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Reviews
Pyewacket (2017)
Great Acting, Incredibly Weak Story
"A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother."
And with that description, we know just about everything we need to know about this 2017 Canadian film. I was very impressed with the acting by Nicole Muñoz who literally played one of the most believable teenagers I think I've ever seen. From her immaturity, rash behavior, regret, attempts at atonement, to her TERROR of Pyewacket when it shows up. But then....what?
Exactly. One of those. Does her mother die. Is it all in her head? Does she do the unspeakable and kill her mother? We don't know. And I really can't forgive the filmmakers for that. They did so incredibly well for the first hour, only to just end it. As if they suddenly ran out of money, shrugged, and said, "Okay. Let's end it there."
So I'll give it five out of ten for how well they did on what we got to see. But that's it. Endings like that are intellectual or clever. They just tell me they didn't have the imagination to come up with an ending. Oh, well.
Agatha All Along (2024)
Marvel is Back!
Holy crap!! Wow! Fantastic! Marvel is back! Not to be missed! I am so pleased with this new show. And as far as I am concerned, this is Marvel at it's best.
Katherine Hahn really shows a remarkable range I had no idea that she had. Patti LuPone was wonderful. Aubrey Plaza was deliciously menacing and I can not wait to see who she is. I got a great kick out Debra Jo Rupp who I think will turn out to be more than a ditzy neighbor. And I simply can't wait to see who the mysterious Joe Locke will be revealed to be. He is absolutely all but stealing the show....but so far he's barely kept from doing it by Ms Hahn. I also love the cues they are taking from "WandaVision." Perfect. Do not miss this show!
Jack Goes Home (2016)
Who Do I Sue to Get My Time Back
The absolute only thing that prevents me from destroying my television after watching that waste of time is the performance of Rory Cullen. It made absolutely no sense and this is certainly another example of "The Emperor's New Clothes." People sitting around telling you how brilliant this movie is even though it's a waste because they realized they don't get it and they want to pretend they do cuz they don't want people to think they're not sophisticated. The writer is really cute. That's about the only other thing this movie has gone for it. Even the actress who plays Jack's mother, who I usually love, was terrible. There were about 87 storylines that were left unanswered. I'm just so mad I can hardly stand it. This is another director writer that I'm writing his name down to make sure that I never watch anything but he does again. I'm actually pissed that I spent my time watching this. I had a list of 10 movies I could watch tonight and I chose this one. I'm willing to bet all the other nine would have been a hundred times better. I'm pissed I tell you. I'm pissed.
Apostle (2018)
A Piece of Total Trash Concocted by an Obviously Sick Man
This movie was obviously written by a very sick and deeply troubled man who is serious need of deep psychological help. For the most part this movie is just gore for gore's sake to see how gory can be and how hateful to human beings. Writer/Director Evans has obviously lost all faith in anything. This is his vision because of his life and what has happened in it. I can't see what else would make somebody make this movie. Sad.
If only I could go back in time and tell myself not to watch this movie. The absolute only thing that can redeem this movie in the tiniest bit is the acting of Dan Stevens and the cinematography of Matt Flannery.
But in the end, this is movie is nothing but a snuff film and a gorefest disguised, not so cleverly, as folk horror. Do yourself a favor. Do not watch this movie.
I give this movie zero 0 of 10 Stars.
Organ Trail (2023)
Writer of These Needs Psychological Help
Boy do I regret seeing this movie. Not that it wasn't well done, because it was. Acting, cinematography, etc, was well done. But there are countless hundred, if not thousands of scripts out there, many great ones, waiting to be filmed. This one? This was not one of them? Was this a lesson on how terrible the "Old West" and an attempt to make it less romantic? Well, it sure as heck did that. Was it attempting to entertain? Well that was an epic FAIL. My brain needs an enema after seeing this movie. And the big climax was just stupid. Let's see how depressing we can be. The writer and director need help. Serious help.
Do NOT WASTE your time. I want my time back. What a waste.
Them (2021)
Horror at It's BEST! Do Not Miss!
