tlaira Reviews

Door to the Other Side (2016)

So many questions....

[2/10 · 27 April 2023]

So many questions...but the biggest one "The Door to the Other Side" will leave you with is "Why?" Why is the main character afraid to go outside when inside is where the haunting is? Why do the neighbors even care(this kinda gets answered but so cliche)? Why is all this happening? And why, oh why, did I sit through the whole movie?

Overall, the acting is fair, the creepiness is there with a slow burn, and the filming is decent. However, the writing is confused as if the writer tried to take too many ideas and tried to connect them together to provide a twist that you didn't see coming. But the construction is poor and the director can't quite pull it off as convincing. Sad, because it could have been really good with less. Good for a casual watch, but don't expect much from it.

The Consultant (2023)

The Show that Could Have Been

[3/10 · 25 February 2023]

This new series, The Consultant, airing on Amazon could have been great. Could have been if it wasn't for the tired "sell your soul to the Devil" theme, the worn out "fear of AI" trope, and even for tired performances by fantastic actors. Add to it, too many unanswered questions and ambiguous motivations.

Christopher Waltz gave a performance too reminiscent of past roles to be considered great here. Perhaps it was just an easy payday for him and gave the show much needed star power to make it work.

The show begins with shock value without explanation, the worst of which was a pointless sex act in the office. Perhaps it was to fully demean the character, but it was gratuitous at best, and added no value to the overriding themes in the show.

Bingeable, yes, because you really don't have to pay much attention to the show to pick up on its story. But if you pass it by, you haven't missed anything.

All the Moons (2020)

Intoxicating

[10/10 · 16 October 2022]

A well done take on the vampire myth without the gore and shock of typical fare. A very moving film that tells a story beautifully in a subdued journey. The cinematography, casting, and mystery are woven together in a dark tale that few filmmakers can achieve well. Amaia, the young vampire, searches for her own truth with heart and compassion, yet a darkness that is always there. No play by play here - let it unfold before your eyes. Her story will leave you fulfilled but wanting more. A must watch for fans of art films who won't be put off by a foreign language film. This, by far, will be at my top ten movies of its kind.

If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (2021)

Five stars for halfway there

[5/10 · 20 October 2021]

This video featured great vocals, beautiful imagery; both hallmarks of a great music video. But it missed the mark for me on a couple of levels. First, if you are going to tell a story, make it something fresh (at least a fresh twist). We don't need retellings of history and all the trappings pf misogyny without hope. Women have felt this tale, lived this tale, throughout time. When you create a nee story within this theme, present some element of empowerment. This give the illusion of that, but it is just delusion.

Maybe they wanted a dark tale. But they could have spun it away from the cliche.

Another Life (2019– )

I Gave This a Two Because They Tried

[2/10 · 28 July 2019]

I expected so much more. The characters were poorly cast, the script too familiar, and the plot and setting unbelievable. It would take too long to point out all of the flaws. Traveling months into space, with a self-absorbed, poorly trained crew, and hey, let's throw in two captains who hate each other! It's just one little deep space mission-what could go wrong? The only other thing more idiotic than this series is watching the entire series.

Lilith's Awakening (2016)

Pass on this - you will feel undead like it will never end

[2/10 · 19 May 2019]

No spoiler here - just another take on the Dracula myth that is neither new or all that interesting. The clues early on are easy to figure out from the names alone. It it beautifully filmed, but that is not enough to lift the disappointment. I do not prefer long drawn out, obscure scenes that do little to move the story along. And the near sexual assault scene was borderline "but she likes it and they are roleplaying" territory. If we need mixed messages on that topic, this movie nailed it.