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samhamilton-56421
Reviews
Fir Crazy (2013)
I really liked this one
For a Hallmark movie, I think this one is pretty good, and I find myself rewatching it every year when it's on. Compared to a lot of the Hallmark movies out there, this one is surprisingly decently-written and acted, and has a good story that holds my interest, and has lots of feel-good moments. I also really like Sarah Lancaster from other shows (Chuck, namely), and I feel like she really carries the movie well. I think this one is definitely worth your time. "7" rating is in relation to other Hallmark movies.
Nantucket Noel (2021)
Yikes, skip this one
I never have high expectations for Hallmark movies, and even I can't recommend spending your time watching this one. One, Nantucket is a truly unique and special place, and while I knew the movie would look nothing like it, it felt like they barely tried to make it charming and festive. The super imposed graphic of the lighthouse at the very end was also cringe-worthy. I know they reuse all the same filming locations in Vancouver, but since they specifically chose to base this movie in Nantucket, maybe they could have tried to make the scenery look even remotely close? The rock and tree stump lined shores (used for Chesapeake Shores) was pretty much the furthest thing from anything on the Eastern seaboard. It would have been better to not have made it based in Nantucket, and just called it "Seaside Noel," since absolutely nothing about this movie felt like an East coast seaside town. Lastly, the acting and writing was just horrible. Another reviewer said it felt like robots wrote this movie with "conversation formulas," and that's so accurate. The movie had no heart, no Hallmark Christmas magic, no feeling and barely any story. The side characters were completely forgettable, and the main actors were a total let down. They had zero chemistry. And while often, the leads in Hallmark movies have no chemistry, at least you have the scenery and Hallmark Christmas magic to fall back on (which is why most of us watch these movies, anyway). And I honestly couldn't get over the fact that the little girl was named Wink. WINK. How has no one commented on this, yet. The whole thing was just a disaster from start to finish. Which is too bad because Nantucket at Christmas is actually one of the most amazing places to see - so much potential to recreate a New England Christmas (the coziest of them all!) and instead we got this garbage.
Hometown Hero (2017)
No chemistry, terrible acting
My guilty pleasure is Hallmark and cheesy made for TV rom coms, and I have a pretty low bar for them when it comes to expectations. But this one I even had a hard time sitting through. One, there was really bad background music in pretty much every scene. It felt like a really bad after school special. Two, the main two love interest characters pretty much had zero chemistry. The main guy seemed like a robot on camera. The writing was really terrible - like, even for this kind of movie where you don't really need great writing. It was just a mess. Wanted to give it one star, but added an extra because of the cute dog, Daisy, who was by and far the best part of the movie.
Difficult People (2015)
Really wished I loved this show
I wanted to love this so much. I'm a fan of Billy Eichner from pretty much everything else he's ever done, and while I was unfamiliar with Julie Klausner, I was looking forward to finding a new comedian to follow, especially a woman.
Sadly, this show left me really disappointed. I do agree with some other reviews that the writing is good and witty and made me laugh sometimes, but that's not all you need in a show to keep people interested. Obviously, the show is called "Difficult People" so you know your characters will be flawed (and I LOVE a show about some flawed characters), BUT, I also want these characters to develop and change. I only watched the first season because I could barely get through all of those episodes, but it felt like you were pretty much watching the same episode over and over again. The two characters just walk around NYC and blame everyone else for their lack of success in comedy, never take responsibility for themselves, make fun of everyone around them, slack off at their jobs, and show zero humility. I was hoping that the show would start out that way, but you would see growth or change, or at least feel like you're rooting for these characters despite their flaws, but no. It honestly just got old, and I wanted them to fail because I didn't relate to them, or like them in any way.
It just seems like such wasted potential with two obviously talented comedians. There's no depth, just repetitive jokes at other people's expense. That can't sustain a show more than a few episodes. At least not for me.
