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Reviews
Asteroid City (2023)
One of the Worst Movies I've ever watched
I don't get the score for this movie - not by a mile. The premise is cute - a story about a story. And at first I thought this might get interesting. But after a while it became obvious there was no story. Just nonsense strung together by boring characters and terrible dialogue. I actually fell asleep trying to watch it, and had to wind it back and continue. I shouldn't have bothered. I am also confounded as to the cast taking on this project. It was the cast that attracted me to this film, but I am shocked they signed on for such a piece of boring garbage. I am sure there are those that will like this movie simply because they somehow see it as artsy fartsy. But I want good story telling and goo dialogue. This movie has neither. What a shame.
In the Dark (2019)
Season 1 & 2 are great - then downhill
I really enjoyed season 1 and 2. Gripping, funny, and a good plot. But then it becomes a deal of the writers saying "What can we toss in this week that's outrageous?" just to keep the series going. I am most of the way through season 3, and enough is enough. I dumped it from my watch list. If they couldn't come up with a decent story after the original plot line finished, they should have ended it rather than taking a writers salary for what amounts to impossible or off the wall nonsense. Shock for the sheer sake of shock value without a decent plot is just bad writing. And what a shame. I would have given this series a seven or eight based on the first two seasons being so good. But then it was one impossible thing after another to try and keep you locked in. Eventually I said to myself "What am I watching this for?" And the answer was easy. On to something else and enough of this.
Castle Rock (2018)
Interesting, but only because it drags on and on.
This is one of those shows that makes you think to yourself - this could have been a 2 night mini-series. It has some things about it that draws you in, but each episode drags on and on, and pretty much can be summed up in a few sentences. I have a feeling that after the final few episodes play, it may be a big letdown. I'd advise either recording all of these episodes or not watch it until you can see them all straight through, since each one is not at all memorable and waiting week after week you may forget what happened previously. Bing watch, if you must watch at all.
Arrival (2016)
A tiny Rough Draft turned into a 2 Hour Movie
I looked forward to this movie after seeing the trailers. It looked like it would be filled with mystery and intrigue. What would the hidden plot be? What magical or devastating interactions were going to take place? Yes - that is what the trailers presented to us, but that is not what the film delivered. Not by a mile.
I am afraid I have to agree with all the other 1 star ratings here. This was a bore fest at best. It was as if someone wrote a single paragraph rough draft of a possible plot line, and then without any creativity or imagination, the film makers somehow stretched it in to a 2 hour movie.
Two hours to present something as simple as "Gee - what if this happened?" - "Yeah - that would be nice I guess." And presented poorly.
In the hands of the right director with some vision and passion, and with good writers that could better develop scenes and backgrounds, this might have been a pretty good movie. Instead, it drags on with very little to capture the audience, and the ending - if you even understand it - is a major "That was it??" moment.
What a shame.
Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party (2016)
Ignore the Planted Reviews - This is a Must See
You will notice that all the negative reviews appeared either before this film actually opened, or the day it opened. Pretty much indicates that none of these reviewers even saw the movie. (Were they typing from the theater?)
After that, almost all the reviews are positive, and HIGHLY positive at that!
And that is because this is a well done, fact filled movie that some do not want you to see, but that everyone SHOULD see. Excellent and informative all around, and fact and history we all should know.
His previous movies were also well researched, and while they might contain a lot of 'opinion', these opinions are always backed up with fact and research. This truly separates these documentary type films from so many other 'opinion' pieces we see today, which are all words without substance to back them up. Each movie gets better. Are they cinematic masterpieces? No. But that is not what these movies are designed to be. They are designed to INFORM - and they do that very, very well. Avoid seeing this movie at your own peril - better to know the facts than to ignore them!
America: Imagine the World Without Her (2014)
An Excellent, Honest, Factual Accounting of America
A movie to enlighten all of us. What makes America great, and why the rest of the world is rushing to copy us, while we (stupidly) are now tearing it down. This is not so much a political movie as it is a movie about common sense, and love of country. And it's a well deserved love, as shown by our success and those that admire this idea that is America. You might be shocked by the first part of the movie, which will list all that is wrong with America. You might then be shocked by the middle of the movie which presents eye opening facts that many are not aware of, that counter some of these wrongs. You may also be shocked to learn about the hard core radicals that hate America, and why and how they have systematically taken the nation apart. But no matter what side you fall on, you will learn facts and truth. You can only form opinions if you have the facts, and good or bad, this movie lays it all out. A must see movie!
Pompeii (2014)
"Spartacus meets Gladiator", and oh yeah there's a Volcano
Why would you completely change a story that was already so compelling and well known? And why would you avoid being at all historically accurate, and replace the majority of the story with one that is poorly written and directed, and containing characters and events that were never there? Toss in plenty of cheap dialog, and then at the end we'll do a volcano that does things completely differently than what actually happened. I suppose if you know absolutely nothing about Pompeii and Vesuvius then you might watch this movie and thing it was OK. But even then, it's only OK at best. But this is such a well know story these days, and the actual history was so well documented, I doubt there are too many people that could watch this and not notice some incredible inaccuracies. Then there's the fact that the real story is one that wrote itself - the actual events were far more compelling and gripping than the ones in this movie. So you have to ask - what were they thinking? A one hour show on the History Channel was far better, and more gripping. Pass on this one.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Half a Movie
Sorry, but I don't buy in to this "make up your own ending" when it comes to story telling. And after all, isn't that what a movie is? I could list a few redeeming qualities, but even if there is some good acting, or occasional glimpses of an actual story, it is all worthless if there's no plot. What this movie tries to pass off as a plot is nothing more than a partial rip off of a real life event, told with new characters. It's a story we already know. For that to be entertaining, you have to draw the viewer in to the story. Instead, we're only given glimpses here and there of past and present, and it's up to us - the viewers - to write the rest of the film in our heads. How can one score a half finished movie? You can't. Thus the ONE.
The Following (2013)
Downhill is the only word to describe it
Like most of the recent reviewers here, I gave the show a shot. It started off interesting, but with each episode it became more predictable, and more off the wall ridiculous. It's now gotten to the point where it's insulting our intelligence to watch this show with it's far fetched impossible premises. A shame, since it has some good actors and the plot had a possibility of going somewhere if handled correctly. But instead of intense action and mystery, we get a dragged out scenario that's impossible to believe. Neither the police (FBI) or the criminals would ever act in the way that they are portrayed, no matter how much we try and stretch our imagination. I won't waste my time watching any more of this nonsense.
War Horse (2011)
Boring
Thought this might be a movie I'd like. Turns out it's one of the most boring things I've seen.
Implausible plot, extremely slow moving.
Nothing in this movie will suck you in or grab you, and isn't that what good cinema is supposed to be all about?
A real shame considering who's behind this film.
The scenery, locations, and effects are pretty good, but the story leaves a lot to be desired, and the movie could have been half as long as it was - maybe that would have made it a bit more enjoyable.
I'd pass on this one.