Change Your Image
drm2642
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Wheel of Time: A Taste of Solitude (2023)
Not great...
The problems from season 1 continue. Book 2 has a definitive start that could've worked into an episode. Instead we get complete changes, missing characters, bad acting, scenes that feel like filler. Fades are not just snarling beasts. They talk and say creepy stuff. Trollocs are monsters, they're not just misunderstood. These are just some of the changes. Matt should be funny and charismatic. This show makes me sad. Did they even read the books? I'm not so sure. This is like a mellow dramatic teen show, except those are better than this boring snooze. There's a reason the books series is popular.
Willow Creek (2013)
Dark Implications of the Ending
I think a lot of people are missing the darker implications of the ending. The crying naked woman they find with the creatures is being held prisoner by the big foots (feet?). Why are they keeping her alive when they attacked and killed the male character? Also, why was the woman naked? The answer is simple if you think about it. The creatures are mating with her (probably NOT consensual) and trying to breed with her. At the end we don't hear Kelly get killed, but instead she is screaming for the creatures to leave her alone. Kelly's fate will sadly be the same as the woman's, being used as breeding stock with these creatures. Kelly even foreshadows this earlier in the film when they are at the diner. She asks her partner, what if the biggest thing about Bigfoot isn't their feet, but a different part of its anatomy. I think this is meant to tell us that in the end she is about to find this out first hand. Yikes!
Cinema Insomnia with Mr. Lobo: Vampire Hunters Club: In Blood-O-Vision (2017)
You're Not Dreaming
I love a good horror host, and Mr. Lobo is indeed that. The movie he's showing, Vampire Hunter's Club, is odd to say the least. It's low budget and yeah...
Despite this Mr. Lobo and Countess Bloodsugar shine in this episode. The whole vampire thing they did was great! Watch thus one for the cut ins friends. It's well worth it!
The Expanse (2015)
Needs Humor
Overall, this is a good show. The special effects are well done and the story is interesting. I feel this is a realistic take on the next stage of humanity.
The show is missing humor. Every space show needs at least one character who is there to break up the tension with some silly ness. See Wash in Firefly for an example. I think without that comic release the show gets too serious at times. I know this story is a serious one, but it's hard to watch at points because it becomes emotionally draining. I stopped after season 2 because I just didn't enjoy how bleak it always was.
Survivorman: South Pacific (2007)
One of my favorites!
I like this episode because Les has an easier time than usual. It's nice to see him get a bit of a break since usually he has it rougher than this.
Only (2019)
Wasted Potential
Great idea for a story, but it never really goes anywhere. The director does a decent job of setting up the world through the news casts. The acting is decent, but the writing could have been better. If the ash was from the comet why was it still falling a year later? It would only get to earth when the comet passes close. I feel like after a few days it would move out of range.
The movie takes a few other leaps. Why doesn't Eva shave her head? Why does she act like a child? Going into the dinner was just dumb. Well with the denial over the current pandemic, I can see some parallels so maybe it's not all that far off. I get that after being trapped inside for over a year Eva went a bit crazy, but still... if she wanted to kill herself she could've just used the gun. Why the slow death? Seems a cruel thing to do to her boyfriend.
Sliders: Summer of Love (1995)
Hippies!
There's a hippy/60s parallel.
This episode actually takes place chronologically before the prior episode. If you're paying attention, at the start of episode episode 4 the cast are wearing the same clothes as they are at the end of episode 5. Is this done on purpose or are the episodes out of order? I'm not so sure.
Utopia Fantastika (2015)
Make more!
The drawback to this show is they need more episodes. It comes back to money of course, and OSI 74 really doesn't have much. It is honestly amazing how much they do with the little budget they have.
Jessie Seeherman is the host and plays cosmonauty. She has always been a standout on Cinema Insomnia, playing various bit parts. What I like about Ms. Seeherman is she's always selling. Meaning even when the action isn't on her, she keeps acting. Keep it up friends at OSI 74!
