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Reviews
Burning at Both Ends (2021)
Not a good movie
Text: When we started this movie, we both liked it and thought that our ratings would be high. The beginning was thrilling. A kind and wealthy man helped the underground group in ways beyond which most people could. Towards the end of the movie, there was a dinner party at this man's mansion with Nazis. Several of the Nazis were suspicious of some things and were trying to find the radio broadcaster by looking at signals which came from that area. The movie became a 2 for me at this point. Most of the people working the underground in that group became very obvious in their hatred of Nazis at the dinner party. The wealthy man helping them had an escape route for them within a day, so they were endangering his life. So instead of behaving as an underground group would, almost the entire group started to act out and reveal who they were. It was ridiculous. One of them wanted to start shooting the Nazis. The group of people were pretending to be new servants for the wealthy man and quite possibly could have gotten away with it. The young girl was pretending to be his daughter who had been away at school. This screenplay actually became silly. The actions and dialogue became unbelievable.
Summary: Not a believable movie.
La chica de nieve (2023)
Boring
I can't believe the good reviews. This was so boring and we turned it off during episode two. It seemed to concentrate more on the journalist trainee with flashbacks of her past. The parents seemed minor. We loved the movie where Nicholas Cage son disappears during a carnival - there was so much more emotion displayed on the part of the parents. We didn't see that in this one. It was so dull. I remember when we always searched out Spanish thrillers as they were done so well. It seems they have gone down hill. We knew that four more episodes would drag this out. If you want an exciting thriller this is not it.
Last Summer (1969)
Horrible movie
I reached the 35 minute mark with the sea gull and could no longer stand Barbara Hersheys character. I also read in other reviews about the ending. I do know teenage boys who would never have wanted to hang around this psychopath no matter how horny they are. I do not see any redeeming qualities in this movie. The parts in between Hershey's violence are just boring. It is not a coming of age story. My three stars are because the acting is good. I will add that if I was one of these guys, I would be able to find a lot more to do than listen to Hershey dictating their every move. I am fast forwarding through the rest. From what I have read, the boys become just as psycho as Hershey.
Outbreak (1995)
Yawn...
I agree with the reviewer who says they took a very scary scenario and made it non scary. In fact, it's boring. We watched it once and never had a desire to watch it again. I cannot believe Wolfgang Petersen directed this. My first 4 sentences say it all. If you want to watch a scary pandemic scenario, watch The Stand (the original one not the new one). I don't write many reviews anymore because of the character requirement. Sometimes short and specific is enough. I haven't watched this movie in a long time to go into the scenes I disliked. I just know that I'm a thriller fan and this is not a thriller.
The Goonies (1985)
Awful
I'm shocked at Spielberg. I've been wanting to check out this movie for a long time due to Spielberg and the rave reviews. I got about halfway through and could not stand it anymore. There is no great dialog like in his other movies. It is a bunch of screaming boys with no redeeming qualities. I expected more in the way of monsters and obstacles and even that was a disappointment. The background in the dark restaurant is also unappealing. The mother's scenes at the beginning are also a waste of dialog. Her vocabulary and misuse of words is annoying and not funny. I fast forwarded to the end. Even that scene was just a bunch of screaming kids. I cannot understand the high ratings.
Lou (2022)
We loved it.
Allison Janney is so great in this movie. She was perfect for this role. I loved the other actors too. I don't understand people who think this was 1) predictable and 2) a dud. We thought it was really different and had some surprises. We did not think it was a dud. It was exciting and the action sequences were great, especially the cabin fight scene. The photography was beautiful. It held our interest throughout. It was different from a lot of movies Hollywood cranks out that have no originality. I have to mention that the little girl was wonderful in this. The interaction between the two women also added to the movie.
The Old Man (2022)
Starts out great - an 8+
The scenes with Jeff Bridges, Amy Brenneman and the dogs are riveting. The scenes in the foreign country are plodding, slow and not exciting. It's like there are two different directors/writers. I'm on episode 4 and can barely stick with it. My better half wants to keep watching so I guess I'm committed. Like another reviewer, I don't have a clue what's going on. Very disappointing.
Three Hours to Kill (1954)
Loved this movie.
I'm not a huge western fan but there are some that really draw me in. This was one of them. I didn't actually see it as a B Western. Maybe a bit above B. Great cast. It had the ending that I wanted. It had me at the hanging scene.
