asc85 Reviews

Mr Bates vs. The Post Office (2024)

Lost in Translation

[5/10 · 8 May 2024]

Let me be clear: this is a horrific story. What happened to law abiding subpostmasters that did absolutely nothing to deserve this is simply appalling. My heart goes out to the many subpostmasters who paid money out of their own pockets to correct a shortfall that they did not do. None of that is my criticism of this series. My criticism is the execution of this story, which was extremely dry. But I'm also wondering if part of my low rating on this is a function of cultural differences being an American rather than a Brit. Maybe if I was a Brit, I would have a better appreciation of what I saw (although I'm guessing many of the criticisms in these reviews might be from some Brits as well). But maybe not.

As an American it is interesting to see how a crime like this was handled in Britain versus if this had happened in America. Would it have been better for the subpostmasters? I don't know. But it would have been different.

The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)

Fun and Enjoyable

[7/10 · 29 April 2024]

In early 1985 when this came out, I was 23 years old, so that's just about the sweet spot for my affinity listening to music. This is by no means the greatest documentary of all-time, but it was a fun and enjoyable experience for me, as I'm sure it will be for the majority of people who see this who are around my age.

I put that this review had spoilers, because I found a couple of inconsistencies with what I had previously known about the making of We Are the World from a Rolling Stone article at that time, as well as a much earlier documentary, that I think was on HBO. I had originally read that the artist they were most scared about being the most difficult was Diana Ross (who turned out to be fine), but in this documentary, they say they were most worried about Stevie Wonder (who seemed to be a bit difficult) and Cyndi Lauper. Then in the other documentary, they showed Quincy Jones on camera impersonating Bob Dylan directly to Bob Dylan to show Dylan how he wanted him to sing the song. But in this documentary, they showed Stevie Wonder on camera impersonating Bob Dylan directly to Bob Dylan to show him how to sing his line in the song. So I'm confused as to who first approached Dylan with that idea. But I think these are classic examples of how a story is shaped and remembered depending on who's telling the story. I would imagine there must be some interesting perspectives on this session from lots of the other people there, especially the ones who did not have a solo in it.

I also will never understand how when Prince didn't show up, they gave the line to Huey Lewis! Huey Lewis gets a line, but Smokey Robinson does not?

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)

Way too many episodes as filler for one horrific story

[6/10 · 28 April 2024]

I'm going to echo what a number of other people have written about this miniseries. First of all, the Drake Bell episode/storyline is stunning and powerful, because it is so horrific. Kudos to Drake Bell for having the courage to step forward on something so obviously difficult and painful in his life.

But that's really about the only positive thing I can say about this series. For whatever reason, this series tries to be a hit piece on Dan Schneider. But Schneider isn't accused of molesting anyone at Nickelodeon. Was he a mean boss? It sounds like at times he was. Yes, it's unfortunate that he's a mean boss at times to kids rather than adults, but I'm not sure what the remedy is. I'm not sure if that deserves being called out in a series like this. If some of these kids were traumatized or broken by this, then this is not what they should have done for a career. Some kids were broken and traumatized because their contract wasn't renewed for another season? I mean, am I supposed to think this was horrible, and they should have continued to have their contract renewed regardless of the quality of their work so their feelings wouldn't be hurt? Unless someone has some dirt on Dan Schneider that wasn't shown, I feel this guy was unnecessarily attacked in this series. Drake Bell mentioned that Schneider was one of the few at Nickelodeon who showed him compassion and support. But at least the creators put that part into this documentary. The series showed many unknowns from Nickelodeon who didn't like Schneider, but we didn't hear anything from stars like Ariana Grande or Kenan Thompson, for example. Did they just not have anything negative to say about the guy, so the creators didn't want them in their documentary? Also, as others have noted, these shows were seen by tons of TV viewers. How did all that supposed horrible sexual innuendo get through unnoticed? Millions and millions of kids and adults missed it at that time? Maybe not everything should be seen through a sexual lens all the time. People were horrified by the "taint" double entendre, but I'm pretty up on most sexual slang, and I wouldn't have caught that unless you're specifically pointing that out to me. Nor the guy running around with a large plate of pickles. Nor stuff squirting on kids for a laugh. I could go on and on with this. Other than the Drake Bell incident, there was little else of value in this series.

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Mostly bad

[4/10 · 8 April 2024]

This was a great concept, but the execution of it was awful. There were 8 episodes, and since a number of people on here like to rate the episodes, I will do so as well.

