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Reviews
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
Perhaps the best film of 2023
Yes, a Godzilla movie really is a candidate for the best film of the year. Godzilla Minus One is the best Godzilla movie of all time and even surpasses the original. This is more than a Godzilla movie, it is an examination of the human condition and humanity's effect on the natural world and the natural world's response as was the case with the original 1954 classic. In many Godzilla movies, the creature is cartoonish at best. Not this Godzilla. The monster is the best and most fearsome Godzilla of all-time. Although it does cover the post-war period in Japanese history as the original did, Godzilla Minus One takes a different approach to the story. This film should be nominated, if not win, the Oscar for Best Picture. If it is not nominated at least, the Academy should be rightfully criticized and criticized harshly for their choice.
Last Chance U: Basketball (2021)
Rankings of all seven seasons including football
Here are the rankings of all seven seasons (including football) based on the entertainment value, with a brief summary of each season.
1) Basketball season 1
Due to the roster of a basketball team being much smaller than that of football, this season became the most engaging because the viewer got to learn about everyone that was part of the program. The ending of this season was the most dramatic of any season. It was a heartbreaking end to the ELAC season.
2) Football season 1
Perhaps due to the fact that this was the first season and the format of the series was an unknown commodity, the viewer quickly got pulled into the drama of the EMCC football program. It was hard to hit the stop button after each episode.
3) Football season 3
This season was the third most entertaining mainly due to the lunatic that was the head coach, but he actually seemed to care more about the kids in his program than the coach at EMCC.
4) Football season 2
The second season with the EMCC program was not as good as the first.
5) Football season 4
Although he was still very entertaining in a trashy reality tv-type way, the continuing shenanigans of the head coach began to get tiresome and boorish as the season progressed.
6) Basketball season 2
Due to COVID, basketball season 2 covered three different school years in some capacity. It seemed as if the coaches were over having cameras in their faces at all times during the course of this season. In addition, the players in basketball season 2 lacked the charm of those in season 1.
7) Football season 5
This was not a bad season at all, but the head coach and program were too normal to be very entertaining. No one wants to see a smooth flow of traffic, they want to see a trainwreck. Being a former college football player, if I had to choose a coach and program to play for from the four schools highlighted in the Last Chance U. Seasons, it would be the one at Laney College highlighted in this season. The other coaches (especially the football coaches at the first two schools) just had way too much drama in their programs and it seemed as if they often lacked institutional control of their teams. A trainwreck is entertaining, being in a trainwreck is not.
My rankings should not be interpreted as those seasons at the bottom were not entertaining or engrossing. Each season was solidly put together and very engaging, but some were just more interesting (in an often bad way) than others.
Last Chance U (2016)
Rankings of all seven seasons including basketball
Here are the rankings of all seven seasons (including basketball) based on the entertainment value, with a brief summary of each season.
1) Basketball season 1
Due to the roster of a basketball team being much smaller than that of football, this season became the most engaging because the viewer got to learn about everyone that was part of the program. The ending of this season was the most dramatic of any season. It was a heartbreaking end to the ELAC season.
2) Football season 1
Perhaps due to the fact that this was the first season and the format of the series was an unknown commodity, the viewer quickly got pulled into the drama of the EMCC football program. It was hard to hit the stop button after each episode.
3) Football season 3
This season was the third most entertaining mainly due to the lunatic that was the head coach, but he actually seemed to care more about the kids in his program than the coach at EMCC.
4) Football season 2
The second season with the EMCC program was not as good as the first.
5) Football season 4
Although he was still very entertaining in a trashy reality tv-type way, the continuing shenanigans of the head coach began to get tiresome and boorish as the season progressed.
6) Basketball season 2
Due to COVID, basketball season 2 covered three different school years in some capacity. It seemed as if the coaches were over having cameras in their faces at all times during the course of this season. In addition, the players in basketball season 2 lacked the charm of those in season 1.
7) Football season 5
This was not a bad season at all, but the head coach and program were too normal to be very entertaining. No one wants to see a smooth flow of traffic, they want to see a trainwreck. Being a former college football player, if I had to choose a coach and program to play for from the four schools highlighted in the Last Chance U. Seasons, it would be the one at Laney College highlighted in this season. The other coaches (especially the football coaches at the first two schools) just had way too much drama in their programs and it seemed as if they often lacked institutional control of their teams. A trainwreck is entertaining, being in a trainwreck is not.
My rankings should not be interpreted as those at the bottom were not entertaining or engrossing. Each season was solidly put together and very engaging, but some were just more interesting (in an often bad way) than others.
