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Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Biollante (1989) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Feb 8, 2018)
The Rise of the Rose of the Risen Dead
Toho Studios held a competition to find the plot for their next Godzilla movie after the semi-reboot of the series in 1984, and this is the film that resulted from the winning idea. Heaven knows what the losing entries must have been like, because this is a tale dripping with utter insanity of a kind you just don't get in conventional western movies.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) in Movies
Nov 20, 2018
If you like the leads, you'll like this film
The family was surfing through the "Pay-Per-View" films the other night when we settled on THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME. I knew that this action.comedy came and went pretty quickly this past summer, so I wondered what was wrong with it. But with 2 strong leads in Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, we decided to give it a try.
And we're glad we did, for THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME is a very fun, very funny action/comedy that delivers the goods with 2 charismatic and very watchable lead actresses.
Kunis stars as Audrey, a waitress who's boyfriend dumps her. Unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend was...any guesses...a spy! And in his things in Audrey's apartment is an item that other spies want to get. Audrey must go on the run with her roommate and best friend, Morgan to escape the "bad guys" and figure out what to do to stay alive while keeping the item safe.
Pretty standard plot set-up, to be sure. But in the hands of 2 comics like Kunis and McKinnon, it rises above average fair. Kunis is winning in her role and is pleasant enough personality to spend 2 hours with. McKinnon, on the other hand, is hilarious. Now, some say that "a little Kate McKinnon goes a long way". I don't agree with that. I find her fascinatingly funny to watch. Ranking right up there with Will Ferrell as a comedian who will go anywhere and do anything for a joke. Joining in on the fun are Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser as the parents of one of the characters. They are a welcome addition to the proceedings.
Writer and Director Susanna Fogel does a nice job of keeping the plot moving and mixes fun action/chase scenes in between the comedy sequences in a formula that works very well, indeed.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed THE SPY WHO DUMPED - and you (and your house guests) will, too.
Letter Grade: B+
7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And we're glad we did, for THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME is a very fun, very funny action/comedy that delivers the goods with 2 charismatic and very watchable lead actresses.
Kunis stars as Audrey, a waitress who's boyfriend dumps her. Unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend was...any guesses...a spy! And in his things in Audrey's apartment is an item that other spies want to get. Audrey must go on the run with her roommate and best friend, Morgan to escape the "bad guys" and figure out what to do to stay alive while keeping the item safe.
Pretty standard plot set-up, to be sure. But in the hands of 2 comics like Kunis and McKinnon, it rises above average fair. Kunis is winning in her role and is pleasant enough personality to spend 2 hours with. McKinnon, on the other hand, is hilarious. Now, some say that "a little Kate McKinnon goes a long way". I don't agree with that. I find her fascinatingly funny to watch. Ranking right up there with Will Ferrell as a comedian who will go anywhere and do anything for a joke. Joining in on the fun are Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser as the parents of one of the characters. They are a welcome addition to the proceedings.
Writer and Director Susanna Fogel does a nice job of keeping the plot moving and mixes fun action/chase scenes in between the comedy sequences in a formula that works very well, indeed.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed THE SPY WHO DUMPED - and you (and your house guests) will, too.
Letter Grade: B+
7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The buddy comedy has long been a staple of Hollywood films. In the 80s it became common in the buddy Cop format after the success of “Lethal Weapon” amongst others.
In the new film “The Spy Who Dumped Me”; audiences are introduced to Audrey (Mila Kunis), and her friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon). Audrey is in a funk as she was dumped by text by her boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) and spends her Birthday wallowing in pity and doubt about her life. Morgan is ever optimistic and energetic encourages her to burn the items Drew left behind as a form of starting over.
Empowered by the idea; Audrey texts her intentions to Drew who has ignored repeated contact attempts from Audrey so she can get closure. Unknown to either Audrey or Morgan is the fact that Drew is actually a Spy and is currently being hunted by some very dangerous people overseas.
Audrey and Morgan meet a man named Sebastian (Sam Heughan) who claims to know the situation with Drew and offers to help the girls with a situation they are now entangled within.
When Drew shows up unexpectedly to retrieve an item and ends up in a bad way, Morgan and Audrey follow his instructions and head to Vienna with a statute and find themselves on the run from spies, assassins, and all manner of dangers.
The plot of the film is convoluted and there is not much in the way of character growth. But the film does have some funny moments and many of them come from the frequent riffing of McKinnon who is just a non-stop spark of energy who fires off snappy comments no matter if facing a psychotic gymnast or in a high-speed chase.
Heughan is good stepping out from his Outlander character and it is nice to see him mixing in some comedy with the action scenes. Kunis and McKinnon work well with one another and seem to be having a great time working with one another on the film.
Despite some issues, the film was a pleasant and fun piece of entertainment as long as you are willing to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
http://sknr.net/2018/08/03/the-spy-who-dumped-me/
In the new film “The Spy Who Dumped Me”; audiences are introduced to Audrey (Mila Kunis), and her friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon). Audrey is in a funk as she was dumped by text by her boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) and spends her Birthday wallowing in pity and doubt about her life. Morgan is ever optimistic and energetic encourages her to burn the items Drew left behind as a form of starting over.
