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Black Widow (1987)
[6.5] The sticky investigator, the naive full-of-herself widow
A semi well-made, gorgeously 80s, average crime drama mystery movie that feels drawn out and disjointed, saved only partially by the good acting, some minimal plot twists and a somewhat above-average ending.
The best acting between the two women, in my opinion, goes to Theresa Russel who was able to pull off the complexity and subtleties of her character, while the undercover one was your typical "journalist-investigator" with an 80s hairdo, nothing really special and worth of impression as of her acting.
Nevertheless recommended for the 80s vibe and unique style of pictures, photography and filming.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 7
- Development: 7
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 6.5
- Acting: 7.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8
- VFX: 7
- Music/score/sound: 7.5
- Depth: 6
- Logic: 4.5
- Flow: 4.5
- Crime/drama/mystery: 5.5
- Ending: 6.5.
Angst (1983)
[7.1] You munch on sausages and girls are hypnotized!
A very well-done raw movie, superbly and awfully made at the same time for 1983. It has convincing everything, besides maybe the hurried and packed up ending in a bad staring way.
What makes it unique is the total control of the director over the scenes, the astonishing acting by the deranged lead, the raw, detailed, pumped-out murders that immerses you wholly in and a cute little dog that though smart, didn't make any distinction and difference between his masters and a total stranger as long as his odor tingles his cutey brain and is being fed on top of that. Sometimes, I saw fear in the dog's eyes and that speaks lengths on the "sausage-lover" wolfy outfit and soul.
Not a movie for the squeamish and an achievement for the 80s.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 7
- Development: 8.5
- Realism: 8.5
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 8
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 7.5
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 7.5
- Drama/horror/thriller: 7.5
- Ending: 6.5.
Strictly Confidential (2024)
[5.6] Threat under the sun
Thanks to young actors and actresses and Elizabeth Hurley who looks better each year passing on, that's a gorgeously filmed movie with an acceptable pace, crescendo cheesy twists & turns, beautiful natural photography and a Rebecca that I liked very much.
For a directorial debut it's not bad, has promising vibes and a sequel would be definitely welcome, or better turn it into a 6-part series.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 4
- Production value/impact: 4.5
- Development: 7.5
- Realism: 6.5
- Entertainment: 5.5
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 4.5
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 6.5
- Crime/drama/thriller/mystery: 4
- Ending: 4.
Knox Goes Away (2023)
[7.5+] When you only have weeks left
A superb dramatic movie, more a drama than a thriller. One of the best acting by the talented, flexible and universal actor that Michael Keaton is.
The movie is raw, emotional and very well-made, having awesome vibe and flow on its own script terms. Nothing is clogged, drawn out and dragged. Sure, the logic is not on par, but it has a better one than most productions.
Knox's fast-evolving issues, on a weekly basis, felt real and were very saddening on medical terms and viewpoints, while we were offered graceful and thrilling dramatic developments up to the end.
A special note to James Marsden believable acting and the detectives, especially Detective Emily Ikari who really gave embodiment to her tasked duty.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6.5
- Production value/impact: 7.5
- Development: 8
- Realism: 7.5
- Entertainment: 8
- Acting: 8
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 8
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 6
- Flow: 8
- Thriller: 7
- Ending: 8.
Eight for Silver (2021)
[7.4] Bleak and piercing
A very well-made production and movie that bears quality, pace, acting, all-around horror and mystery. Sean Ellis is a very talented writer and director and what he came off with (almost) singlehandedly as a writer and director to 'The Cursed' is nothing short of amazing.
The VFX department did a superb job handling the visuals and effects, contrary to many movies and series that look like actors wearing nonsense costumes and outfits. In this one, I came to believe in hybrid monsters and extensions!
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7.5
- Production value/impact: 8
- Development: 8.5
- Realism: 8
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 7.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8.5
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 7.5
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 3.5
- Flow: 7.5
- Fantasy/horror/mystery: 7.5
- Ending: 7.
