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A Very British Scandal (2021)
Dislikable characters
Quite dull and characters dislikable. Foy reminds me of her part in the Crown as the Queen. Watched two episodes and hoping the third is an improvement but not the BBC's best .
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
A decent watch if you suspend credibility
A strong cast and great cinematography with a strong start . The comic book violence is entertaining as is the most stupid bigoted nasty policeman in American history . Plot fails and no takeaway render it a good but forgettable film
Zodiac (2007)
2 hours 37 minutes Of anti climax
Its a long long film and if your English the American dialect can be hard to interpret . Lots of information and events that presumably are factually correct of this serial killer . The Director was unable to add drama to the film resulting in an end that to many would be unsatisfying. Its a slog of a movie; great for serial killer researchers but far too long and at the end its a wtf? Film . Give it a miss unless you have too much time on your hands or your studying American criminology.
Official Secrets (2019)
Very entertaining and informative
The first 15 minutes take some concentration as theres a lot of political info to take in and then the film moves on pretty quickly . I'd recommend if you watch the film NOT to check up on wiki as to how the court case concludes. Dont look at spoilers either . The story is so poignant as up to one million Iraqis have been killed during the Iraq war . I'd love to have sat through the film with Tony Blair!
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Great film that still remains relevant
Despite being in black and white and made in 1964 this remains a great film.
The cinematography is excellent especially of the bombers in mid air and the opening shot of refuelling is quire mesmerising.
It's classed as a comedy and there are scenes which are fairly funny though it's really a story of how things can go wrong with human "error" and lead to a nuclear bombing of Russia.
The main scenes are relatively few :-
The air base where a unhinged official plans to beat the safeguards and send a bomber on a mission to drop its nuclear bomb
The inside of the bomber with the crew receiving the shock command to drop the bomb
The presidents operational centre with the top level officials contacting the Russian leader ( Dimitry)
Peter Sellers plays three parts - An English soldier at the air base , the US president and Dr Strangelove - the obligatory mad scientist. Sellers is excellent in two roles but I thought the comedy of his wheelchaired Dr Strangelove was not particularly funny and fell somewhat flat ( otherwise I would have given it 9.0 )
It's a film that is entertaining and quite addictive to watch the build up of events - just the last 15 minutes with Sellers antics let's it down a little.
Well worth watching
The Stranger (2020)
Entertaining but no credibility
Fast paced and entertaining . Good shots and set round Stockport and Manchester . After 8 episodes if you sat down and wrote a summary of the action ,plots and sub plots you would conclude its ridiculously far fetched . The ending in particular was contrived and unsatisfying.
The characters were complex and many were unpleasant . One of the "children" the schoolboy seemed to be lifted from a camp comedy horror movie and for most of the episodes was annoying and didnt fit .
Its worth watching but in summary its entertaining rubbish of dubious quality . I hope they dont make a Season 2 .
Bodyguard (2018)
OK Thriller but not a classic
The terrorist on the train first 15 minutes was a good start but it seems that was just to illustrate the professionalism of the bodyguard who in a flash and it seems without vetting is promoted to bodyguard to the Home Secretary
Then slowly but surely the story gets somewhat duller and I was waiting for some dramatic end as a taster for episode 2 . But it just seems to stop as if it had run out of its hour coverage . I will probably watch episode 2 to see if it picks up but it's not gripping me . 7 stars out of 10 but I hope I can mark it higher after a few more episodes .
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
1st class film
Before i watched this film i had never seen any episode or series of Soulth Park, although when my friend showed me Bigger, longer and uncut. well. I was instantly addicted to it Soulth park Bigger, longer and uncut has got to be THE funniest film i have ever seen, EVER. I still don't think any film will yet top it in terms of humour.
Soulth Park BL&U has not that much to offer in terms of animation, yet from start to finish you are in hysterics, even when the credits had passed i was still on the floor in hysterics. Soulth Park BL&U is the most crude film i have ever seen, with its endless Bad language and crude jokes.
The characters revolve around a set of four children (Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman.) with loads of others.
Soulth Park is technically a musical, but some times music doesn't ocour till quite a long time. The story takes of with the four children sneaking in to the Terrance and Phillip movie, a film based generally around farting. Once the children pick up all the language they begin to speak all the obscenities in class and at home.
Well thats South park!
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
I bought the video
I bought the video for £13 at HMV (we pay more in Britain) as a friend had told me it was highly rated and the reviews on this site were generally impressive.
