Change Your Image
scribblebytes
Reviews
Midsomer Murders: A Grain of Truth (2022)
A Few Grains Short
I don't know if it's because of Cornova restrictions or writing staff changes but something is missing from this season. I've never been able to figure out who the killer is but for the first time I've figured it out twice in: The Debt of Lies and A Grain of Truth. The latter one didn't even make sense. The editing was weird, the tone was off. The actors were brilliant, especially Robert Gilbert but the story was very bizarrely executed. What did you guys do? Something has been changed and it needs to be fixed. There were good moments in A Grain of Truth and the concept behind The Blacktrees Prophecy was very good, but then it just goes off the rails. The stakes aren't as high as usual. The camera work is not as exciting as usual and it doesn't have that community feeling. Normally whenever I watch the show I feel like living in Midsomer, but with season 23 it feels like such a depressing place. Again, the actors have been brilliant and I have Dressed To Kill left to watch. And eat about Mrs Barnaby? She usually has a life, but this season she's kusy cooking and cleaning. Mr Barnaby used to be sharp, but he can't switch on a coffee machine? And Winters used to be suave and precocious and now he doesn't have those funny moments as much. And what about Fleur? She was hardly in it. Was it because of the Cornova restrictions and nobody could shoot on certain days? In a Grain of Truth there wasn't even 1 scene with all the charcaters so we can see the power dynamics. Please please please come back strong with Season 24. Maybe go back to doing 1 story per episode instead of 2 parts. Or just put back that thing that season 23 was missing.
Black Site (2022)
Story doesn't make Actors
This film is a perfect example that good performances can always survive a poorly executed story.
Every single on of the actors in this film were brilliant. I cannot say enough about how committed they were to their roles. You could feel the tension between Michelle's character and Uri (who was brilliant). Jai was perfect in his portrayal of a mercenary and his accent was on-point. The chaplain was a good counterbalance to all the machismo. Jason Clarke was a bada** of note and was amazing to watch him command the screen without even talking. It was good to see the lady from Charmed and so many other faces. The chemistry between the actors was definitely there. That was one of the only things that made this film watchable.
The production design and cine dept was the other thing that made the film enjoyable to watch. The concept of the Citadel was expressed through the production design in way that made the film feel huge. It felt like a remote space ship which heightened the element of danger -- and raised the stakes.
The story was the huge let down. It's not that the story doesn't make sense, it's that it's poorly executed. Sometimes filmmakers think that they need a preponderance of exposition to build a relationship between the audience and the characters, but in a genre film where you are lucky enough to have such a well-curated roster of actors, you can cut straight to the action. As the audience, we already know ow these people and we already enjoy watching them. We don't need 15 minutes of pensive lingering shots. Michelle has played a CIA analyst enough times for us to buy her character immediately. So instead of showing her being sad for 30 minutes, we could have seen the side of her that made everybody bake her a cake: the "likable" side. We only get to see her start to shine 5 mins before the end of the movie.
I think that if the actors were allowed to take the material and workshop it for 7 days as a group, this film would have become a trilogy.
Moonfall (2022)
Incredible Cosmic Disaster Film In Restrictive Times
It's incredible that they were able to make a movie like this considering all the health protocols and restrictions in place at the time of filming. They were able to do a global disaster film without the usual hordes of humans running away (because of health saftey protocols in place) from impending doom. That's something to admire!
Patrick Wilson is a Cancerian and he represented us well with our ruler The Moon. His emotive performance worked well to give you a sense that everything was going to be alright. Halle Berry was very strong in her role as was the conspiracy theorist actor.
The only thing that was understandably different from other films like this, was the VFX. They were weren't as grand as they usually are but the budget was definitely used consciously. The mix of SFX on live stages and VFX cloaked by the dark sky kept the momentum of the story going. The pacing was excellent and no time was wasted on boring emotional arcs. There's a mission and the mission must be completed by actors we love to watch. What more do you want from a broad action sci-fi.
