/slash 2016 – Day 2: Hangman

Posted on September 24, 2016 by cornholio1980

hangmanHangman
UK 2016
Written by Simon Boyes & Adam Mason
Directed by Adam Mason
Watched on 23.09.2016

Before I start with my – quite critical – analysis of the movie, it’s only fair to note that as someone who’s very critical of this “found footage” (if you can even call it that) style of movies, who hardly ever work for me (“The Blair Witch Project”, “Cloverfield” and “Willow Creek” are the main exceptions that come to mind), I went into “Hangman” with a heavy dose of skepticism. And at least in my case, I’m sorry to say that it failed to prove me wrong.

Let’s start with what I liked: The fact that the gun in the house didn’t make them any safer. The daughter got 2-3 nice lines (“You’re such a racist!” and her Minority Report-reference come to mind). And yeah, that’s about it. My main beef with “Hangman” is that I found it to be incredibly boring. Because of the setup of the film, you just know that not much of significance will happen for most of its running time. For example, the family will not find the intruder, and on the other hand, you know exactly that mostly, he’s going to leave them alone. Otherwise, things would escalate too quickly, and the movie would be over too soon. Which made the scenes with him standing around or when he’s about to get caught completely devoid of any tension. And actually, instead of scary me or at least making me feel uneasy, I found many of the scenes where he walks around the house, eating a sandwich etc. unintentionally funny (am I the only one who had to think of the fairy tale “The Story of the Tree Bears”? “Who ate from my plate? Who slept in my bed?”).

Another big problem of the movie is that instead of making us guess what it is that he wants, what he’s up to, and where this ultimately is going to lead – which would have inserted some much-needed intrigue which might have made the long stretch until the showdown slightly more bearable and entertaining – we see right away how he kills the previous family. After that, you just wait for it to happen here, and actually, sooner rather than later, I begged that he would finally get around to it, so that the movie would be over at last. Which, I’m pretty sure, isn’t what Adam Mason intended. Also, the intruder depended on quite a lot of luck – and stupidity – in order to not get caught way sooner. For example, why isn’t the police searching the attic? Wouldn’t Beth notice a big fat box (or whatever it was the intruder was hiding behind) which is standing there suddenly? Why the fuck is no one ever turning on the lights? And don’t even get me started on their son seemingly not being able to tell dream from reality (he was far too old for me to find that even remotely credible). Usually, one of my major beefs with such movies is that the footage obviously has been edited, something that consistently drives me mad. That this – while noticeable here too – was the least of its problems, already tells you everything you need to know about “Hangman”. I seldom, if ever, have been that bored by a movie in my entire life. Do yourself a favor and watch the thematically similar – and vastly superior – “One Hour Photo” or “Sleep Tight” instead.
2/10


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/slash 2016 – Day 2: Train to Busan

Posted on September 24, 2016 by cornholio1980

train-to-busanTrain to Busan
South Korea 2016
Written by Sang-ho Yeon
Directed by Sang-ho Yeon
Watched on 23.09.2016

I have a hard time believing that the guy who did “Seoul Station” also is responsible for “Train to Busan”, since this is a far superior work in almost every way, and definitely one of the best zombie movies from the recent past. Granted, it takes its time to get going (which, however, is important to introduce the characters, which pays off really well later on), it’s a tad too long (even though still feeling shorter than “Seoul Station”, even though it’s actually half an hour longer), and even though it’s a lot quieter and not as excessive, there still is the occasional scene where the characters acted just a tad too hysteric for me. Apart from that, though, it was a great, wonderful, strong and occasionally incredibly intense film.

One of the most impressive things about “Train to Busan” are the scenes of zombie mayhem. There are so many stunning and incredible moments, like when a horde of zombies simultaneously tries to crawl over the seats in the train, zombies falling from helicopters or out of windows, or hanging on to a driving train. And the best thing about it: As far as I could perceive, all of that was done without any CGI. Take note, Hollywood! (Seriously, the zombie crowd scenes in “World War Z” pale that hard in comparison, it’s not even funny.) The characters were also great, and – in contrast to “Seoul Station” – also mostly acted in a smart way. The main standout is the big, beefy guy, who is incredibly likeable, funny and charming. However, I also quite liked the change that the main character is going through during all of this. He starts of like an, egoistic, self-absorbed asshole, and comes out as a guy who risks his life to safe others. And his daughter was really great, too; very well written, but also impressively played by Soo-an Kim (seriously, how awesomely talented is this girl?). Also: Even though there arguably was a little bit more social commentary in “Seoul Station”, there nevertheless are also some really strong moments in that regard, especially when it comes to the way people behave in a crisis like that – with one moment a particular standout (you’ll know it when you see it). And since I really wasn’t sure who was going to live or die (apart from a few exceptions), some scenes were really gripping and intense. “Train to Busan” featured some really strong moments, a great set of characters, awesome performances, and a couple of truly stunning, incredible scenes. Highly recommended!
8/10


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/slash 2016 – Day 2: Seoul Station

