Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)
Ali Abassi's The Apprentice (2024)
3/30/2024
Hate/La Haine (1995) - Fired up radical drama involuntarily bares Europe's immigration, crime problems
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3/29/2024
Hannibal - season 3 (2015) - Fuller's show descends into murky nonsense
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| Title star Mads Mikkelsen lures from an ominous dark alley on this suggestive poster for Bryan Fuller's Hannibal - season 3 |
Hannibal - season 3 is created by Bryan Fuller (Heroes (2006-09)), based on Thomas Harris' (Carri Mora (2019)) novels Red Dragon (1981), Hannibal (1999)) and Hannibal Rising (2006).
The following contains SPOILERS.
The season opens very confusingly in Paris, and then in Florence, as psychologist/cannibal Hannibal Lecter has mysteriously moved his own psychologist Bedelia in to live with him there. The status and whereabouts of Will Graham, the FBI agent on his tail, is uncertain.
Lecter continues to play husband and wife with Bedelia in Italy, with the precise reason for her accommodating him eluding illumination. FBI Behavioral Unit leader Jack Crawford turns up, as Hannibal has claimed another victim and beats him up. He attacks back and is put in jail.
Now Francis 'the Tooth Fairy' Dollarhyde murders an entire family back in the US and befriends a blind woman, and Jack and Will turn to Hannibal for advise on catching him. Instead of helping, Hannibal turns Dollarhyde onto Will's family.
More carnage ensues, and Will releases Hannibal in order to catch Dollarhyde, but this also results in a blood bath and death.
The previously compelling show comes apart in what is likely its most literarily focused season. The central Dollarhyde/Red Dragon story line reminds us that both Michael Mann's Manhunter (1986) and Brett Ratner's Red Dragon (2002) told this menacing story better.
Obfuscation defines large parts of season 3, which also outwears its welcome with more or less pretentious, spacey, high-brow artsy sequences that come across as lethargic nonsense (and snooze-worthy.) Gloomy dark visuals and extended use of near whispered dialog doom the show, despite gory details and an intense, dream-like score (by Brian Reitzell (Relic (2020))). A sub-plot about real-life, never-caught Italian serial killer 'Il Mostro' surely flies over most audiences' heads in episode 2. Thematically, the series turns around the delicious vs the revolting and delves into the mind's disintegration into madness.
The last season of Hannibal is macabre but long, unengaging and sleep-inducing. Its strange allure may lend it a hypnotizing quality, but not in a good way.
Related posts:
Hannibal Lecter franchise: Hannibal - season 2 (2014) - More twisted twists in Fuller's busy baccanale
Hannibal - season 1 (2013) - Fuller successfully introduces network TV to twisted serial killers
Hannibal Rising (2007) - Harris returns famed cannibal in sub-par origins flick
Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel
Manhunter (1986) - Perhaps the best criminal profiling picture ever
Watch a trailer for the season here
Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Uncertain
[Hannibal season 3 was first shows from 4 June - 29 August on NBC and runs 13 episodes of on average 44 minutes, coming to approximately 572 minutes. Shooting took place from around October 2014 in Toronto, Ontario and in Italy. The season's highest rating came on episode 1 (2.57 mil.), but the ratings then slipped, and the lowest rating came on episode 12 (0.79 mil. ). The loss of viewers led to NBC canceling the show. IMDb's users have rated the film in at #236 on the site's TV Top 250 list, sitting between Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal (1999, miniseries) and The Rehearsal (2022-). The season was nominated for an Emmy. Fuller returned with American Gods (2017-21). In 2015 Mikkelsen also starred in Men & Chicken/Mænd og Høns (2015) and in Rihanna: Bitch Better Have My Money (2015, music video), returning theatrically in Doctor Strange (2016). Hannibal season 3 is certified fresh at 98 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Hannibal season 3?
