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bobbo999
Reviews
Argylle (2024)
Just plain dumb!!
I can't understand how they could've made this mess, I get the actors being in it, they wanna get paid and I guess they were sold on a "spy comedy satire" thing...but this is a MESS!! It kept going from "let's be satirical yet vaguely plausible" to "who cares what we do, they already bought their ticket!!"...and it's drowning in pointless and ridiculous CGI, the cat thing towards the end (since I'm not saying what it is, I don't consider it a spoiler) was just sad...big fan of Sam Rockwell and Bryan Cranston and still, just upsetting to see them in this joyless 150 minute dirge...I'm ok with Bryce Dallas Howard, even though she's a Nepo...& again, always good seeing Samuel L Jackson, but not wasted in this!! This was tedious and unfun and ONLY if you're huge fans of the aforementioned and even would pay to see them poop...which is pretty close to this!!! Also, the music they used was moronic and really kept reinforcing the awfulness as opposed to adding to any actual viewing enjoyment...mostly annoying disco garbage, just not enjoyable whatsoever!!
True Detective: Night Country: Part 6 (2024)
Enough already!!!
Please just stop with this!! The first season, television perfection, was supposed to be a miniseries...but it was so good, HBO got greedy and decided to continue with another story for another season, problem was that the creators had only ONE great story to tell and that's that..,and they keep going back to the well, but the well is bone dry!!! Every successive season has sunk lower and lower with this recent truncated season the worst...and to top it off, they insultingly alluded to a plot point from the first magical season insinuating that this story had something to do with "the yellow king" or "carcosa" or something, repeatedly, only to never explain the connection...because there wasn't one...which is basically called consumer fraud!! Sad to see a great actor like Jodie Foster being roped into this boring dirge...maybe HBO needs to forget this once and for all and work on something new???
The Bear: Fishes (2023)
Contrived and forced, pointlessly filled with "stars"
Still on the fence with this whole series; the pretentious level seems to go up with every episode, and this one takes the cake (pardon the food reference)...it's so loud and manic and FAKE and irritating while trying to be "profound" and "meaningful", etc etc etc...and turns this cheap "flashback" contrivance into a "star studded" migraine headache!! I guess we're supposed to now see the "origins" of these related peoples delightful banter with each other by witnessing it at its archetype, the "family holiday meal"...replete with cameos dropping in like rubbery meatball slices on a domino's pizza!! It's almost like a parody of life, a life that doesn't really exist, couldn't exist without the actual police showing up with a bunch of fresh, crisp new body bags slung over their shoulders!!! Whatever people see in this cloyish mordant mess of storytelling I guess eludes me, and quite frankly, has made me grateful for the actors/writers strike to save us all from yet another season of this hipster annoyance!!!
The Bear: Braciole (2022)
Deus Ex Sauceina????
Ok...so everyone's talking about this show...everyone has an opinion...even the "celebrity chefs" ( yep, I HATE that term!!) are weighing in, like their vaunted little ivory towers of cuisine are being dragged through the mud with this loud, cursey, knock around look at their "realm"...but, hey...it's a TV show...it's "entertainment"...and that it is!! Everyone is a damn "foodie" now (another term I despise...let's just go with the classic "glutton" and be done with it!!)...so it stands to reason this show would pop up now and be as successful as it is...decent acting, compelling stories & the frenetic pace helps of course...but (and here's the BIG BUT kids), I don't think they do this show justice with a weird, contrived solution to one of the main ongoing problems in the storyline...CASH, or lack of it...and to come up with the resolution by having the dead brother thoughtfully stuff tens of thousands of dollars in sauce cans (and then vacuum re-seal them????) is a little bit of a cheap contrivance and loses me, especially when I'm still a bit on the fence for the whole show...BUT (again, a nice big round juice "but")...with the positive aspects of the show I previously mentioned, I'm not giving up, just giving this ep 40 lashes with a wet spatula for the the way too convenient cash in the sauce cans bit!!!
Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1982)
An insult to Vonnegut...& humanity!!!
This is probably one of the worst films ever made based on an amazing book by a master in 20th century literature!! Kurt Vonnegut's SLAPSTICK is a tour de force in literary science fiction and humorous satire...and the latter day, slipping quickly into showbiz irrelevance Jerry Lewis, apparently not long after making a film so bad, The Day The Clown Cried, that even HE has had it permanently locked away FOREVER...he decided to "redeem himself" by trashing a Kurt Vonnegut classic novel!! So the "joke" of this awful film is that it's based on about 5% of the book (and Lewis's take in that 5%!!), so if you even saw the film, then read the book, you'd probably say, WTF WAS THAT (in reference to the garbage 2 hours that was stolen from your life!!)??? Without belaboring the point, please please please, don't waste your precious time on this steaming pile of infected feces...read the book, and feel for the soul of the great Madeline Kahn, who somehow got roped into this dog and maybe (maybe!!) had something to do with her sad untimely demise (prob not, but I'd like to think so!!)!! Hopefully Jerry Lewis is now somewhere in Hell doing schtick for a bored Hitler & Stalin for this, the clown thing, and a bunch of his other later crappy flicks!!!
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Just tons of stupid fun!!
Ok, I know you're gonna think I'm crazy, but I loved this film!! Is it some bizarre crypto Scientology recruitment film?? Probably!! Does it star a lot of closeted (and not so closeted!) members of a cult?? Yes?? But....if you just take it on a bizarre almost comedic level, it's just a fun rollercoaster of silly sci-fi fun!!! The basic story is fairly standard...1000 years after humanity is succumbed to alien overlords, a lone figure rises above to inspire what's left of humanity to fight back. So, I'm guessing most of the criticism comes from the SCIENTOLOGY thing (trust me, I'm no fan of any religion/cult/whatever!!), and many cases of preposterous "deus ex machina" ridiculousness, like 1000 year old fighter jets working perfectly right away, but in film, there used to be the concept of "suspension of disbelief", you know, the time before CGI when hubcaps on fishing wire made for dandy invading spacecraft?? So on that level, this film has lots of just plain goofy weirdness to keep you engaged and shaking your head quite a bit!! Also, the actors, again mostly Scientologist, seemed to be sorta in on the joke and had fun overacting here and there, especially what I'm going to say was one of John Travolta's BEST ROLES EVER!!! As the head "psychlo", he literally tore up the screen with insane overacting and bellicosity...it's hysterical!! He's the best thing in it, along with his aid-de-camp Forrest Whittaker as another goofball psychlo and Barry Pepper as the chiseled chinned savior figure.... THIS IS A FUN STUPID MOVIE...try this...get your pals together with lots of pizza, beer, shots of some yummy liquor...watch and turn it into a drinking game!! Every time travolta overacts, down a shot...FUN!! Btw, this movie BEGS for the Rocky Horror "treatment"...someone get on that!! So please, ignore the negative bleatings from the sci-fi "purists" and just give this big plump delicious overstuffed turkey a whirl...but don't forget the pizza and booze!!!
Coneheads (1993)
The BEST adaptation of an SNL bit!!
I will NEVER understand the ignorant hate for this GREAT and entertaining movie!! With a great cast, wonderful script and perhaps also the film role Dan Aykroyd was born to play, Coneheads is a fun, endearing film that moves along smoothly with so many great moments and laughs which is essentially an "origins" story of the "Conehead" families experience on Earth from crash landing to blending in and flourishing within human society while starting a family and successful driving school!! Great performances from Michael McKean, Dave Thomas, Jane Curtain, the late Chris Farley, Jan Hooks & Phil Hartman, etc...I just love this film!! I'm thinking that much of the derision may come from the mindset that it's yet another "derivative" effort churned out by the SNL machine, which is unfortunate, because in so many ways this is far better than any of the source material bits; just a fun overall film with a nice message of a fathers love for his family and the lengths he goes to protect them...who would hate that??? So please, do yourself a favor...if you've never seen it and base your opinions on others belching, just give it a whirl...you won't be sorry!!
