fjk1138-731-161881 Reviews

Lucky Hank (2023)

I love Bob Odenkirk, but...

[2/10 · 21 March 2023]

...this show sucks. Completely boring story, annoying characters, and nothing memorable about any of it.

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul both pulled me into their stories almost immediately, whereas this show made me want to shut it off after about five mins. I could barely get through the episode. I didn't expect this show to be at the level of either of those, but I did expect it to at least be entertaining.

This plays like a bad comedy written to appeal to modern woke times. A kid who writes to a paper because his teacher didn't like the story he wrote for class? Wow, you don't get an award for showing up. IMDB shows that character being in several more episodes. Ugh, no thanks.

The scenes for the upcoming season are not promising either. If those are highlights then don't bother.

I wish Bob just made Nobody 2 instead.

Interstellar (2014)

Christopher Nolan Sucks

[1/10 · 3 January 2023]

That's right, he sucks. With the exception of his first two Batman movies and maybe Memento, all of his other movies are hot garbage. Interstellar is another one in a long list of his pseudo-intelligent movies recycling the same actors he's using at the moment, all spewing pointless dialogue in a story that's not even remotely realistic. Also worth noting is that there are a lot of unnecessary scenes of the astronauts spinning in space, so if you get motion sickness stay far away.

I gave up about one hour into this and shut it off. Don't waste your time. I paid nothing to watch this and I still want my money back.

Bullet Train (2022)

Bullet Train Wreck

[1/10 · 1 January 2023]

This movie tries way too hard to be a Quentin Tarantino movie, but fails miserably.

The overall look is comic-booky (I guess), though if you ever played any of the Borderlands video games it reminded me of those a lot, especially the way characters are introduced.

The writing was a pure snorefest - long, winded diatribes that go nowhere in a hurry and get there even slower. I was bored in the first few minutes once the "brothers" started their stupid dialogue. None of the "comedy" was funny, the story was horribly dragged out, the mish mash of the characters' storylines was boring. The "honor" subplot with the Asian men was so cliched that I just rolled my eyes at it. The Thomas the Tank references go on far too much and it's clear that this was written for people who grew up on that show (spoiler alert - I didn't).

The actions scenes were beyond ridiculous and done in a "style over substance" fashion. They were so completely over the top that they practically reached a Sharknado level of preposterousness. Kicks to the crotch did nothing, punches went on forever, and everyone is magically a martial arts expert. Somehow a lever, button, switch, etc was always just within reach for someone to grab it and escape a choke hold. If this was an Airplane or Naked Gun style of comedy, it really would have been funny, but it's not - it's just plain stupid.

The number of "surprising" cameos that appear wasn't even the least bit interesting. I didn't care who showed up (one of them was literally just a quick reveal), and they added nothing to the plot. By the end of the movie, I was hoping every character would die because they were all worthless and I didn't like any of them.

Don't waste your time, and if you do waste your time, don't pay for this movie. There's literally 1000 movies you could watch that are so much better.

Elvis (2022)

Elvis didn't leave the building, I did

[1/10 · 4 September 2022]

For the record, I'm 50 years old, been listening to Elvis since I was 5. I have box sets of all his music, been to Graceland, met his original band mates, watched every video or movie about him over the years, and read a few books. I wasn't there with him when he was alive, but suffice to say I know the man and the music at least reasonably well.

Years ago, there was a punk rock band called Elvis Hitler who made an psychobilly album called "Disgraceland". After watching this movie, that would be a more fitting title for it as well. While the band was clear about their sarcasm and jokes with those names, this movie just plays like a bad joke.

Overall, it's clear that the people who wrote and directed this mess of hot garbage clearly thought a psychotic visual style would overcompensate for their inability to tell a decent story. It's like they put Elvis' life in a blender and then just poured the contents out into a movie.

The visual and editing styles are nauseating to watch. The average shot length in some early scenes has to be 1 second or possibly less, and the editing is so jumpy and disjointed it made me sick to watch. I don't know if there is an official name for when they put floating text into the scene and try to make it look like a "living post card" or whatever, but I hate it beyond words. Every scene has too much action going on, too many people, too many cars, too many whatever - it's just a visual mess.