Immaculate (2024)
[6.3] "Miracolo"
A mild horror movie that could have been and bore so much more. Everything is creepy good until the "astonishing" reveal and from there on takes moderate pace up until the cliff where most viewers will fall speedily into, including myself.
Sister Cecilia (played by a maturing Sydney Sweeney) did an awesome job with her "acting", facial expressions, quick breathing, panicking, crying, pushing and last but not least delivering.
Wish we saw the big, chubby "baby".
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 6.5
- Development: 7
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 2
- Flow: 6.5
- Horror/mystery: 6.5
- Ending: 5.
Night Shift (2023)
[5.5] Gwen, Gwen, Gwen
Beware, only fans of Phoebe Tonkin will come to this movie. Mostly. Not a bad movie per se, but a slightly above-average one where the pillar is of course Gwen and second to her, Alice. I would have liked her to merge up with Gwen, making a bright tandem in managing and running the new colorful and rosy establishment.
If anything is problematic or seemingly weak, that goes back to the C. Brothers, cause as far as the actors and Yogi are concerned, they delivered.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5
- Production value/impact: 4
- Development: 6
- Realism: 4.5
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 6.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6.5
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 5
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 6
- Horror/thriller: 4.5
- Ending: 6.
Fear the Night (2023)
Left tiny parts of herself
A simple movie that could have been made as a 3-5 parts series, watching my favorite Maggie Q with her straight face, sub-zero sensibility and (even) till now lots of 'Nikita' vibes still in her bloodstream.
I wish all the girls were Maggie Q clones and alike and the ratings would have jumped over 6, near 7. In any production you see her, you can be sure that she leaves a tiny part of herself in that production.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 4
- Production value/impact: 3.5
- Development: 6
- Realism: 5
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 5.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6
- VFX: 6.5
- Music/score/sound: 5.5
- Depth: 4
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 7
- Action/horror/thriller: 4.5
- Ending: 3.5.
Stowaway (2021)
[6.4] What if Zoe was cosmically irradiated, got powers and survived!
An illogically good movie with above-average entertainment and flow. The acting is good, most situations are credible, the stowaway is not, his living is not, his cowardice in not ending his life is not and as a result one precious life was stolen and lost.
'Stoaway' is truly above-average and doesn't deserve all that hate. Actually, Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison did a pretty good job with that budget, as well as the good dedicated cast.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 6
- Development: 6.5
- Realism: 6
- Entertainment: 6.5
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
- VFX: 7.5
- Music/score/sound: 7
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 6.5
- Adventure/sci-fi/thriller: 6.5
- Ending: 7.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
[6.8] Sands and rays next door
A marvelous yet inconceivable part II mumbo jumbo where the runtime painfully and sometimes semi-thrillingly passes by. From what I've seen in the first installment and this one combined, it needed at least three parts to conveniently and logically narrates the story.
In fact, in my opinion, this one is even weaker than the 2021 one. If "parchemined" skins, CGI blue-magenta eyes, Beast Rabban artificially, inconceivably and pompously falling to his death and the ever-happily-yelling Paul Atreides pulling off knives and daggers like they are nothing, not bleeding out, not collapsing like he's invincible and on top of that speaking normally like nothing happened, then this movie is for you.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6.5
- Production value/impact: 8
- Development: 7.5
- Realism: 7.5
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 7.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8.5
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 7.5
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 2
- Flow: 6.5
- Action/adventure/drama: 6.5
- Ending: 5.5.
Cult Killer (2024)
[5.1] Hurting them, hurting us
A fully uninteresting movie with just scenes and pictures passing by. The acting is good, the storyline plots are not. It is disjointed like tens and tens of sub-plots islands glued together.
The main problem of the production is the killing of Mikeal early on and after that even his "cameo" flashbacks, set in the minimal level don't save it.
As for the two young actresses, though talented, they truly don't know what to do with their lines, hence the "islands" and the violent outcome for Jamie in the end. The character of Dottie played well, as usual, but she too suffered heavily from the script.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 3
- Production value/impact: 4.5
- Development: 6
- Realism: 5.5
- Entertainment: 5
- Acting: 6
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6.5
- VFX: 6
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 4.5
- Logic: 4
- Flow: 5.5
- Action/crime/drama: 5.5
- Ending: 3.5.
