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cuvtixo-13
Reviews
The Veil (2024)
Won't be watching after second episode
The first episode showed promise, Moss' character is set up to be a much underestimated, but accomplished woman who is actually very competent. There are a lot of face close-ups, where she practically smirks with her cigarette. The problem is; we never get even a hint that she is actually is skillful, or resourceful, or intelligent, or, much of anything but ordinary.
Then in episode 2, there's a scene where an arrogant American agent, arriving at the airport, ends up playing "who is going to grab the phone with ongoing illicit intelligence". They are both cowed by a couple of French soldiers at the airport. "Nothing wrong here". Why the French agent backs down ,and pretends nothing's wrong, when it's his country's soldiers? He should be telling them to confiscate the agent's phone immediately! But he instead acts the chastened schoolboy. WTF? I don't expect realism, but I expect consistency. If a series is going to portray cloak and dagger espionage, they need to keep the stakes high. There are actually more similarly problematic scenes with Moss and her Arab compatriot, but I have no need for more complaining here. It just isn't good.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Definitly epic, but also bittersweet tragedy
Another reviewer says certain plots "went nowhere", others talk about it being strangly "condensed". I think I understand, at it's heart it's about two people falling out of love. Yes there's an epic background story, and there's a lot of tension between "is Paul really the prophesied messiah, how much of this is just arranged?" Basically, you never get a definitive answer, the audience must decide for themselves. Also, the real romance between Paul and Chani - Paul has to give it up. He's fated to, he is compelled to. It is his personal sacrifice to the cause, just as he knows many millions will also sacrifice their lives. Yet, it is fated, he cannot refuse. I don't know if these are truly "spoilers" -but I do know there's a sense of disappointment that love does not win. People just want happy endings and this film doesn't have it (yet at the same time it IS a victorious ending)
Vikings: All at Sea (2020)
So Absurd, it feels like a tribute. Russian and Scandanivian Film
The plot has basically been thrownout, but the individual scenes are pretty amazing, with good acting, good drama and emotion, amazing cinematography. The Russian part feels like a classic Russian film(or a classic film about Tsarist Russia?) with an ecstatic religious experience that really makes no sense plot-wise. The pseudo-wedding back in Kattegat looks like some Scandinavian existentialist film(I'd say Swedish, specifically) -again it makes absolutely no sense, but it doesn't look like it's supposed to. It looks like scenes are very carefully composed, like better than a streaming series has a right to be. Is it a deliberate tribute? I don't have a very good knowledge of foreign film, but I do have some idea of cinematography, how scenes are composed, and this is very good. If you want an ordinary series that has a plot that makes sense, no, you're not going to like it.
Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (2023)
False Memory Syndrome unexplored
Another reviewer discusses this under "TMI", and I'm not sure other reviewers understand the issue, unfortunately I know far too many who do. To put a topical spin on this, I'm going to mention the "Satanic Panic" referenced in the last "Stranger Things" series. The panic that Dungeons and Dragons was introducing children to witchcraft and Satanic ritual was only the start. There was another converging phenomenon, of therapists recovering memories of their patients' childhood under hypnosis. It would start with sexual abuse, but there were also several extreme cases where therapists continued hypnosis sessions until the patients started remembering being part of Satanic rituals as children, where other children were sacrificed in Black Masses. This became part of several lawsuits and unfortunately not all the parents were declared innocent right away. There was several years of recovering their reputations as well as having sentences overturned. However sad, there were also many cases that did not rise to such extremes. These were later categorized under "False Memory Syndrome". The therapists were very motivated to find reasons for patients adult dysfunctions in childhood, the patients eager to please therapists and have them solve all their psychological problems. The two motives converge and patients start vaguely remembering abuse, even without hypnotism these false memories can bubble up. And, of course, the patient is alienated from parents, and has to turn to their therapist, and the mental health system generally as kind of "substitute parents". The power rush for the therapist is intense, the patient turns to them for replacing the parent figures who have problably been with them their whole life. This is a serious problem, that continues to go on, in a country that has a generally substandard mental health care system, with many substandard therapists and inadequate therapist education. Does Joan have one of these therapists? Is she being misled about her parents? There's no way of knowing from this documentary, or probably any documentary. Is it a real problem that under-recognized? Absolutely. Tragically.
