Pretty good episode has the Alphan away team stranded on a poisonous planet. Plenty of action here to keep you watching, including a well-executed eagle crash on the planet and daring and fun rescue mission for Helena and Maya. The supporting cast is full of American accents, including guest actor Karl Held, who was in an original series Star Trek episode 10 years before this (Return of the Archons).
Reviews
27 Reviews
Standout season 3 episode
28 December 2021
Not everything works here - I would've excised Kirk's cheap looking and variably acted middle ages world to focus more on Spock's ice age romance- but in Season 3's handful of good episodes this is definitely one to savour. Mariette Hartley looks great, and is really touching as she sadly turns away and accepts her fate at the end.
Very good late season episode
6 December 2021
A lot to like about this one: Leo McKern's excellent dual characterization, the fantastic ship design as well as impressively large ship interiors. The intelligent script has lots of dialogue though, which might turn some off, and though it has action and pyrotechnics, it is one of the quietest episodes of the series.
There is a lovely, spare piano composition near the end, which contributes nicely to the mood of this sad, thoughtful episode.
There is a lovely, spare piano composition near the end, which contributes nicely to the mood of this sad, thoughtful episode.
Exorcist II: The Heretic
(1977)
"Enough visual magic for a dozen good movies ; What it lacks is judgment"
4 November 2021
Pauline Kael's quote above says it best, I think. Her review of this film in 1977 was one of the very few with anything positive to say about Exorcist II: The Heretic.
I'm with most of the reviewers here, though : This movie probably should never have been made. It isn't a complete write off for me, though (nor is the director's Zardoz, for the same reason) because it has some astonishing visuals. The golden New York rooftop scenes when Regan is in a trance - filmed without a stuntperson apparently(!) are amazingly beautiful. The unsettling possession scene with the Spanish girl near the beginning is quite stunningly visualized too, I think. An amazing shot or two near the end showing a 747 threading through stormy clouds (presumably done with miniatures?) is absolutely ravishing.
If a bad movie with some utterly gorgeous, imaginative scenes is your thing, then John Boorman is the director for you (See again: Zardoz). He has certainly acquitted himself admirably before and after this legendary fiasco with great cinema like Point Blank, Deliverance, Emerald Forest and Hope and Glory, so he certainly cannot be wholly blamed for the reputation of Exorcist II.
I'm with most of the reviewers here, though : This movie probably should never have been made. It isn't a complete write off for me, though (nor is the director's Zardoz, for the same reason) because it has some astonishing visuals. The golden New York rooftop scenes when Regan is in a trance - filmed without a stuntperson apparently(!) are amazingly beautiful. The unsettling possession scene with the Spanish girl near the beginning is quite stunningly visualized too, I think. An amazing shot or two near the end showing a 747 threading through stormy clouds (presumably done with miniatures?) is absolutely ravishing.
If a bad movie with some utterly gorgeous, imaginative scenes is your thing, then John Boorman is the director for you (See again: Zardoz). He has certainly acquitted himself admirably before and after this legendary fiasco with great cinema like Point Blank, Deliverance, Emerald Forest and Hope and Glory, so he certainly cannot be wholly blamed for the reputation of Exorcist II.
Dogs of Berlin
(2018– )
Living, breathing character
2 July 2021
We've all seen dysfunctional heroes before, but you may never feel so conflicted about a lead character in a film/tv series as you are about Grimmer in this solid German crime series. His rationale is so warped that he seems to straddle the criminal and police worlds as if he is a separate entity.
Completely fearless performance here from Felix Kramer as Grimmer : He is equal parts smart, sexy, menacing and pathetic as he valiantly tries to keep all of the plates spinning in his chaotic life. Part of you cheers this character on while another part needs him punished for the disorder and carnage he causes all around him.
Completely fearless performance here from Felix Kramer as Grimmer : He is equal parts smart, sexy, menacing and pathetic as he valiantly tries to keep all of the plates spinning in his chaotic life. Part of you cheers this character on while another part needs him punished for the disorder and carnage he causes all around him.
