onze-kris Reviews

Het eiland (2004–2005)

mediocre television that aged really bad

[1/10 · 24 May 2024]

There are several flaws with this program and most of the directors others that i couldnt watch enough to commentate on.

Annoying background music the generic music in the background serves no function.

It distracts from what is happening

bad editing the editing is so obvious that it is really annoying. It is a trick to make believe that a shot is continuous. To use it once i understand to do it most of the time with no function again is too much

characters this is a television series. The characters are bigger clichees than those in anime or superhero movies and this brings us to the stories . These are at the the level of an elementary school.

This was really popular and i saw a couple of episodes at friends places back than. They thought it was hilarious. I thought it was pretty bad.

It is now recognized as a classic by the production house. In house marketing goes a long way... and i watched the first episode before i rated this.

As far as first impressions go. Well it is about as bad as they can get. I sat through it despite the really bad first minutes and trying to look for something positive.

Honestly there isn,t.

Similar shows with that setting are much better. Take for instance debiteuren, crediteuren. Or the office. Or in a slightly different setting the it crowd.

Even a show that aired 25 years prior to this the collega's is in every way superior and aged much better.

My rating avoid.

Eurovision Song Contest Malmö 2024: Grand Final (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

for the belgian commentary and the evolution of the contest compared with the first the 30 years

[1/10 · 11 May 2024]

Peter van de veires commentary is tasteless if he doesnt like the act and overly positive if he does.

If he can he does add sexual references well that are out of place for a festival that should be accessible to people of all ages.

Non of the commetary is actually life as it comes accross as written beforehand and he rarely mentions something that you saw happening during the performance.

The festival itself shows that there is little future for this music. Most of the songs will be forgotten rather quickly. Which is in sharp contrast with the flashbacks they have shown of past winners .

And we have had a disqualification this year. Which sort of shows how entitled some of the contestants are or the organisers. It has to be either one of the two.

There were as the beginning of the show a lot of references to Israel participating and fear that the show wouldnt be able to finish. Together with the disqualification of the Netherlands actually the only up to date information. But both were out of place.

I think three non binary participants took part which is sort of a new record for 25 participants.

And 8 lbgt+ participants in total. Which sort of shows that eurovision has become more of a platform for these communities than the great artists from the past.

Shōgun (2024–2026)

2 huge issues i cant look past

[2/10 · 3 March 2024]

This show could have gotten a high rating from me if not for those issues.

First issue they speak Portugese in English. This is quite an issue as a Japanese who is learning Portugese is following an English conversation.... This is even hinted at from an early stage. I am English, but luckily for us all I am fluent in Portugese.

The second issue is the style direction.

Most of the times the backgrounds are blurred , this takes away the reality and as such my engagement. It often feels like most shots were made inside a studio.

Japan is a very beautiful country so I think they missed a huge opportunity there.

The minor issue is that the story is to convenient. The Macao incident is spoonfed to him while he is in prison. The fact that he is in prison is by chance and the person he meets there is by chance as well. He also was aware of Macao in some degree according to his diary. That as far as i watched hasnt been destroyed yet.

There are more issues, he was just a navigator and he was picked without looking at any of the other sailors from the hull.

This makes the entire story unbelievable and given the stylistic choice to blur the backgrounds this is more than a problem than it should be. I am constantly reminded this is just a cleverly written piece where everything falls together like a puzzle and not an account of what happened.

I try not to use spoilers but I think I gave some. So this probably wont be read by anyone. If you read it, please rate it how you see fit. I think this was very close to being great but two choices were pretty bad.

I finish episode 2. And unlike house of ninjas which also had plenty of issues i am not likely to finish this.

Asteroid City (2023)

a shame

[2/10 · 27 February 2024]

I was really looking forward to this as i like his style and his movies.

Not this one though.

There are some very bad jokes in the movie , that i can't believe that made it in the story.

It is as if he wrote it and said anything is well without thinking it over if it would fit.

The nude scene is just one of these examples that make you question his judgement in this movie. It didn't add anything to the story at all. It was just a diversion.

Furthermore the setting. I have really mixed feelings about this one. It is too much to call it minimalistic . For example Dogville did this much better. It felt much richer than this.

Maybe it was a choice to make the landscape alien to us, but it if it should it should be used more. This very much felt like a gimmick.

The entire movie was filled with stuff that didnt contribute at all to the story and the story didnt serve well as a medium to deliver all that stuff. Like the car mechanic. I have had this twice in my life....

As for casting. I didnt like the casting. Tom hanks is very unfitting (again) he played two roles in his life in movies that most of us saw and since than.he moves and talks the same It really is just tom Hanks delivering his lines and not the character. I can't seem to see past it.

One user wrote it is enjoyable enough for Wes Anderson fans but I don't agree. It is a major disappointment .

If you want minimalistic and a great story watch Dogville or the whispering star instead.

These movies did something . This movie just felt like a compilation of what you would see if you started zapping through television channels. Again maybe it was his intention but if it was it is not elegantly done.

