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Mean Girl Murders: Clash of the Coeds (2023)
Sad and infuriating
The documentary is done well enough given the circumstances of the incident. The incident itself is appalling for many reasons...
It's disturbing how Tina's friend kept saying she didn't see it coming. Yes you did!!! She knew Tina was a bully, everyone who read and reacted to Tina's online posts knew that. They were encouraging the "queen" and this is on them as well.
Shanterrica snapped, literally! Yes, she was socially awkward and a "nerd". She had feelings and Tina stomped over those feelings! Was she right to murder Tina? Absolutely not. But the people saying they don't understand how it got to that point are part of the problem. They were there! They saw the escalation. They witnessed Tina humiliating shanterrica. Shanterrica definitely had a ton of personal issues that she needed to work on, but she was literally pushed to murder.
Sad that it ended that way, maybe if they were permitted to move, this would have been avoided. Hopefully, the university and the apartment complex will make better decisions about roommates in the future.
Community (2009)
Glad I stumbled on this
I cannot believe I just stumbled on this series a few days ago. But glad I don't have to wait for the next episode.
I'm on Season 2 currently and I'm really enjoying it. It's a nice ensemble show. It's mostly funny, although a little juvenile at times.
It's great to see Chevy Chase, even though his character is mostly a perv.
The Shirley character is thankfully not played as a stereotype. But her CONSTANT references to G and J are extremely annoying. I love her but I sometimes hope they kill her off in the next season. Also, she reverts to a childish voice too often to take her seriously.
I keep hoping that Britta turns out to be lying about her travels and experience and they'll boot her out of the group because she's a little too negative. But that's supposed to keep the dynamic between her and the leading man.
Troy and Abed are so cute together, they have fantastic chemistry and are hilarious.
Disappeared: American Gothic (2017)
What the??!!
So sorry for Lynn's demise, and I hope there will be justice.
Her family is a mess! I'm inclined to think they're all involved in her disappearance and death. None of that story about the night she went missing makes sense! The husband's account is all over the place. The son and his wife are heartless! They actually went back to sleep after the dad pounded on their door and woke them up to ask if they saw Lynn! And then the son let the cattle out before attempting to look for HIS OWN MOTHER, after getting out of bed hours later.
The overly dramatic witness accounts here from the 2 sons and the daughter-in-law, along with those awful haircuts, convince me they're all trying to be discovered by Hollywood. All that fake crying! If it wasn't a serious situation, that daughter-in-law's silliness would have been hilarious.
But I also blame the producers for pushing the narrative the way it comes across. This was probably one of the worst episodes in this series.
Disappeared: Gone with the Night (2023)
Interesting story
Hopefully Gretchen will be found. This episode seems to be rushed and almost to be treated lightly, IMO. The dialogue of the family members, although probably very accurate, just sounds like they're reading a script. The woman especially sounds like someone hired her to act the part of a concerned family member, but she comes across as selfish and basically unconcerned about Gretchen.
I wouldn't be surprised if Gretchen ditched town because of her dad's wife. She's a bit much.
Hope she's found. I cannot imagine the pain of not knowing where a loved one has gone, especially after getting her purse and all her possessions led behind.
Disappeared: Secrets of a Son (2011)
Missing
I hope Steven took off and found a life away from what he had! I hope nothing bad happened to him and he has a new identity. Sad that his parents have to go through his disappearance, and even sadder that his dad didn't live to find an answer.
But seriously, with the condescending way his cousin talked about him and how the rest of the cousins apparently looked down on him, who could blame Steven if he got the heck out of that family? Even looking at pictures of them all together shows how he was treated as an outcast by them. If I saw him in person, I wouldn't turn him in. He deserves to be treated better. I hope he's alive and living well!!!
Disappeared: A Mother's Mission (2011)
Best episode so far
This was probably the best episode I've seen up to this point! The mother of the missing young woman had one of the best and most realistic interviews this series has shown. Nobody glossed over the young lady's personality or lifestyle in order to make her more likeable or deserving of respect. There's no building up to make her look like the happiest girl ever or someone who did nothing wrong. And there is also a balance not to make her look awful or deserving of misfortune either! The end result is sad, but the mother has created a positive outcome in the wake of the tragedy. My sympathy to the family.
Disappeared: Lost Highway (2010)
Good episode, bad witnesses
This episode has a disappointing end to the journey. Bradyn apparently felt so disengaged that he took his own life.
His parents seemed to be genuinely loving and concerned, and put out the message that he could return and that it wasn't as bad as he thought. All sympathy to them for their loss. How sad to know he was alive after disappearing only to have it end like that.
