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Nadrizzle
Reviews
Palm Springs (2020)
Impossible not to love
This movie delivers. It's romantic, funny, deep, thought-provoking, and fairly well-grounded enough that you can suspend your disbelief and accept what is happening. A fun play on a tried and true concept.
Attractive cast, cool filming locations, fun scenes, it's just a great movie. Anyone I recommend it to loves it. One of my top ten favorite films that I've watched multiple times.
For some reason this review wasn't long enough, so I'm just going to copy and paste my same message above.
This movie delivers. It's romantic, funny, deep, thought-provoking, and fairly well-grounded enough that you can suspend your disbelief and accept what is happening. A fun play on a tried and true concept.
How I Met Your Father: Pilot (2022)
Oh, no.
*Don't worry, NO spoilers*
The first episode starts with Hilary Duff's character getting into an Uber because she's late for a Tinder date. She asks to use a phone charger and literally says "My phone's belly is hungry, she's all 'feed me mama!'" And makes a fake crying baby voice while saying it. 😐 and then the laugh track happened, that was genuinely a real actual line they put in this show and then had the audacity to think it was funny enough to add a laugh track.
Soon to follow was a very obvious "twist" to her date, meeting her best friend and roommate, wasting perfectly good apples, and I wasn't able to continue watching after that.
I'm honestly BLOWN AWAY that anyone continued to watch this show after more than 10 minutes, I can't imagine sitting through the entire episode.
And I'm rating this as a 30 year old woman who actually enjoys some chick flicks. Big yikes.
Wine Country (2019)
Not a great movie, but I don't regret watching it
I had a sick day and just wanted to watch something low-key that I didn't have to pay a lot of attention to. It served its purpose for what I wanted to watch it for, but I wouldn't really recommend it.
Jason Schwartzman is the best part of the movie. My favorite and only notable part is when Amy Poehler has her breakdown and mentions the overwhelm of the world's current state because I feel that way all the time.
A decent cast, but everyone kinda doing the same stuff they usually do, nothing special. Pretty decent soundtrack. It's a breath of fresh air to see normal average people in a movie rather than the overly done-up actors in most movies. But otherwise, a bit of a dud.
Wish (2023)
Feels like Universal tried to make a Disney film
I honestly felt like I was watching a knock-off of Frozen, Tangled, and for some reason Shrek. This wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen, but it was not great. The kids liked it but they liked Trolls 3 better. The songs were not catchy, the animation was very lacking, and the characters themselves all fell flat and felt boring.
Personally, the best part for me was the Easter eggs. Some are more obvious than others.
The storyline is full of plot holes, but it is a feel-good film. I would recommend waiting for stream to watch this. And I'm glad I didn't pay for the 3D, I don't even see how this would have been any good in 3D.
The Menu (2022)
Wonderful, funny, exciting
I really enjoyed this film and was delightfully surprised. Anya is always so fun to watch, and while some things that happen are more obvious than others, it's still an original and interesting film with at least one or two plot twists you won't see coming. Extremely thought-provoking and at some times inspirational, I would definitely recommend this movie.
I loved the cinematography, with gorgeous shots of the island and food. Laughed a ton at the well-acted pretentiousness. And jumped every time Chef clapped his hands. This is a movie many people can enjoy, and I honestly can't wait to watch it again.
But hey, I'm no movie critic. I went in with low expectations and a cocktail, so watch for yourself.
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Edit/update:
Watched again at home with no cocktail and loved it just as much, if not more, than the first time. Still a solid 8/10 for me. I highly recommend.
The Quarry (2022)
Are these characters supposed to be this stupid?
I wanted to love this game, but it just hugely missed the mark and the graphics were not awesome enough to make up for it.
The dialogue is ATROCIOUS. The storyline is sub-par at best. The things they do (and the choices they allow you to make) make no sense at least 70% of the time, but not in the typical 80's campy fashion, unfortunately.
The way they talk to each other insane. You're in a life or death situation and tell someone to call 911. Their response is "what do I say? Do I ask for the cops or an ambulance?" and hesitate to call is something I can't imagine literally anyone ever doing. It's also very contradictory, someone will say one thing and later say something that contradicts what was mentioned earlier, which is confusing and frustrating.
