legendlength Reviews

The Hotel (2011– )

Good reality

[8/10 · 4 January 2012]

A lot of reality shows these days really ham-up the acting and I find that to be pretty unwatchable. This one doesn't do that and subsequently shows a surprisingly deep insight into the workers of this small UK hotel.

The first season is only 8 episodes long but delivers a lot of real drama in that time.

The star of the show would be the general manager who is actually quite skilled at running the hotel. Most of the episodes revolve around his interactions with the staff and customers. Each episode also focuses on two different families that are staying at the hotel.

The most surprising thing for me was the footage they managed to get. There's a few cameras in every room (include customer rooms) which give us an excellent view of the action. In some scenes there is an issue or an argument and we're able to see the whole event unfold, even as it moves around the hotel.

Similar shows would be: Kitchen Nightmares (UK version), Grand Designs, Sylvania Waters (an old Aussie show) and basically any documentary who's main goal is to document rather than create fake drama.

Boss (2011–2012)

A breath of fresh air

[7/10 · 16 October 2011]

It's not every day you find a show as original and authentic as 'Boss'. It really delivers in the realism department and challenges you with unexpected twists and turns. It's too much to follow at times but it just adds to the richness.

What I like most is the attention to detail without the boring melodrama. Many parts are skipped over in favor of the important parts. It really allows you to get into the heads of the characters without bogging you down with irrelevant drama. It's quite similar to 'The Wire' for all of those reasons.

I was a bit puzzled at the low IMDb rating it received and just assumed it was a too complex for casual viewers. But after looking at the voting breakdown I realized a large group of people were giving it 1/10 with the rest up at 9 or 10. I'm guessing some people don't like Kelsey Grammar's political views.

Note this series is rated R and contains swearing and fairly graphic sex scenes. But it is done very tastefully in my opinion and just gives the show extra depth.

Surviving the Cut (2010– )

An interesting insight into armed forces training

[6/10 · 29 August 2010]

This series documents the various training systems used by the United States military. Each hour-length episode focuses on a particular branch of the armed forces.

The production quality is high with concise narration. It manages to show the gritty details and hardships that come from such a high stress training environment without becoming boring.

I think the show is best suited to those with an interest in how things work. It probably caters mainly to a male audience.

If you like this show you may also like:

• Man vs Wild

• Full Metal Jacket

Tapped (I) (2009)

Extremely biased

[1/10 · 18 August 2010]

When I first came across this film on IMDb I was 90% sure it was going to be another biased documentary which was rated highly because of people agreeing with the position they took. But after reading the reviews that swore it was very unbiased and well-made I decided to watch it with interest.

After viewing the first 10 minutes I could tell the reviews were absolutely wrong. This film is probably as biased as you could possibly get. Throughout the rest of the film one side is shown and the other constantly demonized.

If you like to view both sides of an argument avoid this rubbish.

Family Guy: I Take Thee, Quagmire (2006) Season 4, Episode 21

Subtle with some great TV and film references. And a must-see for Quagmire fans.

[9/10 · 28 April 2006]

As a huge fan of the series, this episode has to be my favorite. The first half of the episode is virtually reference after reference. The main story regarding Quagmire is only shown for a handful of seconds between the hilarious TV and movie references, with some great what-ifs. The final act is mainly about the Quagmire plot, which I still enjoyed.

I found the general feel of this episode to be more zany, crazy than the usual style and at the same time more subtle. Even though this method of humor is sometimes risky because of the way it can stretch characters in damaging ways (like in later seasons of the Simpons when Homer became more wacky and out of character), this episode still gave me huge laughs. Nonetheless, I am sure it will be quite hit or miss with the audience because of this style chosen. My comment does link in to the main plot for this episode, as Quagmire's character is stretched beyond what you might expect!

Distance (2001)

Slow paced and ultra realistic.

[9/10 · 22 March 2005]

This film explores the developing relationships between five individuals in their late twenties. The group is linked by being related to people who were part of a tragic suicide/terrorist cult in Japan.

I am a big fan of realism in cinema, and this one didn't disappoint. Most of the film is set deep in the forest. It follows the group as they pay their yearly respects to those lost in the suicide. After finding themselves stuck in the woods, they are forced to take refuge in a nearby hut which was previously inhabited by the cult members.

Much of the movie contains stunted and realistic dialog between the group, talking about the cult and touching on philosophy. Their is so much authenticity in the way they act that you feel as though you are part of the group, listening to the conversations.

There is some plot although I was a bit lost until I read other IMDb comments afterwards. I also felt it ran a bit long towards the end (around 150 minutes). But there are three elements in this film that made it enjoyable for me: it was focused on a small group of individuals, it was realistic, and it had great acting.