Change Your Image
jocaine-1679
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Boys (2019)
Outstandingly horrible
The creators may have planned to make the following statements. But, if they didn't, I am doing so. It presents lessons in:
How to not be true to yourself
How to live your life for somebody else's dream
How to sell out and prostitute yourself for some carrot you think you want and need to have. Even the superheroes are prostitutes
How everything is about ratings and being liked and well-perceived by a shallow public
How corporate America is amoral, unprincipled, heartless and soulless
The public's indifference to gore and violence to the extreme
How much of the world is in love with comic book garbage involving superheroes. If they existed in real life they would abuse their power just as humans who have much power frequently do
How people are not content just being who they are... They need to lose themselves in some alternate reality that is concocted by the media
Follow the money
How some people get away with murder
A commentary on how decadent our society has become
The smirk of evil
Evil posing as good. Their secret identity is the devil.
"Everything comes with a price. "
We live in a world that worships celebrities... Which is goofed up
Some of the powerful are controlled by the even more powerful
Modern American society is like the mob in Rome when the Christians were eaten by lions for entertainment
50,000 people pay dearly to watch an event that only lasts for less than a second
Even the superheroes are not happy... They're a bunch of jerks
Public versus private persona
It's all about getting leverage over key members of Congress and other areas of the government
What is more important than anything is getting what you want... And that usually entails something nefarious
It's a metaphor... The most powerful things are controlled by the government or special interest groups
Everyone is expendable
There is no honor among thieves
The world is full of dark secrets
Some disgusting attempts at humor that are not the least bit funny
So many things are politicized for somebody's gain
The most powerful is also the most evil
Christianity in America has been perverted and turned into a racket and also politicized
We grow up hearing the advice to refrain from discussing religion and politics with others... Religion and politics are quite similar. Both contain figures of worship... One of them is legitimate and the other is counterfeit
Lies and hypocrisy abound
They make a mockery of the sacred
People feed on the profane as entertainment... They lust for what should not be lusted after
People look to false gods to be their savior
A lot of melodrama
There can be a fiend in the family
Carnage and Mayhem to a hypnotic beat calculated to stimulate emotions
Some people of stature are really just infants
More good material to make us numb... Numb to the nausea we should be feeling
An indictment of the abuses and malfeasance of big Pharma
Big grift... Like a Trojan horse... preying on gullible, stupid Americans
Elizabeth Shue looks like The Mummy. How anyone could view her as sexy is beyond me
These super creeps could easily find lucrative income streams outside of this big corporate monster
Mortals at war with godlike super humans
Gross
Pornographically violent
Everything is about selling a fantasy... An image... A brand
Compare to Frankenstein's monster wanting to kill his creator
American lies and propaganda
Celebrates the sanctity of life (not). Treats human beings like racks of meat, human timber.
The Offer (2022)
A Blend of Fact and Fiction
I'm a fan of this series. I like it. I like the cast, the actors. I am enjoying them. It's a little bit schmaltzy in places, but I still like it. I very much like the actual films, The Godfather, 1 and 2.
I'm reading Puzo's account of the backstory on The Godfather and Mark Seal's account of the backstory. Those two sources seem to match, so far. I'm about 50% through with them. However, there's a mismatch between what these sources say and what The Offer shows us. For example, Puzo and Coppola did collaborate on the screenplay and script; however, they did so at separate locations. Also, a lot of the details about Robert Evans are not accurate in The Offer. I really don't know how many inaccuracies there are, but there are plenty. I encourage you to read those two books.
So, you can't rely on The Offer to give you 100% factual information about the making of The Godfather. However, even though the The Offer is a blend of fact and fiction and somewhat shallow and lightweight in places, it's still enjoyable.