What is disappointing in the episode is the decision to feature the two girlfriends, past and present. The present girlfriend was awkward and strange, and made to look less than credible in comparison to the ex-girlfriend who boasted about how well she knew him. I'm pretty sure they featured her almost as much, if not more than, Bradyn's own mother! That girl had just a small bit to contribute yet she was given the last word, talking about him going fishing! Of course she was holding out on hope, but her voice wasn't needed. Especially when we find out how he died. I just think that part was tone deaf, but it must have been stuck in for higher ratings because she's somewhat attractive.
Disappeared: The Secret Journey (2010)
Sad and will make you a little angry
This episode needs to be shown in every school: grade school, middle school, and especially high school. This is a "scared straight" story, specific to young people who think they're invincible and can buck the system to do what they want.
Pretty much everyone failed Britanee here, the boyfriend, travel companions, and mother definitely did. Her destination should have been verified or she should've been forced to stay at home. The boyfriend knew it was wrong and waited for her disappearance to actually do "the right thing". So disappointing. Not victim blaming, just pointing out the obvious that some things can be prevented. So sorry for her family's loss.
The episode is pretty well narrated and has good reenactments, such as they are.
Disappeared: A Mother's Secret (2010)
Something's off here
I absolutely have major sympathy for Paige's family for their loss. This episode is off to me for a few reasons. There is too much slant to show her in a favorable way instead of just showing the facts. It's edited that way for sure, and fortunately one of the officers did actually address the elephant in the room, that she was in a high-risk profession.
It was sad to see her 2 "friends" go on and on about some details, which sounded more fabricated, after the fact, to show her as a good person and mother. She could definitely be a good mother and a sex worker simultaneously, but the one friend went on and on about it to the point of disbelief. This friend's (Campbell) agenda was to blame husband #2 for the disappearance and even went into detail about how he didn't socialize with them during parties at his and Paige's house when the friends visited. As she's explaining this, has she looked in the mirror? She's a basic, unattractive woman, with a creepy grin on her face that reminds me of a ventriloquist's dummy! She then finishes up with eluding that Paige couldn't be whatever we're supposed to conclude she is (sex worker) because this woman's "husband's friend" didn't get the full sexual experience with Paige, just a massage. If they hadn't found the mechanic guilty in the end, I'd probably suggest looking at *this* woman's husband as a suspect". Something's not right there.
Overall, this episode is disappointing.
Raising Dion (2019)
Meh
*IF* this is supposed to be a superhero movie, it falls a bit short, at least in the first season. The flashbacks do explain the current events, but why not just tell the story from the beginning instead of this way? It doesn't balance with the writing. The story seems to be good, but there are so many little details that could really be cut and the story would stand up. And it does beg the question, is this written for adults? For children?
My 4 stars is because this thing dragggggggggs. It could be the script, and could be the acting, which I don't find engaging. Regardless what the actors' abilities were in previous shows, this is one of the worst casts, which probably goes back to bad scripts.
The invisible woman who Jack saved was in The Blacklist, and I can't say that she was good in that either. Michael Jordan was probably the draw for the series, and he was good when on screen, but he cannot carry the others.
Dion's mom: the character irritated the sh!! Out of me. It's understandable that she lost her husband tragically and unexpectedly, but she really makes bad decisions and smothers that boy to the point that he's a psychopathic brat. As the actress: she's not that great. She has about 2 facial expressions and I can't tell if she has a body double for her dance scenes, but the close ups are embarrassing. She's just not interesting.
Dion: as the character is a BRAT! He doesn't listen to anyone at critical moments and consistently puts the lives of everyone around him in mortal danger, but everyone brushes off his carelessness. Sure, he's a kid, but most parents teach their children the fundamentals of "no". As the actor? Come on, they couldn't find another young black male? He's awful and painful to watch speaking more than a sentence or two.
Kat, the aunt of Dion: it's hard to watch her talk, her character is supposed to be an intern, and she's just bumbling about the hospital like a child. She doesn't seem to be much of an actress, unless she does soap operas, which is what I feel I'm watching whenever she's onscreen. And she doesn't look convincing as the sister, they don't have any physical similarities.
As for Pat, from the first 5 minutes, I knew he was up to no good. His character is THE example of an incel, and every time he's around a woman, I expect him to r4pe someone. That's a horrible thing to think, but that's his persona. Unfortunately, it's true to life in many instances and that's a creepy character. He doesn't understand what "no" means at all, from anyone. And he looks like a pedophile chasing after Dion all the time! So when he turned out to be the storm/killer, I was actually relieved to see that there was at least an explanation and connection to the limited storyline. Not sure if he's a good actor or not, but he is convincing as an overall jerk and villain, so this may be his accomplishment role.
