billsoccer Reviews

3 Body Problem: Our Lord (2024) Season 1, Episode 4

THIS is Sci-Fi!

[10/10 · 4 April 2024]

I was going to title my review "Is this the best Sci-Fi episode ever?", but I knew I'd get downvotes just out of spite (and I could be wrong!). So, they capture the 'leader" of this cult, and what a shock to see who it is (Spoiler 1 below). This causes Thomas (Liam Cunningham - who we're not sure if he's a good or bad guy yet, though we find out at the end of the episode) to suspect Mike (Jonathan Pryce) has a record of conversations with the aliens. Mike has lived on a ship for many years, staying away from all other authorities attracting converts and raising them on the ship. Thomas convinces Auggie (Elza Gonzalez) to restart the nano-fiber project, and recruits Raj (Saamer Usmani). Raj develops a team and plan to use the fiber to recover the conversations (Spoiler 2). The plan works and the device reveals much, leading to learning the aliens plans, and a big surprise (Spoiler 3).

Spoiler: 1 - Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao)! Apparently to spite the Communists, she did indeed ignore the aliens plea to not respond, and resumed communications over many years.

2 - The fiber is strung between 2 poles across a section of the Panama Canal. Mikes ship passes between the poles and the fiber effortlessly cuts it horizontally (about) every three feet, severing everything/one. Might be a bit gruesome for some, but the cinematography is gripping 3 - The aliens fear that by the time they arrive in 400 years, the earth will be able to repel them, so they confound electronics (and is the reason for the experiments in recent episodes failure)

Bill Engvall: Just Sell Him for Parts (2016)

Laugh out loud funny

[10/10 · 16 March 2024]

Best special I've seen in many years. Let me start by pointing out he's clean even when approaching 'adult' material, he does so without getting gross. His humor is observational, and he has some funny stories to tell.

He starts out slow - stories about his grandparents and parents. He covers his time on Dancing with the Stars, which I don't watch so it was eye opening. He moves onto a total knee replacement - the good and bad experiences with pain medicine and the embarrassments that come with recuperating among young female nurses. My wife and I are both howling by now. Shortly after this he covers his experience with kidney stones, stents and his first experience with medicinal marijuana.

If you like any of the Blue Collar comedians, SEE THIS!

Abbott Elementary: Smoking (2024) Season 3, Episode 4

Immature Soap Opera

[6/10 · 23 February 2024]

Tuned in because I'd heard to won many Emmy's.

A boy is caught smoking. A bunch of the teachers - mostly immature themselves - overreact, bring in a ridiculous anti-drug program, then finally find a way to not spend the kid.

We also find out most of the teachers imbibe too much - weed or alcohol and the anti-drug message is wasted was their secret gets out.

A side plot is the lead actress - now serving (an internship?) at the board interrupts the student teacher of her former grade and interferes unsuccessfully.

Can you imagine my excitement with this drivel? Oh my gosh, what kind of an audience watches this? What merited the awards? Certainly not this episode! It's rated over 8, so obviously similar to other episodes. I won't be back.

Monsieur Spade: Episode #1.6 (2024) Season 1, Episode 6

What a lousy ending

[5/10 · 21 February 2024]

What a lousy ending - by the writers, that is. To have someone come in and - Agatha Christie style - 'explain' the events and control the boy, completely bad. I reduced the stars on the shows' rating as a result. Seems like they stretched it as far as they could for the $ from the commercials, and didn't think through how to end it.

Spoilers: They imported the Allstate 'Mayhem' guy to attempt to close the Church's involvement - not very successfully I might add. Various other intelligence agencies involvement are exposed. Sam is by now a shadow of a character, WAY in the background! I wouldn't have watched this far if I knew.

High Expectations (I) (2022)

Soccer improves mental health!

[7/10 · 6 February 2024]

In short, this is an inspirational story about a person who has lost all confidence in himself, and thus has been depressed and angry for three years. His father is a successful ex professional soccer player and current coach, and his older brother plays on his father's team -which appears to be an MLS-level team. The protagonist has been reduced to playing in adult leagues since his mother died, and his father subsequently cut him from the team.

You can guess early on most of the scenarios and the ending, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment. In fltering steps, he slowly regains his confidence, or at least enough to ask the coach of another team for a tryout. If you didn't know, this coach is Brianna Scurry, in real life World Cup winner, and Perhaps one of our most famous soccer players. He makes the team and ultimately gets them into the playoff against guess who. I'll leave the results of the finale for you to see. Not a great movie, but for Soccer fan or for those who love "overcoming the odds" movies, You should see this.

