David M. Brown's Blog, page 36
August 29, 2013
Film Review: Five Minutes of Heaven
THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD, IN FACT IT ISNT EVEN PAST In 1975, 11-year old Catholic Joe Griffin witnessed the killing of his brother by a young Ulster Volunteer Force member, Alistair Little. The murder changed their lives forever. Working closely with both men, screenwriter Guy Hibbert creates a unique and compelling film that moves from a powerful re-enactment of these tragic events to a fictional interpretation of what might happen should these two men ever come face to face. From acclaimed director Oliver Hirschbiegel and starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt, FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN is a story inspired by two extraordinary lives, which explores the challenges of coming to terms with Northern Ireland s troubled past.Starring: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt
Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Runtime: 89 minutes
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB
Review: Five Minutes of Heaven
Beginning in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, 1975, Five Minutes of Heaven tells the story of Alistair Little (Mark Davison) who at 17 was a member of the UVF (Ullster Volunteer Force). Heading a quartet of friends, Alistair has been given permission to assassinate a young Catholic, James Griffin (Gerard Jordan). When Alistair approaches the house he sees 8 year old Joe (Kevin O’Neill) playing football outside. Alistair hesitates briefly before turning to the house and firing through the window at James. After Alistair and his friends have driven away, Joe goes to his brother’s aid but it is too late. James has been hit multiple times with 3 bullets hitting him in the head. The film moves on 33 years where Alistair (Liam Neeson) has previously done 12 years for his crime and is on his way to the filming of a documentary where he will be face to face with a now grown up Joe (James Nesbitt).
The events of 1975 are based on actual events but the meeting between Alistair and Joe is a work of fiction. Alistair appears calm about the meeting and demonstrates genuine concern and sympathy for Joe, hoping the producers have taking into account how hard the experience will be for him and that he will need a lot of support. Joe is a nervous wreck about the meeting, his driver frequently having to stop so Joe can have a smoke. He also had to keep his bosses frequently updated, making sure Joe doesn’t run away. Joe is a mixture of emotions, arriving for the filming with a knife secreted amongst his person and in a quandary about whether to talk or to kill Alistair in revenge. The murder of James not only destroyed Joe’s family but he was forever blamed by his mother for not preventing James’ death. Having carried the guilt and blame for more than 30 years can Joe take the final step and film the documentary alongside Alistair or will he lose his nerve?
Undeniably tense throughout, Neeson and Nesbitt deliver good but contrasting performances and it is somewhat uplifting to witness Alistair’s concern for Joe. There are problems with the film though. In terms of a lesson on the complexities and upheavals of Northern Ireland in the twentieth century, the film is somewhat limited in what it conveys. It is also painfully short. The intro offers a tense build up as a young Alistair plans and executes the murder of James, and although the meeting between an adult Alistair and an adult Joe moves along well, it soon seems too rushed at the end. An additional half hour could have been added to flesh out the characters, the history and the drama some more.
Five Minutes of Heaven is a fascinating but unpleasant depiction of one particular murder in 1970s Northern Ireland and how it ripped a family apart. Though this is well-acted by the two leads it is too short to impact as well as it should have. Had the film been longer and offered more of an historical insight into Northern Ireland this would easily have hit 4 stars. Unfortunately, the brevity does it hinder the film so for me it’s just 3 stars.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Five Minutes of Heaven | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 28, 2013
Book Review: Hollywood & Hitler 1933-1939 – Thomas Doherty
The abundance of WWII-era documentaries and the huge cache of archival footage that has emerged since 1945 make it seem as if cinematic images of the Nazis were always as vivid and plentiful as they are today. Yet between 1933 and 1939, representations of the Nazis and the full meaning of Nazism came slowly to Hollywood, growing more distinct and ominous only as the decade wore on.
