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StephenHarker
Reviews
Downfalls High (2021)
Unique and surprising in a good way.
Let's get something out of the way. This is barely a film. It's more like a one hour music video with a loose and cheesy storyline that ties all the videos together. That being said, I really enjoyed this project. The writing is cliche and sometimes overly dramatic and the acting can be a bit wooden but that's the point. It's like a filmed version of a medium budget stage production with an absolute killer soundtrack. All the songs in this are really good and bring back a nostalgic yet new feeling in their sound and lyrics. In the end, give this a watch. It's unique and unlike anything I've ever seen before.
The Dirt (2019)
Over the Top in a Great Way!
I recently rewatched this movie after I watched it for the first time the day it came out and even though I liked it then, I have to admit I like it more upon rewatch than I did initially, now I even think it's underrated. At first viewing it seemed a bit disjointed in some places and too over the top but upon rewatch I think some scenes and sequence of events feeling disjointed is part of the idea and the over the top scenes and acting in some places is part of the movie's tone. The movie takes place in the 1980s and it plays out as over the top as most 80s movies so it makes sense for the tone. The movie is the story about the hair metal band Mötley Crüe and shows their highs and lows during the height of their popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. The acting in the movie is really good and I think it's great that they got some unknown actors to play most memebers of the band. Colson Baker (Machine Gun Kelly) especially surprised me, I didn't know he was a good actor but this movie proved me wrong. The dialogue in the movie and the interactions between the characters felt very real and human which is welcomed in a movie filled with so many crazy moments. I also think the movie does a great job balancing comedy with drama. There are some funny moments but also some really dark scenes that deal with very heavy themes that I'm glad the movie didn't shy away from showing since those events did happen in real life. That's another point in the movie's favor, it doesn't play it safe with what it shows and what it doesn't, this movie is a hard 'R' rated movie and it's definitely not for kids but that's good because Mötley Crüe did lead 'R rated' lives. In the end, without giving too much away this movie can be enjoyed by fans of the band and newcomers alike. It has laughs, great music and some really hard-hitting emotional scenes. Give it a watch and see if it kickstarts your heart.
Upgrade (2018)
Underrated Action Gem
Upgrade was one of the best movies of 2018 and looking back on it...it's even better. This movie is an underrated gem that I hope more people watch in years to come. The basic story is so generic: a man seeks revenge for the death of his wife. How many times have we heard that, right? Yes. But Upgrade takes it in such a unique direction that you can't help but admire it. The story takes place in the future so that already changes the setting of this generic premise, the rest I won't spoil for you but it breathes life on a story we've heard a million times before. The acting in this movie is really solid and the writing is really smart and clever. The two things that stand out to me the most are the world building and of course, the action. The world building in this movie is so well done and it feels so natural, other big budget movies should learn from this one if we're being honest. Then there's the action, I think these action setpieces are some of the best for any low-budget movie that I have ever seen in my life. The action is so creative and so well shot it's honestly incredible. This movie is very well made and is the type of movies I want to see more of, low budget that doesn't show, good acting, great writing with fantastic action, what's not to love?
The Outrider (2019)
What other people would've done with this budget...
It takes a lot of expertise and craftsmanship to make a movie, especially a good one. Making a film is not just a job you take because you think it is going to be easy and fun, it is a job that requires passion and creativity. It appears to me after watching The Outrider that the people who made this movie did not have any passion or creativity. I try to not be too harsh on first-time productions but this movie fails on pretty much every level. From a screenplay filled with cliche dialogue and uninteresting characters to pretty bad sound quality, set design and effects. You could argue these last three were due to the budget but there are way better films out there that have been made with this same amount of money or even less. The acting is wooden and dull, the plot is not as interesting as it thinks it is and again, the sound in this movie...what is with the audio quality? Couldn't the production aford boom-mics or maybe have the actors re-dub their lines in post? The music is also pretty standard and generic, it's probably not terrible on its own but it's just so generic and doesn't sound unique enough to keep your attention. There are certain scenes that could've benefited from having a silent moment but instead they play this loud score that really takes you out of a scene instead of ivesting you in it. The worst part is that I honestly thought this movie could be good. Despite the story being extremely generic I can see it being done right if they took it in another direction. In the end The Outrider really disappointed me. Ride as far away from it, as you can.
I also feel the need to point out something else about this movie. To be completely honest I would have given this movie one more star considering it is a first time production but one thing stopped me from doing it: the fake reviews. The fact that whoever made this movie has posted fake reviews on this very website proves that they were not confident enough to let their final product get the reviews it deserves. They are trying to fool people with good reviews about the movie when the movie's quality is far from good. I am really sorry, I would've taken it easier with this movie if it wasn't for the fake reviews.