bttf-3 Reviews

Palm Royale (2024– )

Not sure who the audience force this show is?

[8/10 · 23 March 2024]

Having recently reread the 1980's iconic book "Class" by Paul Fussell, I'm probably looking at this series through a different perspective than most viewers. Upper class is very mysterious, uncomfortable, and boring to most people, whereas upper middle class is more visible, relatable, and fun, which makes it somewhat confusing to understand why Maxine, this middle or lower middle class character wants to get into Palm Beach high society and why her husband who rejected the Palm Beach society he grew up around is tolerating his wife's agenda which is pulling him back from a place literally and figuratively he willingly ran away from.

I only watched the first 3 episodes, but already I can see that she really doesn't understand what she is getting herself into and disappointment probably is just around the corner. But that might just be the fun part of this ride through the perplexing American social class structure of social climbing wannabes and gatekeepers.

"Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it."

Succession (2018–2023)

Why is there not a zero star option

[1/10 · 17 July 2023]

I make it a point to watch at least a few episodes of any multiple season show or a movie with a big pop culture buzz. Sometimes I find a gem, like The OC or CODA, both of which I recently discovered. Unfortunately, I find too many unwatchable shows with overuse of four letter words, violence, and sexual exploitation in place of skilled creative writing. There is an overabundance of this in the daily news; I expect a higher degree of sophistication in the arts. There is a growing trend to bash the rich to fulfill a political agenda or to make people who have not succeeded in their lives feel superior and better about themselves. People do not want to take responsibility for their socioeconomic status and default to blaming others or searching for someone lower financially or morally to compare themselves to; you are the sum total of all your previous decisions. If this show fulfills any need in your life, you need to get to work building a better one. The only socially redeeming value of this show is that it mirrors the worst depravity of our society. We and the entertainment industry can do better.

Moonlighting: Take My Wife, for Example (1989) Season 5, Episode 6

It wasn't the best of episodes or the worst

[5/10 · 26 March 2023]

Back on track with David and Maddie as the main characters, an actual case, and a murder for them to solve while they drift back into sexual tension.

One big error: you can't used defibrillation paddles over clothing or a bed sheet; with such incompetence, I don't know how the "barracuda" lawyer survived!

The fifth and final dying season was filmed with all the dysfunction on set and is far from the first and 2nd-3rd seasons which made Moonlighting a hit and out Bruce Willis on the Holly A-list. With all the gossip over the ensuing years of tension and infighting between the two main actors, as times not speaking to each other and requesting shooting as much as possible without both of them being present using body doubles, over the shoulder shots, and clever side by side framing and editing, it is historically interesting to see how well the scene with both Willis and Shepherd present played out convincingly better than expected.

The Undoing (2020)

Spoiler Alert - plot does not work for me.

[5/10 · 14 May 2021]

So many reviews posted all ready that I don't want to duplicate previous comments.

I just want to add that without Hugh Grant or a similar likable actor with a career full of lovable characters, the entire movie would not work. This was no mystery and very straight forward; what only holds it together it the viewer's desire for the murderer to not be Hugh Grant's character based on their previous emotional attachment to a vast body of his work where Grant always plays a likable and moral character. That's the only twist at the end and would only have worked with another similar actor like Tom Hanks. Does anyone not love Tom Hanks?

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Pure cinematic and aural joy

[10/10 · 17 November 2019]

Definitely one of the best race movies ever, but with a buddy-friendship story ode to Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby plot as well as little guys against the big establishment that any non-car guy could enjoy, so your wife will enjoy it too. My wife loved it, but she does drive a 429 hp AMG E53 cabriolet, so she's definitely an honorary car guy.

See it in a good theater with a full sized screen and top sound so you can experience the amazing race cinematography and feel the roaring engines in your chest.

Christian Bale gives one of his his best Oscar worthy career performance as Ken Miles, from a long list of career Oscar quality performances in movies like Vice, The Big Short, The Fighter, and American Hustle.

A must see future iconic movie right up there with James Garner's Grand Prix and Steve McQueen's LeMans.

Now, every time I get into my 2009 911 C4S, I want to wind it out in second gear to over 7000 rpm's just to hear the engine scream.

Olive Kitteridge (2014)

Less fun than Guantanamo.

[1/10 · 22 October 2015]

Why is the media so negative? In a typical day, I hear about death from car crashes, house fires, plane crashes, robberies, mine explosions, terrorist bombings, cancer, ALS, MS, CVAs, MIs, suicides, industrial accidents,, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, drownings, lightning, drug overdose, alcoholism....you get the picture. Do I really need to spend 4 hours watching a mini-series about dusfunctional depressing people in some remote town with no socially redeeming value? This town is worse than Cabot Cove where there was a murder every week for its 12 year run; it's a miracle there was anyone left to die in that dreadful little village. With the media scouring the world to tell me repeatedly each day the worst, most depressing news they can find, do I really have any room left in my brain for a a story combining all the possible bad things that can happen to everyone in its cast? Warning!!!! If you have experienced any tragedy in your life, are on anti-depressants, or are concerned about the daily inhumanity of man to man coming to you on a multimedia barrage, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. Strongly suggest a Hallmark production set in a beautiful location where two good looking people fall in love and drive an expensive flashy car.

Friends with Better Lives (2014)

Just a reflection of how bad TV has become

[1/10 · 28 May 2014]

With the rare exceptions of new good shows like "The Black List" and......like I said, rare exceptions, TV is getting dumber and dumber relying on the latest new word to get by the censors. A few years ago, a friend pointed out to me that "suck" had been showing up repeatedly more and more. For this show, it's "vagina" to the point of nausea even for a sex crazed teen-aged boy. It's a shame that a show with 6 fairly decent good looking actors has writers and producers that approve scripts with exploitative dialog instead of plot, character development, and any semblance of creativity. But what can you expect when the bar has been lowered to a basement level of competing with reality TV using "actors" with no acting talent or training and with stars like the Kardashians. Even B actors from the past must be rolling over in their graves.

Boynton Beach Club (2005)

so realistic that you swear you know these people and have driven down these streets

[8/10 · 15 July 2006]

A very enjoyable movie, although if you live in southeast Florida, you may be able to relate to these characters better. The one thing that really got to me was that you were observing characters whose best years were behind them, which were being portrayed by actors whose best years are also behind them, and who you remember thirty years ago. When you see the character portrayed by Dyan Cannon and you remember what Dyan Cannon looked like thirty years ago, you can relate to the character's life situation with even more sympathy and compassion; it's like you really knew what this this character was like many years ago when she was hot and vital and young.