Empowered by the idea; Audrey texts her intentions to Drew who has ignored repeated contact attempts from Audrey so she can get closure. Unknown to either Audrey or Morgan is the fact that Drew is actually a Spy and is currently being hunted by some very dangerous people overseas.
Audrey and Morgan meet a man named Sebastian (Sam Heughan) who claims to know the situation with Drew and offers to help the girls with a situation they are now entangled within.
When Drew shows up unexpectedly to retrieve an item and ends up in a bad way, Morgan and Audrey follow his instructions and head to Vienna with a statute and find themselves on the run from spies, assassins, and all manner of dangers.
The plot of the film is convoluted and there is not much in the way of character growth. But the film does have some funny moments and many of them come from the frequent riffing of McKinnon who is just a non-stop spark of energy who fires off snappy comments no matter if facing a psychotic gymnast or in a high-speed chase.
Heughan is good stepping out from his Outlander character and it is nice to see him mixing in some comedy with the action scenes. Kunis and McKinnon work well with one another and seem to be having a great time working with one another on the film.
Despite some issues, the film was a pleasant and fun piece of entertainment as long as you are willing to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
http://sknr.net/2018/08/03/the-spy-who-dumped-me/
World War I and the Origins of U.S. Military Intelligence
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In World War I and the Origins of U.S. Military Intelligence, military historian James L. Gilbert...
A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided
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'No two nations have ever existed on the face of the earth which could do each other so much good or...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Column of Fire in Books
Aug 6, 2020
127 of 200
Book
A column of fire ( Kingsbridge 3)
By Ken Follet
Christmas 1558, and young Ned Willard returns home to Kingsbridge to find his world has changed.
The ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn by religious hatred. Europe is in turmoil as high principles clash bloodily with friendship, loyalty and love, and Ned soon finds himself on the opposite side from the girl he longs to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.
Then Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen and all of Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country's first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions and invasion plans.
Elizabeth knows that alluring, headstrong Mary Queen of Scots lies in wait in Paris. Part of a brutally ambitious French family, Mary has been proclaimed the rightful ruler of England, with her own supporters scheming to get rid of the new queen.
Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. With Elizabeth clinging precariously to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents, it becomes clear that the real enemies - then as now - are not the rival religions.
The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else - no matter the cost.
Ken Follet and this series has completely stolen my heart I love these books! I’m a huge fan of historical based fiction and I think he just does it so well!! I did find some parts were a little rushed but it was still an amazing book. The characters were as usual full of life, I have loved and hated them he has a way of hooking you into these peoples lives. If I had one issue it was this one spent a lot of time away from kingsbridge I think the characters weren’t as linked to the city as they were in other books! I’m looking forward to to the new kingsbridge book!
Book
A column of fire ( Kingsbridge 3)
By Ken Follet
Christmas 1558, and young Ned Willard returns home to Kingsbridge to find his world has changed.
The ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn by religious hatred. Europe is in turmoil as high principles clash bloodily with friendship, loyalty and love, and Ned soon finds himself on the opposite side from the girl he longs to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.
Then Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen and all of Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country's first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions and invasion plans.
Elizabeth knows that alluring, headstrong Mary Queen of Scots lies in wait in Paris. Part of a brutally ambitious French family, Mary has been proclaimed the rightful ruler of England, with her own supporters scheming to get rid of the new queen.
Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. With Elizabeth clinging precariously to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents, it becomes clear that the real enemies - then as now - are not the rival religions.
The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else - no matter the cost.
Ken Follet and this series has completely stolen my heart I love these books! I’m a huge fan of historical based fiction and I think he just does it so well!! I did find some parts were a little rushed but it was still an amazing book. The characters were as usual full of life, I have loved and hated them he has a way of hooking you into these peoples lives. If I had one issue it was this one spent a lot of time away from kingsbridge I think the characters weren’t as linked to the city as they were in other books! I’m looking forward to to the new kingsbridge book!
Harsh Shadows
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The Midnight Peacock: The Sinclair's Mysteries
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young adult crime
David McK (3562 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Dec 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 16, 2020)
"It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Enpire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home abord her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy ..."
So reads the opening crawl to the first Star Wars film (otherwise known as "Episode IV: A New Hope"), with this opening crawl becoming a feature of all the Star Wars films to date.
That is, until this one - the first to NOT have an opening crawl, and the first to NOT focus on any of the Skywalkers. Instead, this film deals with what was originally only just described in that crawl; by the mission to steal those Death Star plans and, as such, is the first completely self-contained and stand-alone Star Wars film.
I'd heard this described as a war movie, and that's probably a pretty fair comparison - this is more serious than the other six (especially the prequel Trilogy), maybe a bit darker in places, with the Rebel Alliance not afraid of getting their hands dirty and not quite the idealists they were originally portrayed as.
