I got about halfway through this before I could take no more. When did we start ascribing a sex to the elements? Most of the interviewees insisted on referring to Carbon as 'her'. I have never, ever, thought of chemicals as being either male or female. Very irritating & unnecessary. This was far too simplified to be of use to most people except perhaps children.
Reviews
40 Reviews
Insect Dissection: How Insects Work
(2013 TV Movie)
Completely fascinating
12 January 2022
Yes please. This is what documentaries should be like, I am so tired of endless 'Lions of the Serengeti' type rehashes. This was a breath of fresh air. Two young men who are interested in their subject & were surprisingly competent at dissecting insects, which I suspect is quite hard to do well. I watched this last night & then a documentary about Percy Smith who was a pioneer of nature photography. Both films were enthralling and I hope other documentary makers follow suit. I highly recommend this to anybody interested to find out how insects work at an anatomical level.
Question Everything
(2021– )
Another great ABC show.
31 October 2021
I watch practically no television at all but I caught this recently & was very pleasantly surprised. An entertaining antidote to the malignant lies & outright laziness in the media. Covered quite a few topics I knew very little about. I hope there will be more seasons. Good job by all involved.
Discovering Bigfoot
(2017 Video)
Grizzly Man... Part 2??
27 October 2021
Goodness me. The fellow who made this blew any credibility at the very beginning when he stated with authority that bats are blind. They are bloody not! He seems to be a very pushy person so get out of his way, he's comin' through.
Imagine for a moment that these creatures are eventually proved to exist. What good could ever come of that for the creatures themselves? Every cowboy with a camera or a gun will be after them. You only have to look at what happened to the native peoples of North America for an apt example. Leave them alone and they will be better for it, and we get to keep a bit of mystery about the world. I did feel a bit uncomfortable for one of the professors he roped into this The poor bloke seemed to be trying to keep the reins on Mr. Todd Standing but I fear his horse has already bolted.
Imagine for a moment that these creatures are eventually proved to exist. What good could ever come of that for the creatures themselves? Every cowboy with a camera or a gun will be after them. You only have to look at what happened to the native peoples of North America for an apt example. Leave them alone and they will be better for it, and we get to keep a bit of mystery about the world. I did feel a bit uncomfortable for one of the professors he roped into this The poor bloke seemed to be trying to keep the reins on Mr. Todd Standing but I fear his horse has already bolted.
Short Circuit
(2018– )
Wonderful, whimsical & touching.
15 August 2021
It is always nice to be surprised. I hadn't watched this because I thought being a Disney production it would be children's fare really. It is so much more than that. I have only watched Season 1 so far but it was of such good quality I cannot wait to watch the next season. The standout story for me was 'Cycles' by Jeff Gipson. So touching & insightful, but every one of the 14 stories in Season 1 had something that made it special.
The stories are very short, running at only a few minutes. Each one is introduced by the person who directed it with a brief synopsis of the genesis of the idea. Most are quite personal but all are well above average presentations. The future of film making is in good hands here.
The stories are very short, running at only a few minutes. Each one is introduced by the person who directed it with a brief synopsis of the genesis of the idea. Most are quite personal but all are well above average presentations. The future of film making is in good hands here.
The Moth Effect
(2021)
Unfunny, moronic rubbish.
1 August 2021
Australia has produced some excellent comedy television (The Comedy Company, Fast Forward, Big Girl's Blouse), but I couldn't even get all the way through the first episode of this show.. Frankly the whole thing seemed to have been improvised without bothering to even be amusing, let alone funny. Give her the big swerve maaate! Just awful.
National treasure visits Natural treasure.
18 April 2021
This documentary follows Judi Dench & her friend/partner on a trip to the north east of Sabah in Borneo. It concentrates almost exclusively on fauna rather than flora. Dame Judi seems to be a fearless & intelligent woman. It made for a refreshing change to see someone who did not feel compelled to scream & flap about when an insect or something else jumped onto her.
The programs (there are two episodes) show some of the devastation to Borneo's rainforests caused mostly by Oil Palm plantations. It doesn't dwell on this, instead concentrating on the efforts of some truly admirable scientists & workers who are trying to stem this rape of the forests & wildlife. I was left with a feeling of hope for Borneo. It truly is one of the most remarkable places on our small planet I would love to have seen some of it;s botany covered too such as orchids, rhododendrons, & the stunning Rafflesia. Kudos to Dame Judi Dench for this wonderful documentary & for being an ambassador for Borneo's natural treasures.
