blom0344 Reviews

Gen V (2023– )

Pushing the envelope

[9/10 · 14 October 2023]

To answer a question from another thread : Yes, these ratings are for real. After watching the first couple of episodes, this is at least on par compared with the first 'Boys' episodes. Overall, the acting is at least as good with the benefit of not having to endure the painfully scenes involving 'The Deep'. That character almost managed to kill any pleasure in watching 'The Boys'. Jaz Sinclair is really outstanding in the main role and clearly a better actor than Jack Quaid in 'The Boys'. Both start in the series being traumatized, but she really dragged me into the series portraying a though determined character instead of the wino Jack Quaid had to portray. Any people who felt disappointed should give it another try.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015 Video)

Better pacing and CGI effects

[7/10 · 25 September 2023]

Episode 5 is a marked improvement compared to earlier episodes 3 & 4. Some 10 years have passed and CGI-wise this is incomparable with the Asylum-level effects of the low-budget earlier episodes. Pacing is also quite a bit tighter, though some of the goofiness is also lost. Bloodlines seems to take things a bit more seriously, though retaining much of what makes this such an endearing treat.

It is a hell of a lot more fun to watch than the big-budget Adam Driver vehicle I saw earlier on the same day. It also features one of the best looking female companions in the whole series.

I actually did not care much for the sidekick in this episode, though there is a little twist at the very end I did not see coming.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

A love letter to cinema

[8/10 · 31 January 2023]

Midnight in Paris is certainly one of the better Woody Allen films of the past 2 decades.

He does not act in this one, but Owen Wilson steps in, in what is probably his finest role to date. The same nasal sound , but without the self-pity.

A real improvement over the mediocre actor Allen.

This is not a very subtle movie, adding stereotypes to hammering home a certain message. The stereotypes are there, but it is no nuisance, since so well timed. The message itself is quite clear after two-thirds into the movie. Hammering it home does not annoy either, so perfectly acted and timed.

A couple of the historic personalities almost steal the show from the leads, with Corey Stoll on top.

Midnight in Paris is a loveletter to cinema, completely balanced in terms of acting,script and cinematography. A film that invites you to view it each year. The type of movie that makes you wonder how Gil's Paris years would have come about.

It is not a classic materpiece, just the sort of film that is just about right, radiating a warm glow. No car chases,nudity,profanity or action scenes. Just a fine script, flawless images and decent acting.

The Boys (2019– )

2 points off for the deep and lack of action

[8/10 · 18 December 2022]

For a series about super heroes, there is surprisingly little action save for a load of gory CGI. By the third series it is getting a little tedious and any scenes concerning the 'deep' character really take you out of the flow. It is not even clear what kind of superpower he should posses. The scenes with Kimiko and Frenchie are the best. A little special love story and some awesome fight scenes. Karl Urban's growling starts to get on your nerves after a while. I would have liked to see a bit of character development I guess. It is still highly entertaining, but with better scripting this could have been awesome..

See You Up There (2017)

A small visually stunning work of cinema

[8/10 · 23 January 2022]

Slightly overlong but visually stunning piece of cinema.

It cleverly re-uses the Amadeus-style technique of rolling out the events by interrogation. A tale of commitment,malice and hardship against the final days off WWI and the subsequent turmoil of the first year after the great war.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Been there , done that

[3/10 · 25 October 2021]

T:DF is mainly about 'out-sitting' the dreary, badly acted explanetory talking scenes to savor a couple of ultra action set-pieces that come across as ninja style action using morphed body-parts. The unimaginative new feature is the decoupling of humanoid form from the hardwire that constitutes the REV-9, but that may have worked with resulting function-loss, making it a bit less invincible. Now, it is only just a another gimmick in a badly acted, cliche-ridden movie. Hamilton is wasted, only Arnie has a few good lines and another opportunity the save the day.

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

Not my cup of tea

[5/10 · 27 August 2021]

Whilst struck down with Covid I watched a number of series. 'Chernobyl' (magnificent), Barry (enjoyable) and then tried my luck with 'Breaking Bad'.

I just managed the first 2 episodes. It is slow, but thats no problem. Found it very depressing and nihilistic. Acting is great, but whereas Chernobyl is not laughing matter either , Breaking Bad stretches the bad vibes to the max. I'll skip this one for sure.

