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The Boy That Never Was: Episode #1.4 (2024)
A Solid Cheese Fest!!!!
I suppose this episode was meant to grab viewers by the throat with its "shocking" reveal, but we burst out laughing at how ludicrous it was. I mean.... I mean... how stupid would we have to be to take this nonsense seriously? I was not much impressed with the first episode, but it was Irish, had its moments, plus your main man there with his lovely dark hair was easy to look at, so we figured it was only fair to see it out.
So, we carried on through two more rather silly episodes, and figured we were in for the full meal deal by that time. Lo and behold we come to episode 4, not expecting much, but what we got was so much more. So much more ridiculous, far-fetched, risible, and just plain stupid. Yes, we laughed out loud.
Does anyone watch this kind of trash and take it seriously? Or is the entire island of Ireland laughing at the simple-minded absurdity of it? It is impossible to say why I feel this way without "giving away" the pathetic conclusion, so I won't. If you haven't watched it yet, don't waste your time. Or do waste your time, if you're so inclined, but just know that if you have any sense you will be moved to laughter rather than the intended tears. Cheese of the Year Award winner: The Boy that Never Was. (And that title is grammatically incorrect. It should be The Boy WHO Never Was.)
Nebraska (2013)
Writing this to remind myself:
NEVER watch another Alexander Payne film! Hated Sideways, hated About Schmidt, and now hated Nebraska, which I just had the mind-numbing misfortune of squirming through. I gave a generous 2/10 to all three of them. And here we had another annoying snore fest in Nebraska. A film about as interesting as the grey scenery through which they endlessly drove on their futile quest. A film full of arrogant fools, morons and creeps. The only one with any life to her was Kate (June Squibb) and why she was still hanging around one will never know. She should have put on her skates and got out of there years ago and made a life for herself.
I forget how I got sucked into watching this junk but the name Alexander Payne will henceforth be seen as a warning to me: Do not watch this film! Full-tilt boredom ahead!
Grace: Dead Man's Time (2024)
A load of old misery, plus John Simm
As a long-time John Simm fan, I watch Grace regardless of how much misery they pile on in the script. And this script, when I could figure out who the heck they were on about with so many random names of characters and connected businesses tossed about, was desperately difficult to follow and relentlessly miserable with it.
A gloomy tale of a ridiculously valuable watch stolen (who cares?) and Grace and his cohorts trying to figure out who took it amongst many possible suspects. I don't really recall too much of the wheres and whys, even though I just this minute finished watching it, because it was convoluted, tiresome and boring.
Probably the worst of all the Grace episodes, in my opinion. If you liked it, fair dues to you. To each his/her own. But I will keep watching because of John Simm. Plus my lingering curiosity about when the heck he's going to figure out that his long lost wife isn't.
Abigail (2024)
To the makers of this piece of garbage, SHAME ON YOU!
This movie was totally infuriating, disgusting, morbid, sick, twisted and insulting. I know this is supposed to be a horror movie, but it's just a disappointment. It's too bad I can't swear on IMDb because you'd hear an earful. People who think this garbage is good are simply incorrect! Or they're just as sick and horrible as this so-called "entertainment". I was sitting in the movie theatre wishing I could hit "pause". I miss the person i was before I was polluted with this nonsense. If you want to see a bunch of idiots running around like loser morons being hunted down by an evil 8-year-old screaming at the top of her lungs for what seemed like an eternity, this is the movie for you. Although you should look into therapy and get checked out if you actually enjoy this torture. Story 0. Acting 0. Jump scares easily predictable and not scary. The gore was so over-the-top and overdone to the point that it was not scary and obviously fake. Plot twists anti-climactic and ending blah. I pity the child actor who had to embody this disgusting, evil demon. Don't waste your time on this crap. Instead, go outside and enjoy life instead of scarring yourself. To the actors in this film: I hope you got a fat paycheck in return for your soul and dignity.
Andi Oliver's Fabulous Feasts (2024)
Fabulous, heartfelt, full of love!
Andi Oliver is a national treasure! Her Fabulous Feasts odyssey takes us the length and breadth of Britain as she discovers communities and the people who live and work in them. The citizens, chefs/cooks, butchers, bakers, farmers, foragers, fisherfolk,
cheesemakers, chocolatiers... the people who put their hearts into their work and food on local tables.
Andi's warm smile lights up her expressive face as she greets all she meets wherever she goes. Hugs abound as she finds community projects to champion and brings neighbourhoods together in celebration. No matter who you are, where you hail from, whatever your age, Andi's curiosity, openness and love of people warms everyone and draws them to her. Wherever she finds herself, be it the southwest or the Potteries, Andi seeks out local produce and plans a menu to feed all comers at a festive party with live music and lots and lots of delicious food!
