Search
Search results
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Isle (2018) in Movies
Oct 12, 2019
Not much happens
Three men survived the destruction of their sailing ship in 19th century Scotland only to find themselves in the middle of the ocean with no where to go. Alas, they discover a small island with the mist of the open sea and decide to try for it. The make it ashore and are relived to be on dry land. The island does have a few residents one of which comes to greet their weary bodies and welcome them to his home.
After drying off, resting and tending to their injuries, the men are eager to return to the mainland which they query their new acquaintance about. He dodges the question several times making mention of other inhabitants of the island. The men decide to explore on their own since their new friend. Additional residents are found, some nice some aloof and maybe not so eager for conversation.
Eventually it is discovered the island has an unsettling curse upon it whereas men are lured to their deaths by the female natives due to an event which happened years earlier involving another female island resident now deceased. The surviving men now have to figure out how to leave The Isle without succumbing to its evil vices.
The best thing The Isle has going for it is the beautiful Scottish countryside, forested landscapes and gorgeous ocean views. At first, you may feel like you are watching a period Scottish episode of Lost or the recent film The Witch when you hear the Sottish accent dialogue; however, this film doesn't have the depth or screenplay of either of these. I read online the script for this film took years to complete, which is unfortunate since not much happens for the first two thirds of screen time. Once on the island, the three ship survivors mostly lounge around getting spooked by the natives and not much else.
Once the "curse" has been revealed the film picks up a bit and the 3rd act is mildly interesting; however, I was out of it by then. The resolution is interesting and entertaining, and saves the film somewhat. I just wish the set up would have been more exciting.
The film was definitely very low budget, which doesn't bother me if still done well. Sometimes, really great films can come with diminutive price tags. That just usually means filmmakers have to be more creative with what they spend their money on and make sure each dollar counts.
In the end, I was left wanting more and was disappointed.
After drying off, resting and tending to their injuries, the men are eager to return to the mainland which they query their new acquaintance about. He dodges the question several times making mention of other inhabitants of the island. The men decide to explore on their own since their new friend. Additional residents are found, some nice some aloof and maybe not so eager for conversation.
Eventually it is discovered the island has an unsettling curse upon it whereas men are lured to their deaths by the female natives due to an event which happened years earlier involving another female island resident now deceased. The surviving men now have to figure out how to leave The Isle without succumbing to its evil vices.
The best thing The Isle has going for it is the beautiful Scottish countryside, forested landscapes and gorgeous ocean views. At first, you may feel like you are watching a period Scottish episode of Lost or the recent film The Witch when you hear the Sottish accent dialogue; however, this film doesn't have the depth or screenplay of either of these. I read online the script for this film took years to complete, which is unfortunate since not much happens for the first two thirds of screen time. Once on the island, the three ship survivors mostly lounge around getting spooked by the natives and not much else.
Once the "curse" has been revealed the film picks up a bit and the 3rd act is mildly interesting; however, I was out of it by then. The resolution is interesting and entertaining, and saves the film somewhat. I just wish the set up would have been more exciting.
The film was definitely very low budget, which doesn't bother me if still done well. Sometimes, really great films can come with diminutive price tags. That just usually means filmmakers have to be more creative with what they spend their money on and make sure each dollar counts.
In the end, I was left wanting more and was disappointed.
Lords of Scotland
7.0
Rate It
Tabletop Game
The throne lies empty and the clans are restless. As a lord of Scotland with land, men and money at...
CardGames CelticGames PastedOnThemeGames
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Feb 18, 2018 (Updated Feb 18, 2018)
British folk-horror film is part of the mini-boom in 'British civil servant travels by seaplane to sun-obsessed Christopher Lee's remote island in search of missing girl, discovers Britt Ekland waiting for him' movies that happened in 1973-4. Devout Christian copper (Woodward) visits Summerisle (off the Scottish coast) after receiving a tip-off about a vanishing schoolgirl, is appalled by what he sees as the immorality of the islanders. The lord of the place (Lee) assures him that there's nothing to be worried about, they just have different ethical standards (they're all Pagans), but Woodward is not convinced. Is something nasty lined up for May Day?
Books have been written about the tortuous distribution endured by The Wicker Man and its producers; rumours persist that the original much longer version is buried under a motorway somewhere in England. But all the available cuts are excellent, if not superb: the film is not particularly scary per se, more a queasy examination of how society, morality and religion intersect with one another; manages to make moral relativism seem more disturbing than devil-worship, somehow. Has one of the greatest non-endings in cinema history. Great performances, banging tunes, thoughtful and playful script; a film for all seasons, but goes especially well with a barbecue.
