curtd-49392 Reviews

Arctic Void (2022)

Contrary to others here expecting something else, I enjoyed it.

[6/10 · 15 January 2022]

A movie should fulfill it's promise. The script, acting, direction, lighting, and photography are better than most foreign films, and even the sound holds together. Americans (myself included) prefer more closure than the ending provides. And I'm still unsure whether or not I understand the ending. But the truth is that for a Saturday afternoon on a cold winter day, it was beautiful to look at, held attention, better crafted, and far, far, better edited than much higher budget productions. The credits state that it was filmed with 16 people in 16 days and there are some interesting names in the 'Special Thanks' credits that are encouraging, and might explain that success. So IMO the movie fulfills its promise even if the crew didn't carry the story to a comforting end.

The Kindred (2021)

Worth the watch, Promising, but suffers from pacing.

[5/10 · 28 December 2021]

Enjoyed it. Reasonable casting, acting, direction, script, production. Premise acceptable. Well executed. Expect common complaints that it's either too slow or too long, But for those of us who consume the genre it's better than most. Overly critical is that the lead can't quite carry the role, but then only the best actresses could, because the demand for emotional portrayal and transformation required for the part would overwhelm most.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

It really is that bad. No. Really. it's really, really bad.

[1/10 · 30 October 2019]

Who paid for this? Seriously. Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders?) The entire chase-fight sequence? I wanted to start laughing ... at everything but... it was worse than comical. That CGI looked more ridiculous than the spinning-neo sequence in Matrix 2. And what is the problem with Hollywood and Heroic Canon? Aliens, Star Wars, Terminator? Why not just flim the entire thing in mexico with a full Mexican cast, and relabel it 'Terminator : Illegal Alien Edition'.

About half way through I heard "Make it stop! make it stop! make it stop!"... and then realized it was me doing the shouting.

Hold the Dark (2018)

Surprise of the Year.

[10/10 · 1 October 2018]

I shouldn't be surprised by the negative reviews, but I am. Hold the dark was well cast, well acted, well written, well shot, brilliant, dreamlike, almost surreal, as we follow a confused lead though, an unpredictably evolving different plots in every act - and I was riveted the entire time.

It is unfortunate that those of us who love this form have so few opportunities to enjoy it, but this one will be rewatched every year or so, and enjoyed every time.