversation therapy, I'd recommend researching it; it is terrible, and it's so surprising that it is allowed - it is actually extremely popular in the religious area I live.

I am very grateful Shaun O'Connor shared this with me.

🎃 It's October! 🎃

This isn't a movie you watch for logical consistency. You may ask, why did he even have a baby? Or, how could all the Strodes, besides John, not know they were living in the Myers house?

Like a lot of other horror movies, people don't always make the best decisions. Like, why did Jamie call a radio station instead of the police?

But that stuff doesn't even matter!

I watch this because it has one of the most authentic Autumn feelings in the entire franchise. I watch this because the score on the Producers Cut is actually pretty damn good (on that version specifically, don't like the guitars theatrical), they seriously do amazing with the score on the producers cut! I watch it for the peak '90s vibes. I watch it because this was a slasher in the '90s that didn't have a post-Scream feeling. I watch it because I love sequels that become increasingly bizarre as a franchise continues. Cult of Thorn? Yeah, I dig it. Do I think of them while I watch the other movies? No way. But I allow myself to have a blast when I see them in this one!

Paul Rudd is unintentionally pretty funny a few times as well and I enjoy it. Ant Man does some Dr Strange mojo to take out The Shape. How can you not find that at least a little entertaining?

I also believe Marianne Hagan makes for a solid final girl as well. I like her quite a bit actually.

I don't think of this one as a misunderstood masterpiece. I know it's not the best. I know it's pretty bad even. I still genuinely love it though!

"Hello, dear"

*dives out window*


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The original teaser trailer titled this movie, Halloween 666: The Origin of Michael Myers. The title Curse of Michael Myers was thrown out as a joke because of the cursed production, but they ended up rolling with it.

Also, I got this amazing The Curse of Michael Myers blanket the other day at Spirit and I'm very excited about it. Last year I found this amazing Curse shirt at Hot Topic. It surprises me stores carry merch for Curse - maybe because the cover looks so cool? Who knows. I don't ever really see any other sequel merch in stores, only online.

This review may contain spoilers.

Based on a novel of the same name by Amy Koppelman, who wrote the screenplay with Paige Dylan. Early in life Amy struggled with bulimia, but once she married producer Brian Koppelman she was finally able to overcome it; but it led to severe depression, which led to writing as a coping mechanism - She also credits therapy and medication with assisting her to live the life she wants. Her writing is so authentic and unflinching.

Sarah Silverman had such an excellent performance in this, I would love if she was offered more roles like this. Amy Koppelman heard Sarah talking about depression on Howard Stern and chose her because she got the impression Sarah would really understand the character; and, Sarah was definitely perfect for the role. In the past, directors have told Sarah that they don't want to cast her because she is a personality, and they're afraid that's all people will see when they watch her on screen; but, she proves them all wrong her, and completely and fully becomes the character Laney. She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for this movie.

The writing is realistic and isn't afraid to make scenes uncomfortable or extremely depressing. It takes on things such as: mental illness, drug addiction, infidelity (with elements of sex addiction), severe depression, family issues, and suburban ennui.

The protagonist was labeled unlikeable by critics upon release. To me, that is one of the most frustrating and unsympathetic critiques someone could possibly make about a movie that tackles mental illness. It's so strange to me how people are unwilling to put themselves into other people's shoes. A lot of movies about mental health are created in hopes of the audience becoming a little more sympathetic, but it never seems to work with average movie goers. You can tell throughout the entire movie that her actions are literally eating her alive, but she just doesn't know how to stop.

Koppelman even wrote her debut novel after a celebrity suicide, because she started thinking of how depression and mental illness are so downplayed and even have a stigma that makes people afraid to talk about their mental issues. In a podcast she even slightly goes off on how people take physical disabilities so seriously, but then they treat mental disabilities as if the person affected with the illness can control it. I am happy that her novels get favorable reviews for their unrelenting portrayal of depression; I just wish movies that do the same would get similar praise, so we could get more movies like this.

It took a long time to raise money for this movie because of the subject matter, a comedian being the lead, and the ending. The ending is ambiguous and kind of lets you decide what you thinks going to happen, and I personally loved it and thought it was a perfect way to avoid being cliche or fake.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival (2015), I really enjoyed this movie and connected with it personally in a lot of ways.

Grindhouse presents...

Halloween II: The ion of Laurie Strode

This surreal and brutal Fire Walk with Me and exploitation inspired love letter to the entire Halloween franchise is one of my favorite horror films of all time. One of the absolute best on-screen explorations of trauma and grief; the quintessential slasher of aftermath and empathy.

"I'm not me"

Right before Laura's fate, her mother sees a white horse appear to her.

Some people interested in Jungian theory see the horse as an archetype of the Mother - some see a symbol for releasing powerful suppressed emotions- and in this movie the horse appears to the mother.

The white horse also has religious and mythological links to a sun chariot/solar deity, as well as an end-of-time savior... Laura is the one.

