gelf-46258

Starting out a a perfectly normal post apocalyptic movie, I fairly quickly went "this is terrible". But as this seemed to be a mid-budget film (rather than just low budget) I did keep watching. Lots of "the Road" and "Planet of the Apes" type vibes...

Midway it became closer to something like "Midsommar". Eventually going completely off the rails into a "Dawn of the Death" upwards to a "Evil Death" sort of thing.

The film stays true to what previously happened in the franchise. It's not a stand-alone thing. But clearly a sequel with its very own "flavour".

By the time we meet Skarsgard's character, we are catching on. This is not as serious as we were led to believe. But the enormous morbidity keeps one in the story.

Only by the very end we are met with the Giant middle finger, when the opening scene "sort of" makes sense. Dazed and confused we go into the end-credits - Directed by Danny Boyle. And suddenly it all makes sense!!!

This is not great. Or very good. But is had unique ideas. And it's possibly the "least Hollywood" thing I've watched in some time.

Recommended, just not for everyone.

Just absolutely amazing how some people are still able to get out genious pieces of cinema in this day and age.

AbFab spy-thriller with a plot surpassing the best of Aghata Christie's Stories! Story structure builds heavily upon her work but surpasses it at many a point.

The only thing that actually angered me: this film has and explosion when a drone hits a car. I'm fine with a drone attack, but why did we need an explosion? Have the drone zero in on the target and go to black on impact. It went to slow motion. To keep up with the slow pace of the film or to have more time for the explosion? It felt so out of place. Like the studio mandating; "we need at least one explosion". And we actually see it twice in the film. This was just terrible and out of pace.

Despite having an elder James Bond actor in the film, this is not a Bond movie.

Just very good.

Presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, this film in its presentation emulates an old videotape. Cut-off titles and all. Clearly shot on digital video, I still appreciated the Betamax (not VHS) artifacts. But it finds Inspiration from many direct to VHS (mostly horror) films from the 80's. The "tales" (as in Tales from the Crypt, etc.) in the title promises multiple story segments and this promise is kept. But rarely did period pieces overlap so perfectly with their segments. Worst case: 3 or more short films added together by a narrator. Not here however.

At the same time, it's impossible to view this and not see this as being inspired by the Grindhouse format from Quintin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Both in "retro pulp" and violence terms.

Any criticism? Yep. For non-Americans the second segment is not that interesting. We found ourselves "sitting it out" this part on the strength of the first (imperfect) segment. Only to be rewarded by the third segment. International audiences will be unlikely to make it to the third segment. Thus my "Hizzle for Zhizzle" in the title of this comment. We are Dutch, so associate this subject matter at best with "Do The Right Thing" (and at worst with "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air".

Pedro Pascal "did some acting" and the other well known actor... from Forrest Gump... Tom Hanks... they are in this. Pascal did a descent job. A good one in fact.

This is a film you should see if you remember 1987. And like violence and stuff. Or if you enjoy well made pulp-films.