kay_rock Reviews

Interview with the Vampire (2022– )

Anne Rice wrote three of the episodes

[8/10 · 12 October 2022]

I've been surprised by the number of reviewers have lamented that this is not Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, even crying out "Not one word written by Anne Rice!"

Actually, she and her son Christopher were heavily involved and were executive producers. And Anne herself wrote three of the episodes. She was proud of this work and happy for the reinvention of it.

It is possible to enjoy this even if you, as I did, read every book as they were written, awaiting each new volume and running to the bookstore as soon as they were released.

Is this different? Yes. And I'm glad for it. It's a way to enjoy the universe she created all over again without having to worry about some pristine, exact re-enactment. I can relax into it, seeing where it goes without expectation.

And it's a far cry better than the Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise debacle. I still shudder over that abomination.

It's excellently acted, the sets are magical, and the whole thing is quite enjoyable.

Grimcutty (2022)

Kind of silly but has a fun premise

[7/10 · 11 October 2022]

It's a silly horror movie with a silly monster. A few jump scares, but nothing truly scary.

Really it's just fun social allegory. And when you have a self-righteous Mommy Blogger as the source of evil, poisoning all of the parents with hysterical worry that manifests as the monster...come on. That's just marvelous. It really is. I laughed. I loved it. Even spoiling that won't spoil the fun of it.

It has decent production values and the acting is very good. It is not a waste of time to watch it as long as you know what you're in for.

At this point I'm just rambling because the word requirement is extraordinarily long, now.

Watch it. Enjoy it for what it is.

Devil in Ohio (2022)

It's just... not good

[4/10 · 5 September 2022]

I'm actually rather easy to please, and I don't mind young adult movies/shows as long as they kill a couple of hours on a slow day. Some of them are even fun.

This is not bad because it's based on a young adult novel. It's bad because it's just really, really not good. It's very reminiscent of 1970s made for TV movies. The writing and dialogue is terrible, and the story is just... boring. The cast is fine and the acting is fine but the characters are flat and the plot is thready. I found myself not caring at all, about any of it.

I understand this is based on a book, but I can't imagine wanting to read it. It can't possibly be better.

The Subject (I) (2020)

He's staying in his lane

[2/10 · 31 August 2022]

Jason Biggs, who has made a career out of playing self-absorbed, extremely misogynistic characters, hits his sweet spot here in playing a self-absorbed, extremely misogynistic character.

I think the point of the film is to feel bad for him as he almost experiences some emotions and surprise at the fall-out from his entitlement, in an "it's hard out here for a pimp" kind of way. He vacillates between bafflement and hurt-puppy-pouting (punctuated with begging "Just LISTEN to me, ok?") in his quest to be told that either his actions should not engender guilt, or they were so justified by his personal needs that there should be no consequences. And hey, he maybe learned something (about himself, of course), and he had an honest-to-god echo of a FEELING about it. That's a character arc, right?

There are some people who will really identify with this character, and who will be offended that others don't. Because to them, he is not only normal, he is the standard for American Values, and hey, he's a guy. And it's hard out here for a guy.

I'm not one of them.

Here. Have a tissue.

The Sandman (2022– )

Excellent

[10/10 · 6 August 2022]

This is an excellent adaptation and update of the comic series. Wonderfully cast and acted. A lot of fun to watch. It's hard sometimes for fantasy to translate well on the screen without seeming a bit hokey, and they did a great job with this.

And this is a wonderful addition to Netflix - too much of it these days is over-budgeted action films or filler from other countries (some of the foreign films and series are wonderful, but a lot of them are just clearly trying to make the line-up look bigger).

By the way, the time for those who would whine that not every character is white and straight is past. There were some hearings lately that made it very clear that time is over. It had a short resurgence but it's done. There are people of every shape, size, gender, ethnicity, and orientation in the world. There always have been. Now we're just not pretending that they don't exist any more. It's nice to see people allowed to be people and to play characters and just... be.

The word "woke" is actually a pretty good clue for the rest of us that we might enjoy a show. The more people who rush in here to subvert the positive ratings, the more we know that it's probably an excellent show and it scares people that shows with people who don't look like them can be excellent. So, thank you for that help! Keep rushing in en masse to pan them. We know what to watch!

Moonhaven (2022)

The reviews here are pure politics

[8/10 · 18 July 2022]

Lots of fear happening here, and lots of bat signals being sent out hoping to prevent this show from seeing a second season. It's everything they despise.

