Gin-ster Reviews

Constellation (2024)

Could've been great - but was instead boring in spots, and ultimately frustrating

[4/10 · 25 April 2024]

I will preface by saying I am a science fiction fan, and by that I mean stories with science fiction concepts that aren't just horror or fantasy movies set in space. So far so good - this show seems to have very good science fiction elements, and an exceptional cast, including the child who isn't just around for "cuteness" but is essential to the story. HOWEVER - SPOILER ALERT - the way the story unfolds, it is a confusing mess, with a number of extremely draggy sections in which we see that SPOILER - the astronaut really misses her daughter! Toward the end, when SPOILER she is forced to stay in an institution, there are lots of scenes in which she's moping because - she really misses her daughter! The same applies to her other relations, i.e. Her husband and daughter are really unhappy about what's going on - understandably, but over and over and over. So a lot of time is spent showing how unhappy everyone is without moving the plot forward. As to the plot - the characters' confusion makes sense because SPOILER we learn several episodes in that the space-time continuum has been messed up, or something, by an on-board experiment. So characters being confused about reality fits the storyline and when SPOILER the little girl was visible in two different realities at the same time, and it was obviously not just a hallucination, I started to think "Good, now we're getting somewhere." But ultimately there is no clarity as to what was going on and why, so in the end I was frustrated that I'd put time into this. I had high expectations as the premise and cast boded well, but in the end it was very disappointing.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Where do I begin? The movie has a lot on its mind but is also very entertaining.

[10/10 · 9 January 2024]

First, a disclaimer - although I know what a Barbie doll is, I had never played with one; I am a baby-boomer and by the time Barbie dolls came out, I was in a very socially aware environment - hence the classic Barbie stick figure, with all her accessories, was judged as unhealthy for young girls in a variety of categories - creating a negative self-image, fostering excessive commercialism, etc. By the time the diverse Barbies were coming out I no longer paid any attention to dolls. But I'd heard good things about the movie, and been reassured that you don't need to know much about Barbie to enjoy it, so I did watch it.

I was pretty much grabbed by it from the opening scene and continued to be impressed throughout by the clever plot and dialogue, the staging, and the perfect casting and acting. THIS MAY BE A SPOILER As it turns out it delivers lectures about gender stereotyping, about finding oneself, and other deep themes, while at the same time hilariously engaging in it. It is funny in parts, yet also very serious and even moving. It seems surreal at times, and over-the-top - and seemed to borrow from Busby Berkeley musicals and Monty Python (and who knows what else.:)) The horseback riding with no horses reminded me a scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which the king trotted along while lackeys banged coconuts together to sound like the clomping of hooves. Despite being utterly nonsensical and unrealistic, it somehow all worked, and on so many levels. This movie has a lot on its mind, and is message-y, yet also highly entertaining - and I see no area in which it deserves less than a 10.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Riveting, eerie, thought-provoking

[9/10 · 12 December 2023]

It seems as if a lot of people were disappointed by this movie. For some reason it hasn't been officially labeled as science fiction but I would put it squarely in the category of science fiction that is thought-provoking and has points to make - which can mean, frustratingly, that it's meant to operate on a metaphorical level as against being intended to be taken literally - I put the brilliant "Severance" in this category too. In addition to being thought-provoking, it is, fortunately, also quite riveting, eerie, and exceptionally well-cast and well-acted. I wanted to single out Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali, but it would be unfair to leave out the rest of the cast. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER - As far as messages, the obvious one is over-dependency on tech; but the overarching theme is that we don't need aliens to destroy us, it is easy to get us to tear ourselves apart from within; all the seeds are there. It therefore has an all-too-relevant contemporary political message, yet its implications about current politics are indirect, not ham-fisted. I will also mention that once I perceived this message I thought of an episode of the original Twilight Zone that had a similar theme, starring Claude Akins, in which disguised aliens from another planet work up residents of a small town into more or less lynching each other. Anyway, back to Leave the World Behind - some viewers have indicated disapproval of SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER its lack of specific information as to who has launched the attack, how the various individuals fare in the end, etc. But IMO it ends where it needs to - the points have been made, and the viewer can imagine his or her own scenarios.

