Tim Allen is billed as the star of Galaxy Quest, but he's not (which is a very good thing because I'm not a Tim Allen fan.) The real stars are the inventive screenwriters who concocted it. Like with Groundhog Day, a very simple, clever idea was thoroughly mined for all its rich possibilities.
The beginning is mildly agreeable, but once the plot kicks into high gear and the adventure takes off, Galaxy Quest becomes a lot of fun. A Whole Hell of a Lot of Fun! This is not just a big budget, cinematic in-joke for "Star Trek" fans, but a hugely enjoyable, laugh-out-loud, action/comedy that appeals to a very wide audience.
I must emphasize to any of you who agree with me in your opinion of Tim Allen, he is not the star. This is a well-picked ensemble who all join together to do some of the most polished work of their careers. Sigourney Weaver taps a rarely seen comic vein that she's very good at. Alan Rickman hasn't been this much fun (in a broad sense) except for perhaps Robin Hood. The real scene stealers (if the film was stealable) are Sam Rockwell as the self-aware extra crew member and Tony Shalhoub as the tactical engineer who speaks in a delighted "I can't believe I'm actually saying this" deadpan. Everybody shines, especially a group of aliens who recruit Allen, and they all get equal screen time.
After downplaying Allen's part, you may wonder if I enjoyed him at all? Actually, this is his finest live-action performance, and while the beginning sets the film up as a star vehicle, once his crew is recruited, he meshes right in with everyone else, delivering sharp jokes with crack timing. He is equally effective in the one key dramatic scene.
Before seeing Galaxy Quest, I was of the opinion of "it looks good, but Tim Allen is in it." Now I have no complaints. If you're looking for a fun DVD with a lot of rewatchability, this is an excellent example of what happens when Hollywood entertainment gets everything right.
What if the actors of a "Star Trek" type TV show were recruited by aliens to save their existence because they believed that the show was historical fact?
Recipe for Layer Cake:
Ingredients:
- One lead actor on the cusp of super-stardom, in his breakout role (Daniel Craig)
- One debut director ready to springboard into the Hollywood A-list on the strength of his very first feature (Matthew Vaughn)
- A sprinkling of classic gangster clichés, but with a modern spin
- One seductive femme fatale (Sienna Miller)
- A supporting cast made up of quirky-but-memorable actors (Dexter Fletcher; Colm Meaney; Michael Gambon)
- An eclectic, timeless pop soundtrack
- Several unexpected and intricate plot twists
- A host of unforgettable, brutally violent moments that force you to sit up and take notice
- One shocking ending
Method:
1 - Take your star, and establish his character - a London-based drug dealer with an aversion to violence and a sensible, grounded outlook - quickly and efficiently. Ensure that his commanding performance makes it impossible to take your eyes off the film from the very start. Draw his character into a complex plot involving a missing girl and a big drug-deal-gone-wrong, adding various complications and adversaries along the way where necessary.
2 - Pepper this basic mixture with a host of memorable, distinctive supporting characters. Be careful not to let any of them outstay their welcome, but be sure that each one plays a crucial role in your story. If possible, make sure that they only add further complications to the increasingly difficult position that your protagonist finds himself in.
3 - To keep things interesting, employ a distinctive filmmaking style to ensure that you make an impact on the viewer despite being only a first-time director. This can include a bold use of catchy pop music; a confident and assured approach to action (including one particularly brutal beating in a cafe); and attention-grabbing fourth-wall-breaking scenes in which your characters address the audience directly.
4 - One the various elements of the story have all been introduced, mix thoroughly to ensure that the plot is as complicated as possible before proceeding. Simmer gently before gradually turning up the heat, ratcheting up the stakes for your protagonist and placing him in an increasingly-inescapable situation for maximum dramatic effect.
5 - Place the entire mixture in an intense pressure cooker for the remainder of the 105-minute total cooking time. Don't let up until it's almost over - and even then, save a bit of extra heat for the very end.
6 - Serve on Blu-Ray accompanied by high-definition sound and picture quality, as well as a host of special features including a making-of documentary, a filmmakers' Q&A and a selection of deleted scenes that didn't make it into the main movie.
7 - Sit back and enjoy one of the best British crime flicks of the last ten years, and one that deservedly made household names of both its lead actor and its director.
Entertaining remake of the 1985 comedy-horror: Colin Farrell is brilliant as charismatic Vegas vampire, Jerry, who mercilessly stalks & sucks his way through the neighbourhood in a stealthy killing spree. Only erstwhile high school nerd turned hipster, Charley (Anton Yletchen) is wise to Jerry's macabre misdemeanours; his mother (Toni Collete) and girlfriend (Imogen Poots) eventually catch on as all manner of chaos ensues, add David Tennant's hilarious, Russell Brand-esque Goth magician to the mix, and you've got what amounts to a well paced, well directed film that's probably as close to a modern day 'Lost Boys' as vampire movie fans are likely to get. Granted, its not the best film ever made, but you kind of know that going in; what it is, however, is a perfectly enjoyable movie on a par with, and occasionally better than, the original. Audiences gave it the garlic and UV treatment at the box office, but it deserves a second lease of life at home.
