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Reviews
Den of Thieves (2018)
Great Heist Film with Heroes and Anti-heroes
I see many have compared this to Heat. IMHO this film is so much better than Heat. What Heat had going for it was a good bad guy gang, and the first time co-appearance of Pacino and De Niro on the screen. This film is much more layered, less overacting and better writing overall than Heat. The two gangs here, LASD sherriffs and bad guys, are played well and with great gusto headed each by Butler and Schreiber. Butler plays a borderline bad cop and Schreiber plays a borderline good guy. You kind of do t know who to root for. This is exactly what makes the film so enjoyable and interesting. A masterpiece of filmmaking and one of my absolute favorite films.
The Lobster (2015)
Incredibly original - and very, very weird
This film is about as strange as it gets while not being intentionally comedic. It is funny, but only in that everything that happens is one a single emotional plane. It is very darkly comic but it is hard to get through the whole film without furrowing your brows and wondering just exactly what the point is. Maybe there is no point. I suppose in that fashion it could Python-esque. Without a doubt one of the strangest films I have ever sat through entirely, mostly because I could not figure out where it was going or how it was going to get there. The cast does a good job, but there is so little emotion it's more like simply reading lines like a robot. Give it a whirl. If you get through it, let me know your thoughts.
Night Sky (2022)
Terrific, original, and well told story!
What a series. This is the most original sci-fi story I have seen in many a year. JK Simmons is outstanding as usual. A chameleon thespian. Watching him work is like regarding a Monet painting for hours on end. Fascinating, beautiful, artful. This show, to give nothing away, makes you think of things on a grander scale. Suspenseful, enticing, and scripted so well, it's a joy to watch. My wife and I actually binged this show four episodes per night I til we finished it - it was that captivating. Truly one to spend your time on. Enjoy the story, the guessing, the vagaries of the writers designs. They are truly a wonder to watch on film.
Signs (2002)
Shyamalan at his very best
This is a terrific story that has elements of family, faith, tragedy, horror, suspense, and sci-fi. The sorry is a slow burn but once it picks up speed, about halfway through the tension and the action builds to a fantastic climactic ending. The four primary actors are all wonderfully played. Gibson is terrific as the former preacher turned anti-deity. Abigail Breslin is absolutely endearing and believable as the young daughter. Her performance, given her age, is just remarkable. The horror is mostly implied as we don't even see an antagonist until almost the very end. But when you do see it it's an amazing reveal that fits with the film perfectly. As we near the end the family tragedy is also revealed and the story comes together with perfect flair.
Town Creek (2009)
Cavill, Cooper, Fassbinder!
What's not to like. Three great actors in a horror film together! It has been done better but it hasn't been done with these three actors. Watch it then judge. What's not to like. Three great actors in a horror film together! It has been done better but it hasn't been done with these three actors. Watch it then judge. What's not to like. Three great actors in a horror film together! It has been done better but it hasn't been done with these three actors. Watch it then judge. What's not to like. Three great actors in a horror film together! It has been done better but it hasn't been done with these three actors. Watch it then judge.
Burn After Reading (2008)
Very funny and pleasantly convoluted
This is some great stuff. Very funny satirical
spoof. Clooney, Pitt, McDormand, Simmons, and Malkovich have a lot of fun with the script, which is entertaining enough on its own. But it is elevated by a talented cast. The story doesn't go according to how you may think, typical of a Coen vehicle, and the twists and turns keep coming, much to the viewers delight. Watching these characters living normal lives but little by little devolving into hellish circumstances based on the horrible decisions made by all involved. This is one I can watch over and over again and still get a ton of laughs out of it. Pay attention to the conversations that CIA Officer Palmer has with his boss (JK Simmons). They are absolutely deadpan hysterical.