Extrapolations (2023)

Cartoonish

[4/10 · 23 July 2023]

My comments are based on watching only one episode so perhaps the show improves later on. I will preface by saying that although I imagine anti-environmentalist people will hate this program, I'm not one of them - I entirely agree with its message. Which is why I am lamenting how poor I found it to be. (SPOILER AHEAD??) The business people were shown as monsters in a very cartoonish way, and no doubt some are in real life, but if that were the case, environmentalism would be far easier to get the public up in arms about than it is. The "cheer the hero, hiss the villain" style was off-putting. It seemed like a terrible waste of some really fine actors. What would have been REALLY scary would have been if the greedy business people were shown, instead, as normal, everyday business management folks going about their business of maximizing sharehold profits, even if it means destroying the planet, and thereby demonstrating the banality of evil - to borrow Hannah Arendt's phrase in her book about the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

Succession: With Open Eyes (2023) Season 4, Episode 10

Fitting ending

[10/10 · 29 May 2023]

I have been addicted to this show from the beginning so I was hoping the finale wouldn't disappoint - and it didn't. It was a fitting ending. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. Logan Roy, for whatever an SOB he was, did nevertheless create his empire. But his offspring were ultimately just rich kids who thought that that somehow entitled them to own the world, and who had inflated ideas about their own brilliance. Of course, they won't suffer financially to say the least. But it's hard to see how Kendall, in particular, can come back from the crushing ego blow he has now suffered. I imagine the rest will do ok - Roman can get back to being a nasty goofball, and Shiv can stick with Tom for a while, then divorce him for even bigger bucks. And SPOILER SPOILER I see Gregg as a Tom-in-training - an obvious toady, not particularly talented and without any principles, but so obvious about it that employers can overlook it and make use of him. While the episode strayed for a time into an area with an entirely different tone - the sudden visit to their mother's place, and, amidst much sniping, the siblings' display of apparent affection for each other - that was instrumental in setting up the final SPOILER SPOILER board meeting scenes in which the resentments, rivalries and bitterness erupted into chaos. All in all the episode was a perfect finale for Succession.

Hello Tomorrow! (2023)

High concept not working

[3/10 · 11 March 2023]

I thought it would be interesting to see an alternative future. And I'm a big science fiction fan which means I'm willing to suspend disbelief. But Hello Tomorrow asks too much of me - I can't get into it because the ludicrousness of it keeps throwing itself in my face. I realize there's such a thing as con men who can prey on stupid people. But how stupid and ignorant are people, I'm thinking, that they haven't a clue that rocketry (if it exists at all in this retro-future) cannot possibly be easy and fun for civilians, and that the moon's low gravity would be deadly over time? So I tried to just focus on the "moon" thing as a vehicle for exploring people's problems, dreams, etc. But even that didn't work for me as I've seen character exploration done much better - less "ham fistedly" countless times. Also, regarding the 50s-modern setting - it's amusing for 10 minutes. After that, it is just a gimmick which wears thin. Others apparently see more in in this series than I do but speaking for myself, it's a high concept that isn't working. (If you want a high concept that DOES work I suggest "Severance.":))

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

In a class by itself - SPOILERS ahead

[10/10 · 15 February 2023]

I haven't read any of the negative reviews so I can't comment on what others think may be wrong with this episode and I have no idea what goes on in the video game. What I will say, which can be taken negatively or not, is that this episode really surprised me because it was a SPOILER stand-alone human drama of extreme poignancy which need not have take place specifically in the "The Last of Us" scenario - it could have been about any SPOILER people who love each other facing tragedy - it was therefore painful to watch. The post-apocalypse aspect added to the tragedy in that the two in question were basically alone, without medical help, and facing danger - but it could truly have been about any two people who loved each other deeply. So I was fighting back the tears by the end and was rather unpleasantly surprised in that I didn't go into the episode expecting to be swamped with emotion - it frankly left me depressed and in tears. But, again, I don't know whether to call that a negative thing - but rather a positive, a tribute to the incredibly good acting and story writing. Emmy's please!! On a personal note, I became handicapped due to an accident several years ago and ever since, I have been apologetic toward my husband, countless times, about my constant demands on his time - and he brushes it off, saying that I'm his "mission." So let's just say this episode hit me exceptionally hard - SPOILER SPOILER - and those who watched to the end will understand why.

