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austintylersmith
Reviews
Apt Pupil (1998)
Didn't Have the Guts to Replicate King's Novella
Not enough guts shown here! I understand there are tough decisions to make regarding making a movie in regards to ratings, etc. But the story only works if Todd is as crazy as he is in the novella! Instead of a young curious psychopath, he is demoted to a snot nosed high schooler with motivations that don't make much sense.
I know King's stores are very hard to adapt to film, but the creators butchered (no pun intended) the story with those crucial parts from the novella being omitted. Dussander kills the cat in the novella, but it gets away from him in the movie. I know it's disturbing but that's what makes the story work! Same with them removing the fact that Todd kills his counselor, Mr. French, and then goes on a rampage (implied) at the end of the novella until the authorities take him down 5 hours later. And again, it's these gory details that make the story work!
Still, it's adequately acted and done decently enough. Just a huge disappointment after reading the genius of the novella beforehand.
Absolute Power (1997)
Why is nobody talking about the BOOK?!
David Baldacci's first novel, Absolute Power, gave the real-time lawyer overnight success. This is a pretty decent film, especially with the performances of Clint Eastwood and Ed Harris.
I understand that making films based upon novels is no easy task. But why get rid of the MAIN CHARACTER in the book?! Jack Graham is a complex character who is both flawed and very likable. His relationship with his fiancé and ex (Kate Whitney, played by Laura Linney) is very deep and layered. His relationship to the main character in the film (Luther Whitney, played by Clint Eastwood) is a joy to read and dive into.
It's an easy shot to take saying the book is better than the movie... everyone does it. But it's definitely true in this case. It's still a decent thriller but I feel that all, or at certainly most, of the emotional impact with the characters, especially when certain ones die tragically, is completely removed from the audience's reaction.
Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)
10 stars but not because I love it
10 stars for the fact that this even exists. Salò did what it intended to do... it shone light on the depravity of wicked men (and women!), especially those in the company of "the elite".
It was disgusting, perverted, and intense... and yet, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I read so many articles online and watched movie reviews on it that I guess it numbed me, preparing me for the experience.
But say what you want about the content or the theme(s) of this film; it was beautifully shot. Maybe that's why it's so disturbing to people. You'd expect a film with this type of content to be filmed in a gritty, dark, grungy way, but it's the opposite. Basically everything that is done is done in the light, and the randomness of the scenes make it seems realistic. The four main "dictatorial leaders" (the Duke, Bishop, Magistrate, and the President) in the film are very believable and dastardly and brutal in many ways.
Some of the young actor's responses don't seem believable at certain times, but you could also say that that's how they would be in a situation like this. Stuck in a sadistic world of depravity would tarnish the humanity is a person, erasing any trace of emotion left on them, after a while. This can actually add to the depraved feelings they have (or don't at times) and cause the viewer to feel things they never have.
It's crazy that Pier Paolo Pasolini was murdered for filming this. I get that people were mad, but dang dude. It wasn't real. Sad.
All in all, it's a disturbing and almost unbelievable watch that will probably have you asking yourself (or the screen) all sorts of questions. But the question you must ask yourself is, "Is the curiosity in your mind about this film worth experiencing?"
Grave (2016)
Easy 10/10
What an incredible film! This feature has got the some of the greatest acting I've ever seen from a female lead (and supporting actress, the sister). The score adds an amazing touch and does what it needs to do at exactly the right moments.
The bizarre and intense scenes were perfectly done. It has heart and depth and insanity! What else could you ask for?
Firestarter (2022)
Quite enjoyable
I'm a huge Stephen King fan. However, oddly enough, I haven't read Firestarter yet (bought it recently and is in my queue) or seen the 1984 adaptation with Drew Barrymore.
With that being said, I thought this was quite enjoyable! Sure some of the casting and acting was questionable, but overall kept me engaged. Efron and Armstrong were capable and the visuals were great.
Additionally, the score by John Carpenter and his son Cody was phenomenal!
The story arc could have been better with twenty minutes more of runtime, but then again I'm saying all that without reading the book (which I usually do first).
All in all, it was a good time.
Hellraiser: Judgment (2018)
Hellraiser meets Se7en meets Human Centipede
Simple, quick review.
Great special effects, although much was left to be desired. Rip off of the movie Se7en, but was still enjoyable to a degree. Edgerton's charatcer was annoying. This was very predictable from early on but was an OK ride. A bit of Human Centipede type filth in the beginning. Better than some installments and an ambitious take. Pinhead was really good, but once again was underused.
