ombudsgirl Reviews

The Ring Two (2005)

Pee first. Then walk out of the theater.

[3/10 · 20 March 2005]

I was extremely disappointed by this, and for the first time, I avoided all reviews and advertisements so I could see the movie as it was meant to be seen. But seriously, don't bother. If you loved the first one, watch the first one again.

The first "Ring" had an air of unsettled, skin-crawling creepiness about it, not to mention a strong sense of urgency that made it fun to watch and anticipate. The sequel ditched all that, or recycled it, or put it in the freezer and thawed it only partially. There's a similar "jigsaw puzzle" element to it, but not nearly as mysterious as the first, so you just don't care as much. Rachel (Naomi Watts) basically just keeps missing the point throughout the movie so the plot can be spread thinner than a crepe. So there I was, watching this movie, waiting for something to happen, in the meantime, all that water is really making me have to pee, but I'm holding out hope for something to actually occur.

Rescue Me (2004–2011)

An emotional explosion - genius

[21 January 2005]

I have never seen a show that combined comedy and drama in such an intelligent and well-balanced way. On top of the heartfelt writing, the cast is perfect, the characters beautifully flawed (especially Tommy Gavin), but completely sympathetic. I come from a family of hockey-playing firefighters and can appreciate the familiarity. I have never laughed *and* cried so hard watching a show.

My only hope is that it gets the exposure it deserves and lives long enough to become a revered classic drama. And do not let John Wells anywhere near "Rescue Me". I'll personally come and bite him.

And, to fill the 10-line requirement, my personal favorite things about "Rescue Me": the episode when Engine 99 "measured" themselves, Lou, Probie's liaisons, the girl whose name Tommy couldn't remember, Sheila talking about horses, Uncle Teddy, Franco taking Keela shopping, Reilly talking about make-out techniques, and the heartbreaking, *gut-wrenching* season finale.

Rennie's Landing (2001)

More movies like this should be released in theaters.

[9/10 · 15 December 2003]

I know, it's not rare to see really small movies with developed, interesting characters and a great storyline in theaters, but I wish some of them didn't slip through the Hollywood cracks so easily. This movie is so great, and I can't even pick a specific reason why. While not Oscar-worthy, I just liked all of it: the characters, the performances, the photography, the editing, the story, everything. Not to mention that it's thought-provoking, which is more than I can say for the majority of movies with wide releases. Movies like this are perfect examples for why independent movies need to paid more respect than they are.

FreakyLinks (2000–2001)

Could have been *amazing*

[20 November 2003]

I had vaguely heard about this show when it aired, but since it was extremely elusive (and I was sick of "Blair Witch," which Fox used as the main selling point) I missed out. Three years later, I get my hands on the episodes...What a waste! This show could have been so, so good! I'll bet if they'd given it a chance and "introduced" it on a Sunday, it would have hooked in a bigger audience.

But yeah, the stories were great, the actors were great, there was potential for a lot of development...Someone mentioned Derek's "Get her!" attitude, citing Ghostbusters and I cracked up. Someone should petition for a DVD, even if it's just a bare-bones 13-episode set without features. Though commentary by the actors and crew would probably be hysterical.

Disturbing Behavior (1998)

didn't disturb me

[25 March 2003]

I love a good horror, horror/scifi movie, especially on a Friday night when I'm half asleep and really paranoid. Even in such a state, this movie did nothing for me. It was a great idea that kinda fell flat. The only naturally "disturbed" character was Allan Parker (Ethan Embry), the lead's suicide-victim brother. Now, was this storyline supposed to be related to the whole brainwashing thing, or was it one of those plots you only wished would be related to the actual movie? A whole movie could have been made out of that character, and it would have been a lot better if there was a connection. Instead it just explained why the family moved. Maybe I'm just jealous because James Mardsen is prettier than I am, but I thought this movie was corny. The idea of murderous yuppies is pretty funny though.

Dutch (1991)

If they had any idea...

[20 March 2003]

I wanted to rent this movie because both the leads are playing partners on the new "Dragnet." Except Ethan (Randall) Embry was a 12-year old squirt (who, by the way, played a great brat who wasn't *totally* hateful). It's really cool to see the two of them then and now. I'd love to see Smith and Friday end up on a road trip or something, just as an homage. The movie is good, definitely laughed out loud a few times. I want to try to find a copy of it somewhere. But if you liked this movie, watch "Dragnet," and if you've seen "Dragnet," see this movie. Maybe Friday won't shoot Smith in the ass with a BB gun, but it's very possible Smith could p*** him off enough to get himself abandoned on the side of the road.