Color Out Of Space (2020) - A very conflicted review (and movie)

Color Out Of Space (2020)
Directed by Richard Stanley

What a bizarre and irritating movie this was. There isn't a single aspect of it that fully works, and tons that don't work at all, but there's just enough going for it to keep me entertained and hoping for a little more.

Top 10 Michael Shannon performances

I highly doubt I'll be keeping these posts up with this level of frequency, but for now I'm quite enjoying writing these up. So here's another list made upon suggestion, and hopefully it draws a little more attention to some fantastic performances.

Over the past decade, there have been few actors to amass such an impressive resume as Michael Shannon. With his distinctive looks and loads of dramatic range, Shannon has appeared in dozens of movies and shows, often giving some of the best performances of the projects he's involved in. Although he has earned 2 Oscar nominations and appeared in mainstream blockbuster movies in major roles, Michael Shannon still doesn't seem to get quite as much attention as he deserves. So that's where I come in. Because, you know, I have such huge influence and popularity.

200 Items Or Less: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

A few thoughts: Where the first two Moore movies in the series stumbled a bit, this third entry finally found its footing and offered up one of the more entertaining entries in the franchise. Starting off with a bang (the whole opening ski/parachuting sequence is just wonderful), this movie grabbed ahold of me and kept changing things up often enough that it never wore out its welcome. Even if the ending does drag on for a little too long (unceremoniously killing off the main villain with 15-20 minutes left in the film), the changes in setting and dynamic between James and the Bond girl give the whole movie an air of freshness that's not often seen in the franchise. Another highlight is in Richard Kiel as the famous henchman Jaws, whose imposing 7+ foot tall figure and heavy metal mouthpiece offer up the kind of unstoppable physical threat that is rarely seen in the series. He's so unstoppable, in fact, he bites a shark to death and shows up in the very next Bond movie to pick up where he left off. Name another henchman who's that determined and relentless. All-in-all this is a cheesy and incredibly fun movie that worked in all the right ways.

Top 10 Kurt Russell performances

Nearly 6 months ago, I graced the world with a wonderful and in-depth look at my favorite Jeffrey Combs performances, which can be found HERE. And now, upon the suggestion of my lovely wife, I will be doing a top 10 on another wonderful and underrated actor: Kurt Russell.

200 Items Or Less: Stepfather II (1989)

A few thoughts: The first Stepfather movie was pretty great and cut through a lot of the fat that would have bogged it down in order to focus on the main point of the story. This sequel, as passable as it may be, is proof of why the choices made in the first one were indeed the right ones. Terry O'Quinn is back, with the movie taking place very shortly after the events of the previous one, and chronicles his escape from the mental institution he was being held in, his relocation to a new town, and the speedy but meticulous trap he lays into place to ensnare an eligible new bride. Thee are moments in this movie where you might forget your watching a deranged killer, and thanks to the performance by O'Quinn, you really are able to see just why he's capable of tricking lonely women into falling for him. Much less disturbing and intense than the last time around, O'Quinn still dials up the crazy when needed, even though the script doesn't give him many opportunities to go fully unhinged. It's a decent movie that's paced well, has a strong lead, and works as an adequate sequel to the original.

200 Items Or Less: Event Horizon (1997)

A few thoughts: I've watched this probably 3 or 4 times over the years, but it wasn't until this most recent viewing that I could finally say I really dig this movie. With incredible set design, mostly impressive visual effects, a very dark screenplay full of terrifying concepts that blend deep space with spiritual themes, and a handful of strong performances, this Paul W.S. Anderson sci-fi/horror can be a tad corny at times but does a great job at blending these genres to create an unsettling and moody atmosphere. There's some truly impressive set design and use of lighting in this movie, so even when things get a little confusing and convoluted, the look of the movie alone should be enough to keep you sucked in. Visually and narratively, this movie feels like a sort of midway point between Alien and Hellraiser, which can be seen as nothing less than a compliment coming from me. I don't know why it took me this long to come around on this movie, but now I can say I'm a fan and look forward to seeing how much more I'll like it the next time around.

200 Items Or Less - Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (2006)

A few thoughts: A curious sort of failure, this drama/thriller does enough things right to keep it from being bad, but drags so much and becomes too bizarre to really stand out in any sort of good way. Conceptually this is a difficult sort of story to try to tell in any medium, as the primary sense it tries to convey is scent. A tricky thing to work into a visual and auditory art form, but they somehow manage. The performances are also (mostly) pretty great, with Ben Whishaw convincingly playing the titular murderer and Alan Rickman of course doing a great job in his supporting role as one of the people hunting him down. The biggest surprise, though, is Dustin Hoffman. He's awful in this movie. As I mentioned before, the running time becomes a serious problem, as by 90 minutes in I was ready for the movie to start winding down. But there was almost an entire hour left. All in all, I can't help but to call the movie a failure, even though I kind of liked it. It was a curious movie with cool visuals, a few good performances, and an interesting concept, but it more than wore out its welcome and ended on a ridiculously confusing note.