MK_Ultra_ Reviews

Civil War (2024)

Wanted to love.

[6/10 · 25 May 2024]

It's a good film, and like anything Garland makes, there will always be polarized opinions, and that tells you there is something "buzzing" in his films.

This seemed to put him back into a "smaller scale" of a film. How could that be when it's a film about a secessionistic series of events and a "third term?", when that was uttered it sent a chill down my spine, as it's just a way to show you the Constitution is no longer in play.

By smaller scale I saw that it seemed to rely on "smaller" backdrops and sets. The film didn't have room to breathe, or the characters much room to develop. Doesn't make it a bad film, just feels a missed opportunity. I came away with mixed feelings when the credits rolled.

As a Alan Vega fanboy, as well as the works of Barrow and Salisbury---Garland's choice of soundtrack/score work never ceases to be the best choice for his work of late. I believe he's used them since Ex Machina/Devs. Hearing The older Suicide tracks made my ears perk up.

Good film. Just the run time restricts the relevance of the film.

6.5/10.

Flynn (I) (2024)

Wingnut material

[1/10 · 23 May 2024]

Flyyn drank too much kool-aid throuhgout the years or its too many nearby shell concussions during his time in war. He is the epitomy of extreme relious front meets a unadutlerated traitor. This is what Faux News spouts 24 hours a day, as they have sewn the seeds of dischord and speculative gaslighting for years, so much so---you may have noticed they hopefully sued into oblivion for their own brand of "fake news"

These postive reviews that spout "the bad reviews are politicized" whenin fact you'll see this is their deflection mode; say something negatively, accusing the "other side" of something while doing so themselves. Just look at the last 6 years and youll see where the seeds have been planted? Poltical? Nope, just the facts. It's all right there in front of you, and this is just further gaslighting exemplifying him at a "Patriot" when he actually has removed the good he has done, long before Jesus eroded his brains, and supplanting him as some sort of pariah. GASLIGHTING 101 folks.

Humane (2024)

A scratched an itch, for me anyways.

[7/10 · 18 May 2024]

Went in blind, other than the film promo poster/first look tease a few months back. The thoroughbred family name still remains very relevant to myself, growing up in the 80s worshipping Caitlins father and seemingly carrying over to Brandon's last few most excellent offerings.

It's a debut, and for that alone, I applaud C. Berg. Its well done, a little darker than I'd like in some scenes (mostly takes place in 2 locations---inside the patriarch homestead, and outside the front yard.

It's a dysfunctional family in its highest order, maybe moreso that Rian Johnsons cast of Knives Out of more recent outings. You have an adopted recovering addict that has made more than 3 very bad decisions in his life, though maintained succeeding in fine arts and an accomplished pianist, a spoiled entitled politically connected adulterer who child hates him, a cold calculated "karen" of a sister, who also has a child that hates her and another that strives to be an actress. So you lock this mess into a large home while they go "Lord of Flies" on each other after fighting over who will take the place of one of the two that "enlists" (as part of a depopulation method due to food shortages and the the dying planet) after one decides to take off when the "depopulater team" show up, and aren't leaving without the two contracted bodies.

What ensues is more of a dark and societal satire approach that held my interest moreso than the brethren "bad child vampire" film in a not all that dissimilar vein, "Abigail." While not as graphic with the body horror, blood is split. Repeatedly and often.

A for effort, and a solid B for delivery.

Welcome Caitlin, your vision is not unlike your predecessors and will be interesting to see where she goes in her next vision.

New Life (I) (2023)

Beware the hyperbolic first wave of reviews.

[2/10 · 8 May 2024]

There are times I see the reviews well before the film is even released, and I should just file that under the things that make you go...hmmmm.

In this case a serious hmmm is in order and warranted. This film has cinematography going for it, and little else. It's about 80 minutes too long, and the storyline borrows infinitely every.single.trope of a deadly disease du jour film and rather than build off that trope, it triples down in a gubmint/Big Pharm conspiracy. This is below average at best script wise and even with the short run time, you take away a plot hole inducing scenes and you're heading into a poorly made short story.

Hard pass because of the obvious streamer release boost attempt.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Good film, but temper expectations.

[5/10 · 2 May 2024]

After making one of my favorite films of the last 5 years or so with the amazing Saint Maud, was looking forward to another film from Rose Glass, maybe more than I care to admit.

Finally saw the hype and checked the trailers and went in.

It's a simple story of a dark family past couple with oddly complicated and surreal budding lesbian relationship. I say simple because it's not a complex story line. There are clear cut family issues on both sides and when secrets start to come out, the retribution from the father takes over.

