I began watching this basically to learn something. I saw (only) The Empress so far, it is alright, but this version is far better, more realistic. I am planing to read academic history books on this topic, so far from what I saw and read online about Sisi and Franz Joseph, this seems pretty accurate and above all, astonishingly well done in dramatic aspects. Very good acting, excelent set design... When compared to other contemporary historical TV series, such as Serpent Queen or The Great, Sisi is by far stronger and credible. I am not a Hungarian, but I did not like how most of Hungarian characters are depicted in this flick - as savages.
Reviews
14 Reviews
Invasion
(2021–2024)
Silly as bubble gum
3 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I think I watched all versions of alien invasions that there are. This is one of the least logical. The plot is confusing, characters are as stereotypical as can be, and the worst of all are the aliens - you can see them, at least several of them you can see in the all 10 episodes, they have a spider like shape, they kill people, people can not kill them, but all in all until the ebd we do not understand what they are, what exactly they want. Japanese girl talks to her lover via satelite dish but she i actually talking to aliens. One British teenager in an epileptic trans gets to communicate with them and stop them completely with his mind trick. Then suddenly US army nukes them in the space and the victory is ours. But then their spaceship appears in the sky. That\s all folks. Have I seen a sillier story than this one? Hardly ever.
Superdeep
(2020)
Strength of Russian realism and Slavic horror tradition
12 September 2021
Everybody draws a similarity between Carpenter's "The Thing" and this movie. However, there is a much closer refference - in the sci-fi TV show "Fringe" there is an episode "Alone in the world" (S4E3), in which we find a creature very similar to the one depicted in Kolskaya sverhglubokaya a.k.a. Superdeep. For me, this similarity is not a plagiarism, but a very creative upgrade of an existing motive - shall we say everyone who shot a zombie flick simply plagiarised Romero?
I enjoyed this movie. It has very well developed characters firmly rooted in the sociopolitical circumstances of the world they belong to - which enables the acting to be so persuasive and vivid. There are flaws in storytelling, but it has some major qualities of Russian classic horror fiction, such as Gogol's "Viy", or some other classic Slavic horror movies, such as "Variola Vera" by Serbian director Goran Markovic. Anyway, it is not something an average American Holywood-minded consumer is prepared for.
I enjoyed this movie. It has very well developed characters firmly rooted in the sociopolitical circumstances of the world they belong to - which enables the acting to be so persuasive and vivid. There are flaws in storytelling, but it has some major qualities of Russian classic horror fiction, such as Gogol's "Viy", or some other classic Slavic horror movies, such as "Variola Vera" by Serbian director Goran Markovic. Anyway, it is not something an average American Holywood-minded consumer is prepared for.
Next
(2020)
Very good science fiction/action show
27 November 2020
This turned out to be a much better show than I expected. The plot is much more related to 1970 sci-fi classic "Colosus: The Forbin Project" than to "Terminator", but actually at best moments it reaches the hights of "Black Mirror" and "Akta maniskor" (better know by its BBC version "Humans"). With five episodes seen so far, I dare claim it is a well written, well directed, inteligent, well acted and above all lively and persuasive show. Characters have some stereotipes built into them, but the main character of the story - "being" called Next, is rather different in character than Hal 2000 and all later AI "personalities", much more profound and subtle - which is the biggest contribution of this show to AI subgenre of science fiction. I hope this is going to last more than one season, because it deserves to.
Fuzzy cheesy
22 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This show had its great moments, however this finale makes me feel sorry for one day of my life spent watching it. Such cheesy plot, first ground swallowing Melanie like in cheapest Ninja movie, then again the tunnel opening underground, then underground exodus, then Big Jim (what a cartoon character) turning into a slash horror serial killer to avenge his babe... So far at least the acting and direction were decent. This episode brought plenty of unconvincing situations. Big Jim brings dying Poline to crater, and no one, including her son and her brother shows no drama on their faces, lines are as thin as can be... Later, she received morphine and is in agony, but her son is taking afternoon walk, her brother is showing no signs of stress...
Out there!
Out there!
