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Lenard (726 KP) rated The Post (2017) in Movies
Jan 16, 2018
Acting (3 more)
Directing
Production Design
Editing
Burying the Lead
Meryl Streep is an American institution. Yet again, she proves that she is not finished finding new dimensions to her characters. In "The Post," she plays pioneering publisher Katherine Graham from The Washington Post. The film itself somehow manages to bury the lead in its own story. In an early scene, Streep playing Graham is at a meeting of the Board Of Directors voting whether The Post should go public. Graham never utters a word. Her advisor/attorney makes every statement for her. This is an indictment of the times, referred to later when Ben Bradlee makes an off-the-cuff remark about why her husband was given the paper in the first place. It is also a subtle clue about the quiet authority Katherine actually had, pulling all the strings though she had no voice in her own company. A later scene in which she retires to the drawing room with the other women while the men talk politics is another sign on the backward thinking times of not-so-long-age. It is here that the obstensible plot starts. Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara pulls Katherine away from the other women to reveal a story that is about to appear in the New York Times. A classified Pentagon report was leaked that detailed how the American government knew the conflict in Vietnam was unwinnable, kept the war going as a facade, and had been lying to its constituents. Nixon and Attorney General Mitchell threatened the free press with injunctions, restraining orders, and incarceration. In the resulting Supreme Court case, Justice Black found that the press is responsible to protect the governed and not the governors. Buried within is the story of the inequality of men and women and the small strides women made to exist in this patriarchal society.
Alex Wolff recommended Ordinary People (1980) in Movies (curated)
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Three Identical Strangers (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A bizarre tale with a dark twist.
I finally got to see Tim Wardle‘s documentary “Three Identical Strangers” last week…. just a few days before it gets shown on Channel 4 in the UK (9pm, Thursday 28th Feb 2019)! This is a short post giving you a heads-up of an instruction: WATCH IT! IT’S AMAZING!
An extraordinary story.
We start with Robert Shafran as a freshman who spends his first day at a small and anonymous college on the outskirts of New York. It’s a strange experience: the friendliest college ever! The blokes hug him like an old friend; girls come up to him and kiss him on the lips! This triggers a series of encounters that will change his life and that of two other “Identical Strangers” forever.
You will be able to find more details in other reviews online. But this is a dish best served cold so I will leave it there.
So it’s a 20 minute film?
It’s all wrapped up after 20 minutes. Or so you think. For the documentary starts to peel back layers of intrigue that go to far darker places than you would ever think possible. Again, to say more would provide spoilers.
As a criticism though, there is a point where I felt the film overstretched itself; reaching for a conclusion that didn’t seem to be born out by the facts (however hard the filmmaker tried to concoct them). That’s a shame, since there is more than enough to fill 90 minutes.
But no Oscar nomination?
Given how powerful (and well-regarded) the documentary is it’s surprising the film didn’t make the Oscar nomination (it made the 15 film shortlist but no more).
But it’s well worth catching: a tale that almost defies belief.
An extraordinary story.
We start with Robert Shafran as a freshman who spends his first day at a small and anonymous college on the outskirts of New York. It’s a strange experience: the friendliest college ever! The blokes hug him like an old friend; girls come up to him and kiss him on the lips! This triggers a series of encounters that will change his life and that of two other “Identical Strangers” forever.
You will be able to find more details in other reviews online. But this is a dish best served cold so I will leave it there.
So it’s a 20 minute film?
It’s all wrapped up after 20 minutes. Or so you think. For the documentary starts to peel back layers of intrigue that go to far darker places than you would ever think possible. Again, to say more would provide spoilers.
As a criticism though, there is a point where I felt the film overstretched itself; reaching for a conclusion that didn’t seem to be born out by the facts (however hard the filmmaker tried to concoct them). That’s a shame, since there is more than enough to fill 90 minutes.
But no Oscar nomination?
Given how powerful (and well-regarded) the documentary is it’s surprising the film didn’t make the Oscar nomination (it made the 15 film shortlist but no more).
