daz-15753 Reviews

House of the Dragon (2022– )

What the???

[6/10 · 12 September 2023]

I so wanted to enjoy this. The main challenge initially was one that any sequel to a big hit has to overcome. A new story, without our preloved characters, that doesn't have the advantage of presenting the wonder of a new story world. But I managed to get through this, and over the first few episodes, developed a healthy viewers attachment to the new characters and was enjoying the show.

Then episode 6 lands. A ten year gap, with new actresses playing THE most important roles, and new characters. I spent the first half of this episode trying to work out who was who, what actors remained, what characters remained, who the new actors/actresses were portraying and what the hell was going on. But I plodded through.

Then episode 7. They do the same thing. New actors and actresses in many roles, new important characters & another jump through time. Again, who's who and what's going on?

Episode 8 and they unbelievably did it again. I was at least comforted by the fact that the post episode 5, Alicent actress (Olivia Cook), addressed a guard using the wrong name. At least I wasn't the only one who was completely lost.

Ironically a few scenes later, the post episode 5, Rhaenyra actress says,.... assumably referring to the king, but who knows?..... "He looks like a different person". Now they're just having a laugh, given he was still the same actor.

There is great potential for the second series, but please stop the clunky and jarring jumps in time, characters and actors playing the roles, that require the viewer to play catch-up so often.

65 (2023)

Underrated entertaining si-fi film with a heart

[7/10 · 7 September 2023]

First, please excuse me while I express a highly sarcastic observation. I'm sooooo excited by the number of 1/10 reviews this and other movies get on IMDB. With so, so many people out there with such better ideas, talent in story writing, original new world creating, character development, cgi skills, acting abilities, directorial & editing brilliance etc.... just imagine how amazing the movies we will be watching will be, when these people start making there own movies 🤗🤗🤗.

On to the movie. I really enjoyed it. Jurassic Park meets Pitch Black, with a sprinkling of Aliens. I'm not saying that it was as good as any of those movies, but to be fair, this is obviously because I've already been exposed to those movie's ideas.

I liked the movie's world tech. Cool space ship, gadgets & weapons.

I liked the dinosaurs, insects, plant life and the overall grand visual representation of the 65 million year old earth environment.

I liked Adam Driver's slightly flawed character, due to his experiences, learning to care and fight again for the girl.

I liked the girl character for lots of reasons. Not the least of which was that her character when needed, displayed the best kick arse bravery since.... well.... Kick-Ass (2010).

I liked the developing relationship between the two main protagonists. Both having suffered great loss, but learning to trust, care for, protect and fight for each other.

And to close, to the many reviewers that ridiculed the idea that Adam Driver's alien humanoid character would speak English, you're correct. That's implausible. But would it have been more enjoyable to watch if we spent the whole movie reading subtitles whilst listening to one character saying, "Be bop bop zamin shaltze herbo", and the response being "Zip doddle zap wap nolen". ??????. It's a movie device used to make the movie watchable. As the audience, we aren't supposed to think Driver's character is speaking our language.

From "Captain Obvious". 🙄.

What Lies Below (2020)

Nice ramping up of the intensity

[7/10 · 24 June 2023]

I do think I understand some of the dissatisfaction others have voiced. For one thing, it's often very satisfying when a movie has you in the dark about what's going on, and during the concluding stages, explains everything. Then you can say, ohhhh, that's why this happened, and why he did this, and she didn't do that. But does every movie have to do that?

This movie doesn't. It does explain a lot, but allows you to wonder and surmise about some aspects. For me they got the balance of that right.

The characters were all well presented, via good writing, direction and acting. Yes I wanted to throttle the mother every time she said "baby girl", but that was obviously intended to be grating for the viewer, and daughter. A single mother, understandably finding it difficult to let go.

The thing I liked the most was the build up of intensity. Some movies like the Halloween franchise move along, spiking the intensity up and down throughout, before a final flurry, which I do like when done well. This one starts soooo low key, and then builds and builds, getting creepier and more intense on a parabolic upward arc.

Not for everyone, but it worked for me.

Nothing Compares (2022)

An extraordinary voice, in two ways.

[9/10 · 13 June 2023]

I chose to watch this as, being born three months before her, at the time I was very disappointed when she became so political, as I just wanted the next great song to listen to. In my sheltered life, I didn't want music to be anything more than entertainment.

This doco explained a lot about her motivations, that at the time, I was too ignorant to consider as important. I think that as a reasonable person, you can still find her methods challenging, but the messages should now be hard to disagree with. A human being ahead of her time.

Arguably the most beautiful singing voice I ever heard. And now that I'm much older, and a little bit wiser, one of the most beautiful, brave and honest "voices" of my generation.