Cinema Insomnia with Mr. Lobo: The Returncoming - Xenia: Priestess of Night (2019)
The Mystery of Xenia
Nobody knows where this mysterious movie came from, save Mr. Lobo. Who will make it all the way through this truly awful movie? Only the most dedicated of Cinema Insomnia viewers. Watch it for Lobo's antics!
Watchmen: See How They Fly (2019)
Great Finale!
This is Watchmen! The music. The way it takes American history and twists it. This show is very well done with a great story. There are twists and turns, but in the end I felt satisfied with the story. Virtually every quest is answered.
The story really picks up in the second half of the season, but these last 4 episodes... wow... I love this kind of story telling!
For some reason there are people up in arms about the racism angle with the story. Sad...
As a fan/reader of the original material this is a great entry which feels like a part of the Watchmen universe. Worth the watch!!
Haunted Honeymoon (1986)
Cult Classic... for me at least
To me this movie is a cult classic. I love everything about it. Gilda, Gene, and Don shine in this film. It's a must watch around Halloween. The humor is a bit dry, and I think a lot of the jokes are easy to miss the first time through. This is probably why it didn't do so hit when it initially came out. Seriously though this movie has some all time great comedy scenes. Gene in the basement with Fister's legs... or when he's in bed with the dead body and is telling it to go slow... ballin the jack... Gene unable to say W... here's some great moments here. Give it a watch!
Daybreak (2019)
Kinda Boring...
Not a lot happens. The writing is not the best. The main character has personality, but the other characters act irrationally at times for the sake of plot. They had a good budget, but not the best storyline.
A number of reviews are complaining about the "agenda" of this show. It's sad and frightening that people think so much as mentioning climate change is an agenda...
Head Count (2018)
Good concept, could have been done better...
The concept behind this creature is good. The number 5 gives it power. If you are in a group of 5, it can take control of a member of your group and makes the person kill themself. It also seems to be able to shapeshift into other people and can control people if it is one of the 5. The execution isn't quite there at the end. Once there are less than 5 people shouldn't the monster lose it's power? The end with Evan didn't make much sense. If there are less than 5 people how can the creature take control of him? And why, oh why did no one attack the creature?! When Evan saw it by the fire, towards the end, it really didn't make sense that he didn't rush the thing. The monster was as weak as a normal human, otherwise it wouldn't have to use tricks to get them to kill themselves. If they cut it's head off it would probably die. At least have some of the characters fight back. It's just poor writing to make them all suddenly become paralyzed with fear, shouting hysterically.
The lore behind the monster was well done. I wanted more of that.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Woody vs. Gabby Gabby?
I did not find this movie to be as bad as some are making it out to be. I think the story arc of lost toys finding a purpose is clever and this was a good way to bring Bo back into the story. I do think that Buzz was a bit underused. Instead of being Woody's partner in crime, like he was in the previous films, he took a back seat and really just became one of the other side characters, not all that different from Potato Head or the dinosaur.
Ok, so for the controversial side of this post. Nobody seems to be talking about this which is odd, because to me this was so obvious. Woody was essentially R with an Aped by Gabby Gabby (had to write it that way so as not to get flagged). When she has her men forcibly remove his voice device and insert it into her, they are symbolically violating him. If this was a male character doing this to a female, people would be outraged. I think since they are toys and since it is a female doing it to a male this flew under the radar. I don't think the makers of the movie intended this to be interpreted this way, but it does not change the fact that it is exactly that. In the end Woody is ok with this, but does not make the act ok. It is no different than if a woman forgave her attacker. The action is still criminal. Then Gabby tries to become a redeemable character. Yes, the ending with her and the child finding each other is very touching, but still it's not right. It is symbolically the equivalence of a judge going easy on a young man because he has a bright future ahead of him.
Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019)
This is Black Mirror!
I don't get the negative reviews for this episode. It is the best of the season. I'm not even a Miley Cyrus fan, but this was good stuff! It's tech run amok which is was BM is all about.
