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Absolute Top 20 Movies 2021

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 31, 2021

Posted in: Reviews, Views. Tagged: 007, annette, belfast, belfast movie, best films 2021, bluray, bluray collection, cinema, cinema fan, cinematographer, cinephile, cruella, dune, dvd, film collection, film fan, film geek, film reviews, films 2021, geek, ghostbusters, like, love, minamata, movie nerd, movie stills, movies, nerd, not time to die, photos, pictures, the last duel, titane movie, west side story. Leave a comment

Director : David Gordon Green – Cast Includes : Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak

David Gordon Green‘s Halloween back in 2018 finished with Michael Myers trapped in a burning basement in Laurie Strode’s house, HALLOWEEN KILLS follows on directly after those events… the gasps, the laughter and the uncomfortable silence is why this movie is a must watch on the big screen… Halloween Kills is a real chaotic, unforgiving, relentless and NASTY AS HELL horror movie that pays homage to Carpenter’s original by building on the Haddonfield ethos, creating this timely reminder of the consequence of a witch-hunt whilst also managing to keep the films tension bubbling to boiling point : unlike previous outings in the franchise out the window goes this subtle, stalking killing machine that lurked in the shadows, in Halloween Kills you can almost feel the anger, & pain behind his torn up mask as he uses someone’s back as a pin cushion plunging knife after knife into their flesh for the sheer joy of it, I just felt there was something different, more evil than I had seen previously… the writing was on point too with Green’s narrative not all about Laurie dealing with her demons but more of a collective with Tommy, Karen and Allyson more in the firing line… the return of Kyle Richards as Lindsey & Nancy Stephens as Marion is not only a great touch, bringing both actors back from the 78′ original but it also worked well in the overall storyline and my eye’s lit up like a Birthday morning when Jim Cummings came on screen playing officer Pete McCabe in an early well worked flashback : for me Halloween Kills is the best Michael Myers outing since 1978’s Halloween & it’s underrated sequel Halloween II, it’s a film that suits the big screen arena but BE WARNED this film is not for the squeamish, with each death the next is more fierce and it’s R rating is a true indication of it’s horror : BLOODY AWESOME ★★★★½

This Christmas comes The Matrix Resurrections the fourth movie in the groundbreaking franchise directed by Lana Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II & Jessica Henwick : as expected not much info on it’s synopsis is available but judging by this incredible trailer expect a trippy action packed addition to the original The Matrix and it’s sequels Reloaded and Revolutions : forget streaming this Christmas and find the biggest screen (hopefully IMAX) and let Wachowski take us back down the rabbit hole…

Two Sightseers charter a seaplane and it’s experienced crew to fly to a remote part of the Australian coast called Hells Reef when their fun turns into a real nightmare after a man-eating shark wants them for lunch : there’s been many imitators since Spielberg released his classic 1975 movie JAWS, some have relied on poor CGI with no story, others have decided on the gore route with cheese-o-rama dialogue often with actors that the studio have found dossing around some local shopping mall or the like but on the odd occassion a film comes out that takes elements from those good ones that have come before, giving the viewer an enjoyable ride and Martin Wilson’s film debut GREAT WHITE is one of them movies : I really love the way the film starts with Luke and Tracy enjoying as couples do the beauty of their surroundings then boom, the attack comes from nowhere, a circling predator, the sail mast and the chilling last moments of Tracy floating, unconcious in the waters depths : The films cast is led by The Bold and the Beautiful’s Katrina Bowden and Aussie actor Aaron Jakubenko who was last seen in Tidelands, Kaz & Charlie run their own business, owning a seaplane and taking passengers to some of the scenic spots in the country, I loved Katrina & Aaron’s energy, their chemistry and both are believable in their respective roles, their joined by the talented trio of Tim Kano, Kimie Tsukakoshi who play the tourists out to see the beauty of the area and Te Kohe Tuhaka’s Benny a likeable part of the crew stealing many of the scenes with his humor and deadpan stares, some of the film was shot just north of Brisbane on the Redcliffe Peninsula and the photography by Tony O’Loughlan really captures the fear, mystery and beauty above and below the surface of the ocean, I was also impressed by Tim Count’s haunting music that seemed to fit each scene of Wilson’s movie so well : So if your looking for one of those Syfy Shark movies with a bloodbath and cheap thrills such as Sharknado or Trailer Park Shark then don’t waste your time with Martin Wilson’s Great White a film that’s much more polished, much more of a tension driven, white knuckle ride that slowly builds in it’s first and finishes with an exciting, pulse racing climax, a film that overall I thoroughly enjoyed and I expect in years to come with multiple viewings it will garner it’s own fan base ★★★★

