Hector A. Ruiz

MBA, Project Manager, Tennis Player, Musician, and Author of "How to Destroy a Country"

Category: Movies and TV/Steaming Series Page 1 of 3

Snow White

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On April 16, 2025

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

Remakes, sometimes also called reboots.

Whenever the topic of remakes is brought up to any serious movie pundit -good remakes that is-, within a large plethora of options -especially recent ones-, almost always three films will stand out as the only movies that achieved success in both outclassing its original to the point of making it fall into oblivion, and by demonstrating the few occasions in which a remake was both needed and properly executed. The films are John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is a remake of The Thing from Another World; David Cronenberg’s The Fly, which is a remake of the same titled movie from 1958); and Brian De Palma’s Scarface, also a remake of the same titled movie from 1932, which was produced by Howard Hughes during his time as a movie executive).

With the exception of Scarface, the reason why Carpenter and Cronenberg remade The Thing and The Fly was due to the 1950s science fiction being a genre associated with mediocre production and low quality standards. Most sci-fi films of this era, today are labeled as B-movies or worse, such as the case with Ed Wood’s films, including the commonly referred to as worst movie of all time Plan 9 from Outer Space. Unlike the Hughes 1932 Scarface, which stands as a great film on its own and features fantastic acting by Paul Muni and great directing by Howard Hawks, The Thing and The Fly took on a mediocre product, and elevated the concept with superior acting, directing, special effects, and general production, even adding philosophical themes. De Palma’s Scarface is a re-imagining on the main subject of Hawks, using a more modern approach that was able to work effectively mostly thanks to the same reasons why The Thing and The Fly succeeded (better actors, better production). These three films succeeded so much, that they are constantly featured in top movies of all time lists.

Needless to say that dozens of other remakes exist with mixed results when compared to their originals. However generally speaking, it is hard for anyone to come up with a remake that can compare in terms of quality with the aforementioned films, or at least surpasses the original film. Planet of the Apes, Vanilla sky, Psycho, Diabolique, Mr. Deeds, The Stepford wives, all share the same characteristic: they are forgettable. Then came this recent trend of remaking films that were already considered good -even classics-, which for no other reason other than to capitalize from their old fame: Total Recall’s 2012 remake, Robocop’s 2014 remake, Carrie’s 2013 remake, Point Break’s 2015, and many others. All these films can be summarized in one word: forgettable. It makes one wonder the need for it other than to cash in millions of dollars (the only reason). Then comes the Disney conglomerate.

About a year ago, the folks at RedLetterMedia addressed the matter of remakes during their review of The Exorcist: Believer (another unnecessary remake), by briefly emulating a speculative Disney boardroom meeting discussing the remaking of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. You can watch their analysis below -it only takes sixty seconds-:

Today Snow White sits with an average of 1.6 out of 10 at IMDB, 40%-70% on RottenTomatoes. Surely several of the low score reviews are driven by the “either good or bad” recent trend to evaluate products, but still this reality does not deviate by how dissapointed a substantial percentage of audiences feel -especially with film so highly regarded such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves-.

I was never too big into Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, however I have always acknowledged its quality, importance and legacy in the pillars of movie history. I recognized the simplicity yet effectiveness of the story, I felt the sentimental appeal of the classic songs (Heigh-Ho, The silly song, Someday my prince will come), and I understood why thousands -if not millions- cried when it premiered, during a time of depression where optimism was a much needed emotion in our world. Moreover, I knew -just as it had occurred with 1971’s Wily Wonka, and Tim Burton’s remake-, there was zero chance a Snow White remake would be able to even compare itself to the lowest point of the original film. But who are we to stop Disney and their endless pursuit to destroy every ounce of the legacy Walt Disney himself built for us: Disney, Disneyland, Disneyworld… they all exist thanks to the classic films. They do not exist because of the remakes.

Will this wave of adequate bashing against Snow White make movie producers to wake up and get them to stop remaking old classic films that do not need any updating or improvement and that have stood the test of time for decades -and most likely will continue for centuries-? Only time will tell, however the power is in your hands.

HR

Can Friends hold up? – Part 1

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On March 2, 2025

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

It has probably been about ten years since I last saw Friends. Week in, week out I glanced at both my DVDs (yikes), and more recently my Max playlist, in search for the right time to rewatch what was one of the biggest series of my generation. I finally did a couple of months ago.

