Reviews

This show portrays a couple who are making a TV show about real estate investing with a philanthropic angle. Essentially the couple is trying to gentrify an area in New Mexico that is economically depressed. You could say they are trying to turn the area into "Portlandia" by attracting those type of people and ideas. So they buy distressed properties and then upgrade them into politically correct, eco-sensitive, carbon neutral homes and attempt to sell them for profit. The humor comes out in the fact that the couple is absolutely terrible at dealing with people and real estate. It's always a misfire when they attempt to convey their vision and ideas - which turns into a great setup for comedy. The filming is somewhat similar to 'The Office', as if it's sort of documentary. Very original and genuinely funny.

I can't say much good about this. The supposed premise is the main characters grew up in families that were connected to various drug cartels. In reality, only one of the characters has an established link to actual cartels. In places like the Bronx, just about anyone there knows someone dealing drugs and the drugs do originate from organized crime - so it's pretty easy for anyone to claim they are linked to the cartel - and the links in this show are just about that tenuous. So what we have here is a bunch of young people trying to make a name for themselves and get famous but they don't really have a lot going for them. Mostly they are just ordinary people you'd encounter in fringe/hood areas without any special designation. The whole cartel thing is mostly a crock and it's not really cool how it gets weirdly glorified in this show by what seem like posers.

The main point of interest for me in this movie was to see Vietnam. The movie itself in terms of plot is fairly light and predictable. But having traveled to Vietnam myself, I enjoyed seeing the country and culture. The scenery is fairly accurate and resembled my own experience. I would say though that they portray things in a somewhat rosy way. It wasn't highly exaggerated but things were a bit less gritty and more clean than I remembered so they do cast things in a more favorable light than I experienced. It's not a dramatic exaggeration because my experience in Vietnam was very good and there definitely is a lot of beauty there to behold. Vietnam is a wonderful place to visit and the movie does reflect that. But were it not for the Vietnam aspect, this would be a fairly forgettable movie. It's not a bad movie but it's mostly a fluff piece aside from seeing Vietnam.

At times this show is so much like Alone that it seems like a direct and shameless copy. This is true in particular with the setting and how it is filmed and presented. However, Outlast does have significant differences. They focus less on the rudimentary aspects of survival and the personal struggles and instead make it more of a game show, with inspiration drawn from something like Survivor. Where you could actually learn interesting facts and skills about survival in Alone, there is not much of that to be gained from Outlast. Instead Outlast focuses on interpersonal group dynamics and gameplay required to win. Outlast is something of a misnomer because winning gameplay is emphasized as much or more than merely surviving the longest, as with Alone. The show is still interesting but it comes off as being much more choreographed and fluffy. It's quite apparent that camera crew were onsite for filming, and the players don't seem to lose weight and struggle intensely as with Alone. But since Alone hasn't had any new seasons recently, this will do for now.

I tried watching this show and was instantly bored. But it's probably not as bad as it's being made out to be. It's something I could have on in the background while multi-tasking/doing other things. I would be be bored beyond belief if I had to actually sit and watch it and pay full attention. Having said that, it seems to have the same snarky, obnoxious, humor that young people like these days. Actually, to me it was virtually identical to the sort of vibe I got from 'Little Demon', another show I found insufferable, but no better than this show. I think it's just become trendy to trash this show, even though it seems to have been tailor made to its supposed demographic.

This movie satisfies on many different levels. Those expecting a gory action thriller will not be disappointed. At this same time, it manages to weave in a somewhat heartwarming angle about Christmas magic and kindness and revelation. It would almost be an appealing kids movie for Christmas were it not for the action thriller component, which makes it sort of a kids movie for adults. The gore is definitely satisfying and the Christmas stuff is not completely cheesy - it's well developed. The characters are likeable and well played. There's really nothing not to like here if you want a genuine Christmas movie sprinkled with horrific violence and gore and some 'Home Alone' style comedic violence.

