Short opinion pieces about films and TV shows that I’ve watched since 2026-01-08.

Film

Predator: Badlands (2025)

Hard to rate: As part of the “Predator/Alien” world, it’s a bit too comedic for my taste; but seen a standalone film without this lore, it’s quite entertaining.

Funny thing: Watched some “Making-of/Behind-the-scenes” clips on YouTube for it: It was shot with real actors, in real setting; but with all that added CGI/visual FX and color gradind on top, the film appeared as a Video Game cinematic cut scene for most of its runtime – like 90% of today’s mainstream films…
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Pulp Piction (1994)

Rewatch – It’s weird: I’ve only seen this film one time before, not too long after its release. And I did not fell in love with it; but I sensed that it was somehow different and special.

Now, decades later, at my second viewing, this has not changed much: Almost every moment and scene … (kam mir bekannt vor: Qutoes…)

Segments of people talking about trivia, occasionally interruped by some act of violence; most of them barely held together by some crossovers. And the non-chronological narrative was in my eyes also a dissvervice.

All that being said: I was not bored while watching it, but I also don’t understand the high reputation for it…
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Old Henry (2021)

Interesting twist/surprise at the end, but not really surprising for this kind of wester. And as a whole, a bit too long (even though it’s only circa 90 minutes); the whole setup is pretty boring, generic and ultimatly meaningless and goes on for for two thirds of the runtime.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Chaos on the Bridge (2014)

A documentation about the conception and creation of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”; fascinating.
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

Underworld (2003)

Rewatch – Definitely more style than substance, but this early-2000s/Matrix-like style looks very cool
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Rewatch? – Parts of it seemed familiar; maybe I’ve seen it (fully or partially) before. Regardless; now I found it too esoteric and boring. The animation style was also different, which also didn’t help.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

The Rip (2026)

On the one hand, I was curious because of the (main) cast. On the other hand: It’s a Netflix production and directed by Joe Carnahan. Well, exept for one or two mildly interesting scenes, it was a boring, generic crime “thriller”(?), which was also badly filmed.
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 stars

Red Sun | Soleil rouge | Rivalen unter roter Sonne (1971)

That was neat: A french/spanish/italian western, with a japanese touch, from the early 1970s. Maybe not great, but different and interesting enough for a watch (or two).
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Evil Dead (2013)

Rewatch – Hm, only my second(?) watch of it. Back then, I was so intrigued by it that I soon bought the Blu-ray disc. Now? It’s still good (for what it wants to be)…
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

James Bond: The Living Daylights (1987)

I’m not a big fan of the James Bond films, and especially this one was pretty lame.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Rewatch – Weird, very weird, yet weirdly good.
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

Dust Bunny (2025)

Uh, what crap. The beginning was not too terrible, but minute after minute, I lost my interest (additionally, it looks like a very cheap low-budget production).
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 stars

Caught Stealing (2025)

Had its moments; but overall nothing that I will remember for the coming years.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Twisters (2024)

I can’t actually remember if I ever saw the precursor from 1996, but this late sequel was not very good.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Predator (1987)

Rewatch – Ah, a classic….
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

The Housemaid (2025)

Good looking actors, but other than that? The twists and turns seemed a bit too forced and far-fetched.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

James Bond: GoldenEye (1995)

Rewatch – I recall that I was very surprised, many decades ago: So much action? So brutal? Is that still the same super-spy that I knew from many rewatches of older films in this series on TV as a kid? Now, with many, many years since my last viewing: Well, yeah, still enjoyable, but nothing earthshattering nowadays.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

The Running Man (2025)

A disappointment on so many fronts; it may be a bit closer to the original Stephen King novel (which I’ve never read) than the Schwarzenegger-vehicle, but from what I heard elsewhere, it’s still not a good adaptation of the book.

And the overall tone is also off and changing; and finally: It’s missing the specific touch of a Edgar Wright film almost completely.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Rewatch – It’s been only a few years since I’ve watched this film the last time (#42), and I now rate it the same as before (although I enjoyed it a bit more than last time; because I still remembered more of it and I was also aware that I only like it, but not more.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

WarGames (1983)

Is it a rewatch? Maybe/Probably I saw it as a kid on television, but if so: Must have been many decades. Anyways, it’s still a pretty good film (now with nostalgia bonus).
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Hm, by now, you should know what to expect. And that’s what you get; but with diminishing returns.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

The Godfather (Part II) (1974)

Rewatch – Unrated, because I didn’t pay full attention throughout the film. But the first half hour or so was very familiar: I must have watched before, at some point.
☆☆☆☆☆ 0/5 stars

Scary Movie 2 (2001)

Whoo, except for a few singular scenes, a very bad, very unfunny “comedy”.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 stars

TV

Pluribus — Season 1

Interesting. But also a bit boring in the middle and too long and drawn-out (with 9 episodes). But I’m still curious enough for a second season (but then, it must deliver, more and faster; otherwise, it will be the last season for me!).
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

Fallout — Season 2

Still entertaining enough (stil!), but I see some cracks in the facade.
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Season 1

Interesting take on the “Game of Thrones” universe. The limited scale and reduced scope also helped with this storytelling.
★★★★☆ 4/5 stars