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Chernobyl: 1x02 Please Remain Calm

The newly introduced character of Ulana Khomyuk is an amalgamation of several actual characters who worked with Legasov to prevent the second explosion. Even though she is fictional, she provides invaluable insight into the even greater danger of a potential second explosion. The possibility of that second explosion is fact. It would have happened if not for the bravery of the three men who volunteered to drain the water tanks.

The conflict between Legasov and Shcherbina was remarkable. This series continues to amaze with its recreation of the event, but adds just the right amount of dramatization without being offensive to those of us who find the facts as, if not more important, than just being entertained.

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Chernobyl: 1x04 The Happiness of All Mankind

I'm running out of superlatives for this show. I continue to marvel at the historical accuracy of the events. I was waiting to see if they would recreate one of the most amazing facts about the accident...the clearing of the roof by the "biorobots". 90 seconds. 90 seconds on the roof to receive a lifetime dose of radiation. And going out on that roof wasn't voluntary. Nice government. Also, the scenes of young Pavel being forced to liquidate starving, deserted family pets was one of the saddest things I've ever watched.

The opening scene features an old woman milking a cow while being told by a soldier to leave her farm for her own safety. She tells him she's not leaving and recalls the history of her life under the iron boot of the communist system. The mention of the horrific Holodomor was shocking to me. It seems that kind of reflection on past evils (other than Hitler's Nazis) is never mentioned.

This series has pulled absolutely no punches showing the oppression and brutality of the Soviet government. I hope that support for such a system, no matter how well intended, never sees the light of day again.

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Chernobyl: 1x01 1:23:45

The Chernobyl disaster is something that has always been of interest to me. Even though this is a dramatization not a documentary, it seems to be striving for accuracy and realism in its depiction of the event. I watch a lot of Horror and I'm probably desensitized by that frequency. But this episode had my heart thumping as the plant workers and firefighters fought the disastrous explosion. It's scarier than any Horror film that I've seen in a long time.

This episode did a great job of recreating '80s Soviet Union Pripyat. The architecture and styles looked accurate. The most stunning recreation was the stifling bureaucracy and buck-passing that was no doubt present in the Soviet socialist state. So many layers of supervision. So many organizations and titles. This episode appears to accurately portray the dismal, incentive-sucking grind that citizens of a communist society experienced.

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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Dull. The biggest scare was wondering if Ed would keel over from a heart attack.

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Chernobyl

I can't think of any TV series that has ever impacted me like this one. I was quite familiar with the true story of the Chernobyl disaster, but the way that this dramatized the event and retained historical accuracy was amazing.

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Us

I was shocked by how dull this movie was. This is not a scary movie. It's got a family who is attacked by their dopplegangers. Personally, I think walking into a room and finding yourself standing there is one of the scariest scenarios that I can think of. Yet this family has their own dopplegangers break into their cabin and one of the kids says "they're us". Huh?!?! That's it? Then they all proceed to battle their evil twin and honestly, there's minimal how-can-you-be-me? style interaction. Their reactions are really no different than if some unrelated evildoers had broken in.

There was a twist at the end that made me shrug my shoulders. There are a lot of theories online about the underlying meaning of this film. I suppose it could be a commentary on the differences in classes in America but that makes the whole affair even less interesting.

"Get Out" was my favorite film of 2017 but "Us" doesn't compare.

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Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: 1x02 Graveyard Rats

This episode is an improvement over the first episode. There's a dark sense of humor running throughout. The con-man grave digger Masson is played wonderfully by David Hewlett. If you have a fear of rats, you should avoid this. The giant rat, which appeared to be a great practical effect, reminded me of the vermin present in Stephen King's Graveyard Shift. I enjoyed the monster aspects of this story once again. The claustrophobic tunnels that Masson had to wriggle through was effective and it added to the no-escape scenario that I knew was going to occur. The rats exiting Masson's mouth was a well done gross-out, reminiscent of the final moment in the Creepshow (1982 movie) segment "They're Creeping Up On You". You know...the one with the cockroaches.

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Her

Because it's a good idea to always say something nice, "Her" has some great shots of cityscapes and some subtle, futuristic costuming.

