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Andy K (10821 KP) rated Black Hawk Down (2001) in Movies

Dec 31, 2018

Black Hawk Down (2001)

2001 | Drama, History, War

7.8

(31 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

One of the best war movies I have ever seen!

One of Ridley Scott's great films, Black Hawk Down tells the complicated story of American troops deployed in Somalia to take out a brutal warlord who has been committing genocide on his own people. When events do not go as planned, the troops are left in harm's way a lot longer than expected until reinforcements can be mobilized to assist them.

The intense combat footage, paralleled with the kinship the men gained by helpful one another through an almost no win situation is compelling, tragic and inspiring all at the same time.

The cinematography and realism in which the film was shot adds to the storytelling in a robust way and you really feel for the soldiers and their ordeal.

Fantastic film.

Kudos

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

Russell Evans (179 KP) rated Excalibur in Books

Mar 2, 2020

Excalibur

Bernard Cornwell | 1999 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Satisfying conclusion to an epic and excellent trilogy (0 more)

3rd and final part of the fantastic Warlord Chronicles!

Excalibur is the third and final book in the Warlord Chronicles series and is just a compelling and captivating as the first 2 books. (See my earlier reviews for the first 2 parts of this trilogy, ’The Winter King’ and ‘Enemy of God’)
Some epic battles and betrayals conclude this tale of Arthur, told by his loyal friend and Warlord Derfel, now an aged Christian Monk. Overall, the trilogy is a superbly realistic and gritty yet fictional account of the dark ages and the epic journey of Arthur and a magnificently strong cast of characters.
If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read – starting with The Winter King.