NikkiBay8 Reviews

American Horror Story: Orphans (2014) Season 4, Episode 10

Best episode of the season

[10/10 · 27 August 2019]

This episode, by far, was the best episode of the season. Grossman played the roll of Pepper so exquisitely that I couldn't catch my breath during the intense scenes. I was blubbering like a baby and I had to take a moment after the episode ended to collect myself.

Pepper has been in the background for this entire season. After this episode, I'm so disappointed that they didn't have her character in the forefront. Grossman is a phenomenal actress, as shown in this episode, and it's too bad that her gifted acting skills went to waste in the other episodes. Her performance was definitely award-winning and unforgettable.

Girls (2012–2017)

Just like real life

[10/10 · 10 February 2014]

I'm 23 years old. I got HBO a few days ago and decided to see what all the hype was about with Girls. I was never interested before, never planned on watching it, and didn't really seem to appreciate Lena Dunham's snarky attitude in interviews.

After seeing two shows (I'm waiting on more reruns) from the third season, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised and laughed out loud on multiple occasions. This show is exactly like real life. It is not like your average show with picturesque actresses that look like their characters woke up in a salon right before school, witty one-liners at perfect timing, or lien deliveries that have a dramatic pause for reaction. These girls talk just like my friends and I do and they have struggles that force you to relate.

Example: Lena lands a advertorial job for GQ out of desperateness when her book deal falls through. When a few new coworkers tell her they all got that job out of desperateness 3-10 years ago, she runs to her boss to tell her that she is quitting because she doesn't want to get caught up in a world of 'fake writers' that stay for good pay and benefits only. Her boss say 'okay' and Lena walks out, only to come to her senses and take her job back after a few seconds. In any Hollywood movie or typical network show, the character would have walked out to regain their dignity and the final scene would be them walking down then street, hair blowing in the wind, and dreaming about becoming a real writer. WWell, that's not real life, and Lena's character had to pay her bills. Everyone has been in that position and it's nice that there is no false hope in the show. Just real scenarios.

Christmas Angel (2009)

Best Christmas TV Movie

[10/10 · 4 December 2013]

I really enjoyed this heartfelt movie. As a TV-movie, I did not expect to be moved, but this movie brought out the waterworks in me.

Ashley (Kari Hawker) plays a lonely, broke young woman trying to find a job before the holiday season. Her lonely neighbor, Nick Anderson (played by Bruce Davison), offers her a job to work as his assistant. She accepts the job and learns the true meaning of Christmas when she learns of Nick's past and his Secret Santa ways of the present. They form a father/daughter bond and it is very sweet to witness. Will Price (KC Clyde) plays a magazine writer, who threatens to reveal Nick Anderson as the Secret Santa for his own self gain at the magazine. However, the movie writers were smart to keep his cynicism to a minimum as to not spoil the goodness of the movie.

Bruce Davison's performance was exceptional. He and Kari Hawker had great chemistry on screen, as do Hawker and Clyde. I highly recommend this Christmas movie. I can't wait to watch it again next year!

Love at the Christmas Table (2012 TV Movie)

A good time-killer by the fireplace

[6/10 · 29 November 2013]

78This movie follows Sam and Kat, who have celebrated their Christmas Eves at the same lady's house since they were children. The movie flashes back and starts at a Christmas Eve from when they were very young, then a few years later, and so on until they are 30. The flashbacks are very fast-paced and it is hard to grasp the relationship that Sam and Kat have together. Is it cousin-ish? Brotherly/sisterly? Neighborly? Appears to be brotherly/sisterly, but I was contradicted, obviously by the title of the movie.

Throughout the movie, Sam and Kat always sit at the kids table, even when they are adults. They play this confusing game with the children called "Best Life." It would have been nice to understand the game because it took up much of the movie time and would have been comedic if I knew what they heck they were talking about while playing it. The dance scene in the movie was extremely entertaining and I loved the old song they danced to, but it was very random and made no sense for the plot.

Sam lost a lot of sympathy for me when he and Kat got into an argument, via telephone, while he looked at her through her bedroom window and she looked at him on her front lawn. He mocked her feelings for her widowed father and dead mom, then said that she lives her life for the day she dies and get buried next to her mother's grave.... Why on earth would the writers write that into the movie? Geezes, that was mean.

I gave this movie 6/10 because I would watch it again next Christmas. It is a simple, relaxing movie that is a good time-waster. It also has a nostalgic feel to it because it takes place at the same house with the same people and you feel that you are a part of the 'family.'

A Nanny for Christmas (2010 TV Movie)

Sweet and Simple

[9/10 · 29 November 2013]

I thoroughly enjoyed this made-for-TV Christmas movie. This was the first movie I've watched with Emmanuelle Vaugier and I hope to see her again. She was a refreshing character and her sweet demeanor was believable.

Vaugier plays an ad executive that gets fired before Christmas. She goes to what she thinks is another ad exec job interview, but it ends up being an interview for a nanny. She accepts the job anyway and teaches the wealthy, sheltered children what it's really like to have fun. She also finds love in the process with Richard Ruccolo's character.

