Change Your Image
A_Different_Drummer
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Bookworm (2024)
Two movies for the price of one?
One of those film oddities where, at the halfway point, you get an entirely different second movie. The first movie, which fills the first 50 minutes, is a genuinely interesting father-daughter roadtrip romp, with the daughter (Fisher) gettting the best lines: (dialog) "Am I still dreaming .. or did a 42 year old man really just wake up an 11 year old girl to tell her that he heard a creepy sound in the night?" Wood, late in his career, still has star power and the vibe between the two is solid. Then the tone changes and, much to the chagrin of the N. Z. Dept. Of Tourism, a friendly couple encountered while camping turns out to be anything but. The two halves of the film do not match, and the sour notes of the second half suck all the joy out of the first half. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Ludwig (2024)
detective fans are a funny lot indeed
Off the top, it is exceedingly well produced. And the opening episode was one of the most interesting in quite a while. Which turn means that a lot of murder fans were hooked and can be counted on to binge their way through. Whch creates the first paradox. Namely, will the premise, which showed so much promise, hold up? Good question. For this reviewer, the answer is .. barely. First of all the premise. Clever, yes. Original. No. Could name a half-dozen Disney movies based on the notion of switched identities. Including the sub-arc of twins. Second, is this better as a movie or a mini-series? Given the demand for streaming content these days, the producers could have taken the high road and done a quite engaging movie. But there is more money in doing a series, so they decided to go for the fatter target. Which means that week after week, our hero has to keep trying to break a code, solve a murder, deal with the ominous senior policeman, maintain his secret from his prying underling, and assure his newphew everything will be all right. I have seen episodes of Zorro 2024 that are less complicated. And that is not a compliment. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Take Cover (2024)
Finally Adkins get a role properly suited to his skills
For the record, I am a fan. I have an Adkins film on my list of all-best movies, a claim few other reviewers can make. But, at the same time, I have been outspoken in my view that, since his Boyka films, he has not really found an outlet to best showcase his talent. TAKE COVER 2024 changes all that. Writer Joshua Todd James has cleverly turned a hi-rise apartment into a killbox, showing once again how a limited set does not have be a disadvantage. Properly done, the suspense becomes palpable. The script cleverly pushes the "turnabout" trope -- Adkins's being targeted by a faraway shooter works well because, in the story, he himself is also a sniper. Clever! There is a lot of action and tension in Take Cover, and many of Adkins' special skills are effectively deployed for the first time in quite a while. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
The Silent Hour (2024)
"No bounce No Play" (Stephen King)
An entertaining thriller just do just that -- entertain. It should not present a paradox to the viewer, or do anything which makes it harder for the viewer to identify with the main character. Yet this film actually goes out of its way to do just that. On paper, all the boxes are checked. Brad Anderson is both prolific and successful at his craft. Kinnaman is one of those actors who is easy to relate to, and never gives a bad performance or disapponts. The story is obviously a riff on the Die Hard formula, and pretty hard to mess up as long as you remember to "set up" the action scenes in advance. Even with the checked boxes, the result is a letdown. Giving Kinnaman's character a literal handicap -- even to the point of having him repeatedly fiddle with his hearing aid -- makes it harder to relate to the main character. The Die Hard arc is not well developed, and the action scenes do not deliver on the "killbox" promise that the audience expects. Instead of leaving feeling entertained, one leaves with the feeling that this could have been better done. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Kaos (2024)
something wicked this way comes?
