Shazam-O Reviews

Euphoria: All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name (2022) Season 2, Episode 8

Brilliant. This is art.

[9/10 · 17 August 2023]

I obviously saw something very different than most people leaving ratings and reviews here. This is one of the best finales in television history.

First, it's refreshing to see the show focus more on Lexi and give a different perspective to everything. And her meta school play is a fun, clever, and effective device with which to show not only her perspective, but those of other characters as well, but in a different way. The multiple layers and multiple time lines weave together (almost) flawlessly. Yes, some parts demand suspension of disbelief, but the show IS called Euphoria.

The episode has horror, heartbreak, and even humor. The actors all give incredible performances.

They only scene I felt didn't nail it, was when Nate confronts his dad.

This could easily stand as the series finale and it would still be one of the best ever made.

Saint X (2023)

Better than a lot of stuff out there

[7/10 · 3 May 2023]

The bad reviews out there are par for the course. But some of them don't even make sense. Like comparing it to White Lotus. (Because they're at tropical resorts, these 2 shows in totally different genres are worth comparison, lol.) Or people complaining about flashbacks every 3 minutes. (There are some flashbacks, but not many. Those people must be confused by the story progressing along different timelines.)

Most of the negative reviews are likely either boomers who think all tropical nations (and people) are the same, or Gen-Z who can't follow a storyline that's more complex than a Tik Tok lip-sync video.

Turn it on, it's fun.

You People (2023)

Funny, but could be better

[7/10 · 28 January 2023]

Sure, it's an old story that's been told a million times. But there's a reason a story get repeated: because its core resonates with audiences.

There are some real laugh out loud moments in the film and it deals with current issues around race head on a few times.

However, it's clearly written from the male perspective and Laura London's character is severely under written. David Duchovny and Nia Long are also 2 great actors who aren't used to their potential.

Julia Louis-Dreydus is the highlight of the film with her super-uncomfortable portrayal of a tone-deaf Jewish mother with a good heart (that isn't enough).

They definitely could have made the story stronger, but it's still a funny, enjoyable comedy.

Fear, Inc. (2016)

Not scary, not funny, not thrilling

[3/10 · 18 October 2022]

The premise isn't terrible, but the script is. And the plot demands a heavy dose of suspension of disbelief.

The acting is also awful. The main character is VERY annoying and ruins the movie all on his own. He wrecks every scene with some stupid comment so the tension never builds. Ever.

Lucas Neff gives an awful performance. But he's not alone 2 of the other actors also deliver cringeworthy performances. Caitlin Stasey and Stephanie Drake both sound like they're making some movie for a school project. The only person who seems to be a professional actor is Chris Marquette.

It doesn't even have good gore special effects as a saving grace.

The Naked Director (2019–2021)

Great 1st Season, Terrible 2nd

[5/10 · 25 February 2022]

The first season was an raucous romp from beginning to end. The second season is absolutely terrible. None of the characters are likeable anymore. I kept watching, thinking "Okay, this is the episode where things change", but that never happens. Things just go down, down, down... Season 1: 8/10 Season 2: 2/10 Overall: 5/10 Do yourself a favour and watch the first season, then forget that season two even exists.

Blood Red Sky (2021)

High(jacked) Expectations

[4/10 · 8 August 2021]

It's German, it's horror, it's vampires. It sounded like a fairly safe bet. The premise was good enough, but the execution was terrible.

I never really felt a very strong connection to our pointy-toothed protagonist, or her son, or her impromptu sidekick. (The only character that evoked any emotion from me was Eightball... until he became over-the-top to the point of comical.) So that really impacted my caring about what happened in the story.

But it's a horror movie, so at least there were thrills, chills, and gore to enjoy. Except there weren't. Given it's German, I had fairly high expectations for the gore, but it was pretty tame.

If you love vampire movies, you'll be able to sit through this, but there are better movies on Netflix deserving of your two hours.

Utopia (2020)

Fails in every way the original succeeds

[3/10 · 22 July 2021]

The first episode actually wasn't that bad. But *SPOILER* the end of the second episode really bothered me. It was already clear that Jessica was supposed to be our antihero, so when she nonchalantly murders Sam for being smart and motivated it completely destroyed her character for me. (Antiheros don't summarily execute innocent people. Villains do.)

I did a web search after that annoying second episode and discovered it's a remake of a 2013 UK show. So I put my viewing on hold to watch the original first. (It's brilliant.)

And then I returned to this. Like most American remakes it pales in comparison to the original.

While UK2013 reveals the story one slow page-turn at a time, US2020 drops dense chunks of exposition 20 pages at a time. There is ZERO patience in the storytelling.

Both shows have graphic violence. But UK2013's violence is disturbing and transgressive. US2020's violence is simply gratuitous and comic book-like. It's meant to shock rather than challenge.