The programs (there are two episodes) show some of the devastation to Borneo's rainforests caused mostly by Oil Palm plantations. It doesn't dwell on this, instead concentrating on the efforts of some truly admirable scientists & workers who are trying to stem this rape of the forests & wildlife. I was left with a feeling of hope for Borneo. It truly is one of the most remarkable places on our small planet I would love to have seen some of it;s botany covered too such as orchids, rhododendrons, & the stunning Rafflesia. Kudos to Dame Judi Dench for this wonderful documentary & for being an ambassador for Borneo's natural treasures.
Competently made religious propaganda.
17 April 2021
It never ceases to amaze me what people will allow themselves to believe. This 'documentary' takes the line that this child was actually possessed by a demon. There is some cursory mention of psychiatric problems early on but it then jumps right into 'The Exorcist' shtick. They even found a 'psychotherapist' who claims to have assisted in exorcisms. Is she still allowed to practice? Of course they interview Catholic priests who back up the business plan of their church to keep the punters fearful. There are so many truly evil acts committed by men & women all by themselves, Why does a troubled young man jumping about and swearing warrant any attention, if not to further the agenda of a church. This should be watched by all rationalists as a sobering reality check.
Coded Bias
(2020)
Must watch. Wake up call.
9 April 2021
It is so refreshing to see something coming out of America that is not crazy & ugly. A lot of the reviews here seem to think this documentary is about race. That is NOT what I got at all. It is about the slow & invisible erosion of human rights by those who control the technology & algorithms that are a feature of life now. This concerns all human beings. Wake up. This is how Hitler got away with it. Nobody wanted to know. This documentary has inspired me to investigate further and stand with others who are vigilant.
The Secrets of Your Food
(2017)
Utterly Fascinating Documentary Series. Must watch.
21 March 2021
Michael Mosley & James Wong present 3 episodes in this series about food. They discuss so many aspects of food that there are too many to list in a short review. Right down to the chemistry of it all. I am sure shows like this will encourage folks to eat better & be more discerning about what they put into their bodies. I for one wish that more shows like this one were produced. They assume their audience is not stupid & is capable of understanding a little basic chemistry. Plus, for me, anything presented by a botanist will be a must watch. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Thanks for yet another top quality show BBC.
Strange Evidence
(2017– )
Too Much Dumbed Down Filler.
12 March 2021
I enjoy watching some of the strange videos presented on this show. Whenever I watch though, I often wonder about the 'scientists' who are interviewed to attempt discovery of what the videos might be of. Surely they must belong to professional bodies who monitor standards, qualifications and so forth. Obviously they are padding the show out, but how they have not been censured for bringing their professions into disrepute I do not know. For people who purport to either be scientists or science writers they say some very stupid things. I wish they would stop behaving like frightened teenagers and more like rational adults. The show would be a lot better without the silly stuff.
Preaching To The Converted!!!
26 February 2021
I wholeheartedly agree with Prof. Dawkins. I have read several of his books which are uniformly interesting, informative & thought provoking. His failing however is that he places too much faith in his fellow human beings. I am regularly surprised at what people believe. I once had a discussion with a woman who believed in God & I ended by saying she may just as well believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden. Her husband pulled me aside later & told me that she did in fact believe in fairies. I kid you not.
This documentary series presents a very balanced argument from both sides of the God debate & shows how religion can motivate good people to do a lot of good things. It also presents reasons why we don't (or should not) need religion to cause us to be able to live together harmoniously.I think this series is a big step in the right direction but relying on the general populace to think for themselves in a critical way is just asking too much of them. Most of us are happy to go with the flock & are terrified of standing out as different.
What I have never been able to understand, & would like to have seen explored more in this documentary, is how thoughtful & intelligent people such as scientists can follow a religious faith.On one hand their profession promotes an evidence based belief in science, & on the other hand religion promotes belief in magic. How in God's name do they reconcile those two belief systems?
A Blind Watchmaker indeed.
Paris
(2007– )
A parisienne's Paris.
