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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Dig (2021) in Movies
Jan 31, 2021
Acting from Fiennes and Mulligan - top notch (1 more)
Cinematography is gorgeous
Why make it so "man heavy" when history was otherwise? (1 more)
Found the asynchronous editing irritating
Archaeology with no fedora required
It’s 1939, and as World War 2 approaches, widower Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires rough and ready excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to dig into one of the ancient earth mounds on her property at the site that will become famous as Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Requesting the help of her cousin Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn) to photograph the effort, the site slowly gives up its Anglo-Saxon treasures attracting the attention of first the Ipswich museum and then the pompous Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) of the British Museum. A battle is on for both the control of the site and the resting place for the treasures found.
Against this backdrop there is a critical illness emerging, a son (Archie Barnes) and his attachment to the father figure of Brown and a potential romance between Rory and archaeologist Peggy Piggott, trapped in a loveless marriage.
Talent:
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Johnny Flynn, Lily James, Archie Barnes, Ken Stott, Monica Donlan.
Directed by: Simon Stone.
Written by: Moira Buffini (from the novel by John Preston).
Bullet points of my thoughts:
+ Superb acting by Mulligan and Fiennes – Oscar noms for both?
+ Young Archie Barnes impresses as the son Robert
+ Cinematography by Mike Eley shows the open Suffolk skies at their best
+ Based on fact, a fascinating historical record of the real excitement of uncovering the past
o The script deftly melds the archeology with the love story subplot: but was the latter really necessary?
– Curious “man heavy” script, replacing some of the historical female characters with men and making Peggy Piggott (Lily James) a bit of a klutz
– Asynchronous editing decision I found to be distracting and unnecessary.
For my full review, please see the video at https://youtu.be/m8Ad8B8dkSY .
Against this backdrop there is a critical illness emerging, a son (Archie Barnes) and his attachment to the father figure of Brown and a potential romance between Rory and archaeologist Peggy Piggott, trapped in a loveless marriage.
Talent:
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Johnny Flynn, Lily James, Archie Barnes, Ken Stott, Monica Donlan.
Directed by: Simon Stone.
Written by: Moira Buffini (from the novel by John Preston).
Bullet points of my thoughts:
+ Superb acting by Mulligan and Fiennes – Oscar noms for both?
+ Young Archie Barnes impresses as the son Robert
+ Cinematography by Mike Eley shows the open Suffolk skies at their best
+ Based on fact, a fascinating historical record of the real excitement of uncovering the past
o The script deftly melds the archeology with the love story subplot: but was the latter really necessary?
– Curious “man heavy” script, replacing some of the historical female characters with men and making Peggy Piggott (Lily James) a bit of a klutz
– Asynchronous editing decision I found to be distracting and unnecessary.
For my full review, please see the video at https://youtu.be/m8Ad8B8dkSY .
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Philomena (2013) in Movies
Oct 26, 2017
A great heartwarming comedy
I avoided this film for a few years mainly because of Steve Coogan, but i can honestly say it is a very funny, heartwarming, sad and disturbing tale.
Judi Dench is as fantastic as ever as Phil. She brings such warmth and a believability to the at times naive Irish woman. The script itself is clever and well written. I didn't think such a disturbing and horrible story could include some truly funny moments, but it pulls them off well. It also really highlights Phil's story without downplaying or making light of, and it's a story that really needs to be told. This isn't something that I was aware of, so it has really opened my eyes to what went on and did in fact make me quite angry.
My only criticism would be Steve Coogan. He seems to play a similar character in most films and other than towards the end of Philomena, you don't feel much ot care much for him.
Judi Dench is as fantastic as ever as Phil. She brings such warmth and a believability to the at times naive Irish woman. The script itself is clever and well written. I didn't think such a disturbing and horrible story could include some truly funny moments, but it pulls them off well. It also really highlights Phil's story without downplaying or making light of, and it's a story that really needs to be told. This isn't something that I was aware of, so it has really opened my eyes to what went on and did in fact make me quite angry.
My only criticism would be Steve Coogan. He seems to play a similar character in most films and other than towards the end of Philomena, you don't feel much ot care much for him.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Graduation Day (1981) in Movies
Jun 21, 2017
Horrible acting (2 more)
Terrible ending
Shitty special effects
Stay in School kids, so you don't end up in a shitty movie like this
Midvale High, 1981.
