This movie still stick in my mind. It is incredible from one end to the other. The launch sequence is absolutely incredible. Having lived through all of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, I never really grasped the enormity and the complexity of the missions. This film does it all without any voice over, talking heads, or opinions. The cinematography, having been shot in huge format film, gives you images the digital cannot give you. Even though I sat with my family till well into the night the day they landed on the moon (I was only 13) this film was like living it all over again. I wish there were more films like this one.
Reviews
51 Reviews
I Heard the Bells
(2022)
Faith-based films continue to improve.
14 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
IHTB is a simple yet elegant telling of Longfellow's loss of faith, his depth of depression, and his return to faith as the result of the love of others. It is a noble entry into the burgeoning field of quality faith-based films. Longfellow was a brilliant man of letters, languages, and literature. This movie doesn't go far into the scope of his abilities. It limits itself to the pain of the loss of his believed Frances. The cinematography is good as is the acting. This is not a Hallmark-type movie. It is at times heart-breaking. Fortunately, it ends on a high note. The only distraction is that the girls do not age though the movie covers several years.
Where the Crawdads Sing
(2022)
It's not a chick flick.
15 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
WTCS is part coming-of-age story and part To Kill a Mockingbird. Don't expect a romcom. Nor is it a film that ends on a particularly high note. But it is gripping. It's about 2 hours long and not a minute of it is wasted. The protagonist is a wonderful actress who develops her character to the max. The supporting cast is excellent. The portrait of her pain of abuse, abandonment, mistreatment by the locals, betrayal, and isolation is enough to bring on the tears. If you have ever suffered such in a grand way, this film will hit you hard.
Nobody
(I) (2021)
Death Wish meets the Coen Brothers on Groundhog Day
27 April 2021
We liked it. Mrs AdultAudienceMember, who generally has a low opinion of righteous retribution movies, enjoyed this one. It is funny in a most violent way. It is a perfect example of that, yes, violence can solve a problem.
This isn't Lawrence of Arabia. It's not the Muppets Take Manhattan. It's a movie about an "ordinary" guy who reaches the breaking point and resorts to various skills he picked up in a past career. I know, you're saying to yourself, it's just another Taken movie. No. Liam Neeson is always cool and professional. Nobody is a man of brutal action. Neeson uses a couple of rounds. Nobody uses two full magazines, a grenade or two, and a few pointy objects.
Personally, I thinks it's the best Feel Good movie of 2021.
This isn't Lawrence of Arabia. It's not the Muppets Take Manhattan. It's a movie about an "ordinary" guy who reaches the breaking point and resorts to various skills he picked up in a past career. I know, you're saying to yourself, it's just another Taken movie. No. Liam Neeson is always cool and professional. Nobody is a man of brutal action. Neeson uses a couple of rounds. Nobody uses two full magazines, a grenade or two, and a few pointy objects.
Personally, I thinks it's the best Feel Good movie of 2021.
Deputy
(2020)
Just when you thought nothing could be worse than NCIS LA.
3 January 2020
Along comes Deputy. This is some of the worse TV I have ever seen. It sounds like it was written by a pack of smarmy 8th grade boys who have been immersed in PC culture all their lives. I used to make a living as a writer. I do not have the words to describe just how awful Deputy is. Maybe a meteorite will take out the studio that made this disaster. We can only hope.
Mary Poppins Returns
(2018)
Mary, where is the magic?
22 December 2018
Oh, my. Emily Blunt is beautiful. The songs, however, are forgettable, The acting is terrible. I wanted so badly to like it. The original came out when I was 10. We sang the songs. We loved Julie Andrews. If you were young for the first one, you will wish you hadn't seen this one.
Book Club
(I) (2018)
Was this supposed to be a comedy?
18 May 2018
Was I supposed to laugh? There are a couple of chuckles and maybe one laugh-out-loud moments, but mostly it's TV-quality "let's make fun of old women" dreck.
I'm not being fair. Imagine the following in a deep soothing male voice: "A heart-touching look into the lives of four mature women as they struggle to become the sensual beings they once were."
