Silverbrook Entertainment

10/07/2025

"Good Boy" [2023]. Directed by Viljar Bøe. Starring Gard Løkke, Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen, Amalie Willoch Njaastad, Nicolai Narvesen Lied.

From Paramount+: "A promising romance takes an unsettling turn when Sigrid learns her new boyfriend Christian lives with someone who roleplays as his canine companion."

From the opening scene, I was totally into it.. expecting and hoping for something really sick and twisted. I found myself chuckling with wicked glee as it was going exactly as I had hoped. And then there is a twist that you don't really see coming! Awesome! I'm so captivated and intrigued as to where this is all going! Unfortunately the story turn took it in a different direction that I was not really into... a bit of a let down. Not exactly the ending I was hoping for, but one that I had proposed possible. Good cast with talented performances. Definitely unique and original, not like anything I'd seen before. The very end did give me quite a laugh, so there is that positive point. The 'hand-held' style cinematography was difficult for me to watch after a brain injury in 2010 that left me with motion sensitivity, making me slightly nauseous after prolonged viewing.. particularly when reading the subtitles for this wonderfully morbid foreign film.

07/07/2025

😢

Actor Julian McMahon, best known for his roles in "Nip/Tuck" and "Fantastic Four," has died at age 56 after a "valiant" battle with cancer.

04/07/2025

😢

He had the air of a timeless movie bad guy in movies like “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill.” “I’m a bit of a throwback to the days of black-and-white movies,” he said.

02/07/2025

"Possum" [2018]. Directed by Matthew Holness. Starring Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong.

From Prime: "A disgraced children's puppeteer returns to the home he grew up in, to face his dark and troubling past."

Not like anything I've seen before. Extremely psychological. Tension building; keeping you absolutely intrigued as to what ultimately is happening and how it all will end. Superb performance by Harris. Overall creepy, macabre, and a touch morbid. Atmospheric, tonal, and a bit disturbing with an appropriately suited and quite unnerving musical score. A couple of plot holes, but explains enough for the story to make some kind of sense. I liked it because it was different, unique and original.

25/06/2025

My only very loose recommendation is "Ma###ine", however, since it is the finale of a trilogy, I will be reviewing each movie in the series, not by release order, but by storyline dates. *may contain minor spoilers*

"Pearl" [2022]. Directed by Ti West. Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma Jenkins-Purro, Alistair Sewell, Amelia Reid.

From Netflix: "In 1918, a lonely Texas farm girl with a ravenous appetite for stardom goes to increasingly extreme lengths for what she believes is her big break."

Rather long with poor pacing, however, the writing is actually not bad (probably due to the addition of Goth on the screenplay) and there are some decent performances by the cast, and also good cinematography. Though I will admit, I have seen way better movies about a character spiraling into madness. Pearl has a huge tendency to go a little too crazy and overreact over the tiniest mishaps and inconveniences.. felt a little unrealistic and forced just to propel the already thin story along. Some of the special effects are great, where others look cheap, hokey and rushed. Bravo to Mia for holding that face through the end credits!

"X" [2022]. Directed by Ti West. Starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, James Gaylyn, Simon Prast, Geoff Dolan, Matthew J. Saville.

In 1979, a group of pornographers take over a farm to shoot their feature film, unaware that their host is the very elderly and mentally unstable Pearl.

This was the first one I saw and my immediate impression was, 'what a stupid, poorly written, badly acted, boring waste of time piece of garbage!' Although it was the first movie to be made, it is actually the second part as far as the trilogy goes. Sadly it does not feel like the late 70s at all, even though the cast has been mostly appropriately costumed for the era. The s*x bits are emotionless, fake and uninteresting. Should have cast an age appropriate actor for Pearl, I do understand the reasoning why Goth played the role, but I just did not find her performance convincing, although the old age make-up was fantastic. I did like portions of the score music as well, very haunting and creepy. After a second watch (only for this review), I still feel that it is way too long with very poor pacing and is mostly a huge yawn to view, even with the talented cast. Not too sure why it was so ultra violent and gory, didn't really seem to fit; but I guess that is what today's audiences are into. In my opinion, this is the worst of the three.

"Ma###ine" [2024]. Directed by Ti West. Starring Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, Charley Rowan McCain, Simon Prast and Kevin Bacon.

1985. Maxine Minx is an established face in the adult industry, who lands her first mainstream Hollywood horror role, but someone won't let her enjoy her fame, haunting her with the incidents from the farm massacre several years prior.

Similar tone and cinematography to that of early works of Brian De Palma.. "Dressed To Kill" (1980), "Body Double" (1984). Violence, gore and make-up effects are good; though there is one brutal death scene, which, in comparison to the rest of the film, seems over-the-top and slightly unnecessary. A bit predictible in the story (I had it figured out from the beginning), but entertaining nontheless. Probably the best of the three flicks. Goth is very convincing as is the believability of the era (loaded with classic 1980s songs), but the most stand-out performance goes to Simon Prast, who is fantastic as our villain. There are some silly parts such as, some of the ridiculous and brainless cop antics, and the testicular squashing scene, but these are easily overlooked; just like similar bits in the previous two. The ending does seem kind of anticlimactic, but given the other movies in this series and their subpar finales, it is okay and acceptable. I was actually able to watch this one all the way through without cringing or being too bored. Just as it starts to feel a little long, it is over. Features a great score by Tyler Bates.

All in all, after watching these flicks, I will say that Mia Goth is a pretty decent new actor, regardless of some of the lackluster roles and films she has done.

18/06/2025

Happy Belated Father's Day! 👨‍👧‍👦 And Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

"The Whale" [2022]. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton.

From Netflix: "An online writing teacher grapples with his health, self-isolation and grief as he tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter."

