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Flash Movie Review: Night Swim
BEFORE I HAD ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT proper dieting, I tried a variety of ways to lose weight. During my elementary school years, I went on a daily lunch of clear chicken broth with a few oyster crackers. I lost a few pounds but did not give as much thought to my food intake for breakfast and dinner. Another diet I tried was eliminating bread, no more sandwiches or toast in the morning. All that happened was me being hungry and eating more ice cream instead. Because gym classes always caused me anxiety, I never thought about doing some type of exercise, except for a short period where I found a book that went through the exercise routines of the Canadian Mounties. I could not tell you where I got this book, but I tried doing the various exercises three times a week. It lasted for almost two months, but then again, the results were not dramatic, and I was looking for some serious weight loss. By the time I got to high school, my doctor put me on a pill to try and lose weight. I never knew what it was but some years later I found out the pills had a legal form of “speed.” My freshman year I remained skinny; however, when my days at school turned to the dark side during sophomore year, I put all the weight I had lost back on and then some. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS LATER, when I went to an aerobics class with a friend, that I finally understood the way I needed to lose weight. Due to the dramatic weight loss, I achieved, I was always being asked for weight loss advice from members of my classes. I shared my simple philosophy: one must burn off more calories than they take in. The things I saw through my years of teaching went from dramatic to scary. There was a woman at one club who had gotten so skinny that her hair started to fall out and she stopped menstruating. Another member at one of the other clubs got into weight training, but never incorporated any form of aerobics. They simply got bigger and bigger, which meant their weight was increasing as well. There have been so many stories I have heard about the things people do to feel better about themselves. One person did liposuction, but it left her misshapen and half of her stomach remained numb from the procedure. I tried my best to guide members if they asked me, but only by telling them what I did to lose weight. One of the main characters had the right idea about working out in their pool to feel better, but things did not end up the way he had hoped in this horror thriller. THEIR NEW HOUSE HAD EVERYTHING THE family wanted; but had something else that they did not want. With Wyatt Russell (Overlord, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Ray Waller, Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad Samaritan) as Eve Waller, Amelie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Izzy Waller, Gavin Warren (The Man in the White Van, A Hard Problem) as Elliot Waller and Jodi Long (The Tale, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Lucy Summers; this film missed an opportunity to create a scary thriller. Instead, all it offered was a poor excuse for a horror movie. Though the actors tried their best, the script was dull and unimaginative. I felt the scenes were clips from other horror films except with poorer special effects. There were a few scenes that sparked hope inside of me, but sadly the script did not veer off its mundane, average story. It would be best if one passed up on this mess of a picture.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Bad Samaritan
IT SEEMS THE WORD SAMARITAN dates all the way back to biblical times; I just knew the word meant kind or helpful. When a shopper asks for my help to reach for a product on a high shelf because they could not, I do not think I am a good Samaritan. I see it more as just being helpful. It is doubtful anyone would say, “Oh, look at the good Samaritan helping that shopper.” I would expect them to say I was sweet or nice. For me a good Samaritan is someone who helps an elderly person cross the street (I know, how stereotypical). I also think a person who rescues an animal from a crisis, such as a cat in a tree or a horse tangled in a wire fence, is a good Samaritan. Just the past week the news reported on a woman who was viciously attacked by 2 dogs, where they had her down on the ground ripping off clothing and skin. A man who was walking nearby heard then saw her, so he quickly ran over. I do not know the details on how but the man was able to get the dogs off her and essentially saved her life according to the doctors in the hospital who have been treating her. This guy was more than a good Samaritan, he was a hero. IN THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE there is a law that requires drivers to yield to pedestrians when they step into the crosswalk. There is a spot near my house where a bike/walking trail crosses the middle of a busy street. A yield sign with a picture of a walking pedestrian is posted on both sides of the street and they each light up with yellow flashing lights when a pedestrian presses a button. Most drivers will come to a dead stop but I am amazed whenever a see a driver ignore the sign and drive right past the walker who is trying to cross the street. Technically they should get a ticket but rarely have I seen a police officer close enough to have witnessed the illegal act. What adds insult to injury is when these rude drivers refuse to stop even when it is raining or snowing outside. So, let us say one of the drivers does an act of kindness somewhere else; should they be considered a good Samaritan? I do not think one can define that person as one; it is only the helpful and kind act they perform that gets them to be thought of as a good Samaritan for that moment. The example I offer you of this can be found in this dramatic thriller. BREAKING INTO A HOUSE TO rob it Sean Falco, played by Robert Sheehan (The Messenger, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), discovered more than jewelry. He found a woman beaten and tied up in a padded room. This horror film also starred Kerry Condon (Human Affairs, Better Call Saul-TV) as Katie, David Tennant (Doctor Who-TV, Jessica Jones-TV) as Cale Erendreich, Carlito Olivero (We the Party, East Los High-TV) as Derek Sandoval and Jacqueline Byers (Ordinary Days, Full Out) as Riley Seabrook. The idea for this story was truly creepy and it played out so at the beginning. I thought David did a serious job convincing me his character was crazy. His intensity played off well to Robert’s conflicted character. Unfortunately, the script fell apart as the story started to unfold. I felt the scenes lost steam as we went from one to another, never delving too much time in them to develop the characters further. The title to this picture made for brilliant marketing, but I did not realize the movie had to be bad also.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 