vivlet

Best thing I've seen in a while. I want to live in Megan Dong's brain.

Kind of like a mashup of Gossip Girl + Pride and Prejudice with some of the trashiness of Fifty Shades. Also follows the formula of girl meets perfect boy with a Problem, girl wants to fix Problem. In this case, it's girl desperately and *forcibly* fixes the Problem.

I couldn't get into it the first time I tried, but gave it a go again after my brain was fried from doing taxes. Ended up enjoying it mostly because of the actors' great chemistry. Also, the Duke (Page) is some serious eye candy and god knows I'm thirsty after almost a year of this dang pandemic. Yippee!

I listen to enough true crime podcasts to know that there are some truly heinous people out there; ones who have committed crimes against children, for example. Many times I've felt that not even the death penalty could be justice enough. No, surely they must be punished, and made to know what it feels like to suffer. (Looking at you, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley...)

Well, this episode debates the consequences of that sort of dangerous thinking. A human being is a human being, with thoughts and feelings. Many people also feel that there isn't a threshold of evil, and that it can't be measured.

However, I'm still a strong believer that there IS certainly a threshold. How about we start with "don't rape and kill children?" That's just my opinion though, and everybody has a different one; at the end of the day it doesn't mean anything, and shouldn't. We have a justice system in place to deal with criminals. It's what separates us from animals.

I'm not saying that I would enjoy seeing anyone suffer. But this episode actually made me question whether I would ever support the idea of White Bear Justice park, if it existed. I was surprised at myself for hesitating. Then I thought, "Well, such a park would never exist, because it's immoral. And we've evolved past that. But wait, no we haven't. If we've truly evolved, then we would not continue to commit horrible atrocities. Such people are only one in a million though... or are they? Maybe they should indeed be punished; and then perhaps, these kinds of crimes would diminish, if not only for the fear of being actually made to taste their own medicine."

So, this one made me think, and now I'm tired of thinking. So I'm just gonna post this review instead, to say that it's worth watching.

The technology in this episode is simply much too farfetched to be believed.

Ignoring ALL the other unbelievable scenarios in this absolute bummer of a story, I can 100% guarantee you I cannot recall the face of any person I've passed in the supermarket today. Let alone remember what sort of reflection was on the glass of a building 100 ft away in my peripheral vision.

I suppose it's an idea that was worth exploring, anyhow. But if they were going to have a memory recall machine, surely this highly advanced dystopian future world would simply make everyone wear 24/7 vision recording devices. Wouldn't that make things much easier?

I really loved this movie when it started, even with all the sentimentality and cliches. But when the "tragedy" happened, I was left gobsmacked. A main character performs an action that had no buildup, motivation, or meaning. I was devastated, but I also felt manipulated. There is something hollow at the core of this movie; lots of events happen, but aren't given much meat or substance. The only things that save Dead Poets Society is the wonderful performance of Robin Williams and also the boys, who were believable teenagers.

I'm not sure why I continue to watch AHS when I always have the same issues with it every season. Maybe it's the excellent cast (I especially love Lily Rabe and Taissa Farmiga), or the interesting plot lines, or the sick graphic design and cinematography. And it certainly doesn't hold back on the horror.

While very dark disturbing, however, absolutely none of the seasons have ever scared me (except for some parts of Roanoke and Murder House). Not talking about jump scares; I mean the kind of horror that stays with you long after you've finished watching. It definitely feels like AHS has always favored more style over substance in this regard. Style is great, but in any great horror there needs to be tension.

1984 is no different. You've hardly digested the latest slashing when you're treated with another one within minutes. It makes it hard to care about any of the characters when there are no stakes (who cares about dying if ghosts are no different than living people anyway??) and the episodes are short, so the season feels pretty rushed. I also missed the main cast. However, there were enough twists in the Camp Redwood story for me to stay interested, and it had an ending that I felt tied everything up satisfactorily. Decent but far from great, and I had much higher hopes for an 80's themed season.

Without giving too much away, this film knows what it sets out to do and tells it in an extremely effective way. Beautiful mood and cinematography, wonderful actors, no wasted dialogue. I'd say that the horror aspect is on the medium scale, but probably less if you're used to watching a lot of horror. I enjoyed this even more than Get Out, but it's unfair to compare the two because the stories are completely different.

