KyleBel Reviews

Malignant (I) (2021)

A great horror movie that could have been better if not for the twist

[7/10 · 11 September 2021]

This was honestly a great horror movie, and it was very serious up until the big reveal/twist.

Now everyone who paid attention knew that our main character (Madison) had some kind of mental disorder and Benjamin was in her head, but the twist of Ben actually being a parasitic twin who lives inside her brain and was woken up by hitting her head against the wall allowing him to pop out of the back of her head, paralyze her, and take full control of her body turning her into a backwards killing machine was something I did not see coming at all. In a way that was refreshing, in another way it took a movie I was really enjoying (The suspense and horror had me) and made it almost laughable.

I really wish that they had kept it more grounded in reality and made it so that Ben's brain was still inside of Madison's head (Not half of his body), and this is how he was able to control her body.

They also never explained Ben's and now Madison's ability to control electricity, make phone calls, and the super human strength. I mean since they went all campy horror, why did they not just say that they were using experimental drugs on Benjamin that gave him these super powers, and thus since they shared the same body Madison had these super powers as well.

Either way I wish they had avoided that twist all together and stayed in reality and made this a true psychological, horror/thriller that was believable. I would have been very happy giving this a 9/10 if they did and would be very much looking forward to the sequel.

I'm closer to a 4/10 after the twist but really enjoyed the movie before the twist. It's worth the watch, but not worth a second viewing.

The Bad Batch (2016)

Entertaining but misses the mark

[5/10 · 11 September 2021]

From a cinematography, acting, and visual stand point this movie delivers. Even the directing is really good when there's compelling scenes and dialogue. The problem is there's not a compelling script/story to hold this movie together.

Do I think it's worth the watch? Yes, but not if you're behind on great movies. If you're a fan of Jason, Keanu, or Jim Carrey then you could watch it for that alone .

I could have probably been happy and given this a 7/8 star review if not for that ending. I won't spoil it, but the ending was not worth the wait and I feel like it was written in such a way that they were certain that there would be a sequel, like this was just setup for something great, the problem is that when you do this you still need a compelling story with some kind of resolution and an actual cliff hanger leaving you wanting more. This movie had neither a fulfilling conclusion nor a compelling cliffhanger.

I just wish that had spent a little more time polishing the script/story before filming this, it could have been great.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Not as good as the first but it was a True to its form Comic Book Movie

[7/10 · 27 December 2020]

Honestly it wasn't anything I plan to watch again. We watched Wonder Woman about 7 or 8 times. I honestly don't think we'll watch this more than twice. I really hope it doesn't prevent a Wonder Woman III from being made.

The Rachel Maddow Show (2008– )

Propaganda in it's worst form filled with Lies

[1/10 · 8 June 2017]

I'm not affiliated with any party, but if I had to say I was anything it would be Liberal.

So, when all of my friends who share the same political view as myself told me about this show and how it was a "Must Watch" I was excited. Well after a few months of watching this and seeing real news as it comes out I realize that this show is nothing more than Propaganda, worse than you'll find on the other side of the spectrum.

She over hypes every event, with countdown clocks, live updates, pretty much any trick and tactic to get you to watch and when you tune in 90% of the time it ends up being nothing near what she's been hyping for past day or week.

It's truly a disappointment because someone with this reach, audience, and platform could use it for some good. Maybe rooting for the country you live in to do good instead of hoping for it to fail miserably. It's kind of sad how the Democratic party and their news outlets have given up on Patriotism in America

The Ranch (2016–2020)

Like a CBS sitcom with the maturity of a teenage boy

[5/10 · 1 April 2016]

I was able to watch all of the episodes - so it's "Bingeable" but I only got a few good laughs in the entire time. While a show like Modern Family manages to pull a good laugh or two each episode.

The Ranch is predictable and relatable, it's the tired sitcom, laugh track, but it's still a little bit refreshing. I would say it's something to watch, if you've run out of all your favorite regular shows, or are waiting for a new season, but I wouldn't put this in place of new episodes of your favorite shows.

---Spoiler Prediction---

To give you an idea of how predictable the show and writing is - the writers are setting it up to have Cole prepose to his ex-girlfriend with his national championship ring. I could be wrong, but it sure does feel like I'm right, as I was able to predict just about everything except how the sale with the cows went in the last episode (I thought we were going to see the Dad's character have some growth, change a little bit, and sacrifice his values to give his family something special) instead the Dad holds out, doesn't learn anything, doesn't have any character development, and still ends up having everything work out.

Danny Masterson, I love him no matter what he's in.

