This show is a tragedy disguised as a comedy. Lots of swearing, nut punching, more swearing, dancing, corny jokes (the point of which is to be corny.) Not one original or fresh idea in the whole show. It plays like an old time minstrel show, where white men donned black-face to make fun of black people. I can't imagine who commissioned this tragedy. As you watch it you can see Jonah's future unfold; pregnant girlfriends, multiple children growing up like him, a series of minimum wage jobs, punctuated by long periods of unemployment and jail time. Later there will substance abuse leading to addiction and homelessness and the last act will be when he is murdered or dies at 44. Not much of a comedy in that is there? The fact that people find this funny is another disturbing aspect of show. I hope it gets canceled as soon as possible. We have enough people like "Jonas" in the world already and I fear this moron will become a popular part of popular culture, like the knock-out game and similar b.s. that mass media disseminates over the airwaves. To sum up, kill it before it spreads.
Reviews
10 Reviews
Hinterland
(2013–2016)
worst bbc production in a long time
5 May 2014
Yes it is Wales and they have all the great touristy shots. The sound track is great. The cinematography superb. The actors moody. But this show really sucks behind all the sheen. It feels like someone in the BBC had to "do something" for Wales and this dog's breakfast is it. A 90 minute script for a 22 minute drama? Absolutely no character development other than on the nose comments. I am a huge fan of so many BBC productions and therefore wanted to like this, but it is ridiculous that so much money was spent on such a poor show. If the BBC has to make regional drama under an unknown mandate, please take the time to get a good script. I'm sure that if the writer has to be regional and cannot write there must be someone in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast or even Dublin that will ghost fix it for the money and pass on the credit.
Rage
(2014)
nick cage reaches new low
25 April 2014
Nick Cage has made some good movies, some mediocre movies and some bad movies; Tokarev is the worst. A trite, improbable plot, terrible directing, awful music and inane car chases. I kept hoping it would get better, but though hope may spring eternal, this film dashed all hope. At the end, I presume this was some sort of money laundering exercise for a criminal gang. You know, take a dog's breakfast of a script, use a major star,pay cash everywhere and sell the rights for clean money.
There is nothing to recommend this film. All the acting is sub-par. Not once is there an ounce of emotion created that would reach the audience. To the criminals who made this film I say, okay wash the money, but find a better film. It may be a crime to laundry money, but the real crime is making such a bad film
There is nothing to recommend this film. All the acting is sub-par. Not once is there an ounce of emotion created that would reach the audience. To the criminals who made this film I say, okay wash the money, but find a better film. It may be a crime to laundry money, but the real crime is making such a bad film
Undeniable
(2014)
Not up to snuff
15 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Undeniable is a two parter that was made for some reason other than the amusement of the public. It had a great cast ---except for the heroine's husband--- but overall covered too much familiar ground; the retiring cop trying to solve that pesky case after 20 years and risking her pension (sigh,) the husband and father whom are tired of the heroine's histrionic behaviour, the perp's outraged daughter who finally sees the light and the perp's struggle to run when faced with exposure. If anything this should have been done as a bad low budget movie and not a two part mini broadcast in prime time paid out of lottery and license fees Writing this review it dawned on me that this might be a case of giving someone a backhander; otherwise why would something that is this bad, cliché filled, ever get into production? BBC turns out so much good drama... Luther, Endeavour, Jonathan Creek, etc.etc., that there must be some skullduggery behind the commissioning of this. Bet there is a tale of intrigue, blackmail, money laundering, perhaps even death and infidelity involved in getting this dog greenlit. There's a mini series here.....But I digress, been around too long and see so often why crap is produced and it never has anything to do with art. Must say though always a pleasure to see the beautiful and talented Pippa Haywood in anything. Her range and skill are amazing, though I'm not, and have never been, a monarchist (in the interest of integrity, I may have considered kingship in my per-adolescent youth) but would think it timely to award Ms. Haywood a "dameship"(?)
Salting the Battlefield
(2014 TV Movie)
international cast, exotic locales, big production values
27 March 2014
international cast, exotic locales, big production values can never hide a poor story hiding behind this 3 parter. I was extremely disappointed by the moody staring between protagonists that never moved the story forward. Over and over again, I kept thinking, 'okay sociopaths run governments, but I've seen this over and over again ---and sociopaths employing psychopaths still run governments.