Posted on September 24, 2016 by cornholio1980

seoul-stationSeoul Station
South Korea 2016
Written by Sang-ho Yeon
Directed by Sang-ho Yeon
Watched on 23.09.2016

“Seoul Station” starts off quite strong and promising, but in time, it lost a little bit of its appeal. One thing that it has going for itself is that animated zombie flicks aren’t commonplace, which sets this one apart from other zombie movies, but also animated films. I also absolutely loved the art style, which reminded me a lot of “The Garden of Words”. The entire movie looked absolutely stunning, and at least visually, it never got old. The backgrounds were especially impressive, occasionally looking like photographs, and not drawings. And the blurred motion effect was a nice touch, too. I also really loved how the outbreak started, and the inherent social criticism, especially when it comes to the way we deal with the homeless. Equally nice was a later scene concerning the police and the military, when survivors are stuck behind a roadblock and are ordered to disperse this “illegal assembly”. If only there had been more scenes like that.

However, after a nice start, “Seoul Station” increasingly started to drag along. My main beef with the movie were the characters, who didn’t always act in the most clever way. Now, I get that this definitely is an extreme situation and that they fear for their lives, but things like them repeatedly forgetting to close doors behind them, her (there aren’t any character names on the IMDB yet, sorry) not calling her boyfriend before they head down the subway (having him believe that they’re still on their way to the hospital), the reluctance to text when you’re not able to reach someone, standing around and staring at the zombie hordes instead of running away, or them not getting into the car as soon as she told them were she is. The list goes on and on and on. Despite a short running time, the movie also felt far too long, and got boring and tiresome after a while. The latter probably was mostly due to some very over the top scenes where people act extremely hysteric. I’ve seen dramas about terminally ill people where there was less crying than in this one. I know that these exaggerated emotional scenes can be found in many Korean and/or Asian movies, and it’s mostly definitely a cultural thing, but for me, when it gets too much, it becomes not only tiresome but also unintentionally hilarious. I mean, I’m pretty sure that we’re not supposed to laugh at them when they break down crying, right? Overall, I would have preferred the characters to be just a little more subdued. Nevertheless, the nice idea of an animated zombie movie, and especially the stunning visuals, at least partially make up for the things that didn’t really work for me. Thus, it’s definitely watchable – but having seen “Train to Busan” (which this is kind of a prequel, or sidequel, to) I can say with assuredness that you don’t have to see this one to enjoy (or understand) the other, which is why I’d suggest to skip “Seoul Station” and instead hop straight onto the far superior “Train to Busan”.
5/10


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/slash 2016 – Day 1: Attack of the Lederhosenzombies

Posted on September 23, 2016 by cornholio1980

attack-of-the-lederhosenzombiesAttack of the Lederhosenzombies
Austria 2016
Written by Dominik Hartl & Armin Prediger
Directed by Dominik Hartl
Watched on 22.09.2016

The title should already make it clear that “Attack of the Lederhosenzombies” isn’t a straight-out horror movie, but rather a comedy that mostly uses its concept to have some fun. In recent years, we saw a rise in horror output from Austria, but most of them were rather serious (“In 3 Tagen bist du tot”, “Blutgletscher”), while this goes full camp. And even though horror comedies with a similar tone, and often even with Zombies in the mix, have recently been quite common, the Austrian touch gave this an edge and let it stand out for me enough to make it entertaining.

Granted, I’m not quite sure how big the appeal will be for Non-Austrians, since despite the fact that they mostly talk English (thanks to international tourists that visit an alpine cabin during the zombie outbreak), this is definitely a very Austrian film. This, together with the funnier tone, also set it apart successfully from the otherwise quite similar (especially when it comes to the setting) “Blutgletscher”. “Attack of the Lederhosenzombies” makes fun of our culture, especially when it comes to winter sports, àpres-ski, alpine cabins, our music etc. – that, for me, was its biggest strength. A close second is Margarete Tiesel as Rita, the owner of said cabin, who gets many of the best scenes of the movie, and steals the show from her younger co-stars (albeit her role was slightly reminiscent of the minister in “Blutgletscher”). There were so many great lines that have cult potential, and which are going to stick with me for a while. The rest of the characters are serviceable, but ultimately nothing special – even though the main couple, Steve and Branka, were slightly above average (compared to similar movies, who usually don’t really put that much emphasis on characters). And even though the characters in itself weren’t overly original, I nevertheless enjoyed all performances (especially Gabriela Marcinková and Karl Fischer).

