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American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (2024)
Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
Essentially, this a documentary about a proposed huge global conspiracy tied the murder of a journalist in 1991. So many claims of connections to highest forms of government, including: covert missions of the CIA, connections to US Presidents, black ops murders of US Citizens, and a Native American reservation in California where secret activities took place. There are enough claims to make your head pin, but I found ZERO payoff. It even ends with a source calling on the phone to have crucial information for the documentarians--they must go meet him about. Whatever it was to occur disappears as the film fades to black. It left me asking was this like the National Treasure of conspiracy theories, but with no payoff?
This series even has the most clichéd tropes: source asking to "turn off the camera," "wow" moments about evidence that are underwhelming, and just ending without legit evidence tying it altogether. We cannot live in a conspiracy society, we should demand evidence over theories.
I recommend all viewers to be skeptical of conspiracy theories, especially, if it comes from Netflix. Theories are NOT facts. Skip this this please.
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Disappointing, boring, and under-developed
To keep it simple it's not good. The character of Tony Soprano is a minor character and isn't developed. The movie takes a while to focus on Dickie Molisanti, and with a short 2 hour runtime it's run out of movie. The movie is cursed in a way, because fans will want new, good Sopranos memories they're not there. Sure, it's free if you have HBO Max, but I found it mostly boring. The content begs for a mini-series, but it's not what they gave. Lastly, the famous Soprano theme song, "Woke up This Morning" by Alabama 3, plays at the end to rub salt in your wound, because you realize there will never be another episode. 5/10.
Lady Rider (2017)
Totally Imcompetent and thinks its audience is stupid *SPOILERS*
SPOILERS
Turf War aka Lady Rider is a cop drama about biker gangs...No it isn't. Its about bikers versus drug dealers...no it isn't. Its about cop investigating corrupt cops...no it isn't. Its about female motorcycle rider murdering criminals...no it isn't. It has pieces of all of these things, but do to many constraints its all over the place.
First of all, this does NOT star Fat Joe. It looks like they had him for a day (5 minutes in the movie), and use a look-a-like /stand in until they write his character out. Not that Fat Joe is a serious draw, but calling him the "star" is a metaphor for the fraud that is this movie. When you're young to film-making, director imitate scenes or shots...they whole movie is an imitation.
Actors seem to improv their lines, which fails terribly here as actors sound flat or robotic. The director, Alex Maisonette, also cast himself as the lead .Its like some sort of vanity fantasy as he is also not a good actor (having your actors improv shows you aren't good at directing either). For some reason, Alex's character needs to remind us several times he was shot 15 years ago. Its like the script didn't know what he should say or so little was written down. Even other characters remind him he was shot 15 years ago. I guess I'm missing the point, how many years ago was he shot?
The movie also has little annoyances. The CGI blood is so obviously pixelated, and the gun sound effects are either stock or cartoony. The muzzle flashes look like they were used from a PlayStation One era video game. One of the bikers has 80% of dialogue be the F-word, but without the charm its just repetitive. The TV Reporter is part of a show called "News News Today." Its either a mistake meant to be New News or is a reminder that the movie itself is repetitive. How many years ago was the main character shot?
The final insult is that its "to be continued" (like a TV serial) in the sequel, "Checkmate."
The Incubus (2010)
Terrible! Two Astro-Turfing Reviews?
The acting is terribly flat in this rip-off of Twlight. Welcome to Forks...error Spoon River. Oh wait he's not a vampire, but he sucks life energy. She's not in high school, she's in college...but the popular girls and other idiots act like there in high school. Also there is a music video for some reason. Also, also its a vanity project directed, written, song by, and starring. Its not quite good bad. The 8/10's are definitely astro-turfing.
Gangs of New York (2002)
If only this movie knew what it wanted to be
Scorsese is sometimes called "America's Great Director." It's just too bad that his past few films really have been misses instead of hits. Much like "Bringing Out the Dead" "Gangs in New York" is misguided. The story is set around a war between the natives (people born in America) and the Irish who have just come off the boat. They battle for control of 5 points. But what for? I never really got an answer other than respect or control over an area. Well, then why not make this film in 1980's and make them punk gangs. Because there are too many issues introduced from a historical standpoint that smokescreen the point of the film.
You can tell by the first battle scene that something is very wrong with this movie. Both groups have swords and clubs like some medieval battle, but the first couple of people who are cut down no blood is shown. Why not? It is an R rated film. Infact for all of the people killed the blood should have soaked the ground. The blood against the snow would have been a good idea, but it is shown as barely a pink color. Some films are great with an opening battle scene: Braveheart, Gladiator, and Saving Private Ryan. This one is very uneventful other than to set out the main character's revenge trail.
The film is set against the draft of the Civil War, slavery, immigration problems and all the things New Yorkers had to deal with during the Civil War. Basically too many issues to have for one movie, at least not a 3 hour movie-- more like a 5 hour. So already the film is full with those issues, now, throw in a revenge and love story. Is that too much? How about a riot with Union Soldiers interrupting the final battle scene? How about an election for public office? Oh what's this movie about again? Who knows. I spent some time after seeing it and wondered if this was some project that was forced to be made because of all the post-production put into it. It was shot almost 2 years ago. This movie reminds us that if something sits on the shelf too long that should have been forgotten.
My advice to anyone planning to spend the money on watching this film is to go to a library and read up on early American History, perhaps then you will be able to make more sense than this film did. There are too many issues to pay attention to and it distracts from what could have been a great movie. Better luck next Scorsese.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
I needed an ending, M'kay
Alright here is my breakdown. I watch the entire film hypnotized by the great acting by Lemmon, Pacino and Harris. My mouth dropped when I saw the subway and then the credits. I am thinking-- what a drop off ending. Why do movies do this? I have been to plays and a resolution has been resolved. A movie if is it to be a good one must have a resolution immediately following the climax. GGGR does not, why? It would have been so fulfilling after sitting and enjoying a 100 minutes of heated emotional tension and end it without knowing what happens. It is another sign of "Hey how do you end this?" Well, you have Jack's character go to jail or cut a deal and you have the rest of the crew make some type of decision based on the robbery. It is not a good one but it is an ending. Pleasantville also did not know how to end and I sure hope that these writers or directors figure this out or they will lose out those "summer dollars."