rosesp-06870 Reviews

Bodkin (2024– )

The two stars are for being able to see charming Ireland

[2/10 · 12 May 2024]

Oh please. Why would you cast a lead who is so bored with what she is doing, she constantly telegraphs to the audience that she would rather be anywhere else, DOING anything else? Sure, it works for her character, but when it permeates every single word she says and every single ANNOYING roll of her eyes...I just have to ask why? As a Casting Director, I know HUNDREDS of MUCH BETTER actors who would have actually taken all of us on a journey, that we ALL would have enjoyed. INCLUDING the actor! Rather than the droll, I hate my job, that we get to watch every episode. Will Forte is SO LOST in this one, I'm not sure he is even in the same country as the rest of the cast. Talk about emailing it in. He takes the email championship cup in this one. I am fed up with BAD TV. I gave this a chance and barely made it through the third episode, when I finally said to myself: Self you can be doing so many other rewarding things right now, the dishes, washing my clothes, putting my winter clothes in storage...washing my hair. Why not be good to our self and do any of those INSTEAD of laboring through one more ridiculous minute of this mess of a show. A show that could EASILY and SHOULD have been a 90-minute film. Screenwriting 101, repetition and exposition, gee two of my absolute favorite aspects of any script... NOT... does not a compelling drama make. I must have sneezed over the comedy, I did not laugh once while watching this hot puddle of a scrambled mess. I refuse to waste my time on hyped up, Streamer exec: Hey, let's put this in the top 10 to force people to get interested and watch, manipulation like that, has gotten on my last nerve.

If TV doesn't get and better, and quickly, I fear it will NOT, I am going to JUST watch TCM and enjoy my evenings a whole lot more.

Evil (2019–2024)

Confused what it wants to be so we get a half-baked hit or miss kind of way

[3/10 · 8 May 2024]

I am not sure why I kept watching this. BUT, last night the sophisticated goat/devil/therapist/ruiner of humanity finally finished me off. I feel this is a YA type of show that adds a bit of tolerable gore. And what they heck did Christine Lahti, who looks fantastic by the way, see in this goulash? This show suffers from multiple personality disorder. It is a mix of some interesting,original and then cheesy bits. Why? Stay consistent with what you want to be and maybe I will start watching it again. But for now, this writing team is having the time of their lives AT OUR EXPENSE. And I am done. I agree that the screaming and talking over one another for the four, stop feeding them sugar, girls is way over the top and terribly annoying. About annoying as "the song." Nope, I am hanging up my Evil hat and finding something more worthy of my time.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

A story that had no idea what it wanted to be

[3/10 · 30 April 2024]

Plot twists are exciting... until they aren't. This story was all over the place and in not a good way. The three stars are because Martha was interesting to watch and she committed to crazy in a believable and consistent way. And Nava Mau's performance was good. I felt so disgusted when I realized the ONLY reason for this entire rotten goulash was for the lead to have "his moment" with his monologue LATE...VERY LATE into the series. This should have been a one man show and he could have told the story. SINCE he forced us to LABOR through a BORING expository projectile vomit monologue of everything we had JUST WATCHED! I have to wonder what the pitch was like for this messy cavalcade of moments? And why have a series of a truly screwed up guy. He is obsessed with his stalker and he goes back to see his rapist and agrees to work with him? Truly a screwed up mess of a guy. What he needed to do was show him going to much NEEDED THERAPY. I am so sick of watching a new offering from Netflix and waiting and waiting and waiting for it to get better AND IT NEVER DOES. Enough of this self-indulgent dreck. Tell stories that actually have a plot and mean something. Leave the therapy behind closed doors, exactly where this feeble series should have stayed.

Nobody (I) (2021)

Nobody makes John Wick look like A Disney flick

[7/10 · 3 April 2024]

I lost count of the dead bodies at 124...wow this was violent in a very dark twisted comical way, if that is even possible. This film seems to pull it off. Christopher Lloyd is full of surprises in this one. As I am watching I am saying to myself, self, this is a very violent film and the violence and mass deaths are due to a "stolen" kitty cat bracelet? How weird is that? And how weird am I to be actually enjoying this film? I'm not sure, but I kept watching. And as the film "grew on me" I realized this poor guy was forcing himself to be something he really wasn't or someone he thought might result in a good life but...no. A highly trained, scary assassin, trapped in the body of a so-called mild mannered, punch the clock, get humiliated by your teenaged son and ignored by your hot wife's--- conundrum. Now there is a story you don't see every day. It is entertaining because the bad guys get it. Even though they didn't do anything wrong...or did they?

