dst-thomas Reviews

Banshee (2013–2016)

Super series, 4 seasons is just about right.

[9/10 · 2 May 2021]

This show is very intense, reminded me a little bit of Burn Notice, only turned up to 11. Sex and violence abound.

4 seasons gave them enough time to answer all my questions about the main characters' pasts, resolve the loose ends and finish the series with a satisfying finale. (Unlike SHO's Ray Donovan which just went around in circles until they abruptly pulled the plug on it...) We need more shows like this!

Joe Pera Talks with You (2018–2021)

Wonderful Storytelling

[8/10 · 5 June 2018]

Joe Pera Talks with You is the new show I never knew I wanted so badly. I turn to Cartoon Network for entertaining short-duration shows, such as Mike Tyson Mysteries. They're blessedly brief and to the point, and I can watch them as a matter of convenience on my DVR. Joe Pera's schtick is a grandfatherly teacher who presents the various minutiae of life from a thoughtful perspective. My take is that if he weren't such a well-intentioned, sincere character he would be mostly rejected by "normal" society. But our hero manages to win the day while living comfortably between two worlds - the outside world where we meet life, and his inner world of perspectives, knowledge, and values. The overall mood of the show is calming, with "Joe Pera Reads You The Church Announcements" (S1E6) becoming surprisingly edgy. So I've seen 6 episodes so far, and have become a huge fan. Although each episode is self-contained enough that you can dive in, the episodes also present threads relating to themes and personal relationships that you can follow - not knowing some of them will make scenes in some episodes seem random. Thank you, Joe Pera, for talking with me.

Judge Dredd (1995)

Ambitious, But Ultimately Disappointing Movie

[4/10 · 10 November 2016]

It's immediately obvious that a good bit of money and effort went into making this movie. It's hard to put my finger on exactly where it falls short. The dystopian future world and MegaCity are convincing created, considering the movie making tech available at the time. The acting is OK and Diane Lane turns in a very credible performance (up until the ridiculous ending). The direction tries to get the most of the actors and script, but somehow falls a little short. The editing is uneven, and when it's tight it's tight. When it's not tight the pace starts to drag. It's hard to tell sometimes if the drag comes more from the direction and editing, or from the script. The repetitive tag lines, such as "I knew you were going to say that" stop working long before they keep trying to make them work. I wanted to like it, but I was just unable to do so by the time I got to the half-way mark. I soldiered through it for story line and to see if it was going to redeem itself, but ended up kind of wishing I had bailed. The ending was just stupid.

I was left with the realization that I liked a different movie from a couple of years earlier quite a bit more. That film was Demolition Man. It was a sci-fi action rom-com, so very different but it was a hit with me on many levels. If you're just looking for a fun movie to watch and Demolition Man is an option, then I would try that one. If your heart and head are set on Judge Dredd, I hope you find what you are looking for in this interpretation of that character and world.

Under the Skin (I) (2013)

Oddly absorbing.

[8/10 · 19 December 2014]

I finally caught this film on BD last night. It was the most oddly absorbing sci-fi film I've seen since Liquid Sky. Elements of so many other well-known films combine and dissipate - The Man Who Fell to Earth, Star Man, Liquid Sky, even Blade Runner. Ultimately, it's left to the viewer to resolve motive, and and paint a complete picture. The unknowns help to make the film more hauntingly creepy...

Sometimes I get weary of watching films that make me "work too hard", and this one certainly did not. I went to sleep with questions that sifted through my mind and consciousness. I awakened with many of the pieces put together and the beginning of a willingness to surrender forever what will never be resolved. The photography is beautiful, and great cinematic pains were taken to produce immersive sequences shot inside the vehicle. The acting was simply great. This film won't be for everyone, but I did enjoy it enormously. Also recommended: Liquid Sky.

Weekend of a Champion (2013)

Astonishing film for fans.