I also like that they used every event in the film as a callback later on: like the car driving and Africa song. The amount of creativity it took to make this film with so many restrictions was huge and they did a stellar job. 2hrs will literally fly by.
It's safe and fun viewing for the entire family and there are no political agendas involved, with a really strong cast of faces you enjoy seeing -- including one you might not expect.
Manifest (2018)
Like "Lost", but in Real Life
This show takes a huge risk by tackling such a huge topic and setting it in New York City. I love it because it involves a huge cast, a ton of locations and a lot of mystery to boot. It's like Lost, but in real life, which means that the stakes are raised. Every 2 minutes, something is happening to get your adrenalin pumping. Prison Break, How To Get Away With Murder and Salavation are shows that take you on a roller coaster. People watch shows for different reasons. If you want to escape into a high intensity world of supernatural mystery, then you must watch Manifest. And set some time aside because you cannot watch just 1 episode. You have to watch the whole thing or you won't be able to move on with your life. This is why Newtwork Studios are great: they know how to pack an entertaining punch in 40 minutes with a likeable cast that appeals to general audoences.
Another Life (2019)
Network Studios Know Things
I thought I'd watch the pilot and 2nd episode of this show as it had a great premise. Unfortunately it's a reality show set in space with whiny kids who will fill in all the demo categories but leave you with no hope for humanity. The production design is great but the Costume department budget was cut. It's difficult to suspend disbelief when everyone sounds loke an adolescent. I think it would do well as a PG-13 show to introduce kids to Sci-Fi. But of you're an adult, it might not be satisfying. Of course all the actors are great and doing a great job and I will continue watching the show for them, even though the pacing and throughlines are just not to my taste. Sometimes the benefit of a network show is that they test and test and test shows.
The Vanished (2020)
Confronting Character Study
Congratulations to Peter Faccinelli for this confronting character study! He definitely knows how to write and make a film. His acting was also top notch. If he never wrote The Vanished, I would have never have known that he's actually a great actor who has been sorely under utilised in previous work. I would have given it a 9/10 but for 2 short scenes in the film that I wish were handled differently.
From the very beginning of the movie, it's obvious what's going on and the film makes no secret of it. This film is a character study is not interested in twists and turns. Instead, it takes the viewer on a journey of what it feels like to be those characters. The entire time, you know what's going on, but the characters are so compelling that they pull you into their world and you have to catch yourself as you start slipping with them. That's the brilliance of this film. Every character has a reason for doing what they do and that's what's most important in this film.
I think the general reception of the film (from what I've seen) is representative of a lack of visual literacy in general audiences who may have missed the writers intent and expected this film to be something it's never tried to be. The opening few minutes of the film (the shot sizes, colour grading and acting) communicate everything you need to know (especially if you're familiar with David Lynch's work). If you like this film I recommend watching Bug (Michael Shannen and Ashley Judd).
Mystery 101: Deadly History (2021)
Meta Mystery Magic
I've seen a few of these types of movies and Mystery 101 is by far the most entertaining. The casts are relatively huge so there are a ton of suspects to keep you guessing. The meta references also keep you engaged as the characters often say what you're thinking. This gives the story good pacing. Of course, the main cast is very sympathetic and it's easy to fall in love with them. Professor Winslow is likeable from the start because in addition to being an expert in her field, she also truly cares about her students. She goes above and beyond to help them. She's also very friendly with her colleagues and they respect her. Detective Travis is also very likeable and quite mysterious. The locations are also quite stunning and different from what I've seen in this genre.
I See You (2019)
Finally, A Real Hollywood Movie
This is a real Hollywood movie. It has a strong, emotionally and culturally relevant storyline; great actors and it pushes the medium (of film). The only tiny downside of the film is the overuse of drones (camera department), otherwise it's perfect.
