Okay, my wife had read about this movie in one of her women's mags and wanted me to get it. She described the basic plot line, leading me to think that it would be a redo of Species. It wasn't.
Think about crossing Species, without the action, sensuality, or bravado with 2001, without Kubric's compelling management of the camera. It is European in approach, with long close ups of people driving, staring at rearview mirrors, random crowd shots, and people walking. For the longest time I thought that the point of the movie was to prove that the star, Scarlett Johansson, knew how to drive, because many long sequences of her doing just that pervade the first part of the movie.
Its bulled as erotic. It isn't. There is nudity but it is functional and not expressive. It was described as flooding your senses. It does take long periods to do anything.
The lack of traditional score, the surprisingly eire alien performance of SJ, and the very expressionistic kill scenes do make for an unsettling experience but the director's method is quite awkward and he works too hard to make it look naturalistic. It becomes an exercise in patience.
Having said all of that, the plot is interesting and the film does accomplish an unsettling view of human nature, without the traditional explanatory exposition. You just have to be patient. My wife, who you recall wanted me to get this, wasn't and crashed out. I am glad that I finished it, as by the end, the effort toward naturalistic, understated cinematic style, though tough for an American use to a more polished style, did lead to a more brutal ending. SJ's awkward performance makes her quite believable in the part that she'd portraying and I was very impressed with what she accomplished. I think that the director could have trusted her more and laid off the long sequences of nothing-scenes.
Did I like it? I am not sure. It was interesting and I may have to watch it again. I will say that it left me subtly disturbed.
If that was the objective, and the fun-house mirror view of humanity, showed in slow motion, was a goal, then it worked. The abstract nature of imagery kept a lot of mystery and the main star’s disconnected performance made for a more human than human empathy, leading to the viewer becoming both connected and repelled by the story.
If you go into it expecting an arty approach, instead of a traditional four-color depiction, you might find the experience worth while.
Combining nostalgic Cap with an updating was no easy task but this film largely succeeded. Even finding a way to include the old uniform in USO performances was a nice touch. The story is bitter-sweet and the portrayal of Cap is solid and surprisingly satisfying. You'll root for the hero and enjoy a well presented adversary while being given some deeper considerations about duty, meaning in context, and a Casablanca moment to remember.
Though not as fresh and clean as the first, the sequel to Avengers has good points and some reasonable efforts toward character development. It feels a bit like an in-between movie, which we won't know until the next one comes out, and isn't as tight as say Winter Soldier, but there are good points and good special features to add to your collection. Some subplots are lost or not clear enough to make their inclusion satisfying. The increasing reliance upon tech-characters is a bit of a weak point that makes Ultron not nearly as compelling or interesting as Loki was and the action is almost frenetic at times, quashing story-points.
I've had this on dvd for years, and appreciated the early effort to both bring this story to the screen as well as to combine hour with humor, a staple now that was undefined back when this was made. Its a real treat, both for entertainment as well as for film history.
The fifth and final season of Boardwalk Empire follows embattled Alantic City politician Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) as he confronts the demons of his past and strengthens his foothold in smuggling goods illegally back and forth from Cuba. Elsewhere, gangster Al Capone's behavior becomes increasingly erratic as the feds close in, and Chalky White struggles to evade law enforcement and avenge the death of his daughter.
This is the conclusion of the Boardwalk Empire, a great series and experience. Far more fiction than fact, never the less, it gave a great feel for the era and offered incredible performances. More than one surprise awaits you in this show. My only criticism is that in the last season they didn't really offer much, as compared to other seasons, of special features and that they left the DVD out of the BlueRay/Digital combo, as it had been included in the previous season combo sets. On sale, it would be a worthwhile buy.
After World War Two, a British nurse and her husband embark on a second honeymoon. On a walk through an ancient ruin on the British Isles, she finds herself transported back to Scotland in the year 1743. Bewildered by her predicament, she is discovered and accused of espionage. Forced into a marriage to a rogue Highlander, she is tormented by their growing love and tries to make sense of being in love with two men from different centuries. This release includes the first eight episodes of Season One and special features such as "The Dresses and Kilts of Outlander" and "An Epic Adaptation."
Alright, with good visuals, but a bit of a soap opera. The research is sound and the direction is good, but the story verges into an emotion-fest, which could have been restrained for a better story.
This release serves up every episode from the fourth season of HBO's Game of Thrones, the fantasy series about various clans vying for control of a kingdom that is based on the thick novels of writer George RR Martin.
This Swann Pro-Series HD security system includes 2 weather-resistant cameras that are ideal for monitoring front and back door areas and a 4-channel DVR that stores more than 12 days of continuous footage on its 500GB hard drive.
Good set up but a bit expensive once assessed. Adding extra cameras is expensive. Also difficult to expand memory. Probably wouldn't have bought had I known the way it operates, before purchase, but its workable.
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This user is a My Best Buy® Elite Member, who has spent $1,500 on eligible purchases and is now getting 1.10 points per dollar. They may have received My Best Buy® bonus points for submitting reviews.
The Save feature of this 1TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim for Mac STDS1000100 external hard drive allows you to easily back up digital content from your favorite social networks. The slim, metal design makes it simple to transport the hard drive.
What's your return policy if it's not exactly what someone wanted