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Friends (1994)
One of the greatest American sitcoms of all time
Friends is perhaps the best sitcom with a touch of Soap Opera ever written. The episodes are light, fun, the jokes flow naturally according to the situation, sometimes the laughing track is overdone, but it gives the audience a sense of well-being. Unlike other comedies, such as Seinfeld, the dramas and romances are essential parts of the programme, with the protagonists living out small soap opera arcs (pregnancy, divorce, adoption, etc.).
The idea of the programme being built around six friends, three men and three women, is very well executed, with each protagonist having a place in the series, without a main character. The chemistry of the actors and actresses is another of the show's strengths, everyone is very good in their roles. The fact that none of the six protagonists have left the series, as is common in very popular shows, is another strong point of the series that has maintained its cohesion.
However, the programme has a serious diversity problem, with hardly any black or Asian actors throughout its ten seasons. The last two seasons have fallen off a little, but without being totally bad. If these things don't bother you, Friends is a must-watch sitcom.
The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)
A good report, but not very in-depth
"The Greatest Night in Pop" is like those nostalgic reports on 60 minutes or Good Morning America, but longer, with 1h30, telling how the song "We are the world" was made, based on interviews with the artists, sound technicians and other witnesses to the events.
The documentary has some interesting anecdotes, such as Bob Dylan's participation or Stevie Wonder trying to put verses in Swahili into the song. The archive footage of Michael Jackson and the night in the studio is fascinating.
However, the documentary fails to delve into other issues relating to the song: the artists' fees (I assume they worked for free, or no?), who paid for all the infrastructure, studio hours, technicians, where the royalties went, what impact the event had on the cause (famine in Africa), did any of the artists visit africa? Did they have any connection with the issue before or after that event? Etc.
The Simpsons (1989)
An avant-garde series until the eighth season
The Simpsons was one of the first adult animated series on television after a long time, since The Flintstones (1960) has become childish. They opened the doors to other programs such as Beavis and Butt-Head, South Park, Family Guy or Futurama. The original creative team included several subversive comedians who later branched out into other successful projects.
The first few seasons, affectionately called the "Golden Age of the Simpsons" by fans, became a worldwide phenomenon and are still shown regularly on free-to-air television channels around the world. They have a lot of humor, but also a human touch, where each character has a solid personality, parodying a figure from American society. All the characters were framed in a very well developed and directed script where even if the situations were absurd, such as a trip to space or the fall of a meteor, the characters reacted in a believable way, demonstrating fear, anguish or attachment to their family, beyond the very good jokes.
Unfortunately, starting with the ninth season, the series' quality gradually declined with the departure of many members of its original creative team. Three reasons indicate a drop in quality in the series. FIRST the series faces many problems with the characters. These solid profiles, which captivated thousands of fans and made The Simpsons a cultural icon, proved very malleable once the characters lost their unique personality. For example, the boss (Mr. Burns) who despised his employees and didn't know their names, befriended them and embarked on crazy adventures; the religious and serious neighbor (Ned Flanders) started seeing a lot of women, etc. Some of these episodes are funny, like Mr Burns and Homer in Cuba (S09E20). But the characters' personalities were sacrificed for humor. Now that Burns is everyone's friend, he's no longer a parody of the insensitive boss, for example.
SECOND The show became more childish as the seasons went by. For example, in the MMA episode (S21E03), Lisa and Bart face off at the end like a children's cartoon, a SpongeBob-style plot solution. It was very different from the episode Lisa on Ice (S06E08) in which the characters behave in a more adult way, demonstrating jealousy, vanity and nostalgia throughout 23 minutes. Finally, the THIRD reason was the integrity of the show. Perhaps as a further concession to survive, some episodes became mere commercials for a celebrity, such as the embarrassing episodes of Lady Gaga (S23E22) and Elon Musk (S26E12). It was painful because it showed that producers are willing to sell an entire episode to anyone willing to pay.
However, it must be said that the quality of the animation has evolved, and FOX has invested in making the scenes more fluid and colorful over the years. The visual art of The Simpsons just got even more enjoyable. The original voice actors had their contracts renewed at good prices, showing a certain amount of respect to North American fans. The creative team may be different, but it is still made up of many professional writers who can produce good jokes and plots, even if not consistently. Some episodes like "The Monkey Suit" (S17E21),
"Jazzy and the Pussycats" (S18E02) and "Steal This Episode" (S25E09) are still good.
