Michael Roof

I really enjoy this movie! I've watched it several times. It's unique, sort of a modern day take on an old-fashioned Clint Eastwood western, with the ultimate shoot out at the end very much reminiscent of Pale Rider and its like. The setting is stark but interesting, and I feel there's a pale, yellowish-brown tint mixed into the final film product. There is some awkward dialogue, mainly to conform to present day PC standards, but there's also some wonderful, unique, original dialogue that I enjoy hearing. The acting is excellent among the entire cast. It's fun watching Christopher Waltz playing his version of a refined western good-guy gunslinger hero. This is one of my favorite new movies in years.

This is a pretty decent series. It would have been more worthwhile in the absence of Hulu's superior "Dopesick", which was a top-notch series dealing with the same subject matter. I found both shows uncomfortable to watch, but well worth the effort. Matthew Broderick creates a suitably creepy version of Richard Sackler in Painkiller, though Michael Stuhlbarg's Richard Sackler in Dopesick was an acting wonder (Stuhlbarg is a marvelous actor). I also felt more invested in Dopesick, as the characters seemed so real and personal. Kaitlyn Dever and Michael Keaton were both superb in Dopesick. Ultimately, Painkiller is a pretty good show, though Dopesick is better.

This is a strange, riveting movie. It's quite dark and somewhat difficult to watch. Brendan Fraser's performance is superb. I'm not sure how they managed to CGI him so smoothly. I've seen the criticisms concerning fat shaming, but I do not find them convincing. I believe most viewers will feel only sympathy (not pity) for Fraser's character's condition. I found the movie somewhat reminiscent of Montana Story in tone and style, though the plot is completely unrelated. This is a unique movie that is very much worth watching.

I've watched this movie numerous times and enjoy it every time. Sean Connery is at his best, and there is plenty of humor to go around. It's even maudlin at times. Personally, I think it's the best of the Indiana Jones films. One thing I noticed in my latest viewing was a pointed reference to a 4.2 Liter engine in a Roll Royce. The problem here is that the UK didn't even begin converting to the metric system until 1965. Oops!

I just watched this movie for the second time. I remembered liking it, and when I saw it listed, I watched it again. I still like it. It's short (88 minutes or so) and compact. The cast is excellent, with James Spader at his best, before his enjoyable acting mannerisms created somewhat of a caricature. Peter Facinelli, a good guy in the Twilight series, is marvelously and frighteningly evil. There is some serious violence, just about the right amount for my taste, fairly decent special effects, and even some reasonable character development. I'm still not clear about the science upon which the plot rests, but I suspect that is inevitable with a story such as this. I don't usually skew toward science fiction (other than Star Trek TNG), but I recommend this as a worthwhile cinematic diversion for those who like science fiction stories.

What happened? I've really enjoyed Billions over the years. The cast, writing, and production have been excellent. This season not so much. I don't know what happened, whether it was the loss of Damien Lewis, or if some of the writers left, or what, but it seems as though all the wind has been taken from the sails this season. In a word, the show has become just plain boring. Paul Giamatti's character has embarked upon an almost nonsensical, quixotic quest to ...... who knows what? Corey Stoll's character is unpleasant and boring, while Taylor Mason is almost like a completely different person - and for no productive reason that I can see. I'm still watching, but several times during each episode I just shake my head and wonder what happened.

I love this show! It's so smart and well done. It's profound, sweet, and funny at the same time. Ricky Gervais has really created a television masterpiece here. My only complaint is that, like Puccini arias and Warren Zevon songs, there just isn't enough. Then again, that may be what keeps it so good. I sense a little more indiscernible mumbling by some of the actors in the 3rd season, which detracts from the production. I don't like that in any show, and it seems to be growing more common. Otherwise, this is a show of rare quality - truly top-notch.

I enjoyed this movie. It was a small film and fairly predictable, but it was well done. The acting was solid. There were no overly dramatic or unnecessarily convoluted plot points. The ending seemed a bit truncated, but I did enjoy Peter Fonda's brief appearance. Recommended for a short evening's film so long as you're not expecting anything earth shattering.

This show is exceptional! The acting and production are absolutely top notch. It reminds a bit of the Sopranos in that it is so real that it's almost uncomfortable to watch. It also sticks in my mind afterward, as did the Sopranos. This is a hard subject in the first place, making this true to life version extremely provocative. Many scenes are quite harsh. This is the best I've ever seen Michael Keaton. You want to love him and hate him at the same time. Kaitlyn Dever is very powerful, as she always is. Her performance on the last episode of the second season of Justified is one of the most touching scenes I know of in television or movies. Actor Michael Stuhlbarg as the implacable Richard Sackler does a superb job at creating one of the creepiest yet subdued "bad guys" I have ever seen. Like so many shows these days, the setting is always physically dark, unrealistically so, though it is somewhat more tolerable here given the setting and subject matter. It should be noted that the issues displayed here are not unique. "Big Pharma" regularly creates illnesses and big money cures in order to fill up the coffers. Big ups from me.

Like many others, I read all the Hardy Boys books growing up. This is a pretty decent, partially modernized adaptation. I'm glad they didn't place it in the present and make it all about smart phones, texting, Facebook, and Instagram like so many other current shows. In the books, the boys were very close in age, which led to a different dynamic. The aunt was an aging "spinster", and Chet was a somewhat rotund source of comic relief. Like so many other current TV shows and movies, this production is absurdly dark - physically. Honestly, is there is black hole somewhere sucking all the light out of every set and circumstance? Half the time, it's almost too dark to see what's going on. I believe the level of tension and danger is just about right, though it is higher than was ever created in the books. Then again, these are different times. All said, I think the spirit of the Hardy Boys is well represented here. If only that ubiquitous, near total eclipse of the sun would pass.