A collection of brilliant in-jokes cobbled together into a coherent web series, Plat It Again, Dick is a love letter to Veronica Mars fans that will cause Marshmallows to burst out in riotous laughter while making non-V.M. watchers scratch their heads at the idiocy on display. Don't be fooled by its rough-around-the-edges look, either. There is subtlety and nuance in its construction, with as many jabs taken at Hollywood & filmmaking as there are at the Mars mothership. (Pay attention to the sloppy editing & production values happening in the background of the show-within-the-show.) This makes sense given Rob Thomas + some Mars alums' work on Party Down; and like on that show the cast are all-in on the jokes, with everyone involved doing campy send-ups of themselves. (Percy Diggs III's hilarious take on himself is the series' stand-out, with Enrico Colatoni coming in a close second.) This little web series is a Must Watch for any Marshmallow, but totally skippable for casual fans of the series.
Was at this show when they were taping. It was amazing.
One of the greatest bad movies of all time, Highlander is a landmark of 1980s filmmaking for both its high-concept story and chintzy production quality. The acting is all over the place, but in the moments where it really counts everybody steps up their performances. Sean Connery makes one of his most memorable turns as an ancient mentor, and Clancy Brown is one of the decade's most iconic villains. Looking back from almost 40 years later one can see all of the tropes and plot holes that we'd now call lazy writing, as well as the lackluster fight choreography, but one cannot deny that the world the writers created is one that has endured. Every time I watch, I find myself wishing for more Ramirez, more Kurgan, and more mythology.
As someone who came of age in Boston just before and after the Charles Stuart case, this documentary series hit like a gut punch. I was a white kid in an ethnically mixed "border region" between a mostly-Black neighborhood and an all-white one. It is incredible how the filmmakers were able to accurately capture the tension that ran throughout the Black parts of the city in the immediate aftermath of the crime - especially in neighborhoods like mine - as well as the perspective of the white citizens who were feeling threatened by the violence that was raging through the ghettoized areas, and now seems poised to directly threaten them. Particularly haunting to me were the comments made by the unrepentant police detective, who is hopelessly lost in the white supremacist methods and attitudes of his day. I had a police officer in my family around that time and I heard some of the exact same things from them.
For anyone who did not live through this epoch-defining period of Boston history, this series is a must-watch.
Like its first season, Luke Cage's sophomore effort starts off with tons of promise. The look, feel and style of the series remains ambitious and gritty. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that there is too little story stretched out over too many episodes. While the writers don't make the same mistake that they did in season 1 by splitting everything between two competing villains/arcs, what remains is S-L-O-W to develop. The endless talking and silly character turns feel like so much fluff, which detracts from the generally OK plot. The main cast is all gangbusters, with Alfre Woodard again standing out with her damaged, diabolical portrayal of Black Mariah, and Theo Rossi gets a special shout out for his deliciously complex, heartbreaking Shades. Unfortunately, the bright moments in each players' performances are lost in the muddle of filler scenes. Had this season been 6-8 episodes it would have been stellar. Instead, it was all but forgettable.
Astonishingly, Strange New Worlds' writers have taken a supremely difficult road yet produced a story that feels cheap and lazy. As if using a musical episode to get themselves out of the plot corners that they'd written themselves into wasn't bad enough, the songs were cringe-worthy and the premise was beyond absurd. Normally I give points for ambition when big swings are taken by TV shows, but from the first scene this episode felt like an escape hatch for storylines that we all knew were doomed when they started. It made the viewing experience feel hollow and performative. This episode was an abysmal mess.
Boring. Bloated. Baffling. After a breakout first season, Strange New Worlds' writers seem intent on falling back on familiar tropes. "Lost in Translation" is a formulaic "One crewmember is hallucinating but everybody is convinced it's exhaustion or something else until an event proves that it isn't and it turns out that only they have the key to saving the day" episode- one we've seen countless times before. Only this time, thanks to the show not being on broadcast TV, it comes with an extra 12 minutes of runtime. Given the absurd predictability of the plot the main draw of the piece is the fan service, which is illustrated by yet another appearance of Lt. James Kirk. It felt as if the powers that be on this show got so excited to give us "First Contact" scenes between Kirk & Uhura, and then Kirk & Spock that they didn't bother to come up with an interesting main storyline, or even a compelling B plot. (Rebecca Romijn & Carol Kane have zero chemistry.) I keep hoping that this show will be as good as it was in season 1. I guess that I'll have to keep waiting.
"I stole a loaf of meth." = The best-constructed joke of the entire series run. Absolute genius.
Ben Affleck pulls off a neat trick with Air; he's made a movie that takes place almost exclusively inside an office compelling viewing. Yes, it's predictable (unless you've never heard of Michael Jordan or his eponymous sneaker), and yes it's a dramatized version of history where the (very) rough edges around the main character have been smoothed over. But this is not a documentary. As a piece of theatrical entertainment it's pretty awesome. And the cast all bring it. Matt Damon is fun to watch as Sonny Vaccaro, and Viola Davis is just the perfect mix of nice, polite, and hard-nosed negotiator. Their scenes together are magnetic. And Damon & Affleck's chemistry is still there after all these years. Definitely worth your valuable time.