Rustin (2023)

A master class in acting Colman Domingo deserves an Academy Award

[8/10 · 21 February 2024]

I rarely give 8 stars but this film deserved every one of them.

Hands down the BEST performance I have seen ALL YEAR, in MANY YEARS! Coleman Domingo's Bayard Rustin, is brilliant in every second of this film. IMHO Cillian Murphy's flat, boring, detached performance, in a very long, dragged out, dull, convoluted, messy film: Oppenheimer, doesn't hold a candle to Domingo.

Domingo's performance embodies dynamism. And the film takes us on an incredible journey of fearlessness, tenacity and trust.

The ensemble cast is par none. Chris Rock gives a solid performance as Roy Wilkins the head of the NAACP. And what a year Jeffrey Wright is having. Mr. Right's Adam Clayton Powell is so detestable in this film, and after being so open and likable in American Fiction, it is wonderful see his two tour de forces in one year.

Back to Rustin what an amazing story. The writing is top notch, the pace is perfect, the music fits. This is a fantastic film that keeps you engaged from the opening scene to the end credits.

It is sad that this film is not getting the attention it DESERVES. The cloud of the bomb, and I use that term on purpose, is overshadowing an amazing film, incredible performances and a stunning out of the park performance by Colman Domingo.

He is brilliant, he emerges onto the screen like a comet blinding the screen with energy, excitement, honesty, focus and skill and he never loses your attention.

BRAVO Mr. Domingo! In my eyes YOU ARE the winner of the Academy Award. You gave us ALL a Master Class in commitment to honesty, and an unending perseverance to create a believable and seamless character, who was living a dangerous double life while trying to keep his above water.

You pulled that off with honors sir. You should be commended for letting the world in on Rustin's secrets, fears, vulnerability in such an honest and gut wrenching, at times way, thank you for risking it all the way you did.

Outstanding film, if you can find your way out of the nuclear fog for a few hours, do yourselves a favor and don't miss RUSTIN.

True Detective (2014– )

WTF happened to this series?

[1/10 · 18 January 2024]

I was a huge fan of Season 1. Harrelson and McConaughey were terrific together, the cinematography was interesting and the story kept me interested.

Season 2 was a train wreck, and absolute disaster.

I only gave Season 3 a chance because of Mahershala Ali and Dorff, it was worth watching.

So last night, I decided to give Season 4 a try 1) Because I am a Jodie Foster fan 2) I was hoping to see a lot of Alaska since I have been there twice and it is the most gorgeous place I have ever been. BUT it turns out is was ICELAND...oh well. AND it takes place in the "no sun days," oh joy, joy.

However, this is another disaster, this is a train wreck of epic proportion.

Was makes it even worse to is accentuated by the absolutely horrid, intrusive, grating music that RUINS every "scene." I use quotes because I am not exactly sure there is even a script.

The acting is so lackluster, they must have skipped those chemistry tests. And I truly feel Jodie Foster's "performance" and yes it IS a performance in the worst sense of the word, all I could see was her ACTING, showed me that she would rather be ANYWHERE else than on that set.

I am not going to give this one a second shot. I would rather rearrange my kitchen cabinets, pluck the lint off of my carpet, learn how to knit...anything but watch this boring, plodding mess of a show.

I am stunned what constitutes "acceptable" on television these days. I suppose if you had ONE successful season out of a four season show, well, then that is just fine with HBO.

BUT it is not fine with subscribers, we need quality. We need engaging stories, we need actors who actually WANT to be a part of the show.

One does not get ANY of the above with this catastrophe of epic proportion.

And please for the love of GOD if you are going to make the "score" a part of the "cast," at least choose DECENT music. Not the schlock that was played, too loud, too constant and way too, too.

I am done with this one.

I feel bad for Jodie Foster. Perhaps she was not happy with the greenhorn cast? Perhaps she was tired of freezing her butt off in Iceland and wanted to go home. Whatever the case, faxing it in would have been a gargantuan improvement to what I saw last night.

Life is too short to waste it on a mess like True Detective, done and over an out.

Goodnight Mommy (2022)

Oh please this was such an idiotic film

[1/10 · 1 October 2023]

It makes me so angry when I waste my time watching a film, waiting for it to get better and it never does. I suppose that is the definition of wishful thinking gone bad.

