fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
National Lampoon’s Vacation
By: Arvo Zylo
Tags: Harold Ramis, Movie Review, National Lampoon, Chevy Chase, Mini Movie Reviews

I have been trying to understand the mechanics of movie-making, as I’d like to write a screenplay some day. Maybe I am “basic”, but I do think some of this is meant to get “back to basics” for people. I have watched plenty of obscure movies, and a lot of them lack nuance or pacing. The concept that carries them is little different than the concept carrying an ostensibly simple movie.

What interests me is the mechanics of big-budget films. I personally tend to overthink things, and sometimes movies like these work for a person like me. It’s not even about being funny or not (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is still funny to me, this one, having seen it for the first time now, is not that funny).

As with a lot of 80s movies, this comedy trope, and Harold Ramis in general, pushes a “moral of the story” that is effectively meant to comfort people who have spent their lives trying to have a normal life and fit in. They imagine this idealized family situation with picket fences and trips to Disneyland, but they find the cold reality creeping in: some people are scum, and they will screw you over every chance they get. It seems that the key, to Ramis at least, is to go crazy with the right intentions. If you go crazy with the wrong intentions, you end up like the trashy cousin, or the bitter old great aunt. If you go crazy with a neurotic focus on family and bonding, you’ll be fine, no matter what. Then, just when you think the SWAT team is going to put you in jail or kill you, some bit of extraordinary good fortune will come to the rescue and everything will turn out okay.

In other words, if you go around expecting the best out of people, which is to say, if you go around trying to cram other people into your idealized reality that you gleaned from television, although it might work less often than you like, you will end up with an idealized happy ending in one way or another. The notion of writing something like this must feel like trying to condense hope into a bottle, and then also sell it. It’s kind of fascinating that it works for many people, that these sort of cheesy blockbuster movies are mythical parables of so-called “universal truths”. The cold reality is, of course, that if you go around trying to fit the rest of your world into a series of expectations that aren’t suitable, you’ll end up with disappointment.

However, one universal truth that is reflected in this movie, is that if you work through your ego only, you’ll end up humiliated in one way or another, eventually. …And maybe after you’re completely humbled by these experiences, something you did that was crazy and courageous might end up feeling worthwhile in the end. Or maybe I’m overthinking it.
Capernaum — A modern day Oliver Twist & much more
By: The Recovering Reviewer
Tags: Netflix, Movies, Capernaum, Movie Review

Every few years or if you are as addicted to Tv and movies as me, there comes a movie that has a truly cerebral effect on you. Now I know that this movie has been around for a while and nothing that I write about it is going to be match the hundred of fancy movie critics that you might meet a movie festival loitering on a beach.

Therefore I have chosen to write about the movie in terms of the experiences that I had as an addict. Now if you have been on binge watch before you know that while flipping through shows or movies there comes a point where you think a break might be good. This movie will not let you take one, PERIOD!

The script and acting especially by our protagonist “Zain” while move you between wanting to punch everyone in the world that would let such a thing happen to a kid and still make you root for this unlikely hero to do things that no kid in should ever be asked to do. While watching movies especially with child actors I often find myself thinking — Is it safe for this kid to exposed to this sort of toxicity even in the name of good cinema? But then I am reminded that goal is not to show the story of one child but the thousands and millions of “Zain”, “Sahar” and “Yonas” in the world — whose stories are all too important to not be told

While the movie will start you with the feeling of an Oliver Twist re-enactment, it will leave you with the emotions that you may experience watching/reading “The Kite Runner” or anything else that leaves you thinking that we don’t deserve this beautiful world

If you haven’t already watched this movie — I recommend you do, you may require subtitles which Netflix should happily provide but they don’t take away much from the emotional roller coaster that is this movie
The Midnight Sky — A (Recovering)Addict’s review
By: The Recovering Reviewer
Tags: Movie Review, Midnight Sky, Movies, George Clooney, Netflix

Before we go into the movie review — let’s be honest with ourselves about two things, the only reasons we even considered watching this movie are

George Clooney — It does not matter which gender you conform to, George has occupied a special place in our collective hearts for a while now — I mean who can forget Frank Ocean or the movie where he flew around a lot and educated us about frequent flier miles

Its 2020 and we (literally) do not have anything else to watch on Netflix — so we put a silent reminder on the app a couple weeks back when the recommendation algorithm at Netflix ran out of options

Now that we have confessed our true nature — we can begin with the review.

The plot — Well its there, I am certain of it — George promised me that it was in the trailer. Now if you are like me and like watching cinema / movies that leaves you with some dirt in your eyes (Sniff!) — I’ll be honest — this is not that movie. Not is it a movie that rocks your brain and makes you want to start reading high school physics or math. The question then — what is it? The answer — Well it is something, the plot moves in two spaces — Earth which is suffering from some form of human stupidity (I assume — the writers never bothered to explain) and space where a crew of some barely character developed people decide on baby names. On earth George gives a powerful performance that reminds you of good old Leo in “The Revenant” minus the bears and forest, plus some cold, a kid and a snow mobile. The people on earth can’t talk to the guys in space — because well — all of them are dead. Except for George who probably is the only smart guy in the entire planet (Again an assumption) and the genius that he is — George (yeah I don’t remember the character’s name) will find an antenna — Yes its 2049 and that’s the only way to talk to the crew. The ending is the only point in the movie where you see any form of genuine emotion and make this movie just barely watchable

The acting — Well there was some, George did a bit and the people in space that played rummy did some too — I guess. Anybody else that tried barely seemed to have a script that would let them. There a few months strewn about to introduce some drama — but add very little to the movie

Summary — In case you are watching this for the same reasons I did then congratulations — you had something over the holiday period stuck in this pandemic to take a few hours from your life. If you haven’t already and really want to watch movie that moves your brain from that sleep — I recommend a rerun of Interstellar because this is not it.

