Movie Review - Blink Twice

Director: Zoë Kravitz
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Horror
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
 
Description: When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraiser gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 49: A DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
 
Review: If you like a mysterious horror/ thriller with some female rage, Zoë Kravitz got you covered. In her directorial debut everything seems normal, but you know something is fundamentally wrong. Lots of red flag, but not sure why. It’s best to know as little as possible going in, because it will leave you gasping for air at the end.

Frida, a waitress at a gala hosted by Slater King (mocking Elon Musk, maybe?), can’t take her eyes of this charismatic man. She knows he has a dark side, as he went into therapy after an unspecified incident and apologized a thousand times. But Frida is ambitious and quite willing to get to know him. Fortunately, Slater also has an eye for her and, after some hesitation, he invites Frida and her best friend Jess to accompany him and his entourage to a Mexican island he just bought.

On site, Slater has all cell phones confiscated. A week of crazy fun begins. The guest enjoy the weather, the finest mansion with luxury chalets, a large pool, tasty dishes and champagne and drugs galore. Frida’s happiness is unstoppable, although she senses that another female invitee is jealous of Slater’s attention for her. This seems like a spring-break version for adults, but somewhere also the salutation of an impending plot from a mystery novel.

Kravitz takes her time. In doing so, she’s taking a risk, because except for Slater’s dark past and the confiscated phones, for a long time there’s no trouble. But little bizarre details nevertheless create this ominous tension and you are certain something is bad will happen. And you will never predict what it is.

“Blink Twice” is exciting, has occasional dark humor, has some satire to it, criticizes society very subtly and is really original. Nothing but praise for Zoë Kravits, who really succeeds with her first directing job. Same goes for Naomi Ackie, who carries the film on her strong shoulders. Her performance will hopefully launch her to the A-list in Hollywood. Channing Tatum, the all American boy, surprises in a role that is atypical for him,

Most of the other actors don’t stand out much, their characters are drawn very superficial. But it didn’t bother me, because in the and most do have a purpose in the film.
When the film starts, you have a feeling that something is wrong, but you can never predict the direction this film is heading. Such a good film, that will especially please female horror/ thriller fans.

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - The Sixth Sense

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1999
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Misha Barton, Donnie Wahlberg, Trevor Morgan

Description: A boy (Haley Joel Osment) who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist (Bruce Willis).

Review: You are as good as your last film. That’s something director M. Night Shyamalan experienced. His movie “The Sixth Sense” was never topped. With this movie, the paranormal thriller was given a new life. With this, Bruce Willis also profiled himself as a dramatic actor. Australian actress Toni Collette broke through and child star Haley Joel Osment left everybody breathless. “The Sixth Sense” is a lot more than just a good movie.
“I see dead people” is now a classic film quote. What Shyamalan does well is leave the viewers with a question in the beginning: whether Cole actually sees dead people or if it’s an hallucination. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe is the only person that can help him. His career isn’t the same anymore, after former patient Vincent Grey who he couldn’t help, shoots him in his own house. Grey kills himself after that. Since then Crowe is trying to lose those feelings of guilt. He sees in Cole the same characteristics as once in Grey. Cole lives alone with his mother Lynn, who works hard to make it all work and doesn’t know what Cole’s secret is. The moment Cole tells his secret to Crowe is chilling every time.
“The Sixth Sense” is filmed pretty sober. Shyamalan fully trusts on his own writing, which is so strong. Not a lot happens in the first hour, but there is a constant threat and tension. Subtle though, with some equally subtle sound effects. The twist at the end is genius and makes a second viewing just as good. Things you didn’t notice before, you see during your second viewing. With most movies that have a twist, it’s not that fun to rewatch the film. “The Sixth Sense” makes that rewatch probably even better.
Bruce Willis is timid in his role, something we hadn’t seen from him before. Toni Collette is great as well. But the star of the film is Haley Joel Osment. So young, yet such a grown up performance. His role is so real, you believe and feel his fear. In my eyes it’s still the best child performance in a movie. He even got an Academy Award nomination for it.
“The Sixth Sense” is one of my favorite thrillers, that captivates me every time. Fantastic work by M. Night Shyamalan.

Rating: 5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Director: Joe Berlinger
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelaria, Haley Joel Osment, John Malkovich, James Hetfield, Jim Parsons, Jeffrey Donovan, Dylan Baker

Description: A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) from the perspective of Liz (Lily Collins), his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 30: A BIOPIC

