Completely lacking in any genuine tension, comedic or otherwise. Ultimately, not a complete waste of time.. however, with this cast, it could & should have been much better. (6/10)
Reviews
23 Reviews
Come As You Are
(2019)
A well intentioned "Sex-Drive" RomCom film..
15 February 2020
On the plus side of the equation is the well intentioned effort to demonstrate that disabled dudes are every bit as much horn-dogs as their able-bodied counterparts.. and that people are people .. and that people long to be accepted. With a little bit more time & budget it could probably been further nuanced with pacing of the dialogue between characters. All in all I applaud the effort.. especially the casting.. which may ultimately be the most compelling aspect of this film!
His lone misfire..
5 January 2020
Don't get me wrong.. this isn't a "bad" film.. by any stretch! But, although I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but notice that it completely lacks the signature hallmarks that are typically associated with a Quentin Tarantino film.. specifically, scenes, settings & DIALOGUE that GENUINELY and relentlessly, create tension between the characters.. and ultimately drive the motivations & plot forward.
As much as I enjoyed this brief nostalgic trip through the Hollywood of yester-year.. I do genuinely believe that this film will, in due time, ultimately be regarded as Tarantino's lone misfire.
As much as I enjoyed this brief nostalgic trip through the Hollywood of yester-year.. I do genuinely believe that this film will, in due time, ultimately be regarded as Tarantino's lone misfire.
The Movies That Made Us
(2019–2021)
I really really really hope they make more episodes..
13 December 2019
It does mostly close the loop.. but beyond that..
12 October 2019
The Good German
(2006)
Clearly misunderstood..
22 September 2019
This film is definitely not for everyone.. it's an art-house film, which was, by all appearances, incorrectly marketed. (This hypothesis is somewhat validated by the fact that it grossed less than 6Mil on a 32Mil production budget!) Soderbergh/Clooney fanatics beware! To be as clear as possible.. this film is unlikely to entertain anyone other than hardcore films buffs, filmmaking students, filmmaking artesian's & perhaps those who have real-life connections to the events taking place in this narrative. That being said.. this film totally disappointed me the first time i screened it.. but, to be fair, that was prior to me becoming a full-blown insatiable cinephile. Having just screened it again, i'm pleased to report that my reaction was considerably more favorable! This is a black & white noir, shot on super35, with extensive inclusion of vintage stock footage, presented in a vintage 1.33 aspect ratio.. directed by a virtuoso filmmaker & featuring some of the most revered & respected performers of their generation. Bravo!
The Spy
(2019)
If you are into this subject matter you'll probably really enjoy it
8 September 2019
If you are into this subject matter you'll probably really enjoy this.. I am.. and i did. Although I gave it a 6, i'd have probably given it a 7 but for the fact that actual visual quality was atrocious - seriously, i'm still surprised this series got past the standards department at NetFlix! In spite of the criticism of SBC's performance I found the performances to be solid across the board. Costumes & production design were also very serviceable.. it's just such a shame it was photographed so poorly.
Mindhunter
(2017–2019)
A bit of a mixed bag here..
17 August 2019
A bit of a mixed bag here.. Season 1, for me, is mostly a 9/10. I wasn't completely captivated by the season long melodrama of Holden's ongoing personal life in the 1st season.. or, for that matter, Bill's multi-season long dissent into the melodrama that exists in his personal life.. although, I do appreciate that those parallel storylines do provide necessary overall context to the demands the real-life characters these stories are based on probably face. It's just that, for me, these plot mechanisms end up coming off a bit transparent.. and for that matter, the incident in season 2 involving Bill's son/fellow classmates feels just a bit too "jump the shark-ish"!
As for the 2nd season.. as a whole, for me, it's mostly a 6/7.. overall. The season just seemed to drag on quite a bit.. relying extensively on the inherent fits & starts of the investigation.. and again, allot of melodrama.. leading up an unsatisfying conclusion.. and an underwhelming suspect.
Perhaps, for me, part of my disappointment of season 2 stems from the expectation that there would a payoff on the BTK thread from season 1.. which clearly got "banked" as a hedge towards a season 3?! Frankly, at this point, I fear we've already seen so much teasing of this character that it's very likely that much of the mystique is now fully diminished? Perhaps another part of my disappointment stems from what felt like a bit of a letdown with the Manson interview that was setup by season 1.. though, let's face it, Cameron Britton's brilliant portrayal of Ed Kemper ranks second only to the great Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter! I'm just saying.. it's a difficult act to follow!
Don't get me wrong.. I thoroughly enjoyed season1.. and I don't necessarily regret the time I devoted to season 2.. but, I definitely feel as though the 3rd season, in addition to paying off on BTk, needs to be a bit more 90/10 ratio crime-solving to personal life going forward in future seasons.
