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I write my own reviews at www.oztvreviews.com
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Reviews
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Very good... in parts
Like a lot of the reviewers, I also felt that Last Night in Soho got a little lost part way through.
The parts that were good were very good, which is why I gave it a high rating, but there is no doubt that it could have been better.
I really liked the early scenes where Eloise started to flashback to the sixties, even though I struggled to understand what was happening for a while and thought that she was also Sandie.
I thought that Anya Taylor-Joy was stunning and so good as Sandie. I also really enjoyed the fact that they included genuine 60's film and TV stars like Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp and Rita Tushingham. But a little less horror and a little more psychological drama, I believe, would have been better.
Out of the Furnace (2013)
S L O W
It's a pretty good film. Lot's of good actors, good performances, well shot, but man is it slow.
The summary on IMDB says "When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement doesn't follow through fast enough, his older brother Russell takes matters into his own hands to find justice.". But none of that happens until well over half through the film.
Woody Harrelson gives his really mean, nasty guy act, somewhat reminiscent of Natural Born Killers:. Christian Bale is vengeful and moody and Forest Whitaker is Forest Whitaker.
If you've got the time, give it a watch, but have patience, you going to need it.
Where Hands Touch (2018)
Ulterior motive
There is no doubt that there are people casting votes and leaving reviews, on war films, with an ulterior motive. Good films, that show sympathy to minorities, or civilians of the invaded countries of World War II are being criticised for their acting, historical accuracy, accents etc. They are also being given ridiculously low ratings by some, while others are giving them very high ratings, because they are actually very good films, or TV series.
This film is not alone in suffering this consequence, check out the reviews for the TV mini series World on Fire for example. Both this film and the mini series maintain a reasonably high score, despite all the ridiculously low ratings.
I am certain that this goes much further than simple differences of taste. If you want to see this in action, in real time, make a post on Twitter supporting gun control and you will be instantly bombarded with comments questioning your sanity, parenthood, intelligence etc. From people you have never heard of and had no idea followed your Tweets.
It would not surprise me if many of the low ratings and poor reviews are from people who have not actually seen the film. They are a political agenda and really need to be ignored.
FBI: Most Wanted (2020)
Finally Gave up on this one
I finally gave up on this show, after probably persevering for too long.
While it's not a bad police drama, the constant turnover of the main characters made it very disjointed. The back stories for them were pointless, as nobody stayed and characters often disappeared with no explanation. Whatever happened to all of Jess LaCroix's (Julian McMahon) in laws?
I gave the new supervisor, Dylan McDermott, a go. But when one of his early 'unsubs' turned out to be a woman with multiple personalities, I drew the line. The writers were really scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas. Like there are not enough regular, garden variety psycho killers that they can call on.
Pity. The show had potential. But the revolving door and an outrageous story line was too much.
Mom: Twirly Flippy Men and a Dirty Bird (2019)
Tammy and Rudy have drunk way too much since they arrived
Tammy (Kristen Johnston) and Rudy (French Stewart) must have drunk a whole lot. They were both at the same AA meeting and didn't even recognise each other. Completely forgot that they arrived on earth on the same space craft and pretended to be brother and sister for five years.
Getting off the booze is undoubtedly a good thing for both of them. When their memories return, perhaps they will track down Dick and Tommy too. I dread to think what they got into.
Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2000)
Everyone needs to see this.
Every one needs to see this film, particularly those who see refugee as a dirty word, or think refugees are a burden, that someone else should deal with. Because that is exactly what was happening before and during the second world war and, as this film shows, only very few Jewish children were saved from the holocaust, compared to the number that were slaughtered by the Nazis.
At the time of writing, numerous refugees are being created in Ukraine, Yemen and numerous other places. Fortunately, governments more sympathetic to refugees have recently taken power in the USA and Australia. But when you hear politicians trying to score votes by talking tough on refugees, take a look at this film and the real human cost and suffering that lies behind that.
Love Sarah (2020)
Dissappointing
Great cast, well filmed etc. But it really goes nowhere.
A group of women set out to do something, they do it, with very few challenges along the way, at least not any that are highlighted in any significant way.
Bill Patterson's role was very thin and it felt like scenes explaining how he became involved with Celia Imrie's Mimi had been cut, or maybe they were just never written.
It had the potential to be so much more.
Five Feet Apart (2019)
Not for me
I gave this a low rating, not because it's a bad film, but because it did not appeal to me.
I watched it on TV, I gave it about an hour and then gave up on it.
