Thursday 31 March 2016

Lights Out

So there's this short horror film.

Pretty neat. (Although I do remember seeing a shortish movie where something was in the darkness, with the darkness encroaching such that when you closed your eyelids...)

But now it seems there's a movie version of this coming out. By James Wan... so good?? It has potential.

[END]

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Tuesday 29 March 2016

Hiest

I had heard about this, but not really paid it that much attention. But, meh, it was something to watch.

A casino dealer with a child to look after decides to become a part of a group robbing the casino. But who cares about that, because the movie's barely got time for that when there's a far more interesting story about them latterly having to catch a bus. And so they need to deal with the cops chasing them while holding the people on the bus hostage. This is obviously the part everyone in the audience cares about... according to the writer, it seems... because we spend so much time on it. But, hey, because this is a heist movie, there is something else going on that the audience aren't allowed to know about until the big reveal at the end.

Ugh. This just failed to get my attention. Not to mention that the actual heist is such a small part of the movie, instead it wants to be Speed. At least, that's where my mind went to. Only far less engaging.

No spectacular performances stand out, not even De Niro. Production is decent.

Overall, just not something that kept me watching.

[END]

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Monday 28 March 2016

Gem and Hollygrams

This was considered one of the worst movies of 2015, so of course I had to check it out!

A band gets started, and the lead does her own song, and of course she gets internet famous, and so she and the band signs up to the best record company ever. They are insanely popular for one song in a small place, then the company leader wants the leader to go solo. Thus the band breaks up, but then gets back together and goes on to happy ever after.

Oh, and the main is named Jem and there is a robot map quest to follow, which leads to holograms. But that is completely incidental to the movie. Which, as you might guess, not really makes this a JemGrams movie. In fact, it's not even a good band movie (not that I've seen many, but this feels really generic).

I watched the cartoon when I was growing up, because it was on TV, and it was watchable. Fun, bright colours, and of course the Misfits were the best... but this? It's not outrageous, it doesn't have the technology fun, and... just isn't 80s.

Yes, this movie isn't good. Worst movie? I'm not saying it's that bad, but it's definitely not good.

[END]

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Sunday 27 March 2016

Yawn of Justass

Okay, I saw it... and my one word review is: boring.

There's not much point talking about the plot. If you've seen the trailer, then you know what's going to happen in this movie. Only it takes 2 1/2 hours to get there! And most of that is spent on Bruce Wayne being moody and Clark Kent looking pensive.

I realised about half way through that I wasn't being entertained. On any level. I was just sitting there,  seeing this movie before me, and there was no interest at all in following events unfolding before me.

There was one good fight, when it was almost like Batman reenacting a scene out of the computer games, but that was about it. Certainly the title fight wasn't worth paying attention to. And Wonder Woman was also around when things happened at the end.

As for the finale... no-one was buying it, why stretch it out? Nor was there any after credit scenes, although there were a few scenes at the end they could have kept back.

This just... wait for it to come out on DVD... or TV. Just don't bother paying to see it at the movies.

[END]

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Saturday 26 March 2016

Starring 1st Trek

Yes, it's a new movie series, and I'm taking a break from the horror. The main reason I have a fondness for this movie is because of how I first saw it. It was way back in school, and there was a local screening at the nearby scouts hall so I had a hard floor and a large screen to enjoy.

That said, rewatching it now, ye gods it is slow. And I watch in double speed! The Enterprise goes into a large cloud, and shows off special effects, until the end in which it was Kirk's hairpiece all along. Or something like that.

To be honest, the best part about this movie are the character beats. Kirk getting the Enterprise back, and Decker calling him on it. Decker and Ilia. Kirk and Spock. Decker getting what he wants at the end. I did think Decker was joining the first movie to be a new cast member, but they really don't need him, and look how quickly he becomes ousted from his positions, first no longer captain, then no longer science officer, then no longer just a guy hanging out on the Enterprise.

People have pointed out that this is just a normal episode stretched out, and it feels like it. It feels more like the production team didn't really know how to do a movie, and so did this to see what they could get away with.

So, only great movies from here on, eh?

[END]

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Friday 25 March 2016

Fifth Star Cops

It has started. In this episode we have a writer that isn't Chris Boucher, and we also have our 'pick a random culture and present the stereotypes' basis for stories. Although many people consider the next story worse.

