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austntexan
Reviews
The Heat (2013)
Has McCarthy Turned into a Pandering Fool?
This movie is just terrible. Thankfully, they only got me for a buck at RedBox.
Is she pandering to people who laugh at fat jokes and foul language? I don't know. There's nothing wrong with profanity in a movie. . . it's just not funny in this one. There's too much of it, for one. It's like hearing the same punch line over and over, and over, and over and over. . . again.
This is what going to see one of Melissa's movies has become. Staccato cursing and over the top profane cut downs. Yea, we get it. She's got a dirty mouth and doesn't respect authority? Yawn.
This is just bad writing. She can do better. "Bridesmaids" proved this. She was the breakout performance of that movie. Such a shame that she is wasting all the "Bridesmaids" momentum by choosing lousy scripts.
The Arsenio Hall Show (2013)
Same Schtick, Different Decade
Not good. It wasn't good the first time around.
Watching this show, I feel uncomfortable for the guests.
"He's not funny", is probably the best way to describe his comedy. Even if he had good writers (he doesn't) I honestly don't think he could sell actual well written/funny jokes, like a real host can. His delivery is as subtle as a sledge hammer to the point of him pandering to the audience and guests.
And the dog pound thing? Really? Still with that? He should round out his yawnologue jokes with some side splitters about Y2K.
Like Leno, some of his jokes are in poor taste and come off as petty. You can poke fun, but it's got to be in a smart, funny way. Like Conan lampooning Clinton in his ongoing "via satellite" gag.
For me, he's just a talking head. He's more of an actor, trying to be a host. Take all the successful hosts and looks at their credentials. Many of them made their bones as writers for other shows or were actual comedians. They understand comedy, how to deliver a line, how to determine what is funny, what the audience will perceive as funny. It doesn't seem that Arsenio has this skill set.
So, I guess nothing has changed. The show is as un-funny as it was in the 90s.
He should stick to more scripted type hosting or maybe a game show. Late night just isn't a good match for him.
Act of Valor (2012)
Team America: World Police. . . without the laughs
The only actors were the CIA operatives and the Mexican counter terrorist commander I guess? Really bad writing. The graphics were super crappy high-tech looking. . . it just seemed out of place in a movie that was pitched as authentic.
The CO looked like Bill Murray in Life Aquatic, it kept making me laugh. Why is Steve Zissou trying acting like such a bad-ass? The scene on the boat? Seriously? They guy on the Boston Whaler trying to get away, with 2 Navy attach boats, a bunch of Zodiacs loaded with trained killers. . . and he pull an Uzzi to take a shot at them? It was like watching TV's 'The A Team'.
This is an obvious piece of propaganda. Some of the scenes are shot in first person, EXACTLY like a FPS game. At one point, you can actually 'hear' the person breathing as he runs into a room for QQC. When he gets hit with enemy fire, the lights dim, vision blurs, in and out. . . just like the video games. Just lame. What writer would actually put that in a film? That's just lazy and stupid. There are better ways to communicate getting shot on film. Many before me have cited BoB and Saving Private Ryan. I agree completely. Non of those films relied on real military men as heavily. They used real live actors.
Team America: World Police should be required viewing before watching this turd.
Politically, this movie is a huge miss. I half expected them to end with a Lee Greenwood song.
Dexter: The Getaway (2009)
A Writer's Cheat. . .
**spoiler alert**
I'm new to Dexter via netflix. The writing was getting soft leading up to the finale, I have to say very disappointed. I have to admit, my interest in the show has gone down. . . I may or may not continue thru the rest.
This just seemed like a writer's cheat to me, with regard to story line. The writing seemed rushed the latter part of this season and the plot, although workable, just seemed sort-of thrown together and thin. I know it's TV writing, but c'mon!
I enjoyed seeing Dexter and Rita together. The fact that he was a family man made it more interesting to me. I understand 'the rules', that since someone innocent dies, now the killing must go on (future seasons. . .) but this just seemed wasteful, to throw away a good character.
Obviously the show is still running :-) so I'm guessing it's staying fresh, maybe I'll start season 5. Really feel like the writers took the easy way out on this episode though. This isn't really a payoff.
Maybe one of the writers saw Boondock Saints II. . . and that's why they killed Julie's character.