TheDome81 Reviews

The Inspection (2022)

Ugh. Just couldn't finish it.

[1/10 · 14 May 2024]

First of all, let me just say that there a=were no surprises here. Y+This movie had just about every cliche in the book. So totally unoriginal. So why did it have to get made? I can see it would be relevant about 10 or 15 years ago. But why now? And who cares if it was inspired by trump events? Not this guy.

But the main issue I have with the movie is the overdone boot camp footage. Just how many times do we have to witness that? It gets real tired, real fast. We get it! Recruits get yelled at constantly. Over and over and over. They're torn down so they can build themselves back up. It's painful to watch.

So if you want to waste an hour and a half of your life, have at it. Naturally, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 88%. Yikes, I should have known it would be terrible.

MovieJunkieMark.

Queen of Glory (2021)

A little gem of a film!

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

This is what indie flicks are all about. Movies made on a limited budget but featuring fine acting, writing, and cinematography. I just love movies like this. Nana Mensah wrote starred and directed this fine film. Watch out for great things for her in the very near future, if this is any indication of what she's capable of.

In the film, a young research scientist is having an affair with a fellow scientist. He's married with a couple of children, which is a bit problematic. They both live in NYC, but supposedly are going to move to Ohio.

Then her mother dies and she has to deal with all the funeral arrangements. Her father moves back to the States from Ghana and becomes a real pain in the neck. Interspersed within the movie are numerous scenes depicting Ghanain dancing and celebrating. They effectively combine with present day New York to give a sense of who she is and help define her.

It's a happy, fun, slice-of-life movie that I found very enjoyable. I hope you like it as much as I did.

--MovieJunkieMark.

Bring Him to Me (2023)

Sam Neill how could you?

[2/10 · 3 May 2024]

MovieJunkieMark here!

This movie looked like it had potential. When I saw Mr. Neill was in it, I figured it had to be decent. Wrongo! It may be the first stinker I've ever seen him in.

For starters, the writing is mediocre at best. It uses just about every cliche in the book. Over and over. And the dialogue is totally meaningless. Just endless drivel.

Then there's the acting. What can I say. The actors seem like they're just phoning in their lines. There's absolutely no passion whatsoever They all seem like they're on autopilot

Well, Sam Neill was pretty decent as usual. But it almost seemed like he was dragged down by everyone else in the film.

This is one of those rare films that I quit halfway through. And from what I read from other reviewers, the ending is terrible. So I only had 45 minutes invested in the movie.

Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf (2019)

A meandering mess of a movie

[3/10 · 27 April 2024]

Forget what the description on IMDb says. It's very misleading. Take it from me, this is what it's about. An Arabic American family tries to survive while the dad is in prison. The younger sister wears a head scarf and is constantly picked on at school. The older sister, Marjoun, who is in high school is trying to get legal aid for the family. Meanwhile, a family friend moves from New York to help them out.

It's pretty straight forward up until this point. Then it seemed like someone with ADD took over the writing. All kinds of things occur that are only marginally explained. The family friend starts coming on to Marjoun. He may have assaulted her. Or maybe not. She ends up starting to wear a headscarf near the end of the film. And, after getting in a fight, the dad ends up dying. It's never really explained.

Oh yeah, Marjoun joins a Buddhist monastery. I think. But maybe not. If you can figure out what happened in the film, please post your explanation. I sure didn't get it.

MovieJunkieMark.

Swallow (I) (2019)

A quietly powerful indie flick

[8/10 · 27 April 2024]

This is one of those quiet, slow-moving, and haunting tales that are perfect for indie filmmakers. It features excellent cinematography, a well-crafted script, and outstanding acting, especially from the lead actor, Haley Bennett.