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (2021)
Problematic: Stanford prison experiment and interview with Zimbardo
This is going to be unfair, because it's going to only be about the sixth episode, 12 minutes in, and less than five minutes long. They have an interview with Prof. Philip G. Zimbardo and his infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment". This experiment has been debunked. Prof Zimbardo encourage the "guards" to be rude and rough, then called the experiment off because "it was getting out of control". The fact that it was filmed meant participants were playing up to the camera. Not only were students playing guards encouraged to be "abusive", many of them were fully aware of Prof Zimbardo's political views; his opposition to the Vietnam war, support for Civil Rights, and more importantly the treatment of protesters by law enforcement, and imprisonment of those protesters. He planned for this experiment to get "out of control", and the students were basically in on it. I think it shows in the student interviewed here, who articulates exactly the point the professor wanted to make.. I actually have no trouble with the politics itself, and it could have been covered as hugely influential at the time. But it was bad science, and was presented for decades as being valid and above-board. At the very least, there should have been a challenge to this experiment and the conclusions. This also follows a commentary by a very young Geraldo Rivera on the deaths of Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison. I wonder if he was paid by the filmmakers for that.
Reservation Dogs: House Made of Bongs (2023)
Only really works for binge watch
The show starts very suddenly with an entirely different cast, at an entirely different era, without any context at all. It's made like a independent short movie, but it's not only confusing, it leaves the audience wondering why we care about these characters at all. Not until after seeing the episode summary did I realize "Young Maximus" is the same UFO obsessed old Indian who kidnaps Bear in episode 2 of this season. Why couldn't they have at least given hints? Or maybe do this as the very next episode? It took a while for me to decide this really was the 70s, instead of this "new" character, Young Matthew, just happened to have an old 70s car. I had to see a collection of other 70s cars (all new), which is also kind of silly, because at a time, there would have been older junkers, cars from the 60s! I suppose in a binge watch, the whole episode would make a lot more sense, but for a once a week watching, it was a big fail. I had to explain to my dad that "windowpane" was a name for a kind of LSD, and then they show paper tabs instead of translucent. So... alienating both people unaware of psychedelics, AND people fully aware of what "windowpane" is supposed to look like. And why no reference to ceremonial (or otherwise) peyote? There's a pattern here, don't even get me started about what aliens really look like!! (just kidding, but there was a 1976 book called "Star People" which was about aliens visiting hybrid humans here on Earth. Very on point, but again, most won't get the reference). This episode would have worked extremely well cut down to 15 minutes within another episode (perhaps episode 3? Hard to imagine taking anything out of episode 2). At least adding a few minutes of modern Maximus to give this context. I guess I should give credit to the writers for taking a big chance, but it was alienating for anyone not in the know, in multiple ways.
La fille au bracelet (2019)
To goof or not to goof, lol held my interest
Ok one reviewer mentions a "goof"; the mother describes a bloodbath, that her daughter was unrecognizable after the murder except for her face. Then we see her body and the wounds seem mostly superficial, certainly not as described by the mother. Is it a goof, or not a goof because the body pictures were post-mortem? Well, the mother also describes blood on the walls, and there definitely was no blood on the walls. Why am I bringing this up?, not to be pedantic, but this is the sort of detail viewers can't help but go over, and question about themselves. Does this detail implicate the mother? She had the most opportunity to kill her daughter and know how to frame Lise.
Now I don't know exactly how French courts work, but certainly a lot of the work of the prosecutor seemed totally wrong. I think they'd actually start with physical evidence, the knife wounds, the missing knife, the opportunity, or lack of opportunity (when did Lise have time to clean off any blood on herself or her clothes?) The snarky insinuations about her lack of expressing appropriate emotions, and family members not being supportive enough... not only unprofessional generally, but that would irl, risk turning the jury against the prosecution. In short, the proceedings are pure fantasy, and while my review opening suggest there's intellectual puzzles to mull over, the film's not really that sophisticated. It just doesn't have a real conclusion. And for once that didn't bother me. There's not just plot holes, the whole thing is one big plot hole! But it's interesting enough, and well-acted enough that it doesn't matter.