Very interesting and charming Tim Burton-esque opening sequence. I looked it up to see who designed it and sadly there are no credits listed toward the artists. Not sure why this is but maybe someone can get on that.

Why, why would they make the heroine the most annoying, unlikeable character ever?

Season 1 was somewhat enjoyable, Season 2 less so, but wow, season 3... watching it felt like eating a very large, very cheap piece of steak. You don't like it, but you keep eating it in the hopes it'll get better. And you've already started, so may as well push forward. When it's over you regret everything.

First off, the sets look like they cost $20, and that wouldn't have even mattered had the writing not been so, SO bad. The low budget sets were the least problematic issue (even though they go to freaking Hell of all places... come on? You referenced Bosch, where is the inspiration??)

Ah yes, the writing was truly terrible. Among many atrocious moments, there was a scene at the end where the writers were literally like, "Oh, there needs to be a conflict here to drive the plot forward. So let's have Sabrina do the most stupid, nonsensical thing she could possibly do. There, now she's in trouble. Problem solved!" You can't just do that. It's just the laziest form of writing possible.

Second, there was WAY too much exposition. I guess that can't be helped if you're basically inventing all the rules to a crazy made-up universe... but again, lazy writing. You can make anything work if there's believability. Take Harry Potter for instance - the world and the witchcraft is totally believable, even when there are CGI kids for crying out loud. Here it's all tell and no show, nonexistent and inconsistent rules.

All this was made worse due to the poor acting all around. When Aunt Hilda is the best character in the entire season, there's a problem. Oh, and what's up with the random musical numbers? Please stop. It's not cute, it's cringe.

Just because it's a show about witches, it needs to feel like there are stakes. Here there are none, even when the stakes were a matter life and death. I think I'll pass on season 4.

I found it fresh and interesting at first, but only made it through 2 full episodes before just skipping through to the runway sections for the rest. It was because of the chaotic editing and noisy nonstop talking that felt like filler before the good stuff.

Also, the whole teaming system in the beginning made zero sense, with some teams having unfair advantages (knowing each other for over 20 years) over others who were strangers and clearly ill-paired. One of the designers got all the way to like episode 6 or 7 without having any technical skills, but got to that point because of his much more talented teammate. There might have been some missed potential in some of the earlier eliminated contestants.

The judging also felt messy and biased at some points. They always emphasize "pushing the envelope", but then go for the safe designs at other times.

Overall, still a good show because the designers are very skilled and the runway shows are fun to watch. Some more cohesion and better editing would make this one to watch.

The main feeling I had after seeing this was that of disorientation. There's a whole lot of mushrooms being taken in this film, and in that regard it at least succeeds in making you feel like you took a bad trip. Also, the fact that this was very pretty to look at, makes for an unsettling experience.

However, I have to say I was disappointed at the lack of horror (or that "sinking" feeling one has after seeing a good horror). While I understand everything that happened plot-wise, I'm not completely sure what the film was trying to say. It felt like they threw a bunch of ideas at the wall hoping one would stick, when none of them really did. For all the buildup, the story ended up being predictable and flat.

This might be a bit spoilery: Cults are not inherently "scary", and neither is deformity or deformed people... which disturbingly feels exploited here just for shock value. Gore and face-bashing is not scary, just off putting and gross. Toxic relationships and co-dependency might be horrific, but with that setup you could predict where the plot was going from a mile away, so nothing ends up being much of a surprise.

I can't help but compare this to Hereditary, which was a very effective horror flick, but don't go into this expecting more of the same. It's slow and meandering and lacking in some much-needed horror elements. It was memorable though, and I will continue to see more Ari Aster films because they're interesting. Watch this when you have time to kill and are not looking to be scared.

Excellent choice of child actors and lovely production design. I like Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf more than Jim Carrey in the movie version, who is just too wacky.

That said, not a whole lot of the rest of the cast is very likeable. Every single adult in every episode is useless, including (and especially) those who want to help the kids. Mr. Poe I actually hate with a passion. He never shows any remorse, just says things matter-of-factly and "fake acting", coughing in people's faces all the time. It's flat out annoying. Lemony Snicket is shown too many times and has about 20 minutes of lines per episode. There is no mystery to the show, unlike the book series. The repetitive tone makes this a slow watch... at times I can only compare the tone of this to gray porridge, i.e. a tasteless meal made from boiled rice or oats, typically eaten as a breakfast food for sustenance.

