Change Your Image
antistar7
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Last King of the Cross (2023)
Not really about John, more about everyone else
Episode 1 starts off very well, going back to John's and Sam's childhood and progresses to show how John managed to buy his first club and house. Great! It is set out to look like this will be a show about how John Ibrahim grew his nightclub empire in the Cross which would be quite exciting to see.
But after about ep2 it is no longer about John - it is about everyone else but him. Cops, Vietnamese drug dealers, feds, bikies, low lifes, royal commission etc. John shows up in each episode but may as well not. The show would be exactly the same without him in it. He is just in it because, well, he is in it. There is so much more on what's happening with Sam for example than there is on John. So really a show about the Cross itself, not so much about its 'King'.
Regardless, it has been an enjoyable watch and so much better than the Underbelly version. Would be keen to see how they close it off.
Godfather of Harlem (2019)
A show about Malcom X featuring side stories of Bumpy and the Italian Mafia
The only storyline that actually runs from start to the end of the series (and in each season really) is that of Malcom. This really is a show about Malcom X and black america in the 60s which happens to feature a an excuse of a series of side stories of Bumpy Johnsons underworld dealings.
Bumpy's and the Italian's storylines are a series of Simpsons style side stories where no story lasts for longer than 2 episodes. So many deals made and broken then made again then broken again then oh made again. Way too many twists and turns with no real story going on. Just not realistic and nothing to invite long term investment of the viewers attention.
Would have been great to actually follow the life of Bumpy and get into his career throughout this show, told say like American Gangster does for Lucas, but instead it is a mosaic of mini stories that go around in endless circles.
Some of the italian characters are very well done, Chin, Ernie in particular. The scenes in Chin's club in my opinion are most realistic and authentic.
The styling overall is brilliant - the apartment, Maime, senator Powell, all spot on.
Definitely enjoyed watching this show but as a long time appreciator of Italian gangster movies I can say the actual crime storyline here doesn't quite do the genre justice.
Gotti (2018)
Absolutely Terrible Cliche Paradise
As a fan of 'crime cinema' I really can't believe how bad this movie was. Just finished watching it and am left a bit dumbfounded. What just happened!??
Cliche after cliche, and not only that, but all the cliches just done so poorly. Every scene feels like a terribly watered down version from something we have already seen a million times in The Sopranos, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas, Godfather.
Travolta is a terrible Gotti, not convincing at all. Felt no closeness to him, no connection, no emotion at all really. Not even hate for the character. If his name wasn't associated with this movie any credibility 'Gotti' holds (if any) will be lost.
The crying / emotional scenes were SO bad!! Also the tough guy scenes, the nice guy scenes, none of it had any grip. Completely insulting to the viewers.
A crime figure and what goes on in their head is the perfect premise for a super engaging viewer relationship with an on screen character and the moviemakers on Gotti really messed it up here. John Gotti's character in this movie doesn't even depict 1% of the character complexities we've seen in Michael Corleone in GF1/2, Tony Soprano in TS, Frank Lucas in AG, Nucky Thompson, Lucky Luciano or Al Capone in BE, Tony Montana in SF, even Paulie in GF. 1% is an overstatement.
And I have to add - the music. What is with the music?? It's as if they wanted to purposely make the music choice as bad as possible. There is no way the music choice wasn't some sort of an intentional joke, I mean what a way to help drown and already terrible movie.
I don't know what I was expecting but Gotti was the most disappointing movie I've seen in a long time. It's a complete and very serious insult to the crime movie genre.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
Just re-watched Part 8
So here I am, long time IMDb lurker, day 1 of official membership and I just signed up specifically to write this review.
I just re-watched Part 8. I thoroughly enjoyed everything post the NIN performance in this episode (not so much prior to and including the NIN song). Absolutely everything after it in all it's weirdness. Visually this episode is stunning and the composition and flow of the scenes flows incredibly well. Without a doubt a standout from TP The Return so far. Will be remembered in history.