[8/10 · 23 July 2014]

This is more of an excellent fan experience than an excellent documentary. It is extremely satisfying. It takes you back in time to 1971, Monaco F1 GP. Without narration, cameras (with seemingly unrestricted access) follow legendary J. Stewart during race weekend. As such, neophytes may find little guidance in understanding the structure of activities during a race weekend. So in the end I think it may be a movie for fans of the driver and fans of the sport. The footage is Stewart and Team Tyrrell-centric, so if you're hoping for lots of footage of other teams it is not going to be here. Everything was so different back then, and this is plainly shown. Monaco was way less developed, and the entire team experience was so much more primal. F1 fans will revel in the gut-level relationship between man and team, and man and machine. Following the "feature documentary footage", an intimate contemporary meeting between the director and Stewart is shown. Here, historical improvements in safety are highlighted. This review twists at one's sensibilities - it's suggested that left to itself, the industry might never have addressed the issues and made the simple improvements needed to save drivers' lives. My favorite throw away line (which may simply seem rude taken out context - I assure you it is not) "Racing drivers were amateur gynecologists but to have that specialist as the chief medical officer that was the bizarreness of the time..."

Burn Notice (2007–2013)

One of my favorite series.

[7/10 · 17 February 2014]

I never would have found this series if a friend had not recommended it to me. There's a twist to that, she doesn't watch it - she just caught it for a few minutes and, knowing me, thought I might like it. She thought the over-dubs where Michael Weston gives his little pointers about "how to be a spy" were interesting. I started watching it and it became one of my favorite shows. The basic premise started to sag around season 5, and by season 6 I started to think I was watching out of sheer loyalty. I still found it watchable, maybe because by that point I had a lot invested in the characters and I really wanted to see what happened. The show always seemed to circle back to a familiar point, which is a common problem on some of the basic cable series.

So I was a bit apprehensive at the start of season 7. I really wanted to see what they would do to end it, and I really wanted to be made happy. The characters are a little like family.

Season 7 is great, and they did themselves really proud.

If you're at the beginning and not sure you want to go down the 7 season-long Burn Notice road, I just want to say that for me it was a great ride. Sharon Gless remained the most talented actor in the series - she never breaks character for one second in 7 seasons. Over all, the production team does a fine job on a basic cable budget. I'll miss this show a lot. The "how to be a spy" tips are great, and I remember seeing an interview with Matt Nix where he was asked how organizations like the CIA and FBI feel about that. He mentioned that they were asked from time to time to cut back and omit certain things so as not to have people building bombs and such.

Matt Nix created a comedy series that I liked a lot that ran for 20 episodes on Fox in 2010. It's called "The Good Guys". It's available on NF and others, no DVD issued to date. I've seen the entire series a few times, now and I really like it a lot. It sort of concludes, instead of just ending suddenly when it was canceled, which I really do appreciate. You may wish to check it out- it's intentionally broad, but lots more enjoyable than some of the other stuff out there if you can surrender to it.

The Ramen Girl (2008)

My second favorite ramen movie, with a solid connection to my favorite: Tampopo!

[7/10 · 25 April 2013]

My first awareness of Brittany Murphy was at her untimely passing. I had seen "Clueless", but really didn't remember it too well. I recently became curious about her and wanted to see something in which she had played the lead. This film was the most positively-rated of her films available on NF streaming at that time. I was somewhat leery - everything about it looked slightly unwatchable, somehow. I had previous positive experience with ramen-centric cinema. As I added "The Ramen Girl" to my NF queue, I fondly recalled one of my all-time very favorites: "Tampopo" (1985). The casting, screenplay, and production values in "The Ramen Girl" are all really very good. What really surprised me is that the film contains an actual connection to Tampopo!

Tampopo has at its core a story that also chronicles ramen apprenticeship. The lead in Tampopo is played by Tsutomu Yamazaki, a trucker who happens upon a widow trying to run her late husband's ramen shop. He is tasked to bring her along to mastery in the art of ramen. Grand adventure ensues. (That is the major thread in the film, there are also a few other stories woven into it about food and the way food sits at the center of our lives...)

In "The Ramen Girl", the Grand Master (of ramen) eventually comes to town. That part is played by none other than Tsutomu Yamazaki!!! This was a wonderful touchstone for me and made "The Ramen Girl" even more enjoyable. Whether or not you enjoyed "The Ramen Girl", if you have not see "Tampopo" please consider it. (Japanese with English subtitles.) It's absolutely glorious in every way!

