Tag: Thriller

Anniversary Movie Review: The Big Sleep (1946)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

All throughout this year I will be reviewing movies celebrating an anniversary year.  Happy 80th birthday to The Big Sleep!

Title: The Big Sleep
Release Date: August 31, 1946
Director: Howard Hawks
Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Main Cast:

  • Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe
  • Lauren Bacall as Vivian Sternwood Rutledge
  • John Ridgely as Eddie Mars
  • Martha Vickers as Carmen Sternwood
  • Sonia Darrin as Agnes Lowzier
  • Dorothy Malone as Acme Bookstore proprietress
  • Regis Toomey as Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls
  • Peggy Knudsen as Mona Mars
  • Charles Waldron as General Sternwood
  • Charles D. Brown as Norris
  • Bob Steele as Lash Canino
  • Elisha Cook Jr. as Harry Jones
  • Louis Jean Heydt as Joe Brody

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love

My Thoughts:

Raymond Chandler’s private detective Philip Marlowe makes his most iconic film appearance as portrayed by Humphrey Bogart.  Hired by a tycoon to investigate his flighty younger daughters debts, Marlowe uncovers a network of interconnected mob rings, blackmail, and murder.  Seemingly drawn to pick at the scab of Los Angeles, Marlowe keeps investigating even after his client no longer needs him.  Lauren Bacall plays Vivian, the older daughter who is tied up in all the mystery, and soon becomes a love interest.

The first time I saw this movie was right after reading the book and all I could notice was how it had been sanitized.  But now that it’s been so long I can’t remember the book I can appreciate the movie for what it is.  Plotwise, it doesn’t make much sense when you think about it, but each scene is written and played well enough that the overarching story is negligible.  Also, Dorothy Malone and Martha Vickers bring a lot of code-evading naughtiness to their parts.  One other thing I never noticed before is how young Bacall was when she made this movie.  I’ve never been a good judge of age, but now that I’m in my 50s I’m suddenly noticing that people in their 20s look like kids.

Rating: ****

TV Review: Stranger Things (2025)

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Title: Stranger Things
Release Dates: 2025
Season: 5
Number of Episodes: 8

MILD SPOILERS IN THE SUMMARY/REVIEW BELOW THE TRAILER

Summary/Review:

Ten years ago, Stranger Things debuted and it was one of the great seasons of television in the streaming age. It was a pastiche on 1980s horror and thriller movies but also an original story of multiple generations in small-town America coming together to face a supernatural threat.  The young cast of the show quickly became stars while veteran actors had a career revival.  Subsequent seasons of the show were hit and miss, but interesting enough to keep me interested in the ongoing plot while being charmed by the talent of the actors bringing their characters to life.

And so the final season, much like Return of the Jedi, doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it allows us to see how these characters changed and grow so their able to finally overcome evil and have a happy ending.  And this season, for the most part achieves this.  It begins close to two years after the end of Season 4 when an “earthquake” ruptured Hawkins, Indiana.  The town has been placed under quarantine (relatable) and military occupation (very relatable).  Our core group of characters have made Hawkins’ radio station there home base, where Robin has taken over as DJ.

As the season begins, they’ve been conducting crawls – stowing away on military excursions into the upside down – in order to find and kill Vecna (a.k.a Hendy Creel).  Meanwhile, the military is now lead by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton, who in the time this was set was starring in the TV fantasy series Beauty and the Beast) is intent on capturing El to use her to create more children who can be weapons.  And Vecna has a plan to to abduct 12 children whose energy he will use to destroy the world, starting with Mike and Nancy’s little sister Holly Wheeler.

The early episodes are a bit wobbly.  There’s a lot of dialogue that’s just exposition.  Also, because Holly is essentially a new character (played wonderfully by Nell Fisher) a lot of time is spent establishing at the expense of the main characters.  In fact the whole season has to deal with juggling with so many characters.  Some of the more interesting side characters don’t get much to do (Erica, Mr. Clarke, Kali).  On the other, the show’s most annoying character, Murray, while not as prominent as in the previous two seasons still gets more screen time than he deserves.

I did not like that our core group have effectively become a heavily-armed militia which seems like a lot for ordinary people.  I also thought the mystery of the Upside Down was more interesting when it was ineffable, before the revelation of Vecna as a monster who threatens our heroes with pithy sayings.  Of course, these are 80s references respectively to Rambo and Freddy Krueger, and it could have been a lot worse.

The show improves as the season goes along and there are several great moments.  These include Holly joining with Max in “Henry’s mind” and becoming a leader on her own as well as Will’s discovery of the powers he got from Vecna (which is nicely tied in with his coming out story).  The final episode allows each of the characters to contribute to their ultimate victory in a satisfying way. The epilogue of the story jumps forward 18 months where we see how things turn out for each of the major characters.  This could be self-indulgent, but after spending five seasons with these characters it feels deserved.  The show ends perfectly by coming full circle with a final game of Dungeons & Dragons.

