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Reviews
Stranger in the Woods (2024)
Non-formulaic Creep Fest!
I totally enjoyed this thriller with its non-formulaic storyline and production qualities. Its originality is bolstered by plot twists and creep-a-licious characters as well as, old fashioned horror.
And God bless whoever the genius was that decided NOT to underscore the entire movie with music telegraphing the viewer how to feel next. The lack of dramatic music actually makes this film seem so real, I occasionally forgot to suspend my disbelief -- just in time to be scared all over again.
I didn't really recognize any of the actors (and I'm a pretty big movie buff) but that just added to the realism for me. This whole story could have happened to anyone. Well done!
Afterlife! (2022)
It'd be laughable if it weren't so insulting
It's horrifying -- and not in the way you were hoping for. Most prominent are the terrible production values coupled with a goofy narrator who has sadly mistaken the serious -- and, poignant -- topic as an audition for Maybelline mascara.
It's devoid of anything that vaguely resembles scientific research and looks more like an episode of Clutch Cargo. What a waste of time.
As another reviewer pointed out, this travesty sets the topic back decades. Even the few snippets of halfway interesting footage can't redeem Ghosts and the Afterlife. There's not enough lipstick in the world to pretty up this pig.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Sparkling Gem with Hollywood Pedigree
I'm not a Trekkie but am certainly old enough to remember when the initial TV series aired, with all its controversy and wonder (racially diverse crew, cheap sets, and that crazy opening split infinitive, to name a few). This amazing new series harks back to those times with surprising accuracy. The cast is both new and old. Refreshing and yet familiar. And, of course, it doesn't hurt that Ethan Peck -- the actor playing Mr. Spock -- is the son of Hollywood legend, Gregory Peck. That's right: Atticus Finch's grandson is a Vulcan. Strongly recommend watching this series even if -- or especially if -- you're not a Trekkie but still remember a time when . . .
Outlast (2023)
Nope.
If you're looking for a survival show that focuses on true survival skills, watch the series "Alone," especially Season 7. However, if you're a student of abnormal psychology or deviant behavior, this is probably the show for you, I'm sorry to say.
Smack talk is one thing, but to steal and destroy other teams' means of surviving the frigid Alaskan clime? It borders on criminal and I have no idea what Netflix was thinking when they aired this.
As David Niven once said, "Some people will go to great lengths to reveal their own shortcomings." And, boy, do they ever!
This series is guaranteed to harsh your mellow. Don't bother.
The Lost City (2022)
Hilarious Quirky Dialogue Carries it
Without going into a deep dive on whether or not talent was wasted, I recommend giving this movie a watch -- or rather a listen. It's not about the star quality. It's not about the plot. Or the setting. Or the state-of-the-art bang-bang. It's about the dialogue: hilarious and quirky. (I suggest putting the captions on, so you don't miss anything.) And the actors deliver their craft, so maybe it IS a little about star quality.
Oscar Nuñez is full-blown delight . Daniel Radcliffe shows off well-aged acting chops, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph is fabulous, as always.
But it's the quirky throw-away lines that make it. The story is just the toast on which the sweet dialogue marmalade is thickly spread.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Pure Dreck
We stopped watching after an hour -- and that's an hour I'll never get back. This was absolutely awful. Pure DC dreck.