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dragothic
Reviews
Hogg's Back (1975)
All that glitters is not gold ...
I Love much of the 1970s TV, that being the decade of my childhood, so it was quite a nice surprise to see something from that era that i'd somehow i'd managed to miss. Maybe i made myself forget it on purpose.
Sadly, the 'main' actors display little comic ability or timing, and they struggle to do even the slight humour that's presumably expected, and i find watching this quickly tiring, The acting is wooden, which combined with the bland script, and dull characters all make it this a disappointment, maybe it'll improve as the series progresses and cameo actors come and go, but i doubt it, even as a child i doubt that i would bother with this.
Maybe stronger leads actors would help, these kind of shows need strong leads, and although the main actors were reasonably well known at their time, they certainly weren't 'A' list, or even 'B' list, so they weren't confident enough as leads to carry the viewers attention, which is where this show fails, if a stronger central character was available, maybe then, it would be fun watching the maelstrom ensue around him, but here, it's hard to tell the difference between the scenery and actors.
The talented Michael Pertwee however has brought several staples to our screens, so I imagine he was able to get more well known names (at that time) to sign up for this show than what the poor script actually deserves. The production seems nice enough, and looks remarkably well for it's vintage, but as a hardcore UK 70s TV fan, even i would call this a Christmas turkey.
I do like the fact that it's a little time capsule of a TV era that i (wrongly) thought i had a reasonably decent knowledge of, and i just found myself waiting for familiar actors of my childhood to appear, but i won't be bothering watching for them. Conclusion, very poor indeed.
Collision Earth (2011)
Typical Daytime TV tripe..
Add soccer Moms in various suits, Guys who should work in DIY stores, also in various suits, and shaky camera - (it adds a sense of 'urgency', don't ya know ?) - along with college kid production values.. this is typical daytime TV crud that here, in the UK at least, is screened on the 'Horror channel' and the Horror i assume, is that anyone is expected to enjoy it.
Its a mess, obvious cliché's ... dumb plot, and lines delivered with such feeling and believability that you'd be excused for thinking you're watching, er, daytime TV. Not that evening TV is much better however. but i digress.
Yup, the special effects are 'special' well .. compared to a mid 1990s PC screen saver they are. I think most Movies, either big budget Hollywood ones, or crap like this, are pretty vacuous nowadays, pandering to the lowest common denominator, quick jump scenes, meaningful glances (or face acting) strong Women and stupid Men, a disgraced underdog and their ultimate redemption, a bit of love interest, a wood panelled station wagon, a crazy Guy who was right all the time, some slightly mischievous teenagers, an old bloke who is evil/wrong and later comes 'round, some flashing lights, lots of PC screens, a vital upload/download and some people running across what appears to be an empty car park, and the climax or reveal towards the movie and the inevitable race or tension towards the end.
I might as well copy / paste that above paragraph into 99% of movies on this Horror TV channel.
Things i learnt: Science is still using valve electronics ? (tubes for our North American readers)
in 2011, 1990's modem sounds are still considered fascinating.
FRS (PMR 446) walkie-talkies go for absolutely miles and miles..
The 'actors' have just come from the hairdressers
Its Canadian and they use a garden shed for their spacecraft internal scenes with 1960s 'Star Trek' noises
dry ice is still fun
cut scenes from a old video game also double-up as space action sequences.
having one facial expression is considered acting (the Guy who looks like a insurance salesman)
Movie's inspired by a mid 90s screen saver should have a disclaimer at the start of the film stating such.
i'm getting a bit bored typing this now, but i will just ask, who was this movie made for ? my guess either the tin-foil hat Art Bell brigade who wouldn't know the difference between CGI and reality or someone who just happens to be about 6 years old. That's it. expect more of the same, and expect the actors to be doing a stint on infomercials in the very near future.. unless the 20 year old tech they're using breaks first..
Session 9 (2001)
my take ...
I Love Urban Exploration. Thats how i ended up watching this movie. I don't think the workers were aspects of the Guys personality as mentioned elsewhere, but i do agree with the comparisons with 'The Shining' - and that is a good thing. Sadly I didn't feel any sympathy for any of the characters, except for the young chap though, which is where, for me, this movie fell down a little, but it did draw me in nicely.
In the first it is explained, that some patients come back, indeed this seems to have been given slightly more emphasis than it may otherwise have warranted if this set-up were not important.
I like to think that they all have returned. That some (or all) of the workers are former patients,.. but i'm not sure.
I know you'll all probably disagree, but i've only watched it once, and may well watch it again soon. Other movies reminiscent of this are 'Shutter Island' 'Angel Heart' and of course, 'The Shining' - I'm sure there's one or two more i've seen, but their name escapes me at the moment, but the thing is, that out main protagonist ends up being ambiguous, either someone completely different than we have assumed, and it turns the movie on its head, just as you think you've got a handle on it.
There's another gloomy 'Urban Exploration' (or UE or Urbex) type movie called 'After' (2006) i enjoyed, similarly creepy and odd.
Hmmm.. I've been 'round a disused Psychiatric hospital, whilst it was running at full tilt, and much later, (with permission) when it was closed down. very creepy and full of heartache, and add dreadfully haunting and scary into that, when they are deserted.