Brad_G35 Reviews

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Loved the idea. Execution could've been better.

[5/10 · 5 February 2024]

I think I expected a bit too much out of this movie. I wanted it to hit me like a ton of bricks but it didn't do that at all.

I knew the horrors of the Holocaust wouldn't be shown in this movie and that's okay. The audio in the background of things happening was enough. Constant gun fire. Screaming. All the torture going on around the clock in the background.

After about 20 minutes, the background noise kind of becomes white noise. I can only imagine that the people living nearby viewed it this way too. After a while, the noise was just there.

With that, it becomes a movie about this family. The male head of the family is a commander in the Nazi party that was responsible for millions of deaths. Once the background noise becomes white noise, the movie just turns into a movie about this family. You even kind of have feelings for the wife as she learns that her husband is being sent to another town.

I might change my review after a future viewing but this film just didn't do it for me.

Tom Segura: Sledgehammer (2023 TV Special)

Different.

[9/10 · 8 July 2023]

I still wish this special was called I'm Coming on Netflix. I attended the I'm Coming Everywhere tour and it was great.

I think this is a good special aka collection of stories. If you're a fan of Tom(which I am), you'll love this.

With that being said, this special seemed off while watching it. I'm not sure if it's because he did it in the round or what. I can still find the funny if I've already heard most of the jokes. I rewatch specials all the time.

I will rewatch this one but seeing this set live was leaps better than it comes across in this special. Again, I'm not sure if it's because it's in the round or some of the quick camera switches or what, but it just didn't work for me.

I saw him twice around May/June of 2022 so the material was still fresh and he didn't seem tired of it. I do know this special was filmed in November of 2022(because I tried to get tickets).. maybe having done the material so much and everywhere. Maybe that made it stale when the actual filming happened.

If you're a fan of Tom, watch this! You'll love it! If you're not a fan of Tom and feel confused, keep watching it... then start watching Your Mom's House(YMH) for a few weeks. Come back in a few years and watch this. You'll get it.

The Machine (I) (2023)

Not bad. Not the best.

[7/10 · 28 May 2023]

I'm a Bert fan. I enjoyed seeing the time during filming(Via Bert's IG stories). The movie wasn't terrible but I don't think there's any reason to watch it more than once.

I think Mark Hamill will definitely get more butts in seats for this movie. I knew the movie was going to expand on his Russian mafia story but I didn't realize it was going to be a back and forth between 20 years ago and present day basically stretching out a 15 minute story into almost 2 hours.

The final act with Bert just kicking ass was the highlight of the movie.

I do know that Bert enjoyed making this movie and he's proud of it. It definitely came across on screen. You can tell he had a blast acting and that alone is one reason to see it.

I was a little disappointed with my theater... I don't think anyone in the crowd knew Leeann had a small role except for me. That was a nice easter egg for the fans.

As for an action movie, I think it's great. Being a stand-up comedian movie though, I think I was expecting a little more comedy. Dirty comedy. Being able to laugh uncontrollably comedy. Unfortunately this movie didn't have that. It had some funny-haha moments but nothing that made me roll around the floor laughing.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village (2023)

Be aware.

[5/10 · 4 March 2023]

This would really be 8 or 9 for me but I'm giving it a 5 because this doesn't need to be a trend.

I really liked what they did with Mugen Train and the movie being the first half of the last season of the show.

Here though? I knew it was going to be the last episodes of last season and the first episode of the next season but...

I didn't mind it in this case because at the end of last season, as I was watching it, I thought to myself that I'd really like to see these scenes on the big screen. With that... the episodes from last season were fine but did you have to put credits at the end of them and even the opening theme to it? There were even a few times it did the cut as if it was going to commercial(we all know how anime does that-don't bring that part of it to theaters). They briefly recapped the first season and 2nd season near the beginning.

I could understand if they were going to add some deleted scenes to the previous episodes or something but that's not what this was.

Because of all that, for that new material, it honestly wasn't worth the price of admission for just that. What should've been about 1 hour, and 10 minutes ended up being stretched out to a runtime of 1 hour, and 50 minutes.

If you're going to reuse old stuff and take my money, at least don't waste my time.

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Bond-san... one of the best Bonds.

[9/10 · 29 October 2022]

Of course it's time to have a story centered around space hijackings without many space scenes. Lol.

When thinking about James Bond films this is definitely one of the Bond films at the top of my list. Taking place in Japan is one of the most memorable things for me. I tend to love Asian entertainment; This was the 60s but bringing Asian actors and some of that culture into this film definitely makes it one of my favorites.

