balbindersmith Reviews

Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988)

Good Mindless Fun

[15 January 2015]

This movie is not a good movie, I admit that right away, so right off the bat let's not say I'm arguing that it's a great movie we should respect.

But that said the people who made this movie also know it's not a good movie. They are in on that and are just giving us a fun ride. I bet they had a lot of fun making it too. And I mean be honest what do you expect from a movie with such a ridiculously stupid title as "Return of the Killer Tomatoes?"

People playing multiple parts, laughably bad effects, stupid slapstick jokes, but it all works and is a lot of fun.

Plus George Clooney is in it, in what I bet is the role he is most embarrassed by in his entire career :) If you like "bad movies" that are funny it is worth checking this one out. Also the soundtrack is super fun.

Deadwood (2004–2006)

Perfect!

[15 January 2015]

It just erased the huge review I just wrote when the page died on me so I'll just quickly put the bullet points instead, which is super annoying IMDb!

• Amazing show, maybe the best western genre TV show I have ever seen in my life.

• Ian McShane equals WOW, what an amazing actor, maybe one of the very best performances in a dramatic series I have ever seen. Right up there with the guy who played Tony in The Sopranos but probably not quite as good as my absolute favorite character in any television show ever made... Breaking Bad!

• Amazing cinematography

• I'm sure one of the most expensive shows ever made based on the amazing sets, design, costumes, makeup, etc, super realistic and era appropriate in every way.

• The cast is superb! What an ensemble they put together, every character was bang on.

Cuban Fury (2014)

Pretty Good

[15 January 2015]

This is decent comedy about a subject I don't care too much about, dancing. The acting is over all pretty good and I really love Rashida Jones!

The guys in this aren't as good... by that I mean the main guys not Ian McShane who I think is pretty much amazing in everything I have ever seen him in. He always brings such a big intensity and realness to his characters, no matter how over the top or crazy (or ridiculous in this case) those characters may be. He and Jones make this movie worth watching!

Check it out, it is nothing amazing but definitely a decent way to waste an hour and a half!

Marco Polo (2014–2016)

High Hopes Going Forward

[15 January 2015]

This show may be very inaccurate as far as the historical "facts" and the "real life" characters involved but those kind of exaggerations I can live with if it means a good compelling series and this is definitely a good example of that. Many shows take artistic license like this. Rome, Vikings, any of the English royalty dramas.

Marco Polo has a good quality production and has a great atmosphere, who cares how true to the story it is? It's not a documentary it's a drama! The acting is average-to-good and the stories and relationships are intriguing. Great cinematography too and there are hints that the scope of the show is going to get pretty big going forward so I have high hopes for this show.

Ode to My Father (2014)

Touching

[15 January 2015]

This is a very touching and heartwarming (but also heart breaking) movie.

I watched this with a friend who insisted I check it out. Usually I avoid movies that are foreign which have subtitles because I hate having to try to read to keep up with the dialog and story. Because that always means that I am missing some of the visuals appearing on screen.

This movie was pretty slow. I don't want to say too much or spoil it but it's basically about a Korean boy who makes a vow that he will take care of his family which he then has to live up to for the rest of his life.

Amazingly acted although I obviously don't recognize anyone in it or any names of the crew or directors. Just a great example of a touching drama with a story that sticks with you long after you leave the theater.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Great Movie

[15 January 2015]

Back when I started reading the Harry Potter books I thought they would just be pulp fiction type, churned out novels with no real substance, but I actually quite enjoyed them, so when the movies came out I was worried.

Would they hold up to the first book? Would it be true to the book and would the casting be right? Would the stories have the same appropriate feel?

They did great across the board. An excellent cast of young people who grew into their roles as well and who did great jobs throughout the series.

Great writing that stayed true to the stories, doing justice to the author's vision while creating a visually captivating movie going experience.

Wonderful direction and mood. Great cinematography. Fun movie for all ages!

Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)

Let's Give Eugene Levy's Son a Show!

[14 January 2015]

I mean we've never heard of him and when I click on his name I see he has done literally nothing except MTV Live which was such garbage I never watched it again and apparently forgot he was even on it, but so what?

His father is funny so let's give Eugene Levy's son his own TV series. We can let him direct and star and write and executive produce and do everything else he wants, and just assume that he knows what he is doing because he is Eugene Levy's son.