The visuals overtake the entire way the "story" is told. The story is barely there - actors are basically caricatures of who they are portraying, and it's clear they are just along for the ride. You learn nothing new about anyone, nothing interesting is shown, no great revelations. It's edited down to just the bare minimum to get by. I really want to give Austin Butler who played Elvis an A for effort, but after 45 years of seeing "thankyaveramush" imitations in real life, his performance sadly doesn't play any better.

The music and how it's used in the film is just insulting. There are remixes of songs and parts where Elvis' voice is isolated and used over a mish mash of other things, often out of sequence in the time line. At one point, I noticed "Always On My Mind" being played WAY before Elvis recorded it. Elvis somehow performs "Trouble" live when it hadn't even been written yet. There is a scene where early Elvis is performing live and there is guitar distortion in the music (as a guitar player for almost 40 years, I can assure you it hadn't even been invented yet). And don't even get me started on using rap music in a movie about rock'n'roll...ugh.

Equally insulting is that the early bandmates are not mentioned by name and have almost zero dialogue. No mention of Scotty Moore (guitar), Bill Black (bass), or DJ Fontana (drums). Or the Jordanaires. The first three (along with Carl Perkins) practically invented Rockabilly music. Nice job, idiot writers.

The movie is told from the perspective of Col Tom Parker, which made me say "Oh no, really?" within the first 20 seconds of the movie. Normally I love Tom Hanks, but here's just an exaggerated mess like the rest of it all. One 10 second You Tube search will show you that Col Tom did NOT have that stupid accent. Which leads to...

The movie is historically inaccurate in so many ways. They depict Elvis having his "look" down right from the get go, but they missed that Elvis didn't start dying his hair black until after his first movie screen test. Elvis meeting BB King at a club? That's a new one. At the same club, Elvis sees Little Richard and acts like he's brand new ("Tutti Frutti" was already a hit in 1955), but Elvis just left Graceland (not purchased until 1957) in the previous scene to get there. And I had no idea the black female singers at said club were such prolific guitar players. Yeah OK, whatever. I almost half expected Marty McFly to show up in the DeLorean and teach them all how to play music.

I can't comment on any more of the movie because I shut it off at about 1 hour (thank the music gods for HBO, I can't imagine wasting time in the theater for this). It was a complete let down and I went into it expecting nothing. I honestly can't believe the Presley family signed off on this piece of crap. Baz Luhrmann sucks and should not be allowed to make any more movies.

There was a short-lived Elvis TV drama in 1989-1990 that showed Elvis' early years. It was well acted, the music was great, and it really tried to tell a good story. They need to bring that back. This movie is a complete joke and plays like a bad acid trip in comparison.

Elvis wasn't a perfect man, but he and his musical legacy deserve better. Far better. Don't waste your time here - go back and watch any live performance of him instead. I prefer to remember the music that way.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Just meh

[5/10 · 10 August 2022]

Ewan MacG is always good as Obi-Wan and I enjoyed the Saber fights, but beyond that this is a poorly written and boring show. Just like The Mandalorian and Boba Fett, its doesn't go far enough and plays it too safe. It's basically a show that you didn't need and seeing it adds little to nothing to your Star Wars day dreams about what happened just before Ep IV. If there is a season 2, I won't be watching as I canceled my Disney + subscription immediately after finishing this show. Disney really needs to just leave Star Wars alone at this point.

The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022)

Mediorcre Fett

[6/10 · 25 January 2022]

This show and to some extent The Mandalorian both have lots of potential but just don't go far enough. By this I mean they play it too safe because it's a "family" show. I never really feel like Boba Fett is in real danger, he always gets out alive. The action is minimal, the dialogue is blah, and there is too much told in flashbacks to be any fun or even interesting. I hope thr Obi-Wan show is better or else I will cancel my Disney plus service.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

The Meh-trix Resurrections

[1/10 · 26 December 2021]

Admittedly, I was never a huge fan of any previous Matrix movies, but the first was (and always will be) the best of the bunch. I think what killed it for me was how the "bullet time" effects were copied and overused by every subsequent movie and TV show for probably at least the next 5+ years afterward.

Regardless, unlike the other sequels (that actually tried to be something, at least) this is just a pointless sequel/cash grab. I gave it a serious 30 minute chance on HBO Max and then just shut it off. Anyone seeing this in a theater, I actually feel sorry for you.

