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Monster (2022)
Heartbreaking, yet phenomenal
As a true-crime enthusiast for more than half of my life, I chose to distance myself from the Dahmer case until my early twenties, based on the disturbing nature of his murders. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I was also wary of how these murders strikes a nerve for others in this minority, which has led to additional means of irrational fear and excuses for intolerance by ignorant members of society.
This season includes an impeccable ensemble of actors, and having only seen Evan Peters in supporting roles, I was unaware of his talent to master such a difficult role that few could likely replicate. Costar Niecy Nash, whom I've known only for her comedic roles in the past, also excelled as the unsung hero of the story.
I disagree with the Rotten Tomatoes consensus (which I have continuously found to be heavily biased on many occasions over the last decade and has led to my reliance on IMDb for accurate reception) describing the program as "glorifying" one of the most notorious and dangerous murderers in the United States, as the sheer ferocity of his crimes and psychology are depicted in a fashion that would only make an audience uncomfortable with its sinister tones and peril. The argument of using shock value to appease serial killer fanatics and to create more publicity at the expense of the victims is not clearly applicable, as the violence depicted is not exaggerated noticeably from actual events, and there is no evidence of intentional glorification. The inclusion of events taking place prior to Dahmer's birth and upbringing is also in no way serving as justification or rationalization for his behavior, but serves as a means to provide a potential explanation to what led to his homicidal rampage. I will admit that the scene depicting a murder committed by John Wayne Gacy, obviously embellished to portray his clown alter-ego while torturing an adolescent victim, was not appropriate, and went completely against the consistent manner of realistically dramatizing Dahmer's actions.
The one flaw of the series' portrayal of Dahmer that I do recognize is the decision to show a glimmer of remorse and a faintly sympathetic lens on the psychopathic killer.
I also share concerns for the the families of the victims, understanding their outrage of the traumas they suffered returning to the public spotlight over thirty years later. Despite my belief that those involved with the writing and production were not seeking to directly earn a profit from the agony of these horrific losses, perhaps more attention to such backlash could have been dealt with more appropriately before the release of the debut season. As someone who has not personally gone through losing a close relative to violence, it is not my place to express whether or not the making of this series is justified.
Although my reception of this season remains high, I will not likely rewatch it, at least in its entirety, based on the emotional heaviness that lingered long after finishing it. The decision to expand the program beyond a stand-alone miniseries has left me with a sense of uncertainty surrounding the heart-wrenching subject matter and the continuing quality of the series.
Cold Case Files: Mommy Rules (2000)
A Thorough, Frightening Account of Life with Theresa Knorr
Perhaps one of the greatest episodes of the entire program. Terry Knorr Walker, the only surviving daughter of Theresa Knorr provides a horrific, comprehensive interview about her childhood and the brutal slayings of her two sisters, Suesan and Sheila, and how she provided the key to solving their murders and identifying their remains. Their cases were well-documented in the episode, triggering a deep sense of empathy for them and Knorr's surviving children.
The episode was exceptionally detailed with the crimes and abuse by Theresa Knorr. The resolution of the two cases after nearly a decade following the victims' deaths was fascinating, yet their murders were excruciating and upsetting.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Horrendously overrated
Ghostbusters is nothing more than an inconsistent mess of a wannabee comedy. I am indeed a fan of Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver, but honestly, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Sure, the effects were state-of-the-art for 1984, with all of those hideous monsters, but that was simply just a way to cover up the absolutely awful screenplay.
I'm not sure where all of this acclaim comes from. Just like Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the story jumps all over the place. Yes, they stayed true to one aspect, the line with the wicked Zuul, but the rest just seemed out of place.
Mud (2012)
Mixed
Observing from sites such as IMDb.com and rottentomatoes.com, Mud appears to be an incredible film. But both sites are far from true. This movie was no more than average, having a very uninteresting plot and script, even with an amazing performance from Matthew McConaughey.