Critics that like it. I don't know what to say. It is a stylistic movie that is of the beaten track. But is that reason enough to shower it with accolades?

Kamp Waes (2019–2024)

hidden message ??

[1/10 · 23 February 2024]

While i do think the show is overall well made. There are several facors why i really dislike it.

The operation of a non named hostile country uses all Russian names.

What they do is train to be part of special forces. The show states it are 15 normal citizens... I can assure you they are selected from a huge group of people.

As a survival series this is one of the better ones. However the narrative of the special forces using violent countries I dislike. I have no issue with Jan or any of the special forces but the issue is what they tell apart from the other goals.

They could have used other examples and than i probably would have rated it a 7.

Waes is good storyteller but the story needs some adjustments here and there.

House of Ninjas (2024– )

series of what ifs

[2/10 · 19 February 2024]

As many pointed out the music used in this show is pretty horrible. It doesnt add anything at all and it is out of place.

The plot is questionable, and it all collapses in the later episodes.

The camerawork is questionable. Luckily it doesnt suffer from the camera has to always move syndrome but the shot selection is not up to par.

So why did it get an extra star. It is the acting. The acting especially of young Nagi, Nagi ,the boy and mum is excellent.

The casting is well done.

So without the horrible music which doesnt fit what you see at all . The plot feels rushed and unfinished. Character development is lacking and that is a real pain point.

In a series of a shinobi family character development should be key. You can see Nagi's background but that is the only exception. All other choices from the characters are pretty unreasonable to me. And as such make it really hard to get invested in the family. This is no fault of the acting but it is the lack of storytelling skills.

The series is all over the place. From the action of the parents at the traffic lights as from another one at the beach.

It is day and night apart . Very much so like the music which is not contributing but merely distracting.

I really like that netflix is giving japanese series a chance but there should be some quality control.

Even the title house of ninjas is not fitting. Just ask the family, they are shinobis.

Red Eye (2005)

craven's worst

[2/10 · 8 January 2024]

I have nothing bad to say about the two woman.

The story is pretty unbelievable and yet very predictable

there are some scenes that are comedic. Maybe an influence of the scream movies.

But in this one they are totally out of place.

What's more is that each character that gets introduced gets involved some way or another.

There is absolutely no reason for the introduction of any of them with the exception of the booklady

the music is bombastic . When the credits roll it kind of gets out of hand. Just like when the plane lands

Main issue is probably the attack on Keefe itself. Since the room needs changing you know where the attack will come from and there is no surprise.

If they were truly professionnals they would have made it happen in the original room as well with another modus of operandi keefe had a backup plan for a room in another hotel....

and the expressive acting. Well for me it was a bit overkill by the male lead. In his role he should be able to keep his emotions to himself but even an 11 year old can tell something is not quite right.

Red Shoes (2022)

Don't read the plot outline (it has spoilers)

[7/10 · 3 December 2023]

The plot outline contains assumptions and spoilers,

Basicly it is a story of someone who didn't have the best life. And while she is working to make it better, people that should be helping her do the opposite and make it harder.

The lead is the daughter of a famous fighter and the movie starts in her childhood.

Something tragic happened and the movie continues many year onwards.

She now has a daughter of her own, who is about the same age as she was, when the tragedy occurred.

The movie is slow to unrafle. But it sort of works as the viewer is struggling to get by with the little information given. The lead is also struggling...

The acting of the important characters doesn't disappoint.

The director aims for certain shots and while sometimes that is a miss., t doesn't distract from the story too much.

Anyway both daughter and mother are pretty convincing in their roles and that's why I liked this movie.

Bad Film (2012)

Surprisingly up to date in 2023. Stop the senseless violence, the arms race, .

[9/10 · 31 October 2023]

We live in a time where there is war in Europe and the Middle East.

All news that is not liked by your countries government is labelled as fake news.

One side are terrorists and do crimes against humanity and their side is all about bringing peace.

Today in the news the pentagon wants the Congress to pass a bill so they can make one that is 20 times stronger than the ones they dropped in a a Japan.

As it is good to have it their arsenal, with the growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

I am sure that if you look from these countries, it is the other way around.

The world is on fire again as we are entering a arms race . Haven't we learned anything.

Sion sono shows early in the movie a story of Kana a person who is loveable . She gets hit, by someone who is telling he means well for her. In the gay bar nobody steps up from her. And it is a really uncomfortable watch This senseless violence happens over and over again. And the world just watches.

It is pretty clear that most of the people involved want to get out but it is hard to do with the current leadership. And people fear to stand up.

Civilians get killed now yet our countries keep producing and sending weapons to these regions. So the war can continue.

We really should ban all weapons. Yet a bigger atom bomb is waiting for us.

I saw a movie once, where a line was told. The gist of it was that if a gun appears in a movie. A gun will go off in that movie. It's not a question of of but when.

I think this movie 's message about senseless violence and not accepting cultures that are different from ours is almost a mirror of what is happening in the world right now.

Anyway the movie is surprisingly well shot. I was expecting needless shaky camera's but it is pretty darn good.

