Tri-State_Skater Reviews

The Perfect Holiday (2007)

Good Moments, but Cringe Ones Too

[6/10 · 9 December 2023]

The Perfect Holiday is definitely a cute movie, but despite its PG rating it's better for adults. A lot of kids movies have inappropriate parts or innuendos, but the pens thing was so obvious. Also, the music video for the kids Dad was too much for a kids movies. There were some asian stereotypes, and it was cringe.

Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union can make any role good, so of course all their scenes were great. All of the actors committed though, and everyone did well. Despite the predictable and sometimes awkward script everyone gave a fulfilling performance. The two leads are just who everyone showed up to watch, so that's why they got a special shout-out.

I think the film should have either become more kid friendly and cut some of the rap storyline, or it should have went for a PG-13 rating.

I would still recommend watching it to get into the holiday spirit, but not putting it on a party. If you need a predominantly black Christmas movie there are only so many options, but there are still better ones.

The Holdovers (2023)

Relatable, but Realistic

[9/10 · 12 November 2023]

This movie is beyond amazing, and everyone must see it. Especially anyone dealing with Dad issues.

The Holdovers captures the 70's really well, but it also showcases timeless coming of age struggles. It's.also set in Massachusetts, which I liked, since I'm from Connecticut. Anyways, it feels like you're sucked back in time, and truly there. The characters say politically incorrect things, and while one of the racist kids is called out he isn't cancelled. The call out is also realistic, and not woke.

*Here's the jump to the spoilers:* Angus' Dad ends up being mentally ill in a psych ward. The trailer had us thinking he was dead. He talks about how his Dad changed and became violent, and then his Mom had him put away. I grew up with a mentally ill Dad who physically abusive. No one saved me, and my Dad can still function, but this still made the movie for me. Anyone with a mentally ill parents knows what it is to be seen. Mr. Hummel was able to break away from his Dad's abusive ways, and so will Angus. *End of spoilers.*

I'm in the middle of the characters age wise, since I'm in my 30's, but I still relate to Angus a little more. Either way there's a character for everyone. Everyone needs to see this movie.

It Lives Inside (2023)

Good for Teenagers

[7/10 · 22 September 2023]

It's not the best teen horror film ever, but it's good enough. I'm a millennial in her 30's, but I wanted to get the most of my A-List account so I saw this movie. It's definitely for Gen Z, but I still enjoyed it. The actors were all great.

It feels empty at times due to lack of characters or people interacting, but I think that's on purpose. You can tell the monster is a metaphor for mental illness.

It's about an Indian girl who deals with the struggles of being a minority in this country. I still found relatable moments with her as a white woman though. She's just the everyday American teen, and I can remember feeling like her even if our experiences were different.

1-800-Hot-Nite (2022)

A Meaningful Story.

[9/10 · 31 August 2023]

This was like the boy version of Thirteen or Speak, but for the current generation. I was born in 1993, so it's been a long time since middle school. I still remembered how it was watching the new generation, and I felt so bad for kids as they suffered physical abuse and crazy adults.

This film is perfect for anyone who likes gritty realistic films. It's definitely about kids of today, but they made it timeless in a way too. It reminded me of my time, even if I was in suburbia, not a city.

Parents should watch this with their kids, even if they live a completely different life. So many kids suffer in situations like this.

The Hill (2023)

Exactly What the Trailer Showed

[6/10 · 31 August 2023]

The trailer showed us a corny Christian themed baseball movies and that's what we got. The story is uplifting, and the movie proves we can have family friendly films. I definitely thought they could have cut it down by 20 minutes, but I still enjoyed it.

I don't think you have to be a Christian to like the movie since they don't demand any beliefs from the audience. It is probably aimed at that crowd though. If you love baseball, ever had to overcome something, or can just feel inspired by Rickey's story then this film is for you.

It's great for the entire family.

It's definitely a very white film. I say this as a white person. I don't think the black characters were portrayed in a bad light, but they were only there to support the white characters. All two of them with lines. This is based on a true story in Texas from the 60's and 70's though, so it might have been this way.

It was also good to see them capture the time and family well, without putting full on child abuse on the screen. We were told enough.

Signs of Love (2022)

Life and Struggle

[7/10 · 6 June 2023]

The film really feels like we're experiencing the real day to day lives of Frankie and his family and friends.

The actors playing Frankie and his sister did well considering who they are related to, and the actual lives they would have lived growing up. Same goes for the performance from the girl playing Jane. The made the characters feel so real, despite barely being like them.

