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Showing posts from November, 2020

Moonbase 8: Season1

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                                         Photo is property of Showtime and A24. For the last several months, I have been interested in the possibilities of what this show could be. A space comedy created by John C Reilly, Fred Armison, and Tim Heidecker is something that could be incredible. You could sell me on creator Fred Armison. After his time on Saturday Night Live, he created the hugely successful " Portlandia" and "Documentary Now!".   The plot of the series is simple, three men of Moonbase 8 are trying to make it to the moon, through their training program.  As much as I was looking forward to this, I do not even know where to start. This show goes no where. With an overall premise of trying to get the moon, why this show is so unfocused is truly puzzling. This show is one hundred percent fat. The series is a bunch of self contained episodes. I waited all six episodes for it to be at least, funny. At this point, I am still waiting.    This show is incredibl

Ali

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                                                         Still is property of Columbia Pictures. I have looked forward to this movie since it came out in 2001. For some reason this always skipped out of my grasp. No longer the case!    I do not have to get very much into the plot. We know that Muhammad Ali was a great boxer and he went through some trouble protesting the Vietnam war. Is that everything? No, obviously not, but it is the main overview of the film.   Performances of this film  is what stands above anything else in this. Will Smith has two most celebrated performances of in his career : "Ali" and "Pursuit of Happiness". I would say this is the crowning achievement. Here he disappears into the role of Ali. There is a lot of times where actors just play a version of themselves, this is the farthest from that.     In the world of Michael Mann movies, no matter if they are good, or bad, they all look beautiful. This film is no different. Even without the di

Operation Christmas Drop

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                                                Image is the property of Netflix. I first want to start with, after watching this, I was too tough on "Holidate". This film is based on a real military operation that air drops much needed supplies throughout the south Pacific. The operation started in 1952 and goes to this day. This story deserved better.         Congressional aide Erica (Kat Graham) as she skips her family Christmas to travel to a south pacific air base. At the base, she clashes with  Andrew (Alexander Ludwig), knows her job is finding reasons to defund the facility.      First of all, this is an amazing, inspirational story that not many people know, so why make it a romance film. I say that this is something that people should know.  A documentary or say a drama about the start of the operation, easily two alternatives  that could do this story a service. Turing it into a romance film really undercuts the more important elements. The romance elements complet

The Undoing : Episode 2

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                                                            Photo belongs to Warner Brothers media. The lying continues with Fraser family. But the question remains, how far will it go? I am going to do something different for this episode recap. There will be spoilers, I am going through the whole thing.   The episode starts with the continued search for Jonathan Fraser.  He was last seen the night before by Grace.  Is there nothing to be afraid of or is he hiding out of guilt? Henry ( Noah Jupe) and Grace  make it through the first night making excuses with each other, Jonathan never shows.     In the morning, Grace takes Henry to school, they are met by a mob of reporters. It is revealed by Sylvia (Lily Rabe), that the husband of the murdered woman has turned himself in.     Grace heads to the hospital where Jonathan works. She talks to his college, who informs her,he is under strict terms not to tell her where he is. After school ends, Henry and Grace head over to her father's

The untouchables

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                                              Photo belongs to universal pictures. With Sean Connery's passing this week, I thought it would be appropriate to review his most appraised role, Jim Malone and the Untouchables.       Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner)  sets out to arrest notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone (Robert DeNiro). Ness finds that it is not just as simple as following the letter of the law, sometimes the hands need to get dirty. He forms a small crew of law enforcement to get the job done    With a cast that also included Kevin Costner and Robert DeNiro, this movie pulls no punches when it comes to the talent. Connery was the one that walked away with the Oscar, why was that? To put it simply, this movie is made better with him. He kills it, this movie would be nothing without him. If you can get an actor that carries a movie, it is a first step.     Ennio Marricone absolutely kills the score. Watching the film, the score really gives me the feeling that things were c

Coco

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                                                  The photo is property of Pixar animation. Whenever people think of Pixar movies they think of greatness. I remember going to see this in the theater and not expecting much, I was wrong.       Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez ) wants to become a musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt).  Miguel finds winds up in the Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, Miguel meets a con man Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), and together, they go on an extraordinary journey to find the real story of Miguel's family.   I didn't notice this as much the first time, but re-watching it this second time the performances really shine thorough. This is most so with Bernal and Gonzales. As of today, some of the finest voice acting I have ever seen.          The themes of the movie are some that resonated with me more than many other Pixar films. How this films takes on such themes like love, death, and loss is magi