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Awix (3310 KP) rated Deluge (1933) in Movies
Apr 23, 2019 (Updated Apr 23, 2019)
Pre-Code apocalyptic disaster movie boldly goes where Roland Emmerich would follow several times; also manages to be almost definitively non-compliant with the Bechdel test. A series of unexplained disasters including floods and earthquakes destroy civilisation; in the aftermath resourceful lawyer Martin hooks up with plucky society girl Claire, little realising his wife and children survived the catastrophe. Then fate brings them all back together...
The destruction of New York is the most celebrated sequence in the movie, and it stands up relatively well as an example of practical effects in action, but it happens in the first quarter of the movie. Most of the rest of it is concerned with surprisingly familiar post-apocalyptic themes - people come together and struggle to rebuild, raiders prey on settlements, people question familiar moral standards, and so on. The film's gender politics are startling, to say the least: women appear to have no rights and are basically property (and then civilisation crumbles, ha ha). It is interesting and indicative that the film ends with the affirmation of the traditional moral order. Not exactly subtle or nuanced, and the acting is fairly robotic, but it's pacy and the story is an engaging one. An interesting movie that suggests things haven't changed as much as we sometimes think.
The destruction of New York is the most celebrated sequence in the movie, and it stands up relatively well as an example of practical effects in action, but it happens in the first quarter of the movie. Most of the rest of it is concerned with surprisingly familiar post-apocalyptic themes - people come together and struggle to rebuild, raiders prey on settlements, people question familiar moral standards, and so on. The film's gender politics are startling, to say the least: women appear to have no rights and are basically property (and then civilisation crumbles, ha ha). It is interesting and indicative that the film ends with the affirmation of the traditional moral order. Not exactly subtle or nuanced, and the acting is fairly robotic, but it's pacy and the story is an engaging one. An interesting movie that suggests things haven't changed as much as we sometimes think.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated The Impossible (2012) in Movies
Aug 12, 2018
A true story (3 more)
Amazing cast, incredible performances
Fantastic writing
Great effects
Wow, such a powerful, intense movie!
Wow this is 1 of the most intense and powerful movies I've seen in such a long time.
I love disaster movies and the fact this is actually a true story adds so much to it. You can feel a lot more emotion throughout knowing this actually happened to someone and the characters are a real family that this actually happened to.
This is also thanks to such an incredible cast with amazing writing and acting. There is not 1 actor that is not phenomenal. Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and a young Tom Holland are all fantastic. Their chemistry is natural and believable and give so much intensity and emotion to all their performances.
The effects are fantastic. The tsunami and the injuries all look great and real. Has a great score and it all makes you think and wonder what it must have been like for the people actually involved.
Absolutely fantastic and can definitely recommend. I paid £1 for the blu ray and it's 1 I will not get rid of and will watch again. If you get chance, watch it.
I love disaster movies and the fact this is actually a true story adds so much to it. You can feel a lot more emotion throughout knowing this actually happened to someone and the characters are a real family that this actually happened to.
This is also thanks to such an incredible cast with amazing writing and acting. There is not 1 actor that is not phenomenal. Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and a young Tom Holland are all fantastic. Their chemistry is natural and believable and give so much intensity and emotion to all their performances.
The effects are fantastic. The tsunami and the injuries all look great and real. Has a great score and it all makes you think and wonder what it must have been like for the people actually involved.
Absolutely fantastic and can definitely recommend. I paid £1 for the blu ray and it's 1 I will not get rid of and will watch again. If you get chance, watch it.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shadowplay (Micah Grey #2) in Books
Nov 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Old magics are waking. But will the world survive their return?
Micah Grey almost died when he fled the circus with Drystan - now he and the ex-clown seek to outrun disaster. Drystan persuades his old friend Jasper Maske, a once-renowned magician, to take them in. But when he agrees to teach them his trade, Maske is challenged to the ultimate high-stakes duel by his embittered arch-nemesis.
Micah must perfect his skills of illusion, while navigating a tender new love. An investigator is also hunting the person he once seemed to be - a noble family's runaway daughter. As the duel draws near, Micah increasingly suffers from visions showing him real magic and future terrors. Events that broke the ancient world are being replayed. But can Micah's latent powers influence this deadly pattern?
