monticellomeadow-95356 Reviews

Young Sheldon: A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture (2024) Season 7, Episode 12

Very Well Done

[9/10 · 16 May 2024]

As so many have said, it was not "unexpected." For those of us who were faithful watchers of The Big Bang Theory, we were informed at some point over its long run that Sheldon's father had died, suddenly, of a heart attack when Sheldon was still at home. As we watched the final season of Young Sheldon I always had it in the back of my mind, "Would they show George's death on a comedy show?" The answer was "yes." But it was handled very adroitly. No melodrama. No showing of him collapsing, or the like. The only reason I gave it a "9" rather than a "10" was I still have some doubts about how appropriate it was for this type of show. But wonderful acting all around. It did seem somehow right as an ending. I'm not sure they need these last two episodes to wrap things up, but...

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Sorry, I Don't Get It

[3/10 · 19 March 2024]

Years ago I stumbled across Glengarry Glen Ross on a cable channel. I got interrupted after watching only the first 20 minutes. I didn't get back to watching it in its entirety for 30 years. Sorry, but I just don't get it. I know it is highly acclaimed for the acting tour de force of many of the stars. But my view was it was SHOUT, SHOUT, SHOUT; YELL, YELL, YELL, and profanity after profanity. (And not very creative profanity, may I say.) I know it was the infamous Mamet-speak style. But, ooh, was it bad. Mamet has done much better with his later offerings, on stage and screen. Throughout the career of Al Pacino you can see that he has always been a better actor when he doesn't SHOUT. Michael Corleone, Sea of Love, etc. When he starts to SHOUT he seems ridiculous. This movie, unfortunately, falls into the latter category. Death of a Salesman did this much better.

Yellowstone: Sins of the Father (2019) Season 2, Episode 10

Great Episode; Simple Question

[9/10 · 5 December 2023]

This was a fine end to Season 2. Many well-acted scenes with memorable lines. There was just one thing that puzzled me greatly. A big deal was made of Kayce and his buddy sneaking into the hanger and sticking a bomb in the fuel tank of the Beck brothers plane. In a previous episode Kayce and John Dutton had talked about the discovered plane and how Kayce could make it blow up right over Yellowstone. OK. Sounds great! And then??? And then???... The Beck brothers are killed. As far as we know, that plane is still in the hanger, waiting for their innocent, unsuspecting pilot to fly off in the plan and be blow to bits. Very curious. Isn't it one of the unwritten rules of writing that if you introduce a bomb, it has to explode? Thoughts? Answers?

Seinfeld: The Dealership (1998) Season 9, Episode 11

Every Series Has A Stinker

[3/10 · 25 September 2023]

OK. Nine brilliant seasons of Seinfeld. I just love the series. But "The Dealership" was the one stinker out of the batch. I hadn't seen it in years. When I re-watched it recently my immediate reaction was OMG. Absurdist? I guess. But what it really had was 22 minutes of George yelling, non-stop. I get it that he was "starving" because he hadn't had lunch. And Seinfeld always had a line that they walked between "This is hilarious." and "This is stupid." In 99% of the episodes they stayed on the correct side of that line. This one? Definitely not. Oh well, into every series a little rain must fall. This was Seinfeld's "shower."

The Blacklist: Raymond Reddington (No. 00): Good Night (2023) Season 10, Episode 22

Just Outstanding

[10/10 · 17 July 2023]

Oh my goodness, what a finale for the show. I don't ever recall a long-running TV series that wrapped a show up better than this one. Good night, indeed.

I was very critical of the "Elizabeth Period" where the Blacklist needed to get rid of Elizabeth Kean. They floundered around trying to find a way out for a long time. There were many awful episodes, but they finally did it. I wondered if the show would survive. But it did, for several more pleasant years. And then...

As they headed toward the end - we knew the show was ending and Red was dying - the episodes became interesting and poignant. Then, the way they ended it all. Red-being-Red to the very end. They neatly had him say his farewells, in a not overly maudlin way, to Harold, Dembe and his granddaughter. All great performances. Dembe's goodbye was incredible acting. Then, having him blow the brains out of obnoxious Congressman Hudson (Unfortunately, the fellow was overdrawn, I thought. Not close to believable.) must have brought an instant cheer from all who watched. Too bad the other bad FBI guy didn't get the same.

Then, the very end! Which writer thought that up? Brilliant! No agonizing drawn-out death scene at a bedside. In a field! Spain! A bull! Just outstanding. Well done. R. I. P. Red Reddington.

