HypnoticPoison7 Reviews

Lola (I) (2024)

A good indie flick

[8/10 · 29 August 2024]

I don't understand the bad reviews here at all. Have people never seen a true indie movie?! This is no different than The Florida Project, Tangerine, etc. I thought the acting was fine by most everyone in it, but especially Lola. She might be the most beautiful face ever to grace the screen, but she also made me think she's just that character in real life. She was positively hypnotizing for such an ugly movie. Some reviewers have said how unlikely and unbelievable the plot is, but it's actually very close to the life I've lived and know many others have lived. It's a story that deserves to be told even if it's mostly just sad. For some people, that's reality, not sunshine and rainbows. I just read other reviews claiming the lead actress is a rich girl and this is just nepotism. I don't know or care about whether that's true and I'm glad I didn't know it before seeing the movie. Film is about ACTING and imagination, people! It's about storytelling. It doesn't have to be their story to be meaningful. Maybe she knew someone like me with this story, maybe she read forums or books, maybe she's just the girl from that 'Common People' song. Either way, she's got talent and being rich doesn't make your talent irrelevant. I'd like to see more from her.

Strange Darling (2023)

Well hello Quentin Tarantino

[6/10 · 28 August 2024]

If you enjoy horror movies, this is worth a watch. I didn't rate it too highly due to how slow it was, how forgettable the dialogue was, and how unlikeable every character was (although that's the point). Still, it's good enough for a first viewing, just not a repeat once you know the story. The lighting was amazing, the use of color and cinematography were great, and the music was fairly fitting. We need more movies like this. I don't want to say much more and ruin it for others. Let's just say it felt like it was basically just a movie made for Quentin Tarantino in post modern fashion. It sort of feels like the director is just waving at Quentin and using a lot of his tricks rather than coming up with his own. I didn't mind it completely since Quentin is my favorite director, but it definitely has his style.

Mayfair Witches (2023– )

Badly written

[4/10 · 27 August 2024]

I grew up reading Anne Rice and watching every movie from her books. I don't know where this show comes from, but it's not recognizable. It's so very cheesy at every turn, the acting and accents ridiculously over the top and what is even going on with the trans psychic we're supposed to believe is a woman but sounds/looks like a drag queen? I love drag queens and there is no shortage of them in New Orleans, so why the facade? I think this show cares more about being progressive and in your face about it than it does the writing or story. The editing is terrible. Just when you think you're getting into a story with some explanation...cut to the next scene in a completely different timeline with unrelated characters and horrible dialogue. I watched this for Alexandra Daddario, but she's not even able to explore her acting chops, it's just a lot more of her cleavage, which is lovely of course but as a woman I'm a little sick of having to see it in every single thing she's in. Beauty fades my dear and soon all you'll have is your talent, if you're ever allowed to show it.

Aliens (1986)

The worst Alien?!

[3/10 · 26 August 2024]

After watching every single alien movie from the first to the 2024 abomination, this one is my least favorite after the first. It's entirely too long with a ridiculous plot full of horrible decisions no military personnel would make. Everyone outside of Sigourney Weaver was so over the top with their so called acting that it was a funny comedy rather than a horror. I love and miss Bill Paxton terribly, but this was a complete waste for him as a character and not remotely believable. Ripley may be the worst consultant in existence with the lack of information she gives these so called Marines. Plot holes aside, the little girl was wooden and not too likeable. It seemed odd Ripley would care more about going back for her than the people she came with, but not much makes sense in this movie. It's just drawn out for the sake of it. I actually felt bad for the queen alien at the end for how Ripley treated her and I wanted the aliens to win. They seemed to have more empathy and intelligence than most of the humans. James Cameron shouldn't have been allowed to make another movie after this, the man can't direct proper dialogue. Titanic was a fluke. How is this movie rated so highly compared to the others or even in general? It's beyond me. I guess you have to see it to finish the series, but I'll never watch it again.

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Just O.K.