Now that that is out of the way, I can assure you that unless you have a severe addiction to popcorn and overpriced soft drinks, you'll regret seeing this.
It is sad in one way. EVERYONE is SOOOOO OLD! Ed Begley looks like the walking dead. Annie Hall looks like they added loose skin. Mary Steenburjin or whatever is still a fine-looking woman, but Jane Fondle has had so many wrinkles surgically removed that they probably took the excess and made a WestWorld host that looks just like her. Her skin is so tight she vibrates in a cross wind. And Murphy Brown looks like she's packing about three gallons of water weight.
You do not need to watch it with Dolby surround sound, either. The sucker has so many stereotypes of old people your brain will fool you into thinking it's quality sound. The only sound you will remember is that of the money being sucked out of your wallet. If you haven't seen it, wait until Redbox or the $1 movie house.
Stay at home and watch the Hallmark Channel. You'll laugh harder, cry more often, and keep $20 in your pocket. You can thank me later.
I'm not being fair. Imagine the following in a deep soothing male voice: "A heart-touching look into the lives of four mature women as they struggle to become the sensual beings they once were."
Now that that is out of the way, I can assure you that unless you have a severe addiction to popcorn and overpriced soft drinks, you'll regret seeing this.
It is sad in one way. EVERYONE is SOOOOO OLD! Ed Begley looks like the walking dead. Annie Hall looks like they added loose skin. Mary Steenburjin or whatever is still a fine-looking woman, but Jane Fondle has had so many wrinkles surgically removed that they probably took the excess and made a WestWorld host that looks just like her. Her skin is so tight she vibrates in a cross wind. And Murphy Brown looks like she's packing about three gallons of water weight.
You do not need to watch it with Dolby surround sound, either. The sucker has so many stereotypes of old people your brain will fool you into thinking it's quality sound. The only sound you will remember is that of the money being sucked out of your wallet. If you haven't seen it, wait until Redbox or the $1 movie house.
Stay at home and watch the Hallmark Channel. You'll laugh harder, cry more often, and keep $20 in your pocket. You can thank me later.
A Wrinkle in Time
(2018)
A Stinker of a Time
9 April 2018
I realize that I am obligated to like this movie, but I can't. The acting is dopey, the story line lurches, and the overall tone is in comprehensible.
This will put Oprah in the White House just like The Right Stuff was guaranteed to put John Glenn in the White House. How well did that work?
The best part of the movie was the extra butter on the popcorn and the really refreshing taste of Coke Zero Sugar.
The movie, on the other hand was chewy and flat.
This will put Oprah in the White House just like The Right Stuff was guaranteed to put John Glenn in the White House. How well did that work?
The best part of the movie was the extra butter on the popcorn and the really refreshing taste of Coke Zero Sugar.
The movie, on the other hand was chewy and flat.
A Royal Christmas Ball
(2017 TV Movie)
Embarrassing to watch.
26 December 2017
Some bad films are fun to watch. Some bad films are facinating train wrecks. This bad film is simply bad. It is sappy, predictable, and low-budget. It is at least a good collection of nice-looking people. If given a choice between this and cleaning the gutters, I'd go with the gutters.
Lady Bird
(2017)
Ronan seems unable to make a bad film.
16 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen at least three of her films. In every case she is outstanding. Unlike Brooklyn where she turned from a modest duck into a stunning swan, Ronan stays awkward while giving a seamless performance. As a parent with adult children, there isn't anything about this movie that seems ridiculous or contrived. All of the performances are top shelf. While mostly set in a Catholic HS, the RC faith, the religious orders, and the attitudes of the laity are never ridiculed nor caricatured.
There is some salty language and a few strongly suggestive scenes. But I wouldn't hesitate to take a mature teen to see it.
There is some salty language and a few strongly suggestive scenes. But I wouldn't hesitate to take a mature teen to see it.