Compression killed the greatness
22 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I still do not know what vote to give to this episode. Some parts of it were magnificent, such as the death of Nina Sharp, who departs in a manner of a great tragic hero, after gaining a moral victory over captain Windmark.
Some other moments, basically the ones concerning the plot setup, are so sloppy that it makes me wonder were those brilliant creating minds of the Fringe drunk or high while writing this episode. As yet Aristotle said in his "Poetics", plot should be built having in consideration what is possible and what is plausible and consequent, and the plausible should prevail over the possible if a writer wants his story to be persuasive.
How plausible and persuasive is that the Observers, depicted in previous episodes as all-controlling and all-seeing, would leave the Black Lab completely unguarded after Nina Sharp committed a suicide there? How plausible is that Peter, Olivia and Walter could sneak into the Ministry Lab while Windmark is inside with his team questioning Dr. Hastings? If loyalists could trace Nina Sharp's phone location from the moment she switched on her phone, how is it that they could not trace the call she received from Olivia? So far, the 5th season mythos has been driven upon the mystery, revealing the pieces of the puzzle Walter set up. This stream of motifs is very much alike some other J.J.Abrams babies (Lost, Alcatrazz, Person of Interest...) predictable and monotonous - which is not a little disappointing, since "Fringe" used to be by far superior and better crafted story than these mystery soap operas.
The other, much more interesting and unpredictable stream - Peter's private crusade, his self-implanting the Observers gizmo into his head, and the consequent duel with cptn Windmark, was left unsolved.
So far, only Olivia is showing a surprising lack of initiative in the season 5. Will she be the hero who saves the day? The good thing about this episode and the 5th season in complete is the successful linking of persons, events and things with ones from previous 4 seasons, and shining a new light upon the entire set of riddles from the past.
The bad thing in general is too much gizmos and too great part they play in the plot. Also, almost every "invasion" SciFi story has a "traitor invader" as a key character, in this case it is a good ole September who reemerged as Donald. But what is his motif to betray his kind?
I am still a big Fringe fan, as before, and it is still the best SciFi series ever made, but all these opened questions I don't have answers for decrease my enjoyment in the show. I guess the problem of compression of what was supposed to last for another 48 episodes into only 13 made the finale less impressive than what it deserves to be.
Some other moments, basically the ones concerning the plot setup, are so sloppy that it makes me wonder were those brilliant creating minds of the Fringe drunk or high while writing this episode. As yet Aristotle said in his "Poetics", plot should be built having in consideration what is possible and what is plausible and consequent, and the plausible should prevail over the possible if a writer wants his story to be persuasive.
How plausible and persuasive is that the Observers, depicted in previous episodes as all-controlling and all-seeing, would leave the Black Lab completely unguarded after Nina Sharp committed a suicide there? How plausible is that Peter, Olivia and Walter could sneak into the Ministry Lab while Windmark is inside with his team questioning Dr. Hastings? If loyalists could trace Nina Sharp's phone location from the moment she switched on her phone, how is it that they could not trace the call she received from Olivia? So far, the 5th season mythos has been driven upon the mystery, revealing the pieces of the puzzle Walter set up. This stream of motifs is very much alike some other J.J.Abrams babies (Lost, Alcatrazz, Person of Interest...) predictable and monotonous - which is not a little disappointing, since "Fringe" used to be by far superior and better crafted story than these mystery soap operas.
The other, much more interesting and unpredictable stream - Peter's private crusade, his self-implanting the Observers gizmo into his head, and the consequent duel with cptn Windmark, was left unsolved.
So far, only Olivia is showing a surprising lack of initiative in the season 5. Will she be the hero who saves the day? The good thing about this episode and the 5th season in complete is the successful linking of persons, events and things with ones from previous 4 seasons, and shining a new light upon the entire set of riddles from the past.
The bad thing in general is too much gizmos and too great part they play in the plot. Also, almost every "invasion" SciFi story has a "traitor invader" as a key character, in this case it is a good ole September who reemerged as Donald. But what is his motif to betray his kind?
