Meet the free, proud, independent people of Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzNxLzFfR5w Nothing but reviews. In excess.
From ZERO to 6 ♥s. 100% ad-free. Run on pure love for movies, documentaries and TV-series. June 2025: Countdown to: Top 10: Best horror comedy movies - Upcoming review: There's Still Tomorrow (2023)
Eagerly anticipating this month ... (6-25)
Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value (2025)
Showing posts with label based on a short film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label based on a short film. Show all posts
The curiosity-sparking, simple poster for David F. Sandberg's Lights Out
Lights Out is the feature debut of David F. Sandberg (Closet Space (2016), short), based on his own same-titled 2013 short and written by Eric Heisserer (The Thing (2011)).
Following the violent, mysterious death of his father, little Martin reaches out to his big sister, who lives alone in the city. Their mother is depressed and mentally unstable, talking to a woman in the house, who died decades ago, and who can only be in the dark.
Lights Out is an old-school spook story or a campfire story, sure to upset especially its younger audiences' night's sleep. It's got an effective gimmick at its heart; a maleficent entity that only moves in the dark. The film gets a lot out of this premise and couples it with a story of mental illness and an incredible skin disease.
Maria Bello (Grown Ups (2010)) is very credible as the mentally unhinged mother, and Gabriel Bateman (Annabelle (2014)) plays the brave boy Martin very well. None of the others are anything less than good, although the bigger sister, essentially the film's protagonist, and her relationship with her long-haired, slightly dopey boyfriend wasn't all that hot. I also wouldn't have minded a little fun in Lights Out, but that isn't part of its game.
Instead it succeeds in being a creepy, very simple horror with some good shocks and effective sound design. Don't expect a gore fest here. Lights Out is not that type of horror.
Watch an official trailer for the film here
Cost: 4.9-5 mil. $
Box office: 110.9 mil. $ and counting
= Mega-hit
[Lights Out premiered June 8 (Los Angeles Film Festival) and runs 81 minutes. Sandberg had not worked with a film crew or been on a film set before directing the film. Filming took place in LA from June - August 2015. The premiere was arranged to benefit from the major success of one of its producers, James Wan's The Conjuring 2's release around the same time. The film opened #3, behind new release Star Trek Beyond and holdover hit The Secret Lives of Pets, to a 21.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and to date has grossed 64.5 mil. $ (58.2 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets have been Russia with 3.7 mil. $ (3.3 %) and Argentina with 2.4 mil. $ (2.2 %). A sequel with Heisserer and Sandberg back as writer and director, respectively, has already been announced. Lights Out is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.3 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
The truly creepy poster for Andrés Muschietti's Mama
QUICK REVIEW:
A family tragedy leaves two girls alone in a cabin in a forest, where they are not discovered again until five years later, whereupon they move in with their uncle and his girlfriend. - But do they arrive alone?
Mama is a dark, high-paced, creepy horror movie with a fairy tale-reminiscent, goosebumps-inducing central mother tale and a pair of child performances, by Megan Charpentier (Red Riding Hood (2011)) and particularly Isabelle Nélisse (The Strain (2014), TV-series) as the younger girl, Lilly, that are historically unsettling. Jessica Chastain (The Help (2011)) plays the mother replacement, and I pleaded with her to my screen several times during Mama to just leave these freaky children and ruuuuun! All this having been said, however, Mama also wallows in being over-the-top, mostly concerning its many CGI effects and pace, which is never lowered to really scare us but simply pumps on with full steam. Nevertheless, Mama is undeniably creepy and entertaining. It is the feature debut for Argentine Andrés Muschietti (Historias Breves III: Nostalgia en la Mesa 8 (1999), short), co-written by Muschietti, his sister Barbara Muschietti (Just Visiting (2001), production assistant) and Neil Cross (Luther (2010-15)), based on Muschietti's short Mamá (2008).
Watch the trailer for the movie here
Cost: 15 mil. $ Box office: 146.4 mil. $ = Huge hit [Mama, a Spanish-Canadian co-production, was shot in Canada and debuted #1 in North America to good reviews and a 28.4 mil. $ first weekend in January, ahead of Zero Dark Thirty (2012), which also stars Chastain. Mama grossed 71.6 mil. $ (48.9 % of the total gross) in North America, and its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain (10.2 mil. $/7 %) and Mexico (9.8 mil. $/6.7 %). Mama is fresh at 65 % with a 6 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.] What do you think of Mama?
