Members
Stats
Users Online Users: 0Guests: 71Total: 71 |
|
May 15, 2024, 11:52:19 PM  | Krampus (2015/United States) Wikipedia |IMDb |Trailer |
|
Stars:
Emjay Anthony as Max
Adam Scott as Tom
Toni Collette as Sarah
Stefania Lavie Owen as Beth
Krista Stadler as Omi
Plot:
When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.
All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.
Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Adam Scott (TV's Parks and Recreation), Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine), Allison Tolman (TV's Fargo) and David Koechner (Anchorman), this is a wonderfully dark and subversive "must-see film." - WEGOTTHISCOVERED.COM
Extras:
- Scene Access
- Audio Commentary
- Bonus Trailers
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurettes
- Gallery
- Outtakes/Bloopers
- Digital Copy
My Thoughts:
Going by the trailer I wasn't sure what I would think of this one. But I must say... I enjoyed it more then I thought I would. It has a mixture of horror and comedy that I found a bit silly but entertaining. Some of the characters did get on my nerves a bit. And the ending was a little out there... but over all was worth the time put in to watch it. I definitely can see myself watching it again.
Rating:
(From Christmas 2016 on December 4th, 2016)
Member's Reviews
Straw Dogs, a review by Jon
Straw Dogs ****
4 out of 5
A young American mathematician, David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman), and his English wife, Amy (Susan George), move to a Cornish village, seeking the quiet life. But beneath the seemingly peaceful isolation of the pastoral village lies a savagery and violence that threatens to destroy the couple, culminating in a brutal test of Sumner's manhood and a bloody battle to the death. Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" is a harrowing and masterful investigation of masculinity and the nature of violence.
While Straw Dogs is not a Horror, it is an ambitious and relentlessly bleak film that may leave you an exhausted wreck. It isn't fun to watch and it isn't supposed to be. Sam Peckinpah has attracted a lot of criticism because of the violent nature of his films, but what those critics fail to appreciate is his deep understanding of the nature of violence and death. It is never glamorised or gratuitous, but hard, with consequences.
It starts as several of his films do, with children teasing an animal (here, a dog; The Wild Bunch, a scorpion, and even in The Getaway, kids gather around a corpse) which immediately sets the mood. What's fascinating about this particular one though is setting it in a sleepy Cornish village. It's unusual to see such action outside the American West, not that it's exactly an rollercoaster. Very little happens for some time, just characters circling each other and emotions starting to boil.
Dustin Hoffman turns in another typically superb performance as David, an American writer (read, intellectual who doesn't get his hands dirty) who has moved into his young wifes childhood home. It's a complicated role in a Susan George plays the alluring Amy in the performance of her career. To comment on her performance seems cheap. Few actresses go as deep as this, even if you ignore the several topless scenes. You may already know that Straw Dogs centres on a dreadfully convincing rape sequence. What makes it really tough in this uncut version of the often banned film, is Amy is shown to briefly enjoy the attack. This is challenging stuff.
Be in no doubt though that Amy suffers real trauma. Peckinpah follows the scene with a clever sequence juxtaposing Amy's memories against images of her trying to tolerate a village party. Kids playing party games are interrupted by frames from the earlier attack. Masterpiece of editing. In fact, this is one of the first films I watched some years ago where I learned how well crafted films could be. There is one particular moment that demonstrates how much thought is spent going into what could be dismissed as an accident.
(click to show/hide)
The last sequence is where it all kicks off with The Siege of Trencher's Farm (the title of the book that inspired the film). A messy, desperate and violent defence of what David believes is right; he's given refuge to a man with obvious learning difficulties who is suspected of killing a child and a lynch mob is determined to get to him. We know the man is guilty, but David and the mob don't know for sure. And while we've been waiting for David to grow a spine, he really picks his moments!
This is the brilliant ironic conceit of the film. David, the mild-mannered focus of the story, is the villain of the plot. His earlier inability to deal with several difficult situations properly has formed the catalyst for the violence, even the rape (he left her alone out of spite to go hunting with the very men who double-back to attack her). Can we even blame the mob for them wanting revenge? They are ignorant and vulgar, but could happily co-exist until the American arrived.
Ultimately the film has a problem because it is so bleak and relentlessly undermines the viewers perception to the point that you feel battered rather than enlightened. Still, as far as notorious examples of such films go, I find it far superior to A Clockwork Orange. It is an incredible film that I recommend... carefully. I keep returning to it and apart from the before-mentioned technical brilliance, I'm not sure what keeps drawing me back.
"I didn't want you to enjoy the film. I wanted you to look very close at your own soul."
Sam Peckinpah
(From Jon's Marathon of Horror! 2009 on October 28th, 2009)
Member's TV Reviews
Tom's Glee Marathon, a review by Tom
Glee
Season 1.10 Ballad
Writer: Ryan Murphy (Created By), Brad Falchuk (Created By), Ian Brennan (Created By), Brad Falchuk (Writer)
Director: Brad Falchuk
Cast: Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray), Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri Schuester), Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester), Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury), Kevin McHale (Arty Abrams), Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones), Mark Salling (Noah "Puck" Puckerman), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), Gregg Henry (Russell Fabray), Charlotte Ross (Judy Fabray), Romy Rosemont (Carole Hudson), Sarah Drew (Suzy Pepper), Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez), Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike Chang)
A fun episode. Even though I think the storyline, that Rachel is crushing on Mr. Schuester is stupid, I like how it plays. Lea Michele does it great job making this storyline funny.
Finncompetent:
Finn is singing "You're Having My Baby" to Quinn in front of her parents and thus telling them about the baby. Quinn is thrown out of the house after this. Even if Finn does a really stupid thing, I like how it plays. The reaction of the parents are funny. How first they find it strange that he starts to sing. Then they are getting into it until they realize what the song is telling them. Also the scene following this with Quinn fighting with her parents is played very well.
Brittana:
The reaction of both when Santana draws Brittany as her singing partner
Stupid moments:
Tina drawing up Mike as singing partner with "Other Asian" given as name on the paper. This is not something Mr. Shuester would do (it is something Sue Sylvester would do). I hate it when a joke is set up in a way which conflicts how a character would do it otherwise.
Notable music:
The mash-up of "Young Girl" and "Don't Stand So Close To Me", which Mr. Shuester is singing to Rachel to discourage her feelings for him, is fun. I especially enjoy the reactions of Emma to this song (and also Rachel's reaction to Emma's reactions).
The Glee club is singing "Lean On Me" to Quinn and Finn, which I enjoyed.
Rating:
(From Tom's Glee Marathon on August 27th, 2012)