Jonathanraven1980 Reviews

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (II) (2023)

A Very Moving and Beautiful Film about Perseverance

[10/10 · 18 May 2023]

I loved this because while one might be tempted to give up after such a diagnosis as Parkinson's, Michael J. Fox NEVER gave up! It's a real shame he wound up with it. I remember being just in my very early teens when he shockingly came out publicly that he had Parkinson's. I was absolutely shocked. Saddened. To see such an icon who I looked up to, my entire childhood, into my teens, get something like that was just... It put me in an awful mood when I found out. But then I saw he never gave in. Never gave up. People like that are the true heroes. In the face of adversity he kept on keeping on! To hell with Parkinson's.

What I love about this film is that it shows you that you don't have to give up or give in. At one point he was asked if he was in pain, and he said of course he was, excruciating pain... and when asked why he didn't say anything he'd said that it just hadn't come up. He just sucked it up. It was just part of being. And it seemed like, hey, no point in harping on about it... won't make it go away.

I hurt my back a few years ago on a farm I work on. It's never been the same. I get sciatica... it used to be on just one side, but now I get it on both sometimes, and it's really difficult to find a position to sit in or sleep in some days. It's kinda mellowed out but never gone away. Now I've got elbow and wrist issues... tendon pains etc. Bursitis in one leg under my knee... recurring ganglion cysts in my right wrist (managed to break them a few times now ... by accident each time...but they always come back...)... and I really need to just... stop thinking about it or talking about it. Like now. Here. Because honestly I think when we dwell on the negative, the pain, it just feeds it. I mean, who doesn't have some issue or other as they approach 40? Right?

I needed to watch this to motivate me to shut up about about all my comparatively minor issues and pain, and just persevere.

I don't have many people in my life. No close close family. No girlfriend or wife (I always seem too busy or poor). Virtually no friends, locally anyway (everyone moved away). I live alone in an old house I'm always having to fix something in. So my biggest fear is having something truly detrimental go wrong with my body or mind. I'm not sure I would have the resources or the social support to deal with something severe like Parkinson's. But I'm glad Michael J. Fox has had it. Just think how many people he inspires every day, and others like him. But you know what, I lived here for almost 2.5 years with no running water. I engineered my own sewer system, built a bathroom, had mountain moved to put in a drilled well... all on a minimum wage income, because I was smart with my money. I persevered. I went through a very rough patch, a few in my life, but I always pulled through. This documentary reminds me that I'm just in another stage of my life, another stage I will pull through like I always have.

This film made me realize how fortunate I've been. Sure I've got some issues. Who doesn't. When I see what Michael J. Fox has had to deal with... it really puts things into perspective. I really appreciate motivational films like this. My life could be so much worse. I've got a roof over my head that doesn't leak... running water. Even a toilet! Things can ALWAYS be worse. Sometimes I need to be reminded of that.

It would be easy to look at this film as tragic. I choose to look at this as quite the opposite. Many people would give up and give in. Wallow in a dark corner and let the pain and agony of their condition swallow them whole until there was nothing left. NOT MICHAEL J. FOX! No sir. He continues to be an inspiration even as I near 40 years old, he still perseveres. Parkinson's? Whatever! Not stopping him! You've gotta love the spirit of a person that refuses defeat, and then... LAUGHS in the face of said adversity!

The Americans (2013–2018)

Among the best television a person could watch

[10/10 · 17 May 2023]

This show is phenomenal. While in university I had the opportunity to take a year long class on espionage and this show is very close to reality. In fact, look up Anna Chapman, and you'll see that Russian's illegals had been sent to America even as late as 2010+. There was a whole ring of Russian spies living as citizens in deep cover busted back in 2010. It was brushed under the rug because Obama wanted to reset relations with Russia/Medvedev. Except they screwed up because they had to arrest the "illegals" just as the then Russian president Medvedev had left North America after a visit, which was like a slap in the face to the Russian. So much for a reset of relations. Instead of being arrested they did a spy swap. I think it was 4 americans for 10 russians. They were handed back instead of made to serve time for their crimes.

SO... this stuff really happens. Mind you the 2010 operation was a failure because Potayev was an informant over in Russia, and the FBI was watching the illegals all along for like a decade, building a case.

The acting in the show in astounding. The character development is excellent. The plots are believable. The show actually ends decently.