The effects are stale, the plot is pointlessly nonsensical, and the stupidest part is the fact that it's so blatantly self-aware and self-nostalgic. There's a scene fairly early where Neo is working for a video game company and they are having a meeting about what made The Matrix games (huh, what?) exciting, thus naming off things like "guns, lots of guns" and "bullet time" and a slam (?) at Warner Bros that is so blatantly obvious it just made me say "wow, really?". If this were a comedy, I could accept it, but unlike the far superior Joker this film is just a tragedy.

Replacing Laurence Fishburne and the "new" Agent Smith with someone who doesn't even remotely act like either of them was a bad choice as well. The other actors seem like they are bored and are just phoning it. Combine all that with the stereotypical shooting of nameless small armies of people in suits or tactical gear and it's just a ho-hum rehash.

For way more fun with Keanu Reeves, go check out any of the John Wick movies, give this one a hard pass, and take the pill that makes you forget you ever tried to see it.

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Too long and hastily edited

[6/10 · 27 November 2021]

I'm a pretty serious Beatles fan, and compared the nearly perfect "Beatles Anthology" from 1995, I found this documentary to be generally OK, but also having some very serious faults.

Highlights of all 3 episodes are seeing the group work through and perform the music, their occasional silly antics, and also how the film quality has been beautifully restored. Everything looks and sounds like it was filmed yesterday. There are also a lot of snippets of other members of the Beatles support crew, such as George Martin, Glyn Johns, etc. Seeing Billy Preston come in and play was definitely a highlight, and he is shown for a much more significant amount of time than you might anticipate. A calendar is shown between major sections to help the viewer better understand the overall timeline of when all the events occurred...or not, as history has dictated. Another part I was glad to see was the occasional subtitles of not only what was being said, but also who said them, which helps you understand what is taking place.

The overall low point of the whole documentary (aside from a few bits of Yoko screeching in the microphone) is how hastily and randomly edited it all is. Songs are presented in very choppy portions, with some being shown for longer times that others. The spoken/verbal parts are treated the same way, which makes it appear that almost everyone is talking at the same time, all of the time. The overall result is chaos and it's just too much to absorb at once. If that's what really happened in person, then it's no wonder the whole project was all a disaster from the start.

While it was interesting to see songs that would wind up and "Abbey Road" and also "All Things Must Pass", it would have been better to have focused on just the songs that ultimately made the album. They should have just shown the best version/most interesting part(s) of each, and then save all of the extra (especially non-Beatle) songs as separate bonus footage. For example, there are so many different takes and rehearsals of "Get Back" that by part 3 it left me wanting to hear something else. Part 1 especially suffers from this aspect, with Parts 2 & 3 being only somewhat more cohesive.

However, because of all of this, by Part 3 I found myself searching thru sections to get to the end. By time the rooftop performance finally comes, it's not really that exciting (to me, at least) and I was just glad it was over. It was more interesting to see the public's reaction on the streets below.

I would only recommend this documentary for super fans, or for viewing in short doses. To watch it all at once is just too much and not very exciting.

Nice try Peter Jackson, but you'll never top The Beatles Anthology.

The Simpsons (1989– )

How the mighty have fallen

[5/10 · 9 December 2020]

The Simpsons was my de facto go-to comedy from 1992 until the movie came out. Based on other reviews here, it appears that I hung in a lot longer than most. But I gave up eventually.

From 1992 until 2007 I used to record, save, and constantly re-watch the Simpsons on VHS. Once the DVDs started coming out, I would buy every single box set and watch those to death as well. I used to drive my friends nuts with quoting lines or referring to episodes. I looked forward to every episode, what new disaster Homer could get into, and what goofy plot they would come up next. I loved every diverse and wacky character and how they all interacted with each other, good or bad. The writing was top notch, the parody of real-life things was great, and voice acting was flat-out superb. From the time I started watching until the early 2000's, it was heavenly. From 2002 - 2006, it started showing some signs of weakening, but still managed to make me laugh.

Then the movie came out in 2007.

It had a few moments (Marge's choice words about the bomb got my one "out loud" laugh), but it felt lackluster and pandered to a generic audience instead of staying really true to the diehards that were with the show since the beginning. The movie also marked the start of the show eventually going to CG versus traditional animation.

