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TheSubstitute
Reviews
Joe's Apartment (1996)
Great way to waste money while genuine talented writers struggle
Film's predictable anyway, so I'll forget about spoilers and just say it straight.
I sat through the film on tv, all the while trying to work out what's on the producers's minds when they took up this project. I never did find a logical explanation.
Maybe it's a guy thing, but seeing a talentless irresponsible idiot getting a pretty girl without going through any chemistry, character developments, nor effort in getting the girl he wanted... it just sickens me.
Yes the film's meant to be stupid, as was the jokes, but it doesn't excuse a feature length production tasteless waste of time.
Color of Night (1994)
So bad that it was almost good
Okay, first of all, my impression of the film was that... it was basically thrown together by several drunken script writers who didn't have enough material on each of their independent project. So they decided they'd put everything they've got together to make up the time.
Honestly, as you watch the film, you can identify the clear quality changes as well as mood changes. I found it hard to believe it was even directed by a single director. The story lacks emotions, performance, intelligence, believability, continuity, purpose, character... the list can go on. I give you one thing though, the film did have a professional look in terms of photography, but only at an average level.
Thing is though, despite being such a bad film, I did watch it throughout for one reason. I just wanted to find out what the script writer(s) came up with next. You can so blatantly tell that the writer just had a new idea at some point of the story, and forces it into the script and touches up the rest of the plot a little to justify it. Unfortunately while it was entertaining to see so much new material throughout the film, it just made the film fall apart even more. So I dunno, I found it fun as an experience, though I ain't sitting through it again unless I'm pointing and laughing at it with my friends next time it comes on TV.
The sex scenes, I didn't ignore them. Thing is, they were explicit, but they were... well since it's an 18 film... I dare say they're just s**t. The sex scene were badly composed and directed, lacking either the passion you see from love stories, or the energy in porn films. It was just crap, period.
The cast was completely wasted in this movie, including Bruce. Each character were linear and stereotyped, which failed each actor's better credited performances in films of their respective genres. I can just see the actors thinking "God this is the low point of my career, I thought that other film I did was s**t, but this tops it all."
So anyway, I'm sorry I can't stay focus in my review, cos the film was just all over the place so badly I guess... If you have the two hours with nothing better to do, yeah, it's fun to watch it for a laugh but keep the remote near. Just don't take this film seriously, cos it's an insult to your intelligence.
ER (1994)
Only drama without a single hiccup
ER's always been good. If Simpsons was a seed that sprouted back in the early 90's, then ER's the spaceship that just landed on Earth.
ER's about characterisation, about believability, about compelling stories, it's drama basically, in a hospital. It's the only drama that truly experiments itself in every aspect to see what's best. We've seen it through different actors, directors, writers and execution of the whole thing, and yet they always come up with new material to surprise us every serise.
I guess the ability to renew characters aid ER in staying refreshing always, because the producers know full well ER's sucess isn't a fluke, it isn't about pretty faces and familiar formulas. The very fact that it managed to last 9 series and still coming at us is in itself a miracle.
What I particularly admire after comparing ER to other British hospital drama is the fact that ER doesn't leave the audience confused, and yet it doesn't patronize our intelligence. It has the technicalities and realism, and yet it doesn't leave us dangling "what's all the mumble jumble" with the perfect balance of terminologies and lament terms for the victim and their families. I've see two such dramas that fails to keep the pace, atmosphere and setting and yet be able to explain what the hell's going on inside the patient's fragile bodies. I can't explain how ER manages it, but it does, and it's just sheer genius.
My only regret is I didn't get to start watching it when it first came out. I can't wait for the Region 2 release of the first series. ER is as professional and ambitious as TV projects go. Whether it fits your taste or not, you cannot deny it's a masterpiece.