Vultural

The Internship - 2013 - 6/10

Light comedy of two middle aged stumblers who apply for jobs with Google, going the intern route.
Applicants break off into teams and competition begins.
Enjoyed this more than I thought as the two older males do not condescend to younger members,
nor do they try to take advantage of them.
They walk a narrow line between ignorance and earnestness, but carry that off.
Overlong at 2.00+ hours, yet never seemed to lose momentum.
Vaughn and Wilson struck me as being too old for these roles.

In The House - 2012 - 7/10
AKA - Dans Le Maison

François Ozon offers another film (his third) about writers.
Young student worms his way into his best friend’s house and family, observing and probing their bourgeois, middle class home.
Sharing his voyeuristic streak, he writes stories about them and submits them to his composition teacher.
Always ending, “To be continued …”
The teacher soon becomes absorbed, as does his wife, with whom he shares the stories.
Maddening difficult to tell if the student’s observations were accurate or partial. Were the stories clichéd, balanced, stereotyped? Was the teacher layering his own filters and fantasies?
The house of cards narrative steadily teeters higher.
Not exactly a thriller, but an unpleasant ride.

The Maiden - 2016 - 6/10

Near perfect distillation of the haunted house story.
Relator Lucy is saddled with a white elephant, the battered mansion.
Worse, it could be haunted, cursed, possessed.
Well, commission is commission. Amidst a few trifling problems she scrubs the interior to be presentable.
Limited dialogue, some jump scares, foreboding atmosphere, acceptable acting.

Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool - 2017 - 7/10

Gloria Grahame biopic, sure to attract Film Noir fans.
Annette Bening plays the faded femme fatale in her final two years.
This covers her relationship with Peter Turner (from whose book this is based) and his family.
AFTER she had undergone cancer therapy and thought herself clear, and into the final relapse.
Heyday films (The Bad And The Beautiful, In A Lonely Place, Crossfire, The Big Heat, Human Desire, among many) are barely referenced.
The infamous scandal of marriage number four is a mere breath.

Hollywood generally loves filmed versions of their glittering selves.
Chaplin, Ed Wood, Frances, The Aviator, Too Much, Too Soon, receive acclaim, and if not awards, at least nominations.
Other films, The Cat’s Meow, Valentino, The Last Of Robin Hood, Auto Focus, not so much love, even when acting is outstanding.
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool seems to be in the latter group.

Mods, Rockers And Bank Holiday Mayhem - 2014 - 5/10

Somewhat illuminating.
Mods = sharp suits, scooters, and style. / / Rockers = leather, motorcycles, and speed.
Mostly, though, this is a shabby BBC doc about the overblown clashes between British youth in the early 60’s.
Early squabbles were exaggerated by the English press, fueling future rumbles.
Before they knew it, Swinging London swept their moment into history’s dustbin.

Editing complaints: This was padded, including repeated interview bites.
Worse, attempts to “damage” the look were blatant and amateurish.
Any time there was a 60’s photo, sprocket holes raced across the middle, or debris, or blobs of color.
Scratches and added grain seemed mandatory.
By the end, one of the editors must have snoozed because the vintage overlay bled onto surviving interviewees.

Joan Rivers: By Her Friends - 2018 - 6/10

Lukewarm pairing to Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work - 2010.
This is a remembrance of the savage tongue by friends, peers and daughter Melissa.
Numerous old clips and routines, though her bio material is better covered elsewhere.
Decent introduction and tribute to Ms Rivers.
Folks either love Joan or detest her, this doc is for the former.
Feels like a fan letter to admirers.

A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder - 2021 - 6/10

Fun, socially distant (Covid era) production put on by CollaborAzian.
An all-Asian cast perform this musical cousin of “Kind Hearts And Coronets.”
After Montague’s mother dies, he discovers he is actually a D’Ysquith.
More than that, he is actually eighth in line for the earldom!
Oh, those pesky relatives. Save for the lovely Phoebe, something of a cousin, yet elegant.
Then there is Sibella, catnip personified.
First things first, those heirs, can’t they simply … move along?
As far as the songs, think music hall or Gilbert & Sullivan.
Theatre junkies, comedy tonight!

The Square - 2017 - 6/10

Flux of museum curator, publicity consultants, journalists, benefactors, an innocent.
Not the actual creative forces. No, showmen, touts, hangers on.
Stockholm museum, determined to juice interest in upcoming installation, opts for disturbing gala.
Anyone who has done PR - or rolled their eyes at it - will recognize how some stunts, no matter how moronic or stale, succeed despite themselves, whereas imaginative concepts may be utterly ignored by the unwashed.
The distracted curator is a poor father, thoughtless lover, bully to children.
Insider satire may be too icy and too incestuous for its own good.

I had a couple fundraising gigs for “non-profit” arts groups.
Their appetite for money would astonish many. Just how much was taken in and spent.
I was good, coaxing mid-sized Poobahs to donate so they could admire their names in guides
Until I was fired. Next year, I was recalled.
When money is involved, the arts world has little shame.

