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Andy K (10823 KP) rated What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Deep Space Nine (2018) in Movies
Jul 23, 2019
Where would we be without DS9?
Maybe the best Trek of all time?
Sisko, Odo, Kira, O'Brien, Dax, Quark, Bashir and the rest of the massive cast brought Star Trek to life as never before in this vastly different "station"ary style of Trek.
At the time, syndication was where it was at for reruns and additional revenue for a TV program. DS9 bucked the trend of wrapping up everything within one episode and began a TV serial which pretty much ran almost the entire run, much to the dismay of studio executives. Nowadays, shows like The Walking Dead, Lost, or Game of Thrones do this every week, but in the mid 90s this was not common.
Sandwiched in between The Next Generation and Voyager, DS9 did not get a lot of respect during its initial run at all. Also at that time, Trek TNG movies were in full swing so the show had to compete with that as well. Television stations would often preempt the show, skip a week or run the show in the early morning hours which made it even harder for its audience to keep track of the action.
DS9 certainly got a 2nd life with the current popularity of "binge watching" on your favorite streaming service. Having the ability to watch multi-part episodes or entire seasons within a few weeks brought back to life the en genius writing, acting and production quality of the series.
For this documentary, former showrunner Ira Steven Behr took several years worth of cast, crew and fan interviews, clips, behind the scenes footage and compiled a wonderful interesting film for any Trek fan. Many cast members major and minor as well as producers, writers and tech workers told tales of working on the show and how they very much enjoyed their time.
Throughout the many iterations of Trek, original creator Gene Roddenberry felt the show should entertain as well as provide social commentary on the issues of the time and DS9 was no exception. Throughout the show's 7 year run they dealt with issues such as racism, homelessness, same sex relationships and even genetic engineering.
One of the most fun subplots of the film was gathering the show's original writers in a room to formulate the first episode for the fictitious "Season 8" which will never actually happen (although I wish it would). The ideas, plot points and arcs they went through and came up with were extremely interesting, keep with the high level of writing the show originally produced, but also through us a few curveballs with some fun surprises.
Through the cast interviews we got to hear how the crew got along, some of their favorite and least favorite episodes and even the friendships they have maintained with one another.
The DVD set I received also had included a vast assortment of additional footage featuring even more nuggets and stories of what made the show great.
Overall, this film was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen about one of my favorite television programs in my lifetime. I might have to start binge watching the show again very soon.
Did I mention my name appears in the end credits?!? đ
Sisko, Odo, Kira, O'Brien, Dax, Quark, Bashir and the rest of the massive cast brought Star Trek to life as never before in this vastly different "station"ary style of Trek.
At the time, syndication was where it was at for reruns and additional revenue for a TV program. DS9 bucked the trend of wrapping up everything within one episode and began a TV serial which pretty much ran almost the entire run, much to the dismay of studio executives. Nowadays, shows like The Walking Dead, Lost, or Game of Thrones do this every week, but in the mid 90s this was not common.
Sandwiched in between The Next Generation and Voyager, DS9 did not get a lot of respect during its initial run at all. Also at that time, Trek TNG movies were in full swing so the show had to compete with that as well. Television stations would often preempt the show, skip a week or run the show in the early morning hours which made it even harder for its audience to keep track of the action.
DS9 certainly got a 2nd life with the current popularity of "binge watching" on your favorite streaming service. Having the ability to watch multi-part episodes or entire seasons within a few weeks brought back to life the en genius writing, acting and production quality of the series.
For this documentary, former showrunner Ira Steven Behr took several years worth of cast, crew and fan interviews, clips, behind the scenes footage and compiled a wonderful interesting film for any Trek fan. Many cast members major and minor as well as producers, writers and tech workers told tales of working on the show and how they very much enjoyed their time.
Throughout the many iterations of Trek, original creator Gene Roddenberry felt the show should entertain as well as provide social commentary on the issues of the time and DS9 was no exception. Throughout the show's 7 year run they dealt with issues such as racism, homelessness, same sex relationships and even genetic engineering.
One of the most fun subplots of the film was gathering the show's original writers in a room to formulate the first episode for the fictitious "Season 8" which will never actually happen (although I wish it would). The ideas, plot points and arcs they went through and came up with were extremely interesting, keep with the high level of writing the show originally produced, but also through us a few curveballs with some fun surprises.
Through the cast interviews we got to hear how the crew got along, some of their favorite and least favorite episodes and even the friendships they have maintained with one another.
The DVD set I received also had included a vast assortment of additional footage featuring even more nuggets and stories of what made the show great.
Overall, this film was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen about one of my favorite television programs in my lifetime. I might have to start binge watching the show again very soon.