Every episode overflows with joie de vivre as we discover these communities, their people, their culture, their food. It is heartwarming and puts a big smile on my face. I would absolutely love to attend one of Andi's parties. She's my kind of people!
The Missing (2014)
Hard to judge this one...
***SPOILERSI***
Have just binge-watched the first series and am still pondering how I feel about it.
Something kept bugging me all the way through: why is this kind of horror show considered to be entertainment? It's a nightmare from start to finish with no joy anywhere. I kept thinking it must let up somewhere, there must be some hope/redemption/relief somewhere, there must be a payoff for sitting through eight solid hours of grief, and then there isn't.
I am sorry I watched it, and recommend you don't, unless you enjoy misery, trauma, and the worst of humanity in your nightly viewing. I am well aware of man's inhumanity to man (including precious children), I don't need to see it under the guise of "entertainment". No. Entertaining it is not, traumatising it is.
It was far too long. Could have easily and much better told this story, if it needed to be told at all, in 4 or 5 episodes. How much time needs to be spent watching people in cars getting from Point A to Point B? We know what a car looks like moving down a country road. How many pauses before someone replies, opens a door, reads a message, turns to look at someone speaking to them in the room? How many times did I hit the "move 10 seconds ahead" button? Countless times. How many times did I mutter "Just get on with it!"?
And red herrings? OMG! How much time was wasted on, as it turned out, completely unnecessary side stories that were sickening but ended up having nothing to do with Ollie's disappearance. The only redeeming purpose for the whole Ian Garrett (Ken Stott) scenario was to make sure viewers are aware of the horrors that tragically befall children abducted by paedophiles. I am quite sure, sadly, that most people are aware of this, even if they'd rather not be.
James Nesbitt's Tony Hughes was one unlikable protagonist, self-centred, rude, violent, and thoroughly unpleasant. Yes, slack can be cut for someone who's just lost his child, but he seemed to expect the whole world to revolve around him and his search and he was a nasty piece of work when things didn't go the way he thought they should.
Frances O'Connor as Emily Hughes, not much there to like, either. Insipid, meek and boring. However, who knows how I'd behave under similar circumstances. I'd cut out the middle and go straight to insanity, I am sure.
Several languages spoken with no subtitles. Did they assume viewers are fluent in English, French, Romanian, Russian and who knows what else?
Tcheky Karyo's Julien Baptiste was wonderful. Relentless in seeing a job through, even after retirement. I really enjoyed seeing him and his character throughout.
The constant time jumps were jarring. So frequent, I had to follow the hair styles (Emily Hughes and Julien Baptiste mainly) to keep track. Emily having longer darker hair and Julien with a beard and more hair in the later period were handy clues to what year we were in.
My overall impression is that the acting was good. I would not want to be on the receiving end of James Nesbitt's fierce glare. If he started foaming at the mouth I wouldn't have been surprised. Nasty, but appropriate for the part.
The ending felt tacked on. Like they decided last minute that something more was needed. But it still left the question of what happened to Ollie unresolved. After sitting through 8 hours of all that I was hoping for a satisfying conclusion. I choose to believe the boy in Russia was Ollie. But we'll never know for sure. And that's not okay.
I guess it was all well done. But, again, who needs eight hours of hideous despair? Not me, thanks.
Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax (2023)
Schadenfreude Alert!
Here we have an apparently fit, good-looking, talented young man with an extremely high-paying job as an actor in a popular television series and a very promising career in sight well into the future... as long as he doesn't do something astoundingly stupid and screw it all up for himself. Which he does.
Who is ever going to take a chance on hiring Jussie Smollett again? Is his career well and truly over? He was fired from his show, Empire, in (I believe) 2019 when he was arrested by the Chicago Police Department for an arm's-length long list of offences to do with his by then well-known faked "racist/homophobic" assault, and there are no acting jobs listed here on IMDb for him since that time.
It is very difficult to keep the schadenfreude at bay. One does not want to take pleasure in another's misfortune. If "misfortune" can be applied to a case where the individual has manufactured, engineered, planned and plotted the alleged "assault" on himself. Actually, it took place exactly as he planned, so I guess there's no "misfortune" involved in the event and, depending on who you're asking (other than Jussie Smollett and his gullible, blinkered supporters) no misfortune in the long follow-up after. At least not for him. Oh, except maybe he'll never work again in the entertainment industry! The point is: any "misfortune" befalling JS in this whole scenario is nobody's fault but his! He chose this for himself!
