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Chasing Charlie (2023)
More of Dhar Mann's self righteousness
There's a reason Illumeably stomps Dhar Mann in the ratings left and right. This is just more of his usual "Friends"-loving The WB nonsense that would usually fail to stomp Illumeably. All he does he bash "Seinfeld," love "Friends," shove wrongdoers getting punished in the most self-righteous of ways down the viewers throats. I don't need to see this show, because Dhar Mann is the same philosophy year and year again. Illumeably has warmer stories, and far more sensational and nasty stuff (Evandra Aurelia rips her boyfriend a new one in a very "Richard Bey"-like episode). This is like The WB, which failed to stomp UPN all 11 years. That's my take on this.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Call to Arms (1997)
When you have one historically more advanced enemy (Cardassians) and team them up with an even more advanced enemy...
All Hell breaks loose.
This was a great episode, which aired primarily on UPN stations in May 1997 (and yes WWOR in New York), as the finale of the 5th season. And to the morons who are stupid, yes without the Dominion, the Cardassians were far more advanced than the major 3 anyways, as the Federation fought a brutal war with them to a stalemate, and Picard in "Journey's End" is frought with fear at the thought of fighting them again, far more than he is with the Romulans.
As for why an advanced enemy needs to team up with the Dominion it's that simple. This was not some thing that happened overnight. It started in the very beginning. The Cardassians have discovered the wormhole in "Emisary" and Dukat is interested in globes. Ever since the beginning of this show, the Cardassians have taken a special interest in the wormhole, seeing possibilities of endless immortality and power, eerily reminscent of the Spanish and their quest for the fountain of youth. Dukat egged this on for decades, and joining the Dominion was their chance to galaxy domination. Most of the episode deals, however, with the preparation for war, with the various conflicts with the many different species that occupy Terek Nor (as Deep Space Nine). We see Quark getting ready. What follows after is the Dominion reaching Deep Space Nine. If the Cardassian-Federation War was all Hell breaking loose, this one is that phrase 10X more. It's Armegeddon in the worst ways. The Dominion, the Cardassians, the Jem'Hadar, the Breen all fighting the Federation. It's a fairly brutal episode. And one of the best. UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship. And this show was one of the pioneers in using reused footage, a UPN invention.
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic
But unfortunately, the last of the true "Trek" movies (and there were only two of them, because while I'm more lenient to the 60s show movies they still are arrogant and unlikable movies to me, with Spock and Uhara being the only redeeming factor; strangely enough I can see "Generations" but I cannot see "Relics"). I cannot stand Scotty. This one is the ultimate movie. Basically Picard has a nightmare, but in a sense the only thing which somewhat makes it kind of dumb (but is not a detractor as this movie wouldn't have been perfection anyways even without this scene), we see the Borg ship, although strangely enough it looks like more like the ship in "Year of Hell," the year later on "Voyager", in which technology looks more ominous, and there isn't the gross defacation that marks "Voyager." Picard's nightmare of being Locutus, due to his PTSD is pretty grim. It's also borderline graphic as we see the surgical needle about to be put onto Picard's eye. In that, it keeps true to the "TNG" Borg but that's about it.
Picard wakes up, and another hilarious retcon takes place: a thing comes crawling out of Picard, and then he wakes up. Upon waking up, the Admiral reports to him, that outposts have been attacked. Picard instantly knows it's the Borg. Upon arriving and telling the crew, he unfortunately how to spell the bad news that the Federation admirals do not want him to join the battle. With good reason. It's not that they can't trust Picard, but only that Picard is compromised and would only add an unstable element to the battle. Riker calls it BS, because with his experience with the Borg, Picard's the man to lead the fight. Upon pointless scanning of the neutral zone (and even this movie just proves me right once again that the Cardassians are still more advanced than the major 3, since it seems their scanning of the Neutral Zone seems to be uneventful, not to mention, unintimidating), Picard, in another hilarious retcon, has visions coming from the Borg, when they are Troi alerts Picard to them battling the Borg. The Borg have telepathy and can now connect to their victims (this was not the case on "TNG"). With the knowledge, Picard says he's going to violate the orders to which Data replies, "To hell with our orders." The fight begins. The Borg then have the ability to travel through time. The rest you have to see for yourself. As Picard and his crew travel through time to stop the Borg from destroying earth's mission to make first contact with the Vulcans.
Star Trek: Voyager: Scorpion (1997)
The beginning of defacation "Voyager"
Nickelodeon has nothing on UPN when it comes to being gross in an escapist and amusing way and even sometimes funny way. The only thing that competes is "Ren and Stimpy" which was hard R partially because of a lot of defacated setting (plus the vomiting was gross). Anyways, my subjective opinion that this show did ruin the Borg doesn't change the fact that this was a memorable episode on par with "BOBW", "Chain of Command," "Emmisary," "Caretaker," "Basics," "Future's End," "Unity," "Blood Fever." This episode compounds on what "First Contact" did start, but takes it to R-rated levels by outright changing the Borg into a defacationfest, ship-wise, with gross green glow (to sort of compound on the retcon that they steal from others and are stupid; when everything on "TNG" showed them as clean and organized and mechecanic and industrial, and as a threatening and industrious and technical superpower) that makes slime on Nickelodeon look tame in comparison. UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship for the works.
