Change Your Image
corazontvc
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Assimilate (2019)
Put them in a blender, horror smoothie
#I'm not going to defend this movie from its critics-I don't care what they like and I wouldn't change their minds anyway. I'll just give my input on the movie itself.
The first thing I noticed about this movie is that it's an amalgamation of many different movies of the past. Some were classics, some were fads. The first movie that comes to mind is the Blair Witch Project. The two main characters are working on their Youtube channel that showcases humorously the, as they call it, the backwater podunk town that they can't wait to get away from. They document their adventures wearing a hidden camera and let the residents do them, then hit upload. Later, the two boys hear the screams of a neighbor and come running to find that she's been bit by something and it's still in the house. This reminds me a little of Alien with the tight spaces and low level light and SOMETHING is in the house, or maybe just a straight monster movie. There are elements of Texas Chain Saw Massacre in the latter scene in the barn, weird noises and the discovery of body parts. Towards the end of the movie, there is even a kinship with the 2007 movie The Mist, the feeling of ominousness and the monsters themselves, which I noticed we see only one time, that they are insect like creatures but quite cunning. of course, Night of The Living Dead with the hordes at the Sheriff's house. And finally, yes, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I saw the 77 version and its a great film, a classic. There are probably others.
Now the question is, so what? At some point, most concepts of horror have been explored on film, variations on a theme. What matters is, is it done well? Sure there are some relatively original horror movies of late, like "XX" from 2017 (another movie that was panned but was way way better than this or most other horror for that matter, check that one out!), but for the most part its the Brandenburg Concerto, the movements aren't all of a sudden radically different.
Let's talk truthfully here, this is a teenage movie essentially, and it does that well. But it does have more. A destructive unknown from who knows where is as old as humans have been around. We were afraid of the tribe across the valley or next island over, often with good reason. How well do you know your neighbors? In a small town that this is set in, they know each other really well, that' how that alerts the boys something is wrong. These basic themes are explored and presented in a way that is above average for this type of film. An open minded adult should have no real problems with this movie.
Are there problems with the plot? You can drive a tank through some of them. Don't read any further if you are intrigued and haven't seen it, I'm going into major spoilers. So this wasn't the first town the creatures invaded he says at the end? Do these people not have TVs, they have the internet because that is what the boys are hobbying at. They just watch high school football games? The rest of the world has been invaded and you don't know? There's a town 65 miles away. When things are confirmed going wrong, why not go there? Even on foot, it's better than certain death. Or steal a car. Don't even get me started on whatever happened at the cable station-they went there because the internet was out in their town-and they start taking their clothes off and hit what appears to the fire alarm. That does what? Then they die. If someone knows, publish. I'd love to know what that scene is about.
In spite of this, I"d recommend a watch.
XX (2017)
Tired of the same old same old horror?
Really can't understand the super low rating here. Although not my all time favorite genre, I watch a fair amount of horror and am genuinely pleased at the offbeat take played out here. I don't think people realize how difficult it is to introduce something that hasn't been seen a thousand times before in the horror genre. This is an accomplishment just for that. I don't know that pointing out that women were involved in the behind the scenes as writers and directors is anything more than a gimmick, but whatever. Of course women can write/direct horror, both good and bad, still need to hype this? Eh, maybe women do, I'm not really informed on that, so I'll shut now and on to the review.
The first story, 'The Box', is brilliant psychological horror. The feeling of dread grows more pervasive throughout the piece. A boy peers inside the present a mysterious and somewhat creepy man is carrying as they all (mom, boy and sister) ride a train. Whatever it is he encountered, it stole his life force and is now on a collision course with death, in a low key way. Only one member of the family is not affected, the mother. It's worth noting that all the stories use bright, realistic and colorful scenes, the first two more than the last two. The scenes of food are particularly gorgeous in 'The Box'. This is pretty far away from the dark shadows and distorted colors found in typical fare.
