TBelton1 Reviews

He's Coming To Me (2019)

A Really Interesting Thai Drama

[10/10 · 8 February 2021]

He's Coming To Me is a really interesting Thai show from GMMTV that turned out to be quite good. The story centers around Thun, played by Pawat Chittsawangdee and Mes, a ghost played by actor Prachaya Ruangroj (Sotus) quest to answer the mystery behind why Mes can't pass on or be reincarnated. Both of the lead actors are quite good and they have an excellent storyline to work with; along with a strong supporting cast of characters who add to the drama and provide comic relief throughout the series. Parts of the show reminded me of the show Dead Like Me; in that a few of the characters are ghosts interacting with one another. This element is then combined with the quest to solve the big mystery; all the while providing the viewers with a range of unique cultural points that provide interesting insight into Thai culture along the way.

Another Life (2019–2021)

A Decent Show That Grows on You

[9/10 · 24 August 2019]

This very ambitious Netflix original tries to cover nearly every aspect of the sci-fi genre; incorporating elements of such shows / movies as Falling Skies, Alien, Close Encounters and 2001 A Space Odyssey just to mention a few. The show has the advantage of a very talented and good looking cast; some of whom are very well known such as Katee Sackoff, Tyler Hoechlin and Jake Abel; along with some lesser known talents such as JayR Tinaco and A. J. Rivera. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this show until I got about 4 episodes into it, but after that I was hooked and had to keep watching to see how it was all going to turn out. As it happens, the show left several big issues unresolved with the season finale, so I hope Netflix opts to renew the show for a second season.

Bolívar: Una lucha admirable (2019)

An Excellent Historical Drama in Novela Form

[10/10 · 25 July 2019]

To my understanding, the series appears to have taken a few creative liberties with the actual story, (it was a telenovela after all) but it ultimately remained true to the actual history of Latin America's great liberator Simon Bolivar. I am a student of Latin American History and I certainly studied extensively about Bolivar in college, but I must admit that I never studied much about Simon Bolivar's life as a child or young man, and to my mind, this is where the series really shines in particular. Both of the actors who played Simon Bolivar in his younger years brought a lot of passion and excitement to the character and each helped the viewers relate to Bolivar and understand how he became the man he became. No offense to actor Luis Geronimo Abreu who played Bolivar as an older adult, but I think the director should have stuck with actor Jose Ramon Barreto who played Bolivar as a young man instead of switching actors; since the viewers had already bonded with him as the adult Bolivar during episodes 5-25. In any event, both Maximiliano Gomez Silva, who played Bolivar as a 12-13 year old and Jose Ramon Barreto did a remarkably good job in their portrayals of Bolivar, and there were many other great performances by the supporting cast members; such as Erick Rodriguez, who played Simon Bolivar's mentally disturbed cousin Pablo. I would recommend this series to anyone with a love for history or just as a good bit of drama.

Life Like (2019)

A Very Good Movie Made on a Small Buget

[10/10 · 25 July 2019]

This was a very good movie about a couple having marriage problems who purchase a life like robot to help manage the large house they have recently inherited. The story makes one think about what it really means to be human; especially when the robot demonstrates a greater humanity than either of his human owners. This was a remarkably good performance by actor Steven Strait, (The Covenant and The Expanse) who played the robot Henry, and any fan of Steven Strait should probably rush out and buy a copy of this movie; because it really is good.

Medici (2016–2019)

Season Two Was Excellent

[10/10 · 27 February 2019]

Medici The Magnificent; along with Narcos and Turn, are probably the best of the Netflix Original series. The whole cast in season two of Medici was truly spectacular, but actor Daniel Sharman who plays Lorenzo Medici was particularly good, in his best role since he played Isaac on Teen Wolf. The scenery for the show adds so much to this historic drama, and this combined with the superb acting and great costumes really gives the viewers a feel for what it must have been like in Italy during the Renaissance. I also liked season one of this show, but season two was better, due in no small part to the acting talent of Daniel Sharman (Lorenzo the Magnificent).

Subspecies (1991 Video)

What Vampire Movies are all About

[10/10 · 6 November 2013]

This movie did an outstanding job of combining sci-fi with horror in a Romanian setting that would seem like it could have been the source of the Dracula legend. In fact, Bran Castle in Romania, which serves as Castle Vladislas in the movie is often cited as the place where Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) lived. Although that isn't true, Bran Castle was the temporary home to this films fictitious vampire Radu Vladislav. The acting in the movie was quite good and the special effects impressive; especially given the film's meager budget. Subspecies, The first of the movies in the series, is also clearly the best of the four movies and it has developed quite a real cult following over the years.