Arctic (2018)
[6.6] Free with a catch
Well-made, gripping, a little to big illogical with chunks of madness and arctic trouts. The acting by the lead is outstanding, the acting by the woman is incomprehensible, how could someone without being on any drug, be minimally in and hugely out for days?! Did she have a concussion, I don't think so, but it is what it is by director and writers Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison.
Awesome, raw, bleak and gripping filming and cinematography and of the best achievements in acting by Mads Mikkelsen.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6.5
- Production value/impact: 7
- Development: 6.5
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 8
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8
- VFX: 7
- Music/score/sound: 7
- Depth: 7.5
- Logic: 2
- Flow: 6
- Adventure/drama: 6.5
- Ending: 7.
Code 8: Part II (2024)
[6.4] Pretty cool - part II
A slightly better movie than the original with basic though emotional storyline plots, awe-inducing robotic special effects as well as their (people with powers) limited use of their respective powers which always held bright thrilling moments and seconds nevertheless.
Every time I saw those impressive, mean, ruthless robotic dogs, I sat super-straight back and followed the events with a sense of fear and big anticipation. That goes too to those robotic super soldiers that were quite scary, their magnet jumping off the drones, their synchronized movements and flawless shootings.
In retrospect, that's a better movie than the first one and I hope they'd make a third installment.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 6
- Development: 7.5
- Realism: 7.5
- Entertainment: 7.5
- Acting: 6.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6.5
- VFX: 8.5
- Music/score/sound: 6
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 3
- Flow: 6.5
- Action/crime/drama: 6.5
- Ending: 5.5.
Code 8 (2019)
[6.2] Pretty cool - part I
An average mini plus production that is under-developed, forgotten and underrated. It has a simple story with great visual effects, average mini plus flow, a better entertainment value and a simple, touchy, forgettable ending.
It needed to be made as a series encompassing 6-8 episodes, with a more polished storyline and better development, but the budget was tight and garnered sort of in a hard way.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5.5
- Production value/impact: 6
- Development: 7
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 6.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 6
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 3.5
- Flow: 6
- Action/crime/drama: 6
- Ending: 5.5.
Belgravia: The Next Chapter (2024)
[7.4] Sensible pigeon married to a damaged one
A well-made series, having gorgeous everything, sets, design, era costumes and "bibelots" with good convincing acting overall, but ultimately uninteresting and a little bland.
It more or less lacks real drama, romantic thrill and shocks to sensations. One of the reasons is the linear, insipid acting by most protagonists as well as limited scenes, locations and bubblegum-filler situations.
If you want to compare two ~alike productions and have a feel of what is flowing wrong in this one, you can watch 'Bridgerton' and see for yourself what a strong period drama feels like.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
- Production value/impact: 8.5
- Development: 8
- Realism: 8
- Entertainment: 6.5
- Acting: 7.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 9
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 8.5
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 5
- Flow: 6.5
- Drama/romance: 6.5
- Ending: 6.5.
Constellation (2024)
[7.2] Make Irina take a full polygraph
Excellent series if you watch it at least 4 times, it has depth, superpositioned atoms and molecules, well-defined and a scientifical routine in the 29th century quantum physics and world, graced with very good acting, among the best characters you will find Jo Ericsson, the two Alice Ericsson-Taylor, Irene (Irina) Lysenko, Henry Caldera and to some degree Magnus Taylor.
Episodes 6 and 7 are among the best, all thanks to that frozen cabin, "alien" cat and the ever marvelous and full of depth play by Rosie and Davina Coleman.
Even with that ending, does it deserve a second season? I think yes!
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7.5
- Production value/impact: 7.5
- Development: 8.5
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 8
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8
- VFX: 8.5
- Music/score/sound: 7.5
- Depth: 8
- Logic: 3.5
- Flow: 7.5
- Sci-fi/thriller/mystery: 7
- Ending: 6.