[5/10 · 22 August 2024]

It has been a few days since I've seen this in theaters in XD, and already I've forgotten most of it. I love Cailee Spaeny and have seen most of her work, so I mostly saw this for her. She impressed as usual, however I can't say the same for a single other actor in this story line. It wasn't particularly well written, most of the characters are inexplicably inept yet simultaneously crafty at other times, making them all highly dislikeable and definitely immature with little to no backstory. While Andy isn't a bad character, you wonder why they included him at all or made the choices they did with his story arch. It's definitely not a movie for anyone looking for interesting dialogue, but then, the last Alien movies that tried that also failed. Some scenes were decent enough for a horror flick, but this was a disappointment in XD. They didn't have the funds to make the aliens look half as good as previous ones, which was the only other reason to go. Just save yourself the time and watch Alien Resurrection for real fun and character development.

Drops of God (2023)

Feel good show

[9/10 · 29 July 2024]

I stupidly decided to start watching this show while recovering from a very serious hangover, so watching them drink all the wine they had to drink was both sad and disgusting. Don't do what I did! This show should be enjoyed with your best glass of wine, and I feel guilty I didn't get to appreciate it fully. I binged it all in one day though, so I didn't exactly have time to get over the hangover, because the show was so engaging that it was the only thing improving the day!

So why aren't more people watching this show?! I'll admit although I love wine, it's not an interesting subject at all and I never took it seriously or cared for people who did. This show did make me think of wine as a science though and it was a wonderful and educational learning opportunity while managing to not be condescending and pretentious--just fun and mysterious.

My favorite part was all the different languages spoken simultaneously. For some reason this was really pleasant to me even though my French is very poor and my Japanese is even worse. I have misophonia and always watch everything with subtitles to avoid missing anything. If you're already used to that, this show felt so fluid like it would be lovely to just merge languages easily, even with three vastly different ones as these. Unfortunately most Americans don't care for subtitles or any language aside from English, and it's depressing to think of how many people won't watch this because of that. To them I say, my fellow Americans, please make an attempt to watch this and other foreign projects in general. Thank you and good day.

Presumed Innocent (2024)

The acting was off

[6/10 · 26 July 2024]

It's good in the sense that we all love a whodunit and want to know if we're right in the end. Past that, they really could have worked with real detectives and DA's to get their facts right and have a basic understanding of the justice system. The drama within the family felt forced and unbelievable because the wife and kids were so cold and unlikeable. Then again, I'm seeing a lot of reviews praising Jake's acting in this, but is it great acting if you're just playing yourself? This role is basically who Jake is in real life. Full of himself, overly confident, know it all, condescending, weird. I could go on. Tom Cruise for example is a great actor because while he does often play roles fitting of his ego, he's also a complete narcissistic psycho in real life, yet is able to portray just about anyone on the screen and we love him for it. Jake does have some great roles under his belt, but he's never too far away from himself and I wouldn't count this one among them. I'll forget I saw this show after a while and would have no need to rewatch it because it had no heart. The story itself just wasn't believable. It was just enough to make you watch to the end and move on.

The Circle (I) (2017)

Creepy Hollywood Crap

[4/10 · 26 July 2024]

I'm confused by this movie and it's ending. Is that how I'm supposed to feel? I love John Boyega and Bill Paxton, so I thought this movie would be worth watching just for them. I haven't had a social media account since 2014 after deciding privacy was more important than sharing, and haven't looked back. The trailer made this look like it was a movie for people like me, when really the message seemed to be that the problem isn't a lack of privacy, government and corporate oversight, or increasing divisiveness... it's just who's in charge of it all! If only they were more transparent about taking away your rights and privacies, wouldn't that make you feel better?

The movie doesn't deliver on it's message and everything about it felt phony and cheesy, especially the acting of pretty much the entire cast. I won't give the ending away other than to say it's not a happy one...but the director seems to want you to think it is. As per usual, question everything and believe no one but yourself.

