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nitzpitz
I live in wonderfully flat Holland... (the Netherlands)
I study history and because I just LOVE movies decided to write my thesis on Jewish identity in American film. There you have it, for those who could track some sort of theme in my messages lol.
Reviews
Ragnarok (2020)
Loved the series and loved the ending
I can honestly say I enjoyed this series and was NOT disappointed with the ending like many others.
Why should you watch it? Interesting story and characters, good acting, great scenery, a glimpse of Norse mythology, coming of age story in different light.
The ending made perfect sense to me and put all plot holes into a different perspective. What was real and what was imagined is up to your own interpretation.
In the end Magnes story arch is complete. He has fought his demons and can now take his next step.
What is this series about? It is about friendship, helping out, searching for your true identity, finding peace in yourself and overcoming grieve. I think that is exactly what it did and found an interesting supernatural way to explain it.
Ragnarok: Ragnarok (2023)
Thoughtful ending to a great series
I saw the low score of the last episode and warnings not to watch it and (without reading any spoilers) was hesitant what to expect. I can honestly say that I really loved the ending and it made a lot os sense to me. There were very weird thing going on in the last season, people all of a sudden assigned God names, a giant serpent that only 2 people could see, sudden changes in character of Magne and more. The ending made it feel as if, like Magne, we don't really know what was real and what was not, but in the end it does not matter, because he is taking the next steps in life, he has found friendships in his new town and he has made the world a little better, because the factory got cleaner (what they set out to do in the first place). He also found a way to deal with the loss of his father and friend. And Laurits also found his own identity and tge love he deserves.
I think it is good that the ending can be interpreted in more than one way. I also liked that the characters live on, but that the supernatural beings have died. It makes the story better placed in the here and now.
I really enjoyed Ragnarok and give the whole series a solid 8/10.
Four Corners: Inside Russia (2023)
Touching documentary about the Russian loss of freedom
How a war kills hope of w generation. No more free speech, no more political influence, no more choice to live were you like. It is a sad story of what Russia has become and how the war with Ukraine changed the lives of so many for the worse. The hopelessness and growing fatalism of the Russians fighting to stay sane in a crazy world.
The stories are gripping and the atmosphere gets more grim as time passes. We see dillema's of staying and going to orison or fleeing the country, families torn apart because of the war and grief, people on the street thinking twice about answering a simple question. Sad, haunting, gripping reality.
The Windsors (2016)
Utterly enjoyable
I truly enjoyed this comedic relief from reality. The characters are all mad, childish, but also very likeable. The accents are totally over the top, but brilliant. I should have given this a chance much earlier.
Now Charles is King there will probably never be a fourth season, but if there will be, I will certainly be watching again.
If you enjoy absurd comedy like Norse Men or the Office, this just might be your cup of tea. Also if you have seen the crown, but want a more lighthearted comedic point if view which is not historically or politically correct, but does offer a good laugh and some sarcastic British humor, I am sure you will enjoy this gem as have I.
Willow (2022)
I like it, give it a chance
I loved the movie as a kid and watched it many times.
I have rewatched it a couple of years back with my own kids and it was much shorter and more rushed than I remembered, but still a very well made fantasy.
This series captures the feeling of the movie very well in my opinion. I understand how the more modern take on things can feel a bit strange at first, but for a light harted show that is fine.
The message of it all seems to be that anyone can be special if only they believe in themselves. I think that is pretty much what the original film was about too.
I have only seen 2 episodes, but am looking forward for the rest.
People are way too harsh on this production. Give it a go!
Ancient Apocalypse (2022)
Without Graham this might have been good
The sites visited in this series are very interesting. It is important to explore the past and learn more about ancient cultures.
However, Graham Hancock is trying to hype you up with absolutely nothing. Everything is exaggerated, the sound effects are laughable, the experts on this show will show you evidence that is interesting, but their conclusions are often criticised for good reason. There could be other explanations and it is possible that the methods used were not done in the right way.
I really hoped to get a good story here, but O can't stand to watch this man for more than one episode...
Breaking Bad (2008)
Lost me in S2E3
The pilot was very strong and first episodes promising, but the plot is simply unbelieveble. The actors do a great job, but the story just fails to captivate. Sny real person would be dead or busted half way season 1.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
The circle is full
I think last episodes are always a bit disappointing. It's like saying goodbye to an old friend. I think this was very well done. It is a compromise, no one gets what they asked for (except fot Sansa maybe). That was always what GOT was about. It is not a Disney ending that fans crave for, neither a total slaughter of all characters. It has some form of closure and was beautifully filmed. I feel satisfied. Haters will hate, for me this was solid enough.
The Tramp and the Dictator (2002)
A great way to explore the first half of the 20th century
As a history teacher I love this documentary. It gives my students the opportunity to step into the the world of the early 20th century and understand a bit of the fast array of events that took place. Not only the First and Second World War, but also the Great Depression,the rise of totalitarian regimes and new methods of propaganda are explained through the life and work of Charlie Chaplin. A lot of young people have never seen a silent movie, but after seeing this film they often are interested to actually watch The Great Dictator and not only understand what it is about, but also how fascinating the story of its making was.
