Good episode. Dave Chappelle did a fantastic job of pushing the envelop on several controversial topics but did not rip through the envelope. Unlike other celebrities who did a pole dance on the third rail of controversial topics and have died publicly, Chappelle did an entertaining tap dance on the third rail and lived. This is a mark of good comedy. Just as the court jester could make fun of the royal court on issues that all the other nobility knew about but were afraid to talk about openly, the jester would survive as long as they didn't cross the line too much. The rest of the episode also was pretty racey and pushed things to the limit yet did it so funnily that you were not too offended, but laughed. All in all, very cathartic, one of the better episodes of SNL in a while.
Reviews
54 Reviews
The Big Scary 'S' Word
(2020)
Somewhat Disappointing. Expected More.
14 August 2022
Watched the Big Scary 'S' Word and was not scared nor entertained. It was over an hour long ramble that could have been reduced to thirty minutes if all the fluffy sniveling whining dog whistle bits were removed and Socialism/Capitalism was properly explain by economists. I enjoy hearing about injustices being righted as much as the next guy, but not having my time wasted.
Bear Feat
(1949)
Master of his Domain
18 June 2022
Bear Feat is a prime example of a Procrustean father controlling everything and everyone then wonders why things go wrong. I believe it is an allegory of a toxic workplace, a dictatorial manager, and how employees adapt to a toxic work environment. The joke where the Boss says "oh no, you did what I said" happens repeatedly and results in predictable blowback. The ending was poetic justice when the master of his domain tries to flee his plight only to be pulled back to wallow in his mess. This Procrustean toxic cartoon would never be made today.
What just happened to SNL?
27 February 2022
Watched this episode thrice just to be sure I was correct after reading other's positive reviews. The starting with the Ukrainian choir was different and good. I think what happened is SNL was trying something "new" after weeks of doing nothing during the Winter Olympics because most of this episode just seemed "off" compared to several recent episodes that were entertaining. Many of the jokes did not land or missed the mark. Weekend Update was the best segment. The rest made me think "what just happened "? I kind of understood what they were trying to do to be funny and the jokes being referenced to make me laugh, but it felt disconnected as if too many guests and scenes were being crammed in to this episode and it suffered a stroke. Hopefully this episode was just an occasional fluke. I noticed the laugh track seemed over used as if needed to cue viewers that something funny had occurred. Musical guest was painful to watch.
Hello World
(2020)
Essentially correct but there are other reasons not mentioned
9 October 2021
Hello World (2020) is a movie about programmers and why there are skewed demographics. According to the film, since the early 1980's there was a negative change in the numbers of jobs for certain programmers (females/minorities) due to biased societal choices. Other reasons for the decline not mentioned was the mass introduction of the "inexpensive" IBM PC, collapse of the LISP machine/workstation market, outsourcing, the first video game collapse, and the 1983 recession that devastated the market for programmers. Programmers during this time quickly went from diverse Ivy League suit and tie academics operating mainframes to the hoodie wearing, geek sleeping on the couch, startup entrepreneurs with PCs. This was more likely the main cause of the demographic drop rather than certain major demographics elbowing out other certain minor demographics to grab some "brass ring". Because programming was no longer as secure a career path for women and minorities, they went to other more stable engineering disciplines that did not decline after the mid 1980's. Some of the graphs in the movie show this exodus if you pause and study them. If you look at the employment numbers for other engineering fields, besides programming, you do not see this employment decline for women since the 1980's as shown in the film. Go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and look up programmer's employment prospects for all programmers over the same time period to see official information not offered by the film. Other than the cherry picked statistics, it is a decent film on programming and programmers.
The Year of the Mouse
(1965)
This humor would never fly today
11 September 2021
Not a bad Tom and Jerry film (entertainment), but not a good one (morally). This film depicts suicidal and murderous themes several times that are clever yet leaves you uneasy when you see them. The kind of humor you have to keep telling yourself that this is funny over and over, but in a twisted way. As an adult I can appreciate the cruel tit for tat exchange , but this is not a kiddie film and shouldn't be shown on Saturday morning as it was done. Overall, it's worth a watch but not with kids who wouldn't understand the fatal ramifications being depicted.
Missed the mark this time
4 July 2021
Normally SNL does a descent job being funny and imaginative, but this episode was not up to their usual quality. It seems they tried to push the envelope of comedy too hard and only succeeded in ripping the message. Forced funny. Kind of like going to a concert and they use trash can lids for cymbals. It just seemed off flavor and technically they made jokes, but you sit back and go "was that it"? Over the years SNL have produced some gems and you appreciate the work that went into the comedy and sometimes you don't see their humor.
Aliens and Demons (2017) is a whirligig of unique information.
