robbscott-1 Reviews

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Never mind the accents...

[9/10 · 29 January 2023]

...and never mind the location setting, the time frame, the conflict. These are two of the greatest English Language actors active today. Instead of charging for tickets, they oughta bill the audience for the master class in the Dramatic Arts being put on here. Reunited with their "In Bruges" director, the story unfolds slow and steady.

Then things get decidedly weird.

Violence flares, and escalates, and the piece ends with no promise of resolution, no easy answers. An essay on the Irish character in the early days of the struggle? A study of dementia and depression in an isolated community? Above my pay grade.

Thoughtful, quiet and deeply disturbing, and highly recommended.

The X-Files: Rush (1999) Season 7, Episode 5

Something old is new again

[8/10 · 13 January 2022]

Good episode. Being an old Sci-Fi geek, I'm remembering 2 old TV episodes:

Wild Wild West, s01e26, "Night Of The Burning , Diamond". The Bad Guy develops the Diamond Elixir, which allows the drinker to move at an accelerated rate of speed so fast as to be invisible.

Star Trek TOS, s03e11, "Wink of an Eye". Kirk and company try in across the Thalosians, who operate. At speeds so high that.they're invisible to humans

Both episodes have a couple of things in common. Both find ways to "accelerate" the heroes: West and Gordon, and Kirk. Unaccelerated humans in both episodes hear high frequency sounds that turn out to be the accelerated beings, even likening the sounds to insects.

Neither episode shares a writer with the other. They do share an era, and as I recall Heinlein's "Stranger on a Strange Land" touches on this concept.

Fascinating....

Clerk (2021)

Where's Garman?

[3/10 · 11 December 2021]

Would've given this one a higher rating, except for the disturbing lack of any mention of Ralph Garman. Anyone? Will he be in the Director's Cut? The Reboot? 'splain, please....

L.A. Law: Full Marital Jacket (1988) Season 2, Episode 10

Larry Drake is the star of this one...

[8/10 · 3 September 2021]

A great performance from Drake, and generally a well written episode. Plus, the end of the Markowitz wedding thread (Hallelujah! That got old fast).

Seconds (1966)

In case you thought Rock was a lightweight....

[22 August 2021]

... John Frankenheimer begs to differ. Hudson is stunning in this role, stepping far beyond his roots in 50s Rom-coms, and his future on television. The surreal opening imagery sets the tone, and the direction and editing maintain it throughout. There's a scene at a wild bacchanalian party that predates the original Wicker Man by a few years (and Midsommar by several more).

A great flick, highly recommended...

The Morning Show (I) (2019– )

Dame Diane Lane Syndrome

[25 March 2021]

I suppose I'll have to explain that title. When my ex and I first moved in together, it was our first apartment with cable TV. One night, a movie came on, "Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains". It was, of course, awful, and featured a 15 year old Diane Lane who would still be in a paper bag if she had been required to act her way out of one. We started referring to her as Dame Diane Lane, which of course amused us considerably.

Fast Forward a few years. Ms. Lane has put in the work, attended the classes, worked in theater...she's a damn fine actresses , and good on her, sez I.

The same can be said for Ms. Aniston. Long dismissed as "that sit-com babe with the hairdo", her work on this show is nothing short of amazing.

And good on her, sez I...

Hill Street Blues: The Life and Time of Dominic Florio Jr. (1985) Season 5, Episode 19

Ahh, the "Data" episode...

[8/10 · 5 August 2020]

Spiner's young and a bit unpolished here - not a subtle performance. Still, it's one small step towards the 23rd century.

And those noises in the next room? ACTING!

12 Monkeys (1995)

Watching this now....

[2 May 2020]

...on the 1st of May, 2020, I have 2 thoughts.

A: A global pandemic? Yeah, right, like that would ever happen. Turns out the pandemic is real, while not nearly as deadly as this film's (yet). Time Travel, OTOH, ain't happening anytime soon. Damn.

B: I really wish they'd given Gilliam "Dune". While I love Lynch, Gilliam's insanity would've had a field day with that material.

Anyway, see this if you haven't. It's one of Gilliam's best, and, as pointed out by other iMDb reviewers, it's a great performance by Willis, filmed back when ol' Bruno still gave a crap about the acting craft. There's some real nuance in this. If you asked, even Silent Bob might agree...

Troop Zero (2019)

Let's take a poll....

[7/10 · 23 January 2020]

When do you think this flick is gonna end up as a Broadway Musical? 2025? 2027? Before 2030, I can pretty much guarantee that...*

Fun little movie, something parents could watch with their early teen kids. A little naughty, I suppose, but today's kids, well....there's worse stuff in the video games they're hiding from you.





*And then, after it's a musical, and the MUSICAL is a hit, they'll release a movie of the musical. See how that works....?

Snatchers (2019)

Hey, Hollywood Money Type People....

[8/10 · 20 January 2020]

...Someone give these guys some more money so's they can make more movies. A great debut. Gordon-esque, maybe even Raimi-esque. Would definitely watch a multi-billion dollar Superhero movie if this team made it.....

The Newsroom: Bullies (2012) Season 1, Episode 6

I love the part where...