I very much like Miles Teller as Ruddy. I especially like his hair! In my opinion he is fantastic in this role. I also like Matthew Goode as Robert Evans. However, Evans was not wearing glasses all the time during this time period. But the voice is very much like the voice of the real Evans. Dan Fogler as Coppola is quite good, very good casting. All of the main cast do resemble the actual persons they represent. Burn Gorman as Bluhdorn is excellent. Colin Hanks as Lapidus is so good you'd like to find him and smack him a couple of times for being such a jerk. Giovanni Ribsi as Joe Colombo is excellent, and a familiar face. Juno Temple as Bettye, secretary and assistant to Evans is cute as can be and one of the best things about this series. Patrick Gallo as Puzo is quite good and looks a lot like Puzo. The Sinatra character, played by Frank John Hughes could be stronger. Meredith Garretson as Ali MacGraw is convincing. Anthony Ippolito as Al Pacino is absolutely wonderful in his role. Justin Chambers as Brando does a very good job. I think playing Brando would be difficult.
There are a few weak spots in this series. The weakest thing about it is when it departs from actual facts and replaces them with fiction. The actual facts would have been more than adequate. The other weak spot is the whole affair seems a little bit lightweight, lacking the gravitas of the actual Godfather film, or even a series like Mad Men or the current series out now called Gaslit, with Sean Penn and Julia Roberts.
The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
Yeah Yeah Yeah!
I was 11 years old when "A Hard Day's Night" was first in the theaters, the summer of 1964; and, I was fascinated just hearing them TALK. To a mildly lesser degree, I still am.
This new release is basically a longer, more intimate, more detailed release of their 'last' film, "Let It Be," that came out in 1970. The new project has lots of never before been seen stuff, and some stuff that was in "Let It Be." The color and sound in the new project is outstanding.
In both projects much of the film is just them hanging out, chatting, being silly, rehearsing, composing on the fly, working out arrangements, arguing, having fun, goofing off, etc. And then, toward the end, they get 'serious' about what they're doing and you can tell the difference, which is night and day.
So, the three-part series is about 8 hours long (I think) and folks that aren't 'die-hard' Beatles fans might be "bored" a bit and only appreciate the last episode. For me, being a 'die-hard' Beatles fan, I throughly enjoyed and appreciated every bit of it. It was great to see them all together again . . . Alive, and perpetually young (John and Ringo were both 28; Paul was 26, and George was 25).
The Reagans (2020)
Why would an 'average' American praise/defend CORPORATIONS?
* Reagan helped blacklist actors and writers in the 1950s
* He became the mouth piece of corporate America
* The general electric (GE) corporation built him a "GE house" and filled it with every gadget they had in their arsenal
* Corporate America doesn't like taxes or regulations
* Corporations do not like unions - collective bargaining. He did his best to end them
* Rich Republicans bankrolled his successful effort to be elected governor of California
* These rich Republicans told him what to say and delivered him an extensive book of "lines" to learn... Just like in a movie. It's apparent Reagan was a 'parrot'.
* In speaking engagements he tried to instill/stoke various fears in his audiences
* Reagan promoted various MYTHS about himself and loaded them into the content of his speeches
* He tried to sell an image of himself as a 'citizen' politician... And not a professional politician
* He fused two worlds together... Image making and politics
* Reagan portrayed himself as a kind of 'Mr. Smith goes to Washington'
* He cast himself as the 'good guy' American
* He cast himself as a 'hero' to the American people
* So far, a lot of this is similar to Trump!
Looking forward to more episodes! If the above isn't true -- where's the proof?
What gets me is how the 'average American' is so much on the side of corporations and rich politicians (in power) who could give a hoot about the 'average American'. What happened to all the manufacturing that employed Americans? Gone to Mexico. Gone to Asia. Etc. Etc. Who's responsible for that? Corporations. Wages have been stagnant for the 'average American' since the 1980s. Who's responsible for that? Corporations. Who controls the 'puppet' politicians with their big money? Corporations.
If this program promotes lies, I hope they are prosecuted for telling lies and the program is ordered to be removed/deleted by a court order. If they're not telling lies, this program will be available, spreading truths, for decades to come.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Super good!