Review: Ted Bundy has gone down in history as one of the most charming serial killers ever. He easily managed to wrap the ladies around his fingers, before he kidnapped, raped and killed them. His trial was broadcast live on TV and earned him many female admirers. When news got out that Zac Efron would play Bundy, there was a lot of protest. But Efron proves that he can handle it.
Efron finally gets a role he can really embrace. He draws attention to himself in all the scenes by underlining Bundy’s skill with his charm. In doing so, he makes exactly as much use of his strengths as the real serial killer did to control the media circus around his trials. Is Efron the perfect actor to play this role? No, I can think of a hand full of actors that go do it as well. But Efron is really good as Ted Bundy and especially at the beginning of the film, he even looks very much like Bundy.
It seems like Joe Berlinger had no idea what he exactly wanted to tell in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”. Berlinger is experienced as a documentary filmmaker and made the docu-series “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”. So he can very well create a story from historical facts, but his fiction debut is a more enumeration of events than a conclusive story with a tension curve and a climax.
At the start of the film , Bundy’s girlfriend (well portrayed by Lily Collins) seems to be central. The question seems to be: what is it like to find out you’ve fallen for a monster? However, he characters disappears completely into the background in the second half of the film, when the authorities try to bring Bundy to justice. Bundy is looking for loopholes, both legal and literal. But the most remarkable thing is that it’s hard to determine whether he’s guilty or not. We never see anything about the actual murders.
What Berlinger does show talent for in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is directing actors and building stand-alone scenes.
“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is a bit of a disappointment, but does have some strong performances. I expected something different from a Ted Bundy biopic.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Performances by Children

Sometimes it’s the kid that steals the show in a movie, so here is a list of the best movie performances by children.

5. River Phoenix (“Stand By Me”)

His performance as Chris Chambers in “Stand By Me” left an indelible impression on his generation. So sad he died at the age of 23, because Phoenix had a bright future as an actor.

 

 

4. Christian Bale (“Empire of the Sun”)

You could already see that he was an intense and dedicated actor, he holds up amongst all the adults, for instance John Malkovich and Miranda Richardson.

 

 

3. Natalie Portman (“Léon”)

Just 13-years old, Natalie Portman did a fantastic job as Matilda, a girl who lost her entire family and seeks help from hitman Léon.

 

 

2. Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”)

It’s impossible not to love Olive Hoover, and it’s all thanks to the endearing performance by Abigail Breslin. She wasn’t ignored, because she got nominated for an Academy Award.

 

 

1. Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”)

In my opinion the best performance. Haley Joel Osment captured us all in this amazing thriller and made us feel for him. He will always be remember as troubled Cole Sear, but there are worse things right?

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Henry Thomas (“E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), Macauley Culkin (“Home Alone”), Kirsten Dunst (“Interview with the Vampire”), Jodie Foster (“Taxi Driver”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”), Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”), Linda Blair (“The Exorcist”), Mara Wilson (“Matilda”), Ivana Baquero “(Pan’s Labyrinth”), Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot”), Tom Holland (“The Impossible”)

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 102: Entourage

Director: Doug Elin

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 104 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connelly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Perrey Reeves, Rex Lee, Debi Mazar, Ronda Rousey, Haley Joel Osment, Billy Bob Thornton, Constance Zimmer

Description: Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), together with his boys Eric (Kevin Connelly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Johnny (Kevin Dillon), are back - and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) on a risky project that will serve as Vince's directorial debut.

 

Review: The TV show “Entourage” was very popular, it ran from 2004 till 2011 on HBO. The adventures of Vince Chase and his close entourage get another shot in a full length film. Like the show there are lots of beautiful women, famous locations and many cameos.

Vincent Chase wants to direct his next movie, where he will also star in and his brother Johnny “Drama” will also have a role. Ari Gold, once his agent, is now a big moviemaker and he trusts Vince with a million dollar project.

Financially, it’s getting a little bit out of hand. A big shot in Texas and his son want to invest, but that’s when the real problems start.

As you can see, the synopsis sounds like any other “Entourage” season, only this time an entire season is put into one movie. Or, it’s an extended episode. The movie brings you nothing new, it’s just enjoyable for the fans of the show.

“Entourage” is fun for one time, but if you skip it you wouldn’t really miss a thing.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Amazing Kids in Adult Movies

I work with kids and I know how awesome they can be sometimes. They are always very honest. I came up with this list and here are some great kids in adult movies.

5. Chloë Grace Moretz in “Kick-Ass”
Lets face it, she is the star of the film. I know it’s supposed to be about the wannabe hero Kick-Ass, but Moretz steals the show as Hit Girl.

4. Natalie Portman in “Léon”
Although she was only 12 or 13 years old while shooting “Léon”, she acted very mature. Normally it sounds funny when a kid uses the f-word, but she’s serious!

3. Haley Joel Osment in “The Sixth Sense”
Unfortunately Osment never really did anything memorable after this movie, everyone was mesmerized by his performance. He even got an Academy Award nomination.

2. Christian Bale in “Empire of the Sun”
I’m so glad Bale wasn’t just another child star. He is the leading actor and he carries this movie, just like he does now as an adult. Fantastic performance.

1. Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunhsine”
Don’t you just love Olive? Well, I do and no one other than Abigail Breslin could have done it. She is adorable and loveable.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Elliot in “E.T.”