generic230-1 Reviews

Quiz Lady (2023)

A 7 on IMDB means it's good to me. That's my cutoff.

[7/10 · 22 January 2024]

Just fun. Fun to watch great actors make characters come alive. It's well written, cinematography is en pointe, directing & editing are EXCELLENT. Because they know how to shoot and edit a movie where people sound real.

Sometimes a show does all the tiny things right on thousands of things that might pull you out of a show but they make big choices that suck. Sometimes they do the reverse and sometimes, like this film, they do Option 1 and make okay choices. I rate those shows a 7.

A 7 rating, to me, means any tv series or movie is worth watching. It won't be memorable but the performances, writing, casting, cinematography, directing & editing are all at a high standard. And you're into it while watching. This movie is worth a watch.

The Chosen (2017– )

I watched this as if it were an epic period drama

[6/10 · 25 September 2023]

There are many sins committed in the telling of this story. The worst being that Jesus and followers speak in contemporary English Slang & the Romans have American accents which is why I gave it a 6.

But, I let all that go & just watched it as a semi fictional period drama about Christ. Which the filmmakers made clear in the opening credits. There are things I loved as a history lover, like that Christ is depicted as he truly would look, a middle eastern Jew with darker skin and dark hair and dark eyes.

I enjoyed the framing of the biblical accounts in ways that made them accessible and human. I enjoyed the connections of historical events. And I was moved by the profound epiphany of Nicodemus.

I'm not religious, but I have formed a close community with my Christian neighbors who are true Christians in their actions. I'm gay and my partner and I live together. They have been so accepting and loving and gracious and we reciprocate those feelings. I am always touched when they say they'll pray for me, my mom, my partner during difficult times. These are very decent human beings and I'm proud to have them in my circle of support.

This is why I can enjoy a story based on the Bible. Because I see the Christianity my neighbors have. It's loving and kind. I have no problem with them. My neighbors have always said: "It's not for us to judge. We don't know if being gay means you'll not get into heaven. Only God knows that." That's just amazing. So I watch this for what it is and enjoy what I can. If I can love Bridgerton, I can love a semi fictional account of Jesus in the same way.

Foundation: The Sighted and the Seen (2023) Season 2, Episode 5

I read the trilogy 55 years ago and don't remember much

[7/10 · 28 August 2023]

So I can only judge this on its own merits & I think it's a compelling Sci Fi show. There are things that seem really false and forced at times like: Some weird lady making Hari fully alive and in the flesh. I know why they did it, because they needed him to keep tying the stories together but this was almost absurdly funny.

The stories are rich and textured with terrific performances. Special effects and cinematography make it enthralling.

But, if you wanted an adaptation closer to the novels, this isn't the show for you. It is for people like me who just want a great Sci fi series and have no connection to the books.

Dear Edward (2023)

I hate myself for hating this show

[5/10 · 7 March 2023]

Everything about it is designed to tug at my heart. The performances are wonderful. But, I find it slow and tedious with implausible moments and scenes. But, worst of all are the constant pop songs for every scene. It just feels like a giant club beating me into CONNECTING & FEELING. Let ME find the moment, don't point a giant emotional song at it like: "Here is the part where you should feel melancholy."

I like Jason Katims, I love Connie Britton but, this is a miss for me. I'm sad because I was looking forward to it and because Katims is talented but I just feel this is so constantly poignant that it dulls you after a while.

Shotgun Wedding (2022)

It's fun, it's short and has Jennifer Coolidge.

[7/10 · 29 January 2023]

This is no masterpiece of filmmaking but it is really fun to watch. It's okay that this movie isn't Oscar worthy. Some are just good romps.

The writing is good even though some jokes fall flat. The cinematography and editing and directing are top notch. And I absolutely needed to see so many older actresses with great comic timing: Sonia Braga, Jennifer Coolidge, D'arcy Carden.

There are plenty of great scenes and great pieces of dialogue and great performances so you can ignore the clunky, bad parts. This movie is definitely not a 10 but it's not a 5 either. 7 is my bottom rating for movies I think are watchable and fun. And this is one of those.

Mayfair Witches: The Witching Hour (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

Clunky acting, trope-y writing, bad directing

[6/10 · 11 January 2023]

This show is a disappointment. It's like a Lifetime show. Everything is unoriginal & un-nuanced. The men are 99% creepy jerks. It's so weird how there isn't ONE NORMAL GUY. They all talk in that slimy, creepy uncle way. The female characters are not the greatest either. There's no complexity to any of this series. It hit sthe nail on the head with broad characters and weak plot and tropes out the wazoo.

It's sad. I don't know how talented people can go so wrong. But it happens and now that we have great shows like Outlander and A Discovery of Witches, The Mayfair Witches just doesn't rise to that level.

Rebellion (2016–2019)

Season 2 is a mess

[5/10 · 8 January 2023]

Season 1 was well written, well acted and because it has the frame of the 1916 rebellion there's plenty of natural tension driving the story.