Isla Johnston and Anya Taylor-Joy are both superb as the younger and older Beth Harmon. I'm a chess player so the plot of this series was quite appealing to me. Just to sum it up, it's all super good and quite moving in places. I wish there were more episodes! I'm so happy it had a happy ending! I'm now in love with Anya! Wow! She was so amazing! I really have zero negative criticism of this project, five stars all around! Highly recommended! Would love to see a sequel!
Big Little Lies (2017)
Well done all around
After reading what this show is about I did not have high hopes for liking it very much; however, after watching it, I'm glad I gave it a chance. Everything is quite good: the writing, the acting, the music, the scenery, etc. Quite remarkably excellent was the realism. This fictional show captured in word and action a strong sense of how thing really are, or really could be. The storyline was inventive and strongly held up from episode to episode. For some reason it reminded me of HBO's True Detective, perhaps because I had similar opinions about Season 1 of that show. It was a little annoying to have to wait until the end to find out who got killed, but of course that was by design, to keep you coming back for more. It worked! I really don't have anything negative to say about this series, I'm looking forward to Season 2!
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Satisfying and Delicious
This is perhaps Brad Pitt at his best. The entire cast (and casting) is excellent. Leonardo gives a powerhouse performance. I was never bored. The ending is gratifying. Oh how I wish this ending was the real ending and the bad guys got severely whupped and punished. Only QT could make a film like this. His style is so strong and unmistakable. I loved the pit bull, Brandy; would love to have a dog like that one. Was Bruce Lee over-rated? Not sure. I suppose it's possible a bad ass stunt man could've put the whup on him. The soundtrack was just okay, I think I could've put together a better soundtrack. What's up with the women snoring? Does Q have something specific to say about it? I know he likes feet, and there's plenty of feet in this feature. I now own the film and plan to show it to buds. Well done Mr. T.
Rocketman (2019)
Nightmare life
I have long liked Elton's music and was looking forward to this film; so much so that I purchased it without viewing it first. Another mistake! I did the same thing with Avengers: End Game. Both times both purchases were a blunder! Neither film lived up to the extreme and extensive hype. Advertisers often do a great job of sucking us in!
The film is basically one long nightmare of what Elton's life was like before he finally found happiness late in life, or so he says. It's mostly a downer and a big bummer. I was hoping it would've been shaped something similar to the recent film about Freddie Mercury, which I did appreciate, which was very well done. It's hard to explain what makes "Rocketman" a dud. Maybe you have to see it before you understand why and how it disappoints so much. It never lifts off.
The actor playing E.J. does a good job, but I can't recall seeing him in anything else. There just has to be an interesting story worth telling and relating about this rock/pop star; however, this isn't it. If you skip it you won't be missing much. Apparently Elton liked it. Well, I didn't. Hopefully I have learned from these two recent misfires and in the future I'll ignore all the hype and wait until I can view 'x' for free, and then decide if it's a worthy addition to my library.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Mostly HYPE that does not deliver
Text: This film does not live up to the hype. I was very much looking forward to being 'blown away' by this movie, like everyone said; like everyone was talking about. Instead it was not, IMHO, as good as the one about the Infinity Stones or even Ragnorak (or some of the others). It certainly was a poor sequel to the Infinity Stones one. Stellar special affects are taken for granted these days; of course the special effects will be state of the art. They have all our money and hundreds of computer wiz folks to pull that off without much of a battle at all. They've pretty much mastered all that. The story: well, that's something else. Considering what Gamora went through with her bad dad, that point wasn't developed and picked up on very well (or very much) at all. She was hardly IN the movie! Her sister was in it more than she was! To see Thor turn into a fat slob having trouble with his cable TV; very funny (not). Lots of the so-called jokes were shopworn and odiously familiar. Some heroes were featured much more than others. Groot gets ONE line?! Of course that's 'always' the case -- but certainly not much Groot here for Groot fans. I'd like to see a movie that features Groot! I guess check out the G of the G movies for that. What Thanos was able to do with the Stones the others did not -- could not. Why not? The film should've been called "Iron Man Dies". It was essentially Iron Man and Helpers -- an Iron Man movie. He was the central focus. I don't remember Carol Danvers from the previous films. She seemed like the baddest of the bad. I'm not sure the merging of Bruce with Hulk was all that effective. 'What' did that really add to the story? Did I much care? No. Once Banner gets the Time Stone from the Ancient One, why can't *that* fix a bunch of stuff? That's how Thanos was able to kill (and mess with) some folks in a prior movie. The whole ordeal with Romanoff provoked no emotion; It's like 'so what?' At some point the whole thing becomes like, "So what? Ho-humm."
