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Using Shakespeare's Plays to Explore Education Policy Today: Neoliberalism Through the Lens of Renaissance Humanism
Book
Shakespeare is revered as the greatest writer in the English language, yet education reform in the...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Shallows (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
The Deathly Shallows, part 1
Every shark movie is inevitably compared (unfavourably) against Spielberg’s classic 1975 tourist-muncher. And “The Shallows” is no exception. But while not a 5-Fad classic, this flick comes pretty close by being hugely enjoyable and having a lot going for it.
Waxing lyrically. The shapely Blake Liveley.
Waxing lyrically. The shapely Blake Liveley.
Blake Lively (“The Age of Adeline“) plays surfer and trainee doctor Nancy, still grieving the recent death from cancer of her mother and travelling to a remote Mexican surf beach where she has photos of her mother surfing while pregnant with her. While surfing alone, Nancy is attacked a couple of hundred yards from the shore by a Great White and severely injured. She has the choice of refuge of either a low rock or another less palatable floating object. Choosing the rock (at low tide) she is faced with the dilemma of both surviving her injuries and then being rescued before the high tide takes the rock and leaves her to the mercy of the ever circling big-fish.
We're going to need a bigger rock.
We’re going to need a bigger rock.
A big summer blockbuster this is not, with a total cast of eleven (not including a guest appearance of Steven Seagull (as himself)). But the small cast doesn’t make it less gripping, and gripping it most certainly is, with tension building progressively (emphasised periodically by an on-screen clock) with the countdown to high tide.
Blake Lively is an underrated actress and really delivers the goods here. And bearing in mind the problems that Spielberg had with his mechanical shark Bruce (named after Spielberg’s lawyer) the appearance of the shark is limited to where actually needed, with Lively having to fill in the blanks with reaction shots. As your imagination is still far better than any special effects, this is hugely effective for certain sequences.
Pure horror: here Dad had gone down to the video rental and come back with 'Dirty Grandpa'.
Pure horror: her Dad had gone down to the video rental and come back with ‘Dirty Grandpa’.
The film draws similarities to another interesting entry in the “Jaws” genre – “Open Water 2: Adrift” from 2006. In that film there was the same incessant threat of shark attack combined with the audience frustration that safety (in that case, the deck of their yacht, if only they had let a ladder down) being so near. Here the 200 yards to the shore is shoutable to but still 190 yards too far.
The cinematography (by Flavio Martínez Labiano) is also just beautifully done with some stunning surf and underwater shots that not only highlight Ms Lively’s lithely (sic) figure and her Californian surfing skills, but also the beauty of the ‘Mexican coast’ (actually Lord Howe Island in New South Wales, Australia).
“The Shallows” was written by Anthony Jaswinski and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (the director of “Non-Stop“, aka Taken 3.5). It comes with a truly impressive BvS quotient of just 5.9%!
So with all of this going for it, you would think that my rating is heading towards at least a 4.5. But all films like this require a satisfying denouement, and unfortunately this is where this one comes off the rails. It is just plain silly and, together with an unnecessary and irritating epilogue scene, diminishes what was on track to be one of the best films of the summer. So here’s the “One Mann’s Movies” solution:
Using Final Cut X, Adobe Premier or your favourite video editing suite, cut out the scene from 115:00 to 116:00 from “Jaws”;
Photoshop Blake Lively’s face onto Roy Scheider’s body.
Insert the finished clip into “The Shallows” at about 82 minutes in.
Enjoy a 5-Fad classic!
This limitation aside, it’s still worth your while hunting it out at a cinema near you, since the fantastic cinematography is best suited to a big screen.
Waxing lyrically. The shapely Blake Liveley.
Waxing lyrically. The shapely Blake Liveley.
Blake Lively (“The Age of Adeline“) plays surfer and trainee doctor Nancy, still grieving the recent death from cancer of her mother and travelling to a remote Mexican surf beach where she has photos of her mother surfing while pregnant with her. While surfing alone, Nancy is attacked a couple of hundred yards from the shore by a Great White and severely injured. She has the choice of refuge of either a low rock or another less palatable floating object. Choosing the rock (at low tide) she is faced with the dilemma of both surviving her injuries and then being rescued before the high tide takes the rock and leaves her to the mercy of the ever circling big-fish.
We're going to need a bigger rock.
We’re going to need a bigger rock.
A big summer blockbuster this is not, with a total cast of eleven (not including a guest appearance of Steven Seagull (as himself)). But the small cast doesn’t make it less gripping, and gripping it most certainly is, with tension building progressively (emphasised periodically by an on-screen clock) with the countdown to high tide.
