duraflex Reviews

First Man (2018)

Depressing portrayal of a monumental achievement

[3/10 · 22 July 2019]

This is a depressing look at a real-life historical achievement and the first man to land on the moon. It is too bad that the movie was made by people that are too young to understand and convey the times, the emotions or the reasons that the United States embarked on the space program with the goal of sending, landing and returning men to the moon and back.

Ryan Gosling is almost adequate in the role of Neil Armstrong. Unfortunately, the script is written to make Neil look like a moody, humorless soul who for years is on the brink of clinical depression. This was NOT an accurate portrayal of the real Neil Armstrong. He was a brilliant, brave, conservative, soft-spoken man with humility, wit and charm. His many interviews were usually filled with smiles and optimism but that is not the way he is portrayed in First Man.

The visual effects are generally good but they don't make up for a poor script that denies any sense of patriotism and the importance of the Apollo program in the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

The sound is very uneven in clarity and levels. Much of the music - especially during the lunar landing - is loud, awkward and unnecessary.

In all, not a very good film made by pretentious people who think they know how to tell a story. Documentaries about Apollo 11 aired on the History, Smithsonian Channel and CBS are much better.

The Founder (2016)

Kroc was a crook and should be remembered as such

[9/10 · 4 May 2017]

In 2017, for better or worse, most of the civilized world now knows what a McDonalds fast food restaurant is. But most of the world has no clue how how it all happened. This movie provides a capsulized history - in dramatic form - of how Micky D's and the fast food industry came to be.

In 1954, Ray Kroc was a pushy on-the-road salesman and when he discovered the McDonald brothers walk-up hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino that could hand you your food in 30 seconds - he was smitten and coerced the brothers to franchise their speedy food system. Reluctantly, they agreed but Kroc would bend and twist their contract any way he could. All changes were to his benefit and no one else.

When the McDonalds brothers have had enough of the pushy, lying Kroc, they agree to sell out to the greedy bastard. Kroc refuses to put their royalties clause in writing. The brothers reluctantly agree to a handshake deal and thereby lose out on franchise royalties to the tune of tens of millions per year.

Along the way, Kroc credits himself as "The Founder" of McDonalds even though he was not.

Kroc even denies the brothers the right to retain their own name on their original restaurant which soon closes as Kroc opens his own McDonalds franchise just yards away.

I came away from the film hating Kroc and people like him - evil, immoral, greedy business people who take advantage of good honest hard-working people who actually do invent and develop something worthwhile. This film at least sheds light on the McDonald brothers for the good honest and brilliant men they were. McDonalds restaurants are their legacy - not Ray - the crook - Kroc.

Little Big Shots (2016–2020)

Wrong host

[1/10 · 20 March 2016]

Isn't this Steve Harvey on at least two other TV shows already? There is nothing charming or funny about him. His arrogance and pomposity is sickening. Surely they could find a better host for this talent show than him.

Harvey is as overexposed now as Bill Cosby was in the 1980s. He has a 4 hour daily radio show. He hosts a horrible daily TV show. He also hosts Family Feud. That's 15 shows a week totaling 27.5 hours. And now he's doing this new talent show bringing the total to 28.5 hours of air time every week. That is Steve Harvey overload. Nobody is that good.

IMO - he is an obnoxious, biased host, he has already ruined Family Feud. His talk show is as unwatchable as The View, The Talk, Maury, Jerry Springer or Bill Cunningham.

With a net worth of $100 million, it's time to give others a chance.

Supergirl (2015–2021)

Cannot imagine this crap getting a 2nd season

[2/10 · 15 March 2016]

This new TV version of Supergirl is not true to the characters created in the DC comic books. It's way too weird and way too dark. The 1984 movie of Supergirl was far better than this PC-laden crap fest.

Why did Jimmy Olsen have to turn from white to black? Why did Supergirl have to have a crush on him? What exactly are they promoting here - as if I didn't know.

How did this mess get a go ahead in the first place?

It could have been clever. It could have been amusing but it is neither. It is about re-defining everything and I'm not interested.

The special effects are good which is the only reason I gave it a 2 instead of a 1.

The tone of this TV show reminds me of Resurrection on ABC a few years back. It started out okay and then went very dark and then went off the air - suddenly. Hopefully this mess will soon disappear as well.

Grease Live! (2016 TV Movie)

Amazing Live version of Grease

[9/10 · 1 February 2016]

For the most part, Fox really got it right. The two lead actors were up to the roles. Both could really sing, dance and act. What a far cry from the lame leads on NBC's versions of The Wiz, Peter Pan and Sound of Music. The staging and sets were outstanding. The camera-work was first rate and the audio mix was very good.

