Streaming TV Weekend: "The Walking Dead: Pilot Episode"

You don't look so good...

The Story:

Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is shot and falls into a coma while on duty.  When he awakes, it appears as if he is the last person alive on Earth.  He struggles to return home to find that there are zombies everywhere, and his wife and son are missing.  Assisted by other survivors, Rick arms up and heads to Atlanta to find his family.

Well, that was something.

:)

I have not read the comics, and until now, I had never seen the show.

I have watched the pilot episode only, and I have to say...

Not bad.

I've heard from many that the show gets better...  and that there's a lot of slow pacing to the show.

Well, I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Helmed by Frank Darabont, probably the finest unheralded director of any generation, the show plays like a good suspense movie.

While I won't be joining the rest of you on Sundays to catch new episodes, I will slowly catch up on Netflix.

Now available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Too soon to call, but I doubt I would need to buy this.

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 6 ~ The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption.

Easily, one of the greatest movies ever made.  That's why it's way up here at # 6, even though, like many dramas, it doesn't get the required multiple viewings a year that many of the other movies on this list enjoy.

It's still that good and powerful a movie that it deserves a spot on the top 10 just for being.

How do you sum up Shawshank?

Let's try...

A successful banker, Andy, is accused of murdering his wife and her lover and is sent to Shawshank.  He maintains his innocence, which as he finds out soon enough, so does every convict on the inside.  There he meets Red, a fellow inmate.  They strike up a friendship, that like the movie, follows them for the remainder of their life together in prison.

That should just scratch the surface, but sometimes a surface scratching is all you need.

The power in this film, based on a story by Stephen King, and written and directed by Frank Darabont lies in what Darabont provided: A great script with great actors.

Tim Robbins greatest role as the sullen Andy.  He maintains his innocence throughout, and even the audience is left wondering could he really be innocent or did he really do it?  Then of course there is Morgan Freeman.  There is a mathematical Hollywood equation that basically makes the greatness of your film exponentially better with the inclusion of Morgan Freeman.  In a career full of memorable parts, Red may well be his finest.

To say any more about this film will spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it...

And I know my oldest 3 have not, but someday soon they shall.

Of course my choice of images may not have helped in the spoiler department. : )

And with that... 95 movies down... the Final 5 to go.  Thanks to everyone who has popped in to read these ramblings or just the Facebook blurbs over the last 95 days.  I hope I didn't waste too much of your time.  It's almost over, and then it's back to looking at the film that are coming in by way of Netflix.