Dominik Hartl and his team also came up with many quite original zombie kills, many of which featured alpine or sports gear – none of which I’m going to give away here – as well as a couple of rather unique scenes and ideas, like with the ice, or the dancing. And I also enjoyed that it didn’t pull any punches when it came to blood and gore. Now, granted, despite the nice alpine setting, broken down to its plot it’s not especially original. Also, don’t expect to be scared – these Lederhosenzombies almost exclusively want you to have a good time. And even though I found the movie to be very funny and entertaining, not every gag hit home. And there was the occasional scene which seemed supposed to be this huge moment, raising cheers and applause from the audience, which didn’t quite get the desired reaction – which, as my friend Lena pointed out, might be due in part to the score, that (even though it was reminiscent of Carpenter’s earlier work, and I usually very much enjoy those synthie-scores) was a little too subdued and moody for its own good, and didn’t really fit the exaggerated, campy tone of the movie. Overall, though, “Attack of the Lederhosenzombies” was quite entertaining, and turned out to be the most fun that I’ve ever had at an ápres-ski bar.
7/10


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/slash 2016 – Prelude: Hentai Kamen

Posted on September 23, 2016 by cornholio1980

hentai-kamenHentai Kamen
Japan 2013
Written by Shun Oguri & Yûichi Fukuda
Directed by Yûichi Fukuda
Watched on 09.09.2016

I missed this movie when it played at a previous /slash Filmfestival a couple of years back. “Missed” meaning I decided not to watch it, since it was playing in the middle of the night, and I wasn’t really sure if the joke would get old after a while. However, when they offered a free screening for supporters because they’re going to show its sequel “The Abnormal Crisis” this year, I jumped at the chance to finally catch up on it. And even though my misgivings proved to be not entirely unwarranted, I’m glad that I finally watched it.

My favorite parts of the film were the parodistic elements. It starts with an intro logo that very much resembles the one from Marvel, and the credits sequence seemed to be taken directly from the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man”-films (his mask is also rather similar to the one Peter Parker wears; and, of course, both are set at a high school). Then there’s the fact that the way Hentai Kamen dresses and poses is an – exaggerated, but otherwise alarmingly accurate – depiction of the oversexualised way female superheroes (and -villains) are usually depicted in comics. Which was just as revealing as it was funny. And the first half hour or so, when Kyosuke Shikijo discovers his superpowers and wears the panty-mask and his ridiculous costume for the first time, are absolutely hilarious. There’s so much crazy stuff, and it’s just really funny to see such an absurd superhero in action for the first time. However, just as I feared, the novelty starts to wear thin after a while. Instead of coming up with new ideas, they mostly repeat the same gags over and over again, like having Hentai Kamen stick his genitals into the face of evil wrongdoers, or the ventilator-move. Funny the first time. Amusing the second time. The third time, fourth and fifth times, however, not so much. There were also a couple of scenes that didn’t really work for me, and which seemed to go on forever, like the conversation between the hero and his nemesis on a rooftop (another similarity with “Spider-Man”) – one of the few scenes where the movie actually got boring. And, of course, a couple of twists and developments are rather predictable (pretty much from the first time he’s in action, you just wait for him to ask for Aiko’s panties). Once the showdown finally came around, things got more interesting and funny again, but I sure do hope that they came up with a couple of fresh ideas for the sequel. Nevertheless, the parodistic aspects were great, and the movie overall quite entertaining. At least if you’re into that sort of (crazy Japanese) stuff.
6/10


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At the Movies 2016: Safari

Posted on September 16, 2016 by cornholio1980

safariSafari
AUT 2016
Written by
Directed by Ulrich Seidl
Watched on 14.09.2016

I was very much looking forward to Ulrich Seidl’s newest documentary, however, I have to say that I ended up slightly disappointed. There is one truly devastating moment, and the interviews were interesting, but overall, I think that his previous film, “Im Keller”, was much more interesting and revealing.

Maybe it’s me. I’m a rather logical, rational, facing-the-truth-kind of guy – which makes it hard for me to really get worked up about these people who go on safari. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s sad that they feel the urge to hunt those beautiful creatures, but as long as humanity kills thousands of animals every day for food, and as long as I keep being even the tiniest cog in this machine, blaming them for hunting would be extremely hypocritical. I mean, before I went into the screening I was at Burger King eating a Whopper, for fuck’s sake. Yes, there’s definitely a difference between killing for food and killing for fun, but as far as I understood it, said safari’s are regulated (they’re not poachers), and the slayed animals are put to good use, nothing is wasted. Like regular, controlled hunting, if done right it ultimately serves an important function, even though we might not like the idea. So if some guys earn a living from organizing everything and giving wealthy people the chance to do what they feel they need to do, I guess I can live with that. It’s not my thing – I would never go on a hunt – but I don’t see what’s so much worse about that than the industrialized killing of animals which “live” in far poorer conditions, just because we think that these animals are more aesthetically pleasing than, say, chickens, turkeys, pigs or cows. (Aside: I’m aware that you don’t have to see it as level-headed as myself, and just two seats from me a girl got up about an hour into the movie, saying that she was done watching those sick rich fucks slaying beautiful, innocent creatures. So, feel free to disagree with me on this).

