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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Dreamers (2003) in Movies

Dec 3, 2020 (Updated Dec 3, 2020)  
The Dreamers  (2003)
The Dreamers (2003)
2003 | Drama, Romance
Actual lines of dialogue from this movie:

"๐˜ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ'๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜Ž๐˜ฐ๐˜ฅ. ๐˜‰๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ง ๐˜ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ, ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฃ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฌ, ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ต-๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜จ๐˜ถ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ต."
"๐˜'๐˜ฎ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ [๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ]."
"๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ'๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜จ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ง๐˜ง, ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต? ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜บ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ'๐˜ต ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฌ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ... ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ข ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด."

The far less entertaining ๐˜Š๐˜ณ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ ๐˜๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด meets... idek, the really long talky parts from ๐˜›๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ? A woeful experience - uses a ton of intellectual jargon but says next to nothing. On the one hand, perfectly emulates this sort of 20-something who thinks they're the most original being on the planet despite being another clichรฉd story no one wants to be around... but on the other, at what cost? These people seem beyond insufferable to be around - three pretentious, odious fucks sit around drinking wine and smoking while spewing superficial first-year-film-major histrionics, jerking off, and smelling each others' underwear. Every bit as lumbering, surface-level, and pompous as that sounds. Usually I'm all for these conceited combinations of toxic people, self-destruction, and explicit sex but this is virtual parody levels of this sort of "wants to be a 70s movie really bad" cinema. Has a few good scenes that actually find a palpable mood but otherwise exists almost solely to brag about how many old movies it's seen, uses both those aforementioned films and the real life 1968 Paris riots as not much more than mere window dressing while failing to confront whatever shred of an idea it briefly poses for a scene or two. Eva Green and the dad are the only two tolerable performances. All but begs you to find it audacious and daring with a shit-eating sneer while simultaneously gutting the homosexuality from the original text so this won't steer *too* far off the hetero curve. And then it ends with a total "who cares?". Pretty but dumb. The sex stuff is kind of decent, though.
  
TD
The Die-Fi Experiment
M.R. Tapia | 2017
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
After a run of several disappointing books, I decided to take a hot bath last night and delve into M. R. Tapiaโ€™s novella, The Die-Fi Experiment. Like most books I read, I set a high expectation for this one in terms of gory horror. While it isnโ€™t quite as grotesque as I might like, I find it to be a rather amusing read. On the same page in which Tapia scribes the fears many couples face, he makes a mockery of todayโ€™s society.

As a fan of horror movies, itโ€™s hard to find this piece of work original. Many elements within the novella are reminiscent of the Saw franchise โ€“ all the way down to the marshmallow eye scene (which youโ€™ll encounter if you choose to read The Die-Fi Experiment). Although a few of the other scenes are cringe-worthy if you imagine yourself as the victim.

The Die-Fi Experiment goes back and forth between the not-so-distant past and present, and my largest issue therein is the fact that sometimes the tenses switch. I am aware that the present parts of the story are meant to be present tense and vice versa; however, I think it works best to choose one tense and stick with it. Otherwise things can quickly become confusing.

On Goodreads, this novella is tagged humor. Personally, I find the term โ€œblack comedyโ€ more fitting. After all, viewers appear comically oblivious to the fact that what they watch live is truly torture (or perhaps theyโ€™re particularly disturbed individuals). For a little extra splash of humor, Tapia throws in a few hashtags that serve as a parody of the tweets and instagram posts that show up throughout the novella.

Overall, I liked The Die-Fi Experiment. I donโ€™t find it exceptional by any means, but it serves its purpose fairly well. The ending falls a bit short of my expectations, but Tapia manages to produce a piece of work that ensnares my short attention span. In fact, I read this novella in one sitting. While I likely will not read it again, this is definitely a short book for fans of Saw and other torture films.

