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It's rare that I wish a long movie was far longer, but...
6 May 2024
Yes, Dune: Part Two looks fantastic. Better than the first movie, I dare say. But it felt to me that I was watching a highly expurgated version of the film. Even at close to 3 hours, it seemed very much incomplete and condensed, to the detriment of the story.

Scenes (and thus, major parts of the plot) jumped around haphazardly. I don't mind not having every little thing spelled out for me in a movie, but there were nearly a dozen times where I thought, "Wait, did I miss something? What happened between the previous scene and this one?"

I honestly have to wonder if the original was a far longer cut of the film, and the studio made the director cut it way down for distribution. Because it could easily use an additional hour, at minimum, to fill in gaps.

As a result, I didn't care about any of the characters at all, so nothing resonated with me emotionally. Oh, they tried their best, with plenty of bombastic music cues, and grandiose shots of troops and ships and worms -- but in the end, it all amounted to far less than the sum of its parts.

So, with all that said, you may think 5/10 is a generous rating for me to give, but I appreciate there was at least some effort given to this film -- art design, effects, cinematography, sound design, were all top-notch. Too bad the rest of it fell so short for me.
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Trying way too hard
31 March 2024
There's a big difference between saying funny things and trying to say things in a funny way. The lead actor (who I guess is also behind this movie) apparently thinks that if he says his lines in what he thinks is a funny way, that they will be funny.

In actuality, if he'd delivered the same lines completely straight, it might've worked. This is a perfect example of having a great idea, but not having the acting chops to pull it off creatively. I understand the notion of wanting to be the main guy in something that you yourself created, but sometimes you've got to hand over the reins to someone else.

At first I thought maybe he was just putting on this delivery for the opening bit (a taped video), but then it continued when he was talking to his parents, so I gave up on the flick at that point.

Maybe some people will enjoy it, but for me it was just plain hokey.
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Maestro (2023)
Nobody felt like a real person
27 January 2024
While watching Maestro, I felt as though I was watching a stage play with overly earnest yet totally ungrounded acting. Nobody felt real to me, like they were all always aware that they were playing a character.

I liked Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born, but here it seems like he is so invested in trying to become this character, that he can no longer just live in the moment. As a result, to me, every word he speaks rings false.

And the supporting cast also just feels like caricatures of real people, rather than actual human beings. From the very first scene, it just felt off to me.

Perhaps upon a second viewing, I would cut the film and the performances a bit more slack, but life is short, and I have no further time to waste on something which did not hold my interest. 4/10 stars for the effort, anyway. Because they sure are making a lot of effort with all that over-earnestness.
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Person, Place or Thing (2022–2024)
Fun and easy-going show to play along with
9 December 2023
Melissa Peterman is very enjoyable as a host -- she just seems like the kind of person you'd like to hang around with... laid-back and funny, and when she chats with contestants to get to know them, you get the feeling that she's not just putting on the act because she's a game show host. I would definitely not call her a typical game show host, but what she does is, in my opinion, a perfect fit for this show. The interactions between her and the announcer are also often quite humorous.

As for the gameplay, I find it quite fun to play along with, and occasionally laugh along with when the contestants ask dumb questions or give dumb answers.

Not that I dislike trivia type shows, but there are so many of that type right now, so this is a nice change of pace from that. And it's also a good daytime show without the typical bombastic, high-energy hosts and music and wild audiences -- which, again, have their place, but which can be exhausting.

I'm hoping Person Place or Thing has a long run.
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The Curse (2023– )
Cringe does not equal comedy
12 November 2023
The 3 stars are purely for Emma Stone, who is doing her best with the material she's given. Otherwise, I'd have to rate this one star.

I'm not familiar with any of the other actors in this show, but I feel like with all the hype this has gotten, there must be superfans of their previous work who will love anything that these people put out.

But for me, cringey scenes do not automatically add up to comedy. And that's pretty much all I saw in the first episode. No humor whatsoever, just awkward situation after awkward situation -- as if we were being told, "Oh look, these otherwise nice people are being put into embarrassing, mortifying, and uncomfortable predicaments, pushed to their limits -- isn't that hilarious?" Well, no. No it isn't.

