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Reviews
Coma (1978)
Genivieve Bujold Rocks This Mostly Forgotten 70's Thriller
As a kid I was fascinated by the hanging bodies ad campaign for this film but was too young to actually see it. It's lingered in the back of my head for 40 years until it popped up on TCM the other night so I finally watched it and I loved it. Granted it's a little slow to get going but when it reaches the midway pont it's totally riveting and suspenseful in a very Hitchcockian sort of way. Genivieve Bujold is hands down the highlight of the film. Her performance as an independent minded female doctor is really superb. She keeps it subtle in what could have been a thoroughly over the top role for any other actress of that era. I personally feel she is one of the most underrated actresses of her generation. The themes of medical ethics, healthcare affordability and inequality of access were way ahead of their time in 1978 but very timely today. The pacing and nerve wracking suspense (which begins mid movie), builds towards a thoroughly edge of your seat climax that is intense yet subtle. Elizabeth Ashley is also terrific. Her small role is the one campy part of the movie. She delivers it with such a frigid restraint that it's absolutely devious. Definitely a great popcorn movie worth catching.
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
It's bad but fun
The stunts are so ridiculously over the top they are actually painful. The plot is nonsense. Once you get passed that, it's a mindless romp because of the heavy handed but entertaining easter eggs (embedded references) to movie & TV pop culture old and new - like the fact that Diaz's character gets a reunion invite to Rydell High School (Grease), the Sound of Music references at the orphanage etc etc. Everyone in the movie looks like they are having a ton of fun just being silly. Lastly, the Jacklyn Smith cameo and Ja'anet Dubious (Wilona from Good Times) playing Bosley's mother are terrific. Jaclyn Smith is absolutely gorgeous all these years later! If you just want mindless escapist fun, this movie is well worth the watch, just don't try to take it seriously or look for intelligent farce because it's none of that.
Charlie's Angels: Angels on the Street (1979)
Gloriously Tacky Episode
The cheap disposable sets, the over the top neon hooker wardrobe, the musical interludes, the dopey dialogue - this episode is a mess but it's fun to watch in a "so bad it's good" sort of way. That said, this episode highlights how underrated Shelly Hack was. She had a sophisticated glamour that wasn't appreciated in the T&A world of late 70's/early 80's TV.
Miriam's Big American Adventure (2018)
Miriam is Excellent!
I am an American from
NY who lived in Chicago until 2016 right before the election. I remember encountering a man on my road trip moving back to NY at a rest stop in Toledo, Ohio who was wearing a Lock Her Up shirt. I felt compelled to strike up a conversation with him in an attempt to understand what made Trump voters tick. I expected him to be all the cliches associated with Trumpism. Much to my surprise, he was a rather nice, articulate, intelligent and gracious guy who (while I disagreed with much of his mindset) served as a microcosm of how many average middle class Americans had become disenchanted with the class inequality and the dying concept of the American Dream and the desire to shake up the status quo by voting for someone like Trump. I came away from that conversation far more informed and finally realized how realistic a Trump victory was - until then the idea seemed absolutely ludicrous. I mention the experience because many commentators have since tried to understand what drives people like Lock Her Up guy and most fall short of capturing the core of their idealism. Miriam totally nails it. Her show captured it via humor and honesty as only Miriam could. It's brilliant and everyone should watch it. Unfortunately it's not easily available in the U.S. but I did finally located it via the web and it was wonderful. If you're interested in the subject and appreciate Miriam's quirky blunt personality, it's worth seeking out this short BBC documentary series. I absolutely loved it and love her!
The Bionic Woman: Brain Wash (1977)
Recycled Batman Story - Dumb Episode
This episode's plot is a rip off of the final episode of the 60's series Batman. Even Lindsey Wagner's sympathetic acting can't redeem this one. Also, what government agent meets a spy in the middle of a football field - completely exposed no matter how empty the stadium is or how early in the morning it is?!?!
