Change Your Image
xgraeme
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Deep Fear (2023)
Watch Dead Calm Instead
The film had a decent premise: a group of friends trapped underwater with a great white shark holds potential for thrills and suspense.
But it had a cliched storyline: a plot that follows familiar tropes of the genre, lacking originality and offering few surprises.
The characters were bland: they were underdeveloped and forgettable, failing to generate emotional investment.
It is uneven in pacing: it starts slow, taking a while to build tension, and the action sequences feel underwhelming.
There are only limited scares: despite the shark threat, the film lacks in genuine scares and suspense.
It reminded me of Dead Calm from 1989 with Sam Neil and Nicole Kidman, a very good film. And when it got to the last scene with the flare gun, it was practically a shot for shot plagiarism of Dead Calm!
Pass on this mediocre film and watch Dead Calm instead! You'll be much more entertained!
A Waltons Thanksgiving (2022)
Not True to the Original
A Waltons Thanksgiving is a nostalgic film trying to capture the spirit of the holiday season. However, it's important to note that the film takes some liberties with the established continuity of the original television series. It focuses on the character of Ben Walton, who, in the film is portrayed as a young orphan boy who arrives in an unexpected way at the Walton family's doorstep. This contradicts the established backstory of the Walton family in the TV series, where the character of Ben is named after Uncle Benjamin, who was killed in France during World War I.
Additionally, in the film, at the harvest festival John Walton generously hands out money to the kids for frivolous spending despite being a large family living in rural Virginia in the middle of the Great Depression. Despite these discrepancies, A Waltons Thanksgiving may still still deliver a heartwarming and enjoyable holiday tale for anyone who doesn't understand the context of the era and has never heard of the original Waltons TV series. Overall, A Waltons Thanksgiving can be seen as a pleasant holiday movie, but it's crucial to approach it with an understanding that it deviates from the established canon of the original television series.
Fight to Survive (2023)
Nasty, Greedy, Bullies
I was amazed that the CW would allow this display of nastiness, avarice, and bullying to air on their network. The premise was good, survive on an island, have competitions to fight it out eliminating players along the way, and win the prize. But it quickly went wrong. Competitions were based simply on brute strength, causing an immediate unfair advantage to physically larger and stronger contestants. The others didn't stand a chance in the fight part of the competition, even though they may have been the best survivalists out there,
Almost immediately those with the brute strength teamed up, and it became a game of bullying those who were weaker. In addition to that there was an extreme display of greed in the game. That led to a lot of nastiness, foul language, betrayals, and bullying. A few players bowed out rather than compromise their own morals. Many are hurt along the way both physically, with some extractions due to physical injury, and psychologically, due to the incredible displays of bullying.
Would not recommend this program for any viewer, particularly younger viewers.
FBI: Most Wanted: Transaction (2023)
From Another Minnesotan
Yes, it was nice to see an episode based in Minnesota. The town names were believable because they were real, like New Hope, Maplewood, St. Cloud, and Brainerd.
However, what was very unbelievable was that there was absolutely no snow on the ground in February in Minnesota. In fact, this February there is about 24 inches of snow on the ground in Minnesota. It also seemed that the wardrobe department went out of their way to way overdress everyone with sweaters and coats and all. However, the fall like weather shown, no snow, wouldn't call for all that winter clothing.
The kidnapping story was believable and all that but because some of the details about Minnesota were not believable it was distracting so it was difficult to follow the storyline.
Pickled (2022)
Dillest (Dullest) Charity Event Ever
For all the hype this was given it was dillest (dullest) televised charity event ever. Comic Relief has had fundraising events for years and usually has lots of comedy along for the ride and gets us laughing and pulling our our wallets to contribute. This was a switch with a funny athletic event involved, but there was very dry humor. Almost nothing was actually funny. The host Stephen Colbert was awful as were the rest of the cast.
In addition to the lack of comedy that was expected there was a level of vulgarity that was unexpected. At one point John Michael Higgens called Emma Watson the Queen of Dink and Stephen Colbert asked Will Ferrel if he circle jerked.
The Waltons: The Threshold (1981)
Another Television Love Triangle
All episodes without the parents are lacking.
This episode is an interesting take on the dawn of television. Pairing the storylines of John Boy and Jim Bob capture both the technical and content sides of this great invention.
The subplot involving the love triangle between Rose, Stanley, and Zuleika is confusing. Previously, when Stanley left Walton's mountain for California, he had been prepared to marry Rose. Now, he's treating Rose as a friend, and allowing Zuleika to come between them.
The Waltons: The Venture (1975)
A Harvest of Friends
I could have sworn I saw this same story on Little House on the Prairie just months before this one aired on The Waltons. Theirs was called A Harvest of Friends (aired 9/11/1974). The parallels are strong: Charles Ingalls gets injured; John Walton gets pneumonia; Charles' home mortgage is on the line if he doesn't get the work done; John's lumber business is on the line if he doesn't get the work done. In both, in the end, the townsfolk come to aid of their friend to save their home and business, but more importantly restore their ability to provide for their families in harsh times. So, did The Waltons borrow this story line from Little House on the Prairie since they did it first? Perhaps? Either way, they are both touching stories about hard work, facing adversity, and not only families coming together, but also communities coming together to help one another.
NOTE: The hospital scene with John and John-Boy shows just how stern the usually calm and collected John can be. Great acting by Ralph Waite in that scene.
Quincy M.E.: Semper-Fidelis (1979)
A Few Good Men
Semper-Fidelis reminds me of the 1992 film A Few Good Men (1992). In the end no Code Red had been ordered to take out the marine, but some characters were very similar, like the 2 recruits, one black, one white, who take the witness stand in the courtroom.
Call Me Kat (2021)
Breaking the Fourth Wall
This program may be a vehicle for keeping Mayim Bialek's career going after the cancellation of The Big Bang Theory, but it is failing. The show is boring, poorly written, and doesn't get any laughs at our house. Most disturbing of all, especially for me, is that they break the fourth wall: talking directly to the camera, and all characters waving to the camera at the end.
Caught Inside (2010)
Unrealistic
Quite unrealistic that 4 unbound people couldn't figure out a way to jump one pretty much unarmed man.
Big Brother: Episode #22.1 (2020)
Unfair
Contestants who actually won an initial challenge were then punished for not winning a subsequent challenge, while those who didn't even get past the first challenge get to eat cake. Very unfair. Not sure if this season will be any good as a result. Plus there are no real unlikely-to-win characters like a Cliff Hogg or a Chicken George.
Little House on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder: Part II (1980)
Eliza Jane's Sacrifice
The sub-plot of this two parter is quite tragic. Eliza Jane's story is so sad and so tragic. I and many I know are Eliza Janes. People on the fringes. Single people who never get noticed, never get asked to the dance, never get a proposal, never find true happiness for themselves. Eliza gets a taste of happiness, a glimmer of hope, but her love goes unrequited. So she keeps all that sadness to herself and turns outward to others to make them happy.
Even this sub-plot may go unnoticed by viewers amidst the noise of Laura and Almanzo's love story. Lucy Lee Flippen does an excellent job of acting in this episode and the music tied to her scenes allows the viewer even more of a glimpse into her broken heart and her selflessness. Eliza's story, although tragic, is one of self-sacrifice.