Teaser Trailer: “Stranger Things – Season Four”
Netflix has released the first trailer for the upcoming fourth season of its beloved supernatural series “Stranger Things”.
Titled ‘From Russia With Love’, the clip confirms that David Harbour’s Chief Hopper is alive and is in Russia at the start of the season.
Filming on the new season began only last month and runs through August, meaning it’s likely we won’t see the new episodes until end of this year or early 2021.
“Judy” (2019)
Drama
Running time: 118 minutes
Written by: Tom Edge based on End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter
Directed by: Rupert Goold
Featuring: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon
Dr. Hargreaves: “Do you take anything for depression?”
Judy Garland: “Four husbands. Didn’t work.”
Released recently on blu-ray/DVD is the look at least part of the life of Judy Garland, in the movie “Judy” (2019) centred around the Oscar winning performance by Renée Zellweger who attempts to get under the doomed stars skin in a project that is far less than the sum of its parts. It could be said that one performance can make or break a film, but that is simply not the case, or at least the case here, the inherent issues at the heart of “Judy” are actually within the bones of the film, that is the poor direction as well as the script which is a complete letdown in terms of any drama that be present, offering no surprises within the life of the titular character, a complete missed opportunity for what is a cautionary tale that has been played out multiple times over the last century plus with legends on front of and behind the camera.
There are many versions of the biopic genre that has ingratiated itself within cinemas over the past few decades, especially those that concentrate on stars of the silver screen who as the years go have been throwing off this mortal coil with growing regualirty. They have become subjects of books and so have been adapted into movies like “Judy”, the question is will they be good, great or dull. The degree of success does not normally come down to the subject, or the performance of the central character or even the writer or director, for me it comes down to the revelations that are revealed within the context of the plot. It is unfortunate then that “Judy” adds very little to the legend or gives us any more real insight into what most already know without visiting her Wikipedia page even with the bravura performance by Renée Zellweger.
Of all the recent biopics the one that stands high above others is “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” (2017) that like “Judy” spent much of its time in the final years of actor Gloria Grahams life, that tilted its head to the past but had very real revelations about a person that had a life many did not know about but who ultimately had a tragic end. Both films have much in common, two women who had multiple marriages, who had substance abuse issues, who by the time they died had been famous but were at the end footnotes of their present and of course they both had strong ties to the England.
Where these films differ is in a variety of ways, but the first is with the person at the helm, the director. In “Judy” the director Rupert Goold seems completely out his depth with both the subject and the entire process of making the film. While this is not his first movie, that would be the underwhelming “True Story” (2015) which like this movie was not original or compelling, it was muted and by the numbers with little to actual offer in terms of revelation or keep an audience’s attention. If Goold had taken a macro view of a life like Judy Garland, along with the screenplay, keeping an eye on what audiences might not know, keep the fictitious elements to a minimum as well as keep the performance by Renée Zellweger more muted and less actorly. The technical aspects of Goold’s direction are mishandled, while it could be considered not great editing there needs to be the material there to edit which again comes down to the direction.
“Judy” takes the audience to the last few months of her life: the booing crowds, the empty bank accounts, and the custody battle to come. It’s less the portrait of the glamorous Judy Garland we’ve put on a pedestal, forever young and singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” or “The Trolley Song,” and more the wounded figure still unsure if she could perform again the next night.
There is no doubt that the central performance by Renée Zellweger is very good although it is a little over the top at parts. Sometimes I felt that Zellweger was giving a performance people expected with trappings that show off her skills but did not show us the real Judy Garland. The supporting cast consists of character actors Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon who all carry out their jobs very well as you would expect, in fact even though they have limited screen time their presence is most welcome, sometimes a nice distraction.
As far biopic go “Judy” is not unwatchable, it does have at its core an Oscar winning performance which is something that can never be taken away from this movie, that is a prize any movie would welcome. “Judy” is a movie about two people, Judy Garland and Renée Zellweger who are intertwined within the narrative of this movie, sometimes it is easy to forget wither one of them while watching “Judy”, in fact that is the inherent strength and weakness of the movie, in saying that the enjoyment will depend on either your suspension of disbelief or how much you know about Judy herself.
EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures and have released Billie Eilish’s “No Time To Die” song, the official theme tune for the upcoming twenty-fifth James Bond film of the same name. The song is now up on Spotify and Apple Music, click the link below.
Eilish and Finneas O’Connell collaborated with the film’s composer Hans Zimmer on the song which will be heard during the film’s opening credits.
Cary Fukunaga helms the new film in which Bond is living a tranquil retirement life in Jamaica – one that’s interrupted when US agent Felix Leiter shows up and asks for help to rescue a kidnapped scientist which puts Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Arma, David Dencik and Lashana Lynch star while Rami Malek serves as the villain.
“No Time To Die” opens in early April.
Trailer: “Green Knight” (2020)
A24 have premiered the first trailer for David Lowery’s “Green Knight”.
A retelling of the medieval tale of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,’ the fantasy epic sees Patel playing the knight of King Arthur’s Round Table who accepts the challenge of beheading the Green Knight. He must wait a year and a day to receive a blow in return.
A24 have premiered the first trailer for “A Ghost Story,” “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Old Man and the Gun” filmmaker David Lowery’s “Green Knight”.
A retelling of the medieval tale of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,’ the fantasy epic sees Patel playing the knight of King Arthur’s Round Table who accepts the challenge of beheading the Green Knight. He must wait a year and a day to receive a blow in return.
Sean Connery led a previous notable film adaptation in 1984 with “Sword of the Valiant”. This version stars Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton and Barry Keoghan. It opens in U.S. cinemas on May 29th.
“Blinded by the light” (2019)
Drama/Comedy/Musical
Running time: 117 minutes
Written by: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha and Sarfraz Manzoor based on Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Rollby Sarfraz Manzoor
Directed by: Gurinder Chadha
Featuring: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir and Nell Williams
“Madman drummers bummers
Indians in the summer
With a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps
As the adolescent pumps
His way into his hat
With a boulder on my shoulder
Feelin’ kinda older
I tripped the merry-go-round” – Bruce Springsteen, ‘Blinded by the light’ (1973)
Critical Commentary
Well after the disappointment that was the hollow promise of Richard Curtis and Danny Boyles terrible “Yesterday” (2019) comes another music inspired film that instead of aimlessly using the music as a framing device as well as resting on the baby boomer nostalgia for music that at once seems present but irrelevant comes a mostly true story in the excellent “Blinded by the light” (2019) that shares other elements as well with it being based in the U.K., having a minority as the main character, in this case a Pakistani man and of course the heavy use of music. Instead of ‘The Beatles’ back catalogue we have a deep dive into the oeuvre of Bruce Springsteen who is not only arguably more relevant but has proven himself to be a talent into his late sixties, still putting out albums, performing for over three hours at his shows, conquering movies and now this year having his music in a movie that challenges what it is like to live in a State where being a minority automatically makes you different as well as a target. Where this film is infinitely superior as well as far more enjoyable is that it is set in the real world (mostly) of the 1980s as well as being taken from true experiences, being based on a memoir that frames Springsteen’s music as a Universal key to be accessed by those willing to listen, picking up on messages that are not unique to their origins of New Jersey, USA but speak to a wider range, in this case a young man living in Luton, England who hails from another County, who is feeling pressure from almost all aspects of his life to ‘fit in’. This is not only a wonderful time capsule that harks to a time before the internet and all its trappings that perfectly illustrates the power of music, friendship, family, religion and politics, something Springsteen has been writing about for over half a century.
“Blinded by the light” is based on the book Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll written by Sarfraz Manzoor, who here is a co-screenwriter, published in 2003 that not recounts his life as a young man but also his development as well as his love for Bruce Springsteen, something he has in common with this reviewer. To be fair the film covers much about Thatcher’s England, such as the unemployment, the marginalizationof minorities and a host of other elements from the time, but it is also a look at what it was like to live as a young man of colour who feels like he doesn’t fit in, something not unique to the time as many young people of both genders feel this all too acutely, especially in 2019 with the advent of social media. Of course across the sea Reaganism had taken hold, Springsteens music of the time was how he felt about that, all the while become a beacon with his stratospheric album ‘Born in the USA’. What “Blinded by the light” shows audience is that there was a time when young people could sort this pressure out themselves not only using art but communicating with each other as well as their family members. We also witness real racism not only the overt bullying element but also the fear within Javed’s family of losing their identity as being from Pakistan, something even more relevant in 2019. Where and how to immigrants fit into a new country that is as foreign to them as it would be to live on another planet? There are no simple answers just mechanisms to assist with coping with real issues, one of those is art, for Javed it becomes Bruce Springsteen.
