Change Your Image
PaulMemoli
Reviews
All Out Dysfunktion! (2016)
Not porn, or comedy, but rather a study of "losers" and crisis
From various blurbs I expected a hard "R" comedy. I guess that in some ways it was, but there is no graphic sex and the only overt violence is the rape of a girl who has been dosed with "G" (GHB???). The basic plot is that there is a large house with at least 5 bedrooms and a large empty "ballroom". There is an older woman who owns the house and rents out rooms to people she thinks will be able to co-exist together. It works out fairly well for about 4 years but at the time this film takes place, all the renters are approaching their 30s and are beginning to recognize the fact that few if any of their dreams and aspirations will ever bear fruit.
One of the girls living there decides to rent the place out for a rave. Money changes hands. Drugs appear - so much that in some scenes it seems as though bottles of baby powder were poured into dishes. Coke, Ecstasy, Ketamine etc, and lots of pills.
This movie is ultimately a study of people who were coping (some badly) with socio-economic poverty, and how the influx of drugs, dance and rock and roll destroys a fragile ecosystem.
American Horror Story: Chapter 1 (2016)
Characters are too stupid to care about
These people are idiots. They are too dew-eyed to be wary of Los Angeles, and then they relocate to "Deliverance" style back country and buy a huge home, on 10 acres of land, despite the hillbilly pork-brothers spitting on them. They never question why the building was empty in the first place. I don't like these morons. They deserve everything that will be happening to them. I doubt that I will be able to stomach another episode. You know, writing 10 full lines of a review for a film that rubbed you the wrong way on an emotional, as well as an intellectual level, is just cruel and unusual punishment! How about adding a like and a dislike button?
Residue (2015)
Interesting new sci-fi. supernatural thriller...just 1 thing
I have watched the first 2 episodes of "Residue" via Netflix and will watch the 3rd episode tonight. The 1 thing that I don't care for and think is totally juvenile is that the main character thinks out loud and then jots the thoughts that we have just listened to on Notepad, or some other word processing software. And believe me, this person is no Einstein! Her thoughts are: "I can't be crazy... this is real!" First we hear her thinking out loud, and then we watch her type her thoughts on her pc. In my opinion, this brings down the entire production. But, I'll watch #3 tonight and see where it leads. I'm already filling in the blanks with an imagination stoked by watching 60 years of science fiction and fantasy TV shows. X-Files, here we come!
Elektra (2005)
I hated "Electra"
Hi, as a long time comics fan with fond memories of the original Electra stories in Marvel Comics I was eager to see Jennifer Garner reprise her role as Electra. Now I regret it. The only good thing about the film was that Garner looks the part of a trained ninja-type assassin. The plot sucked. The demonic adversaries were stupid and the "back story" never jelled.
Note: it is my general belief that whenever an action hero is suddenly confronted by supernatural adversaries things have to be handled very carefully so that the audience can continue to suspend their disbelief. Unfortunately the supernatural elements in Electra are very ham-handed and actually take away from the story rather than enhance it.
The "evil" group that Electra battles in this movie is called "The Hand"... Me - I say give the entire production "the finger".
Medium (2005)
episode 2 -
I'm currently in the middle of episode 2 but I had to say this: the dinner story about the female psychotherapist taking a 13 year old boy into a cabin and threatening to keep him there until he "talks" was stupid and unbelievable. No rational, adult professional would risk lawsuits or criminal charges by doing such a thing. All I could think of was Catholic priests and their altar boys, Michael Jackson and his boys, and the sick 28 yr old chick in Stratford Ct in jail for having sex with an 8 yr old boy.
I just could not suspend my disbelief - and this show depends upon the suspension of disbelief. I think a higher skill level in the plots is called for if this show is going to be a success.
Century City (2004)
Century City showcases Transhumanist Issues.
The show was long gone before I ever heard of it, but thanks to the "world wide web" I have been able to see a few episodes. The people who truly enjoyed and understood this show probably voted for John Kerry... the ones who ignored it or actively disliked it are playing in the Bushes... (sorry, couldn't resist!)
I think of myself as a Transhuman - that is, I embrace the future and all that science can offer while trying to be aware of the accompanying risks.
Consider - for example a real life issue - Monsanto's "Round Up" It is a pesticide and herbicide. If you grow Monsanto gene-engineered corn and soy you can use Round Up to kill all the weeds. The plants have a gene that makes them impervious to the chemical. Unfortunately the "brains" behind "Round-Up) did not think it thru...
Round-up also penetrated the ground and killed all the worms and stuff that lived under the ground, the bugs that keep a farm land viable. After a couple of years in one Mexican area, entire farms were turned to desert.
Monsanto screwed up royally.. but this story was practically buried in the back pages of major newspapers. Meanwhile, people in America wonder why Europe does not want anything to do with our "Frankenfoods"... perhaps if they were better informed, and included shows like Century City in their TV routines, we would all be better off.