6 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Dr. Michael Heiser's all-encompassing, omnibus, multifaceted documentary explores the connection between UFOs and alien abductions being used as a useful diversion to cover the multitude of sins committed when World War II/Cold War technologies were being developed by Governments. As a plausible supernatural reason for these same strange events on the fringes of society, from a Christian point of view, Dr. Heiser explores the world of angels, demons, ancient texts, and theology. Many fanciful claims by fringe experts are explained then discredited using Christianity and Judaism. Because of the breadth, width, and depth of subjects covered, this documentary could be described as a core dump of an encyclopedia of the extraordinary.
Liken: Esther and the King
(2006 Video)
A passable musical on a low budget but still worth a watch
28 February 2021
Came across Liken: Esther and the King on a small late night OTA channel and it followed Liken: David and Goliath. I could tell right off it was done on a low budget and used grade C-D actors. Nevertheless, I watched them both because there was enough of a plot and the music was novel enough to hold my interest. You could see the difference of the two films where Esther was the better of the two. The switching between the musical and the lessons being taught to the little girl broke the flow of the story. If there had been better actors, scenery, and etc, the movie would be a strong 6/9 or even a weak 7/9 as a musical/comedy. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it for the music and the novel way it presented this biblical story.
Tribbles! What could possibly go right? Has hidden, twisted, and sinister overtones
27 September 2020
The Trouble with Edward (2019) is just plain fun. Some serious people may try to over analyze it for ST canon, but just sit back and enjoy this tragic smorgasbord of workplace dysfunction in "utopia". Though a comedy, it's crammed with so many delightful levels of subtle "what the..." and that an introverted savant's actions could snowball to affect everyone's ethics, work, careers, ships, planets, and the whole Federation. This episode took some thinking to orchestrate this clockwork train wreck and is deeper and more humbling than I expected as an engineer. Thoroughly enjoyable just how many other Star Trek episodes this connects together. Things to notice: Edward is morally and ethically obtuse, yet a genius. Add to this a drive to prove he's smart and trouble insues. He did (unintentionally) create a cheap biological way to destroy ships, evacuate planets, disrupt empires, and it's a tasty food. It touched on how to manage people and groups and how easily a promising young Turk's career was sunk. The only minor thing that I see that needed explained is where the Tribbles found enough food/water to breed that much.
Now on a sinister note: If the ending was tweaked to be less silly, this episode could have gone very dark. Imagine Edward did not die at the end but was really working for Star Fleet Intelligence (SFI) or even Section 31 (S31). This would make sense because Edward is the perfect savant for working on black projects that would make others in Star Fleet (SF) wince. Notice how Edward obtusely comes up with famine solutions (eating Tribbles, manipulating human DNA, lobotomizing lifeforms) that ethically causes his co-workers to smile uncomfortably or tense up. This is similar to "ST: Into Darkness" where Kahn was recruited to cross ethical boundaries Star Fleet wouldn't come near. In "ST: DS9" Dr. Bashir or the augmented savants were used either by SFI or S31. This would answer Captain Lucero's incredulous question why Edward was able to stay in SF so long being "an idiot" (Edward might be an asset for SFI or S31). If this was so, after every "screw up", Edward would just be moved to some other isolated insignificant science posting to continue his "protein work" (i.e. Weaponizing tribbles against Klingons). This idea could be milked to explain several ST:TOS and other episodes where SF comes across strange lifeforms, diseases, and devices that are the deliberate or unintentional byproducts of someone like Edward working for SFI or S31 (The Naked Time, The Deadly Years, This Side of Paradise, Operation - Annihilate!). "Operation - Annihilate!" could be just another TOS examples of Edwards creating another new "food" source. Edward is use to being dismissed and thus is covert in his actions. Captain Lucero was reported by Edward for interfering with his work and later became the patsy for Edward's (SFI, S31) project. Sadly, SF, SFI, or S31 will likely conclude she being in charge is what caused all the problems and not Edward. As I said, this episode could really be milked into several episodes to show all the Federation dirt swept under the carpet by SF, SFI, and S31. But hey, it's just a comedy. I hope they have future adventures of Edward Larkin.
Now on a sinister note: If the ending was tweaked to be less silly, this episode could have gone very dark. Imagine Edward did not die at the end but was really working for Star Fleet Intelligence (SFI) or even Section 31 (S31). This would make sense because Edward is the perfect savant for working on black projects that would make others in Star Fleet (SF) wince. Notice how Edward obtusely comes up with famine solutions (eating Tribbles, manipulating human DNA, lobotomizing lifeforms) that ethically causes his co-workers to smile uncomfortably or tense up. This is similar to "ST: Into Darkness" where Kahn was recruited to cross ethical boundaries Star Fleet wouldn't come near. In "ST: DS9" Dr. Bashir or the augmented savants were used either by SFI or S31. This would answer Captain Lucero's incredulous question why Edward was able to stay in SF so long being "an idiot" (Edward might be an asset for SFI or S31). If this was so, after every "screw up", Edward would just be moved to some other isolated insignificant science posting to continue his "protein work" (i.e. Weaponizing tribbles against Klingons). This idea could be milked to explain several ST:TOS and other episodes where SF comes across strange lifeforms, diseases, and devices that are the deliberate or unintentional byproducts of someone like Edward working for SFI or S31 (The Naked Time, The Deadly Years, This Side of Paradise, Operation - Annihilate!). "Operation - Annihilate!" could be just another TOS examples of Edwards creating another new "food" source. Edward is use to being dismissed and thus is covert in his actions. Captain Lucero was reported by Edward for interfering with his work and later became the patsy for Edward's (SFI, S31) project. Sadly, SF, SFI, or S31 will likely conclude she being in charge is what caused all the problems and not Edward. As I said, this episode could really be milked into several episodes to show all the Federation dirt swept under the carpet by SF, SFI, and S31. But hey, it's just a comedy. I hope they have future adventures of Edward Larkin.
