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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Lonely are the Brave (1962) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Two years on and Douglas has returned to the safety of westerns, looking older and gaunt, if no less charismatic. Something had cooled in him since Spartacus, and approaching 50 years of age, you can see the maturity and heart-ache most evidently in this performance. The tough guy remains, but there is a wistful aspect to Jack Burns that was not there before. He utilised the writing talents of one Douglas Trumbo to convey a “sadistic harshness” he called “the most perfect script I ever read”. Reportedly, in later years, Douglas considered this his best work, and son Michael (who you may have heard of) has also said this was his favourite amongst his father’s prestigious oeuvre. In that context alone, it is worth watching again.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Playing with Fire (2019) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
The movie Playing With fire starring John Cena and directed by Andy Fickman was a delight to watch.
Filled with clean family-friendly humor, and touching moments, it is a great film for the whole family to watch together.
It tells the story of a no nonsense smoke jumper named Jake Carson, and how he learns that relationships and family provide support and “keep you going” when life gets tough.
The cast was hilarious!
Especially Keegan Michael-Key who kept the audience laughing with his perfect timing.
John Cena shone in his role of Jake Carson.
While they kept the audience laughing, they also brought a lot of heartfelt moments.
One of my favorite moments was when they were planning a surprise birthday party for one of the 3 kids they were watching because they were survivors of a forest fire.
Filled with clean family-friendly humor, and touching moments, it is a great film for the whole family to watch together.
It tells the story of a no nonsense smoke jumper named Jake Carson, and how he learns that relationships and family provide support and “keep you going” when life gets tough.
The cast was hilarious!
Especially Keegan Michael-Key who kept the audience laughing with his perfect timing.
John Cena shone in his role of Jake Carson.
While they kept the audience laughing, they also brought a lot of heartfelt moments.
One of my favorite moments was when they were planning a surprise birthday party for one of the 3 kids they were watching because they were survivors of a forest fire.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Mar 24, 2019
Why does Halloween always look like such fun in the movies?
Whenever you watch any scary movie revolving around Halloween, they always make it look like so much fun where every neighborhood is all decked out and many children are bustling from house to house getting their treats when in reality Halloween is almost non existent any more. The handful of trick-or-treaters we usually get is almost not worth it and it is always over before dusk.
Anyways, finally saw this film tonight and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
Yes, of course, it was very predictable in parts with its dopey unintelligent characters; however, there was enough new ideas and homages to previous films for me to recommend.
Laurie Strode has really seen it all. This film finds her hardened by the events 40 years ago and estranged from her family since she can think of nothing more than getting even and finishing what Michael started all those years ago. As usual, Michael comes home to roost on another Halloween night and only Laurie and family seem up to the task of stopping another sadistic killing rampage from everyone's favorite "Captain Kirk" wannabe.
If it wasn't for Jamie Lee Curtis, this movie probably would've been a letdown. She was born to play the "scream queen" role, although this time looked more like Sarah Connor all brazen and tough with her own home base fortress equipped with a weapon arsenal.
I wonder if Michael is done for good this time? Doubtful.
Anyways, finally saw this film tonight and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
Yes, of course, it was very predictable in parts with its dopey unintelligent characters; however, there was enough new ideas and homages to previous films for me to recommend.
Laurie Strode has really seen it all. This film finds her hardened by the events 40 years ago and estranged from her family since she can think of nothing more than getting even and finishing what Michael started all those years ago. As usual, Michael comes home to roost on another Halloween night and only Laurie and family seem up to the task of stopping another sadistic killing rampage from everyone's favorite "Captain Kirk" wannabe.
If it wasn't for Jamie Lee Curtis, this movie probably would've been a letdown. She was born to play the "scream queen" role, although this time looked more like Sarah Connor all brazen and tough with her own home base fortress equipped with a weapon arsenal.
I wonder if Michael is done for good this time? Doubtful.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Beach House in Books
May 10, 2018
Nantucket is a magical place, so many people say. Where good things happen to good people. When Nan discovers that her finances aren't that great, she decides to rent rooms in her large home on Nantucket for the summer to help earn some money. The people who decide to rent from her are all in some sort of deep turmoil in their life and spending the summer in Nantucket and with Nan, will help them to sort all of that out.
First we have Daniel and Bea. Married for close to 7 years with two young girls. Something is not right in their marriage, and Bea can't seem to figure it out. Maybe a summer rental will do them good to bring the family together.
