I have never enjoyed movies that are based on real people or events, and The Beanie Bubble is no exception. This movie is about the women responsible for creating the bubble and the man responsible for popping it. If you want to know the history around the Beanie Baby bubble, there are probably podcasts, YouTube videos, or articles that do a better job. This is a boring attempt to sensationalize an odd moment in history. It isn’t worth your time.
The acting and production are solid. The cast is fantastic, the colors and costumes are beautiful, and there is some cool editing. Unfortunately, the writing and the way this story is told is terrible. The movie jumps between three different women, jumbling the timeline and bringing it all together at the end. It’s an interesting idea, but the story isn’t interesting enough for it to work. The movie relies too heavily on narration, and the narration is overbearing. A lot of the plot is told through explanations of important events and internal monologues, essentially turning this into an expensive podcast. The tone of the narration becomes an issue because when it isn’t too quirky for its own good, it feels like the narrator is talking down to the audience. It also makes the movie boring to sit through.
The movie was intended to be an inspiring story of an empowered woman triumphing over a terrible man, but it was poorly executed. The monologues and dialogue are generic and lazy, Ty is too cartoonishly villainous to be taken seriously, and the sensationalized tone takes away from the woman’s accomplishments. When the pivotal moment comes when the woman breaks off from Ty, it doesn’t feel monumental because the women don’t feel real, and I had stopped caring a long time ago.
The biggest issue with this movie is that it tries to cash in on 90s nostalgia when people have moved on to something else. This movie throws up 90s nostalgia and will stop to show its audience how 90s it is. This slows down the movie and takes away from a story that isn’t good to begin with.
I wouldn’t bother with this movie. It may not be terrible, but it isn’t good either. If you lived through the craze, or are curious about it, there are better sources out there for this story. You can stream The Beanie Bubble on Apple TV, but I wouldn’t bother.
Apple’s The Crowded Room isn’t the psychological thriller it thinks it is
I almost didn’t finish watching this series, but I powered through for the review. The Crowded Room isn’t the worst show in Apple’s catalog, but it is boring. I’ll be honest. I didn’t have the highest hopes for this series going in. The trailer was boring, so I wasn’t surprised when the series was too. I am more disappointed by the fact that I wasted my time watching this than I am with the quality of the series. Do yourself a favor and go watch anything else.
Rya is an ambitious psychology professor who is asked to help Danny after he shoots up Rockefeller Center. Danny is a troubled kid who hears voices and needs help. Rya is the only person who understands Danny’s condition and can get him the help he needs. But with his trial moving ever closer, Rya is running out of time. Can she help Danny so that he can start healing before it’s too late? Can she convince the world that he needs help, or will he be sent to rot in prison for something that he has no control over? I feel like I have been saying this a lot lately, but this could have been a lot shorter. I believe it was meant to be shorter. This series has a lot of filler, and it took everything I had to not skip around. You can watch the first and last episodes and get the whole story, the rest of the episodes add nothing to the narrative. The Crowded Room spends so much on emotional speeches, psychology lectures, and showing the audience how diverse the cast is that it forgets to tell its story. It’s hilarious that the series is advertised as a thriller when it is missing everything that would make it one. The writing is worse than the pacing. Someone took everything they learned from their Intro to Psyc class, mixed it with some of the laziest emotional speeches, sprinkled in as many cliches they could think of, and threw it together to make this script. I can’t believe they wasted such a talented cast on something more fitting of a high school production. The Crowded Room is a slow build-up to one of the most boring and poorly written trials you will ever have to sit through, and then the series just ends abruptly. While I am happy that they didn’t sequel bait, they should at least have the decency to try to finish the story. The trial magically ends, and you get some meaningless epilogue and the empty feeling that you just wasted precious time you will never get back.
The longer I think about this series, the angrier I get about having sat through it. You can stream it on Apple TV if you have a subscription, but you have better things to do.
Silo: The fantastically suspenseful sci-fi mystery you should be watching, or at the very least reading.
Silo is a fantastic sci-fi mystery full of suspense, action, and conspiracy. If you have an Apple TV subscription or need a reason to start one, check out this series.
Earth has become a toxic and uninhabitable wasteland. The few remaining survivors live now live in an underground silo where life, for the most part, is peaceful. Everyone in the silo serves their purpose, settling into a routine that is decided for them. Most don’t questions the silo’s designs or the founders’ motives. Some get curious and ask the questions that peel at the veil of this carefully crafted façade, but they don’t last long. There is something wrong with the silo. A secret too big to keep hidden forever.
Juliet is a gifted mechanic who spends her days keeping the silo running. She does her job passionately and has never been curious about anything that isn’t mechanical. This all changes when she finds herself wrapped in the silo’s biggest conspiracy. Now Juliet finds herself searching for answers that will destabilize the peace in the silo. Will Juliet finally be the one to uncover the truth, or will she be silenced like all the rest?
