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rhyllannffiain
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Skins: Fire: Part 1 (2013)
Why All the Sour Grapes...?
Almost everyone is upset with her job; while it DOES echo Working Girl a little bit, it absolutely DOES happen. I went from mere Sales Assistant to Manager's Assistant to my own Trading Desk handling all sorts in six. Little. Months. I was a go getter, listened/learned and let me tell you all about boring: Nothing was more exciting than the week of Black Monday back in 1987. Out of all the positions I've held in my half o'century of life, Wall Street was indeed the favorite. Now when they fired four people, gave all their jobs to me without a raise...? THEN it was time to walk.
So yes, growing up IS a bit boring. But it doesn't HAVE to be.
I never liked Effy. I thought the character was an EXTREMELY overrated character, and an incredibly unlikable one at that. She is beautiful, so that's the draw. In fact, I am VERY disappointed that she ended up in the epilogue series because the character IS so very lame/weak.
This is the first time I actually enjoyed her character, however. The constant yanking of everyone's chain, the whole Freddie James thing...I'm glad the character grew a little.
I'd have preferred the more interesting characters like Sid, JJ, Mini & Alo's baby (probably named Grace), but that's just fan faction on my part.
Skins: Katie (2010)
Quick Note About Katie's...
...diagnosis.
I was given the same diagnosis at the same age. I had a much different reaction, one where I felt an amazing sense of freedom and gratitude. Much like Katie, I started to plan a life (which--if according to plan--did not include children anyway). Fast forward 8yrs later, I was planning a very wild wedding with my best friend and party buddy. Planned for a good year or more.
Guess what happened six months prior to the 'wild' nuptials...? So for anyone reading this, it is NOT a definitive situation. It's not cast in stone, OBVIOUSLY. Oh, and more miraculously: I became painfully and annoyingly very regular on my own afterward.
I have a lot to write about the series and the seasons, but I wanted to do that after I watched them all; I did not watch them in order.
But for THIS show, THIS topic: I wanted to reassure young women who receive this diagnosis; doctors make their hypotheses, people make plans...and the godz have a right laugh.
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I will Edit to give fuller review of episode when I see them all. This seemed important to write right NOW.
Saturday Night Live: Elliott Gould/Gary Numan (1980)
Jewess Jeans...!!
I found that hilarious when I was a young Jewess, still find it hilarious now that I am a Jewess of the Hag Order. I noticed one of the girls is still wearing them in a later skit (Matoos). This was one of my favorite episodes without Dan & John. And yes, I wanted a pair of the jeans at the time.
Saturday Night Live: Ted Knight/Desmond Child & Rouge (1979)
Ugh, Andy Kaufman...
...I don't know what got into this dude, he was GREAT in the earlier seasons; is THIS when he started having a brain tumor, right around this time?? Oh he simply RUINED it for me back when I was a kid, and I was feeling nostalgic, rewatching all the old original SNL Gang...bad enough they lost Belushi and Aykroyd in S5; I didn't even notice at first to tell you the truth.
But THIS garbage, with this fool...? Nearly EVERY week...??? Who did he blow?? Oh man, it's hard to go above five stars because of this lemon. He should have stuck to the Mighty Mouse Anthem, good heavens...
Saturday Night Live: Christopher Lee/Meat Loaf (1978)
I'm Always Generous w/Original SNL Skits...
I try to be generous with the episodes I remember from the age of ten; great times watching with my older sister in our room. (Found out later that Mom n Dad watched it too, so once the cat was out of the bag, we'd watch together.)
I'd love to have given this another full TEN Stars, but had to take away half a point after reading about the "Penny Talks to Mr. Death" skit (what a spoiled rag that Newman was), but really...had to remove a star for Meatloaf skipping the best part of the song Two out of Three. I remember it being a problem back then, and it's a problem now. WHY?? Time? It's a 90m show that has 60m of material...! Ugh.
Anyway, it was GREAT to see Mr. Lee on such a fun show. This is why the show was so successful, I think. It was not uptight (watch Graham Norton's episode with Bill Murray, Matt Damon & Hugh LIPPY Bonnaville; it's the top rated show), and it's absolutely amazing to see even Politicians get on this show.
Definitely watch it, but be warned about the song's missing middle.
The Crown: Fagan (2020)
Very Important Episode.
I remember this happening. I cannot help but feel how AMERICAN it seems, the whole situation. I fully expected Mr. Fagan to say, "People are just so MEAN."
