Direction and acting were mostly fine and - through CGI or otherwise - the visuals were good too. The difficulty is that the series meanders through its 7 episodes, each of which hover around the 60 minute mark without having the content to properly fill them.
Along with this, there's a problem with the show in that none of the characters are particularly likeable, or injected with enough charisma to hold the attention.
I could have watched most of Sátántangó instead and at least got some new iCM official checks instead of watching this series that felt really protracted and interminable.
Stephen Graham has to be the best British character actor of his generation. The rest of the cast is pretty darn great too. Really smart cinematography as well.
First I'll throw out a couple of criticisms for balance - the music towards the end is beyond cheesy; and it's never made clear why none of the survivors were interviewed.
But beyond that it's a fascinating combination of reconstructed footage and archived media. Plugged into all this is interviews with regular people for whom cave-diving was only ever their hobby, volunteering their experience and skills to an extraordinary situation with a global focus.
I went for nostalgia and it ticked all the boxes. Sure there’s faults in the film but that’s missing the point of the experience. Now I just hope the franchise can end with this relative high.
Neil LaBute has had a very mixed career but this was at least a return to the structure and plot of his earlier “battle of the sexes” films than when he was a director-for-hire of pointless remakes.
The 80 minutes on offer here are about right for the 2-person cast and it goes in directions that, whilst perhaps not entirely satisfactory are at least unexpected.
Whilst this film is just as unessential as you’d imagine, it was also far better than you’d expect for a DTV franchise sequel. Thematically this “got” the feel of the original film far better than the first sequel did. Biggest problem in this one was the schmaltzy, tacked-on religious cheese.
Far exceeds the expectations of a TV movie dramatisation. Benedict Cumberbatch is very good and makes excellent use of the witty script. The story itself continues to unfold, warts and all.
11
A Star is Born, picture, director, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, costume design, editing, original song, sound editing, sound mixing
10
The Favourite, picture, director, lead actress, supporting actress (*2), original screenplay, cinematography, costume design, editing, production design
First Man, picture, director, supporting actress, cinematography, editing, production design, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects
9
Black Panther, picture, director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, cinematography, costume design, production design, original song, visual effects
8
Roma, picture, director, lead actress, original screenplay, cinematography, editing, foreign language feature, production design
6
Mary Poppins Returns, production design, original score, original song (*2), sound editing, sound mixing
5
If Beale Street Could Talk, picture, supporting actress, cinematography, editing, original score
4
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, picture, lead actress, supporting actor, adapted screenplay
Green Book picture, lead actor, supporting actor, original screenplay
3
BlacKkKlansman picture, adapted screenplay, original score
Bohemian Rhapsody, lead actor, costume design, makeup & hairstyling
Vice, lead actor, supporting actress, makeup & hairstyling
2
First Reformed, lead actor, original screenplay
Isle of Dogs, animated feature, original score
Leave No Trace picture, adapted screenplay
A Quiet Place, sound editing, sound mixing
1
Age of Sail, animated short
Avengers: Infinity War, visual effects
Bao, animated short
Beautiful Boy, supporting actor
Bilby, animated short
Bird Karma, animated short
Burning, foreign language feature
Capernaum, foreign language feature
Colette, costume design
Crime + Punishment, documentary feature
Eighth Grade, original screenplay
Free Solo, documentary feature
Incredibles 2, animated feature
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, visual effects
Minding the Gap, documentary feature
Mirai no Mirai (AKA Mirai), animated feature
Of Fathers and Sons, documentary feature
Ralph Breaks the Internet, animated feature
RBG, original song
Ready Player One, visual effects
Manbiki kazoku (AKA Shoplifters), foreign language feature
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, animated feature
Weekends, animated short
The Wife, lead actress
Won't You Be My Neighbor?, documentary feature
Zimna wojna (Cold War), foreign language feature
Comments 1 - 25 of 486
Movie comment on Scavengers Reign
EssexMutant
Based on the short film Scavengers.Movie comment on Scavengers
EssexMutant
Short film which became the basis for the 2023 miniseries Scavengers Reign. Very weird.Movie comment on Spoon vs. Spoon
EssexMutant
Sequel to The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon (2008)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-faa56l-s
Movie comment on No Escape
EssexMutant
Basically just a Young Adult series.Direction and acting were mostly fine and - through CGI or otherwise - the visuals were good too. The difficulty is that the series meanders through its 7 episodes, each of which hover around the 60 minute mark without having the content to properly fill them.
Along with this, there's a problem with the show in that none of the characters are particularly likeable, or injected with enough charisma to hold the attention.
I could have watched most of Sátántangó instead and at least got some new iCM official checks instead of watching this series that felt really protracted and interminable.
Fail.
Movie comment on Christmas Bloody Christmas
EssexMutant
The best film you'll ever see about a psychotic robot Santa Claus.Movie comment on Grayson
EssexMutant
Fan-made trailer for a Robin solo film. Pretty good.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiZuvJ48MZ0
Movie comment on Hinter Schloss und Riegel
EssexMutant
German-language Laurel & Hardy trailer. Once considered lost. Discovered in 1999.Movie comment on Boiling Point
EssexMutant
Stephen Graham has to be the best British character actor of his generation. The rest of the cast is pretty darn great too. Really smart cinematography as well.Movie comment on The Rescue
EssexMutant
First I'll throw out a couple of criticisms for balance - the music towards the end is beyond cheesy; and it's never made clear why none of the survivors were interviewed.But beyond that it's a fascinating combination of reconstructed footage and archived media. Plugged into all this is interviews with regular people for whom cave-diving was only ever their hobby, volunteering their experience and skills to an extraordinary situation with a global focus.
