arias-569-36651 Reviews

Rift (II) (2022)

Simple minded predictable... ugh

[2/10 · 18 April 2023]

I kept waiting for anything interesting or clever. It just felt like it was created by a group of high school kids. Plot lines were loaded with stereotypes and odd decisions. Dialog seemed forced... like they were in a hurry to get this monstrosity done as quickly as possible.

Now I have to fill a review with minimum characters to describe something that makes me angry for wasting the time? How about this... Don't watch this bad movie. It's was bad bad baddity bad. Full of badness. I could not unsee the bad which was thrust upon me. If bad were a marshmallow, this would be the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the first Ghostbusters movie. I didn't like it.

I gave it two stars because at least it provided some jobs for the actors and crew.

Quadrophenia (1979)

Slice of time

[7/10 · 18 May 2022]

I'm not from Brighton or London but understand a little about the culture. This is an honest and necessarily messy film of a specific place and time. Overall a good film and worth watching. Cool to see Sting in it if unaware (like I was) of his role. Kind of odd ending since it's obvious what happened and... not?

Frontier(s) (2007)

I like foreign films but this was stupid

[4/10 · 16 May 2022]

This was interesting at the beginning but once the whole family secret was revealed, the horrible acting/dialog didn't support the story. I was about 85% through the movie and just quit.

Ruins (2021)

Emotional but Amateurish

[4/10 · 17 March 2022]

I'm not sure why ratings are high. Yes, the progression builds tension and a sense of panic but this would have been much better as a story told in written form where I could use my imagination. Instead, much of the acting simply wasn't good and it was obvious that the actors were reading/memorized a script, and were coached on how to say it - particularly to go slowly. Just not very believable.

I'll add that I'm usually pretty generous with ratings on the few I've written and honestly appreciate filmmakers that do something different. They still have to execute their ideas well. This film did not.

All of Us Are Dead (2022– )

Disappointed

[6/10 · 13 February 2022]

I like Korean horror films but this series is kind of lazy. Fast zombies, frantic action, some good gore, but then it's just more but slightly different. Some of the slower scenes were scarier by far.

And I like an honest answer to this. Do Korean schools have that serious a bullying problem??!! That was a f-ed up. Seriously. The adults too. Wth.

The few things that gave a glimpse in Korean culture are always appreciated. The school itself was kind if interesting and reminded me a little of when I visited a Japanese elementary school.

Bottom line - It was fun for a while and then I just stopped watching early in episode 3. More of the same.

Byzantium (2012)

Dark, sensual, and could have been amazing

[7/10 · 21 July 2021]

So much of the film was perfect but it seemed to struggle with... maybe trying to squeeze too many pieces of information together. I wish I had the talent to know how to fix this. It was a live story, tied to the 200 year relationship with a sister/mother. That's the story. The final scenes at the carnival were such a mess and that's a great example of the parts that were bad. Taking over the residence of the simpleton was brilliant and fit the overarching narrative so well. The school counselor was terrific when talking with Eleanor but her part toward the end of the film was rubbish.

I often wonder why filmmakers can't see these problems. Did they think that people needed to see a certain percentage of "vampire stuff" to make the box office work (that clearly didn't happen though)? Did they feel that you had to have an obvious bad guy? Johnny Lee Miller played the part well but that part of the film was completely unnecessary and hurt the story.

I really appreciate that they didn't overdo the orphanage part in the story. Why couldn't they have shown the same restraint in other parts!! That's the crux of the problem with the film. Restraint was needed but there must have been a lot of pressure to make it overly "vampire" enough. What a shame. I also appreciate the fact that the author of the original story didn't feel they need to check all the vampire boxes like fangs and sunlight. Again, lovely restraint offset by clumsy obvious elements.

Every character was very well portrayed - I really admire them all, and work they have done in the past. Well done.

The Dressmaker (I) (2015)

Great surprise!

[8/10 · 26 March 2021]

This reminds of how I felt when I watched "Babe". Quirky, engaging, a little dangerous, some dark humor, and gorgeous against a bleak sepia-toned world. Great characters. What a wonderful surprise.

