rylen Reviews

Lucky! (2022)

I'm pretty sure Bernie thinks he invented the wheel too

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

No doubt Bernie Ecclestone was paramount in the F1 product we see now. He was certainly powerful enough so few people dares/dared to speak against him. But all those who had enough power or nothing to lose or gain that actually could speak up against are all dead.

That aside, the 8 episodes are a unique look into the entire history of the F1, greatly told and certainly super produced

Ferrari: Race to Immortality (2017) McLaren (2017) Stewart (2022) Williams (2017)

These four titles should be watched to get a bit more nuance. I recommend in this order...

This series gets more in to the politics of the sport, something most never understood, but only got the jist of.

The FISA, FICA, F1CA, FOCA and the FIA. What and who did the represent? How come could a party be in both groups but argue against on of them. Some of the muddiness gets cleared up a bit here - I look forward to a documentary that goes through that quagmire.

Vigil (2021– )

Season one 7/10 & season two 4/10

[4/10 · 3 January 2024]

The suspense and acting in season one was at a high level but season two was so mediocre I can't believe it was the same actors. What a petty.

Dougray Scott's acting in season two is so poorly, that he looks like a little kid playing soldier. The storyline might be plausible but the setting is not - not at all.

The Middle Eastern theme might have been interesting 15-20 years ago, but today it's a bit tiresome. I think that's a reason why season one worked, because it was 'local' issue.

The interaction between Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie is still sweet and maybe the only credible thing in the series.

If the series will be back for another season, I surely won't be.

Murder Mountain (2018)

Subpar murder doc - Interesting view on how USA ruins itself

[5/10 · 24 November 2023]

First, the murder documentary is somewhat uninteresting, could have been done in 40min.

But the somewhat interesting part is how a pristine area of Northern California gets invaded by good intentioned hippies in the 60's. By a sidegig they start to grow weed. 20 years later the world the hippies tried to escape now is on their doorstep.

The 80's war on drugs find the residents of Humboldt in a lucrative line of work, which attract an unwanted population. The underlying story, though is how the area is riddled with car wrecks, rubbish and crime.

White male Americans once again show how to ruin everything around them.

Signora Volpe (2022– )

Ghastly show

[4/10 · 11 November 2022]

From the music, to the light setting. This show makes you want to punch walls so bad is it. It has a telenovela kinda feel, glazed over with Hallmark kinda acting.

The stories could easily be good as they are similar in build up and telling as the likes of 'Father Ted', 'Poirot' and 'Shakespeare & Hathaway', but the pace is too slow, the sound is weird, Emilia Fox's voice is somehow more in front than all the other actor's. Only true positive is the locations, but this too seems like it made to the show due to tourist agency. The format of 1h30m might be the reason why the show seems to be foot-dragging, an one hour show might had tightened it up.

The Great Plague (2020– )

Interesting, however...

[7/10 · 27 April 2021]

Rather educational and important in correcting the misconception that rats and fleas spread the plague.

Xand Van Tulleken is on track throughout the series, but the historians are set in their old teachings and wobble from fleas to lice and back again.

Interesting is it though that they at the time (1665-1666) had some methods and observation to fight the plague, though not understanding the science behind it yet.

The Vikings Uncovered (2016– )

A waste of time for the viewer

[4/10 · 3 January 2021]

With archeology, I know most times it's a hit and miss. But no need to make a 2 episode series about a dud. They think they find something, they make a lot of noise about it, and then within the last 5 minutes of the show they reveal they have nothing but a million old stone. In the report to the canadian government, they reveal that they found "no evidence whatsoever... waste of my time

Barbarians (2020–2022)

religious blackface

[5/10 · 5 December 2020]

So NetFlix made a stand against blackface, but they have no problem with with germany stealing Norse religion? Germany already did this once before in 1930's and 40's. This time supported by NetFlix.

Germanic paganism has very little to do with Germany, its a wrongful classification made by scholars 2 centuries ago. If there were any kind of unifying religion between the tribes it would had been celtic

Hutlifusk (2020– )

Weirdly plausible..

