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Lenard (726 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies

Apr 1, 2019  
Dumbo (2019)
Dumbo (2019)
2019 | Animation, Family, Fantasy
5
6.5 (81 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Alan Arkin saying "Pack-ee-derm" (0 more)
While in some ways a strange marriage, Dumbo has several Tim Burton elements: an evil rich guy, Michael Keaton/Danny DeVito/Eva Green, outsiders, people who don't get a lot of sun even though they live in a traveling circus. The most Tim Burton thing about it is when Dreamland is engulfed in smoke surrounded by dark clouds and Nightmare Island. The rest of the film is mostly live action Disney. Dumbo has Bambi-like doe eyes and except for the evil wannabe tycoon the humans are sentimental and protective of the kids.
(2)   
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David McK (3557 KP) rated The Italian Job (2003) in Movies

May 2, 2021 (Updated Aug 4, 2024)  
The Italian Job (2003)
The Italian Job (2003)
2003 | Action, Drama
6
6.4 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
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 ....
(1)   
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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Street Lawyer in Books

May 10, 2018  
TS
The Street Lawyer
John Grisham | 2005
8
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
John Grisham really has a way of pulling you into the story right away. It starts off with a homeless man walking into one of the largest law firms in Washington D.C. and holding it's lawyers hostage. Michael Brock was one of those lawyers. Shortly after, he meets Mordecai Green who is a lawyer for the homeless, he knew Mister, the homeless man that held the firm hostage. Spending the night in a homeless shelter and meeting those who are homeless,Brock feels forced to examine his life as an attorney. With Mordecai's help Michael goes from being a lawyer at a huge law firm to an advocate for the homeless, a Street Lawyer.

I have been a fan of John Grisham for a while and it has been a long time since I have read one of his books. I gave this book 4 stars, it held my interest and really made me think about my involvemet with the homeless. Yes, we see them on the streets and may give them some change every once in a while, but do we ever think, how did the person get to be in a situation they are in? This books helps us to see that side of homeless.
  
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies

Jun 19, 2019  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
8
7.2 (120 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
“Halloween” has long been considered by many to have been the film that started the “Slasher” subculture. The independent movie became a box office smash and made Michael Myers a cultural icon ever since its debut in 1978.

Although multiple sequels and a reboot followed over the years; they did not match the intensity of the original as they opted for higher body counts and gore versus suspense and story and in many ways became almost a parody of themselves as Michael would cut down cast after cast of teens and anyone else in his way.

The new film takes the approach that none of the films after the first ever happened so instead of Michael stalking Lorrie in a hospital in “Halloween 2”; he was captured and incarcerated in an mental institute for the last forty years where he has remained silent despite his Doctor (Haluk Bilginer) best efforts to get him to speak as he attempts to understand what motivates a person described as pure evil.

The forty years since “The Night He Came Home” has not been kind to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); as since her encounter with Michael: she has become a hard drinking isolationist who suffers from severe Post Traumatic Syndrome. Laurie has become obsessed with guns, weapons, and protection to the point that it has cost her two marriages and even had her only child Karen (Judy Greer) taken from her by the state which has resulted in her having a fractured relationship with her and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).

When a pair of journalists attempt to interview Laurie to try to get her to agree to a face to face with Michael; it sets a chain of events into motion which leads to Michael escaping during a prison transfer.

Michael wastes no time in returning home leaving a trail of death in his path and sets him on a collision course with Laurie who has spent the last forty years preparing for his return.

The film is a true sequel to the original as aside from the second film; it is the closest in tone and theme to the original. While it does have more gore and a higher body count in keeping with the modern expectations of a film of this type, writers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride clearly understand the source material and have crafted an extension of the original versus a continuation refurbished. The fact that John Carpenter has returned as an Executive Producer also helps.

The film wisely sets the focus on the characters which makes the horror aspects more compelling as this is not a bunch of anonymous victims we are watching.

A sequel is reportedly in development and I hope this creative team returns as this was a truly worthy sequel to the classic original that was long overdue.

http://sknr.net/2018/10/17/halloween/
  
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Kieran Harvey (51 KP) rated Prometheus (2012) in Movies

Jul 18, 2017  
Prometheus (2012)
Prometheus (2012)
2012 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
8
6.9 (54 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Great storyline (5 more)
Effectively creates suspense
Good action
Fantastic visuals
Great cast
Very well directed
Some bad characters (1 more)
A bit cheesy in some places
Much better than everyone thinks
Prometheus is a prequel to Alien and a lot of fans weren't happy that it didn't include alien in the title however it's just a name at the end of the day and this film is very very good in my opinion.
The acting is great specifically from Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshal Green and Charlize Theron and the action is great despite coming in small amounts. The whole atmosphere of this world is fantastic because it really feels genuine despite all coming from the mind of Ridley Scott but it is evident that he is very passionate about this series and that makes the film better as it feels honest and dark and legitimately tense. It has some scenes in which I found hard to watch because of the high gore/ horror levels but apart from that it starts well and it ends terrifically as well.
  
