Watched in the cinema (190th visit in 2024)

Since its premiere in 2003, "Wicked" has been one of the absolute box office hits among musicals, selling out theaters worldwide. Indications that the movie "Wicked: Part One" is a musical - and in fact only the first of two parts - were few and far between in the run-up to the theatrical release and were not to be found in the trailer or in any other marketing. Apparently, there was a great fear of scaring off the audience in advance or simply suffering another "Cats", i.e. taking a colossal bath with a very successful musical in the cinema.

However, the movie certainly doesn't need such a fraudulent label. While "Cats" frightened audiences with gruesome computer effects, "Wicked" shows a lot of love for the world it depicts in every minute of the movie. This is also because despite the fantasy story - it is, after all, the prequel to the wicked witch from the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" - the decision was not made to rely entirely on computer effects, but rather to build a series of elaborate sets with astonishing details. These are styled down to the smallest detail and, with their steampunk-like design, provide an exciting contrast to the look of traditional fairy tale and fantasy films. The school library is particularly memorable, with its rotating round bookcases that are more gym than learning center, but with spectacular dance interludes and the rousing feel-good song by "Bridgerton" heartbreaker Jonathan Bailey, it is undoubtedly one of the film's absolute highlights.

Director Jon M. Chu has already proven with "In The Heights" that he can stage visually impressive and musically catchy musicals. Here, he can now go one better, not least thanks to the star-studded cast. Tony winner and Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo in the leading role and pop starlet Ariana Grande are particularly impressive, with the former having a convincing voice in an engaging outsider role and the latter playing the blonde ditzy girl in a congenial manner, not for the first time.

Of course, one might ask whether the story, which is not very complex in itself, really needed to be told in two films. Although the two-part story, released one year apart, allows the story to be expanded and embellished with further details and character moments, the movie does feel a little drawn out at times. It's also a shame that there wasn't enough room to give the storyline with the talking animals more space. It is also an unusual choice that the vocal numbers in particular were repeatedly shot with backlighting or in twilight, which is why colors sometimes appear somewhat washed out. Of course, this is criticism on a very, very high level. Part Two can't approach fast enough!

Watched on Blu-Ray

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." An iconic quote from George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", the pop-cultural significance of which is familiar even to non-genre fans, given how often this classic has been plagiarized, reconstructed and parodied. But what if, and Romero did not categorically rule out this idea in 1978, hell is not a mythical-religious place of torment that is ravished by reality, but the earth, our home, itself? In any case, we humans have always done everything we can to maintain this impression: We slaughter our own kind en masse, deprive animals of their habitat by cutting down entire forests, and confuse evidence of power with rigorous stupidity - nothing is sacred to us, there are no more companions, there is only competition. In Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later", the gates into the infernal maw can be located in Great Britain - but the horror is fed by a global nature.

In 2002, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland unerringly penetrated collective states of fear because they did not define "28 Days Later" as a zombie film that speculated on the pure splatter effect, but rather created a scenario that shocked with its oppressive topicality: there was constant talk in the media of new infectious diseases (SARS), while BSE was slowly but surely also (once again) allowed to make the rounds. "28 Days Later" picks up on the general panic about these diseases and transfers them into a sparse horror corset in which the root of all evil can be traced back to the so-called "rage virus": After a group of activists attempt to free a horde of infected chimpanzees from their cages, the highly contagious virus breaks out and declares London a ghost town in no time at all. There is something incredibly spooky when bicycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from his coma and wanders through the dead streets of the metropolis: the buildings look like relics of a bygone era.

"28 Days Later" constantly triggers a draining feeling of powerlessness: This England consists only of the ruins of what was once civilization, everything material has lost its value, the newspapers waving around read something about evacuation, the advertising pillars overflow with the faces of the missing and there has long been no comfort to be found in the church, but rather the very hissing terror that also leaps through your window at night: What remains is the fight for survival, nothing more, nothing less. Together with Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns), Jim sets off to follow a radio message promising food and shelter to the outskirts of Manchester. What awaits the troops, however, is exactly what they might find anywhere: Totalitarian power structures, violence and the acting out of the basest instincts. Where civilization falls, civilized behaviour dies.

The destructive primal urges to which not only the soldiers on the military post have succumbed, but also the anonymous hordes of the infected, because they (possibly?) metaphorically reflect the true nature of man, are constantly put up for discussion in "28 Days Later": is it really the infected who come closest to the essence of man hidden behind the domesticated façade, because they have completely rid themselves of the social masquerade of etiquette and modesty? After all, it's all about eating. And that's also where the soldiers fit in, although they are only interested in fucking. Is man fundamentally evil? "28 Days Later" does not want to affirm this question, but it leaves this interpretation open, even though it describes our protagonists as an intact community that preserves hope through love in this coarse-grained end-time vision. Ultimately, however, it is only nature that remains, that regulates itself independently, that offers contemplation and poetry, where man sooner or later extinguishes himself through his own fault.

Watched on Disney +

Tim Allen's big breakthrough came with "The Santa Clause". The film is typically American in every respect: lots of sentiment and many clichés. The Christmas atmosphere of the movie also fits in seamlessly. But this is actually good for the movie, because the exaggeration with which everything is portrayed gives the viewer the feeling of being presented with the ultimate Christmas movie. Especially in a movie that is about "faith" and "being a child again", this contributes to the overall experience.

One of the film's great strengths is therefore the atmosphere it creates. The music is excellently chosen and contributes a lot to the mood; it supports the movie amazingly well. The locations are also carefully chosen and the sets are very valuable. In addition, the special effects really bring the fairy tale to life.
The acting performances are good. All the characters in "The Santa Clause" come across quite convincingly. The only drawback in this respect is that everything is a bit exaggerated, but that is of course typically American. However, Tim Allen, who plays Santa Claus, is sometimes a little annoying. This is mainly due to the jokes, which are a little too bland. But the movie is primarily aimed at a young audience, so from that perspective it's forgivable.

The plot isn't bad, but it's pretty predictable. In fact, as a viewer you know right from the start how the whole movie is going to play out. Nevertheless, this simplicity is good for a younger audience. It allows them to empathize with the characters and makes the story easy to follow. However, the beginning could have been a little quicker, and the pace also drops off a little in the middle of the movie at times. Fortunately, it picks up again at the denouement, where it is also absolutely necessary to be convincing.

"The Santa Clause" tries to convey a real Christmas atmosphere to you. It succeeds in part, but is sometimes a little too sweet and a little too much of a good thing. Nevertheless, it remains a nice movie for Christmas. If you ignore the clichés and don't expect too much, this really is, as Disney repeatedly emphasizes, a film you can watch with the whole family. Even as an adult, it's an enjoyable movie to take a break from all the stress of this hectic time.

Watched in the cinema (189th visit in 2024)

It may seem paradoxical at first glance, but respect is due to those who meet the films from Sony's Spider-Man universe (SSU) with unbroken anticipation. The characters on which these productions are based are by no means uninteresting. However, their cinematic realizations have increasingly developed into pale caricatures. The once menacing Venom has been degraded to a witty sidekick, the vampiric Morbius has become a bloodless production and Madame Web has involuntarily mutated into a bizarre advertising figure. In terms of staging, the previous works range between mediocre conventionality and almost shocking blunders.

With "Kraven the Hunter", Sony is venturing into another attempt to breathe new life into the SSU. However, the project was already beset by numerous challenges in the run-up to production. The shadows of the less successful predecessors, numerous delays due to reshoots, strikes and strategic postponements pushed the film, originally planned for 2023, into the fall of 2024. Just as the theatrical release was approaching, it was announced that Sony would be discontinuing the SSU and focusing exclusively on Spider-Man in the future. Should this be the case, "Kraven the Hunter" would be the swan song of this franchise.

Despite the skeptical omens, there were indications that gave cause for cautious optimism. The film has an R rating and thus at least shows a willingness to distance itself from the slick approach of other superhero works. The choice of director also raised hopes: J.C. Chandor, known for sophisticated dramas such as "All Is Lost" and "A Most Violent Year", demonstrated a flair for action in "Triple Frontier". Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the title character and Russell Crowe in a supporting role rounded off the promising cast.

However, the finished realization is only able to meet expectations to a limited extent. Compared to the other SSU personnel, "Kraven the Hunter" is the most successful entry in the series, but this assessment carries little weight given the low bar. Chandor succeeds in creating visually impressive moments in places, but these do not emerge from a strong narrative foundation. The hunting scenes in both urban and natural environments look solid, but the road to them is paved with narrative inconsistencies and staging weaknesses. Scenes feel either immature or out of place, and the dynamics of the plot kick in far too late. The screenplay tramples on too many elements at the same time without finding a clear line.

A major weakness is the overloading of the story with secondary characters. Christopher Abbott as a supernaturally gifted contract killer remains wasted, and his motivation is not sufficiently deepened. A supposedly central role such as that of Calypso, played by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, is only sporadically present. Even Russell Crowe fails to lend his role as a father with a Russian accent any significant depth. The only acting constant is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, whose physical presence and commitment at least offer some substance. Nevertheless, his performance feels like a wasted effort in a franchise that seems to be on its last legs anyway.

The action scenes reflect this ambivalence impressively. Most of them are at least solid in terms of craftsmanship (some are even quite successful), but their staging lacks substance. The higher age rating remains a barely used promise, as the violence lacks the necessary impact to leave a lasting impression. Isolated highlights are lost in an interplay of narrative stagnation and lengthy passages that neither generate tension nor offer any depth of content. Instead of focusing on dynamics or creative approaches, the film prolongs its already flat plot without setting any noteworthy accents. What seems most remarkable is the fact that Sony is releasing this film in cinemas alongside Disney audience magnets and hype musicals. Whether this is an expression of admirable confidence or rather a gesture of resignation remains to be seen. However, the latter seems to be the more likely interpretation.

Watched in the cinema (188th visit in 2024)

Fans of "The Lord of the Rings" can't really complain about a lack of new content. The second season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has just been released, which conjured up the fantasy world created by J. R. R. Tolkien on home screens at great expense. Two new live-action cinema films are currently in the works and are scheduled for release from 2026. Until then, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" is on the agenda. The franchise returns to the past in several respects. Firstly, it tells a story that takes place around 200 years before the events of Peter Jackson's celebrated trilogy. Secondly, it is an animated film. And anyone familiar with the various versions of Middle-Earth will know that several animated films were made in the beginning, long before the live-action films, of which "The Lord of the Rings" was even quite successful in 1978. However, while these were US productions back then, this time the focus was on the Far East. The European pseudo-medieval era is put into an anime guise.

That sounds a little strange, because two worlds collide. However, the result is much less exciting than one might have hoped. Kenji Kamiyama is an experienced director. However, his adaptation of the well-known original is very arbitrary. Of course, it was not to be expected that he would experiment as much as Ralph Bakshi did with the aforementioned 1978 version. But more than interchangeable 08/15 designs would have been possible. "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" is completely devoid of a personal visual touch. At no point do you recognize your own vision. Technically, it is also mixed. Occasionally, the backgrounds are quite good. However, the animations are not up to cinema standard and are very unpleasantly jerky. It was clear that we wouldn't get a heartfelt project like "The Boy and the Heron". But it didn't have to be quite so unambitious.

The visual disappointment would be easier to put up with if the movie had something to offer in terms of content. But here, too, it falls far short of the mark. Anyone who liked the fantasy aspects of the novels or the adaptations, for example, need not even look past them. At an early point, there is an original monster that is staged in a terrifying way. Orcs make a brief appearance later on. But that's about it, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" is primarily about disputes between humans. There is as little to be seen of the many strange creatures that we associate with this world as there is of magic. Of course, purely human conflicts can also be exciting. But the characters here are too boring for that, especially as the cultural background is not elaborated. Wulf could and should have been a tragic figure. Here he seems more like a child who throws a tantrum because he hasn't been bought ice cream.

And as if all this wasn't modest enough, there are several reasons for annoyance. For example, when the enemy stands two by two in front of the gate and the huge army stands idly by, this is just as stupid as the claim that all the messenger birds are taken from the sky while at the same time an eagle flies past without a hitch. In too many places you simply realize that the four-person script team wasn't up to the task when idiocy meets pathos and gruesome dialogue. That may sound worse than it is. On the whole, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" is certainly fit for purpose. However, the potential that is shown in between is never fully exploited. Unfortunately, you can clearly tell that the film was originally only produced in order to keep the license. If you like fantasy anime, take a look, there is also a lot of action at the end. But it isn't the hoped for must-see.

Watched on Amazon Prime Video

"Legally Blonde" grossed almost eight times its budget in 2001. As is always the case with successful films, a sequel was therefore only a matter of time. Two years later, "Legally Blonde 2" was actually released in cinemas. After just a few minutes, the suspicion arises that this film could never have been made by the same people who were responsible for the first one. This time, the story was written by Eve Ahlert, Dennis Drake and Kate Kondell. "Legally Blonde 2" seems to have ended the writing careers of the first two. Kondell, who wrote the final screenplay, is still active today, even if her filmography doesn't have any particularly noteworthy entries. This time the director was Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, who was also given the job of directing the TV pilot for a series adaptation of the first film, which never materialized.

In any case, it's clear that these four people didn't understand the first movie. Or at least not its protagonist. In "Legally Blonde", Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a woman whose appearance evokes certain associations, which she partly lives up to. However, she is different in certain respects. But she is also a woman who stands by these peculiarities and uses them to find her way in a system that is not designed for people like her. On the one hand, she celebrates her true self; on the other, she finds compromises to adapt to the circumstances. In "Legally Blonde 2", she seems to fulfill significantly more of the clichés associated with her appearance, but above all, the system now seems to adapt to her.

In the first part, too, most people who are generally considered rather distinguished warmed to Elle after a while, but that was an organic process. Here, on the other hand, everything is quite forced. In the predecessor, people succumbed to the charm of her engaging personality, even if they were perhaps irritated by it at first. Here, coincidences or contrived circumstances play into Elle's hands. Although she occasionally encounters resistance, she does not overcome it on her own, but only thanks to plot conveniences.

The stumbling block that Elle wants to find her dog's biological parents in order to invite them to her wedding is complete cheese. Elle isn't the only character mishandled here though. Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge), who was given too much screentime last time, only appears briefly here to make a few unfunny jokes. Grace (Regina King), as the quasi-antagonist, is basically a reprise of Vivian (Selma Blair) from the first installment, except it just doesn't work as well here.

Watched in the cinema (187th visit in 2024)

It is often said that it is the inner values that count and that purely external beauty is not so important. But of course this is not true, or at least only to a limited extent. It's no secret that a good appearance helps in professional life, and in the search for a partner anyway. Those who conform to a standardized ideal of beauty automatically have advantages in life. Social media has not necessarily made this any better, as there is a lot of pretense. In films anyway. "A Different Man" deals with this topic in a very unique way.

The movie focuses on maximum contrast. When someone who looks as stunning as Sebastian Stan is juxtaposed with a man who is so disfigured by a congenital disease that people either stare at him or look away, then two worlds collide. The decision to put such a mask on him seems grotesque at first. But anyone who knows director and screenwriter Aaron Schimberg already knows that this is not just about the shock factor. Rather, Edward is visually modeled on the actor Adam Pearson, who has already worked with the filmmaker in the aforementioned work and who actually suffers from the protagonist's illness.