1 February 2021
This is an intelligent, insightful & beautifully photographed documentary about the city of Paris. Actually it's more like a love letter to the city from the presenter, Sandrine Voillet, who is an engaging & knowledgeable travel companion. She manages to conjure the romantic Paris I have always imagined, then sets out to explore that fabled place. I really cannot think of a better documentary about a city & it's history than this one. It manages to keep the mystery & magic alive while being informative.
Major Marketing Bunkum!
23 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I finally got around to watching this film last night and it was a huge let down. I had recently seen a documentary about spaghetti westerns and Django Kill was hailed as a weird, surreal and gore laden wonder. Director Alex Cox, author Sir Christopher Frayling and the director Giulio Questi were all interviewed about this film. Alex Cox even went as far as to say this was one of the strangest films he had ever seen.
After finally seeing the film I wondered for a while if I had watched a censored version, but the run time accorded with the uncensored print so I was left perplexed. Gay cowboys, extreme gore & violence, surrealism, something about a drunken parrot's narration.....WHERE?? The gore & violence were extremely tame even for the late 1960's. There was nothing surreal or even particularly weird about the film that I could discern. As for the gang of gay cowboys, I think one really has to look very hard with a loose interpretation of ''gay'' to see anything like this. At a stretch maybe they did rape the young man they kidnapped but that does not imply gayness. The ''drunken parrot narration'' was just a couple of minutes at the end of the film. Mr. Sorrow gives his Maccaw a small sip of brandy and the bird verbally taunts him in a very badly dubbed human voice. Hardly a narration.
The conclusion I have come to is this has to be some sort of marketing ploy to promote interest in this otherwise obscure and not very interesting spaghetti western. If Alex Cox thinks this film was strange he really needs to get out more.
*On a weirdness scale of 1 to 10 I would give this maybe a 4 based on other odd films I have seen.
After finally seeing the film I wondered for a while if I had watched a censored version, but the run time accorded with the uncensored print so I was left perplexed. Gay cowboys, extreme gore & violence, surrealism, something about a drunken parrot's narration.....WHERE?? The gore & violence were extremely tame even for the late 1960's. There was nothing surreal or even particularly weird about the film that I could discern. As for the gang of gay cowboys, I think one really has to look very hard with a loose interpretation of ''gay'' to see anything like this. At a stretch maybe they did rape the young man they kidnapped but that does not imply gayness. The ''drunken parrot narration'' was just a couple of minutes at the end of the film. Mr. Sorrow gives his Maccaw a small sip of brandy and the bird verbally taunts him in a very badly dubbed human voice. Hardly a narration.
The conclusion I have come to is this has to be some sort of marketing ploy to promote interest in this otherwise obscure and not very interesting spaghetti western. If Alex Cox thinks this film was strange he really needs to get out more.
*On a weirdness scale of 1 to 10 I would give this maybe a 4 based on other odd films I have seen.
The Real Inglorious Bastards
(2012 TV Movie)
Fred, Hans & Franz. A reminder, an inspiration, & a thank you!
4 March 2020
This was a fairly conventional documentary but the story it told was both timely & inspirational. I think that we need to be reminded of what can happen when we turn our faces from real evil. What these men did must have been truly terrifying and I am in awe of them (& the thousands of others like them). Grateful also.
I thought the film Tarantino made was entirely fictitious but again truth is stranger than fiction. Stories like this should never be forgotten. When life seems unfair or too hard, tales like this can give us perspective. They also tell us that we can stand against tyranny and triumph. I have given this a 9/10 not because of any technical or artistic merits, but because the story is so good & important.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Team Foxcatcher
(2016)
Compelling document of wealth & mental illness.
25 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is an absorbing documentary about the facts surrounding the murder of wrestler Dave Schultz by heir to the Du Pont fortune, John Du Pont.
To my mind it was obvious very early that John Du Pont had some very serious mental problems. It seems that because of his families' vast wealth he was indulged by most people when an ordinary citizen would have had contact with psychiatric help much sooner. If anything, the documentary highlights some of the problems inherent in private sponsorship of what should be state or federal governed organizations such as law enforcement. A cautionary tale if ever there was one.
One thing I cannot get out of my mind after watching this documentary is the compassion of Dave Schultz's daughter for John Du Pont. She laments the fact that her father was mourned by everybody, but when John Du Pont died in prison nobody was sad for him. Kudos to her. Would the world not be a better place if more people thought like her?