Reservation Dogs: Mabel (2022)
The best episode of the series
Hands down this was the best episode of the series so far. The thing that makes this series so special is that it shows an aspect of American society that has never been faithfully depicted in film until now.
A League of Their Own (2022)
Not a 10/10 nor a 1/10
Regardless of what any reviewer states, this series is neither the best nor worst thing you will ever watch. The rating should be somewhere in the middle of a 1 and a 10 and more likely between a 2 and a 9 if people are being objective and rational in regards of rating the series. The show is very anachronistic at times, especially in terms of the spoken language. All of the characters talk as if they live in the 2020s and not in the 1940s which is a major issue with the series. The CGI baseball looks terrible and the throwing motion by the players does not look at all natural. There is not one player who looks like they are actually throwing a baseball and every throw is a perfect line drive. If you think you might like the series, you probably will so go ahead and watch it. If you think you might not like the series, you probably won't so don't waste your time with it. It's definitely different than the movie of the same title so don't expect the series to be completely faithful to the film.
Prey (2022)
Nothing better happen to the dog!
This is definitely worth the view and you will definitely be rooting that nothing happens to the dog! No spoilers on what happens to the dog, though. The film starts to drag a bit until the French traders show up and then it takes off like a alien spaceship. 7/10.
American Underdog (2021)
Part Lifetime movie part sports biopic
American Underdog is a two-movies-in-one film. The first half largely plays out like the typical Lifetime movie centered on a single mother. It is clearly the weaker half of the movie. The second and much more interesting half centers on Kurt Warner's pro football career beginning with his stint with the Iowa Barnstormers arena football team. It's not a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination but it's not worth paying any money to watch. Wait to see American Underdog when it is free on streaming services and/or tv.
Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)
It's not terrible
The best thing I can say about this film is that it's not terrible. This is the type of movie meant for casual viewing while you fold laundry or do some other mundane household chore. Don't expect this movie to be on your favorite film or worst film list but it definitely tilts towards the latter.
Ten Year Old Tom (2021)
Literal laugh out loud comedy
If you want to laugh and laugh out loud, this is the show for you. I rarely literally laugh out loud but did it at least once, and it most cases several times, during the course of each episode. Don't think about things too much while watching Ten Year Old Tom and enjoy the ride like when Tom stole a school bus, drove it back to school, and then no one in a position of authority cared because a substitute teacher was threatening to jump off the roof of Shady Oaks Elementary. Some musician needs to redo Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" but to "Soxy Lady" instead all while wearing a t-shirt from the $1 rack at a thrift shop. Mitt Romney undoubtedly approves of this message and show.
Ted Lasso (2020)
Season 1 was great but season 2 is a disappointment.
Season 1 was great but season 2 continues to be an utter disappointment that lost much of the magic from the first season. If you haven't watched the series, watch season 1 and don't waste your time with season 2. 9/10 for season 1 and 5/10 for season 2.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
Entertaining movie
Why are people expecting this movie to be on par with films like Citizen Kane and having performance akin to Anthony Hopkins in The Father? This is an enjoyable movie with some good family-oriented messaging in it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride for two hours.
Bewitched: Going Ape (1969)
More fun than a barrel full of monkeys (or chimps in this case)
This review will be prefaced by the fact that I watched every second of all eight seasons and 254 episodes.
Along with Charlie Harper, Winner and Divided He Falls this is one of my three favorite Bewitched episodes. Led by outstanding guest star performances from Lou Antonio (Harry aka Bonzo) and Gail Kobe (Evelyn Tucker) as well as the always stellar actors Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha) and David White (Larry Tate), this episode should make anyone laugh out loud at least once especially during the sequence where Harry attempts to get fired from his modeling gig. Dick York, who played Darrin Stephens, does not appear in this episode due to back issues which ultimately forced him to retire from Bewitched.
Bewitched: Divided He Falls (1966)
Dick York is utterly brilliant in this episode.
To preface this review, I watched every second of all eight seasons and 254 episodes in order.
Along with Going Ape and Charlie Harper, Winner, Divided He Falls is one of my top three Bewitched episodes. Dick York is side-splittingly funny in this episode. It would be hard to imagine anyone watching Divided He Falls and not literally laughing out loud at least once.
Bewitched: Charlie Harper, Winner (1967)
This episode made me fall in love with Bewitched.
To preface this review, I watched every second of all eight seasons and 254 episodes in order.
