wp02366 Reviews

Magic Medicine (2018)

interesting... but a bit misleading?

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

For what I know about the subject, psychedelic 'therapy' is not meant to be revelatory or unearthing, like to 'uncover more details' about ones' childhood, to 'understand' the reasoning of why parents acted a certain way etc., I think the documentary has been a bit misleading in these regards, and I'm surprised the therapists seem to have raised such expectations in the patients.

Psychedelic drugs when used in psychotherapy often allow to find a new perspective on things, take away fear and inhibitions to confront the past or sensitive topics, and that is it what allows for new developments.

Anyway, a very interesting documentary, we need to get back to explore and re-evaluate the potentials of psychedelic therapy, highly valuable research that was stopped when Nixon declared 'war on drugs'.

The Campaign Against the Climate (2020)

The title gives away the actual goal of the documentary

[2/10 · 26 February 2023]

The title of this documentary unwillingly reveals that you better don't expect any unbiased in-depth analysis from watching it. What even is 'The Climate' they're referring to? 'Climate' is just a state of nature. No one can 'campaign against' it, just as no one can campaign against gravity. But if the producers don't even have a useful concept of the terminology their documentary is titled with, what can you expect? Just don't be a 'climate denier' questioning the nature-healing effect of 'carbon taxes'!

'Climate change' exists, just whether (and if so, to what extent) it is influenced by humans, or even actually 'dangerous' (however we may define that: for humans only? How about plants etc.?), is highly debatable. The documentary, while feeling carefully researched regarding a few mouthpieces sponsored by oil corporations, is clearly biased towards the axiom of 'man-caused climate change' and depicts skepticism (or even different climate models) as 'sponsored by oil companies' and 'dangerous for our kids'.

Awareness is spreading that the idea of 'man-made, highly dangerous climate change' has its very own lobby as well, a strong and powerful one to be exact. Interestingly enough, climate catastrophism is promoted by many of the same shady, extremely well-connected and rich individuals and organizations who were also pulling the strings behind pandemic policies and are rumored to aim at pushing a 'Co2-based' social credit system on the world.

Anyone interested in learning about more balanced and optimistic takes on the topic should listen to a few interviews of Alex Epstein, Peter Clack, Patrick Moore, or Saifedan Ammous.

Come and See (I) (2019)

Rare insight in Thai Buddhism 'politics'

[8/10 · 15 March 2022]

The topic covered by this documentary will hardly leave any Thai person untouched. It describes the massive rise in religious influence of abbot 'Dhammajayo' and the followership he got in his temple 'Wat Phra Dhammakaya' in the Pathum Thani province of Thailand over the years, the criminal charges against the abbot and the widely publicized standoff with police units in 2017 since when he 'disappeared'.

The documentary gives a voice to both followers and critics, and does a quite good and balanced job in that, although the producers hardly hide having mixed feelings about the temple and their monk's practices of fundraising, which were given as the reason behind the standoff.

Personally, I felt that much of the things the documentary showed, like the way some of the depicted followers behaved and talked, how the ceremonies are organized and orchestrated, and how the events are filmed by temple staff was going somewhat beyond religious belief, but struck me as set up to induce collectivist states of trance and 'blind' followership just as we see it in sects.

In any way, very worthwhile watching, particularly for those interested in topics like 'politics vs religion' and the various flavors of Buddhism.

Scenes from a Marriage (2021)

Complexity of today's Western relationships

[9/10 · 25 December 2021]

The bizarre time we live in is already illustrated during the first few minutes, when we see crew members walking around like in dystopian science fiction movies with face masks (as if they were about to spray the scenery with toxic substances), and a prototypical sociology student interviewing the couple, starting by asking both for their 'preferred pronouns'.

We experience a couple going through a deep relationship crisis during the 2020's, and it seems that nothing that can be said or expressed remains unsaid (well, we've been told that 'this is the way' after all: we are supposed to express even the slightest emotions and in return, take the ones of others 100% seriously at all times!). It's a way of communicating that is hard to watch, as it illustrates how hurtful and non-constructive it can be. In a way, I felt sorry for both partners during most of the series, having wished they'd have started counseling when the first fissures started showing up. Ideally at a counselor who doesn't ask for pronouns first.

