NOVEMBER MIX N MATCH reviews

Some of the flicks I’ve watched this past week:

I liked INTERSTELLAR and its themes of family bonding and human determination (even though the theatre’s sound was crazy, but we’ve discussed this problem before).

DELIVER US FROM EVIL did a good job mashing up police procedural with the supernatural genre (the exorcism in it is shot as if it’s a police interrogation..!), but there’s a moment that really disappointed me, where Eric Bana’s character should be at rock bottom and emotional rather than solemn and justified. I think they missed the mark big time with that and marred my final judgment of the film.

I’m a fan of the original TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (I even have an old VHS copy of it), so was curious what they’d do with the remake/reboot/sequel/whatever-label-they-slapped-on-it. It comes off as a pretty solid 1980s era-style slasher in tone with really slick modern day cinematography. I think it also comes off as too much inspired by SCREAM, but hell, SCREAM comes off a little too much like HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, so whatever.

I really liked THE PURGE ANARCHY. I mean, it’s wholeheartedly a crazy ass premise that would never, ever, ever work in a really real world situation (there’s no way a country could pick up the pieces after a yearly night of Purging, and I’m deep-down an optimist when it comes to human morality — surprise!! — so I don’t think it would fly.) BUT, I do think the film was scary and tense, so it did its job.

Finally, the kids wanted to watch THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE. BRAIN was garbage. SHRINKING MAN is quite good with an existential ending.