msprouse-7-431049 Reviews

Action Point (2018)

Flawed, but Funny!

[7/10 · 7 July 2019]

Not everyone is going to like this film. I really don't follow Jackass, so I had no expectations before watching this flick. It reminded me of summer camp in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before the wimps took over.

Comedies are tricky, it's hard to find any on IMDb that hit 8.0, I mean the classics: Animal House -7.5, Old School 7.1,Dumb and Dumber 7.3, The Hangover-7.7. Shaun of the Dead comes closes with 7.9. I'm not saying this movie is even close to being in those movies universe, but I actually had several belly laughs and it kept my attention. All the haters and comedy snobs can rail on, but this is a decent movie.

My grandma wouldn't have liked it, but I'm now a grandpa and I thought it interesting enough to take the time to review. So yes I might have jacked it up a point, due to other's priggish snobs, but for many it's just plain fun.

The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

6 Stars for the Ridiculous 6

[6/10 · 12 February 2019]

Surprisingly this flick got several gut laughs from me and quite a few chuckles. I wasn't so sure about this film and I told my wife we'd watch it for a while and could always turn it off. Well it go better as it went on. Lots of humor you had to listen hard to get it. I sure like most comedies that aren't "romantic comedies" this is not for everyone. It was fun just identifying all the actors who did cameos. I mean damn, Vanilla Ice as Mark Twain, Blake Sheldon doing Wyatt Earp and David Spade as Custer, I was wanting more screen time for those three. However, Steve Buscemi and a couple others were wasted even as cameos. Overall I liked it 6 times more that the movie is was a parody of, the Quentin Tarantino overrated, "Hateful Eight"

Holmes & Watson (2018)

Not Jumping on the Negative Bandwagon

[5/10 · 31 December 2018]

Okay so as a Will Ferrell fan I was a little disappointed. However, all those folks that talk about "walking out" and "worse movie ever", I say to you Bullcrap! I've told people who ask me about it, that if I had to do it all over again I'd wait for the dvd or streaming. It was not a very good movie. All that said, it was not horrible. I had a couple of good belly laughs and a couple of sincere chuckles. It moved quickly and was fairly interesting. The acting itself wasn't bad. Probably the writing and direction was. Maybe it was the political leanings that fired up the opposition? Anyway, be honest in your reviews, sure I could go with "below average" or "poor" but right off hand I could mention a dozen. Some of this is the problem with a comedy, especially a relatively mild one. It either hits or misses.

Killing Gunther (2017)

Good For Some Laughs

[6/10 · 3 December 2018]

This is a cute little film that's good for some laughs. The movie has a kind of "office" vibe going on with a crew filming and interviewing the characters. The movie also doesn't take itself too serious and it shouldn't. It's a cute little light comedy with a different twist of dark humor. I've seen a heck of a lot of movies lately that weren't as entertaining. Taran Killam is very acceptable as the lead, but I think Bobby Moynihan and Hannah Simone steal the show. This should have been a breakout role for Moynihan. He's not leading man material even in comedies, but he showed some real presence with this shtick.

Gone Are the Days (2018)

Things Pick up In the 2nd Half

[7/10 · 3 December 2018]

You need a lot of patience for this movie. The first half hour or so should have been rewritten, shot again and certainly redirected, as it was as slow as molasses. My patience was rewarded in the second half, but probably too late for many to appreciate the really fine last half hour or so. It's a shame because at the heart this is a good story. Much of the acting is excellent., Tom Berenger, Billy Lush and of course Lance Henriksen are first rate. I understand why people panned it, and it could have been MUCH better, but in the end I was glad I watched "Gone are the Days".

Annihilation (I) (2018)

A Major Disappointment Trying to be Artsy

[5/10 · 14 November 2018]

I could take a very average film, shuffle the scenes out of sequence and a third of the viewers out their would hail me as a visionary and ooh and ahh about how artsy. We tend to see what we want to see and save our best arguments to convince ourselves.

This movie's most redeeming quality was that it wasn't as big a disappointment as "Blade Runner 2049". This wasn't a sequel to a great movie, "Annihilation" was just a movie that perhaps tried to hard to be artsy. It also seemed confused about what sort of movie it wanted to be.