Karla (2006)

SO INACCURATE! Wow. I cannot watch any more.

[1/10 · 31 March 2023]

Karla is made to look the victim which she WAS NOT. She was a willing and eager, initiative taking participant! This movie at best vaguely resembles the "true" crimes committed. I had to stop watching this a ways in because it was just such a load of made up nonsense. The acting in good. No complaints there. Misha Collins and Laura Prepon are pretty good actors. The problem is the CONTENT does not resemble the facts, that Karla was a very bad person who perpetrated crimes willingly, eagerly, excitedly. She enjoyed it even. There is no disputing this. The only reason she is free is because of stupid police in fighting. They pushed using her against Paul Bernardo, fast, because they were worried they'd lose jurisdictional control and he's get charged with the rapes first, which would drag things out. The incompetent investigator Bevan is the reason she is free today. Disgusting injustice. She should be rotting in a cell for what she did to her sister and others.

Cocaine Bear (2023)

This wildly exceeded my expectations! Comedic Cheesy Genius!

[10/10 · 15 March 2023]

10/10 for being such a masterpiece of comedic cheesy horror! There aren't many films I have laugh out loud at like this lately (Beavis and Butthead do the Universe was the other) and at other times make make yell "holy s&$#", before laughing again and saying WT...F. This was pure entertainment. If you are expecting a "serious" horror movies. Go away. Run. Fast. This is silly and fun and at times a touch gruesome, which I LOVED! Where has this movie been all my almost 40 years of life! This reminds me of spoof movies like Scary movie, but without the childish/potty/sex humor. It's more, situationally hilarious....comically serious. The cheese factor is very well done. I was basically hooked in the first few minutes with that first unfortunate scene. I've been reading a lot of bad comments on how this movies sucks, and I don't understand WHAT people expected from a movie about a coked up BEAR! Were they expecting something ... serious? The bear looks pretty real, and while at times what the bear does may seem exaggerated... that's the point. It's supposed to be COMIC.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Entertaining. Bad plot. No blood. Profanity and innuendo though.

[5/10 · 19 July 2022]

So, the oddest thing is that while there is profanity in the movie, there is zero blood. No one even appears to get scratched. I saw a deer get chewed at with no blood, people get eaten with no blood. A hand got bit off, no blood. This is perplexing.

Isabella Sermon did a great job in her role. I can see her becoming a future box office star. The return of the old actors was a bit cheesy but I liked that the film did that.

The story was dreadfully bad. While I didn't get bored, I just found the plot to be really contrived and nonsensical at times. The locust plot is especially B. S. because the problem spread all over the world. One locust isn't going to affect other continents locusts etc.

Again, this could have been so so so much better with some blood, actual injuries. All they do is make the characters dirty. If this is a kids movie, why the profanity and sexual innuendos? I think the scenes where people were being chased could have been made incredibly thrilling if there was even a bit of blood. You don't generally see horror movies blood free? Right?

Chucky (I) (2021– )

Garbage. Chucky was more realistic in 1988

[1/10 · 7 November 2021]

So I tried watching this. I tried... and tried. And tried. This was just... so bad... I couldn't bear it. I loved Child's Play, but this is just pure garbage. No other way to put it. My apologies to the actors/actresses but this is just terrible. Chucky somehow looks even more fake, in 2021 than in 1988... how is that even possible? I won't get into other details because this show already wasted enough of my time. Avoid at all costs.

Dexter: New Blood (2021–2022)

Enjoyed it. It's not too terrible. Woke checklist alert!

[6/10 · 7 November 2021]

Episode 1 review (no spoilers) I was actually excited for this. I wasn't too disappointed. One annoying thing is it's almost like they have a "woke" checklist they have to tick off. I've always enjoyed the general premise of the series, so I enjoyed this. Hoping it goes past just one season, as long as it doesn't get any worse. Hoping it gets a bit better honestly.

In spite of that, I enjoyed it. Even the bad seasons of Dexter were still entertaining. Nothing will ever beat Season 1 and 2 though.

This first episode, without spoiling anything, did feel a tad rushed, in spite of the almost hour long running time.

At this point I cannot remember much about the original series, it's been so long. But as far as reboots go, this isn't actually all that bad. I expected it to be worse, but hoped it'd be better. If you don't come into this expecting too much, you should enjoy it if you can get past the woke checklist.