Julianne Hough was absolutely outstanding. A very young 27, beautiful and talented performer, she was a perfect choice to play Sandy. I cannot think of anyone who could have done it better.

The guy playing Danny - Aaron Tveit - had the right looks and build for the role and is an excellent singer-dancer-actor.

The supporting cast was enthusiastic and well-rehearsed.

Except for a 20 second audio loss during Hand Jive, there was no major technical glitch. Unlike NBC, the cameramen did not wind up in each other's shots. The movie was virtually all white as fit the setting of 1959. This Grease version tried a little too hard to integrate the cast and with the exception of the Coach, that really didn't work. It was the equivalent of sticking a bunch of Whites or Asians in The Wiz or Purlie. However, the forced diversity wasn't too glaring and didn't hurt the show overall.

Fox's Grease Live sets a new standard for live TV musicals. Congrats to all - cast, crew, producers.

The Heat (I) (2013)

100% Dreck

[1/10 · 31 January 2016]

What a tasteless comedown for Sandra Bullock. I will never be able to look at her with the same admiration I once held. After all the excellent work she's done in "Speed", "The Net", "While You Were Sleeping", "Miss Congeniality 1&2" and "Gravity" - this is simply disgusting.

Fatty Melissa McCarthy is almost tolerable, sometimes funny in the TV series "Mike & Molly", but her movie roles are always totally obnoxious, no-class characters that have little or no appeal. Predictably, this film is in line with the vile gutter crap we have come to expect from her in theatrical films.

I admit that I could only stomach some of this movie watching it on cable TV. I would tune in and out of it waiting for it to get better - it only kept getting worse.

If you are a Sandra Bullock fan and do not want your opinion changed, this would be a title to avoid.

The Wiz Live! (2015 TV Movie)

Slightly better than NBC's Peter Pan & Sound of Music

[4/10 · 4 December 2015]

Started out okay but after 95 minutes, we had enough. We waited for the Wizard to show up but that was a big let down and we tuned out.

Staging and dancing was interesting but most vocals and orchestrations were thin - not nearly as good as the Broadway cast album from the 1970s. Stephanie Mills was fantastic in the lead role way back then and she really owns the role. She made a great Auntie Em this time around.

The costumes, sets and lighting were imaginative but above all, this production needed a much better Dorothy. She was too tall, too old, only a fair singer and hardly a dancer. The young woman always looked angry and has absolutely zero charisma.

Queen Latifah as the Wizard was an interesting choice but I was disappointed in the lack of energy she brought to the role.

Overall, this WIZ lacked the fun and charm of the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz".

I'll eventually try and find the closing rendition of "HOME" on line but probably won't be watching the inevitable rerun. Will not be buying the DVD.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Good note to end on since Rocky V was such a downer

[9/10 · 30 November 2015]

*SPOILER ALERT* Sylvester Stallone was 60 when he made this movie. He wrote it, directed it and starred in it and that's a big deal for someone half his age.

The Rocky character is intact - as likable as ever with a believable heart and soul - someone the viewer can actually care about. An unscrupulous accountant embezzled or lost most of Rocky's money in a previous film and Rocky now owns and runs a small Italian restaurant in South Philly. Wife Adrian is recently deceased and Rocky misses his soulmate badly. His son is conflicted about his relationship with his father and living in his dad's large shadow.

Of course it all comes down to Rocky's final fight against a boxer about 25 years younger. Much of the "exhibition" fight staged in Las Vegas is handled through montage and it's often painful to watch the barbaric sport play out but finally it ends with both men still standing. The alternate ending where Rocky is declared the winner should have been the one used in the final release but at at least it's included under special features on the DVD.

The film cost $24 million to make - that's 24 times more than the original but this show has a lot more glitz and production values.

Very good film - would have been great with the alternate ending.

The Pilgrims (2015 TV Movie)

Dark and grim portrayal of the Pilgrim's experience

[2/10 · 25 November 2015]

Mistake number one was having a sickly 71 year old man portray the key role of 30 year old William Bradford who became the colony's Governor. Good make-up and lighting can age a 30 year old actor into a senior citizen but it doesn't work the other way around. Inexplicably bad choice.

Mistake two was the dark, moody, often way out-of-focus photography that only draws attention to itself for no good reason.

