Reviews

I honestly don't know how Lola Glaudini kept her role for Criminal Minds as long as she did. If there ever was an ice queen she's the perfect example. In this episode even with the understanding that it's fiction, I don't see how she would keep the job with the attitude she displays, in particular, talking back to Agent Hotchner in one of the early scenes, muttering under her breath. She's a total bee-yatch. When she finally moved on, I said good riddance.

You know, Rossi can be a real dick sometimes and he definitely is in this episode. Jason Alexander does a good job of not being framed as his George Costanza roll which I would not have thought possible. Not a great episode. Why do reviewers who give episodes a super low rating bother to write paragraph after paragraph in their review? Just say you don't like it and move on.

I've enjoyed several of the Bosch series seasons, possibly more so because I have not read the books. Many reviewers seem to find Titus Welliver's presentation as Bosch unbelievable or unconvincing so I don't know. It was almost inevitable that a new series would be based on the whole Oxy epidemic, unfortunately, but it is what it is. But even after watching several of this seasons episodes more than once, I cannot understand the reason these drug dealers pack up a handful of their customers and fly them to some remote place for a few days. Watched it again. No hint. What purpose, if any, does this possibly serve??? I've been reading many reviews, hoping someone may point out something that makes sense of this bizarre plot hole.

I've watched all three seasons of Goliath but Season 1 is (obviously in my and only my opinion) by far the best and the only one I will comment on. So many great actors, known and unknown to me. William Hurt never disappoints, for decades now. Billy Bob Thornton is great with his depth of character, great physical and vocal presence, his wide range of expression which can be tough without overdoing it but also tender and loveable with his warm and attractive deep brown eyes and smile. I cannot say enough about Nina Arianda as Patty Solis-Papagian whose character very much rounds out scene after scene with her loveable intensity which she manages to pull off without coming across as a capital "B" beeyatch. Love her feisty, outspoken character!! Mario Bello as Michelle McBride was likeable and believable - and surprising for a partner in a big-time law firm - sensitive and thoughtful. Callie was great as a manipulative, conniving lawyer, totally comes across as seeing herself above anyone else in her life except Cooperman. Not a likeable person but certainly a believeable character whose insecurities do reveal themselves towards the end, sort of the even-the-witch-has-feelings thing. The daughter character and her relationship with her father is so-so. For anyone who has also seen the Bosch series, felt like this show was trying to emulate that father/daughter set up and failing to present as genuine. Not bad, just not a real plus. Tanya Raymonde as Brittany had its strong segments but her work should be limited to when her characters are strong and self-confident. The scenes where I assume she intended to appear vulnerable like when she begs in tears for 5 min to talk after her testimony worked against Billy or when she's pulling her sleeves down over her hands to appear nervous/intimidated about being in court came across as just pathetic. Okay, I've got to express my one pet peeve and criticism and that is Dwight Yoakam as Wendell. I love, absolutely LOVE Yoakam as a singer but cannot for the life of me figure out what he's doing acting, esp in a series w some really decent actors. First impression, that bozo-the-clown hair, bald on top, the rest sticking out in every direction does not add character, even weird character, just looks awful. Shave that like the rest of men this day and age, or at least cut it. But more importantly, he's a horrible actor. His facial expressions have ZERO range as does his voice. Try hitting the mute button and see if you can tell what's happening in any given scene. Whether he's telling someone off or saying something more less intense there's never the slightest change in his face (especially his eyes) or voice, just absolute flat affect, not only disappointing but downright irritating. Watching this reminded me of when I'd first heard of Billy Bob Thornton when Sling Blade debuted so out of curiosity I pulled that up and watched it. Wow! Pretty hard to tell now what all the fuss was about other than how well BBT played that main character - it's impossible to tell that it is actually BBT. I'm mentioning this only to say that - oop!- there was Dwight again in that film and he was apparently just as bad back then, has not improved one iota in 25 years. Couldn't believe it. He's obviously got contacts because he cannot be chosen for talent. The actor playing Leonard Letts was similar, a limited range of emotion. He appeared in some episodes of Criminal Minds and was a total disappointment for that same reason - flat affect. Seasons 2 and 3 were, I'm sure, full of overall equal talent and performances, the stories were just less interesting to me and harder to follow, esp all the fantasy stuff in Season 3. Not saying they're bad, they just don't appeal to me. Season 1 of Goliath is worth watching if one can get through the legalise to enjoy the rest. Overall, just one more shout out to Nina Arianda as Patty - feisty, funny (even and probably more so when she's not intending to be), outspoken, doesn't take stuff from anyone. Love that character!!!!

