Reviews

First off, I gotta say: the actresses here are definitely lookers. But you end up feeling for them to a degree... This is definitely, as the movie says, NOT for the faint of heart. Rape scenes, torture, and even the somewhat shocking twists in the middle and near the end of the movie. Suffice it to say, without revealing anything, much of what happens in this world is hard to overcome. There are no bona-fide "heroes" to swoop in and save the day. There are no truly "awful" villains here either; some of the main characters are in between due to their circumstances... I DO have to say that it's not your tragic times turned happy ending you're looking for. The actress playing Sofia definitely pulls off that scared and naive role, until the end. Most of the crude torture and action comes at the action packed last 10 minutes, but there are moments in the film where some other surprises take place.

It's definitely a dark tale, VERY dark. I must say it's hard to watch a lot of this, and it reminds me of Independence Day where you keep waiting for a "miracle," a promise of salvation and it rarely comes... Even the ending won't wrap everything up in a neat little bow for you... Be forewarned...

Overall, it's not a bad movie... Danny Trejo doesn't really have a lot to do here other than act as hired muscle, but it is good to see his character have other traits than "be the tough muscle." The "bad guys" were drugged out and had weird torture/porn/sexual fantasies... It gets twisted folks...

I must say I went into this movie with a VERY critical eye... Having spent the latter part of 30 years as a music journalist, I kept a close eye on this one... And I must say it did not disappoint...

I have even considered writing an autobiography at one point, simple due to the amazing encounters I have had with interviewing bands I grew up listening to in high school and beyond. The main character's enthusiasm is carried over VERY well; I remember the first time I received packages from record labels and bands and just sitting to talk with them was a HUGE eye opener for me...

I was a bit skeptical of a few things in the beginning. The time period seems to be set in the 80's, but where was talk of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal? Bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Venom, Angel Witch, Holocaust, China Doll, Triarchy, Geddes Axe, Buffalo, Vardis, Witchfynde, Diamond Head, and the like are somehow inexplicably absent, while harping on bands like Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode, Manic Street Preachers and the like (which are about as far removed from "rock and roll" as anything else).

And in the first scenes, some of the interview questions her persona Dolly Wylde asks are a little far reaching for someone interviewing bands for her first time... But her enthusiasm and willingness to act and think "outside the box" are what made her character such a delight.

The "failed rock star" persona of her dad was hard to watch. Still thinking he has "the chops" to stay relevant in the music scene was something I indeed struggled with myself, having started a band that did great things but fizzled out all too quickly. Yes, there were some moments of pure devastating sadness in this film...

Still, the drive to succeed and make something of yourself despite your upbringing and financial and social status is HUGE... If anything, people should take away from this movie what it means to be YOU: What are you good at? Do you see a need to "reinvent" yourself? Questions it is better to ask (and try to answer) when you are 16 than when you are 50 and having multiple setbacks in your music career.

In the end, it was a little cheesy in spots, but you find yourself rooting for "the underdog," as she comes off as a sassy, smart assed but enthusiastic young lady. Would that we could carry this spirit of "never say die" well into our oldest years.

Must say the "wall of gods" was quite interesting. Seeing pictures of Cleopatra, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and various historical women come to life was refreshing. I remember a seminar by the late American Monk Burt Bell where he talks about conversing with some of your favorite historical inspirational characters as a way to tap into hidden insights and knowledge that our forefathers left.

And the credits rolling at the end of the movie were interestingly done... All in all this movie surprised me as it wasn't really about the whole journalistic experience, but about a young girl's journey overall to see where she fits in this crazy mixed up world... Seeing her go down a different path was a twist, proving that sometimes you can lose yourself too deeply and need to find a lifeline back to who you really are...

If you're looking for an inspirational story, this is one not to be missed... Everything seemed quite believable, I know there were some wild times I had hanging out with bands that ended up transcending the whole "journalist/interviewee" experience. I might not have ever been a success in the metal world of journalism, but I have many experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life...

From the creators of The Office (which I absolutely HATED) and Parks And Recreation (which, surprisingly, I really enjoyed), comes this amazing and very curiosity-piquing show about a man who dies and has his "consciousness" uploaded to a virtual afterlife. As someone who has heavily invested in Virtual Reality myself, I found the concept one I simply could NOT ignore...

Ingrid, the spoiled little rich girl and absolute knockout, is still in Nathan's life (which turns a surprising twist in season 2), and as per someone with lots of money, uses her wealth and familial influence to pull strings and manipulate his deceased lover, who she still keeps close tabs on. Despite the awkward love story that develops between Nathan and one of the Lakeview women who's job it is to "interact" with Lakeview's residents when they need assistance, Nora turns in a surprisingly heartfelt performance.

