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Silicone54
Reviews
Caddo Lake (2024)
Who's your Mama?
Ellie the main character is roughly 17 years old girl. She has a younger sister Anna maybe 10 or 11 yo. One day Anna gets lost and becomes a missing person. While searching for her missing sister Ellie realizes she's been traveling back in time. At one point she has an interaction with her own mother Celeste and herself as baby Ellie. So far not too hard to follow. EXCEPT that Celeste mentions that Anna is the grandmother of Ellie. Wait what? Yes! Ellie fires up Google to find out more about Anna the sister she's looking for. This Anna was born in the 1950's. Recap: Old Anna is the mother of Paris (we'll get to him later). Paris and Celeste share a baby named Ellie. And as mentioned earlier, Anna is later born as Ellie's younger sister. Anna is the grandmother of herself?
At the beginning of the movie Celeste is searching for 11 year old Anna, a young man Paris is also experiencing weird flashes. Eventually he too travels in time. He travels forward in time to interact with 11 year old Anna one day to become his mother. His story is a little less relevant than Ellie's and is pretty benign. It doesn't add much to the thrill or suspense.
The movie is not a bad watch but there is zero logic here. Time travel stories don't need to be necessarily linear but you do have to follow some rules. This movie boils down to an absurd time loop/reincarnation of Anna. She's not the time traveler but yet she can live an infinite lifetime birthing herself over and over.
I just can't recommend it because its not puzzle one can solve. I'm not even sure its presented as a puzzle. They just made some stuff up and added time travel as the excuse for the nonsense.
The Substance (2024)
Minimal Dialogue Maximum Gore
2 main characters but Dennis Quaid playing a secondary character got the bulk of the lines lol. Yet somehow that worked for me. Demi Moore is a brave brave woman in this movie. I never thought she was much of an actress but she sold me on this and I was rooting so hard for her.
I wish they explored a bit more of the science of the "Substance" but its not a serious movie so I'm not going to lose sleep over that. Warning for parents: This movie contains a lot of nudity and gore. Mature audiences only.
I'm already hoping for a sequel or a prequel. If they can replicate the performances by Demi Moore I'm in!
The Old Man (2022)
Season 2 Blues
Strong season one which I would have given 9 stars. Season 2 was a horrible slow drag of family drama vs thrills or intrigue. Watching season 2 made me realize in hindsight season 1 was not all that good either but the novelty of Bridges and Lithgow together onscreen was enough to earn a high rating.
The secondary characters and plots were so boring I was reluctant to plow thru the 2nd season. Unfortunately, I did and I regret wasting my time.
Watch season 1 for a fresh spy thriller but I don't recommend season 2 at all. If there is a season 3 you can probably hop right in because that is how insignificant season 2 is.
Kalifat (2020)
Keeps your head on a swivel
Interesting series diving into several perspectives of the ISIS reign. I didn't think they could squeeze much into 8 episodes but they definitely tried. This is a fictional thriller drama so don't expect history accuracy.
The main plot is a multi-pronged ISIS terror attack within Sweden. The main antagonist is the one they call the "Traveler" who is facilitating the terror plans and also recruits local Swedes into ISIS. On his tail is a troubled cop Fatima who is one foot out the door of her department. She gets information about the plans from a source within Syria which will endanger her life and everyone around her.
I enjoyed the subplots more than the main plot. Kids or girls getting in trouble and women in ISIS control outsmarting the oppressive regime. I highly recommend this. People may give it a bad rating because they don't like how things are depicted. So what part of "fiction" do they not understand?
À l'intérieur (2007)
Sometimes you need movies like this
I imagine the studio said we have 200 gallons of fake blood left over from a previous movie. Does anyone need it? Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo emphatically raised their hands we do! We will use all of it! Ok what is your budget for this movie? Oh, 2 junked cars and a bathroom door. Perfect let's make this happen!!
