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Reviews
The Blacklist (2013)
It has potential, but...
I was never a Spader fan probably because he used to play smarmy jerks in some of his earliest roles. However, he is the reason why the show distinguishes itself from a typical cop/FBI tv show. Boone, on the other hand, is an unknown to me and her abilities seem more appropriate for a rom-com or a show involving sorority women. She seems 2 dimensional with a complete lack of depth. I'm not that pleased with some of the other actors either. The premise of the show is compelling and some of the episodes are done quite well. I'm going to keep watching (I think I'm on ~episode 17?) until Boone drives me crazy.
Yankee (2019)
Independent productions can be good - this one not so much.
Independent productions can be refreshing but this one is so cliche. It's a poor work on an overdone topic, Mexican drug cartels, with very low production value: poor acting, direction, video quality and lighting. It's one of the movies that is best to avoid. I'm sure it didn't cost much.
The OA (2016)
It's very good but...
The OA is more than the sum of its trite sequences (thank God) and it's compelling in its twists and storytelling. By triteness I mean the overused cinematic elements such as the collection of high school misfits, the basement incarceration (and it's requisite escape plans/attempts), the dimension shifting, the haunted house... It truly is better than the sum of it's parts and almost all of the acting is quite good. The first season/part does drag a bit which was solved in the second season/part. My biggest beef is that they used some kind of modern dance to shift dimensions, bring people back to life or whatever they do with it (pass the time?). I have a hard time watching them go through all of the hand movements, hissing and heavy breathing. I guess it's more original than an incantation. I watched both seasons/parts and will probably watch future seasons/parts. I feel like this production could lose my interest.
Kingdom Come (2011)
Mixed Feelings
I really enjoy independent films because they can be so refreshing as opposed to the formulaic drivel that comes out of Hollywood. I don't want to see the same thing (and actors) over and over again.
That being said, about halfway through this documentary, I started to get a very unsettling feeling in my gut. I stopped feeling sorry for this guy and opposing thoughts started to come to mind: self-serving, elitist, spoiled, delusional, ...
The guy has talent but he feels entitled and doesn't seem to have both of his feet on the ground. I became dismayed when I got the feeling that he feels that the world owes him something. I hope this is only unconscious, on his part, because if he is cognizant of this, well, that would be worse. I wanted him to succeed but with great reservations.