bczech-46-485595 Reviews

Buddy Games (2023– )

I think the ratings are for the movie and not this show

[7/10 · 3 June 2024]

The show is a good competition show. It has less drama and strategy than Survivor or The Challenge but still something that is watchable and fun. The low rating for the show, I believe, is that reviewers are thinking this is the movie (which also has Josh Duhamel), which was not that good at all. But this show sees teams of buddies (4 per team) that compete in a variety of yard games and comps. The games are of the 'anyone can do this' level and would be fun do at home with friends and family. Duhamel is a good host. And the production value is what one would expect from a show like this. Overall 7/10. Very watchable.

Road House (2024)

No.. No. No. Just No.

[4/10 · 25 March 2024]

This movie makes the original Roadhouse look and feel like a Bet Picture nominee. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting is not present. The motivations and locations are ridiculous. This movie had great potential but all is lost. The fight scenes are so stilted, and hide the lack of good movie fight choreography, the decision is to use a combination of ugly CGI and "swing perspective" camera techniques that are sloppy.

So was the whole movie a loss. No. There is some good acting by some of the supporting cast. The movie "looks" pretty. But uneven acting, especially by the lead, and a paper thin plot line and resolution makes this look more like a money grab then anything else.

If you want to watch a movie about a tough guy cleaning up a road house, watch Swayze and company. Skip this one.

The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping (2024)

Nothing new...and over long to get there

[6/10 · 7 March 2024]

The stories of these programs that abused and tortured kids are not new. I have seen several before. And a big problem I have with them is not the kids (who are in many ways part of the problem) but for the parents who abdicated any responsibility to their children. That they had enough money to throw their children away to these "schools" in hopes of reprogramming their children. It's disgusting.

This is a watchable documentary but it suffers in many ways.

First, it suffers from this modern need to stretch a documentary to 3 or 4 hours, or longer, by pumping it full of repeated commentary and "evidence".

Second, it suffers from the fact that the former "students" were the creators of the documentary. Bravo! For rising above the experience but should they be the ones to drive the content of the doc?

Third, it fails to acknowledge the end results. While many of the former "students" suffered at the hands of the "administration", many of them appear to be well rounded and responsible members of society. Is that the impression they were trying to give in the doc? Or is that reality? And how were they able to overcome this trauma?

Don't get me wrong. The overall production is good. The information is good but it is over long for the results produced.

Ted Lasso: So Long, Farewell (2023) Season 3, Episode 12

Absolutely Perfect

[10/10 · 6 March 2024]

So many shows don't know how to do it. To not overstay their welcome. To stretch it out. Jam it with fillers. Betray their vision and their audience but, to steal a phrase from another sport, Ted Lasso stuck the landing.

Over the past 3 seasons we had a lot of fun with AFC Richmond. We learned. We laughed. And, especially with this episode, we cried. They became a group of people that I would love to have in the real world but in my memories and imagination they will continue to live on.

A big thank you from me to the cast and crew of this spectacular show. I still want so much more and that is the way it should be. I will miss them all.

They Called Him Mostly Harmless (2024)

Not what was marketed but is something else

[7/10 · 5 March 2024]

I assumed by the marketing that this was a true-crime doc but while the documentary moves through the examination of who this person was that was found dead along a trail, what it really is is an examination on the true crime trackers. These people who invested so much time and effort in, not only trying to figure out the identity of the person but also the reflection of who he was and who they wanted him to be.

To see these people come to grips with their own obsession with who "Mostly Harmless" was and who he turned out to be was the interesting point of the documentary.

The production flows quite nicely and is worth the 90 minutes of time.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Not the movie I expected....

[5/10 · 28 February 2024]

I love Audrey Hepburn. George Peppard is a great actor and does well in this role. Patricia ONeal, again, an amazing actress. While Mickey Rooney's caricature is problematic, changing to an actual Japanese actor would not, in my opinion, have saved this movie for me.

I just don't get it. Essentially a call girl (or maybe not) and an author (who is sometimes a gigolo, or maybe not) get together and share experiences in New York. So what...

There is no point. Nothing that makes me feel anything for these characters or for the plot (or lack thereof).

I could easily watch with the sound off and end up with the same experience.