Good psychological horror that delves into the origins of fear. Set in London and Spain, 'Intruders' is an initially confusing, but ultimately rewarding, film that owes more to the slow burn novels of James Herbert than the full on terror of Stephen King. Clive Owen plays the protective Dad whose teenage daughter is troubled by a strange presence in the house; some malevolent, free roaming, full torso vaporous apparition that seems to manifest itself in synch with a story she's writing and somehow links in with similar paranormal disturbances afflicting a mother and her child in Spain. Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ('Intacto') creates an impressive balance between both stories whilst working with light & shadows to make the mundane seem macabre. The London arc in particular uses the old less-is-more technique to create a burgeoning sense of unease and dread e.g. static shot of a dark closet in the daytime.
The cast are excellent: Clive Owen puts in another solid performance and we get a real sense of who this guy is and the strength of his relationship with his daughter (played with aplomb by Kiera Knightley-esue newcomer Ella Purnell). There are a few clichés here and there, and the though I liked the link between the Spanish and London stories, 'Intruders', enthralling though it is, doesn't really cover anything new and were it not for the international aspect / the clever way they tie it together, may well have gone unnoticed. A competent, commendably atmospheric, film boosted by one great plot twist but let down by another: watch it for the mise-en-scene.
For anyone who has read any quotes suggesting The Hunger Games is 'the next Twilight'
and finds them offputting then ignore them. Beyond The Hunger Games being another book-to-film adaptation, the comparisons are baseless. After all, Harry Potter was the same, as was Lord of the Rings, and even something completely different like The Shining.
There are many book adaptations out there that you simply cannot compare. Yes, they may have a predominantly teen fanbase, but believe me when I say The Hunger Games is a much more adult themed series with more violent and heartbreaking scenes that put anything in the Twilight saga to shame. As a 29 year old male, I can truthfully say that The Hunger Games has something for everyone - something Twilight could only dream of.
This home release comes less than six months after its cinema run, allowing fans to
catch up before the sequel Catching Fire is released at the end of 2013. Led by Jennifer
Lawrence (X-Men: First Class, Winter's Bone) as Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games
presents a post-apocalyptic vision of the nation of Panem, home to twelve districts
formerly known as North America. The title refers to an annual event featuring a boy and
girl participant from each district who fight to the death. This exists as a punishment due to a previous uprising against those in charge - referred to as the Capitol, a wealthy area at the centre of all districts.
Katniss volunteers to be a 'tribute' after her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is selected for District 12 as a participant, alongside Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the male selection. There can only be one winner, and so even if both tributes from a district make it to the end, they must then fight to the death themselves. What unfolds is a story full of heartbreak, tragedy, revenge, violence and love. A message of uprising and cowardice, alongside the fight to survive at any cost. Many questions are raised but none more important than what would you do to survive in the world?
Without wanting to give too much away, there are twists and turns along the journey to
victory, and not everything or everyone is as you would expect. Katniss makes a far more
believable and easier to support character than someone like Bella in Twilight, and the
situation is more complex than the fantasy of wolves and vampires. Real messages of a
Big Brother nation and oppression exist in The Hunger Games, and there's a depth to the
story that can teach viewers a thing or two about family and how to live their lives.
Lawrence gives Katniss a warmth and sympathy that means you desperately want her to win without compromising her character - a loving and caring sister and daughter. Others are quick to throw away their morals for a quick kill or to become idolised by those watching the Games on television.
Lawrence is surrounded by a stellar cast including Woody Harrelson as Haymitch
Abernathy, a previous Hunger Games victor; Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus
Snow; and a number of young stars such as Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Amandla Stenberg as Rue. Quite possibly the best role goes to Stanley Tucci as Caesar
Flickerman, the charismatic scene stealer and TV personality. Tucci is in his element here and sparkles every time he is on screen. With so many Districts, not all tributes get much screen time, but the main ones are all fleshed out well and deliver some drama and emotion beyond similar 'young adult' stories.
Director Gary Ross does a fantastic job of making The Hunger Games feel fresh and modern, delivering feelings of war, romance, tragedy and hope all in one movie. The
colours and vibrancy alongside the desolation and desperation are perfectly balanced, and the over 2 hours running time flies by without any wasted time. Every sound of an arrow firing or leaves crunching is heard perfectly on this Blu-ray release, as if you're almost right there in the woods with the Games participants. The picture is crisp and captures the mood perfectly in every location. Not only are the characters perfectly presented on screen with their dialogue and costumes, but the differences between the Capitol, the Districts and the Games arena are contrasted effectively.
The Hunger Games is a movie worth watching with as little knowledge as possible, that
way you'll be as shocked and surprised as anyone should be. The plot twists and deaths
work very well, as you're emotionally invested in many of the participants and yet you
know only one can win. So with any special features - make sure you watch them AFTER the main feature! "The World is Watching" especially is a multi-part feature which goes into
great depth about the book-to-film process, and provides a fascinating insight into the
struggles of adapting source material and keeping the existing fanbase happy, while trying to appeal to a whole new area of potential fans. Gary Ross is very hands-on in a number of other features, and you respect the man for being aware of how to handle such a project.
