Change Your Image
interestingfunstuff
I also want to mention my college film professor. Dr. Lambert gave me a unique perspective on interpreting film. Her passion and wisdom has given me the tools and insights to write such provocative movie reviews. Thank you for teaching at my local Community College. You were considered to be our small college's most prominent professor! We all knew you could have taught anywhere you chose, even Harvard or Yale, had you decided to do so! But instead you decided to teach a diverse student body consisting of mostly financially, academically and/or emotionally struggling students! Lucky for us you decided to take the road less traveled! (See the great Robert Frost's poem: "The Road Not Taken.")
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)
The Best Film of 2016! A Story So Profound I Wept!
I had a deeply profound spiritual experience while watching this movie. It caught me totally off-guard. I highly recommend The Man Who Knew Infinity to anyone who considers themselves open-minded, polytheistic or spiritual.
This is a story of Hinduism (polytheism) versus the stale, sterile secularism and atheism of the West. Most of us in the West coming from the Abrahamic tradition (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have a profound prejudice towards Hinduism because it is polytheistic. But there are powers outside of ourselves which we simply can't explain.
It's so ironic that this incredible mathematical breakthrough came from a spiritual source and nobody would listen because some of the most brilliant men on earth had totally closed minds!
Gods of Egypt (2016)
I Enjoyed Gods of Egypt So Much I Want to See It Again!
This is a really fun and positive movie! Gods Of Egypt has very hot guys and gals so no matter what your sexual preference is there's somebody who will get you excited. The acting is excellent. There is real chemistry between the actors. I identified with many of the story's characters. That made me feel good. You don't need to know anything about the Egyptian Gods to understand what is going on. The story is well balanced, it has a solid beginning, middle and end. The Gods of Egypt keeps your interest from beginning to end. There's a lot of variety. So much is going on and that's one of the reasons I love adventure movies. The cinematography and the CGI are fantastic. You really enter another world without hesitation. This Is Pagan Friendly Film About the Egyptian Gods! There's no camp here. The Egyptian Gods are respected and feel quite real. This is a story about love, hormones, real courage and dare I SAY SELF-SACRIFICE! Yes! There is a really positive spiritual message in the Gods of Egypt.Wow!
Risen (2016)
Jesus is the God of Love and Wisdom, Not the God of Gruesomeness and Victimization!
I was once a devout Christian and I was very involved with my church and I believed everything I was taught. I even seriously considered becoming a member of the clergy.
1. Christianity is not all about martyrdom or victimization. The Roman authorities also abused many pagans especially Bacchus worshipers and any pagan who did not bow down before Rome. A person's paganism was no protection from Roman conquest. As far as Rome was concerned, Christians were just another cult that did not bow down to Rome. Plain and simple.
2. Watching Risen was like watching a horror movie. I have been going to movies for for over 40 years so I have some perspective. I realize this is a current trend. For some odd reason Hollywood thinks graphic grossness will sell.
3. I beg you not to take your children to see this really twisted film unless you want to deliberately shock them. I guarantee YOU will be planting the seeds of fear and/or resentment in your children. I don't need my children to see extreme violence masquerading as spirituality. How twisted can you get?
4. Many of my family members and friends are Jewish. This film is subtly or not so subtly - depending on your point of view - anti-Semitic. Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. There is not one word in the new testament telling his followers to abandon their Jewishness. There is plenty corruption and hypocrisy in every religion. Why the constant focus on hypocrisy within Judaism? Like this is anything new? Corruption and hypocrisy affects EVERY religion, my dear Christians!
5. Why the constant focus on past events? Jesus made it crystal clear: THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU! That means whats most important is what is happening NOW, not 2,000 years ago.
6. Last, but not least, the Roman Empire was not nice. Only the Scots in Scotland and the German tribes in the North prevented Rome from conquering the Arctic! But war porn and spirituality do not mix. Why do Christians put up with such nasty crap? Only Hollywood would make a grossly violent movie about the Prince of Peace and not hear so much as a peep from the Christian world! You cowardly Hollywood worms try this with another major religion and see what happens! I can only pray the Christian world someday wakes up!
