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FlightlessCormorant
Reviews
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
InterestIing story
I'm having trouble understanding some of the lukewarm reviews. This series was short, interesting, and sad to watch. So many good people - staff at Pure Food and Wine -, Salma, her mother, etc. Were taken advantage of by a low life grifter. It's sad how an otherwise bright, attractive person can fall for a simple scam and wind up destroying their life, and the lives of those around her. I truly hope the best for Sarma M with the remainder of her journey.
The series was just the right length for me, and I really liked how the last episode ended with Cat Steven's Wild World. The song fit the show like a hand in glove.
The Guilty (2021)
Bad acting. Unnecessary remake.
I confess that I'm a love it or leave it type of reviewer. There is no middle ground for me.
I read some of the other reviews about Jake Gyllenhaal's acting being tremendous, etc., and I can't help but wonder if I saw the same movie?
If good acting to you is when an actor spends most of a movie running around looking like he's constipated, sweating, and yelling at his fellow actors to show that he's "a man in crisis", The Guilty is on its way to being your movie.
Now if you then like movies where the volume constantly swings up (Jake yelling) and down (Jake and the faceless other actors whispering on the phone), or you like movies where the entire thing takes place in one non-descript call centre, The Guilty is definitely your movie of the week!
However, if you don't find the above appealing like me, I would suggest hitting the next button on your SmartTV controller and moving on to something else.
The Green Knight (2021)
Cultural Appropriation
This is yet another example where it is acceptable for one culture to appropriate the culture of another. But God help us if the reverse occurred.
Dev Patel is a decent actor but this idea that the Arthurian Tales centre on a mixed bag of non-white characters is simply another example of the movie industry playing to the current trend of "Be woke" ignoring the second half of this expression... "Go broke".
The movie is a yawn fest. There are far better movies to watch about Camelot and Arthur than this waste of celluloid/digital storage.
Professor T. (2015)
Simply fantastic
I don't often give a high rating for a show, but this series is well done. The plots are interesting. The setting in Antwerp is interesting. And the acting is superb with appropriate plot twists and character development. My only regrets are that I found the series a few years after it came out, and that the series was only three seasons in length.
I find it interesting that someone decided to remake the series in English. I expect I'll watch it too, but I somehow think that Koen De Bouw is irreplacable as Professor T.
Flatbush Misdemeanors (2021)
Meh, but still worth watching
I'm five episodes into this series, and the jury is still out. I think there are moments in the series where I think "has potential", but then there are other moments where I can't help but think "preachy about social justice and yet depicts the community it's trying to highlight sometimes in a not so pleasant light". Possibly this is the aspect of the show where some rave saying the series is gritty and real. However, for me it just doesn't seem to be uplifting, and it extends stereotypes that aren't helpful. Nevertheless, I'll continue to watch the show for the full season, and possibly rewrite my short review to be more positive (or negative).
Black Summer (2019)
Slow start but series picks up
It took me a few episodes to get into this series, but I eventually came around to the conclusion that I liked this series. As others have pointed out, its a series of zombie related vignettes where the story lines intersect in, what can best be described, as an odd, non-linear time sequence. Disturbing to follow at first, but eventually you get used to it, and begin to think that it's a unique way of telling the story.
I was an avid watcher of TWD until the about the second last season. Then I found the series seemed to drift into a pattern that was simply too predictable. One can't say the same for the two seasons of Black Summer. Each episode was quite unique, the zombies are probably some of the scariest I've seen, and the plot twists are quite jarring. I hope Netflix will follow up with a third season since it would be great to see where the writers take this series.
Clarkson's Farm (2021)
Makes you want to live on a farm
Jeremy Clarkson has scored with this series. It is funny, sad, entertaining, and educational all rolled into 8 episodes. I can't get enough of the series, and hope that Clarkson does a second season.
Endangered Species (2021)
Great cinematography...and that's about it
Another direct to video special. The only redeeming feature of this movie was the beautiful landscape photography of Africa. As for the rest of the movie: the plot was predictable; the acting was wooden; and the end couldn't come soon enough.