The Greatest Show Never Made (2023)

Bloated docuseries that just keeps repeating itself

[5/10 · 28 February 2024]

The current trend of docuseries, covering a single topic over several episodes, has caused series like this one. While the topic is intriguing it appears that the producers felt compelled to stretch this topic, painfully over 2 hour long episodes. In truth, the subject could have been edited down to a tight 60 or loose 90 and, in turn, have been a more successful production.

Unfortunately, the direction taken was to repeat footage, interviews, etc. Again and again to fill an unnecessary void in order to achieve 3 episodes. If that was not the case, then perhaps the producers should reconsider there choice in career path.

Neighbors (I) (2014)

Omg. What total trash.

[3/10 · 18 February 2024]

Seth Togen and Rose Byrne play the two dumbest people I have ever even on film. There is absolutely nothing redeeming in them as parents, neighbors or human beings. Abandoning their child to do drugs and drink on a regular basis. The plot lies in a fraternity buying a house in a residential, middle class neighborhood. Not gonna happen. The only people that have a problem is one neighbor. Not realistic. The choice of videoing the problems and sending to the cops isn't thought of. But break and entering, malicious damage to personal property, and any shortcut their small minds can think of arrive unimpeded.

There are some jokes that hit but too few and far between.

Real Steel (2011)

A great way to spend a couple of hours with the family.

[7/10 · 7 February 2024]

What a great movie. Family friendly (for the most part) with very good acting. Suspend your imagination and enjoy the Rocky of robot movies.

From a short story by Richard Matheson and previously brought to the small screen in the original Twilight Zone, the movie is full of everything you would want to watch while downing a bucket of popcorn. Robots. Fights. A father trying to reconnect with his son. And a lot of action.

Is it predictable? You bet.

Can it keep your attention? Definitely.

Does it have Academy Award winning anything? Heck no.

Its just has the most important thing for a movie. It's fun.

Pacific Rim (2013)

Another wonderful popcorn movie.

[7/10 · 6 February 2024]

Let reality go and have fun. This isn't meant to be serious, its meant to be fun. Stop complaining about plot holes and inaccuracies. Suspend your intelligence a bit and enjoy. A very good action movie in the vain of Independence Day, The Core and any other number of action movies. The acting is not Academy Award winning. The dialogue isn't Shakespeare. The special effects are not 100% but that is not what its supposed to be. This is an homage to the great Japanese monster classics married up with Hollywood hype and action. I was reluctant to watch after all of the complaining about the movie but , in the end, it served up what it was telling you it was going to deliver. A rollercoaster action, monsters against man flick. Enjoy!

Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (2023)

Unlikeable

[5/10 · 1 February 2024]

Unlikeable is the only way I can describe this documentary. The kids were unlikeable. The parents unlikeable. The people running the camp were unlikeable. The journalist is unlikeable. The frustration of hearing all of these unlikeable people talk about a situation that they all put themselves in is ridiculous. Parents not being able to control their kids. Kids so horrible that their parents would mortgage or sell their homes to put them in camps. The owner and director of the camp, so egotistical and money hungry that he lost sight of the goal. His family, so easily wanting to frame him in a good light, even as their lives were destroyed in coincidental fashion. The documentary itself was well-directed and gave some information, but it would have better been served if they had added people who were pro and con the wilderness therapy (with good knowledge) to even indicate if this type of "therapy" worked at all. Overall it just seemed to want to try and shock. It did not.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Not bad. Not grest.

[6/10 · 30 January 2024]

I think this is a good example of the state of the superhero movie, especially for DC but somewhat for Marvel too. The characters are given lines and reactions that try to make them funny, like the whole movie is filled with inside jokes. And the responses are getting be anime type responses. Overall, the story was good. The acting left something to be desired. The CGI was expected but the practical effects and costumes fail quite a bit. Many times the suits worn by the Blue Beetle and Carapax looked cheesy and plastic. Not at all like the practical appliances used in Iron Man and the like. In addition, theme elements of "family" and "culture" are played about with a sledgehammer in the dialogue. Lighten up the message, spend some money on the practical events and thin out the comic relief and you may have something here. Would I watch this one again? Sure. Not going to seek it out but I would sit and watch if someone else wanted to see it or had it playing. I wouldn't leave the room and do something else or complain about it.