The Contractor (2022)
Amazing spec-ops characters in a well written, tight script
Chris Pine does a fantastic job playing this character. Ben Foster as well. Though they are two different men they are both taken from the cutouts of men who have worked spec ops and now find themselves unceremoniously in the civilian world without the fall back of US Govt healthcare and protection and families that require what all families do. The story is plausible but unlikely. Could US spec ops soldiers be recruited under false pretenses to do what they were trained and actively did for many years? Yes. Though the story line is topical (COVID and H1-N1 and other viral infections) I like to think the reality is different. But money is a motivator in many realities. But watch the emotions as a soldier does everything he can to stay operational, and, failing that, to capitalize on his skill set. In that regard, very realistically portrayed by both Ben Foster and Chris Pine.
Bullet Train (2022)
Tarantino-esque
I say it's similar to a Tarantino film in that it is difficult to figure out what May happen next, and story lines are revealed as you go along, clarifying events, making them make more sense than they did originally. This film is funny, but more so, FUN. Fun to watch, and the filmmaking is interesting, with touches of brilliance in the way it is filmed. Some great actors make cameos, and the main actors in this ensemble shine quite brightly. It is death on the Nile for the modern audience, a shallow dime store story told in modern day fashionable filmmaking. I think you'll like it if you give it a chance!
Meet Dave (2008)
Classic Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy returns to his classic physical comedy in this film. All those things that used to make you laugh at Eddie Murphy are on display here in this G-rated comedy. The very idea of an Eddie Murphy shaped spaceship crewed by Tibet humanoid aliens and captained by an alien who resembles, who else? Yes! Eddie Murphy! Ingenious and original story with a cast of good actors such as Elizabeth Banks, Mike O'Makley, Scott Caan and others. The comedy is simple and fun, just as it should be and children should also find this film fun, since, well, yeah, it was made for them. I, as a complete and fully grown adult, also found it so, however, I have been accused by many, my wife included, of still needing to grow up. Watch it. You will laugh.
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
One of my very favorite films
I own this movie in DVD and have probably seen it at least 25 times. Yet, every time it is on the TV I watch it again. It's a bit dated now but the acting is so superb it bears rewatching. Redford is the nerdy smart guy with looms to kill. Yet he comes across as humble and sweet. When bad things happen his emotions are spot on as the bookish CIA analyst out of his depth. Von Susie is excellent as the laconic, toy soldier painting contract killer. Their scenes together are powerful and understated. The supporting characters are all excellent, and. Cliff Robertson, another great actor is amazing as the CIA Deputy Director for Operations.
Hunter Killer (2018)
Very enjoyable War/Action flick
This is actually a very decent war/action movie. The cast is very good, the acting great, the sets and the story very believable. It melds espionage, submarine action and land warfare very well. The tension is ramped up well in the higher levels and people with various motivations impact the story. If you like Gerard Butler then you'll enjoy the film. He does a great job with his character. It's kind of like Red October mixed with Clear and Present Danger (yes, both are Tom Clancy novels and movies) with the addition of copious amounts of steroids. If you like Clancy novels and/or movies you should have a great time watching this.
Logan Lucky (2017)
Funny! Entertaining!
The movie is a slow roll of country hick jokes, heist flick tropes, and characters right out of a Tarantino film. Tatum, Driver and Craig do great justice to the roles, and the laughs are more subtle rather than in your face. Just the way I like it! Soderberg's direction is tight, and what may at first seem to be a rambling, slow moving story is revealed to be nuanced and revelatory. The ancillary characters also add to the comedy. Told partially one flashbacks, which I normally deplore, doesn't annoy me in this film. It's a good ole boy heist flick, in the vein of the best Oceans films, but concentrating less on slick camera cuts and flash and more on character development. A good way to spend a few hours.
American Gigolo (2022)
Much promise, unfulfilled.
Love Jon Bernthal and love Gretchen Moll. But I cannot stomach Rosie O'Donnell's acting chops. For me, too much of the gigolo angle and not enough of the murder mystery angle. The story is torn from the modern headlines and the writers tried to update this story to a current audience. In my mind, there just isn't enough meat (to coin a phrase and not to reveal too much of the cinematography) to the story to hold my interest. I could only get past two episodes before I quit the game. The locations, however, are excellent and anyone who knows Malibu's will recognize many of the locations shown in the series.