Co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha whose biggest success to date was the football inspired “Bend it like Beckham” (2002) which has a lot in common with this new film, however where Beckham was inspiring as well as fairly straight down the line this new movie seeks to do two things that are a little over the top, that is to explain what fandom means while at the same time going too far to explain why Springsteen’s music is so important to so many people. The trick with Springsteen is to listen to his words and music both at the same time but as separate entities as well, this is a paradox which is solved by seeing the man live, where he ruminates between songs on a variety of topics, what works so well for him, here seems a little forced. This is the only weakness of the film, but it is a big one as there is nothing more boring and forced than a fan explaining his fandom, why something is so important should be evident in the work. There is too much quoting, sentimentalising and nods to the audiences who will either have knowledge of the music or will not. The use of music would have been far better utilised as a compromise to the drama and comedy of which there would have plenty without the constant nodding to Springsteen. In fact the best use of Springsteen’s music has come in movies that use it to highlight not to insinuate, or take his text, creating something new as is the case with Sean Penn’s classic “The Indian runner” (1991) which used a song of the great man’s (“Highway Patrolman”) turning it into a narrative film.
“Blinded by the light” is set in 1987, Javed Khan and his family – Pakistani immigrant parents Malik and Noor, and sisters Yasmeen and Shazia – live in Luton, England. Javed likes contemporary rock music, which Malik disapproves of. Javed feels out of place at his new school, where he is one of two South Asian students; the other, Roops, is a fan of “The Boss.” In Ms. Clay’s writing class, Javed develops a crush on a student activist named Eliza and becomes interested in the writing assignments. Javed talks to Ms. Clay after class about his poetry and diaries. During lunch Roops approaches him and gives him two Bruce Springsteen cassette tapes, calling Springsteen “the direct line to all that is true in this shitty world.” The film moves on from here as one might expect as the plot is not new by any stretch of the imagination but it is unique to one man’s experience which is original, there are as you might expect twists and turns that of course are given enlightenment through music which is one of the reasons for the movies existence. It is a ride that is improved by the music but audiences might feel a little hit over the head by the time resolution arrives.
This is a movie led by relative newcomer Viveik Kalrawho as Javed convinces us of who he is as well as the time period he is living in something he does with seeming ease which is what you require from your leading man. Wisely director Gurinder Chadha surrounds Kalra with experienced character actors at almost every turn which gives the benefit of having people who are able to act opposite someone with less experience offering the film options for its emotional core which this has in abundance. It does mean that the entire cast needs to know what kind of film they are in as well as the nuance that is required in any given scene, this may have been the main issue in terms of the actors. Because this is a hybrid of a narrative film as well as a musical there can be moments where audiences are asking themselves is what is taking place onscreen real or not? My feeling was that sequences that we see that are obviously fantasy should have been jettisoned for either straight performance or fully diegetic in nature, but the film makes have chosen to use more fantastical element.
This is a movie framed by Springsteen’s music that will endear his fans to this movie in a way they will understand, however it could leave general moviegoers feeling like they have been hit over the head by not only a lot of explaining but possibly being talked down to as well, like if you don’t get it then you are borderline stupid. One of the reasons that Springsteen’s music is so popular, as well as filmic and international is that he paints his stories on broad canvasses with Universal themes that remain timeless as well as extremely personal. As I have already stated there needed to be much more subtly for this film to have been taken more seriously as well as possibly being more successful than it has been which is a tragedy as “Blinded by the light” needs to be seen. However, in saying all of that it is a very good film that highlights how little society has changed as well as how far we have come. It also goes a long way to highlight how much technology has changed which seems to be a needless distraction as it is heavy handed to say the least. The first half hour or so is the set up where as an audience we are thrust into the 1980s which for some may seem like a foreign land but then those people may appreciate how Javed feels, which is one of the points of the entire movie. In that case it is a success but on others it could have done with some more work.
I recommend this movie with really only small reservations, it has so much going for it as it is based on something very real, it tackles that with not only drama but comedy and of course the music of Bruce Springsteen which is of most importance as like the best art it is universal but has enough going for it that it has meanings to be discovered not on one listen but multiple listening’s and of course viewings. If you want a good night at the movies but also want to be rewarded then you should go and see this movie now.
Technical Commentary
The disc is housed in a blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve featuring the lead star. You’ll find the digital code that you can download for iTunes inside.
Video
“Blinded by the light” arrives on a 1080p HD transfer in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The detail is crisp and the wide spectrum of colors looks beautiful in this Springsteen inspired comedy-drama.
Colors are vivid and bright throughout with excellent primaries that are striking. The blue denim and red bandanas make a deep impression every time they are on screen. Since the film takes place in the 1980s, you can expect a ton of wild colors in the clothing that liven up each scene. Outdoor shots showcase a variety of greenery in trees and brown and orange buildings that all look great against a bluish-gray sky. Black levels are mostly inky in lower lit scenes, which never give way to crush. Skin tones are always natural as well.
The detail is strong with wonderful wide shots of the city along with superb closeups that reveal all the fine elements of the actor’s faces. Individual facial stubble and hair along with makeup blemishes can be easily seen in every light setting. The comprehensive stitching in all the denim and wardrobe stands out nicely too. Wide shots showcase decay in brick buildings and in the houses as well but also captures the essence of the 1980s perfectly.
Audio
“Blinded by the light” includes a Dolby Atmos track, other than that, it’s a relatively mediocre Atmos track, this is a dialogue-driven film with one mighty soundtrack.
The balance between all of the sound effects and music is a good one, none of which overpower the other with the exception of when there is a montage with Springsteen’s songs playing at full volume. Transitions and directionality are smooth and never aggressive and the bass hits a nice rumble when music is present. Lastly, the dialogue is clean and free of any pops, cracks, or hiss.
Special Features
There are about 23 minutes of bonus material, including some interviews with the author, cast, and crew. A few additional scenes are included as well.
“FBI: Season One” (2019)
Television Drama/Thriller
22 Episodes
Developed by: Dick Wolf & Craig Turk
Featuring: Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Ebonée Noel, Connie Nielsen, Sela Ward, Alana de la Garza and John Boyd
Maggie: “We have 2 hours to get on top of this.”
OA: “Kidnappers gave them 24.”
Maggie: “75 percent of abducted kids never make it or killed within 3 hours. That email came an hour ago.”
Released on DVD is the latest network television offering from legendary producer Dick Wolf in “FBI: Season One” (2019) a procedural that from week to week offers a particular crime for the two main characters to solve.
There is an honesty in this type of drama, especially from Dick Wolf whose name has become synonymous with this type of series that has become a staple of network television over the past four decades, they have lasted a long time and show no sign of deporting our screens. There is a reason why that amount all the prestigious dramas that have existed and the way they have altered the viewing habits of the public these simple low fi dreams persist, they are easy to watch, to dip in and out of and are like junk food for the mind. That’s not a bad thing in fact it does what genre television does as well, it operates in the present most obviously it rips stories from newspapers as well as television, a very Wolfian thing to do.
The series centers on inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multi-generational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “O. A.” Zidan, a West Point graduate from Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI. Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Dana Mosier, who operates under intense pressure 24/7/365 and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Kristen Chazal is the team’s most valued resource, a brilliant analyst recruited straight out of college who can piece together the big picture faster than anyone.
Following a general Dick Wolf Productions blueprint, the FBI pilot is full of headline-mining lip service, including lots of paranoia about MS13 gang members and also about the threat of the alt right, embodied by a deliciously reptilian Dallas Roberts in the sort of juicy nemesis part that a cable drama would surely stretch across a full season. There’s nary a hint of any of the controversies surrounding the FBI and its objectivity and whatnot that have been circling the discourse over the past year. It’s all just straightforward follow-the-clues, rinse and repeat, with no real twists or high drama, but a steady pace.
Episodes:
Pilot: When a residential apartment building is destroyed in a bomb explosion, New York FBI agents Maggie Bell and Omar Adom Zidan investigate a possible gang war – until their prime suspects are found dead.
Green Birds: After eight people are poisoned at a New York deli, Bell and Zidan trace the crime to an unlikely culprit.
Prey: The team investigate the murders of 18 young women with assistance from a survivor associated with the deceased.
Crossfire: Bell and Zidan track down a sniper with a rising body count.
Doomsday: FBI Agents Maggie Bell and Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan investigate the murder of a Nuclear Power Plant Inspector.
Family Man: After a senator’s daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom, the FBI must find the little girl before their time limit expires; they must dig into the senator’s past for clues who did this to his family.
Cops and Robbers: Criminals masquerading as NYPD officers are robbing armored cars from the same armored car company.
This land is your land: Agent Bell and Zidan lead the search for an abducted former biological weapons chemist.
Compromised: When a U.S. Marshal and a key witness are ambushed and murdered, Maggie and O.A. must find the person who leaked the information that led to their killings.
The Armorer’s Faith: An illegal arms dealer who has turned informant gets assassinated; OA is the only agent that looks like him and assumes his identity, going undercover to stop the sale of more weapons.
