jwassdesign Reviews

Sick (2022)

This was great.

[10/10 · 15 January 2023]

If you're a fan of slashers, this one is great. There's definitely a deeper message here than the typical.

The timing was perfect. I think I yelled a couple of times because I got spooked. Blumhouse is totally slaying in this genre.

I got that feeling like the first time I watched Scream in the 90's. Ya know?

I don't have any complaints with this one. It's such a fun scary movie! It may give some folks 2020 trauma flashbacks so if that year is extra triggering, now you know.

Love the acting, set, pace, and sound!

It's not a movie that you're turning down the sound during some scenes and then turning the sound back up. Ha! Give it a watch!

Well done, well done! 10 stars because you're worth every one of 'em, SICK.

M3GAN (2022)

The singing hurt the mood

[5/10 · 8 January 2023]

There was essentially 60 seconds of too much singing. The audience laughed in discomfort. This movie is not terrifying and doesn't really push many boundaries. If I was 13 I would probably love this movie. I am however a grown adult and just found it to be meh. I saw it in theatres and would have preferred to see it from the comfort of my couch. Special effects were great, things really ramped up in the final act, thank god.

It was well shot but I found the main characters less than likable in the writing. I really wanted to root for them but found myself not really caring about what happens to any of the characters. Which, probably isn't good for a film.

Anyhow, kinda wanna find my furby now.

Don't Worry Darling (I) (2022)

Stepford Wives but make it 2022

[6/10 · 7 January 2023]

This is a clear spin on Stepford Wives which is exactly why I chose to watch this film.

I was really impressed with lead actress Florence and lead actor Harry. There were jaw dropping moments for me, personally. Pure disgust on my face for some moments that weren't even gory! Just the concept, the idea, the heinous decisions people can make.

I enjoyed this flick and can see myself watching again.

You should give it a try if you liked Stepford Wives.

I'll admit there are some decisions I didn't understand and some slight holes in the story but at the end of the day, I couldn't make anything better. Lol.

Just enjoy the movie. Will ya?

Spirited (2022)

An instant classic!

[10/10 · 11 November 2022]

I caught an early screening and listen, I'm not into musicals but this has the perfect balance of singing and regular dialogue. Lots of fantastical singing and dancing in the beginning, a nice break between and picks back up at the end.

The cast does nothing but shine in this instant holiday classic. You think you know what's going to happen but the film has a wonderful way of disrupting the typical story.

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell have a lot of chemistry together and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

There are a couple of bangers you might find yourself humming later and possibly looking for the soundtrack.

For kids, there's a couple of "scary" moments so I recommend pre-viewing if your child is extra sensitive.

I highly recommend spending money on seeing the theatrical release if possible and be sure to watch through the end of credits.

Lastly, Do yourself a favor, watch this (in my opinion) sure-to-be-academy-award-winning film and have fun!

Thunder Force (2021)

Dry Slow Action Film. Stopped Watching.

[3/10 · 13 April 2021]

There is zero connection or chemistry between Octavia and Melissa. It's like everyone shot their scenes during dress rehearsal. Idk. I wish they would cast Melissa as a serious actor in a more meaningful film. Even she seems tired of playing this goofy-don't-have-my-stuff-together character. The movie is in general, very slow. So dryyyy. Why is everyone is dryyyy? This is not a chick flick or a comedy, it's a dry action film. It was fun to see Jason Bateman in it I guess. But then there's that weird dance montage. Idk now I can't help but to watch. Just kidding I'm turning it off.

Ilana Glazer: The Planet Is Burning (2020 TV Special)

More like An evening with Ilana Glazer

[2/10 · 7 January 2020]

I would consider this "an evening with Ilana Glazer" not necessarily stand-up. I absolutely hate to criticize her. Some of it feels super scripted. When I was in another room it sounded like a reading. Her physical humor really works in her favor and she does it well. I hope if she wants to be a stand up comedian she continues to work mics and gives us more authenticity. This was a bit of a snooze. Trying to fill time is what it was feeling like. Idk, maybe skip it. But maybe not? There are some good lil bits in there. It's just the audience wasn't totally feeling it either and it made it rough.