While I say this this is the first movie I have ever written and for a guy that is only writing this as way to reduce the amount of time he spends watching Tv my opinions may seem strong but are still mine. Also I hope our dear George never does read this — because as I said — He does occupy a special place in my heart

Please do leave your feedback on this post — Hoping that I don’t write again too soon!
Movie Review: Body (2015)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Thriller, Christmas, Movie Review, Independent Film, 2010s

I feel like I’ve seen this kind of movie before. It’s not exactly original or unique, but it is pretty tense, and though there’s not really much of a point to it, I appreciate that it’s a Christmas movie.

A group of three girl friends break into a home to party, with Cali (Alexandra Turshen) convincing the others it’s her uncle’s house. In reality, she knew it would be unocuppied because she used to babysit there and the family always leaves for a month or two around Christmas.

However, when there, someone breaks in to see what’s going on (he’s just the gardener) and a fight ensues, leaving him seemingly dead.

They then scramble to frame him for rape so that they can call 911, but then it turns out that he’s alive, but if they call for an ambulance, they could be arrested.

Most of the movie is the characters dealing with this moral dilemma, with a few bumps along the way. The movie does get repetitive, but I suppose that’s just the nature of this really stripped down story. The acting is decent, with Turshen’s nastiness really being the highlight.

I guess I recommend this movie. It was enjoyable enough to sit through, but I don’t think it’ll stay with me in any way.

Rating: 6/10
A SHORT STORY OF A TALL TAIL – Elf, A Review
By: Rose Westerman
Tags: Movie, Film, Christmas, Movie Review, Film Review

‘Save the best till last’. Elf is my absolute most favourite Christmas film, so I was holding off until the 24th to write about it. I only ever watch this film on Christmas Eve, and it’s what I look forward to for the whole year. You can’t got wrong with a bit of Buddy The Elf.

I don’t want this review to turn out like a synopsis, but I’m afraid thats what might happen, as I could go on about it forever. From Buddy sneaking into Santa’s sack of toys, to the dream team (Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell) spending quality time with Papa Elf and the new little elfling, I had a massive smile on my face the whole way through.

I remember being in infant school and talking to my friends about Buddy’s burp, thinking it was the most hilarious thing to exist. Little did I know I’d still be giggling about it 10 years later. I also didn’t expect to be sat next to my dad with tears running down his face going ‘does it make anyone else feel tingly’, because apparently it’s just so touching. I mean, I had a few tears in my eyes, but that was a bit much dad. You can probably tell where I get it from.

The best film to watch before Christmas, I love it every time! Merry Christmas!
TYMNHS: Klaus (2019)
By: Aisha Urooj
Tags: Movie Review, Movies, Blogging, Blog, Movies To Watch

In this edition of Things You Might Not Have Seen, I will talk about the animated movie Klaus.

What do you do to motivate a spoiled, entitled, and lazy heir of a postal empire?

You ship them off to the most isolated location to work on their… priorities 😂

Jesper Johansson, the lazy, spoiled son, is sent by his father, the Royal Postmaster General, to the town of Smeerensburg with the condition: If Jesper fails to post 6,000 letters within a year, he will be cut off from his family’s fortune. I wasn’t expecting such a harsh slap of reality to Jesper within the first few minutes of the movie. From then onwards, I was intrigued.

The problems Jesper faces:

No one wants to post any letter in Smeerensburg, as they can’t read or write them. The town people hates the mailman.

There is something heartwarming about the animation’s style. It is a children’s storybook come to life. The angles, the colors, the details, the lighting are what you find in the pages of a beloved storybook.

Klaus himself is an isolated, introverted character, who gradually warms up to Jesper as they share a common goal. Jesper wants to post those 6000 letters, so he could get his cushy life back (complete with silk robes). Klaus wants to fulfill a promise to his late wife to give toys to the children.

They both form an unlikely alliance. A simple act of kindness always sparks another, even in a frozen, faraway place. Their small acts of kindness threaten to spill over in Smeerensburg, bringing warmth to the townspeople collective cold hearts.

The movie Klaus has an interesting cast of characters:

The (quietly) dedicated, but loudly overworked, and overlooked teacher turned fishmonger.

The weather beaten and disgruntled townspeople themselves, set out to creating a world record for number of mailmans changed in a year.

The romeo-juliet love story in the middle of the towns’ generational feud.

I think that the main storyline of Klaus suffers from having too many mini stories, cute as they may be. Not enough time was spend exploring them, and there are often blink-and-you-miss resolutions. The movie loses some of the initial whimsy from the beginning. I suppose it could be intentional as the main character Jesper grows up and matures by the end of the movie.