Yesterday (III) (2019)

A good film but lacking as well

[6/10 · 30 January 2024]

Yesterday has a great cast. They do a wonderful job. The filmmakers also did a wonderful job but the story overall loses a lot when it fails the challenge of starting in world that would have been had there not been the Beatles. The Beatles influenced so many. They influenced culture. They influenced style. And they influenced the world that we live in. The story fails to firstly acknowledge a world that would have been without them. It would have been a daunting task but the movie could have been so much better had they at least tried. Don't get me wrong. The Beatles were not the end all and be all of change but without them. Or without any of the music of any major player or influencer of a major player, or many other people would have a cascading effect that would be well recognized. But other than that the movie was watchable and enjoyable just not what it could have been.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Trying too hard to be funny...and failing

[5/10 · 25 January 2024]

The first movie had comedy but I felt it was more measured than in this unfortunate sequel. While the plot has merit the film spends way too much on childish antics and grand stupidity instead of focusing on a story that shows Billy and his siblings how to deal with their new found powers. I don't blame the actors in this case but on the director. The special effects are good enough and the villians are worthy. I do challenge the whole 'lets do a bunch of quick shots to build excitement' style of filmmaking that has overtaken the movies, but I expect that. What I really wanted was less cheese and more meat. Definitely not a movie I would watch again, but good enough for a single view.

Dumb Money (2023)

Very enjoyable

[7/10 · 25 January 2024]

Overall the movie gives a relatively good explanation of what happened with GME and the short squeeze. The actors definitely did a great job to the point where I was shouting for some of them to sell (or hold). Paul Dano did an exceptional job and Pete Davidson was respectable in his portrayal. The cast has a lot great actors that were believable. The only down falls were that it appeared some of the exposition was left on the cutting room floor. I believe that the filmmaker thought that the public completely understood what was happening. The Big Short would be a good example where the filmmakers took a somewhat complex process and explained it well enough to be understood by all. But, other than that, a very good film.

Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Barely watchable...

[4/10 · 22 January 2024]

This movie is so poorly executed. The best scenes are aboard the sub as far as sets go. The polar scenes lack any level of believability. There was no point in those scenes that I did not know that this was being done on a sound studio. The settings were laughable. As for the acting, I love Ernest Borgnine. He has made a number of great films where his acting is tops. In this one, he is supposed to be a Russian but his accent...hooboy...it switches between American and Irish with a hint of something Slavic. Hudson does a good job. Jim Brown is mostly stage dressing, and other than a few lines, is barely in the pic. The plot? Had potential. If this were ever a candidate for a remake it could be a great movie. But this one? Just makes my head shake.

R.I.P.D. (2013)

It should have been way better than this....

[5/10 · 18 January 2024]

With Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Bacon, this could have been something. The problem is, I just don't care. None of the characters made you feel anything. It was like they were all just going through the motions, collecting a paycheck. Ryan Reynold's sarcastic charm was missing. Bacon played his character too hard to be either likable or not. And Bridges just seemed like a caricature of the typical, on-screen old west hero. But overall, the CGI was utter garbage. From the fully programmed scenes to the individual cgi characters, it was distracting and reminded you that this was a movie. It never let you get into the film.

Quick Change (1990)

Classic Bill Murray...

[7/10 · 17 January 2024]

I have always enjoyed this movie. It is easily watchable. The great interactions between Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid are tops. But make no mistake, this is a Bill Murray movie. Sight gags abound but it is Bill Murray's delivery, both in words and in facial expressions make this by far one of his top comic movies. The only downfall, like many heist movies, is the third act. The movie does not know how to find its ending to stick the landing. But that aside, the movie hits many high notes and is easily a very rewatchable movie. Easy to jump into and out of but definitely the first act is where the best of the movie lies.

Quicksilver (1986)

So slow. Weird acting. Straining to find a plot.

[5/10 · 17 January 2024]

Let me start by saying that this is a must-watch for fans of 80's movies. A good soundtrack, Interesting costuming and vibe...but if you are looking for a solid plot, there really isn't one. Is it a movie about a messenger being under the thumb of a drug dealer? About a couple that is going different directions? About a girl looking for her way in a male dominated profession? About a family coming to terms with each other? Or about any of the other dozen or so themes? Is it a movie about trick riding and speed? A comedy? A drama. There are so many of these threads that it makes the movie drag. Focus might have saved the plot...but the acting...hoo boy. Jami Gertz swings back and forth with what might be a Jersey accent or a New England...then a midWestern. Bacon can't decide if his approach is confidence in vulnerability or street cool with book smarts. His relationship with his girlfriend lacks any level of chemistry. The only thing that was interesting about the two was an out of left field, dance/bicycle duet, probably thrown in to capture some fan-service after Bacon's Footloose success.

