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dianaschleisman
Reviews
Vampires Suck (2010)
Frickin' hilarious, laughed at least 20 times
I would normally heed reviews but this seemed so funny based on Twilight, and I was ready for a comedy.
This is not academy award winning, though I would argue that the parody on characters is spot on as is the acting. The casting is amazing. The lead characters and supporting cast each hold up this film to the original while still making it its own.
The actors did so well mimicking mannerisms it was mesmerizing. The director matched the scenes and offered the same general feelings to the watcher that they may have experienced with the other Twilight films. Yet, the slapstick humour reminded me of hilarious flicks gone by like Airplane and Naked Gun.
If you want a movie that pulls dramatic feelings of romanticism this is not it. If you've seen Twilight and can appreciate a well done spoof making fun of the franchise yet also honoring it it a funny way than this will suit you.
Grown Ups (2010)
Hilarious light hearted comedy
Comedies don't win academy awards, they don't get director acclaim or supporting actor/actress mention. Yet they serve such an important part of the movie genre.
Grown Ups was so impressive - the chemistry between the actors and actresses, the writing, the comedy, the improv, the laughs - it hit all marks.
The casting was fantastic. The plot had enough substance and surprises to keep interest throughout the entire movie.
Overall this was a fantastic flick. If you are in the mood for a not serious, funny movie to close out a stressful work week and forget about anything that happened during that time, this is the movie to watch.
Have a drink, hang out with a friend, and enjoy it!
Squeaky Clean Mysteries: Hazardous Duty (2022)
Horrible acting, bad casting, meh directing
I typically consider imdb ratings before watching a film. This one was waaaay offfff.
No way this could be better than 4 unless the reviews are stacked.
Smaller budget films can be alright, but this is not one of those. The idea was good but the execution unbearable due to:
Intolerable acting
Stiff scripts
Inexperienced extras
Forced chemistry
Awkward kissing
Predictable plot
Stupid ending
I actually hoped the main heroine character would get killed and the murderer would get away, just because it was so bad.
At one point I was dubbing Mystery Science style to make this piece of crud somewhat entertaining.
The only plus is the actual storyline was decent.
Syrup (2013)
Predictable with bad acting and even worse directing
Amber Heard is horrible overall. She shined only when she had to speed out lines very quickly. At those times she wasn't striving to act and so she did better.
The main character was tepid. At the end I didn't care about him or what happened to him - if he turned out successful or lost everything if didn't matter. His shameless idiocracy was incredible.
The plot was predictable, the characters unbelievable, and the directing focused more on Heard's figure than her lack of acting ability.
Forced banter and dull chemistry made the dialogue worse.
This unsuccessfully tried to mimic the fast paced 80s movies like Michael J Fox in The Secret of my Success.
EXmas (2023)
Lighthearted not serious
Some reviewers bashed the movie due to unbelievable circumstances, but that's exactly what makes it funny. I was hesitant to give it a go due to the low ratings but am so glad I did. The writing was alright and l the acting pretty good. Some of the ad lib was hilarious, I love watching moments when comedians light up and other actors lose it. This is not an award winning flick, but several moments cracked me up. I especially liked that there were actually some twists in typical romantic comedy scenes which made it more enjoyable. What really matters most to me is that I felt better after watching it.
Winter's Tale (2014)
Almost ok
The plot to start was interesting, but it was stretched way too thin over the movie and centuries. Russell Crowe poorly overplayed a villain adding odd idiosyncrasies in the likes of Batman's Joker which was out of place. Will smith was horribly cast as Russell Crowe's boss the Devil - seriously. Jennifer Connelly showed up at the end and why I don't know. While a fight scene was happening she sat outside in the cold doing nothing. Stupid.
The good parts were the 1st half of the story and some of the narration. The climax was reached too early leaving the rest of the film dampened. Sucks when that happens.
Tight Spot (1955)
Great cast, high hopes squashed
Edward G Robinson is amazing. Brian Keith is good, but it was as if different writers started the film and ended it because his character changed unbelievably. I generally like Ginger Rogers but she was poorly cast in this role. She was incredible in the worst way, not convincing as a criminal wise cracker. Who would ever think that this role was hers is beyond me. She had some good scenes but she actually overacted at times, like she was trying to make everyone watching believe she could pull off a role like this which was a mistake. The general plot was ok, discussions about right and wrong were intriguing, but the end was wrapped up hurriedly and unsatisfyingly. It wasn't a complete waste of time but with a few tweaks it could have been a lot better.
Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)
Entertaining and fun
I was slightly skeptical when I saw the reviews were lukewarm. After watching it, my husband and I were surprised because it was so much better!
It was entertaining, fun, captivating, well written, well, acted, well directed, and really just pleasant all around.
It was a perfect movie to watch when we were looking for a light-hearted comedic movie.
The cast was well selected, the writing was fitting. The directing was appropriate. We really could not ask for more. It all fit together like a well connected puzzle. It was not too heavy, not too stupid, not too difficult, but just purely enjoyable.
Project Power (2020)
Mediocre writing, lackluster directing
I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and he was ok.
Jamie Foxx was also alright.
Dominique Fishback was either badly cast or poorly directed. Her character was unbelievable - a drug dealing teen struggling in school relying on becoming a rapper and somehow has the natural skill set to carry Jamie Foxx by herself, suture his wounds without wincing, walk right past armed guards unnoticed, has a premonition to hide in a van that she magically knows will be loaded onto a boat she's trying to get on, instantly learns how to open and close hatches and doors on the boat and use the intercom, single handedly defeats a couple of bad guys timing the swinging of tools around her, and has some uncanny ability to find secret hatches on the boat she spent 10 minutes on and obtain the bad guys' biggest possession with ease.
Seriously?
It's such a shame as the storyline is actually really cool and it could have been much better.
Plus, I like the idea of having a strong young black heroine as a focus. Too bad this movie fell flat. It demonstrated that young black women can do poorly in school and deal drugs but if they can rap they will be successful in the end.
That all said, it wasn't a total waste - the biology lessons were interesting, the plot was entertaining, and some of the scenes were well done.
The Magic School Bus (1994)
Classic then and now for kids and adults
I still find I learn from watching. It's a show that is not irritating like some newer cartoons that think kids are idiots and need hyper energy to stay tuned in. This entertains and teaches my nephew and is enjoyable for me as well!
Another Time, Another Place (1958)
Interesting
Another Time, Another Place is a multi-dimensional movie. Keeping in mind that it is fifty-eight years old, I imagine the storyline and character building was fairly innovative. Still today, the acting, script, and directing were relevant enough on a general level and pulled me in. I felt drawn towards each character and their individual plights, albeit some more than others. Emotions emanated off the screen, and some scenes were very powerful. While this isn't the best movie of all time, and arguably may not be the peak of Turner's and Connery's careers, it is certainly a heartfelt film that deserves respect.