Thank you.

1BR (2019)

A challenging watch

[7/10 · 10 June 2023]

Watching the first half of this movie disgusted me. Seemed like torture porn, akin to Saw like movies, and that's not my thing. I strongly considered giving up on it. The only thing that kept me watching was some decent reviews on IMDB. Which to that point made no sense to me.

Continuing to watch and staying connected, the observation of the cult experience and exploration of how reasonably intelligent, but vulnerable people can be brainwashed started to resonate. And emotional vulnerability can, as shown here, place almost anyone at risk.

The ending was very good, even though it seemed to be directly stolen from a better movie I had previously seen.

So, worth a watch as it makes you think, but depending on your sensibilities, maybe not.

Also, definitely not an enjoyable watch.

Fleetwood Mac: Unbroken Chain (2004 Video)

5 Stars for the five band members during my time

[5/10 · 14 April 2023]

If you are a fan perhaps this is worth watching, although it is unlikely to reveal a single thing that you didn't already know. Also, the ignorant American narration will likely grate.

Right off the bat the narrator says;

"The Beetles changed the face of rock and roll, and ushered in a dominance of the music charts by British acts that were little more than pale imitations of the Fab Four." (some truth in that perhaps, but there were many other great British performers).

He then slags off The Dave Clark Five and Gerry And The Pacemakers. Before proclaiming it "led many to wonder whether rock was to hit another stagnant role".

Then, this;

"But once again, American music would prove to be both an inspiration and a saviour to the British music scene." Wow. The people who wrote this are dinosaurs. Having met many Americans over the years, I thought they and their thinking were long extinct.

So apparently The Who, The Hollies, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and countless others.... Oh yeah, The Rolling Stones, can thank American artists for their great music. Thanks for saving us America. Thankfully I'm aware that only 0.001% of Americans believe this sort of crap.

And BTW, in my opinion, not a fact, The Beetles early music was the most formulaic, pleasing to the ear music I have ever heard. And that's fine. There is a place for pop music, as it's popular. That being said, The Beetles later work, whether together or solo are the songs I still play.

Breaking Bad: Fly (2010) Season 3, Episode 10

I really enjoyed this episode

[9/10 · 14 May 2022]

Yes, a potentially jarring episode, not in keeping with the usual flow of the series.

The first thing that came to my mind was the not so subtle "fly in the ointment" metaphor that has been perceived by many reviewers.

As an older viewer, this episode also seemed to intentionally reference other pop culture productions, which usually isn't my thing, but for whatever reason I found it done in a fun way here.

Others have mentioned HAL from "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the scene where Jesse was looking for a weapon to break back into the lab, and picked up a hammer, discarded it after noticing a pick axe, and then discarded that in favour of a sledge hammer, before deciding to cut the power. Bruce Willis, Pulp Fiction. Genuine lol for me.

I also felt that the whole episode unashamedly lent a lot from The X-Files episode, s3-e12, centred on cockroaches. A somewhat slapstick episode, wedged into a mostly dramatic series.

This one might be just me, but the movie "Bug", showed I guy that was drifting from reality, freaked out by bugs etc, and filled his hotel room with fly paper as he descended into madness.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that there were others I missed.

Another reason why I liked this episode was the interaction and progression of Jesse and Walt's relationship. They have been at breaking point in their relationship, but just about manage to mend things, by both sharing about 75% of their truth. Delightful for future storyline, and realistic.

Finally, I really empathise with Walt when he talks about believing that there was some time, and some words, that he could have said that would have prevented things getting so out of control.

Halloween II (2009)

I'm Feeling A Little Woozy Here (Scream 1996)

[5/10 · 12 February 2022]

I thought this was a Halloween movie. But since it's not, a fun drinking game. One shot, every time you notice an idea taken from some other characters' lore. 35mins in and so far I have;

Nightmare on Elm Street's, teens troubled sleeping, bad murderous dreams, wake up sign and psychiatrist.

Re-animator's head. To be fair, it hasn't been re-animated yet..... maybe in the next scene.

Jason's mum shows up!!!???

The Pulp Fiction, 70's TV's Kung Fu, and biblical "Caine/Cain walking the earth" scene. That's 3 shots right there.

I'm Feeling A Little Woozy Here.

Ohh derrrrr...... and how did I not notice straight away, given my own plagiarism, the use of Scream's lore. Gale Weathers writing a book about the murders for profit.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

I'm glad I gave this a chance

[7/10 · 1 May 2021]

Most times when you decide to watch a movie, you have a decent chance of suspending disbelief. I'm very glad that I have been able to embrace this method when watching movies since I was a child, and still, if the movie is well made and not overly hyped, as an adult. I still don't understand why so many people watch a movie, and seem to go into it, trying to critique it. Do these people dive in the water and let the glory of love wash over them when it comes, or analyse the other person's beauty, job, financial situation, power and friends.

