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365Flicks (235 KP) rated Ice Guardians (2016) in Movies
Nov 20, 2019
Speaking from my own personal perspective, Ice Guardians is one of the most interesting gripping documentary’s I have watched recently. Full Disclosure first… I am a Brit, a little Englander if you will so my knowledge of Ice Hockey and the world of that sport is very limited to the Mighty Ducks movies. However I love a good personal Documentary that can engage me in something I know little about. Ice Guardians covers that for me so lets do this.
Director Brett Harvey carefully and passionately explores one of the most controversial and provocative positions in the history the National Hockey League, the Enforcer.
This movie is the Story of the most controversial positions in the world of sport, from its birth (out of little policing by the refs in the game) to today. ‘The Enforcer’ this is a position that has been talked about through the decades. Is it needed? Is it Necessary? Who the hell would take this role in a game of Ice Hockey?. Essentially the role is to be an “Ice Boxer” hit harder and faster than the guy on the opposite side, be such a menace that everyone on your team is safe because the opposition are scared Shit-less to start something because you will get them.
Of course my simplistic analysis above is that of a man before watching this movie. Watch as giants of the game and some of the hardest son of bitches in the position, strip everything back to bare all on the role they play, why they play it and the sheer scrutiny they are are faced with on a day to day basis. I will honestly say I was moved by this Documentary at times, these men are looked at like caged beasts, Unhinged if you want. However these men are exactly that ‘MEN’ with more Honor, Integrity and way more Loyalty than most Sportsmen.
Written by Harvey and Scott Dodds, the film features interviews with NFL greats such as Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Clark Gillies and Dave Semenko.
We at 365 Highly recommend this Documentary and hope you will it a chance because it is engaging as hell and gives you a deep insight into the role of the Enforcer from the Enforcers point of view. Its not as black and white as you may think and I truly think you will take something away to think from this flick.
I want you all to watch this movie its wonderfully made and deals with a subject like this carefully and with the respect it deserves.
Director Brett Harvey carefully and passionately explores one of the most controversial and provocative positions in the history the National Hockey League, the Enforcer.
This movie is the Story of the most controversial positions in the world of sport, from its birth (out of little policing by the refs in the game) to today. ‘The Enforcer’ this is a position that has been talked about through the decades. Is it needed? Is it Necessary? Who the hell would take this role in a game of Ice Hockey?. Essentially the role is to be an “Ice Boxer” hit harder and faster than the guy on the opposite side, be such a menace that everyone on your team is safe because the opposition are scared Shit-less to start something because you will get them.
Of course my simplistic analysis above is that of a man before watching this movie. Watch as giants of the game and some of the hardest son of bitches in the position, strip everything back to bare all on the role they play, why they play it and the sheer scrutiny they are are faced with on a day to day basis. I will honestly say I was moved by this Documentary at times, these men are looked at like caged beasts, Unhinged if you want. However these men are exactly that ‘MEN’ with more Honor, Integrity and way more Loyalty than most Sportsmen.
Written by Harvey and Scott Dodds, the film features interviews with NFL greats such as Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Clark Gillies and Dave Semenko.
We at 365 Highly recommend this Documentary and hope you will it a chance because it is engaging as hell and gives you a deep insight into the role of the Enforcer from the Enforcers point of view. Its not as black and white as you may think and I truly think you will take something away to think from this flick.
I want you all to watch this movie its wonderfully made and deals with a subject like this carefully and with the respect it deserves.
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Iron Man 2 (2010) in Movies
Jul 10, 2020
Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios have pretty much been on a hot streak. It's easy to forget that this titan of a movie house still had to finds its feet once upon a time, and unfortunately they do have a handful of underwhelming titles in their arsenal.
Iron Man 2 is in of these titles, and whilst bit a far cry from a bad movie, the formula wasn't quite there yet.
It's main issues comes from the writing I think. The plot dates to tackle issues such as Tony Stark's trouble with alcohol, a result of slowly being poisoned by the very mechanism that's keeping him alive. He hits rock bottom, pisses off everyone he loves, creates a new element (in probably the most ridiculously convoluted and stupid scene in the MCU) and somewhere amongst all this, there's some big dumb superhero action.