Well worth watching.
Movie comment on Night of the Animated Dead
EssexMutant
A mostly faithful yet unnecessary animated remake of Romero's classic horror. Voice cast is decent but the animation is the opposite.Movie comment on Ghostbusters: Afterlife
EssexMutant
I went for nostalgia and it ticked all the boxes. Sure there’s faults in the film but that’s missing the point of the experience. Now I just hope the franchise can end with this relative high.Movie comment on The Beastmaster
EssexMutant
Bring out the gimp!!Movie comment on Children of the Corn: The Gathering
EssexMutant
Naomi Watts’ first starring role!This film isn’t terrible. If you’re watching this franchise and have made it through the first 3 films already, you know what you’re in for.
Movie comment on Striptease
EssexMutant
"Not funny enough, or dramatic enough, or sexy enough, or bad enough, to qualify as entertainment in any category." - Leonard MaltinMovie comment on Some Velvet Morning
EssexMutant
Neil LaBute has had a very mixed career but this was at least a return to the structure and plot of his earlier “battle of the sexes” films than when he was a director-for-hire of pointless remakes.The 80 minutes on offer here are about right for the 2-person cast and it goes in directions that, whilst perhaps not entirely satisfactory are at least unexpected.
Relatively, a return to form for LaBute.
Movie comment on Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
EssexMutant
Whilst this film is just as unessential as you’d imagine, it was also far better than you’d expect for a DTV franchise sequel. Thematically this “got” the feel of the original film far better than the first sequel did. Biggest problem in this one was the schmaltzy, tacked-on religious cheese.Movie comment on The Handmaid's Tale
EssexMutant
That's some freaky dystopia.Movie comment on Brexit: The Uncivil War
EssexMutant
Far exceeds the expectations of a TV movie dramatisation. Benedict Cumberbatch is very good and makes excellent use of the witty script. The story itself continues to unfold, warts and all.Movie comment on Tarantula
EssexMutant
"I knew Leo G. CarrollWas over a barrel
When tarantula took to the hills..."
Toplist comment on Empire Magazine - All 5-Star Rated Films
EssexMutant
October 2018...(none)
November 2018...
(none)
December 2018...
(none)
January 2019...
Roma
February 2019...
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
March 2019...
If Beale Street Could Talk
Toplist comment on IndieWire Oscar Predictions 2019
EssexMutant
11A Star is Born, picture, director, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, costume design, editing, original song, sound editing, sound mixing
10
The Favourite, picture, director, lead actress, supporting actress (*2), original screenplay, cinematography, costume design, editing, production design
First Man, picture, director, supporting actress, cinematography, editing, production design, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects
9
Black Panther, picture, director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, cinematography, costume design, production design, original song, visual effects
8
Roma, picture, director, lead actress, original screenplay, cinematography, editing, foreign language feature, production design
6
Mary Poppins Returns, production design, original score, original song (*2), sound editing, sound mixing
5
If Beale Street Could Talk, picture, supporting actress, cinematography, editing, original score
4
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, picture, lead actress, supporting actor, adapted screenplay
Green Book picture, lead actor, supporting actor, original screenplay
3
BlacKkKlansman picture, adapted screenplay, original score
Bohemian Rhapsody, lead actor, costume design, makeup & hairstyling
Vice, lead actor, supporting actress, makeup & hairstyling
2
First Reformed, lead actor, original screenplay
Isle of Dogs, animated feature, original score
Leave No Trace picture, adapted screenplay
A Quiet Place, sound editing, sound mixing
1
Age of Sail, animated short
Avengers: Infinity War, visual effects
Bao, animated short
Beautiful Boy, supporting actor
Bilby, animated short
Bird Karma, animated short
Burning, foreign language feature
Capernaum, foreign language feature
Colette, costume design
Crime + Punishment, documentary feature
Eighth Grade, original screenplay
Free Solo, documentary feature
Incredibles 2, animated feature
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, visual effects
Minding the Gap, documentary feature
Mirai no Mirai (AKA Mirai), animated feature
Of Fathers and Sons, documentary feature
Ralph Breaks the Internet, animated feature
RBG, original song
Ready Player One, visual effects
Manbiki kazoku (AKA Shoplifters), foreign language feature
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, animated feature
Weekends, animated short
The Wife, lead actress
Won't You Be My Neighbor?, documentary feature
Zimna wojna (Cold War), foreign language feature
Movie comment on Koi no tsumi
EssexMutant
International version runs at just 113 minutes and is Sono's preferred version. Comparison here.Movie comment on Amityville II: The Possession
EssexMutant
This is supposed to be a prequel, despite the title and the numerous things in the film that renders this inconsistent.Much darker in tone than you'd expect from the franchise (to think they also cut out
It's not great, but the RT 5% score is ridiculously low for the creativity on offer here. Tarantino loves it too.
Movie comment on Gentleman Jim
EssexMutant
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v18834331bzmaetbxToplist comment on Empire Magazine - All 5-Star Rated Films
EssexMutant
July 2018...(none)
August 2018...
(none)
September 2018...
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Cold War (Zimna Wojna)
Showing items 1 – 25 of 486