A young woman seeks vengeance against those who committed an unforgiveable act to a friend from her past : Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut Promising Young Woman is one of the most relevant, impactful and though provoking movies that I’ve ever seen : WOW the colors, the quaint coffee shop and the Britney Spears vibe HOOKED ME and it’s darkness and originality and that devistating final act that really caught me offguard, that left me fighting for breath, cold and SPEECHLESS : with iconic roles in her rear view mirror such as Irene in Drive, Daisy in The Great Gatsby and Cathy in Never Let Me Go Carey Mulligan never ceases to amaze me with her ability to make a character her own and in Cassandra she teases, she smiles and ultimately destroys you with her actions and although the film has some flashes of humor and lighter romantic moments such as Mulligan & Burnham singing along to Paris Hilton’s Stars are Blind in the convience store it’s the way the film delivers it’s key moments such as when Cassandra visits Dean Walker at the school, a squeaky bum scene delivered with the impact of a freight train, I was like WTF hands to the mouth whispering to myself she’s not has she? and that cafe scene with Madison and what follows, Alison Brie is growing into quite the actress and what follows is truly terrifying yet rewarding in a bizzare fuck you sort of way : LOVE Jennifer Coolidge & Clancy Brown who are PERFECT as the parents and Laverne Cox is fabulous as Cassandra’s friend and boss at the coffee shop but essentially Promising Young Woman is all about Carey Mulligan and it’s WICKIDLY good story about ACCOUNTABILITY ★★★★½

Two former baseball players find themselves alone, fighting for survival against zombies in an apocayptic world : As you can probably guess from my website and social media nothing pleases me more than watching a movie made with a low budget that are usually refreshingly original and from filmmakers I’ve never heard of before, so when a friend first recommended I check out 2012’s THE BATTERY by Jeremy Gardner I had to take a peek : apparently the movie only cost $6,000 to make with Gardner and a bunch of friends helping to finance and bring it to the screen : The Battery follows a rather simple yet engrossing storyline centered around two ordinary guys Ben & Mickey who find themselves thrown together in a world ravaged by the undead, watching this strained relationship take a road trip of sorts across Connecticut is all kind of messed up fun with Ben seeming quite content moving from place to place killing any zombies that cross their path (and seeming to enjoy it too) and Mickey a virgin in the kill department (frankly a bit of a moaning pussy) just shutting himself off from reality by listening to music through his headphones, which slowly but surely annoys Ben to the point of some rather delightful WTF senario’s including the moment he locks Mickey in his bedroom with a zombie to hilarious consequences and the time Ben steals Mickey’s headphones is so out there, other scenes that tickled me sideways for different reasons include Mickey’s masturbation scene that had me in hysterics (don’t judge until you’ve seen it) and Ben singing Anthem For The Already Defeated whilst under the influence which I didn’t see coming but was rather superb : overall The Battery really is one for the ages, a creatively fun take on the genre that I can highly recommend with Gardner’s humor, acting chops & musical score really adding so much to it’s memorability ★★★★

