Wow! Went in to this completely, uterly cold. Not a clue what it was about. My wife picked it as a St. Patty's day watch. Well, this was the first film in a long time where I wasn't distracted by my phone or anything else. It kept me glued to the screen the entire running time. The acting was great, the writing was at time just as lyrical and poetic as the music the movie presented. Speaking of which, the music was top notch. The story was gripping with appropriate humor, and angst. Couldn't ask for more. We really enjoyed this film. It's going into our regular rotation, and the soundtrack is as well.
Reviews
46 Reviews
Bad writers, and one episode can ruin an entire series
27 February 2024
This could be the episode. My wife and I started watching this on a whim. Season one was out of this world! Couldn't wait to start season 2. It started out ok, not as good as the first season. Then this episode came on. Way to lose the plot. Seriously, the start of the show seemed like a featured extra in this episode. We get it, you writers who have no real skill crafting a good story, can only craft The Message. I bet you writers are fun at parties! But serious this episode seems to have derailed the entire series. We are still watching, but now it's kinda meh. The show feels like it's changed from a show about an Alien stuck on earth bent on killling eveyrone, to a show about a bunch of small-town ladies unhappy with their lives with an alien bent on killing everyone in town also. The following few episodes didn't do much for us either. I'm not sure we can stick with it. We will try. Afterall, we are watching for Alan Tudyk not for a soap opera built around small-town women. But then again, it also feels like they have run out of funny scenarios for Harry to get himself into. Why can't writers craft a compelling story or show anymore without insearting there politics into it?
Knocked my socks off!
15 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
What an incredible, beautiful, brilliant ending. Law, Sin, Forgiveness and Redemption! There's a a very popular book about that! Wow, I was not expecting that ending. Brilliantly acted by the entire cast with some absolute stellar performances. I'm still reeling from this. The season was action packed. The pace never let up. We could not wait to see each new episode and are now disapointed it's over. There was much heartbreak in some of the characters. I'm not sure what the haters are on about. Maybe they are not familiar with the concepts that were at play in this season and how significant the ending was. But my hats off to Noah Hawley. Brilliantly done.
Candy Cane Lane
(I) (2023)
Could have been so much better
5 December 2023
I love Eddie Murphy and was looking forward to this. This movie started out strong, but then started to drift from there. Great concept poorly executed. The writing really could have used a more experienced hand. You could have cut a good 30% of the dialog out of this and lost nothing. This had a negative impact on the overall pacing of the film which was not great. The acting all around was deft. Eddie his usual self. Nice timing, decent comedy. I believed him. The Son was out of this world good. I really have no complaints with regard to the performances. The writer did resort to a few dumb jokes around race which were completely out of place and a bit of a letdown. Seriously, was there no one around to go over the script and "dramaturge" it up? It just dragged on when it could have been so much snappier! Loved the effects around the "ornaments" The overall concept was great just could have used tighter writing and better pacing overall. A solid 5 out of 10. One more thing. Nick Offerman, what the hell? He seemed completely mis-cast and phoning it in. I love this guy, but this was just weird he seemed so out of place in this movie. But that's just my humble opinion.
We Have a Ghost
(2023)
Heart. Story. Skillfull acting make this an enjoyable film.
14 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My wife and I really enjoyed this inspite of my minor complaints. The overall story was great. What started as a comedy grew into so much more. Not at all what we expected. It has a ton of heart. Well acted by the entire cast. David Harbour is out of this world. Jahi Di'Allo Winston is definitely an up and comer. Keep your eye on this kid. Overall, a 6 out of 10 for me. It was very enjoyable. We watched it late at night and my wife stayed awake and interested for the entire movie, which doesn't always happen with the best of movies. It had enough emotion towards the end to bring tears to my eye. The ending was not so obvious, so it was written well enough. Well enough but could have been much much better. Be warned, as The Critical Drinker would say, it does push "The Message" in one particular way. Not that it matters much. You may not have noticed, but your brain did. All the white characters are the bad guys, and the only good guy white character is dead. Lol. Not sure why all of the antagonists, The old friend, the entire FBI (or whatever that government agency was), police, and local sherrif departments are only staffed with one particular race. Not very realistic. Then again you could say the same about many movies in the past I suppose. There were plenty of minor plot holes - like the ghost is being chased but only after being chased for quite a long time does he decide to use his power to dissappear - could have done that so much sooner! Items are like that so they can have their set pieces or things required of the script - which equals bad writing on some of the pages. Otherwise it's a good enough story and heart that this could be the modern "Ghost". Well done for the most part Netflix. It's possible I could watch this again.