Top 10: Best HBO titles
1. Six Feet Under - season 3 (2003) - Alan Ball
2. Treme - season 1 (2010) - Eric Ellis Overmyer, David Simon
3. Band of Brothers (2001, miniseries) - Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg
4. Boardwalk Empire - season 2 (2011) - Terence Winter
5. Six Feet Under - season 5 (2005) - Alan Ball
6. Elephant (2003) - Gus Van Sant
7. Looking - season 2 (2015) - Michael Lannan
8. Girls - season 1 (2012) - Lena Dunham
9. Deadwood - season 2 (2005) - David Milch
10. Olive Kitteridge (2014, miniseries) - Lisa Chodolenko
Selected from 39 titles labeled 'HBO', 'HBO Documentary Films', 'HBO Entertainment', 'HBO Films', or 'HBO Pictures'
Previous Top 10 lists:
Best action movies
Best adapted movies
Best adventure movies
Best 'big flop' movies
Best B/W movies
Best true story movies
Best 'big hit' movies
Best biopic movies
Best 'box office success' movies
Best car chases in movies
Best comedies
Best cop movies
Best crime movies
Best debut movies
Best Danish movies
Best Disney movies
Best documentaries
Best dramas
Best drama-thrillers
Best dramedies
Best first-of-franchise movies
Best Twentieth Century Fox titles
What do you think of the list?
Which HBO titles would make your personal Top 10?
3/24/2024
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) - Jackson's Tolkien engagement ends on a note of cinematic ruin
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| A plethora of fantastical characters and dramatic vistas meets the eye on this poster for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies |
The dragon Smaug is exterminated, and its enormous gold treasure leads to strife and a resulting gigantic battle.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is written by Philippa Boyens (The Lovely Bones (2009)), Guillermo del Toro (Crimson Peak (2015)), co-writer/co-producer Fran Walsh (King Kong (2005)) and New Zealander master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Peter Jackson (Bad Taste (1987)), adapting The Hobbit (1937) by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Silmarillion (1977)). It is Jackson's 13th feature and the 3rd and last in his Hobbit trilogy.
The last Hobbit most of the time looks, just like its two high frame rate predecessors, like a long, dubious video sequence from a computer game rather than the immersive, 'real' adventure feel of Jackson's great The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001; 2002; 2003).
Countless hairy, ugly, British-speaking dwarfs and other characters fail to ignite one's interest here, and the surreal ultra HD CG universe mostly impels one to shut the thing off or walk away. Lots of LoTR stars return in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which only heightens its offense. It is a disaster.
Related posts:
Peter Jackson: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - Jackson returns with overrated, artificial-looking turkey
The Lovely Bones (2009) - Despite qualities, Jackson's metaphysical crime drama is a wasteful jumble
The Frighteners (1996) - FX-driven ghost comedy madness
1992 in films - according to Film Excess
Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Braindead/Dead Alive (1992) - Jackson's best film ever is a gore classic!
Bad Taste (1987) or, Peter Jackson's Hungry Aliens in New Zealand
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 250 mil. $
Box office: 962.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 3.84 times its cost)
[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies premiered 1 December (London) and runs 144 minutes. Shooting took place from March 2011 - July 2012 and from May - July 2013 in New Zealand and the UK. The production reportedly gained a 41 mil. $ incentive in New Zealand. The film opened #1 to a 54.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained #1 for another 2 weekends and then spent another weekend in the top 5 (#4), grossing 255.1 mil. $ (26.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 121.7 mil. $ (12.6 %) and the Germany with 72.4 mil. $ (7.5 %). The film was nominated for the Best Sound Editing Oscar, lost to American Sniper. It was also nominated for a BAFTA, among other honors. The film additionally made in excess of 77.9 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Jackson returned with a small handful of documentary projects and is set to return theatrically with an unnamed Tintin sequel. Martin Freeman (Ode to Joy (2019)) returned in 7 TV and short credits prior to his theatrical return in Whisky Tango Foxtrot (2016). The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is rotten at 59 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies?
Heli (2013) - Alarming drug drama from sieged Mexico
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| A girl in school dress walks in a barren, rough landscape on this ominous poster for Amat Escalante's Heli |
Heli is newly married in the poor area of Durango, Mexico, where his smaller sister has a boyfriend several years her senior, and where a drug situation involving this boyfriend will soon alter everything for the family.
