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Awix (3310 KP) rated Starship Troopers (1997) in Movies
Feb 22, 2018
Not so much an adaptation of Heinlein's novel as a parody of it, Verhoeven's SF spectacular works equally well as storming action movie and outrageous black satire. Johnny Rico (Van Dien) joins the army for the wrong reasons, finds himself rising through the ranks as Earth provokes a war with the invertebrate Arachnids and finds itself facing a much more dangerous opponent than expected.
Verhoeven displays his usual uncanny ability to turn a movie on a dime - one second this is a deliberately cheesy deadpan comedy about growing up in a fascist utopia, the next it's delivering a genuinely thrilling action sequence that pushes the boundaries of CGI. Much, much smarter than it initially appears - even the decision to cast good-looking but essentially wooden young people (e.g. Denise Richards) in the lead roles seems calculated to make a point. Michael Ironside is genuinely good as the grizzled old soldier; another belting score from Basil Poledouris. Also weirdly prescient of the way the US and its media reacted after 9/11. Thoroughly enjoyable on many levels.
Verhoeven displays his usual uncanny ability to turn a movie on a dime - one second this is a deliberately cheesy deadpan comedy about growing up in a fascist utopia, the next it's delivering a genuinely thrilling action sequence that pushes the boundaries of CGI. Much, much smarter than it initially appears - even the decision to cast good-looking but essentially wooden young people (e.g. Denise Richards) in the lead roles seems calculated to make a point. Michael Ironside is genuinely good as the grizzled old soldier; another belting score from Basil Poledouris. Also weirdly prescient of the way the US and its media reacted after 9/11. Thoroughly enjoyable on many levels.
Peter G. (247 KP) rated Near Dark (1987) in Movies
Oct 30, 2019
Quite ingeniously keeping a large chunk of the actors carried over from the movie 'Aliens' this was one of the better modern day vampire movies.
One thing that you will notice straight off the bat and that's the budget which is incredibly low and it shows mainly through its lack of locations and lots of reasonably well written dialogue, what I dont get is this films rise to classic status.... it's ok at best considering its cast and i remember having watched it not being able work out if i liked it as much as others who raved about it.
I am and was a big fan of Bill Paxton however I felt he overcooked his role a little and went from hugely intimidating to a parody of most of the characters he has played over the years.
Adrian Pasdar who I believe is a versatile actor was the best thing in the movie.
I understand this movie has somewhat of a following, it's not one I find myself revisiting however, and Bigelow has gone on to create some very good films.
One thing that you will notice straight off the bat and that's the budget which is incredibly low and it shows mainly through its lack of locations and lots of reasonably well written dialogue, what I dont get is this films rise to classic status.... it's ok at best considering its cast and i remember having watched it not being able work out if i liked it as much as others who raved about it.
I am and was a big fan of Bill Paxton however I felt he overcooked his role a little and went from hugely intimidating to a parody of most of the characters he has played over the years.
Adrian Pasdar who I believe is a versatile actor was the best thing in the movie.
I understand this movie has somewhat of a following, it's not one I find myself revisiting however, and Bigelow has gone on to create some very good films.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) in Movies
Jul 29, 2020
Probably the best Robin Hood film?
Let's be honest, Robin Hood has been done on screen more times than we can count & potentially aside from the animated Disney film, it's probably safe to say Men in Tights is by far the best Robin Hood film out there.
They don't make films like this anymore. It looks terrible, and well that's the point. You really can't beat a good spoof/parody. Cary Elwes makes a wonderful Robin Hood (with a English accent as the film so rightly points out) and the rest of the cast too camp it up to the max. Admittedly this film hasn't aged particularly well and some of the humour isn't quite as funny as I remember, but you can't go wrong with a Mel Brooks film. Man is a genius and the fact that he also appears as Rabbi Tuckman is a brilliant move. Also the Men in Tights song is absolutely hilarious.
It really is a shame they dont make films like this anymore as they'd make the world of cinema a brighter and happier place. Need more writers like Mel Brooks that's for sure!