However, the illness itself is not what drives Schimberg. Even the issue of beauty is ultimately only secondary. Rather, it is mainly about identity and the question of what actually defines us. At first, it looks as if Edward has also become a new person thanks to his new face. He makes friends, gets on with women and celebrates professional success. However, in "A Different Man", a trick that is as mean as it is absurd causes him to be confronted with his past or to be caught up in it. You don't necessarily have to believe this, as it is not a depiction of reality. Rather, this constellation of characters is a kind of thought experiment that you can ponder a lot afterwards.

That's all you need to know about the movie's content, which is particularly convincing thanks to some surprising twists and original ideas. It's also a lot of fun. Despite the somewhat cerebral subject matter, there is a surprising amount of humor in "A Different Man", which alternates between silly, surreal and black. But it can also get dark, incorporating elements of body horror. And of course it is ultimately tragic what Schimberg has to tell, when the protagonist is a prisoner of himself and has to watch helplessly as others make him and his life their own, he is in many ways controlled by others. It's all well worth seeing, the curious mixture of genres is an extraordinary and excellently acted movie. It's bizarre to be in the company of a person searching for himself and yet it offers many interesting points of reference in everyday life.

Watched on Disney +

Meg Cabot is a well-known author whose novels are aimed at girls and women from adolescence to adulthood. Her stories revolve around universal themes such as family, love, the search for identity, etc. She is one of the most important figures in American chick-lit. One of her most important series is undoubtedly "The Princess Diaries", which comprises almost fifteen stories centering on Mia Thermopolis and the royal family of Genovia. The first volume, published in 2000, was quickly turned into a movie and was released in cinemas the following year, directed by Garry Marshall.

As a coming-of-age tale, "The Princess Diaries" works very well for the audience it is aimed at. Mia is not the most popular girl at her high school, nor is she the most beautiful. She can't speak in front of an audience, isn't good at sports, is bullied by the popular girls' clique led by Lana (Mandy Moore) and is in love with their friend Josh (Erik Von Detten), with whom she clearly doesn't stand a chance. So the questions at the heart of the narrative will be quite relevant. Can you become the voice of a country and rule a nation if you have difficulty making yourself heard at school? Mia's path to accepting her role is not easy. Amidst a maelstrom of attention as the media learns her identity, she must weigh whether the intentions of those around her are honorable, learn complex royal etiquette, and not forget her true friends. All the elements of a good movie for tweens are here, and the royal background that surrounds the story will add that magical touch that inspires dreaming.

Dreaming, yes, but also laughing and maybe even crying. In the fairytale settings of the Genovian consulate, at official dinners, balls and princess costumes, you will laugh at Mia's seemingly increasingly frequent slip-ups, such as when she breaks a statue's finger, swallows a large spoon from a Loch-Normand because she doesn't expect it to be cold, or when she has an accident with a city bus on a very steep road in San Francisco. You can get more emotional when the paparazzi follow her to the beach or when she experiences a cold one with Michael. But in the end, the movie will have done us good and put a smile on our faces.

If you take away its royal setting, the movie still has several strengths in its settings and situations. Mia and her mother live in an old fire station, a kind of huge loft, where Mia gets out of her room by climbing down from a post. She and Lilly ride a scooter to school, and this is the kind of movie that may have caused sales of this mode of transportation to skyrocket after its release. Michael plays the piano in a garage where he performs with his friends for his groupies while eating M&Ms straight from his keyboard. The school where the trio study hosts a beach party where, if you're not boating, you're sitting in front of a fire. Genovese seems like an extraordinary world where dreams come true, but San Francisco isn't bad either.

So "The Princess Diaries" is that movie where extraordinary events are juxtaposed with a heroine who seems ordinary on the outside. Anne Hathaway, in her first movie role, is absolutely convincing and we will really enjoy how she plays this insecure Mia. And who better than the charming Dame Julie Andrews to play her? This coming-of-age film delights its target audience with its simplicity and straightforwardness - whether you're in a limousine in Genovia or on a scooter in the USA.

Watched on Saturday December 7, 2024.

Watched on Amazon Prime Video

When a film that only cost 25 million dollars earns more than ten times that amount, even the critics are delighted and the leading actress is nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe, then a sequel is an obvious choice. All the more so when it is already available, in written form. Helen Fielding, whose successful novel of the same name formed the basis for "Bridget Jones's Diary", continues the adventures of her cult character. The foundations for "Bridget Jones-The Edge of Reason" were therefore excellent, so the recipe could be recreated a second time. And that is exactly what this romantic comedy is, for better or for worse.
The question posed at the beginning of the film is an intriguing one: what actually happens to the two protagonists of a romance after they have ridden off into the sunset? Unfortunately, the answer is much less exciting.

Because "The Edge of Reason" adopts so many elements from its predecessor that it can hardly be called a true successor. More like a copy. A movie that makes itself comfortable in the status quo and refuses to even set foot outside the door.
Take Daniel, for example. He didn't actually play a particularly big role in the second book. But since Hugh Grant was an important part of the film's success, or so it was thought, the risk was too great to do without him. And so he was simply written back into the story without further ado. Understandable, yes, but also a little boring. Because "The Edge of Reason" simply reverses the entire development of the first part, lets Bridget go through the same stages again, and nobody has really learned anything here. Sequels often have the reputation of being a little redundant. Rarely has this been more true than here, where you have the feeling of stepping from one déjà vu fat trap into the next.

In order to distract from this a little, the motto "more is more" was followed. What the film lacks in personal development is therefore made up for by external factors. For one thing, the trio ends up in Thailand at some point to add a bit of exotic flair to the predictable story. The slapstick factor has also been increased. The fact that Bridget likes to get into chaotic situations is part of her charm. When everything goes wrong with her, when she is neither socially adept nor super-slim, this offers a lot of room for identification for all the normal people who have never been able to do much with the all-too-perfect Hollywood beauties. Bridget, that's one of us!

In "The Edge of Reason", however, the awkwardness is exaggerated. Whether it's several situations in which she makes a fool of herself in front of Mark, being filmed striking an extremely embarrassing pose at work or doing everything wrong while skiing, Bridget is portrayed as so incompetent and unfit for life that the everyday person becomes a joke. And she doesn't really deserve that. Because despite all the slapstick and hilarious dialog, "Bridget Jones's Diary" thrives on Zellweger's dazzling charm. This is also undoubtedly there in her second appearance, but is too seldom able to unfold. You can still have fun here with Bridget's insecurities, the cockfights of stockfish Mark and philanderer Daniel. But in the end, it's a movie that nobody needed, as it's just a less coherent copy of the first one.

Watched in the cinema (186th visit in 2024)

After her sensational feature film debut "Systemsprenger", all doors seemed to be open to German director Nora Fingscheidt. And so she took the plunge into Hollywood with her second feature film "The Unforgivable". The Netflix production about a woman released from prison boasted an impressive cast, including Sandra Bullock in the lead role. The streaming figures were also impressive. However, the reviews were sobering and the German high was followed by an international crash. It was therefore not really clear what to expect from the third film, "The Outrun", in which, unlike the second film, she was again involved in the screenplay. Whether this is the reason why the quality is better again is debatable. But after the disappointing predecessor, this one is at least worth seeing again.

However, the story is not based on the German filmmaker. Instead, it is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Amy Liptrot. The award-winning Scottish journalist, who wrote the screenplay with Fingscheidt, records her experiences as an alcoholic. These are not really any different to those familiar from other films on the subject. "The Outrun" is full of scenes in which the protagonist loses control, destroys everything and pushes the people close to her away. However, the drama does not depict these scenes in chronological order. Instead, the film constantly jumps through time, sometimes in London, sometimes with her parents, sometimes in the remote cottage in the Scottish wasteland. There is no real concept to be discerned in the choice of scenes, probably following the erratic nature of memories that make their way back into Rona's consciousness.

This can be confusing, especially at the beginning when you have no idea who these people are. The occasional scientific insertions are also somewhat irritating, which are probably intended as a contrast to the irrationality and emotional chaos. The alcoholic scenes are the less interesting passages. Although they are sometimes intense, they are somehow interchangeable. "The Outrun" is more exciting when it comes to the family history and we learn more about the parents. Both the bipolar father, who has lapses or sometimes lies phlegmatically on the sofa, and the mother, who found her salvation in prayer after years of misfortune, have emotional moments. The scenes when Rona finds access to others also touch the heart.

This is also worth seeing because of the excellent cast. Of course, Saoirse Ronan is the figurehead, but she can rely on the support of the rest of the ensemble. And then there are the stunning shots of the rugged Scottish islands, sometimes idyllic silence, sometimes raging storms. So there's a lot to see in this drama. In the end, "The Outrun" is a portrait worth seeing of a woman who is caught between the past and the future and has to learn to find a common life with these inner demons and old ghosts.

Watched in the cinema (185th visit in 2024)

What do you want to know about addiction?" Jenny (Emma Nova) snarls at her midwife Marla (Friederike Becht) when she finds out the truth about the mother-to-be. But Marla has experienced addiction first-hand, suffering from anorexia, sports addiction and binge eating. That's why the obstetrician doesn't judge her client. She treats her as an equal, almost like a good friend. Her attitude is similar to that of the movie: not wanting to know better, but wanting to understand. The title Vena alludes to the umbilical vein, the umbilical cord vein that supplies the unborn child with oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. The vein stands for bonding, not only between mother and child, but also between adults and perhaps even between audience and identification figure.

Director Chiara Fleischhacker's feature film debut is based on two opposing poles. On the one hand, her own experiences as a new mother, which flowed into the work on her own screenplay. On the other hand, she drew on two years of research: interviews with women in addiction facilities and in prison, with child and youth welfare workers, with parents of addicts and with therapists. The fictional character Jenny and her environment were created from various parts of real people.

However, the director did well not to leave it at the documentary level, but to add subtly dosed and therefore all the more effective poetic highlights to her character and the film as a whole. For example, when Jenny tends to her beloved orchids or when the couple transform their apartment into a starry sky with the curtains drawn. Lisa Jilg's camera takes a close look in many close-ups and detail shots. And in the midst of the film's raw, realistic look, she creates a love of detail that tells the opposite story to addiction and decay, namely that of a harsh tenderness for the characters.

"Vena" aims to draw attention to the fact that there are too few mother-child places in German prisons and that women's babies are taken away from them after birth if they are not given such a place. The film is carried by a convincing leading actress. Jenny has to find a way out of her addiction if she doesn't want to cause lasting damage to her daughter.

Not everything in this against-the-grain social drama is spelled out. For example, it remains unclear for what offense Jenny has to go to prison in the first place - and for how long. Even Marla, her helper and friend, doesn't ask. As with the question of addiction, Marla also stands for the discreet and respectful attitude of the film. The blank spaces allow you to come up with your own explanations - and thus empathize even more with the young woman who simply says about her past: "I messed up a lot". Thanks to the art of omission, the film also avoids the trap of sentimentality that usually threatens a story like this. Instead, when it comes to emotional issues, it sticks to the small details that come across so wonderfully unspent here.

Because Letterboxd doesn't give you the trailer, I do: youtu.be/0js-RXHkofU?si=sXlhnS-U65X-yPgK

Watched in the cinema (184th visit in 2024)

What works once, works again. At least that's what people in this country think and regularly produce films based on successful titles from other European countries. This can be very profitable. Now they are also hoping to strike gold with "Der Vierer". This time they looked around in Spain, more precisely at "Amor En Polvo", which has not yet been released in Germany. Once again, it's a comedy, which obviously works best. And once again Florian David Fitz plays one of the leading roles. This time he also co-wrote the screenplay.

"Der Vierer" sticks very much to the tried and tested. It's not even that there are any interesting or surprising secrets involved. The characters may be blindsided when the bombshell drops. However, a reasonably experienced audience will know long beforehand what is going to be revealed, which is why the scene in question doesn't have much impact.

Unfortunately, the movie is not very imaginative in other respects either. The crises are the usual ones. Sure, "Der Vierer" stands out a little from other films in that the women call the shots while the men all comply. But just because Paul (Florian David Fitz) is a househusband doesn't make it exciting. And the humor didn't exactly shine with creativity either. There was no lack of attempts to be funny. However, director and co-writer Iván Sáinz-Pardo ultimately only managed to put together mostly tired jokes that never really hit home. The same applies to the emotional moments when things inevitably become "beautiful" again later on. German films, at least those that want to appeal to a wider audience, rarely dare to be nasty or at least different.

That doesn't have to bother you. It's also not as if the remake was a complete failure. The ensemble is already in a good mood. There are one or two impulses that could lead to discussions. Occasionally, the movie picks up speed for a short time when the couple's conflicts take on destructive proportions. However, this only briefly awakens them from their slumber. All in all, "Der Vierer" simply ripples along far too much, never really getting much out of the scenario. You don't have to be annoyed about that. But you don't really have to watch the result either.

Because Letterboxd doesn't give you the trailer, I do: youtu.be/6BjCSa7Tazg?si=WdXCO4LcrAEguhuD

Watched in the cinema (183rd visit in 2024)

Mexican drug lords are not necessarily known for taking an in-depth look at their own identity - and certainly not for undergoing a GAS. It therefore takes a certain amount of "suspension of disbelief" on the part of the audience to get involved with "Emilia Pérez". This also applies to numerous other plot points in this film. The easiest way to do this is probably to see it as a kind of modern fairy tale, because as we all know, things happen in fairy tales that are, well, not exactly realistic.

The princess in this fairy tale is the title character Emilia Pérez, who ventures into a new life after her criminal past and finds her true fulfillment in the process. Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón gives an impressive performance in this double role - both as a man before and as a woman after her sex change. She is flanked by two other very good actresses: a tough yet human Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro, from whose point of view the story is told; and Selena Gomez as the slightly vulgar but also vulnerable wife of Manitas del Monte.

If you understand the film as a fairy tale, the musical numbers, which incidentally were penned by French singer Camille, also seem quite coherent. Sometimes aggressive and jagged, sometimes calm, the trio of leading actresses dance and sing their way through gang wars, doctors' meetings and gala dinners. They seem a bit like operatic arias and, although they stretch the film to a length of over two hours, they also give it an unmistakable character.

In terms of content, the film is most comparable to Xavier Dolan's drama "Laurence Anyways", which also dealt with gender reassignment. The emotional intensity that characterized Dolan's work is missing in "Emilia Pérez", partly because the staging as a musical creates a kind of emotional cushion for the audience. However, in his second film not shot in his native French after "Sisters Brothers", Jacques Audiard combines elements that shouldn't really go together. Once again, the French director proves his versatility. Whether sex drama, prison thriller or outsider romance: wherever his name is on it, there is quality inside. Even if, as here, the mix takes a little getting used to.

Watched in the cinema (182nd visit in 2024)

"You're Welcome" is not only the biggest hit from "Moana", but also the attitude with which Disney dropped a bombshell in February 2024. Instead of exploring the Polynesian world again in an announced Disney+ series, the studio surprised everyone at a shareholders' meeting by announcing a proper sequel - and this was directly dated for the end of the year. But behind this bright appearance lies a well-calculated, pragmatic move: the originally planned series was quickly converted into a feature film in order to soothe the shareholders' tense mood caused by repeated failures and to focus on the profitable Christmas period.

A few months and two outstanding cinema successes later - "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Inside Out 2" - the financial situation for Disney has eased noticeably. Together, these blockbusters grossed around 3 billion US dollars worldwide, giving the company a stable starting position. Now "Moana 2" is being positioned as the crowning glory of a financially formative year. In particular, the strategic placement in the Christmas period appears to be an almost guaranteed source of income for Disney, especially as "Mufasa: The Lion King" is being added as another heavyweight title.

