Death Note (2017) - Mini Review

Death Note doesn’t nosedive in the way that fans of the anime or casual viewers seem to be painting. Its style is purposefully overdone and revels in that with conscious choice of cheesy music and acting. The appearance of Death God Ryuk and the blood-curdling screams early on establishes a schlocky, self-aware attitude that leaves it up to the individual to agree if it works. Familiarity with the Director Adam Wingard’s previous films would only help better understand what he is attempting to do. He walks the tightrope of comedy/horror schlock in most of his films, and while there is evidence Death Note does the same, there is an underlying sense this project is handcuffed by studio notes instead of the allowance for liberal exploration of fresh and bizarre territory. It bleeds the question, “what could this have been as a 13-episode miniseries?” Death Note both fails and succeeds in cramming the plot points of the source material into a short amount of time while exploring new ideas but tumbles under its own weight, simultaneously entertaining and disappointing, exceeding and underperforming in its adaptation. I’m genuinely unsure if a straight adaptation would work better or be as enjoyable. Perhaps it works better as a summation of curious, ambitious ideas that either fall short or are lost in translation. An amusing, infuriating and intriguing mess of a film. (6.5/10)

Little Evil (2017)- 100 Words or Less

At times it can be a clever parody of the horror genre, but ultimately it becomes bogged down in cliche, not all the jokes land the way they should, and the character progression is too rushed.

A tighter script could have saved it. And compared to the director's previous work with the clever Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, it kind of pales in comparison, not meeting the bar that have already been set by previous horror comedies.

Adam Scott is always good though regardless of what he's in.

Not good, not terrible. Watchable. (6/10)

Ingrid Goes West (2017)- 100 Words or Less

Satirical, intense, often dark and funny. Ingrid Goes West is an unflinching sendup of our obsession with fame, projection of false lives on social media and the constant search for reassurance and purpose in the smartphone era. Aubrey Plaza gives one of her best performances as a sympathetic sociopath and the film is bolstered by strong supporting performances by newcomers like O' Shea Jackson. Twisted my guts and made me hate everything about instagram even more .

Green Room (2016) - Review

Green Room is the kind of film that traps you in its grip and slowly suffocates you. A claustrophobic, superbly directed vision that prods a gun barrel to your forehead and challenges you to brush it away.

It entirely works because of it's direction and in more shaky hands would fall flat. The plot is fairly simple: a struggling punk band seeking their next paying gig, siphoning gas along the way, finds themselves trapped in a green room of a Neonazi punk bar after they are witness a murder. They must find a way to escape the owner and his violent skinhead cronies before they attempt to bury them along with the victim.

A lesser film would easily find itself buried in the premise, bordering into "slasher movie" territory but it manages to climb its way above that by immersing you in the action with compelling characters, nuanced performances and genuine terror. This world is bleak, unapologetic, often teetering into pure psychological horror; and the audience, along with the characters, is pushed into a hopeless situation where death slashes at you from every corner. My heart jolted throughout and results in a truly nerve-wracking experience. Phrases like "edge of your seat" and "jaw-dropping" are thrown around a lot, but Green Room truly earns these accolades.

Patrick Stewart delivers an understated, menacing performance plucked from the backwoods of American subculture often ignored. He is smart, calculated and unflinching. Where many other films would exemplify eccentricity or melodrama, we are not given reprieve or laughter--only brutality--and are forced to escape the onscreen terror alongside the characters. The film works is because the monsters are real people that are smart and tread in the real world with thought and feeling. Nobody is safe, and the motivations are clear: survive or die trying. Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots give believable, yet starkly different performances as the down and out punkers trying fight their way out, and the stakes are undeniably raised as the brutality swells with shotguns and hungry pitbulls.

The gore, death and general horrific imagery aside, the movie manages to be beautifully shot, edited and emanates a moody color scheme of vivid blacks and greens that showcase squeamish uneasiness and dread. A film of broken rules, predictability, and gives the viewer panic as these people attempt to escape the bar with their lives. Every scene raises a serious question about the characters' mortality. I was totally engrossed with this miserable, heart-pumping ride from beginning to end that unexpectedly scares without feeling cheap or unearned.

(9/10)