Reviews

NOTE: There are no spoilers, except a plot points that are also mentioned in plot summaries of this movie. Otherwise this review should be fine for anyone who has not seen the movie yet.

Also, if you didn't know this is the movie which is preceding the sequel (Silent Night, Deadly Night 2) that has the infamous "Garbage day"-scene. I didn't know this until after I saw Silent Night, Deadly Night. However, it should be noted that Silent Night, Deadly Night is not that kind of movie, but a serious horror movie about serial killer in Santa Claus costume.

I recently saw this film in theater just before christmas as it was originally intended (version that was digital restorated with added/removed scenes that weren't in the original theatrical run). I didn't know anything about the movie but I did expect a very cheesy exploitation horror film about killer Santa Claus. It has a cool poster and, while not a huge fan of low-budget exploitation serial killer films, I do like slashers; with the likes of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Usually the best ones are the combination of spooks, dark humor, great special effects, creative kills, good soundtrack and entertaining villain. So, what is the case with Silent Night, Deadly Night and did it manage to sadisfy my criteria for good slasher?

The short answer, not really... It was kinda boring.

Basically, there's a young boy who's traumatized by the murder of his parents during the christmas, by some robber dressed as a Santa Claus. The boy sent to an orphanage, which is unfortunately run by the very strict Mother Superior who punishes naughty kids. Not the best place for childhood growth. Obviously this leaves him mentally damaged for the rest of his life, given panic attacks by any imagery of Santa Claus. Many years later, becoming an adult when working at a toy store, he has to dress as Santa Claus to replace someone, who's sick, which at first upsets him but eventually becoming "Santa", since he associates him with punishment of "naughty" ones by violent means, finally snapping completely and going after people he considers "naughty".

Honestly, this is a very good setup. Since most serial killers in movies go after people who have sex anyway (and obviously you can find that action here), it's an interesting take as sex considered "naughty" business by the standards of orphanage. Our main guy's favorite catchphrases are "Punishment!" and "Naughty!" after all. Kills are pretty good and cinematography is decent.

But why the low score? Well, here's why. 1. Inconsistent visual quality: Added scenes shown in the version I watched were low-quality unlike the rest of the film. I don't know why this is the case. Was it due to incompetence or lack of good copy for reference? Regardless, this can break the immersion for some people. So, don't expect Arrow Films levels of restoration here.

2. Slow pace and build-up: It can only work if there's any investment to characters and some tension build up. I don't know about you slow pace didn't made me feel unease in a way it was intended. Made me bored. Sure the concept is a bit freaky but the execution lacked. The main character who we follow is the guy who eventually becomes the killer, but it does take unnecessary amount of time until it finally happens. I wouldn't be surprised if someone fall a sleep during the film. This can be subjective thing but for me movie didn't deliver.

3. Non sensical story (for a serious film): It's very difficult to balance comedy and drama together, especially on horror movies. Simple solution would be to only choose one route; either very campy popcorn flick for general audiences who don't take things seriously or a truly scary film that shocks and makes people think. Of those two options, serious route is more challenging since you actually have to have a competent script and skillful director. Unfortunately, despite all the good ideas this movie had, story is very silly and could've worked better if it didn't take itself that seriously. The people that the killer goes after don't have any purpose other than being killed and show the effects. If this was a simple campy slasher, it wouldn't be a problem but with the tone that Silent Night, Deadly Night has, it felt pointless. Also, what kind of people would send a very traumatized child to an orphanage that treats childs harshly for breaking the rules? If you are going for serious tone then expect people to treat it as such.

4. Bland characters: Not even the killer was interesting after he snapped. He just randomlly kills people he considers "naughty" and shouts "Punish!". Even if acting was bad, it wouldn't matter, as long as they are entertaining but they aren't that,

5. NOT SCARY! (with the exception of first 10 minutes): This might just me, but I wasn't scared at all while watching the movie, in the theater....which is the ideal for horror....no lights, only the big screen with great speakers. Rewatching Friday the 13th on big screen somehow startled a few times; more times than Silent NIght, Deadly Night ever did.

There were little things too that bothered me too. For example: the killer most of the time wasn't covered by the beard and there were no Ho-Ho-ho's to my knowledge; I mean come on.... Also, killer never enters or exits chimney at any point of the film despite what the movie poster on IMDb implies.

There were a few scenes that had that unintentional hilarity but not enough to justify this movie. The opening was geninuely creepy and kills were OK. Otherwise; Silent Night, Deadly Night is a cheap B-horror that isn't even that funny; made during exploitation/video nasties era (and for a video nasty title, a bit tame.) I would recommend you to skip this one.

If you want to watch a silly campfest, this isn't the one. If you want a simple horror film from the 80's, this might just work for some people but there are much better options available.

The second of the third trilogy and the third Star Wars movie produced by Disney. One more movie added to the collection of what seems to be an endless series (and endless conflict in space). No matter what, Disney will get their money and it'll not stop until the franchise is no longer profitable. I'll be waiting for those times, but for now, let's talk about Episode VIII, shall we?