Now, on the other hand, I can see misfortune in the many wasted hours of those in the CPD who tirelessly searched for his "racist and homophobic" attackers. As if they don't have better things to do than get sucked into the lies of a narcissistic, self-centred, entitled, delusional liar who just doesn't know when to shut up!
What on earth possessed Jussie Smollett to perpetrate such nonsense? Rumours had it he was hoping to up his public image and get a higher paycheque from the Empire producers. So what's minimum wage for hard-working people doing everyday jobs? And what was JS earning for his Empire gig? Reportedly between $65,000 and $125,000 PER EPISODE!!! And that was not enough? He had to come up with a scheme where Empire would pay him MORE? What kind of a lunatic is that greedy?
As I say, difficult to not feel a little schadenfreude seeing this nitwit charged and put to trial in a NY courtroom. He should be in prison for the waste of time and money he caused the CPD who spent many hours looking for his "attackers."
Oh. Those "attackers"!!! The Osundairo brothers are worth the price of admission to watch this thing. I know it's on television, but I stand by that statement because these guys are a hoot. I believed every word they said. I loved how they backed each other up, each was respectfully quiet as the other spoke, and they seem to have a wonderful, brotherly rapport. And they were funny. I sat there thinking "I love these guys!" I know next to nothing about them, but they were terrific, believable witnesses to this very sad tale.
Well worth a watch, and a cautionary tale for anyone who might be considering doing something really, really reckless in hopes of bettering their position in life. Sometimes it's good to sit still and be grateful for what we've got. Jussie... you listening?
The Inheritance (2023)
What a waste of time!
Three completely unlikable dimwits in a convoluted story that makes no sense and fittingly goes up in smoke. Why do they bother making nonsense like this? Am I supposed to care about these selfish, stupid fools? Give them two choices: they'll make the dumbest most unrealistic one.
Half the time I couldn't figure out who they were talking about or why they were doing what they were doing. Do any of these people work for a living? They seem to have all the time in the world to sit around drinking copious amounts of tea, but only the brother is shown to have an actual job, a restaurant he owns and manages to run with sporadic visits to the place. No wonder it's going down the tubes. None of the others, including one sister's husband, appears to go to work. I guess they were all just waiting for Daddy to drop dead so they could collect a fat inheritance. Big mistake!
On top of how dopey it all was, there was endless television mumbling so I had to rewind continuously to try to make out what was being said, and even then it didn't make much sense.
I guess I'm the fool because I was actually eager to see this, so the joke's on me. Big fat waste of time.
Wilderness (2023)
Would have been better as a 3-parter
So much time wasted filling out the six episodes. Why? How much time can you waste watching a car drive down a highway? Or waiting, interminably, while characters pause, hem, haw, stumble through their lines? Endless pauses on faces, waiting for them to speak, sputter... or do something/anything!
I enjoyed it enough to watch all 6 episodes, but I lost track of how many times I sighed impatiently: "Would you just get on with it!" So much time wasted on unnecessary filler. If you don't have enough real guts of a story to fill 6 episodes, cut the number of episodes.
Some beautiful scenery, including the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta and apparently scenes shot in Vancouver, BC. But there's only so much scenery I can enjoy while waiting for something to happen. Stuff DOES happen, and also two or three really preposterous scenes that jarred me out of the story while I thought how ridiculous/stupid/implausible the goings on were. Really knocked off a couple of points for those.
Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen played their parts well, especially Jenna who got more of a range with her character, while Oliver spends a whole lot of his time on screen snivelling.
I am not a fan of Claire Rushbrook who usually plays meek underdog types with no backbone, but this was a different kind of role for her - a horror of a mother. Although I suppose a lot of mothers, lacking self-awareness, do dreadful wrong in their efforts to be a "good mother".
I can't really recommend you spend 6 hours watching Wilderness, which means six hours with some rather sordid, self-serving, narcissistic, and pathetic people. But, hey, some viewers like that sort of thing!
Isn't Life Wonderful! (1953)
Delightful!
Charming and delightful are words that spring to mind when thinking of Isn't Life Wonderful, a film I just watched for the second time and enjoyed just as much as on the first viewing.
It's good medicine for these melancholic times in which we find ourselves. Beautiful technicolour is an added bonus to the whimsical script and enthusiastic performances of all involved. I for one enjoy the breaking of the fourth wall when a cast member speaks directly to the audience, and I don't really understand all the whining about Peter Asher's character doing just that. He may not be a mini Brad Pitt (people seemed put off by the lad's appearance -- good grief!) but he did a fine job in the role.
