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mrkevin
Reviews
The Curse (2023)
Troublesome but oddly addictive
There are many reasons to dislike this unusual series: zero characters have redeeming qualities, it's glacially slow, it's uncomfortable to watch, and the sparse comedy is pitch black. It's definitely an acquired taste. Insofar that it reminded me of a couple of other recent films which I enjoyed, Triangle of Sadness and Infinity Pool, it revels in satire of privilege and how our culture is obsessed about how others perceive us at any expense- in this case, of the poor, immigrants, and indigenous Americans. To its detriment, this series takes five times longer than those masterpieces to make a similar point. It was probably the excellent acting and overall weird, supernatural overtones which kept me watching. I don't think we are supposed to like this film, but it sticks with me in its singularity. It's odd in a good way, and I don't know how I feel about that.
Pressure Cooker (2023)
Slow burn
This fascinating melange of Top Chef meets Big Brother did not grab me at first. However, the editing and the excellent skills of the featured chefs drew me in.
As a fan of modern reality cooking elimination shows, it has all of the elements to stand against anything I've seen. I enjoyed how the ingredients and execution of the dishes were highlighted.
In the end, no reality competition is without its artificial parameters that skew the results in ways that are unexpected. However, Pressure Cooker is the show I would watch for another season.
The talent is evident. The suspense is high. The result is binge worthy.
Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021)
Hard to watch
The disjointed format of canned sitcom against a gritty crime drama wears thin quickly. Even if it's supposed to highlight misogyny and patriarchy tacitly reinforced by American television series, it's heavy handed. The writing is broad, despite strong performances by the actors.
The characters have few redeeming qualities. The comedy isn't funny, and I don't think it's supposed to be. It comes off as grating. It's a format that doesn't work. The effort is interesting, but it's ruined by the hyper-saturated laugh track segments.
Debris (2021)
A jumbled, melodramatic mess
Too many ideas make for an unengaging narrative in this sappy sci-fi series. As two drab agents investigate the supernatural effects of the debris of an alien ship crashed to earth, they are racing against terrorists who are assembling the ship for ostensibly nefarious purposes. That would be enough for most decent shows, but instead the debris somehow brings the dead back to life only to feast on the living through psychic manipulation which can be thwarted by acts of love and care. Preposterous enough yet? Wait, different pieces of the ship have different supernatural characteristics, so we can look forward to an unpredictable circus of weird every week with an overarching cloak of a global cabal lingering in the background. The special effects are jaw-dropping, which is unfortunately counterbalanced by two leads with no charisma. It may be too early to tell if this swirling miasma of ideas eventually coheres into something more engaging, but the pilot did not pull me in.
The Prom (2020)
Classic Hollywood Version of Broadway
I loved it! The music was catchy, the acting was superb, the sets and costumes were gorgeous, and the message was timely. This was a best-in-class version of what Ryan Murphy can do with a big budget, great actors to work with, and strong source material. It was joyful, touching, campy, and funny. It's skewered self-important Broadway types while poignantly letting us empathize with the marginalized main character. I didn't notice any auto-tuning, however the singing was pitch perfect so that might explain it. As far as the criticism of James Corden's slightly over-the-top Broadway queen, as a gay man I had no problem with it. James Corden has a great voice, and I know plenty of gay men who act like that. I also know plenty more gay men who don't act like that, but that's not the point. He played to character. This show made my heart sing, and it was exactly what I needed after this year. The Prom clever escapism done exceptionally well.
The Great (2020)
Gorgeous and unwatchable
Elle Fanning is the shining star of this series. She is a scene stealer. The writing and production design are superlative. The costumes and sets are gorgeous. The book is witty and hopeful. However, Nicholas Hoult's portrayal of Peter III ruins the series for me. He is a loathesome tyrant. His Trumpian portrayal of the ill-fated emporer of Russia rings too close to the American reality of an empire under the thumb of an egomaniacal despot. Despite the fact this is a 250 year old historical drama, the follies of aristocrats are ultimately unrelatable. I want to like this more than I do.
Insatiable (2018)
Darkly Absurd, This is Comedy Camp of the Highest Order
As the plot twists become darker and more unbelievable, the pathos and campy absurdity balances out this roller coaster of a story. All characters are both sinister and human. The comedy is broad and deliberately provocative. I couldn't stop watching this. It's frivolous and addictive in the very best way. Some of the supporting performances are noteworthy: Alyssa Milano, Kimmy Shields, Arden Myrin, and Sarah Colonna stand out. Totally bingeworthy. Ignore the haters!
Henry May Long (2008)
Dark Period Drama - Ugh
This film with fine production values features secrets and how friends use each other. Henry May Long is a very well-acted, dimly lit, depressing turn-of-the-century period piece about a friendship between a fatally ill man and a melancholy, indebted junkie. Talky drawing room dramas are not my cup of tea, and all the crying wears thin. Recommended if you like independent, slyly intellectual, slow-paced Merchant Ivory-type features.
I suspected that the main characters were in love, but their connection was so intimated, it didn't really have the emotional impact of 'Brokeback Mountain.' It features some good writing with a scene discussing how to disappear in life, but it is truly a dark and depressing film.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Funniest Comedy I've Ever Seen
This absurd comic spoof of summer camp movies is always good for "laugh until I cry" moments. In the vein of other absurd comic masterpieces, Pandemonium and Drop Dead Gorgeous, there are none funnier in my view. Based on the comments, I understand that this type of entertainment is an acquired taste; and if you're not in or of the right frame of mind, the movie might just seem "dumb." However, the performances of Chris Meloni, Amy Poehler, Michael Ian Black, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks were hilarious, mixing a dark and twisted sense humor and nostalgia for the early Eighties I remember with non sequitur and implausible twists that make me laugh just thinking about them: a hilariously inappropriate musical performance, the talking can of vegetables, the "secret" pizza parties--the laughs just don't stop. It's worth owning the DVD for the deleted scenes which are also hysterical or viewing the film with the 'extra fart' track, which I initially thought was too base to be funny, but watching the film with the added sound effects can really push it over the top. I wish there were more funny gems like this one!
Impostor (2001)
An "In-the-Minority" Report: A Good Review
OK, so there are vents where there shouldn't be. I really enjoyed this film. I thought that the acting was very good and the characters were well developed.
All of the critics who refer to things like, "if this is the future, why didn't they catch him faster?" Well, if they caught him faster, then the movie would be over. This is a chase movie, yes. But it's an involving chase movie.
The "is he or isn't he" question is not so obvious that I guessed it early-on. Yes, there are clues. But none are conclusive. That's part of the point the movie is trying to make: "How much evidence do you need in order to convict someone? Is there still a doubt? And is that doubt enough?"
The bigger issues raised with the movie are about a future where our rights could be curtailed (very Philip K. Dickian); and a kind of Orwellian/Kafkaesque ominousness to it that made it engrossing.
The special effects weren't "sky's the limit" ILM types, but they were convincing and kept me watching. Plus, I felt that the art direction was inspired and creative: a joy to look at, really.
I think it's sad this movie wasn't the box office hit it deserved to be. My hunch is that it wasn't because of the fact that there were plot holes (there are ALWAYS plot holes in thriller/chase movies--that's why we have suspension of disbelief and why we root for the main character). The real reason it didn't do so well was that the twist ending made Sinise an antihero. People generally don't like that. But I did. I was reminded of the Brechtian dystopia in "Galileo," and I certainly felt it to be close enough for my respect.