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lizziemariejb
Reviews
For All Mankind: Glasnost (2023)
I just adore this show, and love the time jumps!
We are back, in the 2000s now!!! As we get further from the point of diversion, the singularity where Russia landed on the moon first so the space race never ended... things are more noticeably different and it's so cool to watch.
I know this isn't a perfect show... there are a few wonky science and physics things that may bother the science minded folks (those who loved the realism of The Expanse for example). But I just don't care much, there is something so special to me about For All Mankind!
I truly enjoy every minute when I am watching, it's gorgeous to look at and so many beautiful details and moments in space. The time period now is of days most of us remember well, just two decades ago,, so the changes are very present all the time. There are parts of the FaM universe I wish were true.
The first episode of each season, when they set the stage with the newsreel of the years we missed... just live that part. Apple also made a news cast for each year/ each major event on the homepage, so if you didn't notice them, make sure to check them out. So well done.
Love the story, love the characters and actors, and look forward to getting to know some new people. I hope this show continues for many more decades to come! I'm a fan forever.
Five Days at Memorial: Day Five (2022)
Extremely difficult episode, extremely well done
I would say this is most likely the most difficult hour of television I've ever seen. Of course I've watched many documentaries and shows based on real events that are true life tragedies... wars, disasters, etc... but this one hit the emotions on so many levels and in so many ways I needed hours afterwards just to work through what I had seen, and deal with the sadness I felt being placed in the shoes of these people. The frustration on how things were handled adds to the emotions as well.
Like the hospital director said in the trailer: "the most ungodly conditions" and we were shown that for sure this episode. Please do not read on if you haven't seen it yet...
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I started ugly crying, sobbing!, when they showed the part where they had to put the pets to sleep and didn't stop the rest of the time watching. The most horrifying conditions existed by day 5, and I cannot imagine one person was thinking straight. They felt completely abandoned and the communication was horrendous where they didn't know what to expect or what to do.
The part where Mark went and got his mother, and the security guard hopped in the boat? Crying. The part where the police pulled the woman away from her mother in the evacuation? Sobbing. The pregnant lifecare nurse broken hearted to leave her patients? Sobbing. The story of getting one last man out but not Emmett? Sobbing. I cannot imagine how anyone who was there could ever get over what they went through, it's just terrible.
These things are not supposed to happen in one of the richest first world countries in the world. I watched it last night and I'm still thinking about it constantly.
Congrats to the show-runners and the cast and crew on a top notch episode. I have a hard time rating it a ten though as it's so awful what happens in it. But the production value is a ten, easily one of the best worst things I've seen. I haven't been this emotional about a show since watching "The Pacific".
I think I need to go watch Ted Lasso for awhile!
Black Bird: WhatsHerName (2022)
Every episode delivers
I was blown away by the pilot and have been surprised when every episode since is better than the last! . Episode 3 dropped last week and I thought they couldn't beat it, perfect acting and pacing and an ending that instantly became an all-time favorite scene with the perfect song choice. The first three chapters of Black Bird are just top notch, peak television experience.
I saw the preview for episode four, which was mostly just our two lead characters talking which I wasn't sure could completely hold the excitement of the previous chapters. Boy was I wrong in the very best way! The writing tbe acting, the direction with excellent flashbacks ... at this point for me this show can do no wrong! I cannot recommend it enough!!!
I wish it was twenty hours long, I can't get enough.
Oh and I agree with the other commenter who appreciated the music and made the connection to it sounding like Nine Inch Nails- you hit the nail on the head sir! No pun intended! Trent Reznor is a he joins at writing movie scores as we know now after a few academy award wins/noms, but to be inspired by him the score, hats off to Mogwai!!! (A sound track has been released btw...!)
There was an interesting musical choice at the end of this episode ... you will know it when you hear it. It just works!
Everything about this show works!
Black Bird (2022)
Wow; this is quality television
Definitely worth your time- "Blackbird" is a high brow drama but very watchable. The acting is excellent from Taron Egerton, Greg Kinner, and Ray Liotta in his last role. The direction is excellent, the time period plays well and everything fits perfectly so far. AppleTV is on a roll with the excellent Severance, an amazing season three of For All Mankind, and now this show. Another winner guaranteed.
