Tag Archives: prime video

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Wolf Hour (2019)

4 Comments
Source

The Wolf Hour is a depressing and anxiety-inducing representation of the writing process. The film focuses on June and her descent into madness as she attempts to write her next big hit. June has isolated herself from the world, fearing to leave her apartment. The movie does a great job at manifesting June’s anxiety, loneliness, depression, and even desperation as she fails to find the words for her next book. The movie does a great job at blurring reality and imagination as June’s time in isolation has loosened her grip on reality. It is unclear what is real and what June imagines, making the movie seem more sinister than it is.

I love the insanity of this movie. The unreliable perspective of the narrative gives the movie its much-appreciated mystery. The acting is fantastic. I loved its dark and dirty setting. This subtly trippy representation of trying to write something great is so accurate that I shared in June’s anxiety. I loved everything about this movie. I could go on about all the symbolism and metaphors, but I will leave that for you to discover on your own. 

You can watch this movie on Amazon Video with A Prime Membership. It is also free on Tubi, PlutoTV, and Vudu.

Movie Reviews, movies

Spinster

Leave a comment
Source

It is hard to recommend Spinster because the movie is slow and the character is annoying. The sound is bad, and most conversations exist within an echo. That said, the story is solid, and the journey that Gaby is pretty good.

Spinster is about a 39-year-old Gaby who is having an identity crisis. According to society, Gaby hasn’t hit any of the major achievements a woman her age should have. She has no kids or romantic relationships, and she runs her own business. Most will criticize her because she chooses to be alone instead of being a stay at home mom. The movie is about Gaby finding a self she is comfortable with, despite what society demands from her. It is really well done, and watching Gaby go from a grouchy aimless person to a positive happy person was worth the run time.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Where I expected some generic feel-good movie about woman empowerment, I got a delightful story about growth and empowerment. I loved that the whole movie is about her coming to terms with doing her own thing, and they didn’t spoil it by making her find meaning in a relationship. Often with movies of this genre, the strong independent female lead needs to find meaning in her life by being in a heterosexual relationship. It is an offensive notion that women need a man to have meaning in their lives. It is refreshing that this movie didn’t go that route.

 It isn’t perfect. Some of the dialogue is odd, and the Gaby can be annoying. But if you can power through, it is a pretty solid movie. Now, this isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of Chelsea Peretti, you will have a bad time. A lot of the character is her, but I’d say it is worth watching her growth. She isn’t the same person she starts out as. It is a bit of a fairy-tale, but who cares. The pacing is the only thing keeping me from recommending Spinster outright. It can be slow at times, so if you don’t have much patience, this might not be the movie for you. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this, but if you are looking for something to watch, this is a safe option.

If you are interested, you can watch this on Amazon Video with a Prime membership. You can also watch it on Plutotv for free.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Honeymoon (2014)

Leave a comment
Source

Honeymoon is a low-budget horror movie that is worth checking out. The movie follows a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in a lake town. Everything seems fine at first. They are able to enjoy a few moments of marital bliss before their lives change forever. Their honeymoon becomes shrouded by an ominous mystery, and Paul (the husband) spends the rest of the movie trying to solve it. There is something off about Bea, but you will need to watch the movie to find out what.

The plot is simple, and the ending is a bit disappointing, but the acting saves this movie from mediocrity. The leads do the best with what they are given. It is their chemistry and acting ability that make this movie enjoyable. I recommend you watch this movie just to see these great performances.

I have absolute respect for this movie’s creative storytelling. You can tell where the budget affects the movie, but it isn’t terrible or distracting. The way they use the isolation and peacefulness of the lake to create horror is impressive. I appreciate that this isn’t another generic horror movie that relies on cheap jump scares and gimmicks. Instead, Honeymoon attempts to create horror around an overbearing mystery that we get to piece along with Paul. I would love to see what the filmmakers could do with a bigger budget. But as is, it works. 

This movie is worth checking out if you like suspenseful horror and don’t mind the low budget. As I said, the acting is what sets this movie apart. You can watch this on Amazon Video if you have a Prime membership.

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: Outer Range

1 Comment

Outer Range is a brand new show on Amazon that should at least be on your radar. As of writing this, there are only two episodes out, but they are enough to at the very least get you invested. This is a suspenseful, ominous, and mysterious take on the rancher’s story, and I for one am here for it. It is a little early to judge this show fully, but so far it is doing a spectacular job.

