Dearest reader,
As you can tell by the intonation on my writing, I have finished watching “Bridgerton”. And, oh my!, how I loved the writing of Lady Whistledown, specially as it is read by our amazing Julie Andrews.
“Bridgerton” is described as Jane Austen meets “Gossip Girl”. Therefore, this series tries to portray how young women have their debut when they reach majority. Following the Bridgerton family, we experience the lives of families during the 1813 social season. The Bridgerton are a family of 8 children, all named alphabetically. This first season follows Daphne, the fourth child, but the eldest of the girls, being debut and being considered the “diamond” of the season. However, Lady Whistledown, the unknown gossiper of the season, started calling another young lady the “Incomparable” of the season. In one event, to resolve both their problems, Simon proposed a solution to Daphne, being pretending they were courting, for Daphne being viewed as wanted to suitors, and for mothers’ not harassing Simon.
I considered this Netflix series very interested. Not only do we learn about the social events of the Regency Era, but also about the difficulties young women suffered during this era. Firstly, they needed to marry or they would be “aunties” for all their lives. They either married to be well-off during the rest of their lives or, the rarest, they actually married for love. However, if one wanted to “fly” and study, for instance, they could not. Eloise, Daphne’s sister, does not want to marry, but she is obliged, for, without a family, she will not be succeeded.
Also, we learn about the matters of love and family, Love is a choice. A choice which involves sacrifices, being one of them choosing to have or not have children. Nonetheless, when one wants to marry, they carry not only themselves, but their families and their family problems. To be successful in one’s marriage, one must be honest and choose to love the honesty of one person.
I vividly recommend watching this series if you love period drama, Jane Austen and love stories.
THEM was terrifyingly perfect. Yes, as others have pointed out, it has that Jordan Peele feel written all over it, but that’s not a bad thing. Peele has absolutely created a game changer in intermixing the horror genre and social issues in a way that is profoundly provocative and this particular anthology demonstrates Peele’s influence and brilliance, in my opinion. That said, in no way does this diminish the writers’ own brilliance and creation with this series.
It was an excellent call on Amazon to fund it, brilliant casting, fantastic acting. It was entertaining, it was horrifying, it was incredibly sad and yet oddly satisfying all at the same time. Lucky’s last straw, b:asterisk_symbol:tch slap was glorious, the writer’s play on (and appropriately edited) Ruby’s “I wish you would,” had me busting a gut. And it’s moments like those that made this so entertaining for me. It wasn’t just the fact is was a horror anthology (though that played a big part for me), it was how satisfyingly good all these little gems were that was written in and encompassed a family’s reaction to encounters with a social injustice that is undoubtedly a terrible blot on our country’s history; and unfortunately, yes, to a lesser but still just as damaging degree even now — hence why this series was made when it was and others that have preceded it in the past few years.
In summation… It perfectly intertwined some of the most poignant, social injustices this country has ever known with a terrifyingly good spin on horror and a mythos well worth sitting through for. Bravo to the entire cast and crew of THEM. You made something that you absolutely can be proud of.
When it comes to the Alien franchise you need to do 2 things.
Remember that Alien is a straightforward horror movie and that Aliens is a straight up action movie with horror elements. The two exist in the same franchise universe but as movies are basically separate entities.
There are plenty of stories out there about how Ridley Scott (who created the franchise and original film) disliked the way James Cameron took the whole Alien entity in a different direction. His original vision had nothing to do with a hive like mentality, with a queen alien and so forth. So to enjoy both movies you have to look at them separately within the same universe... Confusing I know, but essential to get the most enjoyment out of both films.
It starts of very nicely, aping the opening feel of the original movie, and the pacing of the first act is slow and methodical. It shows that the 'company' is more concerned about it's profits than it's employees (sound familiar) and is more than willing to scapegoat the only survivor (we find out why shortly after).
Please note that I own and will only watch the directors cut of this movie. I think the extended scenes, added exterior shots and information about how the company sent out some of the settlers to see if Ripley's story was true... Adds a great deal to the viewing enjoyment and I highly recommend that everyone watches it.