Recapturing what ordinary Americans saw on the screen during the emerging Nazi threat, Thomas Doherty reclaims forgotten films, such as Hitler’s Reign of Terror (1934), a pioneering anti-Nazi docu-drama by Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr.; I Was a Captive of Nazi Germany (1936), a sensational true tale of “a Hollywood girl in Naziland!”; and Professor Mamlock (1938), an anti-Nazi film made by German refugees living in the Soviet Union. Doherty also recounts how the disproportionately Jewish backgrounds of the executives of the studios and the workers on the payroll shaded reactions to what was never simply a business decision. His history features a cast of charismatic personalities: Carl Laemmle, the German Jewish founder of Universal Pictures, whose production of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) enraged the nascent Nazi movement; Georg Gyssling, the Nazi counsel in Los Angeles, who read the Hollywood trade press as avidly as any studio mogul; Vittorio Mussolini, son of the fascist dictator and aspiring motion picture impresario; Leni Riefenstahl, the Valkyrie goddess of the Third Reich who came to America to peddle distribution rights for Olympia (1938); screenwriters Donald Ogden Stewart and Dorothy Parker, founders of the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League; and Harry and Jack Warner of Warner Bros., who yoked anti-Nazism to patriotic Americanism and finally broke the embargo against anti-Nazi cinema with Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939). As Europe hurtled toward war, a proxy battle was waged in Hollywood over how to conduct business with the Nazis; over whether to address or ignore Nazism in Hollywood feature films; and over how to cover Hitler and his victims in the newsreels. Should Hollywood lie low, or stand tall and sound the alarm?
GoodreadsAmazon
Review: Hollywood & Hitler 1933-1939
I’ve read a lot of books about Hitler and WWII this last couple of years, from the fictional (City of Women, The Patient Ecstacy of Fraulein Braun) to non-fiction (Dinner with Churchill, Useful Enemies), so to approach the subject from the angle of entertainment/culture was very interesting. I must admit, there were several things I was completely unaware of, so it certainly enhanced my knowledge.
As a general interest read – rather than for academic reasons – I did find my attention wavering a little at times, so I’ll admit it wasn’t the easiest of reads, but as an academic source, I can see that this would provide a wealth of information and add additional context to the social events of the time. The title – Hollywood & Hitler – sums up the twin aspects of the book perfectly. This is a look at film within the Third Reich itself, as both propaganda and entertainment, but also a look at the effects across the Atlantic.
From restrictions on imports/exports of films, to being unsure whether to show Hitler on screen (and risk giving him a voice) or boycott his appearances (and risk keeping viewers uninformed), to the propaganda value of various films, this really is an excellent look at the issues affecting the film industry at the height of the Third Reich’s journey to first power and then war.
This offers something of interest to film buffs, those with an interest in culture and entertainment and, of course, those with an interest in 20th century history. Don’t be put off by the academic approach. This is a highly informative and worthwhile read, whether it be for general interest or for more serious review.
Verdict: 4/5
Source: Netgalley
Book Review: Hollywood & Hitler 1933-1939 – Thomas Doherty | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Book Review: Reproductive Politics – Rickie Solinger
The term “reproductive politics” was coined by feminists in the 1970s to describe contemporary Roe v. Wade-era power struggles over contraception and abortion, adoption and surrogacy, and other satellite issues. Forty years later, questions about reproductive rights are just as complex–and controversial–as they were then. Focusing mainly on the United States, Reproductive Politics explores the legal, political, religious, social, ethical, and medical dimensions of this hotly contested arena.
Tracing the historical roots of reproductive politics up through the present, Rickie Solinger adopts a question-and-answer format to shed light on such questions as: are sex and reproduction “private” or “public” matters? When was abortion decriminalized in the United States–and why? What is “abstinence only” sex education? And how is reproductive politics a men’s issue as well as a women’s issue? The answers are informative and balanced, and sometimes quite surprising. We learn that the number of illegal abortions before Roe was about the same as the number of legal abortions after Roe-about one million a year; and that women are the primary earners in 40 percent of American households and head 85 percent of single-parent households-one reason access to affordable daycare has become a key factor in a woman’s decision to reproduce.