Basically, Janeway and the crew are en route. They've entered the heart of what is now Borg space, as is established in this episode. When they cross the Borg's space, they realize the Borg aren't going after them. It's a very tense scene (but being subjective, nothing truly scary like when the Borg were on "TNG" and the brief apperance they had in "Descent," when the Borg were still the "TNG" Borg): a group of Borg ships clash with Voyager, and a Borg ship scans the ship to see if they can assimilate (another hilarious thing which I'll compound on). The grass is not always greener on the other side, as the saying goes, because there is a catch to the Borg leaving the space and apparently giving Voyager a chance to a faster way home. It's revealed, that a force more threatening than the Borg (as was ominiously hinted in "Unity") has been destroying their ships (we see it in the very beginning obviously during the teaser).
What follows is a violent scene, rife with a lot of defacation, as the Borg ship remaints literally look like poop and b**gers all over space. This is perhaps the grossest of all the Borg episodes on "Voyager," as usually the defactionfest is limited to the inside of the Borg ships. And this isn't me being negative. I do love this episode. Tom famously says the line upon seeing this, "Who can do this to the Borg?" At this point Chakotay and the crew are starting to think there's a catch to this. And to all the morons who think "Voyager" wasn't dark, Janeway contemplates the unthinkable in this episode - and I will reveal it only because it's somewhat common knowledge (and doesn't spoil the plot) - realizing that not taking an opportunity is sentencing themselves to likely permenent exile, and that going unprotected is suicide, during the Holodeck, she appeals in a very dark scene, to the Devil, and the unthinkable is proposed: cooperation with the Borg. It is very uneasy. How do we know it'll work? How do we know the Borg will be able to keep their end of the bargain should they agree to Janeway's terms? The doubtful and pessimistic Chakotay correctly says it: you can't change the nature of the beast. What follows is a cat and mouse chase and eventually Janeway reaches the Borg. The rest is for you to see.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Descent (1993)
The Borg are back, but it's far more terrifying than previous episodes
To me the renegade Borg potentially pose a far more dangerous threat than the Collective, as they have hatred, and want to be cyborgs (which Data is comlpetely). They hate biological life, but they also have feelings and take their Collective traits to sadism, as the Borg were based on non-Anglo Germanic groups who weren't Spaniard, and all have a history of barbaric, and brutal imperialism. Think Denmark and their major empire, Belgium with the Congo, Prussia in parts of sub-Saharia, Russia and their major empire. And we know what the Danes did to anyone who insurrected against Danish rule. The Borg were written as symbols of that without the emotions and needless cruelty.
The episode starts rather hilariously, "Seinfeld"-like as an episode where Data is playing a card game with Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and Issac Newton. The old historical figures are arrogant, while Stephen Hawking is just cocky and daring mostly. It's all hilarious as they talk about the game of probibility. The nice thing is that this scene is smart and treats the viewer with intelligence, which this show, that often glorifies elitism and killing red shirts, fails at a lot. This is cut short when the crew run into a mysterious ship, and receive a report that Ohniaka III, a Federation base, was attacked. They investigate the ship and eventually Picards sends the Away Team. They see a very graphic den of dead bodies, and its downright R-rated and bloody. Again this was "TNG" which was syndicated (and being this aired, usually on what would be, 2 years later, UPN stations, meaning they were independent, and on Fox stations they got away with more) and usually on independent stations. When Data opens up the base's door, the terror begins, a Borg has been waiting to ambush them.
This is part of the confusing behavior. The Borg fight the Away Team and the differences are quickly noted. The Borg have feelings. It's really disturbing. They hate and and have revenge. They kill one of the crew and the fight carries on. The Borg retrieve their dead. They go back on the ship and attack the Enterprise. The Borg has a new invention, transwarp. At the Ready Room, after the fight, they notice the Borg are acting differently. This leads to a disturbing conclusion, that they are far more dangerous and angry now, as a Collective. Data trying to understand his behavior is also very disturbing as well. He tries not to be angry and he tries to find out why he was angry. Unknown to him is the fact that someone is controlling him and giving him the emotion chip. It gets ugly not long after when the Borg finally attack them. This is a very frightening episode that keeps true to the Borg, even as renegades, more than what "First Contact" and "Voyager" did to them. See it for yourself.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Face of the Enemy (1993)
A downright intense and somewhat violent thriller, but it really shows what an informant and tattle tale Troi is
And we get to see the inner workings of the Romulan military and society furthermore. Deanna wakes up. Unbeknownst, she's been surgically altered to be a Romulan. She goes, like it's a normal morning, thinking she's on the Enterprise, to put some make-up or use the bathrroom, when she's done she turns on the lights and looks in the mirror, she finds out she's been surgically altered to be a Romulan and reacts, in horror and gasps. Later on, N'Vek, who will be her commander, comes in. Troi angrily protests and asks why this has happened. N'Vek says he has no time to explain but asks Troi, who knows when someone is lying and when someone is telling the truth, to test for herself. She finds out he's telling the truth and trusts him. Commander Toreth invites Troi, thinking she's a Tal Shiar leader, who later invites her to a lunch. The Tal Shiar is a higher more top-secret order of the Romulan military, introduced in this very episode, and allows us to see how the Romulans operate. "Deep Space Nine" would follow suit with the more advanced Cardassians and give us the Obsedian Order, another top-secret order of the Cardassian military, based on the brutalities of Spanish government authorities to this day.