But it’s well worth catching: a tale that almost defies belief.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated It Follows (2015) in Movies
Jan 2, 2018
Terrifying
Perhaps It Follows could have done with a little more resolution. Or maybe it ended exactly where it was supposed to. Either way, the movie was flat-out phenomenal from start to finish.
After sleeping with a guy she has been dating for awhile, Jay (Maika Monroe) wakes up to find herself tied to a chair in an abandoned building. Her boyfriend explains to her that he has passed on to her a mark that will cause something horrific to come after her. She has to kill it before it kills her and comes after the others that have been marked.
It Follows opens with a girl bursting out of a home in her underclothes. She is frazzled and looks to be terrified by something. She runs home, grabs her car keys, and races for the beach. It's not two minutes in before we see what comes of this girl and the horrifying entity we will be dealing with in the film. Three minutes in and you're totally hooked.
Although director David Robert Mitchell confirmed that there is no set time period in which the movie takes place, both the setting and soundtrack gave me an 80's vibe a la "Stranger Things". I can't explain it, but the little touches--cord phone, small tube tv's, etc.--gave the film even more of an unsettling feel.
I can't tell you the number of times I had to leave my chair to hide out in the kitchen, watching the film from around a corner. What terrified me the most was not having any idea what was coming next. The entity antagonist literally could be anyone and could show up at anytime. Edge of my seat doesn't even begin to define it.
The movie benefits from both an interesting premise and a phenomenal performance from Monroe. I hope to see her again in more films, one of which I just added to my Movies 365 list: The Guest (2014)! I give It Follows a very well-deserved 97. See it.
After sleeping with a guy she has been dating for awhile, Jay (Maika Monroe) wakes up to find herself tied to a chair in an abandoned building. Her boyfriend explains to her that he has passed on to her a mark that will cause something horrific to come after her. She has to kill it before it kills her and comes after the others that have been marked.
It Follows opens with a girl bursting out of a home in her underclothes. She is frazzled and looks to be terrified by something. She runs home, grabs her car keys, and races for the beach. It's not two minutes in before we see what comes of this girl and the horrifying entity we will be dealing with in the film. Three minutes in and you're totally hooked.
Although director David Robert Mitchell confirmed that there is no set time period in which the movie takes place, both the setting and soundtrack gave me an 80's vibe a la "Stranger Things". I can't explain it, but the little touches--cord phone, small tube tv's, etc.--gave the film even more of an unsettling feel.
I can't tell you the number of times I had to leave my chair to hide out in the kitchen, watching the film from around a corner. What terrified me the most was not having any idea what was coming next. The entity antagonist literally could be anyone and could show up at anytime. Edge of my seat doesn't even begin to define it.
The movie benefits from both an interesting premise and a phenomenal performance from Monroe. I hope to see her again in more films, one of which I just added to my Movies 365 list: The Guest (2014)! I give It Follows a very well-deserved 97. See it.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Dolittle (2020) in Movies
Feb 26, 2020 (Updated Feb 26, 2020)
Perfect... for kids
The trailer for this didn't fill me with much confidence, and I was even more concerned after hearing about the troubles even getting it to the screen, and I'm afraid to say it lived up to my rather low expectations.
Right from the opening scene, its obvious this film has been made solely for children. The plot is basic and predictable and a lot of the action and gags are very childish and puerile. Even Emma Thompson's narration made me feel like I was watching a kids educational show. I appreciate it's difficult to make a film suitable for kids and adults alike, but Disney and Pixar have proved it's possible without being infantile - sadly Dolittle doesn't. There are a few moments that I did have a small giggle at, but most of the gags I found either too obvious or childish to be funny. Weirdly enough I found Kevin the squirrel and his logs hilarious.
The cast themselves I found underused, or rather odd choices - some of the voice actors of the animals to me seemed a little out of place. That probably wasn't helped by how distractingly odd the animals looked when they were talking, and with the CGI ranging from pretty good to decidedly dodgy. Antonio Banderas was wasted as King Rassouli and Michael Sheen was hamming it up to the extremes, but it's Robert Downey Jnr that deserves a notable mention... for how terrible his accent is. I love RDJ, but his Welsh accent ranges from ok to downright horrendous. I couldn't even tell from the trailer what sort of accent he was doing it was that bad. And the problem with this is the accent took away all of the fun and charisma you'd expect from his performance.
