The Opinionated Geeks

News, Reviews, and Opinion on the whole Geeky World

  • RSS
  • Delicious
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Meet the Geeks
The Interviews
EightPointNine Coffee

Popular Posts

  • CBGB picks its cast
    CBGB picks its cast   A film about famous New York club CBGB's and its founder Hilly Kristal, has this week started to announce...

Thumbnail Recent Post

Meet the Geeks

Meet the Geeks, a lovable bunch of nutcases who bare their geaky souls for you

The Interviews

We have interviewed some incredible people, read them all here

Subscribe

Follow us on Twitter, or join our Facebook page for regular updates

EightPointNine Coffee

Try our EXCLUSIVE Geek blend from EightPointNine here

Cloud Atlas - A Darryl Griffiths Review

'Past. Present. Future. Everything Is Connected.' An audacious tagline, however a concept that manifests in many a human mind. Our lengthy existence as a race as we continuously seek the origins of a higher power 'at work', or perhaps why after much practice throughout the ages many individuals continue to be catalysts behind such appalling error. This particularly ballsy premise was squeezed for every drop of ink by novellist David Mitchell in 2004. Now, the shackles of its 'unfilmable' tag are broken by an ambitious trio renowned for 'trial and error' narratives and philosophical jargon. Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and The Wachowskis (Matrix Trilogy) present to you nine years later, an elaborate and enriching vision with its structure resembling a 'futuristic Love Actually'.

Making a mockery of the term 'typecast', Cloud Atlas attempts to achieve the inenviable objective of weaving together six separate plot threads into a cohesive and satisfying whole, as its star studded cast defy ethnicity, sexual orientation and consistency of personality traits. Whilst their decision making albeit admirable or not, directly effects the trajectory of future lives.

Posted by steve taylor-bryant
On - -
1 comments »

Dr Who The 60’s - Jeff Zyra reminisces

The 60’s.  A decade of psychedelic, strawberry fields, incense and peppermint and putting flowers in your hair.   It was also the decade that spawned a sci-fi phenomenon that still continues to this day.   I am of course talking about Doctor Who.    Yes many of you new to the program may not have been exposed to the early years of Doctor Who.  For shame if you haven’t.  Even though the stories are in black and white and some of the qualities of the effects are, well, let’s just say dated to put it nicely does not deter from the overall quality of the story that was written and  acted out by the actors involved.

60’s Doctor Who was an important era in the shows history.  For one it gave us the first appearances of the Dalek and Cybermen.  It also introduced us to another of the Doctors people, not called Timelords at the time, who happens to be a mischievous Monk and who would be the torchbearer to The Master and The Rani.  But the one most important thing that 60’s Doctor Who gave us which is the main thing credited for the shows longevity is of course regeneration. 

Posted by steve taylor-bryant
On - -
0 comments »

MAMA - A Darryl Griffiths Review

He may be promising us a monster versus robots smackdown to remember this Summer with Pacific Rim, but you can always rely on Guillermo Del Toro to regularly slip us ‘rations’ of gothic ghost story horror. Ever since the critically acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth (2004), the director has had no qualms in drifting into the background and propel emerging talents into the spotlight. Enter Andres Muschietti, as he takes the eerie premise of his 2008 short and expands upon it to mark his cinematic debut.

Kicking off in chilling circumstances, we witness the tragic abandonment of two timid children named Victoria and Lilly (Megan Charpentier/Isabelle Nelisse) as their tormented father Jeffrey struggles to come to terms with the mysterious death of their mother. Fast forwarding half a decade later, they are soon ‘rescued’ from their decadent refuge.
 

Posted by steve taylor-bryant
On - -
0 comments »

Song For Marion - A Garry Arnot Review


This past month has seen the release of two British comedies with the premise of 'old people singing' but where I felt Dustin Hoffman's effort 'Quartet' was chockfull of pretentious schmaltz, 'Song for Marion' seems completely genuine. It is a heartfelt love story directed by Paul Andrew Williams, looking at the relationship between grumpy old man Arthur, expertly played by Terence Stamp, and his dying wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave), but also his strained relationship with his son (Christopher Eccleston). Set around an aging choir group, affectionately known as 'The OAPZ', led by charismatic music teacher Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton), Marion enjoys the final chapter of life as Arthur struggles with the thought of carrying on alone.

  As plots go, this doesn't have an exciting narrative and won't have you on the edge of your seat. It plods along nicely, but predictably, to the out of tune beats of dodgy cover versions.
Where the film lacks in invention and creativity, it makes up for in warmth and the British familiarity is gently comforting. Mixed with the working class elderly backdrop, you can almost smell the mince and tatties and cigarette smoke through the screen. The supporting cast provide light relief from the heartbreak suffered by the central couple and whilst there is great sadness and loss, it gives the plot somewhere to go and prevents it from becoming depressing. The family dynamic is so believable and because of the tightly knit scenes in the family home, giving insight into Arthur and Marion's everyday routines, an attachment is built with the couple, creating a closeness and a few incredibly touching scenes, but holding your hand along the way.

Posted by steve taylor-bryant
On - -
0 comments »

The Top 10 Patrick Troughton Stories - Jeff Zyra


Last month I gave you my top 10 William Hartnell Stories and now it is time to delve into The Second Doctor’s Era and pick out the ones that I like the best.

10.   The Invasion
Written By Derrick Sherwin
Directed By David Maloney
Why It’s In The Top Ten:
Well for one the Cybermen coming out of the sewers of London and walking around London with that famous scene of the Cybermen with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background.  It is also the story that UNIT first appeared in as this story was a testing ground to see if earth bound stories would work and if the fans would watch it.  Plus it has a pretty strong science fiction element to it and that is in itself pretty cool.

Posted by steve taylor-bryant
On - -
0 comments »