In the end it is a product of its time, like so many other shows. This isn't an excuse to let wokeness slide. I'd have given this a better rating if it hadn't been so checklist-like.

I will perhaps update my review upon further episodes being released, but as of now, it's interesting and I'm enjoying it enough to keep watching.

The 100 (2014–2020)

Turns into an excellent show. Season 1 not its "best" by any means.

[9/10 · 29 June 2021]

A series with a lot of strange plot twists that are actually really neat. I can't talk about them at all because it will spoil the show. I've been watching this since 2014, seven years ago. When I started watching this I was in my late 20s. Now I'm in my mid 30s. This is a CW show. Yes there is teen drama/romances. Yes it does start out cheesy. But it gets DARK. This show really evolved. I almost didn't stick with it the first several episodes because it just seemed like another corny teen show. However, I was pretty desperate for anything science fiction, and still am.

So I gave this a chance. I have friends who gave it up after 1, 2 or 3 episodes, and claim it is garbage. Well, sadly they are wrong. They didn't see all the really fascinating avenues this show went with.

The acting gets a lot better. It's funny, I actually go back now and then and look at season one and laugh. Season 1 wasn't its best, by a long shot.

Now, about the science. There is some really fake science in this show. This may annoy you. It annoyed me and I almost stopped watching it at THAT point because of it. But again, desperate for some science fiction I continued. I just accepted the bad science and moved on. I'm sure they could have made the show more believable in these regards, but chose not to, for their own reasons.

This show becomes about the people, their relationships and the hunger to survive at all costs. Often survival involves Raven, who I love, doing something with engineering or technology. It's super cheesy, very fake, but I dunno, I guess I just love the show for the people and let a lot slide at this point.

There is some really amazing acting in this show as it progresses. Alycia Debnam-Carey for one was amazing, and I watched Fear the Walking Dead because she was in. Such a talent. I loved Raven/Clarke/Bellamy and was blown away by the evolution of John Murphy. The cast of this show got better and better at acting as it went. It really impressed me.

Some didn't like the final season apparently. I actually found it kind of interesting myself. I won't lie that my eyes may have been a touch damp in the end. I really loved this show and hated to see it end, but at least it ended properly and didn't get cancelled like so many, and often better, shows do. It should be part of any shows contract that a studio dedicate at least one or two episodes to finalizing any series that they cancel But with this show, you get an ending. An ending that I think could have maybe been conceived a little better, yes, but it wasn't too bad. I left the show feeling pretty satisfied.

I hope the actors and actresses go onto other things, because there is a lot of talent here. I cannot emphasize this enough. By season 7 you really get an idea for how far the acting has come.

Certain Prey (2011 TV Movie)

Recently read the book. Fairly decent movie representation.

[7/10 · 27 May 2021]

I actually enjoyed this movie a fair bit, as a reasonable representation of the book story. I'm about to read the sequel book to Certain Prey book 10, Mortal Prey book 13, so I thought it'd be neat to watch this movie, which I accidentally discovered on google while searching for a physical copy of Certain Prey, which as it happens, is one of my favourite Davenport Novels so far (and Winter Prey).

Harmon didn't 100% fit the image of Davenport, that said. But he did a fair job at the attempt. I am pretty sure Weather Karkinnen was supposed to be the redhead at the beginning? But I dunno? If so, bad representation. But meh.

I loved the actress that played Marcy. She probably didn't have the breasts we get described in the books, but that didn't matter. Loved her personality. Beautiful woman, with oddly perfect white teeth. Loved the scene with her and Carmel Loan in each others face in the office.

I really loved the portrayal of Clara Rinker as well. I thought she fit very well in the role. Loved her dance with Lucas (though I'm pretty sure Lucas danced better in the book? Not that I had a visual, but I thought I recalled him dancing decent).

I think this is about the best you'll get for a TV Movie to be honest. I didn't even plan to watch it. I was just going to skip around and see if it resembled the book and be done (because book movies are usually utter crap). But nope, I oddly enjoyed this. You may not.

From what I remember it seems to follow the book pretty decent. There is a lot of dialogue taken directly from the book. I'd give this a higher rating, but it's still just a TV movie and could have been better in a lot of ways. The car shootout ending could have been better for instance, but was kinda TV cheesy. But that IS how it happened in the book as I recall. So no complaints on accuracy.