The second is 'The Birthday Party', and is very comedy-horror. It's a strange and enjoyable piece of fluff, but not sure I can make out the motivations of the characters. An anxious woman wakes up on the morning of her adopted daughter's birthday party. She wanders into a work room to find her husband dead and, for reasons unknown, proceeds to comically hide the body from the occupants of the house. Just..strange. But it works for me somehow. Music is really good here.
Third is probably the most traditional horror piece, 'Don't Fall'. Four western hikers decide to impede on a historic and off limits site to discover an ancient, perhaps primordial creature that leaves its stories of, uh, 'meetings' with other intruders on the rock wall, like the caves paintings in France, only much more sinister. Really pretty short, and I think it suffers from the brevity.
Last is 'Her Only Living Son'. A mother has been on the run trying to escape the devil cults that exist even in the smallest of towns-maybe especially in small towns?-and that seem very interested in her son. He has been doing progressively more cruel acts as of late, to animals, to people. Maybe like someone known throughout history for cruelty? Like son, like father. And father is coming to collect.
If you feel there must be a thread that runs through a movie like this, you'll be disappointed-there isn't one. Except maybe the incredible and seriously creepy stop motion scenes that part the different stories.
If you're done with nonsensical jump scares and dark shadows that turn into CGI, try this, you might like it.
Network (1976)
Only surprise is, it wasn't cynical enough
I recently rewatched this movie I've seen at least a dozen times and capture something new every time. It's a complete no holds barred hollowing out of the television industry, and, while television isn't the all looming force it once was (500 channels as opposed to around 7 including PBS and VHF and UHF at the time of this movie, depending on location), it still has much to say about the dissociation from reality that viewing things on a screen can create, especially when what you're witnessing is designed for the most craven response.
Plot is quite simple: long time news anchor (Howard Beale) has breakdown after being fired and loses it on air, bigwigs (Diana Christensen) notice said breakdown brought in more ratings than ever before and nurture this tendency until a monster is created that is against their best interests ($$) and now must destroy this monster. All in the way this is portrayed is what makes it so much more.
This is a deeply cynical movie, and quite prescient. A few years after this movie, the TV world was going to experience crudity on levels it had never imagined before. Morton Downey Jr. to Geraldo would usher in an age of the normalization of TV as spectacle, prurience and depravity we are very much still engaged in today. The kernel of the idea of capturing eyeballs with such content has simply been even more economically fine-tuned by other mediums, especially the Internet. Want to see beheadings, torture porn or video of people being shot to death? Sure you do. Diana predicted it. The natural progression of major character Diana's ideas are present for all to see. Only, it may not have been cynical enough in some ways. Could they have predicted reality TV? Or the endless line of meaninglessly competitive shows like Cupcake Wars? Jackass? At the beginning, it even toys with the idea of 'The Death Hour', filled with suicides and assassinations and car wrecks. We haven't seen anyone purposely killed on live TV to get ratings by a network, to my knowledge, but I doubt that is far away based on current trajectory.
Not to mention the brilliant critique of business by Arthur Jensen's (Ned Beatty) epic speech to Howard Beale. We are all just a subsidiary to business interests, AS IT SHOULD BE. The richest 1% own half the world's wealth. This was not an accident or survival of the fittest in a meritocracy, this was planned from the inception.
While the dialogue is brilliant, this dialogue is meant to convey ideas, not especially to capture how people really talk in various situations. It is more theatric than realistic. That brings us to probably the weakest part of the movie, the romantic aspect. It plays a parallel plot to the main one, and while it does serve to show that Diana is a 'Humanoid' in Beale's terms-seemingly human, but not really-it's also the weakest element. Hence, the lack of one star.
A point must be made about Faye Dunaway. This is her greatest movie. Bonnie and Clyde may have opened the door, but this broke it down. She encapsulates the inherent cynicism and calculating nature of Diana Chirstensen (play on offspring of Christ?) with near perfection. Her sheer physical presence is something to behold as well. From her impossibly high cheekbones to her lithe figure wrapped in chic 70's elegance, she steals every scene she's in. Just do yourself a favor and don't look up her more recent pics, plastic surgery is not her friend.
