Movie (Documentary) Review: The First American (2016)

Title: The First American

Length: 1h 35m

Released: 2016

Genre: Biography, Documentary
Rating: Not Rated (I would say MAYBE PG)
Where I Got It: Amazon

SUMMARY:

George Washington is central to understanding America's founding. He was the crucial figure in winning the American Revolution, in creating the Constitution, and in establishing the precedents for effective self-government as our first President. George Washington's sense of virtue, his lifelong activity as a citizen, his reverence for the rule of law, and his commitment to establishing the American Republic make him the essential figure for every American to know and study.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I technically watched this July 4th weekend, but I honestly forgot to write this review. I watch so few movies these days. I've been more into my TV shows lately. So yeah - I went back and watched this just so I could remember what I watched. 

Here we dive deep into George Washington and his life and impact on the United States. He was the first president. He was very beloved back then and for some...still beloved today. 

I thought this was very well done overall. I'm happy that the creators kept this bi-partisan and didn't try to push their political parties' agenda. This was about Washington and his impact on this country. Nicely done. 

I'm glad they dug into his pre-Revolution life; his childhood and his young adult life. From the research I've done on the man, his early life is really interesting and really would lead him to victory in the future. He was a complex man and unknown man. He was quiet and reserved. I think the documentary did a good job reflecting that. 

The acting scenes were.....okay. Some bits were really good like the battles. But there were some cringey moments. I'm not sure the person playing Martha was the person to do it. Maybe it was the script? She seemed SO awkward. George was nicely portrayed, but Martha was a bit off. 

This was a nice documentary and I would recommend it to people who would like to learn more. Very informative AND interesting. It wasn't boring at all. I think this would be a nice tape for students. 

I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Amber - The Girl Behind the Alert (2023)

Title: Amber: The Girl Behind the Alert

Length:  1h 32 mins

Released: 2023

Genre:  Documentary
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Peacock

SUMMARY:

Amber: The Girl Behind The Alert is the story of Amber Hagerman, the girl whose abduction and murder inspired the Amber Alert - which has since saved over 1000 kids. Amber's case remains unsolved. There are multiple suspects, a series of compelling theories, but proof has been elusive... This year, the 25th anniversary of Amber's murder, the detectives are still on the case, determined to solve the crime with new evidence and cutting edge DNA testing.

Click here for the trailer

REVIEW:

My co-worker suggested watching this. Had no idea what platform it was on. The hubby and I randomly decided to switch to Peacock and take a break from HBO Max for a while. Lo and behold - this was on Peacock. So we decided to watch it. 

This documentary shares the story of Amber Hagerman. She was abducted and murdered which inspired the Amber Alert. This system went federal in the US in 2002. It has saved over 1000 kids. Amber's case is still unsolved, but the detectives are still on the case. 

So I remember when this went federal and I remember asking my mom what it was and who was Amber. Mom never went into detail because I was young. She simply stated, "a while back a little girl went missing and they named it after her". That is all I knew. I had no idea it was in the 90's this happened and I had no idea about the story behind Amber. 

It is crazy to think I was about the same age as her little brother when she went missing. This hit me pretty hard tbh. I did cry by the end. Poor Amber....her poor family....drives me crazy thinking if they could've reached the public 2 hours sooner MAYBE they could've tracked down the black truck that took her. But everyone had to wait 2 hours for the news to broadcast and even with all the tips and leads....they couldn't find it. 

This was very good. I totally recommend watching it. It's so sad that Amber lost her life, but so many kids are alive because of her alert. 

Fantastic watch. It is informative and will make you feel. 5 stars from me. 

TV Special - Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

Film Title: Harry Potter 20th Anniversary- Return to Hogwarts

Length:   1h 42m

Released: 2022

Genre:  TV special, Documentary
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: HBO Max

SUMMARY:

Cast members from all "Harry Potter" films reunite in a retrospective special to celebrate the anniversary of the first film, including interviews and cast conversations

REVIEW:

I wasn't planning on reviewing this. But I also planned on watching it LIVE, but didn't. Breaking all the rules, eh? 

The cast of the Harry Potter movies are back to chat and go behind-the-scenes. A reunion of sorts. 

