gdholm Reviews

Hit the Road (2017)

A New Low For Jason Alexander

[1/10 · 18 October 2017]

Wow. This thing is awful! Weak story line. Weak acting. Vulgarity just for the sake of vulgarity, an obvious sign the writers can't think of anything better to say.

The gags are dumb and way too predictable. Child actor delivers lines like you would expect them to be delivered in a high school play.

This was the first and last time I will watch this so-called show.

Loudermilk (2017–2020)

Weak, but Ron Livingston May Save It

[5/10 · 18 October 2017]

Ron Livingston is a good actor, and the reason I tuned in. Not my favorite topic, and the writing could be better, but Ron does a good job of bringing some redeeming value to the show.

Depressing story line. Ron is some sort of counselor/recovering alcoholic who takes a laissez-faire approach to his role as counselor, but it seems to work for him. No laughs as on The Bob Newhart Show, guess this is more real, but still it is sort of depressing to learn everyone's problems and what troubles they are having.

You may or may not like it. Definitely Ron Livingston is the reason to watch, if you do.

The X-Files: My Struggle II (2016) Season 10, Episode 6

What a Disappointment

[1/10 · 29 September 2017]

After waiting all this time for new episodes, I now wish I had my six hours back that I spent watching this. All the previous loose threads were forgotten. The black oil, the bees, the good vs the bad aliens, the Syndicate, the microchips in the women's necks, Purity Control, Government cover-up, "You've never been closer, Mr. Mulder", nothing from past seasons means anything. It never happened, and you did not watch it.

As a final insult, the season-ending cliff hanger was beyond impossible to escape from. Everyone is quickly dying from a virus or something, everyone except Sully and maybe her son who is no one knows where. Even Mulder is several blocks from Scully, who is on a bridge of impossible traffic, and she is the only one who could save him. Problem is, it would take her several minutes to get to him, even if she knew where he was, and he only has seconds to live. Everyone is down to their last seconds.

Yet, I somehow know that when the next show starts in 2018, Mulder and the population of Earth will somehow be miraculously saved. So why watch? It will be unbelievable. And the next one will no doubt end stupidly also.

Such a shame. This program had such tremendous potential when it started. Chris Carter had a great idea, but no clue what to do with it.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Really Bad Script

[3/10 · 24 July 2017]

Wow. How terrible this was. No amount of directing or acting could change the fact that the story has more holes in it than an entire box of Swiss cheese. One of the worst writing jobs I have ever seen.

An interesting contest game would be to watch the movie and see who can catch the most flaws in the story. Just don't turn it into a drinking game or you will have some very sick people on your hands. Many fallacies have been pointed out by others, and I agree with all of them. A couple of the ones I like include Stewart, who is a surgeon who apparently delivers babies, was strong enough to climb up a 40 foot rope hand-over-hand to escape the chapel and then used that same rope to repel off the side of the building and then drop the last 15 feet or more to the ground. None of this was shown, except him crawling out of the top of the tower.

Spoiler alert: And despite all the heroics, the bad guy Ambassador who wanted his Prime Minister killed was never outed. He was free to try again after the movie was over. But who cares?

The Big Bang Theory: The Collaboration Fluctuation (2017) Season 10, Episode 19

Well Beyond its Prime

[1 April 2017]

Alas, but the show is well beyond its prime. Still watch because there is little to compete with it, but the story line has become very thin, too many actors given a few lines each, only 18 minutes of story vs a normal 22, and let's face it, what is there left for the writers to come up with? All the stories have been done. The main story in this one, between Sheldon and Amy, has been worn out on the show. And the best second story is "wanna go to Target with us to get some diapers?" Weak. I did not laugh one time during the show, which is becoming common with all of the new ones.

People of Earth (2016–2017)

Great to see use of subtle humor

[9/10 · 11 March 2017]

I really like this show a lot. With so many shows on TV being so predictable, so cookie-cutter formula written, this stands out as a gem.

Subtle little things I don't expect make me laugh and appreciate the writing. For instance, when the alien in charge of the ship wants to make a copy of a report, the printer is out of ink. He does not know how to change the ink toner cartridge. Not what you expect from a "superior being". Aliens always know how to do everything and only we Earthlings have problems with things such as toner cartridges, right? I also agree with all the positive things others have said, so no reason to repeat, except to say the show is well-cast, and well-written. Something you don't see every day.I can't wait for season two!

The Good Fight (2017–2022)

Pretty Decent, but

[7/10 · 21 February 2017]

Pretty good show, especially compared to what else is available these days. I actually preferred the story without the political drama from Alicia and the Governor. Does seem the writers have a couple of agendas they have committed to, but as long as the story and acting are good I can look past that stuff.