Sunny (2024– )

Pretty unique

[8/10 · 25 July 2024]

First of all I would like the creators of this show to acknowledge their love of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, because they named a character Boss Tanaka and he's even the same actor as Boss Tanaka in Kill Bill 1. THEN they name another character Boss Matsumoto. Oh, c'mon! And there are no mentions of this obvious influence in any interviews, but it's so obvious.

That said, I've really been enjoying the show. The writing is fairly clever with enough witty lines to balance out Rashida's dry and unlikeable character. The robot is really impressive to look at but also grows more human all the time. Actually I see a lot of my parrot in the robot, which is sometimes creepy but shows you that everything has emotions. Except robots right now, but we're probably headed there. The story isn't really as gripping as I'd like and it's definitely a slow series, but still very entertaining. I love subtitles so to me the languages blend seamlessly, but I can see how that might bother some whiny Americans. I like that it's set in Japan and seems true to other Japanese made movies and shows with how it's made, the acting, and how over the top the Japanese actors are. It gets better with each episode and I'm glad they made something different that isn't superhero related. It's refreshing that it's at least somewhat original, and definitely weird.

Interstellar (2014)

One of the best movies ever made

[10/10 · 25 July 2024]

I wish I had seen this when it first came out, but I was in the process of boycotting Matt Damon, and I'm glad I did (and still do with the exception of this). I wouldn't have understood the movie back then, but I do now. If you've seen this movie, whether you love it or don't get it, watching it while on mushrooms will change your life. I did a hero's journey of shrooms for the first time as an adult and watched this movie shortly after. I cried and cried with my husband, it was so much more meaningful once you've experienced time and space differently. Then we decided to wait a few years before watching it again and watched while microdosing, and it was still an amazing experience. Oddly I happened to be reading a book by Sean Carroll at the time without realizing his science had influenced the movie. Christopher Nolan put so much work into this, it should be more appreciated. I look forward to watching it in theaters if it has its anniversary showing.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2023)

As a woman, I'm insulted.

[3/10 · 25 July 2024]

You can always, always tell when a woman writes and directs something, because it ends up bad like this. It embarrasses me as a woman that we can't do better. It starts out with some potential, exploring what life as a ranger might be like and the reasons one might want the job. Then fairly quickly, it all goes down hill. An hour in my husband asked if a woman directed this, and I didn't have to look it up before knowing the answer. As an audience, we are sick and tired of metaphors and dream sequences. This movie has so many gross and unnecessary scenes that aren't remotely related to the plot because some chick thought it would be cool to write a movie about her nightmares and make it, well......one long nightmare. Do better, ladies.

The Strangers (2008)

Best home invasion movie ever

[10/10 · 24 July 2024]

This is one of the best horror movies ever made, and certainly the best home invasion movie ever made. There is a reason they keep making sequels of it and now a new garbage remake which doesn't have half the heart, good dialogue or creepiness of this one. I don't even like Liv Tyler and didn't care for Scott Speedman before this movie, but enjoy them both in it. It's so much more believable and less cliche than others in the same genre. This was made back when Hollywood writers were still good and could still write dialogue that didn't make everyone sound like a tiktok moron. People seem to be mistakenly reviewing this one thinking it's the remake and sadly they should only be watching this one. Yes it's sad and doesn't have a happy ending, but that's what makes it realistic and actually scary. This is up there with 'Funny Games'.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Best use of AI ever

[8/10 · 20 June 2024]

