EvilPhoEniX

An originally conceived monster, but that's not enough for more than an average rating. It's a pity they didn’t go for something bigger. 5/10.

A pretty crazy short from Israel. It develops quite unexpectedly and the finale is pretty nice, too bad about the cheaper look, but I had fun. 6/10.

The anticipated Gaia has been my dark horse since the first trailer, and while I am mildly disappointed as this is nothing revolutionary in the genre revolution, nor is it a candidate for horror movie of the year, it is still an above average film that will probably be appreciated by a more marginal and genre-savvy audience. There is quite a lot to praise. Gaia is stunningly shot (it looks better than all the American horror films of the last year), it has an original idea (quite possibly in the last couple of years), which is again welcome. The main character is gorgeous and shows up full frontal naked three times (again, I haven't seen nudity anywhere in a horror film in the last two years!) and she can act decently. I also liked the look of the monsters (there is a nod to “The Last of Us”, but I doubt they even know this game in South Africa, so it's more of a coincidence than a copycat), and of course this is probably the first horror representative from SA, which again deserves recognition, applause and praise. There are a few things to criticise. There could have been more monsters, it could have been darker, creepier, more action-packed and more brisk, then it would have been a five-star movie, but there are other qualities to appreciate. The mushroom mutations are rendered very unpleasantly (the final transformation is downright nasty), and I liked the hallucinogenic elements that were definitely more impressive than in In the Earth. I don't know if I'll ever watch Gaia again, but it's a pretty essential eco-horror film that I'm sure will be talked about in the future. Story 3/5, Action 3/5, Humor>No, Violence 3/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5 7.5/10,

A fan-made 13-minute project set in the world of Warhammer and it's a hell of a ride! Pretty dark, pretty brutal, awesome atmosphere, top notch visuals, awesome armory, great music and sharp action. This is a big deal and I got a full movie experience out of the 13 minutes. 10/10.

It blasted me to another planet!! This is so brilliantly conceived and filmed that if I watch it ten times I will notice something new every time. Interesting chill-tinged music that gets under your skin and I could watch and listen to it for two hours straight. It has nicely creepy and very impressive artwork. The animation and visionary journey pieced together from the shadows of today's modern world is rendered really creatively and aptly. This is a masterpiece. 10/10.

I've discovered a hidden martial arts gem from Indonesia that came out a year after The Raid. It features Cecep, from The Raid 2 finale in the kitchen, and it's decent. The film is set in a futuristic dystopia in 2032 Jakarta, where liberation becomes a new tyrant. The plot is interesting and unconventional, it's broken up into three stages, where each focuses on one character, all of whom meet in the end. It does have weaker CGI effect at times, but the visuals are decent, but the most interesting thing is definitely the action! The whole thing is shot entirely in slow motion, something I haven't seen that before – this is the Snyderverse in Indonesia. Thanks to it I was able to fully enjoy the really nicely choreographed Indonesian Silat. The cinematography is crisp, so you can see all the punches, the moves; it's pretty badass (there is no gore, but the film isn't afraid of fractures), and the finale, when Cecep as the bad guy meets the main characters, it's a blast. Had I seen it five years back I probably would have been happier. I found the middle part a bit slow, but I really enjoyed the innovative action in the first and the last thirty minutes. Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humor>No, Violence 3/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5 7.5/10,

This is really AWESOME!!! Revolutionary CGI visuals like from a PS 5 game and a well shot duel. So much money, effort and creativity crammed into five minutes, hats off! I want a feature film immediately. 9/10.

An awesome six-minute CGI action short with robotic dogs and robots. The visuals are really impressive, the action is good. I’m very satisfied, this kind of stuff is my favourite. 8/10.

A 12-minute bonus feature from Insidious starring Lin Shaye. Unpleasant atmosphere and chills guaranteed. Decent. 8/10.

Thanks to Netflix, the climax of this magnificent Japanese samurai saga is now available and it's solid, though I have a few reservations. “Runo Kenshin” is a series that never managed to grow on me. The film beautifully shot, the choreography of the fights is thoroughly worked out, it's very good to watch, but I'm bothered by the main character. He has taken a vow not to kill anyone else and that's a stumbling block for me. Watching a samurai fighting against hundreds of opponents that don't spurt blood (he has a blunt blade) is quite a shame and also a bit of an excuse not to make a proper R-rated movie. I could imagine “Mortal Kombat” fatalities, a proper carnage; I'd probably be purring with bliss while watching it, but this way it left me pretty cold, and that's a shame because there's not much competition right now. The film is almost two and a half hours long and the real action doesn't start until the final third. During the first hour and a half there isn’t much, which does affect the pacing and entertainment a bit. I never really cared much for the characters or the story, so I found myself sitting through the conversational passages waiting for them to start fighting again. I like that the Japanese style is very much in evidence, those manga-anime elements are felt at every turn, and I loved the diverse villains but with their own fighting style, weapon, crazy hairstyle, I like that a lot. The visuals are spectacular too, you can see the money there, and, as I’ve already mentioned, the choreography is thrilling, you can see that everyone has worked up a good sweat, it's very fast and spectacular, very nice to see, but the blood is sadly lacking for me to be completely enthusiastic. Maybe I'll see it in a prequel, where Kenshin should be killing his opponents, although I'm afraid they'll turn it into a romantic drama about his wife, which I can’t be bothered with. Story 4/5, Action 4/5, Humor>No, Violence 2/5, Entertainment 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5. 7.5/10.