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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Prestige (2006) in Movies
Mar 22, 2018
Underrated and underseen gem
Along with INSOMNIA, the 2006 film that Nolan directed, THE PRESTIGE is probably one of his least known and least viewed films and that is too bad for it is a wonderful motion picture that proves he is a strong director with a strong vision.
Dubbed "The Warring Magicians" film, THE PRESTIGE stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as two 19th Century Magicians who are...well...at war with each other. Of course, they started out as partners, but soon became enemies, each trying to out do each other and to discover the other magician's secrets.
Cleverly written by Nolan and his frequent collaborator, his brother Jonathan Nolan - and based on the novel by Christopher Priest, THE PRESTIGE will keep you guessing throughout, trying to figure out "how they did it" and are constantly being surprised by double turns, back stabbing and second guessing.
Bale, by this time in his career, has established himself as a powerful actor - and he shines here. Joining Bale is Nolan regular Michael Caine as the mentor of the two magicians, a young-ish Scarlett Johannsen as a a woman who falls in love with both of them (of course) and Rebecca Hall and Piper Perabo as Bale's and Jackman's wives, respectively. But...the surprise to me in this film when I first saw it - and again when I recently re-viewed it - is the performance of Hugh Jackman. This film shows that Jackman is more than just Wolverine - that dude can act. As a magician, he is showing glimpses of being "THE GREATEST SHOWMAN" (but that is another movie for another day) and more than holds his own against a fierce Bale. Finally...special notice needs to be made to the actor who portrays inventor Nikola Tesla - perfectly cast in this role is Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. It's a shame that Bowie did not act in more films for he captures the screen in the brief appearances he makes in this film.
As for Nolan - he is now coming into his own as a Director. The action is fast paced, the twists and turns are "honestly" played, the composition of the pictures on the screen are interesting and beautiful to look at and I walked away satisfied.
If you haven't seen THE PRESTIGE (or if you haven't seen it in awhile) - check this one out. You'll be glad you did.
Letter Grade: A (and...that's a surprise to me, I figured it would be a B+/A- film)
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Dubbed "The Warring Magicians" film, THE PRESTIGE stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as two 19th Century Magicians who are...well...at war with each other. Of course, they started out as partners, but soon became enemies, each trying to out do each other and to discover the other magician's secrets.
Cleverly written by Nolan and his frequent collaborator, his brother Jonathan Nolan - and based on the novel by Christopher Priest, THE PRESTIGE will keep you guessing throughout, trying to figure out "how they did it" and are constantly being surprised by double turns, back stabbing and second guessing.
Bale, by this time in his career, has established himself as a powerful actor - and he shines here. Joining Bale is Nolan regular Michael Caine as the mentor of the two magicians, a young-ish Scarlett Johannsen as a a woman who falls in love with both of them (of course) and Rebecca Hall and Piper Perabo as Bale's and Jackman's wives, respectively. But...the surprise to me in this film when I first saw it - and again when I recently re-viewed it - is the performance of Hugh Jackman. This film shows that Jackman is more than just Wolverine - that dude can act. As a magician, he is showing glimpses of being "THE GREATEST SHOWMAN" (but that is another movie for another day) and more than holds his own against a fierce Bale. Finally...special notice needs to be made to the actor who portrays inventor Nikola Tesla - perfectly cast in this role is Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. It's a shame that Bowie did not act in more films for he captures the screen in the brief appearances he makes in this film.
As for Nolan - he is now coming into his own as a Director. The action is fast paced, the twists and turns are "honestly" played, the composition of the pictures on the screen are interesting and beautiful to look at and I walked away satisfied.
If you haven't seen THE PRESTIGE (or if you haven't seen it in awhile) - check this one out. You'll be glad you did.
Letter Grade: A (and...that's a surprise to me, I figured it would be a B+/A- film)
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Heart of the Oak in Books
Dec 30, 2018
Beautifully Written (2 more)
Likable Character
Beautiful illustrations
A Beautiful Story
When I heard about Heart of the Oak by J.L. Novinsky, it was a book that I wanted to read. I also wanted to read it to my 3 year old because it seemed like a really sweet book. My son and I loved Heart of the Oak!