While watching this film, it also brought back memories of the show Mad Men. This Bond seems to have so much going on while being about nothing in particular at the same time. Mad Men was very much the best show about nothing to ever air. I get similar vibes from this Bond movie.

This movie did go by quickly. Cool gadgets and scenes. This is the 5th Bond movie(And Connery's 5th) and you can kind of pick up on Connery's time coming to an end. I knew he Connery was Bond but it didn't feel like it for most of the movie.

From Russia with Love (1963)

Must watch Bond!

[9/10 · 23 October 2022]

Disclosure: I haven't seen all the James Bond films yet but I'm slowly making my way through all of them. Out of the ones I have seen, this one is the best and probably my absolute favorite.

It is the second film in the extra large series(at this point). I feel like this is the kind of introduction they wanted for James Bond when Dr. No came out. It makes me think back to the release dates of the first four movies(1962, 1963, 1964, 1965). Movies don't come out back-to-back like that anymore.

People love Dr. No but I feel like Bond might not have caught on and stood the test of time had it not been for 'From Russia with Love' coming out so soon after the Dr. No.

I love the way this movie's final moments unfold. From the bad guy pretending to be a good guy to the train to Bond tricking the bad guy. I love every second of it.

Goldfinger (1964)

If there could be one Connery Bond movie... this would be it.

[8/10 · 23 October 2022]

Maybe I'm in a different generation. Most people that love Sean Connery love this James Bond movie. Most people that like any of the other Bond movies don't like this one. Most of my friends (in our 30s-40s) could take it it or leave it.

I love this movie. It does a good job of setting up the story. I also think it's a great story. Gold bug guy wants to taint most of the world's gold with radiation so that his gold is worth more? It's the ultimate unheist movie! With that idea, part of me wanted him to succeed. There's also a scene in the movie where Bond is repeating his plan back to him and I got the feeling that Bond wanted him to succeed too.

For today's macro economic environment and how we need hard money backed by something again. I won't go into specifics of what I think that could be but it makes me wonder if the powers that be in the United States watched Goldfinger through the 60s and 70s and came up with the bright idea to take us off the gold standard.

Thunderball (1965)

Good for a few reasons.

[7/10 · 23 October 2022]

I did enjoy this movie but the underwater scenes throughout the movie did slow it down just a bit.

I wouldn't necessarily call this the best story of the James Bond movies that I've seen but it is worth a watch and re-watch if only for the slo-mo underwater action scene at the end.

The first time I saw it... I thought it was a bit cheesy but as the scene went on, I started to love it. That's from viewing it in the 21st century. For the 1960s, that underwater scene had to be a technological movie magic sight to behold.

I haven't seen all the Bond movies yet so I recently started going through them from the very beginning. As this is the fourth film in the series, I will say it's a nice escalation in the story and character. And out of the first four, this likely is my 2nd favorite behind 'From Russia with Love'.

A Serbian Film (2010)

Film: 9; Recommendation: Not sure

[5/10 · 27 August 2022]

I'm rating this movie at a 5 but I do think it's a decent film. It takes the middle of the road 5 rating because I don't think I could ever recommend this to anyone without them thinking I'm some kind of freak.

To start, I've watched a ton of bizarre and disgusting things... but I don't think any type of dark corner could prepare you for this movie. At first I was like okay... a movie about a porn star getting sucked into some 'last-bang' project. I can watch this!

Around half way through the movie, there were 2 or 3 scenes where I thought I'd have to turn it off but I kept it on. Those scenes definitely messed with me.

When all is said and done, I think the ending was satisfying if not haunting in its own right. I don't want to give any spoilers but I feel like the writer gave the audience a depressingly good ending. It's hard to explain without spoiling.

Do prepare yourself for this watch. I don't think I need to ever revisit this and I definitely don't think I could've survived through this movie had I not been viewing it alone.

While I can see some of the arguments from people about this being a shock-value film, I also think this kind of thing needs to be discussed more. I'm not entirely sure how it is in other countries but certain things do happen with female porn stars in America. From being used and pushed to further and further limits while they're young only to be discarded for the next batch of young females. One example that I'm aware of is one of my friends from when I was younger. She was an adult star from around age 18-20 right out of high school. She did hundreds of videos. She has told me stories before about how the work/offers just stop coming in the further you get into your twenties unless you're willing to do straight up degrading things.

This movie definitely left a scar permanently infused into my brain.

Bullet Train (2022)

I didn't go to the theater... I took a ride on a train. Fun film!

