Ted Bundy: Falling For a Killer (02/28/20)

What is it about true crime stories that captivate audiences in this day of TV streaming and podcasts? Why are we, as consumers of media, drawn to macabre tales of brutality that caused and continue to cause real anguish for real people? I will leave it up to the psychologists and sociologists
of the world to answer the specifics of these questions, but I think the overall answer is pretty clear: as Laura Healy (mother of the second of Ted Bundy’s victims, Lynda Ann Healy) says, it “makes for great entertainment.” I know that sounds harsh, but why else would we seek this type of media out in our free time? When it comes to the story of Ted Bundy in particular, this fascination becomes harmful and callous when, as Healy says, the media discounts “the stories of the women in favor of the central hero.” This is an oversight that Amazon Prime’s new miniseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer attempts to address to varying degrees of success.

By focusing on Bundy’s victims instead of the man himself, Falling for a Killer offers plenty of significant context and background that is often lost in other true crime documentaries. What the creators didn’t seem to understand, however, is that sometimes too much context can be a bad thing. Falling for a Killer has many tangents that, while always related to the main narrative (for lack of a better word), often tried my attention span. While it was inspiring and important to learn about the female reporter breaking the glass ceiling before she turned to the Bundy story, for instance, this slight digression could have been cut to keep the focus on the main events of the case. I often found my mind wandering during the documentary’s five hour run time because of this, and the uninspired visual style of the miniseries didn’t help either. It’s not a great sign when I can write in my notebook for twenty minutes, just listening, and not feel like I missed anything imperative on the screen.

Here’s what I’m getting at: While Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer is undoubtedly a much-needed and long overdue exploration of the true heroes of the story, Bundy’s victims, it is not great entertainment. Regrettably, some of this is because of the focus itself. It is much more appropriate to focus on the victims, but I believe people subconsciously want to focus on the monster because that is what we do when we consume horror stories. If you would allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment, this is something we need to change when dealing with real people. That being said, Falling for a Killer also could have gone to much greater lengths to make itself more entertaining, as that would be the best way to get its point across. How could they have done that outside of tighter focus and better visuals? I don’t know; I am not a documentary maker. All I know is that Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer is significant programing that should have attempted to be more captivating.

Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer is now available on Amazon Prime.

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on February 28th, 2020. Visit at https://keizertimes.com/

Hindsight: I don't like this one. It seems pompous and corny to discuss human nature and to soapbox preach in a review, and I'm a bit embarrassed to read it long after the fact. I also remember that I had a hard time with this review because I didn't want to disregard or minimize the suffering that these people went through by just coming out and saying that this miniseries was pretty boring, which it was. Entertainment value is a difficult thing to discuss when the subject matter is very real crime. 

 

Bojack Horseman Seasons 1-6 (02/14/20)

I don’t know how the myth that cartoons are only meant for the viewing of younger audiences initially came about, but it is an unfair misconception that various creators, animated television shows, and animated movies have had to fight against for generations. Although efforts on behalf of Pixar, The Simpsons, anime, and many other companies and productions have taught us time and time again that animation can be a medium that audiences of all ages can enjoy, I still occasionally come across people that are shocked when a cartoon exhibits an intellect above that of your average fourth grader. Bojack Horseman, whose last episodes just dropped on Netflix, continues the proud tradition of pushing back against the stigma society places on animated media and may just be one of the finest examples of cartoons as art to date.

            One of the most appealing (and frustrating) aspects of Bojack Horseman is how hilariously and heartbreakingly human its characters are. Yes, the show has jokes, and yes, they are as sidesplitting as they are sharp, but the real appeal comes from the honesty in which the writers and actors portray the characters. The titular Bojack Horseman, voiced by Will Arnett, is far more than a goofy anthropomorphic horse: He is a deeply broken and self-destructive alcoholic who you will hate as much as you cheer for. He has his ups and downs, and the show does not sugarcoat the latter as he seeks to become a better (or at least bearable) person. It does not sugarcoat the downs of any of the characters, because Bojack Horseman is, when you come down to it, an ensemble effort on behalf of one of the most talented casts in television: a cast that can make you cry just as easily as it can make you laugh. And it will make you laugh (I can safely say without hesitation that Todd Chavez, voiced by Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, is easily one of the most absurdly entertaining characters in the history of TV. Just saying).