Before I go into my review, I would like to address that a few years ago I had read a couple of articles and seen a few critiques regarding how the lack of diversity on the show affected its legacy, which as most likely you obviously know starred six Caucasian (I do not like using the term “white”), and that this impaired the possibility of Friends holding up and withstanding the test of time. I have always thought such negative criticism is unnecessary and uncalled for. I favor DEI as much as everyone else does, but having a show meet DEI just because modern society enforces it, kind of defeats the purpose of freedom and artistic creativity. To me it comes down to reality and perspectives: I have Caucasian friends, whose inner circle consists of exclusively of Caucasians, and it is not because they have any sort of discrimination against other races, it is simply because that is how it is; just as I have Caucasian friends who have a diverse inner circle; and the same applies to Latins, Indians, Asians. So honestly, back then and to this day I do not care if back then Friends was not diverse. I just care whether it is funny or not. With that out of the way, I can now dwell into the main topic.

This review will contain spoilers.

Friends’ first episode starts as your basic sitcom show: characters are bluntly introduced and in a few minutes the viewer is able to understand their different personalities and general dynamics. Chandler is the joke guy, Monica is the control freak, Joey is the cute dumb guy, Ross is the structured one, Phoebe is the Wacky, and Rachel the spoiled little princess. Somehow these people got together and over the years have been able to maintain a strong relationship that allows them to share their feelings, struggles, and moments of happiness and sadness while living in New York City. The first episode is clear in two aspects: 1) The series at its core is about Ross and Rachel; 2) The episodes will feature unusual situation. Keep in mind that by the time Friends came out, although both Seinfeld and the Simpsons were into their fourth season, there were still remnants of the 80s TV formula personified by Family Ties, Cheers and Full House. Therefore, audiences were wondering if there was going to be a “safe” sitcom with a “normal” plot. As episodes went on, it became clear Friends was gearing more on the risky side, but borderline close to the “safe” zone.

The first bomb of Ross divorcing his lesbian pregnant wife was a fantastic way to start the series, and a risky element to propel the first storyline. The second missile of Rachel transitioning from sweet spoiled little princess to hardworking member of society was an admirable way to ground it on the safe side. Throughout its existence, Friends played with this balance of being risky at times, and safe on other occasions. Monica sleeping with a guy on their first date was risky, while Phoebe -being the wacky one but good at heart- reporting she was deposited a large amount of money in her bank account was safe.

The series progresses with overall good episodes such as “The one with the East German laundry detergent” -a title that may not have aged well-, yet with a story that is funny and relatable; and “The one with the butt” in which Joey gets a role as Al Pacino’s butt double, while Chandler dates a polygamous woman. However as it happens with most great series, there is always one moment that elevates the show, or even better, a full episode: The one with the blackout. The plot is great, the acting is superb, the dialogue is hilarious:

Joey: You waited too long to make your move and now you’re in the ‘friend zone.’
Ross: No no no, I’m not in the zone.
Joey: No, Ross. You’re the mayor of the zone.

along with…

Chandler: rrrhhh, rrggggr, rrrrrrmmm, rrrkkkk
Monica: I have no idea what you just said.
Chandler: Put Joey on the phone.
Joey: What’s up man?
Chandler: rrrhhh, rrggggr, rrrrrrmmm, rrrkkkk!!!!!!!!
Joey: Oh my God, he’s trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre!!

along with…

No no no, I’m not in the zone.
Joey: No, Ross. You’re the mayor of the zone.

and of course…

“Hey Ross, I know this is a bad time, but you gotta throw a surprise party for Monica.”

What a way to end an episode! This is the first episode worthy of a 10 out 10.

Blackout is followed by similar quality episodes as the ones that preceded it, most of them are good in general, and have a few key moments that hint to what audiences witnessed in Blackout. Hank Azaria’s guest appearance is one of these moments. Jon Lovitz’s is too. The remaining episodes of the season are strong, mostly to the superb writing which as I mentioned earlier marvelously plays with that risk vs safe balance: The one with boobies, The one with two parts, The one with poker which is very good because of its realism on Rachel’s struggle with being rejected for that dream job she has been looking for, The one with the ick factor “Oh I’m a Senior!”, and the original season finale “The one with the birth”, which as you may or may not know, was objected by James Burrows who instead pushed for another episode, because he did not want a cliffhanger with a tone that the following season was going to be about Ross’ baby. Hence, “The one where Rachel finds out” was written, which is arguably as good as “Blackout”:

Rachel: What did you just say?
Chandler: Crystal duck?

…an amazing way to end a successful first season.

HR

The Substance

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On November 12, 2024

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

This is a spoiler-free review.

Every generation or so, a new director with a groundbreaking vision appears in the artistic scene of cinema. Sometimes it is two or three. Lean and Kurosawa, Fellini and Kubrick, Spielberg and Lucas, Lynch and Scorsese, and most recently, Nolan, Anderson and Aronofsky. All of them pioneered in one or many ways the art of visual storytelling. While watching The Substance this past weekend, I kept wondering if Coralie Fargeat is the embodiment of this generation’s new groundbreaking vision for movie-making.

