sswren1 Reviews

True Detective: Night Country: Part 2 (2024) Season 4, Episode 2

AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE

[1/10 · 25 January 2024]

Everything about this show is ugly.

The town is ugly. The people are ugly. The sex is aggressive and ugly. The dynamic of the relationships between the respective characters is ugly. So in short, they've captured the American style magnificently.

Everybody swears. Everybody is aggressive and quick to lose temper.

The plot is absurd. The dialogue is aimed at the short attention span redneck likely to commit a mass shooting. Jodie Foster must have been desperate indeed and I was nearly nauseated at her attempt at a sex scene. No emmy for you Jodie.

I had intended not to watch episode 2 but couldn't resist the curiosity. Was this a remake of 30 Days of Night or another Lost?

Anyhow, my curiosity was beaten down. I'll not be watching more. Let me k ow how it ends please.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)

MORE GARBAGE

[1/10 · 14 January 2024]

I've been a comic fan for more years than I care to admit. I think the best fantasies turned to movies are made by fans of the original style.

Why do they persevere with this awful animation.

Why not do it like Pixar but realistically?

The figure drawing is stiff and horribly done and the backgrounds are sterile and lifeless.

I can't get into any other merits or otherwise be use I can't get past the horrible look of the art.

The one redeeming quality could be the voices but Superman looked more like Superboy and sounded like Supergirl.

I won't bother with any more DC offerings. They are insults to the creators.

The Bricklayer (2023)

GARBAGE

[2/10 · 6 January 2024]

I like Aron so this pains me to say.

When I was a kid I couldn't play with toy cars that weren't the same scale. Some kind of weird pre adolescent OCD I guess but it had to make sense to me.

This has carried over to adulthood and this movie falls into the category that I just can't play with it.

So he goes to the nightclub and takes out every thug with one punch in a way that would make Steve Seagal look like Jim Carrey. Five minutes later, in one of the thug's apartment and gets beaten to a pulp.

Nah. Leave me out of that. I turned it off at that point. Watched it on Flixtor and even that was too expensive. Gosh it was bad.

Thanksgiving (I) (2023)

I WATCHED IT THROUGH

[5/10 · 22 December 2023]

Thankfully on Flixtor for free and that's about a fair price.

I did see it through though mainly to see who was behind the mask.

I tell you what the movie did well.

It portrayed Americans well. Particularly this generation. The F word was in profusion; only challenged by "like".

I swear, we are going to have to invent a new batch of swear words. The F word is in such profusion that to display any emotion beyond mild annoyance requires violence. This is why there is so much and Hollywood churning out this drivel surely desensitises the nimrods who're entertained by it. Time to step back a tad.

I've seen worse.

Napoleon (2023)

TIME TO TAKE BACK THE KNIGHTHOOD

[5/10 · 28 November 2023]

Sir Ridley has lost the plot.

Choosing the most boring aspects of Bonaparte's life and wasting Phoenix's vast talents on petulant tirades and quirky clumsiness and expecting an Oscar is close to delusional.

The movie is way too long and the pacing makes it feel longer than it was.

The music is horrible.

The lighting and clarity is poor.

Some of the battle sequences are ok but I've seen movies 50 years older that were done better.

The casting for Josephine was hideous unless they wanted a hideous actress to play her. Then I'd say perfect.

There were maybe 20 people in the massive VMAX theatre I saw it in so if the absence of crowds is any indication I'd say this film will get what it deserves but they'll all probably make fortunes from it which reflects poorly on what we movie fans are willing to swallow.

The Pride and the Passion (1957)

Meh.

[5/10 · 29 October 2023]

I agree with other contributors here that the casting let the whole film down.

I would have cast Anthony Quinn as the Spaniard or maybe Cesare Romero. As to The Captain, jeez, anybody would have been better than Cary Grant. He's great in a suit and gentile role but anything remotely approximating action or masculine take charge type roles is really beyond him. It's a shame Brando knocked it back. Flynn was too destroyed by the drink by 1957 as was Power.

Stewart Granger would have been my pick.

I turned the movie off after Sophia's dance. Wow she was sexy.

All in all, I probably should have watched the movie right through but on what I saw, I'd rate it a 3 because I couldn't get past the casting. So in fairness I boosted it to give.