Point form version. Track star wins the race. Track star drops dead
Sister comes for funeral
Students drop dead
The coach is a suspect
More students drop dead
Coach gets killed by real killer
Real killer digs up and poses dead girl in grad gown
Real killer gets bumped out a window with girl corpse on top of him
THIS MOVIE STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!! Only reason it got two bombs is Vanna White was in it. And the always reliable Linnea Quigley makes an appearance...
Horrible script, even more horrible acting and a shitty ending made this movie the worst thing I've ever seen... Next to the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads... And the Spice Girls flick... Which both stunk up the place... But this movie, from a genre I love, ranks down there amongst the shittiest of the shitty.
Point form version. Track star wins the race. Track star drops dead
Sister comes for funeral
Students drop dead
The coach is a suspect
More students drop dead
Coach gets killed by real killer
Real killer digs up and poses dead girl in grad gown
Real killer gets bumped out a window with girl corpse on top of him
THIS MOVIE STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!! Only reason it got two bombs is Vanna White was in it. And the always reliable Linnea Quigley makes an appearance...
Horrible script, even more horrible acting and a shitty ending made this movie the worst thing I've ever seen... Next to the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads... And the Spice Girls flick... Which both stunk up the place... But this movie, from a genre I love, ranks down there amongst the shittiest of the shitty.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Star Trek Beyond (2016) in Movies
Jul 19, 2017
Great villian (5 more)
Exciting
Well directed
Crew chemistry
SFX
Soundtrack
A thrillride all the way through
I have no idea why this movie opened to mixed reviews, as it is actually my favourite of the three reboot Star Trek Movies. All of the characters are great, the chemistry that is seen between the cast members due to the circumstances of the plot is fun and well written, the movie is exciting and very well directed by Justin Lin. The stakes are high and the villain is complex and a truly frightening threat. The special effects are beautiful, the tone and the soundtrack are refreshing and the script is well written. I came out of this one having enjoyed it way more than I thought I would going in. Also, it is full of Easter eggs and call backs for long time Trekkies, while also being easily accessible to anyone that isn’t familiar with the franchise.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Shallows (2016) in Movies
Aug 2, 2017
Blake Lively carries the whole movie essentially on her own (1 more)
Some cool gory moments
Bullshit backstory (3 more)
Awful Script
Just outright silly in places
Frequent boring lulls
Yawn
My girlfriend is a huge fan of Blake Lively, so she talked me into sitting watching this one. It's not an awful movie, there are small glimmers of a good shark attack movie in here, they are just so few and far between. The back story is a total waste of time and the first 30 minutes of the movie are extremely boring until the shark actually shows up. Then there are some cool shark kills, then the movie slows right down again up until the final showdown between Blake Lively and the shark, the climax of which isn't worth all of the boring exposition and build up.
You could spend and hour and a half of your time on something much better than this, but it's not total trash either, just pretty forgettable overall.
You could spend and hour and a half of your time on something much better than this, but it's not total trash either, just pretty forgettable overall.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Red in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Judging by thickness of the book, I thought there might be more story than there ended up being (74 pages, the rest sketches and the script). While the plot was decent, it seemed more like a prelude than a finished story. Though it had a beginning and middle, there was no end, just another beginning. I would have liked more. The artwork serves the story well and I had no trouble following the layout, though it is the color schemes that stood out to me. They were fantastic. From the subdued blues of darkened rooms to the sunnier colors when Paul is having a more carefree moment, they really brought the panels to life. Overall, a fine story but not something I'd care to read again.
This might just be me, but every time the C.I.A. Director, Michael Beesely, popped up, I thought <i>"Principal Flutie!"</i> (Ken Lerner) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. :D
This might just be me, but every time the C.I.A. Director, Michael Beesely, popped up, I thought <i>"Principal Flutie!"</i> (Ken Lerner) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. :D
Villainous Vee (53 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Feb 22, 2019
Voice Actors (2 more)
Animation
Script
I honestly wasn't sure about this movie before watching it. I didn't want to watch another spider man origin story but I have to say this film blew me away.
The animation style of this film is amazing. It feels fresh and new whilst keeping the comic book feel too it which I really enjoyed. I can tell that in 3D it would have been even more epic on the big screen. Also the soundtrack that accompanies the film is epic... Some great choices there.
The voice actors were amazing and great choices and it was great and emotional to see Stan Lees cameo performance as well, especially as it was released around the time of his passing.
If your not sure about seeing this or think that the animation will take away from it it really really doesn't and totally adds to it so watch it when you can.