There is more than enough on this Blu-ray release for even the most avid of Hunger Games fans right through to the casual interest. If you have the facilities to play the HD
release then certainly pick this up as The Hunger Games is one of the best looking and
sounding releases of 2012. "May the odds be ever in your favour."
A release far deeper than its 'young adult' tag.
Great film, loved Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah and Sofie Okenedo's performances great film. Good emotive drama.
A group of sisters everyday lives are interrupted by the arrival of a young stranger. Who changes all their lives.
Here comes the four girls that changed history from bad brake up's to making up with a plate of cheese cake and a flash back of Sofia's story, you will be on the edge of your seat on this four disk set and all 25 episodes with The Complete First Season Of The Golden Girls that won - Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Comedy Series.
This is where it all started off with Blanche Devereaux , Dorothy Zbornak and Rose Nylund and you carnt forget little Sofia Petrillo all living together under one roof and you carnt imagine what these girls get you too because they are old doesn't mean they carnt have a fun and sexy time in Miami, Florida.
It all starts of with Blanche Devereaux ( Owner of the house ) wants to share her house with room mates as her house is no longer full of her husband who had a tragic death and her children who have all grown up so this is left Blanche all alone in a big house and leaves posters up for room rentals
Dorothy Zbornak turns up first with her Mother (Sofia Petrillo) and gets the fitts room and who is then followed by Rose Nylund who gets the last room and from then on these girls are living life to the max with girls nights out, good and bad dates and meet family who they haven't seen in a long while you wont regret buying the Complete First season and watching these stunning woman live there life through menopause.
This season comes with Special feature - Fashion Commentary - Joan and Melissa Rivers provide their own unique brand of fashion
You wont be disappointed with your purchase of The Golden Girls The Complete First Season because I know I wasn't disappointed
You WONT! be disappointed
This month, the film industry lost one of its most underrated directors. Tony Scott, who died on 19 August, was responsible for directing a host of well-loved pictures - including Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance and Crimson Tide, as well as more recent fare such as Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, and Déjà Vu - and producing countless others. It's fair to say that Scott's dynamic, action-oriented films were successful with audiences in spite of the critics' reactions rather than because of them, and it's also true that his career was to some extent overshadowed by that of his brother, Ridley. However, one of his films in particular still stands as one of the best-loved and most influential action movies of all time: 1986's Top Gun.
For anyone who isn't aware, Top Gun - directed by Scott and produced by the powerhouse team of Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer - revolves around a group of hot-headed US Air Force aviators at a training school for top-level fighter pilots. It's perhaps best known as being one of the breakout films for Tom Cruise, but on rewatching the film it's interesting to note just how important the supporting cast is to the movie, too. The reckless, devil-may-care attitude of Cruise's character wouldn't be as meaningful if he didn't have the icy reservedness of Val Kilmer's performance to bounce off, or the honest, tragic character of Anthony Edwards' Goose to give him a genuine emotional grounding. And the film's love interest, Charlie, is played to seductive perfection by Kelly McGillis in all her 1980s, big-haired glory.
As well as the great cast, the other element that makes the film such a joy to watch is its relentless, unapologetic action scenes that don't so much serve the story as they provide a reason for the story to exist in the first place. As much as the characters, it's the high-octane fighter-jet sequences that provide the most attractive and exciting part of the movie. As you'd expect from a seasoned action director and editor like Tony Scott was, they're handled pretty perfectly, ratcheting up the tension and stakes for the characters whilst also providing some dazzling visuals, all set to heart-pumping music. It's not surprising that US Air Force recruitment saw such a huge spike in applications after this movie was released: I can't think of a better advert, or a better way of making the vocation look more glamorous and appealing.
Yes, some of the film's characters and situations may look cliché today - but this is the movie that invented those clichés, quickly becoming shorthand for the kind of gung-ho, slick, MTV-era action movies that would soon become ten-a-penny. But Top Gun was the original - and arguably the best - and it still stands up today. It might not be subtle (as you'd expect for a film that actually has the gumption to nickname its characters "Maverick" and "Iceman" - just in case you were having trouble keeping track of their personalities), and it might not be particularly intelligent, but as a pure blast of 1980s action, emotion, spectacle and power-pop, there's nothing else that can match it.
Even when the movie has become so over-familiar through its popularity, inspiring countless imitators (as well as a host of parodies, chief among them 1991's "Hot Shots"), you can't escape the fact that all of these elements come together and work perfectly. (And it's interesting to note that the homoerotic-subtext theories popularised by such luminaries as Quentin Tarantino remain just that: subtext. When you actually watch the movie, it's certainly not as blatant as some people like to make out, although it's arguably still there).
And on Blu-Ray, the film looks and sounds better than ever, with an incredibly clear transfer and hi-def audio tracks that sound fantastic. It's worth remembering that Top Gun is responsible for not one but two classic pieces of movie-soundtrack history (as well as Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", there's also the bombastic, anthemic 1980s pomp of the movie's unforgettable main theme), alongside secondary stuff like Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone - which could easily be the lead song in a lesser action movie.