That one kid from Grounded for Life is the same annoying character.

The mom from Grounded for life is the same character.

Ashton Kutcher is.. well Ashton Kutcher

The Dad is the best character, but like I said, I wish there was some Arc or change with his character.

The Mom is annoying, and selfish.

The Ex is the Cliché' ex.

The Girlfriend is the Cliché' Girlfriend.

So this show is for some, those people who love Two and Half men, and the Big Bang Theory and always wished it was just a little bit less Mature and had a lot more Ball Punch jokes.

Superstore (2015–2021)

I hope they don't spoil this one (2020 they are on Track to Ruin a Good Show)

[9/10 · 30 November 2015]

Just when you miss Park and Recreation, and the Office is long over - comes Superstore; another look into an exaggerated part of the American Culture. It's an obvious mock on Walmart / Target style stores (With coloring similar to Walmart), and over the top characters that we may grow to love (If the network doesn't cancel it next week that is). Hopefully this show will pull the much needed ratings to stay alive for a few seasons to gain a following.

First of all Ben Feldman does a great job at portraying the typical American male - who has a bit of fun and slacks off just as much as he goofs around.

America Ferrera is also doing a great job as the possible love interest of our main character.

Then there's an ensemble of other great characters - with very eccentric personalities. Yes this show is stereo typical, yes this show portrays the lower class - but as the show's first joke says, sometimes one doesn't need to judge based on class, rather just sit back and enjoy the show. I think that joke was put in there intentionally - or maybe I'm reading more into it than I should.

Regardless, I've been missing a good new sitcom to fit that style of eccentric humor that was in Parks and the Office. Modern Family is great, but it didn't really hit the same level of weird humor in their characters. I hope this one lasts a few seasons.

Jonah has become over the top with his SJW behavior (I guess this does keep up with how American Males are headed)

I keep seeing reviews how "Amy is Annoying," I honestly thought she was great, her character hasn't changed much over the last few seasons, she's grown a bit, and obviously excelled at her career.

TBF the Show Could Ditch both Jonah and Amy and they would be a much more entertaining show, making Dina and Garret the main characters as they have become more entertaining.

I still think Cheyenne, Mateo, Bo, Sandra, and Marcus remain the best the show has to offer outside of Dina and Garret my two favorite characters and I hope they shift them to the lead characters in 2020 to save the show. Jonah and Amy arch has been destroyed by Jonah's over the top Annoying personality.

Fantastic Four (2015)

An Honest Review of Fantastic 4, it was Okay.

[7/10 · 10 September 2015]

(TBH this movie deserves a 6/7 rating, but not the 9% it has on RT and 4/10 here on IMDb)

I have seen a handful of the marvel franchise movies, and I have to say Guardians of the Galaxy was my favorite so far. I'm a big fan of Chris Pratt, that being said I'm also a big fan of Miles Teller (If you haven't seen Whiplash, do yourselves a favor and see it)

Now to review this movie. Fantastic 4 was not overly fantastic, but it was a good movie. It had all the elements in the story, and a very strong cast that needed some better direction on screen. It felt like a lot of the lines or scenes fell flat, because of bad direction, not necessarily bad acting. There was a hint of chemistry between the main cast, but I never really felt connected to the group as a whole. While they did do some work to establish some of the relationships, a lot of it was just done with exposition; which is lazy.

--Spoiler Maybe?--- I'm not sure if this is a spoiler, because we all know there will be a fight scene with Doom. While this scene was executed well, it felt horribly rushed. I feel like we spent 3/4 of the movie setting up this scene that felt like it lasted 5 minutes. Also there wasn't any satisfaction from the fight scene, it felt like they overcame him way way to easily. This has got to be the thing that upset me most about this movie, when I see a fight scene that we have been waiting for the entire movie, I really want to see my protagonist characters put every bit of their effort into beating the antagonist.

That being said, the 5 - 10 minutes of fight scene that was there, was pretty visually stunning. However, I had some mixed feelings about who I should be rooting for. I mean in one hand they set up Doom in a way you feel sympathy for him, and they show him as "weak" to start, but then out of nowhere Doom is the bad ass we were expecting, with a mission to destroy Earth to save his planet. I just felt like they could have done a little more to set up "Dooms" character and his objective.

Now the moral of Fantastic 4 is "Team Work" and this is something else that was sporadically set up throughout the movie, but was not executed well at the end. You'll see for yourself if you decide to see it.

This movie is worthy of a Redbox rental, but he had the potential to be one of the greatest Marvel movies to date. I think this is why so many people are upset and being so harsh on the movie, because it had so much potential and fell pretty flat.

