First off, let’s get this out of the way… the onscreen friendship and chemistry of Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena is absolutely fantastic. The pair are absolutely fantastic together as a pair of friends who serve together in the LAPD. The film is predominantly shot to look and feel like a documentary; Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal)…
Tag: brutal
Battlestar Galactica (2005) – Pegasus (Extended Episode)
I remember when the episode of Pegasus aired, 23 September 2005. Me, my friends and co-workers loved it. We all made sure to listen to Ronald D. Moore’s weekly podcast talking about the episode, and when we heard about the extended cut when the season was to be released to home video, we were super-excited….
Band of Brothers (2001) – The Breaking Point, and The Last Patrol
The Breaking Point continues the story of Easy Company. They are still in the Ardennes Forest, preparing to defend the town of Foy from an impending German attack. And this is just one of the problems they faced. Written by Graham Yost, this episode was first broadcast on 14 October, 2001. Morale is at an…
Band of Brothers (2001) – Currahee, and Day of Days
In 2001, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg oversaw the production of HBO’s Band of Brothers, a fantastic chronicle of everyday men caught up in the events of World War II, from their cohesion as a unit to the end of World War II. Based on the non-fiction book by acclaimed historian Stephen E. Ambrose, the…
Battlestar Galactica (2005) – Six Degrees of Separation, and Flesh and Bone
Six Degrees of Separation was written by Michael Angeli and was first broadcast on 18 February, 2005. After Baltar (James Callis) mocks the faith of Six (Tricia Helfer) and her fellow Cylons, he discovers he’s really stepped in it, when another Six shows up, a physical version, as opposed to the one in her head….
The Long Walk (2025) – Francis Lawrence
The Long Walk, based on the novel by Stephen King, is a brutal, moving and engaging piece of filmmaking that follows a group of young men making an unending walk, until only of them survives to claim the prize and receive one wish. Dystopian in nature, something director Francis Lawrence (he directed Constantine, and I…
The Dog Stars (2012) – Peter Heller
When I heard The Dog Stars was going to be Ridley Scott’s new film, it moved up to the top of my reading list. I almost wish it hadn’t. I didn’t not like it, but the event that occurs on third into the book kicked my ass, so much that I almost decided not to…
The Longest Yard (1974) – Robert Aldrich
Burt Reynolds headlines as Paul Crewe, a former pro quarterback, who is not the nicest person. He’s abusive, violent, and isn’t always the best teammate. After a particularly ugly interaction with a woman the top of the film, Crewe ends up in a prison, run by Warden Hazen (Eddie Albert) and Captain Knauer (Ed Lautrer)….
Stargate: Universe (2010) – Pain, and Subversion
Pain first aired on 14 May, 2010 and was written by Carl Binder. Something is going on aboard Destiny. Hallucinations seem to be running rampant, and they either cater to desires or phobias, what is going on here? Things start with what looks like a passionate encounter between James (Julia Benson) and Scott (Brian J….
TIFF 25: The Furious dir. Kenji Tanigaki
The Furious is a balls-to-the-wall actioner that is outrageously over-the-top but incredibly crowd-pleasing in its violence and action beats. Having said that, the ADR in the film is terrible, and I honestly think the entire film should just be subtitled. The film has a strong enough appeal that I don’t think it needed to have…
The Mind Reels 