zapdude Reviews

The Crazy Ones (2013–2014)

So much potential, so little realized

[8/10 · 22 September 2014]

I rarely notice anything on the old-guard networks, so I was completely unaware that this series even existed. After the unfortunate passing of Robin Williams I learned about The Crazy Ones and watched it.

Robin Williams had a set of characters. These were him. Just like my grandfather, he could call up an appropriate character and bring it into perspective. I'm absolutely certain that every day on the set of The Crazy Ones involved a lot of laughing, a lot of fun, and a LOT of material that couldn't possibly be used on network television. What we got was a mediocre but entertaining show.

Robin Williams as the 63 year old elder agency head is perfect because of these things, they are not faults. He's older, more mature, more experienced, definitely more jaded. The younger ones are learning at his knee, as it should be.

As a requiem for Robin Williams' career, this series is a tragic and amazingly funny summary. They're all there. There's a bit of Mork, a bit of Mrs. Doubtfire, some Adrian Cronauer, you'll recognize the Genie, and the Indian Chief, and more. Yes, Robin's career was stale and he was essentially doing the same shtick as he was doing in the 70s. But it was good. He was fast. He was an amazingly funny man, filled with heart and care. We loved him for it. Maybe the younger generation will never get Robin, but anyone over 30 should have.

If I had left behind the body of work that Robin Williams did, and that included this little unpolished gem, I'm certain I could have left this planet fulfilled. We will miss him.

Age of Dinosaurs (2013)

It's actually worse than you're expecting

[2/10 · 29 August 2013]

No, really. I knew it was going to be bad. Really bad. I mean, a low budget movie about dinosaurs roaming around in LA is going to be bad. You know it's going to rip off ideas and scenes from Jurassic Park. Of course it is... because that's THE benchmark for dinosaur movies. And it's going to be a clone of all the disaster/horror/animals at large movies ever made. If you're like me, you're completely aware of this going in. In fact, you crave a good Cheese-fest B-movie. But no matter how low your expectations are, this movie was still worse.

Considering how far the CG industry has come since Jurassic Park, which was 20 years ago now, I have what I consider a reasonable expectation of monster SFX to be. This wasn't that good. I mean, they actually failed to match 20 year old tech, or apparently develop any kind of realistic motion models. The flying dinos look like claymation. The matting is horrid, with poorly rendered CG dinos clearly not even remotely matching the background.

Nah, there's no redemption. And yet, many will watch this on Netflix because it's there. So if you're checking this review prior to watching, take your lowest expectations and drop them one or two levels.

It's absolutely insane that there can be this many people in the industry who have access to the means of making a movie, but still have no idea how to make a movie. Bad script, bad acting, bad CG, bad music, bad sound FX, bad audio mixing, bad foley, bad continuity, bad makeup, bad costumes, bad lighting, almost every aspect is bad, which is why you'll want to watch it for the cheese factor.

CHiPs (1977–1983)

Still a classic

[8/10 · 27 January 2013]

The stars of CHiPs are not actually Eric Estrada or Larry Wilcox (both of whom I met at a car show years ago), the stars are the cars, the streets, the freeways, the city of LA, and the entire culture of its era, grasped and documented in a snapshot of life in those days.

Of course CHiPs was cheesy, even for its day it was about as authentic as Miami Vice... but they were both enormously popular shows that captured something more than they realized they were at the time.

The show started when I was 14, at a time when there were only a few channels and if you watched TV you probably watched it. Really, it's very low key, relatively non-violent, and the cops were more human and fallible, as well as forgiving. Very few people are wearing seat belts, people are smoking, cars are smoking too (gotta love the smoggy days that were more common back then), and the girls... really smoking, even if their jeans rode above their navels and the hairstyles took 3 hours.

My then-teenage friends and I followed CHiPs, we discussed each episode, we dreamed about a land far south of our native Calgary where January had sunny shirtsleeve days. We wanted to believe that THIS was the world we would grow up in. Too bad things took a hard left turn as the drug culture and violent crime continued to erode society.

