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She Dances | Film Review

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  A distant father and daughter (Steve Zahn and Audrey Clair Zahn) are forced to reconnect when he chaperones a dance competition. I watched the trailer for this film and immediately wanted to watch it. It seemed like it would be really sweet but also potentially quite powerful, so I was looking forward to it. And that's kind of what it was; a sweet, powerful story that I enjoyed watching. The filmmakers came up with a really interesting, original way of showing the parallels in the characters' lives, and it allows the audience to build connections with the father and daughter simultaneously. And the whole way through, the film makes such good use out of a split screen and really uses this method to give us much more of an insight into the characters than we would have had otherwise. All the characters have such fun dynamics. It's really nice seeing them interact. The casting is great. The fact that the characters are actually father and daughter adds a beautiful layer to t...
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The Hunger | 100 Movies Bucket List

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  I'd never heard of this movie, let alone knew that David Bowie starred in a horror movie, so I was intrigued about this one. Though also a bit sceptical, as I don't always love vampire-themed horror movies. I liked this film a lot. The beginning is intriguing. We're kind of thrown in at the deep end without knowing much about the characters, and figure things out as we go. It's not surprising that music was such a large focus, but it ties in with the story so easily. Whether it's actual singing, playing or the score, it all becomes a major feature of telling this story. I love that the film plays with the ideas we've always had about vampires - particularly the difference between eternal life and eternal youth, which in many vampire movies are treated like one and the same. Not only does it explore this, but it actually bases the story on it. The visuals, including the make-up, are done so well. The ageing looks incredibly realistic, the gory scenes are done w...
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Power Ballad | Film Review

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  When wedding singer Rick (Paul Rudd) meets boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) the two bond over their fading careers. But when Rick discovers that Danny has stolen one of his songs, and it becomes a huge hit, he resolves to take back what's rightfully his at all costs. I didn't know much about this film before it got released, and mostly just watched it on a whim because the premise had a lot of potential. So I really didn't expect to love the film as much as I did! For a start, the casting is absolutely perfect. Rudd and Jonas fit these characters so well and play the parts perfectly. The whole cast has great chemistry and their relationships are believable. But in addition to them working well together, they're all giving powerhouse performances. Rudd in particular is absolutely fantastic, and he and Jonas play off of each other so well. If anything, something that I'd change is that I'd give them more time together. Due to the nature of the film and where it...
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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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