and whatever walked there, walked alone

after recent changes to LJ decided to import 20+ years of my entries just to keep it in a safe space. it starts with silly diary-like 2004 entries (which i hope nobody will ever read), and roughly from 2015 transition to film review style blog. because of LJ and DW post editors are different, hence weird formatting with huge spaces in between, but it is what it is.

nowadays, i mainly write because it is very convenient to keep catalog of what i watched (bad memory), just one thing in my life that i can control. also it helps organizing my thoughts. i've been a huge fan of horror films for more than 20 years, David Lynch "Mulholland Drive" awoke something in me, and then Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Jean Rollin set it in stone. 1980s decade is my favorite in horror and films in general, but i love 70s and 90s as well.

sometimes i write about music (very little), books (need to read more) and games, everything mostly related to horror, but i also dig into mainstream cinema.

i am considering switching to english posting in this journal. overall i really love DW style. it's so early LJ without all that modern bs, without annoying ads, without likes. very pure, very pre-social media era.

that's about it. cheers.

Nothing to Lose (1997). 1 hour 38 minutes. Directed by Steve Oedekerk. Nick catches his wife in bed with his boss. A little later, a burglar holds a gun to his head in the car, but he’s got nothing left to lose, so he puts his foot down.

solid cosy watch. yes, not all the jokes are brilliant, and the plot itself is very far-fetched. however, the premise works well enough, Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins carry it brilliantly, and the magic of the 90s adds a certain charm to this film.

didn’t recognise Giancarlo Esposito at all; he had some funny roles in the 90s.

certainly not essential, but pretty good overall. 

i know the director best for the very funny (often silly) comedy Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002) and the second Ace Ventura film. and he was one of the writers on the famous sitcom In Living Color, which I still haven’t managed to watch.

somehow i completely missed the 2024 album by one of my favourite bands, UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS. it’s an ambitious and experimental (for them) album that bears almost no resemblance to their previous work. it’s not doom metal or stoner rock; it’s more like prog rock in the vein of Pink Floyd. vibrant visual cinematic music, as if from 1970s Italy – that is, giallo (the more laid-back Goblin in Argento’s films), crime films, horror (Fulci!) and spaghetti westerns. a soundtrack to a non-existent film. incredibly atmospheric, one of their best albums, alongside their previous work, even though it’s completely different.

started playing old multiplayer games again a few weeks ago, especially since we’ve set up a local group of friends. source engine-based and similar games are so good.

Killing Floor (2009), the first instalment is simply a masterpiece. horror atmosphere, old-school mechanics, and deep perk system in what seems like a simple game; it’s great fun to play, especially with friends. incredible fun. the second instalment is completely different; it’s not bad, but it’s more arcade-style and doesn’t even come close to the first in terms of atmosphere.

and the last thing I discovered a few days ago is No More Room In Hell (2011). i remember it as a mod for Half-Life 2; I tried it back then, but I hadn’t played it as a standalone game. It’s free, too. It’s one of the most hardcore zombie games I’ve ever played, especially on Normal difficulty; I can’t even imagine what it’s like on Nightmare. The zombies are slow, but there are loads of them. Killing them all is practically impossible; clearing the map is impossible; stamina runs out quickly; and there’s a shortage of ammo and weapons. You can easily get bleeding or an infection. There are zombie children. The atmosphere is extremely hopeless and depressing, the game is very brutal. It’s very hardcore, a forgotten masterpiece of its time.

again, the second part looks different here too, more arcade-like, and it seems a bit rough around the edges. i haven't tried, but it does not look so good in terms of atmosphere. you can buy it if you want to support the developers though which is a very solid reason as the first game is free.

The Chair Company (season 1, 2025). 8 episodes, each 30 minutes long. created by Zach Kanin and Tim Robinson. Ron has just been promoted to director, but finds himself in an awkward situation when he falls off his chair in front of the whole office. he becomes obsessed with the chair and the company that made it, and stumbles upon a conspiracy.

i put off watching this show for a long time, telling myself it was probably an average one, but this is Tim Robinson and, of course, I was wrong. an excellent, absurd show with an intriguing, mysterious plot. all of this takes place within Tim Robinson’s comedy universe. here, his humour is balanced by drama, somewhat reminiscent of Friendship (2025), that I watched recently, which makes sense because 5 out of the 8 episodes were directed by the same director.

it’s on HBO and there’s a surprisingly graphic scene (at the end of episode 5).

it’s very easy to recommend if you like Tim Robinson. some people hate him though. however, for me, it’s without a doubt one of the best series of 2025. straight into the top 2025.

