JTF's Own Personal Artistic Hell Gauntlet

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 05-14-2016, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I feel the same way about Oculus too. I thought the premise and suspense was built well, but it did become aimless and pointless. There was no real motive for what happened in it and that would have made it way more interesting if the characters were a little more humanized or fleshed out.

Still have to see It Follows.

I think Hush was a touch better than Oculus, but they're both very "meh" in my books. Still better than some of the jump scare heavy modern horrors though, and I definitely do see some potential with Flannegan's desire to be a little different.

Get to watching It Follows, seriously. Not quite as good as The Babadook, but it has a killer score and the script was so well written.

Justthefacts · 05-15-2016, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

I think Hush was a touch better than Oculus, but they're both very "meh" in my books. Still better than some of the jump scare heavy modern horrors though, and I definitely do see some potential with Flannegan's desire to be a little different.

Get to watching It Follows, seriously. Not quite as good as The Babadook, but it has a killer score and the script was so well written.

Any film that uses an unstoppable entity as some allegory to aids, take all my money. Just the thought of that gives me a rock hard chub. Oh yeah, it's a good film too.

@Frown I can send you a torrent if you want.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 05-15-2016, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Any film that uses an unstoppable entity as some allegory to aids, take all my money. Just the thought of that gives me a rock hard chub. Oh yeah, it's a good film too.

But mostly rock hard chub, right?

Justthefacts · 05-15-2016, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Oh **** yes. That's a Violent J solo album BTW.

Okay, I thought it was ICP. Fuck me, right?

The Batlord · 05-15-2016, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Okay, I thought it was ICP. Fuck me, right?

It's one half of ICP. The good half. Such as it is.

Justthefacts · 05-16-2016, 11:06 AM

If I'm a bitch for watching this at least twice a day, then so be it.

Justthefacts · 05-15-2016, 11:36 AM

The Raid II: Berndal

The Raid 2 takes place just a few hours after the first Raid. Rama (protagonist of the first) knows first hand that the goons in the building were just little fish swimming in a small area of a huge pond. What's outside of that building is where the real fear is. The Raid: Redemption is a relatively small, isolated, claustrophobic film compared to Berndal, simply showcasing a gonzo group of cops caught in a web of corruption, stretching only as far as the walls can go. Now with vengeance and justice stuck on Rama's mind, he realizes very soon it's not going to be so simple.

Take everything that made Redemption so great, and brutal, and crank that shit up ten-fold. With these characters not beholden to the confines of brick walls, the story unravels to goliath heights. I don't think anyone knew Gareth Evans could actually muster anything other than some of the greatest choreography, much less an intricate, detailed intertwined story. If his quest was to turn a contained plotline of survival into a crime saga worthy of "Godfather" complexity, he certainly succeeded.

Evans created intensity in tight spaces with Redemption. Berndal avoids repeating that formula, moving the chaos to prison and the streets, shoving Rama into an unforgiving world of assassins and duplicity, asking the weary figure of nobility to navigate a new realm of enemies that emerge from anywhere at a time. it's a considerable widening of "The Raid" universe, pitting Rama against various criminal interests, forced to rely on his fight skills and heartfelt need to serve justice to cap a gushing well of mayhem.

Many different names and faces emerge throughout the film, all playing to a greater purpose, revealing plotlines with considerable depth. The violence, or ultraviolence, is much more extreme. I've seen NC-17 films more tamer than this. The number of times I said oh shit from each broken bone, or shotgun blast to faces, or hammers through mouths was more than 30 times I assure you. But with all this style, it has more than enough substance to go around, which makes it a very fulfilling film. And it should considering it's two and half hours.

All In All, The Raid: Berndal is hands down one of the best action films ever made. It's visceral, well-written, and even thought provoking believe it or not. A Raid film? Thought-provoking? Believe it. See it. But see The Raid: Redemption first, it literally won't make sense if you don't see redemption first. But I'm sure you already knew that. 9.5/10