Identity Crisis: When a judge and her daughter are murdered after she sentences a man to life in prison, Maggie and OA search for the killer; Dana has a history with the victim and a vested interest in the case.
A New Dawn: When an alt-right provocateur is killed after giving a speech at a university in New York City, Maggie and OA investigate the school’s more extreme political groups and rely on OA’s sister, Amira, a student, for help.
Partners in Crime: Maggie and OA are on a mission to find a couple who are behind a spree of violent armed robberies that resulted in the death of an off-duty police officer.
Exposed: After an investigative journalist is murdered, the team uncovers information linking the suspect to past cases. The victim’s death also strikes a chord with Maggie, reminding her of the death of her reporter husband.
Scorched Earth: A serial bomber appears to be targeting Wall Street’s elite. Maggie and OA search for a suspect who seems dead-set on revenge, while Dana deals with Spencer Briggs, a cocky profiler brought in to consult on the case.
Invisible: When the daughter of a wealthy family is kidnapped in an attempt to gain notorious internet fame, Maggie and OA discover the kidnapper’s plans go far beyond abduction in order to never be forgotten.
Apex: Maggie and Dana struggle to find justice for victims by a serial killer; the mayor limits the investigation to cut costs.
Most Wanted: OA and Maggie team up with members of the FBI’s Fugitives Department to track down a person wanted for murder who is then put on America’s Top 10 Most Wanted list.
Conflict of Interest: The team must take down a dangerous drug ring after an American diplomat is killed while being used as a pawn; Jubal and OA try to help friends from their past fight off their inner demons.
What Lies Beneath: When a controversial senior leader from Egypt comes to New York for a heart transplant, OA struggles to balance his personal opinion with his professional duty when he is assigned to the security detail.
Appearance: After a decorated FBI agent is murdered, the team investigates and uncovers the man led a double life. Also, Maggie struggles with what information she should reveal to the agent’s widow, who is also her personal friend.
Closure: A woman with information about the death of Maggie’s husband is abducted leading the team to uncover a criminal operation larger than anyone imagined. Also, Dana puts her career in jeopardy by standing by and allowing Maggie to work on the case, which has such a personal connection to her.
Trailer: “The French Dispatch”(2020)
Searchlight Pictures has premiered the first trailer for filmmaker Wes Anderson’s newest feature “The French Dispatch”. Set to hit cinemas on July 24th, the film includes a mix of Anderson regulars and new names to work with him.
The story brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th-century French city. Anderson wrote the script from a story he conceived with Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness.
The massive cast includes Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrien Brody, Benicio del Toro, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Liev Schrieber, Elisabeth Moss, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz, Tony Revolori, Rupert Friend, Henry Winkler, Bob Balaban, Guillaume Gallienne, Cecile de France, Lois Smith and Anjelica Huston.
“Terminator: Dark Fate” (2019)
Science-Fiction/Action
Running time: 128 minutes
Written by: David Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray
Directed by: Tim Miller
Featuring: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes and Gabriel Luna
Grace: “Why do you care what happens to her?”
Sarah Connor: “Because I was her. And it sucks.”
Critical Commentary
Released today on 4K blu-ray/DVD is the latest in a long line of movies from the ‘Terminator’ franchise in the form of the ultimately disappointing science fiction/action movie “Terminator: Dark Fate” (2019) which brings back Linda Hamilton as well as the always (almost) present Arnold Schwarzenegger, both, for me anyway, a welcome return offering more than the run of the mill action characters we are used to seeing as there is more humour than we have seen before from this tired franchise.
Like the relatively recent “Halloween” (2018) that was able to overcome some of the very worse sequels by stating from the outset that it would be a direct sequel to the original movie, this new “Terminator: Dark Fate” does something very similar. The very reason for the existence and the selling points are that this new movie has been designed as a direct sequel to the high point of the series “Terminator 2” (1991) which does make the movie more palatable but still asks the question, Does this movie really need to exists? The answer depends on your point of view as well as your affinity for this series. There is in truth some good news as well as some bad news about this new entry.
Firstly the good news, that is James Cameron, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger return in what are very different capacities. Firstly Cameron is back as producer and has a story by credit so his involvement is cursory only which might not have been the best use for him as he had input but possibly not as much as he wanted or should have which robs us of what a true sequel may have been, however it is still much more coherent than any of the sequels following “T2”. Then there is the retun of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor who has not really missed a beat, she looks amazing and her characterisation has not missed a beat which I loved, her humour is much more on point than ever before, something she has never had a chance to show. Finally the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a terminator is something we have never seen before as he has been ‘domesticated’ to a point that he has a partner and a child, but pushes that all aside for his final mission. I for one enjoyed seeing Schwarzenegger in one of his seminal roles doing something different with it, these two elements are, for me, the highlight of this movie.
As this is a sequel to “T2” there has to be something new to get audiences to care about what is happening onscreen, unfortunately it is not the plot or narrative that has been invested in, in fact both of those cinematic elements are here just retreads of “T2” as well as elements of other sequels which for me is a disappointment. The producers and director have decided to up the ante in terms of effects and action which seem the obvious way to go which is what other sequels have attempted with very little interest in plot. The other aspect where originality has been attempted is in the introduction of the new terminator, the REV-9, the hybrid in the form of Grace and the introduction of the new saviour character in the form of Daniella. None of these three are that well thought out and the denouement is not particularly original or a real surprise.
“Terminator: Dark Fate” is set in 2020, an advanced Terminator, called Rev-9, is sent back in time to murder Daniella “Dani” Ramos, who will become a threat to the machines in the future. A cybernetically enhanced soldier, Grace, is sent from 2042 to protect her. From here this movie becomes so similar to the rest of the franchise it really isn’t worth going in to, however there are a few surprises as well as a few big action set pieces.
Directed by Tim Miller who is best known for directing the massive hit “Deadpool” (2016) but not much else it may have seemed like a no brainer to tap Miller for this reboot or sequel or whatever you want to call this. What is evident however is that while the action set pieces are mostly pretty good, the actual parts in between those as well as the story leave much to be desired. If you are wanting nothing more than an action genre movie then I would recommend this one very highly, this however is not just another genre movie, it is a ‘Terminator’ movie, one that purportedly is a sequel to one of the greatest action science fiction movies ever made so the bar is set very high. This is where the directors very real lack of experience comes into play as well as being subservient to James Cameron so the skill of being able to weave a plot and narrative together needs to be present, it is not and so this movie suffers for it.
In terms of the new actors to appear in the ‘Terminator’ franchise they are all relatively untested in the form of Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes and Gabriel Luna who all perform very well for what they are asked to do although they all seem to be copies of previous characters that have appeared before with either gender or culture changes. So we have Mackenzie Davis as Grace who is a copy of the Kyle Reese character from the first movie, Gabriel Luna who is most obviously a T-1000 copy and Natalia Reyes who is a Sarah Connor/John Connor hybrid. Once again there is nothing wrong with any of this, genre movies steal from other each all the time, but with this franchise there really needs to be originality which is what has been lacking for decades so for the filmmakers to recycle old characters for me is unforgivable especially when it is so obvious.
All in all “Terminator: Dark Fate” is a perfectly acceptable genre movie and fits into the franchise as well as any of the previous sequels, for me it is marginally better than the previous three sequels but only because it has a coherent plot that makes sense, sticking to a formula that does work, but because it is the same thing with nothing really new audiences have had enough and its box office reflects that. In my mind if the plot had some real originality with a bit less action this could have been a very good movie especially with some different character motivations and of course just a bit more thought. Even saying that I would still say give it a watch there are some very good parts to it so it does not deserve to be written off.
Technical Commentary
Video
“Terminator: Dark Fate” is sourced from a 4K digital intermediate, it has a great 2.39:1 2160p transfer with Dolby Vision HDR – HDR10 is likewise also available. The amount of added detail this image gains over the 1080p release can be a little of a blessing or a curse. On one hand – you can see and appreciate all of the fine facial features and costuming and set design work. However, here this level of resolution combined with HDR is that when the CGI becomes weightless – as the Gabriel Luna REV-9 leaps off the truck high into the air like some kind of balloon.
Audio
“Terminator: Dark Fate” has a great Dolby Atmos track. Throughout the show the action sequences get the biggest punch for obvious reasons – they’re the main draw for a movie like this. When Grace is slamming away at the REV-9 with the sledgehammer – each hit has such a distinct impact with a great LFE punch. Levels are spot-on for this track. While I recommend you crank it for full impact, you don’t need to go out of your way to ride the volume while you watch. Dialog is clean and clear throughout occupying the front/center channels while the surrounds carry the heavy load of active sound effects and atmospherics.
