movies
Doctor Who: "Mindwarp"
(-) concept - Part 2 of "Trial of a Timelord." Basically, it's the 6th Doctor vs. Brain Transplant Surgery, but we don't really know what's going on as we spend the entire story watching doctored videos in the trial.
(-) story - If it were its own story it would have been okay, but the trial business completely destroyed it.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(-) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(-) acting - Although at the end Peri finally gets to stop doing her terrible American impersonation for about two lines.
(-) music
(-) subjective rating - 5/10 (Indifferent.)
Total: 2/10
Doctor Who: "Terror of the Vervoids"
(-) concept - Part 3 of "Trial of a Timelord." The 6th Doctor vs. plant people -- which for some inexplicable reason are regarded by all as an unthinkable abonimation which must be destroyed.
(-) story
(-) characters
(-) dialog
(-) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design - Whoever dressed the sets didn't seem to understand the concept that spaceships are in the future, which is amusing but probably not the effect they were going for.
(-) acting
(-) music
(-) subjective rating - 4/10 (Didn't like it.) There are much much worse Doctor Who stories out there, but this one managed to be consistently mediocre in almost every respect.
Total: 0/10
Doctor Who: "The Ultimate Foe"
(-) concept - The conclusion of "Trial of a Timelord." The 6th Doctor vs. Oh Fuck We've Got to Wrap This Season Up Now.
(-) story - And now we'll ignore this trial we've been enduring for 12 episodes, and you will pursue your enemy into a magical world where anything can happen and nothing makes sense. No, seriously, that's the premise.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(+) pacing - Only two episodes.
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(+) acting
(-) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.)
Total: 5/10
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Season 1
(-) concept - Sarah Jane Smith teams up with a gang of children, age target-viewing-audience.
(+) story
(-) characters - Meh.
(+) dialog
(+) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(+) acting
(-) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.) It's no Doctor Who, but it's somewhat entertaining and watchable.
Total: 5/10
- - -
from IMDb's Top 250:
[fallen off of the list.] Fanny och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander), Ingmar Bergman (wr./dir.), Bertil Guve, 1982.
(-) concept - Wealthy kids get a nasty step-father.
(-) story - It's basically good, but there are some significant problems with the cut.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(-) pacing - Apparently Bergman made a TV mini-series cut, which I would imagine would be much better. As it is, the story seems incomplete, relationships aren't clearly explained, sub-plots are unresolved, entire characters inexplicably disappear from the story about half-way through... Besides, if the theatrical cut is over three hours long, you might as well cut it up into bits that can be comfortably watched in one sitting.
(+) cinematography
(+) special effects/design
(+) acting
(+) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.) I actually enjoyed this movie a little, which is a big deal considering it's exactly the sort of movie I tend to hate: European surrealism AND an epic period drama. So it's probably pretty good.
Total: 7/10
#202. Patton, Franklin J. Schaffner (dir.), Francis Ford Coppola (wr.), Edmund H. North (wr.), George C. Scott, 1970.
(+) concept - I like Netflix's blurb: "a character study masquerading as a World War II film."
(+) story
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(+) pacing
(+) cinematography
(+) special effects/design
(+) acting - Although I have trouble taking George C. Scott seriously in a role so similar to his Doctor Strangelove character.
(-) music - Repetitive, ineffective and slightly annoying.
(-) subjective rating - 5/10 (Indifferent.) Everything I can think to judge about it (except for the music) seems good, but for whatever reason I just never got into it.
Total: 8/10
(-) concept - Part 2 of "Trial of a Timelord." Basically, it's the 6th Doctor vs. Brain Transplant Surgery, but we don't really know what's going on as we spend the entire story watching doctored videos in the trial.
(-) story - If it were its own story it would have been okay, but the trial business completely destroyed it.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(-) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(-) acting - Although at the end Peri finally gets to stop doing her terrible American impersonation for about two lines.
(-) music
(-) subjective rating - 5/10 (Indifferent.)
Total: 2/10
Doctor Who: "Terror of the Vervoids"
(-) concept - Part 3 of "Trial of a Timelord." The 6th Doctor vs. plant people -- which for some inexplicable reason are regarded by all as an unthinkable abonimation which must be destroyed.
(-) story
(-) characters
(-) dialog
(-) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design - Whoever dressed the sets didn't seem to understand the concept that spaceships are in the future, which is amusing but probably not the effect they were going for.
(-) acting
(-) music
(-) subjective rating - 4/10 (Didn't like it.) There are much much worse Doctor Who stories out there, but this one managed to be consistently mediocre in almost every respect.
Total: 0/10
Doctor Who: "The Ultimate Foe"
(-) concept - The conclusion of "Trial of a Timelord." The 6th Doctor vs. Oh Fuck We've Got to Wrap This Season Up Now.
(-) story - And now we'll ignore this trial we've been enduring for 12 episodes, and you will pursue your enemy into a magical world where anything can happen and nothing makes sense. No, seriously, that's the premise.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(+) pacing - Only two episodes.
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(+) acting
(-) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.)
Total: 5/10
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Season 1
(-) concept - Sarah Jane Smith teams up with a gang of children, age target-viewing-audience.
(+) story
(-) characters - Meh.
(+) dialog
(+) pacing
(-) cinematography
(-) special effects/design
(+) acting
(-) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.) It's no Doctor Who, but it's somewhat entertaining and watchable.
Total: 5/10
- - -
from IMDb's Top 250:
[fallen off of the list.] Fanny och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander), Ingmar Bergman (wr./dir.), Bertil Guve, 1982.
(-) concept - Wealthy kids get a nasty step-father.
(-) story - It's basically good, but there are some significant problems with the cut.
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(-) pacing - Apparently Bergman made a TV mini-series cut, which I would imagine would be much better. As it is, the story seems incomplete, relationships aren't clearly explained, sub-plots are unresolved, entire characters inexplicably disappear from the story about half-way through... Besides, if the theatrical cut is over three hours long, you might as well cut it up into bits that can be comfortably watched in one sitting.
(+) cinematography
(+) special effects/design
(+) acting
(+) music
(+) subjective rating - 6/10 (Okay.) I actually enjoyed this movie a little, which is a big deal considering it's exactly the sort of movie I tend to hate: European surrealism AND an epic period drama. So it's probably pretty good.
Total: 7/10
#202. Patton, Franklin J. Schaffner (dir.), Francis Ford Coppola (wr.), Edmund H. North (wr.), George C. Scott, 1970.
(+) concept - I like Netflix's blurb: "a character study masquerading as a World War II film."
(+) story
(+) characters
(+) dialog
(+) pacing
(+) cinematography
(+) special effects/design
(+) acting - Although I have trouble taking George C. Scott seriously in a role so similar to his Doctor Strangelove character.
(-) music - Repetitive, ineffective and slightly annoying.
(-) subjective rating - 5/10 (Indifferent.) Everything I can think to judge about it (except for the music) seems good, but for whatever reason I just never got into it.
Total: 8/10