Number 15 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : A group of camp counselors are stalked by an unknown killer while trying to reopen a summer camp which was the site of a child’s drowning and a grisly double murder years before : Originally titled A Long Night at Camp Blood Sean S. Cunningham’s FRIDAY THE 13TH was shot for a measly $500,000 and was released in 1980, becoming a box office success and spawning numerous sequels : from Harry Manfredini scary Hitchcockian score that screams Psycho, the film’s inventive and cruel kills created by the special effect guru Tom Savini, especially Marcie’s axe to the head and Jack’s arrow through the neck are grizzly & quite realistic, the beautiful cast including Jeannine Taylor, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram & Kevin Bacon and their colorful raincoats to the late Barry Abrams atmospheric, close up camera work that creeps around the lake & captures each scream, each kill with chilling gratification : I know the movie inside out & love everything about it, from the iconic Camp Crystal Lake sign to the wonderful yet brief role of Annie Phillips, the cute & bubbly councelor who hitchhikes to the camp at the start of the movie but there’s no doubt my favorite moment in Friday the 13th comes in the last 20mins where Alice played by Adrienne King uncovers the killers identity and then a showdown takes place as she battles to stay alive : being a huge fan of the slasher genre and especially the “golden age” from around the mid-70s onwards Friday the 13th is one of the most iconic horror movies of the last 50 years, we not only get to witness the origin story of one of the most terrifying villains of all time but also get to meet his creator : two words HORROR CLASSIC ★★★★★

HALLOWEEN: David Gordon Green
Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak & Virginia Gardner

If you love horror and especially the slasher genre then David Gordon Green’s HALLOWEEN movie is a must watch on the big screen – the film is set 40 years after the John Carpenter’s original 1978 movie and is classed as a sequel to that movie, I know what your thinking “wasn’t there a Halloween II?” and you’d be right but Green and his writing team and it must be said with the blessing of Carpenter himself have decided to take their new movie in this direction – David Gordon Green’s movie sticks to the same formula as it’s predecessor, keeping things simple, uncomplicated and downright SCARY – the filmmaker makes use of Carpenter’s iconic score that always manages to creep me out and if that’s not enough to scare one silly then the sight of Michael Myers prowling the screen will make you quiver in your seat, the violence is brutal at times and not for the squeamish and along with the many homages to the original film it’s the return of Jamie Lee Curtis who once again gives the horror it’s heart-beat, her character Laurie Strode is now older, battle worn waiting for the boogeyman to return to Haddonfield, that Sarah Connor vibe she’s giving off was really something, the writers did well putting some life in Laurie and I felt she looked ready to chew bubblegum and kick some ass (whoops wrong movie) but HELL YEA she was – Horror newbie Andi Matichak is a revelation and maybe a new scream queen in the making, Virginia Gardner gives a terrific turn as Vicky, veteran Will Patton is always great and I just love Judy Greer – Overall if your looking to see the second best film in the Halloween franchise then get your scared ass to the cinema this weekend and watch a treat of horror that will have you shaking in your boots and looking in your closet afterwards…… ★★★★

Apostle (2018) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on October 14, 2018

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: apostle 2018, apostle movie, apostle netflic, apostle review, cinema, cult, Dan Stevens, film blog, film geek, films, gareth evans, gareth evans apostle, kidnap, like, love, Lucy Boynton, margam film shoot, margam park, Matt Flannery, Michael Sheen, movie nerd, movie thoughts, movies, the raid, the raid movies. Leave a comment

APOSTLE : Gareth Evans
Dan Stevens, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton

Gareth Evans mostly known for his breakneck action movies The Raid and it’s sequel has just released his latest APOSTLE and it’s a horror movie…. here’s the synopsis “In 1905, a drifter on a dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped sister tangles with a sinister religious cult on an isolated island” – Only a handful of movies have blown my mind this year and Gareth Evans APOSTLE has just become one of them – the film is an exciting cocktail of twisted storytelling alongside a revenge thriller that’s relentless in it’s brutality – Matt Flannery’s cinematography is a joy to behold, his ability to balance the varied location, dark underground shots along with the action scenes is heart-stopping – So if your a fan of the revenge style genre and love your movies with slices of brutality, great narrative and stunning photography then APOSTLE is most definitely the film for you ★★★★½

