imdb-18193 Reviews

Seed (2006)

Pretty awful but one comment about humanity

[2/10 · 8 February 2009]

I have never, perhaps for the best, seen any work by Uwe Boll before and I thought this was fairly dreadful.

I rather resent the "graphic and disturbing footage of real events" - ie animal cruelty - being rammed down my throat as a "statement about humanity". The real statement about humanity lies elsewhere.

Here we are treated to scenes of "the electric chair" which show the particularly grotesque punishments meted out by humanity, or at least by "Americanity". With apologies for the political comment, that the US court fails to see such punishments - carried out complete with audience - as cruel or inhuman defies belief. Those who think that they are "free" while treating offenders in such a way need to look at themselves before they criticise the human rights record of others.

Perhaps Boll is onto something here, but I will probably dissent if my partner seeks to choose one of works on DVD again.

Five Across the Eyes (2006)

How do they have the audacity to release this?

[1/10 · 14 December 2008]

This really is the most dreadful film I have ever seen. I simply have no idea how anyone has the audacity to put this on release.

The production standards are atrocious. There is no pretence here at cinematography. The camera work, scripting, acting and sound are unbelievably crass. I think there is a plot, but it could have been done in 10 minutes sparing us the time to watch it. The hysterical neurotic girls at the centre of this piece have no credibility whatsoever.

I would urge anyone to avoid spending any time or money on this Title. It is truly atrocious.

JDD - 14 December 2008

Casualty (1986– )

This excellent drama has been turned into a silly soap.

[9/10 · 14 December 2008]

This programme started as a superb mould-breaking drama. Each episode was an exciting thrill-ride. Now it is just a silly soap.

What made this prog so special was precisely that it was not a soap. Each week we had a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people who found themselves in the A&E department because of the accidents or illnesses that befell them. Each episode presented a whole series of accidents - from the bizarre to the mundane. As we were introduced to the casualties, we wondered how they had come to be there and how would their lives be affected by its new turn. Would they live, die or be left crippled. Would their infidelities and indiscretions be unveiled. By the end of the episode we had a snapshot of their lives.

In the late '90s Auntie Beeb threatened to turn Casualty into a twice-weekly soap. In the face of an outcry they back-peddled on this and adopted the compromise of starting a new weekday drama set in the same hospital and "Holby City" was born.

Unfortunately the script-writing team seem to have missed the point of the objection: casualty is not a soap. They have turned into a soap anyway.

Now the series simply has an interminable and tedious focus on the increasingly implausible private lives of the permanent staff. Each episode focuses on one character. And now we even have that stalwart of the soap genre - the token gay. Toby does not work in this guise for me! We now seem lucky if a single accident occurs in an episode. Instead it is the hapless staff of the "ED" who have the illness and injuries. It is the department team who have their indiscretions exposed.

It is to be hoped that this programme will return to its roots. Otherwise it needs to be pensioned off.

JDD - 14 December 2008