Klaus is a wonderful animation to consider during this holiday season. Thank you for reading! I hope that you discovered something new today ❄☃️
Movie Review: Better Watch Out (2016)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Christmas, Movie Review, Australian, Horror, Home Invasion

Ooh boy, what do I say about this movie in a review? First off, it’s quite good. But I really don’t want to say much more, because the movie is very unpredictable, and it’s probably best viewed the way I viewed it — knowing virtually nothing about it.

As far as Christmas horror movies go, this is one of the least Christmas-y. I mean, sure, it has the look with Christmas decorations and a few carolers gonig around, but really this story could have taken place at any time of year. That’s not a complaint, just an observation.

I really don’t want to say much more specifically, but this does something that I really admire in one of my least favorite subgenre of horror, as it’s truly a unique take. And I guess I’ll leave it at that.

Rating: 7/10
Quickie Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984
By: Esosa Omo-Usoh
Tags: Ww84, Dc Extended Universe, Hollywood Movies, Wonder Woman 1984, Movie Review

Quickie Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984

Since this tedious sequel to 2017’s underwhelming Wonder Woman was essentially about wishes, after the torture of seeing it, here are my wishes:

I wish all we had were the potentials Wonder Woman’s cameo in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice promised and not the disappointments that were eventually delivered.

I wish Wonder Woman was never made.

I wish even more that Wonder Woman 1984 was never made.

If another sequel is being contemplated as Lynda Carter's mid-end credit teaser suggests, then I really wish Marvel Studios some how acquires the rights to the Wonder Woman franchise and makes the next installment.

On the plus side; Gal Gadot still is an extremely sexy woman. 3/10.
Movie Review: Ife
By: Esosa Omo-Usoh
Tags: Nollywood, LGBTQ, Movie Review, Short Film Review, Romantic Movies

Movie Review: Ife

How do you make an LGBTQ movie in a society where a musician reportedly gets investigated by the police for featuring a married woman is his music video?

Or in an industry where LGBTQ themes in movies are typically portrayed as demonic influences resolved by prayer interventions?

With both the society, industry and film certification agency vocally against it, you say "fuck it, I'll tell my story".

Writer/Director, Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim chose the short-film genre to tell an intelligently-written and brilliantly-acted simple story of two young ladies falling in love over a 3-day date.

Ife opens with the titular character, Ife(Amaka Aniunoh) prepping to receive her love interest, Adaora(Cindy Amadi) with Temmie Owassa's deliciously rebellious vocals providing a fitting background soundtrack for this nervous first encounter.

Immediately she opens the door to behold her love interest, Ife’s face eloquently captures the nervousness and concealed excitement of the moment and follows it up with a relatable nervous prattle.

From that moment of their first encounter, Uyaiedu's brilliant dialogue animates the film's duo cast and instantly engages the viewer's attention.

The riveting dialogue and the cast's understated but masterful interpretation of it waltz the viewer from the nervousness of their first encounter to their confessions of affection and right through

the after glow of passion explored.

Nothing is cluttered in this short film and nothing is contrived or done just for the heck of it. It seeks only to tell a simple story of love (albeit one deemed forbidden only because society is too deep-seethed in its ignorance to see beyond its prejudice), and by jove, it did.

Of the duo cast, Amaka Aniunoh's portrayal of Ife stands out, thanks to Aniunoh's confident and controlled acting chops. She was nervous and shy in one moment and confident and comfortable with her sexuality in the other oscillating between both spectrum with uncontrived believability.

Cindy Amadi's Adaorah, on the other hand, was portrayed with the shyness and hold-back consistent with one who was comfortable with her sexuality but still cowered about coming out by the inevitability of parental and societal backlash.

With its duo cast and a 35-minute and 17-second running time, Ife brilliantly and effortlessly achieved what Nollywood has for decades failed and continues to largely fail to achieve: tell a simple and brilliant dialogue-driven love story without preachy contrived fluff and over compensating histrionics. 7.5/10.
“The Prom” — Movie Review. Review of the newest Netflix movie
By: Ana Lissa Alves
Tags: Review, LGBTQ, Movie Review, Movies, Netflix

Review of the newest Netflix movie

A group of down-on-their-luck Broadway stars shake up a small Indiana town as they rally behind a teen who just wants to attend prom with her girlfriend. (Netflix)

The Prom is a Netflix musical comedy movie, released in 2020, and tells the story of a teen lesbian, Emma Nolan, who fights and faces homophobic parents to take her girlfriend to the prom dance.

In New York City, four former Broadway stars are disappointed by the turns of their careers. Together, try to come up with an idea to put their names, once again, in the spotlight. Angie Dickinson, played by Nicole Kidman, scrolling through Twitter, finds the story of Emma — by now trending on the web — and realizes that it is a way of “free publicity”. The actors go straight to a little town in Indiana, where the teen lives, to save the prom and make sure that the girl is able to attend with her girlfriend.

(Netflix)

The movie isn’t anything close to *laugh until your belly aches* kind of stuff, especially if you’re not that big of a fan of musical movies. The movie is lighthearted, easy to watch, but taking all of the names involved in consideration, you ~kinda~ expect a little bit more.

