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christopherRclarke
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Flamin' Hot (2023)
Not a true story at all
I watched the film and thought it was kinda funny and interesting and inspiring that Richard Montañez went from rags to riches by inventing the flamin hot line.... Except he didn't. Reading about what really happened after watching the film changed my score dramatically. I can't watch a film based on a true story to only find out later it was all lies and made up, which is where most 'true stories' are going now, I guess Hollywood has run out of ideas.
But please, expose the truth of this story, do some research and promote how it is in fact not true at all, and that there is no success here for Richard.
Jack Ryan (2018)
Was a good show until...
First season was high class, second season wasn't too bad either. Third season I got through it ok and then the forth one dropped on us. I rated it 8/10 but then I had to drop it down to 5 for one big reason.
In season four, episode 4, there is a shot of what is clearly Zurich and they have tried to pass it off as Geneva. What international show tries to do this? Next they'll have Sydney harbour and try to call it Melbourne or Canberra.
For a show that started with such a great first season, how did they let it fail so badly? Maybe streaming fad is over and its on its way out? Who knows. ???
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Absolute disappointment and quite offensive
Hollywood must think it's a great story to make any sequel BIGGER than the first one. In this story we have the sky people come back with BIGGER weapons, MORE of them and seeking a BIGGER valued resource (whale gland fluid).
Soon as the film starts the sky people land with huge engine blasts destroying basically 2-3 Home Trees yet int the first film it took almost the whole film to bring down just one. Instead of sticking with the native language, we will just say the Sully understands it like English and now we can have English throughout the film.
Then we go whale hunting, but with a BIGGER, FASTER hard shell variety and they can talk to the natives (but no animals could in the first film). I actually found this scene to be quite offensive and brutal basically mimicking whale hunting. Also, I was very offended that an Australian was hunting whales given that the Sea Shepherd who protect whales is mostly Australian run. They should have used Japanese or another whale hunting race.
Then the kids factor in to this to make it a nice sweet family film, except the morals in this second film we are teaching our young kids is also quite offensive.
Overall I found the storyline to be very weak and too many last minute save-the-day, made for very poor writing.
The Twilight Zone: The Fever (1960)
Gambling addiction turned horror
Unlike some others on here, I found this to be a pretty incredible episode into the mind of gambling addiction. I've played a few pokies at a younger age and the feeling of a machine you lost at haunting you is real, like in this episode.
It starts off fairly simple in the gambling hall but when the machine haunts his mind it goes into a full horror film, pretty well played too for 1959 standards. For me it's one of the most intriguing episodes yet in this first season and to see a man's struggle with gambling addiction even in 1959 seems so relevant to modern age (I know people with bad gambling addictions).
Bullet Train (2022)
Like a b-grade Guy Richie film
From the day I saw the poster with Brad Pitt wearing that terrible fishing hat I thought I wouldn't like this film but I was begged by a friend to watch it her thought it was amazing.
As soon as it started I realised how much it was trying to be a Guy Richie filmed and how quickly it failed. Brad Pitt must have sold out for this film as the supporting actors are pretty average. Why are they using American actors to be British? And the Thomas Tank engine continued references are super annoying.
An insult to the Triad also is that 17 members can be taken down by two hit men. I just felt like it was trying to hard to be funny and filled with old slapstick humour.
The over the top advertising of products is extremely annoying also.
It Chapter Two (2019)
Very poor Chapter 2 with rookie mistakes throughout
The first chapter was great, engaging and classic Stephen King. Sadly what let's down chapter 2 so much is the terrible errors from a blockbuster Hollywood film. The obvious one being Eddie's stabbed face wound that swaps from the left side to the right and then back to the left side again. Another terrible casting choice was for the older Bowers boy-man who is in the mental institution, they make him seem all mentally slow and then all of a sudden he is capable of many things? They could have found a better actor also.
When they go underground they ask Mike how long Pennywise cave has been there he says 'oh for a few billion years' yet the Native Americans know the story of how it all happen? But they haven't been around for that long.
Very poor writing and sloppy ending to the first amazing part.
