Nosferatu

2024 Focus Features

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 12min

Gothic Horror ~ Supernatural Horror ~ Vampire Horror

Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe.

Succumb To The Darkness

Nosferatu unfolds in 19th-century Germany, centering on Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman haunted by eerie nightmares and a psychic connection to the mysterious vampire Nosferatu. Ellen’s husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a real estate agent, is sent to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a remote manor to the reclusive and terrifying Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Despite warnings from locals, Thomas persists, unaware of the dark fate awaiting him and his family.

Upon meeting Count Orlok at his eerie castle, Thomas experiences increasingly disturbing events. Orlok exerts a malevolent influence, forcing Thomas to annul his marriage to Ellen through a strange document. While Thomas becomes physically weakened and trapped in the castle, Orlok sets off on a ship to Ellen’s town, Wisborg, carrying with him a devastating plague transmitted by rats. Ellen’s health deteriorates as she suffers from seizures and sleepwalking, under the vampire’s sinister spell.

As Orlok’s deadly presence spreads devastation through Wisborg, Ellen, along with her allies the doctor Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson) and occult scientist Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), seeks to uncover a way to stop Nosferatu. They discover that Orlok’s power can only be ended by a willing sacrifice from a pure maiden. Ellen, driven by love and despair, makes a harrowing decision to confront Orlok on her own.

The tension crescendos as Ellen sacrifices herself, luring Orlok and stalling him until sunrise, ultimately ending his reign of terror. This act is both tragic and empowering, highlighting Ellen’s bravery and empathy amid chaos and loss. The film doesn’t shy away from exploring dark sexual themes, violence, and despair, pushing boundaries both visually and narratively.

Nosferatu is a triumph of horror craftsmanship, its moody visuals, gripping performances, and relentless sense of doom evoke the spirit of the original while giving it new life. While it lacks some visceral scares, it makes up for it in atmosphere and existential horror, a film not just about vampires but about loneliness, obsession, and sacrificial love. For fans of Gothic, Vampire and Supernatural Horror, Nosferatu delivers a chilling experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Poor Things

2024 Searchlight Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 21min

Comedy ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael.

“I am a changeable feast. As are all of we.”

THE BOOK:

A 1992 Novel by Alasdair Gray originally titled Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer.

In the 1880s in Glasgow, Scotland, medical student Archibald McCandless finds himself enchanted with the intriguing creature known as Bella Baxter. Supposedly the product of the fiendish scientist Godwin Baxter, Bella was resurrected for the sole purpose of fulfilling the whims of her benefactor. As his desire turns to obsession, Archibald’s motives to free Bella are revealed to be as selfish as Godwin’s, who claims her body and soul.

But Bella has her own passions to pursue. Passions that take her to aristocratic casinos, low-life Alexandria, and a Parisian bordello, reaching an interrupted climax in a Scottish church. Exploring her station as a woman in the shadow of the patriarchy, Bella knows it is up to her to free herself—and to decide what meaning, if any, true love has in her life.

THE MOVIE:

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

THE REVIEW:

WOW! How Bizarre! How Beautiful! Pure Ecstasy! Frankensteinian Erotica! It drew me in from the very beginning with wonder, amazement and revulsion all at the same time. Like a train wreck I could not look away, as the sights, the eerie sounds and the bizarre story and twists laid out before me. Each one more bizarre than the last, more incredible than the one before. Watching Emma Stone grow into Bella Baxter was a transfixing journey of wonderment and discovery. An Absolutely Stunning Performance!

The horror of Willem Dafoe’s face outmatched by the horror of the reason why. The man who should be a monster instead creates beautiful life. Mark Ruffalo comes off as a dastardly conniving lecherous swine but instead shows a heart and love towards Bella, until he feels betrayed and goes back to being the swine that he is. The Architecture, the ceilings of whimsy, the cityscapes, and the steam boat were magnificent! The scenery was beautifully whimsical and surreal! I don’t even consciously remember the movie going from black and white to the magnificent colors in the end. It was a seamless journey from black and white to color as Bella matured and grew.

Shades of Young Frankenstein and Frankenstein with a heavy dash of whimsical Victorian. It is not going to be for everyone. Know there are grotesques scenes of Frankensteinian animals and bodies, completely naked scenes of gratuitous sex and vulgarity. It can be vulgar and repulsive as well as whimsical and inviting. I absolutely loved this experience. I loved the movie and Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and Willem Dafoe’s performance. But Emma Stone outdid herself in this one. An absolutely wonderful and incredible performance as Bella. Well done!

