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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Harriet (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Harriet Tubman was among one of the most significant abolitionists in United States history. This film tells the story of her life where she was born in Maryland as a plantation slave. Named Araminta at “Minty” Ross, she transforms throughout her journey, becoming Harriet Tubman as well as transforming into Moses, the appropriate name for the person who leads.
The story begins after church services where Minty’s husband John Tubman who was a free slave asks the plantation owner to allow Minty to be freed so their children would be born free instead of slaves. The slave owner, Henry Broadess (Mike Marunde played with a gleeful abundance of entitlement) denies the request. This is the spark where Araminta decides to run away to live as a free person.
Minty was known for her “spells” since the accident, where she was hit in the forehead by a thrown weight. The film interprets seizures as her conversation with God. The film uses these spells as her talks with and messages received from God. That is how Harriett’s visions are explained. That she has an ability to know where to go and what to from what she sees when she has an episode.
Harriet had saved herself from slavery. She made it to the State of Pennsylvania where she would be free. After a year or so, Harriet decided that she would not be able to rest comfortably as a “free slave” without her husband and her family. That is when she decided that she would go get her loved ones.
As we know from history, she saved her family and many others through the Underground Railroad. All her rescues were successful, totaling 70 that she brought to freedom. The Civil War began a few years later. We are shown Harriet, working with the Union Army to save the lives of about 700 slaves.
The film celebrates Harriet Tubman and provides a beautiful biographical film of this amazing woman. Cynthia Erivo should get a nomination or two come award season. Pssst, she already has a Tony from her performance of The Color Purple on Broadway and a Grammy. She is already halfway to an EGOT. The cast of the film is fantastic. Leslie Odom Jr. as William Still, the man who kept the records of each emancipated slave and provided new identities to help them. Then there is Janelle Monae, as Mary Buchanon, born a free woman. She was among the group that helped Harriet make a new life in Philadelphia.
The film tells a brave tale, but it glosses over the dark history of slavery. Yes, it is one of the dark chapters in humanity. The atrocities committed in the name of self-preservation are despicable. The creators of the movie could have provided a more realistic representation of a picture of slavery.
This film is very good. Ms. Erivo performs effortlessly as Harriet. The supporting cast are very good. Harriet Tubman was a hell of a woman back in the day. I liked the movie. I also would have liked to have slavery shown in stark reality, not coated in idealism.
The story begins after church services where Minty’s husband John Tubman who was a free slave asks the plantation owner to allow Minty to be freed so their children would be born free instead of slaves. The slave owner, Henry Broadess (Mike Marunde played with a gleeful abundance of entitlement) denies the request. This is the spark where Araminta decides to run away to live as a free person.
Minty was known for her “spells” since the accident, where she was hit in the forehead by a thrown weight. The film interprets seizures as her conversation with God. The film uses these spells as her talks with and messages received from God. That is how Harriett’s visions are explained. That she has an ability to know where to go and what to from what she sees when she has an episode.
Harriet had saved herself from slavery. She made it to the State of Pennsylvania where she would be free. After a year or so, Harriet decided that she would not be able to rest comfortably as a “free slave” without her husband and her family. That is when she decided that she would go get her loved ones.
As we know from history, she saved her family and many others through the Underground Railroad. All her rescues were successful, totaling 70 that she brought to freedom. The Civil War began a few years later. We are shown Harriet, working with the Union Army to save the lives of about 700 slaves.
The film celebrates Harriet Tubman and provides a beautiful biographical film of this amazing woman. Cynthia Erivo should get a nomination or two come award season. Pssst, she already has a Tony from her performance of The Color Purple on Broadway and a Grammy. She is already halfway to an EGOT. The cast of the film is fantastic. Leslie Odom Jr. as William Still, the man who kept the records of each emancipated slave and provided new identities to help them. Then there is Janelle Monae, as Mary Buchanon, born a free woman. She was among the group that helped Harriet make a new life in Philadelphia.
The film tells a brave tale, but it glosses over the dark history of slavery. Yes, it is one of the dark chapters in humanity. The atrocities committed in the name of self-preservation are despicable. The creators of the movie could have provided a more realistic representation of a picture of slavery.
This film is very good. Ms. Erivo performs effortlessly as Harriet. The supporting cast are very good. Harriet Tubman was a hell of a woman back in the day. I liked the movie. I also would have liked to have slavery shown in stark reality, not coated in idealism.
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Data Mining for Business Analytics: Concepts, Techniques, and Applications with JMP Pro
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Dumb and Dumber To (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
It is hard to believe that it is been 20 years since Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels brought the moronic Harry and Lloyd to the big screen. The comedic adventures of the well-meaning but idiotic best friends became a box office smash and has maintained a loyal worker fans despite the highly disappointing prequel that was made in an attempt to extend series. With the Farrelly brothers back in place to write and direct the long-awaited follow-up it should come as no surprise as to what viewers are in store for with “Dumb and Dumber To”.
