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pjonsson
Reviews
The Hunley (1999)
Superb film that deserves a DVD release!
This film includes a powerful performance by Armand Assante, easily matching the undeniably good performance of Donald Sutherland. It includes an excellent portrayal of Civil War Charleston and the desperate situation of the Confederacy in 1864. Out of that desperation came the impetus to put a (very) basic submarine into service. All in all a powerful film about desperate people volunteering for a dangerous duty they believed in.
I strongly recommend this film to Civil War and general military history buffs. It will breathe life into your understanding of the Civil War period. Where is the DVD!
Sideways (2004)
Gets better the more you watch it. (Possible Spoilers)
Have seen this film three times now, the first time I was a little confused by it (comedy, black comedy, drama mix?) and had little time or sympathy for the characters. The second time I started to realise some of the reasons for one of the characters actions and then had more sympathy for that character - which helped. The third time I saw the film I started to enjoy it more - to relish the scenes that I think will make this a somewhat timeless classic, and to discover more that I hadn't noticed before. I don't think that this film will date much - the themes are fairly universal (friendship, honesty - or the lack of, self-deceit, ego, chasing the opposite sex etc). In fact I think it will date well because of this. On a further note, I think part of the humour is the unlikely combination these friends present and the way they irritate each other at times. Yet through it all their friendship remains which gives the film a warm upbeat feeling.
Get Carter (2000)
Under-rated film. Actually a stylish masterpiece.
From Stephen T. Kay (of "The Shield" fame) comes a Get Carter 're-make', but viewers shouldn't treat this as a re-make of the film - rather a modern re-interpretation of the book "Jack's Return Home" (1970). The basic premise is the same, an injustice followed by revenge - but this film is an excellent work in it's own separate right. The limited connections between the films are the book, the film title and a few references to the 1971 film (and Caine's presence in both). There is a lot of "film snobbery" out there about Stallone and it's true that he's had his fair share of c*** films, but this isn't one of them. His acting would put a lot of people to shame, in fact it's a superb performance (also see "Copland"). His presence dominates his scenes, only Caine and Mickey Rourke's presence competes. The supporting actors are very good too and the storyline is such that if you blink you'll miss the thread. People who say "I didn't get it", frankly just need to see the film again. It definitely deserves multiple viewings. Also, look how many comments the film has - always a good guide as to whether a film has made an impact or not - twice as many as the original and 2/3 as many as Taxi Driver.....
Not to mention the film is beautifully shot, brilliantly edited and has a Greeaaat soundtrack!
Lovejoy (1986)
Lovejoy, love it to bits!
This TV series brings back fond memories of the late 80's, early 90's. Happen to have an interest in Antiques but this was completely unnecessary in order to enjoy the series. Lovejoy the Antiques dealer was an interesting combination of amateur Detective, righter of wrongs, incurable romantic/ womaniser (!), and occasional con-man which gave him a slightly dark edge - though he would generally only con other con-men or unsavoury wealthy types with so much money they would hardly notice it. This was a programme which at the time seemed to out-shine all others. The first series in 1986 was separated by a five year gap to 1991 for the second series. It only returned due to huge public demand in the UK. In the end six series were produced though some of the old characters had sadly disappeared by the last series. Why do I think Lovejoy was so good? Because it was refreshingly innocent - there was no 'body count' (well a very occasional murder), lots of good-natured banter between friends and very varied story-lines. Plus Lovejoy seemed to lead a rather enviable life, sometimes struggling financially, other times with a wind-fall but always surrounded by good friends and enjoying the hell out of life. And what country-side - the beautiful green fields and villages of England's East Anglia! There were 71 episodes to enjoy, and it does get repeated here and there - but only a few episodes have been released on VHS. Where Oh where are the DVD's??? If you haven't seen it yet and get a chance to see it - do so - it'll leave you with a feel-good factor you won't forget.
Lovejoy (1986)
Lovejoy, love it to bits!
This TV series brings back fond memories of the late 80's, early 90's. Happen to have an interest in Antiques but this was completely unnecessary in order to enjoy the series. Lovejoy the Antiques dealer was an interesting combination of amateur Detective, righter of wrongs, incurable romantic/ womaniser (!), and occasional con-man which gave him a slightly dark edge - though he would generally only con other con-men or unsavoury wealthy types with so much money they would hardly notice it. This was a programme which at the time seemed to out-shine all others. The first series in 1986 was separated by a five year gap to 1991 for the second series. It only returned due to huge public demand in the UK. In the end six series were produced though some of the old characters had sadly disappeared by the last series. Why do I think Lovejoy was so good? Because it was refreshingly innocent - there was no 'body count' (well a very occasional murder), lots of good-natured banter between friends and very varied story-lines. Plus Lovejoy seemed to lead a rather enviable life, sometimes struggling financially, other times with a wind-fall but always surrounded by good friends and enjoying the hell out of life. And what country-side - the beautiful green fields and villages of England's East Anglia! There were 71 episodes to enjoy, and it does get repeated here and there - but only a few episodes have been released on VHS. Where Oh where are the DVD's??? If you haven't seen it yet and get a chance to see it - do so - it'll leave you with a feel-good factor you won't forget.