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Andy K (10821 KP) created a video about Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) in Movies
Feb 27, 2018 (Updated Feb 28, 2018)
Andy Walker (4885 KP) rated Doctor who the giggle in TV
Dec 16, 2023
Olivia Champagne (2 KP) rated A Series of Unfortunate Events - Season 1 in TV
Nov 25, 2018
This show has been quite excellent as of yet. The casting was absolutely perfect with Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, the Baudelaires are also cast very well. The directors managed to keep many of the details from the series, a quality I appreciate as it preserves my childhood memories of the book. Lemony Snicket is a nice change from the other shows that are being made nowadays.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Beastly (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The beauty and the beast story has officially entered the world of modern fashion in the new film Beastly. In this adaptation we meet Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) a rich kid who believes that a handsome exterior is all that counts in this world. That is until he slights emo student witch Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen). Kyle soon finds himself with a beastly appearance, cursed until he can overcome his new fractured form and make someone fall in love with him. Adding to the cast is Kyle’s love interest and all around nice girl, Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens). Also notable is Kyle’s mentor/tutor Will played by Neil Patrick Harris.
Sticking closely to the predictable and extremely overdone plot, Beastly offers audiences very little they have not seen before. Kyle is overdramatic. Lindy is suspiciously like the character Vanessa Hudgens played in “High School Musical”. And we learn that Neil Patrick Harris, while always funny, does not play a convincing blind man.
The film does have good scenery and a soundtrack that is high school appropriate. Moreover, the wardrobe is strikingly impressive. But trite dialogue and poorly paced emotional cues give the film a juvenile comedic result. Beastly is amusing and a little funny, however it completely misses the emotional connection expected from a teen adaptation of a famous romantic tale.
Further distracting from the film’s romantic plot are the numerous hollow side stories and plethora of unnecessary character details. From the sudden trip to Kyle’s family cabin to the violent fight between Lindy’s father and a drug dealer, the movie includes numerous scenes that should have been cut.
But still, even with all the downsides, I had no interest in leaving the theater, because Beastly was a high budget train wreck. Not unlike a B-movie in quality and dialogue yet with an impressive budget, an Olsen sister, and some serious face tattoos, “Beastly” is simply cheesy.
Sticking closely to the predictable and extremely overdone plot, Beastly offers audiences very little they have not seen before. Kyle is overdramatic. Lindy is suspiciously like the character Vanessa Hudgens played in “High School Musical”. And we learn that Neil Patrick Harris, while always funny, does not play a convincing blind man.
The film does have good scenery and a soundtrack that is high school appropriate. Moreover, the wardrobe is strikingly impressive. But trite dialogue and poorly paced emotional cues give the film a juvenile comedic result. Beastly is amusing and a little funny, however it completely misses the emotional connection expected from a teen adaptation of a famous romantic tale.
Further distracting from the film’s romantic plot are the numerous hollow side stories and plethora of unnecessary character details. From the sudden trip to Kyle’s family cabin to the violent fight between Lindy’s father and a drug dealer, the movie includes numerous scenes that should have been cut.
But still, even with all the downsides, I had no interest in leaving the theater, because Beastly was a high budget train wreck. Not unlike a B-movie in quality and dialogue yet with an impressive budget, an Olsen sister, and some serious face tattoos, “Beastly” is simply cheesy.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Starship Troopers (1997) in Movies
Sep 22, 2020
Do you know what? Starship Troopers is a 5 star film and there's nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise.
It's 90s sci-fi at its absolute best.
It has a great cast - Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick-Harris, Jake Busey - none of them feel replaceable.
It has special effects that genuinely still.homd up over 20 years later, and also a fuck tonne of genuinely horrific practical effects - some of the violence in Starship Troopers is next level, in true Paul Verhoeven style.
It has a corny yet airtight script, it's suitably cheesy when it wants to be, and wonderfully satirical throughout.
It's also got a top tier score courtesy of Basil Poledouris.
I saw this film when I was in my early teens, a few years after it released and it has always stuck with me since. Starship Troopers is perfection, fight me.
It's 90s sci-fi at its absolute best.
It has a great cast - Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick-Harris, Jake Busey - none of them feel replaceable.
It has special effects that genuinely still.homd up over 20 years later, and also a fuck tonne of genuinely horrific practical effects - some of the violence in Starship Troopers is next level, in true Paul Verhoeven style.
It has a corny yet airtight script, it's suitably cheesy when it wants to be, and wonderfully satirical throughout.
It's also got a top tier score courtesy of Basil Poledouris.