Lastly, *SPOILER* she was wrong about something, you totally CAN suck underwater.

Ask Dr. Ruth (2019)

I laughed, I cried, I felt inspired

[10/10 · 2 June 2019]

This was not what I expected, it's even better. She's kind of a hardass and I didn't even know!

I was prepared for a light hearted Dr. Ruth montage of people asking questions. What we get is a deeper look into her past including diary entries while orphaned in Switzerland during the war. That part might make you cry among other things. Overall we see a woman who doesn't let anything drag her down as she's changing the culture and how we talk about sex today.

The film was well made, it does kind of end without a conclusion, or at least that's what it felt like to me. Oh, and the parts with the child voice-over reading the diary was weird without a German accent.

Should you watch it? Yeah! It's not about sex as much as it's about her life and career. The woman is 91 and still writing books. We all have something to learn from this film.

The Oath (2018)

Self Serving Film

[4/10 · 17 April 2019]

This seemed like a self serving film. Writer, Director, and Lead were the same dude. At first I thought it was bad writing but then I thought it was bad directing and then I thought maybe it was bad acting and it's not really all three of those things it's just the same guy doing all three jobs. He started out so high strung there was no where else to go but be high strung the entire movie. It was just too much of the same thing for long periods of time. It's like each scene was just a little too long but the writer/director/actor was too attached to his "baby" aka probably the first thing he ever wrote, directed, starred in--to cut anything out. I found it amusing at the beginning but it totally dragged on. There were a few audio, editing inconsistencies also. Maybe I'm being too picky but I definitely picked up on it. I love Tiffany Haddish that's why I watched it.

Judd Apatow: The Return (2017 TV Special)

It's like a presentation

[5/10 · 9 January 2018]

The entire time I felt like I was watching a presentation of Judd Apatow's career by Judd Apatow. Like a live autobiography. The odd thing is----it's all very very generic. He's not saying anything I haven't really already heard from other comics. The cuts between the bits are really odd to me and doesn't feel very natural or authentic. I just wish he was digging deeper instead of the "how do you feel about..." "have you ever heard of...." "are we all watching...." "kids these days...."

I think this would be more fun live rather than recorded.

#Horror (2015)

Not for adults

[4/10 · 22 October 2017]

There's a lot of film making wrongs with this movie but it shouldn't be completely discounted. The graphics are cheesy and corny and it's really what kept me from pushing this up to a five out of ten. Some of the storyline is a little confusing and I'm not sure we really find any resolve with some of the way the social media posts were recorded. I do think this film is brave for using 12 year old little girls as their main characters and how rough they get. I also thought they did a pretty good job with their screen time. Some of the writing for the characters was pretty cliché. I wanted to know more about some of the adult characters and relationships, just a little more context. Again, if you find yourself a horror fan and a film connoisseur this will not be the flick for you. If you're a pre teen then maybe you'll be able to relate to some degree.

Patchwork (2015)

Wish it had that extra "umph"

[4/10 · 13 October 2017]

I was rooting for the independent flick but found myself hating the acting of one of the main characters. The concept is great—three minds in one body. The visuals are strong and not too bad for an indie. There are some comical moments and some "whodunnit" story lines but overall I found myself becoming bored toward the end. I did like the acting when the patchwork chicks were trying to work together to get the body to function. If you like gore and blood and low budget comedy/horror with a side of cheese, this is just for you.

The Babysitter (I) (2017)

Campy teen horror flick

[4/10 · 13 October 2017]

It reminds me of "Not Another Teen Movie" but horror. If I were a teenager I would probably like it for it's sexual overtones. One thing I found annoying was the audio. Vocals vs. music. It's like, turn volume up and then down and then up and then down. Don't watch this movie if you want to be scared because I think it's more about t&a. The characters aren't all that deep and we don't really figure out why the babysitter does what she does. Is shenactually young? What's her backstory? Why did we get such a long montage of the kid and babysitter? What do the other characters wish for? Let's learn about them.