The Finder (2012)

This show was basically ignored to death.

[7/10 · 12 May 2012]

I really enjoyed this show. It wasn't the best show ever, but I liked the stories and I liked the characters. It was stultifying to see Fox push this off the Thursday night schedule in order to make room for more American Idol, etc. I can't stand those shows. "The Boy With the Bucket", the season (now series) finale was the best episode by far. It was filled with the most sentiment since "The Conversation", the episode that referred back to Leo's daughter's birthday present. (The emotional energy of that episode was stretched a bit thin, but Leo's character had the strength to pull it through for me...) In "The Boy With the Bucket" we got to meet Walter's brother and parents, and many a tear was shed. It brought everything to a wonderful head and blew almost everyone's world apart, leaving Leo to be Leo - either the old Leo or the new Leo, either to try to pick up the pieces and make sense out of what happened and help get Walter out of the hole, or move on with his life and be callous and firm. I get it that this show was not high brow and that it was uneven and unashamed to bring in the most spectacular absurdities. It had wonderful potential, and the series finale, "The Boy With the Bucket", showed how enjoyable an episode could be when it rose to meet that potential. The choice to use "Is it like today?", one of my favorite songs, for the soundtrack over scenes of Willa hitch hiking and trying to escape Shad nicely summed up the mood of the episode and now sadly, the series. (you can easily find the lyrics on the web - lyricstime.com/world-party-is-it-like-today- lyrics.html)

Fast Five (2011)

Ocean's 11 meets F&F

[3 November 2011]

Overall, this film is another entertaining chapter in the F&F franchise. I enjoyed it, but less than than its immediate predecessor. Where this movie falls short for me is in the ensemble cast aspect. It seems like the production company tried to stretch this episode against the canvas of an "Ocean's 11" type story (big cast, "switcheroo" plot), and as a result only a couple of the peripheral characters get to stand out and actually mean something to the story or the audience. Most noticeably, Elsa Pataky (as Officer Elena Neves) and Gal Gadot (returning as Gisele Harabo from Fast & Furious) assume roles on opposite sides of the law - but any roundness that could be lent to their characters seems lost in a cast that is way too large. The two actresses are similar enough in appearance that, as a result, I had to really struggle to find context to know which character was on screen at any given time. Dwayne Johnson steps in and provides a "larger than life" tough guy whose character is somewhat predictable. Via teaser information revealed in a scene at the end of the credits, the story ends up serving to largely be an intricate set up for the next movie. I guess it depends on the story line and how they plan to accommodate the passage of time, but it seems that they would be best served by completing this next chapter sooner rather than later - everyone is getting older and as the youthful element drains from the production, the concept starts to look even sillier than it started out to be.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Simply too darn long.

[4/10 · 9 May 2011]

With adventure #23 now in production and the cold war long over, the Bond series has both grown long in the tooth and succeeded (finally) in reinventing the anachronistic British Secret Service hero and his missions.

Unfortunately, completists must be somewhat familiar with "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Weighing in at an incredible 142 minutes, this movie is short on actual story and long on endless chase scenes and battles. In its day, chase scenes and fights with lots of "gags" and very high production value were highly entertaining. Today I find them just another reason to hit the fast forward button, because, ya kinda know what happens. There are literally too many of these extra long sequences to count.

The star of the film settled into an uncomfortable position. He had to follow Sean Connery's incredible charm, and although he is cast and written more to Ian Fleming's portrait than Connery was, the contrast between Connery and Lazenby, as written, is stark. Lazenby is a competent actor, and I feel that anything you might not like about his portrayal can be blamed on the overall production. Diana Rigg, at the height of her film career, is just lovely as Bond's soul mate.

Introduced into the Bond story line is his face to face introduction with his nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and Telly Savalas does his best at creating the loony megalomaniac. Also introduced is the Bond family crest containing the motto that translates to "The World Is Not Enough" - If you've ever wondered how that got to be the title of a Bond film. Also in an unusual breaking of "the fourth wall", Bond looks into the camera early in the film and says "This never happened to the other fellow", (meaning Connery).

