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Zephaniah
Reviews
Bullet Train (2022)
This is fun?
This film says a lot about today's (American) culture. For those who thought it was fast and fun, I am sad for you. I could not watch it past 10 minutes. The language, inane dialogue, and of course, the incessant blood letting. Plot? I assume there may have been one, covered in blood of course. I didn't stay long enough to glean any semblance of one, other than two psychopaths discoursing and Brad Pitt searching for a briefcase. Are people so inured by Hollywood to see this as entertainment? Not knowing anything about it I thought it might be an interesting sojourn into Japanese/American cross culture. But if this is what the American society wants and needs to see then there is no hope for that nation. I'm sorry I could not give this less than 1/10.
Whitstable Pearl (2021)
No pearl, just irritation
Well, London's been done, as Oxford, Newcastle, Stratford, Bath, the Shetlands so it's now Whitstable's turn. I thought we Aussies had the corner on speaking with our mouths closed but there's a new contender. Could barely understand any of the dialogue but that didn't matter much. Turned it off halfway through the second episode. It has as much appeal to me as a week old oyster. 2 stars for scenery, but zero for plot and acting. Started with interest but is this a crime mystery or an angst ridden romantic soap? Police work? Didn't see any. Oh well, back to scandi noir. Don't understand Danish but the plots are good!
Escapement (1958)
Cars redeem it
Well, it wasn't the worst film I've seen but it was pretty awful. Nonetheless, there were redeeming features and it wasn't a bad storyline, but just as others have noted, poorly executed. Lots of dials and switches probably courtesy of the Battersea power station, interesting electronic music (which the subtitles dubbed "creepy"), an idealistic inventor, an ex Nazi concentration camp experimental doctor, a psychopathic assistant, a megalomaniac clinic owner and best of all 1950's European cars - Peugeot, Messerschmitt, VW, Renault 750, with a Buick among period others. Pity about Rod Cameron - he should have stayed in Westerns. Its an interesting parallel to Total Recall in a low tech way.
Harrow (2018)
A tad bland
Well, I was looking forward to this and I will probably continue to watch but I must admit to a little disappointment. A bit cliched; arrogant super sleuth pathologist, some mystery about his past, troubled personal life, gay colleague, envious and antagonistic colleague waiting in the wings, naked bodies on slabs, sexual tension with female cop, dumb detective, obvious crime perpetrator, blah blah. But the production values look good, the location is nice but a bit bland - is it Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth? But yes, it's lovely Queensland and speaking of which, the portrayal of the "QIFM" offices was a bit Dickensian.
Now at the third episode and can anything get more ridiculous? Fully clothed public servants (police and pathologist) diving into a croc infested river to locate body remains in a croc food safe? Oh yeah? No back up, no equipment, goggles, nothing, no safeguards, just loony lady (another public servant) with a shotgun. Of course the body has to appear. I know it's essentially a pathology mystery but did they have to try to out-gore Silent Witness quite so much?
Another episode of our sailor pathologist moving into deeper waters of Lake Ridiculous. Perversely patriotic, I have continued to watch this and this latest venture sees him finding a dismembered (naturally) body on a railway line, then following a trail of conspiracy, ineptitude, and the bleedin' obvious to a Chinese magnate who cannot be touched. Some real disappointments of logic and reality (wait for the champagne flute evidence appearing) mar the storyline. Nice shots of Brissy tho'.