MCKillswitch123's Vaccination Center - Y8 Movie Reviews

[MCKillswitch123]

8 hours ago, El Squibbonator said:

Well, I was confused because you specifically compared Frankenstein Jr.  to The Insect God.  While I wrote both of those movies, they have no relation to each other within the CAYOM-verse-- they aren't even from the same studios.

When I wrote these reviews, it was basically at the time that the movies were released. At that time, the movie was still being distributed by WAG, and I forgot to change it since. I will admit that it was partly laziness and forgetfulness, so I apologize for that.

[MCKillswitch123]

TOP 25 MOVIES OF THE YEAR

 

Welcome, ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls to my reveal of the top 25 movies of Y8. Well actually, it's gonna be a little more than just that, there are also gonna be a few additional lists, but henceforth, the main goal is to put out my top 25.

 

I didn't want to do this at first, but I decided that I'm gonna try it just this one year: for this year, I'm gonna do The Great YouTube Game, where I'm gonna be placing a YouTube meme and you have to guess the movie. It's basically the gif game but with videos instead of gifs. Winner is awarded a pre-read out of a selected list (pre-reads will also go to the writers of the movies that made my top 5).

 

Buckle up, here we go.

[MCKillswitch123]

Before we kick things off, I just wanna give a word of condolences to the makers of the top 10 worst movies of the year, so without further ado, these are it:

 

#10

Spoiler

 

2 Big Families

 

Some Tyler Perry trash sequel. Honestly, we would be better off if it were Madea.

 

#9

Spoiler

 

As Fast as I Can

 

I feel bad for harping on a player's first work, I really do, and this was an ambitious project all things considered. But Jesus, I did not buy into it at all. It went from Jesse Owens' movie Run to Breaking Bad as fast as Usain Bolt breaking records.

 

#8

 

Spoiler

 

Doc Dreams

 

Is Steve James a doc legend? Yeah, he is. Is this movie completely pointless? Yup. I almost gave it the benefit of the doubt because it does have an insight into the creative process, but all it really is is 3 hours of stubborn self-righteousness.

 

#7

 

Spoiler

 

Wii Fit

 

When the sequel to what feels like the celebration of 420 in Y7's Wii Play is followed up with a silly Hallmark movie that actually thinks it's a masterpiece of dramatic sensibilities, it just hurts so much more than if this were just a random filler.

 

#6

 

Spoiler

 

 

Meme Th(II)eves

 

Not as dank as I wanted it.

 

#5

 

Spoiler

 

The Turkey Squad: The Fred Durst Cut

 

It's only fair that I include myself in this list, since I'm also including my movies in the actual top 25. And yeah, this is a re-release, but it's still Turkey Squad, only with The Fanatic-style wigs and a Limp Bizkit concert. So yeah.

 

#4

 

Spoiler

 

White Wyvern

 

I have guilt over memeing a movie with a pretty serious subject matter, but this was a painful experience. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the surefire contender for Worst Actor of the Year at the Razzies.

 

#3

 

Spoiler

 

Loving Shadow and Light

 

Under normal circumstances, this would've just been a mediocre family movie, but this movie takes up a level of incompetence that I just can't stand by. The main villain was the tiping point - that one pissed me off uncontrollably. Way too much for a movie that has no business dealing with that kind of dark subject matter whatsoever.

 

#2

 

Spoiler

 

Monster Bug Wars: The Spider Path and The Scorpion Path

 

My intentions with this pair of movies was to emulate a Pokémon style release: one movie, but two different packages. Unfortunately, what that amounted to was a complete cynical cash-grab that you have no reason to pay a ticket to watch in theaters, other than for the post-credits scenes. Hopefully the actual Monster Bug Wars sequel makes up for it, but I feel like I may have buried the franchise with this move lol

 

#1

 

Spoiler

 

The Three Caballeros Ride Again

 

My sincerest apologies to @cannastop for this, but this was unbearable. I've seen some call it an interest project for its audacity and for its animation style, but I think that audacity definitely doesn't go with prowess, and that its animation style doesn't work when paired with what's effectively a porn movie with cartoon birds. I hate other movies more than this one (like White Wyvern), but this is the worst movie of the year technically speaking for me.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by MCKillswitch123

[MCKillswitch123]

Alright, now for some honorable mentions:

 

Spoiler

 

Mighty Fall

 

My passion project. While it is evident that there's still some trimming to go, as well as the fact that making a serious tone live-action & animation hybrid space opera comes with its dark side, at the end of the day, I feel proud of what is a perfectly solid sci-fi adventure procedural.

