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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Broken Dolls (Broken Dolls, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<strong><em>Broken Dolls</em> is like a creepy version of <em>Toy Story</em></strong> (I suppose <em>Toy Story</em> could be creepy...) with live, animated dolls created from humans. They're supposed to be unemotional and feel nothing – not pain, not happiness, not loneliness...
For three decades, Ella lived her life as a doll, assisting the Professor in his creations. In those years, she's forgotten about her humanity and seems perfectly happy as a dancing doll until the Professor unveils his latest creation: a goth doll named Lisa.
Here are my thoughts on the Professor: I deem him an ingenious mad scientist. He is absolutely <em>insane</em>, feels guilty about the past, and wants to change the world. I honestly don't know what to say about the guy aside from the fact I actually feel just a tad bit bad for him in the long run.
But as odd as it might be, I enjoyed the aspect of humans being turned into dolls and living a supposedly ideal life with no emotions or feelings and a life controlled by the Professor. I didn't expect Ella to have much of a voice or a personality aside from what she knew during her time as a doll (also more robotic sounding), and it is definitely the case in the early parts of <em>Broken Dolls</em> when Puxty sets up Ella's world in a Toy Story-esque fashion.
Ella's world revolves around the Professor making her a comfy room (lots of pink) in a chest in the attic of his home (that sentence sounds weird). To pass the time away, Ella spends her days locked up in the attic practicing ballet and recording adventures from her imagination into a recorder. The attic comes out a little bland – nothing remotely interesting and Ella's day-to-day actions would have sounded repetitively boring if Puxty didn't bring Lisa and Gabby into the story.
When Ella meets Lisa, however, she doesn't like Lisa; Lisa makes multiple attempts to destroy Ella because of the theory she has about Ella and all the other dolls. Around the same time, Ella meets the Professor's granddaughter, Gabby, a girl who has a virus that will eventually lead her to an inevitable fate. Like many kids, Gabby is adventurous, and she adores and protects Ella from the moment they meet. Unfortunately for Gabby, the Professor also has plans to turn Gabby into a doll-like Ella and prevent her from dying.
In the time Ella meets Lisa and Gabby, she starts to develop feelings and emotions and becomes more curious about her time before she turned into a doll. With the help of Lisa and another doll, she also strives to dig out all of the Professor's secrets to his experiments before Gabby becomes an Ella-sized playmate. But not only does Ella uncovers the Professor's secrets, she uncovers hers as well and Puxty gives us a glimpse into Ella's human life before becoming a doll.
I personally think Ella is better off as a doll compared to being a human. With the brief glimpse of Ella's human life, she starts out extremely happy and becomes really pessimistic later on – I don't know how I would be able to handle human Ella. Since <em>Broken Dolls</em> has a sequel coming out sometime in 2016, I'm really curious how Ella will cope with her doll life as everyone around her knows who she really is and continues on with their lives.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-broken-dolls-by-tyrolin-puxty/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<strong><em>Broken Dolls</em> is like a creepy version of <em>Toy Story</em></strong> (I suppose <em>Toy Story</em> could be creepy...) with live, animated dolls created from humans. They're supposed to be unemotional and feel nothing – not pain, not happiness, not loneliness...
For three decades, Ella lived her life as a doll, assisting the Professor in his creations. In those years, she's forgotten about her humanity and seems perfectly happy as a dancing doll until the Professor unveils his latest creation: a goth doll named Lisa.
Here are my thoughts on the Professor: I deem him an ingenious mad scientist. He is absolutely <em>insane</em>, feels guilty about the past, and wants to change the world. I honestly don't know what to say about the guy aside from the fact I actually feel just a tad bit bad for him in the long run.
But as odd as it might be, I enjoyed the aspect of humans being turned into dolls and living a supposedly ideal life with no emotions or feelings and a life controlled by the Professor. I didn't expect Ella to have much of a voice or a personality aside from what she knew during her time as a doll (also more robotic sounding), and it is definitely the case in the early parts of <em>Broken Dolls</em> when Puxty sets up Ella's world in a Toy Story-esque fashion.
