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Mr. Robot (2015)
Brilliant Writing and Perfect Casting in Elliott!
As noted, the pilot was epic! Brilliant really. You have to just flow with this show and it will hit. The only other actor I could see that would come close to Rami Malek might be Wentworth Miller. Rami Malek is just brilliant. No questions asked. He is so inside this character you can't believe this isn't really him. That's incredible acting as an art form.
There is a some really deep ideas presented in this show. The writing is high IQ. How about Elliott's first session with his therapist. The social commentary is spot on. What we have here is writing that reflects what most of us feel and communicate usually through various outlets. This commentary would fuel most of talk radio and political TV for years and is the underbelly of so many religious and political debate.
Elliott's inner dialogue is so real and well performed. This is hard to do and mesh with real time. Some of the back and forth between Elliot and Angela offer great platforms for any relationship like, "Stop thinking about something else when I'm talking to you!" Who hasn't dealt with this and just let it go, but after, it lingers until you just fade away from someone. There's a lot of these little tidbits. Looking forward to where this show develops.
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Did Anyone Note the Smart Phone in 1989???
In the opening scenes,Doctor Emmett Brown at 7:46 holds up a device that looks just like a smart phone. It is crazy. There is no way in 1989 the producers could ever imagine in the future there would be a device that looked exactly like this and it would be a phone! It's really eerie when you think about it. This is a movie about the future and it is 2015, and he is holding a device exactly like we use today in 2015. At 7:53 in the movie he holds it up and we see some hot chicks (that will always be a constant) and he might as well be holding my LG Smart Phone...it looks exactly like it. Weird right? If they only knew what they stumbled upon. There is some prop dude that was brilliant. Who knew...maybe an engineer was a fan of these movies and copied the design? Likely! Some dude had to come up with a prop and he might have been the inspiration of a phone revolution. That's history.
Predestination (2014)
Love Time Flicks...could have been better
I hate when others say this movie could have been better, but this really could have. First the obvious. Sarah Snook was the child of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jodie Foster in this movie. It's freaky really. She looks like Leo and sounds like Jodi with a cross in-between at every angle. If you already saw the movie, watch it again. You will be distracted.
I love time travel movies. They do something to me I need to journal over. This movie could have spent more time on the travel and less setting up the plot. They took one third of the movie getting to the time travel scenes. This was a waste of cinematic space. The fight scene an hour into things took too much time. Stick to the core of the theme and eliminate useless energy like an extended fight.
Ethan Hawke was excellent, but Snook played two roles simultaneously with ease. It is hard to believe she is playing two roles in the same scene. Again, the Jodie Foster distraction made it all the more believable this was indeed two separate actors. If Snook went for this, all the more brilliant. In fact, the storyline behind Snook's character was so strong it made the time travel purpose pale and this was a plot flaw. I didn't care so much about why they traveled back in time. I was hooked on Jane, the unmarried mother. Snook was that good!
Very good film. Very well made.
The Guest (2014)
OK...Now I Respect Lorenzo Lamas!
This movie sucks. There, not that I am done with that, if you're a screenwriter or aspiring anything in Starbucks or Denny's right now trying to "make it" you have a great chance if you know someone. If this movie got budgeted, then you have to know someone and there is hope for all. So, this movie gives hope. Really.
To compare this with Drive...ummm, a very poor man's drive. The script was as good as any average high school kid could muster with minimal effort. The acting was decent and makes you appreciate real actors. No offense, but I'd imagine "real actors" without great talent around them resembles life with and without make-up. So life's fare.
Mr Wonderful comes into town, is invited to a party with the family daughter, beats up the son's high school bullies in a bar, goes to high school with mom to pick up the son who gets into a fight, plays the role of dad, becomes the masculine energy in the family, and soothes everyone with his swarthy voice.
The mother's acting was horrible. Dude from The Wire and LOST...needed a paycheck, and that's cool...but this movie is horrible. Worse than an episode of Renegade. Lorenzo could make this work in 1992, and even then, it was a B TV show at best. If this was a comedy parody, it might work, so aspiring industry folks, keep drinking coffee, you can make it, but do better because every project is your resume and being attached to this movie is career suicide. If it was 1985 we could turn the other cheek, but in 2014, with movies playing 24/7 on cable, cable TV at it's best, and a back log of 90 years of stories on film, this movie proves the best cinematic life lesson: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it...and badly!
