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Reviews
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2014)
As with the first film (Hammer, not BBC) the star was the set designs.
I have not scanned all the reviews, but in the case that that none have praised the splendid set designs, I wish to do so here. It is evident that much thought went into the sets and the props for this movie, just like in the first; and I was completely convinced that I was seeing Eel Marsh house and Crythin Gifford forty years after Arthur Kipps. The dismal and melancholy atmosphere was much less in the sequel, but perhaps this was because of the size of the cast. If Hammer would undertake to produce remakes of the excellent BBC M.R. James stories, I would welcome such enthusiastically. And if Susan Hill were to pick up her pen again and weave another story involving remote and lonely British locales, ruined or dilapidated houses, and nineteenth century tragedies haunting the present day, I would be transported!
Man of Steel (2013)
Wait for NetFlix or RedBox
First Hour: Souped up rehash of the Reeves & Brando film, not helped by anemic performances by Crowe, Fishburn, Lane, Costner, et al. They could have hired union unknowns and saved millions with no appreciable difference. Remainder: One extended CGI action scene, which I guess was visually stunning, but perhaps I am too jaded by now to really care. Basically a comic book (go figure!) that my grandkids dragged me to see. Save your $7.50 digital, $13.50 3-D, or $17.50 IMax. and wait for the DVD. The fact that Superman no longer wears his underwear on the outside was a distinct bummer for me! We have pumped the comic book well dry at this point.
The Woman in Black (2012)
Splendid sets
Without belaboring the points already made, I must claim that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Whatever else might be said about the artistry of the movie, one cannot deny that the sets were exquisite. From the dead leaves on the porch to the layers of dust and grime on everything at Eel Marsh house, I fully felt the sense of dilapidation and abandoned isolation which I believe Susan Hill sought to evoke. Far too many haunted houses in films appear to have been "ServiceMastered" the week before. The locations were also superb, the hamlet of Crythin-Gifford did not clash with the mental images I had formed when reading the book