mbrown001 Reviews

Dead Like Me (2003–2004)

Not anything like six feet under

[23 August 2004]

After reading another comment about this show being a rip-off of six feet under I'd like to comment.

I've seen every episode of six feet under and consider myself an avid fan. The main differences are not hard to determine.

Six feet under is a show that centers around a dysfunctional family in the wake of their own tragedy.(Death of the father). The way the series has played out makes the fact that they own a funeral home unimportant. Great drama is always about the characters. Six feet under is no exception. There are various story arcs that play out over the course of each season. Some stories carry over to the next season to keep you watching. It is very original.

Dead like me on the other hand is a fresh perspective of how the human dead are handled in the grand scheme of things. The idea that there is an entire sub-culture of un-dead following orders to take care of the mundane task of reaping a soul and showing the dead folks the way to the other side is comical but also makes you wonder "hmm... who's to say this doesn't occur? It also centers on Georgia Lass (freshly dead after a toilet seat from a de-orbiting space station takes her life)and how she handles the dubious distinction of becoming a reaper. Now in its second season, it again is focusing not on the occupation of those in the show, but the characters in the occupation of reaping. We are starting to get a glimps of the lives of Roxy, Rube, Daisy et al before they became reapers. I think Ellen Muth and Mandy Patankin are fantastic. I also like every last supporting character. It's superbly written and actually make you think about life in a different light. If you've not seen the show, at least give it a chance. Now if HBO came out with a show called "Gay as Family",(their version of Queer as folk) then I'd be screaming rip-off. Never forget Death happens to everyone eventually. There is surely room for more than one show that focuses on it.

Watch and be entertained,

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Any movie that starts with a voice over explanation is a red flag (spoilers)

[27 June 2004]

When the movie began with a voice over explaining what I was about to see, it reminded me that this is an indication that most of the character development scenes remain on the cutting room floor. It also indicates that without it, I wouldn't know what the heck is going on. The director and his $110,000,000 budget missed a golden opportunity to churn out a decent sci-fi flick with strong characters and make enough $$ to justify another sequel or even a franchise. Instead I was constantly looking for my game controller thinking I was in a video game. The idea of special effects is to give the impression that it's really happening. I can think of a couple scenes which just don't make sense:

On crematoria the sun heats the surface to 800 degrees, (which cooks an average pizza shop pizza in 10-12 minutes.) Yet crematoria's atmosphere melts human flesh like a thermonuclear explosion.

Who are the necromongers? All I got from this movie was that they were the worst door to door bible thumpers you could think of.

Why did Jack (kyra) go from 12 years old in pitch black to 25 in chronicles when only 5 years past.

Why was judy dench's character even in this movie. That could have saved a few grand and borrowed majal barret roddenbarry's computer voice from star trek and got the same result.

A quick splash from a water bottle protects Vin Diesel from crematories deadly atmosphere. I thought steam burns were 5 times worse on skin.

In the end, riddick is the leader of the race he is trying to beat. Will Arnold Schwarzenegger be on hand if the necromongers ask for a recall. maybe gary coleman will throw his name into the hat!

I'm happy i used the free movie pass from my pitch black DVD. At least I can walk away breaking even.