Before viewing this episode, I really liked Bewitched but couldn't say that I loved it. Charlie Harper, Winner made me fall in love with the series. Along with Going Ape and Divided He Falls, Charlie Harper, Winner is one of my top three Bewitched episodes.
Bewitched (1964)
An all-time American television classic
This review will be prefaced by the fact that I watched every second of all eight seasons and 254 episodes.
Progressive yet traditional, timeless yet timely, a romantic tale and social commentary masquerading as a comedy, and led by the irrepressible charm of Elizabeth Montgomery, Bewitched is an all-time American television classic. At its core, Bewitched is a love story between a man and woman from completely different backgrounds whose relationship survives despite facing almost insurmountable odds on a regular basis. The series was a not-so-subtle allegory of mixed marriages whether it is of a racial, ethnic, and/or socioeconomic background. In its early seasons, it seems as if the focus is on mixed marriages of a racial and/or ethnic type, but in later seasons the socioeconomic angle is more evident. Another not-so-subtle allegory in the series was for those seeking to keep a social deviance, such as sexual identity, hidden from the outside world. In the case of Bewitched, the social deviance was witchcraft. It is difficult to judge Bewitched on 21st century values because the world it inhabits is so different than from today's environment. For example, many of the characters, including Samantha, would be considered alcoholics, or at least heavy drinkers, by today's standards. But, for those who were part of the corporate world in the post-WWII era, socializing, which included heavy alcohol consumption, was deemed necessary for deal-making in that particular business climate. In terms of the business climate for the time period, the series gives valuable insight into the post-WWII era corporate culture and lifestyle. A man who worked in the corporate world was expected to have a wife who stayed at home and was readily available to assist him in his business dealings that required some type of schmoozing. Although it would seem in the 21st century that the life of a corporate housewife, like Samantha Stephens, would be a tedious and monotonous existence, the socialization angle of being married to a corporate executive would be an attractive lifestyle for many women of that time period. Bewitched should be viewed through the prism of two main themes: A husband trying to deal with a more powerful wife in an era when that was exceedingly rare and parents, especially a mother, who strongly disapprove of their daughter's choice in a spouse because they viewed it as unnecessarily marrying down in social class when better options for a husband were readily available for their child.
Bewitched can be thought of as having three phases to the series: Dick York Seasons 1 and 2, Dick York seasons 3-5, and the Dick Sargent era of seasons 6-8.
The first two seasons was often edgy comedy for its time and had many laugh out loud moments but the series became much more mainstream for its time in season 3. Elizabeth Montgomery, in a dual role as the lead character and witch Samantha and her beguiling cousin Serena, put on a master class in film acting. For those studying film acting, Elizabeth Montgomery's performance in Bewitched should be a model for anyone who is interested in becoming or is currently an actor. Samantha Stephens is portrayed as the ideal wife for her era, submissive and almost always willing to do anything to please her husband. Darrin Stephens, Samantha's mortal husband who is a talented Madison Avenue advertising executive, a military veteran, and a former two-sport (golf and basketball) athlete at Missouri State, is an interesting character and another example in the series of not being able to judge that era by 21st century values. Darrin is often short-tempered, impatient, rude, and acts stupidly towards Samantha's family, especially given the fact they are witches who frequently hold him accountable in other-worldly type ways for his impertinence. Only a mortal who is a complete fool would consistently challenge those with supernatural powers on a regular basis for often very petty grievances even after being repeatedly warned that he would pay a price for his insolence. Darrin also often acts hypocritically when it comes to Samantha and her family using witchcraft. When it doesn't directly benefit him, such as Samantha using spells to assist her in completing mundane household chores, Darrin vehemently opposes his wife and her family using witchcraft. But, when witchcraft directly benefits Darrin, he more often than not agrees to its use. Today, Darrin would not be worth marrying for many women due to his numerous quirks and faults, but he was largely representative of a man of his time and would have been attractive to more women than not of that era due to his positive qualities. Since two actors portrayed Darrin Stephens, it is easy to compare the performances of the two Dicks who played that character. Dick York, who was forced to retire after season 5 due to health reasons, gave the superior performance. He was much more believable in how a mortal would react to being married to a witch. But, when compared to the other Dick, his overacting at times in the series was more noticeable. Dick Sargent underacted at times and was not as funny as the other Dick. By his third season, which was the last one of the series, Sargent's performance had found its groove and the other Dick was not really missed even though he was the better actor for that role.