What a surreal experience for both, that must have been. How desperate this man was. I'm not done with the episode. I hope she hires him for the glazing at the very least.
You can see the complete loss of kindness and simple civil courtesies people USED to give freely--it genuinely costs NOTHING--running right down the drain. I see how American the UK had become or was becoming in this one episode.
I never knew how this ended with this guy...let's see what happens. I hope he does not commit suicide.
Wolyn (2016)
What My Grandparents Called "ShOWl K'Fee"
...or perhaps better spelled Szal Krwi. Quite literally, blood frenzy. I don't think this movie is horrifying to the extent that it becomes gratuitous. There's a REASON war survivors and Veterans literally can NOT talk about what they've seen. Acts of war--particularly among neighbors--are typically the worst. That is a long time brooding personal slights; ever hear the phrase Familiarity Breeds Contempt...? For the religious folks: Do you think it's an accident that neighbors actually made it into the Ten Commandments...? I always found that hilarious, because in my lifetime of merely half a century, neighbors have ALWAYS been the bane of my existence. Since childhood, really.
SO. Now I know what they were talking about, my grandparents. Once that piranha type blood frenzy starts...it gets brutal. I don't think this movie has ANY over the top gore, because that is the very NATURE of war.
In fact, I wish the movie was seen more in the USA because if there is a Civil War again on USA soil: THAT is what it's going to look like, esp if they take your guns away. First thing the Germans asked, "Where are your guns?" Before promptly putting them on a train to concentration camps. Or just delivery of corpses, which is cheaper for them in the long run.
This movie shows you that this isn't about the blues, the reds, the yellows, the greens: This is PEOPLE ON PEOPLE crimes that are mind boggling. What we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat.
This movie also broke me...another Moral of the Story is DO NOT LOOK IN THE BUCKETS. I had paused the second bucket scene because I could not make out what it was. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS.
Humor at about 1:07, where she shouts and the baby jumps. I did get a giggle out of that.
Again, I cannot stress enough how difficult this movie can be to watch, and if we do not pay attention to what is happening around us (anywhere: Because if you think this was the first time civilian war has happened, or you think this was the last time it could happen: You are deluding yourself)...WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT.
10/10 for content, acting, pace, FX, even the captions are amazing, because you're listening to four or five different languages throughout.
The Lodge (2019)
Not What I Expected.
I had been putting this off, as it was constantly in my suggested list. I like Riley, I like Jaeden, why not...? Also, I wasn't planning to really get into it as I thought it was going to be yet another movie where an adult is chasing kids with a machete or some such thing during an episode of cabin fever.
Yeah, I was wrong.
THAT is why I gave it a high rating; I dig it when I'm surprised.
All the layers and background were excellent and I honestly was not expecting "the bad guys" to have been the bad guys. I was expecting something completely different. Y'know...babysitter goes nuts, some mental case attacks the family, blah blah blah. Just a change of scenery and people/roles.
Nope. Very different. Also: I grew up Roman Catholic, went to school with nuns and the whole nine yards. When I got slapped because I was trying to explain how hands cannot come out of a grave (some stupid story they tell you to discourage being mean to your parents). I grew up in a Funeral Parlor. There is no WAY a kid's arms are coming out of the grave. I was only seven years old and that nun whacked me good. THAT was the end of my belief system in that realm. So I completely understood the devout religious fanaticism, I even remembered all the prayers.
I was not expecting all that. Anyway, I found it to be different, I like when I'm surprised. The End.
The Other (1972)
The IMPACT This Movie Had...!!!
Much like many others, this is one that STAYS with you. I had recently found out that Chris Udvarnoky (Niles) had passed away...so so SO many of the people who reached out were just like me: Completely blown away by the performances of his brother and himself.
This movie was SO good, and not even "for its time." This movie is still one of the best of its kind (despite its having more than one genre). I remember sharing the book and the movie with my own daughters (one of which has the grey eyes of the boys' in the book)...and it's uncanny how much her son actually looks like Holland. I digress, I am just trying to explain just how deeply this movie can get to a person.
"Don't tell the secret." And we all thought it was going to be about where the baby was...which again, was insanely DARK. And what kid didn't try to play the game after THIS movie? Strong impact. That is really the only way to describe. I also remember my father commenting on how good Ada's accent was, mostly because she was trying to Americanize herself. (My parents were first generation born in the USA in the late 30s. We know all about that proud to be an American bit.)
