Search

Search only in certain items:

Ready Player One (2018)
Ready Player One (2018)
2018 | Sci-Fi
Excellent visual effects, nice changes to the story to fit with the cinematic (plenty of sections of the book would have fallen a bit flat in a short form film) and lots of Easter eggs (0 more)
A fair few bits missing from the book, and sometimes felt like a mad dash to finish the movie. (0 more)
A decent adaptation of a great book
Contains spoilers, click to show
From the get go, I think I'd best say I came to this with a pre-concieved notion that I was going to enjoy it, having read the book several times and having a long term love affair with Steven Spielberg (child of the 80s, so most of my formative years were spent sitting worshipping at the alter of Spielberg and Lucas) so I was aware that I was going to enjoy this film regardless, that said, there are moments in the film that fell flat for me, but on the whole....its a very enjoyable little action/adventure romp....with plenty in it for film lovers (the whole shining sequence had me grinning from ear to ear) and gamers too ( the whole film is deeply rooted in gamer culture and there are more gaming Easter eggs than you can shake a stick at) there's plenty of heart to this film too, and by the time the credits rolled I left the theatre thoroughly entertained, had this film come out a few years back, it would have been lauded as a sci-fi/adventure classic, however we now live in a post marvel world where every film they release seem to raise the bar very high, and films like this get lost in the shuffle a little, does this make it a worse movie....not at all, but it probably didn't get the acclaim it deserved because of being released in a sea of blockbusters.
So in closing, if you're looking for that perfect Sunday afternoon adventure film....you could do a lot worse than giving this a watch....see how many movie/gaming references you can spot
  
Ready Player One
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.9 (161 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fun, a little too geeky, poor context development
This book is no doubt quite exciting at times, and has an underlying cautionary message of being obsessed with technology. The story, set in a dystopian 2044, follows Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a virtual simulation, the discovery of which will lead him to inherit a vast fortune in a world wrecked by an energy crisis.

Growing up in the 1980's means I can relate to much of the references in this book such as Blade Runner, Ferris Bueller's Day Out etc. but it seems to be laid on too thick as if it's trying to go along with this new revival of the era (Stranger Things, Ghostbusters).

Also as a non-gamer, this virtual world appears fatuous and vapid, hence the author seems to be gearing this book towards a new generation of players rather than those who were actually living during this time.

The character development and context of much of the book is poor, as Wade seems to have skills that materialise from nowhere, we just have to accept that he had indeed "read this and that". Overall, this book was clearly made to be a film, so it's unsurprising that Steven Spielberg has bought the rights.
  
40x40

Dane Cook recommended Halloween (1978) in Movies (curated)

 
Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978)
1978 | Horror

"Let me really rattle my brain here. I want to go back. I’m going to say Halloween. When Mike Myers walks out of the backyard… It’s an establishing shot of the front of the house, and you think it’s just a standard exterior, night, Halloween, porch. [But] then the music goes [imitates Halloween theme]. And then [Myers] walks out of the shadow of the backyard. I, to this day, don’t look into a shadowy night yard situation without seeing him walk out. The same way that when I’m in a very sudsy bathtub — and, yes, I do take baths, don’t judge me — when my f–king toe comes out of the water — my number six pick would be Jaws — I still look at my toe and I still become frightened of Amity Beach and all the things that happened to the poor people in the Steven Spielberg epic. I grew up in a family that loved film, loved music, loved comedy. Thirsty for the how-to’s. Some kids liked to take apart radios. I wanted to know how Johnny Carson set up punch. I wanted to know how Burt Reynolds jumped over the bridge in Cannonball Run. I really have a love of film. And although I wanted to be a comedian primarily, I certainly wanted to, with a smidgen of success, be behind the camera and live that incredible world."

Source
  
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
2015 | Drama, History, Thriller
In the 1950s the world was locked in the midst of the Cold War where paranoia, mutual distrust, and fear, combined with the threat of nuclear annihilation between the United States and Soviet Union. In “Bridge of Spies” Director Steven Spielberg has once again used history as a basis for a compelling story filled with real characters and emotions.

When suspected spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), is arrested New York Tax Attorney James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is asked to provide Abel with a competent defense so the United States can show the world that Abel was given a fair trial and due process despite the charges against him.

Although hesitant what defending an accused spy will bring hatred to him and his family, Donovan takes up the task and despite a judge and process that wants to railroad this to a conviction in spite of possible illegal search and seizure, Donovan is able to avoid the death penalty for his client and even files an appeal before the Supreme Court as he is convinced his client was convicted on evidence that was illegally obtained.

At the same time, a young Air Force pilot named Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), is shot down by the Russians in a U-2 spy plane and is paraded by the Russians on television before being convicted of being a Spy.

This situation increases and already tense situation and when the East German government starts to build the Berlin Wall and takes an American student prisoner for espionage, back channels contact Donovan to discuss a possible exchange of prisoners.

Now since this cannot be done by any official sanction of the U.S. or Russian governments, Donovan must in secret travel to Berlin and meet with figures to obtain a release. The U.S. wants Powers and considers the student an expendable throw in but Donovan is resolute to bring them both home in exchange for his client Abel.

The film is beautifully shot and masterfully acted with top performance by Hanks and the leads. The events are fairly close to the historical accounts I studied as a child and Spielberg is wise to let the story and the characters drive the film and not create over impassioned speeches or tacked on action sequences to build the drama.

The film is an early contender for several Oscar nominations as far as I am concerned as is one of the best movies of 2015.

http://sknr.net/2015/10/16/bridge-of-spies/