joesorce Reviews

80 for Brady (2023)

Just what you'd expect from a comedy of LEGENDS

[9/10 · 4 February 2023]

Cute, funny, silly, raunchy, everything you'd expect from a lighthearted chick-flick comedy starring 6 legends and based on a true story. Hopefully the success of this laugh fest will signal the return of movies-for-older-adults and big-screen situation comedies. The Golden Girls go to the Super Bowl, what's not to love? Pay no attention to the low rating that's based on a bunch of Brady-haters who didn't even see the movie. Shame on them. If you liked The First Wives Club or Look Who's Talking or Raising Arizona or 9 to 5, you should have a really good time at this one too. See it in a crowded theatre because the laughter is contagious.

The Fosters (2013–2018)

It's "Party of 5" but with parents & pot brownies

[2/10 · 27 July 2022]

"The Fosters" must have been written by rejected writers from "Days of Our Lives" or something. It plays like the worst of afternoon soap operas with one crisis after another, one love triangle after another, one trip to jail after another and one drunken affair after another. It's no wonder that one or some of the actors left the show after a season or three...they probably couldn't bare to spout this garbage any longer. There is very little truth to the characters and nothing to believe in almost every plotline. It's laughably bad, but I will admit that I made it through 6 episodes of season 1 and then 2 episodes of season two before my barf meter finally exploded.

Girl in Progress (2012)

The bottom falls out of this coulda-been

[8/10 · 24 July 2022]

The first 2/3 of this story is terrific. Lots of heartfelt moments, interesting family interaction, teen angst of course, and real-life drama. All of the performances are very good. Then at about the point of "the party", the whole thing falls apart and becomes a mess of cliches and cringeworthy situations/dialogue. The over-the-top mean girl seems particularly out of place. It's sad when a movie has so much potential and throws it all away. It's almost like maybe a new writer took over towards the end...one who had no idea what the rest of the movie was about. Maybe there was just too much to wrap up and the task became overwhelming? This movie might have worked better as a series or mini-series where all of the characters and situations could have been thoroughly developed and explored. Patricia Arquette is mostly wasted in this lovely little story that turns into a real letdown.

Generation Gap (2022– )

what a stinker

[2/10 · 13 July 2022]

The contestants were the only good thing about this stinker. It seemed like maybe Steve Harvey got sick so they had to come up with a filler show and only had ten minutes to do so. Appalling bad, uninteresting and a total waste of time. Shame on the producers for putting out such drivel.

The Valet (2022)

So Far, It's the MOVIE OF THE YEAR!

[9/10 · 12 June 2022]

Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much, but this movie took me by the ears and shook the laughter out of me. A lighthearted rom-com (sort of),this quick and breezy giggle-fest is just what we all need right now. I only wish that it had been released in theaters where we all could have enjoyed it together...a crowded cinema is really where movies this enjoyable work best. Invite the family over for movie night, pop some corn, and don't forget the ketchup.

The Girl from Plainville (2022)

Hulu Stretches Out Another Dateline Episode

[2/10 · 7 June 2022]

I know that Hulu, Netflix etc are starving for more content, but grinding out these extended "Dateline NBC" episodes is really getting old (Candy, Thing about Pam, The Act etc). The performances are okay I guess but I stopped after episode two and just flipped to the finale. Enough already.

Love, Victor (2020–2022)

They Got Everything Right but the Gay

[7/10 · 6 June 2022]

Great cast, good writing, some very funny lines, an interesting family with interesting dynamics....this would have been a long-running show if not for the gay angle...they get all of that wrong. Everything from the sex to the friendships to the intimacy....that part is all mostly a cringeworthy mess. With these characters, sex should have been just another interesting part of their lives, not the main focus of their daily drama.

Fire Island (I) (2022)

Yes it's cringeworthy

[3/10 · 6 June 2022]

This is like a bad episode of Saved By The Bell with an all gay cast. And Margaret Cho as the guidance counselor. The jokes are not funny, the acting is barely adequate with one actor racing through his lines like a jackhammer on steroids, and the script is amateurish (why are so many gay films so amateurish?) Save your time and give this garbage a pass....but if you REALLY want to know just how cringeworthy it is, just fast-forward to the last 2 minutes of the film. The "big climax" will make you laugh out loud it's so cliche. Or maybe it was meant to be mindboggingly silly, who knows when it comes to a mess like this?

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2017)

If You're Interested in Old Hollywood

[8/10 · 1 June 2022]

I love celebrity autobiographies but I don't like gossip. So I thought I wouldn't care much for this documentary but watched it anyway, and came away surprised at how interesting I thought it was. It's not that juicy, and it's not that revelatory, but it surely proves that Scotty is no liar. (Almost) every word that comes out of his mouth rings true and sincere, and he has old friends and lots of photos to back up his claims. The film is part comedy, part tragedy, and partly a grim look at what hoarding can do to a person. Much like the interesting documentary "The Projectionist", it's a big raunchy, but it doesn't make the subject out to be any sort of hero or any sort of demon. He just was, he existed. Scotty had a very interesting life, whether you approve of it or not, and I'm glad that he told his story.

