Weekly Round up #1: 31, Dawn of the Dead(1978), Suitable Flesh, Sick of Myself & more

31(2016)

The first Rob Zombie film I’ve seen, I mainly saw it because it’s called 31 and it was my 31st birthday. Sadly, there is not much to say. I like the films 1970’s look and it’s handheld camera direction, but the characters are kind of annoying. Also, while I haven’t seen his other films, I am aware of what they look like and 31 looks just like them, giving the film an unoriginal feeling, even to me. I’d probably like it even less if I saw House of 100 Corpses and its sequels. Also, that ending was obnoxious and anti-climactic. Richard Brake was fun as Doom-Head though.

5/10

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

The classic zombie film was playing in cinemas for Halloween and the 45th anniversary of its release. I saw it about 10 years ago and I felt like it was worth seeing on a big screen. And it was. The film has a great look that could only be done with the technology of the 70’s and the characters were all incredibly likeable (when they are in peril you are concerned about their safety). The acting was admittedly second rate but the film has a low brow b-movie feel to it so the acting adds to the movie, not dectrats from it. Dawn of the Dead is also rich with subtext not just about consumerism but about gender roles, homoerotic tension, the aggressive nature of the police force (and their relationship with marginalized communities) and voodoo. It’s the rare type of movie that has plenty of social commentary and really fun to watch. My only complaints are it’s too long and the ending kind of sucks. It’s not a dealbreaker but I would have liked it if Romero was able to his original ending and not the one he was forced to do. Those complaints aside, this is quite possibly the best zombie film ever.

10/10

Suitable Flesh(2023)

Heather Graham has a career of highs and lows, so when I saw she was in a film that received generally positive reviews-and always thought she was a good actress as seen in Boogie Nights- I had to check it out. Graham certainly did not disappoint in this film, an adaptation of a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, delivering an almost literally multifaceted performance as a doctor, the spirit that possesses her and another that I won’t spoil. Everyone else is meh but Graham carries them all to the finish line. Joe Lynch also brings a great sense of direction with some scenes that are a total blast, especially towards the end. Sadly, the screenplay severely hurts the film, with inconsistent rules and one crucial scene where characters forget phones exist. The film also takes a bit too long to get going, which is not remedied by the characters who are rather flat. Also, that ending was fitting but I hated the fake out, when it was obvious it was VERY fake. Finally, I can’t say I care for the eldritch spirits cartoony personality.

5/10

Sick of Myself(2022)

C.W.: this film contains a scene of animal cruelty. The dog isn’t harmed but it is harassed.

The sophomore film of Kristoffer Borgli is a savage criticism of narcissism and vanity of the social media age. The acting was pretty great from the lead and her boyfriend, and their dynamic is extremely entertaining to watch. They’re some of the most unlikeable characters ever but there so well realized I grew to love them. The film’s look is solid, nothing too crazy but it is effective, I guess I would have liked a bit more personality to it. The film’s proceedings start well enough and get better as it goes along. The make-up of the lead as her body transforms is gnarly and excellent. I also liked all the daydream sequences which fleshed out the main character while also being hilarious. The ending seals the deal. Saw this because I want to see Dream Scenario, Borgli’s latest. Now I’m even more excited.

8/10

All My Friends Hate Me(2021)

The debut film of Andrew Gaynord about a socially awkward man who spends his birthday weekend with his weirdly adversarial friends(played by co-writer Tom Stourton) captures the feeling of social awkwardness and feeling like an outsider quite well. It’s a funny, awkward, and upsetting film which feels like a mixture of Funny Games and a Ben Wheatley film. All this is good, but the film has some leaps in logic where the lead doesn’t say anything and seems to forget everything that his friends reminisce about. The film also feels muddled with its story, with one character named Harry hurting the story. It would have been better if it was just one of his friends acting this way and an ending that feels a little like it misunderstood its own story.

6/10

Evil Dead Rise(2023)

I’ll be honest and say I did not like Rise director Lee Cronin’s previous film The Hole in the Ground. I thought it was unintentionally silly with bad directing choices and a story that undermines what it’s trying to say. I also thought Evil Dead 2013 was just alright. Thankfully, Evil Dead Rise is a large improvement for both Evil Dead and Cronin with humor that’s intentional, scares that are effective, plenty of blood and gore and a surprisingly fearless plot where everyone is on the menu. Since both comedy and horror of tone are a success, I find myself excited for whatever Cronin does next.

7/10

The Ricky Gervais Show(2010-2013)

It may be “a series of pointless conversations” to its opening narrator, but few shows are as thought provoking as The Ricky Gervais Show. The star of the show, Karl Pilkington, is complex in his simplicity while also being quite possibly the funniest person on the planet, and Gervais and Stephen Merchant are great adversaries/friends. The animation is charming and full of great gags giving this animated adaptation of their podcast/audiobook its own feel. The music is also great, often modulating the end credits song. A classic show, despite some jokes aging poorly. The final scene in the last episode wholesome while also a bit sad, since the three haven’t worked on anything together in 10 years.

10/10

Killers of The Flower Moon review out soon