The fact that this is a remake, does not offer validity. After watching this film, my only questions was WHY?

Why would they remake such a ridiculous, HOLE-FILLED story again?

A few terms that crossed my mind when I pondered the reasons: Insanity, had money to burn so why not throw it down the toilet with a remake of a film that didn't deserve to made in the first place? Why not do a film with Naomi Watts wearing a mask for 3/4+ of the film, why not?

I'll tell you why not, that was a very bad choice for Ms. Watts, indeed. I was a fan, not after this film. Her choices are not always the greatest, this trash is proof positive of that. There was nothing redeeming about this film. There was no rhyme or reason for 3/4 of this story.

It made no sense. The plot was wafer thin. And what little plot there was, indulged in meaningless repetition and a fill-in-the-blanks session, sadly, DURING pre-production and throughout the shoot.

The end was the only thing that brought some semblance of cohesion, and then again it made you go back and question the entire piece of garbage.

Then shake your head wondering about all of the OTHER more productive things you COULD have been doing instead of wasting your time watching this schlock.

For instance, cleaning the lint catcher in my dryer, rearranging my kitchen cabinets alphabetically, and the like.

It will never cease to amaze me how horrendous, embarrassing films like this one get made.

What for?

The investors will NEVER get their money back.

The only people who will watch it are those who are so sick and tired of the nightly death scroll when trying to find anything remotely interesting to watch, spoiler: this film is NOT one of those.

No one came out a winner in this film, EXCEPT for those smart viewers who changed the channel.

Go watch the grass grow, it will be more exciting than this ridiculous failure.

The Poison Rose (2019)

Did they know it was this bad while filming it

[1/10 · 21 June 2023]

I can't believe I sat through the entire film. Seriously, I kept repeating to myself, it has to get better, "God" is in this one. Yeah, well God had nothing to do with the atrocity of this wafer thin, predictable, incredibly poorly written piece of... yes, it is THAT BAD.

I'm pretty sure the writer had something to do with the financing and that is THE only reason this DREK film was EVER made.

A four-year old can figure out the end in the first 7 minutes. The repetition of BAD lines is nauseating. Watch it, you'll see what mean, keep a bucket close by.

Whatever, new filler Famke Johnson has over inflated her face with, is SO distracting, I can't even remember the name of her character. And that is not too distressing. Shades of Rourke's scary face in The Wrester. But in that film, the goop in his face actually worked.

Brendan Fraser has some "fun" moments with his quirky character choices, but Brendan, they are trite and predictable.

Oh, did I mention that the entire "script" is trite and predictable? Well, there I just did.

I will NEVER get those hours back... damn.

And THAT lament IS worth repeating, but I will save you the misery that I endured watching this train wreck.

Dumb, pedestrian, boring, rehashed, garbage.

If I could give this POS ZERO stars I would.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023)

It's ending because the Palladinos and the actors are BORED

[2/10 · 7 June 2023]

I loved the first season, don't get me wrong.

Although they STOLE JOAN RIVERS' LIFE STORY and gave her no credit... I TRIED to look past that.

The sets, the clothes, the storylines were all terrific season 1.

There were memorable moments.

Season 2-4 were good, nothing like season 1 but I still watched and enjoyed some of it.

Highlights: every time LUKE KIRBY was on screen, my interest peaked. He did an amazing job as Lenny Bruce. And he ABSOLUTELY deserved The Emmy.

The Ferris Wheel scene was one of the most creative innovative, well-crafted, funny scenes of the entire 5 seasons.

I will say the Thanksgiving Dinner scene at the top of Season 5 was memorable although very, very familiar to the Ferris Wheel triumph, but fun.

Alex Borstein's monologue/eulogy at Jackie's funeral was amazing and she deserved ANOTHER Emmy for that.

However, my interest overall began to wane to the point that I skipped the second half of season three and four. It seemed the actors and writers were lost and forced, it was cringy at times to watch.

Then season 5 comes along and I thought I'd give it another shot. Last night's episode finished me off, for good. I will not watch another lazy, pushed, bored episode of this show. I can see why it is ending.

Why the Palladinos don't utilize their supporting cast more, who happen to ALL be amazing actors, utterly escapes me. Tony Shalhoub IS WASTED on this show. So is Kevin Pollack. These are two powerhouse actors and they are sometimes thrown measly scrapes. I suppose they don't mind (so much) since they are being paid... but I know they are capable of so much more, if only give the opportunity.

