Category Archives: Violent

2012, Acceptable for children, DO NOT MISS, Docudrama, Dysfunctional Lives, Fantasy, Magic Realism, Medical Theme, Not Feel Good, Unusual, Violent

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

1 Comment

From NetFlix:

This fantastical drama follows a little girl named Hushpuppy who lives in a dilapidated pocket of homes in the Mississippi Delta. When her father falls ill and natural disasters strike, Hushpuppy sets off to find her long-lost mother.

Netflix’s description above is misleading. Hushpuppy wants to find her mother but that is just a small part of this film, one of the most inventive and original films I have ever seen.

Quvenzhané Wallis portrays Hushpuppy as a defiant, curious, lonely little girl whose father Wink is an unpredictable, at times violent, alcoholic whose wish for his daughter is that she learn to live independently. We understand Wink more as the film progresses.

Even if the film were merely a travelog it would be acceptable. For me the area and characters were an eye-opener. As a city dweller I expect a home to be orderly, clean, and strongly constructed. But the homes we visit are disorderly pig-pens just about ready to fall down of their own accord. As a city dweller I expect people to be sober, hard-working, clean, affectionate persons. But the personalities in this film are hard-drinking, seemingly non-working, dirty humans who are, however, affectionate. Most of all they are determined to stay in their beloved bayou (which they call the “bathtub”) even after a relentless storm has almost completely destroyed their world.

Magic realism enters in the appearance of aurochs who were released by global warming from their prisons of icebergs. These giant beasts (like warthogs) in their roaming represent the violence wrought upon the earth by global warming.

Compare the acting here of Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy with that of the child Pierce Gagnon as Cid in Looper.

If you have a taste for the unusual, DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

2012, Clever Plot, Complicated, Crime, Gangs, Imperfect, Mayhem, Plot Twist, Sci-Fi, Violent

Looper (2012)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

In the year 2042, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a Looper, a hired assassin for the mob who kills people sent from the future. But what will he do when the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination?

Bruce Willis should not attempt to cry in a film. In a B-film this is probably not the end of the world. In no way does Joseph Gordon-Levitt suggest a young Bruce Willis. Never mind the acting.

“Looper” tells a potentially complicated story about time-travel, although it lets its narrator looper explain slowly and carefully what looping is all about. If you need help with the details you could read the Wikipedia explanation.

What adds interest to the film is not so much two instances of the same person trying to kill each other, but the human interest involving Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) the narrator: Is his life really pointless? Will he find love?

For me the most fascinating part involved Sara and her son Cid. Pierce Gagnon is one of the best child actors I have ever seen. IMDB does not give his age. At times I could not believe that so seemingly young a child could express so much in a role. His vacillations between rage and a childlike composure were something to watch.

Just suspend disbelief and enjoy the plot.

2011, Acceptable Trash, B-movie, Frenetic, Horror, Imperfect, Mayhem, Mediocre, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Satirical ultra-violence, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Unusual, Violent, Zombies

The Cabin In The Woods (2011)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

In this twisted thriller from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, five friends arrive at a secluded cabin with clear instructions for their anticipated mountain getaway. But when the rigid rules are broken, punishment is swift — and everyone will pay. Kristen Connolly, Jesse Williams, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Chris Hemsworth and Brian J. White star with Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford in this surprising spin on a classic horror setup.

At some point while watching this acceptable piece of horror trash you will probably wake up and say “This is really stupid”. But hold on … Granted that I do not watch many horror films, as in “seen one, seen all of them”, this almost-stinker is probably one of the most original horror flicks I have seen. Following the usual script of “a bunch of friends travel together to a secluded location when all of a sudden …” in fact ALL OF A SUDDEN the film takes an unexpected turn which caused me to say “Wait a minute: is this really a horror film or some sort of a satiric prank?” Lo and behold there stand Richard Jenkins (the father ghost in “Six Feet Under”) and Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman in “The West Wing”) in a different setting. You will spend the rest of the film trying to figure out what is happening. Along the way you get to see the usual assemblage of zombies, slashers, creepy monsters, nightmares come to life, etc. That part (the ghoul parade) is the ho-hum part. Rather the interesting part is the juxtaposition of two seemingly disparate story threads. In addition, the dialog is tongue-in-cheek and sometimes funny.

Sigourney Weaver must really need the money. Her walk-on towards the end of the story is ludicrous. In fact, the hypothesis of the entire film is ludicrous. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford must also be desperate for acting work. Chris Hemsworth plays Chris Hemsworth.