Twilight (I) (2008)

You're Basic Love Story

[9/10 · 21 November 2008]

I went to this movie expecting a love story action adventure combo, but its really more of a love story than anything. The effects were pretty good and when the plot got rolling it was great entertainment. I was disappointed by the lack of Werewolves and the much reduced presence of Jacob Black,(Taylor Lautner)however. Did they cut out most of the werewolf scenes in favor of the vampire romance theme, because I remember Jacob Black having a bigger role in the book? The directors also left the audience wondering about a few key points, such as how old the vampire characters really were and why they were living there in the first place. The other twists to the vampire legends were also a little bit much, such as these vampires sparkling when sunlight hits them as opposed to igniting into flames as any decent vampire is expected to do under such circumstances. All in all, it was still a very good movie.

Crazy/Beautiful (2001)

Taming The Shrew

[10/10 · 3 May 2005]

This movie was a tale about Beauty taming the Beast, but it wasn't what I expected. At first glance, one assumes that Kirsten Dunst (the supposed beauty) is going to tame Jay Hernandez (the supposed crazy) but its actually the reverse, as Hernandez is "the Beauty" end of the title, and Dunst "The Crazy" end of the equation. Dunst is the spoiled drunken troublesome daughter of a California Congressman, who ends up being tamed by our hero, Jay Hernandez; a clean cut Latino living in East LA who has enough clarity of vision to keep himself on track and reform Dunst in the process. The plot made sense and you really find yourself rooting for the couple, in spite of several setbacks (brought on mainly by Dunst's character.) The only plot line that didn't make sense was Dunst's Congressman father's effort to convince Hernandez to stop dating his daughter (fearing that she would wreck Hernandez's life.) No father would act to remove the only stabilizing force in his daughters life, but apart from that the movie's plot was on the money, and I still give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Living the Life (2000)

Easy To Believe

[9/10 · 3 May 2005]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie; it was accurate to "La Vida Loca" the crazy life that street gangs live in East LA, and was predictably tragic. At first glance I felt that actor Jay Hernandez (Kikicho) would have been better suited for the role of the 9th Street Gang leader Pocho played by actor Abel Soto; however Soto did such a great job in the part I ended up changing my mind. The plot centers around the wild street life of two girls, (Kata) Katrina Gibson & Anna, who seem to be courting trouble throughout the movie. They are supposedly affiliated and tight with the 9th Street gang, but they rarely are found in the company of the gang and frequently say and do things to tick off many of the gang members, most notably the gangs leader Pocho (Soto.) This was the only point that didn't follow logic at times, although it is explained in part by the girls attachments to the gangs leaders; Pocho wants Anna & Kikicho is after Kata. The acting in this movie was excellent; especially by Soto, Hernandez, and Gibson in that order. The funeral scene in the church was unbelievable as the gang poses for photos around the coffin of one of its fallen members (I won't spoil it as to who this ends up being.) This scene was saying so many things at the same time, and should be watched 2,3, perhaps 4 times to take in everything that is happening. I give it 9 stars out of 10.

Madhouse (2004)

Surprisingly Good

[9/10 · 21 February 2005]

I first rented this movie, expecting only the typical cheesy low budget B-movie, but was surprised to discover a good movie that could have played first run in the theaters. Basically, a young psychiatric intern comes to this backwater rundown mental hospital and discovers a chamber of horrors. There is a mysterious kid/ghost running loose in the hospital (unfortunately, this actor's name was missing from the credits) and a string of murders taking place, as the intern attempts to piece together what is going on. There were several recognizable stars (such as Lance Henrickson) in the movie, most of whom had small parts in favor of the lesser known actors. There was a fair amount of bloodshed in this movie, and a very good turn around in the plot towards the end of the movie that makes all of the previously hard to follow elements crystal clear to the viewer as the identity of the killer is realized.

Ancient Evil: Scream of the Mummy (2000)

One of DeCoteau's Best

[8/10 · 13 September 2003]

I bought this movie because I am a big fan of director David DeCoteau's B movies, and look forward to the somewhat silly horror he offers in all of his movies. This movie was actually better than average though; and apart from a few mistakes in the plot about the Aztec culture, (they didn't have wrapped mummys, the characters repeated mispronunciation of the Aztec Rain God Tlaloc's name, and the Aztec High Priest's new wave outfit) it made for a pretty good mummy flick. I can honestly say that the whole cast did a good job acting as well, particularly Michael Lutz, in his first role playing (Morris); Trent Latta (Norman); and Jeff Peterson (Don). All in all, I give it an 8 out of 10.