Yellowstone (2018– )

Time well spent. A cinematic masterpiece.

[9/10 · 14 May 2021]

So happy to have found this. Astonishingly gripping! At times a dark, bleak and grim drama (don't let that dissuade you... this show's amazing), on the struggle between a modern ranch, its cowboys, and local natives who seek a change to the oppression experienced for centuries. Greed combines with the struggle of politics and those of personal vendettas and relations, making this series one of intrigue and entertainment. The cinematography representing the Montana landscape is truly beautiful to behold. If nothing else, many will appreciate that alone. You will laugh, tear up, and maybe even grind your teeth and grip your arm chair with a fury as you watch the characters you'll come to love and hate go through innumerable trials and tragedies. One of today's greatest cinematic masterpieces which is sure to captivate many. This isn't just a boring "cowboys and Indian" show. It isn't all violence either. It will make you think. It will make you FEEL and if it doesn't, it probably isn't for you. Give it a couple episodes before judging. This isn't cheap entertainment. This is well scripted, well thought out, well acted television. TV at its best.

In a time when much of Hollywood seems insistent on pushing very in your face "woke" content, gender/race/sexuality swapping, sequel after sequel, remake after remake... you get a fresh quality television show with a broad cast of characters. I've never seen anything like it. No politics in your face. No woke agenda. It's nice to see a show that focuses on making "quality" content, rather than just delivering a message while delivering a limp and lame script like so many shows seem to be doing. Has Hollywood not learned? We need more shows like Yellowstone.

Invincible (2021– )

9/10 amazing. Emotive. Powerful. Stunning voice acting.

[9/10 · 30 April 2021]

Absolutely stunning. The emotional dynamic is amazing. I've never seen a cartoon so well voice acted, so emotive, so raw. It started out a bit lame, like it was going to be a cheesy woke PG13 cartoon... but quickly grew VERY adult in content. They race swapped Amber from a white blond girl to a black woman... for what? Extra race points? Why bother changing that. The Comic is very diverse as it is... This annoyed me and I barely managed to finish episode one because of it. It's an insult to black people to use them as pawns for woke culture bonus points. BUT, that said, once I watched episode two I was absolutely hooked. I've read the comics up to number 95, re-read half of that many twice. Amazing comics. I'm back up to 36 now again. Life keeps getting busy. I'm so glad I gave this show a chance. The finale had me teary eyed, it was so well voice acted, so emotional.

Wrong Turn (2021)

Starts out seeming like it's just a "woke" movie. Not too bad though if you stick to the end.

[7/10 · 14 February 2021]

I was going to give this a one star a quarter of the way in for how woke it seemed.

This actually ended up being an okay movie.

It seemed woke because they checkmarked some stereotypes. Strong female, gay couple, arrogant white man, hipster girl. But in the end it was actually not that bad a movie.

Probably the best Wrong Turn movie since the first and second ones. After #2 the rest were terrible. Mildly watchable at best. But this was actually not that bad.

There will be times you cringe or groan, but in the end you may find yourself liking this if you stick with it. It's a bit different from the previous movies.

I was so frustrated by how woke this seemed, I was taking a few notes with the movie paused at one point, to write a bad review.

I ended up scrapping those and writing this.

Psycho Goreman (2020)

OMG. SO weirdly good. A real gem of a movie!

[10/10 · 29 January 2021]

Blown away. I glancing around at movies, and didn't actually intend to watch this. After mere seconds I was hooked by the pure weirdness... this turned into an astonishingly entertaining weird movie I would define as a Faux Family, SF/Horror/Comedy B-Movie. (I say faux family because of a warehouse scene wherein the language is very adult, though the rest of the movie is foul language free as I recall, and of course, so not recommended for children)

Some B-Movies are just bad. This was an intentional B-Movie. And it was GOOD. The acting was very interesting. Mimi was just... so amazingly ODD. I couldn't believe how well she did.

The movie starts out as a silly family movie, or so it seems.

I had all but given up on the concept of a good movie existing the past few years, with minimal exception. This is one of them.

Now, if you don't like cheesy movies, don't watch this. It's intention is to BE a cheesy family-esque B-movie horror SF. It does this with ease and grace!

