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The Traitors UK: Episode #2.12 (2024) Season 2, Episode 12

Logic

[8/10 · 9 April 2024]

I was angry at Mollie and she should be too (for a reasonably short time), not because she has been played the whole time and been kept as voting sheep, no that could have happend to almost everyone.

But because she failed to see the basic logic in the finale. If one known/found traitor (Andrew) names a person (Harry), this person HAS to be another traitor. There is no other reason why a traitor would choose to banish again in the finale. They would win everything anyway if they were the last traitor. How can one not see that?

I am sure she regrets her decision very deeply and hope her trust in people isn't effed up for life.

You People (2023)

Sad waste of great actors

[5/10 · 29 January 2023]

No laughs. No relatable human behaviour. A string of stale scenes stapled together missing every beat. It feels fake and constructed.

Did this movie want to teach us something? Be funny and insightful or a rom-com? It failed on all counts.

The worst is that the movie is full of actors, even in the smallest parts, that have proven themselves to be capable of so much more. The script and pacing/direction are to blame. What a waste of an opportunity and tons of talent.

It's great that people find joy in the most different of things, but to whomever giving this movie a hig rating: I doubt your sincerity, especially in a professional setting. There you have your movie.

Dracula (2020)

Evolution has dead ends.

[8/10 · 5 January 2020]

I did read the over 100-year-old original. It mostly does hold up, but I doubt that a person with present day story consumption habits, who writes reviews here of how appalled they are of this attempt at an evolution, would find no grievances against that too.

The first episode is largely drawn from the source and succeeds in creating the old, mysterious world and the count in it, establishing the rules.

The addition of Agatha the badass nun (Sister Johanna Constantina) works very well because she is the thinking modern viewer, who knows so much more about vampires and could be easily bored with the same tropes all over again. She pokes at the count and with that at the vampire mythology, wants to go beyond what we know and find a unifying theory behind the count's weaknesses.

Her character and acting are a highlight and the best addition in this version of the most well-known vampire, who is also portrayed capturingly, though at times lacking intimidation because of Agatha's incredible unfaltering strength.

Yes, it is true, as we go further in the series we diverge further from the source material, epsiode 3 being basically completely new. Is that a bad thing? In principle certainly not. The count has to adapt to new times and so do stories.

I simply didn't much enjoy how they handled it. Becoming to much of the times made the count boring, robbing him of his essence.

To me the conclusion, especially the last scene, was not reasonably derived.

So, enjoy episodes 1 + 2 and only watch 3 with lowered expectations if the cliffhanger proves too captivating.

Knives Out (2019)

Huge PLOTHOLE in the donut hole.

[8/10 · 1 January 2020]

Nobody but Ransom knew about the ATTEMPT to change the medicine.

Why - on what basis - would Fran, who only saw Ransom shuffling trough the bag, try to extort him?

The old man had a cut throat. Why even ask her cousin to get the toxicology report for her? On top of this illogical unfolding of events, the toxicology report was clean! That should have stopped her even acting on suspicion.

Other weird stuff: when did Ransom have time to torch the lab or kill Fran (who meets the very presumptuously suspected attempted murderer alone and unarmed)? Wasn't he WITH Marta?

Apart from that I did feel it was a bit boring at times. What is the viewer supposed to do if the "murder" is explained early on and no other suspects are presented with opportunity? Sure, they all have reason but none is shown to could have done it.

Nonetheless I spun my yarn of how readily the old man cut his own throat and had a plan ready for Marta's escape. Changed up medicine was the first idea and it smelled like a plan to smoke out the rats in his family. It wasn't though, just ironic heroics to deliver an emotional punch of him committing suicide in vain.

I liked the atmosphere and the acting. My rating is more a 7,51. The cast made me round up.

Star Trek: Discovery: Such Sweet Sorrow (2019) Season 2, Episode 13

Teary goodbyes and pathetic speeches.

[4/10 · 12 April 2019]

How often did Burnham cry or have some kind of dramatic outburst? How often did she and Tyler had melodramatic last second we-will-never-ever-see-each-other-again kiss scenes?

It is repetetive, blunt, annoying, forced.

Her step-parents beam by, obviously faster than a lunatic Killer-AI ever could, to prolong the drama and rack up the goodbyes. Sure, half an hour until the T1000-Section-31-Captain and his armada turn up is plenty. Also obviously Sarek could not have called/brought anyone for help. Sure, sure.

Why exactly does the bridge crew - completeley unnecessarily - join Burnham on her mission without return (after saying goodbye for half an hour)? Because they are friends?? Do they want to live in the future??

I kept writing reviews in hopes to be a pebble in the ocean to turn the tides for this show.

