loganps Reviews

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing (2024– )

COOKING with a DUSTING of SQUID GAMES 😁

[8/10 · 16 April 2024]

There are SO MANY cooking competition shows and I'm sure it's not easy trying to find a new angle. For me, this show has a FUN concept and great pacing! 👍 They don't waste much time before diving into the competition. I think they did a great job turning the tired cooking show concept into something fresh!

The Squid Games comparison comes from some of the aggressive eliminations. This is part of the excitement of this show and keeps things moving along at a great pace. They also did a solid job finding likable chefs to root for.

To be fair, I'm a pretty easy audience when it comes to competition reality shows, but this one was more fun to watch than many others.

Surviving Paradise (2023– )

WORTH WATCHING! 😁👍

[7/10 · 22 October 2023]

There's a chance I'll be in the minority, but I liked it! 👍 If I stopped watching after one or two episodes, I'd feel differently. But a shift happens that makes for an awesome season! I won't go into detail, but I if you're like me and stick with this show until the end, you'll come to love the evolution of the contestants.

As a former producer for reality and game shows, I would be thrilled if I had a season laid out as entertaining and complete as this one. I rooted for people, couldn't stand others, and rolled my eyes more than once 🙄. And when it was over, I was completely satisfied! 😁 It's just a fun ride if you're looking for some escapism reality.

Loteria loca (2023– )

LOOKS FUN, BUT IT'S NOT 🤷‍♂️

[1/10 · 18 October 2023]

I thought this show was going to be a lot of fun. I'm truly disappointed to report that it's just not that good.

The show is filled to the brim with artificial excitement...and it's exhausting to watch. As a former game show producer, I may be too critical of this show, but it looks to me like it's way over produced (audience and contestants are very conditioned to act a certain way rather than relying on authenticity).

Another issue I have is that the games are chock full of reveals, but you don't know what they mean until it's explained. This takes away all suspense, and suspense is the lifeblood of a good game show.

In short, it feels like I'm watching an hour worth of nonsense.

Totally Killer (2023)

FUN HORROR GEM!!

[9/10 · 6 October 2023]

October is my favorite month because a flood of horror movies get released. If I'm lucky, one or two of them will be solid. I'm thrilled to report this movie was one of those awesome gems. Not what I expected...and I loved it!

It's this Back to the Future and 1980's slasher hybrid that completely satisfies! Exciting, fresh, clever, and a lot of fun!

There was some sharp and funny humor right from the start. Then it takes you on a journey. A ridiculous, wild, unexpected horror filled journey. I found the balance between humor and horror was blended perfectly. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!!

The Devil's Plan (2023– )

BONKERS AND FUN!

[8/10 · 27 September 2023]

This show is bonkers! And I'm hooked!

It felt authentic and unlike other competition reality shows. This series focuses on mental strength rather than physical ability, so it's chalk full of brainy players. The contestants all seem to have different plans and strategies to reach the end.

The first game the contestants play made me laugh pretty hard. Not the actual game, but the explanation on how to play. The announcer begins to explain the rules and it starts out simple. But the explanation continues with more rules and more rules and then even more rules. About 7 minutes into the explanation for playing the game, it felt like satire! If you watch this for no other reason, it's worth it to see how complicated and elaborate the rules for the game become...it's genuinely one of the most insane things I've ever seen on a competition reality show.

With that said, even without understanding the rules to the game, it was a lot of fun to watch.

This show is nuts in the best way. I'm fully onboard to watch it until the end!

The Horror of Dolores Roach (2023)

ENJOY THE RIDE!!

[9/10 · 9 July 2023]

I didn't know much about this going in, but happy I gave it a chance because it was a FUN ride!

Simply, it's a modern day version of Sweeney Todd taking place in Washington Heights (right above Harlem). I thought there was a skilled blend of suspense and humor. Characters pull you in right away and the story telling is super captivating. In fact, I was so into the story, I didn't even play games on my phone while I watched...that's about the highest compliment I can give to any show.

My suggestion is to not read too much going in or over analyze whether or not to watch. Just do it. Have fun! You'll be rewarded with a thrilling limited series that I definitely recommend.

Pressure Cooker (2023– )

Someone Finally Did What I Was Waiting For!

[9/10 · 7 January 2023]

I almost didn't watch because I didn't think I could stomach another cooking competition show. But I gave it a shot and I thought the show is great. I like it for a lot of reasons, but one thing stood out. Authenticity.

I'm a former reality and game show producer and it's almost ruined television for me. It's hard for me to watch a competition reality show and not be distracted by the heavy handed manipulation many producers insert into each episode. But not this show.

This show is willing to include imperfect moments of production when unplanned and interesting moments occur. I never see that and it tells me they're dedicated on providing an authentic and entertaining show.

There's a good chance I'm paying too much attention to things that may not matter to most people, but hopefully this review is helpful to some. I'm happy I watched.

The Menu (2022)

WOW - first time I ever...

[10/10 · 4 January 2023]

I did something with this movie I have never done before. Halfway through, I stopped the movie and started it from the beginning again. I did this because I was enjoying it so much, I didn't want it to end. So I started it over to extend my time with it. So ridiculous, but it's true.

I didn't know what to expect, but this movie hit me right on all cylinders. For me, it was thrilling, playful, and filled with suspenseful anticipation. It's a fun movie! Enjoy the ride!!

Maybe I was in the perfect mood for this or maybe it truly was as exciting and satisfying as I felt it was throughout the film. Hard for me to pinpoint, but I would definitely watch this again...for a third time that is :)

Snack vs. Chef (2022– )

Good Show, One Big Problem

[6/10 · 3 December 2022]

It is a fun idea and pretty good show. The contestants are likable and seem equally matched. The show is pretty much what you think it's going to be and an easy watch.

The pain point of the show are the hosts. There are two "official hosts" and two food experts, but they all share the same responsibilities. There is no anchor for this show and that is what I find very annoying. It feels like they tried to make all the hosts equal and as a result, none of them have a chance to shine.

With that said, I think Netflix usually does a good job with competition reality shows and I would probably watch a second season if they fixed that one issue.

The Mole (2022– )

Poor Choices by Producers

[3/10 · 14 October 2022]

I love nearly all competition reality shows including previous versions of The Mole and I'm usually an easy audience. I also worked for years as a reality tv and game show producer. With that said, this show is disappointing to me for two main reason.

First, it's an unusually unlikable cast. I'm struggling to find anyone to root for. The only person I like is the host.

Second, nearly all commentary throughout the show are just contestants accusing each other of being the mole for any reason. This would be fine if it felt sincere, but it doesn't. It's like the producers decided that constant, empty, accusations without substance would be an easy way to produce the show. It's exceptionally hollow...even by reality show standards.

I REALLY wanted to like this.