The whole purpose of the movie was to squirt blood everywhere. Fountains and streams of blood fill almost every minute of the film. Its rather glorious when the director is not pretentious about this. The plot only serves as a framework for when and how much blood gets spilled. All kidding aside I enjoyed this movie because its almost comical. I'm not sure if they meant for this to be a serious movie but I laughed a few times aita?
I recommend the movie for a day when you have no idea what to watch. This will entertain you for a bit especially if you're a vampire.
Runway 34 (2022)
Where's My Parachute
Dull opening scenes of a hyper alpha male flight captain portraying him as conqueror of all things. Meanwhile, his over-confidence leads to ill-fated outcomes. Yet at the end of the movie his uber sense of confidence in himself makes him the great hero that has all of India cheering.
So is there anything positive about this movie. Not much, nothing remarkable except the tense flight mishap to Runway 34. The ridiculousness of him declaring that he knows "every inch" of this runway is the reason why he chose to land there in ZERO visibility against typhoon crosswinds. I wouldn't chance driving blindfolded in my driveway at 5 mph. But alas this is the movies where superman can exist.
The trial at the end doused whatever few embers of interest I had in the movie. This was not a thrilling court drama like a Few Good Men. The explanations or excuses that are made are criminal to us as the audience. The truth story may not be as interesting as re-told in the movies. But in this case, maybe just try telling the true story might have been the better move. This fictionalized story was bad and I wanted to open the door and jump out. Where's my parachute?
The Instigators (2024)
Fun but forgettable
Typical heist movie but light in planning and execution. Several heists take place and things go as well as they can when done by guys who can barely tie their own shoelaces. Backstabbing and betrayal over money of course leads to the cat and mouse chases.
The overall cast of characters were mundane including Damon and Afflect. The psychologist who tags along for the fun was pretty good though. The movie doesn't try to be more than it is and probably succeeds in that way. Nothing extraordinary happens and no devilish twists at the end. In fact, the end was a major let down wiping out the purpose of the previous 95 minutes.
Go ahead and watch it if you're fans of Damon or Afflect but keep your expectations in check.
The Killer (2024)
John Whoo?
If it wasn't plastered all over the place that this was his remake I would have screamed that it was sacrilege. But indeed it was Mr. Woo's feeble attempt to rejuvenate his 1989 hit. I don't recall much of that film so this was a fresh viewing for me without any expectations. The movie delivered on the low expectations. It was criminally boring for an action movie. The fight scenes and cinematography that is synonymous with Mr. Woo were watered down and lacked any punch.
I felt the setting was wrong, the actors were wrong and the story was extremely weak. This left the action scenes to carry the burden of the movie. This too fell flat and I was just wishing the credits would start rolling already. If this was a categorized as a B movie I'd give it 4.
Greedy People (2024)
Admirable showing
There is enough going on here to keep you involved. A bunch of people chasing a bag of money and mayhem ensues. The only problem is they never dive deeply into any one character including the mains. Its hard to feel something for people you don't know.
At one point, I was cheering on the hit-men because they were way more interesting than the normies. None of the actors really had a chance to shine because the scenes were a bit chaotic and there was little substantive dialogue. The actress playing the secretary was good. I remember her from Billions and other films.
5 stars - you won't be bored but barely worth the time to type this up.
Kubi (2023)
Blistering fast story telling
Wild movie which I cannot recommend to a casual audience that knows nothing about the genre or the history behind this film. I had no idea what to expect and was thoroughly confused only 20 minutes in. I was never able to catch up with the story which moved at a blazing speed. Characters appeared quickly without introduction, names flash for a second on the subtitles and they went on their merry way. The director literally serves you an entree allows you to take a bite and immediately pulls the plate away. Next plate is served again just one bite. This went on repeatedly.
This is not a good movie at all. Major plot lines just go off on their own and do not intersect. So much action and backroom plotting is occurring I had no clue who was who and why this or that. The only saving grace for me was the "Monkey". His character was super funny and the actor did a great job portraying him. Outside of that I didn't enjoy the movie as I had hoped. Advice to you non-Japanese speaking audience members take notes of names and who's side they're on. You will need it to stay on track.
