Vultural

Bummer, dude. I just came across this.
oojason was the one who encouraged me when I inquired about launching a thread reviewing Fanedits.
He was very patient, helping me with markdown, then offering a few suggestions as to the wording of the opening page.
This was invaluable and I remain grateful. In the past, elsewhere, when I PM’d a MOD, half the time it would be like talking with the cat.
Really class guy.
I will miss him, but I know what it’s like to roll away and not look back.
Safe journey.

The Grasshopper Lies Heavy (The Man In The High Castle) - Heavysyde

Filesize = 2 GB, Video = 1280 X 720p AVC, Audio = 128 kbps 2 Channel Stereo mp4a, no subs

Heavysyde wisely hones in on one storyline, that of Julianna and Joe.
This is wise, as theirs has the most momentum in a series long on windy promises, short on delivery.
Nonetheless, the resultant edit is still 4 hours long. Me, I watched in installments.
By and large, this is a satisfying version, with fine audio.
Video is solid. This is a darkish series, and this was a first-time edit, so I wondered about that.

For me, this is an improvement over the series, which was a colossal disappointment.
I watched three quarters of S02 before quitting. Spotnitz should have dialed Morgan and Wong.
Heavysyde mentions his edit is best for those who don’t want to delve too deep in this series.
Correcto mundo.

Links at Info.

Pussy Control - Mollo

Short from the Batman Consecution.
A solid short, yet suffers in comparison with Mayhem & Mistletoe.
Unfortunately, whoever organized this consecution placed this immediately after ThrowgnCpr’s edit.
This is virtually the exact story, yet without the black n white style, nor the haiku brevity.
Plays out a bit longer, though the extra time adds little to the story.
Funny moments outweighed the lulls.
Absolutely worth a look, but do yourself and Mollo a favor and space these two Catwoman stories apart.

Mayhem & Mistletoe - ThrowgnCpr

Batman Consecution short.
What a great little Christmas card this makes for your favorite Batman fan!
Wonderfully decolorized except for the gold, and the red.
And oh, those red cat lips.
Goes without saying, I liked the video work.
Audio was nice 2 channel, as well.
Best of all, the narrative held together.
Very satisfying appetizer.

A Murderous Affair In Horizon Tower - 2020 - 7/10
AKA - Mo Tian da Lou // 摩天大楼

Locked room mystery finds attractive coffee shop owner dead in her luxury apartment.
Straight off, how can a mere barista afford to live in the opulent Horizon Tower?
Yes, the investigating detectives wonder at that, as well.
Suspects? Ha! The building teems with them.
Smitten building employees, jealous women, alpha males.
Episode 1 - 2 is of one suspect, 3 - 4 another. That is the structure.
Each episode is a little over 30”. I dislike binging, yet I watched two at a time.
Two things stick out in this Chinese drama. Police are honest; rules & evidence types. Yeah, propaganda.
The other is the undercurrent of oppressed or second status females.
I would not have pictured China admitting such occurs – though it is global wide.

Abwege - 1928 - 7/10
AKA - The Devious Path

German silent, directed by Pabst.
Very much a precursor to Pandora’s Box and Diary Of A Lost Girl, this also explores moral shortcomings and the lifeless underbelly of the decadent Weimar.
Wife (Brigitte Helm), married to strait-laced fuss-bucket banker, deserts him one night to party with “more liberated” friends in hedonistic club.
Banker sits at home, window wide open, letting in blasts of freezing air, thinking of divorce options.
The club sequence, meanwhile, is a showstopper, and goes on for perhaps twenty minutes.

Pabst revels in the excitement, the loose morality, the sheer boredom, the drunken excesses, the hazy confusion.
Far better than most films I’ve watched, this gives a real feel to the jittery edge of Berlin before the street riots between Communists and Nazis.
Ending displayed the censor’s hand, unlike the bleak pit of Pabst’s next two films.

20th Century Women - 2016 - 7/10

Coming of age story, time/location specific to 1979 Santa Barbara.
Ma (Annette Benning) asks two other females to help raise (watch over) fatherless son.
What really occurs, however, is the three females work out bad stretches using the son as listener, witness, Greek chorus.
The teenage boy is fine because, unlike a man, he simply listens instead of trying to “fix” problems.
Talky, yet this does not drag. Should girlfriends load this, guys ought to be able to tolerate.
I caught a few minor errors, probably because I was in Southern California in the mid-late 70’s.