The director of Biona needs work. This is why I asked who the series target audience is. This character could and should be more aggressive and show a lot more anger, but whenever the opportunity presents itself, she just makes strange faces and recedes. Her character could be so much more.
I like the neighbor, Tessa. She's a beautiful woman who is *real*, and wasn't forced to act as a stereotype, like some of the other minor characters in Dion's mom's inner circle are portrayed. She's refreshing and positive. She's really the only person in the series who you don't want to slap.
Just starting the second season, hoping for more explanation and better content. But I'm reading reviews and it doesn't look likely.
Hope Street (2020)
Family show?
I'm guessing the series is made for family viewing because it's very elementary. By that I mean, it's a dumbed-down version of a police series.
For starters, the Marlene character should have been fired after the first episode, since she put Leila at risk of death, and the whole town as well. But there she is, with that stupid grin on her face throughout the rest of the series.
The storyline is good, and there is potential with a few episodes, but the acting and the execution make everything look awkward. The actors stumble through their dialogue and their actions are not in sync. There's so much smiling during really serious scenes that it almost seems like a horror flick.
I'm on Season 2 and I guess it's safe to assume that Lelia isn't coming back. In some ways, good. She was wasted as a CID in that small town, and there's no way back from essentially betraying the town gossip who happens to be her boyfriend's mom. The weird relationship between Siobhan and the leading man is probably a reason to stop watching at this point. It's pretty annoying, sh*! Or get off the pot.
I would equate this to the American series Psych, watchable to an extent, as long as you know it's lame and not factual, and that no police department can be this inept. Season 1 is definitely worth watching, maybe if it's a rainy afternoon and you are bored. Season 2 is probably better watched while doing household chores, because it doesn't require actually paying attention.
Misconduct (2016)
Read the reviews here first
I didn't bother reading any reviews here above 5 stars because I already made up my mind. Waste of time.
First few minutes in: Anthony Hopkins walking down the street, holding the hand (uncomfortably) of a taller blonde woman. Is it a daughter? Nope, she's his woman. (I originally assumed it was a wife) There was absolutely NO chemistry between them, hence my wondering who she was. "Emily" seemed to just want a fight so she could snap at Hopkins' guard and huff off by herself in her odd outfit that was obviously the only means of catching the audience's attention. (What girlfriend of a billionaire walks around with him in public, in that outfit, while he's so impeccably dressed?) The best part of this scene is hearing Hopkins' voice off screen while he's supposedly talking on the phone. That's the truth.
Next, she's kidnapped? I just figured that whole little hissy fit was her way of setting up a kidnapping hoax.
Next, Hopkins' character punched out a guy who he thought was the kidnapper? BEFORE he got that tramp back? Maybe he wanted her to be killed, I couldn't blame him for that. But, if it wasn't the kidnapper, why did the accomplished security personnel (Julia Stiles) tell him to just drop the bag? Was she in on it? Was she that inept as a pro? And if that weird guy wasn't the kidnapper, what the heck happened to him? Did they make him disappear? Did they even interview him? What was that scene even about?!?
Next we watch Josh Duhamel stumble through his crappy lines, as well as watch his coworker mumble something about the old girlfriend who attempted suicide and warning Josh's character not to meet up. Probably the only thing that makes sense in the movie, but the guy was too irritating to even listen to, although he was right.
Between that, we're in Josh's character's home, watching his wife leave for work after leaving the oven door open, and then we see him walking out of a baby's room. Okaaaaay. That was another WTF moment.
The last part I saw before turning this garbage off was his meeting up with the aforementioned ex-girlfriend at a bar, which is shown as a flashback. What a predictable scene that was. She lives in a loft under another name, her neighbor conveniently pops out to speak and see who this broad brings home, and then he bangs her. Pretty sure this is a set up for his being incriminated for whatever happens to Emily. More bad acting here from the girl with the irritating voice and from awkward little Josh.
I never got to see Pacino, which apparently spares me from disillusionment and disappointment at one of my favorite actors.
Others covered what I felt about the storyline and the actors. The person playing Emily is awful, so I should probably learn her name in order to avoid anything she might be in again. Julia Stiles was meh, given the fact that she was in the same scene with Hopkins! She failed at the F-bomb, sorry. Still love her though. Hopkins didn't act any better or worse than usual. At this point, I think he could show his acting ability by playing a poor man. This billionaire with younger women character is stale. Duhamel was nothing interesting to me in this, I really have no opinion on him.
