cliometrician Reviews

The Artifice Girl (2022)

a small gem

[10/10 · 12 May 2023]

I agree with another reviewer who said that this was the best small scale sci-fi movie since "The Man From Earth." It is a three-part film. The movie starts with with three people talking with each other, one of them under duress, soon joined by another on screen. Part 2 has the same four people talking, while the finale has two people speaking.

Now, the above must sound as boring as watching grass grow, but it is not, because of a great script, perfect for exploring AI and its limits. No action except for a chess game, but every part of the discussion throughout the movie goes right to the heart of understanding the ultimate outcome of the scenario.

I'll say no more, so I'll not risk leaking any spoilers, but this film breaks new ground. And was well worth the time I spent with it.

The Last Duel (2021)

About what I expected

[7/10 · 5 December 2021]

The story was broken into three "chapters" with the duel taking place afterward. I thought the first chapter was fairly dull, featuring Matt Damon's character, while the second chapter, dealing with Adam Driver, was a little better, but the final chapter, giving actress Jodie Comer's view of what happened, the best of all. I thought she did an outstanding job. The duel itself was pretty gritty, as to be expected in a Ridley Scott film.

Spoiler here, so beware:

The victor in the duel, Matt Damon, was said to have died a few years later during the Crusades. Sorry, but the Crusades ended in 1291 after nearly two centuries. What the last message on the screen should have read is that Matt Damon's character would have died fighting the English, as the Hundred Years's War was still in progress.

Stargate: Continuum (2008 Video)

R.I.P. Cliff Simon

[10/10 · 17 August 2021]

I'm writing this because I just today read that Cliff Simon died earlier this year in a kite-boarding accident. He always turned in a great performance as Ba'al, and I regret we will no longer see him in any role on screen. He was, indeed, excellent in this movie. Dead at age 58, he left us too soon.

The Fugitive (2020)

It started as an 8 minute headache...

[7/10 · 29 August 2020]

Right off the bat I was going to give this a rating of 3 based on two factors: the ridiculous 8 minute long episodes, and the unbelievably bad police work by Kiefer Sutherland. After no more than 30 seconds of viewing video cams he thought they had pinpointed the bomber...because he was on his cell phone....and they knew he was an ex con. Sutherland played the part as a bombastic, over the top, brainless cop......for a few episodes. Then, I kept watching, and becoming more interested in the story for one main reason: the acting and sympathetic portrayal of a wrongfully accused man by Boyd Holbrook.

And as the action continued Sutherland slowly dialed down his performance, all for the better. I revised my grade to a 5 midway through the episodes, and by the time I got to the end I gave it a solid 7. Oh, sure, the 8 minute episode gimmick is still ridiculous, but the great job by Holbrook and the suspense that kept me clicking to the next episode finally sold me. The late David Janssen would give it a thumb's up.

She Never Died (2019)

Neither of them died

[5/10 · 17 April 2020]

Caution: Spoilers

As one who is a great fan of the prequel, HE NEVER DIED, I was really looking forward to this one. I have to say that I was very disappointed, because I kept comparing it to the prequel. HE NEVER DIED was loaded with dark humor in scene after scene--this one barely registered on the dark humor scale. In the prequel, the protagonist was the original Cain, from the Bible story. In this one she turns out to be the mythical Lilith, in this version a fallen angel. Yes, she's immortal, heals from every wound, can't die, etc., just like in the prequel, but she mostly growls, mutters throw-away lines, and has nothing of the arresting personality of the actor Henry Rollins as Cain. I'm glad I saw it, but won't be watching it again. As for HE NEVER DIED, I've watched it multiple times and will do so again. My rating is a generous 5.

Occupation (2018)

A Pleasant Surprise

[8/10 · 25 September 2018]

This was a nice little sci-fi movie. For its budget I thought the acting was just fine, the special effects very good, and a pretty good story. I'm always a sucker for sci-fi action movies and this one was very satisfying. I would compare the story and action to Battle of Las Angeles, but this one was better. Sure, the ending seemed a little rushed, with an optimistic feel-good ending, but overall I would certainly recommend this movie.