It's a typical poor meets rich story. Frankie being poor from a rough background, and Jane being from a rich background. She definitely seems to think Frankie's life is full of freedom, while Frankie sees the better qualities of her life.

The heartache of the story is Frankie's nephew Sean, and how he is just the light of a family lost in darkness.

Overall the film captures why escaping poverty is hard and how addiction and drugs can destroy lives.

Spinning Gold (2023)

Great Pacing and Fun Story.

[9/10 · 4 April 2023]

This film was a fun tribute to Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, many other people behind the scenes, various bands and singers, with a much deserved emphasis on Kiss and Donna Summer.

The film handles even it's darkest moments in a light way. That's how we have to handle life sometimes. We don't always get to be sad, because life doesn't stop. It also allowed the real people, many of whom are still alive to keep some personal moments private, even when portrayed in a movie.

The film may seem long at 2 hours and 17 minutes, but it's very easy to watch, and flows very well. I'm only 30, so I missed the actual era the film shows. I know the names, but I didn't know the story. The plot gives enough background information to let you know the basics, without droning on.

I don't get why so many reviews were negative. Movies can be fun and still be good. Some movies are meant to be gritty, and some are meant to be colorful. This film was great.

Bros (I) (2022)

It's Actually Worth Watching.

[9/10 · 5 October 2022]

It was really good. I don't get why so many people are trying to bash it. Obviously the plot is modern, since it's about gay men, but it was also very modern in the portrayal of technology, social interactions, and finding love at a later age. The two guys are in their 40's. For a lot of younger millennials, and older Gen Z-ers, love just isn't working out right now, so hopefully our 40's can bring us something good.

The pacing of the film is really good, and it jams a lot into just under two hours. I never wanted to stop watching the movies. There was family dynamics, work issues, friendships, sex, jokes, and just an interesting story overall.

I highly recommend this movie. I'm a straight woman, but I still loved it.

Beach Rats (2017)

Raw Yet Professional

[7/10 · 15 June 2022]

It's one of those film that feels apart of your actual life. I live in Connecticut, so I felt semi close to the Brooklyn based characters.

The acting is great. So raw yet professional at the same time. Everyone really came into their character. Even people who were only around for a moment. The main character is clearly different than his friends. He cares about his little sister moving too fast. I know he's a hypocrite, but the kid is like 12. She can wait until high school. The main character also doesn't know how to handle his sexuality, and he doesn't have anyone to turn too.

I thought the ending was more sinister than expected. I'm could see his friends beating up the guy, but I think they end up killing him too. He never gets up after the punch, and he's in water. I didn't think his friends were that evil.

I feel bad for the main character, but he also let this nice guy get murdered, so he sucks. I still really like the movie though.

Anyone who loves gritty, slice of life moves will love this film.

Way Past Cool (2000)

Low Budget but With Heart

[6/10 · 10 February 2022]

The movie obviously gets corny at times, and it's a little over the top, but the film had a lot of heart. The characters all remind me of kids I grew up with in the suburbs, but they go through things my friends and I didn't because of their circumstances. It must have sat on the shelf for awhile because it's definitely from the 90's, but IMDB says 2000. It's like a mix of Stand By Me (1986) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).

To All My Friends on Shore (1972 TV Movie)

Slow Delivery

[6/10 · 15 January 2022]

The film was clearly made for $3, or the equivalent of $3 in movie finances. It's very slow at times, but it really picks up once we learn the sons diagnosis.

While certain things date the film, such as the camera, fashion, and the doctors hair, it's still timeless in a way.

The film covers poverty, sickle cell, the ghetto, and father and son dynamics. The kids a sweet kid with angst since his family is poor. I think even todays kids could relate to him. The film did what it could.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

Home and Art

[7/10 · 9 October 2021]

The movie is slow and artistic, but you want to find out what happens so you keep watching. The characters are odd and real at the same time. Something from a movie, but you can see that real life inspirations are there. I'm from the Connecticut suburbs, so far away from the story's premise, but I liked it. I think anyone can relate to being homesick for something from their childhood. Whether it's something you lost to gentrification or just the passing of time. It's also great that one of the main characters skateboards.

Endless Summer (2013)

People You Might Know

[6/10 · 22 September 2021]

I watched this on Pluto TV. It's clearly low budget, but they did what they could. The directing is really good. The writing did what it could, but for more they would have needed a real budget. The actors did well.

I grew up in Connecticut, so close to New Jersey. I think the movie captures what young people experienced in the tris state area in 2013. The conversations on gay people especially. The cast feels like people you might actually know.

It's cute and tame, so families can watch this together.