If you ever want to see what the ACTUAL world outside of studios looked like in the late 70s and early 80s, the cars and trucks on the streets, the hairstyles and (sorta) music, this is the show to watch. I went to LA for two weeks in early 1980, and can confirm that this really IS what the city looked like at the time.

By the way, the first season's music is less disco and more Funk... it was the 2nd season theme song that really kicked it into the Disco Era, which died a well deserved death even while the show was still in production. But even now, the theme song shows the raw excitement and exuberance that Disco brought to the world at the time (Disco, rest in peace, and we won't ever actually miss you).

I loved this show, I can't even imagine a series of this type making it in today's market. It still amazes me that these two cops could ALWAYS KNOW exactly what to do in every situation, from freeway crashes, hazardous materials handling, foam truck managing, delivering babies, etc. etc. Nobody could know everything they were expected to know.

Air Collision (2012 Video)

Another $1000 budget movie...

[2/10 · 18 November 2012]

It's not completely awful, because it's so unintentionally funny. Virtually every aspect of this thing is a fail: premise, acting, script, effects, continuity, everything!

Thing is, others have suggested this movie is a send-up on air disaster movies... but I find that hard to believe. There is nothing here to convey the intent to mock or otherwise be humorous. Everyone is completely serious!

I love the traffic jams out in the middle of nowhere, where there aren't even roads... and don't forget the exact same white Mustang convertible used in a few shots.

Satellites falling like rain from the skies! Head on jetliner collisions that everyone survives! Screaming passengers! Heart attacks, epileptic death, obstinate passengers, heroism, the scientist who is the only one who sees something horrible wrong with converting civilian ATC to military control... This movie is stunningly bad. Which is why you'll probably enjoy it.

2012: Ice Age (2011 Video)

Epic! Stellar! Awesome! A Tour-de-Force! Groundbreaking!!!!

[1/10 · 13 November 2012]

I know, I know, so many bad reviews here, but... this movie has pushed the boundaries in so, so, so many important ways!!!!

1. AWESOMELY BAD PREMISE - the entire premise of this ridiculous movie is so flawed, so absolutely retarded, it's difficult to even comprehend how such an inane plot could have been green-lighted even as a play for a grade 3 classroom. Oh yes. An entire glacier shelf is heading to New York at several hundred miles per hour, freezing everything ahead of it. It's... stupefying. And, the military has declared war on it!

2. INCREDIBLY BAD SCRIPT - the quips and one-liners are on a whole new level. The things that spew out of these characters are... well... stupefying! They seem to defy any connection with the events surrounding them. You'll laugh! You'll actually LAUGH at half of this script, and when you're not laughing, you'll be breathless in anticipation of just how bad the next line will be!

3. UNPRECEDENTEDLY BAD EFFECTS - Yes, really... they actually ARE as bad as others here are commenting. They're bad! I'm pretty sure my PHONE has more processing power than they used for the CG scenes. Note to future filmmakers: allocate more than 20 minutes for your special effects time budget! They actually used shots of the Blue Angels doing aerobatics as stock footage of the Air Force attacking the glaciers! Not to mention the last few minutes where they actually CG their vehicle driving around, apparently because they had no budget for a few exterior shots of someone driving.

4. PATHETICALLY BAD ACTING - Okay, really I'm sure these people are capable of better, so I'm not claiming that they are bad ACTORS... it's just that with the obvious lack of direction for this movie I'm pretty sure they had no idea what was going on from scene to scene. They are all clichés, absolutely no originality in any of the portrayals. Not much more to say here... you have to see it to believe it!

5. HORRENDOUS CONTINUITY - La la la... driving down the road in vehicle A. Exterior shot, vehicle B. Back to interior, but now vehicle C. Exterior shot, 10 year older vehicle, slightly similar. Etc. The whole entire movie is like this, and the continuous re-use of even the most basic shots is absolutely comical. Did they not think we'd notice the same truck passing them and running over the same plastic bag? Several times? Within 2 minutes?

