daughterofolaf Reviews

Unsolved Mysteries: Mystery at Mile Marker 45 (2022) Season 3, Episode 1

Not sure why so many people think this is not an unsolved mystery...

[7/10 · 1 November 2022]

I am kind of surprised at how many reviews here are taking the stance that this was clearly a case of suicide and should not have been part of the series. I completely disagree! COULD it have been a suicide? Yes, absolutely. But is there enough evidence to cast doubt on it being a suicide? Unless a significant number of details/pieces of evidence are complete fabrications, then yes.

Like another reviewer stated, I am not going to opine on the case itself but rather on the episode, which is the point. I liked this episode because to me the events do all seem quite bizarre. But the episode is also highly frustrating because there are huge pieces of the story that are presented to the viewer and then simply dropped, not explored, not mentioned again, or not explained and I do not know why.

The incident with the girl's friend and the credit card fraud seems significant (at least we are to assume it is or else it would not have been mentioned), yet it is brought up once and then dropped. The fact that at least one of her friends stated that she was not happy and was depressed, etc., is shown but then nothing more is said about it (granted the girl seemed like a dolt and every other word she said was "like," so not very articulate and maybe there was simply nothing more to it than that). The fact that the train engineers gave conflicting, changing stories and one of them seemed to have flat out lied at one point (first said he saw it happen, then said he was not even looking at the tracks and saw nothing) is weird and never explored.

The most incredibly bizarre part of this episode, and the one which is easily the most frustrating because it is not explained, is the guy who said he heard three young men talking in great detail about the abduction, torture and murder of this girl--he even provided details to the police based on what he heard them say. Yet when those three young men were questioned by police they claimed to have no clue what the other guy was talking about and that they never had any discussion about the girl whatsoever and knew nothing about any of it aside from hearing she had killed herself. And that is the end of it. How on earth is this even possible? Was the other guy completely making the story up? Or were the three men lying? Why is something so huge not explained or discussed more?

The other aspect of this episode that made me uncomfortable was how exploitative it felt in terms of the family's grief--particularly the mother. She seems a bit mental, for lack of a better term, because of this event. Watching her at her creepy shrine to her daughter, writing messages or wishes or whatever they were and putting them in a box in the shrine, kissing the photos, it was all just too much. It creeped me out because I felt the behavior was really bizarre no matter how tragic the event was, and then I immediately felt bad for judging this woman who has been through something so horrendous. The bottom line is we probably should not be watching that sort of activity. This is all probably on me, but I feel the need to include that part because it really was weird.

As with other episodes, this one could have been told in half the time it took. But overall I believe there IS enough of a mystery here that the story does have a place in the show.

Unsolved Mysteries: Death in a Vegas Motel (2022) Season 3, Episode 4

Baffled as to why this case was selected for the show...

[4/10 · 1 November 2022]

I hate to say how disappointed I am with this season but I am. Season three seems to consistently be the point that Netflix screws up good shows and apparently Unsolved Mysteries is no exception (although I suppose it had some issues from the start).

Death in A Vegas Motel is hardly a huge mystery. To a layman watching the show, it seems 100% clear what happened and who did it based on the circumstances and evidence presented in the episode. The family and the authorities seem to know exactly what happened and who did it. The hooker clearly knows what happened and was likely directly involved.

It is very unfortunate that no one has been prosecuted in the case, and my heart goes out to this man's family for their loss and lack of justice for him. However, as sad and upsetting as that is, there seems to be very little that is truly unsolved here. Perhaps the only mystery is who physically killed this man--most likely a cronie for the man who was clearly responsible for organizing it. This is a story about a lack of justice, not a story about a mystery that is unsolved.

This entire story could have been told in less than half the time it took. The episode is unnecessarily bloated with redundant information, dragged out by revealing bits and pieces of the case trying to make it seem more mysterious than it is, and with extensive testimonials about how sad people are over the loss of this man. I get that these people are grieving but that does not a mystery make.

