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Reviews
1408 (2007)
Fell flat
I like me a good horror film, and those based on Stephen King novels are normally good. But this isn't one of them. To be scary, a movie has to allow a viewer to suspend their disbelief. Despite the theatrics and melodrama, I didn't suspend my disbelief for one second and the movie didn't scare me at all. I was glad when it was over.
White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch (2022)
Fascinating look at something bad in US culture.
I was completely absorbed by this documentary. I wasn't young during the time in question (roughly mid-90s to 2014), so I didn't shop at A&F that much, but I've always liked "preppy" clothes and I did shop there on occasion. While I saw their obvious "exclusion" policies when I was in one of their stores, I didn't think much of them since they didn't affect me. But the documentary educated me about how harmful it can be to categorize most people, or even a single person, as unworthy.
As for many of the other, negative reviews posted here, the authors quite obviously are unware of what A&F was all about and the purposes of the film.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (2022)
Nearly perfect
Unlike any movie I've ever seen. Imagine a thriller that grabs you but, at the end, leaves you in stitches. Great bad acting with an outstanding awful script. I couldn't stop laughing during episodes 7 and 8.
The Coldest Game (2019)
Stupid and boring
I can just imagine the pitch meeting. "Queen's Gambit, right? Chess is big right now. Mash that with spies. Bridge of Spies, right? We'll mix up the chronology so people will be confused and won't notice how ludicrous the story is. Bill Hurt can pull off being a crazy drunk the US trusts to prevent nuclear war."
Only problem was William Hurt broke his leg and hammy-acting Bull Pullmsn replaced him.
Agonizing to watch.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
A thoughtful look at Lucy and Desi
In "Lincoln," Steven Spielberg chose to deal with one period of the president's life - the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery - rather than presenting a traditional, linear biography. Similiarly, "Being the Ricardos" deals with one period of the TV stars' lives - when Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist.
I thought the script was effective and the casting first-rate. I've never really cared for Nicole Kidman's twitchy mannerisms, but in this movie she gives a controlled and sympathetic performance as Lucy.
J. T. Simmons is one of my favorite actors, and he is amazing as William Frawley, who played Fred on the show.
The movie is also interesting in showing how shows were produced in TV's infancy, and in discussing Desi Arnez's notorious philandering.
137 Shots (2021)
First-rate documentary about cops
The film examines two cases in Cleveland in which white cops killed Black victims. The first case, the shooting of Tmothy Russell and Malisa Williams, gives the movie its title as police fired 137 shots into the car in which they were riding. The pair were unarmed. The second case may be better known: two cops shot and killed a twelve year-old boy, Tamir Rice, who was holding an air gun.
The documentary factually examines these cases, the causes of police violence, and offers solutions offered by various Black leaders.
Well worth watching.
The Unforgivable (2021)
Sandra Bullock makes me believe
I liked this movie. Sandra Bullock is a great actress and makes the most of the material. I was completely enveloped in the story and the other actors were first-rate (except for Richard Thomas, who never could act). The last 30 minutes were effective and there was a twist towards the end.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
A movie about an angry, gay cowboy
I think my headline sums up the movie pretty well. Set in 1920s Montana, the film contains characters I don't think I've encountered before in a movie. Besides the mean, gay cowboy, there is an alcoholic wife, and a gay college student. Add a quiet, respectful cattle man, and the interactions among the four kept my attention. The cast is excellent, especially Benedict Cumberbatch as the cowboy.
Spencer (2021)
What's it like to get into Diana's head?
I think we can all, in a general sense, understand why Diana had mental health issues because of the strict requirements of being a royal and because her husband had a very public affair. But with that being said, the movie does an outstanding job of getting in Diana's head and humanizing her beyond the pretty princess facade we all know.
Kristen Stewart is brilliant as Diana and the film has a lush, impressionist look.
King Richard (2021)
Inspiring
A very compelling, true sports movie. The performances were all good (with one exception, discussed below), but in particular the actress who played the mother, Aunjanue Ellis, was outstanding. I thought the best part of the film was her speaking to the father character about her love for their girls. The young actress who played Venus, Saniyya Sidney, also gave a first-rate performance.
On the negative side, Will Smith's performance as the father left me unconvinced, as he usually dies.
A River Runs Through It (1992)
I wanted to like this movie...
...but I didn't. I'm a big fan of Brad Pitt and Robert Redford, and I remember fine performances by Tom Skerritt. The movie is beautifully shot and the music is first-rate. But there's hardly any dramatic tension in the movie. The only memorable event is the Brad Pitt character is murdered, but even that happens off-screen and it seems tacked on at the end. Also, fly fishing looks extrwmely BORING. Overall, I thought the movie was a real sleeping pill.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
Stellar Performance by Jessica Chastain
I imagine it'd be hard to make Tammy Faye Baaker a sympathetic character, but a near-unrecognizable Jessica Chastain succeeds. She fills the role nicely without resorting to caricature. I think Chastain will be nominated for Oscar's best actress.
