post-july round up

i haven't completely forgotten about this blog, i promise. between travelling and catching up on sleep that i know i'll be missing once school starts up again, here's a long overdue round-up of what i've been watching in the latter half of 2013.

event horizon (1997) 
my endless search for the perfect horror film continues. promised by less than reputable sources that this particular movie would give me nightmares, i had low expectations going in to this movie. the concept of a haunted spaceship is an interesting premise to explore the horror genre in. while i appreciated what this movie was trying to accomplish, it's been five months since i watched this and i have to say that it didn't leave much of an impression on me. 

cube (1997) 
continuing the horror theme for this particular weekend, the horrific premise of cube promised to if not scare, then at least entertain us for an hour and a half. seven strangers wake up trapped in a strange room, not knowing how they got there or who put them there. i found the film to be more frustrating than suspenseful, and i found myself mostly rooting for people to die rather than to survive. you'd think i would have learned my lesson about american horror movies by now.

noroi (2005) 
hands down one of the most frightening films i've watched in recent memory. i actually couldn't sleep after watching it, which hasn't happened to me since i was a kid. using the found footage film style, the film follows the events of a paranormal documentary filmmaker exploring seemingly unrelated incidents that ultimately lead him to to discover a demon called "kagutaba". this film understands the importance of subtlety in horror films without being too dull, and the found footage style is implemented in a way that makes the danger feel realistic. i generally don't have the patience for slow burning horror, but noroi manages to be mesmerizing and horrifying without giving everything away all at once. turn down the lights, grab a friend (or three) and watch this the next time you're in the mood to be scared shitless.

now you see me (2013) 
this movie has somehow taken all the elements that i usually enjoy in film and just slam dunked them into the trash. all the elements of a great movie were present: a compelling plot, magicians, a heist, and some great actors in the mix. you can blame it on the hype, sure, but a bad movie is still a bad movie. i can't think of a single redeeming thing about this film. despite the experienced and stellar cast (morgan freeman, mark ruffalo, michael caine, melanie laurent and the unlikely but effective zombieland duo woody harrelson and jessie eisenberg) the pacing is awkward, the script is bland and everyone seemed like they were reading lines off a page. both the heist and magic elements were flashy, sure, but made no sense in the narrative. what really gets to me is that this mediocre visual effects demo reel that should have been left on the cutting room floor somehow got a 7.3 on IMDB? i don't even know why i give that website any weight anymore. please refund me for my time wasted on this god awful imitation of a "heist film", and please never speak to me about this movie again.

the world's end (2013)
the much anticipated, final entry in the acclaimed cornetto trilogy took me by surprise. i'm not sure if i can write a review that would fairly convey my feelings towards it, since it's been a while since i watched it last and it feels like a movie that needs a second viewing. although i didn't enjoy it was much as the previous two, it's a hilarious movie that works well in the world that the trilogy created for itself. i always love watching simon pegg do his thing, and nick frost's role in world's end was a nice change from his usual position as the bumbling idiot friend. overall, a solid finale that lives up to the high standard set by shaun of the dead and hot fuzz.

this is the end (2013)
if you've seen the trailer for this little vanity project of franco and crew, you've seen it all. i really wanted to like this movie, i did. but the whole bit with the rape jokes left a bad taste in my mouth and the whole thing was a bit too self indulgent for my liking. i would give it a miss.

the bling ring (2013) 
i'm not sure what this film was trying to accomplish, or if it really was trying to say anything at all. a sort-of heist movie about a bunch of spoiled, rich high school kids that break into celebrity's apartments and steal their stuff, there's no charm in watching a bunch of privileged shitheads stealing from a other privileged shitheads. a poorly written script acted by a group of relatively inexperienced actors makes for some truly unwatchable scenes. really, really not great.

the conjuring (2013) 
i don't know why i keep picking the most mediocre shit to watch. it wasn't the worst movie i've seen by any measure, but wow what a painfully average movie. acting was alright, the horror elements were mostly jump scares, the plot progressed in such a linear way that even a six year old could guess what's coming next. i do have to give the film credit for a cool exorcism scene, if nothing else. i probably will forget i even watched this in a couple of months. 

prisoners (2013) 
without spoiling anything, what a hell of an ending, christ. both jackman and gyllenhaal put on a fantastic performance as grieving father and troubled cop respectively. this movie had me at the edge of my seat the entire time, and had my full attention from beginning to end despite the long runtime. i was disappointed that they didn't do more with gyllenhaal's character, since it seemed like they would somehow tie in his character's past with the case he was working on. i also felt like this movie was building up a lot to something that never actually happened, or perhaps i was misinterpreting the film. i was also hoping this movie would delve more into psychological thriller territory, but nevertheless i was quite impressed with gyllenhaal's performance in a more mature role. i'm looking forward to his future projects.

