The DUFF. Not up there with Clueless or Mean Girls but not bad at all, with appealing performances from Mae Whitman and the rest of the cast. Plus you get to see Bella Thorne with her normal hair colour* for once. All told, 7/10.
*Like Amy Adams, Christina Hendricks and Emma Stone, Bella is a natural blonde but is redheaded for work purposes.
Just finished 2014's "Big Driver", another Stephen King adaptation that went largely under the radar. It's basically a rape revenge story with the victim being a female novelist (for a change) and I found this one very true to the story. As a thriller it takes some liberties but they pay off. I especially liked the "Mr Brooks" style imaginary accomplice. And the GPS bits were funny. The music by Jeff Beal was ok though at times a bit too much. This was directed by Mikael Salomon, who also directed the Salem's Lot remake and Nightmares and Dreamscapes, both forgettable, and the total misfire "Coma" miniseries. But here he delivers a good adaptation for once. 8/10
Reviewing daredevil based on the first episode? Netflix doesn't do pilots in the traditional sense so the first episode is simply that, a start to the series. I would be interested to see what you think once you finish the full first season. I'm not far enough into it to really judge it yet.
As for Game of Thrones I agree with you both on the excessive violence (which was not in the books to that extent) and the too many minor characters part. Imagine reading the books and not having faces to put to those minor characters. It is quite difficult to keep track of a lot of the minor characters. At least in the series I can usually recognize people either from their face or voice. Some of the characters I hope will eventually get to a point where they become important but there are quite a few I didn't really get in the books and similarly don't get in the series. Be glad you are getting the story in the relatively condensed form of the series because it is really a huge improvement.
Thanks for responding and adding your thoughts. I don't have a great urge to see the rest of Dare Devil, but I can give it a second chance and watch a few more episodes. I was surprised all the episodes are up at once. I figured we get one a week.
GOT is very good. I really want to see where things go (and get caught up). It's Just a matter if I can stomach the more unpleasant moments.
I've now watched the first 7 episodes of Daredevil and I feel it's one of the best shows on television and supersedes Agents of Shield in every way imaginable. Yes, it is dark since Daredevil is Marvels answer to Dark Knight in many ways. And when both Rosaria Dawson and then Vincent D'Onofrio show up...they take it to a whole new level.
Great, great series. Sorry you don't see it that way but Netflix has another bonafide home run on this show.
GOT - Yes, there are a lot of characters and it does take its time in meshing the story lines but it's happening this series for sure. Violent? Yup. Lots of sex? Yup. Labyrinthine story line? You betcha. and it's all wrapped up in a fantastic production with some wonderful actors and delicious intrigue. Awesome and addictive show.
It has been many years I watched LONESOME DOVE, so I spent the last few nights watching it again. It is just a wonderful series, one of the best ever made for television. I’d always admired Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Gus. This time around, I really learned to love Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of Captain McCall. Those brief glimpses that we get of McCall’s love and humanity are so restrained and so nuanced, and inevitably perfect.
I’ve always loved Poledouris’ magnificent score. With this new viewing, I heard a lot of musical styles and mini themes that a year later were developed in Quigley Down Under.
It has been many years I watched LONESOME DOVE, so I spent the last few nights watching it again. It is just a wonderful series, one of the best ever made for television. I’d always admired Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Gus. This time around, I really learned to love Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of Captain McCall. Those brief glimpses that we get of McCall’s love and humanity are so restrained and so nuanced, and inevitably perfect.
I’ve always loved Poledouris’ magnificent score. With this new viewing, I heard a lot of musical styles and mini themes that a year later were developed in Quigley Down Under.
Curious that you watched this. Just tonight I'm watching The Lighthorsemen, Wincer's last movie before he got into Lonesome Dove and Quigley Down Under. No Poledouris but a magnificent score nonetheless from Mario Millo.
It has been many years I watched LONESOME DOVE, so I spent the last few nights watching it again. It is just a wonderful series, one of the best ever made for television. I’d always admired Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Gus. This time around, I really learned to love Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of Captain McCall. Those brief glimpses that we get of McCall’s love and humanity are so restrained and so nuanced, and inevitably perfect.
I’ve always loved Poledouris’ magnificent score. With this new viewing, I heard a lot of musical styles and mini themes that a year later were developed in Quigley Down Under.
Curious that you watched this. Just tonight I'm watching The Lighthorsemen, Wincer's last movie before he got into Lonesome Dove and Quigley Down Under. No Poledouris but a magnificent score nonetheless from Mario Millo.
Yaaay to see The Lighthorsemen get a shout out!! I saw the movie in an art movie house when it was released in the US in 1988 at least 3 times. And I was fortunate to grab the score when it was released sometime in the early 90's I believe and is one of my prized possessions. A great movie with an even better score!!!
Reviewing daredevil based on the first episode? Netflix doesn't do pilots in the traditional sense so the first episode is simply that, a start to the series. I would be interested to see what you think once you finish the full first season. I'm not far enough into it to really judge it yet.
As for Game of Thrones I agree with you both on the excessive violence (which was not in the books to that extent) and the too many minor characters part. Imagine reading the books and not having faces to put to those minor characters. It is quite difficult to keep track of a lot of the minor characters. At least in the series I can usually recognize people either from their face or voice. Some of the characters I hope will eventually get to a point where they become important but there are quite a few I didn't really get in the books and similarly don't get in the series. Be glad you are getting the story in the relatively condensed form of the series because it is really a huge improvement.