Babylon 5: Into the Fire (1997) Season 4, Episode 6

An excellent end to a major arc

[10/10 · 19 July 2018]

What a great episode this was. I certainly disagree with those who think it was a little flat at the end. It is hard to see how it could be improved. What others might see as the ep being a little too preachy, I consider to be excellent sci-fi. This ep had a little of everything: Mr. Morden got his comeuppance, Vir got to do the little waggle of fingers that he hoped for; Lorien gave us an in-depth expository on the Old Ones; Commander Ivanova got to join the fleet in time to see action; Londo writhed in pain when he learned of the treachery of Mr. Morden; and Sheridan and Delenn got to save the day as we knew we would.

It was almost a little sad to see this arc come to an end because we have lived with it for so long. It leads one to wonder if anything that follows can be as interesting. Wonderful job by all the actors involved. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.

The Orville: Mad Idolatry (2017) Season 1, Episode 12

Deja Vu all over again

[8 December 2017]

First of all, I do not think that this was overall a strong episode. The exception was the interplay between Captain and Commander about their feelings vs. their duty. That was very well done and was the highlight of the episode for me.

Major Spoilers: Something about it kept bugging me. When they went down to the planet to confront the religious leader by telling and showing him that Kelly was not a god who appeared 700 years previously, the thought struck me: "I've seen this before!" I knew exactly what was going to happen, and looking back I realized that every moment spent on the planet was something very familiar. In other words, I had seen this episode before but could not remember where. Many thanks to the reviewer above who reminded us that this was a redo of a "Star Trek: Voyager" episode, "Blink of an Eye."

However, where the reviewer above thought it was a nice homage to the Voyager series, I did not think it was an homage at all. I believe that the writers were hoping no one would notice that they just copied an episode from nearly 18 years ago. OK, maybe that's putting it too strongly, but it just seemed a lazy way to end the season. Your mileage may vary.

The plot here was really over the top in heavy-handedness. I went back and watched the "Blink of an Eye" episode again and I thought the Voyager version much better than this one. More nuanced, without beating us over the head with the message.

All that being said, I love this series, I'm just sorry that it ended the season upon, for me, a weak episode.

The Osiris Child (2016)

A pleasant surprise

[7/10 · 8 December 2017]

Yes, this was much better than I had expected. I figured, well, with a low budget the CGI won't be up to par, it'll probably depend on blood and gore, and with very little plot or character development. I was wrong on all counts. The best thing about it was the back-story for the characters--you got to know them, and some of them were certainly worth knowing. Flashbacks throughout the film slowly pieced together a mosaic of complex characters that you came to understand and care for.

And o yeah, there are monsters, sort of like the "monsters of the id" of FORBIDDEN PLANET. It was a solid sci-fi story and the CGI was better than it had any right to be. I was really impressed.

The acting was OK for everyone and outstanding by a couple of the characters. One strange thing is the somewhat confusing names of this movie. The version I saw was called ORIGIN WARS, though known here on IMDb as SCIENCE FICTION VOLUME ONE: THE OSIRIS CHILD. The child was the young daughter who was the object of rescue by her father and his comrades-by-necessity, before the planet they were on was to be made uninhabitable by the evil corporation.

It was a solid effort that was worth my time.

The Crucifixion (2017)

Once more unto the breach against demons

[7/10 · 27 November 2017]

Ah, another exorcism movie to sink my teeth into. Actually, my vote is closer to 6 1/2. Overall, a pretty good movie. It kept my interest right to the end, even though a major incident in the conclusion was telegraphed long before, but still intrigued.

Early on we see Sister Adelina undergoing an exorcism and the actress does a good job in the role of the devil's victim, both during the exorcism and in the several flashbacks that show her descent into the clutches of the demon. Sophie Cookson plays Nicole, a reporter who travels to Romania, and who is a sceptic about religion. Her performance is solid throughout, as were the jobs done by the rest of the cast, including several Romanian actors and two from Spain. All of this was based on a true story that happened in 2005.

