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billtomlinson
Reviews
Deception (2018)
Super powers are not only for fighting super aliens.
Sure, what panopticonartist said is all true. Someone with a special power is recruited or whatever by the authorities to help solve crime. It's still a fun premise, especially for those who enjoy superpowers. At least they don't have to fight aliens from another dimension. I mean, why is Superman a cool idea? So that he can fight all the super-weird guys from other dimensions, or planets, or timelines, or who have been bitten by a different radioactive bug?
No! Superman is fun because he embodies what we would do for good with that power. All of these super-villians are a boring distraction. But these superheros, Castle, The Mentalist, Bones are using their powers for what any of us would do with such.
And so, even though it hasn't found the right tone yet, I hope it does. It's a fun idea. What scripts would you write.
You know what I'd write? Since his brother and him are identical in looks, its horrible that his brother take all the bad. Write an episode where they changes places. They can do it. He could escape if he wanted, especially since they look a lot a like. Then the other guy could be on the outside for a while. I wonder if that episode is coming up?
The OA (2016)
This is truly great if..............
I'll try to write this without spoilers, but it's not completely possible. I binged watched The OA in one sitting. Sure, it proceeded more slowly than I would ordinarily prefer, but it is beautiful and first episode was especially compelling. The final episode of season 1 was very disappointing to me. Initially. But after thinking about it, I realized I had taken it at face value. The evidence leads us away from a more profound conclusion. There are reasons to believe that this "face value" interpretation is wrong. First reason: This is season 1. That means there is going to be a season 2. There is no way to proceed without the audience being put back on track. Second reason: The OA's original search on the internet confirms a different conclusion than the "face value" interpretation. So far there has been a careful attention to detail. This detail should not be just the producers being sloppy. Conclusion: I do not believe the ending supports the obvious interpretation. I hope I'm right. If I am I will watch next season with great interest. If not, I don't think I can continue. I give it a 10 if my interpretation is correct and a 7 or 8 if it is wrong.
Limitless (2015)
Do something important with this fantasy talent.
I'd give it a 10 for potential. Most of the reviewers have put their finger on the problem with the series. The scope. We should realize that the major appeal of a show about NZT is the fantasy of it. So suppose you were ten or 100 time more intelligent than any other person on that planet. What would you do? Get a job with the FBI solving crimes? This is where the other reviewers have it right again. A total lack of imagination. Certainly the character reads the paper and knows that there are much more pressing problems on the planet. Maybe he could construct a plan for world peace. Or find a way to eradicate world hunger. Or maybe invent a cheap energy source, like improving the cost or efficiency of solar power. Not fun enough? How about working on a space elevator? Think "Lucy" here. If I were a writer on the show here's where I would go. First the character should find a way to break away from the FBI. He might even get Bradley Cooper to help him, or at least not be against him. Then go do something important. Or maybe if the Senator is against the idea, do these other things as a side project. If you have to solve crimes, maybe find a way to convince criminals to turn themselves in, maybe even before they commit the crime. Of course, to do any of these things you might actually have to have some real solutions, or at least solutions that are plausible solutions. This is what the writers of the show could be using their imaginations to come up with. If those writers only have crime solving imaginations, fire the writers, hire other writers. The show has great potential and I like that they use Dexter's sister in the show. So maybe the main character can go find Dexter?
Utopia (2014)
Can we get anything from this show?
Almost everything the naysayers say here is true. Part of the problem with the show is that these people do seem to be less intelligent than the average person, and part of the reason for this might be because you are picking a subset of the population that can take off for a whole year. These are not retirement age folks. They are more likely to be independent minded, less conformist, and with fewer people skills. It may be that the producers of the show selected people to insure that there would be drama, but I don't think this had to be the case to get the incompatible mix we have here Independent minded people being encouraged to make a "Utopia" are going to have radically different ideas about what Utopia is. For some it is going to be like living in the garden of Eden, working very little and enjoying leisure time. For others it's going to be about constructing a society where everyone has a role and earns the respect of everyone else. For every person on the planet there is probably a different idea about what Utopia is. They should all realize that no one is going to get their Utopia under these conditions. They probably already realize that by now. So what I'm suggesting is that their best hope in this situation is that they all mostly get along. The interesting thing about the show is every time something goes wrong, we can ask ourselves what was the problem? How could it have been prevented? Will future guests on future shows, if any, learn from these mistakes or are these problems always a function of simple stupidity? If stupidity is always the answer, the show is uninteresting and can teach us nothing. For instance, the issue of nudity could be dealt with reasonably by respecting everyone's sensitivities. A nude time could be established around the bathing area, and those that did not want to be offended could not go there at that time If there is a second season and the show is a success, it's likely that a better class of volunteers show up. The question the producers are probably asking themselves is that without conflict, what would the show be about?
Interception (2009)
It's hard to imagine a worse movie.
Most of the other reviewers have it right, but no one mentioned the inconsistencies. Here's a list. 1: There is a disk that will be used to set off or turn off an atomic devise and it has to be encrypted before it will work. Apparently any method of encryption will work. It might make more sense if an unencrypted disk was needed. 2: When the main guy is handcuffed behind his back and not tied to anything, he apparently believes he needs to get un-handcuffed before he can make his break. 3: Similarly, when the girl has her hands tied and mouth taped, that seems to be enough to keep her from trying to escape. 4: The nuclear bomb is blown up with a smaller bomb to disable it, but no one seems to worry about radiation and there is none reported 5: The bad guy wants to blow up a large Colosseum with gobs of people in it so that he can sell the plans for making the device to other terrorists. Are plans what is needed for any terrorist to make a nuclear device? Wouldn't detonating almost anywhere be as good for advertising purposes? 6: When our hero tries to get the water out of the lungs of the lady after going under water, his first attempt seems to be to exert pressure on her neck, not her chest. 7: When they use a card to break in on a Saturday in a highly regarded information center, there is no one on guard. You just need the entry card. Meanwhile the bad guys find a way in without a card. It's never shown how. These were just the things that jumped out at me during the playing. I'm sure that if I were to see it again (not a chance) and looked for the problems, I could double or triple the list. So, if someone ties your hands behind your back and puts tape on your mouth and makes you watch this movie, just walk away.
Evil Alien Conquerors (2003)
"Superior "aliens come to conquer Earth
This has to be the stupidest movie ever made, maybe even worse than 'Plan nine from outer space'. But these guys did it intentionally and it works. Think: How dumb a movie could you make and still have people enjoy watching it? You might want to compare it to 'Dogma', except that on some level Dogma wanted to be taken seriously. Clearly not for everyone, but a lot of fun for some of us. Either it will make you smile and/or giggle or it will seem like the biggest waste of time ever. Hardly any way to know before you watch the first 30 minutes. You could also compare it to 'Rocky Horror Picture Show', for its intentional dumbness. Ultimately to be a cult classic, but only for some.