Change Your Image
MelanieJS
Reviews
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
A Must See!!!
If you have been taught and/or “believe” that evolution is a fact then you must see this movie. If you think that evolution is a lame idea then you must see this movie. It is great! The ticket taker at the cinema told us that at the showing previous to ours the audience gave it a standing ovation. He couldn’t wait to see it, he told us. It did raise questions for me as to how our hard-earned $ are being spent by some government agencies, not to mention institutions of lower and higher education and may perhaps answer the question as to why after so much money has been spent there is so little to show for it --- it begs the question what has all that money bought???? and what is the result of spending it and who has benefited and who will benefit from the continuation? AND Can we “believe” when we read something in the paper or in a science text book or magazine or even in a university level science class that what we are being told is science or is merely something imaginary or perhaps an "agenda"? This film is very thought provoking. It made clear to me that a well rounded education including rhetoric/logic and a knowledge of basic scientific method is necessary so that we have a method for evaluating information we are given and separating out the garbage. It also helps so we can use the information we have because information in itself can be quite useless unless there is structure or method applied to it i.e. a list of ingredients isn’t a recipe but when it is structured and method is applied it becomes a recipe that can be made and turns out the same time after time.
Well done film! Enjoyed the cinematography and composition although for the first 10 minutes this aspect didn’t look promising. The pacing was good, the material quite good and it did not try to go beyond it’s scope. It started a little slowly but then it hit pace and there wasn’t a dull moment. Excellent job! I liked Ben Stein’s style and his wardrobe - it just “fit”. The movie was better than I thought it would be. It is a must see!!!!!
Northanger Abbey (2007)
This DVD goes in the TRASH
There was ability here for this film but the amount of sexual perversion displayed and alluded to in it ruined it. I will throw this DVD in the trash. This is not a good film for anyone to watch (especially not children) due to the fact that a good deal of the perverted undertone was sado/masochistic (i.e. taking pleasure in violence, threat, or pain or taking pleasure in inflicting violence, threat or pain). As in the case of rape: violence + sex = perversion and do not belong together and should not be presented as entertainment in my opinion. What made it worse was that they chose a Jane Austen novel to project this onto. Can’t they sell perversion outright? Do they have to disguise it under the appearance of a safe and respectable storyline to spread that filth. Shame on the decision makers for this project at BBC - I don’t think I will every buy another one of their releases. It is extremely sad as there appears to be a good deal of talent as far as adapting the story and scripting as well as casting, editing, and camera work and acting. The costuming was fair - however I got very disgusted and very tired of seeing so much of Isabella’s half-exposed bosom - a note to film editing: one would have been too many let alone the number that were in there. This is not a necessary component for a successful film. The talent of the screenplay fell apart at the ending which was not true to form and extremely disjointed - another 10 minutes might have helped. The bottom line: What a waste of talent and time - they ruined what could have been a very good movie with perversion. Don’t bother buying it. If you must view - rent it - somewhere - cheaply - but even the time to watch it is a waste - even if the rental was free.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Don't waste your time
This film is based very loosely on the novel by Jane Austen. If you liked the book I don't think you will like this movie. They took too many indecent liberties with the book! This movie would not give you the least idea of the richness and elegance and sheer enjoyment of the novel. I am sooooooo glad I didn't spend money to see this at the cinema thanks to reviews on this web site!!! Out of curiosity I did rent it (much cheaper). It was awful in my opinion. Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet was merely the worst of the casting of this film. The dialog was totally "valley girl" and hardly true to the period. That aspect was quite nauseating. The dialog between the characters was boring and so artificial. The was nothing to please the ear or the eye in this one for me.
Emma (1972)
A Classic
If you liked the book Emma by Jane Austen I do not think you will be disappointed with this dramatization. They did change a few things from the book but those who have not read the book will get most of the content. I particularly enjoyed the costumes. The gowns, hats and caps of the ladies were spectacular. The detail, even down to the ornate hat pins, helped make this a delight to watch. The characterizations were quite faithful for the most part. Mr.Woodhouse, while perhaps not quite the same as the book, was an interesting and quite funny character. This mini-series did a very good job of capturing a great deal of the humor of Jane Austen (she is incredibly funny!) which is not all that easy to translate from her elegant prose to the camera and dialog of video rendition. When I see something like this that is so well done it makes me appreciate anew this art form and especially that of script writing....not to mention blocking....editing.... I think the mini-series is friendlier to a good adaption of Jane Austen's novels rather than the movie. This is my favorite of those I have seen with the A & E 1996 version as a close 2nd and the 1996 movie as my least favorite. I have not seen 1948 & 1960 BBC versions - wonder where I can find them???
Bella (2006)
Go see it - been 2x will probably go again
The second time I went to this movie I saw things that I missed the first time. There were little nuances made with the composition of the shots that I didn't catch on the 1st viewing - so keep your eyes open. Personally I think the film needs to be seen twice just like a good book deserves a second reading. There is a depth to this film that wasn't obvious to me on the 1st viewing. It can seem perhaps single-faceted at first glance but there are more layers. I especially was more aware of composition and sound-track on the second viewing. I recognized why it won the film festival the 1st time - the 2nd time just added more appreciation of the details of the performances and the whole mix of that with the camera work. It is a work of art.
The cinematography was beautiful in my opinion - it gave me a different and positive view of NYC and people in it. Usually NYC has negative taste in films I've seen. The acting was excellent! The performances were just what they should be and not over or under whelming. This was not a movie where I had to cover my ears or my eyes or feel like it was time to get up and leave after the first 30 mins. What a relief!! I usually don't go out to the movies any longer because the content, to me, is more depressing than entertaining.
This movie was entertaining and worth the $ (and the rather lousy theater popcorn). It was an enjoyable experience both times. The 1st time I was surprised as this is not a "predictable" movie but an intriguing one. The 2nd viewing was like savoring a vanilla latte.
I may have to go see it again. I will be buying the DVD.