The Invisible Man
(I) (2020)
I feel sad now. Not what I anticipated.
27 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Invisible Man (2020) is either a stalker's dream fantasy that ends badly (he dies) or an abused wife's nightmare that finally ends by getting revenge (the happy ending?). A simplistic plot already done dozens of times but with high tech eye candy and loads of bloody violence tossed in to gloss over a sophomoric "plot." Either way, the movie left me sad and empty because someone should have done worthwhile with the plot. Some people may like a simple good vs bad bloody revenge movie so enjoy, but I'm looking for good old hubris as used in previous Invisible Man versions. What should have been done was make everyone a "dirty shirt in the drawer." Make the scientist an average guy who has an invisible technology that is his "ship" finally coming in after years of solitary work. Surround him with a perfidious wife, covert Government agencies, and duplicitous business partners who want to take the money and run. Have the scientist use a small version (mini drones) of his invisibility technology to discover he's being screwed on all fronts and decides he going to win. The scientist builds an invisibility suit and killer drones on his own dime and starts to get even, spy, and make money dishonestly (goes from being a lamb into a lion). Toss in a true friend who warns of hubris. In the end everyone gets his or her comeuppance and everyone loses due to hubris, greed, and not being honest. The "winners" end up being the world because the invisibility technology is leaked, but quickly realize everything will now end up worse because nothing is now secret or secure. The world lapses into chaos. That is an Invisible Man movie.
Rocket Hunter
(2020)
Yes, it stinks on ice. Watch it anyway to see what went soooo wrong.
13 September 2020
I will not go into how bad and amateurish Rocket Hunter (RH) is because others have covered that sufficiently. The only redeeming values out of RH is the smattering of history used and being a poster child for the need for film schools. I watch a lot of films and RH made me think over and over, "what did they just do wrong and why?" There are so many good films that we watch and because there are no potholes, we do not notice what they done right. RH shows their are standards we take for granted until they are missing. Kind of like watching a third grade concert sawing violins in half and you are a musician. I would use RH as an example in a film class or as a punishment for captive audiences.
Over fifty years later and sadly relevant today.
18 June 2020
This is one of those episodes where you need to keep reminding yourself that this is just a sophomoric comedy. Take away the humor and this would be a scathing criticism of how some small rural communities generate most of their local government revenue via the court systems and the police are a de facto revenue agents. The rest of the community following suit in sucking off the system. With the recent riots in reaction to police conduct handling small infractions that escalate, you sadly see that these problems have existed for decades. Social commentary under the guise of entertainment. Still it is a fair episode but gets a nod for it's bite.
Terminator: Dark Fate
(2019)
Another yummy serving of Terminator flavored Hamburger Helper. It's ok, but this would make it better.
8 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Take a box of Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper (HH), add some Terminators, and voilà! A TV episode/movie ready in 15 minutes. Because the movie is but a kludged derivative of past Terminator movies, I felt 4/9 was being nice. Terminator: Dark Fate had nice CG effects, nice cast, nice plot, nice fighting, nice property destruction, nice antiheros, nice villains, and nice interpersonal conflicts. How nice, two hours wasted. I like Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper it is one of the better flavors of HH, but the quality of the ingredients can affect the outcome. If some good meat was used (plot), good cheese (humor), whole milk (irony), real butter (science), and fresh onions/spices (characters), you could easily overlook that a box mix was used.
Now, if I could offer a few modest suggestions of what I wanted to taste, I believe this movie might have achieved 7/9. Since the hero worked at a factory I would have made her the future head uber-geek in the resistance and that was the reason she was being terminated. Mexico does have high tech industry billionaires and is not all cinderblocks, tin roofs, donkeys, and border crossers. The human augmentation program would be more nanotechnology based so people would still be a mostly human frame (make the humans half Gray Goo just like the REV-9). Seeing the human augmentation done in a grimy operating room was not believable. I would have emphasized more that our current technology created by "good" people to save us from "bad" people will likely boomerang on us now and definitely later on. I would have left the T-800 (as Skynet's de facto temporal representative) a heartless machine rather than the human love drivel. The T-800 simply used the family as a cover and the humans were too obtuse to see that Carl was a Terminator. The only reason the T-800 uses and joins the humans was Skynet only wants to subjugate the useful humans (>10%) to feel secure and still "serve" those humans worth keeping, but Legion want to totally exterminate all biological life as being old school (pulling wings off flies). I would have made the coup de grace scene at the last simpler, like injecting or shooting Mercury with other special metals to pollute the Gray Goo to weaken the REV-9 enough so it could be boxed). At the last the T-800 would take away the boxed REV-9 and tell the humans "I'll be back...when Skynet commands it." Thus the cast of characters (and the duplicitous authorities in the know about Terminators) would be left wondering if humans are the real winners. Another thing that leaves a bad taste (handful of salt) is the over use of property destruction to add spice to a mostly gristle plot. After all, if we are dealing with evil AIs, you would expect more efficient pernicious deviousness and less 100 pound sledgehammers. Since this movie made more than it cost I expect another serving of Terminator flavored Hamburger Helper will show up.
