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The Boys (2019)
"Edgy" trash empty of substance or characters worth following
Ugh. Haven't read the source material but don't need to in order to call this out for what it is: garbage that substitutes immaturity and violence for a story or characters worth caring about. Like another crap show from years back called True Blood, this one wastes a cool concept on mostly unlikeable characters, increasingly extreme violence (oh, how edgy!), and overall empty entertainment for folks who either want to turn off their brains for awhile (nothing wrong with that) or who don't care about quality.
This one definitely brings out the Ignatius J Reilly in me.
Here's hoping that comics that tell a great story (East of West, Saga, Lazarus) are eventually given a good TV adaptation so we have more than crap like this to choose from.
The Isle (2018)
Nice atmosphere but too sluggish
Where are these 10 star reviews coming from? Seems suspicious b/c this is so clearly NOT a 10/10 movie. What it does well is a) moody atmosphere (fog, moonlight, great music) and b) not much else. It drags mightily by the hour point, so much so that I couldn't be bothered to keep watching. I no longer cared. So, 4 for establishing a decent vibe that isn't enough to overcome the sluggish pace.
The Expanse (2015)
The best hard sci-fi currently available
This show is a LONG overdue shot of superbly written and produced hard sci-fi for us fans of Firefly and BSG. There's nothing else like it, and I salute all involved for bringing so much care, level of detail, and maturity to creating this operatic sci-fi series. I also recommend the books, as they are just as good in their own way.
Thank you!!
Zygote (2017)
Good production values but you don't care one bit about the characters or the story
This short film looks good but it fails to make you care about the characters, nor does it tell a compelling, original, or interesting story. You basically watch a grotesque creature lumber after a scared blonde girls for 15 minutes, without knowing or caring why.
The Lodge (2019)
You feel irritated when you realize how stupid the story is
...and you've spent an hour or so of your time watching this movie. Like The Dark and the Wicked, this is another disappointing horror movie that is well acted and well shot but rendered pointless by an unintelligent story that tries to dress up the thinness of its ideas with arty flourishes.
Don't waste your time on this.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)
Not bad at all so far if you accept it on its own terms
Wanted to provide a diff't POV than all the negative voices I see reviewing it. I think they are wanting more of the original PD, which is understandable but misguided. This spin off isn't bad at all, and has strong performances, a decent (so far) storyline, and a fantastic sense of style and production. The dance number in episode four was really fun to watch.
I'd say give this a chance. I'm glad I have.
Altered Carbon (2018)
Good production values can't make up for bad source material
Ugh. Comes across like a mindless action show with tedious fight scenes every few minutes, boring actors who lack charisma/characters you don't care about, and a 'who cares?' plot.
Skip this and watch (or re-watch) The Expanse instead.
Mandy (2018)
do you like getting really high and playing Doom?
If you do, you will probably like this movie.
For the rest of us, this is total garbage.
The First (2018)
A very rewarding viewing experience
Surprised by the negativity in the reviews here. Perhaps folks were expecting more sci-fi and less family drama?
I watched it without expectations, and found it a touching and rewarding show, with superb performances and good writing.
By the end of the show, being invested in the characters makes the final launch a very engaging experience.
Well done and kudos to everyone involved in the making of this show.
A Ghost Story (2017)
Was this made bey an undergrad film student?
It certainly seems that way. This movie feels as inert and lifeless as any corpse.
Legion (2017)
Better than most superhero movies, and one of the most creative TV shows around
Wow. This show is unbelievably creative, and really rewarding after it gets going. Season 2 is especially excellent.
It's also far more well written and creative than most superhero movies, and more thoughtful and intelligent, too.
Highly recommended.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
a total high art put on with moments of fantastic imagery
The revival season is mostly awful, unwatchable, and as interesting as watching paint dry. And this is coming from a fan of Lynch's work who greatly enjoys the weird ones like Eraserhead.
I give Lynch and Frost credit for having the gumption to get this made and broadcast. It's another case of The Emperor's New Clothes. If it weren't Lynch who made this, this content would never see the light of day, it's that bad.
