Category Archives: No Spoiler Reviews

Drama, Fantasy, Horror, No Spoiler Reviews

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994): The Things I Liked…

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For the longest time, my favourite Brad Pitt movie has been Fight Club (1999). Watching just a few clips of the trailer on IMDB almost had me postponing writing this review, so I could rewatch it right away. That is, until I remembered I’m supposed to be working hard on my discipline this month, and so I’m back here happily typing. After all, Interview with the Vampire, the Neil Jordan-directed drama/fantasy/horror film, based on Anne Rice’s novel of the same name, is the main focus of this post.

Interview With The Vampire (1994), Tom Cruise, Warner Bros Pictures
Interview With The Vampire (1994), Tom Cruise, Warner Bros Pictures

Starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas, Jordan’s film is about Louis (Pitt), a vampire, telling his epic life story. A life of love, loneliness, hunger, and betrayal.

I’ll get right to it, Jordan’s film is one of my all-time favourite movie experiences. I enjoyed almost everything about it. Whether it be the story, dialogue, performances, production design, cinematography, or costumes, I simply saw beauty everywhere I looked as this film played. Except, of course, each time the camera was focused on rodents. I watched through my fingers during those scenes.

Interview With The Vampire (1994), Kirsten Dunst, Warner Bros Pictures
Interview With The Vampire (1994), Kirsten Dunst, Warner Bros Pictures

There are no bad performances in Interview with the Vampire. For me and many others, it’s a young Kirsten Dunst who stands out most. Because she brought an emotional depth to her character, Claudia, in a way that many would deem impossible for an eleven-year-old performer to do.

If you haven’t already, watch Interview with the Vampire, for all the reasons above. And whether or not becoming a vampire is of interest to you, don’t be surprised if, within an hour of screen time with Louis, Lestat, and or Armand, you find yourself agreeing that the only way to watch this movie is with the side of your neck exposed.

What is the title of your favourite Brad Pitt movie?

Happy Film Loving,

G

Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE (2025): The Things I Liked…

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House of Dynamite (2025), Rebecca Ferguson, Netflix
House of Dynamite (2025), Rebecca Ferguson, Netflix

I had ideas of how A House of Dynamite, Netflix’s latest Kathryn Bigelow-directed drama/thriller, would be. Especially considering a wonderful cast that includes Idris Elba, Greta Lee, and Rebecca Ferguson.

The compelling premise, one about several White House staffers dealing with an impending missile strike on the United States, is well teased in the trailers. Once the film started, along with the filming style and notable acting, the musical score stood out for expertly creating a constant sense of unease.

Bigelow’s film is split into three distinct parts. For me, part one is where the good news lives in terms of my experience of the film. It’s where we’re introduced to the high-pressure world of people bearing the weight of keeping America safe, should the incoming missile do its worst. These people are also processing the idea that within thirty minutes, they, along with many they love, and innocent civilians could very well cease to exist. These tension-filled scenes are captured in an engaging way.

Things went downhill for me when it became clear that parts two and three were capturing the very same events, covering the same period of time, but from the vantage point of different White House staff departments. Unfortunately, having to sit through a retelling of the same event wasn’t delivered in a way that proved adequately engaging for me. Essentially, I found myself feeling short-changed due to the repetition.

If you’re curious, give A House of Dynamite a chance. You may find parts two and three more engaging than I did.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Crime, Mystery, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

SE7EN (1995): The Things I Liked…

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Se7en (1995) Brad Pitt, Warner Bros. Pictures
Se7en (1995) Brad Pitt, Warner Bros. Pictures

Se7en, the David Fincher-directed psychological thriller about two homicide detectives on a desperate hunt for a serial killer, is a film I first watched at least ten years ago.  

Seeing it again while knowing the ending doesn’t detract from the experience; rather, it adds to it. There’s already a sense of dread as you watch Se7en, due to the dark premise alone. However, already knowing how the ending will affect the characters involved makes for an even more impactful and memorable event. A brilliantly executed one at that.

Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey,  the performances, makeup, and production design in Se7en are notable. In fact, compared to all the other serial killer movies I’ve seen, for me, Fincher’s film remains the benchmark.

If you haven’t already, watch Se7en because it’s good, and don’t be surprised if it makes other serial killer films you may have liked before seem less impressive in comparison.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Horror, No Spoiler Reviews

MONSTER – THE ED GEIN STORY (2025): The Things I Liked…

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My appreciation of Charlie Hunnam’s acting talents is the reason I decided to watch Monster – The Ed Gein Story. I watched it even though I’ve avoided the first two instalments of the anthology series, Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) and Monsters – The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024).

I ‘endured’ everything, albeit through my own fingers sometimes, including the scenes that were featured for shock value, because it’s Hunnam. Additionally, as someone who’s lived long enough to be aware of the darker facets of the human experience, there wasn’t plenty that shocked me.

Monster - The Ed Gein Story (2025), Tom Hollanderm Netflix
Monster – The Ed Gein Story (2025), Tom Hollanderm Netflix

The fact that Monster – The Ed Gein Story is a dramatisation rather than a documentary is part of the reason I was able to sit through all of it. Knowing that Hunnam was doing his best acting helped give me that distance from the reality of Gein’s depicted crimes. I say ‘depicted crimes’ because, as you can imagine, a number of the crimes/scenes are based on speculation/pure fabrication, for dramatic effect.

As for the matter of whether Monster – The Ed Gein Story is actually good, the acting is fantastic, all around. Hunnam is great, of course, and another highlight is Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock.

What surprised me about the third instalment of the Monsters anthology series is that the show didn’t just focus on Gein’s tragic story over the years. Since Gein is known to have inspired many horror movies, including Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and more, the show dips in and out of telling Gein’s story and showing us scenes of how the aforementioned classic horror films came to exist.

Monster - The Ed Gein Story (2025), Charlie Hunnam, Netflix
Monster – The Ed Gein Story (2025), Charlie Hunnam, Netflix

Admittedly, all the switching from Gein’s life to showing his impact on American culture results in a somewhat disjointed experience. Nevertheless, because I’m a movie fanatic and I’ve seen almost all the films featured, plus I happen to be a big fan of Hitchcock’s Psycho, I welcomed these diversions. watching them meant I wasn’t having to endure other harrowing scenes from Gein’s life, which, in the end, made the show a little easier to sit through.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that I found the latter part of Monster – The Ed Gein Story very moving. Particularly that all-important conversation with the psychiatrist. My eyes certainly were not dry. No, sir/lady.

I’m not going to dare to tell you to watch this, unless you are very, VERY curious, of course.

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

PLAY DIRTY (2025): The Thing I Liked…

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Play Dirty (2025), Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Prime Video
Play Dirty (2025), Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Prime Video

Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, and Rosa Salazar’s latest heist movie, Play Dirty, delivered in one way. It had a great first shootout just before the thirty-minute mark. Everything else after that isn’t noteworthy.

Having seen a handful of good heist movies before, Play Dirty just isn’t funny enough, clever enough, or adequately exciting.

The mix of personalities in this story didn’t work for me. And having an obvious enemy on the protagonist’s team. i.e., Salazar’s character, whom I disliked almost immediately, didn’t help matters either.

Wahlberg is always watchable to me, as are Stanfield and Tony Shalhoub. Unfortunately, director Shane Black’s script just wasn’t worth their talents and efforts. Nevertheless, as always, if you’re curious enough, you know what to do.

Happy Film Loving,

G