Cecil Parker is his usual pompous self, but soft around the edges and given many delightful bon mots that were possibly missed by other reviewers who seem to dislike the film. I found his witticisms amusing and clever.
Who wouldn't want an uncle like Donald Wolfit's Uncle Willie? He's a hoot and a delight whenever he's on screen.
Isn't Life Wonderful kept me smiling throughout, and that alone makes it worthy of 8 stars.
London Kills (2019)
It's a funny old show...
While I did enjoy watching London Kills, and watched all 4 series, if I stop and think about it there are all kinds of questions, curios and downright weirdness.
Obviously low budget, as in the first 3 series we never see anyone in the police station but the main 4 or 5 on this murder squad. Once we get to series 4 extras dressed as cops walk up and down the halls in a rebuttal of many reviewers' comments that there appear to be no other employees in this station. But we see the same shots of the same cops walking down the hall over and over again.
I could not believe that in nearly every episode of the first 3 series the same bus #15 was seen from behind and the same white van turned left in the same exterior establishing shot - again and again and again. Came to pass that I found myself waiting for bus #15 and its accompanying white van each episode and I was not let down. Same for the green bridge with "Flash" graffitied across it in white paint. It became a very familiar sight. "Ah! There it is!" I'd say each time the same view of it appeared, like I was keeping score. And other similar exterior shots reused again and again.
Acorn TV is an American company owned by AMC, so no doubt it is making sure their US audience gets plenty of notice that this is a British show, although the name should be enough of a clue. I'm not complaining; I'm an Anglophile in Canada and happy to see Tower Bridge, boats on the Thames and various tourist attractions around the city continuously, one after the other, again and again.
Do suspects in the UK not ask for a solicitor when being questioned? Are police interviews never recorded? They appear to be in every other Brit copy show (and I've watched many). Do London police always arrest everyone even remotely close to a crime and ask questions later? Are all UK cops psychic and know things they could not possibly know (had it not been written in the script?)
There were some nice twists in some of the episodes, things that kept me watching, but some head-scratchers too, like how the heck could they possibly know that?
People who weren't guilty seemed to be forever confessing to the crime to cover up for someone else, while the guilty party was often, of course, the one you would least expect. I don't know if these cops were driving their own cars or what, but does the police service provide Mercedes and Audis? I don't know, if I ask too many questions I might hurt myself. There are many. However, I liked it enough to watch all 4 series (20 episodes in total) so it wasn't all bad.
Missing Kenley (2022)
Frustrating, disappointing and overly long
***SPOILERS***
Missing Kenley becomes a bit of a shaggy-dog story in that it rambles on and on, full of speculation and rumour that ultimately go nowhere. All the "maybe's" and "what if's" get tiresome and just add confusion that must have been heart-wrenching for Kenley's mother and sister.
I quickly got the impression that the filmmaker was an amateur who really didn't understand the requirements of a good documentary and was just "flying by the seat of his pants" throwing everything at it and hoping something would stick. I was very surprised to learn that he had also directed "The Call of the Wild" doc about Christopher McCandless's ill-fated Alaska excursion, which I thought was very interesting.
It is difficult to understand why this series was even released when it had no resolution or real answers for Kenley's family. Highly speculative throughout, but naming names nonetheless. I can't begin to imagine the fallout for the family who blatantly pointed fingers at one of their own, naming that person as Kenley's murderer. The person may well be guilty, but we still don't know, and it seems highly irresponsible to name and shame without proof.
Are all small-town police as stupid and incompetent as the bunch on display here appear to be? Clues handed to them on a plate that they don't bother to follow up on. It's like the Three Stooges or Inspector Clouseau without the laughs. I once read that applicants for the police force are given IQ tests and anyone who measures over 104 is disqualified as being too smart and likely to become bored in the job. I can well believe it, seeing the blatant stupidity of this bunch. Then it turns out that the RCMP officer in charge is a cousin of the main suspect! Where on earth is this okay? Apparently in Wolfville, NS!
So much speculation, so many red herrings, so many unanswered questions. A great deal of time is spent talking about the "chicken pit" then the owner of the property says this alleged pit does not exist. Does anyone bother to go and find out? No. Including the police, who are told that is where Kenley's remains can be found, with no follow up.
Kenley seems like an amazing young man, full of intelligence and potential. Murder is horrible at any time, but to be murdered for the alleged reason suggested here and thrown away like trash compounds the horror. I don't know how his mother and sister have survived the dreadfulness for over 30 years now.
