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Reviews
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
Good, But Not Exactly What I had Hoped For
I decided to watch the documentary Marley before watching this movie. I'm so glad I did. I knew he was an amazing person, but I learned so much more.
I was amazed at how bored I was at the beginning of the movie. It was a bit disjointed as well. I would have loved to see more of his story told straight through from beginning to end, or at least with more clearly defined flashbacks.
I don't feel the actor captured Marley all the way. . He was good, but something was missing. When I watched Bob talk in the documentary he made you feel warm and endeared to him. His eyes held so much. There was just something special about him. The actor's speech and singing was good, but it lacked something I can't put my finger on. I'm not sure what it is, but I guess that's to be expected. How do you get all that Marley was into one person portraying him?
The actress playing Rita, on the other hand, was amazing. I felt like I was actually watching Rita on the screen. She had her personality and how she managed Bob spot on. There were some inconsistencies to some of her story in the movie vs. The documentary, but she was a definite bright spot for me.
The movie wasn't horrible, but for me it fell short of all that Bob Marley was. Hopefully, somebody new to Bob Marley will walk away from this film eager to learn more. The documentary, Marley, is a great way to do that. I even went back and rewatched it after seeing this movie.
sMothered (2019)
It's a train wreck...
And I can't stop watching. First, there are definitely plenty of mental health issues going on. There's lots of narcissism, borderline personality disorder (mostly with lots of narcissistic traits too... I'm borderline, so I'm definitely familiar), and total enmeshment. I don't know how much is real, but I do know these types of relationships exist, and it's so sad. Several of the daughters will never be independent or even think for themselves. (I am happy to see in season 5 some are so fed up they are starting to rebel the control.) I feel the worst for the significant others. Why would these daughters marry (or want to marry someone) if they'll never be good enough, never a true partner, never win over the mother. If you can't commit wholly to another person, then don't get involved. Marriage is sacred, and if you're religious at all you know that you are to become one with your spouse. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." I love my daughter with all my heart (she's five), and my goal is to raise her into an adult, a productive, kind adult. I'll give advice when she wants it (maybe sometimes when she doesn't but needs it lol), but if she can't make her own decisions I have failed as a parent.
I gave the show a 9, because it's extremely entertaining and because I can't get enough of Kathy and Cristina. They're one of the only "normal" mother/daughter relationships. I'd rate most of the relationships 0/10.
Virgin River (2019)
Lost Its Spark
I loved this series in season 1. I even rated it 9. However, since then each season gets worse. The acting isn't great which becomes more and more annoying. The characters aren't as endearing or likable as they were in the beginning. Several are whiny and grate my nerves. Even the ones that seemed strong now come across as whiny too. Several characters are making the same dumb decisions instead of showing character growth. New characters are as boring/aggravating/whiny as the original characters, so they end up making it worse instead of better. The storylines are either absurd, depressing or boring. There seems to be too much "forced" drama, but it somehow still feels boring. I don't know how to explain it. I keep watching, but I'm not really sure why.
Escaping Twin Flames (2023)
Rate the documentary, not the content.
The content is about two people who want to manipulate and rule others to amass great wealth while spewing the most ridiculous nonsense. Twin Flames is a cult. The end. The leaders are rather boring. They get people sucked in by promising love, true love. Who doesn't want that? Then, they morph that into a religion of sorts and change the values and self-identities of all of their followers. It's despicable. Content (bad people and victims) 0/10.
The documentary itself is great. You see several victims explain how they got sucked in and how it affected their lives in so many different ways. You see how it affected several mothers and a sister. You see professional input on the topic. I didn't know anything about Twin Flames, and this documentary was extremely informative. 10/10
When it comes to documentaries, you have to rate how they presented the information, not the subject matter itself. I was very impressed with the information, the diverse experiences, and the chronological buildup.
A Discovery of Witches (2018)
Very Engaging
I binge watched this in 3 days while I had AMC available on Max streaming. I loved it so much that I've immediately started rewatching it today. My AMC ends tomorrow night, so I am attempting to binge watch this second time in only two days.
I found the show very engaging. I love the characters and connections. There were some things I didn't quite understand, but it has me wanting to read the books. That never happens for me. One of my favorite shows is Outlander, and I never thought about getting the books.
This is not a perfect series, but the sheer fact that I immediately wanted to rewatch it put it near the top of my list.
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (2023)
Excellent Documentary, Deplorable Story
This is a slow documentary. To really see the day-to-day progression from happy college kids to completely brainwashed and mentally broken adults, it has to be told slowly. If you just hear the events listed out you don't get the true picture/feeling of the story.
This is about a man that 1,000% abused these kids and 1,000% had them believing he was the best person in the world and the only one that cared about him. The best part of this documentary is the actual footage. It's mind blowing to see exactly how this man manipulated and molded them into his slaves without them realizing he was doing it. It would be hard to believe all the things he was capable of if someone told you. It is STILL hard to believe while you're literally watching him do it.
The best thing the man ever did was record everything. His recordings are like watching unethical and inhumane psychology experiments, and it's disgusting.
You can't have a low enough score for the subject matter. It's just vile. However, the documentary covered it extremely well. 10/10.