By the end of the first act, we have found out that a family was sent out to the crash site from the original movie, and that one of them was attacked by a facehugger... and that contact with the colony on that planet was lost... So a rescue team is on it's way to investigate and they want Ripley along as an advisor/consultant.
The special effects for this movie are pretty damn good considering it's from 1986, James Cameron makes a lot of use of miniature sets with lots of attention paid to details. So the viewer finds it difficult to tell where the miniature set ends and full size begins.
The action and tension begins to get ramped up, there's some great dialogue and friction between members of the Marines and once again female characters are not only present, but there as fully fledged characters, not just some pathetic love interest to fulfill a plot requirement... and of course Sigourney Weaver in the lead role. It's one of the reasons that the Alien franchise has survived 4 films and it's entirely down to her character. The performances of the cast is excellent, the FX are great for the period and the buildup to the final conclusion works really well... and of course has led to the often used quote 'Get away from her you bitch" in many other movies... parody or not. It's become part of pop culture in the same way as Vader telling Luke that he's his father has (albeit to a lesser degree). You mention that line, and people know what/who you are quoting.
I've lost count of the number of times I have watched and purchased these movies over the decades... I owned them on VHS in widescreen directors cuts, then the 20th anniversary 5 disc DVD boxset... then the 25th 9 disc DVD boxset and now I have them on bluray.
I will not however be buying them again in 4K when they inevitably get released again... These movies, the original Star Wars trilogy, Terminator & T2 and The Crow are movies I have spent far too much money on buying again and gain over the years.
Look this hit me somewhere personal with both family (my oldest brother committed suicide) and mental issues (I have depression and have been suicidal in the past), along with professional wrestling having a spot in my heart both emotionally and cerebrally since childhood, so on a me level it gets this five even if on an objective level it might be a half or full star lower. Things are truncated to fit the runtime or because it’d be unbelievably sad (there is a whole fifth brother) and it’s idea of what wrestling really is in universe is a bit muddled, but the cast all nail it- especially Efron- with humanity and love, the tragedy hanging over it all in the classical inevitable sense from knowing the story beforehand lends an extra dread to it all, and it was incredibly cathartic. The third act from Kerry’s suicide on left me bawling.
I loved Live That Way Forever at the party being the moment where they were all just happy before it all gradually went wrong, and it made its reprise all the harder hitting. I loved the kids being there for their father, that kind of thing always hits me, parent and child being a two way street and being better than their forebears. How that love the brothers always had, raw and emotional and true, could be passed onto him and his sons free from Fitz and his toxic ideals of masculinity and results. You can break the cycle and there can be a little light in a darkness unfair and that should never have been.
The imagine spot of Kevin with the brothers could’ve been hokey or too sentimental, but they earned it, they stuck the landing by keeping it in key with who Kevin was the whole movie. It’s a desperate, teary hope of his, and that’s what made it work. Maybe the whole movie could be considered that. That beating heart, working to be sensitive to the tragedy and not sensationalist with what they show and what they don’t. This is epitomized by Kerry, showing not his head wound but the blood dripping and coloring the leaves red. The serene landscape of the home they loved for the fact it had each other there colored once again by tragedy. After the credits rolled I just stuck around with the friends I saw it with and confided with them and them in me of similar tragedies and struggles in our life, and that’s powerful to me. That’s something I’ll always hold close and that I’ll think of with this movie, and it’s why I can’t give it anything but a five.
Such an unsatisfying episode. Except for the fact the I was right on the money with my last review! The throne did turn into a metal puddle! I mentally patted myself on the back during that scene, not gonna lie. And the new King comes with his own built-in throne (kind of). So convenient! Bran The Bored. Long may he reign, I guess.
Otherwise, though, I'm so very disappointed. This is what eight seasons and hours upon hours of watching have lead to? What a let down.
In the end, the only character who had somewhat of a cool overall story was Sansa. Everyone else's got ruined.
Arya trained herself silly, saved basically all of humanity and civilization as we know it by defeating the Night King, and in the end merrily sailed off to the literal ends of the world. She was never an explorer. She was the warrior, the fighter. The defender. The ending they gave her makes absolutely no sense. I hope to all the Gods (new, old, fire, water, air, whatever) they don't decide to make a spin off out of it. I REPEAT. HBO DO NOT MAKE AN "ARYA THE EXPLORER" SPIN OFF!