What grabbed me about this show is how unique the concept is. Many times people complain about story lines that been done to death, but here the concept is fresh and innovative in a 21st century way. It was neat to see the self driving cars, the high speed transit system, and the "pull up a video phone between my fingers" method of technology. As our species rapidly advances in technology, the real question begs to be answered: Is THIS what humanity's future looks like? Can our constant wish to put aside our eventual demise lead to an innovative technology like this? Or is this technology all "smoke and mirrors" once the soul, or our life essence, leaves our bodies?

The laughs are there in force, but many of them are somewhat awkward, though personally I thought the "funny moments" got a bit better in season 2. As an aside, I have watched EVERY episode out to date (both seasons), which I think is necessary for a proper review to take place.

There are some cringe-worthy characters in this show; Nathan's best friend and some of the Lakeview staff (in particular the red-headed servants) I sometimes wish would go away. They have some minor moments, but the story line and what happens next is what I've been after and it is the premise of this technology and what happens next (there is a major life-altering event that happens to Nathan near the ending of season 2 that i won't go into here) that has kept me coming around. Major revelations come about in season 2, that not only advance the story line but explain things you might have wondered about (again, not going into detail if you haven't watched the series) make this a show that has lots left to explore but leaves me plenty satisfies that questions not answered fully in season 2 will become more clear in season 3. And season 3, which I am very excited about, plans to showcase something entirely new that promises the ability to take the show in a completely different direction...

Not a perfect show, but one I have enjoyed quite a bit. I look forward to season 3's unveiling VERY soon... One of the most unique shows on TV and that's saying something.

I get what people are saying here... Let's set that aside for a minute however. The visuals are absolutely stunning first off... I imagine many 4k screensavers will become intertwined into the "deep web" of people's PC's in due time... This alone makes the "documentary," as it were, worth your time...

I think what people are missing out on is just how vital to the ecosystem mushrooms are... Not many people in this day and age that I've met seem to be getting the same kind of education that was given out in classrooms during the 70's and 80's. To reach people you have to give them a sense of hope, positivity and something worth reaching for. This documentary does that WELL...

First off, a little background: my son's mother is heavily into herbal medicine and I've learned and SEEN firsthand the dramatic healing effects of herbs and plant (and mushroom based) medicines... Someone I know contracted spinal meningitis which, if you know ANYTHING about this, has a less than 5% survival rate. Not only did she survive, but what she carried into this made all but certain she would be one of the less than 5%... It is a dramatic story that STILL has the doctors baffled to this day, and something she knew and took for granted.

The stories in this "documentary" are TRUE... I have read the reports of mushrooms that cleaned up oil spills in the Gulf. The utilization of mycelium threads to create batteries could have a revolutionary and profound change in the microchip industry, something that technological companies are having troubles with at this moment (I am an amateur stock trader as well, so I read the news reports every day). And the altered states of consciousness? Well, some of these guys might seem like "old druggie hippies," but what would have given this documentary even MORE credibility would have been to mention the Native American Indians who utilized mushroom teas for clarity and insight.

It's a biased slant to be sure on the part of some of these reviewers, but they seem to be poo-poo'ing decades of quality scientific research. Research papers that I personally have read and studied... In an era where we allow presidents to call scientists with 10 and 15 year studies and masters and bachelor's degrees "stupid," sadly it speaks to just how far gone we as a species have gone. When we celebrate stupidity rather than enlightened, knowledgeable learning and scientific discovery.

Mushrooms are amazing pieces of creation. They help keep life going and have for millions, maybe even billions, of years. Yes, cutting down endless amounts of trees is not going to help this planet, but at least we can seemingly be assured in the knowledge that long after we're gone, the 'shrooms will still be here.

Movies like this are designed to get you to "do more research..." I stopped the movie several times to research and look up the various mushrooms talked about, just to see and learn more for myself. You could ironically consider this movie a "gateway" into a LITERAL underground world that most people walk by and never even consider.

And to those claiming this movie is "political?" The movie did an EXCELLENT job of showing how politics kills off scientific innovation and discovery. This has happened MANY times in our past, and keeps humanity stuck in the dark ages. Let us not forget what happened to the mathematicians like Hypatia who discovered long ago that earth moves in an elliptical orbit around the sun, challenging rigid and unnecessary religious dogma saying the sun revolves around the Earth (hint, Hypatia was murdered by the church). Or more recently, how the Bush administration outlawed stem cell research when it had the potential to save millions of lives and impact humanity in a meaningful way.

You'll never get a more THOROUGH analysis of the McMillions scandal than with this documentary...