As much as I admire this route, the balance is off, and a big chunk of the movie gets bigger down by these issues.
The side plot that involves a B list villain Whiplash is a nice touch, but it's ultimately wasted in yet another ending brawl that features the hero against an evil version of himself, the second Iron Man film to be released and the second Iron Man film to feature a final boss in a bigger Iron Man suit. It just doesn't feel over imaginative.
It's not all bad though - Iron Man 2 boasts an incredible cast of talent. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow of course return from the first movie. Mickey Rourke is the aforementioned Whiplash (I find it hard to dislike Mickey Rourke in general), Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of War Machine, and of course we get the first appearance for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
And a big reason why Iron Man 2 is better than it should be is down to the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. He plays secondary villain Justin Hammer and he oozes charisma, and fits in effortlessly opposite Downey Jr.
Other than that, the effects still hold up for the most part, and the set pieces are fun - the racing track scene is a particular highlight, and its always a treat to see the wider MCU being established as the main plot chugs along.
Iron Man 2 isn't as good as it's predecessor, and is at the lower and of the MCU quality spectrum, but there's still a lot to enjoy if you switch off a bit.
Iron Man 2 is in of these titles, and whilst bit a far cry from a bad movie, the formula wasn't quite there yet.
It's main issues comes from the writing I think. The plot dates to tackle issues such as Tony Stark's trouble with alcohol, a result of slowly being poisoned by the very mechanism that's keeping him alive. He hits rock bottom, pisses off everyone he loves, creates a new element (in probably the most ridiculously convoluted and stupid scene in the MCU) and somewhere amongst all this, there's some big dumb superhero action.
As much as I admire this route, the balance is off, and a big chunk of the movie gets bigger down by these issues.
The side plot that involves a B list villain Whiplash is a nice touch, but it's ultimately wasted in yet another ending brawl that features the hero against an evil version of himself, the second Iron Man film to be released and the second Iron Man film to feature a final boss in a bigger Iron Man suit. It just doesn't feel over imaginative.
It's not all bad though - Iron Man 2 boasts an incredible cast of talent. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow of course return from the first movie. Mickey Rourke is the aforementioned Whiplash (I find it hard to dislike Mickey Rourke in general), Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of War Machine, and of course we get the first appearance for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
And a big reason why Iron Man 2 is better than it should be is down to the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. He plays secondary villain Justin Hammer and he oozes charisma, and fits in effortlessly opposite Downey Jr.
Other than that, the effects still hold up for the most part, and the set pieces are fun - the racing track scene is a particular highlight, and its always a treat to see the wider MCU being established as the main plot chugs along.
Iron Man 2 isn't as good as it's predecessor, and is at the lower and of the MCU quality spectrum, but there's still a lot to enjoy if you switch off a bit.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Dumbo (1941) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
With the live action Dumbo out I thought it was high time I watched the original. After seeing it I'm fairly certain I've watched it before but I imagine that it was so long ago that the memory has been replaced with a lot of other movie knowledge.
Dumbo is such a simple story, and even though the film is only just over an hour long it barely feels like that length of time. It moves along so swiftly, no excess of story, just an excess of cuteness.
The animation is wonderful, simple and yet expressive. Dumbo is adorable the whole way through, I honestly don't know how they managed to capture everything in such a tiny little elephant. When he's dinking the giant peg with his tiny hammer and all the effort he puts in "helping" to put up the big top. Such a talented bunch of people. Although I think they peaked at the scene where he was holding his breath.
With Disney we're obviously treated to that musical element and these classics are oh so singable. I was unashamedly singing along at the top of my voice. I hope you all were too.
If Dumbo was around nowadays he's have been an instant internet sensation, his circus would have been fighting back the crowds. The headlines would have read "Boy spanked by elephant after climbing in to mock baby." People would have praised Mrs Jumbo for defending her child, some would have been calling for her to be put down, while the rest of us normal folk would be going "it serves the little bugger right, who climbs into an elephant enclosure?!"