Darosu (1983)
The 4 half hour episodes
I'm watching the full 120 version with English subtitles, I think it only became available in 2015. I see references here to "80s rock", but what I hear most often is "orchestral" music with a full horn section, this was typical of 70s shows, before synth became a cheap alternative in the 80s. These soundtracks were rarely available to purchase, the use of rock and pop songs also became increasingly popular in the late 80s, as did their availability on CDs and eventually MP3s. Also, without any CGI or modern animation techniques, the animation can be clunky. It's a great nostalgia trip, and while the ending is a little unsatisfying, finally seeing the scenes were edited out is.
The Bear: Fishes (2023)
Pretty great acting and film-making, but missing one thing
I've been in scenes of Italian households where the preferred method of interacting is loud arguing. Although many detractors here feel it was too much, and I sympathize, but I don't think it can be argued it was unrealistic, or just an "acting experiment" or depicting of "a-holes". A key part of this episode is that Donna is an undiagnosed mentally ill person, she does not just have alcohol abuse problems. And Jamie L. Curtis played the paranoia and emotional liability perfectly. But... nowhere is mental health really mentioned, except little asides that Donna is "crazy". And this is realistic, too, some people with mental illness are totally against any such suggestion, and families will let them get away with things until something like driving the car into the side of the house happens. And I thought for sure either in this episode or the next, we'd hear of Donna being treated. If just for the sake of indicating the problems with mental health and lack of treatment, and decent treatment in this country. It seemed a wasted opportunity and because of how it's happened in my family, I couldn't think of anything else. I can't even do a decent review! Lol Please, please if someone in your family acts like this, please get some help, before it devolves into something like this. I think some emphasis was given to substance abuse, and rightly so, even though Mikes' problem is mainly inferenced, he doesn't seem high or seen getting or using drugs. It was well-done and subtle. But... I think we should of heard about Donna's treatment, or lack thereof. She could have legally been forced to get treatment after an event like this. Perhaps there should have been some kind of trigger warning, because this episode hits close to home for many people.
Somebody Somewhere: NNP (2023)
Best slice-of-life show starts off new season
It's a little disturbing how, once again, drinking to excess is shown as a healthy, or at least harmless, coping mechanism, while at the same time we see the mother dealing poorly with her own substance abuse issues. Frankly I forgot why exactly she's in a medical institution, and I think she still is in addiction rehab, although from this episode, you can't tell. A visit to her shows her still being contrary and "impossible", but not much else. I'm hoping this is a sly introduction to the main character actually addressing her own drinking habits, but if not, I'm going to be disappointed. Sure responsible alcohol use can be fun, and I might be oversensitive here, but so far the series has been glib about "social" drinking, while the mother seems to be considered separated because her drinking is alone and in secret. I wish it really only worked that way! And I know binge drinking is a realistic part of Kansas life, but somehow, a connection needs to be made, or at least acknowledged, that this character has a disposition towards addiction from her mother. Maybe I'm just being impatient.
Drol (1983)
Old non-DOS side scroller
I spent hours and hours on this on my Apple IIe. They later came out with Commodore64 and Atari versions, but afaik, never DOS nor Windows. It has a little Wikipedia article, so look there for details, including praise in articles of the time. Realize this is very primitive, and made during the 1983 American videogame drought. So my rating is reflective of it's era. It's rather slow, back-forth, up-down, shooting at little bouncing figures and dodging knives. The sound effects are very primitive arcade-type noises, but considering the poor quality of sound system on an Apple, it was an outstanding effort. There's a little miniature display that just shows static, it's there for decoration, and hard to appreciate if you've not seen the usual blocky graphics of 80s microcomputers that often had just 64kb memory!
Steins;Gate: Achievement Point (2011)
Based on Visual Novel Game
This is adequately described and it's difficult to add more without spoilers. But this is based on a 2009 video game, more specifically, a type of "point and click" adventure that's called a Visual Novel. Obviously, in the game you can make different choices, but the film is a linear narrative, so the experience can't really compare. It's a well-done adaptation I think, but I understand why perhaps to people who played the game it might seem simplistic. There just isn't the ability to have alternate endings, or alternate endings. Another anime adaptation was made in 2018 of Steins;Gate 0, the sequel to the original Steins;Gate game, premiered in 2018.
