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Reviews
Baby Reindeer (2024)
An honest, raw look at the cycle of PTSD
So many different things to say about this that it's hard to even articulate or focus on a review. This is a series that you will sit with for quite a while after finishing it. At least I did. I don't think the negative reviews are really getting the point. Either that or they didn't watch it until the end or don't understand the ending. It doesn't get tied up in a neat little bow and never will as this will be a lifelong struggle for the actor/main character. This is semi-autobiographical so how can there be an issue with the premise or way the show played out? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I rarely rate shows a 9 and this one I did, just for how engrossing it was and what it made me ponder in my own life. Practically every emotion in the realm of humanity is played out here and I was there for it. Give it a chance beyond episode four to fully appreciate what Baby Reindeer is and what went into making this. It's a sharp drama and I highly recommend it (while being aware of the much needed and provided trigger warnings).
You Hurt My Feelings (2023)
I don't know what this is supposed to be.
People rating this over a five must have fallen asleep fifteen minutes in because I think that's the only possible use for this movie... to be used as a sleep aid. The focus is on two couples, the woman in each pair are sisters who have a close relationship. Unfortunately, they are dull, well-off Manhattanites who whine all day about their easy jobs that are apparently good enough to keep them in multi-million dollar NYC residences, and complain incessantly about their basically healthy, fairly uncomplicated relationships. "Oh, no. My husband is wildly in love with me after all these years, but he didn't like my book. Let me be consumed by that for weeks and let's have endless tedious dialogue about us being all bent out of shape about just being polite to one another". I mean it's completely ridiculous. Every single character is practically brain dead. The banter isn't even remotely interesting, thought-provoking or meaningful, let alone humorous. It's like watching people talk about washing their socks and underwear. I had a more entertaining conversation today with the dude who pumped my gas. Dreyfus's character is supposed to be who? She wrote a memoir. Because? I mean who is she? She's a post middle-aged pot smoking, happily married woman with a soul-sucking, ungrateful adult son who somehow manages to be more unlikeable than his boomer parents. All he does is gripe every time he's in a scene and he's had nothing but love and privilege his entire life. It's nausea-inducing. And why do we even meet the husbands' patients? They add nothing to the storyline at all. David Cross and Amber Tamblyn are in like two scenes so why does it imply they star in this? Doesn't matter because they are also irrelevant. Bring in some more random everyday life scenes toward the end that elicit more "I love yous" and mundane dialogue and then it ends. Wow, it's bad. I mean really, when my life is more interesting than a movie, it's bad. I'm not sure this is even a movie. What is this? Please, people. Tell the truth.
Bones and All (2022)
Trying to be something it's not and fails miserably
I was definitely NOT expecting a horror movie and was still so disappointed in this one. I think the whole Tim C blob is being spread a bit too thin and it's taking a lot of talented victims along for the ride. The female lead here is good and that's about the only positive thing I can say. It's a shame they handed her such boring dialogue. The performances overall are good, but the material is weak. The writing is so dull that I was more interested in not burning my dinner than I was in finding out what happens next. I felt nothing. And considering the potential storyline they had to work with, that's quite a feat. Is the point unconditional love? I don't see any love at all between the primary characters. They both seem incapable of it (and the significance of that is not lost on me). Is there a message or metaphor here regarding mental illness? Seems to be a thread in the tale, but it unravels about 45 minutes in and then I don't know what I'm watching. The entire psychiatric hospital scene was just silly. Throw in Sully for more eyerolls. And is there a single movie Tim C is in that doesn't contain a fairly graphic sex scene? Is that written into his contract? Other reviewers are really stretching to make this into some deep meaningful experience that will haunt you for days and trust me, you'll only be haunted by the fact you wasted two hours of your time. I had 24 minutes left on this and just stopped watching it. I can pretty much watch anything just to see the ending and I have zero interest in ever going back to this. Someone please stop over-saturating us with Tim. He's like the Tay Swift of the acting world. Just stop.
Cocaine Bear (2023)
Nothin' to gain except killin' your brain is accurate
This movie starts out really strong, but just stops being worth it after about 30 minutes. I hate to repeat other reviews, but there's really so much they could have done with this concept and it just falls short so it's pretty disappointing (other than the first part of the movie and that incredible bear). Just the fact that it takes place in the mid-80s, there's just so much material they could have thrown in there comedy-wise. I expected the 80s "Dare" PSAs and old news clips to be carried throughout the movie, but no. Same with the soundtrack. Starts out jamming with some really good nostalgic music and then there's nothing. And it's just not campy enough. If you do camp, just do it full force and make the whole movie ridiculous. The sentimentality just comes off cheesy here. Great cast of really competent actors, but the writing just isn't there. The whole storyline with Keri Russell doesn't fit in with the rest of the movie at all. It's like this side story that has nothing to do with the rest of the plot so I don't get it. Bottom line, the star is the bear and the fact it's called "Cocaine Bear" is funny, but that's it. "So don't do it"!