 

Spoiler

 

Numbers Theory

 

Solid Neeson thriller with a lot of Portuguese representation and an excellent supporting performance by Dakota Johnson.

 

Spoiler

 

Pokémon: The Case of the Orange Outrage

 

Not as emotionally impactful as The Cinnabar Conspiracy, but it is the most well structured movie of the series thus far, with showstealing performances by Jessie, James and Meowth. A lot of fun at the theater.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Static Shock: Frozen Summer

 

To make a superhero movie where the real conflict is mostly actionless is a ballsy, but welcome move in of itself, and one that requires a slight touch. This movie accomplished that, with a strong central antagonist in Maureen and her dramas.

 

Spoiler

 

The Insect God

 

An ambitious sci-fi animated adventure that may have been short on character, but huge on thematic significance, worldbuilding and scale, and that will surely become this generation's cult classic sci-fi animation alas Atlantis, Treasure Planet or Titan AE.

 

[MCKillswitch123]

Right, so, now, the game begins. The rules are simple: I will give you the numbers #25 to #21, and five YouTube videos. You just have to match-up the video with the correct movie. Simple.

 

Here we go:

 

#25

 

#24

 

#23

 

#22

#21

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by MCKillswitch123

[YM!]

21 - Romance Road

22 - The World That We Knew

23 - Mass Effect Revelation 

24 - Strangers In The Town

25 - Wet Willy

Edited May 10, 2021 by YourMother the Edgelord

[MCKillswitch123]

Right, since only @YourMother the Edgelord answered, I figured that I won't really continue the game. I don't really like doing that kind of stuff anyway, it was just a once attempt lol But yeah, YM, you win a pre-read of your upcoming choice.

 

Anyway, here are the results:

 

#25
 

Spoiler

 

Dirty Hands

 

A provocative thriller with strong performances by Carrie Coon, Sterling K. Brown and Jeremy Strong. It feels a little derivate of other titles by @4815162342, as well as a bit mechanical and slightly emotionally empty, but generally speaking, it's one of those movies that Numbers makes in his sleep with his finesse for excellent dialogue and intrigue, and it works so damn well.

 

#24

 

Spoiler

 

The World That We Knew

 

Despite an overly busy script with tons of characters getting in and out, and some amounting to very little of revelant to do, the main themes of surviving the Holocaust alongside the fascinating Jewish mythology were a sight to behold. Katherine Waterston, Dixie Egerickx and Finn Wolfhard shine amongst the ensemble of a flawed but ambitious journey.

 

#23

 

Spoiler

 

Mass Effect: Revelation

 

Even though it's overstuffed and overclocked with a lot of setup material, it's still Mass Effect. The characters, the worldbuilding, the VFX and stuntwork still shine as always, and the production is just generally lush. Definitely not as good as the original or Ascension, but probably a required step for other movies to run.

 

#22

 

Spoiler

 

The War Between Ants

 

A delirious pissing contest between a bunch of egotistical buffoons. Yeah, it offers nothing new to those aware of the story, but as it is, I found it to be an incredibly intriguing character study.

 

#21

 

Spoiler

 

Romance Road

 

Naomi Scott and John Boyega have immense chemistry in this surprisingly effective rom-com. Nothing revolutionary, but certainly worth the price of admission.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by MCKillswitch123

[MCKillswitch123]

Next up, #20-#16:

 

#20

 

Spoiler

 

The Idiots

 

Another great character study in documentary format. Not the deepest and richest documentary, but one that's relevant for anyone, sports fans, Boston people or not.

 

#19

 

Spoiler

 

The Last Airbender: The Boy in the Iceberg

 

A fantastic adaptation of the first season of the iconic cartoon. Everyone is bang on cast, the film is visually dazzling and really well written. Perhaps juggling too many pieces at certain times and overly expository at others, but it fairly succeeds at being a first entry with a lot of good stuff in it. And certainly superior to M. Night's mess.

