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Movie review: PREY

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    Who would have thought that there was still some life left in the PREDATOR franchise?   The 1987 film by John McTiernan (One year before he shook the action world with his game-changer DIE HARD ) was a classic, sweaty, loud and ripping yarn starring Schwarzenegger at the height of his fame. Propelled by a rhythmic score by Alan Silvestri and an iconic alien design by Stan Winston (brought to life by gentle giant Kevin Peter Hall ) who saved the film from an anticlimactic beast designed by Boss Studio and portrayed by none other than a despondent Jean-Claude Van-Damme . The film became a staple of video stores, and an action classic in its own right.   Kevin Peter Hall dwarfing Arnold Schwarzenegger in his iconic Stan Winston make-up in the 1987 PREDATOR.   The success of the film brought the inevitable sequels. PREDATOR 2 (1990) moved the action from the jungle to the Urban Jungle of L.A., and while it may suffer from a lack of originality, it does feature some great performances
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Movie Review: THE BATMAN

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    I remember in 1989 thinking just how dark and gritty Tim Burton's vision of Batman was. And ever since, except for Joel Schumacher's failed attempts at recapturing the goofiness of Adam West's 1966 version of the Dark Knight in BATMAN FOREVER (1995) and BATMAN & ROBIN (1997), every new cinematic versions of the character have gotten darker and grittier. Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN is only a confirmation of that trend, where even Bruce Wayne doesn't provide with some respite for Batman's sullenness. Robert Pattinson's definitely emo version of Wayne, lock of hair falling over his gaunt, humorless face, dark mascara spread around his eyes, conveys the lingering pain still troubling the world's most famous cartoon orphan (after Annie , of course.) There is no room for levity in this Gotham that rivals in griminess the diseased city portrayed in Todd Philips' JOKER (2019) . In that way, THE BATMAN is probably the most « realistic » movie ab
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Quickie Review : DON 'T LOOK UP

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I can't say that I am a big fan of Adam McKay's films in general. There's something that doesn't quite reach to me somehow. A certain broadness, that usually doesn't deter me, but in his case, doesn't quite reach me. Even his Oscar-nominated THE BIG SHORT failed to keep me interested. But I recognize his talent, and it's ultimately a case of « It's not you ; it's me. »     But such wasn't the case after seeing his latest opus ; the star studded satire DON'T LOOK UP , which posits that the world's reaction to impending doom would be marred by wilful ignorance, pride and greed. Something that would have felt far-fetched 5 years ago, is now feeling like a documentary.    Of course, I'm exaggerating. Slightly. DON'T LOOK UP , even if it starts very earnestly with the discovery of a comet by student astronomer Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), and the quick realization by Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) that the comet is in a
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Spoiler-Free movie review: GODZILLA VS KONG

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  I've been a huge fan of Kong for the longest time. As a matter of fact, the 1933 KING KONG is probably my favorite film of all time. If anything, I consider it the best adventure film of all time. A friend of mine, and frequent collaborator to this blog, recently asked me why I held it in such high regards. First, it represents pure cinema; a flight of fancy that brings an impossibility in a « real » world. The use of special effects, not only to carry us into a parallel universe where a giant ape is a fact, but to make said creature a fully realized character, with life-like idiosyncrasies, mannerisms and intent, was groundbreaking. There had been giant monsters in films before then, but never had they been portrayed in such a tragic heartfelt way. Second, the tragic angle of the Kong character himself, as it falls for a woman (the unforgettable Fay Wray) who doesn't return that longing. A sad story of unrequited love that will bring down the protagonist literally in
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Film Review: ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE

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    Zack Snyder is one of those directors they like to call "visionary" because he has undoubtedly a style pretty much his own. A style that he established early on in his career with a slew of ambitious comic book adaptations.   His first feature tackled something sacred; a 2004 remake of the beloved George Romero zombie epic DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978).   While it didn't reach the artistic highs of the original, the film was in no way a bad effort, and even managed many moments of genuine tension and emotionally gripping scenes. A more than worthwhile effort for something that didn't yell out to be remade.   But it's with his next two features that he solidified his stylistic touch, some may call it mannerisms, of muted palette, outlandish action, a liberal use of the sped-up and slow-motion shots, and a genuine love for artificial looking, yet aesthetic visuals. The stunning adaptations of Frank Miller's 300 (2006) and of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbo
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Movie Review: SHADOW IN THE CLOUD (and a few words about Gremlins)

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  Every once in a while, I discover a movie pretty much the same way I used to do in my youth; It comes out of nowhere, just an impromptu trailer or an ad in the papers to let me know of its existence, instead of the months of promotion and buzz that surrounds most modern blockbusters, ubiquitous to the point you have to protect yourself from the dreaded and unavoidable "Spoilers".   SHADOW IN THE CLOUD is such a surprise for me, and a most pleasant one at that, for that matter. But I'll get to that in a moment.(And for you to fully appreciate the film, I invite you to AVOID the trailer, which reveals a couple of those surprises.)  The first action feature film for director Roseanne Liang is told pretty much all from the point of view of flight officer Maude Garrett who boards a B-17 Bomber in New Zealand during WWII, towing with her a precious cargo, part of a secret mission from her higher ups. The all-male crew of the plane welcomes her with all the expected sexis
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