A House on the Bayou (2021)
I can't believe the low reviews ...
This thriller is totally different than any I have seen, so I disagree with anyone who says it's mundane. A large portion of viewers aren't happy unless there is constant action or zombies. The suspense was intense. It frightened me. The acting was great and the twists were too. I gave it an extra star because the low reviews were not fair. If you want action look up action thrillers. I recommend. A change of pace from the same old same old.
Halloween Kills (2021)
Terrible!
I can't believe Jamie Lee Curtis would allow herself to be in this movie and also to look like a hag. I am a big fan of Judy Greer and even she couldn't help the movie. I guess times are tough for actors. The dialogue is boring and the beginning scenes are a bunch of chaos with unlikeable people. Most important, there is no suspense. A movie like this can't just jump into constant action and killings with no suspense like the original Halloween and even the one where Jamie Lee's son is in the school where she works. I quit watching about 25-30 minutes into it. My eyes were glazing over, I felt no fear either so a 1 star is what I'm giving it. There are no redeeming qualities.
The Weekend Away (2022)
Anything but standard in my book...
I thought this thriller had enough twists that it was not a standard Netflix thriller as some have said. I thought it would be one of those movies where the search goes on forever. I loved the lead actress and the taxi driver. The scenery was beautiful too. It kept me engaged. I thought the low reviews were crazy so I added a star. It's a very good murder mystery.
Big Sky (2020)
A 10 for Season One
Season one was tightly written, a real thriller with lots of surprises. We couldn't wait for each new episode. We loved the cast.
Season two has lost us. We are bored with the drug cartel story. We feel that Ronald's story should have come to a conclusion. The actions of Jenny are ridiculous. Coming from law enforcement, her endangering her lover's undercover work made me start to dislike her character. She is also becoming too bossy and arrogant. We just finished probably our last episode where she does something so stupid and dangerous that I can't take anymore. Are they following the books or are there different writers who are trying to make it more about Jenny? She's becoming a sex symbol in her tight pants rather than a believable police officer.
The sister in the drug cartel family is also annoying. In a scene where she repeats " woman power" twice I just rolled my eyes. She spoke this while trusting a person she barely knows. I just don't see powerful drug families behaving the way she does. Another weird thing is the father who leads the drug family not revealing to his two children (who are second in command) about very dangerous and serious problems he had in another place. Yet his girlfriend, whom he hasn't known all that long is privy to most information.
Evil Stepmom (2021)
Bad movie
The father is so stupid and disloyal to his own daughter that it's not enjoyable. He invites this woman and daughter to move in when he barely knows them. What an insult to his daughters. The woman he becomes involved with is such a bully from the beginning and very unappealing. I just started watching a few LMN movies to break TV monotony. The first one with Linda Purl was decent. This one is so ridiculous. If they are all like this, I will have to find another entertainment venue. The only thing I liked about it was the younger sister. She's quite striking and I'd love to see her in a good movie. I took two more stars off when he finds out something very serious and still says they are a family and must stay. No normal person would do that.
Triple 9 (2016)
It pulled me in
I think better editing was needed and I agree that they should have shown us more about the characters. The cast was great. I'm glad Shia LaBeouf was not the lead. I thought Casey Affleck was terrific. Shia wouldn't be good for this part. After some initial confusion, I was drawn into it. There was plenty of action and suspense for me. I feel the 1-4 scores were too low. It was at least a 5. I loved the chaotic ending. Kate Winslet played a really great villain. It entertained me more than some Oscar winners.
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
It had potential...
It started out with some funny scenes. Then it got a little too nasty especially Selma's scenes. There was nothing funny about them - they were way too crude. I felt like Jackson could have done better than her. She annoyed me. Reynolds was really funny when he had material. When it evolved into him brooding about his lost love too much, it strayed. Jackson is one of my favorite actors but I started deducting a few stars because his abrasive lines to Reynolds became tedious. The ending was exciting. Maybe some better editing would have helped and making Selma a little bit softer instead of an insane woman.