It Ends (2025). 1 hour 29 minutes. directed by Alex Ullom. group of friends get stuck on a road that never ends, and whenever they stop, people always run towards their car.

boring, overly philosophical film. according to one IMDb review, it seems to be based on Sartre’s play No Exit. i find such thought experiments less interesting than if they had taken a more technical approach.

it’s a peculiar film. i found it boring.

Redline (2009). 1 hour 42 minutes. directed by Takeshi Koike. an a world where all transport is air born, an old-school race is held using vehicles with wheels.

one of the most action-packed anime i’ve ever seen. everything is speeding along, exploding, and being destroyed. it’s almost too much for the brain register. one of the most famous facts about this anime is that it was drawn entirely by hand (over 100,000 drawings), and production took 7 years.

the director had previously been involved in the animation production of such legendary projects as Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku, Goku Midnight Eye, Cyber City Oedo 808, Ninja Scroll, Bio Hunter, Memories, Blood: The Last Vampire, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Animatrix, and Samurai Champloo. what an impressive list!

this anime is a gem and a rarity these days. so much effort has gone into these drawings. i found it a bit dull in the middle, but the ending doesn’t disappoint.

The Shadow's Edge (2025). 2 hours 21 minutes. directed by Larry Yang. Macau police bring a retired detective back into service to catch a gang of dangerous thieves.

i simply cannot understand the abundance of positive reviews for this film. I adore the early Jackie Chan stuff, but here he is already elderly, and although what he does on screen is impressive for his age, it looks straight up boring. the final fight is utterly tedious.

all the characters, with the exception of a couple, are very two-dimensional and uninteresting. a bunch of pretty boys and girls floundering in an overly complicated and exaggerated plot, and the complexity doesn’t save it. all this emotional cringe is infuriating. the film is fundamentally flawed. the cinematography and fight choreography are also disappointing; it’s all too sterile and anime-like.

and of course, there’s far too much propaganda. if the rest of the film had been good, this wouldn’t have been so critical, but the film is mediocre and the propaganda is a real eyesore.

i usually avoid modern Chinese mainstream cinema (specifically mainstream stuff like these action films), as it’s mostly awful, but I decided to give this one a go because of Jackie Chan. he didn’t add anything here; the result is a disaster, i could barely sit through it.

Dead Man's Wire (2026). 1 hour 44 minutes. directed by Gus Van Sant. a man takes the president of a mortgage company hostage.

film is based on a true story, and it certainly feels quite unusual. Bill Skarsgard is incredibly charismatic in the lead role; the film is worth watching for him alone. Al Pacino appears for literally a few minutes; whether he’s there or not doesn’t really affect the film. his role is most likely a nod to Dog Day Afternoon (1975), where Al Pacino himself played a bank robber with a hostage. the film has an authentic 70s feel to it, judging by the films I’ve watched from that era.

a bit dull, but watchable. the director seems to have used this theme as the story of a small man crushed by big business, and this remains as relevant today as ever.

Bill Skarsgard is very good, of course. and the fact that this story actually happened is just mad. the ending is unusual. there’s documentary footage during the closing credits.

Look Who's Back (2015).1 hour 56 minutes. directed by David Wnendt. Hitler wakes up in Germany in 2014 and begins to use modern media technology to advance his rise to power.

i downloaded it exactly a year ago, but I’ve finally got round to watching this film (it’s on youtube, by the way). the first 10–20 minutes I was still on the fence, but then it really took off, and I watched for nearly two hours in amazement.

it’s an excellent satire that skilfully plays with the boundaries between reality and parody. i was expecting a comedy, but I didn’t expect it to be so dark. the film is at times incredibly funny, shocking and, at the same time, extremely serious. it’s shot almost in a documentary style, which gives it an extra layer of realism.

i can only compare this film to Four Lions (2010). not in terms of plot, but in terms of the style of black comedy, which, despite all its excellent humour, also carries a dark seriousness.

overall, I’m shocked by just how brilliant this film is. the poster is different, but I didn’t want to post it here for obvious reasons. right now, I think the film is even more relevant than it was in 2015.

