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Trance (2013)
Too complicated for it's own good
6/10, has potential for 7/10
There's a lot to like here ... fantastic score, great performances from all the actors, lighting that really helps set the mood, well drawn tension, a plot and characters you can believe in and invest yourself in but there were too many confusing twists to follow.
There's drama, suspense, a bit of violence but at the end of it all, this is a character study that you absolutely have to pay close attention to. At the end of the movie, we both said it had potential but it was so confusing that we probably need to watch it twice.
Creative and enjoyable but don't be surprised if you're scratching your head at the end.
Destination Wedding (2018)
Fan of David Mamet? Try this!
One of the smartest movies I've seen in a while. Creative perspective, too.
There are those who will say Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves can't pull off the dialogue, but they couldn't be more wrong. Ryder demonstrated that in FRIENDS and Reeves in the JOHN WICK franchise.
I look forward to seeing more from writer/director Victor Levin.
Derailed (2002)
Jean-Claude Van Damme this movie sucks!
OK, maybe a little harsh, but the plot line was stolen from Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, the editing was completely over done and the special effects were among the wort I have seen in recent memory. Actors did the best they could, but the people around them, bleh.
And now, because I must type ten lines, here we go with my rant about IMDb. Really, Why ten lines? Anyone reading this figured out in the first four lines what I had to say and why I said it. Sigh. If there i one thing I could change about this otherwise tremendous Web site it's this. Please, I hope someone in charge is reading this and will change it.
Swingtown: Swingus Interruptus (2008)
Very solid episode; best demonstration yet of character development
Until now, I really thought that only character showing development was Susan but this episode changed all that. The writers did a great job pulling more out of both Trina and, particularly, Tom, but also (surprisingly) Janet. It's not often you see such progress made in such a short period of time (the first nine episodes of a series). The set up is there for Roger to evolve and, I half suspect, Bruce to devolve (especially after what happened at the end of this episode, but that remains to be seen). There is certainly the opportunity for character development as it relates to the relationship Laura and B.J. have with their parents, too.
Swingtown: Friends with Benefits (2008)
Some comments on references in FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
Having attended high school with the creator (he was two years behind me, though we never met), I thought I might share a few references alluded to in FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS for those who might be wondering.
Lunch at the Berghoff - The Berghoff was a legendary Loop restaurant that closed in 2006 after more than one hundred years of business. (A café has since opened by Carlyn Berghoff, daughter of Herman and Jan). What is of particular interest here is that The Berghoff didn't serve women until 1969. The notion of women going to The Berghoff seven years later was, probably, still 'statement making.'
Mr. Stone - Though Roger was a salesman for Mutual of Omaha, I found it interesting that his boss was Mr. Stone. W. Clement Stone was an insurance magnate who founded Combined Insurance Company of America and resided in Winnetka, IL in a mansion on Sheridan Road a few blocks from New Trier High School. (NB: In the summer of 1976, it still would have been known as New Trier High School, but by the fall it would be known as New Trier East as the school district split in two; New Trier West was open for a mere 16 years in Northfield, IL.)
Fell's - When Janet mentioned she stopped by Fell's to rent a tux for Roger to wear to the fund-raiser, she was speaking of the late, venerable Fell Company of Winnetka. Fell's was an independent clothier with roots so deep in the community, its closing is something that still brings emotions from residents today. (NB: The name has been sold and the new owners, not family members, I don't believe, are working with the Village to reopen the Winnetka store; no word that I have seen about trying to reopen the three other store locations.) Fell's was best known by area students as the ONLY place to go for your tuxedo rental, be it for the prom or graduation. It's also likely to have been the place one got their first chinos or topsiders.
Lake Crest Country Club - There are many country clubs on the North Shore: Westmoreland, Michigan Shores, Lake Shore and Indian Hills being the most prominent. Hard to say which one this was supposed to allude to, but if I were wagering, my money would be on Indian Hills -- certainly the one I thought was the most exclusive as I was growing up.
Anything But Love: Thirty... Something (1990)
I'd forgotten how good this episode was
Don't get me wrong, I remember it (I bought a copy of the script on an online auction site), but having just watched it on the newly released DVD collection of the first two seasons, I can say with full authority: this was the high water mark of the series, and it might have been the high water mark of Peter Noah's career as a writer. It has everything you could ask for in a tug-at-you-heartstrings romantic comedy. That and the fact that I can't tell you how often I felt like Hanna (and Marty) did in this episode. Brilliant. When I think back amongst the episodes of all television shows that will continue to give me memories, this will be very near the top. THANK YOU 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for making these available.
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)
Question about the end of the film
I liked it, I just had a question about this as I have only seen it on cable.
At the end, the hostages have been saved ... but how? Ryback jumps off the back of the train ... presumably all the cars went off the bridge. Did the train stop at some point to decouple the cars the hostages had been in and it was edited out of the cable version because of time constraints?
I think the exact quote used was: ''This is Hilo 505 November Mike. Yeah, this is Casey Ryback. The hostages are safe.''
And just because I need to get to 1000 words, I'll ask: can someone tell me why a commercial venture in this day and age would voluntarily allow for an asset of theirs to go thru an area where they can't communicate with the asset (I'm speaking of course to the question of why the railroad would send a train thru a passage where they can't communicate with the train).
That last bit is rhetorical, I just had to get to my 1000 words.
Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story (2006)
Good for Burma fans, not great if you don't know who they are
The story in this film is largely about Burma in their first incarnation and also what they're doing now, but I thought too little attention was given to the cause of the breakup (Roger's health and hearing) and what the members did in between. (Don't get me wrong, it's discussed, but there is a leap in the middle of the film that made me ask "What the ...".)
The concert footage, past and present, was great, and the interviews were a real boon.
If you want to get to know Burma, this is not the film for you.
If you already worship them as I do, you'll enjoy yourself.
(On a quick technical note, I really appreciated the sound, the editing, and the effort that went into making this possible ... I will buy the DVD when it comes out.)
Starship Troopers (1997)
worst. movie. EVER!!!
I can't believe this was even MADE. Over the top acting, awful (and I do mean awful) visual effects ... if my agent brought me this script, I'd fire my agent. Having Dina Meyer and Denise Richards to look at was about the only thing, no, scratch that, they WERE the only thing worthwhile, and even in that, it's just because they're attractive. Even the plot (from a sci-fi perspective) is implausible. Maybe Robert Heinlein was on par with Gene Roddenberry, but you'd never be able to tell from this piece of trash. Thinking of people I would fire, if I managed Heinlein's estate, I'd throw myself on a funeral pyre for having allowed this "movie" (I won't deign to call it a "film") to be made.