I love the robot. I like the hard rock attitude and the two sisters bonding on the adventure is great. Overall this has been a weak season of Black Mirror. The first two episodes were not the best. I would argue that the 2nd episode is not even Black Mirror, but they make up for it with this one.
Who doesn't love a smart talking robot? The Nine Inch Nails covers rocked!
Passengers (2016)
Underrated Movie
Do not believe the bad reviews. This is a good film which is well cast. Chris Pratt, in particular, shows his range. He goes beyond a simple funny man and demonstrates real emotion.
This is an amazing story about humans and our need for social interaction. Man or woman, anyone in this situation would eventually wake up another person. The loneliness would drive anyone crazy. Given enough time they would let someone out just to end the isolation. You really cannot blame the person at that point.
Deadwood (2019)
This is a western. Where's the action?
The problem I have with this movie is the same problem I have with the series: too much talking and not enough action. This is a western. There should be gun fights. Sure some people died. Calamity Jane shoots someone in the back. Another character is shot in the woods, but where is the big shootout at the end? The closest thing the viewer gets to this is a semi showdown in the street between Bullock and some hired guns. Bullock shows some gunslinger flash when he wastes a guy with his lightning draw, but other than that there is no real action here. Just a lot of talking.
Let's discuss the talking for a minute. People did speak in an overly formal, almost flowery or Shakespearean manner during the time period. It is common knowledge that your average cowboy knew a little Shakespeare or had a play or two on their person. The problem is everyone did not speak this way. Which is what the movie portrays. Every character at one point or another launches into a long drawn out speech. It is almost as it the writers need to fill time or something to make up for the lack of action. The other problem is how a character will be giving one of these long, very proper bits of dialog and then pepper it with curse words. I don't mind having characters who cuss, but it doesn't work in this instance. A character who is going to take the time to speak in such a formal manner would also likely edit expletives from their vernacular.
The climax of the movie should have been an epic gun fight a la Unforgiven, 310 to Yuma, or even Silverado. C'mon guys, even Silverado had more gun play than this movie did! Timothy Olyphant plays an amazing gritty, gunslinger, but he is just not utilized enough in this role.
Swearengen's ending is great! I know a lot of people are complaining about this, but the guy is on his deathbed. This would make even the most hard cased individual reflect on his life choices. It's simple character growth.
Lifechanger (2018)
Interesting Idea
The concept for this movie is rather interesting. There are some plot holes here and there, but the concept is original. The main character is a shapeshifter who can steal the appearance, thoughts, and memories of others by touching them. The process kills the person he shifts into.
For some reason the shifter wastes time dismembering, burning, or disposing of the bodies he kills. Why? All he needs to do is shift into someone else. It would be extremely hard to track him down unless there are supernatural hunters out there who know what he is, and the movie does not indicate this. In many cases there are no connections between the people he kills. There is literally no reason for him to worry about getting rid of the bodies. It could have been much more interesting to have the character leave a trail of corpses and the cops have no clue what is going on. Maybe even include a detective or FBI agent who has been tracking the shifter for years and stumbles onto this supernatural mystery. Could have been interesting.
There is a love interest in the film. She had a good back story, but her dating Jack Foley's character was weird. She's in her 30s and the guy looks like he is in his 50s at least. The dude had a full on gray beard and head of hair. She also went from one date with him to basically living with the guy after a couple days. Even with all the pain killers he was taking he still couldn't stay in that body for more than a couple days. It's odd that she would get so cozy with him so fast.
I would say this is worth a watch, but in the end the film does not answer enough questions it presents.
Pine Bros. Presents: Cinema Insomnia Haunted House Special (2013)
I swear to watch the whole movie...
Love, love, love horror hosts! If you like campy humor then this one is for you. This flick pays homage to a lot of other horror hosts. Good stuff!
Babylon 5 (1993)
Am I watching a different show than everyone else?
I gave this show a 1/10 because so many others have given it a 10/10. It is probably more of a 3/10.
