gudaulin

The series CSI: Las Vegas has long been one of my favorite TV shows, so naturally, I was curious about its spin-offs. The producer intended to expand this cult series into a much larger collection, even stating that every major American city deserves its own CSI. After watching some episodes of CSI: Miami, I now hope that remains a fantasy. The problem lies in the exhaustion of this project, as CSI: Las Vegas has already had many seasons and the writers do not have an infinite supply of ideas. In practice, this is reflected in increasingly bizarre criminal cases and more marginal topics, albeit presented in an attractive package. Additionally, the main lead simply lacks the charisma of the Las Vegas team leader, and it is evident that the entire series is heading toward the usual conventional waters, with actors and actresses resembling those from a lifestyle magazine. One can only speculate how many plastic surgeons have worked on them, and certain aspects (including some dialogues) resemble the casting of an average telenovela. Overall impression: 45%.

RKO 281 is a film made for film fans who are interested in film history. The history of the making of Citizen Kane is generally known, and although the film's creators have made some adjustments and dramatizations, the film generally sticks to known facts and truthfully depicts the atmosphere and conflict during the production of the film. It is one of the many films about the fight for freedom of speech and the defense of democratic principles against the power of money, clientelism, and social connections. One of the film's strengths is its excellent cast, led by Liev Schreiber - perhaps his best performance for me so far. John Malkovich and Roy Scheider also support him skillfully as the screenwriter and producer, respectively, but in general, there are no bad performances in the film. The script is decent, and within the constraints of a television film, the set design is also decent. Overall impression: 90%. A strength of the drama is the ambiguity of the film characters - Welles is portrayed as a passionate artist with a large ego who does not care about his surroundings. He does not hesitate to deny his colleague and friend's contribution to their joint work for his success...

So far probably the weakest Akira Kurosawa film that I have seen. Samurai films in general do not sit well with me and I am wondering in vain whether it is due to a different culture or directorial incompetence, but overall it seems to me that the actors were overacting and there was a sense of pathos and posing in their performances. The plot itself is relatively simple and naive, and some of the dialogues seemed to me as if they were from another world. The leader of the mercenaries immediately befriends a completely unknown samurai and reveals important plans to him, which threaten both his superiors and himself. At the same time, in the conversation, he proudly admits that he is a heartless wretch - I have come across many unique scoundrels in my life, but none of them admitted to doing something immoral, let alone proudly proclaiming it. The fight scenes are exaggerated, and Mifune's samurai effortlessly dispatches ten opponents without noticeably getting out of breath - but that kind of thing is somehow part of the genre. Overall impression: 45%. What is positive about Sanjuro is that it does not take itself too seriously and the light-hearted tone saves a lot...

Regarding Accattone being Pasolini's debut film, it is surprisingly mature and of high quality, showcasing Pasolini's great directorial talent. At the same time, it fully reveals the left-leaning direction of this filmmaker, which is evident in the depiction of the living conditions of his characters. The stumbling block, however, is Pasolini's approach to the film's characters, as the protagonist, a pimp, is portrayed as somewhat boastful and frivolous young man, who is nevertheless difficult to feel sympathy towards. This ultimately leads to the tragic ending of the film. According to Pasolini, prostitution is primarily a result of social deprivation, which is somewhat oversimplified. Overall impression: 65%.

Somewhat naive series intended more for children or adults with a childlike mentality and perspective. The high rating is due to the fact that the current CSFD user base was at the right age when the series was released, and now it is fueled by established nostalgia. Today, this piece would probably receive more sober reviews. Overall impression: 25%.

The film was preceded by a truly terrifying reputation as the worst comic book adaptation of all time, with incredibly scathing comments, so I watched it out of sheer curiosity and masochism. The film is not as terrifying as its image suggests, but that doesn't mean it's a decent genre piece at all. The script is terrible above all else, and neither the direction nor the casting can save the film from the mud. A justified flop for one of the most expensive films of the year, which harvested golden raspberries and was an exceptionally bitter pill for the already successful and Oscar-winning Berry... Overall impression 25%.

Alien is one of the fundamental works of the sci-fi genre, which meant the definitive emancipation of sci-fi as a full-fledged genre that can be classified in the A-category and compete for the highest honors at film festivals. It completed the process started by Kubrick with his film 2001: A Space Odyssey. At the same time, it rehabilitated the motif of space "monsters" which had been profaned by cheap B-movies of previous decades. The director approached the subject with maximum seriousness and worked very carefully with the screenplay, opting for an excellent collaborator in the form of the previously little-known artist H.R. Giger. It is precisely in terms of visuals that the film does exceptionally well, using a wide range of colors to evoke a gloomy atmosphere. The alien ship appears remarkably strange. The environment of the worn-out spacecraft full of various sounds created by technology creates a special tension that stays with the viewer until the last moments. The slowly increasing tension is followed by shocking "scares." Alien makes an original impression and evokes genuine fear. The actors approached the film with obvious skepticism, considering it to be one of the common cheap genre films, and were pleasantly surprised by the result. The film catapulted Sigourney Weaver into the ranks of the stellar acting elite and guaranteed her very nice salaries in the future. Ripley became her defining role, and many fans simply identified her with the starship officer. I remember the desperate attempts of the youth at the time to get into the movie theater for the screening. The film was hugely popular and also restricted to a certain age. Even many years later, although it is no longer at the forefront technically, Alien still has a very impressive and fully functional atmosphere. Overall impression: 100%.

Thoughtwise, the third part of the monkey saga corresponds much more to the novel template than the second part, and although the writer was clearly a little tired and squeezed out everything from the subject, my overall rating comes out as a weak three stars and 50% overall impression. The following two parts of the saga clearly led the whole theme into a pit.

At the end of the 80s, watching this series became a small celebration for me. I was at an age that was inclined towards romantic adventurous stories. I'm not claiming it's the best piece in its genre, but it is definitely above average, with Brian Blessed as the charismatic, cunning and damn dynamic Long John Silver. I rate it with a significant distance, but hopefully I'm not exaggerating when I give it an overall impression of 80%. This series deserves a repeat.

Of course, it is a propaganda film, but professionally directed and brilliantly acted by Bondarchuk, who started a very successful career with this role. Naturally, the film exhibits a slight detachment from the war years, so the pathos is understandable. Nonetheless, in the context of its time, it is an exceptional film that speaks about the war on the Eastern Front and the era it was made in. Overall impression: 55%.