The movie also almost feels like two in one with several layers.
Strongly recommend, and I fail to have had another movie touch me the way this one has; I'm a grandmother now, so this was a tough act to follow.
This Is Us: The Right Thing to Do (2017)
Martyrs Are Stupid.
Not sure why Kevin had to qualify his statement to Olivia about the right thing not being the thing he wants...did he say it to make Olivia feel better about his choosing Sloane over her? Because Kevin is above all self serving. He wouldn't have chosen Sloane if he didn't want to do it, I mean...has Sloane MET Kevin...? ha ha
That out of the way: Why didn't Jack just tell the truth about what he needed the money for??? Why make it some stupid semantics game about gambling? I have had people in my life do stupid things like this, and I'm sorry: There is ZERO anything admirable about being a self sabotaging martyr. If he KNEW he wasn't going to accept the money for the triplets, why waste everyone's time?? Was he testing his father's love...? Seriously, after all he KNOWS about the man, THIS is what he does...? Oh please, I can't. That was incredibly STUPID. If there was a slight chance to get his family out of the situation that they were in, tell the bloody truth and say it's for the old monster's grandbabies and all move along. But no. Let's sacrifice for the fun of sacrificing (said no one ever), and put the wife and triplets--while brewing inside their mother--into yet another unloving unsupportive situation with even MORE old monsters?? No. Sorry.
It is never a good idea to place a pregnant woman in a situation where the babies will be brewing in hateful waters. If this is where this goes, then it wouldn't surprise me that the one baby died. Hung itself in utero. Little things matter when they are in there. Go see the flick We Need to Talk About Kevin. (Not this Kevin.)
Dublin Murders: Episode #1.8 (2019)
'The Erl King Did It.' Or the Dog.
The unclear ending loses the star...I mean, the Erl King or the dog (or wolfdog) did it...? Dunno if I really buy that. A PACK of wolfdogs, absolutely. Wish they elaborated on that because THAT storyline was a hell of a lot better than the Lexie one...which ALSO had no true ending.
Unless there is a sequel where Jane 'Lexie' Doe breeds wolfdogs for the Erl King or some such crazy nonsense. It was too far out there and seemed like filler.
The Katy storyline did have a few fun twists in there, that was really quite good.
I'm glad I watched it, I don't regret spending eight hours on the show...but would definitely have liked clearer endings.
The Handmaid's Tale: Liars (2019)
...If You Read the Books...
...then please continue with this review. Otherwise, there might be serious spoilers for you--for the books (Testaments, in particular). I am wondering if S4 will focus on Aunt Lydia. I found her character (in the books) to be incredibly interesting and it was mind blowing to find out what she REALLY is. I really do not want to spoil it for anyone, but people are talking about twists: Aunt Lydia was a complete twist. I'm waiting patiently for that revelation IF they haven't completely ripped it out of the story.
Additionally:
I'm pretty confident that it was no mistake casting the woman that plays Serena--who more than resembles 'Cersei' from Game of Thrones. I also find it hilarious that Elisabeth Moss has the most effective RBF (Resting B Face) and is playing a part that definitely requires this. I giggle every time.
Very pleased that this is going down, finally. The ultra perverted Sons of Jacob and their mentally disturbed selfish wives make me sick to my stomach.
The Slap: Rosie (2011)
Completely Deserving...
...parents like that deserve to have their children taken away. That kid was completely out of order on every level; what happens to a child like that when they become teenagers...? Set someone's house on fire, it's everyone else's fault, right...? Will the parents take the homeowners to court for putting the house in the child's fire's way...? Makes me sick.
I hate parents like this, and I hate children like this, even tho it's not entirely their fault. However, after some--even the smallest--exposure to other families, the child gleans what is right and what is wrong to some degree.
This is a huge problem in the USA, parents like this/the horrifying outcome. I'm so glad that this show did not do the PC thing--which also makes me sick--and slammed a little touch of reality into those parents' lives. No child is an island, they are molding him to be a pox on society affecting how many in the future...? That child needed to be removed from that home. Period.
Shameless: "Gallavich!" (2020)
Great Sans the Emotional Blackmail...
...I will quickly say--like everyone else--that this episode was fantastic.