Offering a wide range of information in an accessible and lively manner, Solinger orients readers and provides the knowledge necessary to follow the debates in this important and continually evolving field.
GoodreadsAmazon
Review: Reproductive Politics
I never really studied any formal gender studies classes at high school so, as a result, never had the opportunity to cover some of these topics formally. Nonetheless, they are highly relevant and important, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to read this book.
In Reproductive Politics I felt I’d found a well-researched, well-presented title, covering a range of current topics, many of which are highly controversial. They are also issues that we are often reluctant to talk about, perhaps because they can provoke highly emotional or passionate responses. ‘Politics’ seems a perfect word for the social, legal and moral complexities surrounding issues such as abortion and birth control. And nothing’s going to change if we can’t find a way to talk about these issues more openly.
Despite being British and still living in the UK, I still felt this was highly relevant to me. Not all of the laws and policies applied, but these are international issues. The tagline says it all: ‘What everyone needs to know.’
Or, perhaps more fitting would have been the tagline ‘What everyone needs to talk about…’
Verdict: 4/5
Source: Netgalley
Book Review: Reproductive Politics – Rickie Solinger | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Game Review: Final Fight
I remember waiting one year for Christmas to come round. I was so excited because I’d asked my father for the Amiga version of Final Fight. I played this one at the arcades and loved it even though I was rubbish at it but maybe the Amiga would simplify things. It’s hard to believe the original arcade game is more than twenty years old. Where does time go? Anyway, to fuel my regular need for nostalgia I thought I’d go back and check the game out.
Set in Metro City, a former wrestler Mike Haggar has become Mayor of the city and vows to reduce crime. He doesn’t count on Mad Gear though, a ruthless crime gang that control large parts of the city. When Haggar’s daughter, Jessica, is kidnapped by Mad Gear that expect him to play ball and allow them to influence his every policy. However, Haggar sets out to rescue his daughter with the aid of Jessica’s boyfriend, Cody, and Cody’s sparring partner, Guy.
Final Fight plays as single player or two player co-op and you can pick and choose from the three protagonists. I usually favoured Cody or Haggar, Guy just seemed a bit useless or that might have just been my appalling gaming skills. Moving on, Final Fight is a side scrolling beat ‘em up where you traverse six levels including slums, an industrial area and finally a confrontation with the head of Mad Gear himself. At the end of each level you may have a boss fight including Damnd who taunts Haggar in the opening segment and a burly police officer who is presumably corrupt.
The Mad Gear crew are a varied bunch with some being pint-sized thugs, scantily clad women, rotund fighters that try and head butt you and bulky wrestlers with curly hair. You can take most of them out in pretty much the same manner but they do have different fighting abilities which keeps things interesting. In between sweeping the streets clean of Mad Gear you also get a bonus stage on occasion where you have a limited amount of time to smash a car up. This is quite fun even though it is criminal damage!
I always enjoyed Final Fight on the Amiga and looking back it is still fun but quite straightforward to negotiate. There’s maybe an hour’s worth of play which seems little given the game would have been £20-£25 at that time. Compared to the arcade the game is lacking in some qualities including no background animation and the Mad Gear crew were more varied in the original as well. The game is still fun but the Amiga’s limitations hinder the experience when it is compared to the arcade.
Verdict: 3/5
Game Review: Final Fight | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 25, 2013
Film Review: Rubberneck
A brief fling triggers a horrific course of events when Paul’s obsession with a beautiful co-worker spirals out of control in this tense romantic thriller from actor/director/writer Alex Karpovsky (“Girls”).Starring: Alex Karpovsky, Jaime Ray Newman
Directed by: Alex Karpovsky
Runtime: 85 minutes
Studio: Tribeca Film
Amazon USIMDB
Review: Rubberneck
Paul Harris (Alex Karpovsky) works at a research facility in Boston and at the outset meets new employee Danielle (Jaime Ray Newman) at a work’s party. They strike up a conversation and end up spending the weekend together. The first night is all passionate sex but the second night ends somewhat awkwardly with Danielle being very distant. Moving on eight months, Paul still has feelings for Danielle but she rarely acknowledges him. When Danielle begins to show interest in a new colleague, Chris Burke (Dennis Staroselsky) that has joined the research facility, Paul’s jealousy reaches boiling point and he starts to lose control.