For me, the only good one was Episode 8, the final episode with the ornithologist couple. Conversely, Episode 7 was the worst. It was like there were certain things that they wanted to do in this episode, but they had no idea how to end it. So it just...ends. A complete waste of time. Also pretty bad were Episodes 1 and 2.

The remaining episodes, 3-6, were average at best. I know that a lot of people like Episode 3 with F. Murray Abraham performing autopsies, but I just didn't see why everyone has raved about it. But maybe you will.

All in all, it's best to skip this series. I can't imagine they'll be a second season of this, but...

Ugly Delicious (2018– )

Uneven

[6/10 · 5 April 2024]

I'm sort of late to the party on this series. I am the first new review of this series in about 1.5 years.!

But I had heard good things about this series, and I finally had the time to watch it, so I gave it a try. I think depending on your own food preferences, you will like some episodes, and find others to be dry and boring. I did find some of it educational, particularly the reasons why Indian food is the way it is, and a brief history of why early Chinese immigrants in America opened their restaurants. For me, I really liked the Chinese episode, and I'm going to Toronto later this year, and my wife and I are thinking of trying one of the restaurants they highlight there! I also liked the Steak episode quite a bit. Alternatively, I felt the Home Cooking episode was boring, and his Kids Menu episode, which was basically all about his wife giving birth, was incredibly self-indulgent (the episode itself...not the wife giving birth).

I've read the other comments about this series, and didn't realize that David Chang was so polarizing. I see why some people really dislike him, but I was OK with him. Yes, in Season #1, he's constantly saying how everything can be traced back to people ripping off Asian cuisine, but he finally calmed down about that in the four episodes of Season 2. I didn't think his politics were as overt as some others believe, but I can see why they might think that way.

To sum it all up, I think the show is worth a look, but I'm guessing that based on individual food preferences, you will like certain episodes, and be bored to tears with others.

American Nightmare (2024)

Mean Mr. Mustard

[9/10 · 3 March 2024]

I couldn't believe the name of one of the lead detectives on this was Mustard! Maybe he's such a miserable person because he had to live with that name since he was born!

In any event, this documentary is a damning indictment of law enforcement and the FBI. I was puzzled why this story wasn't publicized more when it happened, but then I realized that the media takes care of their own, and had this gotten the level of publicity that it should have, then it would have made them look very bad. The media originally were dead wrong about this story. And I'm sure the police and FBI encouraged the media not to report on this either, because they also look awful on this case.

Additionally, it is obvious that there are a number of loose ends to this incident that the makers of this documentary could not be explicit and say, because they would be sued. So they go up to the line as far as they can without crossing it. I'm talking about you, FBI Agent David Sesma. And I'm talking about you, Andrew Bidou, the Vallejo Police Chief who allegedly told his spokesman to, "burn that b***h," which he denied.

At the time I've written this review, the vast, vast majority of other reviews have been very positive. There's a reason for that. This documentary is excellent.

Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn (2023)

Very dry

[5/10 · 17 October 2023]

With the exception of Episode 3, this was a very dry series to slog through. Leading into Episode 4, I thought this series had some real potential to be good, because it was suggested that Ghosn is in fact a very bad guy. However, most probably for legal reasons, they couldn't really discuss what evidence they had on Ghosn...the lawyer for Renault actually says something like that! So we really have no idea what they have.

But to me, there are two issues going on here. Maybe Ghosn is in fact a very bad guy. But does that justify what the Japan legal system was doing to him? I think not, and as an American, I was pretty shocked by it, and didn't know this is how Japan does things.

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland (2023)

Was Glad I Saw This, But Very Sad to Watch

[9/10 · 15 October 2023]

I was growing up during the time of The Troubles, but I live in America, and I am not Irish, so while I was aware of all of this going on, the immediacy was never there. Also, being an American, there are not a lot of things out there to watch and learn more about The Troubles. Maybe this documentary just barely scratches the surface for some, but for me, it was a very educational experience.

As others have noted, I was also taken aback (but in a good way) at the rawness, authenticity, honesty and the ability to self-reflect of most of the people in this documentary, both Catholics and Protestants alike who discussed their experiences. To me, this was as balanced and down-the-middle as humanly possible, and I also appreciated that very much.

