A few reviews

[Zaharoff]

Episode V - Overclock - 1980 / 2015 - 6/10
AKA - The Empire Strikes Back - 1980



Extremely noisy and aggressive fanedit. Straight off, let me declare this ought to be considered a SILENT edit. The entire audio track has been erased. Dialogue, music, effects. Gone, baby, gone. In its place is a fiery thrash power trio, the Overclock Orchestra. If this appeals to you, read no further. Get the edit and crank the volume to 11.

Driving 2.0 metal score, well arranged and played. As noted by other reviewers, additional sound effects would have been welcomed. Explosions, blaster fire, crashes, doors, even if relegated to rear surrounds.

The music held my interest for awhile. The Hoth sequence was cleverly done, with a sly nod to the Williams score that had me saying “Cool” out loud. The opening of Part III, Bespin, featured a brooding riff Joe Satriani would have been proud of. Such was fleeting, however. Even during thoughtful or quiet scenes, such as when Yoda mentors Luke, Overclock members grind away, often with little regard to the visuals.

Z-Rock used to scream, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old!” I hear that.
Nevertheless, the propulsive Overclock attack will bleed your eardrums.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

[Zaharoff]

La Fille Inconnue - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - The Unknown Girl



After a long day, female doctor and intern prepare to close the office for the night.
They ignore the door buzzer of a much-too-late caller.
Next day, police arrive, examine surveillance footage, then tell the doctor the young girl - who had perhaps been seeking refuge - had been murdered after fleeing from the clinic door.
Guilt then drives the doctor. To find out who the dead girl was, why she was running, from what.
Thriller suffers from detached presentation.
My (admittedly) limited empathy never engaged and I never cared about a single character.

[Zaharoff]

X-Files: S04 - 1996 - 6/10



Initially, sheer joy. Behind the shelves, I spied a still shrink wrapped S04 box that I had purchased in 2005.
Opener was with Roy Thinnes. Great, great, great.
Turns out, this is not nearly as enjoyable as S02 and S03, at least for me.
Most of the one-offs, the monsters of the week, were decent.
The mythology arc, however, seemed to have run out of steam.
Revelations were incremental, no longer the eye popping leaps.
As the season advanced, a depressed, gloomy tone saturated characters and narratives.
I have my own theories about what happened. Key departures, film version distraction.
For me, this was where X-Files lost its appeal.

Note - For those who only want a few seasons, S04 does feature a conclusion of sorts you can end on.

[Zaharoff]

Die Frau, Nach Der Man Sich Sehnt - 1929 - 6/10
AKA - The Woman Men Yearn For // Three Loves



Young heir to powerful industrialist embarks on his honeymoon.
One the night train, his wife slides into the sheets and eagerly awaits locomotive revels.
While out in the corridor, the heir spies Stascha, a damsel in distress.
What to do? Oh - Stascha is played by a young Marlene Dietrich.
He dumps his bride, halts the train, dashes across snowy woodlands, into a posh resort.
Story of naive swell getting embroiled with a shady couple.
Borders on melodrama, but the camera work is fluid and often ingenious.
Rollicking New Years Eve party is a highlight. Must for Dietrich aficionados.

Note - I've watched this Silent with with two different soundtracks. Orchestral and piano.
Neither seemed to enhance the proceedings. Better luck.

[Zaharoff]

10 Cloverfield Lane - 2016 - 6/10



Female, post-breakup, driving late night answers pleading boyfriend on cellphone.
She hangs up, he recalls, she reaches and -- screech, wallop! Yes, car-phone crash.
Next scene, she is shackled to a hospital bed, IV drip in vein.
She is “guest” of survivalist (John Goodman), convinced the Apocalypse has occurred.
There is no radio, no outside news, only his saccharine 60s pap music collection.
Over time, she adjusts to her situation, though there is growing uneasiness.
Goodman’s character (a version of Big Lebowski's Walter) might be unstable.
A slow burn of a film, yet definitely a fork off Cloverfield.

[Zaharoff]

Hitler’s Island Fortress - 2011 - 6/10



Should be of interest to History buffs and the curious.
Archaeologists unearth Nazi gun placements on Jersey.
They do a three day dig to get an inkling of what the fortifications looked like.
A few uncomfortable interviews with aging survivors, shell casings, guesses on layouts.
Otherwise, filler.
This is NOT a doc covering the years Jersey was occupied, from 1940 - 1945.

[Zaharoff]

Crooked House - 2017 - 6/10



Stylish adaptation of the Agatha Christie murder mystery.
Ostracized private detective is approached by his old flame to investigate her family.
She suspects grandpapa was poisoned.
Family being wealthy and politically influential, police are hesitant to delve.
Once inside the suffocating manor, the detective realizes he is in a viper pit.
The beholden heirs hated or resented grandpapa, almost as much as they loathe each other and themselves.
Everyone, it transpires, is suspect. Everyone.

[GirlyGirlMask]

Mother, or mother!, or whatever it's called:



Aronofsky told us with this promotional art that he intended to bastardize Rosemary's Baby-- and he did. But not in a good way.

SPOILERS -- Oh, it's a decent horror film I suppose. There were some pretty gut-wrenching scenes, ideas even. But why did it have to be so excessive? Why do today's filmmakers go so overboard?

Aronofsky starts trying to disturb us five minutes into the film. We never invest in this story. And then, after starting way too early, he continually tries to disturb us, with each action being more transgressive than the last. This film would have benefited from some restraint. Aronofsky should only have used two or three of his highest impact horrors, leaving the audience with just a few devastating scenes/ideas to grapple with. Instead, we end up frustrated with how over the top the whole thing becomes in the the final act (SWAT teams executing hostages with bags over their heads in a war zone, in Jennifer Lawrence's living room? Really?) And that ridiculous crystal...

mother! had potential, but Aronofsky isn't the right director. He shows no restraint. And he shows no commitment. He wants to be obtuse and mysterious, but he wants to give clues that are too on the nose. The metaphors just aren't very creative and lack subtlety and nuance. The final act became an episode of the very worst of nightly news. A really frustrating film.

[ToALonelyPeace]

Winter Vacation (2010)



Winter vacation in China is bleak. There is nothing to do, not much distraction as in the West, which makes every person age 5 and above qualified to have an existential crisis. Old couples get divorced while young couples plan to marry and have kid because no other option exists. A five year old child suffers from insomnia while her playmate dreams of becoming an orphan. A teen is dropping out of school because he is afraid his life will come to nothing. When asked what he would do afterward, he says "Contribute to the struggle to build socialism with Chinese characteristics." There is definitely humor, but I don't think it reaches Beckett's level. A 4/10 for me.

Aoi Haru or Blue Spring (2001)



The delinquents of a Japanese high play often play a game of clapping. They would stand at the edge of a rooftop, release their hands and clap before quickly grabbing the rail again. Whoever claps the most will become leader of the school until the next challenger shows up. Having said that, there's not much action. It's mainly a story about lost youths and their dreams. School is a paradise, but what world awaits them outside? With no job prospects, they either fall prey to yakuza or drop out of society altogether. The film's rock music underscores the explosive spirit of youth and certain tragic climaxes. I anticipated it will be great and it really is, a 9/10.

[Zaharoff]

Haute Cuisine - 2012 - 6/10
AKA - Les Saveurs du Palais



Film crew arrives in Antarctica, looking for "a story."
During lunch, they realize the ordinary staff enjoy incredible gourmet fare.
Because, once upon a time, the camp cook had been personal chef for the French President.
How did the petite female transition from Parisian opulence to the polar wastes?
Seasoned souls should anticipate images of extraordinary food, priced accordingly.