fischer_patrick Reviews

The Hunger Games (2012)

Good movie

[8/10 · 13 May 2024]

I never read the Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins. I did see the film adaptations however. The first installment of the franchise was a rock solid movie. It was anchored by strong performances from its stars. The film had good pacing and never let up or got boring. From start to finish the film did a good job of keeping me both engaged and feeling tense. While some of the films special effects haven't held up over the years, the true power of the film is the relationship of the main characters in the context of this authoritarian dystopian science fiction-esque story. This installment is by far the best in the movie franchise. Even if you don't like the sequels you can always watch this one stand alone and enjoy it.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

A little rushed and unpolished but a sold sequel

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

2024's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a solid sequel to 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and a fun continuation of the franchise that originated in the 1980s. The film brings back the main case from Afterlife. Paul Rudd was funny as usual. Carrie Coon was under utilized a bit, as was Finn Wolfhard compared to their 2021 outing. After only appearing at the end of Afterlife, it was great seeing more of Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson in the movie. Their parts were my favorite of the film. Annie Potts was her normal Janine which was fun. Kumail Nanjiani was a great addition to the cast and very funny. Theresa story was decent and took the franchise in new directions we hadn't really seen before. The ending was rushed as was any character development, but overall it was fun, funny, and had a creepy new villain that was fun. Solid sequel.

Castlevania: Nocturne (2023– )

I was hooked

[7/10 · 6 November 2023]

I only stumbled on to this show because I was looking for something with vampires as Halloween was approaching. I tried it out and got hooked very quickly. I'm not a fan of anime. It's just not my thing. However, this show was fun and interesting. It has some cool vampire lore, well animated action sequences, and an overall intriguing story. Yes, it was simplistic and basic at times, but sometimes a show just needs to get from point A to point B. While it's overall concept is not high art or anything special, the show was well executed and kept me wanting more. I think the setting of the show during the French Revolution was a good choice. And it added a complex backdrop for the vampire vs vampire hunter conflict.

Bert Kreischer: The Machine (2016 TV Special)

Decent special

[6/10 · 1 June 2023]

Bert Kreischer's second special for showtime titled "The Machine" is a decent stand up comedy special. I rated it 6/10. Bert is genuinely funny. His style is boorish, vulgar, and self deprecating. He doesn't really tell jokes, but rather stories about his life that he punctuates with humor. His brand of comedy slants more so to the more juvenile frat boy hard partier type of humor with a it's fair share of dick jokes. But he also uses that style to relate musings about marriage and raising children as well. He's not one of my favorite comedians, but he definitely is funny. If his brand of humor is up your alley then this is a special that you will enjoy greatly.

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch (2019 TV Movie)

Different and hilarious

[9/10 · 1 June 2023]

This was a much different project for John Mulaney and Netflix. Instead of a traditional standup special it's a children's musical comedy special that spoofs classic children's television series such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and The Great Space Coaster. It spoofs them in an endearing yet at times dark way. The child cast was terrific, the songs were silly, and the production felt very real to the shows it was making fun of. It felt like a series of Saturday Night Live skits made into a whole special. I applaud John and Netflix for thinking outside the box and presenting audiences with something so very different and still so funny.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018 TV Special)

Another great special

[9/10 · 1 June 2023]

Comedian and Saturday Night Live alum John Mulaney's delivers again with his third Netflix Special. It is a rock solid ride for any stand up comedy fan. John's hilarious takes include musings about manners, relationships, religion, and the state of modern politics. His style is still very much a preppy young man who speaks fast and fits in as many jokes as possible per minute. He doesn't really tell jokes, he tells stories with his own hilarious takes on them. The pace is fast and and nonstop. This special is fantastic and flies by. It's worth watching multiple times. His delivery and stage presence are terrific.

John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015 TV Special)

Worth multiple watches

[9/10 · 1 June 2023]

Comedian and Saturday Night Live alum John Mulaney's delivers again with his second Netflix Special. It is a rock solid ride for any stand up comedy fan. John's hilarious takes include stories about his dog, his wife, meeting Bill Clinton, and his Dad's beef with Bill Clinton. His style is very much an preppy young man who speaks fast and fits in as many jokes as possible per minute. He doesn't really tell jokes, he tells stories with his own hilarious takes on them. The pace is fast and and nonstop. This special is fantastic and flies by. It's worth watching multiple times. His delivery and stage presence are terrific.

John Mulaney: New in Town (2012 TV Special)

John at his best.

[9/10 · 1 June 2023]

Comedian and Saturday Night Live alum John Mulaney's first Netflix Special is a rock solid ride for any stand up comedy fan. John's hilarious takes include stories about his physique, his childhood and family, his girlfriend, his favorite TV shows, Ice-T in Law and Order SVU, and an encounter with a homeless person he met in New York City. His style is very much an preppy young man who speaks fast and fits in as many jokes as possible per minute. He doesn't really tell jokes, he tells stories with his own hilarious takes on them. The pace is fast and and nonstop. This special is arguably John at his best.