The one benefit of this film is that it's fairly short, so it doesnt drag too much. Your kids will love it, but as an adult I wouldn't expect much.
Right from the opening scene, its obvious this film has been made solely for children. The plot is basic and predictable and a lot of the action and gags are very childish and puerile. Even Emma Thompson's narration made me feel like I was watching a kids educational show. I appreciate it's difficult to make a film suitable for kids and adults alike, but Disney and Pixar have proved it's possible without being infantile - sadly Dolittle doesn't. There are a few moments that I did have a small giggle at, but most of the gags I found either too obvious or childish to be funny. Weirdly enough I found Kevin the squirrel and his logs hilarious.
The cast themselves I found underused, or rather odd choices - some of the voice actors of the animals to me seemed a little out of place. That probably wasn't helped by how distractingly odd the animals looked when they were talking, and with the CGI ranging from pretty good to decidedly dodgy. Antonio Banderas was wasted as King Rassouli and Michael Sheen was hamming it up to the extremes, but it's Robert Downey Jnr that deserves a notable mention... for how terrible his accent is. I love RDJ, but his Welsh accent ranges from ok to downright horrendous. I couldn't even tell from the trailer what sort of accent he was doing it was that bad. And the problem with this is the accent took away all of the fun and charisma you'd expect from his performance.
The one benefit of this film is that it's fairly short, so it doesnt drag too much. Your kids will love it, but as an adult I wouldn't expect much.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) in Movies
Jul 3, 2020
Now I'm Playing With Power: The Glove
Contains spoilers, click to show
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare tells it all. Its going to be the final nightmare and Freddy will be dead once and for all. So the title of the movie spoilers the entire movie. Cause 1. Your expecting Freddy to die and 2. That this will be the final nightmare for now at least. Also you have the wiredest, coolest and strangest produce placement with Nintento's Power-Glove. Freddy says "Now i'm playing with power" and also "Hey, you forgot about the powerglove". He also refference's "The Wizard of Oz" wiredly and also this saying "this is your brain, this is your brain on drugs". This is a weird movie.
The deaths are cool like Carlo's death: Hearing magnified, head exploded by sound of bladed glove scratching chalkboard. Its a funny death, thats sounds odd but it is. Spencer's death: Knocked down stairs into bottomless pit. Again its a funny death. John's death: Fell from sky, impaled on bed spikes. Again its funny. Even Freddy's death: Pinned to wall/crate with various weapons, bladed glove in stomach, blown up by pipe bomb. Its funny, Freddy's death shouldn't be funny, it should be iconic. This isnt iconic. Also for some pair of reason the last ten minutes of the movie is 3D. IDK why, but it was.
The plot: Murderous ghoul Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has slaughtered every last child in his hometown. He ventures on to a new location, scouting fresh young victims to hack up with his finger blades. He arrives in a small town in which his long-lost daughter, Maggie (Lisa Zane), works as a therapist for troubled youths. He attempts to recruit her for his dastardly pursuits, but she has other ideas. Father and daughter meet for a bloody showdown that will determine Freddy's fate once and for all.
Also for some pair of reason Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold, and Alice Cooper all appear in this film.
Freddy's Dead is a wired movie, but at least it was a intresting movie.
The deaths are cool like Carlo's death: Hearing magnified, head exploded by sound of bladed glove scratching chalkboard. Its a funny death, thats sounds odd but it is. Spencer's death: Knocked down stairs into bottomless pit. Again its a funny death. John's death: Fell from sky, impaled on bed spikes. Again its funny. Even Freddy's death: Pinned to wall/crate with various weapons, bladed glove in stomach, blown up by pipe bomb. Its funny, Freddy's death shouldn't be funny, it should be iconic. This isnt iconic. Also for some pair of reason the last ten minutes of the movie is 3D. IDK why, but it was.