And here is where things start changing. Eventually, the writing went from meh (and later super-meh) to flat out lazy and about as funny as a terminal disease. Since CG animation no-doubt faster to produce than hand-drawn, the Simpsons went from feeling hand-made to mass-produced. This effect eventually seemed to spill over into all aspects of the show. Despite this, I was willing stick it out so long as it made me laugh, but it stopped doing that and I just couldn't bear to watch any longer. For me, it was really like a dear friend or relative was dying before my very eyes, albeit slowly and painfully.

But what really buried it for me was when that loser and complete no-talent "comedian" Hari Kondabolu cried and whined that Apu was somehow an insult to the entire Indian race (a farcical cartoon character, really?) which eventually stopped Hank Azaria from voicing it. Congrats Hari, you ruined one of my favorite characters on the show. What is it that you are known for again? Oh right, we're still waiting for all the brilliant comedy that you have yet to produce. It appears that Hank will no longer be voicing Carl either, who is now replaced by a "correctly-raced" actor. Because, you know, the earth was going to explode or something if that wasn't done. I supposed it's just a matter of time until Dr. Nick Riviera will be saying "Bye Everybody!" as well.

But it's OK, I've reached the level of acceptance and abandoned the show several years ago. I honestly don't know anyone who still watches this show either, but for those that still do I would ask that you please stop. Let the viewership die so that the show can die right along with it. It really needs to be put out its misery at this point. Every once in a while, I catch a glimpse of recent episodes when switching channels and most of the voice actors sound tired. I'm sure this is easy money for them by now, but really, I would think they are all talented enough to do other voice work in many other places. Or not - maybe they all need to retire. Poor Julie Kavner's voice sounds like it's practically gone now.

There was a time when I used to hope the state that Springfield is in would be revealed in the final episode, but now? I couldn't care less. What once was a show that screwed with the established order eventually got swallowed up by it and drowned in a sea of political correctness. I sold off my Simpsons box sets years ago and moved on to other things. The classic version of the show still exists for me now, but only in my memories. It's a world where Apu does not want anyone offering Ganesha a peanut, but he does ask us to "Come again!".

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Good overall, but the ending...

[7/10 · 25 January 2020]

Dr Sleep is the best horror movie I've seen in a long time (far better than the piece "It Chapter 2"). I enjoyed all the acting, the many references to the original Shining movie, and further exploration of how the shining itself works.

But the last 15 minutes are cheap fan service at best I won't spoil it, but the ending basically downs in the nostalgia over the first movie. Knowing now how the book version ends (I never read it), it would have made more sense to finish the movie that way. I must say, however, that credit where it's due to the people who did the set designs for the final scenes because they looked amazing.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

T3 is the Godfather compared to this

[2/10 · 15 January 2020]

I personally liked all 3 of the original Terminator movies. T Salvation was OK, and Genisys was generally meh but I still watched it more than once.

Then you have this piece ...

A mess of a movie, loaded with plot holes. Ignores its own rules established by the previous movies. Doesn't really offer anything new and barely explains what's going on. Get the idea?

All of the actors phoned it in, including Linda Hamilton who was really great in the first two movies by comparison. Arnold's part was a complete joke - a "human" terminator? Seriously, that blows beyond words. The ONLY good actor was MacKenzie Davis, I thought she kicked ass and was solid in her part.

Killing off John Connor was done so quickly and matter of factly that it has zero emotional impact. They then shove endless action sequence after action sequence at you immediately afterward with zero regard for what just happened to John. All the emotional weight of the first 3 movies was shot down in flames in a matter of seconds and practically forgotten about until 2/3 of the movie later. Nice job there, James Cameron.

Speaking of Cameron...supposedly he considers this the "true" 3rd movie in the franchise. So that means it does not call out any mention of "alternate timelines" existing, and it completely IGNORES T3, T:Salvation, and T:Genisys. Not a hint, a mention, nada.

And speaking of "nada"....This movie was obviously written for the South American foreign market audiences. Someone at the studio must have checked the demographics and said "Ahh, we've had good reaction to action movies down there....we'll make this one take place in Mexico with Mexican actors", who by the way, were all as weak as their characters were written. Note to Hollywood - you can't just slap people of different cultural backgrounds into a movie to appease the "woke culture" trend; they actually have to "act" and people working the script have to actually write a solid movie. To quote John Connor from T2: "Are we learning yet?"