Silo is a fantastic thriller with a well-crafted mystery, terrific acting, and a beautiful rustic aesthetic. Some actors aren’t great, and there is a bit of filler I would skip next time around, but the series left me wanting more. I started reading Wool, the book the series is based on, because I couldn’t wait a week for the answers. Once you binge this series in one sitting, I recommend you read the book or at least listen to it on Audible. It is a fantastic piece of science fiction. I’ll link some free copies of the audiobook below for those interested.
I enjoyed both versions almost equally. I loved the TV series because the actors did a great job portraying their characters, I enjoyed the attention to detail in the world and mannerisms, and I liked that the series felt more like a thriller. There are some suspenseful moments in the series that kept me at the edge of my seat even though I knew what was going to happen. I enjoyed the book because it felt more like a mystery. I felt like Juliet got more answers in the book. There are also details in the book that were left out that I felt were done better. I can’t tell you which version I enjoyed more, but I do recommend you dive into them both.
If you haven’t seen this series yet, it is a great time to start it. It is a fantastic mystery set in a fascinating world led by a great protagonist. My only complaint is that I’ll have to wait for season 2 for more answers, but I guess I can read the books in the mean time.
this version of the audiobook isn’t finished, but it does cover everything that happens in the series. It is also the better of the free version
This version isn’t as good, but you have both parts:
High Desert: An unimpressive Apple series you’re okay skipping
The Last Thing He Told Me: The slowest suspenseful thriller about unconditional motherly love
Shrinking: One of the most wholesome series on Apple TV
I have to say that Apple TV has figured out the formula for wholesome television. I find that their programming is always hit or miss, but the stuff I love is done spectacularly. My latest obsession is with the series Shrinking. If you haven’t already watched this series, I urge you to go watch it now. It is amazing!
Shrinking is the story of a shrink who hits rock bottom after his wife dies. At the bottom, he finds he has become estranged from his daughter, isolated himself from his friends, and has been spiraling for the past year. He decides to do better and start participating in life again. As he learns to take care of himself, he teaches others to do the same. The series becomes this collection of stories of broken people trying to become whole again. It is a quirky and wholesome experience worth every minute of your time.
The concept is a bit over the top, but it works. Some of the psychoanalytical stuff is exaggerated, and some plot points are pandering, but the series is solid throughout. The acting is fantastic, the writing is mostly solid, and the concept is interesting. The actors do a fantastic job of giving this series its charm. While the writing is solid, the actors do a fantastic job of earning your love. Not all of the characters are well-rounded, but that doesn’t matter. You need to watch this series, at least to appreciate the performances.
The series does go into heavy issues like dealing with death or divorce. They touch on a lot of topics about mental health, but it never gets too sad or serious. The series has the perfect balance between sad and happy moments to keep the series feeling wholesome.
The series has a similar tone to Ted Lasso, and I would argue that it is just as enjoyable. You can stream it on Apple TV if you have a subscription, or start the trial if you don’t.
Movie Review: Ghosted (2023)
I just watch Ghosted, but I wish I didn’t. This has to be one of the laziest and most boring action films I have seen, and I have sat through some terrible movies. This movie is so boring that Anna Del Armas slept through her whole performance. This movie is so boring that the best part is when they played My Sharona, even though the action scene it belongs to is terrible. For those few who were thinking of watching this movie, don’t. It is a huge waste of time.
A farmer meets a girl at a farmers market and falls madly in love with her after one date. She ghosts him. Instead of taking the hint and moving on, the farmer tracks her down without her knowledge to attempt a big romantic gesture. Instead of finding romance, the farmer finds himself in the middle of a covert CIA operation. It turns out that the love is life is a secret agent. Will he be able to find love between the rain of bullets and lies?
Ghosted starts off as one of the most awkward romcoms but quickly turns into an incredibly generic action movie. This movie doesn’t work. There is absolutely no chemistry between the leads, which was essential for this movie’s success. I blame the lack of chemistry and mediocre acting on the terrible writing. The writing for this movie is lazy. You can guess down to specific lines what will happen next. At least they had they lacked the nerve to sequel bait because that would have thrown me over a ledge.
As an action movie, it doesn’t work because the action is boring. I preferred the romcom bits of the plot because at least sometimes it would be funny. For this movie to work, it needed a tangible villain and real stakes, anything to make it less goofy.
The worst part of this movie was the couple. They meet after a very awkward and obnoxious fight and somehow still end up going on a date The guy, who everyone agrees is obsessive, uses a tracking device that only he knows about to track the romantic interest. The movie tries to play it like the male lead is quirky, but it is creepy. It doesn’t make sense when in the end they are in love because there is no reason for them to be.