Not only is this movie entertaining, but the aesthetics are incredibly enjoyable. The acting is amusing. From the weird mimi, to weird family. Loved the mother, the lazy father, the cheesy aliens.

The aliens/monsters remind me of season 1 of Power Ranges in the early 90s, hahaha. But way better.

In sum. Watch this if you actually enjoy B-Movies that are well done, space alien monsters, comedy, and just all around silly quirkiness.

THIS IS A REAL GEM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Street Flow (2019)

No plot. No story. Predictable. Just a series of incidents filmed. Not much happens.

[4/10 · 12 December 2019]

I want to first say, I don't mind slow movies, and I don't mind long movies (this one was slow, but short, but felt long). I've watched long movies, and slow movies, and enjoyed them. But this movie drug on and on.

The movie description is a bit deceptive. No one in this is living on "the streets". The supposed "projects", look far better than a lot of places I lived in. This movie was slow. There was no plot. I wanted to like it. The acting was decent, but it was just like they filmed a bunch of random things happening, little incidents, with no real "story".

I think what they were trying to do was simply show us a side of France we may not be familiar with... one where the police street check blacks, and gangsters (white and black alike) kill each other, and people rob each other etc.

It wasn't really effective. The speech scenes got old. But the final speech in the "debate" was kind of interesting.

Over all there was no real "story" to this. It just felt like a series of incidents filmed, leading up to nothing. I like movies that make me thing, movies that explore issues of race, or morality. But this one just fell short. I found myself bored too much to give this even a 5 star rating.

I feel bad giving it a low rating, because I feel like in some way that takes away from the messages the movie tries to express... but sadly, it didn't have enough of a story to really rate it high.

Some of the camera angles were weird too, which took me out of the moment. Such as one scene where they were sitting outside at a little cafe table, and to the front left and right were giant faces of two people... but ahead of them were our characters. That really took me out of the moment, as did many scenes.

Yet... some scenes were filmed well too.

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Began wonderfully. Ended horribly. What an atrocity. Never buying anything GRRM again.

[1/10 · 20 May 2019]

I'm disgusted. Horrified and disgusted. This show "WAS" amazing. I read the books. Loved them. I have been a huge fan for years. Until now. I'll never buy anything GRRM writes again. I'll never subscribe to HBO or buy anything of theirs. NEVER. The show was amazing. But with each season, things deteriorated. Characters in the final season did not seem in character at all. Everyone acted out of character.

The final episode was the single most boring episode ever, when it should have been the best.

Jon Snow was built up to be the king, and they throw a cripple with a dumb storyline on the throne, and exile Jon Snow.

Arya is built up with a wonderful arc, and just tossed away stupidly, after her dumb scene killing the night king.

Jamie is killed dumbly protecting Cersei.

Sansa is built up, dumbly... and to no avail. Oh wait, she becomes... Queen of the North, I guess? in the last seconds... okay...

The battle with the dead was stupid, and lasted one episode. It was glorious to watch, but had a dumb ending, with a little girl killing the night king. So yes in a way Arya had a purpose. But it was stupidly executed.

And they had the little girl queen kill a giant, stupidly.

The show and books got worse after Robb Stark was killed. Up to that point, this series was astounding! The best of its kind. Really there was nothing like it. Nothing as good. But then GRRM had to do that who ruin your expectations thing, and in doing so, ruined the story.

The Orville (2017–2022)

REAL science fiction! This is what Star Trek should have been!

[10/10 · 1 March 2019]

Amusing, entertaining, gripping, eye catching, series that knows how to handle morality, ethics, questions of the political and the historical. This show conquers it all. Not only is it graphically stunning, and amusing, but it's written well! The acting is amazing. The chemistry between characters and how they interact makes this show a pleasure to watch. Star Trek Discovery has zero chemistry. All its characters are hollow shells, poorly acted (except Pike, he was a damn good actor, but the only one on ST:D, if truth be told).

Seth MacFarlane shall forever be known as the man who did Star Trek justice, when CBS couldn't. Unbelievably amazing series. It starts out a bit weaker, with a lot of toilet humor early on. But as of Season 2 Episode 9, which I saw last night, THIS SHOW HAS MATURED! You remember how TNG took a while to get off its feet? Well, The Orville was good from the start... really good... BUT it got a LOT better the more I watched! If you like Science Fiction, watch this, and don't waste your time on garbage like Star Trek Discovery.

