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1408 | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is one of the happiest surprises on the bucket list for me. I absolutely love this film, but I'd never heard anybody else really talk about it so I didn't know it was popular or could be considered a classic. Of course it's a Stephen King novella, so it is known and loved, but it's not one of his most popular works. We're in the final 20-or-so films now, and this is one that I was saving because I was so excited to see it again. The bucket list has some great, interesting horrors, and this is definitely near the top of the list for me! For a start, as a horror fan, having the job of going to different haunted locations to write about them and give them ratings seems so interesting! I'm surprised more horror movies haven't used this idea to explore different hauntings. I love how the horror is set up. We're repeatedly told the history of this room and how scary it is, which can elicit a couple of responses from the audience. We're either waitin...

Avatar | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This is another re-watch that I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing again. I saw it around the time it first came out and didn't really like it. I haven't seen it since and haven't really been itching to. The main thing people talk about when speaking of this film is the visuals, and that's the one thing that can't be disputed, this is a stunning movie. The world of Pandora was created in such a detailed, specific way. Not only does the world look good, but it feels real. We're seeing mysterious creatures and plants and you don't for a second disbelieve that the characters are going through exactly what we're seeing them go through, which is mostly down to how much work went into creating Pandora. And with the design of the world, comes the design of the characters and their language. Again, everything feels authentic, and that includes the Na'vi. They're designed in a way that feels completely unique, while also being familiar en...

The Pickup | Film Review

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  Mismatched colleagues Russell (Eddie Murphy) and Travis (Pete Davidson) are forced to work together when their truck is ambushed by criminals. The only thing that drew me to this film was the cast. The plot seemed really generic, but the fact that one of the main roles was played by Eddie Murphy meant that there was a good chance it would at least be funny, even if it wasn't good. This movie was fine. There were some funny moments here and there, but I wouldn't say it was either good or bad, it just exists. The characters are really fun. We get to know them and we enjoy being around them. The actors have good chemistry, which again makes it fun to be in their presence. Eddie Murphy is the best thing about this film and his comedic moments are as good as always. Some of the other performances in the film don't quite ring true, and are a bit over the top. It's all in good fun, as this isn't a film you're taking seriously anyway, but it just makes things feel fak...

Inception | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  This was a re-watch, and I'll be honest, it wasn't one I was particularly looking forward to. I watched this film for the first time a couple of years ago, and while I didn't dislike it, I'm okay with admitting that I didn't understand it at all, and it wasn't one I was particularly interested in trying to decipher once the credits rolled. So when I saw it on the list, I was intrigued to see it again, but I didn't think I'd understand it any more than I did the first time. And I was right, I didn't understand it any better this time around. Though as with the first time, I did enjoy it. The cast is phenomenal. Of course, that's a given for a Nolan movie, but even so. Everyone was fully committed to the idea, they played their characters really well and made it so that even if you don't understand what's happening, you don't care because you're invested in the characters. There are some really interesting ideas here, mostly surro...

Goodrich | Film Review

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  Andy's (Michael Keaton) life is upended when his wife goes to rehab, leaving him to care for their 9-year-old twins alone. While struggling to become the parent they need, Andy finds himself leaning on his older daughter Grace (Mila Kunis) for support. I hadn't heard of this movie when it came out on Prime Video, so I was surprised by the cast! But it seemed like it would be a sweet story, so I was interested in seeing it. I liked this film. You get to know the characters right away, and they're all really easy to love. You're instantly rooting for them and you continue to root for them until the film ends. The premise is really interesting. It's not the most original movie you'll ever see, but it's really interesting to see the different dynamics between the characters - in particular, Keaton and Kunis had great chemistry and played father-and-daughter really authentically. You truly believe in their relationship. However, the film spent way too much time...

The Maze Runner | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd heard of this film, but didn't really know what it was about and had no real desire to watch it. I was surprised to see it on the bucket list though - I didn't know how well liked it was! I knew some of the actors that were in the film, but it's really interesting to see them together, and then to think about their careers outside of this. A lot of the guys in the film have gone on to do really interesting things, and this film definitely helped them to be more visible to the general public, which is great. And all of them did a really good job with their characters. Although the world is important, the characters are why we're watching. Having not read the book, being thrown in the deep end like the main character felt a bit jarring. You have to get to know the characters and the world as he does. But ultimately this worked against me because it took me a really long time to care about the characters or their predicament. I believed their danger, I believed i...

Strange Darling | Film Review

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  A one-night stand turns into a serial killer's murder spree. I've seen this poster so many times since the film came out, but I never really had any desire to see it and didn't really know what it was about. So when I decided to watch it, it was completely on a whim. I really liked this film - it was so much better than I expected! The story is told in a really interesting way. The non-linear narrative reminded me of the film 'Weapons' in showing how successful it can be to tell stories in a different order. Both of the films make it work really well, and it definitely helps to sustain the audience's excitement. The actors have a really unique chemistry; it's not exactly romantic or scary or dramatic, but for some reason it works really well. They play off each other well, it's really fun to watch them together, and the audience immediately believes in the authenticity of their relationship (or lack thereof). Speaking of fun, the whole film is a fun wa...