The editing of the footage , sure shows Sion sono's skills.

The acting is better than in most American series.

I hope more people will see this movie and reflect what we are doing. What our leadership is doing.

There is hope . As these actors from different countries made this collective . And they had this message for us.

The Devil's Plan (2023– )

cooperative game problem and reality TV problem

[4/10 · 4 October 2023]

Anyway I think the show failed to me because the way of how the games were played. (not the games itself) the possible unimportance of your current "pieces" The big prize pool for "rich" people.

The episode release list.

I have watched all until the half finals. The big secret is about to be revealed.

What is good I will try to do so without spoilers.

There is a competition game and a cooperative game each day.

The competition is largely about getting getting qualified The cooperative game is largely about adding money to the excessive prize pool.

The show has a nice setting.

Most of the games are well thought out. They are not all that fair, but that is actually fine.

The problem is a couple of players actually.

I am a boardgamer myself. I can tell what games they borrowed ideas from. And they actually did a real good job so far.

However the problem with cooperative games is that they are not really cooperative because often one player plays the game. And the rest do what they are told. This is the case here as well and while Orbit is smart guy, he does make basic errors in his way of thinking.

This is clear in one of the first games played.

I think the show even explains it.

They even play competitive games in cooperative manner. They call it alliances. While alliances are made in games. Take for example risk. You don't attack me. And I won't attack you. Chances are that alliance is broken during that actual game.

An alliance theory over several games should not work at all. If the other players have their priorities straight.

Other than that it is a survival show and from the start it is said that only 2 people will play the final.

Again Orbit wants to make sure that noone gets eliminated.

This idea is faulted as well because all games and all rules are not explained.

So much so that in some games , when you ask the dealer additional specific information they will give it to you. But noone thinks about that from the start.

Even more so since the later games are not explained the rules/ penalties can be adjusted to make sure you just get to 2 participants.

And even there there is some leeway on how to determine the final.

Participants in reality shows don't come out to well as persons. This is big general statement. In this show there are three or four I would trust. The others I don't. I know breaking ones trust is part of the game. But imo if you tell the previous night you will work together with a person and you break your word during the game. I consider you not trustworthy.

If you do so in the game. Tell trust me and break it , i have no issues as it is part of the game. One of my favorite games is intrigue an old game. And you just have to backstab someone. But that happens during the game. In the past we haven't said to each other I will help you.

Again Orbit's way of thinking hurts more people than it helps them. As he is willing to sacrifice everything for just survival. But this puts the group of people he plays with in a bad spot.

The level of players , there are two that don't add anything to the show. One is the journalist from the first game. The other is the travel youtuber.

The prize money and their background. They invited a bunch of people with rich backgrounds. Literally and than they added an excessive prizepool. That sort of money can be lifechanging for many people. Not for the contestants.

The problem with Korean Tv shows in general is that you see a lot of the same faces reappear. It's almost a secret society by themselves. If you don't get what I mean check out the show Knowing bro's with lle serrafim in it. But I do think that is a problem. I think half on the contestants appeared somewhere else before. Some where good finds though. But again rich backgrounds.

We in Belgium have a reality show were celebrities do part of a hard job that is badly paid. They receive about 6 months pay of that person for their appearance. And meanwhile they tell everyone how bad the job is.

It doesn't make sense to me.

Netflix way of introducing the show to us. So they started with 4 episodes, and now before the big reveal there is another cliffhanger. This might get people talking about the show but it is the final time I start watching a show that hasn't completed.

We as humans have curiosity as a trait. So we want to know what happens , even if we are not that invested in it.

So the issue with that is that if people start talking they will give away some information. I did here as well. But it is very easy to say who has left. Who is where and in what alliance. And so on. I just used some names to make this easier to read. Anyway if the show is good people will talk about it and it will get an audience.

It is the same issue I have had with many television shows that are about survivability. It is like watching a soccer game but you already know the score. You have to watch it "live" anyways.

Other things that I noticed and I don't consider them spoilers, maybe it adds more to pay focus on.

Some players mess up repeatedly. So much so that they would feel like they are there to sabotage the game.

The editing . Most of the times South Korean shows have excellent editing. This one leaves stuff out to show it later. I am not a big fan of that system. I think there are better ways to present it.

And thirdly I have a huge issue with the prison itself. I do understand the concept of the prison. But hiding something important there. And the fact that another place in the prison with no apparent function. It was mentioned once before . "We thought it was ...." is either another issue with the editing. Or infact even scripting it.

Other than that. I don't like players who like to gloat in what they accomplished. Some players do , some don't. Show that you are excited and happy as well. For me it is another trust thing. I won't trust you if you behave like that.

Actions and words. A lot of players contradict themselves. This is shown in. "in 18 hours" segments.

I don't think it is necessary to highlight it like that. I do understand it is a choice.

Zombieverse (2023– )

Celebrity solve the puzzle

[1/10 · 22 August 2023]

This is pretty bad.

First of all I have nothing against these celebrities and they are not at fault for what is happening.