Daph has just found out that her husband has been seeing another woman. This betrayal is nearly impossible for her to take. With her teenage daughter giving her a headache about "throwing dad out" she believes a summer away will help to clear her head.
Michael is Nan's son and is a jeweler in New York City. When events in his life take a turn for the worse, he escapes to his home town to find the solace he needs to take the next step in his life.
All these lives are intertwined and help each other to come out of tough situations at The Beach House. A beautiful story of family, love and rebuilding that anyone is sure to connect to.
First we have Daniel and Bea. Married for close to 7 years with two young girls. Something is not right in their marriage, and Bea can't seem to figure it out. Maybe a summer rental will do them good to bring the family together.
Daph has just found out that her husband has been seeing another woman. This betrayal is nearly impossible for her to take. With her teenage daughter giving her a headache about "throwing dad out" she believes a summer away will help to clear her head.
Michael is Nan's son and is a jeweler in New York City. When events in his life take a turn for the worse, he escapes to his home town to find the solace he needs to take the next step in his life.
All these lives are intertwined and help each other to come out of tough situations at The Beach House. A beautiful story of family, love and rebuilding that anyone is sure to connect to.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Aliens (1986) in Movies
Feb 13, 2020
An absolute screamer of a sequel
Aliens may very well be the best sequel of all time, if not it's certainly up there!
The original Alien is about as perfect as sci-fi horror can get, so it was a smart move on James Cameron's part to not recycle that again, and take Alien in a different direction.
The slow burning, claustrophobic high tension of the original is replaced here with all out war.
The simple idea of multiple Xenomorphs is effective and terrifying, and packs the runtime of Aliens with top tier action.
Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, and whilst she was a tough yet vulnerable survivor first time around, here we get to see her vulnerability crumble away. By the time the final act kicks in and Ripley is decked out in a mech...she just a badass from here on out.
She's is joined by a group of gun toting, 80s as fuck mercenaries, including the likes of Michael Biehn (fresh from the recently released, first Terminator movie), Bill Paxton, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, and of course Lance Henriksen as Android, Bishop. It's a fantastic cast, who all end up mattering one way or another, even the ones who don't last very long.
The Xenomorphs themselves look as horrifying as ever, still practically achieved, and have an urgent sense of visceral danger whenever they're on screen.
Aliens is also the debut if the Alien Queen, a classic staple of the series since.
No matter how much time goes by, Aliens never fails to be entertaining, and still looks great. It's James Cameron at the top of his game.
The original Alien is about as perfect as sci-fi horror can get, so it was a smart move on James Cameron's part to not recycle that again, and take Alien in a different direction.
The slow burning, claustrophobic high tension of the original is replaced here with all out war.
The simple idea of multiple Xenomorphs is effective and terrifying, and packs the runtime of Aliens with top tier action.
Sigourney Weaver returns as Ellen Ripley, and whilst she was a tough yet vulnerable survivor first time around, here we get to see her vulnerability crumble away. By the time the final act kicks in and Ripley is decked out in a mech...she just a badass from here on out.
She's is joined by a group of gun toting, 80s as fuck mercenaries, including the likes of Michael Biehn (fresh from the recently released, first Terminator movie), Bill Paxton, Al Matthews, Jenette Goldstein, and of course Lance Henriksen as Android, Bishop. It's a fantastic cast, who all end up mattering one way or another, even the ones who don't last very long.
The Xenomorphs themselves look as horrifying as ever, still practically achieved, and have an urgent sense of visceral danger whenever they're on screen.
Aliens is also the debut if the Alien Queen, a classic staple of the series since.
No matter how much time goes by, Aliens never fails to be entertaining, and still looks great. It's James Cameron at the top of his game.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Secret of Joy in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Thoughts: This is such a sweet heart-warming story about life and love, and takes the drama of ex-wives and love-sick ladies to a whole new level, giving it life and plausibility at the same time. How did Melissa do it? No idea. But she won me over.
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Fantastic Four (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
An absolute snooze
Here comes yet another superhero film. Ending Marvel’s year that has included the charming Big Hero 6, the overstuffed Avengers: Age of Ultron and the surprisingly excellent Ant-Man, the Fox produced Fantastic Four reboot has a tough job trying to get audiences to forget the horror that came before it.
It’s been a tough ride for the quartet of heroes, but does director Josh Trank’s modern day reimagining of Marvel’s first team do enough to change perceptions?