Heli is written by Gabriel Reyes (Bella y Loca (2018)) and co-writer/director Amat Escalante (Blood/Sangre (2005)), with contributions by Zümrüt Cavusoglu (The Bastards/Los Bastardos (2008), art director) and Ayhan Ergürsel (Grain/Bugday (2017), editor).
It is a gruesome and grim film about the extreme hopelessness and depraved, macho-centered violence that holds much of Mexico in a vice. The powerless and desperate characters do not strike a deep sense of identification for most audiences, because they are dehumanized, but this is a point in itself. Their situation is striking and unadorned in this remarkable film.
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: Estimated 1 mil. $
Box office: 367k $
= Mega-flop (returned 0.36 times its cost)
[Heli premiered 16 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 105 minutes. 17 companies and support bodies were involved in the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place in Mexico in 2012. The film has only played a few film festivals in North America and was mainly a festival title. Its 5 recorded markets at Box Office Mojo record a 367k $ gross with the majority (309k $ (84.2 % of the total gross))) coming from Mexico. The film won Escalante the Best Director prize at Cannes, among other honors.It was Mexico's nomination for the Best Foreign Film Oscar of the year but did not get nominated. Escalante returned with Esclava (2014, short) and theatrically with Vidas Violentas (2015). Armando Espitia (Latido (2023)) returned in Open Cage/Los Bañistas (2014); Andrea Vergara, who plays his sister, has not returned to acting. Heli is rotten at 59 % with a 6.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Heli?
3/23/2024
The Hustle (2019) or, Dirty Rotten Karens
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| Two endeared stars look assertive in front of a gold-sprayed sports car on this hijinks-promising poster for Chris Addison's The Hustle |
An Australian woman backpacker who is also a con artist meets her superior in a posh British con artist woman in Southern France. - Or is it the other way around?
The Hustle is written by Jac Schaeffer (Timer (2009)) and directed by debuting Chris Addison (Veep (2013-16)) . It is a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), which was a remake of Bedtime Story (1964).
'The world is full of greedy idiots who deserve nothing but to be robbed blind' is pretty much the essence of the universe that's drawn up here. The Hustle is not an inferior film to the overrated predecessor starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. The comedic speedometer is set at somewhere between 'totally ridiculous' and 'very coarse', and it isn't without a certain charm, especially because Rebel Wilson (How to Be Single (2016)) has comedic talent and acts as a blind person through much of The Hustle, which also has some good insults.
But the bright spots are regrettably labored with a wealth of unfunny costume scenes and low-brow idiocy.
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 21 mil. $
Box office: 97.4 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.63 times its cost)
[The Hustle was released 8 May (Philippines) and runs 94 minutes. Shooting took place from September 2017 - ? in London, UK and in Majorca, Spain. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Avengers: Endgame and fellow new release Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, to a 13 mil. $ first weekend, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 35.4 mil. $ (36.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6.1 mil. $ (6.3 %) and Russia with 6 mil. $ (6.2 %). Addison has not returned with a feature since; instead he has directed for the show Breeders (2020-23) and is announced to return with feature Hallelujah!. Anne Hathaway (Get Smart (2008)) returned in Modern Love (2019, TV-series) and theatrically in Dark Waters (2019); Wilson in Jojo Rabbit (2019). The Hustle is rotten at 13 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The Hustle?
3/20/2024
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) - Dragons make sequel soar
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| Lots of warm-faced characters and dragons peak out from this poster for Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon 2 |
A new wealth of dragons are discovered by Hiccup and his dragon Toothless, and they therefore must make sure that these creatures are not used for evil means.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is written and directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch (2002)). It is the sequel to DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon (2014) and the second in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (2010; 2014; 2019), based on the 2003-15 How to Train Your Dragon novels by Cressida Cowell (Can Trees Talk? (2021)).
The narrative and themes are poorly lifted, and the weak-kneed, unwinning, Jay Baruchel-voiced (The Moodys (2019-21)) protagonist is one contributing reason. The animation is at times less than Disney standard, but the dragon designs and the giant monster thrill considerably. The creatures are the best part of this movie.