This show is quite entertaining but it's definitely not because of any sort of realistic portrayal of mobster life. Everything is simplified and plays out according to stereotypes. The setting with Stallone being in the mafia plays to just about every stereotype of how the mafia gets portrayed in popular culture. The mafia stuff is a little bit like how it's shown in The Sopranos but it's even more reduced to basic stereotypes. And this show is all about glorification of violence. In real life, the behavior and way Stallone conducts himself would quickly lead to his arrest on a multitude of assault charges. But in this show, he's able to simply get through life and find success by throwing a few punches and enacting violence on those who oppose him. So if you view the show like a sort of comic book/superhero affair and put aside any expectations of reality, it can be quite entertaining. I would also say that although Stallone tries to weave in other philosophies such as 'The Art of War', he's basically just going to clobber his way through everything like the Incredible Hulk.

The only reason to watch this movie is if you have a particular attraction to Justin Hartley, who is somewhat of a heartthrob and he is put on generous display. Or I suppose if you just want to want to watch some brainless fluff. Otherwise, it is dull, cheesy and predictable and full of common tropes. It's not a comedy and plays more to the sappy and sentimental side, but does so without a spark. It's just loaded with the type of plot devices you'd expect and then tied together in a clumsy manner with lazy transitions. Literally nothing stands out aside from the hunky Justin Hartley. The whole premise of a man rediscovering his past and discovering love and reconciliation are basically just contrived in order to have a script at all. And the romantic angle is hard to swallow in the context of what is basically a cheating couple.

This movie was probably a big deal when it came out. But by today's standards it is too long and boring. I got bored almost immediately when watching it, and so I fast-forwarded through the first hour and 45 minutes. I genuinely felt like I missed absolutely nothing except a bunch of pointless scenes in the POW camp. The last hour is where everything seems to happen, and even that is somewhat slow-paced. Basically, I think this film has mostly outlived its value.

I enjoyed watching this movie especially because of the beautiful scenery in the Italian farmland. However, the premise comes off a little far-fetched - a young man basically devoting his life to convince a grouchy old writer (Harvey Keitel) to start writing again. Although the old writer could be an amusing character, I didn't think he was likeable on the whole; this makes it harder to care about whether he he wants to write again. So the plot is undermined by the unsympathetic old writer. Aside from that, the lead actress is beautiful but the predictable love story seems mostly cheesy. Overall the idyllic setting helps create a rosy atmosphere with a lot of goofiness that is mostly enjoyable but I don't think this can be considered a great movie.

This film has some nostalgic appeal as a flashback piece and it's somewhat fun to see the cast perform in earlier times. But the story-line is goofy and whimsical in frivolous way that most films no longer are. It's not a raised art of film-making, it's just sort of campy and silly in a way that I found mostly tedious. Maybe some people can appreciate it as an escape to simpler times or find some other appeal but I mostly just found it chaotic, scattered, and unrelatable.

Absolutely amazing film. You start with a protagonist who symbolizes perfection. The movie then deconstructs this carefully curated persona. The cinematography is masterful. I was confused at first because there is a scene where the sister sings and it's painfully long. But I came to understand the film does this because when the subject matter is unpleasant it forces you to watch the entirety of that too. It's a technique. You will understand when you watch it.

People might automatically assume this is some sort of Korean spinoff of the American version of "The Office"; this could not be further from the truth. It's a fairly unique show that is hard to summarize. The setting is a Korean international trade conglomerate that brings in a new group of interns every year. The interns who demonstrate the most ability are then invited to stay as permanent employees, or as long term contractors. Although it's funny at times, the show dives really deep into the business side of things and does not gloss over the trading industry. For someone interested in business, it's quite enlightening. Beyond that, it's culturally very interesting because it's very specific to how business is conducted in Korea with the very clearly defined etiquette and order that every employee must follow. The interns are on the bottom of the office hierarchy and are abused and treated terribly with impunity by all the more senior staff. They are shouted at, humiliated, and expected to perform to exorbitant lengths. This causes a very strong bond among the interns who share one anothers' plight. The inter-personal relationships are very deep in this show, and very nuanced. Each character has a distinct and well developed personality, and the show mixes all of these people together in compelling and interesting ways, as the main focus. It feels like a very realistic office environment, but the characters keep things interesting without much exaggeration. There is some humor, but it's not a comedy, and it doesn't focus on romance - it focuses on the professional side, but it's never boring. The character development is so strong and well portrayed that it's easy to connect emotionally with the characters and immerse yourself in their world.

