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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

Happy 89th Birthday to the Iconic Music Composer JOHN WILLIAMS who was born on this day in New York in 1932 : he really started to make waves back in the seventies including the disaster movie trio of The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and The Poseidon Adventure and one of my favorite western themes back in 1972 The Cowboys : then in 1974 John started his collaboration with one of the finest filmmakers of our time in Steven Spielberg : for me John & Steve are the greatest director/composer duo in film, any there’s no doubt without John’s iconic scores to Speilberg’s masterful direction the films would not have the same impact : whether his music is rousing or at a much slower tempo John Williams has the ability of fitting a piece of music to the scene more than any other composer with some of his best work falling within the movie rather than it’s title’s main theme, take the barrel chase from Jaws, the Over the Moon segment from E.T. and Marion’s Theme from Raiders they all have epic qualities and encapsulate the great man’s input to that particular moment : one’s that didn’t make my top four but deserve a mention include Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, E.T., Home Alone, JFK, Close Encounters and Empire of the Sun

Whilst attending the scene of a crime two paramedics have an encounter with a drug that has bizarre, otherworldly effects : Moorehead and Benson’s latest slice of cinematic originality exceeded all my expectations and like Resolution, Spring and The Endless their newbie SYNCHRONIC blew my mind : like their previous endeavours this film has you talking, it’s a real humdinger of a story that involves time travel, it’s consequences and the bond between two friends that is tested to the max : Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan give strong performances as Steve & Dennis respectively who are not only best friends but are also working colleagues that stumble upon this drug, Steve has recently been told by a doctor that he has a brain aneurysm which will likely end his life sooner rather than later so decides to take one of these pills to see what happens… : their’s some terrific work behind the camera with New Orleans painted with a style and haunting beauty that it deserves, I also love the chemistry between the two leads, whether it be knocking a golf ball around or walking through those deserted streets the heart to heart moments involving Steve and Dennis are great in a bromantic kinda way, I love Hawkings and wasn’t too happy at what happened there and I love the mysterious X-Files tension that Ramiz Monsef’s character Kermani gives to the movie, that scene in Steve’s house is some crazy shit right there : Overall Synchronic is a movie that will no doubt divide, my view is that it’s originality, tension driven storytelling is someting that all movie fan would like more of, it’s a film that’s full of intrigue, carries a dynamic score, good performances and a fitting location to boot : THUMBS UP from this mad hatter ★★★★½

Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty : Blade Runner

Posted by absolutebadasses on January 23, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: actor, blade runner, bluray, cinephile, dvd, film icon, film star, hollywood, icons, movie star, movie stills, photos, pictures, remembering, remembering rutger hauer, ridley scott movie, roy batty, rutger hauer. Leave a comment

A teenager uses her wits & survival skills to fight for her life, and help those around her against a group of terrorists : Don’t you just love it when you discover a new film that you haven’t seen any promotional material for, not even a poster or trailer? Kyle Rankin’s RUN HIDE FIGHT really got under my skin, from it’s creepy protagonist and alarming relativity to the film’s dark and twisted narrative, realising that this could happen to you or your loved ones really gave this Die Hard-esque action movie one helluva kick : I love the way Rankin sets the tone early with Isabel May’s Zoe going all Nic Cage on a deer whilst out on a hunt with her dad played by Thomas Jane, the film’s backstory is given an early gut punch too as we get to discover more about Zoe’s state of mind and those touching scenes that involve Radha Mitchell who plays Zoe’s mum are quite sublime : loved the small roles from some of my favorite actors of yester-year including Barbara Crampton who plays Mrs Crawford and Treat Williams turn as the Sheriff, Rankin’s story is tight and ramped with tension and hats off to debutant Olly Sholotan who’s superb in an eye catching turn as Zoe’s bestie Lewis : overall Run Hide Fight is a gritty, disturbing and violent action movie that tackles the ugly reality of domestic terrorism in an ever so slighlty unrealistic movie sort of way : EXCELLENT ★★★★

