THE FIRST FOUR MINUTES OF “THE WALKING DEAD” SEASON 5 PREMIERE.

October 12, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

Seriously. It’s right here, via the show’s Facebook page.

And it’s fantastic.

My review of “Exam” (2009)

October 12, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

“Exam” (2009) was a good psychological thriller — eight extremely intelligent executives are forced to compete for a dream job. Except the group interview turns out to be a bizarre social experiment, and things eventually turn brutal.

There are some pacing problems. (Way too much time, for example, is devoted to discussing the room’s lighting.) But there’s a smart, fun script, some nice surprises, and you really do get the sense that these are borderline geniuses in a battle of wits. I could never write a story like this – that’s for sure.

Incidentally, the individual I liked the best was awarded the job. I thought that this person was the one I would have most liked and trusted.

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My review of “Escape From Alcatraz” (1979)

October 11, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

I’m blogging some of my past movie reviews; please don’t hate me for not giving the classic film more love.

*****

“Escape From Alcatraz” (1979) was a decent flick; I’d give it a 7 out of 10. (And, yeah, I do know I’m going to get nailed to the wall by my film buff friends who no doubt can point out reasons why it would deserve a higher rating. This is why I hide behind an internet connection with these reviews.)

Clint Eastwood really is a wonderful actor, and there are nice amounts of tension here. I personally think the best actor was Roberts Blossom as “Doc.” I was also pretty surprised to discover just how much “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) borrowed from this – right down to an elderly, eccentric prisoner nurturing a pet and dying tragically.

To me, the movie seemed a little thin. Of the four protagonists, the only one we really get to know is “Butts,” and two others are convenient Italian American stereotypes. Little was done to exploit Patrick McGoohan’s amazing acting skills as the warden. (This was the guy who played Longshanks in “Braveheart” (1995)!!)

It also seems thinly plotted. Little transpires beyond four prisoners gathering small objects to effect their escape. And if you’ve already read about the true story of Frank Norris, there are no surprises here. Finally, we do not even fully see the aftermath of the story for the one unfortunate conspirator.

This movie also might suffer from … “genre fatigue?” Yes, it’s regarded as a classic, but, since 1979, we’ve seen fictional film prisons do more with this kind of setting. One, of course, is the obviously inspired “Shawshank.” Another is HBO’s “Oz.” I just don’t think this movie would thrill a modern audience the way it did in 1979.

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October 10, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

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“Vocation,” by W. H. Auden

October 10, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

Part XII of “The Quest”

Vocation

Incredulous, he stared at the amused
Official writing down his name among
Those whose request to suffer was refused.

The pen ceased scratching: though he came too late
To join the martyrs, there was still a place
Among the tempters for a caustic tongue

To test the resolution of the young
With tales of the small failings of the great,
And shame the eager with ironic praise.

Though mirrors might be hateful for a while,
Women and books would teach his middle age
The fencing wit of an informal style,
To keep the silences at bay and cage
His pacing manias in a worldly smile.

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Skip this “Elevator” and catch the next one.

October 10, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

“Elevator” (2011) started strong and then just flzzled. It had a few strong moments, but the ending lacked much punch or surprise, and it finally had the feel of a made-fpr-tv movie. I’d give it a 4 out of 10.

This movie also suffers from the inevitable comparison with surprisingly fantastic “Devil” (2010) an elevator-themed thriller that was ten times better than its synopsis makes it sound.

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As if Benedict Cumberbatch weren’t cool enough already …

October 9, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan 2 Comments

… his reading of John Keats’ “Ode To A Nightingale” is goddam phenomenal.

Seriously. Listen to it. It’s the first piece featured in the below BBC America article, “10 British Actors Read 10 British Poems,” which was sent along to me by a close friend. (October 2nd was National Poetry Day in England.)

If you became a fan of Cumberbatch, as I did, because of his role as the (ostensibly) detached “Sherlock,” it can seem strange hearing him do such an emotional reading here.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/10/world-poetry-day-10-british-actors-read-10-british-poems/

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My review of “The Divide,” (2012)

October 9, 2014 Eric Robert Nolan Leave a comment

I was surprised indeed by “The Divide” (2012) – a flawed post-apocalyptic horror film that nevertheless has a hell of a lot going for it. It’s a horrifying, brutal look at seven apartment building residents who survive a nuclear holocaust by sheltering together in the building’s basement.

Does that sound dark? Because it’s a hell of a lot darker than you think it is. This film is brutal and disturbing – even by the standards of the survival-horror sub-genre.

The script is flawed, but this movie still surprised me and held me in suspense. You know it’s a worthwhile movie if you can’t stop watching it, even if the screenwriting isn’t perfect. That’s partly due to a great cast – with terrific performances by Michael Biehn, Courtney Vance, Lauren German, Milo Ventimiglia, Ashton Holmes, Rosanna Arquette and Ivan Gonzalez.

Despite the good acting all around, the runaway performance was Michael Eklund as Bobby. This guy is an incredibly talented actor. He nailed the role of a survivor who descends quickly into madness and depravity, and was probably the best thing about this movie. His performance actually reminded me a hell of a lot of Buffalo Bill in “Silence of the Lambs.” That kid was amazing and terrifying. (I don’t think what I’m writing here is a spoiler; everyone knows the premise of the movie, and Bobby is recognized almost immediately as an erratic personality.)

This movie reminded me just a little of the superb BBC docudrama, “Threads” (1984), which was an equally brutal look at the aftermath of a nuclear war – far more so than the inferior American “The Day After,” which made headlines a year earlier. (And doesn’t everyone in my age bracket remember that?)

The special effects budget is limited. But the final shot of the movie is fantastic.

Again … this is not a feel-good film, even when compared with other movies like this. This movie was written by people who have absolutely no faith in human nature. The final choice by one character is pretty sad evidence of that. What the character does seems inexplicable at first, but then makes perfect sense when you think about it. And it’s pretty depressing.

I’d give this movie an 8 out of 10.