blackmagpie-62368

IMDb member since September 2016
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Reviews

The Stand
(2020)

Bad story to begin with
I haven't read the book but the story is pretty disappointing to me it is full of banal concepts narrow minded perspective and classic stereotypes, nothing surprising nothing different nothing from new. It's a sad day when the nicest character is actually the devil. Goldberg does herself no favors and the rest of the cast or maybe characters are dull and that's being nice.

Marcella
(2016)

I agree with the other bad reviews
This does not have much going for it, overall unlikeable characters, no character, no decent crime story, no flow, stilted dialogue, way too much crying from the lead lady, overall the show feels very forced.

Midnight Mass
(2021)

Same old same old
If you are looking for horror or pace this is not for you, an old and overworked theme with nothing original or different to give it a kick, all the usual stereotypes, all ghastly predictable and cliché and nothing to set it apart.

The Alienist
(2018)

From alienist to Nancy Drew
A strong first season features three unlikely characters each with their own gift and each with their own burden coming together to solve a rather gory series of crimes. Set in period it features an alienist whose profession is a new field and the challenges faced by the new field in the conventional society of the time, solid production, good costumes and a rather dark atmosphere to it. Not sure why season two lost everything season 1 built but two of its main characters where pushed into the background and lost in romance loosing everything g that made them who they are and leaving the viewer with a rather poor detective, Sara Howard solving a banal crime armed only with her pistol, Google eyes, bland stare and deadpan whisper, becoming a tedious and tiresome character by the end of episode two. At minimum shouldn't have been called The Alienist, it's a a lie, a lie i say... Thank you Libby...... You are brilliant.

I probably won't bother looking out for season 3.

Jack Ryan
(2018)

A drawn out episode of NCIS Los Angeles
A poor story line that's been done a thousand times, nothing new or original or even different, all the usual stereotypes, a main character that could not get any more bland and indifferent, and an actor who constantly looks like a deer caught in the headlights...too many weak points to make it serious viewing, Nothing more to offer than an episode of NCIS Los Angeles.

Terminator: Dark Fate
(2019)

Where do I begin
Another movie lacking inspiration, art and respect and feeling really like its trying to tick the feminism/diversity boxes only to fall flat in its face. To put it bluntly the best thing about this movie was linda hamilton and that's saying something ! Oh dear oh dear, for those that love the terminator story be warned, they destroy the story line with his episode and Sarah's whole life's work essentially becomes futile and frustrating... If you belong to the group who have not watched the old episodes this may be a meaningless sci fi movie, full of plot holes and unexplained idiocies.. The fight scenes are reminiscent of something we would do in the playground as kids, fake and unconvincing. Grace: (can't remember the actresses' name), where do I begin with her, a wooden performance, unfit, and looked like she had never exercised in her life. As a character she is seriously flawed, sent back to protect the young girl, but the other two women spend all their time protecting her as she needs constant shots to get her through ?????? She doesn't actually contribute anything, making her, like the movie itself, redundant....

Farscape
(1999)

worth pressing thru first season
Whilst the first season required hard work to get through it was worth it in the end . The show misleads you with muppets, a weak lead and plenty of short skirts and black leather. However this is much more than just a sci fi show, it is a show about a mixed flawed and beautifully diverse "crew" thrown together and forced to embrace the different, expanding out of their comfort zones growing and evolving along the way and caught up in events. The show itself also grows and develops along the way, offering great sci fi concepts, an amazing ship, drama, romance, some silly episodes some great, and for me, quite a good ending.

Stumptown
(2019)

a re-do of every other crime/action show ever done
Smulders has not managed to give any depth to her supposedly intricate and damaged character making it hard to watch and very unbelievable. All the classic stereotypes, the needy caring brother, the friend at arms length watching over, the lover who believes in her and the classic ignorant yelling boss....the stories are unoriginal and easily predictable. Bones, Castle.........nothing new.

Colony
(2016)

Not really sci fi
As a great fan of science fiction I found this a little disappointing. More of a social drama. Too much second world war nazi themed (youth camps, family turning on family, resistance, propaganda, indoctrination, forced labour; the writers didn't even bother to change the names) and too much about the selfish characters trying to survive with no real science fiction story line or development (always a hint in the background) - maybe they were going to get into it a little later on in the series but had they got into it sooner maybe it wouldn't have been cancelled. No real end so if you watch it beware, will potentially leave you hanging!