Will young people like this movie? Not if they want a fist bumping silly night, but if they sense they are being manipulated and want to know why, this is one place that was at ground zero.
Idiocracy (2006)
The best comedy of the last 30 years
Basic plot is an average guy is put into a kind of time machine and wakes up in the future. Turns out, he's the brightest one on the planet. On the surface, it's a very silly movie, and enjoyable on that level.
There are two layers to this movie. One is the funny silly and at times deranged layer, and the other is a very serious layer. The silly layer is what people focus on, but the other is quite disturbing. One leads to the other.
This deals with issues that could probably only be presented in a comedy and get away with it, just like 'The Twilight Zone' was dealing with contemporary issues in a science fiction setting. Our society is getting stupider. That's just a fact. Everything from obsessions with Kim Kardashian, a reality star, to the fact we are seriously considering electing a reality star with serious anger management issues to become President, the ridiculous obesity problem that Americans have to the enormous debt the average American has reveals this. It's easy to pull the wool over someone's eye's when they're shut. The powers that be love that.
I could go on and on about the issues the movie raises, but let's take three things.
Eugenics. A very dirty word since Hitler rose to power. This movie talks about it. When stupid people are breeding at a faster rate than smart people, society as a whole gets dumber. This should be obvious, but it's couched in language that is polite. In the wild, stupid people die off. In our society, they are supported and paid and encouraged to breed.
Women as strictly sexual objects. In the future the movie envisions, that's all they are thought of. Places to get a prostitute, including the future Starbucks, predominate.
The relentless dumbing down. One of the most popular shows on TV is called 'Ow! My Balls'. A show about someone getting hit in the testicles constantly.
This is only a comedy by category, not in reality. Idiocracy is here, and has been here for some time. The movie portrays a former porn star and five time 'Ultimate Smack Down' champion as the President. We're not that far away.
I've watched this movie close to 50 times, probably more than any other. All of the things it portrays are real, and really happening.
The only thing that might be lacking is the casting. There were better people for the job, but they do a decent enough job. The concepts and writing make up for it. There are too many classic scenes in the movie to go into, but one is the scene in the hospital where the attending physician comes in and says, among other things, 'How's it hang essay, so I looked at your chart and it says your fkd up, your sh*t's all retarded, and you talk like a f*g'. There should be enough here to keep highbrow and lowbrow entertained.
2 Broke Girls (2011)
Like Kraft Mac n Cheese
Not really healthy or even particularly tasty, but a comfort food that you don't need to think about much. I know the jokes are corny, forced and delivered in an obvious manner. I know that the plot lines are seriously absurd, even for a sitcom. I know that they drop fairly over the line one liners trying for shock value. Yes, I know all these things, but I still watch. The relationship between the two main characters is neat, that's the be all and end all of why I watch. The rest can hamper or help the show, but that's the reason I watch.
Still, I can't help but think the show has to be ending soon, as much of the script's turns are played out. Gee, Max or Caroline landing a man, happens every season. Oleg saying something risqué, happens every show. And believe it or not, supposedly the applause that Coolidge's character gets is real, which is hard to believe because it sounds fake, and why is anyone applauding the most unlovable character on the show? She was great in other stuff, like 'Best in Show', but the welcome is long worn out here. Can't stand her character, much less the weird fandom.
There have been genuinely funny episodes, mostly from the earlier seasons. One that stands out is 'and the girlfriend experience' where Han's Mom comes to visit. Some cringe worthy moments, but overall one of the better ones. This is a time waster show, mind does not need to be engaged and sometimes that's a good thing.