I'll keep this review spoiler-free, since most of the IMDb reviews are not.

Now, if you didn't like The Force Awakens (like me), it's best to ignore Episode VIII. If you liked The Force Awakens, I honestly don't know whether you're going like this film or not, as feedback from fans seems to be mixed.

In short, Episode VIII - The Last Jedi feels like its made by the studio executives, rather than the movie makers. This is a very cliche thing to say, but would you be surprised if most of the decisions were made by the studio? I have nothing against people who made this. As matter of fact, I feel sorry for them as their talent were completely wasted. I think this can be applied to most Marvel (or Hollywood in general) films too.

There are a lot of problems in this film. Most of them may seem like nitpicks to some people, but for me personally, immersion is very important and some small, and not so small, details can break the film; to a point, I stop caring about what will happen. Mistakes and missteps can make the film artificial and make you think about the decisions filmmakers made.

I have no problem with unrealistic scenarios and irrational decisions made by characters in a film but then rules need to be established and some sort of line between complete fantasy and realism should be there. Let me just say that "the force" seem to be very inconsistent. Sometimes you need training, sometimes it just works without it. There was one moment that almost made laugh. It's something that just happens and we are not going to see the same thing happening again, even though it could be one of the most useful force abilities you could imagine. Speaking of inconsistencies, most characters sometimes speak of something and then proceed to do something else. "We need to stay. No, we need to escape." This leads me to another problem.

Too many plot devices and coincidences. When everything goes bad and there is no hope, something always saves the situation. Either it's a dumb decision that just works or a situation that just can't possibly happen, no questions asked. There will be no tension when things just happen due to lazy writing.

And there's more. There are too many forced (no pun intended) sequences where you are supposed to feel sad about the tragedy when you don't care about the character. Also, many of the jokes seem to be focused on these CGI creatures that reminds me of prequel trilogy, and I already forgot what the jokes were about. I think they were just weird alien creatures being weird or something.

Technically, the film is standard Hollywood flick, maybe even too standard. Action sequences were uninspired, but competent. There were no unique/creative camera angles. CGI wasn't bad, but it was very noticeable. Now, I'm not 100% sure about this next statement, but there was some unnecessary focus points. Especially the CGI creatures in the background. Again, weird alien things being weird and some hamster creatures that were suppose to look cute. They didn't add anything to the story and seem to be there to sell toys. Hey, atleast ewoks were doing something useful. There isn't any other reason for these creatures to appear.

There's definitely more to say, but due to limited space, I have to end it here. Episode VIII is yet another Disney studio Star Wars film that play it safe.

Oh, one last thing. There are reasons why Mark Hamill wasn't keen on this film and probably are the same problems that made Harrison Ford left this franchise, but who knows. Atleast we got another Star Wars film. It's all that matters, right?

It's best to not reveal anything about the plot as it's not fun to ruin the moment, just like magic tricks. Instead, I'll mention a few things about The Prestige. Go with the open mind, and I'll promise you love it.

The Prestige is well directed and written (you can thank Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan for that). While I haven't read the original novel, apparently Christopher Priest was completely surprised by what he was seeing, so I can guess that anyone, who has read the original novel, will like this movie too. Excellent cast. Everyone gave their best, but I did find Andy Serkis a bit weird but you can't blame him. You already know where his fame came from and you can't unsee it. Other than that, no complaints. You can see Nolan likes to use same actors in his movies. I do think that maybe Christian Bale was the best actor, and I'm not surprised by that. The man knows how to give a good performance. Hugh Jackman was also good. It's always a relief that he has a talent to play roles that aren't Wolverine (not that he was bad in it, he's great) This movie isn't special effect heavy as other movies directed by Nolan but you can compare it to Memento, despite the differences in themes. Just like Memento, it's more of a thriller and drama than an action movie.

The Prestige does show a pretty convincing impression of the end of the 19th century. No CGI backgrounds that look bland. The editing, music and cinematography is standard good quality you would expect.

There were a few moments which I did find questionable, and as something that could break the suspension of disbelief. Luckily, I wasn't bothered that much and those moments were only a few.

I don't want to give too much credit to Nolan brothers as I don't want to discredit anyone else that were involved in the movie but if you like their work, I'm 100% sure that you will like this movie just like the others. It may require a repeated viewing to some people but I don't consider it a bad thing. I highly recommend The Prestige.

I went to the theaters with a skeptical thoughts because I certainly didn't like Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I almost hated it, but not because of production values (in that aspect, it's well done), instead I think it had too similar plot structure as Episode IV, too much nostalgic pandering, old characters we know looking tired and depressed, poor world building and there were too many idiotic moments that took me out of the movie. Also, Rey. I hate overpowered characters and she was most likely given that because otherwise, it would have been offensive and sexist. But anyway, as a movie, Episode VII was for me 6/10, but my enjoyment level were more like 4/10. With this in my mind, I guess I'm not a Star Wars fan and I'm not going to be one of many people who praise the way Disney goes with our favorite franchise. Apologies, if my review is messy. I'm a really messy person, you see.

