mysammoore Reviews

You Can Live Forever (2022)

Not Subtle

[5/10 · 20 March 2023]

I saw this at a TIFF Reel Talk screening and was able to see the directors talk right after the screening. I went into this movie so blind, I didn't even know Reel Talk was a movie screening, as strange as that sounds. I found the film's biggest weakness was the lack of subtlety anywhere. Nothing was subtle, everything is virtually screamed at the audience, to the point where even the dialogue in the first half hour of the film felt completely unnecessary and just plain awful. The latter half did a better job of handling this, but I cannot get over just how obvious everything seems, because if it isn't, there's going to be a character explaining it within two seconds of it happening. And I saw all of this with woe because the directors themselves mentioned today that subtlety WAS in the film prior to the final drafts, and, boy, does this film sorely miss it. I'm sorry, the film is fine, but this need for subtlety that makes the first half of the film feel like non-stop obvious exposition and hammering everything into the audience to the point where you physically cannot misinterpret or just miss anything at all was really not doing this movie any favours. Had I not being seeing this in a theatre, but rather watching it at home, I 100% would have stopped watching within the first 20 minutes. Am I glad I stayed? The same way I would be glad I finished any movie, to say I did, and give my honest review. It gets a 5 because the acting was not bad, the second half of the film wasn't bad, but the first half really needed that subtlety. With it, this film could've been an 8.

80 for Brady (2023)

Better than Otto

[8/10 · 13 February 2023]

Wasn't expecting much. Really, I saw this movie because I've already seen 90% of what's in theatres right now. But, I was very happy to find that not only was I laughing at nearly every joke, I was also enjoying the story for what it was throughout. I don't even like sports, but this movie made me care about the Patriots because the character's did. It was just a lot of fun. They kept some emotional plot points in but never let them take away the fun in the end which was a great change. I dreaded certain storylines returning to bite the characters in the end, but like any feel-good comedy, nothing bad did happen after all, it was just for some tension in the middle.

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

You already know the ending

[6/10 · 3 February 2023]

The worst part of this for me was that the ending only feels satisfying if you truly believed that the four horsemen were lying, which I rarely did. And because of that, the non-twist of exactly what they said would happen happening is a wet-blanket on a movie I kept thinking would have that twist at the end that made it all worth watching, but it never did. The twist was there was no twist. I didn't enjoy that. This movie tells you exactly what will happen from the start and that's that, so as long as you trust what they say, the film has zero impact whatsoever. The only reason this gets a 6 from me is the writing in the first 2/3 of the movie. The last third was pretty abysmal.

Bullet Train (2022)

The trailers do no justice

[6/10 · 2 September 2022]

I came into this movie thinking, "Meh, I might as well see it, it's the last thing on my list I remotely want to watch in theatres this week, I've already seen everything else," because the trailers I'd seen so far has all been relatively tame and just uninteresting. Fast forward to me now having seen it, it's quite amazing. I'm very glad I saw this one. It's funny, it's well-written, it has turns, unexpected turns, it has a cohesive plot that never once made me think, "Would this really happen?" or, "What's happening? How is this related to that?" Never, it all clicked, it all made sense. I left the theatre having been very satisfied by the ending, feeling there were zero loose ends or unanswered questions, and also feeling glad I went to see it. The action, if anything, wasn't even a highlight for me. The action was good, but the fact that it actually served the story and never felt too forced was the best part of it all.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

Even Steve Kloves Couldn't Save It

[3/10 · 23 May 2022]

The rating I gave this film is a 3/10. Why? If I look at this movie in a vacuum, it gets a 7. If I look at this movie in terms of the entire franchise, it gets a 3 due to incredibly awful continuation of the first two films. 3+7=10, divided by two (one for each rating) is a 5, then we subtract one point for firing Johnny Depp, and then we subtract another for transphobic writing staff *cough* J. K. Rowling. We end up with a 3/10, as I said.