Essentially Toreth meets with undercover Troi, unbeknownst to Toreth, and Troi gives orders. When they eat Toreth suspects something isn't what it seems and quizes. They eat viinerine, and Toreth tests her to see if she knows what it is. Putting on the tough Romulan act, Troi says she's tasted better. Toreth taunts her until Troi puts her in her place. They rendevouse with a Cravellian crater ship. And here we finally see just how dangerous the Romulans are. No cloak, and they brutally destroy the crator at N'Vek's insistance. And the Cravellians are armed. So yes the Romulans are indeed the first-rate threat they present. But they're still outmatched by Cardassians. Whether they can take on a Federation class starship is still a mystery but there are some flaws in the Romulan design that leave them vulnerable to the Federation and Cardassians. Either way, way Toreth is tired of the Tal Shiar and them underestimating the Federation, which is the cause of Romulan foils and bumbling in many episodes. N'Vek reveals himself as a member of the Vulcan Dissident movement. And that the cargo is secretly the bodies of three dissidents in transit. The side story back on the Enterprise is good "c**p TV" in the likes of the UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship "Richard Bey" tradition. Stefan DeSeve (Latin how fitting, I'm part Latino), a former Federation officer, who defected to the Romulans, claims to have info on the dissident movement and is greeted with coldness by Riker, who downright says he doesn't want to see him in a Romulan uniform. The Romulans have two problems. One of them is not bumbling and is a source of escapism, in that they're one-dimensional, as are the Klingons. The other is they're comic foils who believe they can't get caught but then try to get sly when they do. Which is why they often are bumbling. This episode is one of the more lethal threat episodes, although it doesn't completely help with being one-dimensional. The bad thing is when N'Vek protests Troi's order she threatens to expose him. It really shows what an informant Troi is. She brings out the worst in a white liberal "Seinfeld"-hating Federation, and being black is the only thing that keeps the "TNG" - "Voyager" shows from being bad.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Neutral Zone (1988)
A menacing old enemy returns (and "We... are... back"), and a hint at the Borg
This is a great episode that almost plays like a "Seinfeld" episode (too bad Gates McFadden had to be an Allied "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating b---h who hates autistics, along with Wil Wheaton, and Brent is Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating having all those qualitites). Basically, the Enterprise detects a floating but inactive ship. Data, Riker and Worf investigate. It leads to a startling discovery: some human bodies have been freezing for 200, 300 years.
On the ship, Picard is upset that Data retrived the bodies without his permission, but Data says the matter was time-urgent, and that he wouldn't have had the time, and Picard gets less upset and is understanding, only telling Data to give him a quick message, at least, next time. As the bodies defrost, we see them come back to life. Oppenheimer, Sonny and Clare. The three are very interesting. Oppenheimer is like every caricature of Yankeedom (although he's more un-PC rather than mean and in reality Picard and his crew come off as very mean - "Seinfeld"-hating liberal "Hands that Rocks the Cradle" - the 1992 movie - types in this episode, the fact that this franchise is black is the only thing that kept it from being a Tribune station sequel to the lame 60s show; I'll explain why later).
Oppenheimer is visibly upset. He doesn't even know what year it is but once he finds out he's been in a coma for 300 years, he only knows how to live one way, as a Wall Street broker. At times he's arrogant but he really isn't super arrogant. At worse, Dante from "Clerks" is his equal, only he's far more chill than Oppenheimer. Sonny is a guy who hits it hard, he got the girls, and he was a guitar player for a band back home. He loves live, and even humorously asks how to get a steak and baked potato in one scene, and Data, being a machine, is the kindest to them, and teaches him how to live in the 2300s. Clare is a very sweet woman who is trying to find her son, and Troi tries to help her. The main event in the episode, aside from the dealings, is the Romulans have returned. We get a rundown. Mind you, not much has changed in the way the Romulans are. They are about the same, technology, as the 60s show. However, their cloaking device is new, as Geordi will note later on, and they love testing their enemy's resolve, and being that the flagship is recent, they're mobilizing against the Federation for a possible confrontation to test their ship. Later on, we see Picard deal with the 3 folks. And the attitudes Riker and Picard have to them is completely messed up. And it's really only Picard, Riker, Beverly and Troi who treat them with condescention, as though it's bad to live life to the fullest (Picard gets retconned later on the show to be more that type and is more ghetto, but this really doesn't reflect well). Eventually the confrontation with the Romulans happens, and we discover that the Neutral Zone bases have been scopped up. The Romulan commander then lets him know, hostily, that they know it could not have been the Federation. This is a hint of the Borg being an advanced power, that's threatening both of them. The Romulans let them go with a warning though, "YOUR PRESENCE IS NOT WANTED! Do you understand me, captain? We... are... back!"
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Contagion (1989)
UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic, and cameo heaven of the highest sorts, and some cool Romulan enemies
Without giving it out, I'll say why. The Romulans are threatening trouble potentially. Picard and his crew rendevouz with the USS Yamato, a ship that's equally first-rate and one of the newest ships on the fleet, basically, the same type of starship as the D, advanced and having numerous weapons systems. Now here's the scene - I won't specify who it is, but the Romulans hold one of the crew hostage, and the Romulan female commander (who's really one of the "bro"-saying bros in this one) says, something along the lines of, "You're going to die WITH US (add "bro" or "sis," and again I don't specify whio and it would have truly been ghetto)." If this had been a Cardassian, they'd be Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating stuck up types who wouldn't even say that. It's like "You're part of the party, bro." Cardassians are too stuck up. They'd just jeer and throw things at him. The way she says it shuts down the nonsense that Romulans are more hateful of non-Romulans than Cardassians are of non-Cardassians. Dukat had a fetish for Bajoran women, btw. That was not the rule. It's not being ghetto (which the Romulans are, being "bro"-saying Latinos based on the Romans, as opposed to white Cardassians), it's having what us Nuyoricans call "caracter fuerte" (I don't need to translate as that's pretty obvious).
