Change Your Image
Lawdog67
Reviews
The Empty Man (2020)
Should have picked one plot!
So, the good parts: The acting is generally on point, most of the cinematography is great, and I really liked the slow-burn approach (mostly). And taken individually, each of the three stories could have made a decent movie unto itself. But for some inexplicable reason, the producers decided to try to mesh together three storylines that have virtually nothing to do with each other - and in the process none of them is fully fleshed out.
I've read some of the glowing reviews on here, and for the life of me, I can't figure out what they're seeing that I'm not. I'm not a simpleton that needs to have every plot device explained to me; I have no problem with abstract concepts, implied relationships, or things happening off-screen in a film. But this movie is either about an ancient subterranean entity in Asia, a scary U.S. childhood legend that may have turned out to be real, or a secretive cult that has somehow been manipulating people's thoughts and/or creating people to use for its own nefarious, but undefined, purposes. It tries but fails to be about all of them at once. I tired, I tried so hard to make sense of these three disparate storylines - but finally I gave up. If the movie can't make them line up any better than it did, then why should I kill myself trying?
Intentionally obscure storytelling is not the same thing as being avant-garde. For all this movie's strengths, it cannot overcome poor plotting. You should wait until it's on some streaming service and try and decode it then, but don't pay to go see it.
Death Note (2017)
Decent Late-Night Movie
I won't go into detail discussing the ins and outs of the movie. What I WILL do is grade it based on its own merits, and without complaining about how unfaithful it is to some Japanese comic. I've seen review after negative review on here by users, and even the "Roger Ebert" external review, and all suffer from the same problem: they are passionately-written teardowns from the vantage point of those who are fans of the original comic work.
But what if you're not one of those? I've never even heard the term "manga" before, and I don't care which character is based on which in some foreign source material. The movie is plenty entertaining on its own.
I do understand the temptation to compare; if anyone has ever read a book that a movie's based on, then seen the movie, it's almost impossible to not draw comparisons. But it also bears repeating: there are millions of Netflix viewers who are not into some esoteric Japanese comic strip. You do them a disservice when you rip into a movie like this based only on your dashed expectations.
I went into this movie without any such bias and I found it different and somewhat captivating. It gives the viewer plenty to think about as it winds along to its semi-unpredictable ending. I'd recommend it to anyone else who, like me, is going to view it for its own sake, not to see how it stacks up to the original.
Undaunted: The Forgotten Giants of the Allegheny Observatory (2012)
Great Documentary About an Influential Observatory
I bought this DVD without knowing exactly what to expect. I am related to someone who worked in the Allegheny Observatory many years ago so I knew of this project and was eager to see the finished movie. Still, with unknown production people involved and no idea what their goals or budget were like, I didn't know if the movie would be interesting to other possible viewers.
I shouldn't have worried. This is actually a very well-told, well-researched bit of American scientific history, smoothly packaged into a one-hour retelling. The interviews and narration are informative but not preachy; the images and graphics are tasteful and pleasing to look at. And, what do you know? It's possible to learn a thing or two along the way. I knew the names of most of the observatory's principal supporters but not all the details of their involvement. I also learned a bit more science.
Although the topic may be a niche one for most people the movie itself is engaging. I am glad I bought it.
United 93 (2006)
Why do women dislike this movie?
I have finally seen this movie. I had alternated between wanting to see it and avoiding it somewhat. I guess I knew that it would put me through the wringer again and probably tick me off mightily again. But in the end I realized that avoiding the reality of 9-11 and its results was, in some ways, being like the people who don't want to even think about or be reminded about what happened that day.
My second concern was that it might be hyped-up or Hollywood-ized too much. I can emphatically state that that is NOT the case.
I remember all the news coverage from 9-11 and how much it all focused on what the people on the ground went through. I always used to think about the airline passengers more, and what THEY had to go through. This movie shows just that.
But - why, in every age category, do women rate this movie lower than men? I am curious what others think about this. I believe avoiding acknowledging what happened is a very poor way to deal with it. Do women tend to want to ignore the realities of 9-11? Is that it?
This movie is by no means fun to watch, but it is very powerful - and, I believe, necessary.
About Schmidt (2002)
What a Sharp Stick in the Eye
I don't know if this really contains spoilers or not, but better to be sure.
I can't add much to the excellent comments already written. I fully agree with the writer who said that movies don't HAVE to be happy or positive to be "good." The point of this movie isn't to cheer you up. It's to show you how bleak life really can be, and give you a chance to think about what you can do to prevent yourself from becoming Warren. (Because believe me, you don't want to be Warren.) And in that mission, the movie succeeds brilliantly.
I have a question for the viewers who (1) sell insurance as a career, (2) live in Denver, or (3) have semi-dysfunctional families like these: When you watch this movie, do you get that much of it is aimed right at you?? (Or people like you?) And it's not complimentary. If you're an aging hippie who lives in Denver - this portrayal of what you are like is dead-on. The "spiritual" ceremonies and churches with no true religious basis, the overdone drippy wedding singers and never-cut hair, and the 70's-throwback lifestyle... do you get how absurd it really looks to most of the rest of us? Kathy Bates deserved an Oscar for absolutely nailing the role of the middle-aged hemp-weaving left-wing mother who breast-fed her unremarkable son into absolute uselessness.
(I loved the "awards" in his childhood / young adult room: "Participant" ribbons; certificate for "attendance" at a trade school. FRAMED!) If you're one of those people who insists that everyone who shows up is a "winner" and that no one should be denied the blue ribbon, do you see how ridiculous it appears to the rest of us?
If you're one of those ubiquitous retirees with an RV, did you get it? Weaving aimlessly across the U.S. in 35-foot missiles of death, with failing eyesight and slower reflexes, uncaring how inconvenienced the rest of us on the roads are? Trying to make up for lost time by visiting the giant arch over an interstate? Or the world's biggest ball of string, wherever that is?
And what if you actually work as a Woodman? Doesn't this movie make you want to go drive your car off a cliff?
Most of us DON'T live up to our own expectations of ourselves, and that's normal. We can't all be Neil Armstrong. (For those of you under 30: Neil was an astronaut.) But there are certainly varying degrees of failure, and it's worth a look at this movie to get a glimpse of the kind of failure you want to avoid. You don't want to be Warren!