LostFRINGE Reviews

Our Deadly Vows (2023)

Confusing and slow

[1/10 · 1 March 2024]

Things randomly started to happen after the guy just cut his finger off on purpose. The reactions from the characters were stiff and unrealistic. The dialogue was cringy, and the arguments were just plain dumb. The gift boxes just started to appear out of thin air, and yet everyone had little concern about it. I guess it was because they got high after smoking some weed.

There was a scene that felt like it lasted almost half of the movie where the characters were just resting and taking a nap. The music - if you can call it that - did not help to stay awake as it was just annoying and repetitive, composed of random noises.

I guess you have to be high on drugs to enjoy this movie or understand the motive behind the twist at the end of the movie.

La Brea: The Road Home, Part 2 (2024) Season 3, Episode 6

What an Insulting Series "Finale"

[1/10 · 25 February 2024]

What the hell was that? I know the series has been canceled, but why make this episode so rushed and careless. I think it would have been more respectful to the audience to just end it without any conclusion so we could've made our own ideas and predictions. Instead, they ignored all the logic, and concluded all of the character's storylines with "they-lived-happily-ever-after...."

The characters just recapped what they did off the screen like a casual conversation, which was supposed to be a major reveal as to where Eve was all this time.... They didn't even show Petra's reaction when something major happened to another character.... Then, somehow everybody was just appearing at different locations (and timelines) just seconds apart. How did we get from landing in 2021 to a hospital scene from 1965, and then back to a hill with a tree in 2021 again? That must have been the fastest taxi.

The only reason most people watched this terrible show is to find out the answers to somewhat decent ideas. But this was one of the worst and most insulting series finales.

Gang Boy (1954)

Nonsense

[2/10 · 26 November 2023]

The subject matter just didn't match what was shown in these amateur jumble of shots. I understand that they used real people instead of actors, but this was just painful to watch. It didn't even make sense what this short was trying to portray. The story was so simplistic and cliche as if it was written by a child. The young boys just grew up to be a "gang" all of a sudden?

On top of stiff and robotic performances, the dubbing was so atrocious, it made this look like a comedy, until you realize that it wasn't intentional. What was this for? Did people really enjoy watching this? Did this really deserve to be preserved and shown on TCM channel after all these years?

Malum (2023)

Tension and Suspense throughout the film

[6/10 · 2 April 2023]

There was a constant tension and suspense throughout the whole film. The background glass walls, door cracks, hallways, corridors, everything around just felt uneasy as the scenes played out. I was sitting at the theater looking through my fingers expecting some monster to jump at the screen. At one point I finally did see something in background very briefly, but it felt like most of the people in the theater missed it (but it was a good "Easter Egg" nonetheless). When the jump-scares did occur, they were surprisingly effective and not cliche like other films with generic imagery and loud sounds. There was a lot of original ideas, but the influence of other horror films was also noticeable.

Some of the things that kind of ruined it for me were the poor sound effects and musical score. The sounds were kind of muted or off, and the music was so generic and low energy. It just didn't correspond with anything going on in the scene. I kept anticipating for it to pickup in tempo, but it was just dull and monotonous throughout the film.

The dialogue, pacing, and predictable ending also could've used some adjustments. Some of the reactions by the protagonist were also weird and unrealistic. There were multiple examples, but one of them was when she casually just removed pig's head from her car's windshield like it was a normal day in a neighborhood.

Overall, the first three quarters of the movie were very good and kept me on edge until I realized the predictable plot towards the end of the movie. The tension alone at every scene would still make me want to rewatch it.

Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News (2020– )

Repetitive

[4/10 · 19 January 2023]

It gets annoying after a while. The hosts were kind of funny for the first few episodes, but now their "jokes" are just repetitive. When they have no material, they just talk over the guest speaking or constantly interrupt them as if it's going to continue to be funny. It was cute for the first few times, but now it's just boring and those voices they make are just unbearable at this point. They just talk so fast over each other, I can barely understand what they are saying.

I thought they were just warming up as the show just started, but after giving it a few tries, I just don't get it at this point.

Margaux (2022)

Could have been better

[4/10 · 29 December 2022]

This would have been better if they didn't include CGI/VFX robot arms and white liquid. It would have made the movie more realistic and more fun to watch. With the ridiculous robot arms it was just distracting because they were just poorly done and made the whole thing seem silly instead of funny.