But while the commercial expectations are clearly defined, the artistic vision of the sequel remains surprisingly pale. Fans of the original who were looking forward to an adventurous immersion in the Polynesian setting may be disappointed. The new songs - this time without the involvement of Lin-Manuel Miranda - were composed by Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foaʻi, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Despite technical perfection, however, the melodies lack the emotional resonance and catchiness that Disney recently achieved with pieces such as "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from "Encanto" or the hits from the "Frozen" films. Instead, the songs seem like routine anthems that drive the plot forward without really sticking in the memory.

In narrative terms, the sequel suffers from an excess of characters and a lack of narrative coherence. While the predecessor benefited from the dynamic relationship between Vaiana and Maui, the introduction of numerous secondary characters here feels like a superfluous inheritance of the once planned series structure. Characters such as the botanist, the storyteller or the inventor remain pale and redundant for long stretches, as the plot neither integrates them in a meaningful way nor gives their roles any depth. As a result, the emotional connection that made the first part so strong is barely re-established.

Added to this is an atmosphere that seems surprisingly colorless despite the visually opulent presentation. Where the first film still shone with variety and creative locations, "Moana 2" appears to be an immaculately polished but ultimately uninspired production that barely rises above its original streaming orientation. The story drags along sluggishly, while even the bright blue sea and the sun-drenched backdrop cannot conceal the narrative monotony.
"Moana 2" is by no means a terrible movie - Disney has produced far more disappointing sequels in the past. Nevertheless, this sequel lacks the narrative commitment and artistic ambition that made the first installment so engaging. The ending in particular, characterized by an after-credit scene that is more reminiscent of Marvel Studios' franchise thinking, underlines the film's market-oriented focus. (Pseudo) fairytale-like Disney magic falls by the wayside. But okay, then we can probably expect "Moana 3" - alongside the announced live-action remake. The shareholders will like it.

Watched on Saturday November 30, 2024.

Watched in the cinema (181st visit in 2024)

Film reviews often present the challenge of naming recommendations that do justice to the work under review. In the case of "Caddo Lake", this proves particularly difficult, as too many details could spoil the viewing experience. The directorial work of the duo Celine Held and Logan George, who also wrote the screenplay, presents an enigmatic narrative whose appeal lies in the careful revelation of its secrets. "Caddo Lake" is one of those films whose impact thrives on the fact that the audience remains in the dark for a long time.

The film unfolds a haunting tension based on the uncertainty of what exactly is going on. This unobtrusive storytelling, which gradually introduces the viewer to the mystery, is one of its great strengths. The story about a missing girl, her desperate family and a traumatized worker named Paris, who is drawn into the events, seems simple at first. But the further the film unfolds, the denser the web of clues, hints and emotions that captivates the viewer becomes.
The staging of the setting, the eponymous "Caddo Lake", is remarkable. The border area between Texas and Louisiana is depicted in dark beauty, a mixture of fairytale forests and oppressive wetlands. This environment not only forms an impressive backdrop, but also reinforces the film's mysterious and ominous atmosphere. It becomes a character in itself, a silent witness and at the same time a contributor to the story.

At the beginning, the work can't be pigeonholed into a clear genre, and this is also rather difficult later on. It could be a drama, a true-crime thriller or even a swamp noir. The narrative ambivalence is carried decisively by the actors' performances. Dylan O'Brien gives the character of Paris Lang a fragile depth. His insecurity and vulnerability are believable and lend the character an underlying menace that reinforces the mystery surrounding him.

Actress Eliza Scanlen also shines in the role of young Ellie. Her portrayal of a woman caught between family conflicts and despair over the disappearance of her stepsister gives the story an emotional grounding. Ellie, like Paris, seems lost, searching - be it for the truth, redemption or simply a sense of purpose amidst the chaos. Both characters are broken, driven people, and the actors embody this inner turmoil with remarkable precision.

The narrative unfolds at a leisurely pace, but this is by no means a shortcoming. On the contrary, the deliberate revelation of the events allows the viewer to soak up the atmosphere and become fully involved in the mystery. Although some of the dialog slips into preachy monologues, the immersive effect of the film remains largely unaffected. The suspense continues until the end, where the pieces of the puzzle are put together to form a coherent picture. The resolution is a balancing act between clarity and openness. It offers enough substance to answer the central questions, but leaves enough room for personal interpretation and discussion.

Watched in the cinema (180th visit in 2024)

"Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" is the film adaptation of the novel by Yuyi and the comic by Andy Seto. The project has been in the making since the 2000s, with John Woo and Johnnie To set to co-direct. The cast was also a who's who of well-known stars from Hong Kong, including Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau and Tony Leung. However, the project didn't get off the ground for a long time until it was announced in 2021 that director Soi Cheang would be taking over as director. Two well-known Hong Kong actors, Sammo Hung and Louis Koo, have been cast in the leading roles, which is certainly one of the reasons why the film achieved one of the highest box office results ever in its home country. Now the international market is also being targeted.

When the demolition of Kowloon City was completed in 1994, a new era began in many respects for the citizens of Hong Kong. Soi Cheang's film is therefore far more than just an action film, as we are used to seeing in Hong Kong, but also a reflection of this formative time and its political, cultural and economic restructuring. As in "Limbo", Cheang proves his talent when it comes to showing the Moloch of a big city, the darkness, the dirt, the noise and the smells, which the viewer can experience almost at first hand. In contrast to "Limbo", however, the city does not become an adversary, as it is a refuge and home for the hero played by Raymond Lam, as well as for many other people who have built a life here, far away from the authorities and gangs.
At times, the perspective the film adopts seems a little too idealistic, considering that the real Kowloon City was controlled by these same gangs and was a haven for prostitution and drug trafficking. Nevertheless, Cheang succeeds in capturing the "texture" of this place, its colors and its sounds, until in the end this place turns into an urban battlefield. However, the aura of transience hangs over everything, as can be seen in Louis Koos Cyclone, who hides his sad eyes behind his sunglasses and suspects that the hours of this place are already numbered.

The characters represent the different moods of the time. Lam plays someone who is trying to put his past behind him and make a fresh start, ultimately finding a home. Koo and Hung are two bosses who couldn't be more different, because while one is still sticking to principles, the other is lurking for a chance to exploit Kowloon City and make a business. The battle between these characters is one that is about nothing less than the future of an idea, a homeland and a culture. The film's action scenes are correspondingly elaborate and fast-paced and will appeal not least to fans of Hong Kong action cinema. Rayond Lam, Richie Jen and above all Philip Ng are convincing in these moments, which are not just a means to an end, but reflect the characters and their development. Ng also seems to take obvious pleasure in portraying a character that is both exaggerated and very dangerous.

Watched in the cinema (179th visit in 2024)

Hardly any other animal instinctively triggers as much disgust or fear in many people as the spider. This naturally makes the little creepy-crawlies ideal antagonists in horror films, where they are allowed to scare the audience. Whether classics such as "Kingdom of the Spiders" and "Arachnophobia" or the more recent horror comedies "Eight Legged Freaks" and "Lavalantula", there are a whole series of examples in the genre of what something like this can look like. Of course, this makes it more difficult for new films to prove themselves. What do you want to show that others haven't already shown in abundance? And yet the venture can succeed, as "Vermines" currently proves.

The French film celebrated its premiere as the closing film of the Critics' Week in Venice. This is remarkable, as this section usually tends to show arthouse titles. Giving a horror film the prominent spot as the finale is quite a statement. However, you shouldn't expect "Vermines" to be one of those emphatically artistic contributions that are now so often found in this genre. Director and co-writer Sébastien Vaniček prefers his feature film debut to be down-to-earth and direct. Every now and then, there are elements that go beyond mere fright entertainment. For example, the story takes place in a run-down apartment block. There is violence, crime - and a brutal police force. But the associated themes only resonate somewhat without ever becoming too clear.

Instead, the theme of friendship was explored more intensively. The part about Kaleb (Théo Christine) and Jordy (Finnegan Oldfield), who were best friends as teenagers but then fell out, is somewhat superfluous. The obligatory rapprochement and reconciliation between the two doesn't add much to the story and is dealt with too quickly. The difficult relationship between brother and sister is better resolved, as it fits more harmoniously into the scenario. What Vaniček does well, however, is how he stages the apartment block as a microcosm. It is crammed full of special characters, including an Asian janitor who regularly becomes a scene stealer. In "Vermines", you really get the feeling of being surrounded by people who sometimes make each other's lives hell, but who form a community of their own.

This also benefits the horror part, which is closer to you than it is with some colleagues. Here you can actually sympathize when someone gets caught again. And that happens a lot: For the fact that this starts with a small, inconspicuous spider, the body count is considerable. There is a lot of cheating when Vaniček and his co-author Florent Bernard attribute abilities to the animal that it could never have in reality. In fact, it's quite a cheat. But it is effective and results in lots of entertaining scenes. At first, the tension is still at a manageable level, as it follows quite predictable paths at the beginning. As the movie progresses, however, it escalates dramatically, and towards the end there are moments that are known to cause anxiety even in viewers who are otherwise less susceptible to spiders. It remains to be seen whether "Vermines" will become a genre classic. But the film is at least a nice and likeable surprise in the everyday cinema experience.

Watched in the cinema (178th visit in 2024)

"Conclave" is a movie about mostly older men discussing in a closed-off location which of them will be the next boss. That doesn't sound very leisurely at first - except perhaps for fans of "Succession". But thanks to Edward Berger's direction, the surprising story and the fabulous cast led by a great Ralph Fiennes, two hours of this kind of movie have rarely gone by so quickly. Don't worry: although the movie - an adaptation of the bestseller Robert Harris - is set in the Vatican, not everyone here speaks with a fake Italian accent. After all, cardinals from all over the world come together for a papal election, so no one in the cast has to put on much of an accent.

"Conclave" offers a fascinating insight into what goes on behind closed doors during a papal election. If the movie is to be believed, such a process in the Catholic Church is much less Christian than a naive person might think. There is a lot of power at stake, and so intrigues are spun, rivals are discredited and there is talk about which candidate would simply be the lesser of two evils. It brings back memories of one or two voting campaigns in politics.

As the candidates have to overcome not one, but several opponents, there is always something going on during the two hours of the movie. Sometimes there are new revelations on one side, then suddenly on another. As the electoral body is cut off from the outside world during this time, the cardinals have to solve the problems mainly among themselves and internally, with Cardinal Lawrence, played by Fiennes, becoming a bit of a mini-Poirot from time to time. He rarely comes to rest during the whole process. Once one source of fire has been extinguished, smoke suddenly develops in another place - and unfortunately it is far from being the white smoke with which the end of the election is communicated to people outside the Sistine Chapel.

The fact that your head doesn't start spinning at some point during the discussions about faith, doubt and the future direction of the Catholic Church is due to the fact that Berger lightens things up with a little humor alongside quieter moments - when Volker Bertelmann's overloud score isn't blaring through the speakers. Although he overshoots the mark at a crucial moment, this does not shake the belief that we are watching a great movie.
Fiennes plays a big part in this. It's not a particularly loud performance, but a nuanced one with which the Brit perfectly portrays his character's inner struggle. So let's pray that the fantastic 61-year-old actor stays with us for a long time to come.

Watched on 3D Blu-Ray

After hitting rock bottom in the 00s, Disney's animation studios have recently regained their former strength with a series of big hits. In 2016, they were even able to prove with two films that they are still a force to be reckoned with and, in the opinion of many, have even surpassed their in-house subsidiary Pixar. However, "Zootopia" and "Moana" could hardly be more different. While the animal adventure has an astonishingly contemporary story to tell on the subject of equality, the excursion of the island youngsters is much more classic. No wonder, since it was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who laid the foundations for the much-vaunted Disney renaissance in the 80s with "The Great Mouse Detective" and "The Little Mermaid".

A strong heroine, animal sidekicks, plenty of humor and lots of music - these are ingredients that Disney has always done well with. And yet "Moana" is not a purely old-fashioned story, but rather combines the traditional with the modern. Firstly, there are the pictures: Musker and Clements, who deliver their first computer-generated animated film here, get as much out of the latest technology as if they had never worked with anything else in their lives. The water effects in particular are in a class of their own; the sea is not just a background but becomes a character in its own right. But even when Vaiana and Maui step onto land, there is a lot to admire: The visual variety can't compete with the wonder city in "Zootopia" due to the restrictive Pacific setting, but in terms of animation, new standards are set, plus the wonderful designs of friend and foe provide a breath of fresh air in the bogged-down CGI animation routine. Lovers of traditional 2D drawings can also look forward to a small gift in the form of a cheeky yet mute mini-figure.

In terms of content, this is only partly the case with the new paths. In some places, "Moana" doesn't take itself too serious by targeting typical Disney elements. It is also remarkable how the trend towards independent heroines is consistently continued here. Whereas in "Frozen" romantic entanglements were at least partly responsible for the subsequent adventure, here there is not a man in sight for the young heroine. Except Maui, of course, and he loves himself first and foremost before undergoing the expected transformation into a better person (or demigod). The ending is very beautiful and, like the movie as a whole, bows deeply to the mythology of Polynesia, combining classic adventure with a poetic declaration of love to nature.

However, the path to the finale is sometimes problematic. Not only are there no real surprises here, and despite the dynamic background, the dramaturgy follows a fixed path at all times, but the individual stages often seem somewhat arbitrary. As fun as it is when Moana and Maui encounter strange creatures that are as curious as they are threatening, they have very little to do with the actual plot. These scenes could have been omitted or rearranged in any order without it being noticeable. There is no real sense of progress, the movie keeps going round in circles - even in the witty confrontations between the two very different protagonists. But even if the 56th feature-length animated film from the mouse company can't quite catch up with the great internal classics, the entertainment factor is high and boredom is a foreign word. Above all, "Moana" conveys the feeling of actually being on a great journey, part of a nature that is breathtaking, kind and unpredictably dangerous at the same time.

Watched on Saturday November 23, 2024.

Watched on Amazon Prime Video

Perhaps it is a little too much to compare the British writer Helen Fielding with the great feminist of world literature, Jane Austen. However, after watching "Bridget Jones's Diary", based on Fielding's bestseller (and screenplay!) and adapted by Sharon Maguire in an extremely skillful way because it preserves the spirit of the original, it becomes clear what Fielding and Austen have in common: It is their respective frankness in grasping women in their strengths and weaknesses. And this is precisely where the difference lies to - at first glance - similarly polarized spin-offs from the RomCom sector, which are allowed to clog up the cinema program on a monthly basis. Because "Bridget Jones's Diary" is not interested in bringing two souls together inside the pink bubble - here, that bubble is allowed to burst with a clear conscience at the glow of the cigarette holder.

There is also an existence outside the romantic oasis of well-being. "Bridget Jones's Diary" rejects it, the unworldliness inherent in the genre; instead, the eponymous protagonist (Renée Zellweger) stays very close to the pulse of modern, self-determined life, smokes like a chimney, likes to drink over her thirst and also carries around a few extra pounds on her ribs. The movie in no way condemns her for not getting up at 6 a.m. and jogging through the park before downing a vitamin-rich protein shake. Rather, the film shows a woman, far removed from the leggy Cameron Diaz ideal of beauty, who is definitely concerned about her future, but ultimately finds herself too often exposed to extrinsic rather than intrinsic pressure.

And it is at times wonderfully amusing to watch how the narrative, which is often open to spite, sticks to the heels of the single woman in her mid-thirties and describes with wit how this emancipated lady has to continually prove to those around her that she still knows best what fulfills her and what does not. Friends and relatives would like to turn the conversation in her presence into a crisis of meaning, which is undoubtedly a wonderful way to identify with her, while Bridget Jones finds herself in the crosshairs of Mark (Colin Firth) and Daniel (Hugh Grant), who are vying for her favor. Amorous contortions are part and parcel of life; and "Bridget Jones's Diary" is now quite rightly regarded as a classic of the genre, as it also largely formulates a story taken entirely from life.