One episode was more than enough.
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Was hopeful after the first episode, but then...
15 October 2023
I was really digging the psychological horror/suspense in the first episode. Bruce Greenwood was also good, as was Carl Lumbly.

But then episode 2 suddenly took a U-turn and all that promise was stomped on like grapes in a vintner's bucket. I'm definitely no prude, and I've seen my share of gore-filled movies, but when things became.super depraved and super gory in the second episode, it felt like a completely different show.

And yet, I vowed to keep watching, thinking that perhaps that episode was an outlier. But I just got more of the same in episode 3.

I suppose for folks who like that sort of thing, they would have been bored with the first episode. But for me, especially with the Poe connection, I was hoping for something more like the kind of suspenseful stories he wrote. It just became a no-go for me.

There's also the issue with so many of the Usher family having no redeeming qualities, which of course makes it almost impossible for us to care about what happens to them, rendering any ill fates which might become them nothing more than death and gore for the sake of death and gore.
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Colin from Accounts: Bandit (2022)
Season 1, Episode 7
Paints millennials as the worst people ever
24 August 2023
Millennials have no corner on the market when it comes to being terrible people. There are awful people in each generational group, just like there are awesome people in every group. (I'm not a millennial, btw.)

But this episode started to stir up an intense irrational hatred within me, until I came to my senses and realized the writers were just digging into the most heinous stereotypes they could think of -- and for what purpose? Because all it accomplished, in my mind, was making Ash seem appalling and vile by association. (And thus, Gordon pretty much an innocent victim of verbal abuse. Yes, Gordon was much more clueless than usual, but he wasn't intentionally rude until he was pushed to his breaking point.)

I can't believe that was their intent. But the episode left a very sour taste in my mouth. And I'd been recommending this series to a number of people up to this point. At the moment, however, I'm not sure if the next episode can make up for this affront to my senses.
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Please stop the crazy experimental episodes!
23 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
So, yeah -- I'll get it right out of the way that I don't like Lower Decks. Tried to get into it, but it felt way too silly and not like a Trek show, in my opinion. (It's not that it's animated -- I liked TAS and I quite enjoy Prodigy.) But I know lots of other fans of the franchise really dig it, and that's fine.

However, what the holy hell were they thinking making the opening and closing sequences animated? Are we supposed to buy that in that version of the future, everything is 2D and cartoonish? You can go too far with fan service, and they sure did in this case.

I don't mind the idea of a crossover, but they lost all credibility by going with the cartoon sequences in a live-action Trek series. (It was so ridiculous, I'm almost surprised they didn't keep Boimler and Mariner animated after they time-traveled to the Enterprise.)

I highly doubt that any characters or plotlines from the Animated Series from the 1970s would ever be done in that animated style if they were brought into a live-action Trek.

Just a horrible, horrible decision. And as much as I've been enjoying Strange New Worlds, this sort of thing puts a sour taste in my mouth, and when it's followed up by a musical episode (with too many songs, none of which were particularly well-written and most of which went on far too long), it makes me wonder if I should even continue watching the show. I had high hopes that we would be getting a show more like TOS with self-contained episodes about exploration -- but it appears the "strange" in Strange New Worlds may be referring to what the writers and producers are smoking.
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Silo (2023– )
Watched all episodes hoping for greatness...
4 July 2023
I'm not sure why I stuck with it. After the first episode aired, I got the sense that it was going to be the type of show that only gave out minuscule bits of answers to previously-posed questions, all the while posing new ones. So I thought, "I'll wait until they've all aired, then I'll binge the rest." Since it was a long holiday weekend, I figured this was as good a time as any to do that.

As it turned out, I should've trusted my gut instinct.

Visually, the show is interesting. I wish there was more to recommend.

Common is not a good actor, and all he can do is glower menacingly. But even actors who have been good in other shows are not so good here - Will Patton, for one, has a few scenes where he is chewing up the scenery like an amateur.

But my biggest issue is with the plot and with resolution to any of the mysteries with the silo. They drew out the main mystery until the very end of the season, and even then it didn't really provide much in the way of answers.

This could have been good as a BBC-TV series, where they know not to drag things out at the expense of good storytelling. There, it'd last 6 episodes, and there would be no second season.