Did I mention my name appears in the end credits?!? đ
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 5, 2019 (Updated Nov 24, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Doctor Sleep certainly has some big footprints to follow. Nearly 40 years after the release of the hugely beloved The Shining, Director Mike Flanagan has the rather complicated task of adapting Stephen King's follow up sequel novel, whilst also attempting to deliver a solid follow up to Stanley Kubrick's original film. And he pulls it off pretty damn well.
The narrative follows a now adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), as he struggles with alcoholism. As he begins to put his life back together, he is thrown into a friendship with Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a young girl who has similar powers to Danny, and who is being pursued by a cult who feed on the life force of those who possess 'The Shining'.
This new story is a really tight and fantastic thriller story in its own right. Flanagan takes a leaf from Kubrick's book and provides us with and unsettling atmosphere, complete with a Shining-esque creepy string music score, instead of relying on jump scares and other horror tropes.
It's effective, and engaging. A big part of this is down to the cast. Danny and Abra are both very likable protagonists.
The cult is lead by Rose the Hat, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is both charming and sinister, and a big highlight of Doctor Sleep. Her and her followers fight for survival shows they will not even stop short of child sacrifice to get what they need, and it makes for a band of genuinely scary villains
The scenery is beautiful throughout, the the effects work on some of the more trippy scenes are decent, and the film toes the line in regards to relying on The Shining nostalgia too much, that is until the final act.
HUGE SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR SLEEP INCOMING
The last 30 minutes are undeniably fun, and a genuinely great climax, to a genuinely great film, but it does just about go overboard with it's 'look at this, remember this?' style of nostalgia. The sad thing is, it probably amounts to about 10 seconds of screentime that slightly sours the experience.
When Danny is at the bar, it's clear that he is talking to Jack before we even see the side of his face. His side profile is fine - absolutely no need to show his full face. Similarly a bit later, a recreated shot of Jack Torrance walking up the stairs towards his wife, didn't need to be there, nor did the shot of Rose the Hat seeing blood pouring from the elevator doors.
The film stops just short of having Ewan McGregor axe his way through a door panel thankfully, and it's only a small criticism of an otherwise nicely executed sequence.
Elsewhere tells a different story - The opening scene of The Shining is recreated, complete with the same iconic score, as overhead shots show us Danny driving up the mountain, towards the Overlook Hotel. It gave me goosebumps and the
scenes near the start of the film which follow directly on from The Shining are great, especially Carl Lumbly, who plays a spot on Mr. Hallorann.
END OF SPOILERS
All in all though, I thoroughly enjoyed Doctor Sleep. The Shining is not an easy shadow to step out from, but Mike Flanagan has created something here which stands on its own two feet.
It's dark, it's fun, it's unnerving, everything you could want from a horror in this day and age, and I genuinely can't wait to watch it again soon.
The narrative follows a now adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), as he struggles with alcoholism. As he begins to put his life back together, he is thrown into a friendship with Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a young girl who has similar powers to Danny, and who is being pursued by a cult who feed on the life force of those who possess 'The Shining'.
This new story is a really tight and fantastic thriller story in its own right. Flanagan takes a leaf from Kubrick's book and provides us with and unsettling atmosphere, complete with a Shining-esque creepy string music score, instead of relying on jump scares and other horror tropes.
It's effective, and engaging. A big part of this is down to the cast. Danny and Abra are both very likable protagonists.
The cult is lead by Rose the Hat, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is both charming and sinister, and a big highlight of Doctor Sleep. Her and her followers fight for survival shows they will not even stop short of child sacrifice to get what they need, and it makes for a band of genuinely scary villains
The scenery is beautiful throughout, the the effects work on some of the more trippy scenes are decent, and the film toes the line in regards to relying on The Shining nostalgia too much, that is until the final act.
HUGE SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR SLEEP INCOMING
The last 30 minutes are undeniably fun, and a genuinely great climax, to a genuinely great film, but it does just about go overboard with it's 'look at this, remember this?' style of nostalgia. The sad thing is, it probably amounts to about 10 seconds of screentime that slightly sours the experience.
When Danny is at the bar, it's clear that he is talking to Jack before we even see the side of his face. His side profile is fine - absolutely no need to show his full face. Similarly a bit later, a recreated shot of Jack Torrance walking up the stairs towards his wife, didn't need to be there, nor did the shot of Rose the Hat seeing blood pouring from the elevator doors.
The film stops just short of having Ewan McGregor axe his way through a door panel thankfully, and it's only a small criticism of an otherwise nicely executed sequence.
Elsewhere tells a different story - The opening scene of The Shining is recreated, complete with the same iconic score, as overhead shots show us Danny driving up the mountain, towards the Overlook Hotel. It gave me goosebumps and the
scenes near the start of the film which follow directly on from The Shining are great, especially Carl Lumbly, who plays a spot on Mr. Hallorann.
