docm-32304 Reviews

Rare Birds (2001)

Terrible

[2/10 · 9 March 2024]

When you can't make a funny movie when filming about NFLD, you really are a terrible filmmaker. This is one of the most hilarious places on the planet! But the first mistake was to hire the most boring actor on the planet...WIlliam Hurt. This guy has a long history of playing himself...a dullard. Just this alone slowed the movie down to a crawl. This movie was definitely not a comedy and as far as a drama goes...it ain't a good one. The only good in this film was Molly Parker who is at her flirtatious best. The setting, culture and the plot should have made for a riotous flic, so a big "DO NOT RECOMMEND" from the 3 of us who waded through this whole snoozefest.

King Kong (2005)

Felt like Two Films got Spliced Together

[5/10 · 7 March 2024]

I was going to rate this film a solid 10 until the film suddenly went off on a tangent. The opening scenes displayed phenomenal cinematic artistry and we were amazed at how great it was moving along. Good cast, great acting and again, fantastic camera work. Then they got to the island and ...what the heck happened. It was like a different director took over and it became increasingly silly. The focus should have been on King Kong and the lead actress, but instead Jurassic Park and the Attack of the Giant Ants got spiced in. Then to add to the ridiculousness, the lead actress ran all through the jungle barefoot and throughout the whole mess, was barely scratched. The finale cane with her running in a slip and barefoot in the snow and apparently not feeling the cold either. If the director had focused on the initial story he could have easily cut off 1 hour from this crazy conglomeration of mixed up chaos.

The Dead Zone (2002–2007)

Schizophrenic writing/directing to the point of being annoying

[5/10 · 24 November 2023]

I somewhat liked the series, but it is inconsistent in it's quality. The actors are good for the most part, but many of the episodes can be just convoluted messes. Did Frederico Fellini have a hand in some of them? There were times where Johnny played multiple roles that jumped around and it felt like the director was purposely trying to see how annoying and confusing he could be to the audience. Sometimes the star was the perp, sometimes himself, somethimes everybody in the scenes. It would be nice to have some consistency in how he sees his predictions. We had to fast forward a number of episodes that were just plain stupid in their visions.

Air (I) (2023)

Interesting Movie, Lots of Unnecessary Profanity

[7/10 · 14 November 2023]

I really liked the subject of this movie as it fundamentally changed what we now know as a huge business. The casting was good, especially Viola Davis as Jordan's mother who delivered an outstanding performance. I enjoyed all the nostalgic clips as it brought you back into the period of the times. The only downside I found was the excessive vulgar language. Maybe the original individuals talked that way, but this is, at the end of the day, an entertainment and the ridiulous use of expetives didn't make it any more edgy...just crass. It has little to do with the story and a good actor can deliver the same sentiment without being so vulgar. I wanted my mother to see this film as she is a huge basketball fan and it saddened me to see her cringe while watching a story she was very interested in. Hollywood...get a grip. You're trying to shape culture with your propaganda and we all know how out of touch you are with us normal people.

Flypaper (2011)

Can't Anyone Make a Movie Without F-bombs?

[4/10 · 11 August 2023]

I have mixed feelings on this film. On the plus side, there is a good and well experienced cast. The situations are also funny, especially the hillbillies. However, there was absolutely no reason for everyone to try and do Samuel Jackson imitations. The gratuitous foul language was cringe worthy. For decades crime movies have been made without the use of f-bombs and today, between the insecure actors wanting to sound edgy and tough and the writers and director being just plain lazy, they have let the dialogue get out of hand. A much wider audience could enjoy this film if they curtailed all the swearing.

The Homesman (2014)

Where's the Rest of the Movie?

[4/10 · 12 July 2023]

Well, how can you go wrong with Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, John Lithgow and Meryl Streep? Well, firstly, Lithgow and Streep only have short cameo appearances, so their names are there just to sell the film. Now, Swank and Jones as usual deliver great performances, but the writing and continuity are pretty rough. Their are gaps in the plot and the character development. Worst of all, it seems that someone yelled cut as the film was already lengthy and it just....stopped. The film clearly needed a director as Jones had his hands already full.

The premise of the movie certainly was intriguing and when we finally met the 3 crazy ladies, I was expecting a very wild and somewhat humorous ride, but it just ran out of steam and ended. Very disappointing.

The Perfect Game (2009)

A Great Fell Good Movie

[9/10 · 10 July 2023]

We loved this film. The 3 of us are tired of the ridiculous amount of foul language in films today and had just turned another one off that went way to far with the F-bombs when we decided to give this film a look (interestingly though, the vulgar dialogue is never in the trailers). We were very pleased with the pace of this film and the absence of the usual vulgarities. The story contains plenty of drama, touches of humor and is entertainment at it's finest. For me, I did find the casting of Cheech Marin as a priest more than a little hilarious, given his historical roles.

This movie is heartwarming and it was good to be able to sit with all the family members and be able to watch a film that has good writing, clean dialogue, lovable characters and a happy ending. It does touch on various serious issues such as sexism, racism, class and poverty, but the film does not get bogged down in depressing mud holes like so many other films do these days. This is definitely an entertainment and I highly recommend.

