torchiam-192-639252 Reviews

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

did not keep me on my chair watching

[3/10 · 9 January 2024]

First i am going to say is the image looks great, production design and camera movement are all good. And that is all.

The world this movie established is just so not working. No logic, not rational, dose not hold up for any further understanding.

It is just like star wars. You build a world with phenomenal technology and light speed spacecraft, but you fight with sword and spears. And i have to mention, the big spaceship is powered like 1900, men shovel coal fuel.

In this movie, when laser guns go with west style horse farming and myth animals, you know it is just another hollywood hollow CGI big MTV style commercial product.

Hollywood now a days is just so felt behind. You stay in your comfort zone for too long. The audience has grown up, and world has grown up. And american producers are still live in their dreams with pride. The director is so well known for play cameras and lenses. In his interviews he always talks alot of how special his camera and lens are built. But cinema is about story telling, human emotions, life experience. He should be a cameraman and let someone else be the director.

What Is a Woman? (2022)

i just love to watch peo[le telling simple truth

[10/10 · 5 May 2023]

Your western polictial correctness is just awsome, fantastic.

I never thought this seriousness could go this far and eventually become a laughable big jok.

I mean long live your democracy and long live your policital correctness.

If a student says he is a cat, the teacher has to treat him as a cat. CLASSIC.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

pure blood Lovecraft work

[10/10 · 25 November 2022]

I feel this is the only Lovecraft movie done right. Decent budget, hardcore story line, great choices of acters, no just scares, No big tentacles monsters but pure weirdness and cosmic horror.

When friend ask for Lovecraft related movies, this one and Void will be my very first recommendations.

If anyone care to search, the episode 2 of nightmares and dreamscapes, Cruch end, is also in the same flavor.

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes.

The Shipping News (2001)

one of the best life story film

[10/10 · 12 October 2022]

I do not give 10 stars often. But this is really a good story telling movie. I think the director has a profund and amusing understand of life and people. I love this movie so much.

On the other hand i believe people with different life experience will resonance with different movies. You may find the story absurd for sure. But this one hits me on many spots. I like all the actors the conversations.

I would also mentions the music, very intriguing, even without the image.

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes.

Trump 2024: The World After Trump (2020)

i give it many stars for nothing

[7/10 · 13 August 2022]

I give it 7 stars because it is really very well arranged. But give it more star will disgust myself.

But, this is, maybe the most cringe doc i watched recently. I am from China. I watch it as a standing comedian show. It really opens my eyes. I know there are religion nuts in the west but not that many!

And as the term " propaganda" usually attached to China or North Korean. I mean you guys do it much better than us. It is not propaganda, it is literally brain wash.

And good luck, long live your political correctly democracy, long live the 2nd amendment.

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)

visually better than the new ones

[7/10 · 11 July 2022]

I have to say it is quite visually brutal compare with modern movies like resident evil or avengers. It is really enjoyable.

In the mean time, the script design is quite weak, the logic is not very strong and sound. I feel people should appreciate more of movie like the marvel universe. Because although they are considered to be modern commercial products, the story and script is very well crafted, more believable while watching.

Children of a Lesser God (1986)

i love this movie

[10/10 · 1 July 2022]

The emotions are so original, the acting is almost perfect. It is so different from the cringe love stories hollywood makes these days.

Watch this kind of movie makes you think a lot, of life, of people. It echos deeply.

In the Same Breath (2021)

from her perspective

[2/10 · 4 May 2022]

I, as a cameraman, was in wuhan in the beginning of 2020. This is also the reason i want to watch this, although i don't want to.

I want to say this at first, all the images are true. I appreciate what the director did to put this together. I also have full respect of those photographers who were there at the very beginning to save the footages. The two stars are for them.

