Change Your Image
jmdanley
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Barons: Paradise Lost (2022)
Is this series ABOUT anything?
OK, I get it. It's Australian and the CW needed a "cheap" summer series now that some of their old reliable standbys are going off the air. But could they have mounted something that was, perhaps, INTERESTING?
Having lived through the 70's as a teenager, I have my own firm memories of films from the time, and this show is trying to capture some of that vibe. But, that vibe was really boring unless you were stoned off you keyster most of the time. So this show *tries* to capture the vibe, and it really succeeds with so many boring scenes of pot-smoking, parties, and"insightful" conversations brought on by weed and other drugs that it falls flat within 10 minutes after it started.
I won't give away any of the plot, since there seems to not be one. It's all stoners, surfing and subplots that could have been stolen from "HAIR."
The Rookie: The Con (2023)
Oh... please do some research on your PA towns...
Sorry, but my inner Pittsburgher got riled near the end of this episode... a large portion of it is set in Nolan's hometown, the borough of Foxburg, which is in Clarion County, just north of Pittsburgh. PITTSBURGH. Home of the Pirates? Remember them? NO person in Western PA roots for the Phillies (if they don't want to be shunned). Why would anyone from Western PA dive the six hours to Philly (which I also love, I may add) to watch a game there? Instead of Mike Schmidt, the writers could have written Willie Stargell. Oh, I am wounded to the heart...
Apart from that major insul---um---glitch, this was one of the best episodes this season. Bringing in members of "The Rookie: Feds" was a great way to handle the situation to "kill two birds with one stone" regarding some major baddies of this series. I look forward to seeing how this story line eventually concludes.
The added comic relief of seeing (the very tall) Nathan Fillion getting out of a Smart Car is, on its own, worth watching this episode.
The Munsters (2022)
Respect for the attempt, but really needed better writing & editing
First, I want to commend Rob Zombie on his attempt to bring The Munsters back with the style of cornball humor that has given the show a lengthy life in syndicated reruns. In his hands, he attempted the impossible:updating a 58-year old sitcom and make it funny to a current audience. On that, he succeeds at about a 75% level.
The three acts of the film can be summarized as:
Act I - When Herman met Lily
Act II - How Herman woos and marries Lily
Act III - The Munsters move to America.
Act 2 is by far the strongest (and funniest) of the acts, as we see Herman as a punk rocker with his own band and telling terrible jokes within the songs. The courtship between Herman and Lily is cute and original. The wedding is a cute scene as well...
Jeff Daniel Phillips brings a wonderful naïveté to Herman that makes him less stupid than he was in the series and makes his intentions more earnest in response to the situations he faces. Daniel. Roebuck does a great job as Grandpa, too, making the character irascible and still funcy, even providing some menace when it's needed.
The big disappointment, however, is Sheri. Moon Zombie as Lily. She doesn't remain grounded as the character should be, and instead, he waves her hands far more than Yvonne DeCarlo, and she gives Lily an annoying sing-song voice, that makes her character seem more flighty than grounded.
Much of the supporting cast is very good, but Jorge Garcia does a yeoman's share in getting through acts 1 and 2.
The saddest part of the film is the third act, which feels as though Rob Zombie had either run out of ideas or his filming schedule was running out of time. The use of Lester as a sort of Deus-ex-machina just felt so out of left field that it was pretty distressing. I said to someone else who watched the film with me, "Wait, THAT'S the end??"
In terms of editing, there were some pauses that were too long between setups and punchlines. Granted, Zombie hasn't done a strictly comedy film before, but as everyone knows, the key to great comedy is...
...
...
timing.
The film was a worthy attempt and maybe, if given the chance to re-shoot a better 3rd act, and tighten up the editing, the film could actually be something very good, instead of mediocre.
Quantum Leap (2022)
New twist on an old idea
Reboots usually leave me cold, but this one leaves me lukewarm. I like the regulars of the show, but there is an element of disappointment in some of the execution of the story. It seems like the producers skimped a little on the special effects (not that the original series had great effects, either) but with improved technology in filming and sound, I would expect to see more a more realistic Philly (I lived in Center City on that date), better looping and, maybe, a historian. (7/13/85 was a Saturday: banks weren't open, so it messes up a key part of the story). I wan't argue some of the main plot points (like the heist), but given that the date was an important one in Philly (and music) history, you might think that the Live Aid Concert might have played a more important part of the story. Otherwise, why bother setting it on THAT date in particular?
