jelad612-1 Reviews

Big Eden (2000)

A sweet film that I have loved for years

[8/10 · 27 July 2022]

I probably first saw this film in 2002 or 2003. I've been to Glacier Park in Montana several times, so the setting interested me, as well as the content. At that time I was going through my own coming-out process, and a bunch of my friends recommended this movie. I think I rented it at Blockbuster or a local video store (shows my age).

The film is really sweet and it IS a fantasy, or a tale of what maybe COULD be someday (that's how we all described it at the time). I had never seen a film where everyone treated the gay characters matter-of-factly and wanted them to be happy.

The film isn't without its flaws, though. As much as I've tried, I just don't like Arye Gross as the main character. He is more of a supporting character type, like the best friend or the quirky next-door neighbor. I know he's supposed to be just an ordinary guy, which I get, but he doesn't have much chemistry with his leading men.

The character of Pike also confuses me. Throughout the film, it's not really clear if he's gay or not, and the last scene where he and Henry kiss has always seemed weird to me. Also, the film never explains why Henry decided not to leave town. I find the ending kind of rushed and unsatisfying.

Overall though, I enjoy the movie and I like the oddball set of townsfolk. It's a good film to watch on a rainy afternoon!

The Power of the Dog (2021)

I really wanted to like this film, but...

[3/10 · 27 July 2022]

I watched this film last night. I really didn't know much about the story, but I was aware that the film had gotten great reviews, so when I saw it on Netflix I decided to give it a go. The one word that comes to mind after seeing this movie is "boring."

Don't get me wrong - the cinematography is beautiful and the acting is superb. But the story is so slow-moving that it becomes tedious. At the beginning of the film, we meet all of the characters. We really don't see the romance develop between Rose and George. They have a few quick scenes together, and then George tells his brother, "Oh, we got married and she sold her property." It would have been nice to see some of that on screen.

Then, after Rose moves into George and Phil's large house, her son Peter disappears from the film for about 30 minutes. I kept wondering, "Where did the son go?" Apparently he went away to school but it was not at all clear. Then, Rose starts hitting the sauce, apparently because of her relationship with Phil, but they never really have a confrontation or even argue that much.

When the son comes back and he accidentally spots Phil swimming naked, Phil yells at him and chases him off, but in the very next scene, the "mean" Phil apologizes and starts acting like he wants to be Peter's friend. I didn't really believe this transformation and wondered if Phil was going to kill Peter. Well, I was wrong about that, of course! The ending of the film was anti-climactic, as we see Phil stumble down the stairs to go to the doctor, and in the next scene George is picking out a coffin for Phil.

The film has no real climax. There's no steady buildup of emotions and actions, and after Phil's death, the film ends with no resolution. I found it unsatisfying. It's also very long - I doubt that I will ever watch it again.

The Family Stone (2005)

Uneven and unfocused

[7/10 · 10 May 2021]

I have seen this film a couple of times over the years, and I really wanted to like it because of the talented cast. In the end, though, this movie falls flat because it can't really decide what kind of film it wants to be: is it a heartwarming Christmas film? A slapstick comedy? A serious social commentary? It tries to be all of these things and misses the mark on them all.

The cast is large, and for that reason we don't get to know all of the characters well. Claire Danes and Sarah Jessica Parker are not believable as sisters. They don't really share any scenes where they connect at all, and they seem more like two strangers. The Stone siblings fare better in that department, although the older daughter really isn't developed as a character at all, and the younger daughter is mean with no motivation.

The biggest flaw for me, though, is with Dermot Mulroney's character Everett. He and Parker don't have much chemistry together, and you never really know how he feels about Meredith. He seems to spend most of the movie either miffed or pissed off at her, and he falls for her sister WAY too fast. There's a sense that he is only proposing to Meredith to show his mother that he's not going to be alone after her death, but the film never really makes that clear.

There ARE some good individual scenes and some good acting, but overall the film leaves one cold.

500 MPH Storm (2013)

Absolute garbage, but hilariously bad

[1/10 · 8 February 2021]

I stumbled across this on Amazon Prime, and it was listed among other thrillers or disaster movies. It's relatively short - only an hour and a half, so I decided what the heck? How bad could it be (note: never ask yourself that question)!