Anyways, we get star cameo heaven from Thalmus Rasulala (who plays captain Donald Varley), of "Cool Breeze," who plays the captain of the Yamato. The scene we see of his logs, and the initial encounter they have with him is somewhat comical as the transmission between Picard and Varley, as the viewscreen keeps getting interrupted. The way it happens plus Varley's calm nation, makes it funny and the interruption happens as though flies are all over. Making this hilarious UPN material right from the UPN handbook (some crude humor as flies are gross). Basically something destroys his ship and its gets frightening. And being they're near the neutral zone, it makes sense to assume the worst - the Romulans are starting the trouble. This is one of their episodes where they're lethal, and not comic relief. Being try-hards like in "The Mind's Eye". Essentially a Romulan Warbird ascends, and Romulan female commander (played by the same English actress who plays the commander in "Face of the Enemy") is furious, mad that the Federation is challenging her plan to claim a planet for Romulus. She prepares to fire at the Enterprise. And the crew are scared of what's gonna happen becuase their shields are not operating. But once the plan goes, there's a brief few seconds where we really see the tone as though the Romulans are downright the threat that the Cardassians are. They are a lethal match. But Romulans are shrouded in mystery. We never explicitly see the Federation fight the Romulans ever, directly (we do see the Romulans attack the D in "The Defector" but that's it). A cloaking device is not indicative of weapons strength (which the Cardassians are far more advanced in, plus the Cardassians are first-rate scientists, and "DS9" really retconned them badly). They do not come off as threatening to the D in this episode, proving the Cardassians are more advanced than the major 3. Now they're not bumbling but they don't. It turns out that the same problem affecting the Enterprise's shields is also affect the Warbird. Teh mechanics of the episode are interesting as Geordi tries to investigate and a very interesting paradox plays out. Without giving it out, basically everything the crew believes has to be done is only worsening the problem. Basically, as a hint, some natural star force is causing the problems on the ship and rewriting the software and hardware of the ship. They're doing it too on the Romulan Warbird. It's a great episode that, in NY, aired on WWOR. See it to believe it!
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Defector (1990)
A masterpiece (UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic) but first a little disclaimer at the beginning
A message to all you morons who think Cardassians are less advanced than the major 3. This show refutes that nonsensical notion from their very first episode. While you can't jump to conclusions, in "The Wounded," Tregar's Galor whips the Enterprise quite badly (and the Cardassians do it several times throughout the series) and Worf is genuinely convinced that Maxwell's ship won't hold against the shields (which makes me understand that he only won that battle by going rogue and terrorists - this resembles the Maquis in some ways, and by changing the prefix codes, and Picard's actions don't really age well). And one Galor whips the D very badly in "The Chase," bashing the notions that Galors need to be in formations of 3 to be a threat (the other ship was hurting the Klingon Bird of Prey). And it wreaks of "Spaniards (which Cardassians are based on) are non-white, Hispanic, Latin with Latin English accents and Nuyoricans and Italians (although the Romulans are more the Romans) are white with Penelope Cruz English accents, saying 'scumbag.'"
That being said, let's get to the episode. And, by the way, morons, the whole "Cardassia is a power in decline" is actually true of this episode instead, and Jarok's claims verify what I'm saying. The episode starts off with a philosophical scene, where Data is recreating a scene playing one of King Henry V, set on the evesdrop of the Hundred Year War between England and France (two Latino countries, and Picard is French and the Romulans, are who the Federation is fighting, although the Romulans are extroverted big dogs, whereas the French are the shy types). Data is recreating an argument about supporting the King and at what point should support stop when the King isn't giving results. All goes well, and Picard praises his performance. This play is invoked later on, when they deal with the Romulans. A Romulan scout ship is being attacked, carrying a man who claims to be Setal, a low-ranking logistics officer, or so he claims, by a Romulan Warbird. The ship gets attacked. Picard begins to offer assistance, as the guy is wounded. Understandibly they're not going to trust him, because he's of the Romulan military, so he technically is going to be seen as an enemy alien (and no I'm smart and I mean alien as in foreigner, not extraterrestrial, which he is).
Upon rescuing him. Setal argues his point that the Romulans are planning a new offensive and have a cloaked military base on one the Neutral Zone's moons. Now the point about Romulus being a power in decline, Jarok says the Romulan military has been struck by a series of bubbling and humiliating defeats. And yet Cardassia in "The Wounded" is treated a far more lethal enemy. Now, mind you, this is not to say the Romulans (who are my Latinos, and so I'm biased to their culture, being I'm part Latino) are not a first-rate power. They could have such a prosperous and thriving and hard-hitting civilization if their army was not powerful. But having a cloaked device, while it's a sign of advanced technology, doesn't mean they're stronger than Cardassians, who definitely were not scared of the Romulans in "The Chase." The Klingons were far more apprehensive. Anyways, while Setal explains himself in the Ready Room, Worf automatically shuts it down as BS, but that's cause he hates Romulans, regardless. Riker, always having intel, distrusts him and questions the claims, and is about to shut it down as BS, but tries to find a reason to believe him. Picard, being the type to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, discusses it. All in all they interrogate him further. And we see a very good "Bey"-like "c**p TV" moment in which Setal and Worf have a nasty confrontation, and Setal calls him a "varol" (which I think is "s--tstain"). Speaking of bumblingness, while they're a first-rate power, the Romulans can be very bumbling in their plots and a foil (borderline comic relief). Speaking of which, Tomalak makes an appearance.
