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L.A. Confidential (1997)
Suspense. Mystery. Twists. Nostalgia. Star-studded cast and an excellent plot.
One of the rare mystery and suspense movies that you do not guess the end from early on. GREAT cast and great performances from Crowe, Basinger, Pearce, DeVito and Spacey. It is well worth the two hour run time. The first half is mostly set up, but still manages to be captivating. An instant classic and just as entertaining in 2023 as it was in 1997.
The 1950s setting is a great visual background for this movie, the scenes are nostalgic and cool but they don't lay it on too thick. Its hard to avoid seeming tacky when doing a 1950s Hollywood setting but they manage it well.
Cannot recommend this film highly enough.
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2006)
The single funniest comedy act I have ever seen.
Big fan of stand up, this is the single funniest comedy act I have ever seen.
It is hard to call it stand up, it is not just him standing in front of a mic telling zingers. It is him mostly on piano the whole show sharing with you a peak inside is hilarious, self-aware yet sometimes self-loathing mind. There is dark humor, there is witty humor, there is eccentricity that makes you laugh, there are audience interactions that make you cringe (seemingly intentionally) and parts that make you jealous you weren't in the room. It is electric!
I cannot recommend this special highly enough. It has been over 15 years from its release and I still have not laughed harder at a comedy act. Truly brilliant!
Tom Segura: Sledgehammer (2023)
Hard to call this comedy or special.
I have been a fan of Segura for about a decade, and this is probably the most let down I have ever been by a special.
Its tough to really even call this comedy. At no point did I laugh audibly and only at a few points did I even grin.
It is mostly benign stories about things his little kids did or said, the kind of comedy I would expect from a late 90s Jeff Foxworthy set, not a modern comedy special. The "funniest" part was a totally unoriginal bit about giving his mom a THC edible. Predictable, unoriginal, heard that bit from 100 different comedians, friends, podcasts, etc.
The majority of the special, the cloud is generous, offering "clap-ter" even when bits bomb. Its hard to even identify what were the punchlines or what he thought would have made people laugh about what he is saying. He goes so slow it seems like maybe he thought he was going to get more applause than he got and at several times I legitimately cringed.
I think this may be the result of a comedian losing touch with what is funny, what got them their audience, and just playing to crowds that are there to see them, love their youtube channel, and are just happy to be in a room with them.
I recommend skipping this one, you aren't missing anything.
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs (2023)
Another great special from Gillis, one of the best specials of 2023.
Super original material but the same dumb, observant, timeless and self deprecating humor as his previous special. His trump impression is great and the stories and bits from his life are all hilarious. I love the way he handles taboo subjects, he does so with the innocence of a child and the gracefulness of your idiot friend. When I first heard about Shane Gillis and when I first listened to his material and podcast, I did not like him. But, his stand up is downright funny and he has become someone who I will automatically watch whenever he puts out new stand up material.
Too many specials lately, like Segura's, Chapelle's etc are just not funny. They come off as whiny, out of touch, unrelatable. They try to make big social points or rebuff political/social stances. NONE of that here. Just jokes, just laughs, nothing offensive and nothing annoying. Highly recomend, its one of the best of the year.
Nick Mullen: The Year of the Dragon (2023)
Hilarious, a rare re-watchable comedy special. One of the best of 2023.
A very good special. I don't normally finish a special and know I will re-watch it sometime but this is one of those rare ones. There was never really a low-point and not very many long drawn out set up. Just funny premises that often make you wonder where he is going with this, then punchlines that make you laugh and even a bit relieved he didn't go another way because some of it is a bit edgy. Its probably not for an older audience but I would recommend for most people under 50.
You will definitely see viral clips of this special for years to come, so go ahead and watch it and be the one sharing it not the one in the comment section asking what its from.
Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal (2023)
Very good! Dirty but likeable, common themes but unique perspective
If you have a silly side, if you just wanna laugh, I recommend this special. It isn't about some big political issue, he doesn't pontificate about social issues or the future of his country, he's just funny, silly, and tells good stories. I love his vibe and he has good comedic timing. Relatable, but maybe more for a younger audience like under 40. He has a really funny self awareness and most of it is pretty self deprecating.
The material itself is very original despite talking about some common general themes like airport experiences and gaining weight. However his perspective and ability to work blue while still being likeable make it unique.
Andrew Schulz: Infamous (2022)
The guy from high school who didn't mature at all now has a special
Schultz can best be described as that idiot from high school who thought he was smarter and cooler than everyone who is now in his 40s and still making the exact same jokes he did 25 years ago.
I was relatively unfamiliar with Shultz when I decided to watch the special, but had heard his name before and heard he was an up and coming comedian. Ultimately, I think he probably needs more time to figure out what is funny and what is just funny to his friends because I did not laugh one time. In fact, he laughed at his special a lot more than I did, never a great sign. The material is neither funny nor relatable, neither witty nor thoughtful, and the performance all in all felt amateurish.
