This is the most depressing, cynical, bleak & dare I say obnoxious film I have ever been forced to watch since 'kids'! Sorry to all those who like films where there are 2 hours of misery between two people who are equally just as unlikable, but a modern medical miracle of gifting someone their eyesight back is instead wasted on a marriage breakup in typical Drama styled writing. None of the characters in this are likable and they spend the entire movie trying to stimulate their sex drives, deceive each other & look after a dog. The writing is all over the place. Some aspects are excruciatingly predictable & others are brushed over in an instant with frenetic editing. Why this is shot like a music video is beyond me. It is edited like John Wick, but written like Eastenders. The locations are squandered to yet again make as many blatant points as possible using as many 'cool' shots as possible. I was left with a bitter feeling after this film, so if that is what the director was trying to achieve.. congratulations. You made another typical movie about how marriages begin under false pretenses and end in tragedy. Not my thing at all. It really does beg the question as to why some take 60 million just to make something as dejecting as this.
Reviews
65 Reviews
Inherit the Wind
(1960)
Never felt so trapped in my arm chair...
6 February 2023
I have not seen anything that frightens me as much as this film did. We all take our liberties to think, to reason, & to question for granted. For this film reveals that without those birth rights, we are merely beasts. I am not often lost for words, but this feature quite honestly jarred me to such an extent that I had to pause at one point for a respite. I felt utterly sick to my stomach, I became pale, & I broke down in tears after it was made apparent that belief had shackled humanity to fear & reluctance to assess the truth. And to punish all those who dared to challenge past assumptions to satiate the majority doctrine. If the tradition of ignorance supersedes our species opportunity to learn, if our violent tendencies uphold parochial beliefs over ratiocination, and we deny our children the joy of discovering their potential to advance our species cognizance, then, dare I ask, are we all under an incorporeal dictatorship? The topics here raised a lot of uneasy questions for worshipers, but it opened a very large can of worms for agnostics. We are faced with extinction today for the exact same reasons; people maintaining their individual beliefs over the facts of reality. Our biggest hurdle is not a lack of information, solutions or technology. My fear is not in the idea of the existence of a superior being. My greatest fear comes from having no way of communicating to the majority that there is a superior being; called humanity. Not through politics, not through belief systems, tradition, nationalism, or cultural indoctrination; but in man's ability to THINK. Science is Latin for 'knowledge'. Whether it is a blueprint, a method, formula, or equation; Science is our most efficient non-interpretable language to date. We repudiate it at our peril. A peril of which that very same majority uphold even now on the precipice of oblivion. I shan't sleep well tonight.
Training Day
(2001)
Day drags like a week
24 January 2023
This is the second time I have tried to like this film but honestly, it's a terrible attempt. The biggest flaw is its delinquent turgid dialogue, plot holes, obvious set-ups, & by the end you are rolling your eyes at how predictable all the tropes have become. It lacks any substance, skips what feels like entire sections (how the Rookie befriended the little boy) women are inanimate objects, support cast feels more convincing than main characters, jokes are juvenile, & its 'style over substance' persists throughout a film that overstays its welcome.
I would not recommend this film if you have higher reasoning because it leaves you feeling undernourished & fatigued as to its stupidity! This film is known for one thing only, that daft "King Kong" line! What a pointless waste of 3 hours. One day, people are going to look back and wonder why the human race wasted so many resources on such aimless attempts to impress through alpha male compensation in films like this.
I would not recommend this film if you have higher reasoning because it leaves you feeling undernourished & fatigued as to its stupidity! This film is known for one thing only, that daft "King Kong" line! What a pointless waste of 3 hours. One day, people are going to look back and wonder why the human race wasted so many resources on such aimless attempts to impress through alpha male compensation in films like this.
Spider-Man
(2018 Video Game)
First Marvel game I have ever purchased, not the last!
26 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I have never bought anything to do with Spider-man before. However, this is something truly special & it's clearly been made with a great care to detail & love of the arts. Their talents are only matched by their resulting Masterpiece.
The game feels Modern due to the Technology & Scientific tautology. Benevolent dialogue from all round superb characters performed flawlessly by a cast & crew who are in their element here, ease us into a truly compelling story in a surprisingly immersive world - for just a spider-man game!
The sound design & music are particularly apt. The composer(s) really hit the mark here. The use of electronic sine-wave ostinatos is a welcomed lift, the brass crescendos & high octave strings soaring is lovely. What I love the most which cannot be stated loud enough is how the main theme doesn't rely on feral percussion & heavy drums to assert itself. Instead the composer flexes his talent & builds a much more dynamic arrangement with careful chord structure, poly-rhythms, wonderfully thick reverb, & a fully fleshed out melody. The other tracks fit the ethos of the game perfectly. All making the game sound unique.
The PS4 & Pro versions have the original Peter Parker face which people tend to prefer because he apparently shows emotion more clearly. Not that the new face isn't a joy also. ;) The combat mechanics maybe familiar to those who have played Batman Arkham City, but they are so refined & addictive here thanks to Webs & Gadget attacks. The story is where it really shines though. It's predictable sometimes yes but that is because it makes perfect sense at all times! In fact, you really sympathize with each of these characters - which I love. This game has a soul. It's not afraid to use sadness to teach you the value of people. And Peter has an almost unbreakable spirit.
The way they've written Peter Parker as a modest struggling young man is mature, and the homeless shelter is such a cosy well detailed environment. It would be nice if we could edit our own suits. Over all though, this is a flawed masterpiece. A really good title that is worthy of recognition. Thanks to the Devs for treating us to this masterpiece!
The game feels Modern due to the Technology & Scientific tautology. Benevolent dialogue from all round superb characters performed flawlessly by a cast & crew who are in their element here, ease us into a truly compelling story in a surprisingly immersive world - for just a spider-man game!
The sound design & music are particularly apt. The composer(s) really hit the mark here. The use of electronic sine-wave ostinatos is a welcomed lift, the brass crescendos & high octave strings soaring is lovely. What I love the most which cannot be stated loud enough is how the main theme doesn't rely on feral percussion & heavy drums to assert itself. Instead the composer flexes his talent & builds a much more dynamic arrangement with careful chord structure, poly-rhythms, wonderfully thick reverb, & a fully fleshed out melody. The other tracks fit the ethos of the game perfectly. All making the game sound unique.
The PS4 & Pro versions have the original Peter Parker face which people tend to prefer because he apparently shows emotion more clearly. Not that the new face isn't a joy also. ;) The combat mechanics maybe familiar to those who have played Batman Arkham City, but they are so refined & addictive here thanks to Webs & Gadget attacks. The story is where it really shines though. It's predictable sometimes yes but that is because it makes perfect sense at all times! In fact, you really sympathize with each of these characters - which I love. This game has a soul. It's not afraid to use sadness to teach you the value of people. And Peter has an almost unbreakable spirit.
The way they've written Peter Parker as a modest struggling young man is mature, and the homeless shelter is such a cosy well detailed environment. It would be nice if we could edit our own suits. Over all though, this is a flawed masterpiece. A really good title that is worthy of recognition. Thanks to the Devs for treating us to this masterpiece!
Sunk at Sea..
20 September 2022
It is hard to put in to words just how bad something is when it is this bad!
I agree with many who say that this series has outstayed its welcome. Much like the 80's DW - it has become an embarrassment of the UK & of the BBC.
The Sea Devils was a story which had many complaints from parents with children who were subject to nightmares in the 70's. They were quite horrifying for the time. The lighting was dark, it was filmed on No Man's Land Sea fort, at Portmouth Beach, Portmouth Navel Base & Norris Castle on the Isle of Wight. The Music was unequivocally esoterically ALIEN & the script in later episodes was a genius touch of anti-racism. It was very cinematic for such a low budget.