Freud's Last Session (2023)

Was hoping for a debate or at least some substance!

[6/10 · 28 January 2024]

I feel a bit misled. Everyone knows of Freud. C..S. Lewis is less well-known now, but would eventually become the worlds best known Christian evangelist - probably better known than Billy Graham would be. When the 2 names are linked, one just knows an intelligent debate about God is going to occur. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the screen writer(s).

What you have instead is an imagining of Freuds last days - trying through the fog of drugs - to justify his existence and his own beliefs. Hopkins is Freud in another of his stellar performances (one wonders if he's capable of a stinker - though he's BEEN in a few). Meanwhile, Mathew Goode as Lewis is shuttled to the role of an observer, often befuddled by Freud's antics and/or disease. There's a few digs on both sides, but nothing more. I guess the debate was left on the cutting room floor, or the name of Lewis was used to attract viewers who otherwise wouldn't be interested in the musings of a drugged old man.

Fool Me Once: Episode #1.3 (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

Good story - everyone's still suspect - but why the plot hole?

[8/10 · 13 January 2024]

Love Harlan Coben's books - there's always a good story. His daughter's screen play fits tv pretty well, if you can excuse the usual steps that normal people wouldn't do*.

So far, the storyline is intriguing. Joe apparently is alive (the video was erased by the nannie), the police are on the take, the in-laws seem to be in on it (actually, definitely are, since the $ is from them).

I'm not dismissing the main character - (the lovely and elegant Michele Keegan - why haven't we seen more of her?) either. She's evasive at best, and lied to police about # of pistols she has

* - No highly trained pilot would blab in front of a customer, nor take him on her stalking ride. Note to Charlotte Coben - she could have taken over control for 'trying something after feeling a wobble', then come back later with a car and backup. This would not have alerted those of us with over-alert sensibilities.

The Cry of the Owl (2009)

The ending saves the movie!

[8/10 · 27 December 2023]

Have to admit, I almost turned this off a few times. For about the first hour, we see Robert (Consadine) and Jenny (Stiles) find each other - he actually stalks her and she invites him in! We soon realize (without much effort) that both are deeply disturbed. So, I get why a lot of reviewers were dissatisfied - we can't/don't like these 2. However, there are 2 twists after that which not only save the movie, but make it Great!

As these 2 oddballs grow closer, Jenny almost makes Robert seem normal. She breaks up with her boyfriend who then attacks Robert. Robert pulls away and she invites herself to go with him to his new job in a far-away city. He's scared of her at this point.

The old boyfriend attacks Robert and becomes a missing person. All the momentum thus far points to her setting Robert up. Did she?

Little Bird (2023)

Moving without being preachy, for Americans as well as Canadians

[9/10 · 18 November 2023]

I don't think I rated any of the episodes above 8, but the whole package deserves an almost perfect score of 9 for me. Shows the pain we inflicted upon the native residents of 'our' countries*, without shoving inherited guilt in our faces. Made by and with natives who experienced the events depicted.

* (I say 'we/our' as many of the comments feel this is just about Canada - when we Americans did worse in almost every respect). As an evangelical Christian, I understand and support missionary activity. However, this could have (and nowadays is) done without force. Natives have much more respect for the Earth and we could certainly learn from that, among other things.

The Woman in White (1948)

Even Sydney Greenstreet is bad in this!

[6/10 · 11 November 2023]

I normally love Sydney Greenstreet. In the Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and even the rest of his small number of films, where his bulk and stately manner stand out, he's always memorable. However, in this late career stinker, he's just another over-acting stiff! He reads his lines with uncharacteristic lethargy and it's obvious the lines were written by a poor writer and none of the actors put up enough fight to smarten the lies up. The writer -Stephen Morehouse Avery - has 20+ other titles to his credit, all obscure.

The other actors are also mostly bad - John Abbott as Frederick Fairlie, a whining hypochondriac who no-one would put up with in real life, except maybe his (apparently masochistic) butler servant Louie (Curt Bois). Both act as in the silent films.

Shining Girls: Evergreen (2022) Season 1, Episode 2

Intriguing! Timeline

[9/10 · 7 November 2023]

This episode continues on the new timeline. Kirby discovers its her husband Marcus' birthday, and there's a party which she forgot to shop for. She thinks her diary will clarify matters, but is corresponds to the current timeline. The Medical Examiner missed the Radium Ore from Midway Chemical Company left in the latest victim, confirming Kirby to Dan - a matchbook from the Bee Happy bar was left in her, though the address is now (always was?) a laundrette.