The Watcher (2022– )

Worth a Binge Watch

[6/10 · 1 June 2023]

The Watcher is a ridiculous mystery thriller that doesn't really pay off in the end, but is a fun ride nonetheless. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix, the series is loosely based on a true story as reported by New York magazine's website, "The Cut." The series follows a married couple who, after moving into their dream home in a New Jersey suburb of New York City, are harassed by creepy letters signed by a stalker who goes by the pseudonym "The Watcher". The tangled web of mystery that follows gives the audience whiplash from the number of suspects who at one point or another could have been the watcher. The problems with the series are that there were simply too many twists for the sake of twists. By the end of the series it was ridiculous. The whole series could have benefited from being a couple of episodes shorter I think. That would eliminated some of the more eye roll worthy surprises. That being said, the series benefited from strong lead actors who gave great performances. It's a compelling and suspenseful thriller worth a binge watch on a rainy day.

Emily the Criminal (2022)

Solid performances

[6/10 · 1 June 2023]

This was a decent movie. I only rated it as a 6/10, but was happy with it overall. The film focused on a narrow story about Emily, an overworked, underpaid, art student drowning in student loan debt. It had few other characters, but every scene dripped with how these other characters affected and motivated the focus of Emily. John Patton Ford did a nice job in his feature directorial debut. Aubrey Plaza gave a very good performance as the titular character. The realism of the underground and illegal world of credit card fraud was well depicted on screen. The theft scenes really made the audience feel the fear and tension that Emily was feeling. The film offered some effective commentary on the self fulfilling promises of good people who get haunted forever by a criminal record from their youth. The film was dark, but was a well made film.

Air (I) (2023)

Good movie

[7/10 · 1 June 2023]

This is a solid movie that was well directed and well acted. It told a compelling story about how fledgling Nike nabbed their history making endorsement deal with then NBA rookie Michael Jordan, changing professional sports forever in the process. The film did a great job capturing the era. Everything from pop culture to music to the sports of that time period was well represented on screen. For a child of the 80s and 90s this film was nostalgic in many ways. The film had some minor faults. The tension of the story never really felt real, mainly because we knew how it ended anyway. There was no major character development for anyone. The real development was in, and I guess this was the real point of the movie, the industry itself. Bottom line: good cast, good story, good directing, good movie.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

If you grew up in the 90s this movie is for you.

[9/10 · 30 April 2023]

I flat out loved this movie. It was somehow simultaneously original, satirical, nostalgic, and meta. I laughed consistently throughout. The voice cast was terrific and included John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, and JK Simmons to name just a few. While the film's plot was a generic and formulaic story of former friends forced to work together to overcome great odds, reigniting their friendship along the way; the plot unfolded across the backdrop of 90s children's cartoon nostalgic and Hollywood satire. The movie is similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit in some respects, but for kids who grew up in the 90s this is a better film than Roger Rabbit. Great movie.

The House Bunny (2008)

Okay, but only because of Anna Faris

[4/10 · 14 April 2023]

This is an okay comedy. The story itself is lame. It could have used several more drafts of the script. The film has a talented cast including Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Beverly D'Angelo, and Chris McDonald. Unfortunately, D'Angelo and McDonald don't factor into the story enough. The film feels like a studio ordered a zany college comedy with hot girls and didn't care about the script. The characters aren't memorable, there is no great development for any of them. The growth we do see from the characters is rushed and feels unearned. Anna Faris carried the movie and her style of comedy is the only thing that really landed throughout the film. It has its moments and is okay, but it's not a film worth watching a second time.

Death on the Nile (2022)

A far cry from its predecessor

[6/10 · 5 April 2023]

Death on the Nile fails to meet the high standard of its predecessor Murder on the Orient Express. That being said the film is beautifully shot and the final act is an overall fun mystery ride. The film is generally well acted and directed. One negative is that the audience is just told things a little too much. Murder on the Orient Express had a little more set up and the audience felt more of a part of the mystery early on. That aspect of storytelling felt diminished in this sequel. The mystery does not really pick up until the final act and even then some things are just explained by Detective Poirot without any of the tantalizing intrigue that the first film possessed. Murder on the Orient Express had an amazing twist with good people doing a bad thing which made the audience seriously reflect on the right and wrong of the crime. Unfortunately, Death on the Nile's big twist of bad people doing a bad thing for money felt a little flat. Murder on the Orient Express was a work of art. Death on the Nile is a decent mystery movie.