            Bojack Horseman is also not a show that is content to stay in what we would consider normal boundaries. Creativity abounds in each episode, from background sight gags to clever story structures. One of my favorite episodes takes place underwater and has almost entirely no dialogue. Another consists of Bojack giving a eulogy, and… that’s it. An episode that’s just an extended monologue. And it works. Just when you think the show is going to settle down or that it can’t possibly retain its freshness for much longer, it manages to surprise you.

And it does so until the very end. Season 6 is the perfect way to cap off a series that is funny, perceptive, and bravely depressing all at once in a way that is one hundred percent believable, regardless of the equine nature of its protagonist. Bojack Horseman may not always be a fun journey, but it is one that is well worth making nonetheless.

Bojack Horseman seasons 1-6 are now available on Netflix. 

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on February 14th, 2020. Visit at https://www.keizertimes.com/ 

Hindsight: Not really much to add... I think this one still holds up okay. I don't think I've ever used the word "sidesplitting" in real life, though. 

The Mandalorian Season 1 (01/31/20)

 “Hi, nice to meet you. I like Star Wars!”

                While this is not exactly how I introduce myself in social situations, ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that it’s actually not that far off. I’m a simple man; I like books, video games, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, and space wizards and scoundrels going at it in a galaxy far, far away. So when I received word that I could pick my next review assignment, I naturally gravitated towards one of the latest forays into Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian. Season 1, which can now be viewed in its entirety on Disney+, is a thrilling throwback to the western feel of the original Star Wars trilogy and a roller coaster ride the entire way through, even if that roller coaster ride has a tendency to slow down a bit every now and then.

                 One of my favorite things about Star Wars has always been its unique and groundbreaking setting. It’s sci-fi, but only in the loosest definition of the word. There are spaceships and lasers, yes, but it has always been more of a western that just happens to feature those things with a healthy dose of fantasy and samurai action thrown in for good measure. The Mandalorian, however, is almost a pure western in the vein of the Dollars trilogy or True Grit. The action is brilliant and the production values are astounding for a television show thanks to the small episode count (only eight in the first season) and the funding of the House of Mouse. The acting is also amongst the best I have seen in a Star Wars production, in no small part thanks to Pedro Pascal, the titular Mandalorian. I have dabbled in acting myself, and I have no idea how Pascal can emote as minutely as he does, considering the fact that he wears a helmet that covers his face throughout the entire season.

                The Mandalorian season 1 is not quite perfect, however. Despite the small episode count, the story can still occasionally drag and there is some obvious filler. There is an episode that is almost an entire plot reference to The Magnificent Seven, for instance, that felt unnecessary and a bit silly. But hey, Star Wars is Star Wars, and this small complaint does not change my insistence that everyone, fans and non-fans alike, should see The Mandalorian.

                “Wait, shouldn’t that last sentence end with “as soon as possible” if it’s as great as everyone is saying it is?”

                Good question, attractive and wise reader, and one that leads me to a bit of an issue that must be addressed: Disney+. Is it worth getting a subscription to yet another streaming service just to watch The Mandalorian? Not really, unless you have kids who love Disney movies. While there are a few things that I enjoy on the service besides The Mandalorian such as The Simpsons, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and a delightful documentary series about Disney Imagineering, Disney+’s library is, overall, a bit underwhelming for adults at this point, although more originals will be added in the future. This is to be expected, considering the fact that the platform only launched this last year, but I would still recommend waiting until there is more content available before signing up.

                But when you do, watch The Mandalorian. You will not be disappointed. I have spoken.

                The Mandalorian season 1 is now available on Disney+.

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on January 31st, 2020. Visit at https://www.keizertimes.com/ 

Hindsight: Hey, my humor is starting to peek through a bit. Also, it is now August 11th and Disney+ still doesn't really have much to draw me. Stupid virus. 

