gremma Reviews

Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)

Formula boredom has set in . . . used to love it

[4/10 · 7 December 2013]

I hate it when a series starts out fresh and interesting and then bends into the boring predictable "formula" drama series. We used to have guys we loved and guys we hate, now I don't see the difference; who's the good guys and who's the bad guys? You really need characters you root for, and others you can't wait to see them beaten out of their victory. I can't tell the difference from or the other this season, there isn't one character I care about anymore. SAMCROW used to care about the town and many residents knew that and were happy they were there, not anymore, old alliances seem to have vanished due to the open violence, killings, and beatings. Sorry Kurt, you had it going good; then all the flip flops, hate her-love her, love him now he's doing what the last bad guy did, or worse-he's dead. Your good guys are bad guys or don't stand a chance. Your good guys are hard to tell from the bad guys. Everyone I used to like is dead or is easily stepping into the bad guy's shoes very well, so they are not good guys anymore. I loved that you originally based your story line on King Lear but that whole story is long gone. You have successfully killed off great characters and a great story line that was original and kept you in front of the TV on Tuesday nights. I'm sorry, when I miss it now I don't even record it, I'm not rooting for anyone now. It was so good and I loved it. Now it is just convoluted. Sad good-bye.

Bridezillas (2004– )

Mush brain TV

[1/10 · 3 August 2012]

I have never watched this show before EVER. Just seeing the ads for it while watching a movie is enough. I hope and pray there are not really women acting this on the day they are to exchange vows with the man they love. This is just actors isn't it? God I hope so, a woman really acting like this is too selfish to be a wife or mother. Love is a gift, that two people are lucky enough to find one-another in this crazy world. A woman more concerned about appearance than vows of love should do a nice guy a favor and leave him alone. When ads for this come on I can't change the channel fast enough, I don't want to see any of these self centered, selfish, self important, spoiled people, in fact, they should be put down, otherwise they will pass these excellent values onto their children IF they are not too selfish to have children. This is an awful show, in fact the only time I watch your network at all is if you have a decent movie on. Have we really sunk so low that the common denominator are temper tantrums? An awful, awful display on human behavior.

Burlesque (I) (2010)

Bravo!!! More, more!

[7/10 · 28 August 2011]

BRAVO! How wonderful to see this lost art. Christina Aguilera was very smart to produce this terrific musical. Burlesque is unfamiliar to so many they may completely alien to its appeal. Not a strip club, but still very sexual in nature. The story behind it all was secondary, as in most musicals like Coyote Ugly. Burlesque has received many bad reviews I believe it does not deserve. Our most beloved and successful musicals started on Broadway, some made over and over again like Chicago, the others had much time to be adapted, to take out the slow periods, add more character to a character, rewrite parts, and take out bland numbers, jazz up other numbers like, to perfect them by the time they went to film like, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, A Chorus Line, My Fair Lady, Grease, All That Jazz and Chicago which ran three times on Broadway, once with Bob Fosse as the choreographer; this is why they are icons in our memory. Burlesque captured the music perfectly, the dancing not so bad, and absolutely the singing, the back story wasn't nurtured the way the rest of the movie was, but then, I didn't really expect it would. This generation doesn't not know anything about burlesque shows anyway, thank God we didn't have to endure any hokey comedians in between songs while the girls changed costumes. The cast was wonderful, the songs were great, and the choreography was so enjoyable. The back story, well give it a few runs on Broadway and let a few writers go through it and that will even be as nurtured as the rest of the movie. Christina Aguilera couldn't be lovelier and her voice is absolutely awesome. Cher, geez will she ever age? All though she seemed to lose her singer diva title next Christina's voice, but who wouldn't? How could Stanley Tucci be bad in anything? His performance was wonderful as usual. Cam Gigandet was not a complete new comer, but was great as the romantic lead. I think Christine was brave in backing this movie. When we all got to leave we all said, geez, I wish there was a place like to go to around here, we'd go in a minute. What fun to go to a Burlesque place on the weekend. Someone, please have the sense to open a few clubs like this!!

Avatar (2009)

Avatar is merely a history lesson . . .