I would like to thank M. R. Tapia for providing me with a copy of his novella free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
  
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
2019 | Drama

"When we were fourth-graders, Phil wrote and performed a parody of Mr. Rogers. Itโ€™s a common enough reaction for a budding culture vulture: to make fun of the sincerity of the gentle TV iconโ€™s work. An approach so easy, a fourth-grader could do it. We first met Mari Heller 20 years ago, hanging out in our circle of similarly sarcastic comedians โ€” and then, as now, she was interested in more than just undercutting earnestness. Her insightful, incisive, curious and, as always, confident new film makes us laugh, but itโ€™s all part of the con. The laughs start with Rogersโ€™ refusal to conform to the expectations of Lloyd, the flummoxed cynical guy who canโ€™t believe Rogers is for real. We begin to laugh instead at Lloydโ€™s frustration, and before long we are left exposed, without an off-ramp, leading us irrevocably to getting what we secretly came for โ€” to cry our eyes out. Fitting that her film about our fear of emotion is delivered with a fearless emotionality that moves us even as it mystifies. Where are the deflecting jokes that protect us from thinking too deeply about what scares us? Is she just going to like, let us cry? Is Tom Hanks just going to stare into my soul and make me grateful for my family? The least she could do is provide every audience member with tissues. We could write 10 paragraphs on her playful use of miniatures, how she always seems to bring out the best in her cinematographers, how she continually finds a way for the form of her film to surprise while never forgetting to reflect its purpose. We could compliment her knack for getting great actors to give some of their greatest performances, how under her care, Tom Hanks roams the movie with inspired playfulness, genuine caring, and private struggle to be his best self. We could even reflect on how a Brooklyn feminist has chosen this maddening, radicalizing, spine-pretzeling cultural moment to make a film about simply being good, and being good simply. But we would rather focus on her warm, disarming way of letting Rogersโ€™ idiosyncrasies โ€” like his snapping of personal photos or his silly puppet voices โ€” first baffle us into a laugh, the way they did when we were smart-aleck adolescents, and then inspire us to grow up (or not!) and accept his loving embrace."

Source
  
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
2019 | Drama

"When we were fourth-graders, Phil wrote and performed a parody of Mr. Rogers. Itโ€™s a common enough reaction for a budding culture vulture: to make fun of the sincerity of the gentle TV iconโ€™s work. An approach so easy, a fourth-grader could do it. We first met Mari Heller 20 years ago, hanging out in our circle of similarly sarcastic comedians โ€” and then, as now, she was interested in more than just undercutting earnestness. Her insightful, incisive, curious and, as always, confident new film makes us laugh, but itโ€™s all part of the con. The laughs start with Rogersโ€™ refusal to conform to the expectations of Lloyd, the flummoxed cynical guy who canโ€™t believe Rogers is for real. We begin to laugh instead at Lloydโ€™s frustration, and before long we are left exposed, without an off-ramp, leading us irrevocably to getting what we secretly came for โ€” to cry our eyes out. Fitting that her film about our fear of emotion is delivered with a fearless emotionality that moves us even as it mystifies. Where are the deflecting jokes that protect us from thinking too deeply about what scares us? Is she just going to like, let us cry? Is Tom Hanks just going to stare into my soul and make me grateful for my family? The least she could do is provide every audience member with tissues. We could write 10 paragraphs on her playful use of miniatures, how she always seems to bring out the best in her cinematographers, how she continually finds a way for the form of her film to surprise while never forgetting to reflect its purpose. We could compliment her knack for getting great actors to give some of their greatest performances, how under her care, Tom Hanks roams the movie with inspired playfulness, genuine caring, and private struggle to be his best self. We could even reflect on how a Brooklyn feminist has chosen this maddening, radicalizing, spine-pretzeling cultural moment to make a film about simply being good, and being good simply. But we would rather focus on her warm, disarming way of letting Rogersโ€™ idiosyncrasies โ€” like his snapping of personal photos or his silly puppet voices โ€” first baffle us into a laugh, the way they did when we were smart-aleck adolescents, and then inspire us to grow up (or not!) and accept his loving embrace."

Source
  
Amazon Echo Auto
Amazon Echo Auto
GPS & Navigation > Vehicle GPS, Smart Home
9
7.6 (9 Ratings)
Tech Rating
A digital assistant on the go (4 more)
Hands-free calling
Unlimited music
Podcasts
Audiobooks
Relies on cell service (0 more)
A cool Alexa device - for your car!
I was chosen to purchase a pre-release version of the Amazon Echo Auto through Amazon's website. It works just like a normal Echo, except it is designed for use in the car.