Kirby visits her mom, singing in a church and apparently evangelical.

Strange that we see and know the killer. So far it hasn't seemed 'magical', Still waiting for the time travel (if that's what it is) to be shown.

The Winter House (2021)

Only OK

[7/10 · 26 October 2023]

DirecTV had granted me a free rental so I had to see this after noticing it was rated 9.2 (at the time, with only about 25 ratings). The story is simple with no real twists - a writer rents a home in rural New Hampshire (or was it New York?). She's grieving but for what isn't stated till later. An intruder enters the home early one morning. She lets him stay and over the winter a relationship develops.

The dialog is mostly interesting, but will strike you as a play put on film - most of it occurs in the living room of the rental. There are a couple points I couldn't swallow even after explanations are given. First, she doesn't bring a gun to her first confrontation with the intruder, followed by her repeatedly letting him return and stay, while he's constantly drunk and hitting on her. The explanation was she was suicidal and maybe hoping he'd kill her, sparing her the task. I might have been better sold if alerted to this at the first meeting.

Second, I didn't buy the eventual romance between the two. There's such an age difference, and even if she's emotionally needy...no. Perhaps if the ages were closer, I'd be able to suspend my disbelief.

So, it was entertaining, but not an 8 or 9 rating (which would make it about the highest rated movie ever!)

Cold Case Files (2017– )

Episode 2.7 is super-special

[8/10 · 11 October 2023]

For the most part, these episodes are what you expect - a crime is committed, the police at the time can't pin it on anyone (mistakes were made, or there simply wasn't enough evidence, etc). Some are more entertaining than others - sometimes you can tell Bill Kurtis and company avoided talking to the obvious suspect till time is running out, just so they'd have 60 minutes of air time.

However, I found the circumstance in the episode (Love and Hate) to be extraordinary. The original investigator - who was black - is shunted aside by a white supervisor. 30 or so years later they find the necessary evidence to make an arrest. The current detective calls the original investigator out of retirement to make the arrest. The end is almost anti-climatic - 2 arrests, 2 convictions, 1 died in jail, the other will.

The Irrational: Dead Woman Walking (2023) Season 1, Episode 2

Like the premise but getting too 'pat' already?

[7/10 · 4 October 2023]

Liked the 'DOA' treatment - the movies (2 that I know of) treatment of someone fatally poisoned who knows it and tries to find their killer. Not everyone has seen these and there have been a few high-profile similar assassinations in my lifetime so this was an interesting premise for an episode. However, Mercer - played by Jesse L Martin, figures out the motivation and killer in seemingly record time. This is a tried and used-to-be true formula - solve the problem in your allotted time slot. To avoid this boring your audience, would the writers consider having a multi-hour episode? Also - keep fleshing out the other characters?

Defending Jacob: Poker Faces (2020) Season 1, Episode 3

Interesting but driven by self-inflicted wounds

[7/10 · 1 October 2023]

I like the drama and it's well-acted. However, each point of interest is because the characters (at least the father) don't act like intelligent people. No, all fathers definitely wouldn't take the knife, throw it away, not report it. I can understand the teenager not coming clean, but not drilling the kid on what else he hadn't told him (especially after catching him withholding 'evidence'). It's hard to ignore these glaring "errors", as there'd be no story without them.

Chris Evans plays the dad who's blind to his child's behavior. Perhaps an object lesson in how NOT to parent/act as an officer of the court? The actor playing Jacob is great - reliably creepy (ish).

Dark Winds: Hooghandi (2022) Season 1, Episode 4

Love the story, but worst gunfight in modern films

[7/10 · 21 September 2023]

My wife and I loved to listen to Tony Hillerman stories while traveling. We only recently discovered Dark Winds and are loving the story: an educated Native American who is now a police chief in his home Reservation, occasional glimpses of animism, etc. The acting is very good and the story quite interesting. How many films let you into the lives of people in Reservations?

One minor complaint: the gunfight was incredibly unbelievable: The bad guy with a high-power, auto rifle who can't hit the broad side of a barn (but can put some unnecessary rounds through the cabin where his confederate is)? Joe, who should be hiding behind the engine, but instead hides behind the thin walls of his car while rounds come punching through? The bad guy inside, who can't find the time to kill Joe? Chee, who misses the bad guy inside the cabin from a few yards away? Joe, who, hearing the bad guy crash through the back of the cabin, crashes through the front, instead of going around to the back? Deducting 2 stars for these faults.

