oldmovies1185 Reviews

Babes (2024)

Don't be afraid of different

[8/10 · 26 May 2024]

To all the naysayers who took time to try to criticize this movie, I say "Guess what? There are really people like this in the world." Not everyone is the cookie cutter typical rom-com character, action hero or sci-fi alien that Hollywood churns out by the truckload. Do I relate to them? No, not particularly, but do I know some people like these characters in real life? Yes, we all do. Are these characters a bit over the top? Yes, but guess what, it's a comedy and like any good movie or book they are going to be caricature's of real people. And it refreshing to watch a movie that showcases an off beat type of person once in a while. So, sit back, enjoy the slightly absurd take on the situation, laugh at their bizarre approach to life and get a glimpse into the way some people choose to live their lives.

All that said, the movie succeeds mostly due to the excellent direction, clean editing, good script and solid acting.

The blend of off beat humor and the real life personal drama that everyone experience in really is very well balanced. I look forward to more movies like this and less of the CGI blockbusters and silly horror movies that have become cliche.

Fool's Paradise (2023)

Gets old fast

[4/10 · 13 May 2023]

The movie starts with the potentially funny, but not original premise of a very simple person navigating the world and stumbling into various outrageously fantastic situations. Think "Forest Gump" or "Being There". But this movie goes nowhere quickly. The main character gives the exact same childlike, mute performance throughout the movie. The idea that anyone can attain such attention and fame without ever uttering a word quickly becomes unbelievable and certainly not funny. At first the movie is about the bizarre world of the movie industry and all it's oddities but after they run out of cliches to exploit, they move on to political and corporate plot scenarios. This is where the movie gets old fast. The movie just seems to come to an end with no plot climax whatsoever. It's a shame since Charlie Day is very talented. But it doesn't show here.

The Good House (2021)

Not just a love story

[8/10 · 1 October 2022]

Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver along with an excellent supporting cast give strong performances. The parts are played with a refreshing low key style making the characters believable and relatable.

The story and script do a fine job of depicting the many challenges faced by an older divorced business woman with adult children in a small town with ever judging eyes. The main character's romantic, personal, family and professional lives are evenly balanced throughout the film. All the while the subtext of her personal struggles with alcohol and how they affect all of her afore mentioned relationships is well woven into the story.

The story is lightly peppered with a few well placed comic relief moments and the cinematic vehicle of the "aside" is used well and not overdone.

So nice to see a movie based on believable people and real life situations. We need more movies like this.

Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021–2022)

Refreshing

[8/10 · 27 June 2021]

A true journey from the ridiculous to the sublime. Nice to see a creative blend of distinctively different television show styles woven together to provide contrast, satire and drama. The juxtaposition of the two genres effectively delivers a very real underlying story quite poignantly. We all know that the time honored sitcom is just a platform for silly one liners but this show uses this style as a tool to highlight what is in fact, sadly, real life. Bravo! It is a shame that this is lost on some viewers.

Chad (2021–2024)

Cringe worthy? Yes, but it is supposed to be.

[6/10 · 19 May 2021]

Let's face it, being an adolescent teenage boy is cringe worthy and this is a parody\comedy about that.

And drop the race comments, this could be about any race or background. The difficulties are universal and pretty well demonstrated here.

The show needs a little polish and a few things should have been better written but it is not worthy of all of the negativity.

Finding You (2020)

Nothing to see here

[3/10 · 14 May 2021]

Weak dialogue, cut and paste plot, unbelievable characters and bland acting make this movie too good for The Hallmark Channel much less a theater. I've seen better high school plays. 3 stars for the scenery.

Our Friend (2019)

A nice story

[7/10 · 23 January 2021]

But I'm growing tired of the current popular trend in filmmaking that jumps from one time period to another. I understand the validity of the tool to control the viewers understand of the character, but as the one watching the film, it can be a little tedious to constantly adjust my perspective and try to remember all of the corresponding details of the constantly changing time frames. When used in films, it should be done very sparingly. This is really a vehicle best used in books where the reader can pause and absorb the information at their own pace.

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020 TV Special)

The true meaning of Christmas...

[1/10 · 17 December 2020]

Is not an oversexed, egocentric diva. If you were blessed with a marvelous singing voice and you want to share it with the world, perhaps you should do it with dignity, reverence and class.

The Fugitive (2020)

Worst Writing Ever

[1/10 · 17 August 2020]

If you like one corny, overused cliche after another, delivered by horrible acting, this is the show for you!

Extraction (2020)

Plot? Who needs a plot?

[3/10 · 25 April 2020]

Just another shoot 'em up movie where the hero kills 100 hapless cops and soldiers while prevailing at the end. Trite character development. 3 stars are for cinematography only. Just like watching a video game so I guess it appeals to that audience.

Honey Boy (2019)

A vanity piece.

