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hdrad
Reviews
The Home Teachers (2004)
Deceptive tactics?
I'm not LDS or familiar with the religion beyond NBA player Shawn Bradley and former NFL players Jim McMahon and Steve Young. (If that's even accurate.)
And I don't know if the filmmakers are to blame for the deception I'm about to describe either. All those disclaimers out of the way...
My girlfriend and I were renting movies at Blockbuster, looking for a comedy that her little brother (10) could watch with us. She came across "The Home
Teachers," and we rented it despite our being unable to recognize any of the
"stars." Important note: There was NOTHING on the box that denoted this movie was about LDS.
So imagine our surprise when we get home, pop in the video, and see the
previews for other "Mormon movies," followed by the opening scene with the
blond guy sitting in a Bible class. (We gave up on it after seeing his cliched attempts to evade the straitlaced guy.)
Nothing against the filmmakers--unless they were willing participants in this deception. I'm sure they wanted to make a funny movie that LDS folks could
enjoy. But there should have been some mention on the original movie box or
the Blockbuster box, stating that this was a Mormon movie. Especially if this was an intentional omission in order to be an undercover venue for
proselytizing.
Oh well, there's four bucks I'll never see again.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Brilliance.
Larry David's show is simply brilliant. Granted, the main "character" is barely likable (if at all). But the situations portrayed range from everyday to absurd to maniacally ridiculous--and that's entertaining as all heck. The insular world of Mr. David's on-screen persona is full of deep (and funny) characters that either put up with or try to destroy Larry every time he muses on life.
Any show that makes me both cringe in horror and laugh out loud by myself is worthy of watching again and again.
Very few television programs are as entertaining as Curb Your Enthusiasm, and even fewer are half as funny.
Suits (1999)
One of the most realistic depictions of advertising ever
Advertising has never really been accurately portrayed on TV or in the movies. "Suits" does the best job of any show/movie in giving viewers a closer look at agency life. Maybe real-life creatives aren't all having sex in their offices (or I'm working in the wrong places), but most of what you see is spot-on. Sure, they take some license with certain characters (not all account executives are back-stabbing clothes-horses). But it wouldn't have been as interesting without a bit of exaggeration. I didn't really think it was a 10, but I rated it as such because I felt all the other ratings were too low.
Coupling (2000)
One of the best things on television
Coupling is just hysterical.
The well-worn cliche of "laugh-out-loud funny" totally applies; every episode I have seen has me laughing hard.
I describe it, as others here have, as Friends times 10. I always respected the writing on Friends, but Coupling kicks Friends' collective ass. Maybe because it's "dirtier"--or just plain more honest.
Whatever the case is, I wholeheartedly recommend Coupling as one of the best shows currently on TV, and possibly during my 30 years on this Earth.
Orange County (2002)
Horrible. Just horrible.
I can't believe I sat through this movie.
I was praying for it to end about 20 minutes in.
Predictable. Dumb caricatures of characters that you don't like, much less care about.
I wanted to like this movie. Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, and John Lithgow are personal favorites.
But it was just so bad. I only sat through the whole thing in the vain hope that it was "setting me up" for some great ending.
But the "revelation," "epiphany," or however you want to refer to the lead character's ultimate realization was just SO not worth the wait.
I am glad I only paid $1.05 for this rental. That seems too much, though.