They don't make films like this anymore. It looks terrible, and well that's the point. You really can't beat a good spoof/parody. Cary Elwes makes a wonderful Robin Hood (with a English accent as the film so rightly points out) and the rest of the cast too camp it up to the max. Admittedly this film hasn't aged particularly well and some of the humour isn't quite as funny as I remember, but you can't go wrong with a Mel Brooks film. Man is a genius and the fact that he also appears as Rabbi Tuckman is a brilliant move. Also the Men in Tights song is absolutely hilarious.
It really is a shame they dont make films like this anymore as they'd make the world of cinema a brighter and happier place. Need more writers like Mel Brooks that's for sure!
David McK (3227 KP) rated The Truth (Discworld, #25; Industrial Revolution, #2) in Books
Sep 11, 2022
The Truth shall set you Fret!
<2022 update>
Still as good as ever!
<original review below>
So, over the weekend I watched a BBC documentary about the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett (Terry Pratchett: Back in Black) as part of which they brought up the fact that his earliest job had been as a reporter for his local paper (and saw his first corpse a few hours later, work experience meaning something in those days ...) .
Experience that shows in this novel.
The second of the so-called Industrial Revolutions (after Moving Pictures) sub-series of the Discworld novels, this is - IMO - the first to really get into the meat of said revolution, and concerns itself with Ankh-Morporks first newspaper, alongside a plot to depose the Patrician - a character, I feel, who (whilst mostly in the background in the earlier novels) comes more to the fore in this, as do the likes of Foul Ol' Ron, Coffin Henry, The Duck Man and Gaspode
Of course, it wouldn't be a Pratchett novel without a generous portion of puns running alongside the satire, parody and memorable characters (such as, say, Otto von Chriek: the vampire with a thing for flash photography ...)
Still as good as ever!
<original review below>
So, over the weekend I watched a BBC documentary about the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett (Terry Pratchett: Back in Black) as part of which they brought up the fact that his earliest job had been as a reporter for his local paper (and saw his first corpse a few hours later, work experience meaning something in those days ...) .
Experience that shows in this novel.
The second of the so-called Industrial Revolutions (after Moving Pictures) sub-series of the Discworld novels, this is - IMO - the first to really get into the meat of said revolution, and concerns itself with Ankh-Morporks first newspaper, alongside a plot to depose the Patrician - a character, I feel, who (whilst mostly in the background in the earlier novels) comes more to the fore in this, as do the likes of Foul Ol' Ron, Coffin Henry, The Duck Man and Gaspode
Of course, it wouldn't be a Pratchett novel without a generous portion of puns running alongside the satire, parody and memorable characters (such as, say, Otto von Chriek: the vampire with a thing for flash photography ...)
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Happytime Murders (2017) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Why did some muppet green light this?
Man, this is grim.
The Happytime Murders is set in LA where puppets and humans live together but without much harmony, in a somewhat clumsy parody of racism. In this setting Phil Philips (voiced by Muppets regular Bill Barretta) is a disgraced ex-cop puppet â the first of his kind -drummed out of the force for an indiscretion and now making ends meet as a PI.
But someone is progressively bumping off members of âHappy Timeâ â an old muppet-style show on the Puppet Television Network featuring Philâs old flame Jenny (Elizabeth Banks). When a murder hits home close to Pete, he teams with his old police partner Connie (Melissa McCartney) to catch the murderer.
One problem with this film is that the concept â rude puppets â is not new: âAvenue Qâ have done this way better on stage and âTeam America: World Policeâ on film. So from the outset the content doesnât really shock. But the worst problem is that for adults, the screenplay by Todd Berger is just NOT FUNNY ENOUGH. Itâs a bad sign when you can count the moments you moved from a smile to a light chuckle on one hand: just three times in fact (with the silly string scene, with the wringing-out scene (âlook awayâ) and with a parody of a famous interrogation scene).
So, based on the âlaffs-per-minuteâ count, this is 90 minutes of my life Iâd like back please. Actually, if you cut out the regular swearing and came up with a suitable story about silly string, then â cartoon puppet violence and all â the kids might enjoy it much more!
