Cinenut : movie reviews, in a nutshell

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Alice, Sweet Alice (aka Communion, aka Holy Terror)

Stars: 4 / 10 Overall, an ok "whodunit" slasher/thriller. (*see below for further comments) I wasn't "wow'ed"...

Monday, 17 March 2014

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Stars: 2 / 10 Overrated. Yet again, Wes Craven manages to disapoint with his typcally whiney, anoying, and unlikeable characters, horr...

Saturday, 15 March 2014

When a Stranger Calls (2006)

Stars: 1 / 10 What is this, a made for Disney Channel movie?! A sulky teen drama: "my bff kissed my bf and now my stoopid par...

Friday, 14 March 2014

Black Christmas (1974)

Stars: 8 / 10 An instant favourite! This is a must-see for any horror film aficionado. A cult classic, considered to be one of the ea...

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Metropolis (1927)

Stars: 10 / 10 This film is perfection. The very first full-length sci-fi film ever made. Beautiful sets and costumes. AMAZING special...

Zodiac

Stars: 8 / 10 A superb adaptation of Robert Graysmith's book, Zodiac (published in 1986). Even though I knew what was coming (I...

Monday, 10 March 2014

When A Stranger Calls (1979)

Stars: 6 / 10 Surprisingly, this movie really was quite scary! A simple story, inspired by the old urban legend, with nothing too impr...

Friday, 7 March 2014

The Arrangement

Stars: 6 / 10 Inovative and progressive. The beginning seems like it will be only an inocous story of romantic entaglement, with passi...

La Belle et La Bête

Stars: 7 / 10 A retelling of Beauty and the Beast, reasonably close to the original French story. One of the most gorgeous and visuall...

Kaze tachinu (aka "Le vent se lève", aka "The Wind Rises")

Stars: 7 / 10 I saw this film last night, in Japanese, with French subtitles. Overall, I really enjoyed it! Without giving spoilers,...

Sunday, 10 November 2013

The Princess and the Frog

Stars: 7 / 10 Disney returns to greatness with this hand-drawn, jazz-flavoured, Voodoo-infused beauty. The skill of the artwork was ...

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Halloween 4 : The Return of Michael Myers

Stars: 2 / 10 Yawn. Barely bloody, completely borring, like watching baby-puke coloured paint dry. It's nothing short of a miracle t...

Eyes Wide Shut

Stars: 2 / 10 One of the most over-rated films of the decade. Eyes Wide Shut is pointless, bourgeoisie soft-core porn that half-heart...

Sunday, 3 November 2013

The Frighteners

Stars : 0 / 10 A horror/comedy that is neither frightening, nor funny. I tried, I really desperately tried to give this film a chance, bu...

The Conjuring

Stars: 3 / 10 The trailer had my heart racing! I was so excited about this film, and certain it was going to make me want to sleep wit...

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Safe

Stars: 7 / 10 Subtle, slow-paced , and subtextual, Safe is an under-sung intellectualist indie masterpiece. An interesting look into ...

Friday, 1 November 2013

Shelter (aka 6 Souls)

Stars : 4 / 10 It begins well, the story promises "different", it offers up some atmosphere, and then it slowly dissolves in...

Tea and Sympathy

Stars: 8 / 10 An unexpected gem! This film takes on the serious topics of bullies, masculinity, conventional gender roles, homophobia, ...

The Abandoned

Stars: 2 / 10 An interesting idea, playing a bit with surrealism, quantum mechanics and the concept of destiny, but ultimately, this mov...

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

The Omen (2006)

Stars: 0 / 10 Why was this even made ?! If you want to watch a dull and shitty version of the original 1976 horror classic, then this mov...

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Incubus (1966)

Stars: 6 / 10 Amusing, with several lovely shots. The opening titles, in particular, were beautifully montages. The story's not speci...

Monday, 5 August 2013

Beloved

Stars: 7 / 10 Poetic, intriguing, disturbing, and symbolic. Thandie Newton's amazing performance, alone, makes this film a must-see....

