Reviews

This is the manufactured story of Matt Shepherd who was cruelly murdered. But it was not by total strangers as alleged in this episode. Matt was gay and a drug user and drug dealer and HIV+. The man who killed him was one of his lovers--both having been male escorts at times-- and a partner in drug dealing. Matt's partner, McKinney, believed Matt had access to a valuable drug shipment and planned to get his hands on it. That was the motive for the savagery that led to death. The murderer (there were actually two) should have gotten a death penalty. The trial & evidence held by the DA is ignored by those covering up the sad truth which would be a warning to those who live high risk life styles. The true story is more fascinating, nail biting, and sad than this well intended fiction. Read the book, or catch an interview with the DA.

Started a little slow but picked up and I looked forward to it weekly. I liked that the Natives were basically the same as everyone else in their lives, their plans, quirks, mischief. Lots of Native flavor, but no pandering or pushing some guilt agenda into our faces, or whining about being done wrong. The funniest scene in the whole series was two Native guys from different tribes being competitive--like guys do--a each asserting that their tribe did something best and that included how to make fire. They challenged each other and each did it the way of their ancestors and even started the familiar Native chant. It was clever, entertaining, and funny because everyone could see themselves in that. Sigh. Jana Schmieding is a great talent, but her elocution is so poor. She's hard to understand with her voice antics. Yes, elocution lessons for her so she can be intelligible. Almost everyone else spoke excellently. I miss this show and would love watching how the story unfolds. Dang!

I've mostly enjoyed this series in an up and down flow. Some good characters, quirky stuff which was fun. The Indians breaking a curse, and their singing a song that was NOT native but some pop song. The ghost warrior was a highlight. Some episodes not so great. Really don't think that chatting about shagging needed to so graphic, or even brought up. This episode was just icky with the crystal male genitalia for women to buy in different sizes. And did they really have to be shown. Just not appealing. It's not clever. It's icky. Good writers can do better. The most annoying thing was the poor delivery of dialogue, often unintelligible. Seriously, take some elocution lessons--seriously! Anyway, the crystal "male equipment" for women made me turn it off forever.

This is the first one I really really really didn't enjoy. Most of it is getting high, promoting drugs and getting high, and inviting a teenage to help himself to Judy's edible pot goodies and getting high. Really? The writers couldn't find anything interesting that forwards the story line and delivers a few plot twists? Nothing at all? Then there is Judy's "alternate" excessive love life just killing time--my time I'll never get back. All the while, Jenn is bedding Ben in her house with kids present also just killing time. All so sleazy and not necessary. We call this "filler" like when there is something called "food" but mostly it's just non-nutritious filler. Like that. Nothing is redeeming about this episode, not even the 3 second "discovery" by the black officer--like we couldn't see that from a mile away. This show better pick up and deliver like it used to. PS We know exactly how this show will end because every one of these shows/movies with dying lead actors end this one way. So boooooorrrrrrring.

All well acted. Very entertaining. Must remember that the "facts" are novelized and subject to bias and invention aka literary license to communicate whatever message or slant is wanted. As expected, Tripp is pretty much blamed for orchestrating the entire series of events that led to impeachment like a Svengali. Big stretch. No blame on Clinton nor on Monica. Yet, what brought the legal system down on Clinton's head was his perjury, obstruction of justice, and failure to pay taxes. All he ever had to do was own-up and take the arrows like a man. He would have survived just fine. SCOTUS UNANIMOUSLY 9-0 stated he could be sued by Paul Jones and the ball became a speeding train. Tripp had nothing to do with the Jones case nor with the SCOTUS decision, but the story piled on Tripp. Writers made sure everyone hated her by the end.

Much was left out. Bill lied to his Sec of State and Cabinet who then went out in front of the press and said he was innocent. Vernon Jordan was furious at Clinton for sending him this hot potato (Monica) without warning of what was barreling down the pipeline. Hillary was too unbelievably sympathetic. Too much time wasted trying to convince us of Bill's deep never ending love for Hillary. Do we really believe she fell for his smarm? No, in real life her ambition drove her not Bill's abiding love nor his appeal for her help. Not covered was how Bill and Monica worked hard to get Tripp to lie which would get her prison time. They were just fine throwing her under the bus. Tripp saved Monica from that fate. EVERYONE knew Clinton was doing Monica and it was all coming out anyway. Tripp saved herself and Monica from the Clinton machine of utter destruction. Monica should be grateful.

