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Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979)
Scraps of Doo
Hurriedly produced junk; this is the cheap fast food of morning cartoons. While I understand it's not high-brow scripts...the simplistic plots, poor artwork and terrible voice acting must have made Casey Kasem cringe. It's bad enough we have to suspend disbelief for one talking dog...do we really need a puppy voiced by an old man from the Bronx? Heck, we don't even get that classic theme song. I fully expect the viewers have flat foreheads from facepalms.
Zoinks, jeepers and jinkies too are over used idiosyncrasies that don't fit into the time period these were produced. Quality was not a requirement.
When Calls the Heart: Secrets and Lies (2014)
Multiple Ethical Problems
Watching a police officer interrogate children is the low point of this entire series. The parents of this village would have lynched the officer acting completely on his own. Sadly this series ignores common sense while peppering it with historical inaccuracies on a regular basis for the sake of soap opera style dramatic plots. Conveniently the townspeople also turn a blind eye to the schoolmarm who inserts her nose into everyone's affairs like a busybody with OCD. Not to mention the slew of impertinent children who haven't been taught a shred of respect for their elders and clearly aren't smart enough to think about what they say to adults.
Mysteries from Above (2022)
15 Minutes instead of 2 on Wikipedia
This is yet another formulaic rehashing of Mysteries of the Abandoned using the same, dragged out reveals of things we already know explained by the same rotation of "experts" (like what the heck is a History Communicator?) filled with unnecessary filler. The overly dramatic reads (see: Andrew Gough) interspersed with terrible red herrings to stretch out easily explained "mysteries" are at least entertaining if not hilarious. Kudos to writers who use the heck out of a Thesaurus with the silly questions posed by voice over explainers whose credentials have little of nothing to do with the "secrets revealed".
The Curse of Oak Island (2014)
It May Possibly...
There's always hope that something may lead to a possible finding that perhaps is wood or rock that could be interesting or a promising revelation connected to the next construction over a shaft that they progress to a potential tunnel to venture underground for the first time since the first time of the original finding that proceeds with a methodical investigation of the same area that contains artifacts that might predate evidence of a possible origin of positive unrecorded activity showing that there's more than they know as they find something when they dig but it could get interesting real quick.
Unexplained: Caught on Camera (2019)
Fake, Recycle, Repeat
Why does this look familiar? All of these shiftless paranormal "dudes" use the same wardrobe. Same poor video skills, same lame video effects from the 80's, same utter lack of science. The camera is permanently stuck at 1hr 13mins. Absolutely laughable. And what on earth is a "psychical researcher" ?!? I hope they make enough money to afford better production values instead of blowing it on cheap weed and Doritos. Even the video overlay is fake when it says 1080p and this charade is presented at less than 480i quality! Go to the pawnshop, get a hoody and a toque and produce something below the level of highschool film productions.
Lost Treasures of Egypt (2019)
Really Rehashed Info Ruined by Annoying Host
Some of us come for new and enlightening facts. Some of us leave because of over the top, annoying hosts.
Colleen Darnell can take her laughable cosplay elsewhere. Her shrill, cartoonish delivery belongs in a Scooby Doo episode. It's unfortunate that any scholarly integrity is completely obliterated by her attempt to position herself with Howard Carter as some weird historical contemporary. Imposing her dramatic suppositions and theories actually detract from the more professional narration. I'll be keeping my eye out for the producers. National Geographic used to have a much better reputation; now they have stooped to History Channel clickbait level.