Riverdale: Chapter One Hundred and Twelve: American Psychos (2022)
Worst episode fo the season
The show runners couldn't help themselves, could they? After a season that had been remarkably revitalizing, they just HAD to go back to the insipid "Broadway musical" themes that worked so poorly over the past two seasons. Besides having an erratic time frame (is this over a week? A weekend? How many "mornings" are we talking here?) and just poorly written subplots thrown in, this episode throws the successful "comic book/superhero" season into the trash just so they can do the overblown "musical" numbers from a second-rate Broadway show, "American Psycho."
Not a great way to end a series, folks.
Ambulance (2022)
What can you say when it's Michael Bay?
Don't expect anything really new (or, for the most part, exciting or accurate) from Michael Bay. This movie is no exception to that.
Like his many other movies, the plot is so thin you can see daylight through it. It's mainly an excuse to wreck as many vehicle as possible and kill as many people as you can allow on film.
Don't expect "character development," either. There are snippets that seem to be thrown is to give an excuse for making this movie. A wife needs an "experimental operation" that insurance won't pay for. A rookie cop is careless as his partner seeks revenge on those who injure him. An EMT was a 3rd year resident in medicine, but had to quit because she used "speed" and had to quit. That last one was especially disturbing since she completely forgot anything of human anatomy.
The saddest things about this film are that Jake Gyllenhaal, a gifted actor, is reduced to playing a crazy stereotype in the last half of the movie, and Garret Dillahunt, an actor who has given a slew of amazing television performances, is reduced to playing a cop who leads probably the most incompetent undercover team of the LAPD.
The one actor who DOES give a decent, nuanced performance, is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Unfortunately, his role is the yin to Gyllenhaal's yang: the good brother who's caught up in crazy brother's insane plot to steal money (because it's there, I guess) and who accidentally shoots a police office who is carried off in the ambulance, and later gets hijacked.
ZZZZzzzzzz.
Ordinary Joe (2021)
Intersting idea, poor execution
One decision to make, three choices resulting in three different timelines for the same set of characters.
The result is a mishmash that is confusing and, well, just poorly done. When scenes change, your only cues are the reactions the characters have toward each other and what costumes they are wearing. That the different decisions essentially produce many of the same results makes this show rather dull. Many of the characters are interesting in one time line and boring in another. No consideration is given to the fact that in real life, everyone makes their own decisions that may take them away, or that new people may enter the life of the main character. The end result is that you lose interest by the fourth or fifth episode. This is too bad for James Wolk, who has a wonderful, friendly screen presence and his talents are wasted on this show.
Spencer (2021)
Pretentious and Burdensome
I had heard so many wonderful things about this film, and now that I could access it via streaming, I'm glad I didn't waste the money to see it in theaters.
I've seen so many other reviews here complain about the soundtrack to the film... and believe them. It's intrusive, discordant, and often inept at supporting the scenes.
It's a toss-up to determine if it's just a poorly-written script, pretentious, overbearing direction or the combination of the two that causes me the greatest disappointment. The use of Anne Boleyn as a metaphor throughout the film seems a bit cheesy/trite/SYMBOLISM taken to an extreme.
Performances range from boring to deadly dull. Kristen Steward seems to be doing more of an impersonation than character interpretation. He mannerisms are TOO studied and her voice is barely above a whisper throughout. I couldn't tell if she thought Diana spoke that way even when distraught, or she was too afraid to break her dialect. She only really shines when she is acting with the children, otherwise, it's only mannerisms, but no heart.
Timothy Spall, his lips permanently pursed, is well-cast as a major domo, but an unsympathetic character, despite the explanation of his actions in the film.
Most of the actors in the "Royal Family" are badly miscast, especially the children (William was 9 and the actor appears to be 13 or 14).
Not worth the nominations it has received and definitely not worth the price of admission.
