Every movie on his list is either excellent, or I haven’t seen it. With one notable exception. I thought Hurt Locker was bang average. Never understood why it got so much praise.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
- Thread starter golden_blunder
- Start date
Boy Kills World
Firstly, didn't know Bill Skarsgaard was this ripped
and also nice to see the villain from The Raid in this, he's a great martial arts performer and i like his screen presence.The action scenes in this are great, fast paced and violent, the action feels like it has meaning. Maybe a little too edited at times but for a western production, it was decent.
My main concern was the narrator (who seemed horribly miscast) and the "comedy". I think that took away from the film, cheapened it and i don't think i laughed even once.
The final act drops the narrator for the majority of it and that's why that specific act really saves the film.
My preference was Monkey Man but this is a decent watch if you want some over the top martial arts 6/10
The first act or whatever of The Hurt Locker, with Guy Pearce, was really good, a lot of tension, shot really well. Then the movie went downhill, culminating in Jeremy Renner going rogue with a gun in the middle of the night silliness.
Yeah, agreed.
I dont know what the movie would be about without the downward spiral silliness of the 2nd half. Wouldn't be listing it in my top 20 in a million years, doubt i'd even remember it. But i could easily believe it was directed by Michael Mann. I haven't watched it or thought of it since release so maybe im just misremembering it.
Looking up Bigelow's movies and i didn't know she directed Near Dark which people were talking about recently.
I think Bigelow underestimated the level of antipathy she would engender with her counterfactual alt-history Republican-fluffing jingoistic horseshit** follow up Zero Dark Thirty. It makes it easier to retroactively dislike her work even more so.
**to recap, her movie showed that the CIA program of "extraordinary rendition" was justified. When people pointed out to her that torturing suspects at secret black sites after kidnapping them was not only un-American, but also in violation of all kinds of international treaties. And further, when she was reminded that it was pure grunt work that led to the break in finding Bin Laden, and had nothing to do with torture and waterboarding people, she was incensed. So, feck her, and feck Zero Dark Thirty. Although I liked Near Dark!
I missed that movie at the time and never went back to watch it. Bit of a weird omission, I'd usually watch most bigger releases and it won a couple of awards too didn't it?
Guess i'll skip it.
Whatever about her other movies Near Dark is great
It's an insidious document of a very shameful period. Excusing the kidnapping, torture, and illegal confinement of people under the guise of an intrepid female CIA analyst's dogged pursuit leading to a breakthrough against Bin Laden -- it sells the lie for future generations that what we did was not only effective, but moral. It's the kind of big lie that you'd expect from a North Korea.
Its greatest crime is that it's kinda boring, too.
Pale Flower
One of the best crime thriller I’ve ever watched. Maybe the coolest film of all time with some breathtaking scenes.
Also brilliant performances from both Mariko Kaga and Ryō Ikebe.
Absolute masterpiece.
10/10
One of the best crime thriller I’ve ever watched. Maybe the coolest film of all time with some breathtaking scenes.
Also brilliant performances from both Mariko Kaga and Ryō Ikebe.
Absolute masterpiece.
10/10
Beverly Hills Cop Axel F Not as awful as you fear and they mostly recreate the nostalgia well. The plot, such as it is, gets very lazy in the second half and they waste the opportunity of having lots of the original cast back together to a large degree. As one review I read said "brand loyalty has to do most of the heavy lifting". Pleasant enough for those of us old enough to remember the original fondly but I'm not sure if much younger people will get much out of it. 6/10 (less if you are young).
Beverly Hills Cop - Axel F
Embarrassing, absolutely unwatchable. Second sequel for Eddie Murphy that was utter drek. Shame because Coming to America & the original Beverly Hills Cops were quite good.
Embarrassing, absolutely unwatchable. Second sequel for Eddie Murphy that was utter drek. Shame because Coming to America & the original Beverly Hills Cops were quite good.
The Booth At The End
Really interesting premise. Xander Berkeley calmly trotting out of one of the most naturally brilliant acting performances I’ve seen on screen. Really enjoyable and compelling first hour and a half. Very disappointing that they couldn’t stick the landing. Good watch though.
7/10 (9/10 if it had an ending that worked).
