Change Your Image
mollidew
Reviews
Flatline (2010)
Immature young adult gone mad
I gave this a four because it's not the worst movie I've ever seen. The main actor who portrays Marc isn't a bad actor but does seem to be green. His facial expressions were grotesque in my mind. My biggest peeve is when actors are portraying someone grieving over the top and they make all the grimaces and sounds but they have no tears. Don't cast an actor who does not have the spontaneous ability to shed tears on cue. It's obvious and generally turns me off to the movie. I don't know about the spiritual side because it was just in a list of movies offered. I could care less about anyone's personal views of their faith and preaching here. I couldn't detect religion having any bearing except a phrase here or there. I watch a lot of movies but I have to say, this one is difficult to watch and I don't think it's the writer or the story that they are trying to tell. I believe it was miscast. Flashback films seem to be in vogue right now so I don't blame anyone for those being in the film. At least it shows the boy had a pretty good relationship with his father and was going through long term grief over the death of his mother and now his father. He couldn't accept it and went over the edge. I don't know what it is but there is something that isn't very appealing about this movie.
The Secret Village (2013)
Love story
This is definitely not the worst movie I have seen in recent years. Thrillers are always slow paced and you get the answers at the end. I haven't seen many that weren't like that. They can be confusing and annoying to people who prefer action movies or straight horror. This was not a horror movie. All the horror was in the mind of the female protagonist. About half way through I started to piece together the call the male lead made at the beginning. I thought the music was fine and helped to give the idea of suspense so that you wouldn't figure out she was imagining almost everything. I doubt she was calling anyone on the phone, perhaps her doctor or boyfriend. If they explained that I didn't catch it. She was poisoned which I figured out early on and having delusions. The locals were trying to coax her to go back with her boyfriend who she had rejected in favor of her delusions, but they couldn't get near enough to talk to her. She became very paranoid. Ergot poisoning was debilitating and often ended in death. It wasn't like a normal break with reality it was a very physical manifestation elicited by the poisoning. The actors plying the two main characters were not newbies and especially the boyfriend. I saw no problem with the acting. Some of the shots made the movie a little confusing but otherwise it was straight forward and people should have caught on when Paul and his friend kept showing up out of nowhere. I feel this one has gotten a bad wrap but if you don't like mysterious slow paced thrillers by all means, don't watch this movie. I personally like them and to see how they spin in the end. The author obviously had knowledge of the ergot poisoning theories in regard to witchcraft trials, especially the one at Salem Village. I personally intend on watching it a second time to see if I pick up details I missed. No I don't know the actors, the studio or writer.
The 100 (2014)
Post apocalyptic earth, space station over populated, disgruntled teens
I haven't seen enough of this show to review it properly in my opinion but I will try. First I have to say, science fiction is not based on science fact and what someone might do in real life or projected future. You have to be willing to suspend credibility for entertainment.
The CW tends to cater to a younger audience and I have to say I am weary of shows that showcase large numbers of teens. The doctor that is mentioned in one review was not killed. She was pardoned before they were going to put her out of the airlock. Given all these things the show may fail because of the audience they have chosen instead of something much wider.
One particular thing that I didn't like was seeing Richard Harmon as an angry teenager on this show. He is being typecast and when I see him I know he will be a troublemaker. He has also been cast on too many TV series of this type. I don't care for him at all so that turns me off on watching this show but I'm not apart of their target audience anyway. If they step out of the typical formula for shows like this it might fly. The idea there was a nuclear holocaust on the planet and the only survivors were those on a number of space stations is interesting. The fact they linked them all together to form the Ark very inventive.
What I didn't like was the typical slaughter of people randomly to cut down the population. This is not a new idea and a pretty predictable activity in a story like this one. Eventually they are going to have to send adults to the Earth's surface. I see no other way to keep the storyline going. It would be nice to see perhaps aliens living there who know how to adapt to radiation exposure. As for anything else, that would be based on real science, hey, its for entertainment and is not a what if type of documentary. It doesn't have to be accurate and it doesn't have to follow the way the audience would like. One has to watch enough because a show has to have time to grow and evolve. It looks to be a very good series if people will give it a chance.
