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Reviews
10,000 BC (2008)
Can I give this negative stars?
I can't believe it is rated 5.1 out of 10. We saw this in the theater when it came out, and I only remember it almost ten years later because it was the worst movie I've ever seen in a theater. Was a complete and utter waste of time. Truly painful to sit thru. We we're so glad when it was over.
American Horror Story: Chapter 10 (2016)
Great Season - poor end game and finale
This was my favorite American Horror Story season. The story was awesome "camp fire" horror story telling. The "re-enactment" gimmick worked once it was clear that was what was going on. The mid-season switch to "return to roanoke" was a great twist.
Stuff we liked: - Authentic "campfire ghost story" - Scary and creepy - Excellent characters - psychic, forest witch, butcher, pig mask dude - Great backstory - Very entertaining/addictive - The return to roanoke "twist" - Crazy hillbillies
Problems that we will overlook: - The whole re-enactment thing was not well explained/revealed in the beginning. It wasn't clear what was going on until the end of the 1st episode or beginning of 2nd. Trying to figure out why there are two of each character distracted from the story telling in the beginning. Could have been very easily setup in the beginning. - Unfinished/spotty forest witch storyline - Unfinished police storyline - why did the local police not seem to do their job and sometimes seemed to be in collusion with the bad guys. - In the last two episodes Lee had already given herself to the forest witch, and eaten the pig heart. And then suddenly Lee is "fine" in the last two episodes. - Finale Episode 10 should not have redeemed Lee, she was a cold blooded murderer. Should have just killed her or turned her into a new butcher. Instead of a good "protector" ghost. - Last two episodes were just over doing it, messy, and unnecessary. Storyline was done, all the additional was just unnecessary. - Too many different TV shows toward the end. The "return to roanoke" was enough. All the additional gimmick shows were just overdoing, and superfluous - seemed to just be there to stretch out another episode or two.
Black Mass (2015)
Black Mass C+ / Depp and Makeup Artists A+
Black Mass could have been great. Like American Hustle, it's great true crime material. South Boston Irish mob, psychopath ultra violent gangster, brother of a senator, gang war with the Italian mob, ambitious and corrupt FBI agents. However, unlike American Hustle the screenplay just plays out like a loose documentary, with no real sense of drama or emotional character development. I kept thinking this should be great like American Hustle, but instead of getting sucked into it's world and caring about the characters like in American Hustle, I just felt like I was watching a docudrama. There were many opportunities to develop deep empathy and emotional ties to John Conley, Billy Bulger, and Steve Flemmi. But the writers or film makers just provide a superficial glimpse into their internal conflicts and flaws, and never develop them enough to build a relationship with the audience. The writers also never explore any kind of background on what made Whitey Bulger, Whitey Bulger. He's just a mean criminal thug, and that's it. And it's not for lack of circumstance. South Bronx, brother of a senator, friend of an FBI agent... This could have been so good. Johnny Depp and the make up artists on the other hand deserve Oscar nods or statues. I'd forgotten how good of an actor Johnny Depp was when he's not playing a feminized drunken pirate in every movie even when it's not Pirates of the Caribbean. I forgot this was Johnny Depp so many times, and just some unlikable middle aged Irish thug. Depp's acting and the makeup artists were amazing. Completely believable. But not enough to make this more than an interesting documentary. Oh well. Entertaining enough for streaming, but not for $11 tickets or blu-ray purchase.