Because I am retired, I can waste the time watching this silly but somehow intriguing farce. Can you afford to waste your time?

1997, Abduction, British Mystery Series, Car Chase, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Detective, Disturbing Image, Eccentric Detective, Grim, Gritty, Kidnapping, Lawyers, Made For TV, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Occasional gore, Prison, Psychological Thriller, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Touching Evil (1997)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

After suffering head trauma from a shooting, moody, job-obsessed Detective Inspector Dave Creegan of the organized and serial crime unit heads off some of England’s most deviant and deadly offenders by creeping inside the criminal psyche.

Robson Green plays the DI Dave Creegan in this British detective TV series. His character is single-minded, isolated, and socially awkward. As is often the case in British detective shows, the crimes are usually violent and involve some ugly scenes. Indeed each episode develops side by side both Creegan’s personality difficulties as well as the crime du jour. You will not relax watching these plots but you will probably not be able to stop watching despite the suspense.

After he made this series, Robson Green then starred in Wire In The Blood in which he portrays the exact same personality, the only difference being that in this later series he ia cast as a free-lance psychologist specializing in the criminal mind.

Both “Touching Evil” and “Wire in the Blood” provide tense, suspenseful viewing that (providing your nerves hold up) you don’t want to miss.

2009, Acceptable Trash, FilmReview, Mayhem, Occasional gore, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Vampire, Violent

Daybreakers (2009)

1 Comment

From NetFlix:

Earth’s population is up against a vicious plague that’s transforming everyone into vampires and draining the world of an increasingly precious resource: blood. As the human race count nears zero, could science hold the key to a solution?

Do you remember Ethan Hawke in Gattaca? Here also he stars in an intelligent, better than average sci-fi plus vampire theme film. However this particular film is very violent, or (to make a bad pun) should I say very bloody. As the villain in the plot Sam Neill again plays a smarmy, soft-spoken and unscrupulous blood merchant.

Be warned, some scenes are ugly: humans are farmed for their blood; bodies tend to explode in the sun; blood-starved vampires feed on humans; the fun never stops.

Toward the end of the film the plot confused me a bit. Even the Wikipedia article is a little vague about the final scene with the soldiers.

No, this is not an adult film. But for those of us who love trash, it could be entertaining.

2012, Based on a Book, Bootlegging, Crude Talk, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drama, FBI, Gangs, Gay theme, Grim, Love Story, Nudity, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Lawless (2012)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

This true-to-life action saga profiles Virginia’s bootlegging Bondurant gang, whose exploits during the Prohibition era made them outlaw heroes. The three Bondurant brothers tussle with the law and each other as they try to survive changing times.

Despite the unrelenting violence from start to finish, every other aspect is so well done that this film about bootlegging is strongly compelling. Much attention was paid to reproducing rural Virginia during the Prohibition era.

As far as acting is concerned Tom Hardy (age 35), Jason Clarke (age 43), and Shia LaBeouf (age 26) create a fascinating trio of Bondurant brothers, each with his own unique personality. “Chameleon” is a word I like to apply to an actor who loses himself in a part to such an extent that you almost do not recognize him. Here we have at least two “chameleons”: Tom Hardy took an light and fun part playing against Chris Pine in the film “This Means War” whereas in “Lawless” he has transformed himself into an almost silent, soft-spoken but menacing Forest Bondurant. Make no mistake: you WILL take Forest seriously or else. Guy Pearce (age 45) is the other “chameleon”. Because of his scary portray of Charlie Rakes as a violent psychopath, I am willing to finally give Guy Pearce his due. Many of his earlier films were often mediocre fluff. However, who could forget (or stop conjecturing about the plot of) “Momento”. Both Tom Hardy and Guy Pearce are British so we have to add accent skills to their credits.

For more background on the Bondurant family see the Wikipedia article about Matt Bondurant and his book “The Wettest County in the World”. Matt was the grandson of one of the three brothers.

Despite the violence, I would have to say DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

2012, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Violent

Prometheus (2012)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

When scientific explorers unearth an artifact that points to the origins of humankind, they’re pulled into the unexpected adventure of a lifetime. But if they falter, the very future of their species is at stake.

At the very least the wonderful special effects eye candy is worth the trip to this zoo. Most of the zoo creatures are slimy, crawling, nasty beasts with lots of tentacles. Moreover, most of those monsters arrive on scene by bursting through some poor soul’s stomach. That scene from “Aliens” is destined to be repeated ad nauseam. In fact, don’t miss the final tribute to “Aliens”.