Lace II (1985)
Kidnapping, finding father.
This miniseries is an adaptation and although it doesn't follow the second book completely it is not a major motion picture so the writers have to go the direction that fits best with the first book in this form. Essentially the second segment is about finding out who Lili's (Elizabeth)father is and getting Judy back when she is kidnapped after she goes to see a rebel leader. I didn't get the feeling that no one cared about Judy at all. They didn't want to openly state she had been kidnapped for fear it would jeopardize her life and none of the women had enough money to pay the ransom.
Lili, Pagan and Maxine go to each of the men they suspect to have raped Judy to extort money from them for the ransom. The rebel leader falls in love with Judy. Ultimately she gets released and after Lili reads all three versions of a chapter within a book Judy had written about Lucinda Lace, that was never published, it is revealed who the father actually is. In the end, Lili does not say who her real father is and says it is one of the men who had died. It would have been devastating for the actual father considering his position in life.
I liked this adaptation of the second book as well as the adaptation of the first book. It fit well as far as continuity to the first miniseries. I preferred the new actress in the part of Judy as well. She seemed to fit the character much better. Too bad they didn't use her the first time. This was a very good miniseries and I recommend it to anyone who likes romance stories with twists.
Lace (1984)
Romance, intrigue, girl seaches for parents.
I think people don't realize this miniseries is an adaptation of a book by the same name which I have and it follows the book pretty well. I finally found the miniseries in YouTube where I can watch it in full even though it is broken up into small segments. Like others, I too searched for it. I think accents are insignificant. Many actors are not that adept with accents and that is the only criticism I have of Lace.
This was an outstanding miniseries more geared for females actually. The only other miniseries I have seen with such depth is Queenie. The main actresses were all quite good but the one I liked the least was Bess Armstrong who I thought was miscast. This is a story of young girls running the span of their lives from about 1960 to 1980 that were connected to high society. Much of the story is done in flashbacks going from each one of the women and the child that ties them together.
They are caught up in the idea of love and their many encounters with romance as young women in a boarding school in the Swiss Alps. They each have misadventures with men that they meet during that time. One of them gets pregnant and they stand together so that no one knows which one until the time comes when it is noticeable. The pregnant girl has her baby via a doctor that they were seeing together that was not the one that diagnosed the pregnancy. The baby is born but the child is placed with a couple and is watched over and support is sent by someone connected to the girls. The child is named Elizabeth Lace and her mother is put down as Lucinda Lace. The three make a pact between them that when any of them can afford to take the child they will. It is put off for a few years when they finally get word that the child has died which is not the case. This news breaks up their friendship since they all feel responsible for her death.
The child, Elizabeth, is put into a prison camp and spends many years going through horrendous experiences. She ends up a famous femme fatale of the screen. Her movies are risqué to say the least but she makes a lot of money. She has enough money and fame that she can now as a young adult, seriously search out and find her mother. Therefore she hires a private detective to help her find her mother. She brings them all back together against their better judgment and says the line that stands out to most who watched the series, "Which one of you bitches is my mother?"
This is a serious but light-hearted at times story of three women over the course of most of their young lives and how they are tied together by their experiences and the child one had out of wedlock.
Embrace of the Vampire (2013)
thriller with a touch of gore and a lot of nude scenes
This movie couldn't really be called a remake of the film that starred Alyssa Milano in the 90s. Other than cast names one could only say it was inspired by the original. I saw someone mention the actress who played Charlotte acting like Kristen Stewart. This simply is not true. The girl was suffering from night terrors, ancestral memory flashbacks and delusions or waking dreams as they were referred to in the movie. She was traumatized not knowing what was real and what was not. She was on medications and had no living family and had been in a Catholic school, not to mention she was a virgin. She got a scholarship for fencing and this was why she was in college. She had reverted into herself and was extremely shy. The only thing negative I have to say about it was too many sex scenes. They were not needed. The story was a little hard to follow and most of the explanation came from the Gypsy lady or I assumed that was what she was by the way she portrayed her character. If you are looking for something that goes bump in the night you won't find that in this movie or the original which was more of a paranormal romance. It is about a girl trying to figure out what is happening to her, getting hazed by the fencing team because she was the newbie and trying to come to grips with her predicament. She didn't understand what was happening to her. They could have clarified more about her background and why she was taking meds. It was obvious but we don't see how these flashbacks and hallucinations begin and what the professionals were telling her since she was taking drugs. It's like she was just sort of dropped off at the school and you had to piece together what it all means. This is a B movie to me and a good one for that class. If you are looking for a 30 Days of Night type of a movie, you won't find it in this one. It's not the worst movie because I have watched many but just not an A list movie. It really would depend on your taste but I think it is one that should be watched more than once to get everything because of all the flashbacks and hallucinations in the film.