I am still a big Fringe fan, as before, and it is still the best SciFi series ever made, but all these opened questions I don't have answers for decrease my enjoyment in the show. I guess the problem of compression of what was supposed to last for another 48 episodes into only 13 made the finale less impressive than what it deserves to be.
Stop gizmoism
5 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
OK... so here we are, in another totally new realm within the Fringe story. We had a glimpse of it in the previous season, to get us ready, so it is not all new. Still, it is rather confusing. It was a bit hard for me to find my feet even in a slightly moderated realm Peter was removed from. The conquest of our world by Observers is logical and well motivated. However, the story in this episode is a bit thin, and it relies upon gizmos which are there out of the blue. There was a cartoon created in my country when I was a kid, called Professor Balthazar, who, somewhat like Walter and William Bell, faced various human and world problems, then out of the blue invented some gizmo and solved it all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWCttgEOwCI&noredirect=1. I still love Professor Baltazar, but this is supposed to be a grown up entertainment show, gizmos can't just fall from the skies and solve problems.
Walter is great when he shows his brilliant mind applying hard science to solve fringe issues, but without it he is just a confused old man. So I hope to see him back to his mighty self. Let's get this straight: Walter Bishop is the spirit of the Fringe story, he is the factor X no other TV series ever had. When he is at his best, The Fringe is amazingly original and mind-blowing. When he is out of order, the show is less interesting. So, get Walter refreshed and the show will excel again.
Walter is great when he shows his brilliant mind applying hard science to solve fringe issues, but without it he is just a confused old man. So I hope to see him back to his mighty self. Let's get this straight: Walter Bishop is the spirit of the Fringe story, he is the factor X no other TV series ever had. When he is at his best, The Fringe is amazingly original and mind-blowing. When he is out of order, the show is less interesting. So, get Walter refreshed and the show will excel again.
From Yul Brynner to Krista Allen
16 April 2012
This episode got so trashed by people who are obviously lacking imagination and love for science fiction genre, not to mention knowledge of its heritage.
It is easy to recognize, William Gibson in this episode made a pastiche to a classic Michael Crichton's sci-fi movie Westworld http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/, only turned to a cyberpunk version of it, and with a female goddess replacing a male cowboy villain from Westworld (Yul Brynner). However, the level 2 in the game is totally a visual citation of Westworld's set.
The idea of artificial intelligence rebelling against men, although being widely exploited (Space Oddissey 2001, Terminator, Tron, Westworld, Matrix, etc etc) is always challenging and fresh. I enjoyed this episode a lot.
It is easy to recognize, William Gibson in this episode made a pastiche to a classic Michael Crichton's sci-fi movie Westworld http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070909/, only turned to a cyberpunk version of it, and with a female goddess replacing a male cowboy villain from Westworld (Yul Brynner). However, the level 2 in the game is totally a visual citation of Westworld's set.
The idea of artificial intelligence rebelling against men, although being widely exploited (Space Oddissey 2001, Terminator, Tron, Westworld, Matrix, etc etc) is always challenging and fresh. I enjoyed this episode a lot.
Be a better man (than your father)
24 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Finally we got the proper balance of "monster of the week" and bigger picture plots in a single episode. And both plots speak about love. For the first time we can follow Olivia doing one important thing, and Peter doing the same only in totally different direction, and they meet at last. One can understand this episode as a question: What is Love? Is it a game of human chemistry and pheromones (as Olivia's investigation suggests) or is it a force stronger than time, cosmos, forces of nature and whatever the business of the Observers is, as Peter is to discover in this episode.
This is the very episode that unlocks many mysteries that kept tingling our minds for weeks and months and years back. Sadly, it is obviously the beginning of wrapping up of this wonderful TV series.
This is also the episode that changed my life, inspiring me to pass some important decisions - both through the words of Nina Sharp (A parent should encourage a child to pursue its own happiness even if it takes him/her faraway), and thru the ancient Greek wisdom repeated once again: "Be a better man than your father". Or, to cut it short, be a better man. Walter is proud because Peter has proved to be a better man than him.