The Terminal List (2022– )

Standard issue Hollywood stuff plus SPOILER cruelty

[6/10 · 5 September 2022]

I realize others have rated this much higher. Here are the reasons for the low rating. It is on the one hand standard-issue Hollywood stuff - we continually get our noses rubbed in the fact that SPOILER SPOILER the hero had a loving family which was SPOILER killed. Yes, that is an important fact; but the need to keep going over and over it results in Hollywood-style sentimentality. Then there is the ever popular SPOILER "evil cover up" in the background, with a dogged detective sleuthing it out - with the requisite evil corporation and/or military co-conspirators going along with it. The Hollywood corniness alone would make this less than interesting despite Chris Pratt's star appeal. But the corniness is paired with disgusting extremes of sadism - on the part of the hero! SPOILER SPOILER .. granted, we've been shown (a zillion times) that his quest for revenge is justified - but protracted scenes of SPOILER SPOILER torturing his foes to death (i.e. Going beyond the "mano a mano" requirement in these sorts of stories) made me pretty much shut down while watching it. I have enjoyed a lot of shows with "anti-heroes" including, say, Ozark and Breaking Bad. But they were not predictable, Hollywood-style programs with "cheer the good guy, boo the villain" underpinnings. The simplistic approach here made the cruelty seem quite gratuitous, hence the positive elements here are, in my view, seriously undermined by the sadism.

Black Crab (2022)

Suitably bleak and well-played

[7/10 · 14 June 2022]

I can see why there are objections to the lack of context but as others have stated, that is part of the message, i.e. Here it is, yet another war, ho-hum, humanity tearing itself apart again. Noomi Rapace did an outstanding job and the scenery also added a lot to the mood. The pacing was a bit slow but it was definitely non-Hollywoodish - no phony razzle-dazzle. I did feel, though, SPOILER SPOILER that the last 20 minutes or so seemed to belong to a different movie (derring-do to get rid of the ultimate weapon) and the lead character's sudden interest in saving the world from annihilation, after SPOILER SPOILER she learned she was duped was questionable. But overall I thought it was much better than many others here - worth hanging in there through dry stretches and barren, icy landscapes.

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 23 February 2022]

I have watched six episodes and normally would wait until I'd seen the entire series to post a review, but I have been liking it less and less as time went on instead of getting into it, so a sudden improvement would still not save it for me. A disclaimer I should mention is that I am not normally a fan of horror films, or ghost stories, or anything involving the supernatural (I like science fiction), so I'm not a good audience for this. But I watched it on the strength of having been absolutely riveted - and deeply moved - by another film by this writer/director, Mike Flanagan, - namely, Midnight Mass. Since that series quickly overcame my lack of interest in supernatural stories I was hopeful that a series with much of the same cast and crew would also work for me.

Unfortunately, neither my husband nor I have been able to get into it for a number of reasons, the first and most serious of which is that none of the characters seemed that engaging and two of them were actually off-putting (the two eldest daughters). The second had to do with the hokiness of the whole situation, and the characters' inexplicably ludicrous reactions to things. I am quite willing to suspend disbelief - as a science fiction fan I do this all the time.:) But SPOILERS AHEAD ... the whole setup seemed a bit ridiculous, like a scary story for kids at Halloween. Since SPOILER SPOILER the presence of ghosts was as plain as day, it was inexplicable that Steven made a career of denying there were ghosts. If only one person had seen a ghost perhaps it could be dismissed as mental illness, but by everyone? And they hadn't just seen them, they'd seen their actions (i.e. Buttons appearing on a corpse's eyes etc.). And one character could sense spirits' auras with her hands, but gloves would prevent that? (spirits can't travel through glove material?) Meanwhile, the choice of occupation by the eldest daughter - running a funeral home - seemed like the last thing someone with her traumatic situation would choose. And the casting of adult and child versions of the characters was, to me, inexplicably poor - especially in the cases of Steven (perhaps he had lasik eye surgery in a later episode?) and the youthful father versus the older version.