As we all knew the sad real life tragedy that overwhelmed this movie during filming, I found that my usual ability to do this was compromised. When's Heath coming on?..... How will they solve the problem of the unfilmed scenes?

This did compromise the first half of the movie for me. But the second half, where more scenes from behind the mirror came up, gave me the chance to accept the device used to complete the movie, and allowed me to dive into its world. I found these scenes wondrous, wickedly funny and very entertaining.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

A cautionary tale.... don't build a skyscraper in Hong Kong

[9/10 · 28 March 2021]

Very predictable story arc, in the absolute best way possible. Give the fans Kong & Godzilla tearing into each other, and just when the excitement of the audience has peaked, throw in Mechagodzilla for an epic finale.

Absolutely awe inspiring monster cgi, beautifully rendered interactive environments, and fight punches, grapples and throws that would make Hulk Hogan want to get back in the ring.

Yes, it's over the top. Yes, you need to bring your suspension of disbelief. But it's so, so much fun to experience. Don't wait, buy your ticket and see it on the big screen if you like these kinds of movies.

But yeah, if you are an entrepreneur, considering a build in Hong Kong, make sure you don't skimp on the insurance.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Not for me

[3/10 · 28 March 2021]

Reading the reviews and overall rating, clearly there was an audience for this movie, but I wasn't part of it.

For me it was way too long and had way too many characters. Each character apparently had to have at least one super hero jump landing. A very overused and tired device. And, each character had to have at least one Zoolander, blue steel stare to the camera, before any fighting started. As these moments took up about an hour of the filming time, perhaps that explains the long run time.

Then the story negates any lasting impact from the previous movie. Everything from the previous battle is irrelevant, because we can just go back in time and fix it. So assumably when the studios want to cash in again, Thanos can build a time machine after Infinity War, find out what happened in Endgame, and go back and fix that outcome. Next movie, the avengers steal the time machine and create another fix. Then in about another two sequels or so, the whole battle can be fought out again in the old west, with Doc, Marty, and Spider-Man driving the delorean, after some funny scenes where Thor helps him get his licence.

The best way I can comment on this movie, is that I went to see it in the cinema with a 24yo friend. About half way through, I looked at him and he was asleep. I considered waking him up, but realised that whatever he was dreaming about, it had to be better than the movie.

Under the Silver Lake (2018)

A different and enchanting experience

[8/10 · 26 February 2021]

After trying meditation a year or so ago, but not practicing it for about six months, I happened to decide to use a good app to meditate one lazy afternoon, and then decided to watch a movie. I think that this really left me in the perfect state of mind to enjoy this film.

I watched the movie without judging it or trying to predict what was coming next. Just letting each moment wash over my mind, noticing what I experienced, and allowing the film to carry me forward.

I found it quite beautiful, and enjoyed the interesting, but mostly vacuous characters, that drifted in and out of the mystery strangely enchanting.

I don't really want to specifically critique any elements of the film, but just know that I enjoyed the experience of watching it.

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015)

More ham than I've eaten over the last five Christmas's. And way more fun to digest.

[9/10 · 21 January 2021]

Unfortunately I'm old enough to have watched camp movies like 1979's Meatballs. And young enough at the time to have taken them partly, seriously. This is one of the stupidest, most juvenile parody pieces I've ever seen.

And it's hilarious.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

Christmas family fun

[8/10 · 30 December 2020]

Not sure why this one is rated so low. For me it is a necessary watch every Christmas season.

For the kids it's a fun ride, also fun for us adults, and it delivers an important Christmas message.

And it has NINJA SANTAS!!!!

Nuff said.

Crawl (I) (2019)

A fun ride, if not Nat Geo realistic

[7/10 · 18 December 2020]

Again, many thanks to all our wildlife armchair experts, and those that know that they would not do anything wrong when faced with a crisis like this. But yes, we do all know it didn't display realistic animal behaviour, and included very questionable decision making from our leads..... but what did you want?;

Girl saves dad, they struggle up out of the basement and wait out the hurricane as they are trapped. Meanwhile, a few Alligators who are also caught in the storm, find a relatively safe area under the house, out of the water flow, and shelter there for the duration of the storm. David Attenborough shows up and assures Dad that the gators are just trying to survive and will not attack unless provoked. Dog occasionally barks at them. Cesar Millan shows up, trains dog not to bark at gators. Dog gets a Scooby Snack. Nobody comes to our protagonists aid, until after the hurricane passes. Two days after the hurricane is downgraded, president Bush jumps in a helicopter, and personally lifts dad and daughter to safety. Pauses for photo op.