Monica was also way too sympathetic, too naive. Did she have no clue that flashing a known leche and married man was asking for disaster? Oh, her troubled life blah blah. As long as the show covered so much of their sex life, why leave out that Monica introduced Clinton to phone sex and gifted him a book on it--so she claims? Real Monica is a producer on the series. I'm betting she was portrayed in a manner pleasing to her to secure her show involvement. There was certainly plenty of her pathetic endless whining about her sorry and tragic life which pretty much sums up Monica's lifelong manipulation of others.

As for the actual impeachment, I'd like to have seen something on each charge and conviction, the legal stuff. And how did Clinton's coaching of his secretary Betty to lie pan out? A couple details, please.

Actress for Monica didn't look enough like her. Monica is gorgeous and voluptuous and still is. Actress was adequately attractive but really too heavy. HUGE bosom was emphasized to almost a deformity. Actress did do a terrific job in the role written for her. In real life, these infamous mistresses often have an epiphany and redeem themselves. Monica has not. She continues as expert whiney victim. And now she got to play that out for millions in this series.

If you have the Starr Report and followed the true history in real time, you can catch much misinformation and slant. That actually makes it easier to enjoy the series. I binged watched and got a kick out of it. Thus my 8 stars. Not for total accuracy but for entertainment.

I started as a super fan from the first episode, but stuff happened to dampen my enthusiasm. Baby Yoda was given a bizarre name then was handed off to that whiney effeminate Luke Skywalker. Really, did anyone really take him for a warrior type? Then Gina Carano was unceremoniously dumped from the cast for political reasons. As one wit said brilliantly, "Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi.... She played a woman who kicked ass & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her." She was a favorite character and the show loses luster with her gone. I know my husband misses her already. Anyone notice her character still shows up in parades featuring Star Wars? Then Pascal had to make social comments that I could understand up to a very limited point. Now he has lost his glow.

So no baby Yoda; No Cara Dune; Luke is back--big meh. What other damage will be done? I don't eagerly await a new season. I often forget there will be one. Maybe I should just keep the memory of the good times on The Madalorian like it's a beloved dead relative.

Don't get the few sour reviews. This was hilarious, a classic. The aunt's send off is a clip on youtube with over 8,000,000 views. This episode should be a 10 for everyone. Paul Liberstein episode are always outrageously funny. We just may watch this series yet again.

First, I did not catch all the dialogue because the "music/noise" was so loud it drowned out some of the words. I hate having to back up to try to relisten in hopes of catching the words, so I don't. And my high tech TV emphasizes the voices and I still couldn't catch everything. Next, just who are these people! They must be identified when they first appear and a couple times more along the way. Waiting until the end was not useful. Turn down, or off, the music/noise. Next, tell us who is speaking. These should be givens in any docu or movie or TV show, etc. I did give it a high rating anyway. I love the subject and it's a critical piece of work for the ages to educate. What I now appreciate is that two of Black men have since passed away and Larry has preserved them in this docu. They both deserve to be studied for generations. There are a couple other aged geniuses who will now live forever and be studied as well they should. Since I follow this issue, and follow Larry and others of his stature, I already know much of this. Still, it was great to watch them in this format and this docu will join my library of great film education.

Why is Bill Clinton one of the commenters? I never once heard he has any cred as a historian. Then there is the attempt to elevate Obama in stature by saying Washington, like Obama and Gerald Ford, was raised by a single mother. Nice try. Washington was raised by his widowed mother from age 11. Gerald Ford's parents split but at age 3 he had his stepfather in the home so he not only had a father but took his name. Obama was raised by a divorced mother because Obama rotten drunken bigamous father abandoned her and Barry when Barry was quite small. Then she married again but soon sent Barry to be raised by her parents. All very different. This series has a bias and agenda. Hate that.

No documentary can cover every point in the life of anyone, nor the events surrounding that life. Read books, lots of books, if you want that. But much is covered very well. Some bios make it sound like he was a poor-ish fortune hunter who married an old very wealthy widow for her money. No, it was a marriage of equals. She was only 2 years older at 28. His family was very well off and he continued to grow that fortune as well as his wife's fortune. He was a folk hero and a rock star socially and a good catch. It was a good match.

I liked best the presentation of the events that formed him as the force that would aggressively lead the country out of onerous submission to a violent England to be the nascent superpower of the world. THAT journey is the best part of this first third of the series which is all I've watched so far.

I expected a very good film--I'm an Eastwood fan. But this film will haunt me. Hauser was compelling, not a single misstep. He recreated Jewell's mind, temperament, life. Showed that genius and decency does not necessarily come in a slick package. Hauser/Jewell was eminently likable and still drew sympathy. Visually he was not an imposing man, not your usual hero. His alleged personality traits came to be treasured. As his character was developed and exposed, we came to believe in him, trust him. willing to follow him. The lib Hollywood will never give this actor the recognition he deserves--it's up to the viewers.

