Good to get a refresh on this classic. I certainly did not rememberwhodunnit. Maybe a slice too much tomfoolery, but otherwise a solidslasher.
🎬 Scream
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I’m a freelance web developer based in Düsseldorf, Germany. I make a RSS feed reader called FeedCity. I’m also a passionate film photographer, a husband and father, a musician, metalhead, and movie fan.
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🎬 Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Hellraiser? Hell, yes!
Sure, the effects might partly be a bit dated; but that does not at allimpact this succession in any negative way. Even more than the firstpart, this is a truly evil film. Certainly not a horror movie forbeginners. I don‘t know why I haven‘t seen them before. I missed out!
🎧 10,000 Days – TOOL
Weekend-album.
🎬 Grizzly
Saw this the same night as „Dinosaurus!“ at the cinema. Much much betterproduction, though. This got introduced as a „Jaws“ in the woods. Andthis is pretty spot on – minus the class of „Jaws“ maybe. While thishas quite a few weaknesses in dialogue and plot, this was overall asolid movie – if you‘re into trashy old school horror movies that is.
🎬 Dinosaurus!
It was a fun experience seeing this together with friends at the cinema.And it had scenes that reminded me of Jurassic Park and Pulp Fiction.Here and there, it certainly had its moments. But man was this oldschool. Trashy and gimmicky. And not something I am used to seeinganymore. I somehow like that I had this experience; but at the sametime, I do not need to have it again any time soon.
📄 Getting into chess
After watching “The Queen’s Gambit”, I got interested in chess again. I played a little bit when I was a kid, but never much or in any serious fashion. And so, recently, I created an account on Lichess.org.
🎥 Me snowboarding
Not only did Zoe learn how to ski, she also learned how to film videos while doing so.
🎥 Zoe skiing
We went on a one-week ski holiday, and Zoe was so confident by the end of it, that I had difficulties following her. ;-)
🎧 Ravishing Grimness – Darkthrone
I simply picked one Darkthrone album, as I‘m not very familiar with their discography. And this one has been virtually rotating here for a couple of spins. „The Claws of Time“ is so classic Black Metal: starts with this evil tremolo-picking melody, then the vocals come in… ahhh….pure black gold!
🎧 Purple – Baroness
When listening to Baroness, I tend to pick this album. Love the drumming and odd rhythms on it. Great guitar work, too, of course. „Chlorine & Wine“ is probably my favourite song of them.
🎬 Memories of Murder
This review may contain spoilers. Tap or click to view.
I find it refreshing to watch a non-Western movie occasionally. Same with this one. Bong Joon-ho‘s humour is somewhat unique. He manages to put those funny (silly even) elements in a movie while not devaluing the serious topic he‘s dealing with. Although in this one I find the whole stupid-cops-don‘t-make-any-progress-in-the-case-play go on for too long.
I found the camera work to be great. Characters were interesting (somehow the main suspect reminded me of Paul Dano‘s role in „Prisoners“). And the ending was top, too.
🎬 What Drives Us
Totally fine documentary with a promising bunch of interviewees. Butsomehow it manages to be bit thin in truly interesting nuggets.
🎬 Hellraiser
Finally, I have seen this movie! And what a treat! Everything’s greatabout it: plot, costumes, sound, acting, sets. And the special effects!And it’s scary as hell – as it should be for a horror film. Lookingforward to part 2!
🎬 Jason X
This review may contain spoilers. Tap or click to view.
Wow, we made it through this whole series. And it didn’t end on a high note. This was trash. And I could enjoy some of it. For example, I liked that Jason was this brutal force that just kills. Or the cliché nudity. Or the sometimes quirky charming dialogue. And the scene where he beats the one girl in the sleeping bag with another is just hilarious. But oh man, this was long, the set design was terrible (reminded me of American Gladiators in a lot of scenes), and the characters and the plot: puh. And don’t get me started on wardrobe or props. It was cheesy, too. Anyhow, it is what it is. And this over-the-top rendition is a fitting finale for this series IMO. And it’s good, it’s over now. May Jason rest in peace.
🎬 White Noise
Lovingly made: great lighting, fantastic choreography, great acting andmuch more. But overall unfortunately the plot seemed senseless andinconsequential to me, which made me care less and less as the filmprogressed. Had good things, but I’d rather watch a Wes Andersson movie.
🎬 Bones and All
Some aspects were totally fine in this, but ultimately this wasn‘t mykind of movie.
🎬 What We Do in the Shadows
A bloody healthy and funny dose of New Zealand for me.