The Witcher Season 1 (01/03/20)

I have a confession: As much as I like watching films and television, I generally prefer a nice book to anything that comes from a silver screen. This means that when Hollywood (or in this case, Netflix) inevitably exhausts their already minuscule supply of original ideas and decides to adapt a printed story, the product is almost always inferior to the original no matter how good it is on its own. The best thing an adaptation could do, in my opinion, is inspire the viewer to peruse the work that inspired it. I have never read The Witcher Saga by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski (or have played any of the critically acclaimed video games based on the series), but the Netflix adaptation certainly makes me want to dip my toes into the lore despite some noticeable growing pains the first season suffers.

               One problem afflicting the eight-episode long debut of The Witcher is a lack of accessibility. Despite some familiar fantasy tropes, I was often bewildered as the show threw unfamiliar terms and concepts at me with little interest in explaining them. Not only this, but the story itself is structured in a bizarre way. The Witcher focuses on three different characters: Geralt (the titular Witcher, a “mutant” monster hunter with magical abilities), Cirilla (a young princess), and Yennefer (a formerly deformed mage) as they find adventure in their three different storylines. What the show neglects to tell you until the fourth episode is that these storylines all take place at different times, and the characters themselves do not even come together until the final episode. The end result is a mismatch of different occurrences that make the experience feel fairly alienating and sometimes even baffling.

               Despite this, there is still a lot of good to be found in The Witcher. The acting is top notch and the production values are simply stunning. There is swordplay and action galore, all of it thrilling and brutally realistic. This leads me to a very important point: The show is TV-MA and well deserves the rating. People are dismembered and disemboweled frequently, and nudity and vulgarity are not uncommon. Do not show this to your kids unless they are particularly accustomed to adult themes.

               All in all, I enjoyed The Witcher season 1 quite a bit despite its flaws. I was entertained and look forward not only to season 2, but also to reading the books. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all an adaptation needs to do.

               The Witcher season 1 is now available on Netflix.

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on January 3rd, 2020. Visit at https://www.keizertimes.com/ 

Hindsight: this review seems a bit more streamlined than my more recent ones. I didn't get bogged down in the introduction, and that's always been a problem for me. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

The Irishman (12/21/19)

 

    “Nowadays, young people, they don’t know who Jimmy Hoffa was. They don’t have a clue. I mean, they know that he disappeared or something, but that’s about it. But back then, there wasn’t nobody who didn’t know who Jimmy Hoffa was.” 

            Even as someone who received his bachelor’s degree in history, I must admit that Robert De Niro’s character, the titular Irishman Frank Sheeran, has a point. I vaguely recall learning about Hoffa (here played by the always mesmerizing Al Pacino) in Mr. Litchfield’s infamous AP U.S. History course, but really… how important of a historical figure can he be if he’s not mentioned in Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire? Turns out he was very important, as Hoffa’s life and schemes, as well as Martin Scorsese’s resultant film, cast a focused light on a time when organized crime and politics went hand in hand and gangsters had influence over everything from the election of presidents to foreign policy.

            De Niro’s Frank Sheeran, a working man turned mob hitman turned labor union official is the true core of the film, however. And what can I say about De Niro that hasn’t been said before? The man can act. Every single person in this cast can act. What else should one expect when one of the most acclaimed directors of our time gets such names as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci (in his first roll since his unofficial retirement from the film business) to act out what can only be described as a passion project? I was particularly impressed with Ray Romano as Bill Bufalino, for no other reason than my previous belief that he exclusively did comedies. Saying that De Niro didn’t really stand out in this cast is the best possible compliment I can give to the overall prowess displayed by these fine actors. 