For its first eight seasons, The Simpsons was an animated sitcom with realistic plots about relationships, morality or poverty that became a cultural icon of the 1990s, as it includes brilliant moments, such as the episodes "Lisa's Substitute" (S02E19), "And Maggie Makes Three" (S06E13) or "Bart Sells His Soul" (S07E04). They had in common good jokes, characters with solid profiles, scripts with powerful values, consistent seasons.
For a brief period it was the best program on TV and a reference animation for many others that came later. After many renewals in its creative team and contracts with Fox, it became the longest-running American TV show of all time, although without the same shine.
Chernobyl (2019)
Reference work on Chernobyl
I watched Chernobyl four years after the series was released to escape the hype. It's a very good show. The environment, direction, actors, dialogues, atmosphere, sets are top quality. The narrative was considered accurate by experts. Political paranoia and authoritarianism are shown in a believable way.
Episode 5 is a little inferior and the series could have been better if the actors spoke Russian, although the choice of English is understandable to reach a larger audience and because it is easier to obtain financing for the show. Still, these are small flaws for a series that should become a classic on the subject.
Just like Der Untergang (2004) and 12 Years a Slave (2013) it should be included in many classes for the next few years.
The Mark of Zorro (1940)
The best Zorro in cinema
After the great success of "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), 20th Century Fox tried to score another adventure success. They chose to adapt the novel "The Curse of Capistrano" (1919), which had already had a successful film version, with the silent movie The Mark of Zorro (1920). The new version, "The Mark of Zorro" (1940), met expectations and was a critical and box office success.
The film's two greatest strengths are still preserved eighty years later. The great pace of the film, with only 94 minutes and few unnecessary scenes for the plot, and the believable script, of the spanish aristocrat leading a revolt against a despot in a small colonial Los Angeles, without many others resources other than a cape and a sword.
Some action sequences haven't aged as well, but the final saber duel remains memorable. The main protagonists (Tyrone Power as Zorro, Basil Rathbone as the antagonist Captain Esteban, Linda Darnell as Lolita, Eugene Pallette as Fray Felipe and J. Edward Bromberg as Don Luis Quintero) are convincing in their roles. The sets and figures are not grandiose, but very well done for the time. Some dialogues are brilliant (No wonder you chose the church!").
"The Mark of Zorro" received a low-budget version for television in 1974, with worse performances and scenes. To be better remembered than a remake made 34 years later is a testament to the quality of this movie.
Disney's Zorro managed to take the Zorro universe one step further with new characters like Sargent Garcia and focus on humor and adventure, less in romance, but this is perhaps the best movie adaptation of the character.
Zorro (1957)
A masterpiece of the adventure and comedy genre
Zorro, premiered on ABC in 1957, and was a huge production. Each episode cost $80,000, at a time when TV show budgets hovered around $15,000. Walt Disney was directly involved in the development of the series, putting his best brains to work on Zorro. Although it only lasted three seasons, Zorro was a huge success, garnering great ratings and generally sizable profits from merchandising.
Walt Disney's great production and good taste explain why this Zorro series has continued to captivate generations for seventy years. In many parts of the world, Zorro was still shown in the early 2000s on free-to-air television. Zorro is a perfect blend of comedy, adventure and suspense for all ages.
Being a weekly show from the 1950s, obviously not everything on the show has aged that well. Some of Zorro's escape scenes are exciting, others a little lazy. Sargento Garcia is usually very funny and steals the show, but sometimes he overdoes the humor and becomes cartoonish. The way Don Diego talks to all the villains, without arousing suspicion, could be better worked on. Perhaps with more eavesdropping and less direct interaction between characters. Sometimes the series sacrifices script development for adventure and comedy.
Despite minor flaws, Disney's Zorro is a timeless classic. The reconstruction of 19th century Los Angeles and Monterey, sets, costumes, is fascinating. The stories remain compelling thanks to the consistent pace and believable script. The 30-minute duration of each episode made it easy to follow. Many of the episodes involve greed, ambitions and political conspiracies, which could occur anywhere. The political plotlines favored Disney's Zorro's sense of adventure, unlike other Zorro series that focused on romance. Zorro doesn't have thousands of gadgets or an abnormal iq, just a cape and a sword, against poorly prepared police in a 19th century colony. The fencing sequences are very well choreographed and the cast is excellent. Especially Guy Williams as Zorro, Gene Sheldon as Bernardo and Henry Calvin as Sargento Garcia. They all somehow made their way into popular culture.
