The one where i watch movies instead of studying
Devil In A Blue Dress (1995) 8/10
One of the best pieces of film noir i’ve seen in a long time, Carl Franklin’s Devil In A Blue Dress is one of those old school kind of film noir, complete with the femme fatale and excellent control of mood. Just as they don’t make westerns like they used to, they don’t make film noir like Devil In A Blue Dress much nowadays. Still, it was a treat to discovered this little known gem from the 90s. Of course, after watching the film, if you were to critically consider the plot, you realise that it isn’t really a very plausible film. But it doesn’t matter, because from the outset, the film moves through its maze of questions, and intrigue. Highly entertaining, even though there isn’t much in terms of action, its the kind of smart thriller that scores not with big budgets but with deft storytelling. Hidden inside the film noir genre of the film is a sly commentary of racism and racial relations. Plus, Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle put in solid performances and this is one film noir that stands at the top of its game.
Wishing Stairs (2003) 6/10
In terms of scaryness, Wishing Stairs scores quite high, with enough hijinks in the second half and some truly chilling imagery to offer even jaded viewers. In terms of originality and plot though, its still a fairly predictable and by the numbers genre piece.
Wishing stairs is third in a loose series of films set in girl’s high school. While it offers its share of chills and scares, it still pales in comparison to Memento Mori, argurably the best horror film of that series. The first half of the film, which sets out the story of jealousy is competantly done, albeit predictable. You could see the twists quite early on. And the plot is essentially a kind of “be careful what you wish for” parable on the dangers of wishes. Obviously, as predictability dictates, the girls who manage to step on the non-existant 29th step of the Wishing Stairs will get their wishes fulfiled, but the wish inevitably becomes a Faustian Bargain where they must then pay for the wish with a metaphorical pound of flesh. All well and good, but certainly too predictable.
The second half ramps up the fear factor dramatically, but reminded me all too much of The Shining. Heck, there is even one scene in the film that seems to be a homage to the Shining [girl breaks open the window of a door with a corkscrew]. Anyway, while the second half does have its share of fairly well done scares, you nevertheless get a sense of deja vu. The tension is effectively manipulated, but still, the conventional cliches of the long-haired girl remains overused. And lets not forget another pet peeve: scary toilets with scary toilet mirrors which reflect scary stuff. If you’ve watched enough J-horror/K-horror, you probably know what i’m talking about.
Ultimately, Wishing Stairs is a decent if none too original piece of horror that offers a reasonably enjoyable time and its share of scares.
Blade Runner [Director’s Cut] (1982) 7/10
The general consenus is that the director’s cut is better than the theatrical cut. I’m inclined to agree.
Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic Blade Runner may be showing its age, but it is still a remarkable film for its dystopian vision of the future, and remains a landmark sci-fi film.
Certainly the graphics is showing its age. Blade Runner isn’t my favourite of the sci-fi films, and parts of the film seem downright over the top. But i’ll give credit where its due and Blade Runner’s bold vision and stylistic imagery was a breakthrough in its time. The running imagery of the eye motif, the pointed commentary about man’s futile quest for immortality and some truly iconic scenes makes Blade Runner a classic in its own right.
While i disliked some of the sequences, and feel that the plot wasn’t as tight as it could have been, i did like the dark, apocalyptic feel of the cityscape, with its pepetual gloom. Worth watching for all cinephiles, if only to see how Blade Runner was so much ahead of its time.
