Drolling. Enclosed. Drawn out. Unintelligible. Purposeless. Crisis of complexity amidst simple room locations, a hospital bed, a series of hallways and a graveyard. The filmmakers intentions about “deep” characters don’t translate when they don’t do the things a show needs to do for such emotional connections to be made. So in a sense, presumptive -as if the voices in the writing room are demanding you get it. Unfortunately, I get it - extending episodes and boring characters beyond what is earned means miserable writers got paid and you got robbed of time. Had to watch in 3 separate viewings over 15-20 minute intervals to finish. By 30 mins in I felt like the episode was 700 hours long. Something about how incredibly boring, slow and bad it is that gamifies getting through each nano-minute. Can’t wait for the next gripping long shot of a monkey vomiting, a grave stone or stone faced character looking into the distance.
30 minutes in, wish i was 30 minutes into reruns of anything else. Whats the value of these garbage shows that hook you at first but spiral into nothing burgers. I hear my screenwriter professor screaming “Why do I care about any of these characters ?!” Yet this show returns silence, a meaningless droll down talkie talk talk long tension no relief street. finished watching this episode and im totally wondering why do i give a shit about this rando dude buying a star to lana del ray? It seems like Mark Zuckerberg has the hots for the other rando scientist who is really dramatic about her dumb nuclear idea. Like, why should i care about these characters!
What a labor to watch. It’s clear the writers thought they tapped into something -but apocalyptic scenarios are not hard to find on tv, so they really didn’t. The idea seemed to be “lets show these characters humanity instead of the impending doom of other apocalypse themed shows.”
Unfortunately, its moments of doing that is exactly where it falters. You can’t expect an audience to give a wholesome reception to characters they don’t care for. I didn’t see evidence of why an audience should care for anyone here :from Carol to her nudist parents and their lover/nurse on some cruise, her workplace friends and a random dude named Jeff. Entire episodes are committed to subplots of these characters. I’m reminded of the “never do” writers rule, “Don’t put a hat on hat.” This show layers little boring hats on its premise - the actual hat, they are all facing imminent doom. Without spoiling the arcs of these cartoon people in their final months the show seems like some overqualified writers needed a gig during the pandemic and wrote a season off a 3 line treatment. If you want to just lean back and follow their little hats, fine, but don’t expect big laughs or memories.
Watching credits now as I write this. I split viewings into 30 min chunks (strangely if you do the same it cuts right at 30 minute parts perfectly.) So Ive spent around 5-6 days watching and processing slowly. That being said, it is relatively unwatchable: Could not have sat through this in a theater beyond 10 minutes. Timmy is super mid. Zendaya is a’ight. The rest of the cast is from Guardians of the Galaxy and Prometheus. It plays like a slowly moving sand painting. If you’re into that. The best 30 minutes “section” probably the one before the final act when Timmy micro-balls Mad deep grows a pair. Beyond that would never watch this again, just like the first long tiring snooze fest. Spare me with this over dramatic Dennis Villanueve circle jerk, Arrival wasn’t good, his BladeRunner also super garbage. Twelve thumbs down from all the Benny Jezerits in this hizzy.
Cheap cop out way of writing an ending. The intended effect Safdie was going for was everyone will wonder, “why all the gentrification themed - non-magical realism 9 previous episodes?” They’ll think he’s a genius but realize theres little rewatch value. For this ending? Nah. Safdies character was cringe, the episodes were cringe. Stone and Fielder made the experiment slightly watchable but I see this series as sealing Safdie for me as having gone beyond his expertise. It seems he was given an opportunity by the studio with the seed of an idea that never really grows up - rather it just evaporates.
Safdie cant carry a scene let alone the show and he’s in 95% of this episode just being the worst.
Concept : 8.7, Acting : 9.4, Rewatch value : 10, Overall Vibe : 9.2, Lack of Jonah Hill/Seth Rogan/Michael Cera/The guy with the shnoz : 10, Cinematography: 10, Lack of Tommy Lee Jones : 9.6, Lack of Al Pacino : 4
Watch it for George C Scott dressing up as a porno director.