A girl born into an all-female cult following this messiah-like-figure who calls himself the Shepherd : I’m not really a big fan of movies that revolve around cults, the mere thought of people brainwashed into following someone’s else’s believes makes me sick to my stomach, however there are occassions when a movie moves me in a particular way and Małgorzata Szumowska’s THE OTHER LAMB is one of them films : I think what makes this film more intriguing is it’s coming-of-age story of Selah one of the Sisters as she starts to question her role in The Flock whilst herself becoming a women, having her first period and slowly starting to see things within the group as they really are : Michał Englert’s beautiful cinematography, unusual camera angles, it’s Irish backdrop and the costumes worn by the wives and sisters in the movie adds so much to the horror and depth of The Other Lamb and although this may not be your conventional horror film, it’s scares lie with it’s intelligent narrative, slow build up, unnerving performances and a subject matter that dances around religion, patriarchy and sacrifice that sent shivers down my spine ★★★★

Freaky (2020) : Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on December 8, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Alan Ruck, blumhouse, body swap slasher, Celeste O'Connor, cinephile, film blog, freaky, freaky blumhouse, freaky movie, freaky review, gory horror, hollywood, horror, horror comedy, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, movie, movie stills, movie website, photos, Vince Vaughn. Leave a comment

Fancy swapping bodies with an infamous serial killer? me neither… well that’s what happens to Millie and she now has 24 hours before that change becomes permanent : having really enjoyed both Happy Death Day movies and the superb Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse I was excited to see what director Christopher Landon had in store for us with his latest horror comedy FREAKY that stars Vince Vaughn & Kathryn Newton : the mixture of comedy, smartly written dialogue and GORY horror is a fine line which Landon tip toes outrageously along : watching terrified as Vince Vaughn’s Butcher slices and dices his way through those opening ten minutes with the brutality of a Wes Craven movie whilst mouthing HOLY SHIT and then turning the terror into a smile and full on belly laugh as the Butcher is transformed into a teenage girl’s body thanks to the ancient mystical dagger is GENIUS : I can’t honestly decide which one I prefered more, Vince Vaughan’s Butcher running around the town of Blissfield screaming & acting like a girl or Kathryn Newton’s Millie transformed into the Butcher and taking out some sweet vengeance on the bully’s at her school, those scenes involving the smarmy teacher and the table saw and Ryler’s cryo-tank moment is utterly brilliant : Freaky is close to Landon’s best work, yes it’s full of your typical cliches, but overall the film’s inventive, outrageous and devilishly good FUN : a body swap slasher for the ages, a cult classic that I can’t wait to rewatch and recommend to friends ★★★★

Number 1 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : While investigating a gold magnate’s smuggling ring, 007 uncovers a plot involving the Fort Knox gold reserve : Guy Hamilton’s GOLDFINGER is the embodiment of every James Bond movie that followed, from Connery’s exquisite self assured turn as British Secret Agent 007, the entertaining set pieces, Lois Maxwell’s familiar Miss Moneypenny, it’s wonderful & catchy John Barry score, those infamous Bond puns, recognisable villains, in Goldfinger it was Harold Sakata’s Oddjob and of course those marvelous Bond Women and in 1964 it was Honor Blackman’s iconic Pussy Galore that clawed the screen : in the Sean Connery 007 era Goldfinger has no equals, it’s an exciting spy thriller from start to finish and one that still holds up well today ★★★★★

Number 2 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : 007 goes head to head with an eccentric scientist, Dr No, who is determined to ruin the US space programme : DR. NO will always hold a place dear to my heart, it’s the first movie in the Bond franchise but it also has this incredible Jamaican backdrop including a place I’ve visited Dunn’s River Falls, Jack Lord’s best screen portrayal of Felix Leiter, the gorgeous Ursula Andress who’s scintillating turn as Honey Ryder and her infamous beach scene made quite the impression on a much younger me and of course it’s memorable music including Three Blind Mice that was used during it’s opening scene ★★★★★

