#Greg McLean

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[the-evil-dead]

The Belko Experiment (2016)

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The Belko Experiment (2016) dir. Greg McLean

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Movie #40 of 2024: Jungle

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Rogue (2007) dir. Greg McLean

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#69: The Belko Experiment (2016, dir. by Greg McLean)

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Jungle (2017)

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Movie Review | Wolf Creek (McLean, 2005)

This review contains mild spoilers.

However else I felt about this movie, I must concede that John Jarratt's character is a great horror movie villain. Other characters essentially make this comparison, but the most succinct way to describe him would be to call him an evil Crocodile Dundee. His early scenes place him at the razor's edge between affable and sinister, his pauses just a little too long to make you question how clearly he grasps the protagonists' condescension. If you watch these early scenes, and hear one of the protagonists mockingly trot out the "That's not a knife" line, knowing that this is a horror movie, one might expect a version of this where the villain is specifically triggered by these insults and is taking his revenge to teach these snobby city slickers a lesson.

That's not how the movie progresses, and this is one thing I appreciated, despite this trafficking in the deeply unpleasant torture-style violence that was in vogue at the time. This is a depiction of unmotivated evil. There's no moralistic element to the violence, like in Saw, no attempted message like in Martyrs, two movies I don't much care for. This is just something awful that happens and as the viewer you're just going to have to deal with it. That being said, I want to stress that I found the torture sequences deeply unpleasant, and my awareness that it contained such imagery is why I put off watching it for quite some time despite the movie's generally positive reputation. I don't consider myself particularly squeamish, but to the extent extreme violence in movies works for me, it's elevated by the energy and style in delivering these images. The torture here is captured in unfussy setups and the dark digital grain of early HD cameras. What you're seeing is unvarnished, prolonged, taunting cruelty.

So, the raison d'etre for this movie is something I have trouble getting behind, although I must concede that parts of this are quite tense, particularly the ominous aura emanating from Jarratt's silhouette anytime it's seen onscreen, and the unforgiving atmosphere of the landscapes as they're captured in the cold digital cinematography. There's even a great jump scare and a sniper / car chase sequence, even if both end in the bleakest possible ways. There is a character slip-up that bugged me, when Jarratt is knocked out while holding a knife, and a character fails to make use of it and instead fumbles with a gun, which I might be able to forgive elsewhere as panic but find a lazy contrivance here to prolong the cruelty.

[squirrellyshorrorreviews]

Jungle (2017)

A group of friends join a guide for a trek into the Bolivian jungle, searching for an Indian village. The men soon realize that the jungle is a difficult place to be.

Director/Writer: Greg McLean (Director), Justin Monjo (writer), Yossi Ghinsberg (writer).

Production House: Babber Films, Cutting Edge, Screen Australia

Runtime: 1h 55m

where to watch: hulu

rating: 6/10

preface: I recommend anyone planning to watch this go in as blind as possible.

This is a suspense thriller that builds tension INCREDIBLY well. It uses diegetic elements as often as possible (one thing I praise in my notes is using the moon to convey the passage of time.)

I loved it as a character study and Dan Radcliffe kills it despite being largely alone in a man vs environment narrative for a solid 2/3 of the movie. He plays Yossi’s breakdown incredibly well.

the practical effects are solid; all the body horror is pretty good at first watch. Some of it even got a genuine recoil out of me. So kudos to the FX department there.

my only caveat is that it drags in the last act. I could make an argument for that being intentional, but I don’t want to at this juncture.

What got me, because I went in blind, was just HOW based on true events it is. They include pictures of the various people it’s based on during the Breakfast Club close. It painted the whole movie in a different light at the end.

[spryfilm]

Blu-ray review: “Wolf Creek” (2005)

“Wolf Creek” (2005) Horror Running Time: 109 minutes Written and directed by: Greg McLean Featuring: Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi and John Jarratt Mick Taylor: “I’m going to do something now they used to do in Vietnam. It’s called making a head on a stick.” Critical Commentary “Wolf Creek”, directed by Greg McLean and released in 2005, is a renowned Australian horror…

[oldshowbiz]

Hockey Night in Canada (1994)

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Peter Green's OTHER Les Paul Sunburst- circa '79- early 80s, given to him by Mick Fleetwood.

[jazzdailyblog]

Rashied Ali: The Innovator of Free Jazz Drumming

Introduction: Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson ninety-one years ago today on July 1, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz. Known for his innovative approach to free jazz drumming, Ali played a crucial role in shaping the genre and left an indelible mark on the music world through his collaborations, recordings, and unique style.…

[benisasoftboi]

Taskmaster (2015 - present)

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Here are the fics I posted for aro week, all nice and orderly for your easy access:

"Title [with link]," fandom - aro character(s) (and nonaro character) - word count

"Maybe Just a Best Friend," Welcome to the Table - Florida (and Loui) - 567

"Someone to Love," Boy Meets World - Shawn (and Cory) - 642

"Farm and Own Guns," WttT - Illinois - 215

"Full of Love," Percy Jackson - Piper - 256

"The Beginning of Something New," WttT - Coast Guard and Greg - 769

"The Aro Siblings," Ninjago - Nya and Kai - 837

"Normal is Overrated," WttT - Nevada (and Utah) - 389

I wrote most of this within the space of, like, half an hour at most, so that's why they're short and, well, not my most polished work. (Sorry, aro week crept up on me haha.) But y'know, oh well! I put effort in and I think they're half decent, and god knows there needs to be more aro rep in fanfics, so I'm trying to help out with that. Hope y'all enjoy, and happy arospec week!

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When we start working here, they put tracers. They implanted them in the back of our heads. What if they're rigged to explode?

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (2016) Directed by Greg McLean