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Reviews
The Assignment (2016)
One casting change would have made this perfect
Interesting film with a disturbing premise. Would have been perfect if they had cast John Leguizamo as the male version of Frank Kitchen. Michelle Rodriguez is a talented actress and very athletic, but even with glue on beard, her face is too feminine to be mistaken for a man. If John L. had played the first 20-30 minutes, and then michelle woke up in recovery I think this might have been Oscar-worthy film.
Sea Fever (2019)
horrible
Couldn't even finish watching it
actors were lackluster, plot was dismal
soundtrack was poorly mixed - hard to hear the dialogue over the ocean background
all in all a waste of time
Lost in Space (2018)
Love the Concept - Not that happy with the execution
First: the original 60s show was intended to be a satire and it worked. In the real world, there is not a life threatening event every day. Sometimes life is boring, and that's what actors are supposed to fill in. The original Doctor Smith (Jonathan Harris) was a cowardly opportunist, but not actually BAD. This new incarnation (Parker Posey) is an evil sociopath, with no redeeming qualities. In the real world she'd be ejected from the nearest airlock before she caused any more trouble. Bill Mumy, the original Will Robinson had a brief cameo as the Real Dr Smith, whose ID June Harris (June Lockheart/Jonathan Harris wink wink) stole to get aboard an escape craft. Part of the charm of the 60s show was each episode ending in a cliff-hanger as an intro to the next week's episode. Not all drama has to be life or death, and we'd have never made it into space if it were.
Curse of the Black Widow (1977)
What's Scary is What you don't see
Low Budget 'Movie of the Week', but enjoyable. Family curse transforms its women into giant Black Widow spiders who eat their mates. Ironically, the best scares never show the spider - its presence is implied with shadows and victim's horrified screams. When they finally have the big reveal, it's very disappointing, much like the spider in "IT" stupid looking Rod-Puppet.. Good acting, good suspense, lame spider. Scariest scenes in 'Jaws' never show the shark. They should have stuck to that style and would have rated 10 stars.
The Good Doctor (2011)
Could not finish watching this
The underlying story, that a health-care provider would deliberately harm their patient to remain in contact with them is disturbing on a number of levels, and reflects an obsessive behavior that absolutely frightens me. We trust doctors and nurses to make us better and stories like this, and in real life, where they harm and even kill their patients to make themselves admired. Munchausen by proxy is the psychological term and all the more horrifying that it is common enough to require its own name...
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
If you thought it would be bad - you were right
The only reason I didn't give it a 1 (or Zero, if it were allowed) is that Ben Affleck is a pretty good Bruce Wayne. The plot is convoluted and illogical. The battle takes place in downtown Gotham, and Superman should have figured out from the last throw down that civilians are in danger. Jessie Eisenberg is a ridiculous Lex Luthor - he seems to be trying to channel Mark Hamill's Joker, both in mannerisms and voice. The various cameos of other DC characters were distracting, but I suppose were needed to set the stage for 'Justice League'
Very disappointing overall. This might be the end of the DC cinematic universe.
Mr. Robot (2015)
Amazing Pilot
The teasers on USA got me to look into this. The free first episode on Amazon was a good idea. I watched it and I was hooked. Very intelligent, thought provoking and entertaining. The main character is intriguing mostly for his faults. This looks like it's shaping up to be a season-long story, rather than episodic, which is the best way to tell the tale. I don't know if the Christian Slater character will add or detract from the story (even though he's the title character). His success rate with TV shows is abysmal, but he might work out as a supporting character. I hope the 'techno-babble' is kept to a minimum. If it's accurate it's usually boring, and if it's wrong it invites a chorus of "Oh no you didn't!" from the nerd crowd. You can talk about technology without getting into the hardware.
Bosch (2014)
A return to novels for television
I've been a long time fan of Michael Connelly's writing, and this adaptation of his best character is absolutely perfect. This is the first time I've seen a television series adapted from a series of books stick so close to the source material. Basically, they've taken several of Connelly's books and adapted each one into a three or four episode 'novel for television'. This is unprecedented, and has thus far created some awesome entertainment. The star of the show Titus Welliver is not how I'd envisioned Harry Bosch when reading the books, but after ten minutes or so I was convinced he was the real deal. Excellent acting, excellent stories (of course) and some very photogenic views of the LA landscape.
Miracle Mile (1988)
The Sky Is Falling
OK - here's the spoiler: Anthony Edwards is chicken little, and by answering a pay phone's wrong number, he is told that the missiles are on their way. His announcement to everyone he meets that WWIII is starting sets off panic in the streets,rioting and pillaging, and half way through the film, he finally asks himself the obvious question: "How do I know this is really happening? What if that wrong number was just a prank? Am I the boy who cried wolf?" Finally he goes to a pay phone and dials the number correctly to find out the truth. From that moment on, it's no longer a joke... Starts off as a boy meets girl love story. Turns into a roller coaster ride of second guessing, and ends with a bang.
Breaking Bad: To'hajiilee (2013)
Best Broadcast Show in History
I had to comment on this episode for several reasons: 1) It was great 2) I was impressed that Aaron Paul's character Jesse finally stood up to Walter 3) I was shocked that Walter jumped at the bait after being so cool and smooth in the past 4) THIS IS THE FIRST TV EPISODE I FOUND MYSELF SHOUTING AT THE CHARACTER ON THE SCREEN: "No! Go back! It's a trick!" I didn't even realize I was doing it until my family called me on it. So, for suspension of disbelief and investment in the show, I have to say: You got me. I am looking forward and dreading how the final 3 episodes will tie this all up. Breaking Bad is going down in history as the best broadcast show ever.
The Outer Limits (1995)
Good pizza
Science Fiction is kind of like Pizza - even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. If you are a fan of SF The Outer Limits reincarnation in the 90's was a welcome treat, and provided a forum for some of the best writers in the industry. The pilot episode 'Sandkings' by George R.R. Martin was spectacular, as was 'Inconstant Moon' by Larry Niven and 'Think Like A Dinosaur' by James Patrick Kelly. My only complaint/criticism of the series was the overall editorial slant. Nearly all the stories were anti-technology/anti-science/anti-human. Not that they weren't entertaining, but overall they were very depressing and self-loathing. The 'party line' seemed to be Humans are Evil and they will be destroyed by their own arrogance and lack of humility. The original Outer Limits from the 60's had a few of these, but the vast majority of them were positive. Even when the protagonist died, it was a selfless sacrifice that saved humanity or at least the pretty girl. Just sayin...