Of course several familiar tropes occur along the way that all of us recognize as de riguer for this kind of a movie: a lot of dead insects, strange sounds, hallucinations, solid black eyes, as well as the expected floating in air, among others. The production value is high for a B list movie like this, and all about it has the look of quality. Yes, I recommend it if you are an exorcism movie aficionado like me, or if you just like the horror genre. If you are only faintly interested in horror movies then you should probably give this one a pass. It is directed by Xavier Gens, who previously directed two pretty good horror/drama movies: "Frontiers" and "The Divide."

Babylon 5: Sleeping in Light (1998) Season 5, Episode 22

Fitting end for a great sci-fi series

[10/10 · 5 August 2017]

I have just finished watching, for the first time, the entire B5 series; in fact, I just finished watching the last episode about twenty minutes ago. I came here and was pleased that most everyone felt the same way about it as I did. It was the most moving TV episode I have ever seen, and it was one of the very best episodes to ever end a series.

The last episode was in stark contrast to the last episode of the series "Enterprise," which was an insult to every member of the cast. I am sad now that I have visited B5 as an old friend for the last time. Don't know if I will ever watch the series again, but I hope so. The actors and writers and entire production team produced something extraordinary, and I was not expecting that. I was so pleased with the series and the intricate arcs within it, and capped off by an immensely satisfying conclusion.

Requiescet In Pace, Babylon 5

Childhood's End (2015)

Glad that CHILDHOOD'S END finally has a screen adaptation

[9/10 · 4 January 2016]

Nearly 40 years ago I first read CHILDHOOD'S END and enjoyed it so much I read it twice more during the following year. It's a slim little volume that packs in a universe of speculation, the kind of science fiction writing that Arthur C. Clarke did best.

Of course I knew that no film adaptation could exactly duplicate the book, but this came pretty close. Maybe not so much in detail, but certainly in the spirit of the original book. I don't care to nit-pick those small variations that has caused grief for some reviewers here. If you have not done so yet, please read the book, and enjoy the movie- --it really is possible to do both.

The Ouija Exorcism (2015)

Not at the bottom of the barrel, but you can see it from here

[4/10 · 15 October 2015]

This is the third exorcism movie that I have watched and posted about this week,the others being: THE VATICAN TAPES, and THE EXORCISM OF MOLLIE HARTLEY. I gave them a rating, respectively, of 6 and 1/2, and 5 and 1/2. I judge all such movies not against all horror movies but just against other exorcism movies.

Now I am an aficionado of exorcism movies, so I give a grade of 3 just to begin with, and 4 is the worst I've ever given to one, and this one belongs in that category, far inferior to the two movies cited above.

I don't even have the energy to lay out the entire plot, just as the writers had no energy to deliver a coherent or suspenseful plot. Very briefly, a Ouija Board here serves just like the Dybbuk box in the movie, THE POSSESSION. The demon Belial was placed there long before when the main character, Joe, was a boy. It got out when he fooled around with the board, possessed the kid, people were slaughtered, the demon was banished back to the board, yada, yada, yada.

It's now some 30 years later and time for Joe's son to find the Ouija board and give it a spin. Here comes Belial again, quickly possessing one character, then changing to another, etc. etc. This took place at the cabin where Joe and son are visiting. Naturally, the hot girl next door is also a shaman. Of course she is. She knows to whip out salt to make a safe circle, whisks a knife out of nowhere, and knows what Joe has to do to exorcise the demon: read from the Book of Psalms, in Hebrew (Joe grew up in a Jewish family), and do so standing in the swimming pool.

Joe's son, Noah, gets possessed and Joe is trying to coax him into the pool, when the Shaman hits Noah on the head with a big stick and utters: "The book was taking too long." Three dead bodies and the demon gone, and mercifully the movie comes to an end.