The 100
(2014)

Disturbing justification of war criminals
This is a teen sci fi series set in a post apocalyptic word, fairly good acting and a decent overall production. However it suffers many flaws such as bad writing (e.g. "no one is dying today, I will not loose anyone...so we fight even if it kills us all" !!!!), flaws in scenes (checking pulse and determining death while the actor is still speaking). What was most difficult for me to fathom was the roller coaster ride of hormonal teens whose moods swing faster than a pendulum, leaving no room for character development. One minute they are saving lives the next killing, this series is all over the place. The most worrying of all is the ease at which everyone becomes a war criminal, commits genocide and murder and then manage to thank themselves afterwards rationalizing such unnecessary violence. A non stop flow of humanity at its worst.

Sleepy Hollow
(2013)

Unoriginal and unsophisticated
If you are looking for stimulation, originality or interesting then this is definitely the show for you. If on the other hand you are not very demanding in your viewing , you might like this show. It provides cute performances better suited to run of the mill soaps or nikolodeon shows, uninspired scripts and dialogue and story lines that have drifted from the actual sleepy hollow story towards all the usual story lines from the bible (seals, horsemen, apocalypse,) egyptology, celtic and greek myths. All the ones we have seen again and again (Supernatural, preacher, vampire diaries, grimm, buffy etc etc). A selfish bland heroine and a weak hero who do not seem to do much and too much of a love story than a sleepy hollow theme or an actual story line - might be worth watching it if you are 12 and new to this genre. Otherwise give it a miss.

The Girl with All the Gifts
(2016)

Not sure what everyone else was watching
I love a good zombie movie and budget productions have never really bothered me but this really had nothing to offer. Neither a decent zombie movie nor a good drama. It starts very very slowly, followed by a very long and drawn out intro. Pretty predictable even as to the order in which everyone dies !

A budget production, weak acting and a poor plot-unclear messages, gaps in the story line, poor editing and disappointing effects. This production is too bad to even earn itself a cult following.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
(2016)

Insane
Absolutely unique and insane.....for those in life who can live without logic and order ....if you are a neat freak don't bother. Bart is absolutely amazing, worth watching just for her.

Alias Grace
(2017)

Wet firecracker ! Dull and pointless
Whilst I do not deny this is a well made series, it has unfortunately a sense of dragging that is so bad you feel like pulling your own teeth out!. I have not read the book so was left only with the taste of the show which does nothing to promote any sense of feminism or otherwise. Had the actress actually looked 13 or even 16 or 18, it might have helped her cause so instead of coming across as an innocent young girl enduring sexism and hardship, she comes across at times as having an IQ of 60 and at other times as a manipulative sly woman that lies about the men in her life, to the men in her life and uses them for her own greed ! Little light is shed on the actual murders as the viewer has to endure endless hours of a frowning face and a voice that drowns you in its monotony, telling a story that offers no depth or meaning. Dull characters building up to a pointless, meaningless end, rushed and silly.

Altered Carbon
(2018)

Great concepts but poor presentation
Some great and original sci fi ideas, novel and interesting but the show cannot get past the usual romantic stereotypes (angry, feisty female cop, gruff hardened hero, etc etc). If this doesn't bother you then go for it.

Ironclad
(2011)

OK but nothing major
A decent movie, good solid cast and acting, OK action, a nice cliche hero, a classic story, worth watching. For me they ruined it all by making it a romance.

Supernatural: Regarding Dean
(2017)
Episode 11, Season 12

Rowena Dean chemistry
The Rowena / Dean chemistry really works in this one although Dean has good chemistry with everyone. Sam is adorable in this episode looking after his older brother and taking charge. This episode has a bit of everything, sentiment, emotion, action, humor and a monster all wrapped up in one. Some great scenes whilst tracing Dean's steps, a cute bunny and a fun waitress. The scene where Dean saves the day based on post it notes is really great.

Supernatural: First Blood
(2017)
Episode 9, Season 12

Sam and Dean
The only thing that saves this episode are the Winchester brothers. They rely on their own wit and ingenuity to get themselves out of some serious hot water. Mary and castiel as well as the BMOL are redundant once again proving once again that the show would have fared better without Mary or Castiel. Be prepared there are no monsters in this one although there is of course the supernatural element which fits into the story line really well. Overall, good solid story.

