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bobbyandbeans
Reviews
Zombie House Flipping (2016)
Just flip houses already, you're not entertaining at all
You know what's really irritating about all the fake incidents and made up drama? House flipping itself almost always has real problems and unexpected "hiccups." You don't need to fake someone falling off a ladder or flooding the place to make the process seem more complicated or challenging than it is.
Plus, a lot of people (myself included) watch flipping shows for practical tips and to really learn how to renovate a space. If they just acted like professionals, they'd have a great show. As it is, I feel like I'm watching a group of first-time homeowners who know nothing about home improvement.
Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies (2022)
Shame on you Peacock
Casey had her chance to talk back when the cops showed up on her doorstep, for the 3 years she was in jail waiting trial, and then again when in court.
And what did she do?
She LIED from the minute the police arrived and never stopped LYING. A jury found her guilty of LYING to the police (sadly, the only thing they found her guilty of) and she was sentenced to over 3 years in prison for LYING (she was given time served while waiting trial plus a few weeks, for anyone who missed how that worked out).
And now Peacock has given a proven, convicted LIAR airtime... to do what, LIE some more?
Even in the previews, she's "crying" (I don't see any real tears, no red nose or face...) about how "No one ever asked me why..."
EVERYONE asked her WHY about everything, repeatedly!
WHY, whatever stupid story you want us to believe (and now we know there was no babysitter named Zaneida and poor Caylee was already dead by the time the police were called) didn't you call the police? Don't tell me it's because you were afraid of your father. You were an adult by then, well away from him.
WHY did you lie to the police about where you worked?
WHY did you lie to your mother about needing her to babysit so you could work, when we now know that you were unemployed at the time?
WHY did you lie about someone named Zaneida?
WHY did you lie and make up so many nonexistent people in your life?
WHY did you lie about having talked to Caylee on the phone just a few days before the police showed up, when we now know she was already dead by then?
If you want us to believe that your father is responsible for Caylee's death, or you just "don't know what happened," then WHY did you write in your journal that you were the happiest you'd ever been? WHY did you get a "beautiful life" tattoo?
WHY, if your stupid story of Caylee drowning in the pool was true (and no one believes that BTW) was there duct tape over her face?
WHY did you make 80+ searches for chloroform on your computer?
WHY didn't you just give that sweet baby to her grandparents if you wanted to party so bad? You were afraid of your father? Then we're back to the question of why you had your mother babysit when you actually didn't have a job to go to.
Her stupid friend says that the Casey she knows would never hurt her child, she "loved" that child. Well, there was never any signs that Susan Smith abused her two boys before she strapped them in the backseat of her car and let it roll into the river, so she could be free of them and date her rich boyfriend (look her up). Anything that the friend of a proven LIAR has to say is pointless and there were pictures of Caylee with a black eye and other bruises, so god only knows what happened in that house.
Casey is a convicted, proven LIAR and still everything out of her mouth is all about her, from her point of view, just a big pity party. I've never seen anyone so narcissistic.
Seriously Peacock, shame on you.
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins (2022)
Poor hosting and interviews torpedo it
I love true crime but Dateline and 48 Hours etc work because the hosts know how to present a case in a way that keeps the viewer hooked. Faith Jenkins is just pure cringe, every segment starts with "when I was a prosecutor, when I was a judge, we in law enforcement..." Good lord, who cares? It just detracts, pulling the show down. 4 out of 10 just for the stories themselves.
Marcia Clark Investigates The First 48 (2018)
My new pet peeve
I love true crime but shows like this are quickly becoming my new pet peeve. Take the first episode, rehashing Casey Anthony. A team of detectives spent literally HUNDREDS of hours going over evidence, digging into Casey's social media and computer searches, interviewing her family, friends, and even neighbors, plus out looking for Caylee (or her remains).
Now Marcia Clark is gonna come in over a decade later, after they did all the actual hard work and research, and "investigate" and "use her own expertise to shed new light" on the case? In a whopping few days, not counting time spent in the makeup chair, no less.
Shows like this are just a complete insult to those who worked themselves sick during the original investigation. Not to mention, they did it for the sole reason of trying to find Caylee, not hog the spotlight.
Crime Scene Confidential (2022)
I'm usually forgiving of poor quality because I love true crime, but...
First of all, I support personal expression but cannot take seriously a woman with pink hair, frosty lipstick to match her gross frosty nails, more makeup than they put on a corpse, piercings everywhere, and dressed like she's headed to the bar, at least not as a grownup, smart scientist.
That aside, I watched the Casey Anthony case from 2008 all the way through the 2011 trial and had nothing but mad respect for those detectives. Now this woman, who only did forensics and then worked some office job, is going to swoop in over a decade later and act like she's in a position to offer an opinion? (Where is Yuri Melich's TV show? The one guy who deserves the spotlight probably doesn't want it because he really is about the victims, not the cameras.)
