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Mackenna's Gold (1969)
Wonderful western from a bygone era
I saw this movie when it first came out - probably in a drive-in. I was enthralled by the rugged landscape of the area where it was filmed and haunted by the music and violence. Little was I to know that 25 years later I would get to to see in person almost all of the location where it was filmed. Nothing had changed in 25 years (since much of it is on Indian territory). It's an incredible landscape where dead silence rules and nights are pitch black. I've recently seen it again and realize now how poor the film quality was but back in 1969 no one knew the difference.
The Undoing (2020)
Really different from the book
I guess that's why they changed the name since they departed from the book completely after the murder takes place. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant lend a lot of class to the movie and if you hadn't read the book, you wouldn't care how different the movie is. There are so many other subtle differences as well. I am now restarting watching it the second time after being totally disgusted the first time due to the departure from the book and only got through part of the second episode initially. It'll probably end up being good even considering its departure from the book due to the actors involved but I'm still very disappointed. I wish they had never mentioned it was based on the novel.
The I-Land (2019)
Keep watching, it gets better
Yes, I kind of agree after the first two episodes I was seriously tempted to give up on it. Very lame dialog and plastic characters. But something seemed off with that so I kept watching. And then it took a very different direction and I found the characters suddenly much more interesting. I haven't seen all the episodes yet but I'd say it's not a loser at all. The moral of the story may be that first impressions (of people and movies) are often way off.
Terra Nova (2011)
soap opera with dinosaurs
It's really hard to believe there's currently a 7.4 rating on this junk. I loved Jurassic Park and generally I like most things Spielberg has been involved with but this is no more than a day-time soap opera set amidst the jungle of eons ago. They even transplanted cars and hospitals and Ikea furniture back in time with them. The first 15 minutes or so were gripping but as soon as they stepped back in time it seems the writers relaxed and decided a few dinosaurs popping up every so often would be good enough to carry the day. Throw in the typical rebellious teens and warring neighbors and we have Desperate Housewives or any other soap ready to go.
Stargate Universe (2009)
A truly remarkable series
I can't believe how good this series is; the connection to the original Stargate series is almost coincidental. The only science fiction series I've seen that has been so unique (yet, canceled early, as is often the case) was Earth 2 in the mid-1990s. Now that it's known the series is canceled it seems they are pulling out all the stops with truly incredible acting and story lines like the most recent one where they find out their "doubles" from the other Destiny ended up going back in time and building a whole civilization. Wouldn't it be something to know what was possible in one's life if things had gone differently at key junctures. So instead of getting more of the most incredible acting and writing around, we get more of "Ghosthunters" and a chef. Perhaps it's better to end early, before it gets ruined by network weasels who try to milk it for more money and make it go longer than it should. I figured another year would do it to wrap up all the interesting story lines but now we won't know what would have been possible.
Edge of Darkness (1985)
Still holds up after 23 years
I originally saw the episodes in 1986 when it first showed on American television. I don't think I had a VCR at the time but I assumed it would be on again - I realized that this was a truly incredible piece of work and I looked forward to seeing it again. Unfortunately, it wasn't on TV again but I kept the TV Guide that advertised it the first time to remind me of the title and when I signed up with Netflix a couple of years ago I put it on the list even though it wasn't available. I already knew it wasn't available for sale on U.S. formatted DVDs, but I could hope Netflix might do a conversion. Eventually it became available and I received it in the mail just last week. When it had first come out, I was in my mid-20s and I fell in love with the idea of Gaia and the notion that the planet will survive despite what we do. I remembered very emotional scenes, great sadness, and haunting music. Would it mean the same to me now as it did back then? Well I wasn't disappointed. If anything, it might have been even better than I remembered. The betrayal of the Bob Peck character is still gut-wrenching even in light of my more realistic view of politics and the world in general. I hadn't remembered that the character of Emma, although killed within the first few minutes of the first episode, continues to haunt and speak with her father throughout the show, appearing and disappearing unexpectedly. The music is so simple yet so intense - guitar strokes floating through the air and the sudden appearance of a Willie Nelson song - they support the story incredibly well. I'm still not sure I completely understand the story line but I don't think it matters. That confusion just reinforces the notion that the good guys and bad guys are mostly interchangeable and no one can be relied on except for Craven and his American CIA buddy, both of who undergo epiphanies but had to die to get there.
Hugh Fraser worked well in his role and Tim McInnerny was a great surprise as a very sinister and cowardly character, quite unlike his bumbling (and very funny) Black Adder character, Percy. I didn't even recognize him.
I'm so glad I got to see this show again and I would rank it easily in the top ten best TV shows of all time.