byzantium (2013) 
i have a lot of mixed feelings about this movie. on one hand, i really enjoyed the concept and the way that the story was conveyed with flashbacks, but i feel like the directors failed to focus enough on the elements that could have made the film great. i loved that the main characters were two female characters that were on the run from an oppressively patriarchal society of vampires. if they had just concentrated the story around this, it would have really been unique and impressive. instead, they focus on the saoirse ronan's romance with a human boy, which is so, so boring in comparison to the narrative that could have been. the part where gemma arterton's character reveals her origin story is one of the most enjoyable parts of the plot. just when the plot looks promising, the focus shifts to ronan's perspective about her boring melodramatic high school romance with the boy. yawn. give me the romance between clara (arterton) and darvell (sam riley) instead!! they've been alive for centuries!! chasing each other across the ends of the earth!!! what the hell!! and the movie ends just as it's starting to get good. what a waste of great potential.

big fish (2003) 
i'm going to be honest and say i was generally underwhelmed by the entire movie. i've never been a huge fan of tim burton, and despite this being his least "burtonesque" film, his style and his storytelling have never quite resonated with me. my personal preferences and ewan mcgregor's handsome face aside, the story and cinematography were charming and overall it wasn't the worst thing i've watched by any measure.

the to-do list (2013)
my beef with imdb just keeps growing. this movie got a 5.7? really? i agree that it's not some kind of cinematic masterpiece, but it is important as to what it accomplishes. the to-do list follows an awkward, uptight, overachieving soon-to-be college student exploring her sexuality. with the help of her friends, she sets out to lose her virginity (and then some) before she starts college. what i loved about this movie was that the characters were real. they were real girls, real girls that were also women of color that were taking their sexuality into their own hands and supporting each other like real friends do. sure, the male characters were goofy caricatures, but how many times have you seen a movie where female characters are reduced to stereotypes or literally just plot devices to advance a male character's plot forward? too many times. i feel like this film was made in response to those countless movies where the guy is free to explore his sexuality and the females are endlessly slut shamed for doing essentially the same thing. what a refreshing, funny and real take on the shit that girls go through. for a goofy movie that doesn't try to take itself too seriously, it deals with a lot of serious issues that somehow get glossed over in girls' lives. i hope that more movies like this continue to be made.

splice (2009) 
i'm not sure what events conspired in my life to compel me to watch this movie, but i regret it a lot. what a bizarre film. also that ending??? it was setting up to a sequel?!??!?! please never get made?!??!?!?? what the hell was this director thinking?????!!!!?!?! no. just. don't. do not. why. don't. how did adrien brody get involved. someone put him in better movies. please. don't watch this movie.

pulse (2001)
this movie came up as a suggestion when i googled 'movies similar to noroi'. i know you must be thinking: if you were so fucked up scared by noroi, why would you want to watch something similar? it's because i'm a horror junkie. i can't get enough of good horror movies, and god knows there aren't enough of them in the world. pulse turned out to be a massive disappointment, not similar to noroi by any standard. it was boring, long and drawn out and just straight up didn't make sense. give it a miss. the neighbourhood haunted house is probably scarier than this movie.

clueless (1995) 
i somehow missed watching this movie when i was younger, along with about a million other movies that people claim to be 'essential for the Full Childhood Experience'. anyway, i feel like i wouldn't have appreciated this movie when i was younger. i absolutely loved it. although i'm uncomfortable with using the label 'chick flick', i do appreciate that this movie was targeted to a younger female audience. for an older film, it does a really good job of being female positive, both in how the characters view themselves and each other. definitely one i'll be watching again.

jagten (2012)
i thought that overall, the movie was solidly put together and handled the subject matter well. it was interesting seeing mads mikkelsen play a protagonist, since he excelled at playing an antagonist in nbc's hannibal. while the premise of a wrongly accused child molester was compelling, i found the movie incredibly frustrating the entire time, and the last ten minutes of the film just made me even more frustrated. i'm sure that was a part of the response that the director wanted from the viewers, but man. what a rough watch.

masquerade (2012)
once in awhile a movie comes along that captures your attention from the opening credits, and you just know. set in korea during the joseon dynasty, the king, fearing assassination, finds a man who resembles him to take his place during the night. with beautiful cinematography and a glimpse into korean history that both celebrates the joseon dynasty and recognizes its faults. the costume and set design is top notch with a great story to boot, with an unexpected comedic touch. i really, really enjoyed this movie. usually i find sageuks (korean historical films) to be too drawn out and dry, but masquerade was wonderful. i definitely recommend the film, even if you're not very familiar with korean history.

a frozen flower (2008) 
after watching masquerade, i wondered what other great movies that i missed out on by ignoring the sageuk genre. this was not one of them. despite the interesting premise of the love affair between the king and his body guard, it quickly changes focus to the bodyguard falling in love with the queen instead. i was bored through the entire movie. the dramatic twists and turns in the plot felt a little too soap opera-esque for my taste, as well as the fact that i just didn't care about any of the characters.

new world (2013) 
recommended by my friend sangha, who's pretty much one of the most reliable sources of what's good in korean cinema, new world is, at its core, a fairly straightforward film about a cop that is deep undercover in a korean mafia. the acting is phenomenal and intense, and kept me hooked until the final act. there's nothing as tantalizing as a chance to glimpse into a forbidden world, and new world does just that. definitely give this one a watch. the elevator fight scenes is one of the most intense scenes i've watched since the oldboy hallway fight scene. violent, brutal and just a little bit tempting, new world is a solid movie all around.