Never Let Him Go (2023)

Amazing true story, but the film about it could have been better

[6/10 · 27 September 2023]

I would actually like to give a 6.5 for this, but that is not possible. Like the recent Michael J. Fox documentary, I suspect many love the idea of the story so much that they rate it so highly, regardless of how good/bad the documentary itself was telling the story. There is no doubt that this is an amazing true story, and apparently finding the killer of Scott Johnson after all those years is nothing less than spectacular, and of course I feel very happy for his family, particularly his brother. But like most streaming documentaries these days, it was too long. While episodes 3 and 4 were interesting, the first two episodes were rather dry, and could have been combined together. I think this documentary could have easily been cut down to three episodes rather than four. Also, there seemed to be some large gaps that were never explained. Firstly, Scott Johnson's boyfriend at the time of his death apparently refused to be of help at the time of Scott's death, and apparently refused to participate in this series. Why? It was never explained. And it seems once the apparent killer was apprehended, it just flew by, without a lot of explanation as to how things happened, why he reached his guilty plea, etc. Did the ex-wife receive any of the reward money? We were never told about that either, and as stated above, they had plenty of time to talk about stuff like that.

Joke Man (2023)

Shockingly good. Worth watching.

[8/10 · 19 August 2023]

Although I was very interested in watching this, I had very low expectations going into it. I expected it to be cheesy, trashy, and low-grade. Actually, it wasn't any of these things. We are so used to the narrative of what we think Jackie Martling is like based on the Stern Show. It kind of makes sense that it's not necessarily the case. There were lots of interesting things I learned about his career from watching this, and if anyone is expecting to see the "bitter" Jackie, that wasn't even remotely the case. I also liked seeing credible comics like Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame) having respectful and nice things to say about Jackie. While they were able to get ex-Stern show staff like Artie Lange (with a horrible nose), Billy West and Stuttering John to appear in this documentary, it is noticeable and sad that no current Stern Show people are in this. I'm sure Stern forbade it, as I can't imagine Fred Norris or Gary not doing something like this for Martling.

Finally, I've noticed that blindly-loyal Stern fans have already commented on this movie and trashing it. Don't believe it for one minute. If you listened to the show during the Jackie years, this is worth watching, and gives you a different side of Jackie Martling.

How to Create a Sex Scandal (2023)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 7 August 2023]

When I first read about this show, it immediately reminded me of the McMartin Preschool case that rocked California in the 80's. I think that's apt to describe what happened here. I still hesitated to watch this documentary though because it was so lightly reviewed.

But because the few reviews that it received were so positive, I decided to give it a shot.

One of the things I most liked about this series is that it was a lean three episodes. As so many know who watch these true-crime documentaries on Netflix, Hulu, Max, etc., so many of them try to stretch out for as many episodes as possible. Not this one, which I appreciated.

I would have liked to have seen more of the aftermath involving the Cantrells, but I have a feeling there were legal issues and the threat of being sued if the producers said what they really wanted to say and/or showed what they really wanted to show. But other than that, I was glad I saw it.

Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023)

Interesting story, but took too long to tell

[6/10 · 6 August 2023]

The story is a very interesting one. However, like many true-crime documentaries currently out there on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Max, etc., they like to extend their stories out into as many episodes as possible. This was four episodes at approximately one hour each. This could easily have all been told in two episodes...certainly no more than three. I'm all for hearing from the families of the victims, and about the state of homophobia during the 90's, but these aspects went on and on and on.

I also found Bea Hanson and Matt Foreman, the two talking heads who talked the most about the gay community at that time to be hypocrites. They are constantly complaining about how the case wasn't taken seriously by law enforcement because gay men were murdered, and that really "didn't count" to the public at large. But then when we find out the murderer was actually a gay man himself, and his self-loathing at being gay was probably why he did all these murders, Hanson and Foreman immediately are dismissive of this critical fact, and feel it has no relevance. I was also blown away at the hypersensitivity of believing that the term "Last Call Killer" was homophobic. No it wasn't, unless you're going to say that heterosexual men and women don't engage in these kinds of sexual practices, which they do.

Burden of Proof (2023)

Cutting Bait

[5/10 · 26 June 2023]

There are definitely spoilers in my review, so don't read further if that will ruin things for you.

Many of the reviews for "Burden of Proof" were very positive, which is why I ended up watching this in the first place. And indeed, for the first three episodes, I thought this documentary was very good. Unfortunately, everything collapses in the final episode, when you realize that not only didn't the parents do it, they're really not sure who did do it. And to be honest, unless someone makes a deathbed confession, I don't think we are ever going to know what happened. They suggest that it could be the ex-boyfriend, but my guess is that they were afraid to go too deep with that for fear of being sued by the ex-boyfriend.

