Reviews

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is a classic. The onslaught of negative reviews since The Golden Globes have done nothing to hinder my opinion of the film.

It can be considered a slow-burn, in the likes of "Easy Rider" or "Rosemary's Baby" - And I believe that is on purpose. This is QT attempting to grasp the grandeur of the golden age of cinema. That being said, "Once Upon a Time.." will work best for those who are keen on the art of cinema, and understand the pulp of the 1960's.

Too often do we build expectations of something that are built off of other's experiences, only to be let down when our experience does not match.

I recommend going into "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" without any expectations. Do not expect a Tarantino movie, as he is constantly reinventing himself. Do not expect a Best Picture winner, because truly, that is not a real definition. Do not expect anything at all. This is a film that will cleanse your pallet, and if you let it, will fill you with atmosphere. It was created with a love for the craft of cinema, in itself, that even the most devote of moviegoers will find joy in.

We see 1960's Hollywood; the titans of America, the movie stars and those pulling the strings, in the height of Hollywood's influence. The acting is out of the park. The plot is a full circle (which other reviewers seem to be missing) which aims to prove the most mundane events can shape a person, and even give them new purpose.

Overall, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" does what it aims to do perfectly - which is; transport us to Hollywood in the 1960's, amongst rising and falling stars, amongst pain and plight in America, with characters we feel we have always known, with a bit of the old Tarantino twist.

Just like Rick Dalton, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is a true, American classic, sometimes overlooked, but not soon forgotten.

I had very low expectations, but hearing this was Charles Band's masterpiece I decided to give it a view. What a pleasant surprise! How does this only have a 6.0 rating?

Went into this expecting a "so-bad-it's-good" type, but it's truly a blend of film-noir, sci-fi, & comedy, with a solid dose of throwback to old black and white crime movies. In a nutshell, it's a bit of everything - but done very well.

The story is excellent!

It's 2247. L.A. is in the Pacific Ocean after the big quake hits. The entirety of western civilization is united, and ruled (or run) by a group of elites fortressed away from society. Three of these elites are the supreme rulers.

Jack Deth is a special police agent, hunting the remnants of citizens under the control of Whistler, a since deceased sociopath madman, who uses telekinesis to turn those subordinate to him into zombie-like creatures to do his bidding.

Jack Deth thinks Whistler is dead, as he was the one who killed him.

At odds with his police duties, Jack quits the force. Many years later Jack is summoned by the hidden government. One of the Three Ruling Leaders is dead, and Whistler is the one who did it.

But wait, Whistler retreated to the past, leaving a message to the government - that he has found a way to conduct time-travel by entering the body of his ancestors, what's called "going up or down the line" (as in the lineage of a person's family).

He plans to go back in time to 1985 to kill the ancestors of the other Two remaining Leaders, thus rendering them to have never existed.

Jack Deth is tasked with going back in time, into his own ancestor's body, to protect the leader's ancestors, and stop Whistler before he can complete his plan. AWESOME!



The set pieces are excellent. The cinematography is beautiful. The atmosphere fits the pace, and the pace is brisk. The film keeps your attention with witty dialogue. There are constant callbacks to earlier parts of the film which enhance the experience.

Helen Hunt is a young punk-rocker with blue, then pink, streaks in her hair and it is angelic (Sorry I had to say it).

The acting by everyone is top notch, with particular note to Jack Deth, Tim Thomerson, whose cool but rugged demeanor really help cement the movie as a classic, and much more than just pulp.

There's a wrist watch that slows time when activated - for 10 seconds. When pressed, Jack Deth can move at full speed but time around him is slowed. Awesome Sci-fi, and reminded me of "VATS" in the Fallout video game series.

Yes, there are plot holes. Many aspects of the sci-fi are glazed over, but this doesn't take away the merit of the rest of the film, as it relies more on the acting and pacing, than on nitpicking the intricacies of time travel.

Honestly, I had a lot of fun watching Trancers. It is a completely original, fast-moving, well-acted hidden gem with plenty of one-liners and lore to warrant multiple viewings. It looks amazing in HD, and I will hands down say it has to be one of the best movies ever made on a budget of less than 1 Million dollars.