Poirot: The Million Dollar Bond Robbery (1991) Season 3, Episode 3

Enjoyable, But Confusing Ending

[8/10 · 12 June 2023]

I enjoy these adaptations of the Agatha Christie Poirot series immensely. David Suchet is remarkable. But The Million Dollar Bond Robbery confused me at the end. So at this point the questions that follow could be spoilers:

1. Were there ever any real bonds? If forgeries were put in the strong box, someone at the bank had to know this. Although apparently not Mr. Vavascour (SP?), who could not see the bonds clearly he put into the box because of poor vision.

2. If the bank's Mr. Shaw was the one going to steal the bonds, would he not have known that forgeries were replacing the real bonds?

3. What was the purpose of sending the forged bonds to New York? If not for the presence of Poirot on the Queen Mary it seems that the thieves would have "gotten away" with the bonds (though forged).

4. What was it that Miranda threw overboard that Captain Hasting heard hit the water? The fake bonds?

5. Did anyone else feel that this episode was full of plot holes? None of it made any sense to me. But the acting was certainly enjoyable to watch.

California (1947)

Star Chemistry Wasn't Good

[5/10 · 6 March 2023]

The first five minutes of the movie are stunningly awful. It could have been produced by the California Board of Tourism. Full of light-hearted singing about the wonderful Golden State. It was completely out of sync, more like a start to a cheery Depression movie of the 1930's, not 1947.

Once it got going, the story was quite good. But I found the chemistry - or lack of it - between the two stars, Barbara Stanwyck and Ray Milland really spoiled the movie. Without spoiling the plot, Stanwyck is an independent "bad girl." Turn after turn, she wants nothing to do with Milland. But, of course, he loves her. And all turns out well in the end. But by the time that ending had been reached, I was at "who cares?" It might have been a lot better.

The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)

Too Much Hollywood In This Version

[4/10 · 16 February 2023]

The real story of Moe Berg is fascinating, in and of itself. An extremely intelligent man from a modest background. Then he went on to do great things in the service of America. But this version strikes one loud, wrong note. There is no evidence that Moe Berg was gay. In his candid autobiography he never says a word. None. Yet this movie, hovering on PC, chooses to invent this fiction and give it prominence. A shame. What should have been emphasized more was that he was Jewish and suffered extreme prejudice in his early life, then well into adulthood. That he did talk about. The movie mostly glosses over that. As for whether he would have shot Werner Heisenberg, no one really knows. The best account is in Thomas Power's book, Heisenberg's War. Heisenberg was brilliant. And a patriotic German. Not a Nazi. But because so many of the other brilliant German physicists had been driven out of the country, Heisenberg had no team to work on an atomic bomb. He likely was a year or more from developing the bomb for Germany. By that time the Third Reich had been consigned to the trash heap of history.

Jack Ryan: Running with Wolves (2022) Season 3, Episode 3

Is It Just Me?

[4/10 · 25 January 2023]

First, an admission. I've only watched through this episode, the third in this Jack Ryan season. But so far it's just not working for me. Boring! The writers are straying further and further from the "real" Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy's imagination. The first two seasons of this new iteration of Ryan, with John Krasinski, were entertaining. This season not so much. So far, it's Jack on the run. He's not in control. External events and external characters are driving everything. And it's pretty boring. Things could change in the last 5 episodes. But it sure doesn't look good. We'll see what happens.

At Close Range (1986)

I Just Don't Get It

[2/10 · 15 December 2022]

What is the attraction of this movie that gets it such high ratings here on IMDB? I was not familiar with it. I saw that it had Sean Penn and Christopher Walken in it and thought "How bad could it be?" Well... I rented the disk. And was bored out of my mind! It took me three sittings to get through its two hours. I kept thinking "Surely there is going to be something more to it than was obvious from the first 10 minutes?" Nope. What you surmised is what you got, from beginning to end. There may have been a story somewhere in there that would grab you. But it was never put up on the screen. Walken is wooden and one-dimensional. The supporting cast is, shall we say, predictable. Full of cliches. If you need a nice winter's nap some afternoon, rent this movie.

Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) Season 5, Episode 6

Yup, He Was Drunk

[7/10 · 5 December 2022]

I re-watched this episode the other day with my wife. She remembered from a previous viewing that Peter Falk was all "handsy" on Robert Vauughn throughout the episode. So we watched it from a perspective of "he is drunk." And he was! Clearly! In almost every scene. From the opening appearance when he knocks on the door of Vaughn's home, where he was speaking very slowly and precisely, through the hilarious drive-my-car around the circle, through the funny on-the-deck yoga scene, he was clearly feeling no pain. But you know what? I don't feel cheated. True, I've never seen that before in a TV show. And it's not entirely clear why they continued filming it. Still, we had a lot of fun watching it. I'm not about to complain about this one-off episode of a great series. Watch it with this in mind and see if you agree! Funny.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Terrible Movie

[2/10 · 28 October 2022]

If ultra-violence is to your taste in movies, by all means you should watch Kingsman: The Secret Service. If decent acting and a plot with a brain is to your taste, don't. I'm definitely in the latter category. Colin Firth's name drew me in. I had no idea who Taron Egerton is. Apparently he is an aspiring actor, still in the early stages of acting classes. Subtitles were unavailable on the version that I watched. Much of the movie may have been in Swahili, for all I know. It was wonderful to see Michael Caine still showing up at 84 or so to cash a check. And then you had all of those exploding heads! Really, who thought up this drivel? Perhaps my "2" rating was too generous.