So the show kind of pivots from a "whodunit" to "trying to make peace with your parents." What else was left for them to do with this? I feel bad for the documentarians, who hung in there for I think it was seven years thinking they had a great story. When this turned out to be another "dry well," I think they decided that they had to put something out, or else all the time and money they had spent on this would have gone to waste. On the very remote chance this ends up getting solved, they can always add another episode or two about it.

And on a side note to this documentary, Donnie Norrell, the private detective that Stephen hired to help him figure out this case was an absolute waste of money. Without getting too deep into this, I had read an article once that people like this end up latching onto the theory that their client wants to believe, whether or not that is really accurate or not. I'm not saying he was intentionally devious, he was just clueless. Isn't his job to figure things out, rather than to go along with his client? At least Lena Sisco (my wife and I called her "Poker Face" from the Peacock series. If you saw the series, you should understand the reference) expressed some early doubt about the mother being involved. Norrell just goes full-force on the parents until...the ex-boyfriend becomes the main suspect, and then he goes all out on the ex-boyfriend. How does anyone hire this guy?

The Game Show Show (2023)

Where do I start?

[5/10 · 25 June 2023]

This could have been something really good, but it wasn't. Firstly, this should have been one two-hour special on ABC, rather than 4 one-hour episodes. After episode #2, this really wasn't about game shows anymore. But to get to four episodes, they had to change/broaden the definition of what a game show is. Have you ever heard Survivor, American Idol, The Bachelor or Love Connection referred to as a "game show"? Neither have I.

Secondly, the show was poorly written, and the talking heads were mostly unknowns who were barely interesting. They seemed to think it was a big deal to show Patrick Gomez from Entertainment Weekly, who was condescending and pretty much unlikeable whenever he opened his mouth.

Thirdly, it became obvious that there was a quid pro quo regarding "famous" personalities agreeing to appear on the show, because they would then include the shows that these people hosted. The most glaring example of this (and there are many) was choosing to show Sherri Shepherd hosting "The Newlywed Game" on the Game Show Network, which nobody watched, and ended in 2013.

Fourthly, it seems that any show being made nowadays has to take potshots at Donald Trump, and because he hosted The Apprentice, that was a way to justify bringing Trump into this series and trashing him. Honestly, this is SO tiresome.

Finally, while the show played it pretty much down-the-middle for most of the series, by the time the second half of the final episode rolled around, they could no longer contain themselves, and became super-woke. I'm sure the producers were extremely proud of themselves, but had they done this in episode #1, I would have turned it off (which is probably why they waited until the end of the final episode). Accordingly they were "penalized" a point by me, which is why my rating is a "5" and not a "6."

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (II) (2023)

Evaluating the movie, and not the person

[6/10 · 20 May 2023]

I think Michael J. Fox is a very courageous person. I think his getting Parkinson's Disease at such a young age is tragic. All that being said, the documentary about all of this is OK, but just not very good. My wife and I were expecting more meat to be on the bone, and it just wasn't there. And I also didn't care for the device of using stand-ins for Michael J. Fox to recreate scenes that they didn't have footage for. I also didn't care for showing scenes from his movie roles that had nothing to do with those movies but instead, were trying to forward the overall narrative of this life that they were trying to create.

I also found it a curious decision that while Michael J. Fox's father was talked about extensively, their are ZERO mentions of his mother. Why? Was this a prerequisite for Michael J. Fox to give his permission and/or cooperation for this movie? It seemed a curious decision.

Longest Third Date (2023)

Sweet Story

[8/10 · 24 April 2023]

I remember originally reading about this story in the New York Post in 2020 during the pandemic, and thought it was pretty cool. Then I recently saw a follow-up in The Post, and was happy to see that they were still together. Then I was surprised to see that the reason for the update was that a documentary about their time in Costa Rica was going to be on Netflix!

This had not been reviewed by many critics, and with so many things to stream, I usually like to see positive reviews before committing to something like this. But it was only 75 minutes long, and I did like the whole idea of it, so my wife and I decided to give it a shot.

First of all, the footage is great, because Matt, the guy in this relationship, is a vlogger, so he recorded much of their Costa Rican trip. Who knew that it would be gold, and a documentary would come out of it?

It's just a very sweet story. I'm not sure who made the editorial choices for this documentary, but this very easily could have become quite salacious, but that's not the direction it took. Because he is doing all the filming, Matt exerted a bit of control in how he would look in this documentary, because he is choosing what he wants to film and not to film. Khani didn't have that choice. Still, they showed her in a very positive light. Good for the filmmakers. I'm sure there is a good deal of footage that would be embarrassing to release out to the world. None of that is shown.