The dialogues are okay, the colors are pretty, the songs are fun and the clothes are shiny. It is, indeed, a beautiful movie and is going to give you 2 hours of captivating scenes.

The production is directed by Ryan Murphy and carries the names of remarkable stars, such as Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Keegan-Michael Key and Kerry Washington.

The movie is available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here:
True Beauty: Episode Fourth
By: Lonely Owl
Tags: Movie Review, Korean Drama Review, Korean Dramas, Viki, True Beauty

The long-awaited Korean series True Beauty was released on Viki with English subtitles. It’s based on the popular webcomic True Beauty published on WebToon. I have come up with a summary of the fourth episode with a run time for 1hr 10mins below. And it’s not spoiler-free.

Fight between Suho and Seo Jun

After knowing that something is going between Suho and Ju Gyeong, Seo Jun got mad and ended with a fight with Suho. The reason for this fight also came from the relationship between Suho and Seo Jun in the past which will be uncovered in later episodes. The closeness between Suho and Ju Gyeong just escalated the situation between Suho and Seo Jun.

Also, as the rule of movies, there are also connections between Seo Jun and Ju Gyeong. Seo Jun and his mom know the family of Ju Gyeong. Suho and Seo Jun are again and again colliding and they somehow are around Ju Gyeong. Seo Jun teased and asked Suho if he likes Ju Gyeong.

Yeah, that’s how movies work.

Suho knows Everything

If you go in past, Suho met Ju Gyeong where they were kids. Now only Suho remembers it and Ju Gyeong doesn’t.

Changes in Suho for Ju Gyeong

Suho beat the guy who went on the blind date with Ju Gyeong and asked to leave her. And Ju Gyeong got no clue why that guy dumped her.

Usually, Suho doesn’t teach anyone but he taught Ju Jyeong maths.

Side story for Hee Gyeong

Hee Gyeong only waited for Han Jun Woo, the guy she was hitting before. In the end, he replied as naive that he doesn’t have any idea.

Wow, Suho’s father is in the connection with the company in which Hee Gyeong works.

Indirect Confession

In the end, both Suho and Seo Jun confessed their feelings to Ju Gyeong indirectly.
Movie Review: Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: SciFi, Christmas, Movie Review, Horror Movies, Horror

This is definitely the strangest adaptation of the Pinocchio legend I’ve ever seen. The movie’s an oddity right from the get-go, with a toy store called Petto’s (named after Giopetto, but pronounced Pedo’s, so idk). Mickey Rooney gives it his all as the character of Joe Petto, who has constructed a boy to be his son.

It’s great to see such a high-profile actor in this weird little movie. Like sure, he’s well past his prime, but I don’t know, it’s just neat.

And don’t be thinking that this is a kid-friendly movie, based on the poster or the fact that it’s a Pinocchio movie. It gets incredibly violent and gory in the final act, and I’m here for it.

It’s by no means good, but like three of the other four movies in the series, it’s definitely interesting.

Rating: 4/10
Spirited Away (2001) — Movie Review
By: Shaloo Verma
Tags: Movie Review, Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki, Anime

Spirited Away (2001) — Movie Review

Have you ever watched a movie which instantly makes you feel light, happy and thankful? If no, then you must watch Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away". After hearing praises about it for a year or so I finally sat down to watch it and it was well worth the experience. This world of Hayao Miyazaki is filled with love and generosity.

The story starts with a young girl Chihiro who is upset about moving to a new town. She is leaving behind her friends, her old school and everything she has known maybe since she opened her eyes on the earth. Changes are never easy in anyone's life so I can relate to her sulking in the backseat, really anxious about the future. Due to her father taking a wrong turn they all end up in the middle of a forest where later Chihiro discovers herself in a world of spirits. What follows next is her adventures in this unknown world and how she deals with it.

The most amazing part of the movie is, of course, the character of Chihiro. Her character development is very well written and you start to empathise with her in every situation that she finds herself in. We see her as a spoilt brat who is throwing a tantrum from the backseat, then a scared little girl trying to understand her surrounding, then a kind person trying to help others even when she doesn't understand them, a brave hero who is ready to sacrifice everything she has worked for, for her love, then someone who is no longer afraid of the uncertain future.

Other highlights of the movie are its story and what we see in front of our eyes. Hayao Miyazaki has created a beautiful world, full of colours to engage us in his seamless storytelling. The animation is not an easy job to do but he successfully transports us somewhere, where you can feel yourself standing on a bridge and feeling the cool breeze just by looking at it.

Overall, the movie is the best anime movie I have ever watched. Every character has a light side and a dark side and we get to witness both of them to understand the complexity of every human being. No one is perfect in this world and this movie acknowledges this fact perfectly. It is also packed with different emotions of empathy, hospitality, forgiveness, compassion and self-esteem.
9/27 #listof10 WORST sports films | Gutting the Sacred Cow
By: Kevin Gootee
Tags: Podcast, Movie Review, Movies, Stand Up Comedy, Movies To Watch

Dodgeball sucks. And if you like it, you’re dumb.