Initiation (1987)

Very good movie

[10/10 · 4 September 2003]

I thought the movie was excellent, certainly one of the late Rodney Harvey's best performances, as the troubled son who learns a few big lessons. This movie was (and still is I suppose) very hard to find in video stores, and is available on and off again thru online stores. If you can find a copy though, don't hesitate to get it, because this really is a good movie.

Clase 406 (2002–2003)

A Great Mexican Soap Opera

[11 July 2003]

I first started watching this show when it premiered on Univision; I still haven't seen all the episodes and I understand it has been on longer in Mexico. But, based on what I have seen, I love it so far. The show is very fast paced and you don't dare miss more than 2-3 days in a row for fear of losing track of whats happening, as it really does move that fast. The best acting came from actors Jorge Poza (Francisco), Aaron Diaz (Kike), and Pablo Magallanes (Hugo). Unfortunately, the show unwisely chose to kill off Pablo Magallanes' character relatively early in the storyline, Hugo was my favorite character; and Imanol vanished relatively quickly after this plot change as well, again another of the better actors gone from the storyline. The only thing to my mind that would keep someone from enjoying this telenovela (soap opera) would be their inability to understand Spanish, as the show is obviously not in English; but even without a good knowledge of Spanish the viewer can figure out what is going on fairly well just from watching.

Gangland (2001)

A Pathetic Movie

[9 July 2003]

Lets see, where do I begin. ah yes, this has got to be one of the worst movies I have ever had the misfortune to view. The plot was beyond stupid and the story became more and more twisted and confused as the movie progressed. Vincent Klyn's tragic performance as Lucifer was simply pathetic, and a very pale comparison to his portrayal of the pirate leader Fender in the movie Cyborg. The two leading actors Sasha Mitchell and Costas Mandylor were both wasted in this movie; and both I'm sorry to say were looking pretty shabby in regards to their respective physical shapes. Both of them seemed over the hill, and both were sporting beer guts, hardly what you would expect in two kickboxing heroes. I won't even go into the business about the giant blond genetically engineered gangmember on steroids; as I'm still trying to figure out why his character was introduced??? Anyway, for all those fortunate enough to have missed seeing this movie up till now let me extend some simple advice...don't see it. The only good thing this dvd had going for it was the special features, which included cast biographies and interviews.

Endings (2003)

Great Acting, Especially by Kristopher Turner

[10/10 · 6 July 2003]

This was a wonderful short film by director Danishka Esterhazy. The story centers around a strange girl named Megan who has the ability to see into the future as it relates to the death's of all those whom she has touched. In this case, the person asking for the information was Aiden, played by Kristopher Turner of The Brotherhood 3; I loved his line "I guess that would cure my fear of heights" in response to Megan's inquiry about whether he would want to know when it was his time. This is a black and white film, which might bother some viewers, but if thats not a problem for you, then you should love this movie.

Cutting Class (1989)

It Keeps You Guessing

[21 March 2003]

When I first rented this movie I thought I was in for your typical cheesy teen slasher movie; but this one was pretty good. So many of the characters were so freaky that you really aren't sure who's doing the killing until the last ten minutes of the film. The acting ranged from very bad to very good; with the best performance coming from actor Donovan Leitch (The Blob, Glory.) I bought a copy on VHS, now if they would just release it on DVD. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Everybody's Doing It (2002 TV Movie)

One of MTV's Better Movies

[10/10 · 8 January 2003]

This is probably the best MTV movie I've seen since 2Gether or Joe's Apartment. I'm still not sure if it was to be taken too seriously however, as the teacher's behavior was a bit over the top at times; most notably an outburst in the classroom from one of the teachers at Lizzy Caplan (Angela) over a few questions she asked. Apart from the over the top antics of the storyline, Most of the characters were believeable and well acted; Kristopher Turner (Gus) in particular did a fine job as the closeted gay student who gets forced out of the closet after the obnoxious student abstainance board brings charges/accusations against him and a number of other students. Hopefully, MTV will see fit to put this one out on DVD, because its one for the collection.

