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ProfessorSmashmouth
Reviews
Wilma (1977)
Denzel Washington's first role. He was fine, the rest bland
I remember seeing this as a kid on a hotel TV with my dad along with my brothers when we were traveling. My dad explained how she was a big deal at the Olympics in 1960. I remember being more fascinated by her than the actual story itself but I thought of it the other day and watched it on Youtube. It did not live up to my memories. The biggest surprise for me was to learn I had seen Denzel Washington's debut and did not realize that he was a star in the making obviously. He is as likeable and charismatic here as he always is. What struck me most was that the 1956 Olmypics which should be a big deal -hey you made the Olympic team!! - is totally overlooked. They go from poor sickly girl who starts to get good and then hey, you went to the Olympics and got a bronze in a line but they show none of that and instead concentrate on the 1960 Olympics because she had a baby between 56 and 60 and won three gold medals at the 60 Olympics so they thought that was more dramatic, yet somehow they make all of that boring. The most interesting part is actually the original footage of the 1960 Olympics spliced into the film. The sound editing was pretty bad too. You also learn the dad backstory at the end and his relationship with her which I think should have been played up at the beginning. Seemed like a student project or maybe a first time director project. C+.
Community: Pillows and Blankets (2012)
Good concept, poor execution
I like the series and loved the paintball episodes. This time, they have a good concept, but it just fall short - just not funny. Troy and Abed for some reason evolved into characters who were goofy best friends and then somehow are not able to navigate a dispute and turn into enemies. Subplots about Jeff and Annie and Britta's bad photography are the only saving grace of this episode. Overall it was something that I wish the writers would have read and then gone back to the drawing board to refine. I thought this episode was just a big swing and a miss. Based on the overall score this episode has been given, it appears my sentiment is in the minority. So be it, it just was not for me.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)
What a disappointment - here is a list of why
The trailer looked good and I wanted to like the movie. I know it was based on a book which I did not read so I don't know if the book was badly written or the movie was but the end result was weak. Lots of spoilers here - so be warned.
I can see soldiers being brought back and honored and at times the troops are honored and other times they are shown being treated horribly.
I have seen people ask soldiers what it was like to kill someone, but never a journalist during a press conference. Nor the other tone deaf questions that any rational person would see would put an active service member in an uncomfortable situation.
The stadium part of the movie was written by someone who has never seen how these things work - which makes me wonder why people like Vin Diesel, Kristin Stewart and Chris Tucker signed on if they read the script.
A PA announcement does not recognize people in the crowd when no one is there. If you have VIPs in the crowd who you invited, you may want to stash them in a suite, club level or have personnel close by to shoo people away. Choking a fan out in the middle of the game would get you expelled if not arrested. No one puts on a half time show with Destiny's child and gives soldiers who are playing a big part in the show instructions on the fly, including what to wear just prior to the show. A fight between crew and your VIPs on the stage just after halftime would be noticed. No crew guy would do this and expect to keep his job, nor could he get all his buddies to ambush the VIPS in the loading dock. VIPs may be taken down to the field for pregame, but they sure as helll are not going to start tossing footballs around. No movie deal gets made in two weeks. No real Texan argues that Texans are not good soldiers by stating the Alamo defenders got their ass kicked by the Mexicans. 5000 vs 182 - they knew they were going to lose and they chose to fight and die to delay the Mexican army. I don't see professional cheerleaders chanting a stupid cheer when the soldiers walk down between them - that is junior high, high school. In college they cheer, in pros, it is more a dance team than traditional cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are contract workers so when the cheerleader says it is her job to visit hospitals and kids, that is an sometime thing and not a profession - all professional NFL cheerleaders do other things for a profession or while a college/grad student and do the cheerleading on the side.
Wanted to see this movie and I guess I am glad so I don't wonder what I missed, but if you miss this, you are not missing much.
The Crown (2016)
Exceptionally well done
Great casting, acting, set design, writing, period costumes. Just an excellent series and although it is a series and they do take some liberties with facts to make it more dramatic, as I have researched things covered in the series, I have found it to be very close to the truth. Fascinating look at the world behind the gates of Buckingham Palace where sometimes I like the characters and other times I identify with their critics. Very well balanced production that shows the virtues and flaws of the royals.
Sh'at Neila (2020)
What a shame they turned a war drama into a soap opera
The best thing about this series is it made me research more about a war that does not get a lot of attention, but one that was critical to Israel's existence and that paved the way for peace with their Arab neighbors. It is not a bad period piece and the sets seems well done. It is just they miscast a couple people who stand out compared to the well cast other actors. Then they have a horrible script that makes tough IDF fighters look like sissies at times. On top of that, they have characters acting like they have never had any military training. "Oh, the Syrians are coming, I know let's all hide in a small confined area." The first thing I think is a couple grenades will do the work, which of course the Syrians do. The actor who played Caspi is unbelievably over the top and I know I would have slapped him silly if I served with him. The father of the paratrooper, who is supposedly a veteran, tells a long story on the radio in the middle of the war, steals a jeep full of supplies, tries to get missions scratched to reach his son, who he has mistreated all his life. The main characters act like self centered millenials instead of 1970's era IDF soldiers. I was half expecting them to take out a camera phone, take a selfie and post a tiktok - "oh look, me in combat. Oh, wait, that did not turn out right, let's do another one". Just a lot of stupid writing and a wasted opportunity given the budget.
The Family (2013)
Protagonists are just not likeable
Robert Deniro is once again playing a mafia guy. In Analyze This, he is an awful guy but still likeable. In this one, not so much. The whole family is not likeable. Their carelessness and selfishness gets a bunch of innocent people killed around them and at the end I am rooting for them to get whacked. Not a good movie, lots of unnecessary violence, not a lot of laughs, just a total waste of otherwise decent actors who took a paycheck and did a poorly written movie. Too bad, I like Deniro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones typically. Not a good movie.
Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012)
Not expecting Oscar material given the title, but really fun movie
I rented this to watch with my son. Direct to video, fun premise, that our nation's best president had to battle zombies. Naturally, you aren't expecting anything profoundly serious. Reading some of these reviews you wonder what are people truly expecting. We found it fun to watch, decent action, funny premise, acting was fine, special effects were fine. Obviously not a big budget movie, but it did not look too low budget. Actually worth a watch if you can watch it with a kid and have fun with it. It was a good time watching it with my 11 year old son and a good memory as we are both history buffs but now sometimes talk about how Lincoln not only saved the union and freed the slaves but also slayed vampires and zombies.
Southside with You (2016)
Loved this movie!!
I don't normally like biopics of living subjects as I think you have to let time pass to truly measure a historical figure, but this is not a movie about Barack and Michelle Obama, the president and first lady, it is about a pair of young unknown young professionals making a go of it in Chicago and trying to squeeze in romance while trying to climb the corporate ladder. Like them or hate them, it was hard to not identify with some of the awkwardness that is typical of first dates and find humor in some of the situations that we have all found ourselves in - except this is the future president. It was great seeing them at the beginning. I am not sure they should have had the scene of them standing close to a flaming trash barrel in the winter in Chicago warming their hands over the copies of the constitution and American flags they kept tossing into the flames as some people might get the wrong idea. I also think maybe they should have not had the future president lighting up the blunts as he walked on water and tossed rotten tomatoes at the Israeli consulate. The part of Obama explaining away the actions of the Islamo fascists in Iran was also enlightening however. Great movie!