Pirate this movie if you want to watch it, do not support Warner Bros. Or J. K. Rowling by paying for it.

The Unholy (2021)

7 for story, 10 for effort

[7/10 · 22 April 2022]

This really has to come down to a 6/10 for me. The acting was spotty, some good, some bad. Camera work was just as spotty, if not worse, some scenes looking worse than YouTube short films, and some looking on par with a good TV show. Obviously, this was due to budget, and I feel that despite the lack thereof, what was accomplished with The Unholy was a great testimony that low budget does not mean low value. This had a good premise let down by execution, but the core story is translated onto the screen well enough. While I have some issues with pacing, I can't complain here because I have worse complaints with pacing with movies like Annabelle Comes Home, which feels like the first act takes up half the runtime, far worse than The Unholy despite its much larger production. One thing I was shocked by throughout was how this film managed to keep me watching through nearly two hours. I'm getting to a point in life where blockbusters at home are starting to bore me, especially in action movies. So if this film entertained me and kept me in my seat more willingly than Spider-Man: No Way Home did, it exceeded my expectations. Now, I am a horror fan far more than superhero films with nothing but fan service. I can say that I went into this film expecting more out of it based on my memory of trailers which I saw over a year ago, but did catch on that trailers might be deceiving me after the first few minutes or so. Joseph Bishara added to this film a lot, despite the obvious synth choir. I'm not even sure he had access to an orchestra, let alone real players. I wouldn't be surprised if he created the entire score on a computer at home, and even if he did, it was still pretty decent compared to his other amazing pieces. Anyway, I'm rambling.

The Invisible Man (I) (2020)

What I call a true thriller.

[7/10 · 23 March 2022]

This film is littered with twists, some I figured, some I did not. Overall, a great entry in the genre. I felt it actually did well by moving away from being a plain-old supernatural film. Going into it, I wasn't totally sure what to think it was.

I guess I was under the impression that the invisible man was just a ghost of Adrian. I was happy to find out it wasn't, though, the method of his invisibility doesn't help the story, considering it isn't at all logical. But, if I can suspend my disbelief to enjoy hits like The Conjurings, Annabelles, and Insidiouses of the world, then I really should be able to do so for technological fiction, too.

There were moments that really connected to me for some reason. I enjoyed the chemistry between Cecilia and her friend whose name is lost on me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, actually, feeling it was extremely genuine for her to connect so well with him and his daughter.

Also, when she found out he was dead, that, too, moved me somehow. I felt Elizabeth Moss's performance to be a 9/10, even if the movie wasn't quite so. She did beautifully, and I can see why she was cast as the lead, as opposed to Hollywood's tendency to hire models with no talent for the screen instead of actually normal-looking women who can act. I'm obviously a fan of the many movies Leigh has written, and this film is no exception, only, I found myself feeling certain bits of dialogue made little to no sense in where they were placed. That felt weird to me, to hear lines that seemed totally out of place for the moment and unrealistic in normal conversation.

Either way, the film was very enjoyable, and I hope to enjoy Leigh's future directing roles accompany his writing as well as The Invisible Man did.

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)

As a lover of the entire series, I review

[7/10 · 17 January 2022]

I think this film was rather wonderful. Credit is due to the director. I've seen another one of his films, The Signal, a movie I also liked. Now knowing he directed both, I can see the influence and similarities. I was utterly terrified by this film, as I have been with the other instalments, and that's saying something, given that I watched this on a MacBook WITH my bedside light on the entire time. The jump scares, while nothing new, got me almost 100% of the time. The tension was excellent throughout. I was happy to see that main elements, such as the church, got decent build-up before being shown off. Really, this film outshines its predecessor "The Ghost Dimension" in so many ways. It uses a great setting to the fullest. Combining the mystery and archaism of the Amish with new cinema and paranormal "activity," one might say, was a fantastic new take on the series. Just like "The Marked Ones," "Next of Kin" took the original haunted house setting and threw it out the window for something much more unfamiliar, while still keeping the feeling of the series intact. I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the other films. I was sceptical going in, but after having watched it, I feel it is deserving of living with the rest in the series as a great paranormal horror flic.