It seems like *all* of the previously disintegrated were not re-integrated by Banner. What about the guy who had one of the Stones living in his forehead? Dr. Strange shows up at the end. Not much screen time for him 'this' time. The Guardians of the Galaxy get very little screen time and pretty much zero lines except the stupid back and forth at the end with Thor. The big ending was, once again, not that big. It's about what you'd expect, not the "Wow, best movie ever!" hype I've been hearing for months.
You could say Downey Jr and ScarJo were ready to retire their roles, "Hey, I'm done with this!" They are gone; or are they? Ya just never know. They could of course do 40 prequels and bring 'em back just one more time; one more time. For as long as people keep lining up with open wallets. Yawn. The very very very end (there's more than one ending to this three hour bash); another snooze.
That's what I get for listening to, and believing the *hype*; very seldom does reality live up to the hype. So, now, I wish "I" could go back in time and just 'rent' the dang thing instead of 'buying/owning' it. When will I watch it again? Next time I have trouble sleeping and want something mediocre to bore me.
Fargo (2014)
Great casting
FARGO is a very trippy multi-season miniseries involving mayhem and murder -- like the movie, which is also quite good. The series is so strong that one wishes to be able to physically manhandle the characters, or at least whisper in their ears. I wonder how the people up north like it -- whose accents and regional expressions are a major part of what's going on? It can be quite a roller coaster ride -- aggravating to the max, fun, funny, dark, grisly, sexy, erotic, violent, profound, philosophical, eccentric to the max . . . mostly never boring. It often has subtle messages, somewhat like a cautionary tale or a morality play . . . or commentary on how things are, vs. how they perhaps 'should' be. Many times it's not at all plausible. Many times it seems to be ripping off/imitating Q. Tarantino's films or quirkiness. It's a hoot *and* a holler! There are too many characters to individually comment on. As I said, the casting is first rate, as is much of everything else. It's hard to put down once you pick it up. I'm looking forward to Season 4.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
Good and bad . . . overall, quite disappointing!
The last episode of Season 5 just ended. The series has now reached its end. It's all over. Was it good? Yes, and no.
Rachel Brosnahan, as Mrs. Maisel, was born to play this role. She appears to be, Mrs. Maisel, and not an actress pretending to be her. She is always delightful, funny, beautiful, and quite wonderful. I also very much enjoyed Marin Hinkle and Tony Shalhoub as her parents. They were very good, and quite funny. Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce was always excellent and part of what made this series so watchable.
What made the series so bad, was a lack of focus. As far as I'm concerned, the writers did not keep the main thing, the main thing. The audience was constantly being taken down various rabbit trails that were never as interesting as Midge, her parents, and Lenny. Also, it took far too long for Midge to finally 'break' and become famous. I was not a fan of the flash-forwards and flashbacks. It was frustrating to have to wait until the last episode of Season 5 for her to finally 'make it.' The writing teased us every step of the way but never delivered until the very end. And even then, it was not as satisfying as it could've and should've been.
It was obvious from Season 1 that Midge was a STAR. The writers should've let her be a star in Season 1, right from the git-go. It was obvious to Lenny and many of the audiences she entertained. It was obvious to us. Perhaps Susie was a major liability, and Midge would've made it much earlier with a different manager. The fact she was not a "hit" earlier in the series strains credulity. It was unbelievable that she would go on and on, season after season, as a virtual unknown.