END OF SPOILERS
All in all though, I thoroughly enjoyed Doctor Sleep. The Shining is not an easy shadow to step out from, but Mike Flanagan has created something here which stands on its own two feet.
It's dark, it's fun, it's unnerving, everything you could want from a horror in this day and age, and I genuinely can't wait to watch it again soon.
JT (287 KP) rated Dead Man Down (2013) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
If youâre looking for a film that is as dark and disturbing as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you might be a little disappointed here.
Only a little however, director Niels Arden Oplevâs first English language feature produces effective results in what is a very good revenge thriller. Colin Farrell plays gangland enforcer Victor who during a shoot out saves the life of his boss Alphonse (Howard) who is being tormented by an unknown hell bent on making his life uncomfortable.
Victor has his own agenda, getting as close to Alphonse as possible before exacting revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter years earlier. On the surface it looks like any bog standard Hollywood revenge thriller but dig a little deeper and therein lies an intricate story that weaves its way through to an explosive finale.
Oplev brings back Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace and gives her a darker character, (one that sheâll be able to relate with) who has a past that has scared her, both inside and out, sheâs after some revenge of her own. Comparisons will be drawn to her most famous female lead, Lisbeth Salander.
Rapace plays Beatrice, a lonely individual who lives with her slightly deaf mother Valentine (Isabelle Huppert) who has a penchant for cooking and Tupperware and it would be argued her talents are wasted in this. Beatrice blackmails Victor when she catches him knocking off a gang member in his apartment, and tells him that sheâll go to he police unless he helps her kill someone from her past.
Despite coming across as a revenge-actioner in the trailers the film itself has a lot more going for it than that, there is so much more to the story than just cracking heads and explosions. Beatriceâs pain at being scarred by a drunk diver who all but got away leaves her encased in worry and self pity, while Valentine does her best to push her back out into the world.
The relationship between Victor and Beatrice is cagey at first, but this isnât an initial romance that is going to blossom with them walking off into the sunset together, not at the beginning anyway. It is hard to tell who really wants what and its more about the coming together of two lost souls whose first thought in life is revenge, leaving everything else to come second.
The on screen chemistry between the two lead protagonists is believable, Farrell is steely eyed and strong and Rapace conveys herself with devilish intrigue while at the same time giving off a sense of vulnerability. Terrance Howard is slick and does a decent job, although I could think of a number of other actors who probably could have pulled off the character with a great deal more menace.
The action is pretty good, the highlight being the pulsating last 15 minutes which to be honest was well worth the admission price alone. There was what I would call a âcopoutâ moment at the end, and after everything that Farrell had gone through I would have thought more attention would have been centered on that, instead I left feeling slightly short changed.
Itâs a solid film from Niels Arden Oplev with some great acting and a finale that will leave you gasping for an encore.
Only a little however, director Niels Arden Oplevâs first English language feature produces effective results in what is a very good revenge thriller. Colin Farrell plays gangland enforcer Victor who during a shoot out saves the life of his boss Alphonse (Howard) who is being tormented by an unknown hell bent on making his life uncomfortable.
Victor has his own agenda, getting as close to Alphonse as possible before exacting revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter years earlier. On the surface it looks like any bog standard Hollywood revenge thriller but dig a little deeper and therein lies an intricate story that weaves its way through to an explosive finale.
Oplev brings back Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace and gives her a darker character, (one that sheâll be able to relate with) who has a past that has scared her, both inside and out, sheâs after some revenge of her own. Comparisons will be drawn to her most famous female lead, Lisbeth Salander.
Rapace plays Beatrice, a lonely individual who lives with her slightly deaf mother Valentine (Isabelle Huppert) who has a penchant for cooking and Tupperware and it would be argued her talents are wasted in this. Beatrice blackmails Victor when she catches him knocking off a gang member in his apartment, and tells him that sheâll go to he police unless he helps her kill someone from her past.
Despite coming across as a revenge-actioner in the trailers the film itself has a lot more going for it than that, there is so much more to the story than just cracking heads and explosions. Beatriceâs pain at being scarred by a drunk diver who all but got away leaves her encased in worry and self pity, while Valentine does her best to push her back out into the world.
The relationship between Victor and Beatrice is cagey at first, but this isnât an initial romance that is going to blossom with them walking off into the sunset together, not at the beginning anyway. It is hard to tell who really wants what and its more about the coming together of two lost souls whose first thought in life is revenge, leaving everything else to come second.
The on screen chemistry between the two lead protagonists is believable, Farrell is steely eyed and strong and Rapace conveys herself with devilish intrigue while at the same time giving off a sense of vulnerability. Terrance Howard is slick and does a decent job, although I could think of a number of other actors who probably could have pulled off the character with a great deal more menace.
The action is pretty good, the highlight being the pulsating last 15 minutes which to be honest was well worth the admission price alone. There was what I would call a âcopoutâ moment at the end, and after everything that Farrell had gone through I would have thought more attention would have been centered on that, instead I left feeling slightly short changed.