It might be as cheesy as a block of cheddar, and it's arguably as interesting today from a historical point of view as it is as a movie in its own right, but it's still a pretty flawless piece of hyper-dynamic action-movie filmmaking that stands as a fitting tribute to the talent of Tony Scott.
I had no expectations for this film with there being no major stars in the cast, however, it's funny and kept my attention throughout. An unexpected thumbs up!
Brilliant
Garden State is a film that I really love but not one that I would necessarily describe as a "great film". It's deeply flawed in very obvious ways but there's something about it that makes you want to overlook its flaws, that makes you want to like it. And so I do.
Zach Braff's directorial debut is, in many ways, reminiscent of the early seasons of the show that made him a star: both Scrubs and Garden State wear the term "quirky" as a badge of honour, offering a mixture of social commentary and zanier, oddball humour whilst generally providing a cautiously optimistic outlook on the modern world.
Braff's character, Andrew Largeman is an impassive twenty-something year old: shy, quietly witty, basically what JD may have become had he too been kept doped out of his mind since the age of ten to help him deal with the freak accident that leaves his mother in a wheelchair and for which his father fears he will blame himself. The film begins with Andrew learning of his mother's death, forcing him to return home for the first time since the accident which he uses as a chance to ditch the medication that has rendered him emotionally catatonic for half his life and to try to repair his relationship with his father.
Whilst home, he reconnects with some old friends, falls in love with a charming pathological liar named Sam (Natalie Portman) and generally goes on the sort of "journey of self-discovery" that movie protagonists tend to go on. If they didn't, why would we make movies about them?
Its two stars really make this film, with Braff producing an incredibly well-shot film for his first attempt; mixing gorgeous cinematography with a decidedly Scrubs-ish soundtrack, whilst Portman lends the story its most likeable character, energising every scene she appears in and generally creating a love interest that is impossible not to fall in love with.
The direction is really exceptionally good for a first-timer: Braff has a great eye for the little details that make ordinary life amusing and imbibes the film with a tone that is a little odder and sweeter than reality without ever allowing it to become too schmaltzy or unbelievable. Bizarre elements like oddly situated houseboats and ice-skating alligators blend seamlessly into the film's slightly surreal world without ever detaching it too far from reality.
The story is rounded off with a host of other interesting characters: from Andrew's friends Mark the gravedigger/grave-robber and Jesse the bored and slightly crazy millionaire, to Sam's equally odd mother and Nigerian brother. Also, there's a fast food knight played by Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons.
It's Andrew's relationships with Sam and with his father that are at the heart of the film.
The role of Largeman senior is handled beautifully by Ian Holm, portraying him as well-meaning but emotionally stilted, burying his feelings beneath sarcasm and passive-aggression whilst clearly yearning to reconnect with his estranged son. It was his father who, unable to deal with his wife's accident or the possibility that his son may have caused it, starts him on a course of such powerful medication that he lives the next 16 years of his life without really living it.
It's Andrew's relationship with Sam that allows him to enter back into the world, to feel things again and, eventually, to confront his father. Their confrontation is free of sudden revelations or outpourings of emotion; it's significant simply because it sees Andrew finally able to express what he really feels.
Andrew himself believes, quite rightly, that his mother's accident was really caused by a faulty dishwasher and an awful lot of bad luck. This ability for an entire life to be shattered by such a random event highlights the film's main concern: life.
Specifically: modern life. How difficult and confusing it is, how unpredictable and inexplicable and how we cope with living in a world that is so often unfair and unreasonable. The best answer the film offers to the latter is simply "because it's all there is" but the relationship between Sam and Andrew when they come to this conclusion is so sweet that this answer becomes a lot more life-affirming than it might seem.
What's disappointing is that the film deals with these big, difficult themes and ideas rather well sub-textually through the characters' interactions with one another but then feels the need to hammer them home by having Braff's character explicitly state them in a way that feels hugely unnatural.
Most likely, this is simply evidence that Braff's writing isn't yet on a par with his direction; his decision to pander to the audience to ensure that no-one could possibly miss what the film is trying to say shows a lack of confidence that prevents it from becoming quite as good as it could have been.
However, as previously mentioned, I still love this film. I love it because it's well directed, has a great, on-form cast and because, for the most part, it handles big concepts in an intelligent and affective manner.
I love it even though I could see why others wouldn't and, whilst I can't guarantee which side anyone else would come down on, I'd strongly advise them to see it anyway, just on the off chance that they get as much out of it as I do.
A remake of George Romero's 70s film of the same name, 'The Crazies' is a taut and fast-paced horror film, detailing rapid descent of a small US town in to anarchy and chaos due to it's populations accidental infection with a biological weapon.
Anchored around the solid central performances of leads Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell, director Breck Eisner deftly weaves together themes such as the seeming fragility of everyday life, and the potentially uncontrollable nature of weapons of mass destruction.
Much of the fear generated in 'The Crazies' comes from the antagonists being the very people both central characters, the town sheriff and doctor, are used to protecting. And unlike most mindless zombies, those infected in this effective horror film have the intelligence and cunning lacking their shambling brethren in many of Romero's more well known films.