Huge respect to both actors ... great performances, and despite the bizarre start, I liked the short 'behind the scenes' sequences, especially the final one. One of the best psychological 'relationship struggle' dramas I've seen for a long time.

Tamarrud (2016)

School film project?

[1/10 · 23 June 2021]

I am sure all involved parties (actors, camera, sound, producers) have tried really hard, but the movie has more entertainment qualities than getting exciting or convincing at any point. The highlight for me were the flashy red stubbles in the faces of the 'infected' and some of the dialogues (with actors talking to a different direction than the person they were actually talking to, or 'dramatic' scenes with actors having a smile in their eyes while warning others etc.)

Silk Road (2021)

Politically correct and thus boring

[2/10 · 7 March 2021]

Historically inaccurate, politically correct, police = good / cypherpunks & libertarians = bad, intellectual depth = 0.01, character depth = 0.1 Why can't Hollywood make interesting movies anymore that are confrontational, provocative (no, not in terms of brutality or gender norms!) or at least non-judgemental / patronizing?

Banking on Africa: The Bitcoin Revolution (2020)

Nice documentary on how Bitcoin can help the people

[8/10 · 4 July 2020]

You won't learn much about the technology of the Bitcoin protocol in this film (as other reviewers have mentioned, other documentaries like 'Banking on Bitcoin' (2016) are better fit for that, or watch Andreas Antonopoulos' educational Bitcoin videos on Youtube), but it is great to get an insight on how Bitcoin can actually help real people out there to improve their lives - people who often don't have access to banking, or have been gradually dispossessed by the state. With Bitcoin, they are in full control of their money, and can transfer it borderless, uncensorable, and unstoppable. They can receive money from overseas with little or no (Lightning Network) cost.

It also introduces us to a few great individuals who are engaged in educating their fellow countrymen about Bitcoin and it's value propositions to improve their lives and to help them avoid falling for the various scams and failures in the 'crypto' space (like pyramid schemes or so-called 'altcoins'). They are good examples of the Bitcoin community, which is dedicated to hold up Bitcoin's fundamental values like liberty, freedom, property rights and helping everyone who is genuinely willing to learn.

Pretty much the only critique I have is the narrator - hard to understand, sounding annoyed. Maybe an altcoiner (insider joke). ;-)

The Good Fight (2017–2022)

That went downhill fast...

[2/10 · 3 July 2020]

'The Good Wife' at least had some ongoing story line, while 'The Good Fight' didn't even manage to make something out of the 'black lawyer's company' idea or Diane's struggle to recover financially, or to develop anything interesting between the characters (the only one worth mentioning being the complex relationship between 'Lucca' and her bf, but even that was quickly turned into a punch line driven comedy).

What we got in excess though was the stereotypical 'between the lines' indoctrination on how bad and ridiculous Trump is according to the writers, to an almost embarrassing extent like around the 'pee tapes' or displaying a life-sized naked photo of the 1st lady in the episodes of Season 2. It almost reminded me of propaganda, as right-in-the-face it sometimes was.

I don't watch a TV show to get patronized on what a horrible person Trump is. Stop the virtue signalling and political indoctrination, Hollywood, leave us alone and treat us like adults! Give us well thought-through stories, use hints at real-world personalities very carefully, and don't turn adult drama series into afternoon comedy series. Please.

After I read that S3 goes on like that, I will exit after S2. S1 was nice, but sometimes it's better to let go and give it a good and conclusive ending.

13 Reasons Why (2017–2020)

This is how we are supposed to resolve our issues with others?

[2/10 · 3 April 2020]

As this show has many fans, many of them will hate me for this review, but in a way this is just yet another '...someone made me feel hurt - now I have the right to destroy his/her/their lives and am still not ready to take responsibility for my own part in how it came to this!' story like we have to endure so many these days.

Obviously standing up for oneself, to openly confront people with their 'misbehavior' or seeking help and actually going through with it until the matter is completely resolved is too challenging for some members of the fashionista Instagram generation.

In that, the show can actually act as an interesting psychological experiment: while watching, ask yourself: how could she have resolved all these challenges *in time* and in a more constructive manner than she actually did?