Personally I prefer the vision of the writers and directors, although I do think they missed a trick;

Final scene.... cut to 1 year later. Daughter is lined up against her swimming nemesis from the start of the movie, and is about to contest the 50m Freestyle Final. She dives in, dad breaks from the crowd and throws a medium size gator in her lane, just behind her. Daughter wins by 20m.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)

Suspend disbelief, and hang in to the end

[7/10 · 29 November 2020]

A fun popcorn flick.

You really need to forget everything you know about sharks in the real world, pretty much anything you know about diving, anything that you have seen about ecosystems that have evolved in isolation, and just about any and all basic safety precautions. That being said, this is not a National Geographic documentary. It's entertainment.

I accepted that going in, and found that as the movie progressed, I became more entertained and drawn in by the scenes. I also enjoyed the final scene. Great, "you know it's not over yet" fun.

And SPOILER ALERT, as with every good popcorn thriller/horror..... everyone that you wanted to die did.

And one more thing. Why are there always so many super cool reviewers, convinced of their own intelligence, that talk about the dumb decisions characters make in these sort of movies? To be fair, I've never been trapped in an underwater cave, with my air running out, and watched my friends and father get eaten by a shark. My guess is in this situation, some of my decision making in the moment might be just a bit compromised.

Birds of Prey (2020)

I had so much fun watching this.... I had to give it a 10

[10/10 · 16 September 2020]

Firstly, if you haven't seen this yet, but partied your way through the first "Kick Arse" movie, watch this ASAP.

During Suicide Squad, as a man, I was somewhat distracted by Harley Quinn's outfit..... etc. I must admit that I came here, expecting something similar. This time though, none of the women were overtly sexualised, and that was a good choice.

What was presented was a fun filled carnival ride of over the top action and girl power fun. There were so many whoooo laughter moments, and smart arse dialogue, that ramped up to a crescendo. The imagined scenery was fantastic, perfectly suited to the comic strip story, and the final battle was played out in the perfect arena.

For those that can't accept female heroines beating up on male villains..... grow up and get over it. For those that can..... let the inner child out, revel in it, and enjoy the ride.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

More movies like this please!

[10/10 · 12 July 2020]

After watching this, I will be checking out more of Macon Blair's work. What a gem of a movie/story, that enveloped me immediately with the main protagonist's perception of our society, used black humour, and a delightfully ridiculous plot, based on what I would like to do if I could say what I want to say, and do what I want to do, when faced with other people's behaviour.

I saw this show up on Netflix a few weeks ago, and tried it on a lazy Sunday afternoon, only based on the actors, and not really expecting much. It has been a long, long time, since I have been drawn into the world of a movie, the way this one drew me in.

Reminded me of some of the Coen brother's films, but also, if you liked this, maybe check out, 1998's "Very Bad Things", and the underrated, 1996 film, "Head Above Water".

Weird, funny, entertaining, ridiculous, and so much fun to watch.

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

An educational must watch movie for our society..... even if it was in reality, fiction.

[9/10 · 8 July 2020]

So, let me first say that as a work of fiction, this movie rates a 9/10 for me. As an accurate portrayal of the real people and events, not so much. I don't know why Hollywood feels they must change the facts, when they present a treatment of real life people. It is disrespectful of the real life people, who must feel abused by how they are portrayed, and I think the audience. Surely we can be shown the truth, and make up our own mind, without being manipulated into how we perceive the people, and the things they did.

I have watched this movie on multiple occasions, and again, as a work of fiction, portrays the awful personal and external issues that real life minorities have to face, just by being themselves. For a heterosexual male myself, it does help to open the mind, and not just tolerate, but accept others. Hopefully we all want to move further in this direction.

But what about what really happened, and who the individuals really were? I think it would have made an even more compelling story, and if handled well, still would have allowed us to feel empathy for Brandon.

I have done some research, and as limited and perhaps biased as it could have been presented;

Brandon appears to have been a serial womaniser, as he tried to work out how to live his life. At 18yrs old he hooked up with a 13yr old girl and a 14yr old girl, never being totally honest with them, their family, or other young girls he attracted. He then continued to initiate romances with many young women, without being able to be totally honest with them, which while being damaging and unfair to others, can be understood.

Lana Tisdel, her unmentioned sister Leslie, and their mother as shown in the movie, seem to have a cloud hanging over their head in perhaps telling the murderers where Brandon was, and not calling Brandon to let them know that trouble was coming on that night. They are flawed individuals, but to be fair, this is displayed during the movie to some extent.