4/10 Directing by Trank was lazy, and this can be seen in the acting, and execution of important scenes.

4/10 Writing was not strong. It felt rushed, it felt like ideas where there, but didn't have time to get flushed out and put together properly.

5/10 Acting, what a great cast, and such amazing potential. However, the cast did not end up working, and I feel like the bad chemistry or lack of chemistry we saw on screen has to do with bad directing, and one overly confusing script.

10/10 Sound track, cinematography, and visual effects. The real heroes of this movie are the ones behind the scenes. The DP, the VFX supervisor, the artist, the editors. They put together some stunning visuals, some amazing lighting, beautiful sets, and overall deserve much praise for the great job they did here. To bad it was wasted on a unfinished script, horrible directing, and a talented cast that just didn't have it all together.

Maron (2013–2016)

Marc Maron like Fine Wine gets better with Age

[10/10 · 15 June 2015]

I found Marc Maron about two years back - bored with FM radio and hearing the same songs every 30 minutes. I decided to turn to my iPhone for some Ted Talks - and accidentally stumbled across Maron's WTF... none the less he has been a voice I've grown fond of.

I was very excited to hear that he got a TV-Show and that it would center around his life as a PodCaster. I had heard mixed reviews - basically saying it's a "Rip off of Louie."

I patiently waited for NetFlix to carry Maron - as I don't have cable and never intend to get it (Sorry Marc I know how you want us to watch it on IFC, but I just can't see doing cable ever when I'm happy with my $8 a month Netflix service)

The first season came - and I binged on it for 3 days straight - repeating episodes, rewatching the season twice.

The second season came - and I binge watched it for 2 days straight (Re-watching the first season to refresh myself)

This show is nothing like "Louie" at all. Marc cares about continuity, He cares about story - and character development (Although with Marc's character I kind of wish we would see a little more growth - I feel like we are starting with Marc as he was last year, or maybe two years ago - I might rewind it to the point where he was sober for just a year or two and start the character development from there). None the less it's still great, and it's nothing like Louie.

Maron is a Refreshing bit of honesty and real story telling in a world filled with special effects, big budgets, and green screens. I hope this show lasts for many seasons to come - and I hope Marc the best of luck in life as he grows his career to it's full potential.

Touch (2012–2013)

Every Episode has Proved to be Amazing

[10/10 · 7 April 2012]

They take time in the story line of each episode, you can tell the writers really care about this show. A different review compared this to Fringe, This show is about 1,000,000 x's better than Fringe. I would say that the writers are at the caliber of Breaking Bad, Different Genre of course, but still this show is up there. If Fox cancels Touch, it would only be canceling the Next best show - I predict multiple awards for this show as well.

If you haven't gotten started watching Touch, I highly suggest it - as it will be the new office cooler talk TV Show for the next couple of years.

Brake (I) (2012)

Yet another Great movie Killed by a Second ending

[7/10 · 11 March 2012]

This is yet another example of a director over extending his movie with a predictable ending. Yes it's always for some outrageous twist, and you're always left saying to yourself why, oh why did they not just end it there.

I would have given this a solid 9/10 stars - for fans of Buried - if they had cut the last 11minutes out of this one.

First off the first portion of this movie was cinematically pleasing, intense and the overall pacing was perfect.

The twist at the end (2/10)... was pointless, looked like a day time soap - the way it was shot and way to predictable. The entire last half I was saying to myself ... I bet this is a .... I won't ruin it for you. Please, please before you release this in a cinema get rid of that horrible excuse for an ending and end it where it should have.

I feel bad giving this movie any lower than a 7 as it was really good... up to that pointless and predictable twist.

Beauty Day (2011)

Captain Video - Great documentary

[8/10 · 11 March 2012]

This is a very wonderful documentary. However they say that he came before Johnny Knoxville and the Jack Ass guys. However, before the Jack Ass guys were "Jack Ass" they were "CKY" so I'm so confused as to who really came first, but I would love to know. Some of the skits he did, like the snorting of the raw egg was similar to the wasabi snort in Jack Ass. His hair pie, I'm positive the other guys did this with Ball Hair.

Either way this was an awesome little documentary. A man with a camera and one shot who did some crazy stuff. It's worth the watch and if you like Jack Ass or CKY then you'll totally love this.

Puncture (2011)

An Absolute True Gem

[10/10 · 14 January 2012]

This movie was written by Paul Danziger and is based on true events.

I can't stress enough how important it is that you see this movie; and how much it will change your mind or open your mind to the horror that is going on everyday. This movie has beautiful cinematography, a beautiful story with a great moral.