I am so glad I didn't watch this live. From what I read on Twitter and other sources I guess there had been a couple oopsies. Like putting the wrong name on the wrong person. Yikes!!!

The producers when back and made the fixes before it was placed on HBO max for us non-livers who wanted to watch. I'm glad they made the fixes, but just WOW. They should've double-checked their work FOR sure. 

This really did bring the feels. It was awesome learning about some behind-the-scenes stories and seeing some clips that didn't make it into the films. It was fun learning about personal relationships between the cast. I also loved seeing them talk and just remember the good and the bad times. Like Rupert asked Emma why she thought about leaving the HP films. He had never asked in the past, so he thought to ask then.

I do wish, though, that we had a scene at least where everyone that could sat together at a table and had dinner. I get with COVID, I'm sure some of the actors probably didn't feel comfy, but I would've loved it. We mainly had maybe 2 or 3 together at most. Some solo interviews too. I thought it woulda been nice to see them all around the table like the Wesleys enjoying each other's company and some HP inspired food. Or something. 

Overall, this was a very sweet and fun documentary. I loved seeing all these familiar faces. I grew up next to these guys! It was nice to learn more about the people who played our beloved characters. 

I for sure recommend this. I'll give it 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Abducted in Plain Sight

Film Title: Abducted in Plain Sight

Length:   1h 31min
Released:   15 January 2019 (USA)
Genre:  Documentary, Crime
Rating: TV-14
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

REVIEW:

A couple of my friends demanded that FH and I sit down and watch this since we love true crime shows (like every other person). I had never heard of this story before and I resisted the urge to look it up because I wanted to watch this with unbiased eyes. 

This is the true story of the Brobergs who were s small-town family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic, pedo who had designs on their young daughter. 

This............

Um............

Wow. Just wow. It was like a bad accident that you can't help but fixate on. WHAT was that family thinking. Yes, yes, he was charming and cute and a fellow Christian family-man. OKAY. UhHuh. NO one in that family thought it was weird how FIXATED he was on that little girl? WHAT?

*SPOILER ALERT/rant*And the parents all being in love with him and cheating on each other with him? WHAT!? The insanity! And NO one called the cops for days?????? You have got to be kidding me!!!! That dude didn't have to work at all to kidnap her TWICE. JUST wow. That FBI dude should have taken the kids away from those morons. SURE they fell for his charms and whatever....but idiots. Pure idiots. And that poor girl. She was SO convinced that the fate of the world rested on her shoulders. That poor thing. *END of spoiler/rant*

Sorry. This was for sure a hard review to write without giving away spoilers. It is for sure something you need to watch and discuss. I've been telling all my friends to watch it. I want...NO need to discuss this. Even FH was all OMG!

So good. So sad. So...insane. Watch it! It is good. 5 stars. 

Time for TV Tuesday: Tiger King (2020)

Recently Finished:

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

Through: Netflix

"A rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot." - IMDb

Okayyyyy I gave in. I finally decided to watch this since my FB is nonstop about this show. 

AND I am glad I watched it. This is a hot mess of people and I was hooked from episode one. I had to know how everything went to Hell in a hand-basket. Like all things...it started with good intentions, but ends with power struggles, money, betrayals, murder, revenge, and forgetting about what truly mattered. THE ANIMALS. 

Those poor tigers and bears and etc. They are the true victims. These "zoos" need to be closed down. Let the animals go to real zoos and sanctuaries. Maybe some can go to the wild if they are wild enough. 

These people are insane. Carole is a hubbie-murdering monster. Joe is crazy and an idiot. Doc is a sex cult leader. Jeff is a con man. The crews are insane to want to work with these people. 

What more to say? 

You just have to watch it. It's a hot mess of people and a situation that spiraled out of control. This show really does show that humans suck. I will note - the first couple of episodes are slooooowwww. It takes a min for things to heat up. 

I'll give this......mmmmmmmmmm.......ummmmmm.....*does math* 4 stars. Mainly because the ending of the last episode does refocus us to the true victims of this whole situation....the animals. Send ALL those people to jail. 