And to have Midge shown as an "older woman," is so diluted to almost ridiculous. Is it that Brosnahan is not capable of speaking up and DEMANDING "if you don't change my hair and make-up to resemble a grandmother, I am going to look like a High School sophomore playing a 60-year old woman." And this is because why? When she walks on screen as "older Midge" trust me lowering her voice and slowing her movements ARE NOT BELIEVABLE and they are NOT GOOD ENOUGH. It is an incredibly inane thing to watch. Is it vanity that makes her not want to look older? Because EVERYONE gets OLD honey. Go with it. You get to go home sans makeup what's the big deal here? Imagine if Charlize said, "I don't want to look "not pretty" in Monster. Guess what? She would probably NOT have an Oscar on her shelf. It's called servicing the material and being in the moment, not succumbing to your vanity.

So I am done. I don't care what happens. I don't care if Midge and Joel reunite, (Joel would be an idiot, just saying...) I don't care about anything that happens in this season.

It is so chock full of boring, OVER DONE, predictable cliches, it makes my head ache.

I think the Broadway wannabe/but ended up "Christopher Guest-sh" Sanitation Musical FINALLY FINISHED ME OFF...

Love & Death (2023)

Since when did a heinous murder od a mother of two, become comedy?

[2/10 · 24 May 2023]

Have we become that depraved? That uncaring? Is it "funny" to watch a show about a horrendous, heinous murder? Where do we draw the line? Will we see real-time murders of children on TV next? Are ratings more important than the sanctity and dignity of life?

What was Micheal E Kelly thinking? I'm afraid all of his millions have gone to his head and corrupted his humanity. It is sad to think that anyone with a conscience OR a soul can find ANYTHING humorous about a MURDER?

I'm not sure if Elizabeth Olsen just ran from her Wanda set to this set because she is playing a caricature of a character. Granted as actors, we all bring a part of ourselves to each role we play, no matter how unlikable a character might be. It is our job to still make them real and believable. I do not believe a single word that comes out of her mouth. And her separation from a real human being is only exacerbated by the ease with which Jessie Plemons approaches his role.

Being a SOUTHERNER, I promise you Ms. Olsen, you are "playing" at being a Southerner. In fact there are several "attempted" depictions of Southerners that play so false and cartoon-like, it is uncomfortable to watch. This is coming from not only a Southerner; but a holder of two MFAs, one in Theatre and one in Directing from one of the top schools in the US. Why does an actor think they have to dumb southerners down? Have they ever SPOKEN to a real Southerner? We are from all walks of life. We are CEOs, PRESIDENTS of the United States, Rhodes Scholars, neurosurgeons, etc.

To dumb someone down is the easy way out for an actor. People are complex. We have layers. We are more than the stereotype that you've see in sitcoms.

Enough said.

I couldn't get past episode 2.

After all, I had to wash my hair, now didn't I?

Incarnation (2022)

Was there a script? Was there a director?

[1/10 · 13 March 2023]

This was a horrendous film. Horrendous. It was shot like a home movie. The lighting was dark most of the time and other times not sharp. The acting, was either over the top or faxed in, they couldn't decide. I truly felt there was no script OR the actors decided they would "wing" it. "I don't read the script, the script reads me!" (Tropic Thunder) It was so disappointing. The energy was so low or uneven, did these actors know they were actually in a film AND the camera was rolling? I think not.

Why is it that we are continually subjected to half-as*ed scripts and films? WE KNOW there is better out there, WAY better. It seems that id there is a "star" in the film, the audience is too forgiving and accepting. Then we lose those hours FOREVER. And we have no one to blame but ourselves for not changing the channel sooner.

Smile (V) (2022)

Tried, boring repetitious and poorly acted what's not to love

[2/10 · 26 February 2023]

What a master class in the art of deception and snake oil sales.

This was an incredible marketing campaign for a mediocre at best film.

What were we watching here?

A barely there story, that the writer decided to REWRITE in the last 15 minutes.

Acting that was so OVER THE TOP that it was exhausting to watch.

Sosie Bacon started and 9.5 and kicked it up to 11 by page 12 and stayed their the ENTIRE ridiculous film.

This film lost its charm and surprise after the first two "smiles." Setting up the sequel at the end is always a cheap shot, but hey, they went for it.

And sadly, many "born every minute" horror fans will lay down their hard earned dollars to see another sappy, weak sequel, anyway.

Even worse, this flimsy film now has a built in audience, which means they won't even have to try "so hard" in the sequel.