Karen (I) (2021)

Worth Watching, but Not Perfect

[6/10 · 4 September 2021]

It was better than expected, despite the negative reviews. It starts out strong, but then it kind of rushes to the ending. I also think it's slightly unrealistic how well things go in the end. Change doesn't happen that fast, and it's not usually just one or two racist people. They didn't explore things like performative activism and secret racists, but I'm sure filming during COVID was tough.

Karen was worth watching, but I would have preferred it to be on Netflix or HBO Max, so that I would just get it with the cost of my subscription.

Also, it's really not hateful toward white people. They had a lot of decent white characters.

The Water Man (I) (2020)

Sweet, but There's Things You Need to Know

[7/10 · 30 August 2021]

The movie clearly copies a bunch of other kids films, and tapes them together, so yay nostalgia. If you like E. T., Bridge to Terebithia, The Never Ending Story, or Stand by Me. This one is for you. There's a few stereotypical things as well as color blind moments. I don't think a PG movie should have kids with a sword, that they play with like a toy. They cut cans open with it. There's a lesson for parents though. Lock up your weapons. It's the Dad's sword. It was cute and worth watching, but it did have some flaws.

For stereotypes. They made the physically abusive Dad live in a trailer. I know poverty statistically means more child abuse, but all kinds of people abuse their kids. A lot of rich people buy their way out of it. Also, it took the cops awhile to step in. They hospital clearly never reported the injury. The scar on her neck. I'm a young adult in a trailer park. Most of the parents aren't abusive. Trailer parks aren't as tough as they used to be. The richer family has an emotionally abusive Dad, and the kid even makes it clear that his Dad doesn't hit him. I just don't like that they imply only certain types of people do certain types of abuse.

I like that the main character is black, and gets to do stuff that white kids do, but it shows the color blind writing. I'm white, so you can take me with a grain of salt if you want. I know that black kids wouldn't just walk around with a sword, and if they did someone would call the cops. I've noticed that current black kids are doing less code switching than the black kids I grew up with in the 90's and 2000's, but it's still not completely even. They usually still have some sense of being black.

I would still recommend the movie because of the themes of family, love, death, living, and magic, but it wasn't perfect.

Who Took Johnny (2014)

Lacks Facts and Real Investigating

[4/10 · 28 August 2021]

The film lacks real journalism. At the time the Faded Out podcast was out yet, and I don't think Yellow Bags comments were on Iowa Cold Cases yet. However there were still articles about the pedophile ring that was busted out of Des Moines. There were articles on Frank Sykora, Wilbur Millhouse, and that guy at the mall. The policeman in charge ended up in some scandals too. It wasn't sexual, but still, it shows the police department was corrupt. The filmmakers simply followed Noreen's mess of conspiracy theories. This film lacks any really investigating. All it did was keep Johnny's name out there, and in a way it gave light to Eugene and Marc, but most people only talk about Johnny. I can see why the film was taken off Netflix. Faded Out, the comments on Iowa Cold Cases, articles from the time, and even reddit threads have done more for this case than this film ever has.

Really Love (2020)

Passion and Honesty

[8/10 · 26 August 2021]

The films passion keeps you watching. An honest love story with realistic ups and downs. When it ended I was sad the story was over.

If you're also a millennial, and you liked Normal People or The Photograph, this film is for you. For the generation that got to see Love Jones in theaters, I think you guys will like it too.

I'm white for reference. I love seeing films where black people get to be fully developed characters. We all need to see more of that. Hopefully 2022 will bring a lot films like that. Not just one or two.

Once you start this movie you become addicted to it, and you want to tell all your friends to watch it.

Beckett (2021)

Everyone Tried

[6/10 · 15 August 2021]

The actors definitely put a lot into their performances, and the action was great. I wanted to keep watching, but I think John David Washington made it watchable. The script was lacking overall, but John made the character as whole as he could.

An annoying thing is that his girlfriend was just kind of an empty character in the end. Just proof he could get a woman. Possibly someone wanting to see interacial love without the depth. The women he met throughout the film, especially the activists were deeper characters. Not that deep, but better.

Resort to Love (2021)

Quirky and New

[7/10 · 6 August 2021]

It was cute. A little stiff at times, probably because the actors probably don't get storylines like this a lot. I'm sure the budget wasn't too steep as well.

It's a romance film you can watch with your Mom or Grandma. Everyone stays pure.

I'm white and I really like to support movies with plots about minority characters going through things that usually happen to white characters. It was a nice breathe of fresh air in that respect.

I recommend it to anyone. Girls or guys. It's whimsical yet realistic at the same time.