Because of those links, the white horse has also been connected by theorists as a symbol for a guide to the beyond.

Most universally, horses are known for representing freedom without restraint. With a white horse specifically meaning peace and purity.

In this, I see a symbol of Laura finding peace and happiness in death. She was cleansed of the evil of the world for awhile, and was free.

Beautiful movie.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the people who were at the forefront of pop culture throughout the '00s, and their influence; because, I was born in the early '90s, there's a reinvigorated interest in socialites and celebrities of the era, there's a Jackass 4 coming out, and because I've been playing the restored Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2, and feel like I'm going through time loops (doesn't help so many movie's in todays pop culture are about time)

Maybe it's just the people in my space, but I feel like almost everyone I know around my age is basically a Bam Margera or a Paris Hilton. The guys loaded with tattoos and treat it like a significant aspect of their personality, who act careless and badass, who love to get fucked up and do stupid shit, who don't take relationships seriously. The women who are lost in a world on their phones and who feel like they are losing themselves and have every aspect of their lives sexualized.

The reckless and anarchist behavior was glorified. The self obsessed social media culture was glorified. We were being fed unhealthy habits, and there was no reflection on the long term affects of adopting certain attitudes.

People don't watch the interviews with Bam Margera and see how obviously damaged his brain is from substances, or his cries out for help to different doctors, or his several stints in rehab, see the footage about how devasted his family is, or care to learn about his marriage after the Unholy Union ended. Only a small amount of Jackass fans will watch something like the documentary special, Steve-O: Demise and Rise. It's all about appeal and product, not emotion; and we're all becoming emotionally void, seeking a "quick fix media hit from the Blockbuster syringe"

People don't think about how psychologically affected Paris Hilton must have been from her lifestyle until it is packaged into an emotionally manipulative career-move image-changing documentary.

As people are consuming these products their personalities naturally shape around their interests in some respect. They inadvertently become these figures, and just like the icons themselves, it's so normalized that no one reflects on the inherently self destructive nature of it all.

It's sad how influential pop culture can become on generations identities. It's even scarier that movie corporations are monopolizing and streaming services are becoming more popular; everyone will always be watching the exact same things even more, and the overall influence will have an even more significant impact because of the reach.

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A lot of the Jackass boys may have just wanted to make money bro-ing out and having fun (and that's cool, and their energy is nice and enjoyable in the moment), but you can really tell that to some people involved, they genuinely love stunts. Johnny Knoxville is a program creator for Jackass, and arguably the riskiest stunt performer on the show. You can tell that he has a ion for this, he's even regularly seen in an Evel Knievel-esque helmet. He's also regularly been clean, and had an acting career for a short while. He never was a favorite of mine before, but now I can see him in a different light. (Woo he he) <--- Johnny Knoxville laugh.

I also love creator Spike Jonze. How he can effortlessly go from the fun-guy Jackass creator, to Kaufman collaborater, to the mastermind behind Her, is just the bees knees.

I do really appreciate some of the social-commentary-through-observation these movies sometimes have. Like in Bad Grandpa when Johnny's character has his penis stuck in a vending machine, and one person just runs around announcing it and laughing while some others pull out their cell phone and film it. Or like in Jackass 2 when Spike Jonze's old woman character has her dressed ripped off, and several people - all wearing jackets - just stand around, staring, until someone else (what looks like a visually frustrated producer) comes and covers the character in a sheet. My favorite though would have to be the absolutely genius satire of children's beauty pageants in Bad Grandpa. Seriously brilliant.

Jackass 3D was the first movie that was a dry set. Steve-O had been sober two years by this point, and really wanted to prove to everyone and himself that this was something he could do sober, and you can really notice a different energy in him as well.

There's some really fun stunts that they were able to do with the budget this time around. For example, the skit with the jet. They had a lot of good ideas just in that one skit alone, like the Maxell 'Blown Away Guy' setup.

Overall, I think I like Jackass Number Two more, but number two has its problems as well. There are parts where you can see societal norms of the time overtaking ingrained moral behavior of the past. There's a part in the second movie where Ryan Dunn was explaining the difficult time/emotional experience he had burning his friend; and, incredulous, April exclaims, why would you burn him in the first place?! and in a defeated and guilty voice he utters, "... because it was funny." There's also a scene where Steve-O puts a leech on his eye, and everyone is understandably freaking out, Steve Pontius especially, and after he rips the leech off his eye, everyone is just staring, baffled, probably wondering if something just went wrong, and then Steve-O says, "did it look cool?" Could almost be seen as a precursor to people being something other than themselves online, just because it looks cool or gets them attention. The format of the show is almost even familiar to what could be found on YouTube today. People doing little vids for attention and laughs. Us '90s kids were the first generation of preteens who had cellphones, and almost everything we were exposed to growing up has perpetuated a world where our lives revolve around our phones.

