Search found 281 matches

by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:56 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Dachra
Replies: 2
Views: 5897

Dachra

Can anybody who saw this say what it was like? I think it was the first film to sell out in when Discovery tickets became available and all weekend I never met anybody who mentioned seeing it.
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:52 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Top 5
Replies: 9
Views: 11148

Re: Top 5

1. Rabid
2. Ready or Not
3. Harpoon
4. The Drone
5. Crawl
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:49 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: A Good Woman is Hard to Find
Replies: 6
Views: 9741

Re: A Good Woman is Hard to Find

Sarah Bolger's performance carries the film to a large extent in one of many great performances that were something of a theme this festival (her acting wasn't Oscar-worthy, though, that's just Frightfest hype). Solid for the first half, although there are occasional plot conveniences to keep the st...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:48 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Rabid
Replies: 7
Views: 10039

Re: Rabid

After making a couple of generic WWE wrestler vehicles, the Soska sisters finally made something that feels like their work again. This was my favourite film of the festival, even though it's weird and messy, simply because it feels like the most personal film despite being a remake. I like the way ...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:46 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Tales from the Lodge
Replies: 4
Views: 7696

Re: Tales from the Lodge

The tone and the actors involved make it seem like something that would play on BBC3. After some bad experiences with Frightfest portmanteaus I was expecting something awful, but it's actually not too bad. Its main problems stem from a low density of jokes and a lack of strong endings for the story ...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:42 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: The Black String
Replies: 3
Views: 6613

Re: The Black String

I thought Muniz's performance was far too twitchy and agressive and that there was far too little ambiguity in the script: lots of things don't make sense unless you accept that Muniz's character is crazy and imagining things, so that when the film attempts to turn round and say "it was all rea...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:34 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Nekrotronic
Replies: 5
Views: 7931

Re: Nekrotronic

The film does a good job of putting a lot of effects on screen, but the key flaw here is that the film-makers have developed an immensely complicated backstory about races of Nekromancers [sic], Demons, Wraiths and Ghosts, all of whom have their own powers and rules, and the associated technology. T...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:31 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Ready Or Not
Replies: 6
Views: 8667

Re: Ready Or Not

Possibly the best film of the festival, even though You're Next was similar in tone and content but was grittier and more impactful. This film plays up the comedy angle and has a lot of last-second escapes, which are all entertaining but take away from the tension. It's all solid and looks polished,...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:28 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Daniel Isn't Real
Replies: 3
Views: 6403

Re: Daniel Isn't Real

I was enjoying this at the start, but half-way through, the film decides to explain everything and remove all ambiguity. A man turned up to provide a load of exposition and I lost interest. The film does have some striking visuals and music but was ultimately too literal and too safe.
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:27 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: The Drone
Replies: 3
Views: 6765

The Drone

I can't believe we don't have a topic for this masterpiece! The Drone has a deliberately ironic aesthetic that is in on the joke of the absurd plot and hence was a hoot to watch with the Frightfest crowd. Alex Essoe gives an admirably deadpan performance as the woman stalked by the killer drone, my ...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:23 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Feedback
Replies: 4
Views: 7317

Re: Feedback

To its credit the plot is very topical, taking in Brexit and historical sex abuse, and has some tense moments, but is compromised by an awkward and confused moral message that hadn't been thought through and made the victims come across as maniacs. It's like the script wanted you to be unsure who de...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:17 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Mary
Replies: 6
Views: 8741

Re: Mary

The worst film I saw at Frightfest. You know it's going to be bad when Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer star, yet it has its world premiere in a 10am Frightfest slot. Essentially it's a generic haunted house film set on a boat, with all the attendant cliches. The awkward flashback structure which stit...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:16 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Porno
Replies: 3
Views: 5996

Re: Porno

Promises a lot but delivers little. The most notable gore moment happens off-screen but then we get to see the aftermath and it's gloriously disgusting. The rest of the movie is mostly padding as the teens wander around the theatre and get spooked. I wouldn't recommend it.
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:11 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Harpoon
Replies: 2
Views: 5418

Re: Harpoon

The bottle movie where friends are put under pressure and secrets are revealed is a familiar concept that succeeds here due to a witty script and some good performances from the cast. The violence was also some of the most visceral and painful to watch of the festival, although I seriously question ...
by ChrisReynolds
Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:07 pm
Forum: FF 2019
Topic: Kindred Spirits
Replies: 5
Views: 7972

Re: Kindred Spirits

The dated plot borrows heavily from 1990s psychological thrillers, and in fact there a multiple plot points lifted straight out of Single White Female . This feels like it should have been a Lifetime movie of the week (although I think Lifetime would insist it be less boring), except that it's got a...