michelQDimples Reviews

Comedy Central Roasts: Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe (2016) Season 1, Episode 15

A non-political observation

[3/10 · 28 February 2024]

I love these roasts. This one is, if I should be fair, funny at times. Some roasters really hit it hard.

However, here are my problems with this roast:

1. This isn't exactly a roast if all the jokes jabbed at the roastee is just "how handsome" he looks(sucking up much), him being a terrible actor yet still have landed tons of acting jobs, despite having some eventually canceled(more arse-kissing in the disguise of a roast, landing jobs=money/fame, clearly what these people on the show mostly care about), Rob's womanizing(he got away with it, the roasters mocked him for it, but in a "you nailed them, you pig" kinda salute).

2. I don't know who the host is. Same could be said about pretty much everyone on the dais. But David Spade isn't one of the worst hosts this series has to suffer through. Compared to other hosts, he's surprisingly unpleasant: egotistic, so much so that he seemed offended/disinterested in what is being said about him or pretty much everyone else.

I mean, Joseph Levitt wasn't a funny host, but you could see he was trying hard.

3. Jeffery Ross. I'd always liked him as a roaster until this episode. I've seen him pull off some crazy stunts playing hideous dressing-up. Charlie Sheen one was kinda bad taste too. But this one is purely disgusting. Granted it's for laughs, but him dressing up like a bloated blueberry while handling sleazy lingering girl posed in a degrading manner is murdering my eyes.

4. I don't know who Ann Coulter is. And I had no political agenda watching this roast. But couple of minutes in, it became plain obvious that everyone was ganging up on her in such a mean-spirited, and malicious way, that is far beyond the realm of a good-humored roast.

During Nikki's & Ross's roast of Ann, the latter could be seen shivering. The woman seemed mortified. I don't know what Ann's done exactly, but comparing someone you don't like or hate to Hitler is a bit of a cheap shot, isn't it? Unless Ann really has something that evil, she didn't deserve a whole evening of sheer abuse. What I did notice, is that Ann seems to have gathered hate for being a Trump supporter. But wait a minute. Trump was a roastee just few years back. He got away with it with barely a scratch( they went for his hair, his money/power/women, being a nepo-baby..hardly hurt..). No one attacked his political leanings. They praised him as "The king of NY". Where's the inconsistency?

The other female roasters: Jewel, Nikki, were extremely harsh to Ann. Jewel skipped the majority of the roasters but spent a huge chunk of her stage time ripping Ann a new one.

I know Ross interacted with other roasters normally during roast. But in this case, he was clearly enjoying Ann's painful frozen face by looking back at her after several viscous attacks.

And for the first time in roast history had a roaster got genuinely aggressive after hearing a joke about themselves and started cursing out loud, PETE DAVIDSON. Class act all the way.

When some of them called Ann a C-word during a roast though, it didn't feel like a joke. They really meant it. And Jimmy Carr actually told her to "kill herself".

It made me feel like watching a bullying happening at school, and everyone cheering on for more more moooore blood.

This farce is a rat race among these self-grandiose crowd-pleasing hatred-filled whatever trying to get popular by crapping on the unpopular. Anytime anyone said anything nasty about Ann, they would surely generate applause.

The bottom line is, "you only roast the one you love", but there's no love for Ann that night. Why even invite her in the first place?

And when it was Ann's turn to roast, some of the jokes she got booed or complete deadpan silence for, if said by another roaster would probably get some laughs. Funny how people can be so two-faced. It's like starring at hypocrisy right in the face.

One last little thing, so all of a sudden those who advocate treating women with respect could just gang up on one woman as long as they could precariously brand her a Hitler?

Have we really come to this?

P. S. Couldn't care less if this down down-voted if this is the society that we are living in now.

Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill (2022 TV Special)

Does Bill really think "it's killing"??

[2/10 · 25 October 2022]

Have a lot of respect for Bill Burr. He's one of my favorite comedians...But this is just grotesque.

A chuckle here and there but overall a cringe fest. Unfortunately a very sharp contrast to Bill's hyped intro for each disappointing act. Even worse when Bill complimented a failed act after it was done(even worse than worse when he tried to recap the "funny bits" that just happened).

I hate to admit even Bill's bit was lacking, and felt very rushed.

I'm glad to have finally decided to look up the reviews on IMDB. Now that I know I'm not crazy.

Sorry if I did go on a bit. IMDB would not post this unless it meets the ridiculous character limit.