There is one scene in Jackass 3D that I found strangely moving - partly because of stuff that I discussed earlier in the review. The snake pit skit with Bam. Bam is screaming out for help, just absolutely terrified of all the snakes around him, in a pit that he can't get out of, he even starts cursing the name of the director... And then Ryan Dunn just comes running out of nowhere and lowers his hand down to lift Bam up out of the pit. I don't know, maybe I consume too much THC, or get way into surrealism and symbolism; but, I just found that scene so moving. We all know what happened to Ryan Dunn, and that scene was almost just like a nightmare of Bam at rock bottom, screaming out for help, just surrounded by enablers and bloodsuckers, he doesn't know how to get out and just curses his creator and doesn't even have his angel and best friend for . Maybe I've also just been watching too many antifilms about what the industry does to these human beings, that are treated like Gods; at the cost of their sanity.

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So, about that Jackass 4... Wonder what will be on the subsequent Jackass 4.5 (HA)

"Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville, and this is the no-anesthesia colonoscopy."

Starts as a character study of a socially awkward woman; her work, personal life, the lonliness she suffers from, and it's very depressing and personal. The style attempts to create scenes as the protagonist must experience them - with it's writing, dedicated lead, surrealism, and sci-fi elements, it recreates the experience of paranoia, conspiracy, and mania that can come with some types of mental illness, and it really takes you in.

Alison Brie delivers a surprisingly remarkable performance. Outside of small roles in comedy movies, I haven't seen much of her; so, her performance actually blew me away, and wasn't what I was expecting at all. I really can't praise it enough. She is amazing.

I was impressed with her writing as well. Not only does the script illustrate mental illness with ease, but it really assists you with understanding how difficult it is for people who suffer through it. Sarah's grandma ends up homeless because of her mental problems. Her mother ends up killing herself. A lot of people in Sarah's position don't have the ability to see a doctor, so, what happens to people when their mind is so far gone? Unless they have a good job that has health insurance, (which is unlikely if they're severally mentally ill) or unless they have a family member who is willing to care for them, they have almost no option but to become homeless or kill themselves. Sarah was fortunate enough to be in a position where she probably could have gone to a live-in treatment facility until she got a med cocktail figured out, but typically people in that mental state would never consider or agree to such a thing. She didn't even want to talk about the thoughts she was having with anyone other than an otolaryngologist, and once he brought up seeing someone in an appropriate specialty, she immediately bailed - she had a similar response when Gary and Joan brought up mental health. Whenever she was submitted to the psych ward of a general hospital after an incident, you can tell the social worker in charge of her case (played by producer Jay Duplass) doesn't think she was ready to be discharged, but she was regardless, and in my experience, that genuinely does happen often. Whenever I was submitted to a psych ward of a general hospital for a suicide attempt, it was quite obvious the psychiatrist's primary concern was a speedy discharge. A lot of the patients were homeless mentally ill addicts who were submitted after overdoses, and the doctors treat everyone like a lost cause. So I appreciated the social commentary very much. I also liked when Joan is telling Sarah to start thinking more positively (after she just walked into work naked - obviously positive thoughts aren't going to resolve her specific problem); In my experience, whenever you're mentally ill, it's very normal for people to treat you like you're creating your own issues; and it could be fixed with a change of mindset, or a hobby, or something, because they don't understand what it's like to operate with a defective computer.

I read an interview from Alison Brie, and in regards to the movie, she said something along the lines of, "what happens to someone who is mentally ill when they're left to their own devices"; and, I think that's another reason I connected with this movie so much. After going through the trauma of a fractured psyche from a cult, I was essentially forced into a relationship with a controlling paranoid schizophrenic by the cult; and in that person's controlling nature, they created me being isolated, and also endlessly went on about conspiracy theories and it created a folie à deux-like experience, and my mind started to slip. We both became completely consumed by conspiracy theories and the cult, and it severely damaged my mental well-being. When you don't have people that can assist with grounding you to reality, or don't have people to call you on your theories/delusions not making any sense, you basically just spiral out of control into your own reality. This movie illustrates that perfectly in the second half. (I go more into folie à deux and my own personal breakdown in my review of Bug, and cult brainwashing tactics in my reviews of Faults and Martha Marcy May Marlene)

I actually personally connected with this in a few ways: the quiet tone of Sarah's voice, her brief and polite responses, her crippling social anxiety (down to even bringing up TV shows in several conversations where it doesn't make sense), her obsession with conspiracy theories (particularly aliens and clones), her plain style of clothing, her love of animals, how she seems to only be able to get a partner through a setup/someone on the rebound (because of her personality), and also connected with her breakdown and hospitalization... I mean this character was almost 100% me, as depressing and mental as that sounds.

Considering the average rating, and the response of the person I watched this with, it's possible that me connecting to the movie on a personal level could have a significant sway on my opinion. In general, though, I have noticed psychological dramas about the mentally ill seem to be typically negatively received - but also typically have a cult following for their emotional intelligence. So I don't know if I could recommend; but if you've seen it, and love it, I'm glad I'm not alone!