Wow! What can I say? If you liked the first season, and how couldn't you?, then you won't be able to help but like the second. Did I say lie? LOVE! The husband and I absolutely loved this. The story was outstanding. The acting was incredible. The "bad guy" absolutely needs to be nominated for an Emmy! He was quite simply outstanding, and Deborah Ayorinde as Detective Dawn Reeve was amazing! Top notch! A "modern" story of a classic style horror story and I will have to watch this over and over. Like "The Sixth Sense," it has stuff going on but I've just got to go back and watch and see again now that I know the twists and turns. And boy there was some doozies. And the Revelation at the end neither of us all coming and where that type that almost always figures everything out within the first 15 minutes. Not this time! I hope I hope I hope I hope there's a third season! I absolutely loved it!
Alexander the Great
At Last! The Truth! And Gorgeously Told!
When I was eighteen I read a book, recommended to me by a new female friend, called "The Persian Boy" by the critically acclaimed author Mary Renault. It was all about a young man in ancient Persia who becomes first the pleasure slave to King Darius of Persia. Then, after being defeated in battled by Alexander the Great. What amazed me was that was discovering that Alexander preferred men when it came to love. I went a did only the tinest bit of research, and everywhere I looked it verified that the two major loves of his life were thus Persian "boy," and Hephaestion. He loved Hephaestion so much in fact that he believed that in a previous life they were one soul. POW!
And now, finally, there comes a docudrama that presents Alexander not only as the brilliant general and conquerer that he was, but as a lover of men. In the first episode we see him show his love, very romantically and tastefully PG, to Hephaestion and my heart soared!
This series shows the history right. The battles right. The way ancient peoples perceived the world right. Religious beliefs right. And the actor chosen to play Alexander was a very good physical choice!
This series, for so many, many reasons is brilliant! Do not miss it!
Top10 Studios: True Detective: Night Country Season 4 Episode 1&2 (2024)
Absolutely Brilliant
Incredible, mind-boggling, and amazing. Each episode builds on the next which builds on the next. Edge of the seat, acting beyond brilliant. Writing is some of the best I've ever seen and I've been watching television for 55+ years. The wait each week for the next episode is just terrible. Every time somebody asked me to recommend a new show this is the show that I'm recommending. Jodie Foster and one of her best performances that I've ever seen her in. I've never seen Kali Reis before but I will be waiting and watching to see anything else she's ever in. The chemistry between these two characters is amazing. This is one of the best television shows since I've seen since the first couple of seasons of Lost. Do not miss this show.
Howl (2015)
WOW! HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS MOVIE?
"Howl" is about the most clever werewolf movie I've ever seen! I prefer it to "An American Werewolf in London."
*Gasp!* I know! Some of you think that's sacrilicious. But except for getting to see the heo's beautiful butt, it was far too silly and goofy for me. Note!! I said, "for me." I think the latter couldn't make up it's mind whether it's a horror film or a comedy. I could have liked either, but not one so fully confused in the middle.
"Howl" is a terrific old-fashioned horror movie, not too scary, not too gory, and great sort of werewolf twist to "Last Train to Busan."
"When passengers on a train are attacked by a creature, they must band together in order to survive until morning."
But besides passengers trapped on a train with monsters, the similarity ends. And while that might be considered a pretty big similarity, it is a very different movie. We're getting something far more akin to the glory days of the Universal golden age of monster movies than that modern Korean flick.
However, before being considered a rip-off, it did come out in 2015 and "Last Train..." came out in 2016!
This movie stars Ed Speleers, who played Jean Luc Picard's son in the triumphant final season of "Star Trek: Picard." He's good too as Alpha Trax train guard Joe Griffin doing a shift on an overnight passenger train, which is scheduled to depart London at midnight. He has no idea what he's heading for.
The movie has a different twist or two on the werewolf legend and I liked them all.
How have I never heard of this movie? I will be getting me a copy for sure!
It is directed by Paul Hyett and also stars Sean Pertwee, Holly Weston, Shauna Macdonald, Elliot Cowan, Rosie Day, Calvin Dean, Duncan Preston and Ross Mullan.
If you like werewolf movies, don't miss this film!