[8/10 · 20 February 2011]

It is a very well done movie; the set is as lovely as I imagine North American was when whites first arrived. Avatar is merely a history lesson, one that had been taught oh so incorrectly in U.S. Schools for 300 years. It is the true story of North America's "Eden" before white people came here and ruined it all with its greed, disrespect, intolerance, and complete lack of concern for the indigenous people's rights, culture, experience, and complete lack of respect. It certainly is not an original story, unless you never really looked at our true history. Look at the way Treaties kept moving Indians away from what they wanted, gold, silver, nickel, copper, coal, everything of value. They pushed Indians to the most useless patch of dirt they could find-Oklahoma, then oil was discovered and they had to once again change their treaties. Of the hundreds of treaties made with all the tribes the U.S. kept - 0.

It was exactly as Avatar showed it, yeah, yeah, you can have whatever you want except your land, your culture, your children, or your rightful place where your ancestors have cherished generation after generation. It wasn't an original story, but I am glad some one told it. They did leave out taking the children from their homes and families, but everything else was true. I only hope the people who saw this movie understood they were seeing their own history.

It was very well told, the characters really drew you into the story. The blend of people who understood, or tried to understand the people vs. the government who only wanted to rape the land, make a name for themselves, make money and jobs for their people, and the military who couldn't wait to go kick butt.

Indians did not believe is killing except only for what they needed, they believed man and creatures shared this earth and it required monitoring not to over hunt or over fish to keep things flourishing would be to their advantage.

All of you need to read "The Great White Father" this shows the history of Native tribes with the U.S. government, how they literally spoke out the sides of their mouths.

Now if any movies could show the atrocities, the amazing leadership that did exist in some tribes, the heroes of different tribes, but how we had no chance, even when we did exactly as they asked of us "The Five Civilized Tribes." We could not win. Trouble is, we still can't; our children are not becoming rich, not even getting an education; just for the gold alone taken from our land, all Indians should get at least a 4 year degree. They talk about restitution for Blacks, if they get restitution then Indians, for sure, deserve restitution for all the valuable ore, industrial minerals, timber, and water taken everyday.

Avatar made me cry because it was out story, our story as a Box Office Hit, more money we'll never see. Look, look what white people have done for the people who "gave" them this great country. Then watch the movie again. We're still waiting for our reward.

Trauma (2009–2010)

Only show I really looked forward to watching!

[8/10 · 10 February 2010]

Trauma became a no miss in my TV week. So many of the shows on the schedule now start out being different, like Nip/Tuck, it was fascinating to watch the surgical part that I knew nothing about, then it just turned into a soap opera like all the others. It had great possibilities, but it took the the easy way. I loved Six Feet Under, what a great concept, the corpse talking to the guy who had something valuable to add to what was happening in his life; then soap opera or worse made me rather watch cartoons, anything rather than that. Now Trauma comes along, it is new, fresh, and very rewarding. It had so many things I didn't know and had never even thought of. Some people have said it wasn't completely accurate in all ways, but it was so exciting, edge of your sit stuff--who cares! The characters are interesting and likable and the cases were very interesting. How they become so familiar with their city and its "regulars" and what lengths they go to to help injured people. I like this so much more than ER or Grey's Anatomy. After watching a few episodes of this I wanted to go into my local firehouse and thank them for being who they are and doing what they do. I think it is a show with everything it takes to be a hit, it exciting, it's informative, it's engaging, it seems very real to me, and I have come to care about these characters. Now if it can keep it's edge and not fall into soap opera hell, it will be a big hit. Though I know it's a fine line to walk to let us know more about the characters, but not go to far and make it a soap opera. I thought the first season was top-notch. I am looking forward for more, more, more! Love it, keep 'em coming!

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)

Eternal love can be contagious

[9/10 · 1 October 2009]

Mrs. Palfrey (Joan Plowright) plays and widow who has chosen independence over life living with family and feeling an inconvenient. She moves to London to a Retirement Hotel, there she meets several "characters" no of whom she finds similar to herself. So she experiences a different type of loneliness, one that leaves her with the loving memories of her husband. Not fitting into the flow of the hotel guests she tries to contact her only grandson who also lives in London, but receives no reply to her attempts. She then writes, what she hopes, is a letter that does not sound desperate, to her daughter about the complete absence of her grandson. Upon leaving the hotel to mail the letter she is asked by one of the hotel guests to pick up a book being held for her at the library. On her way back she happens to have a slip and fall on the sidewalk which, unknown to her, is in front the flat of a young man (Rupert Friend) who runs out to render aid. He is a charming young man who supplies first aide and a cup of tea before putting her into a taxi to go home.