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****************SPOILER******************

I also read in the interview that the writers wanted a lot of the script - especially the ending - to be intentionally ambiguous. They wanted people to be able to interrupt it in their own ways. They didn't want there to be a right or wrong answers. So I just wanted to share my experience of the ending... I believe that she killed herself. I know a lot of people won't agree with that reading - and that's the great thing about art; but, that reading works for me, and is one of my favorite aspects of the movie.

This review may contain spoilers.

One of Cronenberg's most disturbing movie to me. Three children die (one asphyxiated on-screen), a dog is murdered, someone is brutally beaten till death, there's several mentions of child drug use, and incest going on with just about everyone. Even the dialogue is extremely harsh in this movie. A lot of it is disturbing because of its realism as well. This movie doesn't have body horror, but it is absolutely mental.

The script is so layered and nuanced. At it's core it's an antifilm with uncomfortably honest observations about Hollywood culture, full of symbolism and social commentary. Then hidden within the messages about nepotism in the industry, aging, and more, is the mythological movie of incestuous love that Agatha wanted to create.

A perfect companion piece with Videodrome. While Videodrome is what media does to the consumer, Maps to the Stars is how creating the product affects those behind the screen.

No character in this movie is likeable. It's not a happy movie. Some of the dialogue will upset you, some of it will make you extremely sad. The whole movie almost oozes fury and despair. If you're able to endure those types of viewing experiences, then you'll be able to see some truly fine filmmaking going on here.

Not only is the script incredible, but Cronenberg proves himself as a director for the last time (hopefully not actually the last time). Similar to Lynch's final film INLAND EMPIRE, it's basically a movie that says "f--- you" to the industry. Also, similar to Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, there seems to be symbolism trying to expose a hidden dark and sexual world amongst the wealthy.

The score is also notable and borderline Badalamenti at times, there's also some surrealism in this movie that I really enjoyed.

It has an amazing cast. Julianne Moore is an all-time favorite of mine and she does exceptional here. I love Robert Pattinson, like everyone else. I'm a fan of Olivia Williams, from Dollhouse, and she has one part where she is bawling in a bathtub and it is just heartbreaking. I was also very surprised by Mia Wasikowska in this. I haven't seen much of her, but I look forward to seeing more. I guess her and Pattinson have another collaboration coming out soon.

Damon Packard was a big movie fan for most of his life. For years, he would spend a lot of his time making short films, and would himself through various odd jobs like selling watches (which his character also does in this movie). He spent a lot of time basically homeless because he'd make his shorts out-of-pocket. Eventually he'd receive a large inheritance from a deceased relative and he'd go on to make Reflections of Evil.

You can see a lot of his life in this movie. You can also tell that over time he became very jaded by the movie industry, the area he lived, and perhaps even life in general, because of the themes in this movie - which could probably even be considered an antifilm. It tackles a lot of themes; some in a very exaggerated/in-your-face manner, others a bit more subtlety: consumerism, politics, chemtrails, drugs, abuse-of-power by police, and more.

His reservations about L.A., the treatment of the homeless or mentally ill, and with mainstream movies, seem to be the most significant themes. In life he is even known for his negative attitude towards the movie business and has even explicitly stated that directors have limited control over their work, and that artistic vision is often sacrificed for profit, and that creativity in film basically disappeared after the end of the '70s.

This movie is all Packard though. It's disturbing and strange, but also refreshing to see, especially nowadays; but, this underground film certainly won't be for everyone, I'm sure most probably wouldn't even be able to finish it, except maybe fans of experimental film. The plot is hardly discernable - like a lot of experimental film. There's some gross out factors, like, a very long vomit sequence, and revolting overconsumption of food by Bob. A lot of random vintage ments, and other footage edited in, dubbed Tony Curtis intro/outro. Between some of the gross out, randomness, some language, and structuring, I could easily see people losing interest. I personally found it engaging and even strangely hypnotic in some spots, and psychedelic in others. There's a lot of memorable scenes (like the amusement park ending) and some social commentary I appreciated.

It's done surprisingly well for a low budget underground film, most notably the sound; which, again, could be a turn off for some. Dubbing strange and sometimes accelerated vocal tones, Packards constant yelling, flatulence, and enough disgusting exaggerated eating and slurping noises to give someone misophonia. I personally thought it all worked effectively to create the tone the director seems to associate with aspects of his country and modern cinema. The movie is almost so enveloping that you nearly feel like a mentally ill homeless person on meth or acid after watching it.

A must see for fans of experimental film or antifilm. Don't know if I could recommend it to anyone else.

Between the ominous and disturbing opening title sequence, monologues about animal slaughter, and the troubled hitchhiker keeping photographs of animal slaughter - foreshadowing the slaughter to come - the dread in this movie builds at an incredible rate.