Where to Invade Next (2015)
I'm A Grown Man And I Literally Cried!
We Americans have a lot to learn from other cultures. Most Americans think they are "the best" in the world - IN EVERYTHING - AND THAT'S UTTER NONSENSE! It's a form of social control used by various elites to keep the average American from knowing what is possible with the great wealth and power our country has accumulated. We have been brainwashed into taking crumbs and believing that's all we deserve from our society.
We are also deliberately kept ignorant about the rest of the world and how much better many countries treat their citizens - since our school systems pretend that most of the world outside of Mexico, Canada and a few large countries in Europe and Asia - simply doesn't exist. It outrageous. We are such fools!
I'm an extremely well-informed person and I didn't even know about half of what Michael Moore mentioned in his film! I can only imagine all the dunderheads out there who have never even heard the names of some of the countries mentioned in Where To Invade Next! Be curious about the rest of the world. It has a lot to teach us!
The Big Short (2015)
Three True Stories Told So Well It Will Help Prevent Amnesia!
Full Disclosure: A close relative of mine sold out and ended up working as a lawyer in the derivatives department at Bear Stearns during the crash and promptly lost her job. To her credit she left the sleazy world of Wall Street to raise a family. I personally received an application for what is now called a Liar's Mortgage in 2007 from State Farm! I had the good sense to realize that not having to have the information on my application verified was cause for alarm! I still rent to this very day.
With that said The Big Short is a very powerful movie with three true stories intersecting on what would be a scandal that could have led to a worldwide collapse of the world's economic system. Nobody talks about this anymore. The Republican critters running for office pretend it never happened even though it is the single most important event of the 21st Century!
The Big Short made me feel uncomfortable, like it should. I identified with all the main characters since I come from a family of business men. In every disaster there are good guys who play by the rules and get screwed. The near global catastrophe was caused by fraud on such a huge scale that it defies the imagination. How could so many people willingly conspire with each other and do so much harm to the rest of the world and go scot-free? At the very least there should have been a Truth Commission like they had in South Africa.
The Big Short is such an important movie that every MBA student should be required to watch it before graduating along with every history major. It's that good of a story. It's the ultimate Cautionary Tale!
Woman in Gold (2015)
There Are All Kinds of People in the World and Some of Them Are Beautiful!
While this is a deeply moving story, this is the first film about the Holocaust I've ever heard of that is not intensely violent or overwhelmingly gut-wrenching. You could take the whole family to see Woman in Gold without being concerned in the slightest about traumatizing even a child. The story is told in such a straightforward way you get to feel like you are a friend of the Altman and Bloch-Bauer family! It's that intimate! Wow! That's what I call good filmmaking!
The next time you visit New York City I highly recommend visiting The Neue Gallery located on Museum Mile. Seeing the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt in real life is quite an experience! There's good reason why the painting is called the "Mona Lisa of Austria." This is also a story about being a good lawyer.
If you want to be a lawyer someday, this story will give you an idea what a determined and intelligent lawyer can accomplish!
The 100 (2014)
You Must Have A Really Boring Life If You Enjoy The 100!
I stopped watching TV/Cable programs back in 2001 and I'm so glad I did! WoW! If you love blood and guts flying everywhere you will love The 100! The violence was shocking and way over the top. The 100 graphically shows someone severing the Carotid artery in a person's throat! A psychotic teen brutally murdering a totally unsuspecting and innocent teen by slicing his Carotid artery while calmly talking to him. But there's lots more: A graphic display of body parts from a crash scene. A teen shooting his elected leader at point blank range, People being executed over ridiculous crimes, Graphic scenes of death from a bombing. Mass death by suffocation. Gruesome wounds and lots and lots of blood.
I realize most people's lives are incredibly boring and this kind of television is supposed to be exciting. I mean you never say hello to your neighbors. You're terrified of uttering a single word to a stranger out of fear they might actually want to say something back to you. You're too lazy to vote in most political elections. You don't even read except for what's required for work. So you race home, throw on the boob tube and get to feel how lucky you are by watching junk like The 100! At least my safe, self-imposed boring life is not dangerous or risky in the slightest! Or, maybe, you have become so numb and so desensitized that you could care less about the suffering of others. You actually enjoy seeing all this graphic violence and pain. It makes you feel alive because you don't feel alive in the real world!