I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

Has its moments, but comes across flat overall

[4/10 · 5 April 2023]

Hollywood has given us many takes over the years on the last night of high school, shy kid goes after his crush, craziness ensues story. This effort is overly reliant on stereotypes and shallow teen comedy clichés. It's uniqueness lies in its use of slapstick comedy. There are funny moments and good use of physical comedy, but the movie plays like a fledgling sitcom in desperate need of a laugh track. The movie lacks the charm and heart of its novel source material. The characters aren't likable. The performances were flat. The pacing was off and the film just meandered from set piece to set piece. It watches like a movie that could have used a few extra drafts of its script but the film studio assumed that a hot girl in a lead role would be enough to overcome a flat story.

Retrograde (III) (2022)

Somber Storytelling

[7/10 · 31 March 2023]

This documentary covers the final months of the Afghan war. It starts by showing US Green Berets working with the Afghan Army and one of its rising star Generals. It offers great insight into the teamwork of the US Afghan coalition in the war. The film takes a turn when the US decides to pull out of the conflict. We see the rushed retrograde of the US Military and its effect on the moral and logistics of the Afghan Army. The rest of the film follows General Sadat as he tries to keep a brave face and keep his men fighting. Unfortunately, renewed Taliban attacks after the Americans leave are too much for the nascent democracy to handle. The humanitarian disaster that follows is heartbreakingly examined in this film. A solid documentary.

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Terrific

[9/10 · 31 March 2023]

In this terrific documentary, Peter Jackson expertly recut the footage shot in January of 1969 that produced the film "Let It Be." The result is nearly eight hours of amazing behind the scenes Beatles storytelling. The film reveals the truth behind the final days of the greatest band there ever was. The band was still essentially happy playing together. Yoko did not "break up the Beatles." Paul's witty and foretelling comment in the film about her presence says it all: "It's going to be such an incredible sort of comical thing, like, in fifty years' time, you know: 'They broke up 'cause Yoko sat on an amp'."

While the band played nicely together still, the documentary lays bare a series of smoldering hurt feelings and misunderstandings. We see the drama of George quitting the band and having to be coaxed back in by his friends. We see George almost submissively asking for permission to do a solo album apart from the group. We get a real up close look at a band of superstars that decided years earlier not to have a manager try and manage song writing, a live album, and a documentary.

The only downside of the film is that it is a little long in the tooth. Casual Beatles fans may get bored here and there. But big fans of the Beatles will just eat it all out. Great film.

White Noise (I) (2022)

Tune it out

[2/10 · 27 February 2023]

The filmmakers aimed to make something hilarious and horrifying, but missed the mark in this adaptation of a postmodern novel about the fear of death. A simple google search about the source material reveals that for years many people felt the story of the novel would not translate to the screen. Those people were right. Credit to the filmmakers for trying, but simply trying does not make an enjoyable movie watching experience for the audience. The film is well cast with big stars and the performances are good, but it hinges on fluid and fast paced often overlapping dialogue that says so much but yet says so little. The film tries too hard to be high art, and maybe it is, maybe psychology classes can examine these characters and dissect every line and find the hidden meaning, but the normal audience will most likely be bored by it all. The film tries to do too many things. Is it a story about an emergency health crisis? Is it a story about a failed marriage? Is it a story about a midlife crisis? Drug addiction? Depression? Anxiety? Infidelity? Why was there a whole segment on Americans fascination with car crashes in movies? I'm sure the novel would be great fodder for a college level class spending a semester examining the themes, but as a two hour movie it just didn't work.

Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special (2022 TV Special)

A Wonderful Postscript

[7/10 · 17 February 2023]

Norm Macdonald's final comedy special was filmed during Covid lockdown, with no audience, and while the comedian and SNL legend was fighting a secret battle against cancer. Released posthumously, the special carries an emotional weight unlike any special before it. Given the circumstances of Norm's health and the ongoing pandemic, we will never see a special like this again. The comedy set covers topics ranging from casinos, cannibalism, living wills and why you have to be ready to deal with life as it comes. The special has a rawness and realness as it was filmed in one take with the occasional interruption of a barking dog and a ringing cell phone. The last act of the special is a round table discussion of Norm and his unique sense of humor by some of Comedy's biggest stars including David Letterman, Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, Conan O'Brien, Adam Sandler, and David Spade. It serves as a fitting analysis of a great comedian who will be long remembered and sorely missed.

Iliza Shlesinger: Unveiled (2019 TV Special)

Another solid special

[8/10 · 15 February 2023]

Iliza Shlesinger once again was exceptionally funny in this special for Netflix. Covering topics ranging from weddings, wedding preparations, garters, veils, bachelorette parties, and long standing traditions; the special was a fast paced roller coaster of laughs. Iliza's humor is a often biting send up of adult friendships and relationships. I was really impressed with her intensity throughout. The way she punctuates her jokes with screams at just the right moments reminds me of Sam Kinison. Her use of exaggerated body language and frequently acting out her jokes reminds me of Sebastion Maniscalco. She is a commanding comedic performer and I look forward to watching her other specials. Her humor is definitely more in tune with female life experiences, but her material is relatable enough for everyone. She is my favorite comic out there right now.