The Tall Man (2012)
Courageous, splendidly acted psychological thriller
This is one of the best movies in its genre I have seen in a long time. It really leaves you astounded by the actual reality of what the movie is trying to convey. People are right, this is not a horror flick. It was put together brilliantly and keeps you wondering what is going on until the very end of the movie. I didn't think the ending was mushy but very poignant. What this movie showed leaves one wondering about society and what we have become. It is a very dark and melancholy type of movie that rises from the depths of despair and gives one hope for a better future. I would say more but it is essential this movie is watched without knowing the storyline completely. I wholeheartedly recommend watching this film. You will sit awhile and really think about it. It's about people and survival and not exactly about women and I personally did not find it offensive as someone suggested. Watch it and decide for yourself.
The Traveler (2010)
Eerie and full of surprises
I read some of the reviews first and it is like almost all horror/thrillers, most people don't really like them. Not all are going to be on the par of winning Oscars and how many ever do??? This one I classify as a paranormal thriller rather than hardcore horror even though there was some blood and guts to it. People should quit comparing movies to each other because you will find similarities to other movies because so many have been made. It's not important to a review. I did not think Val's performance was bad in fact he was what I liked most about the movie. He played it perfectly as he always does. The supporting cast was fine. Most of them had small parts so there was no way for them to stand out much except Black.
Someone mentioned the photo of the little girl. This is only a guess because they don't really tell you but her father had been there. He is most likely the one who took the picture and I think he stepped away to the car or somewhere else momentarily to come back and find her missing. The whole movie had a really eerie feel and it left me thinking WOW. Even though it looked lower budget I thought for the genre it did a good job. It doesn't deserved to be rated a one or a two because it was better than that. The traveler and Detective Black were the focal points of the story and both of them did a wonderful job where there was little in the story to sustain it. There was only the run down police station, lonely and quiet on Christmas Eve.
The Secret Circle (2011)
Paranormal teenage/adult mystery thriller
I like this show and I am watching it on Netflix since I kept missing it when it was on TV. It moves a little slowly and I think that is what was its downfall. All the characters are interesting especially those that play the teens in the show. The thing they should have done is better research if they were going to introduce witchcraft into the mix. There is a big difference between Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft and only modern Wicca kept Books of Shadows. Introducing that was a little odd and they mispronounced the word "sigil." You find it even listed in dictionaries sometimes with the wrong pronunciation. It's kinda like Americans who mispronounce foyer even if they are trained interior designers. Perhaps the author of the book didn't know or this was something they came up with for the TV series exclusively but I don't know but if one brings magic into the story explicitly they should at least do some research. Sigil comes from Latin and there is no J sound in Latin only a hard G. So it is Sigh Gill, not Sidjell. I laughed on that one. Otherwise it was pretty entertaining and someone else should pick it up and continue the story in my opinion.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Outstanding and heartfelt for a child with Aspergers
I gave this movie a 10 realizing most who watched the movie would not get it. This movie should have won an academy award and so should have the star, Tom Horn. Considering this was his first acting job he was amazing. The movie was so intense I cried. I worked with children with various forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder for ten years (a label that is not in the old DSM IV but will be in the DSM V eliminating some like Asperger's) Asperger's is what this kid had and the behaviors this actor showed was right on. If you haven't been around children with this disorder you wouldn't have a clue. They don't know how to express their feelings like everyone else and they fixate on things. One never knows what that might be.
