Reviews

This is a show I really wanted to love. I'd heard good things about it from a few critics I respect (The Ringer's Chris & Andy from The Watch) but man this is a turkey. The interview bits feel like the characters are just spitting out cliches, and so many of the events are set up like "this was the moment that changed everything". Ugh. After seeing something as transcendent as Almost Famous, it's hard to watch this. But it didn't need to reach those highs for me to keep watching, It could have just been ok, and I'd watch, because I love movies and shows about rock & roll. But it's sub-ok.

None of the rock people feel particularly rough, cool, dangerous, or interesting. It's like a Hallmark version of Behind The Music. The acting is soap opera-ish, the look is artificially glossy, and the writing is so predictable you can guess the next line 50% of the time. I really don't like writing negative reviews, but this was super disappointing. Even the name "Daisy Jones and The Six" is uninspired. Like something a 7th grader would scribble in their diary and move on from in a second.

But I know that smart, talented people worked really hard making this, and I don't wanna poop in anyone's slippers. Maybe it is a show for seventh graders? I should probably delete everything above and just write "Not my cup of tea, your mileage may vary". I just hate to see you waste the gas.

Paul Thomas Anderson is now so confident as a filmmaker that he no longer has anything to prove. At least in this film. So fun, so honest, so awkward, so real. I loved every minute of this movie and didn't want it to end.

Simply the best show on TV in 2021. So wise, so chill, so lovely, so scary, so hopeful. Can't remember the last time I saw a show this good. HBO has outdone themselves again. Streamers, beware: the king is still reigning and is showing no signs of slowing.

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant were at the height of their movie star powers, and the supporting cast is eccentric and wonderful. Hue Grant's awkwardness and Julia Roberts's effortless charisma allow for great tension and great chemistry. And one of the all-time classic endings.

This likable family movie had some laughs for both kids and adults. Some great 1980s pop culture nods and plenty of great Chicago references. Little bit salty, little bit sweet. Will definitely find a place in the seasonal Christmas movie rotation.

I'm a massive fan of the original Ghostbusters-an all-time classic. So I was really excited to hear that Ivan Reitman's son was directing this, thinking it would have much of the same DNA that the first film had, but updated for a new generation. Instead, we got a slow, bland, backwards-looking nostalgia machine that had none of the rebellious or snarky spirit of the first film. I am a fan of all the actors of this film but no one, save maybe the main girl, rises above the material here. A total head scratcher. Even for die-hard fans, don't waste your time.

I'm enjoying the hell out of this series and look forward every week to when a new episode drops. Comedic actors are often known for doing great dramatic turns, and Farrel and Rudd deliver. And to those amateur critics who say the accents are bad or the acting is cliched, all I can say is that I have known people who talk like these guys, and even have the same deliberate and overly polite pacing and style of speech.

Aside from the bad takes by internet reviewers, my thoughts on the show are that this is cringe TV at its finest. I'm watching between the fingers covering my face. It's a slow motion train crash I can't look away from. A modern tragedy played out in bad 70's and 80's style.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Great writing, great acting, beautiful craft, everything you could want from premium TV. An instant hall of famer.

To the people who might be reading these IMDB reviews before deciding whether or not to watch Devs, ignore the haters. It's a fascinating show that's both haunting and thought provoking.

I've heard many stories about the rampant, ugly sexism in the predominantly white, male world of sci-fi fandom. The way they savaged the female actresses in the recent Star Wars movies comes to mind. But I never witnessed it first hand-only second hand in articles or posts commenting about the phenomenon. Then I read these reviews. Good lord this stuff is rich. Review after review ragging on the lead actress as being untalented, monotone, boring. It's so predictable it's stupid. When a female character doesn't look or act like Princess Leia or Lara Croft, or Seven Of Nine, sci-if nerds turn on them. Why? Who knows. All I can say is that in this case, at least, it's both predictable and baseless. Sonoya Mizuno is not only not a bad actress, she does a fine job in this series and is one of the reasons to watch it. She's far from a conventional heroine, but to me that's a good thing. Aren't we all tired of the same old same old? Devs is not for dummies. Or people who just want the same pablum served up in a sexy wrapper. It's something new. It has a different shape. A different rhythm. A different feel. If you like that type of cinema, and are open to new ideas, and giving your mind the space to explore them, then this is a show for you. Give it a shot.

And to all the angry, sexist dweebs who think that ganging up on, and savaging, an actress who doesn't fit your cosplay ideal is your idea of fun, I feel sorry for you. The female stereotypes that you keep trying to preserve will never make you happy. Good sci-fi is based on progress, difficult ideas, change, and above all, humanism. Until you understand and embrace that, you just won't get it.

(For the record, I'm a white male who enjoys sci-fi, and typically doesn't like identity politics, or criticism of groups based on demographics. So let me be clear: not all sci-fi/fantasy nerds are ignorant, sexist haters. In fact the vast majority aren't. But a small percentage of them are very loud and work very hard to dominate the conversation with their insecurities and tired biases, because they believe that's all they have going for themselves. They're wrong about that, too. But until they get over that, you can continue to expect this kind of predictable witch hunting.)

The subject matter is devastating, and often daring at how unblinking it is at staring directly into pain. Unfortunately, I still have a hard time completely buying into the performances of the two leads. Often times, their line delivery seems wooden, as if they were acting in a play, and I don't completely buy them as a couple.

It may be damning with faint praise, but it's better than I thought it would be. If you love sci-fi/fantasy/action genre films and don't go in expecting a masterpiece, you could have a good time. What it lacks in originality it makes up for in craft. It looks great, has fine actors doing good work, and nice production design. Kristen Stewart shows she has the chops to carry a movie, even without a stellar story, and it delivers enough good action and tension to make up for its shortcomings.

The look of the film is beautiful, but the story and script don't quite match it. Character motivations are sometimes plot driven, and it doesn't always flow. But it's heart is in the right place and if you love anime, you may find much to like.

I saw this as a kid and it remains one of my favorite shorts of all-time. The script by Buck Henry is the best kind of smart/stupid comedy, the set-up of the main gag is patient and well-constructed, and the performances by Steve Martin, Buck Henry, and Terry Gar are pitch perfect. I believe it was nominated, and may have won, the Oscar for best live action short film. If you are a fan of either Steve Martin or Buck Henry, you should go out of your way to find this semi obscure gem.

Go out of your way to see this gem in a theatre, in 3D. It's a perspective changing event.

I was a bit leery after reading the reviews, but then I watched it. Sure, it's not GOT but nothing ever will be. It's fun, beautiful, and has some interesting sci-fantasy ideas. And the best compliment I can give it is that after most episodes I found myself wishing they were all released at once so I could binge it.

This show is just plain funny. Great characters, great situations, and tons of great, authentic Chicago details.

Seriously, I laughed so hard I was outta breath, and then I kept laughing and laughing and the veins started popping out of my neck and it was hard to breathe and I went from laughing to being a little panicked. Then I'd laugh even harder and there was no air left in my lungs and I freaked because I thought I was gonna blow a gasket and then I coughed something weird up that I couldn't find on my couch or floor but I know I'll run across it dried up somewhere in a day or two.

That's how funny this show is.

Just saw this at the Midwest Independent Film Fest and was happily surprised. It's a microbudget indie comedy with a great premise that doesn't sell its characters short. The cast is great, the soundtrack is wonderful, and it was also shot, without permission, on a cruise ship (a brilliant idea). It's funny, silly, thoughtful and poignant. If you like indie, time travel comedies, this is your jam.