This concept has been one before, and when done well it is entertaining, here however it was presented in way that just didn't make any sense. The flashbacks rather than tying the story together seemed random and haphazard, offering nothing to the story, nor any real revelations. Almost as if they came up with the idea, took an existing script, and without any thought toward cohesion, simply presented it in a random series of scenes, and the result is near incomprehensible, and doesn't draw you in(as it should) with mysteries and revelations. Instead, it's just disjointed.
Reviews
7 Reviews
Cryptozoo
(2021)
I have trouble understanding the decisions made...
17 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
...not in the story itself, but in the stylistic approach. Some of the animation is absolutely gorgeous--treatment of lights both in the scenes and "creatures of" throughout is spectacular--some of the rotoscoped scenes are excellent as well, so I am absolutely boggled by the decision to use what amounts to doodle level human characters that look and behave as cutout animation rather than something much stylistically fluid. It is abundantly obvious that they had the technology and skill to do better, yet they didn't. I am forced to wonder why.
That aside the story itself is rather interesting, but the acting is deadpan flat. It reminds me of a disinterested grade school teacher reading the same story to a different classroom for fifth time that day. There is literally no emotion coming through. Jokes are told without a thought to a punchline, serious scenes are acted with the same flat response as action scenes. It's just voiced by people that seem to not care one way or the other about conveying any emotion. Again I have to assume that was a stylistic choice, and again I am forced to wonder why.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike it. It comes off a lot like a 70s hippies flash back that was heavily influenced by Lightyears(and it is), and in a way that's somewhat enjoyable, but it could have been improved in so many areas, and it wasn't, and again I wonder why.
That aside the story itself is rather interesting, but the acting is deadpan flat. It reminds me of a disinterested grade school teacher reading the same story to a different classroom for fifth time that day. There is literally no emotion coming through. Jokes are told without a thought to a punchline, serious scenes are acted with the same flat response as action scenes. It's just voiced by people that seem to not care one way or the other about conveying any emotion. Again I have to assume that was a stylistic choice, and again I am forced to wonder why.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike it. It comes off a lot like a 70s hippies flash back that was heavily influenced by Lightyears(and it is), and in a way that's somewhat enjoyable, but it could have been improved in so many areas, and it wasn't, and again I wonder why.
Wrong
(I) (2012)
Okay I get it, you like surrealism, but what's the point?
29 November 2021
This film had a bit of potential, and honestly I like some good surreal movies(I'm huge Jean Pierre Jeunet fan and love Lynch), but there is nothing here but strangeness without motive. There are no hidden meanings, and whatever meanings there are, are literally spoon fed to you, which seems a bit counter-intuitive considering how far out of the way they go to make this movie as strange as possible.
Shock effect is good if it stirs you to realization, and surrealistic strangeness is good when there's a deeper meaning, but this is just strangeness for the sake of strangeness, and sadly that takes whatever potential this film had and wastes it, leading to what is ultimately a pretty boring and pointless film.
Shock effect is good if it stirs you to realization, and surrealistic strangeness is good when there's a deeper meaning, but this is just strangeness for the sake of strangeness, and sadly that takes whatever potential this film had and wastes it, leading to what is ultimately a pretty boring and pointless film.
Why this didn't come with a seizure warning is beyond me...
23 October 2021
A Field in England
(2013)
It really is as bad as it looks on the surface--there's nothing deeper.
26 July 2021
I've watched this film three times--looked up explanations of what, why, and wherefore--all of which were just as pretentious, if not more so than the film itself. I wasn't missing anything, it just wasn't as deep as I thought it should be, and it really was as bad as it looked on the surface.
Is this supposed to be a horror story? If so it failed.
Is it supposed to be a comedy? Again, if so, it failed.
Maybe it's a surreal philosophical exploration of the depths of greed and the evil in men. No, not really.
A Character study? Almost, but they're all pretty flat and predictable characters.
A dark comedy? If so, I didn't laugh.
This film is bad, beyond words bad, and what's sad is it takes itself so seriously--but there is nothing there. Nothing.
Honestly, it might work if condensed down to 15 minutes with all of the pretention removed and replaced with actual substantive plot development, but it isn't, and it doesn't.
Is this supposed to be a horror story? If so it failed.
Is it supposed to be a comedy? Again, if so, it failed.
Maybe it's a surreal philosophical exploration of the depths of greed and the evil in men. No, not really.
A Character study? Almost, but they're all pretty flat and predictable characters.
A dark comedy? If so, I didn't laugh.
This film is bad, beyond words bad, and what's sad is it takes itself so seriously--but there is nothing there. Nothing.
Honestly, it might work if condensed down to 15 minutes with all of the pretention removed and replaced with actual substantive plot development, but it isn't, and it doesn't.
Most Likely to Murder
(2018)
Is it a comedy or murder mystery...
12 July 2021
...honestly, it's neither. Really, there's not a funny joke in the movie. There's a lot of angst, a guy down on his luck, with honestly no redeeming qualities, the acting is lousy, the jokes aren't funny, and the mystery isn't the least bit intriguing. It left me feeling cheated, and I watched it for free. Avoid this at all costs.
The Rizen
(2017)
It's supposed to be cheesy...
7 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
...once you understand that it's actually quite entertaining.
I see a couple of complaints about the scientist being over the top, well he's supposed to be. I mean really it's more of a caricature than a character...
Q:"What about his teeth?"
A: "There certainly are too many teeth."
....in case you missed it, that was funny, and it was supposed to be.
This movie is straight comic book style camp, with a spooky atmosphere. Think Dr Who meets Hell-raiser. Once you realize that it becomes both funny and spooky, and hits it's intended mark well.
In all I gave it a couple of extra points because they obviously were on a strict budget but still did quite well with it.
If you walk in expecting a fright-fest you will be disappointed, but if you take this the way it was intended it makes for a very entertaining experience.
I see a couple of complaints about the scientist being over the top, well he's supposed to be. I mean really it's more of a caricature than a character...
Q:"What about his teeth?"
A: "There certainly are too many teeth."
....in case you missed it, that was funny, and it was supposed to be.
This movie is straight comic book style camp, with a spooky atmosphere. Think Dr Who meets Hell-raiser. Once you realize that it becomes both funny and spooky, and hits it's intended mark well.
In all I gave it a couple of extra points because they obviously were on a strict budget but still did quite well with it.
If you walk in expecting a fright-fest you will be disappointed, but if you take this the way it was intended it makes for a very entertaining experience.
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