MOVIES WATCHED IN JULY (2025)

 MOVIES WATCHED IN JULY (2025)

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DRYLONGSO  (DRAMA) 8/10 

FEDORA (DRAMA)(MYSTERY) 7/10 

THE OLD GUARD 2 (ACTION)(FANTASY) 3/10 

*BRONSON (BIOGRAPHY)(CRIME)(DRAMA) 8/10 

CHASING CHASING AMY (DOCUMENTARY) 8/10 

HEADS OF STATE (ACTION) (COMEDY) 7/10 

RIFF RAFF (CRIME)(COMEDY) 6/10 

TRAINWRECK: THE CULT OF AMERICAN APPAREL  (DOCUMENTARY) 7/10 

DROP (THRILLER) 5/10 

SWEET DREAMS (DRAMA)(COMEDY) 6/10 

OPUS (CULT)(THRILLER)(COMEDY) 6/10 

ABOUT MY FATHER (COMEDY) 4/10 

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET (FAMILY)(TEEN)(COMEDY)(DRAMA) 8/10 

MADEA’S DESTINATION WEDDING (COMEDY) 4/10 

GO FISH (ROMANCE)(LGBTQ+)(COMEDY) 5/10 

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL (INTERNATIONAL)(FOREIGN)(COMEDY)(DRAMA) 8/10 

PARTHENOPE (INTERNATIONAL)(FOREIGN)(DRAMA) 7/10 

THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (CRIME)(DRAMA)(THRILLER) 8/10 

THE SUPER (THRILLER) 3/10 

LADYKILLER (CLASSIC)(COMEDY) 7/10 

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (ANIMATED)(FAMILY)(FANTASY) 9/10 

LOOK BACK IN ANGER (DRAMA) 7/10 

THE AMATEUR (THRILLER) 6/10 

LONE WOLF MCQUADE (ACTION)  6/10 

I LOVE YOU FOREVER (ROMANCE)(COMEDY)(DRAMA) 7/10 

SWALLOW (DRAMA) 7/10 

JIMMY THE GENT (CLASSIC)(COMEDY) 7/10 

INVASION U.S.A. (ACTION) 6/10 

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE (INTERNATIONAL)(FOREIGN)(DRAMA)(GERMANY) 9/10 

HAPPY GILMORE 2 (COMEDY) 3/10 

MAGGIE MOORE(S) (COMEDY)(THRILLER) 7/10 

HOW TO HAVE SEX (DRAMA) 7/10 

FANTASTIC FOUR (FANTASY)(SCIENCE FICTION)(SUPERHERO) 7/10 

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION MOVIES, STAND-UP & SPECIALS

THE BEAR (Season 4) 7/10 

NELLY & ASHANTI (Season 1) 6/10 

MEAN GIRL MURDERS (Season 1)  7/10 (Season 2) 7/10 

BIG BOYS (Season 1) 10/10 

PRESENCE (2024)

 

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh 

Written By: David Koepp

Cinematography: Peter Andrews

Editor: Mary Ann Bernard

Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mullholland, Julia Fox, Lucas Papaelias, Natalie Woolams-Torres 

Longing for a fresh start, the Payne family jumps at the chance to purchase a 100-year-old suburban dwelling to recover from a traumatic experience. But houses, just like people, can get ill. As subtle disturbances gradually expose its sinister supernatural malady, the unseen intruder floats effortlessly through corridors and rooms to watch the tenants' every move. After all, the quiet entity was here first; good luck forcing it out. With their security and sanity hanging in the balance, what will it take for the Paynes to rid the house of the Presence?

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When it comes to Stephen Soderbergh‘s movies technically they are tight and they come out very often so you’re never left wanting for the new or the next one and while for the most part they play conventional they are usually experiments of themselves cinematic ones which is sometimes what makes them feel a little more removed from reality or from a conventional cinematic standpoint. As he usually is one man band as a director, director of photography and editor, seemingly having an in-house Screenwriter as he tends to collaborate with noted Screenwriter David Koepp recently constantly. 