Mistake three was a script that missed the message of why the Plymouth Colony succeeded better than most European settlements in the New World. It also failed to detail the symbiotic alliance between the Wampanoag natives and the English settlers.

For me, the only redeeming segment of the film was the interesting story of how Governor Bradford's detailed history of the Mayflower voyage and the Plymouth settlement was lost for a century and found only by accident.

There are other and much better versions of this story to be seen.

Do You Believe? (2015)

Hard to watch but worthwhile

[8/10 · 18 August 2015]

This is a much bigger movie than its predecessor "GOD'S NOT DEAD" but it is a much harder film to watch. The conviction and credibility is as strong but most of the characters and their life stories are so far from middle America, it's difficult to relate to half of it. Would much have preferred to see it deal with more middle class people and their struggles to find and maintain their faith rather than drug dealers, an ex-con and a homeless mother and daughter.

Faith in the Lord is at the core of the film and yes life is filled with intertwined and inexplicable coincidences as portrayed.

Looking at the movie as entertainment rather than the message film that it is, seniors Lee Majors 76, and Cybill Shepherd 65, no longer look like the glamorous TV/movie stars we once knew. Nevertheless, both steal the show when they appear on screen. Newcomer Makenzie Moss who plays the little homeless girl Lily is a standout - the kid is so adorable.

In all, a film definitely worth seeing but this is not a Sunday School romp. Lots of adult situations and disturbing, realistic and violent scenes.

Madam Secretary (2014–2019)

What Hillary should have been

[8/10 · 12 April 2015]

Former hottie - now middle aged but very attractive - Tea Leone portrays a competent female Secretary of State. Not only that, she loves her husband and is smart, insightful and human. It's kind of what HRC should have been but couldn't come close.

The writing is intelligent and the dialogue believable. Most of the supporting characters are likable with just a few exceptions that could easily be done without or completely minimized to focus on the bigger picture.

No expense is spared in creating/using realistic settings. Overall, very well written and produced. Intelligent drama on network television that avoids most of the pitfalls of its genre.

Killing Jesus (2015 TV Movie)

The role of Jesus should never be played by a Muslim

[1/10 · 29 March 2015]

Bloviator Bill O'Reilly as author and executive producer made a grievous and indefensible error in casting a Muslim to play the role of Jesus in this film. That's the first big problem with this film.

The actor portraying Jesus lacks any charisma and looks dazed and confused in many scenes.

From the beginning, the tone is dark and sinister and very unlike Biblical epics of the past. I understand the purpose is to take a more secular look at the religious, financial and political forces behind Jesus' crucifixion but that's only a small part of a much bigger and more important story - the teachings of Jesus and his miracles, death, faith and resurrection and the beginning of the Christian religion.

King of Kings, Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus of Nazareth, Ben-Hur even Jesus Christ-Superstar and Godspell told the story of Jesus much better than this.

The Oscars (2015 TV Special)

Way too long and way too much - viewership down 16%

[2/10 · 23 February 2015]

Regarding Oscars 2015, VARIETY reported: "Oscar Ratings Down 16%, Lowest in Six Years". I am only surprised it wasn't lower.

It is almost unimaginable that anyone would sit through 3 1/2 hours of this snoozefest after a 1 1/2 hour pre-show on the red carpet.

And Neil Patrick Harris hosting an awards show - again? Really? And coming out in his tighty-whiteys - yuck! glad we missed that. With all the talent in the country, surely the Academy can find someone better. Although Harris can read his prompters, hit his marks and dance, he's not a very good singer and when he tries to be clever or make a joke, it comes off flat.

With very few exceptions, movies are not what they used to be - even what they were as recently as 10 or 15 years ago. With 20 minutes of trailers and commercials shown in theaters today before the feature begins, we rarely go out to see a movie anymore and generally wait for it to hit DVD or cable.

Whatever appeal the Oscars show one had evaporated years ago when movie actors had looks, charisma and exceptional talent and more films were worth watching and buying a ticket to see.

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Ugly and Perverted

[1/10 · 15 February 2015]

Why anyone would spend anything to see this sicko film is beyond reason. Bondage is mental illness in action.

Sex between a loving man and and woman is great but this retarded film perverts it into something dark, scary and awful.

There have been romantic and erotic films made that deal with love and sex in a healthy positive way but this is not that kind of film. not even close.

And the perverts behind this mess release it on Valentine's Day - - that's really sick.

Looking for a great romantic film - try "The Way We Were", "A Man and a Woman", "Ghost", "Blow-Up", "Romeo & Juliet"(both 1969 & 1996), "Ever After", "When Harry Met Sally", "Splendor in the Grass", Officer and a Gentleman".

Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020)

Obnoxious, offensive and racist

[1/10 · 4 February 2015]

Only saw the first two episodes but this Chinese family - especially Eddie - could hardly be less appealing. They are not at all "fresh off the boat" - they have simply moved from DC to Orlando to open a western style steak house restaurant.

The father is tolerable. The mother is pushy, obnoxious and her English is sometimes hard to understand. The personalities of the three kids has yet to emerge but the oldest is an unhappy, wannabe rapper, thug or something other than what he is. The grandmother is completely ignored and hasn't said a word.

A black kid hurls a single word racial insult at the 11 year old Chinese son who calls himself "Eddie" and Eddie goes postal on the black boy which is described but not shown. When called to the principal's office to address the incident, the Chinese parents threaten to sue the school and claim "That's the American way". Gee that's funny isn't it? Report cards come out and the Chinese kid gets all A's while the white kid gets all C's and he's happy and satisfied with that. That's both racist and offensive.

The white principal is made to look bad. The white kids are made to look bad. The white neighborhood moms are made to look like clueless airheads on roller blades. The white people who work at the restaurant are made to look like fools. The white guy Mitch hired as the restaurant host is as unlikely and unappealing as they come. Three young white guys dine and dash and the wife deliberately runs them down with her minivan. Nice.

Nothing about this family engenders empathy or any feeling of wanting them to succeed and assimilate.

Situation comedies are supposed to be funny but this one is not. The people who created this show were making fun of my race and I see nothing funny in that. This show is offensive with no redeeming values whatsoever.

This sitcom is based on the life of an obnoxious malcontent who wrote a book with the same title. The concept has disaster written all over it. Worst possible role models for new Asian immigrants.

Live with Kelly and Mark (1988– )

After 26 years, "LIVE" has run its course - time to pull the plug

[2/10 · 28 January 2015]

Once upon a time, LIVE was a pleasant morning talk show with humorous TV veteran Regis Philbin and chatty singer Kathie Lee Gifford. It was upbeat and mainstream and a pleasure to watch. The hour flew by.

At first, Kelly Ripa did an adequate job of replacing Kathie Lee. And then the producer Michael Gelman decided to make the show what he thinks is more edgy and hip it's been on a downhill slope ever since.

Regis retired - or got pushed out. An ex-jock (who is so very full of himself) was chosen to be the male co-host. Michael Strahan is hardly an appealing TV personality. I can barely stand to look at his smug face let alone listen to his ignorant and inane comments. He may have been a great football player but as a TV host - not seeing it.

Whatever charm and appeal this program once held is long gone.

Lost Boundaries (1949)

A decent portrayal that evokes empathy

[6/10 · 19 January 2015]

This movie based on a real-life family and it plays rather well.

Without excessive sentimentality, it portrays the adjustment of a family that looks white but has a trace amount of "negro" in their blood line and are therefore regarded as black.

The lead character - a competent, young doctor Scott Carter - is rejected for employment by a black hospital administrator because he doesn't look black. Carter then tries to pass for white in a northern state and get a job as a doctor there. He succeeds in the north and raises a son and daughter never telling them of their mixed racial background. His secret is uncovered when he applies for a commission in the US Navy. It becomes known that he and his wife are both negroes and negroes at that time were not allowed to become Naval officers. The Navy policy was soon revised to allow black officers.

The film serves as an object lesson in the difficulty of interracial relationships, biracial children and never quite fully fitting in either world. Although that's somewhat changed from when this film was made some 65 years ago, it will continue to be a issue.

The film treats the subject fairly and without the hyperbole and excess of today's films on racial issues. The net result is compassion for this family.

Parenthood (2010–2015)

Credible writing, believable characters you care about

[9/10 · 9 January 2015]

This is a wonderful, realistic TV drama about a big family living in the San Francisco bay area.

It features a large cast of characters that spans 3 generations who actually love and care about one another. Casting is excellent.

To heighten dramatic impact, every human joy and problem is experienced by someone in the group - dating, marriage, teenage angst, job problems, health problems, infidelity, Aspergers syndrome, business problems, PTSD and on and on. Each issue is dealt with in a credible and sensitive way. The dialog and acting work and the series has been informative and entertaining. There's also humor and lots of good will.

Once you get into the series, you really wind up caring about the characters - even if you don't share their religion or politics - which are implied but usually not overtly expressed.

