bigdgun Reviews

High Desert (2023)

Maybe the stupidest show of the year.

[2/10 · 9 July 2023]

High Desert is terrible! A terrible script. No funny lines, not even one. I just want Peggy to die ASAP. Couldn't watch past the second episode. Possibly the worst trash that Apple has produced so far. It is truly dark, but "comedy"? I don't think so. Ted Lasso is intelligent comedy.

Patricia Arquette and Rupert Friend are absolutely wasted in their roles. The terrible overacting in comedy TV went out with 80's sitcom canned laughter. Maybe this is supposed to be a 70's clone, but there are reasons why nobody watches The 6 Million Dollar Man or Gilligan's Island anymore. Really bad scripts and bad, over-emoting acting!

Annette (2021)

One of the worst movies ever!

[1/10 · 6 May 2022]

Marion Cotillard's character, Ann, is a frightened yet seasoned opera singer. Adam Driver's character, Henry, is (unbelievably) a successful comedian. Ann has a beautiful voice, and her character has depth. Cotillard pulls it off. Henry, on the other hand, was really poorly written. He doesn't utter a single comedic line and Driver was terribly miscast and looks like a deer in the headlamps most of the time. His performance belongs more in a small avant garde club in Van Nuys, rather than a Hollywood comedy club. Even their child, Annette (a marionette) is tolerable as an experimental persona, without personality or soul, but acceptable as un unorthodox characterization.

I guess if you get really stoned, this might be tolerable. But I prefer a plot if I'm expected to sit for two hours. However, I only watched until the eventful "yacht in a storm" scene. Thank God I didn't pay admission in a theater. What drivel!

The White Tiger (2021)

Typical Netflix crap! Glorifying violence! Avoid like the plague!!

[2/10 · 20 February 2021]

I don't know how anyone can give this piece of garbage a good rating. I do agree that the lead actor was marvelous, but beyond Adarsh Gurav there wasn't a decent bit of acting. The directing was weak and we never really became engaged with any of the characters. With the exception of the lead who turned out to be a despicable scumbag. I was extremely disappointed in the performance of the beautiful Priyanka Chopra.

Amazon, Apple and Hulu turn out marvelously entertaining movies and television (see The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Tehran, Fleabag, Greyhound, The Morning Show, One Night in Miami, Goliath, etc.). But Netflix continues to churn out ultra-violent slosh! No wonder the government of India is up in arms against the movie deals that Netflix is making. It is one thing to show India in a less than positive light. But to make a movie filled with gratuitous violence for the sake of shock value, is where Netflix has gone, and it is sad watching the company go down a slippery slope.

The Operative (2019)

A really good story falls apart

[3/10 · 11 August 2019]

This was a well-written and well-acted drama. That is up until the director chickens out and ends the movie. I really HATE it when an artistic creator loses his/her vision and just abruptly ends a movie after capturing our interest in the characters and plot.

The movie was an A-. The ending a pure F and that pretty much spoiled it for me.

Trance (I) (2013)

My God, what crap is this?!!!

[1/10 · 18 November 2013]

How can the man who directed Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, create such a mishmash of unfathomable garbage? How can wonderful actors like Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel and James McAvoy, all competent and successful in their own rights, be a part of this? How can I, a man who has watched and scored nearly 3000 movies on IMDb.com, sit through this crap? The general public obviously agreed with me as Trance only earned $2,000,000 at the U.S. box office. That's about what a documentary on Newt Gingrich would do.

This is the essence of "directorial masturbation"! There is nothing redeeming about this movie! Cassel does his damnedest to save it but McAvoy seems lost. That has been kind of his shtick in the past, but here I was just as lost as he was and neither of us ever got found. And Dawson...you are hereby relegated to making straight to video B-movies. She was just terrible. Although if that was Rosario's naked body, shaved and all, walking into the bedroom, I am duly-impressed. If it wasn't her, that body should receive a credit all on it's own! Danny Sapani, as one of Cassel's thugs was the only likable character.

