stevelivesey67 Reviews

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Classic cinema storytelling. Watch the longest version you can.

[8/10 · 7 September 2023]

Is it perfect? No.

Is it too long? Yes. Possibly.

Will modern audiences like it? No.

Why is that? Because of the visual storytelling, the 'assault' scene in the middle which isn't explained until the end and its beautiful languid style which is anathema to to younger more childish tastes in cinema.

De Niro is good, Woods is better but the direction of Sergio Leone us the star here. He cuts back and forth between scenes in the twenties, the thirties a nd later on in the sixties.

There was ten hours of stock used for this movie. The version I saw was just under four hours. I need to see the rest.

Murdercise (2023)

Objectively terrible

[1/10 · 25 August 2023]

I thought we stopped making nonsense like this in the eighties.

Murdercise seems to have been made in backlots and unused offices by wannabe porn stars playing dress up and pretend.

Everything, and I do mean everything is awful.

The acting, awful. The direction, awful. The plot, awful. It seems very much like a film made during covid and that is not a compliment.

I usually don't like to give one star ratings to movies anymore because it takes a lot of effort to get an indie film made these days. But in this case, I will make an exception. It has a depressingly cheap and sleazy feel to the whole thing.

AM Radio (2021)

Surprisingly nice little drama

[5/10 · 25 August 2023]

Surprising mainly because of the performances of the two main characters and the script that pops along really well.

Of course the movie has its issues with sets, lighting and overall production values but these are matters of budget and not of talent.

I would be interested to see what else the moviemakers produce next time, hopefully, with a bigger chequebook.

The movie moves along very spritely for the first hour before it moves to its somewhat underwhelming finale. Some plot herrings are left hanging and never circled back to and I could have done without the clichéd racist caller at the start but overall, an impressive effort.

Kandahar (2023)

A solid action movie

[6/10 · 14 August 2023]

This is a shame as it could have been a great, modern, spy/action movie. All the ingredients are there.

Gerard Butler is great, the chase and action sequences are well made and the first hour crashes along at a heck of a pace.

The second hour then kicks in and things start to go off the boil a little. There flat tyre scene wasn't necessary. The director's insistence on having multiple musical montages doesn't make any sense in a movie of this type.

The captured journalist suddenly makes an appearance at the end of movie after everyone had forgotten about her after the opening sequence.

Such a shame fix those with better writing and, boom, you have a classic on your hands.

The Passenger (III) (2023)

Excellent and brutal drama

[8/10 · 7 August 2023]

This really surprised me. I had no expectations going into it but was hugely impressed by the end.

On reflection, the first thing I think of is how well made it is. The direction, the editing, the plot, the script and the acting are all top drawer.

Special shouts out go to Kyle Gallner who is excellent as the burger boy gone postal.

Johnny Berchtold is great as the wimp you need when Micael Cera is too expensive.

Carter Smith and Jack Stanley, Director and writer respectively, are names i will look out for in the future.

The 2 scenes, one in the burger joint and the diner, are ones that will live with me for a while.

Rosita (2015)

Well crafted, romantic drama

[6/10 · 3 August 2023]

Caught this Netflix whilst looking for inspiration.

I would call this a perfectly decent romantic drama that father against son with both vying for the attention of a mail order Filipino bride.

Seems rather silly when you say that out loud but this is sensitively handled, is well written and very well acted by all concerned.

There are really no negative points about the movie, although it is rather short at only 80 minutes and once you realise where the plot is going, it takes a long time to get the ending.

Nevertheless, compelling and recommended if you like entries for the Sundance Festival.

Carnival Row (2019–2023)

Rather late to the party with this but it is surprisingly excellent.

[9/10 · 3 August 2023]

I'm about 4 episodes in so far and I am pleasantly surprised.

I have been running out of things to watch recently and decided to give this a go although not because of the 'acting' talents of Orloondo Bland and Kara Delavine.

The world building is great, the set designs, costumes, visual effects, and plot are likewise excellent.

So far it rivals Teminal List for my favourite Prime series.

I may up date this later a some TV shows hook you in only to throw a curveball toward the end but this is definitely worth your time to check our if you like the fantasy drama style which is a mixture of Lord of the Rings meets Dracula sprinkled with Jack the Ripper vibes.

Battle for Pandora (2022)

Subverts your expectations of a good movie

[2/10 · 3 August 2023]

Awful.

It's a micro budget sci fi with Hallmark quality acting and Tom Sizemore earning just enough for his last big night out.

The blue tinge to the cinematography is basically all they can afford to signal its an alien world.

I quit after about 20 minutes because the rescue team sent to recover the initial expedition party got attacked by the 'ALIEN' in the water and yet continued to standing in the water after being told not to! Why not just walk five paces backward?

Up until that point everything had been poor. Poor quality sets, lighting, direction, editing, acting, script, etc.

Just don't bother.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Fantastic ending to the trilogy

[9/10 · 18 July 2023]

A very surprising final instalment of the franchise that completely blew me away.

