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catoelder
Reviews
Beauty and the Beast: Man or Beast? (2013)
Why shoot him when there were alternatives?
As usual, there was a lot in this episode, and I agree it takes multiple viewings to dissect all that is going on.
However, I was left with a big problem with the dramatic shooting of Vincent by Cat.
While I understood Cat's speech, and the theme throughout of the line between humanity an inhumanity, Cat chose to shoot Vincent, and not just shoot but aimed for a full body shot.
She could have fired a warning shot in the air? She could have shot above his head to warn him off? She could have shot into the concrete as a warning first? She could have shot him in the foot, or wounded him in the arm? Instead Cat shot him in his body mass where it would do maximum damage.
I don't understand how Cat, who professes to love Vincent, and to be human as she defines it, could then shoot him for maximum damage? Especially when she had so many alternative options to that deadly shot.
She didnt even consider shooting her father, even to just wounding him, which might have made Vincent back off. After all, it was her father who was the least human of the trio in this scene.
Was she just fed up with the whole Vincent thing which had turned her life upside down? Was she angry still and jealous of the kiss with Tori?
And later she shows little if any concern about Vincent's wound even when she sees all the blood soaked bandages. She is very cold in this episode, and not held to account for almost killing Vincent who has always saved her/protected her.
So, I am perplexed by her behaviou , and wonder if Vincent is not indeed better off leaving her to be with Tori, or even just anywhere else.
This is still a great series, but I felt this aspect of her behviour should have been explored further in this episode.
Bitten (2008)
goes nowhere
This is not really a vampire flick,nor is it a vampire comedy flick. So ,it has no core,and thus wanders aimlessly with no drive;no direction;no momentum. The 2 actresses(Erica and Amy somethings) are gorgeous.The lead male is awful beyond belief. The set is out of a high school theatre production.I can only guess that this film benefited from some Canadian taxpayer giveaways to be made at all. So,well done Erica and Amy,whom we will probably never hear from again ,in spite of their loveliness ,even though they deserve better. Boo on the rest of you associated with this poor effort.Hopefully we won't be hearing from you all again.
Gross Anatomy (1989)
Post college romance
I was recently given this film as a present.I know it was made about 20 yrs ago,and don't know how it did at the box office.But I found that it was not dated at all.In fact,I thought it was very good indeed.The story is of post-graduate students(in this case at medical school,but could be anything) in a high pressure;high work;intensive environment.It could be any grad school experience in a serious subject. The stresses and strains of coping with the exams and workloads for students from different backgrounds and with different motivations is well covered.The eventual focus is on a seemingly relaxed and laid back guy(modine) who does not seem to put in the effort of the others but does very well somehow(he does work hard but not publicly).And a young woman(Zuniga) who is very much work focused.Naturally they are attracted to each other.But while he is open about his interest,she is in denial and even tells him she has no time for anything other than achieving her academic goals.She also seems to have an-on/off occasional boyfriend who shows up just at the point where it causes maximum damage to Modine's feelings for her.Some of their fellow students also face their trials and tribulations with success and failure.And there are some strong dramatic bits.Modine is great and full of charm.And Zuniga is also excellent as the young woman who falls for him despite her vows to the contrary. Well acted and a movie you can watch with pleasure again and again.
Say Anything... (1989)
say anything (SA)v. the sure thing(TST)
I just saw this movie for the first time a few days ago,and "the sure thing" also for the first time last week . I felt that "the sure thing" was a much better and more interesting movie. SA just lacked depth,and the dialogue was not up to the level of TST.I also felt that Zuniga was far better than Ione.Cusack was Cusack. SA gave us no indication of why or where Cusack's desire to date Ione came from-and why suddenly now that school was over?Ione also did not show any real depth of feeling.Want to see depth of feeling-watch Zuniga storm out of the party in L.A in a jealous rage shouting out a list of all the things that annoy her about Cusack!Or when she cringes in horror as the English Prof starts to read out loud to the class Cusack's essay called "the sure thing".Or when they fight and really go at it at the punch bowl and so on. Ione is just not capable of really putting across the difficult emotions. So,while I thought SA was a nice movie,I wouldn't watch it over again.Whereas I would watch TST over and over no problem.