Maharaja (2024)
Final twist at the end made up for a so so movie
Let me put it out there for folks like myself that might give up on the movie. Don't quit just stick with it I promise its worth it.
So what's wrong with the movie? Although it was good it was pretty confusing at times as many have said. I had the luxury of watching at home so I could replay several scenes just to be sure I knew what timeline it was in. My best advice is look at the ear bandage and the shirts the main character is wearing. He is the constant in the movie so his appearance will act as the lighthouse if you find yourself getting lost.
My biggest problem is with the whole Lakshmi storyline. I am not sure I understand the importance of it whether religiously or sentimentally. The whole driving theme was to recover this mysterious dust bin but was it really that critical if a fake one was perfectly fine?
The negatives don't out-weigh the positives so I recommend this movie to all. The last 10 minutes earned all 7 stars but unfortunately you have to watch it in the whole to get the impact of the finale.
Medici (2016)
Much better than expected
S01 - 7 stars
S02 - 9 stars
S03 - 7 stars
I binged this series on ratings alone. When I saw Dustin Hoffman appear onscreen as Giovanni Medici I said to myself this must be a joke. Then Robb Stark appears as his son Cosimo I decided to continue and see how this would play out. I found myself really enjoying the rest of this historical drama/thriller. I am not familiar with the Medici's or Florentine history or really anything European of that era so I can't critique how accurate the stories are. The costumes and mansion settings were visual treats so ultimately, I found they did a good job immersing the audience into 1400's Italy. Season 1 off to a nice start.
The first season was an easy watch with plenty of intrigue, politics and family drama. It did lack something though you just couldn't put a finger on. By season 2 they figured out what they were missing, Sean Bean as Jacopo Pazzi a rival banker of the Medici's and also member of the Signoria. What a great actor to shoulder the load of the series villain! He's evil, conniving and foolishly believes he can outsmart the Medici's to proclaim himself king of Florence. Everything else was secondary to Mr Bean's performance.
Season 3 after being rid of Jacopo Pazzi the lead character from season 2 Lorenzo Medici is alone as the main focus. I felt very much let down because without someone as impactful as Jacopo Pazzi the thrill was gone. The villain this time is the Pope's nephew Girolamo Riario who wishes to rid Florence of the Medici's, what's new? Unfortunately, it reminded me of season 1 where things just happened and none of it was drawing me in like season 2.
There were only 3 seasons and when I was done with the last and final episode I found myself wanting their story to continue. 3 generations of Medici's were not enough!!
The only complaint I have was the female roles. They were very limited and I feel they might or should have played a bigger role in this series. The only women who really drew me in were Contessina Medici and Simonetta Vespucci.
Finally, the revelation at the end at least to an art novice like myself was wow I had no idea who Sandro was in the series. Even a casual art admirer probably would have know. Other major artists of the era had a sprinkle of dialogue and screen time. Sandro Botticelli got the lion-share of attention.
I definitely recommend this entire series!
Talchul: Project Silence (2023)
Planet of the Dogs
Escaped militarized attack dogs terrorize people trapped on a bridge due to a massive traffic pile up. The dastardly canines can be remotely controlled by a government scientist via his laptop. Can the victims save themselves or be saved? Its silly to try to answer that question because the problem with dogs as the antagonists is that they are four legged and have the intelligence of well ... dogs. If you've got half a brain you can outsmart a dog!
That's the gist of the plot. The starts and stops between action and the soap opera grew annoying as the movie progressed. The human drama was not engaging but I supposed appropriate for an action flick. The CGI'd dogs were really really bad. That graphics team need to seriously better their craft.
So many things to point out that made zero sense so here are a few. If these dogs were to be destroyed because they were defective why do they need to transport them? Destroy them right at the lab because they even said they destroyed dozens of the "mother's" puppies in front of her. The helicopter crash and ensuing explosion literally blew my mind. It had the effect of a mini nuclear bomb going off on the bridge. The political twist was so unnecessary as this dog program would have never be made public if they just killed them at the lab. Save us from the long drawn out phone debate between the hero and the evil mastermind.