Which is undoubtedly being filmed as you read this review.

So tired, so boring, so ho hum...

M3GAN (2022)

And once again we fall victim to a great marketing campaign

[2/10 · 26 February 2023]

Have you ever seen 2001 A Space Odyssey?

This is a TOTAL rip off of Hal in that classic film, but with a sick, PERVY twist.

Do we really need to see a "kid doll" gyrating like a newbie stripper at an airport strip bar?

I think not.

And can we really suspend our disbelief that far to actually buy that a grown man cannot escape the "clutches" of a slow moving doll? Seriously are we that gullible?

Or are we that starved for entertainment that we choose to believe this drek?

I think not, again.

This film was an INSULT on our intelligence.

Granted it's a quasi-horror film so the audiences are incredibly forgiving and accepting. Give that demo blood and guts and a few jump scares and they are happy.

But don't we deserve more?

Yes, we do.

And this film does NOT deliver.

Killing kids has never been a palatable genre and it never SHOULD be.

It is sad how low we have all actually sank. This film is mediocre at best and the world has gone crazy for it.

What does that say about us?

The White Lotus (2021–2025)

Predictable, trite, redundant, half-baked, boring

[3/10 · 20 February 2023]

I know people are in love with this series and I shake my head and wonder why?

I couldn't not get through season 1, it was so dumb and underdone.

But, I thought I'd give season 2 a try... because I have a streak of attraction to the macabre? I'm not sure.

I will say the fact that it was in Sicily, attracted me.

I haven't been there yet and I wanted to meet its charm up close and personal.

I will say the series served as a Chamber of Commerce commercial for "Come To Sicily!" It was beautiful to look at. The 3 stars are for the Cinematography.

However, when you go to Sicily, be sure to lock up your naive, gullible sons, watch your wallets, learn to easily recognize the local criminals, avoid the streets and lock all of your doors.

WTF they treated Sicilians with such disrespect. I would be incredibly offended if I were Sicilian.

The carrots were dangled and dangled and dangled and NOT ONE OF THEM ever paid off.

AND THEN when the action actually FINALLY does happen in the last 10-minutes of episode 7... they wanted to make sure you knew something horrible was brewing with Aetna spitting fire in the background.

REALLY... REALLY?

They chose ridiculous storylines that were more melodramatic than daytime soaps in the 1970s. Is that what people like to watch these days?

Or are we simply THAT BORED so we will watch anything?

Even a poorly written, overacted, predictable POS?

I would rather rewatch The Sopranos from S1E1 than sit through another one of these barely passable, tepid, at best, "dramas."

If we keep watching and praising schlock like this... chances are very strong, they will keep making it. Joy, joy.

Enough!

STOP GREENLIGHTING SH***Y SHOWS!

They/Them (2022)

The ONLY redeeming moment in this film, is that is ENDED.

[1/10 · 3 February 2023]

What the heck was Kevin Bacon thinking? Did he think that people would mistake this POS film with Jordan Peele's equally horrendous film them?

Yeah, that was a bad move.

Or perhaps he is still trying to make his money back he lost to Bernie Madoff, and Jason Blum threw a million at him and he took the bait.

Bait that placed him smack dab in the middle of a cliche', predictable, boring, offensive, been so done before, piece of trash.

There are NO surprises in this film, none.

I figured out who the killer was the minute I saw the person on screen.

Killer you say? NO spoilers here, it's a horror, film you already know that people are going to be sliced and diced. It's the nature of the beast.

That being typed.

I hung in there because I actually like Bacon, correction, I like his good films. This film is an INSULT to his legacy, as a most of the time, decent actor. Who has now confirmed that makes some bad choices/payday films too.

Oh happy day when this film ended.

Luckily for me, this is the LAST time I will EVER have to think about this POS film.

Luce (I) (2019)

What is the actual lesson here, to condone and perpetuate a child's subterfuge and manipulation?

[1/10 · 3 February 2023]

Not that every movie needs to have a lesson. But, when it is a blatant as it is in this film, it is difficult to ignore.

This is the classic case of two wrongs don't make a right.

It is also the classic case of a man being stuck in a marriage that does not fulfill him, that emasculates him and well, life is just too damn short to stick around. So why does he? It is painfully clear it is not for love, sex, money or prestige, he stays because he is too lazy or too afraid to do anything about it. And he complains, and complains and complains about it throughout this DRAGGY and repetitious film.