Hunter (Bennett) is newly married. She's in a loveless marriage and is treated as nothing more than a trophy wife by her husband Richie (Austin Stowell). One day, as a bizarre experiment, she swallows a marble. This starts her on a path to consuming odder and at times, dangerous objects. When she announces that she's pregnant and it's discovered that she has this unusual eating disorder, her family seeks help for her. At first she's sent to a shrink, but eventually they hire full-time caretaker for her. His job is to never let her out of his sight.

Eventually, when they decide to institutionalize her, she escapes. While on the road, she confronts what drove her to her compulsive behavior in the first place. I thought "Swallow" was a fascinating glimpse into the life of a disturbed woman that had me thinking about it long after the credits rolled. What a different movie indeed!

--MovieJunkieMark.

Mending the Line (2022)

Wonderful movie

[8/10 · 4 April 2024]

Reading the description of this film, you could easily write it off as a superficial "Hallmark" drama. However, several factors make this a special movie going experience. "Mending the Line" deals with military veterans recovering from PTSD by participating in a therapeutic experience like fly-fishing. It features the superb filmmaking of director Joshua Caldwell, who's an avid fisherman. Stephan Camelio, a regular contributor to "Field and Stream" magazine, wrote it. Additionally, the superb cast helps elevate the film above other similarly themed movies.

Sinqua Walls ("White Men Can't Jump") stars as John Colter, a young officer in the U. S. Marine Corps. Brian Cox plays his usual role as a grizzly old recluse, which he does here to perfection. And rounding out the leads is Native American actor Wes Studi, known for memorable performances in films like "The Last of the Mohicans," "Dances with Wolves," and the recent "A Love Song."

The film opens with Colter hanging out with his fellow soldiers on duty in Afghanistan. Their spirits are high because their tour of duty is almost over, and they're about to be shipped back home. One of the men is soon to be married and they're all looking forward to attending the big event. In spite of this, Colter accepts one last mission, even though their replacements could handle the task. As expected, their venture doesn't go well, and all his men are killed in battle except Colter. This tragic event triggers his long road to recovery.

Colter ends up at the V. A. hospital in Livingston, Montana. There he undergoes both physical and mental rehabilitation. He seems to be rock solid and well on his way to recovery. However, the flashbacks of his horrific experiences, and the remorse for the loss of his men take their toll on him. We witness him lashing out during a group therapy session and at Dr. Burke (Patricia Heaton), who's in charge of him. It soon becomes apparent that his desire to return to active duty isn't going to be fulfilled anytime soon.

At Dr. Burke's suggestion, Colter meets with Ike Fletcher. Ike is a Vietnam veteran and a recovering alcoholic who lives by himself. He's a grumpy loner and it's apparent that his life is devoted to fly-fishing-his form of therapy. Colter has been hitting the bottle heavily and when he shows up at Fletcher's home, he's met with, "You've been drinking," and a door slamming in his face. Eventually, Ike agrees to take him under his wing, but not before he does some reading up on the sport of fishing, and apprenticing at the local fishing shop, owned by Harrison (Studi). Harrison is a gregarious, funny guy who plays off Ike's grumpy personality nicely.

To fulfill his reading assignment, he pays a visit to the town library. There he meets Lucy (Perry Mattfeld) who recommends he read Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises." After the couple realizes why it's probably not the best choice of reading material, she offers him a stack of more appropriate books on the subject. John and Lucy strike up a casual friendship, and it's eventually revealed that she has some demons of her own.

Eventually, Ike takes John out on the river to introduce him to the finer points of fly-fishing. Ike has been warned not to fish on his own, due to fainting spells brought on by PTSD. So it makes perfect sense for the two of them to spend time outdoors together. John quickly masters the fine art of angling-he seems a natural. I must say, the cinematography, not only of the scenery, but especially the close-ups of netting the fish are stunning. You get the sense you're right there fishing with them. When John asks Ike why he releases the fish, he's told it's his way of choosing not to kill. A subtle but poignant sentiment.

