SAJK007 Reviews

Rose Red (2002)

Not Memorable

[3/10 · 5 May 2024]

I watched this series years ago and the best I can say about it is 'Not Memorable'. By reading a lot of the more honest reviews here I begin to remember why it is not memorable. Essentially, it is a cliche ridden, re-hash of better, earlier films with none of the atmosphere that made those films great.

Plus, given Mr King's own predilection for suing those that copy his work or use his name in vain, he gives no credit to the sources of what he has plagiarised - 'The Haunting' and 'The Legend of Hell House'. I imagine the estates of Shirley Jackson and Richard Mathieson should pursue this.

Overall, this is 4+ hours of your life you need not waste. Watch 'Legend of Hell House' instead in a third of the time and have 10 times as many thrills.

Plan B (2023– )

Worth your Time

[7/10 · 23 October 2023]

An Intriguing Premise, Well Handled.

What if you could re-live portions of your life and potentially improve the outcome? Hollywood has touched on this before with films such as 'Sliding Doors' and 'Butterfly Effect', but this Canadian series featuring 'Suits' star Patrick J Adams examines the premise in a much more intimate way.

Without giving too much away, the show uses the 'Sliding Doors' device to reveal aspects of the characters that become more surprising with each episode. The 6th (and final?) episode is a revelation in more ways than one.

The writing, acting and production are all top notch.

Overall, this is a series worthy of much wider attention than what it currently appears to be receiving. If you can find it, give it a try. You will certainly be entertained.

Secret Invasion (2023)

Agents of SHIELD, This is Not

[2/10 · 3 July 2023]

You know, I could count on one hand the number of Marvel films and TV shows I found actually engaging and entertaining. This is not one of them.

This show suffers from similar problems that Star Trek now suffers - a huge backdrop painting that becomes more uninteresting and convoluted with every stroke. More time is spent on reacquainting characters from previous stories than is actually spent in trying to tell a story. It's dull and boring with a few shocks and pointless fight scenes thrown in to distract you from these facts.

More importantly, the main actors for the most part, just look and sound silly reciting lines about Skrulls and Thanos and The Blip, because, well.... it is silly. And it's an actors job to make it seem not silly, but the script, the direction and the breathtaking speed at which nothing happens all play against even the biggest names here.

Years ago, Agents of SHIELD managed to overcome most of these problems and present a fairly consistent show with actors who were all on board. SIlly stuff somehow sounded OK when written by writers that tried to write interesting stories rather than just manufacture a vehicle for the next line of collectible toys.

A critic recently wrote that Disney/Marvel killed the Movies and now they are out to kill TV. Given shows like this, sadly I think they are succeeding.

Last Sentinel (2023)

Someone Had a Point to Make, But Couldn't find a Plot

[3/10 · 7 May 2023]

So. Let's examine Apocalypse movies. Good ones usually start with the world having ended for some undefined reason before portraying survival in this new world featuring some identifiable and relatable characters. Planet of The Apes, Night of the Living Dead, The Last Man on Earth ...the list goes on, but despite some retro social commentary often used to justify sequels, the movies were initially just good yarns, well produced and designed to entertain.

Then we have bad apocalypse movies which can also be well produced and have big budgets but they have to preach at you instead of letting you just watch and enjoy. Mostly, these have such a ludicrous premise to begin with because they don't really care about believability or entertainment, they just want to hammer you with their MESSAGE. Silent Running, Don't Look Up, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 (actually, ANY Emmerich or Devlin film should just be avoided for fear of terminal mind rot) all are examples of people trying to cash in on the current trend for How The World Will End.

In the 60's, 70's and 80's it was nuclear war. Very briefly in the 90's and early 2000's the more believable Asteroid strike. Now it is anthropogenic Climate Change. The link between the bookending trends is mankind's greed and lust for power. For some reason we are meant to hate ourselves and those evil capitalists that refused to stop whatever they were doing until it was too late.

This film begins with that premise in the narrative and combines the 60's - 80's trend of post apocalyptic movies with the current one.

All that aside, I give the film 2 stars for acting and production and 1 star for great sets and effects. Unfortunately it loses a lot of stars for just making me tired of a genre I really used to enjoy.

Plan B (2021– )

An Intriguing Premise, Well Handled.