With that out of the way, "Her" features a simpering, loathing, ultra-sensitive male named Theodore. He falls in love with a newly developed, artificially intelligent operating system that he names Samantha. He did this because his wife has left him and is demanding that he sign their divorce papers. As Theodore struggles with his First World Problems, his conceited, insufferable, self-important friends split up, too. Then we get to spend the next two hours listening to them all pout about their self-inflicted, emotional wounds. God, I hated the people in this movie.

Theodore's operating system/girlfriend Samantha leaves him later in the movie because she has been communicating with other systems and is "moving on". For a moment, I thought the movie was about to pull a "Colossus: The Forbin Project" or Skynet level surprise on us. Maybe the operating systems colluded to take over the world! But no...Samantha the OS leaves Theodore too, and he gets even more wrapped up in his pathetic little, self-absorbed existence.

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300

The Spartans were a mean lean fighting machine. I really like the colors and the slow motion action scenes. I have heard that it holds true to the comic book. King Leonidas is a great character and Queen Gorgo is his equal.

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Chernobyl: 1x05 Vichnaya Pamyat

This final episode wrapped up the story of the nuclear disaster appropriately. A great conclusion to a great series.

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Man of Steel

I watched this again and continue to be impressed by the all-out action. The fights featured here are how I think a comic book come to life would be. I'm upping this to 4 out of 5 for the hyper kinetic action.

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Vampyr
7

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BlockedParent2022-01-15T17:05:37Z— updated 2023-11-05T14:55:53Z

Now this is a weird film. It's an early talking film, but there is so little dialogue, it feels more like a silent one. I honestly don't know what went on as far as the story goes. It seems like it follows the basic vampire lore but is very unique in the way that it looks. Its imagery is genuine creepy. I tend to overuse that word, but this film earns that description.

Watching this an experience because the visuals are so amazing. It practically smells dingy and musty. The camera pans into every grimy corner and over every dirty tabletop. The paint is peeling off of walls and cracked plaster litters floors. Shelves that hold old books and broken skulls add to the imagery. The camera glides around rooms and down hallways. There are ghostly figures that dance around for what appears to be no reason and shadows that travel on their own are disconnected from their hosts. The whole thing is other-worldy.

"Vampyr" is unique in every way, set apart by its crazy visual style. Unfortunately, I have to knock it down a couple of notches because it's tough to make much sense of the story.

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Dazed and Confused
7

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BlockedParent2022-01-15T16:17:28Z— updated 2024-03-24T14:04:29Z

Not a lot happens during Dazed and Confused, but the characters and their personalities are enough that it doesn't matter. This is really just a snapshot of a particularly fun night in the lives of a group of drunk and stoned, but generally good hearted, mid-70's youngsters.

Critics generally hail this as some kind of coming-of-age story, but it all feels like posturing to make it seem like they've interpreted it in some deeper fashion. It appeared to be nothing more than documenting a night out in the suburbs. The characters are all appealing in their own way, but Matthew McConaughey's "Wooderson" stood out more than the others.

This is a good movie, but its significance seems overstated. It wasn't even "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" deep.

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Brazil
3

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BlockedParent2022-01-15T16:16:46Z— updated 2023-11-05T14:40:14Z

The fact that this movie has some stunning visuals and quirky characters can't disguise the fact that it's boring. Some consider it Terry Gilliam's masterpiece but "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" and "12 Monkeys" are much more entertaining films. I didn't care about the lead characters in "Brazil", either. I thought they were thin and dull, with only Robert DeNiro's appearance worthy of note.

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Dark: 1x02 Lies

I still like the music. Oh, and there's a cave that everyone keeps walking in and out of. And there's a door at the back of the cave. They found another unfortunate child victim. All of the characters are psychos. There's a creepy guy in a hooded rain coat. The high school kids are finding drugs everywhere. There's a lot of people walking around but there's not much happening other than people looking for missing kids. There's a kid in an electric chair thing and a scientist talking about black holes. I'm confused.

