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hedgy71
Reviews
Lightyear (2022)
Does not deserve any hate!
This film is an absolute delight! It respects the Buzz Lightyear lore and expands on it in unexpected ways. The visuals are clever and stunning. I actually enjoyed this more than many of the Star Wars productions under Disney. It has a believable design aesthetic and the visuals overall are thrilling with a fantastic sound score. I can't wait to see it again! I may even buy the toys!
Dark Blood (2012)
Good actors acting badly
You get the feeling the best scenes, presumably the interior shots of the boy's hut, were yet to be filmed. The director's intermittent narration that covers the missing scenes, seems to have the best dialogue. What is captured is largely unremarkable.. yet still highly watchable, because it's River Phoenix, right before he died.
The well documented "troubles" on set, with Judy Davis being "difficult" with River, allegedly expressing her distaste with his casting over Johnny Depp is ironic, because she herself seems miscast, along with Jonathan Pryce, an out of work film actor married to a former Playboy Bunny Davis.. Insert Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger during their honeymoon phase and we might have had a true screen gem.. if it were finished.. and had a higher budget.
All in all worth a watch, but regrettably River's performance is somewhat pedestrian and perhaps more a telling snapshot of his slide toward oblivion. This is the River with short black hair that sadly met his fate.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
The Great Disappointment
How did 40 years of fandom riding the crest of the pop culture wave land us here?
It's an odd feeling. On one hand you're enjoying the spectacle, on the other you're tearing your hair out in despair.
I'll keep this short. Rian Johnson is a talented director, but he should never have been allowed to proceed with the script he wrote for The Last Jedi.
This is a literary fail and a culturally signigicant abomination disguised as a successful blockbuster film. The fact that it's a Star Wars film makes it every bit as tragic as Carrie Fisher's actual passing to me. I can't help but feel her death as the actress playing the matriarchal lead protagonist was some cosmic karma righting itself through the force for Rian and Kathy. Mostly Kathy because Rian had already finished with her by that point in time. It's how he operates I'd imagine. Suck up until you get what you want then discard people. Like a sociopathic little vampire.
I don't need to give any explanation, as many have preceeded me, but JJ Abrams did not set a good precedent by killing off Han Solo so early on. Now Luke Skywalker's name has been tarnished, I can't even watch the original six. Seriously, it's been 4 months and I cannot do it. A record for me.
I can only give this one star, because of the gravitas surrounding this tragic tragic failure in film history. That unfortunately is no exaggeration. May the force be with us all with the exception of Kathleen Kennedy and Rian Johnson.
Alien Armageddon (2011)
An astounding achievement in what can actually make the light of day
Hmm, where to begin? I know, let's not!
If you you like sci-fi with well detailed models of alien warships, dynamic realistic CGI effects, cool looking super soldier outfits and are inspired by heroic rebel citizens making a bid for freedom against an oppressive occupying force, just go and watch Star Wars for the 112th time, because this reel of barf may turn you off the genre forever if you watch it to the end. The cover art may well have been the biggest production expense! Unremarkably, the budget of this film probably equates to about 1% of the original Star Wars film's production cost in 1977.. Why am I even comparing them in the same sentence? I don't even know any more! A closer parallel is obviously Battle: Los Angeles. If you've seen that film, just rent it or the sequel (which I have not even seen). Even if you have already seen them. Trust me!
My IQ dropped well down into the double digits which is what most of the actors must have been paid for their "appearances" in this clearly successful attempt at "getting money" in Hollywood. I suspect they are as much victims as the rest of us and filming on location in Paris and London as well as somewhere out the back of L.A. must have been a draw card.. Even my sarcasm has been impaired. Also due to budget and time restraints, I can only allow two paragraphs for this review, so I'll leave it at that.
You're welcome.