It is clear that the goal of the Netflix series is not truly to solve mysteries like the original series, but simply to produce more slick, high production value true crime stories. I am all for true crime shows and Netflix generally does them better than any, but this episode is a shining example of what is wrong with this particular show.

Broken Vows (2014)

Wes Bentley has some car payments due, I guess.

[4/10 · 22 December 2019]

The setup for this movie is silly. An engaged girl, Tara, meets a bartender, Patrick, at a really stupid pseudo-sex-freak club shortly before her wedding. The awfulness hits right out of the gate. The director did a really bad job of portraying this weirdo freak club. I'm guessing the intent was to show something like what we see in Single White Female but instead it just looks like some idiots in bad clown makeup hanging out at a high end bar that was used during daytime hours to shoot this scene. Patrick is covered in tattoos and appears to be on the Gumby workout plan. He is obsessed with Tara literally from the second he lays eyes on her, he acts crazy from the get-go and he wears a ring on his index finger so we know for sure he's nuts. Even though Patrick acts bizarrely intense from the moment Tara first speaks to him, he seems to make her uncomfortable immediately, and she seems to have no doubts about getting married, Patrick is kind of hot so naturally she sleeps with him. Despite the fact that he acts like a straight up freak from minute one, Tara is shocked after waking up post-bow-chicka-bow-wow to find him acting like...well, a freak.

The acting isn't great but it could be worse considering how awful the movie is. The one exception being the girl who plays the sister-holy Toledo, she must be the director's sister or something. I hope her family didn't gather around to watch her in this because that would just be awkward for everyone. Wes Bentley is good as he always is and I commend him for being able to deliver anything in this dumpster fire of a movie. It's just a shame this is the kind of garbage he is doing now. Maybe he owed someone a favor. It is also disappointing that Alexandra Breckenridge is in this but doesn't have much to do. She is pretty good-too good for this, that's for sure. She probably should have played Tara instead of the other chick.

Lame camera work, obviously fake settings (the hospital scene is particularly hilarious), bad scene transitions, shots that last too long and laugh-out-loud camera angles involving a house elevator do not help matters. I'm guessing the director found this cool, unusual house to use for the movie, had a tent pole over the elevator and decided to use it to the fullest extent. Er, well, as far as a house elevator can be used in a movie that isn't actually about a house elevator. The other scene which stood out as being especially ridiculous was the scene where Tara and her friend meet up with a "private eye" after he looks into Patrick's background. They meet at some sort of Japanese temple to go over the findings, I assume because that is so much easier and more natural than heading over to Denny's. I actually felt bad for the director on this one. It's all kind of embarrassing at that point.

Anyway, all the typical crazy stalker shenanigans ensue. There's nothing new here at all, and there are some threads which wind up being pointless and lead to nothing. For example, the endless dossier or love letter or manifesto Patrick spends a bunch of time writing, which is apparently none of our business. So much is dedicated to him writing this stupid thing and then we do not get to read or hear or know a single thing he wrote in it. Lazy screenwriting, folks, that's what this is. The other part that goes nowhere is the introduction of the sister into the story. There is screen time dedicated to this which ends up being 100% pointless and fruitless in every way. It makes me wonder if there was more to that part but the girl playing the sister was such a horrendous actress that they cut it all out. But Patrick's note wasn't a bad actor and that went nowhere either, so again it appears this is just a bad script.

The one and only positive thing about the movie is the last few seconds of it. I didn't see that coming and thought it was pretty decent/funny/dreadful. Alas, twelve seconds at the end of a movie hardly makes the rest of it worthwhile.

Bottom line: this movie is only for major fans of the stalker movie genre or Wes Bentley and even then, I wouldn't bother with it unless you have watched every stalker and Bentley movie on earth already.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Code Name: Diamond Head (1994) Season 7, Episode 8

"Wha--it looks like he's got about, oh, fifteen cents in his pocket there."

[10/10 · 30 October 2019]

I am really surprised at the relatively low rating on this one. This episode has just about everything one could want: a fun short, cute skits, a dumb movie, great riffing.

