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Demonic (2021)
An interesting and unique enough take on the demonic possession subgenre
The main reason I was interested in this film was Neill Blomkamp, who is finally back to making feature films after a 6-years-long pause. After two forays into blockbuster territory, he's back with indie horror and I was very curious how he would approach the genre. The title is very generic and if it wasn't for Blomkamp, I probably would have skipped this one. Plus, it is hard to make a genuinely fresh and interesting horror movie today and Blomkamp almost succeeds, but not all the way through.
It starts out very interesting. The story is intriguing and good acting helped giving it the proper emotion. The simulation scenes are easily the best and most interesting parts of the film, but that aspect of the story is done by the midpoint and only comes back once more in the climax. This is largely why the latter half of the film was disappointing. Plus, something about the writing and sometimes even acting just wasn't on the same level anymore. If the plot was more focused on the initial concept and explored the simulation more, it would have made for a lot more interesting film. This way, we get one amazing scene in the climax and then the rest of it is drawn out and clichéd. However, the design of the demon was very good and there were several genuinely frightening scenes. What's even better is that the demon is obscured most of the time, which makes it all the more creepy. There are a few jumpscares, but Blomkamp doesn't rely on that to much. Instead, he relies on the power of disturbing imagery, which is worthy of respect when many other directors would go for a cheap and sudden booming sound.
All in all, the film could have been a lot better than it ended up being, but it is certainly not bad. With an interesting concept and character design, it is unique enough to stand out among the crowd of other demonic possession horror films. After this, I'm excited to see what Blomkamp does next.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
One of the most revolutionary films ever created
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is at the same time the first Disney animated feature and the first feature-length animated film of all time. Without it, who knows of we'd ever get animation as we know it today, since these things were unimaginable back then. And that alone makes it worthy of some mad respect! And the fact that it holds up so well to this day only furthers that point.
Now, I like 3D animation, but I prefer the old-school, 2D animation style. And this really looks gorgeous, especially considering the time it was made. There's not as much work put into backgrounds compared to some later Disney films, but the backgrounds still look like paintings anyway. The movements look pretty nice too, except for the prince looking a bit odd, but supposedly he was really hard to animate. The characters themselves are pretty likeable too. Some might find Snow White annoying because of her high-pitched voice, but I think she's adorable. This Snow White is THE Snow White, as she will probably be the first to come to mind when you mention the character. And while there might be seven of the dwarfs, not one of them feels pushed aside and each one manages to have his own distinct personality in less than 90 minutes, which is kind of an amazing achievement when you think about it. One (Grumpy) even has a character arc which actually enhances the emotion largely in some scenes near the end, I'd go as far to say that he's the overlooked emotional drive of the third act, just not put into focus of the situation. Let's take a look at the human characters now. Snow White is a Mary Sue, there's no denying that. But this was the first Disney princess, I think we can forgive that. Same goes for The Prince, but he's actually barely in the movie, so does it really matter? The Evil Queen is such an iconic villain in both of her forms throughout the movie and sets a high bar for Disney villains yet to come, a bar that still managed to be surpassed. The Huntsman has something unique to him as well, but he's not much in the movie either. There is, however, one side character that I found very mysterious and intriguing: The Magic Mirror. It's creepy, has an incredible design and oozes with mystery. The story is pretty thin and slowed down by random scenes that feel like filler, but hey, they are a fun filler that helps develops the personalities of each of the dwarves. And keep in my mind that Disney was starting out with storytelling, so it needed some time to improve. However, this movie isn't so much about what is done, it's about how it's done. And don't even get me started on the ending, which I consider among the greatest of all time. With barely any talking at all, it mostly relies on the technical aspects. Haunting music leading to a triumph and heavenly imagery that makes the eyes pop out, it's a thing to behold and might even tear you up a bit if you're a nostalgia freak.
While it's not a perfect movie and it has its flaws, its charm and the fact that it's a cinematic milestone makes it more than deserving of a 10.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
An almost perfect introduction
I believe that the "Harry Potter" series needs no introduction, but just in case, this is the first movie in the eight-part series based on J. K. Rowling's, at this point classic, novels. It's about a young eleven-year-old boy whose parents got killed by an evil wizard Voldemort when Harry was a baby. After being raised (and mistreated) by his aunt and uncle not to know anything about the wizarding world, he learns of his true origin when he's admitted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The rest is history.
This is a charming and magical start to a wonderful series with a perfect atmosphere, music, acting and overall direction. No doubt Chris Columbus knew what he was doing and he absolutely nailed the tone. It's magical and the way the world unfolds before our eyes feels organic. All the comopnents make the magic almost tangible.
When we mention the magical feeling of the movie, we can't go without mentioning John Williams' iconic score. His music feels like a natural part of the world, like an entity of its own. And how can we forget the nostalgic value it bring to so many people (including me)? It's very easy for those who grew up with the series get teary-eyed at some particular moments that the music enhances. Among many other things, the music brings Rowling's story to life the way it feels like it was meant to be.
The casting is excellent and the characters feel like they have been pulled out straight from the book. The child actors and the adult veterans make for a delightful bunch that yoi can't help but warm up to. Everyone has their own personality and such a variety is a joy to watch.
However, one thing that holds it back a little is that the world-building comes at the expense of a slick-moving plot. Obviously, this is a large world that we need to be introduced to and understand its rules and that's why the plot doesn't truly kick in until sometime in the second half. Also, some CGI did not age very well, but it was 2001, I think we can let it slide. Especially since most of it actually holds up quite well.
Of course, it didn't contain every single thing from the books, but it's overall a worthy and magical adaptation. If you haven't watched this yet, what are you waiting for? If you want a magical escape, you won't only get that, but the beggining of an epic adventure that you won't forget soon.