Overall, it is watchable but also mostly forgettable, with a side of ridiculous dialogue.

Rollerball (1975)

What is the point? Or is that the point?

[5/10 · 11 January 2024]

I have tried to understand what anyone likes about this movie. It is both so self aware and, at the same time, so lost in and of itself. The movie appears to be directed with the idea that it was going to be the end all, be all. The "A Clockwork Orange" of the year, but it is so devoid of anything intelligent. It is not the fault of the stars of the picture. They do well with what they are given. It is instead a poorly devised and directed script. The action scenes are hokey. The lack of any devised rules for the game makes this just a bunch of poorly set up action scenes that in no way gets the audience excited for the game or to know when they should be rooting for or against the players. The long silences that are supposed to be "knowing" silences come off like the screenwriter had no idea what to do next. Watch if you like, but there is no way that this movie deserves any of the nostalgic claims of love.

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (2023– )

Bait and Switch to an overlong documentary

[4/10 · 2 January 2024]

What I expected, based on the cover, was a documentary about the murder of Carol Stuart, and the investigation of the crime. While the documentary did provide some of that information, it instead spent a prolonged amount of time (especially in hours 1 and 3) not about the case, but Boston's horrible reputation as it related to racial issue.

The case, in an of itself is riveting, and the investigation, including the identification of "suspects" and reaction to the Black community by the police and media, is a necessity for this story. But somewhere along the way, Carol Stuart got lost. Even her husband, the convicted murderer, Charles Stuart, was not the focus. Instead the focus was on the police and how they followed a bunch of leads given up by persons in the area that wrongly identified other persons as the killer.

If the producer had edited out about an hour of the current content and added some focus on Carol and Charles, this doc could have been saved.

Squid Game: The Challenge (2023– )

It is what it is...a fan service game show

[7/10 · 30 November 2023]

If you are watching this and expecting the Squid Game (the series), that is not what it is. It is a game show, "reality" show, based on the Squid Game challenges (plus some added for flavor) It is filled with people that are annoying, some that are likeable and some that are not. You will not get know more than a handful of the participants and some of that knowledge is not worthy. Just like any other competition reality show on the air. It is watchable.

The producers of the show are likely aware that the underlying messages of the original series are ironically duplicated in this series but truly they are going for entertainment and not a statement on dehumanization.

Just sit back and watch.

Coach: Van Dam vs. Fox (1996) Season 8, Episode 21

Another 'ripped from the standard sitcom script' pile

[5/10 · 18 November 2022]

It was funnier when The Mertzes sued the Ricardos. Or when the Petries were sued by the Helpers. But this was beyond ridiculous. The overlying plot could have worked but the idea that Luther would grab a piping hot sausage from the grill, bite it and burn his mouth is in character. It would be out of character for him to sue, even for a small amount. The court proceeding was laughable. Luther suing Coach could have worked better in a more realistic scenario, but to ambush sue someone, especially your friend, for a minor injury caused by your own stupidity, is even too stupid for Luther. A once great sitcom about a football coach using a playbook from other sitcoms and not using it well.

Coach: Quarantine (1996) Season 8, Episode 20

Good slapstick episode. But a point off for a monkey.

[7/10 · 18 November 2022]

You can usually tell when the writers run out of ideas, its when they add a monkey to the script. Usually it is a stupid distraction but in this case it is a catalyst for non-monkey interactions. The reason for the quarantine could have been almost any other reason than the monkey, so with that the episode loses a star. Other wise the comedic interactions between the main characters is great. My only other real gripe is that the quarantine should have started earlier in the episode to allow for more development of the interactions between Coach, Luther, Dauber and Howard. But overall, a classic episode with some minor issues.

Coach: Dauber's Vehicle (1996) Season 8, Episode 19

Better to form but a typical sitcom plot

[7/10 · 18 November 2022]

Dauber wants a new car, but resents Coach trying to help. He rejects the help and ends up getting a car that he cannot afford. Overall this is a good script and Coach is Coach...Dauber is Dauber...but I feel that this script could have worked well if they were still with Minnesota State...probably even better.

Luther takes a backseat in this episode and Christine, other than in the cold open, does not appear. Keeping with a limitation on the regulars helps this situation. The guesting cast at the dealership are perfect in the situation. Its as if this this script was written for the original Coach seasons.