Number 3 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : 007 heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. : THUNDERBALL is the fourth film in the franchise and won an Academy Award for it’s special effects : the film itself is quite exhilarating containing all the trappings of a great spy thriller : Claudine Auger’s Domino dazzles, Adolfo Celi who plays Emilio Largo makes for a good 007 adversary, his eye-patch gives him added menace and those underwater assault scenes are truly magnificent to watch ★★★★★

Number 4 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : 007 gets involved with a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. : Robert Shaw’s Red and Lotte Lenya’s Colonel Rosa Klebb are just two of many reasons I love revisiting Terence Young’s highly entertaining FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE : the fight scene between 007 and Red in the carriage of the train is certainly amongst the film’s highlights and upon it’s release in 1963 the movie was a box office hit, almost doubling the takings of Dr. No that was released in the previous year ★★★★★

Number 5 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : 007 and the Japanese Secret Service must work together to stop a series of space hijackings, before war is declared between Russia and the US : YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE was written by Roald Dahl and directed by Lewis Gilbert who later delivered the superb Moonraker & The Spy Who Loved Me : primarily filmed in Japan and with a volcano set that could be seen from three miles away You Only Live Twice is one of those movies that took me a while to warm too and now I just love revisiting : I find it’s story one of the more interesting Bond outings that sees James team up with the Japanese Secret Service, the characters are interesting and at times the action is breakneck with one of my favorite moments coming 25 minutes in when Bond finds himself fighting this huge henchman in Osato’s office, it’s one helluva scene : although he would later hunt Michael Myers in Halloween what came before was a magnificent Donald Pleasence performance as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Pleasence capturing the calculating madness of this iconic Bond Villain and putting his own stamp on the Bond franchise ★★★★

Number 6 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : A diamond smuggling investigation leads 007 to the bright lights of Las Vegas, where he uncovers an evil plot involving the Evil Mastermind Blofeld : don’t ask me why but growing up DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was easily my most watched of the Sean Connery 007 movies : maybe it was the enchanting and sadly underused Plenty O’Toole played by Lana Wood or maybe it was Blofeld’s henchmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd who stole all the scenes they were in or possibly it could have been the Las Vegas backdrop that wowed me growing up…. but whatever the reason Guy Hamilton’s second Bond movie is a crazy mixed cocktail containing beautiful women, menancing & attractive villains, a Shirley Bassey intro song and Sean seeming to have fun with his last official outing as 007 ★★★★

Number 7 of My Sean Connery James Bond Movies : A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent has stolen two American warheads, and it’s down to 007 to track their targets before they are detonated : not only is NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN a blotch on Sean Connery’s career it was also a terrible movie to direct by Irvin Kershner who had previously directed the great Empire Strikes Back : for Bond fans this unofficial outing of 007 is still a stinker with Connery looking old and disinterested, it’s humor & action incredibly bland, an awful & frankly quite annoying film debut by Rowan Atkinson and the movies villains are poorly written and carried out by their respective actors with a whimper : the only positive in the movie was the fight scene between Bond and Lippe played by Pat Roach : a huge misfire ★★★

Bodies are discovered, mutilated after each full moon so it’s upto the local sheriff and his deputies to find the killer before they strike again : Firstly let me say how visually stunning the introduction is to THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW almost like The Shining the camera follows the mountainous backdrop of the films location, at times it’s scenery is cleverly reflected above as the camera reaches it’s destination….. a big old grisly moon, what a terrific intro and the perfect mood-setter for what’s to follow : I personally LOVE everything about this bat shit crazy slasher from it’s director & star of the movie Jim Cummings who’s nutty sheriff is having the worst few days of his fucked up life and boy this guy loves to SCREAM : I found the dialogue really witty and at times I didn’t know whether to laugh, console or shout at this poor guy loosing his shit with everybody who crosses his path : the snowy Utah backdrop and action scenes are well shot by Natalie Kingston, it’s quirky Lynch-esque characters are somewhat adhering, we get to share in the great Robert Forster’s final screen outing, a stand out performance from the delightful Riki Lindhome and it’s Agatha Christie keep you guessing narrative The Wolf of Snow Hollow is an absolute riot that tackles addiction, dealing with your demons, marital separation and a killer on the loose : it’s so much movie goodness wrapped up in the smallest of run-times with a bunch of character’s I hope we get see more of….. some time soon : IT’S SO GOOD ★★★★½