Last time the Americans did something stupid and lead to a case... this time it's the Italians turn. After a rocket falls over instead of launching, the Italians are quickly trying to lead the Star Cops astray. Which seems to include getting a woman to basically proposition Spring and get him to Rome where someone else can attempt to assassinate him and then the local police try to set him up. However, that doesn't work, and instead an off-hand comment by Spring basically solves everything.

There is an attempt at an arc here as Theroux is scared of radiation, given that is how his dad dies, and goes as far to refuse to help. Although he then turns up later, because what's the point of saying 'I have this fear' if you don't try to conquer it by the end of the episode?

However, otherwise, expect standard Italian accents as that's what we get. For me, this is the lowest story of the set, with a really long sequence in Italy in the middle of the episode, and then it just doesn't go anywhere.

Hey ho, on to the rest of the season...

[END]

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Thursday 24 March 2016

Deerdevel Season 2.2.2

Here we are after all the episodes, and as I think back, one word eventually swims into mind: cameo.

This is very much two stories set out over 13 episodes, each only half a series each. The two stories do intermingle a little, but not really. You could say, and I do, that each story cameo'd in the other story. And that's what it felt like.

Like with the characters. "Hey, remember this character from previous? Here's a scene with them in it, ain't they cool!" Exactly inserted as fan service, not because the story needed it.

Which makes this rather depressing. I have to ask if we needed this season? Was there a story they were burning to tell? Being a set of 13 episodes at once, they can't get away with needing to fill out a series like other shows do, with a different story per episode. They indeed this to be a cohesive set, told all at once.

And I will give that the time did pass well. I got caught up and didn't watch the clock, and was then taken off guard whenever the episode ended. However, I could then just 'pop in' the next episode straight away, so the episode ending cliff-hanger moments felt more like act breaks for ads than momentous game changing revelations.

We still have more season ones to go for other characters, but is this what the second, and subsequent, series will be like for them? Hopefully not, but I'm not filled with confidence.

[END]

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Wednesday 23 March 2016

Deerdevel Season 2.1.2

So far, I'm just over halfway through the season and... it feels like lots of little pieces.

Okay, and there will be spoilers for characters who appear, but otherwise fairly safe.

Daredevil is around beating up on the little guys when a large army enters the screen... a large army in the form of one man. And if you've been paying attention then, like me, you'll be trying to remember Frank Castle's name. But that's not all. Later on we also have Electra pop up, although she doesn't have as many daddy issues as a certain movie would make you think. Are then there's Bullseye... he didn't turn up (at least not that I noticed), but I was expecting him to. And then, halfway through, that person turns up...

Dear gods, do the writers actually have a plan for this season? It feels like lots of little stories they stuck together to get the 13 episodes. Last season we had this one figure behind everything. Fine, DD fought various mini bosses, but there was always that one presence. This time, it feels like they are throwing everything in to make the episodes pad out.

That is, when you can see it. Daredevil is blind, but we're not. Not that you would know it to look at it, because it is so frickin' dark on screen. DD is in a dark costume, fighting someone in dark clothes, on a dark street, at night, with no lights around... I think. Or maybe it's just a black screen and I'm experiencing a form of closed-eye hallucination.

The lighting does get a bit better as the episodes go on, let's hope the story does.

[END]

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Tuesday 22 March 2016

Eat Drink Man Woman

Another food movie, this one Chinese, Eat Drink Man Woman.

An older chef is living at home with his three older daughters, each of whom are not exactly successful in the love life aspect. Over the movie, we see the ladies find various kinds of love, and it doesn't play out as most cliches would have you expect. Even the chef doesn't get sent down the obvious route (although his arc is somewhat more clearly signposted).

Good performances all around, and more than a few scenes of food preparation. (I do wonder if they got in actors who could cook... or, more simply, cut to hands doing things that belonged to actual chefs and editing kept tight.)

I've often heard of this movie, and it has a title that rolls off the tongue. I'm not sure that I would call it a comedy, per se, although it is light hearted.

Nice movie, well recommend.

[END]

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Monday 21 March 2016

Closer to Frankenstein

Another movie with completely different titles, never a good sign.

Victor creates a human clone, which people don't like and rail against him because it is against god. However, this is the second one, and the original is kinda insane in the membrane, and slowly there's a confrontation.

This isn't subtle. It's not even trying to be. It might have wanted to be, but it's nowhere near it. There's "show don't tell", and here we have a case of "don't show or tell but have several people just rant continuously about it".

The main actor is Jeremy Childs... who doesn't seem to know how to position himself and his posture in any scene he's in. And I'm not sure what the motivations were for most of the other actors either. The only really believable actor was the baby. (I was surprised by the amount of actual baby in this low budget movie, given the restrictions around filming them.)