As this is back in galactic Civil War territory, we also have the return of some of the original villains of the saga - it's no secret that Darth Vader casts a shadow over the film (while not being the main villain of it), with an extended sequence towards the end showing just why he was so feared, and probably destined to become - like the 3-way Qui-Gonn Jinn/Kenobi/Maul fight in 'The Phantom Menace', or Vader vs Luke in 'The Empire Strikes back' - one of the most talked about scenes in the entire saga.
(As an aside, and talking of scenes: yes, there are scenes shown in the trailers that don't make it to the final cut, but since I managed to avoid (most of) those trailers, I can't really comment on that.)
Maybe a tad slow in getting started, but the bombastic final act more than makes up for it!
Pursued by the Enpire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home abord her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy ..."
So reads the opening crawl to the first Star Wars film (otherwise known as "Episode IV: A New Hope"), with this opening crawl becoming a feature of all the Star Wars films to date.
That is, until this one - the first to NOT have an opening crawl, and the first to NOT focus on any of the Skywalkers. Instead, this film deals with what was originally only just described in that crawl; by the mission to steal those Death Star plans and, as such, is the first completely self-contained and stand-alone Star Wars film.
I'd heard this described as a war movie, and that's probably a pretty fair comparison - this is more serious than the other six (especially the prequel Trilogy), maybe a bit darker in places, with the Rebel Alliance not afraid of getting their hands dirty and not quite the idealists they were originally portrayed as.
As this is back in galactic Civil War territory, we also have the return of some of the original villains of the saga - it's no secret that Darth Vader casts a shadow over the film (while not being the main villain of it), with an extended sequence towards the end showing just why he was so feared, and probably destined to become - like the 3-way Qui-Gonn Jinn/Kenobi/Maul fight in 'The Phantom Menace', or Vader vs Luke in 'The Empire Strikes back' - one of the most talked about scenes in the entire saga.
(As an aside, and talking of scenes: yes, there are scenes shown in the trailers that don't make it to the final cut, but since I managed to avoid (most of) those trailers, I can't really comment on that.)
Maybe a tad slow in getting started, but the bombastic final act more than makes up for it!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Intern (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Ben is a widower who has tried to fill his time with routine and travel since his wife passed, but he is stuck in a rut. He feels unnecessary and lonely. On his way out of a grocery store Ben spies a flier for “Senior Interns”. He discovers that they actually mean Senior Citizens and not high school seniors, and he creates a video application outlining his qualifications and telling about himself.
Jules runs her company, which she started out of her home, with an attention to detail that insists on perfection, all the while it’s strangling her home life.
She neither remembers she agreed to, nor wants to utilize, an intern of any sort, let alone an out-to-pasture one as Ben appears to be.
With quiet persistence, a good dose of humor, and genuine caring, expertise and talent, Ben goes about proving to Jules just how much she needs his brand of help and how much value he can add to her operation.
I really enjoyed this film. For me, it had just the right amount of funny and sad and even a bit of action (entrenched in a totally impossible situation, and obviously for pure comic relief sake) that made it completely enjoyable to watch.
It is rated PG-13, but I think that even a youngster in the 10 or 11 year old range, provided they were mature enough to deal with the idea of infidelity inside a marriage, would be ok to see it too. The rating was given in part due to “brief strong language” but to be honest I can’t recall any very strong language, which honestly in this day & age is a refreshing change.
I love DeNiro in almost anything I see him in, and this was no exception. I have never had strong feelings either way regarding Anne Hathaway, but I liked her in this, paired against DeNiro. The rest of the cast did their job well, but for me sort of faded into the background against the 2 main characters.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars, and the 4 stars is only because it wasn’t a movie I came away with a feeling of “oh my gosh that was AMAZING”, and more that I came away thinking “that was really good, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to see it.”
Jules runs her company, which she started out of her home, with an attention to detail that insists on perfection, all the while it’s strangling her home life.
She neither remembers she agreed to, nor wants to utilize, an intern of any sort, let alone an out-to-pasture one as Ben appears to be.
With quiet persistence, a good dose of humor, and genuine caring, expertise and talent, Ben goes about proving to Jules just how much she needs his brand of help and how much value he can add to her operation.
I really enjoyed this film. For me, it had just the right amount of funny and sad and even a bit of action (entrenched in a totally impossible situation, and obviously for pure comic relief sake) that made it completely enjoyable to watch.
It is rated PG-13, but I think that even a youngster in the 10 or 11 year old range, provided they were mature enough to deal with the idea of infidelity inside a marriage, would be ok to see it too. The rating was given in part due to “brief strong language” but to be honest I can’t recall any very strong language, which honestly in this day & age is a refreshing change.
I love DeNiro in almost anything I see him in, and this was no exception. I have never had strong feelings either way regarding Anne Hathaway, but I liked her in this, paired against DeNiro. The rest of the cast did their job well, but for me sort of faded into the background against the 2 main characters.
I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars, and the 4 stars is only because it wasn’t a movie I came away with a feeling of “oh my gosh that was AMAZING”, and more that I came away thinking “that was really good, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to see it.”