sparklingnicki

Very disappointing. Where is the story? Where is the team? Did Brockheimer join the exec producers? I absolutely adore the whole Stargate franchise and I forgive the sub-par episodes here and there but this is terrible. The soundtrack is the equivalent to a monster truck, feels like they are compensating if you know what I mean. I like to fall asleep to the Stargate (and Star Trek), but this episode is so jarring, I always have to skip it. I can't even have it on in the back ground, it's so disturbing. I get they wanted to pay homage so the CSI shows, but maybe try CSI in Pegasus first. Just no.

No wait, let me start over. LOST meets Riverdale meets Alive meets American Horror Story.

Although I'm enjoying this by season 1, episode 5, I almost want to google for spoilers because I want to know what happens. In other words, this is frickin' addictive.

I really want to know how they get from opening scene girl running in the snow in the wilderness... to trying to crack a murder mystery in the real world.

I love the 90s costuming and props and mise en scène. It's not as spot on as Stranger Things (ooo that's another ...meets) but it's close enough. Mix tapes!!!

The only thing I don't enjoy is the opening credits.

...from the caviar, salmon roe, and chicken eggs to the fish climbing out of the sea. The metaphor here is beyond Dr. Seuss style, you can't miss it.

As a sci-fi concept, this would have been amazing. If it were my movie , I would have cut the first scene completely (playground, it added almost nothing, the little it did is a spoiler), and then got more into the "clinic." But it's not and so it went from horror to horrible slow and steady.

One thing I'll give, the suspense sucks you in. It's so completely offensive and shocking you want to see where it's going. It's definitely a train wreck you can't look away from.

... and if they're pretty white people with money, they jump to the front of the front of the line.

When things go wrong, a twist happens and they win again! And of course since something went wrong, the pineapple suite and the $1000 shot of 1942 Don Julio is on the house.

No obvious protagonist. No obvious antagonist. It's hard to root for the underdog good guy since when they fight against the system they become the winner bad guy, but then they lose.... Because surprise! They still aren't white and rich. And now things are worse.

Don't get psyched for happy endings unless a smirk from an egghole walking on a beach is a happy ending.

Please, please ignore all the hate. It's mostly homophobic, with extra racist and a side sexist for good measure, apparently.

How do you take seriously a rating and subsequent review when they're saying, "...another gay couple. God knows we need another one." (1 Star rating) and "it is so truly woke awful it's unforgivable..." "...appeals to a minority of a minority..." (2 star ratings). I wondered why s4 episode ratings have plummeted, to 1s and 2s no less, and then I read the reviews. Many are blatantly reacting to the ethnic, gender, and sexuality diverse characters. Some are being a little more subtle. When a review says, "worst sci-fi show ever made" (1 star rating), the reviewer must have been struck a chord somehow. I've concluded these ratings are purely emotional, an offense based on a deep prejudice. I just don't understand what has become of us.

That said, I love where Star Trek Discovery continues to go, through season four and hopefully beyond. One of the most inspiring, ground and glass ceiling breaking shows on television today. It's an excellent sci-fi story with dynamic character played by talented actors.

I may be biased as a TOS Trekkie since TNG was airing in my 'tween years or... maybe you may be biased if you're not. But, I also love other shows so, Trek or not, I love this show.

I haven't seen the original S. Korean "Alive" and if I had, maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed this as much. I was pleasantly surprised. I was not aware that Tyler Posey has such depth and charm, only knowing him from a few episodes of Teen Wolf. I thought I would get bored. I thought it would be just another zombie movie. Or post-apoc. Maybe a good premise but mediocre execution like most of these nowadays..., but no, I was completely engaged, didn't have the urge to play with my phone, rooting for Aiden, and then Eva (names i doubt a coincidence). Fabulous story (credited to the original), wonderfully cast, executed perfectly despite the played out setting. I could have done without all the zombies, this could have worked in a different pandemic setting as well. I disagree with most of these reviews, but to each their own.

All the B-slasher films are IMDb rated, on average, a 6. That said, many have worse plots, worse acting, worse production, worse design, and worse creativity and originality than this episode.

So why all the hate?

Why all the 1 & 2 star reviews? Hmmm, let me think. Well, January 6th was a rude awakening on who and what we are as a nation, as far as equality and human rights. Can we say... homophobia?

Sure, this episode was lacking on some levels. Estranged friends in a forced traditional yearly reunion, trapped together all weekend, yeah, full-of-holes story. But no more than any slasher film.

It has all the shock value gore, the suspenseful running into danger and into rooms or up stairs, instead of down the stairs and out the door.

It has the sex (slasher films are smothered in graphic sex scenes and nudity, some would argue that's part of their charm) which some would say it's not a slasher film without gratuitous (often outdoor or bathroom) sex and nudity.