Now, if I could offer a few modest suggestions of what I wanted to taste, I believe this movie might have achieved 7/9. Since the hero worked at a factory I would have made her the future head uber-geek in the resistance and that was the reason she was being terminated. Mexico does have high tech industry billionaires and is not all cinderblocks, tin roofs, donkeys, and border crossers. The human augmentation program would be more nanotechnology based so people would still be a mostly human frame (make the humans half Gray Goo just like the REV-9). Seeing the human augmentation done in a grimy operating room was not believable. I would have emphasized more that our current technology created by "good" people to save us from "bad" people will likely boomerang on us now and definitely later on. I would have left the T-800 (as Skynet's de facto temporal representative) a heartless machine rather than the human love drivel. The T-800 simply used the family as a cover and the humans were too obtuse to see that Carl was a Terminator. The only reason the T-800 uses and joins the humans was Skynet only wants to subjugate the useful humans (>10%) to feel secure and still "serve" those humans worth keeping, but Legion want to totally exterminate all biological life as being old school (pulling wings off flies). I would have made the coup de grace scene at the last simpler, like injecting or shooting Mercury with other special metals to pollute the Gray Goo to weaken the REV-9 enough so it could be boxed). At the last the T-800 would take away the boxed REV-9 and tell the humans "I'll be back...when Skynet commands it." Thus the cast of characters (and the duplicitous authorities in the know about Terminators) would be left wondering if humans are the real winners. Another thing that leaves a bad taste (handful of salt) is the over use of property destruction to add spice to a mostly gristle plot. After all, if we are dealing with evil AIs, you would expect more efficient pernicious deviousness and less 100 pound sledgehammers. Since this movie made more than it cost I expect another serving of Terminator flavored Hamburger Helper will show up.
Cats
(2019)
Told to expecte a monumental belly flop but realized it was quite satisfactory for a musical
8 June 2020
I finally watched Cats after being pre-biased for months to expect a massive failure. As I watched Cats, I kept asking myself, "So where are the bad parts?" After the movie I had to ask was this movie really that bad and could not really point to any mistakes justifying under a 4/9 so it received a 5/9. I believe the problem is Cats by nature is a silly concept and based on poetry. Add on to that music, singing, dancing, and many characters popping in and out of the plot and it is befuddling. I had the good fortune to see it on DVD with captions so I was able to replay scenes until they made sense and then move forward. As for the actors and scenery, compared to other Broadway/film made over the decades, they did pretty good as expected so that was not the problem. Again it comes down to the concept being silly and if you try too hard to overthink it; you will end up not liking this film. On the other hand, if I had been prepared with a better grasp of the plot and the characters, I would have given Cats a 6/9, because there are some good/evil metaphysical bits going on in the background that would likely show that Cats is not so silly. But I watched it once and found it was a fair musical undeserving of being slammed so hard by the reviews.
Definitely worth a watch for technology types and family history buffs
5 August 2019
"Datamining the Deceased" covers how much the modern science of genetics and massive computer databases have revolutionized the study of genealogy. The first part covers which Governments, private companies, and a certain major religion has been the vanguards for much of the recent genealogy advances in the past few decades. The second half of the program dives into the problems society now faces from this information being available and the pros and cons of these issues ranging from eugenics to beneficial medical advances. As for the religious bits, you can't throw a stone at modern genealogy and not hit certain religions and their reasons for doing this work so ignore those several bits and concentrate on the science and social ramifications. Being into big data, engineering, genetics, and ancient history, it is definitely worth a watch.
The Human Element
(2018)
Death, destruction, tragedy, and nature all in beautiful vivid color and scenery.
16 July 2019
The Human Element, shows several natural disasters caused by the natural elements (earth, wind, fire, water) and the people (the quintessential element) they affect by using well posed photographs, films, and music that almost seems to belong more in a BBC nature documentary. This alone gives this film an unsettling distant feel that you know you are watching something terrible yet it is done so well you instead see the beauty in the ashes. There are a few environmental and personal commentaries tucked in the film but it is smoothly presented as to flow within the images. I should feel more empathy for the victims but the imagery is so surreal and melancholy. It reminds me of the movies Samsara or the Qatsi trilogy.