It seems absurd in a way to pick plot holes in something that is clearly a fantasy that requires requiring the acceptance of supernatural goings-on. But these questions kept popping up, making it hard to get into the story.

I realize my views are different from those of many here but the storyline and characters just have not held my interest through the first six episodes, a disappointment after the brilliance of Midnight Mass.

La Brea (2021–2024)

It won me over

[7/10 · 22 February 2022]

I thought it was interesting initially. I'm familiar with mid-town LA and thought it was especially fun to see it at the center of things. But after it got going, I found it really annoying. I don't care that it's utter nonsense, I'm willing to suspend disbelief for this type of subject. The problem is that most of the characters are truly awful - not only wafer-thin - but actually grating. While I like science fiction, and normally it does not feature Shakespearian levels of character depth, they can't just be "The annoying talkative guy," "The thuggish guy," "The religious nut," "The moody teen(s)" etc. Etc. And while I'm willing to suspend disbelief about the whole story line, the things that didn't make sense at all - such as the degree to which people could recover from deadly injuries and can go on as if nothing happened - kept making "looking the other way" more of a challenge. I endured, though, as the underlying science fiction story is actually an interesting one. So by the time I reached episode 10 I was enjoying it - I never got the the point where I cared about what would happen to any of the characters, but at least I'd become used to the "talkative guy" etc. And I could more easily suspend disbelief at utterly nonsensical things, etc. I don't think it merits any awards for writing or acting, but by the end I found it to be just plain "dumb fun" and am looking forward to the second season.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Political view will determine your reaction

[9/10 · 7 January 2022]

This movie is a highly pointed political satire. Without naming names, it clearly attacks the previous administration for willful mishandling of Covid, for self-aggrandizement, for undermining and vilifying scientists, etc. It also attacks social media, unserious news outlets, corporate greed, and extends its barbs all the way to the gullible public who aren't just victims but are part of the problem. In other words, it takes on everything promoted by conservative political forces, the media that serve them and the public that worships them. For this reason, no doubt, conservatives hate it (I'm seeing lots of that here in user reviews, claiming it's liberal propaganda) and progressives no doubt will be more receptive to it. If I have any criticism, it is over-the-top performances that initially stretch credibility (such as Meryl Streep's Trump-like president) but once you get into the whole satirical tone of it, that becomes a non-issue. And whenever there was something that seemed overly extreme, it was easy to think of a real life situation that is just as extreme and unbelievable, yet really happening.

Goliath (2016–2021)

Torn from the headlines, but atmospheric contrivances that border on racism

[7/10 · 6 January 2022]

I had very mixed feelings watching this. As usual, Billy Bob Thornton and the regular cast as well as the years' new cast members (JK Simmons, Bruce Dern etc.) did a terrific job. And there was a satisfying story as far as investigation of the core issue of a drug maker's deliberate cultivation of mass addiction for profit, "torn from the headlines." But there were creepy atmospheric effects that had nothing to do with the story and came across as old-school anti-Chinese racism. I realize some will attack me as being too "woke" but it seemed to be a central theme of the program despite the Chinatown setting having nothing to do with the story. From the opening credits showing Chinese characters amidst all the drug-related imagery, to the weird Chinese lady who keeps popping up (SPOILER - not a "real person" much less a character in the drama) to the dismal hotel room on an incessantly rainy "Chinatown" street (which also didn't make sense since it was an inappropriate place to house one's hired lawyer) it tapped into many of the stereotypes of yore relating to "unsavory" Chinese plus their connection with drugs. So, maybe I am too politically correct but this kept bothering me. I am not Asian but I thought of my many friends who would indeed be hurt and insulted. Given the whole theme of the Goliath series, where the lead character righteously battles corrupt entities which promote societal ills, I am puzzled as to how the creators of this show figured old-style anti-Chinese stereotyping would be okay.