Here you have people who are more obsessed with wasting untold amounts of resources on CGI, Set design, costume - without a script in place. It's disastrously spliced together. They have this massive ship set which they are proud of, but turned up without a story to impose a threat to the audience with atmosphere, suspense, horror or mystery. The whole show feels like a morning yawn sitcom.
This is a whole new low for a show which has been a doppelganger of its authentic predecessor ever since its return. The fear has gone, the writing is turgid, the chemistry absent, the music is generic trite orchestral cues, the CGI effects are a distraction - more so than in-cam rubber suits ever were, the Chromatic filters are dire & over-saturated, the Doctor character is not there - & it does no justice to the people who worked hard & long to build foundations which they are now destroying.
This is perhaps the worst production I have ever seen of a show over-hyped by the people making it. They seem so proud of everything; revealing no self-awareness or ability to recognise when something is truly this bad. It's worrying, & the BBC should think very carefully about employing people with these traits of self-aggrandizement!
"I don't care if it's the Janitor who informs me, but someone better tell me when something is awful" ~ Stanley Kubrick.
I agree with many who say that this series has outstayed its welcome. Much like the 80's DW - it has become an embarrassment of the UK & of the BBC.
The Sea Devils was a story which had many complaints from parents with children who were subject to nightmares in the 70's. They were quite horrifying for the time. The lighting was dark, it was filmed on No Man's Land Sea fort, at Portmouth Beach, Portmouth Navel Base & Norris Castle on the Isle of Wight. The Music was unequivocally esoterically ALIEN & the script in later episodes was a genius touch of anti-racism. It was very cinematic for such a low budget.
Here you have people who are more obsessed with wasting untold amounts of resources on CGI, Set design, costume - without a script in place. It's disastrously spliced together. They have this massive ship set which they are proud of, but turned up without a story to impose a threat to the audience with atmosphere, suspense, horror or mystery. The whole show feels like a morning yawn sitcom.
This is a whole new low for a show which has been a doppelganger of its authentic predecessor ever since its return. The fear has gone, the writing is turgid, the chemistry absent, the music is generic trite orchestral cues, the CGI effects are a distraction - more so than in-cam rubber suits ever were, the Chromatic filters are dire & over-saturated, the Doctor character is not there - & it does no justice to the people who worked hard & long to build foundations which they are now destroying.
This is perhaps the worst production I have ever seen of a show over-hyped by the people making it. They seem so proud of everything; revealing no self-awareness or ability to recognise when something is truly this bad. It's worrying, & the BBC should think very carefully about employing people with these traits of self-aggrandizement!
"I don't care if it's the Janitor who informs me, but someone better tell me when something is awful" ~ Stanley Kubrick.
Instinct
(1999)
Devastatingly honest about the human problem
13 March 2022
As I write this review in 2022 as we face the precipice of a global extinction event, I am reminded of this staggering piece of storytelling which society was just as in denial about back in 1999 as they are now. This is not an easy watch at times because it paints an honest & quite frankly abhorrent picture of how humanity has become lost & corrupt. We all owe our existence to life, to nature, & yet we have built a culture & society based upon the destruction & abuse of our ancestral world. If you comprehend the ramifications of this film, you will distance yourself from humanity & want to disassociate yourself from society in all the right ways. It touches on how we once coexisted peacefully with our world, which sounds cheesy I know. However, regardless of how we feel or deny what is real, it is what it is. We have gone horribly wrong and we are all suffering for letting this sick experiment continue for as long as it has.
It is a masterful demonstration of the Teacher-student relationship, where one perspective is exchanged for another, where violence is neither condoned nor condemned, & the lessons it disseminates provokes something profoundly fundamental within you which will linger & never rest well with you until your dying day. You have been warned!
It is a masterful demonstration of the Teacher-student relationship, where one perspective is exchanged for another, where violence is neither condoned nor condemned, & the lessons it disseminates provokes something profoundly fundamental within you which will linger & never rest well with you until your dying day. You have been warned!
Candyman
(2021)
Shockingly bad. Not joking. Read below
1 October 2021
The Direction is disastrous from the get go - interrupting the film every so often with these childish "Paper Cutouts" stories to cover for a lack of competency. The music is dire, repetitive, dull, forgettable & frustratingly lacking in coherence. The dialogue & mixing is austere & lazy. Often using Studio takes with "Room Reverb" added in post to avoid any real boom-mic work. The cinematography is cheap; sticking to studios, & creating a closet environment & show-room housing & "Lift & Launderette" tropes. The script is beyond insulting, bland, struggling for ideas to appear, the pacing & acting are all over the place, & any competent film goer will find it hard not to cringe every other scene. It's bad. REAL bad! In fact, I doubt I have seen a film this bad since Terrifier (2016). The true Horror of Candyman 2021 dawns upon you around the half way mark; knowing you've got another half to get through without you sticking razor blades in sweets & swallowing them yourself. Being murdered by Candyman would be a mercy compared to having to watch this turd again. I'd rather rather que up to see the Dead Queen-Mum's Coffin again. I'd rather snort Bees wax through my tear ducts. I'd rather watch a Football Match knowing the outcome or slide down a razor blade with a testicle each side than to wade through this.. this.. THING again. I seriously cannot believe I am still breathing after sitting through that film man. I felt life slowly (VERY slowly) slipping away. Save yourselves from being put off the sour taste of honey for the rest of your lives. And avoid.
Blow
(2001)
May Blow your mind!
16 February 2021
When I talk about a future without police, prisons, or money, people seem to think I'm crazy. But what this film does so well for me, is demonstrate just how cruel it is to put a man behind bars for simply wanting to avoid destitution.
I will never agree with incarceration or indeed punishment. There are so many ways in which to solve the issues of scarcity & to allow people to live out their potential in a free society.
Instead, what you have is aberrant behavior, crime, drug use to escape reality, child abuse, & all the other problems that come along with Capitalism.
Blow is a great character film told from a victim's perspective, & I think it shows that the subsequent generations want to sympathize, understand, & solve problems. Instead of blame, judge & react with hate at everything.
A good little number based upon a true story, from a perspective that Hollywood would rather gloss over.
I will never agree with incarceration or indeed punishment. There are so many ways in which to solve the issues of scarcity & to allow people to live out their potential in a free society.
Instead, what you have is aberrant behavior, crime, drug use to escape reality, child abuse, & all the other problems that come along with Capitalism.
Blow is a great character film told from a victim's perspective, & I think it shows that the subsequent generations want to sympathize, understand, & solve problems. Instead of blame, judge & react with hate at everything.
A good little number based upon a true story, from a perspective that Hollywood would rather gloss over.
Capernaum
(2018)
This is not just another film. You are free to stay chained up.
1 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This film is no laughing matter. In fact, I think it is historic & fundamental on levels which the western world are incompetently oblivious to. The Cinematography, editing, & stark performances are so natural & seamless, that it feels more real than a documentary. I spent most of the film in tears & shame; utterly oblivious & distraught as to the conditions which probably a very large portion of the population are expected to survive in. Where families are so demoralized they would sell their own children to wealthy paedophiles - who think that 11 year old girls are fit to bare children themselves. Where parents despise their young for costing them what little they have until such age of cultural or social-economic arrangement. The suffering, desperation, & decay is all so many have to thrive in. There are moments where people accomplish commendable acts of kindness & are punished for it as a result of such a cut throat environment. It demonstrates the dictatorship & oppression of a monetary system so obsolete, that it is no longer fit for purpose. Our ancestors lived healthier by comparison, when nature could provide, & not a single child on the planet was locked up by laws created by lesser men. When papers & Passports weren't worth more than life itself. I feel that this film is mostly educational, but is of modern credibility & relevancy where slavery, our devolution, & cultural retrograde are concerned. I am not surprised that this film won no "British" or "American" film awards; falling upon deaf ears, denial & depreciation of even subtitles, let alone other cultures. But the rest world comprehended it with ease & aptitude. This film is a masterpiece, & puts Hollywood to shame for the billions they blow on frivolous over glamourized trite commercials for all their depth. And it solidifies the heart rending struggles in the eastern world in paying the price for our excessive lifestyles of mono-mania & gluttony. The most universal film I have seen for what can only be described as an eternity. My only regret is that every human on the planet hasn't watched it.