Also, as much as I love female empowerment and representation (being a woman myself), this was just too much- they force it down your throat and make all the guys fumbling idiots. I would much prefer a more well-balanced game that lets you work together as a team regardless of gender. Or better yet, to choose which characters you want to make work together or not based on previous interactions with them.
The graphics are nice, there are some fun visuals and puns, I like the menu, and as always the ability to make your own choices is addicting and fun. I'm going to finish the game because I paid for it, but I'm severely disappointed to be halfway through and amazed at the stupidity.
Good Girls: Frere Jacques (2020)
Getting ridiculous now
Could easily frame Rio for the murder and say that they were forced into it all with the threat of murder. At this point, putting their family (KIDS) in severe danger is getting too stupid. Beth is the absolute worst.
They would all have targets on their backs, they would be watched or in custody after their history, the poor bird, the GPS on the phone, Ruby's kids/husband, and now grave robbing? This could all be stopped and they're not even trying. Really disappointing as this show when from Witty, intense, and interesting to close to impossible to continue watching.
Kajillionaire (2020)
Uh, what?
I was interested until roughly 18 minutes in. Then I almost turned it off. I left it on hoping it would get better because I heard really great things about the movie and I love Evan Rachel Wood. Her acting was good, and Gina Rodriguez did a great job in her role. There were some touching moments but a lot of strange "what the f" moments. It was "watchable" but I would not recommend.
Spoilers ahead:
It's pretty slow-going overall. There were some redeemable parts to the movie but a lot of loopholes throughout that frustrated me. They are threatened to be evicted but then that issue kinda fades into the background and they seem to continue living there and getting away with it. The girl on the airplane makes no sense that she would behave the way she does from start to finish- why was she so enticed by the parents when meeting them on the plane, why was she so willing to help them, why did she continue to stick around and why on earth did she let them into her home? I don't understand how the parents were able to successfully steal everything - EVERYTHING - dishes, frames, the money, literally everything in her house without either of them waking up? And after knowing how terrible and untrustworthy the parents are, she still left her home (I assume) unlocked.
The cutesy little bow at the end where she got her exact cut of the money - 525.00 - was symbolic at best, but incredibly unrealistic as the parents do not seem smart enough, nor is it that easy, to find items that would equal the exact amount of 525.00.
Overall I would not recommend this movie. Is it watchable? Yes, sure. Was it *worth* watching? Eh.
Léon (1994)
Good movie, but
Could not get past the unnecessary inappropriate relationship between the older man and young child. This movie would have been a solid 9/10 if instead it was a more father-daughter type of relationship instead of a disturbing almost sexual one. I have read that there are additional deleted/cut scenes which I am thankful I didn't have to watch.
Love Life: Magnus Lund Part II (2020)
The ending is a good depiction of depression
This episode really shows how difficult it is to be in a toxic manipulative relationship. The ending showcases the way depression can creep in and take over until you don't care about anything anymore.
Love Life: Luke Ducharme (2020)
Captures the innocence of a first kiss and the heartache of rejection
I personally found this episode very moving. The young actors did a great job showing the battlefield of a first love and the innocence of learning your way as a teen. The bottle rockets, sneaking around, etc., were all common things i and my friends did at that age. This episode brought up a lot of nostalgia and past heartbreaks/rejections of my own. I wasn't a huge fan of the therapist, but I do wish Darby would have continued to go back to therapy so that this didn't end up being a throwaway episode.
Love Life: Magnus Lund (2020)
The episode definitely has some suspense, but follows similar format
This show seems to have the same format: things are going great, a tragedy happens, she is supportive and sweet while the guy falls apart and ruins things. This happens yet again where things are great until he loses his job and things she ignored are now unavoidable. It held my attention, but is getting a little redundant for my taste.
Catastrophe (2015)
Not for me
I only got a few episodes in. Overall, it felt forced and a bit bland. Some things were just for shock value but didn't actually amount to anything. Sometimes he would be shitty and she would laugh or shrug it off and other times she would be the shitty one even though he tried really hard to make her happy and be there for her, but it was not in an organic way. A few things made me laugh, and I wanted to like it. Wasn't "bad", Just wasn't for me.
