This stand-up is just a guy yammering about his unfunny life experiences in a plaintive sort of way. There is nothing funny here at all. While he is not repellant he is not endearing either. Maybe he would be good if he had some decent material. Or maybe he got really good after the fifteen minutes I gave him. I will never know.
Reviews
181 Reviews
American Son
(2019)
Consumed By Hate
4 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is more of a filmed play. That is just fine, if done well. Kerry Washington plays a mother who is at the police station trying to find out what happened to her 18-year old son, who she worries is missing. Washington overacts a bit, creating a character who is so consumed with prejudice and hate that she cannot keep her composure for more than a few seconds at a time. She disparages and race-baits a low level police officer who tries, somewhat ineffectually, to help her. Her estranged white husband shows up and she relentlessly attacks him in the same manner. One wonders how this man endured being married to this hateful woman for 18 years. This movie is interesting to watch, but not a bit pleasant. One wants to just smack Kerry Washington's character throughout the picture. And, it could have ended in many ways and still delivered its various points, but it ends quite badly and abruptly.
Eli
(I) (2019)
Astoundingly Stupid!
23 October 2019
I am not a big fan of thrillers or horror, so I have to wonder if Eli is representative of the genre or just and astoundingly stupid movie in its own right. It moves along like a fairly pedestrian parade of thriller foolishness until the final act, which is probably the most laughable conglomeration of idiocy I have ever seen. The whole stupid thing takes place in what is apparently the world's darkest medical facility, where no one is ever tempted to turn on a light. The plot takes you through one path of foolishness for about two thirds of the movie. Then it turns to utter idiocy and a moronic ending that is actually funny - if you had not invested over an hour and a half already in watching this farce. Awful movie!
Deon Cole: Cole Hearted
(2019 TV Special)
Unfunny
12 October 2019
Never heard of this comic and would be pleased never to hear of him again. Nothing funny here, but more like a noisy, nasty drunk down the end of the bar. How do these people get 'specials'? This man was playing to a very forgiving black audience - one that seemingly would laugh at anything. Admittedly, I turned the show off at about twenty minutes in, so if it became gold after that, oh well.
Mo Gilligan: Momentum
(2019 TV Special)
Terrible
30 September 2019
Stayed with this thoroughly unfunny Brit comic for about 15 minutes. Most of the laughs were his own, laughing at his own so-called jokes. I cannot stand a comic who laughs at their own material. Maybe this guy is humorous to his British audience, but I cannot see how. Another Netflix comic fail!
Wish I Was Here
(2014)
Self-indulgent Losers
10 September 2019
This is apparently a movie about a bunch of self-indulgent losers pretending their first world problems are so insurmountable they are wiling to do almost anything to correct them - but work. An irritating character dressed in a space suit runs through the movie followed by a flying robot companion, for no discernible reason. Even the much vaunted hospital scene between Mandy Patinkin and Kate Hudson fell flat for me; they may as well have been speaking Greek. The only emotion this collection of superficial pathos invoked in me was an irresistible urge to kick the main character in the butt and say, "Get a job!"
Five Nights in Maine
(2015)
Misfire
3 September 2019
The director's use of merciless close-ups and hand-held camera actually very soon began to hurt my eyes, turning me off about whatever was happening on screen. We are given about thirty seconds to get to know the soon deceased wife, and so we have little connection with her. The husband is a blank pager as well: other than the fact that he is black (the deceased was white) we know nothing about him. Now I could have been patient and allowed the movie to tell me more about these people, but not through those shaky close-ups. Off it went!
American Psycho
(2000)
Did Not Get It
2 September 2019
I guess I just did not get it. I did not realize this took place in the eighties, did not find any satire in it, did not find any humor in it, did not like or dislike the protagonist, and was bored much of the running time. Also, I was unsure of whether or not the main character was actually killing people or just imagining it. His name is Patrick Bateman - probably - but some doubt is supposed to be planted about that as well. But his secretary calls him by that name and other people seem to recognize him. He travels a New York City oddly devoid of people. At the end of the day, even as a psycho he is not that interesting, nor is anyone else in the film.
My Week with Marilyn
(2011)
Unbelievable
20 August 2019
My Week With Marilyn is unbelievable in a number of ways: One cannot believe Colin Clark's story of the events and his relationship with Marilyn - it plays like a fourteen-year-old boy's fantasy. One cannot believe that Michelle Williams is Marilyn Monroe; Williams is not physically similar to Marilyn and does not act like her. Finally, one cannot believe that Marilyn was the selfish and repulsive creature depicted here; the movie makes her out to be a quite unpleasant and unprofessional person. I gave up on this movie about three quarters in. My four star rating is for the supporting cast and the high quality of the production.
Observe and Report
(2009)
Comedy?
28 July 2019
Comedies are supposed to be funny. There is nothing funny about Observe and Report. Quite the opposite, it chronicles a borderline lunatic's drift further into complete madness. Rogen (an actor who is hard to take in most circumstances) is the lunatic here, and does an excellent job of portraying a mad man with delusions of grandeur. The movie has one of the most absurd endings ever seen on film. As a matter of fact, the entire movie is so absurd and unrealistic that it cannot be taken seriously or comedically on any level. However, there are good performances from Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, and other supporting players. It is a shame their efforts are wasted on this dreadful movie.