One more thing. The relentless soundtrack that didn't know when to shut up (do we really need background noise when people are talking?). I can hardly call it "music", as it was constantly drumming into the viewer "this is tense", "you should be on the edge of your seat now and if you're not, this "music" will put you there". Yes, it put me there in annoyance. Relentlessly hammering at your viewers is not helpful, does not move the narrative along, and just gives me a headache!
I did watch the whole thing but kept wondering when it would finally be over. I also thought "they better find Kenley by the end" to make this all worthwhile. I should have known better. It could have been half as long and twice as effective with it.
Invitation to a Murder (2023)
I wondered if it could possibly be as bad as the reviews said it was...
...so I watched it, and it WAS!!! Absolutely dreadful!! Silly, tedious, ridiculous and BORING from beginning to end. Where to start?
I suppose it was meant to be "suggestive" of an Agatha Christie, so England 1930s-1940s scenario. I got very little, or any, 1930s England feeling from this. Upon first meeting, the characters very casually call each other by their first names. Wrong. A cop shows up and displays his holstered gun. No. British police, to this day, do not carry firearms. But those are just fiddly details.
Bossy Boots, I mean Miranda Green (Mischa Barton's ridiculous character) takes charge, telling everyone what to do, and they do it. Who elected her boss? A young woman (she looks about 50 but I think she's closer to 35 IRL), a complete stranger to everyone, barks out orders and everyone silently obeys. Why? "And that's not a request..." she barks, and they all do whatever it is she's demanded this time.
She seems able, either by osmosis or amazing gifts of prognostication, to know what has happened, what will happen, who did it, and why, without the slightest hint of actual evidence. "Someone banged his head with the door," she announces, although neither she nor anyone else in the room (to her or our knowledge) witnessed it. She opines that someone lost his father young because his shoes aren't well cared for. Huh???
And s-l-o-w moving?!?!? It takes minutes for a character to walk a few feet from the sofa to the door, with a supposedly ominous soundtrack to back it up. She's just leaving the room! Is this meant to be scary? The soundtrack never lets up trying to tell us "Look out! Something creepy might happen!" Might. Doesn't.
And the characters never stop spouting cliches. The script is preposterous! Cliche characters as well. The craggy American "journalist", alcoholic, gum-chewing, chain-smoking, calls women "sweetheart"... straight out of Central Casting. Bizarre accents, as well. Another review mentioned accent accuracy (!) and gave an example of having worked with Indian people and therefore knew the Indian accent was accurate. Well, I don't know what film that person watched because there is no Indian character in this piece of trash, correct accent or not.
I actually caught myself falling asleep during this, but I was determined to watch it through to the sorry end. Invitation to a Murder, a blatant rip-off of Christie's "And Then There Were None," is so bad, no doubt it will generate either a TV series or countless sequels. Heaven forbid!
The Wimbledon Poisoner (1994)
Really enjoyed this until I didn't
I was very pleasantly surprised by this, watching it in 2023 and never heard of it before. Found it initially very enjoyable - dark, sarcastic humour, which I love.
Episode One was fine, and the wine-drinking scene at the funeral was pretty funny. However, there was a whole lot of overacting to the point of silliness, and Episode Two just deteriorated into ridiculous, noisy chaos. I actually had to stop watching in the last few minutes, or skipped ahead to catch the very end, but I'd lost interest by then. Too bad. It started out quirky and witty, and I especially enjoyed Robert Lindsay. Alison Steadman, who is wonderful generally, was too shrill for me. I just think it go a bit too OTT slapstick for me and lost points the longer it went on.
Missing Mom (2016)
Hard to stomach this...
Besides being a poorly shot film, with tiresome scenes of people driving down highways, walking around, standing around, waiting for someone to answer phone calls, blah, blah, blah, it left me feeling rather queasy by the end. What a fantastically screwed up family this is! How bizarre that people can just let someone (a cruel, hard and self-righteous grandmother) take their children from them and do nothing about it!
Lee had the prize-wining parents from Hell, that's for sure! I couldn't believe what I was hearing about how Lee's mother used threats and violence to get Chris's dad to give up custody of him! What a nasty piece of work she is! That woman is sick, and SHE had the audacity to talk about how hurt SHE had been by Lee! Some people defy all logic and sense!
Early in the film Rob's father said he couldn't care less if he ever saw his own daughter again, referred to her as "the mother", and showed disgust and contempt for her. If she was screwed up, is there any wonder, with parents like those two?
I hope Rob and Chris get some closure and satisfaction out of finding their mother, but, good lord, the whole bunch of them need years of therapy!
