The Pact (2012)
The Pact is a classic example of wasted potential. It takes the scariest single concept I’ve come across and squanders it on clichéd haunted house scares. Warning: spoilers follow.
Top 10 Albums of 2012 – Part 2 (5-1)
5. Kendrick Lamar – good kid m.A.A.d city Carefully constructed hip-hop production helmed by Lamar’s confident, languid flow and – most importantly – a distinct personality shining through. Highlight: Good Kid 4. Graham Coxon – A+E Until this album, I’d assumed I loved Blur thanks to Damon Albarn. A+E, filled with jagged, fuzzy guitar pop…
Top 10 Albums of 2012 – Part 1 (10-6)
You may have noticed that Carbon Copy has been very film-centric lately. It’s not an intentional thing! I just happen to be on holidays, which provides a great opportunity to watch (and write about) lots of films. But music hasn’t been getting much love lately, so I thought I’d match my top 10 films list…
The Shaft (2001)
The Shaft, a straight-to-video release (that took a couple years to see the light of day in the States) is a slasher movie, except with a twist – the killer is…an elevator! Seriously. It’s an inherently silly premise which doesn’t have to prevent it from being an enjoyable B-movie. There’s a promising jokey tone early,…
Triangle (2009)
Triangle is an atmospheric, unnerving puzzle-box of a film, chilling and cerebral. Enigmatic opening scenes scored with foreboding music establish a mood of dread, matched by Jess (Melissa George)’s deathly pallor and discomfiting vagueness. Flashes of dreams or flashbacks suggest a non-linear narrative. There are sinister mentions of Jess son’s…something’s off, and references to Sisyphus…
Life of Pi (2012)
My thoughts on Life of Pi are going to be very different from yours. This is true of any artwork. Art is subjective, after all. But Life of Pi is unique. Sure, you might be equally enchanted by the whimsical opening scenes, as young Pi learns about life and religion, portrayed with visual flair and…
Girls – “It’s About Time” (Season 2, Episode 1)
The premiere of Girls’ sophomore season (arriving roughly the same time as its Golden Globes win) is smart to set most of its action at a hazy apartment bash, since the episode matches the meandering, feverish feel of a drunken, crowded party. It feels a touch rushed compared to the careful pacing of Season 1…
Premium Rush (2012)
Premium Rush is a high-octane thrill ride, a white-knuckle rush of a film. There’s technically a plot, revealed in smatterings of flashbacks, but it’s essentially a barebones excuse to fill the film with exhilarating bicycle races. One of my (and apparently everyone’s) favourite actors at the moment, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays Wilee (like the Coyote), an…
Sheitan (2006)
A French Deliverance with a satanic twist, Sheitan focuses on a group of crass twentysomethings who travel into the countryside following a flirtatious girl. These characters are exceedingly unlikable, and if you’re anything like me, fifteen minutes in you’ll be eagerly looking forward to whatever unpleasant plight awaits them. You’ll be waiting a while. The…
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
Tucker and Dale vs Evil is built on a simple germ of an idea – what happens if you use the hillbilly-slasher framework, but portrayed from the hillbillies’ perspective? And what if said rednecks are actually innocent sweethearts, the “murders” caused by freak accidents (that are hard to describe without mentioning Rube Goldberg)? It’s a…
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