connelly-shawn Reviews

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Reflective and Resonant: A Slow-Burn Appreciation

[8/10 · 27 April 2024]

Please ignore the terrible reviews. This movie is very different than the typical "leave your brain at home" formulaic Hollywood movie. Ironically, many of the negative reviews are written by the people who seem to hate Hollywood and their typical movies. LOL

If you prefer movies that neatly resolve their conflicts, where the protagonist triumphantly saves the day or is saved, this film might not be to your taste. It eschews clear-cut resolutions and instead holds up a mirror to the complexities of the human condition. This isn't a film where the antagonist is distinctly foreign or citizens uniformly rally against a common foe. Nor does it sidestep pressing AND very real societal issues for mere entertainment.

If your preference leans towards traditional, formulaic Hollywood narratives that you love to critique yet consume, then this movie isn't for you.

So, who should watch this movie? It's tailored for viewers who appreciate a film that sparks deep thought and ongoing dialogue. 'Leave the World Behind' explores themes of latent racism, hypocrisy, the potential for societal breakdown, selfishness, the fragility of democracy, and the terrifying ease with which a nation could be destabilized. In reality, and just like it is explained in this movie, these issues are truly grave concerns at the highest echelons of society, inviting viewers to reflect on them long after the credits roll.

Full disclosure: I was initially disappointed by the conclusion of 'Leave the World Behind'. However, my appreciation for it developed into an oddly slow burn. Over the next 24 hours, I found myself continually reflecting on the film, not with negativity, but pondering the realistic possibility of the scenarios presented and questioning whether it accurately captured our true nature. This, to me, is the hallmark of a compelling story...it captures your imagination and keeps you thinking about it long afterward.

While some reviewers focused on specific elements, like the boy's health issues or the references to the TV series Friends, they seem to miss the broader point of the narrative. I was slightly irked by the mention of Havana syndrome, which has been proven to be psychosomatic, yet I came to realize this perspective was intentionally portrayed through the lens of a willfully ignorant survivalist. This realization added another layer to my evolving view of the film's thematic depth.

I highly recommend this story!

Slash/Back (2022)

Could have been much better, but...

[6/10 · 9 January 2023]

I'm awarding this movie with a 6, but only because of the young actors who did a fantastic job with what they were given. I found it odd that their acting skills were good to very good by any standard, yet the adult actors seemed like it was their first time... perhaps they are not real actors?

Also, I love the pro-Inuk themes. Well done! There isn't nearly enough Indigenous-themed movies from Canada showcasing the rich indigenous cultures. I even applauded the jacket with the "controversial" message (kudos) to a small % of people.

But... here it is (sorry). It was a difficult movie to watch and I blame the director and writer(s). The pinnacle of painful, unrealistic acting and dialog came during the scene where the kids are trapped and they call on the police. Everything about this scene was especially hard to watch and unfortunately, at this point I FF through the remainder of the movie.

It could have been so much better. :(

I wish I could have been a consultant for this movie, and could have helped improve the dialog.

I'll Follow You Down (2013)

Time travel sci-fi done right

[8/10 · 10 November 2022]

This story focuses on the potential human consequences if time travel were possible.

I was going to skip this story because of the negative reviews, but I am happy that I choose to watch this brilliantly crafted story.

I appreciated that the characters in this story reacted normally, and their decisions made sense. When characters act in a similar manner as IRL, I feel that the story becomes more immersive. This story certainly achieves the goal of making you care for the characters.

My only complaint about "I'll Follow You Down" is that the pace seems too fast and it ends too quickly.

There is some foreshadowing of how the story will end, but it's still a sudden and shocking ending.

Well worth the 90 minutes.

Trump 2024: The World After Trump (2020)

A "last" pathetic propaganda effort of a failed kakistocracy

[1/10 · 8 December 2020]

What can I say that hasn't already been said. There really should be a law that prevents untruthful films from masquerading as a documentary. This is a propaganda film, pure and simple.

Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of t****'s cult supporters and as evidenced in this propaganda is that they all profess their love for Jesus. Do they even know what Jesus represents? Have they even read what Jesus said in the New Testament? But I've been down this road of query before. It's not a "gotcha" question because they have mastered hypocrisy with mental gymnastics. They actually believe that Jesus is like t****.