🎬 The Power of the Dog
This review may contain spoilers. Tap or click to view.
I would watch this again; to see if I notice some more subtle clues earlier and pay more attention to the individual chapters on their own. The storyline is so well done: it progressively changes the impression you have or had of both Phil and Peter. And in the end I didn‘t know how to feel about any of them really – pity or aversion or simply empathy.
A great film about men and their hardships/obstacles/difficulties they faced and how those manifested themselves in their behaviour and characters in very different ways.
🎧 Sky Void of Stars – Katatonia
Preparation for tomorrow’s concert.
🎬 One Hour Photo
I don’t want to focus too much on the negative, but this film didn’tstir up much excitement in me. Maybe just because it looked dated (and alittle bit like a 90’s commercial). Maybe because I thought it onlyscratched the surface of what it could have been. Maybe because I wasreminded that I personally don’t like Robin William’s acting all thatmuch.
Anyhow, it’s an ok movie. I liked the directly photography-relatedscenes and the monologues or rather the protagonist’s thoughts onphotography.
🎬 Creating The Queen's Gambit
I wish this was longer.
🎬 The Queen's Gambit
What happened? I watched a series?! I guess I can handle 7 episodes. Andthis was really good! Loved all the characters, especially Beth Harmon’sand her adoptive mother’s. The plot was great, too. It was very wellacted; I thought all the facial expressions during the matched werefantastic. The film sets looked lovely (the CGI not so much, though),and a lot of piano music meant I enjoyed the soundtrack, too! It was abit long in the middle, but otherwise this was a very enjoyable watch!I’m kind of interested in chess now.
🎬 Don't Look Up
This review may contain spoilers. Tap or click to view.
Once again, I enjoyed Leo‘s performance in a movie. Jennifer Lawrence was great, too! And both their characters are well written IMHO. And I do agree with the movie‘s message. But man, is it on the nose! No subtlety whatsoever. Unfortunately it‘s way too long again, too. The first one and a half hours are just dragging. Towards the end, it does get better, and even has a few gags that are actually funny (when Leo amazingly delivers his last TV-speech, and then it cuts to him in the car with the bag over his head: pure gold!). But that unfortunately doesn‘t lift it above its mediocrity. Hm… that sounds probably harder than I mean it. Anyway, not quite for me.
🎧 Myriad – GAUPA
Here‘s one more female-fronted band, I‘m currently enjoying. Like these songs, like their sound, like her vocals (which do sound quite a bit like Björk).
🎧 Marked For Death – Emma Ruth Rundle
Listening to ERR quite a bit at the moment.
🎬 Next Door
This review may contain spoilers. Tap or click to view.
What a morning! Twist after twist after twist.
Nicely filmed, great acting with fantastic dialogue.
My only nitpick is that I somehow found Daniel’s voice to sound somewhat hyper-clear/-real which made it sound a little unnatural.
But overall, this was great!
🔗 May – August 2021 – Daniel Pietzsch’s Photo Journal
Finally, after a year, I made an entry to the photojournal again.
Our three weeks summer holiday, weekend camping trips, some bike riding and other activities in Düsseldorf.
🎬 His House
Grief can be a witch – or a curse. Whatever it’s called, you have toopen yourself up (quite literally) to get rid of it.
The story and topics are important and interesting ones. And overallthis is well made. But it didn’t really grab me for some reason. Maybebecause sometimes it felt to me that the delivering of the horrors wereoverdone – especially the ending. The special effects were sometimesmore of a distraction.
But overall a good film, with quite a few good scenes. I would watchRemi Weekes’ next one.
🎬 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
Production-wise, this is probably the best part of the Friday 13thseries. Camera work, lighting, sound, are all at least one level up fromthe usual production quality.
It starts very strong in my opinion. But then it goes into thissmall-American-town kind of vibe, which I don’t know, if it fits. Onitself this is a solid film, but in the series, this is the odd one out(so far – haven’t seen “X”). The special effects à la “The Thing” or“Alien” are totally my thing, and were probably the best thing about it.The characters were a bit too “Police Academy”-ish, with The Duke beingborder-line annoying.
In conclusion: a solid movie, but I feel like this would’ve been betteras a one-off rather than being part of the Jason-franchise.
🎬 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
This is more like “Jason takes the ferry” – because Manhattan content isindeed a bit thin. Anyhow, I liked this for the most part. Certainly oneof the better ones in this series. This has quite a bit of humour. Ienjoyed the stunts. The cheesy soundtrack, NY clichés and a nice guitarscene are not to be discounted, either. Solid!