longbeachreunion Reviews

Give Me Your Soul... (2000)

Hatchet Job

[4/10 · 25 March 2017]

Upon the first 20 minutes of the film I got the sense it was being a little uneven in it's portrayal of the subjects at hand.

After the second 20 minutes it seemed quite biased.

By the end of the film it became clear this was a hatchet job of the porn business. It will show many an actor smiling only to project foreboding music chords over them in an attempt to spin the atmosphere. (spoiler) The very end of the film includes title cards explaining the current status of many of the people depicted in the doc. Their tone is clearly contemptuous in nature- betraying the antagonistic state of mind of the film's director.

The porn industry certainly isn't perfect- but this film takes an unfair swipe at it.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards (2013 TV Special)

Looked like it was produced by Jr. High Schoolers.

[1/10 · 22 September 2013]

The show runners rushed everything worthwhile while wasting time on tired dance numbers and extremely lame sketches by Neil Patrick Harris- what was the "serial hosting" bit anyway? If they were short on time that should have been the VERY first thing to go. Tribute to guy who killed himself but not to Jack Klugman? The music for the in memoriam piece didn't fit. The stars seemed unsure of themselves and unrehearsed. One of the worst executed Emmy shows I can remember.

Also... between the Candelabra/Douglas/Damon, Elton, Lynch, Neil Harris, Modern Family & the 'Blazing Saddles' dance numbers- it was definitely one of the gayest Emmy telecasts. If that's their demographic, fine- but for me it's getting over saturated. The Emmys are becoming the Tonys.

My favorite moment was Bob Newhart finally getting his due in front of a standing ovation- yet even that seemed truncated considering his place in television & entertainment history.

Overdraft (2012)

There is no documentary that better explains today's US Economic challenges than "Overdraft".

[10/10 · 1 May 2013]

Although the economy, now in 2013, is better than it was when this doc was released- the underlying threat towards another financial crises still exists.

This documentary explains how the only way to address the debt is to make real sacrifices from both sides of the aisle. Simpson & Bowles gives an objective, rational road map to neutralizing the debt crises.

This doc is well shot, well edited, well produced and directed and expresses its issues clearly, intelligently & concisely. Don't believe the low star rating- anyone who rated this with only one or two stars likely works for big pharma.

Next (2007)

Very bad.

[2/10 · 23 February 2013]

I watched this while flipping channels because Jessica Biel is very easy on the eyes. The more I watched, the more I understood how bad it is.

It's basically a PG rated "B" movie of the 21st century. Basic Hollywood grinding mill crap. Hot girl bouncing around, vague foreign bad guys with guns, vague domestic good guys with guns... and the hero has a special power to see into the future.

Bad script, bad directing, bad acting (especially on Cage's part). Except for the eye candy that is Biel, this movie is a complete waste of time.