This movie desperately wanted to be an awesome sci-fi thriller but kept forcing the political drama plot. Some of the characters provided comedy relief and they alone were enough to gain a few stars in my rating. This was a blend of Resident Evil and Planet of the Apes unfortunately this was not a good copy of those.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (2024)
Chapter 1 - Series of starts and stops
Not much character development as far as I can appreciate. Just a shallow blend of several contemporaneous plots. I assume the stories will tighten up but Chapter 1 leaves me yawning. Other than a few action scenes not very much is really happening. I guess we'll have to be patient and wait for the other chapters.
By the time the next chapter drops you'll have to re-watch this because its pretty unremarkable. There is no suspense or cliffhanger at the end of this. In fact, I am so bored with even writing this review I am switching my rating from 6 to 4. I am holding out hope that Kevin Costner knows what he is doing and will deliver a hit. Remember he also gave us The Postman and Waterworld.
The Fall of Minneapolis (2023)
Watched and Sighed
The body cam videos played in it entirety its all we need to see. With your own two eyes you witness the police calmly trying to detain Floyd. I only needed to see that and compare it with what the "news" media portrayed to see the rot of the justice system.
They burnt down America over a manufactured lie. Sent 4 police officers to prison for doing their jobs. Shameful abuse of the law, the courts, journalism and all for what?
Interesting revelations about the autopsy and police training manuals but again the police body cams pretty much sums up what happened. I feel horrible for the 4 incarcerated policemen and for all the police that lost their precinct. The people at the top never get have to answer for their corruption and ineptitude.
Blackwater Lane (2024)
Let me spoil this...not a haunted movie
Cass is driving home late one rainy night. She sees a stopped car on the side off of Blackwater Lane. She slows down to see the figure of a woman in the drivers side. She continues to peer at the car for bit but drives off. Next morning she hears the news of a possible female murder victim on Blackwater Lane. When confronted with a police visit regarding her being a possible witness to a crime Cass is feeling unsure of herself. We learn Cass suffers from hereditary mental issues. She is confused as these events and the details don't math up to her reality.
The director is pushing hard to create a full on amnesia twist in this movie. The methods are heavy handed as it appears everyone has a different truth than what Cass believes. The simple fact is this movie is nothing more than a Lifetime Channel love triangle with revenge thrown in. Cass' husband is banging her best friend Rachel. They were found out by Jane (dead woman). Jane's husband Alex suspects Jane was having an affair. Matt a co-worker wants to hit it with Cass. Andrew a student in one of Cass's literary class has a crush on her. The massive mansion Cass inherited once belonged to Rachel's family. Ultimately, its Rachel orchestrating every plot, scare tactics, evidence, lies etc because she's mad at Cass for owning her family's home. All these extra subplots serve to obfuscate the audience.
The first 10 minutes were ok but it reveals itself to be some adult version of any Scream movie. At least with Scream its ok to laugh at the ridiculous comedy. This movie tried to be serious even though its burdened with all the idiocy found in Scream.
Minka Kelly is still gorgeous to look at but her acting is pretty bad. Maggie Grace playing Rachel was given maybe 5 real lines in the movie but she outshone Minka in every scene they were in. Its a dreadful movie given the expectations. Might have scored higher if billed as a Lifetime thriller. I can't recommend this even if you're a Minkia KIelly fan.
Under the Bridge (2024)
Great first few episodes then slowly ran out of steam
I knew nothing about the case or this adaptation of the story prior to watching it. I was skeptical if I would even make it past the first episode because this type of drama isn't really my preference. Surprisingly, as the multi-generational back stories were told I really enjoyed learning about the many characters. The acting was average for a cast most of whom I have never see before.
The story itself was tragic and full of betrayal at every turn leading to the murder. Once the law closes in and arrests made it was all downhill for me. The mystery is solved by the very unspectacular truths. The rest of the episodes have to rely on dull drama and acting which bored me to tears.
