Search
Search results
Awix (3310 KP) rated You Were Never Really Here (2018) in Movies
Mar 16, 2018 (Updated Mar 17, 2018)
On paper Lynne Ramsay's art-house thriller looks like it's channelling Taxi Driver plus any Luc Besson thriller you care to mention: brutal mercenary (Phoenix) takes on a mission to free a senator's daughter, but the job goes bad, to say the least.
However, it's not just the story, but how you tell it - the plot itself is cut down to the bone, and the film is built around the way the director presents a succession of tiny details, a broodingly intense performance from Phoenix, and a driving score from Jonny Greenwood. Pretty heavy stuff throughout, with some graphic violence and a relentlessly bleak vision of the world, but not the kind of film you can really look away from once it has you in its grasp. Not sure it really qualifies as entertainment, but an impressive work of art.
However, it's not just the story, but how you tell it - the plot itself is cut down to the bone, and the film is built around the way the director presents a succession of tiny details, a broodingly intense performance from Phoenix, and a driving score from Jonny Greenwood. Pretty heavy stuff throughout, with some graphic violence and a relentlessly bleak vision of the world, but not the kind of film you can really look away from once it has you in its grasp. Not sure it really qualifies as entertainment, but an impressive work of art.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Tick - Season 1 in TV
Apr 3, 2018
Good silly fun, an antidote to the heavy duty Netflix Marvel shows
The Tick is good fun, and a good alternative to all the super serious or cheesy superhero shows on Netflix etc. Arthur is the reclusive geek whose father was killed accidentally by superheroes when he was a child and he is now trying to prove the evil superhero is still alive and active. he meets up with the Tick and ends up reluctantly as his sidekick (though is the bigger contributor of the two).
The whole series could probably have been boiled down to one feature rather than 12 half hour episodes but it doesn't feel drawn out or padded.
Peter Serafinowicz as the Tick is somewhat underused I would say, with the bulk of the focus being on Arthur, given his comedic abilities but I think that suited the story.
The whole series could probably have been boiled down to one feature rather than 12 half hour episodes but it doesn't feel drawn out or padded.
Peter Serafinowicz as the Tick is somewhat underused I would say, with the bulk of the focus being on Arthur, given his comedic abilities but I think that suited the story.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Robocop (1987) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Murphy's Law
Heavy metal action satire from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven that established him as one of the world's leading SF directors. The story is functional, if hardly original - dedicated cop is shot to pieces by bad guys, rebuilt as an armoured cyborg by heartless corporation, struggles to reclaim his humanity - but what makes it special is Verhoeven's ability to turn the movie on a dime, switching the mood from black comedy to sincere drama in a moment.
The setting is futuristic, but few films capture the look and feel of the 80s quite as effortlessly as Robocop. There are a few wobbles in the plotting and some uninspired supporting performances, but this is directed with heart and intelligence. At least as good as The Terminator or Aliens; would probably be much better remembered if any of the sequels had been any good.
The setting is futuristic, but few films capture the look and feel of the 80s quite as effortlessly as Robocop. There are a few wobbles in the plotting and some uninspired supporting performances, but this is directed with heart and intelligence. At least as good as The Terminator or Aliens; would probably be much better remembered if any of the sequels had been any good.
David McK (3752 KP) rated Sword of Honour in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Back in 2013 (or thereabouts) I picked up a book in my local Tesco's; a book of which (at the time) I knew nothing about but which IO ended up quite enjoying. That books (Child of Vengeance) was the immediate precursor to this, and turned out to be one that I quite enjoyed.
Fast forward roughly 5 years, and I picked up the sequel, hoping to receive the same enjoyment from it.
Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed: I found this (which is, effectively, a Japanese revenge tale) to be plodding, pedestrian, heavy going and really just not that engaging, populated with unlikeable characters with murky motivations and with a verbose style of writing that just did not flow, even in the action sequences. As such, I actually found this a struggle to make it to the end!
Sorry Mr Kirk!
Fast forward roughly 5 years, and I picked up the sequel, hoping to receive the same enjoyment from it.
Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed: I found this (which is, effectively, a Japanese revenge tale) to be plodding, pedestrian, heavy going and really just not that engaging, populated with unlikeable characters with murky motivations and with a verbose style of writing that just did not flow, even in the action sequences. As such, I actually found this a struggle to make it to the end!
Sorry Mr Kirk!
David McK (3752 KP) rated Terminator Omnibus Volume 1 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I was going to start this by typing out the heavy-bass Terminator intro music, then realised I couldn't quite get it to sound right!
This is a collection of stories released early 90's, after Terminator 2 but before any of the newer entries in the franchise (T3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation or Terminator: Genisys), so do show their age a bit.
They all also pretty much follow the same template - a group from the future sent back in time, with Terminator's following or already having been sent back, and then a protracted chase followed by a shoot-out - with the artwork varying between the differing authors/artists.
As a compilation, some of the stories are better than others: my pick for the best, probably, would be the story entitled 'One Shot', which seems to mirror the first film.
This is a collection of stories released early 90's, after Terminator 2 but before any of the newer entries in the franchise (T3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation or Terminator: Genisys), so do show their age a bit.
They all also pretty much follow the same template - a group from the future sent back in time, with Terminator's following or already having been sent back, and then a protracted chase followed by a shoot-out - with the artwork varying between the differing authors/artists.
As a compilation, some of the stories are better than others: my pick for the best, probably, would be the story entitled 'One Shot', which seems to mirror the first film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The King in Yellow in Books
Aug 12, 2019 (Updated Aug 12, 2019)
Much-mentioned but seemingly little-read collection of short stories by Robert Chambers. The anthology owes most of its fame to the fact that HP Lovecraft was sufficiently impressed by some of the stories to retroactively incorporate them into his own mythology, something Lovecraft's disciples built upon with more energy than finesse.
The best of these stories do have a sense of subliminal encroaching madness and unease, as symbolised by the mysterious play mentioned in the title and its associated motifs, which is very impressively created. However, much of the remainder is a set of essentially interchangeable tales of rich young Americans studying art in Paris and swooning over beautiful young mademoiselles; they are quite heavy going and possibly not worth the effort of reading. The opening few fantasy stories are very good, on the whole; the rest not so much.
The best of these stories do have a sense of subliminal encroaching madness and unease, as symbolised by the mysterious play mentioned in the title and its associated motifs, which is very impressively created. However, much of the remainder is a set of essentially interchangeable tales of rich young Americans studying art in Paris and swooning over beautiful young mademoiselles; they are quite heavy going and possibly not worth the effort of reading. The opening few fantasy stories are very good, on the whole; the rest not so much.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Tell It to the Bees (2019) in Movies
Jul 24, 2019 (Updated Jul 25, 2019)
Well-staged hats-and-ciggies period drama struggles to find anything new to say, or indeed to surprise or engage in any way. Much-put-upon single mum (Grainger) meets newly-arrived town doctor (Paquin) in a laborious cute-meet; what follows you can probably write for yourself, with the exception of a really weird climax involving bees (the bees are a sort of motif throughout, but it's still weird).
Reasonably good acting, although Paquin's attempt at a Scottish accent is not particularly easy on the ear. The problem is that the film is deeply predictable and not especially subtle (the girl-on-girl stuff is classily handled, though). I found it quite heavy going; the bit with the magic bees is a genuine 'You WHAT?' moment bafflingly at odds with the dour realism of much of the rest of the film.
Reasonably good acting, although Paquin's attempt at a Scottish accent is not particularly easy on the ear. The problem is that the film is deeply predictable and not especially subtle (the girl-on-girl stuff is classily handled, though). I found it quite heavy going; the bit with the magic bees is a genuine 'You WHAT?' moment bafflingly at odds with the dour realism of much of the rest of the film.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Book
Joel McIver's acclaimed Black Sabbath biography, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, concluded in 2011 that its...
In the Heart of the Country
H.E. Bates and C.F. Tunnicliffe
Book
H.E. Bates is a revered writer on the countryside; author of a wealth of books reflecting English...
Everyday Probability and Statistics: Health, Elections, Gambling and War
Book
Probability and statistics impinge on the life of the average person in a variety of ways - as is...