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Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020)
Good, but the Vlad section borrowed a lot from Stoker
I was looking forward to this, to get the full CORRECT story from the Ottoman side. But, sadly, though it was - like the fall of Constantinople - brilliantly done, with wonderful actors, it was far more historically inaccurate than the siege and fall of Constantinople. This was mostly fairytales and appeared too reliant on Stoker's novel for 'behind the scenes' sections of the war from Vlad's viewpoint.
Vlad was DRACUL, NOT DraculA. Indeed he was more known as Vlad Tepes than anything else. He did not ONLY impale muslims from his capital at the end, he impaled EVERY man, woman and child in the city - hence why it was empty.
Remember Wallechia was a christian country, so if only muslims had been impaled (and only men at that as shown in the drama) the dead would NOT have covered miles of land and the city would not have been emptied as it was.
Vlad did NOT adore his wife and she did NOT throw herself from the tower out of love and loss. That was Stoker's book. Vlad in reality tortured, raped and brutalised every woman he had anything to do with, just like he did with everyone else.
He was a sadistic psychopath who had his torture chamber moved to under his bredroom so he could fall asleep to the screams of his victims. He even impaled children. One story outlines how, when his men were being sick and distraught at impaling every man, woman and child from the city, Vlad laughed and ridiculed them whilst he sat at a table and ATE HIS MEAL. A little boy, escaping the bloodbath had raced to him. He was amused at the boy's temerity and played with him for a while before becoming bored when the child wanted food, telling his men to impale the child in front of him so he could watch Vlad eat as he died. The account says the boy was about three years old.
Wallechians may see Vlad as a 'saviour', but - no matter how much they try to rewrite history - the rest of us see him for what he was.....a sick, twisted coward who would rather torture his own people than face his enemy.
The series was brilliantly done - but the rewriting of history to make Vlad Dracul more.....palatable to today's society is what sickens me the most. Vlad in history was a monster; he had all the very worst characteristics of humanity with NONE of the good.
The Ottomans on the other hand allowed religious freedoms, open trade and a modern society. I know who I was rooting to win and it wasn't Vlad, even with his remodelled persona.
I would've loved to give it 10/10, but I just couldn't because of this ridiculous romanticised version of Vlad in this drama. Though Charles Dance's narration was really the cherry on the top and I hope he does more of these dramas because it was wonderful to listen to and another reason it got 8 stars from me.
The Midnight Club (2022)
Brilliant show that deserves a season 2
The jump scares are NOT horrifying. This is NOT a horror series. It's a MYSTERY series. It's an AMAZING series. I haven't read the books, so I can't comment beyond watching the drama - but it's so worth watching. There aren't any real bad guys (at least in this season, or at least as far as I could see) and there's a LOT of story that really calls out to you if you have a serious illness or know someone who has.
But even if you don't, this series can really resonate because being told you're dying is horrific no matter your age - but for kids/teens, it's an unfairness of gargantuan proportions. The best part is it's not met with meek acceptance. No, every single one fights for every day, every moment.
I am 57, my husband is 62. We LOVED every episode. I know friends who's kids from age of under 10 to late teens have also loved it. My daughter, now 24, is also thinking of watching it due to me and her dad raving about it. This so deserves a season 2, whether it gets it, I don't know.....but I hope so.
The acting was amazing; the stories were wonderful - it was unique and amazing. WATCH. IT. You won't be sorry.....unless you don't have a heart, or indeed a soul.
Leverage: Redemption (2021)
So, SO BRILLIANT!! I've MISSED them so much!
I am so glad it's back. At first I was worried about the dynamics not working with new members and Timothy Hutton being gone and Aldis Hodge being largely missing.
BUT I was so glad to be proven absolutely WRONG. It's been WONDERFUL. There's hasn't been a single bad episode. Everyone has been entertaining and funny/sad (depending on the storyline). The Easter eggs, as well as hints towards other shows the actors have been in, have been truly a highlight too. The new characters have also worked beautifully and gelled well with the original cast.
I REALLY hope there will be a season 2. This deserves it.....season 3, 303......well, you get the picture. It's not often that you can watch a series that NEVER produces a bad episode. So take my word for it, go and watch it!.
Jeruzalem (2015)
You will WANT Sarah to die
This was a pretty good movie made on a relatively small budget. The acting was good; but oh my Holy God of Chocolate you will WANT Sarah to die. You will NOT care about what happens to her. I certainly didn't. In fact at one point I actually turned the sound off because of her pathetic whining - I would rather miss possibly important dialogue if I could also miss her wailing and CONSTANT sobbing.
The film itself is pretty good apart from this character. You won't really care about many of them; there's not enough character development for that. You also won't follow certain segments which don't seem to have any reason to be included towards the end. But overall it was a reasonable watch. I hear they're making a sequel, great - I just hope it doesn't have Sarah in it.
The Irregulars (2021)
This is so good BUT don't expect historical accuracy
This is wonderful; yes, the music is AWFUL, BUT this isn't aimed at us Oldies it's aimed at Youngsters. So I tend to ignore the music. It's also not that historically accurate, BUT it's never said it was.
Each episode is well put together and very well acted by the young cast. Bea is especially well played by Thaddea Graham. Harrison Osterfield as Leopold & Jojo Macari as Billy are also really excellent at giving their roles enough emotional drama that has you rooting for them, without going overboard.