Itâs a solid film from Niels Arden Oplev with some great acting and a finale that will leave you gasping for an encore.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
As an Alice in Wonderland enthusiast, I was more than thrilled when Disney announced they were making Alice Through the Looking Glass, since the first film was visually stunning I went into watching the sequel with the same expectation that it would be rich in color and visuals. Visually it did not disappoint, with lavish costumes, and whimsical set design from beginning to end; the film was entertaining to watch. With returning characters such as Alice (Mia Wasikowska), The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and The White Queen (Anne Hathaway); the main story focuses on Alice trying to save the Hatter. With the citizens of Wonderland concerned for the Hatterâs wellbeing they rely on Alice to try to save the Hatter before it is too late, however Alice must race against Time (Sacha Baron Cohen) to try to learn what has happened to the Hatters family. Alice learns you canât change the past but you can learn from it for the future; but will this knowledge help her save the Hatter or keep her stuck in the past?
Alice Through the Looking Glass mainly focuses on the friendship of Alice and the Hatter but also gives background history into the past of the Hatter, The Red Queen, and The White Queen. I found this really insightful and made it easier to get invested into the films plot points. I also found this film much more fast paced then the first film, literally about 10 minutes into the film Alice is jumping through the looking glass into Wonderland and right into the action. The newest addition to this film however is Time; who at first is given the main antagonist slot of the film, but as the story progresses that is not entirely the case. The film really shows good and evil are subjective in a sense, all while giving a good old fashion Disney happy ending.
Tim Burtonâs Alice Through the Looking Glass keeps the accomplished directors personal style while keeping the characters of Lewis Carrollâs novel noticeable. However, I will warn you, if you were wanting to see this and hoping it was just like the novel.
Itâs not. Itâs actually the furthest from the actual book Through the Looking-Glass. The only reason it should probably have this title is due to Alice walking through the looking glass to get to Wonderland, but story wise it has nothing in common story wise. Burton used heavy creative license in the film, and even added Time as a leading role and main plot point thatâs not even in Carrollâs novel. While the film is visually stunning and the beloved characters help the audience get invested, the overall plot is somewhat lacking the whimsy that is known in Carrollâs story. While the first film tells the story of Carrollâs novel, the sequel is definitely a story of Burtonâs creation. So overall I would say the film is decent; if you enjoyed the first one you should enjoy this one. However, for those who loved the novel and were hoping for an accurate adaptation, this might not be for you. For me personally as a lover of all things âAlice in Wonderlandâ; I enjoyed it visually, and the portrayal of characters was great, but I felt the story was lacking.
Alice Through the Looking Glass mainly focuses on the friendship of Alice and the Hatter but also gives background history into the past of the Hatter, The Red Queen, and The White Queen. I found this really insightful and made it easier to get invested into the films plot points. I also found this film much more fast paced then the first film, literally about 10 minutes into the film Alice is jumping through the looking glass into Wonderland and right into the action. The newest addition to this film however is Time; who at first is given the main antagonist slot of the film, but as the story progresses that is not entirely the case. The film really shows good and evil are subjective in a sense, all while giving a good old fashion Disney happy ending.
Tim Burtonâs Alice Through the Looking Glass keeps the accomplished directors personal style while keeping the characters of Lewis Carrollâs novel noticeable. However, I will warn you, if you were wanting to see this and hoping it was just like the novel.
Itâs not. Itâs actually the furthest from the actual book Through the Looking-Glass. The only reason it should probably have this title is due to Alice walking through the looking glass to get to Wonderland, but story wise it has nothing in common story wise. Burton used heavy creative license in the film, and even added Time as a leading role and main plot point thatâs not even in Carrollâs novel. While the film is visually stunning and the beloved characters help the audience get invested, the overall plot is somewhat lacking the whimsy that is known in Carrollâs story. While the first film tells the story of Carrollâs novel, the sequel is definitely a story of Burtonâs creation. So overall I would say the film is decent; if you enjoyed the first one you should enjoy this one. However, for those who loved the novel and were hoping for an accurate adaptation, this might not be for you. For me personally as a lover of all things âAlice in Wonderlandâ; I enjoyed it visually, and the portrayal of characters was great, but I felt the story was lacking.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Knowing my love of reading, a friend of mine suggested I read The Maze Runner by James Dashner a few years ago. I had just finished reading Hunger Games so, honestly, I was burned out on post-apocalyptic survival stories so I set it aside. However, being familiar with the title, my interest was piqued when the movie was announced and I found myself drawn into the story more than I expected when I screened The Maze Runner movie in 2014. It didnât have the desperate drama of The Hunger Games, but the mystery of the maze was intriguing enough.
