Reviews
History of the World: Part II (2023)
Absolutely Hilarious!
I thought this was the funniest thing I've seen in ages. Loved seeing the comedians in multiple rolls. Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, Jack Black, JB Smoove, Richard Kind, Johnny Knoxville!. Too many to name. The writers are super sharp and I'm laughing at the sketches long after the shows are over. I wake up laughing about what I watched the night before. OMG, I'm cracking up writing this review. I think the haters must've made sure to jump on here to bring down the score because this series is laugh out loud funny for days! Some of my favorite "lessons" in history... Jesus, Russian Revolution, Civil War.
Bringing Down the House (2003)
See This Movie-HILARIOUS!
I've seen this movie several times. It's one of my favorites so I try to catch it every time it comes on TV. Not sure why it has such negative reviews. I'm a woman of color and my friends and family who are POC love this movie too. It's laugh out loud comedy from beginning to end and pokes fun at all kinds of stereotypes. That's what I really like about this movie. The casting, acting, plot and script are excellent IMHO. I think if you can't laugh at this movie, maybe you're taking life too seriously. I laugh until I cry when I'm watch Bringing Down the House.
The Undoing (2020)
Great Mini Series- Don't Believe the Bad Reviews
This was an excellent series with superior acting and character development. The plot was suspenseful and while I can usually predict the villain within the first half hour, this one kept me guessing until the very end. I can only speculate that those reviewers are intentionally trying to lower the rating and viewership with extremely low ratings. Why would anyone watch all 6 episodes if it were that bad. This show was so riveting that I watched all 6 episodes in one day. I've watched some incredible programs but I've never binged an entire series in a day (and I did not regret it!). Ignore the haters and check it out. You'll be hooked with episode 1. Btw, Someone questioned why Nicole Kidman's character would be walking in Harlem.. When you live in a city like NYC, you can walk through several neighborhoods when you're taking a long scroll.
Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
Must See- Heartwarming Movie with a Twist
I just can't believe all the negative reviews for this film. They must be Spike Lee haters. This was a movie to remember. Everyone I've spoken to who has seen this film loved it. I'm black and when I saw this film in the theatre I expected to see mostly other black moviegoers. It was sold out and there was just a handful of black and Hispanic people, everyone else was white. There were families and people of all ages. The movie has some shocking moments from the beginning and pleasant surprises. To say anymore would give it away. I think the background music may have been much too loud (but I'm not sure since I saw it in the theatre 12 years ago). What I very clearly recall was the reactions at the film's ending. Lots of tissues and sniffling... and complete silence as the credits rolled. RESPECT! There was no rush to the exits until the credits were almost finished. As I was walking out of the theatre lobby, an older white couple was walking beside me and the gentleman was sobbing loudly. I gave him some tissues and they stopped to talk. He said it touched his soul and broke his heart because it was so authentic. He said he didn't care if anyone saw him cry. It brings tears to my eyes today. I've only seen 4 or 5 Spike Lee films so I'm not writing this as a super fan. It's just a fantastic work of art.
Dirty John (2018)
Excellent Docudrama
Having seen some of the real life survivors on TV, this series has been expertly presented. All of the casting was spot on, especially the main characters portrayed by Connie Britton, Eric Bana and the 2 young ladies who were the daughters were phenomenal.
T.H.E.M. (2004)
Amazing Extreme Magic
Writing this review because I just watched David Blaine "Fearless". Some of his illusions reminded me of this great show, T.H.E.M. They really did some mind blowing magic. One of the illusions that sticks out for me took place outside of a restaurant in the sidewalk cafe area. They interacted with some unsuspecting diners. They distracted the diners for about 2 seconds and somehow one of the T.H.E.M. guys ended up inside the restaurant waving to them from the other side of the plate glass. The only way he could get in there was to teleport. Even if he had a twin, there wasn't time for the first guy to run away. I would love to see a show like this again.
The Disney Family Singalong (2020)
Delightful from Start to Finish
This program was the most uplifting thing I've experienced in the months since the coronavirus pandemic overtook the airwaves. I recorded it and was prepared to delete it without watching. I figured it would be corny or homely. I haven't seen many of the recent animated films either but I decided to check it out before clicking that X. I'm so glad I saved it because it's just what I needed- what we all need at this time. The opening number with Derek Hough, girlfriend Hayley and sister, Julie was just amazing! That song alone is worth watching over and over. I didn't sing along because I was so mesmerized by the choreography. Their singing and dancing was at a whole other level. It seemed like an impossible act to follow however it was enough to make me want to stick around for the rest. Other celebrities sang their favorites and I felt like I was a kid again surrounded by my loving large family. Little Big Town, Ariana Grande, Luke Owens, Josh Gad and Auli'i had memorable sing-a-alongs too. It's obvious that everyone involved in this program put a lot of thought and time into getting this just right. I'm rewatching it right now and it just makes me smile. It's a whole lot of happy. I'm not sentimental by any means however this show reduced me to a little puddle of happy. I highly recommend this show if you need a pick-me-up.
SparkShorts: Kitbull (2019)
Cutest Short Since Piper
I loved the animation in this film, especially the kitten. The kitten's actions and reactions are so much like real kittens. It provoked a lot of laughter from the film's audience when I saw it. The story is heartwarming too. The audience where I saw it consisted only of adults however they verbally responded to many events in this short film. I noticed it was the only one of the movies that got applause at the end. Unlike other Disney movies that I can't watch because they make me want to cry through half the film, this one had just the right amount of rain mixed with sunshine. A brilliant story all around.
True Detective (2014)
Loved Season 1 AND 2
The first True Detective was great. For me it started slow however it rivaled any action movie in the final episodes. The second True Detective was even better than the first IMHO. I haven't written an IMDB in years but I had to give my 2 cents after reading yet another article claiming the second season was so bad that it almost killed the franchise. If you haven't seen either of these limited series, do yourself a favor and check them out. It's edge of your seat action and the plot twists are so exciting but not confusing. True Detective 1 built up to a shocking conclusion that was so good- there are no words to describe it. In True Detective 2, the acting was off the hoo from beginning to end.. Each episode ended with a suspenseful twist so I could hardly wait for the next one to air. The cinematography was better than a lot of feature films. I'm excited that True Detective 3 is here. Long live the franchise!