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Zeitgeist (2007)
Zeitgest (2007 Video)
"Basing any war around religion is just another way of saying that all things most end in violence."
I believe that everyone should have the right to be able to self-govern ones self.
Instead of telling others how to live their life.
I think we should speak and act according to our own beliefs when it involves government decision making/spending.
People have spend so much of their lives finding ways outside of themselves controlling others that we forget sometimes that it is a joint effort as people to allow others the freedom to change the status quo allowing others protection against tyranny/racism/control/endangerment/harassment, and the exploitation of religious beliefs.
It's a good reminder, even when heavy handed, that ones own self worth should come first when it comes to any critical event that happens in life.
Think for yourself first, ask important questions. You may not get an answer. At least your being independent.
As for the film itself. It's not really my type of movie. However, it's a good reminder that we all could use a wake up call ever now and then.
Sling Blade (1996)
Sling Blade (1996) Review:
Sling Blade is a film that is a tough watch.
Mostly because it comes across as melancholy in most scenes.
Some might interpret it as genuine, but it feels forced and melodramatic in most scenes.
It's a mixed bag, and only worth the few moments of clarity that a melodrama can give.
Fine performances non withstanding.
(R)
(17+)
(C)
Anyway, how am I supposed to write a 600 word review of this film anyway?
It's not like the networks are paying me to write reviews anyway.
If they did, it would be insightful and informative journalism that would take the world by storm.
Billy Bob Thornton, good job with Bad Santa.
(A-)
(5/10)
Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001)
Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001) Review
While it certainly has it's flaws, the attention to detail Rareware has given Conker's Bad Fur Day is anything but second rate. Even more remarkable is that it was all done on an N64 cartridge.
The gameplay is not only simple and attractive, it actually achieves some of the symphonic dignity (and cross-referencing) that other N64 titles simulated so tediously.
With its technological mastery and its subversive humor, this is a kitsch masterpiece, taken too seriously by definition, but not without charm.
I may have grown tired of playing video games as I've gotten older, but Conker's Bad Fur Day holds up as one the best N64 titles, and video games in general.
The one thing I think that hold's it back is the limitations of the N64, which made the game feel sort of lacking in ways. Modders need to find a way to add more levels and multiplayer features to the game to extend it's life.
To bad we never got a proper sequel. Unless you count Live & Reloaded, "(Which of course it isn't.)"
So in conclusion, if you haven't played it, find a way to play it, and experience what this foul mouth Squirrel and his friends have to offer.
As Conker would say, "Marvelous."
(B+)
(8/10)
Rayman (1995)
Rayman (1995) Review:
The Original Rayman is one of the hardest 2D platformers of all-time. If you don't use the 99 lives or more continues cheat, good luck, cause this game is pretty much unbeatable without them.
This game gets brutal later in and becomes tedious when you have to
100% it before you can even get to the final level/boss, which is just down right sadistic. The cages are really hard to find to, so you're gonna want to look up a strategy guide if you want to beat this sucker.
Otherwise, it's a really solid game with a banging soundtrack, and despite it's difficulty, is actually pretty fun to play.
Overall,
(6/10)
(B)
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-2023)
Ah yes, the nautical misadventures of SpongeBob and his aquatic friends/family. What hasn't been said about this show up until this point? It's a cultural phenomenon that has been on for decades. My feelings about the show are rooted primarily in nostalgia just like many others of my generation that grew up watching it from the very beginning.
To say that it's inescapable at this point would be an understatement. I to like many others feel that the first 3-4 seasons of the show really capture the essence of what this show is compared to other seasons, however I can see why it has stayed on the air for as long as it has considering that the first two movies are pretty solid forms of entertainment. While I personally may not think that it is one of most thought provoking/deepest things out there, I think of it like an old friend that you can catch up with from time to time and have a few feel good moments/laughs with for old times sake, and really at the end of the day, isn't that what we all could use a little bit more of in life?
Plus the memes, my god! (S tier.)
Overall, a nice pleasant trip down memory lane.
(7/10)
(B+)
Dreams (2020)
Dreams (2020) Review:
More of an interactive movie/mini game than a AAA title.
As someone who has played many of old school classics,
It's nice to know that game developer's still know how to
make simplistic games you can play for an hour
then call it quits with a content feeling.
The amount of customization for level's is endless,
and the community for it is really laid back, with
lots of great titles/
art work to choice from.
The only downside is it's limited to what the system has to offer.