Feels like Safdie and Fielder met over a sabbath meal in Toronto, Safdie wrote himself a little show with Fielder as his cameo, probably sent a bunch of money of Israel with the cash out, ran over brown children in Astoria, Queens and proceeded to make a self-masturbatory snooze-o-matic that puts Nathan down and him as a hebrew travis brickell grand mastering a goyim
rich girls colonizer fantasy while taking pot shots at a Somali family and Native-Americans. Sry for the run on sentance, but this show made by these particular people who used the subject matter and other cultures the way its done, seems slightly psychotic in execution and projection.
Safdies and Fielder - not exactly an incredible combo. He should of done another season of The Rehearsal or his og show. The “Nathan” we know and love isn’t plugging and playing quite the way we wanted here. Emma stone gives tho.
Was another fine hilarious season we should be grateful we got. Laughs in every scene, every episode, a solid plot arc, conflict. These comments however are absolutely insufferable. Bunch of energy vampires up in here! You make Colin Ferguson proud.
I really wanted to like it. I was mildly amused in ep1 but ep2’s intro was such a turn-off, some straight never do comedy (because it doesn’t feel good to watch i wont say what.) The grossness made my amygdala say “threat to chill vibes! threat to chill vibes!” Yea, so sorry Mel - you were my idol and whatever the f-ck happened to make you think Nick Kroll needs to be literally in every single sketch I have no idea. Kroll dominated in what I watched in a way I can only say seemed like he was a rich kid who demanded being in every sequence type of way without bringing any comedic value. Look, Kroll can be watchable. I’m not hatin’ the security company behind 911s nepo baby but c’mon dude absolutely blows chunks in every sketch here. A piece of pastrami in the wind would of been funnier. Hard pass!
No way he’s not in on it. The actors around him are not exactly Meisner Method actors. To do a prank over this many days with actors and cameras needs improv pros and camera olympiads, its impossible. With that being said there’s lolz for sure, but is it Nathan For You/Rehearsal level believability? Sad to say, by episode 3 the guys in on it. Who cares though. Why do I care? This and other BS on my next Trakt comment. Follow me.
If you search for “The Colony”, a film a year has been named with this title. How does Hollywood churn out movies with the same title? Does cast and crew think whatever “The Colony” is most current wins the Queens prize? This “The Colony” movie is a 2021 Fogtopia (note how I didnt say “dys”) and can neatly be placed in the hot garbage category. Seems like a tax write off for the producer. I want to diss this harder but cant be bothered. Enjoy!
Despite its questionable premise, the movie is a surprisingly heartfelt and hilarious journey if you can bear the idea of your parents cat-fishing you
The comedic performances by legends Patton Oswalt and Rachel Dratch (of SNL fame) are excellent, and their chemistry is palpable. Together these two can carry the film and at times I wish they did. Oswalt's portrayal of Chuck, a hopelessly estranged and morally bankrupt father, is especially noteworthy. His character's journey is executed with comedic precision and emotional warmth, making it one of the highlights of the movie.
The movie is also introduces the world to James Morosini's directing talents who also is the lead actor (Oswalts seemingly autistic son.) Morosini's direction and storytelling are solid, and the movie is filled with moments of insight, humor, and heart. His acting brings Jake Gyllenhalls Donnie Darko performance to mind (without the bunny rabbits.)
Overall, "I Love My Dad" is a 6.5 film, enjoyable and thought-provoking enough that is sure to entertain. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh, who can endure the cringe factor of watching a son be hoodwinked into loving an internet avatar by his own father, and to those who are interested in the work of Patton Oswalt and Rachel Dratch.
