This kind of spectacle is only for fans; I took myself because I sorely needed a treat this week, and this was exactly the campy metal devilish joy which was a balm for my (jaded, rebellious, and erstwhile blackened) soul. Having seen Ghost live in London nine years ago, this was a satisfying and surprising experience, and if you enjoy them this is a must see film only in theatres this weekend. If you are unaware of Ghost already, probably not going to be your cup of tea. 8.75/10
I finally caught up with this delightfully daft fantasy series which had been on my list for some time, and with the D&D inspired world building, lusty fae creatures, and surprisingly talented cast I should have made the time sooner. There is some lovely creature design, and the broader thematic universe is well conceived. Terrible accents aside, the central protagonists are amusing to watch as they ham their way through what is occasionally woeful writing. Whilst it took itself far to seriously, and the whiplash in the second series created by trying to shoehorn what was clearly three series' worth of storyline into one meant that it lurched clunkily about plot wise, but at that point I was too invested and wanted to see how it all panned out. Gorily silly fantasy fun which became lost in earnestness at times, this was a generally enjoyable watch which would have been better given more time. 7.11/10
Billed as a dark comedy, and buoyed by a great deal of hype, this seemed just the kind of thing I should watch, particularly given the buzz it had been generating. I was not prepared for the intensity of this utterly compulsive, and at times disturbing, viewing experience. The writing is incredible, as are the performances, and given that everything is predicated on the 'truth' of the narrative, there is a visceral voyeurism that sits uncomfortably alongside the brief moments of levity which means that there are moments which hit harder than they might have otherwise. That the protagonist narrator is a person who mines their experiences for the entertainment of others adds another disconcerting layer of complexity to the show, and the questions they raise about the very nature of the industry and the creative process acts almost as a rebuke of those of us consuming the content. Totally engrossing but oftentimes deeply unsettling, this is an exceptional experience which is sure to stay with you for a long time afterwards. 8.63/10
Spies, intrigue, and Elisabeth Moss meant I could hardly scroll past what looked to be a fun twist on the spooks genre, and I was not disappointed. Though not perfect, and with a few lazy tropes about how 'strong female characters' come about, nevertheless this was a compelling show kept tethered by the incredible dynamic between Moss and Marwan that was a masterclass in chemistry. The broader commentary was somewhat superficial, and there were times I became nostalgic for Killing Eve, but there was enough fun action and some interesting plot twists to make this an enjoyable watch. 7.21/10
Sometimes something important passes you by, and you tell yourself you'll get around to it one day, and most of the time one day doesn't become today. A few months ago I finally decided one day was that day, and I began watching what I quickly discovered to be some of the most brilliant television I've ever seen. Not since the likes of The Wire and The Leftovers have I been so enthralled by characters who feel both intimately familiar yet strikingly original, and it is a credit to the writers that what could so easily have been a tawdry solipsistic exercise in American Exceptionalism instead stands as a nuanced and powerful testament to the complexities of a changed world against the backdrop of the social and geopolitical turmoil of the late eighties onwards. With perhaps the best use of With or Without You I've ever seen, and outstanding performances from the incredible cast, this was a gripping watch well worth your time. 9.79/10
Okey Dokey! There is something about the nature of truly ambitious projects which fills me with a kind of existential dread that only comes when IP that is beloved by certain swathes of nerds is pulled from its nerdling niche to be unleashed upon the world in all its esoteric glory, only to then be eviscerated by the legion. Given that 'A Kiss to Build A Dream On' was my wedding song because of this IP, I count myself among their company. Therefore it was with relived delight that I soon realised not only had the creators done justice to this brilliant universe, they had rendered it with the kind of sharp wit and piercing commentary that made the games such a joy. The post-apocalyptic hellscape leavened by the kind of fifties optimism that juxtaposes the true horror of the world after nuclear annihilation, to provide a truly unique and startlingly fun experience which had me grinning from the outset. The performances are superb, the world building is incredible, and the satire is savagely sublime, so skedaddle along and see it as soon as you can. 8.93/10
The most exquisitely sumptuous and wonderfully, at times painfully absurd film, with arguably one of the most complex assortment of ethically ambiguous thought experiments I've seen committed to screen for some time. Stone is mesmerisingly brilliant, and her central magnetic performance anchors the troublingly intricate and morally twisted storyline within its luridly maximalist settings. This manages to be both uproariously funny, and heartbreakingly prescient, wrapped up in divine costumes and philosophical repartee with an undercurrent of Gothic grotesquery that results in an extraordinarily compelling experience. 9.63/10
This is a spectacle that is the most sublime cinematic experience I can remember since seeing the Holdo manoeuvre for the first time. Visually, it is truly in a league of it's own and I implore you to see this on the big screen if you have any inclination towards seeing it at all. The cinematography is astonishing, as is the sheer scale of set design and world building that has been achieved. The performances are superb, though the writing and plotting feels strangely sparse at times, which is where my only quibble with what is otherwise a masterpiece lies; I've read the book, from which my namesake is derived. Therefore I know all of the minutiae and artistic licences that have been taken. Some of these are entirely understandable and in service of a greater purpose, and some of these are like having a Michelin star meal, then crunching down onto a few grains of sand - may not change the flavour, but it will certainly mar the experience. I could write a thesis on this, but I will simply say that I am going to need time to process what they did and did not do with Alia, and the decisions taken have a profound impact on how the final act lands. This element aside, this is an awe inspiring triumph of cinema that renders on screen sequences beyond what I thought would be possible, and is a testament to what the intersection of technology, artistry, talent, mastery, and money can achieve. 9.31/10
Disney's 100 year special offering is imbued with a sense of heightened purpose, and this is perhaps why it feels like such a lost opportunity where the potential for an epic story with profound high-concept insight is instead a tonal patchwork of ideas loosely threaded together with lacklustre musical numbers and obtuse character motivations. Interestingly, this is one of the few times I would suggest that another twenty minutes of content might actually have proven useful to flesh out the ideas and provide much needed depth to the genuinely excellent but completely underserved premise. The visual watercolour design is beautiful, and Magnifico is a villain for our times, but what are meant to be emotional hits don't land, making this a sadly lacklustre experience with compelling ideas unsatisfyingly explored. There isn't anything truly awful about this, but neither is there a spark of Disney magic, making for a visually stunning yet strangely muted experience. 6.32/10
It's nice to see Snyder has been keeping busy playing video games, maybe some D&D, watching Firefly, and writing some Star Wars fanfic in-between. This is a preposterous film with abysmal dialogue, a cast who are trying their very best, and a storyline which lurches failingly between plot points in an attempt to grasp at the kind of grandiose world building so clearly in mind, instead landing somewhere between Jupiter Ascending and Valerion: City of a Thousand Planets in terms of utterly decimating what could have been something glorious. There is some lovely creature design, magnificent set pieces, and some fun action sequences, if only he had turned off the food setting occasionally so you could actually enjoy them. In fairness if I were an eleven-year-old watching my first grown-up movie I would probably love this, and I found myself laughing gleefully at times, though perhaps not the intention, nevertheless the entertainment value here is in speculating on what the intention was rather than the execution. Set your expectations below floor level and there is still joy to be found in the experience, but this is not a film I could actually recommend. 3.42/10
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