Won't attempt to finish this "movie" because I don't want what potentially could be the last performances I see from Hopkins and Pacino to be so sad.
Good Cop (2012)
Huh?
I'm on Episode 1 and not sure if I should continue! I realize the premise is that one cop dies after an attack, but that was the most idiotic scenario. How could John Paul NOT call for help until AFTER he watches his partner get brutally beaten? All the while screaming "Andy"? Why didn't he call for help immediately and protect HIMSELF from being yanked in and beaten as well? He just assumed that the bullies would leave the premises? That scene was dumb. In reality, I wonder if he'd be brought up on charges.
I decided to continue watching because I actually like the lead actor, want to see what is acting range is in this series.
Gracepoint (2014)
Tennant is the reason for watching this
It's really hard to NOT compare to Broadchurch, and I'm sure it's true vice versa, if you've seen Gracepoint first. There's no avoiding it, so go in knowing that and work with it.
David Tennant never disappoints, at least not for me. He stays true to his character, love it or hate it. His character is cold and methodical, and he puts himself in it all the way, accent included.
Michael Peña as Mark Solano was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen him in such a serious role before and he was fantastic! I'll definitely follow him more.
Biggest disappointment, which of course is the lead, Anna Gunn. She's awful in this, and I have never watched Breaking Bad, so this is my only chance to make an opinion. She's miscast. Her character is simply a local detective who is investigating a local crime with people she knows and loves, while remaining professional. Gunn's characterization makes her look like a loser, and her boss' decision to pass her over is definitely warranted. Right from the start, she's unprofessional in just about every area. I guess the awkwardness that she shows with her counterpart (Tennant) makes her character more believable, but I suspect she's actually not comfortable acting beside him personally and just stumbles through the role. This was thoughtless casting and it could possibly be why so many people can't put their finger on why they didn't like the series.
Another miscasting was of the daughter. We should be irritated by her and on the verge of hating her, but the actress (Madalyn Horcher) doesn't show enough nastiness as Chloe to convince us of anything. She didn't pull off the emotion needed for the character. The clothing choices and, hairstyle, makeup or lack of, all fell short of what a 6itchy teen should look like, especially in that setting. She didn't come across as a teen with angst, instead she looked like she could have just been a roommate of the family because she looks 10 years older than she should. I couldn't get past that part. Just a bad fit.
I did have appreciation for Virginia Kull as Beth Solano, her emotions were on point here, and she even showed a bit of contempt at Mark, which locked in that character's personality. Wardrobe did a great job with her, her outfits fit her persona.
So, yeah, go in knowing that it's not as well acted as Broadchurch is, which changes the vibe. But the story is still consistent and that's the bigger picture. We are supposed to follow every lead along with the detectives, and every lead brings a believable suspect. That's what made the Broadchurch version so compelling: you hate everyone at some point, you want them to go down for a reprehensible crime, and then you're pulled into another one just as quickly. And you're saddened because nearly every person in this town "could" be guilty of killing the boy.
Taking the Stand: Amber Guyger (2022)
Very Basic
I appreciated that this case is presented, and especially since both sides are interviewed. However, it didn't address critical issues with the case. Understandable, because this is all about "taking the stand". In Guyger's case, her taking the stand probably sealed her fate. The episode emphasized her remorse, but that was such a stretch given her body language and facial expressions. She also contradicted herself on the stand, which was pointed out by the prosecution. One thing I wish was shown was her behavior prior to the actual shooting. She was distracted by either a phone call or texting with her married lover/co-worker which likely caused the outcome.
Accused: Guilty or Innocent?: Murdered His Mother or Falsely Accused?: Part 2 (2020)
Interesting series, strange episode
I've watched both episodes and the additional follow up compilation and I still don't know what the heck happened. So I googled the murder of Shirley Carter to understand.
The son is a goof but that doesn't necessarily make him a murderer, of his mother, no less.
But the investigation was pretty crappy and now I'm wondering if the father killed the mother. Bill Carter was in the home during the time Mrs. Carter would have been shot, no money or belongings were taken (they blamed the son for needing money), and he jumped on his son way too quickly with blame.
Did anyone look at Bill Carter st any point as a suspect? Something is off and fishy with him.
Anyway, the episodes are okay, it's just irritating to watch Jason being such a dumb a$$.
Trauma (2018)
KAREN
This is an example of good actors making a bad script watchable.