Ella's world revolves around the Professor making her a comfy room (lots of pink) in a chest in the attic of his home (that sentence sounds weird). To pass the time away, Ella spends her days locked up in the attic practicing ballet and recording adventures from her imagination into a recorder. The attic comes out a little bland – nothing remotely interesting and Ella's day-to-day actions would have sounded repetitively boring if Puxty didn't bring Lisa and Gabby into the story.
When Ella meets Lisa, however, she doesn't like Lisa; Lisa makes multiple attempts to destroy Ella because of the theory she has about Ella and all the other dolls. Around the same time, Ella meets the Professor's granddaughter, Gabby, a girl who has a virus that will eventually lead her to an inevitable fate. Like many kids, Gabby is adventurous, and she adores and protects Ella from the moment they meet. Unfortunately for Gabby, the Professor also has plans to turn Gabby into a doll-like Ella and prevent her from dying.
In the time Ella meets Lisa and Gabby, she starts to develop feelings and emotions and becomes more curious about her time before she turned into a doll. With the help of Lisa and another doll, she also strives to dig out all of the Professor's secrets to his experiments before Gabby becomes an Ella-sized playmate. But not only does Ella uncovers the Professor's secrets, she uncovers hers as well and Puxty gives us a glimpse into Ella's human life before becoming a doll.
I personally think Ella is better off as a doll compared to being a human. With the brief glimpse of Ella's human life, she starts out extremely happy and becomes really pessimistic later on – I don't know how I would be able to handle human Ella. Since <em>Broken Dolls</em> has a sequel coming out sometime in 2016, I'm really curious how Ella will cope with her doll life as everyone around her knows who she really is and continues on with their lives.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-broken-dolls-by-tyrolin-puxty/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) in Books
Feb 5, 2020
Characters (3 more)
Worldbuilding
Plot
Pacing
A fantasic finale
After the amazing cliffhanger of Thunderhead, I rushed to pick up this because I just HAD TO KNOW. This cover is even prettier, they really nailed this series (sans the transformers font) and I hope it inspires more YA books to hire illustrators and not photo manip garbage. I'm an Illustrator though, so I'm biased. This review will have spoilers for Thunderhead, so don't read if you haven't read that!
The Toll picks up immediately after Thunderhead. Goddard has returned the MidMerica, no one knows that he was demoted to apprentice and with the death of Scythe Curie he stands uncontested for replacing Xenocrates. Anastasia and Rowan rest at the bottom of the ocean, and Goddard has made the site a site of remembrance to avoid any evidence being drudged up. The sinking of Endura is also squarely blamed on Rowan, and the world suffers as the Thunderhead punishes everyone, marking them unsavory. Cutting off communication with all but one, our former unsavory, Greyson.
With the rise of Goddard, the Schism amongst the Scythedom widens. He seizes more power, overturns rules and makes new ones and slowly starts taking control of other nations. Dubbing himself the Overblade. The story arches over 3 years post Thunderhead, and we jump around a little bit. During the three years Goddard continues to take a chokehold on the world, Greyson suddenly finds himself a living god amongst the tonists and humanity, as the only one able to speak to the thunderhead, he takes on the role of the Tonist's mythological figure, The Toll. Acting as a go-between, and manipulating those around him to fulfill the Thunderhead's goals.
Meanwhile, Faraday continues his search for the land of nod, making serious headway and discovering something that makes the Thunderhead uncertain. So the Thunderhead starts making plans. Faraday finds himself stranded with his helper, far away from the Scythedom, the Thunderhead and the horrible things that have been happening far away. He knows nothing of the fate of Marie, Goddard, Citra, Rowan, or the world. Finally, in the third year since the sinking of Endura, Rowan and Citra are raised from the depths, squirreled away by the Amazonian Scythes before Goddard knows they aren't dead. Being raised from the dead did wonders for Goddard's cause, so can Anastaisa's return do wonders for the plight of the old guard? But first Anastasia must plan and play her cards right, digging deep in the Thunderheads back brain to piece together mysteries long since written off and uncover the secrets of the Scythedom.