Watched in the cinema (177th visit in 2024)

Writing synopses for movies is always a tricky business. How much can I say without it becoming a spoiler? How much do I have to say so that the audience knows what to expect? The usual thing is to simply describe the initial situation, on which everything else is built. But sometimes even that is difficult, as the case of "Strange Darling" shows. The beginning here is not the beginning of the story, which is revealed to us a short time later. Rather, it is a middle section. What happened before is only revealed later.

In principle, such an approach is not unusual. Many films begin with a dicey scene in which something escalates in a huge way, only to then jump back in time. The aim is to make the audience curious as to how this scene could have come about. Normally, the story then continues chronologically until the movie gets back to the moment when everything goes down the drain. However, "Strange Darling" also jumps around wildly afterwards. There are six chapters in total, each showing a section of this encounter between the man and the woman, both of whom will remain nameless. Six chapters that are consistently shown out of sequence.

Of course, this narrative style is not chosen at random. Instead, director and screenwriter JT Mollner plays with the audience's expectations. As familiar as the initial scenario that the American shows us may seem, everything is different in the end. More should not be revealed, more should not be known. "Strange Darling" is one of those films that thrives on the fact that you have no idea what it all means. Especially as the relationship between the characters is dynamic, as they sell themselves as someone else to each other and therefore also to the audience. It's about role-playing, masks and working with images that we have of others and that we disseminate ourselves. However, it doesn't actually become philosophical. At the end of the day, the movie is a thriller that aims to entertain.

And it does, quite well in fact. The hunting scenes are quite exciting. The acting duo is convincing, with Willa Fitzgerald in particular proving her versatility in the course of the murderous hunt. "Strange Darling" has also become visually interesting. Giovanni Ribisi, who is known as an actor from numerous films and series, demonstrates in his first feature film behind the camera that he is surprisingly good in this area. The images he uses to accompany the hunt also make the work worth seeing. We can hope that there will be more to come from both him and Mollner. Whether the thriller is really the big sensation it is being sold as is of course open to debate. The appeal will certainly be much less on a second viewing. But it is entertaining, beautifully mean and gripping right to the end.

Watched in the cinema (176th visit in 2024)

It happens from time to time that older films are shown in cinemas, e.g. when an anniversary is coming up. This isn't the case with "Is Anybody There?", which makes the release a little odd. How did they decide to bring the 2008 dramedy to Germany after such a long delay? On the other hand, with Michael Caine, you have a drawing card that you can definitely use for advertising, especially as the Brit has since ended his acting career. So you take what you can get. The movie is also timeless, there's nothing that you would necessarily associate with the year it was made or that no longer works today.

More specifically, two major themes are explored here and related to each other. One concerns the young protagonist, who is looking for his way through the world and has to deal with many confusing questions. Director John Crowley has therefore produced a coming-of-age film that deals with familiar themes. Of course, the setting in "Is Anybody There?" is unusual. These stories often take place in schools and show the main characters among their peers, who can sometimes be allies, sometimes antagonistic. Here, there is a lack of children and teenagers. Instead, the boy Edward (Bill Milner), whose parents (Anne-Marie Duff and David Morrissey) run a retirement home in their own house, is mainly surrounded by old people, who are of course busy with completely different things and provide the child with little to identify with. Instead of similarities, there are contrasts.

This is linked to a topic that rarely appears in coming-of-age titles. Probably inspired by the senior citizens, Edward thinks a lot about death, which is less common at that age - unless parents or grandparents are dying. "Is Anybody There?" focuses on this topic with a mixture of whimsicality and thoughtfulness. The latter doesn't just apply to death when Clarence loses his wife. The onset of dementia also repeatedly provides serious moments in the midst of the growing friendship between the two very different main characters. This is when the odd-couple comedy turns into a drama.

Fortunately, the film avoids kitsch or the usual exaggerations that are so often found. "Is Anybody There?" is a pleasantly restrained work overall. It would certainly have been nice if the whimsical direction had been pursued a little more to make it stand out even more. Moreover, you shouldn't expect any great depth; the intention here was to be friendly rather than really demanding. But even so, this is a nice dramedy that brings a little warmth into the gray everyday life. And even 16 years later, that is still welcome.

Watched in the cinema (175th visit in 2024)

Dwayne Johnson has long been an institution in international show business. Once a wrestling star, he has literally fought his way up and is now one of the best-known faces in the world. However, his image as a guarantor of success has clearly cracked in recent years. Projects such as "Jungle Cruise" suffered delays due to the pandemic, while "Black Adam" sank due to questionable marketing and an inappropriate franchise connection. Although Johnson also delivered the occasional flop in the past (think "Baywatch"), these quickly faded from memory. Today, however, the shine of his successful brand seems to be gradually wearing off - due to negative reports of conflicts behind the scenes and the realization that Johnson is perceived less as an actor and more as a kind of pop-cultural phenomenon.

"Red One" does not promise any real break from this trend. The box office forecasts do not allow for much optimism, and the marketing did not generate any enthusiasm either. The similarity of the title to "Red Notice" - a work that could perhaps one day be seen as one of the early nails in the coffin of Johnson's career - does not contribute to the mood of optimism either. Many seem to have already written the movie off, and indeed many of the predictable weaknesses apply: The overly slick digital look feels sterile, the frantic montage of action scenes leaves little room for suspense, and the storytelling is noticeably tuned to work as second-screen filler on Amazon Prime Video. Things are often over-explained in order to keep the unfocused audience on the ball, which unnecessarily drags out the already simple plot.

Despite these weaknesses, "Red One" strives to be a Christmas fantasy action comedy, and it mostly succeeds on a solid level. While Dwayne Johnson once again only embodies his self-created persona, Chris Evans brings some momentum to the dynamic. Although his character also lacks depth, the interaction between Santa bodyguard Cal (Johnson) and crook Jack (Evans) is entertaining and adds pace to the story. Every now and then there are even surprisingly atmospheric scenes, such as the depiction of Krampus and the creepy monster masks, which might be a little too dark for younger viewers.

"Red One" is ultimately what you would expect from a Hollywood Christmas movie: Sugar and fireworks instead of contemplation. Those who can get into it will be pleasantly entertained, even if the whole thing is not very original. The movie manages to keep up its energy so as not to become too simple-minded and occasionally ignite small sparks - even if these usually fade quickly. "Red One" at least doesn't come across as completely soulless. Even if the title doesn't exactly shine with any real artistic ambition. Although it is certainly not a must-see on the big screen and director Jake Kasdan, who will probably soon be shooting a third "Jumanji" with Johnson, keeps his production rather flat and superficial, "Red One" works quite acceptably as an entertaining pre-Christmas adventure. It's not the Christmas movie you need, deserve or expect - but at least it's a nice contribution to the festive offerings. However, this doesn't change the problem that Dwayne Johnson urgently needs to try something outside his acting comfort zone again. All eyes are now on the upcoming A24 production "Smashing Machine" by director Benny Safdie, which is set to open in spring 2025. In this drama, Johnson could finally show that he can be more than the dazzling ideal figure of a self-made man.

Watched in the cinema (174th visit in 2024)

Jasmin Schreiber is actually a biologist by training, with a focus on zoology. As a blogger, however, she chose a topic that one would not normally associate with her studies. She worked as a grief and bereavement counselor and spoke about her experiences in her texts. In this respect, it is not really surprising that this topic also plays a major role in her debut novel "Marianengraben". It's not just that the two protagonists Paula (Luna Wedler) and Helmut (Edgar Selge) meet for the first time in a cemetery. The two are also united by the fact that they have each lost a loved one. Their studies also shine through a little: Their protagonist is a zoologist herself and spoke to her deceased brother about animals. The combination seems strange at first glance, but it was well received by the public. The book became a bestseller.

Whether the film adaptation of the same name by director and screenwriter Eileen Byrne can repeat this success remains to be seen, of course. But it has a lot to offer. The opening already whets the appetite for more when "Marianengraben" gets underway in a way that is as morbid as it is curious. And it's fast-paced anyway, as night-time activities in the cemetery are not necessarily permitted. You have to be quick, the events come thick and fast. Even later on, chaos always accompanies them when something goes wrong along the way and they have bizarre experiences. There are also plenty of bangs when two people collide who initially can't do anything with each other and don't hide it. There are many an amusing exchange of words.

But of course it won't stop there. Road movies are usually about two people getting to know each other. It's no different here, the movie sticks to expectations. In general, "Marianengraben" is certainly not a very original work. Anyone with a reasonable affinity for film will be able to predict a large part of it. Even later turning points and dramatic climaxes follow familiar formulas. This is a pity because the journey of the two disparate characters is sometimes a little bland and forced. The original opening promised something more. A parallel between the two is exaggerated, a little too "coincidental".

Nevertheless, the end result is quite successful. The journey is always fun when Luna Wedler and Edgar Selge throw things at each other. Of course, there are also some moving scenes, especially Paula's mourning, combined with the scenes with her brother, which really get to the heart. The trip is rounded off by the idyllic settings that the unlikely duo pass by. So there's a lot to like. A lot that makes Byrne's feature film debut worth seeing. If you like this type of film and don't mind the aforementioned formulaic elements, "Marianengraben" is a beautiful road movie with a great cast, in which laughter and tears often lie close together.

Because Letterboxd doesn't give you the trailer, I do: youtu.be/QWjtxlf95Eo?si=ZmDriDq5XdCIHIyK

Watched in the Arte Media Library

Sergio Sollima actually became known for his westerns, leaving behind three genre classics with "Face to Face", "The Big Gundown" and "Run, Man, Run". At the same time, however, he also tried his hand at crime and thrillers. With "Violent City" in 1970, he achieved a major success, although the film was and still is clearly overshadowed by his other works. In Germany, it was difficult to get hold of it for a long time anyway, as it was on the Index until 2008. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean much; the decisions of the responsible review bodies were not always comprehensible. And yet this raises certain expectations, especially as Charles Bronson played the lead role, who was always up for brutal action thrillers.

But it doesn't get quite that bad after all. Things really get going at the beginning when there is a shoot-out and the hero is almost dead before we even know what is actually going on. This is also not the only time that violence is used. More disturbing from today's perspective, however, is when Jeff (Charles Bronson) attacks Vanessa (Jill Ireland) in "Violent City" and she is reduced to being an object to be controlled by a man. The movie doesn't see this as a problem. In fact, it is somehow justified by the fact that she has betrayed him. And in such cases, the law of the strongest applies, just as vigilante justice generally plays a major role in the movie. We are in a world that operates outside the normal law and men do what they have to do: kill. Sounds antiquated, but it's not really any different from today's revenge thrillers.

Of course, the fact that he is the protagonist makes it a little difficult to take sides with him. Especially as Sollima, who also wrote the screenplay with others, does little to bring out the humanity in the character. At least not through words, which are once again used particularly sparingly here. There are long passages in which no one really speaks. Bronson naturally benefited from this. The role of the mouthy killer was made for him. He is less convincing when he has to play the love-struck guy in "Violent City". It's hard to believe that he is so infatuated with a woman, even if she was played by Jill Ireland, to whom the actor was actually married at the time.

And yet the thriller is well worth seeing. It has become quite atmospheric, which is at least partly thanks to the music by composer legend Ennio Morricone. But it is also partly due to the ensemble cast, who delve into the moral abysses of a film that deliberately dispenses with heroic figures and instead presents various facets of evil. Telly Savalas in particular is memorable as a sleazy gangster boss. What's more, "Violent City" has a tragic component, especially towards the end when things get really dark and nobody has anything left to lose. But even before that, it's not unexciting, precisely because no one has any scruples here, morality is a foreign concept and, in case of doubt, anyone would betray anyone - or even kill anyone.

Watched in the cinema (173rd visit in 2024)

After "The Lodge" and two episodes of the series "Servant", Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz return to their native Austria with the oppressive psychological drama "Des Teufels Bad". Right from the prologue of this slow burner, it becomes clear that the directors are focusing on a subject that is uncomfortable, painful and, above all, terribly sad.

A young woman stands in front of a waterfall. She is holding a baby in her arms, which she immediately drops. It is an act of desperation, because the woman really just wants to die. Since suicide is a sin that cannot be forgiven and therefore leads straight to hell, she chooses a path that is even worse. She kills. This gives her the opportunity to confess her sins before her execution and wash herself clean before God.

Sadly, however, this is not pure fiction; according to court records, there were around 400 documented cases of this kind in German-speaking countries during this period, where women in particular murdered in order to end their lives. These women mostly suffered from depression, an illness for which there was no term or understanding at the time. Those who went crazy were in 'Devil's Bath'.

The directing duo take on this subject and show in their wonderfully filmed and very atmospherically staged historical drama how a woman powerlessly sinks deeper and deeper into the bubbling waters of her 'crazy thoughts'. But you can't blame her either, because the life of the pious Agnes, played with uncanny strength by Anja Plaschg, becomes a nightmare after her wedding. The country life depicted in "Des Teufels Bad" is hard, ugly, cold, bleak and, above all, misogynistic. An incredibly authentic snapshot that was carefully researched with the help of a historian and, thanks to this realization, gets brutally under your skin.

Watched in the cinema (172nd visit in 2024)

"There was a dream that was Rome. It shall be real again" were once among the last words of the aspiring Maximus, the soldier for the emperor's Rome, and now, midlife crisis guru, Marcus Aurelius. Maximus, the soldier who became a slave, the slave who as a gladiator won back the respect and love of his people through bread and games and finally brought down an emperor. Even almost two decades after Maximus' death, the dream of a just Rome of the citizens has not returned, as decadence and a drive for further expansion, embodied by the new rulers Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), continue to reign within the ancient walls of the empire. Even 24 years after the release of Ridley Scott's mega-success "Gladiator", which set the standard for 21st century entertainment cinema just one year before "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy", people have not stopped thinking about the Roman Empire, but the world has become a different place. While franchises, IP mania, remakes and reboots have washed away any originality and yet lack any form of "real cinema," that is, entertainment that wasn't produced on an assembly line, "Gladiator II" could have been a lone rebel of old in this scenario like Maximus, but Scott's film, despite a charming delusion of grandeur, joins the boozy pageantry of nobility and betrays itself.

Another victim of Rome's expansion is a northern African tribe, Numida, which is conquered under the leadership of tribune Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and costs the native Hanno (Paul Mescal) his wife and home. Hanno swears bloody revenge and falls into the hands of the respected gladiator trainer Macrinus (Denzel Washington). He is fascinated by his untamed rage and trains him for the games in the Colosseum, where Hanno hopes to meet Acacius and take revenge on him. Although the Colosseum is now populated by wild rhinos and later even sharks, anyone who smells a rehashed version of the original from this content is absolutely right. The first two thirds of "Gladiator II" can be chalked up to a toothless remake of its predecessor, which, in the best Star Wars: The Force Awakens manner, counts off one plot point after another and is not short on legacy references either. Back are the white tunics and steel skirts, back is the pathos of the doomed, and it's not at all unimpressive.

