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Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
A Musical Love Story.
No what I was expecting. But I liked it anyway.
It's basically the immediate continuation of Joker in Arkham Asylum.
The only obvious ties to the DC universe in general are Harvey Dent, Arkham Asylum & Harley Quin. Plus a flash of a Wayne family business.
It is at its core a love story. A story of love between two mentally disturbed people in a dark, dingy and damp environment. The musical scenes highlight their fantasies and inability to express themselves to society. Lady Gaga was a good Harley Quinn in this universe.
The musical scores are good, but most lack a hook to truly catch you. Better known songs would have connected more with the audience.
The death scene at the end suits the film. But it's not for everyone. Arthur finds peace in being himself and letting go of the mask of Joker. He has a desire to excist now, hence wanting to see his visitor. Then a younger inmate kills him in their own Joker mode.
Hence Arthur truly made on impact on society by creating a hero for the undercarriage of said society. The shop window Joker was created at the end. The one of DC universe fame.
The original Joker/Arthur died with a smile on his face.
Not as good as the it's predecessor. But still holds up.
Gokuaku Joou (2024)
Enjoyable true life tale set in 1980's Japan.
This Japanese Pro-Wrestling TV series is better than their American or Mexican television counter parts.
Starts a bit slow in episode one and rolls out from episode two. This really captures the spirit of the 1980s tough world of Japanese womens wrestling. Plus it doesn't insult the viewer.
This is much better than 'Heels', the American wrestling drama. This has heart and creativity.
Nostalgic piece of Japanese culture.
Plus it's a true story of a shy, timid underdog from a broken family, in a world of men on top. She fights internally and externally to win in life and the sport she loves.
If you're not a wrestling fan, there's a bit too much wrestling action and blood in it. But it helps tell the true-life experiences of All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling.
Hard work & standing up for yourself pays off, is the story.
Blink Twice (2024)
The journey isn't worth the destination.
Colourful movie that's a well acted revenge flick.
The mystery and unravel keeps you interested through the movie.
Unfortunately the ending is an awful pay off.
The story is a fictional tale of the 'Epstein' news doing the media rounds. Its told from the female point of view. All good with plenty of cliques and the usual fantasy scenarios that go with this type of script.
The main Protagonist gets her revenge on the evil white men who have murdered and tortured her fellow females. Full of trauma and suffering, they get their come-uponce .
The movie ends like a 'C' level straight to YouTube wannabe film maker. The Protagonist has now become the Antagonist. She is the deceiver full of greed and ego who has failed to report the man who killed and hurt countless women. Instead, she smugly looks at the camera as if she has the power & control now. Her character has done nothing to help other victims, just help herself.
As the original antagonist claims in the movie, "There is a special place in hell for those that do nothing." Well, I wasted my time wanting a hero to shine. Awful ending to an otherwise decent film.
Trap (2024)
The Trap of Nepotism
This movie is basically a vehicle to put attention on M. Nights daughter. Her singing, dancing and costumes at the live concert, are the main focus of the movie with the 'Butcher' being second fiddle. Its should be the other way around.
Once it gets out of the Arena, the story picks up. This is where the weakness of M. Nights daughters acting skills are exposed. A more established actress would have been better suited to her role.
There are no major twists or OMG moments. But the story is different and the ending leading to a sequel is good.
Josh Harnett is the glue on this movie. He's been 'meh' for years. This film really wants me to see him play a similar character like this again.
Kneecap (2024)
Funny, modern and light entertainment.
I liked this film. It Was different. Good characters and acting for alot of newbies. Soundtrack is catchy too.
It is very juvenile overall. But it has a good message in it. If people are very serious about their Britishness, then they'll hate this movie 😆
Alot of drug use in it. This let's down what the band is really at its heart. But, it's still a great story and hilarious at times.
While this is a Northern Ireland funded film, it breathes some fresh air into the overall Irish film scene (which has been boring the last decade or so).
I'd like to see a regular TV show on these characters. It made the city of Belfast look great.
Borderlands (2024)
Boredom Land. Horrible Film.
This movie should not have gotten an international cinema release. If you take the actors recognition away, its just stale popcorn.
The story is rehashed and done to death in the sci-fi genre already. The action is out of date and bland. The dialogue is regurgitated words from multiple other films of this type. The production sets remind you this was created in some generic dessert. The characters were shallow and cringey.
None of this made for a good movie.
No drama, comedy or build up to this outing of a video game. It just exists. I say in a few years it will be completely forgotten and avoided by this who do remember.
Cate Blancete has bad karma coming her way after the awful performance she gave us.
The King Tide (2023)
Slow, but pays off.
The cinematography and landscape is what holds you for the duration. Hypnotising.
Starts out strong from the opening scene. Paces along slowly, but it unfolds as it goes. Really interesting to see the mentality of small communities cut off from society. All the characters are interesting, boring, deep and cold. In a good way.