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365 Movies in 365 Days: Madame Tutli-Putli (2007)

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This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Madame Tutli-Putli
Release Date:
Director: Maciek Szczerbowski, Chris Lavis
Production Company:
Main Cast:

  • Laurie Maher – Madame Tutli-Putli

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Madame Tutli-Putli boards the Night Train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past. She travels alone, facing both the kindness and menace of strangers. As day descends into dark, she finds herself caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure.

My Thoughts:

Film in an unsettling stop-motion animation using puppetry, Madame Tutli-Putli joins a young woman on a railway journey.  The train is unusually crowded and cluttered, with a variety of eccentric passengers.  And then train stops and the real horror begins.  The mix of the grotesque, the humorous, and the surreal makes this an engaging short.

Rating: ****

Halloween Horror Movie Review: Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)

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Title: Tigers Are Not Afraid
Release Date: November 2, 2017
Director: Issa López
Production Company:Peligrosa | Filmadora | Nacional Videocine
Main Cast:

  • Paola Lara as Estrella
  • Juan Ramón López as El Shine
  • Ianis Guerrero as Caco
  • Rodrigo Cortés as Pop
  • Hanssel Casillas as Tucsi
  • Nery Arredondo as Maxwell “Morrito” Vázquez
  • Tenoch Huerta as El Chino
  • Cuauhlti Jiménez as Jerry
  • Mauricio Osorio as Tio
  • Mónica del Carmen as Estrella’s teacher
  • Benny Emmanuel as Brayan
  • Viviana Amaya as Estrella’s mother

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.

My Thoughts:

This bleak film is set in Mexico where the drug wars and human trafficking have left orphaned children behind on the city streets.  Estrella, a girl around 12-years-old, comes home from school to find her mother missing.  Growing hungry she finds a group of boys, some of whom are very young, lead by Shine.  They are reluctant to admit a girl to their group but Estrella persists and proves her value.  Soon the children find that not only are they struggling to survive without protective adults, but that the local crime boss is after them.  Horrible violence and tragedy ensue.  The sensitive portrayal of children in extraordinary situations blended with horror and fantasy elements reminds me of Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro is a fan).  But the real horror is that children throughout the world live like this every day.

Rating: ****

365 Movies in 365 Days: Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983)

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This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Release Date: November 14, 1983
Director: John Landis
Production Company: Optimum Productions
Main Cast:

  • Michael Jackson
  • Ola Ray
  • Vincent Price

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

A night at the movies turns terrifying when Michael and his date are attacked by zombies. Released at the height of Thriller’s success, the short film redefined the music video, broke racial barriers, and became the first inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry.

My Thoughts:

Two personal memories:

  1. My neighbor had Michael Jackson’s Thriller album and we “discovered” the title track which became a favorite.  We even dubbed Vincent Price’s rap onto a tape as part of a horror sketch we made.  “Thriller” was released as the 7th and final single a whole year after the album came out and it was weird when “our song” was suddenly being played everywhere.
  2. The same friend had cable TV before my family did, and I was desperate to see the full-length Thriller movie.  Somehow I kept just missing it on MTV when I visited nextdoor for what felt like weeks (although it was probably just a few days – I was 10). It was a “thrill” when I finally got to see it.

As to the movie itself, it’s kind of cheezy but is a legitimate classic due to 1) the choreography, and 2) the visual effects that are similar to John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London.  Honestly, in 1983, I don’t think we were ready for production values this good for a music video!

Rating: ****

Halloween Horror Movie Review: The Old Dark House (1932)

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Title:The Old Dark House
Release Date: October 20, 1932
Director: James Whale
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Main Cast:

  • Boris Karloff as Morgan
  • Melvyn Douglas as Penderel
  • Raymond Massey as Philip Waverton
  • Gloria Stuart as Margaret Waverton
  • Charles Laughton as Sir William Porterhouse
  • Lilian Bond as Gladys DuCane/Perkins
  • Ernest Thesiger as Horace Femm
  • Eva Moore as Rebecca Femm
  • Brember Wills as Saul Femm
  • Elspeth Dudgeon as Sir Roderick Femm (credited as “John Dudgeon”)

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

In a remote region of Wales, five travelers beset by a relentless storm find shelter in an old mansion.

My Thoughts:

Two sets of travelers get lost in the Welsh countryside and end up taking shelter at the estate house of the mysterious and inhospitable Femm family.  The movie adapts J.B. Priestley’s novel Benighted – a story about Britain’s post-World War I disillusionment – but I suspect it’s a very abridged version of the novel.  Instead this movie thrives on eerie vibes, shadows and lights,  Whale’s excellent directorial choices, and some pre-code raciness and violence.  It also owes a bit to Jane Eyre while providing the inspiration for the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Rating: ***

365 Movies in 365 Days: Fuelled (2021)

~ Liam ~ Leave a comment

This year I’m trying to watch one movie every day of the year, with the provision that the movie be no longer than 36.5 minutes long. I’ll be selecting movies randomly from this list that’s already way too long, but I still welcome suggestions for short films.