Similar to my Andromeda review, I had never watched much of this series until Comet began to air it a few months back. I've always heard mixed things on B5, but after watching it myself I have to side with the negative reviews. It's not that good. I'm not sure why people have rated this show so high.
There are people that literally have this listed as the greatest scifi/political series of all time, which to me makes no sense. DS9 is far better (I don't even like Deep Space 9, BTW). Battlestar Galactica (modern reboot) and West Wing are both superior political shows with better writing and better actors. Keep in mind I'm not taking into account special effects. I know a lot of other reviewers have. I don't really feel it is fair to compare the special effects of DS9 to B5 since the budgets are not even close.
The main issue with this show is the acting and the writing. The casting for this is bad. I don't mean to speak ill of the dead (oddly there are now a number of dead actors from this show), but many of these people should have been written out of the series after the first season due to their inability to act. They're all so boring. Their is little to no chemistry between these people at all. And when the writers try to add a little humor or banter to the show it always falls flat. Usually that comes back to poor casting.
Let's examine our main cast of characters. We have Delenn, Dr. Franklin, Ivanova, Sheridan, and Garibaldi. I know there are others, but these are the worst offenders. I cannot identify with any of these people. It is rare for me to watch a show - be it scifi or political - and the characters cannot make me laugh, cry, get angry, or be outraged at some point. These individuals are unable to pull this level of acting off. After watching the majority of the series, I have to say they seemed to get worse as the show went on. We are supposed to believe that Garibaldi is some kind of rogue bad ass, but he's not. I was cheering when Ivanova was written out of the show. It's not like the series was really loosing anything, she was just a carbon copy of your typical straight laced, I don't take no crap, character. Babylon 5 seems to have a lot of straight laced, I'm super good/have no humor characters. One reviewer wrote that the protagonists and antagonists in this series were super aggressive and dumb. I have to agree. It could be the writing, but usually a good actor can overcome bad writing. They add their own little flair and make their role more interesting. None of these people have the ability to do this, at least not in this series.
Now before people get all crabby saying that the point of the show is the politics, I've watch plenty of politically oriented shows that are far more interesting that B5. See the West Wing or Battlestar. There are episodes of Star Trek (pick whichever incarnation of it you like) which are political and entertaining all in one. I really wonder if the love for B5 is some misplaced sense of rooting for the underdog. Or they are just scifi geeks who hate Star Trek. I know there is a some animosity between B5 fans and Star Trek, especially since B5 was originally competing with DS9.
I've heard so many say that the show is too smart for those who don't like it. This is the worst sort of defense for any form of entertainment. While there are times that this is true, this is not the case with Babylon 5. This show is no smarter than any other series. If anything it is dumber than a lot of shows as the endings tend to be the most basic and boring answer to the conflict the characters had.
I think TV's Dr. Sheldon Cooper sums it up best when he states that Babylon 5 fails as drama, science fiction, and is hopelessly derivative.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
String Theory/Parallel Universes
Reading reviews on here I'm noticing two trends. People are either blown away and praising "Bandersnatch" because it is new and different, or they hate it because they think it is boring and doesn't really give them actual choices. For the later this is somewhat true, but there is are symbolic reasons for the character getting a do over every time the viewer 'kills' him. I'm curious what would happen if instead of picking a 'bad' choice, I picked the good one first. I would imagine some of these 'good' choices would create a similar loop, which is kind of the point. I also want to note that I've only watched the episode/movie/entertainment event once. So if I'm missing a few things, apologizes.
I think a lot of people are missing the point of this episode. It's not about the game Stephan is making. Nor is it about the choose your own adventure style that the episode presents to the viewer. This episode is about parallel universes and string theory. Particularly the aspect of string theory which theorizes that there are an infinite amount of parallel universes where EVERY possible outcome to EVERY choice we make exists. This is why after the first 'reset' (the one where you decide to work at the company instead of working from home) Colin suddenly has read the book Bandersnatch, where as the first time through he says he has not.
