tom_jeffords Reviews

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits: Zadkiel (2017) Season 1, Episode 3

Still continues to amaze!

[22 July 2017]

I have seen and reviewed every episode of this series so far and quite frankly I am running out of superlatives to use.

This third episode takes even a sharper turn to the dark side than episode two. The mysterious and troubled "Jacqueline" appears to be disintegrating before our very eyes; terrifyingly considering suicide and threatening others with violence. Her mental troubles leaves the viewer as unable to tell fantasy from reality as she is as she suffers crippling hallucinations and her incipient paranoia takes control. Or are the hallucinations real and her lucid moments hallucinations? Is it all a fantasy of her's, someone else in the film, or does it all take place in the someone else's mind. The brilliant writing and directing neither answers these and other questions nor (most importantly)allows you to ignore them. Seriously when was the last time you saw a film, read a book, or listened to a piece of music that actually forced you to think?

Lastly this episode concludes with what appears to be a pat happy ending. But I'm not buying it. There are just too many miles to go and too many questions to answer to believe this is it.

De riguer for Little Lost Productions, the technical aspects of the film are brilliant for such a tiny budget and I have to especially mention the camera angles; I've been going to the movies for a long time and some of camera angles actually caught me by surprise without being forced or off-putting.

A great, great piece of work!

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits: Suki (2017) Season 1, Episode 2

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits astonishes

[9 June 2017]

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits takes a sharp, multi-level, turn in this second episode. The first episode introduced us to "Jacqueline," a flighty, free-spirited young woman, played by star/writer/director Jacqueline Lovell who wanders the woods of Angeles National Forest seeking some unspecified goal.

In this second episode she changes from the cool, laid back, hippie chick that she does so well and is so famous for to a genuinely disturbed young woman who appears to be desperately seeking help but is unsure where and how to find it.

Hints that "Jacqueline" is actually mentally ill are scattered throughout the episode. The other two characters that appear in the episode; Ingrid Coree as a uber-brilliant parody of a Japanese masseuse (technically she would be a parody of Western parodies of Asians) and Edward Nyahay returns as a mysterious stalker (feared authority figure?) who leaves "Jacqueline" terrified can be interpreted (and it is hard not to) as hallucinations; especially since in the series thus far there have been no interaction with other people except over the phone. Further, "Jacqueline" repeatedly engages in conversation and anthromorphsizes/sexualizes inanimate objects. The journey through the forest is clearly a trope, symbolizing her search for healing.

This is not to give the impression that you have be a Freudian psychoanalyst (which I am not!) to enjoy the show. This is still essentially a comedy (and a good one) and Lovell could crack up a mummy with her Goldie Hawn-like on screen persona along with being able to bring the sexual heat like no one else on the screen today. Ingrid Coree's portrayal is spot on and holds racist stereotypes (while being blessedly non-PC) up to ridicule while still being hilarious. Edward Nyahay is somehow able to take a few seconds on screen and build a mythos around his character that leaves you scratching your head; Is he a man? More than a man? Less? Angel? Demon? Friend? Foe? Is he real or just a figment of a troubled young woman's imagination?

As with any Little Lost Production it is technical perfection. NB The lighting has been cleverly darkened in this episode.

Overall, it is brilliant, simply brilliant and the rarest of creatures; a hilarious comedy that makes you think.

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits (2017– )

A great effort from the stars of the offbeat

[10/10 · 4 May 2017]

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits is the latest effort from filmmakers, Edward Nyahay and Jacqueline Lovell. The duo have made a career out of zero budget, high quality films and this one does not disappoint.

It is about (plot is not really a good word here) a woman (Lovell) seeking spiritual healing during a day spent walking through the woods. It is essentially a comedy, poking particular fun at New Age spirituality (at one point she verbally thanks a tree for its help) with sharp jolts into dark psychodrama and is infused throughout with an almost nonchalant eroticism.

As with anything these two do, the technical aspects of the film are flawless; Nyahay's sound and editing being particularly notable. Lovell's writing and direction is outstanding. The acting is what you would expect from a comedy by these two; over the top and hilarious. Lovell just does dingy blonde really well.

Forest Bathing: Friends W/Benefits is an exceptional addition to their catalog and is highly recommended for anyone tired of the same old Hollywood crap.