Zone 414 (2021)

Derivative but has its own appeal

[7/10 · 6 January 2022]

I enjoyed watching this so that accounts for the score of 7 despite the fact that it is very derivative, as a number of people have pointed out, right down to the Blade-Runner-style urban area with constant unhealthy-looking bustle on dark, wet streets and people dishing out Asian food. Then there's also the creepy, debauched human characters and gross mistreatment of androids - these are all cliches. However, Guy Pearce does an excellent job as the morally ambiguous yet (SPOILER?) ultimately upright "man of few words." Also, the theme of sentient AI is touched upon off-handedly and appropriately yet not made into the subject of lengthy philosophical debate and the actress carries it off well. SPOILER -- while I figured it would all turn out ok for the good guys, there were twists that were obvious from the beginning (hence not-very-twisty for anyone who's seen android-themed movies) but also those which I didn't see coming. All in all, then, I can see where a serious reviewer would give this film a big thumbs down yet I did find it enjoyable for what it was trying to be.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Way better than expected

[10/10 · 6 December 2021]

My husband and I were riveted by the series even though we are both science fiction fans, which has meant that we are not usually interested in shows with occult themes, much less lots of spirituality, magic, and blood-thirsty demons. The acting, dialogue, and unpredictability of the story had both of us hooked from the first episode. Above all, we came to care about the characters so as we watched horrific tragedies unfold, we were genuinely moved, and frankly, somewhat rattled at times, especially after the last couple of episodes. While someone reading this might say "Get a life" I am mentioning it because I can't recall a time in recent years when I was so moved to care about fictional characters. Some critics have said it is far too talky and it is possible that many viewers will react that way, but part of what was so moving was watching the various characters trying to figure out "What it's all about," despite everything going horribly wrong around them.

The Vast of Night (2019)

Interesting homage to Twilight Zone

[7/10 · 30 May 2020]

I found this movie interesting but as a science fiction fan I admit I would not have stuck with it without having seen the full score ratings from numerous critics. It has a lot of rapid-fire blabbing that doesn't seem to serve a purpose - at least not one I could figure out. If the goal was to establish personalities, that could've been done much quicker. And the story is, well, we've seen it all before. But as to the interesting elements - the homage to Twilight Zone begins right away with the voice-over intro of a program voiced by a Rod Serling imitator with the same elements as that of the original TZ. In addition, the "Cayuga" reference nailed it. As a child watching the original Zones, I'd seen Cayuga Productions listed at the end and wondered what that meant. Other interesting aspects include the continuous-motion camera carried to the nth degree, back and forth to and from different locales, and the overall hyper-1950s sets and props - the oversized cat-eye eyeglasses for example, which were an exaggeration of the originals. The aura was sufficiently weird and foreboding in a 50s kind of way - although self-consciously so, which kept bringing one from involvement in the story to, instead, mere observation. Nevertheless, it is an interesting experiment with special bonuses not just for fans of sci fi, or Twilight Zone, but for those who enjoy mid-century modern stuff, including clothing, cars, pictures, etc. as well as arty camera and presentation techniques.

Beforeigners (2019– )

Really ludicrous - and VERY entertaining

[9/10 · 19 May 2020]

This show really caught me by surprise. The story is absolutely ridiculous and obviously a contrived setup - without explanation, people from three different periods in the past show up and the world has to figure out what to do with them (and they, too, have to figure out how to live in their new environment). At first the contrivance of it all was annoying - I kept thinking, why these three periods? But once things got going, it was so well-played, well-plotted and well-scripted that I bought into it and found it to be quite enjoyable. It is a strange mix of crime drama and satire, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. I regret that I can't get the full humor that Norwegian native speakers must get because on top of everything, the newcomers apparently speak in various forms of archaic Norwegian which must be fun for modern speakers to hear. The subtitles try to show the English equivalent by using stilted or archaic words when "beforeigners" are speaking but I'm sure the full impact is lost in translation. Nevertheless, the "fish out of water" humor is often funny and not just in a slapsticky way, but with satirical points made (such as with regards to political correctness etc.). Special kudos goes to the actress playing the main female character - a Viking "shield maiden"-turned police person. She inhabits the role with, strange as it sounds, credibility. (Of course, credibility here also requires not delving too deeply into historical truths about Viking society.) One warning for the Puritanical.... it reaches heights of sexual vulgarity rarely seen on US programs, which might offend some audiences here. or compel you to keep the kids away. Otherwise, if you can suspend disbelief, get past the contrived setup, and are not offended by coarse language and occasional total nudity, this program is highly recommended.