The Woods (2006). directed by Lucky McKee. In 1965, a young girl is sent to a special school located in a remote forest. she begins to hear voices.

an intriguing film. i suppose I agree with many of the reviews; it’s not even an homage, but more of a peculiar remake of Suspiria (the plot) with a touch of Evil Dead (cinematography), especially as Bruce Campbell himself appears in one of the supporting roles.

the film is beautifully shot. the atmosphere is decent and stylish, but it didn’t feel cohesive. i felt something was missing.

the poor sound balance was very annoying. in a film that regularly relies on jump scares, this is incredibly irritating. in practice, this means there’s a lot of whispering one moment and a barrage of screams and loud sound effects the next. you constantly have to adjust the volume. it really spoiled the overall experience.

overall, a mixed impression. stylish, I’d even say sometimes charming, but not enough horror and lacking that vivid style you see in Argento’s work. such style would be out of place here, of course, but the film simply lacks that certain vivid finishing touch to make it memorable.

Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977). 1 hour 33 minutes. directed by Jindrich Polak. a future in which time travel is a reality. one of a pair of twin brothers dies accidentally, and his brother decides to take his place, but gets involved in a plot to influence the course of the Second World War.

brilliant Czech comedy with time travel at its core. it doesn’t really focus on the technical details; it’s quite a light-hearted comedy. however, all the elements of time travel look intriguing because this is a film from the 70s. it’s an interesting watch and not entirely predictable. the ending was a bit of a surprise.

also, it has a great title, there’s a certain poetry feeling to it. and in the context of the film, it certainly makes sense, of course.

i haven’t watched anything in Czech for ages; it sounds funny.

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Police Squad! (season 1, 1982). 6 episodes, each 24 minutes long. a look at the daily life of a police detective unit.

just two years after Airplane! (1980), its creators made this mini-series. Naturally, it has Leslie Nilsen in the lead role. From 1988 onwards, The Naked Gun would continue this format.

i liked it moderately, certainly didn't love it. it successfully parodies the clichés of 1960s and 1970s police detective series, being very close to them in time. there is a certain pleasant and cosy atmosphere to it. as this style of absurd humour has become rather overused over the years, many of the jokes no longer land. if the series had been longer, it would have been a struggle to finish. however, it is short, so it was not a problem. It was not renewed for a second series.

I don’t really feel like rewatching The Naked Gun at the moment, although I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen the first instalment from 1988.

Eyes of Laura Mars (1978). 1 hour 48 minutes. directed by Irvin Kershner. photographer begins having visions where she sees murders through the killer's eyes.

another American giallo film, but much more average. it almost lulled me to sleep with its slow narrative. although the "killer's eyes" cliche is not uncommon in giallo films, this one set in a completely different environment, with a lot of raw footage of 1970s New York. that's probably the only part of the film I liked.

the actors are famous, but they all overact, especially Faye Dunaway. she and Tommy Lee Jones seemed rather unsuccessful in their roles to me. Brad Dourif is, of course, wonderful, as always.

it's interesting that it's based on a Carpenter story, and I think if Carpenter had directed it himself, it would have been better. he has a much deeper understanding of suspense and the giallo style than this director.

overall, not particularly good, but an interesting film.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026). 2 hours 14 minutes. directed by Gore Verbinski. strange man breaks into a diner, claiming to be from the future and needs several participants to save humanity from some threat.

excellent satire, quirky mix of Black Mirror and 12 Monkeys. it's one of those films that you either immediately like or are turned off by the sheer absurdity, but 12 Monkeys is also quite absurd, just with a different atmosphere.

it's funny that Sam Rockwell looks a lot like Ben Stiller on this poster.

overall, excellent. another one of the best films of 2026.

Pushing Daisies (2 seasons, 2007-2009). 22 episodes, 44 minutes each. created by Bryan Fuller. a local pie baker has the ability to revive the dead, and together with his revived girlfriend, a private detective, and a waitress at his restaurant, they solve various crimes.

an excellent, if slightly too sweet, tv show. it's best watched in moderation. rather eccentric mix of the film "Amélie" and the style of Wes Anderson. vibrant world and characters, interesting rules, very cleverly written dialogue, and, of course, it's a rom-com. such pure, sweet romance. many moments are a joy to watch. the main couple, Lee Pace and Anna Friel, are so sweet! both seasons are consistently high quality.

once again, the lead female character's name is jokingly masculine. in "Dead Like Me," it's George; here, it's Chuck.

the only drawback is, as I already said, the series is too sweetly romantic and should only be watched in limited doses. that's why both seasons took me over 10 days, and I was kind of suffering towards the end. not really my style, very well done, but not quite my style. so, while watching, I often experienced mixed feelings of admiration and boredom.

anyhow, the series is very good, but not for everyone (Amelie and Wes Anderson).

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Dead Like Me (2 seasons, 2003-2004). 29 episodes, each 45 minutes long. Created by Bryan Fuller. A young woman dies tragically, but discovers that there is no afterlife, and she must now work as a Grim Reaper, collecting souls in their final moments.