Needless to say, the "greatness" I was hoping for with this show never materialized for me, and I won't be watching season 2. And to those of you who are raving about it now, when you're watching the next season and you eventually figure out that they've just been yanking your chain all along, don't say I didn't warn you.
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Basically just a run-of-the-mill drama with sci-fi elements tacked on
1 May 2023
The good: production design is outstanding, and the retro-futuristic world they created is incredibly cool. Choice of period songs is unique and very well-done. Acting is generally above-average, although clearly they were going for an affected line delivery with several of the characters, with varying degrees of success.

The bad: there's really no reason for the sci-fi or futurism elements to exist, as they mostly take a back seat to a middling, sometimes quirky (though not quirky enough to be entertaining) drama about relationships and a salesman pulling one over on his customers.

I'm sure this was greenlit because of the premise (and the name actors attached), but it falls way short of its potential.

This feels to me like a story that could have been much better suited to a single, hour-long episode of Black Mirror or some other anthology series, where they could just focus on the interesting parts and leave the tedious bits (of which there are many) on the cutting room floor.
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Can't decide what it wants to be
8 April 2023
What's the intent with this series? Initially, it seemed like it was designed mainly as a cautionary tale of what could happen in coming years if governments and mega-corporations continue doing what they're doing now, as the average planetary temperature continues to rise, causing all sorts of environmental havoc.

But at some point, this series morphs into just another sci-fi anthology, with very loose ties between episodes, and only a tangential link to the topic of climate change.

As the 'cautionary tale', the show was rather preachy, even for someone who is on board with the idea of a global crisis. And as the more standard sci-fi, there's nothing we haven't seen before -- and executed with far more panache, as in series like Black Mirror.

Some very big name actors have joined this project, but even they can't save what is, in total, a rather mediocre mini-series.

Not terrible, but not nearly as good (nor as powerful) as one might have hoped.
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Shrinking (2023– )
Couldn't even finish the first episode
5 March 2023
Every single attempt at humor fell completely flat for me. Writing & directing were pretty bad, and acting felt completely off (aside from Harrison Ford, who seemed like the only real person amongst the characters that I saw).

But I gave up like 10 or 15 minutes into it. I get it, the lead character is miserable -- but I was starting to feel that way, too. If it's trying to be a drama, it isn't interesting enough. And if it's trying to be a comedy, it's trying too hard. And either way, as I mentioned above, it doesn't feel grounded in any sort of reality. It's an interesting idea, that just wasn't fleshed out at all.

If you can't grab me within the first 10 minutes, I don't have time to waste on your show. Especially when there are so many other great shows out there. Hard pass.
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Visually appealing, but missing a few things
24 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Gepetto is shown early in the movie to be a very skilled wood carver, with a large Christ on the cross for the local church beautifully-done. So why does Pinocchio look as clunky as he does? Well, it all makes sense when you see that Gepetto has been drinking away his sorrow after losing his son, and in a mad fit of drunken desperation, he vows to make a new son -- but of course in his highly inebriated state, the form of this wooden boy is crude and rough.

Before stumbling off towards bed, Gepetto mumbles, "I'll finish you tomorrow." But he never gets the chance, as a magical being visits in the night and brings this creation to life.

The movie is near perfection in the beginning, as it clearly shows the love and connection that Gepetto had with his "real" son, and we feel the tragedy when his young life is suddenly snuffed out.

I found Pinocchio's design to be a unique and fascinating choice. But I had issues with his character, and that mostly comes down to the voice acting and direction, which didn't give me any reason to root for him, as he was mostly portrayed as annoying and insensitive. I understand it's a fine line to walk, to make a person who is only a few hours old sound like the are only a few hours old, with the curiosity and joie de vivre that would naturally be a part of that. But Pinocchio the character kept up that annoying personality for too much of the film, I felt.

I also had issue with the songs. As musical pieces, they were interesting and complex, and one would expect nothing less, since the music was written by the very talented composer of the score, Alexandre Desplat. But I think this is where a *songwriter* should have stepped in, since songs in a movie like this should be memorable, and have a "hook". These were almost too good, too complex, to work as musical numbers. And so I found none of them stuck with me nor struck me in any way.

