Quick Movie Review

Under the Skin (2014, UK) | Rating: 2/5
Seeing people check out and request this movie, I became interested in what everyone was looking forward to (for lack of a better word). I had no idea what it was about, but I noticed that Scarlett Johansson has been rather busy these past couple of years with The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Her, and Lucy (not sure if there's anymore than that). Anyway, I've only heard the name and not much else about it, but it's aliens. No, that isn't a joke either. The movie is odd and, while critics will praise it and those who enjoy high brow cinema will rave on the artistic vision of this film, I'm sure casual moviegoers would think it's boring, confusing, or pretentious. While I'm open minded about artistic odd things, this is definitely something that went over my head. I will give the movie credit for having an intriguing premise and unique visuals, but the low audio, minimal dialogue, and subtle/slow development and pacing made my mind drift in and out. So, I would only recommend this to those interested in artsy films.



We Are What We Are (2013, USA) | Rating: 1.5/5
Apparently, this is a remake of a Mexican film of the same name. I have not seen it and I'm not sure if I will. In short, this movie was rather boring. The pacing is pretty slow and you have to really, really pay attention to the dialogue. Even when you do pay attention to said dialogue, it's nothing special just like most of the movie, which is a shame as the premise sounds really interesting (religion/rituals and cannibalism). The only part that caught my interest was the climax/resolution. It was pretty predictable, but seeing it was somewhat satisfying for a boring movie. Unfortunately, the climax is not worth waiting through the slow pacing and poor execution.



All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006, USA) | Rating: 3/5
I believe a friend watched this movie and it sounded pretty interesting, which it was. It does seem like a typical "last girl standing" type of movie, but it utilizes deception well and also borrows styling from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This movie has the formula of your typical teens in abandon area vacation horror, but the twists make it somewhat different. Unfortunately, when the killer is revealed, the whole motivation seems, for a lack of a better word, silly. The characters are at least somewhat likeable or have a trait that makes you feel something if their purpose is to be unlikeable. Mandy Lane is kinda...basic. A lot of commenters on IDMb don't understand her appeal, but my theory is her innocence (read as virginity). The stereotype of "horny" guys preying on the newly blossomed woman who has not been touched (read as tainted). Nonetheless, the movie is pretty decent for what it is.



I Am Divine (2013, USA) | Rating: 4.5/5
I've briefly mentioned that I watch and enjoy shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and find drag queen culture fascinating. I have heard of Divine, but I have yet to watch too much of her movies aside from Hairspray (which is spectacular). The documentary catalogues the life of Divine, the persona and the man behind the make-up. If you're interested in Divine or drag culture, I would highly recommend this documentary. Not only does it document the life of Divine, but it offers a brief history of films similar to the ones Divine starred in and how it revolutionized cinema.



Magic Magic (2013, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5
I saw this movie in a preview of another not so well known film and coincidentally it had Emily Browning (and sadly, Michael Cera) in it. She has a small role though and Cera has a bigger part, which made me roll my eyes and groan. I really dislike him. From what I've seen he plays really obnoxious asshole-ish characters. The premise is somewhat simple, but vague at the same time. While watching, I was waiting for something crazy to happen, perhaps the typical "her friends are not what they seem" kind of thing (a.k.a some sort of violent/harassment act). While Cera does harass our main character, the other people are rather nice to her and try to make her as comfortable as possible while her cousin is away. Apparently, there's some twists and most of them are not that effective due to poor execution. Then there's the resolution which can be a little confusing...or just outright confusing. The movie is...okay.


If there's something you want me to review (or want a more in depth review of the movies above or previous ones), check out this post on how you can submit requests.