Reel1120 Reviews

Miami Vice: Missing Hours (1987) Season 4, Episode 7

I can't believe I liked this episode

[6/10 · 13 April 2024]

Man, this episode will definitely challenge your commitment to Miami Vice, that's for sure. One of those "out there" episodes that Vice throws in every so often. They don't usually work for me, but the missing hours was actually quite enjoyable. I think because the actors all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Big booty Trudy investigates a very strange death and ends up possibly being abducted by a ufo, and James Brown is the alien that abducted her. (I think).

And a very young Chris Rock is a clerk that follows strange phenomena on message boards ( a pre cursor to internet chat rooms god this show is old).

I had heard that this was definitely when Vice went downhill, and I was dreading it. The 4.5 rating is the lowest I've seen by far for a vice episode. I actually like it better than Like A Hurricane. James Brown flying a houseboat ufo is more enjoyable than Sheena Easton singing I got you babe with a chorus of children... by a long shot.

The Big Short (2015)

Good start but gets muddled by third act

[7/10 · 7 April 2024]

The Big Short examines how the housing bust in the late 00s came to be. Adam McKay attempts to simplify a very convoluted series of events that occurred on Wall Street leading up to the crash. He mostly succeeds, by having actors break the fourth wall to summarize, having celebrity cameos (Margot Robbie, Anthony Bourdain etc playing themselves explaining things in layman's terms) and inserting laugh out loud dialogue throughout.

By the second half, though I tried to keep up with what was happening, as a layman myself I got lost. Events were happening quickly and the choice of using three sets of main characters (Steve Carells group, Brad Pitts group and Christian Bale) muddled what began as a very crisp and incredibly interesting story.

All of the main characters are fantastically performed by the actors (I was especially impressed by Carell, and Gosling is hilarious per usual). But the secondary characters (Florida brokers, real estate agent, the Vegas brokers etc) were way over the top and one dimensional, if it was on purpose, it didn't work for me. It felt like getting hit with a mallet. Marissa Tomei, who plays Carells wife is also given little to work with. (In fact, every female character in this movie is written as a one dimensional afterthought).

I would have liked to see some of the fat trimmed and more development of secondary characters. This was a valiant effort that falls short in the last act, trying to cram too much in at the last second. Because the film overtly tried to simply things in the first half, it made me feel even dumber at the end.

I lived through, and felt the effects, of the Great Recession. I am glad this film exists. I agree with the end, that pretty much say this will keep happening.

Miami Vice: Walk-Alone (1986) Season 3, Episode 4

Solid nuts and bolts episode

[8/10 · 21 March 2024]

Been binging Miami Vice lately and this is one of the few episodes that lives up to the potential set out in the early days. I always remember to watch this show in relatiion to the times (almost 40 years now, sheesh). This one has a darkness and edge to it that feels genuine. It's a showcase for Tubbs and Castillo. It moves at a brisk pace (unlike many Vice episodes) it doesn't rely too heavily on montages ( not that there's anything wrong with them in Vice world). Ron Pearlman (sons of anarchy) and Laurence Fishburn are the pre-fame talents and are also great. I really thought it was going to slow down and get corny when Tubbs goes on the inside as a prisoner, some cheesiness does ensue (it is network tv after all), but not enough to distract. Overall, a solid outing early on in the third season, that seems to be shaping up to be better than the second (fingers crossed)

Miami Vice: The Home Invaders (1985) Season 1, Episode 19

Abel Ferrara and co.

[8/10 · 4 March 2024]

When I watch Miami Vice I remind myself to keep the viewing experience relative to the times. For a network show in 1985 to look, feel and sound the way many of these first season episodes do, is a miracle. I was pulled in from the opening sequence of this episode. A very dark episode that has the vice squad assisting the robbery squad with a series of violent home invasions. Abel Ferrara directs and the bad guys include Esai Morales and Paul Calderon.

The main storyline is that the robbery squad lieutenant is not up to the task and lieutenant Castillo has to do the real investigative work. There's a great scene where the robbery guys and Sonny watch Castillo figure out the common thread between all the invasions. As always, Olmos is cool as ice throughout.