As for the 2nd season.. as a whole, for me, it's mostly a 6/7.. overall. The season just seemed to drag on quite a bit.. relying extensively on the inherent fits & starts of the investigation.. and again, allot of melodrama.. leading up an unsatisfying conclusion.. and an underwhelming suspect.
Perhaps, for me, part of my disappointment of season 2 stems from the expectation that there would a payoff on the BTK thread from season 1.. which clearly got "banked" as a hedge towards a season 3?! Frankly, at this point, I fear we've already seen so much teasing of this character that it's very likely that much of the mystique is now fully diminished? Perhaps another part of my disappointment stems from what felt like a bit of a letdown with the Manson interview that was setup by season 1.. though, let's face it, Cameron Britton's brilliant portrayal of Ed Kemper ranks second only to the great Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter! I'm just saying.. it's a difficult act to follow!
Don't get me wrong.. I thoroughly enjoyed season1.. and I don't necessarily regret the time I devoted to season 2.. but, I definitely feel as though the 3rd season, in addition to paying off on BTk, needs to be a bit more 90/10 ratio crime-solving to personal life going forward in future seasons.
An absolute must for Cinephiles..
12 August 2019
For those, like myself, who are obsessed with all things cinema.. this wonderful doc is an absolute must!
Simply put: Alan Ladd Jr. is responsible for green-lighting & producing some of most iconic & influential films of the 20th century.
Simply put: Alan Ladd Jr. is responsible for green-lighting & producing some of most iconic & influential films of the 20th century.
The Professor
(I) (2018)
Depp's return to form..
19 May 2019
It certainly isn't Shakespeare.. it's not supposed to be. However, for what it is, I still found it to be a genuinely earnest & moderately profound attempt at processing the various emotions & reconciling the various relationships as we near the bitter end of our present mortality. To his credit Depp manages to humorously navigate these mine fields without allowing things to get too far over the top as he has so often in his recent endeavors. Certainly, there's allot more to it than can be covered in a feature length dramedy film.. never the less it does seems to offer at least some modest insights into how one might or might not want to go about it all.
CBGB
(2013)
Lights, camera.. boredom!
10 May 2019
There's a legendary story here to tell.. LEGENDARY! However, comedy.. drama.. romance.. documentary.. none of them really work without genuine tension. For reasons beyond my comprehension, despite the numerous inherent opportunities, the filmmakers seem intent on running in the opposite direction.. Opportunity, squandered!
Welcome to Marwen
(2018)
The trouble with expectations..
27 March 2019
This film may have less in common with the documentary it's based on than what many were expecting. I suspect this may be a primary reason for the less than glowing audience response.
I had seen the documentary prior to screening this film and, like others, struggled (at least initially) with recalibrating to Zemeckis's vision for this tale. For the record, if you haven't seen the documentary yet, i'd suggest waiting until after you've seen this film. The two films, while being based on the same story, differ significantly. The theatrical, quasi-fictional, version probably goes down way easier when preceded with little or no expectations.. and having seen, and potentially enjoyed, this quasi-fictional version first, it may also heighten the satisfaction of documentary film it's based on.
Had I been able to, I'd have given it a 6.5 based largely on the performances and overall production value.. unfortunately, I couldn't.. and my gut assures me it probably isn't a 7.
I had seen the documentary prior to screening this film and, like others, struggled (at least initially) with recalibrating to Zemeckis's vision for this tale. For the record, if you haven't seen the documentary yet, i'd suggest waiting until after you've seen this film. The two films, while being based on the same story, differ significantly. The theatrical, quasi-fictional, version probably goes down way easier when preceded with little or no expectations.. and having seen, and potentially enjoyed, this quasi-fictional version first, it may also heighten the satisfaction of documentary film it's based on.
Had I been able to, I'd have given it a 6.5 based largely on the performances and overall production value.. unfortunately, I couldn't.. and my gut assures me it probably isn't a 7.
Meet Joe Black
(1998)
There are certain do's & dont's..
16 February 2019
It's not that this film doesn't have merits.. it does: Thomas Newman's score.. Chivo's cinematography.. but this is not Gone With The Wind.. and it's never a good idea to take 180 minutes to do what could have easily been done in 90 minutes!
Killing Eve
(2018–2022)
Totally binge worthy, but..
9 November 2018
Totally binge worthy, but.. it does tend to go increasingly off the rales from episode 4 on.. Fortunately, the talented primary performers dutifully cross the finish line in spite of the narrative progressively becoming increasingly less & less plausible with each remaining episode.
Keystone Cockney Crime Caper!
29 August 2018
Get the Gringo
(2012)
If you liked Payback
6 July 2018
While this film, with all its twists and turns, does have a number of redeeming qualities.. in the final analysis, they arent abundant enough to offset the fact that the dialog & overall structure seems slightly burdened with having to to explain how it all fits together.
If, as I suspect you may be, a fan of Payback.. you probably won't regret giving this one a spin.
If, as I suspect you may be, a fan of Payback.. you probably won't regret giving this one a spin.
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