What all of that boils down to is this: Even though Seidl, again, just shows what they’re doing, without allocation of blame, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he very much wanted us to detest them. Which I simply couldn’t bring myself to do. Even with the portly older guy, who we were supposed to laugh at when he slogged himself up and down the ladders, I found it somewhat admirable (without condoning or agreeing with what he’s doing) that he still practices this hobby that’s obviously so important to him, despite his physical condition. Ultimately, I simply couldn’t condemn any of them – which made the movie somehow a hollow affair. The first 15 to 30 minutes in particular were rather a drag. We follow those guys around, without any context. It got better once the interviews started, but I thought that it was a pity that we never really got to know them. Ulrich Seidl didn’t really seem all that interested in them, while I would have very much liked to know what drives them to do what they’re doing. There also once again were those shots of people standing around in some sort of still life, which didn’t really do anything for me. What made it worse was that they mostly were of the people of color working at the lodge, which the movie wasn’t interested in at all. Not one of them is allowed to speak a single word into the camera. That might very well be intentional, in order to emphasize the role they’re playing – that they’re statists in these safaris, albeit doing important work – but in neglecting to give them a voice, Seidl does nothing to improve the situation; he just illustrates it.

The most interesting parts of the documentary were the interviews, which unfortunately were far and in between. There’s the occasional racial slur, as well as the interesting contradiction of the guy who’s running this safari lodge being an environmentalist who loves animals (and hates humans), and some very small glimpses into the fascination of hunting, but if anything, the latter only amplified my hunger for more insights into that, instead of saturating it. And even though the movie – as the aforementioned logical human being that I am (Spock would be proud of me) – mostly left me cold, there is one truly haunting scene with a giraffe that was difficult to watch, and affected me deeply. If “Safari” would have had more of those, as well as offering a far deeper glimpse into the minds of the hunters, it could have been a fascinating study of human’s urge to kill. Instead, while still partly entertaining and intriguing, it fails to enrich the already existing discussion of this controversial topic in any way. Which, arguably, wasn’t what Seidl wanted to do in the first place – but which nevertheless, in my view, makes “Safari” rather redundant.
5/10


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At the Movies 2016: Captain Fantastic

Posted on September 15, 2016 by cornholio1980

captain-fantasticCaptain Fantastic
USA 2016
Written by Matt Ross
Directed by Matt Ross
Watched on 04.09.2016

“Captain Fantastic” was sweet, but not unproblematic. However, before we get into that – and thus, ultimately into (light) spoiler territory, let’s first talk about the good stuff. Viggo Mortensen – as always – is great as strange, but determined, father who fights his late wife’s parents in order to give her the funeral that he knows she would have wanted. The rest of the cast – especially the children – were great too, though. The whole movie is very entertaining, and features many funny moments, but also a couple of more serious, subdued and/or touching scenes – which I both enjoyed equally. As much as I can enjoy the silliest and slightest of comedies, if they also happen to have a little meat on them – like “Captain Fantastic” – that’s very much appreciated. The entire movie is very sweet and charming, and the soundtrack was really nice, with the tracks by Sigur Rós standing out as especially beautiful. And even though I’m not fully on board with Ben’s choice of parenting (which we’ll get into in a second), there were definitely a couple of things that I found noteworthy and/or commendable, and which I’ll try to remember when/if I should ever end up having kids myself.

———————————— SPOILERS AHEAD ————————————

However, I have to say that I had my problems with Ben’s parenting in general, and especially the way the movie seemed to glorify what he’s doing. Granted, there’s the occasional moment that dares to question if what he’s doing is right, and which deals with the problems that inevitable arise with such an extreme, alternative life style. It’s also clear from scenes like the one in the diner that the kids are totally unprepared for the everyday world, a fact the movie isn’t glossing over. And yes, in the end, he makes a couple of adjustments, like sending them to school, so that they won’t be as isolated anymore. Overall though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that from the two very different – and extreme – ways of life (and growing up) presented here, Matt Ross very much is in favor of what Ben is doing. Let’s take, for example, the dinner scene, where Ben’s kids are very polite, while his sister’s kids act like brats. Or the next morning, when his youngest daughter shows off her education. The message is further driven home by the fact that his late wife’s parents are presented as the villains here, ignoring her late daughter’s wishes of how she wants to be laid to rest, and trying to take the kids away from Ben, whom they seem to detest pretty much from the beginning (let us not forget that Jack threatened to call the police if he dares to show up at the funeral). And even though there are definitely a couple of things about the way that Ben raises his children that parents should take note, like getting them out into nature, trying to feed them as healthy as possible, not relying entirely on the public educational system, and striving to tell them the truth about things even when it’s difficult, I had a hard time being on “Team Ben”.

If you, for yourself, decide to lead such a life, that’s fine. More power to you. It get’s more complicated, though, once children enter into the equation, since they don’t get a choice in the matter – and even if they had, they don’t have the necessary information to make a qualified decision. Living like this is all that they know. I always find it problematic when parents force their own lifestyle, religion, and what not, onto their children – which is exactly what Ben does. Because of that, I would have prefered it if “Captain Fantastic” would have ended with his kids staying with their grandfather, while Ben drives off on his own. The fact that Matt Ross had the children sneak onto the bus and wait in a tiny compartment for a couple of hours (which felt rather contrived and implausible) – including the one son who before was allowed to be critical about his father – only further affirmed my belief that Ross is very much in favor of what Ben is doing. And that’s the part of the movie I had a problem with. I simply would have prefered a more balanced reflection on both styles of parenting shown here, and a closer inspection of the possible problems and dangers of Ben’s approach (for example, even though he ends up sending them to a public school, with their very peculiar upbringing, they are bound to be outsiders; something that is skilfully glossed over by the fact that during the movie, they always have each other, and it seems like that’s all they want and need). Other than that, “Captain Fantastic” was a very sweet, entertaining, and occasional touching family dramedy about the loss of a wife/parent, and the struggle of those who stay behind to deal with this loss and continue their lives.
7/10