I was looking forward to a "road movie." ala Thelma and Louise on steroids (pun intended) and got a bit of convoluted film that might stumble some here and there, but felt like the screenplay/writing in general didn't allow this film to breathe and develop. I found Ed Harris to be the true wildcard here, like he usually is, and casted perfectly. The girls---to be honest, I didn't find that interesting as the relationship goes from zero to a hundred and back in the third act and ends rather anticlimatic. The violence is graphic and part of the story, but it's also the overall factor that drives this piece of cultist noir, and not the storyline or acting unfortunately.

Rose Glass is a force no doubt.

Yes, I can call myself a general fan of most A24 releases but this one misses the mark for me. Not a terrible.film by any means, just wasn't all that cohesive or something I'd recommend beyond some fellow pulp film fans.

Mayhem! (2023)

Good to see you again XG...

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

Been awhile. The last film I saw from Gens was Frontier(s) some years back which was eye opening and fiersome.

Fast forward, and here we are. He's done some "smaller" projects I believe since my indoctrination into Euro horror and thrillers, abd this one did not disappoint.

All too familiar tropes won't work if you don't have the atmospheres, the cinematography, and in this particular case, the extreme violent sequences. So beware, this film was far away from the faint of heart, but he did pay over and above homage to some of the better directors in the subgenre---Takashi Miike, Perk Chan Wook and the more recent to join in this clan, Gareth Evans.

It's bleak, it's realistic and graphic at the core of the violence. But when you have a solid lead protagonist---the violence comes through that character rather easily. It's a story of redemption in its infancy that turns on its heels into one of the best revenge films of the the past 10 years. Gritty, beautifully shot, and gripping enough to hold you, and even hard to look away when its at it most challengingly disturbing.

Bring on the XG shark film...

You'll Never Find Me (2023)

Terrifyingly brilliant

[9/10 · 22 March 2024]

A slow burn of sorts. Dialogue driven with a pure sense of uneasiness as a set up. An uncomfortable reminder of what hides amongst us. When it's portrayed in such a genuinely and increasingly twisted third act, I'd say this is why you watch horror: To be challenged by an uncomfortable situation unfolding on the screen. In this type of film that uses such buildup of tension and distrust, (coupled with amazing sound direction and creepy drones throughout) between the two leads is disturbing at its best, only to leave an impression on you well after the credits roll with warped third act. This one leaves a mark.

To delve into the setup would be spoilers defined. To get the most out of this film that nails every level of what a horror film gives to the willing viewer in such a effective way, go in blind and submerge yourself, undistracted, into this one, to get the most out out of what the writer/director team is very effectively giving you.

Solid 9/10.

Poor Things (2023)

Good film

[8/10 · 2 March 2024]

Recently got to finally seeing Poor Things and its quite an achievement and direction for Lanthimos this time around. It's like The Wizard of Oz for adults, though has more in common with a warped Terry Gilliam "Daughter of Frankenstein" approach.

Twisted to its core, and coming off the equally weird The Curse, Emma Smith, again, knocks it out of the park yet again with a stunningly rich acting tour de force playing the "brain stunted" creation. This, like anything Lanthimos touches, is quite a visionary adult fairy tale. Steeped in dark ish taboos and even darker comedic elements Dafoe also shines here, as the twisted, lonely, creator.

My only issue, which is the film is just short of 2 1/2 hours, is the run time. It just loses it freshness a bit after the 2 hour mark. That was maybe just me as I can handle longer than average films, but it felt like it could've been trimmed.nicely in the third act.

Solid 8/10.

Summary: Good film.

Beacon 23 (2023– )

Waste of time.

[3/10 · 28 February 2024]

Low budget, single set-esque scifi isn't always bad. In fact, some can be quite effectively done, capturing the isolation and the unknown of space throughout cinematic history.

What we have here is quite the opposite, and frankly was startled that it even greenlit a second season. Headley's carreer path, elevated by GOT but her decision here is questionable at best, but she will rebound from this blip on her LinkedIn/IMDB pages.

It's boring, derivative and just plain uninteresting. Flipped it off an episode prior to the finale was the saving grace here. Just has to have a direction. This series seems to fly loose from the beginning, lacking cohesiveness and with the plethora of streaming choices, you're better suited looking elsewhere for quality science fiction.

True Detective (2014– )

Season 4...

[2/10 · 30 January 2024]

Being a fan of the first season, skipping the second after 2 episodes in (lousy season), and lukewarm on season 3 (was okay), I'm at the point where "can millions of people be wrong?"

Probably not, but just throwing that out there.