A young boy battles the complexities of life with his father : I really, really enjoyed Mark Webber’s THE PLACE OF NO WORDS : it’s hard to interpret the film’s true meaning to Mark but for me it’s an exquisite, fantastical journey centered around life, death and it’s beyond : the film has touches of Labyrinth and other such fairy tales and is beautifully shot in North Wales, the rugged landscape of Snowdonia is captured in breathtaking style especially the scenes involving father and son as they battle the elements on their journey of self discovery : for one so young the film’s star Bodhi Palmer gives a magical performance and is well supported by his real life parents Teresa Palmer & director Mark Webber with Nicole Berger delivering a wonderful turn as an enchanting fairy : I love and desperately want a Grumbler, their scenes with Bodhi were beautiful and that creepy moment in the film when this creature emerged from this slushy pool is still giving me nightmares : with the lack of originality on our screens The Place of No Words is a breath of fresh air, an emotional, personal journey that’s tough to think about let alone film with a four year old child : a truly unique and quite wonderful piece of filmmaking ★★★★½

Number 1 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : A research team in Antarctica is hunted by an alien that assumes the appearance of its victims : Why don’t we just… wait here for a little while… see what happens? everytime I revisit THE THING my excitement levels soar and my blood runs cold, it’s a MASTERPIECE, the single most terrifying horror movie of all time, from it’s gripping suspense, gruesome practical effects to it’s terrific character driven cast and it’s slow beating Ennio Morricone score, it truly is a gift from the filmmaking gods : the beauty with The Thing and the reason why I believe it’s such a great horror movie is the overall intensity level does not drop, it’s relentless and there’s so many scary, atmospheric moments that really catch you off guard such as the dog pen scene, from the time MacReady pulls down the Alarm cord, the howling of the dogs to the cruelty of what happens next is horrific, Blair’s meltdown with the axe in the control room is scary because paranoia mixed with fear has truly set in and actor Wilford Brimley executes his part perfectly well, the scene when the head of Norris turns into this freaking head-spider is shit your pants time (my god the effects are awesome), that moment when Copper’s arms are bitten off during the chest defibrillation scene is frankly insane and of course the main course of suspense during the films last quarter when MacReady is testing the blood whilst the rest of the team are tied to their chairs is an exciting, adrenaline fueled nail biter, like a violent version of Miss Marple when she gathers up the suspects in the cocktail lounge to tell them her findings, I can still hear the noise the wire makes when it sizzles against the plastic tray and your just waiting to see which one of the team the alien has infected next : along with it’s creepy score all of John Carpenter’s movies have a distinct lightening and visual look and The Thing is no different, I really found Bottin & Cundey‘s work on the eerie, cold exterior to be quite exquisite capturing the desolate icy tomb of Outpost 31 to chilling perfection, the film’s sparsely lit, rather mundane interior was pretty darn good too, I loved the way the guys created light at times by using the fiery orange haze of Childs flame thrower, the odd stick of dynamite and of course the color of the alien turning into it’s next nasty, gruesome form : so if you like your horror with a huge dose of intense who goes there suspense, side portions of tummy churning squelch, the odd dash of humor and one of the finest horror endings put to film then check out John Carpenter’s great scifi horror THE THING ★★★★★