Thanks for responding and adding your thoughts. I don't have a great urge to see the rest of Dare Devil, but I can give it a second chance and watch a few more episodes. I was surprised all the episodes are up at once. I figured we get one a week.
GOT is very good. I really want to see where things go (and get caught up). It's Just a matter if I can stomach the more unpleasant moments.
I've now watched the first 7 episodes of Daredevil and I feel it's one of the best shows on television and supersedes Agents of Shield in every way imaginable. Yes, it is dark since Daredevil is Marvels answer to Dark Knight in many ways. And when both Rosaria Dawson and then Vincent D'Onofrio show up...they take it to a whole new level.
Great, great series. Sorry you don't see it that way but Netflix has another bonafide home run on this show.
GOT - Yes, there are a lot of characters and it does take its time in meshing the story lines but it's happening this series for sure. Violent? Yup. Lots of sex? Yup. Labyrinthine story line? You betcha. and it's all wrapped up in a fantastic production with some wonderful actors and delicious intrigue. Awesome and addictive show.
Gave Daredevil a second try and watched episode two. I think it's a miserable series. The video quality is atrocious. Our "hero" tortures his captives. The other two main characters spent the whole episode stumbling around the town drunk. At every chance they shove graphic violence and gore in the viewers face. I'm done.
I call this a smart disaster film. It was sort of a docudrama about a supervolcano eruption in Yellowstone National Park. The acting from the cast was credible and at times outstanding. I found the story suspenseful and there was always this sense of dread as it lead up to the eruption. As the film opens up it states this is a true story, it just hasn't happened yet. (In our lifetime)
Instead of focusing on dramatic visuals of mass destruction the film spends a lot more time teaching us the science of such an event and it's outcome. The film manages to skip most of the melodrama found in such stories. Though there is some, but it never burdens down the story and there is just enough so you care about the characters and their plight.
Being a BBC production it was rather odd that most of the cast were obviously not American. The scientists always spoke in the metric system. That in itself isn't usual, (their scientists), but the general public never picked it up in the states so when the scientists are speaking such terms to cabinet members or others in government, it's a bit bizarre.
The effects are somewhat dated, but since the focus isn't on special effects or large scenes of mass destruction they work well enough. The only thing really out there was a completely fictional hologram device the scientists were using in measuring quakes and possible destruction patterns. It was an unrealistic device, but kinda cool so I was fine with it.
I had only two small issues with the film. First was the inclusion of a stereotypical go getter reporter whom was always pushing to get "the real story" out to the world. The other was the obvious inclusion of real disaster imagery, some of dead people and animals used as stock footage. I though that was in bad taste and rather insensitive.
Ex Machina - Very good. Batting 1.000 at the cinema this year, having seen only this and It Follows. I expect I'll be ruining that average next week with Avengers
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Pretty crappy. Thoroughly disappointing.
Blended. Nowhere near to the same league as previous Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore pairings The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates - fairly short on laughs, wastes some good players, far too long (114 mins?!?) and it's impossible to believe in the notion that anyone could mistake Bella Thorne for a boy... but compared to Click it's genius. 4/10.
In premise it's supposed to be a romantic comedy? But it's not romantic and it's never funny. Usually when one rates a comedy you evaluate what you were feeling while watching it. Was it hilarious, clever, charming, offensive, or gross?
You would think with a zero rating I would say this is the worst movie I've ever seen. Well it's not. I didn't hate the film, I just felt nothing. It never worked and was a complete bore. Every attempt at humor fell flat. In fact everything fell flat. A generic storyline and bland characters with no chemistry didn't help either.
Noah. A bummer of cataclysmic proportions, with Darren Aronofsky's additions to the perfect work (especially the rock creatures) helping not a jot. Some entertainment can be had in spotting when Jennifer Connelly's English accent wavers (incidentally, how come Russell Crowe gets to keep his regular voice?) but otherwise Industrial Light & Magic, Look Effects, Mr. X Gotham and Technicolor (the FX houses) are the movie's real stars. 2/10.
Noah. A bummer of cataclysmic proportions, with Darren Aronofsky's additions to the perfect work (especially the rock creatures) helping not a jot. Some entertainment can be had in spotting when Jennifer Connelly's English accent wavers (incidentally, how come Russell Crowe gets to keep his regular voice?) but otherwise Industrial Light & Magic, Look Effects, Mr. X Gotham and Technicolor (the FX houses) are the movie's real stars. 2/10.
And yet it looks like a masterpiece next to Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings!
her. Captivating tale which won't go down well with Luddites since it ultimately doesn't go the "wetware is always always ALWAYS better than hardware" route. While it occasionally comes off like a really long commercial for Google Glass or Apple or whatever, it's ultimately Electric Dreams if it was a higher form of life. And it's infinitely better than Lucy, the other movie which ends with Scarlett Johansson's character ascending to a higher plane of existence. 9/10.
EDIT: Spoiler tag contains one for another movie with Scarlett Johansson.
her. Captivating tale which won't go down well with Luddites since it ultimately doesn't go the "wetware is always always ALWAYS better than hardware" route. While it occasionally comes off like a really long commercial for Google Glass or Apple or whatever, it's ultimately Electric Dreams if it was a higher form of life. And it's infinitely better than Lucy, the other movie which ends with Scarlett Johansson's character ascending to a higher plane of existence. 9/10.
Misleading spoiler tag. I've seen Her so I read your spoiler, but I haven't seen Lucy. I would suggest stating outside the spoiler tag that the blacked-out text reveals the ending of Lucy as well...
All told, 7/10.
