PBS TV Review: ****^Death Comes to Pemberly

 This is a tv miniseries presented on PBS Masterpiece.  There are three episodes.  It is very well done and captures the characters of the previouse PBS miniseries Pride and Prejudice but with all different actors.  Many times I was reminded of the original characters, their mannerisms and personalities, which was very gratifying as this presentation as a continuation of the characters.  The Darcys have a son, and the household is preparing for a ball.  However the preparations are halted after Lydia shows up the the estate in hysterics.  Her husband, and Denny went into the woods, and then two shots were hear, which spooked the horses and they were guided to Pemberly.  

A search party is formed and the discover that Denny has been murdered; and it looks like Wickham is the culprit.  Although Denny and Wickham are best friends.  Lydia was not invited to the ball, due to past issues with Wickham and Darcy's sister; but she came anyway thinking Darcy would not turn her away.

It is clear that Denny and Wickham were having an argument.  And Wickham first said he was responsible for Denny's death; but he insists he did not kill him.  He saw someone else in the woods and shot Denny's pistol in the general direction.  Wickham is arrested and held over for trial.

Other story incudes the courtship of Georgianna by Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the barrister Henry Alveston.  When the drams is at its worse, Eliza's sister Jane shows up to restore calm to Eliza.  She has a way of seeing good.  This story is well told.  It is based on a book by P.D. James.  It was published in 2011 when James was 91.  James is a mistery writer and there is the flavor of mystery and sleuthing in this book.

This story is very well told.  I like coming back to these characters.  The movie maintains their characters very well.

Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy, Matthew Rhys as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Matthew Goode as George Wickham, Jenna Coleman as Lydia Wickham, Tom Ward as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Eleanor Tomlinson as Georgiana Darcy, Alexandra Moen as Jane Bingley and James Norton as Henry Alveston.

Movie Review: ****^ Unbreakable (2000)

 In "Unbreakable" we are introduced to a new superhero, and his nemesis.  The superhero, David Dunn, aka security, hero is portrayed by Bruce Willis.  The nemesis is Elijah Price or Glass and is portrayed by Samuel Jackson.  Robin Wright portrays Dunn's wife, and Charlayne Woodard, Price's mother.  

Dunn survives a train crash, with no injuries, in which everyone else passes away.  In then meets the comic book salesman, Price, who convinces Dunn that he has super abilities.  He also tells him that he has never been sick, other than almost drowning.  They determine water is his kryptonite.  

Price has had an opposite life.  He is born with a genetic defect in which his bones are brittle.  He has been in and out of hospitals, and his mother accused of child abuse.  

Dunn begins to test his abilities with his son (Spencer Treat Clark).  He lifts heavier and heavier weight.  He really is a superhero.  He also has a sense which tells him others have done wrong.  With this ability he is able to save several people, and makes it into the papers.  His wife knows nothing of his training and tests, but he lets his son know.

The whole plot changes when Dunn touches Price and sees the terrible things he has done. I highly recommend this movie.

Movie Review: **Flow (2024)

 Watched the movie "Flow" on Max last night and ended with the feeling, "I don't get the point."  It was a movie about four animals, five if you count the bird, who travel together.  Only four make it to the end where they see themselves reflected in a pool as a team.  The animals are cat, dog, lemur and capybara.  They are even from different continents so in the respect the movie does not make sense.  Capybara is from South America, lemur from Africa.  I read some reviews which points out that the movie is about working together with those you don't really trust.  I felt the highlight was when the cat caught fish for the others, which was ruined by the dogs they took on; one of them ate all the fish.  I thought about taking the grandkids to this movie, but I am glad I didn't.  There was no dialogue in the entire film.  Just a flood that would never stop.

Alfred Hitchcock Movies: ***Sabatoge (1936)

 This is a black and white movie I watched on You Tube.  A group of men are setting off bombs in London.  However a secret agent (John Loder) is on to them.  However they discover him, and have to be more careful with how they transport the bombs.  The bomber, Karl Verloc (Oskar Homolka) sends the bomb in a movie case with his wife's (Silvia Sidney) younger brother (Desmond Tester).  However the boy takes longer, due to his own lallygagging and also due to a parade that gets in the way.  He is forced to take a bus, and the time slowly trickles away.  The inevitable happens, and the bus is blown up.  The wife, older sister realizes what has happened, and how.  When her husband, now a murderer, approaches her she stabs him.