I am shocked so few people got it and found the kid annoying. This is how they act many of them. They are blunt generally and say what they think and go on and on to the point you might not want to hear what they are saying because the world to them is black and white and they don't see the nuances of life. This movie was priceless in the way they showed a kid with this disorder react and try to understand the reason for his father's death in the Twin Towers. I would say to those who didn't like it do some research on the characterization and why a child would act this way. I absolutely loved this movie and I cried and cried because I perfectly understood why something like they showed could happen. His father told him he was special. I can't believe this kid could learn so much dialog. He literally carried the movie. The critics were wrong about this movie from the get go but then they aren't always correct because you can bet they probably haven't experienced a child like this and there are a lot out there and adults who are the ones inventing the gadgets you use everyday. I will read the book this is adapted from now because this is one of the best films I have seen in a very long time. Too bad others couldn't appreciate it for what it was. Open up your world and get to know about such things because autism is an epidemic in the US and many kids behave this way. They don't all set up the system as in this movie but they do things similarly as if driven to the point where no one else can understand why they are doing what they are doing or even perceive how they think. Incredibly touching and realistic for a boy in grief with Asperger's Syndrome.
Underworld: Awakening (2012)
Vampires and Hybrids collide
I can see some did not like this addition to the Underworld series of movies and some made derogatory remarks about the Twilight series which has NOTHING to do with this one at all and is a good string of movies. I weigh movies on their own merit and not by what I think a vampire should be like...they are entirely fictional in nature. They can be anything the author dreams up. This one, for me, brought a breath of fresh air by introducing some new characters. I didn't see the gore as being anymore or less than any of the other movies but if you follow the plot, it is inconceivable that there would be none when the humans are trying to eradicate vampires and lycans alike. I thought it interesting they introduced a child with the traits of both given birth by Selene while she was kept asleep and fathered by Michael. I don't know why people wouldn't like this movie. I preferred this one to the third movie and they left it open for another installment. It did pretty well at the box office. Kate Beckinsale does a great job as Selene yet a fourth time. I liked it very much and I hope they make another one bringing Michael back into the story once they find him. I saw no problem with the acting and thought it was a good idea they continued in another direction because the other one had run its course.
Womb (2010)
Slow moving shocker
These days it seems a lot of artsy movies are coming on the scene in many genres. I can't say I like the trend but I managed to watch all of this movie. It moved so slowly that I often thought the snail a good metaphor for the movie itself. I am not an avid fan of Dr. Who, so I didn't know who Mr. Smith was as an actor. I thought he did a pretty good job but at times his reactions were a bit odd and the things he did. I don't see the idea of incest really that relevant in the movie. For some reason I thought the first scene was the consequences of what happened at the end and not her being a surrogate to bring back the love of her life. He wasn't of her flesh and blood so it's debatable that anything they did was actually wrong even though he had thought she was his biological Mother through all of his growing up. The fact of the matter being that she was not. It examines what makes people attracted to each other but it doesn't really answer that question. There is a lot of silence with the little bit of dialog to leave it up to the audience to interpret. The scenery was beautiful but lonely and isolated. She gave up her life to get back this person she loved so much. It's a very sad story and a good wake-up call as to whether cloning humans is the wave of the future. How would they relate to their identity? Would they have residual memories of their previous life or be independent? Would they be shunned by society and especially the religious elitists? It's a very thought provoking movie. I felt sorry in the end for Rebecca and Tommie.
The Sender (1998)
Unusual story plot
This is not the worst movie I have ever seen, in fact I really liked this movie except the character who was chasing Madsen all the time. I felt he was over stereotyped. I liked the idea behind the movie and I think if they had toned down some of it, they would have done the story more justice. In a movie like this, just like Starman, there are going to be chase scenes. I did notice that they didn't refill their guns but in some movies they don't show that. The interaction of the airmen in the beginning was very true to how they reacted to UFOs and still do. They generally don't report them for fear of ridicule. I wasn't surprised by the dialog. They could have done a little more in depth on the story with better effects but considering it was low budget, it makes sense. I didn't think Madsen's portrayal is any different than I have ever seen him in any movie...he was OK. The beginning of the movie was not in the 50s. It clearly said on screen that it was 1965 in the Bermuda Triangle area. I would like to see this movie remade with better effects and a slightly better script. I think it could make an excellent top-notch science fiction movie. I personally liked it and have bought the movie. It was very entertaining and there was some really nice family interaction between the supposedly dead father and his son (Madsen's part) and the young girl and her father and the Angel.
Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
End of the world theme
I was going to give this movie less but considering it is horror/fantasy I put five instead. I recognize most of the older character actors but other than Julian Sands that was it. I thought they all did a great job considering the story line. I like to play with twisting myth myself in my own stories but they could have at least called him a Sorcerer or Necromancer, evil magician and not a Warlock which is a totally wrong word to use starting with the first movie and instead of making these people Druids, make them some secret society that fights evil.
The word warlock does NOT mean a male witch. It means an oath breaker, liar, someone who cannot be trusted and can apply to either a male or female. Considering the subject matter it would have more appropriately been a female but if using the other terms a male was fine. The Druids as someone else stated had no beliefs even remotely akin to Christianity at all. Neither did those who practiced witchcraft at any time. Therefore I consider the movie a campy one and without much merit. That isn't the fault of the actors but of the writers that wrote such hokey material. BUT taken on it's own and liberally with the storyline it's not too bad. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a fan of the first movie which is pretty bad as well.
Eve's Christmas (2004)
Delightful paranormal romance in a Christmas setting
I recently re-watched this movie on Hallmark. I loved it as much as I did the first time. I don't understand why Sebastian Spence was not mentioned in reviews as he is a wonderful TV actor. I also had never heard of Elisa Donovan and thought she was charming in the roll but seemed the way she portrayed the character she was a tad hyper all the time and stammering her lines a lot but I understand why she played it that way. The experience for Eve was slightly overwhelming.
It's a feel good, get a second chance type of movie, not so much for females but family watching with older children. I recommend the movie to anyone who wants a switch from The Christmas Carol to something with another fantasy based plot. I gave it an excellent rating based on the quality of a TV movie.
1-800-Missing (2003)
Crime drama with a paranormal twist
The premise of someone being struck by lightning, surviving and having visions isn't new but perhaps to fiction. This happened to Dannion Brinkley in real life. I liked both sets of cast and they did show Jess's Mom and brother within the framework of the second set of cast. The show was really about Jess and it evolved in a way I thought was very appropriate for her life to move forward. It highlighted others in the cast as well to make it multidimensional. I found no flaws in the acting or dialog. Mostly because I'm not a professional who teaches drama. I didn't think anyone was over acting due to the background of each character. Many times it was quite humorous in how they interacted which was of a level that relieved some of the seriousness of the topics they examined in the series. Fox's character was intense due to hard knocks in life she had to over-come where as Ruben came from a family that had money and prestige. I found all the characters explored in depth and the backgrounds of each playing a factor in how the part was portrayed by the actor. I don't compare Ruben or Fox because the characters weren't remotely alike other than being FBI Agents. I did like the first theme song better because it wasn't like all the others these days in the hip-hop style. It added to the uniqueness of the show but it may have had something to do with Ruben leaving why it changed. Louis Ferreira went by Justin Louis on this show so what IMDb has listed is incorrect in regard to billing. I loved all the seasons of this show with all the actors involved. I only wish that Lifetime had the foresight to hold on for another season and do more ads for it and people would have realized that Jess was growing older and in the show she evolved into a more mature individual with different dress and hair style. Sad a great show was cut short. I personally loved the series.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
Funny, paranormal romance
I wonder if anyone realizes these books that spawned the movies are labeled for "children,' and not adults. The books have received many awards under the child category. If adults cannot get into them that may be the reason. I think the films are great and I am neither a child nor one of the young adults constantly complaining about something with these films. I am a senior and I thoroughly enjoyed all the films. As for the books, well Meyer is a good story teller and a beginning writer. Books cannot fully translate to the screen and after all they are made to make money. My daughter works in management in a movie theater and the film is popular, so much so in a theater that doesn't generally have a lot of attendance it has been packed for days to view this film and more people keep streaming in. I believe they toned down the film for the sake of younger people who have read the books and would like to see the movies. Even Meyer was made to tone down the books by editors. It has always been geared generally for a younger audience but when put into film it really should have been reconciled and gone for the adult audience is my only criticism.