The Exorcism of Molly Hartley (2015 Video)

Exorcise Your Demons

[5/10 · 14 October 2015]

I think I'm a little like Coleridge's Ancient Mariner--I'm compelled to see every single exorcism movie, no matter how bad the reviews, then tell the story of the movie to strangers. I saw this film one day after I watched THE VATICAN TAPES, so my mind kept comparing the two.

In every exorcism movie there are elements that are common to most of them. In this case we have the beautiful girl that is possessed. Now there was a HAUNTING OF MOLLIE HARTELEY movie, but I never saw it. That may explain why there is almost no background for the main character and not much reason why we should care for her. The film has her out with friends celebrating her 24th birthday, and the fact that she just made partner in a law firm--youngest ever to do so. But she takes a pill offered to her by a guy and girl and her friends are forgotten, then she heads to her apartment still stoned and shares a bed with her two new acquaintances.

Then bad things happen and she winds up at a psychiatric hospital run by the Catholic church. The next trope is the kindly priest found in all such films. Except this one has been confined to the hospital as a patient. He assisted in a botched exorcism (which we see earlier). He would have go to prison except that he pleaded insanity in order to be committed.

And there the plot thickens with his attempt at another exorcism, this time at the behest of the resident psychiatrist. Now to the heart of things, the actual exorcism. He did not read from any manual as he confronts the demon hidden within the girl, just shouted out what he thought was needed, and it did not sound very convincing to me--he needed more rehearsals.

The make-up is well done and the special effects are average. I liked the make-up better than in the VATICAN TAPES. Then he pulled out something a little different, an old metal box that opens and is used to trap the demon. It was not called a Dybbuk as we saw in THE POSSESSION. I could not make out clearly its name but it sounded sort of like "cushian." Demon exorcised, everyone happy.....except the Devil's not finished yet and we have a surprise for us, a pretty dramatic one, and yet the drama fizzled and left the ending weak.

I would recommend this to anyone who is into exorcism movies as I am. Sure its familiar, but nowadays aren't they all? I put this a notch or so below THE VATICAN TAPES, mostly because that movie did a far better job on setting the background of everyone, and because that movie involved the Anti-Christ itself, something usually absent in such films.

The Vatican Tapes (2015)

Yes, indeed, another Exorcism movie

[7/10 · 12 October 2015]

I don't know if there is a name for someone who really enjoys watching exorcism movies, but I'm that person. I watch them all and I've never regretted seeing any of them. I could probably write a script for one; they really don't vary that much, but there is usually a little something that makes each one stand apart.

The score of 7 that I'm giving this one is ranking it with all other exorcism movies, and I've never seen one that I would rank below 4. Actually, my score would be a 6 and 1/2 if I could give that.

(SPOILER ALERT) Let's look at some of the tried and true elements in this one: The Vatican is concerned and sends a Cardinal to investigate; a kindly local priest is present; a beautiful girl is possessed; an evil bird or two makes its presence known; the possessed girl causes one or more people to maim or kill; the unexpected happens during the exorcism.

It's that last part about the actual exorcism that gets some high points from me. When's the last time you saw the guy performing the exorcism holding a knife to the girl's throat, pulling a chain around her neck to kill her? This Cardinal could care less about the girl's health because he realizes this is just not any demonic possession--this girl is possessed by the Anti-Christ itself, and that's something that shakes the Vatican to its core. Major demonic activity during the exorcism--what's not to like? Contrary to some other reviews, I liked the photography, I thought it very good. The acting was also pretty good, and the possessed girl really did a fine job of projecting a crazy demon persona. Michael Pena was good as the kindly priest; he's really only an average actor, but you can't help but like him in any part.

Djimon Hounsou plays only a small role back at the Vatican. It's a shame he was not the one to travel to America to perform the exorcism. The last scenes are of Michael Pena in the Vatican talking to Hounsou. Looks like Pena has been recruited to be second in command of the huge archival collection of "the Devil's work on earth." Just before they get on the elevator, Hounsou turns and says to Pena: "Come and see." Now that rang a familiar bell from Sunday School days. In the book of Revelations one of the Four Beasts says in a voice of thunder: "Come and See." Coincidence? I think not.