Story is almost secondary, although there is a good guys versus bad guys theme. Still, don’t expect an original plot.

It took me awhile to recognize Guy Pearce as the old and nearly dead Peter Weyland. Michael Fassbender plays a cool and calculating android who does some suspicious things that were never really explained. Just whose side was he on ?

The Dettifoss waterfall in Iceland was used in the film’s opening scene showing an “Engineer” creating life. By “Engineer” we mean the albino giant at the film’s start. In case you wonder what he was supposed to be doing, the following is a quote from the Wikipedia article:

The creation of life from the disintegration of an Engineer in the film’s opening scene was created by WETA Digital. The scene was difficult to produce because it had to convey the story of the Engineer’s DNA breaking apart, reforming and recombining into Earth DNA in a limited span of time.

Was that “Engineer” a real person or some digital effect ?

Expect nothing but great digital effects and you will not be disappointed.

2009, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

The Stepfather (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

In this spine-tingling remake of the 1987 thriller, a series of mysterious events leads teenager Michael Harding to suspect that his mother’s new boyfriend may be a dangerous serial killer known for preying on families.

Ever since I watched Dylan Walsh as Dr. Sean McNamara in the TV series “Nip/Tuck”, I have hoped to see his career advance. At the very least he succeeds in this film in playing a cleverly creepy serial killer. This is no spoiler because you know from the very beginning that his “hobby” is inserting himself as a new stepfather in a family whose parents have recently divorced and when things don’t work out then killing the entire family. In this film you watch him try again. Tension consists in watching Michael, the oldest son in the new family, little by little coming to suspect that something is wrong. Along the way quite a few people are murdered. You will recognize the first husband Jay as the actor Jon Tenney who plays the husband of “The Closer” on TV. Finally at the very end of the film an actress has a brief cameo appearance as a mom with two boys in a big box store. That actress also played in many episodes of “Nip/Tuck”.

Just sit back (you can’t relax during this film) and hold on tight.

2012, Acceptable Trash, Imperfect, Psychic Phenomena, Suspense, Violent

Red Lights (2012)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Professor Margaret Matheson and her assistant, Tom Buckley, set out to debunk claims of paranormal activity. During their investigation, a legendary psychic comes out of retirement, and Buckley becomes obsessed with proving he’s a fraud.

Give this almost-dud a B minus. Sprinkled here and there in the midst of all the psychobabble claptrap are some fun moments.

Why does Cillian (pronounced “Killian”) Murphy usually play weird parts? Is it because of his unusual eyes? This time his character Tom Buckley is more obsessed and desperate than strange. Sigourney Weaver is adequate as Margaret Matheson.

Initially the story introduces the professor and her assistant in a series of almost boring episodes in which the pair debunk so-called psychics. Only when Robert De Niro enters as the blind psychic Simon Silver does the plot thicken and take on a sinister feel.

To avoid spoiling the film (if that is possible), I can only tell you to expect some real surprises. If you do guess how the film ends, just drop me a comment.

1993, British Mystery Series, Detective, Explicit sexual discussion, Gritty, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

Cracker (1993)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Eddie “Fitz” Fitzgerald smokes, drinks, gambles and cheats on his wife. He’s also a brilliant criminal psychologist, or “cracker.” When not evading his personal demons, he uses his particular genius to track down Manchester’s worst criminals.

Be prepared to intensely dislike the “cracker” Eddie Fitzgerald. Arrogant stubbornness is his chief characteristic. For example, despite the fact that gambling is one of his many faults which have contributed to his marriage problems, he defiantly refuses to stop gambling. At least half the story time revolves around his personal failings. What on earth does his wife see in him? Possibly she values his often very clever sarcastic comments.

Nonetheless, the mystery plots are well-written. Each full story requires several episodes. Kathy and I watch the series using NetFlix streaming in order to get subtitles. Unfortunately, the DVD versions do not carry subtitles. In fact, many offerings from NetFlix are subtitled only in the streaming version.

Not all stories are about serial killers. Today’s detective series seem more often than not to center around a serial killer. However, as usual, the stories are violent. If you want “non-violent” then try Pie in the Sky.

Acting is excellent and unusual. For example, the second full story has as its culprit a murderous couple in which the man is a stutterer who can only speak when he is furious (which is most of the time).

Different and well worth your time.