There's people you think are 'good' and others you think are 'evil' but all is not as it seems. Certainly John Watson had me wanting to punch him in the face at the way he treated Bea in the beginning.....well, all the way through to be fair. He's not the cuddly, slightly off kilter Watson we're all used to.
I know that Sherlock Holmes hardcore anoraks will be as FURIOUS at this as they were at 'Enola Holmes', but even though I'm also a bit of an anorak of Sherlock Holmes, I'm not such a stickler for the canon and so can ignore the changes in this and love every minute of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series (I'm 55), as did my husband (60 & VERY picky about what he watches) and our daughter (23 & not usually interested in anything not gaming orientated). So for us to find a drama to sit down and watch together is WONDERFUL, especially as we all enjoy it. It's been so nice for me not had to duct tape them to a chair to get some quality 'family time'.
Each episode is a stand alone story, but still within an overall arc. The series does end in a way that it could be considered 'complete', but there is also an avenue for it to continue into a season 2. I can't say too much more without giving plots away and I'm not going to spoil it for people.
The BIGGEST irritant for me is the extreme modern music, but it CAN be ignored despite what others have said. This IS a really excellent drama - but remember it's for ENTERTAINMENT. So don't take it too seriously.
Besides, if Bridgerton can get a series 2, and that was truly AWFUL on so many, MANY levels, then The Irregulars DEFINITELY deserve the same support & its own season 2. With the same cast if possible - especially the youngsters. I gave it 9/10 because of the dire music. But the 9 stars go to the stellar young cast who could teach a few much older actors a thing or two.
Occupation (2018)
Not as bad as many say!
This was pretty good - it was typical Aussie 'stuff 'em!' attitude and that's not a bad thing. There was NO 'America's going to save the world so the rest of you can sit back!' and that made a nice change. There was no one person there as the 'save the day' hero, nor was there the intrinsically evil character.
The acting was pretty good and the story was well done considering it was all really done on a shoestring budget. NOT every film is going to be a hollywood blockbuster, and I'm so grateful for that!
Time Trap (2017)
Pretty good and a few twists that kept it interesting
The acting was solid, the plot was pretty good overall. It had a couple of twists that you really didn't see coming and certainly an ending that you wouldn't have guessed at. It could do with a sequel, but as a stand alone it was still really interesting and held your attention.
Sure for a premise that has been done to death, it's hard to come up with original ideas - but this did a pretty solid job of it. The dialogue could be a bit clunky in places and there were certain things that happened that weren't explained; but overall it was an interesting film that even held my picky husband's attention. So I have to give it a solid 7/10.
Stree (2018)
Good film, spoiled by the ending
The movie was actually really good. I've loved Bollywood and Bollywood style movies for a long time and have long since moved into Indian horror and fantasy movies/drama series.
This film was well acted from start to finish; which only upset me more because the cast deserved so much more. The ending was a good twist, but made no sense at all. I'd already guessed as the two females (ghost hunter girl and girl ghost) had not been in the same place together.....but it still didn't make any sense in the end as to what the hell was going on and WHY. I would LOVE someone to explain the end to me....I know Indian horror can be very open to interpretation, but this was pretty standard from the get-go which meant the twist at the end was really just therefor the sake of it.
Hence my only giving it a 5/10. The acting gets a really solid 8/10 though.
The Orville: Sanctuary (2019)
Klyden really needs to DIE!
This episode showed us that Moclans is the most misogynistic and disgustingly bigoted race I've ever heard of. I know the episode was meant to make us all think of incidences in long past, and even current, human history - that saying something is a person's 'culture' is NOT enough to allow barbaric customs. Let's face it FGM, child marriages and other such reprehensible acts were considered 'cultural' by many sections of the world - and, tragically, still are in some places.
It also shows that the Union is utterly pointless and only out for itself - even to letting abhorrent behaviour to continue, to ensure IT continues too. At which point, as Mercer says, "why are we even here?"
I can't honestly see how Bortus and Klyden's marriage will survive this latest blow - their relationship is basically a mutual hatred as well as Klyden surviving generally. He's not only a misogynist himself he is also raising his (now) son to be the same and his loathing of the females aboard the Orville is now openly out there. Someone has GOT to end him - if I was Bortus I would pin him down, say "I am officially unmating you as per our traditions you love so much" (Moclas divorce) ... and promptly stab him in the head....a LOT..
Seriously Klyden cannot die soon enough in my book; he is everything that is awful and wrong with small minded societies. The Orville is a wonderful series, episodes like this one only show the excellence of this series at its best.Seth McFarlane really deserves much more acclaim for this than he gets. Also it's brilliant seeing so many alumni from ST:TNG in this series.
The Good Karma Hospital (2017)
A feel good drama series that reminds us of TVs Golden Days
This is a drama that's really worth watching. Me and my family found the first series by accident on the 'box set' function and we're very glad we did. The whole first series was watched over a few nights (my husband is not a 'binger' like me and my daughter).
I won't say too much as "spoilers sweetie!", but I will say the dynamics of the cast is impressive and both the weekly stories and the overriding arc stories (of which there are a few) are really engaging. One warning - have a box of tissues close by because you WILL cry; you will also laugh though, so it balances out......a bit;because you WILL cry a river of tears at the end.
