amitchmcleod Reviews

Season of the Witch (2022)

Gather a new perspective

[8/10 · 9 January 2024]

There's an idea ingrained into the mind of many individuals, the idea of the image of a witch. Green and grotesque in the face, unkempt hair, twisted limbs, often times keeled over and frail, given power only through their magic. When women were being falsely accused of witchcraft and then taken from their homes in the night, hidden, beaten, tortured until they were dragged into the streets for public execution before a cheering audience, it's no wonder this is the image that burned itself into people's minds.

Season of the Witch offers a new perspective, an honest look into witchcraft and what it actually is; what is actually entails. It works hard to offer a look from the other side, to derail the stigma that comes with witchcraft and those who proclaim themselves practitioners of the craft. And regardless of where you lie in your knowledge of the subject, the result is enthralling.

If you've ever been curious, ever wanted to know more about the subject of witchcraft, Season of the Witch is a great starting point that will give you a glimpse into the history and modernization of the subject and offer names and books that one might look into to continue their education. At 70ish minutes, it doesn't require much of your time and breezes by. Even with YouTube ads it was over before I knew it.

Give it a look. Follow it up with books, perhaps starting with some of the names given in this documentary. And be sure to keep an eye out for what Jerry Sword does next.

Mind Body Spirit (2023)

Excellent indie horror

[8/10 · 14 October 2023]

To my delight, I was treated to this film as the opening night film at the Freak Show Horror Film Festival. With a few exceptions here and there I can say with great passion that I am not a fan of the found footage genre, a genre that has its value in the genre but one that I find repetitive throughout and there always comes a point where I can't find justification in the characters' continued use of a camera outside of the need to carry forward a film for another 70 minutes.

Mind Body Spirit does what few in the genre have managed to do in creating a clever use of the camera and one that justifies its continued use and allows us, without giving spoilers, to not only view this piece through the eyes of our protagonist but as voyeurs as well, looking in on something truly frightening that we shouldn't be looking in on.

There are so few performances here in this one, with Sarah J. Bartholomew expertly carrying the bulk of the film on her shoulders, oftentimes being the only character we see on screen for extended periods of time. Madi Bready offers a strong supporting performance as an overly arrogant influencer and, with the little she has on screen, Anna Knigge also manages a sharp performance that feels emotional and grounded enough in its minimal appearance that it manages to pull the viewer in and make us care for the troubled separation of mother and daughter.

The scares are genuinely impactful, relying on clever camera work and a keen eye rather than jump scares and heavy gore with a minimalist score that never overstays its welcome and never comes too soon.

Overall, I've been to many festivals and seen many films at these festivals and I've never felt so compelled to run to IMDb and leave a review for one of them. This one is different. It's competently made and shows true artistic merit. Flock to this one when it's available. It's most certainly a top tier showcase of indie filmmaking.

Dexter: New Blood: Sins of the Father (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

A fitting farewell to a fantastic season.

[10/10 · 10 January 2022]

Dexter: New Blood is easily the best season of the series since the first. The team behind it took the unenviable task of picking up from an ending felt by most fans to be unsatisfying and deliver us something that would me a more fitting farewell to the story and I believe, despite some poor reviews, that they have succeeded.

This episode is everything an ending to a show like this should have been; poignant, intense, dark, and emotional. As always, people will complain when something doesn't end the precise way in which they think it should. Viewers complained that the ending of the original series didn't end with Dexter dead and locked up and yet, with this show ending with the former, people are still complaining. It just goes to show that you can't please everybody.

I'm a fan of the actor who played Harrison as well, but the exceptional work this actor did by internalizing everything and delivering a subtle and haunting performance also won't be for the crowd that requires everything to be on the surface but oh well. Love him though I do, I certainly hope that they don't choose to do a spin-off that puts him front and center. The end felt like the end, like there's no more to this story to tell, and to showcase Harrison continuing his father's "legacy" feels like it would be a cheap way to destroy a perfectly moving and well-rounded character arc.

All in all, haters are quick to flock in droves to put their fierce ridicule on full display. That's the issue where everybody has a public voice in the internet age. But, if you appreciate the character work done by the actors and writing team and understand character arcs even in the slightest, you're probably going to enjoy this one.

What a beautiful ending to what was once, in its prime, the greatest thing on televison.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Nostalgic with its own life

[7/10 · 28 December 2021]

I get the hate. I really do. I found Resurrections to be a refreshing entry into the series. Maybe it's because I went in with such low expectations, prepared to hate it, that I didn't have the same reaction that so many are having. Maybe a rewatch is in order to really know.

Resurrections did a fine job of incorporating its obligatory nostalgia-based fan service while also taking off on its own legs to carry on the story in a satisfying way that sees our two primary heroes reunited. It's not as good as the original but nothing was ever going to be. I would rank it well beyond Reloaded and put it about on par with Revolutions.

