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Buddhafrog
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Reviews
Beef (2023)
Please. for the sake of all that is good in the world, WATCH THIS SHOW
This show is highly rated (currently 8.2 IMDB), but for the life of me I can't understand how it's not even higher. Might be the single best thing I've seen in my 50 years. There are many great reviews here, but none, mine included, can do this show justice b/c it's not something that can quite be described. I'm at a loss of words to describe why and how this was so great. Dramatic, heartbreaking, thrilling, funny, creative, just everything while being based in normal life events with very relatable characters with normal life stresses. Just.... it has to be seen to be understood.
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun will win awards for this show, I guarantee it. The acting was out of this world. The cinematography, creative design, music, direction. Just all stunning but also unique, and yet without any special tricks and trying to be surreal
Geez, y'all, you have to see this. I'm stunned at how good it was, and how original it was.
The Legend of Vox Machina: The Hope Devourer (2023)
E10-12 is award winning animation
S1 started good but not great, but the last two 3-episode arcs (E7-9, E10-12) were just incredible. I felt S2 started out similarly but I wasn't expecting it to end nearly as strong as S1 b/c the story material for Percy and Whitestone is perfect for animation.
But I wasn't expecting S2E10-12 to rival S1. In fact it's better, starting with E10. Beautiful animation and action. This telling is close to the original game, but somehow this episode did it even better. I felt like the story of Grog has so much more meaning to me know. (Travis Willingham's acting is so good)
I easily rated this a 10... but then I saw E11 and E12 and now I'm trying to hack this system so I can rate those at an 11. I was delighted at how well they were able to tell the story from the game. It was brilliant and better than I could've imagined. The pace slows down and we get to really know our characters. Thrilled.
The Last of Us: Please Hold to My Hand (2023)
What's better: lighting, acting, costume design, cinematography, directing?,
Another perfect episode for me on all fronts. I can't get over how beautiful this episode is - great use of light and colors. Stunning set design with amazing cinematography. Stunning visuals we get for this episode. Among the best I've seen on TV ever....
...and this is in addition to the wonderful story and interactions between Joel and Ellie. I'm an absolute sucker for how they show the bond growing between these two. In this aspect I feel E3 has even more weight as it is the turning point for Joel accepting his role. The subtleness of both Joel and Ellie building their connection was so beautiful
From a gamer's perspective, it's hard to describe how wonderful the POV, colors, and lighting match the feel of the game. The exact story points are not the same, but the feel and visuals are 100% taken from the game.
For those that haven't played what many consider to be the best video game of its generation, this is what it felt like. It's a story as much as it's a game. It's a relationship, it builds, there are moments of slowness and beauty interrupted by crazy intense action. This show does such a good job of replicating that feel and matching the visuals of the game. If you like the show but have never played the game, even if you are not a gamer at all, you should consider doing so.
Also, Henry and Sam... omg my heart...
The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)
A welcome change from the game / brilliant stand alone episode
This episode was amazing and I can't stop thinking about it. Offerman's acting was incredible and if there is an award given out for one episode of a series, just give it to this man already!
I loved playing the scenes with Bill in the game - very intense and propelled the story. This was extremely different. But this doesn't mean it was bad. I loved what they did and I think it propelled the series even more powerfully than how they handled this in the game.
For those complaining about the differences, well, sure. But maybe that was part of the point as well. This is not the game. It is based on the game. This episode gave us glimpses of the 20 years that had passed since the outbreak and that provides more depth and distance for the show. The way this episode ends, it provides deep motivation for who Joel will become - Ellie's protector who is determined to make good on his mission.
I loved everything about this episode - but there were moments I was uncomfortable and uncertain the method or goals. But it works, and it adds so much to this story.
The Plot Against America (2020)
Wonderful Story, Unique and Powerful
I just finished the first three episodes and my laptop battery died so I can't finish this.... but this show has me so engrossed that I'm on my phone looking up info about in here on IMDB. I was surprised to see some folks rating it low because it is low on action. All opinions are valid of course, and this show isn't for everyone, but I felt compelled to share how much I'm impressed by the story, the acting, the design, and the theme. There is very little "action" but that was never the intent. It's like complaining that ET didn't have enough romance.
While there are not (in the first three episodes) typical Hollywood action scenes, there is a great weight building and the tension increases every 15 minutes. It did not feel slow at all to me! It did, however, feel authentic to the time - where lighting was poor, entertainment was self-created, and the pace of life was dramatically different than ours today.
If you love history, you'll likely find this show wonderful. This fictional story feels true. Interestingly it is based off a book written long before Trump, so it wasn't created as a warning about current fascists-leaning political figures or a culture that is so easily taken in by America First slogans. But you can see why it was made into film. This show does an amazing job of feeling authentically historical, yet frightfully modern.
The X Files (1993)
Horrible and even worse because expectations were so high
I can't understand the high rating this show is receiving. That was one large pile of alien excrement. It stunk and was a chore to watch. With how much anticipation this show generated, I was honestly shocked that FOX would release such a poorly written, stupidly rushed, and embarrassingly bad acted show. There was very very little going for this show - probably about a 2 or 3 rating. But because of the material and financial support this show has, I held it to an even higher standard. Thus, a single, lonely star for a a singularly poor episode.
I predict that this show rating will slowly but continuously decline as more people watch without blinders. It was historically bad. I will say that I understand the challenge the show had - how to pay honor to the past while setting the stage for the future. That is the one thing this show did semi-well, at least in that they did set the stage for whatever mystery/drama/setting they will explore this season. But I promise, I have zero interest in seeing where it will go and will not waste another hour watching.