There are a few Franky movies around at the moment, and this doesn't even have the Asylum backing it. I'm guessing you didn't know about this movie before this post, and continue in that ignorance.

[END]

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Sunday 20 March 2016

London Falling

Cynical me thinks they wanted an American F**K Yeah movie, but didn't want to blow up American landmarks for a change, so moved it to London (being a place that some Americans might actually have heard of.)

Mike is about to retire from bodyguarding the President when the President is called over to the funeral of the British leader. As other leaders are brought in as well, there's a boom and lots of leaders are killed. But who cares, because they aren't American. (In fact, from what's presented, the President is the only leader who survives... which is great, and he is the only leader that the bad guys are really after.) So begins running around London until the big finale can happen.

Wait... I completely failed to realise this is a sequel to the previous Fallen movie. There was no reference to it that I saw, and aside from scope change, this could have been that exact movie over again... as it was.

Huh. That just surprised me...

Still not a good movie.

[END]

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Saturday 19 March 2016

Roocky Creeed

Since I finished the last series, before I hit the next one, I'll cycle back to pick up a new entry, namely the latest boxing movie.

Adonis is a boxer with something to prove, and is willing to take on fights for anything. He finally scores a trainer and gets a bit name match because of his name, and finally has a big fight to prove anything.

Okay, that's a little simplistic, but it does feel like these movies are recycling the same plots over and again, and this is the first movie once more. Okay, it does have the lovable doof Rocky being a lovable doof, and everyone else is really nice, but there's nothing to really distinguish this out from any other 'need to prove myself' movie.

To be honest, the best parts of this movie is the scenes not with fighting. The relationship between Adonis and Bianca is sweet (and reminded me of Rocky and Adrian), and Rocky gets a few good scenes about his life.

I'm not saying this movie had to happen, but there are a few moments that are very watchable.

[END]

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Friday 18 March 2016

Fourth Star Cops

And this is the last people we need for the main corp as Chris Boucher sees it. A British older cop in charge, a black American second, another British plod, a best Australian female cop, and a Russian heading up the base. And it won't last very long.

This is the story in which the Americans do something rather intelligent... but then proceed to be very stupid and try to cover it up, and do so really badly. The American station is the Ronald Reagan space station, and the chap in charge likes to chomp on a cigar. Stereotype? No more so than everyone else. (And there is far worse to come!) This also features the Changling actor from SnS, although if he ever has a name here, I never pick up on it.

The station is well thought out by Boucher, with a central section that is zero gravity, and a swinging arm (with ballast) that provides some gravity (although again everyone walks around like it's normal). Modules can be rented out by people wanting to try space science, an idea that should be seen more, but mostly it's 'our stuff or no-ones' in other shows.

This is a simple story, and it's told well. The big stupid plot point of the American is the only thing that really brings it down, but it works well up to there.

[END]

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Thursday 17 March 2016

Madonna's Behind

With her tour ending, her channel is now releasing a batch of behind the scene videos. I'm not sure how many there will be, but so far we have:

Wardrobe

Transport

Home

Stage

Choreography

Dancers
The thing is... there are crickets in one video, and that indoor arena with the weird coloured seats... wait a minute, did they film this up in Auckland? I think so! That's Vector Arean!

[END]

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Wednesday 16 March 2016

10 Cash In Lane

Hey, it's that movie that's trading in on the name of that other movie!

A woman is involved in an accident and wakes up in a bunker. Oh, and the world has basically ended. The guy who saved her is really creepy, but is he as bad as he seems? And he certainly can't be right about what's outside... can the woman overcome her normal reaction to run away to... well, not run away?

Let's get to one point. As they say in the trivia section, this was another movie entirely then adapted into the Cloverfield name. And it shows in that "blood relative" or not, it has nothing to do with the previous movie. The last twenty minutes is as close as it gets (I called it before I saw it that it would only be around 20 minutes), but that's also incredibly stupid and just makes you face palm.

This is basically a three-hander, and the leads put in good performances, and I didn't mind too much that it was just them sitting around.

This shouldn't be considered a Cloverfield movie, or even a science fiction movie... or even barely a good movie. At best, watch it on the cheap night, like I did.

[END]

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Tuesday 15 March 2016

Babette's Feast

We start a small food run at the Film Society with Babette's Feast.