Bewitched is one of the greatest series in television history, but not without its imperfections. Due to these shortcomings, my rating for the series is an 8/10 instead of a 10/10. These defects in the series included recycled plots starting fairly early in the series. Many of the characters (Endora, Maurice, Aunt Clara, Esmeralda, Mr. And Mrs. Stephens, the Kravitzes, Uncle Arthur, the Tates, every single police officer among others) were one-dimensional and lacked any type of depth. For example, the dialogue for Larry Tate, Darrin's boss, became very predictable as the series progressed. Larry was superficial, shallow, and money-hungry. The reactions of David White, who played Larry Tate, to all of the zaniness which frequently occurred around him improved each season and made him a much more likable character despite his many faults. An additional negative was that Erin Murphy, who played the Stephens' daughter Tabitha, was a terrible child actor. Her poor acting ability was even more noticeable when other children appeared on the show. But, for whatever reason, Erin's acting dramatically improved during season 8. Due to the number of actors that were replaced (characters such as Louise Tate, Gladys Kravitz, Mr. Stephens, Betty the Secretary, among others) for a myriad of reasons during the course of the series, Erin should have been dismissed fairly early due to her very apparent inferior acting skills. I realize Erin was just a child at the time but there would have likely been scores of more talented young girls that could and should have replaced her. A final negative were the number of actors that were recycled throughout the series in different roles. For example, Sara Seegar played ten different characters in ten different episodes. The recycling of actors becomes so discernible, especially those with very distinguishable physical traits and looks, that it becomes distracting to the viewer. Although a negative by today's standards, the special effects in Bewitched were very primitive but advanced for that time period.
Aside from the negatives, here are some other thoughts on Bewitched. Contrary to popular opinion, Elizabeth Montgomery did not twitch her nose to use witchcraft. Instead, she moved her lips which caused her nose to move. The show was at its best when something happened to Darrin, especially Dick York, and at its worst when historical figures were sent to the present and/or when the Stephens and/or others went to the past. The series really showed how far film technology advanced from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. It might have the time period when film technology made its greatest advancements. An issue of debate about the series has been the residence of the state where the Stephens lived, but in several episodes New York license plates can be clearly seen on their vehicles. The opening credit sequence is so simple yet nearly perfect and the show's theme song is magical. Any viewer should really be drawn in by the magic of the opening credit sequence. Most television series do not end on a perfect note or anything bordering on perfection, but Bewitched really did have a perfect ending to the series. Any true fan of the show should love the way Bewitched ended. Even though the Stephens and their family, friends, associates, and neighbors are the product of a by-gone era, I will miss the magical time I spent with them.
Here are my three favorite episodes in no particular order:
Going Ape (Season 5, Episode 22),
Charlie Harper, Winner (Season 3, Episode 25), and
Divided He Falls (Season 2, Episode 33).
Aquaman (2018)
This movie is the real deal
Aquaman is one of the best superhero movies ever made and that is no exaggeration. Just when you think the movie could not get any better, it does. Do yourself a favor and watch it in a theater. You won't regret it.
The First Purge (2018)
Good movie, don't pay attention to the 1/10s
The movie starts out slow but becomes an edge-of-your-seat thriller. It is a little bit over-the-top towards the end, but that is probably explained by Michael Bay being one of the producers. This is worth the watch if you liked the other Purge films and/or you enjoy violent actions movies.
8/10 stars
Killer Island (2018)
Have you ever wondered what kind of movie gets rejected from Lifetime?
If you have ever wondered what type of movie gets rejected from the Lifetime Movie Network, Killer Island is it. At times, Killer Island has unintentionally funny moments. It is never a good sign when a moment in a movie is meant to be suspenseful and, instead, you laugh at it. For example, how can a man who is driving a golf cart not catch a middle-aged woman running on foot who is obviously not very fast? Another question I have is how can anyone who calls themselves a film critic give this movie a great or even good review? The movie is a cable network reject and probably won't make most film festivals unless someone in the production has connections to the organizers. Killer Island is not a terrible movie, but it is far from being really good in most aspects of filmmaking. It did not feel as if I wasted my time watching it because it does have some redeeming qualities, such as the Florida scenery, which is the best part of the film. But, it did feel as if I wasted the few bucks I paid to watch it online, though the unintentional laughs did make me feel better. Laughter, whether it is intentional or not, really is the best medicine. I can recommend watching this film if you can do so for free, have nothing else to do on a cold winter's evening since the Florida sun in it will warm your being, and/or really like Lifetime-type flicks, but don't waste your money on it.