jaysonbyrd2k Reviews

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Very good, but not great...

[8/10 · 11 January 2008]

While I can't find anything technically wrong with "No Country For Old Men", I still can't call it great. It has been compared to the Coens' own GREAT crime caper "Fargo(1996)", and that's pretty fair. Looking at the two movies side by side, they do have a lot in common. However, "No Country For Old Men", unlike "Fargo", is almost entirely without humor. And, it offers very few incidental pleasures, e.g., no great musical score to enhance the mood, and only one or two memorable supporting characters.

"No Country For Old Men" was not based on an original screenplay by the two brothers. It is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. It is the first time they've adapted someone else's material, and it shows. There's no zest, no gusto, and no desire to blow our minds. For whatever reason, they've decided to make a straight-forward movie, albeit a taut, dutiful, and effective one. Here's hoping they get back to developing their own stories.

Profit (1996–1997)

A total masterpiece!

[9 December 2002]

I remember saying, way back in 1996, that "Profit" is the best television show I've ever seen. And I have been watching television for years...decades. When they decided to run "Profit" on TRIO as part of its "brilliant..but overlooked" collection of canceled television series, I thanked God that after all of these years, I was going to get to see the remaining 4 episodes that never aired back then. Also, I was curious to see if I would find the show to be as brilliant as I did at the time. Six years had passed. But after only five minutes of listening to Pasdar's velvety, whisper-like voice, and seeing him curled up in that box, I was back under the shows irresistible spell. I felt like I was watching the show for the first time. Completely spellbound, captivated, riveted, etc. The casting, writing, and direction of this series is pure perfection. We'll never see anything this great again (from network television).

X-Men (2000)

Spectacular, intelligent, and heart-felt. NOT your average summer movie.

[10/10 · 16 July 2000]

After seeing "X-Men" today, I decided to check out some print reviews. Many critics liked this film, but some didn't. That's not particularly unusual, but what is unusual is some of their reasons for doing so (of the X-Men dissenters, I mean). Some say that the film is too serious. What...are they saying they would rather have seen another dim-witted, idiot summer movie filled with one-liners? We ready have that in "Judge Dread," Godzilla," and "Batman & Robin." When they see a mindless movie, they complain that it isn't serious enough. When they do see a serious movie they complain that it isn't campy enough. They're all a bunch of winers if you ask me. Do not listen to them. Go see this movie!