Just Like A Woman - 2012 - 6/10

Chick flick hits the road.
Two women flee Chicago for a belly dance competition in Santa Fe.
To pay for fuel and supplies, they perform at bars and clubs along the way.
Fabulous outdoor scenery provides backdrop to confessions and fears.
Unlike other traveling souls who seem drawn to trouble, these two try to avoid it.
Their past trails after them, however, and free spirits always capture attention.

The Museum - 2021 - 6/10
AKA - Yr Amgueddfa

Daniel, right, brings new mate / love stud, Caleb, to the museum gala.
Whereupon Caleb immediately puts the moves on Dan’s mom, Della.
And Della, apparently as heedless as she is weak, succumbs and opens the velvet temple.
First episode of a corkscrew puzzler from Wales.
Believe me, there are twists and turns throughout this labyrinth of schemes and secrets.
At times, this is a little too contrived from its own good.
Soap opera elements detract from the mystery angles.

Vilgefortz, non-English would be no good to me, but I still think you ought to offer for others.
You could upload an srt and put a link in this thread somewhere.
Or I could load to Subscene for you.
Most subbers credit themselves at the beginning and conclusion, which you should do, if you decide to share.

The Double - 2013 - 6/10

How come I never heard of this one?
Oh, because it was way too confusing and artsy for 98% of the planet?
Evocative Orwellian set design, straight out of Brazil sets the tone of an oppressive worker drone state.
Insecure, nebbishy Jesse Eisenberg bobbles adrift in vast, gloomy, mega-corporation, going nowhere fast.
Then his double, Jesse Eisenberg, arrives, swaggering confidence and gusto.
The pair meet, and the charismatic one offers to help his meek counterpart.
Viewers can spot that L for loser across his forehead.
Bleak, often wickedly funny film based on Dostoyevsky story.

The Mystery Of Henri Pick - 2019 - 7/10
AKA - Le Mystère Henri Pick

Publisher Daphné hears about a peculiar library devoted to rejected books.
Manuscripts that other presses had refused to publish.
By chance, she comes across the one by Henri Pick, recently deceased pizza maker.
Once printed it becomes a massive best-seller, lauded by critics and casuals alike.
Save for Jean-Michel, TV critic, who declares the whole business is dubious.
From there, into the maze he scuttles, with viewers tagging behind.
Light comedy with a bitter edge will suit reading types, who will be better at catching the sly jokes.

Big Sur - 2013 - 7/10

Languid adaptation of Kerouac’s novel, focusing on a couple of stays at Ferlinghetti’s mountain cabin.
Slow going and meandering, yet enjoyable for fans of the author and the Beats.
Kerouac is older here, haggard, and well on his descent into alcoholism.
Opening paraphrase sums up the curse of fame and expectation -
“All over America high school and college kids are thinking Jack Kerouac is 26 years old and on the road hitchhiking, while there I am, almost 40 years old, bored and jaded,”
Might be difficult for those who know the Beats through movies, not their writings.

Ah! If you do subs, please share.
And I’m one of those for whom large filesizes are problematic.
Usually they are OK, unless internet goes out and I lose the whole damn thing.

The new ambush preview sounds good, by the way.

Grand Budapest Hotel - 2013 - 6/10

Is it just me? How is this shaggy dog tale such a critical darling?
Narrative supposedly shows hotel in its glorious heyday, especially the ever attentive manager, and how it came to fall into the possession of the current, and possibly final manager.
Story itself is a series of onion like recollections, each more stylized, more fabricated the deeper memory probed.
Stunning set design counterbalanced by mannered performances of oddballs and kooks.
Anderson’s films are always worth a look, but the overall look and tone begin to feel repetitive.

Ferris Wheel At Night - 2013 - 6/10
AKA - Yakou Kanransha // 夜行観覧車

Warning! This J-dorama is like a female hormonal tornado.
Family moves into exclusive, posh community they can barely afford.
Straight away, neighbors regard them with disdain and belittle them numerous times.
At school, the daughter is bullied. Across the street, a brutal murder.
No mistake, while seemingly a “chick drama," secrets and conspiracies increasingly predominate.
Perfect families, perfect neighborhoods, and those brittle, perfect facades that conceal so much.
Cleverly constructed to punch emotional buttons.

Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work - 2010 - 7/10

Documentary following the comedian for a year.
I had viewed this when it came out, but watched this time with her audio commentary.
In many ways, funnier, with merciless self awareness.
Rivers packs the commentary with jokes, one-liners, sarcasm, and confessions.
Sensitive souls, beware, there is foul language galore, as well as an early sequence of her sans makeup.

You are one of the old school members. Chances are you were active during the Boon tenure.
What are you making with Ladyhawke?
An mp4? Or a DVD with menu and trailer?
Fewer craft the latter nowadays.

The Stranger (Eyes Of A Stranger) - Maniac

Excellent, concise version of a middling slasher / stalker flick.
A serial killer prowls Miami streets, primarily at night.
The police are … what police? Only a perky TV newscaster seems interested.
Especially after she hones in on a suspect.

Filesize = 7.3 GB. Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC. Audio = 1536 kbps 5.1 DTS. No subs.

