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Reviews
Miss Scarlet & the Duke: Origins (2024)
I've been waiting for this and I never knew I was...
Easily to me one of the best episodes of this always delightful series. The young man playing the Duke I thought was spot on. At times I wondered if they'd somehow regressed his age. But no, just great acting. Not just the voice, but his eyebrows, his mouth, et al. Whoever played Eliza did a good job too, just lacked some of the finer details of the older Eliza. The case was slim, but it wasn't about that, just about the two of them, and it was wonderful to see Ivy back then, and to meet her father. It made her determination to succeed at a man's job in a man's world that much more filled out. Bravo!
A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love (2020)
The location matters!
First review after countless years on here. And it's because I've lived in both Hawaii and now Boise that I watched it. But the scene of the downtown spread out with mountains in the background just isn't right. We have a real downtown, with high-rises. Not huge, but distinguishing from smaller cities. And the main pictures are from the Bench, staring down at the wide road leading through downtown and ending at the Capitol. Most photos of Boise are like that. We have foothills, leading to the Sawtooths behind, which are basically invisible from Boise. And it doesn't snow much here. Some now and then, and we did have a slightly snowy year very recently (climate change?), but snow on the ground, and drifts, etc., just isn't here. It's Dec. 11, and no snow. A few flakes, but nothing has stayed. And that's normal. But otherwise it's a typical Hallmark rom-com with the you either like them or not basic plots. I usually do, so they get my Hallmark rating, which is different from my action/sci-fi rating scale. Apples and kiwis.
Gabriel (2007)
Interesting film, but what about the ending?
This may contain spoilers, so watch out. I watched this last night, having found it in my local library - it looked interesting, as I love SF&F, and so I took it out. While I was not as impressed as I'd hoped (the low budget explains a lot), I was intrigued by the story about the arc angels (why the different spelling?), and the Fallen ones. I understand he did a ton of research into angels and the myths surrounding them. As a non-religious person, I could still appreciate the work that went into it, including Paradise Lost, not an easy thing!
My question is, if Shane Abbess ever reads this, is what abut the ending? I've read all the forum threads, and interviews, etc., but the ending remains somewhat of a mystery, especially as we here in the States were denied the easter egg shot shots that were seen after the credits in the theaters. I understand it was meant to be part of a trilogy, and I for one would love to see more, as the story was great, but if the trilogy doesn't come into being, could Shane please explain the ending? Did Gabriel "fall", since apparently his eyes in the easter egg were the color of the Fallen, and if so, why? I understand he wanted to "know" more, and for none of this to be forgotten, but how did his "fall" bring light back (the sunrise), and how did it prevent the higher powers from forgetting? How is Purgatory resolved? What is it's fate? Who won, or did no one, as someone suggested. If the decision is made not to produce the sequels, can an explanation be given? Can the rest of the plot be fleshed out for us who were interested enough to ask about it? Still, I think it's worth your time, if you like existential questions. Good job, for such a low budget, even with the deferrals.