But once again, if you call that chinese propaganda, i will call this documentary a western propaganda. It is full of selected images and so carefully avoid anything positive. There was huge chaos at the beginning, and i believe wuhan has been doing its best to survive. I saw many many brave people, from hospital exports to neighborhood management, tried everything they can to put patients into hospital and save lifes. Nurses taking care of sick people without any protection even knowing they can be infected. People outside hospital are gathering supplies to prepare for lockdown. Other cities outside Wuhan are sending doctors, equipments, foots to support Whhan. And people were grateful. The situation was far beyond difficult. And Wuhan has been strong.

Think about putting you in a Sci-Fi world like resident evil without a game instruction. This is what you have in Wuhan in the the spring of 2020, and Wuhan successed.

If you go to wuhan today and talk with general people, you will see what people concluded after all those days. And i disagree the tone of this documentary.

Mistake has been made, lives has been sacrificed, but people in China is doing their best to conquer this pandemic.

And as it described on the imdb page, why dose Chinese government turn pandemic cover ups in Wuhan into a triumph? Because we didn't cover anything other than the heroes died body. And we defeated the devil, we won.

Chariot (2022)

a little wired story

[5/10 · 30 April 2022]

I think others' 1/10 is not totally fair. There are this kind of movies it just tells a little story, no start no ending. It is just a little piece happened somewhere in the corner of this world. It is not shawshank redemption or matrix, that you have a closure. Like looper 2012 or stay 2005, It is just a dream, it starts from nowhere and end up somewhere miles away.

If today is not important, and you are not sticked on you cellphone, grab a cup of drink, and maybe just enjoy this movie like a neighbor kid telling you a urban tale.

Ambulance (2022)

the plot feels forced

[6/10 · 21 April 2022]

It definitely worth the price of the ticket. But the story telling is very forced and with obvious flaws.

The car chasing is nothing new, very everage, and a ambulance with infinit fule tank.

The director spend quite a lot of images to build up characters, but surprisingly they do not shine anything special in the later part. Everything flows as it dose. It is like indiana jones with the holy oak, whatever happened in the middel makes no difference to the end.

The Batman (2022)

it is ok. but not really standing out

[6/10 · 18 April 2022]

The actors, props, location designs are all very good.

But the story is kind of weak. The very slow movement and talking of batman feel fake. The cinematography is lack of tension. It is a long movie but i feel very little connections to the characters.

As for a entertainment the movie is not that catchy, as for a hard core gothic comic movie, it is not that vivid.

One more thing. I do not like that mask of catwoman. Not cool enough for the leading female role.

Blair Witch (2016)

i wish this is the first one

[8/10 · 17 April 2022]

I like the supernatual sences very much in this movie. Not too much not too murky. Just enough to scare you.

The story is filmed in a better way. Characters are have better interactions.

The first one is a cult style edited footages, very straight forward. This one is more complex.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

it is a good movie deserve better rating

[7/10 · 17 April 2022]

I think the reason this movie is under rated is because people like the first one too much, it was raw, and its totally unpolished documentary style.

Without putting the first one in you head, this one is very well crafted. The editing is intriging, characters are a cool combination and all well played. I like the witch character girl especially. The missing hours footage they found out later is crazy and fit in the movie very well. I have to say i wish there was more straight supernatual images in the first one. The first one was too murky in this way.

One thing, the music is way too modern of pop rock n roll. Should have better taste. The end theme song haunted from Poe is good though.

Superdeep (2020)

better than expected

[8/10 · 16 April 2022]

I am not sure about the budget, but this movie definitely dosen't look cheap. I am watch it now while typing. The photography skill and color grading and sound is top quality.

Actors are all good. No one minute is wasted.

The 355 (2022)

it is a money laundry scheme

[1/10 · 14 February 2022]

Everything, i mean everything in this movie is just so fake and below benchmark.

I can not believe all those familiar hollywood faces are there pretending they were acting. The stunt design is embarrassing, camera movement is student level, the plot is absent. The only reasonable explanation can only be the whole production is a money laundry operation.

And as a chinese viewer, i would like to add one more thing: Fan bingbing committed tax evasion of 880 million CNY. What a shame.

