Change Your Image
santasa99
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Watchable rip-off that works on some levels
It's a little bit rip-off of all the major classics of science-fiction - Asimov, Herbert (even little bit of Clark himself) - but it's entertaining, and it looks interesting and imaginative, especially technology wise, in sense of culture and behavior, bar fashion and architecture, not so much. Comic release, otherwise known as humor, is kinda silly. The main idea, although it's not exactly completely original, still works, but it's lazy writing which results in ridiculous plots, twists and turns. Acting is below par, and watching Kunis is a kinda torture, but especially annoying is Redmayne. (During the bureaucratic procedure of ancention, whatever, I literally expected Sam Lowry and Harry Tuttle to jump out of the background. At some places visuals and settings reminded me to Beson, and that's not a good thing. Silly, really.)
American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993)
Another "Z" masterpiece
Let's make one thing clear - let it be two things: the cyborg have mustache, and the mutant leader wears the mask over the healthy portion of his face :-) But, think what you want, it's not better than Ironmaster, legendary "Z" film, best of all times.
Of course. In reality it's 1 or better yet 0 out of 10 stars, but in its own category it's a 10 of 10 :-)
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Racist take on slavery
(In Slavic languages "Rob" is a "Slave"; "Robot" is a "Worker", but mostly "Slave Worker")
I don't give a damn what was on Columbus (or Kazan's) mind and what was his idea how to drive this distorted, abused and misused Asimov's story and film's plot home, and if his point was some kind of humanistic parable - one thing is certain: failed or deliberate, he created most racist take on tragic (African-)American history of 200+ years of slavery and post-slavery racism (250 yrs of slavery, 90 yrs of Jim Crow, 60 yrs of separate but equal, 35 yrs of racist housing policy).
But it's an old film, and what prompted me to write this is a horrible discovery that yet another tragedy is out there in relation to the film and its subject - what happened is that I decided to check-out how US media and film critics appreciated it, and realized that not one critic and/or reviewer actually pointed to film's not so subtle re-affirmation of usual tropes and myths surrounding a slave liberation and post-slavery racism ("white savior" being dominant one), and some unusual, but to me more compelling ones, like horrendous notion of gradual earning a place among (white) humans - after gaining a full liberty, slaves,... black people,... house appliances,... robots, had to turn themselves into evermore resembling representation of a "human" being and learn how to "emulate" culture. Of course, all with a help of nice, mild-mannered white academics' of liberal, progressive persuasion - like radical scientist free of traditional social restraints, Rupert Burns, who asks Andrew Martin what age would he want to emulate with a new "skin", but not which color. The chosen color happens to be one that emulate proper human being appearance more obviously.
In a word, everything is pretty much in your face, from slavery era vocabulary to tropes and myths, to unfettered manipulative cynicism and ridicule, which abounds, like those few last minutes and lines (black face Bota says to white face Martin: "Mr. Martin, what you are asking for is extremely complex and controversial" (and all the black extras, their place and role in the scenes). Stunning? No?! Well, "as the great Andrew Martin-Luther-King-Jr. Used to say, 'One is glad to be of service'." Over & out.
I, Tonya (2017)
One name, one word
Margot Robbie, give this woman Oscar already, for heaven's sake !
Kudos to Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan, they both impress here, but Margot is something else, she is utterly incapable to falter let alone fail as an hard-core character actress that she is - she is a new Meryl Streep.
Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
Biblical
Though, it is about Muslim victims and survivors of genocide, If you follow church of Saint Peter you will understand what is this story all about, as it gives you a powerful message based on apocryphal run and return to Rome, with forgiveness written all over it !
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The devil is in the detail
"(...) Even when the plot has nothing to do with Arabs or Palestinians, Hollywood inserts completely irrelevant Arabic/Muslim cultural indicators, often planted on the bad guy, creating a false link between evil and Arabs or Muslims. In "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" it is deemed appropriate, relevant and logical to use the Palestinian Keffiyeh scarf as a part of the Foot Clans' (Shredder's army) uniform even though the characters couldn't be any further from the Arab/Muslim world geographically, culturally, socially and politically; they were originally meant to be Japanese. (...)"
