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Sanctuary: Wingman (2011)
Extremely weak episode full of filler
This episode was extremely weak and heavily padded with flashback filler scenes. But, worst of all, the paper-thin excuse to break up Henry and Erika felt very forced, and was quite disappointing as Pauline Egan's portrayal of Erika was very endearing and fresh. She would have made a good longer-term recurring cast member. I get what they were going for, but it wasn't convincing. They wanted to have it both ways -- they played the two as close as you can get to soulmates, desperate to be in each others' lives. They clearly wanted the viewer to be invested in the relationship as well, but the first bump that hits them -- who goes to live with who -- breaks them up completely. I don't buy it.
This episode caps, so far, four in a row of episodes that feel lazily written and a bit gimmicky (others being Hangover, One Night, and Metamorphosis).
This season is longer than the previous seasons and it seems as if they are struggling to fill out the episode count.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022)
Laughably bad
I'm just watching this like a trainwreck in progress at this point. I'm to Season 2, episode 7 and every episode they manage to find the way to make the core group of girls more unlikeable. Imogen is dangerously violent and angry. Farran is an insufferable girlboss who has to always be portrayed as better than all the guys, and is constantly pulling the victim card, whether for her sex or her race. Tabby has "makes everything about movie references" instead of a personality, and is super-entitled. Like Farran, she always acts as if she's being victimized because of her sex or race. "I'm being erased again!" Mouse is creepy and pretty stupid. Noa is self-destructive and lies all the time (They all do quite a bit of lying -- they got that part of the title right. There's just no compelling reason for the lies.).
Meanwhile, people are going missing (I count four at least) and nobody is paying any attention or even noticing they're gone: their friends get a text message that they're going out of town or whatever and that's the last time anyone ever checks.
The core girls act horribly to everyone family, co-workers and especially the Christian group Kelly is a part of. I think we're supposed to approve of them terrorizing the Christian group's Redemption House. The show's kneejerk pro-pride and anti-Christian bias comes through loud and clear.
The girls themselves are the baddies in this series. They're all unlikable. And the most likely candidate for the identity of Bloody Rose at this point seems to be the psychotic Imogen.
Unlike the original series, the girls' rationale for not calling the cops is really weak in this series. In episode seven a bunch of people on the SpookySpaghetti website start making death threats against Mouse and her grandmother and Mouse never seriously considers informing the police, for ... reasons. It's all just ludicrous.
The Devil and Daniel Webster (2003)
I was rooting for the Devil
This film is shallow and unsatisfying. It fails to be either comedic or dramatic, and fails to evoke any sympathy for the characters. The main character, Bez, quite simply deserves the fate awaiting for him at the end of his contract. He behaves horribly for almost the entire film (apparently him buying an expensive necktie for an old man is supposed to buy enough goodwill to get us through the entire film. It fails.). He literally murders an old woman through the consequences of his thoughtless rage, and that's *before* he sells his soul.
Bez is selfish and thoughtless and, you know, sells his soul to the Devil for success. After five years, he wants out of the contact, not because he regrets all the wrong done for others, but simply because he realizes his time is getting short -- his selfish desires, the same thing that got him into trouble.
He begins to feel bad about some of the things he did, but one hardly gets the sense that he is truly remorseful or deserves to avoid punishment for the things he has done.
So, by the end, I was rooting for the Devil to win the trial with Webster and consign Bez's soul to hell.
For the trivia-minded, there's a scene at about 1:09 where Baz is paging through his long abandoned novel -- the one he really wanted to write, so we're told. In real-time in the movie, the text scrolls by too fast to really read, but thanks to the magic of the pause button, you can see that it's the same short segment repeated with minor, nonsensical variations. I was strongly reminded of The Shining: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Maybe Bez is already in hell doesn't know it, yet.
Daniel Webster (Anthony Hopkins) asks Bez, "Why do you want to end your agreement?" And Bez's response is that he's lost the love and friendship of the people he cares for, and lost himself. That's a terribly shallow answer -- it's still Bez craving recognition, craving love *for himself.* There's no remorse for the victims of his wrongs, except as it reflects back on him, or for the offense against God Himself for selling his immortal soul.
The jury at Bez's trial is a collection of deceased authors, quite a rogue's gallery: Truman Capote, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and others. The judge is his former friend who died because of Bez's deal.
Webster's argument in Bez's defense is, honestly, very weak and Bez' guilt unmistakable. He takes no responsibility for his actions and decisions, blames all the bad on the Devil. He's a thoroughly unlikable character.
Bez's acquittal feels very forced, because the viewer has been given almost no reason to sympathize with Bez. Webster's statement that all her (the Devil's) power comes from us isn't really a point in Bez's defense -- it is an admission that Bez is responsible for his own situation. I found myself disappointed that Bez, an awful man, got off not only Scott free, but gets a do-over.
The concept was done better with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled, which at least provides laughs along the way.