Beside the problem of simply not having a lot of story element - mind you, what there is is just fine - the movie is plagued with being an unusually tragic Bond story. Worse - as produced, the film follows "You Only Live Twice". As written, "You Only Live Twice" follows "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". At the end of the novel "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", Bond has a complete nervous breakdown and "You Only Live Twice" picks up with that and takes him to Japan where he completely loses himself in the Japanese culture on his way to his eventual recovery. It redefines his entire character. So because of the out-of-sequence productions, that story element is missing from the film "You Only Live Twice". This is magnified when Connery, now really showing his years, reemerges as Bond in "Diamonds Are Forever" with the enormous tragedy Bond just faced in the preceding film sketched in to the opening sequence. As a result all hope of true storyline is lost to those who had read Ian Flemings' novels as they were originally published.

If you're enamored with endless combat and chase sequences filmed at the state of the art decades ago, this film's girth may not bother you. For me, if the film were well under two hours it would be much more enjoyable - but it is what it is and it sits in its place in filmdom's James Bond historical record. I would so love to give it 7 stars because it really does deserve it on almost all levels of merit.

Fortress (1985)

Great acting in a low budget wrapper. Not really a spoiler....

[6/10 · 16 December 2007]

This is a really enjoyable film within its genre. Rachel Ward delights as a complex and heroic character, with an adequate supporting cast of kids. Ms. Ward plays Sally Jones, a (very) rural schoolmarm whose class is abruptly abducted by a few degenerate crazies who hope to ransom the entire class to the government for a huge payoff (based on true events). Her character development throughout this suspenseful and terrifying film is wonderful. Various remarks have criticized the film for reasons such as "Sally removing her bra to swim underwater makes no sense." Or, "Why does she need to pull off her bra to swim the first time, and not the second time?" And that's what I like about the film. There's more than enough meat in the end product to give you plenty to chew on. Let me explain a bit, using these scenes as an example. When the group is first locked into the cave by the kidnappers, Sally goes off to find a way out. This she does - an underwater stream. She takes the oldest boy with her, and strips to her underwear to make the exploratory swim to find a passage out of the cave. There is more than enough energy exchange between Sally and the boy as she undresses to give us a good story. It's obviously complex, and there are all sorts of factors at play. Her age, his respective age, their respective student/teacher roles. She may be drawing power from the experience of dominating him energetically. This is power she will need for the rest of the saga. She may be trying to garner his undying allegiance - she will need this from every member of the group. My point is that in the exchange of expressions between the boy and the woman, and the body language of both - there's plenty of juice to supply a good story. Once again, when the group is getting ready to make the swim to escape, Sally is about to pull off her bra (topless swimming is not considered odd in Australia) until she sees the discomfort/anxiety of the oldest and most sexually developed girl (played by Rebecca Rigg/Riggs). As braless Narelle is about to pull off her top in response to Sally's lead, we assume Sally sees the anxiety on Narelle's face and decides to leave her own bra on to spare Narelle the experience of having to strip in public - something Narelle obviously sees as terrifying. This is a good call, because if any of the kids are close to freaking out it is obviously (to Sally) Narelle. Or, Sally sees that Narelle has some goodies of her own and decides she doesn't want the competition. I think there's that much potential complexity portrayed in the film at a number of turns in the story, and it is why I think this film stands out in spite of a low budget and a thin script. Mostly due to the acting and the editing that allows that acting to come forward, I give it three strong, solid stars and recommend it if you like the idea: a framework of terror and brutality surrounding a group of kids and their teacher who discover the inner primitive savageness that is, in the end, their only possible savior.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

One very very long follow-on.