Other evidence that points to this are all the Easter Eggs in the episode. The dogs from "Metalhead" or even the symbol that Stephan keeps seeing (this was the tattoo/symbol from "White Bear"), are examples of parallel worlds bleeding through.
The best evidence of this though is close to the end of "Bandersnatch". When Stephan goes to retrieve his rabbit from dads special safe, if you choose to put the code PAC in instead of TOY you get two very different outcomes. PAC makes it so dad is really a government agent studying Stephan. Everything in his life is false, even the memory of his mother leaving, which is shown to be an elaborate set up with an actress pretending to be his mother. TOY on the other hand makes it so you have to option to go back in time and place the toy under the bed after dad takes it away. This will ensure it to be there when mom comes to get Stephan for the train. Now think about this for a moment. In one instance mom is a plant and Stephan's life is a lie. In the other instance his mother is real and as far as we can tell dad is certainly NOT a government agent. Which is real? Both. Because with parallel universes there are an infinite amount of universes with an infinite amount of Stephans leading every possible life they can. In some Stephan's mother is alive and dad is dead. In some both parents are alive, while in others both are dead, etc. Every possible outcome is out there.
For some reason Stephan is in touch with these other versions of himself. I believe it has something to do with his intimate understanding of the book "Bandersnatch" and his transference of the book into the video game. This is allowing him to see and in some cases interact with other realities, but keep in mind these are other realities not his own. If you choose to have Stephan jump off the building while on LSD for example, yes the loop resets and you, the viewer, start over, but the Stephan in that reality is dead. The story continues with a Stephan in another reality who did not make that choice.
This episode is a lot to take in, so I can see why some people don't like it as much as others. My suggestion would be to go back and try it again. Make some different choices.
Haunted (2018)
Can I get a little evidence please?
Each episode starts by saying that these are real accounts/based on true stories. I have watched the first few episodes and overall the show is good, but for something based on real events they need a little more evidence/explanations.
The serial killer dad is the one I have the real issue with. The adults basically say that their dad got away with this because they lived in the middle of nowhere. She also states that they could not go to the police because their was a fear in their community that the dad would kill the family of anyone who turned him in. So basically whoever lived in the area around this guy knew he was up to something shady, but were so frightened of him that even the local police would fear for their lives. Yeah, I really don't buy that.
Then as others have said, the oldest daughter moves out and gets married, but lets her son hang out with serial killer grandpa. Really? The grandson also states that he knows where there are bodies since grandad straight up told him. Once again why is no one going to the cops on this? I would imagine the police would still be interested in this even though it happened years ago. Think of all the missing persons they could find.
Now I'm going to complain about episode one for a minute. If some crazy lady who hung herself was haunting me at a certain point I would be coming after her. I don't care if you are 8, 9, 14, or 47, if this woman was opening up my closet door every night I would get used to it. Then I would begin telling her to leave. And if she does not I would start getting ignorant with her. I don't understand why people always react so frightened of these things. Charge them, attack them, and tell them to leave. It's your room, there's a power in that. Try some iron or salt; get a little holy water. Most importantly let the spirit/demon/entity know that you are just as hardcore as they are. Go after them. The dude said this happened everyday for like 6 years... He would get used to it and then get angry...
How It Ends (2018)
Why all the Bad Reviews?
This movie is really a 7 out of 10, but I gave it a 10 to help out the average. I think all the negative reviews are pretty unfair and are purely a result of the movie's abrupt ending. This obviously angered people and caused them to rage review!
The acting is good. Forest Whitaker, as always is excellent. The story is interesting. The movie doesn't overly drag at any point and personally, I felt compelled to watch until the end. Are there parts that are unrealistic? Sure, but it's a movie! Everything isn't going to always fit into a nice, neat little box.
The big issue that this movie has is the director and/or writer does not do enough to explain to the audience what exactly is going on. He gives enough clues though that it is easy to figure out if you stop and think about it. Let's break this down:
1. There is seismic and volcanic activity going on off the west coast. It is mentioned that California and particularly L.A. is gone. At first we are meant to think that this could have been nukes, but the end of the movie makes it pretty clear that this is volcanic in nature. This would also explain why one of the characters in the movie says the air is bad and they are heading to Canada.