Wind River
(2017)
Stunningly brutal and heart-wrenching
24 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Unbelievably good. Acting is superb. Cinematography is great. This is not a movie that tries to show you how pretty that area is. It is obvious that nature is more than willing to kill you. Disney this isn't. Renner's portrayal of a grieving parent is perfect. I speak from experience. There isn't any of the "people standing around telling you what is happening or what just happened." You are there. You don't get all the answers. There is none of that closure BS. With 15 minutes to go you will know what is about to happen and it is terrifying. All you don't know is how it will exactly end. It is simply two locomotives hurtling toward a head-on collision. Gonna happen. Nothing can be done about it.
One of the best I've seen in the past 50 years.
Renner is one hell of an actor.
One of the best I've seen in the past 50 years.
Renner is one hell of an actor.
Baby Driver
(2017)
Engaging from start to finish.
29 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Heck, I'm old. Been watching movies for well over a half century. Seen hundreds of which most have stunk, some were entertaining, and some few were engrossing.
This is not a romcom. It is not some stupid Fast & Furious movie.....all of which are monumentally and stupidly awful. This is well beyond any of the Transporter movies.
Baby Driver is one of the most engrossing and entertaining movies I have seen in many years. It is taut, fast, surprising, unpredictable, and ultimately a very satisfying movie experience.
I won't give you the plot as that can be found anywhere. But you have great acting, great action, characters that are both likable and absolutely void of any human qualities.....and a few nice folks.
It is well worth your time and money.
This is not a romcom. It is not some stupid Fast & Furious movie.....all of which are monumentally and stupidly awful. This is well beyond any of the Transporter movies.
Baby Driver is one of the most engrossing and entertaining movies I have seen in many years. It is taut, fast, surprising, unpredictable, and ultimately a very satisfying movie experience.
I won't give you the plot as that can be found anywhere. But you have great acting, great action, characters that are both likable and absolutely void of any human qualities.....and a few nice folks.
It is well worth your time and money.
The Mummy
(2017)
Oh where do I begin?
16 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The Mummy is what you get when you pay people up front. The script is bad. The acting is horrible. The plot is awful. To call this stupid is to demean really stupid people.
It is neither suspenseful nor funny. Please, I want those two hours of my life back.
It's the worst movie since F&F 7 or whatever version where they drive cars from one high rise to another in the air.
I've been a movie-goer for nearly 60 years. Quite frankly, I cannot think of a worse movie I have ever seen.
It is neither suspenseful nor funny. Please, I want those two hours of my life back.
It's the worst movie since F&F 7 or whatever version where they drive cars from one high rise to another in the air.
I've been a movie-goer for nearly 60 years. Quite frankly, I cannot think of a worse movie I have ever seen.
Beauty and the Beast
(I) (2017)
High school play with CGI thrown in.
17 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert!!!!!!!!! They live happily ever after.
Pros: The female lead is girl-next-door pretty. The CGI is at times fantastic even though The Beast looks photo-shopped at times. The songs you love are there. The number in the tavern is pretty darn good. The numbers involving the talking non-human objects are very entertaining.The theater was full of hot suburban moms...you know the term. Small children will like it though I think there are times when it will be too violent for anyone under the age of 10.
Cons: The first musical number in the village just doesn't work. Everyone comes across as trying too hard. The songs you hate are there. This isn't nearly as good as Jungle Book....not even close. The movie is way too long. The obvious man-crush that the lead bad guy's personal assistant has is just way too obvious and intentionally so. It become a central plot device. I know, it is a PC/economic decision. Disney wants to draw in as many bodies as possible. Inclusiveness sells.
I left disappointed but my wife enjoyed it. Small children cheered. Their mothers wanted to get home to start drinking. Dad's peace and quite was coming to an end.
Pros: The female lead is girl-next-door pretty. The CGI is at times fantastic even though The Beast looks photo-shopped at times. The songs you love are there. The number in the tavern is pretty darn good. The numbers involving the talking non-human objects are very entertaining.The theater was full of hot suburban moms...you know the term. Small children will like it though I think there are times when it will be too violent for anyone under the age of 10.