3 Women
(1977)
Amazing
8 June 2021
Shelley Duvall embodies a character so fantastically and devastatingly original you can't take your eyes off her. She drives this film through the dreamy abstract scenes and the foreboding soundtrack in a yellow Pinto with her (yellow) dress always stuck in the door.
Robert Altman is a director well-known for encouraging his actors to help to create the characters they will inhabit onscreen. Millie is a recognizable person, and so we respond to her - yet there is something otherworldy there as well, and this facet must come straight from Duvall. This otherworldliness I found deeply affecting, because she is such a complete misfit wherever she is. I think she looks quite beautiful with her huge eyes and her toothbrush-teased shiny hair. She is a head above the other young women she works with at the health spa as she walks behind them, chattering inanely. She is thoroughly deluded when she is at the pool in her apartment complex or the hospital where she lunches, flirting with the men - imagining she is popular and desirable. I couldn't find a hint of falseness in this portrayal, and when Duvall's Millie lets fly at Pinkie towards the end with one of the most amazing slaps I've ever seen in a movie, it is a completely organic, cathartic reflex that comes directly from Millie. Altman deserves a lot of credit for injecting so much affectionate humour into these scenes of Millie awkwardly/confidently interacting with her world.
Sissy Spacek is well cast, too, as the childlike Pinkie. She plays off Duvall really beautifully, and her impish grin and curious expression when she observes Millie early in the film is priceless. Her transformation later really shows off this amazing actor's range.
Seasoned performer Janice Rule (she was a Hollywood contract player from the early 50's and in the original Broadway cast of Picnic) is Willy, a character who is really only a sketch. We can only guess at her motivation, but Rule fills things in as much as possible with some nice subtle details.
Altman's screenplay turns to the dark and abstract late in the film, and this would be unforgivable in a lesser film, but it is a mercifully short passage and at this stage he has built up so much good will for the characters that it is more than tolerable.
Robert Altman is a director well-known for encouraging his actors to help to create the characters they will inhabit onscreen. Millie is a recognizable person, and so we respond to her - yet there is something otherworldy there as well, and this facet must come straight from Duvall. This otherworldliness I found deeply affecting, because she is such a complete misfit wherever she is. I think she looks quite beautiful with her huge eyes and her toothbrush-teased shiny hair. She is a head above the other young women she works with at the health spa as she walks behind them, chattering inanely. She is thoroughly deluded when she is at the pool in her apartment complex or the hospital where she lunches, flirting with the men - imagining she is popular and desirable. I couldn't find a hint of falseness in this portrayal, and when Duvall's Millie lets fly at Pinkie towards the end with one of the most amazing slaps I've ever seen in a movie, it is a completely organic, cathartic reflex that comes directly from Millie. Altman deserves a lot of credit for injecting so much affectionate humour into these scenes of Millie awkwardly/confidently interacting with her world.
Sissy Spacek is well cast, too, as the childlike Pinkie. She plays off Duvall really beautifully, and her impish grin and curious expression when she observes Millie early in the film is priceless. Her transformation later really shows off this amazing actor's range.
Seasoned performer Janice Rule (she was a Hollywood contract player from the early 50's and in the original Broadway cast of Picnic) is Willy, a character who is really only a sketch. We can only guess at her motivation, but Rule fills things in as much as possible with some nice subtle details.
Altman's screenplay turns to the dark and abstract late in the film, and this would be unforgivable in a lesser film, but it is a mercifully short passage and at this stage he has built up so much good will for the characters that it is more than tolerable.
O sabor das margaridas
(2018–2020)
Strong female character
10 May 2021
Fairly good as far as these things go. Filmed in a particularly verdant corner of Spain (Galicia), Bitter Daisies has enough to keep you watching : Interesting locale, solid performances and compelling serial killer type storyline. Anchoring it all is a low key but effective performance by Maria Mera playing the strong, silent type of police investigator. You never quite know what she will do next to unearth the truth bubbling under the surface of a seemingly idyllic small town, and her veiled psychology is rather fascinating to watch.