The film revolves around two friends, Ellis and Neckbone (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland), who live in a poor section of the southern United States. While exploring the river near their homes, the two boys discover the hideout of a mysterious man, who goes by the name Mud (McConaughey). Mud claims he is searching for his love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), but is being hunted down by a group of men. Ellis is caught in the middle of this and is hungry for answers.
The plot just wasn't enough. The pace was painfully slow and many of the characters weren't very desirable. Simplicity will sometimes work for films, but this was not the case for Mud. The story is somewhat predictable and the whole concept was screaming for more.
Avatar (2009)
Near perfect
James Cameron has created yet another masterpiece. Jaw dropping special effects matched with incredible performances make up Avatar.
A paraplegic ex-marine, Jake Sully, takes over for his murdered twin brother in a project known as the Avatar Program, which was designed to communicate with the native humanoids (Na'vi) that inhabit a life- supporting moon six years away. The advanced technology allows his consciousness to be transferred to another body, where he can finally walk once again.
Jake participates in several missions lead by Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), an expert on the Na'vi. Within months, he begins to question the actions of the humans in charge and is faced with a difficult decision.
Zoe Saldana's performance of Neytiri, a Na'Vi who Jake befriends, was extraordinary. It was a surprise that she was not nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe. In order to portray such a character, she had to have the right facial expressions and speaking talents, which she nailed.
Supporting characters such as Mo'at (CCH Pounder), Grace Augustine and Miles Quarich (Stephen Lang) were also brilliantly acted.
The effects were just as stunning as Zoe Saldana's performance. Alien creatures and plants alike looked real, were they all had been computerized, as well as the Na'vi, which were created using motion capture.
In the end, the excellent writing and directing conducted by James Cameron will make Avatar difficult to forget.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Amazing Performances make up for the shortcomings of the story
If you're looking for a movie that is both hilarious with a meaning, you've come to the right place. This film, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, centers around two bipolar friends, Tiffany Maxwell and Pat Solitano. Pat is desperate to get back with his estranged wife, Nikki, where Tiffany is widowed after her husband was killed in a traffic accident. They come to a deal where if Pat will join Tiffany in a dance competition, Tiffany will deliver Pat's letters to Nikki.
The movie is superbly acted, which gained Jennifer Lawrence an Oscar win at the age of 22, plus a nomination for Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro. The film itself received several other Oscar nominations.
What is great about Silver Linings is that it accurately portrays mental illness without offensive exaggerations that are far too frequent in other programs. The humor and drama are both well balanced.
My only problem with this movie is that I craved more from the plot. It seemed that there should have been more to the story than practicing for a dance competition and winning a bet. However, this issue is easily overlookable, as the actors give a flawless performance.
Thieves, Inc. (2013)
Lacking excitement and not suitable for Food Network
I watched this show to see that although the hosts appear to have a decent sense of humor, the show isn't very interesting. I was expecting them to nab much more than was showed in the final cut. If more effort was shown into describing the process of the sting as well as more excitement added into the episodes. Lastly, this program does not belong on Food Network. Similar shows like "Mystery Diners" and "Restaurant Stakeout" are far more appropriate because they deal with the food industry. Thieves, inc is just about catching shoplifters. No culinary tie exists, which means they should transfer the show to a different network.
iCarly: iLost My Mind (2011)
Offensive and unreliable
The episode "iLost My Mind" from the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly is truly idiotic and offensive.
The plot of the episode revolves around character Samantha Puckett who admits herself to a psychiatric hospital because she has feelings for the technical producer of her web series. Not because he's a forty-six- year-old man or a convicted murderer -- He's just a nerd.
It is preposterous to seek psychiatric help for this reason, let alone being admitted. When Samantha's co-host learns of this, she recruits a few pals and goes to the hospital to rescue her confused friend.
When the group gets there, the patients are depicted as dirty, crazy and over the top obnoxious, which is far from what actual psychiatric patients look like. It is a shame how iCarly's writers are misinforming their young viewers with an inaccurate portrayal of the mentally ill.
ParaNorman (2012)
Unoriginally Terrible
ParaNorman had a unique concept of a boy who is able to see ghosts -- not actually original, where this has been seen in The Sixth Sense and Ghost Whisperer.