I didn't even need to read that this derived from a play, it was painfully obvious. No one TALKS as much as these characters in real live. No one unless, no, there is NO unless. It is a plain and simple fact.

Talky, talky, talky and they keep repeating themselves incessantly, oh was that repetitive from my paragraph above? It sure was. Point made.

The glaring oh, this is so obvious moment, in this film is everyone was in it for themselves.

The "do-gooder" adoptive parents decided an experiment would make them look like evolved people. Instead, it made them look like scheming, manipulative users.

The kid was a mess from early on, a victim of his war torn homeland and being ripped from his real parents. Having his name, any connection to his past, changed because his DOCTOR mother couldn't take the time to learn how to pronounce her son's name... was RIDICULOUS.

Actually, I'm done here. I have a lot more to say, but I am tired of even thinking about this horrid film.

The Menu (2022)

Brilliant, dark, twisted, and fun satire

[9/10 · 28 January 2023]

Finally, something I can write about with joy! The Menu is so beautifully shot, acted and written. It has quickly become my newest guilty pleasure. I would say that one thing you may want to do before watching this, is turn off your moral compass and just have fun.

Ralph Fiennes is excellent. A disgruntled chef who decides he has had it with overzealous, selfie-taking foodies and food critics' who can make or break hard working chefs' careers with a turn of a phrase.

Chef seems to have stopped caring. In such a way that he has lost his own moral compass and has become for lack of a better word, a psychopath. He takes us all on a roller coaster of a nightmare. And oh, what a blast it is.

This film harkens back to an Agatha Christie gem, only darker, and bloodier. All of the dinner patrons have a skeleton or two in their closets and chef is determined to excavate them. Any way he can.

I envy those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing The Menu for the first time. You are in for an experience that you won't soon forget. And if you are like me, will definitely come back for seconds, thirds and possibly fourths.

Yes the dining is that spectacular and The Menu is one to die for...

I wish you bon appetit'. You'll clean your plate watching The Menu and still be hungry for more.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Both a mess and a waste of time

[1/10 · 25 January 2023]

Oscars or no Oscars when there is bad filmmaking, there IS bad filmmaking. When you can't understand the lead who is supposed to make any kind of sense of this messy, out of control, unrecognizable film, the viewer is in trouble.

There is a reason why this actor has not acted in decades! And dto give him the lead, was ridiculous.

Can you tell I am angry?

I AM ANGRY.

WhenI think about film, I am reminded that it starts with a STORY. A comprehensible, beginning, middle and end.

This film did not have ANYTHING that resembled a cohesive story.

I can see where this "thing" would appeal to gamers. It's fast-paced, loud (except for the dialogue, that was unintelligible, was that on purpose because there was no there, there... What a mess, a sorry mess.

What was the Academy non com thinking?

I give up hoping that today's audience even cares about quality stories any more. Maybe COVID has not only made us sick but has hindered our taste as well.

The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

What the heck did I just labor through?

[2/10 · 15 January 2023]

This was incredibly plodding, pretentious, over acted (not by Bale, but the jury is still out on that) and nonsensical.

And when and where did Cooper and Melling decide it would be "fun" to have Poe portrayed like a jittery 12-year-old school girl for God's sake?

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

This was laborious to watch.

However, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, bravo Takayanagi as always.

Scott Cooper, (Robert Duvall's boy wonder,) please stick to CONTEMPORARY pieces. You're very good at those.

Period pieces, not so much. My guess is you and Bayard (his first feature) are Poe fans from a distance. Let's say the distance about as far as Mercury is to Earth.

Why do we keep having to be put through these mediocre, at best, offerings?

Because Cooper is the golden boy and whatever he writes gets made?

Bad answer.

Aren't we tired yet?

Nope (2022)

Nope is a huge NOPE. Incredibly disappointing, very LAZY filmmaking

[1/10 · 3 January 2023]

It seems that Jordan Peele is everyone's "Golden Boy of the moment." But giving him that accolade has made him a lazy filmmaker/writer/director/producer.

Watching this laboriously dull/repetitious film led us to believe that Jordan walked off the set, but kept the camera rolling.

As he reached the exit, he yelled back to his cast, "Just do whatever you want, don't worry about character, consistency or believability. I'll still get paid an obscene amount of money and my audience will love the film, no matter what."

Oh and to add to the carnage, the sound crew LEFT the set with Peele as well.

Muffled, muddy, incoherent sound abounded in this snooze fest.

WTF? Was this film about?

