When water was offered It occurred to me I've seen, or read, something similar. It reminded me of the beginning of Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. A quaint story about aging, stereotypes, family, and friendship. When the alien arrives, the mundane daily routine is broken and the elderly main character tells the town the truth about what's happened. The town's reaction is stereotypical, resembling something of the sort 'ok, his mental capacity has faded' and he is not to be believed. The alien, despite having no personality whatsoever, is quite likable due to his passive demeanor and puppy eyed appearance. There are underlying subplots related to family and friendship that play out well, as they care for their new extra terrestrial friend. Enjoyable, but a bit content light and doesn't have the depth to provoke long term retrospection. I hope that's fair. Definitely worth watching.
Reviews
13 Reviews
Time Trap
(2017)
Ambitious archeological version of The Descent
30 November 2023
Thought I'd give this a whirl since I like sci-fi B movies and it was much better than I anticipated. It was entertaining as long as you are in what I call B movie mode, not overly analyzing and just kinda rolling with the story.
The big thing this movie has going for it is the story. It's deep and there's a lot to play with.
The negative is the budget along with the dialogue which is randomly jolting at times. As an example, in a life and death situation would you blurt out 'but I have a date next weekend!' Uh, that would be a no. You'd like to cut that out, but it's probably not possible without redoing the scene or an awkward edit, hence the budget issue.
The time boundary effect just works, and the cave allows for a bit of a horror element, which helps things along. When I say a bit I mean it's barely there, but it's just enough to help glue some of the elements together.
This is one of those movies where a bigger budget would have made a huge difference, notably allowing for a longer runtime and more character development.
Overall it was entertaining and that's what matters. The big drawback is it leaves you feeling there was a lot left on the table in terms of what could have been really thought provoking sci-fi.
The big thing this movie has going for it is the story. It's deep and there's a lot to play with.
The negative is the budget along with the dialogue which is randomly jolting at times. As an example, in a life and death situation would you blurt out 'but I have a date next weekend!' Uh, that would be a no. You'd like to cut that out, but it's probably not possible without redoing the scene or an awkward edit, hence the budget issue.
The time boundary effect just works, and the cave allows for a bit of a horror element, which helps things along. When I say a bit I mean it's barely there, but it's just enough to help glue some of the elements together.
This is one of those movies where a bigger budget would have made a huge difference, notably allowing for a longer runtime and more character development.
Overall it was entertaining and that's what matters. The big drawback is it leaves you feeling there was a lot left on the table in terms of what could have been really thought provoking sci-fi.
At the Drive-in
(2017)
"It's The People"
12 August 2023
Excellent documentary about a passionate and quirky group of people who refuse to let their drive-in die. I've never been to a drive-in, maybe someday I will get to enjoy one.
It is not slick and polished, there's no million dollar effects, no THX certified lossless sound through a plethora of speakers in 400.10 stereo, none of that. So what makes this a fun film? Sharing in the passion and joy that comes with a group of owners, employees, and customers who just get it. It's about being happy and enjoying each other's company. Something we all want, but in this day and age surprisingly is getting harder and harder to achieve. In short, "it's the people".
It is not slick and polished, there's no million dollar effects, no THX certified lossless sound through a plethora of speakers in 400.10 stereo, none of that. So what makes this a fun film? Sharing in the passion and joy that comes with a group of owners, employees, and customers who just get it. It's about being happy and enjoying each other's company. Something we all want, but in this day and age surprisingly is getting harder and harder to achieve. In short, "it's the people".
VHS Massacre Too
(2020)
Independent Film Production Retrospection
31 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I have not seen the the first movie. So there's no context for comparing to the original.
This film offers an interesting look at the increasing difficulties for independent filmmakers. Be it from the high cost of the legal system, shady distribution companies, constant changing of goal posts from streamers, and out right censorship, there's no shortage of pain that may be brought upon them. The passing of the independent video stores, theaters, and distribution companies have taken their toll and reduced the opportunity for the challenging of ideas the independent film makers were providing to society. Many of these films were produced on VHS, which as we all know are long gone.
But are they? There's an underlying glimmer of hope, an undercurrent if you will, that's weaved into the story. Collectors are preserving the genre, Joe Bob Briggs ' breaking' Shudder after making a comeback he didn't think would happen, and a campaign to fight for a micro budget category in streaming. The odds are long and the goals are lofty, but when has censorship and oppression ever lasted in the long term?
I don't know exactly what it is about Joe Bob Briggs but I can listen to him talk about movies for hours. So damn likeable. Give this a watch, once in a while the low reviews can screw you over. I think it's more likely than not in this case and you'll be glad you did.
You may not agree with the premise, but I think at a minimum you will appreciate the argument being made.
