While not ‘great,’ definitely ‘quite good,’ and I’m very glad to have seen it.

The House Antreides does get exceedingly messianic in this one — even more so than last time, if you can believe it — and the action is far more political and thrilling. Still, great plot, cast, writing, and cinematography. Some of the digital work is clunky, but that’s down to 2003 technology, budgets, and the fact I’m watching a DVD as source.

Thanks again @anthonyfloyd!

★★★☆☆

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As far as I’m aware, I hadn’t seen this until now.

The characters are incredibly realistic; so much so that I’m surprised they were allowed to be so… well… ugly. Telly Savalas’ role is especially nasty; and he plays it very carefully to the hilt and no further.

The dénouement is, frankly, quite inhumane, even if it is NAZIs that are being made to suffer.

Due to great pacing, it doesn’t feel like 2½ hours.

Recommended.

★★★★☆

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I have now finished watching the first two series of episodes of this. It is very very good. I’m especially impressed with the ability of the writers to stick handle their way through an already complicated universe while not ragging the puck and simultaneously incorporating the events of the films as and when they’re released •and• setting up other films and TV mini-series. None of that is easy. They even make it entertaining and with characters I care about!

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A fantastic film telling an absolutely awful story, sadly based on a real event. Thankfully, much of the plot would never see the light of day in a Canadian courtroom of today.

Excellent acting and production work. The narrative device is a bit heavy-handed, but works.

A stinging critique of both capitol punishment and the use of a sexual assault victim’s record of behaviour. Also, the townsfolk in general.

So sad.

Highly recommended.

★★★★★

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Equal parts humour, action, history, and current culture, this series is fantastic. It’s refreshing to see a part of the global community represented in a medium that usually only shows one side of American life.

I’m not sure how Muslim / Pakistani Americans feel about this series, but I can’t imagine anyone watching this and thinking anything other than ‘oh my god that’s just like MY family!’

I can’t wait for more!

Highly recommended!

★★★★★

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Excellent motion picture telling an exciting story of not only the importance of being able to overcome ‘the bad people,’ but of •being• the right kind of person to begin with. Sure you can be the fastest, the richest, the most powerful… but what you do with all of that counts more than anything imaginable. One can yearn for something but why you want it reveals more than what it is you wish for. Choose wisely.

Highly recommended.

★★★★☆

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Nine episodes that — based on my pattern — should have taken two nights to watch but really took three nights and I’m so glad I took the extra evening.

There are a lot of big questions posed here (what is love? what is real, if you believe hard enough? what are you willing to do to have what you want?) and there’s time enough to explore them.

Mr Bettany is so VERY good here. Also Ms Olsen, Ms Hahn, and Ms Parris. Everyone, really.

Recommended!

★★★★★

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An entirely enjoyable and satisfying six episodes of humour, action, drama, mystery and thriller. The acting is wonderful, the direction and cinematography great, the editing and sound (which, trust me, plays a big part here) is perfect.

Let me say this about the sound: when Hawkeye takes his hearing aid out and the world turns into a big fuzzy cotton ball of ‘wah-wah-wah,’ that is EXACTLY how it sounded when I had an ear infection.

Recommended.

★★★★★

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Some films make you remain in your seat for a good number of minutes after the credits finish rolling, because you need some time to readjust to the reality that is immediately to hand. This is that sort of film.

The plot is an allegory for American Society; not just in the setting of the 1930s, but within the history of any nation in the so-called Western so-called Civilization. Who we value and why is too arbitrary.

Very highly recommended.

★★★★★

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An excellent compliment to the film “Capote,” which was released the same year. Yes, it’s the same story about the same people covering the same events… but it’s a different feeling altogether. This is more sympathetic to everyone, which is quite apt.
Now, there’s a thread through this that I cocked my eyebrow at, but with Truman, it was tough to know just what to believe.

You’ll believe the performances, though. Great!