If you havenât seen the first movie in this series, youâll want to watch that first as Scorch Trials picks up pretty much where the last movie ended. There are no recaps or flashbacks which fans may appreciate as the full 2 hours and 12 minute running time is dedicated to advancing the story, but itâs definitely not a movie that stands well on its own.
Having escaped from the Glade, Thomas and his somber band of Gladers are transported to a fortified military installation where for a brief moment they believe theyâre safe from Ava Paige and WCKD, the mysterious organization that placed them in the Glade for reasons still unknown.
Suspicious and untrusting (by nature, or conditioning?), Thomas, played with grim determination by Dylan OâBrien, uncovers the outpostâs connection to WCKD and the gang is on the run again but this time, instead of a maze, they find themselves in a desolate landscape known as the Scorch.
If the first movie was âThe Great Escapeâ, this movie is âThe Amazing Raceâ. Hoping to find âThe Right Handâ, a vigilante group of resistance fighters that have allegedly rescued other Gladers, Thomas and gang set out across a barren wasteland. The movie follows their desperate flight to avoid both WCKD operatives and âcranksâ, zombies who were victims of a virus that has wiped out most of humanity.
I watched most of The Scorch Trials, much like I watch The Walking Dead, with my eyes clenched shut but still listening earnestly, but Iâm a bit of a wimp that way. Thereâs definitely more action in this installment and those who enjoyed the first movie, will appreciate this one more even though the last 20 minutes or so of the movie was set up for the third Maze Runner: The Death Cure due in 2017.
The core band of Gladers, played by OâBrien, Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Dexter Darden (Frypan) and Alexander Flores (Winston) are easy to root for, while Game of Thronesâ Aiden Gillen (Janson) and Patricia Clarkson, who reprises her role as Ava Paige, are very easy to dislike. The Scorch Trials introduces new characters, like Aris another maze escapee played by Jacob Lofland, and Brenda and Jorge, survivors turned mercenaries played by Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito who add a new dimension to the story. Will they help lead the Gladers to The Right Hand or turn them over to WCKD for the right price?
In addition to nearly maiming my husband by squeezing his hand too tight, I also left the movie a little winded from holding my breath in suspense, and watching these kids do a hell of a lot of running. A worthy sequel, The Scorch Trials definitely leaves you ready for the story to continue.
If you havenât seen the first movie in this series, youâll want to watch that first as Scorch Trials picks up pretty much where the last movie ended. There are no recaps or flashbacks which fans may appreciate as the full 2 hours and 12 minute running time is dedicated to advancing the story, but itâs definitely not a movie that stands well on its own.
Having escaped from the Glade, Thomas and his somber band of Gladers are transported to a fortified military installation where for a brief moment they believe theyâre safe from Ava Paige and WCKD, the mysterious organization that placed them in the Glade for reasons still unknown.
Suspicious and untrusting (by nature, or conditioning?), Thomas, played with grim determination by Dylan OâBrien, uncovers the outpostâs connection to WCKD and the gang is on the run again but this time, instead of a maze, they find themselves in a desolate landscape known as the Scorch.
If the first movie was âThe Great Escapeâ, this movie is âThe Amazing Raceâ. Hoping to find âThe Right Handâ, a vigilante group of resistance fighters that have allegedly rescued other Gladers, Thomas and gang set out across a barren wasteland. The movie follows their desperate flight to avoid both WCKD operatives and âcranksâ, zombies who were victims of a virus that has wiped out most of humanity.
I watched most of The Scorch Trials, much like I watch The Walking Dead, with my eyes clenched shut but still listening earnestly, but Iâm a bit of a wimp that way. Thereâs definitely more action in this installment and those who enjoyed the first movie, will appreciate this one more even though the last 20 minutes or so of the movie was set up for the third Maze Runner: The Death Cure due in 2017.
The core band of Gladers, played by OâBrien, Kaya Scodelario (Teresa), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt), Ki Hong Lee (Minho), Dexter Darden (Frypan) and Alexander Flores (Winston) are easy to root for, while Game of Thronesâ Aiden Gillen (Janson) and Patricia Clarkson, who reprises her role as Ava Paige, are very easy to dislike. The Scorch Trials introduces new characters, like Aris another maze escapee played by Jacob Lofland, and Brenda and Jorge, survivors turned mercenaries played by Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito who add a new dimension to the story. Will they help lead the Gladers to The Right Hand or turn them over to WCKD for the right price?
In addition to nearly maiming my husband by squeezing his hand too tight, I also left the movie a little winded from holding my breath in suspense, and watching these kids do a hell of a lot of running. A worthy sequel, The Scorch Trials definitely leaves you ready for the story to continue.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Interstellar (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
For my money, Christopher Nolan is the best director and storyteller in the film industry today. Over the years he has grown with each film he has created. In his early work, like Following, Memento, and Insomniac, he experimented with different notions of how we as an audience perceived a story unfold on film. In each of those films he learned techniques that he carried with him as he moved onto bigger commercial successâ like The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Prestige. All of those techniques, culminated in my humble opinion, his masterpiece with 2010s Inception. Now he is back, with a space exploration film for this generation that rivals Stanley Kubrickâs 2001: A Space odyssey with an added dash of 1997s Contact.