This book was really good, and a very satisfying finale to the series. The already rich worldbuilding is made richer by his choice to cut the world off from the Thunderhead, showing us what happens when people lose their connection to the world. He believably shows the influence one charismatic politician can have, and how easy it is for things to fall into disarray. You can tell he had a gameplan when he wrote these books, because everything comes together just right, not loose ends, everything had a purpose. Characters are tested, grow and develop. New parts of the world are further explored, completing the picture he begun in the other two books. I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the age-old sci-fi trope of "How does the benevolent computer protect humans from themselves". Well written, and elevated, especially in terms of other YA fiction. Shusterman really wrote a fantastic series. Once again, the romance is understated, but the emotions run deep enough at this point to pull at your heartstrings and make you believe in their love, even if it came from somewhat unbelievable beginnings.
This series is well worth the read, and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and formulaic YA world.
The Toll picks up immediately after Thunderhead. Goddard has returned the MidMerica, no one knows that he was demoted to apprentice and with the death of Scythe Curie he stands uncontested for replacing Xenocrates. Anastasia and Rowan rest at the bottom of the ocean, and Goddard has made the site a site of remembrance to avoid any evidence being drudged up. The sinking of Endura is also squarely blamed on Rowan, and the world suffers as the Thunderhead punishes everyone, marking them unsavory. Cutting off communication with all but one, our former unsavory, Greyson.
With the rise of Goddard, the Schism amongst the Scythedom widens. He seizes more power, overturns rules and makes new ones and slowly starts taking control of other nations. Dubbing himself the Overblade. The story arches over 3 years post Thunderhead, and we jump around a little bit. During the three years Goddard continues to take a chokehold on the world, Greyson suddenly finds himself a living god amongst the tonists and humanity, as the only one able to speak to the thunderhead, he takes on the role of the Tonist's mythological figure, The Toll. Acting as a go-between, and manipulating those around him to fulfill the Thunderhead's goals.
Meanwhile, Faraday continues his search for the land of nod, making serious headway and discovering something that makes the Thunderhead uncertain. So the Thunderhead starts making plans. Faraday finds himself stranded with his helper, far away from the Scythedom, the Thunderhead and the horrible things that have been happening far away. He knows nothing of the fate of Marie, Goddard, Citra, Rowan, or the world. Finally, in the third year since the sinking of Endura, Rowan and Citra are raised from the depths, squirreled away by the Amazonian Scythes before Goddard knows they aren't dead. Being raised from the dead did wonders for Goddard's cause, so can Anastaisa's return do wonders for the plight of the old guard? But first Anastasia must plan and play her cards right, digging deep in the Thunderheads back brain to piece together mysteries long since written off and uncover the secrets of the Scythedom.
This book was really good, and a very satisfying finale to the series. The already rich worldbuilding is made richer by his choice to cut the world off from the Thunderhead, showing us what happens when people lose their connection to the world. He believably shows the influence one charismatic politician can have, and how easy it is for things to fall into disarray. You can tell he had a gameplan when he wrote these books, because everything comes together just right, not loose ends, everything had a purpose. Characters are tested, grow and develop. New parts of the world are further explored, completing the picture he begun in the other two books. I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the age-old sci-fi trope of "How does the benevolent computer protect humans from themselves". Well written, and elevated, especially in terms of other YA fiction. Shusterman really wrote a fantastic series. Once again, the romance is understated, but the emotions run deep enough at this point to pull at your heartstrings and make you believe in their love, even if it came from somewhat unbelievable beginnings.
This series is well worth the read, and a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and formulaic YA world.
Emma The Cat - Virtual Pet Games for Kids
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Talking animals and virtual pet games have received a new member! VIRTUAL CAT EMMA is a talking pet...
Emma The Cat PRO - Virtual Pet Games for Kids
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Talking animals and virtual pet games have received a new member! VIRTUAL CAT EMMA PRO is a talking...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated A Quiet Place: Part II (2021) in Movies
May 25, 2021 (Updated May 25, 2021)
Last year we had a screening for “A Quiet Place Part II” scheduled and eagerly awaited the follow-up to the suspenseful and popular original film. Sadly we all know what happened soon after as a two-week lockdown grew and cinemas around the world were closed.