The Old Man (2022)
I knew this show would be special
Anything by the showrunner/producer team of Levine/Steinburg will get a watch from me and will likely will be great. Of course the acting is superb (and rightfully the stars of the show are getting most of the accolades at this point) and the story is a winner... but the.showrunner team is one I trust whole heartedly. Why?
Levine/Steinburg wrote and produced the best written show of all time, "Black Sails". Yes, the pirate show, and yes, I am serious. Exquisite, Shakespearean, mature writing that brought out the very best of the actors involved, a modern show for a mature and intelligent audience.
I knew this show would be great and I was correct. I would trust any media made by these two artists of television.
Highly recommended.
La Brea (2021)
Network sci-fi always feels different...
I'm a big fan of high caliber sci-fi- shows like The Expanse and Altered Carbon and For All Mankind. I have realized through the years to have different expectations for different streaming services/channels when it comes to these shows.
Perhaps in an attempt to appeal to the usual network television show fans, they go for a more accessible style with simple dialog, fast pacing, not much technical talk, a "lighter" feeling that seems pretty cheesy to the fans of harder sci-fi shows. They want to also appeal to people who watch endless procedural remakes, like all the Chicago shows or CSIs etc that somehow remain endlessly popular.
When they do that, you get Salvation or Debris or Manifest. Decent premise, average-to not the best writing, totally different feel to high budget streaming service sci-fi. I usually give anything new with a weird premise a shot, so I went into "La Brea" with an open mind.
I kinda liked it, I will continue watching. If you expect NBC to put out an "Expanse" or HBO level show you will be disappointed. They just make tv different to appeal to a bigger audience, and the kind of audience who watches network television. And you have to give it some time to develop and see what's it's like longer term. "La Brea" might lose me by episode five, but I will watch that long to see. I have a feeling it will get better and still stay a bit cheesy and completely unbelievable.
I will give it a 7/10 as of now for the pilot alone. Probably closer to a 6 as it wasn't a great first episode, but I like when networks take a chance on something new, something that isn't doctors or cops or reality singing :). At least they are attempting something unique!
The worst line of the episode for me was the guy in the sinkhole who said "what is this are we in an episode of Lost?" Which was WAY to on the nose. As it obviously was patterned after Lost (up to the "Jack" type leader John Seda and the Mom who was very much like the female leader on Lost!). Going for a feeling of Lost is fine, shows are copied all the time. If it works go for it! But DON'T reference that show! Cringe!
I say give it chance. I will update the rating later after seeing more (rating a full series on 15 min of show is a crock people). The premise is weird and kinda dumb but it might end up campy in a good way, and it's interesting and not just another show of the same at least! I at least reward channels for taking a chance but giving these kinds of shows the benefit of the doubt and watching for awhile.
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
Very enjoyable!!!
I've seen the first three episodes and this is a show for everyone- very enjoyable so far. It's easy to watch, with a nice tone and upbeat storytelling, and of course the three main actors are excellent. They play really well off each other, and including Selena Gomez was smart! I get some Alex from Wizards vibes here which is a good thing, that was why we all fell in love with her to begin with.
Rating it an 8 as I binged all three available episodes it kept my attention and made me feel general happiness which is a bonus in today's world! I like the main mystery, and I am wondering more about the story. They could move a bit quicker with actual pieces of the mystery though, a few more twists would be fine. It's not laugh out loud funny but I had several chuckles.
Btw- the reviews here ? A bit much. The gushing, "best-ever-show" 10 ratings are all from one-show reviewers which is suspect of course. I'm sure Hulu had to put some money into paying three big name actors so trying to push this to a higher rating perhaps for popularity? It happens on here for most shows, but this seems to have more of those kinds of reviews than usual. FYI watch out for the "only one show reviewed" reviews. I wish they would let this one speak for itself, it's doing just fine!
Five Bedrooms (2019)
Extremely enjoyable show!
I really love this one; and the second season seems even better to me than the first! Things both got more emotional and funnier. Actually laughed out loud a few times each episode, and I also cried several times !! Just a lovely show.
As some reviewers stated, it does seem a bit familiar (been there done that) and perhaps the idea for this show that seems very 90s- but that is part of the appeal for me! I am not Australian, so that brings a fresh perspective to a comforting premise.
I love how the five roommates are in different stages of life and they don't force "young people" stories on them. Every character feels realistic yet there is enough drama or unexpected to make each one interesting.