I DID watch it to the end and I have mixed emotions, hence my 3 star rating. If any other actors had been in this, it would have gotten a 1 from me.
John Simm was actually good here, despite what the role was. His character was trash, utter trash. I read others' reviews and one person said that we don't know how we would act given the circumstances that he had in front of him. That may be true to an extent, but in this case, it's hard to believe that a man would stalk and intimidate an established surgeon before going after the punk juvenile delinquent who actually killed his son. That makes no sense and I highly doubt any father would go there. First of all, HE was the cause of any mistake in the OR, due to his barging in like a KAREN during surgery. I held out hope that he would at least admit to that in the end, but no, we got sucker punched into seeing the surgeon admit that he made a simple, yet deadly mistake. And we're assuming that he was telling the truth and not making it up to appease the freak.
The ending was the worst part of all of this, and that includes all the stupid stalking and the expenses the father took on to do so. (Yeah, let's buy your wife an expensive dress and shoes to prove a point to your wife that you want to "f##k" her) (His words) The ending was a disappointment because of all that effort he went through.
I don't agree that the surgeon's wife and daughter turned on him at the end. I think the director screwed up with the daughter's overly amplified reaction to her dad. I find it doubtful that a 17 year old daughter who is that close to her dad, and who just experienced a life-threatening occurrence, would be angry with him for saving her life, and admitting to a human error in the operating room. Seems pretty farfetched. And the wife certainly didn't believe the affair, not to the extent that the moron father insisted she did. She may have wondered and would have had a showdown with her husband, but there was the pressing matter of a knife to her daughter's throat. Also, the daughter had plans to do her gap year with her girlfriend prior to all this drama, so this was no sign of her hating her father, she just wanted to go off without them talking her out of it. She's 17!!!! Speaking of the girlfriend, she was disrespectful to the father by calling him by his first name without being given permission by him to do so. And that may be the one thing that the crazed, maniacal father of the dead son got right.
Again, the show was nice to watch despite the troubled plot, only because of the acting.
Inheritance (2020)
Was this a Lifetime or Hallmark movie?
With the exception of Connie Nielsen and Michael Beach, I didn't recognize any of the actors. That being said, within 5 minutes, the dialogue was so forced that I tuned out. I didn't really pay attention to the whole inheritance part and started paying attention again when she found the enslaved man. At this point, I watched just to see if the acting would get better, but it did not.
The lead, Lily Collins was miscast and I would venture to say is just not qualified for lead roles such as this. Her face and mannerisms are too juvenile for the DA role she was supposed to hold. And pulling her hair back in a bun and putting red lipstick on her made her look like an angst-ridden 15 year old pouting about someone in her basement. She was very awkward and not only was her dialogue not flowing, but her body movements were jerky and awkward as well. Funny scene with her brother when she "slapped" him, just a hot mess. And he was just as bad.
Nice to see Michael Beach in a role that isn't a creep or an adulterer. He's had some really terrible roles but this was better. His acting is okay, not the greatest in the world but far better than that Lily girl's.
Connie Nielsen did what she could, but she didn't save the movie either.
Story itself was simple, but had potential. There was too much tension and verbiage to not miss the point of it all. Don't know what the point of the key lime pie recipe was, but the man obviously had a hold on the girl's father and it was also obvious what it was, well before the big reveal.
The husband and daughter were just filler, not even essential to the movie or to the character. And it would have been nice to see what happened to the brother in the end, clearly he needed to pay for some wrongdoing.
Mr. Robot (2015)
Watch this!!!!!
EDIT:
To my credit, when I wrote this review, I had just started Season 2. I've finished Season 4 and my opinion has changed drastically. The final episode bummed me out. It just seemed to address some mental issues but not really. This reminded me of that trash they pulled on the Dallas series when Bobby came back from the dead and the previous season was supposed to all be a dream. I feel as let down here as I did then. In addition, there was a whole lot of unnecessary killing and violence that didn't really add to the storyline. I'm not opposed to blood and guts in any way, but make it make sense. So my rating has a downgrade now. I still give enormous kudos to the acting, I do think Rami Malek did great, even if he does play the same type in several other films.
...END OF EDIT...
I can't believe I've slept on this series all this time. After finishing all the episodes, I plan to go back and watch them again for reasons that are obvious. Kind of like watching The Sixth Sense.
Wow! This is the best series I've seen in a while, really. I can't think of too many shows that catch me off-guard and by surprise and still keep my interest.
