Jonas Ferry’s blog

Ukkonen (Jalmari Helander, 2001). A man working for a shady company is exposed to deadly radiation, but lives and wants revenge. A Finish independent short that’s remarkably well-made for, what I guess, no great budget. [7/10]

The Brown Bunny (Vincent Gallo, 2003). Something has happened to a man that travels cross country in search of his girlfriend that leaves him incapable of sustaining relationships. This is similar to Buffalo ‘66, which is better than this, and has the same brooding loser of a main protagonist. Very beautiful, with long sequences of just driving around in a car. I understand those long sequences were impossible long in the film festival version and later cut, which still leaves enough in to feel like you join the man on his journey. [8/10]

Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004). Dr. Otto Octavius works on an incredible power source that, incredibly enough, malfunctions at the main presentation and transforms him to the evil genius Dr. Octopus. A well-made fast-paced action movie. [7/10]

Silent Hill (Christophe Gans, 2006). When a young child is having nightmares and walks in her sleep, her mother decides to make her confront her fears by taking her to the abandoned and monster-infested town of Silent Hill. It’s cool that all major roles are female and that the town’s based on the real, and bizarre, town Freeway (Matthew Bright, 1996). A young woman runs away from home and is given a lift by a man who turns out to be a killer. A very strange film alternating between horrific and comedic. [7/10]

The Godfather: Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974). Michael Corleone is the head of the family, but struggles with treachery from within the family. The flashbacks to Vito’s, played by Robert De Niro, entry into underworld crime is my favorite part of the trilogy, and the sequence with the religious procession gives me goose bumps every time. Watch out for the oranges! [10/10]

X-Men: The Last Stand (also known as: X3) (Brett Ratner, 2006). A cure is developed for mutants, and the reaction of the mutant population is divided. A not-so interesting action-movie. I’m all for Ian McKellen getting fame and money, but he could spend his time on better movies than this. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974). A bunch of people go on a trip and end up in the hands of a chainsaw-wielding maniac. I suppose this is what happens to movies with only the shock value going for them, they become obsolete. [4/10]

The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950). Stealing diamonds is a lucrative business if you’re a German master thief just out of jail, as long as you choose the right partners and keep focused. A good film noir of the Hoodwinked (Cory Edwards, 2005). Someone is stealing all cookie recipes in the forest, and Red has to help her extreme-sporting grandmother to keep them away from the bad wolf. There are moments that are genuinely funny, the songs are ok and it’s always fun to see the old classics reinterpreted. [6/10]