Surprising Good for a Museum Film
10 June 2019
World War II: Saving the Reality, was surprising good for a low budget museum film. The actor Dan Akroyd Narrates a tour of the exhibits in one of the largest private WWII museums in the world including bits of film archives and people who were there (Veterans, civilians, survivors, etc.). Several interesting tidbits of historical interest are shown that had an influence on WWII unbeknownst to most people. The displays of items were unique and in great condition unlike items seen in other war/military museums. Everything was put together well and held my interest for the whole time. Wish it could have been several hours longer so everything could have been shown.
Not too much religious bias but the history of proto-writing is the intriguing part.
8 June 2019
Watched it twice. The first part was a little slow and preachy that are mostly fluff but later on when the real religion/history academicians talked about proto-writing the movie became very interesting. As with other historical fields of study, this movie presents its view points but at least tried to base it on what the scholars said. Ignoring the fluffy bits and being a language geek, I enjoyed it very much.
Down a Dark Hall
(2018)
Worth a watch but it might have been much more powerful with a few plot tweaks
27 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Some Spoilers Alert
Watched it twice just to make sure that Down a Dark Hall (2018) was as good or bad as other reviews say. I do not see it being an 8-10 but it sure is not a 1-4 as others have slammed it. The subtle bait and switch plot about "special" young girls enrolled in a school to help them but instead become living conduits for dead geniuses to continue their work is a good twist. Added to this mix is a committed staff who believes they are doing humanity a great service despite the mental/physical costs to "expendable girls" while constantly saying they are helping the girls. The movie's cinematography was wonderful, the large mansion fitting, and the stirring piano music were beautiful plot tools. The main problem that drags this movie down is typical to the horror genre; they took too long to get to the point thinking somehow that it is enigmatic or suspenseful but soon becomes tedious. Then the end was a quick Shakespearian death for everyone but a few and you're done. Still I give it a 7 as is for having an interesting plot with huge potential. The abrupt ending is an easy fix. I would suggest an alternative ending where several Men in Black types in black Suburbans stand around the burned down Blackwood institute, say the outcome of the project was promising, it was now fully funded, the surviving girls need fully debriefed, and future girls need "helped" even more. The next scene would be a new modern rebuilt Blackwood institute welcoming more students by a resurrected Madame Duret. Cut to black. The rest of the movie could be tweaked to support this alternative ending with more information and intelligence extraction from the girls. Refer to the movie Cabin in the Woods (2012) but taken seriously.
Watched it twice just to make sure that Down a Dark Hall (2018) was as good or bad as other reviews say. I do not see it being an 8-10 but it sure is not a 1-4 as others have slammed it. The subtle bait and switch plot about "special" young girls enrolled in a school to help them but instead become living conduits for dead geniuses to continue their work is a good twist. Added to this mix is a committed staff who believes they are doing humanity a great service despite the mental/physical costs to "expendable girls" while constantly saying they are helping the girls. The movie's cinematography was wonderful, the large mansion fitting, and the stirring piano music were beautiful plot tools. The main problem that drags this movie down is typical to the horror genre; they took too long to get to the point thinking somehow that it is enigmatic or suspenseful but soon becomes tedious. Then the end was a quick Shakespearian death for everyone but a few and you're done. Still I give it a 7 as is for having an interesting plot with huge potential. The abrupt ending is an easy fix. I would suggest an alternative ending where several Men in Black types in black Suburbans stand around the burned down Blackwood institute, say the outcome of the project was promising, it was now fully funded, the surviving girls need fully debriefed, and future girls need "helped" even more. The next scene would be a new modern rebuilt Blackwood institute welcoming more students by a resurrected Madame Duret. Cut to black. The rest of the movie could be tweaked to support this alternative ending with more information and intelligence extraction from the girls. Refer to the movie Cabin in the Woods (2012) but taken seriously.
A Cure for Wellness
(2016)
I am sorry, but I do like this movie very much
19 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I am sorry, but I do like this movie very much. A Cure for Wellness (2016) is one of those movies that falls into the "either you love it or you hate it" category. I have read several reviews that are mostly negative and the box office returns were very low which I believe is mostly undeserved because this movie is misunderstood. After watching this movie several times, I am in the "love it" category. Why? Because A Cure for Wellness is a very well made depressing and unsettling movie that dives deeply into the darkness and sickness that many people have within themselves and its price to be paid. This is not an entertainment movie or a shallow end of the pool movie nor does it fall into a simplistic good versus evil movie since everybody in this movie is a "dirty shirt". Everybody dies. No one really wins in this movie but survives. This movie is about sharks eating sharks and there are monsters that big sharks run from. For this and other depressing reasons a lot of people cannot handle this dark movie for being so mentally and morally warped on so many levels thus it is not popular nor will ever be. Gore Verbinski directed all those successful Pirates of the Caribbean movies that made good money so this is more his directorial "art" project and not for the mundane. Some points to look out for that made the movie better. Turn on the Descriptive Audio (DVD) that points out several important small details that most will miss in the dark lighted scenes. Notice the top notch cinematography, props, and scenery because they are beautiful and is like icing on a cake that contrasts and hides the toxic cake within. All this beauty does come at a cost. In order for the beauty to sink in and contrast the dark themes to come, some slowness occurs and some impatient people may flag this as a negative since it takes about a third of the movie to pass before the nasty bits start appearing (or disappearing >;-)). Hope you "enjoy" this movie as much as I do.
