czimnt

Just back from watching this in a local cinema and well, I'm just not sure. I'd seen this film once before, nearly 40 years ago, late at night on Channel 4 (as I recall). No VCR then so I remember struggling but (mostly) managing to stay awake. My tiredness and the darkness of my teenage bedroom only adding to the strange experience. It obviously made an impact because, despite the decades since that one and only viewing, much of what I've just watched was familiar to me. Can't say I understood it any more this time, and whilst it'd be tempting to dismiss Eraserhead, that would be unfair. It's probably more the pseudo-intellectual cinéastes who waffle on about it that do the film no favours. Instead, it is a film that you "experience". It might confound, irritate and annoy, but it also disturbs, puzzles and disorientates. Visually impressive and genuinely unnerving, not to mention funny. Perhaps if I watch it again in another 40 years it'll all make sense then!?

I'd been looking forward to watching this film for some time. I didn't know a great deal about it pressing play other than the plaudits heaped on both it and star, Cate Blanchett and that she played a composer; I knew just enough to know I wanted to watch it. It looked good, if a little cold in its atmosphere with mumbled dialogue, but I persevered despite my eyes starting to close after less than 10 minutes. I made myself a drink and sat upright to continue, though my eyes were constantly heavy. I've since read with interest some of the reviews on here; especially those which said how the pace really picked up in the last hour. I also enjoyed those that talked about the information the viewer wasn't given! And the clues to look out for. What was this, a sequel to Mulholland Drive?? Anyway, for the first time in a long time I actually gave up watching. I generally persevere with films; even the bad and average ones. That's some accolade for such a well-received, critically acclaimed movie! I lasted 50 minutes. In that time, not a great deal happened. Certainly not enough to make me want to keep watching. Best bit: when Tar takes down a student over some gender politics. But, all in all, a disappointment.

Take some existing Christmas movies, add a drop of egg-nog and shake. Unfortunately, what you then end up with is a tonally uneven festive mess. Borrowing liberally from Billy-Bob Thornton's drunken and misanthropic escapades, several scenes from the first two Die Hards and one character even referencing Home Alone, it just makes the viewer want to put one of those classics on instead. It also tries to add some schmaltzy, Hallmark sentiment to a barrage of f-bombs and bloody violence. None of the elements really working. It really should've made a decision to be either a Bad Santa/Die Hard hybrid or something more akin to Home Alone/National Lampoon. It also completely failed in its attempts to be funny or quote-worthy. In a word, a turkey.