Love Life: Bradley Field (2020)
Big oof
I really enjoyed the first episode, and loved the first half of this episode. Got incredibly cringy toward the end. I will say, some of her actions made sense but I also think most people would have just gone home instead of do what Darby did. I also may have missed something, or it may get explained later in the season, but I don't fully understand why she bought her classmate's photo at the end.
I'm Sorry. (2017)
I overall enjoyed the show, but there are some flaws
Like most reviews mention, Andrea is the star of every scene in every episode, with 80% or more of the talking done exclusively by her. Some of the scenarios and dialogue ends up being funny or cute, while a similar portion of them feel forced or only possible by the support/encouragement of her friends. I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the show that served as a reminder not to take life too seriously, which lifted my spirits when I watched. Gary Anthony Williams (Brian) really added a fun vibe and I loved the scenes with him in it. Her daughter was probably one of the worst parts of the show, with cringe-worthy unnatural questions, or the parents talking about inappropriate topics around her as if she wasn't there.
I'm giving the show a solid 7, as it kept me entertained, put me in a better mood after watching, and had some funny moments plus a good cast.
How Do You Know (2010)
Terrible movie full of wonderful actors who appear to have no talent
I love most of the actors/actresses in this film, but was shocked at how they all seemed unable to act in this film. You would think it was all of their first times on set. Inauthentic, nonorganic dialogue with no on-screen chemistry. Overall aimless with a back-and-forth relationship that doesn't seem to make much sense. I would not recommend unless you enjoy making fun of bad movies.
Candyman (2021)
Great acting, beautiful cinematography
The actors/actresses were gorgeous and did a phenomenal job. I loved the story and how it directly tied into the first Candyman.
The Ruins (2008)
Love the book, the movie is severely lacking
I guess killer vines aren't easy to translate onto the big screen. I have read the book over and over since it came out when I was in high school. I love it so much that I own two copies - a hardcover and a small portable copy. Many others who I have recommended it to really enjoyed it.
That's why it is so frustrating to see what a failure this movie was, which is a shame since the author helped write most of the script. He swapped the characters around in the film and removed most, if not all, of their backstory. I understand a movie cannot fully embody the essence of a book, but while reading, you become familiar and somewhat attached to the characters, which allows you to relate with them in a chilling way that leaves you a bit unsettled when they're being tortured and killed off by this sentient plant. In the movie, I could not bring myself to care about what happens to these people as I have zero emotional investment to them, nor do I even gain any interest in them as they are the most bland characters I've ever seen in a film besides Twilight. They could have discussed the hardships of no food/drink, missing their families, or spoke more about their hopes and dreams for when they get back home; literally anything besides the wasted screen time of just staring at each other while showing limited emotional or realistic reactions to the events around them.
What's worse, they not only stripped the characters of their personalities (and, honestly, the vine of it's personality in the book) but then shuffled them around for no discernible reason. It was done in a very forced way that didn't feel natural, especially when their fates and form of death were also mis-matched. In the book, the Greek is the one who breaks his back. This creates a haunting experience since we don't know what's wrong with him right away, because he can't speak English to tell the others how severely he is hurt. Extra unsettling is the fact that he cannot communicate with any of them to consent to having his legs amputated, creating a very squeamish and gut-wrenching chapter in the book. The film adaptation removes this horrific factor by making Matias the one to fall, they immediately figure out he broke his back, and then Matias begs the others to cut off his legs. That's only one example of many things that went wrong and caused this movie to fall completely flat. I won't even waste my time on explaining how disappointed I was that the vines were laughable at best, rather than the terrifying entity described in the book.
Lastly, the fact that Amy survives is an absolute joke. In the book, there are no survivors- a very chilling ending to a depressing story. The whole "we need a happy ending for the audience" was the final unrealistic bow slapped on top of this flop of a film. If they were going to choose to allow someone to survive, then they should have included the unreleased ending which was MUCH more haunting and realistic, showing how deadly and intrusive these vines are.
Overall, I'm disappointed in Ben Stiller and Scott Smith for failing to create a movie that even suggests a proper attempt of doing the book any justice. Translating a far-fetched idea onto the big screen is something that cannot be skimped on. You had the money to do it and do it right, but this was not it.