Riverdale: Chapter Ninety-Eight: Mr. Cypher (2021)
Hasn't been this good in a LONG time
The current 5-episode arc has actually been better than the past two seasons in terms of writing and creativity. Using the character of Jughead as a Rod Serling-type host seemed a bit hokey, but it's worked well for a series that grew tired after its second season.
Though I'm a little disappointed that the devil character (Louis Cypher) in this episode wasn't played by Tom Ellis, who played the character with more glee.
Chucky (2021)
A Pleasant Surprise
I'm not a big slasher film fan, though there has always that I've found amusing about the Child's Play series. Brad Douriff has created a delightfully wicked character over the years and fortunately he is a part of this series, and, with Jennifer Tilly, bring back some of the delight of the later Chucky movies.
The 8-part story arc has such depth and delightful mayhem and it's fueled by many young performers with a wonderful range of talent. It's even better with Devon Sawa (now looking handsome at 40-ish) playing twin brothers as the fathers of two of the boys.
Plan on getting addicted to this wicked little series.
La Brea (2021)
More Soap than Adventure/More Plots than Forever Hollywood
If this was a limited summer series, this show would have been a pleasant diversion. But week after endless week of stilted dialogue, plot twists and at least two characters capable of matricide ("I did it for YOU!" has been used by at least two mothers in the show, repeatedly) and you'll want to pull your hair out. Plus throw in improbably plot twists (just how DO people who look like they've lived 10K years in the past know how to speak English??)
Well, ours is not to understand why the plot turns like a soap opera, ours is but to scratch our heads and ask why the network retains this schlock.
Riverdale: Chapter Ninety-Five: RIVERDALE: RIP (?) (2021)
Best episode of the season. And that's not saying much.
I have frequently criticized this season as ludicrous, ridiculous, outrageous and even boring. But, the season finale was not boring. Ludicrous, ridiculous and outrageous, yes, but not boring.
And thank heavens there wasn't a musical number in sight.
The finale at least takes us back to the darker elements of the township of Riverdale that we experiences in the first couple of seasons. Everyone is ready to move on to new lives, it seems. But there are still elements of the silly involved.
-Veronica and Reggie with their "I have an idea! Let's start a Casino!" Like it's a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie.
-Cheryl Blossom's sudden intent to seek revenge on an ancestor she never knew about until her very Victorian granny finally tells her.
-Jughead turning the school newspaper into Riverdale's new daily expose paper.
However, there were some truly good moments. The town's decision to re-incorporate, the nice selection of city leaders and the final payback the townspeople brought on to Hiram Lodge were all well done and emotionally satisfying.
And with Kevin Keller deciding to "give Broadway a shot," perhaps fewer badly-written "musical" episodes.
(Don't get me wrong-- I love Broadway musicals, but onstage with real musical theater professionals.)
Supergirl: Hope for Tomorrow (2021)
*sigh* Why??
Just as the series is about to end, we have a major new subplot line starting with Alex and Kelly fostering (and, one assumes, eventually adopting) an orphaned alien child and trying hard to make her feel welcome.
But why introduce this subplot NOW?
OK, i can see the reasons why they did it. Esme is cute and sweet and she can mimic whatever superpower she saw last. But the story are seemed to consist of:
-Esme does a frightening thing with her powers, shocking the adults.
-Esme feels guilty.
-Alex and Kelly tell her it isn't her fault.
And unfortunately, it takes up a huge chunk of the episode which, COULD have been a real winner as Kara shows that she is a paragon of Hope, which could be a major turning point in the defeat of the evil Nyxly.
There could be some use for Esme in the defeat of Nyxly in an upcoming episode, I suppose. But what parent would put a young child through that?
As the series builds toward its eventual finale, I hope that the writers find a way to focus more on the critical action than on the subplots.
Riverdale: Chapter Ninety-Four: Next to Normal (2021)
What is this now-Glee??
I wish IMDB would let us use an eye-roll emoji.
OK, so, yes, yet ANOTHER musical episode of a show that's supposed to be a "drama," and at least they chose a musical that's close to the story line, using the score of "Next to Normal" as way to delve into Alice's depressed state of mind.
But dear lord, then other characters unassociated with that story also break into song! WHY???
This story could have highlighted some very creative writing (in fact the scenes with Betty and Alice ARE very good), but instead it turns into lazy writing regarding other characters. Why bother scripting your own original dialogue when songs from a good musical can replace it all, even when it has nothing to do with the story?
