gotoads Reviews

The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010)

Clawson, Michigan!

[6/10 · 23 January 2024]

If you are from Clawson, you will probably add a bonus 2 stars to your review like I did. As others have said, this film is basically a clunker with some weird, unexplainable charm. The characters are a mix of creepy and strange. Nothing seems all that realistic. The dialogue is sparce and stilted. The obsession the children have with booze is disturbing. The whole twins thing is positively bonkers. But it's unlike anything you've seen... until you watch 'It Follows', which has a similar vibe that has thankfully been refined. I will say that the actress with the pierced face was pretty good. I am surprised we haven't seen more of her since she made her debut in this movie.

The Deeper You Dig (2019)

Starts off great...

[5/10 · 15 February 2021]

In my humble opinion, the first half of the film was very enjoyable. But it disappoints as it comes in for a very bumpy landing. I'll give the first half an 8 and the second half a 2. And that averages out to a 5, if my math is correct.

The Dawn (2019)

I gave up

[1/10 · 30 August 2020]

Just a couple minutes in and I realized I was duped. Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%? Sweet! Well, there was an obvious campaign to pad the score. And all the great reviews on here are also phony. When Stacey Dash's name appeared in the opening credits, I got really nervous about this. Sane people don't cast her in things any longer. She is sadly battling some type of mental illness and I don't feel the need to revel in her misfortune. Maybe the great reviews are people sympathetic to her plight? Probably. This is a very bad film.

Black Sabbath (1963)

The Grandson

[8/10 · 23 August 2020]

This movie was 5 out of 10 stars at best UNTIL Karloff uttered the immortal words, "What's the matter, woman? Can't I fondle my own grandson? Give him to me!" OMG and the looks on the faces of mom and grandson are just perfect. Pure terror! 8 stars! No wonder Black Sabbath named their band after this film!

The Kissing Booth 2 (2020)

Does Harvard Really Seek out Idiots?

[4/10 · 25 July 2020]

This was more annoying than enjoyable. I don't understand how these kids are being accepted into the top schools in America. They don't appear to take school seriously whatsoever. Maybe they all pay someone to take the SAT? That's the only thing that makes sense. Everything is about partying, lifting weights, playing video games and having sex. Meanwhile, they all live in gigantic mansions. I want a Kissing Booth 3 where everybody is sheltering in place, wearing masks, social distancing and becoming suicidal. I want every other scene taking place in a cemetery. Then if there is a Kissing Booth 4, it can be in post-Trump America, where anybody who survives the pandemic stops being a narcissistic sociopath.

The Perfection (2018)

Incredibly Ridiculous

[5/10 · 30 March 2020]

Nothing about this film is realistic. If you are of a certain gender, you may like it for the revenge factor but it becomes so outlandish that you might burst into laughter multiple times.

Paul and Michelle (1974)

Better than Expected

[8/10 · 2 September 2019]

I finally saw Paul & Michelle this weekend. A little Googling revealed that it can be found in streaming form. I had been looking for it since I saw 'Friends' around a decade ago. I searched that one out mainly because of the Elton John soundtrack. The song 'Friends' is actually an Elton & Bernie classic that has somehow slipped under the radar. Part of the reason probably being that the Friends album went out of print and it took a couple decades for it to finally make it on an official digital release (Rare Masters, 1992). All that aside, I watched 'Friends' and enjoyed the Elton music and of course the beauty of the Michelle character. It is very obvious that Anicée got the role on her looks alone. Her acting is pretty terrible but there is a sweetness to it, so we can cut her some slack. The 1970s were obviously a different time. In 2019 we certainly have controversial movies but members of the busybody community now totally overreact to coming-of-age films. But in 'Paul & Michelle' the characters are three years older and the taboo feel of the first film disappears. Anicée is still a lousy actress but she is featured nude multiple times, which will please those who appreciate such things. The story is unremarkable and rather cliche, but it does work. It has a genuine feel to it and it has heart, although there are corny moments that will make you laugh.