Tropes I could do without in international crime dramas : 1) The mentally disabled character who seems to wander around the village unsupervised and you know is just another red herring in the storyline. This type of character is an unwanted update to the "village idiot" of films from times gone by and (deservedly)long forgotten. 2) Ineffectual/Psychotic Male characters who either bumble around, unconsciously obstructing the lead character's investigation or are irredeemably psychotic. Of course, the flipside to this is the lone strong female character in a sea of female characters that exist merely to be violated/bumped off.
Tropes I could do without in international crime dramas : 1) The mentally disabled character who seems to wander around the village unsupervised and you know is just another red herring in the storyline. This type of character is an unwanted update to the "village idiot" of films from times gone by and (deservedly)long forgotten. 2) Ineffectual/Psychotic Male characters who either bumble around, unconsciously obstructing the lead character's investigation or are irredeemably psychotic. Of course, the flipside to this is the lone strong female character in a sea of female characters that exist merely to be violated/bumped off.
Borgen
(2010–2022)
Don't miss this one
15 September 2020
Borgen means 'The Castle' in Danish and refers to Christiansborg Palace where the Government of Denmark holds court. This series is very believable political drama with realistically layered characters. The episode I watched last night was partly set in Greenland and ostensibly about Greenland's self-government (Greenland is a Danish territory) and was so sensitively handled that I really feel I learned something about not only Greenland, but all of the world's far-flung territories and their relationships with their mother countries. Well acted, well written and highly recommended.
Giri/Haji
(2019)
An actor to watch
19 August 2020
This series isn't perfect, but when it gets things right, they are really right. One of those things is a thrillingly original performance from an actor to watch : Will Sharpe, whose interpretation of a gay, drug-addicted prostitute is so perfectly realized that you will miss him when he is off screen, as frustrating as his self-destructive character can be. If you like this actor, check him out in Flowers- a jet-black British comedy series that he wrote and co-stars in (and is also imperfect, but he isn't).
Call My Agent!
(2015–2020)
The most fun to be had on Netflix
12 August 2020
This sophisticated comedy series had me giggling every few minutes - it is clever, witty and highly original. I find a lot of modern American comedy shows quite often puerile and British comedies often mean-spirited and vulgar. Both countries' comedy writers have a lot to learn from this French souffle that is so delicately concocted as to melt in your mouth and leave a delicious aftertaste. It is beautifully balanced to give every character equal weight, and the actors are an attractive, hilarious bunch that you want to see more of! 18 episodes (over 3 series) will race by and have you scouring Netflix for more wonderful series like this one (good luck!)
On Body and Soul
(2017)
Repellent scenes may throw you out of the film
30 July 2020
The opening scenes showing the actual slaughter of a live cow made me want to turn this one off. I am not vegetarian, but I wonder why the director included these graphic details in what is ostensibly a quiet, soulful film. The two leads are very good, but I was wishing for some recognizably human traits from the female character; Too often a performance such as this (and we've seen spectrum disorders portrayed on film for decades) comes off as an actor's feat - not flowing out of the actor's experience, and as a result, not as compelling as intended. Still, there are some nice details in both performances, and they certainly carry this film, but I just couldn't totally commit to the artist's conception here.
Wanted
(2016–2018)
A good role for Anthony Phelan
1 July 2020
The two lead actresses are the reason to see Series One (I find Rebecca Gibney's gorgeous azure eyes totally disarming!), but Series Two stretches credibility a bit : How did Nicholas Bell's corrupt cop character get out of Australia, even with a fake passport, when his face would've been plastered all over every Airport Security across the country?
Fortunately, Season 2 also has that terrific underrated stage actor Anthony Phelan's turn as the evil Kel Morrison (he is only briefly seen in Series one). I hope we see more of this interesting actor with the rich baritone voice in even bigger roles!
Fortunately, Season 2 also has that terrific underrated stage actor Anthony Phelan's turn as the evil Kel Morrison (he is only briefly seen in Series one). I hope we see more of this interesting actor with the rich baritone voice in even bigger roles!