Jon being a Targaryen/Stark only to end up an exiled pariah again. He could just as easily have fallen in love with and betrayed Daenerys without all that backstory. So why even introduce it if in the end it'll lead to nowhere. Such a waste.
Bringing Gendry back. Utterly pointless.
Doing things, introducing information, and then have them lead nowhere is crappy storytelling. Just plain bad writing.
I expected so much more.
Emerald City isn't a slavish update to the Wizard of Oz as some viewers might've expected. This series is something different; it takes the essential magic of Oz as we know it and gives it a darker, less saccharine ethos.
This show is a timely observation about the culture conflicts we are living in today, while cleverly using the well-known and many lesser-known characters from L. Frank Baum's Oz series of stories. This Oz is the setting where most of the characters we knew and loved are very different and are less easy to figure out.
Emerald City moves at a set pace as various places and people are introduced. This will prove to be hard for audiences who're more accustomed to a fast-pace or lots of action in a short time. Audiences expecting a CGI extravaganza will be left unfulfilled. There is just enough CGI to establish that this is a place very different from our world. The palette here is much more subdued, in keeping with the moody settings as the story moves along. This is an instance where "less is more."
This series brings many Oz characters together who never interacted in the original stories.
If nothing else, Emerald City isn't the Wizard of Oz. This is a place where Dorothy has to be tougher, smarter and far less trusting of people around her. She has to make her own way without very much help from anyone. This Dorothy isn't necessarily motivated by just wanting to get home as she comes to know Oz.
Although I agree with certain previous comments that this did have a lot of filler elements to it, I do think it was necessary to get more insight into what George went through. Up until now I was not convinced he truly cared for Charlotte deeply, as I found him to be oddly dismissive of her. I never would have thought his illness went thus far that it affected him so much, which obviously we now do know, and this knowledge is deeply devastating as well as helpful for understanding his character. I would have personally added these scenes chronologically into the series, and not as a flashback episode like this, but I’d rather have these scenes in this way than not have them at all.
The devotion and perseverance of George truly shook me, and had my heart in shambles. Mental illness was such an ignored and misunderstood subject for so long in history, I can only imagine the pain and confusion he must have felt (after all, the real King George seems to have suffered from a similar disposition). The tragedy of this man’s story is truly painful.
Lastly, where I had started to doubt the romance aspect between Charlotte and George in the previous episodes, I am completely obsessed with it again after finding out how much George would have done to be with her, and how desperate he was for her company and love, if only he was capable of taking it. It’s such a sad story, but George has fully won my heart again, and I am so glad to see he does care about Charlotte, unlike what we were shown before!
I was really really hoping for it to be genius. The Hellraiser franchise is something that I got very fond of during the last few years and I spent the entire year waiting for this reboot, so I guess a lot of the expectation is actually my fault. The movie is great, but it's not genius. The characters (besides Collin, my queer bait, I admit) don't have enough charisma or likability for us to care for them, so we go back to the original plan: seeing the cenobites shatter bodies!
I believe that, in that subject, the film turned out to be great, even though I would like to see a little bit more. The cenobites are spectacular, Jamie Clayton managed to give the Pinhead vibe, and their combo of make-up and graphic design is one of the best things to watch in the entire movie. I was hoping for them to appear ALL THE TIME, so I could see that beautiful work done. The Gasp and The Asphyx in action are something to be watched, I wish I had a movie just for The Gasp, like they did to the Nun in Conjuring. The final scene with Roland is one of the best in the whole picture, it contrasts sacred and light with gore and visceral! That was a nice and impactful way to end it. Also, his scene previous to it, with the engines going out and his body getting back together, reminded me of the original 1987 practical effects.
Unfortunately, Riley is not a good main character. She is relatable FOR THE FACT that she fucks up a lot, but then she fucks up way too much sometimes and then we just feel like... Cenobites, please kill the bitch already. The boyfriend arch is predictable since she just gets involved with things that are destructive to her, it was noticeable since the beginning that he was responsible for her getting in all that trouble. All and all, the writers still managed to keep it cautionary (classic for horror) in the end: her dependence on bad things got her involved in too much trouble, her lesson's price was high, and now she's going to regret it for the rest of her life. CLASSIC. It's not bad neither an original storytelling.
