J*A*S*M

Robitel delivers exactly what the trailer promised: a very well crafted, fast-paced technological-puzzle thriller with hints of Cube and Saw. It’s 100% and without any doubt a popcorn flick, free of any horror art that could be engraved in my memory, but I have no problem with that. If all popcorn cinema tasted like this, it would be great. As a fan of real scape rooms, I appreciated that the premise is used properly. Many of the rooms and puzzles that can be seen in the film reminded me of things that you can find in actual scape rooms. So, at least in this, the film is well anchored in reality, even if the plot is farfetched at times (especially the final setting for the sequel). The resolution is a bit disappointing, the creators didn’t bother too much with explaining all of it, and the point lies basically on what anyone can come up with first. But I can take that. Overall, it’s pretty good fun and won’t refuse a sequel.

An absurdist bargain bin mystery and the funniest performances in a long time. Don’t waste your time with this.

Esmeralda was the first Latin-American romantic series that Czech viewers could see and the one that kick started the massive popularity of the genre that today we call “telenovela”. It should be noted, however, that the viewership of this phenomenon was very gender unbalanced, most of them were women. Since Esmeralda redefined afternoon TV entertainment for many years, I think it deserves at least some attention. For a model, we can take the very first episode, where the little future heroine is punished because she was born a weak woman (she loses her future as the daughter of a rich landowner). The hitherto uninterested viewer becomes suddenly interested and establishes a bond with the heroine, sharing with her the penuries of the presumed punishment of the female generation. In the first episodes, Esmeralda comes to terms with her lot, but then she finds (without a hint of irony) hopes for a better future (she falls in love with the architect of her misfortune: a man), hopes that would be shattered after some time. The happy end can only happen if the roles are reversed (Esmeralda can see! José Armando becomes blind!), when the male character sees (again, without any hint of irony) – realises – how hard it was for Esmeralda, which leads to the victory of the female principle. The female viewer, who bonded with the “almost dead” heroine in the first episode, has gone through the entire journey with her and for a moment feels the same subjective shift in her original position. However, the final position can never be the same as the position that the viewer is forced to return to after the series’ end. Therefore, the viewer will look for a desirable change in her current situation (they get the “telenovela” virus) and will seek inspiration in the next representative of the genre. Thus, the telenovela works with the “better things to come” principle in the same way as Marxism or Christianity, and it’s no wonder then that it was so successful a few years ago.

I was completely indifferent to Eternals before its premiere, but in the end, it's surprisingly the first feature film from the MCU in a long time that I find at least interesting. For one thing, the motif of extraterrestrial beings overseeing the evolution of humankind for millennia and inscribing themselves in myths and legends is captivating, and I’d love to see something like that handled seriously outside the MCU. And secondly, I like the fact that the conflict underlying Eternals unfolds in morally quite ambivalent tones, which is not at all usual in this cinematic universe. I enjoyed it more when the characters solved these dilemmas, discussed them, than when they got into a fight with CGI creatures or with each other. But even the action scenes are among the best ones you can get.

Awesome thoroughbred sci-fi movie, the second this year that made me feel I was watching the adaptation of some classic novel (the first one was Oblivion). In addition to the very attractive premise and the good performances, it is very smartly put together with a mature use of the found-footage format – the interviews with characters and the jumps between different timelines generate false impressions, expectations and surprises. And none of the characters is an idiot, which also counts. For the fans of proper sci-fi who don’t need shiny visuals, space battles, explosions and loads of expensive effects, this is a must.

Spain with snow is sexy and I’m always up for any indie sci-fi, it’s a pity that Eva is so bloody predictable! Really, so much that it almost ruins an otherwise beautiful atmospheric experience. Slightly above-par.

Goodness is dead, long live the dwarves! Herzog’s vision had a bigger effect on me than most other films, but I still refuse to give it a higher rating. This film almost killed me. It’s an incredibly depressive and wretched look at something that maybe represents humanity. Is the handicap of all the characters only a means to generate a more oppressive atmosphere or a belief that we are all like that? Dwarves that are handicapped – not physically but mentally. If the characters were “normal”, could we take the film as a celebration of the struggle for independence against an oppressor, instead of monsters attacking a defenceless caretaker? Depends on your point of view, and on what would be more agreeable to you. The film is not bad or stupid, but I can’t forgive what it made me go through while watching it.

The ghost of a dead pupil haunts a Mexican girls boarding school with unclear intentions, appearing every night before someone from the current student body. At first sight, Even the Wind Is Afraid doesn’t look like something I’d have to see at all costs, but the good reviews convinced me, and I’m happy about that. The film doesn’t have many pure horror moments, but the atmosphere is intense throughout. There is a remake, but I haven’t watched it yet.

Great sci-fi horror and also a brutal spectacle for something form the late 90s. The atmosphere does let down by the end, but never to the point that would affect the overall impression. The premise (a spaceship returns after being lost in the cosmos, bringing something with it) is awesome and I don’t think it could have been developed better. Hands down, Paul Anderson’s best work, even if students of physics would not agree.

A precise survival drama with a fantastic cast that in some cases is too good given the few lines they have. The experiential capacity of the film is substantial. In some scenes it manages to grip and amaze, not only through the mountain setting, but also with the convincingly performed suffering of the leading characters. Things get unfortunately a little chaotic after some time with them covered in jackets and hoods and with the snow falling, they all look very similar and there were moments that I wasn’t really sure who was who. But overall, a recommending thumbs up.