The PS4 Pro, and PS5 really hold back on this games potential.
If Media Molecule decided to port this over to PC/Mac,
It might have more going for it. As it is though, pretty solid
game overall.
(B)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Review:
Personally,
I think Top Gun is one of the worst movies of all-time.
I still don't really see the appeal.
What that film lacked in substance, this movie had in spade's.
It's not a work of art by any means, but it was a enjoyable summer-blockbuster, that was serviceable enough.
Knowing that Val Kilmer had A. I. Speech training to deliver his line's was interesting. I think it's commendable of the filmmaker's to acknowledge this.
He struggles with something that would be hard for most people, yet still gives a good performance.
Overall,
A decent effort for everyone involved.
(B-)
(5/10)
Pleasantville (1998)
Pleasantville (1998) Review:
Subverts genres to make a film reminiscent of Hitchcock.
Thriller mixed with science fiction Comedy-Drama.
(5/10)
(B-)
(Mixed)
(Metacritic):
(Metascore): (71/100)
(User Review): (8.6/10)
UHF (1989)
UHF (1989) Review:
This is a weird ass film. I thought it was going to be a weird al yankovic music tribute type thing.
It's a chore to sit through.
Not the worst movie i've seen though.
(D)
Steely Dan: Aja (1977)
Steely Dan: AJA (1977) Review:
It's an album that is just apart of the landscape of other genres that were around at the time.
Is it influential? It's not something that gets played a lot today,
but if Jazz-fusion is something you like, there are definitely worse albums out there than this.
(B)
(5/10)
Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
Pink Floyd: The Wall Review (1982)
This is a pretty rough movie to sit through...
Based off of the commercially successful album (The Wall),
It's about the loss of one's identity, self-
worth, and the rise and fall of the global economy.
There is a lot of insight of the modern era in this set piece.
Though other genres, and rock albums tackle this same subject matter, this
album solidified its place in rock history with it's haunting and sometimes
shocking portrayal of its protagonist and his down-fall into obscurity.
One of the most ego driven albums of all-time, it still holds its weight in gold.
Really, anyone could take anything away from it, although I'm sure in 2022,
there our more progressive anthem's. It's still worth a look into, if heavy
symbolism is your thing.
Album: (C+)
Movie: (D-)
Dai-Rantô Smash Brothers Deluxe (2001)
Super Smash Bros. Melee
This really is one of the best fighting games on any console.
Just from the sheer scope of creativity and expression in the game's details.
Brawl and Ultimate may have perfected this type of gameplay, but melee cemented Smash Bros. Legacy in video game history.
(A-)
(9/10)
Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
Fallout: New Vegas Review
The meme's that have come from this game alone are S-tier quality.
This is the Fallout game that feels the most in tune
with it's western apocalyptic setting/theme's than the other
titles. Good stuff if your into more mature RPG style
shooter's.
(A-)
(8.8/10)
The Ren & Stimpy Show: In the Army/Powdered Toastman (1992)
In the Army/Powdered Toastman (Aug 15, 1992)
These Episodes definitely cemented Ren & Stimpy as force of wit.
Lighting in a bottle.
This was even before shows like Regular Show, and Adventure time came around.
I'd compare it to something like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, or Tales from the Crept.
(A-)
(8.7/10)
Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Super Mario Sunshine Review:
This Game and Melee where the pinnacle of Nintendo's open world exploration.
Technical, Sunshine isn't the Best 3D Mario game, but it still holds up even after 20 years.
(A-)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Review:
After having to sit through The grinch grinches the cat and the hat.
My review for this film is a million times better than it was for that film.
This isn't my favorite animated short film, but it's at least competent.
Plus Chuck Jones is a phenomenal animation director.
It's a solid film about Christmas, if you haven't seen it watch it.
(7/10)
(B+)
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982)
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) Review:
"The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat" is an animated short film from 1982.
Directed by Bill Perez,
It sounds better than it is, trust me.
The real star here is of course the beloved Dr. Seuss who wrote it.
It's pretty boring and cringeworthy.
The film unites famous Dr. Seuss characters The Cat in the Hat, and The Grinch.
Crossover's have happened so many times it was a clique at this point, even by 1982.
Disney did it, Warner Bros. Did it, so of course Dr. Seuss had to jump aboard the bandwagon as well.
Unlike the 1967 film, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas.",
this film feel's like an eternity to sit through. Even though they both run at 25 minutes each.
