joulesvern Reviews

InstaPsycho (2020)

the channel should change names to MURDERTIME

[3/10 · 14 October 2021]

Another in many offerings from LMN (why does every film have murder in it?) that are primarily built upon poor writing and casting.

This epic is set against a social media (primarily focused on an site like "instagram" hence the title) backdrop of over active teens trying to impress and outdo each other in the virtual world.

We have Sasha, the queen bee at her high school and a large social presence, vying for attention when along comes foster girl Kelly who has just moved there 3 months ago, in her own words, been in many (five six seven...) homes during her teens, and is trying to unseat Sasha while living in a caricature foster home with a lusting foster father that she calls the best she has ever had, yet then she causes him to O. D. and tries to hide behind online popularity to escape the consequences.

Next we have Maddie (Laura Wiggins) and her mother (Nicky Whelan), who in actuality are only 7 years different in real age, trying to help Kelly yet we see Maddie start to morph into a Sasha/Kelly online persona.

The hashtag #suckitsasha should instead be directed at the film title as in #suckitmovie

The only bright spot, though limited in screen time, is Kim Director, a Spike Lee regular cast-member, playing Destiny, the foster mother to Kelly.

Then we have a preposterous fixation of Maddie on her journalism teacher to further cement this as a multi-wannabe themed movie (is it horror, teen angst, child endangerment, sexual predator, coming of age?)

None of the story really makes sense, just spend two hours watching and eating dinner, at least you got something out of the movie that way.

Criminal Minds: Date Night (2020) Season 15, Episode 6

Another example of the decline in writing

[4/10 · 15 September 2021]

**SPOILERS**

After 14 plus seasons the last dozen or so episodes of the series are all lacking in the high degree of sophistication and depth and insight into the minds of criminals (deranged or just plain profiled).

This episode continues the chance romance of Reid and Max, contrasted by Cat (a bit over-played by Aubrey Plaza). In the earlier season 15 episode we are introduced to Maxine, an aunt that is watching her nephew for her sister Michelle. Now in this episode we find that Max has another sister Eloise, one has to question why even on a third "non-date" (as Reid and other BAU team members amply exclaim) with Max one would think that siblings would have come up, Reid being an only child but Max having two sisters

One of the first egregious facts is how the connection to Max's family and the unsub Cat is lost on the BAU team coincidently with Cat's demands for a date night with Reid. With the background and search capabilities of Garcia there should have been a debrief before Reid went in to interrogate Cat including information about Cat's miscarriage so he was fully prepared. Perhaps this was to keep him in the dark (as later is revealed) in an attempt to uncover Cat's hidden agenda.

Then there is the whole story thread with Juliette, and yet the team is caught off guard as to her motives even after finding out her connection to Cat.

I gave this episode a 4 because it is clear that the writing has reached a point (as with the cast the staff writers knew the end of the series was coming) where there is no longer any plausible attempt for tight sub-story or back fill on the developments of the case, just a meandering of the story toward a conclusion, with an unexpected twist that has at most a subliminal explanation.

Criminal Minds: Truth or Dare (2019) Season 14, Episode 15

Not the worst episode, not the best ....

[4/10 · 15 September 2021]

**SPOILERS**

There is of course the dichotomy regarding a.major revelation between Reid and J. J. in this episode (more later) however this tactic again comes down to a screenwriting tool of making a season end episode intentionally nebulous and ambiguous to attract viewers for the following season.

In some cases this works, as in "who shot J. R?" from Dallas but in other cases the use of unreal circumstances such as a major character's departure and return (again Dallas, Patrick Duffy takes a season off) explained by writers that his wife had a "dream" he was gone. Then there is phenomenon such as time travel (LOST) or prequels that introduce characters that reoccur chronologically later (STAR TREK movies) but no recognition of previous encounters..

There is a hint about the J. J./Reid situation as the team plays poker while on the clock waiting for a case (which parallels the game) and J. J. bluffs Reid to go all in and wins the pot, collecting the candies and proclaiming "I'm a better liar then you thought" even though Reid said he knew her "tell". Had the writers incorporated this into J. J.'s revelation so Reid could be in on it, then the discussion here might be moot.