Season 1 was the best, followed by either Season 2 or 5. I'd give Season 5 a slight edge. Seasons 3 and 4 were a mess. There was so many wasted possibilities. All the writers had to do to create one of the best series ever, was to put Midge in the frame and keep her there. She was best when performing before an audience; and yet, we didn't see much of that. Why not? My analogy is not perfect, but it was like having a 'Babe Ruth' but only putting her in the 'game' once in a while. Her 'field' was the stage! Before a live audience! She was the star, and the reason everyone tuned in, but instead the writers used up much time taking us where we did 'not' want to go, with people and situations far less interesting. This series had the potential of being a 10, five times in a row. Instead, it was hit and miss.
Also, with respect to the ending, it was somewhat of a dud. That's the best ending the writers could come up with? And what do we care about her grown, adult children? Or her mother, post fame, with the matchmaking thing? For an ending I would've liked at least 30 minutes of her doing great standup comedy before a crowd of 5,000. Hey, why not put her on the stage of Carnegie Hall? That would've been a nice touch. That's where Lenny told her that she better not blow it. He knew. Her audience knew. It's such a shame the writers didn't know. Boo!
IMDb on the Scene - Interviews: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018)
Rachel Brosnahan is Marvelous!!!
Now I have THREE favorite shows . . . OUTLANDER, BLACKLIST and MRS. MAISEL. Rachel was unknown to me prior to 'this' show, even though she was in several Blacklist episodes (and many other things). Evidently she didn't make an impression on me 'then'. But now . . . WOW!
I 'toyed' with the idea of watching MMM for a while -- the poster for the show is lovely -- and a little surprised to find it available only via Amazon Prime. After consulting IMDb, and seeing the high ratings, I decided to give it a shot.
I'm not Jewish and wasn't sure I'd like a program that heavily draws on NYC Jewish culture in the late 1950's. But, hey, I LIKE! Placing events in that time and place was a good idea! -- a much more innocent time compared to how the world is NOW.
RACHEL BROSNAHAN is literally *Adorable* 'and' quite funny! Now I'm in love with Claire 'and' Midge ('and' Liz). The script and storyline and acting by the entire cast is topnotch and I was truly bummed upon reaching the end of Season 2. I'm hearing that it's been renewed for S:3 and it can't happen soon enough to suit me! I wish there were 52 episodes per season!
I suppose my 2nd and 3rd favorite characters are Tony Shalhoub as her father, Abe and also Marin Hinkle as her mother, Rose. Abe has some very funny lines and pulls them off superbly with great facial expressions and timing and body language. I love Tony and his character -- Rose too! It's also nice to see real life legendary comedian *Lenny Bruce* being celebrated and reminding folks today of him and his legacy. I fear he has largely been forgotten by the masses. Luke Kirby does a fine job of portraying him. (I'm not sure if telling you about Lenny is a 'spoiler' or not -- just to be safe, I'll check the the 'spoiler alert' button).
I love most things about this series . . . there are few flaws . . . highly recommended!
Shogun (1980)
Flawed, but still good (SPOILER ALERT)
While there is much to enjoy about this series, particularly if you like Richard Chamberlain, history, and Japanese culture (which I do) there are some things that bug me. For example the MUSTACHES . . . they are always impeccably groomed and perfectly trimmed. I very much doubt this was the actual case. They are more well groomed than mustaches are in real life, anywhere, at any time! Come on, let's get REAL! Keep an eye out for well manicured nails, too!
The music too, too often, is over-the-top and *very* telegraphic (telegraphs what's going to happen before it does, like in 'scary' movies). I hate that about overbearing soundtracks.
The way it's 'cut' (edited) is also a little annoying . . . even watching the DVD, you can easily tell where they installed all the many commercials.
(I also liked Chamberlain very much in the mini-series CENTENNIAL). Toshiro Mifune is ALWAYS good and a staple of Kurosawa films. Check out Mifune in RED SUN (a pretty cool cowboy movie with Charles Bronson from 1972).
