Stanislaus

I was quite surprised, and as a fan of the franchise, pleased that the sixth Scream would be screaming in theaters just fourteen months after the release of the fifth, which came eleven long years after the fourth (Wes Craven's last "slash"). As I've said before, I have a soft spot for Ghostface, so I'm willing to overlook the fact that it's pretty much a recycled version of the previous films. But as a fan, it's that connection between the first and fifth films that I appreciate and (along with the many pop culture references) downright enjoyed. The intro alone, which slyly plays with the rules of horror and stands them on their head, proves that the "screaming franchise" still has a lot to offer. I welcomed the film's setting in New York, where the they managed to take advantage of other locations to offer some truly good scenes – whether it was a chilling sequence from a convenience store or an apartment, or the atmospheric scene in a flashing subway. (Spoiler alert!) The identity of Ghotsface is clear from the first mention of the deceased family member, and then later from the attack in the apartment, but the film isn’t that concerned with a plot twist as it plays with audience expectations and horror rules, creating a hide-and-seek game. The viewer (ideally a fan) then calmly overlooks the immortality of certain characters and just watches the uncompromising destruction of the bad guys with a satisfying smile. (End: Spoiler alert!) In the end, Scream VI certainly didn't feel boring or dull, but if there is to be a sequel, which I wouldn't be opposed to, at least a three-year hiatus would be preferable.

I've never played D&D, and the movie adaptations from 2000 and 2012 passed me by (fortinately?), so I approached Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a clean slate and as a complete ignoramus. I commend the film for not focusing only on the action-fantasy level, but also for giving enough space to the likeable characters, of which I would single out the snarky bard Edgin and his cruel but sharp friend Holga. The character of Simon was quite unbearable: firstly, I found him annoyingly clumsy and secondly, it's really hard to like the actor. The film could definitely have been a quarter of an hour shorter, but I still enjoyed the screening in the cinema immensely, whether thanks to the aforementioned characters, the regularly dosed action, the demonic Sophina, or more than one humorous scene – the graveyard confrontation with the dead and the with the "chubby" dragon were the most amusing. I believe that if I were a player or fan of the game I would give it full marks, but as a non-player I can honestly say that I would definitely not be averse to a sequel in the future if the quality remains at a similar level.

As a lover of dinosaurs and a die-hard fan of Jurassic Park, I'm always happy with the release of a film with these overgrown lizards that doesn't fall under the aforementioned "universe" – and there are very few such films. The final product, although it brings down the initial expectations a bit, still stays within the average and thanks to the reasonable running time it hardly gets boring. The purpose of the space mission is admittedly stripped down, and the family storyline felt futile, but thankfully the film primarily concentrates on the struggle to survive on Earth 65 million years ago. (Spoiler alert!) The scenes with the dinosaurs were satisfactory, especially the cave sequence, which makes imaginative use of a motion sensor, and the final confrontation between Mills and a sort of hybrid of a T-Rex and a dog. Although it is predictable, you already know from the title and at the latest with the first shot of the sky what moment the Earth is in, I had fun watching it in the cinema and the ninety minutes were perfectly adequate.

Autumn Spring is all the sadder when you consider that Vlastimil Brodsky killed himself less than a year after the film was released. It is as if Vladimír Michálek's film was a harbinger of the inevitable future. Autumn Spring benefits especially from the leading trio of Brodský, Stella Zázvorková and Stanislav Zindulka, who really put their hearts into their characters and offered believable and sober performances. The film depicts in a sad but endearing way the ways in which one can deal with ageing and the approaching end - one can give up before death, or slowly prepare for it, or pretend as if ending is out of the question. A touching and human film!

Martin Pohl elevated his Party from a positive to a comparative and moved the plot of the equally crazy sequel to cinemas and the famous Máchovo Jezero. As far as the technical execution goes, Party Hard was definitely much better to watch. But thanks to its humour, I enjoyed the appealed to me a bit more, but it’s still not my cup of tea – though I must say I liked the scene at the surgery and the end credits scene. I praise the animated insert, it was very bizarre, but quite effective in the end. I wonder if Pohl and co. will come up with a superlative as well.

I can understand any rating for Party Hard, because it is a truly unconventional film that is sure to captivate some viewers and disgust others. In my case, I will be somewhat stingy with my assessment. Although it is a rather unique piece in the field of Czech comedy, unfortunately (or is it rather fortunately?) it didn't really hit me with its humour. The scenes with Marek Milko amused me quite a bit, otherwise it was too bizarre with sometimes rather tasteless fecal humour. The film didn't benefit from its amateurish execution, whether it was the (non)actors or the camera. But, as I said. some people will like the explicit explosions of Jebi's craters, the brown-skinned revenge, or the union of Czech perverts ... and others may not.

It's been a while since I've heard of Schwizerdütsch - most recently in the film Mario, in which one of the smaller roles was played by Julian Koechlin, who plays Michi here. New Heights is, on the surface, a fairly ordinary relationship-family drama, yet I enjoyed watching the series as it played out several issues at once (suicide, acceptance of minority sexual orientation, developers vs farmers, family secrets, rape, drug addiction, competition in the workplace) without the plot feeling over-saturated and muddled, with the creators leaving quite a promising open door for a new season at the end of the first. I'll admit that some of the characters were really hard to sympathize with (especially Sarah and Lorenzo), though their behavior was somewhat understandable given their storyline. The Wyss family is certainly not ideal or exemplary, but I'm curious about the future fates of its members.

After not very well received film Mother! and five long years, the master of depressing and oppressive dramas is back, and he's still on form thanks to (his thematic favourite) God. Within Darren Aronofsky's filmography, The Whale is probably closest to The Wrestler in its somewhat restrained approach by the director's standards, as it also tells the story of the bitter life of a man at the end of his rope who has a problematic relationship with his daughter. In terms of premise, The Whale is not an inherently complex film, but it mixes in some interesting themes and moments that leave the viewer engaged with the action on screen. The lion's share of all this is of course (literally, given the fat-suit) the breathtaking performance of Brendan Fraser. I always had reservations about him, but here he proved his acting qualities to perfection as Charlie. He was ably seconded by all the supporting characters played by Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, as well as Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. While the film kept pretty much to the ground (or was it Earth?) (thanks to Charlie's mass, and not just Charlie), there were more than a few places where Aranofsky poked fun at his favorite Creator, but not in an underhanded or purposeless way. The Whale, like Charlie, may be naive and overly positive in places, but it also manages to convey the message that people can be amazing if they have support and are honest with themselves in an authentic and not aggressively weepy way.

Paul Berry's The Sandman is miles away from Sandy from the Rise of the Guardians and other similarly-themed fairytales. The Sandman combines the eeriness of Hoffmann's original tale with the artistic prowess of Berry's team, resulting in a densely atmospheric short with a macabre conclusion. In addition to the nice animation that plays with depth of image, I commend the visuals and the film's soundtrack.

We Have a Ghost mixes several genres at once – family film, fantasy, mystery "crime-horror" and (allegedly) comedy – but none of these genre levels could satisfy me in an acceptable way. Unfortunately, I didn't find Christopher Landon's film quite as entertaining or scary; perhaps that "crime" plot had a bit of potential. Jennifer Coolidge's cameo was pretty much pointless, on the other hand I commend the early portrayal of "Ernest" on social media. The ending was like tingles on the senses, but didn't offend, it's just a shame you have to wade through nearly two hours of filler to get to it.