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michaelnicholasluciano
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True Detective: Night Country: Part 6 (2024)
God Awful
Where to even begin on this complete stain of a season?
How about the complete unnecessary and tripe callbacks to S01 with spiral imagery that connects to nothing, Rust's father doing interpretive dance or Tuttle Industries connection. Yeah, that doesn't reek of riding coattails or pandering.
Or how about the unanswered questions that Lopez can't even keep straight because of the non-sequitur plot lines that don't resolve, go anywhere and tire of groupthink?
But I would like to concentrate the most on how this season tries so hard to give anti-establishment messaging through themes of global warming and how projects like mining can horribly impact indigenous populations and meanwhile unabashedly plugs product placement for Frito-Lay and Pepsi through products like Funyuns, Pepsi Mountain Dew, Dorito's, 409.... Yeah. Congratulations, Issa Lopez and Season 4 - you're a complete joke. Even a 2 would be too generous to rate this season.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
Best thing I have seen since I can remember
I haven't enjoyed a first season like this since Westworld and can't recommend this enough. Was a little bit jarring at first but really merged a lot of genres that had never been done before and knocked it out of the ballpark. A+
Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything (2020)
Very interested
I like Latif Nasser a lot. I think he is going for a Bill Nye type persona but can understand some of the other reviews here.
As for the concept and execution of the show it was really great! The episode on Dust was fascinating
The Great Hack (2019)
Not great, Bob.
Obviously slanted while trying to appear unbiased as possible and discussing the dangers of technology manipulating you. Although I'm sure most people would agree that unregulated data harvesting and lying to congress is awful behavior, the thinking majority of this country are tired of single-serve narratives of how the 2016 election was won and this documentary goes out of its way to paint conservatives + brexiteers as the main party who utilize this strategy. Very little coverage on where most of this began in 2008 and more pandering to the 7% of our country with the Russia/Orange Man Bad narrative that's unproven, historically inaccurate and completely played out and will ultimately lead to DT's re-election.
Cinematography and music were nice. The whole travel-vlog style documentary got a bit stale and Kaiser was a bit hard to empathize.
Mandy (2018)
Unapologetically Unique
If you have an open mind then you will be entertained.
This movie was the perfect blend of a simple storyline contrasted with an extreme aesthetic through visualization, music and precedent film tropes. The Sunn O))) and Johannson collaboration for the music was the best thing I've heard since the recent Mad Max film. The extreme visualizations and characters felt like an acid drenched dream drawing from movies like Evil Dead, Heavy Metal, Road Warrior and Holy Mountain with Cosmotos's own style infused. The transitions are flawless. The story never drags and there is tons of new techniques being explored throughout this 2 hour 10 minute piece of film that any film buff could enjoy. I thought it was an unapologetically unique film and had some real edge to it. Definitely go see it!
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Cold, Calculated and Precise
I have been hyped about this movie since last year when I read about it in a film magazine praising its cinematography and similarities to The Shining. The pacing, acting and cinematography of this movie is absolutely gorgeous and well done but the story and ending felt like it was missing something. The character development straddles too much between minimalistic and wanting to blossom and eventually chooses the former and ends up portrayed like a cold artistic pastiche. Despite that, every other component of this film makes it worth watching. Definitely looking forward to Finley's next film
I Love You, Daddy (2017)
A movie that would have been great in 2017
Louis CK's take on social issues the last few years have been a welcome devils advocate to the tidal wave of leftist social marxism and this movie explores that in a refreshing fashion. Humor and comics are the great equalizers in our culture and Louis has risen to fame blending comedy and social commentary perfectly
The cast in this film is great. Adeline, Falco, Day and especially Malkovich nail their roles and are a great mix of characters and just " works " Definitely a Fellini and Woody Allen tribute with the aesthetic, setting and quirks. The theme of paternal authority and sex create friction throughout his personal life and his daughters life and it really picks up around the half hour mark. Louis's agitated and confused mood works great in his show but became fatiguing at times.
