M-Me
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M3GAN [2022] Mad God [2021] Mad Max: Fury Road [2015]
Mafia! [1998] Magnum Force [1973] Major [2022]
Major League [1989] Major League II [1994] Major League III: Back to the Minors [1998]
Malicious [2018] A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story [2018] Man Behind the Sun [1988]
A Man Escaped [1956] The Man from Earth [2007] The Man from Earth 2: Holocene [2017]
The Man from Nowhere [2010] The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [2015] The Man in the Orange Jacket [2014]
Man of Steel [2013] Man of Tai Chi [2013] Man on a Ledge [2012]
Man on Fire [1987] Man on Fire [2004] The Man Who Knew Too Much [1934]
The Mandela Effect [2019] Mandy [2018] Manhunter [1986]
Maniac [1980] Maniac [2012] Mara [2018]
Mardaani 2 [2019] Marebito [2004] Marrowbone [2017]
The Marvels [2023] Mary [2019] The Masque of the Red Death [1964]
The Matador [2005] The Matrix [1999] The Matrix Reloaded [2003]
The Matrix Resurrections [2021] The Matrix Revolutions [2003] May the Devil Take You [2018]
May the Devil Take You Too [2020] Mayhem [2017] Maze Runner 3: The Death Cure [2018]
Meander [2020] Meatball Machine [2005] Melancholia [2011]
Memento [2000] Memoirs of a Murderer [2017] Memories of Murder [2003]
Men [2022] Men in Black: International [2019] Message from the King [2016]
The Messengers [2007] Metal: A Headbanger's Journey [2005] Metamorphosis [2019]
The Mandela Effect [2019]

            
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After the tragic accidental death of his daughter, a man begins questioning reality prompting an obsession with terrible consequences. What a fascinating film that not only works as a highly scientific / techie exercise (which may go over some people's heads) but also as an exploration of an unstoppable need to find the truth fully aware that it may destroy everything. Acting, pacing, dialog and story are excellent and, although it may lose some viewers, I found this low budget sci fi gem to be far better than the general ratings it's getting. Good stuff in a 80 min package!
The Marvels [2023]

            
  
Our superhero trio team up to battle the Kree warrior, Dar-Benn, who's destroying worlds in an attempt to rebuild her own. Perhaps this film's weakness is exchanging the seriousness of what this implies for a humorous approach. Does that make it a bad film? Didn't for us. My wife and I were thoroughly entertained by it all. Highly imaginative stuff including the 'entanglement' idea, a Bollywood style dance and, my goodness, the Flerkens ...what a laugh-out-load riot! If it doesn't live up to expectations, perhaps stop expecting something and just enjoy it. Awesome!
Mad God [2021]

            
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This predominantly stop-motion animated film has been a 30-year project by Phil Tippett and every minute of that time shows. Quite literally unlike anything I've ever seen before, it's a world of post-industrial carnage full of mutant beings all earnestly working towards unfathomable goals. Totally immersive, I was fascinated and mesmerized the entire time, despite some imagery being genuinely vile, shocking and disturbing. Over it all, there's this subtle dark sense of humor that says, "I hope you're not taking this seriously." Fantastic experience.
M3GAN [2022]

            

Under deadline to produce a new "toy" and suddenly having to take care of a niece who lost her parents, a robotics engineer brings home M3GAN ...just for testing purposes. This was a film that played out exactly as one would expect and it was good but, for whatever reason, it just didn't hit all the right notes for me. M3GAN never inspired the insidious malevolence that I was expecting - I found Talking Tina in the old Twilight Zone to be more terrifying. I felt the occasional Disney song moments were silly, as well. It was good, just not as good as I had hoped.
Magnum Force [1973]

         

Now that we've gotten to know Harry in the first film, he gets free reign to do his thing in this one involving vigilante cops. Presented loosely as a mystery (which you'll figure out in no time), this is far more an intense cat & mouse thriller with a great story, lots of action - a chase scene on San Francisco's famous Lombard Ave. You gotta love it - shootouts and a good deal of drama all wrapped up in a 2+ hour package that never drags. One of the best films in the franchise that can be easily enjoyed as a stand alone film, if you're just looking for an introduction. Awesome!
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [2015]

