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An error has ocurred. Please try againBTW One of the wannabes on the Hall of Shame list cried and it is now gone. Google still has it cached. I had left comments open so anyone on the list could say their piece and one guy did. Oddly, I don't think it was him that cried to the admins. Oh, well. Maybe soon...
BTW One of the wannabes on the Hall of Shame list cried and it is now gone. Google still has it cached. I had left comments open so anyone on the list could say their piece and one guy did. Oddly, I don't think it was him that cried to the admins. Oh, well. Maybe soon...
*or end it. If they no like these, find a better partner. Sex ain't everything, especially after 50. A fun taste in movies together is a pleasure still fun in a nursing home.
BTW One of the wannabes on the Hall of Shame list cried and it is now gone. Google still has it cached. I had left comments open so anyone on the list could say their piece and one guy did. Oddly, I don't think it was him that cried to the admins. Oh, well. Maybe soon...
ORDER has little bearing. In fact this may end up my 100 favourite movies.
*per the much cited Arthur C Clarke's 3rd "law"
I used to try and watch movies in my mind when spending time in the hole.
BTW One of the wannabes on the Hall of Shame list cried and it is now gone. Google still has it cached. I had left comments open so anyone on the list could say their piece and one guy did. Oddly, I don't think it was him that cried to the admins. Oh, well. Maybe soon...
Reviews
The Man from Earth (2007)
I Demand an Investigation of This Tawner's Supposedly High Ratings!
The 1st Time I Have Ever Said "Do NOT Watch This Yawner"
Yes, I have a great deal of bile to shower on this horrible piece of trash. Figuring the writer composed episodes for Star Trek and the Twilight Zone did make for some excellent pedigree. I forgot that both of those overall great series had plenty of smug, overbearing, and pontificating episodes that were actually shallow exercises in navel gazing . I try hard not to be a "hater", despite the nature of this review. Hey, I admitted "Season of the Witch" turned out to be pretty good. Anyhow, every Sunday we have one of me favourite friends over for dinner and a movie. I usually picked the movie, until this :load sarcasm: gem. This piece of garbage forced me to give up the throne and we now rotate.
Terrible acting, and an even worse execution of a so so idea. I was stunned Spider Robinson didn't write it.
DISCLAIMER: I am not some zealot. Once I worked the 12 steps of the fellowship I belong to, I became VERY open-minded towards everything. This includes folks notion of a "Higher Power".
The "Biblical" part was uncalled for, stupid, and felt like a pathetic attempt to generate some sort of controversy to get free publicity for this yawner.
Avoid this movie at ALL costs. This is something I rarely say, even when making a list of movies for some to avoid. It has no value for anyone, including fellow 'bad movie' fans. I had to double-check the running time. I suppose it could be an experiment in the time effects of relativity, since it felt like it was days from beginning to end.
**SPOILER ALERT: ***Grow some balls and say you were, well no point in getting Muslims all riled up over nothing.*** **
Trekkies 2 (2004)
The FIRST Was 30 Minutes Too Long! This 'sequel' has only some limited curio value...
Oh, where to begin? I started to work on this while still watching it but decided that was not a good idea. It is THAT bad, but it is very hard to write about it without swearing. The review took multiple viewings, so I should get the Star Fleet equivalent of a Purple Heart (NO offense to the mighty men and woman who are holders of the OPH.) I never swear in mixed company. I checked the 'spoiler-warning' just to stay on the admins good side, but how could you spoil this? I guess there is something about myself I should toss out here first. I was so into Star Trek, I got a paper route at age 11. Why, pray tell? Well, Start Trek syndicated re-runs in the 1975 Pittsburgh market ran on an independent station the same time as the news. My dad watched the news at that time and that was that. To any youngster's reading this, 1970s Pittsburgh had maybe 6 channels and we got 3 of them, since the steel mills were between us and the rest of town. Hopefully THAT establishes my credibility as a Trekkie or Trekker or whatever they call themselves.
The first one is an uncut gem, mostly lazy with unintentionally brilliant moments. Two things really cheesed me off, well 2 and a half. First, James Doohan lost his finger at Normandy. You know? That BUZZSAW of a battle that pitted mostly green troops against the Fortress Europa. Denise and the dentist yucking it up about a gardening accident ticked me off bad. Look it up, kids, and you will be equally ticked. Second is the dentist's gold-digger I mean receptionist turned dental assistant turned wife riding the staff. Watch closely when Denise **cough** interviews the help. Mrs Gumbo is there riding herd. The girls cannot say a word without the dragon lady watching closely. The half? Denise Crosby gets to make fun of Trekkies yet gets to travel and make money, no doubt basking in the loyalists glow while poking at them. Maybe I am just jealous at the combination of sheer brilliance and audacity.
OK, on to the anemic and completely unnecessary sequel's good points. The 'Where are they now segments were pretty good. Gabriel turned out working in the movie field as some sort of computer animator or modeler. That is quite an accomplishment.He also landed a very pretty and seemingly intelligent wife. His dad shows a good bit more of the creepiness that was hinted at in the first one. My personal favourite from the original Trekkies, Barbara Adams, got a segment. She still works at the print shop. I would like to share one thing, Miss Adams. I heartily applaud you wearing your Federation Alliance to jury duty, truly. I am a former member of the 101st Airborne and really was an infantryman. You would do well to not compare wearing it (the Fed. Alliance uniform which I purposely did not call a costume)to a soldier wearing his or hers. Security guard, Eagle Scout, Prison guard are more reasonable comparisons. OK? I was very curious as to whether that cute couple who hosted 'Talking Trek' came out of the closet yet. Sadly, the sequel left that (possibly null or moot) question unanswered.
