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Reviews
Dracula (2020)
Not true to story - entertaining none the less
I see how those hoping for a faithful adaptation must be disappointed, as this strays very far from the masterpiece novel.
However, if you take if for what it is - a story based on the Dracula universe - you will likely find that it's entertaining in it's own right.
Does it deserve 1, 0 or minus stars? No.
A 10 then? No
Somewhere in between? Undoubtedly
I watched the whole thing and was positively surprised by the charm and humor implemented into the story.
From watching countless horror movies and series I've learned that there are plenty which fail and that all of them should be taken with a large grain of salt - after all, it's fiction and the only thing you can really count on is the fact that across all stories, the people in them are mindless, careless and stupid.
Discussing to which extent this Dracula story is true to the universe Bram Stoker created is like discussing to which extent Christmas movies are true to the story of Santa.
I urge the aficionados of the novel to seek comfort in re-reading their beloved masterpiece rather than raging in their reviews - it really isn't helpful at all.
So here I am sticking my neck out for this short series.
I like the cast. The use of CGI is good enough not to annoy me (which it easily does) but it isn't state of the art.
The story is good enough to keep me watching. I was hit by nostalgia from the get go and i was curious to see where the show was heading. No, it isn't perfect and I was quite surprised by the change in setting, which to me seems pointless as the end of the story is closing in.
I wouldn't call it brave in this day and age to refresh the story to reflect our modern society, but it is somehow refreshing. if you want to skip the most modern part there's a clear visual indication when that happens and you can leave the show at that, but as a result you will also miss out of part of the story.
If there was an absolutely true-to-the-novel adaptation, it would be a different kind of entertaining as I would already know the story and the outcome which would lead me to the conclusion that I'd might as well read the novel instead.
The Good Place (2016)
First (many) episodes are cringe-ish
From the beginning the show struggles to be funny or entertaining. The first many episodes are Youtube-ish platonic, superficial and without any kind of natural flow or pacing in acting and dialog.
I must be the complete opposite of many of the other reviewers because I find most of first season boring and the rest quite entertaining and fun.
In fact I started out outright hating the show. Why did I watch it? Apparently my kids saw something in it which I didn't. However, as the show progressed it became more entertaining and much funnier which was a big surprise to me since most reviewers seem to feel quite the opposite.
You can safely give it a shot, but be patient if the first episodes are a pain. Simply fast forward if needed.
So how good is it? A pretty good place around 6 and 7 out of 10 (based on season 1 and 2)
Eli (2019)
Not perfect but much better than soo many other
Underrated at the time of writing (5.8/10)
I like suspenseful, creative movies and this one was a surprisingly positive experience. I'm not saying it's perfect but it stays consistent throughout and things which was seemingly odd or out of place actually turned out to make sense.
I won't spoil your experience, so I will avoid driving into the specifics, but do know that the ending might feel like somewhat unhinged. Personally, I felt it could have been dialled down a bit for a more impactful finale, but all in all it actually works quite well and ties everything together... And to be honest, what more could you ask for from a 1:30-ish movie? (a length I greatly appreciate for casual movie watching)
BTW, I found it very effective and beautifully crafted. I was surprised more than once and i Did Not see that ending coming.
Well done. Well played.
Hereditary (2018)
Spiritualism and witchcraft - burn in hell
How do you create a suspenseful but ultimately pointless, run-of-the-mill movie? This is how.
I had no expectations, just saw a 7.3 IMDB rating for a horror-ish movie and was intrigued.
The camera work, lighting and effects as well as the acting from the actors are great, but I can't help but feel that there's just something wrong with the casting and the characters of the children.
Hobo clothes and wet look, they're casted to be younger-than-they-really-look. It annoys me a bit from the get go, but I lean back and tell myself to look past these annoyances to enjoy the unfolding of the story and plot.
The story does twist and turn a bit by throwing rubble in the gears and a stick in the wheel, but I slowly realize that this is nothing more than another witchcraft movie.
I don't know what it is about witchcraft movies that gets on my nerves... I just find it ridiculous, especially because they are often over-the-top stories instead of staying near the ground. This movie confirms the rule and it's just unbelievable.
This movie is extremely overrated. It's a 5-6 depending of how you feel about witches.
I'm gonna give it a 3 just because overrated movies are a menace to movie watching. Oh and 3 rather than one because of Toni and the better-than-average visual style.
P.S. Maybe I'm just getting too old for IMDB? Naah, because I love Ash vs Evil Dead and that's both witchcraft, occult and fun, so this movie can just suck my boomstick!
The Babadook (2014)
Blessed be the fast forward
Whoa. Poor short movie material stretched to 1h30m - good thing I skipped through this in 35-45 minutes, looking for the movie to live up to the rating.
You really should never trust IMDB ratings or even metacritics, that's for sure. Even with all the real ratings in which people actually describe their excruciating pain of dragging themselves through this horrific movie, the rating is still 6.8 which should indicate an amazingly good horror (since they tend to score lower). That's NOT the case.
I found the boy's acting INSANELY annoying which in itself breaks the movie. I'm usually most sensitive to bad acting in my native language, but everything from the dialog to the body language of the main characters is hugely annoying.
However, the movie goes waaaay beyond in it's efforts to candidate for the title of worst movie ever.
It could have been a good movie because of the psychological aspect, but the plot doesn't align with the story which results in a unengaging, bleek, lifeless and pointless utter waste of time.
The setting in the house is unbelievable bleek which is obviously intentional, the light is sharp and cold, there's no warmth, no humor, no charm, no twists, no surprises, no satisfying scares, no food for thought and no merits really, except maybe for the visual effects which are pretty well executed. That's why I try and stay objective by rating it 2/10.
I find it difficult to believe that anyone can be entertained by this piece of crap and I strongly advise that you spend your valuable time on something else.
Just about any other movie will be better, I think.