The second installment of this trilogy and it started very slow for me I did struggle to keep myself focused. But it got better the longer it went on. Learning more about Micah and Drystan was good as well as their relationship development finally seeing them can me together was quite sweet. I loved the magic and introduction of Cyan. What will the 3rd book bring.
⭐⭐⭐

Micah Grey almost died when he fled the circus with Drystan - now he and the ex-clown seek to outrun disaster. Drystan persuades his old friend Jasper Maske, a once-renowned magician, to take them in. But when he agrees to teach them his trade, Maske is challenged to the ultimate high-stakes duel by his embittered arch-nemesis.
Micah must perfect his skills of illusion, while navigating a tender new love. An investigator is also hunting the person he once seemed to be - a noble family's runaway daughter. As the duel draws near, Micah increasingly suffers from visions showing him real magic and future terrors. Events that broke the ancient world are being replayed. But can Micah's latent powers influence this deadly pattern?
The second installment of this trilogy and it started very slow for me I did struggle to keep myself focused. But it got better the longer it went on. Learning more about Micah and Drystan was good as well as their relationship development finally seeing them can me together was quite sweet. I loved the magic and introduction of Cyan. What will the 3rd book bring.
⭐⭐⭐

Awix (3310 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020
Solid (if slightly derivative) horror-SF movie with extra added treats for fans of classic weird fiction. Following a disaster at a deep-sea drilling site, the survivors must try to make their way to safety, contending with the collapsing installation and grotesque and hostile marine creatures. Who or what exactly have they woken up...? One of those movies where you can have fun spotting all the things it's ripping off (Alien, Gravity, The Abyss, numerous others) but none the worse for that: the movie plays with genre tropes intelligently even if some of the storytelling could have been tighter.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated It's a Disaster (2013) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Time to meet the family!!
386. It's a Disaster. You know that point in a relationship when you get to meet your significant others friends? Well this it what is happening to David Cross' character Glen. His special lady friend is introducing him to 3 other couples for Sunday brunch, and judging by the first person he meets, kinda just looks him up and down and dismisses him pretty much outright. And it's all downhill from there, especially once brunch begins and there's a knock on the door from the neighbor, who at first is quite shocked they are having a get together without him, they try to explain it is a couples' brunch, then they casually ask him about the hazmat suit he's wearing. Ohhh yea, couple of dirty bombs were dropped downtown, the world as we know it is coming to an end. So, what to do... Well at least they don't seem like the type of people to panic, instead, with possibly only a few hours left to live, everybody kind of opens up, some get freakier than others, but they're all in it together!! Really funny movie, besides Cross bunch of good people in it, definitely worth a watch! Filmbufftim on FB
Jewels (684 KP) rated Hellboy (2019) in Movies
Jul 29, 2019
Sasha Lane (1 more)
Daniel Dae Kim
A fan of the original Hellboy movies, this came as an utter disappointment. They tried to get the cool-shock value with a ridiculous amount of unneeded gore, and by dropping the f-bomb about every other line. Both of these could have been cut by 3/4 and made a better movie. It did have some good one-liners and a few good comedic instances, but not enough to save this disaster.
Sahsa Lane was probably the best part of the movie, followed by Daniel Dae Kim, tho his character was not the best. David Harbour has the potential to be a great Hellboy, but it felt like he either didn't embrace and enjoy the character, or was made to hold back while playing Hellboy.
If they decide to proceed with a second film, I hope they cut back on the unnecessary gore and language, and that Harbour has a chance to really embrace the character and have fun with it. That being said, if you are in the mood for a crappy movie, or you are planning a crappy movie party, this one should be at the top of your list just because it is Hellboy.
Sahsa Lane was probably the best part of the movie, followed by Daniel Dae Kim, tho his character was not the best. David Harbour has the potential to be a great Hellboy, but it felt like he either didn't embrace and enjoy the character, or was made to hold back while playing Hellboy.
If they decide to proceed with a second film, I hope they cut back on the unnecessary gore and language, and that Harbour has a chance to really embrace the character and have fun with it. That being said, if you are in the mood for a crappy movie, or you are planning a crappy movie party, this one should be at the top of your list just because it is Hellboy.
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