Category Archives: Bullying

2012, Amusing banter, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bullying, Career Competition, Comedy, Crude Talk, Disrespect toward women, Eccentric cast of characters, Flirting, Happy ending, Kanopy streaming, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Pratfalls, Revenge, Romance, Vulgar

Demoted (2012)

From Kanopy:

The producer of American Pie presents a hilarious look at what happens when two mid-level sales associates are DEMOTED to the company secretarial pool.

From Kanopy you can stream this 95 minute piece of funny, barely acceptable trash.

Today it seems there are no holds barred on what salacious things you can say out loud in a film.  Needless to say the film was rated Restricted for crude (to say the least) language.

David Cross, who played Tobias Funke in “Arrested Development”, was the only actor I recognized. As a hapless villain he is quite successful.

If nothing else recommends the film, at least it is funny and has a happy, sappy ending.

I LOVE TRASH!

 

2021, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, Big Pharma, Bullying, Career Competition, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Cover-up, DO NOT MISS, Eccentric Detective, Failed Father, Father-daughter relations, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Greed, Lawyers, Mental Illness, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Opioids, Reconciliation, Schizophrenia, Suspense, Trial Scenes, Wonderful acting

Goliath Season 4 (2021)

From Amazon Prime:

In the final season, after Patty takes a job at a prestigious white-shoe law firm in San Francisco, Billy returns to his Big Law roots. Together, they try to take down one of America’s most insidious Goliaths: the opioid industry.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of this last available season. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

As I have mentioned before,  you do best watching this series beginning with season 1, remembering that season 2 offers some ugly scenes.  Many characters have remained throughout the four seasons, notably  Billy’s sidekicks as well as some old enemies. Surprisingly Donald Cooperman (played by William Hurt) plays a positive role in resolving the lawsuit.  Wonderful performances are provided by:

  • Bruce Dern plays the good brother Frank Zax.
  • J.K. Simmons plays the evil brother George Zax.
  • Jena Malone plays the lawyer Samantha Margolis who is suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Part of the fun, as usual, is watching all the “Lawyer Trickery Bullshit” (which is the title of episode 7) as Billy and friends battle the opioid industry.

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Amputation as revenge, Amputee, Bloody scenes, Boating, Bullying, Clever Plot, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Creepy, Dancing, Dark, Dark family secrets, Disturbing Image, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric Detective, Ethical struggles, Explicit sexual discussion, False Accusations, False Imprisonment, Father-daughter relations, FBI, Flashbacks, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Gory, Grim, Grisly, Hopeless Love, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Masturbation, Murder, Narcissist, Nuns, Occasional gore, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Prostitute, Psychopath, Revenge, Ruthless Killer, Sex Scenes, Sexual Perversion, Sociopath, Strongly Discouraged, Suicide, Suspense, Unscrupulous drive to power, Upsetting ending, Violent, Well developed plot, Wrongful Arrest

Goliath Second Season 2 (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

Billy McBride returns to criminal defense, taking on a grisly double murder case. His client is a 16-yearold boy, and Billy’s damn sure he’s innocent. Billy, Patty, and the team fervently build their case in the seedy underworld of Los Angeles. As the murders’ true culprits come to light, the implications reach as far as the mayoral race — and the city’s preeminent billionaire developer.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 4 seasons of this lawyer series.  This review is just for season 2 which consists of 8 episodes where each episode is roughly one hour.

Normally I am recommending films. Here, however, I am strongly warning you that this is a ugly season. For one example, the chief villain amputates limbs from people who offend him.  For another example, one of the chief’s underlings suffers from “eroticized childhood trauma”, in which he can only get sexual pleasure from watching someone sooth an amputated limb. Heard enough?

To further clinch my discouraging review,   although some of the criminals suffer their just punishments, several innocent people are falsely imprisoned or killed.  As a final nail in this season’s coffin is that I purposely reveal that the chief villains succeed gloriously in their crimes and are so clever that they escape prosecution.

On the positive side (really?) the plot, good acting, detailed clever deceptions, utter evil of the conspirators, and the interactions of multiple characters make the story grimly watchable.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  STRONGLY DISCOURAGED!

