Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
View MoreThis is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
View MoreNot sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
View MoreStory: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
THE BADGER GAME is another lame horror movie and an entry into the 'torture porn' category of films. It feels like it wants to be an intense and edgy viewing experience along the lines of the MOTHER'S DAY remake but in actuality it's nothing more than a cheap and lousy bore.The story is about a bunch of morons who decide to abduct a wealthy philanderer and lock him in their basement to make him atone for past crimes. They proceed to torture him in ways which are occasionally graphic but never horrifying. The characters are annoying and the storyline dragged out to a degree that when the twist ending finally hits it really hasn't been worth waiting for.
View MoreI only seem to review indie films on here. This is a solid B thriller. Classic plot, vaguely predictable twists, but well done.The script doesn't call attention to itself. The cast is unremarkable and unknown. These sound like criticisms but they're not. Usually this kind of low budget "horror" contains moments where the audience cringes in second hand embarrassment for the cast or writer, not here. A big budget version of this with a name cast and a polish to the dialogue is easy to imagine.But while there are no lows, it also didn't have the occasional and surprising highs I associate with watchable mumblegore. The film quality leaves something to be desired. I know it's digital but some films overcome that. Many scenes were hard to see clearly. Some potentially striking imagery was too muddy to land effectively. The camera work is solid but there was just nothing distinctive about the look, in contrast to You're Next or House of Last Things or (to go old school and even more unfair) Halloween or Blood Simple.A higher end version would also have a better soundtrack/score to create atmosphere. The sound design that is there is quite good, knowing when to let us hear only something truly unpleasant.It's not uneven but I found myself occasionally wishing it was. If this director goes on to the big time I won't be surprised but I also won't expect flashes of brilliance based on this outing.
View MoreJust when you think the plot can not become more predictable, it thins.Making a film is always an experiment.But it reminded me of the Peenix (very distantly related to the Phoenix, on some quantum-mechanical level) that is born in the night and dies before the sun rises.But my hat off, to someone brave enough to go through the experiment.Many people are more than willing to talk politics, but not many are prepared to do anything about it.Talk is cheap, so is this review.It is always easy to criticize athletes from a comfortable chair, with snacks in one hand and alcoholic beverages in the other!
View Morechronic philanderer falls victim to an extortion scheme when he is abducted by four masked strangers demanding retribution for his sins.The Badger Game opens with two females in a room bantering back and forth about their "friendship" and a proposal to help each other out with a giant pay day. The scene's backdrop is reminiscent of the crime films with a low consistent base strumming in the background while the plot is revealed.The film is a refreshing look not at the victims and the result of the caper but the culprits themselves. We get to see the mentality behind what would cause a person to do things that may or may not be in their normal scope of behavior. The movie has a dark comedic tone that was executed by the leads Augie Duke, Jillian Leigh and Patrick Cronen and usually those performance are unexpected at this level. All the characters were quite memorable and relatable to the audience in some way.The Badger Game has its roots in popular crime thrillers such as Oceans 11, The Italian Job and Blood Simple. The story was definitely well written and the cast was definitely up to snuff with the material. If you can get past some of the low budget technical issues, the story is definitely a fun ride and not something to be missed.
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