The characters also didn't even react much to freaking CLONES in front of them at the beginning of the movie. How can you just dismiss that and continue partying? I know some of them were stoned, but not all of them. They just giggled and continued talking like nothing fantastic happened. I know it's supposed to be a horror-comedy movie, but they should have put a bit more effort to make it less ridiculous.

The Circle (I) (2017)

Nonsense mixed with great plot elements

[4/10 · 29 December 2022]

There were so many interesting elements introduced throughout the film, but they kept jumping to next scenes that were about something totally different. It felt like the movie kept skipping a lot of plot points that obviously didn't matter anyway because of a lackluster ending.

What was the pint of her catching the fancy camera in the audience which she never tried to use later in the movie? I thought at one point she would realize she was being recorded by the camera in her purse or something. Nope -- the camera was never mentioned again.

Why did she have to sneak in to kayak in pitch blackness for no apparent reason? That was just such an incoherent and random scene.

What was the point of going to the secret tunnel/basement like something was going to happen there? That scene didn't lead anywhere at the end of the movie as if some deeper plot was cut for timing again.

It also didn't make any sense why the protagonist was so susceptible to all the privacy concerns. A normal human being would've been more traumatized, but she appeared to be hypnotized like everybody else in the "Circle," but yet the plot never explains why people worship the "Circle" and get so mesmerized and accepting of what it does.

And what was up with her best friend? Why the sudden mood swing? Jealousy? Then she goes to different countries for different reasons... then she just quits and goes home?

The whole plot just seemed messy and rushed, and it felt like they deleted like 1 hour worth of different scenes.

Barbarella (1968)

Set after set, after yet another fabulous set!

[8/10 · 23 December 2022]

If you take into consideration the year this movie was made and how many sets were practically made with no computer graphics, it's mind blowing! The amount of effort and different fabric and materials that went into each set, is astonishing, and today would probably cost close to a billion dollars on a budget. There were sets that appeared to stretch for blocks and some were 2 or 3 stories high, and yet they were only used for a few minutes/seconds on the screen, until we moved to the next setting. I had to pause on multiple occasions just to observe and appreciate all the details and effort that went into this.

Of course it was a silly movie, but it was not trying to be an Oscar contender. It had very fun elements, and even though the plot was simple and predictable, it was still surprisingly suspenseful, and it had a lot of unique ideas that I wish they had expanded and explored a little bit more.

Thirteen Lives (2022)

One of the best underwater cave dive movies

[7/10 · 5 August 2022]

I was surprised this wasn't done by James Cameron, as he seems to be attached to anything underwater related.

It was amazing to see what Ron has achieved shooting in the most treacherous conditions, with rain, mud, water spewing everywhere, and tight underwater cave spaces. All of it felt real and kept me on the edge of my seat.

One of the few things I didn't like is the abrupt cuts between one end of the cave to the other. It just didn't feel like it was a long ride unless you paid attention to the time counter and followed the pointless map that appeared throughout the movie and really didn't add much to the vastness of the cave. Every time I looked at that random map, it seemed like the red dot was in the same 2 spots. After awhile the abrupt cuts just became repetitive and tedious.

I also felt the interaction between the boys and rescue divers was rushed and it felt it should have been more engaging. For example, after the first 4 boys were rescued and the rest had to wait another day or two, there should've been a spoken line of some sort of encouragement when the rescuers came back, to celebrate that their friends made it alive and well.

The Card Counter (2021)

My own interpretation (Please read before giving low scores)

[8/10 · 6 July 2022]

I think Will is locked in a mental institution imagining the events that we're seeing on the screen mixed with real horrendous experiences that he went through as a younger self. If you think about it, how can nobody recognize him if he was jailed for something that happened so publicly, and how was he allowed to move from state to state immediately after he was released from prison?

If you look at the age of the characters during the events that happened to him as a soldier and after serving years in jail, he and Willem Dafoe's character pretty much looked the same or identical as they did inside the prison scenes and at "present" time.

I believe Cirk was actually Will at his younger age when all the traumatizing events happened to him. If you notice throughout the movie, Cirk just randomly appears and disappears as Will starts thinking about him to have a "conversation," and he just randomly finds him on some random couch inside a large casino. Also, when La Linda was talking to Will, Cirk would walk behind them or just walk away, and when Cirk would "take over" his mind, La Linda would talk with Cirk privately without Will's presence and he would suggest to both of them to hookup like a little kid. It also seemed like Cirk knew all the details as if he were an undercover agent, and we never saw the scene where Will claims he did a "research" on Cirk.

