Reviews
Nitram (2021)
A time bomb waiting to go off.
Nitram is Martin spelt backwards, and he was in many ways. In 1996 Martin Bryant killed thirty-five people and injured twenty-three others, in what is called the Port Arthur massacre. Because of this, gun laws in Australia changed dramatically. I remember the day this story broke in the news. Bryant's senseless and horrendous actions were unbelievable. At first the media described Martin Bryant as a soft spoken loner.
The movie goes deep into who Martin Bryant was. I'm not sure how close the movie gets with the real Martins characteristics? The movie doesn't cover a lot of the weird things he did, as reported from various sources. Or how his mother and father supported him in some of his affairs. The story stops short before Martin goes on his killing rampage.
The story takes you on a journey through Martins strange life. It doesn't take long to realize Martin is an oddball character. His father tries hard to guide Martin, and his mother has lost her patience with Martin, and is frustrated with him. Martin becomes friends with an eccentric and wealthy older lady. This leads to another strange chapter in Martins life.
Martin's life is going nowhere, he doesn't fit in anywhere and is a loner. Martin usually says or does the wrong thing at the wrong time. He seems to be lacking in the tender emotions of love and caring for others. It appears that a couple of incidents start to drive Martin over the edge. There is no doubt that Martin had some sort of an intellectual disability. But his biggest problem is, he is very insensitive and cruel, which the story reveals.
The movie goes along at a slow and steady pace, without any real high points. The supporting cast do a decent job. Caleb Landry Jones gives a solid and eerie performance as the deranged Martin Bryant.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (2023)
All is not what it seems dude
Kai become somewhat famous, when he was first was called -The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker: It is an interesting story that travels in one direction, then takes a sharp turn.
Kai is a happy drifter who prevents a women, from being assaulted by a big guy. Kai smashed the guy over the head with his hatchet. News crews roll in, and one news team actually get to talk to Kai.
Kai is chilled, quirky, funny a real character. The interviewer hits gold with the interesting Kai.
Kai quickly becomes an internet sensation, but Kai doesn't know ho to navigate through this. He gets some advisor's and handlers. Kai is also a decent musician, a deep thinker but not very dependable.
People are looking to how to cash in on Kai's celebrities status. But Kai is hard to direct and organize.
The internet paints Kai as a cool fun dude. Kai becomes super popular. This is a worry because no one really knows, who this strange guy actually is, but everyone loves him. But there are a few sides to Kai's character.
Strange times when we resent the government, don't trust the cops or what we read in newspapers or see on TV. But some homeless weirdo like Kai, wins many hearts and gets a lot of support?
Kai's mother is tracked down and debunked a few of Kai's stories. It was found that Kai had more to do, with the big guy assaulting the women then first thought. It becomes clear Kai is not as cool as we first thought.
Then a violent crime emerges that Kai might have a connection too? Kai's short journey as a hot internet commodity is over.
This documentary was better than I anticipated. Worth a watch to see how easy internet fame can be, and how people can get so sucked in.
The Speedway Murders (2023)
Fast food mystery
I wasn't aware of this tragic event, so watching it was both sad and interesting (in a strange way).
In 1978 four teenagers who all work together at a fast food restaurant are tragically killed. The story is told in a respectful manner, goes into detail and moves at a good pace. A few different scenarios of the evening are proposed. You will find yourself trying to pick the most likely scenario to crack the case.
The story has an interesting twist as actors play the victims who speak about the tragic night. This gives the documentary a slightly deeper insight. You feel sorrow for each teenager, their friends and family.
The world is a terrible place at times.
Z Nation (2014)
Get Bitten!
I watched the first few episodes of Z Nation with no great expectations. I was pleasantly surprised, and I happliy watched the full 5 seasons.
The story follows a team of survivors who somehow come together. Team members come and go, but the core members are a female soldier, an old hippy, a country boy goth and a sneaky criminal. Together they make a a weird but good team. The characters are likeable and interesting. The character Murphy is something else, a sneaky evil dude that you just have to like. The actors deliver decent performances, and seem to be enjoying themselves.
The theme for much of the series is trying to save the human race with someone who has survived a zombie bite, and may have antibodies that can help people. Then the series branches off into the possibility of the world being destroyed through other means than zombies. Then it rounds up into the world trying to rebuild itself. There are many episodes that drift away from the main story and tell a tale over one episode. The back drop to the series is the constant danger of zombies, renegade humans and the decline of civilization. By season 5 Z Nation starts to run out of gas.