I love this episode because it is heavy on some of my favorite elements of the show: Beaulieu's Crow giggling (which, as ridiculous as it is, Trace Beaulieu's Crow giggle is seriously one of the best sounds I have heard in my life and it GIVES me life, as the kids say), Mike and the 'bots dancing in their seats, genuinely laughing at one another's jokes, doing sound effects and music sounds. Additionally, there is a particular warmth present in this episode. As I have said in other reviews, I think Beaulieu's Crow, Mike and Servo is the best mix of personalities in the show's run and the chemistry is high here!

The short before the movie is A Day at The Fair. It is not my favorite short ever, but it is funny as all of the shorts are. The skits with Mike and the 'bots in this episode are heartwarming. They center around "Magic Voice" (with help from Cambot), showing Servo and Crow what their lives would be like with various not-as-nice versions of Mike after they complain about how he is too nice and boring. These are silly skits, of course, but I enjoy them because they really illustrate how much Servo and Crow love Mike. <3

The movie itself is a pretty stupid TV pilot that was not picked up about a secret agent and all of the shenanigans that ensue in so many movies like this one. The film quality is decent though and there ARE recognizable actors in the movie, most notably Ian McShane and the dude from The Young and The Restless (I think), both which provide great running gags throughout the episode. The riffing is hilarious here--there are many laugh out loud moments throughout and the episode is consistently funny. Crow is off the charts sweet and adorable in this one--I almost forget he isn't real and I totally wish he were. This episode doesn't have many dud jokes and has the right amount of riffs.

Bottom line: this is a must-see for MSTies, in my opinion, and if you are introducing someone new to the show or are starting on your own adventures, this is a great place to start. It perfectly captures the spirit and pure, innocent joy of MST3K. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Time Chasers (1997) Season 9, Episode 21

"Exactly when in the future will you become not stupid, Mike?"

[10/10 · 28 October 2019]

Time Chasers is among the best of the best episodes of MST3K. This has been one of my favorites since the beginning, and it's a general fan favorite as well. This episode is tops for me for many reasons. The movie itself is not the worst ever (it's ridiculous, yes, but the main issue is it just had no budget)-it's a bad movie but it is still entertaining and even though the crew makes fun of the music, I kind of like it. The hero of the movie is a dorky dude, true, but he is not unlikable or grating like some of the heroes in other episodes. Additionally, the skits with Servo, Crow and Mike are hilarious. Servo and Crow try to help Mike avoid being trapped on the satellite by using time travel techniques to change his future. I won't spoil what follows, you should just watch! The riffing here is great from beginning to end; there are only a couple of dud riffs for me and it contains riffs I use in every day life. :P

Another aspect of this particular episode that makes it so great is the reaction of the director, cast and crew of the film. They have fully embraced the experience and even do events in connection with the show and Rifftrax to sign autographs and meet with fans. It just makes it all even better.

Bottom line: This is a must-see for fans and an excellent starting point if you are introducing someone to the show or embarking on MST adventures on your own. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Time Travelers (2017) Season 1, Episode 3

"...just parading his ro-batch right by the camera!"

[6/10 · 25 October 2019]

Unfortunately The Time Travelers is one of the weakest episodes of the new seasons. The movie itself is silly but not the worst movie ever made, which could be one reason for the episode not being that great in terms of riffing. On the other hand, the movie itself is not painful to watch, and it is pleasant to look at in as much as everything is clean and nice and the film quality is good so at least there's that (plus, Asa Buchanan).

The main reason I am giving this episode a 6/10 is simply because it contains WAY too many riffs. It is a non-stop onslaught which becomes exhausting and to make matters worse the riffs simply are not very good. There are a few gems tucked in here for sure, however, they become lost and not worth the annoying aspect of sitting through the rest of the episode. This is one of the prime examples of the crew not always understanding that quantity is never more important than quality. I think this movie would have been more well-suited to the crew in the first or second season of the original run when they did not feel the need to fill every moment with riffs, despite the riff quality, and actually sort of watched the movie.