Marcella
(2016–2021)
Not sure about Friel, but excellent supporting actors
21 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I am not sure about Anna Friel; As an actress she is energetic and keeps moving - I'll give her that - but for me she is unconvincing as the titular character here. I find myself staring at her upper lip...has it been surgically tweaked? In Season 3 there is a jogging scene with Marcella, and it doesn't look like she has ever run - anywhere ; I just don't think she has the right kind of physicality for this role. These kind of distractions, for me, take away from this performance. To be fair to the actress, perhaps a character this bonkers is not going to be wholly convincing, no matter who plays her.
Central miscasting could be disastrous for a series, but, fortunately, Marcella's supporting roles are impeccably cast : Sinead Cusack, Tobias Santelmann, Nicholas Pinnock as Marcella's estranged husband, Amanda Burton as the slightly terrifying matriarch of a family of Northern Ireland gangsters and, in an astonishing performance, an actor I'd never seen before - Martin McCann as a violent, loose cannon son-in-law in Burton's crooked clan. You want to cheer his character (Bobby) on, despite his rotten crimes, and I think that indicates a really good, full - bodied portrayal . Unfortunately, he doesn't make it past about episode 4 of the third series.
Central miscasting could be disastrous for a series, but, fortunately, Marcella's supporting roles are impeccably cast : Sinead Cusack, Tobias Santelmann, Nicholas Pinnock as Marcella's estranged husband, Amanda Burton as the slightly terrifying matriarch of a family of Northern Ireland gangsters and, in an astonishing performance, an actor I'd never seen before - Martin McCann as a violent, loose cannon son-in-law in Burton's crooked clan. You want to cheer his character (Bobby) on, despite his rotten crimes, and I think that indicates a really good, full - bodied portrayal . Unfortunately, he doesn't make it past about episode 4 of the third series.
The Sweet Hereafter
(1997)
My Favourite Canadian Film
14 May 2020
Don't waste your time reading any 1 star reviews for The Sweet Hereafter on this site : Films don't win the Grand Prix at Cannes for no reason! I wonder what sort of film would get top ratings from those 1 star reviewers. Perhaps I don't want to find out.
Admittedly, this unusual film meant a great deal more to me 20-odd years ago. I've just seen it again, and a few elements don't really work now, in my humble opinion : Mitchell's telephone conversations with his troubled daughter seem artificial to me like they were overdubbed or something and kind of tacked on, and there are a couple of broadly acted performances. These elements don't take too much away from the experience as a whole, and what film isn't without a few problems, anyway?
The Sweet Hereafter is, I think, my favourite Canadian film ever, and definitely in my top 5 fave movies of the '90's. The director and writers are getting at something deep deep deep underneath the beautiful wintry cinematography and lovely, soft baroque-ish score. Sarah Polley hits all the right notes here - Bruce Greenwood, too. Ian Holm is miscast here, but not fatally ; it is a testament to his skill as an actor that his characterization works.
If you don't feel anything watching the bus crash scene and how the shattered parents of the young victims try and get on with their lives, you should get your heart checked out!
Admittedly, this unusual film meant a great deal more to me 20-odd years ago. I've just seen it again, and a few elements don't really work now, in my humble opinion : Mitchell's telephone conversations with his troubled daughter seem artificial to me like they were overdubbed or something and kind of tacked on, and there are a couple of broadly acted performances. These elements don't take too much away from the experience as a whole, and what film isn't without a few problems, anyway?
The Sweet Hereafter is, I think, my favourite Canadian film ever, and definitely in my top 5 fave movies of the '90's. The director and writers are getting at something deep deep deep underneath the beautiful wintry cinematography and lovely, soft baroque-ish score. Sarah Polley hits all the right notes here - Bruce Greenwood, too. Ian Holm is miscast here, but not fatally ; it is a testament to his skill as an actor that his characterization works.
If you don't feel anything watching the bus crash scene and how the shattered parents of the young victims try and get on with their lives, you should get your heart checked out!
The Stranger
(I) (2020)
Something went terribly wrong with this one...
21 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Stranger has been buoyed by high ratings and good reviews. Don't trust them.
The producers threw some solid acting talent at it, to be sure - Siobhan Finneran, Stephen Rea, Richard Armitage, and in a non-comedic role - Jennifer Saunders - but the whole enterprise is just off. I think this is the worst UK series on Netflix I've seen since Paranoid, which, in hindsight, is not bad in comparison.