There was never an edge with this series; never a wake-up call. Was the point most people are whores and sellouts at the end? Or was it to give up and take what you get from public officialdom? The UK puts out superior drama to America, but the money spent on cast, locations, production values, I've come to expect more than this lame half baked story. I wasn't prepared for the Bourne Conspiracy extra-lite, but I guess that is what I got, despite expectations. BBC should send all writers, the director and producers into exile to the Sudan for two years making documentaries, such they can learn not to waste so much public money on inferior television
There was never an edge with this series; never a wake-up call. Was the point most people are whores and sellouts at the end? Or was it to give up and take what you get from public officialdom? The UK puts out superior drama to America, but the money spent on cast, locations, production values, I've come to expect more than this lame half baked story. I wasn't prepared for the Bourne Conspiracy extra-lite, but I guess that is what I got, despite expectations. BBC should send all writers, the director and producers into exile to the Sudan for two years making documentaries, such they can learn not to waste so much public money on inferior television
Sirens
(2014–2015)
Can't hold a candle to the UK original version
14 March 2014
Just another jive talking, hip American sit-com, with hackneyed dialog and bad acting. The British version of this show was deep and funny, while the relationships here between characters could be moved to a newsroom, a radio station, a retail store, a sports team, a bar, etc. That is there is nothing new and fresh here. The imaginary series "Pucks" makes fun of this process where American television sees a great foreign show and then puts it through the American process that takes no chances and tries to become all things for all people by adding crude and dumb sexual references and cutout characters. The pity is when America came knocking after the 1st season in the UK, the producers immediately sold the rights and couldn't add a season two. The only thing that would make it worse is Steve Carrel.
Bonnie & Clyde
(2013)
The Nadir of Prime Time Television
8 December 2013
Has there ever been a show as bad as this? The writing, the acting, the music, the cinematography, set dressing and everything else, show the state of the art and that is decline. This is a make work project with no sparkle whatsoever; little better than a film school effort from a grade B- film school. Do not waste your time on this, well actually watch it as an example of the tired state of TV. Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc. show what can be done....then there are the shows like Elementary, Sleepy Hollow etc. that hide behind good acting and great effects despite being mindless shows, but this dog's breakfast is the worst. When you see what Europe produces with Spiral, Luther etc. what do we offer? I'm shocked that this was produced and can only imagine the cobbling together of pre-sales and tax rebates were the focus of the producers as the script, casting and production certainly weren't. this is the ultimate in cheesy and the new benchmark for bad. Watch it for that and that alone.
Ray Donovan
(2013–2020)
Mike Hammer goes west
3 July 2013
Mike Hammer helped the poor and down trodden. Ray Donovan helps the rich and powerful. Mike Hammer was all tongue in cheek. Ray Donovan plays it straight and it doesn't work. This show has an impressive cast, great sets, stereotypical characters, cookie-cutter plots and subplots--- and there are a lot of them, all of which are telegraphed to the audience with no subtlety whatsoever. I liked Ann Biderman's Southland a lot and looked forward to this, but am disappointed to say the least. There is never a point where anything that would intrigue or challenge the audience is brought to bear. If you like to watch the Freeway, PCH, rich and powerful, petty, anxious people, like mindless sex and violence you'll like this show. If you want something to get your teeth into, characters that are deep, plots that can't be seen in advance give this a pass and watch some Stacey Keach in Mike Hammer; at least there's humor in that show that makes up for all the same problems that Ray Donovan exhibits.
House of Cards
(2013–2018)
Pithy Dialogue doesn't mask flaws
2 February 2013
House of cards takes us through territory covered by "Casino Jack," "Bullworth," "The Contender" " K Street" and many more. A top notch cast and great dialog doesn't bring enough to the table to make this a stellar production. Kevin Spacey's asides are too frequent and add nothing to the story or his character. It is a cheap ploy used to tell us rather than show us. I recognize the "asides" were integral to the BBC series of the same name, but somehow it worked there, here it is a distraction. Speaking of distractions, the original music is atrocious. Of late composers seem to put their score front and center in film and TV; music is supposed to compliment scenes, not overshadow them to such an extent as to drown them. Max Steiner and others, composed powerful musical scores, but no matter how big and loud, they never did anything but enhance a scene. The score of "House of Cards" is continuously in your ears; a score should be felt, not heard. All that being said, I do like watching Spacey and Robin Wright act; they are two of the best we have in film today.
The Young Americans
(1993)
another film ruined by the music
9 December 2012
Somehow it seems music directors have a free hand. Over and over I see films and television shows where the music is wrong and being wrong dominates the show. I bought west wing and couldn't watch it as the music was over the top. Sopranos, deadwood starred actors. But lately music seems to rule and often does not fit directors seem to rule. Have they not listened to Max Steiner? He worked with the nuances of the picture. Of late it seems this is grandstanding, showing your chops... want to be a director? Find a script. But goodness gracious stop making the film a vehicle for your score. Watch "White Heat" the music is perfect. It is there in spades, but you don't hear it, you feel it.
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