abucketofcorn Reviews

Deep Sleep (2013)

Welcome back Giallo

[8/10 · 17 August 2014]

This film is what it's all about. This is a shining example of the reason why I love cinema so much. This is the exploration of the true art form of originality and the love affair of a classic style of cinema. This bleeds modern day Giallo rebirth and yet has all the wonderful trademarks of the classic Giallo film. This is everything and more that I ask for in the art of cinema and also in the art of originality and the true essence of cinema making. Truly an amazing piece of modern cinema. A passionate example of clarity in the reality of making a memorable piece of film. I could not ask for anything different. This is something I will remember and will always return to and also spread to others on what they should be watching and that's this film.

Move over Sergio Martino and Umberto Lenzi for there is a new stylized master of Giallo. Giallo cinema had away with strange musical arrangements. Over the top and twisted whodunit plots. Thick red blood and excessive violence and victims. Giallo gave amazing sexual imagery of a raunchy nature. Giallo films came through with an operatic type visual style that told a story in a dreamlike state of being for the viewer.

What this film does is take all that is Giallo and the grainy classic style of filmmaking that you would see at the grind house or in the 70s style of Giallo films. It never shows the killers face it always shows you the perspective of his hands, the weapon or his viewpoint. You get close-ups of everything he does, everything his hands are doing and also the murder of his victims. You get to see his perspective and experience and plus his ultimate blackmail, for someone else is there and knows his dirty deeds.

L (2012)

What a brilliant odd duck

[8/10 · 17 August 2014]

This is one odd duck of a film. A brilliant comedy drama that completely shines as something so far out there that's it's completely crafted in a unique originality that makes the viewer laugh and just giggle at its complete uniqueness. This is Wes Anderson meets Andrei Tarkovsky.

Babi Makridis directed a film that will stand the test of time as being a modern day classic. This is his first feature film. To direct an odd comical piece of art like this, for being his first feature length film, it makes me smile and super happy in knowing there are new and fresh directors making a new bold statement of film perfection. This movie is odd and strange and creates fantastic characters that the viewer can become a part of or at least follow along on the strange and odd journey of the Man. The characters other than Man are Black Rider, Bear, Wife, New Driver, Friend, Boss and Skipper just giving it another odd sense and yet brilliant film making at the same time.

This Greek film is something to remember and also watch several times in that the viewer can fully appreciate the value and interesting statement made. I think the value of the film is something that grows on you as you watch it over and over again. It was an official selection at 2012's Sundance Film Festival and also was a part of many film festivals. I believe the world of independent film making and festivals saw the ultimate value and uniqueness of this film. The direction has to be something to be seen to understand. I can't just put into words how amazing the shots are and how the landscape is beautiful and picture perfect as a piece of art on landscape come to life.

So what does the title stand for well here is the definition of the letter L: An L-plate is a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L, for learner, which must be affixed to the front and back of a vehicle in many countries if its driver is a learner under instruction?

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The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Perfection of Anderson

[10/10 · 3 July 2014]

"Take your hands off my Lobby Boy."

This is outrageously brilliantly funny. A wonderful modern-day classic. An instant gem of this year of 2014. A perfect film of hilarity, laugh out loud comical banter and acting mastery. You the viewer are sent on a trippy world that only Wes Anderson can make up. The costumes, the sets, scenery are all flawless and truly is the Wes Anderson's persona of making films. He has away with telling the story, directing and getting his characters in the flawless brilliant, funny scenarios that will leave the viewer with a lasting impression of his ultimate, original brilliance.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is an instant classic. An instant favorite of mine. It is a must see, must praise and as of now, this brilliant film is added to my all-time favorite movies. Adding it to my all-time favorites is a reality that does not happen much. Few films are added to my 1000 movies you should see before you die. I feel this is a film that is magical and truly a gifted weirdness that grabs the viewer in all its twisted comical realities and takes them on an unforgettable funny, dorky, silly wonderful journey of pure originality and perfection.

The cast alone is absolutely extraordinary. There are more actors in this film then can be believed. The actors and there characters create an unbelievable persona and sitting for the viewer. All the acting is brilliant. The stars just shine off screen and are bubbly, hilarious, funny, silly, dorky and absolutely entertaining.

Wes Anderson is a genius.

The story is wild and brilliantly entertaining. A mix of wild comedy and a coloring book flare.

I love the narrative and the ultimate conclusion of perfect comical reality. You never know where Anderson is going and that's the ultimate beauty of his cinema world. The Grand Budapest is a wild story of murder, escaped killers, sex with old people, a lobby boy and deserts and a painting of a boy with an apple.

The shining stars are Fiennes and Revolori. Both work off each other in a golden comical way of perfection. Revolori as the Lobby Boy deserves an award for his character of comical banter and flare. Fiennes deserves to be nominated for best actor this year for this wild, over the top beauty of comical mastery. He gave it his all and created a character I will remember the rest of my movie loving life.