Cyberpunk 2077
(2020 Video Game)
Old & tired. Seen it all before.
16 December 2020
This is the turning point for this kind of stale formula I would say. We are back to square one, to the tired out of date Dystopian Blade Runner "Future". The lack of vision for the future is not only stunted world-wide by utterly absent.
Just like the recent Picard series, instead of progress, it presents us with today's culture, on steroids. People in this future have no ability to think critically; instead they're just further reacting to their childish culture of self-obsessive aesthetics, social status, mass-consumption, chemical abuse, rapacity, de-evolution & poverty. That's not the future. That is this current limited society - From an American perspective - as always. Euro-Dollars is the height of CDPR's imagination, & apart from purloining everlasting clichés from the last century, it really has nothing new. This will sit well with all the middle aged wage slaves who are bombarded with nostalgia every 3 minutes.
"Oooh yes I remember that. I haven't heard that in a while. That reminds me of things I already know about. The Good ol' days. I don't have to learn any of this I'm having fun yes."
Yeh we get it. You miss your childhood & don't know how to move on. Never mind the fact that it is trite, stale & offers nothing original, innovative, experimental, or inspiring. Nostalgia is a little like celebrating the ability to keep your brain the same size.
The game mechanics are all there as usual. Don't expect to be blown away by anything other than headshots, customization, & lacklustre upgrades. A tired old formula. Made by geriatrics who are obviously still reminiscing over 80's Science Fiction which was never taken that seriously in the first place.
The human population feels very hopeless right now. Late-Stage Capitalism has failed all but 2%, we've had no social progress trapped inside the Industrial Revolution, Bio-Diversity is in the gutter, Eco-systems are collapsing, and the Climate Emergency currently threatens us with the 6th great extinction as our natural resources are squandered on military posturing. But CD Project Red utterly ignores ALL of that. Because this is about going Back, not forward.
This is the slow crawl out of what has become a stale formulaic generation for gaming. They haven't realised yet that if you give humans the ability to create a better world, they shall. Instead, CDPR want to make money by pandering to their mental afflictions by building the world they want you to see, full of social-economic decay - priming you all to expect the very worst from the future which their generation have arrogated from you in real life.
This game is an insult to humanity, not a vision of it.
Just like the recent Picard series, instead of progress, it presents us with today's culture, on steroids. People in this future have no ability to think critically; instead they're just further reacting to their childish culture of self-obsessive aesthetics, social status, mass-consumption, chemical abuse, rapacity, de-evolution & poverty. That's not the future. That is this current limited society - From an American perspective - as always. Euro-Dollars is the height of CDPR's imagination, & apart from purloining everlasting clichés from the last century, it really has nothing new. This will sit well with all the middle aged wage slaves who are bombarded with nostalgia every 3 minutes.
"Oooh yes I remember that. I haven't heard that in a while. That reminds me of things I already know about. The Good ol' days. I don't have to learn any of this I'm having fun yes."
Yeh we get it. You miss your childhood & don't know how to move on. Never mind the fact that it is trite, stale & offers nothing original, innovative, experimental, or inspiring. Nostalgia is a little like celebrating the ability to keep your brain the same size.
The game mechanics are all there as usual. Don't expect to be blown away by anything other than headshots, customization, & lacklustre upgrades. A tired old formula. Made by geriatrics who are obviously still reminiscing over 80's Science Fiction which was never taken that seriously in the first place.
The human population feels very hopeless right now. Late-Stage Capitalism has failed all but 2%, we've had no social progress trapped inside the Industrial Revolution, Bio-Diversity is in the gutter, Eco-systems are collapsing, and the Climate Emergency currently threatens us with the 6th great extinction as our natural resources are squandered on military posturing. But CD Project Red utterly ignores ALL of that. Because this is about going Back, not forward.
This is the slow crawl out of what has become a stale formulaic generation for gaming. They haven't realised yet that if you give humans the ability to create a better world, they shall. Instead, CDPR want to make money by pandering to their mental afflictions by building the world they want you to see, full of social-economic decay - priming you all to expect the very worst from the future which their generation have arrogated from you in real life.
This game is an insult to humanity, not a vision of it.
Doom Eternal
(2020 Video Game)
Eternally DOOMED
8 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Doom E starts off quite good but becomes tiring & tedious very quickly. I will just say now that Doom was a hard act to follow. It had an addictive balance like no other. The balance is not here at all. It's harder, faster, longer, less atmospheric, & even the story is an over-bloated mess of Cult-clichés. Once the upgrades are out the way, & you have another second half a game to wade through in precisely the same manner as the first, it becomes frustratingly frenetic. Every level is far too long, battles always involve waves of many enemies which increases predictably each time, & the weapons are set to kill particular enemies is particular ways. If you do not kill them in the way the Developer has premeditated; you die quicker. This takes away all the fun of the original - where every gun was an over-powered cannon of devastation.
The Devs seem to think that Challenge, equals, enjoyment. Even on Easy, it is a frantic mess, where everything bombards you if you stop moving, & by getting stuck on any of the surroundings results in your demise. This makes for a game, not of skill, but of luck.
The graphics: are large, colourful, & detailed. Probably what they concentrated on the most. Yet the touch-screens & on-screen data pads have once again reverted to squint-inducing thumbnails. The Guns & pickups are bright & treat you like an idiot. (The first game did it better!) The environments are nice when bright & open, but soon revert to corridors, alcoves & lift-shafts. Many don't feel like Doom in any sense, because all of the Religious ramifications they see fit to shove down our throats constantly.
The Story: It's daft! Call me simple! But Doom guy always seemed like a modest soldier down on his luck; sticking UP for his species, to me. A guy so neglected by society & Military hierarchy, he didn't even have a name. He busted out of confinement, got himself a gun, & had no alternative but to become a badass to defend his outpost! Now, they want to turn him into another 'Dr Who' Jesus Christ saviour figure. It takes away ALL your intrigue; knowing that everything you do has been ordained & is your destiny. I don't want to play in this universe anymore. It's stuffy, irrational, superstitious, & ostentatious. It totally bogs the game down for the sake of trying to make sense of a totally implausible situation. Just because you CAN achieve something, doesn't mean you SHOULD do it. If you are in control of your skill & technique, you are thus liberated from it. But here, the technique is in control of the game's structure.