Infinity Pool (2023)
Sick Movie Created by a Truly Sick Mind
Fascinating concept but quickly just getting more and more sick. Probably due to the whole concept of once you've done the horrible thing, what is to stop you from going further and further? Why not? You've already allowed this cruel ugly thing to happen, why not just revel in it? The thing is, I really began to feel as if this was just a fantasy of Brandon Cronenberg's. He'd like to murder someone and to do so in a bloody painful way. So after making this movie, maybe his next step will need to be to do the real deed. Because just as the characters had to keep going further to get the same thrill, making this movie won't be get him the same thrill either. Glad I watched this in the daylight. This will certainly cause some bad dreams.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Absolutely Wonderful!
Best MCU movie since "Spider-Mn: No Way Home!" SO good and not to be missed. I cannot wait to see this movie again. Totally stands on its own, but is going to be the next chapter. SOOOOO good! The world-building is some of the best I've seen, very believable. So often, when movie create a totally new world, it is silly and doesn't make sense. Not in this case. And the inhabitants are far more than just actors in corny makeup. This is SO much better than Thor: Love and Thunder. Wonderful fleshing out of characters! Kang was amazing, acted wonderfully! I look forward to where the MCU goes next!!
Bros (2022)
What a WONDERFULLY Refreshing Gay Movie!
Billy Eichner hit it out of the park on every single level. What a wonderful movie! Yes, it is a rom com and of course there were things I knew would happen -- the classic boy meets boy, boy loses boy, boy gets boy back --but it was a rom com and that happens. How wonderful that it was GAY this time! And the BEST thing about it is that the gay men are REALY gay men! Gay men acting like real gay men. With all the silly cringy hilarious sexy weird wonderful things we gay men do. I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Why didn't it do better in the theater! Billy Eichner, you are a genius! Thank you so much for this movie! I will treasure it forever!
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
Well That Was Just As Charming As Could Be!
"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" really was special!
Highly recommended. It was sweet and hilarious and well done and even brought a little tear to my eyes. And that is plenty! Destined to become one of those we watch every year at this time for our family! Wonderful! Loved it!
Plus it has a great rating both by critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes!
From the trailer....
Kraglin: I just saw on the calendar that right now on Earth it's almost Christmas time.
Nebula: We don't have time for trivialities like Christmas.
Mantis: But Peter's so sad about Gamora being gone. Maybe if we go to Earth for a really special gift, it would make him happy. Something he wouldn't forget.
Drax: What about someONE special?
I can't tell you who that someone is because that would be a spoiler. So check it out. You won't be disappointed!
Smile (2022)
Scared The Crap Outta Me ~ Continuously
One of the best horror suspense movies I have seen in a long time. Very well done, great acting, great script, great direction, great soundtrack, the "greats" just go on and on. (Warning! Spoilers follow!!)
The movie reminds me of "If Follows," a movie I loved despite its "unhappy" ending. I am not a fan of horror with unhappy endings. But once in a while, and unhappy ending is a pure definition of horror. Once in awhile I will forgive a story without a happily-ever-after-ending.
And I will forgive the unhappy ending of this movie ~ which obviously sets up a sequel because we SEE why (brilliantly and terrifyingly) the people in the story kill themselves and why, as the main character states, the victims don't see to be themselves at that moment. Despite this, it does keep me personally from giving the movie a 9 or a10 ~ a good writer could have figured out how to have the hero save the day!
Highly recommended. This filled me with dread and I had to watch videos like Hanson's "MMMBop" after watching it or I knew I would never sleep. I love forward to a Part Two!
