What was the last movie you saw...? Part IV

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Digger (2026)

A comedy drama from Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The Revenant, Birdman and Babel among others!). This stars Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg and Sandra Huller.

The film starts with "Digger" Rockwell (an aged Cruise) a multi-billionaire businessman learning that one of his drilling facilities in Greenland is causing a glacier to crack apart, later there's an explosion at the facility and the glacier carves a huge iceberg which heads off towards Europe and the inevitable disaster! The film follows his subsequemt interactions between Digger, the President (Goodman) and Diggers put upon assistant Ganesh (Ahmed).

SPOILER:

: show

After about 25 minutes you realise that these people are performing a stage play and the scenes up until now have been rehearsals. The play has been financed by Kenny (Plemons) a nephew of the original Digger and the events depicted happened many years previously.

It's interesting that many people who have given this poor reviews seem to have hated this twist, those who have given it more positive reviews seem to have embraced it.

It's quite a well made film, the acting is quite good from Cruise, Goodman and Ahmed, but mixed reviews and Box Office flop means they probably won't be getting much Oscar buzz as I think was hoped for before release (it may still get the Make-up and Hair nomination for making Cruise look about 90!). I didn't mind the film, it was an interest experiment, but I didn't love it. 6/10

[Zzzptm]

^That's the twist Wes Anderson used in his movie about flying saucers.

[Typhon]

The thing I've found with critics/scoring services is that consistency is the key. I don't really care if I agree with them so much as if I can trust that if they say something sucks, I'll like it or if they say it's great, I'll like it. I have read Robert Christgau for decades, and most of the time I do not agree with him on music. Which works out great for me. He's consistent. Consistently wrong

When Siskel & Ebert were alive, I very much enjoyed their show.  When they both agreed on a film, 90% of the time I agreed with them, whether their thumbs were up or down. 

[Charger]

Halloween month kick off:

THE NUN

In the 1950s there's an abbey in rural Romania where a hung body of a nun is found. The Vatican sends a Priest and a Nun novice to investigate, soon they find that something very sinister is happening at the abbey and that there is something strange about the nuns there.

Damian Bachir and Taissa Farmiga do great jobs in the lead in this horror movie connected to the Conjuring series.

Taissa is ofcourse the younger sister of Vera Farmiga who played Lorraine Warren in the original movies.

There are plenty of good scares here and the atmosphere is eerie and the fact that it was ACTUALLY shot on location in Romania makes it bit more special and the scenery is beatiful and sinister at the same time.

Most certainly one of the better horror movies of it's genre this one and if you enjoyed the Conjuring movies you'll enjoy this one as it ties in quite well with both the first and the second one.


*  *  *  *

[Typhon]

Halloween month kick off:

You beat me to it. 

Diary of a Madman (1963)

Set in the 19th century, a French magistrate (Vincent Price) comes into contact with a malevolent entity.  The invisible being, called a "horla" is capable of limited psychokinesis and complete mind control.  The horla ultimately tries to force the magistrate to kill his future bride (Nancy Kovack).

A good deal of intense drama throughout the film.  Price does an excellent job, of course.  8/10

[Zzzptm]

When Siskel & Ebert were alive, I very much enjoyed their show.  When they both agreed on a film, 90% of the time I agreed with them, whether their thumbs were up or down. 

Split vote, I'd go with Ebert usually. Both thumbs up, I found a way to see the movie.

[Charger]

The thing I've found with critics/scoring services is that consistency is the key. I don't really care if I agree with them so much as if I can trust that if they say something sucks, I'll like it or if they say it's great, I'll like it. I have read Robert Christgau for decades, and most of the time I do not agree with him on music. Which works out great for me. He's consistent. Consistently wrong

There was a newspaper movie critic here back in the day that was quite similar.

You knew when he gave a movie a 5 star review that it was some utter shite artsy farty crap and when he gave it a 1 star that it was gonna be a great movie!

I remember him giving Titanic 5 stars and the first LOTR 2 stars!

