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NCIS: Hawai'i (2021)
Not good
I'm sorry. I really am. I know everyone works hard on this -- except maybe the writers. But it's just not good from a writing/dialogue/story standpoint.
Characters are flat. Dialogue is forced and unrealistic -- even technically incorrect at times. Stories are filled with implausibilities.
Take this week's episode. The gang killed a guy because they knew he was hiding a gun that one of them used to commit a murder and they were "worried what he might do with it"? Really??? They killed the guy out in a public place, but then weren't worried enough about the gun to go toss the guy's house and try to find it??? Didn't they know that by murdering the guy, that would automatically make the cops go and search his house? Which, of course, is where they found the gun -- the tangible piece of evidence they needed to nail the gang.
And casting! Vanessa Lachey just does not work as the head of the team. She's much too cutesy. And it seems like everything she says comes across as suggestive or flirtatious simply because of her inflection and facial expressions. There had to have been better choices for filling this role.
Please. Just give this show some other name. Don't stain the original "NCIS" by labeling this as a spinoff.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
Not terrible, but disappointing.
I LOVED the first "Christmas Chronicles". And despite what some others say, everyone in the cast did a really good job with this one. Kurt and Goldie are always great. Darby Camp is a gem! Production values were excellent.
For me, the problem was the story. It completely lost the feel of the first movie. I know, I know -- "It wasn't supposed to BE the first movie!" I get it. But when you watch a sequel, you do it because you loved the elements that made the original what it was. You want that feeling again. And that feeling is nowhere to be found in this one, sad to say.
This one just went way too dark for me. I don't care there was an interracial couple. It never occurred to me to be bothered by that. But the first movie had a sense of the believable to it. Most of it took place in my world, not Santa's. I connected with it. It resonated. It had adventure, humor and wonder. A sense of amazement. But it was amazement at something amazing that had entered into our common little world.
This movie takes that away. It takes us into an imaginary world, which is amazing for the characters, but not so much for us. I want to see how Santa negotiates the world I live in -- not how people negotiate the world Santa lives in.
Fierce giants cats attacking people and reindeer? Elves going insane and attacking each other and everyone else? An evil enemy bent on Santa's destruction? There was nothing like any of that in the original movie, only people who didn't believe in Santa.
Tell a new story. That's fine. But do it with the feel and texture of the first story you told. The one we love so much. All the actors were great. A bad script is what killed this movie for me.
Blue Ridge (2020)
Well done.
I don't know what some of the other reviewers are talking about. "Low budget"??? Have any of you actually seen a real "low budget" movie? This one does not have the look and feel of "low budget".
Story was good. Acting solid. Visuals and sound were good. The only thing that really bothered me was the incessant score. I hate movies that think there MUST be music playing every second. But that issue aside, it was engaging and enjoyable.
I will say it lacked any hint of "political correctness", which may account for some of the negative reviews.
This would have made a nice pilot for a series. But alas, sans the aforementioned political correctness, it would never even be considered.
Kudos to the cast and crew!
Living the Dream: The British Method (2019)
Ellis Cox-McAllister???
Why is Ellis Cox-McAllister ("Pippy Drew") not listed in the cast of either this episode or the "Pickled Eggs" episode? She was in both of them, and I feel like she's been in others as well.
"Living The Dream" is a great show and I hated to see it come to an end. Everyone was great! I particularly liked Regina Curtin ("Dorothy") and Rosie Day ("Tina Pemberton"). But I'm really surprised to see Ellis Cox-McAllister not listed for all of her episodes. She has a great comedic sense and is fun to watch. She deserves to be listed.
So much fun watching the Brits come to terms with living in the States -- which they seem to have quite liked.Philip Glenister, Lesley Sharp, Brenock O'Connor, and the inimitable Leslie Jordan -- superb comedic cast!
Just please give Ellis Cox-McAllister the credit she deserves.
Wonderful show! Wish it was coming back.
Deputy (2020)
I tried. I really did.
There are things about this show I like, and I tried hard to overlook the liberal spin when it came to illegals. But what happened on a recent episode is just too far. And it's not about illegal immigrants.
In the episode, a black rookie deputy -- who was off duty and out of uniform -- was playing basketball with a friend when cops rolled up, got out, drew their weapons and told everyone to get on the ground with their hands up. The black rookie deputy put his hands up, but refused to get on the ground. He kept saying his name and that he was a deputy sheriff. The (white) officer who had his gun pointed told him repeatedly to get on the ground. Instead, the black deputy said, "I'm gonna get my badge out of my bag." He turned his back on the cop, lowered his hands and walked toward his bag on the ground. At that point the cop warned him one last time that if he didn't stop, put his hands up and get on the ground, he would shoot. The black deputy was angry, but did as he was told.
Now the cop was absolutely right and the deputy absolutely wrong. The cop had no way of knowing this man wasn't lying to him and going for a gun in that bag. He would have been entirely within his rights to shoot if the deputy hadn't complied. What the deputy did was as wrong as wrong can be, and that should have been made CLEAR to him by both the sheriff and his training officer.
But it wasn't, of course. The whole thing was played off as "because he's black". It was never suggested by ANYONE that what the deputy did was wrong. In fact, the sheriff went down to police headquarters to complain about how his deputy was treated!
That ends it for me.
Losing Christmas (2016)
SO much fun!
Full disclosure -- I wrote, produced, directed and edited this film.
Nearly everyone involved in this production was brand spanking new to the film industry, but they performed like CHAMPS! They were SO much fun to work with!
This film was produced by a group at our church -- our very first film production! Nearly everyone in front of and behind the camera is a church member, with a couple of exceptions.
The major scenes -- the ones with dialogue -- were shot on the grounds of our church. Everyone was awesome, and I'm proud so of what they accomplished!
We hope to bring many more stories to life.
I won't review the film itself because, obviously, I'm extremely biased. But HUGE KUDOS to the cast and crew! Their hard work and talent deserve to be seen.
MERRY Christmas!!!
Tangled Web (2008)
"Tangled Web" is one of the best movies I ever made! :-)
I admit it. I made the movie. I wrote, directed and edited "Tangled Web". So naturally I'm very proud of it.
I know, I know -- "But you only gave it a 7 out of 10???" Currently its average rating is 7.3. I gave it a 7 so that my rating would not alter the average. It would be unfair for me to give the movie a 10. Those ratings should reflect the opinions of the viewers, not the people who made the movie.
But making 'Tangled Web' was great fun! All of the actors were tremendous, and I couldn't have asked for a better crew. They all deserve to have their work seen and appreciated.
If you haven't seen 'Tangled Web', you should give it a try. It's a great story of two people in love in an impossible and dangerous situation. And I'll bet you won't see the ending coming! :-)
Knight and Day (2010)
A goof that should be added...
I enjoyed this movie a lot. Pretty well written. But there was one goof near the beginning that isn't mentioned here.
Cameron Diaz' character would never have been allowed to carry used automotive carburetors on board a commercial aircraft. Used carburetors may still contain traces of gasoline. As a result, federal law regulates them a hazardous materials. They would have to be packaged, labeled and documented according to federal regulations in order to be allowed to be shipped. She certainly couldn't bring them on board in her carry-on luggage.
Great movie though!