The role of the military in representing a whole different kind of threat to the main characters, by looking to hamper and prohibit their escape from their terrifying former neighbours, gives 'The Crazies' dimensions so often lacking in horror. This is used effectively in both building the relationships between the central figures and adding depth to the story dynamics, helping events remain unpredictable across the course of the film.
And not to disappoint the hardcore gore fans, the film serves up some effective, gruesome set pieces to please the more bloodthirsty horror connoisseurs. Scenes set in the military-appropriated high school and town car wash provide for memorable moments.
'The Crazies' is an intelligent, well structured and excellently acted film, which stands apart from the too often predictable and effect-focused horror movie herd.
When the citizen of a small US town begin committing acts of seemingly random violence the local sheriff finds himself fighting for survival against the very people he's sworn to protect.
Its Liam Neeson versus the wolves in director Joe Carnahan's gripping thriller that quickly gets down to brass-tacks and doesn't let up until the end. Liam Neeson plays a traumatized tracker employed to protect oil drillers in Alaska. He's there to keep the wolves at bay (literally) but after a deadly plane crash leaves him and a handful of survivors stranded in the frozen tundra, the tracker will have to use all his skills against the elements, in an vicious clash between man and beast.
'The Grey' marks a return to form for 'Narc' and 'Smokin' Aces' auteur Joe Carnahan, after his rather disappointing venture into big budget blockbusters with 'The A-Team'. Liam Neeson, a dab hand at this sort of thing (see the underrated 'Seraphim Falls' for details) is on the ball from the get go; hurtling from one seemingly impossible task to another, all the while fending off a ferocious pack of wolves who're picking off the survivors one-by-one. Carnahan follows a simple but effective narrative style: male bonding, wolf attack, male bonding, wolf attack, for there's no doubt that 'The Grey' is a manly, well paced, old school movie about all things 'Man'. And notwithstanding one absurd scene where the team manage to defy the laws of physics, is realistic, gritty fare that doesn't pull it's punches and still has time for some gallows humour like Neeson's conversation with God and a mildly amusing, Wolverine-esque battle between the tracker and his canine nemesis.
Wolves, in real life, are magnificent creatures of wild beauty but in 'The Grey' they're depicted as ruthless p****s, that's because these wolves represent our struggle with inevitability: darkness, uncertainty, isolation, pain, death, the fear that we may be forced to look into the abyss only to be unable to overcome our weaknesses when it matters the most. 'The Grey', though somewhat over familiar in places; is an entertaining, well written, acted and directed film with great cinematography and strong existentialist-survivalist themes. See it.
To be honest the only reason I bought this box set because it was so cheap but I have to say I am now addicted to 30 rock!!!!!!
This has to be one of the best comedy shows of all time. I watched all four seasons in 3 days!!
It is such an easy to watch show and you can flow from one episode to the next.
It has such a varied and fabulous cast and Kenneth the page has to be my favorite, you can't help but smile whenever he comes onto screen also the story lines aren't stupid like most comedies of this type, they have some actual thought behind them. Tina Fey is a genius!!
This show always makes me smile when I watch it, and I recommend it to anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in buying it... DO IT!!!
Addictive!
I have to admit, I approached this sixth season of Dexter with some trepidation. Having been a fan of the series since its very first year, I've seen it go through plenty of highs (such as season 2, in which serial-killer-anti-hero Dexter's murderous deeds are discovered; and season 4, in which John Lithgow gives a career-best performance as a cold-blooded killer who's even scarier than Dexter himself) as well as a few lows (such as most of seasons 3 and 5).
If anything, my expectations for this season were particularly low because of the way season 5 tried to undo so many of the show's biggest plot twists and essentially 'reset' the status quo of the series, making me feel as though the show's producers didn't have the courage to follow through on some of the more daring story options that they'd set up for themselves.
I shouldn't have worried, however. Whist it might not be quite up there with the first couple of years of the show - and certainly isn't anywhere near as good as season 4 - season 6 rises head and shoulders above the series' weakest moments, providing a new serial-killer storyline that doesn't feel quite as half-baked as some of those of previous years; a couple of neat plot twists and turns to keep you guessing about certain characters and their motivations; and at least one seemingly-irreversible revelation that threatens to turn Dexter's life upside down as the show heads into its seventh year.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. This season starts as forensic blood-splatter expert Dexter Morgan is attempting to choose a school for his son, Harrison, and finds himself having to confront the issue of whether to choose a religious or a secular institution. Realising that his views on religion are under-developed and ill-informed, Dexter attempts to learn more about the subject - at the same time as (coincidentally) a new religiously-themed serial-murderer called the "Doomsday killer" hits Miami.
