tusseymussey-194-140225 Reviews

Upgraded (2024)

Pleasantly much more than I expected

[9/10 · 9 February 2024]

I watched this movie tonight after a rough day at work. I was looking for lighthearted fluff that I didn't need to pay attention to. That was not what I received.

Camila Mendes is pretty amazing. I loved her as Veronica in Riverdale but her character was limited by the writers and you didn't get to see her acting chops. This lovely distraction shows more of what she's capable of... comedic timing, chemistry, and a depth I'd not seen before.

What I thought was a Hallmark movie after reading the description turned out to be a darn good rom-com/Cinderella story. The script and acting were solid, as was the casting. I'm looking forward to a lot more from Camila Mendes!

After Darkness (2014)

WIsh I'd read the reviews first :(

[1/10 · 24 September 2020]

This was a complete waste of an hour and 35 minutes. I really wish I'd read the reviews first. Promising premise that went absolutely nowhere and the journey to get to nowhere wasn't even good. SO disappointed.

Top Chef (2006– )

I've watched every season and really enjoyed it

[8/10 · 22 August 2018]

I've learned a LOT from this show. It's not just a reality show; it actually teaches you how to be a better chef. That being said, the politics of it can get ugly. I'm going back and re-watching all seasons right now. I'm on Season 9's Ep 15 now and I can't remember who won. However, I'm hoping very much that the bully named Sarah didn't win. Lindsey's behavior can also be described as bullying towards Beverly. I can't understand how people actually make themselves feel better by being mean to other people. Here's hoping Karma is a real thing.

Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)

So much better than I expected!

[9/10 · 19 September 2012]

It's pretty amazing and SO not what I was expecting from the write-up. For the first couple of episodes, I was like..."Ummm," and not sure I could get into it. But the lead character, Emma, reminded me so much of a younger Candice Bergen that I had to stick with it. She's compelling. I'm glad I did now. I'm up to episode 15 (via Netflix) in the 1st season (2011) and am really happy to know it's been renewed; season 2 episodes begin airing Sept. 30th and I'll be DVR'ing them.

The gist is that Fairy Tale World is under a curse by a mad queen--the same bitch who tried to kill Snow White. Anyway, she found a way to curse all of those who lived in fairy tales and they're now living in modern times, with no memory of their own world. They cannot leave their town without something bad happening to them. The Queen Bitch is aware of what's going on as she's the one who placed the curse. She's totally hateful and I love to hate her.

Each episode after the first few covers a storyline relating to one of the fairy tale characters... I've seen Jiminy Cricket, Belle, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumplestilskin (best character ever) and more. The stories told are based on the original characters but each has a much darker tone than the stories we're used to--very cool and addicting. I can't wait to see who's featured in the next episode.

Emma, the woman who comes to the town of Storybrook as the "savior" of the town is very human and a bit damaged from her past. It's her young son (whom she gave up for adoption 10 years ago) that leads her to Storybrook. He believes she's the only one who save the residents of the town from the curse.

The pretext may sound a bit lame but the acting is pretty good (for ABC standards) and it's compelling to see these stories told in a completely different light. The themes are definitely adult-oriented and this is no show for kids. You gotta check it out--you won't regret it. It's creative fantasy and imagination at it's best. It makes me want to write my own fairy tale. IMDb users give it a helluva rating which is the sole reason I decided to watch it in the first place. Their ratings are usually pretty spot-on.