While harbouring feelings for Danielle, Paul tries to live his life, spending time with his sister Linda (Amanda Good Hennessey) and paying for the company of Kathy (Dakota Shepard). It isn’t enough though. A dark chapter from Paul’s past continues to haunt him and all he can think of is Danielle. Any efforts to converse with her are always somewhat frosty and the warmth she shows towards Chris only serves to incite Paul who remains uncertain of why Danielle went from sleeping with him one night to giving him the cold shoulder the next. As the days go by Paul becomes more desperate and unhinged, putting the lives of those around him in danger.
Rubberneck doesn’t have an original idea but it is one that can be engaging if done right. The big issues with this film is the character of Paul. You will get the impression that he is dangerous and obsessive. This may turn out to be accurate in the end but for most of the film he seems a little odd but harmless and dare I say you may sympathise with him, while feeling less than complimentary towards Danielle whose change of attitude towards Paul is never really explained. Her willingness to become close to new colleague Chris, who is married and she knows it, also doesn’t portray her character especially well. The film does take a dark turn suddenly but perhaps too dark. It could have been done very differently and been more shocking and enthralling.
Rubberneck has some good moments but Paul doesn’t initially convince as a man who would hurt anyone and if anything it is Danielle that is more unlikable for most of the film. The horrifying turn the film takes seems to drain it of any real drama and some of the characters’ motives and reactions are just not realistic given the severity of some of the events. This could have been so much better.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Rubberneck | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Rapid Reviews: Weaponized, The Borgias, The Book of Woe
As an avid reader, I sometimes have to weigh up whether I want to review a book after reading or jump straight into my next wordy adventure. I’ve read dozens of books so far this year and nearly all of them deserve some attention but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. So I’m going to be including some of these titles in regular Rapid Reviews round-ups, so you can see what made it to the top of the ‘To Be Read’ stack.
Rapid Reviews: Weaponized, The Borgias, Living and Dying in Brick City, The Book of Woe, Keep No Secrets
View on Flowboard – Presentation and Storytelling Platform for iPad
Too small? Click top right to make it full screen or view on Flowboard
Have you read any of these titles? What did you think?
Rapid Reviews: Weaponized, The Borgias, The Book of Woe | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 24, 2013
Book Excerpt: Let It Be – Chad Gayle
Today Chad Gayle stops by to share an excerpt from his book, Let It Be.
Excerpt from Let It BeOne After 909
When my brother was ten years old, he almost killed a man. No one in my family has ever talked about what Joseph almost did, because we’re Texans, and Texans rarely talk about what might have been, but it’s something that I’ve thought about quite often, something I’ve had to think about since my mother passed away.
It happened the year my parents got divorced, which was also the year that my mother fell in love with the music of the Beatles for a second and final time. Her favorite album that year was Let It Be.
There’s a track on Let It Be called “One After 909,” a groovy tune about a guy who’s trying to get with a girl that’s on a train he can’t seem to catch. To a thirteen-year-old girl like me, it seemed like a cool number, even though it was old news, and I had fun with it whenever it was on; I thought it was a great song. Joseph hated it, however; for my little brother, “One After 909” was a meaningless, worthless lyric that wasn’t about anything, that was nothing but a ruse, and he was willing to argue this point for hours if he had to, which should tell you something about my brother. He was a smart kid, but he was a smart kid who could be ruthlessly stubborn when he was convinced that he was right and that someone else was wrong.
Not talking about what Joseph almost did has preserved that long gone year perfectly in my mind. What we might have said never had a chance to chip away at its sharp edges or to reshape it into something new, and that’s why it’s hard for me to make excuses for what my brother did to us back then. Now, when I listen to Let It Be, I remember it all, the whole sordid mess, and I know that he was much more aware of what he was doing than we thought at the time.
