lomaran-1 Reviews

The Tourist (I) (2010)

Zero foreshadowing.

[4/10 · 3 February 2024]

Disappointing. Not a Jolie fan but I like Depp. I got tired of her from the get-go. Walking, walking, walking. Strutting her stuff here and there. So many close ups. Her clothes, however, were beautiful and she did have pretty eyes. Depp didn't look good. Straggly. A bit chunky, too, not that chunky is bad, but it didn't look good on him in this film. The location shooting was nice. No complaints with the cinematography. (I'm trying to write enough to submit this review.) - The ending. I hated it. Not enough setup. It came out of nowhere. Simply poorly written imho and it could have been easily fixed by a more talented writer. I wouldn't recommend.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

No free will, huh?

[6/10 · 8 August 2023]

The acting was fine; Matt Damon, Emily Blunt. The supporting characters were exceptionally good and the story was fine, too but ... Hollywood exists to influence us. This movie is to show us we have no free will. When the powers 'left us to ourselves', we caused The Dark Ages, the World Wars. Here's a tip; Hollywood is run by an elite. That same elite runs ... things. They want us to believe THEY KNOW BEST. They don't, by a long shot. Spoiler: the ending makes up for it. I liked the ending but not the premise of the film, that being that we are not in control of our own lives. That we don't make the choices - that they are made for us. I do not believe that. There's no HOPE in that and what is humanity, what is our existence without hope?

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Finally watched it.

[7/10 · 5 March 2023]

I recently bought both this, and part one The Avengers: Infinity War, used on ebay (as I have boycotted Disney). I must say, I was disappointed (in both), although each has made billions. Most of the Avengers were whiny, pathetic renditions of their former selves. Ant Man was the exception. Regarding the Disney inserts of playful Marvel banter? Many felt VERY forced, to the point where it was borderline uncomfortable to watch. I needed to see it to finish out the MCU. I 'might' watch Guardians 3. Might. Used. I'm not interested in further feeding The Rat that IS modern Disney. So sad, as I grew up in the 60s/70s when Disney was great.

Silent Running (1972)

Could have made more sense.

[5/10 · 13 February 2023]

So some corporation spends a fortune to put these huge ships into space and to maintain their existence for at least eight years, for what? To eventually return plant life to Earth? Why not just spend the money and build them ON Earth? They decide to blow them up, again why? Why not return the precious cargo to Earth? Perhaps if a logical backstory had been provided, it might have been more engaging. Dern was okay in it. He came across human. The supporting cast is depicted as idiotic; recklessly driving around cargo that is clearly labeled as dangerous, and we're supposed to accept that they are scientists or engineers - with proper training? They are -useless- non-humans, that the audience will probably NOT LIKE, so we don't give a 💩 when they are taken out. In fact, we are almost glad. It's something to watch on a rainy day but not really recommended.

The Rookie (1990)

This is such a bad film. Wow.

[1/10 · 28 July 2021]

And Clint directed it!

**Spoilers**

No chemistry between the characters, what-so-ever. Clint is Dirty Harry in the very beginning. Not too bad, partner gets killed, of course.

Drags afterwards. Charlie Sheen seems mis-cast.

Several blatant 'ughs'.

Crew members very visible during a fight scene. The ... rape ... of Clint by his female kidnapper. WTH?

Charlie takes three bullets in the back and somehow, too, it is perceived by his fellow officers as an embarrassment. Again, WTH?

Quite possibly the worse film I have ever seen and I've watched hundreds and hundreds.

Unless you want to see how NOT to make a film, I would pass on it.

The War of the Worlds (2019)

Just saw this on Roku. In 2021.

[2/10 · 12 July 2021]

Why is it SO difficult to comprehend the idea of a TRUE period piece rendition of The War of the Worlds? When I stumbled upon this I was, thrilled! Has someone finally done it? A few minutes in, yes only A FEW, and I knew.

****Spoilers**** We meet a 'strong' female scientist. Yes, in turn of the 20th century Britain. I kept seeing Amy Pond from Doc Who but Amy Pond she is not.

She and her pathetically weak boy-toy move into Lynton, like a married couple but are they? A few hints of dialogue make us question. Certainly they wouldn't do that. Blatantly, in 1905, or whenever this is supposed to take place? Oh, yeah. They did. A female scientist with degrees up the wazoo? Again, oh yeah. They did.

Why? They try to push that women were suppressed in the past and then they try to rewrite history to show the opposite.

I couldn't get passed that. Too bad. Visually, it was quite appealing. Oh, right. The ten year flash to the future? That's where I turned it off.