I love looking for Alfred Hitchcock amongst the extras and this film doesn't disappoint.  The part that isn't believable is the relationship that develops between Mrs. Verloc and the secret agent.

Movie Review: ****^The King's Speech (2010)

 The King's Speech won the Oscar for best film in 2010 and Colin Firth won the Oscar for best actor.  Firth portrays King George VI.  He had a bad temper, which was mostly brought on by his stuttering.  He had tried public speaking and failed miserably.  The movie is about his speech teacher, who works with him, overcoming his stuttering which was based on some childhood experience with one of his nannies.  Geoffrey Rush portrays the teacher, Lionel Logue.

This movie has a great cast as it brings back Pride and Prejudice actors and Harry Potter actors.  Jennifer Ehle portrays the wife of of the teacher.  Helena Bonham Carter portrays The King's wife Queen Elizabeth.  It was she who found and arranged for the teacher.  Their daughter who would become Queen Elizabeth and reign for 70 years is portrayed as a teenager.  Michael Gambon portrays George V, Timothy Spall Winston Churchill.  Lastly, King George's older brother is portrayed by Guy Pearce.  The older brother was king for a short time but relinqushed his claim to the throne so he could marry a commoner.

I was very moved by this film.  I thing that makes it work is the relationship between The Duke who became the king and the speech teacher.  It shows the courage of the king to face his weakness and fight for it to become not quite such a problem.  The movie ends with his giving a Christmas speech via radio after he had become king.

This film is based on a true story.  Because of his temper the King must have used the F word in the film enough to garner an R rating.  However currently there is a PG!# version available on BYUtv. 

Afred Hitchcock: ****The Trouble with Harry (1955)

 Here is a humorous take on death, which does not turn out to be murder. He was bonked in the head by a couple women, and a man thinks he may have shot him while hunting.  They bury him and then unbury him several times, and then finally leave him to be found as he passed away of natural causes.  This is actually a sweet romantic comedy with a corpse.  The corpse is the husband of Jennifer Rogers (Shirley MacLaine).  They were estranged and when he came to the door she hit him with a milk bottle.  When we first come upon the corpse, Captain Albert Wiles (Edmund Gwenn) was hunting rabbits and thought she shot him.  Ivy Gravely (Mildred Natwick) also did him a harm as he attacked her and she hit him with her shoe.  Lastly our artist, Sam Marlowe (John Forsythe) sketches him.  They think they are in the clear with him buried nicely; however Marlowe and Rogers fall in love and want to get married.  They can't with Harry in the ground as it takes several years to declare someone diseased after they disappear.  So up he comes.  This time he sees a doctor who says he died of a heart attack.  Jerry Mathers, who would later play the Beaver in "Leave it to Beaver" plays the son of Rogers, who is confused as to time, but does a good job of being a curious boy.  

Alfred Hitchcock Movies

One of the greatest movie directors especially spy and mystery movies.

 ****^ Hitchcock (2012) Not directed by Hitchcock but about him and the making of Psycho, starring Anthony Hopkins.

****^ Birds (1965). On of the creepiest shows.  Motivated us to visit the town where the movie was filmed north of San Francisco, Bodega Bay.

**** Psycho (1960). A creepy movie great for Halloween.  This movie is rated R but there are edited versions available

**** North by Northwest  (1959) Cary Grant and Eva Saint Marie, spy movie

The Man who Knew Too Much (1956)

****The Trouble with Harry (1955)

****To Catch a Thief (1955)

****^ Rear Window (1955)

****Dial M for Murder (1954)

Strangers On a Train (1951)

**** The Lady Vanishes (1938) A lady is missing from a train.  Turns out to be a spy movie.

*** Sabatoge (1936) Explosions in London

****39 Steps (1935). A spy thriller