The jokes aren't really jokes and his act is more of a shtick or style than it is jokes and being funny. Sort of like how Dane Cook wouldn't really tell jokes but would weave silly sayings into comedic stories, only this special is far less funny. The topics themselves were played out and unoriginal and he certainly doesn't cover any new ground within them.
Hard pass.
Traffic (2000)
Needs another 20 mins or so, but very good film
With all of the story lines, it would have been nice to have a more lasting ending. The Wakefield story line gets wrapped up pretty conclusively, and I enjoyed the artistic choice in the other story lines, but I personally would've like more finality.
Del Toro absolutely deserved best supporting actor. His performance was outstanding and at times I wished the movie was all about his story line. Cheadle and Zeta-Jones also had outstanding performances in their roles. I did not enjoy Topher Grace's character and thought the story could have been better with less of him, but his character seemed to be there to show how self-involved people are despite the larger problems around them--a concept that was also explored through Wakefield's chief of staff/assistant at work as well as through the problems in the Wakefield marriage.
Very good movie, boarding on great. Very much worth the watch.
Tim Dillon: A Real Hero (2022)
was a HUGE fan of Tim Dillon for a time, this special is average
Its a funny comedy special, don't get me wrong, but its not one that you will re watch or texts your friends to watch, etc. Tim is funny and if you are into dark humor you should check this special out. Tim has a cult like following from his podcast and from doing other podcasts like Joe Rogan's, so I think that maybe he plays in front of friendly crowds too often or maybe wasnt ready for a special material-wise but knew he had enough viewers to go ahead and cash in because the jokes in this special don't have the same bite as some of Dillon's other works. Still better than the Gringo Papi tho so that's something.
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Its a vibe with a great ending
If you like spooky stuff but not jump scares, tension but not slasher or monster movies, and scary movies about old time religion but not exorcisms or haunted dolls, then this is a great film for you. The tension builds so much that at times I was yelling at my screen. Its not the shining, but there is a little bit of a twist in the movie and you will want to stick around for the full film.
Lastly, the acting performances are terrific. There are some recognizable faces, mostly ATJ in the leading role and her moth who I believe was on Game of Thrones, but the entire cast knocks it out of the park.
Amsterdam (2022)
Confusing pace, confusing plot, confusing charachters
Its hard to recommend watching this film, something I did not expect writing when I sat down to watch it myself. As a rule I will generally watch anything that Anya Taylor Joy is in, or anything Bale is in, or anything David O. Russel makes. Mike Myers, Taylor Swift cameo, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Malek, Deniro... I could go on and on with recognizable actors but none of them make this film any more watchable. Most of the characters are either poorly written or poorly portrayed and at times it is hard to tell which. I really wanted to like this film, I really like the actors and director, but the plot is all over the place, the pace is all over the place and I cannot in good faith recommend it to anyone.
Dark Waters (2019)
A good movie with some critiques
Very good movie and very important film. I thought the Ruffalo-Hathaway relationship was terrific, as well as the dynamics between each and Robbins' character. They could have gone a bit more heavy handed on some things at times, and there were some odd/superfluous scenes, but all in all this is a good watch.
I am actually a lawyer from that area and could really feel the emotion behind the script and behind Ruffalos performance. One quick note, I know Ruffalo was in spotlight, a somewhat similarly themed docu-movie, around the same time. Cinematically, this is not on the same tier as spotlight. It is not as long, the cast is not as strong beyond Robbins, Hathaway and Ruffalo, and at times its just not as good. So if you saw spotlight, loved it and thought "oh, he (Ruffalo) is in another investigative, true story drama?" Well, yes but this is a very diff3erent movie.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
As good as the first
Just as perfect as the first. It is a bit long, but there are multiple storylines and there are plenty of places where the movie pauses and you can take a break.
The Godfather (1972)
One of the best films I have ever seen
Could not recommend higher. Does not matter your age, background, etc. And it is not nearly as long as I expected. Sonny as a character and James Cann performance are terrific and reason enough to watch it. Al Pacino is terrific. Duvall an Brando are great.
The Gringo Papi (2022)
Not nearly as bad as the reviews say, definitely some laughs
Objectively, its funny but has some long breaks between laughs and the closer seems like it could be reworked to be a little funnier. That being said, in terms of being better than his previous special, its night and day. I thought the first 8 minutes was really good, the next 8-9 minutes was average and he goes a little too hard at his family but nothing crazy, the last 8 minutes was above average but the closing punchline could have been better. When it ended, I felt like he was just hitting his rhythm. I was pleasantly surprised and would have watched for another 25 minutes.