I saw this film when I was in my early teens, a few years after it released and it has always stuck with me since. Starship Troopers is perfection, fight me.
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Gone Girl (2014) in Movies
Aug 23, 2017
Rosamund Pike (1 more)
The plot was interesting
Ben Affleck... I Just hate him okay (1 more)
I guessed the ending.
One of the biggest let downs.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion but personal opinion I just really didn't care for this movie that much. My biggest problem was everybody just talked about how there was no movie like this the story was so unique the plot twist was going to blow you away when I managed to guess the plot twist with no problem whatsoever so to say I was really disappointed is a bit of an understatement.
I found a majority of the movie to be very monotone and boring which for me basically sums up Ben Affleck's acting but what can I say I've just never been a fan of the guy.
Okay so it wasn't all bad the parts that I did like was Rosamund Pike really stole the entire movie she was brilliant I really liked her character as well as her acting was top notch I really bought her as Amy Dunne. My favorite scene was the bedroom scene with her and Neil Patrick Harris if there was more of that through out they movie I would have probably liked it more.
I found a majority of the movie to be very monotone and boring which for me basically sums up Ben Affleck's acting but what can I say I've just never been a fan of the guy.
Okay so it wasn't all bad the parts that I did like was Rosamund Pike really stole the entire movie she was brilliant I really liked her character as well as her acting was top notch I really bought her as Amy Dunne. My favorite scene was the bedroom scene with her and Neil Patrick Harris if there was more of that through out they movie I would have probably liked it more.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Carnivorous Carnival (ASOUE #9) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
When I picked this book up again the other day, I got straight back into it and read it all within a couple of hours.
The Baudelaire’s now find themselves in the boot of Olaf’s car, arriving at a carnival in the Hinterlands. They disguise themselves using his costumes so he won’t find them, and become an attraction at the carnival, alongside numerous other carnival ‘freaks’.
This is one of the few books where the Netflix adaptation was actually better. I felt that in the series Neil Patrick Harris really helped Olaf’s character become more sinister in this one than the book did.
I loved the character of Kevin, the ambidextrous ‘freak’. He was absolutely hilarious and was really entertaining. The way he thought he was more of a freak than everyone else because both of his hands were equally as strong had me giggling.
I also feel like the Netflix adaptation improved Madame Lulu as well by making her Olivia, which made some of the plot points later on a lot more shocking. Madame Lulu in the book felt a bit undeveloped and unexplained.
I sort of wish I’d have read the book before watching these particular episodes because then maybe my opinion would have been different on the characterisations.
The Baudelaire’s now find themselves in the boot of Olaf’s car, arriving at a carnival in the Hinterlands. They disguise themselves using his costumes so he won’t find them, and become an attraction at the carnival, alongside numerous other carnival ‘freaks’.
This is one of the few books where the Netflix adaptation was actually better. I felt that in the series Neil Patrick Harris really helped Olaf’s character become more sinister in this one than the book did.
I loved the character of Kevin, the ambidextrous ‘freak’. He was absolutely hilarious and was really entertaining. The way he thought he was more of a freak than everyone else because both of his hands were equally as strong had me giggling.
I also feel like the Netflix adaptation improved Madame Lulu as well by making her Olivia, which made some of the plot points later on a lot more shocking. Madame Lulu in the book felt a bit undeveloped and unexplained.
I sort of wish I’d have read the book before watching these particular episodes because then maybe my opinion would have been different on the characterisations.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Matrix Resurrections (2021) in Movies
Dec 31, 2021
Unnecessary
And now from the unnecessary sequels department…
And, that, pretty much sums up THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS - a title that is a confession of a studio and creator that is looking to milk a few more bucks out of a dormant franchise.
Written and Directed by Lana Wachowski (one of the creators/directors of the original Matrix trilogy), MATRIX RESURRECTIONS drops us back into the Matrix that is the same, yet different, and - intriguingly enough - brings us back to Neo and Trinity, 2 characters that died in the 3rd film.
Of course, this being Science Fiction/Fantasy, no one needs to stay dead, if another story can be built around them.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are back as Neo & Trinity (this film would not have happened if they didn’t say yes to this) - and they are the best thing in this film. Their chemistry is strong and any film that can bring back Carrie-Anne Moss as a lead in a film, is okay by me.
The best newcomer in this film is Jonathan Groff as “Agent Smith” (Hugo Weaving was set to reprise his role, but had to drop out due to Theater Commitments). Groff channels his inner “King George” (the character that he was Tony Nominated for in the Stage Musical Hamilton) and it works well in this film.