BLACKkKLANSMAN : Spike Lee
John David Washington, Laura Harrier, Adam Driver, Jasper Pääkkönen

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen the best of Spike Lee and to be honest I really thought after that poor Oldboy remake he was on the decline, maybe putting one foot in retirement and joining some of the great filmmakers that now churn out average films for the masses failing to live up to their past glory’s, but after watching his latest in a pretty full cinema I can honestly say with a glint in my eye that Spike Lee is far from over – BlacKkKlansman is not only one of the most powerful movies of the year it’s also in my opinion Spike Lee’s greatest achievment in film with stand out performances from Laura Harrier, John David Washington & Adam Driver, an incredible score that sucks you into 1979 Colorado, some frightening obsenities shouted by Alec Baldwin’s character that sets the overal tone of the movie, some exhilarating camera work by Chayse Irvin and one helluva creepy performance from Jasper Pääkkönen – oh yeah and not forgetting that Corey Hawkins speech his delivery will stand your hair on end WOW – BlacKkKlansman is an unbelievable story, it has more humor than I expected and it’s last 20mins is a punch to the gut – SEE it on the BIG screen you won’t be disappointed ★★★★½

Hotel Artemis (2018) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 22, 2018

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: blog, cinema, criminal, Dave Bautista, Drew Pearce, film blog, film geek, film night, follow, hotel artemis, hotel artemis movie, hotel artemis review, jodie foster, like, love, love films, movie nerd, movie review, movie trailer, movie website, poster, sofia boutella, Sterling K Brown. Leave a comment

HOTEL ARTEMIS : Drew Pearce
Jodie Foster, Sterling K Brown, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista

Had an absolute blast watching Drew Pearce’s directorial debut Hotel Artemis – if I’m honest it’s a movie that went right under my radar but I’m so glad I caught up with it on the big screen – would you believe it’s been 5yrs since the legend Jodie Foster graced our screens with Elysium so watching this legend of our screens trade acting blows with Sterling K. Brown & Dave Bautista in this futuristic setting is worth more than double the ticket price – Pearce’s first attempt behind the camera follows writing work on Iron Man 3 and MI : Rogue Nation so he’s no beginner when it comes to classy, stylish story arcs with intriguing characters and some insane action thrown in – Hotel Artemis combines the lot, it has a great story at it’s core, a devilishly good ensemble, sublime cinematography and is executed better than most – don’t miss this one ★★★★

Sometimes you just need to stop dissecting a movie and have fun, let the action and mood of the picture take you on a ride into the impossible and the unimaginable and Roar Uthaug’s TOMB RAIDER is one of them such movies – I like many grew up playing the games and being slightly fixated on Lara Croft this sexy gun tooting computer icon who kicked ass and went on wild adventures solving puzzles on these epic treasure hunts, I even enjoyed the 2001 & 2003 movies that starred a young Angeline Jolie but this latest adaption an origin story starring Alicia Vikander in the title role surpassed my expectations I really did leave my critical side at the door and allowed myself to thoroughly enjoy the film – Vikander totally embodies the character from the games, she’s athletic, clever and she doesn’t give up easily – from the Hong Kong chase scene to the booby traps in the underground tomb, the foxy bike race to the Islands River Rapids Tomb Raider runs at a breakneck pace it really is electric and if you’ve played the games then you will smile and enjoy the scenarios that Lara finds herself in – other high five aspects of the movie include a terrific antagonist played by the fiery, downright cool Walton Goggins, Into the Badlands Daniel Wu who looks to be having fun playing a drunken sailor and kick ass side-kick to Lara and another well rounded performance from the underrated Dominic West who plays Lara’s dad Richard – Overall Tomb Raider is one wickid action movie, leave all your troubles at home and let Alicia’s Lara Croft take you an adventure of a lifetime – this is popcorn munching cinema at it’s finest ★★★★