         

During the cold war, a U.S. and Russian agent are forced to work together to find a nuclear physicist. This completely unoriginal spy film left me somewhat perplexed. The characters came off as caricatures that never once felt authentic, devoid of anything beyond canned emotions and reactions. Many of the gags, including a prolonged 'eating in a truck' scene fell completely flat. Music was awful... even if the viewer liked it, it was entirely out-of-place. Action, including a split screen sequence that was incomprehensible, was badly edited. Marginally entertaining.
Men [2022]

            
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After the death of her husband, a woman stays at a country estate to sort things out but it appears the local men are... um... not sure really. That's both the beauty and the frustration of this film. The incredible performances of Jessie Buckley (Harper) and Rory Kinnear (nearly every man in the movie) and the strangeness of the scenarios ropes you into a fully immersive series of events that's slow and unnerving, prompting you to figure it out but leaving you to your own thoughts as to what it all means. Some are going to hate the ending but I really enjoyed it.
Meander [2020]

            
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A woman wakes up in a room and must travel through various trapped corridors to find a way out. This has a great premise but there's very little imagination applied to it. The rooms have markings on the walls like Morse code so I immediately thought this was an escape game with puzzles! But no. It's basically just a woman being led around, like a donkey with a carrot, through an obstacle course to a vague conclusion that had me going, "Huh? Really?" By not giving her puzzles or a pro-active course of action, she meanders for 90 mins. So much wasted potential.
Major [2022]

         

I don't know what the People of India like in their movies so, for what it's worth, this is an American review. It centers around the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and his heroism in the terrorist attack of Mumbai in 2008. The first hour is a pretty standard romance as we follow his relationship from school friend to marriage. We then get to the Mumbai attacks which were very theatrical and heroic but not very realistic for an actual event. It's an exciting, entertaining film but its need to trigger our emotions interferes with what could have been a more realistic biography.
The Masque of the Red Death [1964]

            
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Satan worshiper Prospero (played with sinister glee by the incomparable Vincent Price) provides refuge for the elite in his castle, indulging in decadent debauchery, while the local area succumbs to the red death. Much better than I thought it would be, it inspires me to see the other Roger Corman 'Edgar Allen Poe' films in the series. Well directed, beautifully shot with saturated colors and exquisite sets, and acted with all seriousness by everyone far beyond what you'd expect, this was a truly enjoyable surprise from a movie I just never paid attention to before.
The Matador [2005]

         
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A hitman strikes up an friendship with an average guy which has a major impact on both their lives. The trailer makes it look like an intense thriller but it's actually a talky comedy/drama ...with a whole lot of talky. The acting is exceptional, the characters are likable and compelling, the story played out nicely with a couple good twists and, overall, enjoyable entertainment. But, the scenes of jabbering, meant to be humorous, came off as droll and long-winded and I found myself wondering when the next scene was going to begin on several occasions.
Man on Fire [2004]

            

An over-the-hill, alcoholic, ex-special forces dude is hired as a bodyguard for a young girl. First, let me say, good story, great writing, and the outstanding acting was heartfelt and genuine. That being said... did someone drop the film into a shredder and then hire a bunch of children to splice it back together with Scotch tape? That's how it looks ...and that's not an exaggeration! I have never encountered more horrendous editing in my life. Clearly 40+% of the film was filled with blurry, jittery, flashing images that only served to nauseate my wife and me.
Man Behind the Sun [1988]
aka Men Behind the Sun / Hei tai yang 731
  

A fictionalized but fairly, historically accurate account of the biological experiments conducted on the local Chinese populace by Japanese Squadron 731 near the end of WWII. An extremely disturbing and unsettling depiction of human torture and misery. An argument could be made between whether this is sensationalistic exploitation or just brutally honest but there's no denying the horrific depravity of what took place. Composition wise, as a film, it's certainly not professional quality but it does make its point ...in spades.
Mary [2019]