Season 2 starts out with people we don't know bluntly telling us the plot points and drives of the characters. There's no subtlety at all. The tension in this season is the personal problems people need to solve that have nothing to do with the original story of the Easter Uprising.

I understand they may not have been able to get the original actors from season 1, so I can't fault them for that. But, I was hoping this season would be about the repercussions of the 1st season's actions by the characters.

I just believe the writing and the plot are much weaker in Season 2.

Hot Skull (2022)

The story sits on pause from episode 4 to 8

[5/10 · 6 December 2022]

There were a lot of problems with this series. One thing is, why do all the middle aged schlub makes have hot wives 15 years younger than them? It was creepy. It's not their age so much as they are not attractive or fit. And everyone acts as if OF COURSE HOT YOUNG WOMEN would be thrilled to be approached by a creep at an abandoned bus stop.

The other criticism I have is that from episode 4-8 the story progression stops and instead becomes a series of tasks Murat must go through to find Ozgur. Its literally like one of those app puzzle games. It deflated all tension.

That is their biggest problem. I compare the pace to that of Dark and 1899 and in those series they brilliantly hold the tension by surprise twists at the end of each episode that push us closer to the truth. You can't skip episodes because you won't understand the ending. But, with Hot Skull, I literally skipped from E5 to E8 and didn't miss a thing that I needed to understand the end.

Billions (2016–2023)

Season 4 Episode 4 is way too unbelievable

[4/10 · 28 September 2022]

I guess the writers thought they could write a convincing speech for Chuck Rhodes coming out as a submissive but the show suddenly becomes insane. People in the audience feel empathy for a guy who's into BDSM. It's awful. They do it as if it's "I gamble too much" and everyone is moved by his honesty and his confession. Only, he's telling them, "I like kinky sex and I'm submissive." Can you imagine ANY politician saying this and not absolutely wrecking they're career? Or without it being in CNN 24/7 as they explore the gritty world of BDSM? It's as if they think of they write a crappy heartfelt confession, everyone will welcome him. Secondly he does it w/o discussing it w Wendy who is rightfully furious. How can she be a therapist of everyone is seeing her in this sexualised way? But, no worries, Wendy gets over it and after 2 episodes no one ever mentions it again.

I'm out. I'm done. I don't understand how people just loved this episode. It's the worst in the entire run of the show, the least backed up by the reality of the world we live in. Just so disappointing. I quit after that.

Showtrial (2021–2024)

Absolutely no arc for a main character

[5/10 · 28 August 2022]

They've written Tallitha the teen as so uninterested or concerned about her trial it makes the viewer not care either. She has absolutely no arc. She starts out as an a-hole teen, continues being an a-hole teen and ends being an a-hole teen. I really hoped she'd end up in prison. Or get shivved.

I mean, honestly, at a certain point she's so sociopathic and unredeeming I began to root for her demise.

When things like this get made I wonder HOW? It's as if the writers have no real talent so they don't understand that characters need arcs for viewers to invest.

My tip: fast forward whenever she's in the scene. You don't miss anything valuable. And you avoid grinding your teeth thru the whole series.

Big Stone Gap (2014)

Cartoon characters, cartoon script

[3/10 · 22 August 2022]

Having been raised by a southern mother, I hate this country bumpkin stuff. 90% of it relies on weird names with no real depth to any character. It's like High School play level. This includes uninspired camera work, flat lighting, and dumb people.

This Fool (2022–2023)

A brilliantly funny, poignant glimpse into this world.

[9/10 · 13 August 2022]

The actors are so good, the scripts so tight and funny, from a perspective I never knew I would love so much. Every character is so clearly defined and interesting and their stories shine a light on things I never considered. The visuals and art direction really shine.

But, most of all, it's really, really funny.

The Long Shadow (2019)

This isn't an action thriller, it's a slow moving story about secrets.

[8/10 · 3 August 2022]

I got into this movie from the start. Maybe it has so low a rating because the story involves a main character and her secret relationship with another woman. I like the pace because this isn't a Marvel movie. The music, lighting, locations all mimic the drowsy feel of the pace in a small Louisiana town. And, it's a portrait of the town, the people and their secrets. Very satisfying character piece. Don't be put off by the low score. I honestly think there's some bias because of the relationship between two women.

Found (2016– )

Almost every person's artifact is debunked.

[6/10 · 2 August 2022]

What is the point of going to Wisconsin to see if the guy has a true Egyptian artifact? Or a Florida woman thinks she has a Ponce De Leon's machete which is actually just a machete they still make. I mean episode after episode of "Oh my god, could the Mayans have made it all the way to Maryland?!" NO. They didn't. Some of these artifacts could have easily been debunked without travelling hundreds of miles to find out it's a reproduction from the 1960s.

It's just boring. It reminds me of Ice Road Truckers teasing a horrible accident every week and it turns out, they're fine, no accident. This is that but with "ancient treasure."

The few moments where they actually find out it's really ancient and really a genuine artifact are interesting but the idiocy of pulling our legs for 20 min only to find out, "we got nothing" is dumb.

Another Mother's Son (2017)

The worst thing about this "based on a true" story is how false it is.