I witnessed one of the absolute best space combat scenes I have ever seen in science fiction, IN THE ORVILLE, and I've seen a lot over the years. Seth MacFarlane clearly wants to prove he isn't just a joke. He's a damn genius. He also makes a highly amusing captain!

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

Worst Blunder in TV History. How to destroy a franchise! I'm disgusted and offended by this garbage!

[1/10 · 1 March 2019]

WHAT A BLUNDER! Terrible acting. Terrible plots. Overly glaring lense flares and graphics that try to make up for the lazy writing. I'm not a Trekkie, but I AM a big fan of science fiction in general. I've read it and watch it my whole life. This... this is a missed opportunity. A poorly cast show, ran my poor show runners, and written... well... poorly. I am truly disappointed by this garbage. I had such high hopes.

Sonequa is just terrible as a lead character. Michelle Yeoh has the most annoying voice I've ever heard, and can't act worth a penny. There is no real chemistry between any of the characters and nothing feels remotely believable it's so badly acted and scripted.

The only credit I can give this show, as that Anson Mount did a good job acting as Pike, from an acting stand point. But everyone else.. I can't think of one character that I like. They're all annoying in their own ways. Anson Mount should have been the main lead, and everyone else should have been fired, a new cast chosen that can actually act along side him.

We are witnessing the destruction of a once glorious franchise. I'm in the process of a Star Trek full watch. Started with TOS. Now I'm into season 4 of TNG. So good. But Discovery... doesn't even resemble them. OH wait, but it has a space ship!!! Not good enough.

NOW THE ORVILLE!!! THERE IS A TRUE STAR TREK SUCCESSOR. I'd like to take a second to PRAISE Seth MacFarlane for his brilliant show. Thanks Seth, for delivering to the true fan of science fiction, what science fiction deserves to be!

Additionally, The Expanse, is another example of a series that holds nothing back! Pure quality entertainment.

So why can't Star Trek Discovery get it right? Because they never watched Star Trek. You can't make a show based on a franchise you have never watched before. I've read interviews where actors/actresses and people involved had said they had never seen any star trek. I'm sorry, but if you're going to be involved in a MULTI Million dollar series... you might want to take at least a few hours, watch some star trek, read about it. It's called researching your role. How can you act believably when you've no idea what Star Trek is.

I am disgusted and offended by how terrible this series is, and CBS.

Serenity (I) (2019)

7/10. Couldn't stop watching! Watched it because of bad reviews, no regrets.

[7/10 · 21 February 2019]

I watched this because of the bad reviews. I was impressed with Matthew McConoughey in the show True Detective. It was the first time I "took note" of his superb acting abilities honestly. Then I saw him in the movie Interstellar...

Say what you will. I enjoyed this movie. Yes the Anne Hathaway saying daddy, parts, were foolish, and the plot may seem non-existent to some, but this movie was interesting. I couldn't stop watching it.

Initially I intended to just view the first few minutes to see why people complained about it. But I found myself completely immersed in it right to the end, right from the beginning. I'm glad I watched this.

The theme of domestic abuse that this movie covers is very touching. If you watch this to the end, you'll understand.

Busy Tonight (2018–2019)

So cringe worth I can't begin to understand how this got MADE

[1/10 · 13 December 2018]

Ok, so here's the story. I wanted to like this. She sounded interesting on Marc Maron's podcast WTF... but wow... this is NOT for me... Tried a few different episodes, and the intellectually challenged nature of the content is unbelievable drivel. The word like comes out of her mouth so much, I can't stand it on those grounds alone, let alone the horrid voice, bad content, terrible "acting". She didn't sound this obnoxiously annoying on the WTF podcast... so "wtf"...I really had high hopes after hearing her on Maron's podcast. It's the ONLY reason I even checked it out, because Marc Maron is awesome. Sadly, this show is NOT.

Car Masters: Rust to Riches (2018– )

Mildly interesting at best. Bad "acting". Not believable. Goes from start to finish with no middle.

[3/10 · 9 October 2018]

There isn't really much "build" footage. I'm not sure what this show's aim is. The thunderbird build was a few shots, them bam, it was suddenly complete.. with virtually no footage of any of the work. Boring.