Conspiracy (2001 TV Movie)

And now for the ultimate german version

[7/10 · 7 July 2020]

No doubt this would be easily a 9 out of 10 rating but for 2 annoying aspects. Conspiracy takes us back to one of the most sinister gatherings ever and does so in grand style. The pace is leisurely and participants are fully motivated. The outcome of the war seems final, it's time for setting up a final solution for what is scarcely mentioned outright. Previous methods are considered ineffective and too gruesome to be continued. Too demanding for the perpetrators that is, victims are not considered. There is plenty of debate , but few outright decisions seem te be made but right up to the end. A clevery shot, masterfully acted and shot ensemble-piece. I subtract 2 whole points for the following drawbacks. First Branagh playing Heydrich. There is little physical resemblance, but the real problem is the personality. Heydrich literally installed physical fear in subordinates. Not in terms of being bullied or sacked from a job, but real physical fear. This was not a 'schreibtisch' murder but the real deal, a more sophisticated Amon Goeth, but far higher up in the Nazi hierarchy. Branagh exudes the wrong type of menace. Too suave and patient. The same perhaps goes for Tucci. Too good looking , to much of a star from the big screen to play a plain and ugly bureaucrat. Secondly, the language. The German language takes little effort in sounding like a gun firing. It uses long sentences and complex words masking the ultimate meaning. 'Arbeitseinzatz' sounds like a a coordinated effort to assemble some hands to do a job, but it means forced labor or slavery instead. You can beat around the bush in English but it is hard to come up with a 'Arbeit macht frei' type of cynicism. It is really is an effort worth watching , but a German version with this budget available and suitable actors and the result could stand next to 'Der Untergang' as an absolute classic.

Timecrimes (2007)

graduation project from a film academy

[5/10 · 3 May 2020]

Timecrimes seems to operate at the level of a graduation project by someone who signed off from a film academy. It is cleverly edited, using the proper cinematography and seems to tie the knots involving time-travelling with some intelligence. But it simply can't overcome having a main character that fails to generate any interest. Some reviewers seem to rave about the refreshing absence of tinsel town style actors, but to me timecrimes simply skipped the casting proces and hired the producers neighbor to cut some costs. What's wrong with casting a moderately attractive actor with a bit of range? To compensate , things start rolling with observing a nude damsel in the woods. I'm Dutch , having zero issues with whatever kind of nudity, but it felt too contrived to be true. I would gladly have overseen both the casting and the forced nudity, but not the fairly idiotic reaction triggered by travelling back in time for what is indicated an hour. Trying to re-enact all events from the perspective from the assailant would be the last thing on my mind. So, timecrimes appears to run out of its tracks halfway through , but veers back again in the last 20 minutes. Not sure where the movie came back on track again, but somehow it ended on tracks and quite cleverly. I'm sure that better casting and a less preposterous script would have gained at least 2 stars in addition, but for now, please watch or re-watch Triangle instead.

Predator Dark Ages (2015)

competent but without any new angle

[7/10 · 9 November 2019]

This apparently low-budget, fan-based short seems to hit all the right notes. Very decent production values, good sound effects, perfectly acceptable acting. But then again it just doesn't add anything new to the entire franchise. (apart from taking the storyline back for some 800 hundred years. ) There are some very obvious references to the original (" the trees " ), but the end feels a bit like an anti-climax. So, quite a competent try, but no more than that.

Born for Glory (1935)

confusing, muddly narrative bogs down nice action scenes

[4/10 · 28 January 2019]

The DVD I own uses 'Forever England' as its title displaying an non-descript other type of armored cruiser on the box having no relevance to the ships used in the film. Well, these are minor issues with a film so muddled in narrative. Opening in 1893 (?) , with Queen Victoria still alive and well, it manages to present a poster featuring the later King George V in the opening scenes. A completely redundant scene to introduce us to the future parents of the character played by John Mills. The story then leap-frogs to the young Mills going through training and embarking on one of those obsolete naval vessels still in abundance at the start of WW I. The Germans are befriended in waters far away, a bit of nice rivalry occurs, war breaks out in an instant, the bigger gunned German cruiser annihilates the old tub Mills sails in. Mills survives, is picked up , cared for and manages to escape when the cruiser reaches an Island for repairs. Up to this point it was all mildly interesting with Mills his usual competent self and quite a view nice naval shots. (Dreadnoughts close-up, Leander class cruiser) To stall the cruiser, Mills sabotages the repair by shooting his German buddy in the back. My jaw dropped. He could easily have shot the German standing 3 feet away, or aimed for a leg. But no, he simply executes his earlier buddy deliberately. A bit as if Schindler decided to turn in the 1000 saved Jews after a bit of soul searching by the end of 1944. And this type of behavior would have inspired people? John Mills makes the best of it and we get to see a few interesting technical scenes, but unwatchable towards the end. Avoid.