Per Sempre - 1988 (Until Death) - Dr. Sapirstein

Filesize = 1.9 GB, Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC Audio = 128 kbps 2 Channel Stereo AAC, subs yes.

Fine Giallo of betrayal and murder, laced with the supernatural.
Linda, along with lover Carlo, murder her husband, then dispose of the body.
Eight years on, the duo are still together, though love has gone stale
Enter the handsome stranger. Penniless, yet will do handyman chores.
Audio remains so-so, though provided subtitles appear superior to readily available ones.
Video restoration is restrained, but levels are consistent throughout.
This is a good looking print and the story will satisfy mystery buffs.

Subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/brivido-giallo-first-season/english/2700085

FvJ (Freddy’s Dead & Long Night At Camp Blood & Freddy Vs Jason) - NegaJuice (AKA: juice4z0 & Neglify)

Two of the weaker movies from two franchises, as well as what ought to have been a decent bow-out. Of course, franchises being money generators, the killing forces of nature stagger on and on. Rather than releasing these three edits separately, Juice4z0 and Neglify have placed all three in one release, suggesting viewers to watch in proper sequence. Good advice, as the shows progress from lame to enjoyable.

The audio is well defined and clear. Freddy’s Dead and Long Night At Camp Blood were both 6 channel, Freddy Vs Jason 2 channel. I watched on three separate nights so this was not discernable. Binge viewers might pick up on that, however. Dialogue was clean throughout, and all three movies range from whisper to deafening. No subs. The editors provided an audio commentary for each film. Mixed joy there.

For me, each film is independent and stands alone. If one assumes they will stitch together, they do not. Structure is episodic. Freddy’s Dead remains poorly constructed. Final Chapter is definitely better than the original - more gore, more sex! FvJ helped by reducing Freddy and adding more Jason.

Thoughts about the audio commentaries. By turns informative, entertaining, irritating. Both editors sound blotto. I wish they had sat on these a bit, gave them another listen, then an edit or an overhaul. For every insight, they counter that with an asinine comment or bout of giggles. Bummer.

Listening to the audio commentary, however, I realized the editors had been tempted to include excessive nudity and more sex. Guys, next time push that pedal down. Go for it. As usual, tempo in the 13th series better than Elm. Real improvement is in the final FvJ. This edit kicks, and makes one dismiss the original damn quick. If you see no other film in this trilogy, be sure to give this a watch. Special note: Closing credits were a gem. Labor of love that kept me going, “Wait! That’s from … wait a minute!” Awesome treat.

I reviewed this back in 2015. Since then, the FE team has redacted this from the FEDB, although there are still active links on Info.
Good luck out there.

Kissed - 2020 - 6/10

Norman is coroner or morgue attendant.
Tidying up the female body before … well, before the final enclosure.

Any seasoned guy would tell him.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Girls remember. Forever.”
Still, some people never listen to anyone.

The Great Beauty - 2013 - 8/10
AKA - La Grande Bellezza

Visually striking film of the compromised soul.
Forty years previous, Jep wrote a well received book.
That was his entry to the high life, free pass to the In-Crowd.
He never wrote again, becoming a dilettante and coasting on his laurels.
Dizzying array of sybaritic pleasures, contrast with the sheer futility of living.
Point, all shall die. So why struggle to be heard, seen, appreciated?
Jep, the gracious, ever-smiling wastrel, is repeatedly paired against creative stragglers, or humans falling into despair, or the frail and elderly, coming face to face with the summation.
Tour de force, though overlong and not always enjoyable.

Foxcatcher - 2014 - 6/10

Based on the true life murder committed by wealthy DuPont scion.
Whereas most of his family is involved with horses, he is passionate about wrestling.
Not professional, but Olympic.
He ingratiates himself with gold medal brothers with his estate and wealth, and envisions himself as coach premier.
His training methods are non-existent, his obligation schedule heavy, and his need to control massive.
Any perceived slights or disloyalty yield consequences.
A moody film, shot on dreary outdoor days or inside washed out rooms, displaying lives.
Superb acting all around. Atmospheric, if noticeable, score.