I was living in Savannah, Georgia at the time, and the news of what was going on in South Carolina DEFINITELY made the Savannah papers (at least on the winnings front). I remember the commercials, I remember my family collecting game pieces, the game board... It was fascinating and nothing like this had EVER been done in the history of restaurant promotions...

Each character brings something unique to the story. I think it's VITALLY important that we see these characters' backgrounds, how they lived, where they grew up, whether they were the product of poor or rich families to understand their motivations. This scandal included people from ALL walks of life, and proves overall the powerful temptation of "McMillions."

One of the most important, and colorful, characters is the young, brash, creative FBI agent assigned to the case... We often hear about undercover work but rarely understand what it details, what it involves, and above all, how much money is spent to get everything "up to code." Art imitates life, and undercover agents have to become as close to the "real deal" as possible...

Still, we learn in a later witness episode that not all was as it seems. We ALSO learn how some of the winners tried to turn around and do something good with the millions. There are good guys, bad guys, good girls and bad girls, and there are some that get caught "in the middle." A scandal that was this large definitely needs all of the players to be explained and fleshed out, and I feel these writers did an amazing job with the amount of information they had to work with.

I enjoyed the series immensely. IT seems like every new episode there was some new angle, some new plot twist that kept things interesting. It crossed many, many states and impacted quite a few people's lives... The problem people have with this is they are trying to binge watch all 6 episodes, rather than watch one at a time and take a day or so to reflect on it... Sometimes information overload isn't the best thing for a series like this...

Watching this movie going in, I had no preconceived notions. I read a small plot summary and that was it. Nowadays I kinda stay OFFa if I don't want to know much of a movie going in...

This movie for me started off a little odd. The way the characters spoke in the beginning of the movie sounded quite a bit off. Ivy, declaring her love for Lucius rather foolishly, and some of the playful interactions of the multitude of younger characters put me off greatly at first. However, that is a HUGE point of the movie that is discussed later on.

This isn't meant to be a horror movie, even if it is built upon the foundations of one. Mysterious creatures live in the woods just beyond the borders of this almost Amish, 19th century village. Or do they? The "elders" of this community all have something in common though, which you find out later when the origins of the town are discussed. And one of their "rules" is to never go into the forest. You can probably make out where this is headed.

Without spoiling too much, the innocence of the townfolk seems a little TOO contrived. But when the pieces of the puzzle are put together, certain things like the absence of money, the isolation (seemingly) from the rest of the world and the rather playful and simplistic values of the villagers seems... It makes you think for a moment "ah, if life could almost REALLY be like this. Hope, love and joy." Is it NOT a utopia that many would see brought to the forefront?

Except the creatures. But they aren't the real problem here; what IS the overwhelming issue is what is not known or discussed with the villagers. There was a TV show on once about a last remnant of humanity that was put to cryo sleep and awakened 4000 years in Earth's future... Without revealing anything, secrets often betray far worse issues than the ones seemingly most apparent.

Overall, the ending becomes somewhat revolutionary, with further details giving you "aha!" moments throughout the film's final 25 or so minutes. And then once you "get it," all falls into place rapidly, as long as you have been paying attention and letting the "facts" stack themselves up. It's kinda like watching Star Wars Episode 4, 5 and 6, and then by the time you get back around to 1, 2, and 3, on Episode 3 you KNOW what's going to happen because you've SEEN it in episode 4. Shymalan's brilliant storytelling mirrors the way Lucas chose to approach the entire Star Wars universe by starting the story practically in the middle. This isn't exactly on the same lines, but you get the idea. Memento utilized that ideology in reverse, and good storytellers can hook you in from the beginning, middle OR end. Though simplistic, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit.

Will probably have to go back and watch it again to see even more "aha!" moments...

When we look at characters from comic books in the 60's, 70's and 80's, what we generally observe are things like WHY Spider Man feels passionately for the victims and the innocent. WHY Tony Stark decided to develop technology in his own way and abandon the "art of war." We understand the mindset of The Thing from the Fantastic Four; we GET and FEEL his pain... That being said, usually, there's a simple and quick, 5 minute explanation of the creation of super powers, then we're off...

For that reason ALONE, this movie deserves a TEN... This ENTIRE story is about the buildup and creation of the character Joe into a force that will have massive implications on the "world scene." We see Joe's frustrations over how one of his daughters turned out; strung out on drugs and bitter over her mother's death. We see and hear his agony over his failures to protect his daughters and make their lives better, a point which is hammered home repeatedly and leads to his mental state. Still, on that front, I thought Joe's acting could have been a little bit more "diverse," if you will, rather than just "aaauagh! Why are you doing this to me?" Surely he would have different questions in mind. But, if we're being analytical, our "creator" kept Joe in situations that required him to do more action and less thinking, bringing to the forefront of his mind "there isn't enough time."