Give Trancers a view. Seriously. Don't make me go "up the line" on you.

If you're reading this it's too late.

I did my best, and avoided reading about this film before watching it.

The trailer, and JJ's name on the film, set a different vibe than what the film actually presents.

To mirror another's review, the opening 10 minutes are worth watching in a theater setting (or as close to one as you can). The sound alone is a thing of paranoid-beauty!

I also want to address the negative reviews which call out the main character's race...

I think movies should be historically accurate when the story warrants, but this movie is not about "accurate history." This is an ENTERTAINMENT piece (obviously), and the character's race does not change any aspect of this film, nor does it play into the story.

So back to this Billy Ray madness! I was thoroughly entertained during this film.

The characters aren't deeply fleshed out, but they all show a form of growth. The horror and suspense are not extensive, but when it arrives, it is gripping and quite gory.

This movie will not redefine the genre, and it is not a perfect merger of horror/war.

It is, however, a thoroughly entertaining mash-up of ideas rarely seen together. The acting is quite good. The visuals are engaging, with some classic body horror, and one of the most EPIC opening sequences of the last year.

I would highly recommended this movie for anyone who saw the trailer and was intrigued. You will not be disappointed, but you may be surprised. Just don't ruin it for yourself by reading reviews like this ;)

Madden 19 is a joke. Gameplay is foolish and inconsistent. I understand EA was trying to add to the unpredictable nature that is NFL football, but the amount of ridiculous glitches in gameplay are atrocious.

When compared to Madden 18, Madden 19 plays like a significant downgrade. While offering additional game modes, which are intriguing, Madden 19 still does nothing to boost the gameplay.

I recommend you Stick to playing online (where you both will be equally disadvantaged) and hope for the best.

Not a fun game, not worth the hard drive space.

First things first, after watching this movie, and seeing a trailer for the movie "Venom", not only do the lead actors look creepily similar, but the plots seem to be eerily similar as well (albeit Venom is a symbiotic lifeform, and STEM is a CPU, but the way they interact with their host is almost exactly the same).

That being said, I believe Upgrade will go down as the better film, while being much lesser known.

UPGRADE is near perfect. The acting is superb. I went into this movie with a blank slate. I had expectations, but they were not very high, and they were blow away and surpassed in the first few minutes.

The bad guys are well crafted - never corny, and not overly drawn out. Our protagonist, and his internal companion, have great chemistry (if you can call it that.) The plot twists will make you think, even for seasoned moviegoers who believe they see it coming. The action is well shot, and sometimes brutal. There is not too much cgi.

After learning about the low budget, I was shocked. Viewing the film you would have no idea.

I can't really find any true flaws with the film - and nowadays that is very hard to say. I was close to giving this a 10 out of 10, and it may deserve it, but I will leave that up to other viewers. Highly recommended.

I had been hearing the hype about this film since it first appeared in headlines. I wanted to see it in theaters (seeing "Pan's Labyrinth" in theaters was one of my facorite movie going experiences)

I've learned from years of IMDBing to set my standards low, even for the most acclaimed films. That being said, "The Shape Of Water" is a divine piece of film-making.

Did it NEED to be made? Not exactly. But not all movies need to speak exclusively to what society "needs" at the time.

In terms of acting, direction, cinematography, pace, and the ability to transport you - "Shape" succeeds.

I presume that many of the negative reviews on here are reflective of this journey - You may not like what you see when you get there - I loved it.

This is an epic fairytale told from one of the character's perspectives. The trajectory of the story is meaningful and kept me engaged.

The story is very interesting and original; littered with Cold War paranoia, Space race science fiction, and just the right amount (a lot) of heart.

In my opinion, if you enjoy the art many films have been lacking, you will enjoy "The Shape Of Water".

It is not brainless, overtly full of action sequences, fast, or conclusive.

It is, however, genuine to itself - a spectacle of the director's imagination that places importance on the values of humanity. 9 out of 10 stars.