2021, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Bullying, Clever Plot, Computer hacking, Corny at times, Detective, Extramarital Affair, False Accusations, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Identity Theft, Impersonation, Kidnapping, Marital Infidelity, Mildly Violent, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Plot twists, Suspense, TV news industry, TV Reporter, Unscrupulous reporter

Click Bait (2021)

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From Netflix:

Pia Brewer races to find Nick when he appears in an online video, bloodied and holding a sign that reads: “At 5 million views I die.”

From Netflix you can stream the 8 episodes of this mystery thriller. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Who kidnapped and killed Nick?  At first he is shown in an online video, bloodied and holding a sign that reads: “At 5 million views I die.”  As the 5 million viewers constantly view the video he holds other signs saying he abused women or that he killed a woman.

Each episode is from the viewpoint of one of the people involved in the plot such a family members, a detective, and an unscrupulous reporter.  There are several plot twists. Just when you think you know what is going on,  some new game changing fact comes to light. Along the way many people suffer loss and betrayal.

Some editing would have removed a bit of unnecessary footage.  At times the plot veers toward the maudlin.  Still,  it is a clever shape-shifting plot.

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Anti-Semitism, Attempted Rape, Attempted Suicide, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Career Competition, Conspiracy, Corrupt Military, Detective, Drama, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Forensics, Jewish Culture, Mental Illness, Mild Torture, Military, Military Corruption, Military School, Mother-son relations, Murder by poison, Old-Fashioned, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Police Politics, Portraiture, Possibly upsetting ending, Psychopath, Psychotic Attacks, Sadism, Self-harm, Spiritualist, Suspense, Vienna of 1900, Violent

Vienna Blood (2019)

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From PBS Streaming:

A student of Sigmund Freud and an Austrian detective team up to solve some of the most mysterious and deadly cases in early 1900s Vienna.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can watch 6 episodes, each lasting about 45 minutes.  Each of the three stories encompasses 2 episodes.

Changes were happening in 1900s Vienna.   Oskar Reinhardt is an Austrian detective who, when the series begins, is used to old-school methods that can involve using violence against suspects.  Little by little he adapts to using the newer methods of Max Liebermann. Max is a doctor working in a hospital run by a bully that is fond of using electrotherapy.  Max, as a student of Sigmund Freud, is more attuned to using psychological methods for understanding and curing his patients.

One important theme is Vienna’s virulent  antisemitism.  Max is the eldest son of an observant Jewish family.  As a subplot, Max is engaged to one woman (a Jewess) but falls in love with one of his patients (a gentile) whom he cured using Freudian methods.

Oskar is in constant mourning over the death of his young daughter. As a result his wife has at least temporarily left him.

In each of the 3 murder cases, Oskar stands fast against the prejudices and rush to judgement of his superiors.  Similarly Max stands fast against the malpractice of his own superiors.

Be at least warned that the third story leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Old-fashioned and well-done drama.

2009, Abandoned child, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Child abuse, Could Be Hard To Watch, Emotional child abuse, Father-son relations, Grim, Grisly, Narcissistic Personality, Occasional gore, Pedophilia, Psychopath, Rape, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Unloved Child, Violent

Above Suspicion (2009)

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From Amazon Prime:

Does rookie detective Anna Travis have what it takes to succeed in what is still mostly a man’s world? Based on the bestselling novels by Lynda La Plante, this hit British police drama is a “younger, sassier successor to Prime Suspect” (The Telegraph, U.K.)

From Amazon Prime you can stream seasons 1 and 2 of the 4 existing seasons. Season 1 consists of 2 episodes lasting roughly an hour each. Season 2 consists of 3 episodes each lasting about 45 minutes.

“Grim” is the word that immediately comes to mind.  An effort was made to present some really gory scenes.  Fortunately the two stories offer plots that are good enough to warrant watching. Fortunately, I say, because the lead detective DCS James Langton is played by Ciarán Hinds who as a loud ham of an actor is a bit hard to take.  His sidekick opponent Anna Travis learns to stand up to Langton’s offish bullying.

Gory but watchable.