However, I am not in love with Lip's using his sobriety as a tool to get Tami to do what he wants. I have been in a relationship like that, and it quickly becomes a pawn. I am quite sure there are countless AA groups in Milwaukee, bike shops, etc. She merely wants better for her son AND herself...how many people would KILL to have a free *house handed to them in that situation? I don't know, it struck a bad cord for me, probably based on my experiences but still--is this going to become his new strategy? 'Do what I want or else I will pick up a bottle.' Yeah, gets old real fast.
About the absence of Fiona: Not even mentioning her name did strike me as odd. That being said, I had noted that Julia really does strike a resemblance to Fiona. Not everyone will agree, but I noticed.
Everyone loves Mickey. I will watch just about anything with Noel in it.
*Free House: If they moved, the rest of the family would likely follow. It just goes like that; yes, it's TV, TV is not real. Just stating what a typical possibility would be. I think it would be fantastic for all of them to get out of there. Living the Dream.
Lastly: I'm more than happy to see the show become less political as well. It's a bit overkill.
Savva. Serdtse voina (2015)
My 4yo Loved It; Now 11yo Wants to Witness the Madness.
If you read some reviews, go into it knowing that there won't be many awards. I found myself saying, "...omg..." Particularly with the blond gorilla thing, I couldn't stop laughing.
The grandkid liked it, esp the teal pumpkins and the music: Also, the fact that there was so MUCH going on, it really was like a 4yo wrote this. "Ooh, and then we can...(fill in the madness)."
Again, my grandkid thoroughly enjoyed it...probably because there IS no real story. The 11yo came in, asking why I was laughing so hard. I tried to explain (we're over an hour into it) and I nearly forgot that Savva's Mom still might be in that hole. Trapped there by Gangsta Hyenas who needed slaves for the blond gorilla-cerberus and there was just no explaining the rest.
Now the 11yo is dying to watch this from the beginning. I don't know, just go into knowing that there will be insanity and laughter. I cannot believe some of the reviews, it's a bloody kids' movie...not the next Schindler's List ffs.
Additionally...the movie is complete nonsense babble. What is it with people these days that they have to politicize or actively seek (make up) something offensive regardless of the material. Gain some perspective, it's a bloody kid movie!!! Good grief.
Thirteen: Episode #1.2 (2016)
Captures the Spirit of a 13yo...
...as if she picked up right where she left off. It is hard to believe she's 26yo in all this. She did a really good job of it, an emotionally stunted and damaged kid.
Even her body movements (I cannot call it dancing) is juvenile and unpolished. Easy to see why she is where she is now (Jodie Comer).
Thirteen (2016)
It's FICTION, People...
...why do people watch the television KNOWING that it's "only TV," then whine and complain about the fiction bit of it...? Do you honestly believe EVERYTHING you watch on the telly...?? Shame on you!
This was an interesting show that did lag from time to time (not often), and I thought it was quite good considering it is a FICTIONAL story. Not once do they pretend that this is based on real events, facts, etc.
Give it a go, it kept me in suspense while I yelled and laughed at the screen. Jodie is good at slippery.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018)
Very...Artsy, I Guess.
It annoys me when there is a remake and people merely want the same exact movie/series but with new actors. That's...that's not exactly creative. Anyone can simply take the original and morph new faces onto the film. That's lazy and originals have been done: I get excited about cover songs and do NOT expect them to sound identical; again: Where is the fun in THAT?
I wouldn't say it is gripping, I am shelving this one for a later date when I am in the mood for something like this. It's not unwatchable, it's simply designed for entertainment and artsy modern flash.
It is also great fun to see Yael Stone, giving us her best Igoresque performance.
Victoria: The White Elephant (2019)
Despite the Somewhat Soapy Season...
...I still found myself glued to the Series and will faithfully watch if there are more. I am not thrilled with the brats I mean royal children, but I understand they are a fact of Victoria's life; I never liked Albert, Phillip clearly took tips from his book; the horrible sister storyline undoubtedly will be a bridge to something else (Heidi/Pam); we learned that Buzz Lightyear was a footman chasing a Duchess in a past life; I'm wondering if one of the future seasons will bring Jack the Ripper to the story. Clearly there was artistic license, so this might be a road they travel--I'll be watching. And I'm still mourning Skerritt.
Bring it on!
Victoria: Comfort and Joy (2017)
Et Tu...?
...as one other reviewer mentioned, I too feel that going to some lengths to appease a certain group definitely cheapens and lessens the HISTORY of the show. I AM bisexual and felt that the same sex storyline was ludicrous. Now THIS?