[4/10 · 15 July 2022]

The writer mashed two or three people into a number of the characters and this made the story seem outrageous. The real "Russian Bill" never left the house he was hiding in, which was Louisa Gould's house, not Rene Le. Mottee. He ran to Le Mottee's farm house but grocer Louisa Gould took him in. He never went walking in the open or attended movies. That was a completely different Russian escapee staying at a different house. THAT Russian was an idiot and went out often because he hated being cooped up. HE attended public functions.

The letter that alerted German's to Louisa Gould's wireless was not stopped at the post office. It had the wrong address: "Victoria College" instead of "Victoria College House." The Vice principal at the college read it, resealed it, and sent it on. He then alerted Louisa Gould, and they rushed to hide evidence that Bill was there. Unfortunately, they weren't thorough enough.

The true story is compelling but this insane piece of work portrays the heroes in the story as being careless and stupid. So it's impossible to have empathy for any of them.

The Wilds: Day 30/1 (2022) Season 2, Episode 1

I agree that I didn't come here to watch a bunch of bad sitcom style make characters.

[4/10 · 27 May 2022]

They owed us FORWARD MOVEMENT after the end of Season 1. We got the mind blowing last few episodes and I wanted to see what was going to happen after the girls were put in those cells. But the creators decided I wanted to watch a repeat of S1 recast with guys. This stall is the most uninteresting and LONGEST stall I've ever seen happen on a scripted TV drama. An entire season of place holding. What a horrible disappointment.

Inventing Anna (2022)

Shonda Rhimes is brilliant but...

[5/10 · 23 March 2022]

She has a very particular point of view and way of shaping characters that doesn't work in everything and this is one of the formats it doesn't work in. It's very hard to watch decent people get screwed over by a character Rhimes works so hard for the viewer to have sympathy for.

Anna Delvey/Sorokin is a narcissist and a sociopath. Even from jail, in interviews, she's enormously selfish and gloating. There's nothing here to feel pity or admiration for. Watching the series just makes me sad that Hollywood thinks a liar and a cheat deserves a portrayal as kind as this.

The Forgotten Battle (2020)

A disjointed confusing mess w no clear thru line

[6/10 · 13 February 2022]

So many scenes feel half done before they cut away to some other story then another then another before coming back to the half-finished one.

I wanted to like this but, honestly, it's incredibly hard to follow.

The North Water (2021)

Since no one wrote a positive review

[7/10 · 3 February 2022]

No, this thing is not an action packed adventure. It's not that kind of film. It's a character study about the nature of men, how greed allows certain men to carelessly cause the deaths of many men so he can have more money.

It's a very real look at the brutality and greed of man that, hundreds of years later, still exists in every corner of the world.

Dave Not Coming Back (2020)

Slow and vague

[4/10 · 4 September 2021]

I agree w other reviews that this film is short on details and long on self-aggrandizement.tthe divers were ill prepared and infuriatingly casual about the risk. When Dave says he's not really there to retrieve the body and giddily relates he's just doing it as a fun adventure. Don is lucky he's alive.

See (2019–2022)

If you get past the first 3 episodes, it really gets better.

[6/10 · 31 July 2021]

I almost quit. The 1st 3 episodes are so bad because of all the reasons people list. It's a mess and the choices they made as to how blind people live and interact w the world are laughably bad. They should have had a non-sighted consultant. But, once past that the series picks up pace and the story deepens. Worth a watch. You will have to wade thru 1-3 and for that, I'm sorry.

Keeping Faith (2017–2021)

This isn't a tense thriller.

[4/10 · 28 July 2021]

It's slow and filled with People staring meaningfully into the distance. The investigation/panic/concern regarding a husband who suddenly disappears is nonexistent. I don't understand how this got 7 stars. It's plodding and nonsensical.

Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)

A solid movie

[7/10 · 27 July 2021]

I'm not sure what the low ratings are about but they almost made me skip this film and I'm glad I didn't. This isn't a 10, but, in my book, a solid 7. That's my lower limit of determining if a movie is worth seeing. This one is. The performances are solid, Judi Dench is brilliant and lovely, Izzard is compelling and the story is solid. If anything I think the gentle, slow pace and tone may bother some people but I thought it built well to the thrilling, twisty, hold your breath ending.

The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–1977)

It started out great then the whole focus of the series changed

[6/10 · 24 July 2021]

The first 3 or 4 stories are a 10, they are focused on the point of view of the servants and Gemma Jones struggles to become a real chef. Then, for some reason, they reduce Gemma Jones to occasional pop-ins and the stories involved people we've never met, and will never see again, and whatever intrigue they are involved in. I lost interest. I want to continue to see the struggles and triumphs of the people I fell in love with in the first 3/4 episodes. Gemma, all the quirky lovely servants, their relationships.

The Other Lamb (2019)

Lots of film shot with no story

[5/10 · 14 February 2021]

This is so shrouded in mystery with absolutely no hints at what's really going on. 2/3 of the movie is the group walking through different landscapes.