Really interesting premise. Xander Berkeley calmly trotting out of one of the most naturally brilliant acting performances I’ve seen on screen. Really enjoyable and compelling first hour and a half. Very disappointing that they couldn’t stick the landing. Good watch though.
7/10 (9/10 if it had an ending that worked).
The Man from Earth
Stumbled upon this last night and really enjoyed it. School professor having an impromptu leaving do with some of his colleagues and reveals he is actually 1400 years old and has to move on every 10 years so friends etc do not really notice he doesn’t age.
Being the first time he has disclosed this information about himself to anyone he invites them to ask questions about his life and memories.
Quite a low budget film with no flashbacks to ’his life’ but it works better as it keeps the mystery for the viewer alongside his colleagues.
8.5/10
Stumbled upon this last night and really enjoyed it. School professor having an impromptu leaving do with some of his colleagues and reveals he is actually 1400 years old and has to move on every 10 years so friends etc do not really notice he doesn’t age.
Being the first time he has disclosed this information about himself to anyone he invites them to ask questions about his life and memories.
Quite a low budget film with no flashbacks to ’his life’ but it works better as it keeps the mystery for the viewer alongside his colleagues.
8.5/10
This intrigued me but now I'm confused. All I can find with this name is a TV series. You watched a movie?
I did the same, and after several minutes assumed the TV show was what was meant.
The "first hour and a half" bit and reference to sticking a landing really makes it sound like a movie too.
I've had a tab opened for a few days to answer this, kept forgetting! Really like his list, those I know make a lot of sense, and there's a few others I haven't seen that I'll try to watch.
Hurt Locker was very unsurprising, the methodical focus on professionals in an intense environment is very Mann-esque.
Yeah this is a nice little film. Some of the performances are a bit dodgy and the ending is a bit shit, but overall it's a fun watch.
I tried to watch this when I was much younger and turned it off because I was bored. I think I'd probably appreciate it more now I've got the patience.
Yeah it's one of those films where you have to commit and once it grabs hold of you, it's really enjoyable.
there's a sequel to the man from earth too
it's proper shite though
it's proper shite though
Yeah. 1:48min film. It’s on Prime in the UK.
Edit ::: Hang on. This is weird. Internet tells me it’s a two season series. Not a movie.
On Prime it’s a TV Series AND a Movie. The TV Series is unavailable. The Movie is. Perhaps they’ve packaged the series into a long run movie? It would 100% work as it’s completely linear, but would be a very odd choice.
Just checked the tv. It’s 100% a movie on there. I’ve not gone mad.
Edit 2 ::: This site has a mad breakdown of its history. Definitely going to hunt down the two seasons to watch (even though loads of it will be in the feature film).
It’s an incredibly interesting premise.
Details of its multiple formats.
Last edited:
It suffers a lot for the fact the acting, directing and staging are all solidly American cable TV movie level. Also the fact the main character is called ‘John Oldman’ is a lot funnier than it’s probably meant to be.
It’d be interesting to see it done with more prestige, or as a play… which I assume it was probably written to be
I watched it when I was young and enjoyed it a lot, I guess I'm intellectually superior to others.
No worries. I watched both Pale Flower and Asphalt Jungle few days back and definitely can see the influence on Mann. Will have to give the Hurt Locker a watch at some point.
I was on a plane this weekend and saw they had Poor Things. So that was cool and I turned it on - and off again after 20 minutes when I remember what the film was about and figured that could look a little awkward on a plan for other people glancing at my screen.
So I watched a King Crimson documentary instead.
So I watched a King Crimson documentary instead.
I was on a plane this weekend and saw they had Poor Things. So that was cool and I turned it on - and off again after 20 minutes when I remember what the film was about and figured that could look a little awkward on a plan for other people glancing at my screen.
So I watched a King Crimson documentary instead.
Reminds me of a friend of mine watching Wolf of Wall Street on his iPad on a train. He got a tap on his shoulder and paused the movie to see a ticket inspector looming over him. Naturally, he had paused the movie on a still image of cocaine being blown up a hooker’s arse.
And then they watched it together for the rest?
Cloverfield
Watched it again last night. While it will never be impactful as a first watch, I’ve not seen it for years. It’s an absolutely incredible movie. It copped a lot of shit at the time for not being the film that people thought it was going to be, but watching again away from that silliness lets it shine a lot brighter. Exceptional.