Mark 13 (Hardware) - Maniac

Filesize = 8.2 GB, Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC, Audio = 1536 kbps 5.1 DTS, no subs.

My guilty pleasure, cyberpunk fave. A plot that flirts with incoherence throughout, and the style is a cross between an extended MTV video and an erotic thriller. Fans of the 1980’s at their most excessive, this is for you!
The video work in this is great. From blurry to crystalline, murky to oversaturated.
The audio mix is equally superb, from the swirling sound mix to the cheesy musical score.
The original was hardly a great film, but was an enjoyable, if bizarre, SciFi thriller.
Maniac has kept the best elements, the wild excess, perverse exuberance.
Get a big bag of chips, your favorite beverage and crank the volume.

Bruce Wayne: Depths Of Darkness - Infodroid

Batman Consecution-short.
An outstanding, albeit dark, take on guilt and self-destruction.
Elements from Batman mixed with various Bale movies to create a new dimension to Wayne.
Video editing terrific.
Audio, much less so. Gain should have been increased on material from The Machinist.
This felt like an oversight to me, and ought to have been corrected before inclusion.
Narrative itself holds together well, remarkable in light of the diverse source material utilized.
Enjoyed this one a lot, though not what one would term happy viewing.

Zelenyj, Alexander - Blacker Against The Deep Dark

Bought this a few years ago, examined it, suffered pangs of buyers remorse.
Even before the title page is a gatefold of accolades. Fifteen presses declare how great our author is, and by extension, how insecure. The inside dustjacket bears a photo, masked. Either offer a photo or don’t, but don’t pretend to be Banksy.
Anyway, three years after receiving this, I started reading.
“Highway Of Lost Women” follows four friends across the spontaneous roadtrip. Northbound, destination wherever. In their 30’s, no longer young, their teenage dreams gone.
“The Ocean Closes At Midnight” recounts the annual reunion. Maria and Phillip, youth long buried. The future they had hoped for was lost though overconfidence or pride. Do they even exist? Or are they simply lingering memories?
Just John wishes upon a star and, to his astonishment, his wish may be granted. An alluring, red-skinned female alien offers to eradicate his pain. With a handful of paragraphs, we understand Just John, his anguish, and the cataclysmic possibilities of his decision. In “Loneliness The Hunter” Zelenyj broadstrokes characters, setting and conflict. He fails, however, to deliver a satisfying “prestige.” The ending simply squats.
That, sadly, is a problem with the midsection of tales. Poor, uninspired or unfinished resolutions. He is hardly unique. I have read too many from writers who are not proper story-tellers. Similar to the soul at the office or party who blunders the anecdote and shrugs, “I guess you had to be there.”
“From Parts Unknown” is for ringside fight fans, and this nails it. Wrestler Monster Rollinski, bruised from years of pile drivers and flying tackles longs for – an answer to his mysterious youth.
Then there is “Kill Them And Kill Them (And Pray For Something Good)”. The protagonist, performance artist Burton Chosky, is a shame-faced appropriation of G G Allin. Perhaps our author imagines a new generation never heard of Allin, or his story. Jesus Horatio Christ.
“I’m your prisoner, you’re my spider!” is one of the panting outbursts during the climax of mattress action. The tale is adults-only, but it does tie in with one of the comic gems, “Spiderpartment.” The young couple discovers the adjoining apartment has a slight infestation. What should they do? Me, I like spiders. When found inside the house, they are carefully returned outdoors. Unless their web is by the window and they are catching flies. Then they are honored guests. If you also like arachnids, then this story will be a highlight for you, as well.

Death In The Soul - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - La Mort dans l’âme

The first lawyer walked off. The second now faces the same blank wall.
“I confessed to the police. I killed my son. We’re done.” Silence.
Yes, the son was killed. Did the father actually kill him? Was it suicide? Or an outsider?
One of the more interesting French mystery thrillers, this told from the attorney’s point of view.
Throughout, this weaves Noir elements into the ugly village secrets.
Not classic, by a long shot, yet a cut above the usual.