The Equalizer (2014)
Black Rambo
Watching the end scene I thought how a man of color became a black Rambo and Denzel is just that in this movie. No hesitation accepting he had the skills much like the white Rambo in Taken. Men like Rambo movie no matter how they are the same picture painted with different colors. So what? This is a movie and nothing more. You have to suspend thought because it meets a visceral need to have power and control. It is as old as the day...to see justice in this lifetime.
This movie like many others portray evil and the wicked heart of man, and in this sense, the movie was factual and accurate. This evil really happens. There is gospel in here if you look closely. Justice must be forthcoming or life is absurd. No, worse, life also then is evil if evil wins.
In the end, it is instant gratification, and for men, these movies are essential because The Equalizer gets justice done so we don't have to in our own world. That's the gut or reptilian effect.
On a pure acting note, another example of how character actors are the best and the dude you might meet at Home Depot or Lowes shopping probably has more acting chops that most A-list personalities. Take note Mr Willis next time generosity is called for. Support your local theater! Better yet, to the 5% who make the 95% of the money, just buy the theater and let upcoming talent do their thing.
The Unsaid (2001)
MUST SEE...especially if you work with young adults!
This is one of those movies that can really become a therapeutic reality and an unexpected shock. it has been said, the earlier the trauma, the more difficult it is to unpack and deal with. If a shadow has a controlling lock on your life, then it needs to be brought to light. The challenge is going through the pain. Unless you or I have a supportive system, we most likely will never deal with those demons inside. This movie brilliantly shows how sexual sin can leave one highly disturbed and often missed by even those closest to us, namely family. And it is here the message is so powerful. How well do you know the people in your life? How much courage do you have to look at the behavioral signs of those closest to you and ask some very difficult questions? We are quick to say, "I love you?" but very slow to make the effort to look beneath the surface. You can't impart what you don't possess. One of the most powerful films ever made for its subject matter!
Sound City (2013)
Grohl Gets It
What made this so great is it was made by a musician. Dave gets it. This had a perfect balance of music, technology, personalities, and performances. It could have morphed too much on the magic of the sound board, but it did not. It could have morphed on the early years, but it did not. It brought the complete history together.
I dig how Dave gave the core SC personalities equal time. Only someone who listens would allow the "gals" who worked at SC to get their due. They played a HUGE part of those sessions. It did not get tangential. It served its purpose with feel...and in the end, that is what made SC so magical...it was the feel.
I am stunned how in the name of progress the magic was lost with technology and a new sound emerged. In my estimate, this was the regression of music, not progression. Music must be captured by technology and that is in performance...let the tape capture the story. The story is NOT the technology.
Ending this with Paul must have been a mind-blow for Dave and the boys. McCartney looked and acted like he was 30ish. How does that happen? He was so comfortable being PM. The cat is smooth as glass and so fresh and alive. Crazy-weird experience playing and making music with your idol...and knowing he is cooler than you thought! A rare experience of meeting your hero and NOT being disappointed.
Thanks Dave...seriously, this was really great...and I grew up right around the corner from this place during the magical years. Who knew?
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Excellent...Renner fills big shoes
The opening scene is just studly. Jeremy Renner walks out of 45 degree water...walks out of. There is a great little IMDb short on this scene worth viewing. Matt Damon owned this genre (the Richard Chamberlin Bourne movie from the late 80's was really good)so Renner will always be compared to Damon. He was the perfect choice.
This movie has a similar feel to Shooter for me. I can watch it a few times a year. Just satisfies. The only flaw was the most overrated actor now in Hollywood, Ed Norton. He along with James Woods are the boring actors who try to have more screen presence than they can. Dude has no Q factor for me. Was amazing in his earlier movies and History X, but not in this role.