I can't emphasize enough - this show needs to be canned. If it was a pet, it should have been put to sleep 2 years ago.
Evil: O Is for Ovaphobia (2021)
Psychological Evil is STILL Evil
Wow, after reading a previous review, I thought this episode would be disappointing. And though it wasn't the best episode to date, it was still pretty darn good. Multiple plot lines thread their way through this episode and, needless to say, they run from the evil of social influencers, the psychological trauma of a good twin removed from a bad one, an evil fertility clinic and evil Leland, who has returned to his hold psychotic self.
The series just shows that evil isn't just found in the devil, but in every aspect of life.
Riverdale: Chapter Ninety-Two: Band of Brothers (2021)
Better than average for this season, but still awful
Well, there were at least a few aspects of this episode that brought back some of the dark grittiness of the first two seasons. The worst aspect - the whole "Church of Jason" nonsense - was unfortunately highlighted in this episode with horrible campiness.
The "Sergeant Andrews" story line seems to have an open-and-shut feel (though the mixing of several wars seems to make this whole story line feel like its a dream like Bobby Ewing showing up in the shower).
Just be glad they didn't do any of their horrible singing/dancing without purpose nonsense that the producers seem to love.
Riverdale: Chapter Ninety-One: The Return of the Pussycats (2021)
How many times can one series jump the shark?
Once again, this series presented its annual "musical" episode, and once again it was cringe worthy. WIth overproduced "teen" numbers, overly autotuned singing, choreography that has little to do with what is being sung and camera work that literally cuts 3-4 times per second, we get a dizzying piece of TV schlock. Add in a major plot line that is obviously a setup for a spinoff, and you get a real mess.
The sad thing is that this series COULD have been better had it stuck with some of the more mystery-based story lines; it would have been something to rival "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." But instead, this show has morphed into a parody of itself, almost turning into a twenty-something version of the 1980's "Dynasty."
Attention CW: It's long past time to pull the plug on this show.
Evil: B Is for Brain (2021)
Twists, Turns & the Amazing Andrea Martin
Well, for the first time, we get to see Kristen's husband again after having been away leading his mountain climbing business, and now Kristen is suddenly cold on the guy...
and that's just the start.
All-in-all, an interesting episode exploring brain mapping and various people seeing good and evil in their brains. The twists and turned often take place in the dream state, so I won't elaborate. But the best scene takes place in the middle of the episode between Leland (Michael Emerson) and Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin). Leland was the primary antagonist last season, but this season, the best scenes are between these two gifted actors.
Martin, a genius at comedy, plays the role of the nun with as little reaction as possible, just like the nuns when I grew up. Her large unblinking eyes evoke the warning that she is not to be trifled with and that her time is valuable because she works for God.
Even so, WTF is going on in Kristen's head regarding her ability to have empathy for anyone in her family??
As I mentioned in the previous episode, this show is so much better now that it is on Paramount +.
Evil: S Is for Silence (2021)
Possibly the best episode so far
I can't say enough as to how grateful I am that this series was moved to Paramount+ this season. The scripts this season have been outstanding and far from the conventional storylines of investigating possession cases of the first season.
That being said, this episode has shown that the creativity of Robert and Michelle King, who created this series and wrote this script have completely outdone themselves. With hardly anything spoken, the story is vividly portrayed thought the stellar cast and serio-comic direction by Mr. King, who also deftly handles the more serious scenes.
One can only hope that this series remains creative, witty and, at times, horrifying.
Riverdale: Chapter Eighty-Nine: Reservoir Dogs (2021)
Jumped the Shark
After an excellent episode, "Citizen Lodge," this episode aired and it was absolutely dreadful. Poor continuity issues from previous episodes, poor technical quality (looping voices shouldn't appear so obvious these days), what seems to be a lack of knowledge of recent history and so many little subplots initiated and resolved conveniently within the 42 minutes of film time that it was like watching 1960's TV series. With the usual ridiculous situations and obligatory musical numbers that has made this series infamous, it has not only jumped the shark, but it has also surpassed "Glee" in its last two seasons for sheer awfulness.
CW should pull this off the schedule to make room for a much better show, like "Little Lulu."