Everything you expect from a Nolan film his here. Stunning visuals that not only leave us breathless at the vastness and beauty of space and other worlds, but also character driven framing that is subtle enough for us to be able to understand and focus on this character driven story. We are driven forward by one manâs mission to save the earth, but on a more humanizing level, his family. It is this constant thread, especially the bond of Love between a father and daughter, which holds this majestic film together from start to finish. Those who miss this focus or nitpick at the science of it all may be disappointed and feel the film is too big to be concluded with such a simple notion. However those who are willing to concede that impressive visuals do not need to be concluded on an ostentatious scale for there to be a grandiose impact, will find satisfaction at a film that makes us contemplate our place in time and space.
If these stunning visuals are the face of this film, then the score is undoubtedly the emotion. Nolan once again teams up with Academy Award winning composer Hans Zimmer, to produce a stunningly moving and heartfelt score that not only propels forward in our exploration of the unknown, but at times is our only friend in letting us know it is ok to breath.
Perhaps it is just the gravity of the work that Nolan has done in the last few years, but the actors in this film know the stakes and each came to play. The cast each elevate their performances not only for themselves but for each other. Led by Academy Award Winner winners Mathew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, as well as Academy Award Nominee Jessica Chastain, the entire cast of Interstellar deliver excellent performances that cause us not only relate, but to feel the world at large and the relationships with each other. I was especially impressed with the young Mackenzie Foy, whose relationship with McConaughey is crucial to the story being able to hold together for the entire film.
In closing, Interstellar is a beautiful film to behold with a story that revolves around exploration, survival, and love told in an epic way both visually and audibly. For some there may be a few make or break moments, but if you just focus on the story and world being told to you, it will all make sense. The filmâs running time is 2 hours and 49 minutes which may seem like much to some, however because Interstellar is an experience, not just a film, the length is hardly noticeable as a bad thing. After walking away, you will want to see this experience in the theaters again, especially in IMAX for the best possible visuals and audio.
Everything you expect from a Nolan film his here. Stunning visuals that not only leave us breathless at the vastness and beauty of space and other worlds, but also character driven framing that is subtle enough for us to be able to understand and focus on this character driven story. We are driven forward by one manâs mission to save the earth, but on a more humanizing level, his family. It is this constant thread, especially the bond of Love between a father and daughter, which holds this majestic film together from start to finish. Those who miss this focus or nitpick at the science of it all may be disappointed and feel the film is too big to be concluded with such a simple notion. However those who are willing to concede that impressive visuals do not need to be concluded on an ostentatious scale for there to be a grandiose impact, will find satisfaction at a film that makes us contemplate our place in time and space.
If these stunning visuals are the face of this film, then the score is undoubtedly the emotion. Nolan once again teams up with Academy Award winning composer Hans Zimmer, to produce a stunningly moving and heartfelt score that not only propels forward in our exploration of the unknown, but at times is our only friend in letting us know it is ok to breath.
Perhaps it is just the gravity of the work that Nolan has done in the last few years, but the actors in this film know the stakes and each came to play. The cast each elevate their performances not only for themselves but for each other. Led by Academy Award Winner winners Mathew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, as well as Academy Award Nominee Jessica Chastain, the entire cast of Interstellar deliver excellent performances that cause us not only relate, but to feel the world at large and the relationships with each other. I was especially impressed with the young Mackenzie Foy, whose relationship with McConaughey is crucial to the story being able to hold together for the entire film.
In closing, Interstellar is a beautiful film to behold with a story that revolves around exploration, survival, and love told in an epic way both visually and audibly. For some there may be a few make or break moments, but if you just focus on the story and world being told to you, it will all make sense. The filmâs running time is 2 hours and 49 minutes which may seem like much to some, however because Interstellar is an experience, not just a film, the length is hardly noticeable as a bad thing. After walking away, you will want to see this experience in the theaters again, especially in IMAX for the best possible visuals and audio.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Snitch (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Iâm a huge fan of Dwayne âThe Rockâ Johnson. His wrestling persona is
extremely entertaining and heâs a pretty decent actor. He did good with this movie but it wasnât enough.
The premise of the movie is based on âtrue eventsâ (whatever that
means), itâs more about a law thatâs real in our country right now, Iâll get in to that later.
There are a lot of characters so stick with me. The Rock plays John
Matthews, he owns his own construction business. He has an ex-wife, Sylvie Collins played by Melina Kanakaredes, and a current wife, Analisa played by Nadine Velazquez.