Cons: The first musical number in the village just doesn't work. Everyone comes across as trying too hard. The songs you hate are there. This isn't nearly as good as Jungle Book....not even close. The movie is way too long. The obvious man-crush that the lead bad guy's personal assistant has is just way too obvious and intentionally so. It become a central plot device. I know, it is a PC/economic decision. Disney wants to draw in as many bodies as possible. Inclusiveness sells.
I left disappointed but my wife enjoyed it. Small children cheered. Their mothers wanted to get home to start drinking. Dad's peace and quite was coming to an end.
Kong: Skull Island
(2017)
The facts in "Goofs" are wrong.
12 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
1. The Japanese pilot could very well have been carrying a Mauser C96. By the time the US became involved in 1941, this pistol had been in production 45 years not only in Germany but in Spain. It was sold in huge quantities to China prior to WWII. The Japanese captured many thousands of weapons from the Chinese. On top of that millions were sold on the open market all over the world. Japanese officers were responsible for obtaining their own sidearms and a huge variety were purchased.
2. The P51 did in fact appear in the PTO. It was being made for the British prior to US combat involvement. The P51 was a common bomber escort in the Pacific.
I don't know who is responsible for the "Goofs." But whoever it is, they are doing a poor job.
2. The P51 did in fact appear in the PTO. It was being made for the British prior to US combat involvement. The P51 was a common bomber escort in the Pacific.
I don't know who is responsible for the "Goofs." But whoever it is, they are doing a poor job.
Southside with You
(2016)
Not as exciting as watching paint dry.
8 September 2016
The Kennedys had Camelot. The Carters had the peanut farm. The Johnsons had The Ranch. All of them were created for sycophantic followers who just had to believe the a Kennedy was faithful, the Carter was just one of them, and the Johnsons were honest. Southside is the same genre. M & B are omg just like us and they are so cute and wow aren't they so smart. Fact is that this has less reality when it comes to tone than Bambi is the definitive work on the life cycle of white tail deer. Two types will go see this. Those who are already hooked on the Obama crack pipe and those who are forced to enter the theater to avoid some sort of apocalypse outside. It is pure dreck.
The Legend of Tarzan
(2016)
Humorless, suspense-less, craft-less.
1 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers Included!
Humorless. Suspenseless. Good acting-less.
Tarzan is living in England. He has an American wife named.......yeah, we know.....Jane.
He is recruited by Samuel L. Jackson to go to the Congo to figure out how King Leopold of Belgium is financing his expansion there.
Christoph Waltz is the evil Belgian in charge of getting blood diamonds to pay for all the shenanigans.
Tarzan and Waltz collide. Gorillas get hurt. Tarzan has flash backs.
WARNING!!!!! Tarzan and Jane survive. Bad guys get it courtesy of Tarzan's animal family and buddies.
Questions that aren't answered:
Why is Tarzan so disinterested? He seems blasé most of the time. He has less connection with the audience than Rex Herrison in Dr. Doolittle.
Why is Jackson in the movie? If it is for comic relief, it fails. If it is for drama, it fails. If it is for PC bullshit about PTSD and Indians.....there it is. If you have seen one Jackson movie, you've seen them all.....he is an angry man with a chip on his shoulder.
Why is Jane there? Jane is hot but there is zero nakedness. I didn't even see her calves. No sex. No acting evident either.
Why is a pretty good Waltz there? He is single-dimensional.
Why are all the Belgians carrying Swiss Schmidt-Rubins of a model make after the setting of the movie? Must have gotten a deal from surplus dealer SAMCO.
Why is the CGI so unconvincing? Apparently all the good CGI people were tied up doing The Jungle Book and this movie got the B Team.
Why is Tarzan in the movie? Oh, he's the dude playing a dude who can act. It fails. He can't act.
What is the most disturbing aspect of the movie? The preview for Ghostbusters. You can smell the stench of that pile of manure from the access road in front of the theater.
Wait for the Blue Ray.
The Legend of Greystoke can best be summed up in two words: Ho and hum.