There were many unexplained "evidence" items or material references that just fell off the map. If it was important enough to put onscreen and discussed then why leave them out at the end?
I gave the series a 5 because its definitely worth watching the first half of the season although there is a serious drop off in the second half.
Die Hart: Die Harter (2024)
What a waste of time
KH stumbled as the leading role in this movie. The first 10-15 minutes required him to deliver so much dialogue it was clear he's in over his head in this stage of his career. He is a decent co-star and can deliver some comedy when needed. But this was a hard watch because he was struggling to be relevant in his own movie.
I'll give him 2 stars for convincing Hollywood backers to make this film. If it was anyone else they would have tossed this script into the fireplace. I'm a fan of KH and know that he can be funny unfortunately parodying yourself in a parody movie is a negative in my book. Comes off as a joke and it wasn't even funny the first time around.
Flynn (2024)
Eye opener as if you didn't already know
As a news junkie I kinda knew a lot about the Flynn case. This doc sheds a bright light onto the matter mainly from Flynn's perspective. During the trial we only heard what the news media put out, the same new media that conspired with the mushrooms in DC to bury an American veteran and hero.
I wish they could have gotten at least 1 member of the "government" to explain why they thought they had a case against Flynn. These mushrooms frequently show up as experts on news outlets so they have a lot to say. Lie to the public once more about Flynn for old time's sake.
That's the reason for the 8 star its missing the other side of the debate. This feels like a puff piece for Flynn which he's entitled to for sure. But rating the doc only its not a complete winner for me.
Cash Out (2024)
My time was also stolen
Jump right in from the get go and just accept that this heist crew is insanely competent at all things. There is no groundwork explaining who these people are and how they became such elite thieves. So yeah ok its a movie we don't have time to get into all that. They make a get-away after getting betrayed by one of their own crew in the opening scene. Then it cuts right to them chilling out in comfort without a worry in the world. They were betrayed by none other than an FBI agent who was romantically involved with Travolta's lead character. So this woman was a mole in their heist operation and the FBI just never ever goes after them? They obviously planted a mole and participated in almost catching the crew but no man hunt or anything.
The crew is roped into another brainless heist and without any scouting or research they go all in. The heist doesn't go as planned and requires them to play detective in order to figure out what and how to steal this precious item. What elite criminal gang would rob something they aren't even told what they're stealing, such a ridiculous premise. Eventually, they get what they're after and they come up with an escape plan that is virtually impossible to fathom even in the movies. This is pure fantasy in the realm of heists and getaways. None of this is believable including the lead police officer who was wearing a law enforcement outfit straight out Party City.
Watch this if you are a JT fan but don't expect anything but head scratching drama.
Them (2021)
Season 1 great. Season 2 big let down
Exhilarating 1st episode hooked me in. I was pretty engaged with the bizarre cocktail of racism and supernatural forces haunting the Emory family. The pace of show was perfect without dwelling too much on any character or theme. But in the 2nd half of the season a few episodes seemed to lose some steam.
As with many supernatural horror shows they run out of scare tactics and must wrap things up. I didn't like how easily things were explained away. The other black families that had suffered through what the Emorys did were just stage props for the heroine. Some serious stuff happened to them and perhaps way worse than the Emorys. Unfortunately, we will never know their stories.
The last episode was by far the worst. It was so luke warm and unfulfilling. Any twilight zone episode from the 50's and 60's could have been final episode to conclude Them. I still enjoyed the series even though I feel they left so much meat on the bones.
I loved the whole cast of the Emory family, seriously I felt connected to all of them, well done. I definitely recommend this first season.
**********
Season 2 started off with a crazy horrific opening. As the episodes progressed the plot no longer appealed to me. I just wanted it to be over. What was endearing about season 1 was the Emory family. In season 2, the "family" connections are all over the place. Without that connection the plot had to carry the show and it was plain stupid for me. I was unimpressed with the figurative and literal twists. The acting was average this time around since they had nothing to really work with.