This is one of those must-watch series from the 2000s. The plot is interesting from the synopsis itself, but the most important thing about it is the characters and the overall tone of the series. There is a certain cynical yet melancholic, yet deeply heartfelt atmosphere, which only intensifies throughout both seasons. The characters develop in depth, and each one is a different world. I really enjoyed the series. As always (judging by this + other one i've already watched), Brian Fuller’s main character is quite infuriating, but the atmosphere and the dynamics of the relationships between the other characters soften this, and everything becomes much more watchable quite quickly.

I really liked the old-school TV-series-style rules of the world, their diner, the notes on scraps of paper. The characters go through an incredible journey of growing up. My favourite is probably Rube, as the centre of the whole group, followed by Delores, who is almost a secondary character, but she is so well written and acted. Watching her throw out quick one-liners here and there, offering a glimpse into her world, is always unexpected and funny.

The Mason and Daisy storyline, which started off as just average, really comes fully into its own fruition in the second season. All the characters reach that level. There are almost no filler episodes in this series—perhaps just one, which was filled with flashbacks for some reason. The main storyline involving George and her family is also excellent. Of course, I can’t help but mention Roxy; she’s brilliant too.

All in all, there are plenty of storylines and a lovely, heart-warming atmosphere. Both seasons are incredibly good, although the second one ended rather unexpectedly; the finale is fairly standard, without any great fanfare. It’s clear they simply didn’t renew it.

The series ends without answering almost any of the questions. Who is Rube receiving the notes from? Is there a deeper meaning to this café? Is there some kind of Plan behind it all? There are many questions, but it leaves an incredibly good impression because of its sincerity, warmth and characters.

Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009). 1 hour 27 minutes. Directed by Stephen Herek. A film that attempts to wrap up the series five years later.

Objectively speaking, it’s not a disaster, but it’s very disappointing for fans of the show. Firstly, the series left too many unresolved storylines, which cannot be properly resolved in such a short time, so everything feels unpleasantly rushed. The focus is mainly on the storyline involving George and her sister, and once again, the key moment when the secret is revealed happens too quickly, unnaturally and foolishly. It’s very unpleasant.

The other characters are ignored as much as possible, and even at that they’re extremely poorly and superficially written here. Rube is missing! He’s the sort of character that, without this particular actor, the film shouldn’t have been made at all. It’s impossible without him. They replaced Daisy; she’s hard to replace, and it didn’t work out here either.

Overall, the film left a nasty impression, as if someone had trampled on fond memories with dirty boots. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Wonderfalls ( season 1, 2004). 13 episodes, each 44 minutes long. created by Bryan Fuller and Todd Holland. A 24-year-old shop assistant in a souvenir shop suddenly finds herself talking to toys and figurines, which compel her to perform random acts to help various people.

A series that is, in my opinion, very overrated. It has an IMDb rating of 8.3. I quite like the plot itself; it has potential, but the main character’s behaviour is annoying and I don’t like the romantic storyline at all. 90% of the series consists of filler episodes.

Nevertheless, I understand why it’s so overrated. Almost all reviews begin with the words ‘I remember’. Everyone watched this series during its original run in 2004. Nostalgia for that time plays a big part here.

I hadn’t even heard of this series before, so I had a fresh perspective. Objectively, it’s average, but towards the end it almost redeems itself through its atmosphere, exuding the warmth of series from that era, though not at its strongest. but the earlier filler episodes had already left me feeling rather negative, writing was pretty bad.

I quite liked the first episode as an introduction; the second episode would have been a filler (Karma Chameleon) had it not been for the very apt philosophical observations of that generation – that is, my generation, essentially. And these observations are still relevant overall. After that, the whole season is simply unbearable, and episodes 11–12 are the best. That’s exactly what the series should have been like! too little too late though. The 13th episode, the finale, is a 50–50 split: the plot’s fine, but the ending itself is a let-down.

I don’t know, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it, unless you watched it when you were younger and can look back on it through rose-tinted glasses. The series only ran for one season; it wasn’t renewed.

I’ve heard good things about two other series by Bryan Fuller from around the same time. I haven’t watched them, but I keep coming across the titles.

Poker Face (season 2, 2025). 12 episodes, each around 50 minutes. continuation of the Charlie's story, who can spot a lie at a glance. she still stumbles upon her new ‘cases’ by chance.