I'm not saying it would be Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee stuff, but I'm sure there is footage of them being drunk and/or naked that is no one else's business. Who's on their best behavior 24/7 anyway?

When I am writing this review, they are still together. They need to do what is best for themselves, but it's hard not to root for them and their relationship lasting.

My Best Friend's Wedding (2016)

Remake of the 1997 American movie

[5/10 · 23 April 2023]

For some reason, I was led to believe that this remake of the American movie of the same name would be practically identical to what had been made in 1997. Sort of like what Gus Van Sant did in 1998 when he remade Hitchcock's Psycho. I'm pleased to say that was not the case. It adheres to the basic structure of the American movie, but it is definitely not identical.

Ever since seeing her in The Transporter in 2002, I've had a crush on Shu Qi, and she is gorgeous in this role as a glamorous fashion editor. I'm guessing she was also the primary reason that they got fashion designer Christian Louboutin to make a cameo appearance as himself. For whatever reason, Louboutin is not listed on IMDb, but take my word for it, he's there. He's even listed in the movie's opening credits.

The exterior shots of London and Milan are also gorgeous in this movie. But as for the rest of this film? It's just not very funny or entertaining, and it's not just a cultural difference. My wife is Chinese, and she didn't find it funny either. But if you're a fan of the original film or Shu Qi, this movie is probably worth a look.

A Spy Among Friends (2022)

Yawn

[4/10 · 19 April 2023]

I'm an American, and maybe you have to be British to enjoy this one. It was just slow and boring, with very little going on stretched over six episodes. In episodes 2-5, I actually took the rare step for me to read online summaries after watching these episodes to see if I had missed important things going on during these episodes. I did not.

There is an enormous amount of smoking and drinking going on throughout the series. I know people smoked and drank back then, but it seemed a bit exaggerated.

The most interesting character by far was Anna Maxwell Martin as Mrs. Thomas. Alas, her character was a fictional one created for this series, and didn't really exist!

Waco: American Apocalypse (2023)

Expectations

[9/10 · 3 April 2023]

Before watching something, I often like to see what "normal" movie/TV watchers on IMDb think, rather than just professional critics. However, for this one, I was glad I relied on TV critics, with the majority saying this was worth watching. I have been amazed to see all the negative reviews being written about this, with the primary criticism of these negative reviews being that the documentary was "too pro-government." I have no idea what these people wanted or expected, although it seems like they wanted an extreme anti-government slant, similar to the people who like to see "documentaries" about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton that are just bash-fests.

After watching this, but before reading the IMDb reviews, I thought this documentary was not even remotely pro-government. I even questioned how balanced it was, as it shows the government in a pretty negative light. So I think this comes down to the expectations of the watchers and their own biases on this topic.

The other criticism I've seen of this documentary is that it is more descriptive rather than providing in-depth analysis. I think the reason for this is that it leaves it to the viewer to decide what to think, rather than being told what to think.

I was someone who was aware of the Waco tragedy, but not overly familiar with it. Maybe that's why I liked it so much, and if anything, thought that it showed the government in an unfavorable light.

Extraordinary (2023– )

Uneven

[7/10 · 24 March 2023]

There are 8 episodes to this series. Episode 1 was fantastic, as was Episode 3, so I thought this could be one of my favorite shows of 2023. Alas, Episodes 2, and 4-7 were just OK. The finale, Episode 8 was good, and gives a preview to how Season 2 will start. I definitely plan on watching it.

Carrie, the best friend who can channel spirits is probably my favorite character so far. Her boyfriend, Kash, has a ridiculous story line, and quite frankly, he annoyed me, and his storyline annoyed me.

The character that I had wished they'd shown more of was Darcy Porter Cassidy, who plays Jen's manager at the party store, who's superpower is that she looks like a tween, even though she is probably in her 50's. She steals every scene she is in.

Untitled Bill Russell/Netflix Documentary (2023)

A Great Player and a Great Man

[7/10 · 28 February 2023]

Bill Russell was definitely a Renaissance Man for his era. Certainly the greatest winner in the history of sports and because of this, arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time. I knew a bit about Russell's career and life, but this definitely helped fill in some of the blanks.

