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Awix (3310 KP) rated Sorry We Missed You (2019) in Movies
Nov 5, 2019
Another fiercely committed piece of social drama from Ken Loach. The husband and father of a family on the breadline takes a job as a delivery driver in the so-called 'gig economy'; meanwhile, his wife is on a similar zero-hours contract for her work as a carer. The sheer relentless grind of the work and the ceaseless stress that accompanies it - along with the gradual realisation that they have no rights or protection - slowly tears the family apart.
A fairly typical Loach movie, in that it doesn't really aspire to entertain, nor does it attempt to be impartial. The film's thesis - that zero-hours contracts and the gig economy are just mechanisms to exploit the most vulnerable section of the workforce - is left implicit, but is put across with the customary power. This is no-frills film-making, and rough around the edges in places - but the decision to cast non-professionals in key roles pays off as they give deeply affecting performances. I have seen movies about homeless children in Syria which were less emotionally wrenching to watch than this one. An angry film, and one which seeks to communicate that anger to the audience; quite possibly a very important film, but not at all easy viewing.
A fairly typical Loach movie, in that it doesn't really aspire to entertain, nor does it attempt to be impartial. The film's thesis - that zero-hours contracts and the gig economy are just mechanisms to exploit the most vulnerable section of the workforce - is left implicit, but is put across with the customary power. This is no-frills film-making, and rough around the edges in places - but the decision to cast non-professionals in key roles pays off as they give deeply affecting performances. I have seen movies about homeless children in Syria which were less emotionally wrenching to watch than this one. An angry film, and one which seeks to communicate that anger to the audience; quite possibly a very important film, but not at all easy viewing.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated End of Days (1999) in Movies
Nov 21, 2019 (Updated Nov 21, 2019)
Arnold vs. The Devil
Arnold has foughting alot of things over the years and the last thing that you expect him to fight is the devil and well that happened. And out of all the years it came out, it came out in 1999, before the new millennium and its about the devil to come and raid the new millennium. If you filp 666 you get 999 like in 1999 was the dumpest thing in this movie. That and other movies like a grandma overpowering Arnold, how is that possible, well its not, but it happened. Also the devil's pee is fire? IDK.
The Plot: A private security guard finds himself caught up in an apocalyptic conflict. The Devil's only chance of getting out of his eternal prison is to mate with a chosen girl in the last hour of the millennium, and the guard finds himself having to protect the woman from an enemy in whom he does not even believe.
I feel bad for Gabriel Bryne, such a great underrated actor. He was in this and Stigmata the same year. Both about faith, religion, god and the devil.
I like this movie, its entertaining, its so good its bad, its so bad its good.
If you havent seen this movie, than watch it.
The Plot: A private security guard finds himself caught up in an apocalyptic conflict. The Devil's only chance of getting out of his eternal prison is to mate with a chosen girl in the last hour of the millennium, and the guard finds himself having to protect the woman from an enemy in whom he does not even believe.
I feel bad for Gabriel Bryne, such a great underrated actor. He was in this and Stigmata the same year. Both about faith, religion, god and the devil.
I like this movie, its entertaining, its so good its bad, its so bad its good.
If you havent seen this movie, than watch it.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Fifty Shades Darker in Books
Jan 12, 2020
I found myself having a really hard time getting through this novel! Having seen the movies and knowing what happens in this section of the trilogy, I still was fighting myself to finish. I read this and it's counterpart "Darker" at the same time to give myself a more comprehensive view of the story and that definitely helped - being able to know what Ana was doing when she was away from Christian and vice versa, but also being in both of their heads when they were together, having sex, fighting, whatever the situation may be. I still found "Darker" to be more compelling. I think Ana's strongest moment as a character, thus far in the series, is in this novel during her run-in with Hyde. I also greatly appreciated his character development from the beginning of the novel to the end. The excerpt given at the end of this novel is what makes reading "Fifty Shades Freed" so intriguing.
I said it in my review of "Darker" but I'm still angry that there isn't a third Christian point of view to match "Freed" but I'm still eager to round out this series and move on. I can't say I'll ever read them again, but I don't regret starting them, that's for sure.
I said it in my review of "Darker" but I'm still angry that there isn't a third Christian point of view to match "Freed" but I'm still eager to round out this series and move on. I can't say I'll ever read them again, but I don't regret starting them, that's for sure.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) in Movies
Jan 17, 2020 (Updated Jan 17, 2020)
Kinect Activity
Paranormal Activity 1- hated it
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
Paranormal Activity 3- Its getting good.
This one- Paranormal Activity with Kinect.
One of the strangest product placment of all time, im not sure if Blumhouse or Parmount contacted Mircosoft or if Microsoft contacted Blumhouse or Paramount, either or it was strange to see the Kinect in this movie.
Anyways what did i think of the movie, i thought it was good, thisond and the 3rd one are really intresting and actually horrorfying/terrorfying/creepy unlike the first and some of the second one , which were so boring i could sleep though both of them until the last 5-10 minutes of both movies.
