Film Reviews by MS

I was a bit disappointed at first because I thought it would be a comedy (what with it being a Blake Edwards film), however there are funny moments in it, and I'm glad I rented it. This film has: a mediocre first act; a terrible middle act; and an amazing final act.

The acting is good (especially from Garner & McDowell), it's very well made, and the story idea is great (it's about an evil film producer who thinks he can get away with anything, so it's aged brilliantly). The problems are: the side characters aren't introduced to us well; and it's hard to follow the plot (until the superb final act, that is).

In conclusion, this is a good film (when you understand what it's about).

I've never seen the original Nosfaratu, so I don't know how it compares to this one, but this remake is not a good film, in my opinion. I rented this film because I thought it would be a scary vampire film, and instead it was an artsy Terrence Mallick-style film. The vampire isn't scary (which is ironic, given how scary he looks). The positives from the film are: beautiful locations (which are shot beautifully); the visual effects (including the make-up); and the acting is excellent (especially Renfield).

I'm quite afraid of rats, so they were the scariest part of this vampire film! Do not watch this film if you have a phobia of rats!

Firstly, the original film is as close to a perfect film as possible, so I wasn't expecting this one to be as good as the other (it isn't).

To list the negatives: the actor who plays Tony isn't very good; 'I feel pretty' doesn't feel quite right being after the big fight between the gangs; and (on a personal note) Natalie Wood isn't in this one.

The positives are: the singing is great (including Tony's singing); the choreography is good (but not as good as the original); the dancing is great; the song 'Cool Boy' is moved to before the big fight & it surprisingly works well; Tony & Maria get to know each other better before they decide to run away together; it's clearer in this version why Maria forgives Tony for doing what he did; and finally, the scene where they sing & dance to 'America' is absolutely amazing.

In conclusion, the major reason why the original is better than this one is because that film was set in 1961 & filmed in 1961, whereas, this film is set in 1961 & filmed in 2019. However, I still wish I saw this film in the cinema! Grrrr

Twin Peaks was cancelled after season 2 and it ended with a cliff hanger, therefore I was expecting this film to tie up the loose ends. Instead, it's a prequel to the TV series, showing us how Laura Palmer died and who was involved. The first one and a half seasons of Twin Peaks were all about unravelling the mystery of Laura Palmer's death, so this film has no surprises.

With that said, this is a perfectly watchable film with plenty of Lynchisms that fans of Lynch will enjoy. It's a shame Lara Flynn Boyle didn't reprise her role as Donna Hayward, but the replacement actress did a great job (as did the other actors). I would recommend this film if you want to see how Laura Palmer lost her life rather than by just unravelling the mystery through watching the series.