Loudermilk (2017)
Worthwhile TV
I quite liked this series. Of the three seasons I would say season 1was the best. The writing was tight, and the laughs were generally quite fresh. For me season 2 dragged a bit, but season three recovered with a solid close.
What I particularly liked about this series was that it took a rather difficult subject - addiction - and provided a very human take on the disease with a mix of character actors that covered the spectrum of humanity. Assuming that you're not prudish, the series is well worth a watch. Whether there will ever be a season 4 is anyone's guess, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that the gods of television feel this show is worthy for renewal.
Without Remorse (2021)
Trainwreck
I'm a big fan of Tom Clancy's books. Very few of his novels have moved from print to the screen well. The best adaptation possibly being The Hunt for Red October. Unfortunately, this adaptation of a Clancy novel is possibly the worst. Why you ask?
Plot line - compressed and doesn't really try to stay close to the novel
Acting & Dialogue - wooden and belaboured
Sets - The street scenes looked as if they were all filmed at Universal Studios backlot. The ocean scenes looked like they were filmed in a large swimming pool. Throughout the movie I kept expecting the shark from Jaws to show up or a Universal tourist train to wander across the screen
And like all low-budget action movies coming out of Hollywood, the action hero can never die and must be ready to star in the sequel. My advice is avoid wasting 2 hours of your time watching this movie, and you won't feel guilty when you miss the the "B" sequel.
One Night in Miami... (2020)
Why Hollywood why?
As the pandemic continues to run on, the quality of movies coming out of Hollywood seems seem to be getting worse. Is it possible that the various #MeToo scandals have decimated the ranks of "A" list producers and directors? Or are we now in a world where bad scripts can be overlooked in favour of social justice This movie's pacing is slow, and frankly, uninteresting. You also have to wonder what was going through the writer's mind in somewhat glorifying Jim Brown as one of the lead characters. The man was a documented predator that any avowed feminist would abhor.
Them (2021)
Slow and boring loses me
Pandemic purgatory strikes again. I must confess that I thought Jordan Peele had been involved in this project, but it turns out I was mistaken. It was simply a rip off of ideas from Get Out & Us. I made it through 3 episodes and decided that the pacing - slow - and the plot - boring - simply were not for me. I think the series also rubbed me the wrong way in that it followed the recent trend from Hollywood of green lighting projects that met wokeness principles over a good plot.
Aquaman (2018)
Like swimming in a fondue
This movie was simply terrible. It had every cliche and cheesey line imaginable, and the acting was as stiff and unoriginal as any B movie. How this movie hold a 6.9/10 is beyond me. All I can think of is the people that gave the movie a high rating have either a) never watched the movie, or b) were lulled to sleep by the over-the-top CGI. Sadly, Aquaman smells like a rotting fish.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Bloatware
I realize I'm in the minority but this movie was uneven, and not near the 10 rating that so many Synder fanboys have given it. It isn't the worst comic series inspired movie I've seen but, it's not the best either. Whereas Whedon's version drastically reduced the story line and left gapping holes in it, Snyder's cut went overboard providing long boring narratives to many storylines that could easily have used significant cuts. Sometimes I got the impression that Synder left some scenes in simply to be different than Whedon's version, and for no other reason. It also makes sense why Fisher and Momoa were upset with Whedon, many of their scenes were left on the cutting room floor (but let's make Whedon the problem rather than their own acting).
As for calling this high art, as some have done, a Rembrandt or Van Gogh painting is high art, this is simply a 4:3 format movie posing as high art.
La mafia uccide solo d'estate (2016)
Why did it have to end?
When you have a great story and quality actors you can appeal to any audience. Mafia only kills in summer delivers on all points. This is a really well done production that weaves a Sicilian family's day-to-day life with Italian socio-political problems in the late 70's and 80's. The setting is beautiful. The actors are compelling and believable. And the story all hangs together with a blend of comedy and drama in each episode. My only regrets when watching the series were a) I don't speak Italian, b) my inability during the pandemic to get on a plane destined for Palermo, and c) the series only lasting 2 seasons.