Category Archives: Romance

2019, Abduction, Abortion, Acceptable Trash, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Corny at times, Cross Dressing, Dark family secrets, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Fantasy, Fist Fight, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Human experimentation, Mediocre, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Rape, Religious Cult, Religious fanatic, Religious Nonsense, Ridiculous plot, Romance, Suspense, Violent

Glitch (2019)

From Netflix:

A police officer and a doctor face an emotionally charged
mystery when seven local residents inexplicably return
from the dead in peak physical form.

From IMDB:

Six people return from the dead with no memory and attempt to unveil what brought them to the grave in the first place.

From Netflix you can patiently (if that is possible in this sad case) stream 3 seasons of unreality. Each season contains 6 wonder-filled episodes of about 54 minutes length.

Succinctly put, these 18 episodes present almost acceptable nonsense for the truly bored.   Each of the “arisen” was murdered in his or her former life and have been given a chance to discover the murderer and to right past wrongs.  At least at first my attention was fixated on amending past injustice. In addition, there are actually some small patches of good acting and character interaction. Unfortunately there was an equal amount of really bad, maudlin (i.e. weeping) acting. As time wore on, good guys became bad guys and sometime became good guys again. Moreover when the plot devolved into the hero-villains trying to save the universe from ending,  I almost threw in the towel. For better or worse I persisted to the end. Now I have to find another trash series.

Waste no time on this clunker.

2004, Amazon Prime, Boarding school, British Drama, Chance Encounter, DO NOT MISS, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Happy ending, Homophobia, Romance, Senior citizens, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Wonderful acting

When I’m 64 (2004)

From Amazon;

When widowed cabbie Ray and retired teacher Jim meet by chance, they discover they long for the same things from life: adventure, challenge and love. Together Ray and Jim discover that being 64 means a new beginning: it’s time to try the things they never dared in their youth.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 27 minute complete British film.

Paul Freeman, who plays Ray,  is one of those supporting British actors you seem to have seen everywhere but just cannot place. If it helps, in “Monarch of the Glen” he played Andrew Booth. His resume is enormous.  Ray exudes a restless, vigorous, energy overshadowed by events in his past.

No less impressive is the resume of Alun Armstrong, who plays Jim. Jim’s character is sadder as a man who attended a school and then stayed on for the rest of his working life, Now he leaves that part of his life full of regret that he has never really lived.  He feels duty bound to go back home and care for his ailing, elderly father. But the father wants Jim to move on.

As a realistic British drama with wonderful acting, DO NOT MISS!

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!

 

2009, Action sequences, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Career Competition, Comedy, Complicated, Corporate Espionage, Plot twists, Romance, Surprise Ending

Duplicity (2009)

From Amazon Prime:

Two ex-government agents turned rival industrial spies have to be at the top of their game when one of their companies prepares to launch a major product. However, they distract each other in more ways than one.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this  2 hour 5 minute complete film.

You have probably already seen this somewhat old romantic romp featuring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.

Just plain complicated fun.

2014, Action Film, Action Hero, Amazon Prime, Love Story, Physical fighting, Romance, Russian Anti-USA Scheme, Suspense, Terrorist Attack, Violent

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

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From Amazon Prime:

Jack Ryan must quickly evolve from soldier to analyst to full-fledged operative to stop a devastating terrorist plot against the United States.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 45 minute action film. Unfortunately the film leaves Amazon on November 1, 2021.

Kevin Costner as Thomas Harper convinces Chris Pine as Jack Ryan to stop  Kevin Branagh as the Russian Viktor Cherevin from destroying not only the US financial system but also some building in New York City. Keira Knightly as Jack’s girl friend Kathy Muller eventually learns what Jack is doing and helps him.

Kevin Branagh creates convincingly a determined and dedicated Russian menace.

Neither better nor worse than the fun excitement in most such action films.