Someone Great (2019)
Not good, even for a Netflix rom-com
I've actually really enjoyed most of the Netflix rom-com's that have come out recently (Kissing Booth, To All The Boys, Sierra Burgis, Set It Up, etc). They've been super cheese, but they were entertaining, had characters with some depth, and while they were predictable, but held my attention and made for cute girl's night movies. This movie was none of those things, and I was really bummed. I love Gina Rodriguez from Jane The Virgin and I think she did the best she could with the script, but this movie was just - boring. I liked the premise, showing a long-term relationship coming to an end, and the unwillingness to see that it's the best decision. I think everyone has dealt with that in one way or another and it's a relatable topic. But basically, this movie is about girlfriends who smoke weed, want tickets to some party and talk to each other like immature high schoolers. The dialogue between them was like a caricature and just so unbelievable and cringe-worthy. I would have even been fine with a little of it, but it was like these girls couldn't talk to each other without sounding like some kind of weird cliche. I just wasn't into it. Maybe it's because I'm not someone who goes clubbing, and I just don't understand the culture? I dunno. And halfway through, I was so tired of them talking about weed. Like, we get it, weed is great, you're so cool because you smoke it and have a good dealer, but it was boring and repetitive.
Once it was over, I was like, "that was it?" I agree with the others who said that basically nothing happened in this movie. I was happy with how Jenny's character came to terms with Nate and their situation because it was very realistic, but so much more could have been done with it.
The most interesting part of the movie to me was Brittany Snow's character.
Sadly, if you've been into the Netflix rom-com's that have come out, this one will probably be a disappointment.
Everything Sucks! (2018)
Has potential, slow start, worth watching
If you grew up in the 90s, you'll like watching this show just for the music and the fashion. I almost gave up on it, though, because the writing falls really short and there's just something totally off with the editing. It's clumsy and makes the show feel like it's stumbling over itself. It does pick up around episode 5 or so, however, and it starts to come into its own a little more. By the season finale, I was really feeling it, and I hope they continue with this momentum and make a great season 2 if it's renewed. The actors are really wonderful - I love that they casted people who are actually high school age, because it gives the show a lot more authenticity. But beyond that, they're really talented kids and give believable performances. If you can power through the first few episodes, the second half of the show has some really great moments and well-executed scenes that are worth the wait.
Girlboss (2017)
Terrible
I actually created an IMDb account just to review this show (I know, super dramatic).
I was so hoping for an exciting, witty, stylish, inspirational, motivating show about a woman who's struggling to find her place in life (because let's face it, I spent my 20s doing the same thing - it's super relatable) and beats the odds and comes out strong by building an empire she's created from the ground up. Who doesn't love a story you can root for?
Yeah, this is not what you'll get.
Let me first say this. I love shows, movies and books with flawed characters. They make the most interesting and exciting protagonists - I'm totally on board with a flawed main character. BUT, Sophia is detestable. I love Britt Roberson, and I think she does well with the material she's given, but the way they've written her character is infuriating. So much so that you don't root for Sophia and you hope she fails. But at the same time, the writing is so disjointed that you kind of just want to stop watching all together because it certainly did not hold my attention. I was half bored out of my mind and half trying to conjure up some voodoo to give this girl an actual reality check.
What really upsets me, though, is that Sophia is supposed to be flawed, right? You're kind of supposed to not like her. But, she has no redeeming quality. At all. She steals, she's entitled, she's selfish, she's lazy, she has no work ethic, she can't connect with people and everyone is the world is in a huge conspiracy to make her fail. I'm a Millennial, but this brings it to a whole other level, and kind of offends me. We should NOT be glorifying this kind of behavior. I feel like the actual Sophia this show is based on should be horrified and embarrassed (I kind of hope she is). The real Sophia is probably also flawed and unique and spunky, but I would hope that she also has redeeming qualities like passion and hard-working. The way she's written in the series, it's like a caricature version of herself, which just works against the whole point of the show.
Also, I think it's hilarious that this cute guy in a band, who's super nice and cool, would be attracted to the TV show version of Sophia. It was so forced and contrived that I actually laughed out loud. But he seems to be head over heels for her, and it's just so far fetched and unbelievable.
I tried so hard to like this show. I gave it three episodes, and I feel like after three, if it's not grabbing you, then it's a stinker. And this one was a huge, disappointing stinker. I can't believe is has a 7/10 on IMDb. Each episode was torture.