Trance ranks right up there with Plan 9 from Outer Space and Endless Love as one of the worst movies of all time. Off-topic I know, but Shana Feste, who has turned out two miserable excuses for movies, is re-making Endless Love. Somebody take away her keys before she kills someone.

It takes 101 minutes to kill off just about everyone. I could have done so in 18 and saved an hour-and-a-half. The movie goes back and forth so often between hypnotism-induced fantasy and reality, that after about 20 minutes the audience has no idea what is real and what isn't. Right up until the end. That worked for Memento and Matrix, but not Trance.

Maybe if you spent your childhood in a drug-induced coma and thought Trainspotting was genius, you will relate to Trance. Maybe if I was on "X" when I watched it, I could relate. Maybe I'll stop spewing out this vitriolic review and go watch a brilliant Greg Kinnear movie like The Matador, that nobody knows about, to get the regurgitated popcorn out of my mouth.

The Score (2001)

Typical suspenseful twists but so professionally directed!

[8/10 · 22 August 2013]

Robert De Niro at his absolute best. Edward Norton showing the world once again that he is a premiere American actor. Angela Bassett has the smile to end all smiles. Only Marlon Brando sinks deeper into the quagmire of his latent, malignant career. It is amazing to think that it is Fozzie Bear/Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) who directed this gem.

The Score starts out earnestly to build the interest of the audience. Then lags a bit with Brando's foolishness, but BOY does it build to a crescendo at the climax.

Suspenseful, enjoyable entertainment. It is not the most believable caper and it probably helps if you aren't familiar with James Bond style burglary tools (LOL) but it all worked out in the end for me.

Casino Royale (2006)

How NOT to make a Bond.

[3/10 · 29 December 2006]

This is by far the worst of the James Bond franchise. One can only hope that it does not spell it's own demise. Except for an intense early chase scene on a construction site, the action is stiff, boring and violent for the sake of violence. Even the great chase scene ends in such a mediocre manner that it dispels the entire purpose of the chase. Daniel Craig does OK as a well-built Bond without passion or humor, traits that made Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan endearing and entertaining. M (Judy Dench) is her usual brusque and efficient self.

The movie begins with a retrospect of Bond's first "kill" and his lack of experience and early promotion without garnering the trust of his superiors, is mentioned repeatedly. HOWEVER (and I accent however), M then refers to research done post-9/11. Ouch! And then there is a poker scene (the only reference to a casino in the entire movie) which must go on for at least half an hour and is obviously only there to appeal to America's ESPN poker craze. And come on, $150,000,000 is the only thing at stake here. If Bond can't save the world anymore, then we no longer need him.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Funniest movie since Animal House

[10/10 · 20 August 2006]

Little Miss Sunshine is the funniest movie in years. Led by heroin snorting patriarch, Alan Arkin, and Mr. "Winner", Greg Kinnear, this is the penultimate dysfunctional family. Toni Collette, who has been in some magnificent movies, The 6th Sense, 8 1/2 Women, Emma and Muriel's Wedding, radiates here as the somewhat befuddled wife who ends up as a constant catalyst. Steve Carell plays her suicidal brother, and he underplays the role to a hysterical perfection. He knows that he is/was an important scholar, but he's not sure that anybody else knows, or cares. Kinnear, fresh off of the masterful, The Matador, is quietly becoming one of America's best character actors. The two kids are strange, strangely likable and yet indicative of today's children. Forced to travel together for two days and 800 miles in an old VW bus, the family quickly unravels and then, when forced to look closely at one another, realizes in the end...all you really need is family. If you have any appreciation of humor, don't miss this one.