Cosmos (I) (2019)

Nerd city - but if you like astronomy and science fiction this is for you!!!

[8/10 · 18 May 2020]

I can imagine that a lot of people would find this movie quite bo-ring. The pace is slow and the setting simple - astronomy nerds spend a lot of time sitting around in the dark watching the sky and occasionally argue due to personal grudges relating to hiring practices at research institutions. At one point, SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER one of the telescope jockeys thinks he's getting a signal from space and long story short, as the movie plays out, he is correct. There are obstacles to overcome - the need to record it (as proof) while the system is on low battery, etc., at which point it turns into another move - a race against time to plug in and recharge. But even though that seemed to be a sudden shift I and my husband were so invested in the movie that we didn't mind it. IMHO you have to like both astronomy and sci fi to enjoy this movie - but if you do, you will find it to be excellent, and a nice break from overblown first contact dramas that rely too much on special effects and not so much on brain power.

Code 8 (2019)

Not what you'd expect

[8/10 · 18 May 2020]

This movie is not what you'd expect. Initially a lot of cliched characters and situations are presented. After a short while, I thought I'd figured it all out - good guy reluctantly does bad things for a good cause - to get money to save mom. Along the way SPOILER he meets a nice girl, works with sleazy bad guys as well as a not-so-sleazy one (who one suspects is an undercover cop) etc. So .... by my reckoning, being an old hand at watching B sci-fi movies, here is what I figured would happen, among other "obvious" things: real bad guys get punished, good guy saves mom, and gets nice girl too, SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER - but none of the above happens (other than some bad guys DO get punished but others get away with it.) I admit I was very surprised.:) So while I actually felt a bit let down, I have to give this film high praise - it is nervy to turn so many cliches upside down. There is also a decent, if very derivative, sci fi setting - we've seen drone law enforcement and unexplained "enhanced" people before (The 4400, plus any superhero stories) - which work here even if there is little novelty. All in all, a thumbs up!

Star Trek: Discovery: Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad (2017) Season 1, Episode 7

Darker universe plus corny

[3/10 · 17 June 2019]

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER The dark tone of Star Trek Discovery compared to the original series resulted in the portrayal of Mudd being much crueler this time around. And I didn't mind the replaying of the time loop theme as in TNG. But SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER the ending befitting the original series' Mudd episodes didn't work - it was grating and inexplicable. Even though I appreciate links to other Star Trek shows, I hope that is the last of such corny ones.

Beyond Skyline (2017)

Better than you might think - a fun B sci-fi movie

[8/10 · 17 April 2018]

This film is total nonsense ... but I would definitely call it a "guilty pleasure." I have to admit, I've not seen the predecessor so can't make comparisons, but I found it to be really weird and surprisingly engaging. It was often hard to figure out what was going on, i.e. hard to get a clear view of what was actually being shown. But I saw that as a plus, as the characters were confused too, trying to make sense of their surroundings. And MAJOR SPOILER HERE at one point it took a very strange turn, morphing into a battle taking place among humans in what appeared to be Southeast Asia. This is the second film I've seen recently (the other film was Revolt).in which besieged humans still take time to war against each other when faced with an even greater peril (which, happily, goes against "we all put our differences aside and pull together" homily often seen in sci fi). Anyway, most of the various criticisms I've been reading are true (1-dimensional characters, lots of borrowing from other sci fi flicks, etc.) but these problems didn't take away from the enjoyment - and I disagree with the claim that the special effects were cheesy - perhaps (SPOILER) the veins emerging on people's faces when zapped with the light beam, and various battle wounds looked painted on, but the CGI effects were, in my view, astounding, very effective in getting across that the aliens were more than just the usual bumpy-headed or heavily armored bipeds.

