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kannetidwell
Reviews
Teenage Euthanasia (2021)
The Answer to Adult Animation Woes
I truly love this series. For those of you who miss Ugly Americans or the original days of South Park, you'll enjoy this show. The character dynamics are new and interesting, it isn't overly preachy, and there are many funny moments. The mix of snark, series jokes, and outlandishing hijinks are extremely entertaining. Personally, I enjoy all of the depictions of Annie's school and young world in this futuristic Florida setting. For it's critics; if the only adult animation you like is ball jokes and characters where everyone has the same base figure then you might need to stick with Big Mouth's dying descent.
Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi (2022)
Shame on Netflix
Netflix should be barred from labeling it's content as documentaries. This movie is just conspiracy theories meant to fit a certain political, cultural, and religious framework of the filmmakers. Unfortunately, this film seemed uninterested in the probable death of a young girl- which isn't particularly shocking in the era of crime documentaries and shows being as successful as they are. Most of the series clips are reused ad nauseum (I'm guessing because there's not much to back up their theories and they didn't get enough from the family of the victim). Skip this series-that-should-have-been-a-film disaster and read the Wikipedia page instead.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)
For Those Who Pay Attention
If you can watch a trailer, read a book, and glance at a series description then this show is for you! Anyone surprised about the fact that this is told through the lenses of Michelle MacNamara clearly doesn't understand her great involvement with this case AND they failed to read the series description and probably never heard of the book. I love that this series isn't just a focus on the depravity of a man who is not special or interesting or inventive but, instead, focuses on the work of one greatly flawed woman. The interviews with the victims give great insight into California at the time and how much our justice system has changed. There are parts where I wish the audience had some outside perspective (MacNamara is clearly struggling close to her death) from experts. But, overall, this is an interesting twisting of tails. If I were to change anything, the Kathleen Lombardo story was treated almost as an after thought and she deserves better. Otherwise, it was an interesting take in an overly saturated market.
Chowchilla (2023)
What A Let Down
Apparently, the word "documentary" has changed. No longer are film makers interested in telling true stories and digging through evidence, rumor, and bias. I think it's pretty feckless to have a group of paid survivors asked to speak poorly about a man who cannot defend himself. It's one thing to speak ill of the dead but another to tear apart his character probably because he was the only adult. Considering how the majority of those children went on to conduct their adult lives, maybe they shouldn't be the first to cast stones. What makes this style of filmmaking worse is that it relies on a handful on "memories" and "wintnesses" who were extremely young at the time. While it was nice to hear some different perspectives, the movie read more as a Mean Girls style "Burn Book" than a piece of thoughtfully crafted Non-Fiction. This includes the politically fraught and careless manner in which all three perpetrators tried and paroled. If you're a real documentary lover then skip this one.
Who Killed Garrett Phillips? (2019)
Misleading
I really wish some of the docuseries would at least pretend to care about the victim. It's absolutely possible to make a documentary about how the justice system screwed over Hillary without throwing a murdered child to the side. There could even be different episodes focusing on different subjects but instead, Garrett Phillips is essentially ignored. The docuseries does not do a good job of explaining the murder, Hillary's relationships with the family once he'd broken up with the mom nor the piles of evidence you could find from a cursory Google search. This series was 100% made because the filmmakers could exploit the issues in the justice system- not to give a voice to a murdered child.
Search Party (2016)
It's Millennial Trash-But I Can't Stop Watching!
Okay, it's one of those woke-but-unrealistic-but-not-a-comedy-but-not-a-drama-but-not-super-thought-out shows. IYKYK. However, these charismatic, narcissistic sociopaths are incredibly entertaining. The ONLY thing I would change is that they *always* win. I would've liked to see Dory or Elliot or Portia or Drew really face consequences.
Shrill (2019)
Unfunny but "Woke" Trash
I thought it would be a comedy. It's not. Not even funny. It's about 20-somethings being mean and selfish but somehow they're also always the victims? This seems to be a new genre of TV that just does not make sense to me. She wants to empower larger women- refuses to take care of herself. She wants to have a healthy relationship-actively shuts out people and treats them like trash. Wants a successful career-surprised when everything at work isn't fun and about her. Who is this made for?
Prodigal Son (2019)
A Total Miss
The story is interesting! Season 1 has some very complex ideas. But it is poorly acted and embarrassingly written. Have the writers never heard humans speak? Have the actors never had actual conversations? It tries so hard to be dramatic and interesting that it forgot to be good. Lou Diamond Phillips was the shows one saving grace. The only actor who showed any subtlety. There are so many fantastic European counterparts, I wish the US could've done this show justice.