smiledaydream Reviews

Hacker (I) (2016)

Entertaining but weak story, drags a bit, goes nowhere

[5/10 · 10 March 2024]

This movie started off very interesting. So many of the characters were perfect. All the storyline has so much potential. And it was fun to watch while doing something else but I would be very disappointed if this was the focus of what I was doing. Really big holes in the story. Plot lines arrive and vanish. People do things that make no sense for who they are and what they know. They get a whole lot of technology involved but don't really have the fun with it they could in the storyline. And then it's very random whether you care about anybody. There's a relationship which seems to be based on being written into the script. They are adults that argue like high school kids. And the movie just ends. It's not even a French movie. It just ends. I guess they got tired of writing a script or making a movie and just went home. But a five because it's fun to watch.

Disaster Breakdown (2016– )

Cruel False Hope... Her best production yet.

[10/10 · 20 December 2023]

Chloe has been one of the best flight incident documentarians for a long time. Her latest, "Cruel False Hope, The Awful Story of the New York Mid-air Collision" reminds me of a PBS production with her Ken Burns style that pleases the ear, the eye, and the intellect. Fans of air disaster productions respect that the scientific investigation is the part that grabs us. The loss of life is tragic, but year after year flying is safer because the examination of every event or incident leads to big changes supported by federal funding. Even if no harm results, incidents are examined. The world usually works together on investigations. Only the most extreme autocracies avoid data sharing. Corporations that cover up mistakes are discovered. It's not a perfect world, but flight is a most amazing science.

The Last Stop (II) (2017)

Great history; very interesting

[8/10 · 3 September 2023]

This movie is interesting from beginning to end. It seems very fair. It has many of the people who were there from the beginning to the end including those who worked there and those who lived there. It puts it in perspective of other things going on in society and treatment. It's very well edited in that there was probably a lot of dialogue and a lot of history that could be included was edited to enough to cover everything. Thought-provoking.

I have to say more because you can enter a zero character review in IMDb but if you enter an actual review you must say more than you need to say. I'm very sympathetic to a lot of the characters. The people come from many different experiences. I liked their personal history's also.

Star Trek: Picard: Dominion (2023) Season 3, Episode 7

Typical writing degradation

[6/10 · 1 April 2023]

First season perfect, 2nd malingering, 3rd is a retirement party and sad writing. No, a genius would not mix two technologies hoping for a magic outcome, um four but that part vanishes. This is amateur. Please don't do this to future Star Trek. Star Trek is quality and intelligence. Don't lower the bar. Ok. This is where IMDB allows zero character reviews but not 300 characters. Why is the series so darkly lighted? I don't mind it, but it is obvious. Now listening to Vadic give a Scooby Doo speech which is what we call it when one character suddenly discloses all the plot points in a speech everyone is there to listen to. All action stops to listen to the Scooby speech. Common in cop shows after the last commercial.

Jim Gaffigan: Quality Time (2019 TV Special)

I spontaneously laughed. And identified some.

[9/10 · 6 November 2022]

This is the best Jim Gaffigan I remember seeing. I guess I remember liking him and enjoying it before but this was really fun from beginning to end. Now, this is a comic telling jokes and IMDB has gone back to requiring a lot of words. I don't want to give away his jokes. I don't even want to talk about the subjects of the jokes because that would sort of be a spoiler and won't make the jokes better. It's interesting that I could just rate this and give it a score but if I want to say anything, I have to come up with 600 characters of something to say. He does talk about horses and shirts. Actually he talks about horses sort of like the Moby Dick whale species chapters. Quite a bit. But he does apologize for that.

Black Adam (2022)

I like the main humans, but not the superheroes.

[3/10 · 6 November 2022]

Someone said comically good. Yep. Having fun. Writing could not be worse and less subtle. Spaghetti western music when it is clear Black Adam is annoyed by being shot. I am confused. Who is the good guy? Black Adam helps the good people but is against Justice League who is so mean to him. They continue to fly around and punch people. It ends about as expected. I had not seen any of the series as far as I know. I'm not very fond of the character of the superheroes. They're making me do a longer review. Using the Rock in this way is kind of sad. Just bad lines and bad facial movements. 10 more characters. Quality over quantity I say.

Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. (1970)

Seven for goofy fun.

[7/10 · 12 September 2022]

Gas-s-s-s is what it's called in Amazon Prime.

It's hard to tell if this is a good or a bad movie and how to rate it. I mean I'm enjoying watching it sort of because it's 9/11 today and this is better than watching the plane crash over and over. The movie is sort of cute. It makes no sense because they don't tell a story. There's more story in the description than there is in the movie. A plot from Scooby Doo stretched to 90 minutes. It looks like they made this movie in the 1950s. The 50s looked back on the 70s. Oh my God. The rape dialogue is terrible but they actually made a funny rape joke. (Nobody is being raped at the time. It's grammar.) OK now the movie makes sense; I think I hear the Benny Hill theme song. Ah! I recognized Harold! OK I don't know what to make of this movie so I'm going to give it a seven because I like watching it and it's definitely unusual. This would actually make a good musical. Jack White should compose the music.

A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

A beautiful vision of the book.

[10/10 · 4 September 2022]

A beautiful vision of the book. I read the book quite a long time ago and I had such strong visions in my mind of these characters. When I saw the shoemaker it was like I was seeing again what I had seen in my mind. It is brilliant to take such a detailed and complex novel and portray the most important lines and the most important scenes. If there's a reason you will never have time to read this classic, this movie will help you know this fantastic story. Or if like me you have already read the book it is great to see somebody do it such great service. Here the time with the shoemaker is portrayed more quickly than the character development in the book but this is not a great loss. And someone who drinks a lot is more developed in the book but again this is not a great loss. Maybe at the very end there is a slight percentage more religiosity but the movie is over at that point. I am so glad I saw this today and it reminds me to get back to reading the classics. And it reminds me how important it is when producing the movie of a great book to honor it.

Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock (II) (1999 Video)

Nobody has played like this.

[10/10 · 27 August 2022]

Nobody has played like this. Carlos Santana just keeps getting better and better and has this much soul. But he would never claim to have this much fingering or the ability to have the sound of three guitar players in his head mysteriously coming out through his fingers. Watching him play part of a melody with his thumb while he forms chords with his fingers. Watching him perform chords that only Hendrix made and are still called Hendrix chords. Watching him cross so many styles of music. 🎩🎸Hats off to Gary Clark Junior. He's one of the Hendrixes is I listen to. He is his own man of course; he's something to see. Something to feel. And Taz Niederauer has the time to be whatever he wants to be. Can't wait to see him on to tour.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Enjoy a movie and be happy.

[10/10 · 27 August 2022]

Where was this movie hiding? If you want a movie that is great and has great actors and is great for the family and you will really love, this is the movie. Maybe it's a great adventure. Maybe it's a great love story. Maybe it's a fantasy. The one actor I didn't notice until after it was over was Jason Swartzman. Hey that's a compliment. Every actor was great. The bad guys are good. The good guys are bad. All is forgiven. Of the super famous actors, Edward Norton does the most acting. But come on. It's Edward Norton. He's like a sober Johnny Depp, or sober Peter Sellers if you want to go back that far.

The Lobster (2015)

Brilliant and creepy.

[10/10 · 12 August 2022]

Brilliant and creepy. It's not as grotesque as it could be. I mean not visually. Human nature? That's another story here. It's easy to believe in what is happening because the story is quite good. I like the donkey killer Lady. Apparently she works in movies a lot but only acted into. I mean I don't like her character but I like well it just was good. Well he's a good man to take care of his brother.

Mexico's Bravest Man (2016)

This is a great documentary

[10/10 · 29 July 2022]

This is a great documentary. So much of the complexity of the war on drugs and corruption in general in Mexico is covered in this movie through the window on this man and those who have interacted with him. I was Surprised to find out in 2022 but he is still alive. His intelligence and his attitude are both great. He is a realist but not a realist who finds it is necessary to work with criminals. Mexico needs 500 more of Perez and maybe he will have the chance to bring his methods and philosophy to others. I think he gives Mexico some hope. Mexico has had hundreds of years of painful history and I hope they can find a period of peace, democracy, and success. I found this while I was focusing on documentaries and a few fictional stories about Mexico. Definitely worth your time if you like good documentaries.