Decent adaptation overall and I imagine that preteen audiences may find this more enjoyable, given that they are the target audience.

If a horror film manages to fill every inch of me with sheer dread, then by god it's done it's job. It's been a long time since a scene in any movie actually made me feel physically ill; at some points, it was even a little too much. But hey, it's not like I watched this to have a pleasant time.

I read a review by someone who gave this a 1 star rating, and they trashed The VVitch in the same paragraph... which explains a LOT. People complain about not having enough quality horror films these days, yet at the same time, the excellent ones go WHOOSH over their heads. Are people dense? This is not even that subtle of a plot, guys. What part did you not understand?

I expected to love this, but it ultimately rang kind of hollow. I guess I'm a little tired of seeing Asians cast in leading roles, and then being completely whitewashed. I'm sorry to bring race into this, but really, what's up with the casting? Her father did NOT look in any way related to her and it was distracting at times. Lana Condor is adorable, but I don't understand why the author would write about an Asian teen when she clearly isn't interested in exploring that choice any further than inserting a Yakult reference. (Har har, it's an Asian, drink, get it?) I haven't read the book, but judging from the film, they could have swapped her out for a Caucasian girl and there literally would not be any difference. That aside, the story was sweet in parts but was a little bit boring.

While I can appreciate what they've tried to do here, my goodness is it bleak! I really tried to like it, but it's diverged too much from the heart of the source material. Anne is supposed to be a cheerful character who radiates warmth, despite what's she's gone through. And sure, perhaps it's more realistic for an orphan girl to not be joyful, here she's downright neurotic, traumatized, and depressed. Matthew is suicidal, and s couple of schoolboy bullies are disturbingly sadistic.

The original books are too dear to my heart for me to love this. The director should stick with the likes of Breaking Bad and keep her paws off the classics.

With a title like "Schitt's Creek" you'd think that this show would be full of nothing but crass jokes. That couldn't be further from the truth. It's full of heart, and somehow this snobby, annoying rich family grows on you more and more with each episode. By the end of Season 4 I had tears dripping down my face because of how these characters have found love through immense personal growth. My favs are David and Moira, but even though I found Alexis mostly annoying, I grew to love even her in the end.

I'm so glad I had this recommended to me by friends who insisted I watch it, because I never watch these types of sitcoms otherwise.

Thank you Dan Levy for coming up with this concept! I listened to him talk about the development of this show through a podcast and I have to say, I hope he writes more shows in the future.

Let me first say that I love Boys Over Flowers and have read the manga and watched the Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese adaptations. However, it's becoming a real chore to get through even episode 3 of this new series because the choice for Makino (Shan Cai) is so wrong. Something about the way she acts is incredibly irritating, and even though her looks are supposed to be average, this actress has no memorable charm whatsoever and possesses the acting range of a teaspoon. Barbie Hsu in the Taiwanese version had a gutsy cuteness to her, and Ku Hye Sun in the Korean version played off of Lee Min Ho so well. It's disappointing considering that the F4 boys look and act the part, and because of the female lead I can't continue watching. Sorry to sound harsh here, but how could you miscast the most important role?

I binged all of it in between a week waiting for the latest Game of Thrones episode. And I have to say, I'm blown away by the acting chops shown by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and even at times Shailene Woodley. The music and editing are also top notch.

I didn't really pay attention to this show for the longest time, thinking it would just be some other gossipy drama that would only appeal to a female audience, and I couldn't have been more wrong.

Move over GoT, I officially have a new favorite show. I'm just glad I waited until a month before Season 2 starts so I don't have to wait that long to see what happens next.

If this is the start of something new, then I'm excited for the future of choose-your-own-adventure filmmaking. I know it's not a new concept, but it's the first time I'm seeing Netflix attempt it.

No, the plot of Bandersnatch is not terribly ambitious (or even that interesting), but I enjoyed what they've set out to do here and it felt different. The questions now are, what does this "interactive film" hybrid become, is it worth it, and is it even necessary? Is it a film or is it a very realistic video game? The element of choice breaks you out of the movie watching experience, but then the very lack of choice could make this seem like a very bad video game. However, I'm not much of a gamer, so maybe someone more imaginative in that area could ask these questions more eloquently.