The Audio is a mixed bag. Some sounds are an improvement such as the Aslt Rifle, whereas the Ballista is so underwhelming that you hardly notice it upon releasing the trigger! You knew when The Gauss Cannon fired! BOOM! The music is a disaster. A total calamity. There is no quality control. There are a few standout tracks in the game that are indeed very good, if strictly suited to this universe of carnage! But apart from the fact they are truncated, they are all re-engineered & mixed badly - fatiguing you, due to the Loudness Compression of already loud music. There are times where I had no alternative but to turn off the music in the options menu! Repeating a single phrase over & over offers nothing creative & is an insult to all those composers who over-composed to fit every possible situation. There are a lot of tracks which seem to be more 'sound fx' than music. These grate on you so bad, it just sours the experience. I liked the energy in more aggressive tracks during combat, because it makes sense. But when you are just trying to wade through all the mundane jumping routes, you just want something mellifluous & expansive. Something which adds to the atmosphere & represents the eerie empty expanse of space. These areas require intelligent & introspective cues, because they last a lot longer than the 6 minute waves of enemies. Doom understood this & didn't need to keep leaning on Metal to add energy. In fact, if I recall, the music even responded to your play style during combat by becoming more vigorous with every kill. The music was a careful fit to the environment: A hybrid of synthetic, digital & performance stems - which gave it a very genre-defiant & characteristic edge over Doom E - Which just relies on Metal/Djent guitar licks, Dumbstep LFOs, & buried drum kits. Although I completed this game, I have no desire to return. A strange reaction, considering the original had the opposite effect & kept me coming back for another playthrough. There is just so much wrong with how this game was built, that it begs the question of competence. The entire game is now segregated & laid out into wave-bars in the top right hand corner - letting you know exactly how far you are, how many more waves, unique areas, etc. you have left; removing any connection to the world, & to the discovery. It tells you right at the start! Doom2016 felt like a journey, with exploration, & a narrative being created as you progress. It reminds me of Gears of War Judgement - where they forced the Wave system into the main story campaign. You'd be constantly concentrating on perfect scores, head shots, & other pointless gimmicks when I should just be enjoying the experience. DoomE is exactly the same. You'll get to the end of a typically protracted level, just to be faced with a "You SUCK!" score board of missed secrets, failed challenges, incomplete waves, & "The Princess is in Another Castle". Speaking of which, there is a Castle hanging in orbit that is now your main base. I have no idea why. As far as I can make out, it's just padding, a place for fan fiction, a few upgrades locked behind more upgrades & demonstrates further how the Devs want to make games that their peers are making. To get away from Doom. The combat in superior games is always addictive. Here, it is a chore. A chore with trumped up stipulations which demands you to forgo your enjoyment, to play how they want you to play. They obviously came to the same conclusion, because instead of resolving the issues, they deemed fit to add a pointless jumping traversal system, to break up the monotony & lethargy. Most people have stated that they like the jumping puzzles, but what do you expecte when the main combat is so tedious?! It only gets worse as the game drags on. And before you know it, you'll be jumping through hoops - literally. It's a perfect metaphor for DoomE sadly.
Multiplayer! HA! There's no point me commenting on the Multiplayer because such a thing today does not exist. It's groups of kids, endlessly death matching in a goldfish bowl with no purpose. "OH You killed me. OH I killed you" - Rinse & repeat. I doubt the Devs have any love of social gaming what so ever these days what with the bilge they porn off as multi-player. Until I can toss any friend a pad & he can share in the experience of the main story, I shan't even bother taking notice of multi-player options.
DoomE is an aesthetic statement & a failed experiment of "more is better". And I warn anybody who loved the predecessor not to expect more of what you liked about the first. It's a rushed mess of the wrong ideas for the sake of being different. But I ask the valid question... If you're making so many changes to progress far away from the original formula, what was so bad about it in the first place?
The Devs seem to think that Challenge, equals, enjoyment. Even on Easy, it is a frantic mess, where everything bombards you if you stop moving, & by getting stuck on any of the surroundings results in your demise. This makes for a game, not of skill, but of luck.
The graphics: are large, colourful, & detailed. Probably what they concentrated on the most. Yet the touch-screens & on-screen data pads have once again reverted to squint-inducing thumbnails. The Guns & pickups are bright & treat you like an idiot. (The first game did it better!) The environments are nice when bright & open, but soon revert to corridors, alcoves & lift-shafts. Many don't feel like Doom in any sense, because all of the Religious ramifications they see fit to shove down our throats constantly.
The Story: It's daft! Call me simple! But Doom guy always seemed like a modest soldier down on his luck; sticking UP for his species, to me. A guy so neglected by society & Military hierarchy, he didn't even have a name. He busted out of confinement, got himself a gun, & had no alternative but to become a badass to defend his outpost! Now, they want to turn him into another 'Dr Who' Jesus Christ saviour figure. It takes away ALL your intrigue; knowing that everything you do has been ordained & is your destiny. I don't want to play in this universe anymore. It's stuffy, irrational, superstitious, & ostentatious. It totally bogs the game down for the sake of trying to make sense of a totally implausible situation. Just because you CAN achieve something, doesn't mean you SHOULD do it. If you are in control of your skill & technique, you are thus liberated from it. But here, the technique is in control of the game's structure.
The Audio is a mixed bag. Some sounds are an improvement such as the Aslt Rifle, whereas the Ballista is so underwhelming that you hardly notice it upon releasing the trigger! You knew when The Gauss Cannon fired! BOOM! The music is a disaster. A total calamity. There is no quality control. There are a few standout tracks in the game that are indeed very good, if strictly suited to this universe of carnage! But apart from the fact they are truncated, they are all re-engineered & mixed badly - fatiguing you, due to the Loudness Compression of already loud music. There are times where I had no alternative but to turn off the music in the options menu! Repeating a single phrase over & over offers nothing creative & is an insult to all those composers who over-composed to fit every possible situation. There are a lot of tracks which seem to be more 'sound fx' than music. These grate on you so bad, it just sours the experience. I liked the energy in more aggressive tracks during combat, because it makes sense. But when you are just trying to wade through all the mundane jumping routes, you just want something mellifluous & expansive. Something which adds to the atmosphere & represents the eerie empty expanse of space. These areas require intelligent & introspective cues, because they last a lot longer than the 6 minute waves of enemies. Doom understood this & didn't need to keep leaning on Metal to add energy. In fact, if I recall, the music even responded to your play style during combat by becoming more vigorous with every kill. The music was a careful fit to the environment: A hybrid of synthetic, digital & performance stems - which gave it a very genre-defiant & characteristic edge over Doom E - Which just relies on Metal/Djent guitar licks, Dumbstep LFOs, & buried drum kits. Although I completed this game, I have no desire to return. A strange reaction, considering the original had the opposite effect & kept me coming back for another playthrough. There is just so much wrong with how this game was built, that it begs the question of competence. The entire game is now segregated & laid out into wave-bars in the top right hand corner - letting you know exactly how far you are, how many more waves, unique areas, etc. you have left; removing any connection to the world, & to the discovery. It tells you right at the start! Doom2016 felt like a journey, with exploration, & a narrative being created as you progress. It reminds me of Gears of War Judgement - where they forced the Wave system into the main story campaign. You'd be constantly concentrating on perfect scores, head shots, & other pointless gimmicks when I should just be enjoying the experience. DoomE is exactly the same. You'll get to the end of a typically protracted level, just to be faced with a "You SUCK!" score board of missed secrets, failed challenges, incomplete waves, & "The Princess is in Another Castle". Speaking of which, there is a Castle hanging in orbit that is now your main base. I have no idea why. As far as I can make out, it's just padding, a place for fan fiction, a few upgrades locked behind more upgrades & demonstrates further how the Devs want to make games that their peers are making. To get away from Doom. The combat in superior games is always addictive. Here, it is a chore. A chore with trumped up stipulations which demands you to forgo your enjoyment, to play how they want you to play. They obviously came to the same conclusion, because instead of resolving the issues, they deemed fit to add a pointless jumping traversal system, to break up the monotony & lethargy. Most people have stated that they like the jumping puzzles, but what do you expecte when the main combat is so tedious?! It only gets worse as the game drags on. And before you know it, you'll be jumping through hoops - literally. It's a perfect metaphor for DoomE sadly.
Multiplayer! HA! There's no point me commenting on the Multiplayer because such a thing today does not exist. It's groups of kids, endlessly death matching in a goldfish bowl with no purpose. "OH You killed me. OH I killed you" - Rinse & repeat. I doubt the Devs have any love of social gaming what so ever these days what with the bilge they porn off as multi-player. Until I can toss any friend a pad & he can share in the experience of the main story, I shan't even bother taking notice of multi-player options.