The Cat in the Hat and the Grinch both got animated shorts several years before this one was made, so by the early 1980s they had already reach their peak in popularity, especially the Grinch, as his first and most famous work was in the 1960's.
Never been a big fan of the Cat in the Hat to be honest, so I may be slightly biased in saying that his character did very little for me in terms of the story/plot. Plus the dialogue is some the worst of any of these animated shorts, which is surprising as this is usually the strongest aspect of Seuss's story-telling/writing.
Even with some interesting visual's, it's not enough to make up for the fact that this movie goes nowhere, and it's a pretty mediocre musical at that.
Definitely pandering to the lowest - common - denominator.
I have no idea how this won two Emmys, must have been a pretty slow year for TV.
Anyway,
I'm giving this one a 1/10.
(F)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Review:
I've seen it multiple times and it just comes off as old hat compared to other film's of the 1980's.
It has good animation, but it's pretty dated by today's standards.
Kids might like it, but it's more of a kid's film than anything, hindering it more than helping it reach a wider audience.
(4/10)
(D+)
The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron Review:
The Chronicles of Prydain is a pentalogy of children's high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander and published by Henry Holt and Company.
The series includes: The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), and The High King (1968). The Black Cauldron earned a 1966 Newbery Honor, and The High King won the 1969 Newbery Medal.
The Chronicles of Prydain were accompanied by an illustrated short story book in 1965 and another in 1967, and were followed by The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, a collection of six short stories published in 1973.
The first two novels of The Chronicles of Prydain were loosely adapted into the 1985 Disney film The Black Cauldron and led to a video game of the same name produced by Sierra Entertainment.
What's interesting about this film is that it plays out more like Ralph Bakshi Light. It's a pretty incomplete film, yet, what we get is a pretty competent first half of what could have been a more indepth look at the lore of these books.
It's a darker disney film, it has it's moment's, yet for some reason it just play's better today than the older disney films.
Maybe it's because I'm more akin to the stylizing of Ralph Bakshi film's, but for me this one is at least in the Top 30.
(6/10)
(C+)
Cool World (1992)
Cool World Review:
Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this film combines live-action with hand drawn animation. Although this film isn't as polished as Rodger Rabbit, it's actually not that bad. The characters aren't very fleshed out, and it's kinda all over the place in cool world, it's something nice to look at that isn't your typical Disney/Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon style of flash animation.
(3/10)
(C-)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Silence Of The Lambs Review:
Unlike Goodfellas, I can see why some people might think this is a good film, but to me its an overlong movie that goes nowhere.
Pretty boring stuff here.
Overall
I'm giving this one a 1/10
(F)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf Of Wall Street Review:
Martin Scorsese is pretty overrated as a director. Most of his films rub me the wrong way, but the Wolf Of Wall Street stands out because it's set in a modern context, has an interesting story/premise, and Leo's performance as Jordan Belmont is convincing enough to keep me engaged even though this film is 3 hours long.
Overall, I give it a 6/10
(B)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The Passion of the Christ Review:
In all fairness, even the Life of Brian does a more accurate portrayal of Jesus than this.
Christ had some humanity to his life, which I think becomes lost on this film.
Jesus didn't die in vain, he wanted others to be healed from their sins. He speaks to all of us and says, "Please to meet you, I'm Jesus, I'm hear to listen, teach, an work hard for my fellow friends/family."
Something we can all relate to.
Lot's of great stories have been written about The Universe, and how humans came to be.
The adventures we go on, the friends we make, and the obstacles overcome to get to where we want to go in life.
In a way, this film just shows the evil side of society, and doesn't bring anything new we haven't already seen in other Hollywood films.
It's just run of the mill horror/thriller.
With Jesus no less.
Proverbs 23:18
"There is surely hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
(F-)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
The Sword in the Stone Review:
Tells a very condensed version of the Tales of King
Arthur and Merlin the Wizard.
It's mostly a film based on King Arthur as a child apprentice, but being a Disney film, it has to play down the subject matter down to basic grade school programming.
A lot of this film is pretty out right boring.
The first 15 minutes, and last 15 are the best parts of the film. It's the middle that just goes nowhere.
Overall works better as a short film.
(D+)
The Ren & Stimpy Show: Double Header/The Scotsman in Space (1995)
The Scotsman in Space Review:
Has one of the best orchestral pieces of music in contemporary media.
This show has some the best orchestral music ever put on film.
Overall, I'm giving this Episode a 7/10
(A-)