Books have been written about the tortuous distribution endured by The Wicker Man and its producers; rumours persist that the original much longer version is buried under a motorway somewhere in England. But all the available cuts are excellent, if not superb: the film is not particularly scary per se, more a queasy examination of how society, morality and religion intersect with one another; manages to make moral relativism seem more disturbing than devil-worship, somehow. Has one of the greatest non-endings in cinema history. Great performances, banging tunes, thoughtful and playful script; a film for all seasons, but goes especially well with a barbecue.
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Now We Shall Be Entirely Free in Books
Oct 18, 2018
A beautiful yet brutal story.
A man is brought home to a house in Somerset, unconscious, from the ongoing war in Spain against the French. He is very ill, and consequently nursed back to health by his maid. Once he is feeling better, he decides to travel to the Scottish Islands to collect traditional songs. As the story progresses, you can see that there is a sense of urgency involved with this trip: he isn't properly better, but he has to get moving. John Lacroix' story is told alongside that of two other men: a British Infantryman and a Spanish cavalryman, who have been sent to find an officer who is supposedly responsible for the sacking of a aSpanish village. They are to kill him. The Englishman is brutal in both word and deed.
John Lacroix (who changes his name to Lovell) meets a family (two sisters and their brother) who are free thinkers who want to live a free life. Just what Lacroix needs, I think.
I liked this. The writing style had a peaceful, reigned air to it, even in the more unpleasant parts. It's a brutal story, gently told, in fact.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
John Lacroix (who changes his name to Lovell) meets a family (two sisters and their brother) who are free thinkers who want to live a free life. Just what Lacroix needs, I think.
I liked this. The writing style had a peaceful, reigned air to it, even in the more unpleasant parts. It's a brutal story, gently told, in fact.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
ClareR (5950 KP) rated The Hunting Party in Books
Jan 7, 2020
I. Absolutely. Loved. This. Book.
I thoroughly appreciate a book that keeps me guessing at who both the victim and the murderer are right up to the end! And to be honest, it couldn’t have happened more deservingly to a group of such thoroughly unlikeable people. They’re all entitled, self absorbed, spoilt, oversized children. Can you tell I don’t like them? I’ve come to realise that really horrible characters are my crack. The more deviant they are, the more I enjoy the book. This delivered in spades. I LOVED to hate them. The staff at the remote Scottish lodge that they spent New Years at, had my complete sympathy.
Everyone in this novel has a secret, and some of them are huge. They were all so cleverly revealed, and the suspense was immense! This is one of my top books of 2019(the list is hovering around the 20 mark) - it just snuck in as I read it over Christmas!
Oh, and I’m not saying that this book was necessarily responsible, but we’re going to stay in a (much smaller) lodge in Scotland for our summer holidays. Just no snow and/ or murders please!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and Lucy Foley for reading along!
I thoroughly appreciate a book that keeps me guessing at who both the victim and the murderer are right up to the end! And to be honest, it couldn’t have happened more deservingly to a group of such thoroughly unlikeable people. They’re all entitled, self absorbed, spoilt, oversized children. Can you tell I don’t like them? I’ve come to realise that really horrible characters are my crack. The more deviant they are, the more I enjoy the book. This delivered in spades. I LOVED to hate them. The staff at the remote Scottish lodge that they spent New Years at, had my complete sympathy.
Everyone in this novel has a secret, and some of them are huge. They were all so cleverly revealed, and the suspense was immense! This is one of my top books of 2019(the list is hovering around the 20 mark) - it just snuck in as I read it over Christmas!
Oh, and I’m not saying that this book was necessarily responsible, but we’re going to stay in a (much smaller) lodge in Scotland for our summer holidays. Just no snow and/ or murders please!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this, and Lucy Foley for reading along!
Complete Masonic Library
Book and Reference
App
This rare collection of 20 books is a must have for any Freemason or for those interested in...
The Works of Henry George: Our Land and Land Policy and Other Works: Volume I
Francis K. Peddle, William S. Peirce and Kenneth C. Wenzer
Book
Volume 1 of The Annotated Works of Henry George includes an introduction to the six-volume series...
Saving the Army: The Life of Sir John Pringle
Book
Sir John Pringle was born in 1707 in the Scottish Borders, where his ancestors had held land since...
Columba
Book
Who was Saint Columba? How did this Irish aristocrat become the most important figure in early...
Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth Macmillan
Book
Kenneth MacMillan's ballets are in constant demand by world-famous companies, particularly Romeo and...