That alone would make it worth watching, but it's actually quite fun. It's an interesting concept done well. Their vision of utopia is unique and interesting, and its vulnerabilities are thought provoking. Plus who doesn't like a good mystery wrapped in a conspiracy?

Firestarter (2022)

Thought it was a series pilot

[3/10 · 14 May 2022]

I watched the entire thing absolutely convinced that it was a pilot for a new series, and as bad as it was I figured I would give it a chance because maybe it would develop as the series went along. But then it ended and...what? Where is the rest of the story? I realize it's been a while since I read the book but I'm pretty sure there was a lot more to it than this. If this is all there is, it was mostly like a really badly made TV movie from the 1980s. I cannot believe that Stephen King approved this.

The Education of Fredrick Fitzell (2020)

I didn't realize how good it was until it was over

[8/10 · 3 December 2021]

I was really only half paying attention to this film until it absolutely stopped making sense, at which point I rewound a little bit and watched until the end.

They do a pretty good job of revealing the intent and meaning of the film - spoon-feeding it, really, at about the 3/4 mark, and then the rest settles into place even though it remains disjointed and non-linear (which is, actually, the whole point).

It wasn't until the credits rolled that I wanted to do that slow golf clap.

And then I immediately restarted it and watched every moment, learning that there was important information in every scene and every line that made it much more logical, once you understand why those things are important.

I highly recommend watching it twice. Brilliant job. I hope to see more from MacBride.

Spoken (2021)

Religious propaganda film+badly made

[1/10 · 11 November 2021]

Just so, so bad.

I'm not sure if the intention is to proselytize non-believers or to warn teen believers about the magical powers of the words they choose to say, but either way... um... just so bad. With killer crabs.

Bleed with Me (2020)

Slow pace but well done

[7/10 · 16 August 2021]

It's not a horror movie, it's a psychological movie. Get that out of the way first. A lot of reviewers are upset that there weren't zombies or vampires. And some seem upset about "diversity" and "women films," but we know where the come from so... yeah.

Both women in the cast are damaged in various ways, but one is definitely more damaged than the other, and the slow unfolding lets you know who that is (although I suppose there is some ambiguity if you would like to keep wondering at the end). I thought they did a great job of evolving the characters, dropping casually into the dialog little clues that explain the backstories and motivations of the characters.

Over all it is sad, not horrifying. It's not the greatest film ever made, but having spent a lot of Covid watching some truly terrible films, I thought this one was well worth the time spent watching.

The Unholy (2021)

Another horror film failed for the same old reason

[3/10 · 22 July 2021]

Dear horror film makers,

Stop trying to scare the audience. It never works.

You have to scare your CHARACTERS.

Story is plot experienced and expressed by characters. If an emotion isn't expressed by a character, it's never going to be experienced by the audience.

The protagonist was never scared. He was startled a couple of times, horrified a time or two, but he was never afraid.

And so we were never afraid. All the CGI ghoulies and ghosties in the world are not going to be scary if they don't have any impact on the people on the screen. We didn't even get jump scares... just jump startles.

Obvious this problem happens in a majority of the "scary" films being made, but this one should have been better. It had a reasonable premise and a good setup. It had the budget and it had the cast. What it needed was a writer who knows how story works and a WAY better director.

What a waste.

An Unquiet Grave (2020)

Stretched out 5-minute half-baked idea

[2/10 · 15 July 2021]

This was like that one campfire story someone tells, when everyone is pretty sure the teller misremembered most of the details, but they don't want to be rude so they say "um.... ok. Thanks. Who's next?"

I think someone had an idea about twins and tried to write a screenplay about it without ever really noticing that there wasn't much to the idea to begin with. They started throwing in some random obligatory scenes, and then added a lot of fluff in a sad attempt to fill all the empty space, but in the end it was pretty much empty space.

Wildflower (II) (2014)

Religious propaganda films need to identify themselves as such

[2/10 · 29 June 2021]

It is very frustrating to watch a movie that is labeled as "suspense" and "drama" just to discover you've stumbled in to yet another "faith based" proselytizing film.

Amazon is doing this a lot these days... feeding us propaganda under the guise of entertainment. If I labeled pornography a "christian film" and distributed it to christian youth centers, I don't think they'd appreciate that.

Just call it what it is so we know what we're getting into.

Solos (2021)

A review for the rest of us

[8/10 · 22 May 2021]

The themes that echo through each episode, and there are so many, are perfectly timed and toned for an "almost at the end" pandemic release.

While Solos is an anthology-style series, it is not a series of standalone episodes. It is a comprehensive mini-series telling a single, self-contained story with a specific ending.