The 13th Unit (2014)

A decent horror/monster movie

[6/10 · 9 September 2015]

***SPOILERS*** For a low budget horror movie this one was OK. If you've ever seen STORAGE 24, set in London, this is pretty much like it. This one combines a monster with dark magic, all set in a huge underground storage unit in a big city. Lots of folks were down there are either depositing or reclaiming property from storage lockers when things start going wrong with some of the people. Then came the glimpses at something large slithering around.

Usually in a movie like this everyone acts dumb and makes stupid decisions. Actually, there are very few characters like this here--just scared ordinary people who want to get out when there's no way out, and they're in the dark. Safe to say we wouldn't act much differently.

I'm a sucker for movies like this. Yeah, it's a slasher/monster movie but with a few twists that make it somewhat interesting.

Muck (I) (2015)

Dumb Characters And That Ain't All

[4/10 · 21 March 2015]

First of all, quite a few reviews above kept talking about all the gratuitous nudity, boobs every forty seconds, etc. etc. They must have been watching a different movie, or maybe I was seeing some kind of version that had been cut up. With the credits rolling at the start, there was a girl running topless in the dark, quick cuts along with the credits. In the first hour of the movie, however, there were two very brief topless scenes. The third and last nudity was the girlfriend of one of the guys being thrown outside through a window. Brief topless scene there. And that's it, except for lots and lots of cleavage.

So the main objection is certainly not with with topless scenes, which took up maybe 45 seconds total, but with the absolutely idiotic choices made by the characters. One guy runs to make a call for help. Does he call the police? Of course not. He calls his drunk cousin, but even then he makes no mention of any trouble at all--and two friends were already dead (off screen before the movie). Worst of all, he seems to be in no hurry to call for help--he's gotta have a drink first and talk to a hot girl at the bar.

There's a plethora of dumb choices by every character; no one has a monopoly on that.

But overall I gave it a four--I have certainly seen worse, and for a micro budget horror film it might be worth a watch, if you have nothing to do and plenty of time to do it in.

Person of Interest: If-Then-Else (2015) Season 4, Episode 11

POI at the top of its game

[10/10 · 7 January 2015]

Of all the many excellent episodes of Person of Interest, this was one of the greatest. It also just begs to be re-watched. I will not touch any of the biggest spoilers, but I just have to say that the simulations run by the machine to try and get them out of a dangerous mess was at first startling, then witty and so well put together. Like the Groundhog Day aspect of this summer's Tom Cruise movie, EDGE OF TOMORROW, the filming and editing had to be precise and choreographed, and the writers and actors pulled it off.

Samaritan has launched its greatest attack so far, a meltdown of Wall Street and possible world economic crash, but the Machine has a program to prevent it. The problem, of course, lies in breaking into the server room at Wall Street, downloading the program, and getting out alive, all while Samaritan's horde of minions are swarming the place knowing that the Machine will probably have the good guys break into the server room.

And yep, our team (the Machine's "assets") gets trapped with seemingly no escape, setting up one of the most intricate, entertaining, and dramatic episodes of this great series. Hard-core fans of the series should love it.

I have to mention the pseudo machine dialogue that accompanied one of the simulations--absolutely hilarious, as you'll see when you watch it. I had to stop and rewind at that point as it was just too funny not to watch again right then.

Crawl or Die (2014)

Great low-budget movie

[10/10 · 20 October 2014]

Just watched it. Wow, incredible tension. I don't know what movie some reviewers were watching; they may have watched it, but they sure didn't see it. Nicole Alonso, who is credited as the Producer, was just awesome. Kind of equal parts THE DESCENT and ALIEN, the story is simple and effective. Contrary to one reviewer calling it boring, to me it was pins and needles throughout as the tension kept ratcheting upward.

It all revolved around Alonso's character, named Tank, as she tried to bring "the package" through to safety. The package was actually the last non-viral, fertile female on planet Earth, so they were taking her to Earth II for humanity's new start. The first scene is a gunbattle, with all hell breaking loose, and only gradually do you find out what's chasing the team. And then it"s escape time through the man-made tunnels....that keep getting smaller and smaller.