All the gang are put back together and go through the usual high jinks together but it is the story of Rocket that dominates this film, with its brilliantly written and superbly animated scenes that will have you tearing up over a CGI raccoon.

Speaking of the CGI, it's excellent this time around which makes a pleasant change from most Marvel fayre these days.

I hope we get to see more of the gang. They are probably all out of contract so making more of these will probably be very costly. So there will be individual stories from here on in. Can't wait.

Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker (2023)

Surprisingly effective short story horror collection

[6/10 · 18 July 2023]

These compilation type movies are nothing new. Think of the Twilight Zone movie that has an overarching story with little episodes dotted inside.

The individual stories vary in quality but are generally well put together and will hold your attention.

The main story isn't particularly original but it's the quality of everyone involved that make it a decent attempt at the genre.

I will admit that the production does show its limitations on occasion but these are mainly due to budget. This is not a polished Hollywood blockbuster but does maintain a creepy and eerie feel throughout its runtime.

Definitely worth a look.

Candy Land (2022)

Low budget religious/ slasher flick

[4/10 · 3 July 2023]

A strange blend of themes and genre's is Candy Land.

Firstly we have a friendly bunch of sex workers that hang out at a truck stop.

Next we have some bible bashing loons who want them to repent.

Next we have a certain Billy Baldwin, yes, that Billy Baldwin, from Sliver and Backdraft, who plays a weird gay corrupt cop.

Put all of these elements in blender and you come out with a movie that is depressingly explicit in its depiction of the sex work and yet predictable in its horror slasher finale.

I must give the movie its due, it is at least original in its blending of the elements but I did need a shower after watching it.

A Body to Kill For (2023)

Micro budget film school project

[3/10 · 5 June 2023]

It's always difficult to judge this type of project. It doesn't have Hollywood production values. There seems to be no lighting crew, no sound department and the acting is, shall we say, amateurish. Theplot and script are largely unintelligible. Also, there appears to be no script and the direction and editing seems to be done by the guy who owns the camera or in this case maybe an iPhone.

That being said, I must give props for simply getting the thing made, starting off in film cannot be easy and at the very least, whoever made this had the courage and vision to make a 140 minute movie and that needs to be applauded.

Infinity Pool (2023)

Lots to think about but clearly a metaphor

[6/10 · 5 May 2023]

The first hour of this movie is a legitimate arthouse, sci-fi, moralistic drama and a very interesting one at that.

The second half of the movie is where the arthouse and metaphor take over and becomes less literal and more open to interpretation.

If I had to guess at the meaning it would be that the elites of the world control and use everyone to their own ends and amusement. Once it is known that this is the way the world works then it is difficult to go back to your previous way of thinking or way of life.

Everything is very well done keeping the viewer off kilter. As always, Mia Goth is wonderful.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Suffers from superhero fatigue

[4/10 · 1 May 2023]

I, for one, am fed up with superhero movies. Fed up with the effects, fed up with the awful stories and fed up with the ridiculous notion that anyone can get beaten up but to no effect as they will be OK 5 minutes later.

Superheroes fight other Superheroes not with their powers but by punching them.......yawn.

Throughout its two hour runtime (seriously) it suffers from the the same problems as the awful Black Adam in that it's just a bunch of stuff happening. Buildings get knocked over, no one gets hurt or killed and you always know who will win in the end.

This may have killed another franchise. Shazam goes the way of Percy Jackson and the rest of the DC nonsense.

The Last House on the Left (1972)

Once groundbreaking now outdated

[5/10 · 25 April 2023]

One of Wes Cravens early offerings. Which tested the sensors at the time, however, now simply looks rather dated.

The plot had the novel twist of the hunter becoming the hunted which has been much used in later horror genre movies.

The effects are hampered by the budget as are a lot of the films production values. The 'sausage links' (you will know what I mean when you see it) used I the first death scene is probably shocking when viewed from a seventies context but now after watching far stronger movies in modern times it looks quite dated.

When the plot twists at the end, some of the set up scenes are equally ridiculous.

That said, at the time, groundbreaking.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Great costumes and some style but little else.

[6/10 · 12 January 2023]

Won the Oscar for best costumes and quite rightly.

Also has great soundtrack, however, the idea to have new music in period films was started by the far superior 'Knights Tale'.

Sofia Coppola directs with great style and panache and gets great performances from the cast especially Kirsten Dunst.

The main shortfall of the movie is the writing. Clearly such dramatic times should have a little more 'weight' added to the script. Coppola, however, has chosen to concentrate on the costumes and, forsome reason, cakes.

Historically accurate it may not be but light, fanciful and frivolous it certainly is.

Marie Antoinette (2022– )

Stunning and brave.

[3/10 · 12 January 2023]

I think it is fabulous that the person who wrote The Favourite can bring us another stunning and brave, diverse piece of work that is totally different from the former. This time it is about the French!!

I am sure that this was not greenlit when the producers saw Bridgerton at all. The decision to make a period costume drama with plenty of raunch, does seem to have been made quite independently.

The diversity continues when all the women are stunning and brave and men are cowering and subservient. Marvellous.

