Change Your Image
cnrutledge-28046
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Peripheral: Empathy Bonus (2022)
Has your brain stopped spinning yet?
I shan't, write as much about this episode as I did the previous one, because I had to first set the stage which I know sounds like some kind of, (lesbian s*** - but I said thespian not lesbian! Spell check sucks!) thespian trope. This episode, does give a nice fleshing out of the intellectual standards of this world, but also gives you all the action your Jackson can handle, plus some! So, in this one, we truly learn about the southern world that the author borrowed from Tennessee Williams' mind. It also gives sufficient explanation, to this other world and what it actually might mean without getting boring, stupid, or overplaying their hand; how kind of them! So, sit back, enjoy the ride, it's not just a roller coaster - it's for real man, for real! ( I didn't think "game over man! Game over!" would be quite appropriate. But, that's what I was going for, I don't think I made it.😩)
The Peripheral: Pilot (2022)
A new Gibson world will spin your brain!
The first effect, that you get from the story, is what I think of as the mental shift, the spin, the slipstream of a new Gibson world! William Gibson, this author of these books, is the man who gave us many other worlds, that will flip-ya, flip-ya for real; to quote Finster (movie Usual Suspects). So, keep in mind the difficulty level, as it takes a couple of viewings to really sink in; how bizarre life is fixing to be, in your little head! Gibson, is a hell of a conceptualist. I bet he, would be a great conversationalist as well; pity we don't know each other. So, the story starts with a tiny tease, that your left not having any idea what it means?. Suddenly, shifting to an entirely different place, that looks kind of like some normal place in the Quasi South of the United States but you quickly realize it isn't, not quite! So, you meet this family of pretty decent people: one is a veteran has a lot of Veteran friends in his neighborhood. You, meet evil people who you'll agree, in you know the old big daddy boss type you have watched on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or at least read it? (This starts becoming the Tennessee Williams Twilight Zone) Maybe you saw HUD? We'll put it the other side for now. The story is convoluted, it is very well played out. The pacing is outstanding! The graphics and other things we've come to expect are excellent; but remember, any show must have a few basic things to be worth a damn!
First: it must be consistent and intellectually backing every one of the primary elements.
Second: the writing must be very good, intelligent, and not talk down to the customer, AKA us.
Third: the acting must be up to par, of high quality. We, expect the actor to be in the moment, and to deliver the lines and the concepts behind the lines, with aplomb.
These three things, and many others, are well developed and well applied here; not to mention delivered with aplomb. The Directors, Writers, Actresses, Actors and others, associated with the making of this and apparently the second episode as well, accomplish their task. So, expect a hard ride, and to be put up wet; because believe me this is going to try your brain and shake your realities, so get in and buckle down boy, cuz what you think is real just got served!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: A Shadow of the Past (2022)
Far too slow
The production values, are very high and I appreciate that, but the pace is bone breaking slow! By time they get interesting, no one will want to watch it?! Pick up the pace, pick it up now! You spent, an entire show on nothing but water and having dinner with a dwarf! Do better, think better, be better.
The slow pace, of this show is the same thing that killed Firefly. For instance, in Firefly it took forever to get to the teenager being able to kick everyone's butt. In the movie (Serenity), it was more succinct and it was clear and clever! Why can't you possibly stop trying to drag things out? If you don't have that much to talk about, just make it a lot shorter!
The Vast of Night (2019)
Extremely Fresh film, Twilight Zone flavor
The presentation is original and fresh. This is not a regurgitation of a remake, of a prior good film; it is original in concept and the structure of its narrative. The dialog is a snappy banter like you find in film noir, or 'His Girl Friday'. I have lamented the loss of intelligent repartee, but this has it in spades. As a child of the 50's, I found the flavor or ambience of that era very present in this peace. I am very pleased to have viewed this film and will watch it again! Some have written that this film is weird and trippy, this is true; especially when all you are used to is canned recreations of comic books, bad or unnecessary remakes, or the 59th sequel. Just a quess but do the film makers have IQ's over 125?
Chernobyl (2019)
AWSOME!
Most reviews are intelligentsia gobilygook; this one is both an historical document and literature in a tiny package. I am stunned!