So, if you like Chamberlain, Mifune, history, and Japanese culture (you will even learn some of the language) you will likely like this series. Most of the story, and the acting, is quite good, despite the flaws, and the super well-groomed mustaches.
Wakarimasu ka?
Warlock (1959)
Clay/Henry is really WYATT EARP . . . ***SPOILER ALERT***
WARLOCK . . . (the name of the town) may make you think of male witches and what-not, perhaps. So, to me, it's a peculiar name for a western, but one of the best . . . it is somewhere on my TOP 5 WESTERNS OF ALL TIME, mostly due to Fonda, but other factors as well.
I first saw it on a little B&W TV set in the family pop-up tent camper in the mid-60's and was rather blown away by it as a lad of 14 or 15. I would've loved to have seen it on the big screen. 1959 was much like 1939 in terms of the number of great films released . . . for example BEN HUR, BIG COUNTRY, and a great many others. This, too, is one of them.
While I enjoyed most of the veteran cast members I thought a few of the cast choices were misfires: DeForest Kelley (Star Trek) as Curley and Frank Gorshin (The Riddler) as Billy Gannon in particular.
This is one of my favorite Hank Fonda movies. He stands so tall, draws so fast, plays it so cool and looks so cool. He is unflappable. His self-confidence is a 10. What he 'says' he 'backs up all the way.' However he does demonstrate various flaws in his character in the ways he reacts to gunning down his partner, Morg. But aren't all heroes flawed? Aren't we all?
The wardrobe department dressed the main actors to suit my taste, right down to the gun belts and pistols. Many gun belts in many Westerns don't look nearly as cool as they have these folks decked out.
Mr. Quinn is always good. I guess he's more or less the 'Doc Holliday' character. Doc had tuberculosis, Quinn/Morgan has a club foot. Earp reportedly had Colts with gold handles (gifted to him by a grateful community) and also the famous buntline with the very long barrel, etc. (which does not make an appearance in this movie). The gang led by Tom Drake/Abe is pretty much the Ike Clanton gang.
When Fonda fights a trio from the gang in the middle of the dirt main street it's pretty much equivalent to the legendary 'OK Corral' shootout and the one fella who throws down his gun, chicken's out, and cowardly says he just came to "talk" has been used in several Earp-related films, including 'Tombstone' from the 1990's.
Fonda says to him, "Either commence shootin' or get out of town!" That language is also right out of the Earp-related movies. In 'Tombstone' the line is spoken to Ike Clanton. Earp arrived in Tombstone with a big reputation . . . Clay arrives with a longstanding, fabled reputation. If you know much about Earp you can spot other loose or tight connections to other Earp facts and/or legends.
While the film is somewhat dated, and likely doesn't thrill audiences of today (I suspect) as much as it did in 1959, it still holds up. The way Fonda carries himself and his whole 'package' (vibe) is somewhat inspiring and (mostly) exemplary (as is Peck's character in BIG COUNTRY from the same year). Fonda (of course) has some of the best lines, for example, "That might do . . . (pregnant pause) but who's to do it." Great, fun, gunslinger hero stuff!
The film has a great atmosphere and several must-see moments. The scenes pertaining to Fonda shooting down his friend (who outdraws him), Morgan, is poignant and truly dramatic . . . with rain and fire in the backdrop (sans James Taylor).
At the end I think most folks are surprised to see Clay outdraw R. Widmark and THEN toss his gold handled Colts into the dust . . . essentially bestowing the gift given to him, to Widmark, in admiration of HIS courage, grit, sand (pick your metaphor).
I suppose it was inevitable that Hank ride off alone, without Jessie Marlow. That is in keeping with western hero mythology. But in real life Earp rode off into the sunset with a wife and lived many happy years with her and died in his 80's (in L.A.) without ever being wounded once!
I pretty much know this movie by heart, but still watch it every now and then because for some reason, in some ways, it is a feast for the soul.
Darkest Hour (2017)
BRIGHT MOMENTS
***SPOILER ALERT***
The actor who portrays Chamberlain is quite good as are most of the supporting players.
