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Reviews
Spy/Master (2023)
Well Made but Soooo Implausible
I'm very glad to see reviews her by Romanians addressing the issue of the Romanian dialogue and the characterizations of historical figures; I was wondering if Romanians would find those portions of the series realistic. It's sad to hear that it didn't quite make the grade.
While I really like the production design overall, and really liked the fact that the series took place in a variety of languages (I hate spy movies where everyone speaks English, though I understand it's a matter of convenience), the story grew more and more implausible with each episode.
First off, I really don't understand how the head KGB character's motivations (Shakarov, not the other one). He's a literal deus ex machina in a couple of scenes, helping Godeanu's daughter escape to the West as well as freeing Godeanu after he was kidnapped by the Securitate. But why? Why would a KGB agent altruistically help them escape to the West instead of extracting the daughter to Moscow as a way to lure Godeanu there as well? Shakarov was basically a KGB fairy godfather whose sole purpose was to help the main characters when the plot required it. Very poor writing.
And don't get me started on the ridiculous portrayal of security at the American embassy. Want to kidnap someone from one of the most secure locations on the planet? Easy! Want to bring in a briefcase bomb through the front door? Easy! Apparently they just weren't checking bags that day, lol. And I'm sure they'd just let a Romanian defector run around the embassy with a gun like Dirty Harry to hunt down a terrorist (and seriously, in that scene, there are absolutely no other armed personnel during a bomb scare, no Marines, MPs, German police, etc?). And one minute, the main CIA guy is at his desk running agents, the next minute he's running around with Godeanu with his gun drawn like in some buddy cop movie even though of course CIA personnel had no law-enforcement jurisdiction in West Germany. Imagine the scandal that would've caused: rogue CIA official caught with high-ranking Romanian defector acting as police in 70s Bonn, investigating crime scenes with guns drawn. Oh, and Godeanu just happened to know who the Egyptian guy was, how convenient. There are lots of very convenient moments in the show.
The part that really takes the cake though is the very last scene, where the CIA guy, Godeanu, and his daughter are casually sitting on the front steps of the embassy in plain view of everyone, including any potential Securitate agents looking to take revenge. But no, it's like the end of some feelgood TV movie, with everyone laughing at the end as the credits roll.
Road to Revenge (1993)
So Bad It's... Bad
Hey, if you're behind on your cringing, or if you're just feeling out of practice or are a masochist in general, this is the film for you. Makes Christopher Moltisanti's "Cleaver" look like "Citizen Kane." John De Hart makes Steven Seagal look like Ian McKellen in comparison.
A special shoutout to John De Hart (and his various online sock-puppets) for leaving all those 10/10 reviews, lol. Keep reaching for that rainbow, Johnny boy!
Synanon (1965)
Synanon Was a Dangerous, Violent Cult That Makes Scientology Look Mild.
Ever wonder why this supposedly wonderful organization isn't around anymore?
Synanon is purported to have been involved in several criminal activities, such as the disappearance of Rose Lena Cole around late-1972 or early-1973. Cole had received a court order to enroll in Synanon before she disappeared. She has not been seen or heard from since. Initially Synanon did not support violence; however, Dederich later changed the rules to allow for violence in order to maintain control. Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines." Over 80 violent acts were committed including mass beatings that hospitalized teenagers and ranchers who were beaten in front of their families. People who left the organization were at risk of physical violence for being a "splittee"; one ex-member, Phil Ritter, was beaten so severely that his skull was fractured and he subsequently fell into a coma with a near-fatal case of bacterial meningitis.
During the summer of 1978, the NBC Nightly News produced a news segment on the controversies surrounding Synanon. Following this broadcast, several executives of the NBC network and its corporate chairman allegedly received hundreds of threats from Synanon members and supporters. However, NBC continued with a series of reports on the Synanon situation on the NBC Nightly News. The Point Reyes Light, a small-circulation weekly newspaper in Marin County, would later receive the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their covering Synanon at a time when other news agencies avoided reporting. Several weeks after NBC began receiving threats, on October 10, 1978, two Synanon members placed a de-rattled rattlesnake in the mailbox of attorney Paul Morantz of Pacific Palisades, California. Morantz had successfully brought suit on behalf of people who were being held against their will by Synanon. The snake bit him, and he was hospitalized for six days. This incident, along with the press coverage, prompted an investigation by the police and government into Synanon.
Six weeks later, the Los Angeles Police Department performed a search of the ranch in Badger that found a recorded speech by Dederich in which he said, "We're not going to mess with the old-time, turn-the-other-cheek religious postures... Our religious posture is: Don't mess with us. You can get killed dead, literally dead... These are real threats," he snarled. "They are draining life's blood from us, and expecting us to play by their silly rules. We will make the rules. I see nothing frightening about it... I am quite willing to break some lawyer's legs, and next break his wife's legs, and threaten to cut their child's arm off. That is the end of that lawyer. That is a very satisfactory, humane way of transmitting information. I really do want an ear in a glass of alcohol on my desk." During the investigations researchers also came across multiple lawsuits and arrests against Synanon members.
Dederich was arrested while drunk on December 2, 1978. The two other Synanon residents, one of whom was Lance Kenton, the son of the musician Stan Kenton, pleaded "no contest" to charges of assault, and also conspiracy to commit murder. While his associates went to jail, Dederich received probation because his doctors claimed that due to ill health he would most likely die in prison. As a condition of probation, he was disallowed from taking part in managing Synanon.
Synanon struggled to survive without its leader, and also with a severely tarnished reputation. The Internal Revenue Service revoked the organization's tax-exempt status and ordered them to pay $17 million in back taxes, which bankrupted Synanon, which formally dissolved in 1991.
Magicians (2007)
Definitely Worth a Couple Yuks (Or More)
I've seen lots of bad to so-so reviews for this one, but I gotta say, I keep going back to it because the funny bits really are funny. For me, Peter Capaldi absolutely steals every scene he's in; he can do more comedy with one facial expression than many comedians can pull off in an entire stand-up act, and he's perfect for the role of the bureaucratic petty tyrant in charge of the magic contest. Daren Boyd (my GOD does he look like a young John Cleese!) also steals his scenes, as does Alex McQueen as the stooge: amazing what really good comedic actors can do with even the smallest roles.