Basicly it is a survival game. And if you solve the puzzles you survive , and move to a different location.

The premise that the participants don't know what will happen is only half true. As they have to act some stuff out to.

So beacause of all the different locations and the scenarios they have to solve ithis has turned out as a huge disappointment.

The puzzles are not at all interesting. And even the solutions feel scripted. This is really clear at the supermarket parking lot.

The safe area is a no enter zone for zombies. But it becomes clear the zombies are instructed to wander in the parking lot and nowhere else.

This should be obvious from a directing standpoint but not from a viewers perspective.

There is an abundance of camera's. This can be fine in non zombie moments. But there are too many in the zombie scenes as well.

There is way more to sum up. Episode 6 is probably the worst in the theme. A big part of it shooting potatoes at mannequins. At the end of the traing. They askk what's the point . And exactly what's the point... this seems more like a teambuilding trip than a zombieseries.

There are great Korean zombie series. The best is kingdom, Sweet home and all of us are dead are also pretty goed zombie series. There are a bunch more. Some very light hearted as well.

Anyway this non scripted is the worst by a country mile.

Nuclear Now (2022)

Rated as a documentary/movie. Not the message.

[3/10 · 31 July 2023]

Nuclear now is fragmented storytelling with questionable references.

Thunberg, gates, Kennedy. And at the end Martin Luther King and gandhi.... are all used in this one picture.

I almost added Hawking as well. Hawking was very aware of climafe change. But the way he was used... well I don't know. It doesn't feel like it adds to the story.

This is mixed with Excellent made graphs are shown without source reference and some interviews conducted by stone.

Everything else said before is misinformation and indoctrination. And the answer is nuclear without opposing views or just let bill Gates tell us that renewable are not enough and we need to compliment it with nuclear.

The opposing view that we get there with renewables is dealt with. Later on out of the many projects available one with bill Gates is picked as well. So bill Gates is now a leader to tell us about pandemics and climate change, nuclear energy??

I really would like to hear from specialists and researchers. Not investors.

Green peace and green parties don't come out well in the movie.

As does Jane fonda, Bruce Springsteen and other musicians who are opposed to atoms.... Think of them of influences...

Yet he uses another influencer to give the message of nuclear now. And all the famous people mentioned before. He uses to convey that message.

Honestly as a documentary it is trash.

I think it's a real shame that a filmmaker with his credentials has made this movie that should fit inside 50 minutes but instead takes twice as long.

He even felt it necessary to have the joke to swim in the pool in there. While the preceding minute was all about staying away from the pool. Those 2 minutes could have easily been cut.

There is also this famous scene from stand by me. Accompanied by a story that you can't outrun climate change?? I get what he is trying to say but using stand by me there it feels like exploitation and it distracts from the message as I am watching the boys... This is not once, not twice but quite often that the storytelling goes astray.

Now I do agree that we won't get there . And we need to reconsider nuclear and other sources.

And it absolutely makes no sense to shut down operational plants without a cleaner alternative available.

Anyway I find it disrespectful to the viewer to mix real info with mentioned big names.

I still give it 3/10 for taking his time to shed a light on nuclear energy. And the music of Vangelis.

The way the movie is written and edited however it is just glorified propaganda.

It is a missed opportunity as I am on the nuclear bandwagon but I would love to have seen a more nuanced story that he would have just used researchers and scientists with source reference.

Queendom (2019–2022)

Top of music production

[7/10 · 23 July 2023]

K-pop is at the top of music production. The first series has 5 kpop groups and 1 solo artist battle it out for the title of queen.

The series is also an interesting window at the South Korean mindset . Respect for your seniors is a given.

The girls put everything they have in the performances and there is some real talent at display.

They also present the show with 2 MC's I the guy Mc is out of place in a show run by girls.

They also applaud each other performances , while there is an interesting segment after the perfor,naces. Who did better and more importantly who did worse.

Now this would have been a 9 without an obvious flaw. And while not everyone does it when one does it , it does make you wonder who else is doing it and it interferes with the engagement.

This makes it more of a production show , hence the title, than a dance and singing show. And there is the horrible, it's time for a commercial after already pausing for 30 seconds and the winner is ..... You are save to fastforward a minute when that sentence is uttered... They really should stop doing that

There is some other stuff that is questionable as well like the point scoring. And the extra 7000 votes from outside.

This gives current popular groups a huge advantage and almost impossible to make up.

But to me that is not the reason why I view it.

The first episodes had the contestants rework one of their original songs. And the second episode they had to cover one of the other contestants.

Anyway I would much prefer it when nothing was lip synced even if the singing wasn't flawless. Anway i still rank it higher than most things I start watching because like I said the music production is second to none.

For example G-idle's leader thought process is explained for the first performance. And you also notice that it is a process of hard work , and trial and error. Well it is because so already has an idea about what it should sound like. So to gzet that out of someone she can't always express it and the other person and her look for it together.

Anyway I strongly recommend watching this if you like music, dance and performance. And it is also good to see what high level of production can be achieved by the stars.