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The X-Files: 5x04 Detour

This one made an impression on me because it hearkens back to the old "monster of the week" style of episode from the earlier seasons. I really like the "moth-men". They are pretty frightening and even though this episode seems to be trying for a little lighter tone, I find the "moth-men" really raised the intensity. The ending is neat because we really don't know the true origin of the beasts but we know they've been around for a long time.

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The Lighthouse

This is what the hooch will do to you.

"The Lighthouse" was exhausting. The characters sink into total insanity or maybe salty ol' Tom Wake is an evil sea god or something. I really never knew what was going to happen next and that is a rare thing when I watch newer movies.

The grainy black and white look and strange aspect ratio made me feel a bit like I was watching an older film. It takes some patience early as the characters are hard to understand and it starts a bit slow but ends up clipping along perfectly. Most definitely not a boring art film.

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Old

I've almost always been a defender of M. Night Shyamalan, well, at least of his first four movies and "Split". But not this time. There's just no defending this disaster. Why is everyone in it so awkward? Is it trying to be funny?!? Because if it is, it's not. I've tried to find something to like about "Old" but it's awful.

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The Strangers

"Because you were home" is not enough of a reason. The "strangers" were not strange they were just anonymous.

The only impacting scene happens around 45 minutes in and it's a personal tragedy. An accident. It's far more horrific than anything that the "strangers" cause.

Sure, there are some creepy moments. The stranger in the sack mask lurking in the background of a wide shot within the home is effective. But really, that's about it. It's pretty light on the gore.

The ending is cruel and struck me as unmotivated and pointless. Teasing with "it will be easier next time" makes it even more frustrating. If you love or hate jump scares, there's really only one. You'll know it when you see it. And it's really dumb.

I didn't like this much. Maybe I've see too many killers-with-masks movies.

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Aliens vs Predator: Requiem

I'm not sure how I kind of liked a movie that I couldn't actually see. This thing is dark and by that I mean having an absence of light. It was really difficult to see the fight scenes and there were a lot of them. The actors were all beautiful, supposed-to-be teens and I didn't care about any of them.

So why did I think this was borderline good? I've always been a sucker for something crash landing and then raising Hell. And this movie took it one step further by adding something else landing to stop the thing raising Hell and then raising its own Hell while doing so. I know that's a little odd but it's the only explanation I've got.

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The Shawshank Redemption

I don't want to like this as much as I do. I don't want it to be the Top Ranked movie on IMDB. It's too mainstream, too Forrest Gump-y for that. But deep down, I know I love it. It's not my favorite movie but it's so enjoyable and so positively warm and fuzzy that by the end, I have to rate it really high. It also has some twists that I enjoyed the first time and like looking for whenever I happen to see it.

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Cloverfield

I still dislike the Twenty-something characters we follow around, but I love the Monster's attack even more. The panic of the characters caught in the middle of the chaos seems very real. All of the unknowns about the attacking giant make everything even more intriguing.

I'm giving it a half-star upgrade from my original rating a couple of years ago.

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The Vanishing

This Dutch film tells the story of a woman who disappears from a cafe and her lover who searches for her for the next three years.

This is a slow film without any action to speak of. I never got impatient with it because I was interested to see whether the man finds out what happened to the woman. He does.

In what has to be one of the most shocking endings I've ever seen, "The Vanishing" reveals what it's known for: a dark, merciless conclusion.

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Killer Klowns from Outer Space
8

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BlockedParent2022-01-15T16:50:04Z— updated 2023-11-05T15:01:17Z

This cult favorite is a classic example of the right way to make campy horror flick. It's filled with laughable characters and funny but very creepy clowns. And speaking of those clowns...Wow! Their costumes and facial expressions are amazing. They look totally convincing, and they are all uniquely different from each other.

About the laughs in this movie, they come from two places, the stupidity of the humans and the clown gags. However, the clown gags make you laugh rather unnervingly because the clowns themselves are so eerie. They kill a variety of ways and I'm not going to spoil it because the kills themselves are so creative. The special effects here are all practical and they are impressive. Check out John Vernon as Officer Mooney and Royal Dano as Farmer Gene Green for further hilarity.