How can you have coherency lapses the depth of canyons in your script and "hope" no one notices?

OJ-- and while I am there, really? You named your lead (An African American man) OJ??? So you could what, add one lame-a** joke about OJ Simpson? Cheap device, and an idiotic "joke."

So WHEN did OJ learn that the "creature" and I use that term VERY loosely, wanted to stake its claim on a nondescript high desert plot of land in the middle of nowhere? Did the creature TEXT OJ and let him know he wanted the land back? NOPE.

And when did OJ the all-knowing sooth-sayer figure out not to look at the "creature?" Did that idea come to him in a dream? Because it sure wasn't in the wafer thin script. Nope.

Ad why pick on innocent horses and children? Nope.

And what the heck was the chimp bit all about? Were you filling time on the already WTF-is-this-script-about, script? Nope.

And did your actors receive ANY direction other than be as big, loud, unbelievable, precious, false and strange as you can be? Was that the direction? Because is didn't work, not for one minute of this boring/redundant film.

There were many missed moments in this film. Hey Peele have you ever seen "The Day The Earth Stood Still"? That was a brilliant film WITH a real script. A film where there was communication, a through line and an actual plot.

If you are going to make films Jordan Peele, please don't think so far out of the box that the box becomes so worn and esoteric, that it passes the point of ridiculous.

There is a sage saying that I use with the actors I teach and direct, LESS IS MORE.

Keke Palmer, is so over the top, she lost track of "the top" in the opening scene and never found "honest" in one second of her absolute "performance."

Michale Wincott - If anyone can figure out what FILM he was in while filming Nope, that would be incredible. I believe you might have better odds hitting the Mega Millions jackpot.

Brandon Perea played the problem before he even knew what the problem was.

This was a toxic goulash of filmmaking.

If we keep supporting and rewarding mediocre filmmaking, it will keep perpetuating bad filmmaking exponentially.

That would be a travesty.

As this film was a travesty.

I can never get that time wasted back, that is upsetting.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Stellar acting, not a stellar film. BUT, Colin Farrell is OSCAR BOUND in this one

[3/10 · 20 December 2022]

Being in theatre my entire life, I have always been a fan of McDonagh. I have read/seen everything he has ever written. I have also acted or directed several of his plays.

I was filled with anticipation for the release of Banshees.

And then I watched it... my joy waned.

Kudos to Colin Farrell for THE BEST acting I have ever seen from HIM, EVER.

FINALLY, his OSCAR BETTER come.

Kudos to Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan for their STELLAR performances, if they don't get nominated/win it will be a travesty.

Kudos to a brilliant supporting cast.

HOWEVER...

There is subtext which can be brilliant and there is subtext that is buried under so much dung that you need an earth mover to excavate it. So why even have it? What's the point? Where can any actor go with that?

This is a story about fear of mediocrity, fear of success, fear of failure. A calico quilt of quirky people, contentedly hiding from life. On an island only a boat ride away from possibilities that could change their dark outlooks on life in a heartbeat.

WHY didn't we see any of that? Why didn't McDonagh explore that instead of making us WAIT...and WAIT...and WADE through a thin, DARK, depressing, bland goulash of words?

Aye it was a treat for the eyes. The cinematography was stunning.

The acting was top notch by all.

Which is what makes it so sad.

Viewers will walk away from this film extolling its "greatness," but when you scratch the surface and get down to the origins of that "greatness" you may be left with the question, was it really great?

Have we become comfortable with supporting/lauding/honoring/awarding mediocrity?

So many stones were left unturned.

NO exploration of the meat of this story were ever given their moments. This travesty made it painful to sit through.

Brendan Gleason a strong and brilliant actor, he should have fought for more in this role.

He should have stood up to the "golden boy who can do no wrong" and asked, "what's the point?" "There are gaps as wide as the Grand Canyon here, and they deserve to be closed."

Tragically, Gleason didn't... no one did.

Amsterdam (2022)

What were these people thinking? Don't waste your valuable time on this POS.

[1/10 · 10 December 2022]

David O. Russell has lost his touch with reality. He USED to be a decent filmmaker. Those days are long gone. This is a goulash of disrespect, disheveled nothingness and an insult to good filmmaking. For a man who has a child who has a disability, O'Russell has abandoned all sensitivity to the realities of disabilities, debilitating injury and lives changed forever by war. Why did he see it necessary to have a sick scene where these ridiculous characters make light of brave men and women who fought in the war, were injured and permanently disfigured?