I am more troubled with the fact that in the J. J./Reid moment, we are given insight that the BAU has live video (no audio) of the closed store so they are able to watch what happens. How could the team miss the non-verbal cues that J. J. is saying something significant to Reid, we see it inside the shop and get audio but it is clear J. J. is expressing a deep emotion that any profiler worthy of the title should detect, yet no mention by other team members in the debrief or at Rossi's wedding, instead it is left that J. J. and Reid are the only ones that know.

I gave the episode a 5* as it could have been better but the premise of an unsub using others for dirty deeds has been used in prior episodes.

Fargo: Aporia (2017) Season 3, Episode 9

A few other tidbits

[9/10 · 20 June 2017]

While there has been sufficient coverage of the general direction of this episode in other reviews, there are a few gaps worth noting ...

*** SPOILER alert, do NOT read on if unfamiliar with the episode ***

Nikki gets some interesting insight into the Russian history involved with the situation she finds herself in while visiting the purgatory of the bowling alley and meeting with the stranger with the cat named "Ray".

The prophetic statement by the stranger (cannot seem to ID him in the credits) of the evil being exalted with eagles and building nests in the sky only to fall to the vengeance of the Lord excerpt from the Hebrew book is sure to lead someplace in the final episode. And a Varga goon meeting the executed Russian peasants from a century ago before malice comes over him by the same visitor is sure to also climax in the season finale.

And to see Mr. Wrench 4 years (chronologically) after season 1 ends still incarcerated but now aiding Nikki is a nice tie-in as the modus operandi for the series, always connecting one season to another.

But ultimately the direction of the episode is shown when Nikki confronts Varga and reveals she wants to hurt him badly, with the episode close being in what appears to be an IRS office and the books, the real books, of Stussy Lots Ltd are found in the envelope for pain to be dealt to Varga.

My zeal for the last episode is too see whom is the party that Nikki cites the Hebrew scripture about vengeance to before they succumb to their demise. It brings to mind Jules scripture speeches in Pulp Fiction.

This episode truly shows the direction that will lead to the next season, and perhaps Nikki will be the repeat character in another point in her life.

If one has not seen the prior 8 episodes, or seasons 1 & 2, this episode will not have as much meaning.

Skyline (2010)

Ummmmm ... some spoiler alerts...

[3/10 · 13 November 2010]

Others may think this is the best film of the year, alas the final cut I saw could have used a lot more cutting. Basically the film is *Transformers* meets *Matrix* meets *War of the Worlds* meets *Night of the Living Dead* meets *Predator* meets *Independence Day*, but where one would think all those classic films might make this a must see, the film is too cliché and too convoluted to make any sense.

FIRST, there is no story, not a new one (see aforementioned films), not a plausible explanation, just characters caught up in an invasion of earth by, what or where or whom, we never find out. The blue lights mesmerize humans into being sucked into cyborg like machines for their brains (I kept waiting for the cliché line "Brains, must...have...brains" to be uttered).

SECOND, other than one couple's pregnancy, there is nothing to attract us to any of the rest of the characters, they are boring and one-dimensional. No real story exists for any of the characters, no background, no human interest, just pawns for a mess of a script.

THIRD, a nuke is used early and when that fails special forces and helicopter gunships arrive--hmmmm after the failure of the most powerful weapon known it makes sense to send in lessor capable forces to take on these cyborg ships "things".

FINALLY, the end is not really an end, sort of a "to be continued..." no closure, no hope, nothing to cheer, just a ..., yes an abrupt end but welcome so one can leave the theater. So do yourself a favor and skip this film.

One should always be concerned when no less than five production companies are listed at the start of a film, a blank film, in association with blank, produced by blank, a blank production and in conjunction with blank pictures. That's five backers that will not get their monies out of this stinker--it's almost as if the Mel Brooks PRODUCERS decided to make a movie, find the worst script, actors, director, and oversell by 1000%, we'll be rich--it will close in one week!!