jordantolman Reviews

The Pacific (2010)

Grateful for my heritage

[10/10 · 13 July 2023]

As a Marine, I was very interested to see this, especially after seeing Band of Brothers. This show took longer to get going for me, but once I made it half way through, there has never been a miniseries or movie hit me so hard emotionally and leave such an impact on me. This is an extremely difficult series to watch but if you can handle it, it will be well worth the viewing.

I loved the music and acting. One of the main characters starts off as a typical good man. But you seem him go through terrible battles, one after another and the mental and emotional toll it took. Seeing him go through such a dark place and be able to emerge was something everyone should experience.

Cape Fear (1962)

Shockingly scary

[9/10 · 27 November 2022]

No film is perfect and I have read some reviews that focus on some issues with the story yet most horror films are based on some people making bad decisions. With that in mind, I was blown away by the incredible acting from Gregory peck and Robert Mitchum. It has several very frightening scenes. When I was first watching it, there were several scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. The subject matter is a bit heavy and unsettling. There have been very few movies in this time period that have come even remotely close to the suspense brought to the table. This movie has become a scary movie tradition for Halloween season.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Missed opportunity

[5/10 · 11 September 2021]

The acting is not as good, the soundtrack is negatively distracting, and there is a few random aspects of the story that just seem to be there without any reason.

The idea of who and what Gabriel is actually not bad and pretty original (now that I've had time to think after leaving the theaters). But there is so much added to it that it goes from being an intriguing James Wan horror film to kind of a "wanna be gory thriller".

I wanted to like it but this was a bit disappointing.

Song of the South (1946)

Just a fun movie

[8/10 · 4 April 2021]

I really enjoyed the movie. I have never been so confused about why a movie was controversial. Apparently some people think it in some way glorified slavery? I would have never gotten that message. The only take away I have was that there was an incredibly sweet man that takes a little boy under his wing when his father leaves him and his mother.

If people want to ban this film because it wasn't showing slaves being beaten or incredibly mistreated, then I guess we have to ban movies such as THE GREAT ESCAPE because it didn't show how terrible prison camps really were.

The Turning (2020)

Give it a shot!

[5/10 · 3 April 2020]

This movie was not bad. It is based off the classical novel the turning of the screw. Overall, it is pretty accurate and true to the story. There are some jump scares as well as some nice build ups. I think most of the reason for the poor reviews is that the ending scene is poorly done. The book and original movie (the innocence) do very well at not making it clear if the nanny has gone mad or if the house/children are possessed. The Turning removes that wonderment at the end, but does so in a way that you become disappointed with the result instead of wanting more. So, not a bad film and it certainly deserves a higher rating, but if you were to compare it to its predecessors, it will likely be ranked the poorest.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Accurate yet very off

[6/10 · 31 March 2020]

As far as chain of events go, it's the closest adaptation I've seen of the book. But, while playing that true to the book, each character is quite different. There was only one seen in the movie where I saw the books Dracula come forward. When the brides are attacking Harker, Dracula frightens them away, gives them a poor baby to feed on, but then turns to Harker and laughs evilly. THAT is the Dracula Bram Stoked created. But once he arrived in London (in the movie) he suddenly becomes a lover that only wants to have his wife. Van helsing is also a puzzle. He is a sacred minded person but then he is laughing and excited that Lucy became a vampire and that Dracula is in his midst.

So, as a vampire movie it's ok. But, character wise it is EXTREMELY unfaithful to the book.

The Omen (1976)

Well made horror

[9/10 · 13 August 2019]

This is one of my favorite horror films. The cast is perfect and the directing is wonderful. There are one or two scenes that are a little dated, but that's about it. The rest is a slow build up that works very well. It actually tries to scare the viewer and succeeds. Other horror shows like the exorcist are honestly not that scary, they mostly try to gross you out with vulgar content. The omen stands apart because based on actual content, it is very clean and uses the story and acting to creat very eerie moments. On a different note, one aspect of the film that is unparalleled is the score. The music is astounding and really makes the movie. It is perfectly suited and will cause what might be considered average scare top notch. The music stands alone and unchallenged as the best film score in horror.

Omen IV: The Awakening (1991 TV Movie)

So bad it's hilarious :)

[4/10 · 13 August 2019]

I decided I wanted to finally see all four omen movies. I loved the original, enjoyed for second, and thought the third was not well made, but ok. Omen 4 the awakening was honestly funny! I completely enjoyed it and laughed at several scenes intended to be scary :) it almost feels like it was a spoof off the original.

Manhunter (1986)

Good potential

[7/10 · 7 August 2019]

It is the story for Red Dragon. The story is good, and the climax is well done. Unfortunately the cast is only ok. Unlike the cast you'll find in the silence of the lambs or red dragon. The movies soundtrack also is very poorly used. There are many times where the music ruins the mood and lessens the effect it could have had. Worth seeing, but if you have seen the others movies that feature Hannibal, the cast in Manhunter will leave some to be desired.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

If you've read the book, it is great

[7/10 · 29 July 2019]

The story is incredible. The acting, visuals, and music work very very well. But unless you have read the book, or done research, the last half hour is extremely boring and confusing.