The Titan (2018)
Beyond stupid
Science fiction films are prone to plot glitches that make a film more or less stupid - this is understandable as it comes with a territory - but sometimes one can keep watching them regardless of such glitches and stupid plot developments for a host of different reasons - good or even revolutionary effects and visuals, maybe good acting, or some other story lines that came up better if one is able to disregard main plot blunders, which is easier if these are related to some details concerning a scientific unknowns or technical/technological background and not main premise or plot devices that are badly conceived, and so on. However, this film is beyond all that. This moronic idea is like a brainchild of a failed drunken writer, or as if it has been found in most idiotic story from the cheapest pulp magazine or off a street kiosk paperback book. Forget its political and ideological messages, if there is any meaningful, to hell with any ethical implications and the fact that British scientist, played by Tom Wilkinson, who is at one point compared to Hitler, and who ends up being actually triumphant despite of all his unnerving heinousness - and I guess viewers should reconsider him as being right all along. All that is irrelevant in the "bigger picture" of the film's topic and in the face of a one question: why on Earth they have to go to live on Titan, if the Anglo-American science is capable of turning a human into a creature able to live in any hostile environment, even on a desolate moon-planet deep within outer Solar system?!
Next (2020)
Two episodes, too early for verdict
However, without informing myself on writers' previous work and ideological convictions, my first impressions mostly revolve around shows ideological background. Its antiscience and anti-technological motifs are clear and correspond with current environment overwhelmed by radical nationalist, white supremacists and ultra-conservatives (in US identified under euphemism "Alt-right") ideas and voices, whose anti-tech fear mongering, based on conspiracy theories, hit the streets and daily lives with an expression of revolt on global scale through series of protest, often violent, against 5G.
Another shocking element in the first two episodes is development of one particular character, the white supremacist, who is immediately a "good" guy becoming more loveable with every scene, portrayed as loyal to his Latino woman-boss and good and loyal (for now) employee of the state major security institution, the FBI ! All this positive outlines regarding this white supremacist ex-activist/hacker turned FBI cybersecurity unit employee, is actually a line that came out of one of his coworker's mouth, a character portrayed by young African-American, who described him in positive context although they "do not see each other exactly eye-to-eye".
Well, "that's all I have to say about that". Although it's too early, the first two episodes show some disturbing tendencies, otherwise it's watchable for now, even thrilling. Cast is good, I like lead woman, and others are OK. Plot is what it is, attempt to deal with a question of: AI vs. free will, intelligence without emotions, consciousness,, creativity and driving force behind thinking, ideas and action - not to mention question of technological level that could eventually (or never) advance to the point of being capable of harbouring an AI, whatever that meant at that point. It's too much for any TV show attempt; most films have failed in developing these questions into viable narrative and scenarios.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Good thriller asking Americans important question
Would you really like to live in a society where the trump-esque characters are presidents, vigilantism is the force for good, justice and law is provided by one superhero in chief (or a justice league-esque / avenger-esque group), or do you still believe in a system and imperfect government, that, at least, when lead by reason and progressive ideas and directionality, can be improved every now and then ?!
The Firm (1993)
A classic 1990's thriller
Cruise was at one of his best early performances, Holly Hunter was awarded for hers, Gary Busey first set up was electrifying ("What can I do for you?!"), Ed Harris, Stratham and Tripplehorn were just what one would expect, but Heckman, Heckman was truly dazzling in memorable character of corrupt yet endearing mentor from hell, who was able to redeem himself after all.
S.W.A.T. (2017)
My 1-star is diametrically opposite to all but 2 (maybe 3) 1-star reviews
It's because when I see political correctness in this show I see it as a mask of modernity and progressiveness on the face of conservative militarism and capitalist agitprop - as one (tha last reviewer in order of "helpfulness") said, fascist wet dream/fantasy. Most blatant example comes already at episode 4, where the "radical" leftist/socialist professor is put in the same mold as radical Islamic "jihadists" - it's a world and olympic record, gold medal of all gold medals in propagandistic reversal of reality. Oh my god, the episode should be studied in schools, and researched by "radicals" all over the world's universities.
The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002)
"Resisting temptations of American society"
Hilarious, but only for couple of minutes at the time !!!
This is a great insight into the mind of average American simpleminded Islamophobe and self-absorbed chauvinist, suffering from delusion of grandeur.
Most amusing part of the movie must be dialog between two caricatures of an Arab-Muslim-Iranian-Punjabi-allinoneAfghan..... um Muslims, during the scene of making "nuclear" device - one has something on his head :-) It's like watching Monty Python sketch.
Spy Game (2001)
"Intelligent" Hollywood, intelligent movie; Other still evil incompetent enemy-idiots
"Intelligent Hollywood", "intelligent movie", but all Other are still evil incompetent enemy-idiots. In significant departure from his obsession - revenge theme - Tony takes us on another of his patriotic rides. So be it. But, "clever" spy-movie? Is it, really - why?! Because its "brainy", not "action-y" - well, spies using their brains in solving problems in their profession is unheard of - that's about all that stands behind good-to-excellent reviews. Yes, it's a stylish too, with interesting framing and pace. At the end, if it looks look like and smells like, it must be you know like what.