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Lindsay (1760 KP) rated The Green Dress (True Colors #6) in Books

May 27, 2020  
The Green Dress (True Colors #6)
The Green Dress (True Colors #6)
Liz Tolsma | 2020 | Crime, History & Politics
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Green Dress is about a woman who is staying with the Robinson family. There seem to be strange illnesses or deaths occur. It seems to be about a woman named Sarah Jane Robinson. What is going on in the house is strange.

Harriet seems to bring in a Dr. Weaton. She moved into the Robinson family household but things seem to happen more once Lizzie passes away. But we do not know who it is. As the story goes on and more death occurs. The suspicions rise. Who is killing the Robinson family members and why?

The author does a wonderful job of having you trying to figure out the culprit. You get a history of some of the members. What a way to show some true colors in some folks. This story has you wanting to turn the pages and rooting for the heroes to save the day. You are pulled in emotionally as well. I was guessing Dr. Beers or even Mrs. Robinson. Can Michael and Harriet save the Robinson family members or will it all go bad?
  
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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies

Jun 10, 2019  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
8
7.2 (120 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
A True successor to the original
Halloween 1978 and little-known director John Carpenter terrifies thousands of impressionable horror fans with the introduction of ‘The Shape’. Jamie Lee Curtis becomes the new ‘scream queen’ and all is well in the world of the slasher genre.

Fast-forward to 2009 and Rob Zombie directs the sequel to his reasonably successful remake of Halloween, but it was poorly received by critics and audiences alike. Why? Well Zombie’s grungy, rock-anthem vibe didn’t really sit too well with Michael Myers and the result was a distasteful and messy outing that set the franchise back nearly 10 years.

Of course, in between 1978 and 2009, the series was ripped apart, put back together again until it was a shadow of its former self. Anyone remember Busta Rhymes doing a vague impression of a karate master in Halloween: Resurrection? Best forget about that.

Nevertheless, director David Gordon Green, a lifetime fan of Carpenter’s iconic original is in the chair to helm a direct sequel to the 1978 classic. That’s right, it forgoes every single film apart from the first. But is it a worthy sequel to one of the greatest horror films of all time?

It’s been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when his bus transfer goes horribly wrong. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the masked madman returns to Haddonfield. But this time, she’s ready for him.

Having Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter back for this instalment is already a coup for Gordon Green. Clearly, they thought enough of the material that he and co-writer Danny McBride had produced to give one more shot at crafting a properly deserved sequel. And it works very well, so well in fact that we have, barring the original, the best Halloween movie to date.

Jamie Lee Curtis is absolutely fabulous as a world-weary Laurie Strode. Traumatised by the events of 40 years ago, she holds herself up in a cabin on the outskirts of Haddonfield, flanked by floodlights and CCTV cameras. The script does a very good job at showing how massive events can destroy an individual’s life and Curtis’ understated performance is a highlight here.

Judy Greer gets a nicely fleshed out role as Karen, Laurie’s daughter. She’s an incredibly talented actress and it’s a world away from the one-dimensional characters she’s been given to play in blockbusters like Jurassic World. The great thing about this film is that each of the main characters feels real. There’s no cheap sex scenes, the kills are well-placed and the dialogue is superbly written – you actually believe these are real people, rather than characters in a movie.

While the body count is high, Halloween doesn’t rely on the murders to progress the story forward. This is very much Laurie’s film as opposed to Michael’s and it works very well. There’s some nice juxtaposition as shots that would have involved Michael in the original, choose to put Laurie front and centre here. Halloween features some tasteful references to the original as well as its less-well received sequels. They’re not immediately obvious for those not too familiar with the series, but die-hards will enjoy seeing those homages pop up every now and then.

Halloween is a resounding success. It takes what audiences loved about the original and updates them in a sequel that, while not being wholly original, respects what came before it
The film starts relatively slowly with a not quite successful side-plot involving two investigative journalists, but once Michael Myers gets his mask back, the film rarely lets up until the end. Populated by enough kills and scares to keep the audience happy, this is a Halloween movie that doesn’t rely too much on jump scares. There’s a few, but they’re nicely filmed which helps lift them above the mundane.

To look at, this is a film that is head and shoulders above anything else in the genre. Gordon Green uses incredibly fluid camera techniques that almost mimic those of the original. In one extended sequence, Myers moves in and out of shot as the camera follows him from house to house, selecting his next victim. With no cuts in between, it’s a stunning scene to watch and very effective.

Thankfully, the writing duo has decided to pass on giving Michael anything resembling a back story. The embodiment of ‘pure evil’ as Samuel Loomis once put it, Myers needn’t have any motives – and that’s what makes him so terrifying. In fact, his first kill here reaffirms his evil characteristics and it’s clear that David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were aiming for this take on the character.

Then there’s the score. John Carpenter has returned to craft new music for this instalment and it is by far the best score in the series, possibly even better than the original. That haunting Halloween theme tune is back, but upgraded with guitar riffs and electronic percussion. It’s a fabulous update that works perfectly with the modern characters and an older Michael.