Trumbo (2015)

Light on a Dark Period in US History

[9/10 · 10 July 2023]

A well done picture that touches on a very painful time in US history...the witch hunts of the cold war in Hollywood. I watched this little known film with a younger person who had never heard of many of the names affected in this film and was surprised by the viciousness of the attacks, especially from the venomous Hedda Hopper.

The cast is led by an outstanding performance by Bryan Cranston as Trumbo with equally great casting and performances by the supporting cast members Helen Mirren and Ellie Fanning. Movie buffs will be amazed at some of the well known characters that were involved and the injustices that were perpetrated. Those who did not grow up during this period will undoubtedly be amazed at how crazy a time this was. It is film well worth watching.

The Mummy (2017)

I will Never Call For My Mummy Again

[2/10 · 14 February 2023]

Where do I start? This was the most mind numbing film I have seen in a long time. The script points to a real laziness on behalf of the writers or a contempt for viewer intelligence. It was as if they had a brainstorming session where they just jotted down all the things they remember from various mummy and other assorted light horror films, then put all the ideas in a hat and drew them out in random order to make up a script. There were mummies and zombies and Dr. Jekyll and I was waiting to see if a werewolf or Frankenstein would suddenly get added to the script. It was both confusing and boring at the same time. Why did I watch it? The trailer did an excellent job of selling this pile of garbage.

Shotgun Wedding (2022)

Irritating

[2/10 · 1 February 2023]

I was really looking forward to this movie due to the stellar cast, but boy were we let down. The film is very poorly written and felt like there was no script, that they were making it up on the fly. J-Lo was so irritating and throughout the whole film was a complete B.... The groom should have just let her go. Josh Duhamel's character was equally bad. Here is this professional athlete who seems completely useless and uncoordinated which doesn't make sense at all. The cast includes plenty of experienced actors, but they were not even a glimmer of what we usually get from any of them. So disappointing.

11.22.63 (2016)

All I can say is WOW

[10/10 · 9 November 2022]

This miniseries is sooooo interesting. It draws you in and holds your attention just to see what could happen. The performances by the whole cast was perfection with great characters...some lovable (like Sadie and Miss Mimi), others, well villains (especially Josh Duhamel). But most of all, this time travel fantasy is intelligent. Time travel movies and TV have generally been trite and are better when historically accurate. I won't give away any spoilers on this one, but the ending was magnificent. Now that's how to make an entertainment! I would highly recommend this short series to everyone as it is definitely binge-worthy.

Tin Star (2017–2020)

Typical Amazon Studio Vulgarity

[1/10 · 7 October 2022]

I don't usually watch Amazon Originals as they are overflowing with F-bombs, and other assorted profanities as if they are trying to influence the world to be like that. However, I live in the area where it was filmed so I thought it might be good to see how our magnificent scenery was showcased in the series. But that's the only thing good in the show.

Firstly, I doubt a newly arrived family from England would be using the f-bomb every second word, let alone in front of their kids and some of the expressions out of the mother were downright disgusting. Nobody in this area talks like that. Secondly, similar to Yellowstone, there is not one likeable character in the series. Does Amazon Studios not understand the word "ENTERTAINMENT"? Other than the scenery, this show has absolutely no redeeming qualities. Waste of time.

Against a Crooked Sky (1975)

Garbage Film

[1/10 · 26 September 2022]

I seemed to remember that the book of the same name was good read, and with Richard Boone as the star, I figured the movie would be at the very least, interesting. However, Boone is not the star...just the only big name in the cast. He has a supporting roles as an obnoxious drunk that mumbles the same lines over and over. I can't help but think he must have been broke to take on this movie as his role is terrible.

The film is poorly edited and scenes are choppy with some very bad continuity. This plays like a film project from a lower end film school. The music is also bad, with a very irritating gong that they overused. I would definitely not recommend this film with it's nonsensical plot.

Chuck (2007–2012)

Love this series

[9/10 · 19 September 2022]

If you have had difficulty finding a series with action, comedy and none of the current vulgarities...this series is for you. Chuck is a very likeable character and certainly holds this production together. His nerd cohorts are hilarious, although sometimes you just want to slap the lazy idiocy out of his best friend Morgan. Casey and Sarah round out the great cast with their different ways of operating as spies. Everyone in our house is thoroughly enjoying each episode which is hard to find these days. The absence of f-bombs is truly refreshing. I would highly recommend this series and it's longevity testifies to the quality of the writing and acting. Well done...we want to see more like this.

The Steps (2015)

Wasted Effort

[4/10 · 19 September 2022]

The plot of the movie sounded like it could have real potential to be a great comedy. Plus there was a reasonable cast. However...the movie quickly degenerated into a dialogue rife with f-bombs and other filth that is getting more irritating with each movie. Like most "comedy/dramas" the comedy is unfortunately only sporadic and tries to go for cheap laughs with vulgarity instead of crisp writing. On top of this, there is absolutely no way that a social worker would ever trust this mess of a family with a precious little child. This is an unfortunate mess of bad writing propped up by high reviews that are definitely unwarranted and cheapen the integrity of IMDB.