Summer Of Love - 2007 - 6/10

Indifferent use of period sights and sounds from San Francisco, circa 1967.
Interviews with still-surviving, oldish spokesmen from the era.
Music soundtrack a mix of San Francisco and Los Angeles groups. In some cases, cover groups.
Some clips from the Human Be-In, next to nothing from Monterey Pop.
At the end, speakers confessed how very sour it all became, as tens of thousands flooded in.
PBS aired a couple superior docs of that period with Coyote - worth seeking out.
The “summer of love” turned 50 awhile ago. This balances rosy memories with the mess.

Laggies - 2014 - 6/10

A rare Keira Knightley vehicle that I actually enjoyed.
She relies less and less on her squints, pouts, head shakes, her bag of “cute” crutches.
Acting, instead of coasting.

Ten years after prom night, college degree in hand, Megan is back in her parents’ home, waving a cardboard sign outside dad’s accounting agency.
Her friends, meanwhile, are gliding into adulthood - getting married, making babies.
By chance, she starts hanging with high school seniors, seeing mistakes they are making, by extension mistakes she has made.
One of the girls has a divorced father.
Lightweight romance is a bit predictable, but Knightley underplays her role and dumps the glamour thing,
Good date flick.

The Girl Before - 2021 - 7/10

Tight four-part thriller, based on hit novel (that apparently received negative blowback).
After passing a peculiar series of examinations, a single woman moves into an austere dwelling.
The house, which resembles a modern museum interior, possesses a clinical personality.
The architect who designed it seems an emotionless, tightly wound obsessive.
Oh yeah, the previous tenant had died there.
Oh, so had a woman before that.
Our tenant, Jane, does not find that out until later.
Well constructed burner will absorb some, alienate others.

Gun Crazy - 1949 - 8/10

After a stint in reform school, then a hitch in the Army, the local man returns home.
Bit aimless, only talent he possesses is marksmanship. His love, guns.
Until the Brit cowgirl arrives with the carnival. And man, can she shoot.
Their eyes lock, and from there on they ride the Noir highway into darkness.

There is the belief that a good person can redeem a borderline soul. (I could be an example there.)
By extension, a bad individual can corrupt the wayward one.
In Gun Crazy, the smoldering Peggy Cummins is not pure evil, but she is bad.
She truly loves her man, but she has a big empty inside, as well as a murderous streak.
Guns and sex propel this offbeat Noir, one of the absolute best.

Jupiter Ascending - 2014 - 3/10

After-hours at the zoo, there will be a shift switch.
Lions and chimps stroll concrete pathways, twirling cage keys, cigarettes dangling from lips.
Inside cages will be humans. On one cage will be a sign reading NON COMPOS MENTIS.
The grinning lunatic within will likely be watching Jupiter Ascending.

Despite atrocious reviews, I told myself it couldn’t be that bad.
Even so, I could go stupid. Apparently not stupid enough.
OK - one day our heroine is scrubbing toilets for a living. Then she finds out she is galactic royalty.
She actually owns planet earth!
Yay! No more taxes, no more waiting in line at the taco drive through, no more living with white trash relatives who want to sell her eggs for drug money.
Does she go that route? Aaaacccckkkk !!
She gets a teenage crush on wolf guy who flies about on magic shoes, she gullibly believes all sorts of lies from supposed relatives who do nothing all day - as they have for thousands of years. TV? Dining? Bathroom? Nope, they just sit around.
Expect lots of overwhelming CGI that adds zilch. Expect endless, overlong fights that are actually quite petty (wolf guy in combat with squads here and there). Expect a script geared for autistic cockroaches. Expect to see name actors sleepwalking their way through this vat of hogfat.
Further evidence of the sad creative decline of the Wachowski siblings.
Jupiter Ascending ain’t Fifth Element, let alone Interstellar or Gravity.
This makes Matrix Revolutions, the Zion crap, appear intelligent.
Yes - I watched it. Idiot.
Hopefully the inevitable porn spoof (Jupiter Ass-Ending) will prove superior.

Finally posted a review -
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: Extended Blue Rose - igorleoni
This is an excellent edit and should be watched by all Lynch fans.

Note: PM’ing the editor for links seemed to work best for me.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: Extended Blue Rose - igorleoni

Filesize = 7.2 GB, Video = 1920 X 1036p AVC, Audio = 317 kbps 2 Channel Stereo AAC, no subs.