Titanic: The Aftermath (2012)
Very informative
I really enjoyed this documentary, which provided a lot of information on the recovery of bodies following the sinking of the Titanic. I've read and seen any number of books, articles, documentaries and dramas about HOW the disaster happened, but very little, if anything, about the events that followed.
This documentary was done with great respect for the survivors and the victims. The details about the forensics and the meticulous identifying of the bodies was fascinating, as were the scenes in the Halifax Titanic graveyard.
It is such a mystery how a 3-year-old child remains unidentified after all these years. Was there no passenger manifest listing everyone on the vessel? Were there so many 3-year-old boys onboard that it was impossible to identify one among many? Was a photo not released of him, as they were of other unidentified passengers?
It seems almost disrespectful of everyone involved in this tragedy to say the film was "enjoyable", but I do appreciate all the information it provided and how well it was presented.
Treasure Hunt (1952)
Silly, Inconsequential, but also charming!
After reading these glum reviews I didn't expect much from this film, but I do enjoy vintage British comedies, so decided to give it a look on a rainy afternoon.
I was pleasantly surprised, mostly by the eccentricities throughout, in both characters and dialogue. Right from the beginning, with the play between the "lord of the manor" and the local poacher colluding to meet up for a night of poaching together, with the poacher calling the "lord" "you darling man", I found myself smiling.
This warm and silly film held my attention in a light and non-threatening way. Nobody was being murdered, there were no nasty surprises, it just did what a mainstream 1950s British comedy was meant to do: amuse and entertain. It's true it was no Ealing comedy, but it had its delightful moments.
Especially charming was Martita Hunt as Aunt Anna Rose, along with Naunton Wayne, Athene Seyler, Jimmy Edwards and the unfortunately underused Irene Handl, who is always fun to watch.
I am sorry for all those whose main comment is that the film is "dated". Yes, it's "dated", it's over 70 years old! Being "dated" is one of its charms to me, and I bet to many others if they give it a chance. It's a charming film and I recommend it!
Everyone Else Burns (2023)
Sadly disappointing
Good idea poorly done. Just not funny. I got almost to the end of episode 5, despite my doubts all the way through. I like to give a show a chance and I was hoping it would improve. Ridiculous cartoon characters throughout. Nobody is realistic at all; just caricatures going through the motions reciting a dreadfully unfunny script written by people who, apparently, haven't a clue about "funny".
Simon Bird, with his moronic bowl haircut, dreadfully overacts, and looks demented. How can anyone take this show seriously? It is preposterous. I know there are a lot of "religious" sects with nonsensical beliefs that prevent them living joyous, fulfilling lives. I suppose a series could be made highlighting their far-fetched ideas with humour and (what is needed) sarcasm, but this isn't it. Let alone did I not laugh, I didn't even smile. I groaned. I rolled my eyes.
I suppose the (SPOILER) scene of mom throwing up in Andrew's treasured memorial to his wife is supposed to elicit howls of laughter. Maybe if you're in pre-school and think vomit is funny, otherwise, no. And that's when I turned it off. No more wasting time with this nonsense; clearly it is NEVER going to get funny as there's only one episode left. I am happy to miss it. I don't know why I'm even giving it three. The only sane character is Rachel's boyfriend. Everyone else is delusional, misguided, gullible and, in the case of the dad, a raging narcissist. Not much to laugh at there!
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
What a dreadful disappointment!
Two is a rather arbitrary rating, scenery was very pleasant and the acting was good all round. Other than that, what a miserable mess this was! I've eagerly waited months to see Banshees of Inisherin and then couldn't believe my eyes at the cruelty, misery, despair and general awfulness of the film. And it's labelled "comedy"? The most uncomedic film I've seen in many a year!
Any funny lines were already revealed in the trailer, so when I finally saw the film I was well familiar with anything humorous in it. Every charming moment was spoiled by the trailer. So the trailer was, in the end, more entertaining than the actual film.
Two mentally ill men, apparently long-time friends, spend most of the film going out of their way to make each other's lives miserable. As if they weren't miserable enough already, living small, restricted lives in what is, undeniably, a gorgeous location. Why one, a fiddle player of all things, decides to dismember himself in "retaliation" for his one-time friend "bothering" him, is beyond me. Clearly the man is mentally ill and needs serious help, but I don't care to sit around and witness them both going to hell in a handbasket.
Maybe it's all meant to be allegorical and has some deeply profound meaning that's gone over my head. To me it's two hours of despair, nastiness, bloodshed, stupidity, and a total waste of time. What a dreadful disappointment!