Africa Speaks! (1930)

Recommended for historic reference, not education

[9/10 · 17 July 2022]

This makes Luis Bunuel's Land Without Bread look like a perfect historic document. It's like a 12 year old looks at Africa and just makes up opinions about things after being told he's the smartest kid in the world. It's very entertaining and it's very useful. When they are not staging people and the sound is off this is amazing footage. They capture a lot of scenery of the time. Apparently at the time, if you could afford a camera and were willing to point it at something interesting, you could consider yourself a documentarian.

I do realize he's telling bad jokes but it's the statements when he's being serious that make it so absurd.

He's making everything up as he narrates. He thinks a child's belly that indicates malnourishment is an indication of eating well. I fact checked a statement he made about a giraffe and it's completely incorrect. His statements about rhinos are also incorrect. Lions manes vary based on weather not because they get caught on bushes.

His knowledge of insects is the insects today do not act as well as insects in the Bible. Ungodly insects apparently. He provides an explanation for a practice of women in a tribe and it is wrong on every aspect. He states that nobody understands the behavior of impalas and then offers made-up information about the behavior of impalas.

These gentlemen are making a Borat style exposé about themselves. There's a scene where they obviously told two Africans to do something silly and then yell at them not to do it. This is a few white men discovering Africa by having dozens of black people do all their work. He points out that they use people from different tribes that can't talk to each other to make sure they don't all quit at the same time.

Like Land Without Bread, this is a period piece that demonstrates a time when documentaries lacked journalistic standards. I do recognize some of this continues today and hence Borat has a lot of work to do.

Juice: How Electricity Explains the World (2019)

Excellent, but it needs a series.

[8/10 · 17 July 2022]

This covers a lot of areas. It doesn't have anything to do with handouts. There are at least 20 principles of energy production covered in the short movie. But the point is made that energy is the center of so much of what we do. You could have 5 to 20 episodes in a series to cover all of these topics more thoroughly. It is very well investigated. It doesn't say that producers or users or populations are bad. This is about the reality of a growing culture that uses electricity. Science requires that we always be talking about the good benefits and the bad side effects of any process. If a process seems to have more side effects than it has benefits, then we want to make it a goal to progress away from that process. Living in caves and requiring whale oil were not horrible things. But they're not what we're going to do today. We can imagine where we're going to be in 100 or 1000 years and try to get there.

Classic Albums: Peter Gabriel: So (2012) Season 10, Episode 2

Better than the album

[7/10 · 16 July 2022]

I'm sure this will not be everyone's opinion but I can't say I love everything on the album. But I love Peter Gabriel music in general and I love this entire series and similar series about making albums. One of the most interesting parts of this is about how they got his deeper range vocals. I'm also a fan of Laurie Anderson and it was great to see her. It's always great to see her. I watched this while I'm working around the house and it encouraged me to listen to the album again. Peter Gabriel is clearly a music genius. I think a big improvement in modern times people have more opportunity to release one or two songs and don't have to make large song collections to go to market. If you have trouble finding this in your media, you might want to include the search for "classic albums". I'm watching it on FreeVee which I watch through Amazon Plus.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

More effects and variety in no 2

[8/10 · 16 July 2022]

It's not as simple and warm as number one. There's a lot more effects and a lot of scenes And more of a need to get from scene to scene. I think for kids it will have more excitement. For adults less story. One character in particular is inconsistent. That character doesn't change when he recognizes what's going on but then does change. Not so well developed but maybe that's just going to play into the future. I wouldn't see two without seeing one. If only seeing one of the other I would watch the first one. But I'm not a gamer.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Fun from start to finish

[10/10 · 16 July 2022]

I don't know what more you could want from the movie. It's a great story. Everybody's fun. Lots of stuff happens. I don't know anything about a video game because well I used to play words with friends but there were too many cheats available in it. But I digress. I started to watch a movie with two obsessed dudes named B and B by I left that behind and came over here and it was a great experience. It was a bad day today and I needed some comedy and this was completely uplifting. I'm old and I think anybody young would love this so this is definitely a movie for everybody. You won't make a mistake. Now I'm gonna watch the second one.

