ellgreatone Reviews

Vision Quest (1985)

One of the best sports films of all-time

[10/10 · 14 March 2023]

This movie, more than any sports film, gets to the nuts of what makes someone excel at a sport more than anything: passion.

I come from a rural area. Not a lot of big-time athletes. While working in the local sports section I was fortunate enough to cover a kid from a neighboring high school who graduated as the No. 1 high school wrestler in the US. Getting to know him changed my perspective on sports.

Being bigger or faster or stronger always helps. And he was a solid athlete. But long story short, he lost at state his freshman year and said never again. You and I were home with our families Christmas Day. He was in the wrestling room. From his sophomore season on he obsessed about excellence and he obliterated the competition. So much fun to see.

You and I? We aren't running to work or doing pushups outside the elevator or wearing a rubber suit. We are sane. Loudon Swain, at least for a time, was an absolute maniac. He was obsessed with greatness and he attained it. Plain and simple. This movie is true and authentic to that truth.

As a movie the direction is solid. The team utilized the setting in thoughtful ways. The wrestling felt reasonably real. Modine is oddly magnetic. And the soundtrack slaps.

It's on my sports movie Mount Rushmore along with Major League (captures the communal passion of sport) and a rotating duo of Rocky, Warrior, Field of Dreams, The Hustler and The Longest Yard. Highest recommendation.

Being There (1979)

A satire for the ages

[10/10 · 24 January 2022]

Peter Sellers is brilliant in what is likely the greatest film satire.

In the seemingly absent-minded Chance, Sellers allows himself to be a multi-faceted driver of discomfort and criticism of every angle of life. Ashby points the finger at everyone and everything and, by film's end, points the finger directly at the viewer, asking if there is a proper (or even logical) way to live life.

We all have our perspectives. They're all somewhere on a spectrum of wrong. And this film simultaneously criticizes that and embraces it.

After half a dozen viewings I'm not sure whether to be hurt or hopeful.

Muhammad Ali: Round Four: The Spell Remains (1974-2016) (2021) Season 1, Episode 4

I was a mess by the end

[10/10 · 3 October 2021]

The finale to this unflinching and honest documentary ended in tearful rapture.

Ali's greatness often manifested itself in cruelty. But he wasn't The Greatest because of greatness, rather his bravery and a goodness that coursed through him on a molecular level.

Burns and Co. Hammering home Ali's love rather than his ferocity was documentary perfection. The filmmaking team really understood its subject.

Ted Lasso: Beard After Hours (2021) Season 2, Episode 9

Ugh. An anti-propulsive bottle episode

[4/10 · 18 September 2021]

Bottle episodes are hit-or-miss for me. For every Pine Barrens there is something like Fly in Breaking Bad.

Even the Breaking Bad bottle episode was cathartic for Jesse and Walt. They needed to re-establish their trust and friendship. The show, at that time, hinged on that relationship. It had a quality that moved the show forward even if it wasn't to my taste.

This Ted Lasso episode would be the equivalent of of having a Paulie Walnuts only episode. No Tony. No Carmela. No Chris. Just Paulie. It would be shocking in a bad way. That is what this is.

Also, in Season 1 the show was only interested in being a great television show. This is the third episode, by my account, where they riffed on a genre or a specific piece of pop culture and. A show that produced 10 episodes the quality of Season 1 does not need parlor tricks. Apparently, the writers of Ted Lasso don't have the confidence necessary to be themselves. They would be wise to rely less on films from 1985 and 1971 and rather become a cohesive piece of television.

This would be equivalent to The Wire having a musical episode. It was, frankly, reductive.

I found Season 1 to be a truly great run of episodes. As good or better than any of the aforementioned TV shows in this mini-review. Season 2 is a mish-mashed Frankenstein monster that has twice gone off the rails. They followed their strongest Season 2 episode up with far and away the show's worst snd least necessary episode. Quit trying to be stylish and be yourself. Be substantive to the point it hurts because it's so good.