Dead Gorgeous (2002)
Really a fun watch!
I just watched this on YouTube (free) and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I'm always looking for "vintage British films" but I think I found this via "British mysteries" or similar. I almost didn't watch it as it's a TV film I never heard of, but was attracted to the "bump off each other's husband" scenario and gave it a go.
The sets, costumes and general ambiance were right up my street as I'm a big fan of wartime Britain (and into the rest of the 1940s). Fay and Helen were both terrific in their roles, although Helen's character went a bit OTT near the end, and I feared it was going to be a "woman suddenly goes completely insane and admits to heinous crimes" a la many other TV cop shows, but this surprised me by NOT copping out in that way.
I enjoyed this right to the end and found it surprisingly entertaining.
Top Chef Canada (2011)
Enjoyable, BUT...
I do appreciate that this is the Canadian version, so Canadian chefs mentioning Canadian locations, ingredients and culinary traditions. We especially enjoyed Tawnya, the Indigenous chef, but of course she got booted quickly, despite her unique take on Canadian cuisine and her pride in cooking and presenting with care and skill.
BUT... where did they dig up these chi chi judges and host? My goodness, they scream Toronto elitism and have no relatability to the average viewer AT ALL! Host Erin Grinshpan is charm- and charisma-free for starters. And that panel of judges can't seem to move their faces for all the botox, lifts, fillers, surgery, etc. They've had. They sit there like something out of Madame Tussaud's, dressed to the nines as though they're at some star-studded ball or being presented to the King. Show a little personality, will you?
They seem far too concerned about their hair and nails and designer duds and how they look on camera than relating to the audience as human beings. This show couldn't be more "Toronto snobbery" if it tried! "I bet she has a house in Cabbage Town!" we cry. "No, Rosedale," comes the reply. Laugh? We almost started! These folks might have some fame in the snooty Toronto food scene but the "common folks" in the rest of the country (that does exist beyond the 401) haven't a clue. We watch it for the chefs and their recipes and ingredients, and tolerate this crew of "we're better than you" types who litter our screens. Come on! How about some REAL people as judges? Is that too much to ask? The Canadian culinary scene must have a few, somewhere...
The Great Canadian Baking Show (2017)
Dreadful hosts (Alan and Ann) ruin this show!
Who are these terrible so-called hosts? Never heard of either of them, and looking them up on IMDb doesn't improve the situation. Seems like neither has done much that qualifies them for hosting what could be a charming show. How the heck did these two get hired? Oh, I get it. It's part of the "equal opportunity" ethos of the day.
Doesn't matter if you don't have any discernible charm or talent, as long as you're of a visible minority you're hired. I'm all for diversity, but more should be required for a hosting job than just the fact that you're not white. Witty, knowledgeable about the subject matter (have either of these two ever actually, you know, baked anything?), able to relate to the contestants, some charm and warmth... Nope, nope and nope. Cannot watch this show with these two hosting. Judges are boring as well.
This is such a pale imitation of the original, Great British Bake Off, which I have enjoyed for years.
Two points only for one or two of the contestants. But most of them are boring as well. Call it the Great Canadian Bore Off.
Bad Sisters: The Cold Truth (2022)
MAJOR SPOILERS!!! What an annoying episode!
I have really been enjoying Bad Sisters, but I watched this episode feeling highly annoyed most of the way through.
SPOILERS!!!
1. Apparently this office where Eva works (while regularly being tormented by her A-hole brother-in-law) is the ONLY place in the known universe where she can find employment. For some reason the idea of escaping the misery in which she has long found herself has never occurred to her!?!?!?! Get up off your backside, Eva, go out and get yourself another job! You know, a place where your lovely self and your experience, knowledge and ability will be appreciated, MINUS that creep who makes your workplace hellish for you. Is Eva an indentured servant? Is she paying off some kind of debt to that company, keeping her tied to that office whether she likes it or not? I don't see any chains holding her down, so why on earth is she putting up with it? Get out while you can, Eva!!! Nobody is forcing you to endure that misery!
2. Even though some of these sisters apparently have jobs (see #1), they seem to have all the time in the world to drop everything else (jobs, kids, homes, families) to meet up any time, day or night, to while away the hours, and bottomless glasses of booze, dreaming up ways to carry out their major aim in life. All they have to do is text each other to appear here or there (usually at each other's multi-million-pound homes) and moments later, there they all are. Sitting around the table with no other demands on their time. I have no problem with what it is they're discussing. My bewilderment is how they all happen to have so much free time to discuss it in the first place.