Looking Glass (2018)
What did I just watch?
If it weren't for my love of Nick Cage, I would stop watching every bad "thriller" movie he's been putting himself in lately. I'm not getting it. He's such an iconic actor. He's been around for so long that I actually feel physically uncomfortable in any movie he's done (in his advancing years) where there's any kind of creep vibe coming off of him. And this one is no exception. It's like, Randy, c'mon!!! Gag me with a spoon! This movie has so many plot lines that go absolutely no where. It is like watching five different movies and none make it past the first ten minutes. I don't understand what the main plot is here so I can't even explain it. I did make it to the end, but felt empty inside as the credits rolled. Next time I'm in the mood for some newer Nicholas Cage I'll just buy one of his face pillows off Etsy.
The More You Ignore Me (2018)
This Charming Movie (sorry)
I'm American and a tad bit obsessed with British films lately so this showed up as recommended for me on a streaming service. It was described as set to "the music of The Smiths" and even the title "The More You Ignore Me" would indicate it's rife with either Morrissey or Smiths music. It's not. They actually only use two songs, This Charming Man and What Difference Does It Make, throughout the entire film so if you're looking for an insane soundtrack, you won't find it here. Also, it's definitely not a comedy. This is a drama with some lighthearted and touching moments that add up to a very sweet and special little movie. It starts with some background of a young girl being raised by both parents, but her mom has an undisclosed severe mental illness that prevents her from being able to parent. Her dad shows a great deal of love and sensitivity to both his wife and daughter and fast forward to the eighties and the girl is now a teenager. She is watching Top of the Pops one night and discovers The Smiths and becomes mildly obsessed with Morrissey. That is more of a sub-story, a thread that weaves throughout the film, but is not the main premise of the story at all. Her mom's illness has clearly worsened over the years, but they are managing and she receives ongoing treatment in the form of a "depo" shot and I assume they mean depakote, but in current times, a "depo" shot is progestin so it's a fertility drug. It was a little confusing. I also find it odd their close family friend and GP named Marie is treating Gina, not a psychiatrist. Again, different times so maybe it's actually not that far-fetched. Anyway, this med essentially turns Gina into a zombie, basically sitting in the den all day long and watching TV, barely able to speak. That is until her daughter convinces Marie to cut her dose in half so her mom comes back to life and surprise - she also becomes obsessed with Morrissey. There is an engaging storyline and get to know most of the main characters to the extent that you care what happens to them. Alice, the daughter, is so charming and such a good actress. She is the big draw for the movie and the primary character. Her mom Gina is more of a supporting role. The one thing I really did enjoy about this movie was the nostalgia of the times. It was very accurate in terms of music, clothing, attitudes... and I'm not British, but seeing that black wool coat with the little white specks and the brooch... we had the same thing and now I want that coat back. I wish they could have incorporated more music. The one thing that did throw me was the scene where we get a glimpse of Gina's arm and she has a giant tattoo. They should have covered that up with makeup. No suburban housewife or mom back then would have had a giant tattoo on her arm or anywhere else. It was like being jolted back into reality for a moment. I love seeing how close knit and stable their family was despite the mom's severe illness. However, do I think the acting was overdone to depict this unknown "mental disorder"? Absolutely yes. It became too forced. Like a farce. There are moments when it is very realistic and heartbreaking, and other moments where she reverts to this "child-like" persona that is NOT an indicator of either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder so I'm not entirely sure what that is supposed to be. A mental illness does not equal intellectual disability. It's actually a bit stigmatizing and wish they had gone a different direction with that portrayal of the mom's illness. Bottom line, love, love, the dad and daughter relationship, and the story overall. It was an entertaining movie and worth watching if you're a teen of the 80s, whether you like The Smiths or not.