"Sometimes the brightest light shines in the darkest places," is a reoccurring theme in this movie and is really pushed home. The actors do an amazing job of bringing home the point as well. They acting is a 10/10, Cinematography 10/10, the story line is a 20/10, the directing is a 10/10 and there really is no excuse for you not to see this movie. It really is a hidden gem and I wish I could have seen it in the theaters.

Impulse Black (2011)

A surprising good (Long) short

[6/10 · 30 December 2011]

First off, I was wondering why they called this a short film when it was 50 minutes. I realize a feature is normally 90 minutes, and a short is normally 5 - 20 minutes. This one falls into a different category though. Anyways that has nothing to do with the film.

First off if you read my reviews you will no I'm not one of the people that write a 10/10 for one title and that's it. I watch and review a lot of movies. - OK now that all thats' out of the way.

Last year a movie called "ink" came out. This was probably one of the best low budget films I have seen in years. Impulse Black is probably going to be my favorite for this year (Under 100k). I actually saw it on their Vimeo; I was watching the trailer and the next movie up on their Vimeo page was the movie. This movie doesn't follow a typical heroes journey, and there is not an inciting incident, or at least there wasn't one that I could point out. It basically throws you right into the action. At times it's day dream / to reality gets confusing. The acting is very average, the lead "Riley Cole" does a decent job, but 80% of the cast need to be switched out if there is a remake (Also I would switch Riley out if there is more money put behind it). The Voice Over gets very annoying, and I would almost suggest that they trim it out; as most people in Film Schools learn Voice Overs are only used to tell what you can't with visuals - or to lead you into a flash back. I think the Director watched to much Dexter, as I can see it rubbing off greatly in the style and writing.

The camera work at times was very progressive. While it's not anywhere near the Caliber of Lars Von Trier, it is a big step away from the Classical technique we have all become so accustomed to. The best thing about this film is the Concept, The Director, The Execution of the Idea. The Things that are holding this film back - Money, Good Acting, Back Story (Rewrite of the script), and the Director needs to better understand the Principles of classic film making (I've never seen so many breaking of the 180 Rule in my life). He has a great eye for a good shots, but I feel like he's lacking in the principles.

This film was also over color corrected. My best guess is that it was shot on a 5D Mark ii, and a lot of people over color correct with DSLR's, which is a shame because with light color correction you get really beautiful shots. This entire film needs to be re-shot and the director needs to take a step down and AD under a person with a bit more experience. I would say if he had been able to pull better performances out of his cast, this movie might actually win some awards.

All and all, it's worth checking out. I doubt most will make it past the first 10 minutes, and with a bit of money, some better acting and directing this movie could have been on shelves and in theaters. "Great concept, and you can tell they poured their heart into this film, just not enough money to make this a contender"

The Amityville Haunting (2011 Video)

Tyler Benson Is probably the worst Actor ever

[1/10 · 24 December 2011]

This movie would be worth watching if the Kid wasn't such a horrible actor. On top of him being a horrible actor he has the Main camera the entire time. It was actually a great premise though, in the spirit of Paranormal Activity; but seeing the production company and remembering their failure "paranormal entity" I figured this one didn't stand much of a chance either. I was wrong this one was worse, if that's possible.

The youngest daughter's performance was the only one worth anything. I really did buy her character and she did a great job with it. It's sad that the youngest character in the cast was the best.

I would stay away from this one, unless you are an absolute horror fanatic and love the really cheesy / campy horrors.

1/10 stars - the one star goes to the youngest daughter - Great performance by her.

Empty (I) (2011)

This movie has a Great concept but is poorly executed

[1/10 · 17 August 2011]

I understand that this is an independent film with a small budget, but there is so many plot holes and unmotivated behaviors in this movie that it is so unpleasing to watch. I'm a big inde fan, but only when the acting and directing can compensate for the budget. The ending of this movie is probably the worst I've seen in years. All and all I would say if you're really bored and have run out of all other options give it a go, but this movie is an absolute waste of time and energy. Trust me I hate being hard on an inde film, but this has to be one of the worst films I've seen in the last ten years. AVOID AT ALL COSTS...