Star Trek: Voyager: Nemesis (1997)
Do Yourself a Favor, Skip This One and Move On
NOT a fan of this episode. It feels like something written by a barely pubescent boy. It is corny, corny, corny. The author/s made up these words for the "alien" characters, and you could see they thought it was really clever, but it was just annoying. Words like "trunks" instead of trees, and "glimpse" instead of see/saw, "nullified" instead of dead/kill, "new light" instead of morning, "trembling" instead of afraid/scared, "soon after" instead of simply soon, "fast walk" instead of run, etc. The problem is they created far too little words and use these words over and over and OVER and OVER and it quickly becomes so irritating you just want to stop watching the episode and go onto the next one, not caring one bit what happens to any of the characters. The acting of almost every guest star was absolutely terrible and I can only attribute that to the simply terrible dialogue. What were they supposed to do with it? Meryl Streep and Anthony Hopkins couldn't have done anything with the script, let alone all the unknown actors. The slang simply makes no sense. Why would you say "soon after" instead of soon for instance? The big reveal was incredibly disappointing. They fact that it was going to be a twist was broadcast minutes after the theme song. SO boring and this is my second time in seeing it in 25 or more years and it will probably be 25 years before I subject myself to seeing it again.
Blood Fest (2018)
So Bad It's Good?
Fun and terrible and silly and bad and I am glad I saw it but I'll never watch it again. The truth is, the script was pretty darned good and I could just see that if that if this had a budget and maybe a better director it could have been a big hit. A spoof of horror movies and not a total waste of time and while there were a few strikes, there were a few hits as well. If you just want some fun with NO deep thoughts, give this a try. Just don't expect any Oscar anything in this little flick.
American Horror Stories: Drive (2022)
Disappointing
Lack luster acting, lack luster story that has been done 1000 times, and the husband was just boring and weak with no explanation of why he would do the things he did and the main character's motivation was just boring. I love this show and this particular episode was just not up to par.
Firestarter (2022)
Do NOT Pay More Than a Dollar to See This Film
Have you ever sat down to watch a movie, thinking that it was a totally original screenplay, and as you watched you began to think that, wow, this is just such a rip off of some other book that you've read in your life? Or another movie? I mean, it was pretty much completely totally different, but you wondered how in the world the author or screenplay writer of the other story didn't sue the sh*t out of them?
Well that is my review, sort of spoiler free, of the new version of "Firestarter." Made with a budget of about $500 and with a bunch of actors who agreed to do the movie for about $10 a piece.
I watched the extras in pure stunned foggy headed confusion as to how this movie could claim to be called "Firestarter" when about the only similarity between the movie and the book is that the little girl can start fires. I watched these people carry on about how to terrific the practical effects were (they were not--looked liked something a couple of high school nerds cobbled together), and how amazing the acting was (terrible, simply mailed in performances), and how brilliant the writing was (it was not, Scott Teems needs to be horse-whipped).
Unless you can see "Firestarter" for a dollar, which is what we did, my advice is to run. Run as fast and far as you can to get away from this absolutely terrible adaptation. "The Lawnmower Man" was a better adaptation, and Stephen King sued them. And won.
There was absolutely not one shred of chemistry between Zac Efron as the beloved father Andy McGee and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Charlie McGee. NONE. Michael Greyeyes (who at least was Native American this time) was dreadful as Rainbird. Gloria Reuben was a hilarious joke as Captain Hollister. I could go on...but I will not.
I am notating the scriptwriter's name (Scott Teems), and the director's (Keith Thomas), and avoiding anything done by either one of them ever again.
They both need to be run out of town on a rail. It was absolutely PAINFUL to watch. There were times I actually cried from what they had done to the brilliant novel and the wonderful characters within.
As they say in the Jurassic Park movies, "Run!!!!"
Love Immortal (2019)
I Tried...I Really Did....
But I only made it 24:20 and simply couldn't get through any more. Music is staggeringly bad, I think my dog could have done better walking over a keyboard. The acting is roughly that of a Jr High School production. NONE of these people are going on to win Oscars and looking aback in embarrassment. I can only imagine the actors were friends of the creator of this show. I hope someone else likes it, but the third time blood the color of tomato soup drooled out of a vampire's mouth for no reason at all, I couldn't bear to go any further....
Book of Love (2022)
Delightful Different Love Story
I loved this movie so much. And I see a lot of movies. And I love RomComs, and this one was delightfully different. It has what so many have...Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again....but I don't think that's a spoiler. Everyone who loves a good romance movie or book knows that trope going in.