Inside Man

2006 Universal Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 8min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by: Spike Lee

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

“My name is Dalton Russell. Recently I planned and set in motion events to execute the perfect bank robbery……..”

Clive Owen stars as Dalton Russell, who in August 2005, leads a small group of criminals who hijack The Manhattan Trust Bank and hold everyone inside hostage. Denzel Washington stars as Detective Keith Frazier, who along with his partner Detective Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are assigned to the active situation. Willem Dafoe stars as Captain John Darius with the NYPD Emergency services Unit who has set up the perimeter and command center at the Bank. They set up phone communication within the bank solely through the commander center and wait to hear from the Bank robbers.

Christopher Plummer stars as The Founder and Chairman of The Board of Manhattan Trust Bank Arthur Case. This branch is the original Manhattan Trust Bank and also the biggest. Arthur is very nervous about the robbery and the men inside the bank because he has an unidentified security deposit box inside. He does not want them to get their hands on what is inside the box for fear it could ruin him. He makes a call to the most notorius “Fixer” in the city, Madeleine White (Jodie Foster), and she agrees to meet with him. Madeleine calls in a favor from the Mayor and gets him to let her into the active crime scene so she can negotiate with the bank robbers.

And the game of cat and mouse is on as the police and detectives try to negotiate with the bank robbers and figure out their motives and demands, and Madeleine and Arthur try to keep his secret hidden, and the robbers play hide and seek with the hostages as they do something different than bank robbers are expected to do in this situation. It is a thrilling crime drama with a mystery not solved until the very end. It is a movie centered around a bank robbery but it is much more than that. There are secrets and mysteries that are exposed that throw a different twist on the old bank robbery caper.

I have seen this countless times, whenever I see it listed on a platform I always watch it. It is one of my favorites. I sought it out this time because I found out that there was a sequel to this movie, INSIDE MAN: MOST WANTED. I have seen the sequel numerous times too, but didn’t realize they were connected. I came across an article about it while doing research for another movie. It explained how the two movies are connected in the storyline, how the story carries over into the sequel. I had no idea, but thinking about it it made sense. So I had to go back and watch them with my new knowledge of the storyline.

It is a great movie. With Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor all at their best. It is funny at times as well. All the interrogation scenes were completely ad-libbed by the actors. Great job I’d say. Great story, great cast, great acting and a great movie. I am watching the sequel INSIDE MAN: MOST WANTED tonight.

If you haven’t seen it you’re missing out on a good one.

Highly Recommended!

The Northman

2022 Focus Features

Rated: R

Length: 2 hrs 17min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic

Directed by: Robert Eggers

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

“I will avenge you father!, I will save you mother!, I will kill you Fjölnir!”

Alexander Skarsgård stars as Prince Amleth who, after watching his Uncle Fjölnir(Claes Bang) kill his Father King Aurvandil(Ethan Hawke), vows revenge. Nicole Kidman stars as his mother Queen Gudrún who his Uncle now claims as his Queen. Amleth escapes and joins a a band of Vikings killing and plundering. Fueling his hatred and his desire for revenge. Several years later he finds out that his Uncle Fjölnir, now referred to as “Fjölnir The Brotherless”, has lost his father’s throne and lives as a sheep farmer in Iceland.

Posing as a slave he boards a boat taking slaves to Iceland to hunt down his Uncle and exact revenge. He meets an enslaved Slavic woman named Olga who claims to be a sorceress. Together they escape and head out to find his Uncle and free his mother from his tyrant uncle. This movie is based on an old Norse legend, Amleth, inspired by the character of Prince Hamlet, the hero of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

The Northman is dark, brooding, bloody, savage and full of Viking lore and myth. It is hard to follow the story given all the Viking references that I do not know enough about. Some of the scenes were very strange and hard to understand, ceremonies and customs that I didn’t understand. Nicole Kidman has a very limited role, you only see her briefly in the beginning and towards the end.

It was a long watch at almost two and a half hours. It was very hard to follow the story as they went along. I didn’t really care for it, didn’t think it was that good. I definitely won’t watch it again.

Can’t recommend this one.

Two thumbs down.