The scenery is breathtaking and I know me and mine would love to visit Sri Lanka because of this series. The cinematography is beautiful too and you do end up rooting for characters, disliking others and getting caught up in the overall dynamics of the stories. What I really like about this drama is back stories are told, not in a heart-wrenching minute detail, but enough to help you understand different characters and their motivation. So characters you disliked in the beginning you start to change your mind towards, and others you thought were cheeky and nice you begin to dislike.
I really can't recommend this enough and, as of today's date (Sunday 25th March 2018), series two is currently airing it's second episode. I really am hoping for a third, fourth and more series to follow. This series is, for Olders like me (I'm 52), a lovely reminder of tv's golden days when we didn't have just wall to wall and back to back reality rubbish and dramas were more than just soap opera 'breaks' between the reality rubbish.
WATCH THIS - you will NOT be sorry.
The Great Wall (2016)
Good movie; especially if you like Asian entertainment
I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Great Wall' - as a British fan of Asian entertainment, not least their dramas and movies, it was a breath of fresh air. It's a great shame that Western audiences generally didn't understand the premise behind movie but that, to put it bluntly, is their loss. The SFX were exceptionally good; the acting was excellent - the subs worked in the places where Chinese was spoken and overall the interaction between East and West was entirely believable.
Next time it should be an entirely Asian enterprise - perhaps try to garner Japanese, South Korean, Taiwanese, etc investment and stars. That way we big Asian fans here in the West can still see it by buying the subbed DVD, and yet it can be better aimed at THEATRE audiences in Asia who DO understand the mythology and legends surrounding the Wall, unlike 'Joe Bloggs' and family in the West who just don't understand, and don't want to, Asian culture, heritage and history. The latter is sad but true.
I genuinely really do hope there is a sequel; it's entirely possible to do so. Either in a later era of the Chinese empire or even present day. I think it's possible for the descendants of all the main (Asian) characters to be on the wall in present day China, or at least a later era.
Other than that, have the original narcissistic and brutal Chin emperor being forced to face off against these monsters because of his debauched corruption; and then being forcibly sent to his mausoleum to be incarcerated for eternity as a hope to stop what still comes to pass in the current movie.
It could be tied in with being the reason as to why it has ALWAYS been strictly illegal to investigate the first Chin emperor's enormous tomb even in present day China. I have read that there is some talk of the government possibly allowing limited archaeology to take place - what if that let a dormant Queen TaoTei and megalomaniac emperor out to wreak havoc?
Even today with our military 'toys' we'd be hard pressed to fight such an enemy as the TaoTei. Sure nukes would work, but it would also make most of China uninhabitable so unlikely to be used. I'd like for it to be a prequel - the story behind why the TaoTei were sent here in the first place; the reason the wall was even built to start with (in this mythological movieverse at least).
This is a good movie slammed by critics and viewers who just didn't get the Chinese mythology behind the story and historians who were trying to see it as a docudrama about the Wall.
Watch it - you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was; it really does NOT deserve the negativity it's garnered.
Beauty and the Beast (2014)
Italian voiced version 9.5, English voiced version 7.5
I've watched both language versions of Bella e la Bestia (tv miniseries); the Italian dubbed version and the English dubbed version. The drama was filmed in English but had the main release version dubbed into Italian by the Italian cast and Alessandro Proziosi (Prince Leon) and Blanca Suarez (Bella Dubois); the actors who were also portraying the main characters. Understandable, as it was a mainly Italian project. However, Preziosi speaks excellent English, yet he's been dubbed by a VERY bad English voice actor (Dermot Magennis) who reads the lines like a robot reading a laundry list. Trust me when I say he's more wooden than a complete Ikea warehouse.
I've also seen the Italian dubbed version with Preziosi voicing himself and he's BRILLIANT. Magennis is the one they used to dub Preziosi into English on another project and he was just as terrible - 'ear bleedingly bad' as one person put it and to the point they 'wanted to weep'. He truly is AWFUL; mind you Aisling Franciosi, the actress they got to dub Bella Dubois into English, was almost as bad. But at least she's not as bad as Magennis who makes Siri sound like she's worthy of an Oscar.
I've seen a few of Preziosi's other roles, including 'Medici: Masters of Florence', Lost in Florence', Tango per la Liberta' and 'I vicerè'. The same goes for Blanca Suarez; she was brilliant in 'Cable Girls' (currently available on Netflix UK), 'The Skin I Live In' and 'Bakery in Brooklyn'. In all she was exceptionally good and her English is flawless. So for both Suarez and Preziosi it boggles the brain as to why they were dubbed into English at all.
For the Italian voice track version, by Suarez and Preziosi in the roles, I would give this 9.5 out of ten. It loses the half mark only because Prince Leon's scar is not that bad and, although it can be said that a person's heart is what makes them a 'beast' or a 'beauty', to have it as one of the reasons he is so dark means it should've been better presented.
For the Magennis and Franciosi English dubbed version I give it a 7.5 because the terrible wooden delivery of the lines by Magennis sucks the passion out of the scenes faster than a hoover on a spider. Franciosi at least tries to infuse her words with some feeling; sadly it's just a bit lacklustre. Of course it could be because of Magennis' flat delivery, reminding me of those annoying automated telephone service machines, blanketing the entire endeavour in a flatness the Grim Reaper would love. Either way, my advice is see the Italian version with English subtitles.