Not by a long shot. Despite some excellent special effects, this yawnfest of a film that was plagued by rumours of constant behind-the-scenes tension and last-minute editing doesn’t have an ounce of originality in its short 100 minute running time.
Miles Teller (Insurgent), Kate Mara (Transcendence), Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) take on the roles of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm respectively and are fine, if lacking in any real chemistry.
Fantastic Four is above all, an origins story as the four young adults try to crack interdimensional travel. Naturally, things don’t go quite to plan and they, alongside fellow colleague Victor Von Doom end up with an unusual set of powers – with Doom becoming the main antagonist.
Unfortunately, the plot, devised by no less than three writers is a complete bore. There is hardly anything of interest throughout the entire film as Trank pushes his cast from one underwhelming set piece to another.
When things do get tense, it’s only for a five minute scene involving Doom breaking out of a research facility. This is when we get to see what Fantastic Four could’ve been, a dark and brooding film with a disturbing villain at its core.
However, it seems this has been pushed back to make way for an unusually flat sense of humour and an uninteresting origins story. Marvel films live and die on their comedic elements and unfortunately Fantastic Four is as poor as they come.
Nevertheless, the film’s special effects are on the whole, very good. The other dimension looks fantastic and The Thing in particular is rendered using excellent motion capture animation.
An underwhelming climax wraps up a bitterly disappointing outing for the four heroes. Most superhero films end with a spectacular showdown of good versus evil but Fantastic Four has none of this. The ending is clichéd, short and has no real payoff.
Overall, expectations were already low for this reboot and despite director Josh Trank’s obvious talent for direction, this talent is nowhere to be found in Fantastic Four.
A cast that doesn’t gel together, a poor soundtrack and a lack of tonal balance ensures it will rest alongside X-Men Origins: Wolverine as proof that Marvel Studios needs the rights to all of its heroes returning to it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/08/09/an-absolute-snooze-fantastic-four-review/
It’s been a tough ride for the quartet of heroes, but does director Josh Trank’s modern day reimagining of Marvel’s first team do enough to change perceptions?
Not by a long shot. Despite some excellent special effects, this yawnfest of a film that was plagued by rumours of constant behind-the-scenes tension and last-minute editing doesn’t have an ounce of originality in its short 100 minute running time.
Miles Teller (Insurgent), Kate Mara (Transcendence), Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) take on the roles of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm respectively and are fine, if lacking in any real chemistry.
Fantastic Four is above all, an origins story as the four young adults try to crack interdimensional travel. Naturally, things don’t go quite to plan and they, alongside fellow colleague Victor Von Doom end up with an unusual set of powers – with Doom becoming the main antagonist.
Unfortunately, the plot, devised by no less than three writers is a complete bore. There is hardly anything of interest throughout the entire film as Trank pushes his cast from one underwhelming set piece to another.
When things do get tense, it’s only for a five minute scene involving Doom breaking out of a research facility. This is when we get to see what Fantastic Four could’ve been, a dark and brooding film with a disturbing villain at its core.
However, it seems this has been pushed back to make way for an unusually flat sense of humour and an uninteresting origins story. Marvel films live and die on their comedic elements and unfortunately Fantastic Four is as poor as they come.
Nevertheless, the film’s special effects are on the whole, very good. The other dimension looks fantastic and The Thing in particular is rendered using excellent motion capture animation.
An underwhelming climax wraps up a bitterly disappointing outing for the four heroes. Most superhero films end with a spectacular showdown of good versus evil but Fantastic Four has none of this. The ending is clichéd, short and has no real payoff.
Overall, expectations were already low for this reboot and despite director Josh Trank’s obvious talent for direction, this talent is nowhere to be found in Fantastic Four.