Dracula
(2020)
Considering the authors.... utterly disappointing.
24 January 2020
Ever since I knew Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat were to write a version of Dracula I have been keenly awaiting its arrival. I felt sure, given Mark Getiss' professed love of the Hammer Dracula series & all of the iterations by various european directors, that he at least would do The Count justice. How wrong was I?
The series started off very well, and the new character played by Dolly Wells was clever and opened up a range of new directions for the story to go. Everything was looking suitably gothic and interesting right up until Dracula became younger. The character then became buffoonish and adopted one of those truly painful to listen to english accents. Instead of being menacing and aristocratic as he should have been, the character was portrayed as a modern comedian with far too many in-jokes. The Show was shaping up to be impressive & even quite scary, but the comedy and the neutering of this iconic character ruined the show.
On a positive note, Dolly Wells, as usual, gave a brilliant performance. Her character was the most interesting by far when, unfortunately, it should have been Dracula himself who stole the show.
I have enjoyed pretty much everything Mark Gatiss has written or acted in so I guess one sour note isn't doing too bad really. It is just a shame it had to be this character & story. I really thought Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat, of all people, would do justice to such an iconic character & story. Very, very disappointed gentlemen.
The series started off very well, and the new character played by Dolly Wells was clever and opened up a range of new directions for the story to go. Everything was looking suitably gothic and interesting right up until Dracula became younger. The character then became buffoonish and adopted one of those truly painful to listen to english accents. Instead of being menacing and aristocratic as he should have been, the character was portrayed as a modern comedian with far too many in-jokes. The Show was shaping up to be impressive & even quite scary, but the comedy and the neutering of this iconic character ruined the show.
On a positive note, Dolly Wells, as usual, gave a brilliant performance. Her character was the most interesting by far when, unfortunately, it should have been Dracula himself who stole the show.
I have enjoyed pretty much everything Mark Gatiss has written or acted in so I guess one sour note isn't doing too bad really. It is just a shame it had to be this character & story. I really thought Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat, of all people, would do justice to such an iconic character & story. Very, very disappointed gentlemen.
The Little Witch
(2018)
Fantastical Fun For Fantasy Fans & Families.
10 October 2019
I haven't read any of the books on which this is based but the film by itself is wonderful, inoffensive fun. I wish there were more films like this one. Although there are no in-jokes or sly winks to adults, we can enjoy this one too. Just forget your jaded skepticism for a while and go for the ride.
The cinematography, set design, costumes, in fact all of the art design in this film is exemplary. It really conjures up the old german folk & fairy stories that I for one remember reading as a child. This little gem deserves a wide audience & if it's internet presence is anything to go by, it doesn't have one yet. I can only offer the strongest encouragement to the makers of this non hollywood fare & hope they are able to keep making movies of this caliber.
The english dubbing on the version I enjoyed was a better than usual job as well..
The Apple
(1980)
Better than it's reputation!
31 August 2019
This film needs defending. It is nowhere near as bad as most reviewers make it out to be... AND the songs are wonderful and well above average. The so bad it's good tag is deserved, but only to a small degree. There are thousands of worse films around that don't seem to inspire such derision.
I have loved this film since I first discovered it in the mid to late 1980's on VHS. This was pre internet so information on the film was next to impossible to find. No record shops had ever heard of it and certainly no soundtrack was available. So for a good many years The Apple was my obscure treasure. I could never understand why other people didn't 'get it'. Rocky Horror was a cult hit, why not so with this film?
As for the music, some of the songs are really quite beautiful. The best of them is 'Cry For Me', but 'Universal Melody'& 'Child Of Love' are also beautiful melodies.I am sincerely baffled how anybody can say the music is horrible. At the very worst some of the lyrics may be schmaltzy but the songs are definitely not bad. When I read that audiences at test screenings had thrown their free copies of the soundtrack at the screen I almost wept. I would have treasured a copy of the OST. Thankfully now I have my own copy.
The Apple is now available on blu-ray which I never dared hope for years ago. I am so glad that others appreciate this gem as much as I do. If you haven't seen it, approach it with an open mind. See & hear it for what it is... a great musical with terrific songs.
Also Catherine Mary Stewart is not only one of the best looking women in the world, she also seems to have a winning personality.