Sadece Sen (2014)
A beautiful film and worth the watch
I've seen the original Korean 2011 movie ('Always'; aka 'Always Only You') which was equally as beautiful as this 2014 remake. BOTH films deserving to be seen because BOTH male actors are sublime. BUT in the Turkish version I have to say that Belcim Bilgin (who played 'Hazal') was streets ahead of Han Hyo-ju who played the female lead ('Jeong-hwa') in the Korean version 'Always'.
Han Hyo-ju just didn't really put across the blind young woman longing for love and acceptance to the same level as Belcim Bilgin; the latter really made you believe she was genuinely blind, genuinely desperate to reach past the harsh walls that Ali had raised around himself, let alone his heart - someone who honestly saw the tortured soul beneath the silent, sullen exterior and wanted to soothe him.
Even though I truly adore So Ji-seob ('Cheol-min' in 'Always') and have seen so many of his wonderful dramas and movies, I have to say that Ibrahim Celikkol (as 'Ali' in 'Sadece Sen') absolutely nailed the tortured, introverted, wracked with guilt male lead in a way that, sadly, So Ji-seob just didn't manage. Don't get me wrong So was excellent and had moments where his emotions bettered Celikkol's, but on the whole the latter's portrayal definitely was so much better than So's. Celikkol's whole body language screamed of a man that didn't feel he was worthy of anything, let alone love.
There were moments where one actor outdid the other, moments when you would think 'So Ji-seob was SO much better there; or Ibrahim Celikkol nailed that far better than So'; but in the end Celikkol truly nailed the character. Overall BOTH movies really deserve to be seen - I honestly cannot stress that enough.
BUT if you're going to watch one first (or only watch one) then watch 'Sedece Sen', you won't regret it. But do try to see 'Always' too - it's just as good, background actors are better than those in 'Sedece Sen'; and, as it was the first of these wonderful, sublime and repeatedly watchable movies, you have to know without it you wouldn't have this winner either.
SS-GB (2017)
NOT for those who like little to no plot and plenty of noise
This is a really good drama series. Some say it's not as good as the book, but it's rare that ANY adaptation is. For me, especially given it's a BBC adaptation and only five episodes long, it's pretty good.
Sam Riley as Douglas Archer and Lars Eldinger as Dr. Oskar Huth are the two most outstanding actors - and characters. Like Archer's sergeant, Harry Woods (played by the always wonderful James Cosmo), I've always believed that anyone who works with the enemy IS the enemy. However, Archer's stance of just trying to keep the peace and bide his time to make a contribution to the effort to overthrow the Nazis, made me realise that mine and Harry's way of black and white thinking is not so easy once out there in the real world.
Yes, wild outbursts of 'f**k you!' violence is a great way to feel better - but as much as it shows the populace are still thumbing their noses at the occupiers, it also makes the occupiers torture and kill your countrymen in retaliation. So, it could be argued, Archer's declaration that any such outright hostile action only gives the Nazis the excuse to round up anyone they consider a threat, and to install Marshal Law, is proved to be true.
His assertion that all the resistant fighters are merely doing is playing directly into the Nazis waiting hands, proves to be sadly correct. It would seem his own sly and soft approach saves lives even as it undermines the occupiers aggression, and therefore is the way to go - if you want to defeat them without too much innocent collateral damage.
Given the way many British people feel completely 'swamped' by the EU slow undermining of British home rule, and the subsequent vote for Brexit to rid our country of it - it's clear to see that, even now, European control of the UK (under any guise) is very divisive and very likely to provoke a violent reaction. It's also why I think many will watch this drama - some, obviously, for the nightmare scenario of what COULD'VE happened had the war ended differently (just another day of the 'Battle of Britain' could've been enough).
But others will watch it for what they will see as what COULD'VE been had we not voted for Brexit - only with the EU flag replacing the Swatika ones. Remember that the EU is moving towards its own armed forces and you can see the parallels that some would draw of a dystopian future under a Federal Europe. However, I'm not going to say which way I voted at Brexit as it's not really relevant.
What I would say is this is very much a 'thinkers' drama - it's not full of action, explosions and high octane chases. This, I personally think, is why so many dislike it. We're used to instant gratification and candyfloss engagement with TV and movies; in the moment, with bells and whistles and move on. So anything that is slow and makes us properly think, a lot of people tend to dislike.
I've liked this drama so much I've bought the book; not because I think it will be better but, unless they cough up another series (which is possible), the BBC will only skim the story and I want to learn it all. That should tell you this is worth watching - any drama that engages people enough to go back to the source material is always a winner in my book (no pun intended).
Riaru kurôzu (2009)
Don't bother with this if you DON'T believe expensive clothes make you a better person....
Quote from this series: "when you wear beautiful clothes, you will have a beautiful life." So for those of us who cannot afford 'beautiful clothes' I guess we're doomed to ugly, depressing lives then? That statement alone sums up this drama - these people are as shallow as raindrops on the pavement; I've seen puddles in the gutter with more depth.