Ghost Voyage (2008 TV Movie)

A not particularly good movie that really fell down at the end. Contains possible spoilers

[27 January 2008]

Ghost Voyage starts with a group of strangers awakening to find them selves stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean with no idea where they are and how they got there. A mysterious figure known only as the Steward gives them a set of guidelines on how to behave and then disappears. Naturally in best horror film fashion they start wandering around the ship and the fun begins. The SciFi Channel is well known for making unbelievably bad movies. Ghost Voyage is one step above as it is believable that someone could make a movie this bad. Why is the question. The premise has potential. The forgotten classic Outward Bound was probably an inspiration for this dreck. I assume the people at the SciFi Channel who are in charge of lousy movies came across Outward Bound and decided to remake it as a slasher movie with. Really at this point it's clear that the SciFi Channel isn't even trying. I don't know how their economics work but garbage like this is not going to bring in viewers or advertisers. They could have done a faithful remake or even rerun Outward Bound and done better. Would have cost less (even lousy CGI cost money) and gotten better ratings.

Supergator (2006 Video)

I will never understand

[15 July 2007]

I will never understand why the SciFi Channel continues to put out such garbage. Supergator one of a long (no idea of how long) line of ripoffs of Jurassic Park and Anaconda that the SciFi Channel has put on. I am not making any of the following titles up. Boa, Boa II, Python, Python II, Boa vs Python, Komodo, Komodo vs Python. None of which drew the ratings a Dragon Riders of Pern, a Witchworld, or The Word for World is Forest would have. And I seriously doubt that any of the latter would have cost remarkably more than any of the former. So why? I just don't get it. But enough about the SciFi Channel's general incompetence. Let's talk about this latest travesty. Poor acting, bad CGI, complete lack of logic and common sense on the part of the writers, stereotypical characters, etc. A prehistoric alligator is brought to life Jurassic Park style in Hawaii, escapes and mayhem ensues, while a dormant volcanoes threatens to erupt. The only thing I liked about this was the overabundance of eye candy.

Path of Destruction (2005 TV Movie)

On one hand

[25 September 2005]

On one hand I want to actually congratulate the Scifi Channel for making a movie containing a new idea. A giant cloud of flying man-eating nanobots. Dumb but at least it wasn't dragons or giant snakes or man-eating fish which I believe have been featured in every movie made by the Scifi Channel up til now. On the other hand that was the only original thing in it. As pointed out previously, all and I do mean all characters were taken direct from science fiction cliché HQ. Spunky girl reporter, jive talking black guy, corporate baddie, etc. FX were mediocre. Acting as always was atrocious. Basically the usual garbage that Scifi Channel puts out but leaving us with that one glimmer of hope that someday the Scifi Channel will embrace the concepts of originality, imagination, and quality. PS is there a rule that ALL Scifi Channel movies must feature either David Keith or Dean Cain?

The Last Debate (2000 TV Movie)

Utter Cowardice

[27 August 2004]

WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! The Last Debate did indeed miss the point but it is not the point that some of the previous posters have spoken about. In typical Hollywood liberal fashion the bad guy in the movie was a conservative/republican who allegedly abuses women and children. The good guys are the liberal journalists (the supposed conservative journalist is actually a closeted gay). The allegedly impartial journalists take upon themselves to launch a surprise attack on the bad guy in a live presidential debate. Afterword the journalists launch into some phony soul-searching about whether they did the right thing. The point to me, which was gutlessly avoided during the movie was WOULD THEY HAVE DONE IT IF THE BAD GUY HAD A BEEN A LIBERAL?

5ive Days to Midnight (2004)

Good but seriously flawed.

[11 June 2004]

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS! Five Days to Midnight is really, really good. It really is. But it is seriously flawed. The basic story is widowed college professor finds briefcase from the future containing police file of his murder five days hence. Overall it is well done. Superb direction, photography, acting (with the exception of the way over the top performance of Angus Macfayden as a mobster). The problems I had are several. 1) It doesn't address the grandfather paradox of time travel, especially after the professor changes the future the contents of the briefcase change (cute in Back to the Future, dumb here), 2) The required happy ending quite frankly falls down. 3) The miniseries is ridiculously over-padded and could have been told in half the time. Still overall I liked it and it is nice to see the Sci-Fi Channel actually using imagination and originality, not their strong point.

The High Chaparral (1967–1971)

My favorite TV western

[13 November 2003]

I remember The High Chaparral from when I was a child and rediscovered it as an adult from reruns. What is most noticeable about THC as opposed to other TV westerns are two things; it was actually filmed outdoors instead of on a soundstage, unlike large chunks of other TV westerns such as Rawhide and Gunsmoke and especially The Big Valley. Because of this the show and the actors have an authentic dirty and sweaty look to them appropriate to the period and place. I mean hey, cattle ranching in Arizona now is hard, sweaty and dirty, think about how is was before running water. The other thing I liked about it is that not only did the recurring characters not always get along, some of them flat out just didn't like each other. Kind of like in the real world and unlike other TV westerns. These distinctive features along with superb acting, writing, and technical work (just watching the shows makes me want to sweat) adds to up to one heck of a show.