By the time they get to gas station you're already suspicious of the attendants uninviting attitude, and can already sense the rural isolation and the helplessness-in-the-face-of-danger that can come with that.

The forbidding humming as they arrive at their friends property, the infested arachnid shot, the droning generator and incessant insect chirping while they're walking to the Sawyer's house increase the anxiety. Once you start to hear the pigs squealing, it triggers the memory of the aforementioned animal slaughter, right before you get the first image of the menacing human slaughterer Leatherface. The suspense has already built so rapidly, that him immediately commiting his first murder and slamming the door to his basement, you're jolted with overwhelming shock.

By this point you're already breezing past the forty minute mark, this movie does not waste any time, it flys by and your filled with overwhelming emotions the entire time.

Once we get to the freezer scene we start to get an even deeper sense of Leatherface's mania and pure insanity, with his wild shrieking and the close up of his gruesome face.

In this movie we get one of the most frightening chase scenes in horror history. The sound of Leatherface's chainsaw roaring while scream queen Marilyn Burns wails in terror are sounds that will always be ingrained in my memory.

Marilyn Burns is so extraordinary in this. Not only is her face very expressive, but you can hear what sounds like genuine fear in her screams and even see it in the close ups of her eyes. She makes you feel uncomfortably enveloped in the misery out of sympathy for her.

We also get the legendary dinner sequence. The excellent performances, the unsettling characters, mixing insanity with something normal like family dinner, the camerawork, intense sound work, and general grotesque subject matter, all elevate the dinner scene into one of the most distressing and emotionally exhausting scenes of all time.

Once you get to the end with a blood drenched Marilyn Burns hysterically laugh screaming while Leatherface manically dances around, you've experienced more terror and panic than you can withstand, and it stays with you long after the movie is over.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre deserves its status as a classic movie, and Leatherface deserves the status of horror icon.

I'm a huge fan of Joss Whedon's TV shows, but I've only liked some of his movies. I loved his Oscar-nominated writing for Toy Story, I loved Serenity, and I liked The Avengers and The Cabin in the Woods. I wasn't the biggest fan of his other movies (e.g. In Your Eyes, Titan AE, Alien Resurrection, etc), but I did end up loving Much Ado About Nothing.

It has plenty of regulars from his series: Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods), Alexis Denisof (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, The Avengers), Clark Gregg (The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity, Dr Horrible, Buffy), Fran Kranz (Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods), Sean Maher (Firefly, Serenity), Reed Diamond (Dollhouse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Spencer Treat Clark (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Tom Lenk (Buffy, Angel), and Ashley Johnson (The Avengers, Dollhouse)

I always felt like Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof were some of the strongest actors Whedon has worked with. Their character progression in Angel was done exceptionally well, and Acker and Denisof had perfect execution throughout the entire series, and they prove themselves again with Much Ado About Nothing. I thought they were phenomenal as Beatrice and Benedick - Acker as Beatrice, especially - it's a shame they're so underrated outside of the Whedonverse. Their perfect chemistry reminds me of someone from my past.

Everyone in the ing cast does a great job as well. Fillion and Lenk have great chemistry and make for a funny pair.

Whedon's direction was engaging, touching, and very funny. Everything compliments the text very well. He surprisingly makes a modern setting with the classic text somehow work brilliantly, and even seem easy.

I appreciated that he was so faithful to the text, and that the adapted screenplay was a verbatim, albeit abridged, version it.

Visual gags, comedic timing, improvisation, and some excellent delivery from the cast enhance the humor of the text well.

I loved the score Whedon wrote for the movie. (Also loved the music he wrote for, "Once More, with Feeling")

The camerawork, lighting, and B&W cinematography all looked great despite the budget. The film was shot with hand-held cameras and made use of natural light quite effectively with mirrors, glass and windows.

My personal favorite Much Ado About Nothing adaption. I'm heavily biased for sure, but I feel like I would have found this exceptional regardless.

Not the best Shakespeare, or the best Whedon, but definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of either.

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I was a huge fan of Whedon's Emmy-nominated series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it's spin-off series Angel growing up. I had each season on DVD and would watch them over and over. I still love them. I think they have better character development than any other shows I have seen. I can still see their influence present in modern television shows.

Dollhouse is my favorite TV show of all-time. I don't think I'll ever love another television series more than Dollhouse. I love how the already fascinating concept briskly turns into deeply layered dystopian fiction without sacrificing any entertainment, the flawless casting, just everything about it, can't go on enough.

