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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post
Sep 29, 2019
David McK (3562 KP) rated Onward (2020) in Movies
Nov 6, 2020
Late 2019, early 2020.
I rsaw a lot of ads in the cinema for this film. Then (in the UK) Covid-19 hit.
As a result, I'm not honestly sure whether this got a big screen release or not: I actually watched it via Disney+, not really knowing what to expect.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Set in a mystical realm where magic had all but died out (Unicorns as garbage rats? Genius!) due to the advent of technology, this follows two elf brothers who are able to partially bring their deceased dad briefly back to life, after the younger of the 2 opens his birthday present from said dad of a wizards staff. Only enough magic to 'bring back' his legs, so off they go on a quest for a power source to enable them to bring back the rest of his body.
What really follows is a story about familial bonding, that pulls in the heartstrings as well as made me laugh out loud on a few occasions!
I rsaw a lot of ads in the cinema for this film. Then (in the UK) Covid-19 hit.
As a result, I'm not honestly sure whether this got a big screen release or not: I actually watched it via Disney+, not really knowing what to expect.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Set in a mystical realm where magic had all but died out (Unicorns as garbage rats? Genius!) due to the advent of technology, this follows two elf brothers who are able to partially bring their deceased dad briefly back to life, after the younger of the 2 opens his birthday present from said dad of a wizards staff. Only enough magic to 'bring back' his legs, so off they go on a quest for a power source to enable them to bring back the rest of his body.
What really follows is a story about familial bonding, that pulls in the heartstrings as well as made me laugh out loud on a few occasions!
Lee (2222 KP) rated Blair Witch (2016) in Movies
Aug 14, 2017
Yeah, I preferred this to the original...
The original Blair Witch movie came out in 1999 (wow, where has the time gone?!) in the good old days when you could get hold of a US DVD import in the UK before a movie was even released on UK cinema screens. I remember The Blair Witch Project being released in the UK on Halloween, the same day that the US DVD was delivered to my house! I excitedly sat down to watch it that evening with my family while everyone else had to go out in the cold rainy weather to watch it at the cinema, and I remember at the end of the movie we all kind of looked at each other as if to say “is that it…?!” All the hype, all the usual crap about it being absolutely terrifying and the scariest movie ever made and it was just a bunch of people getting spooked in the woods! To be fair, it wasn’t that bad, but it just wasn’t as scary or as fantastic as we’d been led to believe. The movie spawned a forgettable sequel and since then, despite being done to death, far superior found footage movies have come along and done it all a hell of a lot better. Then, out of the blue in July last year, a movie which had been previously marketed as ‘The Woods’ was revealed to actually be ‘Blair Witch’. The trailer looked OK, not great but interesting enough. But, once again we’re being subjected to all the usual marketing crap about it being terrifying and the scariest thing you’ve ever seen… blah, blah, blah…
James Donahue is the brother of Heather, who was one of the central characters in the first film. We join him 22 years after the original, as he prepares to lead a new bunch of characters into the Burkittsville woods. They meet up with a couple of young locals, who offer to be their guide, and off they head, into the woods where their video footage will later be discovered. This time round, the array of cameras capturing the footage has vastly improved. As well as the standard handhelds, we’ve got ear piece cams, drone cams, night cams. All offering new and interesting ways to capture the action.
Things mostly follow a similar path to the original – strange noises, weird stuff happening with time, thinking you’re heading in one direction when you’re going around in circles, juddery camera movements where it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on. But… you do actually see things this time, the noises that you hear are terrifying, the characters are far more interesting and believable than those in the original. And the final act when we find ourselves back in the house from the first movie is seriously the stuff of nightmares.
Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, both have an excellent recent track record (see You’re Next and The Guest) and their influence on this movie has taken this story to another level. This is a far superior movie to the original and yes, it is truly terrifying.
