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Reviews
The Prototype (2022)
Brilliant, weird, clever, uneven, terrible
Summary: intriguing story that delightfully goes in weird directions, yet all makes sense if you pay attention. The problem is, the production is so uneven, it distracts you from paying attention, and tempts you to turn it off. Nice effort to self-fund a movie produced over 20 years, but that doesn't forgive the fact some of it is nearly unwatchable. I have to take off some stars for that. Maybe Grion can sell this as a TV series and get proper funding.
Longer: I was immediately confused and distracted because I wasn't sure what character I was watching. He seemed to age and regenerate at will. Or it was the best makeup ever. I paused the movie and read here that it was filmed over 20 years. Congrats to Grion for pulling this off, even if by desperation. The great Kubrick wanted to do that and failed.
The two main leads do a fine job. Vasconcellos is good, and even brilliant in the final surprising main sequence. Most supporting actors have issues.
Production distractions are everywhere. Some of the scenes have fireflies. Why? And why are there right hand drive vehicles with Maine license plates in Italy? Why is the setup shot of the villa in Italy taken by camera with resolution not seen since 1870? Who blocked and framed the green-screen scenes? It was not, uh, good.
I won't bore you much more except to say I ultimately enjoyed the movie once I ignored the defects present due to budgets. I even watched it a second time. I particularly enjoyed the surprise sequence at the end, obviously shot recently since the skill level of production was higher all around, and Vasconcellos was excellent, despite gaining weight, losing hair and getting deeper wrinkles. His aging actually fits with the story too, and he embraces it.
The Green Woman (2022)
Thoughtful slow moving fever dream of a movie
Obviously shot on a shoestring budget, this little movie won't wow you with special effects or big stars.
Instead, you'll feel uncomfortable, maybe confused, and that's intentional. While the story is in 3rd person, those confusing scenes put you in the shoes of the protagonist of the movie, a blackout alcoholic. I read one critique (that is linked from the official movie site) which complained about the poor transitions... well to me, that was the point.
Why is there a green woman? That's best left for you to discover, instead of spoiling it for you. Even after watching it, you may not get the answer you are looking for.
The movie does meander more than necessary. It plods along at times. I was distracted by some obvious issues with sound which didn't seem intentional to me. The small budget comes through in a few too many places. The actor playing the green woman got on my nerves. I'm not sure if that was the point or not. The director and editor chose to reuse the same location establishing shot about 5 too many times. The music is great and redeems the problems with the organic sound.
Overall, I found the idea of the story engaging, if not a bit predictable.
Senior Year (2022)
Come on, it was fun
Reading reviews, it seems like both "woke" and "anti-woke" people are upset. I'd say that's a sign of a successful comedy. A little to get under everyone's nerves. I needed something mindless and funny. This movie fit the bill.
Even though I'm in the oldest of Gen-Xers, I got most of the jokes and enjoyed the music. For sure anyone in their 30s or 40s will love this. Beware anyone under 40: you will be made fun of. Hope you can take a joke, especially if you are a social media influencer.
Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019)
In retrospect, more powerful than when originally aired
Sure, there are flaws to this episode, especially the last third or so. That's no reason to throw this episode away.
I am watching this for the first time after Miley had her vocal surgery and public admissions of overdoing the partying, along with Britney Spears finally coming out of the darkness of the conservatorship. The episode hits a little closer to reality as we have learned a lot more about the struggles that young performers go through, and the impact their handlers have on them.
Worth a watch. Listen to your Nine Inch Nails collection beforehand to enhance the experience.
Lost in Space (2018)
Lost in the nick of time - still enjoyed it
Is it better than the original? Yes. Great SFX, really good music that builds on the original John Williams theme. Acting has its ups and downs.
My main criticism is that the story is constantly too frenetic. Some episodes go from sappy love stories and boring nothingness to the latest crisis in a blink of an eye. The crisis is almost impossibly resolved - just in the nick of time. Way too much impossible.
If this is 30 years in the future, I'll eat my hat.
Clara (2018)
Delightful surprise with better science than most
My only complaints match everyone else's: a bit slow with a music score that sometimes gets in the way.
I liked everything else about it. You can still make a movie with a decent story on a budget.
The science isn't perfect, but it is better than most. It covers difficult topics like star transits, dyson spheres and quantum entanglement. Knowing about this is helpful, but not necessary. They do a fine job explaining.
A.I. Rising (2018)
Short story stuck in an art and music gallery
The story should have been told in 25 minutes. Instead, the filmmakers use the extra time for scenes with a lot of interesting visuals backed with a score.
Note: some of the visuals have intense strobing light. I'm normally not bothered by this, but I found some of the strobing very intense.
There is also time to display someone's computer graphic art project. Scenes of pulsating fractal mountains and such.
It isn't completely terrible. The actors do OK. A condensed version of the story would be OK. The visuals are interesting. They just don't work as a whole.