Kevin Israel’s choices

Caddy Shack 2 — I’m not even saying anything cause I’m pretty sure KG’s got this one. Lady Bugs — I played soccer from the time I was 6 until I graduated college. I hated every minute of it and I hate this movie. The Ringer — I try not to be too PC, but Noxville pretending to be a special needs adult just to compete in the Special Olympics just to get laid….jesus. Fever Pitch — I thought Jimmy Fallon laughing at everything is bad, well his acting is worse…just try this movie and “Taxi” Air Bud — Look, I LOVE dogs. Truly. But holy crap, just the premise of this is ridiculous. Mighty Ducks — all the sequels. I think we can agree that this should have been a “one and done” scenario. After the first the movies felt a little Quackward. Blades of Glory — Ok, there were a few funny moments in this one, but overall it was a turd. Just Will Ferrell being Will Ferrell…again. Johnny Be Good — So the kid who was a geek in every 80s teen romp teams up with his nemesis (RDJ) from Weird Science to make a football movie?Dafuq??? Karate Kid (2010) — They’ve been forcing Jaden Smith down our throats for years and this was one of the worst examples. Unless it’s Cobra Kai, leave Daniel-san alone! Gymkata — Nobody probably even saw this. I saw it once, I think I was 12 and it was on cable. A martial arts movie featuring a gymnast. Yup, that’s all you need to know.

Kevin Gootee’s choices
Movie Review: Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Christmas, Movie Review, Horror, Fantasy, Finnish

This movie’s definitely unique. It’s a Christmas fantasy/horror movie, and it’s probably the only movie I’ve seen from Finland, as well. And it’s gorgeous.

It’s a movie that involves Santa, native Finno-Ugric burial mounds, reindeer slaughtering. It’s really out there, but the movie’s committed to how weird and ultimately fun it is.

It’s a pretty good movie. It’s entertaining and will keep your attention pretty easily with its weird story and beautiful cinematography.

Rating: 7/10
‘Who moves in the middle of the night? A meth lab?’ – Deck The Halls, A Review
By: Rose Westerman
Tags: Movie, Film, Movie Review, Youngtalent, Film Review

From the very start of this movie, it’s not hard to tell that Steve Finch adores the Christmas season. However, little does he know that everything is about to change.

It’s obvious that disaster will strike when Kelly says, ‘how bad could it be?’ as the new neighbours (Danny DeVito and his clan) are moving in. This initial foreshadowing prepares us for the chaos that lies ahead.

My favourite thing about this film is the bond the two mothers and children form from the get go, leaving the two husbands to be mortal Christmas enemies, both battling for the best Christmas. You could probably imagine the madness and mischief already as the two men strive for each other to fail, framing each other and giving each other stolen goods.

The iconic slapstick comedy, irony and Danny DeVito alone, are what makes this film so hilarious. Definitely worth the watch!
The Princess Switch: Switched Again(2020)- Review
By: The Couch Review
Tags: Christmas, Movie Review, Movies, Vanessa Hudgens, Netflix

The Princess Switch: Switched Again is a 2020 American Christmas romantic comedy, sequel to The Princess Switch (2018). It continues two years after the ending of its prequel, Stacy (Vanessa Hudgens) being married to Prince Edward (Sam Palladio) is now the Princess of Belgravia and Margaret (Vanessa Hudgens) is to ascend the throne of Montenaro after the death of the king and his successor choosing to abdicate. With the unexpected responsibility bestowed upon her, Margret finds herself in a conundrum and tries to juggle between her personal and her new ‘professional’ life which leads to Kevin (Nick Sagar) and her splitting up. Stacy and Olivia (Mia Lloyd), Kevin’s daughter, are heartbroken seeing this break-up, are trying their best to get them back together. This task is full of difficulties as Margret is fancied by a count/ his childhood friend/ his chief of staff Antonio Rossi (Lachlan Nieboer) who tries to stymie any new developments in Kevin and Margret’s relationship. Stacy hoping for them to get back together suggests doing the good ol’ switcheroo. But things get complicated with the arrival of Fiona (Vanessa Hudgens), Margret’s cousin, who has a switcheroo plan of her own. Needless to say Fiona also resembles Stacy and Fiona.

If you think that the film seems a forced and unnecessary sequel, you are not alone. The film tries to stretch out the story of the original film that too without much thought. Even after keeping very low expectations from the film it is still disappointing. The original film too lacked a good script & screenplay but it still had a little flare to its story which is completely missing here. Vanessa Hudgens tries her best to portray the three different characters, but her efforts do nothing more than make the viewer realise the absurdity of the story. Of course we have seen absurd stories be highly entertaining in the past, but here there are no attempts to make the movie better with other aspects of the movie.

One can hardly make out which side of the Atlantic the fictional country of Montenaro is, with uncanny European accents of the characters and portrayal of American-esque environment in the backdrop. Or even better it may belong to a new fictional continent, who knows. The movie could have been at least named better with something like ‘The Queen Switch’, in line with the continuation of the story.

In conclusion, the film is a thorough let down and barely entertaining. One would be using their time better doing anything but watching this movie.

Acting- 7

Casting- 7.5

Cinematography- 8

Dialogue- 5.5

Directing- 7

Editing & Effects- 7

Sound & Music- 6

Story- 4

Storytelling- 5

Rating- 5.5
Movie Review: The Invitation (2015)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Thriller, Movie Review, Psychological, Horror, 2010s

I don’t think I have all that much to say about this movie, but I did enjoy it. It’s a slow burn and while it takes some turns I wasn’t a big fan of, it is a pretty effective small-scale psychological horror film.