This was a genuinely entertaining watch if you ignore the dated and slightly insensitive beginning.
Extra:
Deleted Scenes
The Mouse's Tale
Are You A Man Of A Mouse
Backstage Disney
Taking Flight: The Making Of Dumbo
The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride Of Passage
Sound Design: Excerpt From "The Reluctant Dragon"
Celebrating Dumbo
Original Walt Disney TV Introduction
Trailers
Art Galleries
All of the backstage pieces are interesting to watch but you definitely have to see the Sound Design featurette, they've done it in a really fun way and it really brought a smile to my face.
What you should do
Of course you have to watch it, I don't know why you wouldn't.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd say a flying elephant, but I don't really have the space.
Dumbo is such a simple story, and even though the film is only just over an hour long it barely feels like that length of time. It moves along so swiftly, no excess of story, just an excess of cuteness.
The animation is wonderful, simple and yet expressive. Dumbo is adorable the whole way through, I honestly don't know how they managed to capture everything in such a tiny little elephant. When he's dinking the giant peg with his tiny hammer and all the effort he puts in "helping" to put up the big top. Such a talented bunch of people. Although I think they peaked at the scene where he was holding his breath.
With Disney we're obviously treated to that musical element and these classics are oh so singable. I was unashamedly singing along at the top of my voice. I hope you all were too.
If Dumbo was around nowadays he's have been an instant internet sensation, his circus would have been fighting back the crowds. The headlines would have read "Boy spanked by elephant after climbing in to mock baby." People would have praised Mrs Jumbo for defending her child, some would have been calling for her to be put down, while the rest of us normal folk would be going "it serves the little bugger right, who climbs into an elephant enclosure?!"
This was a genuinely entertaining watch if you ignore the dated and slightly insensitive beginning.
Extra:
Deleted Scenes
The Mouse's Tale
Are You A Man Of A Mouse
Backstage Disney
Taking Flight: The Making Of Dumbo
The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride Of Passage
Sound Design: Excerpt From "The Reluctant Dragon"
Celebrating Dumbo
Original Walt Disney TV Introduction
Trailers
Art Galleries
All of the backstage pieces are interesting to watch but you definitely have to see the Sound Design featurette, they've done it in a really fun way and it really brought a smile to my face.
What you should do
Of course you have to watch it, I don't know why you wouldn't.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I'd say a flying elephant, but I don't really have the space.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Cars 3 (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The new Disney / Pixar movie, Cars 3 is rated G. Cars 3 is directed by Brian Fee and brings back the familiar characters of Lightening McQueen (Owen Wilson), Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), Sally (Bonnie Hunt), and introduces some new characters: Jackson Storm (Arnie Hammer), and Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo).
McQueen is back, and at the top of his game…. Until he isn’t. Thrown off his winning streak by newcomer Jackson Storm, McQueen struggles with the realization that he may not have what it takes to win consistently anymore.
Hoping to train his way back to the top before the big racing season starts in Florida, McQueen heads to the brand-new Rust-Eze Racing training center built by his sponsors Dusty and Rusty. There, Lightening meets with the new owner of the Rust-Eze brand, big-wig business man Sterling (Nathan Fillion) and meets his new trainer, Cruz.
Cruz encourages McQueen to limber up and take it easy… go slow because he’s “old”. Lightening feels like Cruz is stifling him and slowing him down. Lightening feels he needs to “get his tires dirty” and go back to training the “old fashioned way”, so he heads out on the road, planning to train on the way to the big race in Florida.
As he treks across country with Cruz, he learns that there was more to his old mentor Doc Hudson than he realized, and that everyone has dreams, and that if you can help someone reach their dreams, sometimes it makes your own dreams attainable too.
The scenery / backgrounds were extremely lifelike in the 3-D version that we saw, and the movie had enough action to keep my 9 year old entranced the whole way through, even though the movie clocks a run-time of an hour and 45 minutes.
