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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated With a Little Bit of Blood in Books
Jun 20, 2018
Henry and Eliza Must Solve a House Party Murder
Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins have been invited to the first house party thrown by the new Lord and Lady Ashford (she the former Clara Eynsford-Hill). The timing is perfect since a couple of strange things have forced the duo to look for a place to stay. However, the first morning a fellow guest is killed during the rabbit hunt. Henry is sure it was a hunting accident, but Eliza isn’t so sure. Who is right?
This is another fun mystery with the characters made famous by Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. The plot did seem to start slowly, however by the end I realized how things played into the overall story. A few of the regulars are reduced to cameos, but it was still nice to catch up with them. We have a rather large cast of characters, but it was always easy to keep them straight as the story unfolded. We get some fun with new (for 1913) things like airplanes and cars as well as mentions of the more serious things unfolding in the world at the time.
This is another fun mystery with the characters made famous by Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. The plot did seem to start slowly, however by the end I realized how things played into the overall story. A few of the regulars are reduced to cameos, but it was still nice to catch up with them. We have a rather large cast of characters, but it was always easy to keep them straight as the story unfolded. We get some fun with new (for 1913) things like airplanes and cars as well as mentions of the more serious things unfolding in the world at the time.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated GoodFellas (1990) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Perhaps the jewel in the crown of Scorsese’s gangster movies, from a fine crop. Adopting the voice of Henry Hill (a career defining role for Ray Liotta) as narrator is the first point of difference, and it works with tremendous effect. The suggestion is we are watching one man’s version of events that may or may not be entirely true. It is a relentless piece of cinema, that drives with complete bravado through each scene of shocking violence, machismo and greed. Too many memorable moments to mention… De Niro’s fountain pen; Pesci’s “Funny How?”, etc. A high level of rewatchabilty sets it above a lot of its rivals. It never judges or preaches to us, but lets us feel bad for enjoying the often repellent acts as so much fun! A product of 90s extremism, but never gratuitous. Simply a joy to watch and a nailed on classic.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated War Dogs (2016) in Movies
Jul 20, 2017
Good direction (3 more)
Scorsese influence
Soundtrack
Bradley Cooper
Fresher Than A Hangover
The craziest thing about this story is that it is based on two real life young men that made a fortune online becoming international arms dealers. Going in I expected a film similar to The Hangover, since it too was directed by Todd Phillips and both movies feature Bradley Cooper, however what I got was more of a Scorsese homage and in the best possible way. The story is narrated by Miles Teller’s character David Packouz, who acts as the audience surrogate, (the Henry Hill of this movie,) we are taken on this ride from his perspective and he narrates the whole thing. This alone is a trait borrowed from the great Martin Scorsese, but when the film also features freeze framing and quotes being used to begin chapters it is clear what this film is trying to be, but I admire its blatancy and if there is someone that you should take from when crafting a film, it is Martin Scorsese. Efraim Diveroli is played by Jonah Hill and he is the character that takes us on this rollercoaster journey. His performance here is fantastically intolerable, he is harsh, rude and borderline insane, but much like Joe Pesci’s performance as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, he is endearing and impossible to take your eyes off of whenever he is onscreen. Bradley Cooper also steals the few scenes that he appears in and overall this movie is proof that Phillips can handle telling a more serious, realistic story and doesn’t have to rely on Zach Galifinakis pretending to have learning difficulties to gain a few laughs.
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Confession Killer in TV
Apr 4, 2020
When I began this series, I wasn't really paying attention to it. I looked at the screen at one point and thought to myself, man, that jail looks super familiar, like the jail on Jail Hill in the town I grew up in. I shrugged it off, continued my chores, then saw a shot of the downtown square... I realized it was the town I grew up in, Georgetown, TX. BTW - when you live in a small town in TX, you end up doing some strange stuff, like touring an abandoned jail.
So, after I realized the dude was held in Georgetown, by the Wilco SO (I have very strong, negative feelings about those idiots), I paid attention. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to a crazy amount of crimes, crimes that he couldn't have committed due to timing and location. I still don't agree that he killed Orange Socks (a famous murder in GT). This dude was delusional, and Wilco was completely in the wrong, at one point, they're looking at calendars and offering dates to the other LE agencies calling them. I feel like it's really awful they 'solved' these murders, and ultimately killers are still out there.
I liked the way it was put together, but, like many Netflix shows, required editing to cut out at least the last ep.
So, after I realized the dude was held in Georgetown, by the Wilco SO (I have very strong, negative feelings about those idiots), I paid attention. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to a crazy amount of crimes, crimes that he couldn't have committed due to timing and location. I still don't agree that he killed Orange Socks (a famous murder in GT). This dude was delusional, and Wilco was completely in the wrong, at one point, they're looking at calendars and offering dates to the other LE agencies calling them. I feel like it's really awful they 'solved' these murders, and ultimately killers are still out there.
I liked the way it was put together, but, like many Netflix shows, required editing to cut out at least the last ep.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated GoodFellas (1990) in Movies
Jun 26, 2020
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) in Movies
Apr 27, 2022
The Hellraiser franchise has certainly hit some low notes by the eight entry in the series, but you know what? Hellworld ain't one of those low notes, and this a hill I am willing to die on.
It's without a doubt, the cheesiest Hellraiser thus far, and the first one to really lean into the dumb, sex-crazed teenager horror usually associated with slashers. It kind of works. There's a bit of an identity crisis going on. It's part slasher (complete with an I Know What You Did Last Summer set up), part typical Hellraiser, part Saw (this was the mid 00s after all), part haunted house horror. Suffice to say, there's a lot going on, and the plot even manages a semi decent twist during the climax which is a rarity with these later entries. It sometimes feels a bit muddled but most importantly, it's something different at this point! 5-7 all feel VERY similar so I can respect the fresh angle Hellworld was aiming for. Throw Lance Henriksen into the mix, alongside a returning Doug Bradley (unfortunately with little screentime yet again), and some early roles from Henry Cavill, Katheryn Winnick, and Khary Payton, and you have a pretty solid cast doing their best to traverse a typical low budget horror script. When all is said and done, it ain't too shabby, and even has the courtesy to include some memorable gore, and brings back the much loved Chatterer.
Hellworld is way more entertaining than it has any right to be, and is easily the best of the Rick Bota trilogy, which isn't exactly a high bar to clear, granted. Either way, it deserves more love!
It's without a doubt, the cheesiest Hellraiser thus far, and the first one to really lean into the dumb, sex-crazed teenager horror usually associated with slashers. It kind of works. There's a bit of an identity crisis going on. It's part slasher (complete with an I Know What You Did Last Summer set up), part typical Hellraiser, part Saw (this was the mid 00s after all), part haunted house horror. Suffice to say, there's a lot going on, and the plot even manages a semi decent twist during the climax which is a rarity with these later entries. It sometimes feels a bit muddled but most importantly, it's something different at this point! 5-7 all feel VERY similar so I can respect the fresh angle Hellworld was aiming for. Throw Lance Henriksen into the mix, alongside a returning Doug Bradley (unfortunately with little screentime yet again), and some early roles from Henry Cavill, Katheryn Winnick, and Khary Payton, and you have a pretty solid cast doing their best to traverse a typical low budget horror script. When all is said and done, it ain't too shabby, and even has the courtesy to include some memorable gore, and brings back the much loved Chatterer.
Hellworld is way more entertaining than it has any right to be, and is easily the best of the Rick Bota trilogy, which isn't exactly a high bar to clear, granted. Either way, it deserves more love!