Highly recommended.

★★★★☆

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A quiet, underplayed, terrifying true story about a quiet, underplayed, terrifying series of murders all committed at one address by one man over an expanse of two decades.

Everyone’s performance is flawless, and the filmmakers use realistic lighting and presentation, making the whole thing chilling.

Imagine the most polite, quiet, meek little man with the quietest voice you’ve barely heard. Now make him a murderer.

Very highly recommended.

★★★★☆

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A quiet, underplayed, terrifying true story about a quiet, underplayed, terrifying series of murders all committed at one address by one man over an expanse of two decades.

Everyone’s performance is flawless, and the filmmakers use realistic lighting and presentation, making the whole thing chilling.

Imagine the most polite, quiet, meek little man with the quietest voice you’ve barely heard. Now make him a murderer.

Very highly recommended.

★★★★☆

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Originally released as two motion pictures — “The Great Gambler” & “Inferno” — this is an excellent story that’s well worth your time.

Some of the performances are extraordinary; there’s a moment near the end of the 1st film where the Count’s life is virtually destroyed which is mesmerizing.

This really broke new ground and set the manner of how to tell stories about swindles, heists, police investigations, & crime.

Very highly recommended.

★★★★★

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Last night and tonight have been devoted to this. It’s delightfully complicated.

The art design is splendidly accomplished, with late-‘60s / early-‘70s industrial brutalism.

The writing is excellent, with a fair few surprises and philosophical discussions peppered throughout. Actions have consequences, and catastrophic actions doubly so. Thus, we need to discuss things.

Hoorah for intelligent Super Hero stories!

Bring on Season 2!

★★★★★

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Originally, I was going to watch the first 1½ hours of this and then go to bed and read.

Well… I’ve just finished watching all 4½ hours and it was SO VERY MUCH WORTH STAYING UP FOR! Zero regrets! I fully understood everything going on, which is saying something given I’ve never read the book.

Find a copy of the Sci Fi Channel’s mini series from 2000 and watch it. You’ll thank me later.

Profuse thanks to @anthonyfloyd for lending me his copy.

★★★★★

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Funny, action-packed, and full of music of my youth! Perfect!

Except, well, the plot is stretched a bit thin with too many loose threads and an overly-pat dénouement. Good in general, however.

★★★☆☆

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A fair question would be “why in blazes did you torture yourself with this?”

The problem with this film — and I grant there are a fair number of them with this — is that once the central conceit is revealed, it seems so blindingly obvious, that you hate yourself for not working it out earlier. You could have worked it out whilst standing outside the cinema, you still resent the time it took.

★☆☆☆☆

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I have been in an odd, insubstantial mood for much of the day, finding purpose in nothing, with the hope that it will come upon the morrow.

This charming portmanteau tells three whimsical tales of art, politics, & food; all with the élan that only Wes Anderson can bring to a film. I love his work, and all 87,000 of the actors in the picture.

For me, today, this was perfect. Thank you, Wes.

Recommended for those who love Wes Anderson.

★★★★☆

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I have seen this picture many times. There’s always something that I’ve forgotten, or maybe I hadn’t appreciated quite as fully, or maybe I put the parts together in my mind a little more tightly.

There is VERY LITTLE CGI in it; anything you see is done the old way in the camera, or it’s forced perspective, or it’s a model. But, as if that’s not enough, the story is old SF solid.

It’s such an incredible film.

Very highly recommended.

★★★★★
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I’m on holiday until the 15th! Hoorah!! Let’s watch some stuff that I probably shouldn’t spend time viewing! This runs 1:14 & looks cheesy as anything!

[:: views film ::]

Wow.

This is certainly a movie. Yup! No denying it; that there is a motion picture made using CinemaScope!

Yup. People talk, they move around, there’s a script… yup; definitely a film, fairly clear it is.

Maybe this is best viewed under the influence of something…?

★★☆☆☆

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