As cinemas re-open with growing but limited capacity; the film is set for release and will be a great indicator as to if the public is ready to return to cinemas in significant numbers or will they sit it out and opt to see the film down the line on Paramount+.
The film opens with a look at the day things changed for the world as Lee (John Krasinski); does some shopping while news reports come in of an explosion in Shanghai. Enjoying the weather; he joins his family at a Little League game and talks with his friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy) when the game is interrupted by the appearance of a large fireball in the sky.
As they head home; the city falls under attack by deadly creatures and Lee and his family narrowly escape. The film then jumps forward immediately following the conclusion of the first film and Evelyn (Emily Blunt); attempts to lead her newborn son, daughter Regan ( Millicent Simmons), and son Marcus (Noah Jupe) to a safer locale.
When Marcus is injured along the way; Evelyn takes refuge with Emmett who is not happy to have to care for others after the loss of his wife and despite a secure locale in a foundry; demands the family leave the following day.
When an unexpected radio signal appears; Regan is determined to leave and find the source as she knows the frequency of her Cochlear Implant is a weapon against the creatures and she figures if that can be broadcasted and the information revealed; then humanity has a chance to fight back and win.
What follows is a very gripping and intense story as Regan and Emmett attempt to complete the mission while Evelyn and her family endure all manner of threats as they try to survive.
The film builds upon what made the first film so great in that there are strong and relatable characters and some very tense situations. The screening we attended was so quiet you could tell that audience members were so enthralled that they were afraid to make any noise.
The film ups the action and expands upon the universe without losing any of the strong character-driven elements or relying too much upon CGI to carry the film.
John Krasinski writes, directed, and produced the film, and while he has less screen time than he did in the original; the film is the rare sequel that holds its own and actually improves upon the original.
My only issue with the film was that the ending was rather abrupt and left me with several unanswered questions. While this would be more than fine if we were assured of a third film to resolve unanswered elements; word is that a spin-off is in development so hopefully this will resolve the issues I had or at the least co-exist with a third part of the series.
For now; “A Quiet Place Part II” drives home why we need the cinematic experience as from the large screen to the Dolby Atmos sound; the film is a sensory experience that needs to be enjoyed in a communal setting with maximum sensory input.
The film sets the tension meter to the max and never disappoints and I urge you to experience this film the way it was intended.
4.5 stars out of 5
As cinemas re-open with growing but limited capacity; the film is set for release and will be a great indicator as to if the public is ready to return to cinemas in significant numbers or will they sit it out and opt to see the film down the line on Paramount+.
The film opens with a look at the day things changed for the world as Lee (John Krasinski); does some shopping while news reports come in of an explosion in Shanghai. Enjoying the weather; he joins his family at a Little League game and talks with his friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy) when the game is interrupted by the appearance of a large fireball in the sky.
As they head home; the city falls under attack by deadly creatures and Lee and his family narrowly escape. The film then jumps forward immediately following the conclusion of the first film and Evelyn (Emily Blunt); attempts to lead her newborn son, daughter Regan ( Millicent Simmons), and son Marcus (Noah Jupe) to a safer locale.
When Marcus is injured along the way; Evelyn takes refuge with Emmett who is not happy to have to care for others after the loss of his wife and despite a secure locale in a foundry; demands the family leave the following day.
When an unexpected radio signal appears; Regan is determined to leave and find the source as she knows the frequency of her Cochlear Implant is a weapon against the creatures and she figures if that can be broadcasted and the information revealed; then humanity has a chance to fight back and win.
What follows is a very gripping and intense story as Regan and Emmett attempt to complete the mission while Evelyn and her family endure all manner of threats as they try to survive.
The film builds upon what made the first film so great in that there are strong and relatable characters and some very tense situations. The screening we attended was so quiet you could tell that audience members were so enthralled that they were afraid to make any noise.
The film ups the action and expands upon the universe without losing any of the strong character-driven elements or relying too much upon CGI to carry the film.
John Krasinski writes, directed, and produced the film, and while he has less screen time than he did in the original; the film is the rare sequel that holds its own and actually improves upon the original.