God forbid if the makers of The 100 had to leave anything to the imagination that doesn't have to do with sex or excrement! Our society for all it's technical advancement and incredible wealth is quite sick when such pessimistic television like The 100 has become the norm. I'm so glad that I watch programs, like Star Trek, which is actually optimistic about the future!
I'd be all for shows like The 100 if it got people motivated to make the world a better place! Who in their right mind wants the future to turn out this way? But since titillation is all most people want then vote for people to go to an AA-type support group to deal with their addiction to violence, pessimism and titillation from watching other people's pain!
Cinderella (2015)
A Cinderella Story With Real Depth! Wow!
Finding your soulmate is one of life's ultimate pleasures. Nothing, but nothing is more important than the profound love between two people. Of course you will have differences. Your class background may not be equal - but in end that does not matter. What matters is that you are true to yourself – and each other. Here are some other good messages: There is a spiritual world that will help you in your hour of need if you let it! A king can be good ruler and everyone can prosper from wise leadership. (There are certainly plenty working class people in this version of Cinderella, but no one is in rags or going hungry in this well run little kingdom.) Forgiveness protects you from bitterness, hatred and the need for revenge. Be kind to strangers. They might be angels in disguise. You can be a decent person without letting people walk all over you. Being good natured is not a weakness, but a strength. Speak truth to power. Exploiting people will backfire in the end. Strength comes from within. The ends don't justify the means. Surround yourself with true friends. Be kind to animals. They are also your friends. Face adversity with courage. True beauty is within you! Accept your child for who they are. Be honest with those you love.
I could go on and on! There are so many good messages in this version of Cinderella you could actually make a contest out of it!
Isn't it amazing that Hollywood can tell a story with zero physical violence and without going overboard on being too campy or boring? Here's a fairytale where you actually care about the characters! I have to admit, tears welled up in my eyes more than once, and I'm a grown man!
McFarland, USA (2015)
Finally, Mexicans Living In America Are Shown Some Respect!
Wow! Mexicans are shown as loving, friendly, hard working, (which is putting it mildly) heroic and strong. Some come from families that work closely together as a team. Cooperation is their middle name! They are a spiritual people who are healthy and good looking. They want to better themselves and they know how to survive incredible adversity.
McFarland, USA is about relationships. If you like character development you will love this true story! But it's also about challenging the prejudices many - if not most - Caucasian Americans have about Mexicans. I was lucky enough to fall in love with a Mexican. I could not believe all the different kinds of prejudices I was harboring! While most of us White people will never fall in love with a Mexican or even have a Mexican friend or acquaintance, McFarland, USA will help you to wake-up and realize that most Mexicans are not job stealing thieves or scary criminals. But instead they are more like you - and me - than we would like to admit!
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Emotionally Sterile Corporate Goop For The Masses! Fifty Shades of Tedium
What nauseated me most is how we - as a culture - slobber all over rich people. The joke is on us! Sure there are some great rich people out there like Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer and George Soros, but most other truly rich folks could care less if the other 99% of us dropped dead! When our heroine asks Mr. Grey which of the row of Mercedes and Bentleys are his and he says, "all of them!" I muttered to myself "that's disgusting" and I got up and walked out! I'm so glad I didn't pay a dime to see this film. Such extravagances are absolutely repulsive. We need to stop worshiping rich people! Instead we should feel sorry for them for being so mind-bogglingly selfish and banal.
The acting was so unconvincing, I would call it stale and wooden. So even if you really do love all those rich people out there - and secretly want to be one of them - the movie is plain boring. All the soft porn S & M in the world will not save 50 Shades of Tedium when you could care less about any of the characters!
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Whatever "Bought and Paid For" Film Critics Say Expect the Opposite!