“Apollo 11” (2019)
Documentary
Running time: 93 minutes
Directed by: Todd Douglas Miller
Featuring: Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins
Neil Armstrong: “One small step for a man… one giant leap for mankind.”
Released on Blu-ray/DVD is the documentary that hit all the right buttons last year in the recently found footage that made “Apollo 11” (2019) a must see for many, harkening back to a time when the entire world looked to the stars, dreaming of what we might achieve not only in the short term but that would mean for the future of all mankind.
The past five or six years or so has been excellent for the documentary genre, not only on streaming or DVD but also in cinemas, which is a trend that goes against what many people may have expected. However I find this to be exactly what should be expected especially with the concentration of so-called ‘fake news’ that now exists on the internet, coupled with what has been coming from the White House under the Trump Presidency. In fact there was a thought that cinematic documentaries might be a thing of the past especially with the success as well as saturation of Disney-fied blockbusters invading multiplexes, in fact audiences have been flocking to cinemas to seek out stories about real people making real differences in times and places where many others have been marginalised and made powerless by the people in charge in their respective times. Some of the great, as well as critically received, not forgetting making money documentaires at the box office are: “Wont you be my neighbour?” (2018), “Three Identical Strangers” (2018), “Jane” (2018), “RBG” (2018), and my personal favourite “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” (2017) with so many more. What this says about audiences is that they will seek out true stories told in the relative first person that are not only inspiring but are direct counter programming to the politics of the day as well as the lies that are being produced by a President who is not only artificial but hate fuelled. My belief as a fan of documentaries is that this genre will only gain in popularity, with the coming years being a boon as well as revealing the importance of truth in the media as well as the importance of researching decisions made by the electorate. It is no surprise that the rise in fake news, Donald Trump, racism and may other hate fuelled elements has been answered by artists creating documentaries that prove there can be positive outcomes when people choose to buck the system as well as believing in others, differences, freedom and most of all, discussion.
“Apollo 11” focuses on, as you would expect, the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, the first spaceflight from which men walked on the Moon. The film consists solely of archival footage, including 70 mm filmpreviously unreleased to the public, and does not feature narration, interviews or modern recreations.
Director and editor Todd Douglas Miller tells this epic story omitting any third person interviews as well as the expected vintage news clips that you might see in a documentary of this genre. Miller did get access to previously-unseen archival footage and previously-unheard audio recordings, and synced them to create a very present feeling which helps audiences not only identify with the principals but also feel part of the action. Unlike many other projects about the space race that always feature Walter Cronkite, we never see him him but only hear that recognisable voice.
The reason this footage even exists in its present form with an aspect ration of 2:1, twice as wide as it is tall, is that there was going to be a theatrical documentary that was ultimately abandoned, which was a shame for audiences all those decades ago, but lets present viewers bathe in something truly unique from a bygone era. When it became clear that the documentary fell apart as a commercial release, NASA took over and pointed the cameras at the technicians, construction crew and spectators, capturing the mundane but crucial context around the astronauts’ feats.
The score by Matt Morton who has scored many documentaries, here has his work cut out for him using an in period analog-era Moog synthesizer which were in abundance at the time. What is telling about the score is that it doesn’t really sound like the 1960s but more like something from the 1980s, which is all the trend right now. Even though it hits the mark of 80s nostalgia it still sounds incredible especially on a good home cinema.
Make no mistake this is an intricately designed film that offers so much to the viewer that it is a crime more audiences have not seen it, either in theatres or at home. There is no doubt that this is one of the cinematic experiences of the year which is saying something considering it is a documentary. But this just illustrates how far the genre has come in a few short years. There were times when this genre was treated as a curio or a second class citizen but it has now become a staple of cinema as well as making money at the box office, especially considering the budgets involved. “Apollo 11” has to take its place at the very top of its genre especially when analysing the creativity involved in its production as well as the promise of what is to come.
Trailer: “The Hunt” (2020)
The latest trailer for “The Hunt” (2020) has been released following on from its postponed release date which now sees the movie arriving in March.
Jason Blum and Damon Lindelof produce the film which follows twelve strangers who mysteriously wake up in a forest clearing only to discover that they are being hunted for sport by a group of rich liberal elites. Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, Ethan Suplee and Justin Hartley star.
“Palm Beach” (2019)
Drama
Written by: Joanna Murray-Smith and Rachel Ward
Directed by: Rachel Ward
Featuring: Frances Berry, Bryan Brown and Matilda Brown
Recently released on DVD is the Australian movie “Palm Beach” (2019) directed by Rachel Ward, her second go round after the excellent “Beautiful Kate” (2009), both featuring her husband Bryan Brown. The plot of the movie is much like any other movie of its ilk that has been produced for many decades, old friends reuniting after a prolonged period apart, much like “The Big Chill” (1983) or John Sayles breakthrough “The return of the Secaucus Seven” (1979). What separates those movies from this new one is that “Palm Beach” only offers a broad picture of what friendship means after a period of time whereas those other films were highpoint of the genre as well as being expertly written for film and they were much more original.
“Palm Beach” tells the story of friends and old secrets, we are reminded why such situations work so well in drama. They tend to involve tangled-web-we-weave backstories, ethical dilemmas, conflicting perceptions of right and wrong, and moments when complicated feelings are brought to a head. It takes place in a Sydney suburb where longtime friends gather for low-key celebrations. Some of the group are former members of a band called Pacific Sideburns. The extended social network includes Frank (Bryan Brown) and his wife Charlotte (Greta Scacchi), Leo (Sam Neill) and Bridget (Jacqueline McKenzie), and Billy (Richard E Grant) and Eva (Heather Mitchell). Early in the piece Leo mentions to Charlotte the existence of a pact formed long ago, signalling his intention to break whatever this agreement is. This lingers in the background of the story while the group partake in one boozy dinner party and social gathering after another, in and around Frank and Charlotte’s lavish and airy abode, where sunshine sparkles off panoramic bodies of water, evoking the feeling of an endless affluent summer.
Something that pervades “Palm Beach” is smugness, affluence and the idea that everyone in Sydney lives like these white middle aged people who look like they are owed something with them all being framed by their own fortunes. I guess Ward and her co-writer are displaying their own experiences, it’s not like the entire cast are not all successful, rich actors who haven’t even thought about money for decades. For a movie like this there is always going to be a challenge to give screen time to everyone as well as juggling multiple stories which this one has, however where it falls flat is there is little inherent conflict with the characters so it meanders for almost the entire running time something unforgivable in a movie of this ilk.
As “Palm Beach” is co-written by Joanna Murray-Smith who is predominantly known as a play write it is not surprising at all that the movie actually feels like a play in tone and style. While that might work for some films, those that have antagonists and protagonists, think “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992) or “A Few Good Men” (1993) great plays turned into magnificent films. However because of the storylines as well as the direction this movie comes off as not just a little staid and boring with a fairly boring palette that is over saturated which feeds into the smugness of the entire production.
There is only one real reason to watch “Palm Beach” and that is the actors who are all well known as well as great to watch, sure their storylines are bland but they are still fine performers.
“Downton Abbey” (2019)
Drama
Running time: 122 minutes
Written by: Julian Fellowes
Directed by: Michael Engler
Featuring: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton
Henry Talbot: “Leave Downton? We’re stuck with it, aren’t we?”
Lady Mary Talbot: “Yes. Yes, I believe we are.”
Released recently on blu-ray/DVD is the Julian Fellowes creation “Downton Abbey” (2019) making a jump from the small screen to the big one, mostly successful, at least enough to start talking about a sequel to this which sees old favourites and the close of the decade in the 1920s. After the global success of the television series and its eventual conclusion in 2015 it was really a no-brainer that there would be some kind of big screen adaptation, in fact the same can be said of many successful television shows that come to an end, over the past twenty years there has been talk of many of these. It is a hazardous proposition to not only pitch but to make a success, there has been only one television show that has even attempted this so far (not including this one of course) that being “The X-Files: Fight the Future” (1998) which was produced during the run of the show, something not tried before or since, “Downton Abbey”, and they waited four years to do it to build up anticipation.
This film, written by series creator Julian Fellowes and directed by Michael Engler, who directed multiple episodes of the TV original, is exactly what a dan of the series might expect. If you were a regular “Downton Abbey” viewer, you’ll likely feel satisfied by this motion picture experience, which brings back nearly all of the show’s key characters, bumps up the production value a few notches for the big screen, and structures its one-off story around a special visit from King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James). That is of course its greatest weakness in that this movie will not bring any new viewers into the fold, something that the filmmakers recognise and so have no interest in explaining backstory or motivations, these should all be known by the ‘Downton’ audience.
