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Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
brilliantly stupid!
This is a fantastic flick. A nice twist on the classic tale (I'm not talking about H&G as witch hunters). This has an Army of Darkness flavor, if you're into that sort of thing, zhuzed up to new millennium standards of action and gizmos.
Anyone expecting a modern day standard movie about witches to contain any sense of reality will be disappointed. Preposterous, it is. Those who enjoy extra cheese, fairy tales (natch!!!), a fair amount of video game style fighting, have a sense of the ridiculous and can get over the occasional flat note should consider giving this movie a try. It has no pretenses and very effectively accomplishes what it sets out to do. Get mildly intoxicated and/or make merry, and take it for what it is!
The Grey (2011)
Meh
It's good gory fun, but this is first & foremost a horror flick. Sure, there's some survivalist appeal (very little that's accurate) and I guess watching a bunch of guys moan & argue might appeal to some. Liam Neeson adds a lot of the appeal for sure - but one does rather end up rooting for the wolves.
It's really about being hunted. Just like those goofy shark movies from about a decade ago (not counting Jaws as that's a pretty good film & broke new ground, although you certainly could see this as an iteration of the Jaws genre) - more like Deep Blue Sea. Pure cheesy cheese - really, pretty bad. But, good escapism, maybe some solid nightmare fuel - whatever. Just don't take it too seriously cause this won't stand up to the challenge. Something to have on in the background, if you like.
Murderland (2009)
Creepy
Always found Robbie Coltrane to be appealing (although I hate hate HATE his Hagrid...) - in this, he is superb. A story about a girl who finds her mother murdered, who may have seen her killer, and who becomes a resident of "Murderland" - a place where children, especially, go in their minds - obsessing about the murder of a loved one and trying to solve it.
Carrie is about 14 when the story begins, and you see her in the second and third installments as a young woman, perhaps 18-20 (now named Carol). Portrayal of both girls is done well, particularly young Carrie. Her relationship with Douglas (Coltrane) is compelling, touching, and terribly vulnerable to suspicion and distress.
It's a story that is constructed rather oddly - lots and lots of flashbacks, often very similar to each other but with slightly varied details. It can be hard to keep track of everyone involved, but this for me just added to the creepiness - it feels like one might feel at 14 with a shattered world - nothing but memory as familiar.
The ending and resolution is similarly muddy - but a significant break in the case (brought on by the baddies themselves, aha!) leads to a rather shocking showdown. If you're into crime drama and creepy murder mysteries, this is probably something you'd enjoy!!
Heartlands (2002)
seriously, IMDb?
The average rating for this movie causes me to reassess how I use IMDb, as generally I've found ratings to be reliable before and in this case am finding that average upset. This is a great movie. I don't usually go for "road trip" movies in the modern sense - this has a touch of that (wacky adventures on the road) but there's no slapstick crap, or incredible fantastical tripping - just a lovely sort of bumbling along that takes the path as it comes.
Colin is brilliant. Sandra and Jeff as "Mark and Cleopatra" are too awful, Jeff's character lurching into the ridiculous, Sandra becoming harder but less brittle. All the characters have wonderful embellishment, peculiarity and I guess whimsy, though it's sometimes charm. That is, the charming characters are exceptionally charming - but there are some serious stinkers done very well. If you like that sort of thing!
Supernatural (2005)
fun and just a little deep
Mostly this show has been all about fun, for me the classic rock, cute boys, scary movie and mystery/suspense blend has been utterly engaging and enjoyable.
Now they're starting to get into theological questions, as much as a show like this can without being boring or over-serious. These queries into the relationship between God and the Angels are intrinsic to the biblical/theological canon of thought and should be explored. Not being as up to date on the series, I can't really comment on the quality of these explorations, but their presence on a popular and well-made show is fun, I think, and makes me feel a little less guilty about watching it. I'm not particularly religious, but I love to study the bible and its influence on our literature and culture. A little bit of Milton adds a lot of class - compare this to the dross that is largely produced and thank your deity for intelligent attempts at exploring some of the most fundamental questions about belief. There is never an answer that suits anyone, but be thankful for the exposure all are getting from this show to a meme that has dominated many cultures for the last 2000 years and longer. Bravo on a fun show that has some depth and culture to it that goes deeper than fashion, drugs, divorce and other current "social" issues.