Leverage: The Broken Wing Job (2012)
You brought a gun into my bar?
The Broken Wing Job
When a torn ACL leaves Parker behind on the crew's latest job, she spies on the Brew Pub's customers for fun and discovers a group of thieves planning a heist.
While watching on a security cam, she sees a customer carrying a revolver in his waistband and says, "You brought a gun into my bar?"
The writers of Leverage are apparently not familiar with the law in Oregon.
Oregon is a "shall issue" concealed carry state. It is legal to carry in restaurants and pubs there, and "No gun" signs do not have the force of law. So, there are probably a lot of people carrying guns in Hardison's brew pub.
Renfield (2023)
Why Awkwafina?
This movie would have been at least a couple times better if anyone but Awkwafina was cast in her role. She's grating and unfunny. How does she keep getting cast?
Hoult is funny and appropriately understated, which is necessary as the everyman center when carrying off a concept as over-the-top as this. He kind of reminds me of a young Hugh Grant.
Awkwafina has no subtlety or restraint, and she's not funny or talented enough to justify it. Cage chews the scenery, but this is one of those films of his where that is appropriate for the role.
Lots of veteran character actors in the rest of the roles.
Pet (2016)
Good casting
If this film works at all, it is because of the casting.
Dominic Monaghan is one of the only men alive who can make little Ksenia Solo seem threatening. If it was a more masculine man in the role the final twist would have been a little bit ridiculous.
They're both good actors, but there's something extremely weak and vulnerable about Monaghan's demeanor. Solo can project a lot of fire, but when you're about a buck twenty soaking wet (maybe?), you need a lot of casting and cinematography help to appear threatening to a grown man when you're barefoot in your underwear without a gun in your hand.,
The Guardians of Justice (2022)
I feel dirty having watched it.
The entire series is a pig wallow of moral filth. It leads you to believe there might be a redemption arc at the end only to have it snatched away and you're left wondering, "Why did I subject myself to this?"
Scaredy Cats (2021)
Cute series but yet another offensive take on fathers
It's a cute series and I realize the characterizations are supposed to be very broad, but yet another kids' series that portrays the father as an incompetent, ineffectual clown is so very tired. It seems like it would take very little imagination to have enjoyable kids series that portray parents respectfully.
Only Murders in the Building: Double Time (2021)
Ditch the Lynch
The addition of the always smug and abrasive Jane Lynch was not a bonus for this episode. Her presence is an irritant and doesn't add anything indispensable to the plot.
Outer Banks (2020)
Fun show, but the casting is a problem
I like the show and the story. It would be a cute teen adventure series ... if there were any actors involved who were remotely plausible as teens!
The lead actor, Chase Stokes who plays John B, is especially egregious. He turns 29 this year and looks every bit of it. Watching him sit there pretending to be 16 years old and having social workers threaten him with foster care is giggle-inducing. It's almost to the level of the Steve Buscemi "How do you do, fellow kids?" meme.
On the bright side, the characters are put in some very dark and adult situations and seeing the behavior and situations involving obvious 20-somethings makes it seem a little less inappropriate than it would be with real teens.
We Can Be Heroes (2020)
Bad underlying message
The message of the film, that each generation is better and more "evolved" than its parent generation is simply a pernicious worship of youth culture and disregard of history and tradition. Not the message I want sent to my kids.
The Devil All the Time (2020)
Standard Hollywood narrative
When a leftist director who has no personal experience with Appalachia sets a movie in Appalachia, what do you expect? If you answered anti-religious depiction of troubled misfits, then this movie will meet your expectations. Anti-religious sentiment is such a heavily-mined concept in film today that if you really want to be brave and edgy, you'd write a pro-religion film. And setting dark, depressing films in "darkest Appalachia" is also beyond stereotypical. I think it says far more about the psychology of the writer and director than it does about the inhabitants of Appalachia. Darkest Appalachia is where urban directors locate their own darkest fears. Hollywood's Appalachia only bears a superficial resemblance to actual Appalachia, because it's not an actual place to them. It's where those "others" live, and they populate it with their bigoted stereotypes of what they imagine those others might be like.
Highlander: The Raven (1998)
Most annoying cinematography. Terrible effects.
I am not normally a viewer that is very cognizant of film technique and cinematography, so when something stands out to me, it really has to be bad, and the cinematography and effects are just aggressively terrible.
Every episode features lots of very pointless and distracting "dutch tilts" and the director seems to be trying to make "banal slo-mo moments" a trademark of the show. It will break into slo-mo at the most bizarre times. One character turns to look at another -- slo-mo. Somebody leans back in their chair -- slo-mo. And these aren't "foreshadowing" moments or moments of great emotional importance, they're just "Hey, let's do slo-mo."