The plot: Murderous ghoul Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has slaughtered every last child in his hometown. He ventures on to a new location, scouting fresh young victims to hack up with his finger blades. He arrives in a small town in which his long-lost daughter, Maggie (Lisa Zane), works as a therapist for troubled youths. He attempts to recruit her for his dastardly pursuits, but she has other ideas. Father and daughter meet for a bloody showdown that will determine Freddy's fate once and for all.
Also for some pair of reason Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold, and Alice Cooper all appear in this film.
Freddy's Dead is a wired movie, but at least it was a intresting movie.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Airplane! (1980) in Movies
Dec 8, 2020
Surely you can't be serious?
Film #6 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: Airplane!
Airplane! is a well known comedy classic, but for me I’m ashamed to admit that aside from the infamous “Don’t call me Shirley” line, I could barely remember a thing about this film. Airplane! is undoubtedly the mother, and master, of all comedy spoof films. Written and directed by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker, this focuses Ted Striker (Robert Hays) who despite his fear of flying boards a plane to win back his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty), only to wind up having to ensure the plane lands safely when the pilots get sick.
The plot is definitely basic, but what it lacks in proper story it more than makes up for in laughs. I’ve never seen a film so chock full of jokes and gags, and in such a wide variety too. This features everything from subtle(ish) background jokes to witty and smart dialogue and obvious physical humour, and aside for a few misses, the majority of these jokes land perfectly. There’s the crude and hilarious auto pilot scene, to the incredibly funny and smart lines like when stewardess Elaine asks Doctor Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) about the onboard illness, “A hospital? What is it?”, to which he replies “It’s a big building with patients”. There’s something incredibly simple about the humour in this film that works so well, and yet aside from those few misses, it never resorts to crudeness that becomes disgusting and overbearing like most modern comedies do. These gags paired with the spoofing and sending up of disaster movies (plus many other genres) is a winning formula that has been emulated many times over by the likes of The Naked Gun and Hot Shots films since this was released in 1980. Admittedly there are some jokes that nowadays would be considered unacceptable and would never see the light of day, but fortunately these are a small minority and don’t spoil the overall enjoyment of the film, even now 40 years later.
The cast excel too in pulling off the over the top cheesiness you’d expect from a parody, and this is no mean feat. Whilst Julie Hagerty and Robert Hays do well as the main characters, it’s the smaller supporting roles that really stand out especially as they appear to have been given the best lines. You have Leslie Nielsen as the deadpan Doctor Rumack who delivers some hilarious dialogue with such a straight face, Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey with his immortal lines beginning with “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop…” and my absolute favourite background character Johnny (Stephen Stucker) who has some of the funniest moments you’ll ever see from such a minor character. And a notable mention has to go to Otto the automatic pilot, who even gets a feature in the credits.
Airplane! is a rightful comedy classic that could beat modern comedy films hands down, and it truly is a shame they don’t make spoofs like this anymore. It’s hilariously funny, right until the very end of the credits and an entirely unforgettable comedy experience.
Airplane! is a well known comedy classic, but for me I’m ashamed to admit that aside from the infamous “Don’t call me Shirley” line, I could barely remember a thing about this film. Airplane! is undoubtedly the mother, and master, of all comedy spoof films. Written and directed by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker, this focuses Ted Striker (Robert Hays) who despite his fear of flying boards a plane to win back his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty), only to wind up having to ensure the plane lands safely when the pilots get sick.
The plot is definitely basic, but what it lacks in proper story it more than makes up for in laughs. I’ve never seen a film so chock full of jokes and gags, and in such a wide variety too. This features everything from subtle(ish) background jokes to witty and smart dialogue and obvious physical humour, and aside for a few misses, the majority of these jokes land perfectly. There’s the crude and hilarious auto pilot scene, to the incredibly funny and smart lines like when stewardess Elaine asks Doctor Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) about the onboard illness, “A hospital? What is it?”, to which he replies “It’s a big building with patients”. There’s something incredibly simple about the humour in this film that works so well, and yet aside from those few misses, it never resorts to crudeness that becomes disgusting and overbearing like most modern comedies do. These gags paired with the spoofing and sending up of disaster movies (plus many other genres) is a winning formula that has been emulated many times over by the likes of The Naked Gun and Hot Shots films since this was released in 1980. Admittedly there are some jokes that nowadays would be considered unacceptable and would never see the light of day, but fortunately these are a small minority and don’t spoil the overall enjoyment of the film, even now 40 years later.