Wonder Woman
(2017)
Very good movie . Just ignore the few irritating potholes that need fixing
3 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Wonder Woman (2017) (WW) is a very good movie worth watching. So many of the positive reviews already detail all the positives aspects of WW so will not do a rehash of an already good movie. I give it 7/9 but believe it could have easily reached 8/9. There were a few minor potholes in the highway I felt distracted me during the movie. The main distraction was the long love scene after the battle at the front. WW should have simply said no to Steve Trevor's advances, told him to wait after the war because he proved himself in battle, and Amazons are professional warriors. Not only would this kept the movie up to speed, this would have made Trevor's death a bigger emotional impact at the movie's end on WW and the audience. Several slowdowns (down shifts in plot speed) like this during the second half tempted me to look at my watch which is a sign that my mind was starting to drift. Then there was the final coup de grace battle which seemed comic book predictable, a little too over the top, and bordered on exhaustion. This damped a good plot twist by the villain Aries being an ordinary human in an upper leadership role. An additional twist I thought would have been interesting is what would WW do (WWWWD) if Aries said no to a fight with WW? After all, he was only talking to people and they freely chose to follow his evil advice, he was unarmed, and he was still crippled from his fight with Zeus. So WWWWD to Aries being an Amazon warrior if he refused to fight and he just walked away (He later causes WWII, Cold War, ...)? But you just cannot let the bad guy win and walk free. Again these are only my personal preferences on a good movie that could easily be smoothed over or added in the DVD release.
Traded
(2016)
Traded (2016) is an interesting movie but definitely not one for entertainment or families.
5 December 2016
Traded (2016) is an interesting movie but definitely not one for entertainment or families.
Like on old maps "there be monsters out there" in U.S. history. Having a little bit of a thick skin from all the movies I have seen I found Traded was unsettling at times. Because of the fast paced high concentrations of prostitution, female slavery, torture, violence, cruelty, murder, death, sex, truth, lies, sickness, "business" contracts, family values, and more I believe a lot of people are just overwhelmed thus leading to many of the bad reviews. Trying to pack this much misery into a movie is bound to feel forced with the overall pace of the movie plot seeming too contrived and the characters a little stereotypical (i.e. main anti-hero seemed too unstoppable). Yet, I forgive these minor bumps because the movie is almost like a stage play (clean white shirt, sets, and props), a moral play going out of the way to teach a lesson (i.e. monologues). I liked Traded but after reading the other reviews I went back and watched Traded twice to be sure and still do not see any major plot pot holes or blatant reasons why Traded is being ripped so harshly. Some minor personal dislikes was not using text for the prologue and the 4K resolution looking too crisp while most classic westerns seem softer by using film. Some things I would point out for notice is the most older folks (life span was in the 40s-50s) still seem to have bits of the old moral code of the west (i.e. your word is your bond) while the younger ones (20s-30s) seem more "urbane" in a bad hungry way. As other reviews have implied, it is not an epic 1950's John Ford western but I think it is worth a watch without the family to see the old west not at its best.
Like on old maps "there be monsters out there" in U.S. history. Having a little bit of a thick skin from all the movies I have seen I found Traded was unsettling at times. Because of the fast paced high concentrations of prostitution, female slavery, torture, violence, cruelty, murder, death, sex, truth, lies, sickness, "business" contracts, family values, and more I believe a lot of people are just overwhelmed thus leading to many of the bad reviews. Trying to pack this much misery into a movie is bound to feel forced with the overall pace of the movie plot seeming too contrived and the characters a little stereotypical (i.e. main anti-hero seemed too unstoppable). Yet, I forgive these minor bumps because the movie is almost like a stage play (clean white shirt, sets, and props), a moral play going out of the way to teach a lesson (i.e. monologues). I liked Traded but after reading the other reviews I went back and watched Traded twice to be sure and still do not see any major plot pot holes or blatant reasons why Traded is being ripped so harshly. Some minor personal dislikes was not using text for the prologue and the 4K resolution looking too crisp while most classic westerns seem softer by using film. Some things I would point out for notice is the most older folks (life span was in the 40s-50s) still seem to have bits of the old moral code of the west (i.e. your word is your bond) while the younger ones (20s-30s) seem more "urbane" in a bad hungry way. As other reviews have implied, it is not an epic 1950's John Ford western but I think it is worth a watch without the family to see the old west not at its best.