The only other mildly entertaining aspect for me â which grudgingly earns it an extra half Fad â were the closing titles that showed how some of it was filmed.
McCarthy delivers much of the same shtick weâve seen from her in all of her recent movie outings, which doesnât really wash well with me anymore. Banks is good as the love interest Jenny, but has little to do.
Itâs directed by Brian Henson, son of the late and great Jim Henson. Iâm all for âexperimentsâ, and I notice that this was released under the âHenson Alternativeâ brand, which is perhaps appropriate, but some experiments work and some just donât. I personally think this is one that doesnât extend the Henson brand and needs to be quietly forgotten with a line drawn under it.
Definitely NOT recommended. If someone asks you to go to the cinema with them to see this, tell them to get stuffed!
The Happytime Murders is set in LA where puppets and humans live together but without much harmony, in a somewhat clumsy parody of racism. In this setting Phil Philips (voiced by Muppets regular Bill Barretta) is a disgraced ex-cop puppet â the first of his kind -drummed out of the force for an indiscretion and now making ends meet as a PI.
But someone is progressively bumping off members of âHappy Timeâ â an old muppet-style show on the Puppet Television Network featuring Philâs old flame Jenny (Elizabeth Banks). When a murder hits home close to Pete, he teams with his old police partner Connie (Melissa McCartney) to catch the murderer.
One problem with this film is that the concept â rude puppets â is not new: âAvenue Qâ have done this way better on stage and âTeam America: World Policeâ on film. So from the outset the content doesnât really shock. But the worst problem is that for adults, the screenplay by Todd Berger is just NOT FUNNY ENOUGH. Itâs a bad sign when you can count the moments you moved from a smile to a light chuckle on one hand: just three times in fact (with the silly string scene, with the wringing-out scene (âlook awayâ) and with a parody of a famous interrogation scene).
So, based on the âlaffs-per-minuteâ count, this is 90 minutes of my life Iâd like back please. Actually, if you cut out the regular swearing and came up with a suitable story about silly string, then â cartoon puppet violence and all â the kids might enjoy it much more!
The only other mildly entertaining aspect for me â which grudgingly earns it an extra half Fad â were the closing titles that showed how some of it was filmed.
McCarthy delivers much of the same shtick weâve seen from her in all of her recent movie outings, which doesnât really wash well with me anymore. Banks is good as the love interest Jenny, but has little to do.
Itâs directed by Brian Henson, son of the late and great Jim Henson. Iâm all for âexperimentsâ, and I notice that this was released under the âHenson Alternativeâ brand, which is perhaps appropriate, but some experiments work and some just donât. I personally think this is one that doesnât extend the Henson brand and needs to be quietly forgotten with a line drawn under it.
Definitely NOT recommended. If someone asks you to go to the cinema with them to see this, tell them to get stuffed!
Luke (12 KP) rated Young Frankenstein (1974) in Movies
Oct 2, 2017
Stand out performances from Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, and Marty Feldman. (2 more)
Written by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks
Great parody of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a comedy horror film from 1974 directed by Mel Brooks, also known for his work on Blazing Saddles and Spaceballs. The film follows Gene Wilder's character of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, or should I say Froderick Fronkenstein, as he discovers that he has inherited the estate of his grandfather Victor von Frankenstein. It's interesting to see Wilder go from a calm and collected neuroscience professer to a stark raving madman throughout his performance. The film also benefits from being filmed entirely in black and white, evoking the style of old Universal horror movies from the 1930s. Most of the jokes land, making this film a treat to watch. However, some of them are a bit crude and reference sexual activities, so some people may be a bit turned off by them. The good thing is that there aren't that many of these types of crude jokes so it's not quite so overbearing. In conclusion, this is really one of Mel Brooks' best films and one of Wilder's best performances in his career. Go check it out this Halloween.