I only watched because I saw Helen Hunt and I trust her choices. I was expecting one thing but I got a completely much better thing in return. I haven't felt this taken by a film in ages. It was real people doing real things. A proper movie for actual adults. It's amazng and I'm definitely rewatching.
All the characters were acted perfectly. The editor is amaxing. The writer is a genius. Just genius. The director hit it out of the park. This is the new horror. This is the new template. It has begun. Congratulations to everyone involved. You did it.
Veep (2012)
Perfect
The only thing bad about the show is that it didn't go on for at least 2 to 3 more seasons. Other than that, it's 100% perfect.
It's achieves something I've never really seen before: education and comedy while innovating in the medium. It's TV doc shooting style amplifies the narrative. It also examines political concepts and processes that I think would be quite difficult to understand if studied on their own. By weaving them into the storyline behind the backdrop of comedy, you learn something while laughing out loud.
Thanks go to Iannuci and Mandel and the incomparable JLD.
Handsome Devils (2014)
They aren't even handsome though...
I'm watching season 1 of the show on CBS Justice and besides the Chef Killer and the Deadly Dentist (barely), none of these devils are handsome. The show definitely over promised and ubderdelivered on the title.
As a general true crime show its alright. But the title doesn't match the content. Contrasted with the show Scorned, I think they show swap titles.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Video Killed the Radio Star (2022)
Thank you!
Yes! Finally! Classic Law&Order: SVU!
This was the perfect episode. It had everything I expect. The focus was on the characters and not some weird agenda. Thank you! I was sitting on the edge of my seat. This new filmic look of the show worked well with this episode. The only downside is that I wish it was 60 minutes instead of 41 minutes. It was a satisfying presentation. Everyone was great and was used well in the episode. Obviously Rollins is the best so, she did her thing.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Tommy Baker's Hardest Fight (2022)
Okay I "Get It" Now
I'm starting to understand the new direction Law & Order is taking. I was admittedly shocked the first time, but with this episode and the one before especially, I have a clear picture of what they're doing.
Changes:
-The lighting design has changed. The show has a more contrasty look, more shadows and grey tones.
-The sound design has been toned down immensely.
-The underscore has been amplified more.
-The camera angles are a lot more cinematic.
-And the story structure is more focused on character over spectacle.
-The storylines are less cynical.
These changes threw me off for the first few episodes. But now I "get it". In past I noticed the film to digital change as well as the change to high key lighting during Barba's tenure. There have always been changes but this time it was all done at once. Now with this episode it came together beautifully.
Tommy was a sympathic character and there was a lot of mystery about whodunit. They had the classic main scene where everyone gives their opinions on who might be guilty. I live those because I always agree with Rollins before she even gives her opinion. Classic L&O. It kept me guessing til the very end. The outcome was uplifting (still trying to get used to that). I think in the type of world we live in a little upliftment is good, right? The acting was stellar by everyone. I think the health restrictions have also affected how certain scenes can be filmed. Yes, I'm back on board. I think the most drastic seasons are this one and the 2016 one. This one is drastic in a great way. It's more "cinematic".
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Nightmares in Drill City (2021)
Rebranding?
This was a fantastic episode of SVU if they are looking to Rebrand. I enjoyed the Aaron Spelling quality to this episode. It had a very feel-good atmosphere. The music was different, more inspiring and the main character arcs were a lot less dynamic, which is good in the post-2020 world we live in. This was a nice light one. That 180° turn at end was astonishingly heart-warming.
(The only reason I'm giving it a 3 is because it is off-brand to the original SVU. The normal SVU is Neo Noir. So because of the genre switch I have to follow the Scribbs 25 Manifesto and mark you down 7 points).
Imawa no Kuni no Arisu (2020)
Congratulations
The crime about this series is that it is only 8 episodes for the first season.
I usually know if I will like a show within the first 5 - 10 minutes because I respond most to character. Alice in Borderland establishes all its driving characters very well. You want to spend your time watching these people.