I got through this mess to the end - mainly because I kept hoping for one of them to have some kind of epiphany that such meaningless soundbites like the quote above is NOT going to give them ANYTHING, let alone a 'beautiful life'; but I was to remain disappointed. This drama tells you that it's only if you wear expensive, 'beautiful' clothes (make up, shoes, everything) can you love yourself.....of course this is the worst kind of message to send anyone; it's also a load of lies.
Still, if you are also as shallow as a raindrop on the pavement; if you have less depth of character than a puddle in the gutter; if you too believe that wearing expensive 'label' make up, expensive 'label' and 'beautiful' clothing is ALL it takes to have a 'beautiful life' and love yourself as a person then this is the drama for you.
However, if you believe that sheer hard work, love, compassion and sympathy for EVERYONE - regardless of what they're bl**dy WEARING or how much cash they have - is what will ACTUALLY make you a BETTER person and ensure you're proud of yourself and what you achieve, and therefore able to love yourself, then don't follow me and sit through even a second of this; escape whilst you can - seriously, RUN like you're on FIRE. If you want to watch something with SUBSTANCE over style; something with an INSPIRING message - watch 'The Lion Standing in the Breeze' or even 'Ataru: The First Love and Last Kill'; because even Ataru, a man with acute autism, is more caring than this bunch.
Kaze ni tatsu raion (2015)
This is a MUST WATCH - just have plenty of tissues handy............
I DIDN'T WANT to watch it......I WASN'T GOING to watch it.....but I'm so very GLAD I DID. You will cry a river of tears at the end.....but it's worth the sucking hole it leaves in your chest where your heart used to be. Just have a box of tissues and some water handy....and you'll need chocolate...LOTS of it; because without chocolate you will never recover your soul after watching this. In reality this movie should really have 'Tragedy' added to any description of it. It's a haunting film, made all the more heart-wrenching by the fact it's based on a true story; Koichiro Shimada (breath-takingly played by Osawa Takao) was a real man, and this movie was adapted from the novel 'Kaze Ni Tatsu Lion (The Lion Standing in the Wind)' written by Masashi Sada. She also wrote a song about him of the same name (sung at the end of the movie). The song, and therefore the book, were all written based up on love letters he sent whilst he was in Africa. It should also be noted, because I for one am so thankful to him, that the catalyst for this adaptation was Osawa Takao himself. It seems he was so emotionally affected by the song that he really pushed Sada to adapt the song into a novel, and then this beautiful, haunting, heartbreaking film. I am not this clever. I found all this out because the movie just made me want to know more. That, to me at least, is the sign of a wonderful story - when you have to find out more about the characters involved; though for me I was hoping against hope the ending was merely poetic licence and Dr Shimada was still out there. From the movie's timeline I'm guessing we'd be about the same age now (I'm 51 - he'd be a few years older), so for me (who also has very poor health and a lot of respect for the doctors and nurses who help me survive another day) this story was very poignant and heartbreaking on too many levels to count. I normally advise people to avoid tragedies - our every day lives are distressing and merciless enough without the unnecessary addition of 'entertainment' that also renders us puddles of snot of and tears in our own homes. But this movie MUST be the exception to that rule - it's a MUST WATCH; if for no other reason than to show respect and support for the supreme effort this man gave to save lives in a country that was not even his own. As the song says, and remember this song is based on his letters, "I want to live a life without stagnation; I want to be a lion standing in the wind." His last ever letter said - "do me a favour, just be happy." Perhaps we should all take that approach to life; live without stagnation, enjoy the breeze and just be happy...............
Love's Christmas Journey (2011)
If you don't believe in anything, especially Christmas and God - give this a miss......
I think the thing about these movies that a lot of the negative reviewers miss is that they're for people who believe in God in general and, in this instance, Christmas in particular.
Don't like either of those? Then you're going to loathe this movie. It's a Hallmark movie so anyone wanting gritty realism and hard hitting drama is obviously looking in the wrong place from the get go. But, for those of us more open to just being entertained, these films - there's a whole series of them - are pretty good. Yes, they're completely sentimental and schmaltzy, and do have a liberal sprinkling of religious moments, but that's what the series is about. In this movie's defense if you can't have schmaltz, sentimentality and religion at Christmas when *can* you have it? Personally I just suspend my disbelief for the duration; turn my central heating off, put the real fire on, hunker down with a hot chocolate and cookies and let myself be swamped in Hallmark endings for a while. At a time when the real world seems to be imploding under a tidal wave of doomsday preppers, financial Armageddon and global unrest then this is a pleasant escape for a moment. Let's face it, the real world will still be there when the credits roll, so why not go AWOL for a mere 2 hours? I won't tell on you, promise.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
This is another 'docufright' yawn inducer
So this movie is so scary people were fainting in the cinemas? WHY? is the only question I can think to ask. The only scary part for me was when they found the huge spider in the bathroom; being an arachnophobic I had to look away. However beyond that I found it to be about as frightening as cute puppies playing with fluffy kittens.
A few times I nearly nodded off I was so bored; all the while though I fought to stay awake with the fervent belief that it would get better soon.......it did; when the end credits started rolling.
The 'Blair Witch Project' wasn't scary; 'Cloverfield' wasn't even scary. The only remotely chilling 'docufright' movie I've seen that was a bit hair raising was 'Rec' - if you can't recreate the mounting paranoia, isolation and desperation that that movie had then please DON'T BOTHER trying!! STOP forcing these boring 'docufright' movies on us, when they're anything BUT frightening.