[7/10 · 17 November 2020]

I love these fake doco's - the first 3 episodes are fun and toe cringing embarrassing (on purpose). Fourth and last episode, the two "journalist" finally find a theory for the reason behind the match fixing - for young adults and adults living in 1992, the theory is weirdly plausible.

I can highly recommend this series.

Here is some guesses for the next seasons

Season Two; How Bjarne Riis won The Tour - so cellular implementations in Denmark and Germany would be more palpable for politicians and the public.

Season Three; How Tom Kristensen won Le Mans - so the two new bridges in Denmark got more traffic

Space Force (2020–2022)

It's okay, but would have been better without Steve Carell.

[5/10 · 1 October 2020]

Well entertained, without many laughs though. Seems like Steve Carell, imitates himself and former roles, instead of acting. John Malkovich is clearly the star, Jimmy O. Yang and Tawny Newsome is the glue of the show. I look forward to season 2, but if it's worse than the first season I'll have very little faith in the future of this show, but then again if it gets tweaked and notched a bit it could become a proper hit.

The Haunting of Hill House: Two Storms (2018) Season 1, Episode 6

Yawn!

[1/10 · 21 July 2020]

100% wannabe artsyfartsy... Director Mike Flanagan tries to make this episode a theater experience, and it works!... Problem though I was aiming to watch a TV episode, not going to the theater..

Writer Mike Flanagan, though, he has written a beautiful and powerful episode

30 for 30: The Price of Gold (2014) Season 2, Episode 16

The funny thing is...

[7/10 · 4 September 2019]

The funny thing is, before i watched this doc, I was 100% sure that Tonya was guilty. Afterwards, well, now i'm not so sure.

Tonya, married to a wifebeater, which he after the divorce was convicted for against other wives. When Tonya was a teenager, she got beat up by her mother. I think she was afraid of her husband., and when she finally confessed to the prosecutor, obviously those sentenced would blame her.

Did the investigation happen fairly? did they have a bias? I think so, and because of that, the narrative was formed as i was and Tonya was convicted in the public.

Imagine the pressure Tonya was under after the attack, the press crews and to train with a crowd, while being scared of her husband, no wonder she crumbled in Lillehammer. Nancy was spared for any attention and could prepare for the Olympics in calm surroundings...she still won the hearts even though she was miffed by only getting silver.

Nancy was the pretty one, well she still is - a lot. But i'm glad i watched this doc with an open heart, because for 25 years i was sure Tonya did it, now I don't think so

Hadn't the attack happened, I think Tonya would have been a great politician, handling the pressure so well while be that young. I still think Nancy would have become the darling, her grace and refined talent made her a more complete skater. But nobody can take Tonya's triumph away from her, the triple axel, she was the first female american to do that.

A Simple Favor (2018)

Loved the first 1h35m, then it lost its charm

[6/10 · 20 January 2019]

From the get-go the style, the wit in the humour and the acting and the french late 60's soundtrack caught me. It starts as a thriller-crime-drama with a hint of comedy relief, and it works splendid as such.

But then at the climax, the movie loses its identity. It seems like Paul Feig lacks the courage to stay on track an go for the fail safe, and it turned into movies such as 'Spy', 'Bridesmaids' and 'The Heat' all good movies, but this movie had another premise.

Anna Kendrick shows she's a master actress, she has all the skills, Blake Lively was good as well, loved how her 'language' as a contrast to her beautiful style/look.

And then by the ending Paul Feig had to throw in some unnecessary twists, this could have been a 8/10 movie, gets a 6/10 verdict.

Smallfoot (2018)

hate the songs.. why all the singing?

[4/10 · 20 January 2019]

If this animation had been without songs it would have received a sure 6/10 maybe even 7/10. It tries to be a 'Frozen'-like movie, for the entire family and youngest, instead it should have focused to be more of a 'Ice Age'-like movie for the older kids and young adults. James Corden was annoying but acceptable. it seemed to be rushed.