The "cast" is pretty terrible. It seems like they're "acting" but very very badly.

Why is no one ever dirty? This almost seems staged. None of the guys seem to get dirty. Even the girl wears nice clothing, and works on engines... yet aside from a few scuffs of grease, it seems she doesn't get dirty much at all. I've been around cars, and worked on them with people at times. I don't know much. But I do know you get dirty! Especially handling rusty cars.

I'd say this is a poorly staged "reality" car show, for someone who just wants to jump to the finished product without much in between. Pretty boring show. No drama. No one's funny. I'm not sure I'll watch any more.

Also, how do they have all the cars they're going to build/buy and trade up to, plotted out? Did they do the whole season of the show, then film after the fact about all the cars they bought and traded up to? It doesn't seem to be the case.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Horrible script. Impressive CGI. Beautiful cinematography. Fails to deliver good plot.

[5/10 · 20 September 2018]

I'm going to rate this a 5/10 because honestly it wasn't that great a movie. The CGI was absolutely incredible, but CGI isn't plot, and for a movie to be good, you need a good script. This didn't have that. BUT it did have great cinematography at times. I enjoyed watching it because frankly I love dinosaur movies, and these are all we really have in that department. Will I watch the next one? Yes.

This movie is very PG rated. When people are torn apart on screen, there's no gore, no blood. I expected this of course, but it still disappoints me. This movie would be much more chilling if it had a bit of blood in it.

I wish someone would make movies like these, for adults, with good scripts and more graphical violence. Less "family movie" vibe would be better.

This movie was probably the worst so far. The plot was just silly and poorly orchestrated in a very unconvincing way.

I AM looking forward to the NEXT movie. Dinosaurs roaming cities is what I'd like to see! So I hope we get some urban dinosaur action next movie.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

A solid emotionally packed war film. Let us learn from the past, for a better tomorrow.

[10/10 · 28 July 2018]

This movie was among one of the most emotionally charged films I've seen in a long time. I encourage everyone to watch this. It's both sad and heart warming at the same time. Such bravery in the face of danger. Such courage in the line of duty and under fire.

This film is incredible in every respect, from the excellent acting, to the cinematic experience of brutal reality, to the moral character exhibited, to the visual aesthetic, and to the auditory experiences.

This film will prove to you that good movies do exist in modern times, despite the overwhelming number of movies that would suggest something to the contrary.

You'll want some kleenex to wipe away your eyes, because anyone with half a heart will find this so emotionally moving that tears are bound to drip from them.

This movie starts out slow, builds up the character, and goes on to prove everyone wrong about their suppositions of what kind of man Desmond Doss was. He proves himself a hero, in spite of his refusal to bear arms.

Watch this, and honor those who have passed. War is not a pleasant experience. Perhaps with films such as these we can be reminded of all that has been sacrificed by those before us, and learn, and strive for a better tomorrow.

Lion (2016)

A masterpiece of cinematic wonder and minimalist dialogue which will fill your eyes with tears.

[9/10 · 15 March 2018]

I haven't had tears in my eyes this much for any movie I can recall. This was a truly emotional movie. Even now writing this, I'm fighting back the tears, that's how moving this movie is. I'm a man in his 30's, and lit it be said that men cry too.

This movie, where to begin. Powerful story telling with few words. It combines minimalist dialogue with a cinematic experience that blends environment with splendid acting to create a very REAL experience. Within minutes I found myself completely immersed in the world of Saroo and Guddu.

I won't spoil details, but I will say, this movie is a must watch. It's not a Hollywood action flick, so if you're the type of person who needs constant visuals to be entertained, this may not be for you. The movie progresses steadily but slowly, and the whole while you may have tears welling up in your eyes. I did. Almost every moment of this movie. No movie has had this profound an effect upon me. Despite it's slow burn, it ultimately ends up being a gripping movie. I was on the edge of my seat with wonder and curiosity, with sadness, and happiness, and even at times fear and outrage and shock. There are scenes which hint at a darkness in the world of Saroo's childhood.

This is a moving story of a child who becomes lost and his 25 year story. It is sad, but uplifting in its finale.

One final note, is I would have liked to have found out more about Mantosh. I won't say anything other than that. His character was curious, and sad. But I felt his story could have been elaborated on more, hence 9/10 instead of 10/10.