Great well researched and thoroughly comprehensive documentary on the board game world. Yes, it a global phenomenon and yes, it's not as easy as "Oh, let me make a board game." You'll come away learning all the major and minor players along with how kickstarter has become the go-to platform to get games made (if you dare.) Balanced with interviews with creators of Trekking The National Parks, Settler of Catan, Thug Life, Exploding Kittens, Arranged, Pandemic, Rising Sun, Qwirkle, Rayguns and Rockets, Dice Tower, Ice Cool, and Keltis to name a few.
Also get's into the lives of the games designers, some of whom struggle to get pieces made. One sequence outlines the 15 different suppliers a board game designer needs - CRAZY distribution lines in this industry. Another designers family kicks him to the curb mid game design. He has PTSD from Kosovo and gets into how games helped him -- as much as it could have considering his situation. Yet another personal story shows a girl completely kicked out of her culture for her game. Overall there seems to be psychological aspects with designers revolving around neglect, impulsivity, and family dynamics. What I surmised seeing all the different cultures examined is that the core of a successful board game is family support of the designer or the family being the actual creator and their legacy for generations is this one game or a massive multi-pronged alliance made with the big companies. So in effect, a corporate family of support. The litte guys all got overwhelmed and seemed somewhat stressed to the marrow (other than Rayguns and Rockets guy, who ironically had his daughter making the graphics for the art.) Nashra Balagamwala the pakistani creator of Arranged is drop dead gorgeous by the way, although I do wonder if she was kicked out of her culture how Arrange could possible become a hit.
Well worth the watch for any creative person out there to see what you're up against. The stuff you need to be made out of to be able to pull off the next Monopoly. ;)
Don DeLillo wrote White Noise (the book) way back in the 80s. Baumbachs screen adaptation here is a hilarious existential crisis stream of consciousness film where Kylo Ren is a H:tler expert, his wife Frances Ha is hopped up on 'Dylar' trying to fend off her fear of death and a cloud of gas is unleashed on their little 80s retro-style suburb. I wonder if the other non-meta thinking commentors watched Wandavision and thought "This is a real pretentious sitcom!" It's satire about academia and family life. Note that - it's satire about ACADEMIA and FAMILY LIFE. I'm repeating that because some of the others didn't get that and saw the film as pretending to be academic. IT"S RIFFING ON IT NOT BEING IT. How you can look at Don Cheadles professor of "Elvis Studies" in any other way but hilariously, is beyond me. Lighten up tankies! The war is in the mind not in the universities on your children!
Despite a conventional narrative this film relies on engaging into intellectual combat with you, the audience, as if it was the book. Advertising, media and consumerism are its own character in the film - occupying the background or 'white noise' around the family. This is important to grasp or else you will be turned off by the cacophony and quick pacing of the scenes. It's not hiding it's literary connection to post-modernism so the dialogue is RICH IRONY and the scenes are high-satire concept. That means two things, it's not for your average bear and if you do get it, it delivers the good a'plenty. For other appreciators of good things this has REWATCH value. If you have not considered the futility of your own mortality in false inflation post-pandemic greedworld you will struggle to understand Baumbachs pseudo-metaphorical pandemic told via DeMilos early 80s polemic. If you are muddling through since lockdown and wondering if there will ever be normality in media dominated, soma dependance culture - this movie is for you.
2 Parts Wes Anderson 2 parts Paul Thomas Anderson 2 parts Godard and 2 parts Salvador Dali.
puff piece for ek, no story or character building, pure propaganda for a streaming service, remarkably awful sequences on par with a B movie.
I have no idea what’s going on, the show is moving at warp speed. Everything is on the line. Everyone is in crisis mode. The empire characters are up against a wall. This ragtag team with Andor are totes in survival mode. Talk about stacking stakes. Honestly its dope though — feels like Star Wars should be.