DoomE is an aesthetic statement & a failed experiment of "more is better". And I warn anybody who loved the predecessor not to expect more of what you liked about the first. It's a rushed mess of the wrong ideas for the sake of being different. But I ask the valid question... If you're making so many changes to progress far away from the original formula, what was so bad about it in the first place?
Magic Cloak!
31 August 2020
It is very clear to anyone who watched the Original series, that TNG steps into the footsteps of it's predecessor for the first few stories. And this is no exception! It feels very familiar of the originals. Particularly of the Duel between Kirk & Spock. However, it begins making its own trail by demonstrating a keen desire to understand other cultures, values, traditions, & reveal how the Prim Directive is deliberately ambiguous once on another planet; in order to be as flexible as diplomacy requires.
This is still the most socially advanced series of Gene Roddenberry's future, & this episode in particular - sets the stage for "Brains Over Brawn" that was followed throughout the series as a standard of Universal Value System. They resort to violence, but even then they have a plan to save the victims' life. Because that is the rational & sensible thing to do!
Many seem to overlook this title because of its visual shortcomings & half baked performances. What you have to remember is that this is still, to date, the most positively perspicacious future of human evolution ever committed to film.
A manifestation of human form where they avoid conflict after an abduction, learn about another race instead of judge it, & then not only assimilate to foreign law.. but make it work in their favour.
It's still way ahead of its' time. The new stuff is exactly what Gene wanted to avoid.
This is still the most socially advanced series of Gene Roddenberry's future, & this episode in particular - sets the stage for "Brains Over Brawn" that was followed throughout the series as a standard of Universal Value System. They resort to violence, but even then they have a plan to save the victims' life. Because that is the rational & sensible thing to do!
Many seem to overlook this title because of its visual shortcomings & half baked performances. What you have to remember is that this is still, to date, the most positively perspicacious future of human evolution ever committed to film.
A manifestation of human form where they avoid conflict after an abduction, learn about another race instead of judge it, & then not only assimilate to foreign law.. but make it work in their favour.
It's still way ahead of its' time. The new stuff is exactly what Gene wanted to avoid.
Star Trek: Picard
(2020–2023)
Resourced Based Economy? No. Just Politics, racism, & bigotry of today.
13 February 2020
Gene Roddenberry's vision of Science & Exploration couldn't be further from what Pacard sets out to do.
Gone are the days of learning to THINK our way out of any given situation with methodology, critical thinking, behavioral science, & applied technology. No. Instead, the Paparazzi are back! We have Race wars, wars with the machines as per usual, wars with each other, wars.. wars .. WARS. We get it.. USA is trying to brain wash more WAR into people. Because they are obsessed with trying to prove they are better than everyone else!
The trouble is that this doesn't connect with the younger generation. Who are desperate for intelligent writing. A positive future. Brain power, self-sufficient cities, learning to distribute resources in a free society.
Instead, we have typical girl power cgi shaky camera cut scenes & 'splosions!
"We are no longer obsessed with the accumulation of things. We have eliminated hunger.. want; we have grown out of our infancy." - Picard
Gone are the days of learning to THINK our way out of any given situation with methodology, critical thinking, behavioral science, & applied technology. No. Instead, the Paparazzi are back! We have Race wars, wars with the machines as per usual, wars with each other, wars.. wars .. WARS. We get it.. USA is trying to brain wash more WAR into people. Because they are obsessed with trying to prove they are better than everyone else!
The trouble is that this doesn't connect with the younger generation. Who are desperate for intelligent writing. A positive future. Brain power, self-sufficient cities, learning to distribute resources in a free society.
Instead, we have typical girl power cgi shaky camera cut scenes & 'splosions!
"We are no longer obsessed with the accumulation of things. We have eliminated hunger.. want; we have grown out of our infancy." - Picard
Corporate Commander Wins Again!
10 July 2019
COME & GET YOUR COKE!! STEP RIGHT UP & GET YOUR PIZZA ROLLS!
The original ideas have ALL but gone as demonstrated in the previous season. And all that is left now are "Friends" comedy sketches, contrived narratives, repeated tropes, sponsorship montages, cgi presets, & quick cut-aways.
The whole thing is a mess & has no comprehensive structure. The music never shuts up. And if I see that silly pose with her arms out one more time I swear it will be in MY dreams!
The Duffer Bros had beginners luck. What's more lucky however, is the fact that they won't have to try that hard to please the lowest common denominator crowd that has now latched onto this; not for it's originality, but rather for its pop culture references.
What a daft program. A parody of the last generation of capitalism.
The original ideas have ALL but gone as demonstrated in the previous season. And all that is left now are "Friends" comedy sketches, contrived narratives, repeated tropes, sponsorship montages, cgi presets, & quick cut-aways.
The whole thing is a mess & has no comprehensive structure. The music never shuts up. And if I see that silly pose with her arms out one more time I swear it will be in MY dreams!
The Duffer Bros had beginners luck. What's more lucky however, is the fact that they won't have to try that hard to please the lowest common denominator crowd that has now latched onto this; not for it's originality, but rather for its pop culture references.
What a daft program. A parody of the last generation of capitalism.
A Stain on his name!
16 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A great episode but a little drawn out at times with flashbacks, which never impinge the present moment! The animation is very detailed in this one. And the native voice acting is superb!
You feel for stain at the end. A man delivered to himself for the one thing he scorned Iida for... Revenge. Without a doubt one of the finest Villains of the show. Sad to see him go out in an abrupt manner like that. But I suppose it wouldn't have been a "Climax" if he returned to beat down again!
A great episode I couldn't wait to watch!
You feel for stain at the end. A man delivered to himself for the one thing he scorned Iida for... Revenge. Without a doubt one of the finest Villains of the show. Sad to see him go out in an abrupt manner like that. But I suppose it wouldn't have been a "Climax" if he returned to beat down again!
A great episode I couldn't wait to watch!
Chernobyl
(2019)
A life lesson if ignored leads to Death.
4 June 2019
I find myself struggling to put into words just how imperative this recreation is to witness by all who have given their lives to verisimilitude. To the truth, to knowledge, education, answers to questions... Research. This medium was crafted so long ago so few dare to ask if Television & film had a purpose beyond amusement. This series is by no means just a bit of light entertainment. Nor should it be watched by those who prefer to waste their lives watching others make an idiot of themselves to compensate for their own mindless existence. The duplicity of the Soviet Union is all too familiar. It is ever present in our own lands & lives. Every day lies are spread as sensationalism, promoted by morons blinded by pride, social status, avarice & nefarious stupidity.
Millions of people are under the same rule as that of the Soviet Union. You are under their thumb to carry out tasks which benefits nothing & no one. Every part of your life is premeditated by the state, & any deviation is met with obstacles, punishment, social admonishment, & you are presumed radically impugned.
The damage to the environment at Chernobyl was both immediate & on-going. The deaths convinced the world of the truth despite all the lies. Can we not learn from this? Do we have to wait for a million more deaths for the lies of our society to be defied? Or do we listen to our scientists who have been warning us of climate change, plastics pollution, the extinction of species & so much more.
Every day I see people all over the world reduced to mere puppets & simpletons. They are stunted, & denied education so long as they can carry out the same demeanial tasks every day. They are discouraged to think & discover methodology & facts. And are instead allowed to believe in practically anything they arrive at. Belief truly is the demise of reason.
A side effect of societal suffocation is denial. Worse than that; so few people even care about our fate & if there is a way to stop the fuse which has been lit. Perhaps there is no "AZ-5" button for us at all. My family & friends are quite contempt with letting their heads be filled with insidiously picayune soap operas or balefully shallow reality shows; most of which are mere 'prisons for the mind'. They porn off the responsibility to consider ANY concept outside of the box onto state officials, politicians, & congressmen, when deep down we all know that this deviation in reconciliation results in repudiation of our reality.