White Noise (2022)
A forced mess of pointlessness!!!
I dunno, maybe I'm stupid!! Maybe as a child, I dined on steaming bowls of lead paint chips that occluded any possible synaptical response to true genius...if that's the case, then this epic opus of enlightenment and insight would just pass me by like a just missed bus leaving the stop as I'm huffing and puffing in anger in a plume of diesel exhaust that my legs just couldn't muster enough force to catch it...but, that's just not the case!!! I didn't eat paint chips, my synapses bridge just fine...and this lurid mess of a flick was just a disjointed exercise in mental bilious regurgitation!! It's was like an early woody Allen character (driver) falls into a cross between a Troma film and the final project of an NYU graduate film student...and that's NOT a compliment!! Plodding, directionless, derivative, disjointed, uneven, messy, pretentious, BORING...where else shall I go??? At this point, you're probably wondering why I even gave it a 3, I did out of deference to the poor actors who chose to work in this dreck...and a 3, a 1...not much difference, right??? Bottom line, don't waste your time!!
Santa in Animal Land (1948)
A little creepy but very sweet with a message of kindness!!
Wow, how cynical and snarky we've all become to trash this simple and a little creepy (I say that with a chuckle too) xmas short from only a few years after the world fought a war that killed 50 million+ people...a short film that has a wonderful message for the season...that everyone matters and kindness for everyone is always best!! It's Christmas and the animals are excited to hang their stockings for Santa Claus to come and film with gifts for them, but then they realize that Santa doesn't bring gifts for them, only children. So two set out to find out why Santa has turned his back on them only to find st nick ready to make one of them, kitty kat, the official Santa for animals, much to the delight of their friends back home. And, when kitty kat receives a gift, a live mouse to chase around, instead of that and surprising the frightened mouse, he gives the mouse a gift of cheese instead!! Call me stupid or whatever, but in 2022 and with everything going on, I think messages of inclusion and kindness resonate even more now than ever...and children (and adults too!!) everywhere should watch this and learn that valuable lesson!!
American Horror Story: Requiem 1981/1987: Part 1 (2022)
Just depressing and not enjoyable whatsoever
Look, I was in nyc at the time and we all know how horrible the AIDS crisis was, how that jerk Reagan wouldn't even say "AIDS", how it was the "gay" plague...but this is supposed to be a horror show and if the "horror" here was some kind of misplaced political message, c'mon guys!! This whole episode wasn't scary or weird or anything like that...it was just sad and depressing and really brought down this misfire of a season, I don't even think I'm going to bother with the last episode!! Again, I remember the horror of this time & it sucked but didn't really need to be reminded of it during an "entertainment" show about fantasy horror...read the room guys!!
American Horror Stories: Milkmaids (2022)
Just gross!!!
Ok, sorta a fan of AHS, these "one-offs" have been mostly eh, but this one was just patently gross...squirting pustules are just a bit much, and there should've been a warning because I WAS EATING DINNER WHEN THAT STARTED...note, I said I WAS eating dinner!! The story was again, meh...and the grossness did nothing but make things worse...thanks a lot, and where do I send the bill for a ruined meatball parmigiana hero???? Btw, IMDB is FORCING me to write more because there's a 600 character minimum (oh joy), so the cannibalism also didn't help but slight kudos to some minor hot lesbianism...ok, am I done?? Can I go now please????
