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Barry Newman (204 KP) rated Near Dark (1987) in Movies

Feb 1, 2020

Near Dark (1987)

1987 | Horror, Mystery, Western

7.6

(16 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

A relatively simple tale of a recently turned vampire and his initiation into a sadistic group of other vampires (we assume that’s what they are as the V word isn’t said once in the film) is an atmospheric and compelling watch that stylistically is more like a western than anything else. Kathryn Bigelow’s use of a fair chunk of future husband James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ cast is largely successful (apart from some quite hammy overacting from Bill Paxton) and they make for thoroughly nasty adversaries (that bar scene being particularly brutal). I also liked the haunting Tangerine Dream score which adds nicely to the atmosphere but didn’t really buy the fact that vampirism could seemingly be so easily cured by a simple blood transfusion. That was a minor quibble though and overall I thought the film worked well.

Kudos

Harlequinade & All on Her Own

Terence Rattigan

(0 Ratings) Rate It

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A double bill by Terence Rattigan, featuring two plays of striking contrast that display his...

The Goodly Spellbook: Olde Spells for Modern Problems

Lady Passion

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Book

This is not your average mystical tome, but a special spellbook by two practicing witches. Here is...

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Patrick Rothfuss

8.7 (6 Ratings) Rate It

Book

The University, a renowned bastion of knowledge, attracts the brightest minds to unravel the...

The Log Book: Getting the Best from Your Wood-Burning Stove

Will Rolls

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Using a wood-burning stove effectively is both an art and a science. In this friendly, comprehensive...

Awix (3310 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies

Oct 11, 2019

Gemini Man (2019)

2019 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

5.8

(33 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Long-in-the-works Will Smith vehicle certainly feels like it's from the 90s. Government assassin decides to retire, but knows too much and finds himself the target of his own clone replacement. First and foremost a decent action movie, with a rather better performance (or performances) from Smith than you might expect; on a procedural level it rattles along engagingly enough.

However, the movie almost wholly fumbles all of its potential for addressing deeper issues in any but the most superficial manner - nature vs nurture, second chances, issues of identity, and so on. The manner in which it is filmed (for the special high frame rate 3D) is blandly appealing but not exactly atmospheric. In the end it is reasonable entertainment but all things considered you could be forgiven for expecting something rather more substantial.