This is largely a movie of two halves. In the first half, we have a flashback to when the two sisters were lovely women, distracting men all over the place, but staying true to their father and their religion. Then later, a French woman is sent to them to get out of Paris, and she is their servant. Then one day she, Babette, wins some money and puts on a lovely meal. Ah, bliss.

And it is a lovely meal, too. We pretty much see all the courses with occasional kitchen scenes as Babette keep things running. However, this is largely to facilitate some of the plot threads of the first half to come together and reach a sort of conclusion.

Good performance all around, and I can see why the Film Society picked this. Definitely watchable, although the first half may drag a little.

[END]

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Monday 14 March 2016

Rebel Heart

Woo! Basically... Madonna performed live in front of me! Woo!

We started with a video leading in for Iconic, and then she descended in a cage. Bam! And from there we were off. Okay, I admit, I was signing along with all the songs, but everything was so loud I doubt I annoyed anyone. (And if I did... well, that's what happened.)

During the set, Madonna sometimes disappeared from the stage, which surprised some, but that's what she does in her concerts now. Possibly to get a breather, but definitely to change costumes. And there were a lot of costumes in this, and very frequent changes. She puts on a good show!

She did about half the songs from Rebel Heart (with a few of them being videos for other dancers while she changed) and some older songs. Including a recreation of Material Girl that brought back the video, and used the rather extensive stage set up. (One part of the stage could rise to 45 degrees!)

If I was doing this again, I would go for a fan package for one night, and just go for a normal ticket the other night. If she returns, I'm definitely keen. (I always thought I would have to go to Australia, but no, after 32 years, she came here!)

Some photos, with varying quality, are available here. Some people don't like her... but I enjoyed this, and that's all that matters.

[END]

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Sunday 13 March 2016

Nearing Maddy

So, I went to Auckland for a reason... because that's there the Madonna concert was!

I got myself a rather expensive fan package ticket. Which was really confusing when I was supposed to pick the ticket up, basically when the concert opened, not before, because I was getting a gift with it. I think I was supposed to have other stuff as well, but never saw any of that.

The gift itself was a commemorative book about her world tours, with lots of glossy photos of all her tours from the start up to and including Rebel Heart. There are other bits and pieces in there too, including some guitar picks. Looks very nice.

The show itself supposedly started at 8pm, so I was sure to be in my seat by then. I wasn't on the floor with the stage (which meant that everyone sitting there was standing the entire time), but instead of the first row of the tiered seats. So no-one in front of me, and I was about halfway up the catwalk stage.

Here's a photo without any zoom on.



At 8 there was indeed something. Now while I don't have anything against her as a DJ, I came here for Madonna, not DJ Yellow Sleep Mask. She did play a nice set, and even put on Poi-E at one point, but, come on!

She finished at 9, and so Madonna... right? Well, no. Time went past until finally, at 10pm, the show started!

[END]

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Saturday 12 March 2016

Never Sleep on Elm Street

To finish off the current available range of Freddy/Jason movies, I saw a documentary about Freddy movies. All the Freddy movies (except the last one). It's four hours.

This spends time with each movie, talking to the writers and producers, and a lot of the cast. Everyone is largely positive about their experience. While there is tension at times on the set, it was there but didn't have a lot of impact on them. Some movies, we find, were better supported than others, and Wes likes some more than others. (Hint: he likes the ones he wrote that weren't changed too much.)

There is a lot of detail here. As well as the movies, they touch on the TV series, which I haven't even heard of (and don't intend to watch).

It's a full on documentary, and is worth watching. But much sure you have plenty of time set aside.

[END]

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Friday 11 March 2016

Third Star Cops

So now they are getting set up, with a base on the moon so they don't have to worry about gravity issues... nor worry about the fact that it is supposed to be 1/6 gravity, that's too hard, let's just pretend it's full gravity and have people walking around normally.

This episode does tackle the issue of surveillance, with a group on the moon able to survey the entire communication range and have computers sort out what's useful. They discover a threat to a plane and uncover the truth behind a computer virus attack. The plane enables a corrupt cop to keep her job, and the virus allows the perpetrators to cover their own tracks.

One element I like in this episode is a little touch that comes back. They have a gun that can target a particular pigmentation of skin... to which Theroux sighs "At last they've invented a racist gun."

The aspect of surveillance is one that comes up time and again, and even more recently... and this is back in 1987. This does, however, lead to an "exciting" sequence where Spring has to slowly escape out a garage. And other effects include a really dodgy moment of Kenzie catching a glass ball, and grinning into the camera the entire time. Kenzie is interesting in that she's the corrupt cop but gets one over on Spring, something that wouldn't happen in other shows.