The Kill Hole (2012)

Flowed Well

[8/10 · 23 July 2021]

I watched this in 2013. Chadwick Boseman had just become famous for being in 42.

The film flows well, and while you can tell the budget was small, they made a good film.

The clothing the characters wore was arranged extremely well. I know this is a small thing, but when Chadwick's character is in his apartment everything from his shorts, to the type of socks he wore, made the scene whole.

At times the film could be a normal buddy movie, and it's nice to watch, which makes the sinister aspect even deeper. We can all relate to the crazy people more than we'd like to think.

For us ladies the film balances showing how handsome both the men are, while making a serious film.

Naz & Maalik (2015)

Cute

[6/10 · 21 July 2021]

This film had some pot holes, but it was still cute. The boys relationship is very sweet at times, even when they fight.

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (2021)

Interesting, but Half Empty

[7/10 · 20 July 2021]

The third film is the best one, but it's not perfect by any means. It's also much more mature than the first two films. This one is for adults in my opinion.

The entire series acts like only LGBT+ people are discriminated against. This one especially missed the mark. There's no reference to what black people were going through in 1666. Slavery was bad. Talk about it, since the series is about wanting freedom to be yourself.

The entire series overall kind of misses the mark on diversity. They have two black characters, Henry and Martin, but Martin really gets the short end of the stick development wise. Martin was great in movie 1, but they don't have him at all in movie 2, although for myself I picked out a camp counsellor that could have been his younger self in 1978. Martin is also mostly just kind of a goofy guy. Henry, the other black character is more developed, but he's presented as safer, since he's a nerd, and must be adopted or a half sibling, since his sister is either mixed or white.

There are some good moments for the back characters though. There's a nice bond between Martin and Henry at times throughout the first and third film. If there's a fourth film I would like to see both characters develop much more, and for their struggles with racism to be discussed. Especially since both towns appear to be majority white.

It was a fun watch, but it needed more.

The Devil Below (2021)

They Tried, but Also Could Have Done More

[5/10 · 3 July 2021]

The actors were great, and I liked the directing, but the plot wasn't focused enough and some of it was just overused cliches.

The characters needed more bonding experiences. I think they tried to imply friendships, but it was barely there.

The worst death happens to Shawn, the only black character, and was also completely preventable. The two characters trying to reach the grenade struggle right until Shawn is dead. They could have just gave a tad more effort to save him. Shawn's death is also the most gruesome, and doesn't die like the others did. Their deaths were faster.

Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021)

Not For the Kids

[6/10 · 3 July 2021]

The movie started out well, but went downhill in the second act. I don't recommend this for the age group it's targeting. The way they handle death isn't good for 12-15 year olds. I think it could make someone think suicide attempts help things, but they don't.

As for capturing the era this movie doesn't have much of a 90's feel. The clothes aren't baggy enough, and the teenagers personalities come from todays world, not 1994.

There's interesting background characters, like the security guard and cop, but I'm not sure why they are there. We'll see if they're used more in the next film.

Nigerian Prince (2018)

Fun Watch

[7/10 · 7 April 2021]

The actors are all very good, and the script was decent, but there's definitely some plot holes. Budget issue are probably to blame. Overall this film did a lot with a little.

The bond between Eze and Pius is cute. I think Pius did care about Eze, but Pius was in a really bad spot, and this appeared to be his only option. Also, I wanted to hug Pius after he was whipped at the police station. I know he's a scammer, but that wasn't a proper punishment for what he was doing. It's not like he killed someone.

I don't agree with Eze's family at all. You can't just ship your kid back to your home country because they misbehave. You have to be a real parent. Eze's Mom appeared to have a good job, so she had some extra cash to spend on her son. Put him in something creative or into sports. The whole thing was questionable though. I wonder if Eze's Mom was in on the scam with Grace. Pius would be her family member too.

Also, there's definitely a theme about boys needing a Dad to steer them in the right direction. Pius' Dad died when he was very young, and now he's a scam artist. His Mom probably needed the money as well, but things got out of hand. Eze's Dad probably didn't act like a real Dad. He's a cab driver, so he ended up being less successful than the Mom. That probably made him feel incompetent, and would have affected how he was as a man. He clearly just caved to what Eze's Mom wanted to do, so he probably caved to all of his sons demands too. He was there, but was just a guy, not a Dad.

Also, I'm a woman, so I really want to point this out. Eze has to sleep in the same bed as Grace. If the genders were swapped people would be up in arms over that.

I still recommend this movie. I'm American and I've never left the country so I have no idea how well it represents Nigeria, but the movie is fun to watch.

The two main actors are American, and they're very good, so I hope I get to see them in more stuff together.