Wild Oats (2016)

Laughed all the way through

[9/10 · 18 August 2022]

This was a hilarious film IMO. The 2 leads dialogue was well written and even better performed. All the characters did a great job. The only criticism I would have would be that the relationship between Maclaine and the ins investigator wasn't dealt with at all.

In Bruges (2008)

F'...the f'in dialogue was so f'in bad, I f'in couldn't get past the f'in first few f'in minutes

[1/10 · 18 August 2022]

I guess script writing is a lost art now. The opening dialogue was so loaded with f-bombs that it was cringe-worthy and sent me the message that it was not going to get any better and as far as entertainment goes, that this film was not going to in fact, be entertaining. It's too bad as the premise looked like it could be fun.

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Captivating and Touching

[9/10 · 14 August 2022]

I loved this film. Even though it would be impossible to capture the same mystique that Marilyn had, the lead did a great job of tugging at our hearts and giving us a glimpse of the mental anguish and allure of the former star. The film was good to initially display the annoying habits of the actress and then move us deeper into her world of mental illness, drug use and destructive relationships. What I liked most, was that it concluded with a fine bittersweet ending, making it a true entertainment rather than some dreary documentary of life at it's worst. I highly recommend. Great performances all around.

Ultimate Cowboy Showdown (2019– )

Trace Adkins is the Ultimate Bore

[3/10 · 12 August 2022]

I thought this show would be interesting as we live in the heart of cow and horse country and was hoping it would contain less of the "un"-reality show nonsense common to the genre. Unfortunately, there was more drama than action and the host, seemed totally disinterested in being there. Trace Adkins' performance as a host would cure any insomniac. He would stand there looking bored and talking in such a slow disinterested drawl that you'd think he was being forced to be there. The show had a totally scripted feel to it and some of the horsemanship was truly terrible.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Way Over-rated

[3/10 · 14 June 2022]

Watched this film due to the high rating and and knowing many of the actors, but was completely disappointed. Firstly this is NOT a comedy under any stretch of the imagination, but a serious drama about a family that's outside of the norm. It had no entertainment value IMO and if I had been watching it by myself, would have turned it off long before the dull ending.

9-1-1 (2018– )

More Concerned with Propaganda than 911 Stories

[2/10 · 19 May 2022]

Could have been good, but the show panders too much rather than tell realistic stories. From the over-tailored shirts to the continual pushing of agendas, this show is just plain annoying and an insult to the real first responders.

Hannibal Rising (2007)

Maintains the Hannibal Intensity

[7/10 · 14 March 2022]

This is a very good prequel. It does explain a lot and being a former professional, it is in line with the stories of those that usually end up in a psych prison. Well acted and written. Of course, I miss Anthony Hopkins' commanding presence, but this film is still up to par.

Two If by Sea (1996)

Just an Okay Film

[5/10 · 5 March 2022]

I was expecting a little more given it being a Sandra Bullock film, but Denis Leary pulls it down with his usual a-hole persona. The pace is somewhat slow and probably the best descriptor for this movie is, "disappointing". Beano and gang are a funny group and Bullock does her job, but I only wish they had put some more likable dupe in as her boyfriend as Leary's longstanding persona from his stand up days to virtually all his roles, gets so tiresome.

Clarice (2021)

A Great Continuation of the Hannibal Franchise

[9/10 · 5 March 2022]

I loved this series! I understand that it in all likelihood will not be renewed for another season and that is a real shame. The casting is perfect in all of the roles and the writing as well. The FBI does not come off like some sophomoric teenage romance soap like Sue Thomas FBI, nor boring as many of the other FBI series attempts in the past. It is a thriller with plenty of suspense and the wanting to see more. In short...it is an intelligent series (possibly why it might not be renewed). No agendas, little profanity...just great TV. Highly recommend.

Mr. Robot (2015–2019)

When the Writer/Director Clash with the Acting

[4/10 · 5 March 2022]

Many ahead of me have mentioned how the pilot engaged them and then the series started going downhill from there. For me, the first episode got me interested and Rami Malek is a perfect casting for the role. The series is very different in many ways and is quite relevant. Malek plays an anti-hero well and who doesn't love the takedown of the 1 percenters who are enslaving the world's populace for their own greed? However, the writer/director then used the series as yet another platform to spread propaganda, degenerating into filth instead of what this form of media should be...an entertainment. Instead of giving us an escape from what we endure, the series begins to become yet another depressing mirror of reality at it's worst. There is a balance between being "edgy" and being just plane vulgar. Similar to how the series Bones used gratuitous gore every episode despite having fine acting and dialogue, Mr. Robot unnecessarily overuses hard drugs and pandering which IMO greatly detracts from the stellar acting and the interesting plots to take down the bad guys.