This retraction from rational thinking is precisely the environment in which the Soviet Union bread for the Meltdown at Chernobyl to occur.
This recent mini-series may not be real. The people are portrayed by actors, the music composed, the footage shot & edited in post. Yes. I accept this. But I also acknowledge that the devastating power lies within its' dedication to the depiction of reality, thanks to those whose adherence to information with no latent motives, were met with capital punishment or life-long slander.
Thanks to these veritable individuals, & their sacrifices, we have a Europe still hear today. But unless we follow their examples, the world may not be here tomorrow. The truth may frighten you. You will find less enjoyment in fighting the ideology that brought you here. You will have to admit that your lives were a lie to benefit those you aspire to be. And you will have to find motives other than greed & distraction which this now obsolete system has demanded of you for what seems an eternity.
There is no "shut-down" button. We don't even have a control room.
But if we have a race of people who are less concerned about nationality & more inspired by preserving life, the truth shall prevail, & we shall have a chance.
Millions of people are under the same rule as that of the Soviet Union. You are under their thumb to carry out tasks which benefits nothing & no one. Every part of your life is premeditated by the state, & any deviation is met with obstacles, punishment, social admonishment, & you are presumed radically impugned.
The damage to the environment at Chernobyl was both immediate & on-going. The deaths convinced the world of the truth despite all the lies. Can we not learn from this? Do we have to wait for a million more deaths for the lies of our society to be defied? Or do we listen to our scientists who have been warning us of climate change, plastics pollution, the extinction of species & so much more.
Every day I see people all over the world reduced to mere puppets & simpletons. They are stunted, & denied education so long as they can carry out the same demeanial tasks every day. They are discouraged to think & discover methodology & facts. And are instead allowed to believe in practically anything they arrive at. Belief truly is the demise of reason.
A side effect of societal suffocation is denial. Worse than that; so few people even care about our fate & if there is a way to stop the fuse which has been lit. Perhaps there is no "AZ-5" button for us at all. My family & friends are quite contempt with letting their heads be filled with insidiously picayune soap operas or balefully shallow reality shows; most of which are mere 'prisons for the mind'. They porn off the responsibility to consider ANY concept outside of the box onto state officials, politicians, & congressmen, when deep down we all know that this deviation in reconciliation results in repudiation of our reality.
This retraction from rational thinking is precisely the environment in which the Soviet Union bread for the Meltdown at Chernobyl to occur.
This recent mini-series may not be real. The people are portrayed by actors, the music composed, the footage shot & edited in post. Yes. I accept this. But I also acknowledge that the devastating power lies within its' dedication to the depiction of reality, thanks to those whose adherence to information with no latent motives, were met with capital punishment or life-long slander.
Thanks to these veritable individuals, & their sacrifices, we have a Europe still hear today. But unless we follow their examples, the world may not be here tomorrow. The truth may frighten you. You will find less enjoyment in fighting the ideology that brought you here. You will have to admit that your lives were a lie to benefit those you aspire to be. And you will have to find motives other than greed & distraction which this now obsolete system has demanded of you for what seems an eternity.
There is no "shut-down" button. We don't even have a control room.
But if we have a race of people who are less concerned about nationality & more inspired by preserving life, the truth shall prevail, & we shall have a chance.
The Cove
(2009)
Flipping Heart Rending
16 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
If you are self aware of your surroundings, how the environment effects you, & how change can come about through research, you will appreciate the relentless verisimilitude of this film.
If you have even a vestige of affinity for our beloved animals, you may want to prepare yourself. Because this isn't the Avengers. What you see, is happening in our world. On our planet. By humans. You. And even though it lays it on you; you feel it from the perspective of the Dolphins.
This isn't a shock movie! So don't avoid it for the few seconds on screen it is famed for. Instead, you need to see the truth about the decline in the ocean's population & the obsession the Japanese maintain for unnecessarily slaughtering near extinct species.
I would cut out meat of my diet today if I knew it would help the planet. But I certainly wouldn't let my children be force-fed free Dolphin meat with dangerously high levels of Mercury in, at school without a single eyebrow raised.
Yes, the western civilization are just as guilty - slaughtering & torturing cattle, chickens, pigs, etc. (Food.Inc, Conspiracy, Monsanto etc) But these aren't endangered species.
If we are to survive, we need radical change. SO radical, that most people can't comprehend it because it is so far out of their habits of thinking. This film plays a pivotal role in this realization.
Yes - it is not an easy watch. But what kind of person do you want to be? Ignorant or informed? Traditional or Progressive? Parochial or caring? Economic or Scientific?
It begs these questions. And a man's mind cannot return to it's original size once stretched by an idea.
If you have even a vestige of affinity for our beloved animals, you may want to prepare yourself. Because this isn't the Avengers. What you see, is happening in our world. On our planet. By humans. You. And even though it lays it on you; you feel it from the perspective of the Dolphins.
This isn't a shock movie! So don't avoid it for the few seconds on screen it is famed for. Instead, you need to see the truth about the decline in the ocean's population & the obsession the Japanese maintain for unnecessarily slaughtering near extinct species.
I would cut out meat of my diet today if I knew it would help the planet. But I certainly wouldn't let my children be force-fed free Dolphin meat with dangerously high levels of Mercury in, at school without a single eyebrow raised.
Yes, the western civilization are just as guilty - slaughtering & torturing cattle, chickens, pigs, etc. (Food.Inc, Conspiracy, Monsanto etc) But these aren't endangered species.
If we are to survive, we need radical change. SO radical, that most people can't comprehend it because it is so far out of their habits of thinking. This film plays a pivotal role in this realization.
Yes - it is not an easy watch. But what kind of person do you want to be? Ignorant or informed? Traditional or Progressive? Parochial or caring? Economic or Scientific?
It begs these questions. And a man's mind cannot return to it's original size once stretched by an idea.
The Greatest Showman
(2017)
DEAD on Arrival
4 February 2019
This film is yet another "Here today, burned tomorrow" flick. The acting is ham, the dialogue is austere, the Auto-Tuned singing impressions of Beyoncé are irritating & the characters, settings, & story are all so contrived.
The music itself is so generic, predictable, basic & regurgitated. A good musical has a song to fit every mood. Loss, Sorrow, Wonder, Yearning, Love, Betrayal, Introspection, Rebellion, Triumphant, etc. But every number has to start slow & end in a big cluttered Bill Board Crescendo of "Happy Happy Jo Joy". The way everyone relies on portamento.. gliding from note to note in order to avoid landing on correct notes is distracting & run of the mill.
Their structures are conventional, as are the 4 chords they tend to use over & over.. just like pop music. All in simple time.
The shaky cam, frenetic editing, & acrobatic cinematography deliberately divests us of witnessing any choreography. The CGI backdrops & other random assets shows where they glued the scenes together in their spare time on Sunday afternoons. And as for the sound? Everyone sings mute; obviously, as the pitch-corrected & over-compressed Mic-crisp breaths never sound real. But what is real in this god awful film?
Maybe everything & everyone are just CGI props, polygons, with platitudes of one over-privileged prig in the film itself? And it created itself? After all, it is hard to believe that any human could create such a dire monstrosity. Unless it's a Hollywood feature of course.
Utterly forgettable. Only the mindless shall think it is good.
The music itself is so generic, predictable, basic & regurgitated. A good musical has a song to fit every mood. Loss, Sorrow, Wonder, Yearning, Love, Betrayal, Introspection, Rebellion, Triumphant, etc. But every number has to start slow & end in a big cluttered Bill Board Crescendo of "Happy Happy Jo Joy". The way everyone relies on portamento.. gliding from note to note in order to avoid landing on correct notes is distracting & run of the mill.
Their structures are conventional, as are the 4 chords they tend to use over & over.. just like pop music. All in simple time.