Catching Killers (2021)
Typical true crime procedurals
I'm writing this review because apparently in June 2021, Netflix released a different version of this series and it had problems. In the version which began playing in Nov. 2021, the problems have been repaired.
The series is a typical true crime procedural that lays out the facts of the crimes by interviewing law enforcement investigators who worked on the cases. The LE investigators travel to places where bodies were recovered or case events took place. At the end of an episode, the criminal is nabbed and justice is meted out.
The series is perhaps unusual because it deals with famous serial killers.
Natascha Kampusch: The Whole Story (2010)
True crime story from the victim's perspective
I like to watch true crime documentaries. This one is interesting, mainly due to the storytelling ability of the victim, a young Austrian girl who was kidnapped and held hostage for 8 1/2 years. She has an ability to describe horrifying events dispassionately.
The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea (2021)
Offbeat true crime documentary
I like to watch true crime documentaries. "Raincoat Killer" is unusual because (1) the serial killer is in Korea, a country with a low crime rate, and (2) many of the various law enforcement personnel are emotionally connected to the crimes in a significant degree. I thought the doc was well worth watching.
As an aside, I'm perplexed by many of the early reviews here by self-styled "film critics." Nearly all of them are either unreasonably negative or unreasonably positive. I sense a definite bias by these 20-35 year-old "film critics." If a movie is made by Marvel, or is pretentious, or has dragons, hobbits, vampires, or zombies, it gets a '10.' If a movie has a serious, mature subject matter, it gets rated 4 to 6. A user of imDb should always keep this in mind.
School of Rock (2003)
Funny as all get-out
I LOVE this movie! I've watched it like 20 times. Jack Black is perfectly cast and he's hilarious! The kids are all cute and charming and some show real talent. The supporting cast is excellent, too. Sarah Silverman is a babe!
Safe House (2012)
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Completely generic spy thriller with every trite trope imaginable. Lots of running, car chases, fights, and shooting. I only gave it four stars because the great Denzel Washington is in it. He should choose better material.
Tombstone (1993)
A western masterpiece
This movie has everything: A thrilling, historical story. A great cast giving splendid performances. Compelling themes - friendship and carpe diem. That's why I've watched this masterpiece more than 50 times.
Predestination (2014)
The story didn't work
The moment the "Unmarried Mother" appeared in the bar, it was obvious that the actress was a woman dressed in men's clothes. Not once did I ever remotely accept that the character was a man.
Annihilation (2018)
Agonizing to watch
I really wanted to like this movie because of the cast, but I hated it more than I've ever hated any movie. Apparently, the filmmakers thought the concepts were esoteric, but they aren't. The movie dragged such that I couldn't wait for it to be over.
The Elizabeth Smart Story (2003)
Compelling true crime story
The movie gripped me, especially the creepy performance of the actor who played Emmanuel. However, two omissions troubled me. First, the movie never mentions that the Smart family is Mormon. Second, no mention is made that Emmanuel repeatedly sexually assaulted Smart, an obvious key fact in the case.
Hereditary (2018)
REALLY creepy!
I liked this movie a lot. It will creep you out in many different, peculiar ways. Toni Collette (she played the mother in "The Sixth Sense") gives an amazing performance.
Bird Box (2018)
Sandra Bullock gives a masterful performance
There's a lot to like about "Bird Box." It's genuinely frightening. It has an original plot. The cast is excellect, especially Sandra Bullock, who made me believe I was in the dystopian world. The two children give controlled performances. This movie is heads above a usual Netflix movie.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Disappointing from a lawyer's perspective
The core idea is interesting: A person is murdered and the defendant claims his conduct was due to demonic possession. As a lawyer, I was expecting a sequence in which this defense was presented in court, but there was none. Instead, the movie uses all the horror film tropes we're used to.
Btw, I was hopeful that the defendant's lawyers would argue that actual demonic possession was irrelevant - only what the defendant BELIEVED was demonic possession was relevant. But the lawyers (in the actual case) argued straight demonic possession, which the judge, unsurprisingly, barred because the defense can't be proved.
Inferior to the other two movies in the series. In most scenes, Vera Farmiga, who's a very attractive woman, looked like she was rode hard and put away wet.
Army of the Dead (2021)
The Movie is Dead
This movie contains every cliche of every zombie movie ever made. The acting is wooden. The story is absurd. I'd give it a '1' were not for the hot actresses.