            
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A man takes his family on an open sea excursion aboard the 'Mary', a supposed ghost ship he just bought on auction, and bad things start happening. Pretty typical ghost story with the usual horror tropes and a multitude of jump scares. It has two main problems. There's no mystery; we know from the start exactly what's happening and where it's going. The other is the whole police interrogation subplot was terribly written presenting us with a totally unbelievable and ineffective interrogator. However, it wasn't nearly as bad as the ratings would suggest.
Memento [2000]

            
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A man uses tattoos, notes and photographs to hunt down his wife's killer as he has lost his ability to create new memories. This early effort by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) is sheer genius. Starting at the end of the story and then continually leap frogging back short periods denies the viewer any memory leading up the current events placing them in the same mental condition as our protagonist. Despite this, the end, which is the beginning, still manages to provide a profound twist revealing a dangerously broken psyche. Masterpiece!
A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story [2018]

         
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Arguably the best trumpet player today, this New Orleans native biography goes from his time with the Fairview Baptist Christian Marching Band to his 17 years playing with Harry Connick, Jr. to his life today. Unfortunately, it's all about him. His body of work is only mentioned as passing comments, there's no footage of him in concert with Harry Connick, Jr. and there's less than 10 minutes of seeing him actually play. He's a genuinely nice man, full of life who's had a wonderful history, making this a supreme feel-good biopic despite not sharing much music.
Man of Steel [2013]

            

If you're familiar with Superman I & II from the 70s, this is pretty much a reboot of that with a few variations ...and done extremely well. In fact, it's the first DC movie I've seen that I feel is comparable to an MCU film. And superbly directed by Zack Snyder, no less ...a person I consider to be one of the most overrated people in Hollywood. Great characters, good story, awesome action sequences and super spec fx. Really could have used some humor, though. Very little comic relief making it all a bit too serious but an exciting ride, anyway.
May the Devil Take You [2018]
aka Sebelum Iblis Menjemput
         

For a summary, just think Evil Dead, Indonesian style. That's all you need to now. This highly effective fright fest, loaded with extreme, high-octane nightmare fuel, drags one along at a break neck pace that leaves one shaking and exhausted. In fact, that's my only real criticism of the film is that it goes on for far too long ...I was diggin' it but I was getting to a point where I was wondering if it was ever going to end and it was starting to lose its impact. Regardless, incredibly well written with fully believable characters, complex relationships and genuine, unbridled chaos!
May the Devil Take You Too [2020]
aka Sebelum Iblis Menjemput: Ayat Dua
            
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Alfie and Nara, the two survivors of the first film, are literally dragged into another fight with evil spirits. The premise of this one was ill defined and a bit confusing ...I wasn't quite sure what we were all doing here. The gags, effects and nightmare imagery certainly had that Evil Dead vibe but it felt more forced on you in this one. Overall, it felt sloppy and unstructured, as if they were just finding a cheap way to come up with more ghoulish bloodshed pulling out too many tried and true but tired tropes to get the thing done. Ending was weird, too. Good, but not great.
Mardaani 2 [2019]

            

SP Shivani Shivaji Roy is locked in an intense cat & mouse thriller with a rapist / assassin. The Mardaani series features our bright, tough and likable female protagonist confidently battling against a chauvinistic system while struggling to reduce the out-of-control crimes against women in India. In a trick that could have gone very wrong, the totally psychotic antagonist breaks the 4th wall by talking directly to us throughout the film making us intimately complicit in his crimes. One of the best films I've seen come out of India in a long time. Good stuff!
Mayhem [2017]

            
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A virus, which causes everyone to lose their inhibitions, attacks a prominent law firm. For the next 8 hours, no one is responsible for their actions. This exquisitely well-written, ultra-violent comedy had me thoroughly entertained from start to finish with some grossly genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Practically every scene had a visual gag or a quotable line that was precisely presented without it ever being forced on the viewer making the whole thing an absolute riot. If you enjoy films like Evil Dead II, Mom and Dad, and Deathgasm, you'll love this one.
Metamorphosis [2019]
aka Byeonshin
            