Unlike my two brothers, I'm not into fishing. But after seeing this marvelous film, I could see myself fly-fishing on some secluded stretch of river up north. Just watching the fishing scenes had a meditative and calming effect on me. If you enjoy this movie and would like to see more like it, I highly recommend Robert Redford's magnificent "A River Runs Through It," and the entertaining "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen."

If you liked this review, check out MovieJunkieMark.

Our Almost Completely True Story (2021)

MY (completely honest) MOVIE REVIEW

[5/10 · 1 April 2024]

I have mixed feelings about this movie. When it first started I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I thought the female actors were decent. But the male actors were pretty annoying. The constant banter drove me crazy. It was just one line-liner after another. A bit like a Marx Brothers or early Woody Allen movie. Only not quite as funny.

But then the movie started to gel. At first there didn't seem to be any plot at all. Then things improved. I really enjoyed Mariette Hartley. She was absolutely wonderful. Her deadpan delivery was just great.

However, I thought Jerry was really obnoxious. He wasn't funny at all and his voices were really grating.

But in the end, I thought the film was worth watching. Not great, but decent.

If you enjoyed this review, look for MovieJunkieMark.

After Class (2019)

Annoying movie about annoying people

[2/10 · 28 March 2024]

Firs of all, I have o say I really hate anything to do with academia. That includes books and movies. It's so self indulgent it makes me sick. I know, you should write about things you know about. But get a life. It really does exist outside of the hallowed halls of education.

That said, I also hate movies about a bunch of annoying people. And this movie was chock full of them. In fact, about the only character I didn't actually hate was the dying grandma. At least she had some good in her. But the rest of the crew? Just horrible, self-centered people.

So it was a struggle, but I did actually finish the film But I honestly couldn't wait for ti to end. For the life of me, I don't understand all the reviewers here who loved this movie!

If you liked this review, be sure to check out MovieJunkieMark on the interwebs. .

The Future (2011)

Almost interesting

[3/10 · 24 March 2024]

Wow, was this ever a snooze-fest! I generally watch movies when I'm working out on my rowing machine. It's a diversion that makes something boring like rowing tolerable. Well this film was so slow I actually found myself looking at the odometer on the machine rather than watch my laptop. The drama is so slow moving it's almost intolerable.

While I thought the acting was okay the two leads deliver their lines in slow motion. I had to check to make sure the film wasn't rolling at 1/'2 speed.

This is one of those films that centers around a couple of hipsters and is just one pretentious piece of mediocracy. I should have heeded the warnings from other reviewers here.

If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out MovieJunkieMark on the web.

Nancy (2018)

What a pleasant surprise!

[8/10 · 23 March 2024]

I put this one in my queue because it looked mildly interesting. I finally get around to watching it, expecting it to be an amusing diversion. But it turned to be quite captivating and far different that the description I read about it. I thought it would be one of those creepy films where a young woman poses as the dead child of an unsuspecting couple.

Nancy (Andrea Riseborough) is a woman in her early 30s who's taking care of her ailing mom. We get a glimpse into her strange existence when she meets a man online and pretends she recently lost her baby. After her mother passes away, she hears a story about a couple whose child was kidnapped some 25 years ago. When the image of a computer generated photo of what their daughter would look like today appears on a tv special about the case, Nancy thinks she matches the girl almost exactly. She contacts the couple, who are extremely skeptical, but agree to meet with her.

She drives to the home of Betty (Ann Down) and Leo (Steve Buscemi) and explains to them she was adopted and her past is a bit cloudy.. There's more hope than deception in her intentions, and while Leo is a bit suspicious, you can sense Betty is ready to accept her as their long lost daughter. I won't give any more of the story away, but it grabbed me from the opening minutes until the credits rolled. I thought the acting was fantastic, especially from Ms. Riseborough. Just another little film no one's ever heard of in spite of it winning several international awards including the Sundance Film Festival.

If you enjoyed this review, look for MovieJunkieMark.