Stars they really are. There is one who is a klutz in dancing but through her hard work she gets there in the end as well.

Edit The second season was a mixed bag. Not because of the contestants but there was less thought put behind it. Also not putting an upvote in , didn't help at all. The scoring system is all messed up. Because of that I only rate it a 5. And the 5 points all go to the groups and Hyolin.

The spinoff or the third season called queendom puzzle is filled with talent. However In the first two episodes there are issues with the editing. The end performance of episode 1 is actually the end performance of season 2. And there seem to be more tricks in the editing.

The cruel part is the voting however. With 28 people in total 27 votes are cast. And some don't get the votes they deserve. It is clear there is already strategic voting happening.

This is clear as one contestant pointed out.

The cruel voting hads left me wondering as suicide is a topic in the entertainment industry in South Korea and Japan. Being downvoted by your fellow artists is not at all that amusing.

There is correct downvoting. Not being able to remember the lyrics or just lip syncing is criticized hard.

However. If your shoe strap snaps , that will lose your points as well. The first two episodes puts it at about a 5.

What is obvious is that all these contestants are hard working . I have huge issues with the self evaluation here. And it seems very objective. Oh she is in mine position I have to downvote her. Oh she is a teammate's position I have to downvote her.

Election systems are a a problem in our world as well. We vote based on conjectures. And in the highly competitive KPOP world I find it is more hurting than rewarding.

Knowing Bros (2015– )

Interesting but repetitive

[5/10 · 11 July 2023]

The good. Most of the time up to date guests. Especially the kpop stars are nice to see in a different setting.

The bad.

The hosts. Especially Lee su-guen and the new full time host take too much the foreground.

So I like the concept and the silly essay except that the same silliness can be found with the same hosts in different series.

I highly regard kdrama's . I think the editing and writing is second to none. And I do like the ideas of the TV shows. But they get stale after a while.

I am watching shooting stars and I keep watching for the women and coaches. But both commentators / hosts. One of which is Lee su guen drag it from an 8 to a 5.

So his range of commentating is rather limited. It is very loud and actually doesn't contribute. He is rather critical to some players and overly applauds other plays and players.

Other times he says something based upon the first thirty minutes. While it has nothing to do with the situation,.

The editing well basicly they show a twenty minute match in the final hour.

So you hear the same loud screams from the commentators a couple of times. As there are a lot of replays from different angles.

The first thirty minute is build up.

They made an exception in one episode showing the shootout in the next episode. That was a big miss.

So basicly in knowing bros. He comments on the divorce of 2 other hosts almost every episode.

He laughs with his own jokes and often is unaware of what others are doing. It is like he goes in temporary blindness or deafness when he gets an idea and executes it. Originally that was funny. But now they are just repetitive.

The main host has the tendency to act cute. He is more aware of his limitations and he is willing to take the receiving part. All other hosts are often at the receiving part and that makes it work. Apart from the two mentioned hosts.

The show depending on what the segments are can be excellent to barely watchable.

Another host nearly knows all about the music in music quizzes and while that is amazing. Well it doesn't make good TV in my opinion. A lot of tension is lost that way.

Anyway I recommend watching a few episodes. But be aware that it might become repetitive. Especially the dissing of the hosts among themselves.

One of the best segments. Is when a guest tells a story that falls in slice of life category. Some games are fun as well.

Lee Su-geun: The Sense Coach (2021 TV Special)

Not that funny for westerners

[1/10 · 30 June 2023]

I got to know him through knowing bros and am also a fan of shooting stars.

In the beginning knowing bros was really pretty good. But after seeing several seasons. The regulars feeding of each others has become repetitive.

And he probably is the weakest link asking for the most attention.

Shooting stars is a very good female reality series about woman discovering soccer and playing it.

If you see some of the players in the first season almost not able to run and shoot again in the second season your jaw will drop.

The issue with it is when the commentators , one of which is the comedian, try to take the lead. It would be much better if they were actually just commentators talking. But each episode they want to do a gooooooooooooooooooooalthing on camera. There are plenty of camera's everywhere and a lot of microphones.

We see and hear in the second season the captain of the giants beat herself up for missing a penalty earlier in the game.

That captain was in the first season especially in her first match the weakest player. And probably she made the most progress.

Anyway knowing bros, and shooting stars shine very much when the many camera's and microphones just catch some small moments.

Now I went into this having reservations and sadly those got affirmed.

This show is just not worth your time. It doesn't innovate and during it he seems to rely on things that made him a household name in South Korea.

Very much so how he attacks the ex basketball player at least once every two shows for being divorced.

The first time it seems funny. The next times it is just a waste of time.

Probably the biggest issue I have is that he reminds me of my favorite uncle. When he is about to tell something funny he giggles.. and he does so afterwards.

He has that same characteristic and in a comedian for me that doesn't work at all.

It's like saying in advance I am going to do something funny. And than afterwards glowing because he did something he found funny himself.

Comedy and especially stand-up needs to be innovative and there somehow needs to be a Connection.