I laughed through the wedding in various parts not because it was silly but it was cute the way they did the speakers part. I knew what was coming and I think they did a good job. This is a romance movie that has vampires and shape shifters in it. This type of genre is generally labeled paranormal romance. The last part should be more to the taste of die hard vampire movie fans but let me tell you, all vampire stories are fiction and made up. So people should get over ridiculing these stories. What they show is very clever and entertaining.
You have to take the films on their own merit and not judge them by the books at all. I found Stewart and Pattinson to be good at carrying over the way they portrayed their characters. I think this movie shows the vampire in a more humanistic manner which throws off many people but that is what I like about them...to me it makes sense.
I also liked the fact they brought in other vampires as an extension of their family and how they mixed everyone together getting along for the sake of the two who just got married. I didn't feel the movie dragged on at all and liked the detour to the island off of Brazil to be very tender in nature with each main character dealing with their insecurities and Bella being a virgin with no prior idea of what to expect and especially with a vampire that didn't want to hurt her. The dynamic is unusual and makes for the entertainment value of the movie. Over all I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and await the second half. Try to keep in mind the story is an extension of a vampire clan that has made their choice not to kill humans but it is a side issue to the romance between Bella and Edward so therefore if you don't like romance movies with a paranormal twist, you won't like this movie. I think it was excellent.
The A-Team (2010)
Miscast. Insult to the original
I'm not going to rehash the movie. Enough reviewers have given a synopsis. I was a hardcore A-Team fan. The movie has a problem with casting. Neeson is an excellent actor but he doesn't have the charisma of George Peppard. A more appropriate actor might have been someone like Pearce Brosnan. He has the tongue-in-cheek humor that was so prevalent with Peppard. The actor who played BA was the only one I liked. Neeson was too serious in the part. Perhaps that was his direction. The actor who played "Face" was totally wrong. He had no qualities of the original at all. He wasn't exactly good looking which goes with that part. Face was vain and clean cut. He wouldn't have looked scruffy unless caught in the wilderness with no recourse and then he would have found a way. He was good looking, a ladies man. Whereas this guy is distinctive but not a head turner. Some may think Benedict wasn't but I lived through that time and he was considered a romantic symbol by women after his stint on Battlestar Gallactica. At least he was attractive. I found the other man only hairy. I didn't like him at all in the part and it ruined it somewhat for me. They botched it. I'm sure young men liked the movie because of its violence and action but that's about all I could say about this movie. When someone makes a movie based on a popular TV series or previous movie, they need to keep true at least to the characters and cast similar actors. Neeson turned me off as Hannibal. He was course and unattractive. Peppard was not remotely like Neeson. The fourth actor was all right, never heard of him.
The Time Machine (2002)
Scifi, time travel and romance thriller
So many have tried to downgrade this movie but I guess they saw a different movie than I did. It's setting is in the US but so have many of the War of the World movies been located in the US. Adaptations are just that. They are going to be the vision of the book by the screenwriter and associates. They definitely don't want to make it an up-scaled version of the first one. I am old enough I saw both of these movies at the theater. Both are equally good.
The second movie is by no means garbage in any way. It is a good movie in its own right and should not be compared to the other one or the book since it is not trying to recreate the first movie nor the book on the screen and is an entirely different medium. I had a hard time getting used to Guy Pearce because frankly I had never heard of him before this movie and he is a little odd looking. He played a much more eccentric professor and wasn't portrayed as H.G. as in the first movie. I like the way they dealt with his fiancé's death. It showed that no one was at fault that it would have happened one way or another.
When something is fiction, it doesn't have to relate to science fact. It is a fairytale of sorts. It extrapolates on truths. I don't try to pick apart what could or could not happen scientifically and if anyone does that, it ruins the movie. I liked that Jeremy Irons was a surprise at the ending. It was very dramatic in the way they showed him and unsuspected. This movie had much more depth to it than the first one in my opinion but it takes a few watches to really get into it. The librarian gave the movie the comedy relief it needed and I thought was a good touch to the story.
