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Doom: Annihilation (2019)

Doom: Annihilation (2019)

I can't tell if this one was made by a real fan, or maybe more so by maybe a particularly emphatic female director with a want to cater to everyone (OK so no, it was Tony Giglio). They really bring in all elements from the game though, explain them thoroughly, diversify the cast; seem to be trying to cater to both all minorities and all potential audiences.

It feels like a movie made with good intentions, but unfortunately limited sceneries, cast, certain other notability flaws I shall detail further below and at times nigh claustrophobic battlegrounds.

Considering they seemed set on taking the original DOOM movie idea and making a more thorough attempt at it here there's surprisingly little outdoor area. And can Amy Manson really compare to The Rock? Not to mention the real Doomguy? However real you'd consider him to be considering he's not real. Unreal. Quake. Random other iD franchise title suitable for inclusion here.

Heading into a real Redneck Rampage Marathon Chasm with this one...

A part of me enjoys picking up on the game-related bits of trivia here, as if they were all rare gems only I'd be able to recognize. The chainsaw, the flammable barrels (visible for a short while only - whatever happened to those initial detail levels?), the double shotgun, Blazkowicz (with that name you'd think he'd last longer), the BFG9000 (which this time gets an unnaturally detailed first introduction), key cards, elevators, plants, secret levels, textures, Daisy and all.

Though at the same time a lot of it's almost too obvious.

I still liked it pretty well until the Imps came in though. Detail and acting levels both suddenly plummet, Daisy turns into the Red Queen (plenty of RE inspiration already - Tony was second director on one of those recent sub-par RE movie sequels too btw), and it just all goes downhill from there. Predictable end too, bad-ass though the Hell stint might've been.

Was hoping this'd be a B-movie in a good kind of way. Like Ghosts of Mars say. Unfortunately not. I appreciate the homage but I'm afraid that either my expectations when it comes to this particular franchise require a bit more and/or it just really wasn't that good after all.

Also that religion thing. Especially with this franchise you'd think they'd leave that out...

 rated 2.5/5: almost not bad

The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network (2010)

Here's the story of Facebook. Of Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, the two founders, of which one didn't share in the fortune as much as he might've expected.

Did you know the founder of Napster was involved too, if just a little? And that the main idea was basically stolen from a couple brothers from a richer tribe?

It's a great movie, and insightful, though definitely also angled for the big screen. There's plenty to read up on online regarding what was true here and what wasn't, though who knows exactly what's true there too.

Whichever bits here were it seems clear at least that Zuckerburg's no good dude, and that this movie actually did him a favor by making him seem more as an autistic kid than a psychopath, that Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and the Winkelvosses (both played by Armie Hammer - if you wonder how they managed to make them seem so alike) all put on great performances, and that this - despite being a movie about a social media enterprise - which I personally wasn't expecting to be that exciting - turned out to be just that.

It really was a great movie. Maybe it deserves an even higher score, I just really don't like this particular social network. Though pleasantly surprised this story seems to further justify and somewhat enforce that too, and show the world - and me - why those sentiments really are relevant.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

The Unforgiven (1960)

The Unforgiven (1960)

They might not yet have mastered the art of soundtracks back in the early sixties, nor the perfect endings (flock of birds just flying away felt a little inconclusive... symbolism of an impending move or no), but damn if they could make a good movie anyway.

It's a Western in every way of the word, with actors that could actually ride, had real grit, and weapons that didn't seem to just blow sparks and hit nothing. It has the trademark tragedy and hardship too, with the Indian girl, the lonely ranger, the brother who never was... and a forbidden love I feel like I should've expected. Yet it's a story without a perfect ending. Whatever road Rachel could've chosen it would've been a bad one.

I'm still happy they gunned it out as family though. And Rachel is one spectacular main character - more mysterious when it's over than when it first started.