The point of all art and literature and drama - therefore, TV series as well, is not to entertain our minds. It is to make us better men, to ennoble our minds. That is precisely what Fringe keeps doing to my mind - making me know more, open my mind and ultimately, helping me make noble decisions. And I believe I am not the only person in the world who benefited the same way from following this wonderful sequence of stories titled Fringe.
Big thanks to all good people who participated in creation of Fringe for making me a better man. God bless you!
This is the very episode that unlocks many mysteries that kept tingling our minds for weeks and months and years back. Sadly, it is obviously the beginning of wrapping up of this wonderful TV series.
This is also the episode that changed my life, inspiring me to pass some important decisions - both through the words of Nina Sharp (A parent should encourage a child to pursue its own happiness even if it takes him/her faraway), and thru the ancient Greek wisdom repeated once again: "Be a better man than your father". Or, to cut it short, be a better man. Walter is proud because Peter has proved to be a better man than him.
The point of all art and literature and drama - therefore, TV series as well, is not to entertain our minds. It is to make us better men, to ennoble our minds. That is precisely what Fringe keeps doing to my mind - making me know more, open my mind and ultimately, helping me make noble decisions. And I believe I am not the only person in the world who benefited the same way from following this wonderful sequence of stories titled Fringe.
Big thanks to all good people who participated in creation of Fringe for making me a better man. God bless you!
DIY angels
4 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Another wonderful episode of Fringe! Another mind tingling riddle, another story that involves mathematics equation in its core, just like my favorite s01e08. Finally we are beginning to uncover who the mysterious Observers actually are.
The plot of a guy who uses mathematics equation to become an angel is something that even the bravest SciFi creators never imagined. Or to be more precise, the guy whose scientific genius evolved into the logical superhuman being. Hardcore religion finally merges with hardcore science in a way no one ever thought possible - and no matter how unorthodox the outcome is, I love it.
Well, as German poet Rilke said "Each angel is awesome", meaning awesome in the real sense of the word, causing awe each time a human being meets him. What we have here is a being that crossed over from human into one with different, more profound logic and more profound compassion, therefore horrible.
Astrid finally got her very own episode. I knew this was going to happen, and I expected she would excel in it much more than this, for she is another brilliant mind. However, this one is about her emotions, and basically everyone's emotions.
I can't help the feeling that Fringe creators have just warmed their engines and they have fuel enough for at least five more incredible seasons of best ever science fiction and comedy drama content. Sadly, this season seems to be their swan song, judging by the US people meters. The rest of the world isn't important anyway, only US audience has the power to decide this show's fate, and how just it is?
The plot of a guy who uses mathematics equation to become an angel is something that even the bravest SciFi creators never imagined. Or to be more precise, the guy whose scientific genius evolved into the logical superhuman being. Hardcore religion finally merges with hardcore science in a way no one ever thought possible - and no matter how unorthodox the outcome is, I love it.
Well, as German poet Rilke said "Each angel is awesome", meaning awesome in the real sense of the word, causing awe each time a human being meets him. What we have here is a being that crossed over from human into one with different, more profound logic and more profound compassion, therefore horrible.
Astrid finally got her very own episode. I knew this was going to happen, and I expected she would excel in it much more than this, for she is another brilliant mind. However, this one is about her emotions, and basically everyone's emotions.
I can't help the feeling that Fringe creators have just warmed their engines and they have fuel enough for at least five more incredible seasons of best ever science fiction and comedy drama content. Sadly, this season seems to be their swan song, judging by the US people meters. The rest of the world isn't important anyway, only US audience has the power to decide this show's fate, and how just it is?
talk is cheap
3 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Something I liked the most so far about Californication is that in fact no one is really perverted there, just their lifestyles bring them into all kinds of bizarre situations - especially Hank's charmingly retarded lifestyle. In other words, this used to be a brilliant comedy of situation. One of the funniest I ever stumbled upon, slowly moving borders of acceptable pervertedness. This season however seems to have crossed over into a territory where witty bizzareness matures into overload of perversion and lack of its trademark great californicative situation. If we leave all these characters only with their dirty talk and no dirty-sweet-funny situation in the first place, what do we have? Bunch of rich sex addicts who sit at the table and discuss their porn styled relationships. It's lame. I hope some new sweet villain like Mia or walking nuclear waste like Rick Springfield will pop out and save the day, cause guys this leads where?
