stephenmurphy28 Reviews

The Borgias (2011–2013)

The perfect mini series

[10/10 · 16 October 2019]

It's rare that you find a series nowadays that has it all - but as far as I'm concerned & I've seen my share, The Borgias does. They have done EVERYTHING right on this show. Created by our own Neil Jordan (I am Irish btw), it is rumored o be one of the most historically accurate period pieces on tv. From the casting, to the Hungarian sets, to the sumptuous cinematography to the writing & direction, every episode left me wanting more. The only gripe was they only made 3 seasons! Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as the power hungry, lecherous, scheming Pope Alexander VI who will do anything to get what he wants but also to keep his family together as they are outsiders to the whole of Italy.

Absolutely well worth investing in the box set!!

Michael Clayton (2007)

How did Tilda Swinton win an Oscar for this?

[6/10 · 19 February 2019]

What did she have ? A soft 3 pages of dialogue? And it wasn't even that meaty. She didn't put much effort into looking constipated & thoroughly disengaged fit the few scenes she was in. Now do t get me wrong, I think she's a good, intense actress but an Oscar for this?

Her other nominees must have been horrendous

Cardboard Gangsters (2017)

Gritty & a hard watch at times

[6/10 · 17 January 2019]

Cardboard Gangsters is a movie set in the seedy, violent underworld of drug deal wing in the lower class Dublin suburbs . It follows some childhood friends with dreams of world domination as they work their way up in the drug dealing world . For me a native of Dublin, I found parts of this all too real as I have seen & heard on many similar occasions, the violence & effects of drug dealing in Dublin. Written by John Connors, who is known for "telling it like it is", doesn't hold back & shows what you had to do to get ahead in this world. I enjoyed it & it made me glad I don't t live in areas like that anymore !

Lost (2004–2010)

Confusing yet addictive

[9/10 · 16 November 2018]

I recently bought the entire 6 season boxset & basically binge watched it over a week. I loved the first 2 seasons but by season 3 I was "LOST" myself. A lot of confusing jumps in final 3 seasons but what gave me a little throat lump was the flashback sequences in the final episodes of season 6. Edited & scored beautifully. Overall Lost for me was exciting, interesting, endearing & sometimes very confusing but absolutely well worth watching.

The Predator (2018)

Disappointed an understatement

[4/10 · 21 September 2018]

The Predator is like a spoof almost of the Predator franchise. Some half decent visual effects & great sound mixing ( I saw this in IMAX) but a terrible script by Shane Black & Fred "RoboCop 3" Dekker just brings the tone down. The best line of the movie for me is when Olivia Munn says "Eat my pussy".... what does that tell you ?

Showgirls (1995)

So ridiculously surreal

[1/10 · 15 September 2018]

Where do I start?....I read that Jenny McCarthy of Playboy fame was the front runner for the role of Nomi till producers discovered she couldn't dance - AND ELIZABETH BERKELEY CAN?????

Why is all that's Holy was this movie ever financed & released unto the public? Berkeley's stripper character of Nomi Malone heads to Vegas with big dreams of making it as a dancer. Well she finds out the hard way that it ain't an easy road & you have to screw, lie & cheat your way to get there.

Berkeley's ridiculous over reactions to simple straight forward questions are laughable when she flips out over the littlest thing (bi polar). And everyone she annoys annoyingly tries to help her or strangely warms to her! You know with a Paul "Basic Instinct/RoboCop" Verhoeven movie, there's bound to be sleaze, sex & violence- well he & his long time collaborator Joe Eszterhaus doesn't fail to deliver. Having said that, Verhoevens regular DP, Jost Vacano does provide sumptuous over lit sets as only Vegas can do, but Eszterhaus - hang your head in shame & I hope he donated his fee to charity.

I never wanted to reach into my tv screen & smack an actress more for a horrendous performance.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Typical Spielberg!

[9/10 · 11 July 2005]

WOTW has really set the bar for science-fiction movies to date. H.G. Wells would have loved it were he alive today! Working class stiff The Cruiser runs like hell to avoid the nasty n'er-do-well aliens who have apparently been hiding underground for a millenia. They decide to pop up & say hi & Tom, his son & daughter played amply by Justin Chatwin & the show stealing Dakota Fanning, run like the clappers looking for refuge where ever they can find it, & the do with an almost unrecognisable Tim Robbins. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is as always magnificent by using the cold grey bleach bypass procedure & a lot of hand-held shots to give sense of cold, uncompromising heartless menace by the Tripods breakthrough & oncoming invasion. Fantastic special & visual effects which blend seamlessly with Kaminskis camera work gets 2 thumbs up from me! Enjoy!!

The Descent (2005)

Better than Dog Soldiers?

[7/10 · 11 July 2005]

The Descent is summarily along the lines of Dog Soldiers...WITH GIRLS!. Director Neil Marshall makes his second major feature (first being Dog Soldiers) with a story of 5 girls who get together for a yearly ritual of adventure seeking, this time being Caving. Although character development & the story unfolds well from the get-go, it does take some time for the all consuming sense of dread to creep in,even though you know that it is coming, even inside the claustrophobic caves. Although brilliantly shot once again by Marshall's regular cinematographer, Sam McCurdy, I felt that the action takes place all at once - too fast & its over before you know it. Worth a look if you like low budget horror!