Left Behind (2014)
Praise Allah
What a great movie, it forced me to become a Muslim ! Hallelujah !
Boj na Kosovu (1989)
Serbian "The Birth of a Nation"
"The Battle of Kosovo", 1989 TV film is, of course, completely fictitious account of an historical event - a battle which took place in the Kosovo Field six centuries ago, between Ottoman Empire military and military coalition of central and south European Christian kingdoms and principalities. However, it was produced with very specific purpose and intent in extremely precarious times for Serbia and Yugoslav union: as media centerpiece for ethnic mobilization of Serbs in Serbia and around Yugoslavia prior to the war of the 90's.
Film itself was produced as a part of the centennial celebration of this historic battle, which took place exactly 600 years ago to 1989. Central event, which attracted audience of over a million Serbs, most of whom came from Serbia proper, was held on June 28 1989 on an open meadow known as Gazimestan at Kosovo Field, a battle historic site near city of Pristina - today capital of Republic of Kosova, at the time Yugoslav autonomous province in grave turmoil already for entire decade, which culminated in unlawful stripping of provincial autonomy by Serbian political establishment just year or so prior to film release and anniversary celebration. Gathering at Gazimestant peaked, and is today remembered for, with then-president of Socialist Republic of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, notorious Gazimestan Speech.
And like Milosevic speech and gathering itself, movie too gained its notoriety among researchers and wider public outside Serbia as an example how media, and art in particular, got involved assuming an ominous role in social and political justification of constitutional breach, one that led to Socialist Republic of Serbia absorption of the province and later into its preparation for soon to erupt wars and ethnic cleansing, masterminded and steered by political and military leadership of this former republic, with Slobodan Milosevic at its helm, and which ensued just two years later and raged for entire decade, taking lives of hundreds of thousands, mostly non-Serbs, and livelihood and dignity of a millions of people including countless Serbs.
In that sense numerous researchers and historians, even in Serbia among more progressive intellectuals and critics, often place "The Battle of Kosovo" into "propaganda film" category, or more broadly, into Serbian wider pre-90's war propaganda effort in preparation for what was coming around the corner.
And since it certainly fits the bill, this piece of propaganda film can be and is perceived as Serbian version of "The Birth of a Nation" or "Triumph of the Will", only executed with much, much less talent and with little if any wider influence on development of art of filmmaking. Though, like both of these anthological master-pieces, "The Battle of Kosovo" too provides some poetical and visual appeal, depending on taste, and like both "The Birth of a Nation" and "Triumph of the Will", despite some obvious and palpable qualities, it was too immersed into deep controversy.
Unfortunately, however, with its narrations, poetics and imaging in portrayal of an "old enemy" and intruding "Other", the "Turk", film was extremely efficient in stimulating regressive identity atavisms, by signaling and directing viewers emotional reactions toward the "New Turk" of the age: Bosnian Muslim -Bosniaks and Kosovar Muslim -Albanians. As such it had enormous and undeniable influence on perpetuation of hatred and myth-making, while encouraging rise of new wave of Serbian ethno-nationalism, ethnic and social mobilization which will explode into vengeful war campaigns against this perceived new "old enemy", despite obvious anachronism, just two years later, between 1991 and 2000, with horrible and tragic consequences.
Los últimos días (2013)
Trailers , tracks, cars
So, humanity of the 21st century, the advanced civilization of mega-construction ventures which turned Earth into hive of glass, steel and concrete, crashes due to the epidemic of lethal agoraphobia ?
The doom and utter humanity failure is best illustrated by the film authors when the main hero crosses a smaller city square at the end - beside regular "love conquer fear" trope, it panders viewer to ask whether the epidemic caused a scourge of fear of the open space or the impasse of immense stupidity ? Or did he take man's ingenuity and imagination ?