Once again, a very dark episode with a great supporting cast and director. I liked this one.

Rocky IV (1985)

80s Rocky is great nostalgia

[7/10 · 25 February 2024]

I was born right after the first Rocky came out. I vaguely remember seeing Rocky III when it was out, but I definitely remember Rocky IV. A true 80s classic. Was it corny and unrealistic? Absolutely! And that's the way we liked it. The exotic cars, 80s power rock montages, James Brown, robots, evil Russians etc etc. This movie has aged perfectly. Sly knew what he was doing and I'm glad he did it.

If you watch the first 4 in order (and I just did) you notice that by Rocky III, things are starting to get redundant (and still with that 70s feel). Some have said IV is just a lazy retread of the previous 3 films, but I don't see that. Sly made a Rocky for the MTV generation and succeeded. My only complaint is the finale fight between Drago and Rocky. I would have liked to have seen more creative fight choreography. Does come off a bit anticlimactic. And maybe a little more dimension to the Drago and wife characters, but you can't have everything. If you're an 80s kid- THIS was your Rocky.

The Godfather (1972)

Pulls you In immediately, keeps you there. The best.

[10/10 · 27 October 2023]

My father would watch this on vhs, recorded off cable, often. He was born in the 30s, grew up during the depression and world war 2. This film depicts an America that he lived through and with authenticity. Francis Ford Coppola created a masterpiece here. Attention to every detail pays off. A master class in storytelling. Think of Enzo the baker. A minor scene in the very beginning regarding Enzo is actually an introduction to an important element at the scene at the hospital. Enzo shows up to bring flowers and Michael uses him to help ward off assassins, which leads to McCluskey assaulting Michael and in turn leads to.... Well, you know. A film as well written, well acted, well filmed, paced etc. As The Godfather is as rare as anything. Hyperbole aside, this is a true twentieth century American masterpiece in film making. Every film that came after it owes a debt of gratitude. Deserving of all the praise that had been bestowed upon it.

Midnight Run (1988)

One of the best 80s action comedy adventures

[8/10 · 28 September 2023]

As a kid in the 80s I watched this everyday on cable and vhs, I swear. I still revisit it once a year. Robert Deniro and Charles Grodin share great chemistry. All of the surrounding characters are perfectly cast and play their roles with enthusiasm (Ashton, Pantoliano, Kotto, Farina etc) This movie just has that great 80s look and feel. The gritty world of criminals and cops and bounty hunters. Thrilling chase scenes, shootouts, and lots of laughs. It knows right when to slow things down to convincingly reveal character development and background, before turning up the volume again.

The back and forth between Kotto and Deniro as well as Kotto and Ashton is hilarious. Much of this movie is very funny.

Danny Elfman's score deserves a lot of credit here as well. Great flick!

Eight Men Out (1988)

If you like nonstop Dixieland Jazz, you'll love it

[5/10 · 28 September 2023]

Saw this in the theaters when it came out. I was a 12 year old baseball junky. I remember leaving before it ended. Over the years I tried to watch it on TV. I eventually watched the whole thing, in pieces, but it never got it's hooks in me, and I love baseball history as well as the great actors in this movie. I've come to realize that baseball movies about fictitious players (Bull Durham, The Natural, Major League) tend to be better than historical pieces. Not sure why.

Anyway, I recently watched this again after not watching it for quite a few years hoping my older self would see something that my younger self didn't. I watched it all the way through and.... Nothing. There's just something missing. No character development, no relationship building between characters. Too many characters that come and go. It's very shallow writing. Corny at times. Not easy to follow at all. The baseball scenes are not thrilling. And the frickin Dixieland jazz every other scene doesn't help either. Oh, and then there's a whole damn trial at the end, which is also hard to follow.

It should have had a more narrow focus on Shoeless Joe and how good he was. It throws Everything at you, and leaves it to you to figure out. Way. Too. Long.