9/10
Watched it again last night. While it will never be impactful as a first watch, I’ve not seen it for years. It’s an absolutely incredible movie. It copped a lot of shit at the time for not being the film that people thought it was going to be, but watching again away from that silliness lets it shine a lot brighter. Exceptional.
9/10
I'm a big fan of found footage films and this is the best one in my opinion.
Agree, fantastic film. Would love to see it in a cinema again at some point.
The First Omen:
Prequel to the famous Omen series. It was a decent watch, well directed (especially for a directorial debut) and good acting as well as some harrowing scenes that stick with you. Having said that, the first act is slow and plodding, which extends the run time to a length this film didn't need to be. This is also an identical film to Immaculate, beat for beat, narrative, characters and theme... they're the same movie. This, however, was more of a disadvantage for Omen as opposed to Immaculate with it being a prequel. I usually don't like prequels because you know where the story is going and if the film tries to give you a new meaning to the rest of the series, you end up with Alien Covenant... it feels like a lose-lose situation. If you haven't seen Immaculate or are a big Omen fan, give it a watch 6/10
Civil War
I haven't seen Kirsten Dunst since Spiderman... she's great in this! You can see in her eyes that this character has been through some shit. I like the apolitical stance the film takes and it was a difficult watch, more horrific than most horror movies. The action was directed really well and Meth Damon was just a scene stealer. There were so many tense set-pieces, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. My main gripe is the final character moment, it felt a bit forced and didn't really ladder up from the character in a natural way (the young girl). With that said, it is one of my favourite films of the year so far 8/10
The Bikeriders
Austin Butler and Tom Hardy star in a movie that chronicles the lives of a biker gang. What a load of shit. Tom Hardy was awful in this and Austin Butler just stood around looking cool whilst the camera had slow motion shots of him looking cool. There was a female narrator who had a LOT of screen time yet she was just a prop to make the lads look cool. But they didn't look cool, they looked like they are having a mid-life crisis. I thought we're gonna be watching a film that shows the personal life of bikers and how/why they love it so much but nope... just men riding bikes and looking cool. At least it was well filmed and there were a few decent scenes as well as a really good performance from the woman who narrates 2/10
Prequel to the famous Omen series. It was a decent watch, well directed (especially for a directorial debut) and good acting as well as some harrowing scenes that stick with you. Having said that, the first act is slow and plodding, which extends the run time to a length this film didn't need to be. This is also an identical film to Immaculate, beat for beat, narrative, characters and theme... they're the same movie. This, however, was more of a disadvantage for Omen as opposed to Immaculate with it being a prequel. I usually don't like prequels because you know where the story is going and if the film tries to give you a new meaning to the rest of the series, you end up with Alien Covenant... it feels like a lose-lose situation. If you haven't seen Immaculate or are a big Omen fan, give it a watch 6/10
Civil War
I haven't seen Kirsten Dunst since Spiderman... she's great in this! You can see in her eyes that this character has been through some shit. I like the apolitical stance the film takes and it was a difficult watch, more horrific than most horror movies. The action was directed really well and Meth Damon was just a scene stealer. There were so many tense set-pieces, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. My main gripe is the final character moment, it felt a bit forced and didn't really ladder up from the character in a natural way (the young girl). With that said, it is one of my favourite films of the year so far 8/10
The Bikeriders
Austin Butler and Tom Hardy star in a movie that chronicles the lives of a biker gang. What a load of shit. Tom Hardy was awful in this and Austin Butler just stood around looking cool whilst the camera had slow motion shots of him looking cool. There was a female narrator who had a LOT of screen time yet she was just a prop to make the lads look cool. But they didn't look cool, they looked like they are having a mid-life crisis. I thought we're gonna be watching a film that shows the personal life of bikers and how/why they love it so much but nope... just men riding bikes and looking cool. At least it was well filmed and there were a few decent scenes as well as a really good performance from the woman who narrates 2/10
It was a much better film than the mediocre Immaculate, for me. Definitely helped that I saw The first omen before Immaculate, but even with that in mind, Immaculate was very meh (and I really like Sydney Sweeney and was hoping to like it!)
I found them about the same. Omen was definitely better as a standalone but with it being a prequel and also with my expectations for it being higher, I felt more disappointed with it.