Bloodlands (2021)
I think I understand the haters, it's too ambitious
Some of the highest rated reviews here defend the show, saying the harsh reviews are unfounded. I've only watched the first season, but the show subverts expectations violating basic rules of storytelling. With better performances and better dialog, it might seem a clever plot twist and clever season ending. But it's not good enough to pull it off. Firstly, halfway through, our hero turns out to be an anti-hero. Of course, the obsessive close-ups are going to be resented, after the "hero" turns out to be a bad guy. Sure, it's hyperbole to say one wants to punch him in the face, but that is the direction we've been led towards as an audience. It's not clear if the editors understand that this is the point where Nesbitt close-ups should have been discontinued. Finally, the bad guy wins at the end of the season. It is unhappy, that our antihero gets rewarded for the bad things he's done. Happy endings may be a cliche, but if you present an unhappy one, the writing has to earn that right. I suppose it's supposed to be a social commentary on the ending of the Troubles: people on both sides literally getting away with murder. But it feels like being hit over the head with it, rather than led to a philosophical revelation. They could have gotten away with a hero and a sad ending, or an antihero get his comeuppance, but to ask an audience to stomach both is a bit too much.
His Dark Materials: The Botanic Garden (2022)
long and unnecessarily drawn out, but given the source material...
Already you can find reviewers who were frustrated with this episode, but I think it deserves a little more credit, just a little. One problem is that it could have just ended with the previous episode, which would leave some questions and hanging plot points, but I've gotten used to series ending like that by now. It's a regular occurrence now when funding another season is possible, but not certain. I also think the writer(s?) were nervous about the anti-church, anti-religion tone, and felt they needed to sledgehammer in the messages of romantic love, including same-sex love, and other secular warm fuzzies. I kept waiting for someone to be killed or at least seriously injured in this episode, and without totally spoiling, let's just say you'll be waiting a long time if you had the same expectations. It might have been better just to leave the audience uncomfortable with the message against organized religion ringing loud in the end, basically as the previous episode did. Other than that, it was fairly well done and probably truer to the Amber Spyglass, which I haven't read, but know it anticipates further writings at the end. (If the other books do get green-lit for filming, I expect an entirely, or nearly entirely different cast, at the very least). Apparently many readers were also frustrated at the third and final book, so you can probably assume that this episode has the same faults, and it was probably the best possible depiction given the source material. If you go in with low expectations, it probably won't be so painful. Personally, I was so glad when the ending finally came just so it would be over with.
1899: The Calling (2022)
This one now makes the series look like "Dark" - may have no plot
I think passengers are jumping ship for half the episode, just ridiculous amounts of people, more than could possibly be on such a boat! That silliness is forgivable, but I'm coming to believe that despite all the gadgets and character revelations, which other reviewers seem to have enjoyed, the plot is really not going anywhere. The mysteries of the machine, the pyramid, the boy, may all go unsolved, with no resolution, which is what happened in "Dark". If you can stay in the moment and get into the dark synthesizer themes, it can be fun. But I'm not holding my breath for anything being solved. Nothing has congealed yet, absolutely nothing has been resolved, and I can't help thinking perhaps nothing will be!
The English: The Wounded Wolf (2022)
Confused me
A previous reviewer said "Rafe Spall does a brilliant impersonation of Thomas Hardy as Alfie Solomon in Peaky Blinders." I got this right away,as Alfie was a great character. But, going backward and forward 15 years was completely confusing. But later in the episode, he goes into Cornelia's estate and apparently rapes her. But all we see is him pointing his cane to her throat, we see him leave, and then her on the floor. I don't understand why she didn't scream, or didn't have some sort of protection on the premises, or even whether she was actually raped. Admittedly, I think I missed of lot of dialog and plot points, but when I'm lost about what perhaps is meant to be dramatic rape, that's on the episode writing. Really it's the only bad episode so far.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Viewing (2022)
Watch trailers for Mandy or Beyond the Black Rainbow first
I only recently discovered the above mentioned psychedelic gems. Nicholas Cages kills it in "Mandy". It's a little strange, a film being both obviously highly inspired by hallucinogens, but also warning against drugs. This episode too is ultimately anti-drug, in a cheesy 80s horror-movie way.