This is a masterpiece.

Bill Nye Saves the World (2017–2018)

Attempts to educate FACT versus FICTION. Silly. Cringy. But VERY informative!!

[6/10 · 31 January 2018]

This show is getting bad ratings for the WRONG reasons, generally. It's a show about FACT versus FICTION. Does A cause B? Let's see. You want to know why this show is necessary? Because people are too uninformed. They are either gullible, or stubborn, or think they know more than (insert name). Maybe they don't "trust" science. Maybe that's because they don't "understand" science. This show attempts to fix that problem... and hence... save the world. Look at Polio... do you really want that to spread because you were too lazy/ignorant/stubborn/suspicious, to get a vaccine??

You don't have to believe in vaccines... doesn't change the FACT that they work... and the FACT that they don't cause autism. If you fail to vaccinate, you put everyone else at risk.

You can believe in "sound therapy", but that does NOT mean that some imbecile screaming at your belly is going to offer any kind of medical benefit.

You can believe in "alternative medicine", but that does NOT mean it works! None of it does. That's why it's called alternative. It's hocus pocus dreamland foolishness and nothing more than a way for people to profit off of people who are too uninformed to know they're being ripped off.

This show explains things to adults like they're children. That's a valid criticism. I cringe a lot watching it, but I'm rating it an 8/10 because it does a good job demonstrating FACT versus FICTION. The humor is dreadful (sorry Bill), but the information is incredibly valuable.

Wanting to convey THE TRUTH, doesn't make this "political", or "propaganda". Okay, so he only has a degree in Mechanical Engineering, so he's not worthy of being a scientist, right? WRONG. Want a definition of what that is?

"Mechanical engineering is the discipline that applies engineering, physics, and materials science principles to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering disciplines." - Wikipedia.

With that in mind, I hear people complain that he isn't a scientist, so what right does he have to tell us anything... this coming from people who often have no post secondary education, and whose education often times is, with all due respect, limited to flipping burgers and pouring coffee (I've been one of those people too, in years past). And for those who do have a degree, say in English (like myself), or Political Science, or History, or any number of others... what makes YOU more qualified to judge HIM?

The show is over the top ridiculous. I cringe regularly. BUT, I enjoy the information it provides. At least he is TRYING to make the world a better place, by spreading truth. What are you doing with your life, reader? What are YOU contributing to bettering the world? Before you judge, please think more critically before making such harsh accusations and assumptions.

The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019)

10/10. So great I binged it on a whim. New. Fresh. Unique. Amazing.

[10/10 · 7 January 2018]

Because of the weird show name, I looked it up online, and decided, on a total whim to give it a look. I meant to just add it to my list of shows to check out. I started it and COULD NOT STOP.

I really hope there are more episodes to come. This show was pure brilliance. It was odd, quirky, funny, sad, and just edge of the seat amazing.

I loved the characters. At first I almost stopped watching it because it seemed a bit odd. BUT because it was odd, because of the premise, and because Jessica Barden and Alex Lawther play their parts SO WELL, I just wanted to watch more, to see what would happen.

The brazen show title worked. It really did. And I absolutely loved the atmosphere. It's darkly comedic, with its sad moments. The show is short. 20 minute episodes. They fly by. There weren't really any points where I found myself bored.

At the end of season 1, I was totally immersed, desperate to know what would happen next. THIS IS QUALITY TELEVISION! I like shows that are "different" or unusual. Too many shows stick to the same old over used routines. I'm tired of the same thing. This show offers a FRESH VIEWING EXPERIENCE. At last, a show that has truly captured my heart with it's quirky characters. Jessica Barden plays Alyssa, who seems messed up in her own ways. Alex Lawther plays James, who thinks he's a psycho.

IN JUST 8 EPISODES THESE CHARACTERS EVOLVE!!! Not only do they evolve, but it's believably portrayed. It happen so quick, yet it feels so right. My heart felt for them. It truly did. I found myself so glad they met one and other. It's sad being lonely, being different. But these two people show us that difference doesn't have to mean loneliness.

I cannot emphasize enough, how amazing this was. Do yourself a favor, and indulge yourself. Watch this. It's only 160 minutes. You may find it a bit odd and offputting at first because of how different it is, but it's well worth it.