Search
Search results
Laetitia Sadier recommended A Tábua de Esmeralda by Jorge Ben in Music (curated)
Nick Rhodes recommended Nightclubbing by Grace Jones in Music (curated)
Allison Anders recommended Carnival of Souls (1962) in Movies (curated)
Woody Woodmansey recommended track Life on Mars by David Bowie in Platinum Collection by David Bowie in Music (curated)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Fly (1986) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
Buzz Buzz
The Fly is a excellent remake of the 1958 version. Cronenberg does it again. All of his 80's films are excellent. I mean the gore, the violence, the horror, the suspense, the thrills, the sci-fi, the visuals, the terror and the acting.
The Plot: When scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly's cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle's girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.
The Fly was critically acclaimed, with most praise going to Goldblum's performance and the special effects. Despite being a gory remake of a classic made by a controversial, non-mainstream director, the film was a commercial success, the biggest of Cronenberg's career, and was the top-grossing film in the United States for two weeks, earning a total domestic gross of $40,456,565.
Film critic Gene Siskel named The Fly as the tenth best film of 1986. In 1989, Premiere and American Film magazines both conducted independent polls of American film critics, directors and other such groups to determine the best films of the 1980s, and The Fly appeared on both lists.
In 2008, the American Film Institute distributed ballots to 1,500 directors, critics and other people associated with the film industry in order to determine the top ten American films in ten different genre categories. Cronenberg's version of The Fly was nominated under the science fiction category, although it did not make the top ten. It was also nominated for AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills and AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions and Veronica's warning to Tawny in the film—"Be afraid. Be very afraid."—was nominated for AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes.
The quote "Be afraid. Be very afraid." was also used as the film's marketing tagline, and became so ingrained in popular culture (as it—and variants—have appeared in countless films and TV series) that a large number of people who are familiar with the phrase are unaware that it originated in The Fly.
Its a excellent movie.
The Plot: When scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly's cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle's girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.
The Fly was critically acclaimed, with most praise going to Goldblum's performance and the special effects. Despite being a gory remake of a classic made by a controversial, non-mainstream director, the film was a commercial success, the biggest of Cronenberg's career, and was the top-grossing film in the United States for two weeks, earning a total domestic gross of $40,456,565.
Film critic Gene Siskel named The Fly as the tenth best film of 1986. In 1989, Premiere and American Film magazines both conducted independent polls of American film critics, directors and other such groups to determine the best films of the 1980s, and The Fly appeared on both lists.
In 2008, the American Film Institute distributed ballots to 1,500 directors, critics and other people associated with the film industry in order to determine the top ten American films in ten different genre categories. Cronenberg's version of The Fly was nominated under the science fiction category, although it did not make the top ten. It was also nominated for AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills and AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions and Veronica's warning to Tawny in the film—"Be afraid. Be very afraid."—was nominated for AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes.
The quote "Be afraid. Be very afraid." was also used as the film's marketing tagline, and became so ingrained in popular culture (as it—and variants—have appeared in countless films and TV series) that a large number of people who are familiar with the phrase are unaware that it originated in The Fly.
Its a excellent movie.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Vader Immortal VR in Video Games
Oct 8, 2020
The classic V.R. Series Star Wars: Vader Immortal has finally arrived for the Playstation V.R. and it is without a doubt the most immersive Star Wars experience available short of taking a trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
From the opening moments where players have to make the jump to Hyperspace I was hooked Flipping the switches and using the lever to make the jump was like a dream come true for someone who grew up on the original films in an era when Star Wars gaming was not really an option due to the technology of the time.
Players end up in Mustafar where they encounter Vader and must escape from Imperial detention. Along the way players will obtain a Lightsaber which will come in handy for defense as well as helping with various obstacles.
Players will have to climb, manipulate objects, hack, and fight I a fully immersive V.R. setting. Aside from stunning visuals the game also features an engaging original storyline which sets the stage for the next two chapters of the series and also keeps players immersed in the action and lore.
While it did at times take some getting used to in terms of navigation as my Droid companion had an issue with blocking my view at times in dark areas or various objects taking some work to get close enough to manipulate; I was hooked from the start.
Using the Lightsaber to deflect bolts back at Imperial Stormtroopers was great fun as was exploring the Star Wars universe in a new way. I do not want to spoil more about the game but let me just say it is fantastic and gives players new looks at Vader as well as the Star Wars Universe as a whole.
I played the game with the Playstation earbuds that came with the PSVR and had fantastic sound quality to go with the eye-popping visuals. I was delayed in my review as one of our Playstation Move controls malfunctioned and I had to wait for Sony to exchange it but once that was done I was back in the game and could not get enough.
The game is a must own for Star Wars fans and a great example of V.R. gaming done right.