The writing is really stellar, and the acting is superb, both of those skills coming together to create something that is a series of monologues that rarely feel monologue-ish.

I'd love to go over each of the themes but it would get spoilerish, but I can say that for those who get this and understand what they were doing with it, the themes are poignant and meaningful and deeply emotional.

The tie-together at the end is almost perfect, except that the episode "Nera" is only vaguely referenced, and also didn't seem to share a mini-connection to any of the others, as the rest of the episodes all seemed to do. It is the most isolated of all of the episodes and has had me rewatching and pondering why. Was it editing that removed its connection from the rest or was it intentional? There is so much about it that doesn't fit with the rest. It does contain nearly all of the themes, but it has a really strong "one of these things is not like the others" feel all the way through it.

The final episode is so rich and full of meaning and reference... it's astounding. The acting is perfect. Morgan Freeman's subtle face changes are brilliant.

I think my favorite episode is the one featuring Constance Wu. The emotional journey she takes us on is a gut punch. It is also the first episode that really gives us a clue as to what is happening on the larger scale.

I loved the re-use of specific language in different settings, with different meanings, but meant to echo back to the things we'd previously seen, sometimes casting new light on them and bringing out different understanding.

Two things to watch for that you might not think of on the first watch: 1: listen to the narration Morgan Freeman gives for each episode. Once you realize he's not just a narrator but a character, and what his role is in relation to all of them, the narration takes on new meaning. 2: look at the pictures they selected to fill the letters that open each episode.

Oh, and this is not Black Mirror. It's not meant to be anything like Black Mirror. Comparing it to Black Mirror is like comparing ET to Arrival. Just because they're both sci fi and anthology series doesn't mean they're both apples. You can enjoy both equally without trying to compare them to one another.

The Drowning (2021)

The trick to watching this

[2/10 · 12 May 2021]

Watch the first 10 minutes of the first episode.

Watch the last 10 minutes of the final episode.

You will see everything of relevance you need to know for the story. Everything else is twaddle and filler and silliness.

The New Mutants (2020)

This was a movie?

[3/10 · 14 April 2021]

This feels very much like a series pilot that didn't get picked up so they padded it with a few extra scenes to boost it to ALMOST 1 1/2 hours so they could call it a movie.

Great cast, nice special effects, but it's more like the intro to a story than a complete movie. It was like any other series pilot giving you the setup to what it WILL be about. The story and character development are minimal. When it ended I seriously expected the next episode to start so we could see what it was actually going to be. When I realized that was it, I rolled my eyes. I know pickings are slim during covid, but wow. This was just flimsy.

The Secrets She Keeps (2020– )

The only thing missing is aliens

[5/10 · 6 April 2021]

It's well written and well acted and all that, definitely something to watch... but they jam-packed this little mini-series with just about every single dramatic conflict you could imagine. By the third episode I was laughing out loud as yet one more popular current theme got introduced. Really, they could describe this as: "Two women experience every type of imaginable dramatic cliche ever written in a short period of time, leading them towards the inexorable and obviously foreshadowed conflict between the two of them."

It's pretty much every single miniseries you ever saw smashed into a single miniseries.

Contactee (2021)

Wait, what?

[1/10 · 30 March 2021]

Not every indie film with inexperienced actors is automatically bad, so I gave this a shot even after it was clear this was a novice project.

However, bad writing does make for a bad film, and this was bad.

"I'm not a doctor, I'm a licensed counselor."

That line resonated through my head for the rest of the film.

I realize that not every screen writer is an expert on everything they write about, but a quick google search on the words "licensed counselor" might have made it clear to the writer that this particular job does not involve stethoscopes, phlebotomy, or blood labs. Nor does it involve romantic entanglements in private cabins with patients. It definitely doesn't involve climbing into bed with a patient (particularly not a bed over which you've placed a hidden camera). Add in man-handling terrified patients and forcing pills down their throats with wine, and the entire therapist-patient relationship becomes a vision of shock and awe.

Perhaps, though, to this character, the idea of professional ethics is as confusing as it clearly is to the writer. Frankly, though, we were never given the idea that the therapist believed he was doing anything wrong. He was completely comfortable with his behavior. The film-maker seemed to be equally comfortable with it. It was supposed to be seen as "helpful" and maybe a little romantic. ::shudder::

Ultimately, aliens saying "weird" and "attagirl" were the most realistic and believable aspects of this fiasco.