2. The compass acting weird.
3. The Aurora Borealis in Seattle. While I've heard this is technically possible it is exceedingly rare.
4. The power grid going down.
5. The birds acting all weird.
All of these things point to the magnetic poles shifting. Now from the research I've done a pole shift would NOT cause volcanic/seismic activity, but for the sake of this being a borderline science fiction movie this can be forgiven. Also, since we didn't really live during the last pole shift we really don't 100% know what would happen. The compass going nuts and the Northern Lights though are meant to be an indication of this. Technically the power grid could go down if this happened at the same time as a massive solar flare. It would take a series of perfect disasters for this to occur, but the point is it could happen. I think the director should have done a bit more to convey this to the audience though. The crazy guy that saves the main character's GF, for example, could have been some sort of scientist who explained this away and had prior knowledge, which in turn could have helped to explain how they got out of the city right before all the really bad stuff went down.
Like I said, there are problems with the movie. What caused the military train to break down? Where are all the people in the Midwest? (For a hot minute I was afraid this was going to turn into a biblical story.) Why does Rickie join the duo just to end up running off? And of course the size of the volcanic eruption at the end is stupid-dumb. I mean that thing would have to be a borderline super volcano to erupt all the way from Seattle to where the characters were at the end. So like I said originally, this movie is about a 7 out of 10 because there were too many questions and not enough answers. It's not the low score though that everyone is giving it!
Andromeda (2000)
Great Potential - No Real Payoff
When this show first aired in the 90s, I avoided it because I thought it looked bad. With it currently showing on Comet, I decided to give it a shot.
The best way to describe this show is missed opportunity. There are story lines that don't come to fruition. At times the writing is good other times it seems like a 10 year old was creating the content. I think at least some of the blame can be placed on Sorbo. Rumor is he got a few of his writers fired which explains why it seems like the show had no real objective.
What is done very well with this show are the characters. Trance, Harper, Beka, and Romie are great. I know some people have complaints with Harper, but every scifi show needs a smart ass techy. It just makes for fun character interactions. I really wish there had been a bit more romance on the show. Harper and Romie should have gotten together. Or maybe Trance... either way the lack of love interest leaves the show a bit hollow. Sorbo is serviceable as the lead, but he doesn't have enough charisma to make his audience care. I hate how he always seemed to use throw away phrases like "It's all Greek to me." I feel like this so is set soooooo far in the future that people wouldn't be saying stuff like that.
I took issue with Tyr. His character was unnecessary and his story arc ultimately lead to nothing. The other big problem with Tyr is he's basically another badass like Sorbo. The ship really only needs one.
Season 5 is absolute garbage.
Her (2013)
In the Future we will wear Red, Yellow, and Brown.
The colors for this movie really bothered me. It's a silly thing to complain about, but no one else was and I think it should be mentioned. Also, are we to believe that in the end the OS systems all became self aware and just decided to do their own thing? Couldn't the Apples or Microsofts of this world just reprogram them? Shouldn't Theo get a refund?
I get what the director was going for and overall this is not a bad film. It's not a good film either. At times the movie is too mellow for it's own good. It's a slow love story between a really creepy Joaquin Phoenix and his OS. And I do mean slow... and melancholy. The problem I have with this movie is Phoenix's character is just too creepy to make me care. I cannot get into his love story because the character is just too weird. It's almost as if the director or writers didn't think the audience would believe a normal person could fall for their computer so they made the character a super creepy loner type. How did he even manage to get married in the first place? He looks like he is sad and worried all the time.
Hey, everyone needs love. I won't judge the fellow for falling for a computer. I think the world could be headed in that direction, but I wish I didn't have to watch this particular relationship develop. I found the love story in Blade Runner 2049 far more believable. If you like awkward pauses and close up shots of Phoenix's mustached face then this is the film for you!