2020, Alcoholism, Anti-Gay Laws, Anti-Semitism, B-movie, Bad Acting, Barely Acceptable Trash, Black struggles, Career Competition, Corny, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay Bashing, Gay Prostitution, Gay theme, Happy ending, Hollywood Culture, Homophobia, Imperfect, Longsuffering wife, Love Story, Male Chauvinism, Male Prostitute for Women, Male Prostitutes, Marital Infidelity, Maudlin, Mediocre, Mostly About Sex, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Oscar Awards, Preachy, Promiscuity, Romance, Satire, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Soap Opera, Unhappy Marriage, Vulgar, Women's Equality

Hollywood (2020)

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From Netflix:

While waiting for his big break, aspiring movie star Jack Castello accepts a job at a local service station that pumps more than just gas.

From Netflix you can stream the 7 episodes of this soap opera. Each episode runs between 45 and 58 minutes.

Maudlin. Salacious. Corny. Subtle as a brick. Clichéd. Barely acceptable trash. Maudlin. Raunchy. Preachy. Woke. Terrible acting. Production errors.  And the list could go on.

My college freshman rhetoric teacher suggested that in order to better appreciate good examples of a given art discipline such as literature, music, and film, it helps to experience the bad examples. Well, with this film we now have a golden opportunity to experience one of the lesser achievements of the movie industry.

“Golden Tip Gasoline” is a gas pumping station that doubles as a gas pimping station for the young male gas attendants who will “fill your tank” if the customer uses the code word “dreamland”, no matter if that customer is male or female.   Not only all these attendants but also their boss and some customers have Hollywood aspirations. One way for such a gas pumper to get his start is to service those customers who are part of the Hollywood management nobility. Instead of casting couches it seems there were casting nozzles.

Rather than merely prurient attractions, this story offers a noble sub-theme: No longer would the film industry suppress black,  gay, and women actors.

Indeed from the goings-on we might suspect that half of Hollywood consisted of closeted gays .  As an example: One client, say Jake, is so stupid that when he drives up to engage Archie Coleman he can’t remember the word “Dreamland”. But they hook up and eventually fall in love.  Jake is told he cannot act. Nonetheless he forges ahead.  Because he could not remember two lines, his first screen text required 67 takes. Because Jake is as handsome as he is stupid, some producer accepts him but says “Jake” is not an acceptable screen name and must be changed to ROCK HUDSON (get it?). His boyfriend Archie is a black man (horrors!) who wants to become a screen writer. Camille Washington is a black woman (even worse!) who wants to have some screen role other than playing a maid (uppity!). And so it goes on and on for 7 episodes.

Is this a satire? Have I missed something here?

If you can last till episode 7, which is aptly named “A Hollywood Ending”,  you will be rewarded with a happy, sappy ending. Amen!

But just remember I LOVE TRASH!

2006, Amazon Prime, Chance Encounter, Comic Moments, Flirting, Gay theme, Romance, Talking Heads

Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006)

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From IMDB:

Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it, and some pay for it, but we’re all involved in it. Set on one afternoon on Hampstead Heath, London, this movie investigates the minutiae of seven couples. What makes us tick?

From Amazon Prime:

This British comedy stars an incredible home-grown cast including Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), Ewan McGregor, (Trainspotting), Catherine Tate (Doctor Who), Mark Strong (1917), Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill), Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually) and Adrian Lester (The Day After Tomorrow). On the lush green lawns of London’s Hampstead Heath, a variety of couples sort through their romantic dilemmas.

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

There are comedic moments to be sure, but not all the discussions are funny.  Note the emphasis on “discussion” because this is a talking-heads film.  At first I thought “this is going to be boring.” But something about the script and the acting and the well-known actors kept my attention throughout.   Ewan McGregor and his film partner play a gay couple discussing whether to have a baby. Eileen Atkins and Benjamin Whitrow play a pair of elderly strangers who meet accidentally and make an amazing discovery. And so it goes.

Somehow this slow day in Hampstead Heath was a pleasant, easy watch.

2018, Acceptable Trash, Action Film, Action Hero, Action sequences, Amusing banter, Car Chase, Chase film, Coarse manners, Comedy, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crude Talk, Exaggeration Comedy, Explicit sexual discussion, Fist Fight, Frenetic, IMDB streaming, Improbable details, International thriler, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Mercenaries, Mixed Martial Arts, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Nudity, Physical fighting, Plot twists, Psychopath, Romance, Ruthless Killer, Satirical ultra-violence, Spy Versu Spy, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar, Vulgar Action Comedy, Witty dialog

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

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From IMDB:

Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.

