mazarine-72223

REPTILE is a movie that exemplifies why actors should assume they're capable of writing. This film makes all the conspicuous errors it can possibly make, from silly suspense sound effects, to unnecessary and superfluous lines, and pretentious throwaway cop lines.

Why is a cop's spouse quoting homicide statistics to a homicide detective? Why is the main character (detective) driving a dumb muscle car as a police cruiser? Why is this film named REPTILE? Because of the pointless exhibition in the beginning that was never tired to shutting later?

I typically love Benicio del Toro, and can usually tolerate Timberlake, but this was terribly pedestrian and silly.

Meh.

This Steinbeck adaptation leaves a bit to be desired, which I am fairly convinced is due to Franco's directing. I think he is a bit over his head here. Additionally, I found his character performance missing the mark. His accent vasilates between a southern drawl and a contrived general country accent. The start up inn this film is dramatically missing the energy and impotus one would think would fuel the so-called activism driving there motivation behind the two main characters.

The screenplay inherently depends on the combination of the angst and anger of the two main characters, combined with the frustration and sense of hopelessness amongst the apple pickers-their unjust plight-which never manifests in an organic way.

The scene in which the old timer falls from a ladder when a rung breaks, seems like a rather vague and clearly isolated example of supposed poor conditions supposedly suffered by these transient laborers. It hardly feels like enough rationale to trigger the backlash organized shortly thereafter.

There's something dramatically missing from this production, clearly failing to portray this excellent Steinbeck classic, least off all the poignance and magic typical of the author's work seems conspicuously absent leaving a spotlight on Franco's misdirection and often transparent acting.

Meh.

Watching Elijah Schaffer rant and rave ad nauseum on his show "Slightly Offensive," is like watching a spoiled child rage against their parents while flouncing and writhing on the floor in a puddle of saliva, created by an endless spray of spit, and saliva, spewing from a firehose of vitriolic hate and bitterness.

In particular, his overt hate for anyone who is overweight, LGBTQ, or a minority, is the ubiquitous subject of his endless angry outburts and ridicule toward anyone he feels deserving of his vitriol. Most recently, Schaffer showcased his hate and anger toward indigenous American Indians, screaming his demand that "American Indians get the f**k out of America," in which he claimed that because "American Indians were savages they were incapable of understanding property rights," citing Manifest Destiny as the reason America "took back its land *from Indians*."

Schaffer is a classic example of immature and childish white man lashing out with hate-filled anger fueling his nonsensical attacks on minority groups or individuals that seemingly meet his criteria of existential threat. Records show Schaffer spends an inordinate amount of effort and time posting photos, or ridiculing people in photos, who are overweight, homosexual, transsexual, black, brown, or otherwise different than what he's comfortable with and feels threatened by.

This "man" clearly meets the definition of "racist bully," and profits at the expense of others who seem to meet his concept of "less than human," and deserving of his horrible attacks. Its truly a sad day when media platforms are perfectly comfortable profiting from the direct attacking and ridiculing of vulnerable members of society.

Elijah Schaffer contributes exactly zero value to society, and the vitriol and hatred he consistently produces could without question result in violence toward those in our society who are often considered vulnerable to violence and/or harmful attention.