Contact (1997)
WAY Better than Interstellar
This movie had a soul. it did not get bogged down in slow, methodical details and this is the difference between two great directors, one being Christopher Nolen and the other Robert Zemekis. Matthew McConaughey is the same...he was out starred. His services fill the scenes, but could have been better cast. Also James Woods sucks...smart man, lousy presence. Another actor would have filled the role in better and that is what a movie is about. See Flight for perfect casting. The message is significant...look up and not at what is before us...yet, this opens the doors to apologetics, epistemology, and ontology. In a word, Jesus. If people took the Bible seriously, the light of the eyes and mind would open. Most judged book by those most ignorant.
Flight (2012)
Brilliant...you have to be there to know
This movie captures the essence of addiction and any review that says otherwise is simply a reflection of those who do not get it or refuse to get it. And the movie captures this essence as well. We are always the last to see ourselves. The music score is perfectly layered.
The casting for this movie was perfect. Kelly Reilly was brilliant...I mean really brilliant. John Goodman was slightly over-the-top but used with precision to lighten the mood. Peter Gerety as the owner of the airline was instantly believable. Don Cheadle use of subtlety in his performance noteworthy. Alan Silvestri's soundtrack haunting. Mr Washington is amazing. Denzel just knows his craft. When someone is this good, I just relax and like a beautiful sunset, I can only admire and give thanks. Yeah...I dug this flick!
There are millions of alcoholics and even more so in denial of living the illusion of being in control. Add the addicts of other forms of substance and we have a whole lot of people addicts to something.
How any review can be negative about this film is beyond me. The film portrays the insanity of addiction, that despite a crash, the desire to drink is not quenched, in fact, it escalates. Guilt and resentments fuel addiction. Denzel was brilliant here as was the writing and direction.
Arrogance is the only power a guilty man can stand on, and once that ladder is climbed, the top is about to peak, and quickly. Then there is a time when the lies must stop. One must accept the consequences. This is like the person arrested and says they are glad the police showed up. They were ready to let a "power greater than them self" take over.
Many reviewing this have addictions, but with different consequences. Shopping, gambling, sex, food (the number one addiction) can be equally as powerful in a person's life, but with different outcomes. At the core, the addiction is fueled by the same elements, some form of brokenness. Life in a fallen world. The key is repentance or a change of heart to seek God. We do not seek God out of His love for us, but out of pain and the need for rescue. Our hearts are that hard. Do you understand that? If not, continue on, by His grace you might have life.
When one says I am a grateful alcoholic, they mean if it weren't for that addiction they would not have found grace, so in a twisted irony, those with the "lesser" addictions might be worse off for they believe they are in control and live in their illusion.
Interstellar (2014)
Hated it but it was Good
This movie was so slow and jagged like Inception...I felt much the same in that movie. It started so slowly...boring even...I text a friend about it in the movie...then it ramped up but the edits bounced too much from space ship to earth. I felt the establishing plot was not developed and I felt lost and bored most of the movie. The end was twilight zone powerful, but not enough to save this movie.
My dad is aging so the wheelchair scene was hard and MC in the hospital. Adding of all actors Matt Damon was so bad. Really, MD? It took me way out of the movie. Casey Affleck was OK for his role, but Damon was too much. Hire someone else! Both actors chinked up for the roles.
The concept and production brilliant...i didn't like the movie but lie with Inception it was genius to conceive and produce.
C- at best
Coherence (2013)
Twlight Zone, but not as good.
If I was a budding film-maker and had a really low budget, this is the type of movie to make like Open Water. Heavy dialogue with a "monster" of some sort to add the element of, "Wow, this is a really low budget movie."
The transitional editing was annoying and unnecessary. Don't overcompensate for your budget. A movie like this is ALL about confidence.
This movie was a long episode of; The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street...but not done as well. Makes the original Twilight Zone all the more brilliant proving nothing has developed since because this movie did not capture the essence of terror that episode did. Do your homework Mr Film-maker...if you're going to copy the 50 year old idea, make it MUCH better.
The acting was good, but the idea needed more depth over improv dialogue. Too much rambling like a modern 30-Something episode which is OK for TV on cable.