From IMDB you can stream this 2 hour thriller comedy.

If you register with IMDB, then for FREE you can stream using IMDB some of the films you find on that site.  Locate a film and then on that page you will see a list of just which sites stream that film.  Now and then one of those streaming sites will be IMDB.

One of my guilty pleasures is watching acceptable trash films for which I need a new category.   As time goes by such films are in competition to provide the most vulgar conversations, the most explicit nudity,  the most explicit sexual activity, and the most violent scenes possible. Often such films are touted as “comedies”.  So from now on, if I call a film a “vulgar action comedy,” then you know what I mean.

This film under review fits all those criteria except that there is just kissing instead of sexual activity.

Until the end of the film you really do not know who the good guys are.  But as is so often the case,  each of the candidates can shoot guns so well that they never miss a shot.  In addition these candidates are superb athletes that have mastered gymnastics and martial arts and can leap over tall buildings.  Here the two leading competitors are Justin Theroux (from American Psycho) as Drew and Sam Heughan (from Outlander) as Sebastian.

Another requirement for such films are the wild, out-of-control car chases. Usually the car must travel the wrong way on a one-way street or highway.  There must be several collisions in which some cars are turned upside down.

Why do I love this type of film?

2005, Action Hero, Action sequences, Amusing banter, Black humor, Bloody scenes, Bromance, Car Chase, Comedy, Complicated, Detective, Eccentric cast of characters, Gay theme, Kanopy streaming, Mayhem, Murder, Outrageous Behavior, Romance, Satirical ultra-violence, Suspense, Torture, Uncategorized, Violent, Witty dialog

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

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From Kanopy:

From producer Joel Silver and screenwriter Shane Black, both of Lethal Weapon fame, comes an action-comedy spoof of rough-and-tumble buddy films–KISS KISS BANG BANG. A private detective (Val Kilmer – Alexander), a thief posing as a struggling actor (Robert Downey Jr. – Gothika) and an actual struggling actress (Michelle Monaghan – The Bourne Supremacy) become entangled in a murder mystery filled with twists, turns, betrayal and, most importantly, romance.

From Kanopy you can stream this 103 minute complete film.

Is it possible to call a film a comedy in which there is a succession of murders by gun shot ?  No matter what that says about our current culture,  the non-stop action and the rapid-fire bromantic (yes, Webster lists that word) dialog was just plain fun.

Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey) is a screw-up from start to finish whose skin is regularly saved by Gay Perry (Val Kilmer). Yes, Kilmer plays a gay man named Gay Perry.

Yet another violent guilty pleasure.

2021, Abuse of Women, Action Film, Action Hero, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corrupt Military, Cover-up, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Government cover-up, Greed, Military Corruption, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Physical fighting, Romance, Sociopath, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

SAS: Rise of the Black Swan (2021)

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From IMDB:

A small army of well trained criminals led by Grace Lewis have hijacked a train deep beneath the English Channel.

From Netflix:

A special forces operative traveling from London to Paris with his girlfriend takes action when armed, ruthless mercenaries seize control of their train

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 3 minute complete action film.  According to IMDB another name for this film is “SAS: Red Notice”.

Good sociopath versus bad sociopath.  Our hero is Tom Buckingham (played by Sam Heughan who played Jamie Fraser in Outlander ).  Our villain is Grace Lewis (played by Ruby Rose who played Batwoman in Batwoman ).

There are lots of good and bad guys.  Unfortunately it can be difficult to  figure out just who is good and who is bad.  Turncoat traitors abound.  You just never can tell.  Needless to say the evil doers are all part of a giant conspiracy.

Most of the action takes place in the Eurotrain underchannel tunnel. To be sure, most of the action is very violent and definitely not for children.  As usual our hero can perform superhuman (violent) feats while seriously wounded.

Sociopaths are unable to feel empathy or understand the sufferings of others. Little by little Tom’s girl friend Dr. Sophie Hart (played by Hannah John-Kamen) comes to understand that Tom feels relatively few emotions and can kill humans with effortless ease.  In that aspect Tom is well matched against Grace Lewis whose cruelty is startling even though we may think we are inured to such films.

How shocking to think that if you can stand the violence I will still recommend that you DO NOT MISS!