As for the other “character/actors” - like the characters that Jada Pinkett-Smith (the only other returning actor from the original trilogy), Yahya Abdbul-Mateen II (playing a version of Morpheus), Thelma Hopkins, Jessica Henwick and…yes that IS Cristina Ricci - they are all pretty generic and serve as plot machinations to get us from one action set piece to another.
And, of course, there is Neil Patrick Harris as “THE ANALYST”, it’s an interesting, pivotal, role in this film and would have been better served being played by someone less “well known”. All I kept thinking as I watched this performance was - “it’s evil Neil Patrick Harris”!
As for the special effects/set pieces, they are “fine” but nothing “special”. The first Matrix film was a brilliant, groundbreaking and mind-bending piece of filmmaking that introduced cinema (for good or ill) to “bullet time” - a Special F/X that has been en vogue ever since. But this film is just a mismash of CGI that is neither brilliant nor groundbreaking and the dense mythology plot of this film is not “mind-bending”, it is more like “headache-inducing”.
Do yourself a favor and skip the Resurrection of The Matrix and, instead, check out the brilliant 1999 original - it holds up well (and is the subject of my January podcast).
Letter Grade: B- (thanks to Reeves, Moss and Groff)
6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And, that, pretty much sums up THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS - a title that is a confession of a studio and creator that is looking to milk a few more bucks out of a dormant franchise.
Written and Directed by Lana Wachowski (one of the creators/directors of the original Matrix trilogy), MATRIX RESURRECTIONS drops us back into the Matrix that is the same, yet different, and - intriguingly enough - brings us back to Neo and Trinity, 2 characters that died in the 3rd film.
Of course, this being Science Fiction/Fantasy, no one needs to stay dead, if another story can be built around them.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are back as Neo & Trinity (this film would not have happened if they didn’t say yes to this) - and they are the best thing in this film. Their chemistry is strong and any film that can bring back Carrie-Anne Moss as a lead in a film, is okay by me.
The best newcomer in this film is Jonathan Groff as “Agent Smith” (Hugo Weaving was set to reprise his role, but had to drop out due to Theater Commitments). Groff channels his inner “King George” (the character that he was Tony Nominated for in the Stage Musical Hamilton) and it works well in this film.
As for the other “character/actors” - like the characters that Jada Pinkett-Smith (the only other returning actor from the original trilogy), Yahya Abdbul-Mateen II (playing a version of Morpheus), Thelma Hopkins, Jessica Henwick and…yes that IS Cristina Ricci - they are all pretty generic and serve as plot machinations to get us from one action set piece to another.
And, of course, there is Neil Patrick Harris as “THE ANALYST”, it’s an interesting, pivotal, role in this film and would have been better served being played by someone less “well known”. All I kept thinking as I watched this performance was - “it’s evil Neil Patrick Harris”!
As for the special effects/set pieces, they are “fine” but nothing “special”. The first Matrix film was a brilliant, groundbreaking and mind-bending piece of filmmaking that introduced cinema (for good or ill) to “bullet time” - a Special F/X that has been en vogue ever since. But this film is just a mismash of CGI that is neither brilliant nor groundbreaking and the dense mythology plot of this film is not “mind-bending”, it is more like “headache-inducing”.
Do yourself a favor and skip the Resurrection of The Matrix and, instead, check out the brilliant 1999 original - it holds up well (and is the subject of my January podcast).
Letter Grade: B- (thanks to Reeves, Moss and Groff)
6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated A Series of Unfortunate Events - Season 1 in TV
Apr 20, 2019
This is how you adapt a book to a tv show!
A Series of Unfortunate Events is one of my all-time favorite book series and when I found out Netflix was going to be making it into a TV show I'm not going to lie I was excited. The books are just so fun and strange and wonderful that I really wanted to put full faith into them to do a really good adoption and let me tell you I was not let down. From the very first opening of the very first scene you knew they were going to stay true to the book. The set design was absolutely perfection the casting was even better somehow Neil Patrick Harris meet such a perfect Count Olaf and the three actors that played the baudelaire children you're absolutely amazing.
I blew through the first season in the first day in one sitting because I just could not stop watching! I wanted to cry because of just how an amazing of a job adapting the books. It was almost word for word correct abd what was changed was foe the best and I didn't mind at all!
And best of all they kept all the dark humour of the books!
Also they ended on thw perfect book/episode.
I blew through the first season in the first day in one sitting because I just could not stop watching! I wanted to cry because of just how an amazing of a job adapting the books. It was almost word for word correct abd what was changed was foe the best and I didn't mind at all!
And best of all they kept all the dark humour of the books!
Also they ended on thw perfect book/episode.