Both are not present for me.

Since watching it I started appreciating knowing bros and shooting stars less. And I already stopped watching some other variety programs he starred in.

It feels very much he is in there to do his tricks and he executes them. But for me it has started to be a struggle to become acceptant of those things.

Since he asks for much attention. It takes up a lot of time.

Shooting stars has many qualities and this I can oversee. It is probably the least interference, there are some episodes where they barely make the screen. Andtnose are the best ones.

Knowing bros has become an issue.

With the host trying to be cute. The one impersonator, the red ears, the divorcee, the debtor, the ugly who has to quit... it verymuch is a rehash for about 20% of the time.

I am pretty sure he did some amazing stuff before.and netflix would be much better getting the rights for that. And other comic acts.

In general I am a fan of Kdrama's . And I like their editing and quality.

VARIETY AND COMEDY ONLY HAVE A SELECT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ALMOST EVERYWHERE.

To me that is an issue as they pretty much act the same everywhere they pop up.

There is lots of talent in South Korea. Knowing bros guests are that talent... but some shows just have one guest or no guests at all. And those because they have the same faces all the time are not worth watching. I do have favorites in some series. But they should tie things together. Instead of demanding the screen time. And when they don't demand the screen time or don't care about the camera. Those are the best moments of those shows. And some of the best television you can watch anywhere.

White Men Can't Jump (2023)

Shameless attempt at cash grab

[1/10 · 28 May 2023]

This really is a waste of everyone's time and money. And as such I hope they don't make any money with this.

So the main difference with the original movie is the title. They made man plural.. This should tell you that they infact try to tweak the movie and modernize it.

The modernisation is however really degrading . Maybe it tells us that our society has been in decline as well since we called phones, smart phones...

There is really nothing that stands out and imo the original still is fine. I would understand it if studio's feel the need to remake some movies of the 1920's and 1930's. I question remakes from 1980 or later.

I did question the psycho remake but that was done as a homage to the original. And as such is a real fine piece of art.

We tend to forget, that movies are an art form. Like music and writing.

It's the sign of a consumption society . Like this movie it is just thoughtless consumption.

Re: Mind (2017–2018)

It's a series around idol group keyazaki 46

[5/10 · 19 May 2023]

Basicly that is it.

I think the low ratings are of those who want to watch something like American horror and than get this .. Anyway I am writing this after episode 1. And I might edit this if it takes a whole other turn.

The show was written for the members of the keyazaki46. An idol group that did really well.

This group had a late night program as well on TV. The first series were they got introduced actually was about their older sister group.

The older sister group has their series on amazon. (Who killed Daigorou Tokuyama) and that one is a blast. It is almost perfect television, murder mystery series.

So the cast of this they got introduced in season three if I remember correctly. With episodes being given to one group or the other and an occasional battle.

In season 4 the show was solely about them and than there was hiragana oshi.

The group itself had namechwnges. This is the first generation. Later on the second generation entered. And the third generation was just one girl.

Mao for example the first girl that went missing is often referred to by her last name Iguchi. And had a special episode where she graduated.

She was a tone deaf idol. Who wasn't the best in dancing as well but she had tons of energy and a heart of gold. This is shown when she has her own segment and introduces other girls from the group.

The sleepy girl . Is the cry baby of the group. This character is very quiet in the shows, not in the dressing room.

The girl who was not there plays basketball but was afraid of kasuga , a male comedian, when she could show her strength.

I can tell all sorts of stuff on the cast . The girl telling the rest to be quiet. Always had a rebel feel. And is well known for her low voice.

She pretends to be fearless , but is scaredy cat...

Between the late night shows and re mind . The show was better .

However for fans of the series this is a nice way to see them in a different setting.

I believe some of the girls now have active acting careers but this has to be one of the first series they starred in.

Anyway having this background, i am watching a series that is made for fans of the idol group.

Some girls have to play a stereotype of themselves.

Personally it would have been better if they just could be themselves.

The late night series is a good watch because the girls are either witty and or or are not afraid of making a fool om themselves.

As standalone viewing this can be hard a watch. So depending on your background this series is really anything between a two and a nine really.

NETFLIX really should consider getting the rights to air those shows or akbingo. Or any other idolgroup.

The format of those shows is unlike any other shows you have seen and have classic moments in it.

I am pretty sure the direction that these girls received is either very minimal. Or from a western viewpoint absurd. The girls carry out what is asked from them.

Testament to that are the things they do when they release a new single. They went bungee jumping for example even if they were crying out of fear.

From what I like in the movie medium. The editing and sound use is over the top. As are the poses of the girls sitting at the table. To the point that is almost seems unedited. It is too much in your face.

The conversations in episode 1 are to one-sided and similar. Kokodoko... shiranai... again here they should really trust this to the girls.

Normally I would give up on the series after episode 1.

However since the girl who is missing is great at making me smile. My curiosity takes over and I will see the entire series.

Going on the first episode and knowing the cast. I think it is a missed opportunity. Just give them a setting and let them say and do what they want.