There were holes of reality throughout. Like when the women were walking across the field to enter the shimmer, it was as if they were on a day hike, not the nations team to save the world. There was no support team, no new technology to communicate or stay alive, no instrumentation to record data, no large team tracking them or giving last minute instructions. I wouldn't even start as to why they sent these four women into the shimmer. Why would anyone sent these problem ridden individuals into such a vital mission. I could go on and on. In case you haven't guess the artsy comments are about the last part of the film and especially the painful scene where the other being mirrors Portman's every move. When this movie ended, I thought the premise was good, but it could have been soooooo much better.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Maybe Will Ferrell's Best?

[10/10 · 21 October 2018]

This movie is not for everyone, but I'm not sure I trust anyone who doesn't like Ricky Bobby. To me it was a classic. I still laugh my arse off. Several of the lines will live in comedy history for ever and ever. Sure some of it's dumb, but that's part of making a comedy.

Old School (2003)

Classic Comedy

[10/10 · 21 October 2018]

It just this simple, Old School is a classic comedy. I watched it for the umpteenth time and am still laughing. It's 15 years after it came out and I'm still laughing. When someone says "Old School," I then hear everyone reviewing their favorite scene, whether it's Blue wrestling, Frank the Tank running naked or .... so many others. It has to rank a close second to "Animal House" of the best college comedies.

Blood Money (IV) (2017)

Could Have Been So Much Better

[5/10 · 21 October 2018]

Not a particularly bad film, but not a particularly good film either. The shame was that they had all the right elements there. Maybe it was about the budget? For starters how about using the terrific setting? I mean I thought this was going to be partially about survival and being hunted on the river, in the forest, through nature, but no, they barely used it. It could have been a cross between "The River Wild" and "The Edge". Next, John Cusack did a fine job with the role he was given here. He did it in a charmingly understated but believable way. Cusack was more likable than any of the other characters and I wish he'd had better writing and more screen time. Finally, I believe the point of this movie was to show what greed can do. So I wished they had given us a little more character development especially of the girl before the money gets thrown into the mix. She was likable and I was routing for her at the beginning. But they could have played that up with a little more of her positive side before she finds the money. Overall I'm not sorry I watched it, but not a movie I'll recommend to my friends.

Escape from Zahrain (1962)

Not quite a forgotten gem, but definitely worth watching

[7/10 · 3 September 2018]

Here's a movie that few have watched in which you can regale your old-movie- watching friends with the mention of this flick. Lots of action for a 1962 low budget film. A younger Jack Warden does a fine job as does a young Madlyn Rhue. Yul Brynner is...well... Yul Brynner. A nice cameo by James Mason too! One can only imagine if this film had a bigger budget. Unless you're an expert on global dessert terrain the last scene is really the only one where it is apparent this was shot in California and not in the middle east. Definitely worth watching!

Stargate: Continuum (2008 Video)

Good but, Caught in a "Felt like Television" Worm Hole

[6/10 · 2 September 2018]

I watched a bit of the series years ago. The beginning of this movie felt like it was made for television. It definitely got better after the first 20 minutes or so and had some very interesting moments. I'd say, better than average and worth watching, but nothing I'd mention to my non-nerd friends.

Battle of the Bulge (1965)

Historically Inaccurate but Absolutely Worth Watching

[8/10 · 29 November 2016]

Alright, I concede that there are a few problems with this flick, but after reading the reviews I had to speak up. Taken just for pure entertainment value this 50 year old movie rocks!! Yes, there are lots of historically inaccurate scenes, details and yes wardrobe. My Father who was in the Battle of the Bulge was okay with this film. I think after we saved Private Ryan we are grading everything by that standard. Yes this lacks the gritty feel of war that many of today's war films capture. It's 1965, one star, two stars? You've got to be kidding. I mean "Monster a Go-Go" hit the screens the same year, that has 2.3 stars on IMDb. You have to measure it with a mid 1960's yardstick. Quint, I mean, Robert Shaw is worth 4 stars just by himself and Telly is interesting too.The music score, though dated is quality. Believe me I would like to see someone do the battle justice with a more accurate film, however even if that happens I'll still enjoy this film and I think most people who don't get bogged down in the details will too.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Worth Seeing but not a Home Run