They just had the series finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. last Wednesday night. I'm going to miss having something to look forward to Wednesday nights, but overall I'm still unsure how I feel about the series. It felt less Whedon-esque than any of his other series. I don't think I liked seasons 1-3 (I did like Kyle MacLachlan's character though); the first few seasons felt like there was a lot of studio interference, the characters took awhile to develop into themselves, and they were still refining the cast. Season 4 was my favorite of the series and I know for sure that I loved it. I really liked season 5 as well, and seasons 6 and 7 had several individual episodes I enjoyed. It will be interesting to see what Whedon does next, but as it stands, Much Ado About Nothing may have been his last piece of work I truly loved (hard to count AOS season 4 since it was very different than the rest of the series, and he didn't write/direct any episodes like he normally does occasionally on his shows)

Released from prison, the first thing on the mind of "The Psychopath" is murder. Erwin Leder is unrelenting, shocking and genuinely frightening.

The peaceful narration juxtaposed over the violent murder draw you uncomfortably into the innermost perversion of homicide and psychopathy.

Leder's unnerving facial expressions and profuse sweating immerse you into the murder and mayhem on an even deeper and intricate level.

The kinetic and intimate camerawork make you feel unbearably present in the evil and almost like you're a part of the psychopaths malice.

The haunting and dark score enhances the ultra intense realism. So does the usage of pigs blood rather than stage blood. You don't feel like yourself coming out of this movie. You're mucky and soiled and have experienced something terrible on a deeper level than perhaps ever before.

************************************

Based loosely on the life of Werner Kniesek who got two years of juvenile detention for stabbing his mother. Upon release he committed several burglaries and shot a 73 yr old women, which led to imprisonment for 8.5 years. After that release he broke into the villa of the Altreiter family in the Fuchsenkellergasse, composed of a 26-year-old wheelchair-bound man, a 55-year-old women and a 24-year-old women, he tortured and murdered them all. After his capture he confessed to having murdered the Altreiter family out of sheer desire to kill.

Angst means "fear" in German; not a feeling of deep anxiety or dread like it does in English.

You deconstruct what I am.
You turn me into your mold.
You only love me as this shape.
Now I don't know who I am.
Now birthed again.

You turn my body into clay,
and then you walked away.
Now a formless piece of mess,
alone with nothing left.

I wasn't ever someone you love,
I was easy to conform.
I didn't understand,
now I don't know who I am.

All that's left is the shape,
that you forgot to fill before you left.
Now just a statue, reminding people of what I once was, but I'm not;
Just a shell of myself that gives the illusion, until I speak. A syllable trapped in your word unspoken.

You created the blueprint of what you wanted me to be.
You were the architect that abandoned me.

These substances could never fill this vessel.
This alcohol spills out, as your mold deteriorates.
It leaks from the cracks, but I'm still trying to fill.

Now I'll tip the shape to the floor and watch it shatter.
Now your design dies with the memories of you.
Now I'm nothing, not even the shape.
Now I'll be birthed again.
Now I'll recreate who I am.

"Anything is possible, because I am not the girl I used to be."

THE NIGHT NO ONE COMES HOME

🎶 Eight more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Eight more days to Halloween, Silver Shamrock. 🎶

I love the very '80s opening title sequence and the synth score throughout.

I love mixing science fiction with magic and Halloween. I also really liked the character Conal Cochran and the small-town coastal setting for Santa Mira.

Enjoyed the directing by Tommy Lee Wallace. Loved that suspense and atmosphere were key elements like the original.

Most of the writing was done by Nigel Kneale, with Carpenter doing a rewrite, and then Wallace doing an additional rewrite. About 60% of what is filmed was written by Nigel Kneale. He sued to get his name taken off the film once he saw how violent it was.

I enjoyed the social commentary on consumer culture, the commercialization of the Halloween, and industrialisation infecting a small town. And how Cochran uses mass production and advertising against those who he feels are responsible for destroying the true nature of the holiday.

🎶 Two more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Two more days to Halloween. Silver Shamrock 🎶

Liked the cameo by Jamie Lee Curtis as the voice of an operator and the appearance of Halloween on a television set a couple times.

The bugs, snakes, and orange juice oozing out of robots mouths freak me out. Love it.

In my perfect universe we would get a Halloween anthology series from John Carpenter and Debra Hill, but with Moustapha Akkad still releasing the original 4, 5, & 6 as well. And we'd get two versions of 4, what was originally released, and also the idea John Carpenter and Debra Hill had that included Lindsay Wallace and Tommy Doyle after III underperformed and it was decided Michael would come back. Two versions of 5, what we got, and also the idea of a teenage Jamie on a killing spree and Michael faces off with her with Rachel in the middle of it all. And two versions of 6; the producers cut we do have, and also the idea of Danny stabbing Kara at the end. A Rob Zombie #3. Give me them all!

🎶 Happy, happy Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Happy, happy Halloween, Silver Shamrock 🎶

"My prostate is asymmetrical."

Finding shade on a sunny day. Having a beer after a long day of work. The feeling of finally buying something that you have earned. The gratification and pride of a promotion. The euphoria of your first home or car. The permanent memories of a vacation, when you were fully enveloped in the present moment. We say were tired of work, but there's no satisfaction in stagnation. Our movement helps create those irreplaceable emotions.