Marriage: Episode #1.2 (2022) Season 1, Episode 2

Worst theme song EVER, and drama turning non-interesting

[6/10 · 10 September 2023]

I'm of the age where I appreciate dramas about life stages/events. However, this second episode is bordering on boring. I've been married far longer than our show couple so am familiar with the - seeming - banality of long-time married days/relationships. However, I wouldn't write a story about it - it doesn't even interest me! Worries about the kid(s), work, potential romantic competition, aging in general aren't going to get many people to watch the last 2 episodes. But, the jury is still out, so we'll see.

Besides the general theme, it's irritating to hear so many times people replying to a question "yeah, no..." or the opposite. Love Nicola and Sean, but what interested in you in this script????

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (2023– )

High hopes, unrealized

[5/10 · 18 August 2023]

My wife and I set our DVR to record the series, looking forward to in-depth, (relatively) even-handed reporting. We greatly enjoyed the first episode, following immigrants in Central America make their way to America. Putting ourselves in the minds of the immigrants, this was a horrifying look into human trafficking with only some human decency showing through. Note - I'm all for tightening our borders and especially reforming our immigration laws and practices. I didn't fee the episode was too liberal, but it's hard to watch such suffering and ambition without feeling empathy.

We also liked the Weed 7 episode. However, in-between there was nothing of interest to us. It seemed the news items of interest were that weeks special - the NY serial killer, etc. However, it didn't;t seem to us that there was anything more than what you could get just by watching the nightly news. Very disappointed.

Reality (I) (2023)

Watching paint dry is more exciting

[4/10 · 20 June 2023]

I'll get to the reason for the title in a minute. I'd like to start by addressing the elephants in the room that seemed to be grossly overlooked in this film. The first would be the effects of the leak, and second, her motivation.

Like most leakers/whistleblowers, I actually support this leak. There seemed to be a disturbing number of things the government was doing in this timeframe (eg. The NSA collecting emails/calls from Americans) that IMHO needed to be exposed. So, good for her. I think the film played to this. I'm unaware that the sources and methods revealed in this case are important, and I'd reverse my opinion if any US interests were harmed.

Her motivation was never overtly touched on other than an agent telling us she hated America. I don't know if this is/was actually true, but there is enough evidence that the film glosses over. This is important and I think shows bias. Daniel Ellsberg was willing to leak and take responsibility. He loved the country and hated its faults. Snowden, leaked and ran to our adversary. Seems more like a spy, even if his leak should have occurred (other than anything that helped Russia of course).

Lastly, this is perhaps one of the most boring 'exposes' I've ever seen. I fail to see any redeeming values in the 'acting'. How long are we expected to pay attention to talk about the cat and dog?? The FBI agents are shown to be Keystone cops, while Reality at best is - in Lenins term - a useful idiot.

A Huey P. Newton Story (2001 TV Movie)

Trying to put lipstick on a pig?

[4/10 · 11 June 2023]

I want to separate the performance of Mr Smith from the message Spike Lee seems to be trying to leave us with. The performance was incredible. Mr Greens mannerisms and speed talking are masterful.

I was mesmerized by the content until I refreshed my memory of Mr Newton. OK - the breakfast programs the Panthers started were great (other than the propaganda one had to endure to use their services). Clearly, police and societies treatment of Blacks have improved only so much over the years. One doesn't need to be more than minimally aware to agree that initially the Panthers had some good ideas. However, Huey wasn't the innocent Smith is spouting. Yes, we see some of the drug-addled moments and incoherent babbling. But when he says he's innocent, this goes way too far.

Smith (Newton) says he was never convicted, but what about the witnesses killed and/or intimidated into not cooperating? I believe he's guilty fat least 3 murder, lot's of assaults, including of women, etc. He conveniently didn't add that Newton pled guilty to stealing Panther funds. Lee's building up a bad man because he did some good does history a disservice.

The Lazarus Project: Episode #1.1 (2022) Season 1, Episode 1

Hope this is a mini-series and not a series.

[8/10 · 10 June 2023]

If, like me, you're a fan of sci-fi, this is not a bad start. Groundhog Day-like, our main character wakes up on 7/1, 2022 and lives a great day, then a great life - he has a loving life, gets a loan which starts his successful business career, becomes a dad (well, she's pregnant anyway). However a covid-like pandemic begins. Even worse, it's deadly and there's no vaccine.

Just when things are becoming Armegeddon-like, he wakes up on 7/1, 2022 again and doesn't handle it well. Eventually his partner leaves him because he's lost everything while trying to convince everyone of the upcoming pandemic.