So why did I give this just a "7" rating? Well, this documentary made the decision to have an actor read passages from some of the books and articles he wrote himself over the years. This technique was used many, many times, and after awhile, this made it very dry to watch. The other thing I didn't care for is that they glossed over some of the less flattering aspects of his life/career. Russell was married four times, but we were never told that. The documentary suggested that he was a successful coach with the Seattle Super Sonics. He was middling at best. He bombed as the coach of the Sacramento Kings, and quit without even finishing out the season.

Finally, I noticed that one reviewer thought this documentary was too woke or progressive. As someone who is politically conservative on most issues, I didn't find that to be the case at all, so if you are politically conservative and hesitant to watch this documentary, I'd say you shouldn't be hesitant. During the era that Russell played, he had to deal with lots of overt racism, especially when they played Exhibition Games down south when there was still segregation. To not talk about that in this documentary would have glossed over a critical part of Russell's life, and the things he tried to do to help change this in American society during that period.

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (2023)

Absolutely stunning

[9/10 · 18 February 2023]

I had heard about this story when it occurred at the time, and watched the 3 episode documentary because it was reviewed so positively by most critics. It did remind me a little bit of the NXIVM cult, as someone else mentioned in another review. I guess some people think that what Larry Ray did to these people wouldn't be possible, but sadly, there are many people out there looking for answers who are not very strong-minded, and want others to do all their thinking for them. As you can see in the documentary, not all the Sarah Lawrence friends fell under Larry Ray's evil spell. Sadly, some did. The manipulation and the implanting of false memories was stunning. Watching and listening to Larry Ray was like watching and listening to Pure Evil. One of the good/bad things about society today compared to 40 years ago is that people can easily videotape and audiotape themselves (and seem to enjoy doing that, by the way). Sadly, I'm sure things like this happened 40 years ago, but there is little, if any documentation of what happened. Now, we get to see a lot of it.

Three Minutes: A Lengthening (2021)

Finally!

[7/10 · 26 December 2022]

Although this received excellent critical reviews and was only 69 minutes long, I wasn't sure how much I would like this one for two reasons. The first one was that the three prior reviews before me on IMDb were not very positive. The second reason is that over the years, Holocaust movies no longer break any new ground, and I find them to be mostly derivative. If you see my IMDb review for "Final Account," you will see that most people don't like that I didn't fall all over myself saying how great that documentary is. That's because I've seen that kind of Holocaust film (documentary or dramatic movie) so many times that I don't learn anything new, and it's an absolute bore.

So why did I l like "Three Minutes: A Lengthening" more? I liked it more because it was a fresher take on the genre, and explored the Holocaust off of a recently discovered home movie taken pre-Holocaust in Poland, and the search to learn more about the town of Nasielsk, and if anyone could recognize any of the people in the home movie, and if anyone who was seen in those three minutes was still alive. I found this all to be very interesting. I also found the eyewitness accounts of what happened in Nasielsk a few years later when the Germans came in to round up all the Jews to be especially sad and powerful.

Nanny (2022)

This Film actually won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance?

[5/10 · 17 December 2022]

The primary reason I wanted to see this movie was because it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2022. So how bad could it possibly be, especially since they awarded it to CODA in 2021?

After sitting through this, I am absolutely clueless how this could have possibly won anything, much less such a prestigious prize. All these clues are building and building throughout the movie, and then when the "payoff" happens, you're just scratching your head wondering how they squandered it all.

The only good thing I can say about this movie is that Anna Diop is excellent as the Nanny, and I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes a big star down the road.

Other than that, I can't stress enough not to waste your time with this one. Look at all the other negative reviews this is receiving on IMDb! You'll thank us all if you avoid it.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

Some good stuff, but not very much of it.

[4/10 · 6 November 2022]

I was excited to see Roku had an original movie on its service, and one that many critics rated so highly. Unfortunately, while the film has its moments, it's just not very good or very funny. As others have noted, it's way too long, and really dragged many times. This would have been much better had it been 15-30 minutes shorter. The humor is thin, although the Eat It/Beat it "controversy" was very funny and clever. The other thing that is interesting but obscure is that there are apparently many references to other movies in this one, but they are not necessarily easy to spot. For example, there is a scene that copies Jim Morrison getting arrested in Miami for indecent exposure during a Doors show. While I know about this, I will guess that 95% of the people who watch this will not catch that reference. I am sure there are other references to things that I missed. Why be oh-so-clever?

One of the good things is the many cameos by stars in this movie...I don't know if that's due to Weird Al himself, or Daniel Radcliffe. The best performer by far in this is Evan Rachel Wood, who plays an exaggerated version of Madonna. I know this film will not get any Oscar nominations, but Wood definitely deserves one with this performance.