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evandronius
Reviews
Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023)
Just not that good
I love Steph curry as much as the next fan, and his story really is amazing, but this just felt like a lot was missing. I can't explain exactly what it was but it just wasn't up to par with similar sports bios. Maybe they needed to do like a three part series and have it be more extensive, 30 for 30 style (for example the great bill walton doc).
It also just felt weird stylistically. Like a lot of shooting of random daily tasks that were entirely uninteresting. They brought in Reggie Miller st the literal very beginning like he was going to be have a big role, and then you didn't see him once the rest of the time. Also a lot of interviews from mostly people from the Davidson days, which, fine but then just make it a doc about his Davidson days and not try to tie in the quest for his fourth ring which was an equally interesting story that deserves its own episode.
Like they really should have done an episode on his past, his upbringing, interviews from all his family, high school days with the high school coach and then transition to the Davidson saga with all those characters and that drama, and then a third episode about his pro days. You could've stuck to the underrated theme the whole time and it would've felt so much more complete and worthy.
Silo (2023)
Worth watching but not fantastic
Really would give this a solid 6.5/10 but I'll round up to 7 as opposed to down to 6, because the stylistic elements and intriguing premise are there, it's just not well executed.
It doesn't altogether feel like a high level production. Casting is weird, acting is not great, writing is definitely not great. I like Rebecca Ferguson (Juliette) but her American accent is bad and it distracts. The chemistry between George and Juliette, which was supposed to be the main romantic relationship, was definitely not there. Also Common was flat.
It was an interesting premise though and I thought the cinematography and directing was good. I love me a good sci-fi dystopian apocalypse, and this still satisfied some of that itch, I just wish it were better.
Kaleidoscope (2023)
Bad characters
I don't mind the nonlinear approach. The story itself was ok but I felt like they could have taken it in so many different places that would have made it so much more satisfying and interesting. But it was the characters that really soured it for me.
Bob and Judy were two of the most poorly written characters I've encountered in a show in a long time. Bob especially had zero redeeming qualities, but even Judy was such a confusing mess. Throw in RJ, who is supposed to be the nerdy tech guy (of course Asian btw) who also knows cars, and hvac, and plumbing, and is the driver (yeah duh he also raced cars growing up no biggie), which all sounds interesting yet some how he was the most uninteresting character in the crew, and you have half of crew being such hateable, dull characters I felt truly enraged after watching the payoff for all these characters in the white (heist) episode and realizing that yes, they were in fact that stupid and meaningless the whole time.
A huge waste of my time and I really wish the IMDb rating was more accurate so that I could've avoided this entire show. It should be no higher than a 6.
ZeroZeroZero (2019)
Worthwhile, but not very engaging
There is somehow at the same time a lot to the story - with a lot of moving parts, timelines, and characters - and also a lot to be desired in terms of its engagement factor. I just did not find any of the story lines that compelling, and most importantly, any of the characters that interesting. The acting was good, but there just wasn't enough written for them to sell what should have been very sellable stories.
This is more like a 6.5, so a 7 might be generous, but I don't feel right giving a show that looks aesthetically so great with what was obviously an incredible production that went into it anything lower than a 7. So yeah, if I had not just run out of other things to watch I would've held off on this, but still worthwhile I'd say.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
Solid entertainment
This is really not that bad. Certainly better than the reviews it's getting. It was a very ambitious project with a lot going on but I think they pulled it off while keeping a fairly cohesive and engaging storyline together. Lebron is a terrible actor but honestly still probably better than Michael Jordan.
I may be a bit biased because I'm a big blazer/dame lillard fan and his parts were great, but I do think it was a solid 6.5 type of movie. And for a kid this is like a 9.5.
Q: Into the Storm (2021)
Brilliant. Must see
Everyone needs to watch this to understand how these kind of conspiratorial thinkers live. The followers are very much serious about it because they are craving some way to make sense of the ever increasing corrupted world, and find a community of like minded cynics. But the leaders (codemonkey et al) are not serious people. They treat the real world as if it were a game because that is how they have lived their entire lives. Behind a computer screen, devoid of real human connection, and detached from reality.
I also really applaud the filmmaker. It cannot be easy to follow a story like this for so long through so many twists and turns, many of them dead ends, through the lies and drama and intentional deceit, and stay neutral and bipartisan enough to earn your subjects' trust. Brilliant work.
The Outsider (2020)
Good show
But Scully and Mulder would've solved it in 43 minutes.
The X Files: Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose (1995)
Peter Boyle is brilliant
Boyle shines in this episode. The humor between him and Mulder brings out the Californication version of David Duchovny, which is a much better version than X-files Duchovny.
