Barthalen
Recent Ratings
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| 70 55% | Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) - Rated 21 Nov 2024
"Apparently I was in the mood for being marinated in straight-to-video-Japanese-eightiesness for 48 minutes. Slowly builds up to a neat finale that even goes full Sam Raimi for a bit, which I really appreciated."
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| 60 38% | Cuckoo (2024) - Rated 20 Nov 2024
"Feels a bit like an entry-level film if you're trying to get into elevated horror; there's a neat unsettling atmosphere, some 'Dealing With Issues' character drama, the odd nature of the antagonist(s) and the on-the-nose explanation of its title (which made me chuckle). I did appreciate the 'monster' being something different and the retro-but-still-placed-in-modern-day look of it all, but nothing truly stood out here."
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| 60 38% | MaXXXine (2024) - Rated 19 Nov 2024
"I really enjoyed how this linked up with X and Pearl, and the first 2/3rds I was digging the 80's vibe and predictable-yet-fun progression. But once it's time to reveal who the antagonist really is, everything deflates quicker than that hot air balloon I accidentally shot down and oh god I'm so sorry about all that."
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| 69 51% | V/H/S/Beyond (2024) - Rated 19 Nov 2024
"The segments even out to being slightly above average for this series. The first one has a POV chainsaw shot, and after some internal deliberation I have come to the conclusion that, yes, sometimes that one rad moment of macho bullshit is all one needs in life. The wraparound part was the very weakest, jerking you along for ages with only a minor payoff. The 'lady discovers a UFO' part was the highlight and might be one of the most effective segments in the whole damn series in where it ends up."
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| 80 81% | The Substance (2024) - Rated 18 Nov 2024
"Either fantastic to look at, vibrant and seductive, or pretty disgusting. (Closeups of food being eaten should be a horror subgenre on its own) The story about aging and commodifying beauty and our urge to live in an ideal past is a great setup, but most of all we're here for that deliciously goopy body horror, baybehhh! Dennis Quaid is having a goddamn blast in this. The way the movie opens and ends is just... [chef's kiss, but the chef is super gross and his fingers become slimy meat-tendrils]"
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| 65 44% | Divinity (2023) - Rated 18 Nov 2024
"A cool style, the black and white really works to make the material come off a bit more surreal and sinister, but not that much substance. (Ironic, as some moments reminded me of The Substance) Which is a shame, since the dystopian premise is really interesting. There's some great visuals throughout, but the stop-motion during the climax was goofy in a way that weakened what came before. The moments when it's most art-housey were the least effective for me."
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| 60 38% | Skinamarink (2023) - Rated 18 Nov 2024
"So difficult to rate or recommend. There's some parts that completely got under my skin(amarink) but the pacing made it tough to remain engaged. I enjoyed the film angles and how they remove our connection to the kids affected in this situation, making us feel more helpless as a viewer. That 'look under the bed' segment had me so on edge you could fold metal sheets on me. Unique, but at times a difficult viewing experience."
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| 64 43% | In A Violent Nature (2024) - Rated 18 Nov 2024
"I'm not sure if I would've liked this more if it was 100% following the main antagonist instead of sometimes switching between normal back-and-forth shots and the over-the-shoulder aspect. It's a neat way to add something different, but the stock characters ensure this is never elevated above comparable fare. Still, the kills are vicious (that yoga one!) and I appreciated the attempt at the different style."
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| 65 44% | Savageland (2015) - Rated 29 Oct 2024
"A Found Footage movie based around a series of photographs, is that Found Stills? I liked the premise of this faux documentary, though once that is established there are not many surprises along the way. I did like how the main creepy factor comes from the photos that are drip-fed to us as viewers, and the last ones are pretty haunting. The implied horror is blunted by unsubtle social commentary and some iffy acting from a few of the talking heads. Still, I appreciated what this tried to do."
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| 74 66% | X (2022) - Rated 28 Oct 2024
"I saw Pearl first (I am very good at Not Doing Movies Correctly) and I think that might've enhanced the experience. Fun cast of characters who are a bit more interesting than regular slasher victim fare. X (formerly Twitter) won't do anything too surprising, but it's a solid/sexy slasher throwback."
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