The shaky cam, frenetic editing, & acrobatic cinematography deliberately divests us of witnessing any choreography. The CGI backdrops & other random assets shows where they glued the scenes together in their spare time on Sunday afternoons. And as for the sound? Everyone sings mute; obviously, as the pitch-corrected & over-compressed Mic-crisp breaths never sound real. But what is real in this god awful film?
Maybe everything & everyone are just CGI props, polygons, with platitudes of one over-privileged prig in the film itself? And it created itself? After all, it is hard to believe that any human could create such a dire monstrosity. Unless it's a Hollywood feature of course.
Utterly forgettable. Only the mindless shall think it is good.
The Magnificent Seven
(2016)
Tumble weed
8 November 2018
Yet another remake has come & gone; unlike the original. This is a classic example of how they just don't know how to make films any more. Heck! They don't even know how to write new material, hence why they just keep purloining better works! But this is a real stinker! Yes, it is politically correct. And in typical millennial fashion, everything is shot the same as Netflix TV shows.
With generic nondescript stock music; bereft of melody, motif & inimitable orchestra hierarchy; where low subs & sampled feral percussion pound away like The Dark Knight. And the strobe editing compensates for a complete lack of understanding what makes a scene feel real, tense, & historically imaginative.
Life was slow back then. But the director thought that constantly strafing dolly shots looked more "cool" & contempo. You had gun fights where there were long pauses in shoot-outs where people had to reload. But the director thought it best to have all the shots evenly spaced (1 every half a second) so it sounds more "cool" & action-packed in the cinema. There was less dialog, more stares & long pauses, but the director thought that long preachy self-righteous eulogies with that droning sub-score was more modern. There was little in the way of hygiene back yonder before warm running water became of age. But instead of ugly, haggard, toothless, sebaceous men with red necks & dirt; we have all perfectly trimmed, immaculate, close shaven, white teeth 'models' - & a fat man.
The fact that today's action is a trite bore-fest with interlaced CGI- premeditation reveals that this media has grown dull & predictable. And somewhat worthless, beyond a family smashing their barely conscious capitalist brains out for the evening.
Stanley Kubrick once opined that he cared less for what happened, in favour of how it happened.
The original still feels timeless, accurate, real, & powerful. Like many westerns back then; They demonstrated how to master one's techniques & therefore be liberated from them. You hardly notice any of the director tropes & daft shaky camera work because there IS none. It is shot with the intention of having no intention. "The Art of fighting, without fighting" as Bruce Lee said.
If the film makers can't understand this, they are wasting everybody's time. Because I can assure you.. we don't have much time left to waste.
With generic nondescript stock music; bereft of melody, motif & inimitable orchestra hierarchy; where low subs & sampled feral percussion pound away like The Dark Knight. And the strobe editing compensates for a complete lack of understanding what makes a scene feel real, tense, & historically imaginative.
Life was slow back then. But the director thought that constantly strafing dolly shots looked more "cool" & contempo. You had gun fights where there were long pauses in shoot-outs where people had to reload. But the director thought it best to have all the shots evenly spaced (1 every half a second) so it sounds more "cool" & action-packed in the cinema. There was less dialog, more stares & long pauses, but the director thought that long preachy self-righteous eulogies with that droning sub-score was more modern. There was little in the way of hygiene back yonder before warm running water became of age. But instead of ugly, haggard, toothless, sebaceous men with red necks & dirt; we have all perfectly trimmed, immaculate, close shaven, white teeth 'models' - & a fat man.
The fact that today's action is a trite bore-fest with interlaced CGI- premeditation reveals that this media has grown dull & predictable. And somewhat worthless, beyond a family smashing their barely conscious capitalist brains out for the evening.
Stanley Kubrick once opined that he cared less for what happened, in favour of how it happened.
The original still feels timeless, accurate, real, & powerful. Like many westerns back then; They demonstrated how to master one's techniques & therefore be liberated from them. You hardly notice any of the director tropes & daft shaky camera work because there IS none. It is shot with the intention of having no intention. "The Art of fighting, without fighting" as Bruce Lee said.
If the film makers can't understand this, they are wasting everybody's time. Because I can assure you.. we don't have much time left to waste.
The Others
(2001)
Soul Destroying
17 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Seldom does a film this esoteric happen. And I think that this shall not appeal to everyone. But that is the point of making a difference. The horror genre has become very frivolous in later years. And I doubt enough people can appreciate the sophisticated subtlety & introspective nature of a film which aims to create a mood, a spyglass into the past, & with devastatingly convincing performances from the 4 main characters. So it is no surprise to me that this gets underappreciated.
The film has me in tears every time I watch it about every 7 years. And as I get older, & regret my life choices, I can't help but let it scar me a little deeper each time. I suppose it feels very real to my own situation; lonely, heart broken, unable to move on, & destitute. It carefully switches from the suspense of being haunted, to the heart rending return of a lost loved war veteran; a father & husband. The music is exasperating in its' effectiveness. And you feel very trapped in this River Styx with them.
This is not an easy watch. Not in terms of gore, horror, or violence. But because you can't help but pity each & every character. Especially the children, who spend much of the time on screen distressed. And are ultimately subjected to the worst scenario you can think of, through no fault of their own.
There's a part where the husband breaks down in to tears as he realizes that he may have triggered the series of events by failing to profess all love for his family by going to fight in the war. It's a harsh scene that is doubly felt the second time round.
If I ever watch this film again, I shall be 44 years old. I doubt I'll reach that age! But if I do, this film might be the end of me ha ha!
Thankfully I don't believe in ghosts, gods, & gravestones. But I do believe in the imagination. And where that is concerned, all involved with this film did a fine job.
The film has me in tears every time I watch it about every 7 years. And as I get older, & regret my life choices, I can't help but let it scar me a little deeper each time. I suppose it feels very real to my own situation; lonely, heart broken, unable to move on, & destitute. It carefully switches from the suspense of being haunted, to the heart rending return of a lost loved war veteran; a father & husband. The music is exasperating in its' effectiveness. And you feel very trapped in this River Styx with them.
This is not an easy watch. Not in terms of gore, horror, or violence. But because you can't help but pity each & every character. Especially the children, who spend much of the time on screen distressed. And are ultimately subjected to the worst scenario you can think of, through no fault of their own.
There's a part where the husband breaks down in to tears as he realizes that he may have triggered the series of events by failing to profess all love for his family by going to fight in the war. It's a harsh scene that is doubly felt the second time round.
If I ever watch this film again, I shall be 44 years old. I doubt I'll reach that age! But if I do, this film might be the end of me ha ha!
Thankfully I don't believe in ghosts, gods, & gravestones. But I do believe in the imagination. And where that is concerned, all involved with this film did a fine job.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
(2017)
Spider-Boy!
20 September 2018
After the more adult cliff hanger of the last film, one would expect Spider-man to follow a more mature & intelligent return than this spin-off slop!
What is this? Spider-Kid?
All the action is virtually impossible to follow as per the trite "shaky cam" technique & the score is forgettable. Characters exclaim at one another as the script kills brain cells.
But seriously! This toddler looks so silly in the custom I'm surprised his sleeves down drape over his hands!
All the action is virtually impossible to follow as per the trite "shaky cam" technique & the score is forgettable. Characters exclaim at one another as the script kills brain cells.
But seriously! This toddler looks so silly in the custom I'm surprised his sleeves down drape over his hands!
