One Wrong Turn After Another!

 

The film ('One Battle after Another') has obvious political overtones to burden it (for better or worse). But having said that it could be a critical success if not financial... and that has a lot to do with 'Word of Mouth'.

I saw the movie (had to say that because some reviewers DON'T WATCH THE FILM!😜) but there was definitely some aspects of it that simply did not resonate with me on a dramatic level regardless of political affiliation. It seemed to lack relevance... (it's storyline linked the 70's battles for abortion rights with the present day battle for immigration rights -yet who in the world can relate to that link?)

Although both Leftist issues they are extremely different Causes in their own right. In other words you can be for abortion but against mass migration very easily and vice versa.

I guess my main complaint was that it lacks narrative direction.

SPOILER ALERT: had the film been solely about fighting for abortion rights instead of fighting for ANY RIGHTS (midway the film switched from abortion rights to immigrant rights) it would not have appeared to me as directionless. When the daughter runs out at the end to "join a different battle" it simply didn't do anything to support her character's quest to understand her mother at all. It was simply, "I'm going to fight for something too" -which is a universal sentiment, not a personal one.

Regardless I've seen a lot of pure CRAP this year from Hollywood as we all have. This movie didn't make the Crap List at all. 😆

Oh yeah, sorry not sorry for the emojis! This was a YouTube comment turned into a quicky film review...😨

Half-Ass Crossdressers and Transsexuals Piss Me Off!

 

Is this real? A male 'fairy God-Mother' at Disney World or Land? This is unintentional-intentional humor at it's finest.😀

At some point when organizing this you know the Big Shots had to think, "WTF are we doing? At least shave, bro!"

Man, there's nothing worse than a half-ass transsexual, drag-queen or crossdresser.

A FEW TOUCH-DOWNS SHORT OF A HIT MOVIE

'Him' is a great "concept movie". It proposes that the NFL and it's choices are actually [SPOILER ALERT!!!] controlled by a cult of Satanic businessmen, cheerleaders, sports doctors and trainers. And at the center of this is the current reining super quarterback, Isiah White*.

But of course in Hollywood's most recent fashion; it's most current ideation of "let's destroy it to see how well it works", the concept isn't executed correctly or should I say in a more entertaining manner.

The pacing, the scenes, the revelations are all ponderously executed. As if the script for this thing wasn't REALLY FINISHED OR REVIEWED. It feels 'green-lighted'- as a matter of annoyance instead of determination. And it's main premise, that of the Satanic worshiping football league isn't fully explored to his horrific potential.

Simply put the film wasn't SCARY ENOUGH. It didn't shock or rise to the level of shock. It sort of COASTED on the screams of the last BETTER horror movie you watched.

To tell you the truth I could've anticipated this from director Jordan Peele. His films always have a political subtext that feels jammed into the narrative, not worked into the script. Here he takes his usual jabs at "Whitey" and the ill-effects of slavery on blacks (never mind the modern, more general Black American experience of ultimately rising above the evil days of bondage to attain some success in the USA). We've got to be reminded every film that Jordan does that the "System" is rigged against the black man.

After a while you just want him to give it a REST.

* [NOTE: this is Jordan Peele movie so the choice of 'White' as a last name for a black main character has the built-in intended political overtones the director sought to portray.]

Go Gina!

Life After Victory: Unfairly called a "Fascist'" when she voiced her supposedly 'Far-Right' opinion by the jokers at Disney, Gina won her lawsuit against them and plots a different MORE FREE course in the entertainment world.

Disney, which took over the Star Wars intellectual property and began a tyrannical, fan-ignoring change of the official canon and non-canon storyline, pathos and general meaning of the franchise has ZERO right to call anyone a DICTATOR.

 

There have been countless stories about World War 2 and the events that led up to it but all of them are significant of course. World War 2 represented the most dire moment in human history that all wise men that came before it feared: an attempt by One Man to take over the entire human race.

That being said there were many heroes who came to power in that dire moment to stop him (Adolf Hitler of course) and each story deserves to be told and examined for the sake of future generations and a warning to future madmen. The latest in that long line of stories is Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer tells the story of a German priest, Dietrich Bonhoeffer , who's fish out of water condition due to his travels to America before World War 2, armed him with knowledge and tactic in dealing with the rise of a world dictator in his own country. Before the danger is realized Bonhoeffer had befriended Black American New Yorkers and their church / culture. Exposing him to the plight of an oppressed, Jim Crow era, blacks. He learned that some foes of minorities are hard to put down but resistance is not futile, it is mandatory. He then took those lessons with him back to his home country, Germany, which had slowly transformed into a Jew hating society following the madman, Adolf Hitler.

Bonhoeffer is a film carefully crafted. It pays attention to the emotional development of it's historical figure lead character and tries to give the audience the exact feeling that a man would face if he dared to stand up to blatant acts of evil. As most of us already know, this is no easy task because once in the target hairs of men who will do anything for power your time grows short and once more, the time of loved ones and friends. For they become targets too!

Pace-wise the film moves along grandly. You never once get bored. All the actors seem to belong there, not demanded there by some aggressive Hollywood agent. The emotional scenes are direct and to the point. And although we've seen similar stories countless times (past WW 2 centered films), this one is better because it gives an unusual perspective of a German citizen / priest dealing with mutually respective Black American citizen church goers. All of which realize that if someone doesn't act the world is going to become sludge under a dictator's army's boots!