Mrs. Palfrey upon returning to the hotel is plagued by curious questions from the guests as why she was gone for so long. As Mrs. Plafrey goes about to try and explain, it is taken for granted by the guests that she was with her grandson, which she does not deny as they all know she has been trying to arrange to see him. Now she is in too deep to get out and simply goes along with the story. She being the lady she is wishes to thank "Ludy" for his kindness anyway uses this opportunity to inform him of the "story" brewed up by the hotel guests and invites him to dine with her at the hotel. She so wants a grandson to show off in front of the guests anyway. Ludy accepts her invitation and to go along with the story to entertain the guests and make Mrs. Palfrey happy. I believe he secretly does not understand how any family could ignore this wonderful lady in the first place.

With this basis the play goes on in wonderful form. Mrs. Palfrey and Ludy become special friends. Ludy whose own relationship with his mother has slipped and Mrs. Palfrey who has no contact with her family so they adopt each other as family. Ludy looking for answers to life finds many of them from Mrs. Palfrey; and Mrs. Palfrey finds a way to relive her wonderful days of being in love. It is the perfect symbiotic relationship. Mrs. Palfrey gets to go to the happy past she misses and remember the happy times with her husband; and Ludy gets to see what he didn't know or understand about love.

The performances are perfect, the movie moves very well, never slowing or stumbling, both lives are enriched by the friendship both enjoying the deception.

I have no idea why this movie never made it to the big screen or why it did not receive more attention. Rupert Friend is indeed a find, a wonderful actor who is also very easy on the eyes. Nothing need be said about Joan Plowright, she is a legend and has already shown that she can easily play any character, and very well.

Constellation (2005)

A Bunch of Reasons not to love

[8/10 · 27 September 2009]

A very interesting movie showing the different lives of people as they gather for the funeral of, what would appear to be, the center of their Constellation. Told in small stories one at a time of each character seem to be reasons why they have not, and why some do not, choose love in their life now. I feel most for the man who has arranged the gathering at the woman's request. A white man who loved a black woman in Alabama in the 40's and 50's and could not show their love because of the times they lived in and the place they lived. His is one of great regret at not taking this woman for wife no matter what the world thought. I'm sure there are many stories of beautiful love that got wasted in a time they lived in, what religion and class told them, it is tragic that these things happened. True love, a meeting of souls happens so rarely to let it pass, to not act on it is the greatest waste of what life has to offer.

The Green Mile (1999)

Credit where credit is due

[8/10 · 5 September 2009]