Bob Wick (2020)

Awesome!

[8/10 · 17 March 2021]

That was really fun. Loved the interviewer but it felt like they needed a different person for Bob.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Just really nice... a the best way

[8/10 · 23 February 2021]

Nicely written. Clever dialog. Thank you so very much for not overdoing the Groundhog Day aspects of the story. I really enjoyed the ride and finished it feeling good. I'm not super mushy but might have had a tear or two. I recommend watching it when you're feeling kind of chill, and with someone you really like.

The King (I) (2019)

Enjoyed as entertainment

[7/10 · 10 January 2021]

I can't speak to historical accuracy but am guessing there are problems in that regard. Casting has some issues (I like Pattinson but this wasn't a good choice). Bottom line is that this was a film that added up to an enjoyable 2 hours 20 minutes. Just don't demand too much.

Tenet (2020)

Yes, maybe overly complicated but...

[8/10 · 9 January 2021]

I love an intellectual challenge. Seems like some of the poor ratings struggle with that part. That said, Tenet was unnecessarily complicated at times. I don't need explanations handed to me (I hate when films do that), but I almost got the feeling the intent of those really complex plot/action scenes was specifically to confuse/disorient me. If that's true, kind of brilliant. If not, they were just trying a little too hard.

Pace, action, effects... it was just fun to watch and kept me engaged. Having to frequently "keep up" with what's going on was a little frustrating at time... like the feeling of wanting to stop and scroll back but not wanting to break the action. Again, intentional? The opening concert scene was kind of overdone, maybe a little gimmicky, or the director wasn't quite sure what to do there. How about this analogy... like two lovers fumbling around in the back seat of a car for the first time. Pretty fun but kind of unsure, clumsy.

The lead actors were really good. I really liked Washington's cool confidence but I sometimes got this sense that he was holding back his own personality to fit a part. I hope that make sense. I've really enjoyed watching Pattinson mature as an actor. Maybe felt like he was a better actor than the role presented. Not his fault on that though.

I'll need to watch this a few more times. Kind of like the first time watching the film Inception, but even that was easier to follow. If a film makes it into my multiple-watch list, that's pretty high praise.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Certain comic sensibilities

[8/10 · 7 November 2020]

Not everyone will like or get this movie or its humor. It's kind of like British comedy. If you like Family Guy or some of Will Ferrell's better movies, you will REALLY enjoy this! There are also some surprises like the dance scene, but that's something you would see in Family Guy too. Now you've been warned. You will love this move like I do, or just not. There shouldn't be any surprises.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

Some movies are just great to watch

[9/10 · 12 August 2020]

Why do people feel compelled to compare every movie to a certain cinematic or literary standard. What is your expectation for a movie like this when you make decision to watch it? This movie is perfect for what it is. The characters are terrific and the plot ridiculously wonderful. Willem Dafoe is just amazing - like King Charles from the recent theatrical production of Hamilton. I watched it with my teenage boys the first time and it was awesome. Think of a violent version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and you'll be in the right state of mind. Just enjoy the ride for goodness sake :-)

Baaria (2009)

Enjoyable

[8/10 · 10 July 2020]

If I can judge a movie based on how it left me feeling, I give this movie an 8. It's very much geared to someone familiar or endeared with Italian language and culture, ma è anche solo un bel film. Thanks for taking me there for a couple of hours.

His Dark Materials (2019–2022)

I wanted to like this but...

[4/10 · 5 November 2019]

I'll try again but it was just kind of boring. Was it supposed to be geared to a younger audience - maybe 12? That's a genuine question. Dust? I wasn't interested enough to watch the entire first episode. Some visuals were good but not enough to carry the show.

Range 15 (2016)

I can watch almost anything but...

[18 March 2019]

I understand that I might miss something by not being a veteran, but I wasn't offended by the jokes at all, and have seen plenty of bad movies. This was just impossible to watch. Just crap.

Frances Ha (2012)

Just New York-ish

[4/10 · 1 December 2018]

Man, can New Yorkers be any more self-absorbed? The good dialog doesn't offset the constant New York ness. I hate you I love you I'm so bored but need to be cool *gag*