The Ice Harvest (2005)

Terrible, boring waste of time

[2/10 · 27 November 2005]

This movie is AWFUL!! I grew up on the brilliance of Harold Ramis...Stripes, Caddyshack and The Ghostbusters franchise. So I went with great hopes. But a wooden, one-dimensional performance by John Cusack (who appeared bored throughout the entire film) and a bad job by Connie Nielsen, who does her best to imitate Kathleen Turner in Body Heat, left me wanting my money back. And there is no plot...just the need to survive Christmas Day AFTER a $2,000,000 robbery which took "brilliance and balls", so we are told. The movie begins after the robbery and there is no brilliance nor balls displayed here. In fact that only reason that I gave it as high as 2 points, is that most of the movie is set in "titty" bars and there is some exemplary (as well as some obese) T & A pictured, hence the R rating. Billy Bob Thornton has managed to make a couple of good movies, but more often than not, he's been in losers, and this is the worst of them. The only truly funny moment in the film occurs when Randy Quaid (who is in the movie for all of 5 minutes) is shot in the face with bird-shot, and gets up with a bunch of holes in his face. Don't waste your time or money on this stinker!

Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough (2005 Video)

Hot Hot Hot

[6/10 · 19 November 2005]

The plot of this updated Wild Things is weak and the acting isn't much better, but Sarah Laine just might have best body ever seen naked on screen outside of the porn industry. And the extras lying around the pool, diving at the competition, and turning up dead are absolutely gorgeous. Sandra McCoy isn't too bad either. It's a shame that she hired a body double. This one I might have to buy. When the movie ends you might find yourself wondering who and how they all got where they end up, but don't try too hard. You might hurt your pretty head. A physicist couldn't figure it out. So I like to watch two beautiful girls kissing and fondling each other. So I like to watch beautiful girls get even with nasty older guys. So I like beautiful girls. So sue me.

Bee Season (2005)

Don't get stung

[3/10 · 18 November 2005]

This is an astonishingly bad movie! The plot starts out strong, then vanishes. There are so many questions that are created and too many that are never answered and by the end of the film, I was too frustrated to care. In particular, Juliette Binoche's (I lover this actress and used to feel she could do no wrong) character goes nuts...overnight without warning. Although we are slowly told why, we come to realize that has actually been happening for years. But I guess she finally breaks down, who knows! The kids both did a good job, but if you're not a fan of cults (see Scientology and Hari Krishna) don't waste your time.

Unleashed (2005)

This is one you shouldn't miss!

[10/10 · 8 August 2005]

The best movie of 2005 by a long shot! This is not just a karate movie (though plenty of that is included). This is arguably the best script ever written in a good versus evil plot. I made the mistake of seeing Revenge of the Sith on the same day and it paled in comparison! Jet Li deserves an Oscar nomination as does the script writer.

Li portrays a trained killer (Danny the Dog) who goes off on anyone around him when his dog-collar is removed. But he also has a primal innocence and naiveté that becomes evident when he believes that his master (the ever evil Bob Hoskins) has been gunned down and so he follows home a blind piano tuner (the ever Godlike Morgan Freeman) and ultimately has to decide between killing and loving. (Don't we all) I laughed. I cried. There was suspense and two hours later I felt like a better person for having seen this film. See it in a theater if you are able!

Zelary (2003)

A splendid tale of intrigue, love, denial and surrender.

[10/10 · 20 December 2004]

This is one of the great movies of my lifetime! Passionate directing; a superb cast; a brilliant script and gorgeous scenery leave an indelible memory of my Zelary experience. Those who love Hitchcock will appreciate the suspense and intrigue. Those who love chick flicks will endear to the passion and feelings elicited. But Zelary is not a "chick flick" in the true sense. It's a heart-wrenching story of lovers separated and who go on with their lives to survive. It's the life you make when you have little choices. It's about making the best of that life. And it's about the memories generated over a lifetime. A movie to be enjoyed by all ages and especially by true movie lovers.

Die Geschichte vom weinenden Kamel (2003)

The best movie that I've seen this year.