I'm not as disappointed as some because I got what I was expecting in the production and horror criteria, but the narrative could have really been more creative and surprising.
Just watched and I really like it. i just love the cenobites designs, but i think some just looked like "plastic skin".
The story is "ok" to be fair, the first movie has a better "motivation" to drive the story forward ( the love of a woman to a man who has been taken by the cenobites and was willing to do everything to have him back ). This movie has a similar story, but i think it lacked more development from the brother.
It's EASILY the best one so far after the original one.
and oh... the last scene where Voight is skinned inside the leviathan to become one of the cenobites is awesome! that gives some backstory that I really appreciated. I just wish that the scene was longer and more detailed, like showing other cenobites or a "supreme" cenobite performing the procedures to turn voight into a cenobite.
about the pinhead controversy.. it doesn't affect the movie at all. it was great to see a new design! I don't see the "sex" of the cenobites, just see them as "beings" the body is irrelevant to them, they just want pain extracted from the flesh and that's it. pinhead is a result of that, not a he or she.
As the old saying goes, "no matter how thin the paper, it still has two sides". Believe what you will, this documentary gives food for serious thought, and does indeed, IMO, add some credibility to Ms. Anthony's claims of innocence. The creepy shiz her father said at his granddaughters funeral, the way he seemed to gaslight Casey by pretending to be in her corner, while all the while using his ex cop "clout" and knowledge to work with the cops and throw her under the bus was eye opening. When he ALMOST broke down during the Dr. Oz interview, after his accident, where he said he needed to ask for forgiveness for what he had done, and the look on his wife's face (and his) said volumes as to his potential involvement.
Having worked with law enforcement, it is all to common for them to decide who is guilty, then work the case and the evidence to to prove their supposition, even if it involves junk science, BS, and smoke and mirrors, to the exclusion of even considering any other possibility. You could see the glee on the cops faces when they were so sure they had their killer, so much so, that when she was acquitted, they pretty much let the case die, when, there was still a potential suspect at large.
We may never know what actually happened, but, as the one lawyer said, "one thing is for sure, there's some fracked up people in that (Casey's families) house".
Some parts were predictable but there were no obvious major plot holes, the writing was consistent throughout the series, and they wrapped it up perfectly at the end.
There are some interesting characters and a fair amount of drama, but Oliver is the one character that annoyed me the most, I cringed whenever he showed up on the screen. All he does is act like a big spoiled brat and cry about how he's not his papa's favourite. I know he is just insecure but it doesn't make his tantrums more bearable. Still, I'll admit he has some redeeming qualities though, if the series were to be longer and we had more time to explore his character, I might've come to like him.
I love how the endings for the "antagonists" are realistic and human, with no overly dramatic outcomes where every single one of those shady individuals suffers immensely, but instead, appropriate enough endings that they deserve. None of them got what they wanted and they probably won't be happy for a while, if not for life. Maybe to them, those are the right punishments they've all feared.
Overall, it's a solid drama series and it was pretty enjoyable to watch.
Nope is a movie of two equally great but disparate halves. The first is a harrowing examination of what we do when faced with ‘bad miracles’. Keke Palmer’s effortlessly charming Em wants to get hers, get the fame and money and recognition she and her family have fought for by explaining the terrible unknown. Perea’s Angel just doesn’t want to be left out of something this big. Steven Yuen’s Jupe is haunted by one from his past and looks to wrangle a new one as a way to understand and come to terms with it, give it meaning, And Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ does what black people have always had to do; weather the storm, stare it down, and know when to Nope the fuck out. This first half sets up that while Get Out reckoned with the horrors of the past that reverberate, and Us dealt with the monsters within us, especially the ones that don’t look like we expect, Nope will tackle the horrifically miraculous. The one in a million, can’t be explained but must be lived through natural tragedies.
