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May 18, 2024, 03:29:10 AM | Title: Pterodactyl Year: 2005 Director: Mark L. Lester Rating: NR Length: 92 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: N/A |
Stars:
Cameron Daddo
Coolio
Amy Sloan
George Calil
Ivo Cutzarida
Steve Braun
Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Gallery
Production Notes
Closed Captioned
My Thoughts:
I wanted to start the day with one I never seen before. When I first saw the trailer for this one it looked cheesy and low budget... yes... but for some reason it also looked like fun to me. Apparently this one originally was shown on the premium channel Showtime. The pterodactyls themselves looked pretty cool. The gore was definitely present in this one as people wore torn apart. Some of the effects here was decent... but other effects were bad... laughable even. Where this one really failed for me was the writing. The dialog desperately needed a re-write... though the basic story was just fine. I did find that the action and effects brought the picture up enough for me to enjoy the movie. So I am surprisingly glad I have this one in my collection... and can definitely see myself watching it again.
My Rating
Out of a Possible 5
Out of a Possible 5
Count:
Movie Count: 5
TV Ep. Count: 0
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 5:30am
(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010 on October 2nd, 2010)
Member's Reviews
24 7: Twenty Four Seven, a review by Jon
 | 24 7: Twenty Four Seven *****
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GIVING IT, TAKING IT, LIVING IT, MAKING THE BEST OF WHAT YOU'VE GOT... TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. That's the philosophy Alan Darcy (Bob Hoskins) teaches the bored Nottingham youth he sees wasting their lives on rundown Council estates when he forms a local boxing club. As the club gets noticed with coverage in the papers and an important match against a rival outfit, Darcy gives the troubled teens something worth fighting for and a dream to believe in for the first time ever. Acclaimed as "The Best British Film of the Year", with Shane Meadows hailed as the most exciting young director of his generation, Twenty Four Seven is a life-affirming experience full of genuine humour, courage and hope in the human spirit.
This film is magic. That's the only real sensible explanation! It was made for next to nothing, in black and white, with a cast of largely unknowns (aside from one). It's rough around the edges and feels unassuming, yet it is in turns poetic, hilarious and moving. It has a sting in the tail but is an uplifting and emotional story. It's an astonishing piece of work that, to be honest, makes the star rating look silly.
It's the story of Darcy (Bob Hoskins), a lonely but enthusiastic man who starts a boxing club for the local teenagers to try and build up their self respect. He drags them up from nothing and gives them a reason to exist. Several of the young boxers have their demons and the various threads of their stories come together in that little club with Darcy's own little tale running through the middle. It's a great screenplay with loads of mileage, told in a flashback device that gives it a lyrical, melancholic air, yet feels so relaxed the humour and honesty just roll out. Bob Hoskins is marvelous and all credit to him for doing it in the first place. He is absolutely convincing as Darcy and he'll make you hope there are real people like him. I loved the scene where he drags one drug-addled loser (called Fagash!) to his court appearance, despite his protest he's rather go back to bed!
As for the rest of the cast, it's tough to single anyone out. They all seem real, like they walked straight off an estate and onto the set, with a comaraderie you just can't fake. They're actors, so I know how silly that statement is, so watch it if you don't believe me! English viewers will enjoy spotting a couple of well-known soap stars and even James Corden, now very well known as an exceptionally talented writer, comedian and actor makes his debut here. Gavin and Stacey is his big hit and I know a few of you enjoy British sitcoms, so I recommend you look it up. Actually, now I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Meadow's writing was a direct influence on Corden as I can think of some similarities, especially in the big family scenes.
If the film is magic then Shane Meadows is a magician. He's a Nottingham film-maker and 24-7 was his first feature film. His most recent is This Is England, which was followed by a brilliant TV series. He could surely have had his pick of projects, yet he has stayed committed to small budgets and fledgling casts from drama groups. Long may he continue because his is some of the most important work being done for British film. His secret might be in the way he composes any one scene, letting the actors play it out and choosing his focus carefully. A sequence in Wales is stunning. And this remember, is on cheap film with little definition, so no Blu-Ray vistas to enjoy! He just knows how to make something truly beautiful. That doesn't prepare you for how dynamic his brief action moments are, such as the scenes in the ring or an awful explosion of violence that will shake you to the core.
I hope to eventually include his other films here, but don't wait for my say so. Just start for yourself with 24-7 and don't be put off by it's cheap look. It's wonderful. This trailer is not a good representation of the actual quality, the film does have more clarity! But maybe you'll get a taste of what I'm trying to show you.
(From "Fancy the pictures, me Duck?": The British Film Marathon on February 15th, 2011)
Member's TV Reviews
Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom
 | Family Ties: Season One (1982/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia
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Plot:
Loving parents Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter Birney) raise their kids with open hearts and open minds. Growing up in the 1960s, Mom and Dad share a liberal point of view, and guide their family with the ideals and convictions of flower power at its best. Their offspring, however, have different ideas. Eldest son Alex P. Keaton is an over-achieving, hard-core Republican, and clashes with his parents at every turn. Mallory is a fashion-loving, boy-crazy teen struggling through high school, while little sister Jennifer is the precocious tomboy who always speaks her mind. Together, they share the moments that make them laugh, make them cry...and make them family.
Family Ties
1.01 Pilot (1982-09-22)
Writer: Gary David Goldberg (Writer)
Director: Asaad Kelada
Cast: Meredith Baxter Birney (Elyse), Michael Gross (Steven), Michael J. Fox (Alex), Justine Bateman (Mallory), Tina Yothers (Jennifer), Cindy Fisher (Kimberly Blanton), John Petlock (Mr. Blanton), Toni Sawyer (Mrs. Blanton), Maurice Marsac (Roger)
A good start to a series I enjoy watching, but never really got into it. The only reason I watch it is because I think Michael J. Fox is great in it.
Rating:
(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on May 22nd, 2011)