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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Crimson Peak (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
For Writer/Director Guillermo del Toro horror and the supernatural go hand in hand with much of his work. From Pan’s Labyrinth” to The Strain, and “Hellboy” his unique mix of visuals and compelling characters have made him a darling of the genre.
In his new film “Crimson Peak”, the setting is the cold locales of Buffalo New York and Rural England during the late 1800s, and one where the weather both cold and wet play important parts in the look and plot of the film.
For Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), life is exciting as despite the loss of her mother, her wealthy and supportive father has arranged for her to see her potentially see her stories published. As an avid writer, Edith holds that she has seen the ghost of her mother a secret and uses this as central themes of her writing.
Naturally this does not go well with the times, and she is urged to focus on romantic stories instead. Undaunted, Edith soldiers on unaware that her sheltered and privileged world is going to be upended by the arrival of the dashing Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain), who have come to America to secure funding for their business ventures.
Tom came from a wealthy background and has fallen on hard times which have forced him to look for backers abroad. Edith’s father takes a disliking to him and even more so when he begins to court his daughter.
When her father pays off Thomas to leave when parts of his past are uncovered, things become complicated when Edith’s father is brutally killed and it is passed off as an accident. Grief stricken Edith marries Thomas and relocates to his home in England with Lucille to await her inheritance.
Of course things are not as they seem, and the home in which she lives is filled with dark secrets and Edith must find a way to survive the nightmare to which she has become a part of.
The film has some great visuals and a strong cast, but does tend to plod along. It is less of a horror story and more of a drama as the Supernatural element is there mainly to support aspects of the story rather than be the driving point.
My biggest issue with the film aside from pacing was that I was able to figure out where the story was going, twists and all within the first 30 minutes so there were no real surprises for me as it unfolded.
That being said, it was a pleasant enough diversion, I just do not think it will deliver the thrills and chills that audiences are expecting as it is more of a turn of the century drama than a horror film.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/14/crimson-peak/
In his new film “Crimson Peak”, the setting is the cold locales of Buffalo New York and Rural England during the late 1800s, and one where the weather both cold and wet play important parts in the look and plot of the film.
For Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), life is exciting as despite the loss of her mother, her wealthy and supportive father has arranged for her to see her potentially see her stories published. As an avid writer, Edith holds that she has seen the ghost of her mother a secret and uses this as central themes of her writing.
Naturally this does not go well with the times, and she is urged to focus on romantic stories instead. Undaunted, Edith soldiers on unaware that her sheltered and privileged world is going to be upended by the arrival of the dashing Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain), who have come to America to secure funding for their business ventures.
Tom came from a wealthy background and has fallen on hard times which have forced him to look for backers abroad. Edith’s father takes a disliking to him and even more so when he begins to court his daughter.
When her father pays off Thomas to leave when parts of his past are uncovered, things become complicated when Edith’s father is brutally killed and it is passed off as an accident. Grief stricken Edith marries Thomas and relocates to his home in England with Lucille to await her inheritance.
Of course things are not as they seem, and the home in which she lives is filled with dark secrets and Edith must find a way to survive the nightmare to which she has become a part of.
The film has some great visuals and a strong cast, but does tend to plod along. It is less of a horror story and more of a drama as the Supernatural element is there mainly to support aspects of the story rather than be the driving point.
My biggest issue with the film aside from pacing was that I was able to figure out where the story was going, twists and all within the first 30 minutes so there were no real surprises for me as it unfolded.
That being said, it was a pleasant enough diversion, I just do not think it will deliver the thrills and chills that audiences are expecting as it is more of a turn of the century drama than a horror film.
http://sknr.net/2015/10/14/crimson-peak/
James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Jul 18, 2019
The best British film in years!
Despite not really being a fan of The Beatles or their music, when I first saw the trailer for this at the start of the year, I was genuinely intrigued by the concept. An aspiring musician (and huge Beatles fan) is hit by a bus during an inexplicable global blackout, only to wake up to a world in which The Beatles seemingly never existed. As the only one who remembers their songs, he releases them as his own and conquers the music world.
The trailer did a good job of letting you know what to expect without giving too much away, believe it or not. There are a few twists and turns along the way, which were a nice surprise. Ultimately, this IS a British rom-com underneath it all, and the final third is as predictable as every other film in the genre.
Yet this film oozes charm and whimsicality, and sets itself apart from everything that's come before it. Say what you want about Love Actually, but for me, that was the last British film to really make a splash on this level - which was 16 years ago!
The script is amazing. No scene feels unnecessary. No dialogue feels pointless. Richard Curtis, yet again, proves he's a true master of his craft. The lead roles are perfectly cast. Lily James, in particular, puts in another great performance, showing she's worthy of more heavyweight roles (although she's definitely found her niche in this type of film).
What I really loved about this film was how thought-provoking it was. Relative newcomer, Himesh Patel's portrayal of Jack Malek is spot-on, playing with your own emotions and morals, forcing you to ask yourself if you could remain as grounded and humble as he did if something like this happened to you. Despite being over the top at times, it all felt surprisingly real. I can imagine this is exactly how it would play out if something like this were to happen to someone - the media frenzy, the explosion of popularity online, the whirlwind of life-changing moments...
The film is about big moments in your life, and what you choose to do with them when they happen. It's about chasing your dreams and what you would do if you caught them. It's about how to follow your heart when it wants two things at once. I left the cinema smiling, but also genuinely thinking about my entire outlook on life.