The only positive reviews are coming from the t**** cult base; the people who would still support their cult leader even if he shot someone (t****'s actual words, not mine!). It's really sad actually, that t**** and his kakistocracy has done so much irreparable damage to America. I hope his supporters will eventually reconcile with the lies and evil they supported.

I'll give t**** a gold metal for successfully employing the Goebbels playbook of repeating lies so often, they become the new truth (or alternative facts), and modeling Orwell's 1984's Doublespeak and Newspeak. This film attempts to reinforce previously debunked lies, insane conclusions, and illogical sources of truth.

Away (2020)

4 for the theme (potential) and the visualizations (but dropping with each episode)

[4/10 · 10 October 2020]

I was really looking forward to this story, but the more I watch, the greater my disappointment. I expected better from Netflix.

First, a message to the writers: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT!

Now, the good parts (because few others are giving the story credit where due). The Earth-side stories are actually more realistic and relatable. But see, the writers were writing about what they knew and got it pretty close to reality.

Unfortunately, the other half of the story deals with the astronauts, and the writers got nearly everything wrong. This story was clearly written and directed by people that are utterly clueless about physics, science, space travel, and astronautics.

I'll keep this spoiler-free mostly because I don't think it's worth it to rehash what has already been written by other reviewers.

Let's just say that my motivation to write this and stop watching this story was the water collection episode. Sidebar: Water surrounding the ship to protect the astronauts from solar and cosmic radiation is scientifically accurate, however, the writers forgot about the crew quarters. LOL

But back to the water collecting. It was truly insane to watch this; of all the potential ways this could have been engineered, they probably devised the most insanely stupid method. Are you kidding me? It's like the writers are trolling or Rickrolling us! In the same episode, Mars would not look that large at two weeks before Mars gravity capture, and certainly, none of Mars' satellites would be visible. Also, I'll forgive the writers for the errors with various things that didn't behave as though they are in zero gravity, but pro-tip most of the errors could have been avoided if only the astronauts actually behaved as convincing astronauts and avoid all the ridiculous drama that would NEVER happen in reality.

I think I speak for many sci-fi aficionados when I say that I really dislike being thought of as a fool.

Finally, religious references were getting really annoying, but I could have tolerated the religious if only they got the science and astronaut behavior correct.

The bottom line, if you know the basics of science and professional human behavior, you will never be able to become immersed in this story because of how ridiculous it is written. Shame!

Space Force (2020–2022)

It's just too over the top for me to enjoy

[5/10 · 2 July 2020]

I dislike 'Space Force' for the same reason I disliked, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". On the other hand, 'The Office' is fantastic because at least there are relatable characters and situations. So, if you like the "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", you may love 'Space Force'.

The problem is that Steve Carell's character is just too stupid to be realistic... but in comparison to a certain current "leader", it is realistic. Satire and reality are just too similar and I find that disturbing. In a different time, I might have found this series funny because it would have no connection to anything or anyone. Perhaps it's more about my extreme intolerance for stupidity?

The other aspect that I have trouble with is the extremely absurd lack of scientific accuracy. I know, it's not trying to take anything seriously, but for me, it's just too much stupidity.

Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party (2016)

I believe in freedom of speech, but that shouldn't equate to freedom to lie!

[1/10 · 3 September 2019]

Convicted felon and trump surrogate, Dinesh D'Souza (later pardoned by trump, of course) has been attacking the Democrats with pathological vitriol, for years. If his attacks were based on facts, backed up by irrefutable evidence, I'd would applaud his efforts to expose the truth... even if he focused only on Democrats, while ignoring the corruption of the Republicans.

But no... that isn't what he is doing. Dinesh fabricates lies and/or replays the lies, and revisionist misinformation of the trump propaganda machine. In many ways he is reprising the role of Joseph Goebbels for the good of the kakistocracy, that is the party of trump. It's okay to name Goebbels, afterall, Dinesh loves to accuse others of being like Goebbels.

Getting back to this documentary. I watched it with an open mind and my gosh, what a load of revisionist nonsense. His central thesis is on the pointless assertion that the Democrats were on the wrong side of the Civil War. His tunnel vision is fixated on the Dems being evil and the Republicans were once the party of equal rights, and completely uninterested in the fact that they aren't anymore. First of all, every rational person understands that the Dems were once on the wrong side of history, BUT that was long ago! Everything flipped in the 50's - 60's. It's nauseating whataboutism that is irrelevant today.