The Sure Thing (1985)
Who did invent liquid soap and why?,
This is an excellent movie at a great price from amazon.Get it as a Xmas present or to watch with your loved ones.This is a college romance(why don't they make those anymore?) and thus has more depth than the high school romcoms that are either gross or immature.At a New England college we see 2 students in an English Lit. class.He is brash,irreverent,superficial,make-it-up-as-you-go-along guy.She is studious,prim,organised,focused.You just know that they are made for each other,because each can save the other from their foolishness. The question is will they realise it? A series of disastrous encounters between the 2 reinforces the poor opinion each has of the other during the school term(and there are some great lines to remember).But each is going to L.A. for the Xmas holidays.Cusack to meet every guy's fantasy- a date with a gorgeous California girl,that his best buddy has set him up with and whom is guaranteed to be a "sure thing"! Zuniga is going out to L.A. to see her equally studious boyfriend whom she calls at 7.45pm each night.By accident ,they find themselves in the same car sharing the trip with 2 others(who are absolutely hilarious simpletons).Zuniga and Cusack spend the whole trip arguing,bickering and annoying each other to the point that they get abandoned in the roadway by the others.And so they decide to hitch/walk to L.A. Along the way they start to discover different facets of the other,that challenge their hitherto first impressions. She can be spontaneous, open minded and warm.He can be gallant and caring.Watch for the scene in the truck driven by a wonderfully sleazy actor (did he play the drill sergeant in "full metal jacket"?)where Cusack basically saves Zuniga from a fate worse than death (as Jane Austen would say).But every time these 2 start to get closer,something prevents them from coming together.My wife shouted at the screen-"Kiss her now you idiot!" twice-once after the beer chugging scene, and once after the waking up scene.Anyway,as the trip unfolds,we see Cusack's recurring fantasies about his blonde "sure thing" begin to wobble.Until finally,to his surprise and part horror,his recurring dream about the blonde morphs at the crucial moment into Zuniga which wakes him up with a start.His true feelings about Zuniga are beginning to surface and Reiner handles this beautifully.Watch how her suitcase plays a key role too.Throughout the trip she is lugging this big suitcase with everything you could need as any organised girl would.And he lets her do it.But at a key point,Cusack picks it up for her and says "that's OK I got it".And that's when you know he has fallen for her big-time. But once more,just as you think they are going to be OK,he manages to screw it up,when he tells a truck driver (who is giving them the final ride to LA)that he is going there to meet his sure thing.Zuniga,who doesn't know why he is going to LA as it hasn't come up,wakes up in the back just as Cusack is boasting about the "sure thing",and she feels totally betrayed-given her growing feelings for him,but doesn't say anything. When they get to LA ,all hell breaks loose,as she throws back in his face the comments she overheard .They are totally confused about their feelings for each other,but neither knows how to break the cycle of closeness followed by distrust.She goes to her boyfriend and he goes to meet the blonde at a party. Once with her boyfriend Zuniga realises that she can't stop thinking about Cusack,and misses being with him.So,she talks her boyfriend(who is clearly destined to be an ex-boyfriend)into going to the party.There she works hard to get Cusack jealous,and then watches Cusack as he returns the compliment.A big argument ensues between them ,and she storms out in a jealous rage.In a one-sided conversation with herself out loud,Zuniga runs through ALL the things that upset her about Cusack ,with some great lines(from Zuniga-"he thinks love is something you can order like a pizza!").They both leave the party separately. She with boyfriend ,he with blonde. Does she go to bed with her boyfriend?Does he go to bed with the blonde? We don't know. But the next time we see them,they are in the same English class again after the holidays ,where she won't talk to him. And then the English prof reads out loud from the best essay that has been handed in after the Xmas vacation.It's called "the sure thing" and it's by Cusack. Zuniga cringes in horror expecting the final humiliation-and a public one at that.But as the essay is read out by the prof to the class ,something happens in the essay that she did not foresee at all.It becomes clear that Cusack understood the difference between the "real thing" (with her)and a "sure thing" (with the gorgeous blonde) and that the "real thing" is what counts. "You didn't sleep with her?" Zuniga asks filled with surprise/wonder. Aaah..... see the rest for yourselves.My teenage kids loved it,and maybe they will remember it and focus on the "real thing" as they develop their relationships.