Imagine how different this would be if it was set in the south with truckers or farmers? This is too cliché for the yuppie crowd that has never mowed his lawn and lives in the business world, left helpless without a gardener, auto mechanic, or accountant.
Overall, boring movie and wonder what the director and writer and producer were thinking. They were not on the same page and did not listen to each other or told the other what they wanted to hear or they just lack talent. This needed much more work.
Chato's Land (1972)
Rambo before Rambo
This was Rambo...guy minds his own business and is hassled by the law. Then a posse is formed to get him and one by one, they are led into demise. Bronson was ripped in this movie. The guy looked the part. My dad said towards the end, "He didn't need to memorize many lines." He didn't have to, his physique and look did all the talking! This is a guy's flick, but there are deeper themes like the revenge, greed, lust, and the evil all men have in their hearts. It's there is you are willing to see it. Another movie that demonstrated man is sinful and at the core, we are all capable of murder. Grim? Yes it is. The answer to man's dilemma is in the movie if you are willing to hear.
Imagine (1972)
The Real John
I enjoyed this and there is a scene where two young men seem to have hid out on his property in England. John meets them at the front door and talks to them. He treats them with dignity and actually tries to break down the idol of being a Beatle and let them know he is just like them, a man.
Now he could have got some security or whatnot, but he doesn't. He speaks to them and invites them in for something to eat. It was touching...he asks them if they are hungry twice. This was the real John imo. He knew he was a freak of nature as a Beatle...something from another planet for most people like meeting Elvis only to find out he takes a crap and eats breakfast just like you and I. John actually mentioned the crap thing to bring his point home to the guys.
I think this idol worship when met can be either a great disappointment or a moment of reality for some. This is a good documentary of a man who could stand in the room as just a guy and also as a living legend both at the same time. In the end, the line between crazy fame and just being a down and out guy is not too far apart if you peel away the talent of one over the other.
Probably .001% of the population can relate to being literally world famous. I don't think John had any idea how to deal with this so he seems to have chosen to ignore it. He seems very normal and nonchalant by his tremendous fame. This is the power of music, marketing, TV, radio and whatnot.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Huge Disappointment! Lame Story?
Big fan of the original three movies, especially the first two. Refused to see the Burton remake and hesitated to see this one. A friend said it was very good. Read IMDb reviews and was impressed. Saw the film.
Ugh! Really? Half the movie is still developing plot. Slow and boring. The fact is the plot of an intelligent chimp through drugs (a monkey version of the film Limitless) could have taken 30 mins at most.
The CGI apes were bad as well. The original movie looked WAY better! The only good thing was the facial gestures of the monkeys, especially Caesar, but they looked too human in that regard. Very disappointing. Monkeys flying and swinging was so computerized and for this to be accepted it tells me a new generation of young movie goers accept this dribble. That is regression in my book! When in doubt, add eye candy to keep the male viewers attention w/Will's g/f. The lead acting was terrible, especially David Oyelowo as Jacobs. Franco needs to slow down and focus on one project at a time. He seems half present as the story rolls on. Brian Cox and John Lithgow were miscast.
One of the worst scenes that told me the director was a goof had to be the stolen classic line from the original...it was so bad and comical the only reaction was insult. This would be poor in a local community play, but a major motion picture?
Bad movie overall. If movies like Avatar and Rise are good, then my movie enjoyment will decrease with this type of genre.
Non-Stop (2014)
The worst yet slightly entertaining film ever made
This movie was bad and went badder...just like my grammar! There is no way to justify this movie being made. Yet, it was still slightly entertaining. I love plane thriller movies. Airport blew my mind as a kid and scared the crap out of me. This is just a horrible movie. Call it a paycheck movie for name actors on the downward slope of their careers. How was this green lighted by studio execs? If this was made for TV movie it might be acceptable for a 2am showing, but as a major motion picture? There is a reason I never heard of this movie even though Liam Neeson starred and is a hot ticket since Taken. IMDb did not do me a favor with an average vote of 7 rating. Please.
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Taken from an Episode of Bonanza?