I recommend S1 and if you're a glutton for punishment then try S2.
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023)
Skip this movie
The movie was filtered to look dark and grungy I feel like I need a shower to wash the grease and grime off my skin. The characters include comical Batman-type villains that rule some made up super-state inside India. Political intrigue and power grabs underline the plot.
There are some flashbacks of the boys and the mother as they try to develop those main characters. Half the movie is watching the CCTV team watching for a girl to appear. Who is this girl? Well she is a daughter of? Who? Maybe we'll save that for Part two. Maybe she's Princess Leia Skywalker's long lost sister. The story is just too outlandish and not fun to watch.
I gave it a 3 and that's me being very very generous.
Ajeeb Daastaans (2021)
Mixed bag
I was bored and wanted something different to watch. I happened to enjoy Indian movies and gave this one a try. Having to read English subtitles I found the stories were not hard to follow. I probably missed some of the subtlety and nuances of certain scenes but for the most part I understood what the directors tried to project onscreen.
#1. I must admit I laughed out loud at the fireside scene between Babloo and Raj. The actor playing Babloo could barely contain his own laughter in such a sobering scene. The actor playing Raj should get an award for keeping a deadpan stare. Outside of that scene the rest of story was weak filler leading up to that "reveal." The end was unsatisfying.
#2. I really liked the premise of the story. This had potential to be great thriller/drama movie. The time constraint of this segment forced many of the characters to be under-developed. So many crazy but important things are happening here yet the story failed to impress in its current form.
#3. Interesting forbidden love story but again hamstrung by the short time allotted to it. The acting felt amateurish which could be another consequence of the short story structure. The strongest scene was at the tea service where incredible tension is brewing underneath all the small talk.
#4. For me the weakest of the bunch. It neither made me laugh nor cry. They properly devoted the bulk of the time developing the main characters but the story fell flat. The awkward doorway standoff at the end made it clear these actors weren't very good.
In total, I gave 4 stars because you can watch it without hating yourself for wasting your time. But you know they all could have been so much better.
True Detective (2014)
Season 4 is scattered into the wind
First 15 minutes of episode 1 was pretty good and Jodie Foster is the lead? Yeah lets go!!! Well they went every which way with the entire story and even characters are all doing their own thing. Almost feels like they used different writers to handle each characters' plotlines and no one bothered to check if any of it makes sense.
I watched every week and I cannot remember any names including the leads. Impossible to follow the story as they jump from major plot lines to another without any relevance to each other or continuity. I may just stop and wait until the season is complete so I can binge it. Perhaps watching episodes back to back will make it sink in. I love the True Detective series up until this one.
I give season 4 a 2-star because of Jodie Foster but honestly she's not convincing at all in her role.
The Continental (2023)
Why did they name the series The Continental?
The Continental and the story of the High Table should have been the focus of the series. The mystique/legend of the hotel and the secret organization that run it was what I was hoping to watch. Instead, we got the not so interesting story of Winston Scott. Not only was it a rather boring tale we're forced to endure so many new characters that no one cares about.
We get treated to the mandatory team of tiny but powerful girls who can beat up armies of Neanderthal men. We get a Chinatown community where Asians speak chop suey even though Chinese folk have been in America for more than 100 years. And yet, the Viet girl Yen cannot speak a lick of English throughout most of the movie is able speak American when needed.
Mel Gibson is the demented manager of the Continental and it as under his watch that the High Table's coin press was stolen which led the whole plot to unfold. His acting was horrible and just didn't suit the story or his important role there. The manager is unhinged and cannot be in charge of wiping his own derriere. The hipness of John Wick is missing in this series as are the ballets of fire fights and hand to hand combat. This series was strictly done by a lesser production crew and writing team.
The one person who's story no one asked for is what we got. They should have just called this "Winston Scott the story of a Hotel Manager." I guess the Continental just sounded better
2 stars for story association to John Wick franchise. Standing solo I would have given it a zero.