The Fall: Silence and Suffering (2016)
Unnecessary but well produced
I agree that it was an unnecessary episode in a show that is overall kind of poorly written in terms of the actual plot which has gone all sorts of ways, some of which themselves are pretty unnecessary. But it's still well written and emotionally well performed in terms of dialogue. And also kudos to them really hiring good medical consultants because whoever they were they nailed the medical stuff. It was literally like watching the training videos for how to run a trauma code and ACLS training. I'm a doctor and as far as medical tv drama, this one did about as best as possible. I'll give them the fact that it was of course a bit more dramatic and immaculate than real life. But I was impressed. They even added a bit of real world medical slang which surprisingly is the same in the UK as it is in the US.
30 for 30: Chasing Tyson (2015)
Duality of the sportsman
Tyson v Holyfield is the classic bad v good matchup the sporting world loves. The most interesting aspect of this is each boxers take on exactly this duality that went on to define both of them. Holyfield was the "boring" one doing the "lord's work", which no one was interested in. Tyson was a troubled man brought up in troubled circumstances who made terrible decisions, so everyone was interested in him. This is what fueled the rivalry and more importantly the public's fascination and media creation of the rivalry. And interestingly, both fighters seem to be very honest about their part in all of it. Tyson himself adds some very thoughtful and honest commentary which was interesting when seen contrasted with the footage of him being a mad man back in the day. And to hear Holyfield essentially say the motivation for his second act was from a quack evangelical fake miracle-working religious maniac was a little odd and disappointing. Nonetheless, you do leave feeling satisfied and I thought it was well done
Home Before Dark (2020)
Barftown, USA
A place for shows like this. This is an honest warning to those who, like me, knowing way too little about what they are getting into and who are looking for an original spin on a true crime edgy semi-thriller with a smart but maybe a little dark script but still telling a story about an actual child yet doing it in a realized and honest way - this is not for you. It is sellout, cheeseball, misguided nonsense. The moment a nine year old stands on a lunch table in a cafeteria to read out loud to the whole school the negative comments people made on her blog article as if she's telling a bunch of other nine year olds that she's not gonna take no sheet from all the haters because I'm strong and don't care what all you hundreds of other kids think about me while I stand up here all alone and also I don't know any of you because I moved here one week ago and actually I think this is a bad idea and I should get down and just start being a normal kid, actually no she doesn't do that, she stay up there and confidently says the words "I don't like secrets and I don't like pretending. You asked 'who cares about the truth?' I do. Because if the truth doesn't matter, then nothing ever will" and then some kid starts a slow clap and everyone else joins in, everyone is perfectly fine with what just happened, and so joyed even they start a food fight right then and there. Yes. Food fight. Two movies have food fights. Animal house, and Matilda. If you like Matilda and hate Animal House, maybe you will like this show. Except that Matilda is actually a great movie. But anyway, the moment something like that happens in a show, the moment you need to find a better show.
For All Mankind (2019)
Surprisingly impressing
Didn't think it would be as good as it turned out to be. I was definitely very engaged the whole way through although it was a bit slower to begin with but it has its peaks and valleys. However then the end was really great and really well done. It sets up well for season 2 without being a cheap cliffhanger. Admittedly there are quite a few impossible, or incredible, or horribly tragic things that happen. So yeah, maybe a little "unrealistic" if you are one of those types of people that complain about that kind of thing. But if you're a decent normal person you'll love it. And yeah some pretty unbelievable things happen, but they are really exciting to see and kept me captivated and wanting more.
To (attempt) to be more "woke", I was surprised with how well they navigated the theme of gender equality from the perspective of being in the 60&70s but while watching through our own more modern, metoo'ed lenses. They took on a serious challenge to demonstrate an alternative version of how a society could have handled this kind of social movement and they did a fairly good job. Was interesting to see the female leads develop, not just as characters but as models for how this world needs strong female leaders, then coming into their own and being bad b's, and doing this without having to constantly feed us the typical cheap motivational rhetoric. Anyway, regardless of all that, the acting was great all around. Especially loved Joel Kinnaman.
Homecoming (2018)
Was not disappointed, but I want more!
Normally this kind of circular story telling gets on my nerves (eg Westworld), but I think it really serves this series in an original and genuine way that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard to be modern and artistic like many other shows. It is slow and I do wish a bit more happened in season 2, but it fits the narrative of people trying to put the pieces of their fragmented lives back together. It is necessarily a slow and arduous process. Also the finale was very gratifying and made it feel well worth it to me, and leaves a lot of interesting room for season 3!
To get a little more cerebral, I think there are many interesting themes here, but most interesting to me is the idea that we are who we are only because of our circumstances and experiences. When those leave us, our moral slate is wiped clean. Kind of an empiricist look into the self.
Undone (2019)
Not exactly a mind-bender...
...But a good show nonetheless. It is an entertaining and somewhat thoughtful story. The characters are effortlessly constructed, which makes for easy watching and allows you to direct more of your attention toward the main protagonists and their objectives. And while the writing for Alma can get a little over the top, she recovers and I was in the end sympathetic to her whole overall jaded vibe, and especially the witty banter with the boyfriend.