[7/10 · 27 April 2023]

What if you could re-live portions of your life and potentially improve the outcome? Hollywood has touched on this before with films such as 'Sliding Doors' and 'Butterfly Effect', but this Canadian series featuring 'Suits' star Patrick J Adams examines the premise in a much more intimate way.

Without giving too much away, the show uses the 'Sliding Doors' device to reveal aspects of the characters that become more surprising with each episode. The 6th (and final?) episode is a revelation in more ways than one.

The writing, acting and production are all top notch.

Overall, this is a series worthy of much wider attention than what it currently appears to be receiving. If you can find it, give it a try. You will certainly be entertained.

The Ark (2023– )

Devlin and Glassner - Say No More!

[1/10 · 7 April 2023]

Thank you IMDB. Because you exist, I was able to read all of the reviews here before wasting my time watching yet more mindless dreck produced by the creators of this show.

I have torn out handfuls of hair over years of being subjected to the drivel these two have hoisted upon trusting souls such as myself in the guise of science fiction, when indeed it has been cookie-cutter soap opera at its worst.

I will never forgive the resources drained from more promising shows to instead perpetuate series such as Voyager, CSI, Prison Break or movies like Geostorm and Independence Day.

We now have a generation raised on this unimaginative fare, who somehow think it is acceptable.

Danger Close (2019)

As Good as Any Film I Have Seen on the Subject

[8/10 · 20 March 2023]

Having watched my fair share of war films over the years, I can safely say that this is worth your time.

I agree with some of the reviews here that the first act is a little awkward and some of the acting seems a little forced. However once the battle begins this film holds its own. The special effects, the sound, the well staged fight scenes are all top notch.

I don't know how close the characters of the film were in portraying their real life counterparts, but I'm presuming the writers didn't want to tread on toes by fictionalising their personalities too much.

Professional reviewers criticised the movie for not representing the conflicted moralities concerning the Vietnam Conflict. Ignore that. People fighting for their lives did not suffer twangs of conscience. They fought to live and that is the story that is told here.

The Last of Us (2023– )

Good, but Not Great

[6/10 · 21 February 2023]

I understand that after the disappointment that became The Walking Dead universe, anything even marginally better in this genre is going to be welcomed with open arms. The Last of Us is a melancholy affair.

The premise is really about loss - loss of family, loss of lovers, loss of civilisation, etc. To this end the series captures that mood very well. I don't mind there being long intervals between action sequences because it makes them all the more compelling when they arrive.

I have only had a brief association with the game, so I don't sit there comparing scenes whilst I watch. Overall, it seems to capture the mood of the game which is better than trying to reproduce the game scene by scene and allows a freedom to where they want to take the story.

So, given they are taking a relaxed approach to allowing events to unfold, how is the show going so far - 6 episodes in? Well, entertaining, but not compelling would be my take on it. Compared to a similarly themed series - Black Summer - it is more measured, but less addictive. Perhaps this is due to dropping one a week rather than the whole season at once to binge. Maybe those that have been able to hold off until the last episode is aired will benefit from their patience, but I think the frenetic quality that permeates Black Summer does serve this genre well. I appreciate the melancholic mood the producers have created for this show, but there isn't much of a feeling of menace from a world that has been turned on its head.

The threat of death around every corner is just not that evident thus far.

Ultimately, this is a show worth watching and holds more promise than Walking Dead (or any of its offshoots), but whilst it ticks a few of the boxes we expect from a show of this sort, it lacks much of the suspense and tension.

The Day of the Triffids (2009)

Did Roland Emmerich have anything to do with this?

[1/10 · 18 February 2023]

I only watched the first 5 minutes of this, but it was enough to determine that despite the number of stars they had managed to sign up for this fetid adaptation, the director was there to make sure it was going to be a shipwreck.

I can only imagine what brief he was given by the producers during the first production meeting - "Look, if there's a choice to be made between subtlety and over the top excess ...go for the latter. Every time!"

This 'show' makes Roland Emmerich look like a genius. At least his film don't feature cardboard villains rolling their eyes as they speak and twirling their moustache to ram home their evil intent....oh wait, yes they do. Maybe Roland IS the director of this fiasco after all?

Plus, who casts Dougray Scott in the lead unless they are trying to pull our chain?

My thanks to all the reviewers here that gave an honest appraisal of this version, thus allowing me to stop before I injured myself. For those that thought it warranted anything more than a 5, check out the 1981 BBC adaptation to see how it can be done.