The mystical child remains a mystery from start to end. Her background prior to the island is never explained, nor is the reason for her powers. This distracts too much from the ending.
In saying that, I enjoyed this movie. It was different from the usual tripe we get in movies these days.
Baltimore (2023)
Boring film about a lively Activist.
The real life woman this movie is based on, is a legendary Activist in the IRA. She, by all recorded accounts, was a player in both the physical and psychological.
This movie is boring and dull. It focuses predominantly on the art heist that led to her arrest. The end of her tale. In the real world she ended up in a nursing home as a frail old woman who looked no different than the other dying clients. In reality she was a deep, well travelled lefty who fought for change. She had numerous lovers in the IRA and was feared. She co-planned many IRA manoveours None of this made the script of the movie.
Let down of a movie. Was so much to be told or used in flashbacks. But none of it was.
Perhaps the best scene of the entire film is the aerial shot of the boat in motion on the river. The last shot. Beautiful. Otherwise, Meh.
The Watchers (2024)
Changeling Irish Horror No. 99
A slow burner with brilliant cinematography.
Makes Galway look as unquie as it really is.
For some reason, all the male actors in the set up scenes have their faces blurred. Making them unrecognisable. But the women actors don't! I thought it may be a set up, but it wasn't. Why do that?
Then the Protagonist ends up in a dense forest with no road ways, while driving a straight route to Belfast! Women drivers eh.
This eventually becomes yet another Irish horror movie about 'Changelings', aka the fairy folk. 9 out of 10 irish horror movies end up this way. That never changes.
An ok movie that is well directed, procuded, shot and acted. But ultimately its boring and a wannabe M. Night S. Story with a twist.
The Invitation (2022)
Rich White Folk feeding on Non-White, Poor Folk
I'm gonna be honest. I was looking forward to watching this movie. It turned out to be yet another modern day agenda, hidden behind a horror.
I was fighting with myself throughout the duration. Will I turn it off or watch it??? Unfortunately I watched it for the whole duration.
A dirt poor, wannabe artist that is struggling financially in New York. Needs to work as a waitress. But she lives in a fancy apartment by herself and dresses in fancy, designer clothes. All the working class staff are non-white.
All the bad prople in the movie are white and men. I'm sure you get the drift by now. Modern day nonsense with horror.
Bodkin (2024)
Colourful & Bland: 1 Episode in.
Well produced for an Irish series. Cinematography & scenery is colourful and warm. Its a recycled story of a local community with likely murderers. But who are the killers??? We then go through all the characters to see. The usual boring stuff.
In this modern day, of political correctness, there are plenty of Irish stereotypes and drinking culture themes in the show. But alas, the Irish don't take such things personally.
The main reporter/character, 'Dove' is very annoying & arrogant from her 2nd scene, to the end of episode 1. She makes me want to change the channel.
The veteran actors are good on screen and hold your attention. But it's the script and dialogue that is weak.
Unfrosted (2024)
If you like Sugar & Carbs Movies.
Take this for what it is...pop entertainment.
Cheesy, over the top, tongue in cheek, goofy, unfunny & funny. But it blends together.
This is like the 'Weird Al' biopic film. A true story that paints over the original with heavy, creative liberties. It's different.
I liked it. Colourful and a piss take. Some fun cameos in it. As excruciating as Amy Schumer & Melissa McCarthy can be, they are OK in this. Jerry Seinfeld is a weak lead too. So don't let them put you off.
Rather than be a dull, boring true story about a cardboard food, this is much better. If you don't realise this story is full of purposely made mistakes, then go back to sleep.
It's worth a watch.
Arcadian (2024)
A Frustrating, Near Hit.
Wow, where do I start here. So much good and so much bad. This could have been a cult classic.
Its a dystopian tale with nocturnal monsters. Pockets of people in the countryside live in fear of these bloody hungry creatures. Homes need to be boarded up at night time. Plus, there has been some kind of worldwide disaster that is not shown. Its survival time.
The creatures themselves are a mix of a cockroach and Goofy the dog. Something different. They do the job.
Now, the cliff fall. The plot holes are massive. As is the contingency of the story. The camera work is like an art house fan trying to make a name for themselves. It's awful. The creatures can do different forms of attacks as the movie goes on. But why haven't these attacks been done over the last 15 years? All of a sudden they become super intelligent for no reason.
The boarded up homes are protected with flimsy wood, no heavy metals or bricked up windows. It seems the creatures only bang on front doors?? They only attack the upstairs of houses with boarded up windows. But houses with no boarded windows are not attacked ?? The live stock is not eaten. Only humans.
The fear of night is real and families stay huddled together. But yet at some points of the movie, the humans are running around outside at night untouched.