The Plot: It has been five years since Katie (Katie Featherston) murdered her sister and disappeared with her infant nephew, Hunter, in tow. Now, a new family is about to fall prey to nighttime terrors. A mysterious accident next door leads to teenage Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her family becoming the temporary guardians of Robbie (Brady Allen), a very creepy neighbor boy. Cameras installed throughout Alex's home capture the sinister events that unfold after Robbie's arrival.
I can say you can watch this one and the 3rd one.
Paranormal Activity 2- Better Than One.
Paranormal Activity 3- Its getting good.
This one- Paranormal Activity with Kinect.
One of the strangest product placment of all time, im not sure if Blumhouse or Parmount contacted Mircosoft or if Microsoft contacted Blumhouse or Paramount, either or it was strange to see the Kinect in this movie.
Anyways what did i think of the movie, i thought it was good, thisond and the 3rd one are really intresting and actually horrorfying/terrorfying/creepy unlike the first and some of the second one , which were so boring i could sleep though both of them until the last 5-10 minutes of both movies.
The Plot: It has been five years since Katie (Katie Featherston) murdered her sister and disappeared with her infant nephew, Hunter, in tow. Now, a new family is about to fall prey to nighttime terrors. A mysterious accident next door leads to teenage Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her family becoming the temporary guardians of Robbie (Brady Allen), a very creepy neighbor boy. Cameras installed throughout Alex's home capture the sinister events that unfold after Robbie's arrival.
I can say you can watch this one and the 3rd one.
David McK (3216 KP) rated The Three Musketeers in Books
Jan 18, 2020
Let me start by saying that this is (was) one of the few novels I had abandoned, finding it very hard going and plodding.
And, truth be told, I still haven't actually read it.
You might be wondering, then, why I'm reviewing it?
Because, thanks to a well-known Amazon-owned subsidiary, I've now listened to it!
The subject of a fair-few movies over the years (most noticeably the 1970s Michael York duo The Three/Four Musketeers), I have to admit to being somewhat surprised at just how closely that Michael York fronted film actually sticks to the source material, with the first half of the novel (The Queens Diamonds) virtually transposed straight to the screen. And, as a result, I found this portion not really all that engaging, perhaps due to (over)familiarity.
However, things picked up once we got past the halfway point, and into more unfamiliar territory, before (roughly) the final third of the novel, which obviously served as the inspiration for The Four Musketeers (where d'Artagnan actually becomes one such).
Full of swashbuckling romance and acts of derring do, this - like many other classics - is one of those novels that you read simply so that you can say you've read it!
And, truth be told, I still haven't actually read it.
You might be wondering, then, why I'm reviewing it?
Because, thanks to a well-known Amazon-owned subsidiary, I've now listened to it!
The subject of a fair-few movies over the years (most noticeably the 1970s Michael York duo The Three/Four Musketeers), I have to admit to being somewhat surprised at just how closely that Michael York fronted film actually sticks to the source material, with the first half of the novel (The Queens Diamonds) virtually transposed straight to the screen. And, as a result, I found this portion not really all that engaging, perhaps due to (over)familiarity.
However, things picked up once we got past the halfway point, and into more unfamiliar territory, before (roughly) the final third of the novel, which obviously served as the inspiration for The Four Musketeers (where d'Artagnan actually becomes one such).
Full of swashbuckling romance and acts of derring do, this - like many other classics - is one of those novels that you read simply so that you can say you've read it!
Barry Newman (204 KP) rated The Irishman (2019) in Movies
Jan 11, 2020
Goodfellas is one of my all time favourite movies so this long awaited reunion of Scorsese, DeNiro and Pesci was a mouthwatering prospect. Whilst not a patch on Goodfellas this was still a very impressive and complex piece of film making. This is some of DeNiro's finest work in years and almost enough to forgive him those bagel adverts. Pacino is brilliant as Jimmy Hoffa and it's simply a joy to have Joe Pesci back on the screen. The deaging effects are very good but not quite 100% perfect, at times the characters have a slightly waxy look about them but you soon get used to them. However I did feel the film was lacking in real standout scenes that would become iconic in years to come like Scorsese's earlier work and was more consistently good than outstandingly brilliant. The 3.5 hour running time was a bit over indulgent as well and could easily have been trimmed a bit. The mammoth running time is also a factor likely to put me off watching it again as often as I would a shorter film. So definitely still much to enjoy and admire here and should definitely be in the running for plenty of awards.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Feb 9, 2020
Solid (if slightly derivative) horror-SF movie with extra added treats for fans of classic weird fiction. Following a disaster at a deep-sea drilling site, the survivors must try to make their way to safety, contending with the collapsing installation and grotesque and hostile marine creatures. Who or what exactly have they woken up...? One of those movies where you can have fun spotting all the things it's ripping off (Alien, Gravity, The Abyss, numerous others) but none the worse for that: the movie plays with genre tropes intelligently even if some of the storytelling could have been tighter.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.
Neil Goddard (3 KP) rated Mother! (2017) in Movies
Feb 27, 2020
This Movie has ALL of EVERYTHING
You want Jennifer Lawrence looking awesome?