[10/10 · 24 June 2004]

The Story of the Weeping Camel is one of the best movies that I've ever seen and easily the best of 2004 (I know that it was released in 2003, but it is only just making the rounds). It is evocative, provocative, sweet and highly appealing without ANY sex or violence. Just a jewel, as was my last favorite Mongolian film, Close to Eden. The characters are all realistic. The storyline works even if a breach-birth camel is just dumb luck. Maybe a lot of camels are rejected after birth. Or maybe the producers sprayed something on the camel to ward off his mother. Whatever it was, it works. The camel's expressions, both mother and calf, are priceless! A very entertaining two hours without a lot of dialog so even if you're not a fan of sub-titled movies, it is still easy to enjoy.

The Saddest Music in the World (2003)

What a waste of celluloid!

[1/10 · 24 June 2004]

This was one of the worst movies that I have ever seen! Boring, stupid, inane, overacted, with absurd directing liberties. I am ashamed that the beauteous Isabella Rossellini would stoop so low. The director is spoofing the absurdity of the "thirties" movie genre. But in so doing, he makes fun of the audience (us) for even attending (the movie, not the contest). Suspension of Disbelief is impossible as the audience is bombarded with poor dialog, emoting actors and a ridiculous premise. The only joy that I got was in viewing the stunning Maria de Medeiros. However her character is such a numbskull, she doesn't recognize her husband, nor find it odd that she is sleeping with his brother. Booo!

I would have given it a zero had I the opportunity.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Drivel, drivel and more drivel

[6/10 · 24 December 2001]

Oh please people, get a life!!! This movie is THE SINGLE BIGGEST disappointment of the year. The first forty minutes or so when there was a plot and things moved right along, this was an interesting movie. Then it fell into a cesspool of how many monsters could we kill. Come on, the Lord of the Rings is not The Iliad for God's sake! This movie dragged on and dragged on. It is certainly too violent for kids and too stupid for adults. Give it the Oscar for set design and set it on a back shelf to collect dust. I mean, let's face it, our heroes enter a mountain in the midst of a catastrophic blizzard, in their bare feet and come out four days later on barren rock. Just like Harry Potter, another multi-million dollar picture that couldn't hire some goofball to screen for editing errors. BORING with a Capital D!

Vanilla Sky (2001)

A dream within a dream; no this is reality; wait, I'm not dead! What the???

[1/10 · 16 December 2001]

I do have to say, that even after Tom Cruise takes his shirt off five or six times and smiles a dozen more, this movie still is entertaining. It is about a man who is seriously disfigured in an automobile accident. And as his face heals, so does his mind, only not as fast; or maybe not at all. And just about the time you think you've figured it out for the third or fourth time, Director Cameron Crowe throws another log on and everybody is dead. No, they're not. Oh, who knows. There is one too many twists at the end, and that makes this entertaining journey through the mind merely an annoying farce. No, it isn't. Yes, it is. You can't say that. You're dead. Am not. Then what's your daughter's name? Uhh. I wish I'd walked out about five minutes before it ended! By the way, Penelope Cruz does take her shirt off too!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Bad editing spoils a fun time.

[4/10 · 18 November 2001]

What is a great story; well-cast; and with rich cinematographic license (a long word to say special effects), is spoiled by the worst editing job of the year. Scenes that go nowhere and mean nothing are interspersed within the movie. And they leave one wondering what the hell the director was doing. The library-research scene with the warm lamp and the bad guys rushing off to locate the intruder is completely left hanging. The scene beneath the trapdoor where the heroes have to win at chess to enter, only to find the bad guy already there without any such challenge. And the fifteen minute Quillage scene which is merely a set-up to a stupid gag (literally) joke. These mistakes, and others, left me bored and bewildered. However if you have a ten year old, or younger, they will probably be more taken with the tricks than with the failings.

Heist (2001)

I'm giving away the plot, so make sure you read this review before you go!