Every performance was terrific. I loved hating Kathy Scruggs (by Olivia Wilde). I detested her, despised her. I hoped she would get hers and that I could be there when it happened. It was claimed she never got over the event (see the movie). What is known is she never redeemed herself for her role in the terrible persecution of Jewell. Some say she never got over it--that's on her. She died 5 years later of drug(s) overdose. It was undetermined if it was suicide or accidental. Olivia Wilde certainly deserves kudos for her performance.

As for the attorney Watson Byrant (Lucian Lincoln "Lin" Wood Jr. in real life) played by Sam Rockwell--he made me cringe. Scary guy. But he was not distracted by red herrings. He checked facts then went full throated defender of Jewell. No mercy. I soon wanted to hire this guy--I just need the cause to justify it.

If you love this issue, or if you love excellent and nuanced performances--or both--you will enjoy this movie. The time flew by and the audience clapped at the end.

As usual, Travolta dominated the screen. He is excellent. He has said he enjoys creating characters. He chooses hair style. He came up with the in Pulp Fiction do, now iconic. He is a good mimic. He studies his subjects. Really a brilliant talent. Who knew where he would go from Welcome Back, Kotter. I loved his likeable private eye character here. Not over the top with booze and sleaze as so many "down and out" PI characters are. He was more like down to earth. Would not mind seeing a series of Carter Phillip Film Noir films. I liked that there were very few F bombs, nothing worse, and no porn. Sorry, that's what so much film has become. That, and liberal social issues which is BOOOORRRRRING and insulting. That stuff screams, "I have no writing talent."

I noticed how fit he is. He does not walk or run like a 65 y/o, and he is trim. He may not be the fitness buff that Tom Cruise is, but he obviously takes care of himself.

The score was very good and fit well. I fault it only for being too loud in some places. Same with the loud annoying ambient jarring noise that steps all over the dialogue. Watch old movies. Actors were taught elocution. You always could hear and understand them. No muttering, no dropped voices, no blasting background noise that becomes the foreground focus. Time to relearn that lesson, Hollywood. Are the writers so bad you have to cover their characters with noise? Heavy accents are the same flaw. If I can't easily hear and understand the actors, I lose interest. I've dumped many a TV show for that.

No words for Brendan Fraser and his character. Could not take my eyes off him. It's like you have to watch a train wreck but you enjoy it.

Travolta's Daughter deserves honorable mention. Smallish but critical role. She did her Dad proud!

The others were all good, but none will be memorable like Travolta character will be. He was a force of nature in GOTTI, too. Well, OK, Brendan's character may live on. Just don't have a good enough description for it.

Travolta is still good looking. He is aging well like Clint Eastwood. They really need to do a movie together.

I love Film Noir and this one holds up well. I think it will have a cult following and endure.

Theater was packed. Some laugh-out-loud parts. Clapping at the end. What is wrong with the critics??

All the raves about Travolta are justified. I expect him to do a great character but was thrilled at how terrific he is as Gotti. I never felt he was portraying Gotti, I felt he was Gotti. This movie did not glorify Gotti. Ridiculous claim. It showed he could seduce shallow people, like Al Capone did. Still happens with today's gangsters/rappers. So that was included in the movie. So what. Doesn't glorify Gotti. And so he had a wife and 5 kids he loved. And that "humanizes" him supposedly. Fact is, all those guys had mistresses, too, but that would be a different film. Nothing at all makes Gotti human here right to the second he dies.

Another complaint by picky people is that the movie didn't cover this, that and the other. How could it in 1 hr 40 mins! But it does cram in plenty, almost too much. So many characters and events that are covered in a short scene. But if you are finding that to be a problem, you can fix it this way: PAY ATTENTION. There is plenty going on. It is not a relaxing movie.

I loved the actual news footage of Gotti in the opening and closing, and stitched in between. The pace was fast and I was never for a second bored or looking at my watch.

My only complaint is that the score was too loud through much of it and sometimes drowned the dialogue a bit. I don't want to work to catch the dialogue, especially in a movie where the dialogue is key to understanding the flow of the story.

I also reject criticisms that it is not Goodfellas, or Godfather, or some other favorite mob movie. This is THIS movie and it's damned good.