From the beginning, the story was really hard to follow. Some scientists out in the ocean did something, and all of a sudden spawned these horrible storms and hurricanes, one of which was headed toward Galveston. For a movie that supposedly featured deadly storms, there sure were a lot of shots of clear blue skies and bright sunshine, interspersed with poor visual effects shots of clouds and waves. The acting was atrocious and we don't really learn a thing about any of the characters. And when a movie is so bad that you start to notice obvious continuity errors, it's time to switch channels. However, I stuck it out.

Our hero, played by Casper van Dien, clenches his teeth a lot and whips his hair around. His wife doesn't make any impact at all in the film, and his son is so obnoxious that I kept hoping one of the storms would sweep him away. The other characters were so one-dimensional that I can't even remember them.

Production values were awful, from the late-70s- looking cgi to the wrecked cars that are supposed to be real cars, to the sets that they kept re-using. Our main characters take refuge in what looks like an old factory resembling the set of "Saw," and later after they go to higher ground and drive many miles, they end up in what looks like the same place. Somehow they end up in the middle of a forest fire with fake fire, and end up crossing a river to find a helicopter that they somehow knew was there, and for some reason ole Casper knows how to fly it (don't ask).

Then we have something of an anticlimax as the scientists who are still out in the ocean do something again, and the storms miraculously stop. But wait! It's not over until the heroes return to that same factory set yet again, so that Casper can find the eye of the storm a la "Twister," then he is sucked up into this deadly tornado while holding on with one bloody hand until some guy comes up from below and pulls him back down. Whew!! Finally it's over!

Seriously, if you love to watch movies that are so bad they're good, add this one to the list. You will laugh a lot while watching it!

Burning Blue (2013)

I really wanted to like this movie!

[7/10 · 24 June 2020]

On the surface, it sounded great. Plus it was based on a true story. The film looks really good and the acting is great, but the script and story are so muddled. There are three main characters. Two of them, Dan and Will, are good friends and they are featured in the opening scenes. I thought this was going to be a film about them slowly falling in love, but then the third main character, Matt, shows up. The first time I watched this, I found myself saying, "Now who is he?" I actually went back and watched the beginning again, and Matt is there, but he doesn't speak a line until more than 15 minutes into the movie. The set-up fell completely flat. After that, Dan and Matt supposedly fall in love, but it's hard to tell! Matt is married and Dan has a fiancée, and both couples break up over the course of the film, but we don't see either breakup on screen. The two of them hang out as friends and have one rowdy night in a bar, but it's not immediately evident that it's a gay bar, and they leave with two women. Later on, after they decide to not speak to each other, suddenly Matt shows up and they start kissing, but it just made no logical sense, and there was no buildup. The last part of the film is actually well done, and features good acting from the actors who play Dan and Will. Overall I was just wanting so much more from this film!

Avalanche (1978)

OMG!! This is available on Amazon Prime Video!

[4/10 · 7 June 2019]

Go watch it NOW before it disappears forever! I remember watching this when I was a kid, and even then we all burst out laughing during the avalanche. This movie is absolutely hilarious- you'll laugh your head off. As a drama, I rate it a 4, but if you watch it and think of it as "Airplane!" In the Rockies, it warrants a perfect 10. It it SO unbelievably over-the-top and campy, it's hard to believe they didn't intend it that way. I'll give them a pass on the special effects, since in the late 70s this was about the best they could do, but I can't forgive Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow for appearing in this just for a paycheck. Jeanette Nolan is the best thing in this film, and Robert Forster does a good job in his role (and he's much more handsome than Rock Hudson)! Everything else is a laugh-fest.

Game of Thrones: The Bells (2019) Season 8, Episode 5

Don't let your hatred cloud your view

[9/10 · 15 May 2019]

Look folks, I get it! You don't like the direction the show has taken, and you're taking it out on individual episodes, instead of judging each episode on its own merits. These reviews have devolved into comments usually reserved for a clickbait news article! Get a grip! The show has finished filming, and nothing that anyone says on here is going to change the ending.

That being said, I enjoyed this episode. It was visually beautiful, and also featured some great scenes and acting. I had tears in my eyes when Tyrion freed Jaime, and also when Arya and the Hound had their moment. And of course, the Clegane brothers were great! I also got a little satisfaction when the Mountain crushed creepy Qyburn. The show is ending and that makes me sad, but I'm not a writer and I don't know anything about what it takes to make a TV show. I'd rather trust those who do. In the end, of course, it's just a TV show - it's not life and death. If all of you 1-rating people think you can do better, I look forward to seeing your shows!