This is by far the best movie of the entire Mad Max franchise. It makes the one with Tom Hardy look like a joke and it makes Charlize Theron look like an amateur actress compared to pretty much everyone in this. I didn't care for the previous movies in the series although I always loved the aesthetics and idea, just not the execution or the writing. It was always so over the top. This movie felt more like its own movie, separate from the others while mildly tying it in so it cashes in on the name...only I don't think it had to! I don't know if the writers and director were going for Oscars with this and hoping to get a 'Gladiator' type of nod here, but if that movie can win, this one certainly can. Even Anya was overshadowed by most of the other actors in this, but especially the young version of her that looked so much like her it was distracting enough for me to interrupt the movie and ask everyone around me if this was CGI or AI or what because it was freaking me out how much the kid looked exactly like Anya. When I found out who the actual actress was and realized I knew her, I was a little sad they didn't use her face and let her do all the acting because she's quite good, but it's just too tempting if you can make AI look this good. Whoever did the work on that needs a raise and then needs to be banned from Hollywood immediately, because it's too creepy and distracting. It seems unfair not to let actors do their best impersonations without help. I hope this isn't the future. That said, AI was also used on Chris Hemsworth quite a bit and was much more obvious with him in the younger version of himself, which looked neat but was also distracting. However, much like Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator, Chris deserves a nod for this role. It's his best work to date, I felt he was doing his best Val Kilmer impression from The Saint and thought he'd be great in a remake of that. He hardly felt like a villain! It's often hard to tell who the villains really are at times, and that's a good thing. It has a nuance that makes superhero movies weep of jealousy. If modern action movies could learn from this, I'd start going back to the theater.

Sputnik (2020)

Thanks Russia!

[10/10 · 13 June 2024]

This is by far one of the best horror/sci fi movies ever made, let alone a Russian one. I went into this with zero expectations and was just glad to see something Russian played by actual Russian actors back when it first came out. It definitely does not reflect well for the Soviet Union, so anyone who ignorantly hates Russia will be pleased by this, no doubt. The acting in this by the two main characters was just as good as anything coming out of Hollywood. Russian movies are not known for their acting, script writing or CGI quality. However they really hit the sweet spot with this one and it's a movie we'll definitely be rewatching.

Scavengers Reign (2023)

Quality animation

[10/10 · 12 June 2024]

This show has some of the best animation I've ever seen, especially when it comes to the planet. The characters aren't particularly well drawn and the script seems to go nowhere at times, but it's like a pleasant drive you don't mind taking. It's very creative, imaginative, curious and ambitious for a cartoon, but especially sci fi, which is one of my favorite genres. This movie successfully combines the movie Annihilation with the interactive art exhibit Meow Wolf perfectly, and I'm here for it. Even the little details involving other worldly creatures and how they might look in another universe is spot on. The creators were obviously influenced by mushrooms, especially cordyceps, which is very cool as well. In fact it might be just as fun to rewatch the series while taking mushrooms if you know what I mean.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Worth seeing in theaters

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

This is the kind of movie that you go to see in theaters. If you don't, you'll wish you had. This movie isn't going to win any Oscars or try to impress you with a serious story that makes you think about anything. It's purely to entertain you and make you laugh. It manages to do that while having heart. I'm not sure it could have had the same heart without Ryan and Emily. It felt like kismet timing for them to be paired together for this. Ryan doing some of his own stunts was impressive and if there is one thing this movie really does do well, it's give more respect to stunt people and encourage others to join the field. It has some really neat looking action scenes you won't see anywhere else, even a record breaking one. That said, I'm really not into blockbusters or action movies in general and so it was a bit long for what it was with quite a thin, unbelievable plot. That's the only reason I gave it a 7. If it weren't for the narration over the movie, it would be rated higher, but it was a little too meta to be considered timeless.

Miller's Girl (2024)

Dear Seth Rogen...NO!