Danny Boyle has done an excellent job with this film, and it deserves to go down as one of the best British films in recent years. Whether you're a fan of the music or not, this should not be missed. Near perfect!
The trailer did a good job of letting you know what to expect without giving too much away, believe it or not. There are a few twists and turns along the way, which were a nice surprise. Ultimately, this IS a British rom-com underneath it all, and the final third is as predictable as every other film in the genre.
Yet this film oozes charm and whimsicality, and sets itself apart from everything that's come before it. Say what you want about Love Actually, but for me, that was the last British film to really make a splash on this level - which was 16 years ago!
The script is amazing. No scene feels unnecessary. No dialogue feels pointless. Richard Curtis, yet again, proves he's a true master of his craft. The lead roles are perfectly cast. Lily James, in particular, puts in another great performance, showing she's worthy of more heavyweight roles (although she's definitely found her niche in this type of film).
What I really loved about this film was how thought-provoking it was. Relative newcomer, Himesh Patel's portrayal of Jack Malek is spot-on, playing with your own emotions and morals, forcing you to ask yourself if you could remain as grounded and humble as he did if something like this happened to you. Despite being over the top at times, it all felt surprisingly real. I can imagine this is exactly how it would play out if something like this were to happen to someone - the media frenzy, the explosion of popularity online, the whirlwind of life-changing moments...
The film is about big moments in your life, and what you choose to do with them when they happen. It's about chasing your dreams and what you would do if you caught them. It's about how to follow your heart when it wants two things at once. I left the cinema smiling, but also genuinely thinking about my entire outlook on life.
Danny Boyle has done an excellent job with this film, and it deserves to go down as one of the best British films in recent years. Whether you're a fan of the music or not, this should not be missed. Near perfect!
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Crysis Remastered in Video Games
Oct 8, 2020
Back in 2007 EA released Crysis which touted a new gaming engine and state of the art technology. The game inspired sequels but many people found the game ran clunky on their PCs as the new engine had some pretty hefty technology requirements.
In the age of remasters gamers now can experience the game with remastered graphics which brings the graphics in the game to a more modern level.
Players play a member of an elite unit who wear specialized Nano Suits during high-risk missions. The suits can make the wearer invisible, move faster, and armor up to absorb energy. The biggest issue is that those abilities do take a considerable amount of power and can only be used for brief increments so players will have to use them strategically.
When a mission goes wrong players must attempt to battle hordes of North Korean troops and other threats to achieve various goals and mission objectives.
Players will be able to utilize an arsenal of weapons ranging from pistols, shotguns, machine guns, grenades, and their fists and must make sure to use ammunition wisely as the supply is not infinite and players will have to recover weapons from enemies when they deplete their ammunition or resort to using their fists until they can find resupply options.
While the game does look more modern, the gameplay is still jerky especially in combat. Compared to modern shooters the smoothness and speed factor is lacking and it at times has a herky-jerky gameplay to it. Being able to cleanly shoot an enemy is erratic as some are real bullet sponges while others in the same class go down fairly easily.
The game also uses a checkpoint save system so failing to complete an objective will have players trying a scenario repeatedly until they are successful.
Players will also be able to utilize vehicles that they find which can help when they need to make a fast escape from a location or if they opt to make a direct assault.
The sound and graphics of the game are solid but the gameplay was decidedly retro and had many of the issues that bothered me with the original release. I had hoped for a total redo but in many ways it was like slapping a new coat of paint on an old car and expecting top of the line performance.
Crysis: Remastered is a nice trip down memory lane but pails when compared to more modern games in terms of enjoyment as I think a new game in the series would have been better. Perhaps this is a way to test what the current demand for the franchise is. For now the game is a nice piece of updated nostalgia.
In the age of remasters gamers now can experience the game with remastered graphics which brings the graphics in the game to a more modern level.
Players play a member of an elite unit who wear specialized Nano Suits during high-risk missions. The suits can make the wearer invisible, move faster, and armor up to absorb energy. The biggest issue is that those abilities do take a considerable amount of power and can only be used for brief increments so players will have to use them strategically.
When a mission goes wrong players must attempt to battle hordes of North Korean troops and other threats to achieve various goals and mission objectives.
Players will be able to utilize an arsenal of weapons ranging from pistols, shotguns, machine guns, grenades, and their fists and must make sure to use ammunition wisely as the supply is not infinite and players will have to recover weapons from enemies when they deplete their ammunition or resort to using their fists until they can find resupply options.
While the game does look more modern, the gameplay is still jerky especially in combat. Compared to modern shooters the smoothness and speed factor is lacking and it at times has a herky-jerky gameplay to it. Being able to cleanly shoot an enemy is erratic as some are real bullet sponges while others in the same class go down fairly easily.
The game also uses a checkpoint save system so failing to complete an objective will have players trying a scenario repeatedly until they are successful.
Players will also be able to utilize vehicles that they find which can help when they need to make a fast escape from a location or if they opt to make a direct assault.
The sound and graphics of the game are solid but the gameplay was decidedly retro and had many of the issues that bothered me with the original release. I had hoped for a total redo but in many ways it was like slapping a new coat of paint on an old car and expecting top of the line performance.
Crysis: Remastered is a nice trip down memory lane but pails when compared to more modern games in terms of enjoyment as I think a new game in the series would have been better. Perhaps this is a way to test what the current demand for the franchise is. For now the game is a nice piece of updated nostalgia.