It's fascinating to see the spectacle greed with which the now almost 90-year-old Scott indulges in this sequel to his antique, highly pretentious pulp revenge plot; one only wishes that rhinos, sharks and gladiators in the ring fought for more than a mere retelling. This dilemma also carries over to the cast: while Washington initially uses his charisma well to make more than a typical mentor figure out of it, the antagonists Hechinger and Quinn pant after the sly role models of the original. Pascal in particular seems incredibly helpless in the role of the ambivalent tribune and is unable to make much of an impression of his own. The ray of hope here is leading actor Paul Mescal, who never tries to come across as a pure Russell Crowe copy and bites his way through sword and even baboon fights (in the truest sense of the word) with furious mania.

Unfortunately, Mescal has the problem of fighting against his own movie in his attempts to turn Hanno into a self-determined avenger. At the latest when the familiar Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) from the original sees Hanno during his initial gladiator fight, it becomes clear that there is more behind the simple avenger. Whereas 24 years ago Scott still knew to some extent how much content ballast he had to load up his essentially very simple story with for the minimum amount of pathos, here he becomes megalomaniacal. The text of the predecessor now becomes a holy, sacred model and every movement of all the actors has to be subordinated to it. Soon Hanno is kneeling in front of Maximus' framed sword and breastplate. Instead of revenge, the revolution of Rome once announced by Maximus is now actually to take place, according to the only logic that this sequel really understands: bigger, more bombastic but never substantial. The biggest problem is that all these plot mechanisms are neither expressions of character motivations, nor do they accommodate the attempt at ambivalence in familiar schemes. As long as the throne of an untouchable original hovers over everything, every revolution, even that of Rome, only seems pretended.

Watched in the cinema (171st visit in 2024)

When you read about the internet phenomenon of Red Rooms, it sends shivers down your spine. Allegedly, these are websites on the darknet where people are murdered, tortured or sexually abused via live stream. Spectators can take part for large sums of money. The actual existence of these sites has never really been proven; in fact, streaming within the darknet would not even be technically possible. The rumours are based on a real case from 2012, in which a man had himself filmed abusing and murdering children and then sold them.

One thing is clear - if the Red Rooms really do exist, they not only lead into the abysses of the internet, but also into the deep abysses of humanity itself. The protagonist herself also gradually descends into these depths. She sits alone in her flat and stares mesmerised at her screens. The curtains are drawn, the light dimmed. Whenever Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) ventures into the turmoil of the darknet, she feels uneasy. She actually seems to be a successful and nice woman. She models, she has a talent for gambling and the homeless Clémentine (Laurie Babin) takes her in temporarily.

But as soon as Kelly-Anne sits in front of her computer, researching Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Loko) and his deeds and delving deeper and deeper into the swamp, it becomes clear that something is wrong with her. She obsessively clicks through the net as if she wants to make personal contact with the murderer. The staging of these moments is breathtaking. The action on the screens happens so quickly, so skilfully and so suddenly. Kelly-Anne's eyes are as captivated by the film as she herself seems to be tied to her computer. Her obsession builds and builds, becoming increasingly suspenseful and nerve-wracking before culminating in a calm, and for that very reason, brilliant finale.

Whether Chevalier killed the three girls and filmed the atrocities? - Not that important. "Les chambres rouges" prefers to show what the alleged offence does to people. The court case takes up a lot of space and, like the whole film, is grippingly staged. Long, intense tracking shots linger on faces, show the reactions of the lawyers, judges and relatives and are not too shy to show the accused from time to time. At these moments, an auditory background noise reinforces the unease that seems to grip everyone in the courtroom.

But not everyone in the room is convinced of Chevalier's guilt. The figure of the young Clémentine symbolises the creation and belief of alternative truths. Facts no longer seem so important these days if you are convinced of your own (desired) view. This takes on populist traits here and there, but is basically not wrong at all. A defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty. In Chevalier's case, the facts are overwhelming, but there is no confession. In "Les chambres rouges", a gripping constellation of cleverly written characters unfolds in an eerily impenetrable plot. What is told at first glance is only a fraction of what the film contains.

Watched on Netflix

They have happened again and again throughout history: Films about people who start an affair and stumble into an absolute nightmare as a result. Most of the time it's men who end up having problems with their lover. But there is also the case where the cheated-on wife becomes the problem. The model for such stories is somewhat older. More precisely, most of these films were probably ultimately inspired by "Fatal Attraction", whether consciously or unconsciously. Even though there are numerous titles with such scenarios, none were as successful as this one. The thriller grossed more than 320 million US dollars in 1987; no other film came close to this result that year. It was also nominated for six Oscars, including Best Film of the Year.

Whether you have to go that far in your judgement is debatable. In fact, there was even a dispute about the film at the time. The reason for the controversy was the image of women portrayed in the film. The fact that a strong, independent woman like Alex makes herself so dependent on pleasing a man and no longer sees any meaning in her life without him is something you have to be able to accept. The fact that the antagonist in "Fatal Attraction" acts increasingly crazy and becomes a threat to everyone involved also distracts a little from Dan's misdemeanours. After all, he was the one who committed adultery, but this is relativised by the evil consequences. The film leaves the audience in no doubt that they should keep their fingers crossed for him.

The second point that can cause irritation is the film's credibility. While the initial scenario is still quite conceivable, the film becomes more and more exaggerated as time goes on. Screenwriter James Dearden has no qualms about letting the story get completely out of hand. On the one hand, this applies to the content, when Alex (Glenn Close) can do more or less whatever she wants. But it also concerns the length: with a running time of two hours, "Fatal Attraction" has already become a little long. The completely absurd showdown in particular could have been a little shorter. Especially as the ending is rather unimaginative and the result of a subsequent rewrite: the original version was rejected by the test audience, probably because it was quite dark.

But if you don't mind these various points, you can still have an amazing amount of fun with it. The femme fatale is a palpable threat from early on. The aforementioned craziness contributes to the fact that viewers are already spellbound as to how far she will go in her madness. The tension curve is right in "Fatal Attraction", at least for long stretches. Above all, Glenn Close's unleashed performance, which sweeps through the lawyer's life like a force of nature, is still impressive several decades later. The production by Adrian Lyne, who enjoyed great success in the 1980s with films such as "Flashdance" and "9 ½ Weeks", also manages to get a lot out of the story. If you're in the mood for this kind of psychological thriller, then "Fatal Attraction" is a good choice. In fact, the original is vastly superior to most of the films that were inspired by it.

Watched on Amazon Prime Video

German cinema after the Second World War was characterised by light comedies, maudlin Heimat films and anything else that allowed people to switch off and forget a little. All the more remarkable was what Wolfgang Staudte created with "Die Mörder sind unter uns". The film about two people who return from the war and cross paths in a destroyed Berlin was not only the first German post-war film ever made in 1946. It also dealt with their own guilt during the Third Reich, with the many crimes that were committed at the time, looking back instead of forwards - or away.

This is also said to have been due to his biography: Staudte himself had worked on films during the Third Reich and had an ambivalent relationship with them. He made harmless comedies, then the banned bureaucracy satire "Der Mann, dem man den Namen stahl ". Above all, however, he had a supporting role in the propaganda film "Jud Süß", which must have haunted him afterwards. And so "Die Mörder sind unter uns" became a bitter reckoning on the one hand with the commanders of the time, but also with the people who stood idly by while these atrocities were carried out. Mertens himself, as a doctor committed to life, was unable to prevent death and was broken by it.

In this way, "Die Mörder sind unter uns" deals with several themes at once. On the one hand, the film is about people and their attempts to rebuild their lives after the horrors of the past. This is difficult enough, as every day in the destroyed city is like a fight for survival. At the same time, however, the question arises: how do we deal with guilt, both our own and that of others? This partly takes the form of a drama when Staudte uses the three main characters as examples to show the different ways of reacting. Partly it has elements of a thriller, when Mertens is left with only the means of violence to combat the unresolved horror that still haunts the city.

The latter is the unofficial fourth main character: the destruction was extensively recorded during the film's several months of shooting. When Mertens and Wallner stroll through Berlin, past the ruins, it seems surreal at times, especially because of the contrast with the life of Brückner, who carries on undeterred, enjoying a nice middle-class existence, having fun with ladies in a dance club while others around him are looking for food. There is no room for ambivalence in his character, he is the embodiment of scum who brutally executes others in order to celebrate afterwards, but at the same time refuses to accept any responsibility. A selfish parasite who makes it easy to hate him as a viewer.

A more interesting, multi-layered character would certainly have been possible, and the sometimes less subtle dialogues are also crude. And yet "Die Mörder sind unter uns" is a very exciting film that deals with personal and universal guilt, with the trauma suffered and the longing for justice. The black and white images are also fantastic, remnants of German Expressionism with expressive contrasts. All in all, even 79 years later, this is still very much worth seeing, as a reflection of the past, but also as a fundamental exploration of themes that are completely timeless and that we cannot escape - even if we keep trying.

Watched in the cinema (170th visit in 2024)

We see the statue of a discus thrower. The music in the background seems to emphasise that we are witnessing a special moment and we look in awe at this moment of athletic achievement and physical perfection captured by the artist. The beauty of this young person is not just pure body worship, as it seems to be aimed at mastering this throw and honouring the athlete as the best of the best. The closer the camera gets to the statue, the more we realise that we are not dealing with a statue at all, because in front of us is a real person who is about to throw the discus. The slow motion emphasises what we have long known, namely the symbiosis of athletic zeal and physical perfection, which unite to create a moment that leaves the mundane behind and moves more into the transcendental.

This is just one of many moments from Leni Riefenstahl's film "Olympia", a staged propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games, which was celebrated at the time and, after the end of the Second World War, earned the director the reputation of having been a Nazi collaborator. The discourse about the finesse in the staging of this and other cinematic works by Riefenstahl is still inextricably linked to the discussion about the connection between politics and art, which the director vehemently denied until the end of her life in 2003. In his new documentary "Riefenstahl", German filmmaker Andres Veiel uses the life story of the controversial director to tell the story of how staging took possession of a person.

To this day, people say that they knew nothing about the crimes of the Nazi regime. To put it bluntly, one could say that Veiel's film gets to the bottom of this claim and how it happens that a self-lie is ultimately accepted as the truth. For two hours, the documentary alternates between the individual stages of Riefenstahl's life, shows her beginnings and combines these with clips from talk shows in which the director appeared and which subsequently led to a public debate. Unpublished material is also shown, in which Riefenstahl's long and heated arguments are followed, as she sees herself as the persecuted victim of an intrigue and the target of the media. The two-hour documentary is not only exciting and informative, but also topical when it comes to the fact that a narrative that has been created is seen as the only truth when it is constantly repeated.

Veiel's extensive research is the foundation of a film whose topicality is evident. The effects of (political) violence and the connection between art and politics are the themes of Veiel's previous work and are of course also reflected in Riefenstahl. In the well-known filmmaker, the viewer sees the life story of a person who has become entangled in the web of a life lie and who has no other way out than to insist on its truthfulness. Whether in a casual conversation with former school friends or during an appearance on a talk show, the viewer's attention is always drawn to the portrayal of this person who contradicts himself and insists on his narrative.

In addition to well-known material, Veiel's documentary draws on Riefenstahl's estate, which consists of hundreds of letters, scripts and photos as well as home videos, whereby he succeeds in revealing the aforementioned contradictions and filling in certain gaps in Riefenstahl's story. Apart from the wealth of material, however, the viewer is left with the image of this woman, who at first argues irritably and then increasingly angrily against the questions of her counterpart, as well as the recorded phone calls in which private individuals express sympathy with Riefenstahl. At this point at the latest, "Riefenstahl" is no longer just informative and exciting, but increasingly disturbing.

Watched on Blu-Ray

The sunrise over Los Angeles determines the picture frame. The day begins. Cut. The look in Officer Jake Hoyt's (Ethan Hawke) eyes sets the scene. The working day begins and a twenty-four hour window of time opens. After Jake Hoyt has spent nineteen months as a patrolman, this day, his "training day", offers him the chance to make the leap into the drug squad and one day become a detective. When his wife tells him shortly before leaving the house that he shouldn't mess it up, he acknowledges her admonishing words by reloading his service weapon. Perhaps this scene in "Training Day" already illustrates that Jake will learn today that you can't just have conversations with words, as his new superior, Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), will teach him.

One of the best scenes in "Training Day" is probably the first meeting of Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington in a diner, as their characters are already fully fleshed out in their first dialogue, but as a viewer you still feel like you're in a situation of hesitation. You don't really want to believe that Alonzo Harris is a self-centred asshole who doesn't give a damn about good, clean police work. You'd rather see him as a gruff vigilante, perhaps a little disillusioned but still realising what he's about. However, Antoine Fuqua quickly dispels this pretence, which is probably the film's greatest weakness. Because, without a doubt, even if Ethan Hawke and especially the Oscar-winning Denzel Washington play big here, their characters come from the drawing board.

As we have come to expect from Antoine Fuqua, "Training Day" is also completely overloaded with testosterone. Women appear here either as incredibly beautiful mistresses (Eva Mendes) or as drug addicts. It is a pure, violence-fuelled male domain that "Training Day" tells of - and thus also a domain of misguided ideals and profile neuroses. The fact that the transgressions committed by the men - and Alonzo in particular - are explicitly isolated from Jake Hoyt makes his character appear all the more pale. In any case, it is impossible for Ethan Hawke to compete with the gigantic charisma of Denzel Washington. But perhaps that is also the method in this film: perhaps "Training Day" has tried to take the subjective perspective of Hoyt in order to illustrate what it is like to be forced to play chess, even though you have only spent your whole life playing draughts.

However, "Training Day" really only knows good cop and bad cop, only good and bad, only wolves and sheep. The role models that Fuqua persistently (over)stylises are correspondingly flat, undemanding and to some extent reactionary. In any case, there is no question of ambivalent nuances here; the mentally ill Alonzo fulfils the cliché of the corrupt antagonist acting out of personal motivation, while Jake Hoyt is the paragraph-riding clean man - and thus the pure conscience of the film. If "Training Day" wasn't so extremely stylish and grippingly staged (as well as being infused with impressive acting performances), it would be very difficult to make a positive case for this film. However, the transparent personality profiles become components of a world in which the street is still considered a jungle, a battlefield. A world in which you have to get your hands dirty.

Watched in the cinema (169th visit in 2024)

"Monster on a Plane" has a fairly standard running time of 88 minutes, but always feels like a terribly drawn out short film of perhaps half an hour. The film wastes the first ninety seconds presenting names on the screen that will mean absolutely nothing to most viewers, but rather evoke the question of whether this is a narcissistic display or whether an audience is actually being entertained. Most of the time, hardly anything happens, characters indulge in boring conversations that contribute nothing to anything, and the few successful splatter scenes don't do anything to make up for it. The role models for the non-filler material are all too familiar and also overshadow a lot here.

Making a film is no easy task. Making a film that is ultimately shown in cinemas is much more difficult. Director Ezra Tsegaye must therefore have been delighted with the news of the cinema release of "Monster on a Plane". It is an achievement that cannot be minimised. It only comes with the disadvantage that the film must then also be rated as a cinema film. As a direct-to-DVD product, "Monster on a Plane" would probably be a perfectly acceptable choice for a trash film evening. However, a visit to the cinema can only be recommended to members of the cast and crew's circle of acquaintances and absolute hardcore trash movie fans.

"Monster on a Plane" involves a lot of work, especially in terms of the organisation, design and production of the monster. One of the great tragic aspects of German independent film is that many directors, who are undoubtedly talented in certain areas, are so intent on directing their own scripts. This is not to give the impression that "Monster on a Plane" is worth the price of a cinema ticket in terms of visuals, staging, acting, cinematography or any other aspect - everyone has to decide that for themselves anyway. But all these points can be explained away by the obviously very limited budget. Taking this situation into account, the special effects and animatronics can also be praised unreservedly.