Building Off the Grid: Missouri Modern Farmhouse (2021)
More Manufactured Drama
This show was great when it first came out. But now, it seems every episode has some bizarre fictional drama. Do these people really not measure anything? Lift expensive French poorly secured on a forklift? I was really rooting for natural disasters for this smarmy pair. I am pretty sure I have facial injuries from so many facepalms. Then they ruin a railing for their spiral staircase like "oh well" La ti da. I hope the contractors made some stupid easy money off the production company. I would love to see some reviews of this schlock by real life contractors and renovators. Now to fill nineteen.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans (2022)
Best episode Yet
If you expect this series to be typical muscle headed superhero fare, you aren't going to rate this high. But if you embrace the camp and the occasional episode where supporting characters shine, the cerebral in you should enjoy this comedy series. Also nice when they poke fun at themselves for the references to Shrek. I for one am looking forward to more Marvel characters to cross over and shake things up balanced with some very witty courtroom drama where the system has to deal with the quirks of supers and their foes. Also, they need to find some good, sensible shoes for She-Hulk, right ladies?
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (2019)
The Dumbing Down of Paul Greene
This instalment has the chemistry of a glass of water. Poor Paul Greene with a script written for the lowest denominator of C listers doesn't deserve this watering down of his talent. Somebody give this poor man a script not written by some homemaker from the Southern US.
Encounter: UFO: Visitations (2021)
Same Old Same Old
This is the same regurgitated bunk you will see on any repackaged UFO show. No evidence, no science, just talking heads of charlatans. These people hardly have any followers for that matter; this is the C list of UFOLOGISTS.
CSI: Miami: Bombshell (2008)
Pure Cheese
"Her clothes are fused to her body" is such a ridiculous and unrealistic statement given how clearly we see the victim's face.
Viking Warrior Women (2019)
Circumstancial Evidence
Over the top narration, exposition full of filler and poorly done experiments fill this History Channel style content. Apparently warriors facing archers wore nothing under thin, flimsy chainmail. Ignored is the very strong possibility that this solitary female was buried with her husband's or son's possessions. A scientific disaster.
Into the Inferno (2016)
About 25% Volcanoes
I enjoyed the volcano parts. The right turns into cultural ideologies made no sense. Pick a topic already.
Ancient Aliens: Mysterious Places (2010)
Boring Rehash with Same Boring "Experts"
This could have aired in the 1970's. There is nothing new from the same psuedo expert talking heads interviewed in the same staged space used for every re-hashed show of this type, using the same old footage and vague speculation with some slightly updated flashy graphics. Don't waste your time.
Love on Safari (2018)
Flat
Water has more chemistry than any of the actors here; ironically they went on a 4 hour hike in full sun in the African steppe without a single water bottle. This movie wasn't even trying.
Nova: Black Hole Apocalypse (2018)
Made for High School Students
This over-simplified rehash of basic physics is full of terrible acting and computer generated effects.
The Grand Tour (2016)
Can't Get Past Constant Annoying Ads
I've already gone through puberty and the constant ads everywhere have convinced me this isn't worth a second of my time.
Christmas Connection (2017)
Shot on an iPhone?
I've seen some schmaltzy Hallmark movies, but the production values are in the basement along with the forced dialogue.
Sammy's avonturen 2 (2012)
Weirdest soundtrack ever
Just an "okay" plot that used strange devices in uncomfortable ways to start the story. Very strange choices for the voice-acting. Mish mash of songs that had little or no connection to the scenes you hear them in. Animation was OK but some direct copying of Finding Nemo. I had zero connection to any of the characters and they really weren't memorable. A lot of the scenes I felt uncomfortable letting my 6 year-old watch...they could have been handled/written/directed differently without hurting the weak plot. I would not recommend this unless you had nothing else to watch and you needed a video babysitter for a child 5-7. Just goes to prove you don't need a good script to get produced, just connections.
Last Wedding (2001)
No connection with the characters at all
Despite the fact I volunteered for 2 weeks on this shoot in some rather sweltering Vancouver weather and that none of the volunteers was invited to the Vancouver premiere and that I actually paid money to rent this title and that not one of the volunteers was ever mentioned in the credits...the movie was yet another awful example of why Canadian cinema continues to fail.
I had no sympathy or connection with any of the characters in this film. The dialogue was trite and vacuous. The acting did nothing to correct this. And Molly Parker's performances continue to be flatter than a pre-Columbus Earth.
A complete waste of film stock.