Clever. Well written. Well casted. Well produced. Not dull. But this cranky old reviewer can't avoid the suspicion that all is not what it seems. The PR package says that this is a never-before-attempted modern reworking of the Greek myths. And indeed it is. But other reviewers have compared it to the incomparable American Gods, and that really is a bridge too far. AG was unique, and attempted to define Man's relationship to the Divine without any prior framework. Working without a net. This series is something else entirely. It faithfully follows the arc of Myth -- no easy feat, that -- but also includes a not so subtle subtext comparing the fall of Greece to our own rather fragile civilization. The fact that both goals can successfully be managed at the very same time is both commendable and awkward -- especially for those of us who think their own generation is doing everything right. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Tomb Raider (2018)
for film class only
Not so much a free-standing movie as an apology for the original. There is considerable irony in the fact that this film actually has a higher IMDb score than the 2001 classic. Now, understand that critics hated the original for all the wrong reasons. The original was designed to appease the masses and it succeeded too well, relying on the physical attributes of its star in addition to the action and effects. Critics aside, the original was fun and very re-watchable. Compare that to "the apology." Everything in the original has been turned upside down, including the fun. Vikander is talented -- in the dreadful JASON BOURNE she was literally the only actor who gave a damn about the film. Here she is the anti-Jolie, cast to prove that she is everything that Jolie was not. Ditto for the rest of the film. It is everything the original was not. That never ends well. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Spooks: The Greater Good (2015)
the "M" in MI:5 stands for MUDDLE
In my many reviews here, I have time and again emphasized the need for audience connection. The goal is to keep the viewer interested and engaged, The last thing you want to do is confuse or annoy your customer. Even allowing for the "standard" and overcooked "mole" plot, this script still breaks all the rules. By the halfway mark, I was still trying to suss out who was doing what to whom, and was especially stuck on a scene where Kit Harington's character easily escaped, without a scratch, from a car with two armed escorts. (BTW, Harrington consistently displayed a natural athletic ability here, including an astonishing scene where he scaled an apartment bldg as easily as climbing a stepladder -- sad that this was not a career arc he pursued). There is also a scene off the top where the villain murders a female agent just to make a point, but still makes a "deal" with the disgraced MI-5 agent who put her in jeopardy. Guess, if you can get past that cognitive dissonance, you may actually like the film. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Dreamcatcher (2003)
this film is literally part of cinematic history
If you get a chance to catch this, buckle up, grab an anti-nausea pill, and prepare to view one of the most significant films ever made. The film tested so badly with sample audiences the studio had to spend millions to redo the ending. It is silently credited with destroying the careers of Kasdan (director) and Jane (actor). It breaks every rule about audience connection I have mentioned in my 2000+ reviews here. It is almost as if it was intended, like a brilliant but deranged work of art, to disgust the viewer. Make the viewer want to run. The only true horror here is some of the best actors of their era trapped mercilessly in a script with no exit. Keep away from young childen and small animals. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Strange Darling (2023)
Seen Gaspar Noé's Irréversible (2002)? Ever wanna see it again?
OK. You got me. In our modern world where most people have the attention span of a hummingbird, STRANGE DARLING 2023 is a nice diversion. It is well done. It is clever. Ironically, just like the main character, the movie makes you work extra hard for your thrills. But at the end of the day, when the popcorn is gone and you are headed home, this one will fade away like the one-trick pony it is. Which is the fate of all such films, films told backwards, films told in puzzle pieces, films without dialog, etc. You've seen it once. And once is enough. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
The Old Man (2022)
book adaptations aren't what they used to be???
Many years ago, a new thriller writer named Thomas Perry launched his career with a brilliant title called BUTCHERS BOY and, right out of the gate, won the Edgar award. Not too shabby. In such a situation, most writers today would have immediately built out the franchise, spinning off multiple sequels. Perry did not do that. Instead he wrote the kind of books he himself wanted to write, and established himself as an all-around, top-tier, suspense writer. He did return to BUTCHERS BOY every now and then, however, making that series, small as it is, one of the longest fiction series in American literature, in terms of end-to-end time span. THE OLD MAN was the last entry in the series and it was, as always, brilliant. BUT YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT by watching this TV version. Because the writers of this well-acted, well-directed series used maybe 12% of the content in the book, and threw the rest out. This reviewer, being an actual old man, loves any series where old guys kick butt. Yes, it is well done. No, sorry, it is not an adaptation of the book. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
The Wasp (2024)
Crtics are a strange lot
Ladies and gents, what we have here is a well-acted, well-written, well-cast, well-directed, psychological thriller. It works well, it keeps you offguard, and the time passes very quickly indeed. These sorts of films were all the rage in the 1940s, a time when the industry was still transitioning from the static feel of a stage play (few backgrounds, lots of dialog) to the more kinetic medium of film. The only unusual thing about it is the fact that some big-name critics went nuts for the project, saying it was the best thing they had ever seen. Not really. But it does hold the attention. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
K.G. (2011)
Seriously?