This third installment of the Cars series was SO MUCH better than the 2nd movie, and I would almost dare to say better than the first!
It has lessons of humility, acceptance, friendship, respect, hard work, all mixed together with loving what you do and mentoring others that love the same things you do; helping them overcome their fears and become stronger and more confident in themselves.
My 9-year-old son says it was a great movie, and he loved it so much that he wants to see it again “right now”. His favorite part was the Demolition Derby. He also says that Cars 3 is so good that he hopes that they make another sequel, starring the new characters, and following McQueen as he gets older.
McQueen is back, and at the top of his game…. Until he isn’t. Thrown off his winning streak by newcomer Jackson Storm, McQueen struggles with the realization that he may not have what it takes to win consistently anymore.
Hoping to train his way back to the top before the big racing season starts in Florida, McQueen heads to the brand-new Rust-Eze Racing training center built by his sponsors Dusty and Rusty. There, Lightening meets with the new owner of the Rust-Eze brand, big-wig business man Sterling (Nathan Fillion) and meets his new trainer, Cruz.
Cruz encourages McQueen to limber up and take it easy… go slow because he’s “old”. Lightening feels like Cruz is stifling him and slowing him down. Lightening feels he needs to “get his tires dirty” and go back to training the “old fashioned way”, so he heads out on the road, planning to train on the way to the big race in Florida.
As he treks across country with Cruz, he learns that there was more to his old mentor Doc Hudson than he realized, and that everyone has dreams, and that if you can help someone reach their dreams, sometimes it makes your own dreams attainable too.
The scenery / backgrounds were extremely lifelike in the 3-D version that we saw, and the movie had enough action to keep my 9 year old entranced the whole way through, even though the movie clocks a run-time of an hour and 45 minutes.
This third installment of the Cars series was SO MUCH better than the 2nd movie, and I would almost dare to say better than the first!
It has lessons of humility, acceptance, friendship, respect, hard work, all mixed together with loving what you do and mentoring others that love the same things you do; helping them overcome their fears and become stronger and more confident in themselves.
My 9-year-old son says it was a great movie, and he loved it so much that he wants to see it again “right now”. His favorite part was the Demolition Derby. He also says that Cars 3 is so good that he hopes that they make another sequel, starring the new characters, and following McQueen as he gets older.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Free Fire (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
At a rundown warehouse in 1970’s Boston, Justine (Brie Larson) and Ord (Armie Hammer) are brokering a deal between a South African arms dealer (Sharlto Copley) and members of the IRA (Cillian Murphy & Michael Smiley). Tensions flare almost immediately between the two sides and an inevitable battle of wills and gunplay ensues when two members of their entourage take decisive action on a fresh grudge from the night before.
It may say Scorsese’s producing, but Free Fire definitely smacks more of a Tarantino-influenced affair and I can think of no better example, in recent years anyway, that proves the lasting legacy of his still awe-inspiring debut, Reservoir Dogs. After years of making deliberately obtuse films (High Rise, A Field in England), Ben Wheatley has finally made something accessible, but unfortunately, Free Fire can’t pack the same visceral punch and narrative competence as the films that it takes influence from. I’m having flashbacks to about this time last year when I reviewed another film from A24, Green Room. I walked out of Free Fire in much the same manner; on a high, feeling satisfied from what appeared to be something unique and notable. As the hours have passed and I’m preparing my summation, the sentiment has all but vanished and I’m wanting of something with a little more substance. Granted, an 90 minute runtime can only accommodate so much, but I have to ask: could all that time spent crawling around in the dust and the rubble, as realistic a light that it may or may not shine on the authenticity of an actual shootout, have been used instead to get inside our characters motivations, driving us to really care about their fates? There’s no doubt that from its style and attitude, there was the potential for this to be the Reservoir Dogs for a new generation, but ultimately it’s just not a very memorable experience.
