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Reviews
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Typical Tarantino, in a bad way.
I'm not the biggest Tarantino fan, but I would consider myself a fan. I was excited about this movie, but waited for the digital release because I didn't think I could handle the long run time. I'm glad I waited. Unfortunately, this film suffers the same issues as many of his other films, but worse. Tarantino writes fantastic scenes. That can be said for nearly every one of his films. But putting them together in a film that tells an interesting story is where he drops the ball. This film has many interesting standalone scenes, but once I finally made it through the full move after 3 days, I was left with a sense of "What did I just watch?" I'll admit I'm too young to care about the setting of this film. If you aren't a huge film buff or emotionally connected to Hollywood in the 1960's, you probably won't care either. I think the success of this film relies heavily on that and the name Tarantino. Essentially, it's 2 and a half hours of Leonardo crying, Brad Pitt acting cool, Margot Robbie going to the movies, and feet. Lots and lots of feet. Watch at your own risk.
Marriage Story (2019)
Two yuppies get divorced for no reason.
I watched this after reading the rave reviews online. Adam Driver shines, but that's about the only thing that makes this half worth a watch. Scarlet Jo's character is so unlikable and self absorbed, I found myself yelling at my TV. Even after listening to her explain why she wants to divorce over and over, I still don't get it. I was also quite disappointed to learn in the first act that they are both actors. This could've played much better if they were "normal" people, as opposed to pretentious theater snobs. But that probably reflects more on me than this film. 5/10. Watch Kramer vs. Kramer instead.
Friday's Child (2018)
Just Okay.
Not terrible. Not great. I was expecting a depressing film about aging out of the foster care system, but this was merely the setting for the film, although it's definitely depressing. The cinematography was interesting, and some scenes were shot quite beautifully. The actors did a fine job. Overall, it was just okay.
The Morning Show (2019)
Apple doesn't disappoint with this one.
I was skeptical and this show wasn't even on my radar, but after watching the first episode, I was hooked. I binged the next 4 in 2 days. Great show! The acting is superb. The story is interesting. It touches on issues of the day with finesse and doesn't preach. Which is hard to find these days. The casting is pretty perfect. Billy Crudup steals the show. Awesome work, Apple!
Wrinkles the Clown (2019)
Pointless and an hour too long.
I was excited to see this after I saw the trailer, but was severely disappointed. This documentary could've been 10 minutes long. There really is no point. The production quality is good, but that's it. The "twist" in the final half hour is lazy and only served to make me angry. Save yourself the hour and a half and watch something else instead.
Joker (2019)
The best film I've seen in years.
I'm not normally one to gush about films. But this is a fantastic movie from start to finish. Believe the hype.
Living Undocumented (2019)
More propaganda from Netflix
Anti Trump, open border propaganda piece. Illegal immigrants tell their stories with cuts of Trump speeches taken completely out of context. Biased from the jump.
Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea (2019)
Virtue signaling but she sucks at it.
I used to be a Chelsea Handler fan. But this garbage has ruined it for me. Stop trying to virtue signal and change the world and just be funny again. Waste of time for all involved.
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones (2019)
A free man being free.
Chappelle has truly earned the title of Legend. He doesn't care what you think, in a time when everyone is almost forced to care what others think. He goes after everyone. Right, left, center.
Lorena (2019)
Female good. Male bad.
Propaganda from the onset. Woman mutilates man. Man's fault. There, I saved you 4+ hours.
The Case Against Adnan Syed (2019)
Might as well be written by the defense.
I really tried to give this a fair shot. I am not a Serial listener, so I was brand new to this case, and heard the events for the first time as laid out by this series. It takes no time at all to realize this is not an objective series by any measure. The production quality is very high, but loose on the facts and heavy handed with opinion to put it mildly. Skip this one.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Grossly Misleading
A podcast called "Rebutting a Murderer" lays out MANY facts that the filmmakers conveniently left out. This was absolutely not a miscarriage of justice.
Bloodline (2015)
Breaking Bad with Lost's finale...
From the very first episode, I was totally hooked. The production quality, set, cast, characters, story, all of it. And the list of shows I can say that about can be counted on one hand. The acting was great and the twists and surprises kept me on the edge of my seat for all three seasons... Until the last 2 episodes... It's like the writers got to episode 9 and literally said, "let's forget any of this ever happened." A few loose ends are tied up enough to slightly pacify some viewers. But they could've rounded out this series in a much more satisfying way. Instead they chose to Dexter it.
The Handmaid's Tale (2017)
Lazy
After hearing great things about this show, I gave it a try. I watched the first three episodes to make sure I was giving it a fair chance. The production quality is decent, and the acting isn't awful. I find myself actually liking some of the characters. But that's about all this show has going for it.
As a viewer who knew very little about the show before I started watching, the writers waste no time alienating certain groups and (dare I say) religions within the first 20 minutes. (Christians). I have no doubt that folks with a certain worldview will find this as some sort of cautionary tale. But if you have any perspective on the world at all, you'll probably find this premise lazy and worn out. What modern television show doesn't feature the main villain as some version of an evil white Christian male figure? This show is very politically charged and not subtle about it. If you're a Christian, you will probably find this a bit insulting. Unless you're a Christian who enjoys watching self proclaimed "Christians" raping a woman while "Onward, Christian Soldiers" plays in the background... And that's only the first episode...
I'm not religious and I found myself very offended by some of the implications here. Especially when there are religious societies RIGHT NOW that operate in ways very similar to the society in this show... And they aren't Christian societies. A better title for this show might be: "Saudi Arabia"
So, if you enjoy television that bases an entire story line on the idea that white Christian men eventually take over the world and do what they've always really wanted to do deep down, which is control every aspect of a woman's life, then this is the show for you.
13 Reasons Why (2017)
Lazy
The production quality and decent acting on the part of just a few characters is what kept me around to finish the first season. And the fact that I just HAD to stick around to see if there were any actual legitimate reasons for her decision to commit suicide in the end. Most of the other negative reviewers have already hit the nail on the head. I knew as I watched that I couldn't be the only one rolling my eyes and literally saying "Come on!" out loud.
So here's my run-down: Most of the characters suck. Nearly all of the male characters with the exception of Clay, who could save us all 13 hours if he'd just listen to the damn tapes. Hanna just sucks as a person generally, and she's way too self obsessed. The weird little Wilmer Valderrama/Bruno Mars type guy just walks around saying cryptic stuff. If I wanted to watch 13 hours of self obsessed teenagers complaining about non-issues, I'd go to a Bernie rally.