Good films are NOT bad! Bad Films are NOT good! The "professional" film critics have some sort of warped agenda which is not for the benefit of the movie-going public. When a friend of mine is quoting how bad Jupiter Ascending is going to be because of what shyster film critics say, I know this film is going to be in big financial trouble. Jupiter Ascending was only released on Friday and Sunday's matinée was practicably empty. What a damn shame!
Jupiter Ascending is clever,imaginative and fun! It even has a sense of humor! The cinematographyis breathtaking! It's brought to you by the makers of the Matrix for Peter's sake! There is NO gross violence! You can take the whole family to see it. Is it a masterpiece like 2001 A Space Odyssey? No! But neither is it terrible and depressing like an endless parade of recent movies such as Interstellar, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, Into the Woods, The Maze Runner and The Giver. (Yes! They were all from 2014. Did you forget some of them already?!!!)
Don't let a bunch of bought and paid for morons dictate what movies you should - or should not - watch! Jupiter Ascending will entertain you! That's all anyone can ask for in a movie!
Selma (2014)
Watch "King" Staring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson, Instead!
Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my heroes. If I was on that balcony I would not have hesitated to have given up my life to save his. I want to make it clear my criticism is not of MLK, Jr. or of the Civil Rights movement. I despised this film for being overly depressing and gloomy. Selma was so bad I walked out. I couldn't stand it another second. It was like I was watching a horror movie.
Call it what you will, but you are preaching to the choir. Do you really expect racists - or the ignorant - or those who don't care - are going to race out to the movies to pay over $10.00 to watch Selma? I seriously doubt it! It's going to be liberals and others who are sympathetic to the Civil Rights movement that are going to watch this film.
If this is your audience, then why club us over the head with horror and fear? Was that really necessary to tell a such powerful story? The answer is "NO!" Watch "King" staring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson and you decide. It's obvious you can tell a good story without sugar-coating it or traumatizing your audience.
The Imitation Game (2014)
A Gay Man Saves 14 Million Lives Throughout the World
....by shortening humanity's worst war of all time by at least two years! He may even have saved the life of my own beloved grandfather who worked in the Brooklyn (New York) Navel Yard all throughout World War 2! A military target that would have eventually been within reach of German submarines.
If it wasn't for Alan Turing's genius, integrity and perseverance all of history would have been changed for the worse. Another minor footnote: He's also the father of the modern computer and one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived.
Despite being one of the giants of the 20th century, few people outside those with a passion for history or computing have ever heard of the man until now. No universities or streets are named after him. No statues or portrait honor Turing anywhere in the world all because he is gay. In fact, it took the Queen of England to the year 2013 to issue him a pardon for having consensual sex - in the privacy of his home - with another man! In 2013! That's an abomination. The Queen of England is sitting on her throne in one piece because of this man! She should have laid a wreath on his grave decades ago!
I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I sobbed at the end of this movie! This is a most profound story about love! YES! LOVE! Intense, passionate love is not limited to just heterosexuals!
It's also a story about sex. I was born in the 1960's and consensual sex - in the privacy of one's home - between men was legal in the State I was living in when I turned 18. But the stigma of being a sexual minority remains in way too many places – and affects me greatly in my own personal life to this very day. The pain I – and others – have suffered for being "different" is indescribable. This story validates my experiences and the experiences of millions of other sexual minorities – from around the world - both living and deceased.
The cruelty Alan Turing experienced from his classmate is similar to what I had to endure in high school. But I was lucky; I never had to worry about having consensual sex with another man in the privacy of my own home. But in Alan Turing's case you get to see a good man who gave so incredibly much to the world be ripped apart by pure evil that was 100% legal back in the 1950's! It's so ironic too! Watch closely. The police officer breaks the law and he is the one who should be legitimately imprisoned! It's not just in the United States that police officers feel they are above the law they supposedly serve!
Memo to Hollywood: This shows you know how to make great movies. Sure, you won't make billions every time, but you're gonna make a tidy profit by doing a spectacular job. Wouldn't you rather make a film people will be watching 500 years from now on another planet in another solar system then making trash, like The Hobbit trilogy, that no will care about once it leaves the theaters?