And you gotta give some extra stars for creativity- (e.g., the "midnight kiss" game was fresh and fun!),

for characters- all were very interesting,

for acting- c'mon, those boys (and gals) shined- covered in glitter or covered in blood,

and for a fresh spin on a slasher genre that has served explicitly and exclusively straights for 40 years. And the straights (and gays) have loved and hated them equally.

Hate it like you hate Jason, Freddy, and Michael. Or love it like you do. Just be fair in your love or hate. Gay has nothing to do with it, in fact, it should get an extra star for taking that leap of firsts in representation in a genre so lacking gender and sexuality diversity. Bravo.

For plot-holed story: group goes into the "wilderness" (in this case, a fancy vacation home and a party-city gay nightclub, though it's a fun take off "wilderness") and gets picked off one by one, by _____ you-know-who, the not so surprising (but not completely predictable) unmasked serial killer reveal, 5-6 stars.

And what's up with the surprise sheet over head scene? (I won't spoil, but you'll know when you get there) was that necessary for the story and/or character? Uhhhh....

For the rest of the fabulous mess of horror, 8-9 stars. I'll give it an 8. Enjoy. Smooch.

I've watched through ep10, so I'm almost done with season 1. I'm quite enjoying this. It's Black Mirror except swap Future Tech Gone Wild (that's my description of Black Mirror) or The Twilight Zone except swap the In a Parallel Universe Wonky Fun House Rules (that's my description of The Twilight Zone).... for campy horror and cheesy scares with a touch of slasher, OF THE 21st CENTURY. It's pretty great.

Some episodes hit (The Body, Down), some miss (Treehouse, New Year), some hit so globbing good hard (...Destroy, Culture Shock), and some nearly strike out (...Knocking)... and some are somewhere in between. Yeah, there's some, "this is totally [insert film/show/novel/short story, etc.)" but it's still fresh and surprising and wonderful (save a bit too gory at times)... I'll add more later!

This review is for the first installment of "Into The Dark" (episode one? Or the first film? "The Body").

I recently watched "I Care A Lot" and let me tell you, the movie makers of that trainwreck could take a few pointers from "The Body/Into The Dark" on how to make a villain terrifying, terrible, AND the one you root for; and how to make antagonists out of the good guys. This really flips the script on Freddy Kruger/Jason Vorhees/Michael Myers slasher movies. It was surprising in some areas of the story and semi-predictable in others, but it didn't disappoint.

Just enough camp and just enough terror. Perfect Halloween show. I highly recommend if you haven't seen it, and you can wait, watch it during the Halloween season. I would have loved to, but also, it's fine for a blustery late winter afternoon. HELL IS EMPTY AND THE DEVILS ARE HERE. That sums up the show, and also my feels about the world right now.

Pandemic depression is real. Thank Glob for Hulu.

I'll try my best to use as little spoilers as possible.

I cannot stand when a story has two antagonists and zero protagonists. Awful, stomach-churning, uninteresting antagonists. And the supporting characters are also awful. What's worse is when they don't even try to give you some redeeming qualities. The only thing you can do is decide which character is worst in terms of the story, which one is "the bad guy" who actively victimizes others characters, and which character is "the bad guy" in another story. Here, you root for the murderous Russian (???don't get me started on this gaffaw) mob. And they are terrible. But their story is not being told here, so... ehhhh (shrug)?

But still, usually in this scenario the story forces you to challenge your own values, what you believe is "right" and "wrong," "good" and "evil." This does not do this. This movie made me uneasy. This movie made me feel sick. This movie made me sad. And then when I thought I didn't have anything left bad to feel, I thought, wow, these characters would not do this. Unbelievable. The writing just drove itself off a cliff and into a lake. And it didn't smash the window and crawl out to safety. It stayed on the bottom of the lake, where Marla should have stayed.

Yes, after the car "accident" the story becomes contrived. I no longer even believe these characters are real. It's absurd. Every little thing that happens after the lake is completely unentertainingly unbelievable. Many times I said, just turn it off, but a part of me thought, maybe if something happens to "the bad guy," the movie can redeem itself. But it got so awful that the end wasn't enough. I actively disliked this movie until about :45 to the credits.

Were I you, I would not watch this movie except for sheer curiosity, and sadly, it's not worth it. Given the chance for a do-over, I would not watch this film. The measly 4 stars are given to Dinklage. His mere presence auto adds 2 stars. He's a joy. Why he did this nonsense is anyone's guess.

I have to admit, I wasn't into the story initially, I can't relate to this lifestyle at all. But once the *thing* happens, the real story began. I love these two characters, I love their love for each other. I love their passion and intensity and drive. The acting was great. I believed Tuca when she breaks down after the funeral. I believed Sterling when she takes the crowbar to the car. Etc.,...