PARENTHOOD is good quality television that thankfully NBC has kept on and allowed to conclude with dignity - unlike the abrupt boot the network gave to a similar family-themed show American DREAMS which aired in the early 2000s.

In all, PARENTHOOD will include 103 episodes that have run from March 2010 to January 2015.

---- Unfortunately, the PARENTHOOD writers chose to kill off the family patriarch Zeke in the final episode. What a completely unnecessary downer. WONDER YEARS killed the father off in the last episode as well. I like happy endings and this left a bitter taste for both series.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014– )

No longer watching the TONIGHT SHOW

[3/10 · 8 January 2015]

Jimmy Fallon has a modicum of talent and can pull off some funny bits but hosting the 60 minute TONIGHT SHOW 5 nights a week is obviously more than he can handle. He seems like an okay guy but he's an example of The Peter Principle in play.

Johnny Carson was the Gold Standard for hosting this show. He had charisma and depth. He could do political and social commentary, do comedy skits and handle all kinds of interviews from the serious to the silly. I still watch him on DVDs - stuff I've seen and enjoyed before.

Leno was good and usually worth staying up to watch. Politically, he leaned left but Obama was easy fodder for his jokes. Leno's interviewing skills didn't match Carson but he could handle man-on-the-street stuff and showed us how ignorant too many Americans are.

I've given Fallon about 10 tries but concluded he's not worth staying up for or even setting the DVR. The band is absolutely awful. Don't know what Fallon's ratings are or how long his contract runs but I will not be among his viewers.

Annie (2014)

REMAKES don't get any worse

[1/10 · 31 December 2014]

There was no reason to remake this movie.

From the time Little Orphan Annie hit the funny papers 90 years ago, she was a white orphan girl with curly red hair and a shaggy mutt named Sandy as her pet dog. The tradition continued into a 1930s radio series.

This ridiculous new version attempts to co-opt the image and turn the whole thing upside down with a black Annie and a black Daddy Warbucks type character now renamed Will Stacks - a billionaire/politician. Whoever held the copyright should be suing the pants off these people.

The 1977 Broadway musical and its many revivals have thrilled millions - this horrible movie will not.

Annie has been done at least a couple times on film but this urbanized remake is one try too many. It doesn't help when the lead actor is obnoxious and cannot sing and barely dance.

Critics and viewers alike are panning ANNIE 2014. Small wonder it came from SONY PICTURES which gave us December 2014's other film disaster "THE INTERVIEW".

The Interview (II) (2014)

Canadian CRAP from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

[1/10 · 27 December 2014]

Completely overlooked by the mainstream media is that this piece of crap is the "work" of two CANADIANS - not Americans.

Yes, writer-producers of THE INTERVIEW Seth Rogen and and Evan Goldberg are both Canadian. Look it up.

The ill-conceived concept of making a "comedy" film about assassinating a touchy world leader is a loser from the get-go. Why wouldn't North Korea or any country be outraged at the idea? It's offensive and inappropriate to say the least.

To make a documentary film detailing the countless failures of the communist regime and how it's hurt the country would have been a worthy endeavor but this stinker is not.

When North Korea threatened retaliation if the movie opened wide in the USA as planned, theater chains canceled the planned showings and SONY prudently withdrew the film.

Enter George look-at-me Clooney and the ever thin-skinned Obama who publicly criticized SONY PICTURES and foolishly goaded them into releasing it anyway. Obama wouldn't like it if some country made a film about doing him in - he can't even stand to be teased about his big ears, his extraordinary hypocrisy or his unending lies.

After the first few days in 340 theaters, the film had taken in less than 2 million dollars - a relative pittance in the world of show biz.

SONY will lose tens of millions on this mistake and their reputation may never fully recover.

The Barbara Walters Summer Special: Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2014 (2014) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

Incredibly Boring

[1/10 · 15 December 2014]

On what basis are the 10 "most fascinating" people of the year chosen? IMO, only David Koch and Taylor Swift qualified as fascinating.

Koch is a bona fide billionaire industrialist-philanthropist who is politically active. Swift is a young, talented, pop music artist who is very rich.

Walters - in her typical limousine liberal mode - tried to paint an unflattering video portrait of conservative/libertarian Koch, completely ignoring his amazing generosity extending as far as his gift of $25 Million to the United Negro College Fund. More importantly, Koch family-owned companies employ 60,000 Americans.

Most of Barbwa's time with Taylor Swift was spent running long segments from her music videos and concerts instead of using the time to interview the young woman. Terrible interview. I guess Walters didn't consider Swift's answers interesting enough and had to fill the time.