The plot differences between the two shows are night and day. UK2013 is layered and intricate and requires an attentive viewer. US2020 demands about as much from the viewer as the Saw films.

Villains. There were many in UK2013. And they revealed themselves gradually. Some even made valid points, some garnered empathy. In US2020, John Cusack basically bursts onto the screen letting us know that he's THE Villain, then we're introduced to his henchman and minions.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer's musical score for UK2013 is pretty much a character in itself. It's still echoing around in my head a week later. I don't recall the music for US2020.

Finally, Wilson. UK2013 Wilson had one of my favourite character arcs in television. Long, tortured, complex. US2020 Wilson had no arc. He had an offscreen flashbang epiphany that saw him do a 180-degree pivot.

The people in charge of this remake sure don't have a very high opinion of the American viewership.

Utopia (I) (2013–2014)

Transgressive Technicolor Thrills

[9/10 · 15 July 2021]

Very few shows are truly transgressive and Utopia is an outstanding achievement among those that are. Obviously, it's not for the faint of heart, as it challenges established ideas of heroes and villains and concepts of morality, humanity, and justice.

If you haven't watched the American remake, DON'T. It is the opposite of the original in almost every way.

Stellar script, acting, cinematography, editing, and MUSIC!

Utopia is as rare as... utopia.

Fear Street: Part One - 1994 (2021)

If "1994" is in the title of your movie...

[5/10 · 10 July 2021]

If "1994" is in the title of your movie, don't open with a song from 1995. (They also play Firestarter by Prodigy a spin which was released in '96.) But musical anachronisms aside, this is the laziest soundtrack in movie history. It's like they grabbed a "90s Hits" playlist off Spotify and cranked it up every five minutes just to let us know that it was the 90s. Because it sure didn't LOOK like the 90s, except for an AOL chat room and the 4,000 posters on the main character's bedroom walls.

Speaking of the main character... she should be LIKEABLE if she's fighting evil. Nobody wants to cheer for a jerk. Her brother is basically the only likeable character in the whole movie.

And speaking of characters... did they run out of budget before they could hire extras? The towns were nearly empty.

And speaking of empty... the plot holes (and the plot itself) make for a very bumpy ride. **SLIGHT SPOILER follows** That thing with the X's at the end didn't make sense to me. Why not just put them on a rag you can toss away in case you find yourself cornered?

All in all, it's not terrible if you want something you don't need to pay much attention to while eating some pizza on movie night.

Tenet (2020)

Need to watch it twice?! You don't even need to watch it once.

[3/10 · 3 July 2021]

The acting... is terrible. JDW has one emotion and the same tone of voice throughout THE ENTIRE film. Kenneth Branagh as an evil Russian oligarch... sigh. The rest, well who cares, really, when they're in THIS movie?

The "let's-be-cleverer-than-the-cleverest-ever" editing is a mess.

Here's an idea: let's have a plot-critical conversation take place on an insanely fast (and weird) catamaran when everyone's yelling and panting over the sound of wind and splashing water.

Here's another idea: let's have the characters explain each little mission they're about to do in minute detail like it's the planning scene in Ocean's Eleven.

There's no need to watch this a second time to see "the genius" of this film. It's not difficult to figure out during the first viewing. But that first viewing is a long, boring, tedious, annoying experience. Thank god I only watched this on Netflix and didn't waste money going to the theatre.

Christopher Nolan's problem is that he thinks he's smarter than everyone else. And he definitely is not.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Fun enough

[6/10 · 2 July 2021]

It's got action, humour, and alien guts splattering all over the place. What more do you want? Cool CGI and special effects? Yep. Touching moments? Sure, it's got those too.

Is The Tomorrow War as good The Edge of Tomorrow? No. But it's good enough.

Ladies in Black (2018)

Delightfully Delightful

[6/10 · 28 May 2021]

This movie is delightful. Absolutely delightful. Deeeeelightful. But it's a montage of happy little anecdotes rather than an actual story. There's nothing that distinguishes Act I from Act II from Act III. Because there are no acts. No story arc whatsoever. No conflict, no crises. It's just up, up, and up some more. As another review pointed out: it doesn't even rain. I think it's only night once, briefly, and that's on New Year's Eve.

There is only one very (minor) character arc in the entire film. Lisa's father. And it's barely there.

But if you're looking for some wonderfully delightful brain candy, you won't find better than this. It's like pouring a pound of granulated sugar directly onto your cerebral cortex.

Side Effects (I) (2013)

Hitchcockian Suspen...sion of disbelief (2021)

[5/10 · 12 March 2021]

Just watched this on Amazon Prime for our Friday Movie Night, so the only investment was 106 minutes that we were going to spend watching a movie on Prime or Netflix anyway. I guess it was worth that and there are worse options to stream.

The first Act is solid but halfway through Act 2 the believability completely falls apart. It then moves from suspension of disbelief to completely ridiculous.