Better Call Saul: Breaking Bad (2022)
Bulls & bears make money, pigs get slaughtered
So another very good "last" episode with the very "nonchalant" payoff we've all be waiting for...the Goodman/White/Pinkman meeting...but the bigger news is what's happening now...Saul's bored and back in the criminal game, building a crew and getting sloppy!! BB/BCS have never been about over moralization in my opinion...I've always see WW & SG as iconic "antiheroes"...giving the millions who live lives of quiet desperation a way out of the humdrum banality of playing by the rules while the world is mired in seas of corruption...a stab at the goddamn judeo-Christian ethic which is like a straight jacket around the psyche of the animal mankind that goes against its base nature to follow some madman's conceptualization of what "doing the right thing" is...but in this antepenultimate episode we see an unhinged Saul greedily consuming his prey with reckless abandon to the point of possibly exposing himself to the law!! He has to try to finally contact Kim who could easily have wiretaps on her phone, he tries to victimize a sick person and when one in his crew feels it's a bit much, he fires him (keep your friends close & potential enemies closer??) & then willy nilly goes after the prey himself in a haphazard and unbalanced way...so I'm saying is this then leading to the ultimate downfall of Saul?? Is Vince Gilligan taking the last brush stroke of his masterpiece to paint even a tiny comeuppance for our favorite "criminal" attorney? Two episodes left...I'm still hoping for a "off into the sunset" ending, but we'll see...
Better Call Saul: Fun and Games (2022)
HE IS NOW 100% SAUL!!
Ok, first...NO SPOILERS (real or fake)...but this was an AMAZING & actually pivotal episode which brings the complete transmogrification of Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman (not a spoiler because we all knew this was gonna happen!!)!! So the show is in its final stages of extruding itself into Breaking Bad and if you haven't seen this one yet, buckle your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!! PS...so after what I wrote, I listed this "with spoilers" because that transmogrification comment could sorta be construed as a "spoiler"....and I don't want to ruin anyone's good time...but what an episode, especially the last few minutes...huh???
Criminal Minds: And in the End (2020)
Boy that was a buzzkill!!
So for any show to last 323 episodes and remain even vaguely watchable towards the end is a miracle....but the last few episodes really greased the skids for putting this doggy to sleep!! Aside from the drippy huggy crap, the thing that bugged me the most about this was the fact that couldn't Rossi just put a bullet in the bad guys head without blowing up the $50 million Gulf Stream??? Seems to me they'd all be benched by the FBI brass for such a dumb move...but whatever, it's over finally!!
How It Ends (2018)
How I ended up wasting 2 hours of my life!!
Are you ever bored, searching Netflix for some mindless movie to make you forget, well, all the crap going on...and you skip through titles and then inexplicably land on one that turns out to be so boring & awful it actually makes you WANT to turn on the news?? Well, this is THAT movie!! A pointless stream of drivel that will actually hurt your head...a never revealed apocalypse of some kind with typical stupid people doing stupid things, and trying to be all galant and helpful to the myriad of others who turn on them because they're the stupid saps that tried to "help" them!! That's it, I really don't want to waste another minute of my life on this dog...just watch a test pattern instead, go bowling, play yahtzee with a neighbor you've never spoken to before...anything instead of this suckfest!!!!
Star Trek: Discovery: Coming Home (2022)
That ending...lol!!!!
So yes, I was watching this season with some eye rolls with the amount of.....for lack of a better term and for clarity...."wokeism"...but two things: one...let's just ask ourselves, WWGRD...do I have to spell out?? As many fans have also pointed out, TOS was probably the first progressive/woke tv show EVER...dealing with racism, politics, anti-war, etc...Gene Roddenberry was WAY ahead of his time telling great stories and using them as teachable moments to address current issues in American life at the time....and even though it's a bit more "in your face" in STD-4, I do believe Gene would've approved!! And TWO.... Stacy Abrams as president of United Earth?? LOVED IT!!! Not only was it a great little surprise, and again, Gene would've also loved it, the fact that it probably created such a huge collective groan from the "haters" that that alone was worth the price of admission!!! So, the underlying story for the season was ok, sorta standard trek fare, I was going to give the overall season a 7 for that and some of the aforementioned over the top "you know".....but the Stacy Abrams casting was genius and it also reminded me once again what Gene Roddenberry really brought to American television, popular culture and to the conversations we have about our nation and society in general with Star Trek!!
Better Call Saul: Plan and Execution (2022)
WOWWWWWW!!!!
