Necrotongue

I finally got to rewatch Der Ochsenkrieg and, strangely enough, I still enjoyed the series even after thirty years. I don't know if it's because of the Slovak coproduction, or if the Germans didn't use to film such nonsense as they do today, but I didn't have to change anything about my original rating. The medieval vibe of the series works well, nobody is overacting, so the only thing that bothered me was the excessive length of some of the stare-offs, but that's a trifle compared to how nostalgic the series made me. Well done.

The first and second season both have a very slow start, but they make up for it in the second half. I wonder how many people didn't even make it to the second half, there must have been quite a few. The third season is much better in this respect and seems like the most complex of the three. I’d give it a 4*+. The series is enjoyable despite being mostly about programming, which I know nothing about, as well as about stock market operations, which I also know nothing about, so watching it feels like watching The Big Bang Theory which is fun in spite of not knowing anything about physics. The best character for me is hands down the Canadian immigrant and Satanist Gilfoyle.

What a blast. A series with a retro vibe that revisits a past that never happened. Great theme and script, with great acting performances, held together by an excellent soundtrack. I couldn't tear myself away from the first season. Plus, the creators cast Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, my favorite B-movie bad guy, so they got on my good side and made me turn a blind eye to certain things that struck me as rather odd. The strange developments in technology, for instance. While planes and automobiles have advanced since the end of the war, small arms have not. Walther 38s and Erma-Werke MP40s are still in use. Despite the minor flaws and the first season’s weird finale, I can't go lower than a 5. I’m looking forward to the next season. // After having finished the series, let me just add that I found Season 4 somewhat underwhelming. Especially the finale was badly written. It's a shame, otherwise, this show was exactly my kind of thing.

After the first three episodes, I wasn't particularly impressed by the series, but then things improved. The ending was even satisfying thanks to an interesting twist. However, I was left with a strange aftertaste after the first season. It seems to have become obligatory to watch two guys shove their tongues down each other’s throats in almost every movie or TV show as an anti-discrimination measure. I have nothing against homosexuals, as long as they don't touch me, but scenes like that don't exactly fill me with joy and happiness. What I also found annoying was that I saw some of the scenes 20 times due to the constant repetition. My memory is still working. This is why I only rate this series as average.

An intriguing show that made me think of Silent Hill, X-Files, Twin Peaks, It, The Thing, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. It’s a great series with a retro vibe, with excellent David Harbour, and Winona Ryder who’s pushing a little too hard. As I’ve said before, I don't like kids in movies (with a few exceptions). They are usually there just to appeal to the viewer’s emotions. But this series, apart from its great theme, is mainly based on child actor performances that are admittedly awesome. Given that it’s such a well-crafted series, there are some annoying logic holes in the script, e.g. the "bad guys" go through a complicated process of trying to find out who is broadcasting or making phone calls and from where, they even shoot the man who gave food to Eleven, but the police chief who gets into the heart of the project is only taken home and gets a bug planted in his ceiling light – weird and perplexing. Despite these gripes, I think it's a great show and deserves 5 stars.

Obviously a much cheaper series than Vikings. It took me a while to get used to, but the gritty plot and especially the excellent main character definitely deserve four stars from me. Unlike a lot of Christian zealots, Uhtred is a loose cannon. He is selfish, disrespectful, uncontrollably angry and unchristian, which is why I’ve grown fond of him. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the series without him.

What a blast! The third season matches or even raises the bar set by the two previous seasons. The action looks truly authentic, and the actors continue to portray their roles excellently. Plus, I have to take back the only objection I had to the series. John Silver's height no longer matters, given that it’s explained how he came by his nickname at the end of the season. Great stuff – a clear 5 stars from me.

A quality British crime miniseries, like I'm used to. It reminded me of the films in the Prime Suspect series, mainly due to the dark and gritty atmosphere and the relentless investigators. Hayley Atwell was an excellent choice for the lead role. The interesting subject was really well handled, and I'm thrilled with the result. The only thing that I found distracting was the rapid passage of time. 20 years in three forty-five-minute episodes was a bit too much for me.

I like women, so I’m not too big on movies that portray them as brainless bimbos. I don’t encounter such types in real life, either. The movie might have been saved by the cast, but while Alison Brie and Leslie Mann were okay, Dakota Johnson was unwatchable for me. Unless Rebel Wilson starts wearing longer shirts, she will fall into the same category. The first part was a pure rip-off of He's Just Not That Into You. The comedic scenes were so forced that there wasn’t much to laugh about, and every time Rebel Wilson spoke, a wave of disgust washed over me. The misery wouldn’t be complete without a load of clichés and melodramatic moments. I only made it to the end by summoning all my remaining willpower.

I didn’t have high hopes for this film, but it surprised me by not being as bad as I expected. It was a cross between Prince of Persia and Ancient Egyptian Transformers. Gerard Butler and Kingslayer were excellent, and I even had a few laughs. I wasn't exactly blown away by it, but I was having fun the whole time, so a 3+.