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Reviews
Still Standing (2015)
I really, really, really wanted to love it.
I love Canada, I am fascinated by the small towns and communities, and Jonny isn't too bad either, however, I just finished the first season and I don't think there was a single episode which didn't include some kind of animal cruelty. Trappers, hunters, fishing, rodeos, there's just not a single episode where I can enjoy the towns and the people and not see, or at least hear tell of some kind of animal being killed or abused. I kept watching and hoping that it would get better, but it never did. I wanted to watch this as a feel good escape and I always came away feeling horrible. There won't be a season two for me.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Kind of garbage.
I went to school for philosophy and concentrated in epistemology, so when a few years later The Matrix was released, I kicked myself for not writing it myself. It was Descartes' "brain in a vat", and very little more. But I loved it. This iteration really brings nothing of meaning other than a tired retread of the current situation where Republicans are happy to accept whatever reality is presented to them without questioning if it's real or even passes the sniff test of a brain damaged adolescent. "Reality" has become a "choose your own adventure" children's book for a significant portion of our electorate, and this movie points that out. But who doesn't know that already?
The original added something to most people's universe, this one just repeats common, overly trodden themes.
I like Keanu ("the wall") not only because he's Canadian and a goalie (if he doesn't play in a beer league, he's missing out), but because he's apparently sane, intelligent, and generous, so I hope he got a huge payday. I hope he donates some of it to some wildlife rehabbers which are always WELL at the bottom of the heap in terms of donations, but due to global warming, are actually more towards the top in need.
Goon: Last of the Enforcers (2017)
So clichéd I thought it was a dream sequence...
Honestly, I thought the first 10-15 minutes would resolve back to the gritty, funny "real life" of the original, but it never did. It was boring and overplayed. I love hockey movies, even if they're bad, which I why I bought this one before seeing it, but I wouldn't have if I saw it first. It nearly ranks right up there with the Slapshot sequels.
The first one was kind of original and authentic, and it had good music, but the second one had none of that. But at least people skated better.
It's worth a watch if you're out of good movies to see. The fact that it's only gotten 22 reviews at this point kind of speaks volumes. If you're not into hockey, it really wasn't worth the time to see, or even more so to review.
For me, I guess it was, more or less, worth it to see the Hawn/Russell kid. I always wondered what he'd be like. The lavishness of his silver spoon upbringing was somewhat legendary in the hockey community, so I wondered if it had ruined him or if he rose above it (given that hockey often puts people in their place for their own good). I still don't know. At least his skating looked normal.
The Box (2009)
Surprisingly sophisticated
Well, I guess "deathlord_metal" summed up many of the reviews on this film, "You might read comment by other viewers that make a case of the film being either mind-numbingly horrible or so intelligent that only an accomplished philosopher might begin to grasp its meaning...".
People dump all over this movie but, for me, it's probably the most meaningful and sophisticated movie I've seen in some time - which isn't necessarily saying much.
I've got a couple degrees in philosophy and design computer systems for a living, so seeing how things fit together and figuring out the big picture is kind of where I find my enjoyment, and in a world now obsessed with questions only of, "How does it benefit me within in the (very limited) foreseeable future," it was really nice to see a flick about broader systems theory, social contract theory, empathy, wisdom, mathematics, and a generally broader picture of the future of mankind where the little lives of you an me are both tremendously important and ridiculously insignificant.
There were a few little pieces in this flick that didn't make much sense, like the water columns or the Mars thing, but I really liked that too, like old Twilight Zone episodes (or only knows how many works of literature) which contained points which were almost intentionally vague or confusing, so as to illustrate the point that not everything is completely within the grasp of everyone, that no man sees the entire picture. It required humility of understanding in a world which now assumes no vagaries at all.
I mean, this might as well have been about people who own stocks or mutual funds and scream bloody murder if those instruments don't produce at the highest profit margins every quarter, but then also scream bloody murder when the companies which employ them work them into the ground or fire them as a cost savings measure in order to temporarily increase the value of the stock so as to meet or exceed quarterly projections on the street. When you ignore the implications of your actions on other people, and those other people do similarly, nearly everyone looses (except for a small percentage, and the fact that in our society the top 1% of the pop controls, literally, more wealth than the bottom 95% combined kind of is a further demonstration of that fact). Game theory, anyone?
The ways in which people destroy society, and thereby their own lives, are myriad. This little flick points a bit of that out in cinematic fashion for those who are willing to be entertained by a reflective story instead of sensational plot points, car chases, and special effects. In a word, I guess you could call this flick ouroboros, or Buddhist, your choice.