Johnand Analisa
have a daughter Isabella and he has a son with Sylvie, Jason Collins played by Rafi Gavron. The other major players are Barry Pepper who plays undercover DEA agent Cooper; Susan Sarandon who plays Joanne Keeghan a US Attorney; Jon Bernthal
who plays Daniel James an ex-con trying to get his life back together; Michael Kenneth Williams who plays Malik, a drug dealer; and Benjamin Bratt who plays Cartel leader Juan Carlos. Out of all of these, I liked Daniel, Agent Cooper, John Matthews, Malik and
Joanne Keeghan, in that order.
The law the movie is based on is about mandatory minimums. If you are
holding and itâs enough to distribute then you go to jail. The length of your jail time is based on how
much you are holding when youâre caught. In this case, Jason, who is 18 and still in high
school, is set up by his âbest friendâ. This friend sends him a huge bag of ecstasy against Jasonâs wishes.
When the package arrives Jason gets caught because itâs a
sting. His jail time based on the amount of ecstasy is ten years in a prison that holds murderers, rapist and violent criminals.
The movie starts excruciatingly slow, the real action doesnât start until
almost halfway through, or at least it felt like it. Itâs good once you get there but I wasnât really into
the people in it/living it. I kept thinking of the actors as themselves not the characters
they were playing, even the ones I liked. There were too many close ups andâin actionâ scenes that involved someone with a camera running or walking next to the actor.
I getthat it was to try and build apprehension and anxiety but it was more annoying and kept pulling me out of the story so I couldnât connect emotionally with the characters.
I didnât believe the union between John and Analisa or that there had been one with Sylvie, there was no familiarity and I didnât believe the love or tension between them.
John was a business man whoâs never seen action so heâs kind of a wuss, but itâs the Rock, a huge tall muscle-y intense looking guy. Whenever he flinched I kept waiting for him to kick ass but he never does.
Then in another scene heâs magically badass, shooting
a shotgun one handed out of the window of a semi-truck heâs driving.
The movie was more about showing people this heinous law then entertainingus. I donât like that, itâs not why I go to movies. The only saving grace would have been if it had been really entertaining but it was only mildly entertaining at best.
Iâd say rent it if you like the Rock or if youâre curious, it wouldnât be too much of a waste of your time but
definitely donât waste your money in a theatre.
extremely entertaining and heâs a pretty decent actor. He did good with this movie but it wasnât enough.
The premise of the movie is based on âtrue eventsâ (whatever that
means), itâs more about a law thatâs real in our country right now, Iâll get in to that later.
There are a lot of characters so stick with me. The Rock plays John
Matthews, he owns his own construction business. He has an ex-wife, Sylvie Collins played by Melina Kanakaredes, and a current wife, Analisa played by Nadine Velazquez.
Johnand Analisa
have a daughter Isabella and he has a son with Sylvie, Jason Collins played by Rafi Gavron. The other major players are Barry Pepper who plays undercover DEA agent Cooper; Susan Sarandon who plays Joanne Keeghan a US Attorney; Jon Bernthal
who plays Daniel James an ex-con trying to get his life back together; Michael Kenneth Williams who plays Malik, a drug dealer; and Benjamin Bratt who plays Cartel leader Juan Carlos. Out of all of these, I liked Daniel, Agent Cooper, John Matthews, Malik and
Joanne Keeghan, in that order.
The law the movie is based on is about mandatory minimums. If you are
holding and itâs enough to distribute then you go to jail. The length of your jail time is based on how
much you are holding when youâre caught. In this case, Jason, who is 18 and still in high
school, is set up by his âbest friendâ. This friend sends him a huge bag of ecstasy against Jasonâs wishes.
When the package arrives Jason gets caught because itâs a
sting. His jail time based on the amount of ecstasy is ten years in a prison that holds murderers, rapist and violent criminals.
The movie starts excruciatingly slow, the real action doesnât start until
almost halfway through, or at least it felt like it. Itâs good once you get there but I wasnât really into
the people in it/living it. I kept thinking of the actors as themselves not the characters
they were playing, even the ones I liked. There were too many close ups andâin actionâ scenes that involved someone with a camera running or walking next to the actor.
I getthat it was to try and build apprehension and anxiety but it was more annoying and kept pulling me out of the story so I couldnât connect emotionally with the characters.
I didnât believe the union between John and Analisa or that there had been one with Sylvie, there was no familiarity and I didnât believe the love or tension between them.
John was a business man whoâs never seen action so heâs kind of a wuss, but itâs the Rock, a huge tall muscle-y intense looking guy. Whenever he flinched I kept waiting for him to kick ass but he never does.
Then in another scene heâs magically badass, shooting
a shotgun one handed out of the window of a semi-truck heâs driving.