After a priest's horrific failure at an exorcism, the demon vows to destroy his entire family ...and proceeds to follow through on its threat. Moving along at a pretty good clip, the film only pauses long enough for you to catch your breath before hitting you with another gruesome and violent sequence of events that'll have you clutching your armrests with tension. The story may be a bit simple and shallow but they certainly make up for in sheer aggression and demonic imagery. One of the best "battle with a demon" films I've seen in some time. Terrific!
Meatball Machine [2005]

            
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Parasitic creatures of unknown origin inhabit humans turning them into macabre machines of destructive power for the sole purpose of killing and eating each other. Whatever vision that description may have conjured up in your mind won't even begin to approach the slaughter and mayhem of this film. Soaked in blood, this way over-the-top gore fest is relentless and unforgiving ...and it's a love story. Very entertaining in its absurdity. What bothered me more was the constant choppy and shaky camera work which was making me ill. Otherwise, fun!
Mafia! [1998]
aka Jane Austen's Mafia!
            
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Airplane! style humor in this Godfather parody. Although there were a few "laugh-out-loud" moments - especially with Lloyd Bridges in one of the best roles I've seen him in - most of it was just silly ...and more in a groan way.
Major League [1989]

         


Everybody's performance as dysfunctional baseball players in the Cleveland Indians organization is fantastic and side-splitting funny. The tyrannical owner wants them to end the season in last place so it will be easier to transfer the team to another city, but they're going to make every effort to destroy her dreams. An absolute classic that is hilarious and entertaining even if you don't like baseball.
Major League II [1994]

         
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I think this film got a bum rap, personally. Not as "laugh-out-loud" funny as the original but did anyone expect to be? You know, there are movies that are simply a real tough act to follow and we should keep that in mind going in. In this case, if you like the original, you'll probably like this one. Not as much but it's a worthy follow up good for a few laughs.
Maniac [2012]

         
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Frodo! Say it ain't so!! Actually, far from being typecast, Elijah Wood has grabbed quite a variety of roles including this one as a totally psychopathic - but likable - manikin maker and does a fantastic job. Unfortunately, that's the only good thing about this dark and very uncomfortably slow remake of the 1980 film. Apparently, someone didn't think the original was depraved enough.
Man on Fire [1987]

         
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A has-been CIA agent gets a job as bodyguard to a young girl who subsequently gets kidnapped. Practically everyone is badly miscast and the film is soooo melodramatic. I didn't entirely dislike it until the girl actually gets kidnapped ...which took half a film to do. I figured it would pick up but then we watched a hero, who is totally incompetent and obviously lacking in military training, stumble around until the end ...which confused the hell out of me. Go see the Denzel Washington or Bollywood versions. Mucho better.
Manhunter [1986]

         

Many people think of the first film featuring Hannibal Lecter was The Silence of the Lambs. 5 years prior to that film, was this one ...which is an early version of Red Dragon. This Michael Mann version is more stylish and a bit on the surreal side while Red Dragon is more dramatic and organic. Both are excellent and even though Brian Cox is not Anthony Hopkins, his Lecter was quite competent and insidious. Will Peterson, Tom Noonan, excellent. See them both and compare. "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" in the soundtrack? ...gotta love that!!
Maniac [1980]

         
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The sick and depraved cult film about a guy who kills women to dress his manikins with their scalps. There's an incredible shotgun scene orchestrated by make-up genius, Tom Savini, who sets himself up as the victim for the effect. Beware censored copies that cut it out. Joe Spinell (who was also co-writer) was brilliant in his portrayal of the maniac ...he has you totally convinced that he's certifiably psycho. To this day, though, it's still hard to watch.
Melancholia [2011]

            
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A rogue planet is on a collision course with earth and we get to watch how dysfunctional people use the time. The first 15 minutes of this movie has some spectacular imagery. Then we spend an hour as a participant to an uncomfortable wedding reception. Then we spend an hour watching a few people doing nothing in particular. Everyone in this film is so pathetic and nothing happens except a lot of pain everyone inflicts on themselves and each other. I couldn't wait for the earth to get destroyed ...put us all out of our misery. Go watch These Final Hours instead.
The Messengers [2007]