Outer Range has an exceptional cast that makes it easy to get lost in the drama and mystery. The acting and the unique storytelling are more than enough to recommend this show. Whether it becomes a story about the multi-verse or cowboys vs. aliens, I have faith that the journey will be a good one. The way that it masterfully weaves in this ominous mystery with the story about an ongoing land dispute is proof enough.  

My only complaint with this show so far is that I have to wait another week for the next episode. You can watch it over on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Reviews: The VelociPastor (2019)

Leave a comment
Source

I loved this movie, but I can’t recommend it. It’s not good. The VelociPastor was made for a certain type of audience, but it wasn’t a mainstream audience. Unless you love watching bad cheesy movies for fun, you are going to have a bad time.

The VelociPastor is about a Catholic priest who has lost his faith. He goes on a pilgrimage to find his faith, but he finds the power to turn into a raptor instead. With the help of a prostitute, he uses his powers to fight an origination of evil ninja. It is insane and I loved almost every minute of it.

Again, this movie isn’t for everyone. The writing is bad, the fight scenes are cheesy, and the costumes and special effects are terrible. This movie looks like it was shot at someone’s house. That said, the acting was surprisingly good, the soundtrack was great, and the sound was amazing. It is often the case with low-budget movies like this for the sound to be awful. I’ve seen movies where dialogue is barely audible or full of reverb. The VelociPastor has its sound on point and I appreciate the filmmakers for it. I can forgive bad acting and terrible special effects, but the sound is hard to overlook. That said, a normal audience will not enjoy this movie.

I am not normal, and I enjoy watching bad movies. I loved this movie for what it is, a goofy attempt at a polymorphing action movie. The one-liners, the costumes, the action scenes, and the big twist at the end were all very much appreciated. It does slow down towards the middle, I think they were running out of ideas, but they were able to bring me back in with a grand finale. This is easily my favorite bad movie. 

If you like making fun of bad movies, check this out. For the rest of you, it’s hard to recommend. The lack of structure and overall goofiness isn’t for everyone. If you are interested in watching The VelociPastor, do not take it seriously. Have fun with it. You can watch it if you have an Amazon Prime membership.  

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: Utopia (2020)

5 Comments

Utopia is an appropriate pandemic thriller that I believe everyone should be watching. It has tension, suspense, action, John Cusack; what more can you ask for? I have not seen the original British version, so I don’t know how this compares. Instead, I will be basing this review only on the American version, streaming now on Amazon Prime.

Utopia is about a group of nerdy, regular people who stumble upon a huge conspiracy. Someone has weaponized diseases and is using them against people. Through a series of comics, this group of average Joe’s pieces together clues that will hopefully save humanity. I love that this show isn’t about extraordinary people destined to save the world. These protagonists are flawed. Although they are smart, they are not highly trained and, for the most part, are frightened about the whole situation. I am excited to see how this group grows as they continue to deal with adversity.

I don’t want to get into too many specifics because the mystery that shrouds this show is what makes it fun. Utopia does a great job of keeping the audience guessing. Every new clue or new bit of information adds to this fun and exciting experience. I can’t wait for season 2.

If you love tense and exciting mysteries full of action and conspiracy, check out Utopia! I am confident it has a little something for everyone. Watch it on Amazon Prime!

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: Patriot (2015)

Leave a comment
Source

Patriot is the most depressing and anxiety-inducing spy thriller you will ever see. Word of caution, I deal with anxiety and depression and this show triggered a lot of that for me. I had to take multiple breaks when watching this show, but the anxiety is well worth it. Patriot does a fantastic job at showing the reality of dealing with anxiety and depression while telling a tightly knit story.

Patriot is about a spy who doesn’t want to be a spy. You follow John as he tries to complete a mission where everything keeps going wrong. The whole series is about John reacting to each and every setback while dealing with his fleeting mental health. John constantly struggles with the morality of his actions. There is a lot of pressure placed on John, and it slowly takes its toll.

Patriot isn’t your typical spy thriller. It isn’t chock full of sex, cool calculated action, or world-ending drama. John is cool and calculated when necessary, but the main focus of this narrative is on John’s struggle with his mental health. This show has a great cast with amazing supporting characters, a fantastic soundtrack, and a well-crafted narrative. This sow does really a lot on fate. Everyone in this show seems to be destined to meet John. I can excuse this because it is a comedy, just be forewarned that there is a lot of silliness in this plot.