1899 (2022)
Slow, modern themes in old times
Big fan of 'Dark' and was excited to watch this when it came out. First thing I noticed is how bad the SFX are, especially the first fly away shot from Emily, she turns into a 2D cutout!
The use of modern themes is really annoying and OTT. Here you have a ship set in 1899 with rich passengers yet cultural intermingling is ok without any hesitation, homosexuality, strong female professional unrecognised by society etc. Also, from the start everyone can understand every individual language ? English, German, mandarin, Japanese, French all seems to be understood by everyone.
Had to turn it off after two episodes, shame since 'Dark' was so intriguing.
Monster: Cassandra (2022)
Not accurate
I have to give this episode low rating. Show is good but this episode is factually incorrect. Glenda was NOT Jeff's neighbour. Artistic licence Im sure using her character and other reports from other neighbours, but incorrect. He did take his neighbour a sandwich, but I wonder how much of this show has been distorted to fit the times and viewer audience. The sandwich scene seems very overdone in a way, considering the strong personality they have created for Glenda to be if she was his neighbour, but she wasn't, she lived across the road from his building and not in the same building as Jeff Dahmer.
Hawkeye (2021)
Another tiny girl beats up giant Russian men
I used to live marvel, the first 10 years until these new series. It seems they are just getting stupid and require no intelligence. A giant bell that's job is to ring falls after one ring? A small 22yo girl can withstand giant punches to the stomach? Sigh.
Boss Bitch Fight Challenge (2020)
Turned it off 5 secs in
If it wasn't for famous people no one would watch this. Yawn.
The Father (2020)
Emotional reality presented amazingly
Anyone who a aw me watch this just saw a 40year old white male cry his eyes out. Incredible performance by Anthony Hopkins on a subject many don't understand or choose to ignore. The end scene almost killed me.
Wild Wild Country (2018)
Pure Evil at its Best
Fantastic doco exposing gullible people wanting to believe in something left of mainstream religions. The 80s must have been a time of worship to any bald Indian guy with a beard. After watching this I'm thinking about starting my own cult as all you have to do is raise your hands up high and go cross eyed and yell loudly shaking your body.
Shtisel (2013)
Think a grown man just cried.
Took 2-3 episodes to get fully involved in this show but what a ride! Couldn't wait for season 2 which was an emotional rollercoaster. The lives depicted make me want to travel and live in Jerusalem to even get a small feeling of what this show portrays.
Killing Eve (2018)
So tacky and tried too hard
Sorry, I gave this 4 episodes and tried to like it but it seemed so try hard like it wanted to be a funny, American style thriller but came across as a bumbling mess. Also, the Asian lead just seemed so out of place, I didn't buy it.
Sanju (2018)
Is it me or do Indian films have no idea about dramatic music?
The concept of this movie was good, good acting and interesting storyline but man the music was terrible. They used harmonicas and big band instruments to try and make it dramatic like a Bond film but it's just so cheesy.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Probably worse MCU film to date
Pretty poor effort with this one. First Ant-Man movie was great, this one not so much. Paul Rudds acting was so laboured, like he was trying to channel Jim Carrey or something.
The plot was average and boring, a kind of Finding Nemo but less exciting. Ant-Man has so much potential and uses but they went with some poor family sitcom feel.
Pat Callinan's 4x4 Adventures (2010)
A tough bloke to follow? I don't think so
Although a niche market making high quality 4x4 TV show, this demtel for the Bush is 80% advertising and a sell out. If there were more interest stories and perhaps a feeling of giving back to the communities then it would be worth watching.
The season 3 filming and editing is fantastic though, makes it a high quality product visually.
Fargo (2014)
Best TV Film adaption ever
Review of S1.
Many of the negative reviews you will read on here talk about the 'senseless' violence in this TV series. Perhaps they should stick to watching The Sound of Music or I Love Lucy.
The first season does amazing justice to the film, similar in many ways with lots of classic tie ins. The humour is also the same and Bill Bob does an outstanding job as a villain. His dark humour and classic one liners are etched in time. Martin Freeman is as good if not better in this than the Sherlock series. I hold new respect as him for an actor since the Hobbit film series was terrible.
Allison Tolman is a great actor, and comes across alluring and strong. All supporting actors are fantastic and classical comical, keeping to the same theme as the film.