[2/10 · 10 November 2001]

OK, so here is the plot of "Heist"--Take the audiences money and laugh all the way to the bank. There is an expression in the movies--"suspension of disbelief". That means that if a movie is done right, you allow yourself to believe that James Bond or Darth Vader, Animal House or Silverado, E.T. or Jaws, Casablanca or even Shrek have or are real characters that act in ways that are believable and so we allow ourselves to become voyeurs with a front row seat to the action. A Clockwork Orange takes you on an emotional rollercoaster from anger, to lust, to disgust, to hatred, to curiosity, to empathy, to pity. Heist just made we want my money, not to mention my two hours, back. There are a lot of low budget rip-offs and a few big budget ones. Heist is obviously a low budget movie that spent all of its money on talent, got no scriptwriter and ran out of ideas before it got started. The only reason that I gave this movie any points at all is because of an explosion or two. And you know how much that appeals to men.

Gene Hackman is great. He creates a believable character who is a career criminal. And he wants to quit, but Danny DeVito (who seems more like Louie in" Taxi" and may possibly be in his worst role ever) wants him to do one last heist--"the Swiss thing". His wife, played by Rebecca Pidgeon, has little emotion, and apparently her entire act is to appear to be Sharon Stone. Delroy Lindo is trying to be Samuel L. Jackson and Director David Mamet is trying to be Quentin Tarentino (DeVito produced Pulp Fiction, hmmm!). They all fail.

This one will be on TV soon. Don't waste your money.

U Turn (1997)

Worse than awful!

[1/10 · 26 September 2001]

Shot, stabbed, burned, kicked, beaten, run over, thrown off a cliff. They should have called this "The Penn that Wouldn't Die". This one is putrid. This is a character study in how to rip off an audience. Thankfully it only lasted about two weeks in theatres. I can't believe I actually paid to see this. It's so bad, I don;t even think that it's been on network TV yet. After editing there might only be three decent minutes left to show. What a great cast! What a piece of garbage. MISS IT!!!

Divided We Fall (2000)

One of the best movies in years!

[10/10 · 22 September 2001]

This is the best treatment of the Holocaust that I have ever seen. An amazingly believable story about neighbors torn by the shroud of invasion. Set in Czechoslovakia during W.W.II, this is a glorious movie with passion, drama, action, suspense, betrayal, kindness, humor, man's inhumanity to man, survival, and the undeniable truth that you are only what you make of yourself. You surround yourself with people that you trust and hope for the best. The acting was superb! The directing excellent. I didn't want to get out of my seat at the conclusion. Be prepared to laugh and to cry and to leave the theater thoroughly refreshed, which is a rarity lately.

Tea with Mussolini (1999)

Wonderfully entertaining

[8/10 · 22 September 2001]

This is a neat little movie with a great cast that never received the publicity it deserved. It is very entertaining and moves right along with several odd plot twist and several even odder characters. Don't rent this on the first date or you may never get a second. But anyone who has gotten to know you will appreciate you more after getting turned onto this gem.

Endless Love (1981)

The WORST movie ever made!

[2/10 · 22 September 2001]

This is the worst movie ever made-bar none!! If I could give it a zero, no negative points, I would. I can't believe Shields and Spader were in it. I bet they never talk about it now. A stupid premise, bad script and terrible acting make this Zeffirelli flick seem like Tarentino meets Craven with no budget. Midway through this crap you just want all of the characters to die. At least you can get drunk and laugh at Plan 9 from Outer Space. After Endless Love you just want to shoot whomever suggested it (yourself included).

Family Plot (1976)

The very worst of Hitchcock. Why did he make this?

[3/10 · 22 September 2001]

The very worst of Hitchcock. Why did he make this? A poor script, bad acting and an absurd plot line make this a waste of time. It is really difficult to write four lines about this movie because it was just plain, boring. I didn't hate it. I just had to force myself to not fall asleep. There I got my four lines in. Miss this movie!

X-Men (2000)

Moronic stunts, idiotic characters make this one to miss.

[5/10 · 8 May 2001]

One of the highest budget, most boring movies of the year. The stunts were AWFUL (see Crouching Tiger for great stunts) and the characters absurd. Worse than the Batman villains. A competent cast and poor directing couldn't make this film interesting, although it did do well at the box office, as most comic book movies do.