Rick and Morty: Juricksic Mort (2022) Season 6, Episode 6

"That's right, made me! I see that look on your FECES!"

[7/10 · 13 October 2022]

Not a typo. Just a Freudian slip I think Mr Goldenfold has missed his opportunity of saying, you know, him being fond of *wink wink*.

Rick & Morty has become my fav show over the seasons for this one reason alone: each episode it would challenge you with new ideas/concepts that, whether or not you agree with its conclusion, take you on a journey of self-realization through the "what if's".

This episode has great potentials. The idea of a world no longer bound by the sole purpose of survival..Would we find each of our real purpose or succumb to inertia and live our meaningless existence? Would we still thrive for higher plains of achievement, or would the elimination of all sorts of competition rob us of our creativity and inspiration? "Wall-E" and "Love, death & robots's Pop Squad" have addressed similar proposition. I was psyched half way watching this episode of R&M for some refreshing stances of their own. Sadly the ideas was never fully fleshed out, more glided over with a montage.

The side materials such as Jerry's book and the Oscar hosting could be real interesting too, but seem rushed to their conclusion as a mere bit.

However if you are looking for a classic R&M episode full of its brand humor and clever jabs, you would be more than content.

Love, Death & Robots: Jibaro (2022) Season 3, Episode 9

What happens when you part a girl from her jewels

[1/10 · 2 October 2022]

Just kidding.

A very bland episode. Yet edgy enough to choose style(visual and audio) over a minimum level of comfort that an audience needs to enjoy anything, really.

The message it carries makes little to no sense: a siren that lures in and kills people who seem to have done nothing wrong, got tricked into losing her treasures by a greedy knight. However only the siren is made out to be a victim here. Ok..So if you argue she is innocent because luring in people for the kill is her nature, then for argument sake's I'd like to agree and add that so is greed human nature.

Style over content. Hollow like an emptied piggy bank..or in this case an emptied siren $$$

Love, Death & Robots: Bad Travelling (2022) Season 3, Episode 2

Nietzsche: On the genealogy of morality

[8/10 · 2 October 2022]

Thrilling, intense yet thought provoking.

While inside the story Torrin justified his actions with an intended spoiler(which to anyone would have been obvious prior to the reveal), the question lingers in my mind: Was it really justifiable that Torrin was willing to sacrifice the lives of his crew over an island of strangers, especially given that he's made a deal with the beast to secure his own life? It's similar to the classic train quiz "would you sacrifice one person's life to save more than one's"? What makes one person's life(or in this case more than one's) more valuable than that of another?

Some may say the crew members choosing their own lives over the islanders' sealed their fate of getting brutally murdered. But if the situation was reversed, would the islanders do the same choosing their and their loved ones' lives over strangers? In which case, how would that be different from the brother on the ship protecting his and the life of his brother?

What if his plan to save the islanders fails and it ends up costing everyone's lives including that of those whom he tried to save, except his?

What if the islanders he tried to save turned out to be, according to his moral compass, evil?

There's relativity is good and evil. We could even see things from the beast's point of view: a hungry mother who just wants to feeds her off-springs..

Honestly I was hoping there was more before the credit rolled. I feel that in some ways Torrin is no more or less "guilty" than those got punished for merely wanting survival.

Blonde (2022)

A cheap, empty & obnoxious exploitation of Marilyn Monroe all under the false pretence of "Fiction"

[1/10 · 29 September 2022]

It's borderline slander when your so-called fiction's whole selling point is the real-life iconic actress. The film so irresponsibly and care-freely projects all its sickest fantasies onto those who are already dead and can not defend their names. It'd be almost forgivable if the film was honest about its purpose of selling crude subject matters and nudity, or at least was entertaining/intriguing. But unfortunately it's a wannabe art-house piece of puke fest that leaves a bad taste in your mouth while the credit rolls to its consistently irritating soundtrack.

The portrayal of Monroe is a failure: superficial(at times on the fringe of parody) and one-dimensional(in tears/pain/hysteria) with none of her deeper essence. The tiresome "Norma Jean Vs. Monroe" trope(count how many times some says "Norma Jean") is overdone, so is the stale "is this real or all in their head" trope, the pseudo-Freudian "everything traces back to one's childhood" trope, "single parent with mental and abuse problem" trope, "movie starlet getting exploited by evil movie producer" trope, "woman tormented by lost babies" trope, the "Citizen Kane Rosebud(tiger)" trope...almost as if this was some recently graduated film student's first project(Okay, we get it. Blurry camera work=mental instability). Monroe being reduced to a psychologically unstable person(thus allowing the pretentious "dream sequences") with daddy issues and a catchphrase is lazy writing at its worst.