[2/10 · 2 May 2024]

This movie is quite literally Seth Rogen's attempt to normalize his best buddy James Franco's behavior with teenage girls. In 2014, James Franco gets in trouble for seducing and soliciting teenage girls on Instagram. Seth Rogen acknowledges James's behavior in an interview and says he disapproves of it and is okay with Hollywood blacklisting his buddy even though James is very much still his buddy. Look it all up, you'll find it. The Internet never forgets and neither do I. It's appalling that Seth Rogen sought this script out and made this movie personally just years after his friend was part of the start of the whole #metoo movement. I have no clue why no media outlet is discussing this glaring issue since so many reported on it years ago. Seth Rogen appears untouchable. That said, he chose to allow the most disgusting, unnecessary and frankly outdated and pornographic dialogue in this film ever to exist outside of a porno. Even the movie calls it for what it is in a later scene. Yet, we all had to hear it and stomach the message that it all appears to be A-ok. Teenage girls are mature powerful women who seduce older men and destroy their lives for the simple fun of it, you see. So the movie ends abruptly with an obvious approval of the beyond oak tree age gap and in fact blames it on a teenage girl with admittedly no life experiences to draw from. This movie was sick on so many levels. The Crush was fine because it was from a time when Lolita was also somehow fine, but those days are long gone, and for good reason. Seth Rogen needs to be taught a lesson. Since this movie failed miserably financially, let's hope he learns it.

Martin Freeman was quite good on his part in this, but I'm surprised and oh so disappointed at his choice to be in it as well as defend it in interviews. I only hope he sees this review and does his research. Jenna is simply too young and naive to know the background, and isn't it ironic?

Bebe's Kids (1992)

Still funny

[10/10 · 21 April 2024]

This movie deserves so much more love! It's one of the best animated films, and certainly the funniest. I've been watching it since I was a little girl and it got me through some hard times. It was one of the first movies to introduce me to black humor and say what you will about stereotypes, but this was written and directed by black folk who knew how to get laughs. I felt like one of Bebe's kids myself growing up in Detroit and this is extremely nostalgic. It was on TV all of the time in the 90's, so I don't know how there aren't more reviews. They basically turned the Disney formula on it's head. Even their songs are better than most Disney songs. If you haven't seen it yet, it's still worth a watch.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Victim shaming by a confused writer

[7/10 · 20 April 2024]

This guy seems very confused, both in the show and in real life. He talks about being groomed, yet isn't even aware of the definition of grooming and how it has to involve a minor. It's a huge insult to abuse victims everywhere. On top of that, attempting to make a stalker sympathetic is a horrible choice. It's not their fault? They're simply mentally ill? I've got news for you, being mentally ill doesn't make you sympathetic or a victim in and of itself, especially if it involves a personality disorder you can't treat, or the fact that medicating a person doesn't change who they are aside from tiring them out. Most people don't make the poor choices that lead them to being stalked as in this case where he basically insinuates that some people bring it on themselves. Well, he certainly did! He absolutely should be embarrassed by his life choices which are now insulting women and men alike by assuming his experiences in any way relate to others. This show isn't progressive, it's regressive. It has you nearly constantly cringing at the bad humor, intense and triggering scenes, and poorly worded narration excusing most of the behaviors. The actress playing Martha is so convincing, she's the only reason to keep watching. At least the show draws a better conclusion than the main character's real life story.

The Prestige (2006)

Nolan's 2nd best

[10/10 · 20 April 2024]

I'm my opinion, this is Nolan's best movie after Memento. Only these two movies have enough depth, story, mystery and emotion to keep you so captivated that you can watch them time after time for years without ever wanting to look away. Nolan was right, the audience is smarter than studios give them credit for. Everyone in this gave their best performance. It didn't feel like acting, it felt like the real life experience of good vs bad. Nolan loves to play with that idea in his movies, but this and Memento are the only ones that give you your answer. Everyone is both good and bad, all it takes is the right circumstance. The Tesla/Edison rivalry is no coincidence, and obviously influenced the plot heavily. David Bowie playing Tesla was magical. I watch this every year and find new things to love about it every time. It's a timeless movie that people should remember forever. It's unfortunate his last several movies can't live up to this. However the two he gave us more than make up for the tragedies that were Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. Forget about those and come back to The Prestige if you want real truth.