I saw it as a poor reworking of The Fault In Our Stars, but the lead characters in that film were much more interesting, appealing and likeable.
I'm sure this film will appeal to other people, but possibly not others who have seen The Fault In Our Stars.
Edge of Darkness (2010)
Slow starter
The beginning was slow and confusing and difficult to care much about. I almost gave up on it a few times.
The scenes with Ray Winstone were far better than all of the rest and eventually it got going and I stuck with it until the end.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
One of Woody Allen's best
This is one of Woody Allen's best. Full of artsy pretentiousness and over analysed romantic tangles.
I have always enjoyed time travel films and this one works well, linking in numerous famous artists, musicians and writers.
There are some great performances, Owen Wilson plays the Woody Allen role brilliantly. But, for me, Adrien Brody steals it, with a brief brief portrayal of Salvador Dali, where he rattles on about Rhinoceroses. The scene itself is beautifully surreal.
Kissin' Cousins (1964)
Truly Awful
Terrible songs and even worse dance routines.
Don't even get me started on the stereotyped hillbillies. The scant story line, the blond wig or the incest.
That '70s Show: That '70s Musical (2002)
Awful
Why do all of these American sit-coms insist on doing a song and dance episode? They are always terrible and this is no exception, in fact it is probably worse than most.
The story line is so weak and none of the regular characters can really carry a song. I suppose the joke is having Roger Daltrey in the episode and not letting hm sing, while all those who can't do. But that never really made me laugh.
Press (2018)
Who wore it best?
I have just watched the first episode of this series. We get these British shows quite a bit later here in Australia.
I liked it and will definitely be taking a look at the second episode. But I was surprised to hear the theme tune at the end was Second Chance by Peter Bjorn and John, the same tune used as the theme for 2 Broke Girls. Two very different shows with the same theme :O
The Circle (2017)
Far better than the low ratings here
The outrageous number of poor reviews and low ratings for this film here on IMDB are ridiculous.
There are good performances from the lead actors and a message well worth heeding in the story line. I would have liked to have seen a stronger ending, but I have seen far worse films that have scored much higher ratings and not been shredded in the reviews like this one has been.
Whatever you do, don't avoid it because of these ratings and reviews. It is worth watching for Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and Karen Gillan alone.
A Star Is Born (2018)
Lived up to the hype
I finally got around to seeing this film, more than two years after it was released. I was pleased to find that it did live up to all of the hype that surrounded it.
I was very familiar with the 1976 version, having seen it more than once and I may have seen the 1954 version, with Judy Garland, although I wouldn't swear to that.
Bradley Cooper channeled Kris Kristofferson's drink and drug addled persona and even his look, But I think Lady Gaga was even better than Barbra Streisand in the leading lady role. Which is some considerable achievement, considering A Star is Born was Steisand's tenth leading role and Gaga's first.
I was not particularly a Lady Gaga fan before this, although I did like a couple of her tunes, but I will pay her more attention after this.
Fame (2009)
Better than the rating
I watched the this version of Fame last night. While it is not a great film, more a series of performances linked together by a loose plot, it did serve as a reminder of how many talented young people there are out there, who
are not appearing crappy reality TV shows, dressed up as talent contests.
The film also reminded how wrong the people who appear in shows like the Voice, American Idol etc. are, when they believe that it is the be all and end all of their careers.
Fame 2009 is probably worth catching , if you have nothing else on.
Van der Valk (2020)
Disappointing
I don't remember the earlier series very clearly, but I seem to remember that I liked it. This update does nothing for me.
There are no appealing characters, there is nothing to make you care about them and the plot lines seem unnecessarily complicated. I sometimes find it hard to work out who is who and who the names are that they are referencing.
The most memorable thing about the original series was the theme tune and that is almost buried in the current variation.
I won't be watching any more, but may check out one of the original series episodes.
Hawaii (1966)
Truly awul, but compelling
Hawaii has to be seen to be believed. Max von Sydow is made up like one of the marionettes from the sixties sci-fi series, like Thunderbirds or Captain Scarlet and his acting is just as wooden.
The hair and make up on the rest of the cast is almost as bad, his kids look like The Children of the Damned, in ludicrous blonde wigs.
Of course the script is the worst. There is not one believable character or emotion in the whole plot. Every one of them is caricature. But put this all together and somehow you can not turn away. It is like a car crash, you just have to see where they are going to go with this and laugh at the next grotesque look that appears.