Obviously movies with pranks and hidden cameras are not new. While this may not be the best of them, it does take everything up several notches with considerably more elaborate and audacious pranks than most similar films. Some of the pranks are gutwrenchingly hilarious, while others drift a bit more. But the underlying story is fairly enjoyable and has a nice level of humanity and bonding to balance out the the wild recklessness. Beyond just doing pranks that shock and appall, the two main characters are really good at delivering humor, especially the deadpan aspects. It's definitely not a family movies or a date night thing, but for just hanging out and having a ball this is great.

I did enjoy this movie but I can't say I understood it or any message it may have carried. My own interpretation is there is a hermit (Dafoe) living in remote Siberia, although it might seem more like sub-Arctic North America. Anyway, probably due to isolation, the hermit has vivid dreams/nightmares that appear as dream sequences interwoven seamlessly with the basic storyline. The dreams are quite varied, and range from serene and peaceful situations to violent pandemonium. Some of the dreams get into philosophical issues and seem to be triggered by memories or life reflections going back to childhood. Beyond that it's hard to say what it all means, as with dream interpretations. Dafoe does well in this role and it's nicely filmed. Some of the scene transitions are abrupt and the sound volume changes could be a little annoying. Overall, it's an artistic film that is experienced more so than watched. I liked it but wasn't left with much to think about or process other than my impressions.

I imagine this movie got low ratings from people expecting a comedy, and I can see how those people would be disappointed. But the movie does serve fairly well as a drama. It's sort of like Fatal Attraction in the sense that things start off normal with consenting adults. But cracks start to appear in the veneer and chaos ensues. It's not as compelling as Fatal Attraction but it's still relatively entertaining to watch the situation unravel. It's also interesting to see how the trust and vulnerability placed in a therapist can be misplaced and abused and manipulated. So not a great movie but passable in an average way.

Probably well made and will appeal to some people with esoteric tastes. It reminds me of a worse version of Ed Wood. Trying to show the golden age of Hollywood and shot in black and white. But to me this movie is worse than staring at a blank screen. The whole vibe propels me to rage. Something about the coy yesteryear thing just made me bored and aggravated.

This is the sort of movie you might watch on an airplane where there tends to be a lot of distractions and something more immersive can be hard to get into. There's nothing exactly wrong with this movie, it's just not that good. The basic problem is they are trying to do sci-fi and comedy at the same time and it essentially under-performs in both. The sci-fi is so far fetched that it's ridiculous, and yet they spend quite a lot of time developing it. It would have worked better if the sci-fi was more like a backdrop and the focus was more on comedy. But the actors involved here, although good, don't really stand out as strong comedians. So the thing really just comes together as a half-baked, made for tv sort of effort.

These movies have a similarity to Fifty Shades of Grey so much that it's almost a blatant copy. The main difference is with some of the character nuances between Gabriel in these movies, and Christian in Fifty Shades. But otherwise they are basically the same thing. Gabriel starts in the first movie as a stern and aggressive person. However, he does undergo a transformation and by the third film he's pretty much a softie. In fact, he's so accommodating to Julia that it's almost overdone - you can even start to question the strength of his character. Christian Grey, on the other had, remains more principled and in those films the female winds up being more accommodating to him, and even embraces his lifestyle at some point. The Fifty Shades movies are higher budget and there is a greater sense of wealth and privilege. But the Dante/Gabriel movies are thematically similar to such an extent that you would probably like them if you are a fan of this genre. I think this third movie in the series is better than the second - in fact, I think the second one could be skipped. The third is a bit more interesting because the couple travels to Italy and there is a bit more going on. But overall this is a fluff piece, it's entertaining but it isn't high caliber artistic film-making. They are mostly just working the formula here but it's watchable.

