Oliver Battershall

Inland Empire (2006) 2/5
I really like David Lynch, he’s made a few films that I’d consider more or less perfect. But this film feels like proof to me that he needs people around him to rein him in a bit otherwise you end up with something completely impenetrable even on a surface level. I can’t tell you what happened in this, I can’t tell you what the characters’ intentions or ambitions were, and I especially can’t tell you what any of it meant. It was a real slog to get through 3 hours of this, after a fairly promising start. It’s saved by a haunting soundtrack, a few spooky scenes and the quite endearing thought of Lynch filming all of this himself on that little standard definition handheld camcorder.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) 4/5
The palate cleanser I needed after Inland Empire. Somewhat cathartic to see the countless clichés of music biopics that I’ve come to hate over the years get dissected in such a hilariously outlandish way. I like to think this paved the way for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping to do what this does to an even better level. In a just world this would’ve taught Hollywood some lessons, but now we have Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) so I guess we’re back to square one.

The Campaign (2012) 3/5
I wanted to watch something relevant on US Election Night but didn’t feel much like using my brain so popped this on. Not sure if the 1 star reviews expected a biting takedown of the electoral process from a film starring Ferrell and Galifianakis by the guy who did Austin Powers, but it’s perfectly fine with enough funny moments. Sorry pump the brakes, I’ve just seen this cost $100million? Is my perception of reasonable film budgets skewed by watching too many older films or do celebrity cameos just cost that much nowadays? That used to get you a blockbuster masterpiece!

Bad Lieutenant (1992) 4.5/5
Keitel is absolutely sensational and gives what I’d say is his best ever performance. When you’re used to his usual morally ambiguous tough guy roles it’s really quite harrowing to see him play someone so utterly pitiful, desperate, anxious and corrupted, and do it so incredibly well. There’s one particular scene in this, you’ll know it when you come to it, where I think he embodies the feeling of sheer despair better than any actor in any moment I’ve ever seen. A bit of Catholic guilt is sprinkled in there too, because why not. One that’ll stick with me, this.

The Last Detail (1973) 4.5/5
Decided to check out this film by the director of one of my favourite films of the 70’s, Harold and Maude. I’ll be completely honest, when I saw it was about two sailors (one of whom adorns the poster shirtless) giving a prisoner “one last good time”, I prepared myself for something extremely homoerotic. My sincerest apologies to the sailor community for reinforcing stereotypes. This was just delightful, though. Full of the same off-kilter charm and humour that I loved about Harold and Maude. Very well cast, Jack Nicholson is a real joy and Randy Quaid reminds me a lot of myself. One for fans of The Holdovers.

Cure (1997) 4.5/5
An incredible display in building atmosphere, what starts off as a seemingly run-of-the-mill detective mystery effortlessly injects horror as it goes. I really like when these films give plenty of time for the detective and the known criminal to directly interact. It’s such a fantastic dynamic in this, and these moments are where we learn the most about both of them. There’s a palpable dream-like vibe about this, helped not just by the events of the movie itself, but by the cinematography, editing and restrained use of action. I’m left with plenty of unanswered questions, but sometimes things are better that way, and that’s definitely the case here.

Robot Jox (1989) 3.5/5
Before there was Pacific Rim, there was…Robot Jox. I have a habit of liking films that are too mature for kids and too childish for adults. This one flopped (like most of them do) because of that, and was the final nail in the coffin of noted B-movie studio Empire. Think of this like Starship Troopers without the satire, just simple Saturday morning cartoon material.

The Red Turtle (2016) 4/5
A relatively under-the-radar Studio Ghibli co-production that deals with life and death in a very poignant way. Meditative and reflective in its symbolism and avoidance of dialogue, it maintains its elegant and gentle touch despite the emotional notes hit throughout.

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) 3.5/5
Nothing remarkable but what kind of a man would I be if I didn’t get at least some enjoyment out of watching the Muppets gallivant around New York.

The Toxic Avenger (1984) 4/5
I only realised recently the sheer volume of B-movies old and new available on Prime Video buried underneath all the stuff they actually want to promote to their subscribers. I decided I’d take heed of this in the future, starting with this very well-known one. To me this is a quintessential B-movie. A gruesome variety of deaths (with surprisingly good practical effects?), a slew of hilariously outlandish side-characters, a fun 80s soundtrack and a general lack of taste. Many say that when over-the-top films like this are obviously self-aware then it negates its own charm by rendering it inauthentic, but I say don’t overthink it, it’s just a great laugh.