Z nation is quirky, fun and silly at times. If you like zombie stuff, you should like this. Z Nation moves generally quickly through its stories. It rips off a few ideas without shame. Z Nation is not as complex, grand or as deep as The Walking Dead, but for me this made it easier viewing.
I give Z Nation a very solid 8 star rating, pushing in on a 9 star rating!
Outlaws (2017)
Never hits full speed.
Paddo is the stand in president of a 1% outlaw motorcycle gang. His has earnt the respect of the members, and is moving the club up in the world. Paddo has a vision and he has also increased the clubs earnings. The only problem is the real president is soon to be released from jail.
When the rightful president Knucks comes back to the club, he doesn't like the changes he see's in the club. He soon puts the brakes on, and starts changing the direction of the club back to the more traditional bikie stuff. Knucks gets the impression that Paddo's input is harming his leadership of the club, and undermining his authority as the president. A tension soon builds between the two. Paddo is a bit laid back and a thinker, while Knucks is old school, brutal and not very sympathetic (sound familiar Sons Of Anarchy's fans). Both Paddo and Knucks have strong women behind them that adds to the drama. Paddo also has slow brother that causes some dramas for Paddo and himself.
Matt Nable stars as the unlikable Knucks and also wrote this movie. Its about the third time Nable has played an outlaw bikie, so he has had some practice and does Ok. The rest of the cast is forgettable, the sets are ordinary and the movie never really hits any great heights. There is a strong dose of violence and the outlaw bikie lifestyle is laid out. The outlaw bikie stuff you see, is pretty much what you would see in most outlaw bikie documentaries. Obviously this movie is trying to ride the success of the TV series - Sons of Anarchy. Outlaws is a very poor mans Sons OF Anarchy. Outlaw just doesn't have the actors, charisma, characters or story to come anywhere near Sons of Anarchy.
As far as outlaw bikie movies go its just Ok, overall as far as being a decent movie its very average - poor movie.
Caddo Lake (2024)
Floats for a while, but sinks.
The movie is set around mysterious things that happen at Caddo Lake. The story features two families who battle themselves and Caddo Lake.
The story is told at a slow pace, it does get tedious and boring at times. The characters are one dimensional and bland. There is a mother and daughter at war with each other, and a son trying to come to terms with a family members death. The story starts to bounce around and becomes confusing. Caddo Lake is a big body of water and also has a swampy dark forest area, which is pivotal to the story.
Once the tiresome unfolding of the families is laid out, the film goes in another direction, and bounces back and forth. From this point on you have to really pay attention and keep up.
I'm not sure, I might have to watch this again to fully get it? But I doubt I could sit through it again. It's a movie for a rainy day when nothing else is on, and your not feeling sleepy.
Black Summer (2019)
Short summer
The day to day struggle of survivors in a world terrorized by zombie like creatures.
Black Summer only runs for two seasons and 8 episodes per season. So its pretty short in terms of a series. It starts off with the back story of a group of survivors, but then branches off into different directions. There are a lot of questions the viewer might ask, but the show answers very few questions.
There are no charismatic character's or heroes. Just desperate people trying to survive. The zombies are ferocious and fast moving. Its not a simple task to kill them. You just don't poke them in the head and they drop dead. The zombies are only part of the problem, with survivors willing to kill each other for their possessions.
There are no organized groups, clans or gangs. There is some continuity in the story telling, but often the story focus on a situation, and then moves on.
I felt it was not as glorious as The Walking Dead, but Black summer was more realistic, if that makes sense. It definitely needed a third season to tidy things up.
If you like zombie stuff, you should like this. Its no masterpiece but Ok to fill the time in.
George Michael: Portrait of an Artist (2023)
Georges journey
I was a young guy when Wham took off, and the George Michaels solo career followed.
This documentary tells the George Michaels journey from would be pop star into a well respected and extremely talented solo performer.
George starts off his musical career as a teenager full of hopes of conquering the world of pop music. Along with his best friend Andrew Ridgeley, Wham is formed and they explode onto the scene. Slowly but surely the star quality of George starts to burn bright.
Over the years, George turns from a bright eyed enthusiastic pop star into a cynical performer, who seems to be at odds against himself as a reluctant celebrity under the scrutiny of the media. There are insights into his family life and partners.
The story telling is relevant and good in this documentary. They could have touched more on his relationship with Andrew Ridgeley, and also his death was never clearly discussed.
I liked the Wham documentary better, but this is still good, particularly if your a George Michael fan.