At the End of Eight (2019)
I would definitely like and subscribe
This movie is so low budget, so poorly acted and so bad... so bad it's almost good. If you are rating based on fun, this gets more than one star! Come on, one star reviews! I read in one review they made this for under $5000 and you can tell. But it was $5000 well spent. The premise of the movie has been done before, but there's an interesting twist to it and it is not in the least bit boring. The "villain" Macbeth is actually very well played by this actor. Actually you can see the potential in most of the actors here. It's not necessarily bad acting, but purposely played off that way. And how can you not love a movie where instead of running out the front door, they actually do run upstairs? It's too corny not find some joy in the ridiculousness of it all. The movie never tries to be something it's not. Although I do get the undertone of current society's reliance on social media possibly leading otherwise innocent people to ensue in mayhem, etc. Not an original idea, but there is a platform here. Even the part with the ripped shirt... it doesn't come off as "oh, give me a break" in a bad way. It's actually endearing. I'm not going to give a summary of this thing. Others have already done it. But honestly, it's a good mindless watch if that's what you're looking for. And the director (who also acts in the movie) is alarmingly attractive. Would love to see more from him.
Fall (2022)
How does this have 0.2 greater stars than Frozen?
I don't have to say the premise is completely ridiculous because if it were not, there would be no movie. Clearly no one in their right mind would climb a rusted out condemned structure 2000 feet up let alone two allegedly experienced climbers who are woefully unprepared to the degree that one is wearing a pair of Converse and carrying a backpack ON ONE SHOULDER to ascent that height. While doing so, rungs of the ladder are literally falling off yet that doesn't seem to deter them because the goal is for it to get on the one girl's Instagram page. It's just absurd. However, there would be no movie if they didn't play it that way. Anyone who says there is an "a-ha" moment in the plot isn't paying attention. There's no shock there. It's obvious. It's basically the movie Frozen (the ski lift one, not the Elsa one) but in the desert on a TV tower instead of on a snowy mountain. The main difference being the kids on the ski lift didn't put themselves in a life threatening situation, it was just bad luck. These two chose their fate. The dialogue is so predictable and boring. There is hardly any character development at all. We really don't care what happens to them. The most engaging on screen players are the vultures. Please pass on this one and watch Frozen instead. It's at least more engaging and entertaining than this one. The acting is also far superior. This movie is just bad. Bad.
The Passenger (2023)
Moistboyz played three times in this? I'm there for it.
Wow. Was not expecting a lot from this movie. I just wanted something brainless to watch/listen to while I was doing some housework and that is definitely not what I got with this film. From the start, you are drawn in to the life of the seemingly pathetic Brad. So pathetic that his first name is actually Randy, last name Bradley, and although he's been working at the same repulsive fast food place for a year, never bothered to tell them to correct his name tag. His seedy manager who wants to help Randy move up the fast food corporate ladder even thinks his name is Brad. He's a sad 21 year old virgin with no direction or aspirations letting his life pass by because of an incident that led him to repeat 2nd grade. His mother still helicopter-parents her adult son to the extent that she controls when he's going to eat and what shirt he wears. Enter the (sort of) antagonist Benson, a standoffish edgy co-worker who has had enough of Randy suffering quietly in humiliation at the hands of two bullies at work so he decides to self-servingly take matters into his own hands. Benson then makes the impulsive decision for his mission in life to help Randy shed his insecurities and "man up" while dragging him along for a violent crime spree in the name of deranged altruism. The rest of the story plays out in a surprisingly soul-wrenching way. It's not a horror movie. It's a psychological thriller with a spirit. Although it's not that deep, it is deep enough that I shed tears as Benson recalls his trip to the zoo as a child. The actors in both lead roles are perfect. Worth watching!!
Infinity Pool (2023)
A lot of cringe without a lot of payoff
The film has an intriguing premise, but definitely failed in the execution of the final product, and takes a lot of graphic sex and stomach turning gore to get there. The main character, James, is a writer married to the wealthy Em. We learn a little about James and even less about Em. There's too much going on from the start to really focus on character development. They meet up with another outwardly bizarre couple at a luxury resort on some fictional, brutally dystopian island, and mayhem ensues. My first thought was why would anyone go to this resort in the first place? Anyway, an accident with a local takes place with one of the group responsible and of course they can't call the police because they will apparently violate you according to Mia Goth. I mean seriously how many movies have that happen in the first thirty minutes? Absolutely hundreds. Snore. Her character was so gross in some scenes, and so was Skarsgards's. I mean to the point of being hard to watch. The scene with the blood on her breast is what really took this to a Von Trier-reminiscent new level of low. It's like shock value just for the shock. No value. I would recommended skipping it.
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
More than meets the eye...