Fraser won a very well deserved Oscar for Best Actor in this engrossing, gripping, heartfelt, compelling, captivating, emotionally charged and powerful drama. Exceptional writing and superbly performed by the entire cast. A roller coaster of feelings that takes you on a uniquely original journey that will move as well as completely entertain you. Highly recommended!

11/06/2025

Happy Early Father's Day!

"Wolf Man" [2025]. Directed by Leigh Whannell. Starring Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger.

Blake and his wife and daughter take a much needed vacation to their old farm in the wilds of Oregon, only to be attacked by an unseen creature during a nearly fatal car accident. Escaping to the safety of the house, they soon realize they did not get away unharmed, for Blake is now becoming something less than human which puts his family in extreme danger.

At first, I was under the impression that this was just going to be another remake of the original black and white classic, but was pleasantly surprised with the fresh take and new backstory. No longer is there a curse that changes the victim by full moon, but rather more of an infection or virus that is responsible. The cast is great and delivers solid performances. The special FX are amazing, totally practical and real nasty at times; however this is not a 'body count' or gorefest flick by any means. The overall tone and feel of the piece is dark, moody, and macabre; with beautiful scenery and nice cinematography. I wouldn't consider it scary, but it does have a couple good creepy moments. The only negative thing I noticed was the pacing is a bit erratic at times, but other than that, the movie is entertaining and worth while. Mom, my Brother and I all enjoyed it.

04/06/2025

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

"Friends and Family" [2001]. Directed by Kristen Coury. Starring Tony Lo Bianco, Greg Lauren, Chris Gartin, Tovah Feldshuh, Beth Fowler, Brian Lane Green, Rebecca Creskoff, Edward Hibbert, Louis Zorich, Frank Pellegrino, Patrick Collins, Meshach Taylor, Danny Mastrogiorgio, Lou Carbonneau, Allison Mackie, Bruce Winant and Anna Maria Alberghetti.

From TMDB: "Gay New York couple Stephen Torcelli and Danny Russo have something to hide from Stephen's parents -- their jobs as Mafia enforcers. When the Torcelli family plans to visit, Stephen and Danny panic because Stephen's father works for the FBI. Despite efforts to keep family and Mafia separate, a birthday party gets mixed up with a mobster's daughter's engagement party. Trouble arises when some guests concoct a political scheme at the party."

Silly, campy, funny, uplifting, and absolutely entertaining! Well written with an excellent cast and great pacing. A lot like "La Cage aux Folles" (1978) / "The Birdcage" (1996), but not nearly as manic or high-strung. Has loads of comical antics and dialogue.. especially when the tough mob men pretend to be flamboyant cater-waiters! I always find myself chuckling constantly throughout this very enjoyable independent film.

28/05/2025

Happy 50th Birthday To My Brother!!

"The Gorge" [2025]. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sope Dirisu and Sigourney Weaver.

From Apple TV+: "Two highly trained operatives grow close from a distance after being sent to guard opposite sides of a mysterious gorge."

Within just the first few minutes you are intrigued and hooked; compelled and waiting to see what will happen next. Very likable and well developed lead characters. Great action! Thrilling and suspenseful. Fun original story. Neat visuals and special effects. Honestly, my only semi disappointment with this film, is that sadly we have seen the cool creature designs before.. reminiscent of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, "The Last of Us" television show, and even the "Dead Space" video games. Other than that, the movie is awesome! Very entertaining from beginning to end! Highly recommended!!

21/05/2025

Keeping the love going for all the Mothers out there!

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" [2022]. Directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum jr. with James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis.

From MAX: "An exhausted Chinese American woman becomes an unlikely hero while traversing the multiverse in this big-hearted Best Picture®-winning sci-fi action adventure."

Definitely unique, original, and one-of-a-kind. Emotional, humorous, action-packed, and visually stunning. An excellent cast with great performances. Yeoh absolutely deserved her Oscar and it was awesome to see Quan again! It is a bit busy and somewhat manic at the start, until you get adjusted to the universe shifts, but overall, it is uplifting and entertaining. There are flashing and strobing lights and effects throughout, so photosensitive viewers take caution.

14/05/2025

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

"The Deep End" [2001]. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Starring Tilda Swinton, Goran Višnjić, Jonathan Tucker, Raymond Barry, Josh Lucas and Peter Donat.

From TMDB: "With her husband Tom perpetually away at work, Margaret Hall raises her children virtually alone. Her teenage son is testing the waters of the adult world, and early one morning she wakes to find the dead body of his gay lover on the beach of their rural lakeside home. What would you do? What is rational and what do you do to protect your child? How far do you go and when do you stop?"

A tense and thrilling original story. Emotional and touching. Great cast. A very powerful and moving performance by Swinton. Beautiful scenery and cinematography, enhanced by a haunting and somewhat creepy musical score. Dramatic, but with good pacing. Keeps you intrigued and interested from beginning to end. I showed it to my Mom for the first time and she really enjoyed it!

07/05/2025

One last fun flick from the 90s and showing a little early love to all the Mothers out there!

"Serial Mom" [1994]. Directed by John Waters. Starring Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard, Scott Morgan, Walt MacPherson, Justin Whalin, Patricia Dunnock, Lonnie Horsey, Mink Stole, Mary Jo Catlett.

From TMDB: "Beverly is the perfect happy homemaker, along with her doting husband and two children, but this nuclear family just might explode when her fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics."

A great funny and campy dark comedy from one of my favorite directors! Raunchy, over-the-top, and ridiculous! Awesome cast, fast pacing, and silly deaths. Mom and I just gave it a recent rewatch, she had not seen it in years and had forgotten how much fun it was! Totally entertaining from beginning to end!