One thing I'm noticing is that the editing is taking a huge hit. Its still definitely watchable just not polished to the level of what it could have been. Still some hilarious moments and cuts and an enjoyable two hours.
I had an indifferent approach starting this movie and ended up charmed. Ultimately I have seen Louis CK throughout the early 2000's as gaining success from his honesty about the fallacies and shortcomings of being a human being and making light of it through his comedies and honesty. If you enjoyed him before, you will definitely enjoy what he has to say about 2017 through the lens of this movie.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
But why?
What was the desired message supposed to be of this movie?
Sure, the cast is great. The cinematography is great. The music is great. But the theme and tone of the movie are so nonsensical it leaves the viewer conflicted. There is barely and redemption or consequence for all of the swearing, raping, threatening and hostility that takes place over the movie to the point where it becomes completely unrelatable. It was just a string of deplorable events all taking place after one another ultimately feeling meaningless.
Its hard to align with any protagonist or character when the script demands that they have no attributable human characteristics. McDormand does a great job on what was given to her in the script but 2 1/2 hours of rhetorical Tarantino lines to other characters and nearly all characters living out some campy stereotypes leaves MUCH to be desired.
Get Out (2017)
A Perfect Dichotomy in Film
This movie manages to perfectly ride the line between having some great aspects and some really horrible ones at the same time. The acting, cinematography and music are immaculate throughout the movie but it can't resuscitate the plot and confusing theme.
The tropes and cliches of the characters are so over the top during the first 1/2 that a theme of satire feels like its being presented but by the end under a barrage of underlying and overt social commentary it tries to demand you take them seriously in what feels like a campy, predictable twist of events. Definitely not horror, definitely not comical; Much more of a middle of the road thriller that is becomes easily forgettable with a glacially slow middle section, non-sensensical beginning and a walk-off-into-the-night ending. Much of the dialogue was forgettable and almost felt comically forced at times. The climax scenes considered horror weren't anything special at all. The only really great parts are the ones that obviously are a take on a Black Mirror episode.
Ultimately this movie comes across to me as a shell of an idea that they scripted and filled in voids with vapid social commentary and forced cliches. I still think there could have been 1,000 different ways they could have made this into a great movie and I really wanted it to live up to the hype. The heart of a great idea is there its just the execution and confusing plot, beginning, ending and tone that squanders it.
What I keep noticing in movies coming out recently is a penchant for hitting you over the head with information and forcing how you should feel rather than building character, theme and plot. Its really ineffective and lazy. I guess I just prefer more subtle psychological horror like The Shining or something like American History X where it doesn't forcibly spell out everything like we so much of in this Twitter generation.
Made (2001)
BADBADNOTGOOD
Yikes!
Swingers is one of my favorite movies. This movie is completely void of all of the charming aspects of the previous film featuring Favreau and Vaughan. Another review put it best " Vince's character is a 90 minute alarm clock to the ear " and all of the interactions between the main characters will make your eyes roll so much you will be sore by the time this 90 minute offering hits credits. Language feels like Sopranos but is very over the top for the various things that occur throughout the film. Early 2000's films are the worst
Amy Schumer: The Leather Special (2017)
Honest Review
Its preetttyyy bad. Not 1 star bad.. but pretty bad
I like Iliza Shlesinger a lot... I have seen all of her specials. Amy Schumer rips her off big time but instead of a special full of witty, suspenseful humor and stories it's nearly 60 minutes of eye rolling " I'm a slut! " type jokes, her shitty eating habits which I don't find funny at all and things you p r o b a b l y don't want to know about her life. There are some funny one liners thrown and a few things that are clever in there but for the most part it's not a great special or performance.
The editing on this special only lends credence to how much parts must have bombed completely on stage. There is one section where she is talking about German jews and it cuts out COMPLETELY and moves onto a different segment. I have seen most all of the comedy specials ever made and none of them have to over compensate with editing to match the poor pacing of the comedian.
I can't imagine too many people would be crazy about this type of stand-up. Its lacking in nearly every category as compared to what else is out there and what makes a comedy great