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
No bite
A few years after the first Meg adventure, some of the old characters are back with a few new characters.
Jonas Taylor (Jason Stratham) is out saving the ocean from nasty polluters. Then Jonas is called into action to go deep into the ocean. Jonas leads a team deep into a trench on the bottom of the ocean floor. While exploring the trench they find out someone is taking valuable minerals from the ocean. They soon learn they have been double crossed! Every now and then a meg shark is spotted, you kind of wonder is this film about megs or not?.
After some close calls Jonas and team end up at a holiday resort island, fighting some baddies that double crossed them. Also the megs come into the film a bit more, with some other nasty creatures from the depths of the ocean.
The story telling in Meg 2 is mostly boring. Its not really worth mentioning any of the other characters as they are bland and forgettable. The first Meg was good fun, Meg 2 lumbers along and is cheesy/tacky.
High Rolling (1977)
Bit of Aussie fun from 1977
Two young drifters Tex and Alby get into a bit of trouble at the carnival they work at. No problems they chuck their jobs in and head off looking for an adventure. That's kind of the way Australia was like back in the mid - late 1970's carefree for young people. The movie then becomes a road movie.
Tex is a loud and quick talking American looking for fun and love. Alby an Aussie is the more silent one, he can fight and likes a good time too.
In their travels, Tex and Alby become the accidental owners of a beautiful green Corvette Stingray car . The car has hidden in it money, a pistol and bags of marijuana. The boys feel like they have hit the jackpot and head off the Surfers Paradise to party. The real owner of the car, money, dope is far from happy.
Tex and Ably give a lift to a young girl who is lost in life, and she goes along for the ride with Tex and Alby. Both guys take care of the young girl as best they can.
When they get to Surfers Paradise the fun and dramas start. After all the mayhem in Surfers Paradise, Tex and Alby think it might be a good idea to rob a coach bus? This causes even more complications.
High Rolling doesn't make any wonderful stands or statements. Its just a fun road movie set in Australia in 1977. There are quite a few young Aussie actors in bit parts scattered throughout the movie, some go onto bigger and better roles!
Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (2017)
Don't always believe what you hear/read in the news
Nobody Speak starts off interestingly enough. Terry Bollea is filmed privately in a compromising position. A gossip website pretending to be a news service gets hold of the footage and posts it online. The question is should have they posted the footage? The lines are blurred between the privacy of Terry Bollea and his well known alter ego pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. As the case unfolds people are held accountable for their actions. The documentary then takes a left turn and heads off in a woke direction.
Members of the media are upset that some people in very powerful positions have the power to control news services to a degree. The powerful people appear to want to hold some media outlets accountable for fabricating stories and not telling the whole story. Its hard to feel sorry for the media, as it has lost a lot of integrity and honesty over the years.
50 years ago the media more often reported the facts and the truth as close as possible.
But over the years money and political favors have become far more important to the media then reporting the actual truth and facts.
The Black Demon (2023)
Lacks any bite at all.
An engineer of sorts takes his family to work with him. His work place is inspecting an oil rig in the ocean.
The oil rig and town that is it near it, appears to be cursed.
It seems the people in the small seaside town are not fond of anyone who works for the oil companies head office, that owns the oil rig. Telling this story takes up the first part of the movie.
In the second part the engineer and his family arrive on the old rig to meet two survivors. You might ask survivors of what? They have survived a curse and a huge shark.
The 3rd part of the movie see's the engineer trying to right the wrongs of the oil companies past.
This is the worst shark movie I have seen. The characters are bland, the story is boring and there is far more talking than action. Its a slow paced movie, with the shark playing a minor role.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
I just didn't see what all the fuss was about?
For many years, I had read lots of really positive things about the 1984 Spinal Tap movie. Somehow I had never taken the time to watch it. From what I had read over the years, it was mockumentary kind of thing about an English rock band.
So I have finally watched it!
This is Spinal Tap is about an English band (Spinal Tap of course) who do an ill fated tour of America. A struggling filmmaker follows along with Spinal Tap to do a documentary of their tour. Things start off ok, but the band goes on to have all sorts of problems from misunderstanding's within the band, not being able to find the stage and the cover of their new album. This leads to some in fighting and eventually a new direction. But all is not lost! The lead characters are likeable in an empty headed way. In the support cast there are a lot of people who go on to become well known. There are some funny lines and situations, but for the most part its predictable and you can see what's coming next.
I was disappointed after I watched This is Spinal Tap. I don't know why, maybe all the build up over the years? But I didn't think it was a masterpiece or even that good. For me it was an average comedy made back in the 1980's. Perhaps if I saw it 30 plus years earlier it might have been different?