This group of artists are gathered and convinced into partaking of the best exotic old Japanese scotch, weed, and cocaine altered with a mysterious designer-drug. For the last, I can tell the director writer and maybe some of the actors are familiar with the problems of overly-pure coke, thus the fictional additive. Lol. There's also verbal meditations, mostly by Weller, about music, various other art forms, and, wait for it, Muammar Gaddafi. This is all in preparation to examine a strange meteorite.
Now, it ends, as I suggested, like a cheesy horror movie, where nearly everyone violently pays for their indulgences, and it is disappointing. I also note none of the drugs used are psychedelic, despite the atmosphere being rather psychedelic in style. It's almost like an anti-ayahuasca session. But unlike "Mandy", it doesn't have Cage to carry it. Peter Weller is pretty awesome, but he's basically the villain. I think maybe the "bad" ending was a deliberate choice, a risk taken. And it didn't pan out. But I enjoyed this more than most of the series. Beware it might be triggering for former addicts.
Iosi, el espía arrepentido (2022)
muddled plot, but great characters
Yosi (Iosi) is the strong silent type. This is probably uncharacteristic of many heroes of Latin American films, but very familiar to Hollywood. I read an in-depth, but negative review noting the hero "appeals to an imperturbable register, almost impenetrable, close to the anodyne, probably marked by the direction" Well, that fits the character in multiple ways; first he's traumatized in childhood by the suicide of his father, then as an adult, he's recruited to infiltrate and spy on the Jewish community in Argentina, which has a distinct culture, of course they pick a quiet, shy, reassuring personality to do this. Although the previous parts of his life are shown in flashbacks, we initially see him as an older man, after he's changed allegiances, so he's filled with regret and hounded by former allies. Finally, perhaps this was indeed directed to appeal to American/international audiences, certainly I'm used to seeing movies with this kind of protagonist. I admit, I had to look up the word "anodyne", but I don't see why this attribute is in any way a negative. So, he's not a typical, loud flamboyant Latino star, so what?
Each episode kept me in suspense, wondering how Yosi would survive and/or what made him do a 180 degree turn and become a dedicated Jew in spirit, if not through blood. It's not always clear and coherent, from episode to episode, and some of the audience seem to be confused over what I consider simple plot points. As long as the characters remain interesting, I don't really care. I'm certainly not going to address a long list with explanations. You just have to expect to suspend your disbelief with some of the material. I actually found it hard to believe that elements of Argentinian law enforcement actually believed Jews were going to create a second Jewish homeland in Patagonia, but it turns out this was actually a prevalent paranoia in real-life Argentina. I guess one should never underestimate Antisemitism. I learned a bit, but mostly just enjoyed the ride. Extensive flashbacks can be confusing, but it also allows depth of character development, so I'm not going to complain. I'm just enjoying the show.
See: The House of Enlightenment (2022)
Laughing at the plot holes and absurdities
If this were a movie, I'd say "turn your brain off and enjoy". In the third season, I'm now keeping track of the silliness, and reading the reviews, I'm not the only one. Here's a biggie, Baba Voss burns the library, because the the books contain knowledge of weaponry. But... the children also know, in particular, the craft of bomb-making and a bit of shooting, too. So, why wouldn't Baba kill the kids, if he's so afraid of the knowledge? Plus, it's really no surprise when Sheva mentions there's other libraries, one might think Baba might consider this. There should be a message in this episode, that burning books is always, always a moronic thing to do. It's not so surprising perhaps, because the show writers also seem so moronic, one has to assume they hate books. Will they burn the inevitable novelization? If they can figure out to use a lighter.
See: Forever (2021)
Kill the innocent bystanders, but spare the really evil villians!
This episode is the worst so far. Certainly there have been many points where the bad guys are spared, illogically. Even when they promise to come back for revenge. This is ongoing issue with the queen, but I can overlook that. But especially in this episode, dozens of rather faceless soldiers and heavies get killed, shanked, their heads bashed in. But the really dramatic bad guys are spared, literally after promising to kill Baba Voss' family, or while posing an immediate danger. Considering there's a whole other season, I'm hoping this stupidity subsides. But, I'm dying a little inside every time a bad guy is spared. I don't need to give any spoilers, because if you've watched the previous episodes, you already know the kind of thing I'm complaining about. If it bothers you like me, you can skip this episode. The logic of the story is already totally shredded, missing an episode isn't going to take away any more, make it any less nonsensicle.