So, why so much hate on the story and the acting? It was perfect. In 2021, post Trump's January 6th, I wonder, is it because they are black or strong women? Or glob-forbid, is it the LGBT themes? I'm honestly confused about the hateful reviews.

I love these Amazing Stories. I grew up with the original and loved them. The reboot is living up to the predecessor. 💚

Lovely. Dark. Real, in a world that isn't. It was simply perfect.

Cried and laughed and cried and laughed straight 2 hours. Perfect.

I think they're using this to bridge the gap between series's AND the upcoming film. The Civic Republic took Rick, The Civic Republic has the chopper in Fear, Al's girl is a Civic soldier, and this show is the heart of The Civic Republic. It could also be a spark to explain the virus? In another show? I feel like the teen melodrama is to pull another audience into the TWD world. I dunno. I really want to like this.

Super underrated sci-fi film I happened upon while cruising Prime. I haven't seen a good sci-fi where story met production value met acting and directing met cinematography. It was beautifully done, beautifully written, and executed near perfect. I was bored with my usual stuff and happened on it not expecting much as I've happened on a lot of sci-fi on prime that was either good a story but low budget bad directing or acting, or vice versa. But this was such a pleasant surprise. I imagine watching it a 2nd time will feel completely different, and maybe I'll bump my rating up to a 9, as it's one of *those*. I won't spoiler, you'll know what I mean after you watch it. The score was slightly reminiscent of an 80s sci-fi/drama so it sets a tone off the bat. Also, I cried. Enjoy.

I marked spoilers but I don't give away too much, FYI. So- the reason I'm making a review is because I think people are being too harsh and focusing on the wrong details.

Don't get me wrong, I had the same instinct in the beginning that so many of you seem to be focused on: Why didn't she cut her hair? Why did she want to go to a restaurant? Why would they want to leave the safe home? Why doesn't she do more to change her appearance? Etc. Etc. Doesn't make sense... and then it does.

This woman traded her life for a few days of freedom. This film comes at an ominous time, as it forecasts a life where in one has to decide whether to live or just survive.

Sound familiar?

Maybe all the bad reviews are people projecting their own misery in isolation. Maybe, in that case, don't watch it now, because it is too now.

As a lover of the dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic future genre, this film was perfect. Add a touch of romance, suspense, drama and, Voilá!, it's couple-friendly! Quite lovely. Dark, but lovely nonetheless.

PS- if you do dare to watch, have Kleenex ready.

Don't get me wrong, Farrell and McAdams were great, but Stevens was the rock star of this film. I laughed, I cried, I laughed, I cried. I wanted to dance and sing. And then I cried some more. This was pure magic. Also, Dan Stevens.

...and the jewel is the White Whale.

Sweet, sad story. Kind of slow. Not as much adventure as you'd expect. A hint of moral dilemma here and there. To be honest, in the beginning, I was rooting for the whale...

And, I was hoping for a bit more to the story. Perhaps develop some relationships and then threaten them like the friendship with first mate and Captain OR first mate and boy OR cousin of captain and old friend of first mate... and then mix in some threat to add a little conflict beyond the tidbits they give you (ie., the politics of handing a captaincy to a Name, snore). They could have gone a bit Lord of the Flies as well, to spice it up. Or a YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! courtroom scene.

But alas, no. Just a straightforward story narrated by an old man. All in all it was a solid, albeit a little boring. Chris Hemsworth makes it easy to watch, even broken, sunburnt and bruised. He's pretty.

This movie made me very uncomfortable. I wasn't offended, but I was definitely disturbed.

Things that don't generally make me laugh:

• Psychopaths
• Rape/Pedophilia
• Joking around about killing someone by trying to kill them knowing that someone probably won't die because they'll fight back so it will be funny and you won't try super hard at killing them because it's a joke!
• Sorority sex/drug pledges
• Bullying
• Balls of pubic hair
• Child molesters
• Sexual promiscuity

Hence, I didn't really enjoy this movie. I'm a sucker for gutter humor and I'm not easily offended but this was just creepy. It wasn't even easy potty humor. It was just weird. I'm shocked so many people think this is funny. Maybe I'm the weird one?

I'm not saying across the board don't watch this. I'm saying if you don't think these type of things are funny, don't watch this- you won't like this movie; but if you do (obviously people do) then you probably will like this movie.

I'm also a sucker for remakes, especially homages to a genre, but this falls flat. It doesn't have the same -I don't know- the same... je ne sais quoi? feel as the Chevy Chase classics. It also doesn't have the originality to stand on its own. It's reaching for the original Vacation coattails but it can't even ride on those because they're just out of reach. Sigh. Super disappointing.

