Page Revisions:

(November 20, 2022) Original

Release Date:

November 4, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “When two young sisters are torn apart, the eldest loses her identity and transforms into someone new in the name of belonging and resistance.”

Poster Rating: –

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Review: There was no poster immediately available for my review. Should one become available in the future, this section will be updated.

Trailer Rating: C

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Review: The trailer paints this as a coming of age story about two girls who are pulled apart in spite of their keen friendship. After that, it doesn’t go anywhere, confusing the audience about the film’s general purpose.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 20, 2022) Original

Release Date:

December 16, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, a recovering alcoholic is preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration when her estranged ex-bother-in-law arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret.”

Poster Rating: B-

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Review: While it employs a color scheme I have grown tired of, black, white, and red, it has a nice balance and structure, the red central image striking out against the more black-and-white background. There’s not a lot of excess imagery, which helps the house image in the lower third stand out effectively.

Trailer Rating: C

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Review: If you read the summary from IMDb, you get the idea of what kind of film it is, but then watching the trailer gives you the impression of a completely different film. That failure to effectively define itself is exacerbated by a trailer that doesn’t seem to know how to engage the viewer.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 27, 2022) Original

Release Date:

December 2, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Samay fights heaven and earth to find light. He wants to catch, control, cut and project that light to tell stories. Now to pursue that dream he must leave everything he loves and take a flight to find the light.”

Poster Rating: B / C

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Review: (#1) The golden circle of light here might barely touch into the story’s central premise, as do the film cameras, but beyond that, there’s really not a lot of interest with that weird upper third sky backdrop looking out of place. (#2) With the film background to the title, it tells a lot more about the film than the rest of the poster design, which is a bit too warm a hue.

Trailer Rating: C+

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Review: For a subject as exciting and inspirational as filmmaking, this trailer seems stuck in a rut of dullness. The film’s lack of genuine excitement makes it feel like a hollow pursuit of a type of film that needs finesse rather than brute force to appeal.

Oscar Prospects:

The film was submitted by India for Best International Feature and it looks a bit like Cinema Paradiso, which won the Oscar, so it has to be considered at least a modest competitor.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 27, 2022) Original

Release Date:

December 2, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A spy movie based in the 1980s National Security Planning.”

Poster Rating: C- / D+

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Review: (#1) This lackluster French design doesn’t inspire attention or look to say much about the film itself. (#2) Its predecessor had a background, this one doesn’t, which makes the whole thing feel planned, but uninteresting. Sure, it plays up the film’s premise, but there’s nothing compelling about what’s seen here.

Trailer Rating: C

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Review: Korean mystery thrillers have been making it across the sea in greater numbers after the success of Parasite, but their content rarely looks more than rudimentary. This trailer does exactly as we expect it to and nothing more, making the film feel unimportant.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 27, 2022) Original

Release Date:

December 2, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Teenage Tutor Fuutaro Uesugi has to finally choose between the 5 Nakano Sisters, who all have feelings for him, at the School’s Upcoming Cultural Festival; the event that will lead to his Wedding to one of them in a Flash-Forward.”

Poster Rating: C / C- / C

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Review: (#1) A lot of bright colors, but little context. It’s a design made for people who like anime and for no one else. (#2) A more egregious design that sexualizes young girls, a common and tacky feature of some anime features. (#3) While the background is lifeless, the five character panels are visually interesting, but don’t tell the audience much.

Trailer Rating: C

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Review: Trailers that focus on bringing out fans of the content and refuse to branch out and appeal to anyone else will always struggle for entertainment value. This trailer presents a rather dull premise with stereotypical anime stylings, which has little appeal outside of ardent supporters of this particular art form.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 20, 2022) Original

Release Date:

December 2, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “When a retired Green Beret soldier is murdered by an international drug gang in London, four of his veteran SAS comrades set out to avenge him, dispensing their own brand of justice on the streets of London.”

Poster Rating: B-

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Review: An array of characters with a few interesting placements, but an otherwise simplistic effort with some poor overlays and inconsistent lighting.

Trailer Rating: C

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Review: A fairly straight forward actioner with an aging cast that looks incredibly familiar and doesn’t make a case for interest in its premise.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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Page Revisions:

(November 20, 2022) Original

Release Date:

November 11, 2022

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A Mexican teenager sets out to collect his fathers remains, only to be sucked into the underbelly of the manufacturing industry.”

Poster Rating: C

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Review: The design does very little to entice the viewer. It’s use of yellows against the pale blue backdrop doesn’t create a visually pleasing tableau.

Trailer Rating: C+

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Review: The trailer creates a small amount of tension, but never positions the narrative in front of the viewer so that they understand the film’s essence and purpose. It’s a lot of strange scenes with a little bit of mystery, but not explanation and that’s troubling.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Trailer #1

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New Trailer (#3) — New Posters (#3-#6)

Slumberland, updated

Preview Link: CLICK HERE for all of the new content as well as the original.