In terms of story, the show moves at a very consistent pace. Each episode has well marked out thrills while the overarching storyline fits seemlessly into the mix.
The stakes are always high in Alice in Borderland with worthwhile pay-offs. I'm excited for season 2.
Next (2020)
Excellent Techno Thriller
This show brings together a great cast of empathetic characters for a wild, action-packed ride that had me on the edge of my seat epsiode after episode.
Each episode was like opening up a treat to eat. They were all delicious. The choice to give the AI a voice and kind a personality was brilliant and it was relentless in trying to survive.
I like shows that write characters into really tough spots and then use the character motivation as as means to get out of those spots. These type of shows for me are not about the science or the intrigue, but about the moral dilemmas characters face and how their morals are exposed when they take action against whatever monster or threat it is they're facing. It makes you ask yourself: what would I do if I were in that situation? What have I done in the past when I had to choose between option A and option B? That's where the thrill comes from for me. That and the consequences the characters face for making the wrong decisions.
Next is all that are more. It's pure entertainment with a ticking time clock. If you're not aware that science fiction is fictional then enroll for a coding college course and get your kicks that way. If you're a fan of fictional world's that use science as a malleable backdrop, then you will love love love this.
Salvation (2017)
Excellent
Next to How To Get Away With Murder this is the most thrilling show I've seen in a long while. The dramatic tension is palpable and the actors are fun to watch. Dale and Finnigan are stellar in this!
The emotional connections of some of the characters are questionable and there is a clear distinction between the Protagonist and Main Character.
Season 1 and Season 2 were excellent and I wish there was a Season 3. If this had been made during the golden time of TV it could have gone on for many many years.
I got goosebumps at the end of the series finale of season 2.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Glorified Student Film with a Super Budget
With a runtime of over 2hrs, you'd think character development would feature somewhere in this movie. Unfortunately, Character Development: She is Not There.
The film reminds me of student films we did at school: the cinematographer woukd be the writer and also the director. They woukd be more concerned with getting "cool shots" and making "sick edits" rather than telling a competent story.
Clearly Snyder read/skimmed Joseph Campbell at some point and mentioned it in the story...for what reason...I don't know.
This entire film made me yearn for the Studio System where scripts are re-written a hundred times and pass through many hands before they're made. I love Zack but this film is a perfect example why you should stay in your lane and let writers write and directors direct. If you read Apologetics, the spectacle is the least important aspect of a story.
I was excited to see everybody die in this film. The daughter was annoying and had no empathetic characteristics. Bautista kept talking about food and tofu as a weak attempt at some kind of through line. Dieter just disappeared and we don't know what happened to him. It's all just a mess.
I enjoy most of the "...of the Dead" films and I was so excited for this but please employ writers in future. They spent their lives studying story so let them do their job and you can shoot pictures Mr Snyder. Bless.
Breach (2020)
1 Star for Production Designer
Here's one scene that sums up this movie:
The Protagonist wakes up his baby's mother from a cryogenic sleep by thrusting a gun in her hands. He doesn't tell her what the gun is for or what'd happening on the space ship, no. He just shoves aa gun into her hands while she's still in the cryogenic pod. The woman has been asleep for almost 3 months and now she has a gun in her hands. Instead of telling her what's going on, the Protagonist drags her put the pod and into a swarm of zombies without warning.
This is the general tone of this film: very illogical. It's zombies in space, but not the A-list version or B-list version...this is the H-list version. H for Horrible.
Even Jodie Foster's look-a-like doesn't get a fair shake. There are too many scenes of characters looking at things that are about to happen and then just standing there.
The bunk bed design was awesome. He production designer is the only one worth mentioning.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: In Loco Parentis (2018)
Notes
Making a television show involves a lot of people and many contributions have to be taken into consideration into the final product.
In this episode developing Carisi's arc, the intention was clear however the execution could have been clearer.
Compared to similar episodes exploring the lives of series regulars, this one was strange. While Detective Rawlins' sister and family drama was always suspenseful and riveting, this one was confusing.