Season 4, so far, through 3 episodes---for me---is a criminally overrated slog. Who is the protagonist? Why should we care about all the unknown "soap opera-esque" hangups between the characters as they develop? There is the element of being derivative hanging over this (hello, John Carpenter), but the element of tribal spiritualism and some inklings of supernatural elements weigh it down as much as they are possibly keeping this series afloat. Talking put of both sides of my mouth, but the trappings of a less than suitable tying up of loose ends is running out of time and space.

It's goofy at times (the few scenes with CGI are laughably bad in 2023-2024), it's boring most of the time...but the ending of the episodes bring in the element of the next episode will reveal more, but after three episodes of that same approach, I feel a further letdown on the horizon.

It's kind of a mess, bottom line, and the scatterbrained script is really getting hard to watch as it unfolds in slow motion.

With that said, this is the halfway point I do believe. Episode 3 out of 6 and just waiting for something to happen.

Tempering expectations because a lot of the legitimate nationally publicated reviewers that I normally trust seem to go cuckoo for cocoapuffs over their reviewable full season preview that got me back onboard, but subjective as it can be---and even some calling this more of a "horror" themed season, it's falling completely flat other than a few disturbing scenes and the element of what is yet to be revealed.

Edited for end of season assessment after watching finale:

Absolutely a mess. They ran out of budget or couldn't find an editor to come in and clear.said mess. This is and was a complete disaster of a season, and starting to wonder about the promotional material they ran about the time of the Superbowl, where they folled.the screen with review quote snippets, if those were for all of the MAX content or this series, because a little slight of hand marketing wise might have been in play to sell this crap to the masses.

This one's a hard pass.

Bring Him to Me (2023)

Derivative as it gets.

[3/10 · 25 January 2024]

Trailer looked like a lean and mean noir and right up my alley.

I guess the trailer showed me too much or the script was AI generated (I kid?). Let's start with cinematography. It does pay homage to Mann's style but when the scriptwriting is weak, and when you're looking at the cinematography for a redemptive need or want to finish the film, then well, I can see why some would just shut this off and go outside for a walk for the last hour.

It's a formulaic crime "thriller" shrouded in finger pointing with the weight of the red herring in the room (and every scene) as you can feel the familiar twist just waiting to divulge itself. It finally does and it really has lost most of its own steam when it does, as it was more of an "ah" moment versus an enthusiastic "AHA!"

It's not a terrible film, it's just a straight line operation, no one to route for, no single character stands out, the crusty ole veteran criminal, the young prodigy trying to earn a living the wrong way, and a garage full of criminality lead by a strangely accented woman...is that a comedic take on a Boston accent from a film made in Australia?

Yikes.

Boring, derivative, and just suffers a serious case of low energy.

The Royal Hotel (2023)

Nothing to see here.

[2/10 · 12 January 2024]

Weak script, surprising downgrade role for a somewhat accomplished young actress like Julia Garner. Part "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" coupled with the darkness of Donald Pleasance's down under fever dream "Wake in Fright" minus the fever, but putting the "d" in drunken debauchery. It's 90 minutes of round the clock Australian creeps making fools of themselves as a buildup of rape-y clowns harass the two lead actresses for an exhaustingly weak film.

This one isn't worth the time to sit in front of. Garner just doesn't have luxury of the script writing that makes her classic lead actress-ing shine. She screams, she cries, she overserves the patrons (like she has a choice) at a dingey decrepit Australian bar in the middle of no where. Its not funny, it's not serious, it's not entertaining, there are zero characters to root for, let alone empathize with. Not entirely sure what the demographic for this film would be, other than nihilistic fans of cheaply made films about the male gaze.

Garbage time.

The Curse (2023– )

Words like "cringe" "boring" and "slow"....

[9/10 · 28 November 2023]

---just don't apply when it's dark satire is about just those desciptors. A slow burn of cringe by the awkward, yet brilliant acting and anti-chemistry are what gives this series it's ignition point. If a young Kubrick made a neo dark satire series, it might just feel like this. Never mind the might, it would feel JUST like this.

It's definitely not for everyone and being a big fan of Fielder's work coupled with the Safdie's, this was catnip for the weirdo humor in me. It's takes patience and full understanding the delivery and pitch back humor is stylistic satirical genius.

The pretention and over the top 3 layer storyline is reminiscent of the very prentiously delicious (though found it a bit of a self indulgent slog in the third act) Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness"

This is brilliant to those that like this sort of offkilter independent filmmaking, and the flipside being people that go apeshit for a more "obvious" approach to humor might find this unwatchable.

And thats okay...its all subjective, and I'll take this all day.

Quiz Lady (2023)

Simplistic, surprisingly not funny.