Love is its own kind of wisdom, but Joseph never understood this. He thought he had all the answers, and he was so busy chasing after a version of himself that would be wiser than the person he was, a person who would be able to reduce the world and all of the people in it to a series of simple questions, that he never learned the lesson that mattered most.
He was like the singer in that song, “One After 909.” He was trying to catch a train that would take him to a better place, a place where every heartache would be explained away, but he couldn’t swing it, and he never realized that he was trying to make the wrong train, one that would always pass him by.
Let It Be (2013)
LET IT BE is a novel with a soundtrack, a story that’s intimately linked to the music of the Beatles. Part family saga, part coming of age tale, LET IT BE is a touching tale of loss, longing, and forgiveness that chronicles the breakup of a marriage, the destruction of a family, and the struggle to come together in the aftermath of what remains.
Amazon USGoodreadsShelfari About Chad Gayle
Chad Gayle has written for literary journals, trade publications, and newspapers; he has a Masters in English from Texas A&M University, and he taught English at Meredith College in North Carolina and worked at Poetry Magazine in Chicago before he moved to New York, where he lives with his wife and his two children. LET IT BE is his debut novel.
Website
Book Excerpt: Let It Be – Chad Gayle | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 22, 2013
Film Review: Swamp Zombies
A chief physician at a large metropolitan hospital is formulating a serum to resurrect recently deceased patients. When his facility comes under inspection from the Federal Government, the good doctor is forced to dispose of the patients as quickly as possible, even though he doesn’t know if the serum will be a success. Little does he know, the serum works and the test subjects begin to rise from the shallow graves of the swamplands. It will take a select few to try to stop the wrath of the Swamp Zombies, but can they stay alive while doing it?Starring: Brian the Blue Meanie Heffron, Jasmin St. Claire, Dan Sever, Pamela Sutch, Shannon Solo
Directed by: Leonoard Kabasinski, Jr
Runtime: 121 minutes
Studio: Killer Wolf Films
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB
Review: Swamp Zombies
I am passionate about films and always look forward to finding great ones while dreading the truly awful ones. I am not sure to this day what the worst film I have ever seen is but when I take to my rocking chair and watch the sunset many, many years from now, my ageing mind may well recall Swamp Zombies as one the finest examples of truly appalling films. Let’s begin! Dr Phillips (Shannon Solo) has been involved in some pretty dodgy experiments at a local hospital and faced with an FBI inspection he hires some local guys to dispose of the bodies. This they do very badly by putting the bodies in a swamp and not weighing them down properly. Dr Phillips’ experiments turn out to have been successful when the bodies come to life and a horde of zombies begins wandering around attacking everyone in sight and either eating them or turning them into zombies as well. It might sound like a traditional silly horror flick and worth a try but bear with me because I haven’t finished yet.
Among the victims elect for the zombies are a group of high school kids and their teacher who delivers one of the worst examples of acting when he can’t get his mobile phone to work. The local police are martial arts experts, which is handy, but it just suggests to me that they’re not overworked and have time to try and imitate the late great Bruce Lee. At one point we have two girls sunbathing by the lake and one, Monica (Pamela Sutch), manages to escape while her friend is devoured. We have a lingering look at a her in a bikini while she is being chased before she takes refuge with another local who finally allows her to cover up. If your approval of a horror film comes down to bare breasts then this may suit you with one amorous camping couple delivering, while Dr Phillips’ colleague Lillian Carter (Jasmin St. Claire) takes a shower at one point and on this occasion the camera manages to stay relatively steady! The worrying thing about this film is its run time of 2 hours! Usually when I watch a bad horror film it is over in less than 90 minutes. No such luck here!