For cryin' out loud, BBT has had that blood-soaked goater for half of last episode and now 12 minutes into this season finale. Wash - or at least wipe - that crap off already...you've made your dramatic point with it. Not that I have any clue what that is like the rest of the last couple of episodes...

I thought this series was going to start coming together but w each episode it makes less and less sense. Watching episode 6, probably my last one, gonna pull the plug! So I had the bright idea of reading some User Reviews of the remaining episodes and - yikes! - what a mistake. By the final episode nit one viewer could make sense of the story. I'll admit, I felt a little better...at least, I'm certainly not alone! But sheez, I've ended up binge-watching almost all night, gotta be up in less than 2 hours, so wish it had been worth it. Now I'm just perplexed by the non-story and sleep deprivation...!

I've recently been binge-watching Billy Bob Thornton in the Goliath series having not watched the series when it first aired. This prompted me to watch Sling Blade. Wow. Having been impressed with BBT in Goliath and remembering all the hype surrounding Sling Blade, I settled in to enjoy - or so I thought - 2+ hours of a BBT creation: writer, director and actor. The first 20 minute showed promise but the whole thing just ran out of steam. I like to read User Reviews, often other viewers point out things that are interesting. I'm honestly surprised by all the 8/10 - 10/10 with only a small fraction of lower scores. So many viewers waxed prophetically about the "brilliant performances" of the various actors such as Dwight Yoakam's. I don't see it. Ultimately the whole production took on a "Movie of The Week" feel - for those of you who remember television in the 70s...you know who you are...haha!!

I read a few user reviews before giving this Netflix series a try. With all the glowing reviews about edge of your seat, gripping performances, blah blah blah, I thought there must be something interesting going on. Instead it felt more like being dropped in the middle of a film where we've missed the first 30 minutes or hour where we might get some context and the last 30 minutes are cut off. Truly 43 minutes of the most boring stuff I've seen on Netflix. I must be missing something.

This episode makes absolutely no sense. Period. Yes, I read the description, it's flashbacks from things that happened before episodes 1 - 3 but that explains NOTHING. Whatever.

Like other films McConaughey Matthew shines in, I've seen Buyer's Club several times. Most recently I've binge-watched Season One of True Detective, a must-see for any McConaughey fan. His versatility is unmatched. But, not to get off track, Dallas Buyers Club is just one of those incredible performances where I, as a viewer, completely lost the thought that I was watching an actor perform, so deep and believable it was almost like watching a documentary. Above everything else, it was so moving the watch a racist homophobe transform to a humanitarian whose goal was to help those who were sick have access to the medications they needed to have a chance to live a bit longer, sometimes a matter of just weeks or months or in the case of the real person he portrayed, a matter of years. It was a sobering, heartbreaking reminder of how little the US government agencies did simply because HIV+/AIDS was a"gay man's disease", brought on by lifestyle choices. Shocking and embarrassing as a country. And it's easy to think how things have grown/evolved, however I shudder to think how it might be handled in todays environment of Twitter rants coming from the White House...not so different coming from a Global Warming/Climate Change denier. Sorry to get off track but just one good and recent example: Trump claims that pollution in San Francisco can be blaimed on the homeless drug addicts tossing their drug infested needles in gutters where they wash out to sea only to cycle back into the city's water supply. A 30 second search taught me that SF's water supply is not based on sea water through a treatment facility...aye aye aye. Has so much really changed in 30+ years?!? Although, thankfully, especially w efforts like Bill Clinton's 100 million effort to help slow the spread and increase the treatment of HIV/AIDS across Africa just one example of success. Again, sorry I'm off track!