He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (2001)
Needs more tabouli, hummus and pickles!
I kind of had some high hopes for He Died with a Felafel in His Hand. I had read some positives things about it. I like quirky and off-beat movies. However I felt let down with this movie.
The story is, Danny bounces around from one flat share to another and meets some strange people. That's basically it...
Noah Taylor has the lead role as Danny, a boring would be writer. Sophie Lee is in the movie as well and plays her character again from the much better film, Muriel's Wedding. The rest of the cast and their characters are easily forgettable.
There was some poor pronunciation/mumbling from some actors, and this made it difficult to understand exactly what they were saying.
Animal Factory (2000)
Just not convincing
An obvious attempt at being a Shawshank Redemption type of movie, but it fails miserably.
The movie focus on the very unlikely friendship of Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) a hardened inmate and new young inmate Ron Decker (Edward Furlong). Earl slowly gains Ron's trust, and Earl teaches Ron all the do's and don'ts of prison life. One of the things that lets this film down, is Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) and Ron Decker (Edward Furlong) have zero chemistry. The movie runs for 1 hour 34 minutes, but it feels like it goes for 2 hours and 30 minutes
There are a few well known actors in this picture, kind of fun picking them out. The story plods along with two or three high spots of action.
Avengement (2019)
Decent film or plain silly?
The main character Cain Burgess (Scott Adkins) has become a violent criminal and a fighting machine. He is seeking revenge against those who did him wrong. Cain Burgess needs some money to start up a business, so Cain takes on a dodgy "job" to earn some cash, however it has disastrous results for him.
The story is told in flashback sequences, which manages to hold the story together pretty well. There is an average/ decent plot in this movie with a few obvious twists and turns. The fighting scenes are frequent, maybe too frequent and violent. As the movie travels along Cain manages to beat up a small battalion of assorted thugs, kind of like a Bruce Lee film.
Scott Adkins in someway resembles Adam Sandler, which makes it hard to focus on the psycho character at times!
This film sits on a very fine line, between being a decent film or a silly film?
Strangerland (2015)
Dusty and mundane.
Mum, dad and two teenage kids re-start life in a small desolate Australian country town. None of them appear to be happy in their new surroundings. As the story slowly unfolds, each member of the family has personal issues to battle. Each of them try to overcome their problems in different ways. The father is very intense and protective of his families secrets. The children are bored and get lost in day to day life, and pretty much the same with the unstable mum.
There are no characters who are overly interesting or likeable. The movie crawls along at a mundane pace telling the story in a bland fashion. There is an emptiness to this movie, which feels like "somethings" have been left out.
How did Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving ever get mixed up in this boring mess?
Debi Marshall Investigates: Frozen Lies (2019)
Interesting but drawn out.
An interesting Australian crime story focusing on tragic events from the 1970's. Its told in a documentary format over 5 episodes. Hosted by Debi Marshall a journalist, who has suffered her own personal tragedy years earlier. Debi becomes a bit self indulgent at times, and takes the heat away from the main subject matter. If Debi goes on a fact finding trip, it seems its more about Debi going on a trip then the reason why. A few interviews it becomes more about Debi, than the interviewee. The actual story revolves around a young drifter who becomes friends with a prominent professional person. Their friendship leads to a significant crime event. Debi retells the the story from years gone by, and she try's to piece together what actually happened. Often Debi is confronted by conflicting statements and dodgy evidence. There are some shady characters for Debi to try and decipher. It slowly appears to be a crime story within a crime story.
The biggest problem with this documentary is it is done in 5 episodes. At times it seems to go over and over the same subject matter. It often builds up to a climax, then fizzes out. It would have been better if the documentary was done over 2 or possibly 3 episodes.
Burn After Reading (2008)
A poor mans Pulp Fiction?
Burn After Reading (2008) is a difficult movie to explain within a few lines. Short version - A CD falls into the hands of the wrong person, who see's it as a way to make some money. This sets off a series of events with blackmail, CIA, Russians, cosmetic surgery, cheating on partners, divorce and a gym. The plot has lots of twists and turns, the acting is good. Brad Pitt is a lot of fun as a dumb gym instructor. George Clooney plays the self centred lothario type very well. The story somehow all fits together. The ending while it is mildly amusing, is a bit of a let down. Made by the by Coen brothers, its a similar style to some of the other Coen brothers films.
Last Survivors (2021)
Last resort movie on a boring, wet and cold night.