I have a few things to say about the entire series to date.
On the positive side, there are moments in this series that are so beautiful in an unexplainable way. My favourites to date are (with spoilers of course): - Dougie + the Windswept track (it is used quite a bit in this combo). The scenes with lost Dougie, seeking something but not knowing what it is. So helpless. The way these scenes are overlayed with the beautiful 'Windswept' number by Johhny Jewel. Like the scene where Dougie keeps staring at the statue in front of the office block. End of Episode 5 / Start of Episode 6. There is something so deep and magical there, especially with this music that is so fitting and empty. It has actually become one of my favourite tracks now, I got the entire album (Jonny Jewel - Windswept)and it is brilliant. I cannot explain what it is, but there is this very relatable loss in Dougie, he is seeking something but is completely powerless. The emptiness of the music just fits in perfectly and evoked a lot of emotion in me the first time I watched it. Also when Dougie sheds a tear while looking at Sonny Jim. Dougie is without doubt my favourite character but not in that funny or humorous way that he is sometimes portrayed. More in a very human way. Hard to explain / verbalise. Which is why it is so strong emotionally.
- Wally Brando. My ultimate favourite scene. I've played it so many times now. Love the subtle and distorted references to various Brando characters. Perfectly absurdist scene, one I would have never expected to see on TV.
- Seeing the print of Trinity behind Cole early in the series. I loved it immediately without realising the role it will have later in the series. Looking all over the internet for a print of it now :) - The fact that 'BluntedBeatz's "I Am (Oldschool HipHop Beat)' plays every time we see Loraine. Even her photo. So funny! - Part 8. Love it. As above - Closing credits. Usually very well done and beautifully blended in. Also full of key information about the characters.
- Sound design and music. Understated and brilliant - 119 lady's kid. I am eager to see where this is going - the fact that S3 is something completely different to S1 and S2. An addition to the story. I truly appreciate this direction instead of going back copying what once was.
----------- I am NOT a big fan of: - Bad Coop. This character could have been done so much better. It lacks any gripping characteristics IMO. Too cold and not in a good way.
- Any of the Gordon Cole / Albert scenes. Never liked this crew in the original and still don't like them now. The jokes are so repetitive (seriously the hearing device references are overdone beyond belief). They were overdone in 1990.
- Diane. I can see what Lynch was going for but the character of Diane does nothing for me. I prefer we never met her and she always stayed as 'Diane'.
- All the scenes at the Twin Peaks Police Dept. The only parts I fast forward through. Seriously we don't need any more character development for Andy and Lucy. Very slow and unnecessary scenes. These have been very disappointing. Even some of Hawk's. I would much rather see more character development for Mr C or Richard Horne.
- The black lodge scenes. Don't love them and sometimes they are weird for the sake of being weird. Lynch should have really left them as they were in S2. Even then I thought they over-capitalised on the black lodge visuals.
- The opening credits. I hate the fact that they introduced the red curtains and zig zag floor into the opening credits. Very disappointing to see. It's like they wanted to create a 'logo' for the series by using these symbols. Not cool and very commercial. Wish it wasn't done.
- Sheriff Truman's wife. Waste of time and annoying as hell ------- Overall I think this is a very unique and brilliant series. This is ultimately about Agent Cooper finding his way home (hence: The Return) and I wouldn't be surprised if it took the entire 18 episodes for him to do so. I wish I had the patience to wait until the end and binge the entire thing at once. But at this stage I am impatiently waiting for each installment every week.
I think in time we will see TP S3 set a benchmark for a new way approaching TV series. As much as there is some good stuff out there, they all fit into the same category / style really. Different themes but all the other formula is the same. TP S3 is so unique in every way possible and I believe it will set some precedents for a new way of approaching TV drama.
I look forward to one day seeing a cinema edit of the entire S3 journey, or at the very least Part 8 on the big screen.