Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

* * * Everybody knows her name. She is the tragic monster, a tormented girl with telekinetic abilities who just had enough. The prom is approaching and her fairy tale seems to be coming true. But this is just a set up for another cruel prank. This time payback will be a bitch. There were hundreds ways of adapting Stephen King’s classic novel. The book is structured as a collection of scraps and interviews that interfere with the narrative, when survivors are looking back at that bloody night, analysing what went wrong and what would they do to make it different. But the director Kimberly Price, most noted for her another female abuse saga BOYS DON’T CRY chose to follow a straight narrative of  Brian De Palma’s film, only upgraded with state of the art visual effects. It is an emotional, compelling, and tragic movie, but when everyone knows the story as well as the one of Red Riding Hood there should have been more surprises in store. The prom nigh...

* * Japanese Horror made a hallmark in shooting creepy ghost stories with inner city settings and solid human drama. But Hideo Nataka's THE COMPLEX is an unfortunate product of the cliched mystery, suspense and horror that inspires more laughter than scares. A terribly miscast Atsuko Maeda is in the role of Asuka, a young woman who moves with her family into a creepy apartment block. At night she hears some strange scratching noises from the neighbour apartment. When she decides to investigate she gets much more trouble than she bargained for.  The first half of the movie has a few genuinely scary moments, but when the story makes a u-turn, giving away its biggest secret half way through the film, everything collapses like a house of cards. THE COMPLEX is definitely not for international viewer with weird scenes of exorcism and some twists that make you laugh in all the wrong places. The seemingly tragic moment of a little boy being killed when he is accidentally being...

* *  It's hard to write about a book that had been discussed many times over, a bestseller praised world wide. There are some books that start off easy and lighthearted and then grow on you as you uncover unexpected depth, and this is where popular and literary fiction find common ground. Gone Girl is such a book. But is it enough to fall in love with it?  Novel's structure proposes two different view points on the events of a mysterious disappearance.  Nick and Amy Dunn have left their busy life in New York to run a small town pub. They are as different as chalk and cheese. But their account of each other's actions makes us wonder... Who is telling the truth? Does anyone? The unreliable narrator structure of a novel was for the first time introduced by Agatha Christie in "The Murder or Roger Ackroyd". She used this method several times after, and one of my favorites is "Endless Night." It is "Endless Night" that in my opinion was ...

*  *  * The Mo Brothers are directors from indonesia, who had emerged on the art house scene a few years ago with their  spectacular debut MACABRE. The movie is a cliche story about bunch of youngsters lost in the woods, who stumble on the family of crazies who's survival strength borders to supernatural. There's nothing surprising in the story itself. The interesting part is cinematography and outrageous make up that will make shudder even the strongest admirers of gore feasts. I will not give away anything by saying that in the end it will all come down to final surviving girl and a chainsaw welding maniac (this time female). The battle spectacular is almost as great as the one in the end of the latest remake of Evil Dead and the sole reason to watch this gorily daring indonesian flick. It is obvious that MACABRE was inspired by the gems of French horror, such us HIGH TENSION and INSIDE, but it has its own voice and its own feet to stand on (its own chainsaw to...

*  *  *  *  * Once upon a time there was a girl named Katniss who had won the survival show on TV. Only it was a reality TV where everyone else had died... but her and her boyfriend had survived. Only he wasn't her boyfriend really... they just played for the cameras... Two years later Katniss and Peeta are on the road to promote their winnings. President Snow puts pressure on Katniss to become the  symbol of the system. Instead she becomes a symbol of revolution. There's only one way to defeat her. And its a new Hunger Games... THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE was probably one of the worst books I had ever read... but one of the best stories ever told. It's a page turner and turning the pages I could not help thinking what a terrific movie it would make. Little did I know! This film is destined to become a new classic. It is very simple really. We are living in the world very similar to the one of Hunger Games.  IN the film it is stretched to ...

* * * * A series of murders that occur in Saul resemble famous web horror comics. It is quickly discovered that every victim harboured a dangerous secret from the past. A young artist is under suspicion. Two goofy cops are on the task, but they are over their heads in a case where supernatural is not out of the question. As details of each death become clearer it is obvious that they can trust no one. Even themselves. Because in the end everyone has something to hide. KILLER TOON is a clever Korean horror, that doesn't tweak the cannons of genre too much, at the same time proposing a fresh look and some interesting ideas, that will definitely be stolen by Hollywood. With some scenes shot as web-comic it is surprising to discover that drawn violence on screen can be as disturbing as live action horror. Like most Korean films the scary and sentimental here goes hand in hand. The most important achievement of the film is how it makes us feel sorry for the villains. T...

*  *  * The name of this French thriller based on the true events refers to the 11.6 million euro stolen from the French bank by Tony Musulin, a security truck driver. In France it has been labelled a heist of the century, because it was done without violence or use of firearms. The French movie that stars a very popular at the moment (and a very good actor) Fracois Cluzet opens with an interesting promise, but never fully delivers on it. The choice of Cluzet is without a question triggered by his enormous popularity in France, for his age is wrong (real Toni was 38 when the Heist had occurred) and he only slightly resembles the real Toni Musulin, but his portrayal is a mix of toughness and vulnerability and an outstanding performance that deserves attention. REAL TONI MUSULIN FRANCOIS CLUZET Some real life stories look exciting on screen. 11.6 is not such a case. Not for the international viewer anyway. One has to live in France during the ...

* * * * It's time for a soundtrack review, which I intend to do weekly, and tonight I have chosen a score for a very good movie CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. There are two approaches to soundtrack critique: one is how suitable, how well it works in a movie, and the second - is it a good standalone listening? I will always choose the latter, for when you buy a soundtrack, or borrow or whatever, you commit your time to listen to it, and you expect to listen to an ALBUM, not a supplement to something, which I believe a movie soundtrack never is. When done right, it becomes a character in a film and guides us through, manipulate us in a good way and makes us deeper involved in what is happening on screen. Henry Jackman had grown on me over  the years with his fabulous work on XMEN: FIRST CLASS, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. He is one of the best action movie composer we know to date. But is CAPTAIN PHILLIPS an action movie? Or a better question - is an action...

* * *  This is my very first entry and I am happy to review a rather decent horror film. Being disappointed with Australian films during the International Movie festival its always nice to be reminded how well our fellow Australians do abroad. With James Wan directing, Lee Whannell writing and Rose Byrne as a main star INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 is a tight quality scare flick that will make you shrink in your seat. The story continues where it was left off with Lambert's family dealing with the death of a medium Elise and gruesome reality of her death being a direct result of Josh bringing with him "something" from the land of dead and into the real world. More ghost appearances will occur and as Renai (Rose Byrne) is battling this new danger (what will you do if you can't even trust your husband) her mother in law Lorraine seeks a man who once helped Josh when he was a little boy. Together they unravel the mysterious identity of the ghostly Black Br...