FREAK – a new horror film from producer/director/writer Bianca Crespo comes to DVD on February 22, 2022 from Bayview Entertainment.
The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021) Movie Review ‘Slow & Methodical’
The Last Thing Mary Saw – Slow & Methodical
Director: Edoardo Vitaletti
Writer: Edoardo Vitaletti (Screenplay)
Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Rory Culkin, Stefanie Scott, Carolyn McCormick, Judith Robets, Shane Coffey
Plot: Winter, 1843. A young woman is under investigation following the mysterious death of her family’s matriarch. Her recollection of the events sheds new light on the ageless forces behind the tragedy.
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Last Thing Mary Saw starts in the winter of 1843, where maid Eleanor (Fuhrman) and young lady Mary (Scott) have been having an affair, frowned upon within the religious community, where the women are forced to go through corrections to set their minds straight.
As the couple continue their affair a stranger (Culkin) arrives with a promise to help fix the problem, with his stories proving to have more meaning to them, can the women make it out of this together or not.
Thoughts on The Last Thing Mary Saw
Thoughts – The Last Thing Mary Saw is a horror film that will dive into old times beliefs, seeing two lovers punished for not following their traditions of the community, needing to deal with the methods to try and fix them. This is the type of horror that will always make us question how naïve the previous generations would be to restrict life to one direction. This is going to be a horror that isn’t going to be for everything, as most of the horror elements are slowly built up, waiting for a more shocking moment, waiting for more to happen. The performances are strong, with each performer making us believe they are from the simpler time, one of calm within the world, but one that is filled with the pain of the suffering of strict rules.
Final Thoughts – The Last Thing Mary Saw is a slow burning horror.
ABC Film Challenge – Catch-Up 2021 – Q – Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Movie Review ‘Magical Family Adventure’
Raya and the Last Dragon – Magical Family Adventure
Raya and the Last Dragon is under Q because of writer Qui Nguyen.
Director: Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa
Writer: Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim (Screenplay) Paul Briggs, Don Hall, Adele Lim, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa, Dean Wellins (Story)
Starring: (Voice Talents) Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Jona Xiao
Plot: In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.
Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Raya and the Last Dragon starts as Raya tells the story of how Kumandra was split between five kingdoms after an attack which saw the dragons of the world trapped in stone. Years after this, one piece of dragon magic is left, holding back a common enemy the Droon, when the five kingdoms clash, the power is broken, leading the Droon returning and putting the kingdoms in danger.
Raya spends the next six-years searching for a solution, hoping to find Sisu, the last remaining dragon and reunited the gem pieces to bring peace back to the world, one where everyone isn’t fighting against each other to survive.
Thoughts on Raya and the Last Dragon
Thoughts – Raya and the Last Dragon is an animated adventure following a young woman who wants to bring the world back together as one, only to find herself unable to trust the people around her because of years of war between the different kingdoms, needing to let people in to help her succeed in her adventure to save what she might have lost. This is a film that gets everything right with the supporting cast giving us a chance to get a few laughs along the way, each with their own reason for joining Raya on the adventure, with everyone in this world being people that have lost something along the way. The world created with the animation is beautiful, with a mix of different ideas for each kingdom to have, using the different environments to make them standout. This is a film with a deeper message that would be important for everyone to understand, with a fun sense behind the world filled with defeat.
Final Thoughts – Raya and the Last Dragon is a delightful movie, filled with adventure, peril and an important message.
Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die (2021) Movie Review
Director: Gonzalo Calzada
Writer: Gonzalo Calzada (Screenplay)
Starring: Marilu Marini, Pepe Soriano
Plot: A woman narrates the final night on earth of a 100-year old man, whom fights for redemption from his life’s misdeeds.
Runtime: 1 Hour 7 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Thoughts on Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die
Thoughts – Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die is another perspective of the events of the Side A, with a narration, music and different style used for the film, like we are looking back through a memory catalogue. This is another unique way to look at a movie, despite having the same story, it will amaze seeing how it could be seen in a different way. How many films would you like to see from a different angle, this offers that up. The negative from this does come from the fact it is nothing more in story, just the spin on the first vision of the film.
Final Thoughts – Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die is nice spin on seeing a story from a different angle.
Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night (2021) Movie Review
Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night – Very Unique Movie
Director: Gonzalo Calzada
Writer: Gonzalo Calzada (Screenplay)
Starring: Marina Artigas, Lautaro Delgado, Mora Della Veccia, Marilu Marini, Jenaro Nouet, Desiree Salgueiro, Pepe Soriano, Nicolas Scarpino
Plot: Ulysses is a hundred-year-old man, battling for redemption on his last night on earth. Faced with imminent death, he is forced to rethink his past, his present and his take on reality.
Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night starts as we meet the 100-year-old man Ulises (Soriano) as he finds himself getting lost around his apartment complex, searching for his wife Dalia (Marini), as the two find themselves dealing with an unknown intruder, trying to get into their apartment.
As the night continues, Ulises finds himself looking back at the first time he met Dalia, as his life seems to be catching up with him, as he is nearing the end of his own.
Thoughts on Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night
Thoughts – Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night is a mystery drama follows an elderly man as he faces his final day on Earth, as he looks through his life, he finds himself confronting the moments he regrets, smiling through the moments he remembers fondly and seeing the loved ones around him not being sure of his decisions. This is a movie that will need to see each moment getting the full attention, as you might miss the importance of each interaction and where it is on the journey through Ulises life. This is one of the few films you will see, that you will feel like you need to re-watch to pick on up on little things you might miss, easily one of the most re-watchable movies of recent years.
Final Thoughts – Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night is a unique interesting look at an impending death.
Movie Reviews 101 