[Typhon]

The Lost Continent (1968)

From Hammer Studios, a diverse group of passengers set sail on a somewhat old cargo ship in an attempt to escape their various troubles.  When a violent storm strikes, the ship is swept into the Sargasso Sea and the Captain (Eric Porter) and passengers find themselves trapped on an island populated by man-eating seaweed, giant crabs and Spanish conquistadors who believe it’s still the 16th century.

A wild, yet, fun tale with realistic looking sets.  A big thank you to the props department for this one.  9/10

[Typhon]

The Day of the Triffids (1963)

After an unusual meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind  The few left with sight must find a way to conquer tall, aggressive plants which are feeding on people and animals.

Decent story I remember from my teenage years.  Still fairly entertaining.  7/10

[Charger]

Halloween month continues

THE NUN II

Sister Irene is called upon by the Vatican to investigate mysterious series of deaths that seem to be linked to the events in Romania. She soon discovers that an old friend has something sinister and familiar attached to him.

A direct sequel dives bit deeper in Sister Irene and her past even if the focus is still on the demon.

There are some very good scares in this one but the story doesn't have the punch the first movie did. This also moves ahead at a slower pace.

Taissa Farmiga does a good job again as does Jonas Bloquet and the young Kaitlyn Rose Downey.

Good addition to the Conjuring series, but could have been better.

*  *  *

[Typhon]

The Phantom of the Opera (1962)

From Hammer Studios, a London opera house is haunted by tragic events on its opening night, but when its star (Heather Sears) is kidnapped, a producer (Edward de Souza) tracks down the Phantom (Herbert Lom) who is intent on seeking his revenge.

A fine presentation of this classic horror story.  Great looking opera house scenes.  8/10

[Charger]

Halloween month special part 3


THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA

When a social worker is called upon a mother of two who is seemingly abusing her two boys and takes the children into custody only to then discover them murdered by drowing her own children start to see apparation of a woman dressed in white trying to hurt them. She soon discovers that the same evil force responsible for killing the two boys is now after her children and with a help of a former priest she tries to fight the ghost before it's too late.

The movie takes place in 1976 and is somewhat tied into the world of The Conjuring movies as Tony "Bra'Tac" Amendola reprises his role as Father Perez from the Annabelle movie.

The stunning Linda Cardellini does a good job in the lead and the movie has good pacing but sadly it isn't all that scary, mainly because they end up showing maybe bit too much bit too early, instead of building up the horror as was the case in the other Conjuring universe movies. Raymond Cruz's character was bit under developed.

This could have been great, but it turned out average...

*  * ½

[Typhon]

Berserk! (1967)

Set in England, a lady ringmaster (Joan Crawford) uses the publicity from a string of murders at her circus to increase ticket sales.  But who is committing the murders?

An entertaining story using a real life circus as the backdrop.  8/10

[Typhon]

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)

In Paris, in the beginning of the Twentieth Century, a theater owner (Jason Robards) at the Rue Morgue,  performs the play "Murders in the Rue Morgue" with his wife (Christine Kaufmann), who has dreadful nightmares.  When there are several murders by acid of people connected to the owner, the prime suspect is the owner's former partner (Herbert Lom).  But years earlier he had committed suicide!

Nice period scenes of the time.  However, the story drags a bit, which dilutes its effectiveness.  5/10

[Charger]

Halloween horror continues


OUIJA

After Laine's closest friend Debbie committed suicide she finds an ouija board and tries to contact Debbie with her friends. She indeed makes contact but it is soon revelead that it's not with Debbie but with something much more sinister and that it might have had something to do with Debbie's apparent suicide.

A bit of a twist in the ghost horror genre.

Olivia Cooke does a pretty good job in the lead.

The good thing is this one isn't you're average teen slasher. But sadly this isn't all that scary, but there are one or two good little scares.

Despite the compact 90 minute running time it still takes a while before the movie gets going...and then it kind of rushed to the end.


*  *  ½