[JonE(vil)]

Re-animator. 1985.
10/10
(rewatch)
Adapted from a H.P. Lovecraft story, it tells the story of a young student doctor obsessed with creating life after death.
Just under 90 minutes, its a simple story packed with horror, humour and practical effects. Characters display a range of traits, from self obsession, jealousy to concern for one another. It revels in the use of gore, with numerous scenes of bloody violence.

[JonE(vil)]

Young guns. 1988.
5/10
Cowboy popcorn western.
Featuring a selection of young male talent at the time. Action scenes have a very simple look, with the plot providing a dramatic range of characters.

[JonE(vil)]

Judgement at Nuremberg. 1961.
10/10
Tense and interesting courtroom drama set after the grandstanding trials of the official german leadership. It deals with a group of judge charged with that they knowingly passed sentences, that sent people to their death. With a runtime of three hours, it sets out nicely both sides of a very murky time. There is a balance of pomposity and quiet reflection, perceived ignorance and a real fear of what was happening.

[JonE(vil)]

Let's rob the bank. 1964 France.
6/10
A hunting/fishing retailer invests his savings on the advice of the bank manager across the road and loses it. He then, with the help of his family decides to rob the bank.
Energetic comedy that sets the heist up early on, there is a amusing style to the acting in which they all have bubbly energy. That combined with the whole family being in on it make it a fun watch.

[JonE(vil)]

Sisu, road to revenge. 2025. Finland.
5/10
The pensioner superman is back.
Ultra violent comedy action that has the old man trying to make his way back to Finland. This time its russians that he kills in great numbers. Inventive for the ways he dispatches them, and gets out of certain situations. The film benefits from a certain amount of cgi, good stunts and clever direction. Brings to mind action films from the '80s that feature the 'unstoppable hero'.
Watching both as a double feature on rainy afternoon would be a good way to spend the day.

[JonE(vil)]

Barfly. 1987.
4/10
Days in the life of Charles Bukowski, american poet.
Screenplay by Bukowski, it has a shambling some what over the top performance by Mickey Rourke. Largely set in dingy bars and cheap hotels, it shows a drunkard who scrapes to get by, while living with a woman in the same state. Without any knowledge of the poet or his writings, its hard to understand his state of mind, even thou a publisher is pursuing him in the later part of the film.
Overall a interesting look at a artist without much ego.

[JonE(vil)]

The 1000 eyes of Dr. Mabuse. 1960. Germany.
9/10
The last film by Fritz Lang. Very steady and consistent pace, with lots of different characters that to a degree, all interact. The main is a homicide detective, who is trying to solve a increasing number of murders. With a number of sub plots that involve characters lying to each other, it makes for a solid unpredictable crime mystery.

[JonE(vil)]

Life for life. 1991. Poland.
7/10
Based on the actions of a priest, Maximilian Kolbe, during WW2.
A bloke escapes Auschwitz and as a result, ten prisoners are isolated and starved to till he is either caught or they die. One prisoner breaks down and Kolbe steps forward to take his place. The film has flashbacks of what happened, and the life of the priest. The main focus is the escapee and his finding out about what happened, to Kolbe. Simple narrative that isn't burdened with melodramatic performances, sets up a nice dynamic of the two men, one dedicated to his faith, the other struggling with the knowledge that even thou he escaped, a fellow human sacrificed himself.

[JonE(vil)]

Knives out. 2019. (watched in 2020.)
Interesting 'whodunnit' by Rian Johnson. It plays out kinda simply with the 'murderer' put up front at the beginning, but it becomes less clear as the film goes on. This works well but the use of an immense amount of flashbacks felt to me that it was spoon feeding the information to the viewer. The large monolouge at the end was only just interesting to me and didn't make me think WOW.
Competent film but completely lacking in any sort of tension.


Glass onion. Knives out 2. 2022. (watched in 2023)
3/10
Simple whodunnit.
The first was passable, just, as a mystery. No real thinking, just a quirky basic film is the style of a 'murder mystery.'
Number two in the 'series' is bloated, stylized and over priced. It's the same style of film like the first one, but in the end doesn't really keep you guessing in the slightest. Hard to be surprised by anything, laughable amount of silly 'cameos'.


Wake up dead man. (Knives out 3)
3/10
Another murder mystery.
Less wacky than the second film, bit more humour, but the initial start was a slog in itself. Again it uses a immense pile of flashbacks that just got confusing and boring. The plot is buried with inane chatter from all the characters. Although it is well filmed and has great use of practical effects, it feels like a stock standard pile of NETFLIX shit.

[JonE(vil)]

Mona lisa. 1986.
8/10
A crim just out of jail takes a driving job for a high class call girl.
Slow burn film that centers on the two main characters. After an uneasy start, they become friends and she convinces him to help her find another young girl. The films dialogue has a natural feel to it, with a simple plot it slowly adds tension, as he re-connects with a gangster and gets used to the seedy underworld that she is in. A just over 90 minute run time, no over the top dramatics, make a for grounded crime drama.