Also to point out something might be a tad shallow nonetheless is the key factor to Monroe's iconic status: her natural hourglass figure. The Monroe depicted in this film has not.

There's so much more to Monroe than this trite.

A shallow box-ticking Oscar bait using Monroe's name to generate publicity and hype, exploiting her in the same fashion those men in this film are being condemned for.

The Last Dance (2020)

The very human flight of a super human. "Hold on to the cape!"

[10/10 · 25 August 2022]

It grips you from the start.

Michael Jordan posesses that undeniable charm, that spark, that "it", on and off the court, the magnetic pull which gravitates you towards him, whether you are life-long basketball fan, or a young kid who happens to be glancing at the big screen when he comes on: MJ is the only basketball player who embodies the elegance of a ballet dancer when he plays: his unparalell hang time acompanied by his countless creative ways of position his legs(notice how the majority of players just have their legs straight or bent when in air).

For someone who is not fortunate to be born early enough to follow his entire career, most of it actually, this documentary is a time machine that takes you back to Michael at the starting line ready to take off, during the flight you share almost first-person, his struggles, his joys and tears along the way, experience the bonds/feuds shared among he and his team/rivalries, laugh at the silly behind-the-scene moments("That's waterproof color right there",lol). Those highlights of MJ and the Bulls you saw tid bits of from before are finally put in their historical context, giving you a much deeper understanding of the Bulls dynasty, and more importantly its ups and downs.

Yet the most captivating element of this show is, the very human side of those legendary figures.

Having stepped out of the spotlight and retired the halo above their heads(adding an air of nonchalance, superstars looking back on their past glories and mistakes with matured perspective, now with all the loss and gains far behind them), they show you they are human, with all their flaws, anger, frustration, vulnerablility(moments of weakness) and failures. However it's this very same reason that makes they more endearing and admirable. Your affection and respect for them grow.

And the drama..Shakespear couldn't have written a more breathtaking script. You will find yourself glued to the screen, emotionally invested, binging one episode after next. After the show is over, you are left with pieces of memorable moments that continue to linger: Phil Jackson staring at MJ with genuine concern during the latter's 93' retirement annoucement, Pippen's constant inner conflict having to choose the spotlight or the team, Rodman's "bad boy" transformation, MJ's "flu" game, MJ crying on the floor after his father's day championship...

The one possible tiny flaw IMO would be the constant skipping back & forth the timeline. While it helps give the future events more texture and nuances by referring to relavent events in the past(at times necessary and extremely cleverly executed), for those who's not familiar with the Bulls history, it lightly dampers the impact of the emotional continuity and dynamics(you are digging your fingers into the arms of your seat, "How is this gonna end?", then it cuts to 4 years ago), and could leave you sometimes disoriented. However it's not a real flaw as much as an artistic choice that could be easily overcome with a second/third viewing. And believe me, it's well worth it.

"The last dance" is more than just a sports documentary about MJ & the Bulls.

It's a love letter to the game of basketball, an invitation to be living side by side those iconic characters you'd heard so much about along side Michael: Phil Jackson, Pippen, Rodman... This documentary may be about basketball, but it's so much more. It's a close-up, as well as a landscape view of life at its most intense, most sincere, and most worth living & dying for.

Family Guy: Boys & Squirrels (2020) Season 19, Episode 3

Count how many times they say "Instagram"

[2/10 · 14 October 2020]

It pains me to see this show decline so violently in quality. It's been reduced to a string of desperate attempts to stay "relevant and hip"(with few rare exceptions such as "the d in apartment 23" and "HTTPete" from season 16) with little or no refreshing insights or commentaries, and unbelievable storylines that are so bizarre that they strip away any character consistency that once made the characters(Stewie) endearing to us.

Family guy was almost never a show that'd won us over with captivating storytelling. Yet it held its own with its unique outlandish, imaginative humor that fired at you at rapid speed that made it a joy to watch. Years from now those instagram Twitter jokes would age poorly except most of them were never memorable in the first place.

Gosh I miss the family guy that did its own thing and gave us some of the best laughs ever.