Though it’s a small-scale movie that basically takes place entirely in one location, director Karyn Kusama manages to be very creative in how she shoots it, always keeping it interesting.

And in th elead, Logan Marshall-Green does an admirable job. He’s never stood out to me all that much as an actor, though I have liked some things he’s done. This is his best performance by far, at least that I’ve seen.

I’d definitely recommend this movie, and I’m absolutely down to see it again at some point.

Rating: 6/10
Cosmic Sex Download Link
By: Mujibur Rahman
Tags: Sex, Movies, Cinema, Movie Review

Cosmic Sex is the story of a young man Kripa who is on the run from sex and violence one night in Kolkata when he meets a woman Sadhavi who strangely resembles his dead mother.She gives him shelter and teaches him to travel inwards through sex. The film deals with Dehotatva (worshipping through one’s own body) and explores the connection between Sex and Spirituality.

Visit here — https://moviehub07.blogspot.com/2020/12/cosmic-sex-download-link.html
Christmas With The Coopers – A Review
By: Rose Westerman
Tags: Movie, Film, Movie Review, Christmas, Film Review

Before I watched this film, I thought it was going to be a spin off of ‘Christmas With The Kranks’, due to the similarity of their names. However I was soon to find it was very different indeed.

Probably the main thing which made me love this film, was the multiple stories being told at once. Very similar to the style of the hit film ‘Love Actually’, we see all the different narratives that eventually tie into one when the whole family is reunited for Christmas. It was a little confusing at times, but when I understood what was happening it felt like a relief, and it made me feel so intelligent that I was able to understand something so simple.

I also really enjoyed the colour pallet and filter of the film throughout. It was like a hospital blue and grey filter, implying the subtle sadness in the film. The way the mood reflected the atmosphere really showed the reality of Christmas and didn’t butter coat it like the majority of Christmas movies do.

The ending is what made me cry, which i’m not surprised at because I do cry at a lot of films. I won’t spoil it, as it’s such a wonderful modern movie, but the incident with Bucky honestly showed the pain that comes along side Christmas for so many people. However it was a happy ending, and seeing Timothée Chalamet dance was enough for me.

An amazing new Christmas film to grace the industry.
True Beauty: Episode Third
By: Lonely Owl
Tags: Movie Review, Korean Drama Review, Korean Dramas, Viki, True Beauty

The long-awaited Korean series True Beauty was released on Viki with English subtitles. It’s based on the popular webcomic True Beauty published on WebToon. I have come up with a summary of the third episode with a run time for 1hr 10mins below. And it’s not spoiler-free.

Changes in Suho for Ju Gyeong

Suho never helps anyone. But he helped Ju Gyeong in escaping from the crowd after the cake incident with her face in the last episode. He might know she can’t wash her makeup when everyone is around.

Suho knows Everything

Damn, Suho already knew and recognize Ju Gyeong with and without makeup. He got the number from a classmate, not from the shopkeeper and he asked for the book which was promised by Ju Gyeong without makeup. Ju Gyeong begged Suho not to tell anyone about her and in return, she will do anything for him😏

Side story for Hee Gyeong

Ju Gyeong’s elder sister Hee Gyeong is hitting on a random school teacher. His name is Han Jan Woo.

Fight between Suho and Seo Jun

There was a slight increase, very slight, in the interaction between Ju Gyeong and Seo Jun. But after knowing that something is going between Suho and Ju Gyeong, he got mad and ended with a fight with Suho. Silly? I know, check the next episode to know more
10/4 #listof10 Top futuristic films | Gutting the Sacred Cow
By: Kevin Gootee
Tags: Movie Review, Movies, Funny, Stand Up Comedy, Podcast

And in no particular order, Kevin Gootee’s top 10 futuristic films. I tried to be different as I know KI would double up some of mine.

Back to the Future 2- I mean c’mon, how cool was Hill Valley in 2015? Except Jennifer looked the same in 1985 as well as 2015? Demolition Man- Hilarious tongue in cheek outlook of the future. Taco Bell? FaceTime? And the fashion? perfect. Minority Report- Tom Cruise in a google driven car? Perfect for watching movies and fornicating while driving Terminator 1 and 2- Ways to control the future by killing one kid? Purple lasers and metal skeletons shooting people where only dogs can sniff them out? Aliens-Not much futuristic stuff but goddamn, this film kicks ass! Robocop- Hilarious irreverence, graphic violence, and a bad ass villain. Check, check, and check. The Running Man-Arnold and Richard Dawson. Only thing missing is Dawson making out with housewives from Madison, Wisconsin while their husbands helplessly looked onward. Starship Troopers- Bugs that impale and rip humans apart. Doogie Howser as a scientist. Dina Meyer topless and Denise Richards less than mediocre acting. Perfect recipe Total Recall- Arnold as Arnold as Arnold can. Benny the cab driver and he’s got fiiiiiiive kids. Lieutenant Bogemille from Beverly Hills Cop. Sharon Stone in her absolute prime. And of course, a 3 fitted woman. Transformers Cartoon movie-Makes me tear up like a baby EVERY time when Optimus Prime dies. And an 80’s soundtrack for the ages.