Brett Anderson recommended Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by The Sex Pistols in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Shark Tale (2004) in Movies
Jul 7, 2021
Ghastly. I mean holy shit these fish are fucking UGLY. I was expecting some sort of ironic enjoyment or overlooked nuance a la something like đđ°đ°đ„đ§đȘđšđ©đ”!, but instead I just got an in-your-face assault of nauseating animation and the worst sound design DreamWorks has ever shat out - Angelina Jolie is barely even audible in this. I'm a firm believer that the most aesthetically horrible time period was the 2000s - specifically the mid-2000s - and this tried so hard to be 'in the now' when it was released that it feels like looking back at some sort of garish cave drawing that serves as a reminder for how much society has progressed since then. For instance, you know how you can go back to Finding Nemo and not be repelled because it doesn't open with a fucking "MTV Cribs" parody? I've never been a huge fan of Will Smith's shtick but here it grates worse than it ever has before or since - and with such an irredeemable, downright annoying character like this fugly little idiot to boot. In fact the only intrigue in any of these voice performances are from Jack Black and - er - *checks notes* Martin Scorsese. I can't honestly say it was laugh-free but I can still say it sucks hard.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
Repo! The Genetic Opera is perhaps one of the most underrated films Iâve ever watched. The first time I watched it was at the behest of the elder of my younger brothers during my senior year of high school. At that time, I thought it was alright. The characters were hauntingly beautiful and the costumes delightfully dark, but beyond its appeal to my horror loving heart, I had little interest in re-watching it. The other day, I was browsing Shudder and came across it and decided to watch it for the sake of nostalgia. It was then that I picked up on the parody that my seventeen-year-old self missed entirely: for-profit healthcare.
Repo! takes place in 2056, where a planet-wide organ failure epidemic has led to drastic measures. In a time of need, a company by the name of GeneCo has come to the rescue. Offering payment plans to those that cannot afford their new organs, GeneCo saves the lives of those unfortunate souls. But what happens when they canât meet their payments? Well, thatâs what repo men are for, isnât it?
So where does the parody come in? A similar system already exists in the way the American health care system is presently structured with its for-profit health insurance. Most insurance companies, like GeneCo, are not there for the benefit of their consumers, but for the filling of their pockets. As long as you can pay the premium (or the payment), your coverage remains intact and youâre able to get treatment and medication (or keep your organs in the world of Repo!). The moment youâre not able to do that, your coverage is often revoked (or your organs are repossessed). Of course, in the real world, this isnât as brutal as it is in Repo! At least, not in most cases, but it can be just as scary. For myself, itâs often quite terrifying as I struggle to stay in remission from ulcerative pancolitis.
Moving on from the parody, there are other aspects of the movie that I feel are also accurate representations of todayâs society â things that I feel Repo! was a bit ahead of its time on. The Largo family seems to represent the manner by which the wealthy feed upon the powerlessness of the poor. Also, am I the only one that, upon re-watching this film, canât help but think of Trump when Iâm looking at Rotti Largo? As a villain, Rotti is largely incompetent. He uses others to do what he canât and often resorts to bullying to get what he wants, as can be seen in the blood contract with Blind Mag. Another example is how he manipulated Nathan and later Shiloh to break and control them, in hopes of controlling them. While it worked for the former of the two, Shiloh was not susceptible to his manipulation â yet another reference to something weâre seeing in todayâs society in regards to Shilohâs generation (that is present-day millennials) and the older generation, which is more mixed politically.
I think itâs also important that we take a moment to focus on Shiloh as a character. She is, perhaps, my least favorite character in this film. Then again, she was also in her rebellious teenage years and was, naturally, horrendously stereotyped. She loathed her father for keeping her bound to her room, even though she understood why and, even when she found out his sins and the lies he told her, she failed to turn against him â paying homage to the saying that âblood is thicker than water.â The end comics only state that she went into hiding, hinting that she was never to be heard from again â which is a shame. Iâd like to think sheâd become an activist, but⊠I guess that wasnât her future.
One of my favorite things about this musical is the haunting and unearthly qualities that linger around Blind Mag and the Graverobber. This is a film I will watch again and again, even if others loathe it for being campy and over the top. In fact, I plan to show it to my Dadâs girlfriendâs kid.