Annihilation (I) (2018)

pretensious copycat

[4/10 · 23 March 2018]

Portman's acting ability is poorly wasted in this wooden, stupid movie that loans heavily from both solaris, alien, stalker and say, predators. There is an amazing amount of pretense with utterly crap dialogue. 2 stars for Portman trying to save this mess and 2 stars for some nice visuals. Watch Solaris or Stalker for thought-provoking SF and Predators for some mindless fun. Watch this when suffering from insomnia

The Twilight Zone: Printer's Devil (1963) Season 4, Episode 9

head and shoulders above the average episode

[8/10 · 1 July 2017]

Printer's Devil benefits hugely from being an hourly episode. Characters are more defined, there's a nice build-up in suspense (though mainly for the paper's employees, rather then the viewer, who's already into Mr Smith's secret.) Meredith is a delicious little Satan, but it really is Robert Sterlings acting that supports the narrative. I knew his face, but had no idea he was such a good actor. Printer's devil has stood passing of time a lot better than most - shorter - episodes and is still hugely enjoyable. The climax could have been a bit better though..

Endeavour (2012–2023)

Technically Fine, wrong actor, silly plots

[6/10 · 5 May 2017]

The original Morse series was lauded as the pinnacle of British police-series on TV, though it was very much about style over substance. Superb acting and cinematography almost made up for the rather contrived and stilted plots of many episodes. But with some it generated stellar TV. The series was all about John Thaw as Endeavour Morse , gritty, grumpy with major strokes of insight by association rather than traditional police-work. He shunned the use of his first name, just using Morse for all but one episode. So, how does one select a young Morse for a prequel? I don't mind that Shaun Evans does not look like a young John Thaw, but as personalities there is a massive gap, to hard to be breached. Evans looks and operates like a choir-boy , or as a newly appointed vicar to a parish. There is zero similarity with the rough and gritty personality of the eventual Morse of the eighties. Sorry, but this is a poor choice casting-wise. The second gripe is about the fact that Evans is totally overshadowed by Roger Allam as his DI boss. The DI reminds me of Maigret as played by Bruno Cremer with that deep rumbling voice, exact timing and a hint of some unspoken tragedy. This series could just as well have been : "Fred Thursday, DI" and would have been none the worse for it. Thirdly, plots seem to race down the glacier towards plain silliness. The last episode I viewed was about a Tiger kept in isolation, breaking free , killing randomly by applying a scent to a hankie, finally being killed in a maze by the Superintendent who happened to have killed a man-eater back in his days in India. This same episode also covers the strained relation between Strange and Morse with Strange almost begging to be still Morse's mate though the latter is left behind career-wise. The casting of the young Strange is equally baffling, there is not a hint of the larger-than-life portrayal by James Grout. Finally, an average rating of 8.6 on IMDb, really means that a major part of the audience is blissfully ignorant of the origins of the Morse canon. If the Lewis series made for a superior sequel, than this mediocre outing does not do a prequel justice.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015)

watered down dystopian trash

[4/10 · 6 September 2016]

I did not particularly warm to the first film , but gave it the benefit of the doubt. My 18 year old daughter emphasized that these type of movies are simply not tailored to the taste of middle-aged gents, and sure she was right. The entire movie - save for some impressive CGI - feels like brewing a cup of coffee by hand having the filter fold and having a watered down cup of something as result. Plenty of action, but no suspense. There is simply no feeling the dystopian world itself exists outside the studio's interior and the heroine is just another big-eyed babe with made-belief toughness. These type of movies need rougher edges, real bad-ass opponents (Kate Winslet, give me a break) , a better pacing and less running around within studio's. Fortunately my 18 year old did appreciate the layered intensiveness of Minority Report, though still switch-tasking between movie and tablet. Insurgent just made me yawn..