[4/10 · 6 August 2006]

This film is an excellent example of a work that could have been trimmed down substantially to make a final product that would be much more enjoyable. It obviously cost a fortune to make, and it's more than apparent that a lot of talent was used to facet every face of it. But uncut, it sags under its own weight, and I found myself wondering how long the seemingly endless scenes would drag on. The groaning, weighty musical score does not help out at all here. The cannibal sequence could have been either trimmed greatly, or eliminated in its entirety, and so many scenes could have been shortened to advance the pacing. For example, the "Tia Dalma" character commands your attention, but does her unintelligible voodoo-princess spiel have to go on and on and on? One shudders to think what a "director's cut DVD" version of this film project might include. Could there possibly exist any deleted scenes? Whereas Jack Sparrow thoroughly entertained me in the first film, Mr. Depp's character pops around his scenes in "Dead Man's Chest" like "Mario" in an old Nintendo game. It seems like his talents are greatly encouraged, but never actually given the proper showcase to light up the screen. Mr. Bloom's performances also seem even more strangely relegated to the background, while any character (Davy Jones in particular) that is the result of intense special effects gets A LOT of focus. To my mind, this is just an abuse of special effects in this series. I found myself longing for the days when special effects were used to highlight, illuminate, and intensify an already exciting presentation. To be fair - let me state that, in general, I find that I have stopped going to movies that receive great press for "special effects". I used to really enjoy brilliant special effects, but I've come to prefer blockbusters that showcase the acting skills of the lead actors above all else. In this regard, Ms. Knightley's performance does not disappoint. It seems as though she is given, and takes good advantage of every opportunity to project the vibrant qualities of winsome "pluck" into every scene in which she appears. As such, for me her performance was perhaps the strongest amongst the heroes in the film. This was not nearly enough to save the movie-going experience for me, and I left feeling very tired, worn, and somewhat numb. No balm for said numbness comes from the fact that the esteemed viewer will leave the theater with no real plot resolution to speak of. The only thing missing here is a promotional sequence showing the trailer from the next movie to come (a la "Back to the Future II), which one suspects may have been filmed at the same time and is now wallowing its way through post production. I suppose it would be too much to ask that they make the final cut for "part 3" much briefer, and brighten up the score with a lively ditty or two.

Seven Girlfriends (1999)

Quirky Romantic Comedy

[7/10 · 28 September 2004]

This is a madcap romantic comedy suitable for viewing by a large audience, There's a pretty heavy-handed metaphor at the end of the script, and the film contains a pretty, original song sung by the fab Melora Hardin. I also enjoyed the gimmick of the hapless psychic, made obvious when Laura finally does spill the coffee on her shoe.

I love this film, and I would like to add that the DVD version has some deleted scenes that are well worth watching. I often find this feature to be a waste of time, but there have been a couple of films ("Josie and the Pussycats" and most notably, "Gladiator" come to mind) where you get to "finish the film" yourself by watching the deleted scenes.

The DVD also offers a director's commentary that serves well as a crash course in independent film-making and I do recommed watching it.

I feel sorry for all those who can only stream and don't have access to the special features. (sigh)

Lone Star (1996)

my favorite film

[10/10 · 28 September 2004]

I saw this film 5 times in General Release. It was like a ride that I would get on. As the theater went dark, and the story began - up and down, back and forth - moving from scene to scene. "Oh, yeah now this part. Oh, yeah, then there was that whole part - that relationship. Those characters have that history..."

I think my single favorite aspect of this film was the way the flashbacks are done. The camera just pans between eras. It's so incredibly effective.

And what great one-liners blended into the dialog!

My ears don't pick out speech well, and since some of the characters mumble it did take me all those viewings to get all the lines in the film. Now it's on DVD, so, If your ears are like mine you can get English subtitles in the tricky parts, and get the whole thing the first viewing, even the English translations of the Spanish - assuming you don't know what phrases like "Lo siento" mean...

I was thrilled when this film was nominated by the motion picture academy for best screen play. It lost to "Fargo", a worthy competitor.

Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982)

Classic Fred Ward Adventure Flick

[5/10 · 9 August 2004]

This film is a great example of what can be done with a low budget, decent story, and a great cast. The direction is broad, and at the same time both light-hearted and dark. I think it's a good example of balance in that regard. Please see my comments in the message board regarding the ending of the DVD version. I think you have to be able to remember back to the day - 1982 - to appreciate this movie. Superior low-budget time-loops starting with "The Terminator" were still 2 years away....