[3/10 · 3 July 2016]

I was a bit disappointed in this flick. We've come to expect a lot out of Tarantino and when he doesn't hit a homer, well we're let down. As usual I'm not going to restate the plot as that's been done by others. I think Tarantino wanted this movie to be raw and edgy like Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" but can't hold a candle to that classic despite a few good camera shots and decent editing. I'll just go over the positives and negatives and you can be the judge. First I'll hit the positives. If you are sensitive to violence, the n-word and harsh realities, well then why are you watching a Tarantino movie to begin with? So those who for those who like their movies raw...applaud. I felt the flick had a good amount of twist and turns and certainly kept my interest much of the time. I enjoyed some of the camera angles, for example the one with an inside the barn view to out to the storm. The acting, as you would expect from the cast, was great. I'm always happy to see Jackson, Kurt Russel and Michael Madsen in any production. I wasn't familiar with Walton Goggins, but thought he did well. The production values and sound effects were spot on. The Negatives of the Hateful 8 were as stated by many, was that it was a bit slow for today"s movies, especially when 90% of the movie was filmed in a stark cabin. I appreciated the few scenes with the cold landscape which set the scene and made the viewer realize why no one was getting the heck out of there. Another minus was the lack of historic detail (in the story not the costumes). As far as I know, the historic references to the civil war were not accurate. There were some useful examples in the Civil War like the Saltville Massacre. The dialogue is particularly 2015 and not latter nineteenth century. To me the race angle and the the black dun-gas bit was way over done not well done, and yes any director even Tarantino can be overly excessive in certain movie elements, but that's me. Art can be excessive, but is also restraint. The main problem was that the movie was dull in certain places, particularly during the first half. Maybe the flashback scene could have been cut or reduced as much of it should have been deduced by most viewers. I know it's Tarantino and we sometimes get events out of sequence. In the end, I just personally didn't think the writing and plot line lent itself to a great movie. So maybe we should just celebrate Single or Double and keep our home run expectations more realistic for Quentin?

Johnny Come Lately (1943)

Flawed, but quaint, with a certain sentimental charm.

[9/10 · 9 May 2016]

This is a movie that not everyone will love or even like. One must remember it's a sentimental look at the turn of the century, 1906 the movie states, by filmmakers in 1943. So this is a review about a quaint film made 73 years ago, which was looking back nostalgically 37 years. Not to belabor the point, but it would like a movie today (2016) reliving a time 37 years ago, which would be 1979 and being reviewed 73 years from now in 2089. So you can see that when you consider this film in that way, all bets and our judgment are probably a little off. In that light I feel the flick holds up very well. Sure many of the movie's main stars are very one dimensional. Only Cagney and Edward McNamara made me feel that there was much depth to their characters. Many movie watchers of today will find it a little slow and without a lot of action. Some will say it's way too saccharine. The production values aren't the best and late in the movie, the transitions between scenes appears a bit jerky.

Remarkably, somehow this movie works. Through all it's faults it shines like a diamond in the rough. You feel the quaintness of 1906, whether it was like that or not, you FEEL it was. I really felt I was looking through a window to the past. In this movie you really like James Cagney. He is not the champion of the beautiful young girl, but of the aged older lady who is paying the price to fight the good fight. He does it with dash and style. "Johnny Come Lately" made me smile a lot and even cry a little for the good ole days, theirs and mine. In the end what more do you want from 73 year old movie?

Predestination (I) (2014)

Story Flawed

[5/10 · 29 July 2015]

This movie tried really hard to blow your mind, but for me, it only blew my patience. It had so much potential, but came out as trying too hard to sensationalize. The big twist was really a big dud to me. Some people really like that huge mind blowing turn at the end, but it has to make sense. Predestination really didn't. Good thing they added the "which came first the chicken or the egg" quote. That allowed me to concoct a very, very weak explanation, which I won't bore you with.