Lloyd (Jim Carrey) has been an institution for the past two decades while Harry (Jeff Daniels), visits him lawyerly once a week. When the reason behind Lloyd’s institutionalization becomes clear Harry informs his old friend that is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. With his options limited, Harry visits his family whom he has not seen in quite some time and goes through some mail that had been delivered over the years.
Harry learns that an old acquaintance was pregnant and in an effort to see if the child he never knew he had could be a donor, the bumbling duo sets out to find child Harry never knew he had. This is easier said than done as the mother (Kathleen Turner), give the child up for adoption and her only effort to communicate resulted in a letter being returned to her with a note asking her not to write again.
Undaunted Harry and Lloyd set out from their Rhode Island home and venture down to Maryland before learning that the object of their quest is already left for New Mexico to attend a very important conference. The duo decided to head on to New Mexico with a third person in tow not knowing that he secretly is aiming to do away with them in a con limited inheritance scheme.
As anyone who’s seen the previous film will remember, traveling with Harry and Lloyd can be extremely dangerous to one’s physical and mental sanity and the ensuing years have done nothing to change this. In short time duo arrives at their goal but finds their natural tendencies to get in and cause trouble has followed them resulting in a series of chaotic misadventures.
While many of the jokes and situations were recycled from previous films including Lloyd’s daydreaming about a perfect date and various car pranks, one thing that is undeniable is the great chemistry and timing between the two leads. The material certainly strains its PG-13 rating in terms of suggestiveness but even though some of the jokes do not quite succeed and the plot is at best paper thin, it was sure good to see these two back in action.
The film is at best a guilty pleasure because it will be easy to say it was kind of dumb and meandering at points and that the two characters were not given much to do other than an act that was funny 20 years earlier but may seem a bit strange to date considering both Daniels and Carrey have shown they are capable of doing so much more.
For me I looked at it is a bit of a nostalgic guilty pleasure that despite the shortcomings and faults offered some enjoyable although mostly forgettable distractions in between some good laughs. For those willing to take more the same and can temper their expectations accordingly you will likely find this trip one worth taking if nothing else than for the nostalgia.
I for one am hoping that we haven’t seen the last these two in action but I certainly would like to see them come back with a better script and certainly do not want have to wait 20 years for this to happen.
http://sknr.net/2014/11/14/dumb-dumber/
Lloyd (Jim Carrey) has been an institution for the past two decades while Harry (Jeff Daniels), visits him lawyerly once a week. When the reason behind Lloyd’s institutionalization becomes clear Harry informs his old friend that is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. With his options limited, Harry visits his family whom he has not seen in quite some time and goes through some mail that had been delivered over the years.
Harry learns that an old acquaintance was pregnant and in an effort to see if the child he never knew he had could be a donor, the bumbling duo sets out to find child Harry never knew he had. This is easier said than done as the mother (Kathleen Turner), give the child up for adoption and her only effort to communicate resulted in a letter being returned to her with a note asking her not to write again.
Undaunted Harry and Lloyd set out from their Rhode Island home and venture down to Maryland before learning that the object of their quest is already left for New Mexico to attend a very important conference. The duo decided to head on to New Mexico with a third person in tow not knowing that he secretly is aiming to do away with them in a con limited inheritance scheme.
As anyone who’s seen the previous film will remember, traveling with Harry and Lloyd can be extremely dangerous to one’s physical and mental sanity and the ensuing years have done nothing to change this. In short time duo arrives at their goal but finds their natural tendencies to get in and cause trouble has followed them resulting in a series of chaotic misadventures.
While many of the jokes and situations were recycled from previous films including Lloyd’s daydreaming about a perfect date and various car pranks, one thing that is undeniable is the great chemistry and timing between the two leads. The material certainly strains its PG-13 rating in terms of suggestiveness but even though some of the jokes do not quite succeed and the plot is at best paper thin, it was sure good to see these two back in action.
The film is at best a guilty pleasure because it will be easy to say it was kind of dumb and meandering at points and that the two characters were not given much to do other than an act that was funny 20 years earlier but may seem a bit strange to date considering both Daniels and Carrey have shown they are capable of doing so much more.
For me I looked at it is a bit of a nostalgic guilty pleasure that despite the shortcomings and faults offered some enjoyable although mostly forgettable distractions in between some good laughs. For those willing to take more the same and can temper their expectations accordingly you will likely find this trip one worth taking if nothing else than for the nostalgia.
I for one am hoping that we haven’t seen the last these two in action but I certainly would like to see them come back with a better script and certainly do not want have to wait 20 years for this to happen.
http://sknr.net/2014/11/14/dumb-dumber/
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Blair Witch Project (1999) in Movies
Oct 18, 2019
While this film is credited as being the first "found footage" film ever made, it is not true. I found several websites even saying the same thing. Not true. That award goes to Cannibal Holocaust (I am pretty sure) which was release almost two decades earlier (1980 vs. 1999).
