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Reviews
The Stand (2020)
M-O-O-N. That spells "Terrible adaptation"
With a story that jumps all over the place, a cast of characters that I felt no emotional connection to, and changes to the story that served no purpose, I was shocked to find myself still watching into the third episode...and then they introduced their insipid version of Tom Cullen. This Tom Cullen doesn't deserve to walk in the shadow of William Fagerbakke's take on the character, and upon witnessing the miscast atrocity of this "modern take" Tom Cullen I turned off the show and never returned. I think I'm going to revisit the original 1994 miniseries to serve as some much-needed eyebleach. Time to break out my DVD copy.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
I didn't last 20 minutes...
My son was anxious to watch Thor's latest movie, and with it available for streaming I thought we might as well give it a watch. With me, the wife, and our son nestled on the couch we started the movie. Things looked good at first with Christian Bale birthing the God Killer Gorr, but we were soon whisked away from a bit of good acting into what can only be described as the shallow end of mediocrity.
It was here that the non-stop, rapid-fire lame jokes began. Powerful characters were shadows of their former selves, engaging in behavior so idiotic and self-deprecating that it boggled my mind as to how these once heroic personalities could be so painfully unaware of their infantile antics. The Guardians were no longer who I remembered them to be; fun, intelligent, and resourceful. Instead, they were used as mere launching points for simpleminded jokes and poor hair design.
To be honest, I could take no more. I had to dismiss myself and retreat into another room to catch up on a book and surf some sites. I did return to the couch roughly one hour later where I witnessed a female Thor shouting inane dialog that was inconceivably poor and trite and a group of children fighting foes well beyond their abilities and besting them with some sort of weapons of power? Wha? Was this movie produced by the addled muppet minds at PBS?
That was it. I felt that I had been insulted enough. I am now officially no longer interested in Cape movies. My willingness to suspend disbelief has been utterly trumped by lousy, ham-handed writing and preternatural direction. The whole Marvel universe (not including Spider-Man, but that's more Sony nowadays than Disney, isn't it?) has been in an increasingly steep decline in quality post-Endgame. Thor: Love and Thunder managed to grease the slope so much that it's achieved Ludicrous Speed directly towards destination irrelevant. Goodbye. It was a fun ride while it lasted.
Ghostland (2018)
Too much for me
As a normal dude who likes horror films, I simply couldn't stomach watching the flippant abuse of young women. Maybe I'm getting old, but I found it disgusting. It was, quite simply, too much for me. I never finished the film. That's the length and breath of my review. Take it as you see it. It was all too much for me.
Hot Seat (2022)
All about Shannen
This movie should rate higher than it does. Sure, the ending is predicable, but the real star here is Shannon Doherty. The more I watch "late stage" Shannon Doherty, the more I really appreciate her roles. She's portrays hard-core charters better than most. It's gotten to the point that when I see her name on the marquee (much like Antonio Banderas), I know that that movie is going to be worthy of my time. Rock on, Shannon. Please keep it up. You've fans in our family.
The Empty Man (2020)
Pre-credit scene is great
If you're into Lovecraftian films, this is a good slow burn of a movie. If that's not your cup of tea, at least give the first 22 minutes of this film a viewing. It's well done. Quit then, or proceed at your own risk.
Vendetta (2022)
Not a bad movie...
...to pass the time with. Bruce Willis is more coherent and with it in this film than in his previous recent offerings (I say that with love and respect to Mr. Willis. He'll always be the GOAT), but the real treat is being able to watch Thomas Jane spin his magic with a weak script. I would pay ticket price to see a movie featuring his Dante character smoking a pipe and wasting fools.
This movie is worth a watch.
Monstrous (2022)
Great supporting cast
I'm a simple man. I see "Christina Ricci" and I watch it. In this instance, however, I have to point out the styles of Colleen Camp and how much I loathed her character. She hit it out of the park as Mrs. Langtree. I *hated* her character. Outstanding job! Hope to see more of Colleen Camp in the future.