The Magical World of Disney: Disneyland Showtime (1970) Season 16, Episode 20

Wow, we didn't know it then, but we were so much better off!

[9/10 · 1 February 2021]

Not better off, financially, perhaps or any other number of adverbs but if you watch this episode, you can't miss it. It's wholesome. Clean. Fun, Patriotic, even. I was eight years old when this aired and yes, I watched it THEN (probably for Donny) but we DID WATCH Disney EVERY Sunday evening. It sickens me to see what Disney has become. Yes, we were better off THEN in SO MANY WAYS.

Dirty Harry (1971)

A perfectly timed film, for an audience who was fed up.

[10/10 · 11 June 2020]

I just rewatched DIRTY HARRY for the umpteenth time. Still great. Since it is now 2020, here's a more recent take on it. This movie was a result of the sixties. And yes, I was there. It's rather relevant today too, with all the rioting taking place but - we will, unfortunately, never see another Dirty Harry. Too truthful and therefore too 'triggering'. Our current establishment has gotten much too mamby-pamby for that. Death Wish was another well-timed flick, for the same reason. Violence running over in the city and politicians and bureaucrats too afraid to do anything about it. Yep, that's 'Dirty Harry'. So, Harry does what needs to be done. He is what 'most' members of the audience, in 1971, wanted to see. Well placed and deserved ACTION. A comeuppance. The movie even plays upon the pathetic-ness of our courts by allowing Scorpio to 'walk' due to some ridiculous LEGAL technicality - AFTER he tells them where to find the dead girl. Our justice system. No different today. No justice for the law-abiding. But again people, in 1971, were fed up. It's a satisfying film too in that the psycho gets it in the end. Way too many more modern films twist their ending. Since movies, to me, are supposed to be escapism, having a satisfying ending is important and having just invested two hours of my life into a film, I demand it. So, if the powers-that-be decide to 'subvert my expectations? Well, ... I will probably NEVER watch it again and will no doubt, share my displeasure with others. That is of course, THEIR choice. Mine, too. They need be prepared, though, for a rather dismal after-market for streaming and DVD sales cause I, at least, won't be buying it. Give it a watch, while you can, if you like well-placed action and mild violence. When compared to today? Yes, it's mild.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Awful.

[3/10 · 27 August 2019]

After reading a few #1 scores, I feel compelled to share my disgust for this film. Wow, and ugh. Visually, it is breathtaking. The cinematography is BEAUTIFUL but with that being stated, that is all that is good about it. The problem, of course, is the attempt to modernize Jane Austen's story, which SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRIED. Her story is imbedded with the customs of the time and those customs are what shaped the story AND its characters. You CANNOT change what -should have been the foundation- of the film without destroying the story as a whole. The THREE unforgivable scenes, imho, are: the pigs running through the house, the barn dance and ... Elizabeth in a wet field in her underwear. Her underwear? Really? A well-bred lady? Not to mention the risk of pneumonia in an era when it can kill you (no antibiotics yet, folks). I just can't get past the historical inaccuracies. They are too blatant. The 1995 BBC rendition is just about perfect. If you REALLY want to watch Pride & Prejudice, please give it a try. Better yet, read the novel. Her style is priceless.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Wow. What an ending.

[8/10 · 2 August 2019]

Without giving too much away - the ending is, in a word, satisfying. VERY satisfying. Pitt does a great job, through out. Impressive. DiCaprio too, is likable - and I am no fan of his. It is a bit slow in places. I did catch myself checking my watch. NOT a good sign - but do yourself a favor and stay until the end. Though graphically violent, like Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction, it works. If you know anything about the Manson murders. Yes, see it to the end. Enough said.

Monkey Business (1952)

Howard Hawkes? Really?

[4/10 · 6 July 2019]

It isn't Howard's fault. I love Howard Hawkes' movies, generally. This one, though ...

It isn't Cary's fault, either. Grant is ... okay in it, but just okay. He was, I guess, the straight-man to Ginger.

The problem? Oh, yeah, it's Ginger. Not her acting, mind you, but her character. For when her character turns young again? Wow.

Was she this much of a whiny pain in the a** the first time around?

'I'll tell my mother.' 'I'll go home to mother' 'I'll go back to my old boyfriend.' (Please do.)

All she does is 'rag' on Cary's character, non-stop. She appears insecure. She appears totally self-absorbed. (What did Cary's character ever see in her?) She's terrible! And she ruins this film for me, every time. Too bad.

But Marilyn looks good!

Fosse/Verdon (2019)

Wow. Bob Fosse was a pig.

