mikejkocik Reviews

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Torch (2010) Season 11, Episode 21

Stone Sets a New Low

[3/10 · 16 November 2017]

I am long time SVU fan, and generally appreciate the writing and the characters. Mostly I like that not every episode has a neat or happy ending.

In this episode Sharon Stone plays a DA who happens to have been Stabler's training partner. There is a bit of the expected tension between Stone's character and Olivia. And of course, the regular SVU standby of friction between detectives and DA.

It's a decent episode and worth watching for the story.

However, it definitely taught me something new. Just how much of a colossally bad actor Sharon Stone has become. Her flat delivery is exceeded only by her poor timing. Maybe I am selling her short. Perhaps the Botox just numbed her entire face so that she has no emotion whatsoever. Whatever the case, I have seen high school players with wider range and better timing. It is genuinely painful to watch Stone's performance.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2016–2022)

One String Banjo

[1/10 · 31 January 2017]

Current event humor has of course been the staple of late night television since its inception. But the humor is far more entertaining when it spans a range of topics.

This show is essentially the same joke repeated over and over and over: Conservatives are bad. Which is highly disappointing given some of Bee's past work. She has some talent.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against poking some fun. There are some pretty good political jokes to be had these days. But once you have seen the first few minutes of one episode of Full Frontal, you have seen them all.

Torque (2004)

Not the worst movie ever, but in the top 5.

[1/10 · 1 November 2004]

This film has some excellent camera work and a wide range of attractive scenery. In fact, to appreciate it, the viewer would be best served to view the film with no sound. Removing the dialogue and plot would be a dramatic improvement to this work.

The fact that Warner Brothers would even put the logo on it gives one pause.

You can hear the accountants now: "Okay, we take second tier actors, and fill the film with clichés. No wait! I got it! Crouching Tiger on motorcycles. Now, we offset the cost by making the whole thing one big commercial for Pepsi. All we need are 760,402 mindless teenagers, and we turn a profit. WOOHOO!"

Almost forgot - there are 43 seconds of real humor in the film. If you invest the other 84 minutes of your life to find it, don't say I didn't warn you.

Noises Off... (1992)

Classic, hilarious, great fun.

[10/10 · 2 April 2003]

Okay, so you have to force yourself through the first twenty minutes. But trust me, it is well worth it. The movie gets funnier as it goes. Like the play upon which it is based, the humor builds on itself, so if you miss something, rewind it - that makes the rest even better.

This is a truly hilarious movie with a great cast. I include it in my list of all time great comedies next to Some Like It Hot and A Shot in the Dark.