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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
I didn't think my face could smile for 2 hours and 41 minutes straight!
Guess what? I ventured out on my day off and went to the theatre for the first time in 2019! (I'm such a loser!)
There are so many QT fans out there and probably just as many who think his films are trashy and pointless. As a true film fan, I can't not love not only his unique approach to film-making, but also his appreciation for the art of film and the constant homages he pays to film of year's past.
The first thing to talk about is the film's perfect tone and look of 1969. The costumes, hairstyles and music of the period was right on, but even more than that was the art direction and cinematography. Almost every scene has a vintage movie poster, retro theatre marquee or period television pram playing in the background. This helps you immerse yourself in this cinematic landscape almost immediately.
Can I also say the movie had opening credits! (Bring them back please !?!)
Basically, a Hollywood television/B movie actor and his personal stuntman navigate their Hollywood lifestyles in 1969 amidst the Playboy Mansion and the Charles Manson cult. The roller coaster goes from movie sets to retro Hollywood and everywhere in between. We also meet Sharon Tate. She loves her world of budding stardom and basks in the opportunity to be famous.
QT takes his usual liberties with historical facts, but can't say too much more than that here. If you are used to this in his other films like Inglorious Basterds, it won't bother you here either. He always seems to manage to make every actor look great and brings the best out of them and this film is no exception. Even actors with smaller roles like Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning and Luke Perry shine in their limited screen time.
As usual, his score was playing constantly throughout the film and complemented the situations remarkably well. I am sure I will be downloading some of them for myself later on.
QT has talked about retiring which would be a shame. I have pretty much loved everything he has ever done so losing a truly one of a kind cinematic voice such as his at such a young age would be truly heartbreaking.
There are so many QT fans out there and probably just as many who think his films are trashy and pointless. As a true film fan, I can't not love not only his unique approach to film-making, but also his appreciation for the art of film and the constant homages he pays to film of year's past.
The first thing to talk about is the film's perfect tone and look of 1969. The costumes, hairstyles and music of the period was right on, but even more than that was the art direction and cinematography. Almost every scene has a vintage movie poster, retro theatre marquee or period television pram playing in the background. This helps you immerse yourself in this cinematic landscape almost immediately.
Can I also say the movie had opening credits! (Bring them back please !?!)
Basically, a Hollywood television/B movie actor and his personal stuntman navigate their Hollywood lifestyles in 1969 amidst the Playboy Mansion and the Charles Manson cult. The roller coaster goes from movie sets to retro Hollywood and everywhere in between. We also meet Sharon Tate. She loves her world of budding stardom and basks in the opportunity to be famous.
QT takes his usual liberties with historical facts, but can't say too much more than that here. If you are used to this in his other films like Inglorious Basterds, it won't bother you here either. He always seems to manage to make every actor look great and brings the best out of them and this film is no exception. Even actors with smaller roles like Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning and Luke Perry shine in their limited screen time.
As usual, his score was playing constantly throughout the film and complemented the situations remarkably well. I am sure I will be downloading some of them for myself later on.
QT has talked about retiring which would be a shame. I have pretty much loved everything he has ever done so losing a truly one of a kind cinematic voice such as his at such a young age would be truly heartbreaking.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 6 in TV
Jul 19, 2019
Hold the Goddam Door
Contains spoilers, click to show
Season 6 of Game of thrones is another incredible display of television spinning so many plates.
The season kick starts with the immediate fallout of Jon Snows death at the end of season 5. As many predicted, it doesn't take long for his death to be reversed, thanks to Melisandre, freeing Jon of his duty to the Nights Watch, as he marches off to free Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton.
Talking of Ramsay, he continues to show how much of a wretch he truly is (his worst point would be feeding his own infant brother to rabid dogs.)
In King's Landing, the High Sparrow continues to manipulate the crown, and makes them seem powerless whilst doing so, as fanatic religion takes hold of the capital.
Danaerys is still just being Danaerys. The writers continue to subtly hint at her being similar to her mad father before her, and I usually love the slow burn of Game of Thrones, but her story still continues to sort of plod along.
Another storyline that became a bit tiresome this season was Arya training in Bravos. When I look back on GoT, that storyline seems to stick out as the one I found most trying, even if it did result in the much awaited death of Merryn Trant.