Yes, it's fairly contrived stuff, and the show's exploration of the religious themes of this season never stretch beyond the obvious. However, the "Doomsday killer" storyline does allow for some pretty imaginative murder setpieces (including one memorable and arresting scene involving horses and shop-window dummies that are strung together with real body parts to create a 'Horsemen of the Apocalypse' tableau). And there are also some decent supporting performances from actors such as Mos Def, who plays Sam, a new ally for Dexter. Sam could easily have come off as a cheesy and two-dimensional character if played by a lesser actor, but he's fleshed-out well by Mos Def's sympathetic and naturalistic performance. And finally, there's a killer twist midway through the season involving the Doomsday killer, which might be a little too obviously foreshadowed to come as a real shock, but still works pretty well.
Along with all of these serious plotlines, the show's more laid-back soap-opera stuff involving the Miami Police Department continues to roll along in the background. This season, it's Debra's promotion to Lieutenant and her ongoing relationship troubles that form the backbone of much of the office drama. It's a bit of a shame to see characters like Angel and Laguerta relegated to secondary roles, but there's also a sense that they've had their shot at the meaty storylines in previous years, and it's now someone else's turn. And to give her her dues, actress Jennifer Carpenter deals well with everything the script throws at her, including several highly emotional scenes and more than one surprising development involving her relationship with her brother.
Despite hitting some familiar beats with its overarching serial-killer storyline, and spreading its drama a little too thinly in places (especially during the middle of the season, which includes several episodes that are frankly little more than filler), this season of Dexter is unlikely to disappoint those fans who have stuck with the show so far. A vast improvement on season 5, this year of the show features a more interesting villain, a greater sense of jeopardy for Dexter and his son, and a couple of killer twists that could dramatically change the series' status quo if they're followed up properly in season 7. If you've enjoyed Dexter so far, chances are you'll enjoy this.
When Steve McQueen's 'Shame' was first released in cinemas towards the end of last year, it quickly became known as 'that sex-addiction movie starring Michael Fassbender'. Whilst that's not an inaccurate way to describe the film, it doesn't really get to the heart of what Shame is about: even more than sex, this is a movie about intimacy.
Fassbender (quickly becoming one of the standout actors of this generation, after star-making roles in the likes of Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class and Prometheus) brings a cold intensity to the role of Brandon Sullivan: a New York advertising executive who projects a healthy, well-balanced persona, but in fact lives a lonely, solitary life punctuated only by his passion for pornography and prostitutes. However, this status quo is turned upside-down when Brandon's unstable and apparently manic-depressive sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) drops by his apartment unexpectedly and decides to stay over for a few days. As the film goes on, we gradually learn more about the pair's relationship, at the same time as we see Brandon try to change his behaviour to fall more closely in line with social norms.
Even on the surface, it's an interesting movie about how we relate to those close to us: both the people we love romantically or sexually, and the people we love as family and friends. But through some nuanced character development, unpredictable plotting and a deft handling of the subject matter, it becomes far more than that.
The first sign that this is going to be a truly mature, thoughtful movie rather than a sensationalist and shallow piece comes when the film first starts to properly deal with the sexual elements of its story - which are as prominent as you'd expect, given that Brandon is obsessed with sex. Whilst it would have been easy to make the sex scenes titillating, the film actively avoids any attempt to be erotic or even sensual, instead presenting sex as little more than a cold, detached, physical act for the character. This not only helps us to understand how Brandon approaches sex - as a mere commodity, rather than as something connected with genuine personal warmth and love - but it also helps the film to avoid being judgemental about the subject matter.
Whilst the film never sugar-coats the sex with a Hollywood-style soft focus or romantic music, it doesn't demonise pornography and prostitution either. Rather, it presents the sex completely dispassionately, forcing the viewer to judge Brandon's attitude to the subject for themselves. But although the film strives to not be judgemental about Brandon's relationship with sex, it constantly underlines the fact that the character doesn't approach the subject in a conventional way. The heart of the movie is Brandon's inability to experience emotional intimacy, even when he's being as physically intimate with another person as it's possible to get. And it's not for want of trying: we see Brandon attempt all sorts of conventional relationships (chatting up strangers at a bar; taking a co-worker out on a date), usually with awkward and clumsy results that stem from his inability to couple his sexual desires with a true sense of intimacy.
Somehow, despite the movie's cold, removed tone - which evokes the likes of Stanley Kubrick (especially with the use of extended tracking shots and long, unbroken takes) - the film still manages to be captivating and rooted in humanity throughout. That's undoubtedly due to the strong performances of the two leads, who ground their emotionally-complex characters in reality by constantly playing down their more unusual character traits rather than repeatedly emphasising them. There's also some interesting character work that comes through the subtle script, which contains vague hints at past trauma for both siblings without ever being completely explicit about the experiences that might have led them to become the adults they turned out to be.
The film's production design also works well to emphasise Brandon's character traits: his apartment is decorated in a flat, minimalist style that reflects the character's own emotional coldness, with only a record player and some old vinyl LPs serving as affected attempts to distinguish his personality. And some clever directorial choices also help to visually reinforce Brandon and Sissy's relationship with one another - such as a scene in which the two siblings argue whilst a TV in the background plays children's cartoons, reminding us that the rapport between the two characters is rooted in a childhood world rather than an adult one.