Waco: American Apocalypse (2023)

Captivating and unbiased

[10/10 · 15 April 2024]

This was one of the best documentary cases I've seen. It was so unbiased in showing equal parts of both sides that I fully understood and agreed with both sides while simultaneously being angry with both for their decisions. I watch every documentary on cults I can get my hands on, mostly because it's fascinating to know just how often this happens and what leads to it. What kind of people join a cult? I've known two people in my life to be in them, one who leads a cult and one who follows in an entirely different cult. Cults take all kinds of people, but the one thing every cult has in common is that it's about power. And one person has it. Or in this case, one government. Innocent lives are always at risk in the quest for power and that's the real warning.

Dream Scenario (2023)

Has an agenda

[4/10 · 3 April 2024]

So they did a lot of pseudo research on this movie, which is odd considering how far they go with it. Nic Cage is supposed to be Bret Weinstein, albeit an inaccurate portrayal of him and his beliefs, other than some of the things in the film happening to him, such as a woman stealing his work, getting cancelled by a social justice mob, and being a college professor in evolutionary biology. Except unlike Bret, Nic Cage is completely unlikeable as a character and you aren't rooting for him at all. I'm also shocked at the way they brought up Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan as 'alt right' when they most certainly aren't. As a female fan of all the people mentioned here, it's seriously concerning what they're up to in this screenplay. The writers seem to have an agenda with it, but it's not entirely clear what it is other than to stain the reputations of certain people before you even know who they are. It's a semi original idea with a weird execution and a disappointing ending.

Poor Things (2023)

It's no lobster

[6/10 · 8 March 2024]

I too would like to punch a crying baby. That said, most of the things people would like to do never need to be seen on screen, know what I mean?

I definitely never needed to see that much of Emma Stone. There may have been more nudity in this than porn. As such, I'm sure I'll never need to see it again and I'm certainly glad I saw it alone. While it was oddly funny and weird and wicked, especially seeing Bella go through every emotion and thought possible, it was also exhausting. The costumes were glorious and distracting, the cinematography, setting and background the best I've ever seen. This movie is pure beauty surrounded by ugly characters. I think I'm glad I saw it, but I won't need to see it again. Consider the Lobster remains my favorite and I'll continue to watch what this director puts out, but with low expectations.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Part 1 was better

[7/10 · 8 March 2024]

So, I cried. So the special effects were amazing. So the worm scene made me squeal. So the role I had been begging Denis to give to Anya Taylor Joy was exactly what I imagined, wanted and everything I hoped and dreamed...aside from wanting more of her.

Well...I'm not sure I can get over the plot changes of the book, although they're probably a better story. I'm really devastated about the direction they took Chani compared to the books. I knew something was up when they kept warning you in interviews before the movie, but this was ridiculous and just plain sad. And why make Jessica seem evil so suddenly? Why make Stilgar seem like a mockery of his character both in the first movie and in the book? This almost felt like someone else directed it or changed their perception of Dune's meaning very quickly. It felt very w o k e.

I suppose the biggest letdown were the first scenes with Paul and Chani together. The cheesy porno music was a HORRIBLE choice for those scenes and could have been so much more romantic or creative. I didn't think they should have spent so much time making such a mockery of religion (even as an atheist lol), when the stories aren't just planted stories, they're actually true. Even if they're made to be true, it's still real. The audience laughed so much at the Fremen, I was insulted for them.

Was it good? Yes. Will I see it 100 more times like Part I? No. I'll probably only see it like 10 more times.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Two girls getting along

[10/10 · 5 March 2024]

Where is the love for this movie?! This was basically the original Mean Girls. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time, still watching it decades later and still have it memorized. As a girl who was severely bullied in school at the time this movie came out, this was like the ultimate revenge movie for anyone not in the popular group. It's ridiculous and over the top in a way I don't like movies to be now, but it was one of the first to do it before it became the norm. It has real heart and love and characters you love to hate and love to laugh at. I've heard there is a sequel being made and I'm on board for it as long as Janine Garofalo reprises her role. Aside from Romy, she was always my favorite. I'm not sure how this isn't as popular as Clueless, but it should be!