Change Your Image
mdonln
Reviews
Password (2022)
Obnoxious!
I finally got a chance to watch this show recently & was so disappointed. Actually, my reaction was WTF?
Game shows prefer upbeat, outgoing contestants but this is just way too much - to the point it seems fake. The host is a perfect fit for the absurdity of the show. She puts out the a lot of fake energy but I guess that's why she was chosen. She seems the exact same way, overly emotional & emoting, in everything I've ever seen her in, which isn't much - a commercial on talk shows, but this is even more hyped up. Perhaps she'd actually get acting gigs if she toned it down some. I'm talking visually too. She's an unnecessary distraction.
Jimmy Fallon, okay now here's the main problem. He is just ridiculous & not in a good way. I know he's supposed to be funny but it's not funny what he does. Whoever the guest celebrity is has obviously been directed to behave like Fallon & Keke - with fake excitement but it's not believable at all. Actually, I suspect they go for a laugh more than they actually try to help anyone win. Are the contestants even real? They too seem fake, forcing reactions that don't fit.
It seems much more like a bad sitcom of a game show - the way some shows make it seem like they're being filmed for a documentary. If that's what they were going for, it's fallen flat.
I had such a negative reaction the first time & turned it off I tried watching a couple more times to see if maybe I had misjudged the show or saw it on an off day. NOPE! It was exactly the same & just as bad.
Someone's review said it was all the game show reboots but I disagree. This one's especially awful. I do enjoy the $100,000 Pyramid reboot with Michael Strahan. It's a similar show just not absurd. Some of the others, like the one Alec Baldwin used to host seemed like just a way for 'celebrities' to get air time. Some came on & were good. They had their laughs but still played well. Others not so much. They seemed like they'd never heard or seen the show & were suddenly on, not knowing what to do. They just said dumb things for laughs. I'm usually not a big fan of shows with celebrities on to win for a charity because if i don't like their charity I don't root for them. Family Feud, for instance is great with real families. Steve Harvey is always funny. I love to see the real families even the ones that are kooky, usually it's one family member or they've coordinated some antics. That's okay. It's fun & I laugh a lot because Harvey plays off them. When it's the celebrity version, some are good, some not. They either try to over do Harvey or they try too much not to embarrass themselves & are too uptight for it to be fun.
I digress, to improve the Password, take it down several notches, stop all the fakeness & remove Fallon. He doesn't need to be on every show. It might work if it were treated like a real game show instead of a bad joke.
Best Man Down (2012)
Unexpectedly good
Interesting movie! I stumbled on it one day at a hotel. I had no idea what I was watching when it came on so I looked up the name in the listings. I never read plots or reviews before watching a movie, especially one I'd never heard of. I rely instead on the title & early scenes to keep me watching or to turn me off.
I was getting drawn in then at the beginning but there seemed to be an abrupt & complete shift. It seemed like a totally different movie for a while. I almost stopped watching at that point but it didn't last long & everything started to tie together. I'm glad I stuck it out. It turned out to be enjoyable & well worth my time, even though I found the ending a bit formulaic & predictable.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
Well, well, well - well done!
Some movies deliver a ton of banter and idle chatter but fail to 'say' much of anything. This movie tells an interesting tale and touches on important topics (ones that can make some people uncomfortable) - all using very few words.
That's my interpretation.
I must warn, Valhalla Rising is not for everyone; it's definitely not for the young or the faint of heart. The opening scenes are especially brutal, gory and explicit. The violence does lessen a bit but the bloodshed continues throughout the film. I came very close to bailing out a few times but curiosity got the best of me so I stuck it out.
I'm so very glad I gave the movie the chance it deserves. It's worth watching; it's impressive; it's well-made; and it's much more than it appears to be at first glance. What does it all mean? That's open for discussion. This story is likely to have as many interpretations as the movie has viewers.
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Wow, I love this series!
I just finished binge watching Penny Dreadful and boy do I love this series! It's fascinating, entertaining, imaginative, and definitely worth watching. I highly recommend it! By the way, I'm not usually a fan of this genre and typically actively avoid it. In fact, the ONLY reason I considered watching PD at all is because I found out Josh Hartnett is in it.
I'm not going to lie, I can't imagine passing up any opportunity to see anything Josh Hartnett is in. He's attractive; sexy; has this boyish charm yet is very much a man; he exudes confidence; and always seems comfortable in his own skin, but, most importantly, he's a really good actor who always seems to make good choices in roles and projects.
This is definitely one of those really good projects. Everyone in it should be applauded. The stories are good, the script, the direction, everything; it's all good. Kudos and congratulations to Showtime and everyone involved!
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
It's okay, I guess
The acting is good and the story is okay but I'm not a big fan of this movie. Everything is laid out too precisely; everything is made to fit. All the details are handed to the viewer; it's too easy. I never felt I had to think about anything. Some people may like that but I don't.
I enjoy movies that challenge me; that engage my mind in some way. To understand, follow, and appreciate them, the viewer has to think. I didn't get that with this movie. I also couldn't relate to any of the characters; they felt flat and one-dimensional. As a result, I didn't feel invested. I simply did not care about them or their outcomes.
Really, I'm not trying to bash the movie. I just felt it was too basic, too simplistic for my taste. This stripped down style of storytelling seems to be used often by Wes Anderson. I hadn't realized it but I've seen quite a few of his films. I don't remember them all but the most recent I've seen, Moonrise Kingdom and Darjeeling Limited, have a very similar feel as TGBH. In fact, that's how I realized they were related.
Trust Me (2013)
If you're considering watching this movie - watch it; it's very good!
'Trust Me' wasn't at all what I was expecting at first but I was definitely not disappointed. Since watching it, I have recommended to friends who have also liked it. We've also enjoyed discussing the various themes presented. It's interesting how many of those themes overlap from the movie to real life and into other situations. I always enjoy a movie that makes me think.
Most of the actors are familiar faces; well-known from both TV and movies yet that did not distract from the story in the least. The young actress, Saxon Sharbino, is really good. I had never seen her in other roles but she nailed it. I hope she'll have a bright future in the business. What most impressed me is how Clark Gregg not only starred in but also wrote and directed this movie. I liked his many references to past actors and shows too.
Getting movies made is not easy so I really appreciate actors who push to get their movies made and are willing to take small roles in lower- budget movies. It give us more options. Big budget blockbusters can be fun at times but they're often too formulaic, which I find boring. Some rely heavily on fillers like car chases, explosions, violence, sex scenes, and special effects. All of those things are fine but, I feel, they should support a really good, well-written story.