Birds of Prey (2020)

Horrible - we left the theatre

[1/10 · 10 February 2020]

Within just 3 minutes I hated this film. The highpitched voice of Margot Robbie (like Mickey Mouse) just constantly annoying, extreme violence without any need (faces of victims were cut off, leg bones broken by jumping on them etc. - all of that also within just the first 5 minutes of the flick), vomiting, snot, peeing ... it was as if the producers tried to 'shock', annoy and put off the viewers with as many cliches and generally annoying/disgusting/dehumanizing scenes possible. I asked my friends how they like the film - general shaking of heads. We decided that our time is too valuable to watch this crap, gave it 10 minutes more but than left.

This is what I call thievery of time and money. Horrible.

Occupation (2018)

Refreshing and borderline ridiculous at the same time

[2/10 · 25 August 2018]

Refreshing to see an Australian Sci-Fi flick! Production quality surprisingly good for the small budget (a fraction of what Hollywood movies of similar standards usually cost!), great casting and camera.

Unfortunately, just as in many Hollywood productions these days, the writers or producers of 'Occupation' tried extremely hard to deliver politically correct messages to the audience: so we are speechlessly witnessing a whining football player in the arms of a strong Asian woman who tells him he 'shouldn't worry'. Later on, the former hamburger cashier lady turns into a military soldier commanding the Australian elite forces around. Over time, while the movie is still somewhat entertaining, the obvious political agenda became so annoying that I turned the sound off, until the final scene, when the same Asian woman had suddenly turned into the chief negotiator of the world, making peace with the aliens.

Yet another movie destroyed by outerworldly political messages that turn entertainment into an unasked-for annoyance.

The Rain (2018–2020)

Decent SciFi Virus Apocalypse story

[7/10 · 28 June 2018]

On top of what's already been written about this show -

it's pretty decent and kept me watching it through all episodes, and that means something for me as a SciFi veteran. ;) I usually don't like "Virus apocalypse" movies, as they are usually pretty similar, but this one came up with a new aspect, the 'infectous rain'.

And here is where the oddities begun for me: people die instantly when getting in contact with the rain, also when licked by an animal, also when skin touches a brook. But leaving a shelter immediately after rain (when there are usually still some raindrops, humid air etc.) or rolling around in the wet grass doesn't seem to cause any problems. They seem to drink distilled water all the time, which denies the body of mineral intake. Of course it is very hard to pull this 'cause of death' through, but shouldn't the authors have thought that through when writing the script, as the 'danger of water/rain exposure' is the main idea of the show?

The other main plot hole are the 'nano capsules' in the last episode - all kids were exposed to those particles, but for some reason, out of a sudden, they CAN leave the compound without dying instantly?! That made no sense at all. Just as odd as the unexplained 'wonder cure' for Rasmus' injury...

Third criticism is the English sync which is monotone and mostly lacks of any emotion, especially with the female main character. Did they just read from the script without any preparation at all?

What I really liked is none of the characters had model looks, so the whole story felt more realistic than typical shows of this kind, not just written to have their 'stars' featured in teenager magazines.

Looking forward to the next season.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)

Good intro into the history and concepts of Bitcoin and blockchains

[8/10 · 15 August 2017]

I found this documentary very well done, particularly in regards of explaining the basic concepts and ideas behind Bitcoin (as both, an open, decentralized ledger rather than a 'currency', and an ambitious social experiment).

To me as someone who is relatively new into crypto, it was also interesting and enlightening to see short interview clips with the pioneers of Bitcoin (and other approaches to decentralized payment systems), witnesses to it's early history, and although the movie doesn't reveal who Satoshi was ;-) , Cannucciary found a pretty nice way in teasing the viewer with clues on who he might have been, or at least what kind of person he might have been and the visions that drove him.

All in all, this documentary should turn out as nicely entertaining and interesting 90 minutes for every Bitcoin / blockchain enthusiast.