The image in this is pretty good, especially during night sequences.
Slashers were never demo time for crisp imaging.
The cuts boil the narrative down to bones and pulp, omitting several superfluous characters.
To be honest, most of the characters could have been jettisoned, all served as props to push plot.
The DTS is very strong, in fact, it is better than this film deserves.
At barely an hour, this dark thriller might conclude while you have a few cans left of your sixpack.

Home Invasion (Don’t Breath 1 and 2) - Maniac

Excellent combination of two thrillers, with perfect segue from the first one to the second.

Filesize = 11 GB. Video = 1920 X 1080 AVC. Audio = 1536 kbps 5.1 DTS. No subs.

Continuing a trend within the community, the filesize is a whopping 11 GB.
(For me, I simply can’t burn a copy which I regret.)
The first film, better, fresher, is a hardboiled caper gone to hell.
As always with this editor, DB1 is trimmed to bare essentials. Not that viewers care about the “intruders” except to see how they will be dispatched.
The second effort launches with new ward, Phoenix, who has target stamped on her head.
Baddies are more lethal and Mr. Lang absorbs enough abuse to kill an elephant.
Early on, a news alert drops the hint about a missing medico. That should have been removed.
The sound mix in both films will satisfy you and annoy your roomies. The tiniest sounds are picked up, and when it roars, brace for complaints.
That said, the dialogue in the DB2 was always murky, and is no better here. Most of the villains mumble and seem incomprehensible. This is the sound designer, loading layers of audio yet forgetting to maximize dialogue. Being a source issue, don’t blame the faneditor.
The ending felt like quitting time. The original wasn’t much better.
Maniac wisely cut Phoenix, though the bit with the dog might have been a better outro.

Blue Steel 44 (Blue Steel 1990) - Maniac

Rookie cop Megan interrupts a convenience store holdup, and accidentally awakens a germinating serial killer.

Filesize = 7 GB. Video = 1920 X 1080 AVC. Audio = 1536 kbps 5.1 DTS. No subs.

Straight off, this is not Megan’s story, so much as it is that of an increasingly violent exchange broker (an intense Ron Silver).
This edit is stripped to that narrative, it is extremely tight and works throughout.
Note should be made to the audio specs. The DTS is a beast.
Maniac has tweaked the gunfire which explodes from your speakers.
If you are watching this with the volume turned up, your neighbors will know.
This is an editor who continues to learn and up his game.

Hitler: Memories Of The Past (Triumph Of The Will) - Maniac

I reviewed this several years ago at another site.
At the time, I voiced serious issues I had with the result. Insufficient subtitles.
Maniac overhauled his edit and delivers a superior second version.

Filesize = 4.32 GB. Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC. Audio = 192 kbps 2-Channel stereo AC-3. Subtitled throughout.

The image for Riefenstahl’s 1934 film is sharp, the quality for “Night And Fog” less so, and “Memory Of The Camps” runs fair to poor. This is source material so do not blame the editor.
One watches the 1934 Nuremberg rally unfold, and then the narrative shifts to the camps.
This is jarring, and well done. The blunt juxtaposition of pomp and pageantry, and atrocity. Words vs. deeds.
The speeches are now subtitled, which vastly improves the contradictions of “the coming Reich” and “what the Reich became.”
Music additions were mixed for me. I thought the opening, aerial sequences worked, and the score for the closing was haunting.
At barely an hour, this ought to be mandatory viewing.

Note: The original V1 is available at another fanedit place. Don’t get that one. Go to Maniac’s own site.

Thirst (Raw - 2016) - Maniac

This gory, cannibalistic shocker is tightened and pushed to carnivore maximum.

Filesize = 4.5 GB. Video = 1980 X 1080p mp4. Audio = 317 kbps, 2-Channel AAC. Subtitled throughout. Hardsubs.

The gurgling narrative is boiled down to its essence of meat and ravening hunger.
Odd conflicts and personal dramas are gone from this.
Instead, Justine’s first year at vet school doesn’t mess around. She does, though.
Yet her ride is plunging down a descending roller coaster, one permanently in the twisting tunnel.
One of the surprising joys of this cut is how funny this film is.
That is Maniac’s droll gift, highlighting the gruesome humor throughout.
Much of the over the top antics are laugh out loud. (Perhaps that says more about me.)
Editors, check out opening and closing credits.
Warning! If you are new to Maniac’s edits, this is NOT the one to begin with.
And this, like others, may be an acquired taste. Ha, sorry.

Web Of Deception - 1989 - 6/10
AKA - Jing Hun Ji // 驚魂記

Lawyer Lin, planning to emigrate to Canada, is being blackmailed.
Her friend and assistant, May, might have motive.
In addition, May’s friend Queenie has a desperate financial need for her convict sister.
Then, during a stormy night, everyone winds up in Lin’s dark home.
Muddled Hong Kong thriller has an improvised, cobbled together feel.
As if they had a sketch, rather than a script.
Juicy dual role for Joey Wong, especially as the crazy, vengeful jailbird sister.
No great shakes but will divert Hong Kong fans for an hour or so.