I love Wes Anderson's creation of characters and the beauty of their persona's and dialogue and the ultimate situations only an original master like Anderson could come up with. I think the golden ticket goes to the surroundings and odd coloring sets and motels and situations where it was filmed. It bleeds nostalgia and retro eye candy. Awesome spots of filming that give all the more reality to the picture.

Willem Defoe as the murdering thug is a priceless character. Defoe is a god of acting and he aced this motorcycle, leather wearing, fist rings and mayhem to a memorable and laughable reality on screen. Brody is awesome as the money hungry son and Edward Norton as the law is a magical moment.

I have to say this is Anderson's best. I love most all his films but this one truly shines in the odd, original and twisted nature of his cinematic beauty of silliness and over all cast of characters. His creation through, only scenarios he could make up and film as visionary, shines for the watcher.

Gustave and his sidekick The Lobby Boy is on the run. Gustave is accused of murdering his elderly lover. He has to figure out the truth through twisted scenarios of adventures and actions that cloud his path of freeing himself. One crazy ordeal after another leads to a wonderful hilarious good time.

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A Measure of the Sin (2013)

A must see film of any fan of cinema that truly understands the art of film.

[10/10 · 22 June 2014]

Hauntingly beautiful, nightmarishly perfect. You ever go into one of those movies that linger on your mind and seem to cause many mixed emotions within you? Have you seen a movie that builds on the likeness of reality as if the camera doesn't exist and the story doesn't exist because it feels so real, so hauntingly real.

A Measure of the Sin is a surreal, brutal and stunning piece of film. Directed flawless. I can not say enough on how this film comes together in a clarity of emotions and action that becomes a whole part of the person watching. The photography and filming was extraordinarily vivid, vibrant, dark and touching. This movie knows what it wanted to do and it owned and created a piece of cinema that becomes a real inner part of the soul.

Your main female lead is Meredith played by the beautiful and stunning Katie Groshong. She adds such a flare to the part. She gives Meredith life. She owns her life on screen and makes the viewer become apart of her journey.

This film has many genres. It's hard to pinpoint which one. It has the reality of a horror and most of all the aspects of dramatic drama mixing in the art-house beauty of independent film making. Jeff Wedding has created something so unique and original that its in a class of its own.

To truly understand this movie you have to see it. It's something that's hard to put your understanding on as it tends to control your mind. It makes you think. It sends you into a spiral twist and turns. Its like a dream state. It's as if flipping the pages of an art book and it suddenly comes to life and bleeds in your hands. It's like reading a fairy-tale, a dark fairy-tale. A fairy-tale that has hidden meanings. A fairy -tale that has secrets and lies. A fairy-tale that's unrelenting as the truth comes out.

Truly a mesmerizing film with an enthralling journey of a plot. The narration, voice over, narrative of the story, as Meredith tells you her journey, her darkness her dreams, her misunderstandings make this film standout. The written script is flawless. The words weave together with action in perfection.

This is based on a set of short stories by a master story teller, author Kristy Nielsen. Jeff adapted to film. He collaborated with the author and got her approval to bring his vision of her story to the screen. Jeff created something amazingly bizarre. The story is truly haunting yet interestingly beautiful at the same time.

What I like so much about this film is not only is it flawlessly directed and acted and truly a unique story, but it clearly is a perfect, beautiful example of independent film. If you know me I support independent film. I support directors, producers, actors, that go this route. There was a struggle in creating and finishing this film. Jeff and his partner in crime the star and producer of this film Katie Groshong did a spectacular job in forming a memorable piece of cinema.

I can see in Katie Groshong a shining brilliant and extraordinary actress. I feel she has the talent and acting nature of an old classic soul of cinema given to us in modern day. I see a bright future for her. Her beauty and talent at words and emotions play with the camera and the viewer. She creates a perfect persona as Meredith. Meredith is an exploring child yet imprisoned and seasoned in pain.

If this is what Jeff Wedding has to offer the world of cinema, then cinema is safe and protected. His talent is extreme and vivid. His beauty of the lens is breathtaking. He captures what needs to be said and shown so that the viewer can grasp this deep and dark and dream like Never Never Land yet saturated with the clouds of living confusion and psychosis. Kristy Nielsen created a tale of a gritty underbelly of society or culture. A hidden world of secrets. Kristy and Jeff pieced together something that needs attention.

All the cast members shine in their characters, each one, each persona gives a visually interesting, unique stunning art-house brilliance. They act through actions, emotions and superb technique as if veteran actors and actress'. Perfectly cast. Stephen Jackson as The Man, is deep, mysterious and crafted as a perfect thick shadowy type persona. He aced the part. His character was like living strychnine and woman was the swallower. I really loved Cody Cheyenne. She played young Meredith and gave a child like wonder and love for her mother. Allyce Wix as Mother was shinning in her pain, struggle and caged bird reality.

A Dominant, domineering darkness of religious control and mastery. A locked cage burning the desire of the concept of free. Imprisoned and dormant. This is like nothing I've ever seen before, probably will never see again. This is art-house horror poetry.

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