Attention Please (2018)

Lifesaving

[10/10 · 10 July 2022]

I come from before the time when so many misbehaved children were given drugs. I don't know that it was better or worse but I'm so glad I was not put on drugs when I was a kid. What I do know is treatment for PTSD has helped me. And I still strive now to know why being touched on my back makes me jump. Why I can't have normal touch relationships. And I don't want a drug to make that better. I take a mild drug for OCD but mainly work with tools and therapy. But I know now I have to seek someone about touch. This is my body reacting. Every time I take too much of a drug I lose part of myself. I don't think those of us who love this movie think this is the only movie that should exist on the idea of not taking drugs to help children. But it certainly is one.

My Louisiana Sky (2001 TV Movie)

Beautiful and original story for everyone

[10/10 · 10 July 2022]

This is a jewel of a movie. Definitely a story I haven't seen before. And it's a beautiful place and time. Every character is perfectly interesting and perfectly portrayed. Not a moment of this movie is wasted. And it's also great for everyone. A movie you can share with the whole family. I love this movie. As I got ready to post I saw that the Director was Adam Arkin. I've always loved the work of he and his father. They have a fantastic authenticity.

Eminem: The Marshall Plan (2013)

Way too long. Way too slow.

[3/10 · 5 July 2022]

Way too long. Way too slow. People who are certainly smart enough and somewhat interesting talk about Eminem for 2 1/2 hours. It's probably 30 minutes of material. If you have something else to do like cleaning the carpet while watching it maybe it's OK but it's quite the snooze fest. The moments of my life are better spent doing something else.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Great adventure. Great story. Great actors.

[10/10 · 2 July 2022]

I finally watched The Revenant. I guess I wasn't in the mood for an adventure movie in 2015. This is a great movie. Domhnall Gleeson fan since About Time. Leo DiCaprio is dedicated. This is a powerful character and he carries every minute of it. Will Poulter shows his range, again. I've seen this kid be a comedian, an idiot, a genius and shy and rough. Don't underestimate this actor. (We're the Millers and Midsommer for examples). All of the cast is wonderful. The indigenous people are not clichés and not overplayed or underplayed. Very beautiful.

Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)

Damn stupid wonderful movie

[10/10 · 23 June 2022]

Oh it was gonna be so obvious this was just some made for TV movie. But it all turns out to be so interesting. And I end up caring so much. And it's just so sweet and so wonderful. Please invest the time. Watch this one you need to feel something or life needs to change. Or watch this when hope is in doubt. This kid is great. Uncle Joe is great. Oh here and there the stories a little implausible but hell. How else do angels get their wings?

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997 TV Movie)

Interesting. Fun to watch.

[7/10 · 22 June 2022]

Interesting. Fun to watch. This movie is not brilliant. It doesn't have great lines. It doesn't have great acting. It is a good movie with good lines and good acting. I like a story when it's not one I've watched before and I have not watched an Everest movie before. I won't be climbing Everest. I hike a lot but I'm definitely not physically able and I'm certainly not going to pay the number of people would take to get me up and down the mountain with 90% certainty. I might as well play people to play basketball for me and call myself a basketball player.

Secrets of the Dead: Ben Franklin's Bones (2015) Season 14, Episode 1

Terrible title. Good and informative show.

[7/10 · 21 June 2022]

Let me first address how terrible the name of the show is and how terrible it is that they basically build up around commercials by hinting that Ben Franklin may have done something sinister involving dead bodies. Even to the end of the show they continue to insinuate he may have done something wrong but then walk away from that over and over. The good show is about stories you've heard in different places. The early means by which bodies were gathered for study. Where people lived and how they tied together in history. It's a really great story right to the end.

The Eugenics Crusade (2017)

Perfectly covers the subject matter

[10/10 · 21 June 2022]

An excellent non-fiction movie about the history of eugenics and state laws allowing forced sterilization. Hitler adopted these laws from the United States. #racism #biology #poverty #immigration #history.