Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★☆☆☆☆   導演 M. Night Shyamalan 被稱為驚悚大師，我覺得他是飄忽大師。他算多產，最經典的莫過於《鬼眼 (The Sixth Sense) 》，其次是一部算嚇得了人的《探訪 (The Visit) 》，其他不是過目即忘，就是爛到不想記起！他的新作《圈套 (Trap) 》，簡直是爛片中的經典。我真是名副其實地中了圈套，以為是鬥智鬥力的犯罪片，豈料是一套自圓其說的笑片！ 電影前半段在演唱會場，算中規中矩，但也頗沉悶，拍不出甚麼緊張情節，搞得要用許多唱歌片段撐過，最後犯人成功逃出演唱會那幕，已有很多邏輯不合理，誰知到了下半段，沒有最誇張，只有更誇張。主角犯人更化身奇人異士，多番神乎其技地表演換位魔術，以「就是捉不到我、捉不到我」的姿態，令一班中了伏的觀眾如我拍案叫絕。最怪異的是電影氣氛，由原來的緊張嚴肅，漸漸變成後來的搞笑胡鬧，最後那個彩蛋，正正想挑戰觀眾的觀影極限—被當弱智耍來耍去的忍受能力！ 其實看完他上次那部《 詭老 (Old) 》，我已大失所望，跳過了他近期的《窺探者 (The Watchers) 》，輪到這部看似是犯罪片，總算勾起我的興趣，豈不知又中圈套，只能說戲名取得太好了！與電影暗藏的無聊動機相符，是一絕！更絕的是，我竟然看了，而且不是當笑片！

★★★☆☆   ‘Inside Out 2’ may not look as much exhilarating and inspiring as its predecessor when it first came out as such a creative ‘mind game’ had obviously never been seen before, but still it’s a decent piece of animation, simple plotted and well delivered as a pep talk to move you to, not tears probably, but to a point where you may want to reconsider what it really means to embrace who you are! The film follows that little girl’s journey of growing up as now she’s getting ready to move on to secondary studies. So this time, aside from those original emotion characters like Joy, Anger, Sadness and stuff, more emotions are involved as she’s no longer an innocent, simple minded girl, and Anxiety is the main guy in charge here! Anxiety is an emotion genetically designed to protect and get us prepared for what may harm us, but if you take it to extreme and worry too much, it’ll turn into something called depression and destroy you instead. Every emotion of ours works like that. It’l

★★☆☆☆   I went to the cinema for the first time in quite a long time to catch ‘Alien: Romulus’, which is set in between ‘ Alien ’ and ‘Aliens’, and considered more like a carefree spin-off than any serious prequel or sequel to the series. In case you’re still curious, ‘Alien: Romulus’ offers no answers or links to whatever’s left unsolved in Ridley Scott’s ‘ Prometheus ’ and ‘ Alien: Covenant ’ that reminds me of when I last bought a film ticket. 7 years ago! 2017! Time flying is so much scarier and deadlier than any alien I guess! To me 1979’s ‘Alien’ is an undisputed sci-fi horror classic, unbeatable and incomparable, period. Even James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’, despite well told and choreographed, is still more like a forgettable action showoff than a psychological slow-burn horror that would make one itch to revisit from time to time. And all those sequels and crossovers coming up later are either jokes or trash! Sir Ridley Scott therefore, has made up two prequels to his own ‘Alien’,

★★☆☆☆   Crime thrillers are sure my cup of tea, but only a few has managed to stick around my mind after all these years. Most are easily forgotten due to their pretentious but in fact shallow and preposterous way of presentation. Maybe it’s my fault that I’d prefer crime thrillers only involving man’s demonic outrage to those implying that supernatural power is the stuff behind it all. And ‘Longlegs’ appears to be the former at first but turns out it’s something else! ‘Longlegs’ is not based on a true story though it seems like it is, which enables it to have a pretty neat and gripping beginning. As it develops however, this totally made up story starts to lose its charm. And the way it ends is such a complete turn-off that would make you regret the time you’ve spent on it.   I guess it’d be better that they leave the crime unsolved and unexplained rather than put the blame on something demonic or satanic or supernatural power related insanity. Most people check out the film proba