If this is what this group can do with a low budget, then give them some money!!

UPDATE: December 21, 2014 (Possible Spoilers)

I just watched this movie for the second time and I've revised my score of 9 stars to 10 stars. It was every bit as good as the first time around, plus I noticed some things I missed before.

You can't go into this expecting a typical SciFi action movie; that's because almost all of the action takes place in the tight, tight quarters of tunnels. I can see, I suppose, where someone might find it tedious while I find it tension-filled, where to someone it might be boring at the same time I find it nerve-wracking. But I trust my judgement better than anyone else's; I know what I saw, and to me it was great.

Up above I mentioned the tunnels getting smaller and smaller. Let me give a little more detail. I'm not going to tell you how many started out in the team, or how many, if any, survived--I'll just tell you what they went through. There really is something after them that I'll only say it looks like one of H.P. Lovecraft's "nameless fears."

The first tunnel is a typical culvert in shape, except it's not concrete but metal. A smallish person, like "Tank" mentioned above, can sort of sideways duck waddle in it, but not too fast as the creature or creatures may be ahead as well as behind. A man would have to go on hands and knees. It's slow going, but nothing like what happens around the 45 minute mark. Remember, there are incidents happening all along the way, and I think you know what I mean by "incidents." At this point the tunnel stops, and now becomes the same size tunnel except that this one is caked with dirt and dead grass on the inside. The duck walk is out and now a person's body has to be laid out flat pulling yourself along while trying to grab onto dirt or grass.

And it gets worse. The next change of the tunnel has no dirt or grass, but the circumference is even smaller. There is no room to even turn over on your back. You are stretched out and trying to pull yourself along, all the while the creature's sounds and roars are getting closer.

The worst is saved for last where it's no tunnel per se, just two vertical slabs of metal with about 9 inches apart. No crawling here, just trying to push yourself through inch by inch.

At about the 55 minute mark an incident takes place that changed the entire dynamic of the movie for me. I'll let you discover it for yourself.

The lighting and cinematography is perfect for this kind of movie. What a great job the camera crew did. By the way, anyone claustrophobic will have difficulty watching this--I don't have such problems yet I kept finding my self out of breath. Which brings me to the acting. There is little dialogue, but the faces of the principal characters going through those tunnels say more than any script ever could. A million words went through my mind just watching their suffering, anxiety, tension, helplessness--what I saw spoke volumes.

I have seen a LOT of indie movies this year, and this is my favorite. I hope that the team who made this keeps going. Great talent.

The Protector 2 (2013)

Any Tony Jaa movie is worth seeing

[7/10 · 26 February 2014]

Yes, I disagree with most of the reviews here. It's Tony Jaa and I watch it for the action. The plot isn't much at all, but I didn't care because none of his movies have good plots. And I'm not complaining about the few moments of CGI....why does CGI explosions and fire bug anyone? The action scenes are mostly pretty great. I will agree that the motorcycle scene really did go on far too long. And no, Tony does not have the personality or charisma of Jackie Chan or even Donnie Yen. I did like the fights with Mareese Crump, especially on the train tracks, and with the girl who starred in Chocolate. If you are a fan of Tony Jaa and the Muye Thai that he can lay on someone, then you should see it. If you're looking for great acting, good script, and not even a shred of CGI, then look elsewhere.

Overall, no, it's not as good as Ong Bak, but anyone who's a fan of Tony Jaa should welcome seeing him in anything.

Route 66: Most Vanquished, Most Victorious (1961) Season 1, Episode 23

one long journey

[10/10 · 2 June 2013]

This has turned out to be one of my favorite episodes. Tod is out to track down his long-lost aunt, who has gotten him a message that she urgently needs to see him. She is on a sick-bed in a run down hovel for a living place, tended to by a doctor, the always reliable Royal Dano. Tod's mission is to find his aunt's daughter and bring her back to her mother. Tod and Buz start out on a long journey, one that opens his eyes to the sort of life his aunt and cousin have lived, apart from the rest of the family for all these years.