Much love to coach Beard. I love his counterpunch ability. I just didn't need 45 minutes of just him.

Ted Lasso: Rainbow (2021) Season 2, Episode 5

It's fine

[5/10 · 21 August 2021]

Season 1 had a tension to it that weaved itself through every episode. Ted Lasso was a beacon that shined as bright as it could and if it struck someone in it, then that person could find a sliver of salvation and happiness. They just had to shed the BS of the world and accept positivity and, if they were strong enough, themselves.

This episode continues a Season 2 trend of tensionless television. Ted's light beams everywhere now. We're 15 episodes in and it feels like the struggle is over.

Have a rich oil baron wanting Sam fired? That's OK, this entire world is good. Jamie still struggling with his place in the world and insecure masculinity? That's OK, it's all solved now. Jamie is on board.

In Season 1, Ted was pulling a series of Godfather-like strings, using his kindness to allow chess pieces to move themselves into place. Season 2? All the strings are pulled. The chess is now checkers.

The show is pleasant. I guess that's fine. I hope I can remember to watch it next week.

Game of Thrones: The Last of the Starks (2019) Season 8, Episode 4

Underwhelming

[7/10 · 6 May 2019]

This was one of my least favorite episodes in the show's run. Minor things (aside from a dragon death) happened that were all predictable.

The show is back to where it was at the end of Season 7 where they kinda bulletpoint what happens. Then this happens. Then this happens.

Also. There's gonna be a siege on King's Landing. What a surprise. I kinda assumed Ep. 5 would be that, just like it seemed reasonable that Ep. 3 would be the end of The Night King. The show's bread and butter has been the palace intrigue and this time I'm not that interested.

Bronn's scene was forced. The love scenes were hit or miss. I kinda don't care who wins in the end (spoiler: they're getting rid of the Iron Throne). And it feels more like paint by numbers than letting the plot play out organically. Unless they really surprise us with something, most of the final season has been telegraphed.

Maisie was fantastic. The Tyrion/Varys scene was potentially interesting but probably not. And I'm at least bought into the Mad Queen plot. The show is making that seem like a real possibility.

The silver lining is that my least favorite episode preceded Battle of the Bxstards (which imdb won't let me spell) and Winds of Winter, two of the best hours GoT has produced. There's still hope for an insanely awesome ending, but it feels like GoT is out of tricks. I can't wait to be proven wrong.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

A terrific addition to the series

[9/10 · 24 December 2017]

SPOILERS

Perhaps not the best Star Wars, but certainly the most morally and emotionally thought-provoking.

I left the theater wondering which direction characters were headed in, both logistically and emotionally. Earlier, and thanks to originality, probably better films in the franchise hinted at moral complexity. Darth Vader wound up second-guessing a lifetime of work in what was an excellent ending to the original trilogy. Anakin Skywalker fumbled around for three movies, loudly hinting at turning dark.

This time around, the moral complexity reaches levels typically reserved for art house pictures. Where does everyone fall in the good-evil meter? Through six movies, it was always pretty obvious. This time around, I'm genuinely interested to see what happens to the souls of the characters.

From an action standpoint, this one stands with the best in the series. The limited lightsaber battles were visually poetic and the space warfare was thoughtfully produced. I left with the feeling that Rian Johnson was the most talented director the series had seen.

But he wasn't without his faults. John Boyega's Finn was given a sideplot that, aside from introducing some galactic social commentary, was a wasted 15 minutes. There were some jokes that winked a bit hard at the camera and I felt insulted by the final scene in the movie.

But I was also touched emotionally more by this than by any other film in the canon. Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver are absolutely captivating. Driver's Kylo Ren will never be a better baddie than Darth Vader, but he is a more compelling villain than Vader in a way I might say something similar about Travis Bickle.

And while this movie moved in exciting new directions, Like Skywalker is still my favorite character in this universe. He's human, but when pushed, is a hero above all heroes.

Heading into Episode IX, I'm as excited as I've been for a sequel in my life, and that's all I can really ask for.