@Sable Hey, snap! I also watched The Batman, only I watched it A: today and B: for the first time. I was more impressed than I expected to be, although would strongly agree with your point about it feeling a little on the long side. I'd have trimmed the messy middle section dealing with the Wayne family legacy and kept it tighter by reducing Bruce's personal connection to the conspiracy, because when it was just Batman solving crimes and unmasking corruption, it got pretty good. It didn't need to dwell on its backstory and get needlessly complicated with all of its overlapping motivations.
Battinson was great in the cowl, but his performance was weaker unmasked; whether that was intentional or not, it kept him from de-throning both Keaton and Batfleck. I loved Colin Farrell's transformative Penguin, was impressed by Paul Dano, and thought Jeffrey Wright made a cracking Jim Gordon. Finally (and most shockingly) I didn't hate a Catwoman. First time that's happened to me since Michelle Pfeiffer, across all live-action, animation and gaming incarnations of the "character".
Brilliant score by Michael Giacchino, and the overall audio mix was astounding in parts. It's a movie with a singular vision, which I respect. It'll never be my favourite bat-film, but that's okay. It's still good.
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Also watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which was... well, rubbish, frankly. Totally failed to hold my attention, and criminally wasted the legendary talents of Gary Oldman. The whole thing just felt rushed and cheap in comparison to its predecessors. A waste of potential.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Unbelievable. Seriously. I'm more convinced than ever that "No Time To Die" might actually be a masterpiece. I just wish I could bring myself to watch the bloody thing. That anybody would think "Harry Potter 3" is worse than the first two frankly blows my mind.
I actually liked his Bruce Wayne because, for me, it showed him as an utterly broken man, while also, as the Riddler points out, The Batman is who he really is - not Bruce Wayne. In the novel Arkham Asylum the Joker takes over the asylum not to escape, but to invite Batman to prove that he is just as insane as anyone one of the inmates. I think The Batman taps into this idea very well.
The Riddler unmasked is terrifying. A serial murder in the same vein as any real life serial killer over the course of the last century. Intelligent, capable, but utterly insane. Very frightening and unnerving, particularly when he starts singing at Batman through the window of his cell.
Comic book villains, for my money, are far more scary and believable when they don't have supernatural powers.
My 16 year old daughter put it best - "That really put the 'Dark' in The Dark Knight.
@Sable Oh yeah, I love that concept, as well as the fact that we got roughly 80% Batman in a Batman movie for once, as opposed to some of his previous outings where it's been a 50/50 split between Batman and Bruce. I just felt that's perhaps why Battinson gave his all when wearing the batsuit, and then held back when he wasn't. If it was in service to that point, then fair play for the attempt, and for understanding and trying to portray two competing personalities in the same man.
You've tapped into why I like Batman so much; for the most part, he and his Rogue's Gallery are power-free, and so can speak to the human condition much more effectively. That isn't to say I don't enjoy some of the wackier supernatural elements to his stories, but Batman (and The Batman) is best when it's just about a detective trying to solve a crime and stop a criminal.
Also, good quote from your daughter! Future film critic in the making, right there!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I certainly hope to see more like The Batman from the comic movie industry. I'm completely burnt out on the flying around, nano-bot spandex wearing, saving the universe wackiness of comic movies.
If I'm honest I feel it's been on a downward spiral since End Game.
@Sable "If I'm honest I feel it's been on a downward spiral since End Game."
Yeah totally agree. Marvel/Disney are out of ideas and would rather spend their time shoehorning political issues into their shows. It should have ended at Endgame, I think the wheels were coming off before then to be honest but Endgame would have capped it off nicely.
I actually found The Batman to be all over in terms of pacing and story. It tried to do too much and I actually felt the Riddler was under utilised. Pattinson was a better Batman than Bruce Wayne as well but there is room for growth going forward I think. We'll see.
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. – Seneca
Massive step up over the original film in every way. The practical effects look amazing for such a low-budget film. The violence is... well, it didn't bother me, but it is absolutely one of the most hyperviolent things I've ever seen. But it's so over-the-top that it becomes weirdly fun instead of painful to watch. This is, like, Japanese guro exploitation cinema levels of gore. Not surprised it's unrated, as they'd have to cut half the film in order for it to get an R rating!
The film is 2.5 hours long, which you'd think would be a problem for a slasher, but the strong characters and great pacing keep it from feeling like a slog.
There's a distinct Nightmare on Elm Street-esque 80s horror vibe here between the suburban setting, the clearly supernatural villain, the creative and over-the-top deaths, the large amount of dark humor, and the synth-heavy score.
The acting is all pretty solid in this film, but, of course, David Howard Thornton again steals the spotlight with his increasingly iconic performance as Art the Clown. Creepy and hilarious in turns.