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At the Movies 2016: The Shallows

Posted on September 14, 2016 by cornholio1980

the-shallowsThe Shallows
USA 2016
Written by Jaume Collet-Serra
Directed by Anthony Jaswinski
Watched on 03.09.2016

“The Shallows” wasn’t quite the highlight that I hoped for, but it nevertheless was an enjoyable entry into the ever-growing list of shark-themed horror thrillers. The setup reminded me a little bit of “Open Water”, another very good movie that, for me, suffered from the fact that they didn’t stay with the stranded divers all the time (whenever they switched to what happens of the island, all of the tension evaporated). That, at least, “The Shallows” gets right. As soon as we meet Nancy for the first time, we stick with her for the rest of the movie, never deviating too far from her plight.

———————————— SPOILERS AHEAD ————————————

Which already brings us to one of the major problems of “The Shallows”: Since there’s only one character who’s in danger, you can pretty much rule out that she’s going to die, say, in the middle of the movie. I wasn’t sure if she’s going to survive up until the end, but whenever the movie tried to build some tension in between, it didn’t really work for me. Another troublesome aspect of her being stranded all alone on that little rock was that in order to let the audience in on her thoughts and feelings, as well as (over-)explain what she was doing, the movie had to rely on her talking to herself, which occasionally felt rather forced (and patronizing). Same can be said about a couple of scenes, like with the drunk guy, which had to go the way they did so that the movie could continue. And what was that all about that super-secret beach, and how no one wanted to tell her what it’s called? To conclude my criticism of the movie, I could have done without her clichéd back-story and how that tied into the finale. Could we maybe for once have just a regular guy/gal in such a (modern) movie, who doesn’t learn an important life lesson from his/her experience, or uses it to help them get over a tragic event? Thank you.

Overall, though, I had a good time with it. With a running time of roughly 80 minutes (without credits), it doesn’t overstay its welcome (even though you might have been able to trim another 10-15 minutes without losing anything essential). It has a really neat concept, and sticks with it, but doesn’t drag it out for too long. Blake Lively, which so far I haven’t seen in too many movies – and when I did, she didn’t exactly blow me away – gives a really good performance here, perfectly capturing Nancy’s despair as well as her determination. Jaume Collet-Serra did a really good job directing the movie, giving us many impressive landscape-shots as well as a couple of really tense moments. I also quite liked the way they inserted the videos, text messages etc. Yes, it’s hardly new – the first said presentation that I can remember was in “Sherlock”, and since then, it really took off – but I really like it, since it makes good use of movies as a visual medium. Apart from a couple of moments (like the fire), the CGI-shark was well-made and believable. And I for one loved the fact that the closer we got to the finale, the sillier and over the top the movie got, with the shark’s death a particular standout. I get if it was just a tad too ridiculous for some, especially since the rest of the movie was mostly down-to-earth, but I loved it. However, the best part of the movie, hands down, was Steven Seagull, who really stole the show. Overall, I may have expected a little bit more – not least because of some movie sites hyping this as “the best shark movie since ‘Jaws'” (which, I feel, is highly debatable) – but nevertheless was quite pleased with it.
7/10


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Screener-Review: For the Love of Spock

Posted on September 9, 2016 by cornholio1980

for-the-love-of-spockFor the Love of Spock
USA 2016
Directed by Adam Nimoy
Watched on 08.09.2016

Originally, this documentary was supposed to focus on Spock; how this beloved character came to be, the impression that he left on pop culture, etc., However, when Leonard Nimoy passed away early last year, is was clear for his son Adam Nimoy, who’s the writer, director and producer of this documentary, that it would also have to very much be about the man who portrayed him. Thus, the final film is as much a loving tribute to his father – and a means for him to make his peace with their often strained and estranged relationship – as it is about Spock himself.

Granted, if you’re as big fan of “Star Trek” as myself, chances are you will already know many of the things that are mentioned here. Nevertheless, it was nice to get it all in one – very well presented – package. Plus, there was the occasional information that was news even for me. I especially loved to hear more about Nimoy’s life, the start of his career, etc. (which reminded me that it’s probably high time for me to get his two autobiographies “I am not Spock” and “I am Spock”). And, of course, it was nice to learn more about Leonard Nimoy and/or Spock from the perspective of his son, and what effect the popularity of his father had on their family. All of that information is presented here in a very appealing package, successfully averting the dreaded “talking heads”-syndrome by using different sources (archival footage, convention appearances, as well as new interviews shot exclusively for this documentary) as well as mixing it up with clips of the original “Star Trek”-series, photographs, etc.