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Preservation (2014). 1 hour 28 minutes. director Christopher Denham. three people go hiking in the forests of California and are hunted by unseen strangers.

this slasher is not particularly impressive. once again, you have to wait an hour, and the last 30 minutes are not satisfactory. its main problem is that the characters do stupid things, not once, not twice, not thrice, but multiple times, and at the same time, the second half does not make up for all this. there are many inconsistencies, such as the main character becoming Rambo-like. all these character arc swings puzzled me; it turned out to be too unbalanced.

the main character is played by Wrenn Schmidt, whom I instantly recognised by her voice, and then I googled her and found out she played Margo (who defected to the Soviet Union) in the series For All Mankind.

overall, not the best, but watchable slasher. better to watch Killing Ground (2016).

Cherry 2000 (1987). 1 hour 39 minutes. director Steve De Jarnatt, his debut film. in the distant future, in 2017, an android wife's circuits burn out, and her husband (a human) sets off into uncontrolled territory to find her exact replica. he hires a female tracker to help him.

rather sweet and heartfelt B movie. the first 15 minutes are probably the best, because they show the distant world of the future in 2017. sexual relations between people are regulated (as I understand it) and it is impossible to meet someone without a special lawyer and contract. android wives are common. it all looks extremely unusual, but it's still a plausible future/present especially nowadays.

then Mad Max begins, which I found mostly boring. usual package: desert, car chases, shootouts. the ending is sweet and leaves a pleasant impression.

for some reason, whenever I saw this poster, I thought Melanie Griffith was an android, but she's a tracker.

this director only made two films, after which he worked exclusively on television series. i really liked his Miracle Mile (1988), and what's funny is that this film, although made earlier, can be considered its sequel.

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Palmetto (1998). 1 hour 54 minutes. director Volker Schlondorff. a recently released man finds himself involved in a fake kidnapping and ransom scheme that doesn't go according to plan.

a decent neo-noir with lots of twists in the second half that turn the plot upside down every time. these plot twists are not new, but they still work.

Elisabeth Shue is excellent as the femme fatale, and there is even an unexpected role for Chloë Sevigny. overall, it's a worthy addition to the neo-noir genre, even if the plot is not the most original in a noir context, the execution is good and the atmosphere is strong.

Sightseers (2012). 1 hour 28 minutes. director Ben Wheatley. a couple sets off on a road trip to visit local attractions, but the journey turns into something much darker.

i may have seen it before, but I'm not sure. brilliant dark comedy with some twists which i will not spoil, so i don't know what to write really. most importantly, the jokes are funny! i enjoyed it.

Nowhere to Hide (1999). 1 hour 37 minutes (korean cut). director Lee Myung-se. a police officer is on the trail of a dangerous criminal who keeps slipping away.

very difficult watch for me. a film from a period when i couldn't stand most of korean mainstream cinema. it has a lot of energy, but no form. this is one of those films where style greatly exceeds substance. the main thing here is to show how, not what, but the problem is that this style is either very outdated or i just don't like it at all. perhaps in 1999 i would have had a different opinion.

i watched the korean cut. it turns out there is an international cut that is 12 minutes longer. i still haven't found what they cut out.

all this jerky slow-mo and cheap editor photo slide show in action scenes (and not only in them) was very difficult for me to endure. and of course the rain, because as we all know, rain was invented by koreans. it only happens twice (i think), but that period of korean cinema was rainy. the plot is even difficult to discuss, with a redneck cop and his comical ‘gangsters’ screaming and running around with sticks.

overall, i think this film has aged badly. not worth watching. mainstream Korean cinema has grown incredibly since that period. i mean mainstream specifically, because there have certainly always been good films (that's a fact), but if you take the mainstream as a whole, there were too many specific, overused clichés that i don't tolerate well.

now it's like night and day. popular Korean cinema is complex and subtly told in its best examples. i'm constantly shocked by how skillfully they do it, but not in this film of course.

Leatherface (2017). 1 hour 30 minutes. directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. young Leatherface escapes from a mental hospital with a hostage nurse.

from the directors who previously made the famous Inside (2010), a masterpiece of New French Extremity.

this film is a prequel to TCM (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and that is its big mistake. as a prequel, the bar is set too high, and they clearly did not reach it, which is why imdb is full of negative reviews.

however, as a regular horror film, if you don't tie it to the TCM name, it's excellent. very fast paced, gore is incredible, there's a lot of blood, i don't even know how they filmed it. the actors are good, it's extremely entertaining to watch, I liked it.

of course, it's not the New French Extremity, but still there are many good scenes. that's why I disagree with the negative reviews. what difference does it make if it's a prequel or a sequel? for me, the names Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury are a very different genre in itself, and it's only because of them that I watched this film.