Season 1 had me glued and I was grateful to be able to binge all the episodes in a day. Some of the plot was predictable, but even so, I wanted the slow reveal to happen. Like Christian Slater's character. I knew what was happening, and I convinced myself to "unknow" it so that I could be surprised, and I absolutely loved the peeling of the layers with this story.
Season 2 was even better! Something was off with Elliott and you just knew he wasn't really at his mother's house, but I stayed with the story, thinking that there was something else there. Again, I'm going back to watch everything to just satisfy my brain, but they had me with this! My mouth was wide open when Elliott revealed where he actually was, and of course, it all made sense. But the journey was the beautiful part.
Great storytelling and subtle revealing. I haven't even addressed the actual storyline, and that is hard to put your finger on since there's an incredible amount going on. This show is the best!!!
As far as actors, Rami Malek is outstanding! He has proved himself over and over to be an incredible actor, especially since in many of the scenes he's by himself or narrating. I love his voice, his expressions, his eyes, his posture, all of it! Loved him in other movies, this might be my favorite with him.
Michael Gill was really nice to watch. I wasn't sure where his character was heading and at one point, thought he was doing something underhanded. I was said when they killed him off, especially the way they did.
So far (I'm up to S. 2, E. 9), I'm liking Grace Gummer. She's got a cool demeanor and some wacky expressions herself. At first glance, I thought she was her sister, and I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in their acting. I think I may like Grace better than her sis, who I've only seen in The Good Wife. I may or may not change my position on that, I've got some catching up to do with both of their careers, I know that.
B. D. Wong! Man, I love him more and more and more, and this just put the icing on the cake. He is fabulous! I love his transitions back and forth between male and female. I love him as a gangster type character, this is so amazing to watch. Again, got some catching up to do with watching him, I've only seen him in a handful of roles besides in Law & Order and he keeps impressing me through the years.
My criticism is small. It's with the two actresses who play Darlene and Angela. It may be the writing of the characters and not the actual actresses, but the way they talk is irritating as F....! I absolutely cannot stand vocal fry and it's such a common way for young ladies and some young men to speak these days, but it's beyond irritating.
The Darlene character goes through the entire series speaking with this juvenile tone, and I get that the character is supposed to be untraditional, but it is really annoying and hard to listen to. Thank goodness for closed captioning.
The Angela character goes in and out with it, but she has her own set of annoying characteristics besides vocal fry. She's pretty much a dumb chick with bleached blonde hair. I was hoping she'd get killed off early but here she is. Maybe after 2 seasons, she'll prove worthwhile at the end of Season 2, which I'm closely approaching. But I guess there has to be a dumb friend to balance out a computer whiz, eh?
Gloria Reuben never seems to have a personality in any of her roles that I've seen, and that rings true here. She has the flattest tone and her characters always look like they could just disappear into the woodwork. Is it her? Or is she just typecast? I just don't like watching her anymore because she's like a Debby Downer in every scene she's in. I loved what her character "could have been" but maybe another actress would have been better. But then again, the scenes were supposed to be dark and depressing, so that's that. Again, typecast.
I'm going back to finish Season 2, but wanted to encourage any and everybody to watch this. It's so worth it.
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Huh?
First...I'm not trying to hear any nonsense about how most people miss messages from filmmakers because they aren't smart enough to catch the subtleties and nuances. Nope, sometimes filmmakers, or maybe it's the editing, just don't do a good enough job. In this case, I get that the ending is most likely about the lead character getting payback from her first husband, well deserved of course.
But leading up to the ending is all the other business. This movie has about 3 different stories. First, it's present time with the Morrow couple, Susan and her hot husband, Hutton. Nothing about what we're presented about their relationship makes any sense during this "present" time. There's a hint about him being gay but mostly we're shown that he's a cheater, but that never gets resolved. He doesn't come home from his so-called work trip and we just see her at home alone. So much for not seeing nuances, huh?
The past tense reality is probably the only story that makes sense, it's just poorly shown. I love Laura Linney, and I hate that she had a few minutes onscreen when she far out-acts all the others, with the exception of Michael Shannon. Amy Adams' acting in this dimension is pretty cringey, she's just hard to watch, and I can't explain in from a filmmakers' point of view, just a pedestrian view, which is what matters. Her chemistry with Gyllenhaal is an uncomfortable watch. The story is good; he disappoints her and she aborts their baby and falls into Hutton's arms while Tony watches, and then they divorce. That's plausible, albeit selfish story, but interesting enough to put time into. Maybe they could have devoted more screen time into this for a better storyline.
