The bad rap this classic sometimes gets is that is doesn't follow the book close enough and that Steven King hated it. My response? Who cares? This movie stands on its own and is stunning in so many ways. A horror movie? Yes, but without the typical low-hanging-fruit gore. Masterfully directed by Kubrick, this flick is enthralling from start to finish. The imagery throughout is both haunting and unforgettable and the cinematography is ahead of it's time. The small cast of actors all do a great job but Nicholson is absolutely mesmerizing. Watching him transform his character is witnessing acting at its best and ranks as one of his greatest performances. I seen this gem countless time but you only need to see it once as you will never be able to forget it - even if you tried.
Reviews
20 Reviews
Caddyshack
(1980)
An absolute all time classic.
16 February 2023
One of the easiest 10s ever. Anyone who has ever touched a golf club knows this is one of the most quoted movies in film history. Classic lines and classic characters, this masterpiece never gets old. When I'm flipping the channels and Caddyshack comes on I put down the remote and enjoy every scene over and over again. Bill Murray at his best as this classic holds up so much better than cheesy efforts like Ghostbusters or Stripes. Chevy Chase is perfect, Rodney Dangerfield took his career to another level and Ted Knight is simply hilarious throughout. If you don't like Caddyshack you should just skip the comedy section all together.
Wednesday
(2022– )
Started strong, then fizzled a bit.
2 January 2023
Here's the deal with this one: it is entertaining and worth a watch but it definitely has its flaws. The character are unique and fairly well developed and Ortega as Wednesday is a home run. The rest of the Adams family was poorly cast however - lead by Gomez (played by Luis Guzmán) - a role so poorly cast I couldn't get past it the entire series... ridiculously bad. In the end the series became more cliché and predictable than it was at the start but still watchable. The first four episodes were the best, the fifth was quite boring and the final three were fine. All in all I'm glad I watched but it's nothing to get overly excited about.
Ted Lasso
(2020–2023)
Dropped rating from a 10 to an 7 and falling fast.
27 October 2022
The first season was flawless. The first half of the second season was good. Starting with the Christmas episode (filler) and the horrific Beard after Hours episode (terrible filler) this series has definitely lost its way. The Funeral episode was instantly forgettable - it's like they've run out of ideas or decided that the formula that made this show great is now beneath their artistic abilities. The Emmys appear to have gone to their heads and they became way too cute for their own good. The second half of season 2 doesn't just fall short... it's actually really bad - borderline unwatchable. The writers morphed into really getting off on wrapping every episode around "clever" (in their minds) references to other movies and shows which are often obscure and irrelevant. It's cute every once in a while but how about some originality? Once upon a time I was bummed to hear there would only be 3 seasons but now I'm likely to dump Apple TV (nothing else worthwhile to watch there) and skip it all together. Can't decide if I'm sad or just pissed off that this once great show has officially jumped the shark.
Skip this brutally bad episode or risk changing how you feel about this otherwise great series.
26 October 2022
Ugh... where to start? No idea what the hell the writers were thinking here. Apparently they made a deal with Brendan Hunt (Beard) to give him a solo episode no matter how stupid it was. Those who claim anyone who doesn't like this episode doesn't "get it" are fooling themselves. I get it and it was terrible. We are not invested enough in Beard (certainly not with his relationship with Jane) to ever warrant this episode. In fact he's the last character deserved of this deep dive - which wasn't actually deep at all. This was a complete waste of time and I could not wait for it to end. Honestly made me rethink how I feel about the entire series which up to this point I had rated a 10. Please do yourself a favor and skip this episode. It really is that awful and has nothing whatsoever to do with the storyline. A really, really bad idea that was really, really poorly executed.
Heart wrenching
27 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
First I'll say that this is maybe my favorite television show ever. Brilliant character development - a little of which is always left for the viewer to interpret individually. But this episode was devastating for me. Supposedly we have always been expected to accept that anyone we didn't see in Breaking Bad has to die in BCS but I've never believed that needs to be the case. There are countless ways to weave the storylines and BB was not Saul's story anyway - he was a compelling and important character but his overall screen time was relatively minor and his character development and personal life/background outside of his direct interaction with Walter and Jesse was minimal (at best) and irrelevant. There are many people in all of our lives that even though we feel we know them well, we know only the fraction of their lives that interact directly with ours. Much of the detail of Saul's life from BCS could have easily still existed within BB while outside the lens of what we (or Walter or Jesse or any other BB character) needed to see.
I can honestly say that after the 11+ seasons of BB and BCS there was no character I was more invested in or cared more about than Nacho. That includes Walter, Jesse, Mike and even Saul. Nacho had a conscience. He wanted to be a better person - he was the singular character that was trying to "break good." He was the one character that I felt deserved to survive the hell he found himself in. While I'll keep watching and finish the series, with the truly unnecessary death (in my opinion) of the easiest character to cheer for and care about, the show has lost a huge part of what made me so compelled to watch. I know the plot line dictated why Nacho chose to make the decision he did, I just felt there were so many other ways it could have gone and been just as believable and interesting. For the first time I feel more than a bit betrayed and let down. We've seen major characters die before (and likely again) but this was a death that will live on in my mind as more about sensationalism (while honestly feeling a bit cheap and lazy) than it was necessary or daring or compelling.
