Zoltanko's reviews

But awfully close! The cast is actually pretty good, but the words they are forced to say are mostly ridiculous, so like most Shyamalan movies the single biggest flaw is the writing. The plot is nothing but holes you could drive a truck through. You most likely will want to yell at the screen when you see how inept everyone is - especially the police - in this story. It's pretty easy to tear it apart.

I'll admit I watched out of curiosity. Could it be that bad? Well, yeah, it is. I gave it a 4 because there were a few moments I enjoyed, but overall it's a head-scratcher.

Surprisingly, Shyamalan's daughter in a leading role is pretty good. Apparently she is a singer and composer, and this film relies heavily on her music and performances. Yes, the character is a total rip-off of Lady Gaga, but I guess you could do worse.

Of course I wasn't expecting much based upon viewer reviews and ratings, but Blumhouse? Sure, why not?

Also, I happen to find swimming pools scary - at night - when the lights are off. Dark water, you know? When you can't see what's down there! So this film had a built-in fright factor for me without doing much other than just showing the scary backyard swimming pool.

The premise was somewhat unique and I found it intriguing. It kept me guessing and the constant uneasiness did its work on me. I never got bored, never got lost, and never looked away.

For a somewhat low-budget film, this is well done. The cast is quite good all around and I found the dialogue and relationships believable. It's worth a watch if you like cheesy, gritty horror.

First of all, I don't really remember many of the details of a film I saw nine years ago. So much of this film requires an understanding of what went on in Fury Road, that I got lost repeatedly. But it really didn't matter. The movie is pretty much nothing buy flying motorcycles and a prolonged chase with explosion after explosion mixed in with the body parts.

I think Anya Taylor-Joy is a fine actress, but it is obvious that the only reason she was cast in this film is to provide closeups of her magnificent, piercing eyes. No acting required...just those eyes. And as far as Chris Hemsworth goes, he went full Aussie and I didn't understand half of his dialogue. Again, it didn't really matter. Let's get back to that chase and the flying motorcycles, mate.

This was a huge disappointment and a huge waste of two and half hours. I'm told George Miller has a third installment in the works, so maybe in a few years he'll get another chance to win me over. I'm not holding my breath.

I am a huge fan of the Antonia Scott series of books and was hoping this Spanish television series would do the first book justice. It does - in more ways than one.

First of all, the production team cast the perfect actors in all the roles - not just the principals. I don't know if they did an extensive search or not, but their choices are exactly right. And the chemistry of the two leads is outstanding.

In addition, the series does an amazing job of visualizing the complex, internal manifestations of Antonia's mind. The art direction and effects took the author's written words and turned them into pictures in a way I didn't think would be possible. I was blown away!

Lastly, they did not think they had better ideas for the story and plot than the creator, so they stuck to the book and made an outstanding series as a result.

I hope there are versions of the other books in this series in the works and I anxiously await word about them.

Sorry. Bad pun. But this movie owes so much to Silence of the Lambs that it's impossible not to compare the two. You could almost make a plot by plot, character by character, detail by detail list and find much more in common than different between them. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I will say it's not very original.

This is an intense film with lots of gross-outs and over-the-top acting. It requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief or you will get hung up on some strange plot points. I stopped wondering and questioning, and just went with the story's flow.

I was entertained, but not blown away as the hype this movie has received caused me to anticipate. I don't think you'll spend a lot of time thinking about it after you finish watching it. I haven't seen Silence of the Lambs in years, but I can remember much more about that movie than Longlegs at this point. Not highly recommended.

I generally don't like stories about mental decline, aging or mental illness. They are depressing and seldom end well, despite the usual attempt to find some good in the tragedy. I was wary of this film based upon what little I knew about it and the description of the plot.

I'm glad I ignored my fears, because this was excellent!

There are major twists to the main character's problems that take this movie to a new level. Keaton took on what had to be a very challenging role and nailed it perfectly. His performance will pull you different ways and keep you guessing at what's next. But you also really won't be sure if your like him or hate him, which is one of the hallmarks of good cinema, in my opinion.

So don't be like me and fear the story, because it's not at all what you'd expect. It's deeper and much more engrossing. Highly recommended.

If a production company calls their film a "comedy," it's supposed to be funny, right? Or maybe clever? Or amusing? At least fun to watch?