[8/10 · 15 May 2019]

....Will and bodyguard Lonnie Church fall in love, after Will initially resists the whole idea. But then it was awful when Lonnie was shot breaking up a robbery attempt in a Korean convenience store.

Oh wait....

The Grand Tour: Funeral for a Ford (2019) Season 3, Episode 14

Just a marvelous farewell

[10/10 · 16 April 2019]

I spent the summer of 2015 binging old TG epis. The chemistry between these 3 guys is rare, and and irreplaceable. No one's even come close to reproducing it, and they've tried.

This final GT was low key, and perfect. Bravo, Jeremy, Richard, and Captain Slow. Will miss you guys. Take a bow, cash the checks, go home. You've earned it.

My enormous thanks.

And if I ever win the lottery, I'm buying a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a GTC4 Lusso, and a Reliant Robin, just so I can flip it over in my driveway, or turn it into a Space Shuttle, or a motorboat. Or something....

Sports Night (1998–2000)

Hey, idiot network drones....

[9/10 · 8 April 2019]

When a talent like Sorkin tells you that a laugh track is REALLY BAD IDEA, listen.

Dickhead....

Sports Night (1998–2000)

Hey, network a-hole who insisted on the laugh track..

[9/10 · 8 April 2019]

You were wrong. It's 20 years later. And it's still wrong.

Please quit the TV business, because you're awful at it.

Dickhead...

The West Wing: Noël (2000) Season 2, Episode 10

Probably my favorite WW epi...

[9/10 · 7 April 2019]

Much as Iove IED, this is probably the defining epi of WW. Brad Whitford's greatest performance.

& Maybe the Sork's best writing, ever.

Fargo (1996)

Astonishing acting...

[9/10 · 6 April 2019]

...from Buscemi, McDormand & Macy. The Bros can direct, & edit. A flick far better than the sum of its parts, much like Casablanca 50 years previous.

Iconic (& I overuse that term) score by Burwell.

See it, if you haven't already. Go Bears...

The West Wing: In Excelsis Deo (1999) Season 1, Episode 10

Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Lost...

[10/10 · 2 April 2019]

All great hour-long TV dramas.

The 1st 2 seasons of TWW trump all of 'em, & this iconic episode is the pinnacle.

Can't recommend this enough....

Miami Vice (1984–1989)

Classic stuff...

[9/10 · 28 March 2019]

Been catching the 1st season of this on Starz On Demand recently, and it holds up surprisingly well. Hammer's score, the chemistry between the leads...yeah it's 80s-centric, but so what?

Love the cigarette boat shots in the Calderone episodes, and that fake Ferrari.

Enjoyable nostalgia, with a bit more weight than maybe you remember....

Get Carter (1971)

Cinematography!

[9/10 · 22 March 2019]

A great movie, for sure. Perhaps Caine's greatest film performance (OK, Jaws 4 might equal it...)

But as the .movie rolls by, I keep noticing shots that I need to grab for scteen wallpaper. The early train ride. A street scene in Newcastle. The bridge scene at an hour in. On and on...bravo to the director and cinematographer, a stunningly shot film...

Far from Heaven (2002)

A shout-out to the great Elmer Bernstein

[9/10 · 20 March 2019]

Others have expounded on the film, far more articulate than I. It's not, perhaps, my absolute favorite film. But it's a great film nonetheless. Spoiler Alert: Nothing explodes, & no evil bad guys meet their just rewards when the good guy beats the hell out of 'em.

Bernstein's score is evocative of the period, and comments brilliantly on the emotional journey of the characters. EB was an absolute master of the form, from early triumphs such as To Kill A Mockingbird or Great Escape or the truly magnificent Magnificent Seven, to overlooked later work like The Grifters and, of course, tongue-in-cheek comedy work in Animal House and Stripes.

According to Wikipedia, this is his last theatrically released film, and it's one of his great scores.

Here's to you, EB. Before Williams, before Giacchino, even before Goldsmith, Elmer was the king...

Pleasantville (1998)

It ain't Citizen Kane...

[8/10 · 25 January 2019]

...nor is it The Bicycle Thief, Casablanca, or Taxi Driver. But it's a damn nice modern take on Capra.

The reviewers here that're trashing this film are completely missing the point - they either know nothing about film, or way too much. It's a fable, folks, and if there's lapses in logic or some smarmy moments, well, deal with it. It's a marvelous, well constructed flick and an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

There's no blood, or explosions. A bit of sex, but nothing gratuitous and it's essential to the plot. Cue up a copy and prepare to smile.

It's keen...!

Maverick: The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot (1959) Season 3, Episode 3

Everyone's focusing on....

[7/10 · 14 January 2019]

....the similarities between this episode and Garner's "Support Your Local Sherriff" from a few years later. I noticed this of course, having recently watched SYLS. However, far more interesting to me, is at about 25-26 minutes in, during the bar fight between Bimbo and Little George Roy. The music cue includes a passage that is a dead ringer for John Williams' "Superman" (1978) theme. No mention of Williams (who was working in TV at the time), either in the episode credits or the overall series credits. Hmmmmm.....