The two main characters were delightful for many reasons. Not only were they believeable and acted like REAL people, but they were a little atypical. Sure it was the opposites attract. And it was that subset of romances that is hate at first sight turns into more....but again, see the preview and know that when you are going in. But what I like about this is that they were just so real! They didn't feel like the two-dimensional characters of so many Hallmark love stories.
The two main actors, Sam Claflin as Henry Copper and Verónica Echegui as Maria Rodríguez, took two characters that could have been so boring and typical and cliché, and breathed wondrous life into them. I BELIEVED in them! I felt and I identified so much with both of them, loved watching them fall in love, resist it, and more. I will watch this over an d over again. This movie made me so happy.
And it ended on the perfect note! SEE THIS MOVIE!
Death Ship (1980)
Truly And Honestly About the Worst Movie I Have EVER Seen
As I said in my title, this was truly and honestly one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life, from directing, to editing (simply horrible), to writing, to the score (painfully bad), to the acting. What shocked me was how bad that acting was, especially considering wonderful actors like George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, and Nick Mancuso. Terrible, terrible movie. Shockingly stunningly bad. I thought the remake was bad. Now I see that it was Oscar worthy compared to this film!
I Am Legend (2007)
Worst of the Three
I was so excited when a version of this movie came out that actually had the title of the original classic by the immortal Richard Matheson. But it is terrible. And spear-heading that is the simply terrible Will Smith who can NOT act. He is exactly the same in every single movie he is in. I could barley sit through this and the only reason I did was to see all three film version of the book. Do NOT waster your time with this movie. Simply terrible on all fronts.
Moon Knight (2022)
Just Watched The First Episode of Moon Knight And Oh...My...God(s)
Marvel Studios has done it again. Over and over again they constantly and consistently turning out the highest product ever. DC and Warner Bros just can't figure it out. That these shows are more than fights and chases and costumes, It is people. It is being able to identify with the characters. It is even sympathizing with the "villains." And it is finding the best people in their fields to help make their shows.
Absolutely amazing. Unlike anything Marvel Studios has done with the MCU so far! The writing! The pacing! The mysteries! The acting!!! So edge of your seat. So intriguing! So Oh-My-God(s in this case) I-Have-To Wait A Week For The Next Episode!!! Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawk were fantastic-but then Marvel has a way of attracted some of the best actors who are alive today. Don't miss this show! It is NOT your typical superhero show. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure what kind of show it is. Don't miss!
Asylum of Fear (2018)
Insanely Bad - Couldn't Even Finish Watching It
I had been warned by other raters here, but one or two went on about how unfair those ratings were (filmchic101 was one of them) so I gave it a chance, thinking it might be so bad is was good. No such luck. Do NOT pay attention to filmchic101! This movie is dreadful and the acting is so horribly bad my back teeth started hurting, especially, Michael Medford as Shane Miller (there are no words to describe how bad he was) and James Doherty (while very cute and sexy) as Zak was just painful to watch. They're the main reasons I had to STOP watching. That and it all is just terrible. Bad specials, bad filming, bad editing, bad bad bad bad. Callie Deering as Nicky Miller was the only one who looked like she could have talent. Avoid "Asylum of Fear" at all costs! Otherwise you just might go insane! Shame on Paramount+ for including this in their offerings. Shame!
Funny Games (2007)
Stay Away From This Deeply Sick Snuff Film -- Be Warned
Michael Haneke, director and writer of this sick movie, is obviously a very disturbed individual, and would probably be a serial killer himself, but too scared to go through with it, so he made this movie for his sick entertainment. There is something wrong with this man and I don't know how he got actors of the caliber of Naomi Watts and George Roth to be in it. In fact the latter said making this movie traumatized him and he will never watch it. I wish I hadn't. I'm scarred by it and will never watch it again and will get the out the word so as few people watch it as possible. This is nothing but a snuff film, was badly directed, the cinematography is bad, the editing is bad and choppy, badly paced. Amateurish at best, Michael Haneke needs to be locked up in hospital for the rest of his life before he actually kills someone. The worst slasher movie is more entertaining than this and I'll never see anything the director did again.