            

As far as I can tell, this movie has nothing to do with messengers. A family buys a new home (haunted, of course) in the country to farm sunflowers. I find it amazing in the movie world how ghosts tend to haunt just one or two victims and everyone else thinks the victim is crazy. So, I had to sit through that as well as a pretty basic haunt film. Some well done scare tactics with long, rather dull, scenes in between. Not a bad film ...it just doesn't give us anything beyond what we'd expect or any real surprises.
The Man from Earth [2007]

            
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Boy was I surprised. I heard this movie was pretty much all talk so I didn't expect too much from it. As it turns out, this film is fascinating. It's basically about a guy who decides to tell his colleagues that he's been alive since the dawn of man and the discussions it generates are philosophically, intellectually and spiritually quite intriguing inciting wonder, confusion, anger, and downright hostility in equal doses within the group. Exquisitely well written!
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey [2005]

      


Excellent documentary detailing the history and culture of metal music - how's it's impacted society and changed the world. Quite a lot of attention is also devoted to explaining and defining the various metal sub-genres. Very well put together making it both a treat for headbangers (even the closet variety, like me) and an informative glimpse into the metal sub-culture for those who are not.
The Man from Nowhere [2010]
aka Ajeossi
            
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A girl befriends the owner of a pawnshop, even though he doesn't seem to pay any attention to her. When the girl and her mother gets kidnapped, we find the pawnshop owner is far more resourceful than we thought and he's going to get the girl back. Remarkably well made Korean thriller, similar to Man on Fire, that is engrossing, exciting, and heart grabbing. Bin Won, as the pawnshop owner, and Sae-ron Kim, as the little girl, were fantastic pulling strong and genuine emotions out of their fully formed characters. Action is fantastic!
Maze Runner 3: The Death Cure [2018]

         

The rebels try to find a way into the walled city to rescue their friends while the folks in the city try to find a cure to the virus. This film is totally formulaic from start to finish with no surprises and there were more than a couple scenes that were implausibly convenient. But the actors did a great job, the action was tight, and the spec fx were well done. If you don't expect too much and you don't nit pick the film to death, it's a very fun and exciting ride.
Mandy [2018]

         
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The lives of a quiet couple, living in the woods, are disrupted by a psychotic cult and monstrous bikers. This film is like spending 2 hours in someone's LSD-laced nightmare. Between this film and his previous film, Beyond the Black Rainbow, writer / director, Panos Cosmatos, has shown us a unique vision that ignores conventional film making and takes it to intense, surreal, insane places no one has been before. Nicolas Cage is perfect portraying the unraveling disintegration from quiet husband to savage berserker. Violent, bloody, mad and shocking. Yeah!!!
The Man in the Orange Jacket [2014]
aka M.O.Zh.
            
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A delusional man invades a house. The first 10 minutes of this film is sudden, brutal and had me totally hooked. I then greeted the rest of the film with excitement, then anticipation, then interest, then mild curiosity, then frustration and in the end, "What the hell was that all about?" The ending rendered the whole thing rather pointless. If you like artsy, slow-burn films that don't go anywhere, this may be right up your alley. Otherwise, even at only 70 minutes in length, it was way too long and unsettling.
Memoirs of a Murderer [2017]
aka 22-nenme no kokuhaku: Watashi ga satsujinhan desu
         
  
A serial killer, who killed 5 people in the 90's before the Statute of Limitations laws were changed and therefore can no longer be punished, publishes a book about the killings and becomes a media sensation. Is he the killer, a fraud, or is something else going on here? Extremely gripping film with not just one but 2 major twists ...one of them a complete game changer. The characterizations and story were strong and compelling, albeit a bit melodramatic, at times. Ignoring the fact that no one aged a day in 22 years, this is an excellent film.
Memories of Murder [2003]
aka Salinui chueok
         