In the Blood (2014)
It's Gina Carrano, ...in feature film
I don't know if this is Gina's first ever film, or if she could ever learn to act, and I don't care - she is terrible as actress here, but she is still a champion and charismatic girl - that much we all know. I love her just for being in front of camera and show of some of her moves, although plot isn't that bad, at least not as much as acting. This is a film that usually gets between 1 and 3, 4 at most, but I'll give it 6, although I was tempted to give it 7 or 8 :-)
Interstellar (2014)
Never was I this much ambivalent about the film Deus Ex McConaughey
(Earlier: Trump in space: America First. Nolan brothers promised, as James Rocchi put it, "outer-space majesty and deep-thought topics like some modern variation on Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey". Interstellar, as absolute "A" production, is mediocre Hollywood crap ! It fails in every department, both science & fiction, but that was never good enough reason for failure: many SciFi films failed in science but excelled in fiction and storytelling, acting, plot, details, dialogues, etc. This one was not even close to excel. I hated it's infantile basic plot premise "love transcends the limits of time and space",... and many embracing dialogues. Next in line is idea of faux all-American heroism, a patriotism masked as concern for "human race", faux American superior technology (we are left to imagine that everyone else on Earth already sank into the Dark Ages), and mythological unshakable will to go forward in the face of ultimate, apocalyptic adversity - who is better suited for "riding" NASA's rocket through the "wormhole" so that he can save the world, then white-Christian faithful farmer-engineer-pilot from Texas !? As one writer (David Edelstein) put it, "Nolan & his brother, Jonathan, clearly wants Interstellar to be a great American epic - The Grapes of Wrath II: The New Vintage". Eh, the amount of pathos: patriotism, family, American mythology & heroics - I was, I am, all cowed ! Only great act of entire movie is Michael Caine's dying scene (make it two: Damon's "lazarus scene"), but you have to try really hard to remove his reciting of Dylan Thomas from your mind later. Ehhhh, take us to the starsssssseh... Cooouuupeh !
But then again, ... it's compelling to a degree, well crafted to a degree, many plot holes, unnecessary tearjerkers, lazy sciences, what's not - but I prefer this film on dull afternoons rather than many other high productions.
Occupy Unmasked (2012)
Horror, horror, horror...
Heavily edited material + outright lies with one purpose, and one purpose only - to create misleading ideological propaganda. Subject of this video, which they call "documentary", is irrelevant when you realize who made it. People behind it are dangerous extremists, one fortunately departed ever since, but some others are in White House as of January 2017 ! It's a nightmarish scenario, one which unfolded in front of our eyes, and which now puts life on Earth in extreme peril. Good luck to us all, we'll gonna need it, as we are entering new medieval Dark Ages: for its proponents, in mold of Trumper's, LePener's, Wilderser's, and Bannoner's, this is an ideal world. It's a world of religious prosecution, neo-fascism, corporate hegemony, "alternative facts" and Newspeak.
Anger Management (2012)
Trash!
This show is probably made for Charlie, so that he can make some sort of comeback from the grave, literally grave. So, acting is amateurish or worse, writing is deplorable or worse, directing is worse or nonexistent, ...but hey, it's Charlie and he's back from the dead - Charlie the junkie, Charlie the alcoholic, Charlie the sex addict, Charlie with anger issues, ...um, ...why not put this life of his on paper and shoot couple of seasons !? Well, humor is in the eye of beholder. There are more people on this page who had written an eulogy for this trash, then those who expressed suicidal thoughts in their comments as an allergic reaction. I mean, really...
Valentino's Ghost: Why We Hate Arabs (2015)
Best documentary on the subject ever made
It's a best documentary on the subject ever made ! One could argue that is because it's only film on the subject ever made, but even with that possibility in mind this Documentary is outstanding, overwhelming, stunting, accurate, depictive, revealing, illuminating, informative, educational, and if you want it's a unique. It should be watched by as many westerners as possible, especially in this time and in this world, where we are sold on greatest evils of all - perpetuated war, infinite in deaths, money, and hate, in which enemies are well defined, faceless but recognizable through well established tropes based on hate, racism, prejudices and Islamophobia.
The Messengers (2015)
There is no god, only agitprop!
Jesus fukin Christ now I have another evidence example to prove you never existed, nor does your "Father"!
After seeing this abomination, a filth full of racist, misogynistic & Islamophobic references - dark skin woman obviously must have dark soul, in accordance to good ol' Anglo-Saxon "believe", not to mention one of the characters of Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, namely War, is a Muslim ! Really ?! A Muslim !? What a fukin surprise - I expect number of atheists to rise.
Basically it's a religious, sleazy and cheap, knockoff of Sci-Fi show Heroes (but in style of Sharknado, Ghost Shark, 2-Headed Shark Attack, Sand Shark, etc.).
Having said that, it should be noted that quality show such as Heroes makes many fine, subtle references to religious themes, using symbolism and refined parables. In the meantime, this cheap religious propaganda uses blunt devices that wreak havoc upon person's senses, & CNS as a whole.
This King's Georg* bible fairy-tale attempt to appeal to young, white Americans, religious crowd, Christian fundamentalists, and it shows how one can rely on Evangelical preaching, Texas style, and still be a hero like in those blasphemous Sci-Fi TV shows and films.