I have watched the first season three times and ready to put it back on again. Season 2 is also great, not the same theme as the Fargo film but still classic in its nature and references to the film and first season.
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
Bad subject matter, maybe better told 100 years ago
As much as I love Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth, I can't say I was happy to see the glorification of whale killing. I understand its needed to tell this classic tale, but the studios use of heart warming and epic score to celebrate the killing of whales isn't liked in the modern age. Its the equivalent of making a western film celebrating the death of Native Americans or cheering on a girl being raped.
Other than those obvious dislikes, I also found it kinda cut short as far as story telling was involved. The focal point of the voyage was almost the entire film, it could have done with some more character development throughout IMO.
3/10.
The Dark Horse (2014)
36 y/o male and in tears the whole movie!
Spectacular. What can I say. I saw this film yesterday and I am still emotionally changed by it. Cliff Curtis' portrayal of the main character Genesis is incredible. Every facial movement, gaze and words contain such intent and delivery that it makes you imagine or see what is going on in his mind. The opening scene is stunning directing and DOP work and creates the mood for the entire film.
James Rolleston as Mana is excellent. Very powerful delivery and believable. Same can be said for Wayne Hapi who plays Mana's father Ariki. Kirk Torrance as Noble and the rest of the cast is great.
I also felt a close connection to this film because I grew up in a small town in Australia with people similar to the roles portrayed in this film so I can relate.
Great work, I will see again very soon and can't wait to own it when it is released.
Interstellar (2014)
Not a film to trick the intelligent community but nice to watch all the same
It might sound arrogant, what i wrote in the summary field, but unfortunately this film misses many aspects of common sense. Given it was a Nolan film I did expect more than this but I think he may be slipping somewhat (the bat bike in Dark Knight Rises flipping over with its magical 360 deg wheel comes to mind).
Im not going to get into a full review about what this film is about but I will say that if you are dealing with time paradoxes, make sure you know how to address them and not say 'ah what the hell, the audience won't know...'
The film has a wormhole. One that is placed aaaaalllllll the way out near Saturn by someone we don't know (but lead to believe its evolved humans). I say, why not have the wormhole next to Earth? who knows. Did evolved humans make the wormhole? if so, how did they get off Earth to evolve and put it there?
To watch the film is nice, the space scenes are stunning and film stock nice. But, no 2001 competitor this time round.
Hababam Sinifi (1975)
Shocking movie, perhaps better in Turkish?
OK, where to start with this one! Firstly I couldn't find it anywhere so I was lucky to discover it on a vimeo channel with English subtitles. Its a cross between a silly Hollywood film, a tele movie and a serious foreign film. Although the concepts of friendship and all-in-this- together-ness is strong in this film, it cannot be overlooked as poorly made with slapstick comedy.
I did give it a four/ten though for its age and attempt to make an interesting film and I somehow managed to get through it without turning it off. I have walked out of worse films!
Cc.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Load of rubbish
Seriously, this was one of the tackiest films made. Wes Anderson tries way to hard to impress, trying to stylize the film in the same manner as some of Kubricks work. The minor moments of 'special FX' used in this film were terrible, looked like the effects were made on a smart phone or bad green screen.
The story line was good, but again it felt like a bad episode of Ally McBeal, trying way to hard to be zany. Amongst all the bad shone a bit of good, the actors are naturally fantastic, being veterans and well known. And the main child actors were great and will no doubt grow into fantastic actors.
But still, very poor humor and no doubt aimed at viewers who don't really have much going on in their lives in the way of funny or weird moments so they look to this film for hope and quirkiness. 2/10.
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle (1974)
Yawn, boring and slow try hard movie
The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno Schleinstein), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man who wears a black overcoat and top hat who feeds him.
This film may have actually been decent if the pace was brought up a little. The idea is interesting but I felt it wasn't told well enough. Also, the use of a 41 yo guy instead of 18 like the real guy is stupid and hated his bulging eye look which was over done.
I sat through the first hour waiting for it to become a great tale but alas, I finally turned it off. The acting was too labored in the beginning, even though it got better, but perhaps a real actor may have been a better choice than a street performer which may have been chosen out of pity.