Dexter: New Blood (2021)
Fabulous
It will be difficult for us to find another series that enthralled us as much as this. It is so well written. We wanted this to go on forever. Whoever gave this 1's must not appreciate a good series that delves into the characters and goes deep. There were some shocks for me towards the end, but I ended up accepting them. I loved the setting too. I sometimes yearn to live in a small town like this, it was quite charming. The actors were wonderful. If you want all blood and gore look elsewhere. There was a lot of suspense which makes for a good movie in my world. I can't go on because I don't want to ruin anything for future viewers. You don't have to have watched the entire Dexter series to enjoy this. I think I only watched about 4 seasons of the first. As long as you know a little bit of Dexter's history, you will be fine. We were addicted to this. If you liked the original series, do not pay attention to the people giving this ridiculously low scores.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
I tried....
I am a film noir woman. I love the 40s noirs. I agree with a previous reviewer who calls this a " noir wannabe". To me it's just a star vehicle. The dialogue didn't grab me. It just doesn't have the magic of a true noir.
A Bride for Christmas (2012)
Not my thing
I don't like runaway bride movies. Taking it all the way to a huge wedding and running out - a big turn off for me. I knew I couldn't find anything appealing in this woman so I quit watching. I didn't like the Julia Roberts runaway bride movie either.
W lesie dzis nie zasnie nikt II (2021)
Loved the first one.
The first half of this started with promise. Then it went south. It got annoying. I liked some parts of the ending but I can't say this was a good sequel. If the second half continued like the first half I would have added a couple stars. Quirky is one thing. This just got boring and disappointing.
The Sweetest Christmas (2017)
My first bad Hallmark movie this year
I hadn't seen this last year. I've become a big fan of Lacey Chabert but even she couldn't save this movie. I actually was routing for her boss/boyfriend Alex. He made a mistake. So big deal. Her high school boyfriend didn't click with me. There was no chemistry. I thought the script was bad. The ending was a bummer for me. I ended up fast forwarding the last 40 minutes. The winning entry seemed lame. It was actually a boring movie that could have had more potential and a surprise ending.
Sorjonen: Muraalimurhat (2021)
Horrible movie
Needs editing. It's exceptionally choppy, with a terrible bizarre plot. Some things were never explained. The top 5 targets are such an odd mix. From terrible criminals to lighter weight. That made no sense. If these detectives are the cream of the crop, then that department is in big trouble. The stupid things they do are a real turn off. Real police detectives would never do some of the things they did. This was also confusing. I felt as if I walked into a movie where I had missed half. I'm writing this review before it's even over. Cause I don't care who the Judge is anymore.
One Royal Holiday (2020)
I'm not a Hallmark Christmas movie person but...
I watch a few every year. This one was very good. As another reviewer said, they have accomplished actors who are wonderful. The setting in the inn is lovely. I love that it's a gradual romance and that the prince is so work oriented. It just made me feel good which is difficult to do for me lately. The subtle humor in it is refreshing. I would say the writers are excellent. The supporting cast are all terrific experienced actors too. I don't watch the number of Hallmark movies other people do. I usually watch about 20 minutes of the ones I choose and then I'm either hooked or turn it off. I don't need a Hollywood blockbuster to give a movie a high score. Every movie can't be a Titanic, Alien or Jaws. I judge them by how I react to them. My other favorite Hallmark Christmas movie is Let It Snow with Candace Cameron Bure. I would love to be a guest at either inn/ resort. That would be my dream.
Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)
Very tense movie.
Not every movie can be constant action as some people seem to require. It was not tedious at all. This was a thriller. As to the people who say why do we care if the girls go back or not, the school mistress was also taking intelligence back with them which was stated several times. There was enough action for us and the build up to it was very good. To the reviewer who wishes Alfred Hitchcock could have directed it, this director did a great job. As much as I love Hitchcock, there are several of his movies that I didn't like as much as this. The cinematography was wonderful. Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench were very good. I loved the pictures of the real school shown at the end. Not sure about the spoiler question so I'll say yes.
Frantz (2016)
Beautifully done movie.
Great photography and actors and first 3/4 of the story. I would have given it an 8 or 9 but I intensely disliked the ending. Can't directors ever uplift us? I'm actually sorry I watched it. I suppose that saying this is a spoiler.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Horrible movie.
Dull. I recorded this because of the rave reviews. So many said it was Price's best movie. I disagree. As a huge fan of his, I've seen so many of his good movies that actually required acting. I wasn't fond of the gothic stage show - not my thing. The only bearable parts of the movie were the detectives discussing the case. This was boring. I quit watching it early on.