One more point to ponder: Michelangelo is considered by most people to be the greatest sculptor who ever lived. He was a gay man and he lived five centuries ago - in peace - till he died at 88 (Yes 8-8). Now fast-forward to the 1950's - in what was supposedly the country that birthed modern democracy - and look what the British did to one of the greatest mathematicians that ever lived only because he is gay!
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Why Do Moviegoers Support Bad Films By Paying For Them?
If you watched the first two Hobbit films directed by Jackson, then you know the story arc is on a steep, downward spiral. For example, the previous film was so bad I was actually rooting for the dragon Smaug! I despised the film that much!
But let's talk economics. If you pay to see junk then you, yes you, are encouraging Hollywood to make more junk. It's Economics 101. If you don't spend money on bad films then Hollywood will do a better job. It's that simple. Since the movie-going audience pays the bills, when the movie-going audience stops paying the bills, Hollywood will have a financial incentive to stop making junk!
The movie has little to do with the book except the names are all the same. If you changed every name you would not realize your watching The Hobbit. The film is nothing more than war porn, plain and simple.
The original Lord Of The Rings film trilogy were masterpieces. But can you imagine what the films would have been like if each book in the trilogy was split up into three films each - for a total of 9 films? Well, that's exactly what Director Jackson did. He took one skinny book and instead of turning it into one or possibly two films, he essentially made-up a different story - from the book - and made three films.
Now if Jackson could have done a better job than Tolkien himself, then Great! But he's not a fantasy writing genius, he's a money grubbing moron who wants to maximize profits by using his formerly good name to lure fans of Tolkien to watch his crap. In other words, Jackson does not care one bit that he ruining one of the greatest pieces of literature in the English language. He's making himself and his buddies rich because of you and me!
Every time you spend a dime on something you are voting for that product or service, just like when you vote for a politician at the polls. If you want quality then don't pay for junk! It's that simple!
Into the Woods (2014)
PG Rating Is A Scam! This Movie Is Not Suitable For Children/Pre-Teens Unless You Want To Destroy Your Children's Innocence!
Into The Woods is a sick, twisted story that is beyond bad or rotten. It tells that audience that unless you are a newborn baby everyone - no matter what your age or social class - is corrupt and despicable! (If you want to see a fantasy film that is the best I've ever seen in my life then buy Hallmark's & Jim Henson's "Jack and the Beanstalk - The Real Story." It is suitable for all ages and you may even cry your brains out while watching it the first time, like I did!)
I've never before seen a movie that should have been rated PG-13 or R rated PG. Never in my life - and I have been going to movies for at least 45 YEARS! Let me ask you this: Is three separate acts of thievery of an innocent individual's most valuable possessions - that leads to an act of manslaughter by a child, no less, worthy of only a PG rating? Then add another act of manslaughter, with the assistance of all the adults around him worthy of just a PG rating? Then another act of manslaughter by an adult killing the child's mother worthy of just a PG rating? Then the accidental death of another adult hero worthy of just a PG rating? How about leaving a new born child with a pre-teen with zero babysitting experience, as if that was not a big deal, worthy of just a PG rating. How about a kidnapper isolating her alleged daughter first in a castle with no escape, then in a rather flimsy hut made of twigs - in a swamp in the middle of nowhere - worthy of just a PG rating? How about one of the characters that was murdered looking exactly like an elderly grandmother is that worthy of only a PG rating? Or how about a flock of birds pecking out the eyes of two women is that worthy of only a PG rating? In the world of "Into the Woods" blindness is funny! How sick and twisted can you get? How about a totally innocent man having his eyes poked out by thorn bushes, is that worthy of only a PG rating. (Does it really matter if he is innocent or or not, this film was rated PG!) And last, but not least, let's not forget one women having their toe cut off and another having there heel of their foot cut off? Wow! I've never seen acts amputation to be hilarious until now (I'm being sarcastic!) Is that worthy of only a PG rating?
This Film Is So Bad It Is Making Me Feel Nauseous! I may even throw-up by the end of the night! Most people have better things to do then write a movie review when they feel this sick to their stomach. But if I help prevent one young person or adult from seeing this film and being deceived and traumatized, like I was, then it's well worth the effort.