Zachowaj spokój (2022)
[6.2] Average try
A mild limited and original show where everything is mildly engaging and interesting, though, the crime, mystery and thriller factors are not so on par with the soul of the storyline. One of the few productions where the acting and some situations as well as the developments in their lives are more natural and interesting than what happened to Igor and Adam.
A show that is more dramatic than thrilling.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
- Production value/impact: 6.5
- Development: 7
- Realism: 6.5
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
- VFX: 6.5
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 6
- Logic: 3.5
- Flow: 6.5
- crime/drama/mystery/thriller: 6.5
- Ending: 5.5.
Fallout (2024)
[7.5+] Are you coming?!
A mild, mostly realistic but artificial representation of that post-apocalyptic city with heavily interlaced 1950s and 22nd-23rd century vibes, devices, equipment and way of life.
It feels incomplete, could have been provided with heavier development as to Cooper Howard's radioactive fate, Lucy's father played mysteriously by Kyle MacLachlan and her mother as well.
These incomplete stands and "plot holes" hurt the series and are taintedly replaced with the Ghoul's charismatic psycho prowesses and pistol whipping. Also, the character of Michael Emerson was hugely wasted, equaling to the weight of his head mostly. Bad decision in my opinion, to say the least.
All that I said and unhappily "complained" about had just one purpose. The milking of viewers for a second season and making them go berserkly mad at the long wait till 'Fallout II'.
In retrospect, please allow me to praise the mostly speedy development and production of this "future-cult" show that has the potential to become equal to or even surpass 'Westworld' quality, if they add some more fusion reactions, more engaging character development and blindingly bright orange-white multi-megaton atomic explosions in the series' future.
P. S. Alpha-emitted notes to some shows that take 3+ years development, filming and readiness per season!
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
- Production value/impact: 8.5
- Development: 8.5
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 7.5
- Acting: 8.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 9
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 8.5
- Depth: 7.5
- Logic: 4
- Flow: 7.5
- Action/adventure/drama/sci-fi: 7
- Ending: 6.
I Woke Up a Vampire (2023)
[5.9] Gracing voice with sharp fangs
A wonderful show for kids having lots of good acting, storyline plots, great music and enough fantasy mystery to keep them interested.
What struck me most was how unbelievably good Kaileen Angelic Chang (Carmie) was able to sing, act and move. She has so much grace and charisma at such a young age and the right choice as the lead.
At 26-27 minutes runtime per episode, it still packs enough punch, momentum and vibe to keep you interested, crave for more and to see what's next.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 4.5
- Production value/impact: 5
- Development: 6.5
- Realism: 5.5
- Entertainment: 5.5
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6.5
- VFX: 7
- Music/score/sound: 8.5
- Depth: 4.5
- Logic: 1.5
- Flow: 7
- Comedy/family/fantasy: 7
- Ending: 6.5.
The Expanse (2015)
[7.5] "Forevermore Free"
An impactful sci-fi series that I cannot tell much about cause in my minimum opinion the series went downhill starting with season 3, a little further up to the last season. Had it not been cancelled by SyFy, it most surely had the potential to go on for at least 10-11 seasons.
'The Expanse' slowly became a soap-opera in space and IMHO (one of) its forte and subsequent weakness was the character of Joe Miller, played in an original way by Thomas Jane and his character's subsequent cameos in the show were not enough to hold the pillar and one of the factors contributing to a lower rating, notwithstanding the outstanding acting by all the cast, including the ever unhappy and brilliantly grumpy serious, the one and only Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) !
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
- Production value/impact: 8
- Development: 9.5
- Realism: 7.5
- Entertainment: 7.5
- Acting: 8
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 8.5
- VFX: 9
- Music/score/sound: 8
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 4
- Flow: 7.5
- Drama/mystery/sci-fi: 7
- Ending: 6.5.
Sense8 (2015)
[7.2] Watch at your own risk and peril
A strange, progressive series where the sci-fi mystery parts were more than slightly aside. What was great overall was the intense camaraderie and friendship between the whole main cast, they did more than acting, when they smiled, laughed, were emotional or worried, you could sense that with your mind and cells.