We were enjoying Ghosted for a while. No F bombs, no porn scenes, nothing objectionable. It was quirky, very quirky. A nice change from much of the Hollywood offerings. Then this week the episode had two political pot shots in the first few minutes. We flipped it off forever. We don't watch for political propaganda or for social agendas. Leave that to the NFL and every awards show. We are sick of leftist in-your-face biases. So before this show goes full DeNiro on us, we say so long to a show that refuses to be carried by an entertaining story any more. The writers must starving for ideas and writing skills. Sad to see it sink away in the swamp of Hollywood. We are now binge watching Frasier and Becker and laughing out loud with our popcorn.

Watched it because we had nothing else and just stumbled into Con Man. Very short episodes, but it pulled us along until we were really looking forward to each new odd ball episode. I do hope this is coming back. It had a great cliff hanger. Recommended if you like wackiness that is played straight and somehow makes you think this could really happen--but, please god, don't let it.

Reviews here either love it or hate it. The haters seem to disparage it for not being big city slick. Watch TV for that. I'm a long time true crime addict and this show is every bit as good as Homicide Hunter but with an entirely different flavor. One thing, it's in the South and sports some local dialect. If that puts your nose out of joint, get over yourself and just enjoy the crime solving. Garry McFadden, our detective, speaks home style, just like you would be jawing with friends. His approach to crime and criminals is educational. You almost feel like you could learn to do this job. What I really like is the enthusiasm he has for the chase. There is no doubt he loves his job--just the kind of guy that should be doing it.

So glad this came back. The pilot made me an addict, then the looooong wait. What happened with that? Ribisi shines. If there is a god, he gets an Emmy. I'm impressed with him several times every episode. It's great writing, wonderful twists, but it takes a perfect actor to breath life into the character and make you forget they are acting. That's how the actors are in this series, especially Ribisi. I hope it never ends.

I would like that background noise be turned off. When there is some complex twist being laid out, it's easy to miss with the noise. I don't need that kind of "realism." It's distracting and obstructive. Just let me hear and follow the complexities easily.

OK, I really liked it. Totally worth seeing. I have one complaint. The camera-work was hectic. Bits, pieces, flashes, snips, specs and quick tight shorts of body parts or a partial scenes or of stuff that I couldn't what it was because there was no flow to many of the stunts or fights. Fight scenes and stunts are choreographed, or should be, so the viewer can get the WHOLE action. Like a dance routine--you need to see the whole body/bodies executing the moves. Sports-if all you see is a blink long shot of an arm, a foot moving, tight on the ball going here and there for split seconds you are not watching the sport. You are watching some camera guy get his cookies with zipping in and dashing there. Maybe it's the editing. It' boring.

Take a lesson from Jackie Chan. Every movie, every stunt and action scene is choreographed and you can see the WHOLE thing, not just a quick fist (whose is it?) by and--never mind. It's just chaos on the screen and it's hard to describe chaos.

Cruise does better than this in other movies, why drop the ball on this one? Or was it a ball--don't know, the camera wasn't on it long enough to tell.

Not bad. Some good stuff but the annoying laugh track detracts. It should be dumped. Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson are good, but they always are. The cow giving birth was a new event for a sit com--have to say that is original. Debra Winger has aged well. Sam Elliot is himself as always. Love him, or tolerate him.

I think the show would be better without the F bombs, sex stuff, and penis joke. I understand that writers think this edgy stuff is needed to attract the younger demographic. Are they really so shallow as to think that junk improves the story at all? To me, it's writer's screaming I Have No Talent. Without that, I think the show would be tidied up enough to be rerun on main stream channels. I know I know. Two and a Half Men was raunchy to the point of porn. But a show is better without that and without the laugh track!

Watched latest episode and remembered why we often skipped this show. The music and droning noise drowns out the dialogue. Can't hear it. So we have to back up often and listen very hard trying to catch the words and still miss it. It's distracting and overpowering. It's not even good background noise, I mean, background "music." You can't even call that loud droning "music." PLEASE, get rid of it and make this show enjoyable on every level.

We have liked the stories and the method of solving the crimes. It's a unique approach. But as mentioned, we sometimes skip it or turn it off after we have missed to much of the dialogue because it is unintelligible.

It helps there is no laugh track to point to funny stuff. I can find it myself, thankyou.

Lowe is superb as this narcissistic, over-the-top, cheesy but still likable character--how did the writers do that? And how does Lowe pull it off? He plays it so straight! The spoof of crime dramas adds another great element, then carrying that persona into "real life' is actually believable in some weird (mystical?) way.

Savage does a great job as the frustrated brother. I get him. Where has he been all these years?

All other actors also do a great job. Even the kids are great. Love the whole family.

Immensely enjoyable. Might take watching a couple episodes to pick up the full flavor of the humor, but worth it. And I don't have to cover the eyes or ears of kids--or my own, either. Refreshing for "modern" sitcoms that often border on porn.