The danger is that Dinesh uses clever literary techniques, a mix of truth with his lies, and fancy mockup sets to push his dishonest narrative. And people believe him and his revisionist lies. :(

I really wonder where the source of his pathological hatred comes from? But I really don't care enough to waste time investigating this damaged person.

Limitless (I) (2011)

Could have been great

[6/10 · 3 November 2017]

I wanted this story to succeed and I gave it seven episodes before I gave up due to the illogical scenarios, annoying lead character, and overall poor writing.

A word of advice to future productions that feature so-call geniuses. If you're going to feature a really smart character, please consider hiring a really smart writer! That is what it takes to convincingly write a script about a super-intelligent person. It's evident that the Limitless series doesn't have such a writer.

Additionally, you should have hired an FBI consultant to help you understand how the FBI actually works. Too many implausible scenarios make for cringe-worthy watching. I'm outta here.

Geo-Disaster (2017 Video)

One of those times when I wish IMDb allowed a ZERO rating.

[1/10 · 27 October 2017]

This movie was so bad, it doesn't even warrant a review. However, I feel compelled to issue a warning. Seriously, it's bad and not bad in a way that may result in a cult classic but rather, bad in a way that you want to sue those responsible for wasting your time and money.

Bad acting, worse scripts, poor camera work, ridiculous special effects, and atrocious science (or anti-science).

Sorry, I have nothing to really say about the scenes except to say that within the first ten minutes, you will understand why I gave this a 1 rating. If your time is precious, stop after ten minutes because it doesn't improve.

There was absolutely no talent involved in the making of this movie. Even the title is stupid.

Salvation (2017–2018)

Watchable if you place your intellect on pause

[6/10 · 24 October 2017]

The story isn't original but the premise is entirely plausible so, it had all the makings of a great series.

What utterly ruined it for me?

a) Impossibly illogical characters. Some of the characters act in a manner that is entirely counter-intuitive. People don't act that way in real-life!

b) The politics are ridiculously clichéd. No matter how 'evil' you think the U.S. might be, they wouldn't plot an event like depicted. Too many 'evil' people would be required, making such a plot impossible...not to say anything about impractical and immoral.

Additionally, no matter how 'evil' you think Russia is, they also wouldn't behave in such an illogical manner.

^ Just two hints of many other ridiculous political nonsense depicted. It's like the writers and all others involved, are clueless about how the government works.

c) The science... there is little worse than sci-fi written and directed by scientifically illiterate people. Like with the politics, is it really so difficult to hire consultants to help improve the realism of the story? Or are they simply catering to an illiterate audience?

Without giving away spoilers, I think I am safe by stating that if an asteroid impact was inevitable, it would be IMPOSSIBLE that the U.S. would be the ONLY country to know. That's not how any of that works!

It think this is vague enough... let's just say that in order to know the orbit of an asteroid, astronomers will also have a good idea about its mass! Orbital math REQUIRES knowledge of mass! Mass is a darn variable in Kepler's equation! LOL

FYI, a compelling story can also be respectful to reality. Stop treating your audiences like idiots.

I've offered in the past, I welcome an opportunity to help out with the science in future programs!

The Day the Earth Moved (1974 TV Movie)

Gets worse with age (but still better than many modern disaster flicks)

[6/10 · 5 June 2013]

If IMDb existed when I was eight years old and the first time I watched this made for TV movie of the week, I would have rated it a 9 or a 10.

This story HAD such a profound affect on me, I remembered it and for the past few years, I searched for it on VHS, Usenet, Bittorrents, etc... without success. A week ago I brought this story up in a conversation and it dawned on me to see if Youtube had a trailer or clip available. What did I find? The *entire* movie! I was thrilled! So, thirty years later, I finally watch it again on Youtube.

Unfortunately, it failed to captivate me in the same way as it did when I was eight years old. I found the dialog was simplistic and the acting was rather wooden. I was disappointed to find a little bit of racism (intentional or not?) in the script.

On a positive note, as a sci-fi'ish disaster story, The Day the Earth Moved, is actually much better than many of the more modern disaster flicks. At least, this story doesn't insult one's intelligence.

Defiance (2013–2015)

Gives the science fiction genre a bad name!

[4/10 · 27 May 2013]

Sorry folks, I hate to disagree with some of the positive and quite frankly questionable recent reviews.