Rooney Mara is great and Jude Law is usual rakish self (even if his character's not meant to be), but Catherine Zeta Jones' character is impossible to believe. Oh yeah, and Channing Tatum is in it?

Not too bad over a few slices of pizza.

Ted Lasso (2020–2023)

A perfect show

[10/10 · 7 March 2021]

I was expecting another run-of-the-mill fish out of water comedy, and would have been happy with that. But Ted Lasso delivered much more. The show is perfect and that's not hyperbole. Every aspect of is brilliant. The writing, the acting, the casting, the humour, the drama, the pace of the story arcs, even the very final seconds of the last episode of the season had laughing harder than I'd laughed yet.

For All Mankind (2019– )

A sci-fi emotional roller coaster

[8/10 · 25 February 2021]

If you're looking for in-depth technical discussions about propulsion, the effects of low-gravity on the human body, and re-entry procedures this is not for you. If you're looking for a documentary--guess what?--you should keep looking. Because (shockingly) this scripted drama is not a documentary! Mind-boggling, I know. Furthermore, if you're looking for a historically factual docudrama about the Space Race, it may come as a shock, but this Speculative Fiction series is (by definition) not historically accurate. That's what "alternate history" is.

BUT, if you're in the mood for an emotionally gripping and exciting sci-fi drama that examines space travel's effects not only on the astronauts, but on their families, the ground crew, and society as well, then this is the show for you.

The screenwriting is great, the acting is great, the sets and costume design and special effects are great. The first season gets incrementally better with each episode and not a single one is filler or irrelevant.

Clarice (2021)

No reason to call it "Clarice"

[4/10 · 21 February 2021]

The first 10 minutes of the first episode were pretty good. It was heading the direction. And then it got t-boned. She's not hunting serial killers. Every episode appears to be a standalone case in which "underdog" Clarice uses her keen powers of perception to outsmart the weekly villain (and her superiors).

Also, the FBI's ViCAP unit is "responsible for the analysis of serial violent and sexual crimes" (according to Wikipedia), but in episode 2 they've already run out of sex crimes and are put in charge of a standoff with an armed militia. LOL.

I wanted Silence of the Lambs, not The Mentalist-ess.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Beautifully shot, predictable, and not about space

[6/10 · 23 December 2020]

The cinematography is beautiful, the CG is fantastic. The acting is good. And even though it's derivative and predictable, the story is enjoyable enough. (It helps that it stars George Clooney.) It's easy watching because we've all seen it before. None of the surprises are surprising.

If you're looking for a film about space, or with any of the science explained (from space travel to the environment), this is definitely not it. A comfy sofa and a hefty suspension of disbelief is needed to enjoy this one.

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Masterpiece With a Masterful Performance

[9/10 · 26 June 2020]

First and foremost, Delroy Lindo gives the performance of not just his lifetime, but of Hollywood's. With no hint of hyperbole, it is one of the best performances in film history.

Lindo's performance aside, this movie sure does get a lot of hate. Obviously, anyone giving a movie 1/10 should just be ignored outright. People giving this film a 3/10 were most likely expecting "Missing In Action 5" or "Da 5 Rambos". They probably gave Extraction 10/10. Those giving the film around 5 or 6 may have missed the nuance. And this movie is ALL nuance. Given it's 2 hr 40 min runtime, if you're not following the undercurrent it must drag on like a row boat down the Mekong. The film takes hard turns between genres, so it is not a film for heavy eyes. Nod off for a second and you may wake to think you're watching a different film. And that's a good thing. It's a wonderful thing. It's no secret that Spike Lee likes to sprinkle his films with an homage here and there. Da 5 Bloods is no exception and he does so brilliantly. Every piece of historical footage, every character's action, each line, camera angle, and film style choice (and there are many) come together in a celluloid collage feeling somewhere between free jazz and the proverbial American Quilt. If you're looking for an action film, a buddy film, or a nice n' tidy linear story like BlacKkKlansman this ain't it. If you're looking for Spike Lee's magnum opus, you found it.

The Forest of Love (2019)

Far from his best

[4/10 · 18 March 2020]

Sono Sion is a prolific filmmaker. Ergo they can't all be hits. This one is deck definitely a miss. The lack of story is not conducive to the film's 2 hours and 40 minute runtime. The cinematography is not on par with his other films (ie: Cold Fish). The ending is also very disappointing. If you haven't seen any of his films, I recommend starting with Suicide Circle. Cold Fish and Why Don't You Play in Hell? are also good in different ways.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Turned it off 13 minutes in

[2/10 · 9 February 2020]

The worst start to a film I've ever seen. I could barely hear the dialogue over the blaring 80s-dark-industrial-crime musical score. How this made it past final edit is beyond me and how people praise it with 8 or 9 stars is baffling.