The cast excel too in pulling off the over the top cheesiness you’d expect from a parody, and this is no mean feat. Whilst Julie Hagerty and Robert Hays do well as the main characters, it’s the smaller supporting roles that really stand out especially as they appear to have been given the best lines. You have Leslie Nielsen as the deadpan Doctor Rumack who delivers some hilarious dialogue with such a straight face, Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey with his immortal lines beginning with “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop…” and my absolute favourite background character Johnny (Stephen Stucker) who has some of the funniest moments you’ll ever see from such a minor character. And a notable mention has to go to Otto the automatic pilot, who even gets a feature in the credits.
Airplane! is a rightful comedy classic that could beat modern comedy films hands down, and it truly is a shame they don’t make spoofs like this anymore. It’s hilariously funny, right until the very end of the credits and an entirely unforgettable comedy experience.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Lighthouse (2019) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Growing up I remember watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents on USA network and catching the occasional twilight zone on the weekends. In fact, it’s hard to believe that our second TV was a small black and white 13” TV that we would watch all types of shows on when our living room TV was otherwise preoccupied. While all these shows were only available in black and white, they still portrayed a frightening imagery that likely would lose a lot of their suspense if the show had been presented in color. The Lighthouse, the second feature directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch) utilizes not only a black and white picture to build on the dread of loneliness the film wishes to convey, but also presents itself in a boxy format, to better mimic silent films of a bygone era.
The Lighthouse features Willem Dafoe as Thomas Wake, a grizzled old lighthouse keeper who begins his four-week duty on a secluded lighthouse with Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), a man who has never worked a lighthouse in his young life. Thomas a former seaman who longs for his time back on the waves directs Ephraim around in his duties as one would expect from an experienced sea captain, teaching Ephraim the way of a lighthouse keeper. One rule that Ephraim must obey is that no one manages the light except Thomas, and no one may look upon its glory except Thomas. Reluctant to obey but not wishing to lose his pay Ephraim obliges and the two spend four weeks managing their duties as best as they can.
It’s after the four weeks, when their relief fails to arrive, that things begin to go off the rails. It is here where the secrets begin to emerge, and the audience is left to wonder whether these two will ever make it off the island. It’s here where the film begins to intensify as the struggle for survival with dwindling supplies, and the effects of loneliness and solitude begin to rear its ugly head. Where each mans sanity will be tested and the bond, they have built over the past four weeks will be put to the test.
The Lighthouse is a movie that is difficult to put into any one genre. Much of the movie plays out like a drama, where the old man and the newcomer work to overcome their differences as one mentors the other. The movie always has an underlying sense of dread, wondering what will come next. As the film progresses, the genre changes, and the suspense and horror begin to develop. What was a job where each man understood their roles becomes a race for survival. The questions begin to mount as we see the characters relationship morph and change. Why did Ephraim choose a life of solitude so far from civilization?
Why doesn’t Thomas allow anyone to man the light but him? What is each men hiding from one another?
William Dafoe does another outstanding job as the gruff, old lighthouse keeper. His accent, mannerisms and evening toasts all are performed with such authenticity that it’s hard to distinguish the actor from the character.
The real surprise was the performance of Robert Pattinson who is best known for his previous works on the Twilight series. He brings so much character to the screen that I would have had a hard time recognizing him if I didn’t know he was in the movie. He delivers a performance that is likely to garner Oscar buzz, something that wouldn’t surprise fans of William Dafoe, but might shock fans of Robert Pattinson. Robert Pattinson in this role is by far the best performance he’s ever done in his career and all, including his most devoted fans, will be pleasantly surprised by his performance in this film.
As I discussed in the opening paragraph, some films and shows play best to the medium that they are recorded on. Much like the old Alfred Hitchcock movies/shows, The Lighthouse benefits from its use of black and white and its boxy presentation. While there is certainly plenty of dialog throughout, it still takes on a very “silent movie” feel. One that you could almost expect to see placards of dialog appear instead of the actual words coming out on the screen. It is this stunning use of the above that truly brings The Lighthouse alive, and if done in color would have lost much of its personality in the process.
