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Reviews

Civil War
(2024)

Reminder
First, A24 films always have an atmosphere that's bursting at the seams, and this one is no different. From the beginning, there's a tension that continues to build.

The chaos and random violence are placed so well, as a vision of what a war would look like if it were taking place in our neighborhoods, farmhouses, cities, and Capitol.

I think some people were disappointed that the 'why' never gets addressed, as in there's no backstory to how the factions were formed, but I think the movie intentionally keeps that out, since it really is irrelevant. It's not about telling the political story, it's about showing the impact, and it does that really well.

The emotion that really gripped me is 'stranger in a strange land' while driving through rural America. I've driven across the country a couple times, and it's startling how different areas can feel, so it hits home.

This Is Spinal Tap
(1984)

As Good As It Gets
There are only two movies that I can consistently call "my favorite", Spinal Tap and Amadeus.

Spinal Tap is as good as comedy can get. There is so much going on in each and every moment, and the jokes cover the full range, from absurd and up front, to really cleverly plays on conversation. Example - a show they played at the Isle of Lucy (I Love Lucy), or when their manager says Boston isn't a big college town.

I watch this every few years and still catch something new. The music is also sincerely written, as in they're really playing these songs, and lyrically they are so many kinds of humorous.

If you're a musician, this is a must watch. If not, you'll want to see it as well.

The O.C.
(2003)

Surprisingly Decent
I grew up in OC, and was living in AZ when this show came out. My AZ friends wanted to know if the show was like OC really was, so I started watching, and joked around "we have a LOT more fist fights than the show depicts" hehe.

But after watching the first couple episodes, just as an amusement, I did notice the writing was stronger than I thought it would be, and I got invested in the characters. I was only a couple years out of HS, so it did resonate.

It's not high-quality TV, it's typical Fox broadcast stuff, but I'd say it's at the high end of that typical stuff. I thought the first season of 90210 was decent as well, and I'd say they are comparable quality.

Drinking Buddies
(2013)

Intriguing watch
I'm seeing a lot of people that didn't care for it, and I think that might be that there's no real point A to point B story, but more like a series of events.

I found the relationships to really hit home, and the characters and dialogue was very relatable. It's basically friends that may or may not have an underlying attraction, and the rough patch that causes in their personal lives.

The improvisational nature of the conversations worked really well, and despite not being scripted, remained really interesting. The actors did a great job of portraying subtle emotional signals, and it's a story that isn't too heavy, has plenty of amusing moments, and for me was really enjoyable.

Amadeus
(1984)

Perfect
There are a handful of movies, fewer than 10, that I consider flawless. This is one of them.

The story is fascinating, so much so that I got the extended Director's Cut, and it still flies by.

F. Murray Abraham steals the show. His layers of emotion all come through brilliantly. The irony of a character, Salieri, who was obsessed with being more than a mediocrity, and being portrayed by one of the best performances in movies.

The chosen music is likewise perfect, and integrated into the movie so beautifully that it's practically a character itself.

I recommend this movie to everyone. I'd say watch the theatrical cut though, as the Director's Cut might run long for some people, and it does have an R rating, instead of the theatrical PG.

Thaco
(2008)

Good 'slice of life' short film for D&D fans
The runtime probably gives away that this is a next-to-nothing budget indie film. I'm guessing the script was pretty short, just covering some of the beats, and that a lot of it was improvised.

Ironically, this movie's best moments seem unscripted, or lightly scripted, as the three characters all have their own charm, and work very well off each other.

The acting is about what you'd expect, some flat delivery, except when the conversations really start going, where everyone picks up a very natural feel. The topics of conversation are very relatable to anyone who's done any kind of RPG sessions.

If you want to catch an hour of 3 guys talking D&D, with some funny scenarios thrown in, it's worth it.

Glengarry Glen Ross
(1992)

How I Learned to Start Worrying and Hate Sales
Some films feel like they were written by insiders, but still don't grab the captivating part of the subject. Glengarry Glen Ross gets right to the center of it, and portrays it perfectly, while showing practically every side of a high pressure sales environment.

The confidence and strut of the guys at the top, the frustration and confusion of the guys in the middle, and the desperation of the guys at the bottom. The relationship between the sales team and the management, the smell of desperation on a rough sales call, and the shady, shady, tactics used by a lot of the guys who rise to the top.

I think everyone who's been in some sort of financial sales position, whether it be real estate, lending, financial advisory, can relate to just about everything going on in this movie, and they'll be shocked at how accurately it's depicted.

The cast is great, but Jack Lemmon.is such a standout. Every moment he's on screen is captivating.

The Gamers: Dorkness Rising
(2008)

Interesting Premise
What I liked: The obvious passion to make this movie, and the script feels much more cohesive than the first one. Some of the jokes are surprisingly funny, but a lot is kinda cheesy.

The acting is hit and miss, with the, I guess you'd say, antagonistic player, being by far the one who gives the best delivery. In the 3rd movie, he ended up being the protagonist, and I feel like that's due to his acting ability.

It's clearly made by people who play RPGs, and it's not a jab at gaming by any means. If anything, it's a very accurate of the people who do game, or at least, who were gaming back in 2008 (before it became more pop culture);.

What I disliked: This is going to sound weird to say, especially since it's mostly a comedic movie, but they tried to address a real gaming issue in a serious manner, and that is the 'should a DM keep the player on rails' issue.

Here, they clearly advocate for doing so, by making the players unreasonably hard to manage. Gamers will understand this critique here - the DM has a "DMPC", who is a Paladin, who polices the group, and that's shown in a positive light.

Non-gamers won't even care, but people who have played D&D know why that should never fly. That, and the DMPC is very pivotal in decisions being made by the party, and again, THAT aspect is not about comedy, it's about controlling unruly players.

So if you have someone who wants to DM, and they love this movie, watch out.

Other than that, typical low budget problems, like the soundtrack possibly being public domain music, or generic enough to feel like it.

Verdict: If you played D&D back in the 2000s, or before, you'll absolutely relate to the tabletop scenes. The actual 'in game' stuff feels super cheap, like rough cosplay cheap, but that's to be expected. I think gamers will get a kick out of it, and non-gamers will probably find it super boring, since it's pretty much made for gamers.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: All Good Things...
(1994)
Episode 25, Season 7

Rare to see such a great finale
I can't think of many, if any, finales that were so confidently and brilliantly written. This should be the blueprint for how to conclude a series.

If you haven't seen The Next Generation, I'd suggest, as others have, watching some highlight shows over the 7 year span, including the first episode of the show. The first episode isn't one of my favorite, but it's necessary for getting some of the references in the finale.

Even looking at the title "All Good Things..." referring to "All Good Things Must Come to an End" which is both a reference to the show ending, along with a reference to the plot itself, which manages to be both incredibly epic and intensely personal at the same time.

I agree with the people who say this can be considered one of the best Star Trek movies made. I wasn't a huge Next Generation fan, but there were between 10-15 episodes that I thought were excellent, and then this finale just hit me exactly how a show should. It takes every single thing from the previous 7 seasons and encapsulates them in one final adventure.

Finales just don't get better. 10/10.

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