The Green Mile is absolutely my favorite Stephen King movie. It is the only one that starts out well and continues being very good to the end. Many of the others seemed to start out well, had a good plot idea, held your interest, but then towards the end unraveled, almost as if someone was hurrying him to finish. The Green Mile was nearly flawless. The characters were well defined, and very well acted. We definitely came to have an opinion of them, some we liked very much and some we really did not like, especially "Wild Bill," could there be a character we dislike more? Percy was a very close second, someone we did not like at all. It made you wonder exactly which side of the bars Percy should have been on, as mean and nasty as he could be. I was actually surprised when I found out it was a Stephen King based novel. I don't mean to take away from his writing, once handed over to Hollywood, the person writing the screen play may not have an understanding how the characters were woven together and how important it was to leave the "weaving" completely unchanged to keep the tone of the story. I'm sure Stephen King is big enough now to get writers' approval of what has been done, if he's not writing the screenplay himself. The Green Mile was perfectly woven, the good guys were good, and the bad guys were bad, I mean you really did not like them at all. I didn't even like "Wild Bill" in the next movie he appeared in remembering the evil character he played in this film. I found it so disarming that the regular guards, Paul (Tom Hanks); Brutus (David Morse); Dean (Barry Pepper); and Harry (Jeffrey DeMunn) of "The Green Mile" were so calm, and made an effort to make an atmosphere pleasant for these men who were doomed to die anyway. I hadn't even thought about it one way or the other; they are bad men, why would we want to be civil with them at all? But the way they thought of them, they were found guilty and they are going to die, treating them like the animals they acted like was not necessary, they were already getting the maximum punishment, that provocation would only make them more dangerous, after all, they have nothing left to lose, it pays to treat them with dignity and respect, which had they ever been treated that way in the past maybe they wouldn't be there at all, keeping them calm and relaxed so that they are less trouble. They had a good thing going until Percy was transferred to The Mile. This man was sadistic, and felt he was "bullet-proof" as far as his job was concerned since his Mother was the Governor's wife. No rules applied to Percy, he did what he wanted when he wanted, there was a part of him that belonged on the other side of the bars. John Coffey saw this in him, and definitely saw Wild Bill for who he was, a "gift" John was tired of dealing with on a weekly, daily, hourly basis, seeing into the hearts and minds of people during the depression, heck, probably anytime, and seeing the darkness of souls is something I wouldn't consider a "gift" either. His true "gift" was that he could heal people. The scene in which he first "sees" what is in the Warden's wife and then removes it is very powerful. You see her at first visibly very ill and not in her right mind, then you see John Coffey take it out and she looks like herself again. She knows she is grateful to him, but not why; it is a very moving scene. John my not seem smart but he sure does the smart thing; he takes the brain tumor from the warden's wife and then gives it to Percy, who then takes out his gun out and shoots "Wild Bill," he got both cruel men with one single act. It was true justice. Then Paul (Tom Hanks) and the other guards come to realization that they are going to have to kill this man; knowing he is innocent, and understanding that he has a gift to heal people; but they do not know what cost this gift has, so they don't understand he'd rather end it all so he can stop hearing all the bad things in people's minds. He is a black man in 1930's, so kindness is not what he sees in those minds. Just for being who he is will automatically bring out the worst of white people in the South. He'd consider it a favor if they would put and end to it all, but to give Paul a glimpse of what he sees everyday he "shows" Paul what he's seen to convince him that killing him would be like putting down a wounded animal. Putting people down must not be a very good job, but like the rest of the earth's species, there are many born with malady's that make them unfit to move with the regular heard. If there was a way to simply "exile" them from the populous, like the animal kingdom does, though many do also simply kill them. But if you do this for a living, it must be very difficult if you do not have an attitude and set of standards to stick to that makes it as simple as it can be. Best Stephen King movie I've ever seen, it is a very good movie, a little dark, but if you watch the news every night, you know the dark side exists in all of us, and shows itself more often in many. Very good movie!

Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

Romance is the spice of life

[9/10 · 23 April 2009]

What a wonderful reminder of how important romance is at any age; no matter how long you're been married or how old you are, romance is the spice of life, and you can have with the person you've been lying next to for 20 minutes or 20 years.

Brando and Dunaway are wonderful. Johnny, well, he was superb, even this old lady would not have minded finding herself in his path of one-night stands during his journey. What he said is so true, what a woman is, mostly, is a reflection of what you show her. Every woman is beautiful, question is, is the man man enough to bring it out in her? Here the psychiatrist has been married all those years, about to retire and because he listens to the stories of one last young male patient who finds beauty in every woman, the doctor, almost contagiously, brings these feelings of romance home to a wife who has been waiting years for him to look for this side of her.

The Notebook (2004)

One can only hoped to be loved that much.

[8/10 · 16 August 2008]

To me as good as any love story. A perfect cast. The lovers, Noah and Allie (McAdams and Gosling) passionate for each other, supported by impressive parents, Noah's father, Sam Shepard, who plays a simple country man, happy with his son and his life; and Allie's mother, Joan Allen, a wealthy southern lady who wants better for her daughter than Noah. The story teller, Duke (James Garner) reading from "The Notebook" to Mrs. Calhoun in the retirement home, played by Director Nick Cassavetes' mother, Gena Rowlands who has memory problems.

As complicated as it sounds watching it is easy. The cuts from the past to present are well done. We all understand at different points in the movie that Mrs. Calhoun is married to Duke but does not remember him, especially in the scene when their children come to visit and their mother does not know who they are leaving them hurt and wishing for their father to return home because he is missed; how will she know he is not there or feel abandoned if she doesn't even know who he is? We get to see how they fell in love, how they almost lost each other and how their love would never die; and Duke (aka Noah) believes this with all his heart. In the final scenes we learn that the "Notebook" of their love story is written by Allie herself. She wrote it upon learning she would start to forget, she wrote it for Noah to read to her so she would remember; and she does. Every once and a while Allie comes back, remembers all, and she and Noah are in love again, but it is only temporary, sometimes only a few minutes, and she not only forgets but becomes frighten of Noah, breaking his heart, literally. Noah has had a few heart attacks. The scene when she remembers and then forgets is heart breaking. James Garner and Gena Rowlands' performance is powerful and heart wrenching.