Don't get me wrong this movie had some very good acting, production values and direction (despite the story line). It's in no way a total loss and some people love that bizarre twist at the end that many science fiction movies strive for such as Inception, the sixth sense, Loopers etc. However, I didn't enjoy this movie a half as much as those because those flicks made sense. Predestination sacrifices logic for sensationalism which left me empty and disappointed.

Primer (2004)

Wish I Go Back in Time and Not Watch Primer

[3/10 · 30 June 2013]

I gave Primer a "3" because it at least tried to entertain. The quality of the production values were poor and the acting seem tired even at the tediously, boring beginning. No, I didn't get it until I watched the last fifteen minutes again. Does that make me not as intelligent as those who loved this film? It just didn't engage me. My wife fell asleep somewhere in the middle of the movie, now she's the intelligent one. Even when I finally got it, I was not particularly impressed or thought provoked. My recommendation is to skip this one unless you are into movies that are trying to be cleverly vague or vaguely clever. Now wasn't that clever of me? But not vague.

The Expendables 2 (2012)

At Least It Doesn't Take Itself Seriously!

[6/10 · 30 June 2013]

Due to nostalgia this film is greater than the sum of its parts. If you are looking for a realistic action flick, this isn't it. Expendables 2 is even less realistic than the original Expendables. This movie doesn't even take itself seriously, which is a good thing. Part of the effort and energy of the film, particularly the writing, seemed to be to get all the great actors into the film including their "signature" lines. For example, you'll hear Arnold say "I'll be bock". That's really the main enjoyment is the nostalgia of those action stars and my there are so many! So this is a recommendation if you are a real fan of these action stars and their of the last thirty plus years.

Stake Land (2010)

A Better Zombie/Vampire/Apocalypse Film

[7/10 · 30 June 2013]

Usually, I refrain from retelling the story in my review, you can always get it from the "Storyline" in IMDb. But this one I can do in one sentence. Survivors of zombie/vampire plague seek refuge and fight said foes along the way. Same old plot, but this flick does have some different twist. First, these zombie/vampires are fast and furious compared to the old slow moving just eat your brains type of "Dawn of the Dead" and like films. Secondly, the religious cult that seems to be in league with the zombie/vampires (okay not totally unheard of). It seemed to me to be an entertaining film if you like this genre. My wife lasted about five minutes. Stake land gives you a realistic feel with decent production values and the acting is generally good enough. My only real complaint is that sometimes the dialog is hard to discern and especially Mister seems to mumble. Maybe that gives it a realistic feel, but I got tired of going back and playing it again to see what he said. Overall, I'd recommend it if zombie/vampire/apocalypse films are something you can stomach.

Khartoum (1966)

Whisper to me...

[10/10 · 31 May 2013]

Now this is a movie! They don't make this type of sweeping epic anymore in this day of computer alterations. There is little not to appreciate in this action packed adventure. After reading a couple books on Charles Gordon, sure I've discovered some blatant errors, including a downplaying of his religious faith. However, you certainly get the feel for Gordon. Remember, if you want a 100% historically accuracy, watch a documentary! Charlton Heston was never better and gives you the charisma of the icon he is portraying. The cinematography is terrific as is the performance of Sir Lawrence Olivier. Some will accuse this of being too imperialistic and not politically correct, but it's 1966! The kicker is the fine script, an abundance of great lines. For example when told he doesn't have a chance at Khartoum, he says "I don't have a choice." Ahhh, Heston just makes it all so believable. Like when the Mahdi's horde is sweeping toward the gates, he states ever so solemnly and in a tone and inflection that far outweigh the mere words, "so here we are."

Alvarez Kelly (1966)

Classic

[10/10 · 31 May 2013]

Classic, Classic, Classic! Yeah, you can complain about being a bit slow nearly 50 years later, but what movie from that time wasn't. This movie is loosely based on Hampton's and General Rosser's Cattle Raid. Not filmed in Virginia, but I am from near Richmond and played as a child on some of the land the actual raid crossed over and it has the same feel. Holden and Widmark both hit home runs, hard to tell which is better. Widmark has the southern Virginia accent down pat, he sounds like a couple of my uncles which were about his age. The score and the cinematography just add to the ambiance. There are some slight imperfections with the script, but the strengths of this film tower over it's shortcomings.