When you create your own wealth, in the process, you learn discipline. Discipline that assists with not abusing power. You know where you've started, and how far you've come. For most, you know the people on the bottom aren't worthless, because you've been there, and you're not worthless. You have infinite potential, as do we all.

What happens when your wealth is inherited? You never experience the small powerful feelings of growth. You never experience discipline. You start at the end, but still have to play the game. There's still decades to fill, but you're already bored. So does it lead to perversion? Charity? Self-destruction?

Maybe the billionaires understand nothing but numbers and empty words. Even humans are nothing more to them. Humans a game for them to play with, since they don't have the game of life like we do. A reality they don't understand, and they don't have too. They learn nothing of humanity. They may ask.. How do they even talk? What's a normal conversation? Where does the violence stem from with the poor? The inability to create something for themselves? Destruction is creation. They'd believe it's the only way for us to create purpose.

How can there be a mediator between classes when we're not even speaking the same language? If our existence shapes who we become, then we may as well be different species. Would an AI understand human emotion like an actual human? Or would they just understand the idea of the emotion?

Amongst the chaos, there are those only concerned with getting their next haircut, why does that sound familiar?

"I saw him... The Shape"

The intro leading into the opening credits was very strong. I also loved how the opening title sequence itself was handled.

Loved the score, had some good cinematography, and I loved the mask design.

Great atmospheric tension in some scenes, like the scene when the boy is searching for his dad at the site of the crash.

How he moved in and out of houses and through the neighborhood was done VERY well and reminded me of the strong opening of Halloween II (1981) Freaking loved that part so much.

I liked the writing. Better representation of PTSD than Halloween H20. The writing allowed Jamie Lee Curtis to exhibit her strong acting ability and give a much more memorable performance than H20. I still feel like the writing for the director's cut of Halloween II (2009) had the deepest level of understanding in regards to PTSD, though.

I liked how her granddaughter looked out the window and saw Laurie. Like when Laurie looked out the window and saw Michael in the original. There is quite a bit of fan service in this and I'm all for it. Nick Castle!!

Andi Matichak had a decent enough performance. The performances by her on-screen friends and boyfriend weren't that memorable. I did laugh at the boba-drinking blondes banter with the child she was babysitting though. I love Judy Greer, though her character did feel a bit underdeveloped.

At first I was surprised a Halloween movie by David Gordon Green and Danny McBride was greenlit; but, after seeing it, I ended up thinking they did a great job. Their personalities definitely burst through at moments. "They were feeding me guacamole in all these sexy ways." "I got peanut butter on my penis" "tripped balls out in the woods, me and his dad"

With that final frame, I feel like I know where they are going with Halloween Kills, and I am so ready for it. Looking forward to Halloween Kills has been keeping me going all year, haha.

Class of 1999's "free-fire zone" in Seattle reminds me of a more extreme version of the real-life autonomous zone currently in Seattle, haha.

Love the score, clothing, make-up, and casting (especially Bradley Gregg and John P. Ryan). Also has some good effects in the third act.

Some logical inconsistency in the writing, but still very enjoyable. Some minor social commentary on drug addiction, oppression and anarchy, militarization of authority figures such as school security guards and teachers, and the dangers of artificial intelligence.

A bit derivative and an amalgamation of movies that had already been released; but, combining all those elements into one movie, for me, was a great choice and I had a blast.

Was a favorite of my uncle who was heavy into the punk subculture, and we use to watch it a lot. He was basically a father to me. I really miss him. For that reason I'm very fond of this film and probably a bit biased. I got his VHS collection when he ed, which included the rare Vestron Video VHS release of this film.

Don't watch the trailers, don't read any reviews, just go in completely blind.

Excellent score, sound, and screenplay. The cinematography and performances were good as well.

I really would like to talk about this one more, and what I loved about it, but I feel like it'd ruin the experience. I will say though, don't get too disappointed with the direction after the first twist; there will be more to come.

There's a lot of excellent movies about addiction, but as far as I've seen so far, only the Safdie brothers have been able to recreate the emotions that come with addiction, just from the viewing experience. With the sound, editing, cinematography, and music, you become fully immersed into the anxiety-laden world of addiction and the never ending search for your next fix.

Adam Sandler is the perfect man for this role. He not only gets to exhibit his skills, but I feel like he naturally enhances the dirty and grimy feeling of the movie, because of how we typically associate him. He's typically associated with comedy, so I feel like he creates an effect I don't know any other actor could in his role. For me, I kind of associate his earlier movies with my childhood and my innocence and how I use to love comedy. My dad use to always have one of Sandler's older movies playing on TV, like: Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, and The Waterboy; and, now, as an adult, I have experienced addiction, and seeing Sandler in a movie like this almost felt like a reflection of myself and my growth, and it was very uncomfortable. Also because I associate him in that way, his scene texting from the closet, and the quote after initially getting the gem, just felt extra vulgar and uncomfortable coming from him. He just naturally enhances the feeling the Safdies were going for. I also naturally felt more sympathetic for the character, regardless of him being a terrible person. His darkened false teeth and costume design were also notable.

