Skylanders Academy - Season 1
TV Season Watch
In SKYLANDERS ACADEMY, a headstrong dragon named Spyro (voiced by Justin Long) joins a legendary...
Zoe Saldana recommended The Hunger (1983) in Movies (curated)
Stepmom (1998)
Movie Watch
Anna and Ben, the two children of Jackie and Luke, have to cope with the fact that their parents...
The Lovely Bones
Book
My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December...
Helen Prejean: Death Row's Nun
Joyce Duriga and Robert Ellsberg
Book
No person has worked more effectively toward the abolition of the death penalty in the United States...
Speed Racer (2008)
Movie Watch
Born to race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless....
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Lovely Bones (2009) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
“The Lovely Bones” is a prime example of a good film based on an acclaimed book that could have been great given thirty more minutes. The characters were engaging but less than ideally developed, case in point would be the mother whose sudden flee from her home only to appear picking oranges on a farm left the audience collectively confused.
Still the use of perspective and sound are undeniably captivating. From the graphically delightful and horrific imagery that is the world between heaven and our own to the use of color to establish the time period.
The heroine and villain are equally engrossing yet most of the film’s seasoned actors have performed better. The least developed characters were Suzie’s parents played by Mark Wahlberg and Rachael Weisz. But Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn left Wahlberg and Weisz in the dust creating a delightfully flawed character in her supporting role.
Both a drama and a thriller, there were moments during “The Lovely Bones” which captivated the entire theater making it a film that will provide great images for fans of the book. Yet while it will be a delight for those familiar with the book, the plot holes that “The Lovely Bones” leaves for the non-literary crowd are staggering.
In the end “The Lovely Bones” was a good enough film that attempted to stay true to the book but really could have been lovelier.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
In “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” both Segel and Helms have taken on roles that are slightly more serious than the comedic standards that these actors are known for. Still the film is not so far removed as to alienate the fans who diligently follow these two actors to the theater time and time again.
The film’s plot is full of unexpected yet mildly realistic twists and turns. There are no big explosions or giant leaps of faith. This serpentine story is much more subtle. Many of the standout moments are realistically bizarre yet prove relevant, sweeping the audience into lives that have hit the final dregs of acceptability.
Visually the film is lack-luster. More than once viewers experience uncomfortable close-up shots of the less than attractively decorated characters. Still the script is well composed and crafted with such care that every word seems to naturally flow from the actors’ mouths. The story delves into so many facets of the human experience, from marriage to the building of a brotherly bond, that the tale itself is engrossing.
The characters are nervous, inexperienced, and closed off but the tale that defines “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” is entirely relatable. The film is not exactly enchanting but it was significantly better than I had originally anticipated.
Ridley Scott: Interviews
Laurence F. Knapp and Andrea F. Kulas
Book
Artisan, entrepreneur, and impresario, British filmmaker Ridley Scott accepts the profit motive as...
Ronyell (38 KP) rated James and the Giant Peach (1996) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020 (Updated Aug 4, 2020)
The major problem I had with this movie was that there seemed to be so many plot holes within this film that there were times that I did not understand what was going on in this film. Like for example, how did Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker drive their car through the ocean and how can a mechanical shark appear out of nowhere in the ocean?
Overall, "James and the Giant Peach" is definitely one treat that fans of Roald Dahl's works and fans of surreal animation should definitely check out!