Are there good salvageable parts of this show? Sure, but what good are pieces of chocolate if they are smeared with poop?

I can no longer care for this space soap BS. It is not Star Trek and it certainly is not good.

Huge in France (2019)

Only horrible people.

[6/10 · 12 April 2019]

He (the real Gad, who speaks of himself in the 3rd person) is a narcissist, everybody who has ever seen anything with him, knows that. No surprise, also not really funny. Your jokes don't land? People don't recognize your genius? Aww, poor manipulative millionaire.

It never feels like a parodic, hightened version of himself, more like the viewer should feel pity if not sympathy for the poor guy.

She, his ex, is a hollywood housewife clichee. Life coach, pyjama designer, treats her man(-toy) of 8 years like s*hit. Like an disgruntled ex-husband would write an ex-wife...

Their son is a one-track-mind spoiled wanna-be model brat.

They are just all horrible people.

Except, when we meet Jason Allan Ross, the hunky failed actor, he might elicit sympathetic emotions in the viewer, because he gets mistreated by all the aforementioned garbage people. Then he get's manipulated and sinks himself with and into his method acting, neglecting everybody around him (like he was by them).

The guy playing him is actually the best actor of the bunch, and he has the most emotional arc/changes/developement of the series.

Without laughs it is not a comedy. Without a protagonist to root for its not a drama.

It is not a bad series, it just is filled only with rotten characters.

Star Trek: Discovery: The Red Angel (2019) Season 2, Episode 10

Was her name foreshadowing - "burn ham" - all along?

[5/10 · 11 April 2019]

I rooted for Burnham to die so that Star Trek may live. Torture wouldn't have been necessary but the writers can't pass by a ridiculous and unnecessary opportuity for melodrama. Screaming in agony and bubbling face are imperative for time-travel-momma-bear/mom #1 to hear her.

Moms #2-4: Spock's mom, good and, for some reason, bad Georgiou. Btw: For what reason exactly did that section 31 captain take the blame and punches for??

I do like my entertainment logical, but if it's time-travel, that's impossible anyway, so that part of the brain can/has to stay disengaged. What is left in story-telling without causality/established rules...? People and emotion-salad. If I would care about the characters, that might work.

I never watched anything that made me go "öarghh" so often. 5% ok epsiodes is just not enough for me.

Star Trek is about discovery, not about a world that revolves around it's super-heroine and her exploits. She got away with her ham burned. She should have died.

Star Trek: Discovery: The Sound of Thunder (2019) Season 2, Episode 6

Prime Directive - Schmime Detective

[6/10 · 23 February 2019]

It starts out in true Star Trek fashion, a new world - the homeworld of the most interesting character at that, so we have personal investment and emotions - a new species, an alien society in conflict to serve as parable, YES, is this when Discovery becomes true Star Trek?

But then: the Discovery decides to speed up an entire species' evolution because they deem it the right thing to do! They play gods, throwing away the prime directive in delusional moral superiority!

It's ll right, because the Ba'ul are dark slimey monsters and destiny has told them to via the Red Angel. Great, they are religious zealots on a crusade now! Bluargch.

On top of that, the Discovery threatens the Ba'ul. If this wasn't dead serious, it could be a parody of U.S. interventionism.

The Red Angel zooms in - superhero fairy style - and saves the day, preventing the Discovery from getting their hands even dirtier. And of course, the Ba'ul will be totally chill about all this in the future.

The obvious ridiculousness of Saru triggering the planetwide evolution from his cell (!) is comparatively negligible.

The last episode of the Orville really outshines this, they have a real Star Trek writer.

PS: If the Red Angel turns out to be Michael Sue Burnham, I'll be very very annoyed.

Star Trek: Discovery: Brother (2019) Season 2, Episode 1

You liked the last movies? This is what Star Trek is now.

[6/10 · 20 January 2019]

A new season, a fresh start. I was somewhat hopeful, at least curious. Then I was annyoyed. I said to myself, ah, come on, it's just a couple minutes in, keep going. Then I was annoyed again. And again. And Again. The writing is moronic. Send me the scripts, I make them 20% less laughable for free.

Morse code. Really? WOW. Apart from the lack of logic (not a standard to be found here), is there any older trope for ingenuity? The entire scene is ridiculous, uh, action drama, we can't communicate, let's loose our excrements, oh wait, Pike beams over, all cool. Then elevator slapstick.

The tone and pacing is all over the place.

Everybody solemnly pledges to never leave nobody behind, because that's what Star Fleets "moral authority" is all about...