This movie is entertaining, but definitely not in the manner the producers intended. It's a great example of what happens when people who have no idea what they're doing try making a movie based on a bad idea, with a horrible script.

It's worth watching for free, ie. Netflix or something, just for the demonstration of inept and sloppy film-making.

PS: tires don't squeal on ice...

Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)

Typical of its genre

[4/10 · 5 August 2009]

At this writing, the rating is 3.0 with 8908 votes. I would have expected 3.5 It's fluff, poorly done, with wooden "acting" and the certainty of purpose it seems only a teen could take seriously... and yet its target audience loves it.

And, although I hate to make the comparison, exactly what redeeming features did Elvis or Beatles movies have? In retrospect, not much.

I've been lucky enough to only be forced to watch one episode of the series, and from what I can tell the movie is just more of the same. If science ever discovers a cure for whatever it is that makes kids like this stuff, great... otherwise, this is typical and there will be more.

I will just add that I personally found absolutely no trace of realism or usefulness in this entire movie.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Disturbingly bad

[3/10 · 9 December 2008]

Probably the most scattered, incoherent, poorly conceived and executed big-budget feature yet made.

The first movie was good, really it was. I had never read the Narnia books, I was too busy reading LOTR and Science Fiction to be much interested, so the first movie got me involved in the series.

This one, however, seems to completely fall apart. Things happen for no apparent reason. People do things with no apparent motive. CG and live characters stand around in huge crowds simply watching others do things. For a long time. With no apparent result. Then they cheer. Yawn.

Characters appear and "save the day" with a roar. Waves crash down rivers just like in LOTR, except not as exciting and for no apparent reason other than to show off the alternate CG that might have been created for LOTR. A giant battle sequence appears in the middle of a story that didn't have one. Yawn.

I shudder to think that anyone could find merit in this movie. As a standalone movie it is horrific. As a desecration of the original author's intent, it is inexcusable, shameful, and embarrassing.

Gor (1987)

NO redeeming qualities.

[1/10 · 8 January 2007]

As a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, I expect a bit of cheese with the movies I sometimes force myself to watch (mostly low-budge cheese).

As a fan of the Gor books, I too was anticipating this movie when I first heard about it. I had completely forgotten about it until it was playing late night on Space channel, but yeah, the bad memories came flooding back.

This movie and John Norman's books have absolutely nothing in common. No, I don't just mean that this is a bad adaptation... NOTHING in common. This was most likely an already written story that someone pasted the Gorean names onto.

The most disturbing part is that the very thing that made the books good, Gorean society, was ignored for this crapfest. The keeping of slaves and rough-and-tumble nature of Gor is not some bad people in one distant city... it was the entire planet.

Tarl Cabot is transported to this planet, which is in orbit on the opposite side of the sun (thus explaining why we don't see it), and after his first adventure he is returned to Earth. Tarl Cabot in the books is every-man, you, me, the guys you know. At first he is horrified by what he sees, but as time passes he realizes that this simple, brutal world is actually the way humans were meant to live.

In the books, slave girls revel in their sexuality. In the movie, slave girls are props for showing how evil the evil bad man is. Pathetic.

There are movies you watch to laugh at how bad they are. I don't think this one even rises to that level. Every character is miscast, which itself is an odd accomplishment considering how poor the script is in the first place.

I've already wasted enough of my life writing this... Of all the movies on IMDb, this is one that truly offers nothing, no redeeming aspects, no moral, nothing. There is no reason to see this. Ever. Anyone. For any reason. It lacks even the cheese factor. It's just... bad.

Earthsea (2004–2005)

Typically Hallmark

[5/10 · 7 January 2007]

Having just watched this harmless, derivative, typically mediocre production, I was curious how others received it. After reading a few of the comments here, I'm adding mine.

First, I have never read an Earthsea book. Therefore, all I perceived was a rather middle-level "typical" fantasy story. I got a kick out of what I thought was a cheesy ripoff of Harry Potter at the wizard's school, it was so clearly a copy that it would have been laughable at any time.