            As much as we can depend on these actors giving great performances, we can count on Martin Scorsese being Martin Scorsese. That means lots of tracking shots, a plethora of freeze frames, and an abundance of voiceovers and flashbacks (at one point there is a flashback within a flashback within a flashback). As much as I respect and admire the man, I couldn’t help but feel like the movie would have benefited from someone reigning in his more self-indulgent tendencies. The first of these that must be addressed is the runtime. At three hours and twenty-nine minutes, The Irishman is long even for a modern Scorsese movie. Hoffa himself does not show up until the forty-six minute mark. Very rarely did I come across a scene that I felt could be cut completely (only one comes to mind, in fact), but I firmly believe that they could have easily edited the film down to a much more manageable three hours by utilizing some restraint. Did they feel like they could get away with it because it was a Netflix production, or were people too afraid to ask the famous director “Do we really need this five minutes of Robert De Niro traveling silently by himself?” Doesn’t matter. The end result is the same: an inevitable decline in enthusiasm for the considerable talents on display as your backside gets more and more sore.

            This being a Scorsese movie, there is also more swearing and violence in The Irishman than a high school locker room. Realistic? Absolutely. Something a parent should bring the kiddies to? Not unless the kid is, for some odd reason, and ardent fan of three and a half hour crime dramas. This movie is hard R, make no mistake.

            It is also by no means a feel good, “Let’s go to the theater to relax and have fun” type of  movie, although that is probably obvious. If you are looking for a bright, breezy time, look elsewhere. Although the film shows glimpses of humor here and there, it is mostly a great movie about bad guys. Despite Sheeran’s talk of being a family man who does everything for his daughters, the guy is quite obviously a sociopath who says on multiple occasions that his murderous actions do not cause him any guilt in the slightest. People die, children get traumatized, and by the end Scorsese wordlessly asks the question “What was it all for? Was it worth it?” Powerful, yes. Fun, no.

            Overall I give it an 8/10 for its astounding artistry and beauty. The only reason I don’t give it 10/10? My backside demands vengeance, and vengeance my backside will have.

            The Irishman is now available of Netflix. 

This review was first published in The Keizertimes on December 21st, 2019. Visit at https://www.keizertimes.com/ 

Hindsight: I was unused to writing for a newspaper at this point, so I didn't really have a voice yet. My writing is usually very silly, and that does not come across at all in this. I also sound a bit pretentious. Oh well. Live and learn. 

The Blog

Hello there. Thank you for stumbling upon my blog this lovely day. I don't really know how to do blogs, so be gentle. It's my first time. 

Ever since I first learned how to write, I have loved to do so. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am not a very social person, and there are plentiful reasons for this. Sometimes in conversations it takes me a while to find the right words, if I find them at all. Even more often I find myself wanting to slink away from whatever party or dance or hootenanny I find myself in altogether so I can read, watch T.V., or play video games in my room alone. Part of this is social anxiety (I had it before it was cool! These days everyone and their cat has been diagnosed with anxiety/depression/whatever, but I like to think I set the trend) and part of it is the fact that I simply like structure. This is what draws me to writing, television, and films: everything is thought out in advance, and the right words are always there. When writing I can take the time to perfect my language, express myself more clearly, and go back and edit stuff that I regret. Can't do that in "real life." 

I also enjoy writing because it is a thrill to entertain. This is what my primary purpose was when writing my first novel, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Apocalypse (check it out on Amazon, unless you're one of the five people that have bought it already), and it is my primary purpose when writing T.V. and movie reviews for my local newspaper, The Keizertimes. I would be lying, however, if I said I didn't also write for the attention. I like it when people bring up my articles in conversation with me, and I like being able to tell strangers I just met that I wrote a novel that has four whole reviews on Goodreads (too much self deprecation? I feel like that's too much self deprecation.) So what about those who don't get The Keizertimes or who are too cheap to buy my book? How do I entertain them and how do I get their attention? 

A blog could help. 

I will be posting the reviews that I write (and will write) for The Keizertimes here. Hopefully we will have fun. Maybe we'll even learn something about ourselves and the nature of the universe on the way. Or maybe you'll just shrug and move on to the next website. I'm fine with that too. The writing is really for me, after all.  

Enjoy. 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Apocalypse: https://www.amazon.com/Funny-Thing-Happened-Way-Apocalypse/dp/1985762153/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+funny+thing+happened+on+the+way+to+the+apocalypse&qid=1597165418&sr=8-1

The Keizertimes: https://www.keizertimes.com/