The historical accuracy of the writing makes me yearn for the next series about Louis the 18th or 25th.

The Rig (2023– )

Stunning and brave.

[3/10 · 8 January 2023]

I think it is just amazing how something can be so brilliantly written by really experienced writers and have such nuanced characters that have really interesting arcs.

The diversity of the cast is so stunning and brave and makes so much sense that in the middle of the North Sea there must be representation.

The cgi effects are top quality and right out of the latest Marvel movies.

The best bits are the fantastic acting that isn't wooden at all and the way they never explain the plot to each other all the time is simply fab.

Lastly its great that the makers know that we all know about how a modern oil rig works and we didn't need any of it explaining to us.

A stunning and brave triumph.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Unique and inventive. A triumph for director and writer

[8/10 · 2 January 2023]

Great Kaufman concept of a movie. A movie about trying trying to save memories whilst someone is trying to erase them. Brilliant.

In the hands of someone without Michel Gondrys visual flair this could have been a disaster but here, its masterful.

Carrey has never been better and Winslet excellent. The rest of the cast .is a who's who of modern great actors.

If you like movies that are off the beaten track and with an independent edge or a Sundance feel then you must check it out. However if your idea of a movie is superheroes hitting each other in the face, then you should probably leave well alone.

Clara (III) (2018)

Sophisticated science faction love story

[6/10 · 30 December 2022]

Found this mooching around in the darker depths of Amazon Prime and came out very pleasantly surprised.

It's a love story set around two scientists with all their emotional baggage, looking for the possibility of habitable planets. Think Big Bang Theory with less laughs and more emotion.

The male lead from Suits and his real life wife are excellent as are the direction and writing, even though it doesn't quite nail its third act when everything is happening, it does pack a powerful punch at the end.

I love finding little gems like this. Made for peanuts compared to other movies that have bigger budgets as long as you remove your brain whilst watching.

House of Dust (2013)

Straight up nonsense

[3/10 · 30 December 2022]

A supposed horror story that involves haunted dust. I'm not kidding.......haunted dust from a crematorium. I wonder how they got this bag of spanners Green lit.?

Does it have any good bits? Well, if you had to push me into a corner, I might say that Inbar Lavi is quite charming in the lead role and some of the scenes had me half-anxious but that would be about it.

The premise is the worse bit. Well, that and that he seems to be able to possess anyone at will and make people dream. That and apparently service and maintain a perfectly working crematorium furnace through the years just in case someone knocks over his tea caddy container.

Avoid.

The King (I) (2019)

Epic story told via intimate scenes

[7/10 · 28 December 2022]

I put off seeing this for years. The problem was that I saw the trailer first. The one where English speaking Robert Pattinson plays a French dauphin and french speaking Tim Chamalet plays an English king. And i thought, "Nah mate, I'm good".

Now that I have got round to it, it's really rather good. The acting is good. The direction sound enough. The cinematography is watchable. The plot is gritty where it needs to be and the script nice and tight.

The main triumph is the epic scale of story which is at odds with the intimacy of the scenes within the story. Very clever at making us care about the ending.

OK so bits of it are a complete exaggeration but hey this is Hollywood.

Glass Onion (2022)

Solid, watchable and twisty turney

[7/10 · 28 December 2022]

Agatha Christie eat your heart out.

If you liked Knives Out I think you will love this even more.

It develops the character of Benoit Blanc even more as well as developing all the new ones. But, somehow, this works better than its predecessor, possibly due to the island setting and more enclosed, confined treatment.

All the setups pay off. The script is tight. The plot just contrived enough still maintains your interest. All the acting is excellent and I for one will be looking forward to the next Knives out episode.

All the setups pay off. The script is tight. The plot just contrived enough still maintains your interest. All the acting is excellent and I for one will be looking forward to the next Knives out episode.

Inseminoid (1981)

Dreadful and derivative

[3/10 · 26 December 2022]

At first I thought that this movie is very much of its day. Shonky special effects although a decent attempt to move the scfi horror genre forward in the early eighties.

But then I thought that this movie was made two years after 'Alien'. Possibly the greatest horror movie ever made, one of the biggest grossing movies of all time and the greatest movie ever made in the aforementioned genre.

So then I thought compared to that this movie is what it is. A cheaply made, poorly acted, badly written attempt to try and cash in on the brilliance and resurgence of scifi of the early eighties and late seventies. Ho Hum.

Spirited (2022)

The sequel will have Schwarzenegger and Stallone do Mary's Boy Child

[2/10 · 22 December 2022]

OK. Full disclosure. I hate musicals. I love music. I love drama. Putting the 2 together is like putting fish on bicycles or about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Why take two of the best comedic talents In the world and get them to sing and dance? No really, why?

Also I can live without another retelling of Christmas Carol. Honestly, the royalties that that this Chuck Dickens must be getting over writing this one book must keeping him in quills and parchment for life!!

I am writing this while watching it. I am missing absolutely nothing. I guess Apple must have cut some huge cheques for Reynolds and Ferrell. You have been warned.