My only issue with the film was that the ending was rather abrupt and left me with several unanswered questions. While this would be more than fine if we were assured of a third film to resolve unanswered elements; word is that a spin-off is in development so hopefully this will resolve the issues I had or at the least co-exist with a third part of the series.
For now; “A Quiet Place Part II” drives home why we need the cinematic experience as from the large screen to the Dolby Atmos sound; the film is a sensory experience that needs to be enjoyed in a communal setting with maximum sensory input.
The film sets the tension meter to the max and never disappoints and I urge you to experience this film the way it was intended.
4.5 stars out of 5
Sarah (7799 KP) rated David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020) in Movies
Oct 14, 2020
Bleak and interesting
David Attenborough is possibly the most recognised face (and voice) when it comes to nature and our planet, and it’d be safe to say he’s also one of the most respected advisors on the environment. Now 94 years old, A Life on Our Planet is his “witness statement” for the environment and details his 60+ year career and how steeply the planet has declined during this time.
In the opening scene of this documentary Attenborough is in Chernobyl, the site of one of the worst man-made disasters in history. His comparison of the impact of the Chernobyl disaster to the impact humanity is having gradually on the environment is not one that many would have even considered, but it’s provides a stark warning. And it continues in this same vein throughout.
Whilst this still features beautifully captured videos of nature and historical footage of Attenborough throughout his career, this documentary has very dark and bleak overtones. Even the statistics on world population, carbon content and decrease in wilderness provided for certain years in Attenborough’s career prove to be crystal clear and unmistakably illustrating just how badly we’ve treated our planet in the space of a mere 90 years. For reference, wilderness in the 1930s was at 66% - in 2020 it has nearly halved to 35%. When you see it there in black and white, it’s terrifying.
Even more terrifying is Attenborough’s glimpse into the future. Showing what will happen to us and our planet in the 2030s to 2100s and beyond, it’s scarier than any horror film you will ever see. And what’s worrying is that the chances of this happening is a lot more likely than anything you see in a scary movie.
Fortunately this does move away from the rather effective warnings and dark tones and goes on to discuss how we can change to prevent this bleak future from coming true. These resolutions – stopping deforestation and overfishing, stabilising the population, more plant based diets – are nothing that we haven’t heard of before. However Attenborough does at least go on to suggest how we as a planet can move towards achieving the above and promote some rather positive success stories where this has already been achieved in a number of places across the globe.
My problem with this documentary is two fold. For one, Attenborough steers clear of the politics and blame game and doesn’t point the finger at any areas of society that may be more at fault than others (i.e. the super wealthy and their excesses). He just seems like he’s being too nice when really he needs to call out the people and areas that hold more responsibility.
My other issue is that he doesn’t relate the solutions to how we can help as individuals. Other than moving to a more plant based diet, the solutions proposed are not things that Joe public can help with and for me personally I found this very frustrating. I want to know what I personally can do to help and sadly I have no control over poaching, deforestation or over-fishing. I barely have any input into my local council’s initiative to build thousands of houses on the greenbelt behind my house, so the issues and solutions discussed here seem rather overwhelming and feel almost impossible to achieve.
However despite this, Attenborough has created a rather bleak and stark documentary that proves to be both depressing and incredibly moving and informative to watch. It will undoubtedly spur many into action and prove to be the warning we as a people need, especially with the final scenes showing how the wilderness has returned to Chernobyl and Attenborough’s reminder that we’re not saving the planet, we’re saving ourselves. I just hope those higher up that have the true power to put the solutions in place have watched this and taken note.
In the opening scene of this documentary Attenborough is in Chernobyl, the site of one of the worst man-made disasters in history. His comparison of the impact of the Chernobyl disaster to the impact humanity is having gradually on the environment is not one that many would have even considered, but it’s provides a stark warning. And it continues in this same vein throughout.
Whilst this still features beautifully captured videos of nature and historical footage of Attenborough throughout his career, this documentary has very dark and bleak overtones. Even the statistics on world population, carbon content and decrease in wilderness provided for certain years in Attenborough’s career prove to be crystal clear and unmistakably illustrating just how badly we’ve treated our planet in the space of a mere 90 years. For reference, wilderness in the 1930s was at 66% - in 2020 it has nearly halved to 35%. When you see it there in black and white, it’s terrifying.