Half-witted officer dies, no one even mentions him again. Cool. Must have been the mark by the snot of death (bodily fluids humour is exactly not what they should have copied from the Orville).

They came up with a new version of the "enhance image" trope, it's Saru's eyes! He is the only one able to take advantage of the Discovery's screen full resolution, but only if specifically told to look closely. Obviously.

Of course everybody talks fantasy-techno-babble, but the actors can't convincingly sell it because there is zero research behind the words, so they are not even remotely grounded in current understanding of physics. Sure, who cares, the average Star Trek fan wouldn't even know the difference, right?

So what is this even about? Some mysterious signal..ok. Let's explore. A red angel?? Premonitions? Ugh, come on, how clichée can you get?

Ah, I don't want to waste any more time on listing stupidity. Its sad that the excellent visuals and production value get wasted on those scripts. As if no one switches on their brain and actually reads before making it.

Even sadder, Alex Kurtzman, director of this episode and co-writer of the J.J. Abrams Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, oversees everything Trek. That is the direction. It is no mistake. It's popcorn movies.You like the last Star Trek Movies? That is what Discovery is going to be.

The Sting (1973)

Why? How is this movie so highly regarded?

[6/10 · 16 January 2019]

The writing is utterly predictable even though illogical and riddled with holes. Won an Oscar. Putting my brain on low and suspending my disbelief is not what I want from movies like this, they are build around a clever con, then be clever, surprise me. There are many episodes of the TV show "Hustle" better than this movie.

Many (!) scenes between main characters exist solely to mislead the audience, no need to play conning each other all dramatically behind closed doors. It is quite annoying if you already smell the rat.

"Comedy"? Didn't even smile once. Costumes? Well, ok, a couple of pinstripe suits and a completely unnecessary fake beard = Oscar. The music is annoying, basically the same melody over and over, kept reminding me of Tom &Jerry. Won an Oscar. And so on...to win "Best Picture".

Sidenote, rigged poker game: he changes your ordered cards? Well, then show everyone the whole deck, his cards have to be doubles. Not a big deal, most people won't care, still so badly thought out. So many unnecessarily risky/easily examinable situations to make it cinematic.

As soon as the "FBI" says to keep it from the police, no mystery for the finale is left. Boring and stupid(ly acting people).

Without the charme of the two (morally bankrupt...) protagonists this movie has nothing. 6* might be too much, but I watched until the end hoping they might still surprise me. They didn't.

Accidental Love (2015)

Like an Adam-Sandler-Movie that wants to be clever

[4/10 · 9 November 2015]

Deformed dick and prolapsed anus aside (yes, those are the "medical conditions" that make the characters rally for health-care), this movie can only be useful as a bad example for film-school.

An impressive benchmark how a movie filled with a great cast AND led by a good director can turn out REALLY bad. Even the premise is relatively original.

The certainly intentional overacting makes everyone a caricature but unfortunately reaps no laughs at all. None.

The political satire part squibbed because the movie is so far over the top that it can't be taken seriously. Politics serve just as setting not the focus of a persiflage.

If you want to see how director David O. Russel does a better job with about the same budget, watch "I Heart Huckabees", which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Coherence (2013)

More please - but better. Read only AFTER you have seen the movie.

[7/10 · 19 January 2015]

Would you be afraid of your doppelgängers? To me there are quite some questionable decisions the protagonists make. Why going over to the house multiple times and never actually interacting with the "others"? How got they mixed up so much? Why copying what the red house has done, if you already know what they did? Then again, in an infinite multiverse, someone will make these decisions...in mine, that took away from the experience.

Why not throw her trough the dark, then she'd be really gone from that universe? The ending: Getting out and calling? What do you need the ring for then? Meh...

Nevertheless I hope to see more movies like that. Thanks to the makers :)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

A short film would have sufficed.

[6/10 · 16 January 2015]

Everything is said and done in the first scenes, what comes afterwards is just more of the same. A never-ending carousel of obsession, self-doubt, craving for admiration. Boring even with forcefully urging drums.

Sure, the serpentine, continuous camera-work puts you right in Birdman's state of mind and the drawn-out time-line heightens the intensity but I surely didn't need to feel that for 2 hours only to have no closing statement.

Everybody besides the Birdman and maybe Edward Norton's character is just a flat bystander. They are just flimsy obstacles for him to ignore. Nobody seems like a real person, the actors are all caricatures.

It may seem as if Iñárritu is making fun of Hollywood/blockbusters/self-absorbedness/insecurities/vanities but with this over-long, dare I say never-ending, torture he is revealing himself as highly pretentious.

Maybe I just can't relate to the subjects of this movie (self- obsessed admiration-seekers). I had a hard time staying until the end.