[2/10 · 5 November 2023]

Went into fairly blind and figured the cast alone might take this one.

The first issue/problem is Oh is miscast...we are supposed to believe she's the sister while being old enough to be the mother. She even acts awkward enough throughout to confliction of the characters convoluted age. Not enough to ruin a film, but was just a strange blunder in casting.

Moving forward, we almost got to the end of the second act before realizing Ferrell hasn't even been shown other than on television clips early on.

Couple it with just tame, almost too tame writing and execution and had a feel for how it would end, opted to not finish----nothing was funny. Just felt circular and beyond the premise (which again---sounded like it would work), it just flattens out. The glaring missed opportunities piled on, as you would think with the comedic talent involved (Farrell listed at one of the executive producers), there'd be something to, you know, harken a chuckle or three. They were so few and far between, its hard to recommend a film that was shut off for something else.

Last Sentinel (2023)

Should be renamed "Fell Asleep Sitting Up"

[3/10 · 27 October 2023]

Because that's exactly what I did.

Takes a alimmed.down plot and pulls a double switch to insult its viewers at the end.

In the more recent run of low budget Sci fi. There were a few diamonds in the rough [Silo, Settlers, Vesper], this one falls well short of those that actually left a bit of an impression. This one is a slog, heavy on the dialogue and missing cohesion and someone to root for. There is none of that hear just a subpar film that goes absolutley no where. In slow motion.

The cinematography was nice but the limited set and script left you/me wishing for something more to develop. I'd say skip this one.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Good interpretation

[5/10 · 7 September 2023]

Worth a look. Great cinemarogtaphy...that really stood out for me. The cast and acting solid. Something just doesn't grab me. I do know the backstory very well, being a Nosferatu fan but the tension doesn't quite get there, though it is a very bleak story that most know "doesnt end well".

Sometimes the CGI is a little wonky but the set direction and storyline (though almost too familiar) are all good. I think maybe it's the feel that it's trying to be something it can't be. It's comes off, atmospherically a little Hollywood (though it's not) with the big score, grandiose production feel and summer release, I think it would have better suited as a smaller, folk horror presentation, not unlike Trollhunter, with less of the orchestral/large screen direction it chose. Less is more...

Cobweb (2023)

Weighed down in its own mediocrity

[3/10 · 16 August 2023]

Sounded okay amd went in without trailers. What I came away with was a short story made long technique of film making. It's so devoid of anything, including the development of characters, a cognizant story---hey I would've settled for some actual tension.

It's just a slow circle down the drain and became somewhat of a mercy watch---and also does get a bit exhaustive in its very derivative tropes from about 30 different horror movies, almost making it feel like you seen this film before. The final 15 minutes made me feel stupid for hanging around for the end.

This one is for the kids that find tapping on walls, spiders and long hair scary.

Ashgrove (2022)

Didn't realize Hallmark Channel made end of the world films

[2/10 · 2 July 2023]

I heard about this film.in it's infancy, pre release and saved it to check out when it was available.

Fast forward and finally checked it out. Sort of actually. I couldn't finish it on the rainy Sunday afternoon when there was absolutley nothing on but infomercials. Yes, it's as boring as watching mushrooms grow. The director seems to have tapped into some local band to do the music which was weirdly thrown in at times while the characters, with 20 minutes left, annoyed the piss out of me and my cat enough to just back out and watch something else. So yeah, have no clue how it ended and really didn't care enough to continuing watching.

GameShow Network for the win

Don't waste your time.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Cronenberg-esque "mommy issue" film that takes a big swing...

[5/10 · 29 June 2023]

And mostly misses. At least for me.

At the very least, the film is polarizing and people are talking about it. My opinion is one of disappointment, as I was very excited for the next chapter in Aster's work. He is a true auteur so he will do auteur things. In this case---was a long metaphporical ride that reveals itself only enough to figure out the basics. Phoenix's character, Beau, suffers from crippling anxiety and bread crumbs along the way insinuating guilt.

Phoenix is about as versatile as an actor gets...but the heavy handed approach to keeping the viewer at arms length gets a little exhaustive.

Is it a great looking, well made film? Sure is.

Is the film weighed down by the heavy handed approach to telling this type of story---Sure is.

I felt confused when I shouldn't have and when I felt like the reveal was going to tie things together, it really picks around the edges without the third act payoff.

High Desert (2023)

Watched for a bit

[4/10 · 21 June 2023]

Read some reviews and had caught the tail end of an Arquette interview making the rounds promoting this, so gave it a go.

Myself and the lady liked it some, abd make the point of at least doing 5 or 6 before jumping off, or we wouldn't have finished Ozark or even Better Call Saul...so we stick to that streaming mantra.