I actually was hoping this film would have had some minor fun moments, but even the action sequences are nothing you haven't seen before. And for it being 2020 the CGI in some places doesn't look any better than what T2 did back in 1991. It's all the same smashing/stabbing/melting metal crap you've seen before.

I hope there aren't any more of these. Let the series die with whatever little dignity it has left. Too bad they can't send a terminator back in time to stop the greenlighting of this stupid movie.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

Eraserhead in a Lighthouse

[5/10 · 12 January 2020]

As soon as this movie started, it immediately reminded me of Eraserhead: filmed in black and white, with some weird happenings and little explanation as to what is real or not.

I had a hard time understanding a lot of what the actors were saying between their accents and the crap audio mixing. Considering the length of the movie, I felt there could have been better character development and they could have upped the horror aspects more to make the film more exciting - the film builds almost no tension whatsoever. After awhile it all just drags and I didn't really care if either character lived or died. While the acting and visuals were all great, the story was meh and by the end I just wanted it to be over with.

But at least the Mermaid was sexy.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

Just awful

[1/10 · 29 December 2019]

All I can say is George Burns "sings" "Fixing A Hole". I'm forever scarred for life.

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

It's Over Johnny

[6/10 · 4 December 2019]

Oh John Rambo, how I will miss you...

I had high hopes for this film, never expecting anything superior but at least in line with the previous films. But the film is rushed, too short, and just plain oddly done in ways that totally contradict the previous movies and the Rambo character himself. The end result is a mixed bag, at best.

The film starts out with zero explanation as to why Rambo is on a farm, where it's at, and why he's living there, though anyone halfway paying attention would realize he's in the southwest USA. Seriously, a simple title card or even some minor montage could have explained all of that in a few seconds and better moved the plot along. I don't know why he cares about these characters that he's known for some time now, but we don't have time for that apparently because the plot is going to move along in the next few minutes thanks to crap editing techniques.

The only hint that Rambo was a Vietnam vet and suffers from PTSD are some super quick scenes of old photos that he apparently was hiding in his backpack all these years (frames and all?), his collection of guns, knives, medications, occasional war flashbacks, and whatever else is stored in a series of tunnels on the farm (and yes he sleeps down there). Did the farm owner have a problem with him digging all that up? Did he use a backhoe or just a standard issue army shovel because, you know, Rambo can do that all by his lonesome. Again, no explanation whatsoever is given, but he does brush the horses and train them so you know, it's all good. For now, at least.

His "niece" has a small party in the tunnel with her friends, which seems oddly non-Rambo like from a tactical/defensive standpoint, but it's all a setup for her to discuss wanting to go back to Mexico to meet her a-hole father and try to establish a connection with him. The friends are never seen nor heard from again. There are further minor attempts at doing character development, but they are cut down to the bare bones so much that what is left just feels like a "best of" compilation of scenes from another film than anything else. So just accept it and know that it's important because bad things will happen very soon.

Naturally, his "niece" defies logic/reasoning from Rambo and the lady of the house (her aunt?), and goes on to meet her a-hole father in Mexico only to wind up in a sex trafficking ring that no one saw coming a mile away. Rambo is asked to go rescue her, but by doing so makes some really stupid decisions that are totally against his character.

Are his Green Beret skills needing a tune up? I would have thought he could do all this in his sleep. He starts off with some promise (and where I expected things to take off from an action standpoint), but then gets beaten to a pulp and rescued by some stranger who really serves no other purpose but to save him. Rambo gets a concussion, but just sleeps it off and is ready for action again. Just like in real life.

Rambo goes back to save the girl again (his badass-ness magically returns, concussion a non-factor apparently) and then saves her, only for her to die on the way home. Rambo buries her on the farm and goes back YET AGAIN, killing much of the sex traffickers, but only after prepping the farm for what will be "the big showdown" with said traffickers later, by laying a series of traps that all Green Berets probably do in their spare time.

When they finally do catch up to him on the farm, all the traps that Rambo set get put to use - he kills everyone, gets injured in the process, and really kills the last bad guy in a horrible, gory, and oddly satisfying sort of way. The he sits on the porch of the house in a chair and, after a montage of Rambo's actions from previous films (huh what?) gets on a horse and rides away (injuries shminjuries, he'll be fine)...