Cringe-fest. Unwatchable amateur writing lead by an equally unrelatable and downright amateur actress who literally has zero credits to her name. How does sh:t like this get greenlit? So much wasted money and potential. Seems like AMC got grifted by some Dubai investment firm who need to launder money on a garbage production with D-level actors:
I relate with wanting to play out a timeline where I have a son — for a few hours. I can also see how Nathan fans who have kids and are living their best lives in Oregon with family (or in a 2br rental with a kid) won’t relate. Quite possibly some single moms will get bent on Nathans apparent inability to have foreseen the kid getting attached. It happened to me as a kid. A natural consequence of sh:tty fathers. That's what I saw as Nathan tackled with what he had done. I saw all my mother's boyfriends realizing how immoral it was to fake dad me. If it gives you single moms any recompense this will likely be a lifelong issue for your boy to not have a good dad. Chances are the kid in the show continues to look for a dad until he is one, or at least until some politician becomes his daddy.
Those contradistinctions is what makes Nathan Felder a growing meta-cognitive comedian who hits us all in differing ways. His trying to figure out peoples dreams until he is left alone to figure out his own. That is what makes The Rehearsal’s final moral message so poignant to our times; the grass of our lives may not necessarily be greener after our futile manifestations arrive even with infinite rehearsals but "monkeys paw" and all -- the show must go on. Or better said by the late Buddhist monk Thicht Nhat Hanh, when asked by a disciple, "Master what is the best path in life?" He replied simply, "Decency is the absence of strategy." And it seems that is what Nathan has learned here at least until his next wild concept meta-comedy show. You may have gotten something else or maybe nothing. Just a stare into the screen wishing for another "Nathan for you" to soothe whatever rehearsal you're in the middle of.
Love the sense of space this movie creates. The dialogue about architecture in Columbus is super interesting too. Architecture fans gonna love this movie. Not many like it. What makes it though is the small details like how the shots are composed and the actors contrasting situations. It feels overall like the entire film forces you to examine opposites in yourself and where you’re stuck. I’m saying this because Cho’s character is having to face his dad not being their for him but now having to be present for his father in a coma. And Haley Richardsons character must leave her mom to become somebody in a life.
Don’t get this movie wrong! It tackles huge shifts people need to make in life with a gentle slow hand.
Was surprised how great this was, the dramatizations of Madonnas life were :100:, felt like her and the time. Great stories from her early roommates and bf’s!
Worth it for Dunsts mellifluous mounds of memories. The scene she rolls 10
phat boys in her bra is the new American tradition amongst the gals. Very representative of the inner world of a blonde with a house and sh:t ton of ganja. If your life is 24/7 puff puff and you lost your mission in life, check out this sleeper hit. Underestimate d!
Entirely watchable! Carrie fischer did a splendid job as mocap tiny version of Leia! Incredible work by H.Allen Smith as Vader, how he went from writing “Life in a Putty Knife Factory”, to Josh Starsons stand-in was a •Skywalkerian” summer (if ya know what I mean!). Speaking of which, great job on lighting - we never once saw the boom mic from stage top. Imma exit stage left now but ya’ll to on with your clone wars! Have a gluten free yom kippur!
Inferior film for an inferior generation. Go watch “Chiens savants: la danse serpentine “ from 1898 - the real first Venom film.
Straight trash. Principal photography hasn’t even started but call me Nostradamus, the third Venom be him versus hippopotamus. :smirk:
Every scene was hilarious. Patton Oswald fit right in. Even the opening scene I was like, WTF is going on? This is comedy gold.
The Osho doc on NetFlix was much more interesting. The XViM cult documentary on Showtime was also a bit more interesting as far as religious cult documentaries go. This one is dry and the “cult leader” is a privileged bro. I guess its Discovery+ channels approach. I found it like the Fire fest doc and the “cult leader” profiled not that interesting.
I tolerated the first episode, but honestly this second episoder is pure cringe. Elizabeth Holmes is portrayed not as a grifter POS but a hip-hop loving nymphomaniac who breaks out in dance every five minutes. And the rest of the cast has suddenly become terrible versions of a Judd Apatow movie.