Such a beautiful message, with some heartfelt performances. Unfortunately they're done a disservice by sappy directing and broadcast network-level writing. Instead of letting the story breathe and scenes speak for themselves, several sections of the episode are shot like a PSA, while others play out like an Afterschool Special. It's also a shame that such an important topic is diminished by unsophisticated writing that never acknowledges the understandable and legitimate (to them) concerns of the opposition, and reduces them to a single token "Karen." This episode being out in the world is a good thing. Full stop. I just wish that it had been great.
When it comes to Aaron Sorkin, you rate on a different scale. At least that's what I do. And that scale is how good one of his episodes is the 2nd or 3rd time through. Unfortunately, this is probably the least re-watchable episode of The Newsroom's first season, as Sorkin's romantic relationship banter, while as thrilling to listen to the first time around as any of his other dialogue, is also the most shallow & least insightful. It lacks the emotional resonance of his political and industry-focused stuff. And this episode is heavy on the dating storylines. But those last 15 minutes... Damn. While everything before the final act would rate as a 5 (on the Sorkin scale), that last section gets an 8 all on its own. It's Sorkin at his frenetic best, with a cast that absolutely knocks it out of the park.
An absolutely stunning hour of television with a triumph of a performance from Nick Offerman. Gorgeously crafted so that the horror comes from your own expectations based on the genre + what has come before in the series so far. And it was an amazing adaptation from the game in that it introduced a vital character and moved the story along as it needed to, but in a new and exciting way. This did NOT go the way that I (or anyone who has played the game) thought it would- and that's a good thing.
Director Tali Shalom-Ezer's slow, deliberate pacing and simple shots almost make it feel like this emotionally complex tale is telling itself. (The recurring final meals are a cool device, and make for a nice payoff at the end.) While these choices cause the film to drag in some places, those moments don't last very long thanks to the gorgeous, intense performance from Elliott Page. Kate Mara keeps up and holds her own, but never quite matches the emotional rush of Page- especially in the final act. Pacing aside, my only quibble with the film is that the relationship at its center - between Lucy & Mercy - seems to come out of nowhere. Then again, maybe a look from a distance (both physical & political) is all that it takes for two lesbians to recognize a potential love interest. I wouldn't know. :wink:
Not a bad episode. Kinda fun. The mid-credits scene is the best part. Absolutely LOL-ed.
Kevin Bacon gives a quiet, moving performance (which I think is one of his all-time best), in this patient, poignant film that is as fascinating as it is tear-jerking. Ross Katz' understated direction keeps the focus tight on Pfc. Phelps, yet gives space for the people who encounter him during his journey to be affected. This is a small movie, but it's got some of the most incredible acting from minor roles as well as background & bit players that I've ever seen. It feels like everyone involved in this movie came to it with a sense of reverence, which gives all of the major story beats that much more punch. A hidden gem.
A gorgeous film that is, unfortunately, a little too plodding for my taste. Naomi Watts gives a spectacular performance to go along with the stunning cinematography. I especially loved the shots of Pam going through the motions of life; it was very grounding. Unfortunately, the same deliberate pacing doesn't work well in the second act, where the rescue story develops. It just feels hollow somehow- especially since it's based on a true story and the ending is well-known. Also, as a New Englander, I know that the mountains of Slovenia don't look anything like the White Mountains of New Hampshire. (Or maybe I just know the region too well to suspend my disbelief and let the similarities overshadow the geographic inconsistencies.) All-in-all, this is an ambitious movie where the parts are greater than the sum, and that's too bad.
A tragically simplified, dumbed-down remake of one of the best sci-fi concepts of the previous generation. A parole officer & social worker getting thrown into a top secret government response to an event like this? Silly. Filled with simpleton dialogue, absurdly unrelatable characters, and rushed character development, I could not have been more disappointed. The original 4400 deserved better than this.
A top-notch drama for political & legal junkies. All others may be bored to tears. For those who get through it, the imperfect (true) ending will also bring you to tears- both for its depiction of the brief glimmers of bipartisan cooperation & reverence for American values, as well as the heartbreaking lack of accountability or remorse from those involved. It's a tough watch, but Adam Driver's stoic performance and the story that it tells makes it a vital one.
I've never been more thankful for torrents than after watching this dreck. So glad that I didn't pay money for this.
Heartbreakingly miserable. Disjointed. Empty. Filled with plot holes, inconsistent leaps of logic, multiple deus ex machina-s, and criminally lazy writing. (More Death Star lasers? Really?) Disney's unrivaled, groundbreaking success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes their utter failure to construct a single decent film in their Star Wars sequel trilogy all the more glaring. Not only have they reduced a genre-defining epic into a series of forgettable, run-of-the-mill tentpole films, but they've turned this rabid Star Wars fanatic into someone who can hardly be bothered to follow any of their Star Wars properties anymore. Such a shame.
Brilliantly constructed and filled with fine performances, the move somehow feels slightly hollow and wanting. Maybe I wanted it to be more about Fred Rogers. Maybe I wanted it to hew closer to real life. Maybe what I wanted was a deeper, more enriched film than the documentary Won't You Be My neighbor?, which is, of course, an impossible ask... Maybe it's just better to watch this and then follow it up with the documentary instead of the other way around. Go out on an up note.
