Saturday, July 8, 2017
First Lines: Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist
Among other public buildings in the town of Mudfog, it boasts of one which is common to most towns great and small, to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse there was born on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events, the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
It Follows (2014)
A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.
Nicely original take on a ghost story this movie uses less shocks, but creates a subtly dreamlike atmosphere and ends with a riddle.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Basic Instinct (1992)
A violent, suspended police detective investigates a brutal murder, in which a manipulative and seductive woman could be involved.
Over-the-top sex & crime thriller effectively makes you forget the nonsensical plot and creates an overcharged lurid atmosphere, a bit like Vertigo on acid.
Halliwell*: "Overheated, overlong melodramatic thriller with an implausible plot that requires its audience to accept that Michael Douglas is irresistibly attractive to bisexual women. But the skill and pace of the direction makes one regret that they were not exercised on better material."
Maltin***: "In-your-face sex thriller...Audacious, erotic, and larger-than-life - with an ending that falls short of real satisfaction."
Thursday, July 6, 2017
First Lines: James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans
It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America, that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered before the adverse hosts could meet.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Accidents Happen (2009)
After a family tragedy, 15-year-old Billy Conway has become the de facto glue between his bitter mom, distant brother, and stoic dad.
An off-kilter tale that somehow tries to find an upbeat resolution to a series of unusual tragedies; although it doesn't really add up, the splendid cast makes it worth the watch.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Jurassic Park III (2001)
A decidedly odd couple with ulterior motives convince Dr. Alan Grant to go to Isla Sorna (the second InGen dinosaur lab.), resulting in an unexpected landing and unexpected new inhabitants on the island.
Moderately entertaining third part of the series, again the dinosaurs steal the show.
On rewatching: I still agree with my initial opinion about the dinosaurs; the movie is streamlined for straight entertainment and delivers, but offers nothing more.
Halliwell (no star): "Hectic chase movie that, jettisoning the slight intellectual content of the first two movies, concentrates on shocks and thrills, which it delivers effectively."
Maltin***: "Entertaining popcorn movie that takes a formula and plays it for all its worth...Full of scares, and lots of fun: proof that a thrill-ride type of movie doesn't have to be dumb...or overlong."
Monday, July 3, 2017
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