Twilight Town, an episode on Bonanza from 1963 eerily is very similar to this movie. Little Joe is taken hostage in a small western town and is asked to lead a troop of men in town to defeat some bandits. The town has the men but they lack the masculine strength to defend their territory and families.
The movie is much better, but it has that Rambo thing going--one man against the world. I'm telling ya, this Bonanza episode had to influence the movie...way too similar. I am just hanging out today watching TVLand and this episode was on. Little Joe doesn't have the cool Eastwood does and the slow deliberate atmosphere isn't achieved seen in the movie, but the idea sure is. The ending goes totally Twilight Zone, but until that point, I kept thinking High Plains Drifter.
North Dallas Forty (1979)
This IS the NFL Today!
Listening to the Colin Cowherd Show on ESPN and Kyle Turley was on. He was getting into the drug use in the NFL and now wants the NFL to pay-up.
I saw this in 1979 with two friends I worked with at a hot dog place. They were both going to USC to play football. This movie was an insight to the reality of sports...and it was 1979. Nothing has changed! Why is this movie so significant? If you listen to Turley's arguments, he acts as if this is something new. Like anything else, nothing is new. You want women, money, and a lifestyle that says, "Live for today" then you can't whine about the consequences. The NFL sees you as a product. That's news to you?
Every professional athlete should have to watch this movie before signing any contract. You show this to any high school athlete, and like the guys I saw it with going to USC, they will say, "So...that's not gonna happen to me." Great movie!
Fever Pitch (2005)
Good Flick...Falon is Great!
This is a good movie and should be way more popular...it also should be a better movie if they took it more seriously in production. I blame the director...he was trying too hard to be nice.
Fallon shine here and is obviously passionate about the Red Sox. Barrymore could not be worse. She is super cute and that gets you in the front door, but her acting is equal to Keanu Reeves. No...she is much worse. If you read the phone book out loud it would be more convincing than her ability to memorize lines and deliver a performance that is not simply being herself. She's that bad...but she's cute, and this is a light hearted romantic comedy so there is a lot of room for her lack of skill...and the cast her as "a professionally successful workaholic executive"...ummm, OK. As much as I knock her acting, she is adorable and has thespian royalty in her blood.
The best part of the movie are the real scenes at Fenway and the ironic twist the the Sox would win their first world series the same year.
True Detective (2014)
Forget Dallas Buyers Club!
Pairing up Harrelson and McConaughey was brilliant. The casting director or whomever actually makes the executive decision nailed it here. I have to ask the obvious...why weren't these two paired in a movie version of this? This is where cable TV is blowing the socks off movies today...the character depth and story lines go so far beyond what a two hour movie can ever do.
Thanks to Homicide: Life on the Streets which led to The Sopranos then Six Feet Under and The Wire, especially The Wire, we now have storytelling as an art form.
Hollywood is much the same as the show Shark Tank. Someone has a great idea, they are in process of getting the idea launched, but unless there is security involved, the major players who boast of their confidence pass. A great idea is a great idea! Both Harrelson and McConaughey take their star power to a whole new level. Especially Matthew...he just throws down this role like a slam dunk. It is 100% catered to his acting style and persona. Same with Woody. The supporting cast know their roles and add all the needed colors to make this show work at the highest level.
Yes...it is slow paced, but that is the art. Similar to The Killing, the pace only draws you in deeper. The writing is the silent star much like a music score is when watching a great movie. Someone took a degree in philosophy and theology and did something with it. If you really listen to McConaughey's lines, they are wrapped in both logic and humanity. Agree or disagree with his position, that is one thing, but to take this insight into written form hoping an actor can pull it off...now we are back to art.
Much respect.
Sit back and enjoy...
The Blacklist (2013)
Good Start, but Faded Quickly
For Network TV, this is a good show. If cable shows like Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, Homeland, The Killing and many others weren't on the scene, this would be great TV. Unfortunately, cable has ruined network TV. The desperate need to conclude each episode in 42 mins makes it impossible to not be commercial, cliché, and make you live in unrealistic suspended disbelief. Terrible CGI also dilutes the story for me...it is almost like seeing the artist draw flames when the proverbial plane explodes.