Kitty Kornered (1946)

I LIKE CHEESE

[8/10 · 21 October 2023]

A rollicking good time. The exaggerated animation, the fishbowl scene "Henry, I think there's someone in the house!" The moose and the stirring speech by Sylvester to which the kitten replied, "I like cheese" and gets smacked, is priceless Warner's toons were funnier than Disney's. The team of directors made sure of that. Carl Stalling and Warners resident orchestra's accompanyment to literally every movement and sound effects make these timeless gems truly the benchmark in animation. There's nothing since that comes close to these too. Mel Blanc's stuttering pig is at the height of his game in this one. I would love to see footage of Mel at the mic.

The Giant Claw (1957)

COULD HAVE BEEN AN 8

[6/10 · 29 September 2023]

Jeff Morris and the rest of the cast deserved better than the puppet they used for the Star of the show.

To this day it baffles me why the production couldn't scrape together a few extra dollars and hire Ray Harryhausen or Christian Nyby or something.

The story and acting are decent. I love the era and some of my favourite movies include The Thing from another world, the day the earth stood still, Harryhausen's Earth versus the flying saucers and the monolith monsters. It's as if they wanted to lampoon the whole production with the stupid puppet.

Anyhow the nostalgia value saves it from a lower score.

A Million Miles Away (2023)

REJUVENATED MY FAITH IN HOLLYWOOD

[9/10 · 17 September 2023]

Beautifully sensitive, telling of the journey of Jose Hernandez' flight to space in the shuttle program.

Wonderfully cast, acted and directed.

Why this site requires so many characters beyond what was necessary to be said is beyond me, but I'll ramble on a little bit to fill the spaces. Don't bother to read it.

I've told you all you need to know it's a terrific film, and just as I was about to swear off the movies entirely it comes along, and I had a great time Keep it up Hollywood and you just might resurrect yourself.

72 characters required, and I'll sign off by saying don't miss it. Thanks.

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

SOME REVIEWERS NEED "EDUCATING"

[9/10 · 5 September 2023]

Saw it today. Frankly I must be old school. Not old hat; old school. Because I enjoy good scripts and characters I can either identify with or feel empathy for.

I'm not part of the short attention span generation who requires explosions and mindless violence that doesn't give you time to take a breath (John Wick) or where the screen is loaded with so much tech and gimmickry (Transformers) or the foul language masquerades anger for toughness (nearly everything) so I can feel totally entertained with this one. A good script, sensational photography which is incidentally why the pacing of the film works. The town is amazing. The people are delightful. The bad guys are horrific and doctor Enzo steals our heart.

There's enough of McCall's trademark to satisfy. Wow.

An awesome piece. A great way to wrap the series.

Thank God You're Here (2006–2023)

Amateur hour proves we laugh at anything

[1/10 · 21 August 2023]

Compared say to "Who's line is it anyway" this garbage is proof that Australia lacks in comic talent massively.

Improv separates the amateurs from the pros and comparing this shite to overseas alternatives is embarrassing.

Ironically, we seemed to have more comic talent in this country in the 60's 70's and 80's then we do now. To think that morons like "Hughesie" who's voice would make a KGB agent scream for mercy, is highly paid and revered, is an indicator that we have no class, subtlety taste or talent. The "stars" look completely at a loss and you'd see better at a high school muck up day.

Couple this garbage with gogglebox and you have a national embarrassment.

High Noon (1952)

UNDERDONE OVERRATED OVERACTED

[2/10 · 21 August 2023]

Sorry fans but I feel qualified and compelled as a lover of classic westerns and a fan of Gary Cooper, to shed a modicum of reasonableness on my fellow contributor's reflections of this movie. Maybe they write through the filter of nostalgic memories or the veneer of Hollywood heavyweight reputations such as Cooper's and Kelly's. Whatever the motive, I feel this movie fails for a number of reasons.

1. Beautiful though she is, Kelly is a ham.

2. As great as he was in Sgt York, Cooper was too old and seemed weak.

3. Their scripts are corny and lack character 4. We're thrown in the deep end and expected to accept the characters in the first few scenes.

5. The ensemble of supporting players looked like a good episode of bonanza.

Perhaps that's what it should have been.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

TERRIFIC FILM

[8/10 · 23 July 2023]

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I had my doubts after Crystal Skull but as a devotee I decided it needed to be seen. I'm glad I did.

The opening sequence was amazing. Whatever tech they used to make Ford either look young or cgi a complete character was flawless. It reminded me of the opening to Last Crusade with River Phoenix as a young Indie. The expectation about the artifact I felt mirrored how I felt about the Ark.

