Reviews

I watched this because I'm a fan of the principal actors, but it was frustrating. It's not that long, but I found myself fast forwarding through much of the last 2 sessions because I just wanted to see what happened. David Tennant is a brilliant actor, but watching him make really stupid decisions, totally out of character for a vicar, was painful. The ending is depressing. Next time I'll pay attention to the mediocre reviews and watch something else.

David, Stanley Tucci, and the girl who played the journalist are all amazing actors. I'll have to see what else the three of them are in and watch those.

Brilliant comedic series. Pratchett and Gaiman make a great team, Michael Sheen and David Tennant are splendid in their roles. As a Catholic, I couldn't find anything to dislike about it. Until the ending of season 2, which was hijacked by the LGBTQ crowd, a shame. Sorry that Tennant, one of my favorite actors, went along with it. For Pete's sake, two men, or two women, can be friends without it devolving into a sexual relationship. C. S. Lewis has a lot to say about that. Gaiman should read him.

One of the the best parts, in my opinion, is the beginning of season 2 where Crowley is creating the universe; absolutely beautiful special effects.

I binge watched this over the last week or so, actually i skipped season 3 (because it's all just soap opera plots quickly resolved). But the ending turns out right, they actually got it together and made it the oldest plot in the world, a father sacrificing his son to save the world. It still works pretty well.

The last half of season 4 is pretty good, if you can overlook that it doesn't make perfect sense. But for a change, they didn't shy away from religion -- people are wearing crosses, praying when in danger, and talking about "the divine." Not to ruin anyone's suspense, but the ending was satisfying, if corny, but I don't mind that. The acting for the most part was good, I especially like Melissa and Josh Dallas, the two leads.

I really enjoyed this. I found it to be suspenseful and fascinating, once the hero started using the pills to travel in time. The only problem I found with it was you have to read between the lines to figure out what's happening, lots of time skipped and assumptions made. Also unnecessary flashbacks during the climax, taking us back to time before the daughter disappeared.

Mackie is good, Ally is an appropriate youngster who can't quite make great decisions. They could have done a lot more with other times, but of course other times wouldn't necessarily put you in the middle of adventures.

Worth the watch.

I'm watching this series on Netflix now for the third time. It's really that good, that it bears repeated viewing. The characters are people I'd like to know, the situations they find themselves in are compelling, and their reactions are human and believable. It should be followed by a movie like Firefly was, at least.

So my favorite character at this point is Marcy, played by an excellent actress who manages to portray an intelligent agent on a mission as well as a young lady who is developmentally delayed. . . But it turns out she isn't really, she was the subject of an experiment that went awry. That isn't revealed until later in the series, however. The show bears close watching to know what's really going on.

I found this movie touching and suspenseful, even knowing the outcome. I kind of wish it had been done in chronological order, in that it showed the children praying, as well as the parents, teachers, and high schoolers, after the event had finished. It would have made more sense to show them praying during the hostage situation. But even so, it worked as they did it.

I was thinking of showing this to my 9 year old grandson, because it does show the power and effectiveness of prayer. But after seeing it, I decided it's too frightening for him; and he's not an over-sensitive kid. But the scene with the villain screaming at the boy was just too scary for a child.

However I found it well worth the watch. The acting is solid, the scenery enjoyable, and the story not to be missed.

As everyone has noted, this is a beautiful movie, especially in the marsh scenes and the wildlife. The heroine, Kya, is a gentle soul who has raised herself against all odds, alone after being abandoned. The kindness of the black couple and the lawyer are a couple of the few bright spots in Kya's life, enabling her to survive.

SPOILER:

Some have described the ending as horrific, when it's revealed who the killer of Chase really was. It was subtly done and could have been missed, as the elderly Tate looks through Kya's diary and drawings. I did not find it horrific, but understandable -- Kya was really a child of nature, raised by herself to survive, seeing the efforts to survive in nature all around her. The predator who means danger must be destroyed if possible -- that's the lesson of nature. She was gentle and loving to those who loved her, but amoral in her drive to survive.

I believe there are better choices to be made. But if we abandon civilization (or are denied it, in her case) we have nothing left but nature, red in tooth and claw.

I'm a Catholic convert, and here's my take on this.

MAJOR SPOILERS:

In this series, vampirism is used as a symbol for addiction. The show is really about man battling against his addictions. Though God is mentioned a lot, here there is no battle between God and the devil, or good and evil.

