So, we joined a good chunk of the world and saw Christopher Nolan's BIG blockbuster, "The Odyssey" at our favorite theater in Queensbury yesterday. <\/p>\n\n
I have to say the hype from Nolan fanboys and online critics was overwhelming! Comparing this film to "Lawrence Of Arabia"!? I mean come on! Haha! Anyhow, I was surprised on how much I enjoyed it! It was better than I thought it would be. In my opinion, Nolan's films, although decent for the most part, has difficulty in executing some of his plots effectively. Sometimes, he explains too much to the audience and doesn't trust them to figure it out for themselves. This time around, he did a decent job for the most part in crafting big, epic, action sequences. It was cool to see the mix of real visuals mixed with CGI. <\/p>\n\n
The only complaints I have is that the three hour running time was completely unnecessary! Some of the Troy action sequences went on too long, some of the other flashbacks and flash forwards could've been condensed. You can have an epic film be two hours! It's perfectly fine. Some of the performances were not the greatest. Sometimes, big name stars can hinder a performance and be distracting and take you out of the movie. Tom Holland was going for a non-Spiderman role and although he wasn't too bad, I felt he was miscast. Charlize Theron, and yes, Matt Damon too were just not 100% right for their roles. Don't get me wrong, Matt Damon did an OK job. It just felt like Matt Damon playing Matt Damon. Especially when I read that Christian Bale & Tom Hardy were both offered the lead role!<\/p>\n\n
Oh Well, it was still a somewhat entertaining film and it does deserve to be seen on the big screen! <\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65a1399f776ca.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.rock945vt.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5015\/blogs\/posts\/85803"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a57c67a9e79f","url":"https:\/\/www.rock945vt.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/r-i-p-sam-neill-1947-2026\/","title":"R.I.P. Sam Neill 1947-2026","date_published":"2026-07-15T17:42:18+00:00","summary":"Beloved actor & businessman, Sam Neill passed away earlier this week at 78. ","content_html":"
One of cinemas greatest character actors, Sam Neill passed away earlier this week at 78. The New Zealand actor was well beloved by colleagues and fans worldwide! <\/p>\n\n
Despite his status as a major international movie star, Neill never performed "importance" or took himself too seriously. He maintained a warm, grounded, and laconic character—affectionately regarded across Australia and New Zealand as a quintessential good man who remained deeply connected to his local roots. <\/p>\n\n
He was forever etched in cinema history with his signature role as Dr. Allan Grant in "Jurassic Park"! If you want to explore his varied filmography, you will find out like I did, how versatile Sam Neill truly was! <\/p>\n\n
"The Piano" (1993). <\/strong>Audiences witnessed Sam Neill go from nice guy Dr. Allan Grant in "Jurassic Park" to a controlling and abusive husband IN THE SAME YEAR! What makes Neill’s performance so remarkable is how he balances Stewart’s polite, "civilized" exterior with an undercurrent of volatile fragility. He desperately wants to be loved and obeyed, but he lacks the emotional vocabulary to earn Ada's affection.<\/p>\n\n "Possession" (1981) <\/strong>Neill often cited this as his most "extreme" performance. This cult classic horror fantasy is quite the experience but not for all tastes! Its interesting to see how his character slowly unravels throughout the films 2 hour runtime. "<\/strong><\/p>\n\n "A Cry In The Dark" (1988) <\/strong>Meryl Streep typically received most of the notices for her award winning performance, but Neill was equally impressive and delivers a devastating, grounded performance as Michael Chamberlain, the real-life husband grappling with a media circus and the tragic loss of his baby. <\/p>\n\n "Dead Calm" (1989) <\/strong>Unlike his dark, unravelling characters in "Possession" or "The Piano", Neill serves as the film’s moral anchor and intellectual force, portraying a deeply grieving but highly resourceful protector in this tight and entertaining psychological thriller which co-stars, Nicole Kidman before her big breakout in Hollywood.<\/p>\n\n "In The Mouth Of Madness" (1994) <\/strong>More people are discovering John Carpenter'<\/span><\/span><\/span>s cult classic horror fantasy, which was a box office failure in 1994. This was the third installment in Carpenter'<\/span><\/span><\/span>s "Apocalypse Trilogy". Neill apparently enjoyed "cutting loose" and found it fun & had creative satisfaction in exploring psychological unraveling. <\/p>\n\n <\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/6a57be275afeeabd5e5.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.rock945vt.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5015\/blogs\/posts\/85747"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a510e2591a43","url":"https:\/\/www.rock945vt.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/movie-review-young-washington\/","title":"Movie Review-Young Washington","date_published":"2026-07-10T15:22:13+00:00","summary":"Is the new epic biopic about young George Washington worth your time and money!?","content_html":" My wife and I saw Angel Studio's latest film, "Young Washington". It was perfect timing being Independence Day weekend and the 250th birthday of America! <\/p>\n\n I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised on how much we actually enjoyed it! If you have any knowledge of the history, then you'll notice that it gets some of the events correct and actually portrays them honestly (and yes entertainingly). It is largely true to the political climate, Washington's ambition, and key events, but rearranges dates, alters motivations, and frames events to fit a mythic, cinematic origin story. This is true of so many Hollywood made historical biopics. <\/p>\n\n "Young Washington" is far from perfect, but it hits all the notes like its supposed to and is overall a decent film. The film has been so successful that they're already thinking and planning on a sequel, tentatively titled, "1776". With "Young Washington" they focused on the French & Indian War and this sequel will focus on The Revolutionary War. In the meantime, if you're tired of sequels and franchises, seek out "Young Washington" while it's still in theatres. See a preview below!<\/p>\n\n