Film Haven Reviews

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are sadly saying goodbye to our "90's Nostalgia Theme" and we are ending on a good note with The Shadow (1994). This film was a mess, but it was a fun mess at least! The plot was ridiuclous and at many points, non-sensical, but the production design and art design was incredible, and the feel of the film was fun and comforting. I gave this film a 7/10 for being unique and fun, if not a little uneven and all over the place. I would 100% go to see a new Shadow movie if it was made today. I also mention another podcast on this episode and wanted to add some links in the shownotes to their podcast and youtube channel: Go check out The Movie Podium Podcast! https://www.youtube.com/@TheMoviePodiumhttps://open.spotify.com/show/2CD8wo2yutS5GeugKyC0Zh?si=6b1743a2818244b9

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our "90s noir nostalgia" theme with the colorful and inventive Dick Tracy (1990)This film was a pleasent surprise for me! After the slightly disappointing Darkman (1990) from last week, I was expecting to be let down but was happy to be completely wrong about that assumption. I gave this film an 8.5/10 for doing pretty much everything write, from the set and art design, to the hair and make-up, the pitch perfect 30's era melodramatic acting, and the general ability to bring to life a comic strip onto the big screen. I can't rave about this film enough! Madonna was kinda weird but everyone else like Al Pachino and Warren Beatty did so incredibly well and now I want to see a new Dick Tracy movie in this new modern era of cinema! For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are starting a new (tentative) theme of "90's Noir Nostalgia", and we are kicking this theme off with the Sam Raimi film Darkman (1990). I was honestly a little underwhelmed by this film. I wanted to like it alot more than I did, and while there was some redeemable qualites to it, ultimatley it just felt like another origin story movie. I gave this a 6.5/10 for having really fun editing, some unique moments, and some presidence for the later bloated superhero genre. The concept of the Darkman wearing masks of other people as a disguise was 100% ripped off by Mission Impossible 6 years later. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are finishing up our "70s Car Chase" theme with the ultimate car chase scene movie Gone in 60 Seconds (1974). This was a tale of two films as the first half was a pretty boring/mildly interesting car heist movie, and then the second half completely derails the narrative to have a 45 minutes car chase scene. I would be mad if the scene wasn't so incredible and audacious. I gave this a 7/10 for having one of the best and definitley the longest car chase scene in movie history, but also giving us a completely disposable first half. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome backt to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are continuing our "70's Car Chase Scene" theme with the good ol' boy classic White Lightning (1973). This was such a fun movie to watch and perfectly embodied the genre of Deep South Car movie. A young Burt Reynolds really sells the rough around the edges country hero and Ned Beatty plays a pitch perfect antagonist as the Sheriff of Bogan Country. I gave this movie a 7/10 for providing fun car chase thrills, incredible sense of setting, but a little over long and a meandering second half. All around it was a fun time though! For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a new theme of "70's Car Chase Scenes" and there is no better movie to kick this theme off with than the iconic film The French Connection (1971). I had no idea what this film was about other than a detective trying to bring down an organized crime ring, I also, of course, knew that there was a very famous car chase scene in it, however, I was completely surprised by the grit and grime of the film's style and of its main characters. I gave this film an 8/10 for being so influential and for having a complex main character, as well as for delivering one heck of a car chase scene a little over halfway through. It was certainly worth the watch and for those who are in to detective movies and organized crime dramas, this is a classic you don't want to miss! For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are finishing up our Arthouse Cannibalism theme with the very strange but engaging Dumplings (2004). This film was a complete surprise for me. It has some very tough subject matter as the nature of cannibalism in this movie is particularly heinous, but there is so much enrichment to be found within this tight 90 minute film. I gave this an 8.5/10 for its incredbile setting, its even more impressive cinmetagraphy, its deep and multilayered themes, and its pitch perfect acting. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are continuing our "Arthouse Cannibalism" theme with the disturbing but beautiful Bones and All (2022). It is so interesting how beatiful this film was while also being deeply disturbing and being about one of the most taboo acts in human society. I loved how cannibalism was used as a thematic vessel to discuss very common emotions like feeling outcasted or left out. I gave this film an 8.5/10 for being so incredibly shot, acted, and written. The concept was very interesting and the vibe was almost hypnotically engaging. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a new theme of "Arthouse Cannibalism" which sounds super gross but this first film at least is not so bad! We are starting the theme off with the very "refreshing" movie Fresh (2022). This film is really firing on all cylinders for me. It has amazing style, an interesting story arc, a dash of baked in humor, and a lot of tense moments, which makes for an extremely fun experience that you are unlikely to forget. I gave this an 8.5/10 for accomplishing exactly what it set out to do, and doing it well. Amazing acting, incredible craft, an all around great movie. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/ 

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are closing out our Home Invasion Thriller theme with the influential When a Stranger Calls (1979). Unfortunately, just because a film is influential doesn't mean it is essential, and that is sadly the case with this film, as its boring middle half brings the entire film down and makes it basically not worth starting in the first place. I would almost suggest just watching the intro scene and then turning it off. I gave this a 5/10 because there were flashes of brilliance and there is a reason that this film is influential i.e. the intro scene, but everything else was pretty much a letdown. For my full written review feel free to follow my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/film_haven_reviews/