The plot for Heart of the Oak is straightforward and easy for adults and children alike. It's about a tree and his feelings and memories. He remembers when a fat little squirrel, a little boy playing on him as well as other memories. I'd suggest parental guidance for children under 6 though as there's a part in the book where the tree catches fire and is in pain. This could be a little scary for younger children. My 3 year old was a little fearful, but I was able to explain it in terms he'd understand so he wouldn't be scared. However, this book does have a happily ever after ending which is heartwarming, and the oak tree is a very lovable character.
I loved the prose and how well Heart of the Oak flowed. J.L. Novinsky is a talented story teller, and this book definitely proves that. I loved how descriptive everything was in the story. The words she chose seemed to glide off the page and stick sweetly in my mind. The writing definitely drew me in and held my attention until the very end. For example, on the very first page of Heart of the Oak, Novinsky writes "The day is icy and gray. A fine mist shrouds the world around the massive oak tree. Winter's bitter gales rustle the last of the brittle leaves that cling to his spindly branches."
Another thing which makes Heart of the Oak so good are the illustrations. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and drawn very well. They are very colorful and vibrant. My son loved the illustrations especially the ones with the dogs and the squirrels. I loved every page.
All in all, Heart of the Oak is a fantastic read. It's a very short story that is beautifully written with fantastic illustrations. Children and adults will definitely fall in love with this heartwarming story about an old oak tree. I would definitely recommend Heart of the Oak by J.L. Novinsky to everyone. It is a lovely story that everyone needs to read at least once in their lives.
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(A special thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of Heart of the Oak in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
The plot for Heart of the Oak is straightforward and easy for adults and children alike. It's about a tree and his feelings and memories. He remembers when a fat little squirrel, a little boy playing on him as well as other memories. I'd suggest parental guidance for children under 6 though as there's a part in the book where the tree catches fire and is in pain. This could be a little scary for younger children. My 3 year old was a little fearful, but I was able to explain it in terms he'd understand so he wouldn't be scared. However, this book does have a happily ever after ending which is heartwarming, and the oak tree is a very lovable character.
I loved the prose and how well Heart of the Oak flowed. J.L. Novinsky is a talented story teller, and this book definitely proves that. I loved how descriptive everything was in the story. The words she chose seemed to glide off the page and stick sweetly in my mind. The writing definitely drew me in and held my attention until the very end. For example, on the very first page of Heart of the Oak, Novinsky writes "The day is icy and gray. A fine mist shrouds the world around the massive oak tree. Winter's bitter gales rustle the last of the brittle leaves that cling to his spindly branches."
Another thing which makes Heart of the Oak so good are the illustrations. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and drawn very well. They are very colorful and vibrant. My son loved the illustrations especially the ones with the dogs and the squirrels. I loved every page.
All in all, Heart of the Oak is a fantastic read. It's a very short story that is beautifully written with fantastic illustrations. Children and adults will definitely fall in love with this heartwarming story about an old oak tree. I would definitely recommend Heart of the Oak by J.L. Novinsky to everyone. It is a lovely story that everyone needs to read at least once in their lives.
--
(A special thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of Heart of the Oak in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Darren (1599 KP) rated Tank 432 (Belly of the Bulldog) (2016) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Characters – Reeves is one of the younger members of the unit, he seems like the newest member often making rookie mistakes in the eyes of other members of the unit. Capper is the injured member of the unit, he is left to defend for himself as the unit needs to move out quickly. Karlsson is the medic in the unit needing to take care of the injuries to Capper and the mental state of the random girl they find. The soldier all hit the generics of what you expect without giving too much about their lives outside of the unit away.
Performances – The performances across the board are good enough for the film, with most of the cast trapped inside the tank it doesn’t give them much to do other than sit around talk and searching for answers.
Story – The story follows the unit as they look to survive from an unknown enemy, this is where a lot of this films story falls apart because, we don’t know their mission, where it is or what they are running from. It spends too long inside the tank trying to figure out a way out without any threat coming from the outside, for this film to hit the marks we needed to see more of the nightmare effects of whatever is meant to be going on which would explain the fear they are facing but not enough is revealed until the final act.
Action/Horror – The action isn’t as heavy as we would like it too be, we have random shooting and a driving sequence the rest is waiting for something to happen. The horror is there just not as much as we would like it to be, the moments of the vision offer something but don’t deliver in the final punch.
Settings – Most of the film is set inside the vehicle, which I can accept being good for a confined setting waiting for an enemy but we don’t see the enemy do anything against them.