As a film for children, one of course expects a certain level of immaturity here and there, but many times that was taken too far, such as in a command performance for none other than Mussolini, which was filled with fart jokes and assorted bathroom humor. Pinocchio is also a cautionary tale, and I remember the original Disney film being quite scary at times... with a Guillermo del Toro film, I figured we'd get several scary moments, but the scenes which should have been frightening ended up being kiddi-fied and only mildly unnerving.

Overall, I applaud what they did here, but there are too many flaws for me to give it a ringing endorsement. Still, there were some very nice moments, and the visuals were quite well done, so I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
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It exists purely as nostalgia for the original film - but that's not bad
24 December 2022
I'll start by saying that A Christmas Story is one of my favorite films. And I think this feeling is necessary to get the full enjoyment from A Christmas Story Christmas.

Watching this next-generation sequel brings back many happy memories of the first movie. Alas, the one thing it does not do is evoke nostalgia for our own childhoods.

It is actually better than I expected it to be, but not as good as I hoped it might be. They try to hit many of the same notes as the original, but none of them really carry the charm inherent in that classic film. And while the original had many quotable lines and scenes that are burned into one's memory -- the tongue stuck to the flagpole, the Xmas dinner at the Asian restaurant, the "oh fudge" moment and its aftermath, the visit with Santa, etc., etc. -- no scene really stands out as particularly funny nor memorable in this sequel.

The story itself is pretty much entirely Ralphie-focused -- and the way the other characters were written and portrayed, that's probably a good thing, since the supporting cast just wasn't interesting enough to merit much of a B plot -- but I wish that wasn't the case. In the original, Ralphie's father loomed large and was very well fleshed-out, even though he didn't have all that many lines. His mother was also very relatable and instantly likeable. But here, everyone else is sort of a 2-D cutout of a character.

And Ralphie's story just doesn't feel like it has a lot of weight to it. I would have rather seen his main story become secondary to a main plot involving his feelings about his family, especially his old man. The family connection is one big thing this sequel is lacking.

A better director could have done a lot more with it, I believe. And while Billingsley is surprisingly good as adult Ralphie (considering he really hasn't acted at all since the original flick), many of the other roles aren't well-cast. The kids in particular can't hold a candle to the children in the first film.

Is it going to be a Xmas classic? Not a chance. But if you liked the original, is it a bad way to spend an afternoon? Not at all. Just as long as you're not expecting the same sort of magic, and keep your expectations low, if you loved the original, you'll probably like this one. I give it 6.5 stars out of 10.
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I blame the direction
9 September 2022
I don't know if Waititi was overworked or what, but it's the direction more than anything which ruins this movie's potential.

The actors are trying way too hard with the comedy instead of letting it flow naturally -- which good direction could've put a stop to.

And Bale's scenery-chewing also needed to be reined in quite a bit. When every single line is played over-the-top, they all lose their impact. Subtlety would have gone a long way with him.

The other thing about the comedic beats -- most of which completely fall flat -- is not due to the actors' delivery but the directorial choices of how the scenes are shot.

Even the Guardians of the Galaxy, who can usually be counted on for solid humor, came across poorly in this.

A better edit might have made this more enjoyable, but not by much. The damage was done before the film was in the can, so to speak.
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A low point for Cronenberg
1 September 2022
This movie was just half-baked. Some interesting ingredients, but nothing interesting was made with them. Cronenberg, to me, is known primarily for two things: psychological horror (which was brilliantly done in "Dead Ringers"), and body horror (prime examples being "Videodrome" and "The Fly"). This movie dabbled in both, but failed to delve into either of them in a way that was even slightly compelling.

Several scenes, characters, and plot points also went nowhere, with no resolution nor further exploration. What little conflict there was, was hardly anything that engaged me.

And then it also just felt completely unfinished. No statement was made, and it seemed utterly pointless. Despite the provocative subject matter, the result was downright banal.

After viewing it, I initially was going to rate it a 5/10. A few hours later, after more consideration, I thought it was more likely a 4/10. But the next day, today, I can't honestly rate it above 3/10 stars.
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Couldn't make it past the first 25 minutes
7 May 2021
First of all, the celebrity voice casting trend is something that should be put out to pasture. Sometimes it works, but a lot of times, like in this movie, it falls apart completely. Danny McBride is a very funny guy, but he's totally miscast and I doubt if he can pull off the nuances of voice acting. Similarly, Maya Rudolph doesn't bring much to her role, either.