Bad Words (2013)
Utterly pointless film
Let's get something straight right away. This movie appears to be cashing in on its so-called edginess and dark offensive humor. The humor is none of those things because the movie is too boring to be offensive. Also, if people honestly think the stuff he says is somehow going past the line of today's comedy, I want to know what world they're living in. In the real world, this sort of dialogue is now considered standard fare, thanks to years and years of massaging audiences with doses of offensive humor by everyone from stand up comedians, to Howard Stern to the typical toilet humor found in nine out of ten teen comedies. Like the frog boiling slowly in water, we didn't notice how far it had gotten until now it's too late, our culture is over, stick a fork in it.
Still, just because the vast majority of people who use crude humor do so because they are talentless hacks (see Howard Stern), there is still a legitimate place for it in the hands of the right person/people. However, this movie has way more problems than questionable humor, like some sort of point. The plot is a guy as an adult enters a prestigious spelling bee to get back at his father. In between, he meets annoying-and I do mean ANNOYING-kids, especially the Indian kid, with whom he forms an unlikely bond. That's it. That's the plot. It's just as entertaining as it sounds. If you've always wanted to see Jason Bateman sleepwalking through supposedly offensive dialogue with dozens of irritating little kids sprinkled throughout, your prayers have been answered.
Bateman has a limited acting range, and working with a bad script is a kiss of death because he can't make a good performance save a bad movie. He was good in 'Extract' because that part was practically written for him. Kathryn Hahn is in this, so I won't give it one star for that reason alone.
Are All Men Pedophiles? (2013)
And necrophilia's not so bad either!
OK, I'll admit I was drawn in by the rather insulting but intriguing title. First, to the technical issues I noticed right away and then on to content. This was apparently made by some Dutch or Scandinavian company, and some of the people on screen are hard to understand. The narrator has some seriously weird pronunciation issues in particular. There are obvious edits and insertions and drop outs. Production values could use improvement. But it's not so bad it's unintelligible.
It starts off with someone throwing down some evolutionary biology in favor of pedo. He says that a woman's peak fertility is at 16 and, therefor, men are by nature going to be attracted to women, well girls, who are that age so they can maximize their reproductive success-all about the Darwins! The girls are attracted, by NATURE!, to older males because they have acquired more resources. So, I checked this out. Turns out that females have maximum fertility in their early to mid-twenties, drops off slowly after their late twenties, and drops off more sharply after 35. Now, it could be that in the stone age, as they called it, things were different, but how would they know? Next the guy said the average human lifespan was 33 at that time. Which means you better get your groove on before you keel over. Yay pedo! Well, people's lifespan most certainly was shorter and in general did adult type things like make babies earlier than today, but this makes it sound like one second after your 33'rd birthday you exploded in a fireball. The reason the average is low is because of the higher levels of infant mortality back then. This is what skews the average to a lower level. If you made it past approximately 15, your chances of living much longer than 33 were reasonably high. There were people who lived a long time. A skeleton was found without any teeth and arthritis. It's basic stuff like this that made me skeptical right off the bat. That's just the first 10 minutes. They also discussed pederasty, an adult having sex with pubescents or pre-pubescents, and how common it was (and some places like in the Middle East still is). How exactly is this increasing reproductive success? Having sex with someone who is not only not of age of fertility, but a union that cannot conceive offspring. Boggles the mind, huh? Infanticide was in places and times no big deal, so let's just bring that back.
Anything good about the movie? Yes, a few good things. It pointed out that the lack of thought and nuance we put into constructing our laws is having a trickle down effect that is ensnaring people who really aren't causing any harm, especially men. I've known plenty of men who genuinely love children and the thought of doing something like pedo causes them to be sick. They will not be alone in a room with a child without a chaperone. They avoid going into professions where they will be around children, like teaching. Everybody loses when paranoia is policy. What I didn't know, is that those under 18 are also committing pedo when they do things like send provocative pics of themselves, like in 'sexting'. They could theoretically, and apparently some have, be on a sex offender list, even if the receiving party raises no objection. I don't like it because it's classless, but then I'm a bit old fashioned, I guess. But a sex offender list? Too much.