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing (1997)
A very dark and eerie movie that... (should have been on Cinemax not HBO, which is s--t)
WARNED US OF 9/11?
This wasn't some prophetic eerie symbolic movie like some of the fearmognering liberal weird zodiac sign stuff. The whole movie, without explicitly giving us out scenes, warns us of 9/11, and the terrorists repeatedly threatened to wage war on the country. This movie is an excellent movie, and has a much darker quality than "United 93," and "9/11" (UPN movie with Robert De Niro) was probably the closest. There is a somewhat noirish feel to this movie. This is a true Cinemax-type movie. This should have been on that award-winning network not some two-bit sister-of-The-WB-and-Tribune second-rate network that is just pure "Seinfeld"-hating nonsnese. Anyways, the investigations lead up, and Nassier is a very shady informant that plays both sides of the fence - the police and the terrorists. John Anticev (played by Peter Gallagher) is head of the FBI's investigation. A native New Yorker, he really just brings the tension to the scene. A lot of the scene plays out like "c**p TV" from a "Richard Bey" episode and now that I think of it he looks a little like a combo of Richard Bey and Joe Pesci. He's also Nuyorican or Italian in the movie. And John and Lou Napoli as well as Nancy Floyd are the only ones who seem to call out the bureaucratic face-saving of the FBI. The lead the investigation. And several of the key suspects are investigated. They go on a cat and mouse chase to investigate evidence that a bombing is being planned. As with any movie, this was a true story but it also fictionalized in many aspects. Important bits of history are also shown. Nosier (played brilliantly by Shaun Toub) apparently had history with the Egyptian Army. The movie really is embellic of the tension that Egypt had even with the rest of the Muslim world. They formed the United Arab Republic, from which Nosair came from when it used to be that. One hilarious scene has one of the terrorists claiming to be Swedish (which is sort of funny, not because some of the phonetics of a Swedish English accent aren't there, but Arabs are part black, Swedes are white with Penelope Cruz English accents, obviously), so flat out it's a lie.
The bombing happens, and it's obvious as one of the henchman it's the Palestinian Liberation Army (the 1993 bombings were because of America and the most of the West - save for the Nuyorican lands, Italy, France, Germany, Austria - supporting Israel). The 1993 bombings were a bit more low-scale as the reason for the bombings were more because of Western oppression, rather than the larger-the-life war-making aspect of 9/11. Speaking of 9/11, the very warning is given to us that it was being planned. At the end Ramsi says, "Next time we bring them both down." Why did Clinton not listen? And then we blame Bush.
United 93 (2006)
UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship greatness
Now unlike the s--t movie that came out the year later, that could have been nonsense that aired on The WB or CBS, had it been made just a few years before, like in 2003 or 2004, this was a true hard-hitting portrayal of the heroism of the men and women who sabatoged the terrorists who hijacked United Airlines flight 93. The story is very gripping. It starts off with the basics. American Airlines flight 11 hits the North Tower at 8:46 AM on that day. But what really is interesting in the terror and confusion that grips the airport terminals, and the watch commanders at the place. The terror as the first plane hits causes confusion, but there's already plausibility that this could have been terrorism, as the 1993 bombings are references. As the commander wathes the second plane approach the tower, it happens and the news (from CNN, UPN, Fox, NBC, ABC, as well as the affiliates of the networks I mentioned after CNN, which are all broadcast networks) shows us the footage. Of course there's confusion, as one man says "explosions," but it's only the moronic liberals on WCBS who say it was explosions even after we clearly see the first film (I'm not gonna give credit to WPIX because WWOR and WNYW called it terrorism first; and so did WNBC; even WABC corrrected themselves initially). Basically the passengers are scared, and they find out that a United Airlines flight 175 crashes into the South Tower. But the final straw comes when it's revealed that American Airlines flight 77 crashed the Pentagon. It's after the revelation that we see the bravery of the crew. I won't give too much out but this is a grippin movie made in the best traditions of "24" and "Taken." See it.
World Trade Center (2006)
Codeless s**t
Now let me make one thing clear before I begin: I'm not bashing the portrayal of a horrible day. We lost Americans that day and 9/11 was a horrible day that affected everyone, and I hope those terrorists got justice by God. Without a doubt. With that being said, what I hate about the movie is the codelessless. Everything about this movie is like a more adult oriented version of "Flicka." Maria Bello really ruined the movie. As if that's not bad enough, it also adds a sense of codeless to an already dumb movie. The storyline brings out the worst, as though this was a codeless Ivy League promo movie. This movie combines the worst aspects of Raimi's "Spiderman" movies and "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe (also codeless). "United 93" and UPN's "9/11" with Robert De Niro are better 9/11 films, and while the latter is real the French bros who made the movie manage to make the documentary enjoyable in every sense of the word. This was just nonsense. If it had been Lori Loughlin instead I would have seen it. She hits it hard and is an acting queen. This however just comes off like some two-bit movie that, had it been made a few years before, would have aired on The WB, and been a Tribune staple.