Father Troy and his adult son Jake live a very isolated life deep inside the frozen countryside. They live this way to stay well away from the dangerous world outside. The father warns the son, constantly about the dangers of the outside world and all the evil people within it.
Father Troy suffers an injury protecting their homestead. Jake the son goes off to find urgent medical supplies. During his journey to find medical supplies, Jake meets a person. The interaction with the person is very different to what Jake expects. This meeting confuses Jake and he questions his fathers teachings. Jakes life is thrown into turmoil and he doesn't know who or what to believe.
This movie might just does enough to keep the viewer mildly interested, but it certainly reaches no great heights.
It might be tagged, but in no way is this a Sci-Fi movie.
Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 (2022)
The Human Race Going Backwards
Show's how the world and human race has not properly evolved from 1969 onwards.
By 1999 the devolution of mankind was well in motion.
Sometimes things can turn out great with little planning. Then things can be meticulously planned and great targets set, all to fail.
The Battery (2012)
Flat battery
More drama than horror, but both are delivered well below average.
Two former baseball players travel aimlessly around he country side, trying to avoid zombies. One baseball player is gung ho and the other one is sensitive. A large portion of the film, lazily takes place in the back of a station wagon.
The movie is tedious, slow and mostly boring. The two lead characters individually have zero charisma, and there is no chemistry between the two.
The film was shot in 15 days and cost $6,000 to make. Say no more.
Spider-Man (2002)
innovative movie!
This Spider-Man movie sticks proudly close to the comic book tale. The actors portraying the characters fit their roles well, and are what you might expect to see in the roles.
The nerdy and weak teenage Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider. He gets ill for a period of time. Once back on his feet, he has never felt better in his whole life. Soon after he starts to find out that he has new strength and new skills, plus web!
He bumbles around working out how to use his new powers. He also bumbles around trying desperately to win the heart of Mary Jane Watson. The action is well delivered and the emotional stuff is well delivered too. The kiss in the rain, best ever!
Spider-man (2002) changed of landscape in superhero movies. It was smart, funny, good story, heart warming incredible visually and well made. Spider-Man (2002) really lifted the superhero movies to the next level and gained respect.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Where Am I?
The general public is still split on whether Spider-man is a hero or villain? However after Spider-man's last battle, his popularity is steadily on the decline. Unfortunately for Peter Parker everyone knows that he is Spider-man.
Spider-man is desperate to make-right some past events, so he visits Dr Strange to help him. From here things get way out of control. There are lots of familiar characters dropping in and adding to the story and action.
The movie drags on a bit for the first part. But is needed to link the story together. The story is clever, well thought out and has some interesting twist's to it. There is lots of action mixed with a healthy dose of political correctness. Visually it's great and well made, what you expect from a Marvel movie. There are some deep and heart tugging emotional scenes, along with the all web slinging.
Maybe just a bit long at 2 hours and 28 minutes? But the second half of the movie, makes up for the slow start. A good movie and in the top echelon of superhero movies.
Lovelace (2013)
Two stories, one person.
Mostly set in the 1970's, Linda Lovelace becomes an unsuspecting mainstream star, courtesy of her starring role in the 1972 pornographic cult movie Deep Throat.
The movie Deep Throat becomes quite popular and well known outside of the usual trashy world of pornography. Deep Throat also makes a heap of money at the box office.
Lovelace starts off with the simple life of young Linda Boreman. She has had some troubles in the past, but seems to have a decent grip on life. Linda meets the charming Chuck Traynor and the two soon become a couple.
From here the movie tells the story of Linda willingly making pornographic movies and happily going along with Chuck. Linda becomes a celebrity and enjoys the fame and lifestyle.
The movie then twist's around and tells the story of Linda being in a very abusive and controlling relationship with scumbag Chuck Traynor. He forces Linda into prostitution and to make the pornographic movies. Linda try's to escape from Chuck, the world of seedy people and pornographic movies.
In some emotional scenes, Linda's mother is a stern and unloving women, her father is supportive but a weak man. The casting is good with Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace and Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Traynor. There are some other familiar actors in the cast such as Sharon Stone, Eric Roberts and Robert Patrick.
Linda Boreman/Lovelace is portrayed as a shy and cautious young women. She seems to be sensitive and almost frail. Yet somehow she fall's into the world of pornographic movies.
It is difficult to tell what actually happened during Linda's pornographic career? Did she do it happily or was she forced to do it? Was she a victim or a vixen? There are stories and events that are contrary to each other.