2021, Arson, Attempted Murder, Bullying, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Eccentric Detective, Failed Father, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Fist Fight, Forensics, High school students, Israeli culture, Israeli Detective, Jealousy, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, School Shooting, Teenagers, Torture, Violent, Wrongful Arrest

Black Space (2021)

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From Netflix:

A rogue detective with unorthodox means leads an investigation into a massacre committed by unicorn mask-wearing assassins at an Israeli high school.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of this Israeli high school gun massacre series. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Rami Davidi is the detective. He is losing his left eye because he was attacked in his high school days by fellow students at the same high school when the assassinations take place. As such, he carries a grudge against the school whose principle never helped him when he was attacked.

For awhile a Palestinian school maintenance man is accused. But Rami figures out that the shootings were carried out by some of the students.  When everyone finally believes Rami,  then little by little the students turn on one another.

Unless Israeli high school students are really a vicious, depraved set of people, I would prefer to assume that their portrayal in this series is an ugly exaggeration for the sake of a crime story.  Perhaps I was just plain lucky to attend an all-boys Catholic high school in Baltimore.

Overly long, almost to the point of boring, watching the fairly large set of students with unfamiliar names devour each other is a bit of a blood sport.

Yikes!

2018, Accidental Death, Basically Sad, Bullying, Child abuse, Drama, Flashbacks, Friendship, High school students, Kanopy streaming, Personal Betrayal, Physical child abuse, Romance, Suicide, Teenagers, Tragedy

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2018)

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From Kanopy

An enigmatic detective (Kyle Chandler) embarks on a cross-country search for a once-prominent author (Logan Lerman) who’s mysteriously disappeared after a string of dangerous arsons have targeted his celebrated but controversial first novel.

From your local library you can get help joining kanopy.com. Kanopy offers free films for streaming. Each town has its usage rules. For example, belmontpl.kanopy.com allows you 10 films per month.  None of the films are current and many are quite old.  Quality varies greatly.  Among the selections are documentaries, science, as well as entertainment.

From Kanopy you can stream this two hour complete drama.  Acting, plot, and production values are well done.  Why has the successful author Sidney Hall become a book-burning recluse?  Watching the answer unfold is worth the effort.

1999, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Controlling personality, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Escaped Convicts, Failed Father, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Homophobia, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Reconciliation, Ruthless Killer, Suspense, Violent

Rites of Passage (1999)

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From Amazon Prime:

When lawyer DJ Farraday discovers his father has been having an affair, the two drive out to the remote family cabin to talk it over. What neither expects is DJ’s estranged gay brother Campbell will already be there for a weekend retreat with his boyfriend. But father and sons are forced to put aside their grievances when two escaped convicts show up and putting everyone lives in danger.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 32 minute film

Over twenty-two years  the styles of film making have changed remarkably.  As witness to that fact, this film feels very old-fashioned.  Acting in this production seems almost stage-like or somehow exaggerated enough to feel corny.

Dean Stockwell is the only actor I recognize, probably because he was in so many films. He plays the father in this sad family.  As a story the plot is compelling and suspenseful.  James Remar, who plays the controlling convict,  portrays an especially strong personality.  If you use IMDB to see the resumés of the other actors, you might be surprised to see that some are still active.

As a piece of film history,  this film seems like a real find.

2013, Amazon Prime, Anti-Arab, Anti-terrorism, Arab Culture, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Grim, Hebrew and Arabic, Homophobia, Israeli culture, Israeli Secret Service, Lawyers, Mother-son relations, Palestine vs Israel, Problematic Ending, Suspense, Violent

Out In The Dark (2013)

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From IMDB:

A drama centered on the love affair between two men on opposite sides of the Mid-East conflict: Palestinian student Nimer and Roy, an Israeli lawyer.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute Israeli film with English subtitles.

Hopelessness of a gay relationship between a Palestinian and an Israeli seems to be the theme and intent of this film.  Homosexuality is accepted in Israel and violently rejected in Palestine.  What really complicates matters is the fact that Nimer’s brother is a Palestinian terrorist which brings the homophobic Israeli secret service into the plot.  When Nimer is finally on the run from the authorities, through the connection of Roy’s father Nimer is smuggled on a boat out of both countries expecting to meet Roy in Paris.   But that is the end of the story without any satisfying conclusion. Indeed that seems to be the point of the film.  Is there a solution?

As well done as it is hopeless.