As for the special effects they were outstanding to me and as just an average person I didn't notice any goofs, etc. Most wouldn't notice those types of things. I thought it was stunning and the musical score is what hit me. It is absolutely fantastic. One of the best I had heard in a long time. It should have gotten much more recognition. It takes my breath away but maybe because I majored in music. Anyone who didn't like this movie was going into the theater with their own expectations rather than just sitting back and enjoying a very entertaining movie.
Doomsday Prophecy (2011)
Action packed, mystery, clairvoyance and end of world drama
This is a TV movie so I judge it on that level. Special effects are costly and TV movies don't have those types of budgets. I am not an acting coach so I would say the acting is fine. They do have a director that tells the actors his vision of how the story should be portrayed. The beginning is very thought provoking with part of a sea having disappeared into the Earth. It moved rather quickly so I had a hard time grasping what was happening at first.
A famous author, Crane, is making predictions in his books that are coming true. It is an end of times type of prophecy but I didn't hear it connected to 2012 directly. Basically there is a dark star and an interaction with an alignment of the equator of the galaxy. They don't know how it will affect the Earth but they state it will cause a lot of change. As you watch the movie, it is destroying the Earth.
There is a rod that gives certain people visions and the government or what appears to be the military is trying to get hold of it. This is mostly what the chasing and shooting in the movie is about. They are chasing a woman, Brooke and a man the author passed on information to and then died. The young man is named Eric Fox and works for a publisher and has come to collect another manuscript Crane has supposedly written. It was a ruse and he left him the rod. He began to have visions when he touched it. He left them a video recording and told the both of them that it did indeed give him visions but it had a dark side, it sapped one of their life force. He also told Fox it was his birthright. Naturally he didn't know anything about his parents. Therefore it was just another piece of an extremely large puzzle.
One by one cities are being decimated. The two go on a quest to save the world in twelve hours and have very little idea as to what to do. A strange girl approaches them and takes them to see her Father. He is Native American and there are symbols on rocks that they never understood. He speaks of Ancients that are supposed to have saved the planet in the past. There is a connection to Easter Island and the alignments in space. They believe there is a second set of symbols right there. He believes these people were aware of what was to come in the future. They believe with the rod and these alignments/symbols they can save the Earth.
Basically from this point they are being chased to get the rod, they are trying to avoid the people chasing them, figure out what everything means and save the Earth before midnight. It is typical of doomsday types of movies. I found it entertaining but of course your usual Syfy fare, no better or worse.
Moonlight Serenade (2009)
Musical, romance, money, loss
This is an old-fashioned style of movie. It moves slowly and is the type of movie where the underdog wins out and the surprise of talent totally different from their profession comes out. It is not a new idea and is something out of movies I have watched many times but it didn't take away from the movie. The only criticism I have is I felt the characters were not developed enough so you got a better handle on who they were. It was predictable but even though cliché, I enjoyed the movie anyway. It was nice to watch a movie without violence, profanity and nudity.
I wasn't quite sure what Nate's job was and I got the idea he was a stock broker or something like that. The offices, even though facades, looked fine. They actually looked like many I have been inside. The average person who has no film making background isn't going to notice how shots look so much. That was fine to me. I was concentrating on the interactions of the characters.
As for the singing, jazz isn't my cup of tea really but I do listen to some and the standards were nice. I disagree with others about the character Nate. I felt his voice was very smooth and he sounded much better singing the music than Amy Adams even though she is a favorite of mine but not for her singing. I have a musical background and always felt she has an odd singing voice and is a little whiny sounding. She didn't always hit the notes as well. I figured the two main characters were doing their own singing since I knew Amy Adams did in Enchanted where the music was more suited to her voice but still even there she has sort of a whiny sound when she sings. She is cute and perky and her personality tends to sell the films. I don't think young people would like this movie much and if rating, would give this movie bad reviews most likely. It is not action packed and on top of it, it is a musical that showcases jazz and older styles of pop music. I felt the acting was fine with what they had to work with. Independent movies are usually low budget and I can't see why it would need a higher budget given the storyline. It's not a bad movie but more suited to television I think.
From the Dead of Night (1989)
OBE, Near Death Experience, Love triangle
I saw this when it was originally on television and I found it to be a well acted, suspenseful movie. I finally got the DVD and I don't know if this is the whole TV release or if it has been cut to fit one DVD.