Disney's Zorro remains the best adaptation of the masked hero and best swordsman series of all time. It's an extremely entertaining show, even in its weakest episodes.
An unmissable series for those who enjoy the genre.
El Chapulín Colorado (1973)
One of the most beloved Latin American sitcoms
El Chapulín Colorado, alongside El Chavo del Ocho, by the same creator (Roberto Bolanos), is one of the most beloved sitcoms in Latin America. Both shows ran from 1973 to 1979 and were very popular in the region. They were regularly repeated on free Latin American TV channels from the 1980s until the early 2000s.
El Chapulín Colorado is a parody of american heroes. Each episode, "el chapulin" is called upon to save someone from a villain, such as a pirate or a gangster. The cast is brilliant, his characters generated a number of popular catchphrases during its run. The show is family friendly, with easy jokes, and remains entertaining to this day. In its best moments, Bolanos' work can be compared to that of Mel Brooks in America. El Chapulín Colorado parodied the universe of heroes, like Get Smart, the spy movies or Young Frankenstein, the classics of the horror genre.
Some classic episodes, such as "Al que de Plano le Tomaron el Pelo Fue a Sansón" (1974), "Cuento de brujas" (1976) or "Erase Un Hombre A Una Nariz Pegado" (1978)", could also be a success worldwide, if they hadn't faced the obstacle of being a production from a third world country in the 70's. They are original, light entertainment and still funny.
Despite this, the show also has its flaws. In its seven seasons, El Chapulin faced internal problems, with actors leaving, which took away some of their beloved characters. Roberto Bolanos (the creator of El Chavo and El Chapulin) used to re-record some stories several times. So we have "episode x" version 1973, or 1974, with few changes. Other stories aren't as inspired, usually when episodes overdo the slapstick comedy. The frantic pace of production, El Chapulín ran for 260 episodes in seven years, undermined the show's consistency.
El Chapulín Colorado, alongside El Chavo del Ocho, though inconstant and with some flaws, is one of the most beloved Latin American sitcoms.
Ratatouille (2007)
Pixar's masterpiece
Remy, a simple mouse, dreams of being a cook. One day he meets Linguine, the assistant of a decadent restaurant, who doesn't have the slightest talent for cooking. The two combine to use Remy's cooking skills to regain the restaurant's prestige.
Ratatouille is an animation of Pixar's finest stage. Before the company started making sequels, spin offs and repeating itself (as in the similarities between the spirit world of "inside out" and "soul").
Here the story is extremely original and doesn't underestimate the intelligence of the audience. Despite many funny scenes, Ratatouille reminds us that the mouse is a sewer animal, not a friendly pet. Then we have the central conflict of the protagonist. The animation also pays homage to French culture, with the reconstitution of Paris, the culinary tradition and the friendly chansons. This background wall gives the film a charm.
Technically the film is brilliant. Even though it was made almost twenty years ago, the animation could have been released yesterday. The film's atmosphere changes day, night, bright rooms, dark streets, rain, sun. Without losing quality. The camera movement is frantic and absolutely brilliant, following the little mouse's agile steps in places only a mouse could go.
Ratatouille has several educational messages: appearances don't matter, an artist can come from anywhere, you have to step out of your comfort zone, etc.
One of the best animations ever made. 9/10.
Ghost (1990)
A classic for the family
Banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered. He returns as a ghost and ask for help to Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), a medium who can hear him, to avenge his killer and save his wife, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore).
Ghost was one of the most popular films of the 1990s. Even today, over 30 years after its release, it is frequently rerun on cable channels. Much is due to the excellent pace. That mixes drama, comedy, fantasy and suspense in just 127 minutes. It's an enjoyable experience to watch with the family.
Whoopi Goldberg is fantastic as Oda Mae Brown, a role that won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991. She is the real star of the movie. The soundtrack is excellent. The old hit "Unchained Melody" (1965) fit perfectly into the sculpture sequence, which is the legacy that Ghost left in popular culture.
The biggest flaw of the film is the little development of the couple. Swayze and Moore loved each other and that's all. Their motivation is somewhat superficial and the protagonists have little personality. Ghost would greatly benefit from less one-dimensional protagonists. The action scenes also needed better choreography. Some chases and fights look a bit amateurish by modern standards.