A woman dripping snot is not scary - gross, but not chilling; a woman standing in the middle of her bedroom for two hours watching her boyfriend sleep (even on fast forward) is not scary - even if it is, bizarrely, meant to show she's possessed.
Even a 'self' moving Ouija board plentel is not going to shock anyone when the stop motion used was so obvious; burning it isn't scary either when you can clearly see an accelerator was used to ignite it. I mean surely a demon of all things can set things on fire without using lighter fluid?
Micah was an idiot that just made me want to slap him; and Katie's piercing screaming made me fear for her throat. I wondered at how she hadn't lost her voice half the time.
DON'T bother if you haven't seen this movie already - the only demon involved is the studio who made this tripe, and stole your money when you actually paid to see it. I wouldn't watch it again; in fact I'm wondering about suing to see if I can get compensation for the 86 minutes this has stolen from my life.
If you truly want a movie like this that DOES deliver on the spine chillers then rent 'Rec'; at least that film had an inkling on how to make a REAL 'docufright' movie.
Mental (2009)
Mental is good entertainment
There seems to be two camps on here - those that, like me, think 'Mental' is good entertainment and hope it continues; and those pseudo intellectuals, who believe they can be sofa psychiatrists and ridicule what is basically TV entertainment for not being 'realistic' enough.
The second camp completely ignore the fact that this is a drama and NOT a documentary; stating that Mental' is a joke when it comes to representing mental health professionals and their patients. Well, as someone who has had mental health problems for the last five years and has had to deal with said 'professionals' I tend to disagree.
The back stabbing amongst these 'professionals' I've witnessed has been the same as the show. As for the patients that are missing from the show, those for whom there is no long lasting 'help', well this is ENTERTAINMENT; a show about the futility of a 'cure' for mental health problems wouldn't be very entertaining would it?
Far better to have the show end on a positive note, than one where the patient kills themselves or ends up in a drug induced stupor as the only way to survive. But hey, I'm just a patient and not a sofa psychiatrist, so what do I know?
Certainly as someone 'in the loop' I do actually find a certain amount of realism in this programme; except for the bone jarring feeling of talking to a wall I experience every time I have an appointment, which is missing from the show itself. After all, in the show the doctors actually LISTEN. I mean what other doctor sits with a timer on their desk, apart from a psychiatrist? This is also absent from the programme; Doctor Gallagher never says "sorry, but can we end it there?" when a patient is in floods of tears and pouring their heart out, just because the timer's gone off.
Oh and let's not forget that 'House' isn't real either....do we honestly believe that Hugh Laurie's character would really hold down a job in ANY hospital? A drug addicted, pain addled, rude and nasty man whose only enjoyment in life is to put others down and torture those he's supposed be to teaching, along with his 'ME, ME, ME!' attitude and callous disregard for his patients? I doubt it, but that hasn't stopped the show winning a myriad of awards. So to hold this show up as some kind of 'realistic' benchmark for 'Mental' is ridiculous to the extreme. It's like saying 'ER' and 'Gray's Anatomy' are real too. (inserts eye roll here).
Like I said all these shows are for entertainment ONLY - and I for one enjoy 'Mental' immensely. If all you're looking for is realistic torture of mental health patients just watch 'Big Brother'; that should give you some *real* nut jobs to sink your teeth into, and certainly some without any hope of a cure.
However for those who say they *are* some of these mental health professionals, I would need to question why they would want a TV programme to show all the suffering they work with daily for them to watch all over again -very odd.
But remember, patients like me watch this show too - and I don't think it's that unrealistic. I just like the ENTERTAINMENT, and of course Chris Vance is lovely too!! He certainly carries the show....
Knowing (2009)
Knowing how easy it is to sum up
'Knowing' can be summed up in four short words. Great film - rubbish ending.
SPOILER!! SPOILER!! SPOILER!! SPOILER!! READ FROM HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
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The ending lets the whole movie down - yeah it's not the happy 'save the world' ending we were (in a way) dreading. But that just certain kids were the only ones being saved and no adults at all was just ridiculous.
Have the producers, etc never read 'The Lord of the Flies'? Kids do not do well on their own. They also do not just happily accept being taken by aliens to a strange new world; they do not happily accept not only the deaths of their families and friends (assuming friends are not of the 'chosen') but also the death - apparently - of even their planet.
Why couldn't they have had the aliens stay with them as the 'adult' influence at the very least? Why were only certain children rescued, why no adults? Why were the children behaving like mini 'stepford wives' at the end, in spite of the trauma they had gone through? The film is fantastic up to the last fifteen minutes and then it all goes to hell in a handcart.
It was like the writer, and later the director, thought this was a good way to just end it as they were bored. Come up with some ridiculous reason to end the world - have the men in black (yes we all got that little 'wheeze') actually be the aliens, save the kiddies (punters like to see 'little timmy' survive) and there you have it; the perfect ending if you've got bored with your project.
Well, I can vouch for the fact it's NOT. Next time, if you're going to make a movie this good - make the ENDING as good too, or else we (the viewers) just feel cheated. If you get bored - walk away and let someone else finish it.