Sicario (2015)

A Modern Masterpiece

[9/10 · 12 January 2023]

A movie that far exceeded the expectations of most viewers. From start to finish, it's a roller coaster of tension, pitch perfect pacing, lean dialogue and tight story telling.

It opens with an FBI drug raid on a house. Then, something more sinister is uncovered, then BAM! And you're only like ten minutes in. Then Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro show up with enough cool to carry any movie.

The scene at the border when the convoy gets stuck in traffic is one of the most tense, perfectly shot sequences I've ever seen.

The fight scene between Blunt and Bertram is another perfectly shot, expertly choreographed sequence.

There's about a half dozen more scenes I could describe that blew me away or caught me off guard.

Some might complain that there wasn't enough character development to make you care about the characters. I think maybe Blunts character and her partner could have benefited from some background story, but compared to what's done right in Sicario, it's hardly an issue.

If you haven't seen Sicario yet, WATCH it. It's a great movie. (Note: it is gruesome at times)

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)

Suspend logic and enjoy

[7/10 · 12 January 2023]

For some reason I thought this was going to suck. The original is a modern classic and I had a feeling this was going to ruin that legacy. First off, it DOES fall way short of the original, BUT, it s not bad either. The story is definitely undercooked and lacking logic, but I didn't mind because the performances were all great (with the exception of the horribly miscast Keener) and the direction/cinematography were great as well.

Del Toro is fantastic here. Brolin and Donovan have a nice chemistry that I'm glad returned from the original. The girl who plays Isabella Reyes does a fantastic job.

Overall, it's a great escapist movie. Some of the plot elements will leave you scratching your head, but the tension and the action are enough to keep you interested to see what's going to happen next.

Mr. Mom (1983)

A favorite of the forty-somethings

[8/10 · 17 December 2022]

I watched this all the time when it was on cable in the 80s. A lighthearted comedy about an engineer working in the automotive industry who gets laid off and is forced to be a stay at home dad when his wife enters the workforce.

When I was a kid, I loved the impeccable comic timing of Michael Keaton and the classic hilarious bits like the baby eating chili, the supermarket scene or the soap opera dream.

Rewatching it at 45 years old it hits on so many different levels as well. The nostalgia of the early 80s ( All the references to Rocky, Jaws, Chariots of Fire, ET etc) the still funny comedy bits. But also, having raised children, having dealt with marital friction, being a Mr. Mom of sorts myself, living through economic downturns etc. It hit close to home, in a good way.

All in all, it's a showcase for Michael Keaton and the writing of John Hughes. Sometimes it drags a little but it wraps up tightly and comically at the end.

Also, I want to go out like Jack goes out in the soap opera sequence. Two women fighting over me, wearing a beard and my favorite flannel with a cold Miller Lite in my hands.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Worthy Sequel Starring NYC

[8/10 · 15 December 2022]

McClane is back. He's a NY cop again. He is separated from his wife Holly, suspended from the force and nursing a hangover. Enter a new villain: Simon. Simon (Jeremy Irons) is planting bombs all over NY and is forcing McClane to run all over town, solving riddles, that, if solved correctly, will disarm the bombs. Enter a sidekick: Zeus. Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson) is an unwilling bystander that is forced into this game by chance in the film's opening scenario. Zeus is smarter than McClane and the two (begrudgingly) work together to successfully disarm the bombs (or somewhat limit their destruction). This first act is fast-paced, thrilling, creative and funny. As it turns out, Simon is actually Hans Grubers brother (heard of him?)., and he wants revenge on McClane. This was a superb reveal. And then, in another superb reveal, Simons actual motive is not revenge, it is to distract and divert police attention away from his real plan. To rob the Federal Reserve of all its gold.

PROS: Being set it NYC, during the day and definitely not during Christmas, gives this Die Hard a fresh feel.

Irons and Jackson work well here. Dumping the whole "Holly" subplot that dragged Die Hard 2 down (no offense to Bonnie Bedillia, the character was never written well). Great supporting cast, especially McClanes NYPD coworkers. Notably Graham Greene.

