Movie reviews

MAXXXINE

Recommended. I did some reading on Richard Ramirez before the movie - wrong approach, he's not even named in the flick. It''s a sequel to "X" but footage is shown so no need to have seen it earlier, but if you have, "MaXXXine" is more fun. I wish I could pause and analyse every little scene in the first act. There are plenty of Easter eggs. A Bette Davis quote opens the movie. Maxine puts out a cigarette on Theda Bara's star - the actress was a silent era sex symbol, she used to depict vamps - women who destroy men. A Wonder Woman cosplayer poses for pictures in the streets of Hollywood - the series was aired in 1975-1979. There's also a verbal reference to Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actress, never in a movie, who became famous as "The Black Dahlia" after she was murdered and her naked body bisected. On the other hand, it's a fact Demi Moore and a few other actresses were in horrors at the early stage of the career. So was Kevin Bacon, who actually appears as the sleuth in "MaXXXine". The 80s star is underrated but a true gem. The movie's rich in context both externally and internally within the trilogy. The club scene hears "Welcome To The Pleasuredome": "Love your body even when it's old" in the lyrics is relevant to the story in "X". But the film plays also with current social changes, e.g. the issue of putting responsibility on the victim: "Maybe she should save herself. I did." - though this point is ambiguously depicted in the plot. But most of all it's a satire on Hollywood, where serious undertones mix with Hollywood-style fun: "Whatever it is in your life that's distracting you, squash it." - well, a serial killer is a bit of a distraction - and where everyone wants to be a movie star, even a police officer. With a consistent story. Smartly edited. There's a post-credit which confirms it's all about Tinseltown. 

THE WATCHERS

Watchable. A horror rooted in Irish folk tales. The human characters, especially Madeleine, are magnetic. The changelings are trite with their elongated, tree-like silhouettes and shrieks. Ishana Night Shyamalan's movie based on A. M. Shine's novel is truly original in terms of the story but insufficiently justified, especially the finale. The discovery should finish the film and leave you with that shock. 

LONGLEGS

Watchable. Much better than the trailer which indicated an ordinary horror. This one is more original and barely a horror, more of a supernatural crime thriller. Old tropes like a psychic, a doll, a satanic cult are combined in a brand new story. Atmospheric, even if on the slow side, it uses sound effects well which works in an Atmos-sound screening room at least. Nicolas Cage is amazing as Longlegs - one of his best performances, if not the best. The investigation is engaging. Towards the end, the agent's world goes upside down - a recent cinematographic way to show an upcoming twist of her position. 

WIECZOR KAWALERSKI

Watchable. The opening scene imitates the one from "Mayday". But you realise later the context is totally different. This supposed comedy isn't funny at all, blood-chilling rather at times. Well, the first 50 minutes are a bit incoherent in terms of plot, filled with silly conversations but feature beautifully shot lap dances. Then the action takes a criminal turn. So first you watch for the visuals, then for the suspense and twists of action. All the female actors, especially the three leads: Magdalena Perlińska, Kinga Jasik, Joanna Opozda are amazing, their male counterparts less so. Jan Wieczorkowski as Wolf ruins many scenes with his high-pitched, squeaky voice. And they're certainly no comedy actors. None of them. A good soundtrack but often played together with dialogues means you have to try to ignore either and many lines are barely audible. My little pet hate within the movie is that first you're told - correctly - that with a gun in your mouth you can only utter vowels. Later Wolf says that it's consonants. The whole film is engaging enough but not exactly fun.