Number 4 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night, a young man escapes from a mental hospital and returns to Haddonfield to kill again : I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN : to me it’s the greatest slasher movie of them all, influenced no doubt in a small way by Bob Clark’s Black Christmas it just ooozes a tour de force in the horror genre that’s been emulated many times but never surpassed : Halloween was developed and put to film by Carpenter & Hill, on a shoe string budget of $300,000 and is the finest use of lightening, sound and music in the genre, with it’s eerie atmosphere, suspense that drips from each scene like the blood from Myers knife, Jamie Lee Curtis movie debut and an alluring, chilling score that cranks up the mood perfectly when required : from those early scenes of a young Michael Myers butchering his sister to it’s nerve jangling, exciting climax, there’s nothing quite like this slice of late 70s horror to get your heart pumping : John Carpenter’s Halloween is not gory or drenched in blood like many of the slashers that succeeded it but instead relies heavily on it’s suspense and effective story telling : it’s also the most immersive experience I’ve felt watching a horror movie in a theater, from it’s wide & open interiors to the creepy neighborhood shots capturing the street’s autumn look and the scene’s of Michael Myers masked figure stalking Laurie Strode at every turn, the photography combined with Carpenter’s score really does make you chew your nails frantically as the pace slowly builds to it’s terrifying crecendo : if like me you love your slasher movies then why not check out the newly remastered edition of this 1978 masterpiece, even after all these years it’s still the perfect slasher movie ★★★★★

Number 5 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : The film follows a group of friends who fall victim to a bunch of psychopaths whilst travelling to visit a family grave : The very first adult horror movie I watched was Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE : I was twelve years of age and I remember sneaking over a friends house, inserting this battered video tape and being terrorised by these cannibalistic serial killers led by Gunnar Hansen’s terrifying Leatherface and the house of horrors he lived in : I’ve since watched Texas pretty much every year since and although it’s suprisingly not that bloody it’s the look of authenticity of what takes place in that farm house, especially the infamous dinner scene that really did a number on me : watching Marilyn Burn’s Sally tied to that chair screaming hysterically, the extreme close up of her twitching eyeball, the manic laughing of the depraved family sat around the table and the total insanity of what’s happening is incredibly unsettling : it’s the only horror movie on the list that makes me feel queasy, uneasy & downright afraid right from the gecko, from the creepy hitchhiker & his antics, the bringing down of Grandpa played by John Dugan and that hammer scene to Pam played by the brilliant Teri McMinn who stumbles into the room full of feathers & bones mostly human but some are animal, the camera taking us on a tour of the carnage that Pam sees before her, the big chicken housed in the smallest of cages, the skulls & tools that were used to mutilate it’s victims, this is nasty, unflinching horror at it’s sweet mercy best : due it’s very low budget the cast was mainly unknown and Gunnar Hansen wore the same Leatherface outfit for the film’s four week shoot, the lack of a score as such and Daniel Pearl’s low angle, handheld at times raw photography gives The Texas Chain Saw Massacre it’s realism and makes Tobe Hooper’s influential horror one of the fines low-budget exploitation movies that’s ever been ★★★★★

Number 13 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : A secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. : PSYCHO the grand daddy of all Hitchcock movies… how can you not be overcome with terror at Bernard Herrmann’s intrusive, iconic stringed score, gasp with wonder at the beauty of Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane but most of all shudder with genuine fear when the curtain is pulled back on Norman Bates personality disorder : as far as my favorite scenes in Psycho go there are just too many to mention, but obviously the shower scene & it’s aftermath are the most memorable, with Anthony Perkins in terrifying form, the effectiveness of John L. Russell’s black-and-white photography leaves you speechless at times with the opening shots of Marion lying of the bed in the hotel room, the atmospheric road trip and our first glimpse of the Bates Motel being fine examples, all of which are breathtaking, one of my favorite moments in the film is the scene when Arbogast gets stabbed on the stairs, the camera work of him falling backwards and then getting attacked again is something else, Martin Balsam who plays the private detective is superb : Psycho was shot at Revue Studios with a budget of around $800,000 and was released in 1960 becoming a box office smash for Alfred Hitchcock and receiving Four Oscar Nominations, with it’s star Janet Leigh winning a Golden Globe for her performance (trivia: the official theatrical trailer for the movie back in 1960 was over six minutes long) : if Rear Window, Vertigo and North by Northwest didn’t cement Hitchcock’s filmmaking legacy then Psycho certainly did, giving us an early taste of the slasher movie with two great performances and a haunting Herrmann score ★★★★★