The acting and production values were, simply, typical Hallmark. Not great, not awful, just bread-on-the-table pulp of the sort that keeps people employed.

If you look at the entire Fantasy/Science Fiction film industry, there are rarely any that are actually better, and many that are a LOT worse (notably better: Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, notably worse: 2001's Planet of the Apes) Now that I've said that, if I had been an Earthsea fan, I probably would have been just as furious and felt just as betrayed as anyone commenting here. Clearly, only fans of a book or series should be involved in producing movie versions.

King Kong (2005)

Absolutely Awesome

[10/10 · 8 April 2006]

No other King Kong movie, no Jurassic Park, no cutesy Disney animal movies even remotely approaches what Jackson has accomplished with King Kong.

There are two ways to approach this movie, either with a cynical "look for all the flaws" attitude or a "just get immersed" outlook. I chose the second.

For the first time in any version of Kong, the interaction of the girl and the giant ape make sense. The immense range of expression, both facial and vocal, show what is going on in the ape's mind. Stunning.

And what of her? What attracts her to this giant beast? Is it love? Is it the fact that he is her protector? There are so many levels of interaction. Each is unattainable to the other, and yet they have a love that cannot be fully explained.

There are scenes in this movie that are slightly weak, CG is not perfect. But I adore the attention to detail, the obvious love and affection put into the movie by so many.

This movie is all about love.

** Spoilers Ahead ** I suspect at the end, after Kong falls, that she is considering following him. It is up to her attainable love to bring her back, literally from the edge.

It's about a giant animal, king of his domain, annoyed by mere individual humans. But humans work together to create great works and accomplish great tasks. Captured, displayed, eventually humbled by the works of mere men, the skyscrapers and endless city, the ape eventually gives in to his overwhelming defeat.

There are scenes in this movie that can evoke emotions as strongly as real life. The combination of stunning visuals, stellar acting, moving music, and a story as large as any makes this movie the King of all action/adventure/love stories.

Mr. Jackson, I stand in awe at what you have achieved.

Crash (I) (2004)

Pretty good

[8/10 · 3 November 2005]

This movie weaves a fantasy world of characters whose main focus in life seems to be racial. Maybe you're supposed to relate to these characters, but the stereotypes of "racism" seemed a bit overdone to me.

Anyway, after having it described to me by someone who saw it, I wasn't prepared to enjoy it.

Well, getting past the obvious exaggeration that Hollywood seems to require for anything, racism included, the interwoven stories move seamlessly and create a strangely satisfying message.

I was fascinated, even though the characters appeared shallow and somewhat stupid in their focus on race. Some of the scenes were a bit over the top, really, but overall it was a good movie.

Worth seeing.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Simply awful.

[1/10 · 24 September 2005]

I tried, I really truly tried, to find any redeeming aspect of this horrid movie, but was unable to.

Every character was completely miscast, every line was sheer agony, every sight gag was cringe-worthy. The parts of the BBC series that had me laughing were gone, replaced by sanitized junk. The special effects were too large and, for lack of a better word, overbearing. The makers of this movie completely missed the concept of "campy" and went for realism, which was totally out of place.

Unfortunately, THIS is now how a large portion of the world will remember Douglas Adams, a true tragedy.

Watching the BBC series was pure magic, the characters had that sort of Dr. Who surrealism, the situations were completely believable in that special Adams sort of way. The movie? Nope.

I wanted to enjoy it. I heard from non-HHG fans that it was horrible, but hoped they just didn't get the humor. Well, it sucked... totally, completely, awfully, sucked. In case you missed the point of this review, let me restate it: this movie was HORRIBLE, and a travesty of the work of the original books and radio and BBC series.

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

Unrelenting assault of lies and spin

[1/10 · 27 June 2004]

I can't even imagine what kind of mentality it takes to view this partisan small-minded spin-o-rama and believe a single word of it.

Nah... it's not even worth more than a "YUCK". If this is where your world is, you deserve the misery that is your life.

