[JonE(vil)]

Bayonetta. Bloody fate. 2013 Japan.
6/10
Video game animation adaptation.
Interesting complex story about a 'witch who is born of a angel and demon. Never heard of the game, never seen any videos of it being played.
The animation style was typical, lots of chaotic angles and elaborate backgrounds. For most the 90 mins i was able to follow it OK. But the last twenty minutes was where it slowed down. It was then that alot of talking about the history of the main character came into play as she regained her memory and without any knowledge of the game it became a bore. Flicked thru the rest of it, chaotic showdown.*

[JonE(vil)]

Limit. 2022. South Korea.
7/10
Child kidnapping, organ trafficking.
Good paced thriller about a child that is kidnapped. When the police are involved, a female sargent on the team investigating the case also has her son kidnapped. Steady with a run time of ninety minutes and with the plot having a few layers to it, keeps the viewer engaged. The lead actress is not a 'bash the baddies' action type, she brings a sense of vulnerability, but also a sense of maternal instinct.

[JonE(vil)]

Fellini's Casanova. 1976. Italy.
6/10
The life and times of Casanova.
A very theatrical film with loads of costumes, sets and extras. Flamboyant with what seems very little plot. It follows Casanova (Donald Sutherland) as he lives the high society life, at one point being imprisoned. Falling for one particular leads to a downward spiral and a semi return to 'normality'.
With a run time of two and half hours, it keep me interested for most of it, watching the stages it was obviously film on with the painted sets, costumes and lighting was interesting in itself when the film just seemed to be too weird.

[JonE(vil)]

Hell dogs. 2022. Japan.
5/10
A undercover cop on a vigilante mission.
Slow drama with explosions of violence. Moderate to good crime film.
Lots of characters don't make it hard to follow as there are a few stand outs. The back story is a interesting vigilante plot thread. Overall it starts well only to slow down alot, picks up near the end.

[JonE(vil)]

Jung E. 2023. South Korea
5/10
Combat A.I. with the lead developer being her daughter.
From the director of Train to Busan comes another sci-fi action Netflix film. Heavy on CGI that is mainly used for surrounding features, it's a interesting story about the ethics of what happens to a person after they die.
After a interesting start the film sags alot. Its still a story driven film with seamless flashbacks but there just seemed alot of info that took its time.
Overall, a good film with broad appeal due to the generic storyline.

[JonE(vil)]

Butterflies. 2018. Turkey.
6/10
Trio of siblings go to bury their father.
Slow but quirky comedy drama about two brothers and sister that haven't seen each other for a few years and are reunited for a trip across the country to bury a father they all never really knew.
Very centered around a quiet Turkish village, it's not a story of a clash of city vs rural but rather the oddities of village life.
Dialouage heavy, its a slice of life from another country.

trailer has no subtitles.

[JonE(vil)]

M3GAN. 2023.
Not rated.
Took a look at this because of the hype surrounding it.
Interesting film that borders on horror and comedy. Childs play and Terminator 2 ideas collide in that a AI doll is paired up with a little girl whose parents have died and the doll kills anyone that the girl feels threatened by.
Nice film that has a interesting concept but a real lack of tension and menace that original films. Produced by Blumhouse it seems to show that they are keen for mid budget horror that isn't too threatning. A24 have edgier films, and arguibly more success, but aren't putting generic popcorn.

[JonE(vil)]

Iphigenia. 1977. Greece.
9/10
A king has a scarifice his daughter in order get the winds for the ships to sail for war.
Epic greek drama that builds a despairing tension. As more people find out the who the planned sacrifice is, and the king has to explain it to the queen, who was under the assumption that their eldest child was getting married, the film has a series of dramatic conversations. They really get to the heart of what it is to be a ruler and what price one will pay for revenge. Large cast, set in one rural area with a few central characters. Really delves into what it means to be human.

trailer has no subtitles.

[JonE(vil)]

Deranged. 1974.
3/10
The story of Ed Gein.
Right from the start it makes it clear that the film is based on fact and a true story. It has a reporter, who says he covered the original story, narrating some scenes.
I lasted 30mins before i reached for the remote to FF thru it. It's an effective horror film that could be said to be 'inspired' by true events. But the way it sets it all up as fact is pretty bullshit.
With the knowledge of two reasonably good books it was easy to see the massive holes in the plot. All that aside, it does show a man who wasn't too bright and just an oddity in a unknown small community. B-grade horror that tips it hat to real events, but adds alot of 'misinformation'.

[JonE(vil)]

Flucht nach Berlin. (Escape to berlin.) 1961. Germany.
7/10
A farmer refuses to join a co-operative in Soviet controlled Germany.
Interesting drama about a farmer in a small town that under pressure to join a national co-operative. He doesn't see any point and his wife and and child leave and he makes his way cross country.
After he leaves, a young bloke in the government is held responsible for his desertion and he in turn ends up trying to get to Berlin.
Filmed in (probably) West Germany in 1961 the film sets a dim picture of Soviet socialism. People not really willing to help, nervous about what could happen if they get caught helping someone. Steady pace as the farmer and reporter woman who goes along at the start before things go wrong.
No real tension or dramatic sequences, just a example of what people would do to escape oppression.