My biggest issue is that Lisa Lambert, a former girl friend of Brandon, is used as a composite character in the movie. Brandon had ended a relationship with Lisa, but Lisa allowed Brandon to stay at her house, in his time of need. She lost her life, shot in the head, as a result of this kindness. And, then there is Phillip DeVine. A young black man, who appears to have overcome an horrific early health issue and physical handicap, and was on the way to a good life, before he met and feel for Leslie, got dumped, and also tragically found himself at the house that night, and was murdered. Phillip is not mentioned in the movie at all, even as a composite character.

So again, as it is, a very good movie that helps us to open our minds. But why not do justice to the real people involved.

Experimenter (2015)

An uncomfortable and self revealing film

[8/10 · 5 November 2019]

I have always wondered how other people can act the way they do, even when it seems to go against their core beliefs. This historical study and film helped me to question how I might betray my own strong beliefs, if certain conditions were present. How could otherwise sentient, empathetic human beings carry out the grunt work of the Holocaust, racism, or school bullying?.

I remember twice involving myself in school bullying, in primary school. (When I was about 10yrs old). The target person seemed like a bad guy, but was new to the school, had not fit in, and had been bullied. I think I got caught up in the crowd mentality, and although I only buried him verbally, perhaps at that age it never occurred to me to simply talk to him. Later I felt disgusted and confused by my behaviour, and just as confused by the crowd baying me on.

This is the only time during my life where I feel I have been purposely destructive to another human being, even if I think they deserve it. I mean really, what's the point. Among other things the film indicates, this sort of crowd mentality is part of the human psyche, but offers the possibility that if understood and explored honestly, perhaps can be countered.

We for some time now have lived in a global economy. Whilst our actions affect the earth, and all of us humans that share it, I think we are socially behind the technological advances, and perhaps the impact that we are having on the global environment. Are we being blindly obedient?. As a person of 53 years old, I would say that the younger generations seem to be more in touch with challenging the actions that confront these ideas, which is comforting.

Anyway.... A thought provoking movie, about ideas that are still relevant..... I'm off the soap box.

Cleaning Up (2019)

Wow!

[3/10 · 6 April 2019]

Given that I have enjoyed watching Sheridan Smith's work in "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps", and "The Royle Family", I watched this series to the end, really hoping to enjoy it. I also usually enjoy British series of this type, and usually rate then highly.

I don't think the actors are to blame, but there's so much I could say to comment on my negative reaction to the story in this series. The thing I will say is how laughably ridiculious the final episode was. As each scene in the final episode played out, I was genuinely shocked at how unbelievable they were.

SPOILER ELERT: To give just one general example, we are supposed to believe that every single supporting character that was in her social circle, who had all in previous episodes caught out our lead, carrying out unacceptable behaviour and held her to account in various ways, suddenly accept even worse behaviours, and then praise her for them, whilst excepting a minimal or non existing cut from the scheme???...... really?

And to close, we are expected to believe that without any references to get them new cleaning contracts in suitable firms, or contacts that they can use to get information or finances, our trio will be able to duplicate their minimal financial windfall, and live happily ever after.

What the?

I give it 3 out of 10, only because as the series progressed I was sucked in, hoping for some kind of satisfying ending. Again..... WOW!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Uncomfortable to watch, and thoroughly engrossing.

[8/10 · 22 November 2018]

I do like slasher horror movies, but every once in a while I like to watch a movie that has little of the over saturated Hollywood action style horror movie aspects, instead favouring uncomfortable slow build methods. The story, lighting, character reactions/dialogue, and music, really worked for me whilst watching this movie. With slasher movies, I enjoy the ride by leaving my brain at the door, but this style of movie invades some of the more uncomfortable thoughts in your mind..... if you are prepared to let it.

I notice that some viewers have complained that the character reactions were not believable. I often think that this is due to how difficult it is for movie makers to help audiences to suspend disbelief, as we all have seen too many movies. To help me to enjoy these kinds of movies, I try to project myself into the minds of the characters, using empathy. For me, this was easy to do, due to how well the characters were presented, and the initial set up. I imagine that working in a morgue would require practical, rational tendencies, the type of people that would be programmed to look for rational explanations, rather than freak out and bail at the first sight of something they could not explain.

I would recommend watching this at night, and by yourself for best effect. I streamed it during the day. On the positive side though, it was a very windy day, and I did notice the creaks in the house, a door blow open, and my fan started turning due to an otherwise unnoticeable gust of wind..... or was it. Always a good sign that a movie has got under my skin.