[4/10 · 9 February 2020]

I'm sure Show LaBeouf had a tough life. But a lot of people have and this movie offers no deep insight into the pains that many people endure. The characters were 2 dimensional and offered little understanding into the causes for their behaviors beyond the obvious common triggers in life. The characters did not reveal any deeper understanding of their mental condition as the movie progressed. It was just the same scene over and over again. The flashbacks offered no juxtaposition for the viewer to gain an understanding of the characters declines and any improvements that may have occoured. If anything, you are left wondering what the heck happened between the 12 year old and the adult. Lastly, any attempted use of symbolism, like the chicken, was lost.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

Some say misleading, I say no.

[9/10 · 29 November 2019]

There is more than one way to tell the story of a person's life. This movie goes beyond the wonderful documentary already released. This film combines scenes of the subject himself along with separate scenes showing the impact that he had on other's lives. The scenes without Tom Hanks still have Fred Rogers in them but they are conveyed by his wonderful effect on other people's lives . Personally, I think this is a great way to memorialize a person in addition to a straight documentary. You actually feel what type of person he was, you are not just told.

Knives Out (2019)

I didn't even know this guy did The Last Jedi

[4/10 · 24 November 2019]

But the movie was just plain boaring, formulaic and predictable. Fair acting and little character development.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

It might not be what you expect...

[9/10 · 22 November 2019]

... but it is better. Instead of a straight documentary, it is one of many examples (I'm sure) of what kind of a person Fred Rogers really was. A picture may paint a thousand words, but this true life story conveys the true heart behind the man. It does not just tell you how great he was, it lets you experience it. The film and the man are treasures!

Angel on My Shoulder (1946)

The movie was doing well, until...

[6/10 · 18 September 2019]

...the end. Very well acted, twist on the "second chance" plot line, gangster story and love story both well told. But the end missed a great opportunity. As a reanimated human, who redeems himself, the gangster should have gone to heaven. Forgiveness for a life of crime can be granted with true redemption. This would have been the perfect final plot twist.

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Yawn

[5/10 · 8 September 2019]

Yet another movie about a teenager raised in a foreign country with parents who expect them not to be completely influenced by the new "foreign" culture. Add to this the cliche about someone's life being changed by a single artist, make it too long and you get a snoozer.

The Kitchen (2019)

Finally, a movie without a predictable plot.

[8/10 · 11 August 2019]

Plenty of plot twists that break away from the formulaic scripts that Hollywood can't seem to stop making. Very good acting especially showing the range of the female leads. Excellent job of accurately depicting the mood of the1970's, and the fact that women are smarter than men more often than they get credit for.

Rocketman (I) (2019)

Here is what many people don't understand

[9/10 · 19 May 2019]

This is not a movie about a rock star with their music simply part of the facts of the story. It is a musical in the truest sense, that uses his own music to show his tribulations through the eyes of a man during the troubled years of his life. The movie is not always chronological and in some cases is more figurative than historical. In this way it can convey Sir Elton John's life and struggles in a way that the viewer may understand on a more personal level. The acting, writing and singing are superb. The star did not try to truly imitate Elton but instead preforned the pieces in his own style that he molded as closely as possible to the original. It sounds odd, but it works. As always you can never sum up any life, book or story in a 2 or so hour movie, but this comes close. You leave feeling like you really got to know the real, yet flawed, human Elton John. Overall a wonderful movie.

Sudden Fear (1952)

Good scenes, and bad scenes.

[7/10 · 7 March 2019]

This movie jumps from some scenes being well written, directed, acted and edited. Other scenes come across as trite, corny, predictable and obvious. Much of the acting is stiff and overly dramatic while other scenes were quite believable mostly due to the secondary characters. The literary devices used in the plot where obvious from the moment you see them. Very transparent. The ending was just a little too coincidental as well as neat and tidy.

Night Must Fall (1937)

Two dimensional chatachters, thin plot.

[4/10 · 6 March 2019]

Frankly, I don't understand all of the rave reviews. I found this film to be very slow-moving, filled with shallow characters and an overly simple plot. It could have easily been done in a little more than an hour. No development of character or depth of plot.

The Divorcee (1930)

Even for it's time, it falls flat.

[5/10 · 10 January 2019]

Some movies of this era get somewhat of a pass for cheesy, forced dialogue due to constraints of the day. But this movie, even with blinders on still feels contrived. Thin plot and shallow charachter development adds to it's demise.

Vice (I) (2018)

Facts? What facts?

[1/10 · 28 December 2018]

At the beginning of the movie, they say they don't know the real facts. So they say (in so many words) that they just made up their own. 95% of the dialogue is invented out of thin air. Why on Earth do you write am movie based on real people and events with so little to work with? Why? Because it is purely a liberal hack job for sheep to gobble up every word.

Tully (2018)

Don't watch the trailer

[7/10 · 1 August 2018]

Many low scores here are based on the movie vs. the trailer. Watch the movie on it's own merits and you will see it for it's full worth.