bscadlejr Reviews

Sound of Freedom (2023)

WHAT'S WITH ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS?

[5/10 · 2 January 2024]

Am I missing something? All these glowing reviews, but it's not all that by long stretch. Slow moving. Dialogue is always whispered making it hard to catch what is being said. Had to watch with subtitles to catch what was being said. Very over hyped. Important subject matter but overall very disappointing. Glad I didn't pay money to see it. On the positive, photography and soundtrack is good. Seen enough in the media already about human trafficking not to be shocked by the subject matter of this film. Sad situation but this film doesn't do all that much to shed a light on the dark recesses of our sick society. I still don't get all the rave reviews. The movie "Traffic" was so much better. Writing this as I'm watching the movie because I'm so bored.

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Doesn't hold up to the test of time very well.

[6/10 · 4 September 2023]

Saw this back in its heyday. Watched it again for the first time in many, many years. It now seemed dated and somewhat cringe worthy. Some notable things that were irritating:

1. The military does not allow longer hair and beards. Why can't Hollywood ever get this right? Are they totally oblivious to military life?

2. The constant beer can shaking and spraying of beer was annoying.

3. The dramatic music was very 70-ish.

4. I hope those weren't real deer suffering after getting shot.

5. The John Cazel character's goofy hair was just plain annoying.

6. There are no rugged mountains and snowcapped Matterhorn style peaks anywhere near western Pennsylvania. Why does Hollywood insist on film locations that are totally unrealistic?

7. The final scene where the gang sings "God Bless America" just made me cringe. Don't get me wrong, I am very patriotic, but it just made the ending so corny.

Forces of Nature (1999)

DARK BLUE TINTED PHOTOGRAPY WAS ANNOYING

[5/10 · 18 February 2022]

I was really intrigued by this movie since I drive by South of the Border frequently which is featured in a scene. The movie is kind of touching, but the dark blue tinted photography was annoying! I watched it on different TVs on different platforms and the color was still a muted blue and dark to the point of being distracting. Sandra Bullock was great and Ben Afflack not bad. I could even suspend logic and ignore the fact that in reality, people would not hold an outdoor wedding with immanent hurricane. The Kmart scene was silly and awkward and made me feel embarrassed for Sandra and Ben. I hated the ending. So wanted Ben to bail out of the wedding and run off with Sandra. The soundtrack was good. This movie could have been so much more, but it was still special.

King Kong (1976)

Fun Movie!

[6/10 · 25 August 2021]

I never got to see this when I was a kid. Finally got around to watching at the age of 59. Really enjoyed it. Not a great movie, but fun to watch. I would certainly enjoy watching it again. I was surprised by the subtle humor and the acting was not bad. Jessica Lange is beautiful and the film itself is beautiful to watch. Kong's facial expressions were great! Sad to see the World Trade Center had such a prominent presence in the film. But who ever would've known what the future held in 1976.

Unhinged (I) (2020)

So-So Action Thriller - Had to use subtitles to understand the dialogue

[6/10 · 22 April 2021]

Not bad, but not great action thriller. My biggest complaint was the dialogue was very hard to understand. I had to turn on subtitles. The actors speak way too fast and run their words together. Russell Crowe kind of mumbles in a low voice. Very hard to understand what they are saying. Being an older divorced white male still in the workforce, I could relate to the frustration of the Russell Crowe character, although I know better than to go berserk. Otherwise, it is over-the-top road rage.