Code of Silence (1985)
Stand back, Cameron and "Terminator", a true UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic
Not The WB-friendly, not The CW-friendly, not Tribune-friendly, not "Friends"-friendly. But all those things ending with -hostile, cause Chuck has no respect. Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-haters get torn a new one in this movie. Everything in this movie has the elements of "c**p TV" (my choice of words for the phrase rather than "trash TV", although I have no issue with that term) and set the stage for "Richard Bey" in every sense of the word. There is nothing but anger and confrontation in this menacing movie, and Chuck Norris really rips every corrupt bureaucrat and racist on his force up, who disrespect him for being Irish. And disrespect the "Seinfeld"-watching Nuyorican and Italians on his force.
This movie does a real good job and in some ways is a predecesor to "The Fugitive" as it portrays a very arrogant smug Chicago in a bad way as Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating (exagerration as both of the shows didn't exist yet but the nature of "Friends"-loving bigotry was always around). The backdrop is that Eddie Cusack and his crew are investigating a racially-charged war between non-white, Hispanic, Latin Mafia and a Spaniard crime family who are so ruthless, led by Luis Camacho (played by the late Henry Silva), who is Hispanic, but is a pseudo-Hispanic. When the shootout happens, a mess is made and it's up to Cusack to clean it up before it erupts further more.
What follows is several nasty confrontations between Cusack and the crew who disrespect him. And they not only disrespect Cusack but his bro Lt. Dorato, played by Dennis Farina. Brennan is truly a mean guy and berates both of them. As the movie progresses, Cusack closes in on the crime families. Several graphic murders show us just how ruthless and arrogant the Camachos are. One family is trying to steal from them, and the consequences are so brutal. It's up to Cusack to find out what's going to happen next, before it turns into a war that can't be stopped easily. Let us not forget the works. This is the ultimate uniformed police officer movie as well, and the movie was the ultimate in pushing the edges of sci-fi, and set the stage for "Trek" (and I mean real "Trek" not that lame show from the 60s). In this movie was a robotic crime fighting machine called the Prowler and the movie utilized high-definition technology. This thing can fight crime and focus on multiple targets all over the place, giving the cops an edge against criminals. This set the stage for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which was a United Television station staple and aired on WWOR in New York. 65% of the stations that aired the show would become UPN stations later on in 1995.
Squeeze (1997)
A very stupid movie that feels like a hilariously
Stupid attempt to recreate "I'm playing hard to get" by Hi-Five. It's hilarious how this movie also portrays the nonsense of "bro" being black slang, when it's Latin slang. And the Hispanic guy keeps saying "brother" left and right. This is the kind of nonsense that would have aired on The WB, Tribune. And on their stations such as WPIX. This movie is just annoying. The whole movie just manipulates your feelings and insults the intelligence. Narm is not a bad thing if the movie is actually funny or even stupid but still intelligent on facts ("Lethal Weapon," many episodes of "Voyager," and "Fresh"). But no this movie is just dumb. Another thing stupid about this movie is the main character. There is one scene where his leader shoots an enemy rival. He does a rant (which to me is not as good as Jake's in the basketball court scene in "Fresh," and I'm not gonna be explicit as to which one cause there's many rants in that scene) and during the scene where Tyson, whose part of a crew that's stupidly named (PG-13 crew really? Couldn't be hard R-rated crew?), runs and the thoughts of people he has heard say nasty things, those nasty things torment his mind ("f--k with my s--t" the guy says). And he is so servile in this movie. There comes a time in a man's life when fear has happened enough and it's time to take action. Fresh is an example of this. Like this movie is supposed to make you scared of it, but it just got me mad. If this was Michael from "Fresh" this would be a far more scarier than thrilling movie, and I would take the place of their boss in the movie. And that good kid like Michael would be my rival.
Seinfeld: The Puerto Rican Day (1998)
Spaniards are white with Penelope Cruz English accents,
Nuyoricans and Italians are non-white, Hispanic, Latin with Latin English accents.
With that being said, that's how it's always been portrayed in the world of "Seinfeld." XD. I believe the controversy was incredibly dumb (but then again Nuyoricans and Italians who hate this show for this episode are incredbily dumb as well) because it implies that Spaniards are somehow Hispanic. And Nuyoricans and Italians are white. When it's the other way around. There was no non-whiteness about the way the Puerto Ricans (who are Spaniards) were portrayed. They all had Penelope Cruz English accents, saying "s**mbag" (there were no Latin English accents). And the group was not mostly in the mob, it was just Cedric and Bob who led the mob, not the whole gang. And it was quiet for a Puerto Rican Day (another plus, because it's really the Nuyorican Day perade).
Now down to the funny stuff. The episode had a hilarious group of secondary stories. Jerry has a rivalry with a guy who keeps cutting him off in the traffic. "Black Saab rules, jack---." And the story gets more and more funny. Kramer keeps trying to get help for a problem he has. And Elaine is stuck with the Father (Priest) during a big baseball game, and she has to work with the people to get out of it quick and return to the crew. George has a hilarious story of someone who keeps hitting him with a laser pen. He gets so rowdy and vicious it interrupts a theatre watching a movie and to hilarious results. The people get mad at him. Of course the hilarious one is the accident where Kramer accidently puts a cigar on the Puerto Rican flag, and stomps it trying to put the fire out. The reaction is hilarious as Cedric and Bob try to chase Kramer. This is a classic epsidoe.