GLOW (2017–2019)

Marc Maron Needs to...

[9/10 · 11 October 2017]

Keep acting. For as insecure as that man is on his podcast, he nailed his role. I heard on another podcast that the roll was basically written with him in mind and only him.

I find myself liking mostly all of the characters except the wannabe actress character drives me nuts; I hope they make her more likable. There are a couple of characters with really weird story lines so we'll see where that goes in the future. I assumed I wasn't going to like the producer son character but I do! Oh and I didn't even recognize Kate Nash!! She's a great actress as well, I was pretty surprised as she is mostly known as a singer.

The story-line is fun and serious and I was able to binge watch this series.

Tanked (2011–2018)

Lame - Bad Acting

[1/10 · 11 October 2017]

Caught about 10 minutes of this show and can smell garbage right away. It's so fake and contrived. These people aren't really the most convincing actors. It all just seems so fake! I love fish a lot and this just doesn't seem right. How is this a show? I could have my own show at this point.

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)

Maybe a "coming of age" film for Gaga?

[6/10 · 8 October 2017]

It's like she's a 70 year old career woman in a 30 year old body with the humility of a 20 year old. Confusing, I know.

I would have liked to seen the aftermath of her super bowl performance. I think the film really missed an opportunity there, unless Gaga didn't sign off on it. Does she maintain her "I don't give a f*** about what people think of me." mentality?

At the end of this film you will come to see how lonely she is and not okay with herself. I actually drew inspiration from that fact alone.

She's meticulous, she's usually in pain, she DOES care for her craft and has passion. If she didn't have fans and people to perform for she would likely shrivel up.

This film showed me that performing really is her calling card and she's going to have to be comfortable with being lonely at the end of the day---for a while. I have a different kind of respect for Gaga but I haven't quite figured out what that may be.

I'm Dying Up Here (2017–2018)

Insanely relatable if you're a comic

[10/10 · 26 September 2017]

Woah woah woah. The list order, working your way up, showing face, all the egos in the land, bad sets, good sets, romances (always a bad idea in the biz). The struggle is real and so is this series. It's inspiring and agonizing. So far I give it 10/10 because it's been a long time since I've watched a series I can completely relate to and the acting ain't so bad.

Nocturne (II) (2016)

If you like "films" give this a look

[8/10 · 7 September 2017]

This contains barely a spoiler, so continue reading.... I would consider this a "film". Sure it has a few flaws but to me this was something created by a group of people that have a passion for film making. It came on after a movie I was watching while I was doing some late night work; I didn't find myself tuning it out. For a (likely) small budget and actors I've never seen before, it's pretty damn good. There was a scene that kinda had me squirming. I think this film's biggest fault is the color of the blood but if you find yourself colorblind like my mother totally is, you'll never notice a difference. I bet if this was streaming on Netflix this would have a higher rating. Don't be afraid to give it a try.

Paranormal Witness (2011– )

I can't get enough!!!

[10/10 · 30 July 2017]

The interviews are fantastic, the re enactments seem to be spot on, the stories are scary! This show has me rethinking ghosts and spirits and how I'm like kinda afraid now! I always wonder how much embellishment is really happening but I can't seem to justify my suspicion. When I research the stories I find over and over again the same accounts. If you like to feel spooked give this series a go around.

The OA (2016–2019)

Get through the first two episodes

[8/10 · 30 July 2017]

The first episode I was like "eh" and then after that I couldn't get enough. It's weird but thoughtful. You can't quite figure out what's going on or why things are the way they are. You hate some characters but your emotions change over time. I was surprised Brad Pitt is behind this one and I think he made a good choice on this project. I can't wait for the next season!

Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)

I liked it! Underrated

[7/10 · 30 July 2017]

I really liked this flick! I watched it once and then again a few hours later, someone came home and wanted to watch it and I was actually okay with watching twice in a few hours. Solid acting, super lovable characters, a decent but somewhat predictable story line. It's an enjoyable film with little nuggets of intelligent humor sprinkled between.