Change Your Image
lynette-gilbert
Reviews
Damsel (2024)
Unexpectedly good!
I'll be honest - the ONLY reason I turned this on was because a bunch of men online were whining about female leads in fantasy, and specifically mentioned this film. "Oh, it's not because it's a woman, it's just BAD." Which we all know is code for "no seriously, women should only exist in film as eye candy." While I love Stranger Things, I've never been a fan of Millie Bobby Brown in particular - probably because I'm way older than her usual demographic. Still, I figured I'd thumb my nose at misogynists and give the film an extra view or two by having it on in the background while I did other things around the house.
I was surprised to find myself quickly engrossed, and was literally on the edge of my seat several times. Aside from two scenes involving animals being hurt by the dragon (and MBB's flawless eye makeup throughout the film's entirety,) I have no complaints. If I were 25 years younger, I would be cosplaying Elodie at the next DragonCon. She's intelligent and determined, and with a depth I hadn't anticipated. Plus, MBB was amazing in this.
Bravo. More like this!
The School for Good and Evil (2022)
Book Adaptation
Well, I guess this is a book adaptation. Doesn't make me think very highly of the book. Unless this was just a really poor adaptation. What WAS this? I love a good fantasy, but this was SO all over the place. All of these things happened in TWO WEEKS? Give me a break. The production was fine, the CG wasn't even as bad as other reviews said. But the story was absolute garbage. If these schools aren't supposed to interact, why do they share a mess hall? Who are the first-years? And why do supposed first-years know all about the history of these schools? Are Aggie and Sophie the only non-fairy tale children who attend? Ugh. Did NOT enjoy.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)
What is the story?
I feel like they wanted to tell the story of Dan and Brian, but had to pretend like it was about child actors. Because yes, there is a horrible side to child acting, but this documentary isn't about that. It's about the abuse that happened at Nickelodeon. Why try to wrap it in a false description? And a few times they tried to jump back to, oh yeah, this is about child actors, by talking about actors who weren't affiliated with Nickelodeon. You're not talking about how hard and damaging it can be to be a child actor. You're talking 100% just about Nickelodeon. Maybe this was so they didn't get sued, but it was annoying to have random stuff thrown in.
Witness (1985)
Could Have Been Better
The premise is strong and it starts out wonderfully, but the end really leaves something to be desired. First of all, the kissing scene is underwhelming. I feel like the film would have been better had there never been any kissing (or seeing her topless, after which he's like, "look, if we'd made love ..." - what a way to jump to conclusions!!!) Second, when Book is discovered and all the Amish rush to the farm, it's actually anticlimactic. While we've seen him partaking in traditions and meeting the others, he's not been accepted as one of them. And in the scene, he's still not one of them. Also, they don't do anything, they just stand there while Book asks if Schaeffer will shoot them all. He's already shown he's a bad cop, why *wouldn't* he shoot them? That whole sequence was just bizarre.
The Canterville Ghost: Spring (2021)
I can't watch anymore
I love the story of the Canterville Ghost, so I was very excited to watch this. I can't believe I spent money on this show! The acting is terrible, and considering who the cast is, they should've been amazing. So I can only conclude that it's the fault of the director and writer. I can't tell you how many times I had to pause this to try to figure out what was going on. The editing is also quite atrocious. I literally cannot watch another episode of the show, that's how bad it is. Considering that Tony Head is the ghost, this should have been an amazing piece of work. I can't even say it was a disappointment, it was just amateurish.
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Absolutely Wonderful
This was everything I could have hoped for. The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite films as a kid, and I was in tears during most of this. It just hit almost every note perfectly (though I could have done without Awkwafina.) Halle Bailey made a beautiful Ariel, and giving Eric more of a personality made him so much better.
But the best part was seeing some of the most iconic shots recreated in live action. It made me so happy; I had literal chills at so many moments throughout the film.
I'm only sorry I was unable to see it in the theater. Shame on everyone who dismissed Halle Bailey. She was brilliant and perfect. Melissa McCarthy was, too.
Devoured: The Legend of Alferd Packer (2005)
What in the holy he$& did I just watch
This 2005 film is reminiscent of 70s horror, from the film used to the cars on the road. Poorly lit, poorly framed, poorly written, this film is a must-see to believe. Most of it is in black and yellow. The characters wander one by one underground. There will be random people hanging out in tunnels for no reason, but for some reason, there's no way out. There are shots that go on for way too long. A lot of the dialogue seems improvised. The ghost looks surprisingly good, though. But I didn't know what was going on for most of this film. At least it seems like someone enjoyed creating this weird and wild film.
Ghosted (2023)
Fanfic
What did we just watch? A parody? A rom com? It was like trying to watch a noir shot in the style of farce. The way it was filmed didn't match the genre somehow. And the writing? I'm not sure if this is Black Widow fanfic or Black Widow's fanfic. Either way, it's filmed like a student film. A lot of the shots were amateurish. My brain was trying to-edit it as I watched. I sure hope it was a project everyone associated with did just for fun. It did seem like everyone was having fun while filming it. I just don't think it succeeded at being whatever it was trying to be.