His Only Son
(2023)
Not great movie making, but a great story.
3 April 2023
I finally had a chance to see this and I liked it. Is it a great film that can be ranked among the great film makers? No. The pacing is poor, the structure isn't great and some of the acting... well is amateurish. But consider the fact that this is the producer, writer directors first major film. So I'll give him a break there. The visuals are stunning. The actress playing Sara really brings it, and delivers a great performance. The actor playing Abraham, knows about one expression it seems. While this story plays out in a few pages in Genesis, it would be a challenge to stretch that material out for an entire feature film. So there was some filler that does not appear in the bible it does not add or detract from the story fortunately. There was plenty of emotion to be found and I did find the film up lifting. Give it a chance.
A new direction.
19 July 2022
Outstanding
7 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
What makes this show SO good, what informs you that they have excellent writers deserving of Emmys is that they take the time to HUMANIZE Bunny. Her day, and the moments there in, brought tears to my eyes. Yes she could be cantankerous, but she was still a person deserving of love and kindness. She certainly could show kindness to others. The Arconia was her life. It gave her meaning. I wanted so bad for the gang to bring her in, and that too showed their real character. It's true, one act of kindness may have saved Bunny's life. Rest in peace Bunny.
Physical comedy gold.
14 June 2022
Let go
31 May 2022
It's good. So far. I was there in line in 1977. I love all things Star Wars. Yet I respect the opinions of the likes of Mr Plinkett with regard to the preqels.. Let me be clear, not all things.... sorry Rey and crew, but this is from the good guys. The gentlemen who brought you The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian. It's good. It's Star Wars. Just enjoy it for what it is. The look and feel is authentic. The use of The Volume is as impressive as ever. Young Leia is as Percocious as you'd expect. I mean, come on, she was never really a princess by definition. I'm happy, you should be too. Ewan MacGregor, Hayden Christianson, Jimmy Smits, Temuere Morrison, Anthony Daniel's are all there. Even John Williams with some impressive new themes that fit the existing. Hell, it's even got Flea! What more could you ask for. Just relax and enjoy it.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
(2022)
You know what this is.
22 May 2022
You know what this is, and that's ok. Enjoy it anyway. On my second watch, I started to realize how good this movie really is. There is some wonderful animation, and use of perspective. Everything is absolutely true to its original style, while existing in our world. Tiny furniture, chipmunks driving human scale cars... this is not to mention the pop culture references, call backs, and cameos. It's truly wonderful to behold. The humor is well placed, but suffers from some postmodernist humor that's feels out of place at times. Overall, quite enjoyable with a great cast and wonderful sense of humor.
Uncharted
(2022)
You've seen this before.
21 May 2022
Entertaining yes. Especially if you leave your brain at the door. Vapid dialog, predictable writing, cribs from every adventure flick you've ever seen, including The Gooines, and Raise the Titanic! Improbable violations of known physics, wood and rope that never rots in wet humid environs. It's got it all. Still, entertaining if you suspend every and all disbelief. See also, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raiders etc.. Yeah, I had no idea this was based on a video game. Go figure.
In a couple of words, creatively brilliant.
30 March 2022
Woah Alex, that blew my doors off!
