Far too much concentration on a relentless series of bloody, sadistic atrocities, committed by pantomime villains, against stock character, seemingly helpless farmers who are trying to resist a railroad land- grab. Even Borgnine, Boxleitner and Van Dien fail to lift this beyond the hackneyed, mundane and largely predictable horse opera which it patently is. Character development is shallow and unresolved, and the limited dialogue also limits any engaging plot development. Even the slight twist at the end, as regards the ultimate demise of the chief "badhat" comes across as a desperate, but ineffective ploy to at least try to depart from total predictability. Just about worth a watch on a rainy afternoon, but not if you've anything even remotely more interesting to do... which would not be hard to find.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Crucible of the Vampire
(2019)
Just about worth a watch
6 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
If this film had ever decided what it wanted to be, it might have got somewhere. Vampire tale, ghost story, mystery thriller, cult story? Who knows. I also found the acting and dialogue rather wooden and unconvincing at times, and character and relational development never really got anywhere, with the result that the whole was rather unconvincing. I would imagine that the only actor in it with any viable street cred, i.e. Neil Morrissey, will not see it as one of his finer forays into cinematic art. There are also far too many nods to other, more worthy offerings from, for example, Hammer Horror, but this film is just not in the same class. Also a rather slow burner, although both the action and the bloodletting did accelerate somewhat in the final quarter of an hour or so. All in all, I felt that this a rather amateurish production, although to be fair, it did just about hold my interest enough nfor me to watch it through to the end.
Bloodlands
(2021–2022)
Disappointing
28 November 2022
I managed to watch three of the six episodes of this story before the sheer implausibility of the storyline defeated me, and I gave up. I'm quite prepared to suspend disbelief, but this was a bridge too far for me. I've enjoyed James Nesbitt's performance in other productions, but this one was certainly not one of his best. Yes, he was probably constrained by the dodgy plot line, but there was far too much reliance on "meaningful", cold-eyed stares, and shifty sideways glances. Also, the repeated reliance on ineffective surveillance allowing the villains to obtain easy access to their victims was most unconvincing. Characterisation was shallow throughout, and I found it difficult to engage with any of the prime movers. If there is ever a series three, which the largely unresolved and unsatisfactory ending left as a possibility, I won't be watching it.
Bloodlands
(2022)
Implausible
28 November 2022
I managed to watch three of the six episodes of this series until the sheer implausibility of the story got too much for me, and I gave up. I'm quite prepared to suspend disbelief to a certain extent, but this was a bridge too far for me. Too many plot holes, and an over reliance on ineffective surveillance allowing villains to get close to their targets. I was also disappointed with Nesbitt's performance, and his reliance on so-called meaningful stares or shifty, sideways glances. Characterisation was quite shallow, and I never managed to really engage with any of the prime movers. If there is ever a series 3, which the unconvincing ending certainly left open, I won't be watching it.
A Town Like Alice
(1956)
A Great Movie with Timeless Appeal
19 October 2022
Superb characterisation, and outstanding performances from the two leads, Peter Finch and Virginia McKenna, which portrays the dreadful fate of those who were captured by the invading Japanese in Malaya and Singapore. The clash between the two cultures is convincingly highlighted, in this tale of survival against all the odds. Well worth a watch, or in my case a repeat watch.
One minor historical "goof".. the Army truck which transports the escaping colonials to the place where they are eventually captured has a large, five-pointed white star painted on its bonnet. Singapore fell in February 1942. The white star was first introduced on American vehicles in August 1942, and was not widely used on all Allied vehicles until 1943.
One minor historical "goof".. the Army truck which transports the escaping colonials to the place where they are eventually captured has a large, five-pointed white star painted on its bonnet. Singapore fell in February 1942. The white star was first introduced on American vehicles in August 1942, and was not widely used on all Allied vehicles until 1943.
Britannia
(2017–2021)
Enjoyable Hokum
12 February 2020
Come on all you Ancient History nerds... lighten up. This series doesn't pretend to be even mildly historically accurate. Surely the Donovan "Hurdy Gurdy Man" theme tune is a bit of a giveaway? Beautifully filmed, and with strong performances from many leading actors, characterisation is well-defined, and this is no mere sword and sandals battle-fest, although there is certainly enough gore for those who are that way inclined. So sit back and enjoy it. Personally, I can't wait for series 2. :-)
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