What cannot be excused under any circumstances is a poor script. Funding agencies and production companies don't help so many rubbish scripts to be realised because they don't know any better (although no one can be blamed for succumbing to this assessment). They simply have to justify their existence somehow and can only choose from what they are offered. Then, of course, there's the fact that there's a lot of nagging in the production process. But that's exactly what doesn't happen in the independent sector. For some reason, there is still a resistance to looking for good scripts and everyone always wants to film their own stuff, even if the expertise obviously lies elsewhere. You can't blame anyone for that, but you can still think it's bad.

Unfortunately, only the German dubbed version of "Monster on a Plane" was shown in the cinema. Despite the German team, the film was originally shot in English. Perhaps the dialogue is better in this version, but probably not. The dubbing as such is also not always appropriate. Some of the actors do not appear to have dubbed themselves. Squeezing David Brückner into the cast as a guest appearance was certainly not a bad idea given the target audience. But what MC Fitti has to do in the film, apart from making a halfway amusing dig at himself, is something he perhaps doesn't really know himself. Micaela Schäfer satisfies the inexplicable urge to present topless women in German horror films, even if in this case the budget wasn't quite enough for her to get rid of her nipple stickers.

Because Letterboxd doesn't give you the trailer, I do: youtu.be/mopTcaW_akI?si=LdK1OckO1J0XEE-N

Watched on Amazon Prime Video

By the mid-2000s, Woody Allen had clearly taken a liking to England. After visiting the land of umbrellas in 2005 with "Match Point" and undoubtedly delivering one of his strongest films of the new millennium, "Scoop" followed just one year later, in which Allen mingled with the British with delight. Of course, none of this has anything to do with any form of cultural truth, as you will know if you've seen Allen's excursions into European territory. Instead, the auteur film legend imagines the English sensibility as it suits him. Taken from a novel by Agatha Christie, as it were, and mixed with the trademarks for which Woody Allen has always been responsible.

So "Scoop" is one thing above all: tongue-in-cheek. After the renowned thoroughbred journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) has passed away and, while crossing over into the underworld, receives a clue from another deceased person as to whose identity is behind the notorious tarot card murderer who has been wanted for years and who loves to murder brunette prostitutes, he is once again seized by journalistic ambition and makes contact with journalism student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) as a ghostly apparition. The encounter between Joe and Sondra alone is a classic Allen moment, because of course Sondra has just been roped into the performance of magician Sid Waterman aka Splendini (Woody Allen). So it can only be lazy magic.

Well, not really, because after Sid also sees Joe and the clues that Joe presents can't really be dismissed, "Scoop" begins to get its criminal narrative rolling in a very relaxed manner and shows from the outset that Allen is not concerned here with the moral depth of his characters and their life situation, but with charming goofiness. In the bosom of British chic, i.e. lavish country estates, expensive champagne parties and oil paintings steeped in history, "Scoop" is characterised by the nonchalance that leads Sid to talk his head off, while Sondra, as an investigative reporter-to-be, is faced with the problem that she has fallen in love with the very object of her revelations, the well-to-do and attractive businessman Peter Myman (Hugh Jackman).

"Scoop" is often used as a starting point for the mellowness that has (allegedly) pervaded Woody Allen's late work, which is a perfectly understandable accusation: Allen is no longer concerned with double entendres, with subtleties, he dispenses with any malice and is unconcerned, detached, one could almost say undemanding. However, this would do an injustice to the intellectual New York icon's art of dialogue, which still bubbles wonderfully into the moment. Although "Scoop" may occasionally stroll along a little too leisurely, the film still has a wonderful ironic note, which degenerates into a countering of classic crime stories, especially towards the end: For where the hero would otherwise rush to the rescue at the last second, Woody Allen first has rigorous problems with English left-hand traffic.

Watched in the cinema (168th visit in 2024)

Charlie Chaplin has always presented himself as a great humanist, whose works usually have something reassuringly human in their aesthetic excellence. "The Great Dictator", which was given a one-off re-release in German cinemas yesterday as part of the Best of Cinema series, not only has some of the most iconic scenes of his entire oeuvre, but is rightly regarded as a great reappraisal of the Nazi era, which treads the fine line of ridiculing the Nazi period and Hitler without robbing them of their fearsomeness, without turning them into a clown parade, without simply exploiting them as a setting. In general, we have lost our sensitivity in dealing with this dark chapter - especially when it comes to humour. Today, Chaplin's masterpiece seems like a silent appeal to find our way back to good taste.

In "The Great Dictator", he takes on two roles at once: That of the leader Anton Hynkel and that of a Jewish hairdresser who suffers under the anti-Semitic regime and only manages to escape the concentration camp time and again thanks to a friend from the old days, who is now a commander in the storm troopers, and a new love interest. Through this duplication, Chaplin once again skilfully portrays the imbecility of the anti-Semitic doctrine by emphasising the equality of people - including that of Hynkel and a Jew - and giving the viewer the impression that the "great" dictator is ultimately fighting himself with his orders. In addition, we get to know the barber as a courageous and bright character, while we experience Hynkel as a self-absorbed and eccentric buffoon, resulting in a narrative that raises the cynical question of why, in a world with so many options, one ultimately chooses to become such a creep.

In general, Chaplin never misses an opportunity to defame Hynkel: Be it in his speeches, in which he uses gibberish language instead of comprehensible words, in his bipolar mood swings or, last but not least, in his megalomania. He parodies the latter wonderfully in one of his legendary iconic scenes: Hynkel dances in love with a balloon globe, which bursts at the end. The perfidious life's work has failed. But it's not just Hitler that the film takes a sharp-tongued look at through the character of Hynkel; the entire zeitgeist and its ideology also get a good dressing down. For example, the film spoils the names of nations (e.g. Tomania instead of Germany) and leaders (e.g. Hynkel instead of Hitler, Hering instead of Göring), mocking the upholding of individual nations and the prevailing cult of personality. The willingness to follow thoughtlessly is satirised by a ritual in which the person who finds a coin in their food has to sacrifice their life - something no one may ultimately be prepared to do.

Chaplin skilfully juggles with similar mechanisms of parody as he did four years earlier in "Modern Times": Alienation, exaggeration, inversion. This time, he adds biting defamations to the trio, which not only reduce the zeitgeist and the ideologies within it to absurdity, but also completely expose their protagonists to ridicule. He encounters Hitler for what he was: a figure of fun on a horrific scale, whom he confronts at the end with one of the most important film scenes of all time, a speech by the Jewish barber, as a bulwark of democracy. Both this scene and Hynkel's aforementioned dance with the Weltkuge were accompanied by the prelude to Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin: While the play breaks off at Hynkel's speech and the balloon bursts, the Jewish barber is able to bring his speech to its climactic conclusion with the supporting musical background.

Watched in the cinema (167th visit in 2024)

Sex always plays a major role in Sean Baker's films. He repeatedly talks about people who work in the porn industry. It was therefore not really surprising that his latest film "Anora" also takes up this theme. This time he tells the story of the life of a stripper who does a little more than sit on her lap for money. A woman who knows how to use her body to achieve her goal.

Once again, it is not so much the sex work itself that Baker is talking about. Rather, he is interested in the people who work in this field. Who are they? What drives them? With the title character of "Anora" (Mikey Madison), who only wants to be called Ani, it takes a while before we get to know her better. She is naturally very open about her clothes. But she doesn't like to talk about herself and her background. For good reason: she wants to leave it all behind her. The work is a means to an end, her heart is not in it. She doesn't talk about her origins, doesn't want to talk about her family. The fact that she changes her name symbolises how she is trying to break with her past. Instead, she dreams of a life of luxury, wants to be a princess - even if she doesn't behave very princess-like. Her foul language alone emphasises the contrast between dream and reality.

Ultimately, the film is largely about how two people lose themselves in a dream without really realising what is happening. At first, "Anora" resembles a frenzy as the couple rushes from one party to the next. The dad's money makes this possible. Who needs reality when others pay for everything? This longer passage is a little tiring. It becomes all the funnier afterwards when Toros (Karren Karagulian), Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura Borisov) join in, who are supposed to clean up the mess for the family, but bite their teeth out at the unruly young woman and are bitten themselves. Here, too, worlds collide that are almost impossible to reconcile. The characters stumble from one chaos to the next, which is a ton of fun.

It is easy to overlook the fact that "Anora", which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has serious themes. It is actually tragic how the scribbling stripper clings to a dream that the audience has long known is just a dream. Towards the end, Baker unpacks another hammer when he looks behind the shrill and garish façade and the film suddenly develops an emotional impact that it had previously concealed a little. It all takes quite a long time, and the exhausting opening in particular could have been shorter. But overall, Baker has succeeded in making another wonderful film with which he successfully defends his niche and shows that he sees the human behind the commodity of man like no one else and meets it with a lot of warmth - even if it has become bitterly cold all around.

Watched in the Arte Media Library

It is a phenomenon that can be observed time and again in the film industry: two works are released within a short space of time that have astonishing similarities but were made independently of each other. One of the best-known examples is the meteor catastrophe double feature "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact", which was released in cinemas just a few weeks apart in 1998. In 1996, aliens attacked the world in "Independence Day" and "Mars Attacks!", albeit with very different tonalities. In 1995, there were two films in which we follow clan leaders in a historical Scotland. Without a doubt, "Braveheart", which tells of the battle against the English, is much better known. "Rob Roy", which had been released a few weeks earlier, deals with conflicts that took place among the Scots.

What both films have in common is that a real historical figure takes centre stage. Robert Roy MacGregor actually lived in the 17th/18th century and became a legend as an outlaw. However, "Rob Roy" is only roughly based on the events that have been passed down and prefers to make something of its own out of them. The film emphasises the man's honour, which is only partially compatible with his activities as a cattle thief. This honour is more important to him than anything else, and he doesn't hold back for the sake of his family. Whether this is very exemplary is debatable. From time to time, this is also addressed and he is asked whether he is really behaving correctly. But this thoughtfulness doesn't last long. There is no interest at all in any real ambivalence or debate.

Of course, this also applies to the other side. The duke is still reasonably balanced and is neither evil nor good. The marquis and his nephew are more obvious. Cunningham in particular is so overdrawn that he could easily fit into a comedy. Tim Roth embodies this with a lot of fun, celebrating his sly arrogance. However, he has not succeeded in creating an exciting character. Only the film gods know why he was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor. However, he is not the only thing that is exaggerated in "Rob Roy". Whether it's the dialogue that tends towards pathos or the music that suffocates everything: Restraint was unknown.

This does not mean that director Michael Caton-Jones has produced a bad film. The biographical drama certainly has entertainment value. There is also a lot to see as we make our way through old Scotland. What's more, it always has crowdpleaser qualities when someone from a humble background rises up and really shows them up. But it's not an absolute must-see. "Rob Roy" is a solid film that will keep you busy for a little over two hours, also thanks to the prominent cast. In contrast to the original, which is the stuff of legends, this interpretation doesn't necessarily have to be remembered.

Watched in the cinema (166th visit in 2024)

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, a new wokeness culture has turned the collective consciousness on its head. White men, perhaps over 40, are suspected of being ideologically backward, while women, queer people and people of a different skin colour are finally to be heard more in the social orchestra. Diversity officers sit in institutions and companies, gender asterisks and the glottal stop in the pronunciation of the internal I challenge everyday language. Society has become polarised, because what some consider to be an overdue innovation and mindfulness in dealing with people is seen by others as paternalism and exaggeration. After "Willkommen bei den Hartmanns", the most successful German cinema film of 2016, director and screenwriter Simon Verhoeven once again takes a comedic look at the pitfalls that a new zeitgeist is bringing into families. His film hero Heinz is stressed to hear that he needs to overhaul his views and habits.

In order not to jeopardise his job, Heinz (Jan Josef Liefers) cleans up. Strange sayings about bosses and penises on the cups in the coffee kitchen - get rid of them! Only pictures and films of white male artists in the living room? It can't stay that way when the diversity officer comes for dinner. The children Leni and Linus are told to bring black and queer friends, while the grandad, who rants about gender stereotyping, has to stay away. However, as befits a comedy, he turns up anyway. Verhoeven uses the example of his main character to demonstrate with relish how difficult it has become to observe all the wokeness rules and to be sure that nobody will feel offended and hurt in their feelings by their own behaviour. The film's message seems to be that the zeitgeist is going overboard and is making communication between individuals and social groups more difficult with its control mania.

Poor Heinz is not politically incorrect out of conviction, but rather uninformed and insecure. Nevertheless, this comedy is somewhat in the mould of the successful French films about Monsieur Claude. The patriarch, who suddenly found himself confronted with sons-in-law from immigrant backgrounds and their parents, used incorrect remarks to show the audience how little they themselves are free from prejudice. Verhoeven also relies on ensemble acting, in which people provoke each other with irreconcilable positions or thoughtless behaviour. Heinz's children already speak a completely different language to their parents and are not stingy with their critical judgements. The line of conflict runs between the generations, but also criss-crosses, because neither the young nor the old always agree. There is a lot of witty dialogue, but it soon becomes clear that Verhoeven's need for harmony dominates.

The fact that the comedy is heading for the harbour of reconciliation costs it tension and bite in the second half. The resemblance to a sitcom becomes more apparent, in which the jokes follow each other closely but can also be silly. Jan Josef Liefers plays the troubled Heinz in his brown corduroy suit as a likeable character, while Nadja Uhl as his wife Carla seems all too carefree. Elyas M'Barek has a few strong performances as a technology consultant with a compulsion for self-optimisation, but his role ultimately slips into silliness. Verhoeven also packs too many themes into the story: artificial intelligence in the company, a rather superfluous journey from Heinz to his estranged eldest daughter in Berlin. A little taste of the big city, including a queer milieu, is also intended to broaden the horizons of this small-town citizen. Overall, the comedy offers amusing entertainment with a feel-good character, but also lacks depth and the courage to portray uncomfortable characters.

Because Letterboxd doesn't give you the Trailer, I do: youtu.be/YxihQ-J6M8U?si=p_9VdMI9vOqhKMhD

Watched on Blu-Ray

The catalyst and background for the plot of "La Haine" are the riots in a Parisian suburban ghetto, which take place as a reaction to a particularly blatant case of police violence. If there is a sense of déjà vu about this subject matter, it is probably because it has never lost its topicality: Barring a few superficialities such as the absence of mobile phones, this film, made in the mid-1990s, could just as easily be set in the mid-2000s or 2010s. This is not only a testament to the concise examination of the problem in "La Haine", but also demonstrates in a frightening way how little has changed in this respect in over twenty years.

For 24 hours, the film follows its three main characters Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), who, as residents of the affected neighbourhood, each deal with the events in their own way: While Vinz seeks retribution, Hubert preaches the futility of revenge and would prefer to leave the neighbourhood, but lacks the means to do so, while the child-headed Saïd repeatedly acts as a mediator between these two positions. In anecdotal scenes, the banlieu residents encounter representatives of the most diverse sections of society who, with few exceptions, ostracise, mistreat or at best treat the characters as curiosities. In these encounters, the film not only shows humour, but also exercises social criticism in a rather clever way and examines where so much hatred can come from, whereby it really arouses sympathy for very few of the characters, but at least understanding for most of them.

