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The Circle (2017)
An odd mix
I'm not entirely sure what to make of The Circle. On the one hand (and for most of the film) it appears to be a warning against the increasing power of social media. So far, so good. At the end of the film the heroine, who seems to be trying to resist...hands over even more complete power, albeit to the platform, not to the people who are running it. Still, in the closing moments, she seems to think that all pervasive social media is a wonderful thing. I'm not one who needs a film to lay everything out for me, but this would be like having been told for 9 hours (12 in the deluxe editions) that Sauron's One Ring must be destroyed, then in the closing moments being told that no, we can learn how to use it safely.
P.O.E.: Project of Evil (2012)
So so
An Italian cast and crew try o update Poe for a modern age.
Sure, why not. First off, it may be that I'm not the audience for this. Like Lovecraft, I find Poe to be long on mood but short on compelling story. The mere fact that these folks are paying homage to Poe is not something that will, in and of itself, impress me.
The stories are uneven, as one would expect for any anthology. I was on the whole unimpressed, but if you love Poe, or Italian cinema, give it a shot.
Magellan (2017)
Wasted Opportunity
It's very clear to me that someone wanted to do 2001, except with human characters. I applaud the sentiment, but 2010 did it better. Of course, 2010 had budget, actors and all the things that come along with those, and made good use of them. I wish I could say better things about Magellan, but truthfully it's a pretty weak imitation.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Really, there are better things to do with your time
Like some of the other reviewers I really wanted to like this. I don't find The Next Generation to be great, certainly not Original Series great, but I find it tolerably OK and I watch it when there's nothing else on to attract my attention.
This show is a train wreck. The characters are for the most part, flat and dull, and worse they make no sense. Musiker, for instance, hates Picard when we first see her. She threatens to kill him. Suddenly, everything is OK and she's willing to Trek along with him. Jurati goes crazy, kills a man, then all is forgiven.
The only character who is truly endearing is Riker's and Troi's daughter. The actress is charming and natural, and her scenes with Soji are the high point of the show, although that's a sadly low target to set.
The story, such as it is, is similarly pointless. Picard et al rush to some location to get a clue to solving their mystery, which sets them toward rushing to another location to get another chunk. We're given information that's supposed to make us care about them, but it rings hollow. Musiker, again, is supposed to hate Picard, holding him responsible for the end of her Star Fleet career. She doesn't seem particularly committed to here ideals, however.
Then there are the tons of characters who have no real point at all in the story, although they suck up a lot of screen time. Of them all, 7 of 9 is probably the worst. She's another tortured person (there are a ton of them), but the reasons why are vague, and it's OK because, like all the rest, she's happy at the end. There are a pair of Romulans who appear to be Picard's servants, but who also appear to be trained operatives, who...just disappear. Then there are a ton of ex-Borg including our old friend Hugh, who...just disappear, although at least he dies, so we understand his disappearance.
And what does all this lead to? A conclusion which I believe is supposed to make us feel good. It's composed of two primary elements. In the first, Soji is ready to give up on all corporeal life in the Milky Way galaxy. She requires very little convincing to support this course of action. She's just ready to kill us all. And then, she's not. Changed her mind. Why? It's a girl's prerogative.
In the second element, Picard dies. After a brief dialog between his "spirit" and Data's "spirit," he's back. Those responsible go to great lengths to explain that, while he's been resurrected in an android body, he's just like he was before. He has his own soul, his body will wear out, he will die, etc. In other words, he's died, and nothing has changed.
Granted, Star Trek has been on a long downhill slope for decades, but this is the bottom of the barrel.
Ink (2009)
A truly beautiful film, in many ways
The could easily have devolved into a more simplistic action film with philosophic overtones which are never explored. Instead, it faces that philosophy head-on. I don't think it always succeeds, but it succeeds far more often than it fails, and I give it kudos for trying even when it does fail.
The biggest failure is that I found the plot to be relatively predictable. This is a case, though, where the journey is more important than the destination. The story is touching, if somewhat predictable. Again, it's the exploration that is at issue.
As a photographer, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the visual strengths. Whoever is responsible has created beautiful and believable dream and nightmare imagery. It's not only convincing, but it serves the plot well.
Highly recommended.
So Dark (2016)
Enjoyable
Depending on how one defines horror, I'm always on the lookout for new, quality horror. I was especially drawn to this show when I realized that it makes fun of some of the more recent, silly horror concepts, so I dove in.
First off, I didn't realize when I started watching that there are only two episodes. How and why two episodes constitutes a "season" I can't say; I don't know the story behind this. My rating is based on my combined rating for each individual episode.
I found the episodes to be uneven. The first was highly original, although that being said, it's a type of idea that can only be used well once per series. Elements of the first ep play like a romantic comedy, other elements like a thriller. It all comes together in a very creative way.
The second episode has a jarring tonal shift, to something more like a piece of Hannibal Lechter lore. Still enjoyable, but not in that same way as the first ep, and with more than a dash of fan service thrown in.
If they make more, I'll at least try them out.
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (2016)
A Driven Life
Like all similar great works, this is the story of a man driven to accomplish a goal, and the setbacks he faces. This example is also a window on important film history, including the history of the great Cecil B. Demille.
Jolene (2008)
What a charming film
I watch a lot of movies, and I review some of them here. Most of the time, my reviews are on the order of "I really tried to like this." This is a genuine, sincere movie that I really liked.
It has its faults. As other s here have said, it's very episodic, almost like watching several installments of a TV show about the life of Jolene. That said, each of those episodes is a little gem, an exploration of the life of the main character.