I watched the first episode and right away some of the characters and dialogue were annoying and unbelievable - the teens/kids especially. By episode 2, after the Jennifer Saunders character gets shot, I decided this series wasn't for me.
The producers threw some solid acting talent at it, to be sure - Siobhan Finneran, Stephen Rea, Richard Armitage, and in a non-comedic role - Jennifer Saunders - but the whole enterprise is just off. I think this is the worst UK series on Netflix I've seen since Paranoid, which, in hindsight, is not bad in comparison.
I watched the first episode and right away some of the characters and dialogue were annoying and unbelievable - the teens/kids especially. By episode 2, after the Jennifer Saunders character gets shot, I decided this series wasn't for me.
Imaginatively Creepy episode
19 February 2020
The other reviewers didn't mention her, but I wish Rosemary Forsyth's alien scientist had more screen time in this chilling episode, because you just can't take your eyes off of her! She has a quiet dignity when she is in the brig waiting to be interrogated by Janeway; you really get a sense that her character believes the rotten business she and her associates is up to is right.
One of my favourite episodes.
One of my favourite episodes.
Excellent Character Study
17 November 2019
Watch this one for a good performance from Jeremy Kemp, who passed away earlier this year (July, 2019). Series One often has great guest star performances (Leo McKern, Christopher Lee, John Shrapnel, Judy Geeson - to name just a few) and this is definitely one.
Gillette World
17 November 2019
As is usual with almost every Space:1999 episode, you take the good with the bad. Examples :
Good: Wonderfully detailed set for Ultima Thule indoor world. Bad: Goopy, unconvincing shaving foam snow in outside world.
Good: Performances - right down to the supporting characters. Bad: Barbara Bain's acting on the planet's surface when Helena is lost in the Gillette storm.
Good: Horrifying twist ending. Bad: Victor and Helena's hell bent for leather willingness to embrace eternal life.
It is frustrating being a fan of this series, because even with one of the best episodes in the series like this one, you are smiling one minute, shaking your head the next.
Good: Wonderfully detailed set for Ultima Thule indoor world. Bad: Goopy, unconvincing shaving foam snow in outside world.
Good: Performances - right down to the supporting characters. Bad: Barbara Bain's acting on the planet's surface when Helena is lost in the Gillette storm.
Good: Horrifying twist ending. Bad: Victor and Helena's hell bent for leather willingness to embrace eternal life.
It is frustrating being a fan of this series, because even with one of the best episodes in the series like this one, you are smiling one minute, shaking your head the next.
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968)
A masterpiece 50 years later
23 August 2018
I watched this classic film the other day on blu-ray, and all the things I love are there : the masterfully chosen classical music pieces (especially the Strauss pieces and Khatchaturian's Gayane ballet piece for the establishing shots of the Discovery ship), the intricate model work of the ships and moonbase - featuring those influential cut out shots to show tiny crews and computer screens - and the abstract ending, which has been dividing audiences for decades. I was taken to this film as a child in one of its 70's revival theatre showings (it was one of my parents' favourite films) and I can't really remember what I made of it then, but this film has been there with me at different stages of my life (like the monolith in the film at different stages of evolution) and probably always will be.
Dark and Moody
17 June 2018
For a series that was broadcast on Saturday afternoons in my native Canada, and therefore aimed squarely at children, there were certainly some scary episodes, and this is definitely one. Nothing is overly explicit regarding the alien presence, and this really makes it frightening. The orange, blurry effect when the besieged central character is thirsty for heat is very stylishly executed, as are the eerie camera shots of him walking down the corridors, leeching electricity. Ian McShane registers strongly here as the central victim. The scorched figure near the end was definitely nightmare fuel for un-jaded Seventies kiddies!
Gripping Horror Episode
17 June 2018
Dark, dark episode of Space:1999 - arguably the scariest episode of any TV series from the Seventies. The economy of Dragon's Domain is striking ; How this was achieved in 50 minutes is a real tribute to the director, Charles Crichton, and writer, Christopher Penfold. The flashbacks are most effectively placed in the story, and it is really fun to see pre-Alpha Doctor Russell, sporting an upswept hairdo and looser, more liberated body movements (she could be rather stiff at times!). I think the slightly abstract monster is wonderfully realized, and its regurgitated victims are one of the most vivid TV memories of my boyhood.