Taken (2002)

Had An Excellent Start But It Fizzled

[27 December 2002]

Along with many of the other posters I would have to say that "Taken" was too long. I thought the first five parts were great and I really got into those episodes; but the second week slowed to a crawl and just seemed to be dragging along. I would have to seperate the two weeks for a better review; as the first week featured the better storylines and in my opinion the better acting performances; most noteably: Joel Gretsch (Col.Crawford), James Kirk (Young Jessie Keyes), Anton Yelchin (Young Jacob Clark), Ryan Merriman (Adult Sam Crawford), and Devin Drewitz (Young Charlie Keyes) all of whom were featured mostly, if not exclusively in the first week. The story slowed to a dismal pace in the second week, and it was easy to lose interest in the story; I especially disliked the numerous whines and constant screeching of actress Emily Bergl (Adult Lisa Clark) and Heather Donahue (Adult Mary Crawford) was also somewhat annoying. The best performance in the second week in my opinion was provided by Adam Kaufman (Adult Charlie Keyes) If for nothing else, he diserves a medal just for having to act alongside Heather Donahue. Overall, I would give parts 1-5 Grades of A, Part 6 a grade of B, and the remainder of the episodes Grades of C-.

El juego de la vida (2001–2002)

A Fun Latin Soap Opera

[29 October 2002]

I first started watching this soap opera about 2 months ago; when I started taking Spanish, and it has helped. I only understand about one in every five words but its getting clearer, and of course its fairly easy to follow even if you don't speak the language. Most of the acting talent is quite good, I especially like Mike Biagio he plays the recently blinded and more recently seeing again character and the Seri brothers are both pretty good, Luciano Seri especially.

Anatomy of a Hate Crime (2001 TV Movie)

A Fairly Good Drama

[28 October 2002]

I really enjoyed this made for TV MTV special; and I thought it was a fairly accurate depiction of the real life tragedy. I could have done without the first person comments (supposedly coming from the late Matthew Sheppard) as we don't really know what he would be saying. As for the acting, I'll give a big thumbs up to actor Ian Somerhalder who played the part of one of the murders, Russell Henderson. He played the part so well in fact that I almost found myself feeling some sympathy for the character (Henderson) who was more or less bullied by the other perpetrator who actually did the killing. Somerhalder is just hard to dislike I suppose. The other killer was easy enough to despise though. Overall, I would give the movie an 8 of 10 rating; now if MTV will just put it out on DVD/VHS.

Anatomy of a Hate Crime (2001 TV Movie)

A Fairly Good Drama

[28 October 2002]

I really enjoyed this made for TV MTV special; and I thought it was a fairly accurate depiction of the real life tragedy. I could have done without the first person comments (supposedly coming from the late Matthew Sheppard) as we don't really know what he would be saying. As for the acting, I'll give a big thumbs up to actor Ian Somerhalder who played the part of one of the murders, Russell Henderson. He played the part so well in fact that I almost found myself feeling some sympathy for the character (Henderson) who was more or less bullied by the other perpertrator who actually did the killing. Somerhalder is just hard to dislike I suppose. The other killer was easy enough to dispise though. Overall, I would give the movie an 8 of 10 rating; now if MTV will just put it out on DVD/VHS.

The Rules of Attraction (2002)

One Racey Movie

[19 October 2002]

This was one racey movie, and anyone can see that the director didn't shy away from controversy. I've heard a few critics suggest that by the end of the movie you could give a damn about any of the characters, as they were all horrible people; but I would have to disagree on that point, Actor Ian Somerhalder's character (Paul) was very likeable; and hats off to him as a wonderful actor. Shannyn Sossamon's character was also likeable enough; although its true that most of the other characters were despicable people. My favorite scene was the comic hospital scene, but there were lots of good ones. Overall, I would give the movie 8 out of 10 stars; definitely one to see.

The Brotherhood III: Young Demons (2002 Video)

Definitely Lacking

[9/10 · 12 September 2002]

I realize that director David DeCoteau's movies are intended for fun as much as they are the occasional scare; but we the viewing audience do demand at least some quality in a movie. The plot in this movie was cheesey and the acting talent was basically talentless; with the very pleasant exception of Kristopher Turner who played the part of Lex. Hopefully, DeCoteau will bring him back to star in a few more B movies, I would pass on the rest of the cast members. One of the most annoying points of this movie were all the drawn out boring chase scenes; the victims ran for what seemed like miles and they always ended up in the same places? I could see the shower scene coming; where would a DeCoteau film be without at least some kind of sexploitation; but even that was made cheesy by well... I can't spoil it. If your looking for a better DeCoteau film I recommend "The Frightening" or one of the first two "Brotherhood" movies.

High Crimes (2002)

Definitely One To Buy

[5 September 2002]

I first saw this movie while on an overseas flight to London, and planned to fall asleep to the movie; but the plot twists keep you glued to the movie. Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, and James Caviezal were all outstanding (especially Caviezal.) As soon as the DVD was available I bought it along with two other copies (X-mas presents)this one is definitely worth owning.