Hollywood's Hollywood Review

[John McHenry]

This is where I'll be putting all my random reviews I watch so much TV/Movies I figure I may as well start reviewing them all.



Weeds

I recently finished Weeds I put it off for so long because I expected a lot of pot/drug humor and I'm not particularly a fan of that type of thing. Weeds starts out with a mother in crisis her husband has died and she has no real skills to fend for her family. Of course she instantly turns to drug dealing. This concept is flimsy for the show at best. It's never really explained why she doesn't do anything else even though it continually causes her grief. The worse part about the show is how every two seasons the writers decide to kill of the romantic love interest and change locations. It's like clockwork and it's predictable. She always finds a man related to the drug trade in some fashion he almost always dies. She moves. She also never ever learns from a single mistake, now I get that this happens in real life people are stubborn but she is approx. 40 so she's lived a life outside of the drug dealing she knows what it's like and it's made her happy before. She has two sons and its destroying them the one ends up becoming a killer, even though he started out the series as potentially the best character. The writers somehow lose track of how to handle him and just make him a psycho. Her dead husband brother Andy decides he's going to do the brotherly thing and help her raise the kids. Unfortunately, he starts pining over her and doing whatever the hell she wants. He can never grow a backbone and tell her to wake the fuck up. The show also enacts several time jumps without explaining much of what happens in the jump very sloppy writing. But worse is the series finale we end the show with no lessons learned. Only two of the 5 main characters have any hope of a life while the other three seem to be stuck in their normal rut. We have a slew of returning people but leave out the biggest character who mysteriously disappears at the end of a season with a huge unresolved story line.

Weeds is an unexplainable show due to the perfect timing on the cliff hangers at then end of the episode you want to watch the next one, only to realize half way through that it's all just filler for the cliff hanger. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

 

[Keith]

This is where I'll be putting all my random reviews I watch so much TV/Movies I figure I may as well start reviewing them all.



Weeds

I recently finished Weeds I put it off for so long because I expected a lot of pot/drug humor and I'm not particularly a fan of that type of thing. Weeds starts out with a mother in crisis her husband has died and she has no real skills to fend for her family. Of course she instantly turns to drug dealing. This concept is flimsy for the show at best. It's never really explained why she doesn't do anything else even though it continually causes her grief. The worse part about the show is how every two seasons the writers decide to kill of the romantic love interest and change locations. It's like clockwork and it's predictable. She always finds a man related to the drug trade in some fashion he almost always dies. She moves. She also never ever learns from a single mistake, now I get that this happens in real life people are stubborn but she is approx. 40 so she's lived a life outside of the drug dealing she knows what it's like and it's made her happy before. She has two sons and its destroying them the one ends up becoming a killer, even though he started out the series as potentially the best character. The writers somehow lose track of how to handle him and just make him a psycho. Her dead husband brother Andy decides he's going to do the brotherly thing and help her raise the kids. Unfortunately, he starts pining over her and doing whatever the hell she wants. He can never grow a backbone and tell her to wake the fuck up. The show also enacts several time jumps without explaining much of what happens in the jump very sloppy writing. But worse is the series finale we end the show with no lessons learned. Only two of the 5 main characters have any hope of a life while the other three seem to be stuck in their normal rut. We have a slew of returning people but leave out the biggest character who mysteriously disappears at the end of a season with a huge unresolved story line.

Weeds is an unexplainable show due to the perfect timing on the cliff hangers at then end of the episode you want to watch the next one, only to realize half way through that it's all just filler for the cliff hanger. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

I disagree, althrough I will admit that I have only seen two seasons so it is possible that some of your critiscisms may seem more fair as I move along.

1. I think it is good when shows don't spell things out for the audience, leaving the motivations unclear.

2. Think you have to remember that is a comedy more than a drama, plus the show is not claiming that she is a likeable character.

3. As for her moving a lot, this maybe down to the show being a metaphor for the suburbian life style but in this case the lead character is looking to escape the culture instead of kidding herself that it is ideal location.

From what I have seen I enjoy the writing of the characters, found the humour to be very sharp and honest, with some touching moments and a great lead performance. I like its style.

Anyway look forward to move of your reviews.

 

[John McHenry]

The writing really falls off after season 4 so if you watched the earlier seasons I'd agree. I bet if you watched the show finale with whatever you have in your head you'd be like what the hell is this bullshit.

 

[John McHenry]

The Great Gatsby

Wow what an utter failure. First off massive amounts of Blue Screen it puts you in the mind of Charlie and the Chocolate factory. There are scenes in which reflections of the blue screen are all over the actors. It's a huge distraction. The amount of CGI in this movie that should have been filmed practically is just ridiculous. There is probably as much CGI as Tron. The Great Gatsby is a classic and should have been treated as such it's a period piece that has all everything you need, love triangles, rich guy poor guy, fast cars and women. Probably the most shocking feature is the over use of Jay Z. It made no sense and every time I heard it it took me out of the story.

I recommend passing on this one.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Haha! What? Why use Jay Z for such a story?

 

[Keith]

Haha! What? Why use Jay Z for such a story?

Because its a Baz Lurmann adaptation of a classic novel its the kind of thing you expect from him, see his Romino & Juliett for example.

I suspect this will will either be terrible or inspired. Still I am going for the ride.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

I haven't read the book, so I probably wouldn't mind the movie so much.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Never been a fan of Baz, he tends to make awful movies that parade themselves as movie epics.

 

[Keith]

He directs by Extremes. Loved R&J because it was a story which lends itself to a more modern MTV style asthetic, also got really wrapped up in the leads. Also enjoyed Mourlin Rouge again thought it did something different with a muscial. Then again something like Austrulia looked very dull and main stream.

 

[John McHenry]

Iron Man 3


First things first. I'm reviewing this as someone who reviews TV and Movies not as someone who reads comics. This one was hugely a character piece and it was great at showing how Tony Stark has been handling things. It shows quite the range of emotions you usually don't get in a movie of this nature. Some fan boys will have issues with how some of the elements were handled but from a movie stand point things worked beautifully, including what some would call a SWERVE or SWERVES really. The ending could have been handled a tad bit better and I miss the absence of anything Shield. I found this one to be better than the second. Bottom line you want to watch this movie and you should you'll enjoy it, even if you do nit pick at a thing or two.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

The soundtrack to The Great Gatsby is the reason I will not see the movie. Period pieces should have music that fits the period.

I already know what the comic fans are freaking out about with Iron Man 3, its been the big topic at the comic shop for the last 2 weeks. I couldn't really care less, just as long as Tony Stark isn't looking for religion.

 

[Keith]

Nive review of Iron Man I am looking forward to it as I did enjoy the first film and think that the change of director should add to this one.

 

[John McHenry]

Star Trek Into Darkness

Very similar to my Iron Man 3 review. Fanboys may have a problem with the move.

Spoiler: Villian

It's Khan but it's not the Khan that it should be.

This one is full of all the action that everyone loved from the first one and less setup. There are a couple of plot holes but they aren't the gaping plot holes that usually ruin a movie. It's not a movie you can say a lot about without giving a lot away. There could have been room for more character development which the first one did great, but anything will be subpar to a planet blowing up. What it lacks in emotion it makes up for in action, and everyone gets to play a part in the action. It's got everything you want Fast ships, Aliens, and Phasers.

 

[Crippler]

How's Alice Eve looking in it?

 

[John McHenry]

otherwise pretty worthless