CONS: Third act gets a little outlandish (although the scene on the boat when they move the dead body still makes me laugh). The ending seems anticlimactic and lazy. Does not match the rest of the film.

OVERALL: A worthy sequel to the original, more tightly paced and realistic (in Die Hard land) than DH2. Definitely has aged better than 2 as well, It's nice when sequels are creative and fun, shows the filmmakers are making an effort for the audience and not just cashing in on a franchise. NYC is a perfect supporting player. Just a really well done fun action thriller from the 90s.

Die Hard (1988)

Just one example

[9/10 · 12 December 2022]

There are countless examples as to why this movie is THE classic 20th century action flick. I want to focus on one. The scene where Hans pretends to be a hostage that got away. He has a run in with John McClaine. John McClaine gives him a gun. Almost immediately Hans betrays him, points the gun at him. The jig is up. But McClaine handed him an unloaded gun. Hans threatens McClaine, pulls the trigger and....click click click. Hans realizes the gun is unloaded, and just then the elevator opens and the rest of the terrorists come out guns blazing, leading to a new series of events that McClaine must overcome. In a lesser movie, a whole third of the film would be dedicated to John and Hans pretending to be an escaped hostage. It would have dragged the movie to a halt and added an unnecessary layer of suspense. But here, in Die Hard, the whole series of events takes 3-5 minutes, and then onto more action. It keeps it light. The whole movie moves swiftly. PACING.

The Border (1982)

Good story. Poor execution

[6/10 · 8 December 2022]

The Border tackles a subject that has always been in the news, illegal immigrants crossing the southern border of the US. Jack Nicholson plays Charlie Smith, a INS agent from LA who moves to El Paso to work Border Patrol. His motivation is to appease his young wife, who wants a better quality of life than the trailer they live in in LA. They, move and buy a nice little house. His wife wants swimming pools and waterbeds and he soon realizes he will need to earn extra money. Enter a fellow Border Patrol agent, Cat, played by Harvey Keitel. Cat is involved with a human trafficker and makes extra money arranging safe passage into the US for those who pay. Cats a bad guy (Keitel fans will not be disappointed) Charlie eventually gets involved with this activity and learns most agents are apathetic about their job and take bribes as well.

Charlie ends up developing a bond with a young brother and sister from Mexico who he runs into regularly at the border. He is torn between being a corrupt agent and his conscientious feelings toward the young Mexicans. The woman also has a young baby, that is taken from her and sold on the black market. This sets up a third act where Charlie works to repair his damaged morals.

So there's a lot going on in this movie. The problem is the screenplay comes off a little half-baked. There are scenes that look like they are really going somewhere but the writer just ends the dialogue and moves the film onto the next scene. Particularly scenes between Charlie and his wife. Another scene in a bar where Charlie is alone and a female bar patron starts a conversation with him. It is just used a transitional scene and had no substance. Missed opportunity by writers to offer more dimension to Charlie. I found myself wanting to know more about all of these characters (all of whom are played well by the actors).

Its not a bad movie, but with the actors they had and the story, it came off a bit contrived.

Pros: Nicholsons subdued performance. That gritty late 70s/early 80s movie feel.

Cons: Story and script seem unfinished. Some unnecessary gore that seems out of place in this movie.

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Coen Bros. Vanity Piece that works

[7/10 · 4 November 2022]

Just rewatched it because I couldn't really remember it. Because I had forgotten it I assumed I wouldn't enjoy it, but I did. This is one of those Coen Bros. Movies where they get a whole bunch of actors that have done more substantial work for them in the past and let them have some fun. That's pretty much how you have to watch it. A fun little movie with lots of cameos and light humor. A period piece that is very pleasing to the eye. No, it's not going be remembered alongside Fargo, No Country or Lebowski, but it's a fun watch for Coen fans or anyone looking for something light to watch on movie night.