Better Things (2016–2022)

A bit long in the tooth

[6/10 · 1 June 2022]

I'm an old boomer and I realize that this show was not meant for me. But somehow I found myself watching season 1 and I stuck with it. I probably stuck with it maybe 1 season too long because by season 5 it feels like the actors are just phoning it in. Maybe they are having a good time on the set but it no longer translates to good tv. That said, I'll admit that this show taught me some things about women, about daughters, about single motherhood and even about fatherhood. And gave me a lot of laughs. What I didn't really like about it is the neediness of the main character (and writer) to constantly point out to us just how hip and tolerant and inclusive she is, I prefer when that is not as in-your-face as it is here. Because it feels like preaching instead of teaching. ALSO (just kidding, I have no also, that's just a shout out to Pamela Adlon who I wish would cook something for me someday, I forgot to mention that Sam Fox's culinary skills are epic, and I gave the show an extra star just for that.).

Candy (2022)

Dull and unnecessary remake

[2/10 · 1 June 2022]

This is basically a remake of a 90s tv movie called "A Killing in a Small Town". Barbara Hershey was the star of that one, and it was palatable as a 2 hour movie....but this mini-series is dreadfully dull and predictable, kind of like watching a 5 hour "Dateline" episode. The acting is fine, the directing is fine, the sets and costumes are first class, but the whole thing is just one big snoozefest, sorry.

Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story (2019)

Downvoted by Trumpers, WATCH THIS IT'S HILARIOUS

[9/10 · 21 May 2022]

I understand that people hated the severed head thing. It was not funny. So what? That doesn't mean that you get to come here and criticize her for it, this section is for REVIEWS of the documentary. I didn't like the first 20 mins and suggest that people just fast forward to the actual stand-up act. The crowd roared through it and so di we. It's hilarious. Even if you love Trump, get yourself a sense of humor, stop being so closed-minded, and let yourself laugh a little. This comedian is fearless and deserves your applause. ESPECIALLY if you pretend to believe in free speech and the Constitution. And if you hate "cancel culture", why would you try to cancel a comedian? Practice what you preach.

Let Him Go (2020)

This was a load of nonsense

[2/10 · 19 December 2021]

All they had to do was call the sheriff, have their daughter-in-law tell the Sheriff that she wanted to leave, and then drive off into the sunset. Instead each step these old codgers take get dumber and dumber. The thought that some old lady runs the county just because she's off the grid is ludicrous.

The Projectionist (III) (2019)

Worth a watch for film buffs

[8/10 · 2 February 2021]

The Projectionist is an enjoyable documentary, of interest to anyone who is a movie-theatre buff, interested in the history of film exhibition, or just looking for a nostalgia piece about Manhattan/Brooklyn in the 70s and 80s.

Nicolas Nicolaou is a colorful but quietly subdued immigrant from Cyprus who fell into the movie-theatre business at a young age and worked his way up the ladder ...it's an "live the American dream" type of story. The movie works best when Nick is telling his history and expressing his love for the film-exhibition business, and probaby works worst (for many viewers) when we cut to scenes from porno films of the 70s and early 80s (Nicolas had success with adult-film theatres before he went mainstream).

Brooklyn in particular has a lot for which to thank Nicolas...few places in America these days still have a non-chain neighborhood movie theatre charging fair prices for tickets and refreshments. I wish him and his family the best, especially since 2020 has been so difficult for the film-exhibition business in particular. Hopefully Nick's theatres will continue to thrive and prosper long after the pandemic is dead and gone.

Big Sky (2020–2023)

Who's Writing this Garbage?

[2/10 · 2 December 2020]

Who is writing this, it can't be David E. Kelley. It's just too repetitive, boring, implausible and comically bad. Does anybody believe even one minute of this? How convenient to have an army-grade bulldozer and backhoe at your service! And did anybody not figure out that Grace was going to run into the trooper after her escape? Look we already know how this current plotline is going to pan out. The secretary in the office is one of the criminals, in cahoots with the trooper. And it's crazy mom who's eventually going to turn in nutjob son and save the day. Please just play-off the final episodes of this travesty on Saturday nights at 10pm and bring back something like Stumptown on Tuesdays. Or extend Bachelorette for a 3rd hour, that would be even less painful than this potful of plotholes..

Four Seasons Lodge (2008)

Survivors at the end of an incredible journey

[9/10 · 30 November 2020]

I would just like to thank the filmmakers for capturing these people and their stories on film. It is not so much about triumph of the spirit as it is a hopeful film about enjoying life to the fullest even as we know our days our numbered.

Copenhagen (2014)

Totally Unlikeable Main Character

[2/10 · 10 August 2020]

The problem with this movie is the main character. He becomes very hard to watch after 20 minutes or so as he apparently has no redeeming qualities. I don't mind an unlikeable character at all, in the hands of a great director and a great actor, but Will just grates on the nerves. For the whole movie. If the script had gone through two or three more re-writes, they might have had something here. But aside from an interesting performance from Frederikke Dahl Hansen, (a 20 year old actress playing a 14 year old character)....this movie just has nothing to offer. It just kinds of meanders until its very predictable, very unsatisfying conclusion.

