a_marie_p

Didn't realize this is a TV series? Or more like a series of films? Well, I'm rating the one that I watched, All That We Destroy. Great cover, decent film. I love Samantha Mathis, but her acting her was hit or miss. Mostly it hit, but some scenes she just wasn't on point, and it felt strangely amateur for somebody with her resume. I feel like I've seen this film already done once or perhaps many times, but it was still watchable. Nothing great but entertaining enough. I'm trying to watch another episode (film) in this (TV?) series, but couldn't even make it 30 minutes in, so at least this one I got through easily.

Loved it. Don't know what was happening in some scenes but didn't care, never a dull moment, always intrigued. A fresh eye on something Ridley Scott and others have done to death. I still hated The VVitch, but I've loved everything since.

I wanted so badly to love this, or at least highly enjoy it. I hardly already remember it, and it had my full attention. Killed off some main enjoyable characters from the series (I guess that at least gave it some element of surprise), but just doesn't have the charm of the first. None of the sequels did.

I really wanted more from this. Tatum and Bullock have both been much funnier. Pitt was a blast to watch though, if only for a few scenes. Watch this if you've exhausted all other Tatum and Bullock comedies. I'm having a better time rewatching 21 Jump St and Miss Congeniality.

This might be one of this company's bigger films, or at least the cast sure is. It's fun, cute, enjoyable, a good watch if you've already enjoyed Die Hard and Gremlins for the season. Even not during Christmas it's still worth it.

The trailer for this was like a straightforward crime drama for TV, which looked fun and watchable though pretty basic. The outcome ended up being far more artful and meditative almost. The film could have used more (maybe a bloodier crime scene, considering the gruesomeness of the actual crime, maybe more nudity considering the number of kissing scenes on display, or maybe simply a decent running time - it's about just an hour long), but otherwise, for an indie production, this was a good watch. Above many of the other Cinema Epoch films.

I feel like this films, having watched it maybe half a dozen times since I first saw it, just lingers in me. I don't recall it often like some of my all time favorites, but I also never forget it. It's more like a subtle part of me in my memory. In ways, I find it to be the most effective power of cinema.

It looks like crap (bad digital) yet I love the look. It hurts, but I love its pain. It's hopeless, yet hopeful. It's sad, yet beautiful. The acting is raw, but perfect.

I kept seeing ads for this and thought...... and again..... and again.... Selena Gomez?......nahhh and again.... Steve Martin (anything interesting since? I can't even remember last) Martin Short? Hmmmm, same feelings finally watched it and the next episode and the next Amazing! Very short episodes, very amazing, fun fun twists!

Gomez's acting is better than I remember from that Ethan Hawke Getaway movie years back, still not great but doesn't matter because everyone else is and her performance is fine enough to be there quietly in ways among the rest.

Steve Martin does not age, wow! Maybe cause he always had white hair but he looks great.

Never thought I'd see the day. If you don't know his previous work and are not accustomed to seeing him play serial killers, rapists, murderers, etc., then it might not mean much, but for those of us who know him from those roles...wow, what a change up. Not sure why he chose this film, but glad he did. The movie itself was surprisingly refreshing. Some bad usual indie hang ups, (bad fake snow, CGI bear, and i.e. Spoiler maybe? - not sure why the elf ears were obviously horribly fake - they aren't in the poster so seems like a mistake and not a plot twist? Not sure on that), though all that can be forgiven because it's great watch, interesting characters, everybody was great and fun in this. Call it an indie Christmas new favorite.

Upon first viewing this back when it was released I was a bit disappointed, hoping for a great crime thriller to blow me away (ala Se7en), but it was meh. Eventually gave it another shot, liked it better, and now feel inclined to view it again. Guessing it's just one of those film's that grows on you.

Isn't as memorable as Ryan's first effort (Amateur Porn Star Killer) or later (My Name is 'A' by anonymous) and seems a bit more ambitious, which also seems to be where it has some failings, but it's still quite interesting and effective and, of course, daring and confrontational towards a controversial subject matter. Ultimately refreshing when compared to Hollywood films, though not as solid as his other films.

Best thing yet from this director (seen like 4 films, others were pretty bad). This is pretty good, though flawed. Tyrese gives his best performance yet though! Great job there, for sure! Not like we've ever seen him. Proves the guy can act.

I watched this only for Dennis Quaid... and that is the only reason one should bother watching this.

Came across this DVD by accident last week. Blew me away. At first it was frustrating because of the horrible lighting, as I could barely see some stuff in the beginning. But at that point I realized this must all be real, for the most part.