Red Tails (2012)

Hollywood - Please Stop Making WW2 Movies.

[1/10 · 19 January 2023]

To be fair, Hollywood has also produced some of the best WW2 movies, it's just a shame they are few and far between.

This film, unfortunately is a disservice to all the parties represented by it. The Tuskegee Airmen themselves, the rest of the U. S. Air Corp...even the German pilots - all are 1 dimensional caricatures of their real life counterparts. There is no need to do this. We do not need propaganda films about ww2 in the 2000's. An accurate and respectful depiction of historical events is where film making of this sort should be focused. It is a sad indictment of modern film making that it is not.

I probably need to mention that I only watched this film as an aviation enthusiast as I really didn't expect anything other than a cartoon story from George Lucas. Unfortunately, most of the planes are CGI - mostly amateur and embarrassingly unbelievable - and the real plane sequences are few and poorly shot.

After watching this for 30 minutes, I had to put on 'The Battle of Britain' to wash the taste of CGI out of my mind. Later, I'll re-watch '12 O'Clock High' and 'Tora, Tora, Tora' to remind me that this sort of film can be done right.

Hostiles (2017)

One of the Best Films in Years

[9/10 · 28 December 2022]

This is not only a great western but a great film - full stop. The script, the scenery, the direction, the cinematography, the acting - all top notch.

The nuance of Scott Cooper's direction is to be savoured and the performances he is able to extract from Christian Bale and Rosamund Pilcher are extraordinary.

The film unfolds organically and nothing seems forced or inserted just for effect. The depiction of Native Americans is both honest and respectful and Wes Studi delivers a powerful, yet sympathetic portrayal of a warrior looking for his final resting place.

The greatest tragedy is that this film did not open wide with fanfare and to this day has not been released (even on DVD) outside of the United States.

The final scene alone is worthy of an Oscar and is perhaps one of the great movie endings of all time.

If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour. You won't regret it.

1899 (2022)

The Most Expensive German Series of All Time?

[4/10 · 8 December 2022]

The purpose of this series appears to be to squeeze as many different languages in as possible. German, English, Danish, Japanese , Chinese, Spanish ....and the list goes on. Perhaps the production was funded by the U. N. as a means of keeping their interpreters gainfully employed between sittings?

As a production, it is difficult to see where all the money has been spent. Surely the CGI that permeates each episode couldn't account for it all. If so, I would want my money back.

So, was the budget spent on the cast? Well, there are no top drawer stars, although at least two of the leads appear to have been chosen because they slightly resemble Jurgen Prochnow and Nicole Kidman. All the other actors featured appear to have been cast on their ability to look sullen, pensive and bewildered at the same time.

Perhaps the money was spent on the script? Given the lack of pace and propensity of horror movie tropes that hardly seems likely. Are these really the same people that created 'Dark'?

The director? The production team? There is nothing inspired here. I've seen episodes of Dr Who that have been better handled.

So, 60 million Euro spent for a bland, uninspired story told in a dozen different languages, featuring unknown actors performing in front of poor CGI effects with seemingly indifferent direction.

Maybe that's the real mystery at the heart of this series. Where was all the money spent?

War of the Worlds (2019– )

Not H.G Wells but worth watching anyway.

[7/10 · 22 September 2022]

I'm not sure why they decided to link this series to HG Wells classic story, because it really bears no resemblance and attracts the wrong demographic in doing so.

Instead of giant lumbering machines striding the countryside and burning up everything in their path we have a much less destructive, but no less lethal invasion perpetrated by some kind of deadly pulse followed by legions of robotic dogs. Instead of Martian aliens we have a nemesis that springs from the future. However, similar to HG Wells own denouement, our intrepid survivors do arrive at a microscopic answer to their problem. Unfortunately, the resolution is short lived as the series starts to explore time travel and develops an alternate reality scenario for its 3rd season.

None of what I have described above is bad. In fact, everything about this series speaks quality and personally, I find the story engaging and well played out. It's just not H. G. Wells and many reviewers here can't seem to get over that fact.

There are no giant Tripods, no heat rays and no black smoke. And no martians. The action is entirely terrestrial (aside from the 3rd season where the International Space Station is brought into the fray) but exciting, nonetheless. Main characters are killed off throughout the series, so there is tension surrounding all the dire situations.

Are there plot holes? Sure, but why would anyone focus on those when this is still so much better than most similar shows.