Movie/Documentary Review: Soaked in Bleach (2015)

Film Title: Soaked in Bleach

Length:    1h 30min
Released:    11 June 2015
Genre:  Documentary, Crime
Rating: Not Rated (I would say PG) 
Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

SUMMARY:
Tom Grant, a private investigator once hired by Courtney Love, reveals his take on the death of Kurt Cobain.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:
I have watched this now 3 times in the last couple of months. I didn't feel like I wanted to write a review since this isn't a movie-movie. But after this last watch through I wanted to give this documentary some spotlight. 

This takes a deep look into the alleged suicide of Kurt Cobain. Was it really? Or was there someone like Courtney Love who was behind his murder. There are a lot of questions and red flags that everyone ignored. Especially the police who closed this case the same day they found his body. There was no real investigation. 

Tom Grant was a PI that Courtney Love hired to "find" Kurt. Tom didn't fully trust her and he felt like something was wrong so he recorded all his conversations with her and any other interview. Even after Kurt's body was found something didn't seem right so Tom kept on investigating. We get to hear this story and get some experts. 

My whole life I was on the fence about if he really did commit suicide, but I never really took the time to check the facts and look into it. I love the band and him, but I guess I never really looked into it because I was told he was depressed and a druggie so no one batted an eye when he took that final step. 

After watching this, I was invested. I watched more and read more about this. In the end...I think Courtney Love had something to do with his murder. It was murder and the police need to re-open this and have unbiased parties review the case. They are not going to want to admit they f-ed up big. Courtney Love needs to be investigated for sure. 

At first, I wasn't crazy about the actors acting out scenes, but I grew to like it especially when they blended real recordings of the people talking. It really emphasized the points that the speakers were making. So I grew to like it. 

I won't spoil the facts and red flags, because you need to watch it. 5 stars. 

Time for TV Tuesday: The Last Czars (2019)

Recently Finished:

The Last Czars

Through: Netflix

I finished this show in just a couple of sittings. Darn work and having to sleep!

The show is about Nicholas and his downfall of the Czar dynasty. What makes this show unique and different than other shows is that it is a blend of a documentary and a show-show. We get the historical facts from the professional historians. But we also get to see the drama. They have real actors acting out the scenes and making it entertaining and you get to become more attached to certain characters. It was a historically accurate show but also entertaining at the same time. 

BF even liked this show and watched a few episodes with me. He was so enthralled that we stayed up late watching the last 2 episodes together. We were sure tired the next morning, but he wanted to know what happened at the end (even though I spoiled it previously – but we all know what happens. Common knowledge). He was so mad at those them killing the family. Especially the kids. So tragic. 

This was a very sad tale and I knew that going in, but it is always tears me up. I feel for the family. I feel for the people. It was sad all around. It could’ve ALL been avoided. Russia could be like England today.  Heck…sometimes I feel bad for that Mad Monk. He was mad and insane and it wasn’t ALL his fault at the ruination of the dynasty. They all were to blame. Except for the kids. Ugh!!! FEELS!

Some of the characters didn’t look like who they were portraying, BUT they did so well at the roles that it didn’t bug me too much. I also really liked that they added legit film from the time, but we got the actors too. I do wish they ALL had the appropriate accents. The peasants and lower-class people had them, but the royalty didn’t. Annoying. 

Honestly, it was a perfect blend of all the real film, acting, and narration. The people they got to narrate and explain were awesome. They were not stuffy boring history types that but a dark-stain on us history buffs *laughs at own joke*. They were entertaining themselves. I even learned a LOT! There was a lot I knew, but then there was a lot I didn’t. So fun to learn new things. 

Oooo that ending. I cried. I knew what was going to happen. But ugh. The feels. I hope they bury Alexei and Maria soon. They need to join their family and let it be done. 

Now…I will say that there is a small piece of my brain and heart that say someone survived. Maybe it wasn’t Anastasia. Maybe they can’t bury Alexei and Maria because they did survive. Who knows? Can we really trust the Russian government and their scientists? I mean…they have SO much to gain if the family is dead. Everyone has a price. Even scientists. With them all dead there is no chance for any to come back and make a play at the throne. Sure. It would likely never happen. BUT Russia is SO unstable even today. Better to keep the past dead. The only ones who know for sure are the people who were in that room. 

All-in-all, this was a good show. It hit all the emotions, but you also get to learn. I really enjoyed it and I hope we get more shows like this in the future from Netflix. It makes history entertaining even for us history nuts. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.