But if I was forced to recommend one, it would be Omen.
In A Violent Nature
Found this to be a bit of a mixed bag. I appreciated the stripped back aesthetic and different approach to the slasher/psycho killer genre but I also found it to be quite boring at times, particularly when nobody is being killed. A good portion of the film is just a static camera following our killer walking through a forest with only the sounds of birds tweeting and leaves crunching under his feet.
When the kills come though they are incredibly gruesome with one about half way through in particular being hilariously demented (seriously, you won't believe it).
And the ending, without spoiling anything, just didn't work for me. It came off like they were going for some Cormac McCarthy / No Country type vibe but it just felt overly pretentious. Nothing in the previous 90 odd minutes warranted it.
Found this to be a bit of a mixed bag. I appreciated the stripped back aesthetic and different approach to the slasher/psycho killer genre but I also found it to be quite boring at times, particularly when nobody is being killed. A good portion of the film is just a static camera following our killer walking through a forest with only the sounds of birds tweeting and leaves crunching under his feet.
When the kills come though they are incredibly gruesome with one about half way through in particular being hilariously demented (seriously, you won't believe it).
And the ending, without spoiling anything, just didn't work for me. It came off like they were going for some Cormac McCarthy / No Country type vibe but it just felt overly pretentious. Nothing in the previous 90 odd minutes warranted it.
A Quiet Place: Day 1
Firstly, a great performance by Lupita Nyong'o. She is a fecking gem to the Hollywood industry. I liked the small character story as well as the interesting theme explored (although that could have been heightened even further had they not got rid of a specific character). There were some tense scenes and the sound design was top notch. With all that said, I feel like this movie didn't deliver on its promise. I wanted to see what Day 1 was like, how did people react? How did they realise that the monsters are attracted to sound? All that jazz... but instead, they showed the monsters turn up, cut to black and then we're back in, where twenty or so minutes of time has passed and everyone knows the rules of the monsters. It was basically the same as the opening scene from the second movie and we've gained no additional information. This could have not been a prequel and instead a spin-off and would have worked better as a film because on its own merit, it's a decent film 6/10
Firstly, a great performance by Lupita Nyong'o. She is a fecking gem to the Hollywood industry. I liked the small character story as well as the interesting theme explored (although that could have been heightened even further had they not got rid of a specific character). There were some tense scenes and the sound design was top notch. With all that said, I feel like this movie didn't deliver on its promise. I wanted to see what Day 1 was like, how did people react? How did they realise that the monsters are attracted to sound? All that jazz... but instead, they showed the monsters turn up, cut to black and then we're back in, where twenty or so minutes of time has passed and everyone knows the rules of the monsters. It was basically the same as the opening scene from the second movie and we've gained no additional information. This could have not been a prequel and instead a spin-off and would have worked better as a film because on its own merit, it's a decent film 6/10
7500 - A taut, claustrophobic airline hijack movie. Great cinematography. 7 / 10
Every now and then I check the BBFC website to read the details about how gory a supposedly extreme movie is. Had a peek at this one yesterday and the scene I think you’re referring to sounds fecking nuts!
I've probably seen 5-6 films with Jennifer Lopez in them, hell knows why or how.
She's such a strong independent genius in all of them.
She's such a strong independent genius in all of them.
Hit Man
A nerdy college professor who works as a fake hitman for the police department falls for a woman who enlists his services. I enjoyed the first act, some funny moments there but the second act is a true slog, I was bored shitless. The final act is a little better but by then I was completely checked out. My biggest issue is that they didn't use the premise well at all. The main character is a cheat code and way OP. He's just too good at everything and in every scenario, the same issue I had with Beekeeper. It feels like they're are no stakes or jeapordy because the main guy always knows what to say or do in every situation. Avoid 3.5/10
A nerdy college professor who works as a fake hitman for the police department falls for a woman who enlists his services. I enjoyed the first act, some funny moments there but the second act is a true slog, I was bored shitless. The final act is a little better but by then I was completely checked out. My biggest issue is that they didn't use the premise well at all. The main character is a cheat code and way OP. He's just too good at everything and in every scenario, the same issue I had with Beekeeper. It feels like they're are no stakes or jeapordy because the main guy always knows what to say or do in every situation. Avoid 3.5/10