The film shows the protagonist, Norman, to be a misunderstood and out-of-place student at school where he is constantly bullied.
He eventually is able to solve some curse that a young girl put on the town for executing her for whichcraft. The writing for ParaNorman was very boring and several punchlines would go without laughter. Several aspects of the plot were a failure, such as the unlikable characters, some who were also unoriginal, such as 'Neil', who bares a very strong resemblance in design and personality to the character 'Chowder' from "Monster House" (which is also a Halloween film).
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Ehh...
Galaxy Quest does have some good actors, like Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen, but this is no excuse for the film's mediocrity.
Many of the characters are very annoying, having idiotic lines. The film was intended to spoof space movies and television, but just wasn't good enough.
There were a few laughs here and there, but the film really wasn't anything special. The aliens were desirable characters, as was some bits of the plot, but many of the jokes were pretty lame.
The make up for the movie was alright, Alan Rickman's to be specific. The fans that saved the day in the end were just plain stupid, where a much better ending should have been written.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Whimsical and Charming
The book was long and boring, but the film was the sheer opposite. Funny and strongly written, The Princess Bride is a wonderful movie, despite its low effects.
Buttercup (Robin Wright) falls in love with a poor man named Wesley (Carey Elwes) and are together until his death by the Dread Pirate Roberts.
Buttercup is then engaged to Prince Humperdinck, a selfish man who wishes to start a war. She does not love him, however, because Wesley is the true owner of her heart.
She is then captured by three men who claim to be circus performers but is recaptured by "The Man in Black" who turns out to be Wesley, who inherited the ship of his captor.
Buttercup is later whisked away from her wedding by the two surviving kidnappers and Wesley, free to be together for the rest of their lives.
Vampires Suck (2010)
Perfect for those who love comedy and hate Twilight
Vampires Suck is poorly received by critics and viewers alike. Maybe the film was crude, occasionally offensive and stupid. But the film was perfect by saying all of the right jokes to spoof the chick flick sensation, "Twilight."
Scenes such as Edward watching Bella in Twilight were wonderfully exaggerated, as well as Bella's friends and experiences with Edward.
Characters like Edward, Jacob, Bella and Jessica were well portrayed by their spoofing actors. The writing was well done and favorable
Vampires Suck was meant to be a terrible movie, which many viewers seem to miss. Punchlines will keep fans laughing until it hurts.
Secret Cutting (2000)
A worthy topic, just a bad plot
Dawn Cottrell is a pretty, artistic girl who is just trying to fit into high school. Her one problem is that she suffers from a phenomenon known as 'self mutilation' where she injures herself by slashing at her skin to relieve stress. Not only is school difficult for Dawn, but her home life is less to be desired. She has an ignorant mother who poorly understands Dawn and her problem, a father who she can barely identify with and a brother who she does not see eye to eye with. Dawn later seeks help from a psychiatrist who assists to ease her pain.
Secret Cutting depicts a topic that is in need of understanding, as self mutilation is often seen as taboo and as attention seeking. The film portrays 'cutters' to be sexually promiscuous, unstable and to live in dysfunctional families.
Despite the flawed story line, Sean Young, Kimberlee Peterson and Rhea Pearlman were excellent actors.
The Killing Secret (1997)
Not bad, but not original
The Killing Secret is a decent murder mystery surrounding the death of a pregnant teen named Emily DeCapprio from the lower class side of town. Cheerleader Nicole Voss becomes suspicious of her boyfriend, who is later discovered to have been the father of the murder victim's unborn child. Meanwhile, the victim's mother befriends Nicole and shares suspicion against Nicole's boyfriend.
This movie was a bit slow at some points, but it ended on a good note. The plot was dangerously similar to that of "No One Would Tell," a 1996 film about a boy who murders his girlfriend. This is not the only similarity, but he disposes of her body in a lake, as was Emily DeCapprio. Furthermore, both films also ended in a courtroom where the killer was given a life sentence.
Ari Meyers and Tess Harper express wonderful acting abilities in this movie.