DAMIEN RILEY, world musician and performer

Author: Damien Riley

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

    Indiana Jones may not care that the Ark is a radio for speaking to God but he sure wants to discover it. All his life as an archaeologist, no find has been as significant as this Ark of the Covenant mentioned in Biblical writ. The trouble is, Hitler wants it too and he’ll stop at nothing to kill anyone who stands in the way of him getting it.

    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    “Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Harrison Ford Indy
    Karen Allen Marion Ravenwood
    Paul Freeman Dr. René Belloq
    John Rhys-Davies Sallah

    Directed by

    Steven Spielberg

    Written by

    Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas

    Other Info

    Action, Adventure
    PG
    Fri 12 Jun 1981 UTC
    115min
    IMDB Rating: 8.5

    Steven Spielberg directed this film. If you know E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you know his phenomenal talent. If you’re too young to recognize these films, I urge you to go out and see them today along with anything else you can get your hands on by Speilberg.

    Raiders of the Lost Ark represents freedom to make a “fun” movie like you dreamed of as a kid. He had the success behind him to make this film and it delighted millions, still does.

    In between all the comic book excitement, there is a love story. Karen Allen plays Indy’s love interest and she does a great job. It’s great to see an independent spirit like Indy be bridled by romantic love. It reminds that it gets to the best of us. The stunts are also amazing and those along with the “Oohs and Ahhs” of his archaeological finds make this an incredibly entertaining film. It has its own ride at Disneyland Anaheim but really, all you need is Amazon Prime right now to have the ride of your life.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    The famous scene when Indy replaces the gold head artifact with a bag of sand, the rolling ball that nearly decapitates him, the opening of the ark, and so many other visual moments make this film a gem today. Probably the coolest thing is the acting talent of Harrison Ford. He IS Indiana Jones. He lives in the part and it’s attractive to the viewer like moths are attracted to a flame.

    This film is now streaming on Amazon Prime. After you like my post and leave me a comment about this film, watch it!

    10/10

  • Better Call Saul (Spoken Word Review)

    NOW streaming on Netflix! My review linked below. Check it out, leave me a comment. Thx.

    Better Call Saul (Season 2)

    I fell into the Breaking Bad pool years ago and got hooked completely. Maybe it was because I’m a teacher and the main character is easy to identify with. Whatever the reason, I loved the show and watched it faithfully through all seasons. In contrast, I wasn’t very take in by Better Call Saul, the …

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  • 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

    “It’s just our family now. We can do whatever we want.”

    10 Cloverfield is another point of view of the same situation. A woman is in a terrible car crash and wakes up in the bunker of a doomsday prepper. She thinks escape is what she wants but she has yet to find out what is actually going on outside. Minor plot spoilers ahead.

    Cast
    John Goodman

    as Howard

    Mary Elizabeth Winstead

    as Michelle

    John Gallagher Jr.

    as Emmett

    Directed by
    Dan Trachtenberg
    Written by
    Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, Damien Chazelle
    Other Info

    Thriller, Drama, Horror, Mystery
    Rated PG-13
    1h 43min

    The imprisonment of someone against their will and without cause is a horrid crime. John Goodman plays Howard, the captor. Michelle is the captive and she does an amazing job acting in this film. We relate with her in her plight. Like the recent film “Room” we feel as if we are in the room with her. But I want to let you know that while a confinement theme seemed boring to me at first, there is much more going on in this thriller.

    Emmett is another hapless inhabitant of Howard’s shelter. It’s underground and solid. Howard sought refuge with Howard when the disaster started happening. We aren’t told what that disaster is until later in the film. This is a mystery and half the fun is figuring out what the next part of the story is at every turn.

    There’s a lot of talk on the internet about whether this is a sequel to “Cloverfield” (2008). I’ve come to my conclusions and I’ll leave it at that. I will say that I don’t think I would have enjoyed this movie as much if I knew the answer to that question so I recommend going in innocent. After you see it, you can look it up to your hearts content. Without giving you an answer, I’ll say these are two completely different movie in theme, style, and genre.

    My favorite part of this movie is the character of Michelle. She makes the movie great. Second is John Goodman. If you can get over your menta block of seeing him as Dan Connor, you’ll see a serious, solid, scary, intuitive performance from him. He’s no happy-go-lucky. I enjoyed this thriller beginning to end, for all the reasons I’ve mention, it gets full 5 stars from me. I highly recommend it.

  • Peeping Tom (1960)

    Some people who love modern horror may scoff at a film made in 1960, they may think it couldn’t be scary. This film has a reputation among critics as being scary but does it have the scares to justify that?

    Peeping Tom

    Peeping Tom

    “A young man murders women, using a movie camera to film their dying expressions of terror.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Karlheinz Böhm (as Carl Boehm) Mark Lewis
    Anna Massey Helen Stephens
    Moira Shearer Vivian
    Maxine Audley Mrs. Stephens

    Directed by

    Michael Powell

    Written by

    Leo Marks, Leo Marks

    Other Info

    Drama, Horror, Thriller
    Not Rated
    Tue 15 May 1962 UTC
    86min
    IMDB Rating: 7.7

    Michael Powell is a director’s director. We are talking about a man who in 1960 had directed nearly 60 films. He is truly a talent that students in film school should study. Directors like this know their craft and leave nothing to chance. What you see on the screen is what they want you to see, period.