Everything just.. Falls into place
13 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
********SPOILERS AHEAD**********
Up until now, the realism in this series has been adequate if a little too dramatic. But this episode was more like watching pantomime. You have Frances, saying his goodbyes in an obviously premeditated manner; giving everyone either a pet talk or manning up to the opposition. And then you have the old woman act as a mystic shaman of cliffhanger premonitions. But the ending is the worst piece of contrived nonsense I have ever seen in a period piece!! Frances, who by this stage was the least dull character, drowns in a coincidentally placed sinkhole in a mine all on his own for hours. No one thinks to send groups or pairs in to the mine as they have been doing up til now, no one can hear his screams even though sound travels extraordinary distances in tunnels due to reflection, & we are to believe that this man gave up after half a day in a puddle of warm water. The writer seemed to forget that one need not learn how to swim in order to get out of a spring!
There is a daft lack of commitment at display in this narrative & the way it was handled. The dynamic between these men was fascinating to witness, but now I fear all we have to look forward to is more misery & soap like drama from the same tired carnal rivalry between the women, to win the heart of doomed Ross. Yawn. How typical of the BBC & of a female writer.
Up until now, the realism in this series has been adequate if a little too dramatic. But this episode was more like watching pantomime. You have Frances, saying his goodbyes in an obviously premeditated manner; giving everyone either a pet talk or manning up to the opposition. And then you have the old woman act as a mystic shaman of cliffhanger premonitions. But the ending is the worst piece of contrived nonsense I have ever seen in a period piece!! Frances, who by this stage was the least dull character, drowns in a coincidentally placed sinkhole in a mine all on his own for hours. No one thinks to send groups or pairs in to the mine as they have been doing up til now, no one can hear his screams even though sound travels extraordinary distances in tunnels due to reflection, & we are to believe that this man gave up after half a day in a puddle of warm water. The writer seemed to forget that one need not learn how to swim in order to get out of a spring!
There is a daft lack of commitment at display in this narrative & the way it was handled. The dynamic between these men was fascinating to witness, but now I fear all we have to look forward to is more misery & soap like drama from the same tired carnal rivalry between the women, to win the heart of doomed Ross. Yawn. How typical of the BBC & of a female writer.
Big
(1988)
Big Heart
11 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Every now & then, there comes a film that breaks the mould. And this film does this on so many levels. It's very clever writing, but even better performances by the main cast of about 3 people.
It's a film that emphasises the sadness found in happy moments. The 13 year old boy finds enjoyment becoming adult, & the girl can't help but enjoy acting childish. Both swap places by the final act of the film, & that's what makes it so dynamic.
I love the candour on display here. They straight out depict the working life as a stressful one which leaves no time for enjoyment. This makes the girl feel like she has very little time left for finding true love. And that in itself is also stressing her out, until she realises that love isn't the only root to enjoyment. And as they both learn to adapt to each other, they fall in love. It's very sweet, & it is handled very sincerely.
It is directed in that inimitable seamless way of the late 80's, where long takes, static lock off shots, & eye-level angles make you forget the camera is even in the room. And the music is used sparingly, but effectively.
It's a film I keep coming back to every 5 years. It reminds me not to take age for granted, & it also reminds me how lucky I was to be in love once.
It's also very funny! Go see it.
It's a film that emphasises the sadness found in happy moments. The 13 year old boy finds enjoyment becoming adult, & the girl can't help but enjoy acting childish. Both swap places by the final act of the film, & that's what makes it so dynamic.
I love the candour on display here. They straight out depict the working life as a stressful one which leaves no time for enjoyment. This makes the girl feel like she has very little time left for finding true love. And that in itself is also stressing her out, until she realises that love isn't the only root to enjoyment. And as they both learn to adapt to each other, they fall in love. It's very sweet, & it is handled very sincerely.
It is directed in that inimitable seamless way of the late 80's, where long takes, static lock off shots, & eye-level angles make you forget the camera is even in the room. And the music is used sparingly, but effectively.
It's a film I keep coming back to every 5 years. It reminds me not to take age for granted, & it also reminds me how lucky I was to be in love once.
It's also very funny! Go see it.
Another Bad Trip movie
4 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The first 5 minutes of this film is pure genius. I must give credit where it is due. You realise very early on that the setting, the costumes, the wide angle lens capturing the dessert, & the uncanny dialogue compressed with tape distortion & 60's EQ is all so contrasted that it sails to hilarity. And that is drugs in a coconut shell.. it's funny.
This film isn't. In all my years of watching film & TV, I have never yet seen Drugs portrayed honestly. I don't know what the deal is, but everyone has a really mediocre & cliché opinion of drugs affects on the mind.
In reality, you don't have people being chased home by a party of mars bars. Instead, you feel relevant to your surroundings. So much so that it is easy to become paranoid, yes. But it never takes over as long as you have trust & communication. It is similar to experiencing the format of your childhood without the nostalgia. Everything feels new once more. It is both enlightening & cleansing. Almost spiritual, as felicity ramifies freely. And all the bullshit of the world's economic greed are left to destroy themselves with risk & hope.
Where as in movies.. people just act like total raving loonies. Stumbling all over the place, & embarrassing everyone around them awkwardly until the director demands the wavering plot to return to drama & jokes based upon what people have already seen & accepted.
Instead of the careful pace & dosage made by men & women who's metacognition is in perfect check, so that they may better themselves by exploring the countryside, whilst familiarising themselves with how time can slow down to a steady tick, in order to take note of every beautiful detail in a heightened punctilious manner... Instead, you have near invincible sebaceous men deploring decorum & forswearing moral alacrity as though their inner sanctum is filled with ever spurning antipathy. And the reckless craving to disturb everyone around them.
Well, this film is one of those films where the noises in your own head become louder than the dialogue in the film. "Drugs are BAD. Yes. We get it". I fail to see how yet another typical film with this dull & tired message has anything fresh to contribute?
How about a film that says "Drugs are good"? Now wouldn't that be a controversy?
Avoid this film. Unless you think drugs are cool. In which case you are stupid enough to laugh at the same tired joke over & over anyway.
This film isn't. In all my years of watching film & TV, I have never yet seen Drugs portrayed honestly. I don't know what the deal is, but everyone has a really mediocre & cliché opinion of drugs affects on the mind.
In reality, you don't have people being chased home by a party of mars bars. Instead, you feel relevant to your surroundings. So much so that it is easy to become paranoid, yes. But it never takes over as long as you have trust & communication. It is similar to experiencing the format of your childhood without the nostalgia. Everything feels new once more. It is both enlightening & cleansing. Almost spiritual, as felicity ramifies freely. And all the bullshit of the world's economic greed are left to destroy themselves with risk & hope.
Where as in movies.. people just act like total raving loonies. Stumbling all over the place, & embarrassing everyone around them awkwardly until the director demands the wavering plot to return to drama & jokes based upon what people have already seen & accepted.
Instead of the careful pace & dosage made by men & women who's metacognition is in perfect check, so that they may better themselves by exploring the countryside, whilst familiarising themselves with how time can slow down to a steady tick, in order to take note of every beautiful detail in a heightened punctilious manner... Instead, you have near invincible sebaceous men deploring decorum & forswearing moral alacrity as though their inner sanctum is filled with ever spurning antipathy. And the reckless craving to disturb everyone around them.
Well, this film is one of those films where the noises in your own head become louder than the dialogue in the film. "Drugs are BAD. Yes. We get it". I fail to see how yet another typical film with this dull & tired message has anything fresh to contribute?
How about a film that says "Drugs are good"? Now wouldn't that be a controversy?
Avoid this film. Unless you think drugs are cool. In which case you are stupid enough to laugh at the same tired joke over & over anyway.
Your Name.
(2016)
1 love 2 hearts
23 November 2017
As I delve into Anime at the tender age of 35(!) I notice a certain degree of passion driving these films. This is no exception. And yes! This film makes to believe that love can save the world! It's a bit cheesy at times but I take it as it is because of the Japanese humour! I must add though that I have never willed 2 characters to fall in love so bad! The film is endearing but also very intelligent. I recommend it. Though it is a slow burner, so give it your time & attention & it won't fail to move you.
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