In my IMDb list of all time greats, I have several martial arts entries. Properly done, they can be fun, even exhilarating. This entry, which loosely follows HIGH KICK GIRL, is literally the lowest possible level of movie export. No real budget. No real story. No real dialog. No real choreography. Rena Takeda does have a legitimate fanbase, and she has skill, but even in her native Japan she tends to get cast in B- and C- films. Even the English dubbing is terrible. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Paris Has Fallen (2024)
Light fluffy fantasy series
A seeming terrorist group takes over an embassy event. You are thinking "Die Hard." A woman, who later claims to "work in HR," fights back and kills two of the attackers. She is really good. She should have her own show. You are still thinking "Die Hard." The woman, and an Embassy bodyguard, successfully foil the initial attack. The attackers retreat through a hole in the swears just as the police crash through the front door. The police immediately notice our heroine, mainly because she is holding a weapon which was recently fired. So far, so good. Moments later, however, the camera picks up our heroine being treated by a medic, blanket around her. Somehow, in the mere blink of an eye, even though she was holding a weapon when the cavalry arrived, even though she holds no official position in law enforcement, she has already been cleared and released. Now you are thinking "WTF?" I am making this point to show the importance of subliminal cues in a fictional series. You are barely halfway into E01 of the series, and your brain is already screaming, "this makes no sense." And it doesn't. France has produced some incredible TV content (Spirale, Le Bureau) but this is not one of those. This is light, fluffy, fantasy stuff. You may like it. Or you may not. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Rez Ball (2024)
not your typical underdog film
This reviewer loves "underdog" stories because they resonate with each one of us who has tried to do something big, and failed the first time. As a new entry in this genre, REZ BALL 2024 is rock solid. The script is good, the young players give it their all, and the direction is a lot like the game of B-ball itself -- constantly moving forward, constantly looking to capture your attention. Also nice to see Jessica Matten again in a starring role -- she was instrumental in making the DARK WINDS series a streaming hit. What this film has, however, to make it stand out, is an "existential" foe seldom encountered in a teen sports film. Most of us grow up in a culture where anything is possible. Rez kids do not know that culture. They are fighting not only the opposing teams, but also the dread that their life goals are going to be as hard-won as their game goals. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Balestra (2024)
such potential!
With over 2000+ reviews here, I can share that the most frustrating films to review are the ones which -- like the lead character in this story -- never live up to their full potential. Similar to the story arc in another recent release -- THE SUBSTANCE 2024 -- BALESTRA 2024 is about a woman who is unhappy with the way her life has turned out. And will do anything -- literally! -- to fix that. The technicals are great, and the acting is solid. (Although Cush Jumbo was not the first pick for the role, there was a last minute change). The problem with the film is that the first 15 minutes, and the last 15 minutes, are of an entirely quality than the almost two hours of muddle in the middle. The film starts with a fascinating technical premise, a great set-up; and ends with an exciting fencing showdown so good that it could have come from a sports documentary. The middle, unfortunately, is just an old-fashioned love triangle with gaps and yawns that make you think you might be watching a different film. And that's a pity. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Nobody Wants This (2024)
making rabbis cool again...