The ending is what really gets me and shows what this movie is really up to. It asks 'experts' if pedo will ever become acceptable-one answers yes, someday. She compares it to homosexuality and says once it was classified as a disease and now it's considered a legitimate orientation, just as pedo is. Hate to break this to her, but those are adults who have the agency to make decisions like that, children don't. Is there the rare teen who is mature enough? Sure. But we don't make laws based on the exception. There are under-eighteen kids who have the maturity to vote, but the vast majority don't so they have to wait till 18.
The last scene is the worst. It shows a variety of couples, different races, etc. A voice-over says, 'love knows no color, no gender', etc. Then it shows an adult's hand and a child's hand clasped, 'and love knows no age'. They are trying to soften us up to accept pedo as a legitimate orientation. We're already circling the toilet, the day that happens, we're flushed. Sickening.
Office Space (1999)
Corporate accountants Nina speaking, just a moment. Corporate accountants Nina speaking, just a moment.
One of the classic spoofs of corporate work. Mike Judge nails the monotony, the pettiness, and general stupidity of the TEAM CORPORATION! environment that corporations create. Look, we understand, we have to work for you, but don't for godsakes make us sing a song every morning or go on some retarded company retreat. And most of all, stop telling us we're part of a team or, even worse, part of a family. You are not my family. My family can't fire me. You can. So. Stop. It.
The hollowness and absurdity of modern corporate life is brilliantly portrayed here and even though this movie was made in the late 90's, it still resonates perfectly for today.
Mike Judge would go on to make what I consider his Magnum Opus, 'Idiocracy' (one of the greatest comedies ever made), but this was a fantastic waystation.
I believe you have my stapler?
Frozen (2013)
Uneven showtune nonsense
So I finally got around to watching this with my niece by my side. I don't get it. I don't get the buzz. Yes, the animation is startlingly good. The story, which last time I recall is the point, makes little sense. I understand the allegory that she has a cold heart and now makes the world cold but why? What exactly happened that would make her heart cold? It's not explained. And very little is. Very little character development takes place, everything is piecemeal and cobbled together.
Has the usual Disney characters, all clichéd. Not worth your time unless you're looking after kids.
I heard someone say that Queen Elsa looks like Megyn Kelly from Fox News. This was accurate and one of the few entertaining aspects of the movie. I also don't like musicals so this was an uphill struggle from the beginning. Oh well.
Nightwatch (2015)
Decent show in an 'A&E' kind of way
If you've seen your share of A&E reality shows, you'll know what to expect here. This is not a compliment. Pounding music, quick cutaway scenes, dialogue that seems conveniently scripted, you get the idea. What saves the show is the actual content, which is quite interesting. New Orleans is one of the most violent cities in one of the most violent industrialized countries in the world. Wander outside the French Quarter and you have a higher chance of meeting your death that you would at the height of the Iraq war. But it's also a party city and has a world class university (Tulane). So imagine being emergency services/first responders in this situation and that's what this is.
You see everything from paramedics to firefighters to police to SWAT, but my main interest is the paramedics. There are various partnerships on the show, but for my money, they could literally build an entire show around the partnership of the paramedic crew of Holly and Nick. These two are charismatic, caring and from what we see on the show, highly competent. And apparently the paramedics in New Orleans are highly tattooed, but I digress.
I would rather see a more gritty version of this show to fit in with the city itself, but I really love seeing docs about paramedics so I'll take what I can get.
Welcome to Me (2014)
Strange, haunting movie
From watching SNL I knew Kristen Wiig had some strange characters in her (Target Lady? what the hell was that) but this one is quite intense. I enjoyed it, but I'm not even sure of what I've seen. It's just strangely mesmerizing. Wiig plays the 'out there' character to the hilt, and somehow, this jalopy of a movie works. It's also kind of fun to see Joan Cusack play an ass. She usually plays saccharin sweet roles. I'll probably have to see this one several times more, but I sense the bittersweet presence that people like this have on the world. Worth watching at least once.
BTW, to those people who think SNL hasn't been funny in years, I hear you. I used to think that way, until I started watching it again. It can be very funny, just as long as you have access to fast forward.