I was thinking how great and real the acting is, how real the needles in the arms looked, and how real the sets were (or the dressing of the sets), and then, if they're that good, why bad lighting (as if they had no money for any lights)? Because it's real! With some obvious staging to create somewhat of a story.

So, story lacks, because it isn't about a storyline. Just a slice of life in this guy, and his surroundings. But wow, it's 100% on top of it. I real began to care about him, too.

I just watched this and am already forgetting it. It was fun, but that was it. It says Top 10 of the year from Roger Ebert on the cover, but perhaps this was more effective back when it came out; more controversial? More sexy? More mysterious? More thrilling? All of it was fine, but nothing great. Quaid's accent I though was pretty back and forth. I thought Costner got made fun of for bad accents, but this was pretty messy. Otherwise I normally love Quaid. He's always been great charisma and a good actor. I didn't expect the killers to be who they were (well 2 out of 3), but it also felt a little contrived to find out who they were (those 2 out of 3, or at least 1 of them , I just thought, "no way would that person given what they've set up for them be a killer").

Watch if you've run our of good suggestions, or if you like Quaid.

Not my cup 'o tea, I only watched it for Shane Ryan, an actor and filmmaker I've come to love, though while he directed some portion of this and clearly acted in parts, it's not like his other work. It definitely feels real and brutal in some parts, but without the beautiful and depressing poetic feel that is usually contributed with his films. At least many of these segments felt genuinely real (while disgusting, they achieved their goal), some though, felt so terribly cheesy. The portion with Ryan (which assuming he directed) was creepy and odd, and felt a bit too real actually. The opening segment (the first long one, in a foreign language, was probably the best and felt very similar to Ryan's APSK film). The worst was the couple who get kidnapped while vacationing - not sure why it was even in this. Some of these killings I believe were in fact real from what looked like public domain footage, only adding a very disturbing edge to this. Mixed in with real kids cutting (a scene from My Name is A by Ryan), little kids (like 2-3 years old) about to become victims, this surely makes you feel disgusted in humanity by the end (but without the beautiful payoff in Ryan's work, which without that, left me just feeling grossed out. I give it a 6. Minus 3 points for the cheesy segments, minus another for no redeeming value, but I can't argue it wasn't well done after that.

I was starting to love the real and raw and brutal and poetic style of filmmaker Shane Ryan's other movies, but this is such a contrast in comparison. It seemed to still have some of the similar, I don't know what to call it, vibes/aspects/moments? But here he presents a big budget concept on what is surely the zero budgets he's known to work with. Not sure how some of this was pulled off with nothing (the 80s backdrop that is), but it totally works! I hope this can be a full feature one day, as it feels like an intro to one. It's bloody in moments, fun, nostalgic to the 80s, innocent, violent, just a strange and fun mix!

That's about all that there is to this film, but that's exactly all that it needs. Rarely does Hollywood portray rape in any way that resembles realism. This seems to be the film's sole purpose, and it nails it over the head. It feels real in every sense, aside from maybe adding the music and visual grit to the picture, but that seemed to be an approach to pull you in more into the mental state of the situation, which seems to be a common theme in the work of this filmmaker; realness mixed with artsy stuff which fits the mood of the disgusting reality you're facing.

It's hard to describe this film. Which in this case is a good thing.

It's real, raw, and brutal (and vulgar) in many scenes, more like a silent film or music video in other scenes, and beautiful like a full blown fantasy in others.

Only loosely based on the Alyssa Bustamante murder of Elizabeth Olten, this shouldn't be considered a true story, only an inspiration for a film which digs far deeper into the state of mind than any sensational news headline could imagine doing.

This film combines so many things, from drama to romance to crime/cop and serial killers to fetishes to experimental music video type moments. It's a bizarre and strange film that should have a target audience of the arthouse crowd though the poster suggests it's a supernatural horror film. Reminds me of the ads for the film Weapons way back with Marc Webber and Nick Cannon. The poster looked like a basic wanna be Menace II Society knock off when it was truly a gripping arthouse movie. Hopefully this finds the right crowd as it's a nice bit of fresh air to discover a film so damn unique. And to think this was a knockoff of star Shane Ryan's Amateur Porn Star Killer indie franchise. Like, holy sh#t! Hatanaka directed Ryan in Samurai Cop 2 and Violent Blue and the same company is behind all of these films. Can be hit or miss with them but when it's a hit it's something quite refreshing.