Meh!
23 July 2019
This is not a bad teen movie if you can get past the two unattractive leads who have no chemistry together at all. These New York teens apparently have an endless supply of money to propel them around that disgusting city without end, seeking some stupid reclusive band at an unknown location. The supporting players are all non-entities, characters who never gel. The story is skectchy at best and there is little in the way of closure. All in all, one to miss.
Aziz Ansari: Right Now
(2019 TV Special)
Who Cares?
16 July 2019
I could not care less about Ansari's sexual misconduct debacle, or his sober take on the politically correct cultural landscape - unless he is funny about them. But he is not in the least bit funny, as usual. This special is so unfunny that I turned it off after fifteen minutes because it was putting me to sleep. The only thing that kept me awake was his irritating voice that sounds like he just inhaled a cubic yard of helium. If it became gold after fifteen minutes, oh well.
Fairly Tedious Story
13 July 2019
Not much of a story here, and what there is is fairly tedious. Burstyn gives a good performance. In fact, everyone in the cast does. Their performances are what make this a tolerable movie. The story is just dull life experiences of some random people, which is okay, but hardly entertaining.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
(2009)
Not So Good
6 July 2019
The only thing this movie has going for it is Kevin James' ability to do pratfalls and stunts. He seems to excel at this. But his character, obviously meant to be a lovable schlub, turns out to be not lovable at all. He is a glutton, a stalker, and a ridiculous low-rent martinet. The movie offers few laughs, but does provide a bit of interest by satirizing DieHard. The supporting cast turn in journeyman performances. The movie suffers from a lack of funny.
Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room
(2019 TV Special)
Man Hating
2 July 2019
Ms. Ryan comes across as man-hating, but without any humor that might blunt the hate and make it palatable in a comic manner. I did not watch very much of the show, as I found it vindictive and mean-spirited, not humorous. If it became golden in its later portions, oh well. If you are a woman you may enjoy this. If you are a bitter and vindictive women you will almost certainly enjoy this. If you are a man, not so much.
The Men Who Stare at Goats
(2009)
Mind-numbingly Boring!
22 June 2019
A mind-numbingly boring and dull movie full of sight gags that are not a bit funny and seem forced. Clooney plays Clooney, and Bridges does his Lebowski again (the only role I actually hated of Bridges'). After thirty minutes I could not keep my eyes open any longer and let this terrible movie go - and gladly. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely nothing to recommend this awful movie.
Adam Devine: Best Time of Our Lives
(2019 TV Special)
Least Funny
19 June 2019
One of the least funny comics I have ever seen. He does not seem to have any jokes, has a terrible stage presence, boring stories, obnoxious facial expressions, and an irritating 'delivery'. Here is an act that is totally without merit or redemption. Devine should quit comedy as a gesture of decency to mankind.
The Silence of the Lambs
(1991)
Wonderful
9 May 2019
This is a wonderful movie. So well acted, well constructed, and perfectly directed that it is a joy to watch over and over again. Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, and Anthony Hopkins are all excellent, as is Ted Levine and all of the supporting players. That said, I must also say that I was never even slightly disturbed by the character of Hannibal Lector or Hopkins' portrayal of him. Actually, Lechter's character is the only point in the movie that I felt leaned just a bit to unbelievability and silliness. Fortunately, Hopkins is such a good actor that he manages to pull it off without being laughable. Great movie. See it!
Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up for the First Time
(2017 TV Special)
Not Very Funny.
1 May 2019
Rory Scovel is a not very funny comic who uses repetition and screaming in place of humor. He does have some bits that may cause a tiny smile, which means he is not a total loss. However, after about twenty minutes I had had enough and turned him off. If the show became gold after that, oh well.
Christina P: Mother Inferior
(2017 TV Special)
Not Funny
19 April 2019
I never heard of this comic, and after watching part of her special I can understand why: she is not funny. Just the same boring litany of female anatomy references with a surprisingly unfunny sprinkling of observational 'humor'.
Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives
(2018 TV Special)
Not Very Good
16 April 2019
This comic is not funny, is seemingly anti-white racist, has no comic timing or sensibility, and tends to get political in a very common and unfunny way. I must admit that I let him go once the politics started, so if he became golden after that, oh well.
Joe Mande's Award-Winning Comedy Special
(2017 TV Special)
Tedious
14 April 2019
Boring little wannabe comic. I could not relate to anything he was saying, as it seems one must be familiar with shows on MTV, of all things! The show was rendered even more pathetic by having the underlying story of Mandes going for some sort of humor award. A good show to miss.
The Honeymoon Stand-Up Special
(2018– )
No Way!
10 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Started out with the Natasha segment, even though I never heard of her. She went directly for the low-hanging fruit by insulting the President and the insulting his supporters. Politics aside, I just am so tired of hearing this kind of crap. It is not funny, and she's not funny. So, off it went.
Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado
(2016 TV Special)
Loud and Boring
2 April 2019
I have liked Hannibal's comedy in the past. I found his humor dry, sly, and understated. In this show he is none of those things. In fact, the show was not funny at all, and Hannibal seems to have adopted a new demeanor: the angry man trying too hard to be funny. Gone is the clever observational humor, replaced now with concepts that are not funny and do not really work. Very disappointing.
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