Although, authors geography of Great State of Texas is somewhat anomalous :-)
* It should write James - eh fck it, Georg, James, who cares :-), that book is still perfidious manipulation.
The Only Good Indian (2009)
You don't like this film, I wonder why ?!
In The Only Good Indian we peek at this particular fragment of US (and Canadian) history from First Nations point of view, and follow a tale which is just a part of the voluminous story of how Impostor Americans took place of Real Americans, after committing genocide, unprecedented in human history - Europeans exterminated possibly up to 80 million (some estimate even up to 100 million) of indigenous Americans (Real American), from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, since 1492. Plot is set in US, sometime in late 19th century or early 1900's, which makes it even harder to swallow, although with the amount and level of racism, exceptionalism, Islamophobia, and all kinds of chauvinism and discriminations in Americas today, especially in US, this statement might be redundant or dubious, maybe even unnecessary. On the other hand reaction of certain individuals here and elsewhere, placed as reviews and/or comments, are truly appalling, no mater how predictable and expected. Bottom line, the film taking point of view which is rare in American cinematography - invisible people's point of view, which shed light on inconvenient history and criminal past.
The Thing (2011)
What were they thinking
I was so trilled when I heard that "they" making a prequel to John "The Master" Carpenter's "Thing". Oh, I couldn't wait !
And then after I seen it, I was ready to turn into film-terrorist and make fusion furnace out of Hollywood.
How can you fail so terribly with such an opportunity, with plain, clean sheet of canvas that is left behind Carpenter, on which you can work a pure prequel magic with an altogether magical idea !?!
I don't even thinking on absence of horror - it's not scary, it's not suspenseful, it's not tense, it's not dark, it's not exciting - I actually want to point out that film is illogical from the get-go, where poorly developed characters are incredible stupid even for teenagers let alone scientists, director and writer are both morons trying to make this prequel look as much identical as possible to the original (this is true !). Some characters are completely unnecessary, like for example young American palaeontologist - really, Norwegians couldn't find any in Norway or Europe - but that bit I can understand and accept since it's an American film primarily made for Americans (maybe that explains a lot ;-)), so we have couple of Americans, OK. But wait, young American female scientist, just few years past her teenage shenanigans becomes a leader, and I mean in every sense of the word, among couple of world-wide famous Norwegian scientists and dozen of deranged Vikings - really !? They all listen to her, science-wise, or "battle tactics"-wise, and so she lead them (well, to death, mostly).
At one point, after she announced that nobody should leave or escape alive or in any other shape or form, and that any of them could be the "Thing", and that leaving the place in small groups is exactly what "spaceman" wants, because then It can kill them much easily if they find themselves alone with him, she suddenly really struggles to save two other Americans who survived impossible, just to lock them both, together in the same room !?!
I can't torture my self any longer ! Just to say - pity ! - prequel with all the possibilities of the great idea of the original is absolutely unwatchable ! Whyyyyy ? Hollywood rot in Hell !
Entourage (2004)
Shallowness & stupidity as supreme coolness & totally emancipated American girls-sex-toys
Stereotyping people is never cool!
This show is suppose to be cool, clever tale about young, handsome, clever and talented urchins, who enjoy their high style life in Hollywood.
And it's not surprise that show is conceived by one such street kid from Boston, whom I always appreciated as a good actor, but who now suddenly trying to pretend to be artistic genius and intellectual author and able to produce TV homage to Hollywood style street scamp wisdom.
That's suppose to be funny and entertaining, intelligent and cool !? When you append constant sex, which has sense and substance as any cheesy soft-porn, in which women are present only as object and with sole purpose to serve and please our boys, and to some extent to trill our fellow viewer imagination. In these long eight years we have been subjected to episode after episode of one and the same plot, flavored with stupid, immature jokes and criminally stupid and immature dialogs, lots of Ferrari, Porsche, and other flashy sports cars, and women portrayed as brainless sex-toys, Hollywood assistants and secretaries as slaves, managers and bosses as dealer/mongers at some early 1990's East-Europena provincial street vegetable open market or rather as cavemen whose only way of communicating is humiliation, swearing, bulling, abusing sexually or otherwise, laying, and appreciation of as vulgar as possible obsequiousness above all.
While I accept that Hollywood is exactly like show portrays and certainly much worst, full of beautiful young talents with their IQ smaller then their shoe size, I am still nowhere near the state of mind which craves for this kind of masochism.
But you can always find some great inside look films, for instance about low-level Hollywood in "Mistress", my favorite.