By the time 'Shame' begins to make its final descent into its bittersweet ending, you'll find it impossible not to be completely hooked by the story - and that's no mean feat given that it revolves around two characters that could seem so unlikeable and unsympathetic on the surface. Through some understated but nonetheless effective performances, a confident and even-handed approach to the subject matter, and some assured directorial choices, McQueen has put together a powerful and emotionally exhausting film. Whilst I can't honestly say I'll feel ready to watch it again for a good long time yet, it's also a film that I'm very glad to have experienced at least once, and I highly recommend it.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel appears initially to be a retirement swansong for the great and the good of British cinema and it is true that many golden oldies feature - try Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie for size. However, age does not feature just for the sake of it, instead it serves as a useful plot device to get these characters out of grey, rainy Britain and into bright and colourful India. To very briefly summarise, seven Brits of 'senior years' decide for various reasons to pack up and retire to Jaipur, India, specifically to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the "elderly and beautiful". It helps that it's cheap too, especially for Judi Dench's Evelyn who has to cover her late husband's crippling debts. Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton's Jean and Doug can't face the finality and expense of sheltered accommodation back home, Tom Wilkinson's Graham wants to return to the India of his childhood for personal reasons and Maggie Smith's Muriel urgently needs a hip replacement which as it happens can be done quickly and cost-effectively by India's growing health tourism industry. Finally, Celia Imrie's Madge, a serial divorcee, is on the prowl for a new husband while Ronald Pickup's Norman is - appropriately enough - looking for no-strings attached romance.
This eclectic bunch are a walking metaphor for the worst features of today's Britain, with its overpriced property, thwarted ambitions, occasional small-mindedness, sexual repression and rampant ageism. For better or worse then, these characters with all their accompanying baggage are thrown head-long into the chaos and beauty of modern India. And so the film plays out and I find myself fascinated to watch how they adapt to the new environment. Unlikely hotel proprietor Sonny (played exuberantly by Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire fame) provides the youth angle; he is naïve about the practical difficulties of running a hotel but he has a good heart and perhaps more importantly, his smart marketing acumen has identified the key point that the English "hate their old people".
The results of this collision of cultures are predictably mixed. Evelyn embraces the new life wholeheartedly and even finds a job in a call centre training Indian workers to listen more attentively to their British customers. It is less patronising than it sounds. Doug also warms to his new home and the diversity it offers but wife Jean's horror at the food and the general madness of the place are obvious and, in some part, understandable. Her portrayal of despair here recalls her brilliant performance as Pat from 1986's Clockwise. Muriel's prejudices against India and its people assume a more savage tone, with her (highly competent) doctors and care assistant taking the brunt. But a gradual enlightenment occurs and she opens up her heart in a compelling monologue which describes how she was left on the scrapheap after a career in service as a family nanny. This is as good as any character acting I've seen in recent years and for that alone the film deserves recognition. Meanwhile Graham seeks reconciliation with an old childhood flame, an episode which at the time scandalised both families. The outcome for him turns out to be bittersweet.
However, it's not all about what our heroes learn from India. The Brits also have something to offer their new hosts. Muriel's sharp book-keeping skills save the hotel from certain financial ruin and the very act of visiting her care assistant's family strikes at the heart of the Indian caste system, for they are Dalits or 'untouchables'. But most poignantly of all, Sonny is encouraged by his guests' life stories to pursue true love over all obstacles, not least his mother's dislike of his inappropriate - but stunning - girlfriend. Doug and Jean's opposing personalities, Graham's eventual victory over earlier prejudice and even Celia and Norman's desperation prove the point overwhelmingly. And there lies the simple message of the film, that different cultures and different generations have much to learn from one other, if only they would listen. If it sounds clichéd, well it probably is but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel pulls it off in such an original and unlikely way that even the hardest cynic will be moved. After all, what would a bunch of old fogeys from Blighty get from moving to a place like India? And what would India's thrusting and ambitious youth learn from a bunch of British has-beens? Much, it would seem.
Simple message originally delivered in this thoughtful and warm-hearted drama
An old-fashioned story of Good v Evil with a typically Man With No Name role for Clint Eastwood - except that here we get a name but it's simply The Preacher. Needless to say the collar comes off eventually! A straightforward plot involving hard-working gold-miners trying to make a living from a valley that should produce gold that has already made the local Big Shot (no pun intended) very wealthy and greedy for more. I'm not spoiling things by mentioning mounted hoodlums making life difficult for the miners and their families because these scenarios are so well done and enjoyable to watch. The miners come off worst time after time and really don't put up much resistance (a la Mexicans in The Magnificent Seven) but things take a turn for the better when The Preacher clanks into town - listen for the tell-tale spurs clanking off the wooden boardwalks. Things move up a gear and take a distinctly sinister turn when The Marshall and his deputies walk into town - and they do have very stylised walk - they appear to be joined up and shift around like a snake. Very stylish. Liked it and recommend it to anyone who likes Westerns or old-fashioned Good v Evil plots but its done well and Mr Eastwood does not over-do it.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S is a sitcom from the 90's that lasted to the early 2000's. It follows the love, laughs and lives of six young adults living in Manhattan New York. Not many people have gone through their lives without seeing at least a single epsiode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S but with this complete collection of all 10 seasons no-one will ever miss out!