It has its problems for sure. I wasn't a big fan of the portrayals or Morpheus or Smith (nothing against the actors) and the ending certainly leaves a bit to be desired, but other than a few nitpicks here and there it managed to deliver in ways I didn't quite expect.

Was it necessary to make? No, of course it wasn't. But I'm happy to see it exist. Don't expect the same old formula because the times have changed.

Midnight Mass (2021)

A modern masterpiece

[10/10 · 1 October 2021]

Mike Flanagan has proven himself once again to be at the top of his game with his latest work, Midnight Mass. Flanagan has proven himself a unique talent with an unbelievable ability to create moving dramas infused with lingering horror throughout in a way that far outdoes the majority of his peers.

Midnight Mass is an emotionally riveting story about grief, remorse, and redemption that, in the process, takes aim at radical evangelism without attacking faith itself. If you are one of the many angry Christians leaving negative reviews on this page then it's likely that you're exactly who the show is taking aim at.

There are a multitude of monologues, as so many have commented, but they all seem to fit right in place and are written and performed with such enormous capability that they don't drag and never feel out of place.

If you're expecting a horror thrill ride then this isn't the show for you, but if you're willing to take a journey into a fascinating character study that takes its time to develop everything to perfection before building up to some of the most genuinely horrific moments I've seen on screen then dive right in.

Hats off to Mike Flanagan for nailing it once more.

Potter's Ground (2021)

A fun thrill ride of a Western!

[10/10 · 14 September 2020]

Potter's Ground is a fun and exciting throwback to classic adventure movies a la Mr. Spielberg and Lucas. Don't let that fool you though, as it also has enough dark and mature elements to give everybody something to be pleased with by the end of the experience.

The script is written with such rapier wit and the cinematography should be inspirational for anybody looking to create a film on a minimal budget. All of the talent here is exceptional in their delivery, with the standouts being writer/actor Scott Crain and actress Katharine Franco.

Mr. Butts has already delivered in the past with successful short films and, with this, he has managed to prove himself as a filmmaker who is able to adequately make that difficult transfer of talent from shorts to features.

Don't sleep on this one. You won't come across much better in the world of low budget filmmaking. That's a promise that I can say with confidence will be lived up to.

The Scientist (2020)

Before the apocalypse

[7/10 · 19 August 2020]

This was an entertaining movie and something of a rarity among zombie lore. Whereas most movies of the genre place you smack dab into the zombie apocalypse or the aftermath of such an event, this one gives you an unexpected look into the events leading up to it.

I don't typically watch trailers and I went into this one blindly and I'm glad I did as it left me surprised and when I realized what was going on and what it would ultimately lead up to I found it to be a rewarding experience.

I can't say there were any cast members that didn't deliver, but the standout performance was that of leading man Robb Hudspeth. The range that he expressed throughout this film showed that of dedicated and capable actor that we should all look forward to seeing more from.

Lake Artifact (2019)

This might be my first review

[8/10 · 8 July 2020]

I don't leave IMDb reviews because I've never quite seen the point. Full disclosure: I'm leaving this because somebody left a review on my own film who also reviewed this and in checking it out I wanted to share my own thoughts.

No, this isn't a perfect film by any means. That said, I want to commend the writer/director for tackling such a subject on what I can only assume was an exceptionally low budget.

My biggest complaint here would be that I feel we didn't have enough time to shape the characters here and that's a big one in a character driven piece such as this one. I would have liked to see them all fleshed out, because I came to the point of almost caring about their individual plights but not quite.

The cinematography on a low budget is mostly superb and the acting is as good as it gets. It's an intelligent take told for less than what it deserves, and I highly recommend it for anybody who wants a good story and can be forgiving of the nature that inevitably comes with a low budget. Either way, I'll definitely be checking in on this director to see what comes next.

Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019) Season 8, Episode 6

One of the best finales I've seen in a series

[10/10 · 20 May 2019]

Honestly, the massive influx of one star ratings is ridiculous.

Game of Thrones has been a monumental achievement in television for nearly a decade now and this season has been no different. Even though it didn't feel rushed to me I could somewhat see where some may be coming from in regard to that element but the egregious backlash is absurd.

The final episode does a beautiful job bringing long built up character arcs full circle, and every single one of these moments felt like they were earned. The series does not end on a particularly happy note while not ending on an entirely bleak note either that so many expected. Instead, it falls somewhere in the middle and feels extremely bittersweet.

The acting and direction are superb, and I'm happy to see these actors doing such sublime work to give these characters and the fans a proper farewell.

When it comes to popular shows like this it seems people are quick to hate. Fans have their theories and expectations and, for many, there is no pleasing them if those don't turn into a reality.

Overall, you may not enjoy it as much as I did but don't think for a second it's as awful as the toxic fanboys are making it out to be. Truly it seems like there were those who couldn't wait to rush over and give it a one.

For me, personally, this is my second favorite ending to any series I've seen, falling second only to the brilliant ending that was Six Feet Under.