Obviously, with such a rich life and history as well as the restrictions of a reasonable running time, there will always be things that you have to leave out or skim over. For example, I was surprised that even though they addressed many episodes of the original show, they never really got into “The Naked Time”, which was the first time that Leonard Nimoy was allowed to show the emotions that are constantly brooding underneath Spock’s stoical exterior. And since I’m kind of a purist, and “For the Love of Spock” was about the original show and the history of “Star Trek”, it was a little weird for me that they only showed clips with the remastered CGI-effects. Other than that, however, “For the Love of Spock” is expertly produced, and gives a – dare I say it – fascinating overview of the life and work of Leonard Nimoy as well as the legacy of “Star Trek” in general and Spock in particular – which I found quite poignant. Overall, “For the Love of Spock” is a must-see for all Trekkies/Trekkers out there, and the perfect accompaniment for Star Trek’s 50s anniversary.
8/10

In the interest of full disclosure: I supported this documentary on Kickstarter.


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50 Years of Star Trek: A Celebration…

Posted on September 8, 2016 by cornholio1980

I’ve been a fan of “Star Trek” for as long as I can remember. Born in 1980, I watched the Original Series on TV when I was a child, not yet critical of the more trashier aspects, and the occasional outdated special effect. Obviously, I also seriously considered that this week, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the others might actually die, thus I found many episodes to be quite thrilling and sometimes even scary (like “Doomsday Machine”, or the Death Cloud from “Obsession”). In hindsight, it’s difficult to say if I was that fascinated by “Star Trek” because I was already interested in space, the stars etc., or if it was the other way around. What I’m certain of, however, is that “Star Trek” began my lifelong love affair with Science Fiction entertainment, be it shows, movies or novels. And even though “Babylon 5” (which I consider the overall better show) ultimately might have made an even bigger impression than any of the Trek-shows, there’s just something special about your first love, isn’t there?

Today, “Star Trek” celebrates its 50th Anniversary. In honor of this occasion, I decided to present you with my first ever movie list. Below, I’ll rate the first 12 “Star Trek”-movies (out of protest over the new fan film-guidelines, I haven’t seen “Beyond” yet) from worst to best – all in my very humble opinion, of course. One of these days, I’ll get round to writing full reviews for all of them. Until then, this will have to do. Whether you agree with me or not – and I’m pretty sure that most of you won’t 😉 – I hope that you’ll at least find my ranking “fascinating”.

star-trek-912.) Star Trek: Insurrection
While still mildly entertaining, “Insurrection” is easily the worst of the “Star Trek”-movies so far. Many have said that this feels like a TV two-parter brought to the big screen, but a) there have been a lot of TNG two-parters which were a lot better (and more cinematic) than this, and b) if anything, it feels more like a single, mediocre episode blown up to a feature film. There’s just not enough story for a two-hour movie, the whole film looks and feels rather cheap, and apart from a couple of interesting ideas, good moments and nice quotes (“Does anyone remember the time when we were explorers?” – which reflected my thoughts exactly, considering that by then, “Star Trek”, be it on the small or the big screen, was mostly dominated by action and war), it simply has nothing to offer. Even at “just” 103 minutes, it feels dragged out, and gets boring rather quickly. For me, it’s definitely the least watchable and/or interesting of the “Star Trek”-films.
4/10

star-trek-1011.) Star Trek: Nemesis
“Nemesis” is pretty much everything that I hated about the late 90s-, early 00s Trek: All action, no “boldly going”. The plot recycles “The Wrath of Khan” almost as closely – and badly – as “Into Darkness” (A tale of revenge, a doomsday machine, and the death of a beloved character where they nevertheless leave themselves an out, just in case), but Tom Hardy’s Shinzon never ever came even remotely close to Ricardo Montalban’s Khan (whether concerning the script or the acting). The action is quite impressive, and it features a couple of nice, new ideas (the ship-jumping, for example), but overall, it’s all smoke and mirrors, and no substance. Add to that the terrible telepathic rape-scene as well as a couple of continuity errors (for example, Picard did have hair when he was younger) which show the writer’s disregard for the material they were basing their movie on, and you’ve got a disappointing SF-action-film that’s probably the farthest removed from “Star Trek’s origins from all movies on this list. Overall, it’s an extremely unworthy swan song for Picard & Co. – the TNG-crew definitely deserved better.
4/10

star-trek-1210.) Star Trek Into Darkness
I’ll give “Into Darkness” that: Compared to the two aforementioned movies, it’s at least entertaining. However, it’s also quite shallow, and the moments where they copy “Wrath of Khan” are so damn terrible and show such an incomprehension of what actually made said movie so great in the first place, that it features some of the most annoying scenes in “Star Trek” history. It starts quite interesting and strong, with the away mission on an alien planet, and the cast (especially Pine, Quinto and Urban), once again, is great. However, once John Harrison reveals his true identity (which was such a non-surprise, it was staggering), the movie starts to fall apart. It increasingly loses itself in one action set piece after another, and offers a special effects overkill that I found tiresome. The showdown between Spock and Khan was laughable. And the reversed death scene is probably the worst moment from any of the “Star Trek”-films. It didn’t work at all, and was unintentionally hilarious at best, and incredibly frustrating at worst. What a disappointment after the charming first reboot-film!
4/10