The role of his personal secretary/typist is given more weight than I had heard about prior to the film.
It's amazing that so many in government refused to see what Churchill saw re: Hitler. There are many parallels between what was happening then, with what is happening now with the rise of Trumpism, which many, but certainly not all, see as nefarious. As I write this the anti-Trumpers hold a 'small' majority . . . we'll see how this plays out in history.
Churchill was a man of vision and could see what many others refused to see . . . which could also be said of the Republican majority in Congress at this time.
One of the most moving parts of the film is when he rides the London Underground and chats with the common folk and hears their voice, which is contrary to what the appeasers are seeking. Now, in America, the voice of the people will loudly be heard in the upcoming midterm elections in November. Bannon says it will be an ". . . up and down vote on Trump" and I tend to agree with him. My opinion, Trump has conned millions of Americans in believing his lies. Any fact checking site will tell you that this man is perhaps the biggest and most frequent liar to rise this far in American government.
Churchill was a man of vision and Oldman does a wonderful job of portraying him. W.C. was able to think outside the box and order civilian transport (by sea) to save many lives in Dunkirk!
I'm amazed Chamberlain continued to hold such sway and influence 'after' his ousting. The fact that he wasn't seen as an impotent appeaser much earlier is rather amazing. Many experts have said for quite a while now that those who appease and enable the current POTUS will not be remembered well by historians.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
I saw many bad reviews for a film rated so highly
*** SPOILERS in places.
I have my own scoring 'tool' with 12 categories and here's how I arrived at the above score of 7. Quality of script: 8; Quality of cast: 8; Appeal of characters: 8; appeal of storyline: 8; Quality of photography, images, etc.: 6; How quickly it engaged and held my interest: 8; Plausibility: 2; Music: 7; Overall entertainment value: 8; Inspiring: 3; Overall *style*: 9; Ending: 7.
Things I didn't like: some of the casting, like Hitler for example. I actually can't think of much as I write this.
Things I liked: I thought Pitt was very funny and I liked most of the actors very much. This was my first time for C. Waltz and M. Laurent . . . VERY enjoyable performances. This is a comic book type film and pretty much sticks with QT's known style, etc. He comes up with ideas I find original and interesting, though in places he can be borderline too chatty. Sometimes he rides the line. I turn away when T's films get too violent -- not my thing -- and this film had some of those. I'm anti glorifying violence, but for some reason T seems to get away with it, for me . . . perhaps b/c of the comic book quality of his films.
The whole idea of wiping out the German high command, including Hitler, was inventive. I'd not seen anyone else do that.
I may come back and add to this or tweak it.
Yellowstone (2018)
Ho . . . hum
I'm a K. Costner fan; nevertheless, the 1st episode was rather average, slow, and a bit boring. If Kevin played a likable character, I'd be 'in' pretty much even if the rest of it wasn't so hot. But he doesn't. I don't like the character he portrays. I don't like his daughter. And I don't much give a hoot about any of them. There's nothing there (for me) to grab onto.
This is far from the quality of Dances With Wolves or Open Range (and many others). I didn't care about the characters or the story and it's not all that original . . . same ol' BS in a way . . . powerful 'x' (in this case, rancher) against oppressed others.
The script is forgettable -- nothing quotable. The casting could be better.
I liked Kelly Reilly in L'auberge Espagnole, but in this she looks like a hooker or domestic violence victim or someone strung out on drugs and/or alcohol (or all the above) which makes her role/performance less credible and sympathetic (for me).
A similar series (Western genre-wise) would be the first Lonesome Dove with a super cast (Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall and many others), which was surely a bonafide 10. This is far from Lonesome Dove quality, or even Centennial. Engaging? No. I could name other (much better) shows as well . . . at times I had it on in the background while I did other things from my TV chair.