Bottom line: this is not a must-see for fans (or for anyone else), I would not use this as a way to introduce anyone new to the show and if you are starting out in an MST3K adventure on your own, I would NOT start here. Save this for when you are running out of episodes. :P

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Yongary (2017) Season 1, Episode 9

"I'm gonna SCIENCE!"

[8/10 · 24 October 2019]

This is one of my favorite episodes of the new seasons of MST3K, if not my ultimate favorite of The Return or The Gauntlet and it is also among the higher rated episodes in The Return, for good reason. Yongary feels MUCH more like an episode from the original run of the show to me than any of the others which I think is why I like it so much. I enjoy bad monster movies which have always been a huge part of MST3K, and this entry seems to have a lot fewer wasted jokes/jokes made just for the sake of filling time than the other episodes (it still has them, just not quite as bad). It also has more of my favorite things than the other episodes by which I mean the crew genuinely laughing at one another's jokes, chuckling, and doing sound effects. Those touches make a big difference to me and I have always loved them! Sometimes a very simple silly sound effect ends up being one of the funniest things to me.

As for the movie itself, it's pretty silly. Yongary was apparently created as an answer to Godzilla, and it has unconvincing effects and a very rubbery looking monster, etc. Even so, at least this movie doesn't feel grimy or particularly low-budget. The actors are attractive and everything is polished and clean (I guess I point that out because I just watched The Christmas That Almost Wasn't and everything and everyone in that movie just looks dirty, unattractive and gross).

Bottom line: this is one of the best episodes of the new seasons. Fans should check it out and although I usually recommend starting with a classic episode to introduce newbies, this episode would be an okay place to start as well. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (2017) Season 1, Episode 13

"Ah, he's turned his crotch into a clown car!"

[7/10 · 23 October 2019]

This MST episode is from the revival season of the series, "The Return." Generally speaking, I do not find any episodes from the new seasons to be classics nor do any of them even approach the funniness of anything from the original run for me (except maybe Hamlet because that episode sucks balls) and in rating the new episodes I don't see myself putting any of them above a 7, aside from Yongary, which is great, and maybe Avalanche. That said, I am NOT a hater, I LIKE Jonah, I LIKE the new 'bots, I AM glad the new seasons are here and I do enjoy them, I just do not find the writing to be as natural or witty as the original seasons.

Moving on, this episode has a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments for me, which is great. I am a bit surprised to see that this is the lowest rated episode of the season as I find it to be among the overall funnier ones from the new seasons, with the exception of the ongoing "wittle baby" joke, which I get but is just not that funny after the first couple of times it is used and makes me want to die from cringeitis. Despite the baby joke, I do not really know why this episode is rated lower than the rest because the funny bits are really funny. But I have an idea...

What I suspect we may have here is the equivalent of the "Squirm" episode from the original run--but don't get me wrong, this is nowhere as funny as Squirm. What I mean is that the movie itself is perfect fodder for the crew and the riffs are funny but despite that, the movie is just plain unpleasant to watch. All of the cast members in The Christmas that Almost Wasn't, sorry to say it, are unappealing; everyone just looks scary and dirty and old except for Prim. Ironically, the villain is the least creepy looking character next to Prim. The elves are creepy, Mrs. Claus is creepy, Santa is creepy, Jonathan--well I don't know who came up with the look for this guy, talk about scary looking. Sam is only kind of creepy but is referred to as a "boy" by everyone despite being at LEAST 50 years old (probably older) which is just bizarre and off-putting. So I wonder if the "blechness" of the movie counteracts the funniness.

What is disappointing about this movie in and of itself (disregarding anything MST-related) is that the story is actually not bad. It's not a particularly bad idea, it was just HORRIBLY executed. This is a rare situation in which a remake would be a good thing.

Bottom line: this is a decent episode in the new run, but I do not consider it (or any new episodes) a must-see for either fans or newbs. I would not start here if you are new to the show or trying to introduce it to someone but stop by if you have played out the old Christmas episodes. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Track of the Moon Beast (1999) Season 11, Episode 7

"I'm a doctor of STEW."