Moore's honesty is called into question from the moment he claims the distributor backed out (even though the original production agreement specifically stated it was not a distribution agreement), and goes downhill from there.

Sorry to those who enjoyed this campaign-season fluff, you're buying into a big lie, bigger even than the one that Moore is accusing the Bush administration of perpetrating.

Enjoy it while it's out, it won't be here long.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Awesome

[10/10 · 26 February 2004]

No movie will ever be perfect, of course, and I could nit-pick certain aspects that I felt were over/under done... but no.

The Passion is brutal, ugly, gory, grotesque, beautiful, peaceful, serene, surreal, and breathtaking, and you absolutely MUST see it.

Anything negative you've heard about it is probably wrong. Ignore it.

From the opening scenes in the garden you are pulled into the story. The mists swirling around the characters lend a surreal atmosphere, but the reality of the situation is hammered home with the light of dawn. The flashbacks to the last supper, the sermon on the mount, the woman at the well... these are woven into the tapestry of this film so cleanly, they belong.

Whether a nail goes into palms or wrists is a meaningless criticism. Anyone who could see this as a call for anti-Semitism knows nothing about Christianity.

There is no judgement here, it is simply the telling of the story with every possible detail as described by eye witnesses. It does not attempt to convince you to become a Christian, or to hate the Jews, it does nothing except tell the story... and yet, that is everything.

During the movie, I heard no audience sounds except the occasional cough. After the movie, a visibly stunned audience moved quietly and reverently out of the theater into the lobby where a few gathered in groups (I'm assuming some church groups were there). Just before leaving the theater, I looked up and saw maybe 15 or 20 people sitting with their heads down, some sobbing or trying to gather their senses.

I feel as though I have witnessed something incredible, something totally different. Something new? Something very interesting.

Secondhand Lions (2003)

Excellent movie

[9/10 · 21 February 2004]

I never heard of it. I don't remember a theatrical run, didn't see any advertising. In fact, my parents were looking for it, so I decided to take a look. There it was in the New Releases section of the rental place, so I grabbed it.

Looking at the cover, you'd expect this to be yet another Disney-type story about some idealistic weirdos raising lions, anthropomorphizing them into alternative people so kids think all animals are really just humans that can't talk.

So... imagine my surprise when this turned out to be one of my favorite movies ever!

No, I didn't expect this AT ALL. Our whole family watched, spellbound, from the 8 year old on up. We probably laughed out loud more than any other movie we've ever seen together.

I know it's tempting to lump this into the tired "another coming of age movie" category, but this one is different. With the single exception of the INCREDIBLY lame last sequence, this movie had everything!

One of the few movies I will enthusiastically purchase for my collection.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Stunning.

[10/10 · 19 December 2003]

I'm not sure I can add much to what many of the comments here are saying. This is part three of a three part epic, and in my opinion the complete package is the best single movie ever made.

Just as in the books, almost every loose end is wrapped up. We all knew that good would eventually triumph over evil, but watching it evoked strong emotions. I still have the uncanny sense that Peter Jackson somehow managed to take cameras TO MIDDLE EARTH and film the actual events as they unfolded.

And, more than this, I pity those few who don't "get" these movies.

In Fellowship, I had tears in my eyes at the loss of Gandalf. Sure, he comes back, but the characters don't know that!

(possible spoiler, next paragraph only)

In Return of the King, I had tears in my eyes at a couple of moments. My favorite single moment was when Aragorn said "My friends, You bow to no one", followed by the entire host of men bowing to the hobbits. The scene where the Eagles pull Sam and Frodo to safety almost had me bawling, it was so beautifully crafted, and SO reminiscent of the original art in the Tolkien books.

I believed that Minas Tirith existed, that somehow they managed to build the entire city as the world's largest movie set. Stunning.

Unfortunately, the movies are not perfect, but what is RIGHT so outweighs what isn't perfect that I won't even bother trying to detail everything. One day, CG will be better. The transitions into and out of computer animation are seamless, but the CG characters flop around unrealistically. They also have sticky feet that allow them to stand on moving monsters without effort. Niggles, and it doesn't detract from the story.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen more at Cirith Ungol, more about the end of Saruman, and the Scouring of the Shire. But hey, the Extended DVD will have this, and I can wait. Barely.