I also believe La Linda was his caregiver or a nurse, because of the way she was introduced just sitting on the side of the table observing the players looking like she's the authority. Who does that in random casinos? La Linda seems like a pretty weird name too, but if you think about it, that's probably how Will learned her name when she introduced herself. Being that he's probably mentally institutionalized, he must have had some speech impairment that made him pronounce her name as "La...La-Linda." The big tell that she was his nurse, was at the end of the movie during the final game. The way she guided Will to the table holding his hand was more of a caring gesture, rather than looking like "lovers" falling in love.

All the background characters also looked off beat or very hyperactive. Pay closer attention to their hand gestures when some of them sat down next to La Linda during the final game. We also kept hearing Mr. USA cheers every time Will was in a playroom or "casino" of the hospital, just like a typical mental institution would sound like.

There are more subtle instances that happened throughout the movie that made it seem strange and kind of unrealistic, especially the way Willem Dafoe delivered his lines. A lot of people criticized that it sounded like he "read" his lines, but knowing how good of an actor he is, it was obviously intentional. Also, notice how he didn't even try to defend himself against Will, and just willingly went to the room to be tortured.

All of this was just in his head, and we are left to interpret what really happened to get him into this insane mental state.

Madame X Presents: Madame Xtra Q&A (2021 TV Special)

Fun interview, but could've been a little more special and organized

[6/10 · 30 June 2022]

As much as I like Symone, I think she should have reserved herself a little more or at least hype up the crowd instead of keep interrupting Madonna (with the exception of that one time she assisted the queen with her train of thought).

And what was up with that spotlight? It seemed like it was burning everyone's eyes out. It was uncomfortable to watch people struggle to see anything.

The Forever Purge (2021)

Had one awesome scene in it

[5/10 · 9 June 2022]

If you're going to watch this movie despite all the negative reviews, watch out for the scene where they go through a diner during all the chaos. With no cuts, it was so impressive how they managed to stage that whole shot. They must have had to choreograph the whole 5 blocks of scenery, it seemed! It was amazing!

This was definitely an improvement from other Purge sequels, but it was still lacking the horror vibe the first one had. There was not much suspense as we all got used to the mindless random shootings and killings throughout other movies. They tried to make "forever" as the big plot twist in this, but then again it felt like any other Purge sequels where they focused on one family/group of people surviving that ONE single night of Purge day - although in this one they added just 1 extra day.

How to Be Single (2016)

Had some fun moments

[6/10 · 25 May 2022]

Rebel Wilson was definitely a joy to watch in every scene, but overall the directing and pacing of this movie seemed very chaotic.

It was kind of distracting for a romantic comedy movie to have such unconventional camera work. Although there were some very beautiful shots, I felt almost dizzy trying to follow the movie, especially at the beginning where there was a montage after another montage, and then another.

At the end, it was just difficult to feel anything for any of the characters, and the point of movie was very vague.

Chris Distefano: Speshy Weshy (2022 TV Special)

It was okay

[4/10 · 13 May 2022]

I didn't hate nor liked most of the act. There were some funny moments, but not laugh-out-loud ones.

Him questioning his sexuality didn't seem to go anywhere, and I felt like he was going to say something more right after, but then he went on about his dad's "gaydar," which he repeated a couple of times, by which point the joke got tired.

The doctor in the audience also seemed planted and staged. I didn't believe for a second that it was improvised. He waited for the whole audience to reply (without clapping) that there was no doctor, then AFTER he made a joke about it, all of a sudden he found one in the first row sitting right in front of him, who also happened to be of an Indian descent.

It made me kind of cringe at the end.

Paradise Cove (2021)

Terrible!

[2/10 · 27 April 2022]

I kept waiting for the plot twist, but in the end it turned into nothing. I kept waiting, and waiting for some thrilling reveal to happen, like maybe the wife and the homeless woman were the same person as they both kind of looked alike... Maybe she went insane and hallucinated all of what was happening -because it was just so insane and unrealistic how every character in this movie behaved.

But in the end all you get is some lousy nonsensical explanation for the homeless woman's backstory, and the protagonists live happily ever after.

Don't sacrifice bearing through all the bad acting and writing, like I did. Trust me, it is not worth it at the end, even for a "B-movie."

The Edge of All We Know (2020)

No point

[4/10 · 25 February 2022]

I don't know what was the point of this documentary. There was barely anything interesting or new that was discussed, and whatever was discussed was just random pieces of conversations between scientists that the camera was just overlooking in the background -- and as viewers we were supposed to understand and engage somehow?