I had remembered it being a mini series but it may have just been a two- part TV movie. It definitely wasn't the length of a normal TV movie as it had more than one part on different days when viewing.
I think it is a good film and well worth viewing if you are interested in the subject matter. I think they left in parts that would seem stretched at the time length of an ordinary TV movie.
It basically deals with Johanna's attempt to save her own life because of the length of time lapsed in her death experience and how she solves the issue of not being killed to bring her back to the light. Remember this was done in 1989 prior to a lot of movies that have since been released in theaters on this topic and it was for TV viewing audiences. They did an excellent job considering the time frame it was shown and the topic. I have never found it boring at any time and this is the reason I purchased it when I discovered it was on DVD. It was adapted from a 1980 novel called "Walkers" by Gary Brandner who also wrote "The Howling." Someone mentioned Flatliners which came out the next year but it doesn't remotely have anything in common with this movie other than the life after death theme which is explored differently and came from a screenplay. "Watchers" is much older than this. So there is no comparison whatsoever between these two movies. I liked them both but "From the Dead of Night" was a unique idea and I have never seen any movies quite like this one other than the subject of Near Death Experience. It is more suspenseful than scary in my opinion but individual viewers will vary on how it impacts them.
Blue Smoke (2007)
Romance and suspense
I feel it isn't relevant that this is a made for TV movie. Whether TV or the big screen, movies are an entirely different medium from the novel. In so saying, they cannot be translated exactly into a TV screenplay. One must cut out some details or change them for the time frame given. The opening scenes were very suspenseful, even as some have stated, probably not what actually happens in a real test. It wouldn't have shown the main characters dilemma over fire and set up the storyline without it.
Ms Witt is always charming in her roles. I remember her the most when she was much younger in Mr. Holland's Opus. She is wonderful as the main character of this movie and Scott Bakula was his usual entertaining self. It is a sad story but I feel well written for TV. Most movies of this type are fairly predictable which is fine. There are only so many ways to write a story and not make it seem contrived to get some bizarre twist. This one actually has its own twist because one forgets who the arsonist could be unless you are paying very close attention. This is one aspect of the movie that escalates with the writer trying to keep us guessing by not actually showing the face of the person who is committing the crimes. This is not a new idea but it keeps you guessing who the person might be.
The additional storyline of the guy who sees a woman across the room and falls in love, looking for her over time seems a little unusual and the only part I had a little trouble with but it was a cute idea. I find the general storyline plausible, even though some details wouldn't happen in real life in my opinion. The movie was very enjoyable. I wouldn't give it a 10 but it rates an 8. If you like romance novels, you should enjoy this movie.
Invisible Child (1999)
Interesting and sad family crisis
I actually thought this was a very interesting movie. It delves into some sort of mental crisis on the part of the Mother. It really isn't explained in detail because she didn't lose a child or anything like that but she imagined one she didn't have. I felt it was done quite well. Mental illness can be unpredictable because often it can only affect one part of one's life. Other than imagining another child she seemed to carry on well with every other aspect of her family life. No one understands mental illness and given the bureaucracy these days, I can see why a family might be afraid of their Mother being put in an institution. It played out and when she didn't need that "inivisible child" she let it go. I thought it was acted quite well and it was an unique movie I have watched more than once.
The Calling (2000)
Creepy thriller
This movie appears to be low budget and did admirably. It dealt with the struggle of good over evil. Evil took a stand to be in prominence by gently leading a young women down the wrong path. The main character played by Harris was an American who married a British journalist and moved to the Isle of Man. She was totally in a strange country involved with strange happenings. No one would want to think of their own son as evil. She comes to realize what is happening but doesn't see that all through this she is being manipulated until almost the end of the film. The film at one stage is her telling a priest what has happened and he doesn't believe her of course until something happens he can't ignore.
I liked the fact that they chose to parallel things that happened to Jesus but in the reverse in certain cases. It was a very different premise on a topic that has been covered in other movies. If you like religious horror movies, I think you will like this one. It really isn't that bad a movie. It's the quality of TV movies you might see on such stations as LMN.