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American Insurrection (2021)
Solid Filmmaking Work Here.
Before I mention anything about the film, I have to point out that other "user" reviews on this page have undoubtedly been written by right-wing Internet trolls or have come from foreign troll farms. It's quite obvious. They're not commenting on the actual film, they're spouting right-wing, Fox News propaganda.
Now, the film itself, which runs almost two hours (a running time that could maybe have been shaven down, as it's dialogue-heavy), is a pretty solid character story from a narrative standpoint. The group of protagonists each has their own individual burden to bear due to the pressures of conservative extremism within this "future" United States - a future that could very well occur if the United States doesn't course correct.
The dialogue, especially the scenes in the barn, is quite poignant. Sometimes a little on-the-nose, but it works.
Technically, it's shot and cut well with no real composition or audio problems. Not sure what the budget was on this flick, but I assume it was relatively low - and they made it work well with one main location. It was efficient in it's simplicity, but had a real depth to the stakes being presented.
Bravo to the team for putting together a film that speaks for the majority of Americans.
Assignment (2013)
I'm trying to watch. I really am.
Watching this "picture" right now on some random website. Sound design doesn't exist and is horrific - I can't hear half of the dialogue, and I've honestly seen visually better films shot entirely on cell phones. I'm almost twenty minutes in, and I have no idea what this is even about. I'm trying to give it a chance. It's very rough.
Hoping this is only a very rough cut of the film that I'm seeing, although it is DVD quality. Not quite sure what the picture is trying to "say", perhaps it isn't. Going to give it a little bit longer, but I'm not sure how much more I'll be able to watch.
With that being said, to finish any movie is an ambitious attempt at telling a story. I hope the filmmakers take use this picture as a stepping stone toward better storytelling in the future.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Third act is a completely different movie.
Let's just put it this way: I was into "The Lone Ranger" until the third act when it got way out of control and over-the-top campy. The cinematography was fantastic, direction from Gore was his standard, but the writing of the third act threw me for a loop. While the rest of the story was pretty grounded, the third act felt like a different movie. I love a good Western, and back in the day Hollywood studios made some great ones. However, studio executives today don't have any idea of how to make a genre flick - and more than half of them don't even know what the word 'genre' means. There have been some amazing modern Western genre flicks, but this isn't one of them. It started out that way, but it turned into a Summer popcorn flick. Hammer's title character was a bit off. He's too much of a pretty boy to be in a Western to begin with. Depp's Tonto was pretty much watching Jack Sparrow in a different wardrobe. Kids will be bored until the third act, and scholarly fans will be disappointed in seeing what starts out as a decent Western dissolve into an eye-candy act three. Overall, I'm going to have to throw this flick a grade of D+. Wait for the DVD release. It's nothing you haven't seen before.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Zack and Miri Make A Porno -- Really Fast-like!
As a fan of Kevin Smith throughout his career, and loving the hype-up of this flick, I went into 'Zack & Miri' with rather high expectations. Overall, I was pleased with the movie, but something felt missing from this latest View Askew installment. Perhaps I'll figure that out after future watchings, or perhaps I'll just learn to love the flick more. We'll see.
Banks and Rogen were cast quite nicely. Along with the rest of the supporting cast. Kevin has surrounded himself with great comedic actors for this project and everyone gives him their all. Casting not an issue on this flick.
As with many Kevin Smith movies, you expect a rather solid script. With 'Zack & Miri' the script is solid. However, the final cut of the film left me wondering what Kevin left on the cutting room floor. The movie actually felt a little rushed to me. Now, to say that about a Kevin Smith movie is pretty impressive, because Kevin likes his dialogue. But, even at about an hour and forty minutes, the theatrical cut of this movie felt a bit rushed.
Example: While I enjoyed the premise of Zack and Miri making love during the porno shoot instead of outright slamming away at each other, the build up to that scene didn't 'build up' as I would've expected it to -- well, perhaps wanted it to. And the lovemaking itself, while intimate as hell, didn't convey enough mixed emotion on the faces of the actors. Now I realize Kevin hasn't ever shot anything like that before, but that actual sequence felt a bit hasty too.
It is so hard to balance comedy and emotion, and this attempt by Kevin is a valiant effort that hits and misses in places. And, while this isn't my favorite Kevin Smith flick to date, it's truly one of his ballsiest. The intensity of Zack and Miri's relationship plays well off of the outrageous comedy ensuing around it. The relationship, however unfortunate, sometimes takes a back seat to some good ol' fashion Kevin Smith 'di*k and fart jokes'.
I guess, the flick felt a bit rushed, once again. Perhaps after another watch through the movie I'll have more perspective to draw on, but I will say this: This movie IS worth seeing, so put up your cash and go to the theater -- and look for me in the reunion scene...I'm in that bit*h like four times.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Great picture, but lacking of the first...
As a fan of Tolkein's books, I may be the first person on the planet (that I've heard of) to say that I didn't like the second movie as well as the first. Don't hate me please.
As moviegoers, we can all understand the adaptation process, yet in the second film, Peter, Pilippa (Spelling?) and the rest of the writing crew fell short of the adaptation process (es.) Just my opinion, and I know some of you won't agree, but I feel that as a fan I deserve my two cents.
First point to make is the threat of war: At the end of the first film there is the threat of war...we realize that war is inevitable, but it's not on our heels just yet. Yet, at the beginning of the second film, it's as if war has taken us from the beginning of the picture. I know there's only so much you can do in a three hour span, but a lot of time in this picture was given to some more secondary things. (i.e.= too much chasing across landscapes for Merry and Pippin...and extremely long battle sequences during the Helm's Deep.) -- again some of you may have problems with me saying Helm's Deep was secondary...but that's not what I'm saying at all. But, the amount of time taken to visualize the scenes was too long.
Second point: The role of Faramir, Baromir's brother, was written almost totally different from the book. In the novel, Faramir is a very wise and accepting person, (as was his brother) yet it also explains that Faramir was quite different from his brother...and when he finds the true nature of the burden Frodo carries, he completely understands (even if almost instinctly) that he couldn't, and would not, bring such a burden to mankind. Yet, in the picture, he rushes Sam and Frodo off to Minas Tirith (by way of Osgiliath) to take the ring to man...which never even happens. I was disappointed with Faramir's character in the film, because even though Peter, Philippa, and the writing crew show that Faramir is different than Baromir in the end, the whole of Faramir's character (the way that Tolkien wrote it) is crushed by the screenplay.
Third point: I felt that the CGI characters in the film were something that could have been better constructed, although I am by no means anyone with skills enough even to create such amazing things on screen. There's one scene where the lion-like attackers persuade Aragorn and his crew...I felt like I was watching a he-man cartoon and Battle-Cat (if anyone knows who he is) was cloned many times and people were riding on him. I know that Weta, with the technology they have, could have easily bettered the outcome of the visual battle in these sequences...and I won't even start on gollum. (final fantasy was better. That's all I have to say about him.)
I was so excited going into this film and so dissappointed when the ending credits rolled. What about the Huorns? Where are they? The first of the trilogy was almost flawless, leaving out so little vital things to the story, but I was left speechless at the closing curtain to the Two Towers...and not a good speechless. What about more history of the Ents? You know...one of the oldest, wisest, most intersting parts of the second installment. Who knows.
All I know is that even though the movie did almost fulfill my need for a bridge between the first and third, it didn't include half the material (or even get included material right enough) for true fans to enjoy it as much as we would have liked. 7.5 out of 10 -- on my scale. The first -- 9.5
When did the elves fight with the humans during Helm's Deep too?
-Thanks for your time. :)