Star Trek Beyond
(2016)
Star Trek Beyond was tasty like a dependable instant boxed cake mix. Just more sprinkles on top. But I found a missing ingredient.
21 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Star Trek Beyond (STB) (2016) was a respectable reuse of a successful formula that has served several past Star Trek films (and other Sci-Fi films). Propping up a simplistic plot by the overuse of eye candy (CFX,CGI), lots of nonstop action adventure, interesting banter between the main command crew, and tossing in a mean nasty cutout villain to justify turning out another money making movie. Technically there was nothing wrong with STB and it was enjoyable being new Trek but it does contain a lot of empty calories. It was a safe within the bounds ST movie that shouldn't tax anyone mentally. At the end of the movie some people near me said he felt he had just been on a long roller coaster ride. Another guy said to him but this was ST and it should be analyzed (jokingly?). The other guy said back to him no it doesn't. I just felt like I had sat through an upgraded two hour average ST episode that was not anything special to commit to memory. A big bad guy shows up with a big pointy stick is stopped by a hero.
**Spoiler Alert**
This is a more Trekish story plot I personally would have enjoyed. The one main thing I would have improved was the villain. Instead of making the villain a nasty mean immortal soul sucking ex-soldier seeking revenge for being put out to pasture by the Federation. I would have made him (and his crew) immortal and "enlightened" from being exposed to bits of technology discarded by ancient beings when their culture evolved "beyond". Instead of wanting to destroy the Federation the "villain" would bring the next best thing since sliced bread and canned beer to the Federation thus advancing mankind to new heights without all that tedious time consuming galactic exploration (shades of Borg and Q). The problem would begin when Bones and Spock point out the "evolved" humans have become static and over the hundred plus years and have not done anything useful (still stuck on the planet, no rebuilding, no clean up or dusting, no children, and no emotions) but only fixated on bringing their better future to the universe because they are so "with it". Kirk's suggestion to wait and study their "gift" to the universe is considered by the villain as fear of change by Neanderthals and the evolved humans start to force feed their gifts on the Federation which causes the conflicts. At the end the Federation mostly wins and the remaining evolved humans are whisked away by the original ancient beings to be cured or cared for until the universe is ready for them. As parting compensation the planet is terraformed (made safe for the kiddies) for the Federation so they can continue to explore that sector of the universe.
**Spoiler Alert**
This is a more Trekish story plot I personally would have enjoyed. The one main thing I would have improved was the villain. Instead of making the villain a nasty mean immortal soul sucking ex-soldier seeking revenge for being put out to pasture by the Federation. I would have made him (and his crew) immortal and "enlightened" from being exposed to bits of technology discarded by ancient beings when their culture evolved "beyond". Instead of wanting to destroy the Federation the "villain" would bring the next best thing since sliced bread and canned beer to the Federation thus advancing mankind to new heights without all that tedious time consuming galactic exploration (shades of Borg and Q). The problem would begin when Bones and Spock point out the "evolved" humans have become static and over the hundred plus years and have not done anything useful (still stuck on the planet, no rebuilding, no clean up or dusting, no children, and no emotions) but only fixated on bringing their better future to the universe because they are so "with it". Kirk's suggestion to wait and study their "gift" to the universe is considered by the villain as fear of change by Neanderthals and the evolved humans start to force feed their gifts on the Federation which causes the conflicts. At the end the Federation mostly wins and the remaining evolved humans are whisked away by the original ancient beings to be cured or cared for until the universe is ready for them. As parting compensation the planet is terraformed (made safe for the kiddies) for the Federation so they can continue to explore that sector of the universe.
Spectre
(I) (2015)
Was Spectre Really Supposed to Be a Black Comedy?!
3 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Spectre was not too bad (for a Bond movie) but I could not let this slide without pointing out what made me wince.
*** Warning This review does contain spoilers, much sarcasm, is quite flippant, and should not be read before watching the movie first or you will become biased***
Does no one else seems to notice or even care how many times Spectre deliberately or by accident seems to violate many of the rules from the "Evil Overlord List" (go look up the Evil Overlord List (EO) then re-watch Spectre for a laugh). Back in1988, Saturday Night Live even did a skit featuring Bond Villains selling a book "What Not To Do When You Capture James Bond". I hate to admit it but the spoof Casino Royale (1967) keeps getting better the more Bond films like Spectre are released. Just add a little bit more cheese on top and Spectre would be a great black comedy.
A few choice gems to watch out for.
1. One of Bond's single pistol shots punctures an exposed, out in the open, pipe that just happen to be the one that blows up Spectre's world headquarters (Ala Death Star or Trade Federation ship) and nothing blows until Bond and his bimbo makes it all the way out to the heliport for the epic big badda boom money shot. Spectre should have paid the extra dime for those pesky failsafes the SCADA programmers suggested years earlier.
2. Blofeld spent hours of his own or Spectre's dime doing additional spiderweb demolition wiring of the old MI6 building and only pennies on cheap B/W copies taped to the wall. For someone who is busy running a large world crime organization, Blofeld seems to have time and money to stop and pull the wings off a fly for fun and giggles.