I found the show highly offensive, because it uses the liturgy of the Catholic church, and Scripture from the Bible, as props for a vampire story. The cinematic techniques and the acting are excellent, which makes the series even more disturbing. It's like using a cathedral for a pigsty. It doesn't just use the liturgy, it uses the most holy liturgy that Catholics have, the Mass, and it's not just Scripture verses, but the most important ones that Jesus spoke, perverting them to fit the plot. I would feel this way about disrespecting any religion like this.

I know vampire movies have used Christian symbolism before, but I've never seen a fake mass celebrated and it really leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. I hasten to add that even in the show, the mass is invalid - if you inject vampire blood (or any other substance) into the wine, it renders the mass invalid. Vampires are fiction; they are not real. The Catholic church, on the other hand, is very real, not the myth that this show would lead you to believe, Mr. Flanagan to the contrary.

Our Lord deserves adoration, not calumny. His bride, the Catholic Church, deserves respect. I don't recommend this show.

A charming fairy tale with a mermaid, a handsome captain, a lovely heroine, and a hardline king who sees the error of his ways in the end. William Hurt was great in a subtle way, as was Brosnan.

No political message, no environmental message, just wholesome entertainment. The settings were excellent.

I read Russell Janney's book The Miracle of the Bells about 60 years ago, as a teenager. I've read a lot of books and forgotten many of them, but for some reason this one stuck with me. I must have been a little in love with Bill Dunnigan. And now thanks to the miracle of interlibrary loan, I've seen the movie. It appears that critics either loved or hated the film. It follows the book pretty closely, though in the book more attention is paid to the miracle of the statues.

The acting is good, the pace is calm and serene befitting a movie made in the '40s. It's fun to watch and remember how my dad used to dress like Dunnigan, always wearing a hat. Critics complain that the plot is silly, that being a Hollywood star wouldn't inspire the people of Coaltown, and for Olga to give her life to give her townspeople something to dream of is pointless. Maybe, but Janney carried it off in the book, and it was a best seller in mid-century. After the war, people needed hope, and this was one of the heavenly visitation type of movies popular then.

I recommend it for fans of Fred MacMurray, Frank Sinatra, and Valli, and of small towns.

I really enjoyed this movie. Fascinating concept, competent actors. It needs a sequel, although without the concept of the time bubbles, it wouldn't be the same. Another explorer needs to go into the caves and find more stuff. I wondered why all the Americans were rescued, but not the cave men or Spanish explorers. Seems like a major plot hole. Aside from that, it was attention grabbing, intense, and suspenseful. Worth watching.

Maybe if I watched this again I would understand it, but the wooden acting and confusing plot didn't grab my interest enough to do that. So the hero has an accident and is injected with some kind of drug that makes him prone to time travel. A cop's great grandfather is hung for his murder, since it appears that he vanished/was killed in the past. His brother's fiancé was killed in the accident. A guy in a disguise offers advice and vanishes, Another guy frames hero for the murder of the great grandfather. Another guy pulls him out of jail and informs him his life has been stolen in the present. and we are left like that. None of these pieces seem to fit together, or if they do, it's a Chinese puzzle. Brilliant minds may find it fascinating.

This is as splendid movie in many respects. The beginning scenes, and indeed throughout, brought home to me as never before the courage of the early Christians, most of whom were willing to die in horrible ways rather than renounce their faith. We knew that Nero ordered Christians set on fire as human torches to light the streets of Rome, but seeing it enacted is totally different from knowing it. The acting is excellent, especially the characters of Luke, Mauritius, and of course Paul. I did not like how Paul was portrayed in some ways, as he did not seem like the Paul of the Bible: he was guilt-ridden over his treatment of Christians before his conversion, and doubtful of the future. The real Paul was much more full of faith, certain of God's forgiveness, and vibrant in his trust in Christ. One of the main plot points was the decision of the Christian community to leave Rome and venture out to carry the Good News. I was surprised it took so long to make the decision; I would have been gone the first week no matter how much I loved the city, once they started rounding up friends for burning alive and the circuses. In the end, I was left with only admiration for those who left Rome to carry the message out to the world, and the wish that I would have as much courage in like circumstances.

I always enjoy watching will Smith and Rosario Dawson. However this plot was not worthy of their talents. As other reviewers have said, suicide is not the answer to guilt and depression. The protagonist, Ben Thomas, needed help, not license to kill himself in order to redeem himself after causing an accident. I guess I must call it manipulative; the movie left a bad taste in my mouth, despite the excellent acting, nice music, and romantic scenery. Life is to be lived, not thrown away out of guilt.