 

#18

 

Spoiler

 

Dreams

 

Another passion project of mine. I understand that it may be a jarring movie due to the amount of different tones that clash with each other, but it was just something that I really wanted to put out and I confess that I'm proud of it - particularly the Taken by the Rust and Horror in Chernobyl shorts. We'll see how you react to it in due time.

 

#17

 

Spoiler

 

Heartman

 

A horror film that expertly pays homage to Barbados culture. Well cast, really well written and smartly structured, and with a very interesting antagonist at heart, albeit not the most original or scary film you can watch.

 

#16

 

Spoiler

 

Returning from Hell

 

I was very scared for the reactions for this one, glad that they seem positive so far. Here's hoping for Awkwafina getting Oscar buzz for this performance.

 

[MCKillswitch123]

#15-11:

 

#15

 

Spoiler

 

Olive's Hallowed Eve

 

Despite some sluggishness and overclocking at select moments, the amount of heart and soul this movie has is undeniable. Great ensemble across the board, with standout performances by Zendaya, Jemaine Clement and Ted Danson.

 

#14

 

Spoiler

 

Everything I Never Told You

 

Despite some annoying elements of writing, I find that the way it expertly builds heartache and pain is pretty effective. Michelle Williams and Daniel Wu's performances are absolutely noteworthy, perhaps Oscar worthy, even. A very solid thriller despite its few writing shortcomings.

 

#13

 

Spoiler

 

Far Cry

 

Brutal, manic and looney, but in the best sense possible. While it has some shortcomings, it seems consensual that it's my best blockbuster of Y8, and for good reason. Very proud of it.

 

#12

 

Spoiler

 

Holland Hannah

 

Elizabeth Debicki and Omar Sy's chemistry, Debicki's suaveness, the incredible action, cinematography and atmosphere of 90's Amsterdam are the ingredients for this sexy, engaging and emotionally satisfying action thriller. Glad that it seems like it's getting warmer reactions now than it did coming out of the Film Festival.

 

#11

 

Spoiler

 

The Space Between Trees

 

A bizarre, confusing and harrowing experience that deserves major appraisal for being just as deceitful to the audience as the central characters are to their surrounding peers, in the best way possible. Fantastic work by DeJonge and Silvers, and Debra Granik's direction keeps it relatively grounded, for something as structurally incoherent and bumbling as it is.

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by MCKillswitch123

[MCKillswitch123]

#10-#6:

 

#10

 

Spoiler

 

Floodbath

 

Out of my own films, it's my favorite of the year. Annalise Basso is an actress I really wanted to give a shine to, and I also wanted to try a disaster film with some technical innovations in order to really capture the feeling of terror, and I feel like the movie I wrote managed to accomplish that. It may fall in lesser grace with upcoming reactions, but I'm very glad I made it.

 

#9

 

Spoiler

 

Sins of Their Fathers

 

The idea of a Numbers-style political thriller but in space is actually kind of a great one. Yeah, in retrospect, it feels like you've seen this movie before, but it doesn't change the fact that it's really well executed, with a stunning ensemble, endearing thematic prowess and great plot. Olivia Colman and Awkwafina are stars.

 

#8

 

Spoiler

 

Christmas Shopping

 

I found the experience surprisingly revelatory, for something that seemed like it was gonna be as trite and mundane as a film about Christmas shopping. It is surprisingly eye-opening about the relationships that we have with our families, and it stuck with me a surprising amount.

 

#7

 

Spoiler

 

The Un-title-able Squirrel Girl Sequel

 

Similarly to what I said about Static Shock 2, the best thing about this movie really is the fact that it focuses more on the philosophical and emotional drift that our protagonist feels over blockbuster-sized action, coming to one of my particular favorite conclusions out of any animated film in CAYOM. As far as Endless Animation is concerned, it may not be a Gateways, but I'd put it among the higher echelon.

 

#6

 

Spoiler

 

Learning to Care

 

The script is the shiniest star of an utterly heartwarming film. Jimmy Tatro and Brigitte Lundy-Paine are obvious Oscar contenders as well. I don't think it's quite as iconic as some others, but I still think this is a great film.