I really tried to like this series and I gave it four episodes to enamour me but no, this series is terrible. In fact, I should have stopped after the first episode. Contrary to what some have stated, this series (to be fair, I am speaking of season 1, episodes 1 - 4) is filled to the brim with the classic/annoying formula with just about every single cliché in the books.

** ?POTENTIAL SPOILERS? ** Maybe not but I don't know how sensitive IMDb is to what constitutes a spoiler. :-)

Questions (or reasons why this series ruined it for me): - Why do some aliens speak with a Russian accent? - Why is it that all the aliens share the same human characteristics. - - Aliens are made to appear inferior to humans even though many of them come from far more advanced civilizations. - In this future setting, old style guns and bullets are still used even though more advanced alien weapons are available. - After four episodes, I found no characters with redeeming enough qualities. - Finally, if you can predict what is going to transpire in the main plot and each episode's sub-plot, it makes for bad TV. This one is quite predictable.

Bottom line, this is a series produced by lazy people with little imagination. There is nothing really new and groundbreaking. It is just poorly rehashed ideas stolen from much better science fiction. It doesn't deserve to continue because much better stories have been cancelled before!

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Sets the bar impossibly high for a TV series!

[10/10 · 8 May 2012]

I just watched the first two episodes of Spartacus and I am unsure if I want to bother watching any more of that series.

In stark (no pun intended) contrast, I was absolutely captivated by Game of Thrones by the first episode of the first season.

I am pretty critical and up to the latest episode, I cannot say anything negative about Game of Thrones. It sets the bar impossibly high for all TV series. Game of Thrones represents the epitome of classiness, quality, character development, and it has successfully included sex and violence in a manner that is necessary for the story line.

Kudos to all those involved! It is everything that Spartacus is not!

District 9 (2009)

IMHO this movie doesn't live up to its hype

[7/10 · 7 September 2009]

I don't understand why so many have rated this film a 10 out of 10. I love good sci-fi, I think Jackson is a genius, but this is certainly not his best work. This film barely deserves a 7.

There are many problems with this film but I don't wish to reveal any spoilers, so I will attempt to limit my words to non-specific elements.

Clearly an allegory for apartheid/racism, this movie is so obvious with both location and the many absurd situations, it was almost shouting to the audience that they were too stupid to 'get it' and needed to be told or shown over and over throughout this film. But then, beyond belief, the very people for whom this allegory represent, are made to look repugnant or savage and unworthy of our sympathy.

In terms of overall character development, it was poorly done. The lead character has no redeeming qualities, there are the stereotypical Rambo types, betrayals, and just a glimmer of real emotion in two of the many aliens.

I also had a big problem with some very unrealistic depictions of these aliens and giving them too many negative human character traits to the point of absurdity.

The acting was superb but unfortunately the story was illogical, incomplete, lazy plot devices, and too many plot holes.

Questions or comments: 1. Why were there alien components scattered throughout the garbage? Why wouldn't the humans have collected their components first?; 2. Clearly, the aliens are more intelligent than humans. Yet they allowed the humans to take their weapons and subjugate them?; 3. The aliens preferred food sources are so ridiculous, it's comical. 4. The aliens reminded me too much of a certain video game character (this was unfortunately and apparently intentional).

I am pretty sure Peter Jackson has also shot and will soon release District 10. I'm waiting Mr. Jackson.

Knowing (2009)

Kudos to Alex Proyas for not following the typical Hollywood formula!

[8/10 · 7 July 2009]

I gave this movie a 9 out of 10 partly because of the non-standard ending. Sure, some of the science was ridiculous and there are a few plot holes, but I forgive them because the story is intense and thought provoking, and the ending!

I will not give away the ending, except to say it doesn't end like most other Hollywood drivel like Independence Day, Armageddon, Deep Impact (okay... I have a soft spot for this one), and sadly Impact 2008 (honestly, this movie could have been so much better).

Please don't misunderstand, movies with heroes is a nice concept; we all want heroes! However, sometimes there are no heroes and there is nothing more you can do than watch the events unfold and hope for the best.

This movie made me think about it for days; it is frightening because some of the events that occur are plausible (granted not exactly as depicted).

Overall, this movie was very well done, excellent acting, thought provoking, and most importantly, memorable! I was grossly underrated and definitely deserves a much higher IMDb rating!

