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Reviews
Closure (2018)
Welcome to LA kid
Closure is a hard film to get a handle on, because it mixes several genre's so deftly. Going from blackly comic, to full on drama, to laugh out loud funny and then to a noir. Nina a young woman who after a recent break up and family tragedy has headed to LA in search of her missing sister. What follows is a fantastic mish-mash of genre's with an engaging mystery plot and a cast of memorable characters. Very original.
The Extraordinary Ordinary (2019)
Powerful story
This is a story about dealing with trauma and how that trauma can follow us even when we're trying to move past it. It follows Erica who moves to California to forget about a tragic event. The film opens in the middle of the aftermath of that event and we see her trying to process that as she starts new relationships and meets with a new group of damaged people who are all trying to help each other heal. This is a very moving film dealing very realistically with confronting topics that should have a light shined on them.
Banging Lanie (2020)
Wonderful Honest Teen Comedy
Allison Powell performs a triple threat here, writing/directing and acting playing the lead as the socially awkward but highly intelligent teen Lanie, who is about to explore the brave new world of sexual teen awakening. Unlike the typical teen comedies where everything is played strictly for laughs. Banging Lanie is much more honest and realistic than perhaps the title suggests and the underlying authenticity is what separates it from the pack providing a much richer story that is well worth anyones time. Great film.
The Eve (2015)
Mystery horror keeps you on your toes
I really enjoyed this film. Four friends head off to a picturesque vineyard to spend some time together when bad things start to happen. The fun of this film is the mystery of who the killer might be and the tension and twists and turns this creates for the characters trying to figure it out and survive. You may want to murder some of them yourself, and that's part of the fun! This is a somewhat campy horror that reminds me of many of the great horrors from the 80's like Tourist Trap. Definitely worth checking out.
Disrupting Wine - The Life of an Entrepreneur (2020)
A good drop!
This is a great doco that explores the life of entrepreneur Heini Zachariassen and the invention of his Wine app Vivino. But the doco is so much more, it explores his relationships with his family and the cost of balancing your personal life with an incredibly driven professional business venture. What is the personal cost of having that drive to be an entrepreneur and succeed? What does it take to be a success? This is a fascinating doc that is well worth a watch.
Everlasting (2016)
Top Quality film
This film straddles several genres perfectly, a love story, a mystery, at times a thriller and often quite tragic these strands all blend together to create a uniquely satisfying experience. The performances from the two leads are great, they share fantastic chemistry and the film manages to capture rebellious youth perfectly before the story evolves revealing its sinister edge and the seedy underbelly of seeking fame and fortune in LA. The story spends a lot of its time getting inside the heads of its characters and this commitment leads to a compelling mysterybox of a film that keeps you riveted throughout. Highly recommend.
Bad Frank (2017)
Amateur execution of a well worn cliche
This is one of those stories about a man trying to escape his demons, but through circumstances outside his control he gets pulled back down and must embrace those demons to seek revenge. Nothing wrong with the formula but everything wrong with the editing, performances and script.
Nicole (2019)
Disturbingly creative
Nicole is a very hard film to classify, at times incredibly tense, others blackly comic, it reminded me of some of the early Woody Allen films from the black and white palette and dark humour. Nicole the lead character 'goes on a first date gone wrong', but it's hard to argue the idea that perhaps her date is even more disturbed than she is. The film certainly goes right when you think it will go left and James Schroeder's writing and direction is very assured. Strange in the very best kind of way.
Perfect Feet (2019)
Feet the final frontier
Unless you're very unfortunate we all have feet, before watching this doco you've probably not given them much thought apart from when stubbing your toe. This doco hits all the right notes, it is informative and engaging and provides a plethora of information about you guessed it - feet. However the way in which this is presented as Calvin Dwight Harris as host takes us through interviews with athletes, shoemakers nail salons and many more is always engaging and highly entertaining. These conversations will make you really re-think your own feet and if you're doing the best you can to support(wink wink) them. Excellent doco blending education with entertainment in the absolute best way possible.
Shadowlands (2020)
A mystery wrapped inside an enigma
The cinema verite style, the change of perspectives, the non-linear editing. Nothing about this film is cliche. It's a refreshingly original story that challenges the audience and keeps you on your toes. The only question is when is the follow up? Great stuff.
I Want to Believe (2020)
Balanced Compelling Doco
I'm very interested in UFO's and if you have even a passing interest in this phenomena then this doco is a great watch. Experts in UFOlogy (is that a word?!) discuss famous cases and lesser known stories. All of them fascinating. A great introduction to the world of UFO's. Are we alone in the universe? Are UFO's extraterrestrial? That is for you to decide. The documentary takes a measured unbiased approach allowing you to draw your own conclusions. Regardless of where you stand, this is a great doco that is well worth your time.
Before the Dawn (2019)
The Graduate before he graduated
Student teacher relationships are a difficult subject but this film tackles this hot topic and does an admirable job presenting a believable romance, that while inappropriate seems entirely realistic. The two leads share great chemistry and look amazing onscreen and the entire film looks phenomenal. This is a compelling multi-layered drama that definitely pays homage to films like The Graduate and even Lolita. Fascinating story that is well worth your time.
Deathstalker (1983)
Silly swords and sorcery
This film is very 80's and most the time thats what I like but in this case, it's best left in the past. Yes it's purely and exploitation film with no plot, terrible acting and rubbish effects. And yes there is a so bad it's good element, but not enough for it to be worth your time. You'll need to play some drinking games to get through this one.
Hesperia (2019)
A Cautionary tale
Hesperia is a dead end town full of dead end people and a dark drug culture that has eroded the towns humanity and brought about a seedy underbelly which threatens even the privileged. The film follows multiple different characters surrounding an incident that has huge ramifications for everyone. The film is grim uncompromising and at times very tragic but shines a light on the cyclical nature of how drugs can tarnish a community. Certainly not a Hollywood story the film pulls no punches and there may be no redemption for anyone, this makes it all the more authentic. Compelling film.
Sweet Sunshine (2020)
Soulful Tunes for a Souful film
This is a a great story about the dangers of fame and a meteoric rise to stardom. The film follows aspiring country singer TJ a goodnatured farmboy as he looks to find success as a musician whilst living with his overbearing father. The film looks amazing and the music is excellent the performances are engaging and the story heartfelt.
The Stalker (2020)
Great Nostalgia trip
If you're like me you and have a deep affinity for 80's horror films you will love this. Horror films from this era are the best in my opinion and this loving homage serves up everything you might expect from a whodunnit slasher film. The score is a standout and The Stalker himself is the perfect foil as he terrorises a family who may not be entirely innocent. Lots of nostalgic fun!
The Stand Up Doll (2019)
Life and loss but always love
A wonderful heatwarming doco that follows Risa an elderly woman on the cusp of turning 100. She looks back and reflects on a remarkable life full of tragedy and triumph. A sobering reminder about the passage of time and the shortness of our lives, but at the same time incredibly moving and uplifting. It will inspire you to have more empathy for those in the twighlight years of their life and perhaps reach out to an elderly relative with a greater empathy and appreciation for the stories they tell. Highly recommend.
The Evil Down the Street (2019)
Very disturbing horror
Whatever you do, don't go down in the basement! A happy families home life becomes fractured when an evil entity invades their home. A great possession film in the spirt of The Exorcist and The Shining. Check it out!