We can throw a ton of taxpayer's money at him and let him have his own show.

While we're at it, does Catherine O'Hara have a daughter? Can we also give her a ton of money and a show when she's done nothing to prove she actually has any talent of her own?

After watching this show, I am completely surprised to see that it was not very funny. O'Hara and Eugene Levy were funny, but Eugene Levy's son wasn't. The writing stunk and so did the show. It doesn't make sense because Eugene Levy's son is Eugene Levy's son, so genetically speaking it's pretty much guaranteed that the show should be awesome, yet it is not.

Anyway let's give him more money to do another season because if anyone can turn this show around it's Eugene Levy's son. He's Eugene Levy's son!

Eugene Levy's!

Son!

He's Eugene Levy's son and he should therefore have his very own TV show!

The Jay Leno Show (2009–2010)

Jay Leno sucks!

[22 September 2010]

This show is awful, even worse than the regular Late Night with Jay Leno show and that show was never funny to begin with. Jay Leno is not funny! This show is even worse, with horrible jokes and Jay Leno's stupid cackling, then when it didn't work they took his show back for him. Was Conan O'Brien funny on Late Night? No not really but he was still 20 times better than Leno was on Conan's worst day. Conan also was funny on his show before he took over Late Night so he deserved more of a chance. Leno has been on TV for far too long considering he has never once been funny. He is a terrible hack who should get off TV. The only worse Late Night shows I have ever seen are Jimmy Fallon (that man should be dragged off TV and thrown into the nearest ocean) and maybe Mike Bullard who Canadians will know as the unfunniest Canadian ever put on TV.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009–2014)

Someone Drag This Man Off TV.....

[22 September 2010]

Please someone drag this man off my TV, I get the feeling there is no way he will ever leave TV willingly even though it is painfully obvious he has absolutely no talent as a performer, writer or host. Jimmy Fallon is the single worst entertainer I have ever seen, except maybe for the possibility of Chris Kattan....no wait even Chris Kattan is better than Jimmy Fallon because at least he does not laugh at every single one of his jokes no matter how terrible they are. Fallon was also the worst Emmy host I have ever seen in my entire life. The writing on this show is pathetic and Fallon is not fit to conduct any interview with anyone. This show sucks and Fallon sucks!

The Ron James Show (2009–2014)

Awful!

[22 September 2010]

I liked Ron James's stand up special but this show is so awful it hurts. One of the worst shows I have ever had the displeasure to sit through. I have seen three episodes so I feel I gave it enough of a chance, this show is just awful. I will not be giving this show another chance, it has already taken enough of my precious time away. Apparently I have to write more lines for my review to have enough lines.........so.........okay, the sketches are awful. None of them have been funny, not a single one. Also Ron James has done a good stand up special before (like I said already) but his stand up in this show is not very good either. I don't remember laughing one single time while I was watching this show, maybe not even a smile, I don't remember being entertained at all for one single minute. It is an awful show, easily as bad as Royal Canadian Air Farce.

Avatar (2009)

Great Effects, Thin Plot

[21 September 2010]

I thought Avatar was a great visual experience and James Cameron really should be commended for all the excellent advancements he has made in CGI special effects film making here. But I thought the story was very thin on plot and really huge parts of it, all the broad strokes of the story, are very much recycled from other movies. From Pocahontas to Ferngully, a lot of children's movies have already explored the we're-the-invading-army-displacing- good-hearted-natives plot line. Why revisit this same story again? The effects make the movie worth seeing in the theatre as long as all you are looking for is fantastically advanced 3D spectacle, it's all visuals and not much on story. The acting is okay, could have used more Sigourney Weaver and it's hard to tell how good the acting is through CGI characters anyway. I can't stand Giovanni Ribisi in most of his roles and this is no exception, he annoyed me every time he was on screen.

Twilight (I) (2008)

Nothing Special

[2 December 2008]

I just saw this movie (dragged by my friend) and wasn't expecting much. I thought the commercials looked pretty stupid and I generally hate any movie where they hype it up on the news and there's dozens of thirteen year old girls with signs screaming about how much they love whoever it is that's in the movie. It was a bit better than I expected but not much. The storyline is pretty stupid and the acting is average at best. I hear this is going to be a series of several movies (based on several books?) and I don't really see it doing that well as a series since the novelty will wear off after this film and this film isn't that good. I won't see another one of these movies anyway.