Then, in between, we see some random charts and diagrams without any narrative as to what we were looking at! There was a 5-minute scene with scientist doing an experiment with water ripples, but their conversation was muted and replaced with terrible, repetitive music! Why?!

It was if the director didn't want us to learn anything, as he himself probably didn't know what he was trying to portray either.

This documentary is not for physicist, nor a casual viewer. I don't know who it was supposed to appeal to.

#FollowFriday (2016 TV Movie)

Are these supposed to be High School students?

[1/10 · 4 January 2022]

It looks like those kids have been held back in school a few years or for a decade!

The script was terrible! Did the writer even went to school himself, or at least interacted with other humans to at least write a plausible conversation between characters? Every line was so stiff and robotic like that TikTok robot voice.... Mark Zuckerberg could've written better lines!

Don't get me started on those random echo voices talking over each other out of nowhere... I was so confused who was talking as I didn't even have a chance to learn who the main characters were to distinguish their voices!

The production and directing was also atrocious! It looked like a student film that was shot on an iPhone. Random closeups; strange camera angles; horrible lighting -- what was up with the interrogation room at the police station that had lights on the floor instead of the ceiling? Also, the wardrobe looked like they had a budget of $20 for the whole cast that they spent at a Goodwill.

Don't waste your time. You're not going to like the ending!

SPOILER ALERT: It's just a random guy with no motive.

Spiral (2021)

Did they have a competition on the set as to who can act the worst?

[2/10 · 16 October 2021]

I love Saw franchise, but this was terrible! The acting was horrendous! Every character was robotic or had zero emotion on their face. It looked like they didn't even try to act... they were just reciting their lines.

The script was incoherent and the one-liners were just cringeworthy. Why the random F-words? Did the writer ever interacted with other human beings to do some research on how humans actually behave and talk?

And what was going on with the editing and directing? The random cuts, and random shots of people's faces. What the hell was that? I've seen better cinematography on a student film. Did anybody on the set had ANY experience at all?!

Terrible! Terrible! Terrible!

The Guilty (2021)

That's it?!

[4/10 · 4 October 2021]

That was the whole plot twist?! All the hype made it seem like it was going to be something surprising or original, but it was none of that.... What a waste of time!

Aftermath (IV) (2021)

Terrible

[3/10 · 8 August 2021]

Terrible dialogue and script - do humans really behave and talk that way?

Horrible camera work - why was the screen always oval shaped, as if it was shot through a fishbowl tank?

Horrible sound mixing - it sounded like they prerecorded their dialogue and dubbed it afterwards.

American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002 Video)

"Legally Brunette"

[2/10 · 5 August 2021]

This movie has the wrong title. It should have been called "Legally Brunette." This has nothing to do with American Psycho... and it sure is NOT a sequel to the original movie.

Love Mila, but this was bad!

When Nature Calls (2021–2022)

What the hell are those voices?!?!

[2/10 · 2 July 2021]

This is not what I expected! I love nature shows, but this was so ridiculous! They constantly repeat random shots. There's random narrative that's just jumbled all over the place. And those AWFUL voiceovers - oh my goodness! They barely coincide with what's going on on the screen, and I couldn't even comprehend what they were saying half of the time! My ears were almost bleeding! I rather watch Teletubbies than listen to those exaggerated screeching voices! Who were they trying to appeal this to? Even kids will not be interested in this.

Why couldn't they just let Helen Mirren narrate on her own?!

This is a complete disastrous failure!

Wrong Turn (2021)

The first half of the movie was so good!

[6/10 · 27 June 2021]

But then the second half just ruined it! Once you find out who the bad guys are, it turns into a cringe, roll-your-eyes type of mess.

They had decent cast and production, but I wish they didn't give any dialogue to the bad guys, as it made them less scary and mysterious at the second half of the movie.

This was one of the best sequels since the original movie, but it actually had nothing to do with previous movies.

Secret Obsession (2019)

Terrible!

[2/10 · 22 June 2021]

It had great concept, but the writing and acting was horrendous and stale.

The worst part was when her husband was helping her into the car and asked her to watch her head as she was getting in, she then looked up as if something was above her head AFTER she already sat comfortably in the seat! Hahaha I almost lost it!

Hush (I) (2016)

Pretty good movie

[8/10 · 7 June 2021]

I just wish the killer didn't take his mask off so soon. It made him so much more creepy and mysterious.