This is a sad story but the presentation is awful. I tried more than once to watch it but could not finish either time. In particular the scenes where written material is shown on the screen with audio of people discussing other aspects of the case at the same time were impossible to follow. My heart goes out to family and friends of this woman. Shame the production of this documentary was so amateurish. Good intentions, awful presentation.

I watched the first few seasons of AHS when they first aired but am just starting Season 6 now, Sept. 2019, a bit behind schedule to say the least. Having read the User Reviews before starting and almost halfway through Episode 1, I am surprised none of the reviews stated the obvious. There are many comparisons and similarities pointed out by other reviewers except for the most glaring one. Can anybody say The Shining....????

This is not a well- produced documentary but is an updated version of the docs 10 yrs ago when meth was being home-cooked in backyard meth labs, extremely dangerous in so many ways. Of course the cartels have come up w a more refined, more potent and cheaper product - simple supply and demand. However why the one reviewer below sits on his/her high horse and simply judges the people (yes, they are PEOPLE, HUMAN BEINGS) caught in the devastating spiral of drug addiction with all its destructive ripple effects, seeing them a losers who "got what they deserved" is such a pitiful commentary on someone who knows nothing about the powerful grip of addiction. Why waste time to "review" when all that person does is criticize these people. It shows complete ignorance about addiction. Get off your high horse and have some compassion- or shut the hell up.

Okay, not sure about anybody else but in my view, the only thing worse than the acting in this, um, movie is the "Christian" aspect, dropped like verbal bombs in every few sentences in the first few sickeningly sweet minutes. We get it, a perfect family - you don't have to be Christian for that. Honestly, I'm bailing before 10 minutes, the acting and over- enhanced digital color are making me nauseous. This topic interests me, thought I might learn some things but can't even get there due to the d grade, TV-movie-of-the-week production. Maybe the Christian budget couldn't swing it, ha ha, given the billion dollar industry that it is...

But OMG I didn't make it past the first 15 minutes. The acting is worse than anything I've ever seen, the glorified color (literally, the visual appearance of the obvious digital enhancement) making the scenes sickeningly sweet is unbearable. I thought the topic might be good but wasn't able to even get there.

Having been on both ends of the spectrum, a sober alcoholic for 15 years after almost dying more than once as well as losing family members and friends to addiction, this film simply did not even come close to capturing the full, three-dimensional aspects, the horror and terror, of the disease of addiction. I've seen better films and documentaries. This felt flat, the flashbacks were inconsistent and like fillers. The best part is the scenery, but how can you go wrong filming off Highway 1 down the coast of CA? Having read both autobiographies this was based on, I suggest sticking w the books. They do a much better job. I kept waiting for it to feel like a drama but it felt more like a Lifetime movie. I wanted to get into it but just never got there.

No surprise this spin-off of CM has only survived one season. I'm reviewing this in 2019, so people probably aren't even checking reviews since 2011 was the only Season but here goes anyway. I'm a huge CM fan and you simply cannot clone the chemistry of the original. For this supposedly "elite team" that is so hot they skip bureaucracy, report only to the director, they come across as a bunch half-baked cops, nothing elite about them or the cases they bumble through. Much of what I'm thinking has already been said so just a couple things: given the incredibly negative tone of some reviews, if somebody really dislikes this show, why do they take time to write ad nauseam, paragraph after paragraph just to say so?!? Who has that kind of time on their hands?!? I've often like Whitaker but here I find him cringe-worthy, seems more like a cheap psychic, dripping with sorrow and naval-gazing pain than a profiler/detective. I thought good detectives (oops, I mean Special Agents) are supposed to remain objective, let evidence lead them. Whitaker's character seems to pull assumptions from his emotions instead, I keep waiting for him to burst into tears, do a monologue on his life of suffering or something. Last thing I'll say, isn't Janeane Garofalo a stand up comedian? What is she doing here? Did she get lost on her way to the comedy club? She should stick w comedy and, clearly, I should stick w "CM Classic"...