It’s surprising to see such a terrific horror debut from John Krasinski, a man who I’ve never been much of a fan of. “A Quiet Place” has just about converted me in to a fan, as he manages to deliver a very challenging genre film that relies a lot on the weight of the performances from the cast, rather than explosions, shocks, and cheap thrills. Krasinski’s horror film is poetic in its way and explores how sound means a lot in the medium of cinematic storytelling. Sound, music, it counts for almost everything and can either keep the audience baited for ninety minutes or lose them in the first five.
Tag Archives: Drama
Nerve (2016)
It’s surprising how good “Nerve” is because it’s main centerpiece involves risky stunts that I worried would become the crutch for the film’s narrative. Instead it becomes a crucial element in helping to explore the characters that we’re introduced to during the course of the film. Feeling like a technological twist on David Fincher’s “The Game,” and while it has nothing new to say about the internet (everyone has phones! Everyone is always watching someone!), it still comes out a winner when the credits close.
Death Wish (2018)
“Death Wish” was a silly movie in its time and it’s a ridiculous concept now. The mere fact that Eli Roth and Joe Carnahan are behind this only serves the film’s premise that it’s an immature, sophomoric male fantasy about solving all of life’s problems with a gun. Bruce Willis’s character Paul Kersey is able to breeze in and out of night clubs and crowded ghettos with only a black hood and shoots down people like it’s a hobby. “Death Wish” then tries to make it very sexual, as Paul begins as this somewhat impotent, pacifistic gentleman whose manhood slowly advances as he embraces the gun.
Lowlife (2017)
A motel owner, a luchador, and a group of criminals all see their lives interconnecting in ways they never expected.
I Kill Giants (2017)
A young girl escapes to an imaginary world where she can fight and defeat giants to save the world when her real life gets too hard. As her home life is less than ideal and the school bullies intensity their attacks, she retreats further and further into her imagination.
TV On DVD: The Wonder Years: Complete Series (DVD)
In fairly high demand since its release years ago, Time Life has begun to re-release the Complete series of “The Wonder Years,” the immensely popular nineties drama that introduced a decade to the sixties. One of the underdogs of the decade, “The Wonder Years” premiered with small fanfare, and ended up becoming one of the most celebrated primetime dramas ever made. I originally reviewed the Deluxe Locker Edition, and now I review the blue box set that features mostly the collection of the entire series on DVD. The series has been restored and featured uncut after almost twenty years out of print and without a proper release.
Father’s Day (2017)
A recently widowed father visits his daughters in Los Angeles for Father’s Day with the hopes of saving them from their tortured artists’ lives.
Written and directed by Betty Ouyang, this short film explores family relations between two artist sisters and their more down to Earth father through one meal together. The family dynamics on display here are interesting to watch develop as more information is revealed about each member. Ouyang takes this subject and makes it distinctly hers by putting herself in the lead as well as in the writing and directing style. Here the subject is taken head-on and shown through intimate conversations. The way she approaches each discussion, each interaction is honest and done in a manner that is up close and personal for the characters thus pulling the viewer into their lives.