Genius Factory (2017)

Unintelligent project

[5/10 · 30 December 2017]

A sperm bank of Nobel prize winners donors, problem #1 is, only one donor actually won a Nobel. So the name of the bank was a lie or at least a falsum. The bank was run by amateurs and the underlying philosophy and goal was to better the human race, but the lack of focus and control, made the project a huge fiasco.

The focus on IQ (though the IQ of the donors wasn't confirmed) actually was a huge problem. Social intelligence was downplayed by the founder, and thereby giving some the children a really bad start in life.

The story in the documentary is somewhat interesting, though nothing surprising, when the ingredients is an rich old man, Americans and lack of the bigger picture.

Craftsmanship of the documentary is okay, though filled with stock photos, which gives it a cheap look. The part where Ed Chen tells about his article from the 80's and the narrator tells the same story in the same wordings is very 2010'ish documentary style and very annoying.

So to sum up, time not wasted, but not moved, inspired, intrigued or shocked at all.

The British (2012–2014)

Entertainment - NOT factual...

[2/10 · 23 January 2013]

As entertainment the series are okay. Well known actors, football players, newsmen and others all able to read the script rather well.

But as a documentary is it appalling.. it's subjective, self-tasting and romantic.

As a historical document it is worthless, and as propagandistic patriotic romance it is too obvious to be powerful.

It neglects facts, it seems the purpose is to show the Brits were first and best with everything.

As an example, whereas facts tell us that Gutenberg was the man behind the spreading of the 'idea of printing' all across Europe, it is said here that William Caxton did so..

He DID bring the first press to England more than 3 decades after Gutenberg's Bible had been printed. To compare printing to be AS important as the internet is alright and true, but then to take credit for spreading the printed word, reminds me of Al Gore claiming he "invented" the internet.

The reenactment scenes and 3D effects in the virtual illustrations are immaculate, and all that brings a positive note to this disaster of a show.

Several times the pundits claim, "Britain was the original nation of entrepreneurs, the original nation of inventors" which obviously are not true and very self-tasting.

verdict: obnoxious

Last Man Standing (2011–2021)

its okay, but..

[4/10 · 6 June 2012]

There are some really good jokes and the girls acts really good. The Wife is rigid sometimes, but gets better as the season gets going, when the whole family starts to gel.

Tim Allen, plays the exact same role as in 'Home Improvement' instead of the tool show rants where he talks 1 on 1 to the camera, here he talks web-commercials into a web-camera. he even sneaks in his old scooby-doo-like trademark sounds from the 'Home Improvement' days.

The Boss where Tims character works, is really bad casted. He would be more believable in a movie about a salsa- or tango dancer than as a boss of an outdoors outlet.

The show has some right-wing moments, the gun-happiness, the teabowing, the moaning about soccer, anti-government jokes and so on... and on and on and on.. all cliché's Seems to me the show was specific focused on a special demographic, white Americans living between the Rockies and the Appalachians But that aside, the show still has its charms. If you got 20 minutes to waste, this show is okay to waste'em on.

Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Fantastic colors, camera movements and storytelling...

[9/10 · 21 September 2007]

First, how the camera flows makes this show special, mainstream series from the US usually is captured very boring, but how the colors of Texas is shown and the motion of the camera, is very European...

Second, every female in this show is a Goddess (regardless age), they are shown very natural, but they're all beautiful and it shows that they know it. As for the males, I don't know, i guess there's something for every taste there too.

Third, Peter Berg, has real grip on the story. The way it's cut up during the season is very original. I'm sure this show will get some verbal beatings in the US, but since American Football is on it's way up in the European countries, this show has in style, story and casting shown a good bit of what goes on in the Friday nights in small town USA.

Fourth, the music in this series is not scared of new music, Gilmore Girls and The OC each had good music from upcoming artists, perhaps this show is the new series to dig out the new mega names of the music scene.

José Gonzáles, Kasabian, LCD Soundsystem and The Killers to mention a few, all been part of the sound-frame...