I don't really comprehend the negative reviews as there is nothing wrong with this film - any rating below a five is unwarranted and unfair, although I am admittedly a fan of the gangster film genre. I could see critiquing some minor points, such as the pacing, but overall this film holds up very well and does a great job of capturing the gang atmosphere without resorting to stereotypes. The characters seem authentic, although the brutality might be somewhat exaggerated. The cartels are obviously extremely cruel and violent but this film takes place in America where in reality the violence is generally less severe. It's about two enforcers who mostly do routine collections but get caught up in an escalating turf war. It's a great street-level perspective on cartels operating in America and a great watch for a fan of such material. As an added bonus, it has a great Latin Rap soundtrack. Those who give it a low rating probably should be watching something else, just as I avoid all the comic superhero movies because I don't like them, although I never claim they are bad.

Great movie with a fairly original idea about a never-married failure who lives with his mom. He is very isolated because her medical needs require his full and constant attention. After failing to get any dates using a video dating service, he eventually finds a VHS tape "Rent-A-Pal" that features a male who purports to be your friend, mixing question and answer dialogue. The main character is dismissive at first, but becomes increasingly drawn to his new friend's charms. Although recently released, the movie does an excellent job of portraying a 1980's style environment. It is a slow burn but there is always enough advancement to keep it interesting, and this allows witnessing the transformation that takes place with the main character.

This movie is really deep. I've had to watch it several times. On the surface you've got two actors in their prime delivering superb acting. This alone qualifies the movie as excellent. But the underlying tone of abuse,narcotics, personalized is extremely complicated and compelling. Must see and rewatch. Underrated gem!

The first movie in the series is better, but that isn't saying much. The high scoring, favorable reviews for this are fake. This is basically the same movie as the first one but watered down a bit. The first was more convincing in portraying the forbidden love between professor and student. This movie plays on the same theme but skips more of the drama and gets more into the sexual tension and romance. It's an embellished female fantasy of having a handsome, wealthy suitor who lavishes attention and fine dining, etc. without having sexual demands in return. There is a LOT of suck face going on, and it gets tiresome after a while. The movie does capture some of the same mood as the first one, so if you particularly liked the first one you might like this. But it mostly just plays like a bad harlequin romance novel.

This movie offers an introduction to the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Unfortunately, the material that it covers is probably well known to most people familiar with abolitionism in America. The movie focuses almost singularly on Harriet's abysmal life as a slave, and concentrates on the standard portrayal of piss and moaning, subjugation, slaves coping by chanting gospel, dehumanization of slaves, the cocky and evil hearted whites involved, and corruption of other black people to help maintain the system of oppression. It's very standard stuff, the way slavery normally is covered in the American media. Sure, there is no denying it, but we've seen 100 of these films that get stuck in the same rut with the material. So this movie brought nothing new, I knew everything it had to offer about Harriet Tubman, and I actually know more. What bothers me, is she is portrayed mostly as an uneducated simpleton with little capacity beyond following her instincts and visions brought, perhaps by brain damage. In a way, I don't feel like it does justice to her character or intellect. I realize she wasn't educated, but this movie makes her seem, dirty, smelly, unlearned, and somewhat dull. It just focuses on the same standard slave narrative without exploring her other achievements such as the people she worked with who were important to the movement like Frederick Douglass or John Brown. It doesn't go into her involvement in the suffrage movement or the Civil War (aside from a footnote). She had a lot more going on than this film even touches on - they just portray her as "barefoot and pregnant", somewhat savage, lucky, and maybe brain damaged. It's the kind of stuff you might learn in a high school history lesson without depth. So at most it just offers a somewhat unsympathetic introduction to her life.

This movie falls into the exploitation category and follows a pack of people who go on spree of murder and mayhem. The premise rediculos and basically involves brainwash by a cult. It reminds of the tv show "The Following" but it's not a good. There are some comedy element but those are pretty few and far between. If you feel like watching some reasonably good looking actors perforn gruesome killing, this works for that but overall it's hard to find many strong suits to this.