Best new comedy film I've seen in awhile: The Ant-Man and The Wasp Best new sitcom: The Kids Are Alright (one season only, ABC) All-time Favorites: The Hangover, Punch-Drunk Love, Office Space

I wasn't expecting much from this film. Boy was I surprised. I loved it. I loved this story. I loved the characters' chemistry. The actors were superb in bringing that chemistry to life. I cried, multiple times, and I didn't expect to, and in those moments I felt like I was living in that world, strucken inexplicably with the SOS.

How to talk about it without spoilers... Okay:

I understand why some people dislike this movie. It's supposedly a "re-hashing of" (insert favorite dystopian novel I.e., 1984). The thing is, before 1984 (1949), there was Brave New World (1932), and before that there was We (Yevgeny Zamyatin's lesser talked about novel with the same themes, 1924), and so on and so forth. Maybe it is, a bit. Just a bit.

So this is a similar world. So what? The story is different. The details are different.

It IS a commentary on society, yes, like the others. But in my opinion, the main difference is that this is a commentary on a society that wants specifically to denormalize humanity and emotion, as a sustainable environment opposite of the emotional past that led to a catastrophic war. This is NOT a commentary on control or "Big Brother" like the afore mentioned.

On a smaller scale, I think this is a commentary on the way we treat mental illness. The warning symptoms of the disease (or what we might call, emotion), are only negative symptoms that come with a healthy balance life: depression, extreme elation, anger, anxiety, etc. Scientists are struggling to find the cure, but in the meantime, if you are diagnosed, don't worry, just take these suppressor pills (anti-depressants much?). Another potential breakdown of society is the surgence of mental illness. I wondered as I read other reviews, why aren't they talking about these pills and the message of the cure? That's a huge theme. I won't reveal anymore. (It's hard to write reviews without spoilers!)

Others also complained a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. It is a tiny bit R & J, which I didn't realize until about three quarters through (I didn't read reviews or watch previews before watching this), but I have to honestly say, even given that realization, I did not expect the ending. In fact, from the moment of the climax (I don't want to spoiler, you'll know when you get there) until the last scene, I was kept guessing. I appreciate that because from that moment, I kept waiting for the predictable ends and to be disappointed, and though some of the details were predictable, all of them weren't and the whole surely wasn't, and I was definitely not disappointed!

I'll also say that if you find it slow-moving, it really picks up speed in the last half hour (or third act) of the film.

Although I am a lover of the post-apocalyptic AND dystopian society genre, I still wasn't expecting a whole lot from this film. I expected I'd be entertained. But that's about it. But instead

(Again,) I loved this film. I loved this story. I loved the characters' chemistry. The actors were superb in bringing that chemistry to life. I cried, multiple times, and I didn't expect to, and in those moments I felt like I was living in that world, strucken inexplicably with the SOS.

I hope you love it, too. I gave it a 9 because I reserve 10s for movies and shows that I enjoy so completely, I watch over again handfuls of times (e.g., the first six seasons of The Walking Dead, The Office US series, The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Moulin Rouge).

Shedding light on American culture and in particular, American politics, Sacha Baron Cohen is brilliant as his many characters pied piping the ridiculousness of anything goes artists, say anything to be famous models, and read anything off a telepromter politicians, left and right alike.

His humor, which is a bit squeamish at times, but so ridiculous the pay off is worth it. My 71 year-old mom is choking, laughing so hard! This seems to addresss extreme views as it travels into the heart of racist small towns AND the urban liberal Mecca's, poking fun of both extremes. Finding that ridiculous in yourself but also knowing that it's the extreme version, and those extreme Americans are peppered throughout the states, is half the fun.

Don't take it too seriously. Unless you're a congressman who acted such a fool you might have to resign. It happens. Just don't yell the "N" word. Happy watching!

This was probably more like a 5. I really did like it, more so than a lot of movies my love DC has been in. As you might have guessed I only watch David Cross movies (Yes, I call any movie he has even been in the background, a "David Movie" even Jack Frost, but that's more of a John movie or even a Jay movie.) I am on a steady diet of David and cheese. You can never eat too much cheese. Sarah JP was cute, the country guy was funny and Johnny (Dick) was actually hilarious. But David's performance as the outcast brother who finally tragically comes to terms with his place in the family and his duty, is a remarkable breakthrough for David, being a "funny man." (Well, not surprising though, I could see the silent tiger in him back in the days of the legend of mr. show.)When he talks about "magic powers" you believe him and you want to be a part of that magical world. Or maybe just I do.

I *"jay" parenthesis and quotation marks.

*"jay": refers to Jay Johnston. It means that it is fun to play with. literally: "like to play with" (Be careful in using Jay with body parts, especially while operating machinery.) These type references can be used for all of the Mr. Show team. See my MIIB & Eternal Sunshine comments for more uses and examples.