The Intern (2015)
What movies used to be
A thoroughly enjoyable night at the movies is what you will witness. Hard to believe that the actor who played the semi-psychotic Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver' is the same one who plays a wizened intern here. DeNiro shows his talents in what he doesn't do, he plays a 'less is more' type of nuance to his character and it works.
This movie also speaks to generations. Whether right or wrong, the movie seems to be siding on the superiority of generations past. People of a 'certain age' as the film divulges, are of little practical use. We are exposed to the minutia of humiliation as people repeatedly ask if they can hear them or remember what they've just said, because of course they're old. As the film goes on, perhaps the ways of old were not complete nonsense after all. There is a solidity to all of the people on screen which ultimately comes down to people who no one will ever know of. The details got taken care of so the actors could just act. Not much to do with the movie I guess, but I know what these anons do.
Worth seeing.
Spy (2015)
Uneven, meandering, at times childish but countered by decent performances
I've become a fan of Melissa McCarthy since I saw her first appearance on SNL and then it was cemented with 'Bridesmaids'. My affection for her work went over the top with a movie that most people hate that I absolutely loved, 'The Heat', with the incredible chemistry between two great comedic actresses(Bullock and McCarthy). So it was with great anticipation that I got to see this. A bit disappointing really. The movie was fairly stylish and overall fun, especially Jason Statham as a hopelessly clueless wannabe bad ass, but it seems a heavy notch or two below her other work.
Like any spy movie, the plot is ridiculous. A spy movie spoof will typically have a plot more ludicrous than what it's trying to satirize, so I don't hold that against this movie. Basically, a timid woman with low self confidence, McCarthy as Agent Susan Cooper, has been playing second fiddle to a handsome Bond-type agent, Jude Law as Bradley Fine, and is suddenly thrust onto the main stage of spydom when Fine has apparently been killed and now a nuclear device is uncontained. She has been holding back and playing it safe but will soon be forced to cut loose. Of course, all is not what it seems on the surface. The movie has strange shifts of tone, from very sweet to WTF? One such WTF moment was when the screen is suddenly filled by a man's erect penis. The movie has swearing and one particularly disgusting scene of a man's throat dissolving, as well as typical cartoon-like action movie violence, but gotta say, was not expecting that. They didn't even show boobs in the whole movie but they show wang? Boobs and wang are not equivalent. The comparable scene would be showing a spread quim, which I don't really need to see either when I'm sitting down to watch what's supposed to be a spy comedy. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend, there are already enough movies I can't take my nieces and nephews to. I wouldn't even go with my nearly adult daughter, even though she's more than seen them, I would just feel awkward and so would she. Wrong context.
The action scenes are fairly typical, some funny, like the scene where Agent Cooper commandeers a scooter to chase the bad guys, makes it a yard and falls promptly on its side. Don't know why, but stuff like that worked. Good chemistry between McCarthy and Statham (who is hilarious) and between McCarthy and Rose Bryne (as Rayna Boyanov the daughter who inherits a criminal empire). At times, McCarthy is directly channeling her character in 'The Heat' in order to play a convincing bad ass. So, if you didn't like that side of her, you probably won't like this, although here it is an act while in the 'The Heat' it WAS the whole character of Officer Mullins.
'The Heat' has a current rating of 5.7, while this one has 7.1. Don't get that, but I suppose this movie was better promoted with more stars on board. Or, my tastes are outliers, whatever. It's still worth watching, just don't expect genius.
The Hot Flashes (2013)
Bad movie, good cast
Here we have something unusual,a movie that stars mostly women doing something normally reserved for males, sports, basketball in this case. Brooke Shields and Camryn Manheim really shine in the movie. The rest of the cast, while serviceable, aren't near as good. Daryl Hannah is unfortunately particularly silly. Unfortunately because I typically like her. It's a 'feel good' story with all the usual clichés and as such isn't going to deliver anything out of bounds.
