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jengeorgopoulos
Reviews
All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)
A War Classic
This is a classic war film, or maybe I should say anti-war film. The 1930 version is even better but that doesn't take away from this film at all. Ernest Borgnine is brilliant in this, and Donald Pleasence is also at his best. Can't recommend this movie highly enough.
The Red Maple Leaf (2016)
D'Angelo Makes More Garbage
Frank D'Angelo is kind of a joke in the Hamilton community because he inherited a family fortune and has frittered it away on vanity projects trying to make himself a famous singer, actor and filmmaker.
The singing was funny because he comes off so desperate but you know what, he actually doesn't have a bad singing voice, and his band is first rate. When they would pop up at a CFL game or HMV or the annual street festival it wasn't my kind of music but I didn't hate them or his voice. When he would talk he was annoying and full of himself, and he was by no means a professional singer with star qualities, but he was far from garbage.
So his move to TV and films is a confusing one because his talents in those areas are completely non existent.
As many others have said here his TV show is actually purchased air time, like a late night TV infomercial, with a disclaimer stating such and everything. He runs commercials for his family's business products (D'Angelo juice etc) so he is hosting the "show" but also in all the ads by his "sponsors". As a host he is unfunny and uncomfortable with no interviewing skills whatsoever.
Following that he decided to become a movie baron of sorts who pays has been actors cash to appear in his movies, which he always writes, directs, stars in, does the soundtrack for, and so on (you get the point). He has zero training or talent in any of those areas, so predictably these movies are not any good at all.
In this, the latest one, he lays another egg in a paint by numbers detective story where he stars as a brilliant but difficult detective.
It's boring, it's amateurish, it's destined to be seen by fewer than a hundred people probably, but it won't stop him from making more because he is a man on a mission and a man completely in denial.
Also, like so many others, I feel a duty to point out that the thousands of votes here and particularly the thousands of thumbs up votes on the questionable rave reviews here on IMDb, are incredibly suspicious and I believe not real at all.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Amazing Series!
This is an amazing spin off series from Breaking Bad. It's not as good as that show but then again very very few series ever will be, but it stands on its own and is a great series in its own right and funnier than that show if not quite as impressively dramatic and dark.
Avenging Force: The Scarab (2010)
I Usually Enjoy Bad Movies...
I usually enjoyed bad movie but this one is just so pitiful I'm just angry at the time I wasted watching it, which feels like about four hours of my life. Then again that's probably just because this was so bad.
You see this isn't one of those bad movies that is fun to watch because the poorly done parts and bad acting and child level writing are so dumb that you can laugh at it, no, this is one of those movies that is just bad in a very annoying way. Nothing in this movie is good or even slightly entertaining at all. It's just a very badly produced movie with awful picture and sound quality, non actors trying to act and a script that's just boring, boring, BORING.
The only thing even remotely close to being somewhat OK is the well done poster/DVD cover. Don't be fooled by it though, this is just a total dud masquerading as an Avengers spoof or ripoff and trying desperately to look like an actual movie.
Lowest possible rating on this one.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
A Christmas Classic
It's not as good as the first Home Alone movie but this is still a very good, fun, family Christmas classic. This time Kevin is in New York City and his family once again leaves him all alone. When the Wet Bandits turn up and want revenge he once again has to fend them off too, while also befriending a nice bird loving lady. Definitely worth seeing!
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Not Perfect But Underrated
This version of George Orwell's classic story about a "big brother is watching you" type society of the near future is not perfect but it is very good and very underrated, with some great performances by the leading me.
Richard Burton is excellent and John Hurt gives maybe one of the very best performances of his entire career, which is saying a lot because he has given some great performances in his time. Both men do excellent jobs here.
If you're familiar with the story, it is pretty faithful to the original book and the director does a good job putting it to the screen. If you don't know the story there's not much I can say without ruining it, but you should definitely read the book before watching the movie, it is without a doubt one of the greatest books ever written.