[8/10 · 12 October 2019]

Track of the Moon Beast. This is an episode from the last season of the original run of MST3K, so we have Mike, Servo and Corbett's Crow. This episode is a favorite of mine. The movie itself is pretty bad, but all of the actors sure are trying. :P It is evident that they took this seriously which is both heartwarming and funny/sad at the same time.

Anyway, this episode has always been in my regular rotation. The riffs are hilarious and the episode does not drag at all in any spots. Additionally, some of the skits are hilarious. Mike and the bots recreating the "practical joke" scene from the opening part of the movie, Crow and Servo building a spy cam to peep on Mike-it's all hilarious.

The one and only reason I give this episode 8/10 rather than 9 or even 10 is simply that it is a classic example of the writers overdoing it with the jokes. Now, the good riffs here are AWESOME. But there are also a lot of unnecessary and not-really-funny riffs. The writers apparently felt that nearly every moment of the movie which does not have dialogue in it should/must be filled with dialogue from Mike, Servo and Crow whether it's funny or not. In my opinion a lot of the later entries in the series suffer from this. It is annoying to me but the episode is still great.

Bottom line: this is a must-see for fans and not the worst place to start for MST3K beginners. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Squirm (1999) Season 11, Episode 12

"I'm gonna Willem Dafoe all over you."

[8/10 · 8 October 2019]

Ah, Squirm. This was the second-to-last episode of the original run of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and seems to be a much lesser-known episode of MST3K--even some fanatics have not seen it and are not familiar with it. Ironically, the bizarre short which precedes the film is among the most well-known ("NO SPRINGS!").

Although I have watched this episode several times, it has never made it into my regular rotation of MST episodes. This episode is actually hilarious; there are a LOT of laugh-out-loud moments throughout and I do laugh every time I watch it. This episode has everything you could want: a funny short, an AWFUL movie, hilarious jokes, cute skits/host segments (Servo catching Southern Belleness is great) and some riffs you can use in everyday life, which I have done for years.

So after listing the reasons for how good the episode is, you may wonder why this episode has not been made part of my regular routine as so many others have. Or maybe you don't care, but I will tell you anyway. :P The only reason I can think of is that the movie is just so icky. Maybe "icky" is a childish word, but that really is the best word to describe this movie. The accents are irritating, the actors are unappealing--the "hero" of the film is just grating and annoying as all he77 (and not in an endearing Nick Miller, Castleton Snob sort of way), the setting is gross, the worms are gross, the color tone of the movie is gross! I feel like taking a shower after watching this mess. Unfortunately, I think these elements keep this episode from being among my favorites and made me knock off a star even though it is absolutely hilarious.

The bottom line is that this is a sure-fire episode in terms of laughs. All MSTies should check it out. In terms of being an example of the spirit of MST, this is a good episode as well so I think it would be an okay one to use if you are introducing someone to the show but maybe either immediately precede it or follow it with a "cleaner" episode, just in case someone should find this as unappealing as I do. :)

Corner Gas (2004–2009)

Makes vanilla look like habanero...

[6/10 · 4 October 2019]

People seem to love this show so much that I almost feel bad leaving a less-than-stellar review. I stumbled upon this show on Amazon Prime and decided to check it out since the premise sounded cute and the ratings are so high. I am nine episodes in and...I don't get it. At all.

This is a harmless show-it's not a bad show. But it is quite literally the most bland TV show I have ever seen. All of the accolades I see are quite befuddling, especially the reviewers who imply that you may actually strain yourself from laughing so hard. I do understand this is a Canadian show. So all I can imagine is that the television in Canada must be downright terrible and/or the very definition of "boring" if this is a program that stands out as being among the best Canada has ever produced (as multiple reviews imply). I have chuckled a couple of times but that is all.