Into the Badlands (2015–2019)

Unnecessarily brutal, but otherwise a pleasure to watch

[7/10 · 13 June 2017]

"Into the Badlands" is a very entertaining Martial Arts / Fantasy production that pulled me in right from the beginning. Daniel Wu, Orla Brady and Ally Ioannides are delivering great and memorable performances, Marton Csokas was emanating a similar aura as he did in "Aeon Flux". Good story, great scenery and camera! The only aspect I found even annoying at times is the unnecessary display of strong violence (smashed skulls, breaking bones etc.) - the series would have done perfectly well just giving the idea of brutality, the sprayed blood etc., but not displaying it that openly. I have seen my share of horror movies etc., but this is too much and I wouldn't even let my son watch it because of that - which is pitiful. 1 star less because of that. For adults with a seasoned stomach, highly recommended.

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The morale of the story: men are 'interlopers'.

[3/10 · 7 February 2012]

How this movie could received 4 Oscar nominations is a miracle to me. I've seen much better movies produced in 2011 than this one.

Actually, the movie starts nice and promising, but the twist it gets about halfway through felt very hard to believe, unless the involved characters - except for Paul, who seems the only one in the whole story who seems to act 'naturally' - are seriously disturbed personalities.

We are introduced to a highly dysfunctional family, but at the end the person who actually brought them closer together as a family (though most of this effect comes from building another dysfunctional coalition to unite against the 'interloper', as he is called), is looked down upon, sent away and left alone by the persons who actually pulled them into their lives at first! Basically, he brought each of them in contact with their real feelings and desires, gave each of them exactly what they wanted - and is punished for it at the end.

In a very odd way, this movie depicts a gender dynamic we tend to see often in our times: that men have to pay (emotionally and financially) for whatever goes wrong in a family. Women are allowed to apologize and get consoled when they start crying or complaining, while men's apologies are condemned and they are left alone in their own emotional (and often enough, financial) mess.

If that is what the movie tried to tell us and make us angry about: great job. But something tells me, that wasn't really the intention. ;-) I can't give more than 3 of 10 points for such a disappointment.

Humpday (2009)

Disappointing.

[22 October 2011]

As so many here have said, the film started great and promising but disappointed in the end.

What can we learn from it?

a) that the fear of homosexuality is engraved deeper in even most 'open-minded' men than they would expect b) that 'art' - if we expect the social role of art to be overcoming boundaries and to leave traditional ways of thinking behind - requires serious dedication, it doesn't always come easy.

But in both ways, the movie just illustrated the well-known facts, but didn't give us any new ideas, leave alone new ways of how to deal with them any better than Charlie Average would do. These embarrassing (for the viewer!), guilt-ridden conversations between Ben and his wife, the hysterical and annoying laughter of Andrew (or more of Joshua actually? ;-)) and the kamikaze-like ending of the movie just let me want I had saved my time for better things than to raise hopes I might take anything valuable with me from this movie.

Soi Cowboy (2008)

Interesting, but leaves too many questions unanswered

[4/10 · 25 October 2010]

Soi Cowboy could have been a very good movie if there would have been more effort to explain why all these persons were acting the way they did.

Ironically, after I (as a Westerner) had my problems understanding essential parts of what happened in the movie, not to speak of the various character's motives and drives, I watched it another time, this time with my Thai girlfriend - and she couldn't understand it either! The funny thing was that (probably because of bad recording quality and unclear speaking by the actors) she couldn't even understand most of the dialogs despite having her roots in the same province the 2nd (colored) part took place in, so I had to activate the English subtitles for her...

It was very nice to see 'revealed' that actually there is mutual dependency (or, as negative persons would rather like to call it: 'exploitation') between the main characters, the overweight Swedish 'farang' and the pretty but pregnant (and as such, not able to work in a bar anymore but having to find a 'sponsor' if the father of the child doesn't support her financially) young Thai woman. A relationship that seems very depressing at first, reveals some light moments these two troubled individuals share with each other, actually much because the fat 'boyfriend' doesn't expect anything from her (actually not even sex) but supports her very well, while she is understanding and patient with him. In parts this makes the movie an interesting character study and cross-cultural piece. However, there are unnecessary 'endless loops' like the incredibly long time the old woman walks down the hallway - this time should have been used to explain to us the connection between both stories intertwined in the movie and the nature of the relationships between the characters. It would have helped to get a much better peek and understanding of the 'dark sides' of Asian culture - but without it, it's just a very fractional product that would actually have been better without the last (colored) part and an ending only related to the b/w part of the story.

So HERE we have a movie that would need a remake!