This is the second edit I have watched, which attempts to reinsert missing footage into Lynch’s “feature”.
With this director, I am never sure of anything. I find him more maddening than Herzog.
Anyway, the first section of this play out like amateur, community theatre. I don’t know if these performers cannot act, or of they have been directed to emulate drunken cacti.
Once Laura Palmer appears, the acting turns professional, although the story continues to meander somewhat. Just hold on and bear with it.
The truckstop sequence is unforgettable.
The image quality if this is excellent, the audio adequate. Subtitles are unnecessary.
I still suffer enjoyment / appreciate issues with this film. Indeed with this director’s oeuvre, or the director himself, whom I’ve always equated with the unclothed emperor.

Several years ago, Q2 also crafted an extended version of this.
In many ways, it is quite similar, and my comments from 2014 mirror my thoughts toward this edit.
For convenience, I posted my review of Q2’s version before this one.
For Twin Peaks fans, and Lynch believers, both versions are strongly recommended.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me: Teresa Banks and the Last Seven Days of Laura Palmer - Q2

I am NOT a Lynch fan. I watched S01 when it initially aired 20+ years ago, and was infuriated with Lynch because he did not (or could not) deliver the promised resolution. S02 was longer and messier, which led all but the hard core to believe his concept was rudderless. Ratings dipped, show was canceled, and the subsequent Fire Walk With Me was judged incomprehensible.

Later, internet forums offered explanations for everything, Twin Peaks reputation not only survives, but stubbornly ascends.

Q2 has refashioned FWWM with deleted scenes, outtakes, to better follow Lynch’s vision. Maybe. With Lynch, one never knows.

Video editing really good here. Jump cuts and fades. Some material was never remastered, so do not judge against that.

Audio - Anything by Lynch is worth “listening” to. No exception here. Sound design in FWWM is dazzling. From tiny sounds to noise to the hypnotic roadhouse band. Also solid editing. No quick fade-outs or mid drops. Masterful use of layering music to link new material. I listened on headphones, I cranked the main speakers. Both ways - great.

Narrative - What in the hell …
I am convinced there is a tight story in here, but an extended version just pumps more fog into the confusion. FBI subplots seem meaningless to the plot. Just Lynch ridiculing the Feds. I would have dropped references to all agents. Blasphemy, yes, but keep the focus on Laura. Weave the Lodge, especially BOB.

The extended narrative wanders aimlessly for over an hour, then it locks in and grows inspired. The sound mix, the brooding tone, the fatalistic dread. A one-way Noir ticket to Hell.

End of the film, there was more here I liked than disliked. I will also be the first to admit hard core Twin Peaks fans will revel in this extended edition.

Did I enjoy this? No. Did I watch it repeatedly? Yes, twice already, and I may rewatch again.
Do I like Lynch’s work in general? No. Aside from Mulholland Drive, not at all. His whole ouvre is baffling, incomprehensible, self-indulgent, and seems lost in a thicket of brilliant ideas yet incapable of reining them into cohesion. Of course this also helps to explain its enduring popularity.
On the other hand, I watch, and rewatch his movies.

Should you watch Q2’s edit? Absolutely! This is a must!
Yet it you have never watched any season of Twin Peaks, do yourself a favor and watch those first.
Rest assured, if you get confused there are piles of websites and boards to offer answers or suggestions to any questions or puzzles. Maybe. With Twin Peaks, nothing is certain, nothing is as it appears.
One way or another, we are still adrift.

Angel Dust - 1994 - 5/10
AKA - Enjeru Dasuto // エンジェル　ダスト

Japanese thriller about a serial killer who strikes on crowded subways the first Monday every month.
He targets young women, using a hypodermic to inject poison into them.
Nice ratings, notwithstanding, this proved a frustrating mystery.
The female police analyst / profiler is a rather weak soul who has unresolved feelings for an old flame, a psychiatrist who now deprograms “cult victims.”
Director Ishii seems to have been profoundly influenced by David Lynch (Twin Peaks aired a couple years earlier).
A cave, and murder within, recur frequently.
Revelations and subsequent mysteries pop up from time to time. None have any bearing on the murder.
It was like the writing room said, “Oh, here’s a weird idea!” and tossed it into the plot. Repeat. Repeat.
Half the room fell asleep during this one.
I stayed awake - wish I hadn’t.