The Perfect Pairing (2022)
Good HALLMARK Movie
First: Please make sure you're reviewing the correct movie. This is a Hallmark movie, THE Perfect Pairing. There is another movie with a similar name on Netflix "A" Perfect Pairing. I noticed one of the reviews hating on the movie has actors from the Netflix movie.
Ok, for this movie... You either like Hallmark movies, or you don't. For me they're sweet movies to pass the time. Most rate about a 7 for me. Then there's the ones that don't click with me, and the ones I just adore that I could watch again. This movie had a twist I hadn't seen with the amnesia. It's nice to see the woman fall for someone else completely innocently. The leads are good but not as much chemistry as I like. Still, it was a good story. I'm rating it 8 for that reason.
The House of Magic (2013)
Just ok. NOT a G rated movie.
First off, the movie is loaded with the word "damn". Even the song in credits has it. Lol
There is some "violence". I missed the part where the kitten was tossed from the vehicle in the opening scene, so I can't speak to that. However, the cat has several enemies that want to harm him. My five year old daughter likes scary movies. She even requests them. (I only show her kids ones.) I didn't really expect the shotgun scene to bother her. She didn't get worked up, but when it started she turned to me and said, "this is a scary movie, right?" She may not have been to bothered by it, but she certainly recognized it.
Back to the language... I was really surprised at how often "damn" was used. It just wasn't necessary. It seems silly that it's needed in a kids movie. The phrase that got me though was "consider this a one-night stand". I even went back to make sure I heard right. Once again, not needed. They could have easily thought of something else to say.
The storyline was fine, the graphics were good, but the "cruelty" and language were not necessary. We would rewatch it if it weren't for those things.
Real Life Nightmare (2019)
Repetitive
The episodes should be half the length. They spend SO much time repeating what's already been said. I mean repeating one detail four times, and repeating the synopsis 40 minutes in (specifically episode 5). It's very frustrating. In addition to the repetition, some of these episodes are incredibly disjointed. It's not a straightforward telling of the story. For example: in episode 5 they show a video of the victim in the hotel. Then, they show where she was found. Then, they talk about the cause of the death. THEN, they repeat the entire sequence adding small details. THEN, they repeat the entire sequence adding small details AGAIN!! Ugh!
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
LOVE!
I love Nicolas Cage. Admittedly, though, I haven't seen all of his films. This movie was more than I expected. I read the movie description and several reviews before I watched. They really describe the movie well, but you don't realize it until you actually see it on the screen. The first 10 minutes or so I wasn't sure where it was headed, but I LOVE the way it played out. Man, what a great story. This is something I'd watch again and again. I haven't said that about a movie in YEARS.
I have to add: the movie title is for sure attention grabbing, but it doesn't really encompass all that the movie is. BUT it doesn't matter!! Watch this movie with an open mind and find your next favorite. (Next favorite, because you can't really pick just one ;). )
Murder Calls: The Slender Man (2018)
Seen this story before
This was a good episode, but I recognized the story immediately. I thought maybe I'd already seen this episode, but there were things never mentioned that I remembered seeing. It turns out the American Monster covered this as well. Both shows have different perspectives to get across. Obviously, this show is about the 911 call. American Monster is focused more on the past and how the victim (and killer) reached this point. They do it through mostly home videos. Even though this episode covered the story well, I was glad I'd already seen it on American Monster to where I got more details about the murderer and victim's relationship prior to the event.
Sexy Beasts (2021)
Hilarious
I give this 7.5 based on what the show is (which is NOT serious). My husband and I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Please don't expect these people to actually fall in love. I mean even the "serious" dating reality shows are fake to an extent. They all have people there just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. This show is 20 minutes. These are not deep connections. I do believe some connected, but it's not enough time to really dig in. They're all young (and attractive) which means it's not surprising some of their "wants" are shallow and childish to someone older. However, it's hilarious! Between their interactions, awkwardness, candid thoughts, and the narrator's jokes this is just a fun show. Not to mention, it isn't unnecessarily drug out. Come looking for laughs, not love.
It (2017)
Not Scary
I've never been a horror movie fan, but my mom had me watch every Stephen King movie (and miniseries). I always covered my eyes and watched peeking through my fingers. The original version was creepy and scary. It was a good story though. As someone who doesn't seek out most of these types of movies, I wasn't interested in seeing this. However, my daughter has been begging to see this. I finally gave in and figured I'd just turn it off whenever she got spooked. She never flinched. I didn't either. Not. Once. I asked her if the clown was scary. She said "no. He's not real." I don't know what it was... too much CGI or jump scares as others have said. I'm really not sure, but it didn't scare us in the least.
The characters weren't bad, but it felt like we only got a superficial layer of their stories, so I didn't connect with them like I wanted to.
American Monster (2016)
My Favorite True Crime Show
I love the home videos and build up. Early in the episodes, I try to guess who the killer is. I love the background story, because I love getting a glimpse of the victim's childhood (sometimes even the killer's). I love this style versus the cheesy dramatizations in some of the other true crime shows. If the back story of the victim doesn't appeal to you, then this isn't the show for you.