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

dismissed on technicalities

[6/10 · 8 February 2015]

Never mind whether this a lightweight 'Woody Allen' or a poorly written and thus acted fluffy intermezzo. What really annoyed me was the strict adherence to the use of - almost - only medium/long shots for the entire length of the film. For some reason Allen decided that close-ups would cover all the lovely frames in mind and so we are forced to make up our own idea of Colin Firth going through the motions. The latter was either drawn by the paycheck or by the idea of being in a Allen movie, but he's only allowed to play a shadow of the formidable actor he really is. This is one shallow piece of work, not worthy of being part of the Allen heritage. Only the cinematography stands out..

Millennium (1989)

flawed but occasionally successful adaption

[6/10 · 4 March 2014]

Anyone not familiar with the book by John Varley will be quite lost watching this adaption. Anyone who has read it will think it will a bit of a clunker really. Truth is, a film adaption could never do justice to the book's complexity.

To draw any kind of an audience you need a big name in the cast and luckily (publicity-wise) Kris Kristofferson decided the money was good enough. However , there is a pretty literal description of the main character from the book itself: "I'm no Robert Redford, but my face doesn't scare little girls either." So, a Joe Average from the book is replaced by he-man Kristofferson? Out of place as such and Kris goes through the numbers in his role. Cherryl Ladd can't act her way out of a shoebox, but at least she fits into the role as chain-smoking gang- leader. Well, sort of..

There is almost nothing wrong with the first 40 minutes or so, where the book is painstakingly followed. The pacing is slow, but it feels like it's gearing up for a big finale. It's when we see the first glimpses of the future when the whole contraption is starting to fall apart. Cheap production values and CGI take it's tole and there is this persistent feeling that the film ran out of budget. 6 out of 10 stars for getting some parts of the story properly done; the nerve for even giving it a try , but coming up short for the 2nd part

Miranda (2009–2015)

Utterly brilliant

[9/10 · 28 September 2013]

'Miranda' manages to succeed with an 'in-your-face' approach where the main lead constantly address her audience and where most of the humor is seen coming miles ahead. This normally would boil down to an utterly tepid experience , but with Miranda Hart the effect is hugely more than the sum of its parts. I'm sure the division is similar to watching the late Tommy Cooper. You will either notice the brilliance or find it utterly boring. I 've no idea why the format of continuously speaking to the audience works within this series. It simply does. All cast members are above average, with Patricia Hodge stealing every scene she is in. A huge factor may be the neck-breaking speed. I like that. Suspect it's simply too much for part of the public..

Kunt u mij de weg naar Hamelen vertellen, mijnheer? (1972–1976)

do not try to revive a legend

[6/10 · 1 June 2013]

'Hamelen' is almost beyond legendary for our generation growing up in the 70's in Holland. The fact that most of it will never be seen again due to the standard procedure of re-using tapes brings tears to ones eyes. On the other hand : I tried to interest my offspring to the 6 episodes that have survived (and put on DVD), and they shook their heads in dismay. Well, some things do not age - like the shorts by Laurel & Hardy / Citizen Kane by O. Welles - but ultra-low budget dutch TV Series from the past do.. Ultimately, this is a lesson; you cannot go 'back'. It's slow, effects are laughable, acting for the most part is mediocre. Some of the songs still work, though not for the obnoxious children involved. A true legend should not be judged by modern standards I guess

The Old Gun (1975)

Nauseatingly violent but captivating

[7/10 · 21 January 2013]

I saw this on television some years after its cinematic release, more or less by chance. It took all the time up until Schindler's List before I witnessed such realistic violence again. This film is part love story and part Rambo and though cleverly filmed and staged it is a bit of a bewildering experience. It took weeks to shake off the image of the grizzly and sadistic way Romy Schneider met her end. I'm sure these kind of atrocities took place in occupied Europe,but it is another matter of having to put up with it on the screen. Noiret going Rambo style against the Germans is thrilling though a bit over-the-top. Lots of style, well acted, but too grizzly for me.