Supernatural: Rock Never Dies
(2016)
Episode 7, Season 12

Rock never dies but the show should
I spent most of this episode laughing and no it is not supposed to be funny but this episode is a bit of a joke. from the aging rock star to the bad stunts, another identity crisis and petulant angel Lucifer with no plan as he himself admits, the writers do not seem to have one either. . I know that SPN has always been on a tight budget but this episode makes if more apparent and more obvious than usual. Maybe it's the directing, maybe the writing, maybe the actors are tired, maybe they think the fans will eat up any old rubbish they throw at them. The crowds and people collecting in and outside the concert make me want to cry for the show, Dean and Sam dressed up in their leathers is just as sad, Castiel v lucifer fighting scenes were so bad I laughed and then cried at the money mischa collins wasted on drama school...oh dear oh dear.

Supernatural: Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox
(2016)
Episode 6, Season 12

A waste of time
Not sure what the point of this episode is. Getting together a bunch of hunters who don't bother to protect themselves against demon possession is just weak writing and frankly they all deserve to die. No story line just another demon, no need for Billy to be there, rather pointless all in all. No character development to speak of, Sam is Sam, Dean is Dean and Mary is just Mary a bad mother overall simping around the place feeling sorry for herself rather than making up for lost time.

Supernatural: All Along the Watchtower
(2017)
Episode 23, Season 12

terrible
The only good thing about this episode is that it marked the end of this horrific season. I am glad castiel is dead although the writers/producers will not have the "balls" to keep him dead, they will revive him like they always do. He brings no value to the show or to the team. He is a weak traitor who has betrayed Dean and humanity more times than I can remember-the brothers killed Madison for less. Dean's reaction is ridiculous and overboard. One minute they all want jack dead the next they do not , make up your minds. Bad writing, even worse directing, this episode offers absolutely nothing. Soppy moping faces all round.

Supernatural: Keep Calm and Carry On
(2016)
Episode 1, Season 12

on the downhill slope
Season 11 finished like a wet firecracker and season 12 has opened like a firecracker that was never even lit. Objectively this is a pretty poor episode especially for a season opener and does not stand out in any way. Directing and story line nondescript. Let's be honest they can't come up with brilliance each episode however this is really uninspired and half an episode of Dean and Mary simping around and Sam being tortured makes very poor viewing. In addition whoever thought of reviving mummy dear should be fired. What on earth were they thinking if they were even thinking. If this is the result of giving in to feminist pressure then they should have come up with something better- what is it with US TV shows and their mums, some serious issues here plus? In this episode Castiel and Mary are redundant baggage,. The extent of Castiel's magnificence is being Dean and Mary's thug and threatening some poor human vet-pathetic. It is silly that Castiel and Dean can't handle a men of letters thug so Mary has to rescue them...OMG. The nicest thing about this episode is watching Dean break a phone in half.

And the British men of letters ....why oh why would they attack first rather than make civil contact does not even make sense. The writers tried to explain this but it really doesn't work. Next is the accents ....dear god who talks like that anywhere? My ears are bleeding. Number three the British men of letters are so advanced yet they have no idea what is going on nor did they see fit to interfere in preventing the apocalypse or the darkness or anything..do they have the intel then or not? Does not bode well for the future of this season.

Supernatural: We Happy Few
(2016)
Episode 22, Season 11

Family intervention
If you love the supernatural and action packed episodes of this show, this one is a bit of a let down, again with the family crisis and the intervention, watching almost half an episode of Lucifer having it out with Chuck is tedious especially with the poor script. Watching half an episode of Castiel grimacing throughout the episode in order to show us that he is Lucifer is trying on the nerves. The getting together of all the enemies to put down an enemy is new logic to the show that makes no sense, strengthen a n enemy to kill and enemy? Anyway a small promise of a climax at the end as usual, not enough to save the episode.

Supernatural: Don't Call Me Shurley
(2016)
Episode 20, Season 11

Disappointing
If you can get through the needy, petty and trivial monologue of Chuck, the tedious and drawn out dialogue between Chuck and Metatron, the flaws like Metatron needing special glasses to see God, the fact that they made the mistake of making Chuck into God and so on and so forth then you might actually enjoy the last few seconds or possibly not. This was an episode I found difficult to like. It is bad enough that the darkness is not actually turning out to be a real evil and bad force but to make God so small was extremely disappointing.....the best thing on this episode next to Sam and Dean is the dog...

Supernatural: Hell's Angel
(2016)
Episode 18, Season 11

oh dear
Some good aspects to this episode, Rowena for example and the brothers and the story line moves on a little but that is as long as you can get past the bad Misha Collins, the weird Lucifer faces he pulls , the unconvincing acting and Lucifer in heaven......

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