+ Best LGBT Movie/TV-series of the Year + Best San Francisco Movie/TV-series of the Year + Most Under-Appreciated Movie/TV-series of the Year
The sun-glazed, happy poster for the second season of Michael Lannan's Looking
Looking is the probably most exciting and best new TV-series out recently; an original HBO series based on its creator Michael Lannan's 2011 short Lorimer, its first season ran in 2014. The show has build its audience, but, regrettably, HBO still decided to cancel it earlier this year. Fortunately, they will at least round it off with a 2-hour TV movie special, set to shoot later this year, which I can't wait to see, although after 2 great seasons, it already makes me sad to (probably) part ways with the characters of Looking so soon. The totally reality-based drama/romance/comedy show continues to revolve around the three great gay friends Patrick (Jonathan Groff (Glee (2010-15))), Augustín (Frankie J. Alvarez (The Good Wife (2015), TV-series)) and Dom (Murray Bartlett (Guiding Light (2007-09))), who live their lives in San Francisco, dealing with different aspects of modern life. Here's an ultra-short recap of the 10 episodes (the second season is two episodes bigger than the first): 1. The friends are on a short vacation to Lynn's (Dom's open-relationship boyfriend, played by Scott Bakula (Behind the Candelabra (2013))) summerhouse, where they attend a forest party, and Augustín meets his new love-interest Eddie (Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls (2004))). 2. Patrick's relationship with his British boss Kevin (Russell Tovey (Pride (2014))) develops, while he undergoes an HIV-panic. 3. Doris (Lauren Weedman (Hung (2009-10))) meets her new love-interest Malik (Bashir Salahuddin (Nailed (2006))), and the friends attend Dom's gay rugby game. 4. Dom breaks up with Lynn; Eddie gives Augustín a job at the help center for transsexual teenagers, and Patrick's project of getting Kevin out of his old relationship drags out. 5. Augustín's outlook improves from being with Eddie, while Kevin still can't tell his Jon that it's over. Patrick helps past lover Richie (yummy Raúl Castillo (Bless Me, Ultima (2013))) retrieve an ice-truck, and they patch up their friendship. 6. Patrick makes the horrible decision of throwing a Halloween party and invite his lovers past and present, with partners. Doris and Malik, adorably, dress up as Sonny & Cher. 7. Doris, Dom and Patrick make a trip to Modesto for Doris' father's funeral and SPOILER get into an accident. Home again, Patrick is ready to be with Kevin 100 %. 8. Kevin and Patrick attend the Gaymer X video games conference that shows some less flattering sides of the gay community. Doris decides to help Dom purchase his dream, a 'chicken window' (a Portuguese chicken take-away place.) 9. Dom and Doris' friendship suffers a crisis, while Patrick presents Kevin to his mother, who has shocking news. 10. Patrick and Kevin move in together and are instantly invited to a big party in the building, where a small thing gets them into a big argument. Augustín celebrates an art opening with Eddie at the center, and Dom mends things with Doris and returns to his new business.
From left to right, Lauren Weedman, Russell Tovey, Frankie J. Alvarez, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Franzese as Doris, Kevin, Augustín, Patrick and Eddie attending Dom's rugby game in episode 3 of the second season of Michael Lannan's Looking
- What can be so great about that, you might think, if you read the recap above without having seen a minute of the show. Looking is very real and the friendship, relationship, and sex mechanics it presents are often recognizable and always both well-written and astonishingly played to a fault by the stellar cast, who seem to revel in the chance to shine with the reality-grounded, funny, human, three-dimensional characters that this show gives them. While the first season successfully established the characters and the dynamics of the show, the second season here elaborates on them all, presents more issues, more funny 'catastrophes', more sex and drama played out in the inviting San Francisco locations with more great music. It grows from an astonishing first season into a colorful, uplifting, poignant rendition of modern life in one of the most exciting cities in the world. A real gift, pulsating with true zeitgeist. All the more reason to scratch one's head that HBO, supposedly the home for quality TV-series, has decided to pull its plug so soon. Best episodes: 5: Looking for Truth Written by Lannan, Tanya Saracho (Devious Maids (2013), TV-series) Directed by Andrew Haigh (Weekend (2011)) 10: Looking for Home Written by Haigh, Lannan, John Hoffman (Good Boy! (2003)) Directed by Haigh
Stars dressed up for Halloween in Michael Lannan's Looking
Watch the trailer for the second season here
Cost: Unknown Box office: None = Unknown [Looking has been nominated and won countless awards. Its ratings seem to have been in the neighborhood of 300k-700k viewers. It is available with HBO streaming now.] What do you think of Looking's second season? How do you feel about its canceling and coming TV movie special?