You'd expect so, but The Instigators is none of those. I imagine they had great fun shooting this film and constantly chuckled at each other's performances, but that's pretty much as far as the appeal went in my opinion.

They obviously had a big budget based upon the amount of action, prolonged chases, car crashes and mayhem, but some of that should have been put toward creating an intelligent, entertaining script. The interactions between Damon and Affleck is strained and artificial. Almost cringe-worthy at times. And that's probably the best part of the movie.

So not a very good try and poorly executed.

I enjoyed the new Jack Reacher streaming TV series and decided to give this film version a try. I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

First of all, Rosamund Pike is outstanding. She always is, and brings a depth to this role that added tremendously to its success. She and Cruise did have a nice chemistry and tension throughout, which I found genuine.

There's plenty of action, as expected, all of it done quite well. Sure it's over the top, but why not? But they allowed Reacher to be the mysterious, anti-hero that he is supposed to be. The director did not back off and let him be as bad-ass as he is in the book on which this is based. Of course the bad guys are really, really bad and deserve what they get from Reacher. Excellent cast in this regard.

So Cruise and company pulled it off and won me over. I'm now going to watch the follow-up film and expect I will enjoy it as well.

Ever since Airplane! Sent me to the ground in uncontrollable spasms, I have loved the silly, literal humor of this crazy team of filmmakers. I have watched The Naked Gun at least three times now, and even when I know what's coming, I laugh out loud. Sometimes I have to pause the playback to regain my composure, because I don't want to miss the next rapid-fire gag. Surely I can't be serious, but I am!

The unlikely paring of Pricilla Presley and Leslie Nielsen is brilliant and I'm glad they teamed them again for the sequels. I still can't hear the phrase "nice beaver" without laughing out loud! If you've seen it, you know what I mean. If not, get ready. You might hurt yourself.

There actually are good reasons for watching this movie multiple times, because the subtle references to other films and events are easy to miss. Despite being an absurd comedy, the attention to detail is stunning.

And, well, OJ Simpson...enough said?

I'm sure I'll watch a fourth time in the future, and I will love it every bit as much.

I was aware of this film for a couple of years but never got around to watching it, mainly because I thought the concept was so odd, it couldn't possibly be any good. I was very, very wrong!

Yes, I'm a huge Beatles fan and part of me suspected this would not do them or their music justice. So I had a bias from the very start. Come on Danny Boyle, entertain me! Well, he certainly did!

I found myself thoroughly enjoying every moment. The cast is superb and the way the film integrates some outstanding Beatles tunes is masterful. You can wonder at the bizarre metaphysical premise, but soon you stop worrying about it and just enjoy the ride. I have recommended this film heartily to other Beatles fans and they too have found it very special. Highly recommended.

I enjoy a good monster movie as much as the next person, and there are no better monsters than Kong and Godzilla. I was very hopeful and excited to watch this film.

But about half way in I actually started to get a headache. There are so many explosions, shooting flames, smashed buildings and flying bodies that had trouble staying engaged. I got bored.

The plot is nothing really new. The cast was descent and I really like Rebecca Hall, but mostly they spend their time watching the monsters do battle and throw each other around. I discovered way too many plot points lifted from other films, that I have to believe it was on purpose. I suspect many producers today run a computer program with all the popular details of recent, similar films plugged in to help determine what they need to include to insure success. I know that's cynical, but not hard to believe.

I don't regret watching this movie, but it's rather forgettable compare to the recent Godzilla Minus One, which was excellent.

I was looking for a simple FMV video game to pass some time and this popped up as being intriguing. I liked the premise and gave it a try. Big mistake.

There are only three people in the cast and the two suspects do a pretty good job...especially Jaclyn Gest. However, the man who portrays the detective, who is also the creator, author and director of the a game, was just too much to take. I found myself shouting at the screen for him to just shut up and actually follow some established police protocols when interviewing a suspect.

I guess if the two suspects requested a lawyer it would completely change the dynamic of the game, but who in their right mind would talk to a detective investigating a potential murder and just spill their guts they way these two do? I found myself mocking their stupidity.

But maybe this game was successful, because it appears they created a sequel of some sort. I'm not sure I want to risk playing it if Ramon Hamilton is at the helm again. I did not have fun.

