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Brit Wit: The Perfect Riposte for Every Social Occasion
Book
'In politics, if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.'...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Get Carter (2000) in Movies
Jul 31, 2020
Clumsy, uninspired, and - let's be honest - pointless and redundant remake of the British gangster classic. Stallone is as clumpingly inarticulate as ever as a gangster seeking the truth about his brother's death; various surprisingly good actors are roped in but get virtually nothing to do. For appearance's sake Michael Caine comes back, in the not-exactly-plum role of Cliff Brumby.
The plot is mostly just the same as in the original movie, although the magnificent desolation of north-east England is replaced by somewhere nondescript and American, and bleak nihilism is gone too, as that's not what Stallone's audience wants: instead there's a dull old plot about a man out for redemption. It's all sort of watchable, but it's hard to really think of a reason why you'd want to.
The plot is mostly just the same as in the original movie, although the magnificent desolation of north-east England is replaced by somewhere nondescript and American, and bleak nihilism is gone too, as that's not what Stallone's audience wants: instead there's a dull old plot about a man out for redemption. It's all sort of watchable, but it's hard to really think of a reason why you'd want to.
David McK (3562 KP) rated The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) in Movies
Dec 28, 2024
I read recently that this qualifies as the most accurate on-screen representation of the Charles Dicken's classic, in that it is the film that sticks closest to the plot and that uses the most actual quotations from the source.
Not as in the characters are nearly all played by Muppets.
Michael Caine, also, does a pretty good Scrooge, playing it as serious as a heart attack whilst the usual Muppety mayhem goes on around him - Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchitt, Miss Piggy (of course) Mrs Cratchitt, whilst Gonzo provides the narration (as Charles Dickens) alongside Rizzo the rat.
The tale itself, of the ghosts who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve (most famously the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future), and convince him to change his ways, is timeless.
Not as in the characters are nearly all played by Muppets.
Michael Caine, also, does a pretty good Scrooge, playing it as serious as a heart attack whilst the usual Muppety mayhem goes on around him - Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchitt, Miss Piggy (of course) Mrs Cratchitt, whilst Gonzo provides the narration (as Charles Dickens) alongside Rizzo the rat.
The tale itself, of the ghosts who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve (most famously the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future), and convince him to change his ways, is timeless.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Last Breath (The Morganville Vampires, #11) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I always crack open the next Morganville book knowing that I will love it before I read a single word. Rachel Caine is a writer I can depend on. In this book, she takes the concept that she used in the previous book of sharing the P.O.V. with another character and multiplies it. In other words, while Claire still gets the most narration, the reader also gets to read a bit of narration by Amelie, Shane, Michael, and Eve. Shane's thought process is familiar from the previous book, and Eve's reminds me of her diary entries from the early books in the series. Michael's are interesting because I got to see some of the darkness that he struggles with on a daily basis, while trying to hide it from the other members of the Glass House. I enjoy Amelie's P.O.V. the most because she obviously has the most secrets and history to reveal. Caine could easily make Amelie the main character of a prequel series about the founding of Morganville (how I wish!).
Claire is in top form as usual, as she has the unique -- and unexplained -- ability to see Magnus before anyone else, or before Magnus even wants to be seen. Magnus is quite the horror-movie creature, the draug, whom even the local vamps fear. Reading the detailed descriptions of what he can do with water gives me goosebumps. As for how Magnus retaliates against Claire, I simply refused to believe that Claire's state was permanent -- she is simply too essential to the series. Now I am wondering, though, how the series would fare if Claire went vamp -- but that's all up to Rachel Caine.
The one thing I really disliked, of course, was how the book ended -- the first cliff-hanger of the series. There was just way too big of a loose end hanging to leave me feeling satisfied. The rest of the book was still fabulous, though, and I can't wait for Black Dawn to hit the shelves.
Claire is in top form as usual, as she has the unique -- and unexplained -- ability to see Magnus before anyone else, or before Magnus even wants to be seen. Magnus is quite the horror-movie creature, the draug, whom even the local vamps fear. Reading the detailed descriptions of what he can do with water gives me goosebumps. As for how Magnus retaliates against Claire, I simply refused to believe that Claire's state was permanent -- she is simply too essential to the series. Now I am wondering, though, how the series would fare if Claire went vamp -- but that's all up to Rachel Caine.