That would have been more entertaining.

The series is well short of the who killed.. at this point. But I am going to watch this with an ganbare attitude. (I only saw episode 1) I gave it a middle rating so far. I like the cast. I didn't like the conversations or the editing.

65 (2023)

A waste of resources

[1/10 · 10 May 2023]

65 could have gathered a cult following if it was made with a budget 1000 times smaller than this.

The plot is uninteresting like most camp movies should be . We are here for the entertainment value... And actually the scenes are too serious and repetitive to really get across.

Since superhero movies were made it is more about special effects. And that is all what is left in this movie.

Real camp movies , I qualify this as a camp movie because of it's premise and how they decided to direct this, don't bother with special effects all that much.

And are about the thrills and some scares... if you never saw a movie ,sure you would be surprised from time to time.

Lately I have also started to take notice of how sound is treated. This became very clear after a Netflix series that had potential totally bombed because of it.

This was just a little better. It sometimes took the stage.. which is not a good thing unless it's a musical.

Hollywood studios should remember that a big budget destroys creativity. It should be the other way around but it boils down because of this.

With limited resources the director has to figure out whether it is worth to spend his limited resources on some scenes, and if the scenes are adding to story.

65 would have been better at 65 minutes... and maybe would have been much better if 65 minutes would have been cut.

Invisible (2022– )

This one bombed

[3/10 · 7 May 2023]

The dialogue is sometimes too obvious . For example. "Why did he say it was a bomb".

That is completely unnecessary and makes it at times laughable.

The first episode has a blacklist feel to it. A show I stopped watching after the first season.

But it is a feel and invisible doesn't have the same authority While she is the better actor, it doesn't make sense she watched the first bombing.

The music in the series is a big distraction , serves no purpose. It feels very amateurish in that regard.

A lot of scenes are unoriginal , it it is there way of doing a homage it feels out of place.

I might try some other episodes . I do think there are guest directors and that might be interesting.

The rating of 3 reflects the hope of that. But the show is in need of a different direction to get a better rating. (Pun intended)

Renfield (2023)

Has it moments , but has a lot of unnecessary stuff in it.

[2/10 · 3 May 2023]

So it's hard to write a review using 600 characters for a movie that has a few highlights and a lot of tried and tested stuff.

For example the background of the cop. Is one we have seen in countless movies.

Dracula's healing is slow when he doesn't get the right thing to eat. But what exactly has he been earing on top of the four bad guys to heal that quick, compared to the initial healing... So all the fuzz he makes , well it sort of is a continuation error.

The talk group is not a new concept. I can think of a few movies where I have seen this misused as well.

There is even some sound mixing going on there . I know this is not new but it is too obvious.

Same at the police station..

It's not the worst movie right now. And that is quite shocking.

The idea was sort of okay. But the movie doesn't take any risks at all. And that is a shame.

Possession (1981)

One Oscar worthy scene and a bunch of noise.

[2/10 · 21 March 2023]

In todays cinema camerawork and special effects are getting too much attention.

So go back to the 80's . Story was more important .

The opening sequence with the still shots was pretty amateurish and so is the musical score. The musical score is even comical at times.

Both leads are over performing, as pretty much everyone in the movie and especially Sam does that so much that it is so disturbing. . It doesn't make sense and nowadays he would be locked away in a mental institution. At the least he would have had a restraining order.

The movie is a hard watch because of the overacting and reactions that just feel untrue.

EXAMPLE he's acting like having a seizure on a bed and before he falls is actually bracing himself , a couple of seconds before the fall.

The move is full of unbelievable acting

Scenes jump sometimes with no continuation. Sam says pretty early on during a fight in the kitchen that gets physical. About jumping television channels.

Well that is how the movie is..

The story is being shouted most of the time. There are no subtleties to be found and it's all in your face.

Back to my original statement the importance of the story.

Where there definitely is a story to be told. The screaming doesn't help it. It is clear after a few minutes that those people don't belong to each other. So basicly you are watching a visualisation of the inner turmoil that both characters feel.

The exploration only needs to be done for a few moments but it continues the entire film.

I honestly think this story would be a better fit in a 20 minute short.

What leaves me with what is left.

It's a shock movie I would be surprised if you are not disgusted with some of the people in the story.

There is a scene where isabelle tries to seduce someone and he says it doesn't make sense.

And it is... there is almost no lead up to the attempted seduction.

He continues by saying he has a wife and kids... to be honestly that doesn't make sense to me.

It is the channel switching phenomenon.

It is like seeing a scene with the same actors in the same setting but absolutely no background. To what happened earlier.

I know my review writing needs work and I should tie my sentences better together.

I am not trying to make art or make a piece that is worth something.

Anyway the story in this one came closer to the crap we are bombarded with nowadays.

The storytelling is loud and uninteresting. The characters are not likeable. The shock scenes are very fake and inappropriate.

It is like watching a rehash of a murder on the news with all details of the gruesome act shared and in plain view.

There is no real attempt of compassion it it a very egotistical approach.