Out of 10 - I give it 4; and that's just because of the rubbish ending.
A Room with a View (2007)
What rubbish!
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!!! I watched this because I loved both Forster's novel and James Ivory's version of it. I wondered if this adaptation might be as good and so settled down to see; but oh how I wish I hadn't.
Mr Beeb and his....'affection' for Lucy gave me the creeps the most (I'm really *trying* not to call him a vulgar vicar). His reaction to her announcement of her feelings for George left me speechless (not an easy thing to achieve, as my family will testify). This was never even hinted at in the book.
I gave this TV adaptation of the wonderful original novel a 2 based purely on the excellent acting. Without the stalewart acting skills of the two young leads, as well as the always wonderful Sophie Thompson, Mark Williams, Sinead Cusack and Timothy Spall I would've given it an 1 (or even a zero if the marks went that low).
However,the ending deserves the most vitriolic censure of all; Andrew Davies should hang his head in shame for being responsible for this dross.
It snatched from the faithful reader of the novel, and fans of the 1985 film, the romantic ending that the two lovers deserved and ultimately got. Thereby E. M. Forster's attempt to break the class divide is shattered; in one fell swoop Davies merely reiterates what so many thought back then - if you crossed classes it could only end in tears.
Please, PLEASE if you want the real ending, then read the novel; or even watch the sumptuous 1985 version with Julian Sands, Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Maggie Smith.
Both show that class should not, and does not, matter; this was the somewhat outrageous idea that Forster had in 1908, and that Davies appears to have completely ignored in 2007. I began to wonder after watching an hour in open mouthed horror if he'd even looked at the original novel, let alone read it.
Or perhaps he just decided that the entire point of the book was something he could ignore, in favour of his own unwatchable, morbid and totally disjointed ending? Better a brief swipe at the futility of war than a happy ending right? Either way he should be locked in a room with both the earlier film and the novel and forced to watch/read them over and over again, until he understands what Forster was trying to say about the pathetic snobbery and class divide of late Edwardian society.
This was something that Ruth Prawer Jhabvala did appreciate (she was the adapter of the novel for the 1985 James Ivory film). Sadly it is clearly something Andrew Davies didn't master when he wrote this bilge.
The other unforgivable thing he did was to gloss over all the remarkable little idiosyncrasies that Lucy, her cousin and all the other guests had (including George Emmerson and his father), and what made their eclectic little band so wonderfully entertaining.
Instead he portrayed them all as sad little people leading mundane little lives and pretending they weren't. The whole programme was utterly depressing, instead of uplifting like the original novel.
I think E. M. Forster is not so much turning in his grave as spinning in it after this vandalisation of his book. I am only thankful he died in 1970 and is not alive to witness this butchery of, what I personally think was, his greatest work.
Unless you are a fan of the actors in this, or if you wish to see Timothy Spall acting along side his real life, and equally talented, son (Rafe Spall), then *miss.it.*
Seriously, I mean it - it's a 116 minutes of your life you won't get back; when it comes out on DVD don't waste your money on it.
You must have better things to spend that fourteen pounds on; like another thimbleful of petrol for your smart car, or those gorgeous shoes you couldn't afford until they were in the sale (and so what if the only pair the shop's got are two size too small and the wrong colour, they're half price! Yes, I've been there - only for me it was boots).
But if the premise really appeals to you then, for the love of God, read the book or, if you really want the viewing experience, see the earlier film version; but I beg you, for the sake of your will to live (I almost lost mine), toss this one back in the 'bargain bin' where it ultimately belongs and walk swiftly away.
Bratz (2007)
Only go if your daughter holds you at gunpoint!
Firstly, not sure if there are spoilers here (or even if anyone will care), but better to be safe. Of course this is assuming that anyone else would actually pay good money to see this - and that I seriously doubt.
My daughter aged 9 adored it; I (aged 42) merely sat open mouthed in disbelieving horror. I am a mother; and let me tell you if I was as straight laced as the mother of (I think her name was) Jade, then I would NOT smile and laugh as a 2 year deception of my daughter dressing like a tart the minute she reached school was revealed to me in an auditorium full of hundreds of people. Grounding until she died and then grounding of her ghost would be more my style.
I have to say with hindsight it was so bad it was good if you see what I mean; I laughed most of the way through it - even at bits I don't think I was meant to. The emergency make up and sewing kits, not to mention the baking bit was a scream and I laughed hysterically. They had dress making skills that the likes of Vera Wang would kill for, make up skills that would win them an Oscar (and the only way they're ever likely to see one in this lifetime) and finally cooking skills that would make Gordon Ramsey weep (though I doubt it would be with pride).
The overall message ( if there was one, and I'm clutching at straws here to ensure I haven't wasted 2 hours of my life that I won't get back) is that you should stay true to your real friends and not any cliques (although in the end they became their own 'bratz' clique surely?) Still its over - I came out alive and with my brain (relatively) intact, and the sure and certain knowledge that 'bimbo' is a word the four girls playing the main roles should really get used to hearing (particularly after watching an interview with the four 'actresses' - trust me, they were NOT acting in the movie!) The saddest part of the whole experience for me is that I witnessed three girls taking each other's pictures with the cardboard advertising stand in the foyer as we left - what was creepy is that they seemed like the English versions........