If you are interested in this show, be warned, it gets depressing. That said, it is worth the time and the few moments of sadness because it tells a great story. You can watch this show on Amazon Prime if you have a membership.

Series Reviews

TV Shows Review: Upload

3 Comments
Source

It is hard to recommend Upload because it isn’t for everyone. I would describe this show as a cheesy, sci-fi romance novel about death. It does a good job of going over different philosophies about death. I really like the concept of saving a person’s consciousness so that it lives forever. What I don’t like is that it can be preachy at times. We get it, capitalism is bad, and true love is awesome. That aside, it’s a pretty cool show. The acting is decent, although some actors are better than others. The plot is fun, some of the technology is inconsistent but I think that is the point. The characters are all unique and for the most part, interesting.

This show is about a future where they have the technology to save a person’s consciousness in a simulated world. The “Uploads” live their lives in words run by big corporations. The show focuses on the blossoming romantic relationship of Nathan, an upload, and Andy, Nathan’s customer service representative. She is alive, he isn’t, and the whole series is a will they, won’t they, should they ordeal. There is murder, mystery, suspense, death, and of course, a lot of romance.

For those of you who do not like cheesy romantic movies, this is not for you. Although it isn’t over the top, you get to sit through some rough monologues. But, the pacing is good and the show makes a lot of interesting arguments about death, reality, technology, and economic disparity. If you find yourself looking for something to watch, this isn’t a bad way to spend a couple of hours. You can watch it if you have an Amazon Prime Membership.

Series Reviews

The Legend of Vox Machina – Final Thoughts

Leave a comment
Source

I have reviewed this show with my initial reaction, but I would like to leave you with my final thoughts. I have watched this series multiple times at this point, and while some of my initial thoughts prove to be accurate, there are some revisions I need to make. If you are on the fence about this show, you shouldn’t be. Watch this show. Even if you aren’t a fan of fantasy or Dungeons and Dragons, the amazing storytelling, unique characters, and terrific voice acting will leave you wanting more. There is not a doubt in my mind that this is a step in the right direction for both the fantasy genre and the health of Dungeons and Dragons.

The Legend of Vox Machina does a great job at being beginner-friendly. I’ve said this before, this is casual fantasy at its best. You don’t need to learn new languages or keep track of multiple houses, but that does not mean the story isn’t complex. There are multiple narratives nicely woven into in the form of important backstories and impactful lore. You do not need to have seen Critical Role, although there are enough Easter eggs to keep the fans happy. The only problem I see people having with this show is with the magic and the skill checks. They don’t name their attacks like in anime, and skill checks happen, but they don’t matter unless you’ve played the game. Knowing dungeons and dragon rules only really adds flavor because some of the rules have been adjusted for narrative reasons.

I was skeptical at first because I didn’t know how they would adapt a tabletop role-playing game into a story, but they do. The story is amazing, and the fights are done beautifully. I will give a bit of warning; this show is heavy on the gore. I don’t mind it, but it might be a shock for those of you who aren’t used to it. This is an adult cartoon with adult themes, so viewer discretion and all that. I am excited for season two and the future of fantasy as a genre.

If you are on the fence about this show, don’t be. You can watch the entire first season over on Amazon.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: I Want You Back (2022)

3 Comments
Source

Despite what you may think about romantic comedies, “I Want You Back” is one that you should at least consider. Jenny Slate and Charlie Day work spectacularly together! This movie is well-written, well-acted, and delightful at its worst. If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you need to see this now.

Something to think about before going into this movie is that the characters’ morals are a bit hazy. This movie features two heartbroken characters who find comfort in each other’s company. They have recently gone through a hard breakup and are learning to cope with being alone. This movie does a great job of showing how difficult heartbreak is to overcome. The two plot to help each other break up their ex-partners. This plot is problematic because the main characters are set to ruin relationships and lives for selfish motives. This genre tends to have these problematic immoralities because love makes people do crazy things. In this case, I can excuse it because the journey is well worth the immorality.

The best part about this movie is watching the relationship between the two leads blossom. The chemistry they share is the reason you should watch this movie. The supporting cast is nothing to scoff at. Together they tell a very entertaining story that I must recommend to everyone. As a bonus, this movie has a great musical number. It is beautifully performed and perfectly woven into the plot. I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you have little interest in this movie, that moment is very much worth your time, but it makes more sense in context.

Watch this even if you don’t like the genre. This brings new life to a genre that has been a bit stagnant as of late. It is a nice date night movie, but I would argue that it is a fun anytime movie.