IMHO about 90% of *ALL SHOWS -- FILMS & TV* submitted for our approval and enjoyment is mediocre or worse. This show (with the dumb branding of human beings idea) is in that group. I 'was' excited but now disappointed, especially after all the hype and the super high ratings by others. Are you telling me *this* is as good as Lonesome Dove (quality-wise)? No way! Yee-haaa . . . I'm outta here.
The Fall (2013)
Keep this guy in cuffs and chains! (SPOILER ALERT)
This is a fine piece of filmmaking, almost like an art film. Gillian doesn't seem to have aged much since the X-Files and her performance in this is strong, as are all the others.
The 'pace' and story development of this series is slow, noticeably slower than other, similar vehicles, but I liked the pace . . . it added to the vibe and feeling of the film and the way it somehow felt similar to an 'art' film.
The story takes place in Belfast which is a treat for me, as an American, as it provides a window into another culture, particularly the police and social and family culture there. The 'accents' are charming (to my ear) and I had no problem understanding what the characters were saying.
There was sense of REALISM to this drama that is perhaps *unprecedented* in my 55+ years of watching films. It has almost a documentary feel to it at times. And it is not predictable, like many other similar films are.
Perhaps this is the actual case, but I find it difficult to believe how lax the police were in protecting themselves from the main villain of the movie (Paul). For example, when Paul was interviewed in police custody, he was not in any kind of restraints AT ALL and did what I thought *was* an easily predictable outcome → he attacked others -- more than once. Also, he was allowed a certain amount of liberty/freedom that was hard to believe would be permitted in actual life. When Paul is in the hospital, with gunshot wounds, the police are not in the room with him or right outside his door . . . they are off somewhere down the hall. One nurse even ordered the chief detective to leave Paul's room. The police did not monitor what Paul said or did while in custody at the hospital. The nurse (the only one ever seen caring for him, who seemed to be falling in love with him) even slipped him a note! What?! He could easily have killed his nurse or doctor before the police showed up. If this *is* actual practice (in real life), I hope they discard it and treat a guy like this like they did Hannibal in "Silence of the Lambs". They didn't take ANY chances with him . . . Belfast police took all kinds of chances with Paul, even after he severely assaulted two police persons. I found this laxity annoying in an otherwise excellent production. However, the film did educate the viewer as to how otherwise precise, and orderly and meticulous and efficient the Belfast police were/are and this was a pleasure to witness.
In a Lonely Place (1950)
I Can Understand Why Bogie is Lonely
I like Bogart . . . I'm a fan . . . however, (SPOILER ALERT!!! from here on out) the character he plays in this movie has got to be one of the biggest assholes ever! It isn't really explained WHY he is a supreme asshole -- he just is. And, if you "love" him, you are just supposed to tolerate it. An ex-Army buddy says, "He's dynamite and bound to explode once in a while -- ya gotta take the good with the bad." Maybe it wasn't the army buddy -- it may have been his "agent" (whom he socks around).
Dix (Bogart) gets accused of murdering a young woman he'd been seen leaving a club with. He is a primary suspect for pretty much the entire movie. I (personally) never believed he killed her. I think the audience is "clued in" early on that he did not. So, there's no suspense there. It may have been a better film if the audience wasn't informed of this and we were all wondering, "Did he do it?"
An attractive woman who lives in the same building complex eyes him and lets him know that she "Likes what she sees". So, pretty soon they are a "couple." But, as much as she likes/loves this guy, she also realizes he is not quite "normal". At one point she sees him lose control and almost beat a guy to death with his fists (and about to bash his head in with a rock) over a traffic incident!
I did enjoy the locale, sets, and some of the scenery. The acting is pretty good. But I'm not sure anyone under 60 would enjoy this B&W film, which is quite dated compared to the tastes and standards of 2015.
The movie is mostly much ado about nothing. What is the point? The point is (I hope), if you EVER encounter a guy like Bogie, RUN (don't walk) the other way!
There IS "something wrong with him" lady. You are right! This movie came out in 1950 and I hope that Bogie wasn't any kind of 'role model' for anyone with *this* film. He is the kind of guy that gives "guys" (in general) a bad name.