What a heart warming story. Makes you hopeful about passion and love.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

What a great idea of a movie!

[8/10 · 22 June 2008]

I don't remember this movie in theaters or what critics had to say about it. Then it occurred to me that it opened in later 2001 in theaters around here. Then I realized it went unnoticed because everyone was consumed with The Trade Center.

A successful movie needs to have interesting or likable characters with a great relationship. The relationship between William, Roland, Geoff, Kate, and Wat (Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser, and Alan Tudyk) was interesting, comical, and dynamic.

The movie's soundtrack kept many people from enjoying this movie, but that's their loss. It was well written and well acted. The characters drew us into their world very well. There were many very good scenes, some funny, some touching, and some heart tugging. The scene when Roland and Geoff (Addy, Bettany) are teaching William (Ledger) to dance is hilarious. Near the end of the movie when William's true identity is discovered and he is being advised to run is moving to the point you may even find yourself voicing your own vote. The heart tugging scene for me was when William, upon returning to London, finds his father. William goes to his old neighborhood and finds out from speaking with a little girl that not only his father (Christopher Cazenove) still alive but is now blind. William goes to his father as a Knight bringing him news of his son. The father inquires first if his son is alive, then is he well, and then asks, has he followed his feet (a reference from an earlier scene) and William responds that he has. They have a wonderful reunion.

The events and characters were interesting enough that I would gladly have gone to a sequel of this movie (too late now). I enjoyed the movie very much and the soundtrack.

Broken Bridges (2006)

Bravo!

[8/10 · 21 April 2008]

The movie has rich characters, a good story, and is very well paced. Many times when a movie has great music it is to hide a dull script, not here, this music simply makes it a must see!

Excellent character portrayal by Tobey Keith, Kelly Preston, and Lindsey Haun, who is a show stealer. Tess Harper is always just a joy to watch in almost anything she does and she doesn't disappoint here. The story follows Bo Price (Toby Keith,) a Country Singer, on his way down, who is called home when his brother, and 4 other boys from his hometown are killed in a training exercise in the Army. One of the boys is the brother of Bo's high school sweetheart, Angela (Kelly Preston) who was pregnant when he ran out on her. The funerals in the hometown bring the long lost lovers together and introduce father, Bo, to his daughter Dixie (Lindsey Haun), who is also a musician. Their stories are interesting and believable. Entertaining and love the music.

Stick It (2006)

I guess I'm in the minority, old, but still enjoyed the movie!

[8/10 · 9 March 2008]

Well, I didn't see this as a 'teeny booper' movie, I am what people might call 'old' but enjoyed this movie very much. It had all the components necessary to make it an enjoyable film; believable situation, interesting characters, a challenge, a little different kind of 'victory,' and a happy ending.

The lead actress, Missy Peregrym, besides being a knock-out, was highly believable as a gymnastic competitor, if she's a complete novice, then she is one hell as an actress. You can't 'act' muscles like that, they were real. I hope we see a lot more of Missy in the future. Whoever wrote the script must have had first hand knowledge about the sport for it did not seem forced or faked in any way.

The 'kalidescope' effect of the practice made it more interesting. I have always found the training for a sport to be of interest. We always see champions, but seeing how they got there is also interesting. We normal people usually have no idea what it takes to get there. Like Amy Irving in "The Competition," it was interesting to see them practicing, what a piano coach might be like, and the price they pay for being champions. I believe the training in "Rocky" is part of what made people so taken with the character.

All in all it was well put together and entertaining.

Atonement (2007)

I did not see what everyone else seemed to see.

[5/10 · 6 February 2008]

I found "Atonement" not to be the same movie everyone is "ga-ga" over. I must have missed something that they saw in this movie. Maybe those who read the book had a better understanding of its characters. I thought the beginning of the movie to about maybe half way through was very good. It was filmed so we could see what Broiny (Saoirse Ronan) saw, then what actually happened. The movie flip-flopped in time to accomplish this, it was a bit confusing at first. Once we realize that this is what's happening, you just follow along. Once the situation is out in the open, the movie then asks us to be concerned for its characters, but we don't know them. All we have seen is that the truth has been twisted. All I felt about it was I couldn't believe all the adults believed the child above everyone else. No one asked why she believed as she did, that most was taken out of context. Why wasn't Kiera Knightly's character more influential in stating the true character of "Robbie" than a teenager? I didn't know Ceceila (Kiera Knightly) or Robbie (James McAvoy) enough to truly feel anything. We had no idea what the relationship between Ceciela and Broiny was, did they battle each other for attention? Were they jealous of one another? or were they very close? Not enough to involve me. It struck me that Broiny's love for the written word did not propel her to seek to have the ones in the letter better explained to her, to ask if Ceceila was offended by them.