3. Eva is NOT the boss of you! I know Eva raised them when their parents died, but Gordon Bennett! They're all (allegedly) grown up women now, so why do they let her boss them around? Eva says "no" so it's no. Think for yourselves, girls! Take a vote, if you must, but dictatorships are SO not the vibe!
4. They get themselves into the cold locker to see what's what. Then, beyond all reason and common sense, they STAY IN THERE, where JP could show up any second, standing around, in the cold, with the freezer door open (who's to say it might not swing shut on its own, with no way out????) having a conversation that could quite easily and much more sensibly be carried out warm and cozy at home, around the table, safe from lunatics, with a nice cuppa and a bickie to go with it. I was shouting at the screen: "What is wrong with you morons??? Get out of there!" Nobody listened to me, though.
5. Becka sits in the cupboard waiting for JP to enter the freezer. SOMEBODY enters the room, crosses the floor and goes into the cold locker. Does Becka actually SEE JP do this? No. She carries out the plan, returns the next day to complete the process, then goes to Eva and announces "The Prick is dead" and they embrace in relief. Did Becka SEE JP dead in the freezer? Again, no. She ASSUMED it was JP who entered it, assumed he was still in there and well dead, without even checking to be sure. The mind boggles at the stupidity. We shall have to wait a week to see who, if anyone, was in the freezer. I'll be very surprised if it was actually JP, although it would be most appropriate if it were. Then these sisters will have to find another excuse to while away endless hours sitting around boozing.
These are the kinds of things that kept me annoyed throughout this episode, and there were even more. Why does Gabriel care so much if his co-workers know he's gay? Is this 1957? Why does he believe JP when he knows what a (any insulting expletive here will do fine) he is? Why, oh why, did Gabriel risk his own life saving that doorknob JP??? (facetious/rhetorical question). Why would Gabriel think there might be something going on between Eva and JP (he wouldn't; it's just thrown in there for conflict), etc., etc.
Canada's Drag Race (2020)
Sad to say, but Canada's Drag Race is dreadful!
First season, we gave it a chance as it was, well, first season. But, girl, what a dreadfully pale imitation of the original. First of all, Brooke Lynn Hytes has all the charisma of a bag of nails. No charm, no warmth, no wit and definitely no kindness -- absolutely nothing to recommend her as a host, except she's Canadian. She sometimes looks great but that's as far as it goes. And the other judges? Forget it! T. Melchor seems sadly fake every time she speaks. What are her credentials for having such a prominent role on a drag show?
Into the second season, most of these poor queens seem in way over their heads. I heard they get no financial assistance from the show prior to arriving for the production and, with so many costumes/gowns/wigs, etc., needed, it's obvious that most of them just don't have the many thousands of dollars needed to adequately prepare. It shows and it's sad.
Maybe it's unfair to compare this show with the US version, or even the UK version, where most of the queens are obviously far more experienced (and bankrolled) than the Canadian queens, but I felt sad and embarrassed for some of the Season 2 queens. It was like amateur night at a small-town community drag show and, while doing their best, it was just sad to watch.
I admit we didn't make it through to the end of the season. The incompetent judges, trying so hard to be something they're not, the cheap production, bad lighting, and struggling performers, the comparison with the utter fabulousness of the latest RPDR All-Stars that we'd just seen in all its glory, were intolerable. I want to have fun watching drag race, not feel sad, bored and sorry for the queens.
One star for the effort of the queens, and one for the very welcome appearance of Miss Vanessa Vanjie Mateo.
The Book of Queer (2022)
Fantastic, and informative for EVERYONE!
Wow! If history was like this in school I would have paid more attention! Fun, informative and an absolute delight from start to finish. Some startling historical facts (backed up with solid research and academic integrity) presented with humour and intelligence. I have seen three episodes and can't wait for more.
The Book of Queer is for everyone, at least everyone who has an interest in history, an open mind and a sense of humour. Sorry, narrow-minded, bigoted homophobes, if you find this show offensive. Please open your eyes and see that the world is a big, beautiful place where everyone deserves respect and the freedom to be themselves. And lighten up and have a laugh, for goodness's sake!
I am an old hetero granny and I love The Book of Queer. And the gorgeous Miss Vanjie appears in Episode 3, so there's even more reason to watch this wonderful show.
Kudos to everyone involved. Thank you for all the effort you've put in (not the least of which is getting your PhDs!).
As of today Book of Queer has a rating of 3.5. I can just imagine all the sorry haters who saw "Queer" in the title, didn't even bother to watch it, and gave it a big ol' 1. What sad little lives those people must live!