Tournament (2018)

i rate it high because of the great writing

[8/10 · 19 December 2021]

This is a movie about board games. That being said it is not that attractive to everyone a like a action movie or a superhero movie.

But, again, you do not need to know everything about board game to appreciate this movie. It is just humor conversations and great performance.

The dialog writing and casting plus acting is really cool. Such variety choices of characters. And they are standing out. I keep laughing while watching it the whole time.

This is good story telling.

Friendship's Death (1987)

i kind of enjoy it

[6/10 · 12 November 2021]

It is not a very strong story.no fancy visual effects, no big actions, no big story line conflicts.

The conversations are not that intriguing by today standard since the movie was made almost 40 years ago.

But, but, i just love to watch Tilda Swinton's performance. Such a unique actress, beautiful, charming, great acting.

Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

a poor poor copy cat of mad max and blade runner

[2/10 · 2 November 2021]

This literally makes The Room watchable.

I want my time back...

This literally makes The Room watchable.

This literally makes The Room watchable.

This literally makes The Room watchable.

This literally makes The Room watchable.

Jungle Cruise (2021)

surprised,better than expected

[8/10 · 27 October 2021]

I did not expect this is such a entertaining movie.the story is complex enought but not being to much pre-setup.the roles are standing out,eveyone is funny,realistic,has his own uniqueness to be remembered.i want to mention the characters relations building.it is really good and real.better than most of the commercial movies.

Recommended for a family movie night.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

smart,real,logical

[10/10 · 19 July 2021]

I still think this is the best one amount the all 4 movies.

It is different from the new action movies.the action movies we have now a days arrange the fights like guitar solos in a song,after a while of peace you know it is coming.and then a pause and then a fight again.

This old classic movie is not like that.it is pure story telling. You watch a story with gun fights,fists punches.the story is the point,not the fights.the bad guys are full of personalities,smart,with back stroy.the good guys are funy,strong,many great dialog instead of pretend to be cool.

All in all,i say this is a gold standard of smart action movie.

The Misfits (2021)

a mtv with a lose story

[2/10 · 18 June 2021]

This is a money laundry scheme.

Trust me,i work in movie industry,this is a money laundry operation.

Deep Dark (2015)

great twisted story

[8/10 · 16 June 2021]

It is really good though without any famous actors.the acting are genuine story is oringal,no big fancy production but good enough to tell the story.

With any better cinematography and better music,i will give it a 9 stars.

Diving Into the Unknown (2016)

very encouraging and educational in the same time.

[9/10 · 15 June 2021]

This is not a technical documentary about cave dive.but on the other hand,it teachs you a lot of how it is like to be a strong diver by portraying real divers on site while facing critical situations.

If you want to learn cave dive,get lessons,read manuals.if you want some real field experience of being a tech diver,look no further,this one is really good.

Infinite (2021)

coincidence...

[4/10 · 14 June 2021]

Chiwetel Ejiofor,in two movies,trying to hunt down long life human.it can not be a coincidence right? Hollywood must knows something we do not know and trying so hard to send the message to us.only conclusion,hollywood is controlled by illuminati.

Sorry i can not keep going.....this movie is not that bad makes you hate it.but it is also not that good worth your two hours life.

Army of the Dead (2021)

not very entertaining and not very attractive

[3/10 · 26 May 2021]

I am a camera operator.i readed many posts about how proud of the crew about their lenses and cameras on this movie.then you knew the story will be ....lame.

The first half of the movie is so slow.so traditional,nothing surprising at all.the conversations are so shallow.the characters are thin like photos.

And the most naive thing is,the zombies seem to have two modes,one is human behavior like walking communicating,the other is animal behavior like screaming,crawling.i am sure no one tell them how to act like zombies but acting like zombies.

This is just another version of sucker punch.in a zombie,less beauty,less music,less fantasy way.

The crew definitely knows how to work cameras.but the leader is not very good at story telling and character building.