The animation style of this film is amazing. It feels fresh and new whilst keeping the comic book feel too it which I really enjoyed. I can tell that in 3D it would have been even more epic on the big screen. Also the soundtrack that accompanies the film is epic... Some great choices there.
The voice actors were amazing and great choices and it was great and emotional to see Stan Lees cameo performance as well, especially as it was released around the time of his passing.
If your not sure about seeing this or think that the animation will take away from it it really really doesn't and totally adds to it so watch it when you can.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Devil Girl from Mars (1955) in Movies
Mar 30, 2019 (Updated Mar 30, 2019)
Notorious cheapo British SF film objectively deserves about a 2 or 3, but it's worth at least an 8 for connoisseurs of duff B-movies, so I've split the difference. Title character Nyah (Laffan) swishes about in a shower curtain, occasionally hypnotising men she wants to take home to Mars, and devastating the countryside with her pet robot (which looks like a fridge with legs). Everyone else tries to get on with some very soapy subplots.
Absolutely a horrendous collision between a homespun UK programme filler and a spangly American flying saucer B-movie, but the weirdest thing about this very odd film is that there are individual bits of it that are actually pretty good: just not the acting, script, or sci-fi props. Shameless in its economy and genuinely very funny (just not intentionally), the result is sort of like an episode of The Twilight Zone performed as amateur theatre. Awful, but a fun kind of awful.
Absolutely a horrendous collision between a homespun UK programme filler and a spangly American flying saucer B-movie, but the weirdest thing about this very odd film is that there are individual bits of it that are actually pretty good: just not the acting, script, or sci-fi props. Shameless in its economy and genuinely very funny (just not intentionally), the result is sort of like an episode of The Twilight Zone performed as amateur theatre. Awful, but a fun kind of awful.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Eighth Grade (2018) in Movies
Apr 30, 2019 (Updated Apr 30, 2019)
There's something a little bit ironic, don'cha think, about someone who got his start as a first-wave YouTuber making a film basically criticising the effects of social media on young people's lives, but hey, so it goes. Bo Burnham's feature debut as director is a forensically well-observed and excruciatingly difficult-to-watch comedy-drama about a teenage girl struggling to cope with the demands of modern life.
Very, very impressive performance from Elsie Fisher, who's in virtually every scene, and a witty and thoughtful script (Burnham again). May be of interest to future anthropologists in its detailing of the way that social media exacerbate generation gaps and generally prevent people from communicating with each other; one of several ironies the film points out. Manages to be bleak to the point of depressing for most of its duration but still turns it around for a credibly warm and quite moving conclusion. Very relatable no matter what year you were born in.
Very, very impressive performance from Elsie Fisher, who's in virtually every scene, and a witty and thoughtful script (Burnham again). May be of interest to future anthropologists in its detailing of the way that social media exacerbate generation gaps and generally prevent people from communicating with each other; one of several ironies the film points out. Manages to be bleak to the point of depressing for most of its duration but still turns it around for a credibly warm and quite moving conclusion. Very relatable no matter what year you were born in.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019 (Updated Jun 8, 2019)
A fun but flawed monster movie, that (thankfully) never takes itself seriously.
The Meg is silly. Very very silly.
It's verging on so silly that at some point, you just accept what's happening and go along with the ride.
Jason Statham absolutely carries this film. As per usual, he is extremely likable, and carries a terrible script to satisfying degree.
The rest of the human cast are mostly dull , even the usually loveable Rainn Wilson seems like he's phoning it in at times.
The jump scares are predictable, resulting in a tame experience (unless you happen to have a fear of sharks of course), and the CGI is very questionable at times.
The main saving grace for The Meg is that it knows what it is, and never takes itself seriously, at times, even pointing out convenient plot points and making light of them, and it just about gets away with it. Just.
Best line - "That fossil ate my friend!"
It's verging on so silly that at some point, you just accept what's happening and go along with the ride.
Jason Statham absolutely carries this film. As per usual, he is extremely likable, and carries a terrible script to satisfying degree.
The rest of the human cast are mostly dull , even the usually loveable Rainn Wilson seems like he's phoning it in at times.
The jump scares are predictable, resulting in a tame experience (unless you happen to have a fear of sharks of course), and the CGI is very questionable at times.
The main saving grace for The Meg is that it knows what it is, and never takes itself seriously, at times, even pointing out convenient plot points and making light of them, and it just about gets away with it. Just.
Best line - "That fossil ate my friend!"