One of the best slashers I've seen in a LONG time. Glad I had the opportunity to watch it in a theater.
@Sable I'd agree with that, yeah. I've mentioned before that I think the MCU should've taken an extended break after Endgame, because its Phase Four has been muddled and lacklustre. I usually like to keep current with it, but I'm way behind, and it's not because I don't have access!
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@Ralizah As much as the mere thought of that movie turns my stomach, I'm real glad it didn't disappoint, as you were obviously excited for it. How was the audience reaction in the theatre?
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@EliteSlayer I won't catch it in cinemas, but I'm looking forward to seeing Black Adam as and when, if only because I think Pierce Brosnan is an inspired choice to play Dr. Fate. If you do get to go and see it this weekend, I'd be interested in reading your thoughts!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@nessisonett Slashers are my favorite horror subgenre when done right. A Nightmare on Elm Street was my first ever movie. I also adored Halloween growing up, along with other classics of the genre. But it has been so long, and the majority of horror films that release now are tame ghost movies that you forget as soon as you leave the theater.
There's a clear enthusiasm from the filmmakers for this project, and it shines through in the film itself. The after-credits interview and behind-the-stage stuff cement that everyone involved seemed to have a blast making it.
But, uh, you do have to be a bit of a sicko to really be able to appreciate a film like this.
@RogerRoger The audience behind us was mostly chatty teenagers, likely lured in by reports of people vomiting and fainting. They felt the need to burst into applause every time someone attacked the clown, which got a bit old as the film wore on.
@Ralizah Ah, that's a shame. I'm guessing it would've really sold the experience to have some screamers run out halfway through. Applause in a horror movie, though... that's gotta be a world first, surely?!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Watched The Djinn this past weekend along with Dreamscape and Poltergeist 1-3.
Tonight Im watching The Black Cauldron and The Vigil and if Im still up later tonight im watching Tom Savini's Night of the Living Dead remake with the commentary track on
@RogerRoger I've seen it happen a few times when the antagonist of a horror film gets his just desserts. Not usually multiple times in the same movie, though!
I do have some experience with the phenomenon, though. There's an anime adaptation of the horror video game Corpse Party, and it's also super gory. A local convention a friend and I used to go to before covid would air a midnight showing of it every year and, almost without exception, someone would always run out during the grossest part. It became a rather enjoyable game scanning the crowd to see who the runner would be.
I watched Ghost Stories again last night. I enjoy horror movies, but do like a good ghost story whether in movie or book form.
I have watched Terrifier. It was very gory with some particularly gruesome kills, but as British author Alan Moore said "Horror and comedy are on the same curve" What he means is that sometimes horror can be so ridiculous that your reaction is to find it funny. Terrifier definitely falls into this category. It's hilariously over the top.
Movies I watched a couple weeks ago. Just got a PS5 in so my movie intake will probably slow down a bit from now on.
Lupin III: Mystery of Mamo (Blu-Ray)
Very first film in the Lupin III franchise, which sees the the thief's gang mixed up in the machinations of a seemingly immortal wealthy eccentric (the titular Mamo) who aims to burn down & restart civilization with a hand selected group of "superior" individuals.
It's definitely rough around the edges, especially narratively, but I still had a lot of fun with it. It's not as lusciously animated as it's followup (Castle of Cagliostro), however it does do a lot of interesting things with a lot of surreal imagery that really only works in animation, and I think the cast has a bit more personality than they did in the more famous follow up.
I've recently heard that Cagliostro is the best Lupin film for those who don't like Lupin, while Mamo is the best amongst the fan base, but as someone who has only recently watched them both, I enjoy what each of them brings to the table.
Trailer:
Slumber Party Massacre II (Tubi)
Follow up to "the Slumber Party Massacre" that sees the Courtney, the younger sister of that film's MC (Valerie) trying to survive her own, well, slumber party massacre.
I'll give it props for being a much more disturbing film than the first (at least in the buildup to the climax, whether or not there is really a threat or if she's just paranoid) with some really greusome imagery. Plus, the killer's guitar drill is a pretty cool prop.
However I think there's a simplicity to the first film that just works in a way this one doesn't. The very supernatural nature of the threat is completely at odds with the world the first movie seemed to take place in, & there's not even a token reason as to why (he's not the vengeful spirit of the first film's killer, & it's not indicated that her friend's new house is haunted, he just exists, and seems fixated on Courtney for no specific reason). Heck, even the cheesecake on display before stuff goes down is vastly inferior to what the first film offered.
There is a potential twist at the end that makes a lot of this make more sense, although also a lot more pointless.
Trailer:
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Just watched that Red Notice on netflix. Not bad actually despite the poor reviews I heard it had. I enjoyed it, reminded me a bit of National Treasure
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