James Spader is a strong player in the cast. The female lead was too pretty for me, but I got used to her. She is weak overall. Her husband is a better cast...mysterious, yet supportive and the writers did a good job of making him part of the storyline, but at a distance.
This is network TV's version of Homeland...but they cannot develop the storyline depth. After watching cable TV, I just can't go back to network TV anymore...again, they just dumb things down too much for me.
Lone Survivor (2013)
Watch Youtubes of Marcus on This Movie!
If you have a problem with this movie, then watch the Youtube vids of Marcus about this movie. This intent was accuracy as the events unfolded. The language was meant to be very accurate. If you have any issues, it is all in direction.
Did they really fall down the mountain like they did? Yes, they did fall, but the "movie" might have made it look too Hollywood...well, it's a movie not a documentary, but they did fall down that many times. The injuries were accurate after the fall and how they died. Marcus was not on the hill when his Seal brother made the life saving call, but the gunshot wounds reveal how many times he was shot and it is not hard to deduce this scene. The call was verbally accurate.
Wahlberg was decent, but average actor...he is more a personality. The real acting came from Ben Foster and the others. Foster was excellent! Eric Bana strong support. My main issue with Wahlberg was his acting chops when he was to act "emotional" when caught. He does injury and pain well, but not so much when he need to be vulnerable. This is why he was so good in Shooter...did not have to display as much needed talent. Also...his monotone delivery is signature, but flip to any other movie he does (I was watching Planet of the Apes on TV a few seconds and it is the same character or Wahlberg being Wahlberg)...he needs to hit the classes and take it to the next level or just be satisfied until we all get tired of the repeat. Advice: look at what Matthew McConaughey has done past two years...do that! The end of the movie was most touching. These were the real men that gave their lives...they did not skimp here...they played it out and it made it impossible to leave theater...I teared up and it "sealed" how real this movie was.
A Few Good Men (1992)
Pure Entertainment except for one glaring hole
That hole is Demi Moore. How for the life of me did she get cast for this part. I am watching on TV this lazy post Thanksgiving weekend and she is an embarrassment to watch. Talk about trying to hard to fit into a stellar cast. She is not good looking enough to overlook her horrible acting. Ugh! Only bad part of this flick.
We didn't know Aaron Sorkin would be so good, but the script is excellent and the unsung star of the movie. Usually it is the sound track that never gets proper credit, but the script is so well crafted. Music pretty good as well.
PS--Why is the world do people writing reviews feel the need to review the movie when 150 people did the same before them? I don't come to IMDb to know what a movie is about, I go to see if it is any good.
Captain Phillips (2013)
Good, but not Great...no Castaway here.
I liked the movie and the last 45 mins made it good. Up to that point, it was pretty uneventful. Just because this is a true story (critics seem to be the actual crew) this does not make it a great movie experience.
True or not, I just could not get past how four men in a broken down boat could board a massive freighter. You telling be the massive Maersk company knowing there have been raids could not have a few armed guards for this territorial trip? That the crew who followed protocol could not at least try to pull the ladder at it latched onto the ship? Maybe I have watched too many movies where one guy takes out a crew, but this was hard to swallow...real or not. It took me out of the movie.
This really was a kidnapper movie and the premeditated method of HOW to get the ransom money never discussed. It was all action without reason. After a while, how could you not ask these questions? Hanks played the role in subtle manner. No over acting here. The best acting was by the pirates...first time actors it seems. United 93 was far better as both an accurate film and entertaining by the same director.
So, it was good, but not great.
Homeland (2011)
Holy Moly Batman!
The BEST TV drama on TV...period! Showtime has joined the ranks of HBO with this one. I was a huge fan of Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad, and The Killing. This show is like watching a Bourne movie every episode. It's that good.
I have been searching for a new show and found it. I can't believe the budget Showtime has for this series. Watch this! You will not be disappointed. If you want to see what bipolar type I is about, the lead character does a good job. She has similar energy to "Deb" from Dexter.
What makes this so good is the space between the notes. The director/writer/whomever has the confidence to allow for space rather than pull an Aaron Sorkin and dialog you to death. This really is art.