By the way, if you like this then check out 'Invasion' which is just about ready to drop a second season.

Tales of the Walking Dead (2022)

What Were They Thinking?

[2/10 · 12 September 2022]

As a big fan of the first season of TWD and to a lesser extent the first season of FTWD, I cannot believe they have departed so far from what made the series good with every step they have taken since. When 'Tales..' was first announced, I thought 'Great - they are returning to some interesting one off stories like they did in the webisodes years ago!'

Boy, was I ever wrong!

Instead, they have taken everything that has been wrong about TWD and FTWD for the last few years, distilled it down to its pure essence and put it on the screen. Every episode is a real stinker.

Even the make up on the Zombies is second rate.

Some time ago, I thought this genre was perhaps exhausted. But then, 'Black Summer' came along and I was pleasantly surprised. Zombies could still be scary.

I think perhaps the writers of TWD and all its offspring, have forgotten what makes the apocalypse watchable. It is the unravelling of our society as it is now - NOT the creation of some Mad Max type scenario that just happens to have a few amusing corpses shambling about. I say 'amusing' because they do not invoke fear anymore - certainly not in the characters they are pursuing, who just casually poke any vaguely pointy object into their squishy skulls and then carry on about their business.

Perhaps Scott Gimple needs to re-watch Romero's classic and re-evaluate his direction. The TWD universe has become very tired and dull and this show is just another nail in the coffin.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Classy Science Fiction for Any Age

[10/10 · 12 September 2022]

Sometimes a movie clicks because all the stars align.

Claude Rains and Spencer Tracy were both originally keen to star as Klaatu. Producer Julian Blaustein pointed out to Studio head Daryl Zanuck that these popular and recognisable actors would not readily be believable as an otherwordly alien to the average audience.

Fortunately, Zanuck agreed and suggested British actor Michael Rennie, who was largely unknown at the time, but under contract to 20th Century Fox. What a stroke of luck. Rennie brings a level of austerity and dignity to this role that few could hope to match. He delivers his lines in an almost Shakespearian conviction that would sound embarrassing in lesser hands. However, when Mr Rennie delivers his final speech it almost brings a tear to my eye every time. Such great words, so powerfully delivered.

It would be easy to dwell on the mistakes the screenwriters made simply due to1950's naivety, such as interstellar travel being described as 250 million miles (not even out of our own solar system). But the tone of the film allows the viewer to easily disregard these in favour of the story being told.

This is a film to be watched regularly and treasured (unlike that wretched remake with Keanu Reeves they attempted). The nobility Michael Rennie embodies in delivering each and every line is to be savoured.

The solid practical and optical effects, the impressive cast, the incredible Bernard Herrmann music - all go together to make one of the most inspiring and entertaining films ever made.

Resident Alien (2021– )

Watchable, but in no way essential viewing

[5/10 · 9 September 2022]

Alan Tudyk is wonderful and the only reason I started watching this show is because he is in it. Apart from Tudyk, Corey Reynolds as the Sherriff and Alice Wetterlund have a degree of comedic talent and have been a pleasant surprise.

After that, the actors vary from adequate to barely adequate to downright embarrassing. W. C. Fields said never act with animals or children. The producers of this show should have heeded that advice. I'm sure there are kid actors who can act, they just didn't manage to find any for this show.

In terms of writing, the show is light entertainment. It lacks the 'out there' appeal of 'People of Earth' mainly because only Tudyk has talent enough to explore his character properly and transcend the writing.

Everything else about the show is paint by numbers. Whether it be environmental issues, gender inequality or relationship matters, you have seen it all before and likely, presented better than this show manages.

In summary, Alan Tudyk transcends the material and makes the show seem better than it is.

Stranger Things (2016–2025)

Sometimes Shows Just Outstay Their Welcome

[6/10 · 5 June 2022]

As many other reviewers here have already noted, Things have gotten worse with each successive season. What started as something fresh yet familiar, has just become a re-tread each season revisiting the ageing actors and following their character arcs -- except the characters just don't seem all that engaging anymore either.

Season 3 introduced the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke as a gay character, because.....it was somehow essential to the story that she be gay. Probably the same reason gratuitous nudity and sex scenes were somehow essential throughout 'Game of Thrones'.