A Black Lady Sketch Show
(2019–2023)
Clever, witty & laugh out loud funny!
19 August 2019
I have to admit that while starting to watch the first episode I was a bit prejudicial, thinking how tired I was of hearing women referred to as 'b*****s' & 'ho's' & all the other modern vernacular. I very soon changed my mind about this show however. The cast are all spot on with their character portrayals & the whole show is knowing & self aware. I think it is clever & very entertaining. I am looking forward to what these ladies poke fun at in future episodes.
Kedi
(2016)
A Kind & Gentle Documentary
22 June 2019
I normally steer well clear of any film involving our animal friends as something terrible usually happens to them. It is upsetting enough in real life without having to endure it in a film as well. Kedi is not like that & you can safely watch without fear of any sadness. It might even restore your faith in human beings. The people who interact with the cats in this documentary are all kind. Even the big rough & tough fishermen have a caring approach to the animals.
With so many documentaries around about people doing awful things to other people & things it is extremely refreshing to have something like this film to give some balance. I had a smile on my face the entire two hour run time.
If you are an animal person, especially if you like cats, I absolutely, highly recommend this lovely documentary to you.
Wellington Paranormal
(2018–2022)
Offbeat & quirky Kiwi comedy gold, Eh?
4 May 2019
Binged all 6 episodes last night. What a shame there are only 6... for now. I really hope there will be more seasons of this very funny show. The cast all do a great job with their crazy characters and the episodes held my interest all the way through. A real little gem in amongst all of the mediocre shows produced these days. Keep doing what you are doing guys (& girls).
April 2021- Just watched the last episode of season 3. What a shame the show, which started off so well, has degenerated to this. The writers just don't seem to be trying to make a quality comedy at all. Ordinary Kiwi's pitted against the supernatural was hilarious in the first two seasons. Now the characters are played as moronic instead of perplexed, particularly Sergeant Minogue. I would love to have seen more seasons as good as the first two, but I fear this is the last time we will see Wellington Paranormal. You are capable of much better work people. No merit stars for you this time. Could do better.
April 2021- Just watched the last episode of season 3. What a shame the show, which started off so well, has degenerated to this. The writers just don't seem to be trying to make a quality comedy at all. Ordinary Kiwi's pitted against the supernatural was hilarious in the first two seasons. Now the characters are played as moronic instead of perplexed, particularly Sergeant Minogue. I would love to have seen more seasons as good as the first two, but I fear this is the last time we will see Wellington Paranormal. You are capable of much better work people. No merit stars for you this time. Could do better.
Kissed
(1996)
Adventurous,beautiful & unusual film making.
18 March 2019
I first saw this wonderful film just after it was released and I fell in love with it. This does come at some cost though because attempting to describe it to anybody almost always has the other person looking very sceptical and a little worried at my enthusiasm for a film with this subject matter. Better that you view the film not knowing much about it so it can work it's magic without prejudice.
The music in the film plays a big part in making this very unusual film such a rewarding experience. It was my first introduction to both Sarah McLachlan & Delerium. It is definitely in my top ten favourite movies.
Extracurricular Activities
(2019)
Clever. Underrated. Gem.
5 February 2019
I had heard nothing about this film apart from the few reviews here. This was a REALLY pleasant surprise. A lighthearted & darkish (if not black) comedy of sorts, without the usual irritating teens. The young people portrayed here were really likeable, the acting from all involved was above par, and the writer, Bob Saentz, is very talented.
I thought the acting of Timothy Simons who plays Detective Cliff Dawkins was particularly good. Lots of subtle character quirks.
I highly recommend this very entertaining movie & am really surprised I haven't heard more about it. I rate it an easy 8.5/10.
I thought the acting of Timothy Simons who plays Detective Cliff Dawkins was particularly good. Lots of subtle character quirks.
I highly recommend this very entertaining movie & am really surprised I haven't heard more about it. I rate it an easy 8.5/10.
The Brain Hack
(2015)
Good effort considering limited time & budget!
4 February 2019
Considering there are so many awful films produced these days I want to offer the makers of this every encouragement I can. They obviously have talent and I hope they make more films. The ideas here are very interesting & I would really like to see them expanded into a feature.
Good work all involved. We don't have enough thought provoking cinema. Keep at it.
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