Surprisingly good movie. Victimizing and gritty. And a reminder: times right now really ain't so bad after all. Hope it went well for them all way out in... Wisconsin, was it?

Was about to say Winchester.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

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Killer Crocodile 2 (1990)

Killer Crocodile 2 (1990)

Just one year for the sequel? Seems they planned it with the egg. Or planted it with the egg. See what I did there? ;)

Anthony Crenna, Debra Karr, Ennio Girolami... just gotta drop some names here, albeit potentially unknown to most, but it's good to see some familiar faces here with the first and last (and only two) at least, and it would've been nice if Debra Karr managed to star in at least a few more movies too.

Got a little more closure with this one, even though the big bad villain still roams, and the radioactive barrels feel like a repeat on the same old story as last time around.

There's a lot of flashbacks too, a toy crocodile clearly splashing between real takes, people who jump into the water when the boat shakes a little, a surfer who can't put down his sail to save his drowning girlfriend...

There's a lot of overly dramatic and/or fake stuff like that going on, and the soundtrack's if possible even more Jaw-like this time around, but when it's over... enjoyed it after all.

It may have been a repeat on a cliche already, but I feel like I got the closure I needed this time. They got the girls too. And a bit more authentic bickering and dialog all around... sort of.

It feels simpler, and slightly less exotic with how the scenery shifts for the bigger city, but also maybe for the same reason a little bit more real.

Would've been cool with a third one too though...

 rated 3/5: not bad

Killer Crocodile (1989)

Killer Crocodile (1989)

A group of naive environmental activists face the harsh tooth of reality when in a slumbering village town a killer crocodile comes in and wrecks havoc upon its inhabitants.

You know those movies that are so bad they somehow turn out good?

This is one of those movies.

It's a clearly Jaw-inspired spin-off - you can tell by the soundtrack if you happen to miss all other inspirations - that traverses a more exotic jungle scene than that one and only.

It may not be all as heavy as my little summary here hints, the plot twist that takes them to the hunt is badly arranged (didn't a friend of theirs just die already?), the dynamite sticks and radioactive waste seem like a lost trail, the girls seem to have been there only to look good for a while (they did, though) and the pier-side acting may not have been the best but... the croc prop was. And have you ever seen a burning killer crocodile prop before? First bloodied by a brutal boat motor stabbing incident.

I enjoyed this one. Maybe most of all I just enjoyed the milieu. The cars - exotic jeep and buggy-like hybrids. The boats. The river. The half-sunny days, lazy fishery business and style of life.

It's like a glimpse back to a time when time stood still, and though that's no doubt not the intention here that's why I love movies like this. In how they take me to both an entirely different place and time entirely.

Feels almost like an exploitation movie too. Did they live on longer in the Dominican Republic?

Last but not least it just so happens to be a movie from my birth year. :) Always awesome to stumble upon one of those.

Still can't give this a too high score but...

 rated 3.5/5: not bad at all

Joker (2019)

The Joker (2019)

You get to see a whole new side of the Joker with this one, and it's not a bad side either...

The filming's fantastic, it feels like the Batman universe in a whole new light, a both brighter and darker one - maybe more authentic that way, and though Joaquin Phoenix has certain facial features and face paint that maybe makes him not look entirely Joker-like (not like the ones before him at least) he plays the role gloriously. But did they have to stick him in an asylum at the end? Too edgy to let him roam free and end with the fires?

I started watching this one when I was a bit depressed, and actually let it be till later since it seemed like it might take me over some kind of edge but... when I saw the rest of it in a better mood it suddenly didn't come across so dark after all. Maybe it was just the start.

It's violent and gritty and savage but not so dark as I expected. The Joker comes across as more of a good guy than not, just abandoned, just mistreated, just a little little looney... but in the end it seems he's seeing life in a whole new light! And with a smile. So maybe it's worth the while.

Don't think this is the moral I should be getting from this but: it ain't so bad after all. Not life. Nor this movie.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

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