There is one plus side. That needs to be mentioned. The ballet class scene and the continuation.

Honestly isabelle's performance rival's most Oscar winners performances for a few minutes. That scene was probably the most true part of the movie.

Keep in mind that the actors most likely are required to overact. If only the movie had more of those moments.

The director got some claim with la femme publique and this one. I don't think he deserves that claim. Both movies have actresses who gave it their all but were badly directed most of the time during the movie.

There are some directors who would have done a much better job with the material . Sion sono for example can make overacting pleasing to the eye and yet still shock.

Wednesday's Downtown: Episode #1.1 (2014) Season 1, Episode 1

Interesting concept however

[8/10 · 10 March 2023]

One of the concepts is the passing of time is different for young people and for older people.

So the hosts conclude that the eldest should come out first.

This is not the correct interpretation.

I'll explain.

If you watch documental which is fun it feels like the episodes have just started... so an episode feels like ten minutes.

If you watch something really bad. 40 minutes can feel like 2 hours.

Thus if you are older the day passes like the good episode. That means that the perceived time is less than the actual time. So he should come out latest.

Please invite me to Japan. I come up with other good ideas :)

The review doesn't contain spoilers as I didn't give away when they left their rooms.

Survivor: Two Dorky Magnets (2023) Season 44, Episode 2

I am used to some crazy stuff but

[1/10 · 9 March 2023]

So I am not a long time survivor follower

This is my third season.

This was by far the most predictable outcome. I even guessed that the boys vote had to be the final vote. Who else would use 3 to write h3l3n.

That brings me to another point the boy is showed a lot bragging about himself when he just went to two summer camps. And his body language interpretations are ridiculous. So I hope some of the editing team will pick this up because as a show you have to protect your contestants.

The first contestant already went out because of a head injury. With all respect but I have never seen people dive to do a crawl test. I am happy he is okay.

The guy who brags about building the contraption and going against doctor orders well he is lucky to still be in there.

I don't know what he was thinking when he climbed that rock... Than there is a woman that has gotten the advice of her son not to be silly. I honestly was concerned that she might fall out of the tree.

About the kid. The reasoning for voting Helen out was because she is smart. So if the girl with no vote makes friends with the other 2. He should be out next.. He should be able to decipher that.

There is also the chance that he is not perceived as smart.. Anyway sad to see Helen go early. From all people on that island I think she had the most to offer. Well don't know about the sand diver...

The other tribes honestly have gone a little unnoticed.

Anyway in survivor history apparently becoming a couple isn't a good idea.. that is a different reality show... So when people engage in that sort of bonding after a couple of days I seriously doubt that they are playing survivor.

Anyway since we were reminded that the boy, Helen and the girl with no vote.

And the woman who won't listen to her kid, the guy and the boy were the most likely groups... At best Helen could have scored 2-2.

So it was pretty obvious she had to go.

Since no idol will be added to the island. It should be easy to deduce who has the idol from the cage. Well relatively easy but no certainty.

I thought the 3motionless reaction of an overly emotional contestant gave it away. But that is just me.

And I don't think editing had anything to do with it.

Call Me Chihiro (2023)

Please check this one out. (And two movietips)

[9/10 · 9 March 2023]

I had a hard time deciding on what to name my review Originally it was "wonderful adaptation of a manga" Because it is a manga adaptation more people might be interested in it...

The other option was to me the best performance of the year so far.

I would be impressed if anyone surpasses her but there are still many months to come.

Rating it was an 8 or a 9 for me. Because there are not enough movies like this it is a 9.

The camerawork, directing and editing all are great. And what is left untold , keeps haunting me.

The person who she looked up to chihiro, the girl she takes care of and herself are three awesome casting choices . Both other actresses are excellent as well and were a joy to watch. So the film uses hardly any flashbacks or fast forwards... and when it does the timing is right.

The title of the movie is spot on.

The kindness of strangers.

All three woman mentioned before have it in spades.

There are two roof scenes. One at school and one above the bento place. I want to keep on ranting about it but just check it out. I am getting close to add some spoilers so I stop just right there.

I am changing the title . Please watch this one. And either thumb it on Netflix or write a review .

So that more movies like this can be made.

And that the talent in this movie is recognised.

If you liked this movie also check out shoplifters and 37 seconds.

THANK YOU.

Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty (2022)

It does deserve the low ratings

[1/10 · 28 February 2023]

In the 2015 death ... the story is run in a newspaper. They show covid deaths top 1 million.

There are so many unrelated and fabricated scenes that it is almost comparable to watching a reenactment of an alien abduction, This deters hugely of the horrible series of events that happened there.

Now I have to ramble to get the minimum words in.

At this point not one documentary on murders has been worth watching.

Sure we are curious about what happened but and that is why we watch but really they don't add anything to what is already known.

I hope that the justice system in the USA will undergo serious changes. The system has allways enabled the rich.

And from time to time someone has to take a fall just because it is too much.

If Paul and Maggie weren't murdered... some other deaths would not have been looked at.

That probably is the most disturbing takeaway.