"Don't Let it in!" -- The Babadook -- A Movie Review...

I will be watching Jennifer Kent very closely from here on out.

The Babadook is the story of a single mother, her troubled child and their encounters with a malevolent spirit. Amelia struggles with the death of her husband and the grief that it brings her - as it happened on the day their son, Samuel, was born. Samuel gets into trouble at school, and loves magic. A book suddenly appears, one foretelling of a thing known as the Babadook. What begins as a childhood obsession with monsters becomes a nightmare for Amelia as the evil spirit moves in and tries to take over their household.



At its core, this is a scary children's fable. What elevates this are the various themes at work here - maternal obsession, despair, and fear. Is the spirit real? Is it an imagined antagonist? I love the complex nature of the story and how it retains its vision while adapting many interpretations. It really is up to the viewer of how to accept Amelia's struggle.

Essie Davis and little Noah Wiseman are commendable as Amelia and Samuel. They are perfectly cast as mother and son.





I loved this movie. It has great atmosphere and eerie imagery. It also has a good bit just underneath the surface. I enjoy a film that makes you think, especially when it has scary monsters in dark corners.



A SOLID 4 out of 5 Khans!

"Will you follow me....One Last Time?" The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies - A Movie Review...

I'm going to miss Middle Earth. What began nearly 15 years ago has now been concluded. The original LOTR trilogy is near perfect in every way - a story that was perfect for three movies as it had three distinct acts (books) to tell. The Hobbit - not so much. What was originally planned - and should have remained - as a two film affair, was stretched to three films and the overall effort is something much less than its original trilogy.

We cut straight to the action, mere minutes after TDOS ended, with Smaug descending upon the humans of Lake Town. From there we have a pretty quick transition from one set piece to the next - Bard Vs Smaug / Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman rescuing Gandalf from the clutches of Sauron's Castle / and the Final Battle at the Mountain of Erebor. It is exciting spectacle and showcases the technical achievement we've come to expect from the Middle Earth movies. But, it's nothing we haven't seen before, and I think the original trilogy trumps any of the current trilogy's action scenes.







I will admit, I do not know the book as well as some, so I'm not sure what was added in and what is from the text. Where The Des of Smaug was too bloated and overlong, Battle of the Five almost seems truncated as a standalone film. Honestly, it feels like a 2 hour final act to Des of Smaug. I'm sure someone out there could edit to two films together, take out the unnecessary stuff, and create a truly superb "Defining Chapter" in the end. Despite the capable actors, superb SFX, and Shore's music, this is where the new films fall short of the previous ones. Each film in the LOTR could stand on its own and be enjoyed as as single film, while being part of the whole. The Hobbit films, at least the final two, depend too much on each other to truly enjoy by themselves without a feeling of missing something along the way. This isn't to say that I don't enjoy them - quite the opposite. I think An Unexpected Journey is on par with any of the originals - it's a complete film with great characters, action, and emotion. I only wish it's sequels wouldn't have been so stretched out.

There is also a big payoff between Azog the Defiler and Thorin as their paths cross in the end on a sheet of ice. Great stuff.



The Battle of Five does conclude the Hobbit story in satisfying way. All plots, original or new, are tied up by the end as Bilbo returns to where his journey began - The Shire. Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage get special praise as Bilbo and Thorin Oakenshield. They are wonderful to watch and their iterations of these characters will endure I think, as did their onscreen friendship.

As the film concludes, there is a nice link to the very beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring. It made me want to watch that film now and continue the adventure of Middle Earth started so many years ago. I'm going to miss this place.

3.5 out of 5 Khans!

Look Close

A second version. I might like these better than the other ones. Also threw some up with a blue background and one with a title added, even though I don't think it's needed. Thoughts?

Sketch Dump!

Getting back into the groove here...some Freds, some Hellraisers, and a Swamp Thing...more to come...

Stay

Ok, ladies and gents, I have been away for some time and I am sorry. Below are two new images that I've been working on in my mind since last month! Finally got them down and I'm not sure which I like best...thoughts??? More to come...

Guardians and Takings....some Movie Reviews...

Got some much needed movies in this past long weekend...below are some thoughts...



Marvel's most ambitious movie to date. There were so many reasons why this should have sucked, but thankfully it was a breath of fresh air in what is becoming a cut and paste market for the current genre of superhero films. Almost no one knows these characters - there is no Thor, Cap America, or Iron Man - so the story had to be engaging at least until we got to know these hooligans. Things I liked -

Chris Pratt as StarLord - from CW network doofus to Marvel leading man? He is perfect for the smart ass Star Lord character. His best moment in the role comes during an interrogation as he slowly winds up his middle finger during a security scan. HA!

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer - usually pro wrestlers are bad news in major motion pictures. But Drax is a very literal thinking, knife-wielding tank of a man/alien. His lines are hilarious throughout:

"Nothing Goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast and I would catch it."

"Why would I put my finger on his throat?"

"Don't ever call me a thesaurus."



Lee Pace as Ronan The Accuser - badass looking villain with a lust for power and chaos. He even talks shit to Thanos. Uh oh.



Zoe Saldana portrays a firecracker with green skin and kung fu skills, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper round it out with some nice voice work for a mutant Racoon and a walking tree a la Treebeard. There are some pretty great space battle scenes and for the most part, several nice action/battle set pieces. I'm pretty excited to see where this crew of misfits goes next. Oh yeah, and this guy:



A fun and original comic book movie. Perhaps not Marvel's best (that would go to The Winter Soldier in 2014) but certainly an enjoyable ride.

4 out of 5 Khans!!!

Next up, an indie horror gem I happened upon...



To my knowledge, this did not receive a wide theatrical release, if even one at all. It features a film crew making a documentary about an old lady's struggles with Alzheimer's as begins to deteriorate. What begins as a school film project on the process of a known disease slowly descends into a chaotic chronicle of something more sinister.





At least half of the film is presented in "found footage" mode. This is effective here, as each time the film crew is caught filming by Deborah, not only is she looking at them, but it seems she is watching YOU. Very effective. An old cult ritual comes into play and of course we get some flashes of "something dark" in the nearby woods and we ultimately end up in an abandoned mine way out in the country. No. Thank. You. A highly effective, indie horror thriller with some nice performances, particularly by the lead Jill Larson as Deb Logan.

Take a chance on it if you have Netflix Streaming. I'm glad that I did.

4 out of 5 Khans!!!