The movie was more about showing people this heinous law then entertainingus. I donât like that, itâs not why I go to movies. The only saving grace would have been if it had been really entertaining but it was only mildly entertaining at best.
Iâd say rent it if you like the Rock or if youâre curious, it wouldnât be too much of a waste of your time but
definitely donât waste your money in a theatre.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Chronicle (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Walking into the theatre to see Chronicle I was pretty excited. I had not heard much about this movie, in fact Iâll be honest here⌠I heard a small amount of info about two months ago and then it dropped off my radar before a trailer appeared last Sunday.
The trailer was enough for me to believe that this movie was going to be different than some of the other superhero/people with powers movies out there. I must say I was not disappointed.
That being said, the movie was not quite what I expected. This film was not presented as a high-quality cinematic experience the way movies such as âX-men: First Classâ were. Instead, think âParanormal Activityâ meets Heroe and you get a better understanding of the film. Most of the movie is viewed through a video camera that the main character is toting around to âchronicleâ his life. The film also does a creative job of being able to portray events when it doesnât make sense for the video camera to be around. Overall, I think they did a good job in the presentation. But now to the meat and potatoes.
Set in Seattle, Chronicle follows Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan, True Blood and In Treatment), a troubled teen who is having trouble fitting in with his fellow seniors at school. He has to deal with his abusive father and ill mother all the while traversing day to day life as the social reject. His cousin Matt (Alex Russell, Wasted on the Young) is his only real friend, and Andrew has his suspicions about that relationship as well.
At a high school party Matt and Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan, Hard Ball and Friday Night Lights [TV]), the class president hopeful, come across a mysterious hole in the ground. Matt and Steve search Andrew out and convince him to go with them to record what could possibly be down in the hole.
They venture down in and find something almost indescribable. A meteor of some type had crashed in through the earth, only you donât really know if this thing is a meteor or some type of living organism. Something goes wrong, and we are left wondering about the boysâ safety until we next see the boys a few weeks later and discover that theyâve been changed by their contact with this âmeteorâ. They now have telekinetic powers. Though weak at first, it is clear that the boys begin developing the power as they would a muscle and their relationship as friends begins to strengthen as well. We begin to focus on Andrew even more and see how he comes to terms with these new found abilities, and the affect it has on him as he continues to live his troubled life. As things begin to escalate, he starts to lose his grip on reality to a disastrous end.
While not a blockbuster movie in any sense of the word, this film definitely has a story to tell. It brings us back to a seemingly recurring theme over the past decade or so: donât bully or ostracize people, or they could snap. While I did not feel that the events leading to the climatic high point in the movie were portrayed in such a fashion that you would believe Andrew would have reacted the way he did, it was still a very entertaining film.
The trailer was enough for me to believe that this movie was going to be different than some of the other superhero/people with powers movies out there. I must say I was not disappointed.
That being said, the movie was not quite what I expected. This film was not presented as a high-quality cinematic experience the way movies such as âX-men: First Classâ were. Instead, think âParanormal Activityâ meets Heroe and you get a better understanding of the film. Most of the movie is viewed through a video camera that the main character is toting around to âchronicleâ his life. The film also does a creative job of being able to portray events when it doesnât make sense for the video camera to be around. Overall, I think they did a good job in the presentation. But now to the meat and potatoes.
Set in Seattle, Chronicle follows Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan, True Blood and In Treatment), a troubled teen who is having trouble fitting in with his fellow seniors at school. He has to deal with his abusive father and ill mother all the while traversing day to day life as the social reject. His cousin Matt (Alex Russell, Wasted on the Young) is his only real friend, and Andrew has his suspicions about that relationship as well.
At a high school party Matt and Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan, Hard Ball and Friday Night Lights [TV]), the class president hopeful, come across a mysterious hole in the ground. Matt and Steve search Andrew out and convince him to go with them to record what could possibly be down in the hole.
They venture down in and find something almost indescribable. A meteor of some type had crashed in through the earth, only you donât really know if this thing is a meteor or some type of living organism. Something goes wrong, and we are left wondering about the boysâ safety until we next see the boys a few weeks later and discover that theyâve been changed by their contact with this âmeteorâ. They now have telekinetic powers. Though weak at first, it is clear that the boys begin developing the power as they would a muscle and their relationship as friends begins to strengthen as well. We begin to focus on Andrew even more and see how he comes to terms with these new found abilities, and the affect it has on him as he continues to live his troubled life. As things begin to escalate, he starts to lose his grip on reality to a disastrous end.
While not a blockbuster movie in any sense of the word, this film definitely has a story to tell. It brings us back to a seemingly recurring theme over the past decade or so: donât bully or ostracize people, or they could snap. While I did not feel that the events leading to the climatic high point in the movie were portrayed in such a fashion that you would believe Andrew would have reacted the way he did, it was still a very entertaining film.
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