I want to make it clear there are NO good guys in this film. I could care less about any of the characters except for the newborn child and the two murdered giants. Whoever had anything to do with this film knew exactly what they were doing. If adults want to see sick and twisted be my guest! But to market this as a movie suitable for children and then to have the film's rating gamed in order to maximize profits is an act of evil, plain and simple! Sorry, but I call a spade a spade. What I would like to really say will be censored, so let your imagination run wild!
On the subject of maximizing profits: Ticket sales are considerably down from last year and you wonder why? I was looking forward to seeing two other movies. Now I'm not going to see them! Hollywood and movie theater owners you made $11.50 off of me! Now you're going to loose because you would have made $34.50 had you not gamed the rating. I don't care in slightest how good the other films might be. I'll wait till I can buy them for a PENNY on Amazon! Now multiply that by lots of people across the world and I don't care how palatial you build your new movie theaters - I have zero interest in stepping inside! Zero! Zero! Zero! Antagonizing your loyal customers by trying to boost your quarterly statement at the expense of your annual statement is dumb, dumb, dumb! Hasn't anyone in Hollywood taken Accounting 101?
Hollywood, use that evil genius of yours for good and you will make more money, not less! Duh!
Interstellar (2014)
3 Of Us Fell Asleep, 6 Of Us - Out Of 7 - Hated It!
That's the score from a group of 7 friends who went to see Interstellar tonight. I've never been to a film in my entire life so full of DESPAIR. If I hadn't been with friends I would have walked out! I will avoid films by this director in the future like the plague.
The only friend who liked it said she enjoys soap operas. That pretty much sums it up! IF YOU LIKE SOAP OPERAS YOU WILL LOVE INTERSTELLAR!
There are so many plot holes several of us were cracking jokes by the end of the movie. So many parts of Interstellar are so ridiculous or makes no sense -whatsoever- it borders on camp. Sure the cinematography is magnificent. But in the end it's nothing but pretty wallpaper when the story is drawn out, tedious, annoying, maudlin, nonsensical, irrelevant, dopey and depressing.
All I can say is when the only food humanity has left to eat is corn & corn products, then you are going to end up with a very corny movie!
Mac and Me (1988)
The First Alien Ever Named After A Disgusting Fast-Food Hamburger! WoW!
That's right folks! That's why our cute little alien buddy is spelled "Mac" instead of "Mack." There's even have a scene where we get to see a crowd of young adults singing & dancing in a McDonald's restaurant while Mac is attempting to escape some men-in-black! Mac and Me is the ultimate product placement movie! Sheer evil genius! I lost track of how many times they mentioned something about McDonald's in this film. It's so pervasive Mac and Me should be considered one long commercial and it should have been free to watch when the film was released!
On a more somber note. This could have been a great movie. Sure it's an E.T. carbon copy. But so what! You could tell somebody was trying hard to write a meaningful story. What a shame! Too bad corporate backed insanity won the day!
The Maze Runner (2014)
Sterile, Humorless and Chaste! OMG! Please Not A Sequel! I Beg You! OMG! Please Not A Sequel! I Beg You!
The story makes no sense, whatsoever! Nada! Nothing! Not in the slightest. To make matters worse, the ending was nothing more then prepping the audience for a sequel! It was so in your face it was insulting. You mean the audience won't have a clue as to why all those innocent people died unless you come back and waste another 12 dollars! Wow! I will be avoiding any future sequel like the plague!
The Maze Runner also reflects the sterile and chaste expectations of the American movie going audience. For starters, you have young men living together as a colony for up to as long as three years and they all have perfect haircuts! Give me a break! I couldn't believe how well groomed they all were. Did they have a hair stylist pop in from in from another dimension on a regular basis? And how could they all be so clean shaven? Did they bring razors and shaving cream with them? None of these men have delayed puberty problems that I could tell. LOL! Some of them must have developed facial hair after years of being stranded. But what bothered me most was what great shape their clothes were in. These are young men in there late teens and early 20's. Did they bring a seamstress and a washing machine with them, too!? They are supposed to be living like Robinson Crusoe, not like George Jetson!
