Sinister

Sinister is one of those movies that received a lot of negative reviews for predictable reasons. It is too reliant on horror tropes and jump-scares, tries to give the movie gravitas by using a snuff-movie aesthetic, and the characters are not particulary well-rounded or likable. And while these criticisms hold up, as a fan of horror movies I can still say I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. Warts and all, Sinister does something that less and less movies do these days: it scared the crap out of me. And beyond that, it did it without resorting to the usual fare of extreme violence and cynicism, while still maintaining an extremely brutal and grisly atmosphere.

Consumerism: a Good Thing!

I felt like writing today, but haven't seen any movies recently I want to write about, so I am going to give some thoughts on consumerism. After my rather negative article on the internet from two weeks ago, I felt like writing something more positive. Something positive about something that so many people talk so negatively about. It bores me. I am talking about consumerism.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2

I watched this movie not because I really wanted to. I watched it because I am a bit of a masochist who likes to get angry about bad movies with even worse messages and then hate myself for doing so. Having now watched all the Twilight movies, I can honestly say I have witnessed some of the worst movie moments in history, some of the worst acting in a series that functions on blockbuster budgets (worse than the prequels, worse than the Transformers movies, worse than most low-budget schlock movies I watch even), and some of the most nonsensical plots ever devised. I have gotten angry at the misogynistic, hyper-conservative anti-abortion, pro-abstinence message so many times before, making me mad at the movies not just because they were bad, but because they propagated a horribly out-dated, anti-women message that would piss me off beyond belief. Twilight, and its ridiculous success, is what helped contribute to me becoming the cynical asshole that I am today.

Skyfall (filled with spoilers)

Skyfall is the type of movie that works on so many levels that it is a movie that will be remembered for ages to come. Probably the best Bond movie of the past 20 years, Skyfall is filled with great action set pieces, marvelous acting, impeccable cinematography, a sublime soundtrack and one of the more memorable Bond villains in ages. Filled with clever nods to the series, Skyfall is a marvelous movie to behold, and ranks among the best with Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldeneye and Casino Royale.