From the opening moments where players have to make the jump to Hyperspace I was hooked Flipping the switches and using the lever to make the jump was like a dream come true for someone who grew up on the original films in an era when Star Wars gaming was not really an option due to the technology of the time.
Players end up in Mustafar where they encounter Vader and must escape from Imperial detention. Along the way players will obtain a Lightsaber which will come in handy for defense as well as helping with various obstacles.
Players will have to climb, manipulate objects, hack, and fight I a fully immersive V.R. setting. Aside from stunning visuals the game also features an engaging original storyline which sets the stage for the next two chapters of the series and also keeps players immersed in the action and lore.
While it did at times take some getting used to in terms of navigation as my Droid companion had an issue with blocking my view at times in dark areas or various objects taking some work to get close enough to manipulate; I was hooked from the start.
Using the Lightsaber to deflect bolts back at Imperial Stormtroopers was great fun as was exploring the Star Wars universe in a new way. I do not want to spoil more about the game but let me just say it is fantastic and gives players new looks at Vader as well as the Star Wars Universe as a whole.
I played the game with the Playstation earbuds that came with the PSVR and had fantastic sound quality to go with the eye-popping visuals. I was delayed in my review as one of our Playstation Move controls malfunctioned and I had to wait for Sony to exchange it but once that was done I was back in the game and could not get enough.
The game is a must own for Star Wars fans and a great example of V.R. gaming done right.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Body Snatcher (1945) in Movies
Oct 17, 2020
Boris Karloff (1 more)
Bela Lugosi
Invasion
The Body Snatcher- is not related to "The Body Snatchers". Yes it is confused. Cause i thought this was the oringal version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", just called "The Body Snatcher". Nope it turns out its two different things. Both based off of books. This film is based off of "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. While "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is based off of Jack Finney's 1954 science fiction novel "The Body Snatchers". So yea not confusing at all.
The plot: Dr. Toddy MacFarlane (Henry Daniell) needs cadavers for his medical experiments, ultimately intended to treat a young disabled girl. However, they are not easy to come by, so he enlists the help of taxi driver John Gray (Boris Karloff) and his assistant, Joseph (Bela Lugosi), to unearth bodies from the cemetery. When Donald (Russell Wade), Dr. MacFarlane's assistant, recognizes one of the corpses Gray delivers, the true source of the bodies is called into question.
It is based on the short story "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film's producer Val Lewton helped adapt the story for the screen, writing under the pen name of "Carlos Keith". The film was marketed with the tagline "The screen's last word in shock sensation!" The frequent mentions of Burke, Hare, and Dr. Knox, all refer to the West Port murders in 1828.
The Body Snatcher was one of three films that Boris Karloff did with RKO Radio Pictures from 1945 to 1946, which were produced by Val Lewton. The other two films were Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946).
Bela Lugosi, who became famous with another Universal classic, Dracula (1931), also signed a deal with RKO. Lewton and MacDonald eventually wrote a small role for him; it became the last film Lugosi and Karloff made together.
Robert Wise – later best-known for his work in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Sand Pebbles (1966) – was assigned to direct the film. Longtime film editor at RKO, he had replaced the original director on The Curse of the Cat People (1944) when it fell behind schedule and Lewton, who produced it, decided to promote him to his superiors.
Its a excellent film.
The plot: Dr. Toddy MacFarlane (Henry Daniell) needs cadavers for his medical experiments, ultimately intended to treat a young disabled girl. However, they are not easy to come by, so he enlists the help of taxi driver John Gray (Boris Karloff) and his assistant, Joseph (Bela Lugosi), to unearth bodies from the cemetery. When Donald (Russell Wade), Dr. MacFarlane's assistant, recognizes one of the corpses Gray delivers, the true source of the bodies is called into question.
It is based on the short story "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film's producer Val Lewton helped adapt the story for the screen, writing under the pen name of "Carlos Keith". The film was marketed with the tagline "The screen's last word in shock sensation!" The frequent mentions of Burke, Hare, and Dr. Knox, all refer to the West Port murders in 1828.
The Body Snatcher was one of three films that Boris Karloff did with RKO Radio Pictures from 1945 to 1946, which were produced by Val Lewton. The other two films were Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946).
Bela Lugosi, who became famous with another Universal classic, Dracula (1931), also signed a deal with RKO. Lewton and MacDonald eventually wrote a small role for him; it became the last film Lugosi and Karloff made together.
Robert Wise – later best-known for his work in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Sand Pebbles (1966) – was assigned to direct the film. Longtime film editor at RKO, he had replaced the original director on The Curse of the Cat People (1944) when it fell behind schedule and Lewton, who produced it, decided to promote him to his superiors.