Wakes up again! He's let into this secret group which can roll back time in order to prevent major catastrophes... A great premise. I just hope it's limited to these 8 episodes or that next year it's a different catastrophe they're working on. I tire of the 30 or 60-minute solutions which eventually become.trite.

Burden of Proof (2023)

There's a reason for the 'reasonable doubt' part of our justice system

[6/10 · 9 June 2023]

Not sure why I stuck with this all the way through. The first episode shows the guy has no proof, no real case - AT ALL! You have to wonder if he's just convinced the film crew to tilt toward his personal windmill? Is he throwing away his income? Are the investigators stringing him along? Obviously he had a troubled relationship with his parents but to sue them just because they weren't "normal" (somewhat of an understatement)? I'm surprised he got as much cooperation as he did - he comes across as somewhat of a crank. Turns out his long-held (30+ years?) beliefs about his parents reactions were wrong (they did contact the police consistently, according to the newly-found police report); They didn't have the police report after all. Probably more exculpatory evidence I've forgotten. But - shouldn't rate an entire series unless you're seen it all, right? So I write this after just finishing the 4th episode.

This could have been done in a 2-hour movie, so much is rehashed in each segment: His fathers volatility, His mothers passivity; The parents collective behavior, etc. Each segment adds a bit more detail to each character and the various theories. You'll notice they paid scant attention to the obvious 'other' main suspects - the guy with a record Jennifer babysat for or the boyfriend. Seems like your stereotypical small-town incompetent police investigation - Was it true the police never visited this guy nor investigated more than a phone call?? Did they ever even interview the brother? He says he was in college, but was that proven? No mention of contacting the original officers was mentioned - were none yet alive or willing to reminisce?

It was only into the last segment where actual new info was followed up on. But - consulting a (supposed) handwriting expert? I don't believe this is even close to a science.

In the end it appears he unjustly held his parents responsible for 30-some years. It's yet another reason I wouldn't be so eager to convict if I was ever put on a jury. There's a reason for the 'reasonable doubt' part of our justice system. Some people just don't act reasonably under stress. Doesn't make them guilty.

The Great American Joke Off (2023)

Find your next comedic great here

[7/10 · 30 May 2023]

Have watched every episode so far. Hadn't heard of it before but I like comedy. I recommend you watch. Some episodes are hit-or-miss, rather that some of every episode is forgettable, but there are those moments you wait for and hilarity reigns!

The format is weird - seems to be impromptu, but I have a hard time believing they can do so well unprepared. Don't avoid this because of comparisons to the British show that apparently) it was copied from. Who cares if it isn't white that one? That's like disparaging a movie that could entertain those who didn't read the books just because you read it and didn't compare it favorably. Those who haven't read the book won't know/care!

My favorites thus far: Rhys James, Glen Moore, Matthew Broussard. Joe List.

Safe: Episode #1.8 (2018) Season 1, Episode 8

One twist too many at end

[7/10 · 29 May 2023]

The series kept us watching all the way through. It wasn't perfect (or as gripping as his novels, but that's got nothing to do with this review), as some sub-plots - for instance, the Asian family - sometimes went way over the top. However, this last episode rescued most of that before adding 4 too many twists (bottom) to a brilliant end.

I loved the flashbacks, which explained all the missing details up to this point. It was shaping up to be a great summary. In fact, SPOILER # 1: finding out that Sophie killed Chris was a gem. Never saw that coming.

Spoiler # 2: So Sophia and Tom's plan was to: 1) Hope the alarm didn't go off before when she left the emergency exit open for him! 2) Leave the door open for Tom without Bobby noticing? 3) Have Tom arrive just in time, and the first 2 items went OK????? 4) Tom assuming she wouldn't kill him after he confronts her?? These lost the series 1 star.

Confidential Agent (1945)

Silent-screen era acting; Bacall wooden

[5/10 · 15 May 2023]

Oh, where to begin? The writers ask the actors to speak in manners that real people just don't. And the actors apparently didn't have the chops or the blessing of the director to not do so! You'll swear Bacall never acted more than high-school plays. A slapstick-worthy villainess, and even Peter Lorre has a head-slapping moment. Just awful stuff.

The one (barely) bright spot is Charles Boyer, but he gets no cooperation from the script. I don't agree with the other reviews about the accents - who cares what someone sounds like, as long as the plot is carried forward?

The political aspect, in which we see the effort taken to convince people to not help fascists, is - though in hindsight valid - is weakened by the mess of this movie.