 

[MCKillswitch123]

And finally, numbers #5-#1:

 

#5

 

Spoiler

 

Sandboy

 

Charming, whimsical and with a wonderful beating heart underneath, Sandboy is an experience for all ages. Fantastic writing, absolutely gorgeous cinematography and visuals, and resonating themes about the necessity for unison of family, even if that unison may be impossible to achieve under certain circumstances. Loved it.

 

#4

 

Spoiler

 

World of Trouble

 

The coup de grace of the Maia trilogy is its best film, and that's saying something since The Last Policeman and Countdown City are both strong efforts. Ehrenreich replaces Ansel Elgort in great fashion, Kaitlyn Dever, Michael Garcia-Rulfo and Jimmy Tatro also deliver incredible performances, and the atmosphere/worldbuilding are at their peak. Easy contender for Best Picture.

 

#3

 

Spoiler

 

Flightless Bird: The Downfall of the Boeing 737 MAX

 

If this were a real documentary, it would be one of the rare documentaries to hit a cultural zeitgeist, alas what Won't You Be My Neighbor did a few years ago. It's very likely that you walk out of this angry and frustrated at the fact that some corporations are too strong to be fallible to law, and that's the best thing that a doc can do. Not just a Documentary Feature frontrunner, but a Best Picture contender as well.

 

#2

 

Spoiler

 

Everything We Miss

 

Dark, disturbing and provocative, but still earnest at the core, Everything We Miss is an undertaking clearly meant to bring us clearance over our need to understand our own actions and their consequences when we are at breaking point, whether with ourselves or with the ones we love the most. Similarly to Laika last year, adult-oriented, non-mainstream animation was shown to be a clear success story.

 

#1

 

Spoiler

 

The Bronx is Burning

 

Apart from And the Band Played On, @4815162342's best film ever. Everyone is perfectly cast, the script is genius, the direction expertly balances drama and comedy, and every major character feels as best developed as possible. A true work of art in every way, and this is coming from someone who is not into baseball.

 

[MCKillswitch123]

THE FULL TOP 25

 

1. The Bronx is Burning
2. Everything We Miss
3. Flightless Bird: The Downfall of the Boeing 737 MAX
4. World of Trouble
5. Sandboy
6. Learning to Care
7. The Un-title-able Squirrel Girl Sequel
8. Christmas Shopping
9. Sins of Their Fathers
10. Floodbath
11. The Space Between Trees
12. Holland Hannah
13. Far Cry
14. Everything I Never Told You
15. Olive's Hallowed Eve
16. Returning from Hell
17. Heartman
18. Dreams
19. The Last Airbender: The Boy in the Iceberg
20. The Idiots
21. Romance Road
22. The War Between Ants
23. Mass Effect: Revelation
24. The World That We Knew
25. Dirty Hands

Edited May 10, 2021 by MCKillswitch123

[MCKillswitch123]

To the writers of the films in the top 5, as well as the winner of the short lived YouTube Game, you may pick a film to pre-read from the following list.

 

@4815162342 and @cookie, you can choose two films. @Blankments and @YourMother the Edgelord, you can choose one film. A film can be chosen as many times as you want to.

 

• Vixen and the Castle of Doom - Directed by Gianluigi Toccafondo and Robert Morgan - Animation/Fantasy/Adventure - Vixen is forced to destroy the remains of the Grandfather Dragon in the kooky, trippy Castle of Doom.
• Grand Theft Auto - Directed by S. Craig Zehler - Satire/Crime/Drama/Comedy - A young man steals heroin and goes on a 24 hour rampage.
• Invader Zim - Directed by Peter Avanzino - Animation/Sci-Fi/Comedy - An incompetent alien is flown to Earth and "commanded" to conquer it.
• Untitled film - Directed by Jack Bender - Thriller/Drama - Plot not announced.

[cookie]

Grand Theft Auto and the untitled Jack Bender film

[4815162342]

43 minutes ago, cookie said:

Grand Theft Auto and the untitled Jack Bender film

 

Ditto

[Alpha]

Thank you for #12

[Blankments]

Vixen 2 electric boogaloo

[SLAM!]

Thank you for #8, #14, and #24!

[YM!]

I’ll take Invader Zim

 

Thanks for 7, 17, 21 and 22.