The effects during the quickening are just embarrassingly bad. The very first quickening shown is in a parking lot, and in the parking lot are four obvious mortar pots, just sitting in the middle of the the parking lot. They erupt during the quickening and you are thinking "Why are there mortar pots just sitting there waiting to erupt? This is stupid." Half the other effects are just literally roman candles or other fireworks you could literally buy at a roadside fireworks shot. The only thing they seemed to put "effects" effort into is the lightning. And it's not great lightning.
I can forgive bad effects as long as the stories are great, but....
Others have mentioned that the plots are very thin and predictable. I am six episodes in and there is no real explanation for why Nick seems determined to investigate crimes he's not being paid to investigate. He is getting paid to do some security work, but he's also been asked to do some extremely illegal things (break into a Romanian consulate) without any indication that he's being paid the top dollar required to make it worth committing a federal felony.
Also, the numerous felonies committed during every episode just seem to go away at the end of every episode. Killed a whole bunch of federal agents? Nah, don't sweat it. Meanwhile at the other extreme the cops seem awfully fond of breaking down Amanda's door for things they couldn't possibly have probable cause to suspect her for. The cops are literally just "We know it was you! For reasons!" And then when Nick and Amanda say "Look, we're naked in the bath! We couldn't possibly have done it!" the cops just go "Curses, foiled again. Sorry about that door." and leave.
In the theft above, they steal from an auction house a deed to a property that has been lost for hundreds of years to get it back to the family's descendants. It's never discussed that A) If the descendants have a legal right to the deed, they could just file suit to reclaim it, or B) since a felony was committed to obtain the deed, if the descendants now show up with it and try to exercise it, they have to answer some tough questions about how they obtained it. Instead, it's treated like a magic talisman: just obtain it and everything will be great!
The events are the kind of thing that would only really appeal to someone with the mind of a child, or someone determined to try to ignore the logical holes.
The Sleepover (2020)
The war on Dads
This movie goes all in on the seemingly obligatory ritual humiliation, emasculation and virtual cuckolding of the father. If this trope were applied to mothers there would be widespread outrage.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Business as Usual (1997)
Starfleet hypocrisy
Deep Space 9 is armed with thousands of torpedos. Its crew goes armed routinely and use their weapons with impunity, as do many people traveling to and from the station, but other people, apparently aren't allowed to arm themselves. Star fleet is a a bully.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Ship (1996)
The weight of command, the value of a life
I've been binge watching DS9 and this is my favorite episode so far. Star Trek episodes have a tendency toward neat, tidy endings. Not this one. This episode doesn't flinch from the consequences of a leader having to make hard command decisions. There's no sudden cavalry riding in at the end to make everything all right. Even the right decision sometimes costs more than we would like to pay.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Charming
It's a sweet, charming film, carried in large part by Rachel McAdams' considerable charisma. Pierce Brosnan is also good in a small role as Will Ferrell's father (despite being only 14 years older than Ferrell). To me, Ferrell is the weak link. He is just growing too old for these roles -- his usual awkward man-child. He is eleven years older than McAdams and it shows -- he looks even older than his 52 years (probably 51 during filming). The character should have been only a few years older than McAdams and the film would probably have been well-served if Ferrell had kept to the writing and producing and given the spotlight to a talented younger actor.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Through the Looking Glass (1995)
Gimmicky
I'm binging the series and this is the third very gimmicky episode in a row, all involving time travel or alternate realities. It's as if the writers are bored with the actual universe the characters are living in. Combined with Nana Visitor's horrid overacting, I'm having a hard time finishing the episode.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Cardassians (1993)
The show's tendency toward self-righteousness on display
The entire premise of this episode, that the space station authorities have the power to take over the life of an innocent family and rip their son away from them against both their wishes and against the wishes of the son, is extremely offensive.
It is consistent with this show's constant self-righteousness and the idea that the government (in this case the federation) have the right to meddle and impose their views on what ought to be a free people.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Duet (1993)
Mercy
The mercy shown to a man caught up as a cog in the crimes of a horrific movement on this episode compares favorably to the last gasp of N*zi hunting in current times, when old men in their 90s are dragged out of their homes, sick, even comatose, to be "punished" for being 18-year-old conscripts in a long ago war.
Killers (2010)
Casting decisions
Hey, a movie that starts with having to make Ashton Kutcher seem sophisticated and Katherine Heigl seem likable already has both feet in the grave. I give them five stars for just being able to complete a film while overcoming those two obstacles.
Annihilation (2018)
Feminist agenda pushing
The idea that would be an all-female team is itself beyond suspension of disbelief. Pure feminist agenda-pushing.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (2020)
Apologists for murder
Brown is a vicious killer who should have gotten the death penalty.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Forsaken (1993)
DS9: Sexual Harassment
A creepy old supposedly empathic cougar making persistent and obviously unwanted romantic advances against a non-humanoid alien is pretty unpleasant stuff. It's not humorous at all.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Fantastic
A thrilling ending to the series with something to please every Star Wars fan. Very satisfying ending. Great special effect and cinematography. The Chemistry between Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley is fantastic.