
JT (287 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
The film swept awards season with the film winning Best Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, not to mention cleaning up at the BAFTAs. This was a strong indication that Mendes might have a hand on a couple of Oscars.
1917 tells the story of two Lance Corporals, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) who are tasked with hand-delivering a message to another battalion who are inadvertently walking into a trap – Blake’s brother among them. If they fail then 1,600 men will lose their lives.
Blake and Schofield have been through a lot. When we first meet them they are relaxing beneath a tree, taking a break trying to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
Without so much as a thought the pair salute General Erinmore (Colin Firth) and start the first part of their harrowing journey crossing no man’s land. The film is gripping in every sense of the word and you feel as if you are making the treacherous journey with them.
The scenery is devastatingly realistic, particularly the trip across no man’s land where charred bodies are buried deep in bombed-out craters of mud, their faces starring out in a look of shock.
The cast is limited to a few big-name cameos which aren’t blink and you miss them. Joining Firth is Andrew Scott, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch who make a significant impression in key scenes. The film flows incredibly well and never takes a back step, quite literally.
This is a journey that rivals Saving Private Ryan for it’s impactfulness, and why the memories of those who fought in the great war should always be forever remembered as true heroes.

JT (287 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Providing a few decent scares throughout it never quite lives up to the highs of King’s terrifying novel. The film follows the Creed family as they relocate to the outskirts of a quiet town in Maine, called Ludlow. Head of the family Louis (Jason Clarke), is starting a new job at the university hospital and their new home feels like the perfect place to settle.
But it doesn’t take long for things to go pear-shaped when daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) stumbles across a Pet Sematary (misspelt). There she meets neighbour Jud Crandall (John Lithgow) who warns her that it is not the place for a young girl to play – despite a procession of creepy children in masks walking through the woods. However, a family tragedy sparks Jud to reach out to Louis and offer him a way to resurrect the past.
Providing a few decent scares throughout it never quite lives up to the highs of King’s terrifying novel
Co-directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer Pet Sematary skims over family relationships and races right to the tragedy (which was blatantly given away in the trailer) to satisfy the audience by giving them what they want. However, there is not enough time for Kölsch and Widmyer to delve deeper into the pages of King’s novel to extract parts that could have enhanced the narrative even further.
The ending is unsatisfactory and the directors, looking to impart their take on the story, change and leave out significant parts of King’s book. This is both annoying and surprising. That said, the film is not without the odd positive, despite falling just short of being a decent horror remake.

JT (287 KP) rated The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Zak has no idea how to get to where he’s going but is encouraged to escape by his roommate Carl (Bruce Dern). So in just his underpants he slips through the bars of his window and escapes.
Meanwhile, Tyler is running from a troubled and emotional past of his own. Flashbacks show him laughing and joking with his brother Mark played by Jon Bernthal, who as it turns out is killed in a car accident with Tyler asleep at the wheel.
But this film isn’t about Tyler, it’s about Zak and getting the chance to meet his wrestling hero, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church) who he’s seen countless times on TV and is desperate to meet.
It’s the kind of film that you know will only have a happy ending as each discovers new things about themselves – they bring the best out in each other.
LaBeouf gives an excellent performance and the story has a Mark Twain feel about it. Walking barefoot, swimming and floating down the river on a hand made raft, free from a society that holds them back. Zack Gottsagen is equally good and provides some funny and dramatic moments that will tug at the heartstrings.
They are followed closely on their adventure by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) Zak’s caregiver who has foiled his previous escape attempts on more than one occasion. When she finally catches up with them she too discovers a few home truths.
The Peanut Butter Falcon oozes charm and is helped by two brilliant central performances. If you’ve not seen it already then I urge you to make time for it.

Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Brahms: The Boy II (2020) in Movies
Mar 14, 2020

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Walking Dead - Season 2 in TV
Aug 2, 2019
I am extremely fond of this season. It's fairly slow but that's really not a bad thing. It devotes a lot of time to fleshing out the ensemble cast, and concentrates a lot on internal conflicts within the group.
The series starts with one of the children, Sophia, going missing after a zombie horde shuffles towards our heroes as they hide in a freeway under cars (a classic tense TWD scene).
Sophia, understandably scared, decides to run instead of hide, and the group sets off to find her. During their search, Rick's young son Carl is accidentally shot, and the group find medical help at a nearby farm.
And said farm is where the rest of the season takes place.
We're introduced in this season to fan favourites such as Hershel (literally my favourite TWD character of all time), Maggie, and Beth, adding some great characters to an already strong cast.
The conflict between Rick and Shane comes to a head as the season progresses, resulting in some really tense scenes.
The mid point of season 2 contains one of the best scenes to ever grace TWD. As the suspect barn at the bottom on Hershels farm is opened against his will, and well, the end of the episode contains a revelation that gave me goosebumps. For a show about zombies, it's really powerful television at times.
The finale is predictable zombie chaos, but it's a lot of gory fun, and leaves you hankering for season 3, even if we lose a couple of great characters along the way.

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Chris Evans does a fantastic job of introducing us to the wiry little guy with guts who eventually becomes Captain America. Such unashamed, honest virtue is different from the typical superhero movie we’ve come to see over the last few years, and for good reason: internal conflicts often make for dramatic films. However, I don’t think such unwavering idealism would have worked with any other comic-book character than Captain America. Stanley Tucci and Tommy Lee Jones add heart to the movie, but the soul of this movie really is the Captain. Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull plays a satisfying villain here, but his motives aren’t clarified enough to warrant his fervor for evil. Hayley Atwell, playing love interest and British agent Peggy Carter does a more convincing job in her role than Hugo Weaving does in his.
The plot of the film was pretty standard fare. Hero battles villain. The ending was more climactic and earnest than I had expected walking into the theater, and it gracefully sets up the Avengers movie. Like many of the other Marvel movies of recent note, there is a decent amount of self-deprecating comic book humor that helps break up the slower parts between action scenes.
The effects of the film were solid. They were pulpy enough to feel like a Marvel universe, rather than our own, but they still carried the action to an exciting level. The art department and cinematographer did a good job recreating the 40’s asthetic throughout the film, though there was enough exotic comic book elements to bring you back into a world where superheroes really do exist.
Despite its own flaws, this is one of the better Marvel films to come out since Iron Man, and count me in to watch The Avengers next year.

12-Step Addiction Recovery Program Through Meditations
Book and Medical
App
NEW! Breakthrough with this 12-Step Meditation Program! This app follows the principles of the 12...

The Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle That Brought Down the Klan
Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Women chronicles the powerful and spellbinding...

Lonely Planet Scotland's Highlands & Islands
Lonely Planet, Neil Wilson and Andy Symington
Book
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Scotland's Highlands &...

Tenerife Bus & Touring Map: 2015
David Brawn and Ros Brawn
Book
2015 edition of Tenerife Bus & Touring Map including Bono-Via and timetable information. Including...