However, the first show is the only one I have watched because I refuse to pay the fee and agree to email ads from CBS and "partners" to be able to watch the show on line. I pay enough already for satellite TV.

Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall (2012) Season 2, Episode 3

Oh Come On

[2/10 · 7 September 2015]

Spoiler, spoiler!!! Spoiler alert.

I am reviewing this show after watching the next one to see how in the world the writers were able to write themselves out of the spot they put themselves into. We see Holmes fall from the roof, Watson sees it, and when the camera goes to Holmes lying dead on the street it is clearly him. How can he be alive? Unfortunately, if you have ever watched any of the Flash Gordon serial shows you know how. The things you saw at the end of this show are changed at the beginning of the next show. Spoiler alert again!!! I must call "BS" on the way the writers got themselves out of this one. Without telling everything that supposedly happened at the beginning of the next show that we did not know at the end of this one, I can say this: Where did the people come from who helped Holmes? How did they know they would need a mask? Not even Holmes knew Moriarty was going to kill himself. Where did the bungee cord come from? Why did the bungee crash Holmes into a window instead of straight up, where he would have just hung? How did the hypnotist hypnotize Watson in about 2 seconds flat, and where did he come from? Did the gunshot from the roof not attract attention? What about the pool of blood? What happened with Moriarty's body? On and on and on it goes. Completely unbelievable.

This thing was so bogus we immediately turned the program off after the first few minutes and will never watch the show again. When the writers treat their audience like this, especially on a program which supposedly encourages you to think, well, there is no point left in watching.

Aquarius (2015–2016)

Not Worth Your Time

[4/10 · 30 May 2015]

People who liked this show are easily impressed. The plot was disjointed and difficult to follow. The actor playing Manson was totally unbelievable in the part. As someone else said, this is a 2015 attempt at recreating 1967, but obviously done by people too young to know what 1967 was really like. Sometimes it felt as if I were watching a high school play set in the 60s. But a bad one.

They took a decent premise for a show and made it quite boring, despite an attempt to jazz it up with some gratuitous violence. That the girl ran off to join Manson leaves me with a great big "so what?" I was unable to watch both hours offered up, turning it off 15 minutes into the second episode. Watching a bunch of smoking, grungy hippies with little real story line just did not hold my attention. There is no character development that would make us want to come back and watch more.

Mostly I want my 75 minutes back.

Killing Jesus (2015 TV Movie)

This Movie is Not Well Done

[1/10 · 5 April 2015]

This is not an anti-Bill O'Reilly review as some others are. I like Bill. I watch his show most nights. I have enjoyed all of his "Killing" books, and "Killing Lincoln" was the best non-fiction book I have ever read.

That said, the movie was a huge disappointment. Not sure I can say anything not already said, but to summarize the shortcomings, not with the book, but with just the movie:

1. Whoever cast Haaz Sleiman as Jesus made a horrible choice. While he looked more like a Jew of the period than some people who have played the part, his acting was just plain bad.

2. Having the actors mumble their lines (especially Sleiman) was not a good choice.

3. I have seen high school plays with more realistic-looking beards and wigs than the ones used in this movie. They were comical!

4. Jesus didn't know who he was until John the Baptist told him? Really?

5. Was 20 or 30 really the largest crowd they could buy to follow Jesus?

6. So the movie was designed to be emotionally dark, but did it have to be literally dark and hard to see at times as well? 7. The sound was poor.

8. Despite Bill's assurances otherwise, I found that some of the violence and torture was much more explicit and graphic than necessary.

9. Jesus seemed dazed and confused much of the time. What was the actor trying to portray? Was this just bad directing?

10. Jesus' accent changed from time to time. Sometimes he sounded like an Arab, sometimes like he was from India, sometimes Scotland, and sometimes the accent was just so heavy I have no idea what he was saying or trying to be.

In short, a great book turned into a terrible movie due to bad acting, directing, and production. At least you can watch it for free, but be prepared to turn it off before the end. I did.

Touch (2012–2013)

Big Disappointment

[2/10 · 14 February 2012]

Being a huge fan of Kiefer Sutherland, I wanted to like this new show. Big disappointment. The plot line is completely unbelievable and pointless. Too many sub plots going on in the background for no reason.

So what if the boy he can predict the future? It does you no good since you won't know what he is predicting until after it happens.

Watched the first episode (the one after the pilot) and it was even worse. Despite the rave review of Kiefer's family and friends, this show just doesn't cut it. Can't make myself watch it again.

For those who think this show is wonderful, I can only say you need to really enjoy season one.