There are enough decent moments of 'aw shucks' I guess to keep watching, but really, this not a great movie. Except for one key moment at the end it's predictable. It features almost all the clichéd characters one would expect in this type of movie (wholesome do-gooder, closeted lesbian, town tramp, stoner chick, sassy black lady and even for some reason a midget), with them behaving just like you'd expect. The basketball scenes are filmed in quick succession, which suggests there were many takes and although it's meant to convey the action of the game it actually gets tiresome. Except for Brooke Shields and maybe Daryl Hannah, none of the women are remotely athletic. The music is conventional with the typical piano interlude when the scenes are sad and the typical repetitive rock blaring away during the action sequences.
In short, mildly enjoyable for some solid performances and interesting basic premise, but nothing special. I really wanted to love this movie because of the great cast, but they only serve to add fine sauce to a bad dish. Watch if there's nothing else on.
The Andy Griffith Show: Andy and the Woman Speeder (1961)
One of the more unusual episodes
Loved this show, and this is one of my all-time favorite episodes. But then I have so many. A sophisticated journalist or someone involved in print of some sort, is speeding through Mayberry just as Floyd, Opie, Barney and Sheriff Andy Taylor are putting their fishing stuff away in the trunk. She is manipulative and tries to get the possibility of a ticket dismissed. Andy hands her a ticket anyway. Since this was before the days of E-pay and being able to mail your payment in, the part which she objects to, and sets her off, is being told to appear next week to pay the ticket. She accuses the Sheriff of running a small town speed trap, and asks to speak to the Justice of the Peace. Back at the station, to her surprise, it's Andy. She refuses to back down, saying she is being railroaded, which just lands her into more hot water. She is told that she can see the Mayor's Court, but that will have to be tomorrow. Until then, she will have to sit in jail. To Andy and Barney's surprise, she chooses jail. She then brilliantly sets about to manipulate everyone around Andy, especially the witnesses. At the trial, the witnesses refuse to comply, and the case is dismissed. She is about to leave, and sees the pain she's caused the circle around Andy, and purposely speeds off. She gets caught, and pays a fine of ten dollars, plus, feeling guilty, she voluntarily pays a fine of twenty five dollars.
This is a very interesting episode because usually no one is portrayed as getting the better of Sheriff Andy Taylor. Here, it happened. The acting is top notch, especially from the guest star, Jean Hagen as the female speeder, the turns are intriguing and a bit cringe inducing.
Look, it's very clear that the female speeder was originally in the wrong. There are also things that make no sense. The female speeder is right to be incredulous when she finds that the one who is citing her, is also judging her (Andy being both the arresting officer and Justice of the Peace). It makes no sense that her fine at the end is the same as it was in the beginning (ten dollars both times). Now, when you get a second offense within typically six months, the fine goes up. And if Andy is the Justice of the Peace as well, why did she have to wait a whole week to pay during a formal court appearance, she could've paid the original ten dollar fine directly to Andy. Although this show did have many moral lessons, it seems a bit silly to analyze it too much. This is not really a show for deep philosophical thought. And nothing wrong with that, just turn off your mind and enjoy.
The Boondocks (2005)
How exactly did they get away with this?
That's the question I keep asking myself. My favorite character is Uncle Ruckus. How in the hell did this get onto relatively mainstream television is completely beyond me. Today, this would have howls of twitter protests and nervous nancies screaming at the top of their lungs. Thank God there was a time when artists were allowed to take risks.
This is a show that anyone with a brain should be able to relate to, you don't need to be black, I'm not. It is brilliant. It is up there with the Simpsons in animated comedy, not quite as good, but close. Highly recommended. Except if you're easily offended, then do everyone a favor and stay away. I'm someone that doesn't care much for vulgarity, unless it serves a purpose. It does here.
The Heat (2013)
One of the best buddy comedies ever
Look, do NOT believe the bad reviews. People are complaining about the vulgarity and the swearing, yes, there is that. However, it is in context with the characters. It is not gratuitous. Movies that are more horrifyingly gross like 'The Hangover' or 'Dumb and Dumber' which contain ridiculous gross out stuff and are much much worse have a higher rating than this movie. Don't believe it. Give it a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised.