I'm a big fan of Film Noir, although I'll admit Bogart is not my favorite actor. I know I'm in the minority on this.

I've been wanting to watch this title for a while, mainly because of the cast, the source material, the director and the behind-the-scenes drama that apparently went on at the time of filming. Pretty much a soap opera behind the on-screen plot.

Some classic Film Noir doesn't seem to hold up well, and this is an example in my opinion. Yes, it was a different time, but I do get tired of someone lighting up a cigarette in every scene or the six ingredients they add to a "simple" cocktail whenever they come home. And why does everyone slide over and exit a car on the passenger's side? I always found that strange. And I guess in the 1940s and 1950s once you found someone you liked to have dinner with the conversation instantly turned to marriage and children.

I have a huge list of other Film Noir titles I want to watch, so if nothing else I'm glad I checked this one off.

It's nice to see two outstanding actors given the freedom - and a good script - to go all out in their roles. Yes, they are over-the-top, but in a very entertaining way, with very honest, believable performances. The essence of good drama is conflict, and these two go to war!

Ultimately it's a feel-good story with an expected happy ending. Why do it otherwise, right? Of course they played loose with the facts a bit, but the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad and the rewards and punishments are given out as you would hope.

It's a period piece set in the South, so expect a bit of overt racism and outrage. Nothing artificial, but the bias is hard to ignore. Otherwise, an extremely enjoyable film.

What do you get when you combine a totally ridiculous screenplay, an inept director, a cast with no acting talent whatsoever and an editor who has no clue how to assemble a scene? Yep, this horrible mess. They even left in flubbed lines, apparently not even noticing. The filmmakers violate the "rules" they established and good luck trying to follow the story line.

Several times I considered just backing out, but I wanted to see how much worse it could get. I wasn't disappointed. I wish IMDB would allow a negative number.

One good thing - the "actress" who stood next to the DJ at the party seemed to be able to throw her arms into the air for four hours straight. Impressive.

All I got from this mess is that there's no difference between modern urban gang warfare and the way ex-slaves preyed on one another in the Old West. White racists will love this film for how evil, corrupt, violent and stupid it makes Black people look. Stupid Black people will love the shucking and jiving. Anyone of any race with a functional brain will wonder what possessed these top actors to appear is such a moronic movie.

Some of the worst dialogue ever, combined with random, disjointed scenes and some serious lack of acting talent. A real mess and waste of time.

How do scripts so convoluted and incredibly obtuse get green-lit for production? When you get so lost that you stop caring the film is nothing more than a huge waste of time.

Simple non-spoiler synopsis: Working mom takes a trip leaving her sickly husband and rebellious teenage daughter home. Her subordinates are rude, disrespectful and psychologically damaged. Oh yeah - her trip is to Mars.

All downhill from there. Most daytime soap operas have less artificial and manufactured drama. It's so phony it hurts. And why or why is there a phone call in every stupid scene? Nothing is more boring than watching a phone call or even worse a text message being composed or read. You'll get plenty of them in this waste of time.

The good news? Apparently in the near future science overcomes the limitation on light speed and you'll be able to do FaceTime calls from the moon!

I gave it two stars instead of one because the final episode partially redeemed all the melodrama that came before. I really hope there's not a second season though. I can't imagine the tripe the writers would create to keep this going.

Not many women can screech their voices as high and shrill as the host of this show. How does Rutledge Wood do it - especially since it seems he's a man?

This is an interesting, quirky film with some really interesting characters. But I guess the filmmakers decided they really didn't need to wrap anything up or include an ending. Makes watching it pretty much a waste of time.

Thoroughly engrossing episode but no real ending. Just one more shot - not even a full scene - would have made it perfect. You should feel the story concluded instead of going "what?"

This film looks great and they obviously had the money to make a descent movie. But with such a ridiculous script they didn't have much to go on. The cast is quite good but what they are required to do is silly. The biggest problem is the editing though. So many story jumps without explanation made me long for the film to just end.

Season one is interesting. Cool, original concept and appealing characters. Season two is a pathetic mess. So many pointless scenes and incomprehensible mumbo jumbo that it became unwatchable.

It looks like they just made this up as they went along. Totally random bits that have no meaning or connection. The actors probably thought they were making some weird parody and went along with it for the laughs. Total trash.