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The film chronicles what is basically referred to as the Zodiac of South Korea as 10 women were raped and murdered between '86 and '91 and the killer was never caught. Three vastly different detectives and how the case affects them is central in this character study of hope, wishful thinking and violent frustration. Director Bong Joon Ho ( Mother, Snowpiercer) delivers another personal, intense story that firmly holds you to your seat.
The Man from Earth 2: Holocene [2017]

            
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As Prof. John Oldman (now John Young) is preparing to move on, his efforts are complicated by some of his students who begin to believe that John is indeed 14k years old. Unlike the first film, which is basically all conversation, this one mostly deals with the students trying to find out who John really is and how this eventually develops into a tragic collision of philosophies and faith. ...and John appears to be aging! Doesn't have nearly the impact of the first film but a worthy follow-up just the same.
A Man Escaped [1956]
aka Un condamne a mort s'est echappe ou Le vent souffle ou il veut
            

A man, incarcerated by the Germans at Lyon in 1943, plans an elaborate escape. This French art film depicting a real story is interesting in how the prisoner works everything out and develops all the material he'll need. That's also the problem. He can easily owe about 70% of his success to the Germans themselves for making it easy to get all the equipment he needed as well as some pretty lax guarding techniques making the whole thing feel very contrived. It's also ponderously slow and about 30 minutes too long. Art film lovers obviously love it, though.
Major League III: Back to the Minors [1998]

         


If you're looking for something as funny and well thought out as the original Major League, this isn't it. In fact, most of the stars from the original and the sequel are not in it. However, if you like light comedy and baseball, this movie will fill the bill. Fun, colorful characters and some good laugh-out-loud moments made this film rather entertaining and pretty much exactly what I expected for a knock-off sequel.
Man on a Ledge [2012]

         
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Clever little story about a complicated plan - hatched by an ex-cop who's escaped from prison - that involves standing on the ledge of a building in downtown Manhattan to prove his innocence. Complex story that kept me on edge (pardon the pun) with a lot of minor twists and turns making it totally unpredictable ...I really had no idea what would happen next. Great performances and very smart writing.
The Man Who Knew Too Much [1934]

         
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A family on vacation in Switzerland, is befriended by a man who is killed but passes along information of an assassination plot before dying. The family's daughter is kidnapped to keep them quiet. Although we're still talking low-tech 1934, this film was well-paced and far more modern in style than many films from that era. I was also surprised by an extended gun battle which was well executed. Nova Pilbeam was terrible as the daughter. However, Peter Lorie was awesome as the bad guy.
Marrowbone [2017]
aka The Secret of Marrowbone
            
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A mother, 3 sons and a daughter are starting a new life after a tragic past with a cruel father. When the mother dies, the eldest son tries to hide and protect the family until he's 21. And why is the attic bricked up? This was an eerie slow burn that doled out the story in tiny pieces that simultaneously frustrated and dared you to stop watching. I figured out the twist about half-way through but it doesn't matter. It was still a very well developed, mysterious and compelling story. Anya Taylor-Joy was, once again, fantastic as was Mia Goth.
Marebito [2004]

         
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A strange and surreal story of a videographer that discovers a world under this one. He brings home what appears to be a girl. Then his personal world and his sanity begin to slowly disintegrate. The relationship between him and the girl was interesting but the hand-held camera stuff was not good quality (strange for a videographer) which became irritating and ultimately, the movie's ending left me sort of hmmmm.
Mara [2018]

            
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Nearly the same movie as Dead Awake, it's yet another horror movie centered around sleep paralysis. With so many out now, you'd think they'd get more creative ...or at least, scarier. But, unfortunately, this is just another run-of-the-mill film on the subject. In fact, much of it seems to be a combination of bits and pieces of other similar horror films, including the obligatory bathtub scene required by all sleep paralysis films. The inevitable ending didn't help much either. It held my interest but that's the best I can say for it.
Man of Tai Chi [2013]