Ainsleys story broke my heart but she is such a likable person and her attitude just makes everything better. Harry had a happy/sad story I adored. Liz oh Liz! Such a wonderful actress, she shines bright in a room with lots of another stars to look at.
I hope this show goes on for many years!! Not that I want those five people to always be in a position that living in a share house is all they can manage- but there are so many stories to tell !! They should have about 15 episodes an season honestly!
Highly recommended !!!
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)
Excellent start, I'm extremely intrigued!
With the same book author (Moriarty) and producer (David E Kelly) as Big Little Lies, it definitely has a similar feel. I've seen most of what I think of as shows capitalizing on the Big Little Lies lightening-in-a-bottle success (The Undoing, Big Sky, Little Fires Everywhere, even Sharp Objects to some extent) and most of them sadly don't quite hit the mark. This is the best offering of the bunch so far, while having a unique enough story to be engaging. I enjoyed the first episodes very much, and am glad they dropped more than one!
Positives so far:
*Location and intrigue (I am avoiding book spoilers; I don't know where the story is going)
*Good Pacing
*Excellent Music and Cinematography
*Every character is very interesting and I want to know more. On the surface they seem like caricatures of the kind of people to attend an expensive retreat but I'm not mad about it.
*Casting is nearly perfect
My favorite actors/characters so far: The Good Place's Manny Jacinta, Bobby Cavale, Mellissa McCarthy, Tiffany Boone (young Mia from Little Fires Everywhere), and Samara Weaving.
Negatives so far: (not much!)
*Sadly, Nicole Kidman is the biggest negative here! I wish first and foremost they would have skipped the Russian part of her character as her fake accent is terribly inconsistent and distracting. Plus since it is a similar show to Big Little Lies, I only see Celeste all the time. Loved her as season one Celeste (though overall season two was a big letdown). She annoyed me in The Undoing, so maybe I'm just tired from the over-saturation of Nicole Kidman in these kinds of stories?
*The only other negative at this time is some of the characters are a bit flat right now; but I do think that will change as the show progresses and they each get their moment. Need more from Luke Evans, Michael Shannon and his teen daughter, Samara Weaving's husband guy, and Regina King before making final verdicts on them.
Overall, a great start! Probably an 8-9 rating at this point; I will update my rating after the show concludes. I recommend giving it a shot!
Dr. Death (2021)
I watch a lot of these shows- and this one is excellent!
The story is horrific, it's told in a unique and engaging way. I disagree that is could be shorter, I blazed through every episode and each was spectacular to the overall story!
I've actually had seven spine surgeries in nine years, five trying to fix one bad outcome, so I truly know the subject matter. I've lived it- my surgeon ghosted me after my second "routine" back surgery that ended with me in the ICU. Less than a month later he was out of the clinic and after ages I found out he was teaching in another state. This stuff happens, and it's covered up- spine surgery is a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
They did an excellent job of also showing the doctor's mental state and extreme narcissism, I've known someone like that and it is spot on.
Highly recommended! (But maybe not if you are getting a surgery soon!)
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
Better than most are giving it credit for... 7.5/10 (rounded-up generously for balance)
I had an absolute BLAST at the theater with this movie. Was it the love of the cinema experience and my delight at returning to the theater after all this time? Perhaps. Was it experiencing it with my 16-yr-old son and the HUGE laughs we shared and the joy of finding something we both can enjoy together? Perhaps! Is it my somewhat inexplicable love of movies that do action or spy stories with deep satire and ridiculousness like the Kingsman franchise? Perhaps.
But no two ways about it, I truly enjoyed this movie. The first one was okay, but didn't make an impression on me. I think they kicked everything about the first into overdrive, and the more ridiculous and over the top tone actually helped make it better. We aren't supposed to think it's realistic! Leaning into a farcical plot and villain, action and jokes; it made more room for enjoyment.
It's a great return to the theater: loud, fast paced, truly funny, and HUGE stars. So dumb it's funny, but not in way so many "comedy" films end up being. If you have a teen son, take him and have a blast like we did. If you're looking for an easy fun time at the movies? Go for it. Surprisingly I recommend this movie, even if you didn't love the first one. It's better.
And by the way, not ALL critics killed this one in their reviews. I just noticed the roger ebert critic gave it 3 out of 4 stars. It's nice to see a professional reviewer give something like this a chance for once! I agree with her rating 3/4 or a 7.5/10. I gave it 9 IMDb stars to balance out with the unfair ratings some have given it.