Wow....not what I was expecting at all, though seeing Rambo be a super angry badass was definitely the highlight of this film. It's all a setup for the few action scenes and the big showdown at the end, where obviously all the time was spent making this movie. It all would have worked much better if it allowed the characters to live and breath, and also explain things a bit better. Reviewers slammed Rambo 4 back when it came out, but it has more character depth and explanation of the motivations for why Rambo does what he does than this film by a country mile.

Maybe we'll get lucky and a director's cut will come out with a better edit.

Until then, it's definitely over Johnny...

The Prisoner (1967–1968)

Under appreciated classic

[10/10 · 24 November 2019]

There just isn't a show like The Prisoner. It's a spy series, but it also has ideas radical for the time: The government is spying on its employees, the employees can't be trusted, and when they won't talk they'll be captured, drugged, and tortured until they will. Easily one of of the best shows ever made that has never been duplicated, though it has been referred to numerous times over the following decades. The fact that Patrick McGoohan wanted it to be a limited run only proves that it was meant to be experienced in short, but meaningful doses and not dragged out for years like so many other shows. If you like any late 1960s type of spy/James Bond/Twilight Zone type of shows you should definitely check it out. My favorite show of all time.

It Chapter Two (2019)

Boring, plodding, and the ending is crap

[3/10 · 24 November 2019]

Considering the first "It" film is quite good, this one just plain sucks. The actors generally are OK, but the excessive length of this film just kills it. The scenes where each character faces "It" in their own ways are slow, boring, and rather pointless. Combine all that with the fact that the way they overcome and kill the creature at the end just left me asking "Are you serious???". Worth seeing if you're a fan of the first film, but don't go out of your way or pay a lot of money to see it. Such a let down.

Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)

Not perfect, but I don't see the "catering to SJW" BS either

[7/10 · 4 November 2019]

Before saying anything else, the first Alien is one of my top 5 movies of all time and I personally believe it is one of the best Sci-Fi/Horrors ever made. HR Giger is my favorite artist of all time as well, so I've watched and read endless amounts of info, docs, etc about both categories.

Overall I would say this is a decent documentary about how the first Alien film was made. It will never match the absolutely awesome documentaries on the Alien Quadrilogy box set, however, and I would recommend those if you want a "true" documentary on the films. That all being said, there was a lot here that I've never seen before which was I was thankful for.

I agree with others here that the first half is the most interesting. Learning about Dan O'Bannon's origins and how the story evolved (I had no idea how many other previous movies/stories he almost completely ripped off) was interesting. They also play some minor bits from the AQ Boxset docs when showing HR Giger and Ridley Scott, but they are presented in an odd sort of way physically as if broadcasting on a small electronic device. Not sure if that was a copyright/licensing issue or if they were trying to be clever but either way, it was weird.

However, I don't get all the "SJW" whining about this doc: two women not affiliated with the franchise speaking about it somehow makes it "catering to SJWs"? There are plenty of men talking here, both from the movie crew and otherwise, so all the Trump fanboys out there need to calm the F down. There is some great insight from actress Veronica Cartwright, though pretty much all that she says has been said before in the AQ docs, particularly what part of the male anatomy the newborn Alien looks like (I get it, seriously).

But perhaps what I found the least interesting is that they spent a lot of time covering the chest bursting scene. Really? That's all that the movie is remembered for after 40 years? I would have thought the sets, sound design, small group of excellent actors, the creature effects, and the fact that movies just aren't made like this anymore would have been the focus. Or maybe it's just me.

Regardless, I'm not sure if this is worthy buying, but for a rental and even a moderate Alien fan I would say give it a shot.

Brightburn (2019)

Not so Super, man

[5/10 · 31 August 2019]

If you've seen the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie, then you've seen much of this. All of the same things initial things happen: An alien boy crash lands to earth in a ship on a farm, and the people take him in and raise him. But instead of being a good guy, he turns evil and basically kills the family, some townspeople, and a couple relatives. And then it just sort of ends. It was a wasted opportunity, if you ask me. Can't see how they can do a sequel, but what do I know.

Halloween (I) (2018)

Well...I liked the music at least

[1/10 · 2 June 2019]

I watched this on HBO and after 20 mins it felt like I was watching some horror version of Modern Family. Crappy all the way around, except for the music. I skipped forward to the end and still felt cheated for having lost even that much time.

The Predator (2018)

Yikes....

