review
Reviews of the top geek movies, tv, and books in the industry.
‘The Social Dilemma’ Is Both Powerful and Forgettable
The Social Dilemma is one of the latest Netflix Original documentaries to be released by the platform. In many ways, it feels like an unofficial prequel to The Great Hack, another anti-social media documentary by Netflix. Unlike its predecessor, however, The Social Dilemma largely fails as an educational tool. It offers up surprisingly little in terms of new information and instead relies far more heavily on an overly-dramatic short story. This may not be the most informative documentary in the world, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have something to offer.
MovieBabblePublished 4 years ago in GeeksFever Pitch - A Movie Review
When you said you were a Red Sox fan, I didn’t realize how serious you were. Released to the ballparks in 2005, Fever Pitch is a romantic film about a couple trying to make the best of their relationship. Lindsay learns that Ben is a Red Sox fan. A MAJOR Red Sox fan. As the months go along, their relationship strains, forcing Ben to make a difficult choice.
Marielle SabbagPublished 4 years ago in GeeksFrances Ha: The Quintessential Coming-of-age Film for Idealists
I believe that had this movie been in colour, the honest and most colourful parts of Frances Halladay would’ve been drowned out. The most colourful parts of her are the witty insights, and idiosyncratic mumblings that ironically enough many idealistic millennials can swear they’ve uttered at the most inopportune moments – just like Frances Ha. The cinematic choice to film in black and white strips the movie down to its bare-bones of "relatability," so as to make you reflect on your own relationship with your youthful aspirations and way of being. I say this only because I can recognize this film to be an homage to the all-too-familiar journey of moving away from being idealistic to realistic (as is often the case for many liberal arts-focused youth such as Frances Halladay – an aspiring professional dancer in New York City). The choice to film in black and white helps the audience focus on the internal, yet often unspoken, journey many millennials must face in order to grow up.
Elida DizonPublished 4 years ago in GeeksSecret Window - A Movie Review
The most important part of a story is the ending. So, admit that you plagiarized my story! Secret Window is a 2004 mystery thriller based on the short story of the same name written by Stephen King. Already going through a divorce, Mort Rainey, a successful writer is stalked by a man who claims that he plagiarized his story.
Marielle SabbagPublished 4 years ago in GeeksMy Review of "Project Power"
Project Power is a super power movie came out recently exclusively to Netflix. I can't really classify this movie as a superhero movie because all of the powers that each of the characters contain are dependent on a pill that they take. Still there's elements of a superhero movie in this movie but they did put a twist to it that is unique. The only problem is that the movie doesn't really have anything absolutely spectacular about it.
Brian AnonymousPublished 4 years ago in GeeksReview of ‘The Ninth Life’
Synopsis Filled with heart, hope and beautiful prose, The Ninth Life is a wonderful, weird and unforgettable novel for readers looking for something unique, honest and real. What if your deepest wish came with grim consequences? At the end of Caesar’s feline life, he makes a deal with the goddess Zosma to rejoin Ophelia, the girl he loves, for his ninth and final life. However, waking in the body of seventeen-year-old Austin Price isn’t what he anticipates. Neither is Austin’s handsome roommate, Cooper—a boy who moves him in unexpected ways. And coming face-to-face with a messy past he can’t remember living makes being human even harder than he would have thought. The chaos and wonder of his ninth life urges Austin to get to know Ophelia on human terms and sends him stumbling into complicated friendships that might mean more to him than he ever imagined. But his wish has a price, and even as Austin is pulled in two impossible directions, the very heart beating in his chest is on a countdown of its own—a countdown he has no control over.
