cooblimey Reviews

Snoop Dogg's F*Cn Around Comedy Special (2022 TV Special)

Embarrassing

[2/10 · 20 June 2022]

I like Snoop and I even like the often divisive Kat Williams, but I turned this off after skipping the first fifteen minutes and getting to Williams' opening act. I say skipping the first fifteen minutes because it's just an embarrassing ego performance by Snoop who, I can only assume, was too high to concentrate on the laughs. The camera frequently cut to the audience guffawing at Snoop's one-liners, leaving me wondering what the joke was that I'd just missed. There's the odd bit of half-hearted rapping and sing-along but I just wasn't feeling it, and I don't think Snoop was either. I ended up skipping the remainder of the 'opening act', which was at least fifteen minutes long, to get to Kat Williams. "At last", I thought, "now for the comedy". Nah, not really. Kat was mildly amusing but those cuts to the audience members roaring with laughter must have been taken from a different part of the night. With the show now in full swing and me barely raising an eyebrow in amusement, I turned it off.

Are We There Yet? (2005)

Ice Cube at his lowest

[1/10 · 20 June 2022]

I came to this film late as it appeared on Netflix but clearly I didn't miss anything. The film is so bad I stopped watching after twenty minutes and contains Ice Cube's worst performance, playing predictable angry man, accompanied by further terrible performances from the supporting cast, not least from the saccharine kids. Don't even waste your time with this clichéd movie, it is utter trash.

Hard Cell (2022)

It's not just a silly comedy

[8/10 · 18 April 2022]

If there's one thing for certain, it's that Katherine Tate is one talented woman. As you are first introduced to, then continue to explore each character, you realise just how versatile Tate is. What starts off as a silly comedy quickly becomes an absorbing insight into some interesting characters, demonstrating Tate's dynamism and talent for both acting and writing. I quickly forgot that I was watching the same person when scenes flitted between Ange and Marco, for example. Some of the characters are extreme and more akin to her earlier work, Marco being one example (although he's probably my favourite comedic character), but others are more subtle and genuine. It's her portrayal of these characters I found most intriguing. All are played well by Tate and I'm really enjoying this series. It's worth more than the 6/10 IMDB currently has it at.

West Side Story (2021)

A Perfect Remake

[10/10 · 30 December 2021]

I was disappointed to find this is currently only rated at 7.9 on IMDb and I'm guessing this is a reflection of the younger user audience profile. The 5* reviews elsewhere are more realistic because this is a perfect remake of the wonderful original. From the opening sweeping shot you know Spielberg has put his heart and soul into this production, something he himself admitted he wanted to remake since he saw the original all those years ago. If you haven't seen the 1961 version, you'd be excused for thinking this WAS the original. The set design and lighting is convincingly 50s post-war New York and I spent the first half of the film trying to work out how he achieved such realism. The scenes in Maria's apartment, for example, not to mention the clearly depicted social context of immigration missing from the original, have such attention to detail that you feel you're sharing both the living space and the hardship of our Puerto Rican heroes during this gritty era... and all this before commenting on the acting and singing. Everyone's favourite, "America", is so lush with vibrancy and energy that, if you hadn't already fallen in love with this production, you will at this point. The marvel of this remake is how Spielberg manages to retain the essence of the original without rehashing it while subtly bringing to attention the social context of the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks. If you're a fan of the original, you'd be hard pushed to find criticism of this version. And if you've never seen the original, just sit back and appreciate Spielberg's genius interpretation. Remaking a near-perfect musical seems daft, but he convinces us it was worth it. Magical.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The Best MCU film to date?

[10/10 · 30 December 2021]

I enjoy Marvel films but I'm no fan-boy, finding many of them entertaining but a little two-dimensional. Not so Spiderman: NWH. This trumps them all with an emotional roller-coaster that explores the characters so you're thoroughly invested in them. I was surprised to find a tear in my eye towards the end, so if you view Marvel films with a little cynicism, this extravaganza might surprise you. It's certainly the best Marvel adaptation to date. Yes, better than Endgame IMO.

Z Nation (2014–2018)

A Fun Romp

[7/10 · 4 September 2021]

There are many reasons not to watch this show. The predictable script gives the actors little to work with, which can make the story obvious and the acting quite two-dimensional in places. There's a lot of frustrating scenes in which the characters hang around staring into space, pausing for effect and forgetting the sense of urgency that should accompany running from zombies. This might be about apocalyptic zombies but I still want to believe it's real, something that The Walking Dead accomplishes and this misses. Still, it's called a comedy drama so in this respect it scores well.

All that said, the general pace is fast and there's enough going on to maintain interest with plenty of fun characters. Lots of zombie-bashing to satisfy the gore-hungry viewer, even if it's accompanied by a script full of clichés and tropes. If you just want action and gore with some light-hearted relief, it's a good romp. It's not trying to be anything more than this so if this is your thing, you'll be entertained.

The strongest storyline is the NSA Northern Lights outpost, which sees some great solo performances by DJ Qualls. I'm only half way through the second series so I don't know how his story plays out but I'm wanting to see more of him.