Even more terrifying is Attenborough’s glimpse into the future. Showing what will happen to us and our planet in the 2030s to 2100s and beyond, it’s scarier than any horror film you will ever see. And what’s worrying is that the chances of this happening is a lot more likely than anything you see in a scary movie.
Fortunately this does move away from the rather effective warnings and dark tones and goes on to discuss how we can change to prevent this bleak future from coming true. These resolutions – stopping deforestation and overfishing, stabilising the population, more plant based diets – are nothing that we haven’t heard of before. However Attenborough does at least go on to suggest how we as a planet can move towards achieving the above and promote some rather positive success stories where this has already been achieved in a number of places across the globe.
My problem with this documentary is two fold. For one, Attenborough steers clear of the politics and blame game and doesn’t point the finger at any areas of society that may be more at fault than others (i.e. the super wealthy and their excesses). He just seems like he’s being too nice when really he needs to call out the people and areas that hold more responsibility.
My other issue is that he doesn’t relate the solutions to how we can help as individuals. Other than moving to a more plant based diet, the solutions proposed are not things that Joe public can help with and for me personally I found this very frustrating. I want to know what I personally can do to help and sadly I have no control over poaching, deforestation or over-fishing. I barely have any input into my local council’s initiative to build thousands of houses on the greenbelt behind my house, so the issues and solutions discussed here seem rather overwhelming and feel almost impossible to achieve.
However despite this, Attenborough has created a rather bleak and stark documentary that proves to be both depressing and incredibly moving and informative to watch. It will undoubtedly spur many into action and prove to be the warning we as a people need, especially with the final scenes showing how the wilderness has returned to Chernobyl and Attenborough’s reminder that we’re not saving the planet, we’re saving ourselves. I just hope those higher up that have the true power to put the solutions in place have watched this and taken note.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Apollo 11 (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2021
This extraordinary documentary exploring the build up, launch and landing of the most famous mission in NASA history, and arguably the pinnacle of human space exploration to date, is a mesmeric and unique experience like no other factual film you have ever seen. You can find it tucked away on Netflix, and I urge you to do so if you ever found yourself wondering for one minute about the moon landing of ’69 and what all the fuss was about.
Director Todd Douglas Miller makes the bold choice to do away with all narrative, cutaway interviews and commentaries, and just shows you what happened in gorgeous detail, with a kind of retro super 8 camera vibe, and a very evocative sountrack. The degree of unseen footage of the entire project is jaw-dropping, especially if there is something of a science or even science fiction geek within you.
Some of what you see and hear is, of course, so iconic that when you see or hear them you feel a sense of deja vu that feels like a dream in the context of the full story. The rest is so amazing to contemplate as something that humanity actually achieved that it is tempting to see it as an odd retro sci-fi movie with quite bad effects and a dull plot; the control room, suits, the rocket itself, the sense of endless patience, anticipation and waiting – you just wouldn’t believe it would work if it was a fiction.
At several points I found myself reminding myself that it wasn’t a fiction, and then marvelling at the entire world that existed at the end of the 60s, and how so essentially different it was, and how ancient it feels now. I wasn’t quite born when all this happened, but it has been very much in my imagination all my life. I wanted to be an astronaut, as did most other kids in the Star Wars era of the late 70s and early 80s, and I only really gave up when I realised that meant being as smart and dedicated as Neil Armstrong and not as reckless and cool as Han Solo. Now I am older, I can appreciate things about it that I never could, and in understanding Human history, it is a riveting chapter.
What we see in this film is how detail and hard work and maths and safety precautions and thousands of team members made this happen. Every nut and bolt, and every drop of sweat and fuel is counted, recounted and considered. At times it seems mundane and without drama, boring even, and then the sheer scale of acheivement and wonder overtakes you as you catch yourself realising how incredible it was that any of this was done at all.