But the dialogue and personal interactions aren't relatable at all, so they lose any potential to be truly funny or engaging.

Also takes a long time to get going, with a lot of pointless scenes. Hard pass on this movie.
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Spotlight (I) (2015)
Good cast, well-acted, but....
18 January 2016
As several other reviewers have stated here, Spotlight is a "solid" film. There is absolutely no fault with the actors, who all acquit themselves very well, and the movie itself never drags.

However, there's really no character in the movie whom the audience can latch onto. It's a terrific ensemble, but the fault, I think, lies in trying to give everyone in the ensemble an equal part in the story. Without making it about one person (whether a reporter or a victim), the emotional impact falls very, very short.

What the viewer is left with is a general notion of, "It's shocking that went on for so long and the church kept covering it up," but zero emotional investment and reaction. Unless you have a personal identification with any of the elements in this story, I think you will remain similarly aloof in regards to this film.
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Room (I) (2015)
Interminable
18 January 2016
Room was tedious from the very beginning. And then it got more tedious. And then it kept on going. And though I waited for something to happen, it didn't. Then something did happen, and I thought, "Oh, joy. It's finally over." But alas, it wasn't over. It kept going. And going. And going.

Though I had one or two moments where I thought it was cute or interesting, that's not enough to fill out a 2-hour movie. The kid was annoying, the mom was forgettable, the circumstances held no true sense of danger or tension, the aftermath was boring and trite. It might've worked as a 15-minute short film, but good lord, after sitting through it, I felt as though *I* had been trapped in a tiny room for 7 years.

I honestly don't understand what people are seeing in this film. There is truly nothing of worth there. Avoid, unless you enjoy things like waiting in line for hours or going over your taxes.
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Absolutely amateurish
14 December 2014
There is not enough space here to detail all the things that are terrible about this movie.

First, let me start with the good: Uhh... hmm. Well, Patrick Stewart's voice is in it. That should count for something, right? Actually, no. It merely points out the huge chasm between his talent and the "talents" of everyone else involved in this picture. Also, he is ostensibly the older voice of the lead actor, who doesn't even have the same accent. I hope at least Sir Patrick bought himself a nice car with his salary from this awful film.

The bad: No, "bad" is not a sufficient modifier to describe the extreme low level of quality here. Abysmal is more accurate. And that covers: the acting, the directing, the writing, the editing, the scoring, the producing, the special FX, the whole business.

Here's why you should be suspicious when a movie receives a mix of 9 & 10-star reviews with 1-star reviews, and very little in-between: There is no motive whatsoever for a group of people to band together and give rotten fake reviews to a movie. There is, however, a huge motive for cast & crew and their friends & family to give massively positive and glowing reviews for the film they worked on. I'm sure an email blast was sent out to a mailing list, encouraging everyone to rate it highly and write a review. Ignore the rating. Ignore the 10-star reviews. They are bogus. Trust the 1-star reviews.

There is nothing in this cinematic abomination that is worth recommending. It's not even a so-bad-it's-good kind of movie. None of these actors, directors, producers, writers, or editors should ever make a movie again — unless they each spend another 10,000 hours studying their craft... and at that point, they might possibly be almost ready to work on a Uwe Boll film. But I'd seriously advise all of them to become hotel clerks or real estate agents, because they really have no business trying to make movies for a living.
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Vanishing Waves (II) (2012)
Ponderously slow
20 November 2014
This would have worked much better as a 20-minute short. Even at that, it would have been *interesting*... but not anything all that special. To clarify where I'm coming from, yes, I like many so-called art-house films, and don't mind long takes per se, but this movie had so many scenes where I was begging for them to end and move on to the next bit of business, because they were so tedious.

More problems: The leads are not particularly charismatic, nor do we ever really care about any of the characters. And overall, this film just doesn't really have much to say. About anything.