Beyond the wall, Bran is still firmly stuck in a tree, but we see some great glimpses into the past history of Westeros in the process - the Tower of Joy scene being a highlight. This infamously leads to the 'Hold the Door' which pretty much tore everyone's hearts in two :(
It's all just very good, and the season ends on a double whammy of two of the best episodes this show ever produced.
Firstly, the Battle of the Bastards is incredible, and surpasses many Hollywood movies in terms of on screen battles. It's a fantastic hour of television (Justice for Rikkon)
And then the last episode - just wow. The opening 15 minutes holds little dialogue, and an incredible piece of score (Ramin Djawadi take a bow), as Cersei ruthlessly and quickly takes her revenge on many who have wrong her, in one fell swoop, killing off a good handful of characters in seconds - GoT was never a show to do things by halves.
The season ends with Cersei as queen, and Danaerys (finally!) crossing the sea to Westeros.
It's all really thrilling and top tier TV.
The season kick starts with the immediate fallout of Jon Snows death at the end of season 5. As many predicted, it doesn't take long for his death to be reversed, thanks to Melisandre, freeing Jon of his duty to the Nights Watch, as he marches off to free Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton.
Talking of Ramsay, he continues to show how much of a wretch he truly is (his worst point would be feeding his own infant brother to rabid dogs.)
In King's Landing, the High Sparrow continues to manipulate the crown, and makes them seem powerless whilst doing so, as fanatic religion takes hold of the capital.
Danaerys is still just being Danaerys. The writers continue to subtly hint at her being similar to her mad father before her, and I usually love the slow burn of Game of Thrones, but her story still continues to sort of plod along.
Another storyline that became a bit tiresome this season was Arya training in Bravos. When I look back on GoT, that storyline seems to stick out as the one I found most trying, even if it did result in the much awaited death of Merryn Trant.
Beyond the wall, Bran is still firmly stuck in a tree, but we see some great glimpses into the past history of Westeros in the process - the Tower of Joy scene being a highlight. This infamously leads to the 'Hold the Door' which pretty much tore everyone's hearts in two :(
It's all just very good, and the season ends on a double whammy of two of the best episodes this show ever produced.
Firstly, the Battle of the Bastards is incredible, and surpasses many Hollywood movies in terms of on screen battles. It's a fantastic hour of television (Justice for Rikkon)
And then the last episode - just wow. The opening 15 minutes holds little dialogue, and an incredible piece of score (Ramin Djawadi take a bow), as Cersei ruthlessly and quickly takes her revenge on many who have wrong her, in one fell swoop, killing off a good handful of characters in seconds - GoT was never a show to do things by halves.
The season ends with Cersei as queen, and Danaerys (finally!) crossing the sea to Westeros.
It's all really thrilling and top tier TV.
The Vegas Diaries: Romance, Rolling the Dice, and the Road to Reinvention
Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling author returns with this candid, humorous, and captivating memoir...
PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Evangelical Empire
Book
In the early months of 1987 Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker had it all-a popular Christian talk show,...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Downton Abbey (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
The King and Queen, His Royal Highness, King George V and Queen Mary are visiting Downton Abbey! This is the premise set for the grand cinematic conclusion of the very popular BBC/PBS series that has told the saga of the Crawley family.
Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will host the King and Queen for one night as they tour the country. This starts the frenzy of preparation at Downton Abbey. The entire cast from the television series returns to wrap up the epic tale of the family led by the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith as the stoic, protective and acid tongued head of the Crawley Family). We get to view the intrigue and subterfuge that has been built upon the ages as the players in the game, maneuver their way through the challenges of royal protocol.
The daily run of Downton has been passed down to Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), who now needs to insure that the house is in order and passes the inspection of the Royal Servants of the King. The kitchen is all a twitter with plans and preparation for shopping and meals. Come to find that the King and Queen has their own travelling butler and ladies maid that arrive beforehand to establish the household in order to provide the crown with the comforts that they are accustomed.
This film has been eagerly anticipated since the last season had aired. Fans all around the world have been waiting for this to wrap up the loose ends from the closing season of the television series. The film does exactly that. Taking each thread and weaving a complete conclusion of the stories that compelled millions around the world to stay tuned.