No spoilers...but an insane roller coaster the entire episode that culminates in a confluence of storylines with a jaw dropping finale!! I mean, MY MOUTH WAS WIDE OPEN...HOLY MOLEY!!! I cannot WAIT for the final seven to begin in July...how amazing is this show that we all know what happens BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO HOW IT ALL HAPPENS!!!
The Blacklist: Caelum Bank (No. 169) (2022)
WOW!!
Death, betrayal, accusations, lies, deception, a classic episode in the best tradition of The Blacklist!!!! This season started off a little slow but has sped up to warp speed and I can't wait for the two part conclusion coming up over the next 2 weeks!!!
The Blacklist: The Bear Mask (2022)
Snore
Hate to join the haters...but an aram episode is going to be a buzzkill...especially with his cloyish Boy Scout attitude about leading the team....even the previously Boy Scout Ressler has been thoroughly broken by now!! Now, I don't hate the character and certainly like the actor, but this wasn't a fun episode and hopefully the next 3 will more than make up for it!!!
The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022)
This is really very good!!!
It's sad that people are giving bad ratings for reasons that have NOTHING to do with this show, which so far has been very good with some excellent promise!! A continuation of the story from the original film with David Bowie...& Chiwetel Ejiofor is a wonderful actor and great in this!! Looking forward to more episodes!!!
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Sorta depressing retread of original with kids!!!
Title says it all...all the magic, greatness and humor of the first two was beaten out and replaced with a small town "tween" exercise in "why bother"?? With the death of Harold Ramis it was obvious it was going to be tough to recreate the original energy and all...and initially it looked like it had some promise...but way too much put on the shoulders of unknown kids and not the true draws to the franchise...Aykroyd, Murray, Hudson, Ramis (although they all do show...finally, albeit with a tinge of sadness)...and took way too long to get going, and basically going the way of practically the plot of the first film! Carrie Coons is always fine with not a lot for her to do here, same with Paul Rudd...didn't WC Fields say you should never act with small pets or kids??? So for diehard fans, give it a whirl for the eventual entrance of the people you really want to see, but expect a long slog on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to get there!!!
The Blacklist: The Chairman (No. 171) (2022)
A huge nugget of the truth finally??
Great episode....but at the end Harold Cooper told keens kid that Reddington was indeed HER GRANDFATHER....so it this the absolute first and forever confirmation that he was keens father???? Anywho, a great episode with a "criminal" stock market (if you think most stock markets aren't criminal....lol)...enjoy!!!
The Blacklist: Arcane Wireless (No. 154) (2022)
HE'S BAAAAACK!!!!
RED IS BACK!! Look, we all love Reddington/James Spader, but yes, the show has been chugging along on a blown cylinder this season (not awful but definitely lacking!), but boy, kudos to producers/writers for still having some big juicy rabbits to haul out of a few still shiny top hats...this was CLASSIC Reddington!!! His people in trouble, a multi-layered bad guy with more bad guys and Reddington ever the puppet master over all!! No spoilers here but this was the amuse bouche we all needed and I especially implore the "truly recently dissatisfied" fans to give this carnival of RED a whirl...you won't leave disappointed!!
Inventing Anna (2022)
Overall a fun watch
Not perfect but enjoyable about 21st century "gilded age II" greed & fakery....best is Julia Garner as the lead with that purposely laughable accent and Anna Chlumsky as her "biographer"....some annoying pacing & would still like to know what was real & what was "embellished"...nevertheless, some fun TV definitely!!
Sword of Trust (2019)
Slightly moronic??
I mean, I'll admit that I'm not a fan of Marc Maron...overrated whiney annoying comedian...and his podcast is overrated too!! So this little film has sort of a promising premise but the script is pretty maronesquely whiney and meandering...I sorta forced myself to watch the whole damn thing but definitely something to skip totally...only bright spot was Dan Bakkedahl as the kingpin...loved him in veep and he adds a little color to an overall drab production!!!