There are no storylines or plots to speak of. I would be okay with that if there were anything funny or even halfway fascinating happening at all. But there isn't. You could put on any episode at random and it would be fine to watch because there is no story to keep track of or follow. Nothing happened in the previous episode so you didn't miss anything. You don't need to pay attention to anything because nothing happens. All of the characters are one dimensional. All of the situations are absolutely minimal in terms of any impact to any of the characters.

I am in no way someone who needs explosions or sex or cussing or anything like that to find a movie or show entertaining. But this show evokes nothing in the way of emotions of any kind. There's nothing particularly funny that happens and there is nothing heartwarming. Or scary. Or involving. I feel like I'm just watching people go through life but I'm only seeing the top later, nothing more. I can watch that at work and at the store. Sorry. :(

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Zombie Nightmare (1994) Season 7, Episode 4

"Um, it's really loud in back!"

[9/10 · 4 October 2019]

This is among the great MST3K episodes, in my opinion! Terrible movie, hilarious riffing, and funny host segments and skits.

The movie itself is pretty poor quality (low budget, dark in a lot of scenes) so that may be a turn-off for some viewers, however, it DOES have some recognizable actors and I have to admit that I actually do like the music in the film.

The riffing is top notch here--this was during the Mike-Servo-Beaulieu Crow era, which to me was the best overall combination of personalities (although I do love everyone). I loved all of the Batman jokes they made since Adam West is in this movie. I also love that they rip on him and the film, but they actually do seem to genuinely like Adam West and he seemed to like them and embraced the entire MST3K treatment and experience by hosting MST3K Turkey Day in 1994.

One reason I love this episode so much is because all of the host segments and skits are hilarious and adorable! The skits and segments have always been hit-and-miss for me and there are hardly any episodes where I actually like the skits and jokes all the way through but this episode is one of those that I do love. The hot tub, the hit-and-run, the Batman play, the letters they write to Adam West--it's all super cute and funny.

I highly recommend this episode to MST fans and to newcomers. This is not a bad episode to use to introduce people to the show. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teen-Age Strangler (1993) Season 6, Episode 14

"Oh, Henry, please, not EVERY time I come home!"

[10/10 · 2 December 2018]

As MST3K episodes go, this is one of the tops for me. It has everything you could want: a terrible movie, a terrible short, consistently funny riffing from start to finish and good skits.

In this lineup we have Mike, Servo, and Beaulieu's Crow (which is my favorite Crow). The movie is indeed terrible, however, I can at least say that it DOES have a coherent plot/storyline. This episode has so many quotable riffs and has some riffs that I use in everyday life. Additionally, Teen-age Strangler has one of MST's most memorable weirdo movie characters: Mikey. Aside from the short and movie being hilarious, the skits in between are pretty cute, too. This is one of those episodes that I wish I could see again for this first time.

The bottom line: This is a must-see episode for fans of the show and I consider this to be a good episode to have in a lineup if you are considering introducing someone new to the show. :)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Robot Monster (1989) Season 2, Episode 7

"Peekin' through the knothole in Grandma's wooden leg..."

[7/10 · 1 December 2018]

I have been a fan of MST3K for a little under 20 years-I was late to the party, that's for sure. Anyway, in that time this show has become something I truly love and one of the things that actually gives me comfort and makes life worth living. I just recently saw this episode for the first time and while it may not be the absolute best episode, I highly enjoy it.

The most off-putting thing here is that this episode has Erhardt and the original Tom Servo. I am sorry to say it but he has just never felt right to me (which seems to be the case for most fans), so traditionally I have avoided most episodes he is in. That being said, I saw some stills of the bizarre monsters in this movie which look like gorillas wearing space helmets and having no discernible faces (the faces kinda look like "son, you got a panty on your head" but it's tough to tell for sure) and I decided I had to see the episode.