The mount for the Echo Auto is a strip of thick rubber that sticks to the dashboard and includes a magnet that keeps the Echo firmly in place.

The Echo uses bluetooth to connect to your cell phone, and can connect to your car's speakers via bluetooth or an included aux cable. It is powered by a cigarette lighter plug or USB port.

If you already have Siri or a newer car, you might have some of the Echo's features already. I drive a 2008 minivan, so the Echo actually added tons of abilities that I didn't have access to already.

For example, I can now use the Echo as a hands-free phone device. I've tried it multiple times and the sound quality is great and the person on the other end hears me fine. I can also ask Alexa to navigate to an address and, using Google Maps, hear step-by-step instructions to get where I'm going. And if I'm listening to music or a podcast, it will pause them so I can hear the voice say "In 600 feet, turn left" or whatever. And since I pay $8 a month for Amazon Music Unlimited, I can ask Alexa to play almost any song and it will instantly play in my car.

Not only that, but the "regular" features of Alexa are included. I asked "How many feet are in a mile?" and it answered (correctly). My kids have asked it what certain words mean and have asked it to tell jokes. They can play 20 Questions or Jeopardy while I'm driving. The possibilities are almost endless.

I only have one problem with the Echo Auto: it relies on a cell signal. So when I drove my daughter to camp on Sunday - way out in the middle of nowhere in the woods - I lost cell service and my music cut off suddenly. (I had asked Alexa to shuffle music from Weird Al Yankovic to keep my kids entertained, and we were enjoying it! Plus, I could ask Alexa to play the original version of a song after we heard the parody version so my kids would have context.) I understand that this is a known limitation, and since I live in a major city it won't often be a problem. But I thought I'd mention it for people who might live in places with less cell coverage.
  
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
1969 | Action, Mystery, Romance
Characters โ€“ James Bond is back, he is still a womaniser only now he doesnโ€™t have the same spark of charisma that he had been showing in previous films, he still must go head to head with Blofeld, but he just doesnโ€™t feel right this time around. Tracey is the Bond girl this time around, she isnโ€™t as easy as the previous one showing a higher intelligence to stay ahead of Bond and not following the traditions that her father wants. Blofeld returns and for some reason doesnโ€™t recognise Bond even after meeting him in the last film, so that is strange. He has a masterplan to take over the world or at least put money in his pocket, well bank account. Draco is the connection to locate Blofeld with him being Tracyโ€™s father it also helps with the locating as part of a deal.

Performances โ€“ George Lazenby doesnโ€™t have the same level of charisma or charm that Sean Connery brings, this only disappoints and takes us away from the film in places. Diana Rigg does bring class the to Bond girl role, showing more commitment to this role that Lazenby. Telly Savalas struggles to step into Donald Pleasenceโ€™s shoes in the Blofeld role almost being a parody of the character.

Story โ€“ The story here takes James on his latest mission which is to capture Blofeld after his escape last time out, this takes him in a new direction away from the tropical islands and into the snow-covered mountain ranges as Blofeld is working on his next plan to become rich. The story is a way too long compared to previous films and does drag at times, the fact Blofeld doesnโ€™t remember James is a big issue for me because them coming face to face was a big moment in You Only Live Twice. The highlight of the story comes from the fact we get a surprise ending which does show us that we are ready to continue the battle.

Action/Adventure โ€“ The action is a complete mixed bag because certain fights are good, but then the horrible green screen moments just donโ€™t work. The adventure takes James to a new location which is all we want at times.

Settings โ€“ We are set in the Swiss Alps on top of one of the mountains which shows us a base that isnโ€™t easy to escape from and away from the bikinis we have been seeing too often.


Scene of the Movie โ€“ Ski escape.

That Moment That Annoyed Me โ€“ Blofeld not remember Bond.

Final Thoughts โ€“ This is the weakest in the series to date, we just donโ€™t get drawn in like before and the attempted new technology use only hinders the film.

 

Overall: Weakest Bond film to date.
  
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
2022 | Action, Comedy
8
7.8 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Meta-Fun
It is a tricky thing on film, to parody your film image without making it an homage (or a complete trashing) of yourself. And, in THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, Nicholas Cage (playing Nick Cage) has found the line perfectly.