With this film, he uses more his technical style to the achievement for the film, which is very few cuts as most of the film is long takes uninterrupted with the camera constantly flowing and giving him a chance in a reason to use wide angle shots, whereas the film is supposed to be a ghost story And we see everything transpired more from the point of view.

It allows us to step in the viewer as the spirit kind of invading the space of these characters and leaving us to more be voyeurs in their world and lives as we see snapshots of them 

Though one can understand why an audience might dislike this film as there is a storing a plot, but you’re not aware that they’re supposed to be one as at first you’re thinking or going with the flow and believing this to be more of a cinematic experience experiment and then slowly a plot comes interview at first it seems just like Random facts or that this is going to be a film more about a haunting or a haunted house, but as it goes along, everything begins to come together as secrets are revealed in a revelation is made. The film is unpredictable 

There are clues early on, but you believe them to be random though later on in the film and on subsequent viewings and start to notice them more as they were laid out, even if one storyline which becomes a major one seems a little ridiculous. It works within the cinematic landscape 

As at first, it seems like we’re more gonna get a domestic family drama rather than a true haunted house film and this film doesn’t truly have any scares, but there is tension Phil throughout if you really pay attention and get into it so this isn’t your typical haunted house film Sometimes that genre or premise is so wide open there many things you can do with it and this film takes that opportunity to do so

There’s really nothing wrong with the film. It just feels very sterile. You had accomplished by the end. You don’t truly feel anything. Luckily it sure and it is a marvel at times if you’re really into filmmaking, but maybe as like it goes it stays so cold that you wonder by the end, what was that or was it worth it? 

I believe so, though also to a certain extent, it feels like typical Soderbergh isn’t a bad thing as after a while you do come to care about the characters and one of them who you can’t really stand an about face towards the end that is believable.

Grade: B-

DASHCAM (2021)

 

Directed By: Rob Savage 

Written By: Rob Savage, Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd

Editor: Brenda Rangott

Cast: Annie Hardy, Amer Chadha-Patel, Angela Enahoro, Seylan Baxter, Mogali Masuku, Caroline Ward, Jemma Moore

Viewed through her livestream, abrasive musician Annie Hardy's night takes a dangerous turn after she agrees to help transport a frail elderly woman out of town. Annie and her friend Stretch embark on a horror-fueled road trip and livestream the most terrifying night of their lives.

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Writer/director Rob Savage’s follow-up to his hit film HOST. That was quite a bit, due amongst other things to being made during the pandemic and how believable the effects were. 

The enjoyment of the film will depend on how much or how long you can stand the lead character.  as she is very unpleasant and her behavior at times only seems to make things worse as she continuously makes bad decisions.

She will split the audience for this film

You do have to send through a third of the film with her as an introduction before any of the supernatural or horror elements take place. 

The film does work at being creepy and scary most of the time. As we spend most of the film

The main character. The audience will be happy any time another character shows up and interacts and partially takes over the narrative.

She stays a jerk even in the worst of times always saying the wrong thing. It seems like the film wants you to root against her. She makes it political to go with the time that the film was made and released. 

So you wonder if this is a commentary on people with this kind of political worldview at what seems like an apocalypse. This is a particular character.

As the film is well put together and has great direction that kind of pays off if you stick with it as it gives a commentary on social media or presentations of craft and character and story.

Though it’s weakness is that while nothing is ever totally explained everything seems like it’s happening instead of offering even a general explanation

As it is filmed in first person. You not only feel like you are a character in the film taken in for a ride. But also get a running commentary from the characters and comments on the side at times. The film feels like a hard journal.

It even sticks to the cliché of characters of color, not making it to the very end.

There are some moments where you feel like not again. Yes, it gets crazier as it goes along and her strange phrases and times of trouble and terror only helped to make it feel a little more different and strange

The film might’ve been a better shot as at times it feels like the premise is a bit stretched out even at under 90 minutes, so it almost feels like an extended V/H/S anthology story made into a feature. 

By the end, it feels like an interesting experiment, though not sure if it makes the audience care one way or another the end 

Grade: C