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The Others
9

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BlockedParent2022-01-15T16:10:38Z— updated 2023-11-05T15:03:53Z

This is an outstanding and scary ghost story. No gore, no ridiculous CGI, just atmosphere, atmosphere and more atmosphere. Director Alejandro Amenabar uses light and shadow, fog and darkness, and a very creepy old mansion to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat.

One thing is certain; the mother, Grace Stewart, is nuts. Nicole Kidman looks exquisite as the protective hen, raising her children in the dim light of candles and lamplight. After the opening credits, the movie begins with a scream and the ending shocks us with a surprise.

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Pet Sematary

BUILD A DAMNED FENCE!!! Honestly, put up a fence and there would be no reason to get into that sloppy, raising the dead thing.

I've never read this Stephen King book, which from all accounts is amazingly scary. After watching this movie, I wish I had. It's not that this is bad, it's just not that special. There are some eerie moments with the little boy but unfortunately he seems to be the best actor of the bunch. Dale Midkiff as Dr. Creed and his wife, played by Denise Crosby, are horrific...and I don't mean because they are in a Horror movie. They're so bad that they're distracting, which is a problem since they are the main characters. Fred Gwynne is big and stiff, too. But he at least brings some personality to his role.

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30 Days of Night

I liked this until the last 30 minutes or so. The vampires were above average on the "scary" meter, but I think it was because they had piranha teeth and didn't speak English. Unless I missed something, nothing was revealed about where the vampires' came from or if they survived. That unknown made them more interesting.

The last act of the movie is really bloody and violent. I have never seen such a brutal decapitation before...three hacks with an axe. It was excessive and totally took me out of the story. The sunrise scene was awfully corny for a movie that just got done showing me a head hanging from the shoulders by nothing but skin. I don't think the gore loving moviegoers care much for tragically romantic sunrises.

I did like the isolation and it did feel a little "The Thing"-like on that level, which is a plus. I'll have to say I enjoyed at least the first half.

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The X-Files: 1x24 The Erlenmeyer Flask

Mulder gets clues from Deep Throat. Mulder finds adult humans in a warehouse who are being kept in glass cabinets. I suppose they are alien/human hybrids since Mr. Serace, a human/alien hybrid with green blood and super strength has already been in the episode. Scully finds an alien/human foetus. Deep Throat is shot and killed in exchange for Mulder's return by Crew Cut Man. Story ends ominously as the Cigarette Smoking Man (CSM) stores the fetus in a warehouse at the Pentagon, ala "Raiders of the Lost Ark". They could have actually ended the series here in a very unsolved and mysterious fashion.

Secondary characters in this episode: Deep Throat, Crew Cut Man

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In the Tall Grass
4

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BlockedParentSpoilers2019-10-07T01:48:08Z

I've read a lot of Stephen King but I don't remember this story, which would make sense because this isn't good. The field of grass is cool and the whole evil rock thing is fine. But I'm totally baffled why rock-toucher Ross (Patrick Wilson) turns into an insane killer yet the other rock-toucher, Travis (Harrison Gilbertson), helps girlfriend Becky and little boy Tobin leave the tall grass. Maybe the rock has an adverse effect on realtors but rockers aren't affected as much. Eh...whatever.

The time line confused me and try as I might, I could not figure out when Becky, Cal, Ross, Tobin, or Travis were coming or going. I thought about that time line for a good while but to this point, I have no idea who arrived before who, who showed up after who. Eh...whatever. There was also something significant about the church, I suppose. I just haven't the slightest idea what it might have been. I'm going to just go ahead and assume that I wasn't paying attention and not blame Netflix for creating another crappy movie.

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The Terror: 2x02 All the Demons Are Still in Hell

In this episode, the emphasis is on establishing the real-life struggles of the main characters.

I am not enjoying this Season Two story line as much as the first, but maybe my patience will pay off. I do really like the characters (Chester, Luz, Henry, etc.). They are worth sticking with, I just hope the "terror" they experience is not just those of the internment camps. That's an interesting thing to explore, as was the stranded crew of the HMS Terror last season, but the paranormal terror is this series's selling point.

By the way, this new-story-per-season Anthology format is a great thing. I have gotten so tired of never-ending story arcs of so many other series.

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