Conceived, written and Directed by Tom Cormican (THAT AWKWARD MOMENT), UWOMT (as I will call it here on out) is a meta-film that has Nicholas Cage playing a highly stylized and fictionalized version of himself. In this film, Nick Cage is desperate for work and going broke, when a rich fan offers him $1 million to appear at a birthday party. What happens next is bizarre, gonzo and out-of-control - and a lot of fun.

Letโ€™s start with the man himself, Nicholas Cage, once he was convinced to do this film (and it took some convincing, for he turned this film down at least 3 times), he dives in with both feet and with full gusto filling Nick Cage with the wild actions and antics that are the basis of many, many Nicholas Cage memes. It is a knowing characterization by Cage, but one that knows when to pull back (not a trait often associated with him) and he does it all without winking at the camera.

Credit for this must go to Writer/Director Cormican (and his co-writer Kevin Etten),who had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish here, what tone they wanted to set, and how โ€œmetaโ€ they wanted this film to be. And they accomplish this goal well, making an interesting and intriguing comedy/action flick that will satisfy manyโ€ฆbut, especially, fans of Nicholas Cage.

Along for the fun ride are Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Hadish, Ike Barinholtz and Sharon Horgan who all deliver the right vibe for this film (as well as a couple of cameos that would be a spoiler to mention). They all look like that they are having a fun time.

Butโ€ฆthe glue that holds all of this craziness together is the performance of Pedro Pascual (NARCOS, THE MANDILORIAN) who plays the millionaire Superfan who hires Cage and, eventually, befriends him. This is a masterful, comedic performance and it is Pascualโ€™s sincerity (without going into buffoonery or overplaying) that grounds this film just enough that you actually care about the relationship between Pascualโ€™s character, Javy, and Cage.

A ton of fun, not only for the performances and wild events, but for the many, many references to fun Cage films/roles of the past - items that will now motivate many (including myself) to check out.

Letter Grade: A

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
โ€œHalloweenโ€ has long been considered by many to have been the film that started the โ€œSlasherโ€ subculture. The independent movie became a box office smash and made Michael Myers a cultural icon ever since its debut in 1978.

Although multiple sequels and a reboot followed over the years; they did not match the intensity of the original as they opted for higher body counts and gore versus suspense and story and in many ways became almost a parody of themselves as Michael would cut down cast after cast of teens and anyone else in his way.

The new film takes the approach that none of the films after the first ever happened so instead of Michael stalking Lorrie in a hospital in โ€œHalloween 2โ€; he was captured and incarcerated in an mental institute for the last forty years where he has remained silent despite his Doctor (Haluk Bilginer) best efforts to get him to speak as he attempts to understand what motivates a person described as pure evil.

The forty years since โ€œThe Night He Came Homeโ€ has not been kind to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); as since her encounter with Michael: she has become a hard drinking isolationist who suffers from severe Post Traumatic Syndrome. Laurie has become obsessed with guns, weapons, and protection to the point that it has cost her two marriages and even had her only child Karen (Judy Greer) taken from her by the state which has resulted in her having a fractured relationship with her and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).

When a pair of journalists attempt to interview Laurie to try to get her to agree to a face to face with Michael; it sets a chain of events into motion which leads to Michael escaping during a prison transfer.

Michael wastes no time in returning home leaving a trail of death in his path and sets him on a collision course with Laurie who has spent the last forty years preparing for his return.

The film is a true sequel to the original as aside from the second film; it is the closest in tone and theme to the original. While it does have more gore and a higher body count in keeping with the modern expectations of a film of this type, writers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride clearly understand the source material and have crafted an extension of the original versus a continuation refurbished. The fact that John Carpenter has returned as an Executive Producer also helps.

The film wisely sets the focus on the characters which makes the horror aspects more compelling as this is not a bunch of anonymous victims we are watching.