star-trek-79.) Star Trek: Generations
It actually was quite a cool idea: Take the two best and most beloved “Star Trek”-captains from the first two, highly regarded shows, and put them on an adventure together. That’s what the marketing campaign promised, and everyone – myself included – expected. Instead, we got a mediocre TNG-film with a TOS-prologue and about 10 minutes of Patrick Steward and William Shatner together on-screen. When they are, the movie finally starts to take flight, and I’m one of those who absolutely loved the death scene, and found it to be quite emotional (even though with a death of such an iconic character, the stakes could have been a little higher). Unfortunately, the middle part of the movie is just a bore, and the Nexus was probably one of the worst ideas that they could have come up with for having Kirk and Picard meet. It’s just a convenient plot device that serves a function, instead of an interesting concept in itself. It’s an ok movie, but given the fact that it features two of the most iconic characters of “Star Trek”-lore, it could – and should – have been much better.
5/10

star-trek-38.) Star Trek: The Search for Spock
“The Search for Spock” suffers from the fact that its only function is to bring Spock back from the dead, and I still can’t decide if it’s commendable that they actually spent a whole movie on that (since that, instead of just dealing with it in the first act of a movie, gives the proceedings gravitas), or rather damning, since it also means that apart from Spock’s resurrection as well as a couple of standout moments (mainly David’s death and the destruction of the Enterprise), there’s nothing much really going on. Also, the explanation they devised in order to bring him back from the dead feels rather forced and implausible, when you think about it (the whole katra-stuff, and especially the fact that Spock’s rapid aging stops as soon as they get him away from Genesis – which conveniently happens when he was right about the same age as he was when he died). However, it features the old crew on their most personal mission, and really puts the characters front and center. That, together with its undeniably charm, definitely makes it easier to forgive the rather contrived way of Spock’s return.
5/10

star-trek-57.) Star Trek: The Final Frontier
Surprise: The most hated “Star Trek”-movie is not my least favorite. Not by a long shot, in fact. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely hurt by a really low budget, some cheap-looking effects, an uneven script, the rather weak beginning on Nimbus III (which mostly feels like it’s right out of a different movie), as well as an anti-climactic showdown. But its heart is in the right place, and I love that contrary to so many other “Star Trek”-Films, it’s not about the action, but about ideas. All of the characters get their moment to shine, but especially the friendship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy has never been more front and center than here. There are many great, memorable scenes, be it their talks at the campfire, the glimpses into their past, Kirks statement that he needs his pain, or the unforgettable “What does God need with a starship?”. Also, from a strictly visual standpoint, Shatners direction is brilliant; I’d even dare to say that it features more beautiful shots than both of Nimoy’s films combined. With a little more time and money, this could have been a classic. As it is, it might reek of failure – but at least it’s an interesting and fascinating one.
5/10

star-trek-116.) Star Trek
I’m not a hater of either J.J. Abrams (I adore “Super 8”) nor the reboots per se. I think that they did a great job in terms of casting, finding exactly the right new people to reimagine these old, iconic characters. The entire movie has a lot of charm, and moves at a brisk pace. Abram’s direction is really good, too (even though it occasionally looks and feels more like a “Star Wars”- than a “Star Trek”-film), and Giacchino provides a score that isn’t far behind from the best works of his predecessors. Also, kudos for including Leonard Nimoy, who really elevated the movie whenever he showed up. And the beginning features right up there with the very best scenes that “Star Trek” has ever given us, be it on the big or the small screen. However, I’d argue that they didn’t really get Kirk, leaning more on the common (mis-)conceptions about his character than what was actually seen in the show and the films (then again, I guess you can explain those discrepancies away with the fact than in the Prime-Timeline, his father didn’t die). Like with many “Star Trek”-films, the bad guy is rather weak. The revenge plot isn’t that original. There are a couple of glowing continuity errors (like the warp-beaming). As much as I loved the new actors, I’m not a huge fan of the (interior) redesign (especially the machine room, which looks like a brewery). And the script is full of plotholes and convenient, implausible coincidences (like Kirk being exiled on the exact same planet and strolling into the exact same cave where Spock is waiting for him). However, it’s fun. That, and the great interactions between the characters, ultimately saved the day for me.
6/10

star-trek-45.) Star Trek: The Voyage Home
For many, this is if not the best than at least the most entertaining of the Trek-movies. I beg to disagree. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really fun – and funny – movie, which also features an environmentalist message (always a plus with me). There are so many funny moments, be it Chekov – during the Cold War – strolling around the streets of San Francisco asking for the location of “nuclear wessels”, Kirk’s reaction to Spock taking a dive at SeaWorld, the escape from the hospital, or the culture clash of the “Star Trek”-crew with life in the 80s in general. However, it’s really a rather slight affair. I’m also very critical of them just taking Dr. Gillian along for the ride (what if she’d be Kirk’s grandgrandgrandgrandgrandmother?). And for me, Leonard Rosenman’s score for “The Voyage Home” is by far the weakest of all the “Star Trek”-movies. It’s good-natured fun, but ultimately, apart from a couple of nice moments, it’s rather forgettable.
6/10