I give it 5 lemons
Tomorrowland (2015)
Started out OK then just went on and on
I thought Tomorrowland started out quite entraining, funny and exciting. I liked the early sixties theme park parts, the futuristic parts and particularly like the battle with the bots in the comic book store, or whatever that was. But after that it just seemed to go on and on. It wasn't a bad film by any stretch, it had good acting, it looked good and there were some good ideas. But it was far too long and maybe should have been limited to just a few of those ideas.
God Friended Me (2018)
Disappointing Second Series
I really enjoyed the first series of God Friended Me, I thought the idea was novel and different. But the second series, so far, is very disappointing.
The focus appears to have changed. Whereas much of the first series was about finding who was behind the god account and how they knew so much, they seem to have lost that drive altogether in series two.
I am not so keen on the new character, Joy. She is a far less sympathetic and appealing persona than the original lead roles. I am also getting a little sick of hearing the "The God Account". The number of times that the characters use that phrase is becoming irritating. I am sure if anyone organised a drinking game for each time they said it, they would quickly be under the table.
I am not sure if the acting has got worse between the series, or the lines and links are just clunky.
I am hanging on with this second series, but only just.
Oh, God! (1977)
Better Writing than Acting
I thought the acting by both the lead characters, played by George Burns and John Denver, was extremely stiff and wooden. But as the film progressed I got used to that and accepted it.
I stuck with it until the end because there was enough good ideas and things said that this alleviated the lack of convincing performances. This is why I gave it a good rating and certainly would recommend anyone else takes a look at it and perseveres, no matter what they think of the acting or 'religious' theme.
The Mighty Boosh: Bollo (2004)
Better than 8
I only awarded this episode 8 stars, but in many ways it was worth more than that and the incredible heavy metal song, about the monkey's great hair, was really worth 10 stars.
Much of the episode was really a build up to the monkey song. But the Grim Reaper taxi drivers were great and the recurring gag about the fox, who had allegedly been interfered with, was good too.
I missed The Mighty Boosh back in the day, the previews made it look a bit too weird for me. But I have become a big fan of Noel Fielding over the years and now that they are re-running the series, from the beginning, in my neck of the woods, I decided to give it a go. Up until this episode, I wasn't sure about it, but this one I really enjoyed and would watch again and again.
Strangerland (2015)
Slow as a wet weekend, with a truly annoying end. Possible spoilers.
This film was agonizingly slow. But I persevered, as the scenery was good, I like Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving and I really wanted to find out what happened to the missing kids.
I wouldn't say it was like watching paint dry, as there was always something nice to look at and some of the characters had interesting quirks, I wanted to know more about them. But it never delivered.
The movie is one long build up, from beginning to end and offers no minor resolutions, let alone the big one. It finished over half an hour ago and I still feel frustrated.
Unless you enjoy being left hanging, avoid this one like the plague.
The Infidel (2010)
Liked the Concept Disappointed with the Result
I read the plot summary of this film before I watched it
"An identity crisis comedy centred on Mahmud Nasir, successful business owner, and salt of the earth East End Muslim who discovers that he's adopted - and Jewish. "
I liked the idea and thought it had a lot of potential for some laughs. That, together with the fact that I had enjoyed what I had seen of Omid Djalili before, a sort of middle eastern Alexei Sayle, made me quite keen to watch it.
But the delivery was so much less than the potential. The jokes were mainly lame, the supporting cast were really weak and why on earth was the black cab driver American? It would have made much more sense if he had been a Londoner and probably would have been much funnier.
It was really a by the numbers "we are all the same at heart" story line. But, because of the weak writing and delivery, it was hard to really care very much if everything worked out in the end.
Such a pity as I was hoping for something along the lines of a cross between Four Lions and Friday Night Dinner. Now that would be worth watching.
The Voice Australia (2012)
The Voice a different class of talent show
Most of the recent talent shows that we have seen in Australia and overseas, while uncovering some talent, have tended to rely on ridiculing the hopes and dreams of wannabe singers. Many recruited judges specifically for that purpose. Simon Cowell who devised the format was substituted by Dicko and Vile Sandilands in Australia.
The Voice does not go in for that sort of put down. All of the artists who have auditioned so far can sing and the judges are even supportive of those that they do not pick up for the next rounds. For this reason alone I think this puts it in a class above Australian Idol. I can not speak for the local version of X Factor and Australia's Got Talent as Channel 7 insisted on including Vile Sandilands on the panel for both and he is enough reason to avoid any program, on TV or radio. Which I did.
So best of luck to The Voice and I hope that it continues in the vein that it has started.