I do wonder if there were plans to make a sequel to this sequel. Three years later would have been 1977 and we could see Paul & Michelle getting into the disco scene. Or maybe they could have waited a decade and the new film could feature a 13-year-old Sylvie who is now discovering her own sexuality. The parents, who might now live in the States, would be completely freaking out in the "family values" Reagan-era. "Paul, whatever will we do with the precocious Sylvie?!" Sadly, Anicée has long since passed, and all we can do now is speculate as to what could have been.

Bug (1975)

The Brady Bugs

[6/10 · 22 August 2019]

So in this movie, there are some scenes that take place in the Brady Bunch house. It is true. But it's really only obvious in the kitchen, especially the scene where the scientist's wife's head goes up in flames. The other parts of the set were modified to make it somewhat inconspicuous... but if you have a keen eye, you'll notice it. This was filmed sometime in 1974, which was the year the final episodes of The Brady Bunch aired. So it appears that the bugs chased the Bradys out. Cousin Oliver probably brought the fiery critters into the house in his luggage. That kid ruined everything. He was said to be a "jinx." This proves it!

This movie has some fun moments but it does start to get a bit boring as it drags on. The Brady house stuff wraps up somewhere around the middle and the last half doesn't include it any longer. We get trapped in some tiny shack with the mad scientist who is doing weird breeding experiments with the fire bugs and regular cockroaches. I won't spoil how it turns out but you can probably guess. Cousin Oliver's jinx is a strong one.

Tilt (1979)

Good movie with an even better message

[10/10 · 28 January 2019]

I liked this movie. The 1970s seemed like a fun time. Teenagers weren't looked down upon for simply living their lives on their terms. You could be 14, learn a skill, drop out of school, and travel the country supporting yourself or even yourself and a friend. Every day would be an adventure. And when you think about it, that's the way it should always be. I know that pinball isn't as popular as it once was but there are plenty of other things that can be mastered in the modern era. But today, busybodies will ultimately destroy whatever dream you have. It's really nothing more than pathetic jealousy. I give this film 8/10 stars for its entertainment value and a bonus 2 stars for being bold and inspirational. There is a great lesson when Tilt Davenport and The Whale battle each other at the end. I won't spoil it for you. Just trust me when I say you won't be disappointed.

The New Daughter (2009)

Mound Tramp

[7/10 · 27 December 2017]

This movie was mildly entertaining but incredibly maddening. Kevin Costner's character was a failure as a parent and as a human being. The instant he discovered that his little girl was going to be made into a sex queen for the mound folk, he should have set up a sting. The daughter was what, 13? It doesn't matter what state in America they were in, this is illegal everywhere. Middle school kids cannot legally be involved in orgy situations in the Unites States. Yes, he was searching key words on the internet like "puberty" and "raising a teen daughter", so I know he put in some effort. Sadly, it was not nearly enough and he should have known that. Why wasn't he Googling "Mound sex and underage girls" or "The ethics of engaging in multi-partner mound coitus with a child"? He would have seen it was totally illegal and he could have contacted the authorities. He was too worried about coming off as an uncool, preachy, helicopter dad.

The Lovely Bones (2009)

Controversial but good

[8/10 · 25 December 2017]

There are only mild "spoilers" in this review, so if you haven't seen it yet, you can read this without it ruining the movie for you. This film will always be remembered as the breakout role for the incredible Saoirse Ronan. It will also be remembered as one of the most controversial films ever made. People tend to break off into two camps: Team Salmon or Team Harvey.

It starts off innocently enough: a boy-crazy teenage girl in the 1970s is crushing on a man at school. It seems that he is interested in Susie too and despite the disparity in age, she falls for his charms, mostly due to his exchange student allure and suave accent. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that another gentleman is also interested in the nubile teen. His name is Mr. Harvey and he lives in Susie's neighborhood. Unlike the man from school, Mr. Harvey puts in a tremendous amount of effort in an attempt to win the love of Susie Salmon. He builds her an amazing underground clubhouse, complete with all the stuff young people from that era loved. He had beverages such as Coca Cola that he selflessly shared with Susie as they hung out. It became clear that Mr. Harvey, while having great taste in females, was a bit awkward around them. His nervousness around Susie Salmon was evident and she picked up on that. Girls prefer a man with confidence. I also feel that maybe she was turned off because the Coke that Mr. Harvey gave her was warm. I didn't see an ice-filled cooler in the clubhouse anywhere. So I think these factors all led to Susie Salmon losing her patience, which erupted in an unfortunate display of rudeness. Mr. Harvey only had one rule in the clubhouse: Be polite. Susie Salmon broke that rule and the series of events that followed spiraled into one great, big, depressing chain reaction.

