benmichael-6333 Reviews

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

A brilliant fun wild night out

[10/10 · 26 April 2024]

Horror isn't usually my bag, but this one is an exception. The story builds beautifully, step by step, taking its time to build the tension, but you're never bored because it's so funny and the performances are so good. So when it finally unleashes its horror, it's a satisfy and fun climax. If you're an Aussie of a certain age, you'll dig the Don Lane, Doris Stokes, James Randy vibes.

I'm amazed at the quality of the sets and costume on such a modest budget.

It's brilliantly lit and shot. Fantastic sound design and score. And when the special effects are unleashed they work a treat.

Brilliant camp fun from start to end.

Feud: Ice Water in Their Veins (2024) Season 2, Episode 2

fun fun fun - they deserved it.

[8/10 · 6 February 2024]

I have exactly zero sympathy for the so called "Swans".

It's fun watching them finally have something approaching a problem in life.

They lived off others, now it's time to have a giggle at their expense. I mean, did Truman lie about anything?

Gus directs with style and intelligence. So happy to see he's back. One of our great film artists.

One of the best things about the show is its pacing. It takes time to set up characters and situations. So you really feel what's going on.

Great performances. So wonderful to see Molly back on our screens.

Tom Hollander is brilliant as Truman. What a piece of work he was - but we are compelled to watch him dig his own way to hell.

Can't wait for the rest of the series to unfold.

Mondo Maniacs (2023– )

Pure genius

[10/10 · 21 November 2023]

Another winner from the great mins of Timothy Spanos. Everything about this no budget but still ambitious show is brilliant. Madness. Great story. Flights of fancy. Great dialogue. Trash. Aussie culture. And sometimes oddly moving. Get on board this winner. 100% fun.

What's brilliant about the great Tim S is his commitment to entertain at all times. God bless this man!

Now I need to write more so here is some other Spanos shows to enjoy. Nancy Nancy. Celebrity House Cleaner. Mondo Maniacs. Sizzler 77. Throbbing 84. Seriously I have every streaming service money can buy and all I've done for the past week is watch Spanos content. He's that bloody good!

Happiest Season (2020)

Possibly Progressive, in the 1980's.

[1/10 · 2 December 2020]

A young woman cares more about her pretentious status obsessed family than her girlfriend. None of this is believable. The wrap-up "everyone learned their lesson and is a good person now" was so underserving. It may also be the whitest upper middle class story ever told. A conservative fantasy for people who don't deserve one.

The Gentlemen (2019)

Like a privileged adolescent trying desperately to impress adults at a party

[1/10 · 3 January 2020]

A dull film that is trying way too hard to be edgy and fun. Non of the characters ring true in any shape or form - sounding exactly like the rich actors trying their best to be "hard" and "street" that they are. The plot is predictable. The comedy tone deaf and flat. Truly an annoying privileged teen wanting to impress the adults. Oh and the joke at an animal's expense towards the end is painfully try-hard and beyond obvious. I got a free ticket. I'd suggest you don't pay for the renos on his country estate with your patronage.

Legend (I) (2015)

camp hilarity

[1/10 · 1 January 2019]

This film is hilarious. The acting, by one of the true greats of our time, Tom Hardy, is scenery chewing campery at its finest. It's so over the top that you will spend the film film picking your jaw off the ground in disbelief. The music is also hilariously bad. Add a script that has no heart and it all adds up to a great night in. Enjoy!

Mandy (I) (2018)

Made me love films again

[10/10 · 12 December 2018]

In a sea of idiotic superhero films and bland by number "adult" offerings like Widows and A Star is Born, comes this bit of pure cinema. Sound. Visuals. Visionary direction. This is what cinema can be. Challenging. Exciting. Weird. And very very entertaining. Oh and I adore Nic Cage for doing this.... Way to go bro. We don't need any more bland middle age dude action films. We needs this action!! Cinema is at its dullest ever. This is one way to shake it up. And it's real cinema. You can't watch this on your iPad. You gotta be with people in the dark and it has to be on a big screen. This makes TV look small. And most films look like the safe braindead exercises they are. Viva Mandy!

The Honor Farm (2017)

Tripping, horror and coming of age? Yes please.

[10/10 · 16 November 2018]

Beautifully shot, acted and directed, with excellent sound design for such a low budget film. I loved how the creators used genre(horror) to suck us in and then took us on a trip. My head was fed. My third eye opened. And my dreams affected. I can't wait to see what Ms Skloss does next.

Krisha (2015)

Intense, camp, heartbreaking look at family.

[10/10 · 8 June 2017]

Wow. I grabbed a bunch of what were considered by many to be the best indie films of 2016 for a big screen night at home with friends. We grabbed this little number off the top, sat down and proceeded to have our heads blown off. This is an all too rare moment in cinema when you remember how brutally honest and truthful screen stories can be. And how fake most cinema is by comparison. I have been in house like that. Had family dinners like that. Known people like that. The sadness of well meaning people ruining the lives of the ones they love. There were no obvious good or bad people in this. Just flawed truthful portrayals. The camera and sound are incredible. The performances stunning. And yes, it's very very camp and funny in moments. But so is life when you look at it a certain way. It's also almost too sad at times. Also how life can be. I can't recommend this highly enough. I just hope our writer director doesn't use the buzz from this near perfect little gem to make a crappy flick about "real life" with George Clooney.

Knight of Cups (2015)

A trip

[7/10 · 14 January 2016]

As we grow more and more tired of dull as dishwater, predictable, structure obsessed nonsense, we come to love films that want to use the medium to take us on a trip. I see nothing wrong with enjoying beautiful imagery, stunning music and a bit of emotional self analysis for a couple of hours. Or would you rather the story by numbers of say, Joy? I may not have loved this as much as Thin Red Line, or Tree of Life, But am I happy to spend two hours with Mr. M? Indeed I am. Anyone who has led anything verging on an interesting life will have plenty to ponder as this washes over them. This was like meditating. It's freeing to let a sense of the story wash over you without having some contrived plot shoved down your throat. I let the cinema invigorated and cleansed.

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

Hollywood, go to your room.

[1/10 · 28 November 2015]

Hollywood, we spoke about this just last week. I know you're young and I know that sometimes means you want to steal ideas from others and think that by changing language and adding "stars" you will make something better but you know it doesn't work. We talked about 9 Quenns just the other day but now you've done it again. A poetic, heartbreaking, beautifully acted, thriller from Argintinia gets turned into barely watchable mush. So, go to you room, no dinner and don't do it again. And once you have realised the error of your ways we will watch the original and realise that having to read and watch a film isn't the end of the world and even better, opens you up to the idea that the action, the great stories, the films that treat the viewer as an adult, generally, don't come out of Hollywood anymore. Argintinia alone has been steadily putting out gem after gem, maybe we will have a mini fest on that country's output and forget bad remakes for a while.