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Freaks (1932) | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This was one of the ones I was most looking forward to based on the premise alone. I thought it sounded so great and, if done well, had the potential to be genuinely scary. That being said, other than the written description, I knew nothing of the history of the movie. I had mixed feelings about this film. I liked it for the most part, but it wasn't what I thought, or really wanted, it to be. The collection of characters is so interesting, particularly because most (if not all) of the actors portraying people with conditions actually had these conditions in real life. Most of them appear to be professional sideshow and/or circus performers, which just adds to the authenticity of the characters, and the story itself. The writing is great. As with the characters, everything feels completely authentic. The pace of the story is odd - it takes a long time to set everything up, but because it's such a short movie, once the horrors begin, there's not a lot of time to really expl...
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I Love Boosters | Film Review

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  A group of shoplifters get more than they bargain for when they set their sights on a fashion mogul. I didn't go into this one with high expectations, mostly based on the director's first movie. I gave it a positive review but I didn't love it, and as time has gone on I've liked it less and less. Based on the way this one was spoken about it seemed similar, so I thought I'd probably feel the same way. And that's what happened. It just wasn't for me. That being said, one of the main reasons I wanted to watch it was because of the cast, and it's worth watching for them alone because all of the actors are fantastic. I personally have a hard time with absurdity and absurdist comedy, so that was always going to factor into how much I liked the film. That being said, visually it's really pleasant to watch. It's so vibrant and colourful, and you can tell that so much thought went into creating each detail. And while this was great, it did get to a poi...
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I Saw the Devil | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this film before the bucket list, and I felt slightly wary that it was billed as an action/thriller movie rather than horror. I'd definitely say it has elements of both, and I completely loved it! The opening scene was definitely horrific, and horrifying, so I immediately saw why it was classed as a horror. Especially when you go in blind, it just takes you completely by surprise. It does a good job of really drawing the viewer in. And after this, you're really intrigued to find out where the story is actually going. The murder scenes are so brutal and shocking - despite how graphic the first one is, each additional one is still a shock to the system. These scenes, and the way they're shot, are what make the film a horror. They're really well done. The story is so engaging. It's not just a serial killer movie, and it's not just a revenge thriller; it's never too much of one thing. The scenes last the right length of time, and you...
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Michael | Film Review

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  The life and legacy of pop superstar Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). I have to preface this review by saying that I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Michael Jackson's life or music, and I probably wouldn't have seen this if I hadn't watched it with actual fans, so my thoughts on it will be different than if I was a big fan. As it stands, I thought the film was fine. I didn't love it, but I wouldn't say it was bad either. Though some of that is definitely tied to not being a fan. If you're not interested in Michael's history then the story itself isn't that interesting. That being said, it does a good job of giving you an insight into the struggles he went through, and definitely draws sympathy. The story became somewhat incoherent when it moved from childhood to adulthood, but individually both periods of the character's life had merit and made for interesting individual stories. The thing that lets the story down is the writing. This would ...
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Deep Red | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this film, but it had a really interesting (if vague) premise, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I liked this film. It gets into the action right away - we're meeting characters, we're seeing murders, at 12 minutes in we're already invested. I really liked the development of the relationship between the main character and the journalist. It's always interesting in horror movies when we get relationship development, whether romantic or platonic, in the midst of some horrific event. Sometimes these relationships are the most compelling when they're not the main focus of the story. It has a really interesting score and soundtrack. It almost feels out of place with the tone of the film, but for some reason, it works. Not only is it memorable, but it underscores the scenes in a way that really makes you pay attention. While looking up some of the background of the film, I saw that there was a significant difference between the original Itali...
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Voicemails for Isabelle | Film Review

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  When Jill's (Zoey Deutch) voicemails to her late sister are redirected to a stranger (Nick Robinson), he begins to fall in love with her by listening to her stories. I really loved the premise of this film, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Thankfully, I loved the movie! Considering we only got to see the sisters together for the first 10 minutes of the film, it does a really good job of building a believable friendship and connection that carries through the entire movie. If anything, it would have been nice to see more of them together. In terms of being a rom-com, it's more romantic than comedic, but it definitely has fun rom-com vibes throughout. Deutch and Robinson have great chemistry and you want to root for them. That being said, it's really hard to tell this story without having the male character come across as slightly creepy for the decisions he makes. It's a shame because he's a really likeable character, but even if you can rationalise some of h...
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The Descent | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is a re-watch that I was really looking forward to. I love this movie and have seen it multiple times so I was really glad to see it on the list. And as always, I loved it on this re-watch too. It hits you over the head from the very beginning. That opening scene is so brutal, and comes so out of nowhere that you have no idea where the film is going.  It's nice to get to know the characters, but we don't get to know them enough to easily differentiate between them. Before they get into the cave, a lot of them are interchangeable, and in the cave with low light, it can get way too easy to get people mixed up. We get into the cave quickly, and once we do, the anticipation never really lets up. Even on a first time blind watch, with no idea what could happen, the atmosphere alone is so tense and unsettling that you're just waiting for something bad to happen. A lot of the dialogue feels inauthentic or hits the ear wrong, but because the plot is so strong it doesn't ...
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