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Reviews
That '70s Show (1998)
Look a Little Deeper
Over the last month or so, I have watched the entire series. The show was well put together with actors that filled their roles very well. The main storyline, the life of teenager Eric Forman, is engaging enough to keep you interested and entertained. I felt that the show stayed true to what life as a teen was like. We all had that first kiss, first time, first heartbreak, our handful of friends we did everything with, our experiences with things like alcohol, drugs, and interest in all things relating to sex. We were all a teenager once. This show takes you on another ride as a teen.
Where this show hit me was in showing the way times change us as a Country. Over the course of the series you notice that things Americans held close to their heart, such as patriotism and religion opening up to newer concepts such as, interracial couples, open marriage, and homosexuality. If you watch the series, sure you become attached to the characters, that's why you tune in, but at the end of the finale, what I felt wasn't a joy for Fez and Jackie, or hope for Eric and Donna, what I felt was a loss of our way of life.
We can't have a Kelso, our kids aren't allowed enough freedom to be that adventurous. We can't have an Eric, our kids aren't allowed to be an underachiever in anything. We can't have a Hyde, our kids aren't allowed to be free thinkers. We certainly can't have a Donna, our children are not allowed to stand up and fight for their beliefs. We've turned all of our children into Jackie. They have been taught that they are all special, and perfect, and deserve everything handed to them right when they want it. If a neighbor were to simply pop into our home unannounced today, they'd be met with a bullet, not a friendly hello. Do you even know the neighbors on both sides of you and across the street? After the finale, I thought of my kids, and I felt sad for them. I felt ashamed that they cannot experience a real childhood. I felt the loss this Country has had, but hasn't seemed to notice... I felt the loss of trust in one another. The show is great, and if you pay attention, you see a bit more than the experiences of a 70's teen, you see the end of an era.
Craig Ferguson: Does This Need to Be Said? (2011)
Thumbs Up
I had never heard of the man before watching this stand-up performance, and wasn't expecting much,I was quite surprised. I am one who rarely laughs out loud when someone is doing stand-up, but I admit that I had several outbursts on this act.
What kept it from being a 10, as far as I am concerned was the musical portions at the beginning and end. As I am unfamiliar with this comedian, perhaps there is a tie-in to some of his other works, but one fellow seems to be a flamboyant homosexual mimicking playing a flute while dancing in what I would call gay leathers, while a black gentleman mimics playing jazz? At the end the three of them lip sync a Britney Spears song? I got no entertainment from either one of these.....
200 M.P.H. (2011)
Amazingly Horrible.
So if a bunch of College film students, got drunk, watched Fast and Furious, then pooled together their remaining beer money to make a movie, this would be the result. My kid's 4th grade play had better acting. And I'm pretty sure that all the car knowledge used in this movie was definitely obtained by watching a hodge-podge of car flicks and just saying what they could remember. The 30 year old kids with the 40 year old stripper for a Mom was pretty interesting too......
I enjoyed the Sega Genesis quality computer graphics used for the races and crashes, and learned that a Nissan can be rolled several times, and when you pick it up from the impound, it just has some dents on the side.
I cannot begin to tell you all of the things said in this movie that are ridiculous, but I will give you my favorite moment......
The hotshot female mechanic, and her two lackeys close the hood on a custom MX5/RX7/240 car, (dunno how to explain that one, I think it's a transformer...) and the as the two lackeys work the mystery of hood pins, she actually tells the amazing driver that "...these hold it down so it doesn't pop up."
Iron Man (2008)
I never read the comic.
As a person who never read the comic, I enjoyed this movie a lot. The acting is pretty good, the story line is fast paced, the action scenes play out very well, and everything seemed to tie together nicely. Now I have heard from some friends that the portrayal of Tony Stark is very much like the comic portrays him, I don't know that as a person who never read the comic, but as for the movie on it's own, I liked how they showed a little bit of background and his lifestyle before he becomes Ironman. Downey is quite believable in his role and Paltrow and Bridges play well. While I thought it could have used some more action scenes, the flick works well as it is.
Speed Racer (2008)
It is what it is.
If you liked the cartoon, the movie doesn't disappoint. The overall feel of the movie is very much cartoon like. The plot of the film is pretty much what I remember the cartoon plots being like. The racing is that crazy battle-racing that you remember from the cartoon with the push button saw blades,tire treads,etc. There are the obligatory fight scenes which are very over the top cartoon style fights. The characters are well portrayed,Ricci has never looked better.Bottom line is that fans of the cartoon will come away with a much more appreciative view than those who either didn't like the cartoon or have never seen the cartoon. My 8 year old loved it,while I thought it was a fair movie. If you aren't a fan of Speed Racer the cartoon, wait for the video and go see Ironman instead.
Cloverfield (2008)
Absolutely worth Seeing
I went into this movie with no expectations,and was impressed.The story is told through the camera eye of an everyday group of people,who feel real.I found the characters to be quite believable and acting as I would expect people in their situation to act.The main character going after the woman he loves doesn't seem too far fetched, since he isn't really brave about it,he's scared,like we all would be.
As far a any "giant monster attacks the city" flick goes,you'd be hard pressed to find one that builds up the tension and delivers a very believable fear,like this movie does.
You ask for a roller coaster ride of intense and scary moments,and this film delivers.
Superbad (2007)
Funny~ish
I went into this flick looking for laughs.I got a few.The whole movie made me feel like I was watching 100 other movies spliced together.The storyline follows some loser high school kids trying to get drunk and laid,a story we've all seen before.The laughs are really not from the kids,but from the cops.These guys made the flick entertaining and pretty much saved it.
A lot of people seem to think that this movie was the funniest thing ever,but I don't see it.The "American Pie" movies blow it away,even "Pretty in Pink" was funnier.
All in all I'd say it has a few funnies,but wait for it on cable.
Dark Fields (2006)
Skip It
Hmmm,three guys,and two girls who, together, are all too stupid to figure out what to do when low on gas. Whoops,an old two lane road,a shabby farm,and a tank on empty.Can you see where this is headed?
Usually, when a director subjects you to this kind of terrible acting,ridiculous story,and pathetic props, they at least throw in a good serving of flesh as an apology.
Not only does this flick deny you that obligatory payment for your suffering, but to add insult to injury, you are actually teased several times throughout the picture,starting even before the title sequence,every time you think, "Well at least I'll see some skin for my trouble..." you are denied.Taking into consideration that this would have at least given you something to tell someone they may enjoy seeing, you'd think it would be there.
Jenna Scott is attractive and if you like a tease show,she doesn't let you down.As for her acting, well a poor high school play can easily compete with most any portion of this film.