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Reviews
The Beanie Bubble (2023)
Not so bad it's good, so badly made it's extremely annoying
Which such a great cast, such a big budget, good though unoriginal cinema photography and Apples prestigious name, it's hard to understand how this sham of a doco-style film is one of the most annoying things one could see, of all time.
The simple answer is that it's so formulaic, a generative AI could have vastly improved it by the prompt "make the style of filmmaking a tiny bit creative".
If ever there was a film made that felt like it was made by a completely uncreative, spoiled brat first year film student with ridiculous nepotistic connections, this is it.
And so extremely ironic is that Apple's new series 'Hello Tomorrow', which shouldn't work well in theory, is not only surprisingly excellent, but actually has a very similar theme that the Beanie Bubble makes an absolute cringe attempt at.
I pray the main creators of this film never make another that enters my sphere.
Silo (2023)
In theory, this series sounds very cheesy, but it's actually very very good!
From seeing some previews and glancing at the Synopsis, I almost wrote this off as a bad cheesy idea that couldn't work.
Then I read a review, noticed top talent involved and that its creator is Graham Yost and thought I should give it a shot.
Two episodes in and I'm seriously impressed!
Graham Yost is truly one of the cinematic story telling geniuses of our time and I'm sure will be considered up there with Kubrick, Kurosawa and the other greats as time goes by.
Apple TV+ has proven that a stellar cast doesn't necessarily make a good production; film, tv or otherwise. But the acting, writing, and production values of Silo in general all conspire together to male Silo an excellent long-form cinematic tv series.
At first, it seems like a kind of silly retro sci-fi pastiche of many of the 20th Century dystopian films, from Metropolis to Logan's run, Blade Runner and even Star Wars. Compliment this with the 1960s and 70s wardrobe and unrealistic looking sets and it just feels like it shouldn't work. But the excellent acting and cinematography gives one the sense that these elements are intentional and in the yesteryear of film genres, it would be filed under 'art-house' cinema.
As it unfolds, Silo's genius becomes apparent. Nothing here is lazy or naive. Every element, including the semi-cliched themes to the theatre-looking sets become obvious as carefully planned and very clever.
One is soon kind of hypnotized into the metaphoric dystopia that is very relevant and on point to today's rapidly evolving world.
Whilst Silo is without a doubt a dystopian story, it conjures up hope, which is so very needed in todays' world.
Apple, with the help of Graham Yost and team have, with Silo, proven they can be up there with the best, when they get it right.
Kudos.
City on Fire (2023)
A travesty
Inarticulate story telling and embarrassing representations of the culture, music and style of the early 2000's era this series sets out to portray is worse than annoying.
Although some great actors, good cinematography and surface level production values (as are the hallmarks of Apple TV+'s signature big budget screen productions), the biggest takeaway from this series is how the multitude of real talent in filmmaking is mostly lost on the management of Apple's screen management endeavors. Nepotism well and truly alive here.
City on Fire is to date the most poignant screen production of Apple's endeavors to date that begs the question; are huge budgets and attractive industry prestige enough to create good tv and film, or do the industry executives need to go out of their luxurious comfort zones to find the new best talents in writers, directors and creators?
Overall, this series is nothing more than a confusing blemish on the Apple brand.
Could Apple please dig deeper, as there is a serious responsibility to having the some of the most clout in cultural storytelling in todays troubled world.
Better Call Saul (2015)
From best to worst caused by the final Series
This is a all-time amazing situation of 'What happened!?'.
One of the best contemporary tv series ruined by an inexplicable destruction of almost everything that made it great by one last series.
Often great TV Series fade out of greatness after the first two or three seasons. This was no fade but a sheer free fall into an tv series that was embarrassing to watch in many ways.
Something obviously very sad hapenned to this season of Better Call Saul, besides Bob Odenkirks' small stroke (which should have changed very little).
I'm both embarrassed by the plot and dialogue of this (final?) season but most of all disappointed and bewildered.
There was no need to assassinate the series... Whether for reasons of woke-ism or leaving it in the hands of newcomers to it's production.
It's really sad and shocking.
The cinema photography sort of holds up and production values, outside of the writing and dialogue, including the acting remain high, but the story is, just a real shame.
If it were possible, it would be better to just erase the final series and let the amazing TV series be remembered as one of the best of it's era.