The oprah segment ran twice as long as any other as the 85 year old fawned shamelessly over the oprah and rehashed everything we already knew because oprah had been singing her own sad story for 30 years on national TV. Now we're still supposed to feel sorry for the overexposed billionaire who claims she doesn't have enough time for herself because she's so busy with her cable TV and movie projects. GMAB. Retire already you overexposed hack.

And to name Amal Ramzi Alamuddin (WHO ?) as the most fascinating person of 2014 - was that a joke ? If Amal had not married an American actor in 2014, nobody would know of her.

After 52 years on TV, it's way past time for Walters to hang it up. Like oprah, Walters had a very long run - many would say too long. If the network ever lets her do another one of these, I will be among many who will never watch again.

Peter Pan Live! (2014 TV Movie)

Over-hyped fizzle compares poorly to original NBC version

[3/10 · 6 December 2014]

As a kid, I completely enjoyed the Mary Martin-Cyril Ritchard version of the boy who didn't want to grow up. That version I knew was done in 1960 on a small budget and rerun often to the delight of tens of millions. Mary Martin was totally into the role - enthusiastic, cheerful and full of energy, fun and mischief. English actor Cyril Ritchard was the definitive Captain Hook - tall, fit, threatening, agile and funny plus he could sing, dance and act.

The very expensive, highly promoted 2014 version of this 110 year old story was such a disappointment. It goes to show that no matter how good a story or a musical score, success comes down to who puts a show together as to whether it flies or not. This show did not fly. After the flop this same team of producers made of Sound of Music in 2013, it's incredible that NBC gave them another shot at a live TV musical.

Allison Williams was barely adequate in the title role and paled by comparison to Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby and especially Mary Martin. Williams lacked enthusiasm, emotion and charisma. She certainly did not dominate her scenes nor the show and she was playing the lead character of Peter Pan.

Christopher Walken as Captain Hook was barely making it through every scene. He looked like hell and he was obviously dependent on reading cue cards or teleprompters. He came off as bored and disconnected as though he hated being in the play. He cannot sing and he looked sickly, frail and totally out of shape. What ship's crew would respect him as their leader?

The pirates were as weird as the Indians.

And the lost "boys" of Neverland were in their 20s and 30s. GEESH!

On the production side:

There were some technical glitches with the electronically screen-generated Tinkerbell.

Camera brightness levels didn't always match and feet were cut off at the ankles in dancing numbers. Cameramen got in each other's shots.

The only compliment I can offer is that audio quality was much improved over The Sound of Music done a year earlier.

Did I mention this thing ran 3 FULL HOURS - half again longer than the original and way, way too long.

Not surprisingly, even before the show was over, NBC was already advertising that the DVD would be out on Dec 16. I cannot imagine who would want to buy it.

The McCarthys (2014–2015)

Network sitcoms don't get much worse than this

[1/10 · 20 November 2014]

The comedic possibilities of a large Irish family would seem endless.

Guess what - they ended with this waste of 22 minutes.

Laurie Metcalf is a funny woman but not in this show. The husband / father is a weak, humorless twit.

The rest of the family is an unlikeable bunch and of course the focus of everything is centered on the one homosexual son. Like being gay is so funny. Like how many sitcoms don't already include a gay character in a desperate attempt to garner laughs.

Once upon a time, pilots of shows like this were run before trial audiences in major cities. The show would be played in a hotel meeting room on several monitors to an audience of 100 or so invited guests. Based on their spontaneous reactions, follow-up Q&A and written feedback, a show would make it to air or not - or it would be tweaked and retried or it would bite the dust right then and there.

If THE McCARTHYS ever went through such a trial focus group, I don't know how it ever got a green light to air.

Horrible show that was cancelled after just 11 episodes.

Resurrection (2013–2015)

Sinking Fast

[2/10 · 13 October 2014]

We have watched every episode so far and sorry to say but in its second season, it's sinking fast.

Like another ABC series "LOST" a few years back, RESURRECTION started out with an interesting premise but it has been quickly going down a very dark hole and we longer want to watch.

The show is well produced and well acted but not so the story lines. The stories have turned just plain weird - almost satanic. Instead of offering a vision of what an afterlife or the return of a loved one might be, it dwells on all the most morbid of possibilities. It obsesses on evil and darkness and to what end?

I really do not understand what the agenda of this program is but I know that we are no longer interested given the wrong turn the series has taken.

During the run of second season of episodes, viewership was down by half. It seems unlikely that the network will bring it back. Let's hope not.