The year was 1964. A quiet summer. Until something happened so unexpected and shocking that it was almost biblical. In a way, it WAS biblical. A mystery was published by author Harry Kemelman entitled "Saturday the Rabbi Slept Late." Which became a bestseller. And spawned an entire series. Also bestsellers. Most importantly, suddenly, being a rabbi was cool. Seriously cool. That was 60 years ago, almost to the day. Now lightening strikes twice. Based on the writing and of course, the casting of his fun little series, once again, unexpectedly, being a rabbi is way cool. A light, fun, frothy romcom which zips by so quickly you will wonder where the time went. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
My Adventures with Superman (2023)
100% insane (and wonderful) story reversal in S02
Contributed my share of reviews here. But have never seen anything quite like the story/arc reversal in Season 2. This unusual (and risky) series starts off like Clark Kent himself. Quiet and shy, retro animation, pastel colors, all bookwormy. S01 was friendly entertainment. Comfortable. Nostalgic. And then comes Season 2. Better get Ma and Pa Kent into the hurricane cellar, folks, but things suddenly get spicy. The writing team seemingly loses their collective minds, and takes a variety of plots, subplots and callbacks from literally 75 years of Superman canon -- and crams it all into the last 5 episodes of S02. Episodes so tightly packed that there is barely room for the title credits. The end result is not only an adrenalin rush for the viewer, but along the way, for younger viewers, there was a nice subliminal message about what happens when you build a machine for war and then pretend to be surprised when it cannot understand peace. Pretty amazing switchover. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Penelope (2024)
a highly targeted entertainment product
Bottom line, if you cannot remember which specific Y2K bash you attended -- because technically you did not yet exist in 1999 -- then this series may possibly be your cup of tea. The PR package, and the very short duration of each episode, make it crystal clear that this series is intended for tweens. Adults watch entirely at their own risk. The episodes are highly targeted for the less cynically minded. In E01, a young teen packs a survival bag and heads for the woods. With no proper explanation. She is not kidding. Nor are the writers. With no prior skils or experience, she plans to sort it all out only once she is right in the thick of things. Luckily for her, everything that happens from that point forward would not be out of place in a Disney series from the 1960s. Kindly strangers appear with gifts, and impart know-how. Forest creatures befriend her. A wandering group of boys, who at first appear sinister, turn out to be Bible students. Turns out that living in the wild is as easy as falling off a log. Literally. Any viewer with an ounce of real-life-exerpience will find Penelope's adventures remarkably naive. Younger viewers however may be entranced. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Succubus (2024)
Halloween comes early for horror fans this year...
Generally, the horror genre has not been the go-to category for streaming services lately, with most product mainly imitative, paying only lip-service to the classics. 2024 however has a different feel to it, with some very talented people, both in front of and behind the camera, approaching the core notion of horror from new and interesting angles. Check out for example the novel scripting in ABIGAIL, LONGLEGS, and the completely unforgettable (even if you actually want to) THE SUBSTANCE. SUCCUBUS 2024 continues this trend. Creator R. J. Daniel Hanna, best known for the well-received social drama MISS VIRGINIA 2019, goes genre-hopping here. He attempts to deliver a product that both scares and educates at the same time. The really scary (!) thing is that it almost hits both targets, with a tale that is unique enough to hold attention, and alert enough to flag the "horror" of Social Media in our daily lives. Perlman as supporting actor always adds gravitas to any production, and Rachel Cook will likely bring in enough of her worldwide fans to put SUCCUBUS on the 2024 Leaderboard. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Kill'em All 2 (2024)
Deep existential questions are raised ..