The fact I've stuck with this show means it's doing it's job.

People Just Do Nothing (2014–2018)

Very English, very funny and brilliantly observed

[10/10 · 21 July 2014]

At first glance this is another British mockumentary in the same vein as The Office. Pathetic characters in normal situations that are familiar yet far-fetched. We laugh at these people with a 'there but for the grace of god' sigh of relief. And yet there's something very real about the characters we meet in this comedy. Even if you don't live in a council tower block you either know people like this or know that people like this exist. The ambitions and eventual failure in achieving them by these sorry losers is very real. They're decent, (fairly) honest people caught in a trap and you're really cheering for them, but if they came up trumps it wouldn't be funny. The comedy is in their failure.

Like many people of my generation who were aspiring DJs, spending countless nights on the decks with their mates getting stoned, there's so much in this that rings true, and these relatively unknown actors do a superb job in making it all feel so real. We laugh with them, we laugh at them, then we come away feeling really bad for them, and it's this subtle fine-line that makes this new comedy really stand out.

Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Complete Tosh Littered With Clichéd Characters

[2/10 · 25 August 2013]

I've tried watching this three times now and I still can't get beyond the pilot. I guess I'm just not the target audience because I found it purile high-school tosh. Off the top of my head things that annoyed me in the first 20 minutes:

• unnecessary references to god and Christianity - stereotyped black homeboy who, surprise surprise, raps - plastic Barbie-doll girls being bitchy - the assumption that 'everyone likes football' - an entire town that only ever seems to talk about football tactics, including the mayor, business men, girlfriends...

This is not 'real life drama' as one reviewer puts it. This simply panders to the fantasies of a testosterone-fuelled 14 year old boy. If this really is what a small town is like in America, then I feel sorry for you. This was painful to watch.

The Signal (2007)

Original, refreshing and horrific

[8/10 · 16 March 2012]

It's so refreshing to watch a horror film that isn't full of clichés. I don't know anything about the directors or the actors (most of them don't have profile backgrounds on IMDb) but I'm guessing the undeserved but current 6.1 rating of this film is due in part to people's expectations of the usual slasher movie with pretty girls. If you want that, don't watch this. Yes it has pretty girls, and yes there's quite a bit of slashing too, but this is incomparable to the Hollywood blockbuster clichés.

Performances by all cast was solid and believable. The sense of urgency and desperation comes across really well and I was hooked from the word go. When I get a sick feeling in my stomach from the apocalyptic nightmare of a film then I know it has done its job. The Signal achieves this without effort.

I also like that this was in three parts, each directed by someone different. This does not detract from the flow of the film though, it stitches together really well so credit has to go to David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry.

The Yards (2000)

Great, moody, dark slow-burner with excellent performances all round

[7/10 · 11 June 2011]

I've just read someone else's review of this film that claims there are too many subplots, that it is too melodramatic and that there is so much going on the reviewer ended up not caring what happened.

This could not be further from the truth. There are only a couple of subplots, and they are very basic, easy-to-understand concepts that do not get in the way of the main theme.

I would also contest that this is a 'romance'. Whilst this is one of the subplots, putting it under 'romance' as one of the main genres is mildly misleading.

The performances from all central actors are excellent. As my title suggests this is a slow-burner but Walburg puts in a great performance and I DID care what happened to him in the end.

Oh, and listen out for the soundtrack. It really is quite striking.

Casino Royale (2006)

The Best Bond Film Bar None

[10/10 · 20 November 2006]

I read all the Bond books when I was 10 so whilst I'm no Bond expert I could consider myself at an advantage in commenting on how well this film sticks to the character that Flemming wanted to portray.

If I start by saying that I saw this film twice in 24 hours at the cinema then I hope that I set up my review quite obviously: this Bond film is simply the best in terms of sticking to the gritty, misogynistic gambler that is James Bond.

Finally after years of pap and miscast leads they really have hit the nail on the head with this one. What they should do now is remake all the Bond books, in order, with Daniel Craig as the lead for every single film.

Wild Style (1982)

The ultimate docu-rama on the hip hop phenomenon

[10/10 · 24 November 2005]

Featuring some of the biggest names in hip hop, Wildstyle is the seminal docu-rama on this lifestlye. B-boys and b-girls, graf artists, DJs, MCs and larger than life characters are feature in this flick that is, ultimately, a real-life documentary on the early movers and shakers of the hip hop movement.

Anyone who listens to rap, wears fat laces, loves the 'old-skool' look, spins bits of plastic on two (or more) turntables, or is just curious about hip hop should have watched this film at least five times! A to the K? What acting there is in this film is weak, but it's made up for by appearances from Grandmaster Flash, Double Trouble, Crazy Legs and gang, as well as a whole host of graf artists including Lady Pink and Lee. There is a loose plot-line but you soon realise that this isn't really important to what is captured on film. What is captured is the vitality and energy that is hip hop and no other film (including Beat Street and Style Wars) comes close.