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LordofStorm
Reviews
Bølgen (2015)
Predictable, Yet Highly Engaging (Fantastic Fest 2015)
Just caught this film in Austin during Fantastic Fest and had a blast. I've never seen a Norwegian movie before and I went in blind to this one.
The moderator introduced it as a "movie that would make Roland Emmerich cum his pants", and while it's not exactly on the same level as, say, Independence Day or 2012, the film is an absolute destructive experience that packs a punch. The premise, which is honestly quite simple, revolves around a geologist that begins to sense that something is awry when a mountain over a small town begins to give off strange activity in its movement. By the time he warns everybody, it's too late.
The film borrows from plenty of Hollywood clichés, but what it does well is build its suspense. Normally there would be a few action set pieces preceding the real climax, but this film takes its time to build the tension and it does so masterfully. There's an emotional connection to the lead and his family, and from the moment he senses that something is wrong, you want him and those that he loves to get out of town safely.
There's nothing new about the story or with the characters, but it's an impressive feat with dazzling cinematography and a pulsating score. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're looking to be entertained.
Tapped Out (2014)
Not Your Average Fight Flick
This is an MMA movie that's about more than fighting. Anyone expecting a brainless fight film is going to be sorely disappointed. That may be good or bad depending on what you're looking for. Either way it has a pretty compelling story, even if it does feel long at times.
Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida were excellent, although I wish there was a bit more of them. The producers and director got really creative with those scenes and you can tell that they had fun shooting it. All of the actors were pretty believable, especially since there are a lot of fighters scattered throughout. Cody Hackman, who plays the lead, did a decent job carrying the film and I wasn't bothered by his performance too much.
I must say the production value was better than expected, and the action was pretty badass. The script is fairly clichéd, but it's not anything that takes you out. Comedic relief comes in the form of the fight promoter, played by Daniel Faraldo. The audience laughed pretty much every time he was on screen, and it helped smooth over some of the more intense parts.
The true show stopper, though, is Krzysztof Soszynski. As the villain, he played most of his scenes really subtle and he never was over the top. People were constantly on the edge of their seats when he came on. He was really good.
Overall I'd recommend checking it out. I could see people opting to pass on this, but I think they'll be pretty surprised at how good it turns out when it's released in May.
Confessions of a Pit Fighter (2005)
A step up for Camacho
Having seen a lot of Art Camacho's previous work it is to go without saying that they have been very subpar. These are due to low budgets, bad actors, and bad producing. Confessions of a Pit Fighter marks a high point in his career as I think a good showcase of his potential.
Confessions is packed with some stylish editing, very decent cinematography, and some good acting here and there. Most notably is Armand Assante as the bad guy, and surprisingly Flava Flav did a good job. Hector Echavarria was not too impressive as the lead, although his brother David held his own. I think it's safe to say that there is a surprise in David's friend Aldo, who does a very good and convincing job in his role. Definitely someone to look out for I'd say.
The biggest problem with Confessions is that some of the editing gets a little overdone and can be annoying, and that the fight scenes could have been a lot better. It's very hard when the fights have nothing to do with the environment, but they get a little boring and repetitive at times, regardless to say that some parts are very fun to watch. A kudos and job well done to Art Camacho, I think he is restoring faith in some viewers, and with some more touch ups in his directing skills I think he can really do something great in soon time. As well a thumbs up to R. Ellis Frazier for delivering a pretty good script, a first good attempt. Looking forward to seeing what these two can do in the future.