Humorless. Suspenseless. Good acting-less.
Tarzan is living in England. He has an American wife named.......yeah, we know.....Jane.
He is recruited by Samuel L. Jackson to go to the Congo to figure out how King Leopold of Belgium is financing his expansion there.
Christoph Waltz is the evil Belgian in charge of getting blood diamonds to pay for all the shenanigans.
Tarzan and Waltz collide. Gorillas get hurt. Tarzan has flash backs.
WARNING!!!!! Tarzan and Jane survive. Bad guys get it courtesy of Tarzan's animal family and buddies.
Questions that aren't answered:
Why is Tarzan so disinterested? He seems blasé most of the time. He has less connection with the audience than Rex Herrison in Dr. Doolittle.
Why is Jackson in the movie? If it is for comic relief, it fails. If it is for drama, it fails. If it is for PC bullshit about PTSD and Indians.....there it is. If you have seen one Jackson movie, you've seen them all.....he is an angry man with a chip on his shoulder.
Why is Jane there? Jane is hot but there is zero nakedness. I didn't even see her calves. No sex. No acting evident either.
Why is a pretty good Waltz there? He is single-dimensional.
Why are all the Belgians carrying Swiss Schmidt-Rubins of a model make after the setting of the movie? Must have gotten a deal from surplus dealer SAMCO.
Why is the CGI so unconvincing? Apparently all the good CGI people were tied up doing The Jungle Book and this movie got the B Team.
Why is Tarzan in the movie? Oh, he's the dude playing a dude who can act. It fails. He can't act.
What is the most disturbing aspect of the movie? The preview for Ghostbusters. You can smell the stench of that pile of manure from the access road in front of the theater.
Wait for the Blue Ray.
The Legend of Greystoke can best be summed up in two words: Ho and hum.
The Shallows
(2016)
Is it a survival movie or a science fiction movie.
24 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert!
In The Shallows, this chick goes out to the middle of Secret Beach, Mexico, or some other country to surf off the same beach her now-dead mom surfed when she found out she was pregnant with our protagonist.
Her useless-as-a-bowling-ball-bat girl friend decides to romantically pass the morning with some absolute stranger after getting puking drunk the night before. So she heads to the beach with a nice guy named Carlos who gives her ride with no strings attached.
She is counting on her friend showing up later and then having a ride back to whatever-the-country beach town/resort/3rd world latrine hole they are staying at.
She arrives by herself without a flotation device and heads out. The only two people there are a couple of Spanish-speaking surfer dudes who would like to have sexual congress with her but, hey, the surf is good.
They leave and she goes out into the surf entirely by herself. What a complete invitation to some sort of intimate relationship with the shallow, blue sea.
If you have seen the preview you know some of what is involved.
Pros: Man, does she have a nice backside. She is in a bikini the entire movies. She's got nice but obviously re-upholstered frontal assets that look just like every other set of fake invitations, so yawn. But dat caboozzz. CGI is pretty good. Movie is pretty good. Did I tell you dat cabooz is really good.
Cons: Doesn't know if it is a survival movie or a science fiction movie.
Score: 3.5 blouse fillers out of 5. Have to give it a four in the ratings.
In The Shallows, this chick goes out to the middle of Secret Beach, Mexico, or some other country to surf off the same beach her now-dead mom surfed when she found out she was pregnant with our protagonist.
Her useless-as-a-bowling-ball-bat girl friend decides to romantically pass the morning with some absolute stranger after getting puking drunk the night before. So she heads to the beach with a nice guy named Carlos who gives her ride with no strings attached.
She is counting on her friend showing up later and then having a ride back to whatever-the-country beach town/resort/3rd world latrine hole they are staying at.
She arrives by herself without a flotation device and heads out. The only two people there are a couple of Spanish-speaking surfer dudes who would like to have sexual congress with her but, hey, the surf is good.
They leave and she goes out into the surf entirely by herself. What a complete invitation to some sort of intimate relationship with the shallow, blue sea.