The Trial (2010)

Could have been good

[3/10 · 23 March 2024]

I thought this one had potential But alas, it let me down. I thought the acting was petty good. Better than I was expecting. But the storyline was so predictable it wasn't funny. You knew what was going to happen right from the start. But the biggest problem I had with it was the whole redemption thing. Couldn't they make a movie without bringing god into it? It ended up looking like a Christian Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. I just get really sick and tired of preachy movies.

And I know I'm being nit-picky here, but one of the things that really drove me crazy was the way the prosecutor pronounced the word "defendant." He kept saying defend-ANT. Couldn't someone have corrected him on the set for Pete's sake!?!?

If your looking for more of my reviews, do a search for MovieJunkieMark.

Tyson's Run (2022)

I let this one run 30-minutes too long

[1/10 · 15 March 2024]

What an absolutely dreadful movie. I was reluctant going into it. It had a cheesy sound to it but I figured since t was a true story, it might be tolerable. Well, it wasn't. I've read that it's actually not a true story. Not even based on actual events. That's pretty pathetic.

But not as pathetic as the writing. It has just about every cliche in the book. And then some. Wow. But the lousy writing was surpassed only by the terrible acting. Every person in this nightmare was lousy. The characters were all one-dimensional. Especially the dad. He only had one emotion. Crabby. And the mom's "Southern" accent came and went. Give it up folks.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. There are so many other ways to spend your time.

MovieJunkieMark.

Frida (2024)

Gives you a sense of who she was

[8/10 · 15 March 2024]

I was fortunate to attend a sneak preview of this film the other day in a theatre. What a great experience. The movie is narrated from Frida's notebooks, and you really feel like you know her after seeing this remarkable film.

It utilizes her paintings in an innovative way. Adding animation to these scenes really brings her story to life. I knew she was in a tragic accident when she was young, but I had no idea just how much it affected her life. And it gives you a clear picture of what a self-centered jerk Diego Rivera was.

But you also have a great deal of admiration for Frida as an artist, and also as a Bohemian personality. What a life!

MovieJunkieMark.

See You Next Tuesday (2013)

One miserable movie

[3/10 · 13 March 2024]

I''m a big fan of indie movies. But they have to be entertaining and have an interesting story to tell. And there has to be at least one likable character in the movie. Well, that didn't happen here. All the people in this film are absolutely poor excuses for human beings. They're mean spirited, disgusting, treat each other like garbage, and swear constantly.

Dark Comedy? Nope. Sure it's dark, but there isn't a funny moment in the whole film. And it goes out of its way to disgust the viewer. It was bad enough to see the main character vomit repeatedly. But did we need to see a close up of her defecating? The scene leaves nothing to the imagination.

And the writing was horrible as well. Almost every other line of dialogue was a swear word. And I mean just about every cussword in the dictionary. Which is where the title of the movie comes with.

Naturally, Rotten Tomatoes gave it super high marks. Watch this one at your own risk! You've been warned!

MovieJunkieMark.

Your Lucky Day (2023)

One of the most intense thrillers I've seen in a while

[6/10 · 10 March 2024]

Who doesn't like a good thriller? Well, this one had me hooked right off the bat. After a punk kid gets robbed, he visits a local convenience store. There an older gentleman wins the lottery and shouts about it. Well, that's just an open invitation to get robbed. And that's exactly what happens.

The young man puts on a mask and pulls a gun on the lottery winner. After a scuffle, the winner and a cop get shot. This is where the intrigue begins. The hood realizes he can't just kill everybody, so the bargaining starts. The store's owner and a young couple negotiate splitting the money.

It keeps getting more and more involved. All the while, the tension gets cranked up to 11! This movie was so intense, I had twitch something lighter before I hit the hay. It was that edgy. Now I'm not saying it was a great film by any means. But if you're looking for an intense thriller, give it a go!

MovieJunkieMark.

Love Surreal (2006 TV Movie)

Ouch! That was bad!