The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
Boreanz is boring!
If you took an appallingly overacting David Boreanz and just as appallingly wooden Tara Reid out of this movie it would've been SO much better.
I can only assume that both Reid and Boreanz were on drugs when they made this movie - Reid on sleeping pills as she constantly looked as if it was a huge effort just staying awake; and Boreanz on speed as he seemed unnaturally hyper all the way through the movie.
If his portrayal of the devil is even remotely true, then its no wonder evil always loses in the fight with good. This film had a reasonable storyline, if a little 'spaghetti western' in places, and would've worked well under other circumstances.
I have all four movies and would have to say that one and three were the best of the franchise. This is a great shame as far as 'Wicked Prayer' goes as Edward Furlong was excellent as the doomed Jimmy Cuervo; his portrayal as the reluctant anti hero was very believable, and you really felt sympathy for his cursed existence.
Sadly the whole concept was destroyed by Boreanz. His over the top portrayal of Luc Crash (aka Death/Satan) was so ridiculous that it quickly became boring; don't watch this expecting either a supernatural version of Seeley Booth or a variation of Angel - it ain't happening; all you actually get is a strange man who appears to be either trying (increasingly desperately I may add) to steal the film from Furlong (and failing miserably) or who is under the influence (of what I don't know, and frankly care even less).
If you love the crow films then this is worth a watch, if for no other reason than Furlong's portrayal of Cuervo. Don't watch it if you're a fan of Boreanz - this is NOT one of his better roles.
Gideon (1998)
A real must see movie for anyone who thinks money isn't always the answer
This movie is exactly what 'the pursuit of happiness' is trying to be - a movie about triumph over adversity.
But this is not a movie of overcoming poverty to try and obtain a wealthy lifestyle; this is a movie about more than material things, and thank God for it.
Too many films these days send out the message that if we have money then we should automatically be happy, and if we don't then it follows we should be miserable.
This is about a man who, through no fault of his own, doesn't see life the way most of us do - he goes to a retirement village and shows the residents, and we the viewers as well, that living life is what should make us happy.
Friendship, love and helping others is his main aim; he doesn't care what people think of him, whether they laugh at him or adore him. I found this film very uplifting and extremely heartwarming for those facts alone.
However, Christopher Lambert shone in this role, his best ever in my humble opinion, and made the character of Gideon Dodds thoroughly believable. He enables the viewer, as well the elderly inmates, to see life through his eyes - and what a wonderful life it is.
The other actors were excellent too, but always Lambert's character stood out and stole every scene he was in. You had to love Gideon; his innocence is what is sadly lacking in the world today - even our children grow up faster, and so lose that wide eyed guilelessness and frank honesty far too soon.
The fact that Addison (Heston) reads from 'Don Quixote' towards the end of the movie says it all - yes, Gideon tilted at windmills much as Don Quixote did. But like that great fictional character he also saw all the good in people and in the world - a very special magic I think.
This film is a must for anyone who still has a heart to care about others, a mind that thinks money isn't always the answer to every problem, a soul which sees beyond what another one owns and arms that long to hug someone. You will find this film a magical tale of hope, just as Gideon's elderly friends did.
To anyone else; anyone who thinks that money and success, big cars and expensive houses are the answers to everything - don't bother, you'll be bored.
Jane Eyre (2006)
Please see this!!!!!!!
The purists may not have liked it; but for true 'Jane Eyre' fans, and newcomers to the book, it was the best adaptation yet. Rochester was a sympathetic character tortured by loneliness; the sexual and emotional tension between he and Jane was palpable.
Sandy Welch is a master of adaptations, and Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson were wonderful as the soul mates we all know and love; they made the characters so believable. The most touching scene I think is where Rochester snatches her hand to him when she comes back; his relief and disbelief at her return made me catch my breath and brought a lump to my throat.
Another good thing about this adaptation was the way it hinted at the real reason Jane left him; not out of some need to escape his sin, but her own. She knew she would not be able to resist him should she linger, despite his protestations he would not tempt her.
The scenes on the bed where he was kissing her brought home the great passion as well love between them, and the certain knowledge that there would never be a 'brother and sister' relationship for these two; thus making her flight from him more understandable.
Lowood may have taken away a lot from Jane, but Rochester gave her it all back with interest. Yes she was calm a lot of the time, as you would expect from a young woman raised in such a hellish school, but this also made her more passionate outbursts all the more credible.
Agreed he was less manipulative, but this made his love for her more unquestionable; not merely a side note for selfishly wanting to keep her as some kind of recompense for the marriage he was tricked into.
This is the best adaptation of this classical novel to date - alright, some classic parts were left out, but others twists were added. So what you lost on the swings, you gained on the roundabouts; characters only touched on in the book were more fleshed out, giving the story more depth and feeling.
The whole series was so much more convincing, and therefore you cared so much more about the characters and what happened to them; this goes for whether you are a fan of the novel or not.
The end scenes were marvellous, and gave all us Jane fans the final moments we have longed for for years - no more the 'reader I married him' brush off, we finally got to see their 'happy ever after'.
This is a must see for anyone with even a passing interest in 'Jane Eyre', real romance or love. Toby Stephens, as always in every part he's played, was brilliant; he gave Rochester a quiet intensity that has been so lacking in some of the other adaptations.