Seinfeld: The Cartoon (1998)
A hilarious episode, and a classic UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship demonstration of "Bey"-like "c**p TV" at its finest.
And a hard-hittong one. In this one, Jerry and Kathy Griffin are bitter rivals. Jerry is under an understanding that Kathy Griffin will talk good of him and won't belittle him in her stand ups. Kathy called Jerry the devil, and viciously belittles him throughout the episode. Kramer has a very bad opinion of Sally Weaver, as she once again causes trouble for Elaine in this episode and tries to get her in trouble with Peterman. The episode is riotous laugh act as from start to finish. The only real shame about this is that the show was fan of a great station, WWOR (which was this show's original rerun station in NY, before it switched to WNYW), the powerhouse of a popular network like UPN, which stomped The WB, but that unfortunately, Kathy Griffin, who was featured in that special on WWOR, hates Jerry Seinfeld and this show in real life. I don't know who's worse. Her or Matt McCoy. UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship. And NBC original classic. This also was a classic example of "c**p TV" of the likes of "The Richard Bey Show." Jerry and Kathy acting as enemies against each other. This would have been perfect if they had not actually been enemies in real life. With Kathy being a "Friends"-watcher.
Star Trek: Renegades (2015)
Seems true to the UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship era of "Trek" (1987 - 2001)
This could have been the down-to-earth sequel to "Voyager," and it seems to be true to it. Unlike the nonsense movies from 2009 and later, and the new lame shows, which seem to be a return to "Trek" from the 60s, this one seems like a perfect mash up of "DS9" and "Voyager" (but without the stiff properness of Starfleet that was on this show and "TNG"). The show was a fan based pitch that had certain bits of originality, and while it was a fanbase-created video, never underestimate the creativity of the fans. The low ratings seems to be from the same lame peopel that only like the 60s show and "Enterprise" (the former at least having culture, the latter being so cultureless it really wouldn't have even been on CBS, but should have been on The WB).
Protect the Innocent (2021)
A self-righteous crew
I am against predators and I don't feel bad for them, but she has to one of the meanest, smug people who just is as bad as the predators, especially because she targets those who are guilty of lesser crimes (20 y/o guy going out with a 15 y/o girl? Really, more of the self-righteous moral police?). Ths crew, as well, is arrogant, loves "Friends", she and her crew preach their arrogant morality. These are examples of bad predator catchers who will end up getting their suspects freed on technicalities. And they engage in the same type of arrogant brutality as the police. These are not people one should look up to whatsoever.
Skeeter Jean (2021)
I don't hate the guy but I do take issue with a good amount of things
And I don't feel bad for many of the caught predators, especially the gay ones, but a lot of the time I think he plays a lot of this, twistedly for comedy. Another iffy one is that he's friends with this self-righteous "Friends"-watching (WPIX-loving) predator-catcher, this girl (I forgot her name) who goes against 20 years olds who go with 15 year olds (I hate when that age difference is treated badly, it's bad but it's not like if the guy was any older and the girl was any younger. That being said, he's funny, and he's a good watch, but it's not something I downright glorify either. DAP is equally twisted, but at least he believes in what he claims to believe, and I herald him as a hero, however nasty and cruel his methods are in catching predators.
America's Funniest Home Videos (1989)
Los Angeles, not San Francisco, was the real home of 80s ABC family fuzziness.
This show, shot in LA, was Bob Saget's entrance into reality TV. It's campy but hard-hitting (and he got lots of girls with this). This really stomps the lame weird TGIF Universe. It's one time when he was funny and not a weirdo lame. In this hilarious show. When Bob Saget was host, the theme was the best, although the later theme was funny but it doesn't compare. This is a true comedy TV. You can see hilarious people getting hurt in accidents, and hilarious accidents, not serious ones. This was true family TV. It's unforgetable and anyone who wants to see the reruns should check them out on Youtube. Clear and crisp picture quality. UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic and a WWOR syndicated classic. "Seinfeld" and this show are two of the funniest. Only this was one squeeky clean with warm moments. Unfortunately from 1997 the family aspect went away and the show took a more lethal "(the C- in place of the S-word) TV" (my preferred term instead of "trash TV") turn but it became "Richard Bey."
Million Dollar Movie (1955)
Hard-hitting and memorable show
Ted Mallie was a warm guy. And his voice bought happiness in viewers. He was just a happy guy. This was a classic piece of WOR-TV history. UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic. This program was a powerhouse television show that aired classic movies from the times up until contemporary times. "King Kong," being this was a WOR-TV show, was perhaps the signature, but many classics like "Citizen Kane," "Casablanca," "Ben Hur" were played. Academy Award winning shows were aired. Again what did WPIX ever have that can compete. This show was highly popular, at least in New York, and did better in Secacus and New York than WPIX shows have ever done nationally, if syndcated shows, the likes of "Springer."
Vlad TV (2006)
Avoid this stain like a plague.