Its a excellent film.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Captive (Cautiva) (2003) in Movies
Oct 25, 2020
Great Cast
Wow. Just wow. Every now and then, a movie comes along that exceeds your expectations. Something you’re. truly not ready for. There is so much depth in Captive (Cautiva). I highly recommend it. It follows the story of a girl who finds out her family is actually not her own and that she was given to another family at birth. She now has to go and live with her biological family.
Acting: 10
While I am not familiar with many of the actors/actresses in Captive, I must say I loved Barbara Lombardo’s performance. She plays the daughter torn between two worlds. I love the passion that she captures in the role along with her ambiguity. She was stellar.
Beginning: 2
Very slow start and one of the only things keeping this movie from begin a classic. If I hadn’t committed to watching this to review it, I may have turned from it after the first ten minutes. Glad I gave it a fair shake as things definitely pick up.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Director Gaston Biraben gives you a great look into the 90’s world of Argentina. Each scene was captivating and enlightening at the same time. You are really are thrown into two different worlds with the court system being the tie that binds.
Conflict: 10
What a daunting story! You can’t help but ask yourself how you would handle a situation like this. As I mentioned above, there is so much to unpack as the story unfolds and it creates great conflict overall.
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 10
I’ve seen a number of movies since, but this movie came rushing back to me as soon as I turned it on. Great cast. Great story with depth that leaves a number of questions. Definitely leaves an impression.
Pace: 10
The story moves very consistently from beginning to end. As things start to unfold, you are left wondering what the end result will be. The conflict keeps the pace in check driving the story forward at a solid clip.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Overall: 84
The main character’s persistence in finding out the truth of everything happening drives Captive for me. It’s a drama turned mystery and I appreciate how it evolves. I am so glad I didn’t judge the movie by its first ten minutes because it’s great.
Acting: 10
While I am not familiar with many of the actors/actresses in Captive, I must say I loved Barbara Lombardo’s performance. She plays the daughter torn between two worlds. I love the passion that she captures in the role along with her ambiguity. She was stellar.
Beginning: 2
Very slow start and one of the only things keeping this movie from begin a classic. If I hadn’t committed to watching this to review it, I may have turned from it after the first ten minutes. Glad I gave it a fair shake as things definitely pick up.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Director Gaston Biraben gives you a great look into the 90’s world of Argentina. Each scene was captivating and enlightening at the same time. You are really are thrown into two different worlds with the court system being the tie that binds.
Conflict: 10
What a daunting story! You can’t help but ask yourself how you would handle a situation like this. As I mentioned above, there is so much to unpack as the story unfolds and it creates great conflict overall.
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 10
I’ve seen a number of movies since, but this movie came rushing back to me as soon as I turned it on. Great cast. Great story with depth that leaves a number of questions. Definitely leaves an impression.
Pace: 10
The story moves very consistently from beginning to end. As things start to unfold, you are left wondering what the end result will be. The conflict keeps the pace in check driving the story forward at a solid clip.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 6
Overall: 84
The main character’s persistence in finding out the truth of everything happening drives Captive for me. It’s a drama turned mystery and I appreciate how it evolves. I am so glad I didn’t judge the movie by its first ten minutes because it’s great.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Queen & Slim (2019) in Movies
Oct 29, 2020
Extremely Entertaining
In the first ten minutes, you have a good idea of how Queen & Slim is going to end. Two black people on a first date end up killing a cop during a traffic stop. In spite the dread of knowing where things are heading, the movie is so powerfully done that it gave me a bit of a chill as the credits were rolling.
Acting: 10
Daniel Kaluuya puts on yet another powerful performance, this time playing the role of the male love interest Slim. I love the way he chose to play this role as a man that doesn’t have it all together trying to figure things out on the fly. His counterpart Jodi Turner-Smith playing Queen is so on point as well carrying the strong emotional defensiveness of the lawyer that she is. Their chemistry drives this movie to heights I wasn’t expecting.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is beautifully shot with a number of strong sequences and setpieces that keep things interesting. Director Melina Matsoukas is a master of capturing emotional moments with well-timed closeups and long pauses. She pushes the emotions out of the viewers with tender scenes and scenes that get your blood boiling.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 9
This movie sticks, it sticks with you. It’s hard to walk away from it and not feel some way or the other. It will challenge you emotionally and mentally. It’s not perfect as it does stick to a pretty linear script, but it’s extremely memorable nonethless.
Pace: 10
Because of the constant danger the two main characters are under, the movie moves quick even when they’re just sitting around awaiting their next piece of the plan. It’s heartpounding like knowing a car crash is coming, but you’re forced to watch it anyway. There is no standing still. They’re always on the run so the pace remains uptempo.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Overall: 97
Yes Queen & Slim is pretty linear, but it works for the building of the relationship within the story. And yes you see the ending coming but there’s a true power that comes from it that makes it worth it. The conflict is great, but the dialogue solidifies it for me as a classic. See this movie.
