Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

2 1/2 /5 The graduation day is approaching in the little town of Silverton, so is the giant twister which is destroying everything in its wake. INTO THE STORM is a harrowing account of one day when simple people find themselves in terrible peril and fight for their lives the best they can. There's something mesmerising about watching a twister gradually destroying a town, swallowing airports and hunting down its victims one by one as it was a serial killer. Into the storm has more in common with Friday the 13th than with its classic predecessor Twister - a flawed but a great adventure film. The storm here is an evil entity that is hunting down its prey and it would be more fun to give it an evil mind instead of an innuendo of approaching global warming. INTO THE STORM is a very weak production. Stumbling over its own identity, the film cannot decide whether it wants to be a found footage flick or a B grade sci-fi the likes of Sharknado.  On a positive no...

4/5 Some people never have it right. THE DINNER introduces you to a middle class Korean family and a short period of their life, full of hardship. In Cheol is a middle aged older brother of a big family who is struggling to keep it together. Things seem to start falling apart when his sister gets divorced and decides to raise her child alone. That is until the estranged father suddenly shows up to claim the child the family loves so much. Things get worse when the younger brother, In Ho gets involved in an accident and has his client killed. Trying to cover it up he gets tangled in a web of lies and drugs in the whole family with him. When In Cheol loses his job everyone starts to struggle financially because the elderly parents depend on the money he is giving them. The family only feels happy and at ease with each other when they share a meal - a ray of happiness in a dark world. And it seems the dark days are only just beginning… The DINNER may deceive you with ...

3 1/2 /5 Jamie is on a date with her boyfriend when she is attacked by a masked man. Jamie manages to escape with her life, but her boyfriend is brutally murdered. Wondering why she was spared, Jamie starts a personal investigation into the events of sixty five years ago. In a town which is obsessed with the famous killings and the movie they were based on, everyone has a motive. And everyone is a suspect. The remake (or almost a sequel) of  THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN  (an original cult classic from 1977) is heavily inspired by the Scream franchise. The many movie references, the layout of a film within a film plus the final twist bear undeniable resemblance. But it has its own voice and style. Placed in modern Texas  THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN  has colours and fashions straight from the seventies, and it is only sightings of computers and mobile phones that serve a reminder that we are not watching a period piece. The movie is finely ...

3/5 Mia and John are young, somehow religious couple who are in anxiety and anticipation at the arrival of their first baby. To make Mia feel a little better John gives her a present - a large doll (what a mistake that was!!!) a collectable that Mia, an eager doll collector, had been searching for some time. That same night Mia and John are attacked by the cult of Devil worshipers. One member, a psychopath called Annabelle, dies cradling the latest addition to Mia's doll collection. Some time later, as Mia and John try to move on with their lives, their terrifying ordeal returns in the face of an evil entity that had found its home in the doll, whose name is now Annabelle.... Creepy doll Annabelle was the best thing about The Conjuring - a very successful and inspired horror movie by our fellow Australian James Wan. Annabelle was mysterious, with her origins unknown, she somehow fit perfectly into the movie's creepy plot, leaving an anticipation to learn more...

3 1/2 /5 Thomas is awake without memories in the iron cage going up the shaft. When it surfaces he finds himself surrounded by the crowd of teenage boys in a glade, in the middle of a maze, which changes every night. Why are they here and how do they find a way out, considering that the labyrinth is full of deadly monsters called Grievers? The plot of THE MAZE RUNNER is simple at its core, with a "big reveal" being solely disappointing. There are only a number of ways the ending could play out and if you had ever seen a fantasy movie you will probably figure it out the way I did. However there's a strange charm to the premise, and the setting and characters look mysterious enough to keep you interested. Director Wes Ball, who had started his career as a visual effects specialist, is to be praised for his work on  THE MAZE RUNNER - i f the film is any good it is thanks to him and three screenwriters who penned the script.  THE MAZE RUNNER  the b...

5/5 Cheon-hi is 14 year old. She is different from everyone in the class and her classmates feel it. One day she comes back home after school and hangs herself without leaving a note. Her mother and older sister blame themselves for not recognising the signs of the approaching tragedy and try to figure out the reason for Cheon-ji suicide. To get to the bottom they will need to follow the thread of lies elegantly woven by Cheon-ji's classmates. THREAD OF LIES is one of these rare films that combine the best of many genres. Bitter sweet drama at heart it is also a detective story. It is an honest and brave film that does not turn away from painful issues, dealing with the problem here and now and not letting go until the final truth is revealed. For a film dealing with such a hard and painful issue as teenage suicide the thread of lies is surprisingly uplifting. Maybe because after the initial shock of the first ten minutes (it's pretty confronting even knowi...

2 1/2 /5 Oh Young is an aspiring actor who is looking for his big break, but does everything wrong. His desire for constant improvisation is also a threat to the careers of his fellow actors. Things are about to get very bad, when a producer appears at his door to turn it all around. Oh Young is reluctant to obey the rules but takes his chance to succeed. It's not long until he becomes famous, but how long will it last? And is the fame a real reward for a true actor? ROUGH PLAY (the real name is AN ACTOR WILL BE AN ACTOR) has a confusing structure. It's sketchy non-linear narrative makes it difficult to focus on the story, and the opening scene is hard to place even after the movie's final. From the beginning you are given a taste of what's to come, but it's just not enough to get you hooked. The story could have been interesting to watch if at least some of the characters were likeable, but they are all presented under the worst light possible, a...