[5/10 · 16 May 2019]

I know who both were. I am 57. Not a fan of Broadway, really, but I LOVE old movies so knew of Fosse when he danced with Bobby Van in old musicals. Gwen, I know from Damn Yankees and Cocoon. She put up with a LOT, but their relationship went beyond husband/wife sex. He relied on her HEAVILY and used just about every other woman he ever met for his physical pleasure. The fact that these women were willing! (?) Whatever ... Aside from the graphic exploits of Mr Fosse, I am enjoying it. It shows the private side of theater/movie-making life, and I'm glad I'm not a part of it.

The X-Files: All Souls (1998) Season 5, Episode 17

It's a fun episode.

[8/10 · 10 May 2019]

Scully's faith vs Mulder's beliefs. Mulder believes in everything: from Little Green Men to the Easter Bunny - but no, not God. That's taking things too far. Angels, too or even an afterlife in Heaven are all scoffed at by him, but he DOES believe in past lives, so go figure.

The Seraphim ARE, btw, mentioned in the Bible (Isaiah), as are the Nephilim or giants of the Old Testament. The four faces represent the Four Gospels. In Matthew, the Gospel for the Jews, Jesus is depicted as a King or Lion. In Mark, the Gospel for the Romans, Jesus is depicted as servant or the Ox. In Luke, the Gospel for the Greek, He is a Man and in John, the Gospel for ALL, Jesus is depicted as God or the Eagle. I found this fascinating when I first learned it as a new Christian and others reading this, and enjoying this episode, might find it interesting, as well. The story told is apocryphal but the Nephilim being the offspring of the fallen angels and human women is generally accepted. Again, interesting, fun stuff.

Signs (2002)

In my top 10 of FAV movies.

[10/10 · 28 April 2019]

I am a HUGE movie fan. Primarily Golden Age films but there are a handful or so, more current, that I can -and do- watch over and over. This is one of them. Oh yes, I've heard the reasons people don't like it. Why would the aliens come to a planet with water? Well, why did man go to the moon? It was deadly for us, too. (They came for its people, and steered clear of the water.) How come the alien couldn't get out of the pantry? (Uh, because it was locked in and the door was hard and thick. - And even if they could travel through space further than us, it doesn't mean they are stronger.) I'm guessing some people don't like it because of its religious theme, and these are just excuses to rag on it. Was it all a coincidence? Perhaps. Was it a higher being aka God? The audience can decide for itself. Personally, I think it was excellently written and acted. (And pretty darned creepy in places.) There were great performances by all and if the very end doesn't move you (to near tears). Well, I guess, to each their own.

The Wolfman (2010)

Watched it again. It's an okay rendition.

[8/10 · 18 April 2019]

I really don't understand all the negative reviews regarding this film. I think Universal did okay with it, nine years ago, as opposed to what they tried to recently do with that Mummy remake. (Brandon Fraser's is STILL excellent.) This Wolfman has the right 'feel', the right time period, costumes and cinematography. Of course, it's dark. It's the Wolfman! It's before electricity and, it's in England. The choice of actors is finely representative, as well. I didn't recognize Emily Blunt, 9 years ago, as she was not yet established, but she does really well in a period piece. All in all, I wish Universal had continued down this path. Betting on that Tom Cruise (Mummy) movie as a 'start' of things to come, was definitely a mistake.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

An okay film. Good for killing a few hours.

[6/10 · 15 April 2019]

I actually liked it better than the first Jurassic World film. Pratt was not utilized to his fullest potential, but he was still the most likable of the cast. The little girl was okay, too. I, happily, did not pay for the privilege of viewing this last franchise attempt, as it was free on HBO.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Masks (1994) Season 7, Episode 17

A venue for Brent Spiner.

[2/10 · 1 April 2019]

Which in itself is fine. I loved the Data character but as the show progressed into later seasons, this one and 'A Fistful of Datas' both struck me as simply a 'fun' episode for Brent Spiner to - do his thing. And he did. Masks in one of my least favorite episodes. I generally won't re-watch it if it happens to be on, unlike most of the others.

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer (2018)

Not an anti-abortion film.

[8/10 · 16 October 2018]

It is the story of Dr. Gosnell, a killer. Yes, he performed abortions but one needs to look past that. He was 'protected' by the system, because of the services he rendered - so his facility was never checked by the health department - even after a woman died. It was beyond filthy. Well beyond filthy. He used unprofessional help (meaning untrained young women), to administer drugs and anesthesia and ... on several occasions, he killed babies born alive. This man was a monster, who still to this day, doesn't believe he did anything wrong. He was NOT helping women. He was making (lots of) money.

Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011) Season 7, Episode 0

If not my favorite, then very close to it!

[9/10 · 6 October 2018]

So many negative reviews. Wow. I LOVE this episode. It's fun. It's sad. And then it's happy (tears). Never have I watched it without it hitting me in the end. Beautiful. It's a Christmas Special. What did one expect? And ... I also love Stephen Moffat so no, all the fans do not despise his writing. ALL my favs are from him. Thanks!

Network (1976)

Too accurate today to be fun.

[3/10 · 4 September 2018]

Perhaps it was once considered great, but having just re-watched this movie, I did not enjoy it. Faye Dunaway's character is all that is wrong in tv and Hollywood. Driven, ambitious, a user. She'll sell out her country for a hit show. People could die because of the information shared on her show and that's fine with her, so long as she has a large share of the audience watching. And Ned Beatty's character, wow. No nations, only corporations. So clearly an explanation of today's globalism. Money to be made by the elite. Again if people die, oh well. Selfish, fowl and evil - not to mention the overuse of profanities.

Death of a Nation (2018)

Professional critics hate it. Gee, I wonder why?

[8/10 · 7 August 2018]

Brilliantly done and VERY insightful - for those with an open mind. But ... if you refuse to hear the non-Leftist view, then you will remain forever ignorant and forever indoctrinated.

The Magic School Bus Rides Again (2017–2021)

Just watch the original series.

[1/10 · 5 August 2018]

Bring back the old show. Show it to a new audience. Done. The original was great. My three boys watched all the episodes, growing up, and yes, learned something but were innocently entertained, as well. Back before political correctness. Each character was unique and likable It didn't need remaking - unless you are simply providing 'work' for Hollywood.

JFK: The Lost Bullet (2011 TV Movie)

Not worth watching.

[1/10 · 25 July 2018]

I've watched TONS of these JFK related documentaries and have many, many books on his assasination. This show was one of the worse. The assumption is made of Oswald's guilt and thus the bullets, all three, being fired from the book depository. Although, there is plenty of evidence to dispute both of these claims, none are adequately addressed. DC propaganda film.

Sherlock: The Final Problem (2017) Season 4, Episode 3

Sadistic. Not entertaining.

[4/10 · 16 January 2017]

I get it that she, Euros, wanted revenge after being locked up and forgotten by her family. With her parents (Still alive? How old is Mycroft?) believing her dead, and Sherlock believing her non-existent, the only visitor she could have ever had was Mycroft, who would be no one's first choice. You understand the punishment better too when you learn of her killing Sherlock's best friend, but even that death was poorly done. A young boy missing and the only one out looking for him was a young Sherlock? Where are the boy's parents? The police? He's in a well? Wouldn't that be the first place you'd look?

Christmas present? Moriarty? Why? Did she ask for him? Would she even know of his existence? And unsupervised? The Moriarty character was always hard to take so I was glad when the character killed himself and was, also, quite angry when I thought, for a second, that he was still alive in this episode. TOO many shows are pulling that crap today! When a character dies, please keep them dead! It's insulting to the audience, really. Even Sherlock's resurrection was insulting, albeit necessary, for the show to continue but Moriarty? No super villain is THAT perfect, which brings us back to Euros.

She is unbelievable. There is ZERO plausibility for both she and the Moriarty character and her deliverance of death, so callously doled out, was both tedious and cruel. Sadistic, not entertaining by any stretch of the imagination.

This was NOT an episode worthy of the series.

The Big Bang Theory: The Conjugal Conjecture (2016) Season 10, Episode 1

What happened to BBT'S writers?

[1/10 · 20 September 2016]

Not funny. In fact, I was uncomfortable watching it. Jokes about Penny's brother being in and out of jail, jokes about Mary Cooper and Leonard's dad having 'coitus'. I had never heard Sheldon talk so consistently disrespectful to his mother. Just terrible. She did complain about it few times but it didn't stop and it was bad, ugly. He has a better relationship with her than that. And why did Bernadette perform the ceremony? ALL the others got ordained to perform her marriage to Howard (which I thought very dumb) but she didn't. Is that why the writers felt obliged to use her in this episode? I'm wondering too, what happened to Leonard's siblings? Doesn't his character have a brother and a sister? Shouldn't they have attended, or at least been mentioned? So sad to see the show today. Mean, mean humor that just plain isn't funny. Sheldon used to be naive but caring. ALL the characters have become two-dimensional parodies of themselves, which generally always happens when a show has been on TOO long. Too bad. The show used to be great.