What will save Free Fire from obscurity is a cast that, despite having little plot to work with, is firing on all cylinders. An exemplary job is done from Oscar winners on down to character actors whose faces you know, but names you don’t. There isn’t one weak link in the chain and their performances have an excellent balance of toughness and levity that grounds them just enough to allow for suspension of disbelief. I might chastise Ben Wheatley as a storyteller, but there’s no doubt that he has an ear for great dialogue and fine judgement on the performers to deliver it.
It may say Scorsese’s producing, but Free Fire definitely smacks more of a Tarantino-influenced affair and I can think of no better example, in recent years anyway, that proves the lasting legacy of his still awe-inspiring debut, Reservoir Dogs. After years of making deliberately obtuse films (High Rise, A Field in England), Ben Wheatley has finally made something accessible, but unfortunately, Free Fire can’t pack the same visceral punch and narrative competence as the films that it takes influence from. I’m having flashbacks to about this time last year when I reviewed another film from A24, Green Room. I walked out of Free Fire in much the same manner; on a high, feeling satisfied from what appeared to be something unique and notable. As the hours have passed and I’m preparing my summation, the sentiment has all but vanished and I’m wanting of something with a little more substance. Granted, an 90 minute runtime can only accommodate so much, but I have to ask: could all that time spent crawling around in the dust and the rubble, as realistic a light that it may or may not shine on the authenticity of an actual shootout, have been used instead to get inside our characters motivations, driving us to really care about their fates? There’s no doubt that from its style and attitude, there was the potential for this to be the Reservoir Dogs for a new generation, but ultimately it’s just not a very memorable experience.
What will save Free Fire from obscurity is a cast that, despite having little plot to work with, is firing on all cylinders. An exemplary job is done from Oscar winners on down to character actors whose faces you know, but names you don’t. There isn’t one weak link in the chain and their performances have an excellent balance of toughness and levity that grounds them just enough to allow for suspension of disbelief. I might chastise Ben Wheatley as a storyteller, but there’s no doubt that he has an ear for great dialogue and fine judgement on the performers to deliver it.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Super (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
When I first heard about Super, written and directed by James Gunn, my first thought was “Dwight (from The Office) will be a superhero?” However what I saw on the screen was anything but Dwight, it was 75% awesome and 25% “I can’t believe they did that!”
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
The film begins with Frank (excellently played by Rainn Wilson) happily married to Sarah (Liv Tyler) who is a recovering drug addict. The happiness is shattered when Sarah begins using again, thanks to Jacques the drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) and then one day she disappears. Frank searches for Sarah and eventually finds her under the control of Jacques. Unable to get her away from Jacques, Frank goes to the police for help. Unfortunately because Sarah left on her own accord, no law has been broken (except for the drug stuff) so they are unable to help him.
Frank tries to move on, but without Sarah life seems meaningless. Then in his darkest hour he has a vision of The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Heeding the vision, Frank becomes The Crimson Bolt, pledges to fight crime and to save Sarah. There is just one small problem – Frank has no idea how to be a superhero. Research is needed, so off to the comic book store he goes, of course, and there he meets Libby (Ellen Page). Libby advises him which comics to read that have superheroes who do not have powers. Armed with this knowledge, The Crimson Bolt officially begins fighting crime in the most unusual of ways and not too long after, Libby becomes Boltie, his trusted, sexy sidekick.
This very entertaining, action-filled, dark comedy has more twists and turns than a game of Chutes and Ladders, and it will keep you glued to the screen until the end. Will they save the city from villainy? Will they save Sarah’s bacon? (Sorry, with Kevin Bacon playing the bad guy I couldn’t resist.)
Super has a different take on the superhero genre than what I’ve seen in past movies. Only Rainn Wilson could have properly portrayed the uniqueness that is Frank/Crimson Bolt and the same goes for Ellen Page in regards to Libby/Boltie (possibly the best sidekick ever). To make a long review short, let me sum up this way, everyone in the movie no matter the length of their part did an amazing job in their role. With that said, my only wish was that the story would have allowed for more screen time for Gregg Henry (Detective John Felkner) and a musical number for Fillion’s Holy Avenger. if you liked Fillion as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, then you’ll love him in this role. But those things would have most likely thrown off the perfect balance of action, humor and character interaction that made this movie so enjoyable.