There are no bad people in The Lovely Bones. True, Susie Salmon came off as being a little narcissistic and immature but she was only 14 years old. Mr. Harvey was socially awkward and made some questionable choices in life but he had a deep desire to be loved and respected. Despite his talents and generosity, it seemed nobody opened up their heart to him.

Simon and Garfunkel: Songs of America (1969 TV Movie)

Worth a watch

[9/10 · 1 December 2017]

Aired way back on November 30th, 1969, this is a long forgotten gem that is worth finding if you can. Those who are resourceful can locate it out there in the cyber wilderness. Another IMDb reviewer gave it a less than glowing review but I felt this to be completely unwarranted. This is an interesting time capsule from one of the most tumultuous points in American history. It was mid-Vietnam War, post- assassination madness and right in the midst of the Nixon-era. Nixon was just a less orange version of Trump. It was ridiculousness, dishonesty, and incompetence... just without the tweeting. Only years later would the extent of the administration's corruption and hatred for people be fully understood. So of course this "cynical" special would reflect those times. But it was filled with beauty and hope. It was aired a little more than three months after Woodstock. It was the first time the public heard the iconic 'Bridge over Troubled Water' and there are studio scenes of recording sessions and also concert footage of Simon and Garfunkel performing many of their classics. Paul's brother Eddie also appears in some scenes and he will confuse the hell out of you if you didn't go in knowing there was a Simon brother who resembled Paul so much. I was baffled for a while during a couple of scenes. You can't go wrong with this one. 9/10 stars.

Caddyshack (1980)

Caddyshack - a comedy clasSUCK

[2/10 · 3 November 2011]

I have figured out how this incredibly stupid film became regarded as a comedy "classic". In 1980, it had enough stars in it to gather a decent audience. However, it wasn't met with many positive reviews and probably would have faded into obscurity. Magically, this dopey film was perfectly timed to appear uncut on a new format for entertainment - cable TV. Back in the early 80s, HBO would show a handful of movies over and over and over again. Cable choices back them were extremely limited. Caddyshack was played to the saturation point and everybody would talk about it at school. Boys between the ages of 10 and 15, whose sense of humor was understandably shallow and stupid, were incredibly attracted to a film that contained bare boobies, inane bathroom humor and sarcastic quips. Caddyshack had this stuff, plus a mischievous, dancing gopher. Even the kids who hated it back then (like me) had to pretend they liked it for fear of being teased or ostracized by their peers. As time went by, young adults became nostalgic for the film they saw as kids, so they bought this on VHS and later DVD. The majority of people who have watched this in the past decade or two, realize it's complete crap but it brings backs memories of a more youthful, innocent time. Some individuals may legitimately enjoy it but it is clear that they are stoners or former stoners whose brains are completely fried. This is how utter rubbish became "a classic".

You Again? (1986–1987)

I was in the audience...

[5/10 · 18 November 2008]

I saw an episode of this soon-to-be-cancelled show taped in the Summer of '86. I remember having to laugh at things that weren't funny. The only thing I really remember clearly was a scene where Stamos made Klugman a breakfast sandwich and when Klugman bit into it, the egg yolk came pouring out all over the place, driving home the point that Stamos was an idiot in the kitchen. The audience responded with a loud "Ewwww!" during each take.

Stamos was interviewed on Howard Stern recently (11/08) and mentioned Klugman as a close friend to this very day. If nothing else, "You Again?" formed a bond between a couple of guys you'd never expect to be pals.