“Downton Abbey” resumes in the fall of 1927, just shy of two years after the events of the series finale, opening with the arrival of a letter from Buckingham Palace announcing that the royals will visit Downton, an occasion that will involve a parade and a dinner. This news causes much excitement and stress among the downstairs staff, all of whom must determine how to feed and attend to the monarchs. That includes Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), still in charge of the kitchen and working alongside the pleasantly contrary Daisy (Sophie McShera); ultra-practical head housekeeper Mrs. Carson (Phyllis Logan), formerly known as Mrs. Hughes; and Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier), who has taken over as butler in the wake of Carson’s retirement. When Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) perceives that Thomas may be slightly jittery about the high-stakes royal social call, she goes to see Carson and pulls him out of retirement to temporarily take over butler duties.
Even though this is written by Julian Fellowes who created the series there is of course some reliability with the characters while he attempts to create some tension we as the audience know it is not about the plot but more about spending time with those we recognise very easily. Directed by Michael Engler there is a look about this movie that is much more cinematic, as it should be.
Because “Downton Abbey” has such a huge cast and there is only a few hours to touch many plot points there are aspects that are not given the proper attention which means the narrative moves along at a brisk pace. Even though the plot is a little paint by numbers there are two moments that show creator Fellowes is still interested in creating new stories as opposed to purely going for a nostalgia play.
While “Downton Abbey” has been off the air much has happened on the global stage, the politeness as well statesmanship that is represented in this movie has been replaced by the blond and orange oafs ob both sides of the Atlantic, the Royal Family after a renaissance is now in tatters. The times that we see in the 1920s is pre-war where there was an optimism that we can only dream of believing in now. Of course by the mid-1930s the writing was on the wall of what the world was to face, something we have not recovered from. Maybe this movie and the series it was originated from that is coming up to the centenary anniversary may show a way forward that means we can all listen to each other instead of talking over each other.
“SeaQuest DSV” (1993-1996)
Television/Science Fiction
57 Episodes
Created by: Rockne S. O’Bannon
Featuring: Roy Scheider, Jonathan Brandis, Stephanie Beacham, Don Franklin and Michael Ironside
Capt. Nathan Bridger: “Beneath the surface lies the future.”
Recently re-released on blu-ray is the mid-nineties sci-fi series “SeaQuest DSV” (1993-1996) that was heavily indfluened by two shows from the 1960s, those being “Star Trek: The Original Series” (1966-1969) and most obviously “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” (1964-1968). What “SeaQuest DSV” did (in its early seasons anyway) was to take the idea of the unexplored oceans and using a military type organisation that was using technology that seemed to be devoted to the exploration and science much like the ‘Federation’ from “Star Trek: The Original Series”. The storylines were much as you might expect for a show of this genre, mostly one-offs with a few call-backs, it was seemingly heading to some success when behind the scenes ructions scuttled not only the appearance of the lead in Roy Scheider but ultimately the entire series.
There was much to enjoy and like about “SeaQuest DSV”, the first was the casting of the fantastic Roy Scheider who was at this point of his career an actor that has appeared in some legendary films but was foundering a little so to be able to create a character that while a fairly typical genre creation he was able to infuse it with sorely needed originality. Then there was the casting of genre regulars Ted Raimi and Peter DeLuise who lent some characterisations that were required for a show that needed something that was lefty of centre. Finally there was the casting of the late Jonathan Brandis as Lucas Wolenczak who was also the conduit for a talking dolphin, this was the highest profile project he ever worked on and you can see shades of an actor who finding his way but who never caught on later in his career leading to personal issues as well as his eventual suicide.
“SeaQuest DSV” was set in “the near future”—originally the year 2018 in the first season—seaQuest DSV originally mixed high drama with realistic scientific fiction. It originally starred film star Roy Scheider as Captain Nathan Bridger, designer and commander of the eponymous naval submarine seaQuest DSV 4600. Jonathan Brandis also starred as Lucas Wolenczak, a teenaged computer genius placed aboard seaQuest by his father and Stephanie Beacham as Kristin Westphalen, the chief medical officer and head of the seaQuest science department. In the third season, Michael Ironside replaced Scheider as lead of the series and starred as Captain Oliver Hudson. Also present was a dolphin character called Darwin who, due to technological advances, was able to communicate with the crew. Each week there would be stories related to the ocean, some dealt with technological advances, some ecological disasters or threats as well as a variety of others that genre fans would immediately recognise.
This was never a perfect television series, at the time of original broadcast it was taking place in a post “Star Trek” world where many of the themes of this show has been aired before, what it became was a reminder that genre television has not only an audience but with it that which has proven again and again, if you offer something even a little original there will be an audience. It was only a few years after the cancellation of this series that a similar show was spawned that being “Stargate SG-1” (1997-2007) which actually covered themes that were alike but with the added layer of a storyline that went through at least the first eight seasons. Not only that but an entire industry was spawned with multiple spin-offs, television movies and even an animated series, something “SeaQuest DSV” may have only dreamt of, but the framework was there, one can only wonder what might have been possible.
Episodes
Season One:
Pilot: When Commander Jonathan Ford is forced to relieve Captain Marilyn Stark of duty for disobeying orders, the seaQuest DSV is left without a captain. The new United Earth Oceans Organization recruits reluctant retired Captain Nathan Bridger to assume command; however, Bridger is not at all enthusiastic about rejoining the military. But, when a renegade pirate submarine begins to endanger lives, Bridger can’t help but be swept up in the life he tried to escape, especially when the captain of the rebel sub turns out to be the recently fired Stark on a revenge mission to destroy the seaQuest.
The Devil’s Window: While investigating a black smoker, Darwin becomes seriously ill. Bridger must contemplate setting his long-time aquatic pal free in order to save his life.
Treasures of the Mind: The seaQuest discovers the lost Library of Alexandria sunken beneath the sea. However, when surrounding nations cannot agree on a peaceful way to share the discovery, Bridger must act as mediator before escalating tensions result in the destruction of the library.
Games: Mass murderer Dr. Rubin Zellar (Alan Scarfe) is unwittingly taken aboard the seaQuest. Placing him in custody, Zellar is able to escape and informs Bridger that he’s hidden a toxin frozen in ice somewhere aboard the ship… a toxin that is surely melting with each passing second.
Treasures of the Tonga Trench: As the seaQuest undergoes inspection, Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg has a close encounter with an unknown life form while in a seaCrab in the Tonga Trench. When the creature lets him go, Krieg discovers a treasure trove of mysterious glowing stones; stones that may mean big money. However, is the bigger threat to seaQuest the greed that overtakes the crew or the unknown life form?
Brothers and Sisters: The seaQuest is ordered to entomb a munitions depot thought to be abandoned. However, when the crew discovers children living inside, Bridger must convince them to follow him to safety.
Give Me Liberte: A virus found on board a sunken space station infects the crew. As Bridger rushes to find the inventor of the pathogen, a warrior submarine from an opposing confederation arrives to cover up their crimes, even if it means the destruction of the seaQuest.
Knight of Shadows: When Bridger is hurled across his quarters by an unknown force, it leads the seaQuest to find a hundred-year-old sunken ship where the spirits of those who perished there haunt its ancient hull, one of which possesses Dr. Westphalen.
Bad Water: Commander Ford, Dr. Westphalen, Lucas and Lieutenant Krieg are trapped on the surface of the ocean as a hurricane rages above them. Meanwhile, suffering severe damage from a lightning strike, the seaQuest must desperately search for a sunken French submarine before its passengers, all children, run out of air.
The Regulator: When the air conditioning breaks down in the crew quarters, Krieg has no choice but to turn to “The Regulator”, a cut-throat black market trader who hides a shamed past with whom Bridger is familiar with and whom Lucas finds he can sympathize with.
seaWest: When the seaQuest visits the Broken Ridge mining colony, one of the colonists desperately pleads for the crew’s help to escape from a dangerous situation straight out of the Old West.
Photon Bullet: Feeling isolated, unwanted, and unappreciated aboard the seaQuest, Lucas visits Node Three, a communications colony populated by other teenage computer geniuses, led by legendary computer hacker Martin Clemens, aka. “Mycroft”. However, Lucas soon finds himself caught up in the group’s tampering with global finances – tamperings that have more motive than they appear.
Better Than Martians: The first manned mission to Mars returns home to Earth, led by Commander Scott Keller, an old friend of Bridger’s. However, a malfunction during re-entry plunges the capsule into the ocean where a corrupt general from a foreign confederation races to recover the astronauts before the seaQuest can.
Nothing but the Truth: In preparation for an experiment, the crew evacuates the seaQuest, leaving only Commander Ford, Lt. Commander Hitchcock, Lieutenant Krieg, Chief Crocker, and Lucas aboard. However, environmental extremists use the seaQuest’s vulnerable state to seize control of the boat.
Greed for a Pirate’s Dream: When Dr. Raleigh Young’s magma buoy launched from the seaQuest months earlier rockets out of the sea and crash lands onto an island, a group of treasure hunters believe that the UEO is on their way to steal the fortune they hope to find.