The one thing I really disliked, of course, was how the book ended -- the first cliff-hanger of the series. There was just way too big of a loose end hanging to leave me feeling satisfied. The rest of the book was still fabulous, though, and I can't wait for Black Dawn to hit the shelves.
Educating Rita
Book
'One way of describing Educating Rita would be to say that it was about the meaning of education...
David McK (3562 KP) rated The Italian Job (2003) in Movies
May 2, 2021 (Updated Aug 4, 2024)
All i can really remember about the 1969 original is that it is a crime caper, starring Michael Caine, and that it involves Mini Coopers.
As such, I'm not sure whether to class this as a remake, a reimagining or something else entirely!
This version stars Mark Wahoberg, Cherlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Staham and Oz-from-Buffy (Seth Green) and starts with a heist in Venice: a successful heist, with the perpetrators then betrayed by Ed Norton's 'Steve', who leaves them all for dead.
The rest of the film - mainly set in the States - then follows the remainder of the crew and their quest to get even against Steve, in a plot that yes, once again, involves the use of Mini Coopers!
It would hardly be The Italian Job without said cars, after all ....
As such, I'm not sure whether to class this as a remake, a reimagining or something else entirely!
This version stars Mark Wahoberg, Cherlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Staham and Oz-from-Buffy (Seth Green) and starts with a heist in Venice: a successful heist, with the perpetrators then betrayed by Ed Norton's 'Steve', who leaves them all for dead.
The rest of the film - mainly set in the States - then follows the remainder of the crew and their quest to get even against Steve, in a plot that yes, once again, involves the use of Mini Coopers!
It would hardly be The Italian Job without said cars, after all ....
Get Carter
Book
THE NOVEL BEHIND THE CULT FILM STARRING MICHAEL CAINE Doncaster, and Jack Carter is home for a...
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Eagle Has Landed (1976) in Movies
May 22, 2018 (Updated May 22, 2018)
Pretty reasonable, slightly silly all-star war movie; the Germans attempt to bring the Allies to the negotiating table by kidnapping Churchill. Sent on this improbable mission is Michael Caine's decent paratrooper officer and his men, and ridiculously Irish IRA man Donald Sutherland. Spoiler alert: Germany still loses the war.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Good performances, mostly, and some well-staged action in the closing sections of the film; what's curious about it is the way that the Germans are mostly presented sympathetically, at least as much as the British and American characters. It's a war movie without bad guys, but without much sense of moral or emotional investment either - as a result it's enjoyable as a piece of action cinema, but rather shallow. (It doesn't feel like the moral ambiguity is a deliberate creative choice: Caine thought the director was more interested in going fishing than in overseeing the final edit.) Fun in a disposable sort of way; you could be forgiven for expecting more, given the talent involved.
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3) in Books
Dec 30, 2019
Claire is still trying to survive her freshman year at TPU and adjusting to her relationship with Shane. Michael is dealing with the results of becoming a vampire, and Eve is trying to stay away from her psycho brother Jason.
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies
Jun 24, 2019
Wanna know how I got these oscars?
directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan and Based on the DC Comics character Batman.
the second installment in Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) allies himself with Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to reduce crime in Gotham, but are seemingly outsmarted by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) who seeks test Batman's influence by creating chaos in Gotham.
also Michael Caine reprises his role as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
This was unfortunately Heath Ledger's final movie before his untimely passing and is considered his greatest portrayal, which won him the Oscar award for best supporting actor.
The Dark Knight grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, becoming the fourth film in history to gross more than $1 billion worldwide and the highest-grossing film of 2008.
the second installment in Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) allies himself with Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to reduce crime in Gotham, but are seemingly outsmarted by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) who seeks test Batman's influence by creating chaos in Gotham.
also Michael Caine reprises his role as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
This was unfortunately Heath Ledger's final movie before his untimely passing and is considered his greatest portrayal, which won him the Oscar award for best supporting actor.
The Dark Knight grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, becoming the fourth film in history to gross more than $1 billion worldwide and the highest-grossing film of 2008.