Acting: 10
Daniel Kaluuya puts on yet another powerful performance, this time playing the role of the male love interest Slim. I love the way he chose to play this role as a man that doesn’t have it all together trying to figure things out on the fly. His counterpart Jodi Turner-Smith playing Queen is so on point as well carrying the strong emotional defensiveness of the lawyer that she is. Their chemistry drives this movie to heights I wasn’t expecting.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is beautifully shot with a number of strong sequences and setpieces that keep things interesting. Director Melina Matsoukas is a master of capturing emotional moments with well-timed closeups and long pauses. She pushes the emotions out of the viewers with tender scenes and scenes that get your blood boiling.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 9
This movie sticks, it sticks with you. It’s hard to walk away from it and not feel some way or the other. It will challenge you emotionally and mentally. It’s not perfect as it does stick to a pretty linear script, but it’s extremely memorable nonethless.
Pace: 10
Because of the constant danger the two main characters are under, the movie moves quick even when they’re just sitting around awaiting their next piece of the plan. It’s heartpounding like knowing a car crash is coming, but you’re forced to watch it anyway. There is no standing still. They’re always on the run so the pace remains uptempo.
Plot: 8
Resolution: 10
Overall: 97
Yes Queen & Slim is pretty linear, but it works for the building of the relationship within the story. And yes you see the ending coming but there’s a true power that comes from it that makes it worth it. The conflict is great, but the dialogue solidifies it for me as a classic. See this movie.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Thing (2011) in Movies
Jan 10, 2021
This one is pretty straightforward - The Thing (2011) is an ok film that is completely dwarfed by The Thing (1982) - honestly, fuck knows why it doesn't have a different title.
This prequel to the iconic John Carpenter movie does have some decent aspects to it - it has a mostly agreeable cast and a good screenplay that's engaging, although a vast majority of the characters are hugely forgettable, and not a patch on the crew of protagonists from the 82 film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a perfectly likable leading lady, but everyone else is just kind of there. Even Joel Edgerton blends in with the furniture.
I also think it has good pacing for the most part - the opening third builds things up nicely, and when things finally kick off, it feels earned.
The attention to detail is admirable as well, with various objects and hints of past chaos found by Kurt Russell and co in the 82 film being placed perfectly.
Unfortunately, the end project suffers from a couple of things. Most infamously, the CGI is ropey, and is an ill advised addition considering the 82 film boasts some of the best practical effects in cinema history. This is made even worse by the fact that practical effects and animatronics were initially used before being smothered in digital effects to the point where it actively makes the whole movie less enjoyable. The narrative also apes the Carpenter classic a little too often for my taste, and serves more of a reminder of that film, rather than feeling like a homage.
The final act is just silly as well. After a strong build up, the climax snowballs into uninteresting bad-Predator-sequel-esque nonsense, and even saves the most laughable digital effects for last, just for good measure.
I did like the very last scene though, which genuinely ties nicely into the start of the 82 film.
Messing with such an iconic horror heavyweight comes with huge risks, and ultimately, The Thing (still really hate that they didn't use a different title) isn't the car crash that it easily could have been, but it does fall flat on really important aspects, resulting in a film that is average to the casual movie goer, and is thoroughly underwhelming for fans of its far superior predecessor.
This prequel to the iconic John Carpenter movie does have some decent aspects to it - it has a mostly agreeable cast and a good screenplay that's engaging, although a vast majority of the characters are hugely forgettable, and not a patch on the crew of protagonists from the 82 film. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a perfectly likable leading lady, but everyone else is just kind of there. Even Joel Edgerton blends in with the furniture.
I also think it has good pacing for the most part - the opening third builds things up nicely, and when things finally kick off, it feels earned.
The attention to detail is admirable as well, with various objects and hints of past chaos found by Kurt Russell and co in the 82 film being placed perfectly.
Unfortunately, the end project suffers from a couple of things. Most infamously, the CGI is ropey, and is an ill advised addition considering the 82 film boasts some of the best practical effects in cinema history. This is made even worse by the fact that practical effects and animatronics were initially used before being smothered in digital effects to the point where it actively makes the whole movie less enjoyable. The narrative also apes the Carpenter classic a little too often for my taste, and serves more of a reminder of that film, rather than feeling like a homage.
The final act is just silly as well. After a strong build up, the climax snowballs into uninteresting bad-Predator-sequel-esque nonsense, and even saves the most laughable digital effects for last, just for good measure.
I did like the very last scene though, which genuinely ties nicely into the start of the 82 film.
Messing with such an iconic horror heavyweight comes with huge risks, and ultimately, The Thing (still really hate that they didn't use a different title) isn't the car crash that it easily could have been, but it does fall flat on really important aspects, resulting in a film that is average to the casual movie goer, and is thoroughly underwhelming for fans of its far superior predecessor.