star-trek-64.) Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country
If only they would have had the guts to make Saavik the traitor, instead of a totally new character with whom we have no prior connection with, “The Undiscovered Country” would have gotten the third spot on this list, instead of missing out on the top 3 by a hair’s breadth. This tiny little detail just bugs me, because as it is, we don’t give a rat’s ass about Valerian; thus her betrayal feels hollow. Apart from that, though, it’s a great movie, and a worthy swan song for the old crew. I love how, inspired by events in real-life (the fall of the Berlin Wall), Kirk has to overcome his hatred of Klingons, and ultimately plays a significant role in making peace between them and the Federation possible. It’s also a really entertaining movie, that once again does to much with its characters, especially Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Chang is easily the second-best bad guy of all “Star Trek”-films, the effects are great, the action is gripping, the story is tense and mysterious (thanks to the investigation on board the Enterprise), Cliff Eidelman provides a rousing score, and Sulu finally got a command of his own. And in the end, when Kirk commands them to take the Enterprise on one last trip (“Second star to the right, and straight on till morning.”), it’s a beautiful, emotional conclusion, not just for the movie, but for a whole era. Marvelous.
9/10

star-trek-83.) Star Trek: First Contact
By far the best of the TNG-movies, and arguably also the only really good one. What sets this apart from many other revenge-themed “Star Trek”-films is that here, the one who’s out for vengeance is not the bad guy, but rather the hero. Picard is blinded by his hatred of the Borg (after his experiences in “Best of Both Worlds”), willing to sacrifice everything and everyone to stop them. The scene in his quarters, when Lily confronts him, is one of the strongest acting moments in “Star Trek”-history. Unlike many lesser movies of the franchise, “First Contact” manages to present gripping, spectacular action, but without neglecting anything else at the same time (like “Nemesis”, for example). There’s also a really good story, some great character stuff (especially for Picard and Data), an important message about hatred and revenge, the idea of a besieged ship was quite fresh, Jerry Goldsmith offers up the second-best score of his entire career, I loved the time travel-aspect, and the ending – the titular First Contact – is one of Star Trek’s strongest moments ever. Goosebumps!
9/10

star-trek-22.) Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
“The Wrath of Khan” is, and probably always will be, the only “Star Trek”-movie that’s actually a sequel to one of the episodes (it might work in its own right, but I for one think that it’s appeal is definitely bigger when you’ve seen “Space Seed”). That alone lets it stand out from the crowd. However, it’s also an absolutely great movie in its own right, featuring the hands-down best bad guy of all Trek-films, and also one of the best villains in cinematic history, period. However, one of the things that I love about the movie is how it isn’t even really about Khan, and his thirst for revenge, but rather about Kirk, and his struggle with getting older. Khan is simply the catalyst that sets his catharsis in motion. It was also great to learn more about his past, and meet his former flame as well as his son. James Horner’s score is great, ILM’s special effects-work is flawless, and Nicholas Meyer does a great job in the directors chair. However, ultimately everything pales against one of the most devastating and emotional death scenes in cinematic history – one that, surprisingly enough, works for me even when taking into account that Spock returns in the following movie. “I have been, and always shall be, your friend.” Cue the tears.
10/10

star-trek-11.) Star Trek: The Motion Picture
“The Motionless Picture” my ass. I understand everyone who doesn’t like the first cinematic outing of this franchise, but I for one just love “The Motion Picture”, from start to finish. For one, with the possible exception of “The Final Frontier”, Star Trek’s first cinematic adventure is the only movie of the series that puts one of Star Trek’s major themes, “To boldly go where no one has gone before”, front and center, with this great, big, mysterious space cloud that slowly makes its way to earth. Some may find the long sequence when the Enterprise enters the cloud boring, but I think it’s absolutely mesmerizing; my eyes were glued to the TV-screen when I saw it for the first time. Which is just as much due to the great effects as it is to Jerry Goldsmiths exceptional score (a career’s best for him, and one of my favorite three scores of all time). I also liked the slightly tense mood between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, as well as the fact that Kirk isn’t an infallible hero here. The Director’s Cut features a couple of insignificant new effects-shots (I could have done without seeing V’Ger without the cloud), but also reinstates a couple of great moments around Spock and his connection with the probe. And I absolutely loved the revelation at the end concerning V’Gers origins. Yes, it’s slow, and at times self-indulgent (like the five-minute celebration of the redesigned Enterprise), but I love every single second of it. For me, it’s the only movie of the franchise that’s deserving of being attributed with what should be the greatest honor for any “Star Trek”-film: Fascinating.
10/10

Happy Birthday, Star Trek! May you live long and prosper…

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