Ófærð (2015)
Season 3 "Entrapped"
For some strange reason, Netflix is translating the third season as "Entrapped", not "Trapped". Unfortunately the start and ending took away from an otherwise excellent show.
At the start, during an argument, a guy goes to his motorcycle, gets out a folding knife, and manages to get right up to his opponent's throat, while the "victim" has several allies behind him. One of the least convincing acts of violence I've seen on video. And at the end... well, a totally justified act of violence gets a manslaughter conviction. Maybe Icelandic courts work somewhat differently, but it seemed a bit silly. Everything else in between was pretty good.
The Sandman: Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope (2022)
Cat animation okay, second brilliant Sandman
While at first I thought that bringing Sandman comics to animation might be a perfect match, the story barely integrated with the series (yes, I know there was that "dream cat", but, I thought it a clumsy and thin connection) The second part was definitely true Sandman for me, and the previous episodes provided some backstory, further integrating it as part of a whole. I think the 15 minutes of animation really belonged at the end. Especially since the animation itself was underwhelming. The live action has such amazing backgrounds and costumes and other graphics, I felt the animation should have been equally mind-blowing. It wasn't.
Black Bird (2022)
Very early goofs ruins it a bit. Spoilers ahead
There's two serious flaws that I think most people might overlook, but for me, it ruined a lot. In the first "confession" we see, to Officer Brian Miller, Larry Hall reveals details about the murder that weren't public knowledge. Despite being told over and over that Hall is a "serial confessor", before, during and after, I think those details would have incriminated Hall once and for all. Secondly, James Keene is deceived by prosecutor Beaumont into pleading in exchange for five years imprisonment., and then gets ten. And we're supposed to believe he'd accept an even riskier deal for commutation? Keene has solid reason to never accept any more deals after that. Certainly makes me doubt "based on real events". You can be pretty sure any series with that claim is totally a lie. Other reviewers seem to think there's a level to reality, because there was a murderer of young girls, that this was based on. I'm certain that's where resemblance to reality ends.
Locke & Key (2020)
Season Three continues the stupid, while having less adult themes
I had forgot just how silly the actions of characters were in seasons one and two, but in season three, stupidity continues. At the same time, there's intricate plot details and story twists that prevents watching casually. I watched with someone else who was paying more attention to her phone, and she kept looking up and asking questions, "what's that, who's that?" Not that I blame her for losing interest. Also, any pretensions to adult themes, which were very much in the graphic novels, are totally gone in season three, and sorely missed.
The Princess (2022)
Does no one notice it's a woman in an action movie? Ratings are too low!
Yes it's dumb, as dumb as countless action movies starring men. No, it's not catering to female taste. Hollywood discovered long ago that boyfriends (and husbands) will convince their girlfriends to watch action movies, but they won't be convinced to watch period dramas, or any movies that do cater to female taste. That a societal problem, not to be solved by light entertainment that's looking to be profitable. Still there's gotta be room for this sort of film, and notably with a woman who's not a giantess or bodybuilder. Although, it became annoying how the Princess squeaks and sighs and shrieks as if she's in mortal pain during every fight, only to engage in more athletic violence 2 minutes later. But hey, I mentioned it's dumb already, right? And yes, it's politically correct, having a multi-ethnic kingdom with Chinese kung-fu fighters in court, without any explanation. The costumes are also complete fantasy, not really medieval, nor anything realistic. A female villian dressed in leathers with a whip. But, if you expected historical realism in a violent fighting film, that's on you. Watch the trailer next time! Overall, I was glad to see a female action hero, the last one I remember was Lara Croft. I knew it was a dumb action movie going in, I was rewarded with constant and entertaining action, laughs and fun moments. If it was the Rock instead of a woman starring, I guarantee the ratings here would be a lot higher, sadly from women as well as male reviewers. But I can't blame the movie for that.