Young Sheldon: Four Hundred Cartons of Undeclared Cigarettes and a Niblingo (2022) Season 6, Episode 1

Rest In Peace

[1/10 · 30 September 2022]

Young Sheldon is dead. Long live Young Sheldon. Note that this is called a "comedy." No more! The 2022 season premiere was a continuation of the season finale from last Spring. That is, it was not a comedy. It was trash. Not funny in the least. What has happened to this once-funny show? It used to be witty and a delight to watch. Young Sheldon Cooper was hilarious in his youthful eccentricities. It was a fitting prequel to Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory. Of course, Ian Armitage has grown "old." He is no longer the quaint 10 or 12 year-old of the early years. He is now a teenager. That in and of itself leads to "not so funny." But the show's writers have become incredibly woke. A real shame. Something could have been salvaged in the show's final season. But this isn't about to happen. Too bad. It was once brilliant comedy. Now it is just awful. Farewell Young Sheldon!

The Rockford Files: 2 Into 5.56 Won't Go (1975) Season 2, Episode 10

She Couldn't Act To Save Herself

[7/10 · 10 September 2022]

I love the Rockford Files. From beginning to end. This could have been a very good episode, except it has Jesse Welles as the female lead. She is no more an actress than I am a rocket scientist! From the start I sat there stunned that such a no-talent actress had this role. For me it destroyed the episode. I sat there wondering, "What must James Garner be thinking as she speaks her lines?" I guess it was supposed to be a "cute" relationship between her and Rockford. But Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn they ain't! Just awful acting. The amazing thing is that this is one of three Rockford episodes she was in. She must have had the world's best agent. I would have given the episode more than a seven rating if not for her.

Young Sheldon (2017–2024)

What Happened To a Once Funny Show?

[2/10 · 20 May 2022]

I guess it was inevitable. The string has run out on Young Sheldon. The concept for this show, jumping back from The Big Bang to see the youth of the insufferable Sheldon Cooper, was brilliant. And the acting was first-rate. They managed to keep the show vital by introducing new supporting actors each season. It was always funny. But now, the last third of this season? Ugh! NOT FUNNY. They have trapped the characters in story lines that are just not intrinsically funny. Spoilers coming! The parents' marriage is falling apart. George loses his job. Mary is kicked out of her church in a most un-christian manner. Georgie gets his girlfriend pregnant. Sheldon as he enters puberty becomes merely annoying, no longer humorous. So how is it possible to wring any funny scenes out of this grim outlook? Supposedly the show is coming back next year. I'll be surprised if it makes it through the entire season with this terrible writing. A shame.

The Blacklist: The Bear Mask (2022) Season 9, Episode 19

A True Filler Episode

[3/10 · 7 May 2022]

Every so often the writers have to put together an episode that stinks, just to reach their season quota. The Bear Mask was such an episode. After 10 minutes I was sorely tempted to fast-forward to the end because it was apparent what Aram was going to go through. And he did. To absolutely no benefit to the advancement of the story. None. I recall a few years back when the show Person of Interest, in its steep decline years, went through a similar "Ground Hog Day" episode. A certain scene played over-and-over, with slight variations each time. To nothing accomplished and no interest. Such was The Bear Mask for The Blacklist.

All the Old Knives (2022)

Some "Slow" Is OK, This Is Not

[4/10 · 13 April 2022]

A previous reviewer used the the word "ponderous" to describe this movie. That's very apt. I enjoy the espionage/spy/procedural/betrayal genre. However, this movie moved too slowly. It lost my attention halfway through. And, without using a spoiler, I saw where it was going fairly quickly. I would not recommend it.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

What Were They Thinking?

[4/10 · 18 January 2022]

I revisited this movie recently, 30 years after its release. It doesn't hold up. It starts out with the Saracens loping off the hands of infidels in Jerusalem. And there is plenty more blood along the way. But then the director (Kevin Reynolds) inserts the Disney-version humor of the Robin Hood legend - the meetings with Little John and Friar Tuck, and the like. Jocular humor among the mayhem. And why was Morgan Freeman's character created? Strange. The acting, except for the brilliant, always over-the-top Alan Rickman, is below the usual level of this fine group. And the story is too long. A movie that has not stood the test of time.