The inclusion of Karen Allen at the end was beautiful and a welcome change from how Hollywood peddles dysfunctionality into leading couples (National Treasure, Jurassic Park) and I wished they'd found a role for "Short Round"!

The kid the included was a bit annoying and I'd have rated the movie higher if the female lead had been a bit more likeable.

The rapid fire scene cuts in the action sequences were a bit much but overall, I liked it a real lot.

The charm of the first three movies is evident to me in that I can rewatch them again and again. The last two - once is enough. I pretend the Crystal Skull abortion never happened. This one, I'll probably pick up an online copy of but wouldn't buy it.

Uncharted (2022)

I saw it for free and still demanded my money back

[1/10 · 6 July 2023]

I read where a lot of people get paid to rate new movies 10 out of 10 to help in promoting them.

I think any rating above a three for this film, probably qualifiers in that category.

The opening sequence defies the laws of physics, and whilst I am able to suspend disbelief, it was absolutely ludicrous. Maybe they thought he was still playing Spider-Man? I think that's what he was cut out to do and probably should stick to it.

The female lead had probably the worst accent I've ever heard. Her voice would be a good torture device.

Forget the comparisons to other movies of the genre. This is a mess and should be avoided at all costs.

Stump the Stars (1947– )

HANS CONREID - Genius.

[9/10 · 24 June 2023]

This was a show that my family and I would never miss. We collectively thought Beverly Garland was a bit of a nut job but the overall enjoyment factor was tremendous.

The stand out memory for me (and I was about 6) was Hans Conreid. I'd seen him on "Fractured Flickers" and recognised his voice from many a Jay Ward cartoon. I loved him.

He was a William Shakespeare specialist. Any time the object t was a Shakespearean quotation, he'd nail it on no time.

Terrifically paced show and heaps of fun to watch.

Have not seen it since (herein Australia) and would love to k ow f any episodes still exist.

The Flash (I) (2023)

An Abomination.

[1/10 · 18 June 2023]

If there were no DC comics. If there had never been a silver age. If I'd never fallen in love with Carmine, Gardner, Julius and the rest (creators of the stories I read) maybe this, as a stand alone story and co cent, could have worked for me. Maybe.

So let's assume this was the case.

The opening action sequence would insult a video game. Way too over the top. Quicksilver was done better. This was absurd.

Hollywood continues to cast androgynous looking femboys and this didn't appeal. That's the modern world I suppose.

The rest was mildly amusing. It shouldn't have been. I hated it.

It only gets a 1 thanks to George.

Mad Men: A Day's Work (2014) Season 7, Episode 2

GETTING HARDER TO LIKE

[6/10 · 1 May 2023]

The magic is wearing off. Fantastic scripts and performance continue but it's harder and harder to feel empathy for anyone in this show. This detracts from it for me.

I'd punch Lou's lights out. Peggy needs a pinch. Peter is increasingly in need of a smack. Don Is a degenerate. Sally is a pain in the ass and Betty continue yes to be a cold bitch.

Maybe they're building up into a mass shooting or something. We're they are prevalent in 1968 as they are now?

Additionally and maybe it's me, I'm finding it harder to follow the co runout y and the storyline fail to provide outcomes. Or at least, ones I can fathom.

Mad Men (2007–2015)

LOVE IT

[9/10 · 20 April 2023]

No tattoos, no filthy language, no Loud mouth feminists,no wokism, likeable kids, women who (even the plain ones) look lovely and feminine, men who are well dressed and mostly masculine, kids who are seen and seldom heard, they're likeable, well dressed and well behaved in school.

January Jones never looked better. Lots of dysfunctionality plenty of intrigue, adulatory, sexism but boy do they look great.

Back when men were men and women were women. A darned good arrangement.

Good quirky characters. Grat interactions. No over the top violence. Should have kept those limeys out though. Why Americans like those soppy accents is beyond me.

Other than that though, what a breath of fresh air after a generation of reality tv and loud hideous women and scruffy femboys.

Love it and never heard of it prior to this review date.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 22: Guns for Hire (2023) Season 3, Episode 6

GONE TOO FAR OR NOT FAR ENOUGH?

[2/10 · 16 April 2023]

I watched the latest episode of "Muppets in Space". Oh no. Sorry. The Mandalorian.

Honestly there's just too many puppets and masks. I know this is Star Wars but I can't swallow it anymore.

Mandi seems no longer the central character and whilst the production is good, the show has degenerated into plain and simple stupid.