Drumroll
17 September 2017
Exciting start to a favourite series of the 70's.
2001: A Space Odyssey shows its enduring influence on the look and sound of this particular episode, filmed 5 years after that classic film. The stark atmosphere of Moonbase Alpha (externally, a dead ringer for the moon base featured in 2001), the beautiful symphonic soundtrack and the way the Eagles touch down with a cloud of dust on the landing pads, all echo that classic film. The drumroll effect in Barry Gray's sweeping score effectively builds tension in the unfolding disaster. One of the best in the series!
2001: A Space Odyssey shows its enduring influence on the look and sound of this particular episode, filmed 5 years after that classic film. The stark atmosphere of Moonbase Alpha (externally, a dead ringer for the moon base featured in 2001), the beautiful symphonic soundtrack and the way the Eagles touch down with a cloud of dust on the landing pads, all echo that classic film. The drumroll effect in Barry Gray's sweeping score effectively builds tension in the unfolding disaster. One of the best in the series!
An Excellent Mystery
17 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The viewer is thrown into a mystery from the word go with this absorbing episode. One by one, the members of an away team to Tarchannen III, 5 years previously, are disappearing.They have returned to the planet individually and then vanished (one dies en route). What is luring them back?
Geordi and his former crew mate, Susannah, both members of that away team, must find out what happened to these officers. Will they, too, experience a similar fate?
My favourite scene is Geordi on the holodeck, desperately trying to 'find the clue in the picture'. If you are a film nerd like me, you will immediately think of the long, fascinating scene in the film Blow Up, when the main character painstakingly analyses a photo he took to try and solve a murder. It is that riveting a scene, and of course, the holodeck gives it a cool third dimension.
Excellent creature makeup, and a really good guest performance From Maryann Plunkett as Susannah, round out one of my favourite season 4 episodes!
Geordi and his former crew mate, Susannah, both members of that away team, must find out what happened to these officers. Will they, too, experience a similar fate?
My favourite scene is Geordi on the holodeck, desperately trying to 'find the clue in the picture'. If you are a film nerd like me, you will immediately think of the long, fascinating scene in the film Blow Up, when the main character painstakingly analyses a photo he took to try and solve a murder. It is that riveting a scene, and of course, the holodeck gives it a cool third dimension.
Excellent creature makeup, and a really good guest performance From Maryann Plunkett as Susannah, round out one of my favourite season 4 episodes!
Makes little sense, but quite moving somehow...
18 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Matter of Life and Death starts off quite strongly with a Solaris - type premise of a loved one appearing on Moonbase Alpha years after his disappearance(and presumed death). Richard Johnson plays Lee Russell, Helena's long lost husband, who has somehow wound up on a distant planet and has been sent to warn Helena and the Alphans to stay away from this volatile world.
This intriguing premise is seemingly abandoned in favour of explosions and pseudo-science. Lee Russel's appearance in deep space is never adequately explained, and the anti-matter threat is ill-defined as well. There is enough to keep you watching, however - Richard Johnson, somehow, pulls a believable, moving performance out of all this and the planet design and original score by Barry Gray are nothing short of gorgeous.
This intriguing premise is seemingly abandoned in favour of explosions and pseudo-science. Lee Russel's appearance in deep space is never adequately explained, and the anti-matter threat is ill-defined as well. There is enough to keep you watching, however - Richard Johnson, somehow, pulls a believable, moving performance out of all this and the planet design and original score by Barry Gray are nothing short of gorgeous.
Top 10 episode
18 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This visually striking episode is not without its flaws. There is, however, an intriguing and original sci-fi premise at the heart of it, as well as a strong guest star performance from Margaret Leighton. A planet is on a collision course with Moonbase Alpha, and Arra, the female leader of this planet, meets with Commander Koenig to discuss the long term consequences of this encounter. Another dark, atmospheric episode that sticks with you, despite the suspension of disbelief involved.
Tell Your Friends