Left Luggage (1998)
Wonderful adaptation of "Twee koffers vol" by Carl Friedman
I am usually a bit hesitant towards film versions of books I read and loved. Somehow not every story is fit for the silver screen. This movie however really catches the emotions of the book, without becoming annoyingly over sentimental. The acting is very good, the camera work and use of warm colors was beautiful, and the characters for me really came to life.
I will not explain the story, go read the book and see the movie for yourself, or read some of the other comments on this site. One thing I missed on this site is the connection to the book. The adaptation of the book is done really well. Only two differences stand out, but these were well chosen and agreed with the movie format.
*possible Spoilers*
The fist is when Chaja and her best friend go out swimming and her friend finds out that Chaja is Jewish. After this their friendship ends in the book as well as in the movie. The difference is that in the movie both girls are naked, one can see how similar they are biologically, and the idea that it should matter what religion anyone of them is part of becomes totally insignificant. In the book the characters had much more time for development and for the movie the visualization of the human body says more than a thousand words.
The other more major change is the end of the story. In the book there is much attention to philosophy and Chaja's difficulty with the choice of her study. She begins a new study, Physics, to start over again with new hope. Her father gives up his search for the past, and learns to live with his loss. The movie ends with Chaja helping her father in his search for the lost luggage. This change of ending was in my opinion necessary. In the movie we see little of Chaja's college life and her key problems concerning her own philosophy on life. In the book there is more space for these developments, and we understand the changes Chaja's goes through better. Keeping the original ending would have been cause for lack of understanding on behalf of the audience that has not read the book.
I would recommend this movie to anyone. 9/10
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Is this comedy?
After hearing so much about this film, the whole controversy and the fact that the spoken languages where Aramaic and Latin I felt I had to see this picture for myself!
No, I am not a Christian. I'm a Jew, and I was terribly annoyed by the fact that people said this movie was Anti-Semitic before even seeing it. Another reason for going!
First of all let me say this; I don't think this movie is Anti-Semitic, the Romans are clearly the bad guys here. Yes, there are Jews who are being portrayed as villains, but most are just ordinary people, who are not guilty of Christ's death. This is unlike the Romans who are vulgar and sadistic except of course for the counselor's wife.
Secondly, this is not the most violent film ever. I really didn't think that this movie was unwatchable. The sequence of the torturing does not last for 20 minutes, as I was told beforehand, but is alternated with scenes of both Maria's, and other people trying to see the 'show'.
But what did I think of it??? I hate to admit that I couldn't stop laughing for most of the movie... The lighting, the colors, the moist on the body, the close-ups of tormented faces, were almost like coming out of the latest Bollywood production (no offence).
The character of Christ, was absolutely non-believable to me. Jesus was shown as a dangerous sect leader in this movie, sacrificing himself to prove a point. I couldn't help seeing images of the Waco massacre while hearing Jesus speak. I did not get that feeling in other Passion movies, and was even moved by The Last Temptation of Christ, where genuine sacrifice was shown and not just meaningless masochism.
Ok I will not even start to count all the historical inaccuracies of this production. Having chosen to use the languages originally spoken in the region, I mistakenly expected more!!! Two things really made me laugh though. First, the cross itself: If you intend to be historically incorrect, then please take it all the way!!!! Why let the other two carry only the horizontal part, like they really did in those days, and let Jesus carry a "real" cross. As if he could even carry it, anyone would have been dead long before, walking with three ribs out in the open. Second, the last supper is clearly a Jewish Passover Seider. There is no one who could deny that. But why use normal bread, Jesus ate unleavened bread like every other Jew on Passover.
Two other things: - How could anybody stay that 'moist' in the heat and sand? - That last scene with the blood erupting from the body... That was hilarious!!!! I think Jesus looses at least 15 liters of blood during the movie, 3 times the amount an average person has...
Isn't there anything good about this movie???
Yes there is. I thought some camera angles, like when Jesus is being dragged after the torture and we see everything from his point of view (up-side-down) were very interesting and beautifully shot.
I can't imagine this to be Mel Gibson message, but the devil was cool!!! Especially in a scene where the androgenic devil is shows as a contrast to Maria, carrying a little devil looking like a Madonna.
Overall a mediocre movie with way too much impact on mankind.
Mivtza Savta (1999)
Much beter than I had expected
First of all one needs to know that this is a very low budget film. That it is based on a true story might give people the wrong idea. IT IS NOT A TV-DRAMA!!! This is pure comedy! Knowing a bit about the situation in Israel and in Kibutzim nowadays is of course a pre, or you will miss a lot of the jokes. But even if you never heard of a kibbutz this is a funny little movie about 3 brothers trying to bury their grandmother in very hectic times.
I give it an 8!
De passievrucht (2003)
Not bad at all for a Dutch movie
possible spoilers
I usually avoid Dutch movies, but I saw this one in a sneak preview. I must say that the first 5 minutes were full of all my prejudices against the Dutch cinema, but the rest of the movie was above my expectations. As you probably know Dutch movies are famous for their explicit sex scenes. THe movie starts with one. But it turns out to be a rather good and well balanced drama about a man that has just found out he has always been infertile. This forms a problem, because he has a teenage son from his late wife. The big question is... WHO is the father??? The rest of the movie is about his search for the father of his son. There are detective elements in the movie, but also drama and fortunatly there are also comic moments.
I would never had gone to this movie on my one, but I can certainly recomend it. The acting is fine, the storyline interesting and the camera work is nice.