Over all, this is like the film-making version of those early, terrible acts by delusional contestants on reality TV talent shows. If you get a kick out of those, this is the film for you. Or if you're just curious what the products of the modern education system are doing with their lives. Or if you just have a slow day with nothing to do and you want to see how deep the stupid goes. Answer: really, really deep.

Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself (2020)

Extraordinary

[10/10 · 22 January 2021]

Please go in without reading up on what you are about to see. Turn off your devices, make sure you won't be interrupted, and just experience it. If your partner/housemate/friend is a chatty show watcher, watch it alone.

It's hard to write a review that doesn't tell you anything, but I think it's quite important not to know what to expect. It can be a deeply moving experience.

Proximity (II) (2020)

Devolves into religious nonsense

[1/10 · 31 December 2020]

Starts out hokey and childlike but interesting. If you stick with it, it will get more ludicrous, clearly written by someone with a poor education. But if you're like me you'll keep going because now you're invested in the outcome.

By the time it reveals itself as a christian propaganda film and you realize where they got the budget to make this farce, you might find yourself doing the same mortified face palm I did.

The Wilds (2020–2022)

Got much better as it went along

[8/10 · 13 December 2020]

The show started out a little bit too "CW" for my taste, but in a world of too little content, we take what we can get.

It definitely improved as it went on and hit its stride, and by the end I was rather impressed.

I think there is a certain type of viewer who will give this low ratings because of their beliefs rather than on the quality of the show, and sadly everything from IMDb to Yelp is turning into a mirror of the great political divide. But you can easily tell who those reviewers are and either disregard or embrace their opinions as it suits you.

But if what you care about is the quality of entertainment, this is definitely worth your time. Stick past the early teen angst stuff. It gets better and has some merit.

It's not the greatest or most complex story in the history of television, but it's far from the worst (even in the times where we got a ton of new content every Friday). Right now, with the dearth of new content, this is practically a jewel.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

More of a companion piece than a stand alone film

[7/10 · 7 September 2020]

This movie cannot stand alone. It is meaningless if you have not read the book. Kaufman spectacularly fails to bring the book to life as an independent story.

But the "spectacularly" in that sentence is not entirely about the failure... rather that he fails while presenting something rather spectacular. The film is gloriously beautiful in the way he brings symbolism and metaphor to life. It is gorgeously filmed and very well acted, although the pacing and editing could use a little less ego and a little more attention to flow. Other directors may have made some different choices in presenting those things that were more grounded in reality as opposed to those that were surreal. Instead, the whole thing was presented in such a state of hyperreality that finding the kernels of truth were impossible.

The biggest failures come in the stark omissions: Kaufman's refusal to share what question is being referred to in those phone calls where the disembodied voice says "there is only one question..." That question is critical and is specifically laid out in the book. It is the entire meaning and motivation. He also fails to ever tie back that question, and the titular phrase, to the only character to whom they actually matter. He also fails to show or explain explicitly what happened to that character in the end, and without that ending, there is no meaning. The film just becomes a very beautiful companion piece to the novel, highlighting some scenes and lending new imagery to them. It is not, in itself, a complete story. It's more of a "mood."

Host (II) (2020)

Far better than I expected

[8/10 · 8 August 2020]

This was an incredibly clever film, well written and acted, with more effects and extras than I would have thought possible in a movie filmed on Zoom.

I watched this alone, which always ups the "scare" factor for me, but I actually found this film to be quite nerve-racking.

The acting is wonderful, and the close-up "Blair witch" type reactions really added to the emotional impact.

If this is the future of film making during the quarantine, we are lucky. I hope we get more. So clever.

Only (2019)

Needs to be redone by a woman

[3/10 · 11 July 2020]

There is no question at all what Takashi Doscher thinks of women. None.

This is a story where women, which are either objects or child-minded idiots, are taken away from the heroic men who feel bad about it but will happily sell the remaining few to the government for some cash.

The same story told by a woman could be a brilliant film.

The production values are excellent here but the characters are horrifically two-dimensional and so shallowly defined by a small, sexist mind that it becomes unwatchable. It's not "politically correct" to think of women as people. It's just human.

Slender (I) (2016)

probably not

[2/10 · 1 July 2020]

This is "found footage" only if all cell phones ceased to exist and the entire thing was filmed by a guy with Parkinson's who stole an old, broken betamax camera from his grandpa's attic. The video and sound quality are so bad they're distracting. It doesn't lend an air of realism to it... in fact it pulls you out of it as you struggle to figure out what you're seeing and hearing and you wonder why on earth the quality is so bad.

2 stars because they set out to make a movie and get it distributed, and by-gum they did it. Other than that, not really worth watching.