Jolene sees serious sadness, and a little happiness. She doesn't appear to learn much from her experiences, and this made me pine for her to learn. Is that realistic? Yes, I know people like Jolene. There's something of a feeling that she might be mentally challenged, which makes her life even more tragic. She finds a way to see, and live, through the sorrow. It's not a happy ending, but an ending with hope. Can we really expect much more?
Monday at 11:01 A.M. (2016)
There's some to like, a lot to dislike
First, the good: there are many similarities to The Shining. Call that a rip-off or an homage, but i'm going with the latter because it helps me feel more charitable. The mood is somewhat the same, and it takes place largely in a hotel, in which what may be spirits seem to help guide the lead into insanity. Or not.
Many people have commented on the lead. There may be parts that he was right for, but this isn't one of them. Part of the problem is that he was also the writer, which takes away one major voice who might have said to him "Have you thought about doing it another way?" Even then, the director should have been on top of him...but the lead was also the producer, and the director may have felt he couldn't question him.
The end is rushed and not particularly compelling or frightening.
Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness (2018)
Curious, not really good
Yesterday I watched this odd little film. I'm still not sure how to react to it. On it's most basic level it's an animated horror film (or at least horror influenced). i'd say that it's aimed at tweens, as it's too scary for little ones but pretty boring for adults.
First, the style. It seems to have grown out of Edward Scissorhands, visually. All the characters are pale, with dark eye sockets, dark hair, etc. They all have perpetually pained expressions. Sure, why not? It does fit the mood of the original (divorced) source material, if not the tween audience.
It's that divorced-from-the-source-material element that's the oddest thing about this film (and apparently its two in universe films that I haven't watched). For example (mild spoiler) young Howard Lovecraft, presented as something of a horror-involved Indiana Jones, has Cthulhu as a pet. He calls him Spot.
Things like that are why I saw it's a horror-influenced tween film. Anybody who understands what Lovecraft was writing about is terrified at the mere thought of Cthulhu. In the books, the people who actually see him go crazy. Here, he's a boy's best friend.
I can't say that it's flat out bad, but I can say that the dialog and character actions are near the lower end of the quality scale. Characters say what they need to say in order for the writer to advance the very simplistic plot. They typically don't seem to be having a conversation, i.e., responding to one another, as much as they're spouting independent exposition.
I've got no desire to seek out the other two films. One was enough.
Dave Made a Maze (2017)
Tried hard to like it, but it beat me
The problem is there's nothing here, just empty calories. I know it's a comedy, and I gave it slack because of that, but ultimately it's a bunch of goofy characters not reacting to the weirdest things. Good to have on in the background to keep you company.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Really, there are better things to do with your time
Like some of the other reviewers I really wanted to like this. I don't find The Next Generation to be great, certainly not Original Series great, but I find it tolerably OK and I watch it when there's nothing else on to attract my attention.
This show is a train wreck. The characters are for the most part, flat and dull, and worse they make no sense. Musiker, for instance, hates Picard when we first see her. She threatens to kill him. Suddenly, everything is OK and she's willing to Trek along with him. Jurati goes crazy, kills a man, then all is forgiven.
The only character who is truly endearing is Riker's and Troi's daughter. The actress is charming and natural, and her scenes with Soji are the high point of the show, although that's a sadly low target to set.
The story, such as it is, is similarly pointless. Picard et al rush to some location to get a clue to solving their mystery, which sets them toward rushing to another location to get another chunk. We're given information that's supposed to make us care about them, but it rings hollow. Musiker, again, is supposed to hate Picard, holding him responsible for the end of her Star Fleet career. She doesn't seem particularly committed to here ideals, however.
Then there are the tons of characters who have no real point at all in the story, although they suck up a lot of screen time. Of them all, 7 of 9 is probably the worst. She's another tortured person (there are a ton of them), but the reasons why are vague, and it's OK because, like all the rest, she's happy at the end. There are a pair of Romulans who appear to be Picard's servants, but who also appear to be trained operatives, who...just disappear. Then there are a ton of ex-Borg including our old friend Hugh, who...just disappear, although at least he dies, so we understand his disappearance.
And what does all this lead to? A conclusion which I believe is supposed to make us feel good. It's composed of two primary elements. In the first, Soji is ready to give up on all corporeal life in the Milky Way galaxy. She requires very little convincing to support this course of action. She's just ready to kill us all. And then, she's not. Changed her mind. Why? It's a girl's prerogative.
In the second element, Picard dies. After a brief dialog between his "spirit" and Data's "spirit," he's back. Those responsible go to great lengths to explain that, while he's been resurrected in an android body, he's just like he was before. He has his own soul, his body will wear out, he will die, etc. In other words, he's died, and nothing has changed.
Granted, Star Trek has been on a long downhill slope for decades, but this is the bottom of the barrel.
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Very sad
My wife and I are dyed in the wool Trek fans from way back. My daughter can't stand it, but I had convinced her to check this one out with us. Suffice to say, I was apologizing to her for months afterward.
- Awful writing
- Awful directing
- Idris Elba wasted (although, frankly, I've never seen him in a role that I thought he performed well in)
- worst of all, I had to go to Memory Alpha to determine what the story actually was.
Sapphire & Steel (1979)
Pointless
My guess is that there are a bunch of SFO fans, Brit TV fans, and fans of Brit sf who will love this. I'm a fan of excellent storytelling and engaging characters, and I found it pointless.
Each season is composed of several episodes telling one story. The characters never learn, grow, or change. The threats are largely inconsequential. Like a lot of low brow sf, it's mostly solving "scientific" mysteries, where all the characters are props providing exposition to move what little story there is forward...with a sledgehammer.
If there is joy to be found, it's in Lumley's and McCallum's performances. That only goes so far, however.