[2/10 · 9 March 2024]

I had high hopes going into this movie. Actually, I lied. I was just looking for something mindless to watch to take my mind off the workout I was doing. I hop on a rowing machine every morning and watch a movie. It usually takes my mind off what I'm doing . But this movie was so bad, I couldn't take y eyes off the screen.

The acting was absolutely atrocious. It's one thing to make a little indie film with some newer actors. But these folks were just plain awful. And it didn't help that the writing was terrible as well. I don't know what film the other reviewers were watching, but it couldn't be this one. Either that or they've never seen a decent rom-com before in their lives.

Avoid this one at all costs. It was the rare film that I didn't finish. I just didn't care what happened to the folks in it!

MovieJunkieMark.

Spaceman (I) (2024)

Beautiful film

[8/10 · 4 March 2024]

I'll say this right off the bat: I'm not a huge Adam Sandler fan. In fact, when I see what looks like an interesting film on Netflix, I'll put it in my queue. But when I find out Sandler is in it, out it goes. But every once in a while he surprises me. And lately, he's been appearing and shining is some pretty dramatic roles. I enjoyed hs performance in "Uncut Gems."

I sort of had my doubts with this one. But I'm glad I watched it. I'm a huge sci-fi buff. In fact, my favorite movie all time is "2001: A Space Odyssey." I think this one is almost as deep. It's more about being a human than anything else. And it's ultimately about coming to terms with who we are.

I won't say much more about this film except that just about everything is perfect. The acting. Storyline. Special effects. And the beautiful soundtrack. If you want an action flick, avoid this movie. But if you want something deeper and moving, give it a shot. Kudos to everyone involved in making this fine film.

--MovieJunkieMark.

A Case of You (2013)

A case of some Brooklyn hipsters

[4/10 · 20 February 2024]

If I see another film about some random Brooklyn hipsters, I'm going to scream. AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! There, I got it out of my system. I mean seriously, just how many films need to be made about the same cast of characters. In this case it's a nerdy writer and his stoner roommate. He's interested in a girl, so he cyberstalks her to learn everything about her. Then he pretends he's into all the same things as she is. Have we seen that about a thousand times before?

The only reason I rated this movie a 4 instead of a 1 is because Ms. Wood's character actually had a bit of depth. But for the most part, just about everyone else in the movie is pretty insufferable.

How about making something original for a change?

--MovieJunkieMark.

Feel Good (2020–2021)

Feeling nothing

[2/10 · 17 February 2024]

I was looking for a series that was going to hook me in, make me laugh, and feel good. Well, this one fell way short. For starters, it stars the world's most unfunny comedian. Mae Martin just isn't funny. I've seen her stand-up specials and just don't get it. Just about all she talks about is being trans. In this day and age, that's not very shocking or interesting. And she doesn't make it funny at all. I get observational humor. Make it fun for Pete's sake.

The story is almost engaging. She meets and falls in love with another woman. They have their trials. They break up and get back together. Pretty boring and predictable stuff. And the two leads have absolutely no chemistry at all. They're just not very likable either.

I got into the beginning of the second season and had to give up. Just one of the lamest shows I've seen in quite a while.

MovieJunkieMark.

Song to Song (I) (2017)

Pretentious garbage

[2/10 · 13 February 2024]

This film tries way , way too hard to be artsy. And it fails miserably. Where to begin? How about the annoying camerawork? Wow! I I get the old hand-held camera with a ton of jump cuts to give a feeling of intimacy. But in this case, it just gives the viewer a headache. Be sure to take a handful of aspirins before viewing. The technique was overdone 10 years ago. Stop already!

And the acting was mediocre at best. Plus it featured a bunch of characters you don't care about one bit. Hard to keep watching a bunch of pretentious snobs.

And in fact, I didn't keep watching I gave the film 20 minutes or so and gave up. If you made it all the way through, you deserve a purple heart or something.

--MovieJunkieMark.