This isn't a standard series, and would still stick out even today.

[END]

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Thursday 10 March 2016

AAF

While up in Auckland, I happened to be there during some of the Auckland Arts Festival... so I checked out a few things.

The New Zealand Herald Festival Garden is the hub, and I think it has events on during the days... but nothing was happening when I poked my nose in.

Full Moon Kingdom is a series of photographs taken at the Auckland Zoo (which I intend to visit) at night. Some night prints, but I kept being distracted by the time lapsed stars in the sky.

A very pretty thing I went to was the Carabosse - Fire Garden, from France. In the Auckland Domain, fire pots and displays were set up. Very pretty at night, even if I did end up walking through the bush back to my motel in the dark.


Check out the full photo set.

[END]

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Wednesday 9 March 2016

Egads of Egypt

The director said that this movie did poorly because the critics uncritically criticised it. He didn't take into account that it sucked.

The royals are gods and have CGI on their side. The populace are largely interchangable except for two people, the 'hero' of the piece, and his extremely disposable, plot motivating, you can tell she's gonna die immediately, girlfriend. The gods get in trouble with Set taking over and kicking out Horus, so the 'hero' helps Horus. And there are some other gods around. And it just going on and on and on...

The worst thing about this movie, and there are many bad points, is the editing. By which, I mean the transitions between scenes, which is one part of what the editor is responsible for. Instead of 'seamless' transitions, or motivated transitions, or even fade wipes. Just slam cut to another scene and let the audience play catch up. Set up the scene? Nah, can't be bothered.

And the gods story line is just rubbish. Basically Gods = Normal Royalty, with their own petty schemes that everyone else puts up with, just like another other political movie. The gods are bigger than the normal people, making this the worst use of technology that LOTR gave us. And the 'hero's story line is so obvious that you are waiting for the beats to tick off.

When I saw this, I was in Auckland. The theatre seats are nice, in that you can lift up arm rests and lie across several seats. I'm not saying I did this, but it was nice to lie down at times.

You could make fun of this movie, but it's too easy a target.

[END]

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Tuesday 8 March 2016

Bonus Video

Not that exceptionally interesting, and I could have chosen a better seat, but here is the view from the window of the trip on the Skybus, from Auckland CBD to the Airport.

I don't have much to say aside from the odd comment, so this isn't that interesting to listen to... or possibly to even watch.

[END]

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Battleship Potemkin

I saw this years and years ago in school. And while everyone remembers that there is a scene with a baby carriage going down stairs, can you actually remember what happens in Battleship Potemkin?

On the Potemkin, the sailors are facing another day of spoiled meat, and have had enough. But the officers aren't interested, and decide to make an example of the worst offenders... but then the sailors all decide that enough is enough, and the ship is theirs! With the leading voice dying. Putting him on display on the shore of Odessa inspires the populace to rise up against their oppressors, but the guard just cut them down. (And this is there the steps sequence is.) The Potemkin attack the hq, and a squadron of ships is sent out against them. But when push comes to shove, will the squadron attack or join them?

I have to say that this movie... is still good! Because it was from the silent era, the movie had to rely on the visuals, and they work across cultures and across time, especially the steps sequence. There's a reason this is considered a classic, and watching it again I can see why. Definitely worth a re-examination.

And you can watch it again yourself!

[END]

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Monday 7 March 2016

Inaninate

This film seemed to have three different titles in the opening sequence, none of which match the title it’s listed under on IMDB. That’s always a good sign.

A boat takes a group of students studying Climate Change up north, and find a strange thing in the sea. It turns out to be a Russian space pod with a dead astronaut inside… with a not so dead virus/creature thing. Which then grows throughout the ship and killing people, with the added threat of a traitor within the group. There’s an explosion which doesn’t live up to the hype of supposedly trying to destroy the ship, and eventually the boat is plowed into a ice shelf (and maybe explodes, I can’t recall), so you can spot they are really shaking things up.

It was hard to tell if this was wanting to be a Alien or a The Thing. I think more the latter, but it doesn’t do either well. Star power we have Lance Henriksen and… some other people. The creature they tried different practical effects, but they didn’t work.

I doubt the change of title helped, and the 4.6 rating is rather generous.


[END]

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Sunday 6 March 2016

Unman Naturaleater

Enough of these weird killer shark movies (although there are still plenty of those), let’s try a killer polar bear movie! (Or it might be a weird wolf? The CGI is really hard to work out what it’s supposed to be.)