Special Effects – The effects are used well when needed but the film doesn’t turn to them, which is a good thing.
Scene of the Movie – Capper’s return.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough happens.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that disappoints in the most part, it doesn’t hit the levels it could and we are left wondering just where the film was meant to be going for the most part.
Overall: Disappoint horror that misses the chances it had.
Performances – The performances across the board are good enough for the film, with most of the cast trapped inside the tank it doesn’t give them much to do other than sit around talk and searching for answers.
Story – The story follows the unit as they look to survive from an unknown enemy, this is where a lot of this films story falls apart because, we don’t know their mission, where it is or what they are running from. It spends too long inside the tank trying to figure out a way out without any threat coming from the outside, for this film to hit the marks we needed to see more of the nightmare effects of whatever is meant to be going on which would explain the fear they are facing but not enough is revealed until the final act.
Action/Horror – The action isn’t as heavy as we would like it too be, we have random shooting and a driving sequence the rest is waiting for something to happen. The horror is there just not as much as we would like it to be, the moments of the vision offer something but don’t deliver in the final punch.
Settings – Most of the film is set inside the vehicle, which I can accept being good for a confined setting waiting for an enemy but we don’t see the enemy do anything against them.
Special Effects – The effects are used well when needed but the film doesn’t turn to them, which is a good thing.
Scene of the Movie – Capper’s return.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough happens.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that disappoints in the most part, it doesn’t hit the levels it could and we are left wondering just where the film was meant to be going for the most part.
Overall: Disappoint horror that misses the chances it had.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Fear, Inc. (2016) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Characters – Joe is a stoner that has been promising to find a new job while living off his girlfriend, he loves horror movies and is looking for real fear from a horror event, which leads him to make the mistake to call Fear, Inc, this is easily one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever seen in the leading role in horror. Lindsey is his girlfriend, she seems to have a successful job which we never learn and has been putting up with Joe’s problems, the two have no chemistry and seem like complete opposites. Ben is the best friend that gives the warning to Joe about what will happen if they get involved with the game.
Performances – Lucas Neff in the leading role gives us one of the most annoying characters I have seen in horror. Caitlin Stasey is usually a good actress to watch, but in this film, it just doesn’t connect with what we are meant to see from them. Chris Martquette is solid enough in this role without doing anything truly memorable.
Story – The story here follows one man that wants to experience fear in this life and decides to get involved with a shady company promising to give him an experience unlike anything he has had before, how far will they go to get the scare? This is the question asked in this movie which doesn’t reach the potential it could as the led is the most unlikeable character you will see in horror, he makes everything out to be a joke never making us believe anything that is going on, even with the film having a great twist which should save it.
Comedy/Horror – The film tries to give us moments of comedy to mix with the horror, but the horror doesn’t hit the peril feeling moments you need from what could be going on.
Settings – The film tries to keep us around the house which clearly looks out priced for the couple involved, once we escape the house the film does become more interesting.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are good for what is created and could easily be the only highlight of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The final 30 minutes are the most interesting.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Joe is annoying throughout.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that fails to deliver on the levels it needs to, making us not care about the characters in this situation.
Overall: Terrible and boring.
Performances – Lucas Neff in the leading role gives us one of the most annoying characters I have seen in horror. Caitlin Stasey is usually a good actress to watch, but in this film, it just doesn’t connect with what we are meant to see from them. Chris Martquette is solid enough in this role without doing anything truly memorable.
Story – The story here follows one man that wants to experience fear in this life and decides to get involved with a shady company promising to give him an experience unlike anything he has had before, how far will they go to get the scare? This is the question asked in this movie which doesn’t reach the potential it could as the led is the most unlikeable character you will see in horror, he makes everything out to be a joke never making us believe anything that is going on, even with the film having a great twist which should save it.
Comedy/Horror – The film tries to give us moments of comedy to mix with the horror, but the horror doesn’t hit the peril feeling moments you need from what could be going on.
Settings – The film tries to keep us around the house which clearly looks out priced for the couple involved, once we escape the house the film does become more interesting.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are good for what is created and could easily be the only highlight of the film.
Scene of the Movie – The final 30 minutes are the most interesting.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Joe is annoying throughout.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror comedy that fails to deliver on the levels it needs to, making us not care about the characters in this situation.
Overall: Terrible and boring.
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