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Reviews
Jared from Subway: Catching a Monster (2023)
Dateline, 20/20, or 48 Hours could have done better
I thought this was going to be a gripping story how Jared was caught in a major pedophile scandal. Instead, episode 1 is all about this woman, Rochelle, breaking down every detail in endless minutia.
The fact that she looks and sounds like Rosanne Barr is a huge turn-off. She comes off as self-absorbed and unlikeable as a narrator.
Jared got what he deserved and maybe was given too little of a sentence. What he said on those tapes was disturbing and creepy. But Rochelle makes the story about her, not Jared. Even her emotional breakdowns seem contrived.
This could have been an intense one hour episode for any of the network prime-time crime shows. Using Rochelle sparingly would have been fine, but making her the focal point makes this 3-part documentary a total bore.
Firestarter (2022)
Original blows this out of the water
The original was no great movie, but the cast (Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Drew Barrymore, Art Carney, Louise Fletcher...) was superb and the story stayed true to King's novel. This remake follows the book in concept only, and has absolutely no depth of character development or story.
If you didn't have the book or first movie to refer to, this movie would have been indecipherable. I wasn't expecting much, but was hoping for a good updated film. No such luck.
Supernatural: Carry On (2020)
Justifying the ending
I did not like the final episode - it felt off kilter. But, what happened does make sense. When Sam & Dean avoided death in the past it was because Chuck/God was writing their life like a script. They were living Chuck's written life, not their own.
With Chuck/God dead, their air of invincibility vanished. If Chuck were involved, Dean would have jumped off the post, slapped some gauze on the wound, and continued his quest.
In a non-Chuck world, Dean dies like every other person would have. Plus, Cass and Jack were not there to help. Yes, his death sucked and Sam's life montage was lame, as was the make-up.
Seeing Bobby was a nice touch and felt like the only normal thing about this episode. But, Jim Beaver could read out of the phone book and make it sound awesome.
And series finales rarely live up to the hype - Supernatural included. So if you watch on Netflix, skip this season and stay with seasons 1-14. That will take away the bad taste the finale left in many fan's mouths.
Killer in Law (2018)
The irony is the only interesting thing.
Okay, this movie is bad - real bad. But the ironic thing is that the actress who plays the visiting Grandma is actually named Nana Visitor.
Besides that, this is typical LMN pablum that is predictable and mundane.
Fantastic Four (2005)
Not a bad summer flick
With all the lukewarm reviews I have been reading, I wasn't expecting much when I took my kids to see the Fantastic Four today. However, I found this to be an enjoyable movie that had some great points: 1. Neat special effects, 2. Solid acting, 3. Some interesting sub-plots. The main weakness is the lame ending with Dr. Doom. It ended without much climax. I also didn't find him menacing enough. Michael Chicklis steals the show as The Thing. Although his costume was more 'rubbery' than rock-like, I was impressed with the way he struggled with the entire body change unlike the other three who remained physically normal after using their special powers.