Midnight Special (2016)

Almost a gripping thriller, but just misses

[7/10 · 4 September 2016]

I noticed that a lot of critics liked this film, and I can see why. It is very "un-Hollywoodish" in many ways. SPOILER It doesn't end well for the lead male characters even though they are quite nice and decent people. It's not clear why the "friend" is in the picture. It uses splashy special effects rarely (until the end when it is quite appropriate to) and the atmosphere is haunting. Its story builds slowly. Which, however, is one of the negatives .. it builds TOO slowly. In addition, with the terse dialogue, there is little reaction one would expect to the extreme situations, which means, also, that a lot is left unexplained. SPOILER - you'd think the parents would ask, why did we give birth to a child from another dimension? You'd think that with a huge segment of the population having viewed the events at the end, of another dimension coming into view, there'd be more reaction than just hauling off various people to jail; you'd think that with the child's magic powers he'd be able to be less of a victim (i.e. given his ability to SPOILER pull down a satellite, why didn't he do much to defend himself?) - what was going on with that ranch? and so forth. So all in all I recommend it - but I can't go higher than 7 because even though it is effective and haunting in many ways, it is also frustrating and, frankly, boring in spots at the same time.

Terminator Genisys (2015)

Confusing mess

[5/10 · 29 August 2016]

I will start with a "disclaimer" - I am perfectly willing to suspend disbelief for a good story, and will accept the idea that artificial beings in various forms can exist, and that time travel is possible. So the ludicrousness of the film's basic setting is not the problem. The problem is that it is a confusing mess; time travel is "part of the deal" with Terminator films, but in this case there seem to be a multitude of time lines which are never explained so questions keep arising such as *SPOILER* if Connor is a bad guy and Kyle and Sarah know it, why will they nevertheless "procreate to produce, well, Connor? Why did Connor send Kyle back, then Connor himself showed up to proclaim that allowing Skynet to come online was his #1 goal? (Why not just keep Kyle in the wrecked future?) I "get" the whole concept of the fragmented timeline, in which something changed in the past changes the future - as in a number of fine sci fi films and/or TV like Butterfly Effect, Back to the Future, 12 Monkeys and several Star Trek episodes. But even though you have to pay attention to time-travel story lines, it doesn't have to be so utterly confusing. The confusion resulted in never knowing what the heck was going on and that made for dull viewing. As others have mentioned, the special effects are great, and there is a great deal of "homage" to earlier Terminator films, but that being the case, I recommend renting these instead.:)

Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016 TV Movie)

Hilarious and no-holds-barred

[8/10 · 17 August 2016]

I don't know if this is a spoiler or not so I checked the spoiler box, but at any rate, going into it I knew nothing about it so was amazed and astounded at the end when I found (SPOILER) that Johnny Depp was playing Trunp; I kept wondering throughout who was doing such a great job.:)

As to the film - it is cheesy, insulting, contains a lot of fabrications (I looked up Der Scutt and (SPOILER) found nothing that would suggest he had Nazi sympathies). It is also spot-on in capturing Trump and his attitudes; so much so that I was wondering how it could be so much in line with what Trump is saying in August, 2016 of his presidential campaign.

Someone here said it is "fun" but not "funny." I can see that point - it is really fun to watch as it is amazingly over-the-top; I didn't get too many laughs out of it, but it definitely held my attention and I recommend it, but only for people who dislike Trump as others will be infuriated, not entertained nor enlightened. Also, please note, it is cheesy by design - I gave it an 8 not because it is a work of art but because it succeeds very well in what it is trying to do.

You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015–2022)

Strangely engaging

[10/10 · 30 January 2016]

I don't usually watch sit-coms because of the way they consist of dialogues clearly written by jokewriters, so I find it hard to get "into" them - I can see the "wizard behind the curtain." But the title and theme of this caught my attention. I wondered how this could possibly work as a comedy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that somehow or other, it is very engaging. It may not be a documentary about what would really happen as "the end" approaches, so I stopped assessing whether or not there was any realism. Instead I enjoyed the strange combination of humor and pathos too, some of it almost cringe-inducing (for example with regard to SPOILER SPOILER the banker's pining over his vanished wife, who is informed she's been seen with his twin (when he hadn't been aware of one). And the cast is also very engaging; even though the structure includes jumping around a lot in location and storyline, the characters held my attention, i.e. I wanted to know what happens to them. I attribute this to excellent casting, acting and writing. I have only seen the first episode and am looking forward to more.