A must see for those who like the genre and a pleasant experience for the general public. 8/10.
Die Hard (1988)
One of the best action thrillers ever made.
Police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his wife (Bonnie Bedelia) for Christmas in New York at the Nakatoma Plaza Hotel. However, during the festivities, a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), invade the building and kidnap all the guests. McClane escapes arrest and desperately tries to warn the police while surviving the terrorists' hunt.
Die Hard (1988) is one of the best action thrillers ever made. Most of the film develops into a captivating game of cat and mouse between the terrorists and McClane. Where both sides make mistakes and are always on the verge of being discovered. Director John McTiernan brilliantly uses BGM to enhance the sense of danger. The pace of the film remains fast, the comedy and drama scenes are contained, making Die Hard not lose its aura of suspense and adrenaline.
The cast is great. It's the role that made Bruce Willis a celebrity in Hollywood. And one of Alan Rickam's most popular roles. The script is believable. Hostages, police and press interfere in the plot. Making the movie progress. Most of the dialogues aren't cartoonish, avoiding the weak point of many 80's action movies. The production is very well done being nominated for four technical Oscars (editing, visual effects, sound and sound effects). Classic. 9/10.
The Fabelmans (2022)
Little conflict for a 2h30 movie
Loosely inspired by the story of director Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans tells the story of Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), who loved cinema as a child and, little by little, becomes a filmmaker while living with a dysfunctional family.
Spielberg is one of the greatest movie director and the critic love when some like him put his heart in an autobiography movie. But The Fabelmans is a bit too much.
The characters seem very cartoonish. The script develops with little focus and no conflict. It's just a weird rich family having fun: going for a walk, having dinner together, etc. Here's a movie that desperately needed more conflict. What a character wants and cannot. Or two want the same thing. The Fabelmans ends up looking like a boring movie, where nothing happens, for most of the time.
When, finally, a conflict arises, Sammy discovers something surprising about his parents, it is soon resolved. And we're back to a long drama about nothing. It's too much to want a 2h30 movie with little disagreement beetwen the characters besides the predictable growth of the portagonist
They could have problem with money? With thieves? Others womens? Drugs? Health?
It seems more like a personal achievement of Steven Spielberg. It's not for anyone. 4/10.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
An Irish dark comedy with many flaws
Martin McDonagh directs this dark comedy set in a peasant village in 1920s Ireland. Colm (Brendan Gleeson) decides to break off friendship with Pádraic (Colin Farrell). Pádraic doesn't accept it and tries to renew their friendship. A series of surrealistic situations and reflections on mortality guide the plot.
The Banshees of Inisherin is an Irish film at its core. From the setting, the accents of the characters, the music, the costumes, everything exudes Irish culture. It's like a Ministry of Culture film to make the country proud. Maybe that's the reason for the good reviews.
But the movie looks silly. The script of the two friends ending their friendship would perhaps be more impactful if played by children. Nothing against actors, but it seems silly two adults behaving that way. If children run the show, they can appear more graceful. 3/10.
Pelé Eterno (2004)
Harmless documentary about the greatest football player of all time
Pelé is considered the greatest fotball player of all time. The only player to win three World Cups and who became a world star in the 60s. Pelé Eterno (2004) shows the player's trajectory from childhood to retirement, with rare archive footage and many testimonials from friends, journalists and former players.
Unfortunately, the film doesn't address Pelé's controversies: Bankruptcy in 1974, the unrecognized daughter or the criticism of the drop in performance after the 1966 World Cup. There are 2 hours of so much praise that it gets to be exhausting. The text could have been better done too.
A good record of videos from the career of the best footballer of all time. Recommended for those who like football and don't want anything deep. 6/10.
The Departed (2006)
It's a very good movie, not great.
Irish mob boss Francis "Frank" Costello (Jack Nicholson) places Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) as an informant within the Police. Simultaneously, the police infiltrate William "Billy" Costigan (Leonardo diCaprio) into Costello's team. When both sides realize the situation, both men try to discover the other's identity before their own cover is blown.
It is a film that would hardly go wrong. Directed by Martin Scorsese, with a formidable cast, based on the award-winning Hong Kong action thriller Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs, 2002). The Departed lived up to expectations with many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and a great critical reception.
Unfortunately, the film has some flaws. The first hour needs better editing. The movie takes a while to win over audiences. The romance with the participation of actress Vera Farmiga could be better developed. And many may find the ending unrealistic.8/10.