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Reviews
Frasier (2023)
That god-awful laugh track
The horribly obnoxious laugh track is only the beginning of what is wrong with this show, but it is something I can't get past.
I really wanted to like this. I am a huge fan of the original series and still watch it to this day. The thing about the original series is that it wasn't necessarily Frasier that made it funny. It was the other characters like Roz, Niles and Dafney that actually brought the laughs.
I went into this reboot/sequel thinking to myself that this couldn't be "Frasier" without them and I was right. 4-episodes in and I'm just about ready to throw in the towel. The writing is not there, the supporting characters seem wooden and out of place (I just want to roll my eyes and groan every time the British professor is in a scene) and then there is that laugh track. Ugh. If you were thinking of getting a Paramount+ subscription just to watch this - don't bother.
Citadel (2023)
Where have we heard this before?
"What if you lost your memory? What if a spy didn't know they were a spy?"
Sound familiar, anyone? I mean, if anyone asked you those two questions and which movie that plot describes, would you have any problem answering? To say that is has been done is an understatement! The only difference is that the Bourne movies were actually good.
If you're good with re-hashed plots, subpar writing, and lots of exposition, than this will be right up your alley. Otherwise it is probably a hard pass. Somehow I feel generous giving this three stars, but then I think about the *really* terrible shows I have seen that would be a one and figure this deserves at least a couple more.
Euphoria (2019)
Who is the target audience??
For the life of me, I can't figure out who the target audience is for this soft-core soap opera. It's full of drug use, nudity & sex, so I sure would not want a teenager watching it. Yet the show revolves around high school students. What adult would be comfortable with it?
I got two episodes in before I got totally creeped out and was done with it. Yes, I realize the actors are 18+, but they are portraying high school students!
Booksmart (2019)
Every single woke checkbox is marked
I don't care how outrageous a movie is trying to be, it is never funny or amusing to normalize teachers having sex with their high school students. Even if said student is 18, it is wrong on many levels, including legally.
I honestly wonder - if it had been a female student and a male teacher, would everyone have found it so amusing, or would said teacher have been a predator for showing up at a party hosted by minors partaking in under-age drinking with no adults present and then having sex with one of his students?
In the world of Booksmart, most of the people are androgynous, boys and girls share co-ed bathrooms in the high school, there seem to be more trans and gay students roaming the halls than there are straight students (not that there is anything wrong with that - just asking - is that really the correct ratio?). We also get a lecture on the differences between which gender you identify with and who you like to have sex with - or something like that.
In the world of Booksmart, teenage girls have sex with each other on the bathroom floor, the adult males look like feminized beta boys, and of course, the graduation speech has to have a line disparaging white males. Don't forget the dig on the 1 percenters as well.
In the world of Booksmart, they don't talk about which college they got accepted to, because they don't want to hurt the feelings of those accepted into lesser ones. Of course, when it does eventually get revealed, every single one of them - partiers and burn outs alike - got in to Ivy League schools. Since we know they are not rich (from their digs at the 1 percenters and their lifestyles), we'll just have to assume every one of them got a full ride scholarship as well. Riiiiiight.
I told you this one checks all of the boxes.
1883 (2021)
Epic Western
I'm writing this after having just finished the third episode, and my wife and I are hooked. Can't wait for more!
For those of you looking for historical accuracy, I'm sure it won't be found here. But the great acting, storyline and cinematography make this one of the best new shows to come out in a long time. Sam Elliott has of course nailed the role as the surly cowboy, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill do a wonderful job in their leading roles. Isabel May is a budding star as Elsa. Her narration throughout the show really adds to the emotion of the story.
For those that aren't aware, the old west was a violent place, and if 1883 tried to sanitize that it simply would not be the same show, and in my opinion, would have failed. If you are looking for something completely historically accurate, then may I suggest you seek out a documentary? If you simply want to be entertained and engrossed it a fantastic story, watch 1883.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Best Netflix Original
Notice no qualifier in the headline - IMHO this is the best Netflix original, period. It is engaging from start to end. Anya Taylor-Joy is a, well, joy to watch. She and this series are without a doubt awards worthy. If you think that chess sounds boring, don't let that keep you from missing this show that will find you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The acting, the cinematography, the story - each of these are individually a 10, making this short series a masterpiece that I will certainly watch many times. If only Netflix could do this consistently.
Hanna (2019)
What happened with Season 2?
I really enjoyed season 1 of this show. Good writing, lots of action, and good acting. I would rate S1 as a 9. I was *really* looking forward to season 2. Boy was I disappointed. It's as if they tossed out all the writers from S1 and brought in writers from the CW. They turned the show into a teenage girl's clique drama. Until the last 2 episodes of S2 they completely neutered Hanna's bad-assory and made it a show about a bunch of teenage girls living in a dorm together. Bleh.
Maine (2018)
Enjoyable Movie
Laia Costa is a joy to watch in this movie. You should set your expectations before watching though. Although the setting is the Appalachian Trail, this isn't a movie about hiking the Appalachian Trail. Rather, it is a dialog driven character study of "Bluebird" and "Lake" as the encounter each other on the trail. As their relationship develops and grows more complicated, you find yourself rooting for one or the other.