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Reviews
Better Call Saul: Point and Shoot (2022)
A true masterpiece of episodic TV storytelling
The show gets impossibly better each episode as it builds to the finale. Breaking Bad was amazing but Better Call Saul is in its own MasterClass of story, scene and character construction. Truly one of the finest programs ever shown.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Just horrible
No resemblance to anything related to the franchise. Please disregard this mess and hopefully they will make another actual Jurassic park movie to finish the series. No excuse for this crap.
Casino Royale (2006)
Bond Goes Dark
If you prefer 007 as a dark brooding super spy, that lacks even the slightest bit of a sense of humor, and one without too much charm or charisma, then this is your Bond. The plot is a slow burn that never fully pays off but the elements that make the franchise familiar are mostly present albeit muted. Good set pieces and stunt sequences accentuated by the great score keep this one watchable. If you are similar to me, a James Bond guy who came in on Sean Connery's last film, then this review is for you.
Flash Gordon (1980)
Near masterpiece of comic book brilliance
Truly original and ahead of its time, this space opera is fun as hell. Long before CGI, the sets and special effects presented here are bonafide fancies of the imagination. Grand in scope with scene chewing by all involved, the film gobbles the viewer up immediately, but you have to let it. Boasting one of the biggest movie budgets up until that point, the filmmakers put everything on screen to delectable effect. I believe this was also the first instance of a musical group, Queen, composing a score for a film as well as performing its original soundtrack music. Nonetheless, it all works to perfection.
Don't Look Up (2021)
I hated every character, but maybe that was the point.
Plays more like a bad comic farce than what it's intentions were, which I assume to be a timely satire of the current state of politics in this country. Everyone was stupid and out for themselves, including the scientists. The outlandish ending only confirms my point. Overall I just didn't give a crap what happened to these idiots. The filmmakers should have studied DR. STRANGELOVE a little more to find out what a true satire looks like. 4 stars mainly for the good CGI effects, which is the only reason I watched to the end.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
Too dark to be satire, too humorless to be black comedy, Squid Games is its own beast.
Certainly an intense experience. I would add Horror to the list of genres this resides in. It probably has more in common with SAW and HOSTEL than HUNGER GAMES, nonetheless it is original in its overall aesthetic. The series could have benefitted by shortening it by a couple of episodes and leaving out certain subplots and storylines of characters that die a few minutes after we learn a great deal of their backstory through long soliloquy's . None of that overwhelms the overall impact however and I highly recommend it.
The Unforgivable (2021)
Forced, Obvious and Predictable but superb performances raise it up
The story is nothing new about a woman trying to correct her past crimes, but Bullock and the always reliable Vince D'onofrio along with a strong supporting cast led by Viola Davis carry subpar material above the standard by the numbers script. Locations are used effectively. Certainly worth watching though.
Music Box: Mr. Saturday Night (2021)
Takes a while to get going
Too much on the pre disco material and could have greatly benefitted with actual interviews but overall a nice trip down memory lane. I really enjoyed the informative Bee Gees segments as they prepared to create one of the greatest soundtracks ever.
Signs (2002)
Riveting and clever scarefest reinvents the modern horror film
I have been a horror film fan for 30 years. While I remember a few films actually scaring me as a kid (Jaws, Psycho), I have failed to encounter many in my adult life. I like to be scared, but Hollywood has seen fit to retread every tired formulaic convention in just about everything it throws at the local multiplex. Even the independent filmmakers, free of the "system", seem to forget what FEAR is. Mostly I sit solemnly staring in disbelief at the screen, waiting and hoping to get those goosebumps. Then, finally, we were given Signs. Most will say, including the director, that this is not a horror film; I genuinely disagree. If this is not a horror flick, then it is time for this film to start a branch of its own and begin a new genre. I admired every little aspect of this picture, from the use of everyday objects: baby monitor, a blank television screen and a half empty glass of water, to convey and act as a vehicle to extract fear from the ordinary. Most of all, Shyamalan is an expert craftsman and knows how to get the most out of space, actors and sound. It is the lingering shot on a basement staircase when you are desperately hoping he moves his camera to show us more, or the screeching sound in the next room whose source he won't reveal . This director knows just how long to hold the shot, to increase the tension and build the suspense, long enough for our mind to begin forming pictures. And those pictures can be the most frightening of all. Stay the course Shyamalan.