SteffieB Reviews

Angel from Hell (2016)

Jane Lynch is so good

[9/10 · 20 January 2024]

Found this show by accident on Paramount and what a bummer that it was yanked in 2016 because it's pretty hilarious. Jane Lynch needs more opportunities to shine like she does here. I'll watch her in anything. Lynch and Maggie Lawson (loved her in Psych!) are a great comedy duo, but the whole cast is spot on. Kevin Pollak is always reliably good, with Kyle Bornheimer perfectly cast to round out the stars. Silly fun, with adult humor, too, this a totally binge-able single season that will leave you asking for more.. if you, too, like quirky adult comedies. So now I'm left to find "more like this"..

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

Imaginative with Nutcracker inspiration

[7/10 · 16 November 2019]

I was primarily annoyed by Kiera Knightly's obvious mimicry of Harry Potter's Moaning Myrtle character.

Drop Dead Diva (2009–2014)

Not your average TV show

[8/10 · 26 February 2011]

OK, you KNOW if Margaret Cho is involved, there will be some decent writing. As much as I like the show, Cho's is my favorite character. She fires up any scene she's in. Wait, no Fred is my favorite character. And Grayson. And Jane! Everybody's interesting, seriously, and the acting is really right on. The premise is Freaky Friday meets LA Law, but add in a guardian angel, smart chicks, models, and fresh story lines.. and hey, you've got my attention. Drop Dead Diva is unpredictable, but with the likable hooks surrounding romance, achieving partner, and beauty. You can stream it on Netflix, which is slightly addictive. So beware.

Beowulf (2007)

Unless you're a 14 year old boy you'll be disappointed

[2/10 · 19 May 2008]

I am a Beowulf lover and was looking forward to this movie! Of course I had wanted to see this at the iMax, but now am so glad that I didn't, because the gory violence would have just been even more over the top. I mean, I know Beowulf is a violent story, but squirty blood and crunchy skulls was really, shall we say, overkill. So little remained of the actual plot line of this classic story! And please..what 14 year old boy doesn't want to be seduced by an Angelina Jolie demon? Naked. I had had much higher hopes for a Neil Gaiman effort. But I watched the whole thing. How did they get Malkovich and Hopkins and everyone else to do this?

Spartan (2004)

Unbelievably awful.

[1/10 · 14 January 2008]

The DVD packaging is excellent and talks up David Mamet and his "trademark flair for dialogue". Unfortunately, his name alone is not enough to make anybody sit through this entire film. Like everyone on the message boards here, I am left wondering how on Earth this film has rated 6.8 so far on this site. It sure makes me doubt the authenticity of the rating system. The writing was so unimaginably bad!! How did this get through production? I have enjoyed Val Kilmer in previous movies, although he can be a bit stiff, but I really don't think this movie's faults rest with him. A better spy thriller, which perhaps this film is aiming for, is the Bourne series.

Brother's Keeper (1992)

Politics all over again..

[10/10 · 14 August 2007]

I didn't think I was going to like this and I was very afraid that the Ward brothers and their rural lifestyle would be made fun of or otherwise trashed, but this was so thoughtful and careful in its examination. The political motivations of some of the real-life people: the cops, the medical examiner, the prosecutor, were a great foil for the (some would think surprisingly) open- minded townspeople and the hardworking defense attorney. Loved the story and really felt for the brothers and the townspeople. Though I work in Boston now, I've lived and worked in rural areas just like this, and maybe that's part of the deal for me.