Blake Lively is an underrated actress and really delivers the goods here. And bearing in mind the problems that Spielberg had with his mechanical shark Bruce (named after Spielberg’s lawyer) the appearance of the shark is limited to where actually needed, with Lively having to fill in the blanks with reaction shots. As your imagination is still far better than any special effects, this is hugely effective for certain sequences.
Pure horror: here Dad had gone down to the video rental and come back with 'Dirty Grandpa'.
Pure horror: her Dad had gone down to the video rental and come back with ‘Dirty Grandpa’.
The film draws similarities to another interesting entry in the “Jaws” genre – “Open Water 2: Adrift” from 2006. In that film there was the same incessant threat of shark attack combined with the audience frustration that safety (in that case, the deck of their yacht, if only they had let a ladder down) being so near. Here the 200 yards to the shore is shoutable to but still 190 yards too far.
The cinematography (by Flavio Martínez Labiano) is also just beautifully done with some stunning surf and underwater shots that not only highlight Ms Lively’s lithely (sic) figure and her Californian surfing skills, but also the beauty of the ‘Mexican coast’ (actually Lord Howe Island in New South Wales, Australia).
“The Shallows” was written by Anthony Jaswinski and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (the director of “Non-Stop“, aka Taken 3.5). It comes with a truly impressive BvS quotient of just 5.9%!
So with all of this going for it, you would think that my rating is heading towards at least a 4.5. But all films like this require a satisfying denouement, and unfortunately this is where this one comes off the rails. It is just plain silly and, together with an unnecessary and irritating epilogue scene, diminishes what was on track to be one of the best films of the summer. So here’s the “One Mann’s Movies” solution:
Using Final Cut X, Adobe Premier or your favourite video editing suite, cut out the scene from 115:00 to 116:00 from “Jaws”;
Photoshop Blake Lively’s face onto Roy Scheider’s body.
Insert the finished clip into “The Shallows” at about 82 minutes in.
Enjoy a 5-Fad classic!
This limitation aside, it’s still worth your while hunting it out at a cinema near you, since the fantastic cinematography is best suited to a big screen.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War in Books
Jul 12, 2018
I own an Advanced Reader Copy of this book but I ended up listening to it on audiobook. The narrator (Abby Elvidge) did an really good job at pulling off the humor and snark that Mary Roach puts into her books. The book was fascinating and it is always fun to see how much research Mary Roach puts into her book. I'm never disappointed and I always leave her novels knowing more than I ever thought I could have learned.
Mary Roach has a way of making you want to gag and laugh at the same time. Her snark and humor is always fun and adds a lot when you start learning about decomposing shark flesh. I love reading/listening to her books because it delivers knowledge with a side of humor.
All in all, this was really fascinating. I would recommend reading this.
Mary Roach has a way of making you want to gag and laugh at the same time. Her snark and humor is always fun and adds a lot when you start learning about decomposing shark flesh. I love reading/listening to her books because it delivers knowledge with a side of humor.
All in all, this was really fascinating. I would recommend reading this.
Joni Thomas (33 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
Aug 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
There were things about this movie that I loved and things that I wasn't too fond of.
I love Jason Stratham. He is great in anything and I think he was perfect for this movie.
I thought the little girl's character was really needless. She was basically put there to push the romantic part of the story forward and it seemed pointless.
I also am not a fan of movies that through in false endings. There is a point where they make it seems like the movie is over and then of course its not. I would rather have constant action than feeling like the movie is over and then getting pulled back into the action again.
The shark looked incredibly realistic. The action was good and the movie kept my attention throughout the entire storyline. I would watch this movie again and would recommend it to others.
I love Jason Stratham. He is great in anything and I think he was perfect for this movie.
I thought the little girl's character was really needless. She was basically put there to push the romantic part of the story forward and it seemed pointless.
I also am not a fan of movies that through in false endings. There is a point where they make it seems like the movie is over and then of course its not. I would rather have constant action than feeling like the movie is over and then getting pulled back into the action again.
The shark looked incredibly realistic. The action was good and the movie kept my attention throughout the entire storyline. I would watch this movie again and would recommend it to others.
SF
Salt-Water Fishing: A Step-by-Step Handbook: Expert Techniques and Advice on Successful Sea Angling from Shore or Boat, Illustrated with Over 200 Practical Photographs and Diagrams
Book
This book is a concise and comprehensive introduction to the world of sea angling. It covers the two...
Chemmeen
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and Anita Nair
Book
Chemmeen tells the story of the relationship between Karutthamma, a Hindu woman from the fisherfolk...