The second half is a thrilling spectacle, a homage to both classic Spielberg fate like Jaws and old school schlock in the best ways. It plays like a fusion between a monster movie and disaster fare like Twister. It’s a heartening example of what blockbuster films can be with a director who truly has a vision and is allowed to execute it, as opposed to the ‘house style’ of the MCU.
Again, both of these halves are good, great even. And they are of equal quality. But they don’t quite mesh into one complete film like Peele intends. Still, it’s impossible not to recommend. The cast is fantastic. The things Daniel Kaluuya can do with his eyes are still unmatched, and Steven Yuen has a stare that feels nearly as impossible in length as it does masterful in conveying his character. Peele has fantastic shots, the naturalistic design of the monster unsettling while keying in on the core themes of the movie, and it has Keith David! It feels like a nod to one of Peele’s biggest influences, John Carpenter, cause there’s a good amount of overlap in theme and motivation of The Thing and the creature of Nope. There’s two great halves of two different movies that had they been paired with their matching half, could’ve created an amazing one. But it’s still no reason to Nope out of seeing this one.
Best Snyder movie so far. Sadly it is deeply misunderstood. Movie is way more deeper and complex than it looks like on first glance.
People don't realize Sweet Pea is the protagonist, Babydoll is a figment of Sweet Pea’s imagination. Babydoll does not exist. Babydoll's story is Sweet Pea’s story. Sweet Pea was sexually abused, killed her sister and is in psychiatric hospital in therapy. Babydoll is Sweet Pea's avatar. Way of dealing with grief, with guilt, and way to manage her current situation and overcome it. Babydoll is also Sweet Pea's guardian angel.
Sweet Pea is the only fully rounded character, other girls represent aspects of her psyche. Babydoll represents strength and courage, Amber loyalty, Blondie fear, and Rocket represents guilt. In the third level reality her psyche fights for the things to get her free from her current state. Second guardian angel (the Wise Man) guides her through. To fully recover she needs to get over her guilt (Rocket dies as a symbol), also other girls represent things which she needs to leave behind to fully recover .
Babydoll is one of those things. She is the fifth thing (“The fifth is a mystery. It is the reason. It is the goal. It will be a deep sacrifice and a perfect victory.”). Lobotomy of Babydoll represents Sweet Pea’s mind of taking control. Sweet Pea needs to sacrifice Babydoll to be “cured”. Escape at the end is a symbol of that process of being cured. That’s why the driver is the Wise Man, he guides her further.
Sucker Punch is Sweet Pea’s journey from “madness” to “sanity”. Movie is philosophical / psychological investigation wrapped in a special effects action-fantasy. As the movie changes realities (mostly in the third reality), Snyder uses more fetishized image of the girls. He uses clichés and cluttered iconography (nazi zombies, sexy schoolgirls). It is a way to detached and disconnected characters from second reality. Second reality, the brothel, is the “main” reality. In which everything happens.
So you had the drones that whole time and made your soldiers die? Never understood the misplace loyalty to someone that would allow you that to happen to you. Never mind she kills the soldiers herself later on anyway
Boyfriend with the save
They do know that Crocodiles need to breath above water right? How can you keep it done there. I guess since its changed and the cold keep it slow idk.
So the sister told her to leave then a decade later she claims Jade left :man_facepalming_tone3: when people make up their own stories to justify their actions
Did his mom put damn cucumbers in salmon? Eww
I have never had a problem with the “fuck” word and quite the contrary i love when its used in shows and movies but for some reason for the first time it was stupid in this serious. I cant explain it
please tell me Billie is dead I’ve had enough of her insufferable attitude. Young and old
Oh fuck Bea left damn can Jade stop fucking up damn every move she makes gets someone killed or make the situation worst lol
Here we go leaving people alive again. Had the chance to kill Evalyn and you wasted it
Bullshit how did Billie run from that big ass Croc?
And all it took was a damn grenade to scare it away lol
So that coming why would she shout her soon but then not kill Jade from the beginning then. I will say again psycho
Wtf is wrong with Billie seriously, what is her end goal. You cant tell me that all this is still about sister jealousy jesus
All you had to do was shoot Billie and end it but no why would we do that.