First and foremost, this reviewer is a fan. I actually have a JCVD pick on my IMDb list of all time best movies, a claim few other reviewers can make. But, to be fair, this film raises existential questions that need to be asked. For example, this is the sequel ... to what? To a very forgettable action flick called KILL EM ALL which appeared in 2017 and ranked a whopping 4.3 on the IMDb rating system. JCVD was in his late 50's for that film. His action sequences were OK (after all, he IS the man!) but the rest of the movie was mainly filler. So why would you want to do a sequel to a film that very few saw, and even fewer remember? Especially when you are 7 years older and, to be frank, it shows in the closeups? Especially when you swapped out both the Director and the Writer? Especially when the budget for the sequel looks and feels even tighter than in the original? Once again, after a lot of waffle, when JCVD decides finally to kill everyone with a pulse, he still has the moves. But getting there is painful. In the opinion of this reviewer, this project was done simply to service the demand for streaming content, with no higher aspiractions. The man deserves a fitter end to a great career. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
The Substance (2024)
More fun than a barrel of hammers
Bottom line: in today's fast-moving world, where most people have the attention span of a guppy, if you are going to do a film that runs 2 and a 1/4 hours, it had better be something special. In this case, writer/director Coralie Fargeat delivers, bigtime. The core story, a horror tale, is relevant and clever. But the direction, the camera angles, the cuts, the way Fargeat takes a simple action such as eating shellfish and gives it gravitas, meaning, that takes the film to a whole new level. Also somehow reassuring that, when a Hollywood casting director needed to find someone who does not look their age, they went (again!) for Demi Moore. Ms. Moore is here 61 playing 50 and doing a great job of it. Overall style more Bob Fosse than Cronenberg. One of the best films of its genre in quite some time. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Violett (2023)
There are 4 things you need to know about this film
First, it is a horror film. That is important because the expectations for a horror film are a lot more flexible than with other genres. An audience will give the creator more latitude, more flexibility, to achieve a result. Second, the creator, writer/Director Steven J. Mihaljevich, has a reputation as a maverick. That is, he does not offer the traditional linear narrative or traditional filmic exposition. He is all about jump cuts, scenes with limited, jarring dialog, and shocking images that come and go almost with a mind of their own. There is a story, of course, but it is presented as a puzzle, for the viewer to piece togather. Third, the detailed reviews offered here by members do not match the overall ratings for the film left by viewers who did not bother to leave a review. The reviews here are mainly 10's. The actual ratings, not so much. And fourth, in my time at IMDb, with over 2000+ reviews, the reviews left here are some of the most sophisticated "fake" reviews I have ever seen. They could win an essay contest. But they are not genuine. Conclusion? The final product is visually stunning in sections but not necessarily entertaining. Mainly for film students looking to see how far the medium can be bent before it breaks completely. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Human Error (2024)
competent, fans will be pleased
Competent. Fans of police procedurals will be overall pleased with this Aussie offering. It checks all the boxes. Even checks a box that wasn't on the list. Decades ago, the timeless US actress Susan Sarandan, in an interview, commented that her biggest challenge was playing against herself, she was too pretty to be taken seriously. Today -- when casting good-looking female leads for crime shows has become de rigueur -- we note that newbies tuning into HUMAN ERROR 2024 might glance at Leeanna Walsman and mistakenly believe they are watching a Michelle Pfeiffer biopic. It is a subliminal thing, but, don't forget, most viewship is based entirely on subliminal cues. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Funny Woman (2022)
What happened to compare and contrast?
To this reviewer, the oddest thing about the reviews is how few members elected to bring Mrs. Maisel into the mix? Both shows are about women finding their voice in comedy. Both shows rely heavily on nostalgia. And both shows suffer the exact same critical flaw, namely that they are about comedy yet rarely funny. The best comics of this century, and also the last one, viewed comedy more as a science than an art form. They knew how to set up a joke, wait for the punchline, build on the audience response, and ultimately create a "symphony of laughts" to close the Set, while also looping back to where they started. So far no major network show from either side of the pond has deigned to look into this process. So we wait patiently. And hopefully. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Omni Loop (2024)
not a sci-fi movie
Yet another twist and turn on the original Groundhog Day 1993 (on my IMDb list of all-time greats). Here writer/director Bernardo Britto takes advantage of Mary Louise Parker's considerable abilities at relating to audiences, and making even the commonplace seem uncommon. Parker, who did many femme fatale roles in her younger days, has legitimate skill in comedic or semi-comedic roles (for example, RED 2010) -- making her a solid choice for the role of a world-weary woman with a fatal illness somehow caught up in a time loop, and reliving the same week over and over. (Parker is 60 playing a 55 year old). Yet, as was the case with Bill Murray in GROUNDHOG DAY, the story is less about the mysteries of the universe and more about the mysteries of the people we share the universe with. The almost 2-hour romp may not be something you will remember for the rest of your own days -- although it definitely has aspirations along that line. But it does entertain while it makes you ponder. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))