The film begins with sort of standard documentary fare showing interviews with the Maryland locals discussing if they have heard of the legend of the Blair Witch. For those that had, they recalled their own memories of the stories they had heard from others or from their childhood. Eventually, the documentary filmmakers meet the odd-looking Mary Brown who details her first hand experience with the demon recalling its weird hairy appearance.
Heather, Josh and Michael then decide to go for an outdoor wooded adventure in an attempt to locate and document evidence of the existence of the local legend themselves, not knowing what lies ahead for them. The journey starts out pretty normal with Heather doing most of the onscreen explanations, the other two mostly relegated to replying to her whims or arguing with her about various topics.
Eventually, a few bad thing start to happen including the loss of their woodland map and hearing strange sounds during the blackness of night. They now wander the woods becoming increasingly agitated with each other and their situation when it is revealed they may be walking in circles and are no closer to completing their quest or finding their way out. They see various various stick and rock formations which are not naturally occurring which means someone else is out there with them.
I remember sitting in a darkened theatre in 1999 hearing about this film briefly before its release. Not much was known at the time, and I recall this being one of the first films to have significant internet buzz beforehand. The internet was only a few years old at the time, so this was also a relatively new concept. Modern audiences are spoiled with so much content for every film available online, that everyone almost loses the feeling of being completely surprised by a film you knew virtually nothing about going in.
For Blair Witch, the added element of the "found footage" style was foreign to pretty much everyone which added to the hype and box office success of the film. Virtually the entire viewing public were not completely sure if what they were watching actually happened or this was fiction. It helped that writer/directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez used an unknown cast so seeing someone they recognized onscreen would not ruin the experience of believing its authenticity.
I am down on sloppy modern moviemakers most of the time these days relying so heavily on CGI and making movies look like pretty perfection rather than focusing on the most important thing for a horror film (or any film) a good screenplay and implied tension. For Blair Witch, it has been said some scenes were improvised or given a general direction but not a full script; however, that doesn't detract from the authentic nature of the situation.
The 2nd half of the film has some truly terrifying moments which happen in the background or off-screen showing you don't need to spend all your money on a CGI monster, just make it scary. The scene and keyart for the film showing the top half of Heather's head which she speaks into the camera explaining her terror and anguish is so believable and mesmerizing it send chills down my spine every time I watch it.
The film also get bagged for the ending which might be considered too short or anti-climactic; however, I think it's perfect and really the only way the movie could have gone.
The film begins with sort of standard documentary fare showing interviews with the Maryland locals discussing if they have heard of the legend of the Blair Witch. For those that had, they recalled their own memories of the stories they had heard from others or from their childhood. Eventually, the documentary filmmakers meet the odd-looking Mary Brown who details her first hand experience with the demon recalling its weird hairy appearance.
Heather, Josh and Michael then decide to go for an outdoor wooded adventure in an attempt to locate and document evidence of the existence of the local legend themselves, not knowing what lies ahead for them. The journey starts out pretty normal with Heather doing most of the onscreen explanations, the other two mostly relegated to replying to her whims or arguing with her about various topics.
Eventually, a few bad thing start to happen including the loss of their woodland map and hearing strange sounds during the blackness of night. They now wander the woods becoming increasingly agitated with each other and their situation when it is revealed they may be walking in circles and are no closer to completing their quest or finding their way out. They see various various stick and rock formations which are not naturally occurring which means someone else is out there with them.
I remember sitting in a darkened theatre in 1999 hearing about this film briefly before its release. Not much was known at the time, and I recall this being one of the first films to have significant internet buzz beforehand. The internet was only a few years old at the time, so this was also a relatively new concept. Modern audiences are spoiled with so much content for every film available online, that everyone almost loses the feeling of being completely surprised by a film you knew virtually nothing about going in.
For Blair Witch, the added element of the "found footage" style was foreign to pretty much everyone which added to the hype and box office success of the film. Virtually the entire viewing public were not completely sure if what they were watching actually happened or this was fiction. It helped that writer/directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez used an unknown cast so seeing someone they recognized onscreen would not ruin the experience of believing its authenticity.
I am down on sloppy modern moviemakers most of the time these days relying so heavily on CGI and making movies look like pretty perfection rather than focusing on the most important thing for a horror film (or any film) a good screenplay and implied tension. For Blair Witch, it has been said some scenes were improvised or given a general direction but not a full script; however, that doesn't detract from the authentic nature of the situation.
The 2nd half of the film has some truly terrifying moments which happen in the background or off-screen showing you don't need to spend all your money on a CGI monster, just make it scary. The scene and keyart for the film showing the top half of Heather's head which she speaks into the camera explaining her terror and anguish is so believable and mesmerizing it send chills down my spine every time I watch it.
The film also get bagged for the ending which might be considered too short or anti-climactic; however, I think it's perfect and really the only way the movie could have gone.