As far as the plot holes.. well the idea is that America has depleted its gas supply and we follow one couples journey for survival in these semi-apocalyptic times. Here's where we run into the big problems. There are many alternative energy sources outside of Gas in America, people would be able to get around just fine with Bicycles and a Gas Depletion would be seen months if not years in advance. There would be conservation limits set into effect and certain non gas efficient vehicles would be outlawed. In the film Europe is stated as conserving their gas with the shortage and if this were true than Europe would be helping America out through this depletion. This film takes a great idea and rushes to chaos. There would be months and months of back story that should have been somehow included into this story that were left out. There is really to many plot holes to write here. The ending was the most ridiculous I've seen in years. If you can manage to sit through the horrid performance and unbelievable story all the way to the end you will know exactly what I'm talking about. If you want something that is an Inde Flick that is similar to this but is executed properly I might suggest, "Monsters" "Carriers" or even "Stakeland" these are all amazing inde Flicks that this movie can't even come close to competing with.

Uninhabited (2010)

Well executed

[8/10 · 17 August 2011]

The movie starts very slow, with a cliché type love story.. two lovers deserted on an island for a getaway. However the two are in for a surprise when what they think is Kid's messing around with them ends up being something a bit more. I don't want to spoil it to much, but this is one of those low budget inde films that has great acting, amazing cinematography and the directing to put it all together.

The concept behind this movie is a bit overplayed, but if I could say anything about this film it's like The Grudge, Meets Castaway; so, you can see how this one made for some intriguing screen play.

I really hope people give this one a chance and I would imagine that if this movie had a better marketing campaign it might have made some real box office numbers.

Keep in mind this isn't for your blood, guts and sex horror fan. This movie is for the person that truly appreciates cinema and real cinematic suspense. There is no great effort put into Visual Effects or even the use of violent imagery, but the point is very well made.

Overall I give this one an 8/10 and say it's Definitely worth the Watch.

Source Code (2011)

Brilliant Story, Brilliant Concept and Jake Gyllenhaal

[10/10 · 11 June 2011]

I watched this movie, not expecting some brilliant film. Rather I expected a typical Hollywood assembly line style movie. The concept seemed to similar to the likes of "Inception" from the trailers I had seen. Now while at first the hook of this movie seems as though it will be one that drags... watching this 8 minute scene over and over. I believe the most exciting part was when Gyllenhaal's character (Colter Stevens or Sean) surprises his lady friend by predicting the future, (As he has relieved this moment in time over and over).

I couldn't have been any more wrong about my assumptions with this movie. The idea itself behind the source code; being able to recreate the last 8 minutes of someones life as if it were a dwindling remnant of a light turned off, was a quite refreshing concept in itself. The movie's arc is Gyllenhaal's assignment to catch the man who planted the bomb, while we find multiple stories hanging off of this arc. We are given a few true touching moments throughout this flick that are all to relatable to each and everyone of us as well.

Without spoiling to much of this movie i will simply say the stories concept with the "Source Code" itself is the most refreshing part of this cinematic masterpiece. The Acting is superb, with no unintended humorous beats and it even may bring a tear to the light hearted. The ending of this movie is one that leaves your mind wondering. I would put this movie well above inception. It's definitely worth watching!

The Woman (I) (2011)

This movie catches you from the Start

[10/10 · 1 June 2011]

I was excited to see this film from the start. The opening scene is quite a hook. The performance from the woman is superb. The story line is fresh and never has to long of a boring beat. The performance of the rest of the cast is well above industry standard. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see a movie like this hit my screen. Perhaps my favorite part of the movie is how (Wait for the dominating gun shot) the way the audio engineers "Foley artists" and actor's performances draw you into feeling this movie. It's one of those flicks, you get so into it.. you simply forget that you're watching a movie. This movie builds suspense cinematically, "There are no gimmicks here folks" its good old fashion cinematic suspense. We're talking all story and visuals, no special effects to rely on. No James Cameron budget, but we get a more powerful movie than, (The only comparison I could find to it) Black Snake Moan. OK so you get the idea, go watch it already!

The Shrine (2010)

Not worth your Time.

[3/10 · 31 May 2011]

Any movie that relies on music to build its suspense, instead of visual cues is already going to be seen as poor. I don't care if this is low budget, I watch great low budget films all the time. (Just watched "Stake Land" early this week and it's one the low budgeters that hold their weight. Sadly I can't say the same for "The Shrine." Waste yourself the time and stay far, far away from this one.

***********Don't read beyond here Spoilers for first third of movie**********

If you have chosen to read beyond this point it means that you are not going to watch this giant waste of time and I have thus saved you a good thirty minutes better spent watching South Park or something of that nature. Oh and the Shrine is a Food Coloring, Corn Syrup spewing gargoyle straight out of "Ghost Busters." Don't take it the wrong way though this film has nothing in comparison with "Ghost Busters." Poor, poor movie.