Good Bones (2016)

Breezy little slice of life

[9/10 · 27 July 2020]

Enjoyable if empty little romantic comedy , pleasant to watch and nicely filmed in the Hamptons/ Long Island. The two leads do a nice job, I'm surprised that the male lead seems to have quit the acting profession as he has a likeable quality similar to that of Chris Evans. A breezy 90 min film that would have fit nicely on the Hallmark Channel if not for a couple of F-bombs. "That Summer in the Hamptons" would have been a more descriptive title.

The Lengths (2014)

Goes Nowhere Fast

[4/10 · 27 July 2020]

A half-decent script could have been developed a little more into a decent story, but this one is hard to watch due to the obnoxious character Charlie. It's impossible to believe that the other two characters would have any kind of bond with this idiot so the movie goes nowhere. And that's not good for a "road movie".

The Affair (2014–2019)

Salacious, boring nonsense

[2/10 · 28 December 2019]

Note that I only watched 4 or 5 episodes of season 1. I thought it was excrutiatingly awful and couldn't stand to sit through any more of this drivel which is like the worst episodes of an afternoon soap opera. Days of our Dull Lives on the Ocean. Logged on to imdb to find everyone saying that progressive seasons get much worse so that's enough for me.

The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019– )

Unwatchable "Talk but Don't Listen" Show

[2/10 · 12 November 2019]

I've tried about 5 times but I just could not get into this show. Kelly barely listens to her guests except when trying to make a witty quip (she usually fails). She turns around every conversation to make it about herself with "oh I do that too!" or "that sounds like me!" or "my kids say that about me!" . They should have called this the Me Me Me show. Not to mention that she is too loud and I think most people find her delightful but only in small doses. I'm sure the ratings have been dropping a bit every week. I would also bet that many people watch the first 15 minutes of every show and then turn it off because it's just too awkward to watch any more. I feel sorry for many of the guests actually...they didn't realize that they were coming on just to talk about Kelly and to watch her try to be funny. It's also very concerning how often she puts herself down, and pretends to be okay with her up and down weight issues. I'm afraid that maybe she is overworked, over exposed and heading for some kind of a nervous breakdown. It's a shame because she could have had a great career as just a singer and a mom.

Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998)

Enjoyable Small-Town Slice of Life

[9/10 · 6 November 2006]

This is a surprisingly well-written and enjoyable little film about that choice that so many of us have to make at one time or another...whether to carry on with the old family traditions or to strike out on our own. Some of us need familiarity and safeness, others need to see the world. This is a simple story for those who like the slow-paced thoughtfulness of films like "A Straight Story", "An Unfinished Life" or "Strangers in Good Company". No bells and whistles here, very few plots twists or conflict. The film kinda plods along just like life does, one has to pause to find the best moments of the film just like one needs to stop and smell the roses.

Performances are generally good except for Ethan Embry who goes over the top a bit too often and becomes a caricature. In fact all of the 4 main characters seem a bit too old to be in high school, and a bit too cultured to be from a West Texas town of 81 residents.

A family film with a sophisticated sense of humor. Excellent cameo roles from a handful of screen veterans are a highlight.

Match Point (2005)

Woody Has Lost It

[2/10 · 10 May 2006]

The plot of this movie is totally absurd and overblown, like an idea that Woody had while sitting on the toilet. Basically a 2 minute joke-of-a-plot expanded to a 90 minute movie. Johnathan Rhys Meyers gives the worst performance since Mariah Carey in Glitter,and though Woody Allen is known for coaxing great performances out of his actors, Scarlett Johannsen has never been worse. There can be no other explanation. There's no way that the man who gave us "Annie Hall" and "Bananas" could have come up with this misfire. The critical raves are beyond me. This one must have been written and directed by Soon Yi, that's the only explanation that I can come up with for this boring piece of garbage.

An Unfinished Life (2005)

Redford & Freeman Give Acting Class

[9/10 · 27 April 2006]

This is an enjoyable movie with terrific performances including Camryn Manheim and the up-and-coming Becca Gardner. It's a slice-of-life story with a "bear"ly believable subplot...but is brought down by the casting of Jennifer Lopez as a flawed single mother. Watching her on-screen, you'd almost expect Lopez to beat her boyfriend silly rather than run away from the jerk, her personality is just not right for this character and she doesn't pull it off. Well worth a rental for the performances of Redford and Freeman alone, as well as for the lovely cinematography, I'm surprised that this one didn't get a bigger push at the theatres, it must have been breathtaking up on the big screen.

OT: Our Town (2002)

Compelling and fun to watch

[9/10 · 22 January 2006]

Totally enjoyable documentary about all the joys and tribulations of attending high school in south Los Angeles. Anyone who's ever been a part of a school play can relate to these kids, and will root for them, while at the same time realizing how the deck is stacked against success. The DVD has extra footage and bonus material that is well worth watching.

GO DOMINGUEZ! D H rules! You cannot come away from this movie without hoping for the best in the future for Archy, Ebony, Jackie and everyone involved. This movie should be seen by anyone who has ever voted to take arts-funding away from our schools.