Soul (2020)

What can I say? It didn't move me

[5/10 · 18 February 2021]

Probably one of the worst Pixar films I've seen. Just too formulaic to shock me and generally felt like the story didn't matter. I didn't care about any of the characters (especially didn't relate to liking playing instruments.)

Memeulous (2014– )

Bad 10/10

[10/10 · 13 February 2021]

I love his face, it's so nice. If you see his second video ever, you'll see his face in one frame.

House at the End of the Street (2012)

Meh, Jennifer Lawrence is the best part about this movie

[6/10 · 3 January 2021]

Somehow she managed to make it watchable. The antagonist's dialogue is so incredibly cheesy it would warrant Jen to break character and improvise. Honestly I wish she had. The antagonist comes off as moronic, not charming or someone to sympathize with. He's also not creepy at all.

Tenet (2020)

Incomprehensible

[6/10 · 27 September 2020]

As a filmmaker, I can appreciate Nolan's "mastering-sound-for-IMAX-not-the-average-theatre" mindset, but given the fact that you can't even hear the dialogue in the regular theatres takes this waaaay too far. I'm 17, and my hearing is excellent, yet, seeing this movie made me feel like a 70-year-old rockstar who played one too many concerts. I couldn't tell you what ANYONE said in certain scenes, and given that, about 2/3 of the movie is still a mystery to me after watching it. If this movie was mixed separately for both regular and IMAX theatres, I might like it more, but liking it starts with understanding it, and that just didn't happen. It wasn't even that the movie was "too smart," it was purely at fault of the levels in audio. I would've seen it in IMAX, as I do with nearly every film, but given that theatres are quite closed right now, a regular theatre was all I had access to.

Judge Judy (1996–2021)

There is no room for tolerance in court

[10/10 · 19 August 2020]

So many of these reviews are about how she's "heartless," and that's just not true. She's an ESTJ, and ESTJs don't tolerate anything other than the truth, especially when it's your job to weigh the facts, not lies made up by morons. She may appear heartless to those who seek compassion over truth, but to those living in the real world, she's a great gal. She can be VERY friendly, but as soon as someone opens their mouth to give their defense of illegal things, she'll shut them up faster than you can say "courtroom." There is no defense in illegality, and the children whiny about this need to realize that she's there to do a job, not make friends.

On the side of knowledge, many claim she "knows nothing about the legal system," and that's far from the truth. I know a lawyer of 30 years who deals in these types of cases, though on a larger scale, who claims this is his favourite show, and there's no way someone who's dedicated their life to law would ever stand for a show that didn't feature a judge who knew what she was doing. Let's face facts, though, because she isn't perfect. Ask yourself, which judges are? None, there aren't any. Making claims that her siding with the wrong person 1/100 cases makes her a bad judge means that every judge who's ever lived is a bad judge. Get real.

Too Hot to Handle (2020– )

Boring

[1/10 · 2 July 2020]

I just have to say this; Harry is a massive liar, and no wonder Francesca "broke up" with him right away. How would you feel if this guy kissed you, then went out of his way to blame everything on you so everyone hates you right on the first day, just to save himself. This doesn't even mention the fact that everyone on this show is mind-numbingly stupid. Like, they're ridiculously stupid. I'm 16 years old, and I genuinely believe I'd beat every single one of them combined in nearly any field of academics.

Central Park (2020–2022)

I hate the singing

[3/10 · 7 June 2020]

My god, I might enjoy this if it wasn't for the 50 songs every episode.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Over quickly

[6/10 · 31 May 2020]

When I rematches this film, I noticed, it's very short. So short that I actually was shocked at how little story there is in this movie. There are so few scenes, it feels more like an episode or Stranger Things than a movie. There's a long beginning, short middle, and a long ending....