[2/10 · 2 January 2019]

This movie makes the first Predator look like The Godfather in terms of quality. The action scenes are a mess, the dialogue is crap, the plot is completely preposterous (yeah, I know it's a fantasy/action movie), and it tries way too hard to be funny way too many times. It had all of the potential there to be much better than what it was, but in the end it was a waste of time. Don't bother paying for this - not even for a rental - wait until you can see it on cable for free.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

It's OK for what it is

[6/10 · 28 September 2018]

After finally seeing this, I can say while it wasn't great it wasn't horrible either.

Overall, I believe Ron Howard did an OK job with what was probably given to him (aka an expensive mess to sort out), but there were plenty of scenes that stood out better than others (train robbery, Solo's early military scenes). I've read that up to 80% of this movie was reshot, so if that is true, then I would like to have seen some alternate takes to see what was tossed out from the final edit.

So long as you can accept that Alden is not Harrison you'll do fine, though I have to give Alden credit for at least trying to play the part sincerely and no doubt being fully aware of all the fallout that has occurred as a result of him being in this movie.

What the movie suffers from the most are the fact that scenes play out too fast and/or so matter of factly without even really trying to build any tension or suspense. For example, instead of building tension during the card game for the Falcon, it pretty much is all smiles and just kind of goes by and whelp...that's that. The best parts to me were the Han and Chewy interactions, but they seem to bond rather quickly in the movie and never struggle with getting along beyond the first few minutes of their initial time together. The plot was pretty predictable overall, with almost no twists and turns. The "real" villain in the movie only has a couple of scenes and didn't seem that interested in his own part. I could go on, but you get the idea.

The surprise near the end with Darth Maul was odd and really kind of pointless. He's basically there to ignite his saber (which is the closest you'll get to Jedi action in this one) so all I can say about that is to quote the Stormtroopers would say "Move Along, move along...".

At the end of the day, I hope that Disney slows things down a bit with these movies and realizes that cash in attempts disguised as cheap fan service can be spotted a mile away.

Oh and I liked it better than Rogue One. Go Figure.

Mayans M.C. (2018–2023)

Been there, done that

[2/10 · 10 September 2018]

FX must be dying for ratings because this time around, they allow the F word on the air. As for the rest of the show, it appears to just be a Latino version of the original SOA, SSDD. While I loved the original show (until the end, hated it beyond words) I can't say this held my interest beyond the opening credits, and by that point it just felt like a retread of what I've seen before. Considering I hated how the original ended, I'm not willing to invest any time into this series. Can't we get any fresh ideas on TV anymore?

Communion (1989)

Flawed but creepy fun

[7/10 · 30 March 2018]

As a person who used to be very interested in UFOs and all related stories (the kind that are barely a blip on the news or TV radar these days), Communion has forever left a permeant impression on my psyche.

Having read the book several times back in the day, the movie sort of follows it but takes on a life of its own. I remember seeing this for the first time and being absolutely terrified of the first time that visitor peeks its head around the door (if you don't know what I am referring to, you'll see). And while it does sort of cross over into the following book's territory, the movie is plagued by Christopher Walken's overall weirdness that prevents this from being a really good alien/horror movie.

As much as I like CW's performances overall (you can never have enough cowbell after all) it just ruins what could possibly have been one of the better first hand accounts ever put to film.

It's a shame that this never got the full attention it deserved. The fact that it was limited release and never really caught on was the start of the whole decline of this subject matter from the public eye.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

I don't understand the hate

[8/10 · 14 March 2018]

I don't understand the hate for this movie. People need to get over the fact that the original Star Wars trilogy is a product of it's time, never to be replicated again. I personally enjoyed the previous Ep 7 and now this Ep 8 a lot. There were plenty of plot twists and action, and more than anything I felt like Star Wars is trying to evolve into something else instead of just being the same old thing. The 2.5 hour length only felt too long during the last 10 mins or so to me, otherwise it held my interest and I was fine with it. Bring on Ep 9.

Get Out (I) (2017)

Good but not extraordinary

[7/10 · 5 March 2018]

This movie plays like a modern Twilight Zone episode, but is not really typical horror per se. At best, it's just kind of weird with some odd humor thrown in here or there, and there is really only one (very quick) gory scene.

I don't really get the hype, but it was worth it to watch what amounts to a really good start for a first time writer/director. I look forward to more future work by Jordan Peele.