Devil

Stars: 1 / 10 Lame. All the atmosphere and subtext of an after-school-special, coupled with the depth of a campfire story. As expected, S...

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* Star Rating Scale *

How films are judged:

I rate films within their respective genres, and always consider the era in which they were made, judging a film on its own merits, as well as in contrast to others (within their genre.)

Though I try to be fair and balanced, a certain amount of personal bias does figure into the scores (of course.)

Stars : 0 - 10

0 : Unwatchable. This film is an unwatchable abomination. Consider it one of the worst movies that never should have been made. Whoever released it is a sadist. If I couldn't suffer through the whole thing, it's an instant 0.

1 : Garbage. Burn it and bury it! Unless you are being paid a King's ransom, this movie is never worth watching. Somehow, I managed to suffer through it, but there is nothing worthwhile about this movie. Nothing. Unless you are a glutton for punishment, don't waste your time.

2: Awful. This film is a stinkbomb. Hold your nose and run the other way! There was at least one scene or major element of the film that I liked, but overall, it's best used as fertilizer.

3: Bad. Mostly this movie is Awful, but there was at least one or two scenes that I liked, perhaps one actor's performance was well done, or some effort worth nodding to. It's still tripe, though.

4: Tolerable. It wasn't the worst movie, it even had a few ok scenes/qualities, but it had a lot of stink, too. This film is nothing special. I have no interest in ever seeing it again. Meh.

5: OK. I didn't love, nor hate it, outright. A take-it-or-leave-it film, but has some redeeming qualities. Typically it's not something I would want to own, but I suppose would watch it again, at least once.

6: Good. I liked it. It was entertaining and enjoyable, even if there were some major goofs or wonky bits, overall, it's a decent movie. Not much of a prize winner, it won't redefine it's genre, it won't change your life, but something in this film makes it worth watching. I would certainly recommend it to someone who loves its specific genre.

7: Distinctive. This film stands out amongst its peers. Something about this movie has greatness. There was some imperfection, but overall, this film was really well made. This film is memorable, and sticks with you. I recommend it, and it's something that I would definitely want to own.

8: Fantastic. An instant favourite. This film is exceptionally good! It's impressive, unique and beautifully produced, it raises the bar. A memorable film that stirs the mind and the emotions. You have to shake it off after you see it, because it teleports you into its world. You may find yourself thinking about it days, even months, afterwards. I highly recommend it, and it's certainly something I would want to own.

9: Practically Perfect. I love this film! It's rare to find a gem like this. Treasure it. Practically perfect in every way, you'll never tire of it, and every time you see it, it shines like diamonds. This unforgetable film will change the way you look at all others. Depending on the type of film, it may even influence your life. I definitely recommend it, and you can bet your bippy that I own it, in a special edition, whenever possible.

10: Perfection.

FAQ

Why do you write reviews?
-- I love film, and I like to share.

Why minimal reviews?
-- I like to review in a way that cuts to the heart of the matter.

I'm not going to give you a long-winded synopsis of the film, because trailers, official film websites, and IMDB already do that. I will tell you, in a nutshell, what's the premise of the film, and what I liked or didn't like about it.

Birth of the Blog:
I tweet about movies after I watch them, and thus, the idea of a blog with my minimal movie reviews was born. I wanted to collect my reviews in one easy-to-access place, as well as have the option to give an Expanded Review for some of the films.

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieSparkles

Why so many thrillers and horror movies?
-- I like the genres, so I watch a lot of them.

Where you do live?
-- central France

How/where do you watch these movies?
-- Online, mostly. Some I borrow from the library, some I own on disc, and some I saw in the theatre.

Have you studied film making?
-- Not in a professional sense, no. I took one "history of film" course at uni, I've read a handful of screenplays, books about how to write screenplays, and inumerable books and articles on film making and the history of films. I've watched thousands of films, as well as countless documentaries and interviews with/about film makers.