While it’s true that the film isn’t out-and-out scary, the finale is exquisite as Laurie and Michael come face-to-face once again. Only the abrupt ending and forgetting of some key characters lets it down. After all, what’s the point in caring about a character and never learning of their fate?

Overall, Halloween is a resounding success. It takes what audiences loved about the original and updates them in a sequel that, while not being wholly original, respects what came before it. While this is sure to make bucket loads at the box-office, it feels like it was crafted with care by a writing team and director that absolutely adores the series. It’s a must watch.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/10/20/halloween-2018-review-a-true-successor-to-the-original/
(3)   
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JT (287 KP) rated Green Lantern (2011) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern (2011)
2011 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
4
5.3 (47 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
You feel that had The Green Lantern arrived on the scene in 2011 not competing with a host of other super hero films, such as Thor, X-Men: First Class and Captain America, it might have had a better welcome.

For me the super hero genre really is bordering a mass overkill, what with this years upcoming Avengers getting so much press its hard to turn a corner without seing one of Iron Man, Hulk or Thor adoring a billboard or poster somewhere.

So it’s a shame then that Hollywood’s Mr. Nice guy, Ryan Reynolds, was given a role so bland and pointless it was almost insulting.

Director Martin Campbell’s previous outings Casino Royale and Edge if Darkness were deep gritty affairs and he really should have carried that over into this, there was so much flamboyant colour you wondered if Joel Schumacher had some how been a part of it.

That isn’t to say that during some stages the film was not enjoyable. Test pilot Hal Jordan is given the power bestowed on him by a mysterious ring with a back story shoe horned into an opening five minute monologue, if you’re not paying attention its going to be a little confusing.

The action and special effects are very good, with the Green Lantern able to concoct a wide range of objects from his mind ranging from missile launchers, swords and even a necklace, all transferred through the power and energy of the ring.

The less so, well Reynolds is surrounded by characters that only really dip their toe into the water of the film. With thousands of Green Lanterns we only really here from two, Tomar-Re and Kilowog voiced by Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan respectively.

Mark Strong as Sinestro on first glance has the look of someone bound to step over to the evil side, and maybe that is to come if a sequel is due at some point.

Peter Sarsgaard’s large headed villain only serves as an entrée before Hal has to tackle the large bellowing cloud that is Parallax, an entity that thrives on sucking out the fear of its victims.

The film has its moments, but it never really has the energy that so many other super hero films have. Perhaps that fact that the back story of Hal is not nearly as exciting as say Spider-man, Batman or any of the Avengers for that matter.
  
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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Molly's Game (2017) in Movies

Sep 20, 2020  
Molly's Game (2017)
Molly's Game (2017)
2017 | Drama
6
7.5 (25 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Objectively horrendous but a ton of fun, pretty much what one of those later MCU entries *should* feel like. A lot of fast-talking verbiage and flashiness which every single one of these stylish, ADHD biopics (which, for the record I enjoy incomparably more than the unbearable, cursory ones that get nominated for Oscars) stole from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 - which I was convinced I'd never get tired of but I confess is actually starting to get pretty rote here. Like okay do we really need to halt the already legendarily messy and borderline unfollowable plotline so you can describe what the sticker on the fucking cheese platter says? It's also one of those movies where the acting is nice but nobody actually plays a real human (for better [Chastain, Cera, Strong, Costner] or worse [poor Elba]). The dialogue is, as you can imagine, unadulterated Sorkin which leads to some very amusing cringe without the filter this time around. I like it, pretty much a collection of rousing scenes that look and play nice but don't fit together too well (at all) on the whole. Best part is easily those iconic Chastain outfits. A much better poker movie than it is a true story movie, and a lot of the banter is stilted - but worth it entirely for the title character calling Michael Cera (playing a power-hungry real life Tobey Maguire) a "green-screened little shit".
  
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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3) in Books

Feb 11, 2019  
Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3)
Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3)
Rachel Caine | 2009 | Horror
8
8.6 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is my favorite book in the series so far because the plot FINALLY focuses on Claire's schooling. When her schedule got replaced with harder classes, I went just a bit green with envy - I'm a nerd at heart, even though I haven't been to school in years. I also love that we get more background information about the town of Morganville, such as its purpose and an explanation of the more mystical aspects of the town. Myrnin was quite a fascinating character, and I would not have minded if the text spent more time on Claire's studies with him, as well as her advanced class studies. (And yes, my favorite parts of the Harry Potter series was the classroom stuff.)
I didn't like that this book did not have Eve's journal entries at the end like previous books have done. Those previously gave me clues into her mind and her relationship with Michael, as well as a taste of what happens in the next book, so I was rather disappointed when I realized it was missing.
I'm hoping that future books go into more detail about what the journals cover as well as what exactly the red crystals are and how they affected Claire. I'm hoping that the drama with Eve's brother Jason gets resolved quickly as I find him just plain annoying and obnoxious. The ending had me exclaiming out loud, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4).