There is a ton of imagery and symbolism which I’m sure will be argued about on numerous Reddit posts for the next few days and weeks to come. I won’t pretend to understand much of it, and I believe that Eggers leaves many of what we see open for interpretation. Everything from the lighthouse itself, to the seagulls, to the mermaids (yes you read that correctly) all are open for discussion. After watching it I couldn’t help but wonder what the discussion of this particular film would have led to in my theater appreciation course back in college. That’s not to say that you can’t simply sit back and enjoy it for what it is, I just think its far more beneficial to think of what was seen and try to understand the meaning of it all.
The Lighthouse isn’t a movie that will appeal to everyone. For those who want a scary and suspenseful movie, it would be difficult to recommend.
While it certainly has suspense, it suspenseful in the way of an old Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock movie, as opposed to something more recent like Paranormal Activity. The black and white video and the odd boxy aspect ratio may turn off a lot of folks as well, although I certainly don’t see it being as fascinating if it was done in any other way. There is a lot to love in this movie, and the character portrayals deserve the Oscar buzz that is certainly right around the corner. It’s a movie that is far easier to experience then to explain in a review, so I encourage those with even a little bit of curiosity to take the plunge and experience it for yourself.
The Lighthouse features Willem Dafoe as Thomas Wake, a grizzled old lighthouse keeper who begins his four-week duty on a secluded lighthouse with Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), a man who has never worked a lighthouse in his young life. Thomas a former seaman who longs for his time back on the waves directs Ephraim around in his duties as one would expect from an experienced sea captain, teaching Ephraim the way of a lighthouse keeper. One rule that Ephraim must obey is that no one manages the light except Thomas, and no one may look upon its glory except Thomas. Reluctant to obey but not wishing to lose his pay Ephraim obliges and the two spend four weeks managing their duties as best as they can.
It’s after the four weeks, when their relief fails to arrive, that things begin to go off the rails. It is here where the secrets begin to emerge, and the audience is left to wonder whether these two will ever make it off the island. It’s here where the film begins to intensify as the struggle for survival with dwindling supplies, and the effects of loneliness and solitude begin to rear its ugly head. Where each mans sanity will be tested and the bond, they have built over the past four weeks will be put to the test.
The Lighthouse is a movie that is difficult to put into any one genre. Much of the movie plays out like a drama, where the old man and the newcomer work to overcome their differences as one mentors the other. The movie always has an underlying sense of dread, wondering what will come next. As the film progresses, the genre changes, and the suspense and horror begin to develop. What was a job where each man understood their roles becomes a race for survival. The questions begin to mount as we see the characters relationship morph and change. Why did Ephraim choose a life of solitude so far from civilization?
Why doesn’t Thomas allow anyone to man the light but him? What is each men hiding from one another?
William Dafoe does another outstanding job as the gruff, old lighthouse keeper. His accent, mannerisms and evening toasts all are performed with such authenticity that it’s hard to distinguish the actor from the character.
The real surprise was the performance of Robert Pattinson who is best known for his previous works on the Twilight series. He brings so much character to the screen that I would have had a hard time recognizing him if I didn’t know he was in the movie. He delivers a performance that is likely to garner Oscar buzz, something that wouldn’t surprise fans of William Dafoe, but might shock fans of Robert Pattinson. Robert Pattinson in this role is by far the best performance he’s ever done in his career and all, including his most devoted fans, will be pleasantly surprised by his performance in this film.
As I discussed in the opening paragraph, some films and shows play best to the medium that they are recorded on. Much like the old Alfred Hitchcock movies/shows, The Lighthouse benefits from its use of black and white and its boxy presentation. While there is certainly plenty of dialog throughout, it still takes on a very “silent movie” feel. One that you could almost expect to see placards of dialog appear instead of the actual words coming out on the screen. It is this stunning use of the above that truly brings The Lighthouse alive, and if done in color would have lost much of its personality in the process.
