THE DANMAN CAN

For Oz Perkins ' third feature, Gretel & Hansel (2020) (the first that he didn't write himself), he decided to tackle and update a classic Brothers Grimm  fairy tale. The results are mixed but there is a lot to appreciate. The cinematography by Galo Olivares —combined with Jeremy Reed 's production design—is simply stunning. Sharp angles, triangular shapes, shadows and colored lights figure heavily into the visual palette of the film, taking an already creepy premise and adding an artistic flair that results in a feast for the eyes. The look and tone is a bit like a PG-13 combination of the more earthy feel of  The Witch (2015) (my review here ) (also similar is that film's unsettling quiet) and the psychedelia of  Beyond The Black Rainbow  (2010) (my review  here ). Young actress Sophia Lillis ' expressive features and understated performance do well to carry the film and Alice Krige  is really strong as the witch—never cartoonishly sc...

I've flip-flopped over the years re: my star rating for Predators (2010). I'm settling back on 3 stars for various reasons. Adrien Brody is an unlikely action hero (though I think he works here), but the whole cast, populated by strong character actors, works really well for this type of film. I like the concept of the more powerful Predators warring with their own weaker kind. There is some really strong cinematography (and fortunately not much shaky cam), effective production design and impressive practical f/x from KNB though also some functional but noticeable CGI that detracts somewhat. Some of the callbacks and ties to the 1987 film ( review ) are fun but overall there's a bit too much reliance on them. However, I don't think  Predators   is simply a rehash—it has enough of its own identity to serve as an entertaining, testosterone-fueled popcorn flick.

I first saw I Saw The Devil (2010) when it was released to the States in 2011. Now, as I felt then, I will say that it is a very good revenge film. It pulls no punches (well, actually it pulls a lot of them, along with many other forms of violence), but it's at its best in its quieter moments. What struck on this viewing was just how much of David Lynch 's influence is present in key parts of the film (mostly in the first hour or so). There's lots of appropriately uncomfortable moments, tension, suspense, and two superb lead performances, but some shaky cam, a bloated running time, and weak female characters keep ISTD from being a true classic.

Something about Bong Joon-ho 's films just doesn't fully take ahold of me. As with the other two films I've seen by him, The Host (2006) and Snowpiercer  (2013) (both of which I awarded the same star rating as this film), I found myself admiring the craft of Parasite (2019), but not connecting with a single character. I'm not sure what it is that I'm missing that everyone seems to have latched on to, since the film has received overwhelmingly universal praise. That's not to say I disliked  Parasite  in any way (I would definitely say it's the best of the three Bong films I've seen), just that I wasn't particularly impressed with it or its message (honestly I'm not even sure what it was). It starts out great, but I found the second (apparently shocking?) half weaker. A fine film but—like Bong's other two films that I've seen—not one I feel the need to revisit.

That might be the longest blog title I've ever typed. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 's new album, X: The Godless Void And Other Stories  (2020), does an excellent job of blending their earlier punk sound (a la Source Tags & Codes  (2002)) with their more prog/pop leanings (a la Tao Of The Dead (2011)). Though I'd currently rank it their 7th best album, it's growing on me with each listen and the beautiful artwork in the accompanying booklet is some of Conrad Keely 's best.

Review

Titans  Bette Davis  and  Joan Crawford 's real-life off-screen rivalry fuels  What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?  (1962), a creepy, funny, campy horror classic from director Robert Aldrich . Crawford's immobile masochist Blanche is the perfect opposite to Davis' outrageous titular sadist sister. While I think the film is a touch overlong, it's still immensely entertaining.

Playing as a cross between Dunkirk (2017) ( review ) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) ( review ), 1917  (2019) is a riveting ride and a ridiculous technical feat (and   exactly the type of film made for IMAX). The amount of choreography, blocking, and timing that went into this film to make it appear as one take boggles the mind. The challenges that the cast and crew undoubtedly faced must have been tremendous. But, much like Dunkirk , I found myself wanting more story and human connection outside of mere survival and traumatic experiences. So while director Sam Mendes accomplishes an insanely impressive level of " Hitchcock ian audience manipulation" ( Alonso Duralde ), there are times when the "simulation of raw immediacy slips to reveal the calculated construct underneath" ( Justin Chang ) and it's there that  1917  falls short of being a truly excellent narrative film.

Review

Q (1982) has a lot going for it—director Larry Cohen 's jazz-like (or scattershot, depending on your opinion) approach to acting, action, and editing; Michael Moriarty 's at times bafflingly hilarious, at times bizarrely dramatic method performance; zany, Z-grade Harryhausen -like f/x, and a killer Boris Vallejo theatrical poster. But Q  is not the sum of its parts. Or maybe it is… Either way, it's a clunky mess of a film, but it's a lot of fun. I've always been convinced that Cohen didn't have a completed script when he began shooting, just a basic idea ("It's King Kong ...but with an ancient bird!")—instead letting his actors improvise away. And that's OK because we love ya for it, Larry; there was nobody quite like you and your tripped-out style.