Everything about this guy screams Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating liberal. Now while I'm not a race-baiter and I don't believe these outlandish things, like he's a cop, and whatnot, because rappers who choose to give out incriminating details about themselves only have themselves to blame if they get arrested. But this guy, Vlad, is a baiter. And the funny thing is is that Biden is like a dumber version of this guy. Vlad would be downright funny if it wasn't so deathly serious. This guy baits people. He's like a comical version of Emil Roscoe from "New Jersey Drive." Who always treated every encounter with Jason and his crew as a joke. This is not a show you wanna see.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Crappy show that just completely misses the established canon
This show is on par with "Enterprise" for being one of the worst of the "Trek" shwos, although at least "Enterprise" stood for something. This is just name-in-only nonsense that has no purpose. Even most annoying is the retcon that the Romulans created the Borg, trying to tie the two culturally (Romulans being "bro"-saying non-white, Hispanic, Latin with Latin English accents Latinos, Romans mostly, and Borg being white non-Anglo people who aren't Germanic and have Penelope Cruz English accents). As though trying to say Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating types are instead Romans (don't even get me started on the inaccuracies on the Nazis and people who think they're Nordicist). I wonder if it's the fans of this show who think Cardassians (and I mean pre-Dominion) are less advanced than the major 3. When it's the other way around.
This show completely ditches, aside from that, everything proper that that "Trek" stands for. And I can be this show had reruns on WPIX. I have to Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, and many of the "TNG" - "Voyager" senior favorites, even if they don't like being typecasted or people thinking that they are their characters, found the storyline changes stupid. The whole weakening of the Borg is even more hilarious. The show values quantity over substances. And there just enormous nonsensical things which did not happen in the original shows. Even "Enterprise" tried to stand for something and had a message, however crappy the show was. There's also the fact that there's codelessness. After all, it was 2009's movie that had Karl Urban as the superstar of the movie. And he was of "Xena." And then even more unlikable is the fact, in something "Enterprise" started, that it's every man for themselves. The crappy 60s show, which was actually human, in that people were people not some overly stoic perfect people that "TNG" - "Voyager" ("DS9" and "Voyager" are exceptions because of the crew being far from perfect, Janeway is the exception), believed in teamwork and everyone sticks together, "TNG" thru "Voyager" was the same thing. Skip this nonsense.
Dinosaur (2000)
A family movie with a somewhat R-rated sensibility
I saw this movie first on video in 2001. This movie has everything, but the major highlight of the movie isn't the first 20 or 30 minutes where they have land and their home, and water and just the pleasures of home (fresh greens). But rather after a major scene where we see the antagonists of the movie. I won't be too explicit as to what happens that Aladar and his crew have to travel. But this is an adventure movie. If you want a hint, just look at the poster and the DVD/VHS/bluray covers. Things happen and the crew are on the move. The major explosive event is a demonstration of superior THX/Lucasfilm LTD scenary. And this was a UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship classic. Which for sure aired on UPN. And I plan to revive UPN and create WB.
Kron and Bruton, two affable anti-heroes, give the movie its much needed "Seinfeld"-like humor. And it's one reason why this movie did big bucks. The hilarity of Kron and Bruton, who have no sense of humor, is hilarious. In some ways them, and all of the brutal characters, are infleucned by the Klingons on "TNG" - "Voyager". In fact, "Voyager" could have made, only explicit and R-rated (and I mean hard R, to the point that it's an 18 in the UK or Sweden or Spain, I mean hard R for real, and "TNG," "DS9" and "Voyager" all had hard R episodes), an episode with some Klingons that B'Elanna knew only more R-rated and even more crude than the Klingons on "TNG" and "DS9" that was modeled after this movie. And they were funny.
The movie was major shocker to Disney and still is. Your average Disney movie still is family oriented, with PG-13 movies only coming out of occassionaly. Disney has not crossed that line too much. "Pirates of the Carribean" is the main PG-13 movie. But only this one and "Holes" were not cutesy. It's an anthesis and a funny movie at times. There is so much violence in this one that it's not for the faint of heart. It's about survival. This movie is "Star Trek Voyager" but tamed down for a family audience. Much like that show, this is about blood and survival. It wasn't musicals or cutesiness.
Star Trek: Voyager: Endgame (2001)
The perfect way to finish one of UPN's best shows
Mind you I still think "The Sentinel" and "Smackdown" and "Malcolm & Eddie" were better show but only because of Jeri Ryan ruining this show with her Allied Nordicist Yankee "Friends"-watching "Seinfeld"-hating presence. Anyways, this episode is also proof that "Voyager" knew how to chill when it came to the futuristic, at the expense of the old, beliefs. In this episode, the Borg try one final attempt to silence Voyager and capture Earth and the Federation. It's a brutal cat and mouse. Unfortunately (in something that doesn't detract from my rating), "Voyager" has already done irrepairable damage to the once threatening superpower. They have a leader and she resorts to threats and pettiness, and even compared to the renegades in "Descent," they come off as harmless. Nevertheless this is a hard-hitting episode that bought big ratings for UPN, and is testimony to my UPN/Warner Bros./WB flagship. :) And another reason why UPN consistently stomped non-Warner Bros.ish The WB left and right all 11 years in the ratings, and even in accolades. "The Sentinel" was critically acclaimed but given the TV Academy's bias towards CBS and (sorry I know Disney changed them but they still have the stigma from the pre-Disney days) ABC and The WB, as well as the Academy's bias towards Universal and Columbia Pictures, they got snubbed. Establishment "Friends"-watching fatcats
Still, this was a hard-hitting episode, and yes I prefer "Barney" over "Seasame Street" anyday, and "Barney" also aired in syndication on UPN (as opposed to Tribune favorite "Seasame Street.")