Better Call Saul: Nippy (2022)
This episode and the next...
Are terrible and not really connected to the Better Call Saul storyline. They really do not advance the story in my opinion, happening after the events of Breaking Bad. They really make Saul (Jimmy) out to be a scandalous jerk (which he is, we know that) and seem to be filler more than anything else.
The Terminal List (2022)
Great show
I really liked this series. Pratt does a superb job with the role and his displayed skills with a firearm are pretty spot on. He must have had a good technical advisor or undergone some training. My only complaint is that it is filmed predominantly in low light making it hard to see what's going on on the screen. Still worth watching, however.
Red Notice (2021)
Very tongue in cheek and entertaining to boot!
Ryan Reynolds is, as usual, funny and flippant, and the rest of the cast does a great job keeping this fun action flick rolling along. You won't have to think too much, just laugh and enjoy the ride.
The Gray Man (2022)
Pretty much mindless action flick, but done well...
Except for the poor overacting by Evans, the film is a good example of the mindless but enjoyable action films of the modern era. Don't think too hard and you'll enjoy it, except as noted above, for Chris Evans, who plods along with very poor acting chops.
The Wire (2002)
Realistic. Authentic.
This is one of the most realistic police procedurals ever put out on film. From the police angle, to the politics, to the projects, to the street drug trade.
Beckett (2021)
I like J.D Washington but...
I really like this actor. He isn't the greatest actor (yet) but he comes across as real and human. The problem, I think, are in his choices. He should branch out to real drama and less action oriented roles to expand his acting chops. Then he can take the action roles that everybody takes when offered. Wishing him great success. This film is not one of his best roles though he does a great job with the material. The problem here is in the writing. Jumping from a 3rd level parking garage onto the windshield of an unseen vehicle tracking below - dumb. Nobody would do that.
Stranger Things (2016)
Seasons 1-3 awesome. Season 4 on episode 2 and meh....
Season 4 isn't doing it for me yet. Seasons 1-3 were awesome. This season, they better pick it up. Seems way to contrived. It all seems to be written as an afterthought to seasons 1-3. Hopefully this will change in coming episodes but right now I cannot recommend it for viewing.
The Northman (2022)
It may be periodically accurate, but...
It is long, dark and sometimes simply boring. In my opinion they failed to make the story as clear and succinct as it should be. The acting is fine, though mostly it consists of animalistic howling and bloody beating and killings. Yes, that was part of the history, but it wasn't as great a part as this film would have you think.
Halo: Allegiance (2022)
Great adaptation and expansion of a simple computer game
This is a very good science fiction show. The production values are high, the show looks great, and the writing and acting are fine. The best part about this show for me is the multi-ethnic component of actors. Very inter ethnic and yet it doesn't feel forced. The way we should be as a society now.
Arena (2011)
Pretty bad
I am not sure how much money Kellan Lutz and Samuel L Jackson got to make this drivel, but both must have been behind on the rent payments to have stopped so low. Maybe they thought it would be the next Saw franchise, I don't know, but it was a very unwise career decision for both.
Old (2021)
Really wanted to love it.
M. Night Shyamalan has lost his mojo. I really wanted this to be good. The premise is good but the execution is a failure. Although I watched the whole thing, it was more an exercise in self abuse, and wanting to see the depths that Shyamalan has sunk to. I hope he comes up with a surefire premise and brings it to life, but right now, after watching this, I am doubtful.
The Mexican (2001)
Brad Pitt is Hysterically Funny
For some time now Pitt has been one of my favorite actors. His mannerisms put him down as the Everyman stick in very un-Everyman situations. There are lots of great actors here and the story, if not exactly scintillating, is simple and serviceable. Pitt made me howl with laughter quite a few times during this film.