A special mention should also be made of the camera work, as it manages to show the minimalist main cast in ever new ways and to explore the premises without ever becoming boring. In general, the relatively limited means that "La Haine" had at its disposal are used very skilfully to bring its individual scenes to full bloom and to convey to the viewer the feelings of despair and anger that sometimes follow one another in close succession, but also a sense of abstruseness and comedy. Overall, "La Haine" is such a strong early work that you have to ask yourself why director and screenwriter Matthieu Kassovitz has mainly produced mediocre to bumbling films such as "Babylon A.D." and "Gothika" in his subsequent career if he is capable of such greatness.

Watched in the cinema (165th visit in 2024)

Schocktober 2024 #31

Stephen King's 1975 novel "Salem's Lot" served as a model time and again. In fact, a TV two-parter was made as early as 1979, one of the first ever adaptations of a work by the horror author. This was followed in 1987 by "A Return to Salem's Lot", a direct-to-video film that told a specially invented story set years after the novel - the first of many pseudo-sequels based on King's works. Finally, in 2004, there was another two-part film made for television. When it was announced that the classic was to be adapted once again, curiosity was high. Not only because a lot had happened since then and people wanted to know how the third direct version would differ. It is also the first that was planned for the cinema. In the meantime, things didn't look good and the film was repeatedly postponed. In the USA, it was only released for the streaming service Max. At least in Germany, however, it can actually be seen on the big screen - due to the lack of a German spin-off of Max.

However, the anticipation increasingly gives way to disappointment. The opening is still quite atmospheric when director and screenwriter Gary Dauberman takes us on a journey back to the 1970s. Where the 2004 version attempted to bring the material into the (then) present day, this one is more of a nostalgia trip. This may not be original, but it fits. The problems only start later, when "Salem's Lot" becomes increasingly hectic. Part of the reason for this is surely the desire to please a modern audience that perhaps no longer has the patience required for the first two adaptations. There it took longer for something to happen. In fact, it was revealed so late in the film that the mysterious Barlow is a vampire that it was a spoiler to mention it in the synopsis. Here it's made clear right at the beginning.

In other respects, too, it often happens far too quickly. The first two adaptations took a lot of time to establish the small town and then slowly awaken the evil in various corners. In the third "Salem's Lot" this feeling never arises, you hardly develop a relationship with the characters scurrying around. There's not much left of the ominous atmosphere either, which was the real strength of the story. As excited as we may have been beforehand to see the material in film form, watching it makes us realise why there have only been mini-series so far. Although Daubermann was probably aware of this himself. There is said to have been a version that was almost three hours long, comparable to the two-part films. But it was shortened to such an extent that the whole thing is anaemic.

That's not to say that everything here is bad. There are some atmospheric moments here and there. A competent ensemble has been engaged, even if it is not quite as memorable as some of the actors and actresses from previous films. "Salem's Lot" could also appeal to an audience that likes a bit more action, as the shift in focus has done something to change this. It soon feels like the entire small town has turned evil. The finale is also quite nice, the setting is different here. Nevertheless, the world wouldn't necessarily be any poorer if the new version had disappeared into oblivion. The long wait wasn't exactly worth it.

Watched in the cinema (164th visit in 2024)

Schocktober 2024 #30

Art the Clown has had a stellar career: It started with appearances in short films and a horror anthology, followed by his first feature film for home cinema with "Terrifier" and finally even went straight to the cinema with "Terrifier 2". The latter triggered a little hype among horror fans and ensured that the psychopathic killer clown was suddenly on everyone's lips. The worldwide box office takings of just under 16 million dollars may seem paltry compared to other cinema hits, but considering the minimal budget of just 250,000 dollars, it is a remarkable success. So it's no wonder that director Damien Leone was given the green light by the studio to make another sequel, this time with a budget of just under 2 million dollars. And lo and behold: "Terrifier 3" has already grossed more on its opening weekend with a result of 18.3 million dollars (in the USA alone) than its predecessor did in its entire run worldwide. With over 50 million dollars, it is now the most successful unrated film of all time. So from a commercial point of view, it did everything right.

As a reminder: "Terrifier" and especially "Terrifier 2" are ultra-brutal slashers for a hardcore audience that can handle excessive gore and wants to see exactly that. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise what awaits in "Terrifier 3". And that the makers would try in one way or another to shock their audience anew. Once again, people fall victim to the clown (David Howard Thornton) and his assistant Vicky (Samantha Scaffidi) and are executed in the worst possible way. The practical effects are also the film's great strength here, as is the ingenuity with which the kills are carried out. Sometimes Art resorts to liquid nitrogen, then again to the chainsaw or axe to ensure plenty of terror fun. Wonderfully nasty and not for the faint-hearted. Art is a horror character with cult potential.

This time, "Terrifier 3" is almost like a Christmas film, as Art makes the rounds dressed as Santa Clause for the festive season. There is something amusing about the fact that all the typical Christmas kitsch is taken ad absurdum, and the film has no shortage of pitch-black humour if you can get into it. Because the film is still evil through and through, and this time it doesn't even stop at children. Although this is not depicted as explicitly in the film as it is with adult victims, it is still thematically relevant and is guaranteed to offend some viewers. Whatever you think about it, it's a logical continuation of the series. Art is a sadist from hell who cares about nothing and nobody. Why should he suddenly show restraint here? If you have a problem with that on the big screen, then "Terrifier 3" is nothing for you. And it probably wasn't before either.
With a running time of 140 minutes, the second part was incomprehensibly long. Especially for the fact that it had hardly anything to say in terms of content. At 125 minutes, "Terrifier 3" is also a (too) long film, but at least it's a little shorter. The story remains thin and the characters still have room for improvement. Leone would do well to leave the writing to someone else and concentrate purely on a (tighter) realisation. But as it is, he drags the whole thing out with plenty of narrative diversions and surreal elements to unnecessarily inflate "Terrifier 3". And this is by no means the end of the story, as the door for a fourth instalment has already been opened at the end. Incidentally, this has already been officially confirmed, which is hardly surprising given the success story so far. By then at the latest, however, a breath of fresh air away from the kills would be very welcome.

Watched on Blu-Ray

Schocktober 2024 #29

The world into which "American Psycho" transports us is a world that has been planned down to the last detail: the sequence of the training programme. The course of the care programme. The course of the sex life. Nothing is left to chance. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) attaches great importance to control and controllability. The wealthy investment banker only loses his cool when he is unexpectedly outdone - for example, when one of his groomed colleagues holds a business card under his nose which, unlike his own, even has a watermark. The fact that this Patrick Bateman, of all people, who made his first appearance in Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name, has matured into a popular culture icon could, at first glance, be declared an alarming transfiguration. After all, the man is everything but adorable.

Patrick Bateman is one thing above all: never really present. Don't get me wrong, his physical presence is truly incisive, not least thanks to the formidable performance by Christian Bale, who is in absolute top form under the direction of Mary Harron. However, Patrick Bateman must be seen more as an entity; as something illusory. He resembles a bitter principle in which no clearly identifiable emotion is depicted, apart from greed and loathing. And so the figure of Patrick Bateman is naturally also to be understood as a figurative commentary on the morally starved field of activity on Wall Street. The people here endeavour to achieve a life of all-encompassing perfection, but have de facto never learned how to live at all. It goes without saying, however, that "American Psycho" is not interested in subjecting Patrick Bateman to a horizon-expanding learning process.

Instead, "American Psycho" sees itself as a single, never-ending and self-serving surface stimulus, in which status symbols and thus also oneself are constantly on display. "American Psycho" is a bilious stocktaking of the present and an analysis of the prevailing social value system. And of course Patrick Bateman offers himself as an excellent test track in the course of this, because he reveals himself as such an extreme and garish figure that his true personality completely disappears behind all the profile neuroses. Or also: that the idea arises that Patrick Bateman has no personality at all, but only exists as a human shell that is filled to the brim with perversion, cynicism and fetishism. And this also needs to be addressed once again: The way Christian Bale plays out the epitome of the you are what you own mentality is simply outstanding.
In a world in which conformity and availability dominate everything, Patrick Bateman's murderous urges seem to reflect the last possibility of counteracting precisely this fixed, self-enforced regularity. American Psycho" does not answer the question of where the madness that Bateman smugly lets out in bestial excesses of violence comes from. Instead, the film undermines our claim that we have to psychologise everything in order to decipher it, make it tangible and process it in the next step. That's exactly what "American Psycho" doesn't want to do. Strictly speaking, everything it tells works without any background. It's all about taking the mask of sanity ad absurdum. And these millionaire yuppie arseholes, who have never achieved anything in their lives, are simply perfect for this. Hurray for nihilism! Cheers to materialism! Cheers to everything that is sick and to the indifference that drills shafts into your guts with an insistent coldness.

Watched in the cinema (163rd visit in 2024)

"The Room Next Door" is Pedro Almodóvar's first attempt at a purely English-language film. Apart from that, he remains true to his style and creates a melodramatic film about transience, death and self-determination, which remains playful and humorous at the same time. It is precisely this ambivalence that runs through the entire film and manifests itself in numerous facets. In contrast to the overarching, ultimate case of mourning is a costume and set design that could hardly be more colorful. This visual presentation makes it clear throughout the film that Almodóvar never stops celebrating life despite the omnipresent theme of death. Even after Martha's inevitable death, he remains true to this line. With the introduction of Martha's daughter, he brings another factor into play that symbolizes rebirth and hope and transfers these emotions to the audience.

Aside from his distinctive style, Pedro Almodóvar is known for his strong female roles. Nothing changes in "The Room Next Door". Apart from a few scenes in which Ingrid philosophizes with Damien Cunningham (John Turturro) and an interrogation by a policeman at the end of the film, the metaphorical stage belongs almost exclusively to Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Almodóvar's switch from Spanish to English does not affect the dialog in any way, and he could hardly have made better choices in casting Swinton and Moore in the leading roles. Both actresses have already won an Academy Award and are once again in the running for an Oscar for their performances. Their harmony together is perfect, but it is the scenes in which they appear alone that make their talent particularly clear.
Tilda Swinton's Martha has come to terms with her impending death and seems stable, even happy to be leaving this world on her own terms, but not alone. Ingrid, on the other hand, is happy to support her friend, but suffers from the burden of not knowing when exactly Martha will take her own life. She repeatedly harbors small doubts as to whether Martha will really carry out her plan - doubts that arise more out of self-protection than genuine conviction. This emotional depth and the unique chemistry between the two actresses work so well that "The Room Next Door" never degenerates into a boring string of exposition despite its abundance of dialog.

Despite everything, Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language feature film has some weaknesses. At times, the plot gets lost and becomes too political. John Turturro's character raises questions about climate change, the future of the planet and society away from the main plot, creating a nihilistic counter-position that adds little to the film. A scene with a police interrogation towards the end of the film also addresses religious aspects and the question of self-determination. Although these scenes offer additional food for thought, they sometimes seem clumsily introduced and overly ambitious without playing a major role in the film's core theme. Ultimately, "The Room Next Door" may not be Almodóvar's best work, but the adaptation of the novel "What Are You Going Through" by Sigrid Nunez remains an interesting work, especially thanks to the excellent performances by Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.

Watched on Blu-Ray

Schocktober 2024 #27

When director Stefan Ruzowitzky was one day introduced to a patient's hearing aid by a surgeon friend, which could be switched on and off by remote control, he had the idea for the sequel to his most successful film to date. This contrast between being able to help a person as a doctor on the one hand, but also being able to control them if you want to, formed the basis for "Anatomy 2". While the first part, which was the most commercially successful domestic production in German cinemas in 2000, was still very much in the slasher genre, the second part goes its own way and is narratively more mature.

Once again, it is the conflict between helping and striving for perfection that takes center stage. In contrast to Paula, played by Franke Potente, Barnaby Metschurat's character is much more ambivalent, however, as becomes clear in the course of the plot. His association with the "gods in white", as the clique around Professor Müller-LaRousse is called, introduces a darkness into his character where it is never certain whether these tendencies were already there or not. While the heroine of the previous part was characterized by her intelligence, in Jo Hauser's case it is more his seductiveness, which gives his story a tragic aspect at times, which becomes particularly clear in the scenes about Jo's brother and his illness.

This fallibility, which Ruzowitzky emphasizes in his screenplay and Metschurat skillfully plays, is a really successful change that makes Anatomy 2 a really solid sequel. It moves away from the slasher genre and becomes more of a thriller about the seductiveness of man and his almost tragic tendency towards perfectionism.

This second theme in particular is reflected in the idea of self-optimization, which takes up the role of the body from the first part, but takes it further. The young doctors around Müller-LaRousse are not only successful, but also beautiful and intelligent, in other words they are part of a new elite that is no longer born, but made by doctors like them. It is now not the examination of someone else's body that is the subject of research, but the own body is now the focus of an optimization mania, which can certainly be seen as a symbol of today's optimization mania, its limits and side effects. The search for the superhuman ultimately becomes a search for the best self, which gets higher, faster and further, but becomes less and less human and more machine.

The way in which these new abilities are dealt with is still a little awkward, as is the way in which they are staged, but on the whole it is more interesting than some other sequels that only present a tepid rehash of the first part.

Watched in the cinema (162nd visit in 2024)

The name Katja Brandis may not mean much to adults, but children and young teenagers have been devouring her books about the shape-shifting Woodwalkers, Seawalkers and Windwalkers for years. In addition to at least two books a year, the first film in the series is now also being released; incidentally, the first of two planned sequels had already been filmed before the movie was released.

Admittedly, the introduction to the cinematic world of the shapeshifters is a little bumpy. For example, it seems a little strange when talking cougars are shown in the wilderness without much explanation. The decision by the filmmakers around director Damian John Harper to introduce the main character Carag (Emile Chérif) to his human foster family and only gradually reveal his secret to the audience also takes some getting used to.

However, the whole thing picks up considerably when Carag arrives at the boarding school. The revelation of the secret shapeshifting school may be reminiscent of many a fantasy or superhero story. However, thanks to the likeable actors, who make an appealing ensemble in human and animal form, viewers quickly find their way into this world. Leading actor Emile Chérif impresses with his pleasantly reserved manner, making him an ideal character for young viewers to identify with, but the other young actors and actresses are also appealing in their roles. The well-known adult actresses and actors, such as Martina Gedeck, are not entirely convincing, but the character face of Oliver Masucci is a multi-layered counterpart to the kids in the cast.

Of course, "Woodwalkers" stands and falls with the animal sequences and the transformations, and these are actually surprisingly well done. This is largely due to the fact that the filming, which did not take place in the USA but in Bavaria, Tyrol, South Tyrol and the Harz Mountains, was primarily based on real animals. The semi-tame animals were filmed on location and only then put together for the joint scenes. Where computer-generated effects had to be used, the film fortunately keeps a low profile; instead of cheap-looking computer animals, transformations are mainly seen in transitions between shots, at the edge of the frame or out of the corner of the eye - this looks simple but effective for a production from Germany that can't compete with the huge budgets of Hollywood blockbusters.

With its predictable but nevertheless engaging story about the cougar Carag and his hairy and feathered friends, the film conveys an exciting and always funny story about friendship and being different that will not only appeal to fans of the book series. "Woodwalkers" is unmistakably a fiery plea for nature conservation and love of animals, yet it doesn't come across as pandering, but makes you want more.

Watched in the cinema (161st visit in 2024)

Schocktober 2024 #26

"Venom" was certainly one of the big surprise hits of 2018: with a budget of just over 100 million US dollars, the film about the popular Marvel comic character grossed around eight times that amount and was therefore not far off the films about Spider-Man, whose antagonist it usually is. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" was unable to match this result in 2021. However, with takings of around 550 million during the coronavirus pandemic, the second film was also a veritable hit. Now a third part is coming out with "Venom: The Last Dance". As the title suggests, it is supposed to be the last. Whether this will be the case remains to be seen. If the new film is also a big hit, the temptation to work with the character one more time might be great. However, if this is not the case, it would not be a major loss.