         
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A Tai Chi fighter is hired by an ultra-rich and evil entrepreneur that broadcasts fights to the uber elite. Basically one martial arts fight after another throughout the entire film. However, as director, Keanu Reeves did a superb job of providing fully formed characters and storyline (simple as it may be) in those few quiet moments adding a good deal of depth to the film. The fights are so imaginatively choreographed that I never had the feeling I was watching the same old thing over and over again. Well done!
Men in Black: International [2019]

            

New recruit, Agent M (Tessa Thompson), gets teamed up with Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) to save the world from the re-emergence of an alien called The Hive. This latest entry in the franchise doesn't measure up in quality to the older ones - some things appeared more forced than natural, the wit, although good, wasn't great - but it's still a really fun ride. Although they pushed her as hero and him as buffoon far too often, the chemistry between Hemsworth and Thompson that we saw in Ragnarok is still here making them a pleasure to watch onscreen.
Message from the King [2016]

         


A woman's distress call brings her brother from South Africa to L.A. to try and help her. This is a strong, dramatic, and deeply personal film with some wonderful performances all around, especially the late Chadwick Boseman. Gritty and, at times, quite violent, it kept me wondering just who this guy was as he was definitely more than he appeared. The ending cleared that up with a minor surprise that had me smile. Very good crime drama.
The Matrix [1999]

            
  
Well, who hasn't seen The Matrix franchise? For those few that haven't ...Neo, a computer hacker, enters the "real" world where he discovers that the reality we all live in is actually a computer construct developed by machines that rule the earth. It's hard to rate individual movies in a serial franchise as, especially in this case, the trilogy make up a single story. But, in my attempt to do so, this one sets up the intelligent premise with a perfect balance of exposition, incredible action and well-defined characters, as well as hint at the surreal philosophies to come.
The Matrix Reloaded [2003]

         
  
The machines are tunneling to Zion to wipe out the rest of the free humans and Neo is told by the Oracle that he must go to the source to stop the genocide. If we're rating the movies individually, this one is my favorite of the four. Now that the rules are set, a lot of new colorful matrix characters are introduced, a chase scene that is easily one of the finest ever, and a whole lot of philosophy that is smart, intriguing and thought provoking. A nearly perfect cinematic event.
Malicious [2018]

         
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When a woman opens a fertility box, that was given to her as a house warming present, she lets loose an evil and malicious entity. There really isn't anything new here; the story's simple and there are no surprises. But I felt it was done quite effectively. It entertained me and sent a few shivers down my spine at the same time. If you're just looking for something with a few choice scares without anything special, this will probably fill the bill.
The Matrix Revolutions [2003]

         

The third film in the series depicts the machines attempt to destroy Zion and Neo's attempt to stop it. Far less complex than the previous films as everything culminates into a massive mechanical war that is truly impressive. Lot of people really disliked this film, compared to the others, with the way it ended. But for me, it was a perfectly logical conclusion to an amazing story. May not have been a perfectly happy ending but it was fitting and made sense. No complaints here. I loved it. It'll be interesting to see where the 4th film will take the story.
Mad Max: Fury Road [2015]

            
  
Deep in the wasteland, Immorten Joe lords over all. But Imperator Furiosa is tired of it all and attempts to escape with Joe's harem to a land called the Green Place. Max just happens to be along for the ride. There's really no other way to describe this but full tilt bozo, hi-octane, adrenaline fueled, mass chaos done in such a spectacular, original and prolonged fashion that it's amazing they found time to develop characters. But, they did a good job of that, as well. Everyone did a fantastic job and the crew that made the vehicles ...Outstanding!!
The Matrix Resurrections [2021]

         

After establishing peace between the machines and Zion, Neo once again becomes a cog in the Matrix knowing that something is wrong. Making a film that's unnecessary and having 20 years to do it, I expected it to be quite astounding. What we have here is a nostalgic visit to characters we've enjoyed spending time with and some interesting ideas but that's about it. The first half was a variation of the first Matrix, the characters weren't as compelling, the action, though good, lacked the artistic flair we would expect and it just ended abruptly. Fun, but...
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