I'm always excited to see the Marriott, though.
Kindred Spirits (2016)
So wonderful!
I absolutely love how Amy and Adam investigate, and their chemistry is fantastic. As for the show itself, there's no BS, no drama, no cliff hangers making you think something happened that didn't. Of course a lot if it is subjective and suggestive and isn't as scientific as some people would like, but it has a lot of heart. I like that there aren't really any shows where it's like, "could it be a demon?" Their ideas and beliefs about the paranormal are definitely more aligned with my own than more most shows out there. I really hope to go on one of their trips one day, as it seems like they have a lot of fun.
Doctor Who: Flux: Chapter Five - Survivors of the Flux (2021)
So tiring
It's gotten to the point where when my husband asks if I'm ready to see this week's episode, I respond, "do we have to?" I have no idea what's going on, and it's gotten very tiresome. The weeping angels episode is the only one I've enjoyed so far this season, but even that had a lackluster and immediate resolution. I miss when Doctor Who was fun and diverse and not so damn dramatic and not all about the Doctor's mysterious past every single week. Moffat really set that standard, and it's so repetitive. RTD cannot return fast enough.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
A bit disappointing
I was wondering how they were going to stretch Turn of the Screw out for an entire season ... turns out it was by s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it out. I liked the changes they made to it, but the last episode was just out of left field. And that's really the reason for my 6 star rating. It ruined the rest of the series. I'd have liked for it to end a bit more like the actual book.
Arrow: Green Arrow & the Canaries (2020)
Love the direction it's going!
I am REALLY excited about seeing these three women together. Their chemistry is amazing, and they make a strong team. To all the butthurt men writing bad reviews: get over it. We've had to put up with taking a backseat to all of your testosterone-fueled fantasies for far too long. You complain that Mia's too tiny to take on a 300-lb man, yet your male heroes all have equally unrealistic abilities. Suck it up, buttercups. I'll watch any show with these three badass chicks!
My only complaint was that some of the dialogue was a bit clunky.
Down a Dark Hall (2018)
Doesn't live up to the book
Down a Dark Hall was my favorite scary book when I was a kid. While changing it to be a reform school made sense, changing so much in the film for no reason. Adding extra characters, demonic possession, etc was weird and unnecessary.
The acting was superb, though. The music was absolutely gorgeous, though, and I am immediately downloading the sheet music to play!
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018)
Perfection
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite standalone book. I even adapted it into a screenplay during college (for fun!) This was perfection. There are a few things different from the book, but not anything that changes the plot or characters. In fact, it enhances it a bit so that the audience understands their motives. There is word-for-word dialogue in some places. I understand the low ratings, as it's a pretty deep and disturbing story, and so some people just aren't going to understand it if they just watched it for Sebastian Stan. But as someone who has absolutely devoured this book, it couldn't have been done better.
The Innkeepers (2011)
Missing Something
There should have been some kind of resolution, some "why". It had a lot of flaws; however, it was still somehow really enjoyable. The characters were very realistic. The story was quite creepy, but if you want horror, this isn't for you.
Fletch Lives (1989)
Nope nope nope
Sexist, racist, and not funny in the least. I cringed through the whole thing.
The Calcium Kid (2004)
So funny!
I only watched it because it was the only Orlando Bloom film on Netflix that I hadn't seen. I thought it was really funny, and I laughed out loud quite a few times. The casting was fantastic, and Orlando Bloom was hilarious! It's good to know that he can act in something other than an action film. I also felt that the film succeeded in the mockumentary format, something which can be very tricky. This was a sweet and funny film that felt genuine, no overacting or overly ridiculous stunts. I was pleasantly surprised to see my favorite time traveling companion Rose Tyler. I have to say, I also found the film to be inspiring. I would definitely watch this film again!
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
Loved this film!
I ::love:: this book series (IMDB yelled at me for "shouting" when I typed all caps). When I found out that there was a film, I asked my friend in Australia to purchase it for me. I've never been to Australia, but I have read this series twice now, and I thought the film captured the books perfectly. Whether or not the teens are "too American", I cannot say, but they DID reflect the characters in the books.
It's very rare that I watch a film adaptation of a book I love and say, yeah, they got it right. Not only did the producers of TWTWB get it right, they captured the essence of not only the book, but also the characters. It is 99% true to the book, which never happens.
For me, it was like watching what I've always seen in my head come to life on the screen. It was uncanny at how it was the same even down to shot composition - which tells me that James Marsden really did a fantastic job writing this story.
All of you who didn't like the film, that's fine. I don't like a lot of what most people like. All I know is that I LOVE the books, and I almost always despise movie adaptations (or have to ignore things that they do that conflict with the books, like LOTR or Harry Potter, but still squirm a bit). But at the end of this film, I wanted more. I wanted to turn on the next film. I felt like the book had truly come to life, and I have never been able to say that before.