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Reviews
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
OMG So Much Teen Drama
Just another story of teen angst set in high school.
This is a well-trod trope that needs lots of drama to stand out and be noticed. It struggles and thrashes about but doesn't really tell us anything new.
Kids can be cruel, check. First love is scary, check. Bad things happen to good people for no good reason, check and check again. And most importantly you can get by with a little help from your friends.
This movie does well hovering about the surface without ever delving in or telling us anything new.
Emma Watson is delightfully strong yet vulnerable. She is the girl every straight guy wishes he had been friends with in high school.
Paul Rudd gives a solid performance of that cool English teacher who impresses and encourages you without making it look like he's trying too hard.
This story of teen angst centers around Charlie, a shy, nervous, sensitive fifteen year old freshman who has had some traumas but is anxious to fit in and find his niche in the politics of high school.
Heathers did teen angst best. The Perks of being a Wallflower is a more vanilla approach that never really lands and punches but is a mildly pleasant trip down memory lane.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Six stars.
Man on the Moon (1999)
Movie about an unfunny, rude Dude
So this movie is two hours about an unfunny, rude Dude.
Somehow we are supposed to believe that Andy Kauffman/Tony Clifton was a misunderstood comic genius.
In reality AK/TC was not funny. He was a rude Dude.
His career highlights included getting punched in the face by a mouth-breathing wrestler; and lip synching to children's records.
He was a genius in never underestimating the foolishness of the American public.
We are willing to spend hours on our couches watching fatuous simpletons moan and quarrel over pure nonsense. So AK/TC was ahead of his time.
Dude acted like a jerk? No, Dude was not acting. He was a jerk.
Milos presents us with a well told story of an unpleasant man. Why did he make this move? And why did I bother watching it? I dunno. It was a waste of time.
Chad (2021)
Bizarrely Hilarious!
A good-looking, thirty- something Iranian lady plays an angst-ridden teen boy trying to bridge two cultures, deal with his parents divorce and learn to fit in with his peers. This is an ambitious concept that really worked for me. I see many negative reviews that question a lady playing a boy. Umm, that's what's known as acting! Nassim is believable as Chad. And Chad's ineptness and awkwardness in trying to fit in reminds me of myself. So many shows portray teens as sophisticated mini-adults with grownup tastes, vocabulary and habits. Chad has the ring of authenticity for me. A kid acting like a kid. I also enjoyed the concept of Chad being Iranian since we don't often see Persian culture portrayed on sitcom tv. The cliff hanger at the end of season two had me anxiously looking forward to the season three opener. And then they cancelled Chad the day before it was set to air! I was so disappointed. I really enjoyed the show.
The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937)
Confused
Why did they mix the storyline and characters from two very good Bret Harte stories:1) The Outcasts of Poker Flat and 2) The Luck of Roaring Camp? It's confusing and makes this movie suck.
Station 19 (2018)
I love to hate it
Modern day PC babble with many unlikeable characters portrayed in unusual situations while multiple cameras whirl and pivot making me feel like puking in my hat. I love to hate this show.
Cribs (2000)
Iconic show glimpsing the personal domains of wealthy entertainers
This is an iconic show that gives viewers a glimpse into the personal domain of famous entertainers. We've all heard about maps to the homes of the stars where you can look at the outside of the security gate of your favorite stars. MTV walks you in through the front door whilst well known entertainers give you the tour of their cribs. Rappers always have "Scarface" playing on their big screen tv. And oftentimes our stars open their fridges to reveal their favorite refrigerated nosh. This show is a true star voyeur's delight. Peeking at a private Xanadu is delightful cause my crib is a utilitarian 70s vet shack that ain't impressing anyone. Is it wrong to marvel and nod approvingly at the sybaritic excesses of our favorite stars? Flip the channel if your Puritan values could be offended. Stay tuned if your ready for a good time.
Easy Rider: The Ride Back (2012)
Why?
Who thought Easy Rider needed a sequel? Spoiler-the main characters in the original all died which means there wasn't gonna be no sequel. Why?
Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
Sloppy Mess
A sloppy mess ping ponging from Trump to Obama to guns, to underpaid teachers in West Virginia to a Nazi rally with Trump's voice dubbed as Hitler spoke. Not very subtle. And the film concludes that the American Democracy is hopelessly flawed and must be summarily discarded. And replaced with what? No solution is proposed. Provocative mishmash that amounted to just a lot of noise.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Remake cannot stand on its own and Pales when compared to the original
Stilted acting and weak dialogue. Story and pacing is uneven. This is a terrible remake. Watch the original.
Song of the South (1946)
Heartwarming family classic
This is a heartwarming family classic movie combining animation with live action. Uncle Remus is a wise old story teller who enthralls the children on his southern plantation with tales about Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear. Remus is kindly and wise and he helps the children learn to live peacefully with the mean kids next door and tries to help them keep a cute puppy. I recalled seeing this movie on tv as a youth. Since then I learned of its controversial nature which naturally made me anxious to see it again. I watched it last night through a text link to Disney's New streaming service. Even as a middle-aged person I found the movie to be heartwarming and cute like a puppy. You should be forewarned that the movie portrays happy black characters living on a white run southern plantation during the Jim Crow era. Furthermore, the black characters speak the same southern patois featured in Gone with the Wind, Tom Sawyer, and Huckleberry Finn. There is no profanity, and characters address one another by name and not by derogatory terms. Song of the South should be safe for children. The movie presents an opportunity for adults to discuss with children reconstruction of the south after America's Civil War and the Jim Crow era that followed. This is a fun film appropriate for the entire family and by the time it's over you'll be whistling Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
Charismatic, Happy Horse Crap
I thought I'd learn about this charismatic motivational speaker known far and wide. This is just a super long infomercial. How is this a documentary when there is no critical analysis of this powerful speaker. I was entertained, but didn't really learn much of anything.
Bully. Coward. Victim: The Story of Roy Cohn (2019)
Lopsided polemic attacking Roy Cohen and arguing inaccurately that Communist traitors Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were innocent
I saw there was something about Roy Cohn so I record this show because he's an interesting figure in American history. But as I was watching, I wasn't learning anything about Roy Cohen but instead I was hearing how Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were not guilty. But the Rosenbergs were definitely guilty. There's just no doubt about it. So what was I watching? And then I figured out that the Rosenberg's granddaughter produce this lopsided polemic. I learned next to nothing about Roy Cohn that I didn't already know and I had to listen to a bunch of misinformation about how the Rosenbergs were innocent when they're actually totally guilty. Only Rosenbergs or people sympathetic to the Rosenbergs will enjoy this show. Everyone else will give it one star.
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)
Fast Cars and Cheating Death
This is a great car chase movie. Plenty of high speed and crazy, death defying moves. The story line is hard to follow so don't bother to try just kick back and enjoy the ride. My favorite character is Captain Franklin played by Vic Morrow. He is the unconventional cop who is willing to risk it all to catch the bad guys. If you like this movie you might also enjoy Bullitt another flick that features a story line that is hard to follow (so fuggedabout it) and some excellent car chase scenes. If you are looking for a deeper message then look somewhere else. If you want to enjoy watching cars hurl around rural central California in the mid-70s then this flick is a must see. You can catch it on TV at least once a month. This movie is a solid 7.