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Reviews
Dear Hollywood (2023)
Excellent deep dive/expose on child stardom
This should be required listening for anyone interested in celebrities. A nuanced, well-researched, compassionate look at the "toddler-to-trainwreck pipeline," as Alyson calls it, from child stars losing bodily autonomy and why addictions/eating disorders are so common to mental health, predatory enablers in the industry, financial exploitation, plastic surgery, auditions, and much more. Alyson shares staggering personal stories (like complete strangers asking for college tuition and rent) as well as statistics and anecdotes from other child stars. It's kind of horrifying and makes you think about whether Hollywood should have child stars at all. They (Alyson uses they/them pronouns) do an excellent job of not pointing the finger at any one easy target (like parents, managers, etc.) but observing how we all play different roles in exploiting child stars. Very thought-provoking and well done.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Really disappointing
I loved The Matrix. Reloaded was OK--the fight scene with the many Smith clones was cool. This one was just BAD. Terrible dialogue, WAY too much CGI, not enough philosophical brain-meat to chew on, boring minor characters, drawn-out battle scenes... Just so bad. I get the symbolism, but all the symbolism in the world can't save a dull, uninspired cash-grab of a movie.
If you enjoy war, Transformers, and unironically watching Michael Bay movies, this movie might be for you. If you liked the first Matrix for its original ideas, creativity, skillfully done martial arts, and cool hacker-y panache, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Death and Other Details (2024)
A mystery for stupid people
All style, no substance. Clearly designed for viewers to half-watch as we idly scroll through our phones. It's for people who are too stupid to enjoy Sherlock, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, any of the greats. They truly hit you over the head with every single clue: "A man is following us!" 10 minutes later in the same episode, "Remember that man who was following us? (flashback to the man who was following them FROM THE SAME EPISODE)" How dense do they think we are?! I know apps have ruined our short-term memory, but dang, watching this show is just insulting. The writers must think we're idiots. Flashy and sexy but that's literally all this show has going for it. Watch Murder She Wrote instead.