I'm rambling now as this forum for some reason requires an epistle.

God this is embarrassing.

So why does a female fish thingy have the breast of a mammal? How come all Stormtroopers are humanoid? Jack Black? Really. I like him but this show is awful now.

Sorry for rambling. I've typed enough for this stupid forum.

The Whale (2022)

NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME

[5/10 · 24 March 2023]

I can see why Fraser has been recognised for his performance. Whether he deserved best actor or not was probably more about a sympathy vote for morbid obesity as I think most actors could don a prosthetic body suit and learn a good script.

A good script it was.

However, the subject matter isn't my cup of tea to be entertained by. It's depressing and ugly. The people are ugly. The world we live in is preoccupied with filth, self indulgence and decadence. All peddled by a like minded agenda ridden media that distracts us from the lunatics and evil monsters that govern us. That is captured in this movie.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore (2023) Season 3, Episode 2

"THANK YOU FOR RESCUING ME"

[2/10 · 12 March 2023]

Dear Lord. Mando is no longer the hero. Another nail in the coffin of the franchise as another female is now the alpha male.

It's not even remotely consistent with the character from season one nor is it consistent with the Mandalorian culture.

Next Disney will be changing it to Womandalorian.

We are witnessing the ruin; not only of another reasonable franchise, but of societal paradigms for functional relationships based on some bleedingheart notion that they needed to change in the first place.

Even the folklore itself is just too deep, too "manufactured" to the point where it becomes cheesy.

Yep cheesy.

Down Argentine Way (1940)

I DONT KNOW WHY I LIKE IT

[5/10 · 1 February 2023]

I've watched and rewatched this movie maybe ten to fifteen times and most recently just prior to writing this review on Feb 2023.

I like Don Ameche. He'd have made a great Zorro.

His clothes make me wish I'd lived in that era but I'd need to have been a wealthy actor or a character in a musical. Still he looks terrific.

I always thought Betty Grable was over rated. She was my least favourite leading lady. Beautiful but not sexy. Funny that. Two different things. Grace Kelly was too. So is Nicole Kidman. Grable's clothes are amazing and the technicolor is superb. I love the feel but the theme song with the "tsk tsk tsk tsk" is the worst most annoying number in all of musicaldom.

The choreography is abysmal especially Greenwood's spots and there's something unsettling about her trademark high kicks.

The Nicholas Brothers save the day.

I'll watch it again.

Reacher (2022– )

ITS OK

[6/10 · 8 January 2023]

The pros: 1. He looks the part.

2. Likeable whilst commanding an intimidating presence.

The cons

1. It started out pretty "clean" but by episode 4, Roscoe found the F word and used it increasingly and annoyingly. Not sure why this needs to be standard fare.

2. Reachers' fights became decreasingly one sided. I needed him to win them with Jason Bourne/equaliser/Seagal ease. The weed that works for the bad guy's son wouldn't have troubled my granddaughter. After the prison fight (good) I needed him to take the bad guys out quickly.

3. The story became too convoluted and it bogged down somewhat by episode 4.

It's worth a watch and I'll persevere.

Phantom Lady (1944)

ENTERTAINING

[8/10 · 10 November 2022]

A real time capsule and a great example of film noir.

I wanted to address another reviewer who claimed that cancer and heart disease rates maybe exaggerated based on how prevalent smoking was in classic films. He cited how many stars lived to ripe old ages.

I'd draw his attention to how many stars does in the sixties and earlier from heart disease, throat lung and mouth cancer. Ironically the two stars of this film both succumbed to those diseases.

Hollywood is a litany of such demises.

As to the merits of the film it was tense entertaining and subtle.

The women were beautiful the clothing was fantastic and the settings were artistic.

Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022 Video)

VERY GOOD.

[8/10 · 7 November 2022]

Normally I avoid animated comic books like the plague.

I detest the way they draw the physiques. I hate the skinny external lines. Exaggerated torsos the lame stilted movement and the ultra sterile backgrounds leave me completely cold. And then there is the political correctness. As a longtime comic book fan I pretty much have resigned myself to the fact that I've finally grown up.

Then this comes along. Normally I hate the fact that modern writers and artists have messed with classic characters and stories This is by far the best version I have seen Superman.

The script was natural so dare I say the "acting" was good.

I would have given it to 9 if Jimmy Olsen was white. Do black people not see the condescension involved in making what is traditionally a white character black, purely for the sake of inclusion ism?

Anyhow this was pretty good.