A cast that doesn’t gel together, a poor soundtrack and a lack of tonal balance ensures it will rest alongside X-Men Origins: Wolverine as proof that Marvel Studios needs the rights to all of its heroes returning to it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/08/09/an-absolute-snooze-fantastic-four-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated 12 Strong (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
In the direct aftermath of terrorist attacks of 09/11 the US military was tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan in taking back control from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The one of the first objectives was to help The Northern Alliance, a group of warlords who opposed the Taliban rule, take the strategically critical city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan. A team of twelve Green Berets, code name Task Force Dagger, led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) will have to help one of the warlords, General Dostum (Navid Negahban), overtake several Afghan villages before reaching Mazar-i-Sharif. Dostum leads about 200 soldiers and a varying number of militia. They have small arms are the only mode of transportation through the narrow mountain passes is by horse. The Taliban, led by Mullah Razzan (Numan Acar), have over 50,000 soldiers. They also have tanks, missiles, heavy machine guns and a supply line of more men and machinery coming in every day. Nelson and his team will have to go against these overwhelming odds in unknown terrain all on horseback. But these “Horse Soldiers” don’t hesitate and know that they have a job to and if they don’t terrorist will take control of the country and further terrorism will only escalate.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Before and Again in Books
Mar 10, 2019
Emotional tale but slow and over-the-top
Driving her five-year-old daughter to a playdate, Mackenzie Cooper's life changes in a moment when she takes her eyes off the road to check her phone's GPS. In that second, she runs a stop sign, and as a result, the other driver and Lily are dead. In the aftermath, Mackenzie finds herself divorced, estranged from her mother and brother, on probation, and moving away from her friends and former life. She reinvents herself in the town of Devon, Vermont, now known as Maggie Reid. There, she does makeup for clients at the Devon Inn and Spa, while living alone in a remote cabin with her pets. Maggie has managed to build a new life for herself in Devon, where no one knows about her life as Mackenzie--plus, she likes her job and she has friends. So when one of them, Grace, finds herself in trouble: her fifteen-year-old son, Chris, is accused of hacking some powerful journalists, Maggie stands by her. It doesn't matter if this could affect her probation or her future. And that's not even the end of the trouble: some surprises from Maggie's past are coming back to her haunt her and threaten the private, quiet life she's worked so hard to create.
So, this was a tough one. Parts of this are a heartbreaking, emotional tale. Other parts I found to be far-fetched and so incredibly slow. The novel almost has two storylines, between Maggie's attempts to find some sort of peace in Devon and then the Grace and Chris tale. For me, it was tough connecting the two, despite the fact that both Grace and Maggie were being forced to confront their pasts and the sensationalism of the media. For most of the book, the two stories run parallel without really connecting, and I found it really hard to care or empathize with Grace at all. Her entire plot is a bit over-the-top. Both she and Maggie were difficult characters--prickly, with their protective shells up.
Of course, the book is also achingly hard to read at points, as Maggie's still reeling from the loss of her daughter. As a parent, I found those parts so difficult to read. But, there was so much talking and introspection from Maggie that it felt like the novel dragged on at points. With Maggie's constant reflection and rehashing, I sometimes just wanted to shake her or move things along. (Also, the endless descriptions of how makeup application worked were far too much for me.)
Still, there were definitely moments where the plot was compelling and moved along, especially near the end. I felt for Maggie, for sure, and enjoyed pieces of this novel. But overall, I found this one slow, disjointed, and hard to get into. Oh and for some reason, being someone even mildly into football, it bothered me that Maggie's probation officer was named Michael Shanahan (a former Redskins coach, among others). When things like that start bothering you, you realize it's probably not the book for you! However, this book is pretty much well-loved by most, so please realize it may have just not been a fit for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
So, this was a tough one. Parts of this are a heartbreaking, emotional tale. Other parts I found to be far-fetched and so incredibly slow. The novel almost has two storylines, between Maggie's attempts to find some sort of peace in Devon and then the Grace and Chris tale. For me, it was tough connecting the two, despite the fact that both Grace and Maggie were being forced to confront their pasts and the sensationalism of the media. For most of the book, the two stories run parallel without really connecting, and I found it really hard to care or empathize with Grace at all. Her entire plot is a bit over-the-top. Both she and Maggie were difficult characters--prickly, with their protective shells up.
Of course, the book is also achingly hard to read at points, as Maggie's still reeling from the loss of her daughter. As a parent, I found those parts so difficult to read. But, there was so much talking and introspection from Maggie that it felt like the novel dragged on at points. With Maggie's constant reflection and rehashing, I sometimes just wanted to shake her or move things along. (Also, the endless descriptions of how makeup application worked were far too much for me.)
Still, there were definitely moments where the plot was compelling and moved along, especially near the end. I felt for Maggie, for sure, and enjoyed pieces of this novel. But overall, I found this one slow, disjointed, and hard to get into. Oh and for some reason, being someone even mildly into football, it bothered me that Maggie's probation officer was named Michael Shanahan (a former Redskins coach, among others). When things like that start bothering you, you realize it's probably not the book for you! However, this book is pretty much well-loved by most, so please realize it may have just not been a fit for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.