If you have seen the preview you know some of what is involved.
Pros: Man, does she have a nice backside. She is in a bikini the entire movies. She's got nice but obviously re-upholstered frontal assets that look just like every other set of fake invitations, so yawn. But dat caboozzz. CGI is pretty good. Movie is pretty good. Did I tell you dat cabooz is really good.
Cons: Doesn't know if it is a survival movie or a science fiction movie.
Score: 3.5 blouse fillers out of 5. Have to give it a four in the ratings.
The Big Short
(2015)
Flawed but entertaining.
25 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I worked as a loss mitigation negotiator in real estate during the mortgage crisis. I worked on behalf of borrowers who could not make their house payments. I eventually talked various banks into writing off mortgage debt. I helped a lot of people but couldn't make any money at it.
So I saw the movie knowing quite a bit about the mess of 2007-13. At the end of '13, the law allowing for the tax-free forgiveness of mortgage debt expired. Also, the market had recovered. The short sale market came to a whimpering stop.
Two elements of the crisis were left out of the movie.
First, the Clinton Administration made huge changes in the CRA that forced banks into essentially loaning money to anyone with a pulse. It was either lend money to people who couldn't pay it back or get federally screwed. Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac would buy just about anything.
Second, the biggest recipients of campaign contributions from Wall Street go to Democrats by a huge margin. This is true. The logic is simple. The GOP didn't want to give bail outs. But the Dems can always be counted on to give bailouts. It has been the case twice prior to the latest bail out.
No one was innocent except for the taxpayers who ended up paying for the bailouts. The bankers were greedy, the borrowers were dishonest, and the politicians were calculating.
Enjoy the movie. Just make sure you realize that much of the collapse is the fault of people like Clinton and Barney Frank.
Otherwise, the acting is good.
BTW, I hated dealing with BoA. Impossible to work with. They took so long with one sale that both of the borrowers died of old age. Wells Fargo not so bad. Neither was Chase.
So I saw the movie knowing quite a bit about the mess of 2007-13. At the end of '13, the law allowing for the tax-free forgiveness of mortgage debt expired. Also, the market had recovered. The short sale market came to a whimpering stop.
Two elements of the crisis were left out of the movie.
First, the Clinton Administration made huge changes in the CRA that forced banks into essentially loaning money to anyone with a pulse. It was either lend money to people who couldn't pay it back or get federally screwed. Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac would buy just about anything.
Second, the biggest recipients of campaign contributions from Wall Street go to Democrats by a huge margin. This is true. The logic is simple. The GOP didn't want to give bail outs. But the Dems can always be counted on to give bailouts. It has been the case twice prior to the latest bail out.
No one was innocent except for the taxpayers who ended up paying for the bailouts. The bankers were greedy, the borrowers were dishonest, and the politicians were calculating.
Enjoy the movie. Just make sure you realize that much of the collapse is the fault of people like Clinton and Barney Frank.
Otherwise, the acting is good.
BTW, I hated dealing with BoA. Impossible to work with. They took so long with one sale that both of the borrowers died of old age. Wells Fargo not so bad. Neither was Chase.
No Escape
(I) (2015)
Oh so much better than the average man-on-the-run movie. 9.5/10
20 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Wifey and I saw it 8/19 at a promo showing. I would give it a 9.5/10. Owen Wilson puts in a very convincing turn as a man who lands his family into SE Asia just in time for a bloody rebellion or coup d'tat. In short order Wilson, his wife, and their two kids are on the run from rabid nationalists determined to kill as many westerners especially Americans as possible. Their motivation is that they believe their country has been sold down the river by the oligarchy to large corporations who offer to improve the infrastructure of a 3rd world dung hole. Rather than having a nice place to raise kids, they decide that it is better to turn their country into a killing field in the name of moral superiority.
You can't help but think of ISIS when you watch this.
From beginning to end the audience was glued to the show. I caught myself practically on the end of my seat white knuckling the scenes involving the endangered family, especially the children. Parents will find this movie gut- wrenching.