Foster & Laurie (1975 TV Movie)

Well done true story

[10 November 2003]

Foster and Laurie is the true story of the murder of two New York City policeman by black revolutionaries. Outstanding performances by the cast all the way around. The made for TV movie tells the parallel stories of the policemen and their assassins leading up to the murders in flashback style. Effort is made to present the killers as actual people and not just cardboard cutouts and commendably the initial racial tension between Foster and Laurie is shown.

Melvin Purvis G-MAN (1974 TV Movie)

Reality strikes back!!!

[11 October 2003]

WARNING! CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS! Dumb, dumb, dumb. Hollywood takes the story of "Machine Gun Kelly" which could be better described as "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight; the Depression Years." And decided that reality just wouldn't work. Here is the real story (note: this movie was originally titled The Legend of Machine Gun Kelly). Bumbling farmer George Kelly at the behest of his wife decided to go into a life of crime with an equally incompetent assortment of misfits. They kidnapped a small time businessman, received a small ransom and were promptly tracked down by the FBI and captured with George lying in bed begging "Don't shoot G-Men!" Lengthy prison sentences all around with George dying of a heart attack in prison. The movie however is the story of a great romance, battles against the tyranny of the banks and government, and repeated blazing shootouts. NB There is absolutely not only no evidence Kelly ever killed anyone but none that he ever so much as fired a gun at anyone in his life! Hey Hollywood try the truth! It hurts sometimes but it will set you free!

Switch (1975–1978)

Not bad

[18 September 2003]

Switch was an interesting little show, not great, not bad, fairly decent in fact. The premise was retired cop Eddie Albert teams up with retired con man/former adversary Robert Wagner as private eyes with a pre-Cagney and Lacey Sharon Gless as their secretary. Albert and Wagner had an excellent laid back chemistry and some the cases showed some originality and had a pretty high entertainment value. Two interesting notes about the show is I have never seen an article about Sharon Gless or the rest of the cast that even mentions the show and it seems to be completely forgotten in reruns, articles about television or the cast, etc. despite the high visibility of the cast. Second the first two seasons had a very light hearted approach but the last two were considerably darker in tone and far more violent. All in all a decent show that seems to have disappeared down the memory hole. NB Almost a quarter of a century after it first aired and a decade after IMD arrived this it the first comment on it to appear on IMD!

Dead Like Me (2003–2004)

Good start

[28 June 2003]

Warning: contains possible spoilers!!! Dead Like Me has a great deal of possibilities. The premise is simple enough; some people after their death have to serve as Grim Reapers here on earth before passing on to the next (final?) stage of death. One of these is an 18 girl who in life could have served as a poster child for disaffected youth. The show has tremendous potential for satire on contemporary culture and asking some of life's ultimate questions. Why am I here? What's life all about etc. Plus it is at points hilarious. I see some major problems, an inclination to cutesiness, (the girl was killed by a toliet seat from the MIR space station), some logical consistency problems (why do the dead have to get jobs, eat, etc), an overly large cast (from what I can tell there are at least eight cast regulars), and an uncomfortable, subdued hostility to religion, (note to producers; lots and lots of people go to church and believe in God). We will see.

Lost Voyage (2000 TV Movie)

A drearily bad movie.

[11 May 2002]

WARNING SPOILERS! A drearily bad movie sounds like a rather weird description. But it really describes Lost Voyage quite well. The plot is a ripoff of Event Horizon through and through. A luxury liner (instead of a spaceship)disappears in the Bermuda Triangle (instead of outer space). A rescue crew boards it and begin to be bumped off one by one while they discover what happened to the ship, which seems to have been to hell and back, literally. Yep, Event Horizon all right. And like Event Horizon instead of exploring the ramifications of the existence of hell and what it is, what it is like, etc., the hero and the heroine escape just in time while the ship goes back to wherever it came from. In addition to a complete lack of originality the acting is beyond belief bad. The characters act in completely illogical fashion in getting themselves killed. So much so that towards the end I was cheering for the ship, demons, ghosts, or whatever the bad guy(s) were, is, are, uh, whatever to bump the remaining survivors off. Avoid at all costs. The scariest thing about this movie is you will not be able to get those two of your life back you wasted on Lost Voyage.

Report to the Commissioner (1975)

Fatally flawed

[11 April 2002]

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS! I really wanted to like this movie but I just could not. This cast is just excellent. Any movie where Richard Gere is an extra has a good cast. I mean hey, Michael Moriatry, Yaphet Kotto, and Suan Blakely is hard to beat. But the plot is just not believeable. Undercover policewoman moves with a dope dealer to get the goods on him? HELLO! Anything she comes up with is instantly thrown out of court! And it goes down hill from there.