Lol where did Jade’s gun go after getting shot, they took your daughter and you couldn’t kill a couple of them instead of reaching for air
Again Billie blamed their dads death on Jade also and what do you know that also want her fault. This girl is just living in denial
The decision to let Bert go with the kids was stupid also
Fuck this bullshit now how many times is Evelyn going to survive shit
It's terribly sad to see comments that are taking the "story" for what it is worth at face value and outright dismissing the movie entirely
As loathe as I am to watch "arthouse" movies, this one certainly struck quite a few chords. The journey of the young, unsure, foolhardy knight and his misplaced sense of honor and the turn he takes into fully accepting his destiny was one I enjoyed very much. The visuals and the sounds did play a large part in it, completely selling the atmosphere of a magical kingdom with swathes of unknown and unexplored mystery. The performances, too, were excellent and Dev Patel was very convincing as Sir Gawain
I'm sorry to say but the story is very, very obvious. As with these "artsy fartsy" movies, the way it is told is what elevates it and here, I feel it was justified and used to great effect. Instead of giving us the straightforward story of Sir Gawain in the ballad, something that has been told for centuries (and something I looked up afterwards because I'm not British or European at all), this movie instead attempts to recontextualise and shroud the entire thing in an air of magic and I found myself enraptured by it
It's the classic tale of a straightforward story told in a convoluted way. As King Arthur says at the very beginning, it was always just a game. What mattered was the journey Gawain took that changed him into someone who would accept what was coming because of his honor. The fox and the mansion were distractions and tried to keep him from achieving his destiny. The sash, given by his mother and returned by the witch in the mansion, was to prevent him harm but it prevented it by making him a coward. What happens after the Knight swings his axe is just the future that awaits for him for his broken oath. He removes the sash, thus letting go of all fears and the Green Knight, satisfied with the man he sees before him, lets him go. The Green Knight was never truly harmed and there was never a reason to harm Gawain either
I loved this movie. It blended the mystical and made for an enthralling journey through beautiful lands and forests and was something truly unique that I appreciate and left me wanting more
"Will they kill me, do you think?"
Don't go into 'Spencer' expecting an ordinary little biopic about Princess Diana. Nope, this is a straight up psychological art house horror thriller. 'Spencer' brilliantly captures the feeling of dread in an isolated foreign space surround by strangers. The royal family themselves are freaking creepy, always watching, always judging.
I must be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Kristen Stewart's recent work, as it never wowed me, and I wasn't convinced that she's improved since Twilight. But man, she's fantastic in this movie and it's one of her best performances to date. Stewart manages to portray Princess Diana in a new light that we haven't really seen before. In my opinion, her other movies failed to show her versatility as an actor, where I fully believe this movie did her justice. I'm just glad this movie won me over.
On the other hand, Timothy Spall is excellent in this movie, and another stand out performance. If you are aware of Spall as an actor, then this isn't surprising news, but I feel it needs repeating. I found him very eerie and overbearing. He plays a man with an eagle eye; he watches everything and everyone in the royal family at Sandringham House.
The major thing that this movie made me realise is that in Diana's life it's the people that kept her mentally and emotionally grounded. Her two sons, her assistant (Sally Hawkins, who is very good in the small scenes she has), and the chef played by Sean Harris, who is someone you would not think of being important.
Sean Harris is a very underrated actor that I wished people talked about more. Harris is known for playing sinister roles, but here I thought he was really sweet and shows a softer side. He's got an interesting sounding voice as well. Jack Farthing as Prince Charles does a great job playing a slimy over-privileged **** Stella Gonet as the Queen who I found really unsettling, especially her dagger eyes.
There's one scene at the dinner table with the other royal family that is one of the most intense things ever. It was anxiety level stress that made my heart racing. All thanks to Pablo Larraín claustrophobic and unique directing. Complimented by Johnny Greenwood's atmospheric, free flowing and tense score.
While I know that certain elements of the movie are fiction, but then again, the movie begins with a title card "based on a tragic fable" and I feel like the movie is playing into the nightmarish fair tale of an iconic figure in history. Diana's life in royalty was no fairy tale, but a Brothers Grimm tale.
Overall rating: The movie has metaphors to ghost, ghost of the past, ghost of old tradition. People who follow tradition isn't too kind to rarity. Great movie.