By the end I was emotionally and physically wrung out. There was applause.
Unlike many films, this violence was very unHollywood-like. No explosions with acrobatic deaths. No gunshots that send people across the room. People are shot and they fall down. The brutality is visceral but not overly graphic. Much is left to the imagination making it all that much more terrifying.
Lake, who plays the mom, looks like any young mom out there. In fact, for a person who is considered a modern beauty, she looks quite pedestrian.
But I couldn't help but come away with great respect for Wilson's acting. At no time did he play Owen Wilson. He played a man fighting for his life and his family.
You can't help but think of ISIS when you watch this.
From beginning to end the audience was glued to the show. I caught myself practically on the end of my seat white knuckling the scenes involving the endangered family, especially the children. Parents will find this movie gut- wrenching.
By the end I was emotionally and physically wrung out. There was applause.
Unlike many films, this violence was very unHollywood-like. No explosions with acrobatic deaths. No gunshots that send people across the room. People are shot and they fall down. The brutality is visceral but not overly graphic. Much is left to the imagination making it all that much more terrifying.
Lake, who plays the mom, looks like any young mom out there. In fact, for a person who is considered a modern beauty, she looks quite pedestrian.
But I couldn't help but come away with great respect for Wilson's acting. At no time did he play Owen Wilson. He played a man fighting for his life and his family.
The Age of Adaline
(2015)
A great movie for those who are aging.
24 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Let's look at the criticisms.
It's unoriginal. Seriously, when was the last time you saw an original film? There are only about 6 themes possible.
Lack of emotional range of the main character. She is from a by-gone age and she is emotionally mature. As you age, you stop acting like a hysteronic teenager.
Predictable? Not so much.
Adeline suffers the emotional losses of aging while not getting to look forward to the peace that mature adults know will eventually come our way. She is forced, by her chromosomes, to survive but not to enjoy life. She is stuck with the inability to have a relationship that enjoys the journey from youth and vitality to age and the mutual fade to black. She benefits from the gift of perspective that comes only with age. She also suffers from the gift of perspective in that she knows what will happen in the lives of others.
As they say in Texas, this isn't her first rodeo. And it's a rodeo that lacks an ending.
Until.......
It's unoriginal. Seriously, when was the last time you saw an original film? There are only about 6 themes possible.
Lack of emotional range of the main character. She is from a by-gone age and she is emotionally mature. As you age, you stop acting like a hysteronic teenager.
Predictable? Not so much.
Adeline suffers the emotional losses of aging while not getting to look forward to the peace that mature adults know will eventually come our way. She is forced, by her chromosomes, to survive but not to enjoy life. She is stuck with the inability to have a relationship that enjoys the journey from youth and vitality to age and the mutual fade to black. She benefits from the gift of perspective that comes only with age. She also suffers from the gift of perspective in that she knows what will happen in the lives of others.
As they say in Texas, this isn't her first rodeo. And it's a rodeo that lacks an ending.
Until.......
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
(2015–2019)
A thinking person's comedy.
20 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
If you like Two Broke Girls, you can leave now. This isn't a show built around stupidity, sex, and insults.
What it is built around is naivety, personalities, and optimism.
Kimmy is essentially clueless. She nearly has an 8th grade education, a world view straight out of a pre-teen girls cruddy paperback, and spunk. And while Mr. Grant hated Mary's spunk, you will enjoy Kimmy's.
You can't help but like Kimmy and her transvestite roommate Titus. Her boss is flakier than a boxcar full of Post Toasties. In many ways, Kimmy's boss is a complete idiot who has a complete nube working for her. There is also an overindulged small boy and the proto-typical rich, batch, teen-aged girl whose actions help explain the falling birth rate in the US.
Listen to the dialog. It is smart, snappy, and free from the batchiness found in most girl-centric sitcoms.
What it is built around is naivety, personalities, and optimism.
Kimmy is essentially clueless. She nearly has an 8th grade education, a world view straight out of a pre-teen girls cruddy paperback, and spunk. And while Mr. Grant hated Mary's spunk, you will enjoy Kimmy's.
