ddunn-2 Reviews

Brad's Status (2017)

A Disappointing Ride

[4/10 · 16 January 2018]

This film is not entertaining. It is barely enlightening. I was glad when it finally ended, which is not how I want to feel after investing my time in a movie experience.

Living on planet Earth as a white male upper middle class American, and having a running dialogue in your head about being disappointed, is on most levels pathetic. Seeing this in a movie makes it even more so.

A more unsympathetic lead character you will be hard pressed to find.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

A Waste Of Time and Talent

[4/10 · 1 May 2016]

We stuck with this boring flick from beginning to end, searching for any reason why over 200,000 IMDb reviewers would on average rate this mess as nearly 8 out of 10 film.

There is no reason.

I watch about two hundred feature films every year and I am telling you reader -- there is nothing there. Period. Nothing.

If you enjoy absurd levels of blood (again for no good reason) and you like lots of racial epithets, maybe you could sit through this film, but giving the the movie an eight rating? No way, no how.

This film is a waste of talent and a waste of your time.

The Armstrong Lie (2013)

Well Made With Wrong Conclusion

[5/10 · 15 April 2015]

When a documentary draws a conclusion, it can force a reviewer to take a side, which in my case it did. The filmmaker seemed determined to right some perceived wrong, by "proving" Lance Armstrong was a bad person. That slant sullies the film.

Like many athletes during a time that people will likely refer to some day as the "enhancement period" one MUST take into consideration that the MAJORITY of athletes broke these rules. It was the norm, at that time. Armstrong may have cheated and he may have pressured others to do the same, but during the decade when this was commonplace, he was the best man at the task.

The film feels vindictive and biased, and as such it is a poor documentary. Period.

Life Itself (2014)

A Poor Tribute

[4/10 · 5 January 2015]

I loved my grandmother very much. Unfortunately, my lasting memory of her is her lying in a hospital bed, both legs removed above the knees (diabetes) and her being unable to even recognize me. She thought I was a nurse...

Because of the careless way this film was constructed, my memory of Mr. Ebert will forever be him with his remaining jaw skin, flapping about as he tried to communicate. I can understand this matter being shown briefly, so the viewer has a better understanding of what this man went through, but the repeated jump cuts back to him in this horrible state was an unnecessary distraction from what should have been the story of his very interesting life.

This film would have been given two thumbs down by both S&E.

The History of Future Folk (2012)

A Weak Effort

[4/10 · 4 January 2014]

I guess if you have seen this folksy duo play before -- and I am assuming they are real -- you might enjoy this nonsense, otherwise it has limited appeal. One of my criteria for a 4/10 movie rating is my being glad when the credits finally roll. Well, I could not wait for this misery to stop.

I stuck with this film because of all the high ratings, but there was no reward forthcoming. This film is a glaring example of why movie ratings are so flawed. This is a weak film-school effort that in no way (on any planet) deserves the 7/10 and even 8/10 ratings posted.

Take a pass on this one.

Trading on Thin Air (2010)

Mockumentary?

[4/10 · 11 January 2013]

While I am far from convinced of the long-term effectiveness of carbon trading to reduce CO2 emissions worldwide, we are at a point in time where all ideas need to be on the table. I take climate change very seriously and am much more concerned about that issue impacting my son, than I am concerned about terrorism, for example. This film goes to great lengths to ridicule carbon trading, without discussing the complexity of changing the direction of this planet, given the considerable forces that are dead set on maintaining the status quo. Mocking ideas is not a difficult thing to do. Offering solutions that can actually be implemented is another matter entirely.

Limelight (2011)

An Interesting Peek Through an NYC Gloryhole

[7/10 · 26 February 2012]

This was an entertaining and informative look at the history of the Manhattan club scene, which contradicts the popular notion that this period of culture primarily consisted of Studio 54 and the also-ran clubs. It is also an insightful glimpse at the rise and fall of MDMA's impact on nightclub life; something that many people do not and cannot fully appreciate.

As to one reviewer's complaint that the film is mainly composed of old TV footage and interior shots (what exactly is wrong with that?) of the clubs central to the story: what was the director Mr. Corben supposed to do, get into his time machine and set-up new shots? The documentary made good use of existing film records, without a lot of shot duplication, something that plagues many films which rely on available stock footage.

This documentary is worth your time, especially if you have ever ingested real MDMA and then gone out dancing.

Unborn in the USA: Inside the War on Abortion (2007)

Pro Choice?

[6/10 · 26 October 2007]

For a film that I thought was supposed to reflect more of the pro-choice position, this film lends most of the screen time to comments from anti-choice activists. I suppose one is left to see the weakness in the anti-choice positions. Some strong arguments in favor of choice would have made it a better film.