However, I did not find the subject matter itself to be that mind-bending to be honest. It is certainly no "waking life", although just because they are both rotoscopes doesn't necessarily mean it's a fair comparison to make. But if you went into it with that kind of expectation (like me), then it was a little disappointing in that regard. I always appreciate a deep dive into the philosophical weeds, and this didn't quite do that. But as a narrative it was certainly compelling enough, and it at least explored the surface of the whole space-time metaphysical mind-****ery, which is almost enough for me. Let's hope next season will go deeper and we get to see some real discussion/consequences of space time disruption!
Tales from the Loop: Parallel (2020)
A shame to science fiction
There is fiction, and there is science fiction. The literal only difference is science. This show did not contain that, it only contained the suggestion of it. It was purely an emotional endeavor with no execution to explore the complex elements that it contained. Parallel universes are like a giant canvas of opportunity. This was like a high school drama geek using monet's water Lilly's and using it as a canvas to write their poetry on. It was a frivolous episode with flat performances and was for me the highlight of this shows failed potential as a work of science fiction as well as a narrative piece altogether.
Tales from the Loop (2020)
Visually appealing. Depressingly unsatisfying.
It was the kind of show I found myself excited to get back to when I wasn't watching it, so that says something, but when I was actually watching it I felt quite underwhelmed, which I think says even more. It was beautifully shot and directed and the cast gave mostly good performances, but this kind of writing is just not satisfying enough for me. It was really more of an anthology series, except that real anthology series have stronger and more complete stories within each separate entry. This was just one large loosely tied together plot in which really in the end not much happens and you can't help but ask yourself what was the point? Life is sad and fragile and destined to end in heartbreak? Maybe they could have conveyed that message a little more efficiently and with a bit more actual plot.
Episode 6 was the zenith of this shows failed potential. They had a great story to work with for that episode but did nothing meaningful with it. That episode especially, but others as well, was really a stain on the sci-fi brand.
I've heard others say they tied things together "beautifully" in the end, but I whole heartedly disagree. I think there were giant holes all over the place and whatever story lines they did tie together were not done with great thought and delivered very little viewer satisfaction. I have no problem with slow, but not when there is little to no reward waiting for you on the other side.
Mid90s (2018)
Unoriginal
Johan Hill man, you can't just claim inspiration from "this is England" and then just totally rip it off. It's basically the same story but this is england has better characters, better acting, and a much deeper story with way more complexity. If we're pretending that this movie is a stand alone original, then it is mildly entertaining but on the scale of the other troubled coming of age dramas, it doesn't hold any weight. Not even close. Please viewers, watch actual real movies. Not ones that are some over privileged Hollywood sellout's idea of a real movie. Although I do feel bad calling Jonah hill a sellout because I don't know if that is actually true and for his feature length directorial debut I suppose it was not bad at all. It's just that, this is why people are so annoyingly woke about the whole privilege thing. Maybe those with less financial and social resources but better actual storytelling abilities and creativity should get a few more chances over the Jonah hill's of the word just doing whatever they please... End rant.
The Expanse (2015)
Great but one bad actor
I loved literally every part of this show all the way through EXCEPT Avasarala's character. I mean she's obviously a actor but ok fine I can deal with that. I won't even mention the fact that her voice sounds like she swallowed a lit cigar. But she becomes unbearable during season 4 when she inexplicably starts saying f and s* literally every sentence. She all the sudden becomes a raging terror of a woman who garners zero sympathy and just makes you pray for her scene to be over every time she starts babbling on about how incompetent everyone else is and verbally abusing her staff and colleagues. I hope her character meets a painful and satisfying death. I'm sorry. Now I sound like a maniac but I couldn't hold it in anymore.
ps I wish no actually harm upon the real life actor because I'm sure she is fine in a part that is not written so terribly
About the actual show: first three episodes a little difficult to get into but definitely still interesting enough. The rest kept getting better and better with season 3 culminating in a finish that will probably be its peak. Season 4 is not quite as potent but still great stuff. Like I said, loved everything but the devil woman.
Good Omens (2019)
Why
It is pretty rare that my opinion of a show differs drastically from that of everyone else. This is one of those few that I simply cannot understand what in the hell people are thinking who like this show. I haven't been so disappointed by a show in a long time. The character development is dull and laborious. The writing is just awful. The story line is clunky and not interesting. And although the acting was hit or miss, the misses were enough to make one nauseous. I gave it a solid effort but literally could not go on after 2.5 episodes. Honestly can't understand the positive reviews. Idk, maybe it's me. See for yourself
Moonlight (2016)
In my top 5
This movie is incredible and I simply can't understand who would and how someone could give this less than a perfect score. It is everything a movie is supposed to be. Timeless, emotional, thoughtful, and yet still entertaining. I don't think I've ever been more moved by a movie.