I also agree with the other reviewer who said it was sickening to watch this woman sit and cry with Cindy Anthony. Cindy lied about doing searches for chloroform herself, to protect Casey. Gee, I wonder where Casey learned to lie so well and so often. That horrid family doesn't deserve an ounce of sympathy from anyone.
You can tell even from the promos that this show is just a love letter from Alina to Alina. What a slap in the face to real investigators and true crime journalists. Sorry but it's a no from me dawg.
And Just Like That... (2021)
And Just Like That ... I Wasted 45 Minutes of My Life
I tuned into this show hoping that age would improve the characters, whom I thought were interesting but never the huge feminist icons fans made them out to be. Instead, Miranda, an experienced corporate lawyer now in her late 50s, is a babbling idiot who can't even set down rules for her own son, with all the grace, maturity, self-awareness, and self-control of a 17 year old just stepping into the world.
Charlotte gets hysterical when one daughter doesn't want to wear some awful dress, as that will mean the girls won't all be in florals. Yes, in her mid-50s, this is her version of a crisis and something worth arguing over. Ugh.
And of course Carrie is still so childish and helpless that she only screams hysterically when someone is dying in front of her rather than even attempting to call 911, much less perform CPR or anything else.
The women haven't grown, they've been infantilized even more than they were in the series.
The original series also had a nice mix of eccentric but usually likable-in their-own-way supporting characters; this show introduces an overweight, in your face, unattractive podcaster with the personality of a running chainsaw, and Brady isn't some expression of free sexuality, he's just spoiled and bratty.
I also hated the way they subtly threw shade at Kim Cattrall by making Samantha the bad guy in their "breakup." What a terrible thing to do to an actress who did so much with her character and brought so much to the show for so many years. Just respect and move on? Oh right, that's not what immature children do.
I agree with one commenter who joked that the Ryan Reynolds Peloton commercial was Mr. Big faking his death so he could get away; I wouldn't blame him.
Ich bin dein Mensch (2021)
Disappointed.
Not since Carrie Bradshaw have I seen a female character who is supposed to be contemplative and observant written as immature and inconsiderate as Alma. She is an archeologist so there is obviously no lack of intelligence, but every moment she's onscreen, Alma comes across as resentful and shallow. She agreed to this experiment, she's a scientist whose entire life's work is about observing human development, and yet she acts like a child angry that the stepfamily has moved in and invaded her space. There are no deep, intelligent exchanges between the characters, only a one-note robot mansplaining to Alma what she needs to do to be happy and a supposed mature scientist basically giving him the finger for two hours. Dan Stevens is a gift and his performance was adorable, rising well above the material; otherwise, this film was more irritating than engaging.
JW Broadcasting (2014)
Hacked Up Bible, Manmade "Religion"
Jehovah's Witnesses have their own inaccurate, biased translation of the bible and their teachings are full of misinterpretations (i.e., believing the number 144,000 in Revelation is literal and represents the only people who will go to heaven). Their broadcasting channel constantly begs for money, encourages women to consider staying in abusive marriages, slanders those who have left and who criticize their practices, and the list goes on. Their religion is far from loving or accurate and their broadcasting channel is just embarrassingly awful.
Equilibrium (2002)
So Much Potential
This movie is very interesting and I give it kudos for trying to tackle the subject of a fascist government and their enforcers the way that it did, but every time I watch it I just see how much potential it has to be better. Most audience members pick up on the gun swap plot hole immediately, which means writer-director Kurt Wimmer should have as well.
When movie makers give up common sense for the sake of being slick and smooth, this too is bothersome. The gunfight scenes, where Bale is standing in one place while shooting at various targets, is a bit silly. Standing in one place makes you an easy target, and no amount of supposed physical training will change that.
A few other cleanups to the plot and overall premise might have also made it a bit more believable. For example, why not have a regimented, rigid society where you're forced to medicate if you don't follow the rules? I have a hard time believing an entire society of people would just take doses of a mind-altering drug without question, and rounding up criminals and forcing them to medicate seems more logical than just killing people on sight. Forcing medication onto dangerous criminals and those with violent mental illnesses is already a hot topic today, so I can see it being worked into a script somewhat easily.
Even with these shortcomings, the film is definitely worth watching and it has its own appeals. The action sequences were IMHO better than the overblown Matrix walking-on-ceiling scenes, and the delivery of the message in Equilibrium was much less heavy-handed than the constant sermonizing in the Matrix trilogy. Bale does a great job as the tough guy that suddenly discovers his heart, and Taye Diggs holds his own as the self-absorbed company man. Fichtner is always fun to watch, and of course it's just not an action movie until Sean Bean dies. I highly recommend giving it a try, if you can overlook its few shortcomings and appreciate what it does get right.