The actors seemed to know their characters even if we did not, and the acting was very good. The cinematography was beautiful, perfect lighting. The clothing looked especially well done, quite to the era. The score was brilliant, inserting the typewriter into the music was very well done. If I had known more about the characters, at least enough to care about them, maybe I would feel more about the movie. I am not a fan of soap opera maybe this is the key ingredient necessary to see the awe everyone else seems to see in this movie. Maybe I went to this movie with expectations. I know for other Best Picture movies I did not find myself looking at my watch to see if it was almost over as I did with this movie. If the movie's intent was injustice, it was.

The Brave One (2007)

How did the critics miss this one!

[8/10 · 6 February 2008]

Take an excellent director and half a dozen seasoned professionals actors, a good script and you have one hell of a good movie. I was very surprised that this did not get more attention. I never felt that Erica was over-the-top. I could see how she got where she did, and I could see how easy it would be for me to get there as well. No one plans to get there, it just takes one step at a time. That first killing was necessary, if she hadn't killed him, he would have killed her, she was a witness to him murdering his wife. Maybe if the first killing hadn't been necessary, she would have stopped. It was laid out perfectly, the audience took the steps with her. She couldn't imagine walking the streets of New York alone and unprotected after what she experienced, so she bought a gun. I related to that immediately. Jody Foster was right on target, as usual. Terrence Howard was also right on target, a very human cop. This was a very well done movie, no one was made out to be a hero, they were all too human. Bravo!

Nobody's Fool (1994)

What a great movie! Newman is like wine, the older the better

[9/10 · 9 January 2008]

What a great movie! Superb writing, superb casting, superb acting. A film this rich is indeed a pleasure to watch from beginning to end. It's so amazing to see Paul Newman just keep getting better with age. It's almost as though he knew Donald Sully personally, but then again, that's why they call it acting and him an actor. His performance is so fluid and rich, he is a true professional. I've seen it more than once but it's like visiting old friends. When I looked at the screen I saw Donald Sully not Paul Newman, that acting at it's best! Along side Paul Newman you have Bruce Willis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jessica Tandy, and Melanie Griffth. I was very surprised to see Melanie in this part but she was excellent, she held her own with Newman in several scenes, lucky girl! In the scene where Newman's character and Hoffman's character have a run in and the subsequent hearing with the judge is priceless. Bravo!

One True Thing (1998)

A very true movie about what we don't want to imagine.

[10/10 · 8 January 2008]

Written by someone who has been there, you can tell, but only if you've been there. Excellent performances by Meryl Streep (of course!), Renee Zellweger and William Hurt.

Many people have said that it is about a dysfunctional family, I think every family is dysfunctional when they are facing this kind of torment. To NOT be dysfunctional would be dysfunctional! You are losing your family as you know it, can anything be worse? People need to see this movie so when they are faced with this nightmare maybe they will change how they do it. Maybe they will see that the father is denying himself valuable time he'll never get a chance at again. Maybe they will realize how hard it is to die, or to watch someone you love die. They didn't miss much of the nightmare, it's hard to forget.

Underworld (2003)

This a vampire movie, by now you'd think that would be its genre

[7/10 · 28 October 2007]

If you enjoy vampire movies this one is a little better than most. It is a good story with just enough past information to make you understand without making you feel you are watching two movies instead of one. The good guy is good, and the bad guys are bad, what more could you want. It has an excellent cast. Lucian is played by Michael Sheen. Sheen is an excellent actor with an impressive list of diverse roles including recently portraying Tony Blair in "The Queen. Sophia Myles is currently playing in "Moonlight" a vampire series on CBS, I guess the genre fit her. Bill Nighy who has popped up in many movies lately, in Pirates of the Caribbean and Love Actually. Often you put a lot of good actors together and its either great or awful, but again I say it's worth a look if you like vampire movies.