A highly efficient and straight-laced, but hopelessly socially clueless cop (Sandra Bullock), winds up getting paired with a streetwise hardened and foul-mouthed cop (Melissa McCarthy) and it is beautiful to watch both of their respective transformations and interactions. Of the two, I would say that Bullock has the better role. Her story line goes from one spectrum to another. She goes from being a 'by the book' official type, to being a genuine bad ass. The two start off being antagonistic, but over time, develop a deep respect for each other. And it is hilarious. As I said, Sandra Bullock in particular, is brilliant. So, stop reading this, and go watch this movie.
Thelma & Louise (1991)
An iconic film about friendship
This is a movie for everyone, not just women. I don't understand why a movie that stars mostly white males, like 'The Right Stuff', is expected to be enjoyed by everyone including women, but when the leads are women only other women are expected to enjoy it. I am NOT white male bashing here, it's just that the assumption is annoying. Having said that, this is a movie that does speak to women in a way that men can't comprehend. I have had the pleasure of seeing with other women who are watching this for the first time, and the reaction has been powerful without exception. On to the movie.
Many women were considered for these roles, including Jodie Foster and Jessica Lange. These were parts that many women in Hollywood instinctively knew were incredible. Callie Khouri, the script writer, said she thought of the entire movie in one night and just wrote it down, like taking dictation. Geena Davis originally wanted to be Louise, and pleaded with the director Ridley Scott to try and get the part. When Susan Sarandon auditioned, Geena thought to herself, "Oh, that's Louse. She had such a commanding, self-assured presence, I thought 'what was I thinking?'" Callie originally didn't want Ridley, she didn't believe a male director could pull it off. He reminded her of another visionary movie that he made, Alien, featuring Sigourney Weaver as the lead. She agreed. The rest is history.
There are many great scenes in this film, but my favorite are two scenes in sequence. It is night, and they have just passed a truck driver they have scene repeatedly, he is an ass. Cut to the daytime, Thelma is a bit toasted, and starts laughing and talking about how it was hilarious how Louise blew away her rapist. Louise says 'Thelma, that's not funny''. Thelma says that's what happened to you, right? In Texas? Louise forcefully tells her to mind her own business. Thelma submissively complies. Earlier, Thelma had robbed a store with great authority, and now we wonder, if anything has really changed. Throughout the journey, it is Louise that has carried the naive non-streetwise Thelma. They soon get stopped by a cop for speeding. This is bad. They'll be taken in when he finds out they're fugitives. He takes Louise to his car and has her sit in the front seat. As he picks up his radio, Thelma intervenes, with a gun. The look on Louise's face says it all, Thelma has been transformed. The best line of the movie is spoken here. The officer pleads with Thelma before he is forced into the trunk, Thinking he is about to get killed he says ' Please I have a wife and kids!" Thelma says 'You do? Well, you're lucky. You be sweet to them, especially your wife. My husband wasn't sweet to me, and look how I turned out.' Brilliant scenes.
This project had many powerful supporting members. From the nice score by Hans Zimmer, to the powerful performance by Harvey Keitel, everyone chosen for the project was excellent at what they did. But that does not matter if the lead actors don't have it. And at that point in time, in this movie, it was Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis that made this movie an icon. No one else could have pulled it off.
The only quibbles I have with this movie is the choice of music. Not the score, which is quite beautiful and evocative of the American Southwest, but the songs they chose. It does not stand the test of time, very cheesy 80's music, which I hate with a passion. Other than that, watch this movie, and enjoy the ride.
BTW, ever since IMDb went to their new system of logging in, I have been unable to, and had to re-register. I have been a member since 2007 under 'abbywts', but now have to start all over. Thanks for nothing IMDb. Way to invade privacy. Besides, we all know everyone on the internet is really a dog.