Nashville 99 (1977)

Offbeat little series

[10 April 2002]

I remember watching Nashville 99 for the one season it was on while I was in high school. It was an interesting little mix. It starred Claude Atkins as a Nashville TN police detective, badge #99, hence the title. On the plus side Akins and the woman who played his mother had an excellent chemistry and were quite a hoot together and it was nice having a show set in the South and showing Southerners in a positive light. On the other hand, it was extraordinarily violent with shootouts every week that Columbian drug gangs would be proud of and the most god-awful title song (Jerry Reed, who I like, caterwauling "Nashville 99" over and over again) in TV history. Every week had an actual country music singer like Mel Tillis worked in as a guest star which was lame the first time they did it.

Supercarrier (1988)

Might have made it, but...

[11 March 2002]

This really might have made it. Supercarrier was an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the megahit Topgun. It could have been done, note how well JAG has done over its run. Where the network messed up was instead of trying to concentrate on the action, it tried to make a nightime soap on the water. The US Navy took one look at the pilot which featured a female officer sleeping around and a male pilot altering his records to allow him to keep flying and said "No thank you" and withdrew its support. Kind of hard to have a show about an aircraft carrier with no aircraft carrier. End of show.

High Barbaree (1947)

Just Wonderful!

[24 February 2002]

This is just a great movie. Part romance, part Leave it to Beaver, part mystical journey. And part Norman Rockwell, Tom Sawyer, and PT 109 for that matter! It is a very simple story of a downed U.S. Navy flier relating his upbringing and romances to a fellow flier. But it is just so beautifully done and filled with the laughter and tears, triumph and tragedies of life that is is irresistable.

I Walk the Line (1970)

Disturbingly well done.

[12 February 2002]

Warning! Contains Spoilers! I Walk the Line is a very well done movie. The director superbly catches the growing tension of the characters; the moonshiner, the sheriff, his deputy, and his family. The story itself details the descent of an honest small-town sheriff from the straight and narrow to corruption, adultery, and murder. All because of his affair with a moonshiners' daughter. This descent is disturbing because of its intensity and the "There but for the Grace of God, go I factor." NB For the more sensitive viewers there are hints of pedophilia (the moonshiner's daughter is portrayed as very young)and incest. It should be rated R.

Joey & Dad (1975– )

An absolute delight!

[9 February 2002]

Joey and Dad was exactly that, a delight. It has been so long I do not remember if it was on during the regular season or was just a summer replacement series. I do remember as a teenage boy I was quite taken with Joey Heatherton! I remember what a great chemistry Joey and her father, Ray had. To be expected I suppose! I remember once they were talking and she complained how he didn't like her present beau because he was "a little bit older then me." Her father replied "No, I don't like him because he's a little bit older then me!"

Code Name: Foxfire (1985)

Awful and thankfully short lived

[7 February 2002]

A rather brain dead attempt at an action/spy TV series that was remarkably poorly done. My friends and I would get together every week just to make fun of the opening credits! Fortunately for its stars, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Joanna Cassidy it did not stick around very long.

Velvet (1984 TV Movie)

Possibly the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my life.

[7 February 2002]

Okay I admit there have been some really dumb concepts for television shows in the past. My mother the Car comes to mind. But aerobic instructors by day, secret government commandos by night! I mean forget how bad the movie itself was done just the idea itself was bad. I mean with something that stupid how could it have been done well?

Testament (1983)

Perfect, just perfect.

[2 February 2002]

I have nothing to add to the previous comments except that I agree with them whole-heartedly. Testament was a great film that I think outshone its contemporary, the far more hyped The Day After. I believe it is the lack of special effects and violence that make it all the more powerful.

Destination Inner Space (1966)

Laughably Bad!

[2 February 2002]

Warning! Contains Spoilers! Destination Inner Space is almost so bad it's good. Almost. The special effects are simply laughable. It is set in an underwater lab the exterior shots of which clearly show it to be a miniture. The crew of this underwater lab encounter a alien spaceship (also an obvious miniture)and the hijinks ensue. Although it has a fairly decent cast the acting is incredibly wooden. What continually cracked me up was that the two female crewman (a marine biologist and a photographer)who were supposed to be in an deepsea lab ran around in brightly-colored turtlenecks, miniskirts, beehive hairdos, dangling earrings and long gold necklaces! The B-52s go nautical! And although it is supposedly set in the deep sea the lighting in the underwater scenes make me doubt that it was filmed in anything deeper than a swimming pool.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Awesome!!!

[20 December 2001]

Peter Jackson has made what very well might be the greatest movie of all time. There are two works of literature from the thirteenth century that are still read today; Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae and Dante's Divine Comedy. A thousand years from now when the literature of the twentieth century is mentioned people will think of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and they will talk about what a great job Jackson did. Now if someone will just put a bee in his ear about the Chronicles of Narnia, hmmm.