James Bond: Spectre

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 Nov 2015

Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: John Logan and Neal Purvis
Running Time: 148 Minutes

Staring:  Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.2 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

MY REVIEW

Entertainment comes in all shapes and sizes; smart, profound, intellectual or just plain escapist fun. I have been a James Bond watcher from when I was a kid and I really loved the fun! The last three 007 instalments fell a bit short in that department (at least for my taste), and since I expected this new film to be more of the same, I didn't exactly get my hopes up.

I was pleasantly surprised (although judging from most reviews I've read, I seem to be in the minority). Instead of further exploring the somewhat dark, dramatic route the previous three films took - which, I must admit, worked very well in Casino Royale - Spectre unexpectedly goes in the exact opposite direction. 

So my verdict: Spectre is a love letter to the classic Bond films, and while it might not be the masterpiece many people seem to have expected, there is a lot to enjoy here. It's a solid, almost classic Bond film with insane action, great set-pieces and a fantastic cast!

This is supposed to be a spoiler-free review, so I won't go into any of the story details, but what 
unfolds after the introduction plays like a combination of the more grounded, serious Bond we've come to associate with Daniel Craig's films, and the more self-aware spy-romps of the Roger Moore era.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Don't get me wrong; it's not suddenly ALL fun and games, but the new film is a virtual celebration of the whole James Bond universe, from past to present, including the less grounded and over-the-top elements from the older films. In fact, after a stand-out intro sequence in classic fashion, the spy with a license to kill takes us on a ride which - tonally - feels like travelling back in time to the glory days of such classics as You Only Live Twice, Goldfinger or The Spy Who Loved Me (and it's a ride back in time in more senses than one).
• Spectre largely succeeds in paying homage to many of the classic Bond films while still delivering the gritty action people come to expect from the newer instalments and staying true to the character Craig has so successfully made his own.
• And despite all the references and callbacks to classic 007 adventures, Spectre still manages to continue the storyline of the three previous films. So while his second entry in the world's longest living franchise is far from a perfect film, I believe Sam Mendes achieves exactly what he wants: he intentionally embraces the old Bond formula, but he also plays with it, twists it and introduces new story elements. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Some flaws with the storytelling in the 3rd act. Tone and pacing seem a little off from the first two acts.

On a more personal note..... Had girls night a the house a few days ago, well, girls night plug Jeff. We love him like he's one of the girls! Me, Katie and Missy had a wonderful time~ Baby Dexter is just over 4 months old now and ridiculously adorable.  I love his big green eyes and his cute little kitten face! Then there's Majestic big Jinx!!

Back in Time

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 21 October 2015
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Staring:  The Cast and Crew and some others from the Back to the Future Films
Rating? Not Rated
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.3 of 10
MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE
Cast, crew, and fans explore the classic time-travel trilogy's resonance throughout our culture 30 years after Marty went Back in Time.

MY REVIEW:
Not prefect, some flaws, but it was still enjoyable to see. This is a hit and miss documentary, though it is a lot more hit than miss. Some of it, like the fan segments, are not that great. Do we care about a man proposing to his girlfriend or a miniature golf course? Not really. But the background information on how no studio wanted the film, and hearing from just about everyone involved, this is great and this film should be included on all future releases of the trilogy.

And that is what strikes me as the most impressive -- that the series was never intended to be a trilogy, but only a single film. The way the three weave in and out of each other, it seems brilliantly intentional, but perhaps it is even more brilliant because of the way it looks natural. Maybe Dan Harmon thinks the sequels stink, but the general population loves them.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 22 October 2015
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Staring:  No one!
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 4.5 of 10
MY RATING: 2

STORYLINE
Using a special camera that can see spirits, a family must protect their daughter from an evil entity with a sinister plan.

MY REVIEW:
OMG. This was not the worst move I have ever seen, but it was pretty close to the bottom. I guarantee they have run out of ideas for this franchise. I do not intend to continue with the viewing of these pieces of garbage. HOT GARBAGE!

Last Shift

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 6 October 2015 (Netflix Release)
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Staring:  Anthony DiBlasi, Joshua Mikel, J. LaRose
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 5.7 of 10
MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE

From director Anthony DiBlasi comes a Manson inspired horror film centering around a transitioning police station. Officer Jessica Loren has been assigned to wait for a Hazmat team to pick up bio-hazardous waste from the station's armory. But unbeknownst to Jessica, cult Leader John Michael Paymon has haunted the department ever since he and two of this followers committed suicide a year ago to date. And now, Jessica is about to find out how dangerous they can be when she's left alone on this Last Shift.

MY REVIEW:

I have always loved a good horror movie that was low budget, competent and surprising. This fit the bill with a few minor issues for me, but it was a solid average horror flick.

The main character, Jessica, played by Juliana Harkavy, was pure gold. She deserves a medal for her perseverance.  If I were her, i would have abandoned my post almost immediately upon the first sights and sounds. Despite all of the noises, sights and sounds she remains steadfast and holds her post. I wondered if she thought failure at this would mean failure to her deceased cop father.  She holds the sometimes flimsy movie together in a very convincing way.

It was definitely creepy and the jump scares were few, which I liked. The intensity was created by minimal special effects and the sense that she was all alone with no one to save her. She just has to stay there in the creepy abandoned police station until the morning. That is not something that seems difficult but in this movie, it is. 

Yes, it was low-budget and only has one set, which they do make good use of the loneliness. One of the pieces that does make my rating lower, is the use and occasional overuse of the typical horror movie scared. Ot was slow to resolve, but the story did eventually resolve it self. The second piece that gets me is the overuse of the paranormal in horror and scary movies. Come one, let's use something that is really scary, like the creepy guy next door!!

Third and final thing that set the rating to a 6 instead of a 7 was the weird tramp that showed up and really served no purpose.

Unfortunately, the end ruined it all again. Uninspired and in terms of originality certainly not of the same level as the rest of the movie. The rest was certainly of a high level. Both the structure of the story, the sound effects and the editing were excellent in this psychological terror film