Season 4 seems determined to recreate some 'Carrie' vibes further cementing the homage to Stephen King. However, the least appealing storyline is the Russian gulag and watching Winona Ryder relentlessly overact. To be fair, Winona has been overacting since season one, but the better story helped distract from it back then.

Winona is not the only distracting actor in this show. Some of the kids seem to have become anorexic the older they have gotten. It is truly disturbing watching young people who look like they have actually spent time in a gulag, especially since they weren't involved in that story line.

Look, if you are just wanting to dip your toes back into the Stranger Things world every year or two, then each new season will not disappoint you. However, if you really enjoyed the first season and want to cherish your good memories of that...then this show has truly worn out its welcome.

Interceptor (2022)

Nice Sets And Effects - Shame About Everything Else

[3/10 · 4 June 2022]

Years ago I read a few Matthew Reilly novels and found the only real winner was 'Contest'. Everything else from 'Ice Station' onwards just kept going down a steep decline. I remember reading he had tried to pitch 'Contest' as a movie and even shot some test footage himself. A pity he didn't pursue that course instead of making this film.

What's wrong with it? Well, the script is formulaic and banal. The actors seems to have been required to only overact. The characters are one dimensional and in the best tradition of Bond movie exposition the villain can't just despatch the hero until he has explained his nefarious scheme which then enables the hero to escape and spoil the plans that have just been explained to them.

As an Australian, I was able to recognise most of the actors here and wonder what on earth Reilly had on them that they agreed to appear in this.

$15 million could have been spent to make a much better film.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022)

Did Kurtzman Read The Book?

[5/10 · 30 May 2022]

Enough reviews here have covered the good and the bad of this show, so I don't feel compelled to throw in my 2 cents worth. However, from memory the Alien in the original Tevis novel was here to save both worlds. The premise was that the patents would produce enough cash to build a spaceship to save the rest of the alien's on his home world who would then come to live here under guise of being human. They would then gain positions of influence within governments around the world and steer humans toward a safer future. There was no talk of exporting water from Earth to just save his home planet. As other reviews have pointed out, it seems an impossible solution anyway. Why did Kurtzman change this premise (pretty sure the movie followed the novel in this)? Given that a lot of his other shows have wonky ideas permeated throughout, was it just an excuse to make points about environmental degradation (again)? That doesn't seem to make sense either, since the original premise could have been a much better vehicle for making all those points. I don't have an answer and I'm not sure I care enough to hang around to find out.

Night Sky (2022)

This is a Series to be Savoured as it Unfolds

[8/10 · 30 May 2022]

Why bother comparing this show to 'Stargate'? For goodness sake, that's like comparing 'Don't Look Up' to 'Deep Impact' - totally different handling of similar subject matter. If you want to see 'Stargate' then just re-watch that series.

This is a lovely character piece with a lot more to say about the current human condition than SG-1 ever attempted (and I'm glad that it didn't try). After 3 episodes I am hooked and resisting the urge to just binge the entire show in one day. No need for exploring characters arcs in flashbacks - the characters are developing right before our eyes. Do I wish every show was like this? Hell, no! But I am sure glad that this one is - anything less would be a waste of the talents on the screen.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Don't Bother Watching This Movie

[1/10 · 26 May 2022]

I thought I had written review of this title previously. Perhaps I did it on Facebook or maybe it got censored here (won't be the first time). Look, for all those self loathers out there who think the world really is the way it is depicted in this movie - get outside of the city and breathe some fresh air. This sort of nonsense is the result of listening to children about how to run the world instead of just using common sense. If anyone wants to see what a real black comedy about the apocalypse looks like then watch 'Dr Strangelove' which was clever and a featured a Peter Sellers tour de force. It was also probably Kubrick's last great movie. This film does not rate as black comedy, satire or even just an entertaining film. It is a poor excuse for a motion picture that ids reflected in the quality of the 'stars' that decided to feature in it in order to be seen to be doing the 'right' thing. Don't forget that DiCaprio's commitment to preventing climate change doesn't extend to not flying private jets around the world to attend festivals and climate change conferences.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )

For Those That have Blandly Gone Where Every Trek Show has Taken Them Before

[3/10 · 8 May 2022]

I was a Big fan of TOS. I watched every episode of TNG pretending it to be better than what it ever was (there are probably only 4 or 5 great episodes). I watched Deep Space 9 until the end (only 1 episode truly memorable) and I finally gave up on Voyager after about 3 seasons (what took me so long?). With Enterprise, I got as far as 2 characters smearing anti-radioactive goo on each other and thought, "If I want to watch porn, I'll just watch porn ". I managed 1 episode of Discovery and 2 of 'Picard'. Whatever Star Trek has evolved into, it is not what beguiled me 5 decades ago. It has become the mouthpiece of writers and producers that believed Star Trek was all about social commentary and not science fiction or drama, with a little social commentary interspersed.