There is a ton of imagery and symbolism which I’m sure will be argued about on numerous Reddit posts for the next few days and weeks to come. I won’t pretend to understand much of it, and I believe that Eggers leaves many of what we see open for interpretation. Everything from the lighthouse itself, to the seagulls, to the mermaids (yes you read that correctly) all are open for discussion. After watching it I couldn’t help but wonder what the discussion of this particular film would have led to in my theater appreciation course back in college. That’s not to say that you can’t simply sit back and enjoy it for what it is, I just think its far more beneficial to think of what was seen and try to understand the meaning of it all.
The Lighthouse isn’t a movie that will appeal to everyone. For those who want a scary and suspenseful movie, it would be difficult to recommend.
While it certainly has suspense, it suspenseful in the way of an old Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock movie, as opposed to something more recent like Paranormal Activity. The black and white video and the odd boxy aspect ratio may turn off a lot of folks as well, although I certainly don’t see it being as fascinating if it was done in any other way. There is a lot to love in this movie, and the character portrayals deserve the Oscar buzz that is certainly right around the corner. It’s a movie that is far easier to experience then to explain in a review, so I encourage those with even a little bit of curiosity to take the plunge and experience it for yourself.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Each To Their Own in Books
Nov 12, 2019
When teenager Kayleigh falls to her death her de facto stepfather Dan is convinced that there has been foul play and sets out to discover the events that led to her death and also to find out why a couple of her college friends have not been seen since. When he meets a college friend who also has suspicions he becomes more determined to find out the truth. But just how far is Dan prepared to go and just who can he trust?
This book is told in the first person from the point of view of some of the major players in the drama. This works really well as it gives the reader a chance to see the other narrators as others see them and see how their actions, taken with consideration or not, can affect others. This also allows for the facts to be gently teased out by the reader - initially we know only that Kayleigh has died and very little of the circumstances. As the story goes on and each character discovers or reveals another clue to what has been going on it builds the story like a jigsaw puzzle. I found it very reminiscent of another great thriller author, Robert Goddard, who carefully controls the facts the reader has to work on.
The writing is terrific as are the characters, each with their own voice and personalities. Each has their own weaknesses that they are either unaware of or overlook and these add a great deal of depth and dimension. There are a number of twists to the plot, some quite sudden and shocking others more a realisation that things are not quite as they have seemed.
This book was a pleasure to read, the plot moving at pace as it switched between viewpoints towards the final climax and with a satisfying ending. The story would make for a terrific prime time drama on television.
My only criticism was that the world of Kayleigh felt a bit too small - things like Alice being an old friend of Dan but independently related to and involved in events. But that didn't really spoil the book.
Thoroughly recommended.
This book is told in the first person from the point of view of some of the major players in the drama. This works really well as it gives the reader a chance to see the other narrators as others see them and see how their actions, taken with consideration or not, can affect others. This also allows for the facts to be gently teased out by the reader - initially we know only that Kayleigh has died and very little of the circumstances. As the story goes on and each character discovers or reveals another clue to what has been going on it builds the story like a jigsaw puzzle. I found it very reminiscent of another great thriller author, Robert Goddard, who carefully controls the facts the reader has to work on.
The writing is terrific as are the characters, each with their own voice and personalities. Each has their own weaknesses that they are either unaware of or overlook and these add a great deal of depth and dimension. There are a number of twists to the plot, some quite sudden and shocking others more a realisation that things are not quite as they have seemed.
This book was a pleasure to read, the plot moving at pace as it switched between viewpoints towards the final climax and with a satisfying ending. The story would make for a terrific prime time drama on television.
My only criticism was that the world of Kayleigh felt a bit too small - things like Alice being an old friend of Dan but independently related to and involved in events. But that didn't really spoil the book.
Thoroughly recommended.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Zombie Strippers (2008) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
In the not too distant future where George Bush has somehow fluked his way into another term as president, a chemo-virus has broken out in a small town. The Z-Squad is sent in to eliminate the problem, but a member of the squad gets infected and flees. He manages to to find refuge in an underground strip club, which has also been deemed illegal by the government of the future. The soldier takes a turn for the worse and finds himself a member of the undead only to take the club's biggest star as his first victim. She continues to dance and the odd thing is...the customers love it. Zombie strippers are the new sex appeal. As the money piles up, so do the victims. Will the chemo-virus continue to spread and if so...how will it be contained?