Up North, there is an Evil Corporation(tm) that is modifying animals, which they do to a polar bear which escapes killing all but one evil scientist. Meanwhile, there is a vapid photoshoot happening in a nearby chateau, and slowly they start getting picked off in ways that drag out the annoying people to such an extreme you don’t care if they get killed, you just want it to be over. And then it’s finally over.

The star list here is James Remar, Graham Greene, Ray Wise and another Twin Peaks actor Sherilyn Fenn. Are these people thinking their careers are over, or just don’t care any more? Certainly I can’t imagine they thought this was a great script. And, as mentioned, the creature is just stupidly produced. I think there might have been a suit/puppet at some point, but it just looks worse then.

I need to watch better movies.

[END]

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Saturday 5 March 2016

Nightmare on 9th Street

Although this should be 1st street again, as this is a reboot. And by reboot, we mean retread of the first movie.

Teens are falling asleep and dying, and it turns out there's a supernatural horror the parents are aware of. The teens finally work out Fred is involved, and also find out that he was a child rapist that died. Oh, and they were responsible.

That's the big twist they are trying for this movie. The kids were responsible... or are they? Twist or double-twist? Or just the movie going "bad people are bad". Aside from that... there is nothing to this movie.

This repeats various scenes from the first movie, but doesn't get the point of the movie. It was about how Fred impacts the community with these killings, but in this movie... it's just people going to sleep and being killed.

And speaking of Fred, what the hell is wrong with that mask? It's like the latex is hardened and the actor is barely able to move his lips. Just looks stupid.

Not a good reboot, or even a good movie.

[END]

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Friday 4 March 2016

Second Star Cops

And this is the episode that explains the opening theme song.

We start with two people dead. By which we mean they are in a space ship, it's gone off course, and they can't correct so... basically, they are dead with no help. Meanwhile, on Earth, Spring's friend Lee Jones gets killed. Spring gets involved in that while Theroux sorts out the space ship problem. Aside from a minor theme, the two crimes aren't connected, but the Earth crime ends up in space with political ramifications.

It's surprising just how big Chris Boucher tries to go. We have British spies playing silly buggers and going into space, and the Star Cops tackle anyone in authority... and yet, in both cases, the authority is still around afterwards. While they are solving cases, they can't really be said to be winning.

And Lee Jones, a major character in the first episode, gets killed off in the first few minutes. I hope the actress knew she was only going to be in a few scenes and that's it. But her death is what speaks to the opening theme. "It won't be easy without you" indeed.

And we are still setting things up. We get Davis joining, and the setting up of the Moon base (so they won't need as many wires) and still more to come.

It's a slow paced, yet thrilling series.

[END]

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Thursday 3 March 2016

Lucifer

Another DC comic series... that seems to have even less to do with the comic from what people said.

Lucifer retired from Hell and is now on Earth. He gets caught up with a female detective and joins her on case... so this is basically "supernatural creature / human cop" drama that already has multiple entries...

Now they have the whole canon of Lucifer to play with, and there's the comic series that inspired this... but what we get is the "case of the week", with slight hints of an overarching plot, which is basically "does anyone believe he's the devil?" Oh, and another angel wants him to take up his position in hell again.

I want to like this more, but... it is just "case of the week", and I need more than that in my detective series. Something happened in the latest episode that makes me want to watch the next one, but it better be good, otherwise I'm so close to just dropping it.

And because this occurred to me:

[END]

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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Blue Velvet

And so the film society begins again. While I may not always make it, I will try to watch the movie. In this case, we open with Blue Velvet.

Jeremy finds an ear, and that leads him to a detective's daughter that leads him to a lounge singer that's suspicious. From there, he sort of falls in love with her while she (the singer) is being threatened via her family to put up with Frank. Jeremy gets too involved, and then it sorts itself out.

It has been said that this is one of Lynch's more straight forward movies, and that is true. In fact, if it wasn't for Frank, this should be a largely normal movie by anyone else's standards. But we have Frank. And a hell of a lot of coincidences to keep the events going. That annoyed me a bit, too many coincidences to drive everything.

Lots of recognisable names now, of course, giving decent performances. (Although I have no idea what Dennis Hopper's doing, other than giving a David Lynch performance.) I also think I've now seen the source of a fair few references, but I don't think I've gotten all I could have.

That said, I do like the main theme song. "Bluuuuuue VELLL vet."

[END]

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