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Reviews
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
Excellent and brutal
Stallone looks every bit as fearsome as he always was as John Rambo; he's 73, but remains well-muscled and he throws that muscle around in believable ways. Cartels are widely despised, evil organizations, so it's great cathartic fun watching Rambo dispatch them with brutal precision and intensity. The last scene is an obvious reference to Aztec culture, the Mexica, from which the cartels are derived, taking their ritual barbarisms to new heights the last several years in modern Mexico.
The acting is serviceable and the cartel leadership is ably vile and sleazy. They get all they deserve and then some. If you like Rambo movies, you'll LOVE this one. 9/10
Sanford and Son: Steinberg and Son (1975)
Awful and stupid
If you really want to know what made this show so memorable, watch seasons 1-2, and parts of 3. The rest is just garbage, terribly scripted, with too many stupid ideas and plots. Fred changes from an innocent, ne're-do-well, to a curmudgeonly big mouth giving pseudo-intellectual speeches. Lamont is no longer the corrective to his father's laziness or ignorance, but a pure patsy, bored and phoning it in. Such a shame, really. Just watch this god awful episode for examples of everything I've said here.
Sanford and Son (1972)
First 2 seasons are great, the rest is filler.
The show showed signs of brilliance, particularly in the first 2 seasons, Richard Pryor penned 2 episodes that were absolutely genius! The show could never recapture the early magic and my guess is Foxx's vision of the show strongly diverged from the Steptoe and Son derivative. Foxx's stand-up routine was nowhere near as popular as his portrayal of Fred Sanford in the early episodes.
The first season is easily the best, followed by a very good 2nd season. Early on, Fred's meanness and bigotry are muted -- they're there, but much more subtle; he's like an ordinary guy saying things we may be thinking but would never say out in the open. That's what's so attractive and genuine about Fred's character. His delivery mirrors this too, which is why the one-liners or observations he makes are hilarious. Fred frequently acts the victim and appeals to his hypochondria to get out of work. When Lamont leads, Fred reacts; in seasons 4-6, Fred leads and the show suffers. The TV ratings reflect this.
When he's more abrasive, the subtlety is lost; he comes off as mean, nasty, and disingenuous. His delivery is forced and unnatural. It just isn't funny anymore. Foxx was putatively projecting his superiority/ego rather than accepting the more passive role which the role demands and worked so perfectly early on.
Seasons 1-2 are fabulous. 3 is OK. 4, 5-6 are almost entirely forgettable/regrettable. Again, when Fred leads, it goes nowhere. When Lamont leads, Fred's vulnerability, feigned illness, and simplemindedness combine for unforgettable hilarity.
Gilligan's Island: Gilligan's Mother-in-Law (1965)
Ken, thank you :)
I've enjoyed revisiting the series after a long time and Ken's neat insights above and on the other episodes have been a real treat, my thanks to you for taking the time to share your thoughts!
This is such a wholesome, fun show; you want to visit the island and spend time with Gilligan and the gang. Not many shows can do that. I prefer the black and white over the colour, though. The sense of nostalgia is stronger in the former. The first episode of the season takes a little getting used to as a result. It's interesting to note that this is the first episode where the natives are friendly, at first, and not menacing. Perhaps this is to correct the stereotypes associated with natives?
Off to watch more episodes!
Frozen (2010)
A terrifying experience -- no spoilers here
I showed this movie to my horror class -- they were terrified beyond expectation. The visceral horror one experiences, including the helpless plight and that it could very well happen, are the key components that elevate the terror.
It's simple plot does add to the tension -- no complexity, just plain unrelenting extremity and human instinct.
What's quite interesting about this film is that it inhabits its own horror ethos, so to speak; it's not Gothic horror per se, but it definitely contains Gothic horror elements: darkness, human weakness, the brevity and ephemerality of life, how one's choices can effect one's destiny, and so on.
A powerful film, not perfect, but effective.