Whale Song: When an environmental radical begins to sink whaling ships, the UEO orders Bridger to find the attacker and destroy him. However, Bridger refuses on moral grounds and resigns as captain of the seaQuest.
The Stinger: Lucas and Lt. Commander Hitchcock enter the seaQuest in a competition to design a revolutionary new kind of single-seat submersible. However, while testing it, Lucas is fired upon and the sub is captured by a rival developer.
Hide and Seek: While visiting Dr. Westphalen is visiting Malcolm Lansdowne, the two of them are captured by ousted dictator and escaped UEO prisoner Milos Tezlov, who wants Malcolm’s dolphins to train for militaristic purposes. However, when Kristin notices Tezlov’s autistic son Caesar taking an extreme liking to dolphins, she forges a deal for her release, granting Tezlov passage aboard the seaQuest.
The Last Lap at Luxury: UEO Secretary General Andrea Dre travels aboard the seaQuest en route to a conference where she invites Lucas to join her to speak out on his work with Darwin. However, Lucas soon finds himself held hostage along with the leaders of the other UEO confederations.
Abalon: When Commander Ford believes he saw a mermaid at the bottom of the ocean, Captain Bridger orders him to take shore leave, but while on leave, Ford encounters the same woman again and soon finds himself ensnared in a mysterious scientist’s unnatural experiment. Meanwhile, Lucas sneaks away to a party where Julianna and he may go “all the way.”
Such Great Patience: The seaQuest makes the biggest discovery in Human history when they discover an alien starship entombed in an undersea rock face; trapped there for over a million years. When an away team goes inside the ship, they find that they might not be the only thing aboard it.
The Good Death: The seaQuest is tricked into torpedoing a ship carrying dozens of child refugees, led by Cynthia Westphalen, Kristin’s daughter. When their launch is damaged, Commander Ford, Shan, and the Westphalens must take refuge in the Amazonian Confederation, whose brutal leader believes the seaQuest has sent assassins after him.
Higher Power: An emotional time is at hand as the seaQuest’s tour of duty comes to an end; Chief Crocker faces his retirement and the end of his marriage, Commanders Ford and Hitchcock are offered the same command, and Captain Bridger and Dr. Westphalen begin a romantic relationship. Most emotional of all is Lucas who realizes that his father is hardly a part of his life anymore. However, when the Earth’s crustbegins to crack open underneath his father’s power plant, the world is threatened by an unstoppable rise in ocean temperature which will melt the polar caps. With lava seeping into the sea, Bridger must sacrifice the seaQuest in order to save the world.
Season Two:
Daggers: The crew of the new seaQuest shove off from New Cape Quest, Florida, but their shakedown cruise is interrupted when Genetically Engineered Life Forms (G.E.L.F.s) revolt and seize control of their island colony as well as a defensive weapons space base and threaten to destroy the Human race.
The Fear That Follows: The engineers of the alien spacecraft that the original seaQuest discovered before her destruction receive the message sent by the crew and relay their intentions, through Darwin, to make first contact with the Human race. While the crew are ecstatic, General Thomas and a hot-shot UEO lieutenant can only see things from a military perspective.
Sympathy for the Deep: A parapsychologic experiment gone terribly wrong and has driven the residents of the peaceful Miranda Colony to near insanity, including Captain Bridger’s old girlfriend, who pleads with him for help. When the seaQuest arrives, they too are affected.
Vapors: While on shore leave, Captain Bridger and Dr. Smith struggle with a possible romance after rumors about their love life sweep through the seaQuest. Meanwhile, Henderson and O’Neill go out on a date, while Commander Ford, Brody and Ortiz try to find dates. On their shore leave, Piccolo, Lucas and Dagwood respond to Piccolo’s father’s plea for help.
Playtime: A distant call for help pulls the seaQuest through an underwater anomaly, propelling the boat 225 years into the future where they find that mankind has destroyed itself, leaving only two teenaged kids as the only Human life left on Earth.
The Sincerest Form of Flattery: A programmer obtains a computerized copy of Captain Bridger’s personality and uses it to automate an experimental submarine. When the project goes awry, the sub breaks free and begins attacking UEO bases. Bridger must go one-on-one with himself before the sub can destroy the seaQuest and level New Cape Quest with a missile attack which will kill everyone in the city.
By any other means: A distress call from an underwater horticultural colony brings the seaQuest and her crew to investigate. However, the seemingly benign colony is not what it appears to be when a flower picked by Henderson is brought back to the boat and begins to mutate.
When We Dead Awaken: Lieutenant Brody’s mother suddenly reappears in her son’s life after being cryogenically frozen for twenty-two years, though their reunion may be short lived as she is soon targeted by an assassin – an assassin who’s affiliated with someone the seaQuest crew is familiar with.
Special Delivery: When Dr. Smith performs psychological evaluations on the crew, Commander Ford allows Dagwood to take shore leave. Trouble soon arises when he is accused of murdering the man who created him, something he does not remember doing. Sentenced to life in prison, Ford and Brody attempt to give Dagwood a small taste of a life he’s never had and seemingly never will.
Dead End: Lucas, Brody, O’Neill and Henderson are pulled beneath the Earth’s surface into a cavern while in a seaLaunch. With not enough air for them all to return to the surface, they must take their chances in a lottery. When Lucas comes up short, he must come to terms with being condemned to death.
Meltdown: An undersea mining operation raises the temperature in the South Atlantic, releasing a behemoth prehistoric crocodile from its icy tomb which threatens the life of local inhabitants, including an undersea farming team led by Commander Ford’s family.
Lostland: On a deep diving mission, Commander Ford discovers an ancient gold helmet proving that the lost continent of Atlantis once existed. However, when Captain Bridger and Ortiz try the helmet on, they are consumed by the ancient curse sealed within and begin lashing out at the crew.
And Everything Nice: While up-world, Lucas falls for a beautiful woman and asks to resign from his position aboard the boat. However, he soon becomes ensnared in an elaborate scheme to seize control of the seaQuest and deal a crippling blow to the UEO.
Dream Weaver: When a comet splashes into the water near seaQuest’s location, it mysteriously disintegrates into particles, which cocoons the boat and impregnates it with an aggressive alien predator that disables the ship and attacks the crew.
Alone: A paranormal being known as “The Avatar” begins to threaten the world with his ability to place government officials into comas, including Secretary General McGath. As the UEO places all known psychics into concentration camps to try to stop “The Avatar”, Dr. Smith must use her own psychic powers to confront him before it’s too late.
Watergate: On a mission to escort rock star Sarah Toenin to a USO show, Lucas and O’Neill discover that nearby Solitaire Island is, in fact, an ancient pyramid. Upon making the discovery, Sarah speaks in strange tongues that O’Neill recognizes as Ancient Greek, foretelling the coming of Neptune, the God of the sea.
Something in the air: The crew protects a group of researchers at an abandoned mining outpost while they study an ancient chest found buried in the Mediterranean. However, the chest turns out to be a Pandora’s Box that unleashes a demon on the seaQuest team.
Dagger Redux: A legendary computer hacker known as “The Marauder” breaks Mariah out of prison to use her desire for revenge against Captain Bridger to destroy the seaQuest, leaving the sea free to be mined for prehistoric insect fuel whom “The Marauder” believes to be the missing element in cold fusion. Meanwhile, feeling stagnated aboard the boat, O’Neill takes a leave of absence but soon finds himself in Mariah’s clutches.
The Siamese Dream: When Piccolo and Dagwood mysteriously share a nightmare, Dr. Smith takes them to a parapsychology facility to try to help them, administered by her former love, Clay Marshall. However, Marshall is planting the dreams in an attempt to gain access to the seaQuest
Blindsided: When his airplane crashes in the South American jungle, Piccolo is kidnapped by a ruthless dictator from a militant confederation who has been secretly creating cloaked artificial life-forms that have gone out of control.
Splashdown: After receiving a plea for help from Commander Keller, a massive alien starship draws seaQuest from the water and takes the crew billions of light-years away to the far distant world of Hyberion where they are dropped in the middle of a civil war that threatens to destroy the boat and all aboard.
Season Three:
Brave New World: In the ten years since Captain Nathan Bridger and the crew of seaQuest mysteriously disappeared off the face of the Earth, Captain Oliver Hudson leads a search for the lost submarine as a fascist Australian confederation grows its sphere of influence above and below the sea. When seaQuest reappears on Earth, it may be just the miracle the UEO needs to stop the Alliance of Macronesia’s intent of world domination.
In the Company of Ice and Profit: As the crew chafes against the hard-as-nails attitude of Captain Hudson, Larry Deon of Deon International plots to send an iceberg the size of New England towards Saudi Arabia, which, when melted, would flood the Saudi desert, increasing the demand for his water purification technologies. To prevent Hudson from destroying the iceberg, Deon plants Macronesian refugees on its surface, led by a former member of seaQuest’s crew: Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg.