3. Specter's "legions of doom" can't hit the broadside of a Bond using machine guns on full auto whilst Bond using only one pistol clip can dispatch everyone on the base with enough to spare. Specter must have hired a hoard of Indians from 1950's westerns for security.
4. Bond before, during, and after being repeatedly sliced, diced, drilled, and Julian fried can still "service" all the sexy ladies (Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark made fun of this ability).
5. Blofeld sadistically drills into Bond's head rather than simply shooting him in the head (See EO list). The funny part was Bond was not damaged after drilling (no pain no brain?). Bad guys should never play with you food. Fortunately for Bond the torture chair arms retracted behind his back and all the clamps opened up on their own allowing for the big escape (see EO list for doors that open when you shoot the lock).
6. Bond had Blofeld monologuing his evil plot several times (i.e. The Incredibles).
7. Q says he has 2 cats to feed and a mortgage on a small place to protect so he cannot do Bond's homework. From a ski lift, Q on a laptop can read the DNA of whoever has worn a Spectre ring over the years (except for Q who just handled it or Bond who just wore it) (evil people really need to wash their hands more often). The "funny" (realistic) part for us software developers is Q is still unmarried, has no dog, no savings, works in a dingy basement, or has any better paying job offers lined up for someone who can hack the world from his laptop. Q's not getting laid or paid. So much for a STEM education. From what I see, Spectre is not any better for tech workers and hires black turtlenecked FOA only (i.e. Austin Powers and Apple).
However, in the opening titles there was homage to the Dr. Mabuse series (1920s-1930's) when they showed the multiple eyes scenes. A nice touch that was totally unexpected.
Reading the EO list has really robbed me of the enjoyment of taking movies like this too seriously. Let's hope the next Bond film is less laughable.
*** Warning This review does contain spoilers, much sarcasm, is quite flippant, and should not be read before watching the movie first or you will become biased***
Does no one else seems to notice or even care how many times Spectre deliberately or by accident seems to violate many of the rules from the "Evil Overlord List" (go look up the Evil Overlord List (EO) then re-watch Spectre for a laugh). Back in1988, Saturday Night Live even did a skit featuring Bond Villains selling a book "What Not To Do When You Capture James Bond". I hate to admit it but the spoof Casino Royale (1967) keeps getting better the more Bond films like Spectre are released. Just add a little bit more cheese on top and Spectre would be a great black comedy.
A few choice gems to watch out for.
1. One of Bond's single pistol shots punctures an exposed, out in the open, pipe that just happen to be the one that blows up Spectre's world headquarters (Ala Death Star or Trade Federation ship) and nothing blows until Bond and his bimbo makes it all the way out to the heliport for the epic big badda boom money shot. Spectre should have paid the extra dime for those pesky failsafes the SCADA programmers suggested years earlier.
2. Blofeld spent hours of his own or Spectre's dime doing additional spiderweb demolition wiring of the old MI6 building and only pennies on cheap B/W copies taped to the wall. For someone who is busy running a large world crime organization, Blofeld seems to have time and money to stop and pull the wings off a fly for fun and giggles.
3. Specter's "legions of doom" can't hit the broadside of a Bond using machine guns on full auto whilst Bond using only one pistol clip can dispatch everyone on the base with enough to spare. Specter must have hired a hoard of Indians from 1950's westerns for security.
4. Bond before, during, and after being repeatedly sliced, diced, drilled, and Julian fried can still "service" all the sexy ladies (Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark made fun of this ability).
5. Blofeld sadistically drills into Bond's head rather than simply shooting him in the head (See EO list). The funny part was Bond was not damaged after drilling (no pain no brain?). Bad guys should never play with you food. Fortunately for Bond the torture chair arms retracted behind his back and all the clamps opened up on their own allowing for the big escape (see EO list for doors that open when you shoot the lock).
6. Bond had Blofeld monologuing his evil plot several times (i.e. The Incredibles).
7. Q says he has 2 cats to feed and a mortgage on a small place to protect so he cannot do Bond's homework. From a ski lift, Q on a laptop can read the DNA of whoever has worn a Spectre ring over the years (except for Q who just handled it or Bond who just wore it) (evil people really need to wash their hands more often). The "funny" (realistic) part for us software developers is Q is still unmarried, has no dog, no savings, works in a dingy basement, or has any better paying job offers lined up for someone who can hack the world from his laptop. Q's not getting laid or paid. So much for a STEM education. From what I see, Spectre is not any better for tech workers and hires black turtlenecked FOA only (i.e. Austin Powers and Apple).
However, in the opening titles there was homage to the Dr. Mabuse series (1920s-1930's) when they showed the multiple eyes scenes. A nice touch that was totally unexpected.
Reading the EO list has really robbed me of the enjoyment of taking movies like this too seriously. Let's hope the next Bond film is less laughable.
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