+ Best Music Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year
Glamorous poster for Mark Christopher's 54
QUICK REVIEW:
We are at New York's Studio 54 disco, and the 80s are right around the corner: A young dreamer from Jersey arrives and is lucky enough to get a job there; sex, drugs, some fame and lots of disco follow.
54 is an excellent guilty pleasure full of lovely young people: Ryan Phillippe (Flags of Our Fathers (2006)) is criminally hot here, and so is Salma Hayek (30 Rock (2009-13)). Neve Campbell (Scream 4 (2011)) does well, and Mike Myers (Wayne's World (1992)) is phenomenal here in his first dramatic movie role as the cynical, superficial impresario of the seemingly never-ending party. The development of the story is pretty imperceptible, sometimes nearing banality, elegantly avoiding real crises. 54's original 93 min. cut appears as a celebration of Studio 54, disco and good parties. I ate it raw. However, the film was envisioned quite differently by its writer-director Mark Christopher (Pizza (2005)), who was forced by Miramax to re-shoot and cut out several parts of his original vision, downgrading gay and sex scenes. A 105 min. director's cut, which includes 30 min. of footage that is not in the original cut, has since been released to acclaim. - I really want to see this version as well! If you want to read more about how a bad test screening and the infamous Weinstein brothers took apart Christopher's original version, you can do so here.
Cost: 13 mil. $ Box office: 16.7 mil. $ (US only) = Big flop, with some uncertainty [54 made a paltry 99k £ in the UK, which is the only foreign result I've been able to find. - It was a big flop. Had Miramax left it alone, it might have succeeded as a more risqué film, similar to Boogie Nights (1997). - We will never know now.]
What do you think of 54, original and director's cut, depending on what you've seen?
Jonathan Groff in focus, Murray Bartlett nearer and Frankie J. Alvarez in the back on the poster for Michael Lannan's Looking
Looking is HBO's new spectacular romance-drama series about 3 gay friends in the San Francisco Bay area and their various work, relationship and family situations. It is based on a short by its creator Michael Lannan, Lorimer (2011), and its 1st season runs 8 episodes of approximately 25-30 minutes each. Although all 3 friends are leads, we spend more time with Patrick (Jonathan Groff (Frozen (2013), voice), the sweet country boy-atheist-computer game designer. The other two are sommelier Dom (Murray Bartlett (August (2011)), who is perhaps 10 years older than the others, and Augustín (Frankie J. Alvarez (Aphasia (2014), short), an artist's assistant, who is the only one of the three who is in a steady relationship. Since the season only spans 8 episodes, I will present the plot of Looking structured thus:
1: Patrick suffers an unsuccessful date but meets a sweet Latino doorman named Richie (Raúl Castillo (Lorimer) on the Metro. Agustín and his boyfriend Frank have a threesome. 2. Despite his roommate friend Doris' (Lauren Weedman (Date Night (2010)) advice to the contrary, Dom sits down with a former, abusive lover. Patrick makes a bad second impression on Richie. 3. Patrick makes a fool of himself towards his new, British boss Kevin (Russell Tovey (Pride (2014)). Augustín gets fired and picks up his own former identity as an artist. Dom wants to start his own restaurant. 4. Patrick flirts with his boss but goes off and reignites his spark with Richie. Dom pitches his restaurant idea to the older owner of a local flower shop, Lynn (Scott Bakula (The Informant! (2009)), while Augustín's art becomes about a male prostitute he meets, CJ. 5. We stay with Patrick and Richie for the entire episode, as Patrick takes a day off to hang out with Richie. They go to the planetarium, the coast and Richie's 'señora' soothsayer and share sexual and other personal information. 6. Dom turns 40 and finds himself at crossroads between more mature relationships and continuing to lay young guys, as Lynn agrees to finance a pop-up restaurant event. Augustín arranges a three-way with Frank and CJ, filming it for his project, and trashes Richie, when Patrick introduces him as his boyfriend at Dom's birthday. 7. Dom prepares his new venture. Augustín gets dumped by Frank, when the truth of the now dumped art project is revealed. Patrick drags Richie to his cousin's wedding, but radiates so much stress that he alienates Richie and has to go alone. 8. Patrick SPOILER neglects stepping up to Richie's expectations and instead gives in to his boss's advances. Augustín takes drugs and ends up back where he started, as Patrick's roommate. Dom's pop-up restaurant is a success, but he has been unkind to Lynn in the process and, as their professional relationship is brought to an end, he embraces and kisses him.