Kevin Israel’s selections:
The Black Box: A Penny For Your Thoughts
By: Cory Showtime
Tags: Comedy, Amazon Prime Video, Marijuana, Movie Review

A few days ago my girlfriend and I were eating dinner and searching for something to watch; a common practice for us now in the COVID era. It was her turn to choose and she picked this Amazon original. Neither one of us had ever heard of it and decided to give it a whirl. Long story short, we were juuuust about to fall asleep when the movie got good. Like, really good.

This film follows Nolan (Mamoudou Athie), a recently released coma patient who’s suffering from amnesia. He and his wife were in a terrible car accident in which she didn’t survive. Now, with amnesia and an adorable and capable young daughter to raise named Ava (Amanda Christine), Nolan has to pick up the pieces of his life.

And everything is going wrong. He can’t get his job back as a photographer, he struggles to remember to pick up his daughter from school, he has no memory of his past life. That’s when a gifted neurosurgeon (Phylicia Rashad) enters the film, with an offer he can’t refuse. She offers to help him get his memories back with a new invention she’s working on called the Black Box. And I can’t go any further without getting into spoilers but let’s just say this is the point in the film where we stopped dozing off.

Aside from the drag (which I think was intentional to lull the viewer into a false-boredom), this film really hits its peak once good ol’ Claire Huxtable’s true intentions are made clear. I love a film with a good twist, and although you see it coming, it doesn’t disappoint. The acting in this film is excellent. Phylicia Rashad and little Ava Amanda Christine really steal the show. Ava is the canary in the mine shaft. Like most children, she’s brutally honest. She can smell something’s not right with her dad. And Nolan’s performance really comes off as genuine discovery as he starts to regain his memory.

It’s hard to rate this film without going into what makes it really worth watching, because what makes it worth watching is the twist. And I’ll never spoil a good twist. So,

THE VERDICT: 78% Chronic on the Bammer Scale. This is some decent Indica that gives you couch lock and tries to put you to sleep. But if you fight thru it, you won’t miss out on an awesome experience…Actually, I take it back; this film is Quaaludes. Fight thru the boredom and watch it thru. Also, if you’re a fan of a certain director who was part of a famous Black sketch comedy duo, you’re gonna feel like you’ve seen this film before. But its a great change from what you’ve already seen.
Movie Review: Motel Hell (1980)
By: Patrick J Mullen
Tags: Cannibalism, Movie Review, Horror, Comedy, 1980s

Motel Hell is one of those cult classic horror movies that I’ve put off watching for a long time for no real reason. I think I got it mixed up a bit with sort of similar movies. It has the cannibalism setup of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (really more the second one, come to think of it). It’s got the motel setting of Psycho. And it’s got the weird kind of goofy tone of something like Creepshow (not as comedic as like The Evil Dead II or Return of the Living Dead).

And yet I really enjoyed it.

I just realized now that this will be the second month in a row where a cannibalism-based dark comedy will rank very highly in my best first watches of the month list, but that’s fine, when they’re as good as this and Eating Raoul.

Because I was laughing pretty consistently.

Like so many other horror comedies, I can’t imagine actually being scared by this, despite some mildly creepy imagery. The performances are so….well, they’re not really comedic, but they’re not creepy either. They’re incredibly sincere, which kind of makes the comedic tone work a bit better. Had they been goofier, this movie would have been a lot worse.

Anyways, I liked it. You’ll probably know if you’ll like it or not.

Rating: 7/10
I Like Jeffrey Donovan
By: Melissa R. Mendelson
Tags: Jeffrey Donovan, Actors, Movie Review, Writing, A Few Words

I Like Jeffrey Donovan

Jeffrey Donovan

I like Kevin Costner movies. He always brings something to the screen, making his characters captivating to watch. His movies are just too damn slow like Dances with Wolves, and Let Him Go was no different. Despite the movie jumping off with a tragedy, its pace continued to crawl, and Margaret Blackledge took the helm, a strong driven woman brought to life by the talents of Diane Lane. But I still struggled to stay in tune, a familiar tune with Costner’s movies, knowing that usually at the end, the movie will switch gears and go into warp speed. But would I hang in until then?

In came Jeffrey Donovan. I have always liked him, and lately, I’ve spotted him popping up in movies such as Sicario and Honest Thief. He had me at USA’s Burn Notice. He brought a multitude of talent to his character, Michael Westen, displaying a range of emotion from determination to passion to intensity to despair to love, striking each key along the piano, and bringing what he needed to the scene. There are actors, and then there are Actors. He is one of them, someone that catches your eye and never fails to disappoint, and he was a frightening villain, Bill Weboy to watch in the movie, Let Him Go. You hated the character but liked the actor, and the actor would do a 180 in the movie, Honest Thief playing the good guy, going toe to toe with Liam Neeson.