At the end, a circle of flaming creatures are being blown up and shot too. But a teenager swipes them with one stroke of a gun handle and they all fall and die!!!!!!!!! Come on.
There's a lovely continious camera start at the beginning of movie, on the back alleys of Dublin. But it has nothing to do with the remaining horror of the movie?
The reason for what's happened is a bug bit some people and they turned into the monsters. Then there is talk of the machines taking over! What machines? There is nothing of it in the movie?
Maybe because this is an Irish film production, it is badly structured and edited. It has a story to he a cult classic. But fell miles short.
Monkey Man (2024)
Less Than & Westernised.
First off, for a director debut film, It was well put together regards a limited budget, covid restrictions, action scenes & the casting.
It let itself down with the pacing, runtime, continuity, story, western issues, monologues and characters.
The trailer projected a different movie story to what the actual full movie was. It was a hybrid of many other action films. The only originality it had was being based in India. It lacked the heart, passion and emotion of a 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Another Indian crime feature with Dev Patel.
Sharlto Copley (fight promoter) stole the screen as he usually does. His character was not used as effectively as it could have. Regarding his story & screen time. Dev has a future in action. But he' is worth more than that as an actor.
The main guru heel lacked heat. The pack of outcasts monkey man aligned with were a desperate choice of allies. Not a numeral representation of what the working class are in said country. Punching a bag of rice and lifting buckets of water, in rhythm with bongos is lacking depth. It certainly does not turn you into a top teir fighter.
Lots of plot holes, gaps, forgettable angles, weak characters and violence for the sake of violence. I was looking forward to this movie about the modern day Monkey King (Google the folklore). Instead, I got a decent attempt.
Wicked Little Letters (2023)
A predictable comedy, w/modern patterns.
Some funny parts in this movie. Well acted characters and historic period sets.
What turned me off this production was its predictable outcome. Within 10 minutes I could tell who wrote the letters and why. I had to watch the rest of the story knowing the spin would be about the fairer gender bonding and exposing the truth. Plus all the ignorant, silly, backwards male characters would be exposed on multiple occasions too.
I was right. Ha ha. Modern society issues in the past. Retelling and reimaging of history. Productions like this need to be put to sleep.
It has its own warm, colourful base to it. Plus it's funny in parts. Could have done with more reading of the letters.
Road House (2024)
Original was better. McGregor Steals the show.
Plenty of action and good old violence in this film. But still no where near as good as the original Road House movie.
As over the top as Conor McGregor is in this remake, he is by far the best part of it. Jake G is good too. But it's a two man show. They are the glue holding it all together.
The story is weak. As is the plot. The romance angle is a blink and you will miss it moment. All the other characters are either bland, boring or filler.
The original was about friendship, standing up for what you believe in, not letting the Bullies win, community, love, fear, death, betrayal, greed and what if scenario's. This 2024 version is none of that. Its only beautiful stunts and two powerful, gripping, Alpha male characters. You need more than that for a classic.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Emotional Storytelling at its Best.
The Von Erich story is well known in the wrestling world. This movie is flawed regards its accuracy. But for 2 hours run time, they did their best.
Zac Efron was brilliant in his role, as where many of his counterparts in this movie. Well worth watching. The story, directing, cinematography, action, sets, backdrops, costumes and acting all gel extremely well to produce a memorable piece of modern day art.
Sadly, Chris Von Erich, the sixth brother, was not included. He killed himself about 18 months before Kerry did. Now, I understand why he wasn't included from a production and script point of view. But, Chris shot himself thinking he wasn't good enough to be a part the Von Erich legacy. 32 years later, he wasn't important enough to be a part of this film. That's a sad story in itself.
Serial Killer: Red Sea Attacks (2023)
The Script & Dialogue Ruin it all.
Positives are...
Interesting statistics on the White Tip Shark.
The cinematography is great. Locations are bright and clear.
Negatives..
The written script is cringey, creepy, horrible and awkward. It literally ruins the flow and enjoyment of the documentary.
The on screen presence of the actors is so cold, you can feel it. They try to create dramatic fear scenarios that are insulting to the viewers.
There is no footage of the 2023 shark attacks, which is the reason I watched. But plenty of boring cliques. At one stage it almost feels like a comedy, with how over the top all the dread music and voice overs are.
Shark Week is grasping at straws here.
Ted (2024)
Bursts Out of the Gate, Winning, until episode 5.
Some hilarious gags and jokes in this series. Laughed aloud many times. The TV show is better than Ted 2.
Like South Park, it takes shots at everyone and in a brilliantly funny way. The characters are all flawed and it's all part of the charm.
This storyline is set in the early1990s. Come Episode 5 and the agenda kicks in. It becomes an Us versus Them situation. So modern/present day society and social issues become the main focus! Why? Very frustrating. I was enjoying it up until this nonsense. There must be some kind of contract clause in all new tv shows!!