So, now we have SNW - it looks OK, although the CGI for the title sequence is a bit dodgy and heavy handed. When will CGI effects teams ever learn that less is more? Still, the Enterprise looks familiar and although the shuttle in the opening sequence looked cartoonish ( especially when April stepped off it) I can accept that it, overall looks ok more times than it does not.

The actors are fine. Anson Mount is a good choice for the part of Pike and manages to convey some of the jaundice that Jeffrey Hunter created in the character originally. Ethan Peck sounds so much like Leonard Nimoy, (with slightly more appealing looks), that I hope he takes over from Zach Quinto (who just looks pissed off all the time) in the movies real soon.

So, with some good ingredients in place, what is missing? Well, look to my above criticisms of Trek since TOS and you find your answer.

The opening sequence is peppered with social commentary. Pike lives in a house littered with 'antiques'. His ship's communicator lies next to an antique handset phone (presumably not connected or working) and his house in rural Montana is powered by a wind farm ( several giant wind towers required just to power his house?). So, the notion that older, simpler times were better and that Wind Power really is the energy answer for the future because it is still around in the 24th Century. Please.

The premise of the whole episode is presaged by Pike watching 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'. Since this was the most interesting part of the episode I kept hoping they would return to it. Not directly. Instead, the writers paraphrase it and insert images of the recent White House riots to illustrate the beginning of WW3 on Earth. Not subtle and a political statement of the kind the original series was always wise enough to steer clear.

Then there is the schmalz. Characters behaving as if they are excited to 'Go Boldly' when I presume that's what they have trained for over the past few years. Can you imagine a Communications officer on a modern day Aircraft Carrier going all goggly eyed upon hearing the order to leave port? TOS portrayed Starfleet Command as a military style organisation, which makes sense since discipline is required in order to survive such a venture. With each subsequent series, Starfleet increasingly has become this boatload of wide-eyed kids that follow orders only when they choose to and constantly wear their hearts on their sleeves. Also, why does every security chief have a background of being orphaned in a hostile environment? Good grief, get real SF writers handing in scripts and maybe we can get some originality back in this show. However, I'm not holding my breath for that to happen.

Unfortunately, the course for Strange New Worlds appears already set. A shame. Rather than lecture to its audience, the producers and writers could have chosen instead to entertain.

Moonfall (2022)

Warning - Stay Away

[1/10 · 20 April 2022]

This is bad. Please don't watch it or it may encourage Emmerich to make more dumb pictures.

Also, whoever thinks this is like Rendezvous with Rama has got rocks in their head. Please refrain from making similar comparisons in the future.

Y: The Last Man (2021)

Second Review - even more damning

[1/10 · 28 January 2022]

Well, for some reason, my first review of this show didn't pass the censors. I must have said something a little too controversial (I don't remember what). In this my second attempt, I will try to explain how my problem with this show has nothing to so with its subject matter. Indeed it is an intriguing premise which would have been interesting to watch if it hadn't been then put into the sausage making machine that is genre TV. For some reason, everything even vaguely apocalyptic ends up looking like Mad Max. Characters become caricatures. Storylines become a series of situations while characters are on a quest. This show does not examine what would happen if men disappeared. It's just a hokey premise from which to thrust us into the generic script land of a hundred other similar shows or films. They all have a different jumping off point, but then they just apply the same scripts and cross out character names to replace with the ones they have thought up for this show. They even hire similar actors to fill the roles from one show to the next. This is bland, dull and boring TV at its worst. I cannot tell you just how tired all this crap makes me.

Station Eleven (2021–2022)

Does Anyone Know How To Tell a Story in a Linear Fashion Anymore?

[5/10 · 20 December 2021]

My title really says it all. I think this would play much better if it didn't jump all over the place all the time. First episode is great because it didn't do that. I realise Christopher Nolan probably started this whole trend and it works for his films. Plus, it's his style. Trying to reproduce it in long form TV gets old very quickly.