[9/10 · 5 August 2022]

When I first saw trailers for this movie, I knew I wanted to see it. I figured with the cast it'd be cool. Even with that, I went in with super low expectations not really knowing what to expect.

I'll agree with what I've read other places; That it takes a good 30-40 minutes before you see what the setup is going to be for this movie but man, did I love it? I had so much fun with this little flick.

I do feel like some of the subtle humor flew over the audience I was with but overall, I loved it! This movie is going to fly under the radar but hopefully, it'll find a cult following. There are too many characters and parts to not have some kind of cult following.

The sound in my theater was awesome too. After getting on the train, I totally suspended where I was and it felt like I was on a train for the entire movie. The train whooshing/general noise sounds and being able to look out the train windows in the background totally worked for me. The sound in my theater was that good.

The last thing I'll say is that's the best theater exit I've had in a while for an action movie. Everyone seemed happy and chatty about what they had just seen. I didn't hear one negative thing about the movie walking out.

Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill (2022 TV Special)

Too many comedians... so little time.

[4/10 · 26 June 2022]

There are some good comedians in this special; Primarily Bill, Jeff Ross and Dave Attell, Jessica Kirson, Joe Bartnick, and Ronny Chieng.

I think the main problem this special suffered from was being too short for so many comedians. It all felt rushed. The only act that really seemed to utilize her time well was Jessica Kirson. All of the other acts got up there and didn't have time to breathe.

It was nice having Jeff and Dave get up there and do their bumping mics but even they felt rushed. Their act is too chill to be rushed.

Joe Bartnick had his moments. And Ronny Chieng... he got up there to sing.. wth?

Good idea but way too many comedians for the one hour/13 minutes given.

Bill Maher: #Adulting (2022 TV Special)

Just not it...

[4/10 · 16 April 2022]

I like Bill and he obviously still draws a crowd. I've watched him since my teenage years and Politically Incorrect. With Real Time, I tend to watch the interviews and his panel. I almost always skip his intro monologue. I've always thought he should devote his show to more interview and more panel... I don't see Maher as a standup guy. Funny? Yes, he can be funny but his standup... it just doesn't do it for me.

Like some of the other reviews here, this special is Real Time monologue in long form. Everything he says here is what all the sensible people have been saying for years(including Maher on Real Time).

I am glad he touched on religion in this special. Bill has always been loud about how ridiculous religion is and I honestly think he should've ran with that for the majority of his career.

Worth a watch? This is a put on in the background and listen to. No need to plan an evening around it.

Tulsa (2020)

I don't mind...

[1/10 · 20 February 2022]

I don't mind Christians having their movies but can they at least have some kind of plot grounded in reality.

It must be a sad life to live in your little jesus bubble with no opposing views. Not everything is all sunshine and rainbows in life.

Aziz Ansari: Nightclub Comedian (2022 TV Special)

Forgettable.

[2/10 · 28 January 2022]

Let me start by saying I love Aziz. I became a fan with Parks and Rec and I enjoyed most of his specials.

This special though? There were a few funny ha-has but ultimately it wasn't that great.

He mentions that he lives in London now which might explain it. He just seemed to be out of touch with culture and the overall American Psyche. Pandemic jokes filled up most of the set... those jokes were the worst of the bunch. Aziz, every comic, tv personality, elder family member, and friend have made those same exact jokes for the past 2 years.

I'll say it's cool though for him to drop in. Had he announced that appearance in advance, the Cellar would've been packed. One of the podcasts I was listening to mentioned the other day that he was also in LA at the Comedy Store for a set. I hope he's running through some small clubs working out new material but if any new material spends that much time on the pandemic... any future special will likely flop too by the time it's released.

Lamb (2021)

I liked it but didn't love it. A solid 7 though.

[7/10 · 10 October 2021]

I caught it today. I'm still mulling over it. I liked it but it seems to be missing a few things to me.

1: If this was some type of couple dealing with a child loss movie... being that it is A24, I would've expected some kind of confrontation with that and the couple. Both of them seemed to be in their right minds. There wasn't really an ounce of insanity with either of them in my opinion. And the only confrontation we really get is the brother telling them that it's not a child and that it's an animal. Even he accepts it and eventually plays along.

2: The other part of it was this different creature being born. They didn't seem to question it at all. Hell, Maria didn't even look at her husband and say... "You've been screwing the sheep again. Am I not good enough?"

2: As it ends, it left me wanting more. It sends my mind to some kind of continuation with this but having all these lambs play it as LOTR: The Two Towers 😅

3: The trailer played it up like these lambs/sheep were going to cause havoc and revolt. That's one reason I hated The Witch... that trailer played it up like that goat was going to be a pain but I was let down. They even introduced a character halfway through... they could've easily killed him off.