Swan song of Fringe?
14 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Another brilliantly creative episode of Fringe, one of those that totally blow your mind with originality of story-telling, as well as excellent acting and overall production quality. Peter Bishop once more becomes the leading character, for the benefit of all - his decision to fight for his rights and cross over to the alt.universe (somehow, the entire alternative Cosmos is represented always just as New York with still existing Twin Towers, and that is the whole universe?) brings spark of unexpected. Walternate finally gets his chance for redemption and he proves not to be a villain but a great character, as he decides to help Peter and explains his circumstances. However, the greatest and completely unexpected turnover is the introduction of David Jones, the one who died cut by half while trying to cross over between universes... well, due to time line switch he is another "resurrected" character, who is plotting against both universes for yet unexplained goals of his own. As the fate of this wonderful TV series seems to be decided, it is sad to admit that the brilliance of this show is also the reason of its low ratings - so let us give the average observer the intellectual averageness he demands, and let us kill all shows Mr Bob Dobalina doesn't like to watch.
Wonderfully creative!
12 November 2011
Wow! If there was an opportunity, I would give this episode 12/10! This is precisely why I love Science Fiction as a genre - it is so creative, and still it is possible that we could mess up the world we live in so that the laws of nature as we knew cease to exist. What we lost with the absence of Peter character in the beginning of the season, now slowly returns: the warmth that Joshua Jackson's interpretation gave to Peter Bishop character, his emotional bonds with Olivia and Walter, and his intellectual brilliance are back to town. I can't stop applauding how easy and how effectively the time jumps are solved! The only thing I still dislike about the new season is what Walter Bishop is turned into - a stereotypical "mad scientist", who is paranoid in unpleasant way. His character's witty sparks, renaissance personality and - courage, combined with wonderful father figure, gave "Fringe" something genuinely unique in previous seasons, something that is missing now, I hope not for good. Astrid's character is also sadly marginalized in the new season so far, she also used to have her glorious moments.
"Decaffeinated" Fringe
24 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I am a little bit disappointed. Without Peter Bishop, the story suddenly loses great deal of its remarkable vividness - without him as a "grounding" element, Walter Bishop is a mere mad scientist stereotype, Olivia is a "get-a-life" workaholic FBI smart ass, and Lincoln Lee, although a fairly clever character, can not fill the gap and replace Peter's nearly genius remarks and equally important - nearly genius humor.
The confrontation between Olivia and Folivia are dull, as always it is when one actor plays two characters at once and there is "I against I" situation. It would be much more fruitful if the two Olivias would cooperate, and there is enough motivation for such development in previous season, where both were "voices of reason" and peacemakers. We still don't have explanation how Folivia, who was arrested by Walternate for "treason" suddenly walks free and meets Olivia.
If Peter Bishop never existed, then why Walter ventured to the other universe at all? If Observers erased/rearranged all Walter's private life since Peter's death at the age of 7, why would he even go to St Clair's and appear as a mentally disturbed person? Should we not have a mentally stable Walter Bishop, equal to Walternate?
It is still Fringe, but devoid of many, basically emotional ingredients.
The confrontation between Olivia and Folivia are dull, as always it is when one actor plays two characters at once and there is "I against I" situation. It would be much more fruitful if the two Olivias would cooperate, and there is enough motivation for such development in previous season, where both were "voices of reason" and peacemakers. We still don't have explanation how Folivia, who was arrested by Walternate for "treason" suddenly walks free and meets Olivia.
If Peter Bishop never existed, then why Walter ventured to the other universe at all? If Observers erased/rearranged all Walter's private life since Peter's death at the age of 7, why would he even go to St Clair's and appear as a mentally disturbed person? Should we not have a mentally stable Walter Bishop, equal to Walternate?
It is still Fringe, but devoid of many, basically emotional ingredients.
Tell Your Friends