Repo! takes place in 2056, where a planet-wide organ failure epidemic has led to drastic measures. In a time of need, a company by the name of GeneCo has come to the rescue. Offering payment plans to those that cannot afford their new organs, GeneCo saves the lives of those unfortunate souls. But what happens when they canât meet their payments? Well, thatâs what repo men are for, isnât it?
So where does the parody come in? A similar system already exists in the way the American health care system is presently structured with its for-profit health insurance. Most insurance companies, like GeneCo, are not there for the benefit of their consumers, but for the filling of their pockets. As long as you can pay the premium (or the payment), your coverage remains intact and youâre able to get treatment and medication (or keep your organs in the world of Repo!). The moment youâre not able to do that, your coverage is often revoked (or your organs are repossessed). Of course, in the real world, this isnât as brutal as it is in Repo! At least, not in most cases, but it can be just as scary. For myself, itâs often quite terrifying as I struggle to stay in remission from ulcerative pancolitis.
Moving on from the parody, there are other aspects of the movie that I feel are also accurate representations of todayâs society â things that I feel Repo! was a bit ahead of its time on. The Largo family seems to represent the manner by which the wealthy feed upon the powerlessness of the poor. Also, am I the only one that, upon re-watching this film, canât help but think of Trump when Iâm looking at Rotti Largo? As a villain, Rotti is largely incompetent. He uses others to do what he canât and often resorts to bullying to get what he wants, as can be seen in the blood contract with Blind Mag. Another example is how he manipulated Nathan and later Shiloh to break and control them, in hopes of controlling them. While it worked for the former of the two, Shiloh was not susceptible to his manipulation â yet another reference to something weâre seeing in todayâs society in regards to Shilohâs generation (that is present-day millennials) and the older generation, which is more mixed politically.
I think itâs also important that we take a moment to focus on Shiloh as a character. She is, perhaps, my least favorite character in this film. Then again, she was also in her rebellious teenage years and was, naturally, horrendously stereotyped. She loathed her father for keeping her bound to her room, even though she understood why and, even when she found out his sins and the lies he told her, she failed to turn against him â paying homage to the saying that âblood is thicker than water.â The end comics only state that she went into hiding, hinting that she was never to be heard from again â which is a shame. Iâd like to think sheâd become an activist, but⊠I guess that wasnât her future.
One of my favorite things about this musical is the haunting and unearthly qualities that linger around Blind Mag and the Graverobber. This is a film I will watch again and again, even if others loathe it for being campy and over the top. In fact, I plan to show it to my Dadâs girlfriendâs kid.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Oct 15, 2017 (Updated Oct 15, 2017)
Amazing fight cinematography (4 more)
Fun gadgets
British manners vs. American straightforwardness
Doesn't take itself too seriously
ELTON JOHN
Just as fun as the first
Oh man. This movie was just as great as the original. I've heard it didn't get great reviews because it wasn't much different than the first, but why does it need to be much different? The first was a hilarious spy movie romp in an almost parody of James Bond movies, and this one was no different. With improbably back-from-the-dead characters, an amazing cameo by Elton John, and the fantastic fight choreography and cinematography of the first film, this one was a winner in my book. It was only marred by some unexpected character deaths that I am very sad about.
It took me a moment to place Eggsy's girlfriend - since she was only in the last like ten minutes of the first movie - but I was utterly delighted when I realized who she is. I was very happy to see that she wasn't just a throwaway character like so many Bond girls.
If you enjoyed the first one, you'll also enjoy this one. I'm hoping there will be a third, as there's still hope for something from this one to not be quite as it seems. And they could rectify that in a third movie.
It took me a moment to place Eggsy's girlfriend - since she was only in the last like ten minutes of the first movie - but I was utterly delighted when I realized who she is. I was very happy to see that she wasn't just a throwaway character like so many Bond girls.
If you enjoyed the first one, you'll also enjoy this one. I'm hoping there will be a third, as there's still hope for something from this one to not be quite as it seems. And they could rectify that in a third movie.