I must have been one of the luckiest moviegoers this week.

I managed to see this movie in a packed theater, with absolutely NO sound problems, no picture problems, and complete (actually spooky) silence from the audience at the silent parts. Nobody laughed at an inappropriate moment, nothing.

I'm assuming that the majority of people who would go through the effort of standing in line for 45 minutes to get a ticket, another hour in line to get into the theater, and enduring the 26 minutes of ads prior to the actual movie would be serious fans of the series.

The Core (2003)

I've seen worse... often

[8/10 · 14 September 2003]

Okay, this is NOT Academy Award material. But let's face it, we can all think of twenty movies in as many seconds with a more inane premise, or with worse acting, or worse cinematography, or worse special effects, and most of them are rated higher here on IMDB. Careful... I'll start naming them. (fight club)... (gladiator)... (armageddon)

As a science fiction fan, I actually enjoyed it. But I do wish that Hollywood would stop painting their cliches so boldly. I mean, I'm a computer geek too, but I'm not an ugly, socially awkward virgin.

The premise isn't completely stupid, but it's movie land and they have to exaggerate the effects, right?

My personal favorite lines:

"How long will it take to build this?"

"Twelve, no, ten years."

"How much would it cost to do it in three months?"

"Um... fifty billion."

"Will you take a cheque?"

"Put it on a card, you get air miles."

Die Another Day (2002)

Unbelievable

[4/10 · 12 August 2003]

Unbelievably BAD, that is.

Years ago, aome friends and I sat down as a joke to design the worst possible Bond movie... all the most worn out, tired cliches, the worst one-liners, etc.

This movie WAS that movie. (Spoilers ahead)

*Whack* - how's that for a punch line?

*Care to wager?* - no, I don't go in for cock fights.

The TRUE power of Icarus... Mr. Bond was right beside me and didn't figure out who I am... Bond, James Bond... and don't even TALK to me about that horrific and pathetic "theme song".

This movie is NOT without it's pluses. As an example for how NOT to make a Bond film, this movie shines. As an example of how NOT to use special effects, this movie stands out. Oh my GOD... an invisible CAR?! That's just embarassing. The ever-annoying zip-around-fast-forward scene change? AGH!

Next time, why not have someone involved who actually knows what a Bond movie is supposed to be? Hey, didn't I see the bald bad-guy as the antagonist in Fast and Furious?

Watch this movie at your peril.

About Schmidt (2002)

Gorgeous

[9/10 · 26 July 2003]

I can't even begin to comprehend why this movie was advertised as a "comedy". Maybe because "true life" movies don't sell? From reading some of the comments here and hearing what some of my friends have said, the expectation of a comedy kind of ruined this masterpiece for many people.

It's not a comedy, although it has funny moments. This movie is perhaps one of the best portrayals of how life REALLY ends up for many people.

There are scenes, moments, in this movie that make you want to scream. Ol' Schmidt, though... he just sucks it up, puts on a brave face, and soldiers on.

Jack Nicholson's performance is Oscar-worthy.

This movie should be instructional to many people. You need to appreciate what you have while you have it. You need to forge meaningful relationships with those in your life. You need to actually DO things instead of just thinking about it. Because retirement and loneliness is closer than you think.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Surprisingly good

[17 July 2003]

I don't remember ever seeing this in theaters, which probably shows my lack of attention. I certainly didn't expect what it was.

I'm not a big fan of either DiCaprio OR Hanks, but in this movie they worked. The way the era was captured was convincing, and the performances by all of the supporting cast were great.

This is one of the few recent movies I've enjoyed enough to actually buy on DVD.

Are You Being Served? Again! (1992–1993)

Mediocre fare, but still a classic BritCom

[17 July 2003]

This series can't hold a candle to the original, and I can't quite put my finger on the reasons. Sure, the actors have aged 20 years since they started, but there is something else lacking.