Ultimately I liked it but I could've easily hated it depending on what kind of mood I was in. I liked how there was an eye for an eye aspect. They stole something, killed momma sheep so... the same is done to them at the end.

Cry Macho (2021)

Sorry Clint... you missed on this one.

[3/10 · 18 September 2021]

I usually like Clint movies. I loved one of the last ones (The Mule); I still turn it on randomly three years later.

As for this movie, I won't say it's bad. There are a few funny-haha lines. And it's not necessarily a terrible story. It's just there's no climax and it doesn't have much of an ending.

If entertainment, stories, and everything else is all about the journey rather than the ending... this movie does that to the max. There are some interesting interactions and meetings but that's it. The story seems to stall on multiple occasions.

File this in the 'Won't ever turn on again category'.

Y: The Last Man: The Day Before (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

Great opener!

[9/10 · 13 September 2021]

I loved the comic. The first episode made me want to reread the series. The first episode is a bit shaky for the first 10 minutes but it doesn't take long to pick up.

I think it did a good job of setting the atmosphere.

I'm still having a hard time with how the pages will translate to the screen. It has been in production for so long, I hope the series gives us 8-10 star episodes throughout.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

The Looney Tunes make it a 2

[2/10 · 17 July 2021]

The only reason this is getting anything above a 1 is because of the Looney Tunes. And they weren't even funny 90% of the time.

Could this have been a good movie? When I first heard they were doing it a few years ago, I was cautiously optimistic. I didn't think it would be so bad. The creativity just wasn't there. Space Jam 1 will live on and this "New Legacy" will be forgotten.

The only laugh I had... the Michael B. Jordan bit was good.

This smelled of Lebron trying to imitate MJ. I won't deny Lebron is a great player but he'll never be MJ. Kobe was the greatest player to follow the MJ era.

Uninspired. Soulless. Forgettable.

Bo Burnham: Inside (2021 TV Special)

Not a Burnham fan but this is a special piece of art.

[10/10 · 12 June 2021]

I had an ex that tried her hardest to get me into Burnham. All of his other specials... I just couldn't do it. I always gave them an honest try but it didn't appeal to me in the slightest.

I decided to give this one a try on one boring Friday night. Maybe it's because I'm 35 now and see the world differently than in my mid-20s. Maybe it's because I was fortunate enough to have a work from home job and actually stay inside for an entire year(except for picking up my delivered groceries from the porch or taking the trash out). I'm not sure what it was but it didn't take long at all for this special to pull me in.

I even skeptically approached this special. It started and I almost thought it'd turn me off like his earlier work but it didn't. Each new segment topped the last and then some of the commentary and tunes took a dark turn which was much appreciated. I feel like Bo touched on plenty of things going on in society right now. Nothing in particular was jaw-dropping but everything he was saying was almost everything I've thought for a long time and especially over the last year. I just don't think I could've said those things more elegantly and I for sure couldn't have pumped out songs around those thoughts.

Even the little bit about him turning 30. Such simplicity but damn, if it didn't touch on every emotion of getting older. Thoughts on boomers and zoomers... it really hit every nail in this special.

There are plenty of boomer created things I enjoy... from comics to artists to musicians to actors to whatever. I've often thought about what the world will be like as us Millennials get older. As it stands, the last of the boomers are still trying to make our lives hell. The gen-xers just seem to be coasting like they always have but I see creatives like Bo in this generation and so many other people doing wonderful things; I think we'll be okay.

This special gives me hope for our future.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)

MASTERFUL!

[10/10 · 23 April 2021]

I'm so glad this movie got an American release. If you loved the animation of the first season, this is an absolute must-see. Find the biggest screen you can and enjoy!

The animation. The characters. The situations. The music. The action. The demons. It's all great.

Also, try to find a theater with a good sound system. The surround sound really was on another level with the fights.

What a movie!

Vincenzo: Episode #1.16 (2021) Season 1, Episode 16

WOW!

[10/10 · 12 April 2021]

All you need to know... Episode 16... the episode you've been waiting for!

Excellent tv!

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

Weird that people are scoring this movie low...

[9/10 · 8 March 2021]

Overall this movie was good. Probably one of the better animated movies that Disney has put out in a while(excluding Pixar). The animation was great. The comedy was great. This 35 year old dude was laughing throughout. Between the armadillo and monkeys with baby... lol.

