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Steven Spielberg and Duel: The Making of a Film Career
Book
This is an account of Steven Spielberg's first stand-alone film, Duel, a made for TV movie that...
The Tremor of Forgery
Patricia Highsmith and Denise Mina
Book
Howard Ingham finds it strange that no one has written to him since he arrived in Tunisia - neither...
Can I Start Again Please
Book
A bold new work by Sue MacLaine about our cognitive capacity to process traumatic experience and the...
Directors Close Up 2: Interviews with Directors Nominated for Best Film by the Directors Guild of America: 2006-2012
Book
Since 1992, The Directors Guild of America has hosted annual seminars featuring its nominees for...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Christmas in the Park in Books
Sep 24, 2020
When I read the description of this book I was really excited to read it. But what I noticed that the book description provided, actually gives away all book, no mystery left. This is a short light love story which would be great as a movie script for Hallmark Channel. Unfortunately it did not impress me. The characters in the book were quite weak and not very interesting. I thought this book supposed to be festive, but all festivity was wrapped up into one chapter, last chapter to be accurate. It would’ve been good if some twists and drama would’ve been involved. I think it was quite corny and not very original story. To conclude, it is a good book if you into something to pass your time with a little bit of fun and romance.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Untouchables (1987) in Movies
Dec 12, 2020
Top-notch gangster drama from Brian de Palma. Idealistic government agent Eliot Ness (Costner) sets out to bring gangster Al Capone (de Niro) to justice, but is he prepared to do what it takes? Veteran street cop Malone (Connery) isn't so sure.
Glossy studio film-making at its most accomplished, with a smart script, strong performances, stylish direction, great action sequences and a fabulous Morricone soundtrack that effortlessly draws you in and leads you through the movie. One is tempted to knock a point off for Connery's attempt at an Irish accent, but this is one of his best performances, and deservedly got him his Oscar - but Costner is very nearly as good in a less showy role. Point added anyway for being a Hollywood action thriller that includes an homage to Sergei Eisenstein. Great stuff.
Glossy studio film-making at its most accomplished, with a smart script, strong performances, stylish direction, great action sequences and a fabulous Morricone soundtrack that effortlessly draws you in and leads you through the movie. One is tempted to knock a point off for Connery's attempt at an Irish accent, but this is one of his best performances, and deservedly got him his Oscar - but Costner is very nearly as good in a less showy role. Point added anyway for being a Hollywood action thriller that includes an homage to Sergei Eisenstein. Great stuff.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Stronger (2016) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Based on the memoir of the same name by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter. It follows Bauman, who loses his legs in the Boston Marathon bombing and how he must adjust to his new life.
I feel terrible that I didn't really enjoy this film. The story itself is such a powerful one, and moments in it are truly moving, but the film starts to drag a bit in places. I'm going to have to look into the comparisons between the movie and what actually happened, it's difficult to tell what they created for the script to make the movie chug along and what was real.
There are some very talented actors in this one though, and as I said, some very moving moments. For me though I think it's not quite the break from reality that I look for in a film.
I feel terrible that I didn't really enjoy this film. The story itself is such a powerful one, and moments in it are truly moving, but the film starts to drag a bit in places. I'm going to have to look into the comparisons between the movie and what actually happened, it's difficult to tell what they created for the script to make the movie chug along and what was real.
There are some very talented actors in this one though, and as I said, some very moving moments. For me though I think it's not quite the break from reality that I look for in a film.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Sep 8, 2019 (Updated Sep 8, 2019)
Mediocre and lumbering action movie.
This has Gerard Butler too old/out of shape to be a credible presidential protection officer. None of the style of Clint Eastwood's "In the Line of Fire" which had a similar story. As a plus point, it didn’t have the distasteful xenophobia of “London Has Fallen” (which I rather generously gave a 3/10). So I feel I should at least top that. But again I feel I’m being generous. It’s all crushingly mediocre, and if I can remember any of it after three months, I’ll be very unlucky indeed!
For the full graphical review please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2019/09/06/one-manns-movies-film-review-angel-has-fallen-2019/
For the full graphical review please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2019/09/06/one-manns-movies-film-review-angel-has-fallen-2019/
Erika (17789 KP) rated Interview with the Vampire (1994) in Movies
Jul 26, 2020 (Updated Jul 26, 2020)
I re-watched this film the other day, and I forgot how much I loved it. I won't compare it to the book, since Anne Rice was responsible for the script and helped with production.
The cast in this was strong, and did alright with the characters. I actually liked pre-couch-jumping Tom Cruise in it, though I will not mind when Lestat is taken over by someone else for the newly announced Vampire Chronicles/Mayfair Witches AMC project. The accents are kind of whack, but you can easily ignore that part.
The DVD I have shows a little pre-movie interview with some of the actors, the director, and Rice herself, and talks about how you're fixin to watch a movie about the most depressing vampires you've ever heard of. That made me laugh.
This is definitely a classic vampire movie.
The cast in this was strong, and did alright with the characters. I actually liked pre-couch-jumping Tom Cruise in it, though I will not mind when Lestat is taken over by someone else for the newly announced Vampire Chronicles/Mayfair Witches AMC project. The accents are kind of whack, but you can easily ignore that part.
The DVD I have shows a little pre-movie interview with some of the actors, the director, and Rice herself, and talks about how you're fixin to watch a movie about the most depressing vampires you've ever heard of. That made me laugh.
This is definitely a classic vampire movie.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Wild Card (2015) in Movies
Jul 30, 2020
Better-than-you'd-expect crime drama built around the closest thing to an actual acting performance Jason Statham has ever given. Statham plays the usual honourable but dangerous leg-breaker, but on this occasion the focus is more on who he is and why he does what he does than the incidentals of the plot.
That said, the script is sympathetically written (Statham doesn't have to cry or emote too much) and he's well-supported by a bunch of other people. There aren't as many action sequences as usual, but when they do come along they are top bracket. In the end it's an interesting combination of character study and violent thriller; my fondness for J-Stat may factor into why I found it fairly agreeable, though. An interesting change of pace for Mr S if nothing else.
That said, the script is sympathetically written (Statham doesn't have to cry or emote too much) and he's well-supported by a bunch of other people. There aren't as many action sequences as usual, but when they do come along they are top bracket. In the end it's an interesting combination of character study and violent thriller; my fondness for J-Stat may factor into why I found it fairly agreeable, though. An interesting change of pace for Mr S if nothing else.