The European segments were interesting most of the time. Why did the guy in the UK who did up his flat wonder at Yanks wanting to buy and have shipped? There is a former London bridge in Arizona. Shipping a flat's worth of Star Trek stuff would be child's play compared to that. The German segment was fun because of the Germans. Watching that very expensive fan film being made was a little unsettling. It was like some alternate universe where they won, sort of like 'Fatherland'. The former Yugoslavia makes a very poignant segment, or could have been if done with a little more effort.
Spoiler alert: There is a wretched segment about bands that drags on like 'MacArthur Park'. That's when it surpassed boring and aggressively went after painfully cheesy. As in cheese-like product that comes out of a spray can bad. It is difficult to guess Denise Crosby's age between the two, which is pretty cool when you think about it. The reason that is brought up is if they ditched 30 to 40% of the FIRST Trekkies and added the European stuff from Trekkies 2, that would of been an OK flick. As it is, I fast-forward through this one a good deal. The sad thing is that is something we NEVER do in my house, so why bother?
Trekkies (1997)
Trekkies is the movie that HAD to happen, too bad there was no planning for it.
The execution of a movie that HAD to happen could of so easily misfired. Thankfully, its execution was pretty good. Somewhat respectful of the series and the fans, it doesn't shy away from the kooks. Watchable by Trekkie, Trekker, or civilian was a tough trick to pull off. Granted, it is difficult to feel the tone of the movie at times. Maybe because the movie itself never knows what it wants to be. I guess the big cause of the identity crisis is Denise Crosby. Possibly I am just jealous seeing someone who CAN have her cake AND eat it too. Making money while making fun of the fools giving her loot AT THE SAME TIME would make any producer or director schizophrenic. It sure filled me with awe and envy. She should get into politics were such defects of character would be an absolute boon. Oddly enough, that does not take away from the movie.
Out of all the cast members, Brett Spiner comes across as the most 'down to earth' (pun intended) and likable. I sure hope the crazy red- head never tries anything BAD. George Takei is always gracious and unflappable, even on the Howard Stern show. But what about the titular "Trekkies"? Fear not. Barbara Adams, the transvestite, and the mullet- kid using the biggest words he can think of are a blast to watch. The prize for most irritating is a three way tie between the smarmy jerk who allegedly created the Klingon language, the goofs who actually attend a Klingon language workshop, and the group of 'Klingons' featured in the film. A scene where I suppose they are supposed to be intimidating is so bad, it is embarrassing. Get real, wannabe toughs. They make Paul Lynde seem downright tough. Too bad, the Klingons of both series are pretty interesting. 2nd place goes to the cat who plays "Q". He does not come off as particularly likable or even moderately talented. Speaking of minuscule talent, the radio morning show guys were a living parody. The machine on the Simpsons could easily replace that duo.
Finally, to the stooge who purchased the "Q" virus*, hangovers are not communicable. It is hard to determine who deserves more contempt. The huckster who put it up for sale, or the unnamed, & thankfully unknown moron* who bought it? If you watch it, that statement will make sense. BY ALL MEANS, check out "Trekkies". Before the haters start dogging this review, I watched ST:TOS in 1974. As an 12 year old paperboy I had to buy a 13" b&w because the reruns were on the same time as the news. And ST:TNG was about the ONLY thing worth watching on SPIKE-TV. There are so many things that could of been dropped, especially Janeway interviews and 60% of the alleged fans.
*You know who you are, doofus. PS James Doohan lost his finger on D-day. The dentist and Denise's joking about it is aggravating to this veteran. Gardening accident? ggrrrr
UFO (1970)
When 1980 was far into the future ;-)
I had vague memories of this show from when I was a kid. No one I asked could remember it and I wasn't sure it really existed. Fast forward to now and a search of the good ol' IMDb and there it was. even more surprising was it was (is) available on DVD. I rolled me own smokes and didn't buy any video games for the month of July and half of August. I bought a pre-paid VISA and ordered it. Oh, happy happy joy joy!! It arrived on a Friday, allowing me to hole up and spend the weekend with it. WOW! It was worth every crappy self-rolled cigarette. Some complicated characters, great writing, and lots of fun make it more than a treat. It also shows black characters as members of the team, no more and no less. Isn't that what equality is all about? Anglophiles, sci-fi buffs, and wanna-be film makers (myself included) should watch every minute. The models are great and the fashions for 1980 are hip, slick, and cool. By all means, check it out. You won't be disappointed.
My Name Is Bill W. (1989)
The very best of 'recovery' films.
Expertly acted, great sets, and an interesting story brought to the screen. How much more could you ask for? Having been sort of forced to watch many recovery movies at the VA, this one shines. Take it from a cynic, this is well worth watching. Most movies dealing with addiction are syrupy, saccharine, and all the problems are solved at the end of 90 to 120 minutes. I understand that this is the nature of movies HOWEVER it is NOT the nature of recovery. Non-members of the AA fellowship can enjoy it for how well it shows the beginning of the movement, friends of people in recovery can identify with the supporting characters, and "friends of Bill W." can marvel at the birth of a miracle. Finally, the straightforward script manages to avoid the aforementioned "sappy" pitfalls inherent to most recovery movies. It beats "28 Days" anytime.
Ocean's Eleven (1960)
As much fun as you can have with your clothes on.
Check your disbelief at the door and have a blast! I like to think of it as spending an hour and a half in a time now gone. I know what all you 'Rat Pack' naysayers feel about this film, I hear it all the time. So what if it was indeed a paid vacation for Frank and the rest, with a minimal amount of time spent on the set? This is a case where the Ed Wood 'that shot was perfect, next shot' style works. In some parallel universe Sammy, Dean, and the rest were indeed old paratroops who liberated swinging money from hopeless squares. And in that parallel universe, funeral homes cook the lucky stiff at the memorial as part of the show instead of as a plot device.