> How many of the zealots protesting abortion have taken a child from a stopped abortion into their family? Probably few. It is hypocritical to encourage these babies to be born and not participate in the support of them.

> Some discussion of over-population and global warming would have been helpful.

> For those of us who feel life begins only when a fetus is viable outside this womb would have liked that position to have been presented.

> Some argument as to why late term abortions are sometimes medically necessary would have been helpful.

If you are pro-choice, you may find much of this film lacking.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

Pointlessness...

[4/10 · 9 October 2006]

Go to iTunes and listen to the collected works of this genius. To compare him -- as was done in the film -- to Bob Dylan, is total nonsense. His early work sounds like Howard Stern. This person is no more interesting than three other people down your street, down every street, in every town.

This is much to do about nothing...

I actually sat through this lame film from end to end and then listened to every song this guy recorded, along with multiple version by real musical artists. There is NOTHING there.

Watching this movie is liking watching all of your home movies over your life, and picking out the few really clever moments, then proclaiming you have witnessed genius. In that sense, we all have some genius in us. Perhaps that is the point?!?

Michael & Me (2004 Video)

Slanted Garbage

[2/10 · 8 February 2006]

This movie uses the Michael Moore name to try and sell a totally slanted propaganda piece that offers little insight to anyone who has not already staked-out a position on the gun control issue. The obvious counter arguments to most of the points made will leave anyone logical and sensible, a very frustrated viewer. A simple example:

Should people be allowed to have and use nuclear weapons? If no, then you agree with weapons limitations. Should the average person be allowed to own and use 50 caliber sniper rifles that can shoot through cars? If no, then you believe in gun control. Now, let's discuss sensible gun control rules we can all live with. Spare me that nonsense that few rules are needed. If you think that way, you are simply a moron.

Anyone can use extreme examples to make any point. One lady gets raped on day 2 of her 10 day waiting period. Of course they fail to mention the many hot-heads who are deterred from using guns in anger BECAUSE of that same waiting period. As I say, the counter arguments, which this film avoids, are glaringly missing.

In this film, everyone who loves guns shoots straight, is always sober, and has keen judgment. Anyone who wants any sort of gun control is portrayed as an idiot.

Don't waste your time with this one. There is nothing there.

Donnie Darko (2001)

IMDB Ratings Madness

[5/10 · 3 June 2004]

I love this website, but some people's rating of films leaves much to be desired.

So let's see: out of many tens of thousands of raters, this rather lame flick scored a 10 on a scale of 10? Please. What nonsense. It only calls into question the overall quality of the IMDB scoring. There are way too many people who have no idea how to rate on a 10 scale.

I'm just a regular guy who loves movies. This decade I have watched and rated 500 movies, all released since 01/01/2000. Of all these films, I have rated 1 film a perfect score of 10. A ten is a classic film of the highest caliber. To suggest that this Donnie Darko is a 10 is utter nonsense.

For the record, I gave this film a 5 rating. A 5 rating means the film has as much wrong with it as it does right with it. It is an interesting watchable movie with serious shortcomings.

As for you thousands of people who gave it a 10, I'd love to hear how you rationalize that score. No, actually I don't want to hear. Why don't you take a minute to think about what a 10 rating means, before ever using it again.

Cheers...

Ran (1985)

Run from this One...

[3/10 · 1 July 2003]

This is a ridiculous film, basically unwatchable. For this thing to be included among the list of the best films ever made is absurd. This silly film looks like something from 1935. Please don't tell me this is great art. If a black kid from Chicago made it, it would have never seen daylight.

Films should be judged in the context of the period they were made in. The thing that makes a great film, domestic or foreign, is the ultimate watchability of the piece. If you can watch this without fast forwarding, you have either fallen asleep or you are forcing your eyes open. There is no pleasure here.

Great war scenes? Please. Lame and silly are more like it.

Watch at your own risk!!!!!!!!

Equilibrium (2002)

Matrix Lite (very lite)

[5/10 · 21 May 2003]

This film was a disappointment. I gave it 5 stars on a 10 scale. The plot was just too ridiculous to give any chance of suspending disbelief, at any level. To see such a relatively high IMDB rating is more just cause to suspect the quality of the reviews beings given herein. And, if I have to sit through one more movie where a guy with hand guns wipes out an army of supposedly trained military with full automatic weapons, I am going to snap. Please.

Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street (2001 Video)

My Son Said This Movie Was Awful

[1/10 · 1 January 2003]

...actually, he said is was worse than awful. This bright eight year old said that he had never rented such a terrible movie. The worse thing about it was that he only laughed on time. You might want to pass on this one.