I actually watched this on my own, sans kids, the first time and stayed awake just to see the ending, it's that engaging. I am an indie and foreign film fan so this is not my usual type of movie. Put it this way, my favorite Adam Sandler movie is Punch Drunk Love. Having preteen and teen daughters myself kind of drew me to the material, but I honestly enjoyed it. Sunny, who plays the main character Stacy, is so refreshing in this role. You do not see a lot of actresses her age with such unconventional beauty and charm cast as a lead, and it's about time. I don't care that she's Adam Sandler's daughter. It's his movie, his money and he can cast who he wants. However, I could absolutely see her winning this role on her own without her dad's help. She IS Stacy. She's so honest and real as this very typical, relatable, almost 13-year-old character and truly enjoyable to watch. All of the roles were well-cast despite being "Sandlers". Yes, the material itself is geared toward younger teens and girls. I don't see a thirty-year-old man digging this. Clearly. Don't watch this if you're looking for Billy Madison. That's not what this is serving up. The movie is centered around the coming of age of a young Jewish girl struggling to find her identity, navigate "boys" and find out what true friendships are all about, all while preparing for the most important event in her young religious life. It teaches a lot of lessons for young girls in a pretty predictable fashion, but it works. The love interest, Andy, is actually so incredibly annoying and unlikable, just like a real 13-year-old boy. So kudos to that actor for his performance, too. It's a good family night movie, especially with daughters. I watched it with my daughters (the second time I watched it) and they both loved it. They were actually watching the movie and not their phones! For a kids movie, it's a 7. Movie overall, a 4-5. I would watch it again with my kids for sure.
White Noise (2022)
Pretentious
I can take or leave Adam Driver. Don Cheadle? Usually love his movies. I am a fan of culty and strange, dark, symbolic and hard to follow films. I like most of Noah Baumbach's previous movies. That being said, this is almost unwatchable. Tries to hard to be "weird" and cerebral. It's neither. It is like The Aquatic, but without the charm and wit. But even Bill Murray couldn't save this thing. It's just plain boring. I watched the first hour and could not finish it. I kept waiting for something to reel me in and it's just lacking. Had no interest in continuing and I watched Transylvania 6-5000 just to see how it ends. It's that bad.
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan (2021)
The 24 Interviews of the Most Boring Documentary Ever Made
So incredibly boring that I couldn't even get through the first episode.
Midnight Mass (2021)
So Boring
I could barely make it through three episodes so admittedly I didn't watch the entire series. If you did and give it a high rating, good for you. Maybe I missed out for quitting. But for me, this was just incredibly slow-moving and boring. It's way, way too much dialogue. I get the premise and know there are "vampires". I figured that out when the dead cats that had their blood sucked out of them were on the beach. But goodness. It's almost impossible to get through the endless dialogue. It's like sitting through an insurance seminar. I also love how in Hollywood it's verboten to mock and offend a religion... unless it's Catholicism.
The Starling (2021)
Please lose the cheesy soundtrack
First let me start off by saying I love Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd. However, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd as a couple? I feel it was miscast. I don't feel any connection between them whatsoever. Melissa McCarthy and Bobby Cannavale? There's chemistry there. This couple though is blah. So it's hard to feel the depth of emotions of them losing a child together because I don't feel the love between them at all. I don't buy them as a married couple. As mentioned by others, this movie starts out as a strong drama and somehow morphs into a weird Hallmark-esque dramedy. I wanted to know more about the baby and their lives prior to the loss. They have little flashbacks, but it's not enough. None of the characters are really fully developed other than maybe the bird. Also I don't get why she threw a rock at the bird. I just don't buy her character doing that. It was added for the symbolism but misses the mark. The two other things that just bugged me and yes, I know it's just a movie. Number one. The mental healthcare system is so misrepresented in this movie it's laughable! There is no suicidal person of modest means who gets to stay in some amazing mental health care facility indefinitely. Wouldn't that be great. It's completely unrealistic. The other thing is.. Melissa, I love you. But you're 51 years old. I know older woman have babies. I myself had a baby in my forties. But it's hard to buy she just suffered an infant loss. She was still the best part of the film and for her, I'll give it 5 stars. I'm glad she's back. PS The music is so cringey I could write a whole review on that alone... absolutely awful and actually hurt some of the better scenes. But I digress. Maybe next time.
Confronting a Serial Killer (2021)
Shameless Self-Promoter and Exploiter
Spoiled little rich girl's effort at self-promotion while exploiting the victims and families of this subhuman monster. Basically gives the murderer exactly what he craves. A platform to have all attention and focus on him while she coddles him into sharing "his story". How dare she compare her past experiences with these murdered woman who were born into poverty and didn't even have a chance. She spent more time focused on her and her hipster outfits than all the victims combined. It actually made me physically sick and had to turn it off.