Martin Milner has never been better--his emotions here are strong, real and powerful. Buz is always at his side, but he is secondary to the turmoil swirling about Tod. This is a great script, and is enhanced by the performance of the great Beatrice Straight as the aunt. Outstanding drama.

Route 66: There I Am - There I Always Am (1962) Season 2, Episode 28

A tense and captivating episode

[9/10 · 20 April 2013]

I have to correct the first reviewer above on the lady's parting words to Buz. She said: "I told you how it was with me, just one wave after another. Same old pattern over and over again. There I am, there I always am. I lost you a long time ago."

Joanna Moore, mother of Tatum O'Neal, is excellent as always, especially with her normal Georgia accent that she frequently used in guest star roles. Here, she's not just a damsel in distress in this one--she's a melancholy free spirit, bored with the commonplace existence of life, always searching for something just beyond her reach. It's hard to imagine her character as ever really happy, save for those few moments when she does something, or goes somewhere different, just for herself, to break up the loneliness.

This episode was just a short time before she was in Mayberry, playing Andy Griffith's girlfriend for a few episodes. George Maharis is at the top of his game, as you can almost feel his desperation as he searches over and over for some way to rescue her. Just an excellent dramatic episode.

Space: Above and Beyond (1995–1996)

Best Show Cancelled After Only One Season

[10/10 · 18 March 2013]

I've watched this series twice now, and plan on seeing it again soon. I liked the character development that made you really care about what happened to each of them. Yes, it was like WWII in space, but it was never just another space opera. I thought the scripts were all good, and some were simply outstanding. Today, there would be a place for this show in the SyFy channel and would be a good addition to their programming. Too bad this series came out a little ahead of its time--I believe it would be well received today.

Glen Morgan and James Wpmg, of X-Files fame, were the producers, and if you watch the X-Files you'll recognize several actors from Space: Above and Beyond. The quality Morgan and Wong brought to the X-Files can be seen here in this series. Highly recommended.

Day One (1989 TV Movie)

The Manhattan Project

[8/10 · 2 December 2011]

This is a very good film on the Manhattan Project, the building of the atomic bomb. It is especially a faithful adaptation of the book, DAY ONE, by Peter Wyden. Other reviews here have done a good job of description--I will add that it is far superior to the Paul Newman film on the same topic: FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY.

In addition, this film is a good teaching tool. I used to show clips from the movie to my U.S. History classes, particularly the latter portion of the film where multiple viewpoints are given of the reasons for and against the dropping of the bomb, whether or not it was necessary, and what would be the moral consequences if such a weapon was used. These viewpoints, from the military and civilian leaders in Washington and at Los Alamos, are not conjured up from the mind of some scriptwriter--they are historically accurate.

III Slices of Life (2010)

A Huge Waste of Time

[1/10 · 10 June 2011]

After reading the six reviews here, and then watching the film, I can only conclude that these six are either friends of the actors, or they work for the production company. This is one of the worst indie horror films I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty.

Think of the very worst of 70s low-budget horror films....now put this one in that category. There are three parts to the anthology: Work Life, Home Life, and Sex Life. The worst by far is The Programmer in Work Life. This part had some of the lamest acting I've ever seen on film and that goes for the entire cast. Not a one of them could have won an audition for a high school play. Dreadful.

In Home Life the acting improved, and it showed some early promise of wit, but the wretched screen play fizzled out before the end. And yet this part was the pick of a bad lot.

Sex Life, had it been played for humor, might have been marginally entertaining, especially the scene that's a takeoff on the movie TEETH, but on steroids. But weeping Jesus on the cross, the acting, direction, and plot begged to be put out of its misery. But I did like the kids' makeup.

Do not believe a word of the first six reviews here....unbelievable how anyone could find even a modicum of praise for this rubbish. I only struggled through it so I could write this review as a warning. Sheesh!