For those who have not seen the series but are wrangled to watch the movie, you will find the charm, elegance, humour and wit applied to the story. One is not required to have watched any, if all of the episodes of Downton in order to enjoy the storyline. The film is perfectly entertaining as a standalone film. Each character so well crafted and beautifully acted by the ensemble.
I recommend taking your favorite Downton fan to the cinema for an evening of grand proportions, romantic notions, charm and the glamour of 1927 England. Thoroughly enjoyable with or without previous show knowledge.
5 out of 5 for fans
4 out of 5 for non fans
Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will host the King and Queen for one night as they tour the country. This starts the frenzy of preparation at Downton Abbey. The entire cast from the television series returns to wrap up the epic tale of the family led by the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith as the stoic, protective and acid tongued head of the Crawley Family). We get to view the intrigue and subterfuge that has been built upon the ages as the players in the game, maneuver their way through the challenges of royal protocol.
The daily run of Downton has been passed down to Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), who now needs to insure that the house is in order and passes the inspection of the Royal Servants of the King. The kitchen is all a twitter with plans and preparation for shopping and meals. Come to find that the King and Queen has their own travelling butler and ladies maid that arrive beforehand to establish the household in order to provide the crown with the comforts that they are accustomed.
This film has been eagerly anticipated since the last season had aired. Fans all around the world have been waiting for this to wrap up the loose ends from the closing season of the television series. The film does exactly that. Taking each thread and weaving a complete conclusion of the stories that compelled millions around the world to stay tuned.
For those who have not seen the series but are wrangled to watch the movie, you will find the charm, elegance, humour and wit applied to the story. One is not required to have watched any, if all of the episodes of Downton in order to enjoy the storyline. The film is perfectly entertaining as a standalone film. Each character so well crafted and beautifully acted by the ensemble.
I recommend taking your favorite Downton fan to the cinema for an evening of grand proportions, romantic notions, charm and the glamour of 1927 England. Thoroughly enjoyable with or without previous show knowledge.
5 out of 5 for fans
4 out of 5 for non fans
Lee (2222 KP) rated I Like Films in Podcasts
Feb 15, 2019
Enjoyable movie podcast with some great guests
Jonathan Ross has been a familiar face/voice on British television and radio for many years now. His connection to film goes way back to 1999 when he took over hosting duties on the BBC TV show 'Film', reviewing and discussing movies. He is also married to Jane Goldman, writer on numerous movies including Kick-Ass and Kingsman.
I've always been a fan of Jonathan Ross, although it's fair to say that his TV talk show has taken a serious dip in the quality of guests in recent years. In this relatively new podcast, the simply titled 'I Like Films', Jonathan just chats with some of the big names in the movie world - about their careers, about whatever movie they're currently plugging. I've not caught all of the episodes, but the ones I have listened to have always been very interesting and have made this podcast one of only a handful that I'll download the moment an episode becomes available. Robert Zemeckis, Samuel L Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan and Joe Cornish have all featured recently and each episode is just relaxed, informative and really enjoyable.
I've always been a fan of Jonathan Ross, although it's fair to say that his TV talk show has taken a serious dip in the quality of guests in recent years. In this relatively new podcast, the simply titled 'I Like Films', Jonathan just chats with some of the big names in the movie world - about their careers, about whatever movie they're currently plugging. I've not caught all of the episodes, but the ones I have listened to have always been very interesting and have made this podcast one of only a handful that I'll download the moment an episode becomes available. Robert Zemeckis, Samuel L Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan and Joe Cornish have all featured recently and each episode is just relaxed, informative and really enjoyable.
Dana (24 KP) rated Le Morte Darthur: Selections in Books
Mar 23, 2018
This is a very long book. I am normally pretty okay with long books, too, but this one felt like it went on for an eternity. I think my biggest issue with it was the lack of quotation marks so we have no idea who is talking at any given time until they are half done with the conversation, which is super irritating to say the least. Another thing that made this hard to read is that there is no set timeline since it is a collection of books rather than a coherent novel. Because of this, there are characters who die and come back to life miraculously without any explanation or characters who are lost and never seem to find their way back to the story.