South Park: The Pandemic Special (2020) Season 24, Episode 1

Pls.. more boys less Randy & tegridy

[6/10 · 1 October 2020]

South Park is my fav show on tv. Super excited about the new season. Yet watching only glimpses of the boys reminds me of just how much I've missed them. Not everyone cares about getting high, Towlie. Pls bring back the boys to the center stage.

Unsane (2018)

So painful to watch, you literally feel like you are being tortured at an asylum

[1/10 · 7 March 2019]

Slow draggy utterly pointless and uninspired. Do we really need another poorly done "is it all in her head" movie??

So You Think You Can Dance (2005– )

Once my favourite TV show, now reduced to a manipulated popularity contest seeking attention anyway it can..

[2/10 · 17 August 2012]

Please understand that this isn't easy for me, to bash a show I grew up with. I had been an avid fan since season one. It planted inside me the desire to dance and inspired me to keep dancing. I still remember the Marty Kudelka "Touch" chore that opened the first show on stage; the gritty, crisp yet slick movements. It's real hip-hop at its most original(unlike the sappy gimmicky NappyTab chores that can't stand alone without their "stories"). I remember truly amazing dancers like season 1's Blake Mcgrath, season 5's Brandon, and season 7's Billy Bell, remember watching them danced with such precision and passion, it was like witnessing miracles at work.

As much as Nigel hates to admit it( as he insists each season is their "best season yet"), the show is on its last breath pulling all the strings in attempt regain its old glory that has long gone. Even their celebrity appearance like Lady Gaga and Ellen DeGeneres can't save them from their doom.(quite the opposite, these guests contribute next to nothing to the critique of the dances. Jumped the shark much?)

So what went wrong?

First and foremost, the dance itself. THE SHOW IS NO LONGER ABOUT DANCE. What fills the empty space that dance once did is drama. I get very annoyed after watching a half an hour audition episode, over one hour of which shows horrendous supposedly hilarious performances by those who only want their 15 minutes on TV, tearjerkers and people that relate to the past contestants on the show for a novelty boost. The 30 minutes or less that do show good dancers are filled with stale contemporary routines we have seen again and again the past seasons, watered down unoriginal "hip-hop" such as the animation robot, break dancing that hardly evolved the past 5 years...I was quite upset when the judge put through a female dancer this season, 2/3 of whose chore was taken straight from season 8's Jordan's solo on the show. If the judges didn't care enough about their own show to recognize the blatantly obvious plagiarism, why should we?

Second, most dancers(who are 18 and trying out the show for the first time) in the newer seasons are no where near as talented and technically polished as the ones before. They are clearly not ready yet. Then why are they chosen? To gain more popularity amongst young people. The judges always stress on having personalities so the dancers could attract more viewers with their cutesy antics instead of their actual dancing talent.

Third, the choreographies are lacking freshness. And every time a chore touches on a sensitive issue like breast cancer or the lost of someone's family, it gets standing ovation by default, followed by the waterworks of the judges, the dancers and the audience(Boy the waterworks...), despite how good the actual chore is. I'm not a unsympathetic and callous person but a dance should be judged not on solely the message it brings lone, but on the actually movements too. And why does all the dances have to have a back story now?

Last but not least, Nigel's eager attempt to manipulate the viewers as well as the entire show. You may disagree, but his hypocrisy shone through when he rejected Anthony Bryant, who was and still is one of the most refined and skilled dancers I have ever seen my entire life, in season one's NY audition because Nigel thought his dance was too feminine. At the finale Nigel invited Anthony back to dance for them again and apologized by waving a white flag. The next few seasons Anthony auditioned again and were rejected. I guess Nigel figured they milked everything they could out of him and no longer needed him. Nigel is like a soul sucking vampire, after sucking the dancers dry he tosses them away.

Please put an end to this show before it all ends in tears.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Return of Verge Likens (1964) Season 3, Episode 1

My favorite AHH episode so far. The modern count of Monte Cristo.

[10/10 · 21 April 2011]

The story grabs you emotionally right from the start.

The performance given by all the actors are stellar, especially Peter Fonda, who does an impressive job with the southern accent and Sammy Reese, the slow brother who turns out to be a very likable and sympathetic character.

The characters are well written. The story takes you on an emotional roller coaster with a bang at the end. The twist is clever yet not at all obvious, with some red herrings along the way.

This is more splendid than most of the Hollywood blockbusters I have seen in the recent years.

BRAVO!