What's the last MOVIE you watched? v 3.0

[qwe]

party monster

 

[TheLoveBandit]

gah.....just finished - Virtuality (2009) which appears to be the pilot episode for a Fox series that didn't launch (hehe...pun intended?).

The story is set aboard the Phaeton, Earth's first starship, on a ten-year journey to explore a distant planetary system. In order to help the 12 members of the crew endure the long mission, a system of virtual reality modules is installed aboard the starship. These modules allow the crew to assume various identities and enjoy a variety of adventures, until a flaw is discovered in the system.

The ship is 6 months into its journey and on the cusp of a "go or no go" decision. They are about to make a 'slingshot' move around Neptune and, depending on the course they choose, it will either turn them around and send them back to Earth, or slingshot them out of the solar system, on their way to explore for possible habitable planets and life around the nearby star, Epsilon Eridani.

I liked it, in that it had a LOT of promise in terms of 'what is going on?', as I found myself guessing at various steps....however, being a pilot episode, it never delivers on the answers and just sets up subsequent episodes that were apparently never filmed or aired It is a shame this was Fox's, as it could do reasonably well as a SyFy series, or even a real movie in it's own right.

The acting is decent, the special effects are .. well suited for a SyFy channel viewing, tbh .. and there are a variety of storylines for each of the characters in the show; laying foundations for episodes in the future to further explore a lot of different paths, not necessarily contributing to the real main storyline but they have the opportunity to do so.

NSFW:

There is a diagnosis early in the show that alludes to possible paranoia, there is the un-programmed character showing up in the virtual realities of the crew members, and there is the real-world question of what was happening with our commander character both personally and at the end of the pilot episode. A mix of plot lines, any of which could be explored or overlapped over time. Good concepts, IMO

In hindsight, you might call it 'Lost (in Space)' - as in the 'Lost' tv series everyone loved for years, but without the wicked explanations and turns that Lost provided....but set in space with 'technology' advances and more of a real point to the series.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

The Cry of the Owl

Written by P. Highsmith who also wrote The Talented Mr. Ripley, fwiw. Seems it was also made a movie once before, back in 1987 with equally strong reviews.

My take is that it does move slow, as it is definitely more of a character and plot film than anything action related (duh). There is an interesting storyline of a lead character in a divorce (wife is nuts, keeps fucking with him), who starts stalking a girl (Stiles) and eventually enters a relationship with her. Then things get really weird, but in a good way that keeps you watching to see what comes next. Others are billing it in (in imdb reviews) as suspenseful, and 'edge of your seat' in a way that builds very slowly. I'd agree with the 'slowly' part for sure, but I would also agree with them that it is reasonable in it's payoff as well.

People criticize the casting of the lead actor, and I would agree he seems a bit like a poor mans Sam Rockwell, but I think he plays the roll well. Actually, most of the casting is pretty good, IMO. This is not a film for the acting, or the soundtrack (hardly noticable), or the filming (scenery, setting, lighting, etc). It's a storyteller's film, taking you on a journey ... the rest is just kinda there, without helping or hurting the story much. But the story, it seems to carry on all along regardless of those factors.

I'd put this on the list of recommendations, but not for mainstream. Only for those who know what they are looking for, and feel this fits their taste. It is *not* for everyone



EDIT - ok, I wrote the above while watching the last 20 min. Now, with ending in hand, I will not recommend this movie. Yeah, what I said above is still pretty much true, but the ending just drops the ball. For a film, it wraps things up....but only enough to kick you out the door. You don't walk away saying 'damn, that was good' or 'I didn't see that coming (which, tbh, I didn't)' or anything more than ... 'that is it?' Grrrrr....I won't say viewing was wasted, like I noted, the story moves along slow but in an interesting way. It just FAILS at the end, IMO.


PS - slow day at work = 2 movies :D

 

[tribal girl]

Not as good as I was hoping, but still lovely.