Then there's the book draft. That story was pretty graphic and dark, which gave this whole movie some kind of emotion at least. Michael Shannon's character was difficult to follow or understand initially, it never seemed to have a firm identity until he revealed his illness, and then he was gone. The story, I guess, was written to show how weak this Tony guy is, which went along with the prediction Susan's mother gave, along with whatever excuses Susan had for divorcing him. But it did a crap job of achieving any resolution because the main character's wife and daughter were killed and then he became a killer and then killed himself. Huh? Again, is this supposed to be one of those "cerebral" moments where we're supposed to read between the lines or look at metaphors? Not working, dudes. He's still a punk.
Which leads us back to the ending of whatever the "real" story is. Susan gets stood up at a restaurant by Tony, if it really was Tony sending those messages. And she didn't have the dignity to get up after 30 minutes or so and go home? Good for him, if it was Tony, for giving her a taste of shame and regret, but it's still a drab ending.
Now, as far as graphics, I had to give at least 5 stars. Some of the scenes had captivating locations and the camera work seemed to be telling the story better than the actors. I hated, yes I hated, the makeup on most of the women. I get the hippy, almost goth look of Susan's friend at the gallery, but Susan's makeup was awful throughout the duration of the film. And YES, I get it, she wasn't sleeping! For goodness sake, they drove that point home a million times. But put bags under her eyes and make her complexion ruddy. Don't they know that when a woman DOESN'T sleep, her eye makeup doesn't smudge? It smudges when she's too lazy to take it off and goes to sleep, duh. Just a small detail that actually matters since there were so many closeups of her face in reference to her nocturnal state.
As far as acting, Amy Adams was okay, but I only see her in these subdued and almost sleepwalking roles, so I have little expectations otherwise. Jake Gyllenhaal is about the same. I'm not too impressed with him in anything I've seen him in, so his blah performance here was no surprise. Maybe that was the intent, but that dude has no emotion on his face, just in his eyes, which aren't on cue most of the time. Just blah for me.
Bullet Train (2022)
Laughed way too hard
This film had me laughing from start to finish. It's not much of a storyline, or at least it didn't present itself as having one until the end. So the antics and slapstick comedy actually keeps you entertained without knowing what the heck is going on. And that's fine with me. It all takes place on a train in Japan, making stops along the way as people die at pretty much every junction. In the beginning, the only thing that was apparent was that there was a briefcase that everyone seemed to be after and a young man who was supposed to be protected by "twins" until his final destination to meet his father. Utter chaos ensues and we learn, finally, that they're all onboard deliberately for the purpose of killing each other. It's interesting that all this unfolds as the movie goes along, which would be a slow process if not for the hilarious, sometimes bumbling antics and some of the dialogue. Mostly dialogue of Lemon and of Ladybug, they delivered the best lines.
Brad Pitt is so good at being a goofball that he doesn't even need dialogue, his body language alone is entertaining. He was at his best here, with the silly facial expressions and comedic timing. Of course he's got charming good looks, but he's actually very interesting even if he is pretty typecast at this point.
Brian Tyree Henry cut up! He was hilarious and played his part so well. I loved him in other roles, but this may just be my favorite. The accent, maybe not so much, but I didn't really care after a while. I'm even more a fan after this movie, love him.
What a nice surprise to see Michael Shannon towards the end. I didn't read or peek to see who was in this movie, just hit "play" when it came up, so he was a pleasant surprise. His character was okay, it was more what happened "to" him than his persona. Another laugh out loud moment when he fired the gun he took from his daughter.
Actually, everyone in the film was fun to watch, except for one. Joey King is the only disappointment. She didn't fit in at all. I know everyone didn't have a humorous role, but she was just blah to me. She reminded me of how dull Selena Gomez is in Only Murders in the Building, and lo and behold, I see that they've acted together and consider themselves "sisters". Well, that explains a lot. They're both deadpan and pretty unexciting to watch. King isn't quite as bad as Gomez, but she's just dry and uninteresting to me.
A lot of the action is over the top and nuts, but it does keep you entertained. There were some scenes that I had to pause because I was laughing so hard I needed water. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I don't care if it may or may not have a solid plot or story, it was funny. And sometimes that gets me through the day.
Alaska Daily (2022)
On the fence about this
I'm not sure how I really feel about this series so far, I'm only on Ep. 4 at the time of this writing.
On the positive side: I love the people, the places, everything about the story is awesome. I think some of the procedures they take are a stretch on reality, but so is any series trying to show realism. But the beauty of the cast is something I'm here for.
