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Stanley, I Resume: Further Recollections of an Exuberant Life
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Stanley Johnson: one-time spy, politician, animal rights crusader - and irresistibly brilliant...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Space: 1999 in TV
Oct 10, 2019 (Updated Oct 10, 2019)
It's easy to mock Space: 1999, so let's get started. But which Space 1999? The nobly-intentioned, philosophical science-fiction drama of the first series, which somehow still ends up resembling a rip-off of 2001: A Space Odyssey made by lemurs? Or the second series, with laser-gun runarounds and rubber monsters turning up on a weekly basis?
Neither of them is honestly what you could call much good (the usual outstanding Anderson model effects excepted), but at least the first series tries hard and does have the odd pretty decent episode (Earthbound, guest starring Christopher Lee in a very strange wig, has a memorably creepy ending), even if it is mostly po-faced and turgid. The second series is brighter, more colourful, and seems to have eaten too much sugar; it's mostly just daft. All still highly enjoyable, though, even if not in quite the way the makers intended.
Neither of them is honestly what you could call much good (the usual outstanding Anderson model effects excepted), but at least the first series tries hard and does have the odd pretty decent episode (Earthbound, guest starring Christopher Lee in a very strange wig, has a memorably creepy ending), even if it is mostly po-faced and turgid. The second series is brighter, more colourful, and seems to have eaten too much sugar; it's mostly just daft. All still highly enjoyable, though, even if not in quite the way the makers intended.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Nun (2018) in Movies
Oct 26, 2020
Have the exact same problems with this as I do with 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 but cranked up to 11. A lot of overloud, vexatious noise plastered crudely with bargain bin visuals and lifeless acting with nothing going on underneath it. I think this movie maybe has less than seven seconds total of half-decent material cumulatively, one of the very worst things ever created for the screen. At a mere 96 minutes it felt like I was growing cobwebs in my seat from the ungodly slow de-spinning of this piece of shit's collective nothingness. Some have found inspiration in its Italian horror vibe but not only do I think it looks terrible and feels more like rip-off than homage, but is the bar really so low that this bland, unmistakably modern (in the worst ways) visual dogshit passes off as nostalgic? Easily the worst entry (so far) in a franchise that has no business being a franchise with really only one notably good movie under its belt. The only pseudo-memorable thing about this is when I saw it in the theater and the old couple in front of me were complaining the entire time because they thought it was going to be a Christian movie.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Brightburn (2019) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
A good idea
I love the idea for this film. An evil version of Superman as a horror film is a genius move, it's just a shame it isnt as well executed as it could have been.
One good thing is that this film jumps right into the story. No preamble or hours of filler, it cuts right to it and gets down to the point, which explains the rather short and refreshing 90 minute run time. The plot idea itself is good, I just think some of the jump scares are predictable and that some of the characters actions are so stupid - not quite on the level of Scream's "running up the stairs when they should be going out the front door" but not far off. This relies in some parts on stereotypical horror movie tropes like obvious jump scares and poor character decisions, and it had so much potential that wasn't realised. But that said, the gore was wonderful and the ending was a refreshing change to the norm. And I loved the little cameo from Michael Rooker. My only question is, was this meant to be an evil rip-off of Superman? I'm assuming that was the point to make an evil version, but I'm just surprised they got away with it...
One good thing is that this film jumps right into the story. No preamble or hours of filler, it cuts right to it and gets down to the point, which explains the rather short and refreshing 90 minute run time. The plot idea itself is good, I just think some of the jump scares are predictable and that some of the characters actions are so stupid - not quite on the level of Scream's "running up the stairs when they should be going out the front door" but not far off. This relies in some parts on stereotypical horror movie tropes like obvious jump scares and poor character decisions, and it had so much potential that wasn't realised. But that said, the gore was wonderful and the ending was a refreshing change to the norm. And I loved the little cameo from Michael Rooker. My only question is, was this meant to be an evil rip-off of Superman? I'm assuming that was the point to make an evil version, but I'm just surprised they got away with it...
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Murder In Steeple Martin in Books
Feb 7, 2018
Slow starter but soon pulls you in
This book starts a little slowly but very soon rewards those who stick with it and becomes one of the most engaging books I have read in a long time. Vaguely reminiscent of Agatha Raisin, in that the heroine is a dumpy middle-aged, neurotic woman who lives in deeply rural England with a cat. Yet this is by no means a rip-off.
Somewhat less manic than A.R., both series carry on an old and well-established style of British Mystery writing. That said, it is clear that Lesley Cookman has gone out of her way to break some of the rules. For example there is only -shock, horror!- *one* murder in her book;her characters have no access to the Police enquiry, so are working completly in the dark; and as much as she can she has avoided having characters do obviously stupid things.
This is not an earth-shattering book, but it is a thoroughly good read.
Somewhat less manic than A.R., both series carry on an old and well-established style of British Mystery writing. That said, it is clear that Lesley Cookman has gone out of her way to break some of the rules. For example there is only -shock, horror!- *one* murder in her book;her characters have no access to the Police enquiry, so are working completly in the dark; and as much as she can she has avoided having characters do obviously stupid things.
This is not an earth-shattering book, but it is a thoroughly good read.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Doomwatch (1972) in Movies
Feb 26, 2018
Big screen adaptation of then-popular BBC TV SF-thriller show looks much more like a horror story than the telly version normally was. Scientist (Bannen) discovers something nasty afflicting the inhabitants of a remote island; can anything be done to help them?
Competently done; resembles the TV show in its tone and concerns much of the time. However, the general tone and subject matter (investigator on remote island discovers conspiracy of silence amongst locals, including disappearing corpses) would almost make you suspect a Wicker Man rip-off, except this was made first (by a matter of months). Not that it matters much these days, but the actual stars of the TV show barely appear in the movie; they may have been busy actually making it at the time the movie was in production. Worth seeing if you're familiar with the TV show, probably a bit too low-octane if you're not.
Competently done; resembles the TV show in its tone and concerns much of the time. However, the general tone and subject matter (investigator on remote island discovers conspiracy of silence amongst locals, including disappearing corpses) would almost make you suspect a Wicker Man rip-off, except this was made first (by a matter of months). Not that it matters much these days, but the actual stars of the TV show barely appear in the movie; they may have been busy actually making it at the time the movie was in production. Worth seeing if you're familiar with the TV show, probably a bit too low-octane if you're not.
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