In this entire awful film there was only one single moment of humor. Even worse it has zero sexuality. Here's all these incredibly good looking and physically fit young men and we don't see a single one of them with their shirt off for a second! Why is non-stop violence, intense screaming and even murder OK, but not showing off the male body? Why have we become such a warped and sterile society where death and violence doesn't offend in the slightest, but God forbid you show a single male nipple or hairy armpit?
The Giver (2014)
Do Yourself A Favor! Listen to the Audiobook Read By Ron Rifkin, Instead!
"A" for effort! "F" for outcome! Wow! What a huge disappointment. The story I heard on audiobook was gut-wrenching and incredibly powerful. The film, on the other hand, had so many goofy plot holes you could drive a tractor trailer through them! I realize this is not an easy story to adapt to the screen; then don't do it if ya can't do it right!
What a waste of acting talent! Yikes! Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep did their heroic best. But it just didn't come together! This is the kind of story that would be better done by less well known actors because I can only imagine how much pressure must have been put on the producer and director to dumb down the story to make it commercially viable. Lets face it, sometimes art and and capitalism simply don't mix!
The philosophy behind The Giver reminds me of a famous dictum by none other than the Buddha himself. To summarize: Avoid all extremes. Life is neither black or white, but an endless variety of other colors. Don't become evil - or do evil - to prevent evil. Find the middle way. The world of The Giver is about living life grossly out of balance. Something most society's in the world - including our own - are doing right now!
Maleficent (2014)
Storytelling Doesn't Get Better Than This!
What a brilliant story about love, betrayal, the lust for power, innocence and redemption. This is also about biodiversity and the clash of two worlds that literally exist side by side: one grossly materialistic, the other deeply spiritual; one ruthless and masculine, the other vital and feminine.
The spirituality portrayed in Maleficent will make believers in earth-centered religions cry tears of joy. What a teachable moment for our children and teens! It teaches us what it means to really be a hero. It reminds us all that the spiritual world around us, as well as the natural world, are quite diverse and amazingly beautiful, indeed!
Maleficent is a scathing indictment of materialism and the abuse of power. I'm so happy I had the courage watch this film because it so rare that Hollywood makes a film that's neither incredibly dumb or disgustingly violent.
Divergent (2014)
What A Powerful Cautionary Tale!
Divergence is an incredibly powerful, but violent political story not suitable for children! The bottom line here is about the violent overthrow of a benevolent government. While far from perfect, these benevolent rulers are certainly 1000 times better than being governed by psychopathic killers dressed in business suits!
Another message from Divergence: Some people use fear to their advantage, they are awakened by it, while others are overwhelmed and are "shut-down" by their fears. This film focuses a lot on facing every kind of physical and psychological fear imaginable.
This also is a story about adolescents making adult choices and facing the consequences of those choices. A true transition into adulthood - that affects every adolescent - takes place. One I wish existed for all of us in real world!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
In Your Face Product Placement Ruined What Could Have Been A Great Film!
Sorry, but the product placement was so blatant it ruined the illusion of the story. Let's face it, unless your making a documentary all filmmaking is based on creating good illusions, like a talented magician! When a particular fast food company that serves gross food infects a story - like a flu virus - it wrecks the fantasy created by the filmmakers! James Thurber would be spinning in his grave!
Such product placement is totally unnecessary unless the producers of the film felt The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was going to be a big flop. Or, those making the film want to squeeze every last cent they can to make money by treating filmmaking like a commodity, such as toothpaste or underarm deodorant! Hey, that's a great idea, since we get to know over and over again Walter Mitty's favorite crappy fast food restaurant, why not let us know what his favorite toothpaste and underarm deodorant are, too?!! And why stop there? Let's find out his favorite type of paper towel, toilet paper, laundry detergent, car, soda, vodka, beer and on and on. I even have a new idea for a title: "The Secret Product Placement Life of Walter Mitty.