The StoryMind of the episode was incomplete and the Grand Argument that was being made suffered from this incompleteness.
They could have gone for a Double Jeopardy angle like the movie with Ashles Judd. That may have made for some interesting interactions between the characters.
In the end of the episode there's an ambivalence towards everything that transpired, rather than the intense emotions of relief or shock that we've come to love this series for.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Info Wars (2018)
It's a Metamodern Time Capsule Episode
We signed up for an IMDB specifically to discuss this episode, because it can be argues that this is an important historical artefact.
Many people have shared their extreme dislike for this episode for mainly 4 reasons:
1. Benson is uncharacteristically apathetic toward Martha Cobb, the episode's victim.
2. The political characterizations.
3. The fact that there was no end or consequence to any of the characters. This is not completely uncommon in the L&O Universe, but there is usually some kind of denouement. Barba didn't get scolded by his bosses, Benson didn't experience change and Cobb didn't get justice.
4. The perceived intent of the show runner, writing staff and production company.
These are all valid areas of concern and they are worth discussing. We, on the other hand, believe that this episode is meant to be a meta piece on the general temperature of the time. Kinda of like a time capsule piece, people in the future will look back on this episode in abject horror at how divisive politics were in 2017/2018. This episode is not directed against one side or another, and it is also not pretending to be some kind of utopian dream where everybody comes together for justice at the end. Instead, this episode is showing how information wars can cloud even the most empathetic person we know: Benson. That's how bad 2017/2018 was. And the outrage a lot of the reviews show is emblematic of the exact point the show was trying to make.
Evidence for our argument:
1. The student wearing the branded red cap.
- Dick Wolfe has gone on record saying that he makes his shows devoid of branded items so that you can watch them in any decade and still feel immersed in the world of the characters. The fact that they clearly show a branded red cap in this episode shows that this is not like other episodes and should be viewed differently. In 15 years time, that red cap will date this episode and future generations will be horrified at how even the most caring, rational peoppe behaved during this time.
2. The actual crime.
- It has been a while since we have seen such a vicious attack on a victim in L&O. We felt sick when they discovered Cobb in a garbage heap, in a state that is too graphic to state here. Then we are shown the instrument of the crime and it's even worse. The writers are driving the point home that Cobb suffered an extreme act of violence and as a viewer you expect there to be massive empathy from SVU. The fact that there isn't is the entire point of this episode.
3. We know who did it.
- We know who committed the crime. It's obvious. Barba has put away people with much less and SVU have pressured people into testifying with much less. In this case we not only have DNA evidence singling out 1 suspect, but we also have him with the instrument of the assault. The fact that Barba let him go is a testament to the politics of the day. It is not a statement by the producers of their political beliefs.
4. Lack of investigation and interrogation.
- SVU is famous for their interrogation scenes. Just a few episodes ago, Benson spent the entire 42 minutes interrogating an EDP who killed an innocent man in his sleep. In this epsiode, she is impatient and detached from the victim. Usually she would win them over with her unending grace, but this time, she's frustrated. They didn't call TARU to go through cellphone footage which might have captured the attack. They didn't canvas the area or show some kind of investigative effort. Carisi didn't have a moment of faith. Dobbs Sr. Didn't come in and lambasted them...Nothing...not even One Police Plaza. This furather proves that this episode exists in a vacuum and is not meant to be taken literally.
5. Listen to the words.
- Finally, the most important thing is the script. The characters are representative of ideals rather than individual thoughts and actions. The part where Benson forces Cobb to admit to being a victim is very telling. Usually, Benson tells women that they are survivors. The fact that she is trying to diminish Cobbs (albeit out of frustration), is the smoking gun proving our argument.
We're about to watch the next episode and we trust everything will be back to the usual character pieces. This episode is vital for historical reasons and bares re-examination.
{Typed on smartphone. Errors and omissions expected.}