Radius (2017)

Had potential

[4/10 · 9 February 2024]

When I read the plot of the film, I was all in. I'm a huge sci-fi fan and it looked like it was right up my alley. And when it started I was hooked. The plot was very intriguing and kept me going. I thought the lead actor was pretty decent. But then it seemed like the film got off course.

One of the problems I had was the female in the movie. She was so wooden and lacked emotion, it was hard to believe her. She was so so and with a better actor, the movie could have been better.

However, that's not the problem I had with the film. We see several scenes, which are revisited, where their car is struck by what seemed like lightening. It's hinted that it might be a part of some scientific experiments Or possibly a force from outer space.

(Spoiler alert) Then the entire movie unraveled. We find out the main character is in fact a killer and has no memory of his killing until the very end of the movie. And there's no connection to the lightening bolt. That's left a total mystery.

It could have been a real decent sci-fi movie. Only it wasn't. Very disappointing.

Mister Lonely (2007)

It had its moments

[4/10 · 8 February 2024]

I have mixed feelings about this movie. From the looks of it, the director has a huge cadre of loyal fans. Some of them loved this movie, and some of them hated it I'm not familiar with the director's work, so I took it at face value.

On the one hand, there were some interesting scenes in the movie. As a matter of fact, there were some absolutely gorgeous scenes. The one that comes to mind is the scene where the nun and later nuns jump out of the plane without a chute. The music and photography were beautiful. There were also some scenes in the Scottish Highlands that were beautiful

But overall, I think the story was too disjointed to make a lot of sense. In a way, some of the action was weird, just for the sake of being weird. I'm shocked that the critics at Rotten Tomatoes didn't rate it a lot higher.

So whileI found the movie entertaining, I kept waiting for something to happen. And it never really did.

--MovieJunkieMark.

Silent Night (I) (2021)

The horror...the horror...

[1/10 · 30 January 2024]

Just an absolute waste of time. I wish I was warned about this film before watching it. I have to admit, I do like a good horror film. But this was just terrible. The gist of the movie is that there's is some kind of threat coming from Russia. Maybe they tell you what it is, but I guess I missed it. It may be poison gas or some nukes. But it's inevitable that it's going to strike.

So the government (British) has issued pills to everyone so they can commit suicide. Cheery eh? Well, this extended family gathers for Christmas. They have a few squabbles and try to sort out their differences. Then one at a time, they all kill themselves. The last scene is a pan of all the bodies.

What an absolute pile of garbage. And what a waste of some excellent actors.

MovieJunkieMark.

Daddy Daughter Trip (2022)

Time to hang it up, Rob

[1/10 · 28 January 2024]

Just face it pal, you can't act. Period. I think this film set a new level for trash. I usually give a movie a half hour before I quit. But after just seven minutes and some change, I had to scream "UNCLE!" That was mainly due to the terrible acting. Mainly for Mr. Schneider's awful performance And the kid and mom aren't much better. What makes him think he's funny? I didn't manage to even crack a smile.

And I could see exactly where this horrible film was going. A fun family flick? Are you kidding me. I think a five-year old would be insulted by the poor writing in this film.

So f you want to be tortured, give this lousy film a watch. Otherwise, read a book. Go out for walk. Listen to some good music.

--MovieJunkieMark.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

2 hours and 58 minutes too long!

[1/10 · 24 January 2024]

Absolute art-house garbage. The movie is one long series of vignettes of the world, as see by a paranoid delusional crackpot. Its simply a wast of time. I've only seen a few movies that were this much of a waste of time. Wow. Usually I give a movie an hour or so, but in this case I gave up thirty minutes into it.

The one thing that took me by surprise is that Rotten Tomatoes only gave it something like a 70%! They usually love arty movies like this and I was sure it would get at least a 90%. Actually, I was really surprised that the audience score was higher than the "expert" reviewers.

If you like arty, bizarre movies, this might be right up your alley. If the film was an hour and a half, I might have watched the whole thing. But three hours? Seriously? Talk about self-indulgent!