This Is 40 (2012)

Undercooked, uneven, some big laughs though

[6/10 · 9 September 2022]

There were definitely some laugh out loud jokes. I just think the subject wasn't given enough serious attention. There's a marriage with kids and money issues with family and businesses, but the writing is only skin deep and choppy. It really isn't about the issues of turning 40, that's just fodder for some jokes ready made for the trailer. It's about a marriage on the brink ( many are). Should have cut some the funny stuff that wasn't really funny, kept the really funny stuff (when Deb destroys miniature Tom Petty) and focused tightly on her estranged relationship with her dad (Lithgow). Apatow seemed hesitant to delve deeper into the more serious plot elements and the film ultimately suffers as a result.

Lead Me Home (2021)

Typical Netflix Drone-u-mentary

[4/10 · 23 August 2022]

It's short, about 40 minutes. Take out all the lumbering drone footage with pensive backing music and it knocks down to less than 30 minutes. We don't get to know any of the subjects, noting in depth to explain how they live day to day or how they ended up in this situation. I think there's a fear on the part of the filmmakers to show that drugs, alcohol and mental illness is a large part of it. They don't want the audience to lose sympathy for the subjects. A good filmmaker would allow the audience to draw their own opinions. I feel for these people, but I want to know more. That's what documentaries are for. Tell me how they handle disputes in the camp, how they decide who gets to panhandle certain corners, what do they do to get by that the audience would say "wow, I never knew that". Interview the advocates, politicians, citizens, cops, business owners etc. This isn't a documentary, it's a high school-grade visual art project.

Seinfeld: The Fire (1994) Season 5, Episode 20

One of the best!

[9/10 · 24 July 2022]

As funny now as it was 25 years ago. Two intersecting storylines that are as hilarious as anything in the history of sitcoms. Whoever wrote the scene where Kramer tells the bus/Cracker Jack/pinky toe story and Michael Richards need great recognition. And then, same episode, "Eric the clown"... perfect!

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Use the cutting room please

[6/10 · 8 July 2022]

Great cast, director, cinematography etc. Very intriguing story. Unfortunately, per usual with these streaming service limited series, they don't edit anything. This could have been done in 4 or 5 episodes, not 7. I had to power through to the end. Surprisingly, because this was the same director as Hell or High Water which I thought was very tightly done and moved at a fast clip.

All of the actors are superb, especially Garfield, Jones and Birmingham. It has a great period correct look. The story just gets muddled to the point you just want it to hurry up and reach a conclusion. Too many drawn out, pensive scenes that should have ended up on the cutting room floor.

ER: Freefall (2003) Season 10, Episode 8

I Think I'm Done

[3/10 · 17 June 2022]

Been binging er on Hulu. Never saw the show when it was on the air. I have to say, I really enjoyed the first few seasons. The thing I liked was how the main focus was the medicine and everything else was kept in the background. They didn't dwell on the personal relationships, they let the audience make those connections with breadcrumbs. Unfortunately the writing started to get noticeably inconsistent after about season 4-5. Rehashing the same story lines, corny dialogue. Inexplicable scenarios etc.

The show really suffered after Anthony Edwards left. But if they had creative writers, they could have still made it work, especially with Noah Wyle, Laura Innes and Paul McCrane still involved. All three do a wonderful job and play their parts very well.

For whatever reason, this season has seen Wyles Dr. Carter in Africa (essentially off the show). Innes Weaver has been relegated to background status (when she is on screen, she is forced to deliver bland, uninspired dialogue) and Mccranes Dr Romano has to deal with the aftermath of losing his arm (a terrible story arc that was not handled well by the writers)

If the writers got rid of his arm, why did they have such little idea what to do with him afterward. It was an idea without follow through. They should have killed him off then and there.

Instead they kill him off in this episode? With... another helicopter?? C'mon. I read that they wrote him off because they had run out of ideas on where to go with the character. Well, I found Romano to be one of the only interesting characters left in a sea of the insufferable (Lockhart, Pratt, Chen).

I dont think I can suffer through these last seasons. I think I'm done.... Too bad.

Fargo (1996)

One of kind from 90s golden age

[8/10 · 3 June 2022]

There really aren't any movies I can think of that are quite like Fargo. So uniquely written, acted and filmed. I love all the small details. I love the dialogue. I love how it not only captures the cold, but somehow captures the cold of the 80s (weird, right). I never tire of watching it. One of my favorites.