A sequel is reportedly in development and I hope this creative team returns as this was a truly worthy sequel to the classic original that was long overdue.

http://sknr.net/2018/10/17/halloween/
  
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
2015 | Mystery
When it was delayed from a planned October 2014 release to be placed against โ€œ50 Shades of Greyโ€, many worried that the new film โ€œKingsman: The Secret Serviceโ€ was being relegated to nothing more than counter-programming by the studio. Thankfully the film is a hyper kinetic romp that gives audiences a new approach to the traditional spy film genre with a tongue in cheek approach.

The film revolves around a secret group of agents who take their operational names from the Knights of the Round Table. The organization was started by wealthy clothiers of London to make the world a better place, and since they operate outside the influence or control of any government, they have maintained a small but effective operational force for decades.

Following the loss of an operative, Galahad (Collin Firth), struggles to come to grips with being partially to blame for the death of his friend and trainee. Years later, Galahad recruits the son of the deceased agent, Eggsy (Taron Egerton), to train and join the ranks of The Kingsman. His working class upbringing rubs some of his more posh fellow trainees the wrong way, but Eggsyโ€™s past scholastic and military skills are evident as he takes on the challenges of his highly-competitive and dangerous training.

At the same time, billionaire tech mogul Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), is hatching a diabolical plan to cull the population of the world to make those that are left more manageable and under his control. Facing a race against time to literally save the word, the Kingsman, new and old, must battle an army to save the day.

While the plot of the film follows what the James Bond series have long established, an evil person with an army of deadly henchmen under their control bent on destroying/conquering the world, this film takes it in a new direction. The action is fast and frantic but despite the R rated violence is never as gory or overly gratuitous as one may expect. The blood is actually restrained to smaller red spots and a splash here or there which is interesting given the large number of slicing, impalings, close range gunshots, and bladed weapons deployed in the film.

The plot does at times seem absurd and naturally there are tons of questions like why they would use their two new recruits rather than calling in more experienced agents in their current crisis for help. All that aside, the film has a wink-and-a- smile attitude as it unfolds, almost as if they were trying to tell the audience to just accept that parts of it will play as a parody on the genre so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

In the end the film has enough action and interesting characters to make it a fun, if flawed, romp and the cast is interesting enough that I am already hoping for future adventures for the Kingsman.

http://sknr.net/2015/02/13/kingsman-secret-service/
  
For someone who was as prolific at writing novels as Terry Pratchett he didn't write much in the way of short stories. As he himself comments in this collection of his work this is because 'they cost blood' to write and he wondered how others such as Neil Gaiman could write so many short stories. This is all the more surprising given his grounding in journalism, something that demands producing a story withing a set number of words.

The basis for this seems to be that the nugget of an idea behind a Pratchett book was rarely simple enough to be encapsulated neatly in the short story form; his characters and ideas took time to develop and that's before the addition of the amusing footnotes and his skill at producing pastiche, parody and satire of many different things without the narrative stumbling or swerving.

This collection shows that although relatively few in number, the Pratchett short story was just as fine as could be expected. Sometimes they could be a little rushed to get to the point before the end (best seen in his tale of a gnome from the country that finds other gnomes in a department store - the story that was later rewritten fully as Truckers)

This is also a somewhat eclectic mix. There is the first story that he was paid for about the devil wanting to promote hell, which he wrote at school but it is clear that he already had the flair for writing even then. A few science fiction stories including the prescient and dark #ifdefDEBUG "world/enough" "time" about someone retreating to a virtual reality world. There is the story that formed the first ideas that would eventually become The Long Earth and of course some Diskworld shorts and related notes.

Taken together they show that over a long span of time Pratchett was coming up with great ideas. There is a little uneveness but part of this is due to his writing style being different between Diskworld and his more science fiction based stories (something that confused a lot of Diskworld readers when they read The Long Earth, but goes back even to The Dark Side of the Sun and Strata both of which are very different to Diskworld in tone.

To this end the editors have been wise to have the Diskworld stories as the second half with the 'other' stories at the beginning. This avoids the tone changing too much between stories.

This sounds like it might be for the Pratchett 'completist', like one of those greatest hits albums that comes out with just one or two rare tracks, but really this is a great collection of short stories by any measure. A couple of these are fairly well known - Troll Bridge and Theatre of Cruelty - but there is nothing gratuitous here. And of course there are plenty of laughs and subtle takes on society and humanity.