I can honestly say that after the 11+ seasons of BB and BCS there was no character I was more invested in or cared more about than Nacho. That includes Walter, Jesse, Mike and even Saul. Nacho had a conscience. He wanted to be a better person - he was the singular character that was trying to "break good." He was the one character that I felt deserved to survive the hell he found himself in. While I'll keep watching and finish the series, with the truly unnecessary death (in my opinion) of the easiest character to cheer for and care about, the show has lost a huge part of what made me so compelled to watch. I know the plot line dictated why Nacho chose to make the decision he did, I just felt there were so many other ways it could have gone and been just as believable and interesting. For the first time I feel more than a bit betrayed and let down. We've seen major characters die before (and likely again) but this was a death that will live on in my mind as more about sensationalism (while honestly feeling a bit cheap and lazy) than it was necessary or daring or compelling.
Grumpy Old Men
(1993)
Absolute classic
5 December 2021
One of the easiest "10s" to give ever. Virtually a perfect movie - funny, sweet, emotional and more with characters that are well defined and instantly likable. If you're from the upper Midwest this movie is extra nostalgic and captures small town winter life to absolute perfection. A movie you can watch over and over and never tire of.
Three's Company
(1976–1984)
Doesn't hold up.
24 August 2021
Really doesn't hold up very well. Thought it was a decent sitcom back in the day but I've caught a few late night reruns lately and while the characters tend to be likable, the plots, dialogue and jokes just fall flat. RIP John Ritter who was so much better an actor than this show allowed him to be.
Chad
(2021–2024)
How is this possible?
31 March 2021
In a culture where crazies now demand that all roles must be portrayed by an actor that matches the character's gender, race, sexual orientation and physical traits - this garbage gets the green light? Unbelievable.
George Harrison: Got My Mind Set on You, Version 1
(1987 Music Video)
Great song and video
18 March 2021
One of Harrison's best and I believe the last solo Beatle tune to hit #1. The girl in the video is unforgettable - unfortunately, no one seems to know her name and it has become a great unsolved internet mystery. Catchy, fun remake of an early 60s song that always instantly lightens the mood. Belongs on every 80s playlist!
Coming 2 America
(2021)
30 years for this?
11 March 2021
Incredibly disappointing - so bad I couldn't make it through this hot mess. I honestly didn't laugh once. The storyline was beyond brutal, the characters unlikeable and the endless cameos were overdone, forced and unnecessary. In a word, "Embarrassing."
Cobra Kai
(2018–2025)
Pure entertainment.
19 January 2021
Fantastically entertaining. I have to laugh at some of the negative reviews - especially those that say something like, "I was a fan of the movies but this is so cheesy." Seriously? The movies, especially 2 & 3, were totally cheesy (with the most ridiculously cartoonish villains ever). I say that not to criticize but to point out that this series completely captures the playful nature of the movies by not taking itself too seriously while still tackling some serious issues. To frame the story around onetime bad guy Johnny Lawrence and to turn him into a character you totally root for is brilliant. The subtle (and not so subtle) references to the movies throughout the series are so well done and often hilarious. I enjoyed the first movie and understand it's cult status but the sequels did nothing for me. Overall, I find the series much more entertaining than than the movies and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face whenever I watch an episode. Is it sometimes silly and over the top? Of course - it's supposed to be and that's a major reason why it's soooo enjoyable to watch. Anyone who doesn't like Cobra Kai can't call themselves a real Karate Kid fan. I hesitated to begin watching as I usually despise reboots of a movie or series because they invariably fail to recreate anything resembling the original. Cobra Kai has done the impossible for me and created something I've enjoyed more than the original.
Wonder Woman 1984
(2020)
Incredibly boring and ridiculous storyline
29 December 2020
I love Gal Gadot. I really like Chris Pine. I hated this movie. To be entirely honest, I should say I hated the first half of the movie which was more than I could stomach. I asked my wife if I could turn it off and she was already asleep. This is something you might expect if this was sequel number 20 and they had completely run out of ideas. Not sure what I expected but this was embarrassingly bad.
The Flight Attendant
(2020–2022)
Disappointing.
17 December 2020
I'm through 6 episodes and honestly wish I hadn't started. Kept waiting for it to pick up but instead it's dying a slow and painful death. "Penny" does an admirable job and shows she can handle more than sitcoms but the rest of the cast (not to mention the overall storyline and most of the dialogue) are bad to the point of being truly irritating. If this is the best original programming HBO Max has to offer then they have a long way to go to match the Netflix and Disney+'s of the streaming world. Don't waste your time.
Goin' South
(1978)
Perfect in every way
6 August 2017
Incredibly underrated flick - great from from start to finish with a perfect blend of action, romance and laughs. First saw it as a teen on HBO a year or two after its theatrical release and it remains one of my absolute all time favorite movies. Great story, dialogue and cast. Nicholson shines as an actor and director while displaying delightful wry comedic timing. Filled with classic scenes and quotable lines. I would guess I've watched "Goin' South" several dozen times and enjoyed every second. If you haven't seen this gem, trust the positive reviews, ignore the misguided negative reviews and check it out.
The Last Man on Earth
(2015–2018)
Try it, you'll like it.
21 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Absolutely brilliant. Once you get past the fact that there are no dead bodies, rotting food, or even a explanation as to what actually happened to rid the planet of almost every living thing and just accept that this is a truly unique comedy, you are in for a treat. The fact that many reviewers just don't get it makes it even better. This is an instant classic, avoiding the predictable, boring formula that the vast majority of TV "comedies" seemingly can't escape from. I have laughed out loud numerous times during each episode and can't wait to see what will happen next. I am usually super critical and find faults in even the most beloved TV shows and movies but 'Last Man on Earth' is a welcome exception - addictive and highly entertaining. I knew very little about Will Forte going in but I have become an instant fan. This seemingly simple show is overflowing with subtle references that are comic gold, as well as, in-your-face outrageousness. Do yourself a favor, ignore the negative reviews - those folks are probably excited for the new 'Full House' reboot - watch from the beginning and enjoy one of the smartest, funniest shows in years.
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