Almost a perfect 10 with two exceptions for me. One, yes, the Mike Yamakita scene. Feels like something important got left on the cutting room floor. And two, I always wonder why the father and Stan Grossman don't suspect Jerry is behind the kidnapping when he was already trying to get them to loan him 750k. Would have hardly seemed like a coincidence.

Anyway, one of the greats of that era. Per usual, the Coens get spectacular performances from everyone involved.

Nightwatch (2015– )

EMS good. PD meh.

[7/10 · 25 May 2022]

2 seasons in on Hulu. The EMS ride alongs are pretty good. Really gives you a front row seat. Can actually be kind of gory. Most of the EMTs have good screen charisma and seem to be very caring and professional.

The police ride alongs are pretty bad. The intentional shaky camera that never catches anything. The hack video and sound editing. Everything is dark and grainy and the cameras are never in on the action.

They should have just focused on EMS and fire and left the police part alone. There's only 30 years of COPS reruns that do it better.

Blue Thunder (1983)

Great cast. 80s TV movie quality script.

[4/10 · 6 March 2022]

I wanted this to be good. It was one of the first movies I saw in the theater on account of my older sister taking me along on one of her dates. I was six. All I remember was helicopters and Roy Scheider.recently I watched it and When I saw the cast included Malcolm McDowell, Warren Oates, Joe Santos (Rockford!) and a young Daniel Stern I had high hopes.

Ooof, this is one of those movies where they must have had to choose between a good cast or a good script but they couldn't have both.

Many reviews use the word implausible and I agree. The motivations of the characters make very little sense. There's loose ends and cheesy dialogue all over the place. There are sequences that are just comical (the girlfriend retrieving the tape from the dumpster in the drive-In comes to mind.)

In the right hands this could have been an entertaining 'Lethal Weapon with helicopters'. Scheider and Stern had a good rapport and Oates was perfectly cast.

Unfortunately it's just feels a long episode of Hunter or The Fall Guy.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Modern Masterpiece

[9/10 · 5 January 2022]

This is NOT a movie for everyone. This is, however, a true masterpiece of film making. An old time sheriff living in times he can't even begin to comprehend. Making sense of the drug-trade fueled hyper violence that is coming his way at the dawn of the 1980s is a fools errand, and Sheriff Ed Tom knows it. His world has evaporated and this new world has no place for a man of his times.

Some reviewers say this film is boring, slow, pointless etc. - They are merely pointing out that they prefer to be spoon-fed every point of detail instead of thinking for themselves.

Some reviews complain that the Moss killing should have happened on screen since he was obviously the main protagonist in the movie. I, too, admit to feeling shortchanged by this when I first saw No Country. However, after reading the book I realized they portrayed it the same way McCarthy wrote it. I have also watched it several times since and see that Sheriff Ed Tom is the true protagonist. Perhaps he should have had a little more screen time.

This is GREAT film. I watch at least once a year.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Another Netflix Ca$h Grab

[3/10 · 3 January 2022]

Maybe I shouldn't review this, since I had to turn it off. Maybe that's my review, I couldn't get through it. Netflix always pulls me in with A list actors and directors, and high quality production. Yet the writing is ALWAYS half baked and the acting is phoned in. I think this is because there's no check and balance for those involved. Netflix throws buckets of money at name talent (DiCaprio, Lawrence, McKay) up front. Just having these A listers on an original production benefits the streaming platform in the competitive streaming market. It's a smart business move, but the customer/viewer gets screwed because they have already paid for it, so there's no incentive for Netflix to produce genuine quality, word-of-mouth films. Look at The Irishman, did it seem like there was any check and balance in the making of that bloat-fest? Of course not, Scorsese and co. Squeezed as much cash out of Netflix as they could, and produced a questionable project at best.

None of these A list Netflix productions are aging well. None of them will be considered classic in years to come. Don't Look Up is just another log for the pile.