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jim-baldridge
Reviews
Electric Dreams: Human Is (2017)
If you're going to rewrite, at least keep the humor
I'm currently reading (well, listening to) the exhaustive collection of PKD short stories (The Minority Report I through V -- I'm in the middle of IV after II and III).
While I don't mind rewrites (e.g., the terrific actual movie The Minority Report), what I'm finding in this series, and this episode in particular, is that it fails to capture any of the the feel or character of the original stories.
Human Is is really funny. He comes back a dapper gentleman with a Victorian style of speech and impeccable manners, because that's all the Rexorians had to learn from. He has no idea his behavior is odd. He's insufferably polite. Yes, the plot doesn't make sense but that's why it works. It's delightfully silly.
All PKD stories have a biting sense of humor and sarcasm, which is what separates PKD stories in the first place. They entertain throughout.
Another funny story, one of my favorites, is A Present for Pat in which a guy brings back a gift for his wife (Pat) from Ganymede that turns out to be minor deity. The god turns his best friend and coworker into a frog and his wife to stone. The guy's accepting reaction to these events is hilarious. It would make a great episode.
Reading PKD's stories draws you back to the original Twilight Zone, which also had a biting sense of satire in every episode. This series does not. It takes itself entirely too seriously.
Allagash (2020)
Anti-Hollywood gem created by movie nerds
Many reviewers here disparage the lack of "action" in what is, on its surface, a clichéd combination heist and action film. That's the point. That, I think, was done with the diabolical purpose to throw you off and surprise you in every scene. It's anti-Hollywood. There is tension and conflict in every scene, but it's mostly internal. "What do I do next?" It's brilliant. The fact that this was made by movie geeks (John Barr was a gaffer, camera operator, and 2nd unit DP, according to iMDb) clearly shines in every scene. The dialog scenes are shot, I suspect, Ridley Scott-style with multiple (at least four) cameras, as are probably most of the externals. Doing so allows the actors to act as if on stage, which makes actors really happy and brings out their best performances.
I don't know much about John Barr, but I am keen to learn more and will eagerly look forward to future projects.