Jamie Lammers
Stories (150/0)
Fosse/Verdon Review
This review is from my Letterboxd profile, where I review all the movies and limited series I see. Wow, what a ride. This show has been recommended to me for a while now, and I should have watched it much sooner simply because of the slightly terrifyingly perfect timing. When this show started airing, our school's production of "Chicago" was about to open. I played an ensemble member, Chief Fogarty, and the judge during the courtroom scene. I participated in a lot of dance numbers and had the honor of announcing Velma and Roxie before they performed "Nowadays." I'm not a huge dancer, so being involved in such nuanced choreography was initially very annoying for me. By the end, however, I grew to really love the show and appreciated Fosse's choreography a lot more by the end of it. I'm probably never going to be involved in another Fosse production again, but I'm really glad I got the experience.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
The Day of the Doctor Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review movies and limited series consistently. Yeah, I'll admit, as a piece of media on its own accord, The Day of the Doctor definitely has some structural issues that would actually make this more of a four-star program. That being said, as a Doctor Who fan, there are so many perfectly built-up and established arcs here and the ending (for the most part) is so phenomenal that I have to give it four-and-a-half. Yes, it definitely does appeal to the geeky fan side of me that loves this show (and admittedly, it sometimes does it too much, which I will get into), but overall, this is a really great episode of the show and probably the best 50th anniversary special the crew could have made.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Geeks
Warren Miller's Timeless Movie Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I write movie reviews for everything I see. My school hosted a special showing of this film because part of the film was shot in Eldora, which is actually really close to the school. It prominently features places in Nederland and Boulder and even has a face or two that most of the audience personally knows. Plus, my parents love watching Warren Miller's skiing films, and since this is the 70th film made under his name (even though he had no involvement in the production since he died in 2018), this is a pretty special one. So what did I think? This is another one of those instances where, in terms of the filmmaking, I would probably give this four stars, but in terms of my personal enjoyment of it, I would probably give it three.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Geeks
Punch Drunk Love Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review every movie I see. Well... that was... something. I'm not even sure if I fully comprehend what in the world even happened over the past hour and a half, but I know that there's something here that just completely sucked me in. To me, there's a definite difference between a movie that turns you away because of its weirdness and a movie that sucks you in because of its weirdness. The former makes its plot and characters so nonsensical and so unbelievable that you don't care about what's unfolding on the screen. The latter immediately hooks you in with some strange occurrence, character, or choice that you WANT to know more about and keeps you hooked even if you don't know what you're watching. Punch-Drunk Love is most certainly the latter category for me. I don't think I've pieced everything together by any means, but I WANT to. I guarantee you they're there, but I have no idea where to even start looking for them.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
Swiss Army Man Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review every movie I see. It's been a couple of years since I saw this film for the first time and fell head over heels for it. Rewatching it after all this time affects me even more now. Swiss Army Man is most certainly not a movie for everybody. It's an almost alienatingly strange movie, but in my opinion, it's all the better for it. Its premise is one of the most unique I've seen in a long time, if not ever -- Paul Dano's Hank Thompson finds himself saved from being stranded on an island when a corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe washes up on the shore, and this corpse (who becomes affectionately known as Manny) serves as Hank's guide and multi-purpose tool as he makes his way back home. This is the example I'm going to use for years to come of a movie that shouldn't work at all, let alone as well as it does. However, somehow, in my opinion, Swiss Army Man absolutely nails its universal message with an off-kilter execution that is somehow heartwarming and bizarre at the same time.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
A Quiet Place Part II Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review every movie I see. If the first Quiet Place is a tense, suspenseful thriller, the second one is a visceral, action-packed thrill ride in the best way possible. It's strange having seen the first film only a couple of days before seeing this one, as I felt like that first film straddled the line between intriguing concept and setting up characters for the sequel. That being said, if a setup movie can be as good as the first Quiet Place was and result in a movie as utterly fantastic as this, I won't complain about it in the absolute slightest. A Quiet Place Part II is the perfect example of a brilliant continuation of a film, picking up the story right where it left off while also expanding on everything that wasn't quite clear in the first film.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Horror
Top of the Lake Season 1 Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review movies and limited series I watch. I watched this show over the course of three days. The first two nights, I told myself I could push through this show and the way it was affecting me. I told myself I could handle myself when the finale ultimately came. Then the finale came... and I didn't. I became so openly wound up by the end of this show that I actually went as far as to punch the top of some furniture. I've never been this viscerally affected by a show. Never before has a show so wormed its way into my subconscious as to make me possibly physically repulsed by the events unfolding on the screen. Never before have I actually felt violated by a show. Top of the Lake executed its messages and plot points so perfectly it made me feel genuinely violated. After watching Broadchurch a few years ago, I didn't think there would be any competition for my personal favorite television show of all time. Top of the Lake might just be that competition, and if it isn't, it most definitely deserves to be in my top ten favorite shows, easily.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
Phineas and Ferb: Candace Across the Universe Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review all of the films I watch. Baby, they're back!! It feels so good to say that and to finally see it for myself!! For those of you who don't know, I absolutely ADORE Phineas and Ferb. It was my absolute favorite TV show growing up, and it has a very special place in my heart. Rewatching some of the episodes recently, it's stuck with me just how charming, well-written, and likable the show still is with great characters, fun contraptions, and a self-aware formula that somehow always manages to keep itself interesting. The show is still genuinely good, but it's still always bothered me how it ended. It started off with "Last Day of Summer," which was the absolute perfect finale to cap off a show that was admittedly starting to lose a bit of its steam. Then, it briefly came back with "The OWCA Files," a standalone special that disappointed and at times even angered me with its lackluster plot points, writing, and character moments compared to the original show. That additional special has always left a kind of bitter taste in my mouth since it aired, despite how perfect the ACTUAL finale of this show was. Then the characters were brought back in the new Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh show Milo Murphy's Law, some even staying on as secondary characters, which I honestly didn't even love that much and didn't really get through the first season. So, yeah, there's always been a part of me that always wanted just a little bit more. Then this movie was announced, and I got a little frightened because I anticipated a Phineas and Ferb movie back in 2013 and it was canned, so I didn't want this to be the same scenario. Then sneak previews released, then trailers, then songs, and I realized this was actually finally happening. Now, after finally getting a Disney+ subscription and finding the time to watch this movie, I can say it is absolutely the second finale I so desperately needed.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
The Haunting of Bly Manor
This review comes from my Letterboxd account, where I review all of the movies and limited series I watch. Okay, first, let me get something off of my chest: in all honesty, this is a 4.5-star show in regards to quality. There's an incident that happens in the fourth episode that feels too sudden and even cliche for it to feel realistic, even though it's such a crucial part of the main character's backstory. Along with that, the eighth episode in general, while it's also important in order to learn certain elements of the backstory, is, in my opinion, completely useless and dragged the pacing of the show significantly. Along with that, I found myself a bit more invested in the way the story of Hill House was executed than I did with the execution of Bly Manor's story, which is a nitpick that maybe shouldn't count as criticism but is still definitely there.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
Enola Holmes Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review whatever movies I watch. You know what? This movie managed to surprise me. I thought Enola Holmes was going to be another stereotypical Netflix movie that was good, but nothing particularly memorable. However, I gotta say, I debated giving this 4.5 stars not necessarily because I think it deserves that score on its merit, but because it rises above and beyond what I think most people associate with a Netflix film nowadays. This movie feels like it has its own particular style and energy, and it felt really fresh because of that. If it were released in theaters, I'd probably be harsher on it, but for a movie released on Netflix, this is actually a very pleasant surprise.
By Jamie Lammers2 years ago in Humans
