Change Your Image
thescottbruneau
Reviews
The I-Land (2019)
Very Well Done
It started out feeling and looking like a rip-off of other things but metamorphosed into a very good production. A rare attempt at putting out some ideas. Had some surprises (not a spoiler). Good character driven series. Bruce McGill very good as always. At times it dragged but it kept me interested. Was hoping for something different at the ending and felt it rewarded me in that. It is worth a person's time to watch.
The OA: Overview (2019)
Climax Fallen
The series reaches a climax with this episode then a plot twist that is a let-down. The series itself is BRILLIANT but this climax. Meh. It's a mixed bag. IF the series continues it has me hungering for where it may go. Then again maybe they have exhausted their bag of idea. The SERIES was as close as you can get these days to The Twilight Zone. That makes it a great binge watch. I wonder if this WAS the end of the series or the jumping off point with this episode. I can see how the budget for it grew perhaps doubled with the second season. This episode leaves us with Where Does It Go From HERE OR... Does It End HERE? Neftlix has a very bad habit of canceling shows abruptly (for example Daredevil and those related). Brit Marlin and company are brilliant except for where they went with this episode, perhaps. It's a great series and hope they can go further with it. Somehow finding some more originality after this episode.
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Derivative Long Winded
Shades of the old Night Gallery and other art series and films. Somewhat predictable. Unlikable unsympathetic characters. Revoltingly pretentious characters but isn't that the art world and artists? So often arrogant elitists? It is to me a short story boringly fleshed out into a movie. But hey what would I know, I work in a factory ;-) The IDEA of artists living on through their art is always fascinating. Any art that anyone sweats over emotionally. THAT is a good theme in the film. It would be fascinating but probably boring to have a film of joy based on such an idea, instead of horror.
Extinction (2018)
Different!
Interesting at first then I started hating it because of the screaming crying kids. Something very HUMAN about that. That FEAR and TERROR. I thought it a conventional cheap sci fi flick then it took a very different turn that did a rare thing for me watching a movie: It made me THINK. THAT makes me give is an 8 out of 10. That TURN it takes. That "GOTCHA!" moment of mild surprise. RARE in a film. Now I understand the children's screaming: It makes them so HUMAN. It is rare to find a movie that surprises me. I believe that those that disliked this, miss that bit of surprise. I savored it.
Chuck (2007)
Addictive Brainless TV
Been binge watching this on AMZ prime. Guilty pleasure. I find the Buy More characters some of the most ANNOYING characters ever seen on TV. Good to see it did not ruin any careers. I think.I can imagine casting directors asking some, "hey weren't you that annoying SOB on CHUCK?" But then again it is brainless entertainment WRITTEN BY SOME VERY SMART PEOPLE. Amazed the writers kept coming-up with good plots. Very predictable and annoying in one respect: CHUCK would always be a wimp. I suspect the actors begged for their characters to be given more to chew on. But hey, I read that Zach Levi got $60,000 an episode. At least. Not chump change. I gave this a 7 because it is nice brain numbing entertainment.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
Good Writing And Laughs
I cringed about it at first but then I found myself laughing. The plotting goes near the cringe factor then pulls back for some belly laughs at times. I admire the writing and acting. Never thought of Timothy Olyphant as having comedy skills but he DOES. Very good. A well rounded actor. When watching a scene I can easily imagine how it must take a few takes due to the cast cracking up doing it. It is corny at times and the corn makes it more fun especially when done so seriously. I think people need to give it a shot, sit back and not expect some good corny GOOD WRITING AND ACTING. Watching Season 2 I wonder where they can go with the plotting. I am optimistic that with such a good cast, crew and writers they can keep it going for another season or 2.
Godless (2017)
Good BUT...
Standard derivative western. Shades of Shane (in my opinion). As a 1 season (?) series, they used a lot of filler. Back stories. 1 character wanders around a lot seemingly aimlessly. During gun fights the usual Hollywood anatomical stupidity of shoulder, leg and thigh wounds. Oh and gut shots. "Just a flesh wound" attitude. OH? SOMEONE CALL A TRAUMA SURGEON! Yeah I get it: This is all fiction. They DID get the hats right: Fallacy that everyone wore cowboy hats back then. More people had rifles than 6 shooters. As for the plot slightly new idea but they milked for a series. The supernatural aspect of it was good. I believe that Jack O'Connoll was NOT a very good lead for the film. Someone more rugged looking would have been better cast. Larger. O'Connoll seemed a bit wimpy for the part. In the climactic scene it was ludicrous how many men were shot. Estimated 30 but seemed more like a 100. Despite all that, I give it a 7 for being a fairly good but predictable western. Hard to find original material these days.
Zoo (2015)
Incredibly Stupid 3rd Season
The first 2 seasons were fun tongue-in-cheek stuff. #3 takes itself too seriously. Numerous clichés with big plot holes (no spoilers here). The main villain is someone that logically should have been killed off early. The old, "stop or I'll shoot!" but they keep letting that villain go on and on and it does not go away. Keeps coming back to annoy and annoy. A science fiction soap opera. Threats and threats and nothing happens. I finished the season only because I was curious as to how bad how stupid this show can go and get. Oh add to this cheesy cheap special effects.
Burn Notice (2007)
A Good Binge Watch
I caught this on Netflix. All 7 seasons. Good acting all around. Good writing and directing. Explosions and action. Yeah it's fantasy stuff not real life. Thankfully. Largely likable characters with (to me) the exception of the chain smoking mother. Even then, she could bring tears to my eyes. The "yogurt" thing was weird and funny. Every episode it seems the characters eating ... YOGURT. Surprised it lasted 7 seasons. A testament to the creativity of the team that kept it going. The helping people theme a good sell to keep the viewer watching.
Van Helsing: Last Time (2016)
Bad Plotting
This episode like the whole series has some very bad plotting and writing. Often predictable. Annoying and embarrassing to watch but keep watching to see how bad the writing can be. I felt some pity for the actors but consoled myself that they probably got paid good for such bad scripts. This is one of those shows where you keep watching and patting yourself on the back for predicting the next plot bit. There is so much pure stupidity in the heroes of this series. OK next scene let's do something stupid. But hey I keep watching it on Netflix and hoping things will get better or they can get some better writers.