Title: Fuelled
Release Date: October 19, 2021
Director: Michelle Hao, Fawn Chan
Production Company: Killedthecat Productions | Sheridan College
Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Fuelled tells the story of a housewife on the path of revenge for her late husband.

My Thoughts:

Ah, it’s an animated movie with cute animals.  Aigh, no!

A cat’s husband is murdered during a robbery and she plots revenge with tragic consequences.  A surprisingly eloquent story of madness and grief told in just 9 minutes.

Rating: ****

Book Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

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Author: Waubgeshig Rice
Title: Moon of the Crusted Snow
Narrator: Billy Merasty
Publication Info: ECW Press, Bespeak Audio Editions, 2018
Summary/Review:

As winter approaches, Anishinaabe reserve in northern Ontario lose power and cellular networks.  Initially, no one is too concerned since outages are frequent, but as the days pass the community becomes restless.  Then two younger members of the community return from college with news that loss of power and communications has also affected the Canadian cities to the south, and society is growing unstable.  The community has fuel to power generators and food reserves but will they last until the spring? Tensions rise when a white man arrives requesting to shelter with the community.  Should they trust the stranger with the resources for their own community already dwindling?

This is an excellent thriller about a community under distress.  Most post-apocalyptic stories are set in cities or suburbs so it was interesting to see the story told from people who live in the most remote parts of the world.  Thematically, this apocalypse also comments on how indigenous people in the American have survived very real apocalypses and genocide.  The main point of view character, Evan Whitesky, an ordinary man who emerges as an unlikely reader is a terrifically well-realized protagonist.

Favorite Passages:
Recommended books:

Rating: ****

Book Review: White Horse by Erika T Wurth

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Author: Erika T Wurth
Title:White Horse
Narrator: Tonantzin Carmelo
Publication Info: Macmillan Audio, 2022
Summary/Review:

Kari James is an indigenous woman in Denver – an Urban Native – whose mother disappeared shortly after birth and now cares for father suffered brain damage in a crash.  When her cousin and best friend Debby gives her a bracelet that once belonged to her mother, Kari begins to be haunted by her mother’s ghost and pursued by a legendary creature known as the Lofa.  This puts Kari on the course of finding lost relatives and uncovering generational traumas.  Kari also deals with the death of a good friend due to substance abuse, Debby’s controlling husband, and planning a future around buying the White Horse, the last Indian bar in a gentrifying Denver.  The prose in this novel is not always great and some plot twists seem to come out of nowhere.  Nevertheless the characterization is strong, and the novel makes good use of horror and folklore elements to tell a story that illustrates the complexities of modern indigenous life.

Recommended books:

Rating:  ***1/2

2000s Movie Retrospective: The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

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We’re a quarter of the way into the century so over the course of the year I’m going to watch 2 to 4 movies from each year 2000 to 2024.

Title: The Secret in Their Eyes
Release Date: August 13, 2009
Director: Juan José Campanella
Production Company: Haddock Films | 100 Bares | Tornasol Films
Main Cast:

  • Ricardo Darín as Benjamín Espósito
  • Soledad Villamil as Irene Menéndez Hastings
  • Pablo Rago as Ricardo Morales
  • Guillermo Francella as Pablo Sandoval
  • Javier Godino as Isidoro Gómez
  • Mariano Argento as Romano
  • Mario Alarcón as Judge Fortuna
  • José Luis Gioia  as Inspector Báez
  • Carla Quevedo as Liliana Coloto

Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

Hoping to put to rest years of unease concerning a past case, retired criminal investigator Benjamín begins writing a novel based on the unsolved mystery of a newlywed’s rape and murder. With the help of a former colleague, judge Irene, he attempts to make sense of the past.

My Thoughts:

The Argentine film has some superficial similarities to an episode of Law & Order, but with artistry and multiple layers that have it work as a police procedural and a thriller with undertones of romance.  The movie starts in 1999 with retired agent Benjamín Espósito visits his former chief Irene Menéndez-Hastings to talk about writing an unresolved case.

Back in 1974, Benjamín and his partner Pablo Sandoval investigated the rape and murder of a young schoolteacher, with Benjamin telling her widowed husband that the perpetrator would get a life sentence.  The investigation is hampered by the rise of the military junta who interfere with the case for their own purposes.  Amid all of this is the unspoken love between Benjamin and Irene.

Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil deliver strong performances as multi-faceted characters at different points of their lives. Guillermo Francella’s Pablo also stands out as a character who’s initially seems to be a comic sidekick but has a greater gravitas especially in his heartbreaking moment of sacrifice.  The production of the movie is hailed for a continuous shot in a football stadium that’s as amazing as everyone says it is.  There are some dramatic plot twists in the story, but nothing that feels unearned.

This is definitely the type of movie to watch if you’re an old-time cinema buff.

Rating: ****