Bonhoeffer is the man of the hour as he dares to defy the growing threat to mankind at it's start (before the actual intercontinental fighting began). And the realization that Hitler was even trying to REWRITE THE BIBLE to favor his Nazi propaganda was quite amazing!

You walk away from this film respecting and understanding how big of a bullet the world dodged thanks to men and women of courage during that terrible time in history. 

Posted 11/22/2024

'The Commuter' Travels Past Bad Reviews In My Book

Just finished watching 'The Commuter', a movie that I read some bad reviews on many years ago so I decided to finally watch it. And you know something, it wasn't half-bad! The film suffers the most from a poor set-up (narrative wise), and near over-exposure of actor LIAM NEESON as the 'everyman action hero'. His demeanor is so ordinary that he could be anyone of us forced to put on brass knuckles to defend our lives or jobs or nation!

After I got over these disagreeable things I tried to enjoy the film. It had some very good close quarter combat -being that they are on a narrow train (of course). And one scene in particular was extremely well done -a fight scene where Liam's character fights an assassin. Liam eventually is swinging a guitar at the guy who wields and axe! This fight sequence made watching the entire movie worth it. Only problem though is there was a huge continuity error during it involving the placement of a gun on the floor. When you see it you'll know what I mean. But all in all I do recommend it especially if you are an action movie fans or a woman that loves to see men fighting in suits (girls actually like that stuff, guys!)

THE SHAPE OF WATER

I finally got a chance to watch this must celebrated movie by GUILLERMO DEL TORO. It was worth the wait for all of the right and some may say, some of the wrong reasons. You see, I'm a big SALLY HAWKINS fan and she's the star / romantic interest in this movie. Now, I knew that I was going to watch it because GUILLERMO DEL TORO is one of my favorite directors / storytellers and when I heard that SALLY HAWKINS was in the movie it was a double whammy for me. But if someone had told me that she'd be doing nude scenes in this film --! Man, I would've seen it on the first day it was out! Hahaha. Well, everyone has a crush on somebody, right? Anyway, the whole movie, including the nude scenes were all done superbly! I was definitely not disappointed and the wait to watch it was worth it. It had a few storytelling errors in it and maybe I'll discuss that in an upcoming review... but overall, it's a must see film. A modern 'Beauty and the Beast'.

 Copyright © 2019 George Alan Booker, all rights reserved

GO TO YOUTUBE NOW!

Love Star Trek? You're Gonna Love This!

'STAR TREK CONTINUES'

I've just finished watching 10 of 12 episodes of a fan-made production called 'Star Trek Continues' and it's one of the most thrilling series I've found on Youtube. Once you watch the first episode you'll be hooked! The characters may look similar or completely different compared to the classic TV show 'Star Trek' but those differences will melt away completely by the time you reach the 3rd or 5th entries mainly do to an incredible level of voice similarities and body language imitating by each of the shows great actors. Check this out and sit through it all if you can or go to my favorite episodes pictured below! 

Like the original series the scripts tackle modern day issues and does them in a gripping, edge of your seat way. 'Lolani' deals with the simultaneous issues of sexism against females and the evils of slavery and 'What Ships Are For' deals with illegal immigration in a way that's highly imaginative!! These two episode nearly made my jaw drop and any aspiring script writer / filmmaker would do himself a DISSERVICE by not watching them!! It all teaches the importance of seeking to master one's CRAFT before seriously considering oneself as being a 'professional'. 
 Copyright © 2019 George Alan Booker, all rights reserved

Lolani

 

What Ships Are For

21 Bridges You'd Better Cross To See This Movie!

MOVIE REVIEW: '21 Bridges'


WARNING: Spoilers ahead!!

21 Bridges Trailer

 

Here's a great improvement from the humdrumness of 2019's cop movies: '21 Bridges' is a pretty good, very exciting chase movie in which a couple of criminals who are novices to the world of illegal drugs stumble upon a large drug distribution ring being operated by New York's finest; and once they kill a bunch of officers (like EIGHT!) in the ensuing shootout all hell breaks loose on them! CHADWICK BOSEMAN plays the smudged badge detective Andre Davis in this chase-thriller and has to put in a LOT of footwork to find these guys by morning light for some reason (I forget the exact reasons,  has to do with the FBI taking over the case [I'm so visual I tend to miss out on some dialog as I'm examining some detail in a scene... SORRY).

In any case the film turns in some of the best performances I've seen in a while by newcomers and old-timers. Besides the convincing portrayal by CHADWICK of a cop under the Internal Affairs microscope for killing too many suspects in his career. Other performers shine really bright as well: SIENNA MILLER plays Frankie Burns, CHADWICK BOSEMAN'S character's assertive temporary partner with just enough spunk to make you think she's one of the good cops..., veteran actor J.K. SIMMONS plays senior officer Captain McKenna in one of his (shortest) best performances ever, STEPHAN JAMES plays Michael, one of the 2 criminals that discover the police conspiracy the story centers around; and TAYLOR KITSCH plays Ray, his partner in crime, who's 'almost in control but not enough' homicidal ex military gun for hire. These latter two actors almost stole the show because of their skilled performances.

For the most part the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. You know every cop in it is dirty (except the hero to some degree [after all, he's being investigated by Internal Affairs...), but all you want to know is how and when will they take their eventual falls. In that department '21 BRIDGES' delivers!
12022019

Copyright © 2019 George A. Booker, all rights reserved