I have to say that the opening credits were a let down...the dancing/music not very powerful.
The car ride and unexpected crash just as the lady passenger was going to be harmed was a nice touch,..something unexpected...though the way she walked away from the car with hair perfectly groomed and still carrying a handbag looked corny for most Directors ..but for Lynch was something else.
Her dazed walking around after such a shock was enhanced by a regular low noise similar to fingers scraping along a blackboard; I thought another Lynch master touch perhaps portraying the demons gnawing into her shocked and traumatised self conscious. After a while this noise became somewhat annoying and on further investigation I discovered the new video cassette squeaked.
I dont know whether this squeak took away a lot of my enjoyment but this movie became a waste of time.(and money)
The two female characters had some presence and the lesbian scenes were fair enough, though predictable. There were no male characters of any merit and apart from a few vaguely good scenes (the hoover switching on )there were far too many dreadful scenes that were plain weak and ridiculous. Eg, the coffee being spat into the napkin by the menacing loon and the silly monster face at the back of the diner. Oh and what about the paint in the wifes jewels..boring and naff.
This whole film gives you the feel of the failed genius..you know when you listen to the worst Dylan track ever and think my God that was embarrassing....was that really Bob?
The whole feel is that of a failed TV movie , badly put together with a few (not many) extra bits to give it a 15 rating.
I whizzed it on during the last 30 minutes .
Do I give it another chance and watch again. If I want to be puzzled and work hard at understanding a film I will watch Frank Woods Guide to Consolidated Accounting.
Lynch did one classic ..Blue Velvet and Straight Story was nice.
This, like Wild at Heart, was a let down ; his weirdness is now predictable and stale. Anybody want to buy a 2nd hand video?
Make way for some younger original talent, David.
Four out of Ten (and no more). Sorry.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
A classic film
I saw Harry Potter film Saturday morning at 10.35 in Odeon Harrogate.
Ive read the books and went with 2 seven year olds (boy and girl) and my wife. Of the four of us only my wife hadn't read the book.
We all enjoyed the film very much including my wife who had doubts initially about sitting through a film nearly 2 1/2 hours long. The children sat and watched it without any moments where there attention strayed. It flies by.
I've never seen a film twice at the cinema but I intend to see this one again because there's so much to it.
The special effects are great and the film reminds me of a cross between Raiders of the Lost Ark and say an Enid Blyton Famous Five Film. However, its very English so it will be intersting to see what the Americans think. Its pure escapism with another World..Hogwarts School being created. In that sense there's no clash with the horrors of Sept 2001.
The costume design/ sets are brilliant ..eg Gringotts Wizard Bank and Diagon Alley Wizard shops (and the Gringotts goblins). The Move from London 2001 into Wizard London is magical as is the Kings Cross scenes.
All the actors are well cast, Richard Harris (who I've never been keen on plays a brilliant Albus Dumbledore)
The 3 main child actors are very good; they don't come over like some slightly obnoxious Annakin SkyWalker in Star Wars.
Harry Potter is fairly straight good guy ; so its a difficult part to play as like Superman he doesn't have much character. Ron Weasly is the character and he really looks the part with a distinctive rubbery face. Hermione Granger is bossy, very pretty and plays a strong part.
What you start to realise is how much has to be left out of a film which sticks very close,timewise,plotwise to the book. To portray the book in full would take a ten hour film so lots have to go eg Draco Malfoys first meeting with Harry on the train and rat scabbers attack and Hermiones logic challenge after Ron's Chess game beating up.
The stars (John Hurt , Cleese, Julie Walters etc etc ) all play great parts though one soon realises how cut down the characters have to be to get the main storyline in.
There are memorable scenes (and quite scary ones at that). (so not suitable I'd say for any under fives). The film will however appeal to adults as well as kids.
1) The Quidditch Match 2) The Wizard Chess Game 3) The Troll on the loose in Hogwarts 4) The encounter with Voldemort at the end. 5) Gringotts security systems.
I'm just giving a general flavour of a film which in my opinion is far superior to the last Star Wars and which is even better than Toy Story/Bugs Life.
My opinion is that this Harry Potter film will not just be a hyped wonder but will last a long long time in terms of popularity and staying power; it will thus do well on Video/DVD when the time comes but prior to that will enjoy a long run at the box office.
Cheers