Here you go, she looks awesome throughout.
You want Javier Bardem imposing and broody?
Fill your boots; imposing and broody throughout.
You want biblical allegories?
Have ALL the allegories.
You want pointless pretention masquerading as art?
(sigh) Here's ALL THE POINTLESS PRETENTION MASQUERADING AS ART!
There is so much about this movies to find annoying that it seems churlish to single just one or two out. So, in lieu of that, I will merely recount the level of annoying critique concerning this movie that I have seen on other sites;
Position 1 - "If you don't like/understand this movie, you aren't intelligent enough."
Position 2 - "This was b@llocks."
Both reviews are highly unhelpful as starting from a standpoint that you are better than other people viewing it (position 1) instantly flags you as a bit of a c-nt. A three word review (position2) is also pointless in the extreme and comes off as troll-ish. Minimum a review should be is 15 words (www.twitter.com/15wordreviews).
If you are curious enough then go and watch it, if you aren't well, I wouldn't bother.
Here you go, she looks awesome throughout.
You want Javier Bardem imposing and broody?
Fill your boots; imposing and broody throughout.
You want biblical allegories?
Have ALL the allegories.
You want pointless pretention masquerading as art?
(sigh) Here's ALL THE POINTLESS PRETENTION MASQUERADING AS ART!
There is so much about this movies to find annoying that it seems churlish to single just one or two out. So, in lieu of that, I will merely recount the level of annoying critique concerning this movie that I have seen on other sites;
Position 1 - "If you don't like/understand this movie, you aren't intelligent enough."
Position 2 - "This was b@llocks."
Both reviews are highly unhelpful as starting from a standpoint that you are better than other people viewing it (position 1) instantly flags you as a bit of a c-nt. A three word review (position2) is also pointless in the extreme and comes off as troll-ish. Minimum a review should be is 15 words (www.twitter.com/15wordreviews).
If you are curious enough then go and watch it, if you aren't well, I wouldn't bother.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Spenser Confidential (2020) in Movies
Apr 2, 2020
I had such high hopes for this film. I didn't necessarily think it was bad, but it's one of those movies where the trailer really makes it seem so much better than it actually is. You know the ones. I love Winston Duke in this, I think he really shines - especially in contrast with his role in Black Panther as M'Baku.
As much as I didn't really LOVE this film, I am hoping there will be a sequel, especially after the ending of this one left it open for one. I really like the cast they chose, the dynamic is really cool. I think my biggest problem with this film is the pacing. Some parts move very slowly and other parts feel so quick. I also didn't really understand the roles of the Feds they had. Like I get it in the context of the film, but it felt unnecessary to actually have them named and have lines and that whole thing. Maybe that's just me though.
Overall, I think it's a relatively decent film. Definitely not going to win any Academy Awards or probably any recognition from the film world, but it's still a good watch. At least to say you did, if not to say you like it.
As much as I didn't really LOVE this film, I am hoping there will be a sequel, especially after the ending of this one left it open for one. I really like the cast they chose, the dynamic is really cool. I think my biggest problem with this film is the pacing. Some parts move very slowly and other parts feel so quick. I also didn't really understand the roles of the Feds they had. Like I get it in the context of the film, but it felt unnecessary to actually have them named and have lines and that whole thing. Maybe that's just me though.
Overall, I think it's a relatively decent film. Definitely not going to win any Academy Awards or probably any recognition from the film world, but it's still a good watch. At least to say you did, if not to say you like it.
Jewels (684 KP) rated Hellboy (2019) in Movies
Jul 29, 2019
Sasha Lane (1 more)
Daniel Dae Kim
A fan of the original Hellboy movies, this came as an utter disappointment. They tried to get the cool-shock value with a ridiculous amount of unneeded gore, and by dropping the f-bomb about every other line. Both of these could have been cut by 3/4 and made a better movie. It did have some good one-liners and a few good comedic instances, but not enough to save this disaster.
Sahsa Lane was probably the best part of the movie, followed by Daniel Dae Kim, tho his character was not the best. David Harbour has the potential to be a great Hellboy, but it felt like he either didn't embrace and enjoy the character, or was made to hold back while playing Hellboy.
If they decide to proceed with a second film, I hope they cut back on the unnecessary gore and language, and that Harbour has a chance to really embrace the character and have fun with it. That being said, if you are in the mood for a crappy movie, or you are planning a crappy movie party, this one should be at the top of your list just because it is Hellboy.
Sahsa Lane was probably the best part of the movie, followed by Daniel Dae Kim, tho his character was not the best. David Harbour has the potential to be a great Hellboy, but it felt like he either didn't embrace and enjoy the character, or was made to hold back while playing Hellboy.
If they decide to proceed with a second film, I hope they cut back on the unnecessary gore and language, and that Harbour has a chance to really embrace the character and have fun with it. That being said, if you are in the mood for a crappy movie, or you are planning a crappy movie party, this one should be at the top of your list just because it is Hellboy.