There is no political overtone or background here, no conspiracy theory, no other voice questioning the economic impact or wisdom of the entire endeavour, just a childlike but serious minded wonder at doing something because we could if we set our minds to it. And for that it has a beauty and transcendent elegance that rarely accompanies the subject. By the end, there is really only one word to describe the fact that over 50 years ago three men looked down on the Earthrise and beheld every other living thing in existence in one glance. And that word is: wow!
It is slow, for sure, but only because we have become used to pace and forced drama, from our fictions and our documentaries. Apollo 11 won’t be for everyone in that case, and may even be fairly called dull by some who can’t relate to it in any way. For me it was a trance like epiphany I can’t forget. Highly recommended if you are looking for something fascinating, educational and thought provoking out of your comfort zone and out of this world!
Director Todd Douglas Miller makes the bold choice to do away with all narrative, cutaway interviews and commentaries, and just shows you what happened in gorgeous detail, with a kind of retro super 8 camera vibe, and a very evocative sountrack. The degree of unseen footage of the entire project is jaw-dropping, especially if there is something of a science or even science fiction geek within you.
Some of what you see and hear is, of course, so iconic that when you see or hear them you feel a sense of deja vu that feels like a dream in the context of the full story. The rest is so amazing to contemplate as something that humanity actually achieved that it is tempting to see it as an odd retro sci-fi movie with quite bad effects and a dull plot; the control room, suits, the rocket itself, the sense of endless patience, anticipation and waiting – you just wouldn’t believe it would work if it was a fiction.
At several points I found myself reminding myself that it wasn’t a fiction, and then marvelling at the entire world that existed at the end of the 60s, and how so essentially different it was, and how ancient it feels now. I wasn’t quite born when all this happened, but it has been very much in my imagination all my life. I wanted to be an astronaut, as did most other kids in the Star Wars era of the late 70s and early 80s, and I only really gave up when I realised that meant being as smart and dedicated as Neil Armstrong and not as reckless and cool as Han Solo. Now I am older, I can appreciate things about it that I never could, and in understanding Human history, it is a riveting chapter.
What we see in this film is how detail and hard work and maths and safety precautions and thousands of team members made this happen. Every nut and bolt, and every drop of sweat and fuel is counted, recounted and considered. At times it seems mundane and without drama, boring even, and then the sheer scale of acheivement and wonder overtakes you as you catch yourself realising how incredible it was that any of this was done at all.
There is no political overtone or background here, no conspiracy theory, no other voice questioning the economic impact or wisdom of the entire endeavour, just a childlike but serious minded wonder at doing something because we could if we set our minds to it. And for that it has a beauty and transcendent elegance that rarely accompanies the subject. By the end, there is really only one word to describe the fact that over 50 years ago three men looked down on the Earthrise and beheld every other living thing in existence in one glance. And that word is: wow!
It is slow, for sure, but only because we have become used to pace and forced drama, from our fictions and our documentaries. Apollo 11 won’t be for everyone in that case, and may even be fairly called dull by some who can’t relate to it in any way. For me it was a trance like epiphany I can’t forget. Highly recommended if you are looking for something fascinating, educational and thought provoking out of your comfort zone and out of this world!
Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Terminator (1984) in Movies
Jan 27, 2021
A classic
Film #12 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: The Terminator
The Terminator is a sci-fi classic and is responsible not only for helping propel Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron to the household names they are now, but also for creating a movie franchise that is still going nearly 40 years later. Although admittedly the majority of the sequels are better off never spoken about again.
Released in 1984 and bringing director James Cameron into recognition, The Terminator follows a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), to prevent her son John Connor from saving humanity in the future. Also sent back in time to try and save Sarah is human soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
This is a story that must be familiar to most, having spawned a further 5 sequels (and counting) in the past 30+ years. And as sci-fi stories go, this is a damn good one – time travel, murder, even romance – it has it all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, and watching it back now I never realised how 80s it was. Aside from the memorable title music from Brad Fiedel, the rest of the score and soundtrack screams 80s and with the clothing and hairstyles, it’d be difficult to miss when this was released. There are a lot of horror aspects and tones to this original too that makes it a lot darker and sometimes scary, which is not something we see in any of the sequels. The gore, especially the wonderfully icky scene when the T-800 patches himself up in the bathroom mirror, is great and another aspect sadly lacking from the sequels. Admittedly some of the effects and props in this do look a little dated (the T-800 point of view and the animatronic Arnie are noticeably dodgy), but considering this was made in 1984 it’s actually incredibly impressive. The final scenes with the metal skeleton of the T-800 are especially noteworthy.