Related posts:
Dean DeBlois: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) - Dazzling animation, tired sheet
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 145 mil. $
Box office: 621.5 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.28 times its cost)
[How to Train Your Dragon 2 premiered 16 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 102 minutes. DeBlois and a creative team went to Norway for inspiration for the film. The film opened #2, behind 22 Jump Street, to a 49.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 4 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#3-#5-#5), grossing 177 mil. $ (28.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 65.1 mil. $ (10.5 %) and the UK with 41.5 mil. $ (6.7 %). It was the year's 12th highest-grossing and the 2nd highest-grossing animated film of the year, behind Big Hero 6. The film was nominated for the Best Animation Oscar, lost to Big Hero 6. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs and won a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. The film additionally made an estimated 74.9 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. DeBlois returned with the last in the trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). Baruchel returned in Lovesick (2016). How to Train Your Dragon 2 is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of How to Train Your Dragon 2?
3/19/2024
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) - Dazzling animation, tired sheet
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| Splashy fresh colors and inviting animation lures from this poster for Dean DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World |
Hiccup is under pressure in his viking world, which is getting overcrowded with rescued dragons.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is written and directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch (2002)). It is the 3rd and final film in DeBlois' How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (2010; 2014) based on the How to Train Your Dragon novels (2003-15) by Cressida Cowell (The Day of the Dreader (2012)).
A flat and formulaic plot together with Jay Baruchel's (Random Acts of Violence (2019)) unfunny, irony-laced voice performance sucks the magic out of this film, despite it having dragons by the dozens, many of them very cute ones. A feeling of awe for the incredible designs and animation is the sole attraction here.
Related posts:
Dean DeBlois: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) - A well-made, dazzlingly animated family favorite
Watch a trailer for the movie here
Cost: 129 mil. $
Box office: 524.5 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.06 times its cost)
[How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released 3 January (Australia, New Zealand) and runs 104 minutes. It opened #1 to a 55 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend at #1 and then 3 more in the top 5 (#2-#4-#5), grossing 160.7 mil. $ (30.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 54.5 mil. $ (10.4 %) and Russia with 27.9 mil. $ (5.3 %). It was the 5th highest-grossing animated film of the year. It was nominated for the Best Animation Oscar, lost to Toy Story 4. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe and won a National Board of Review award, among many other honors. How to Train Your Dragon returns as a live-action film also by DeBlois in 2025. DeBlois returned with TÍU (2022, documentary) but has yet to make his theatrical return. Baruchel returned in The Kindness of Strangers (2019). How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World?
3/17/2024
Hærværk (1977) - Danish alcoholism drama a true downer
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| 'Who wins when you fight against yourself?' asks the poignant tag-line on this very 1970s-styled poster for Ole Roos' Hærværk |
A man latches himself to alcoholic fringe characters and lets his life fall apart.
Hærværk is written by Klaus Rifbjerg (Tukuma (1984)) and co-writer/director/editor Ole Roos (Kys til Højre og Venstre (1969)), adapting the same-titled 1930 novel by Tom Kristensen (Fribytterdrømme (1920)). The original Danish title translates to 'vandalism'.
Ole Ernst (Okay (2002)) and Jesper Christensen (Before the Frost/Før Frosten (2018)) are both increasingly sad and consumed by alcoholism in the long, downbeat drama downer with Kristensen's apt title encapsulation of the universal discipline of self-destruction and downfall. The obvious lack of 'fun' in the circle of the addicted, the mean misery of it all and the ritualized and egotistical nature of the behavior, - all aspects are caught vividly here in a seething depiction of alcoholism. Regrettably Hærværk is simultaneously an overlong and dour watch.
Here a video with Ernst talking about addiction
Cost: Unknown
Box office: Approximately 1.68 mil. $
= Uncertain
[Hærværk was released 4 November (Denmark) and runs 132 minutes. The film was a hit in Denmark, where it sold nearly 209k tickets. It was also released in Norway, but its sale here is unknown. Roos returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return with Forræderne (1983). Ernst returned in Lille Spejl (1978). 227 IMDb users have given Hærværk a 6.5/10 average rating.]
What do you think of Hærværk?
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Eagerly anticipating this week ... (13-24)
Jason Reitman's Saturday Night (2024)