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) – Film Trailer

Posted by absolutebadasses on April 14, 2017

Posted in: Trailers. Tagged: bb8, cinema, Daisy Ridley, film geek, finn, geeks, george lucas, hans solo, mark hamill, movie nerd, movies, nerds, princess leia, r2d2, rian johnson, scifi, scifi geek, star wars, star wars characters, star wars poster, star wars the last jedi, star wars universe. Leave a comment

Finally we get to see a teaser trailer of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI by stunning visonary Rian Johnson and hell it’s been worth the wait – it’s MYSTERIOUS, it’s DARK, downright SPINE TINGLING and 2mins of AWESOMENESS that will leave you aching for more – hopefully (and I think it’s a given) we will get to see more of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker training Rey played by the brilliant Daisy Ridley, that island setting looks ridiculously cool, and will make a great base for the pupil to start learning from the master….

Recent Watch: Logan (2017)

Posted by absolutebadasses on March 2, 2017

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: boyd holbrook, cinema, combook, comic fans, comicbook movie, Dafne Keen, fantasy, film geek, films, Hugh Jackman, james mangold, laura, logan review, love movies, movie nerd, movie review, movies, Patrick Stewart, poster, Richard E. Grant, scifi, Stephen Merchant, the wolverine, Wolverine. Leave a comment

Hugh Jackman reunites with The Wolverine’s James Mangold in the final chapter of LOGAN – the movie also sees Patrick Stewart reprising his X-Men role as Charles Xavier, Narco’s Boyd Holbrook cast as a villain of sorts and an unusual (but it works) piece of casting with Stephen Merchant playing mutant tracker Caliben….

In the near future 2029 to be precise a battle worn Logan is a Limo Driver, trying to save some money whilst caring for an ailing Professor X who’s he hid somewhere on the Mexican border….

The single most devastating thing about watching LOGAN was that I knew (everybody new) that this would be Hugh Jackman’s final outing as The Wolverine and this was in my opinion a game changer – James Mangold uses this knowledge as his filmmaking tool, his simple yet striking tone, deliberately slow pace and painful to watch narrative all builds to an agonising crecendo, it’s certainly not upbeat and unlike any other Marvel movie before it LOGAN is stripped bare of the usual comicbook humor, kaleidoscope of colour and deluded fantasy instead it’s a picture that’s dripping with a dark, gritty no-nonsense underbelly, utterly gut wrenching and humanized like no other movie of it’s ilk – even the performances in the picture seem better, Jackman captures the ageing tired Logan with a comfortable ease, his maturity as an actor gives him the tools to pull this off, you can see the pain he’s going through as he limps and claws his way through the storyline and Stewart is equally as impressive as Charles Xavier who requires medical assistance to not only help with an illness but to keep his powers at bay, there’s also an impressive film debut by Dafne Keen who kills it (literally) playing Laura, her fight scene’s, mannerism’s and interaction with Charles and Logan are a joy to watch….

One of my favourite moments in the movie (and there are many) takes place at the Munson Home – Logan, Laura and Charles help the Munson’s with some runaway horses after which they get invited back to their home and enjoy a brief trip into yesteryear, spending time with a loving family over a hot meal with smiles, real laughter and a bed to sleep in (Eriq La Salle playing the father of the family is as good in these 20mins as he’s ever been) – sadly the groups happiness does not last long and their ugly, brutal past catches up with them….

James Mangold’s LOGAN is the perfect send off for one comics most iconic stars – the film’s raw and uncompromising style allows it to become a far superior comicbook adapation than what’s come before, it’s not only a thing of beauty to look at but it’s also one hell of an emotionally charged rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up until the final credits rise & Johnny Cash’s vocals hit home…. ★★★★½

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created with Alien Covenant a new chapter in the Alien franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant sits down on what they think is an uncharted paradise, but slowly it becomes apparant that this world is actually a dangerous, unforgiving place of terror where it’s only inhabitant are creatures that bleed acid and want to tear you limb from limb….

The films impressive cast includes : Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, James Franco, Demián Bichir, Billy Crudup, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett and Callie Hernandez – Alien Covenant opens on May 19th