This is the film that made Linda Hamilton into the kick ass heroine we know and love, Arnie into the cyborg we love and hate (depending on which film you’re watching), and made the name John Connor into something that is completely unforgettable. With limited lines and a requirement to look menacing and imposing, this film is perfect for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He isn’t required to do much and personally I think his role as the T-800 in any of the Terminator films are undoubtedly his best performances to date. And with supporting performances from the likes of future Aliens alum Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and a blink and you’ll miss him Bill Paxton, the cast is faultless. And let’s be honest, who didn’t have a crush on Michael Biehn after watching this?
What I like the most about The Terminator is its simplicity. It might be a sci-fi, but it’s relatively low budget with a small cast of main characters and a large amount of practical effects and action scenes. It has a fairly B movie look about it, and coming from the James Cameron we know now, something this simple is actually very refreshing. While I like a lot of Cameron’s work (who doesn’t love Aliens?), his more recent efforts are a little too over the top and overwhelming. This is nothing of the sort.
The Terminator is absolutely a classic and deserving of its place on this list. I will admit that I still think the first sequel T2 is superior, especially as it doesn’t have the outdated and overwhelmingly 80s feel that makes this original slightly flawed.
The Terminator is a sci-fi classic and is responsible not only for helping propel Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron to the household names they are now, but also for creating a movie franchise that is still going nearly 40 years later. Although admittedly the majority of the sequels are better off never spoken about again.
Released in 1984 and bringing director James Cameron into recognition, The Terminator follows a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), to prevent her son John Connor from saving humanity in the future. Also sent back in time to try and save Sarah is human soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
This is a story that must be familiar to most, having spawned a further 5 sequels (and counting) in the past 30+ years. And as sci-fi stories go, this is a damn good one – time travel, murder, even romance – it has it all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, and watching it back now I never realised how 80s it was. Aside from the memorable title music from Brad Fiedel, the rest of the score and soundtrack screams 80s and with the clothing and hairstyles, it’d be difficult to miss when this was released. There are a lot of horror aspects and tones to this original too that makes it a lot darker and sometimes scary, which is not something we see in any of the sequels. The gore, especially the wonderfully icky scene when the T-800 patches himself up in the bathroom mirror, is great and another aspect sadly lacking from the sequels. Admittedly some of the effects and props in this do look a little dated (the T-800 point of view and the animatronic Arnie are noticeably dodgy), but considering this was made in 1984 it’s actually incredibly impressive. The final scenes with the metal skeleton of the T-800 are especially noteworthy.
This is the film that made Linda Hamilton into the kick ass heroine we know and love, Arnie into the cyborg we love and hate (depending on which film you’re watching), and made the name John Connor into something that is completely unforgettable. With limited lines and a requirement to look menacing and imposing, this film is perfect for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He isn’t required to do much and personally I think his role as the T-800 in any of the Terminator films are undoubtedly his best performances to date. And with supporting performances from the likes of future Aliens alum Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and a blink and you’ll miss him Bill Paxton, the cast is faultless. And let’s be honest, who didn’t have a crush on Michael Biehn after watching this?
What I like the most about The Terminator is its simplicity. It might be a sci-fi, but it’s relatively low budget with a small cast of main characters and a large amount of practical effects and action scenes. It has a fairly B movie look about it, and coming from the James Cameron we know now, something this simple is actually very refreshing. While I like a lot of Cameron’s work (who doesn’t love Aliens?), his more recent efforts are a little too over the top and overwhelming. This is nothing of the sort.
The Terminator is absolutely a classic and deserving of its place on this list. I will admit that I still think the first sequel T2 is superior, especially as it doesn’t have the outdated and overwhelmingly 80s feel that makes this original slightly flawed.
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