3 from Hell (2019)

3 from Meh.

[3/10 · 25 October 2019]

I liked House of 1,000 Corpses and I LOVED The Devil's Rejects. So when I saw this was out I grabbed it immediately. Man, what a letdown. Halfway through I was thinking to myself, "I wish I still smoked weed". But I doubt that could even save this dud. Rewatch The Devil's Rejects instead of watching this.

Dragged Across Concrete (2018)

Solid, Well-paced film for adults

[7/10 · 26 April 2019]

When I saw that the movie was 159 minutes long, I had my reservations. After all, it's a cop movie starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. I actually thought I'd be watching it in two or three sittings, but that wasn't the case at all.

The dialogue is incredible, where a 10-word quip will add a layer to a character with subtly rather than a sledgehammer. It's this thing called nuance that Hollywood evidently loathes in its films today.

The pacing is perfect (except perhaps the penultimate scene), and the side stories of secondary characters add the perfect dash of subplot to punch you in the gut.

This is not a film for the ADHD Snapchat crowd, but it's an excellent film for adults.

StartUp (2016–2018)

Good pace ruined by infantile grasp of reality

[4/10 · 23 October 2018]

It's got the pace of high octane thriller. It's got stellar performances by Edi Gathegi and Martin Freeman. And that's about it.

Ben Ketai and his writers prove they have absolutely zero understanding about the fundamental premise of the show. Hell, it's even the TITLE of the show. But nobody working on the show seems to know anything about them. Somebody with a half-season of "Silicon Valley" would be more informed.

Right from the start, I was wondering how their partnership worked. Who owned how much? This NEVER came up. Even when INVESTORS start investing, there's no mention of what their equity stake will be. There's NO talk of valuation. They just get $1.5 million for "helping money" I guess. I can maybe understand that a gangster would go along on a handshake deal, but that Wayne Knight's character would invest in such a way is absolutely moronic.

That a small business loans banker (who's job is ALL about investing in businesses) would move forward (and invest his "rainy day fund") without ANY type of contract or even a DISCUSSION about ownership is also so far-fetched it ruins the show.

By the time we get to Izzy stupidly and naively signing away her life's work through a face full of tears, the show is well beyond acceptable levels of suspension of disbelief.

Then there's the other MAIN idea of the show. Gencoin. It's clear that nobody involved in writing this show knows anything about cryptocurrency. It is never explained even in the slightest. Not a single character even mumbles the word "blockchain" during the entire first season.

If you don't know ANYTHING about finance, startups, or cryptocurrency, but feel the need to make a show about exactly those things, you should at least hire a few people who know about them.

It's incredible that reviewers are commending the show for being so realistic. It's fun, if you leave your brain at the door, but realistic is the last thing it is.

Magnum P.I. (2018–2024)

None of the charm of original (plus it's boring)

[1/10 · 26 September 2018]

When Tom Selleck narrated the little voice in Magnum's head, it felt like the viewer was in there with him. Magnum 2018 is simply reading a script.

The relationship between Magnum and Higgins was a combative one, but over the YEARS they grew close and to care for each other. Already, in episode one, we've got the seeds of a "will they or won't they" story arc developing between New Magnum and Female Higgins. There is absolutely zero patience in the script, as thought the writers are trying to pack an entire series into a pilot episode.

The cast of the original show gave us likable characters. The reboot pilot gives us generic cut-outs. The original show had charm. It could be serious when it wanted to be. This had none of that.

The original didn't require skydiving from outer space into hostile territory, destroying two Ferraris, or Magnum jumping from the driver's seat of a speeding car to a helicopter, milliseconds before it's smashed to bits and flies off a cliff.

Get ready for the pair of crossover episodes with the Hawaii Five-0 reboot midway through the season when the ratings suck. That is, if you're miraculously still watching.

The Deuce (2017–2019)

One big, beautiful hollow bunny

[5/10 · 3 September 2017]

The show looks great. I wasn't born yet, but it's how I imagine New York City in 1971. But I can always just look at photographs from 1971 if all I want is a picture. I can do it at my own pace, and may not spend an hour and a half doing it. The problem with setting up a story for 84 minutes is that no story gets told. There's nothing to get invested in. It's not necessary to take the Guy Ritchie approach and introduce everyone in flashy nanoseconds of high octane action, but I would have preferred it to this.

About the nudity. I guess dick is the new pussy. Male full frontal is the only way to come off as edgy, so they made sure to include three or four cock shots. One of them was completely natural, but two of them felt too forced (and fake), just dick for dick's sake. It makes me wonder why they didn't cast Chloë Sevigny instead of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The sopranos had a slow buildup, but the Sopranos pulled it off. That chocolate Easter Bunny was high quality chocolate and solid all the way through. The Deuce may come from a great mould and look delicious, but once you sink your teeth into it, there's nothing but air.