Honestly, I cannot really even explain why I sat through the entire length of the film, other than to say I suppose I kept hoping for something to happen. There were no surprises here whatsoever. The only reason I'm leaving this review here is so that other people don't stumble across it and get the impression from some of the other comments that it's worthwhile seeing. In my opinion, it's not.
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Charlie Jade (2005)
Starts slowly but builds to a strong and satisfying storyline
14 June 2009
First off, let me state that the first episode is rather slow going. I must admit that I was close to giving up on it until the tail end of the episode, but was glad I stuck it out. I was hooked shortly thereafter.

Very intriguing characters -- especially '01 Boxer', who, as played by the fascinating Michael Filipowich, is driven by motivations which only become clear later in the season -- along with a unique setting and intricate plots and subplots make "Charlie Jade" a standout amongst sci-fi series.

There are arcs in many of the main characters which keep the viewer wondering what will happen from episode to episode. And I appreciated the fact that certain things weren't always completely spelled out; you are left to contemplate and figure some things out for yourself.

While it seems obvious they were leaving the door open for additional seasons, there is enough of a resolution to the series that the viewer will not be left hanging and unsatisfied at the end of the first (and only) season. If you can find this on DVD or somewhere else on cable TV, I recommend it to any sci-fi fans who are willing to stick with a truly engrossing story.
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Horribly miscast
2 January 2006
I just saw this movie on cable, and had medium to good expectations of it. Watching the opening sequence, I felt even better about the experience I was about to have -- this opening segment, and the general cinematography are 2 of the 3 reasons why I gave this a 2 out of 10 rather than a 1.

The third reason it rates a bit higher is Minnie Driver as the diva Carlotta. One of the few characters that had any personality, she was quite fun to watch.

However, my early hopes were dashed quite quickly, as I kept looking at my watch to see how much more of it I had to endure.

Wow, the lead actors (other than Driver) were just completely miscast. I'm not saying they are bad actors in general -- but in this project, they simply did not work at all. Emmy Rossum's character is supposed to entrance people with her singing, but it came out as a barely passable "pop music" voice, and while she looked quite adorable, there didn't seem to be much going on with her emotionally. Gerard Butler could barely hit half the notes he tried for, has a bit of a lisp (!) and his delivery was generally quite abysmal, especially with the staccato song-speak parts. Patrick Wilson, while carrying a tune fairly well, came off as simply bland in both the singing and speaking parts.

Then there's the matter of the songs themselves. Having never seen the stage version (although I've heard one or two pieces on a friend's soundtrack album), I don't have anything to compare this version to; so let me say that nearly all of the songs came off as pedantic and forced. Many of them were simply laughable in their composition.

I only forced myself to get through to the end of the movie because I had heard some good reviews from friends. A waste of good film stock. Somebody else at the helm of this picture may have been able to salvage it, but it would mean replacing many of the actors, re-working most of the songs, creating a better dramatic flow, and-- oh, forget it. It's a lost cause.

It fails as a drama, it fails as a romance, and it fails miserably as a musical. Don't waste your time, unless you're a rabid PotO fan, in which case, I'm sure you've already seen it.
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She (1984)
So bad, it's g-- no, come to think of it, it's still really bad.
21 June 2001
I can sit through some pretty cheesy flicks, and I like Sandahl Bergman, but this movie is one of the most horrendous pieces of garbage I've ever been exposed to. I have apparently blocked most of the movie out of my mind, in order to save myself from ever having to remember the worst parts. But I do remember my reaction, which was, "Oh ... my ... gawd. I had no idea that anything could be so bad."

Ranks right down there on my "Avoid At Any Costs" movie list, alongside "Little Voice" and "Cattle Annie & Little Britches." Run, do not walk, far away from this film. In fact, run away screaming.
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A desperate man strives to leave his mark on the world
20 June 2001
Based on a Ralph Ellison story, this gripping and stylish tale was originally featured on PBS' American Storytellers series.

Colman Domingo gives a multi-layered and intense performance as Sonny, a man whose search for the good life culminates in one ultimate and onerous contest. Writer/Director/Producer Elise Robertson skillfully weaves this world for us so well, that it is easy to believe that we are actually eavesdropping in this man's life.

Well-worth trying to catch this 30-minute movie, should it return to the public television airwaves, although it's possible the tape is still available from PBS Home Video or pbs.org.
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