First of all, don't be confused. This is movie is one of the cheesiest films ever. I almost turned it off several times and I honestly can't tell you why I'm reviewing this thing. The sad thing is it's like a trainwreck in slow motion. You can't look away from it once you start watching and you have to see not only how it's going to end, but who's going to make it out alive. Not that you really care, but you wonder whose really deemed worthy of surviving said trainwreck. It is ludicrous, ridiculous, and absurd...but it's amusing as hell.
How ridiculous is it? Let's see...strippers being turned into zombies and becoming super strippers, zombies being sexy, having the most stereotypical Mexican janitor...ever, the casts biggest names being Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund, special effects you'd find in Xena: Warrior Princess, a Christian stripping for her nanna, Jenna Jameson shooting ping pong balls and pool balls out her...well...I'll let you see that for yourself, angry dragons, and foamy chewbaccas...the list goes on and on. I'm sure I missed so many more. The sad thing is that despite being the cheesiest of cheese and being as bad as it is, there's still a few good things buried under the cheese. It's kind of like an enchilada made with cheap cheese. All the cheap stuff is on the outside, but there's some good stuff on the inside. The most obvious being that there's a lot of nudity in this, which is good because it'll probably be one of the only things that'll keep anyone watching. Robert Englund's over the top performance as the germophobic strip club owner is pretty memorable. Also, the make-up effects are surprisingly good at times. The special effects are horrid, but the make-up is actually better than you think it'd be.
In a film as ridiculously cheesy as this, I can't blame anyone if they turn it off before it reaches the half hour mark. The thing is though if you stick with it, it's actually enjoyable because it's so bad. It's cheesy, it's amusing, the acting is so bad that you'll be quoting it for days, the plot is pointless, and it even has a weak attempt at a twist in the ending! My point is that it's a bad film and I'm not defending it, but if you manage to sit through the whole thing...you may find yourself enjoying parts of it like I did.
First of all, don't be confused. This is movie is one of the cheesiest films ever. I almost turned it off several times and I honestly can't tell you why I'm reviewing this thing. The sad thing is it's like a trainwreck in slow motion. You can't look away from it once you start watching and you have to see not only how it's going to end, but who's going to make it out alive. Not that you really care, but you wonder whose really deemed worthy of surviving said trainwreck. It is ludicrous, ridiculous, and absurd...but it's amusing as hell.
How ridiculous is it? Let's see...strippers being turned into zombies and becoming super strippers, zombies being sexy, having the most stereotypical Mexican janitor...ever, the casts biggest names being Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund, special effects you'd find in Xena: Warrior Princess, a Christian stripping for her nanna, Jenna Jameson shooting ping pong balls and pool balls out her...well...I'll let you see that for yourself, angry dragons, and foamy chewbaccas...the list goes on and on. I'm sure I missed so many more. The sad thing is that despite being the cheesiest of cheese and being as bad as it is, there's still a few good things buried under the cheese. It's kind of like an enchilada made with cheap cheese. All the cheap stuff is on the outside, but there's some good stuff on the inside. The most obvious being that there's a lot of nudity in this, which is good because it'll probably be one of the only things that'll keep anyone watching. Robert Englund's over the top performance as the germophobic strip club owner is pretty memorable. Also, the make-up effects are surprisingly good at times. The special effects are horrid, but the make-up is actually better than you think it'd be.
In a film as ridiculously cheesy as this, I can't blame anyone if they turn it off before it reaches the half hour mark. The thing is though if you stick with it, it's actually enjoyable because it's so bad. It's cheesy, it's amusing, the acting is so bad that you'll be quoting it for days, the plot is pointless, and it even has a weak attempt at a twist in the ending! My point is that it's a bad film and I'm not defending it, but if you manage to sit through the whole thing...you may find yourself enjoying parts of it like I did.