Cyn's WorkshopPublished 4 years ago in GeeksReview of ‘Auxiliary: London 2039’
Synopsis The silicon revolution left Dremmler behind but a good detective is never obsolete. London is quiet in 2039—thanks to the machines. People stay indoors, communicating through high-tech glasses and gorging on simulated reality while 3D printers and scuttling robots cater to their every whim. Mammoth corporations wage war for dominance in a world where human augmentation blurs the line between flesh and steel. And at the center of it all lurks The Imagination Machine: the hyper-advanced, omnipresent AI that drives our cars, flies our planes, cooks our food, and plans our lives. Servile, patient, tireless … TIM has everything humanity requires. Everything except a soul. Through this silicon jungle prowls Carl Dremmler, police detective—one of the few professions better suited to meat than machine. His latest case: a grisly murder seemingly perpetrated by the victim’s boyfriend. Dremmler’s boss wants a quick end to the case, but the tech-wary detective can’t help but believe the accused’s bizarre story: that his robotic arm committed the heinous crime, not him. An advanced prosthetic, controlled by a chip in his skull. A chip controlled by TIM. Dremmler smells blood: the seeds of a conspiracy that could burn London to ash unless he exposes the truth. His investigation pits him against desperate criminals, scheming businesswomen, deadly automatons—and the nightmares of his own past. And when Dremmler finds himself questioning even TIM’s inscrutable motives, he’s forced to stare into the blank soul of the machine. Auxiliary is gripping, unpredictable, and bleakly atmospheric—ideal for fans of cyberpunk classics like the Blade Runner movies, Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, and the Netflix original series Black Mirror.
Cyn's WorkshopPublished 4 years ago in Geeks‘The Devil All The Time’ Has All the Star Power, Not Enough Shine
It is rare that I am pleasantly surprised by a movie, especially a Netflix movie. Especially a Netflix movie that so far, has been deemed mediocre by critics and fans alike. Especially an allegedly unimpressive Netflix movie that focuses on Appalachian religion in the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, The Devil All The Time comes in, and I genuinely liked this movie. I never want to watch it again, but Antonio Campos does a great job of building a lot of narrative suspense, which ultimately pays off. It was too long, and the story threads came together in a way that ultimately felt forced, but the all-star cast and general atmosphere still made for, what I thought, was an interesting story.
MovieBabblePublished 4 years ago in GeeksThe Soul Food We Didn't Know We Needed
When most people think of food for the soul, what comes to mind for many might be something more kin to yoga, meditation, or the advice from self-help gurus. These are things I also enjoy from time to time, so I can understand the appeal. However, these days, what has helped feed my soul, is the new Netflix original series titled “Ratched”, a prequel series about Nurse Mildred Ratched, the antagonist from “One Flew Over The Cuckcoo’s Nest”, put together by Ryan Murphy, who is known for his work with “Niptuck” and “American Horror Story”. This is a series I had seen only one trailer for before watching the piolet, having heard nothing about the connection to the iconic nurse. When this realization came, I knew this was going to be something very interesting and exciting, even with watching only the first episode. Watching this first season, I look forward to many more seasons to follow. Being that this story takes place twenty years before the events of “One Flew Over The Cuckcoo’s Nest”, there’s no doubt there’s a lot of ground to cover before everything ties into that famous story line the world knows so well.
Coco Jenae`Published 4 years ago in GeeksLifetime Review: 'The Secret Life of a Celebrity Surrogate'
Down-on-her-luck Olivia Bolton (Carrie Wampler) has been hit with a triple whammy: losing her job, getting kicked out of her apartment, and finding out her boyfriend's been cheating on her all in the same day. Desperate for a way out of her rut, Olivia turns to social media for new employment. It's then that a very lucrative opportunity presents itself: the chance to act as a surrogate for high-profile celebrity Ava Von Richter (Brianne Davis). Charmed by Ava and her fabulous house, Olivia quickly agrees to be her surrogate and is initially welcomed warmly by Olivia and her husband Hayden (Carl Beukes).
Trevor WellsPublished 4 years ago in GeeksMy Review of "Spies in Disguise"
Spies in Disguise is a movie that wasn't really talked about last year when it came out. I keep forgetting how good we have it with animated movies nowadays. We get spoiled at the fact that these family flicks are always pretty well crafted although always follow a generic formula. Still these are family films catered to children so they don't even have the concept of formula. They're not supposed to break the mold.
Brian AnonymousPublished 4 years ago in GeeksMy Review of "Killer Bean Forever"
Killer Bean Forever is a movie that was suggested to me by a friend of mine. She's been going on about it forever and I always kind of brushed it off without thinking too much about it. I finally decided to take the dive not knowing what I was getting myself into because it's a free YouTube movie to watch.
Brian AnonymousPublished 4 years ago in Geeks