Overall, it was interesting to read. I am glad I got to read one of the source texts for some of my favorite series (television, film, and book). It is cool that I get to say I have read this in casual conversation with other book nerds because it is definitely an accomplishment to say the least.
Will I be reading it again? No. A resounding no to that.
Overall, it was interesting to read. I am glad I got to read one of the source texts for some of my favorite series (television, film, and book). It is cool that I get to say I have read this in casual conversation with other book nerds because it is definitely an accomplishment to say the least.
Will I be reading it again? No. A resounding no to that.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Damnation - Season 1 in TV
Sep 20, 2018
Performances all round are pretty great (1 more)
Set design and costumes are really cool
Well, I'll Be Damned
I read the synopsis for Damnation when it was first released and it didn't grab me at all. A show about a farmer's strike just sounded extremely boring to me. Then I saw the trailer and decided to give the show a chance and I'm glad I did.
The show moves at a decent pace and tells the story of two brothers both masquerading as something they are not. The way that the show develops is interesting and keeps you hooked until the end of the season.
Unfortunately it was recently announced that Netflix aren't going ahead with a second season of the show, which is really disappointing considering the way that Season 1 ended and I would have loved to have seen where this show would go in the future.
The show could always be picked up by someone else and we could still see this story continue, but until then we have at least 1 season of solid television that is well worth checking out.
The show moves at a decent pace and tells the story of two brothers both masquerading as something they are not. The way that the show develops is interesting and keeps you hooked until the end of the season.
Unfortunately it was recently announced that Netflix aren't going ahead with a second season of the show, which is really disappointing considering the way that Season 1 ended and I would have loved to have seen where this show would go in the future.
The show could always be picked up by someone else and we could still see this story continue, but until then we have at least 1 season of solid television that is well worth checking out.
Amy Curtis (49 KP) rated Now You See Me (2013) in Movies
Dec 14, 2018
Mind blowing
I can't put into words how much I enjoyed this film. Whilst, I scored it an 8 (it's hard to get a 10 rating out of me), there was a lot of spins and twists in this film. There were points where I was staring at the television trying to work out how they performed certain magic tricks. Whilst everything is eventually explained to you it does still leave you questioning. This is probably the vaguest review I've ever written but I don't want to spoil it for anyone or take the magic out of what a wonderful and unique film this really is. The only criticism I could say is that at the start when Henley is in the box and the piranhas are going to fall down, it was a bit predictible. However, that is the only real piece of criticism I can give. Even though I was tired, when the movie ended, I began desperately searching to watch the second one (to no avail). Looking forward to watching the second film and seeing what tricks they have up their sleeves next!
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Red Dwarf in TV
Jun 22, 2019
The boy's from the dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British science fiction comedy franchise which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following.
The show follows Dave Lister, a chicken-soup-machine repairman, who is the only human survivor of a radiation leak on his mining space ship and possibly the last living human. Having come out of time stasis 3,000,000 years into the future, Lister has very little company, one in the form of a hologram of his dead shipmate, Rimmer, self obsessed Cat, who has evolved from the descendants of Lister's pregnant cat, senile ship computer Holly and Kryten an Android whose sole purpose is to serve and clean.
This masterpiece was created by Rob grant & doug naylor (GrantNaylor) and has spawned 12 series (Back to Earth counted as the unofficial 9th and a 13th series heavily rumoured) multiple books, audio books, collectibles, magazines and a mobile game.
I'm still hoping for a mainstream console game, but until then, enjoy SmegHeads!
The show follows Dave Lister, a chicken-soup-machine repairman, who is the only human survivor of a radiation leak on his mining space ship and possibly the last living human. Having come out of time stasis 3,000,000 years into the future, Lister has very little company, one in the form of a hologram of his dead shipmate, Rimmer, self obsessed Cat, who has evolved from the descendants of Lister's pregnant cat, senile ship computer Holly and Kryten an Android whose sole purpose is to serve and clean.
This masterpiece was created by Rob grant & doug naylor (GrantNaylor) and has spawned 12 series (Back to Earth counted as the unofficial 9th and a 13th series heavily rumoured) multiple books, audio books, collectibles, magazines and a mobile game.
I'm still hoping for a mainstream console game, but until then, enjoy SmegHeads!
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) Jan 9, 2020
Ryan Olson (1 KP) Jun 25, 2020