Patron saint of mediocrities.
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllRecent reviews
More-
Saltburn 2023
Such a devastatingly misguided third act, shattering any semblance of an interesting idea that preceded it. Fennell abruptly veers away from her genuinely compelling exploration of complicated romance, imposing houseguests and a gradual acclimation to frivolity, rebounding instead to make Keoghan’s motivations purely malevolent. The experience feels fruitless, any emotions conjured rendered pointless, in service of some vapid, autofellacio, provoking-to-provoke twist. After being completely invested in the absurdity of these cartoon characters as a foil to a wonderfully grounded Keoghan, my tastes have been soured.
Translated from by -
Office Killer 1997
Pulpy as fuck! Office Killer is a surprisingly subversive slasher crowded with hilarious, uncanny caricatures of white collar workers and obvious admiration of works by the likes of Aldrich and William Castle. Satirical office politics and deliberate overacting push the film firmly toward comedy rather than rousing thriller, but as a whole it can be embraced with a grin despite tonal issues. The belle of the ball here is unquestionably a deranged Carol Kane but more love for Barbara Sukowa…
Translated from by
Popular reviews
More-
The Love Witch 2016
An awesome, if slightly reproachable homage to 60s B-movies and Technicolor. I usually don’t care for an aesthetic wholly imitative of an era of film - especially one going for an ambiguous ‘retro’ look - but The Love Witch homes in on a distinct atmosphere and completely nails it. It helps some that Samantha Robinson inexplicably embodies the 60s, her appearance akin to a Sharon Tate or Natalie Wood. Perhaps why she was also cast in Once Upon a Time……
Translated from by -
Death and the Maiden 1994
Moments of clumsiness and implausibility fail to hinder the swelling tension of Death and the Maiden. With the aid of a superb ensemble cast, Polanski creates an intelligent, quietly filmic thriller that remains faithfully character driven as an adaption of Dorfman’s play.
Persistent in its quasi-theatricality, thriller clichés are generally missing, substituted with a provocative realism that proves to be far more shocking. Weaver’s erratic indecision in moving between bursts of violence and joining her husband in permitting Kingsley…Translated from by