Smoke on the Water: When UEO haulers begin to mysteriously disappear, the seaQuest is ordered to stand guard and defend the ships. However, this mission reunites Hudson with his long-lost love. Meanwhile, when Dagwood encounters a group of Daggers up-world, he considers leaving seaQuest, and Lucas must learn about the responsibilities of being an officer.
Destination Termina: When a revolutionary new underwater train heads out on her maiden voyage, Lucas is ordered by Captain Hudson to go along and observe, while Commander Ford and Henderson also take a ride on a secret date. However, when Deon International plots to keep the air travel business at number one, they sabotage the train and kill the engineer, leaving Lucas to stop the locomotive before it crashes.
Chains of Command: When UEO missiles are launched against a Macronesian outpost, Captain Hudson is ordered to relieve his former commanding officer, Admiral Vanalden, who has seized control of a secret military base and plans to plunge the Human race into a state of nuclear war.
Brainlock: On the eve of the signing of the new UEO charter, President Alexander Bourne and Larry Deon conspire to gain control of Lieutenant Fredericks’ psyche-implant in order to program her to assassinate Secretary General McGath and cripple the UEO beyond repair.
Spindrift: After rescuing a group of children from a Macronesian attack, Henderson is captured and sentenced to death by President Alexander Bourne. Unwilling to accept this, Captain Hudson organizes a rescue mission, one that puts Lieutenant Brody’s life in extreme jeopardy.
Equilibrium: Upon discovering a viral outbreak caused by a rescue mission mounted by the original seaQuest over a decade earlier, Lucas develops a method to counteract the agent. However, when Captain Bridger arrives on the scene and proposes to let the pathogen naturally break down, seaQuest soon finds itself locked in mortal combat with its former captain.
Resuurection: After faking his own death, environmental radical Max Scully once again encounters the seaQuest and plans to use the ship’s laser banks to detonate an underwater nuclear stockpile that will destroy the Human race, save for a select few within his environmental paradise of Ecotopia.
Good Soldiers: Captain Bridger, Lucas, Commander Ford, and Dagwood infiltrate a former UEO base, now in the hands of Macronesia, to locate a set of top-secret data crystals containing information on crimes against humanity—crimes that Bridger and Ford were accessories to.
Second Chance: A freak imbalance in one of seaQuest’s reactor cores creates a time displacement sphere around the boat that rockets the ship back in time to October 1962, where they find that all of mankind has been destroyed as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis. With no choice, the crew must travel back further in time to try to prevent the event.
Reunion: On a diplomatic mission, Henderson discovers that her former love is now a prisoner and forced to work as slave labour. She also finds that Mason Freeman, Larry Deon’s hired gun, is also a prisoner. When the two of them instigate a prison break and steal a submarine, they capture a UEO science outpost and hold the science team hostage.
Weapons of war: As seaQuest patrols a free trade zone between the UEO and Macronesia, Lieutenant O’Neill’s online romance turns out to be a defector from an elusive Asian power known as the Chaodai; a power that attacks both the UEO and Macronesia with its impressive sub-fighter capability. In this final adventure, one member of seaQuest’s crew will not live to see another day.
“Wild Rose” (2019)
Musical/Drama
Running time: 103 minutes
Written by: Nicole Taylor
Directed by: Tom Harper
Featuring: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo, Jamie Sives, Craig Parkinson, James Harkness, Janey Godley, Daisy Littlefeld, Ryan Kerr, Adam Mitchell and Nicole Kerr
Country Singer: “No-one wants to see a convicted criminal up there.”
Rose-Lynn Harlan: “Johnny Cash was a convicted criminal , you ball-bag.”
Released recently on DVD is the criminally under-rated film “Wild Rose” (2019) that centres on one woman who dreams of pursuing her dream of becoming a County singer and performing at the legendary Grand Ole Opry located in Tennessee, the twist is that this film is set in the very un country locale of Glasgow. Now it has be said that by the time “Wild Rose” was released there have been so many of these genre movies where someone has a gift and they dream of making it big, that it can be difficult to actually watch one with fresh eyes, so much so that unless there is something truly special they actually are a little unbearable. However, like a relatively recent film, “Patti Cake$” (2017) that is set in the dirty South of the United States there is something not only special but unique at the core of the movie. “Wild Rose” like “Patti Cake$” features a plot that takes into account the lower classes of both cultures, they feature music that is not associated either with the type of person performing or even the locale that the music is performed in and most importantly they both feature performances that are fresh, exciting and acted by relative unknowns who seem far more experienced than they actually are. In “Patti Cake$” it is the stunning Danielle Macdonald, with “Wild Rose” it is the equally enchanting Jessie Buckley who was recently BAFTA nominated for this role.
Firstly, it has to be said upfront that this film by Tom Harper is not original, that is to say the plot is not, however the success as well as enjoyment of this movie is not to be found there, look closer and you are witness to a movie that is about the truth of the characters that have been created they are original as well as heart felt with plenty of emotion to push through the plot. This is a film where the plot exists to solely illustrate some fine acting, original musical performances as well as the strong relationships that exist between family as well as friends. These relationships occur when people are not only color blind but love each other for reasons that only they can explain, where looks, economics and politics are able to transcend location in the world we all live in.
This is definitely a movie about journeys; the main journey is of course by Rose-Lynn Harlan herself who moves through the story like a force, with the inherent ability to push her way through the prejudices of others as well as the innumerable obstacles that come up. But there are major secondary characters that evolve throughout the movie such as Marion, Rose-Lynn long suffering mother who battles her own self worth, the rising star of her daughter, her alcohol problem as well as many other issues.
Of course this movie could not be the success it is without the incredible actors, the main one is a budding talents in Jessie Buckley. Buckley, who proved so central to the magnificent “Beast” (2017), lights up the screen as Rose-Lynn Harlan; a 23-year-old firebrand, fresh out of jail, wearing an electronic tag beneath white cowgirl boots. Her redoubtable mum, Marion (Julie Walters), wants Rose-Lynn to settle down and take care of the kids she’s been minding while her daughter was in prison. But Rose-Lynn has a wanderlust that not even a strictly enforced curfew can quell.
There is absolutely no way to seperate the film “Wild Rose” (2019) from the central performance by Jessie Buckley who is the very centre of this film, by the end you will believe that it is possible for a country music star to come from anywhere even the dark recesses of Glashow. What this film does is to expose what success and talent mean to someone who has no idea how to use one to get the other. It also attempts to illustrate what an ideal or a goal can mean when you get some of the way there, realising that success may mean using what you have to become a success where you come from which is what happens in the closing of this real, emotional and somewhat original film that is a highlight from last year.
“Overcomer” (2019)
Drama/Family
Running time: 115 minutes
Writtien by: Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick
Directed by: Alex Kendrick
Featuring: Alex Kendrick, Priscilla Shirer, Shari Rigby, Jack Sterner, Cameron Arnett and Aryn Wright-Thompson
Thomas Hill: “For someone who knows the Lord, you’re acting like somebody who doesn’t. Which makes me wonder: what have you allowed to define you? When you lost your team, it didn’t just disappoint you, it devastated you. Something, or someone, will have first place in your heart. But when you find your identity in the One Who created you, it’ll change your whole perspective.”
Released recently on DVD is the very Christian themed movie “Overcomer” (2019) that covers many of the plot points and themes that are present any many other religious movies, which I suppose is a comfort for fans of this type of movie, but for others it is just more of a turn off.
“Overcomer” is based around John Harrison (Alex Kendrick) who is a basketball coach at a high school. Due to the closure of businesses in the city and the departure of several families, he agrees to be the running coach for Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright-Thompson) who is asthmatic. Hannah’s sporting journey will be accompanied by a self-discovery that will answer a question that has been a concern for her for a long time.
The main issue is that while there is a plot and a narrative within this movie it is far too preachy as well as far to embraced within in its own religion to offer anything coherent or jingoistic, as I said it has an audience and they know who they are, implicitly. How this happens is not just interesting but it also speaks to the wider issue that rages within this genre.
Interestingly, this movie starts off promisingly with a couple of plot strands that could stand on their own, which they do for the first half of the movie but they are all pushed aside once the sermonising begins and jettisons anything that does not feed the thought that religion is the answer and if it isn’t then it should be, it becomes mono-pluralistic which jobs this movie of any reason to view unless you believe in the message which never lets up.
There is no doubt that the Christian movie genre has an audience, maybe because it never challenges a status quo that many, including the audience is happy with, but I need to watch movies that entertain, challenge and offer other points of view which this genre never does. It offers only answers in religion, if you don’t want to accept that then these movies, this one included is not for you.