Perry Mason: The Case of the Libelous Locket (1963) Season 6, Episode 17

A weak Episode

[3/10 · 2 August 2021]

This was one of the weak episodes of Perry Mason where Raymond Burr, recovering from some surgery, literally "phoned it in." He is seen only speaking from a hospital bed. A series of guest stars took over the defense for a short while. In this case, Michael Rennie. Another one had Bette Davis taking a cameo turn as the defense lawyer. The plot of this one had huge holes and Rennie, portraying a law professor, failing to object numerous times to Hamilton Burger conducting improper examination of witnesses. A rare blip in the several hundred good episodes of Perry Mason.

The Blacklist: Misère (2021) Season 8, Episode 14

OK, Writers, read the real reviews

[1/10 · 26 April 2021]

So, you writers for Blacklist, if you read the reviews below you will first come across all the 'Bots who post fake favorable reviews. Then, following, you will see the real reviews of actual human beings who have watched the Blacklist for the 8 seasons. And they have one theme in common: They absolutely HATE what the show has become. They HATE Elizabeth Keene. They HATE the plot line that has become, in the famous words of Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive, "I don't care!" We loyal few - getting smaller each season and smaller each episode - are bailing like crazy. If you don't get rid of Keene and give us back Red, immediately, we can pretty much guarantee that Season 9 will only be watched by the immediate family members of the cast and crew! Awful!

The Blacklist (2013–2023)

The Best Episode

[7/10 · 13 February 2021]

I agree with most recent reviews (2020-2021) that correctly say this show has gone seriously off the tracks. "Agent Keen" (Megan Boone) is a character in search of a role. All she is now is annoying. Goodbye!

And yet this week "The Wellstone Agency" was likely the best episode of The Blacklist ever. Why? Really nothing to do about the plot line. That was standard. But the heart of this episode was an amazing, moving tribute to Clark Middleton, the actor who played the quixotic Glen Carter, the DMV employee who was Red Reddington's chief tracker. The writing is tremendous. If you have drifted away from the show, I highly recommend you jump back in, at least for this episode. Clark Middleton was in only 13 Blacklist episodes as Carter. Each one was memorable. Middleton died in October of 2020 of West Nile Virus at the age of 63. A man who overcome crippling disease in his life. The episode had Red and Dembe shocked at being informed of "Carter's death." And then a wonderful series of scenes where Huey Lewis was cajoled by Red to come to Glen's memorial and speak. The final scene, at one of America's sacred national monuments, is priceless. If you do nothing else with The Blacklist, do search out this episode. The Wellstone Agency.

Homeland (2011–2020)

Great First Few Seasons

[6/10 · 28 November 2020]

This series started out very strong. Very compelling, with great plot twists, though some were really hard to believe. But when Damian Lewis "left" the series, it lost a lot of its power.

Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)

A Lot Going For It

[8/10 · 23 November 2020]

This is a clever Chan. Of course, it follows "the formula." But it has some nice twists. It's worth seeking out.

Odd Man Out (1947)

A Fine, Long Overlooked Gem

[9/10 · 5 October 2020]

Previous reviewers have outlined the plot and the direction of this excellent movie, now 73 years old and forgotten by most. I'll just add that it is top notch. The direction by Carol Reed is first-rate. The cinematography is superb. The acting by everyone is excellent. Interestingly, when you look at the fimography for many of these actors you'll find that most of them have very few films to their credit. Many, it seems, were recruited from the Dublin Abbey Theatre and had careers primarily on the stage. They all know their acting. Additionally, I watched Odd Man Out on a disk from the Criterion Collection. As usual, they have restored the film to a level where it looks like the theatrical release of 1947, perhaps even better! Highly recommended.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Perhaps the Weakest Bond Ever

[4/10 · 4 October 2020]

What a disappointment! What was wrong with it? Well, it just wasn't "Bond," was it? Sure, the franchise is over 50 years old and certainly creaking. But no gadgets? No Q? The "glamour " locales are Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Bolivia!!!! Come on! Dominic Greene was an insipid villian. Where were the signature vicious henchman? The plot was uninteresting and weak. And the direction was awful, particularly the action sequences that we have come to love. Director Mark Forster must have ADD. In an infuriating and annoying manner, he would cut-and-cut-and-cut (3 seconds - I timed them) every action sequence so they made little sense and gave you no feel for what was going on. (Similar to Paul Greengrass' poor direction of The Bourne Identity.). What a waste. Fortunately the franchise with Daniel Craig was saved by subequent chapters, especially the magnificent Skyfall.