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Nic cleans a good bathroom
What struck me most is what an amazing job Nic Cage did cleaning up the place. He literally got spray paint off the bathroom walls with a bottle of Windex and a rag. Nicholas Cage, please come clean my house.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Mega talents in a mediocre, but entertaining flick
The people in 101 need to close their blinds. Seriously, three great actresses, Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Jennifer Jason Leigh all in one movie. It's a shame the latter two only have very minor roles and are on screen for only about five minutes. Amy Adams would need to purposely mess up a role to not act well in something. She does the best that can be done with the material, but I feel like I should have more empathy for her character and I don't. I didn't read the book. I can only speak for the movie. It seems like a lot more could have been done here to make the plot a little more interesting and suspenseful. It's a little predictable and I don't know how the book ends, but the movie wraps things up a little too neatly. But overall, I found it entertaining and worth watching.
Cake (2014)
One of my favorites
I watched this movie for the first time several years ago and have seen it at least twenty times since. Why have I watched it so many times? When I need to cry. One of a handful of movies that no matter how many times I see it, tears rolling at several scenes. Worth watching just for the screen chemistry between Jennifer Aniston and Adriana Barraza alone. What a great film. Yes, I agree Jennifer was completely and totally ripped off by not getting an Oscar nod for this film. Showcases that she is actually quite a fine dramatic actress. Her performance as a woman suffering with chronic pain, emotional trauma and addiction is completely spot on. A heartbreaking film with a breathtaking ending. Every time.
Next in Fashion (2020)
Needs more interesting personalities!
The thing that's wrong with this show is there are no edgy or antagonist participants (like a Santino-type from Project Runway). Everyone's nice to each other and frankly, boring. No big or eccentric personalities here at all. It's missing any conflict and resolution. It's all smiles. It's also missing a Tim Gunn. Sorry for the Project Runway comparisons, but that was the original and most successful of the fashion reality shows. There has to be a person who goes around and critiques the participants and acts as a mentor. It would be the glue to hold the show together. I don't feel the hosts really play that role well. Tim Gunn has a personality that completely stomps these two. It's just not an interesting show. If there's a season 2, they need to add some tension even if it's scripted.
Catfish (2010)
Not a true documentary?
Never heard of the TV show until this doc showed up on Netflix. These are three highly intelligent young men. If the story is real and not fiction from jump street, they knew they were being duped from the beginning and went along with it for the purposes of making a documentary. It all just seems to fall into place a little too easily. This woman has so many mental health problems. I feel it's a little exploitative because of the children who are involved. The other scenario is that the entire thing is actually a movie and Angela was in on it the whole time. So... I don't really know what to make of this. I almost want to re-watch it to catch the fakery of it all, but it's not that interesting. So if you watch it, keep that in mind.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Great show except for one character...
Enjoyable show with a lot of funny cringe moments from Larry David. Yes, very similar to Seinfeld because he created and wrote Seinfeld so that makes sense, right? I actually just watched the later seasons and I find them more enjoyable than the earlier ones. One is the reasons is Cheryl. Such an annoying character and probably the only unfunny character in the show. She clearly can't stand Larry and there's zero chemistry. When she returns later on, it's like ugh, go away. Richard Lewis is endearing. I love Larry and all his friends, Jeff, Susie, Leon... and all the ancillary characters. If you haven't seen it after all this time, it's worth watching, especially after season 6 when Cheryl is gone.
Seinfeld (1989)
Who leaves a country packed with ponies to come to a non-pony country?
You either love it or you hate it. If you aren't old enough to remember the 90s or weren't born back then, some of the jokes may seem a little dated. I was lucky enough to be a young adult back then. Either way, the show is not just funny, but familiar and comforting for those of us who grew up with it. My husband hates it. I love it. I can watch the same episode 100 times and it just never gets old. The world is a better place because of Seinfeld. It's The Beatles of sitcoms.
Tiger King (2020)
More Like Tiger Jester
I'm on the last episode and am so disinterested at this point, I don't even care to finish watching it. I actually skipped several parts. They could have trimmed a lot of material here. It's just a bunch of redneck yokels hanging around acting like idiots. The tragedy here is obviously Travis. Very sad.
Don't Go in the Woods (2010)
Don't watch this movie.
I don't even know what I just watched. It was an attempt at a horror movie, but also a musical. A very, very bad musical and a terrible horror movie. The story line is... wait, there is no storyline. The characters are s bad (other than the blind guy... he was ok). Please don't waste your time. I'll save you the trouble. They are running around the woods singing and being stalked and murdered, and sometimes they keep singing as they are being murdered. It's like a joke, but it's not funny. It's not even entertaining and campy. Just a terrible movie. Avoid at all costs.