On the negative side: Is this going to be another white savior show? We don't need the arrogant, privileged, pushy white girl coming in a place where she absolutely opposed going to, openly opposed going to, coming in and pushing her way around government and wealth, and obtaining things that the Alaskan natives could never get, simply because they aren't privileged white girls. And don't get me wrong, I'm basing the "privilege" not only on her skin, but the fact that she got fired from a job and 6 months later, she's still living in her nice apartment, writing a book while working out on her Peloton, not having to worry about eviction. Then she packs 1 bag to go to Alaska, knowing darn well her apartment is protected. That's part of the privilege I speak of. And good for her, but this is just another assumption she gets to have while she steps over and around her fellow reporters.
I'm still watching, so I'll be back to either increase or decrease my rating as I see fit.
Episode 7. It's trash. Hilary Swank sounds like a robot throughout the whole hostage ordeal. She's either bored to tears or she confirms my original opinion of her; she's a mediocre actress who got lucky with a few films that happened to be a big deal. The gunman is a wimpy dude who should have shot her instantly. The staff of the newspaper is trifling. They are sitting around playing games with her life, even if she is a pain in the butt. No sense of urgency, it's like they were watching her choose a pair of shoes to buy instead of having a gun to her head.
Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 4 (2022)
Rihanna ruined fashion shows for other venues, she turned it OUT!
This is the first show I've watched and I'm all in. If I can catch the previous ones, I will.
First...it's a fashion show, introducing Rihanna's latest collection. I tried my best to focus on the pieces and I love, love, love them! I don't know how much Rihanna actually participates in the design, but whoever the designers are have created something that literally made me cry. The collection is all-inclusive, meaning that there are pieces for curvy to extra thin people and they all look fantastic. It's so warm and cozy to see ALL types of people modeling the outfits. Sheryl Lee Ralph was hot as h-e-double hockey sticks.
Second...it is a music video, featuring various artists' work and some of their performances. I really enjoyed watching Anitta. Daaaaaaaang! That was a hot scene. Also liked Maxwell's scene, it was very elegant and his outfit was nice. Didn't like the opening scene/music but I'm not hating on it, just don't like the message I think I heard, that's that.
And then there's Johnny Depp. He looked cute, although a bit stiff. Loved seeing him and Ian Isaiah, that was nice eye candy for me. Actually, there was a ton of eye candy, everyone was beautiful.
I'm about to go spend all my money on whatever I can from Savage X Fenty! This is a great line and I deserve it. Love!!!!
Watch it, enjoy it if you dare!
Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
Pass
If someone tells you it's existentialism or that's it's cerebral, it's neither. Yes, it leaves you questioning reality and our souls, and life after death, and a thousand other theories about what transpires. But, either most of the important content wound up on the cutting floor or someone overthought this.
The trailer drew me in, along with the cast. (Leguizamo and Newton, specifically.) That's what kept me watching until the end. As far as having a message, I would've actually appreciated some message, any message, by the time it came to the church scene, but even that flatlined.
It falls short of any critical thinking, as far as having a message. If there's a "reset", then why did the baby die? If it was "the rapture" then why did two innocent children get left behind? If the message is to save these two so they can grow up in Chicago and eventually repopulate the world, then it seems a sequel should be coming. Whatever, my brain checked out so I wouldn't care enough to watch it.
Not horror, maybe suspense, definitely mislabeled.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Jury's still out on this one
I had to check twice to see if this was a Marvel production. Marvel has officially checked out of all their superhero shows. I absolutely loved all the Avenger-connected movies, and I don't care how cheesy or inaccurate some of them are. But everything lately (Loki, Agent Carter, What If...) is making my head hurt. The ONLY reason I even acknowledge some of them is because the original actors are in some of them. For example, I will watch Tom Hiddleston in just about anything, so I can sit through the Loki series while gritting my teeth.
This She Hulk is just wrong. I'm happy to see Mark Ruffalo in it, but at what cost? He's not all-in, it's like someone blackmailed him to be there. His intonation sounds like he's at home reading his lines and Marvel just dubbed them in. That's a kick in the head. But the girl? She's fine as her regular self. But as Hulk? No way. First, the clothing transition needs to be worked out, it's so out of touch. How in the world does her BRA expand to be Hulk, and her boobs wouldn't be like that because of radiation, would they? And then the hair! Come on. She goes from wavy hair just beneath her ears to straight hair that falls below her shoulders? Sure, if she took time to blow out her hair and use a flat iron, it would be that long and straigh. But through a Hulk transition? Does Bruce's hair do the same? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. And that's just the petty little things I'm pointing out.
The only thing that has kept my interest is that her powers appear to be stronger than Bruce's. I'm intrigued as to how that will go.