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Reviews
Winter's Bone (2010)
Just Like I Like It - Simple, Smart, and Thought-provoking
Great job with a grim tale. This is the sort of movie/book that I would probably never borrow or buy myself. After reading the description alone, I'd want to go climb in a hole for a day or two. Much less watch it. A friend recommended it. So I watched it with trepidation.
Things I loved: * no background music through most of the film * authenticity * no unnecessary dialogue * critters, and their love of them * the story and its execution * the protagonist's perseverance and bravery * the frontier feel
Regarding authenticity, the characters looked the part. I think this is because some of them weren't actors and yet gave truth to the part. Also, the details such as the frayed clothes, home-made haircuts, crowded interiors, and so on.
The frontier feel is from teaching the kids how to shoot, skin, and cook animals and other meals. Also, it is from the perseverance and harsh landscape and difficulty surviving.
I just went with it, and could not help liking it very much, in spite of the despair. I will have to check out the author.
This director should have won many awards, and the advertising and distribution should have been much better and wider. You need to see it. Or at least try it.
Fringe: Pilot (2008)
Creepy, but in a Good Sort of Way
I don't watch many shows like this, but my sister recommended it. I do like the paranormal a bit. This, however, is a bit too much on the horror side for me.
I love the use of John Noble as Walter Bishop. I can see him developing in this role. The female protagonist is OK. I don't like Peter Bishop, and I don't know if that's the actor or the role he plays.
Why is the woman called "honey" and "sweetheart" so often? Do men still do that when they mean to be insulting? I thought that was maybe over.
I usually give myself another episode or two to decide about watching a series, but this may be the first and last one I watch. I would recommend it to those who like cop shows, paranormal, and horror. All together.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Wonderful, Exciting, Funny
I haven't read the comic books, but I do enjoy some big-screen versions of them. This was the best action-adventure comic hero adaptation that I've seen in a long time. Evil villain, nerd becomes hero, beautiful woman, and of course, Stark Enterprises. :) Of course, it is formulaic. They handled it beautifully with just the right touches to make it real enough and funny.
Now, the shield as boomerang surprised me, not having read the comics, and I loved it eventually. Almost too exciting for my little self. It was great! Two other action/adventure movies I've seen lately are Thor (GAG GAG GAG) and Green Lantern (lots of fun). Captain American, however, shoots them both out of the water.
Being Human (2011)
Yea! I love this series.
What a gem! I had extreme doubts about it, but they were relieved almost immediately. It has an interesting plot. Three paranormal personalities trying to survive by acting (and hopefully becoming) as human as possible.
I have been reading Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series before the current craze over the supernatural. I loved the books! Funny, paranormal mysteries. Janet Evanovich with vampires. It's become less humorous with the advent of the more serious True Blood series. I still like the TV series. The later books, not as much as I did. It seems they are written too much for the TV series. Too little humor. However, it started my trip down paranormal land.
Being Human follows this trend of paranormal hits. The British series of the same name must have inspired the American version. Luckily, Being Human has more humor than True Blood. This gives it an edge over True Blood in my book. It doesn't hurt that the vampire is gorgeous, but that is very far down my list when choosing a TV show or movie.
The Vampire Diaries (2009)
Just Right Amount of Scary. Good plots and characters.
I borrowed the first season's DVDs from the library. During the first episode or two, I thought this series might not be worth watching. Teen angst, etc. Bleah. I gave it another episode or two and was hooked. The plots kept getting better and more complicated. Usually, it surprises me in some way in each episode. It is scary, but not too scary for me. The music is perfect for each episode, and adds a lot to the story.
There is still some teen angst in each episode. That is the main audience. I think. It is no longer the focal point, however, and that widened its appeal for me. I'm learning more about the vampires' back stories, as well as Elena's and Bonnie's past. I'm very glad I borrowed it.