You can't help but like Kimmy and her transvestite roommate Titus. Her boss is flakier than a boxcar full of Post Toasties. In many ways, Kimmy's boss is a complete idiot who has a complete nube working for her. There is also an overindulged small boy and the proto-typical rich, batch, teen-aged girl whose actions help explain the falling birth rate in the US.
Listen to the dialog. It is smart, snappy, and free from the batchiness found in most girl-centric sitcoms.
A.D. The Bible Continues
(2015)
Well dang...it is well done.
6 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I was not impressed with the first installments in this series. Ninja angels and a rock star Jesus were just too off base.
The trap of productions like this is that they often give up part of the story in order to make a point. The point can best be made by retelling the story in a rational and chronological order.
AD The Bible Continues seems to do just that.
My expectations were not that high. I expected a 6 or 7 out of 10 production. Instead it comes across as well staged, well acted, and well written.
This latest installment begins with the Passion and ends with Jesus' followers in panic and confusion with the exception of Mary Magdalene who gets it. It will be interesting how this progresses.
This is a nice reprieve from Killing Jesus. KJ could not have been worse if it had been sabotaged. It suffered from a lameness that would have taxed Jesus on a good day. The Dove Keepers is also crippled as it is a cleaned up story set in a Disney set inhabited by people with nice clothes and characterized with rock star insurrectionists. It isn't as bad as Killing Jesus for no other reason that KJ is as bad as it gets.
The trap of productions like this is that they often give up part of the story in order to make a point. The point can best be made by retelling the story in a rational and chronological order.
AD The Bible Continues seems to do just that.
My expectations were not that high. I expected a 6 or 7 out of 10 production. Instead it comes across as well staged, well acted, and well written.
This latest installment begins with the Passion and ends with Jesus' followers in panic and confusion with the exception of Mary Magdalene who gets it. It will be interesting how this progresses.
This is a nice reprieve from Killing Jesus. KJ could not have been worse if it had been sabotaged. It suffered from a lameness that would have taxed Jesus on a good day. The Dove Keepers is also crippled as it is a cleaned up story set in a Disney set inhabited by people with nice clothes and characterized with rock star insurrectionists. It isn't as bad as Killing Jesus for no other reason that KJ is as bad as it gets.
The Dovekeepers
(2015)
So bad it hurts.
31 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I have suffered through about 15 minutes of this show. It is so wrong on so many levels. Red heads in the Middle East 2000 years ago? Ninja rebels? Looks like it was filmed in Southern California with folks off the street.
It is a cleanly swept Jerusalem that looks more like Disney's idea of the Holy Land. The dialog is stiff and forced. Some of the scenes sound more like therapy sessions that plot instruments.
Yes, I know. It's a fictionalized version of Masada. But it is so fictionalized as to be silly and boring at the same time.
But it is so pretty. Lots of lovely colors particularly in the freshly scrubbed laundry worn by the oppressed peoples.
Just a couple of nights ago we had to endure Killing Jesus, probably the lamest retelling of the Gospel ever. This is not as bad simply because it couldn't be.
But for anyone with even half a brain who knows anything about that historical period, the people of the times, and the story of the Jewish Rebellion, this is as close to reality as Friends is to Schindler's List.
It is a cleanly swept Jerusalem that looks more like Disney's idea of the Holy Land. The dialog is stiff and forced. Some of the scenes sound more like therapy sessions that plot instruments.
Yes, I know. It's a fictionalized version of Masada. But it is so fictionalized as to be silly and boring at the same time.
But it is so pretty. Lots of lovely colors particularly in the freshly scrubbed laundry worn by the oppressed peoples.
Just a couple of nights ago we had to endure Killing Jesus, probably the lamest retelling of the Gospel ever. This is not as bad simply because it couldn't be.
But for anyone with even half a brain who knows anything about that historical period, the people of the times, and the story of the Jewish Rebellion, this is as close to reality as Friends is to Schindler's List.
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