I usually do not enjoy movies with children as main characters, but the children in this movie were pretty decent actors. And by that I mean they acted like real children, unlike child actors that act too adult-like for their own age. They were also well-behaved (which was really nice) and pleasant.

Dean Cain was not a main character in this movie and should not be on the cover. I don't know who this guy is, but he is a horrible actor. His overacted facial expressions made me cringe. He also tried playing an aggressive, firm corporation owner, but ended up playing a complete a**hole. He was really unenjoyable. The children's mother, Cynthia Gibb, was also a little too stuck-up for my liking. Kind of ruins the Christmas feel.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. Vaugier and Ruccolo had great chemistry and the message the movie sends was a good one.

The Road to Christmas (2006 TV Movie)

Meh.

[4/10 · 29 November 2013]

Even for a Lifetime movie, I didn't really enjoy this one. Jennifer Grey played a high-maintenance celebrity photographer, who tries making it in time to her Christmas Eve wedding in Aspen. Plans go awry when she can't catch a holiday flight. After many mishaps, she finds a ride with Clark Gregg and his teenage daughter in their old, rusty pickup truck.

I found Gregg's acting to be quite lacking. The arguments between Grey and Gregg were very poorly acted by Gregg. Their arguing was supposed to be sexual tension, but it seemed that Gregg despised Grey's high maintenance so much that he put a sour taste in my mouth. So what if she tries ordering a latte at a dive diner? He didn't have to condescend her for it. I did enjoy the performances by Grey and Megan Park, though. They made the movie semi-enjoyable. I do wish there was snow in this Christmas Movie. Snow would have been nice.

Holiday High School Reunion (2012 TV Movie)

Still in High School

[2/10 · 29 November 2013]

Rachel Boston (who plays Georgia Hunt) is usually a breath of fresh air in her low budget films. However, in this movie she felt the need to be 'cute' by giggling and laughing after every statement she made. I wanted to punch her.

Georgia's old high school clique, as well as her ex high school sweetheart, are still stuck in the high school mentality/stereotypes. Her three girlfriends are mean, jealous, back-stabbing bullies. Her high school ex is still the dumb, aloof jock, who doesn't know Georgia's name and calls her "Sport" instead.

Then there's her old high school best friend, Ben. It would have been nice if his character had been developed, considering he was the only other character to have grown up and out of acting like a teenager. But all we know about him is that he is a starving artist. Nothing more.

Let's not forget about the musical numbers, which was the only reason this movie has the word "Holiday" in the title. Apparently singing about Christmas trees makes this movie a Christmas movie?? Were those numbers really necessary? I sat through the first one, which dragged on forever, and then had to fast forward through the next three. They were awful. If you want to watch a 'Mean Girls' made-for-TV remake with D-list celebrities, this is the movie for you. Oh, and it had nothing to do with Christmas as it was misrepresented by the title.

The reason I didn't give the movie a 1/10 is because I was able to sit through the whole thing without turning it off.

The Bling Ring (2013)

Watson Snorted Pink Bubbles

[1/10 · 29 November 2013]

I rented this movie because of Emma Watson and the hype about Sophia Coppola. The movie was very slow and boring and the soundtrack was awful.

It appears that Coppola got the script from 'The Bling Ring' article on Wikipedia while the actors ad-libbed for some lousy dialogue. The characters lacked any kind of substance and the awful acting from all except the male lead and Leslie Mann made me uncomfortable. They portrayed pot-smoking, coke-sniffing druggies, yet didn't even know how to hold or smoke a cigarette.

Emma Watson must have channeled Rachel Zoe and snorted pink bubbles in between scenes to play a caricature-style valley girl. Her American valley girl accent was cringe-worthy.

Bottom Line: Read 'The Bling Ring' article on Wikipedia. There. Now you've 'seen' the whole movie. Nothing more or less than that article was covered by this train wreck of a movie.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Boring in a nutshell

[1/10 · 13 November 2010]

I've felt the need to write the first movie review on my profile. If no news is good news, I have a lot of news. It started with some lame, god-awful song. The opening scene went from the characters, Holly and Gery, played by Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler (who had absolutely no chemistry at all), fighting to having sex. The second scene? Gery's funeral. What?! Oh right, a brain tumor, I guess...

Because you weren't able to get to know Gery as a character, you weren't able to feel any emotion when he died. Then the whole movie focused around some letters he wrote before he died. He arranged them to be sent to Holly after he had passed. One told her to dress in a dreadful disco dress and sing some boring karaoke song at the bar all while being tone deaf. I didn't really understand the point of this.

Did I mention the acting? Gag me. Remember when Sandra Bullock got an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year? Hilary Swank should have received a Razzie for this acting. Her acting in this movie was unemotional and very lacking. I'm talking about crying with a scrunched up face and no tears. Near the end when she buries her face into her mom's shoulder is when she didn't even have any tears. The comedy was a big fail. Holly and her two friends were on a boat. Their oars fell into the water and were FIVE FEET from the boat, so what did they do? Started screaming for help in the middle of the deserted lake and let the oars float away.

I kept waiting for a laugh, kept waiting for something big to happen, kept waiting to be touched... Nothing. Don't waste 2 hours of your life on this movie.