We just got bored with it, we were all caught up into week 6 and just felt like it was spinning it's tires. Looked at each other with the week 7 epi ready to fire and decided we just were into it. Very well cast, but disjointed writing just weighs it down and couldn't see ourselves watching another season (if it went that route), let alone another episode. It's just drags...and not sure any of the characters matter.

Homestead (I) (2023)

Boring and derivative.

[3/10 · 20 May 2023]

Having a guilty pleasure for what read as the "darker" element of the genre, checked it out.

The cinematography just brought back the 70s westerns that I grew up watching almost immediately, so settled in. Like most westerns, the antagonist is usual prevalent in the onset. Solid enough acting on all fronts, but what felt like it might head in the direction of interest...it plods along with very limited content, and even more limited expansiveness. Even the scenery, which can elevate these films, fell flat.

It's basically a broken family, a cabin, and some bad dudes out for revenge. That's it. Where some take this next level, the more recent (and pretty excellent) "Old Henry" excelled in bringing forth that classic feel...The Homestead just spins it's tires for the better part of an hour filled with unspectacular series of missed opportunities. I found it reminded me of a made for television (are these still a thing?) film. Very short, very uneventful, short on captivating violence that comes with even the most modern of the genre, and certainly mislabeled along the way as "horror", which confused me about the half way point, as the violence was pretty tame throughout. I can handle crossover appeal with the implied supernatural elements entwined with western films (High Plains Drifter) and horror element (Bone Tomahawk), this was more comparable to a Little House on the Prarie reinterpretation.

What comes is a very predictably boring run into the third act and an anticlimatic finish. Nothing stood out as anything more than mediocrity and a dud of a film.

Sisu (2022)

Not for everyone. I'm way more than okay with that.

[9/10 · 16 May 2023]

What an awesome piece of filmmaking.

Simple premise but turns.into something way more, if you let it. It's a blast...awesome cinematography, original levels of violence---and its pretty gory---with just a great grasp of making this sort of film without bloating up the screen [I'm talking to you Tarentino]. This is sure to get gobbled up by the indie/cult throngs, and I'm also okay with that as well, as the ones checked out for lazy cashed out CGI laden "universe" films...this won't their appetite because it's not the same old thing over and over. This is a fun thrilling, often very violent ride, and comes absolutley with the highest recommendations for genre film covetors and will keep the horror/gorehounds entertained throughout.

Yellowjackets (2021– )

Strong writing + acting keeps this one going

[9/10 · 5 May 2023]

I'll preface by saying, this one gets its hooks in you right away with no punches pulled.

It settled in nicely and now you/we get just enough of the breadcrumbs to keep a subtle amount of ambiguity and the red herring alive

What sets it apart, as Showtime certainly could use their first well written series (not since the first few seasons of Dexter, and maybe season one of Ray Donovan) in some time. I personally look so forward to watching this script unpacking itself--- and so far, delivering. Season 2 is off to a great start with the continuation of the Travis sub-storyline, and the shift to the cult situation and backstory that is developing slowly while leaving an impression that all may not be as the viewer is led to believe without the lazy and insulting bait and switch.

Delivers on every level.

65 (2023)

Interesting premise. Dullness ensues.

[3/10 · 22 April 2023]

Just.plain.dull.

The premise is a huge spoiler so will stay away from that. Removing that from the equation also turns this film into a puddle, so the very interesting back story is all it has going for it. If you've seen 20 minutes of anything Jurassic Park, you seen what is has to offer. Except it isn't as watchable because it just brings back almost scene for scene elements of encounters with different types of prehistoric animals...problem being, it comes off as very budget constrained as well and runs out of steam about 40 minutes in. If you're contemplating a visit to see this in the theater, consider yourself warned: this is about as formulaic as it gets.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Check your brain and it's just fine.

[4/10 · 22 April 2023]

Trust me, never expected anything plausible or believable when watching a film like this. Guilty pleasures are just that and I'm a sucker for "monster movies", as it brings back memories from the old "Creature Double Feature" as a child. I do believe that was exclusive regionally to New England, so only a few may get that reference.

This episode of the nu-Godzilla franchise just gets exhausting with it bluefilter CGI fest that gets so convoluted with plot changes (not looking for plot, again monster movie) that just get plain tiring. It takes away from the fun of watching, what should be mindless yet fun. This film almost seems to take itself too seriously and its just gets too repetitive to have fun watching. Escapism isn't meant to be this dull or exhaustive.

Middle of the road cartoon is all it ends up as, and glad I waited til it hit cable.