I have nothing else that I want to say about this POS film. Except I used to actually have respect for O'Russell, that is gone. And Christian Bale, I once had respect for you as an actor, it will be a long time before I will feel that way again. I was a fan... the operative term being WAS.

CODA (2021)

I honestly cannot remember the last time I was so MOVED by a film

[9/10 · 23 March 2022]

CODA restored my belief in taste.

As a filmmaker for over 26 years, I am usually incredibly disappointed by most of the (contemporary) films I watch. Most of the time, I am left wondering "how did this get green lit?" But every so often, I am pleasantly surprised.

CODA was a refreshing respite from super heroes and comic books.

Everything about this film IMPRESSED me.

Not since Children of A Lesser God, Mr. Holland's Opus or The Miracle Worker, have I been so deftly educated in the struggles, frustrations and victories of living with a lifelong challenge.

CODA is a REAL story, no CGI, no super heroes, no over exaggerated anything. Just a pure insightfully told story, so beautiful in its delivery and interpretations.

The acting is exceptional kudos to Emilia Jones as the hearing girl, with Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur as her Deaf parents and Daniel Durant as her Deaf brother. Eugenio Derbez is a sheer delight.

Kostur is so skilled at conveying emotion with his incredibly expressive gestures. And funny. To me, he is a very strong contender for the Oscar. It would be a travesty if he did not win. Marlee Matlin was breathtakingly brilliant, as always.

And Jones' voice is so pure. And free of all the Christina Aguilera runs and forced vocal gymnastics, what a refreshing change.

In the last 10 years, I can honestly say I have been rarely moved to tears in anything I watch. (I watch anywhere from 40-60 films per month.) This film picked its moments with such finesse and expertise, Sian Heder timed each moment like a finely skilled artist.

This is one NOT to miss.

The Thing About Pam (2022)

Are ratings that low that TWO possibly THREE BRUTAL MURDERS are fodder for COMEDY?

[1/10 · 21 March 2022]

WTF? Were NBC and HULU on a break from decency and morality when it decided making and airing this piece of GARBAGE would be a good idea?

Betsy Faria was a human being (with a LOVING FAMILY), who was BRUTALLY murdered by a SOCIOPATH (PAM HUPP) for financial gain. AND then this SOCIOPATH/murderer SHOT and KILLED mentally challenged, Louis Gumpenberger in order to frame him and cover up her crimes.

Oh and here's some more "comedy for NBC", Hupp probably killed her OWN mother, by pushing her from a 3rd floor balcony, for money too.

So on top of her 3 murders, Hupp was also instrumental in aiding in the conviction of Russ Faria, AN INNOCENT MAN convicted of murdering his wife Betsy. He spent 3 years in prison for the murder HUPP committed.

SO NBC thought, "Hey let's put Oscar winner Zellwegger, the notorious ANOREXIC, Ooh yeah, that's right she has a fast metabolism...yep... in a FAT SUIT let her embarrass herself with her overacting. Oh and let's make it even worse by having her use the wrong dialect to insure she is even MORE cringe worthy to watch.

Since obviously, making a comedy out of two possibly three murders, and putting a rail thin actor in a FAT SUIT isn't OFFENSIVE ENOUGH, let's make a sarcastic COMEDY out of COLD BLOODED MURDER. Won't the be a hoot?"

No NBC it actually isn't a hoot.

And for those who say we "didn't know her, why get so upset" BECAUSE these are HUMAN BEINGS who were murdered.

EVERYONE should care and BE UPSET. Have we lost our minds thinking this is "no big deal" WTF??

And the sarcastic, tongue in cheek narration is disrespectful and ABSURD.

It is sad and a terrible commentary on how our society is devolving into a narcissistic, uncaring, anything-for-a-BUCK travesty.

"Good on you NBC/HULU," for contributing to the despicable PERVERSE insanity, anything for RATINGS and MONEY, eh?

Surveillance (I) (2008)

Natural Born Killers Lite but WORSE

[1/10 · 5 March 2022]

Why would anyone want to make this film? There are NO redeeming qualities, It is VIOLENT, VIOLENT, VIOLENT, did I mention it was filled with GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE?

Then to make matters even worse show an innocent blonde haired blue eyed little girl in the mix, amidst all this violence, for what? Good measure? A fun family film?

I think not.

I HATED THIS FILM...can you tell?

I want that time back.

I will help you save yours, this is a BIG PASS.