6/10.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Just didn't work for me...
I liked the premise, but it fell flat. Like... really flat.
Acting:
The antagonists were bad. I love Woody Harrelson, and the idea of a serial killer getting some of the symbiote is a cool idea. But it just didn't work for me. Naomie Harris is a good actor as well, but her character was poorly developed and her acting here just simply was lacking.
Writing/Dialogue:
The writing was poor and the dialogue delivery was honestly very bland. I hate to be so negative, but it wasn't a good film. The jokes were not funny at all and I was checking the time throughout.
Editing:
@ 1:21:14 Anne bumps her head into Dan's face during a serious moment with Eddie. It was clearly unintentional and they didn't catch it. Also, pretty sloppy editing during the action sequences.
Overall:
Significantly less appealing than the original, which is shocking because Andy Serkis is incredible. I don't know what happened here. But hopefully the end of the trilogy will be more enjoyable.
P. S. I still don't know if I get Tom Hardy's accent, but it's probably "just a 'me' thing and not a 'we' thing".
Man of Steel (2013)
Ambitious - But falls flat
It's not the worst film based off a comic book, but it's got MANY flaws. The runtime is too long based on what we knows about the story. It simply takes too long for the climax to end. The villains are poorly casted and parts are poorly written.
There are so many cringeworthy moments in the film. Toward the end, a Captain tells her superior office (a four-star General) that she thinks Superman is hot. After thousands of people have died due to the city's destruction and almost having the world come to an end... this is the "comic relief" the writers chose to implement here? SMH. Also, Clark's adopted dad, played by Kevin Costner, dies from saving the family dog from a monstrous tornado. This is so dumb; especially since there's a completely different dog later in the movie with no explanation.
Henry Cavill is actually great as Superman. Likewise, Amy Adams is great as Lois Lane. However, they have no chemistry between each other. And her line toward the end when she says something along the lines of "After the first kiss, it all goes downhill from here". There's no humor at all throughout the film, and it's like they tried to just randomly throw some in there toward the end in a few places. It's sloppy and unrealistic based upon the circumstances.
CGI is pretty good for 2013, but it ends up looking more like a try-hard Michael Bay film rather than a Superman movie. The writing is just bad. This is why Marvel excels so much more than DC overall. They have heart, genuine characters, wonderful storytelling, attention to continuity, and great pacing.
Im not even one to write bad reviews! I almost always rate movies between 7/10-10/10 because I can usually find the positives and focus on that. There's just some things about this production that are unforgivable, and it's disappointing because it had promise.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
11/10
Spider-Man: No Way Home absolutely delivers, and is the perfect conclusion to the new Spider-Man Trilogy. My jaw dropped about 15 times in the IMAX, so much so I had to go back for a second viewing the next night. I literally spent my New Year's Eve (as the clock turned midnight) watching this film for the second time.
The fact that the studio was even able to pull this off in the first place is remarkable in and of itself, feat that I don't know that will ever be fully appreciated. Match that with perfect execution, continuity, pacing, writing, and honest acting... and you've got a cinematic masterpiece.
Look... I don't know all the "rules" people have in their minds about Comic Book Movies, but I'm learning some of them. I'm honestly sick of these so-called "cinema fans" on IMDB. So many of the 1/10 ratings you see (for this film and other high-rated films) are from folks who actually LOVE the film... but for some reason they rate it low in hopes of "averaging out the overall rating in comparison to the other greatest films of all-time". Stop! Just stop. Stop comparing this film to The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption or even The Dark Knight. Rate each film what they deserve: good, bad, and everything in between. Period.
This film knocks it out of the park in so many ways. It's easy to see why it has such a very high rating. It's incredible! You feel what the characters feel. The acting is stupendous, even down to the subtle nuances of expression and reaction. The conversation that is had between "the three" is so genuine and real. It's palpable in several ways, and even goes beyond the nostalgia factor. This film has so much heart, and what I probably love about it the most, is that it takes its fans very seriously. You can never underestimate that in a film like this.
Additionally, the fact that it chooses to focus on forgiveness and redemption more than revenge and carnage (no MCU pun intended) makes it even more lovable. It's got so much of what Endgame had and even more, if that's even possible. I highly recommend this film, MCU fan or not.
P. S. Stop rating like a d-bag and be honest.