Sure, the first two films weren't really that good. But somehow these somewhat different buddy movies were fun, especially when they fully embraced the humor of this odd couple. This was especially thanks to Tom Hardy, who jumped around like a wild monkey and was not above excess. The scene involving the lobster in the first film is almost legendary. There is no shortage of jokes in "Venom: The Last Dance". But they are not particularly good. Above all, they are not imaginative. Kelly Marcel, who was involved in the script the last few times, had hardly any ideas on how to use this scenario. The air has gone out of it by now. The best thing is a running gag about Eddie constantly needing new shoes. But that's not enough to fill a movie.

Although the humor is only part of the film anyway. Of course, there is also a lot of fighting. But the result is not really convincing. In the attempt to create the greatest possible threat, the film overshot the mark and created a creature that is invincible. This is supposed to create suspense, but primarily leads to everything becoming arbitrary. A number of alien creatures are allowed to attack each other, and the special effects department has plenty to do. But none of it matters, because none of it has any effect. And when a plan does come to fruition at some point in "Venom: The Last Dance", because the story has to come to an end, it becomes completely arbitrary. A lot of things don't make sense at all. Admittedly, you don't watch these films because of the well thought-out content. But not making any effort at all can't be the conclusion.

Marcel, who is making her directorial debut with this film, wants to touch the heart in addition to humor and action this time. Logically, with a finale, this is inevitable. But even in this respect, "Venom: The Last Dance" is not very satisfying. It's too forced, too formulaic to generate any real emotion. When it's time to say goodbye towards the end, our own sympathy is limited. Instead, there is a mixture of shrugging and relief that the whole thing is now over. While the first two parts were at least still guilty pleasures that you could have fun with, the protagonist only reaches his goal by the skin of his teeth at the end. Despite a hyperactive plot, this is a rather tired performance that is hardly likely to provide any accents in the blockbuster-poor autumn. Too bad about the ensemble that was wasted on this.

Watched on Blu-Ray

Schocktober 2024 #25

Although Wes Craven's "New Nightmare", with its meta-filmic and self-reflexive advances, can be seen as a typical film of the nineties and also as Craven's personal preparatory work for "Scream", which followed two years later, it is one thing above all: strange and unique. After Freddy Krueger had been killed off three years earlier in the weakest film in the series and the franchise, which was firmly rooted in the eighties, could no longer conceal its signs of wear and tear, a radical break such as the one Craven made with his seventh installment was probably the only option. Nevertheless, "New Nightmare" can hardly be described as a "reboot". And even though it shares the villain, actors, motifs and narrative similarities with the film series and continues some ideas as consistently as possible, it is still difficult to call it an "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film, a classic sequel. Instead, it relates to its predecessors like secondary to primary literature, like a footnote to the text. It is homage, commentary, essay, yet functions as a completely independent film, although it would of course be unthinkable without the series to which it refers.

In brief: Heather Langenkamp (Heather Langenkamp), who played Nancy Thompson in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors", is threatened by an anonymous caller and is increasingly worried: the man on the other end sounds like Freddy Krueger. Her young son Dylan is also concerned: He says that a man called Freddy visits him in his bed at night and threatens him with his clawed hand. Shortly after Heather learns from Wes Craven (Wes Craven) that he is planning a new "A Nightmare on Elm Street" sequel, in which not only she but also her husband, a special effects technician, are to be involved, he is killed in a car accident. His corpse shows an injury that looks like it came from Freddy's claw ...

As this brief summary makes clear, Craven abandons the fictional level and authenticates his story by setting it in our reality. The main characters play themselves - Heather Langenkamp, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, John Saxon and producer Robert Shaye - and the exposition in particular focuses on how the film character Freddy has influenced and changed their lives. Heather repeatedly faces questions as to whether she lets her son see "these films"; her other works are not even noticed. And the shock that jolts her when Robert Englund storms into the talk show where she is a guest as a surprise guest in full Freddy costume suggests that part of the fiction has become reality for her. This kind of realization becomes the basic idea of Craven's film: Freddy's endeavour to penetrate from the realm of dreams into the realm of reality, which was already a driving force of the series before, is crowned with success in "New Nightmare" in the most radical way imaginable. Freddy succeeds not only in penetrating the reality of the fictional village of Springwood, where the films were previously set, nor merely as a pop-cultural chimera in the audience's consciousness, but in our "real" reality. It leaves behind not only the sphere of the dream, but apparently also that of the movie. The explanation that Craven, both as author and as character in the film, finds for this in the screenplay - which, in the best meta-film tradition, is itself part of the film - is superficially mythological: in the narrative, the force it deals with is, as it were, banished. But as soon as the narrative becomes "inactive", so to speak - like the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series after its conclusion - this power is released again. The Freddy who subsequently haunts Heather and her son is therefore the more dangerous, darker "idea" behind the mere cinematic depiction by Englund.

As is usually the case with such films, "New Nightmare" is a winner primarily because of the bizarre reflections, distortions and ambivalences that its mise-en-abyme character evokes. Craven's explanation of the enigmatic events is a tongue-in-cheek justification of a never-ending sequel mania, but of course also a valid explanation of why audiences attend these sequels, why they stop at some point and why a new need can then slowly but surely grow. Just as the movie is about its own genesis on a plot level - it ends with Heather reading her son the script for the diegetically unmade sequel we've just seen - on a subtextual level, it's about the forces that help a horror movie character achieve the very popularity necessary for a multi-part horror movie series.

In the course of the discussions I've had in response to my texts here in the comments, on Facebook or in "real life", I've learned that the seventh "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film has suffered considerably worse than I suspected. It was an absolute surprise to me at the time, not least because its premise was still exceptional and the self-reflective cinema of the nineties was only slowly getting on its feet at the time. I saw it again yesterday for the first time in many years and am still a little undecided as to how I should judge it: The movie does what it does very well. More than other films that attempt such narrative contortions, you can see Craven's intellect in this one, which never gets out of step in its staging, always keeping an overview of the interlocking levels. The film is very consistent in the realization of its idea, but it also seems a little forced and deliberate. I'm still arguing with myself about whether "New Nightmare" is the congenial, only possible conclusion to the franchise (which it actually was only because it didn't do well at the box office) or whether it should be viewed completely independently. Either way: a unique horror film and a highly interesting self-reflection that you should have seen at least once in order to make your own judgment.

• A Difficult Year
• LOLA
• Priscilla
• Next Goal Wins
• The Royal Hotel
• 15 Years
• The Animal Kingdom
• The Pod Generation
• The Beekeeper
• Anyone But You

...plus 180 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

contains only movies I reviewed and will be constantly updated

• 10 Cloverfield Lane
• 12 Years a Slave
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 23
• 28 Days Later
• 3:10 to Yuma
• A Bay of Blood
• A Bittersweet Life
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• A Cure for Wellness

...plus 792 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Every Movie/Limited TV Series I bought on Amazon Video or Apple TV-the list will be constantly updated after I reviewed them

• A Detective Story
• A House on the Bayou
• A Most Violent Year
• Anomalisa
• A Prophet
• Arachnophobia
• Bad Boys
• Bāhubali 2: The Conclusion
• Barbarella
• Batman

...plus 147 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Nameless terror in the woods, demonic smiles, sadistic killer clowns, venomous anti-heroes...and these are just my beforeplanned scary cinema visits during this year's Schocktober. Everything can happen in this Nightmare on Elm Street. Be prepared for violence, death and very little hope 😱💀👽🤖👻🧸

• Never Let Go
• Cloverfield
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
• Evil Dead Trap
• The Gift
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• Cold Creek Manor
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
• The House That Screamed

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Alien: Romulus
4. Alien Resurrection
5. Alien³
6. Prometheus
7. Alien: Covenant
8. AVP: Alien vs. Predator
9. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem

• I Wanna Dance with Somebody
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• The Passengers of the Night
• Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre
• FCK 2020 – 2 and a Half Years With Scooter
• Holy Spider
• M3GAN
• Babylon
• Shotgun Wedding
• Pathaan

...plus 172 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Horrifying exorcisms, relentless mass murderers, nasty animatronics...and these are just my beforeplanned scary cinema visits during this year's Schocktober. Everything can happen in this Cabinet of Curiosities. Be prepared for violence, death and very little hope 😱💀👽🤖👻🧸

• Lot 36
• Final Destination
• Graveyard Rats
• Dead Ringers
• The Autopsy
• The Fog
• The Exorcist: Believer
• The Outside
• Anatomy
• Final Destination 2

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
2. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
3. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
5. Mission: Impossible
6. Mission: Impossible III
7. Mission: Impossible II

• Death on the Nile
• The King's Man
• Lamb
• Scream
• Spencer
• The 355
• Sing 2
• Nightmare Alley
• Licorice Pizza
• Mulholland Drive

...plus 95 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Smiling madness, Grandma Laurie vs. "Motherfucker" Michael Myers and a bunge of bodies, bodies, bodies...and that's just my beforeplanned horrifying cinema programm of this year's Schocktober! Be prepared for random gruesome, nasty and violent stuff that scares the 💩 out of you☠👻👽👾👹

• Don't Look Now
• Eyes Without a Face
• The Birds
• Smile
• Trouble Every Day
• Insidious
• In the Mouth of Madness
• Werewolf by Night
• The Untamed
• Silent Hill

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Halloween
2. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
3. Halloween
4. Halloween II
5. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
6. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
7. Halloween Kills
8. Halloween
9. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
10. Halloween Ends

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Predator
2. Prey
3. Predator 2
4. The Predator
5. AVP: Alien vs. Predator
6. Predators
7. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem

1. Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi
2. Star Wars: Visions – The Duel
3. Star Wars: Visions – Lop & Ochō
4. Star Wars: Visions – The Elder
5. Star Wars: Visions – The Twins
6. Star Wars: Visions – The Village Bride
7. Star Wars: Visions – T0-B1
8. Star Wars: Visions – Akakiri
9. Star Wars: Visions – Tatooine Rhapsody

I searched my feelings

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Star Wars
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
6. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
7. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
8. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
9. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Jurassic World: Dominion not yet included

1. Jurassic Park
2. Jurassic Park III
3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
5. Jurassic World Dominion
6. Jurassic World

Berlin cinemas are open again from June 17th 🥳

• Cruella
• Mortal Kombat
• Wonder Woman 1984
• A Quiet Place Part II
• Freaky
• Those Who Wish Me Dead
• Godzilla vs. Kong
• Nomadland
• Nobody
• Judas and the Black Messiah

...plus 60 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Jack and Jill
• Confessions of a Shopaholic
• 365 Days
• That's My Boy
• The Star Wars Holiday Special

Deadly aliens, hungry zombies, relentless killers or evil witches: during Schocktober, everything can happen 👻😱😰🤮 Be prepared for the spooky month full of reviews of terror and screams.

• Alien
• Resident Evil
• Scream
• Fear Street: 1994
• Aliens
• Forgotten
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse
• Scream 2
• Midnight Mass
• Krabat

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Casino Royale
2. Goldfinger
3. GoldenEye
4. From Russia with Love
5. Thunderball
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7. Skyfall
8. Licence to Kill
9. The Spy Who Loved Me
10. Live and Let Die

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Yeah, I know it's an app for movies, but come on- the Bond Songs are such an iconic part of the franchise that I, as someone who loves to find new music, couldn't resist to rank them😅
Disclaimer 1: Instrumentals aren't included, because they're used in several movies in different versions.
Disclaimer 2: I only rank the songs, not the intros the're used in (some aren't even in the Intro). Therefore, "No Time to Die" by Billie Eilish is already in it.
Disclaimer 3: You'll find the links to the songs in the description.
Disclaimer 4: You're free to ask about the ranking, but I'm also free to answer or to not doing so.

1. Live and Let Die

   Paul McCartney and the Wings: Live And Let Die
   https://youtu.be/b07Z_qfchFk
   

2. Quantum of Solace

   Alicia Keys & Jack White:
   Another Way To Die
   https://youtu.be/YMXT3aJxH_A
   

3. No Time to Die

   Billie Eilish:
   No Time to Die
   https://youtu.be/GB_S2qFh5lU
   

4. Skyfall

   Adele:
   Skyfall
   https://youtu.be/_4gdhsVKTcs
   

5. For Your Eyes Only

   Sheena Easton:
   For Your Eyes Only
   https://youtu.be/8kNksLL0sv4
   

6. Thunderball

   Tom Jones:
   Thunderball
   https://youtu.be/Ia6-5gC5ArM
   

7. Goldfinger

   Shirley Bassey:
   Goldfinger
   https://youtu.be/6D1nK7q2i8I
   

8. Diamonds Are Forever

   Shirley Bassey:
   Diamonds Are Forever
   https://youtu.be/ZwbEuzJCnqI
   

9. The Living Daylights

   A-Ha:
   The Living Daylights
   https://youtu.be/aXM4eIoPZUU
   

10. Licence to Kill

    Gladys Knight:
    License To Kill
    https://youtu.be/ZnSbrx5YByY
    

...plus 16 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Fast Five
2. The Fast and the Furious
3. Furious 7
4. The Fate of the Furious
5. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
6. Fast & Furious 6
7. F9
8. Fast & Furious
9. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
10. 2 Fast 2 Furious

Berlin cinemas were shut down from March 14th till June 30th and are shut down again from November 2nd until the rest of the year😢

• Knives Out
• Charlie's Angels
• Underwater
• Queen & Slim
• 1917
• Bad Boys for Life
• Jojo Rabbit
• Lindenberg! Mach dein Ding
• Little Women
• Dolittle

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Killers, Zombies, Monsters, Aliens, Witches, Mutations, Ghosts, Vampires and the pure evil...during Shocktober everything can happen! Nobody is safe:)

• Ready or Not
• Pontypool
• Hereditary
• A Bay of Blood
• Hellraiser
• Re-Animator
• I Saw the Devil
• The Babysitter
• Santa Sangre
• Hellbound: Hellraiser II

...plus 30 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Devilish children, insane serial killers, mad ballerinas, lonely vampires, deadly aliens, the pure evil-during Shocktober everything can happen-be prepared to be afraid😰😱

• Goodnight Mommy
• Rosemary's Baby
• Prom Night
• Black Swan
• Breaking In
• Thirst
• Marrowbone
• Bad Samaritan
• Dog Soldiers
• Deep Red

...plus 35 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Logan
2. X2
3. X-Men: First Class
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
5. X-Men
6. Deadpool 2
7. Deadpool
8. Dark Phoenix
9. The Wolverine
10. The New Mutants

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Manaslu: Mountain of Souls
• Robin Hood
• Ben Is Back
• The Wife
• Glass
• Mary Queen of Scots
• Ralph Breaks the Internet
• Creed II
• The Favourite
• The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

...plus 55 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Terminator
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
3. Terminator: Dark Fate
4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
5. Terminator Salvation
6. Terminator Genisys

1. Rocky
2. Creed
3. Rocky Balboa
4. Creed II
5. Rocky III
6. Rocky IV
7. Rocky II
8. Rocky V

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
4. The Girl in the Spider's Web
5. The Girl Who Played with Fire

Killers, Monsters, Aliens, Witches, Mutations, the pure evil...during Shocktober everything can happen! Nobody is safe:)

• Halloween
• Halloween II
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• Anaconda
• Fright Night
• Venom
• Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• Malevolent
• Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
• Triangle

...plus 29 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.