This is a first (official live-action) spin-off Star Wars movie we have and next one is coming at 2018 if I'm correct (after Episode VIII in 2017). Yearly Star Wars. It's really sad for me, because it seems that Disney does it just because of the money and the people who just take it without any questions. But is the movie good? The answer is; yes, but it's not as "good" as some people will say. For me, it's better than The Force Awakens for different reasons. I'll do my best to not spoil the movie and tell what is good and what isn't. I prefer not to into the route some people go as to just say "My review: It's good. Go watch and see it." I don't consider those as reviews.

I'll start with the positives:

Scenery, backgrounds and set designs are all well done. Sure there are some moments where you can tell what is CGI and what isn't, but overall, there isn't really anything wrong in it. If there something Gareth Edwards does right, it's the huge backgrounds and action. Shots look great and it's easy to see whats going on, not to mention the fact, everything looks big (for example: AT-AT's). This movie is going to be compared to Godzilla, which is directed by the same guy. It's a good thing and most likely it's going to be a trademark of Gareth Edwards directing. I really like the fact that all references and other nostalgic elements are kept subtle. They are not thrown at the audiences and are just a part of the movie. They clearly took a lesson from The Force Awakens. I liked some characters in Rogue One. The imperial Robot was good. The pacing is OK for the most part. I knew what was going on at least at the final moments. This is however the problem with the first act. The feeling of Star Wars was there compared to previous entry. Stormtroopers have their old voices and behavior. The set designs also have a part with this. Action was pretty standard but at the final 3rd, it got really good So...the final 3rd is the best part due to many things happening, keeping me interested. I guess you can figure it out yourself, what's going to happen, if you have watched any movie ever.

There are other things that kept me interested in this movie, but It's hard to mention other things because being precise is important for me and I don't like to spoil too much. There was certainly some scenes that I even loved, but I think you'll understand why. This review is mean't to be read by an average person who wants to find out if the movie is good or not with reasons. (I mean, without shouting that movie is garbage or that it's the best Star Wars movie)

Now, here my negatives. Rogue One was at some points boring. There wasn't much happening despite having a chance to develop the characters. While acting wasn't bad really, but they didn't have that much emotions to make them believable. It wasn't the only problem. The characters didn't have much screen time and they are not likely to be recognized for their personality. They were lackluster. Now that I think about, the writing was not that great. Some things were explained pretty well and can be considered well explanations for the Episode IV. They were contradictions though, which were annoying. While CGI was good, there are a few scenes where it was too obvious and distracting. While Vader is not the main point, I think there should've been more scenes with him, since he's one of the best movie villains and all scenes where he appeared, were amazing. There are too much planets with scenes that are only like two minutes long. What was the point of crediting them anyway? It's not suppose to be a standard Hollywood movie. IT'S STAR WARS!!! There were a few distracting moments and even some weirdness. You are going to hate the sentences when it comes to The Force. At the end, there were some "forced" scenes too. Contradicting as I mentioned earlier.

But really at the end of the day, the movie is good and I consider it a part of the Star Wars saga, unlike The Force Awakens. I might write a review for that movie later when I'm not lazy. I walked out of the theater satisfied and happy. Not sure if my thoughts are the same when I watch it again from Blu-Ray, but who knows. I recommend Rogue One to anyone who likes Star Wars movies, games and books or any other form of entertainment. Most people love this movie and I understand why, but please....you should accept that not everyone has a same opinion as you have.

7/10

The future looks better with this one

I one time bought Boyhood due to its massive critical acclaim, but later forgotten it, until I watched it recently. I think the critics loved it mainly because of its way of how they filmed it. It's filmed in short sections from 2002 to 2013 and we see characters grow old and mature. The actors returned to their roles every year and film makers didn't have to hire more actors to play characters older counterparts. Indeed it's a fantastic concept and should be praised for the risk the filmmakers made and somehow managed to make it work. But does that in itself make the movie good? Not really. Yes, it does make it watchable, but in order to make it good, it needs to have a stable foundation and structure. A lot could happen in a few years and consequences could go both ways. People change, opinions change, situations change and that also includes the ones made this movie in terms of writing, ideas and other stuff. So is the movie any good? It honestly depends what you're looking, but since it can be done to any movie, what makes this movie any different. Some people loved Boyhood because shows what life is in 12 year cap, but the others have said that it's boring for the same reason. I personally understand both parties and for that, my opinion is mixed. The 2nd half was indeed slightly boring as you expect something big to happened but nothing, as some people say, melodramatic, happens. The plot can be a really unfocused at some points. The dialogue though is alright and the acting most of the time good. They did their best, but I didn't like the way the main character was going at the last hour and the protagonist's part is the most important part in drama movies, so you can relate to. The editing and directing was OK, but nothing revolutionising as critics say.

At the end; Boyhood is alright movie with good concept and acting, but does get boring if you want things to happen and if don't care about the main character. 6/10