9-1-1 (2018)
Far fetched but still a very entertaining show
OK, so the one thing that stood out for me from the start is how the firehouse looks more like a luxury spa and is the most immaculate building on earth. Once I processed that, it pretty much set my expectations about the series. If you're going into it expecting realism, you will be disappointed. If you want entertaining everyday hero escapism, a great cast and super saturated/stylized shots of LA - you'll love it. Stylistically it reminds me of a down to earth CSI:Miami - minus the ridiculous overacting, overkill sets and roll your eyes cheesiness. Seriously, it makes LA look like the cleanest place on earth. Gritty it's not. That said, I love it for taking my mind off the real world and entertaining me. If you're OK with that, you'll love it.
Roma (2018)
Wanted To Hate It But Instead Fell In Love With It
I went into this movie skeptical of all the hype and prepared myself for a pretentious and dull art house piece. I could not have been more wrong. It is such a beautiful and engaging film. There is no real narrative so you're basically a voyeur watching a period of the maid and the family's lives unfold - the mundane and compelling events intertwined in such a realistic unscripted sort of way that you feel as if you're living it with them. It's a visual and technical masterpiece in its simple authenticity. I love when a film surprises me and this one certainly did. I recommend it highly.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Dear Ben (2019)
Great Episode!
Simply, fantastic. I've been very critical of this seasson because I really want the show to make it to an historic 21st season but feel the writers have been pretty much out to lunch so far. They got it right this time forgoing the recent reliance on dopey gimmicks and over the top melodrama. The story was engaging, the direction was superb (especially the brisk pacing), the acting was on point and we finally get an episode wihere Carisi gets more screen time (deservedly so - Carisi is awesome!). Even the short subplot with Noah didn't bother me and Noah always bothers me. Phillip Winchester has taken a while to take root after replacing Raul Esparza but I feel he finally comes into his own in this one. Stone will never be the sassy exciting fun Barba was but that's OK. I really appreciate his decency, empathy and sense of fairness. I've met Winchester and he's a super nice guy so I'm glad to see him finally settling in and charting his own course without the need of hookers, 3 ways and over the top emotional baggage which the writers had toyed with earlier in the season.
This is my favorite episode of the season thus far. Loved it!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Plastic (2019)
This Episode Lacked a Point
It was predictable, boring (despite the titilating subject matter and videos) and sort of pointless. The doctor is a sociopath but lacked real motive/depth and Sadie/Cecilia was a prop more than a charcter. If SVU doesn't make it to a historic 21st season, the fault won't lie with the actors, producers or the lack of original story ideas with potential. The fault will lie squarely on the lazy and uninspired writing team who can't develop an idea into a layered story with proper pacing to save their lives. The showrunner also bears the blame for not pushing them or replacing them. The final seasons of Law and Order seemed reinvigorated with Lupo, Bernard and Cutter and yet that show got cancelled. SVU, which I have always preferred, is limping along to the end like a tired and lame drag queen passed her prime. Shake the damned thing up and go for broke with some daring and crazy stuff! It's the twilight years of the show so there's nothing to lose in doing that.
The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
Better Off Watching Paint Dry...
Slow, so very very slow. The moody color palettes used in the costuming and cinematography are about the only interesting feature in this otherwise plodding bore of a production. It's the second adaptation of one of John LeCarre's better novels. Second time is as bad as the first. Terribly miscast lead. Boring supporting cast, dull dialogue and snail paced plotting makes this another wasted effort at adapting great source material. Frances Pugh tries way too hard to the point of being annoying. She has that new actor overkill thing that hopefully will refine and evolve with experience. Just skip the whole thing and read the book. Let's hope that someday someone will get it right on the third attempt
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Man Down (2018)
Disappointing and Forced
I've seen worse episodes of SVU than this two parter but this season opener was mediocre at best. It failed on a few levels. I sensed they were going for epic here but rather than come up with something original or at least a twist on something they've done before, they took a "throw in everything minus the kitchen sink" approach and unconvincingly linked several issues (rabid masculinity, parental bullying, molestation, school gun violence, dysfunctional parenting and legal responsibility etc etc etc) into a ridiculously forced mess of a story. The writing was lazy and preachy. They set up several ongoing cliched story arcs for some of the main characters (ie squeaky clean Clark Kent Winchester starts drinking and having orgies to deal with the pain of his sister's death). Noah (who kind of drags down everything he's in) goes snotty belligerent bratty at the end and the list goes on. It was watchable with some good performaces (Carisi and the shooter son in particular) but nothing close to noteable considering it was the opener to an important and historic season.