Swamp Zombies is plagued by a series of awful features. First of all, I know this is an amateur effort but the camera work is not great. The poor cameraman clearly had a torrid time working on this one and couldn’t keep still. The sound editing is atrocious. In one scene a guy comes to the reception at the local hospital and as he is a few feet away from the camera we can hardly hear him, yet in the next shot from behind the nurse at reception he can be heard perfectly clearly. Then there is the acting. Oh my! The acting is pretty much non-existent from start to finish. One of the worst examples has to be the police captain (Dan Severn) who is accomplished in martial arts and manages to kick some zombie butt (not very convincingly) but his line delivery is vastly inferior to his hand and feet co-ordination. The zombies themselves have been done up a little bit with effects but they’re not overly convincing and the fight scenes the actors are involved in would have been better choreographed by Frank Spencer.
Swamp Zombies is a piece of film history in that it is so bad it is unbelievable. I’ve seen many films with bad acting but, goodness me, the only acting I saw in this film was from the trees! The camerawork is bad, the sound editing pathetic, the zombies not especially difficult to beat the crap out of and our beloved police captain is hardly the most reassuring of law enforcers especially with that ponytail. I have no doubt I will remember Swamp Zombies for years to come but not for any positive reasons. Worst film ever? Certainly a contender.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Swamp Zombies | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 21, 2013
Game Review: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
A stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. It is the sixth canonical game in the Metal Gear series and the sequel to Metal Gear Solid. The story revolves around a massive offshore clean-up facility that has been seized by terrorists calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty.” They demand a massive ransom in exchange for the life of the President of the United States, and threaten to destroy the facility and create a cataclysmic environmental disaster if their demands are not met. The motives and identities of many of the antagonists and allies change rapidly, as the heroes discover a world-shaking conspiracy constructed by a powerful organization known as the Patriots.
Amazon USAmazon UK
Review: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
There was a lot expected of Metal Gear Solid 2 after the brilliance of its predecessor on the Playstation. I remember following this one closely and soon grabbed a copy on its release. The chance to go back a decade on and see if my thoughts are still the same was a welcome privilege.
Metal Gear Solid 2 begins two years after the incident at Shadow Moses and has Snake infiltrate a tanker to find evidence of a new Metal Gear. A reunion with Revolver Ocelot from the previous game culminates in the tanker being sunk and Ocelot escaping with Metal Gear. The game switches two years on to a offshore plant that has been hijacked by the Sons of Liberty whose leader is Solid Snake and is assisted by a rogue group known as Dead Cell. Our protagonist, not Snake but Raiden, is sent in to rescue hostages including the President and to stop the hijackers preventing a major ecological disaster. Raiden finds help along the way, of course, with some familiar faces from the previous game.
After the opening segment with Solid Snake, it’s somewhat strange to take on the role of Raiden. You still have contact with Colonel Campbell who briefs you on your mission objectives. It will all seem similar to the previous game but there is a reason. Very soon you’re into your stride, evading guards as best you can and taking out those you are forced to deal with. Big Shell is actually divided into two shells with a series of connected struts around the perimeter. Raiden first infiltrates Shell 2 and comes up against members of Dead Cell such as Vamp, Fortune and Fatman. You also meet a member of a SEAL squad that has found his way into Big Shell, Iroquois Pliskin, who looks and sounds very familiar and it should take maybe a nanosecond to realise this is Solid Snake.
Rather than take on the role of Solid Snake, we have Raiden for the game’s entirety and he must do everything from fighting members of Dead Cell in tricky battles, disposing of bombs and even taking out sentries with a sniper rifle. There is so much to do and as usual the storyline is full of the usual intrigue and double-crossing as the previous game. Visually it looks much better than the last game but somehow it has lost what made the other instalment so great. The members of Dead Cell are not as memorable as FOX HOUND and having to make do with Raiden instead of Snake is criminal. Interesting that Snake was very much the leading man in the games that followed.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a good follow-up to what was a great game. Had the storyline centred around Snake only then this could have been very special indeed but Snake’s relegation to your ally hits the overall narrative hard. There are still some great set-pieces and it’s an awesome experience at times but has lost some of the wow factor that made the previous game so incredible to play.
Verdict: 4/5
Game Review: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