James Donahue is the brother of Heather, who was one of the central characters in the first film. We join him 22 years after the original, as he prepares to lead a new bunch of characters into the Burkittsville woods. They meet up with a couple of young locals, who offer to be their guide, and off they head, into the woods where their video footage will later be discovered. This time round, the array of cameras capturing the footage has vastly improved. As well as the standard handhelds, we’ve got ear piece cams, drone cams, night cams. All offering new and interesting ways to capture the action.
Things mostly follow a similar path to the original – strange noises, weird stuff happening with time, thinking you’re heading in one direction when you’re going around in circles, juddery camera movements where it’s difficult to tell what the hell is going on. But… you do actually see things this time, the noises that you hear are terrifying, the characters are far more interesting and believable than those in the original. And the final act when we find ourselves back in the house from the first movie is seriously the stuff of nightmares.
Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, both have an excellent recent track record (see You’re Next and The Guest) and their influence on this movie has taken this story to another level. This is a far superior movie to the original and yes, it is truly terrifying.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Hotel Artemis (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2018 (Updated Sep 28, 2018)
Brilliant ensemble cast (2 more)
Cool setting
Great score
You can check out anytime you like, but probably won't want to leave
This was one of those movies that had a really weird release. After seeing the trailer, I was really looking forward to going and seeing this at the cinema. Then, America got it a month before the UK did and when it did drop in Britain, it was a very limited release and was only showing in one cinema in my area. At around the same time, I went on holiday for a fortnight and it is only now, a full 2 months after the movie's initial release that I finally got to get to a screening.
Thankfully, it was worth the wait.
Hotel Artemis is the directorial debut of Drew Pearce and he does a fantastic job as a first-time director. The beautiful cinematography adds a great deal of style and flair to the film and the brilliant score by Cliff Martinez also provides an atmosphere that is an awesome mix of ambient and intense in all of the right moments.
The cast is also great and is made up of an eclectic mix of talented actors. Sterling K Brown does an incredible job of tying the whole thing together and being the anchor that the audience can relate to. Dave Bautista is brilliant as the orderly Everest. Charlie Day is really good at being a totally obnoxious asshole. Jeff Goldblum and Zachary Quinto are great as always and Jodie Foster is also fantastic as the Nurse who runs the hotel. Sofia Boutella is here too, but she doesn't do a great amount any different to what we have already seen from her in past movies.
Overall, this is a stylish, well-acted, exciting action/thriller with great direction and a fantastic score to boot. It is reminiscent of other movies in places, such as Smokin' Aces, but it is still a brilliantly written, well made, fairly original movie well worth seeking out.
Thankfully, it was worth the wait.
Hotel Artemis is the directorial debut of Drew Pearce and he does a fantastic job as a first-time director. The beautiful cinematography adds a great deal of style and flair to the film and the brilliant score by Cliff Martinez also provides an atmosphere that is an awesome mix of ambient and intense in all of the right moments.
The cast is also great and is made up of an eclectic mix of talented actors. Sterling K Brown does an incredible job of tying the whole thing together and being the anchor that the audience can relate to. Dave Bautista is brilliant as the orderly Everest. Charlie Day is really good at being a totally obnoxious asshole. Jeff Goldblum and Zachary Quinto are great as always and Jodie Foster is also fantastic as the Nurse who runs the hotel. Sofia Boutella is here too, but she doesn't do a great amount any different to what we have already seen from her in past movies.
Overall, this is a stylish, well-acted, exciting action/thriller with great direction and a fantastic score to boot. It is reminiscent of other movies in places, such as Smokin' Aces, but it is still a brilliantly written, well made, fairly original movie well worth seeking out.
Paul McGuigan recommended Requiem for a Dream (2000) in Movies (curated)
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) in Movies
Dec 16, 2020
Gal Gadot: stunning (2 more)
Movie with real heart
Excellent cinematography
WW dot Well Worth Waiting for Gadot
The long delayed release of the Wonder Woman sequel has finally happened, and it is well worth waiting for.