** Potential Spoiler **

Without revealing too much, I have to also state that I enjoyed the alternative take on the biblical account of the rapture; please understand, this is NOT a religious movie as some reviewers claim. Like any mythology (technically what the Bible is), there is an ounce of truth in many mythologies. Stories were written in a manner familiar the people of the time when technology of today and the future was magic to them.

Knowing describes an alternate take on the rapture. Biblical fundamentalists might have a problem with this movie but seriously, with all due respect, Knowing is just a movie!

Impact (2009)

Is the American public really this dumb or do most directors erroneously believe this to be true?

[5/10 · 25 June 2009]

I'm offering this movie a 5 because I feel generous. I mean at least, the kids were looking through the correct side of the telescope and they even depicted a meteor shower relatively accurately. Well, except that the full moon would have made watching a meteor shower much more difficult and that it appeared to be night time, simultaneously, everywhere on Earth. erroneously

Oh my... and did they really need to get a religious debate going in the first few minutes? Really? Was it necessary? Anyhow, this with all the other scientific talk... was mostly nonsense. BTW, Astronomers don't use telescopes to watch meteor showers! Another ridiculous moment is when Natasha Henstridge character kept stating she didn't understand something she clearly should have understood (hint: when an object takes on significantly more mass - Kepler's law clearly states what will happen. It is as if she and the other scientists are unaware of basic physics).

The meteorite hits were rather anticlimactic (read quite unrealistic).

What else did they get right (which helped earn the 5 out of 10)? - Meteorites vs Meteors (right) - Meteorites are not magnetic (mostly true)

Bottom line, this is just a story. Certainly, the events depicted could happen but the reality would be very different. I would have given this story a 7 out of 10 if it had ended at part 1. Part 2, while rather emotional, played out like any other disaster movie with a rather predictable ending.

Polar Storm (2009 TV Movie)

If you consider yourself intelligent (with scientific knowledge) spare yourself - do not watch this movie!

[1/10 · 11 June 2009]

Note to self... Never watch another Paul Ziller project again; EVER! IMDb won't allow reviews of less than 1000 words but seriously this ridiculous farce doesn't deserve more than a few choice adjectives.

Some have commented that this is not bad, so long as you ignore the bad science. And by bad science, that doesn't mean Star Wars type science... because this movie takes itself seriously, it has an obligation to, at least, attempt to get the science correct. However, no such attempts are made anywhere in this video production. Clearly Paul Ziller is clueless about even grade school science and couldn't afford or want a science consultant.

Aside from the bad science, overall the script is amateurish, and the acting was mostly terrible. One notable exception is Jack Coleman, he must have needed the work but overall his acting was pretty good despite everything else.

For those who actually wish to subject themselves to this horrible video, I will point out a few less noticeably errors (without revealing spoilers): 1. The telescope shown early in the video is a cheap Tasco (or similar brand) 4.5" (or 6") with a non-motorized German Eq mount. It is not worth any more than $400.00. In the video, it is valued at 10x that amount.

2. In Alaska, a laptop's LCD screen is shown acting as if it were a CRT monitor. LCD screens do not display a wave effect in the presence of an EMF field.

3. As a large comet fragment enters the atmosphere overhead, it will create massive amounts of heat and an enormous shock wave which will wipe out everything over a large area. No impact required! That covers about 1% of the problems in the first 1/2 hour of the video.

Doomsday (I) (2008)

It would have been better as a comedy - as a drama, it was terrible!

[4/10 · 26 May 2009]

Wow! This was such a bad movie, I immediately had to see what the collective IMDb members had to say.

I'm sorry but with an average rating of 6/10, I am no longer certain I can trust any IMDb rating that is less than an 8/10. I am giving it a 4 ONLY because Rhona Mitra (and a few others) are pretty good actors, the action scenes are intense (albeit ridiculous), and the set designs are pretty good. It gets a ZERO for the absolutely ridiculous story line, the many plot holes, and the over-empathizes on the removal of a particular body part.

Some science (or sort of) to remember: - Fuel (or Petro) will not work after 30 years (much less after 1 year); - It is highly unlikely that:

• a modern society will break down as depicted in this movie, especially not in a short time;

• international aid will not come; - Who is running the power stations? How do they have power?

If you have nothing better to do, and you enjoy mindless action, this is your movie!