Media Notes: Roundup for February 2024

 

 

  

 

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during  February 2024.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• The Predator (2018. Action. Adventure. Horror). "When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race." Another entry in the series. While I like the series, given low ratings I've seen I am going in with low expectations. At this point, the U.S. Government is fully aware of the predators, well, the shady parts of the government, and they want to keep it hidden no matter what. Early on you can tell this is one of those movies where whatever the government wants to hide will not stay hidden long, mayhem will happen, and the soldier they imprisoned to keep him quiet, because he saw a predator ship, will have to save the day. The veterans can be a bit entertaining, likely the good humor part of the film. The scientist is your typical for this kind of movie smart woman that the other science guys may or not appreciate. That she sort of becomes badass along the way is a bit of a stretch to be honest. I am not saying you needed dame in distress, but yea, was she also in the rangers and not tell anyone? The "autistic" boy is your typical for movies way to put in a genius without it being an adult. It's the often annoying stereotype of the autistic kid as a serious savant, and to be honest, I could've done without the kid, but the kid is son of the one soldier, so there is also the estranged father angle. So a lot of the movie is very much by the numbers, and thus not that good. It kind of drags to be honest. The pace does pick up a bit in the final 45 minutes or so (of an hour and 45 minutes). The ending to be honest, which ties up the premise of the film seems a bit of a stretch, even for this kind of movie. The predator concept is already quite a classic, and here it just feels like they are trying to really stretch it to keep the franchise going. The story here is just not that good. Some parts of the film look good, but that is about it. In the end, you are better off going back to the 1987 classic original. 1 out of 5 stars, and barely. Via TubiTv. Watched 2/2.
• R.O.T.O.R. (1987. Action. Science Fiction. Thriller). Plot description: "Robotic Officer Tactical Operation Research. A prototype robot intended for crime combat escapes from the development lab and goes on a killing rampage." This came out the same year as Robocop (Robocop came out in July, and this one later in October of the same year), only this time as often happens in these movies, the prototype escapes and goes on a killing spree. Dr. Coldyron creates the robot to be a perfect cop, but when the robotic officer escapes the lab in Texas after activating prematurely, he now has to try to stop his creation.The acting is pretty bad, and the script tries to be serious but it is just not good. It's ridiculous in parts and semi-funny on other parts. The plot with the greedy government officials is just ridiculous; it does not really make sense other than to push the overall plot along. Willard, the police robot and assistant, provides a small bit of humor. The movie overall does have a good amount of filler; we do not get to see the robot until about 45 minutes into the film, about halfway. Even after that, the film is just stiff, the plot is seriously flimsy, and the acting is fairly bad. The overall script is just poor. This could have been a semi-decent B-movie at least, but the execution overall is just bad, and the film drags. The very end sort of tries to set up a possible sequel, but that never happened, which is probably for the better. About the only cool thing about this movie is the movie poster. 1 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 2/2.
  
•  To make sure you know this is in Texas, they give you as many hints, besides giving you Dallas as the location. The doctor has a mug that says "Texas" on, he wears cowboy boots, and some of the soundtrack has country music. Also, the cops wear cowboy hats, so yeehaw.

 

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Columbo (1968-2003. Crime. Drama. Mystery). The popular and often beloved series with Peter Falk in the title role. I commented initially on the series back in November 2023 when I started watching it. A fascinating detail to me is that, unlike other detective shows where we the viewer do not know who did the crime until the detective finds out, in this show we already know who did it and how. We just get to watch how Columbo puts it together, and there is the suspense, will he figure it out? Well, we know he does, but it is amusing to watch. The criminals often taunt him, intentionally or not, which never helps them. Watched up to Season 1, Episode 8.
  
• In Season 1, Episode 7, Leslie Nielsen guest stars. 
• Season 1, Episode 8, Roddy McDowall  and James Gregory (some of you may know him also as Inspector Luger in Barney Miller) guest star.
  
• NYPD Blue (1995-2003. Police procedural. Drama). The critically acclaimed police drama from ABC in the late 1990s into early 2000s. I remember watching this back in the day, and I did watch it all the way through, or at least most of it to the very end. For me what always stood up is that poor Sipowicz could never catch a break. Every time things seems to start looking up for him the writers would just mess it up for him somehow, often in very painful ways. Anyhow, Tubi got the full series in so I decided to revisit it. Finished Season 1 and 2.
  
• Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot. I had forgotten how much they could pack into one episode. It is only about 48 minutes, without ads, but at times it feels like a much longer episode. Very intense, the drama does not let up much throughout. The revelation at the end of the one officer who is corrupt was a good twist, which is an example of the surprises the series could offer. 
• As always, for me at least, finding guest stars famous from other places is always a bit of fun. In Season 1, Episode 6, Tobin Bell appears (you may know him from the Saw film series). 
• Also Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzman appears in Season 1, Episode 5; he plays Martinez's father (John Turturro's character). Guzman is one of those actors you often see in small roles here or there. 
• In actors you may know from elsewhere. In early Season 2, Peter Boyle guest stars as Sipowicz's (Dennis Franz) AA sponsor. 
• Detective Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) appears in Season 2 and joins the cast. Meanwhile, Detective Kelly (Caruso) leaves the series. Given how long the series lasted, I had forgotten Kelly left so early in the series. Simone then replaces Kelly. 
• Again, in actors you may know from elsewhere, Frank Sivero plays a local small mobster in Season 2, Episode 16. You may remember him as Frankie Carbone in Goodfellas. In fact, in the episode he looks practically like he did in his Goodfellas role.