    The actors know their stuff as well. Karlheinz Böhm plays the lead and he is a frightening individual. He captures women luring them in with the promise of taking their portraits and while getting close up he stabs them in the neck. The women are attractive and scantily dressed which is nice. Hey, it’s the 60’s and this is horror right?

    This film weaves a creepiness throughout. The killer is brutal but quite subdued. You watch him with the curiosity of one who might watch Hannibal Lecter. He is a psychopath who gets off filming women as he kills them. way he uses his tripod as a stilleto blade is cool. I must admit it did seem slow at times but I figure that’s because horror has sped up through the years.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    This is 1960’s horror at it’s best. It’s like watching a technicolor version of dragnet but the villain is having his way with many women and killing them. Some old movies are boring, not this one. I recommend it to anyone who likes classic films and especially classic horror the likes of Alfred Hitchcock.

    8/10

  • The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)

    If horror films are meant to shake you out of your comfort zone, this one definitely qualifies. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense though and that’s a pity because some movie goers like sense.

    The Blackcoat's Daughter

    The Blackcoat’s Daughter

    “Two girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.” -IMDB

    Cast

    Emma Roberts Joan
    Kiernan Shipka Kat
    Lucy Boynton Rose
    Lauren Holly Linda

    Directed by

    Oz Perkins

    Written by

    Oz Perkins

    Other Info

    Horror, Thriller
    R
    Fri 14 Oct 2016 UTC
    93min
    IMDB Rating: 5.6

    Imagine a director capable of creating Secretary and Legally Blonde. Were there ever any films so different? He meshes the two in a way with this film, combining horror with young college girl challenges.
    Emma Roberts and Lucy Boynton plpay opposing roles and they do a spectacular job. The whole world fell in love with Boynton in Sing Street. The other had lesser parts in Aquamarine the series and Nerve. Their lovely faces are part of what makes this film so entrancing. It helps you weather the mystery, enjoying their performances.

    These girls are at a boarding school at end of term. They seem to have been forgotten by their parents. Meanwhile, the priests and nun’s appear of a certain evil. There is a pan away set of scenes with another girl whose identity is unknown. The spanse of the film consists of figuring our what the hell is going on. Some would say we di in the end, I might question that.

    I’ve never been big fan of non-linear stories. I like it when there is a little at the beginning or end but not throughout. I sense that’s what’s going on here. How can you interpret what people do if they may be in the past or future? It’s quite frustrating at times. What I do like here is the darkness and shadowed images. These actors do a great job and the screen is full of fearful scenes. What can make these characters do evil acts? We are left to figure that out for ourselves. Lots is left to the imagination. So,e may find that appealing. In this case, I saw that as a detractor to its quality.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    We may not have to understand the killer completely but a few clues as to his/her motives help with the scares. A dark movie visually is more scary when the content is understandable dark and mysterious. This film doesn’t make it entirely clear why people do the things they do, even kill. For the mood and horror feel, I give it props but for lacking sensibility even on a low level, it lost points with me. I would recommend it to those who don’t require a lot to be explained in films.

    6/10

  • Pet (2016)

    Kidnapping and caging a woman may be fine and dandy in a BDSM play ritual, like perhaps in Fifty Shades of Grey, but in this film it’s not asked for or welcomed and that’s a horror most people can’t imagine.

    Pet

    Pet

    “A psychological thriller about a man who bumps into an old crush and subsequently becomes obsessed with her…” -IMDB

    Cast

    Dominic Monaghan Seth
    Ksenia Solo Holly
    Jennette McCurdy Claire
    Da’Vone McDonald Nate

    Directed by

    Carles Torrens

    Written by

    Jeremy Slater

    Other Info

    Horror, Thriller
    R
    Fri 02 Dec 2016 UTC
    94min
    IMDB Rating: 5.7

    Pet isn’t the best thriller of 2016. I’ll venture to say 10 Cloverfield Lane is that. But it has its moments and if nothing else, you wonder what such a stupid psycho killer will do next. Since this film is still quite new, I won’t engage in spoiling the twist. Suffice it to say, I saw it coming. The film does raise the interesting and creepy question as to whether you or I could handle this sort of entrapment and confinement. What lengths would we go to to be set free?

    Dominic Monaghan (Lost) plays the “touched” psychopath well. He’s an animal control officer by day which is rather fitting since he’s a killer in his off hours as well. But this movie isn’t about killing so much, it’s about confining someone, holding them against their will. If you’re like me, that’s a quite uncomfortable notion. This film definitely makes you feel discomfort all throughout. Is the end satisfying or mundane and noncreative? You be the judge and then let me know in the comments.

    FINAL THOUGHTS
    In the final analysis, this is not an amazing piece of craftmanship. We see a lot of tired conventions seen in prior thrillers. You might be tempted to yell at the screen to help avoid a few times but it probably won’t work. Despite the weak script and tired conventions, the raw fear of being detained against your will is what makes this film worth watching. That is such a scary prospect for most people, I think the film would work regardless of any flaws. The question is: does it work in an amazing way I feel like writing more that 355 words about? No. I recommend it for a light hearted scare/thrill.

    6/10