There are several scenes that are incredible, from a surrealist perspective, but they are padded with some of the worst television ever made.
Arrested Development (2003)
S1-3 are super, S4 and 5, not so much
It was a superb comedy, in its original incarnation. By all means, watch the first three seasons. It's a shame they couldn't come close to capturing that same level of quality with the last two seasons. S5 in particular is almost painfully unfunny.
Homeland (2011)
Season 8 is surprisingly tense and enjoyable
Been watching this since S1 and it's had its ups and downs, especially S6 and 7, but S8 is a welcome improvement. Lord knows that America right now is such a royal mess that there is ample dysfunction to draw on in creating storylines.
Lost in Space (2018)
Special effects are about the only thing going for it
Based on the first episode, at least.
I read the user reviews and thought "It can't possibly be that bad, and I love sci-fi!"
Well, it turns out that it IS that bad. Not a single enjoyable character, poor writing, and a very dull pilot episode had me bailing.
I'd rather wait for good sci-fi, like The Expanse, than watch this dross.
Hard Sun (2018)
Feels like a routine overly brutal cop show that uses end of the world as a gimmick
A few episodes in and it's disappointing so far. The episodes center around very violent incidents that don't feel directly connected to the central premise of the end of the world. The whole five years thing seems to be used as a gimmick. Maybe the last 2 episodes further develop that but I might not stick around to find out. Also, it is very very violent.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Extrordinary
This is an art film masquerading as a Hollywood blockbuster, and is simply extraordinary.
It succeeds on all levels- as a sequel to one of the best films every made, as an unsettling depiction of a future that feels very plausible, as a stunning visual art film, and as an engrossing detective/action film with philosophical overtones.
I honestly couldn't how good it was.
I'd see it soon if I were you, on an Imax screen.
Electric Dreams (2017)
Disappointing
Black Mirror has seriously raised the bar for quality as far as sci-fi anthologies go, and I'm sad to say that the first 4 episodes of Electric Dreams are several notches below that in every regard. I was expecting more in terms of production values, storyline, etc. etc.
I'd skip this one.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Ignore all the low reviews
Been reading a lot of user reviews slamming this. Couldn't disagree more. Three episodes in, and it's very good sci-fi.
The lead is great, the effects are great, and the storyline is good so far. Sure, some of the action is a little cheesy, but it's TV.
The mistake many of these user reviewers are making is to be too beholden to the previous Star Trek series when rating this.
Vinyl (2016)
Yet another trashy soap opera masquerading as an important drama
How many more times will people fall for this trick? Hire important directors, spend lots of money for great production values...only to spend hours charting the excesses of venal, petty, selfish, self-indulgent people. House of Cards set a new high watermark with this kind of trash, and Vinyl seems eager to follow in its footsteps.
Flawed protagonists are one thing, but wall to wall ***holes and jerks?d
It makes one long for more shows by creators who are invested in telling stories worth telling about characters worth spending time with. I wouldn't spend five minutes in a room with any of the characters in Vinyl (except maybe Lester Grimes) and there is no compelling reason to watch the lead character on this show. A rich, self- indulgent jerk that he is, with very little charisma.
This is an unfortunate trend in cable dramas.
Count me out.
Total Recall 2070: Machine Dreams: Part 1 (1999)
better than that
paladin was off the mark here. i have the entire series on DVD and have watched about half so far, and overall the show is quite good sci-fi. it's basically a cop show with a strong phillip k. dick/ridley scott blade runner influence (well, that's putting it lightly- it more or less copies them exactly!), and it tackles similar ethical issues of identity, genetics, memory, and the role of individual choice in a highly invasive scientific future.
it's a shame the entire series isn't available commercially, because it's quite good. the characters are really stock, and ironically it's only the android character who so far shows signs of growth and change (guess that's in keeping with blade runner).
anyway, the designers did a fantastic job with this show, and there have been a few really well-written episodes, as well as a few duds too.
the 'machine dreams' DVD is actually the first two episodes of the series. i liked those, but as the series has progressed there have been stronger episodes and an overarching subplot that's getting interesting.