I didn't pay $11.50 for a ticket and another $6.50 for popcorn to repeatedly watch and hear the characters talk about commercial products in the middle of a movie. The product placement in this film was not subtle and I didn't appreciate being forced to watch such nonsense!
It's really sad filmmaking has stooped so incredibly low and that the film-going public tolerates this crap! Wow!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Milking Tolkien For All He's Worth! See What Happens When Greedy People & Corporations Sink Their Teeth Into A Great Story!
Sorry! But I've lost my patience! Watching The Hobbit was quite demoralizing! Unfortunately, The Hobbit has been turned into a commodity like toothpaste and underarm deodorant! There is ZERO justification for turning the Hobbit into a trilogy, if you are going to drag out the story and do such a poor job. The Tolkien family - who I assume controls the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's works - should be ashamed of themselves.They could have insisted in putting the story first instead of letting director Jackson create such a vapid and mediocre second Hobbit film. It's really quite sad! How can a director who made 3 masterpieces out of Lord of the Rings stoop so low and turn The Hobbit into something so trite and empty that, at times, it's like watching a Saturday morning breakfast cereal commercial on T.V.?
I badly wanted to like this movie. At least the first movie of The Hobbit trilogy had some interesting moments despite its many flaws. But now the Hobbit has been turned into a cartoon with mostly boring two-dimensional, cardboard characters. The acting was so poor at times it ruined the illusion. But worst of all, there's very little heart, unlike the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is the epitome of passion and adventure and good storytelling.
I also think part of the problem is that director Jackson is trying to turn The Hobbit into another The Lord of the Rings, which is quite stupid. They are very different stories. From what I have read, Tolkien wrote The Hobbit essentially for fun and wasn't even going to have it published until his friend, the great writer, C. S. Lewis convinced him otherwise. The Tolkien family should have went with a different director. Since when does one man own a storytelling giant like Tolkien?
Then I was forced to watch this awful movie in 3D or drive elsewhere. I noticed about 30 seconds of special 3D affects. How can that be called a 3D movie? I call it a rip-off and I wish the Federal government would call such a claim fraud, so filmmakers would think twice about ripping off the public!
Hollywood pulled the same stretching-out-the-story-stunt with Harry Potter, but at least I was smart enough to never have watched the last film. I eventually became so disgusted, I could care less what happened to Harry Potter. The same storytelling destruction non-sense has now captured the Hobbit. When I started hoping that Smaug would snap Bilbo Baggins and the King of the Dwarfs in a half, I realized I'm now done with all things Hobbit movie related!!
2 Guns (2013)
What A Camp Gem! I Haven't Laughed So Hard During A Movie In Years!
2 Guns is so bad it's absolutely hilarious! It was so dopey it's still making me laugh as I write this review! But the friend I was watching it with was frowning hard. So I said, "just think of 2 Guns as if you were watching a dream!" The story is so outrageous and dumb! Every single character was as shallow as cardboard and totally ridiculous - you had to wonder if the story was written by a 12-year old! (The thought actually did cross my mind during the movie!) Nor did the story make any sense even within the weird world it created. But it was funny as a bad movie gets!
The only reason I give it one-star is because if you don't have a warped sense of humor like I do, I guarantee you're gonna hate this movie! LOL!
Gravity (2013)
Tame and Lame! You Have Got To Be Kidding Me! Where's the Rest of the Story?
When Gravity ended my friend and I looked at each other and said simultaneously: "That's It?" We both thought the movie was far from over! It's the first time in years I had to literally apologize for picking such a lousy movie for a friend to see!
Sandra Bullock's acting was terrible and unconvincing. And, she looked like she was constipated most of the time. George Clooney came across just too perfect for such a life and death situation. He was too much like a saint in outer space!
I also felt mightily deceived by both the film's movie trailer and by the official news media critics that fawned all over this pitiful movie! Gravity is so tame and lame you could take a child to see it without a second thought! It certainly won't offend a soul on planet earth!
But worst of all, was the ending! After you a watch a film you want to feel like there was a beginning, middle and end. In Gravity your jaw is left hanging because there's was no satisfying ending. My friend and I both felt like we were in the the middle of the story when the film ended! BORING!