This film offers an interesting look at the increasing difficulties for independent filmmakers. Be it from the high cost of the legal system, shady distribution companies, constant changing of goal posts from streamers, and out right censorship, there's no shortage of pain that may be brought upon them. The passing of the independent video stores, theaters, and distribution companies have taken their toll and reduced the opportunity for the challenging of ideas the independent film makers were providing to society. Many of these films were produced on VHS, which as we all know are long gone.
But are they? There's an underlying glimmer of hope, an undercurrent if you will, that's weaved into the story. Collectors are preserving the genre, Joe Bob Briggs ' breaking' Shudder after making a comeback he didn't think would happen, and a campaign to fight for a micro budget category in streaming. The odds are long and the goals are lofty, but when has censorship and oppression ever lasted in the long term?
I don't know exactly what it is about Joe Bob Briggs but I can listen to him talk about movies for hours. So damn likeable. Give this a watch, once in a while the low reviews can screw you over. I think it's more likely than not in this case and you'll be glad you did.
You may not agree with the premise, but I think at a minimum you will appreciate the argument being made.
What was that?
19 March 2022
I don't even know what to say. As a big fan of the show I'm stunned at how bad this episode is. The only part I enjoyed was seeing young Scully and Mulder, that never gets old. Missed the mark at every level, very boring and performances that just seemed flat. "I'm Fox Mulder!" I felt the same desperation wanting this episode to turn around. Never happened.
Really great look back told DS9 style
19 June 2021
If you like DS9, this one's a lock. Does a great job of showing the bond between cast members and mixed in some hardcore fan feedback which works well. I love the concept of throwing together a quickly thought out episode, which makes you think about what could be at some point in the future. A lot of focus on strong female characters which was great and interesting. Reminded me of how powerful and important Uhura was as a character in TOS. Took some stars off for 3 reasons. The singing at the beginning and end were a bit slow for me, but it's a very minor point. The second negative is how could you kill off Nog! Are you insane? Just NO. He was the surprise crown jewel of the show, with amazing character growth. The third point is the very brief political statement with Trump. Not necessary here, and just creates division. The counter would be showing Obama stating that people are clinging to their guns and religion, then flashing up a picture of Kira. One of the great things about ST is you can cover moral and ethical dilemmas across all parts of the political, societal, and now with DS9, the religious spectrum; pulling everyone in working through issues together as human beings in a non insulting way. Stereotyping in politics and judgements on one quote or one extreme incident will always backfire. All that aside, overall it's very good and highly recommended if you are a fan of DS9.
Wesley's Crush
1 April 2021
Not sure why this gets such a low rating? Really enjoyed the episode. Wesley is immediately stunned by the beauty of a new visitor on the enterprise. As the romance progresses the visitors are not what they seem. Side plots however are a bit weak in this episode, those being the mutual respect between Anya and Warf and the warring factions. There's just not enough time to develop those subplots properly. The romance between Wesley and Salia is a charming one and carries the episode well enough.
Finally some sci-fi!
26 February 2021
A true science fiction episode where time, space, and an interesting third element are explored. Really enjoyed this one. A nice break from the usual political and social dramas. Some significant character development for Wesley as well.
Slow Brew
2 February 2021
Thankfully, I didn't have the high expectation burden of knowing it was the 500'th episode. This episode exposes some of the crew's insecurities in an interesting way. Nice side story involving Quark and Odo. It also offers a break from the space battle action scenes and heavy war life or death situations.
Quark and Odo do their thing
26 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoyed this episode as I like both Odo and Quark as characters. They pretend to hate each other as usual, yet we all know they enjoy battling each other with their opposing belief systems and endeavors. Odo sharing the jacket, Quark caring for Odo, etc. I also like the change in scenery being filmed off the station, which is nice once in a while. If you like Quark and Odo don't skip this one.
I Won't Underestimate Them Again
26 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Cloaking Device, first use of the Photon Torpedo, introduction to the Romulans, and an experienced Captain at that, played brilliantly by Mark Lenard, makes this one of the top 5 episodes of the series. Kirk and crew quickly realize what they are up against, and you are reasonably convinced that every action and maneuver could spell disaster. Lenard showing the weariness of a long career blindly following a 'win at all cost mentality' plays well. The young couple at the end reminds us that in conflict there is no true victory, only the lesser of evils. One of the best TOS has to offer.
Never went anywhere...
27 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Boring. I was hoping for some interesting action going after the sword, or a really good twist at the end to redeem itself, but it never happened. Tough watch coming after Little Green Men which was a very interesting episode. Total side bar, I think showing Quark at the very end reclaiming the sword from space and putting it on a galactic online marketplace would have been a neat twist of the twist.
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