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Eleanor the Great | Film Review

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After the death of her best friend, Eleanor (June Squibb) moves to New York. Desperate for community, she accidentally tells a lie that spirals out of control. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for such a long time. When I first saw the trailer I thought that it looked like such an interesting concept that could really pack a punch if it was done in the right way. I liked the film, but unfortunately it didn't pack the punch that I needed it to. It started in a great way. We get to know Eleanor really quickly, which is essential for a movie like this where we have to sympathise with her for it to work. The plot is genuinely insane, and I had a hard time working out whether or not it was in bad taste. I still don't really know, but an argument could definitely be made that it is. The cast is absolutely the best thing about the film, and they're all great. In particular, June Squibb is phenomenal in the role, but Erin Kellyman is almost equally fantastic, and is t...
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The Devil's Backbone | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list, but the fact that it's directed by Guillermo Del Toro made me very intrigued about it. I have mixed feelings about this one. It starts in an interesting place. We don't know anything about the characters at all but we're instantly invested in Carlos's story. He's easy to follow and sympathise with. The pacing feels slow and quick at the same time. The story itself is moving quickly, but a lot of time is spent setting the scene and allowing us to get to know the characters, which is great. The actual horror elements start slowly, which allows them to ramp up over time. But it does end up feeling longer than it is. There are definitely parts in the middle that don't feel 100% needed to tell the story. The horror elements are also quite few and far between, at least for the first half of the movie. The most interesting thing about the film is the characters. The story itself is somewhat interes...
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The Devil Wears Prada 2 | Film Review

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  20 years after leaving her job at Runway, Andy (Anne Hathaway) is back. But after reuniting with old friends, old adversaries, and her old boss Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) she discovers exactly how much can change in two decades. The first movie is iconic, and absolutely one of my favourites, so I was really sceptical about this one from the very beginning. A sequel wasn't necessary, and there were so many ways that it could fall flat. And unfortunately, it did. I don't even know where to start. After getting back from the cinema I wrote down what I could remember, and a lot of it just ended up being things that I found really odd while watching.  So let's start with the reason for the sequel. When I love a sequel, especially if time has passed, it's because the filmmakers hit the sweet spot between giving me the characters I loved, but also making them develop enough that I feel like they've grown. That's what I needed from this film. And in some ways thi...
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Viy | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this film before, and the premise was quite vague, so I definitely felt like I was going in completely blind. This one wasn't for me. The best thing about short movies is that you don't have to wait long to get into the action. There's no time to make any initial judgments because you're quickly wrapped up in the story. The score gives the film more of a comedic undertone, and I don't know if that worked for me. I probably took it less seriously than I should have because of that. I found it really hard to stay interested in the story and characters. There was nothing that initially peaked my interest, so trying to find interest further down the line proved quite difficult. The story didn't really draw me in and I felt nothing for the characters. Despite the short runtime, the film feels longer than it is, mostly because the filmmakers make the most of their runtime. A lot happens, there's a lot of dialogue, it feels like it goes on ...
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Poltergeist (1982) | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is another re-watch that I was really looking forward to seeing again. I've seen this a few times, but not for about 7ish years, so as well as I know the story, it still felt like I could come to this again with a somewhat fresh perspective. I like this film a lot. Re-watching this, it's clear how much it has influenced modern horror. There are so many iconic moments, scenes and lines that you'd know of regardless of whether or not you've actually seen the film. I loved that the film gets right into it. Less than 5 minutes in, we're seeing Carol Anne at the TV, and the horrors never really slow down from here. While the visuals are outdated when viewed from the lens of a modern audience, they were really original and inventive. Even ideas that have been used before and since this film, like clown dolls, feel extremely unique in the film. Some of the acting isn't great, but a lot of the actors do a good job and are really committed to their performances - ...
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Wasteman | Film Review

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  As he gets closer to finally being released from prison, Taylor (David Jonsson) is given a new cellmate (Tom Blyth) that puts everything he's worked for in danger. I tend to quite like prison dramas, but a few of the ones I've seen have either hit me so deeply or been so average that it's not a genre I go back to with excitement. So I went into this one with a bit of trepidation. I liked this film, but I did think it would be a bit better than it was. One thing that stood out immediately was the found footage element. These clips were great and really added to the realism of the situation. From their first moments on screen together there was great chemistry between the leads. Jonsson and Blyth played off of each other really well and their relationship felt authentic. And they were both great in these roles. That being said, all of the actors felt authentic and added to the overall tone really well. The movie is shot in a unique way, there were so many interesting angles...
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The Thing | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is a re-watch that I was really looking forward to. I watched it for the first time last year and really enjoyed it, so I was glad it was on the list! As with my first watch, I really like this film. It's great that the mystery was held for as long as it could be. The audience are in the same position as the characters, trying to work out what's actually happening, and as this is teased out to us, it is also teased out for them. As someone who's not always the biggest fan of sci-fi/horror, this film is the perfect blend of both genres. The visuals are so great. Not only do the creatures look unique and original, but they also look genuinely scary. They're really well designed and, at times, hard to look at. Outside of the horror aspect, it's really interesting to watch the group dynamics. To see the way their relationships change and they start to lose trust in each other as the events continue. Most of the characters get the chance to develop and it's re...
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