Looking soon proves an excellent new acquaintance: The first episode provides a sweet introduction to the three great main characters, who are specific in each their own way and hold different, individually relatable personalities. For me it was already in the course of the second episode that I really got hooked to Looking and began to see its ambition: The series is an honest, deeply relatable celebration of modern, urban gay life. Yet Looking will definitely also resonate with many heterosexuals, because its honest portrayal of its characters' issues concerning careers, identity, love, their families and futures transcend their sexual orientation. Besides the great writing from the 6-person writing team, this is also due to the spectacular performances that the series' 5 directors have wrung from the cast who have clearly created strong bonds with each other and their characters: Groff is magic as our often very funny hero, who so often says and does the wrong thing, but still has our undiminished support. Bartlett shows us some of the angst of reaching 40 without much to show for it, and Castillo is gold as down-to-earth, sincere hottie Richie. All of them can do breezy, smart dialog scenes as well as show weaknesses and insecurities. Additionally, Weedman has to be singled out for her great performance as Dom's hilarious friend Doris. Looking's main director with 5 episodes to his name is Andrew Haigh, who also distinguished himself with affinity for gay drama-romance in the great Weekend (2011). The series contains a fine selection of new, hip music and older classics in the gay scene from Erasure, The Smiths etc. - You can hear a selection of it here. The show is at times incredibly romantic, but ultimately SPOILER it chooses ambiguous, conflicting realism over wide-eyed romance, (even if some of us were cheering for that...) Looking is an almost perfect series for its time: Its depiction of the conflicts of gay life and concept of 'looking' and framing the younger adults who are trying to 'find something real' are spot on as told through its charming, winning, real characters. HBO has renewed it for a 10-episode 2nd season, debuting in January. - So if you haven't gotten acquainted with Looking yet, now is the time to get it on DVD or stream it and get ready for the next season!
Best episode:
5: Patrick and Richie share a day of romance and companionship
The dark, mysterious poster for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys
12 Monkeys is a mystery science fiction movie based on Chris Marker's (The Koumiko Mystery (1967)) still photography-comprised short La Jetée (1962). David Webb Peoples (Blade Runner (1982)) and Janet Peoples (The Day After Trinity (1981)) wrote the screenplay. A prisoner in a future Philadelphia gets sent back in time to learn the particulars concerning a virus unleashed upon humanity in the late 1990s, which killed off nearly everyone. Dealing with time travel, 12 Monkeys takes time's relativity to new heights. - So if you like being confused, you might love it. The quizzical plot is mixed with psychedelic elements and imagery that is its British master filmmakerTerry Gilliam's (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)) directorial watermark. Bruce Willis (Die Hard (1988)) is really good in the lead, but it was Brad Pitt (Fight Club (1999)) who got Oscar-nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his loony performance in the film. (But lost to Kevin Spacey for his performance in The Usual Suspects.) 12 Monkeys was also Oscar-nominated for its costume design, losing to Restoration (1995). It is a film that seems tailor-made for several views, (if one has the interest and patience for it.) It is not as good as Gilliam's best, Time Bandits (1981), masterpiece Brazil (1985) The Fisher King (1991) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), but it is certainly a fascinating film. It has recently spun a SyFy TV-series also entitled 12 Monkeys (2015-), which has been renewed for a second season.
Brad Pitt was Oscar-nominated and won the Golden Globe for his supporting performance as a radicalized lunatic in Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys
The trailer amply informs of the unintelligible structure of 12 Monkeys
Cost: 29.5 mil. $ Box office: 168.8 mil. $ = Huge hit (returned 5.72 times the cost) [12 Monkeys was released 29 December and runs 129 minutes.It was shot mostly in Baltimore, Maryland and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under difficult circumstances from February - May 1995, but Gilliam managed to stay within budget, despite getting injured in a horseback riding accident during production. 12 Monkeysopened to an impressive 184k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #1, which it held for two consecutive weeks and spent another 2 weeks in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 57.1 mil. $ (33.8 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal to its rating here. The film also had high attendances in many European countries like Germany and France. Gilliam returned with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). Willis returned in Last Man Standing (1996), Pitt in Sleepers (1996), and Madeleine Stowe (Tropical Snow (1988)) in The Proposition (1998). 12 Monkeys is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.4/10 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes]