The Anthrax Attacks (2022)

Important film but a dangerous time

[6/10 · 9 February 2023]

This documentary does a decent job capturing the chaos and uncertainty of the weeks after 9/11 when America was besieged by Anthrax-laced mailings. These mailings resulted in only five deaths, but caused an untold level of fear. The film does a good job overviewing the lengthy and expensive FBI investigation into the case. Having lived through that era as a teenager it was interesting to watch this film as a piece of history now that we are over 20 years removed from the attacks. From the science of the pure anthrax spores to the cryptic notes included with the anthrax to the red herrings and missteps along the way, the film manages to cover an enormous amount of information in less than two hours. The film is a mix of news reel footage, interviews with those involved in the case, and re-enactments of key interactions with the main suspect. Clark Gregg of Marvel fame portrays Dr. Bruce Ivins who after a years long investigation was identified by the FBI as the perpetrator. Gregg gave a good performance. I don't normally like re-enactments in documentaries, but these scenes were written based directly on FBI interview notes of their conversations with Ivins as well as Ivins' own emails and writings. This gave the re-enactments a grounded and real feel. Overall this is an informative and easy to digest documentary. However, even after watching it, the viewer may feel less than convinced that the FBI got there man.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Carried by Two Great Leads

[6/10 · 7 February 2023]

This film was absolutely carried by the two lead actors: Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. They both gave award worthy performances. The story was interesting and pulled back the curtain on the greed, ego, and power seeking of the modern televangelist as we know it today. The film showcases numerous important figures of the Christian right and subtly offers insight into the marriage between Evangelicalism and the Republican Party. The film mainly focuses on the rise and fall of the marriage of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. It does a good job of tracking how their marriage began to crumble as their televangelist empire began to rise. The final act shows how everything fell apart and also did what I thought was impossible: make the audience feel sympathy for Tammy Faye.

Iliza Shlesinger: Freezing Hot (2015 TV Special)

She killed it

[8/10 · 7 February 2023]

As Iliza Shlesinger says to the camera in a post credit scene in the special, she killed it. She was exceptionally funny in this special for Netflix. Covering topics ranging from Party Goblins, Pinterest, first kisses, breakups, and the differences between the sexes; the special was a fast paced roller coaster of laughs. Iliza's humor is a often biting send up of adult friendships and relationships. The special ends with a hilarious bit about her dream breakup. I was really impressed with her intensity throughout. The way she punctuates her jokes with screams at just the right moments reminds me of Sam Kinison. Her use of exaggerated body language and frequently acting out her jokes reminds me of Sebastion Maniscalco. She is a commanding comedic performer and I look forward to watching her other specials.

Iliza Shlesinger: Confirmed Kills (2016 TV Special)

Good hour of laughs

[7/10 · 6 February 2023]

I was not familiar with Iliza Shlesinger before I watched this. This was my first time watching her work. She was exceptionally funny in this special for Netflix. Covering topics ranging from Party Goblins, mermaids, ugly giants, the differences between the generations and the sexes; the special was a fast paced roller coaster of laughs. Iliza's humor seems to both understand and hate her status as a millennial. Due to this her humor definitely strikes a cord for a younger audience. The special ends with a hilarious Shark Tank bit. I was really impressed with her intensity throughout. The way she punctuates her jokes with screams at just the right moments reminds me of Sam Kinison. Her use of exaggerated body language and frequently acting out her jokes reminds me of Sebastion Maniscalco. She is a commanding comedic performer and I look forward to watching her other specials.

Violent Night (2022)

Okay Action Christmas Comedy

[5/10 · 6 February 2023]

Violent Night is an okay action Christmas comedy. The plot was jumbled. At some points it felt like a zany comedy. At others it felt like a heist movie. The divorced parents subplot didn't deliver much. Most of the characters were not likeable and did not have meaningful journeys. Most of the cast gave generic performances that didn't stand out in anyway. The film would have been better served by steering into the comedy aspect more. There was one fun scene that was a gory spoof of Home Alone. It worked, was funny, and fit the film's tone of violence of gore. But that was just one scene. The film could have been better served with more of that. Ultimately the filme was anchored by a strong performance by David Harbour. Presenting this version of Santa Claus as a downtrodden drunk with a violent past who is beginning to lose his own belief in Christmas was effective and drove the movie. Overall, I liked it enough to tune into the sequel when that is released.