Gal Gadot is fabulous as the Amazonian beauty (and then some) with Chris Pine reprising his role from the first thing. (Of all the WTF moments of 2020 trailers, this was top of the list.... just HOW? A McGuffin is involved, but no spoilers here!).
In brief, Patty Jenkins delivers a popcorn blockbuster than has legs (over and above Gadot's perfect specimens!): the Goblet-of-Fire-Potteresque pre-title sequence is thrilling and engaging. And the story builds cleverly through the first half of the movie. Above all, there is a heap of HEART involved here.... this is not your run of the mill supervillain showdown flick. In fact, it's a movie with TWO villain (normally a doom-laden premise for this reviewer... "Spider Man 3".... shudder), but here it really works well.
Sure, there is a requirement for a suspension of belief, but - hey - it's a DC movie. On a slight downside, the second half of the movie - for me -unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the promise of first half, blending "Bruce Almighty" with "Superman 2" and rather over-egging the pudding.
But in a morass of B-pics, this sequel is one that is gorgeous to look at (Matthew Jensen's cinematography is superb), gorgeous to listen to (an epic score by Hans Zimmer) and is genuinely engaging. There's also a nice vein of humour running through it... when Kristen Wiig is in a park, a rough sleeper on a bench is reading "Waiting for Godot".... or is it "Waiting for Gadot"??
It's such a brief scene, I wasn't sure!
Although I DEPLORE the Warner Brother's decision to release their material in parallel to streaming, here is a movie that is WELL WORTH you getting out to the cinema to see... assuming that you can find a UK cinema open (I saw this in the excellent Showcase De Luxe in Southampton).
Oh, and if you are someone who dives for the exit at the first title... resist... there is an excellent mid-title sequence featuring a wonderful cameo for us older folks!
(Please check out the full graphical review on bob-the-movie-man, which will be going live shortly. Thanks).
Gal Gadot is fabulous as the Amazonian beauty (and then some) with Chris Pine reprising his role from the first thing. (Of all the WTF moments of 2020 trailers, this was top of the list.... just HOW? A McGuffin is involved, but no spoilers here!).
In brief, Patty Jenkins delivers a popcorn blockbuster than has legs (over and above Gadot's perfect specimens!): the Goblet-of-Fire-Potteresque pre-title sequence is thrilling and engaging. And the story builds cleverly through the first half of the movie. Above all, there is a heap of HEART involved here.... this is not your run of the mill supervillain showdown flick. In fact, it's a movie with TWO villain (normally a doom-laden premise for this reviewer... "Spider Man 3".... shudder), but here it really works well.
Sure, there is a requirement for a suspension of belief, but - hey - it's a DC movie. On a slight downside, the second half of the movie - for me -unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the promise of first half, blending "Bruce Almighty" with "Superman 2" and rather over-egging the pudding.
But in a morass of B-pics, this sequel is one that is gorgeous to look at (Matthew Jensen's cinematography is superb), gorgeous to listen to (an epic score by Hans Zimmer) and is genuinely engaging. There's also a nice vein of humour running through it... when Kristen Wiig is in a park, a rough sleeper on a bench is reading "Waiting for Godot".... or is it "Waiting for Gadot"??
It's such a brief scene, I wasn't sure!
Although I DEPLORE the Warner Brother's decision to release their material in parallel to streaming, here is a movie that is WELL WORTH you getting out to the cinema to see... assuming that you can find a UK cinema open (I saw this in the excellent Showcase De Luxe in Southampton).
Oh, and if you are someone who dives for the exit at the first title... resist... there is an excellent mid-title sequence featuring a wonderful cameo for us older folks!
(Please check out the full graphical review on bob-the-movie-man, which will be going live shortly. Thanks).
Rock 'n' Film: Cinema's Dance with Popular Music
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Rock 'N' Film presents a cultural history of films about US and British rock music during the period...
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) Sep 29, 2019
Andy K (10823 KP) Sep 29, 2019