Anyway, it has a lot of simple production values and sarcasm that make it warm and cuddly.
Fargo: The Useless Hand (2024)
Predictable & Cringey. Whats Happend to Fargo!
From a script and story point of view, what's happened to this great series?
There is no big showdown in episode 10. The agenda in this season made it quiet obvious in the first 3 episodes what was gonna be pushed until episode 10.
Dot will kill Tillman. His current wife will align with dot in some manner. The fBI will fumble the assault, but the local sheriff (who was just allowed to lead an expert fbi swat team on request) will be the saviour because he sees the evil in Tillman and his Patriots.
Dot will comfort Gator, after she kills numerous bad men. Showing her care giving side. Etc etc.
All the strong female characters will shine and combine at the end too.
What a shocking season this has been. For all the wrong reasons. R. I. P.
Fargo (2014)
Season 1 & 2, Brilliant. 3 & 4 Good. 5 is meh.
I am watching season 5 out of loyalty to previous seasons. Four was good, but was getting diluted. Held its spot. Season 5 ponders to viewers who haven't followed the previous seasons.
I like season 5. It just isn't what is expected of previous stories. The fun and enjoyment is lacking. John Hamm plays a great role. As does Jennifer Jason Leigh. But that's not a strong enough glue to hold it all together.
I'm on episode 6 and I'll stay till the end of episode 10. But I won't be excited for a season 6. I'll rewatch 1 to 3.
Interested to see if the ratings hold up from start to finish. All Predators need good Prey for complete satisfaction on both sides.
Last Stop Larrimah (2023)
Tiger King in the Aussie Outback.
Without any tigers involved, this documentary reminded me of Tiger King. Plenty of drama and feuds between a tiny community.
It's 2 x 50 min episodes. It doesn't drag and all the information is squeezed in perfectly. For a town of 11 residents , the entertainment and stories flow as good as any top shelf soap opera.
It's also very funny at times. Plenty of thought provoking scenarios in this 'Who Done it?' Documentary.
It is a real little gem of a find. I surfed into on Netflix and watched both episodes back to back. This would make a great film or mini-series.
You get a glimpse into the sad, boring lives of people who have chosen to spend decades in a human dust pond.
Old Dads (2023)
Funny until its switches gears.
This is bill burrs directorial debut and he does a good job. All his typical comedy brand is in the first half of the film.
Then it turns into a typical, corporate Netflix film. What you would expect from a 'scripted' story with undertones.
It is based around modern day society, anger, change, compassion, robotic life styles, power, understanding, toxicity, past vs present vs future.
To wrap up. It is very funny until its not. It has some what of a 'suit & tie' feel to it, as it settles down into the home run.
Many familiar faces in it. Plenty of dad bods and beer and Pretty wife's and upper-class lifestyles.
The Retirement Plan (2023)
Bad, really bad. Bargin Bin Bad.
I watched this movie because of the cast.
Cage, Pearlman & Haley where so far above the rest of the actors it was painfully obvious.
The story is a poor, watered down, regurgitation of several other films. Its a mess that's 20 mins too long in its runtime.
Perlman was better in this movie than his recent 'Baker' role. Cage seemed to calling it in long distance. While Haley looked like he was waiting for the final scene. In saying that, they really are the glue that hold this whirlwind of plainess together.
The action was a step behind, the continuity was lacking and the script was remedial (maybe even A. I. lol).
Ernie Hudson must have worked cheap. Cause his role is pointless and overacted.
I watched many segments on fast forward.
Wrestlers (2023)
A fresh take on Wrestling TV shows
Finally a new wrestling show has been produced for international distribution. Its a fresh tale on an old concept.
This is Wrestling behind the scenes. The drama, childishness, fun, stress etc. The more interesting part in today's industry.
Is what your seeing on this series a work or real? You decide as the viewer. That is the brilliant part. It's Wrestling without the matches.
Really enjoyed it and I would love to see a second series.
The heels are real life heels. The people that are wrestlers are insecure, backward egotistical, wannabes, talented, hungry, entitled, delusional, passionate and respectful. Many of the the people involved are deep or shallow.
A struggling business that would be shut down only for its investors, who are loosing money. The Wrestling people can't make the money themselves to support it. Hence the drama.
It shows that a promoter and wrestler are two very different positions. The 'ME, ME, ME' vs the 'LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN' concept.
A great show for any entertainment viewer. You don't need to be a wrestling fan. It is so many levels above the dull, scripted TV show 'HEELS' that airs on another streaming service.
Thank god it isn't a typical wrestling documentary that tries to show how tough, non-tough wrestlers are or a one dimensional view of the industry in one person's narrative.
Doug Basham comes across as a mute in this series. A nodding head that's attached to a statue still body. Doug is a great talker, mover and funny in real life. He had a WWE career and his uncle owned the original OVW. If there's a season 2, he should be more of a focus.