Julia Fox also does very well, it's surprising it's her debut role. NBA star Kevin Garnett is also very expressive, despite not having acting experience. Really liked Lakeith Stanfield and Eric Bogosian too.

I love Daniel Lopatin's score, especially the opening composition "The Ballad of Howie Bling" and the closing title track, "Uncut Gems"

Additionally, I just love New York settings. Hope to get out there some day.

"I hate you. You were just some boy who made me laugh at a party once... And now I loathe the sight of you."

"What the hell are you doing in my house if you hate me so much? Why the hell are you married to me?! What the hell are you doing carrying my child? I mean, why didn't you just get rid of it when you had the chance?... I wish to God that you had!"

I'm at the age right now where all my friends have been married for a few years and have just had their second or third kid. More than one of them have talked about this "hopeless emptiness" the protagonists experience in this movie. About how they already have their husband/wife, kids, house, etc. so they have nothing left to look forward too or work towards. They just have to basically live their days on repeat now. That's especially hard for certain people. They start to realize they hate their job and they're stuck at it because they have to their family. They may find they don't even like having kids, but never second thought having them in the first place because it's a part of living this dream. They realize they maybe should've dated more, instead of jumping right into marriage only because marriage is also a part of that dream. Some people end up settling and become a shell of themselves. Some people break apart their family to pursue their happiness. Some people kill themselves. Certain lifestyles shouldn't be drilled into people's mind as the definition of success... that lifestyle doesn't work for everybody. People should be able to consider their options - before it's too late and they're trapped - without being shamed for being different. This movie illustrates that very well. Great performances by DiCaprio and Winslet, also liked Michael Shannon's small role.

Stephen King definitely shines when alcoholism is involved in the plot. Really like the novella "Secret Window, Secret Garden", it was my favorite from Four Past Midnight. "The Langoliers" was decent as well, didn't like "The Sun Dog" or "The Library Policemen" though.

I love how quiet most of the movie is, and the peaceful setting. A lot of Depp just hanging out in his cabin, taking some naps, talking to his dog or himself. I turn this on a lot when I just want some peace and relaxation. Probably sounds strange considering all the murder.

"Chiiiicccooo, don't be discourgeeeeed."

This is probably the last Depp film I personally enjoyed. Really liked his work from 1984-2004. He does great here. John Turturro does great as well.

I love how David Koepp writes his adaptions. I feel like he adapted Jurassic Park, Spider-Man and "Secret Window, Secret Garden" all very well. In general, he's not the best director, but I think he did good here.

ittedly, you can see the twist coming from a mile away, but there's still a lot to enjoy here. I also feel like the silly final shot of him biting into an ear of corn could've been left out and we'd still get the point.

The score is amaizeing. Sorry, that joke was corny.

"I just want you to be happy, Mort."

"Well, I guess you shouldn't have f****d him then!"

I love finding out about new movies from people on Letterboxd. Recommend some of your favorites and I'll add them to my watchlist.

• Alex of Venice
• All About Nina
• More Things That Happened
• Funeral Parade of Roses
• Happiness Runs
• Breaking the Waves
• Black Moon
• Under the Volcano
• Renaldo and Clara
• Bye Bye Monkey

...plus 75 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Also absurd humor, anything excessively rapid-fire, or gross-out.
Or something epic I wouldn't want to miss out on, like, Monty Python, The Big Lebowski, etc.
Or excellent English humor like Rik Mayall or Edgar Wright.
Anything with zany '90s MTV/Nickelodeon vibes as well. Like Beavis & Butthead Do America or Good Burger.

• Freddy Got Fingered
• Freaked
• Twin Peaks
• Brewster McCloud
• Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
• Problem Child 2
• Airplane!
• Joe's Apartment
• Funny Bones
• An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre had 27 episodes. It had directors such as: Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Burton, and Emile Ardolino. It featured many stars such as: Robin Williams, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Reeve, Malcolm McDowell, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, Leonard Nimoy, Mick Jagger, Jeff Bridges and many more.
This television series won a Peabody Award, a TCA Award, and a Golden CableACE Award.
The series was followed by two other less successful shorter anthology series produced by Duvall, Tall Tales & Legends and Nightmare Classics.

• The Tale of the Frog Prince
• Rumpelstiltskin
• Sleeping Beauty
• The Nightingale
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• The Princess and the Pea
• Pinocchio
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Thumbelina
• Little Red Riding Hood

...plus 16 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• The Master
• Faults
• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Midsommar
• The ion of Darkly Noon
• The Endless
• Midnight Special
• The Sacrament
• Rosemary's Baby
• The Wicker Man

...plus 244 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.