I’m tempted to re-watch USA’s Burn Notice now. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of new tv shows or movies to watch on the Apple TV, and I’ve been watching old tv shows instead. I may add Burn Notice to my list and once again enjoy Jeffrey Donovan’s performance in it. I think he’s come a long way, and it makes me happy to see him in movies when there are new movies to watch. Granted, Let Him Go was not one of my choices, but my family doesn’t trust my taste in movies. I did get them to watch the movie, Freaky, thinking it was a Dark Comedy not a Gory Slasher Movie, which I enjoyed. They didn’t, so I lost my right to pick a movie to watch. Again, but Let Him Go and Good Thief were not my choices. And it was a nice surprise to see Jeffrey Donovan in them, so maybe I’ll let my family continue to pick the movie. For now until I crave something else, something Horror or something Science-Fiction.
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By: Lqp Action Movies
Tags: Movie Trailers, Movie Review, Movies, Movies To Watch, Movies Online Free

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Depending on which figures you choose to go with, between 4% and 16% of the World’s population…
By: Where Angels Fear
Tags: Cinema, Film, Movie Review, Movies, Film Reviews

Depending on which figures you choose to go with, between 4% and 16% of the World’s population have a ‘Cluster B’ personality disorder … half of them Narcissistic and/or (they’re frequently comorbid) or Antisocial (sociopathic/psychopathic).

Whilst I admit that it’s a bit of an occupational hazard for me … and I‘m, therefore, likely to be prone to an inverse form of the narrator’s condition in Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men In A Boat … I’m convinced I see a lot more evidence of it than 16% — more like 25%- 75% (if you ask me, you’re pretty much all c*untryfolk).

But there’s possibly more of them in the US than many other parts of the World too
The US has notoriously an problem with popularity contests but, over and above that, your students…
By: Where Angels Fear
Tags: Cinema, Film, Movie Review, Movies, Film Reviews

The US has notoriously an problem with popularity contests but, over and above that, your students live in the Peeple app era — you can’t afford to be anything less than Duracell Bunny bright and cheerful … or your social credit might wane
The BEST #listof10 funniest movie characters | Gutting the Sacred Cow
By: Kevin Gootee
Tags: Movie Review, Movies, Podcast, Movie Quotes, Podcast Recommendations

What am I basing this on? Quotability and no matter how many times I’ve seen it, I still laugh my ass off watching their scenes. Kevin Gootee’s picks in no order.

Steve Stiffler-American Pie. My fucking spirit animal…to a degree. And shit, he MAKES the first film a classic. Frank Drebin-Naked Gun The absolute gold standard in slapstick comedy. Too many quotes to remember his 10 best. Randall-Clerks This guy set the world on fire with pure Jersey attitude and hilarious one liners. Borat- Rewatched this just last week. And it didn’t lose ONE GODDAMN STEP. Hopefully the sequel is 1/5 as funny as the first was. This STILL is the funniest film in the last 15 years. Al Czervik-Caddyshack- Tied for first as my favorite standup comedian. 40 years later, his character is still on the Mt Rushmore. And oh yeah, I have an Al Czervik Halloween costume. Axel Foley-Beverly Hills Cop The first 2, not the PG-13 third one. Brody-Mallrats See Randall from Clerks Oskar Schindler-Schindler’s List. A real laugh riot and panty dropper, just kidding. Jim Carrey-Ace Ventura is still a pants pissor Ryan Dunn- his final stunt was amazing. Just kidding. Johnny Knoxville-Jackass films 3 films of pure hilarity and I can’t wait for the 4th. Roland Flakfizer-Brain Donors He spits out one liners as the rate as a Thompson machine gun. One of the funniest films you’ve never seen.

Kevin Israel’s quotes

1. Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters) — Dry, snarky, and sometimes cruel. He will always be my number 1.

2. Ty Webb (Caddyshack) — Cocky but he didn’t give a fuck. A truly complex asshole.

3. Carl Spackler (Caddyshack) — Truly a Cinderella story.

4. Fletch (Fletch) — Don’t we all wish they we can do anything and STILL get the girl? Maybe I just adore Chevy Chase.

5. Van Wilder (Van Wilder) — Ryan Reynolds at his best? Maybe. A glimpse into the Deadpool who would be? Probably. Hysterical? No doubt.

6. Bluto (Animal House) — There were a lot of funny scenes in this classic, but Bluto was the one, always funny character. Who wouldn’t want to slam a bottle of Jack with this big man?

7. Dr. Rumack (Airplane!) — This was one of the first comedies I remember seeing and for years I said, “We’re all counting on you.” Nielsen at his finest.

8. Donkey (Shrek) — Eddie Murphy is hysterical, but as a Donkey…homerun. Let’s be honest, Donkey made these movies.

9. Austin Powers (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged me) — I often forget, but this bucktoothed Brit is hysterical. Yeah baby!

10. Kirk Lazarus (Tropic Thunder) — This dude, dressed up as a dude, playing another dude is still hysterical. I doubt they’d be able to pull that character off today, but I’m glad they did while they could.
Tell me about it!
By: Where Angels Fear
Tags: Cinema, Film, Movie Review, Movies, Film Reviews

…enced challenging circumstances growing up and I have found that in order to face life’s challenges they have been raised on a diet of positive cliches . “If you can dream it you can do it.” “Don’t let what other people say bother you.” “God never give…
Kinda like this, you mean?
By: Where Angels Fear
Tags: Cinema, Film, Movie Review, Movies, Film Reviews

There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.