Matt Warnock Guitar : 101 Jazz Guitar Licks
Music and Education
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Are you looking to expand your jazz guitar vocabulary and build your jazz guitar chops but don’t...
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Death on the Nile (2022) in Movies
Feb 7, 2022
Originally set to release in December of 2019; the long-delayed cinematic retelling of Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile” has finally arrived in cinemas. The last cinematic version of the classic book arrived in 1978 and this time; Director and star Kenneth Branagh beings his version of Master Detective Hercule Poirot to Egypt after a chance encounter with his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) while on vacation; Poirot attends the wedding of wealthy socialite Linette Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and notices that she has married a man named Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).
The wedding is a bit of a shock to many as just six weeks prior Doyle was engaged to Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), and Poirot observed the two of them in a London club and how Ridgeway was introduced to Simon by her friend Jacqueline.
The wedding reception is disrupted by the arrival of Jacqueline and Linette and Simon confides in Poirot that she has been following them around the world and asks the Detective to encourage her to leave them alone so they can get on with their life.
Jacqueline is highly disturbed and pleads her love for Simon and shows a gun which leads Poirot to encourage the newlyweds to abandon their overseas plans and go home. Simon and Linette press on and decide to take their wedding party on a cruise of the Nile in an attempt to get away from Jacqueline.
The plan seems to be working well until Jacqueline shows up as a ticketed passenger at a stop along the way. When a near-fatal accident occurs followed by a murder; Poirot must investigate the guests to find the killer. Naturally, there is plenty of motivation to go around, and as the deaths mount; Poirot must use his genius to find the killer.
The movie takes its time getting started but the CGI-enhanced scenery and the strong cast are very compelling and set the pieces in place very well. While I was able to solve the mystery about halfway into the film, some of the details around it were cleverly concealed and there were plenty of twists that had me consider other possible suspects.
Some may find the film a bit slow but that is the nature of a good mystery as time is given to developing the characters and their motives which adds to the suspense of the film.
In the end, the film is an engaging mystery that recalls the classic movie mysteries of old and it will be very interesting to see if audiences will embrace the film in the same way as they did with “Murder on the Orient Express” and audiences will get more Poirot adventures from Branagh in the near future.
4 stars out of 5.
The wedding is a bit of a shock to many as just six weeks prior Doyle was engaged to Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), and Poirot observed the two of them in a London club and how Ridgeway was introduced to Simon by her friend Jacqueline.
The wedding reception is disrupted by the arrival of Jacqueline and Linette and Simon confides in Poirot that she has been following them around the world and asks the Detective to encourage her to leave them alone so they can get on with their life.
Jacqueline is highly disturbed and pleads her love for Simon and shows a gun which leads Poirot to encourage the newlyweds to abandon their overseas plans and go home. Simon and Linette press on and decide to take their wedding party on a cruise of the Nile in an attempt to get away from Jacqueline.
The plan seems to be working well until Jacqueline shows up as a ticketed passenger at a stop along the way. When a near-fatal accident occurs followed by a murder; Poirot must investigate the guests to find the killer. Naturally, there is plenty of motivation to go around, and as the deaths mount; Poirot must use his genius to find the killer.
The movie takes its time getting started but the CGI-enhanced scenery and the strong cast are very compelling and set the pieces in place very well. While I was able to solve the mystery about halfway into the film, some of the details around it were cleverly concealed and there were plenty of twists that had me consider other possible suspects.
Some may find the film a bit slow but that is the nature of a good mystery as time is given to developing the characters and their motives which adds to the suspense of the film.
In the end, the film is an engaging mystery that recalls the classic movie mysteries of old and it will be very interesting to see if audiences will embrace the film in the same way as they did with “Murder on the Orient Express” and audiences will get more Poirot adventures from Branagh in the near future.
4 stars out of 5.
Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated 13 Dolls In Darkness (2017) in Movies
Jul 24, 2022
I have been an obsessive fan of horror films since I was a kid in the 70's. Brought up on Hammer and Universal monster films it wasn't long before I delved into pre-cert exploitation films and that is where my preference has been ever since.
Over the last 20 years I have felt that the horror genre hasn't really offered it's fans anything new (bar a few exceptions). Having been left despondent, disappointed and bored senseless by the over-saturation of remakes, reboots and just plain dull horror fare, it comes with great surprise that a black and white silent film from Australia would be the breath of fresh air that the horror genre desperately needs.
The plot of 13 Dolls is pretty straightforward. Marjorie receives a letter from her ailing mother to return home after a 13 year absence. On her return home Marjorie realises that things are not what they seem...
Written and directed by the talented Zeda Müller, this is a film that demands your attention from the start. With its eerie score and moody camerawork it sets a very atmospheric and claustrophobic feel to proceedings. It's a great take on the 'old dark house' horrors of a bygone era, Robert Wiene and Tod Brownings early work springs to mind... yet draws on influences from the likes of Dario Argento, Mario Bava's gothic horrors, giallo and slasher films (there are some nicely placed references for the sharp-eyed viewer). The fact that this is a silent film (I'll get to the score in a bit) actually works in its favour. Gone are the usual mundane dialogue pieces that fill out most horror films these days and the viewer is reintroduced to dialogue cards when required to move the story along. This also means that the actors are given room to act through expression and emotion and they all do a sterling job.
The masterstroke of 13 Dolls though is the excellent use of camerawork and soundtrack. The soundtrack is interspliced with sound effects (church bells, howling wind, dripping taps etc) and moody piano/tension building synths, all used to full sensory effect. The footage and score intertwine brilliantly together and I found some scenes genuinely eerie and creepy (a rare feeling for me whilst watching a new film these days).
Overall 13 Dolls is a mesmerising experience, interspersed with some cleverly executed gore scenes, and at a scant 75 minutes long, it motors along at a cracking pace.
So, you have probably guessed that I liked this film a lot. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are looking for something different. It's a great film and I for one am looking forward to Zeda Müller & Co's next venture...!
Over the last 20 years I have felt that the horror genre hasn't really offered it's fans anything new (bar a few exceptions). Having been left despondent, disappointed and bored senseless by the over-saturation of remakes, reboots and just plain dull horror fare, it comes with great surprise that a black and white silent film from Australia would be the breath of fresh air that the horror genre desperately needs.
The plot of 13 Dolls is pretty straightforward. Marjorie receives a letter from her ailing mother to return home after a 13 year absence. On her return home Marjorie realises that things are not what they seem...
Written and directed by the talented Zeda Müller, this is a film that demands your attention from the start. With its eerie score and moody camerawork it sets a very atmospheric and claustrophobic feel to proceedings. It's a great take on the 'old dark house' horrors of a bygone era, Robert Wiene and Tod Brownings early work springs to mind... yet draws on influences from the likes of Dario Argento, Mario Bava's gothic horrors, giallo and slasher films (there are some nicely placed references for the sharp-eyed viewer). The fact that this is a silent film (I'll get to the score in a bit) actually works in its favour. Gone are the usual mundane dialogue pieces that fill out most horror films these days and the viewer is reintroduced to dialogue cards when required to move the story along. This also means that the actors are given room to act through expression and emotion and they all do a sterling job.
The masterstroke of 13 Dolls though is the excellent use of camerawork and soundtrack. The soundtrack is interspliced with sound effects (church bells, howling wind, dripping taps etc) and moody piano/tension building synths, all used to full sensory effect. The footage and score intertwine brilliantly together and I found some scenes genuinely eerie and creepy (a rare feeling for me whilst watching a new film these days).
Overall 13 Dolls is a mesmerising experience, interspersed with some cleverly executed gore scenes, and at a scant 75 minutes long, it motors along at a cracking pace.
So, you have probably guessed that I liked this film a lot. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are looking for something different. It's a great film and I for one am looking forward to Zeda Müller & Co's next venture...!