Legacies: Fate's a Bitch, Isn't It? (2021)
Well, at least it closed out the season
This entire season of the show has suffered from inconsistencies and dialogue that rarely seems to change from week to week. This episode, which could have been so much more interesting, instead fell back on old tricks in the storytelling: who want to help the adults? Who is falling in love with whom? Who is REALLY the bad guy/girl/demon -- in THIS episode?
The CW Network has been touting this as a "superhero" show, I guess to fit in with the REAL superhero shows from DC. But the perpetual teen angst coupled with the repetitive supernatural storyline and the malevolent "presence" that seems to forever lurk in this story.
It's time from the network to step in and steer this show in a direction that doesn't veer so wildly from its central premise: Teens with special gifts at a school specially created for them who try to fit into the world at large.
St. Elsewhere: The Last One (1988)
A Suitable Ending for a Classic Show
I loved St. Elsewhere. This was a series that could make you laugh you butt off, creep you out or terrify you with it's life-threatening situations, and rip out your heart with some of its twists.
The show had a reputation of reflecting television as a whole with loads of inside humor: A reference to the hospital barber named Floyd was summarized with the joke, "He may bury us all." I wonder if Andy Griffith ever saw that one.
But this episode was the tribute episode to all TV endings, with references ranging from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" to "Dallas." And, no, I won't provide the spoiler to the ending, but when it first aired, it literally stunned the fans. We honestly thought the hospital would be torn down at the end of Season 5, but when NBC decided to give the series one more year, we got the ending we would talk about three decades later as one for the ages.
Granted, much of the series could be like a soap opera, but with wonderful performances by so many previously unknown actors (and many known ones) and writing that could often charm and sometimes disgust you, this finale gave us fans what we really wanted.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Collision Course (Part I) (2019)
I hate stupid inconsistencies --CONTAINS SPOILERS
In the previous episode, much was made of the fact that the organism called "The Shrike" dies in extremely cold temperatures. Meanwhile, they send a fire-breathing man (a dragon) as part of the gang in pursuit, a Coulson look-alike with a bomb (sure to produce heat) and a fuel- filled truck that will surely explode ins fireball when it hits the growing tower assembled from those shrike spikes made from the bodies of its victims.
Have these writers never heard of liquid nitrogen? As soon as I heard the way of destroying these critters last week, I thought, why not just spray them with LN2 and kill them? It's not like it's that hard to come by.
Riverdale: Chapter Fifty-One: Big Fun (2019)
Please spare us the "Glee" episodes
I expect better things from producer Greg Berlanti. This episode is yet another trite "musical" episode where, in a series where all the characters already make poor choices, they incorporate the score of a half-decent musical and co-opt it into their story line to turn the show into a poor version of "Glee." They did this with slightly better success with last season's use of "Carrie," but the score from "Heathers" is not as good and the writing seems to struggle to fit the story into the score.
Da Vinci's Demons (2013)
A show that will make you say "What the...?"
I am currently more than halfway through the second season and I am finding so many problems with the "fantasy" of the whole show. The second season is especially bad when it comes to the basics of reality, let alone Da Vinci's life.
One episode involves his invention of a submarine, built in what appears to be a day or so (hard to tell what the time lines are). The wooden sub has absolutely no leaks (because, you know, Da Vinci!)and seems to be able to hold hours worth of air for two grown men... and their torches (which must not consume air to burn because... Da Vinci!).
Or his supposedly year-long journey to South America (why not? He's Da Vinci!) on a ship loaded with slaves and, I assume, limited provisions which last forever (because... Da Vinci!). Or his discovery of the earth orbiting about the sun base on his observations of Venus and his prediction of it's appearance (which he gets wrong, but because he invented the telescope - De Vinci!) Or the fact that HE'S the only character on the long journey whose hair grew long (sexy Da Vinci!) or that he was able to translate the native language (Incan?) based on associating a few words with objects (Da Vinci!) or... Well, you get the point.
This is less a paean to the true genius of Leonardo Da Vinci than it is a tawdry fictionalization to make him some kind of genius superhero with type O negative blood (you'll figure out why).
I don't know about getting through the third season, but then again, this is like watching a train wreck. You can't take your eyes off it.