Trailer: “F9: The Fast Saga” (2020)
The first trailer for “F9: The Fast Saga,” the ninth “Fast and Furious” film, is now online as part of a major fan event and concert promotional push taking place in Miami today.
Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most.
His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena).
Finn Cole, Anna Sawai, Vinnie Bennett and Michael Rooker join the returning cast this time out with the movie opening in May.
“Mr. Holland’s Opus” (1995)
Drama
Running time: 143 minutes
Written by: Patrick Sheane Duncan
Directed by: Stephen Herek
Featuring: Richard Dreyfuss , Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy and Jay Thomas
Glenn Holland: “Playing music is supposed to be fun. It’s about heart, it’s about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, and it’s not about notes on a page. I can teach you notes on a page, I can’t teach you that other stuff.”
Re-released recently on Blu-ray/DVD is the Oscar nominated 1995 film “Mr. Holland’s Opus” (1995) featuring Richard Dreyfuss in a role that brought him back to the limelight and was not only a star making turn for him but also was a coming out party for legendary composer Michael Kamen who was heavily invested in the film. This was a film that like the previous years Oscar winner “Forrest Gump” (1994) had a narrative that travelled through some of the more important aspects of US history but instead of having the main character experiencing it first hand this movie used music as the driving narrative force, while having the main character in a small schools music department as the central narrative focus.
“Mr. Holland’s Opus” is set in Portland, Oregon in 1965, 30-year-old Glenn Holland is a talented musician and composer who has been relatively successful in the exhausting life of a professional musical performer. However, in an attempt to enjoy more free time with his young wife, Iris, and to enable him to compose a piece of orchestral music, Holland accepts a teaching position at John F. Kennedy High School.
Unfortunately for Holland, he is soon forced to realize that his position as a music teacher makes him a marginalized figure in the faculty’s hierarchy. Many of his colleagues, and some in Kennedy High’s administration, including the school’s vice principal Gene Wolters, resent Holland and question the value and importance of music education given the school’s strained budget. However, he quickly begins to win many of his colleagues over, including Principal Helen Jacobs and football coach Bill Meister. Holland finds success using rock and roll as a way to make classical music more accessible to his students.
Every teacher has his favorite students, and Mr. Holland has several. One is a hopelessly untalented band member (Alicia Witt). Mr. Holland is not able to make her talented, but he is able to restore her self-esteem, and she reappears many years later as a woman who learned much more than music in his class. Another is a beautiful and talented student (Jean Louisa Kelly), who has her sights set on
show biz, and who falls in love with Mr. Holland, who must walk a delicate emotional tightrope with an end not always in sight.
Although much of the movie involves Mr. Holland helping his students to mature, the character of the son, Cole, provides a counterpoint: A way for Mr. Holland to grow up, too, and accept bothhis son and his life. Some of them scenes between them are painful, and a later scene, where Mr. Holland sings John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” to Cole, is very moving.
Richard Dreyfuss, who is sometimes too exuberant, here finds theright tones for Mr. Holland, from youthful cocksureness to the gentleinsight of age. His physical transformations over 30 years are alwaysconvincing. Glenne Headly has a more thankless role as his wife, but watch her handle the scene where she suddenly sees something she had not suspected, and intuitively knows how to deal with it. The supporting cast is all strong, especially Jay Thomas as the football coach who becomes Holland’s lifelong friend.
“Mr. Holland’s Opus” is an interesting diversion, it is well worth a viewing but once seen its obvious plot driven by a narrative that many audiences will by now be completely at ease with really offers few surprises, a rental would suffice for this musical drama.
“Keeping Faith – Season Two” (2019)
Thriller
Six Episodes
Created by: Matthew Hall
Featuring: Eve Myles, Hannah Daniel, Matthew Gravelle, Bradley Freegard, Mark Lewis Jones, Mali Harries and Aneirin Hughes
Megan: “People just don’t go missing, even I know that.”
Released recently on DVD is the second season of the Welsh drama “Keeping Faith” that features Eve Myles in the lead role playing a complex character in a very complex television show.
Faith, a small-town Welsh lawyer, is forced to cut short her extended maternity leave when her husband and business partner, Evan, disappears whilst she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child. As the truth of his actions surface, Faith must fight to protect her family and her sanity.
The second season picks up 18 months after the cliffhanger of the first season, we find Faith reassembling her life after Evan’s unexpected return — and outrunning the demons he brought with him — while plunging into a new mystery.
While the first series was united by a central mystery, the second series without this felt messy and chaotic, with great performances unable to save the show from feeling more like a mess of stuff rather than a series with momentum and an engaging throughline.While this may not be the case, season one felt like a complete story that season two sometimes struggles to follow up.
There is no doubt that while this is a finely crafted show by people who definitely know what they are doing and hopefully where they are going this show rest on the performance of Eve Myles who has been many places in her career, finding herself at the centre of a bonafide hit both in terms of the number of viewers and it becoming a critical darling.
Episodes
“Liam Gallagher: As it was” (2019)
Music Documentary
Running time: 85 minutes
Directed by: Gavin Fitzgerald, Charlie Lightening
Featuring: Liam Gallagher, David Adcock, Paul Arthurs
“You’re getting told
You greedy soul
You’ve been telling lies
The slippery kind” – Greedy Soul, Liam Gallagher
“Liam Gallagher: As it was” (2019) is a music documentary (of sorts, back to that later) that takes a broad look at ex Oasis front man Liam Gallagher his personal past as well as his current career as a solo artist who now writes his own music without the encumbrance of his brother Noel and away from post break up band Beady Eye.
The past four years or so has been excellent for the documentary genre, not only on streaming or DVD but also in cinemas, which is a trend that goes against what many people may have expected. However I find this to be exactly what should be expected especially with the concentration of so-called ‘fake news’ that now exists on the internet, coupled with what has been coming from the White House under the Trump Presidency. In fact there was a thought that cinematic documentaries might be a thing of the past especially with the success as well as saturation of Disney-fied blockbusters invading multiplexes, in fact audiences have been flocking to cinemas to seek out stories about real people making real differences in times and places where many others have been marginalised and made powerless by the people in charge in their respective times. Some of the great, as well as critically received, not forgetting making money documentaires at the box office are: “Wont you be my neighbour?” (2018), “Three Identical Strangers” (2018), “Jane” (2018), “RBG” (2018), and my personal favourite “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” (2017) with so many more. What this says about audiences is that they will seek out true stories told in the relative first person that are not only inspiring but are direct counter programming to the politics of the day as well as the lies that are being produced by a President who is not only artificial but hate fuelled. My belief as a fan of documentaries is that this genre will only gain in popularity, with the coming years being a boon as well as revealing the importance of truth in the media as well as the importance of researching decisions made by the electorate. It is no surprise that the rise in fake news, Donald Trump, racism and may other hate fuelled elements has been answered by artists creating documentaries that prove there can be positive outcomes when people choose to buck the system as well as believing in others, differences, freedom and most of all, discussion.
Of course there is a central problem with “Liam Gallagher: As it was” which is something at the core of many of these types of movies, that is they have complete co-operation with the central subject which of course means they have control over the end product, in this case an almost ninety minute advert for Gallaghers thoughts and music which possibly are not the greatest two elements in the world to draw from. There is the covering of old ground with his upbringing and the inevitable analysis of Oasis as a band and Noel Gallagher as a kind of villain which if you know anything about the brothers there is so much more going on. However what we are left with is Liam as a victim, a misunderstood hero and Noel being some controlling boss who would not let Liam have any kind of agency. This is partly true of course but one need only look at the music written by the other Oasis members to not only measure their talent but confirm that Noel was the centre of that band.
“Liam Gallagher: As it was” is not a bad movie at all, it has a very good soundtrack of course as well as some significant indicators as to why Liam and Noel behave the way they do to each other. There are two fundamental elements of the documentary that aid in its appreciation, they are the long form interview with Noel as well as the live performances that have been filmed for this which are in fact very good. Overall this a very well thought out documentary, fans of either Liam or Oasis will get a lot out of it.
Amazon Prime Video has released the full trailer for Jordan Peele’s forthcoming ten-episode action-thriller series “Hunters” which sees Al Pacino coming to television for the first time.
Set in New York City in 1977, the inspired by a true story tale follows a group known as The Hunters who discover that hundreds of former high-ranking Nazi officials are living among them and conspiring to create the Fourth Reich in the U.S.
The group then sets out on a bloody quest to bring the Nazis to justice and thwart their new genocidal plans. Logan Lerman, Dylan Baker, Jerrika Hinton, Greg Austin, Catherine Tate, Josh Radnor, Tiffany Boone, Saul Rubinek, Lena Olin and Carol Kane co-star.
Kate Mulvany, James Le Gros, Ebony Obsidian, Caleb Emery, Henry Hunter Hall and Jeannie Berlin also have guest or recurring roles. “Hunters” will premiere February 21st.