I find this episode to be hilarious. The movie Robot Monster is bizarre and terrible (not to mention the two chapter plays shown before the movie) but still somewhat entertaining and when combined with the riffing the whole thing is more than worthwhile to me, no question. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments as far as I am concerned and the invention exchange between the Mads and Joel and the 'bots is cute. I consider this to be one of the "quieter" episodes, which I think some people my not care for but I love. I have come to appreciate Joel's mellow demeanor more and more over the years. I like some of the older episodes where they did not feel that every single dialogue-less moment of the film had to be filled with jokes (whether funny or not) which, as funny as I find the show all the way to the last episode, really does become a bit of an issue for me towards the end of the series. Sometimes less is more.

Bottom line: I think this episode is a must-see for real fans of the show because it is genuinely funny and the movie itself is so odd. For newbies, this is not where I would recommend starting your MST3K adventures, but once you go down the rabbit hole and decide that the show is awesome and you are into it, be sure to check this one out. :)

Now You Know (2002)

A Good First Effort From the Man Formerly Known as Randal....

[6/10 · 17 December 2006]

We all know and love Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) from the Clerks movies. I saw this movie a couple of years ago at Vulgarthon, which is basically a Kevin Smith film festival. In fact, I can see myself in the crowd during the Q&A on this DVD which is pretty neat! :-) I will be honest and say that I did not have high hopes for this movie. I did not expect it to be bad, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised at how good it was and as one person stated during the Q&A, I now think of Jeff Anderson as Jeff Anderson, not as Randal. He has definitely come into his own and should be recognized for having talents all his own and beyond his quick-talking role in Kevin Smith's movies.

Now You Know is about a couple who are engaged and on the eve of their wedding the bride-to-be (Rashida Jones) calls off the wedding with (seemingly) no explanation, leaving the groom (Jeremy Sisto) confused and at a loss as to what he should do next.

One of the high points of the film is definitely the casting. For the most part the cast is impeccable and the acting is great. Jeremy Sisto is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors consistently surprising me in the unique and independent films he chooses to be in. His performance here is no exception, he is excellent as the sweet and baffled Jeremy. One hilarious fun fact is that according to Jeff Anderson his first choice for the role of Jeremy was Joey Lawrence! He said that Lawrence auditioned and was absolutely perfect but he couldn't bring himself to cast him simply because "come on, it's Joey Lawrence." Anyhow, Sisto fills the part just fine, although it would have been interesting to see Lawrence in the part as well.

I was happy to see Jones in the role of Kerri--the only other thing I have seen her in is one episode of the much beloved show Freaks and Geeks. She does just fine as the dissatisfied and confused Kerri.

In supporting roles we have Anderson as Gil, one of Jeremy's old friends, who does great as always. We also have a wonderful performance by Heather Paige Kent whom I used to watch in an underrated and short-lived TV show called That's Life. She turns in a remarkable performance here as the supportive friend of Kerri with a big problem of her own. I hope to see her in more movies in the future. In my opinion the only weak point in the casting is Trevor Fehrman as Bisquit, Jeremy and Gil's buddy. His performance is forgettable, poor and he brings almost none of himself to the part. Most of his rants are pretty typical of rants in almost every Kevin Smith movie and it's pretty obvious that these are some of the same, his inflection is even the same as so many other secondary characters in Clerks and it was actually a little distracting and it's also part of the reason I gave the movie six stars instead of seven or eight.

Another reason for the six-star rating is due to the fact that the movie suffers from a little predictability (not too bad though) and some dialogue in certain scenes that is too run-of-the-mill or typical. I also feel that certain parts of the movie are a bit too reminiscent of Clerks, which is not entirely a bad thing but it would have been nice to see Anderson break away from that and come up with something completely separate from his work with Smith.

All in all Anderson really put himself out there and we can see a lot of his personal story in Now You Know. This is a great first-time effort and I think we will see something even better with his next film Marry Me To Death. He stated that he wanted to make a movie that appealed to both men and women and this movie has crude humor and a somewhat Bachelor Party-esquire feel to it and also has a softer side with some romantic elements which will appeal to the ladies (not me so much because romance in movies makes me sick, haha). Anyway, he most certainly accomplishes this goal with Now You Know. I recommend checking this flick out, it is well worth the time.