Saturday, March 2, 2019
First Lines: Lois McMaster Bujold - Mirror Dance
The row of comconsole booths lining the passenger concourse of Escobar's largest commercial orbital transfer station had mirrored doors, divided into diagonal sections by rainbow-colored lines of lights.
Heidi (2015)
A story of a young girl who lives in the Swiss Alps with her goat herding Grandfather.
Fairly good adaptation of the classic childrens' novel is clearly targeted to a young audience; Anuk Steffen is excellent in the title role.
The Movies I Watched in February
Anthropoid (2016) 7
The Big Country (1958) 7
Birth (2004) 7
Black Earth Rising (2018) (TV) 7
BlacKkKlansman (2018) 7
Bron/Boren (2013) (TV) 6
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010) 5
Frasier Season 1 (1993) (TV) 8
The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) 6
Heidi (2015) 6
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) (TV) 7
The Messenger (2009) 6
Moonlight (2016) 8
Nightflyers (2018) (TV) 5
Predator (1987) 7
Rabbit Hole (2010) 6
Spring Breakers (2012) 6
La Vache (2016) 6
The Wolfman (2010) 6
You (2018) (TV) 7
The Big Country (1958) 7
Birth (2004) 7
Black Earth Rising (2018) (TV) 7
BlacKkKlansman (2018) 7
Bron/Boren (2013) (TV) 6
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010) 5
Frasier Season 1 (1993) (TV) 8
The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) 6
Heidi (2015) 6
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) (TV) 7
The Messenger (2009) 6
Moonlight (2016) 8
Nightflyers (2018) (TV) 5
Predator (1987) 7
Rabbit Hole (2010) 6
Spring Breakers (2012) 6
La Vache (2016) 6
The Wolfman (2010) 6
You (2018) (TV) 7
Friday, March 1, 2019
First Lines: Cormac McCarthy - The Crossing
When they came south out of Grant County Boyd was not much more than a baby and the newly formed county they'd named Hidalgo was itself little older than the child.
Black Earth Rising (2018)
Kate Ashby was rescued as a child from the Rwandan genocide by her renowned international lawyer adopted mother Eve. Living in London and working for barrister Michael Ennis, Kate's mother takes on a case involving an African militia leader which will upend both their lives forever.
Compelling political drama with an excellent cast of characters uses the episodic form of a TV series to slowly reveal several layers of a conspiracy further complicated by the diverging interests of the former European occupiers of an African country.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Wolfman (2010)
Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.
Nicely produced homage to the original horror classic, concerning atmosphere and the creature's appearance, offers great cinematography and period detail and a star cast, although it's a far cry from the original's impact.
Maltin**1/2: "Sober remake of the 1941 classic isn't bad but insists on expanding the story , to no good end. Del Toro's character is underwritten, while Hopkins (as his father) gets to chew the scenery. Still, Rick Heinrich's production design is handsome, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey's Oscar-winning makeup is effective, and the scare scenes are well staged, so it's not a total loss."