The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

Basically a massive piece of trash

[1/10 · 16 February 2020]

Don't watch this, I'm a huge horror movie and Conjuring universe fan, and this is just an insult to those films. God this junk is so awful, I can't believe I watched more than 10 minutes of it. The jump scares were SOOOOO stupid. What I want in a good jump scare is creativity, unexpectedness, and sheer terror when it DOES happen, and the previous two things are met, none of this happened.

Vanderpump Rules (2013– )

This show is hilarious

[8/10 · 9 July 2019]

The jokes are kinda dumb. The characters are really dumb, but, it's great to laugh at them. The drama is sooo stupid but so funny. You need this show in your life to make you laugh. Connect with the characters and laugh at their stupidity for fun! Also, it's fun to hate on James because he is literally a 5-year-old, and he never changes over the whole show.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

David F. Sandberg Could've Saved This Film

[5/10 · 2 July 2019]

Just like Annabelle: Creation, Gary Dauberman wrote this script. However, Annabelle: Creation was fun and different; a solid movie. This film wasn't living up to the second film, and that's because it was the wrong director. Gary Dauberman directed this film because he didn't like people "ruining" his movies. He ruined his own movie. Let the directors direct, and let writers write.

Death Note (2006–2007)

Amazing

[8/10 · 18 November 2018]

It's a great show, until L dies. It should have ended there. I hate every episode past L's death.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Better the second time.

[6/10 · 18 November 2018]

The first time I saw this movie, I was slightly confused. I felt it didn't meet my expectations. Now, having seen it a second time, I realized that I shouldn't be basing this movie on what I thought it should be, but how it actually turned out. All in all, it's a great movie, and one of the only movies that didn't bore me the second time seeing it in a row. The plot is so jam packed that I had a little trouble thinking it through the first time, but the second time was a real eye opener. This is just a great movie. It's not what you expected in a Fantastic Beasts sequel, because it's almost nothing like the first one, but it has some similar themes. I did however feel that there was a decrease in set quality during the beginning scenes, especially when Grindelwald was on screen.

The Nun (2018)

This movie had so much hype, and even more let down.

[3/10 · 7 September 2018]

Horror movies are a tricky thing that are hard to get right. But, this movie was written by the same guy whose written many other good and even great horror movies. So, how this film went SO wrong is beyond me. I was going into this movie to be scared, but apparently "scared" means 30 billion jump-scares with little to no build up EVERY 5 MINUTES. I wasn't scared one bit by this movie. And there wasn't any kind of story to make up for it. NOTHING. Just one stupid and meaningless tie in to the rest of the series at the end. I'm very sad and disappointed at how awful this movie was. This was by far the most poorly executed horror film of the entire series. Yes, Annabelle (2014) was actually better than this movie.

Slender Man (I) (2018)

They had all the right stuff...

[5/10 · 16 August 2018]

I'm going to keep it short. It was cool, not scary in the slightest. It had great acting and all, but no real story line, mainly just scenes strung together without any real in between. I felt disconnected from the story almost. It really had the potential but overall it just came out wrong.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity Snore (JK)

[7/10 · 18 July 2018]

Did you like that catchy title? I just came up with it, and it's the opposite of what I thought this movie was. Never was I bored. Never was I without likeable characters. Never was I without good CGI (which is literally the entire point of any sci-fi/fantasy film.

Overall, great. Worth the buy in 4K.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Better than Ant-Man and the Wasp

[9/10 · 18 July 2018]

This movie was, just great. At no point did I feel like I was being forced to watch a movie, you know? Like some movies just make you what to leave the theatre because even though they try they're just not that interesting. This is not one of those movies. Amazing CGI. A new compelling chapter in the franchise that's different from just "we're in a park and something goes wrong!" It was a new twist and I liked it.