The "villain" of this story, if you will, is our God-creator. And it definitely makes you think about one thing (if you're of a philosophical and analytical mind)... How far would you go to protect life? Would you kill one? ten? hundreds? thousands? What really impressed me was the "creator's" unwavering and unbending drive to complete the task before him. High respect to the actor portraying this "villain," though it was nice to see a single tear shed near the end over what had to be. As if the human side FINALLY came through.

The special effects. Damn, they were impressive. The creation of this powerful being was a bit scary, and we see that though benevolent at times, the sheer magnitude of his power was awe inspiring. The force of his beams, the faster than light travel, even the way the CGI was crafted told a dual tale. A tale of a powerful yet scary being, and then, near the end, the human side glimpsed through long enough for us to realize that he would need to be "pushed over the top" once again.

The movie takes awhile to build up, but one thing you'll be asking close to halfway through the movie is "what happens when he reaches his breaking point." Once you understand what's at stake, you realize what HAS to happen. And the end result was rather interesting to look upon, our CGI enhanced "guardian" trying to look out for our situation in life. The end result is a rather serene but towering final few minutes that will definitely leave an impression.

Anyone that understands this movie isn't meant to mirror "real life" understands the bigger picture. A very interesting and intriguing concept that was NOT shot on a huge budget. Still, they did a fantastic job what what they had to work with, and I most definitely enjoyed every minute of this film. And might I mention my surprise to hear true electronic and harsh industrial music contained within, as the music fit so well (though the foray into an industrial/goth "nightclub" was a little odd... One wouldn't think a drug dealer of that caliber would be into this sort of lifestyle, but I digress).

What can I say? A truly captivating and spellbinding series, one that positively overflows with meaning and poignant reflection of the world and society around them. This is the story of the beginnings of the MGM conglomerate that ruled the world in pictures. You see their heartbreaking struggles in the very beginning; the great depression is starting up, and there's the Nazi threat looming ever son dangerously over the horizon. We hear TRUE meaning in the conversational pictorials between the producer, who has a real knack and talent for getting the best out of such great stories, and the studio owner, who has a gruff exterior but hides a true heart of gold. There are deaths (without revealing too much) and they hit HARD. They hit hard and they change the lives of those who come to be in the magic world of storytelling. You see the blond actress delivering her lines and you FEEL it, you can see that there's not a better deliverer of lines, nor of the most honest, simple and stunning beauty.

The period looks and feels like Hollywood circa the 1930's. Every character has a story, and it takes a few episodes for things to really pan out, but once they do, it's like a snowball effect: more things happen. You feel joy for great discoveries, new plot twists, and even one of the biggest and most well known movies of all time (I won't reveal what it is) starts to breathe and take form right before your very eyes. The way Monroe Stahr explains the art of storytelling and movie making, you can tell that the actor who portrays him HAS to have a REAL passion for the silver screen. When Kathleen says that she's just a humble waitress, you believe right along with her, as she effortlessly slips into character.

I could go on and on for hours about little details, but you already get the point. It's a rare show that when each and every character speaks, it's a grandiose moment in time, and the words convey strong emotion and feeling. You walk away from each and every episode FEELING something, and that's absolutely RARE in this day and age. Unfortunately, I never read the novel by Fitzgerald, but I'm sure that it's a classic in it's own right. Just like this series is. Damn shame that all the great and innovative programming gets thrown right out the window for vacuous and vapid programming showcasing imbeciles who's biggest claim to fame is how much profanity they can spew or how much arguing they can spitball. Yes, true intellectually stimulating dialogue is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, but this series never "talks down" to it's audience. These are the shows that dreams and soaring aspirations are built on. Bravo!!

I totally enjoyed this movie. It's a shame when people nitpick over little details. Let's all remember WHY we go to the movies in the first place: we want to believe that there's a happy ending, that there's a crazy, action packed setting where lots of unbelievable things happen. Explosions galore in this one! Lots of cars getting blown up (how crazy was the timing on the hummer driving RIGHT past the truck that the villain had stuck a detonator to?), helicopters smashing into trains... It's a miracle the train survived as long as it did! The only thing that puzzles me is how a train has a "ventilation system" that runs throughout all the cars in sequence. Lots of great martial arts, and a rather interesting storyline. The strong arm of the Vatican? Interesting plot line and sorry, but you don't see a whole slew of movies based on "death trains." The characters were believable, and there were a few humorous moments, most notably the atypical heavyset monk, and the main villain calling himself Lucifer. If you want non stop action, this movie delivers; it has you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I highly recommend it.