I knew Ghosted was going to be bad when I saw how hard Apple was pushing it up to its release. They even shamelessly collected name-brand actors for seconds of cameos to trick people into watching this garbage. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen all the good parts. It even shows you bits of the climax. I avoided using names in this review because the characters are so generic that the names don’t matter. You can watch this movie on Apple TV, but I wouldn’t waste my time. Go watch Killers instead. That movie does this plot a lot better.
The Big Door Prize (2023)
I just watched the available episodes for Apple’s new series The Big Door Prize, and I can’t help but feel disappointed. The series had potential and some interesting ideas, but it was boring. It was a mistake for Apple to make this series a weekly release. The series is about halfway over, and I don’t want to finish it. I probably will because I have to, but I doubt it gets better.
A small town becomes destabilized when a mysterious machine appears at the local grocery store. For just two dollars, the machine can tell you your potential. After seeing their potential, some people find the courage to pursue a dream they didn’t know they had. Others will spiral as they struggle with the ideas of fate and free will. Where did this mysterious machine come from? Is it really the miracle everyone believes it is, or is it a piece of nefarious engineering?
The series has a solid cast who give decent performances, but the writing and pacing aren’t good. The events of this series move much too slowly because they drag this series out for too many episodes. This could have been a better movie or smaller series, but instead, we have to sit through all its filler. It doesn’t help that the commentary and criticism it tries to make about fate and potential are redundant and lazy. The biggest issue I had was keeping myself from fast-forwarding to the end.
The Big Prize Door proved too quirky, slow, and dull for my taste. It isn’t the worst series in Apple’s catalog, but it is hard to sit through. If you are thinking of watching it, I hold off till you can binge the whole thing, and then I would hold off until you have nothing else to watch.
Series Review: Hello Tomorrow! (2023)
After watching the first two episodes of Hello Tomorrow!, I was hopeful that this series would at least be entertaining. I didn’t expect it to be the greatest series Apple added to their library, but it would at least be a fun way to spend some time if I needed the distraction. The characters were delightful, and I loved the 50’s retrofuturism this series is a master at. Unfortunately, this hopefulness quickly faded when I had to sit through a dull series that frankly, was a waste of time.
Jack is a charismatic salesman who sells the dream of living on the moon on exclusive luxury timeshares that the average hard-working American can afford. But the dream Jack sell isn’t real. There are no timeshares, and Jack is the only one who knows this. For years, Jack runs this scam without issue. It is only when a freak accident brings his son back into his life that Jack suddenly has a change of heart. Jack now struggles with the lies he is comfortable telling and building a meaningful relationship with his son. Will he be able to pull the greatest scam America has ever known, or will a heart change him for the better?
This series has a beautiful aesthetic but lacks the substance to make it worth watching. It was a mistake on Apple’s part to make this series a weekly release because it isn’t worth waiting a week to watch the next disappointing episode. People wouldn’t have finished it if you could binge this series all at once, but some would have stuck with it longer. The problem with this series is that the writing isn’t good. The actors do their best, but the story isn’t there to make this series work. It is a shame because some delightful characters in this series deserved better.
What I hated most about this series is how they fumbled Jack’s development. His transformation is magical and comes out of nowhere. Jack starts this series as this suave charismatic salesman who is incredibly good at what he does, but there is a sudden pivot where he is now a stary-eyed dreamer who wants to help everyone. This pivot is jarring, and it ends up making Jack the villain. I would have been okay with Jack being the villain if the series set this transformation better, but I am over-analyzing a series that frankly doesn’t deserve this much attention.
You can stream Hello Tomorrow! On Apple TV if you have a subscription, but I wouldn’t waste my time on it.
Hello Tomorrow! (2023)
The first four episodes of Hello Tomorrow! are available for streaming on Apple TV. So far, I am enjoying the series. I love the 50s retro aesthetic, and Billy Crudup’s performance is fantastic. I did find the story lacking in places, but it is good enough for what it is.
Jack Billings and the small team he leads sell timeshares on the moon. Jack is a successful businessman who can close his sales. But fate has other plans for Jack. A terrible accident puts his ex-wife in a coma and his estranged son back in his life. In a strange change of character, Jack chooses to take the opportunity to right some of the wrongs in his life. Will this sudden change in character destroy the enterprise Jack has worked so hard to build, or will it be the positive change he didn’t know he needed?
If you watch this series, it’s for the aesthetic and the performances. While the story isn’t bad, it is easy and predictable. There are a few weak and forgettable story threads, but the series isn’t bad. It seems that they traded story for style, but it’s not necessarily a bad trade. The retrofuturism in this series is so pretty. They get very creative with the technology without ever losing their 50s aesthetic.
The series will have ten episodes total, with the last episode airing on April 7. 2023. You can wait for April to binge it in one go or watch the new episodes on Friday. They’ve done a good enough job with the pacing that I don’t have a problem returning every Friday. While it is not a show I will be rushing to finish, I am curious enough to see how it ends.
If you have an Apple TV subscription and want something to watch, check out Hello Tomorrow! So far, it’s been a solid series.
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