25 February 2022
Alex Borstein (Susie) delivers one of the greatest monologs of all time. Brilliant, emotional, heart wrenching. Her speech brought tears to my eyes. She blew my doors off. Huzzah! The rest of the episode was beautifully filmed. Every shot a feast for the eyes. Rachel Brosnahan (Miriam) was as solid as ever. However for me, Tony Shalhoub (Abe) always steels the show.
A fitting end
10 January 2022
That which cannot go on forever, won't. It was a fitting end to the show and for Jim/Dexter. Enjoyed every minuet of this 1 season. Well done. Would I have rather Dexter go on, to another place and end more evil people? Sure. Who wouldn't. I would've rather he and his son have a happy ending where they solve crimes without murdering the criminal. Married to the chief, and Harrison dating the daughter. Great! But that was never going to happen. This worked. This was closure.
What fun.
8 December 2021
Honestly, you can't take this movie too seriously. It's just fun. It's worth it for Kurt Russel and Goldie Hawn alone. It has great spirit, and heart. A great family film even if you have no family. My wife and I loved it. The little references to various films were fun to find. Enjoy it without taking it too seriously.
Meet Me in St. Louis
(1944)
Possibly the greatest American film
4 December 2021
When I was quite young, my father purchased an RCA selectavision video disk system. This was one of the first disks purchased. Over the years my family nearly wore it out watching this film over and over to the point where we knew just about every line. To this day I can still quote this from beginning to end. The movie is brilliant. With stunning performances throughout. Americana, and family entertainment at its finest.
Pig
(I) (2021)
Movies vs films
28 November 2021
There are movies and there are films. This being the latter. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, solidly written. People may poo poo Nicholas Cage, but he really can act. It was always there beneath the action and comedy. I loved him in this. It's not about the pig. It's about love lost. Give it a chance. You won't regret it.
Perfection
29 October 2021
Only Murders in the Building
(2021– )
No regrets. I love this show.
19 October 2021
Just finished the first season, and I have to say I love this show. First of all, I'm a big fan of Steve Martin's writing. From his books to his stage plays he's got a certain je ne sais quoi where his writing and humor are concerned. This is right up there with Roxane, and LA Story. That brilliant quirky humor of his,
and this show has his comedic finger prints all over it. That's not to discount Martin Short's contributions. These two work very well together. I've seen several of their live performances and I'm never let down. This show broke new ground in a world where entertainment is so flooded with all the same stuff done over and over and over until its all so stale. This show is a bright spot in an otherwise dull television landscape. I cannot wait for season two. In the mean time I'll have to watch this show again.
Muppets Haunted Mansion
(2021 TV Special)
Cute and fun but missing something.
10 October 2021
Overall this was cute and entertaining. The songs were good and the puppetry was alright. Unfortunately these later Muppet outings will never live up to what the original artists could deliver. Doubt that? Go and watch the original The Muppet Show,
or The Muppet Movie. In this case,
Kermit was all wrong. His voice was so far off as to be almost unrecognizable. Bring back Steve Whitmire! At least his Kermit voice was close to Jim Hensons. Miss Piggy was also off, not just the voicing, her character was missing all of its nuance. At least we had Dave Goelz there for Gonzo.
Incredible
10 October 2021
On you tube, with all the original aired commercials for Singer sewing machines and Burlington fiberglass curtains and clothes. This just might be the GREATEST thing I've ever seen. An incredible product of its time. With Peter Noone, and other well known actors of the time. It's a joy to behold.
Delightful
9 October 2021
I love this episode. It's about time Miss Piggy gets some comeuppance. It's nice to see Kermit stand up to her for a change. Great writing all around and Loretta is fantastic. This episode also includes music from my favorite Stephen Sondheim show Company!
Absolutely brilliant!
29 September 2021
This immersive episode is television at its finest! The episode cast was excellent. Superb in the way this episode moved the plot forward. The sound designer deserves an Emmy for the engaging and immersive sound effects that brought in enough low frequency to where you could just make out some of the dialog as if you're actually hearing impaired. 10 of 10.
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