A little of it was too much and it basically turned around that with hints and crumbs of Sensicon and deep feelings. What was also great was one person's abilities, language and skills were all theirs; it was cool and could have been explored and showed more than more.
One of the more "sensical" series that one can watch at his or her own risk and peril.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
- Production value/impact: 7.5
- Development: 9
- Realism: 7
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 8.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 9
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 8
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 4
- Flow: 7.5
- Drama/sci-fi/mystery/thriller: 6.5
- Ending: 5.5.
Monsieur Spade (2024)
The "perks" of living in a quiet village
For those who love the French language, culture and countryside, that's an interesting and lovely "Noir" series. Everything as far as the French is concerned is done to near perfection, first and foremost the language and talking, next comes the 1955-1963 geographical period, set design, atmosphere, scenes, culture and way of life of that "epoque" .
The rest is basically unimpressive "jeremiade" plots and sub-plots straight from an overstretched imagination, interlaced with GN, army stuff, agents, cry-me-a-river tales and sniper rifles in the most basic ways.
"La femme au domino" was one of the more interesting characters and her observations on Spade talking French were quite intelligent and very entertaining.
Teresa's character was wasted and that showed itself more thoroughly as soon as Zayd and his one-dimensional sub-plots came to the shows' world, deducting at least one ratings point from 'Monsieur Spade'.
If only Millie Bobby Brown spoke French, she would have made a very interesting and on par believable Teresa.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6.5
- Production value/impact: 7
- Development: 7.5
- Realism: 7.5
- Entertainment: 7
- Acting: 7.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 9
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 9
- Depth: 6.5
- Logic: 4
- Flow: 6.5
- Crime/drama/thriller: 6.5
- Ending: 5.5.
The Woman in the Wall (2023)
Depressive molecules floating in that air
Oh my! I sat for nearly 6 hours following the ultra boring and uninteresting tale of madness of that town with super cloudy humid weather with just bribes of sunny good acting that's meant for Sgt. Aidan Massey mostly.
How is this having a ratings of "7.2" is beyond me, either viewers like super uninteresting productions or they are mostly from that northern side. Either way, the world does not revolve around 'the Woman in the Wall'.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 3
- Production value/impact: 5
- Development: 7
- Realism: 5
- Entertainment: 1.5
- Acting: 7
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 6
- VFX: 5
- Music/score/sound: 5.5
- Depth: 3
- Logic: 1
- Flow: 1.5
- Drama/thriller: 3
- Ending: 2.5.
Deep Woods (2022)
[3.6] Peaches in thick syrup
Another low hit of a production where sense and mystery entangle and are drained down the "wilderness". The only positive feeling and joy that the movie brought temporarily was the smart dog that dissipated into the wind and foliage.
The acting by the "chief" and the "prey" were above-average, but the movie should have compensated the lack of logic with wild fauna, grenades and "tanks".
Please stop funding these awful screenplays.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 3
- Production value/impact: 3
- Development: 4.5
- Realism: 2.5
- Entertainment: 2
- Acting: 5.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
- VFX: 5
- Music/score/sound: 6.5
- Depth: 3
- Logic: 1
- Flow: 3.5
- Action/thriller: 3
- Ending: 1.5.
Calamity Jane (2024)
[4.5] Nice frowny face!
A nice mumbo jumbo of a "Western" , having unlikely and unrealistic characters, spearheaded by Calamity Jane, though ironically and convincingly played by the multifaceted actress that Emily Bett Rickards is. It is mindlessly enjoyable and believe me or not, would have made a nice 6 to 8 parts mini-series.
Hope Stephen Amell does more quality productions, series and movies alike, clean-shaves more and would make a nice operative. If Henry Cavill can do it, he sure as hell can too.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 4
- Production value/impact: 2
- Development: 6
- Realism: 2.5
- Entertainment: 4.5
- Acting/self: 5.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
- VFX: 7.5
- Music/score/sound: 6
- Depth: 3
- Logic: 3
- Flow: 5.5
- Western: 4
- Ending: 2.5.