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Reviews
Zodiac (2007)
A Masterpiece.
Zodiac's 157 min runtime seems intimidating... Until you play the movie and 2 minutes in: you're already under a spell. I don't want to say too much because I think everyone should watch this film... at least once.
I've seen it 7-8 times now and there's always something new to appreciate. The cinematography, the music, the perfect editing choices, the fantastic performances-- the list goes on.
Regardless how much you know about the Zodiac killer or that period of history, this film does a fantastic job at recreating the atmosphere-- if nothing else-- from that time. It's a somber, slow film about the widespread, lingering effects of horrific events.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Underrated
A simple, funny and heartfelt story of an enraged Adam Sandler trying to hit on Emily Watson while trying to exploit an airline miles reward system. This is one of PTA's lesser-adored films but I find myself loving it more on every re-watch. As always, Anderson manages to find the strangest, yet fascinating characters to examine-- with an actor to match the role. Sandler is given the proper material for his comedic style without sacrificing the idea of Barry being a real person. If you look at 89% of his previous filmography (Sandler), most of it is him on vacation, playing a cartoonish a**hole that nobody can relate to. It's bizarre... Because if I was to describe Sandler's character in PDL vs. (insert any Happy Madison prod. Here), Barry from PDL would sound like the cartoon character. It's a testament to both Sandler's acting potential and Cassandra Kulukundis'/PTA's perfect casting decisions.
Succession: Too Much Birthday (2021)
Birthday Boy
This episode left me feeling slightly empty inside. It's an examination of pettiness, resentment, and jealousy. Every character has their moment to shine in this episode, but that's jot to say everybody got a happy ending. At it's core: this is a truly sad episode. But -some positives- the production design was top-tier and some of the visuals (namely: the fire wall & the reflections) are just stunning. You feel like you're in some rich weirdo's version of Alice in Wonderland. This may be one of the best episodes of the show so far.
Miracle Workers: 1 Hour (2019)
Quaint & Quirky
The first season of Miracle Workers really serves as a vehicle for Geraldine Viswanathan's everlasting charm. However, her co-stars, Karan Soni, Daniel Radcliffe, and the always-lovely Steve Buscemi, all do a wonderful job in this lighthearted trip through a corporatized afterlife. The writing isn't especially clever but the cast is so perfect that they can deliver any line and make it, at the very least, charming. I recommend this show to everyone.
Miracle Workers: Dark Ages: Internship (2020)
"Shall we boogie?!"
I truly love this show. It doesn't reinvent the wheel nor does it try too hard to be funny. The jokes are simple, but are delivered by a talented, extremely charming cast. This episode is mainly Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe stealing the show. That's not to say the rest of the cast isn't great; their performances just weren't highlighted as much as the aforementioned Buscemi & Radcliffe. If you want to watch something that'll make you feel cozy: watch Miracle Workers.
Miracle Workers: Dark Ages: Road Trip (2020)
A lovely spotlight on Karan Soni
Lord Vexler gets a lovely backstory in this episode. Daniel Radcliffe and Karan Soni have nice chemistry and Steve Buscemi is always a delight. Again, the sets are nice, the costumes are quality, and the editing is pretty crispy and snappy. I'm enjoying this show very much.
Miracle Workers: Dark Ages: Help Wanted (2020)
A simple show with a wonderful vibe
This episode centers around a fraudulent doctor and a man who finds a pet duck. It's very bare bones- story-wise- but the foundation is solid. The cast is great... You can tell they're just having fun in these cool costumes and nice sets. I'm not gonna claim this show is great, but its a very easy watch. This episode is a showcase of how not all comedy has to be laugh-a-minute to work and I enjoyed it very much.
The White Lotus: Departures (2021)
like a dud firework
The White Lotus is hard to describe in one line. It's as if you were playing a family vacation simulator but its also a dream. It's a very potent vibe. One that is fairly engaging and fun until the very last episode. Some characters got a complete arc, others got an "IOU" in place of it. If it was intended to mimic the disappointment that life can sometimes be then it didn't totally work for me. Perhaps if the last episode was longer and had given some characters more time to wrap up, this might've been one of my favorite shows in recent memory.