The only thing I didn't like about the film was the dust turning people to stone tie in. That seemed very... Avengerish. I still loved it though. Disney really fleshed out brainstorming notes for an entire universe. They could easily focus on each of the areas/tribes and bring this world to life in the future. I'm here for it.

One other side note: I'm surprised that I haven't seen anyone mention anything about the credit/debt scene. This isn't a spoiler really but there is a scene where the characters bring up credit being a wonderful thing and debt. And then nothing else was ever said about it. It seemed weird and somewhat subliminal to me. Is Disney going to give us a storyline in the future about debt and how credit should be used responsibly? ... I mean, the schools don't teach kids about personal finance so if Disney is going down that rabbit hole, I hope they do it in a good way.

Assassins (I) (2020)

Watch this doc!

[9/10 · 20 January 2021]

As soon as I saw the trailer for this, I knew it was a must-watch.

I remember when this happened but didn't really focus on any of the details. North Korea is always portrayed in western media... well you know. "Crazy leader. Crazy North Korean. Shooting missiles off. Something Something." We never get many details in the way this doc presents them.

(SMALL SPOILER PARAGRAPH): Enter this film. I just finished it and I'm blown away. I mean... where do I start. From the Kim regime. From a prank show... if you've watched any type of Asian media, you know how silly these prank shows can be at times. From a team of North Koreans setting this up. To multiple actual pranks with these girls over a time frame. To the unsuspecting girls. To the trial an aftermath. I'm just not sure what to make of it all. Even the geopolitical nature alluded to on why Siti was released first and Doan was kept longer because of the NK/Viet Communist ties. There's so much to digest here.

This is a well constructed documentary. If you don't know much about the story, you'll be on the edge of your seat and not bored at all. Kudos to the filmmaker there.

As for these girls and their story. I think I believe them. There's just too many obvious things. From all the CCTV footage to all the texts with none indicating what was going to happen. Not changing their look. Going back to the scene of the crime two days later.

I understand their naivety in some ways but the other angle that I don't understand is with the poison. They had it on their hands! The doc goes into why they wouldn't be bothered by it being on their hands but it seems totally bizarre to me that two people had it on their hands and they were careful enough with it to not kill themselves in the process. As I said before, I think I believe them. But you're telling me they didn't think something was a bit off during this whole thing? To me it seems like MOST*(Keyword: MOST) of their story adds up but there are one or two pieces that just don't make sense.

Regarding the North Koreans in this situation... if this particular team is capable of manipulating these two girls; I need to know what else they've done. It's interesting any way you look at it. With manipulation like this, it can't be their first rodeo.

Side note: In the team, James. The doc mentioned that they have no idea what happened to him. That's another interesting bit. Sure... all governments have these operatives spread out around the world but the spectacle surrounding this is just so crazy.

Watch this doc!

76 Days (2020)

There will certainly be better documentaries in the future...

[3/10 · 20 December 2020]

To start, 10/10 for the front line workers. The compassion and care is unmatched.

We didn't know a lot about the virus in the early days so that has to be known going into this film. Take Covid out of the equation and this is just a movie with a camera following around a bunch of doctors and nurses.

The problem with this documentary is it missed the opportunity on showing just how serious and bad the virus was, is, and will be in all of our lives.

Yes. There was plenty of uncertainty in the early days. Yes. This movie follows around workers in a hospital. Yes. There are a couple of patients they follow and stick with throughout the film but that's it.

It doesn't do a good job of describing symptoms. It doesn't show any patients really struggling(aside from their overall discomfort in the situation). No crowded hospitals. No talking to the patients. Little to no talking to the doctors and nurses.

Even though this hospital was very busy during that time, you don't even get a sense of that from this film. There were plenty of video clips from China and all over the world of doctors and nurses being stressed out, on the phone begging for more beds, and the list goes on and on. You won't find any of that in this film.

Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given (2020 TV Special)

Wow! Each new special gets worse.

[1/10 · 20 November 2020]

Let me say Hart used to be great. I liked the concept of him doing this special in his house.

Some time around the 4th or 5th special, he fell off and it appears he's falling hard. It's hard to say what happened to his stand-up. I've watched comics rise and fall or rise and rise. It seems Kev has run out of material. I just don't get it. None of his jokes in this special land... With each new special I laugh less and less. This special the laughs were non-existent.

Although this special started to bore me after 15 minutes, I stuck with it. This joke came up about him cutting amusement park lines with his family... I always considered Hart to be a celeb that you could have a conversation with. That "joke"... WTF? Did he run that by anyone else? That single joke says a lot about his thoughts... I doubt I'll even turn any of his future specials on.

Unfortunate.