Like many of the viewers here, I would love to see something where the choices we make actually have a real impact on the outcome of the plot rather than being just gimmicks and buttons to press. While watching this, I was reminded of those Give Yourself Goosebumps books that I was addicted to as a kid. Now THAT would be way more fun (even if R.L. Stine doesn't approve).

But let's be realistic here - if we want something like this that's actually GOOD, it's basically asking for multiple movies within a single movie. Hundreds of screenplays branching out to who knows where. They'd need a hell of writer or ten. Which is not impossible, but probably not anything anyone wants to do anytime soon.

This feels kind of insulting to the viewer. How do I even explain it... it's a mix of juvenile "repeat the phrase", "find the missing jigsaw piece of a 3 piece puzzle", and very random pop culture questions sprinkled in. It's a complete toss up as to how far you'll even get.

It seems the idea of the robot arm is to throw off the contestant, but it's a cheap gimmick because all it seems to do is waste precious seconds while the clock is ticking down.

One cringey moment is watching a couple who claimed to be Mensa members and therefore "smarter than 98% of the population", fail in the first round.

On the plus side, Rob Lowe is a pleasant host. Unfortunately he is wasted on this.

I almost passed on season 3 because I just remembered it as 'that weird gory show with the realtors', but oh man, there were moments I laughed out loud - several times - every episode. The plot got even more over the top (in a good way) and you just want to know what happens next. Dialogue and acting are pretty great, and it's worth watching if at least for Timothy Olyphant's character.

There is some extremely high quality animation here, among some very off-putting ones. Overall I'm excited in the direction it's going, but I'm hoping they'll move forward with stronger story, and less of the flagrant sexism and violence for violence's sake.

How I feel they ranked:

Zima Blue - A gem and by far the best one of the bunch Suits - Nice and simple and fun to watch Beyond the Aquila Rift - Animation is borderline uncanny valley, but it genuinely terrified me Three Robots Helping Hand Lucky 13 - Succeeded in giving character to an inanimate object, but mostly because the uncanny valley humans feel like moving wax figures The Secret War The Dump Alternate Histories When the Yogurt Took Over - Cute animation but kind of a strange story Good Hunting - Started off very interesting, but feels disjointed with the sudden shift in tone in the second half plus very uncomfortable sexual tone. I hate that I couldn't love it more, or this could be second after Zima Blue. Sucker of Souls Sonnie's Edge - exciting visuals and nice monster design, but rape is definitely exploited as a plot device Ice Age - Nothing we haven't seen before, but it was poignant The Witness - stellar animation but a major letdown in terms of story Blindspot Sucker of Souls Fish Night - Liked it up until the ending. Why does everything have to be so dark? But hey, I guess 'Death' is in the title so I should have expected it. Shapeshifters - Interesting concept but would have been much better with a different style of animation (as could be said for several others)

'Nuff said. Watching these five beautiful men bring joy to people's lives is just so lovely and inspiring. I feel so positive after watching this and it makes me want to live to my full potential. I don't know of many shows I can say that about. The nonjudgmental, tasteful approach and message of acceptance & self love is what we need in today's world. Please keep this show going forever!

I wasted a perfectly good night for this. It started off promising, but got progressively more and more nonsensical. Yes, I understood the analogy; but that doesn't excuse the flat-out bad script. I wanted to scream at the characters for being so dumb and making stupid mistakes that made absolutely no sense.

Extra star only because the monster looked kinda cool.

There's not much I can add to what's already been said about this phenomenal series, but I WILL say it had me unexpectedly bawling my eyes out at 12 am during the finale. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one will find the message of it resonates on a very deep level. It shook me to my core and slapped me in the face, then embraced me in a warm hug. In a way, as dark as Haunting of Hill House appears, it's ultimately a celebration of life. At least, that's how I viewed it. The ghosts are not the scariest part.

And while I was watching it, after I'd finished an episode I could not think of anything else during the day besides this show... the characters, the stories in the house, all of it. It's a slow burn and lingers with you long after it's over.

So whether or not you're a horror buff, it's worth at least one viewing. Yeah, if you're scared easily, watch it anyway and cover your eyes! But blink and you might miss it. There are so many layers to this as well as hidden Easter eggs, I think I could watch it 10 more times at the minimum.