I have been waiting for the conclusion of this - I will not hesitate to use that word - beloved trilogy. Maxxxine Minx, now in her early 30s, is living the best version of her best life as an adult film star. Surprisingly, the film leaves much to the imagination. We get many references to Miss Minx's prior cinematic masterpieces. We get winks, nods, grins from her fans. We get to meet her friends and coworkers. But we don't actually see her in action. There is more blood than skin. The common trope of a serial killer targeting starlets is taken to the next level and intertwined with another trope of satanic rituals. If you crave that win-win cocktails of your favorite noir and pulp hits, don't miss "Maxxxine".
CT Commie Tiger Mommy
America's most Irish author to come out of Eastern Europe
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Maxxine: more blood than skin
Thursday, June 27, 2024
The Zone of Interest: contextual horror
I watched this movie on a flight from San Diego to New York. It was listed under "new releases" next to the new musical version of "Mean Girls" - a very curious selection of titles, if you ask me. "The Zone of Interest" is not a film you can jump into without knowing the historical context. You almost need to watch 5-6 movies on the topic to fully appreciate the horror behind the scenes - "Schindler's List" and "Conspiracy" 2001 come to mind. "The Zone of Interest" is not a horror film that speaks for itself. There is nothing truly gruesome happening on the screen. No battles, no graphic genocide scenes. On the contrary, we see a big nuclear family enjoying an idyllic life in a countryside house. There is nothing immediately disturbing or remarkable. The horror is all in the context. The house is situated in an area around the Auschwitz concentration camp reserved for the SS. Before the war the land was used by Polish farmers. In 1941 the local population was removed from the area and their lands confiscated for the benefit of the SS. The doting father of the family turns out to be Rudolf Hoss, the camp commandant, who was executed after the war. Again, at a first glance, there is nothing inherently monstrous about him. Most films portray SS officers in the act of committing atrocities. This film shows a distressingly, freakishly human side of the monster. He plays with his kids, discusses household matters with his frumpy wife, even cheats on her in a most mechanical, emotionless manner - basically goes through the typical motions a man of his rank might go through. Nothing truly monstrous on the surface. Until you hear his name and learn the historical context.
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Three Musketeers: d'Artagnan (2023) - for the haters of A. Dumas
Greetings, commies!
Anyone else disappointed in the latest Three Musketeers adaptation? One would have expected a more respectful, more faithful adaptation from the French. I walked away with a weird impression that the creators had a deep disdain for the source material, since they butchered up the plot so mercilessly. I guess they despise Dumas. Otherwise, why would they create subplots that serve no purpose? D'Artagnan is shot upon arrival in France for no apparent reason. He ends up crawling out of a shallow grave. You don't even realize it's him until later. Athos is a Protestant, with some brother named Benjamin (a very strange name for an early 17th century French noble). Athos is framed for stabbing a lady in bed and faces execution. Porthos is presented as bisexual. Constance wears what looks like a hijab. The Louvre is like a roadside diner with minimal security. Random people walk in and out. The whole country is filthy and covered in black ashes, evoking images of Chernobyl fallout. But the cherry on top was a mass shooting a-la Kennedy. I understand that American producers have to spread wokery. But these are French filmmakers. Why?
Friday, April 26, 2024
Stopmotion: a delectable grotesque feast
Greetings, commies!
Synopsis:
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
"The Iron Claw" 2023 - "Black Swan" meets "Godfather"
Synopsis
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
9 Miles Down: bad casting kills a horror movie
Greetings, commies!
Winter is a great time for self-reflection and self-flagellation, a great opportunity to remember all those times you wronged others and reflect on how you are going to pay for them ... in the afterlife. Just kidding! I am no moralist. However, if you come across "Nine Miles Down" while flipping through your Amazon Prime options, consider giving it a go.
Synopsis:
Nine Miles Down is a 2009 horror film[2] based on the Well to Hell, a widespread urban legend (spread mostly in the 1990s) that Russian scientists had drilled so deep that they had broken through into hell and recorded the screams of the damned emanating from the borehole.[3] It was the last feature film credit for writer Everett de Roche.[4] It is an international co-production between the UK, Hungary, and the US.
My thoughts:
Released five years before a more known and acclaimed "As Above So Below" (2014), "9 Miles Down" takes the idea of personal hell to new depths, blurring traumatic memories, fears and imagination into an unsettling concoction. The problem is that the actors portraying the two lead characters are too ... generically "hot". Jack, played by Adrian Paul, does not come across as a bereaved father and husband, tormented by guilt. And Kate Nauta looks like a cast member of "Baywatch". She's just not a good actress. Her abilities are suitable for C-rated direct to stream flicks. Her seductive antics are affected and borderline histrionic. Meredith Ostrom is another traditionally hot and awkwardly stiff as Jack's betrayed wife Susan in the flashbacks. She looks like a model who walked off of a bikini photo shoot into a horror movie set. The casting director could have made different choices to make the characters more convincing and sympathetic. The casting choices do nothing for the plot and detract from the overall message.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
47 Meters Down: a low budget version of "Gravity"
Greetings, commies!