It is bad enough that all remakes and book-to-movies MUST change the color of the hero/ine's skin color to appease...someone. I suppose rewriting history is par for the agenda/course.
Two slow seal claps for this episode.
Suspiria (2018)
Thom Yorke is Wonderful.
I was around for the original Suspiria, and to tell you the truth, this experience was more like two different movies with the same name. Both are fantastic in their own ways; Word to the Wise: There really IS room for two things to be magnificent. Why people turn everything into a competition, I'll never understand.
Anyway, I enjoyed this movie, simply adored the Score/Soundtrack, and I needed to see it twice to catch everything. The music made all the difference in this movie (much like Sinister, for example). I didn't consider this to be a horror; perhaps that is what some folks are missing. I saw this as a power struggle--inside the dance academy and out--lots and lots of layers of history, dynamics and unspoken subtext with nearly every situation. I don't know, I really enjoyed it.
I also like that they used women who were not the same cookie cutter plastic bimbettes that most movies use when it comes to dance or nudity. Refreshing in that regard.
The main problems I had with this movie was the lack of backstory. I would love to see a sequel of the main characters' lives prior to the arrival of Bannion. I would love to see the development of the dance company/coven...Blanc and Markos as younger women; Patrizia, did she drown or something? I was very confused by her--maybe I missed something--but I found her character very intriguing and want to know her story.
The Durrells: Episode #3.3 (2018)
Very Uncomfortable Episode.
Out of all the episodes--and I know I'm in for a happy ending, I need that from time to time--this episode made me incredibly uncomfortable. All of it, the donkey and the necklace, not to mention that one cad's behavior, oy.
Born in China (2019)
This Could Happen Anywhere, incl USA.
Few who die for the many. This is war. Yes, the war was with STARVATION OF AN ENTIRE NATION (sans the rich folk, naturally. Didn't get into those people but we all know who goes first).
Cannibalism in Russia, the Ukraine...YES OF COURSE IT HAPPENS!! When did we stop teaching world cultures? It will only get worse (the absolute *ignorance* or the little worlds around us) by getting angry over what is delightfully called culture appropriation. It was culture appreciation when I was growing up and deeply encouraged for all parties involved. To NOT know or simply refuse to acknowledge what actually happens around us is to be completely defenseless later. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.
This documentary is brilliant in depicting how it was for an entire country so desperate and terrified of its own future, they had to come to THAT. Those people who feel guilty: While I appreciate and understand that, the alternative would have been much more grim, and none of them would be alive to tell the tell. They'd have been dinner and we all know that 'babies taste best.' I'm sorry, but they are National HEROES. Every single person who had to endure the pain from BOTH SIDES of the coin should receive extra benefits from their sacrifices. Sacrifice of a {sometimes future} child, sacrifice of a good night's sleep evermore. Nobody was supposed to walk away from that War on Starvation with joy. Nobody. It's War. If it were fun, we'd call it something else.
China did what it HAD to do for its own people, its own future. All that money blown on DNA tests and running around after people who weren't included in that decision to spend: All could have been donated to orphanages all around ANY given country.
Thinking ahead seems to have become a crime.
The Hole in the Ground (2019)
Couldn't Get Past the Pancakes.
Maybe if I am desperate, I will give it another go...but this is why we have school shootings. Kid just does wtfever it wants, and parents just smile or laugh. Then the idiot parents are actually eating the charred pancakes...? Are you bloody kidding me...? Sorry, can't. Beyond.
Again, maybe when I'm in a better mood, I can give it a chance...kid is probably just like "the monster" in that old Twilight Zone episode where the child turns people into Jack in the Boxes and 'sends them to the cornfield.' If that's the case then I already have seen it.
Shameless: Other Paddy (2008)
I Utterly LOATHE Monica
I meant to review this a while back; losing Sheila was an epic tragedy. Norma is actually entertaining. That PIG Monica tho...I really wish Debbie would just push her down the flippin stairs and break her neck. (I LOVE the actress, however!!)
And what on EARTH did they do to Shane's beautiful locks, good heavens, STOP that raggedy broom on his head!!!
Good to know that eventually Mimi does get surgery for her weight issue. Spoilers for the actress moreso than the show. I'm laughing because she said F word...don't you get arrested in America for saying simple words nowadays? Land of the Free. Right.