Family Way (2012)

top notch acting ; mediocre scenario

[8/10 · 14 December 2012]

Gone are the days that Dutch film consisted mainly of profanity , mediocre acting and loads of random nudity. 'Alles is familie' (All is family) thrives on top notch acting of the entire cast, led by our brightest of stars, Carice. The first 20 minutes made little impact and it took a while to get spinning into higher gear. This a typical film that gets better once it gets going and the second half was captivating. The scenario (by Kim van Kooten) is not the brightest, but who cares with this level of acting. Plenty of laughs, some very touching moments and very, very good music in places. (And of course, it is good to notice that Kim manages to keep half her family employed) Center of it all, obviously is Carice. She sulks, she grins, half the cinema (or more) drowns in those eyes. She's the Dutch It-girl and every film profits..

Season of the Witch (2011)

mediocre but a painless sit-through

[7/10 · 7 February 2012]

SOTW may be a mediocre film, but at least it manages to entertain. Nic Cage really makes an effort and Ron Perlman, well has never been better than in a middle ages setting. For all the historic inconsistencies they at least got the atmosphere about right. What makes it entertaining in the end is the sustained air of suspense while being on route. Not that it keeps you on the the edge of your seat, but it is decent enough. Travelling in the middle ages must have been a sort of Russian Roulette with little more than a sword to rely on. Unfortunately the last 20 minutes or so, the film goes over the top in a strange , pointless , exercise of CGI effects. The CGI itself is passable, but in contrast with the subtle air of discomfort during the voyage that makes up for the 2nd part of the film. As proclaimed, a painless sit-through , but could have been better with a subtle last act..

Floris (1969)

Gritty, humorous , the start of a few careers

[9 October 2011]

I recall being terribly upset by one of the more realistic episodes of Floris when I first saw the series as a little boy. Since then the series has been programmed a couple of times during the last 40 years on Dutch television. My own kids loved it even with the relative slow pace and the B/W presentation. A shame really as I own 3 publications that contain Color pictures from the series. The closest in comparison may be Ivanhoe (1959) featuring Roger Moore which is obviously filmed with at least 10 times more budget, though also in B/W. Perhaps I am being a little chauvinistic here, but 'Floris' comes across as a grittier, more realistic medieval depiction. It also has great chemistry between it's leads and a hauntingly good opening theme. Unfortunately for posterity the production went way over the proposed budget and the NTR (responsible for the TV programming) decided that this type of programs was not it's primary goal. Rutger Hauer made it pretty big in Hollywood (at least for Dutch standards) whereas Sindala (Jos Bergman) was never heard of again. Some years ago the Floris concept was ineffectively transferred to the big screen in a Dutch film version focusing on 'the grandson of..' Actually never met anyone who has seen this or willing to admit to it..

Midsomer Murders (1997– )

Mediocrity is its middle name

[22 September 2011]

MM is anything but a treat. Can't fathom how this mediocre series earns it's 8.3 on IMDb. It entirely lacks the great atmosphere of 'Morse' or the great chemistry between the leads in 'A touch of frost'. John Nettles mumbles his way through every episode as if tranquilized performing like made out of wood. It is especially his lisping delivery that makes it a pain to sit through. I had the displeasure to watch the final episode with the laughable ending. I would strong recommend to watch the final Morse version as an antidote to the mediocrity offered by MM. For one thing it will give you an idea what a strong scenario, atmosphere and heartbreakingly good acting can do to a series..

Maigret (1991–2005)

Classy, but outdated detective series

[7/10 · 27 May 2009]

Bruno Cremers' Maigret is shown occasionally on TV these days and I've seen quite a number of episodes through the years. Cremer is a bit of an unlikely actor to play the part with his massive frame. But that perhaps, is cause the only 2 actors observed in this role were Jean Gabin and dutch actor Jan Teulings. Both seemed more appropriate in a physical sense. However, Cremer manages to hold your attention by underplaying his role. His Maigret never seems to raise his voice , yet keeps you interested by his mere presence. It is a bit of a one trick pony, as Cremers presence is just about the only true reason to watch the series. With all the 'modern' crime investigation series hosted by todays television This Maigret does feel very dated. Not only is Maigret doing all his own footwork (which chief of police would be willing to?) but his suspects seem to think he will be the one to pass the verdict. As we all know judges are there for, but with Maigret even the sentence seems covered.