This 10 season show consists of six amazing actors that play so well of each other. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) Monica (Courteney Cox) Pheobe (Lisa Kudrow) Joey (Matt LeBlanc) Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and Ross (David Schwimmer).
Season one starts with Rachel running into the gang's coffee shop Central Perk looking for her high school friend Monica. And as Ross sees Rachel,so starts the best, longest, romantic love story in the history of television. The laughs, screams and 'awwws' from the live audience gives the show that special feeling; you know you're in for an amazing show.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S took the risks that not many other sitcoms were bold enough to take. The special episodes that were filmed in London and Las Vagas allowed the audience to see the cast outside their usual setting, which, in turn created many laughs.
'To sum up' F.R.I.E.N.D.S is a must have collection. With this 15th Anniversary boxset you will never need any other DVD's ever again. This show will make you stop and scream. 'OH MY GOD.'
A show to go down in history.
Eli Roth's Hostel and Hostel Part II were far from masterpieces. They did, however, influence a new wave of cinema. For better or for worse, they ignited a new hunger in mainstream audiences. People started to pay for gore; the bloodier the better. But although some of the desire is still there, the fact this third instalment in the Hostel series is a home entertainment exclusive may suggest that we are reaching the end of this wave of pain and sadism.
The first two Hostel instalments were competently made. Roth clearly has intelligence when it comes to directing, and his skill at composing a shot and exploiting it for pure nastiness is remarkable. This third picture in the series is helmed by Scott Spiegel, a director who has brought us a cluster of straight-to-video movies while also appearing as an extra in a long CV of films. Sadly for him, Hostel: Part III doesn't prove he has much talent either side of the camera. It is a horrible, pointless and, above all, boring piece of work that bears little resemblance to the first two films.
The main difference is the change in format. Instead of a group of ignorant American twenty-somethings visiting a European country, here we have a group of ignorant American thirty-somethings partying it up in Las Vegas. They are on a stag night (or, as they call it in the USA, a bachelor party) and go looking for booze and women. Ah, that's something that hasn't really changed since Parts I and II. Women still remove their clothes at every opportunity.
All the young men are rather obnoxious. A large portion of the film is devoted to following them round on their adventures in the city of sin while they make misogynist, racist and homophobic jokes, gamble and consume a lot of alcohol. The idea of adultery, or cheating on one's fiancée, is also handled with distasteful flippancy.
But distasteful is the name of the game in the world of Hostel, and before long we are being treated to a man having his face peeled away from his skull while rich business men and women pay to watch. It isn't pleasant, but then again, it isn't supposed to be. There's no point pretending that this type of scene is not the very reason people watch this kind of film, and as the violence increases, so does the tediousness. There's something empty and tired in the torture scenes that wasn't apparent in the previous films. Perhaps this is the most disturbing aspect of all.
The only scene that offers anything remotely interesting to think about occurs towards the end of the film when the 'corporation' controlling the blood-letting decide to arm one of the tortured so he can fight the man who has caused him so much pain. It is a curious scene, as it switches the tone of the film completely. Suddenly, the sadistic pleasure the viewer may be feeling from watching the violence is legitimised. Self-defence is acceptable, right? We can feel good about this, can't we? He deserves it, doesn't he? The film offers no easier answers, but it certainly raises some interesting questions about viewer participation in onscreen brutality.
Leaving this small, fleeting moment of intelligence aside, Hostel: Part III utterly fails to evoke the stylish, visual excitement Roth brought to the horror genre. It combines lazy characterisation, poor acting and repulsive gore. And that's not a very attractive mixture. To add insult to blood-soaked injury, Sony's blu-ray disc release for the film contains perhaps the worst HD transfer a film has ever received in the UK. If the movie was a modern classic, I'd be furious. In this instance, however, I can't be bothered to waste much emotion on a work so artless and insignificant.
This is the final season of this American t.v show created by the genius that is Mark Schwahn.
I was disappointed when I heard that this season only had 13 episodes and that James Lafferty who plays Nathan Scott wasn't going to be most of this season...
However the storyline that was introduced around Nathan was different from what we are used to.
This was the main story line of this season and to be honest this is all I remember of the season.
They brought back characters from previous seasons which I loved...
Chris Keller from season 2, Brooke's attacker from season 6 and they brought back Chad Michael Murray aka Lucas Scott who disapeared from our screens at the end of season 6.
You couldn't help but think while watching that after this episode is over we are closer to the end.
I am a massive One Tree Hill fan and I own all the boxsets and have watched every single episode more than once.
So with the last episode I had high expectations. It was nothing special however I liked how it was set in Tric the club karen had opened in season 2 which we hadn't seen stage a concert in a long time. It showcased music from throughout the last 8 seasons including the glorious Gavin DeGraw.
It brought tears to my eyes when he sang I Don't Want To Be with the whole cast joining in.
This final season made laugh, cry and shout out in anger. I am very sad that my favorite t.v show from the past 9 years is over...
It's over...
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