In the original AYBS, they shot live in front of an audience and occasionally made mistakes. Maybe that's a factor.

Anyway, after working in retail for years, I always liked the original series since it captured the shoddy way retail staff are treated. This series never came close to capturing much of anything.

The "Multard" characters steal the show, of course.

Blind Date (I) (1999–2006)

The best "reality show"... period

[5 May 2003]

The premise is simple: the applicants create a video description of themselves, and the Blind Date team hooks them up. They choose from a list of "activities", then drive a special camera equipped vehicle to their date. After the activity is dinner, then a camera equipped cab ride to a bar, then a cab ride home.

The entire time, we are watching the couple interact. In post-production, they add in thought balloons and clever comments. When I first watched this show, I thought it looked stupid, but a girlfriend convinced me to watch. Now I'm hooked!

The best part of "Blind Date"? I'm not sure there is one. Sometimes you know they hooked up incompatible people, but in general I think they choose couples that look good on paper.

The very few of these dates that work, work well. You can visibly see the connection as it's made. But the majority don't work.

And why don't they work? Many reasons. Is it really true that most guys are so incredibly "on the make"? Some of these guys are absolutely pathetic in their attempts to get their "prize". Laughable.

And some of these women are shallower than a rain puddle. Several times I've seen some really nice, sincere guy getting totally sneered at by his "date" because he isn't wealthy or "attractive" enough.

I would say that this series says more about PEOPLE than any other "reality show". Instead of fake and contrived situations, this is just a low budget documentation of things that people DO in real life.

Seriously, there is no other "reality" program than can even come close to real life as Blind Date does. It's worth watching, it's even worth watching repeats to get details and nuances you may have missed the first time.

Titanic (1997)

In the Middle

[7/10 · 2 March 2003]

I managed to avoid watching this movie for years. I'm surprised that its rating here on IMDB is 7.0

Considering the rabid fan base, and the fact that you could NOT escape that horrid theme song for forever, I would have thought it was an awesome movie.

When push comes to shove, it's an OK movie, but it's neither AWESOME nor TERRIBLE.

In short, it is a 7.0 movie, I guess.

The first half is the best, the second half falls apart completely. I guess it just goes to show that the more money you pour into a project, the more you can get out.

Death to Smoochy (2002)

Not horrid

[19 January 2003]

I sat in amazement, watching Ebert rate this the worst movie of 2002.

With so many WORTHY candidates for that title, why pick on this one? I suppose, if you can't comprehend the humor, if you can't see that all characters here are cartoonish in their two dimensionality...

Looking for a point? There isn't one!

Looking for stellar acting? Don't bother!

It was fun. Nothing wrong with that... the horrid string of Adam Sandler movies continue to roll in the money, why not watch something a little more adult?

Judging by the ratings on IMDB, this movie wasn't hated. It's not Oscar material, but I really enjoyed it.

Minority Report (2002)

Great movie

[9/10 · 23 December 2002]

It's difficult to avoid comparing this movie to Vanilla Sky, another excellent movie that a large number of people just don't "get".

If you believe that most of Minority Report is improbable, then you haven't been paying attention. There are tons of things that have been tried in the pursuit of justice that seem like a good idea at the time, but are eventually discarded. Things like photo radar, for one.

It is interesting reading here what people choose to nitpick. I, for one, applaud Tom Cruise's choice to move into a more thought provoking, mature type of role. He's an excellent actor that has, in the past, chosen some pretty lame projects. And I also liked the way the movie had a dreamy, washed out kind of quality, except for his crystal-clear memories, and the bright and colorful ending.

I can't put it better than what another comment stated: tired of reading reviews by out of work film school graduates? Well I am. This was a much better story and overall package than The Matrix. The only problem is Matrix was first, so people scream that this is a copy. It is stunning to me that in this world of grotesquely BAD movies, a standout movie like this is called "trash" by so many.

I don't buy many DVDs, but this one goes into my library, right between Vanilla Sky and Total Recall. I rated it a 9.