Take Nolan for example: most people will immediately associate his name with The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, or  -most recently- Oppenheimer, with a minority being familiar with Memento or Insomnia. Take David Lynch: well-known thanks to Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet, but not so much for Eraserhead or The elephant man. Or take Aronofsky for Black Swan and The Wrestler, but not so much for Pi or Requiem for a dream, the latter of which I will reference in this review given the amount of similarities it share with The Substance.

With a daring combination of driving inspiration from Kubrick, Fargeat does not eschew on either visual or narrative story telling, instead relying heavily on both special effects and properly executed exaggerated dialogue to appeal to different types of audiences, from those who appreciate the poignant emotion of an ambition tale turned into madness, to those who will enjoy the absurdity of overacting adequately used for comedic effect.

However as I previously stated, it is Requiem for a Dream the true framework that was used for The Substance. If you have seen Requiem and watch the Substance, you will immediately relate to my thesis; if you have not seen Requiem, but you have seen The Substance, and watch Requiem next, you will join me as a proponent of their undeniable connection. I truly liked The Substance, though I am not prepared to say it is great or brilliant movie. The plot was good, creative, and even though the premise is simple, it brings a surprising emotional depth I have not seen in a while. Who could not relate to the thought of being able to live the life of a zenith version of yourself? How far would you go to live that life? How willing would you be to sacrifice part of your well-being to see a better version of yourself triumph in aspects you would not be able to? Alas hope can lead to bad decisions.

I have always thought Demi Moore is a good actress. She had great roles in the late eighties and early nineties with Ghost, A few good men and Nothing but trouble, until she let her ability to capitalize on her name blind herself from selecting good scripts, with a fall from grace that began with Striptease, and kept sinking to new lows with G.I. Jane and Charlie’s Angels. Other than a few glimpses of her glory days shown in Margin call, this is the first time since the early nineties I witnessed her fully utilizing her talents and living up to her potential. In The Substance, she marvelously delivers a heartbreaking yet realistic performance of a huge star past her prime who looks to relive her glory years. You can almost feel that she is not playing the part, but in reality living it. Thanks to Fargeat’s direction, the end product is a film filled with images that leave an permanent imprint on your mind, and a voice that resonates as an hymn to how selfishness leads to self-destruction.

Margaret Qualley also delivers a solid performance, but is not as good as Demi’s. You would expect her character Sue to be a pusillanimous contrast to Demi’s Elisabeth, or at least the single character with a conscience, but I guess it is part of the film’s message: that once you become part of the system, there is no way out. Yet even though Qualley does her best, he is greatly aided by Fargeat’s direction. Going back to the comparison with Requiem, I could not resist to see the paralelisms with Qualley and Jennifer Connelly, and with Demi and Ellen Burstyn (Connelly being far superior than Qualley, and Demi coming close to Burstyn’s performance, but not that close). Since there is no counterpart character for Jared Leto or Marlon Wayans, The Substance stands out as a more multi-faceted individual character study, than Requiem with its hard-hitting theme shared by all four protagonists. When measured against Requiem, The Substance needed the Kronos quartet (it also needed Keith David). The Substance might have better box-office numbers and reach out to a wider audience, but Requiem will always be the better between the two.

Regardless of how unappreciated the early works of great directors are, or how Aronofsky’s Requiem impact in filmmaking might be overlooked and undermined by The Substance’s, Fargeat excels at bringing a fresh perspective to brand new audiences unfamiliar with means and methods pioneered twenty years ago, by paying homage to many shoulders of the greats she stands upon: Kubrick’s framing and cinematography, Aronofsky’s visual techniques, and Waters’ unpredictability. There is also some David Cronenberg in it.

In the end The Substance is one of those films where rating will come down to tastes. Some audiences may find it boring, others interesting, others puzzling, and others too simplistic. I will rate The Substance 7 out of 10. It would have been a solid 8 / 10 had it ended twenty minutes before it did. Unfortunately, its third act tried to outdo The Fly’s, and it ended up slightly resembling Malignant’s, where the audience are left to wonder whether the film’s message was intended for the viewer or the establishment… or both.

A very watchable film I recommend to anyone. Then again, so is Requiem for a Dream.

HR

Alien – In space no one can hear you scream

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On July 12, 2024

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

With the upcoming release of Alien: Romulus, I wanted to go back and share my thoughts on the Alien franchise as a whole, going through every film leading up to Romulus.

My experience with Alien (1979) was both funny and one to remember. The first time I watched it was a weekend night back in the 80s. My parents were passed out in their bedroom. I was seven years old and was experiencing the joy of Star Wars. I loved Star Wars, it was arguably my favorite movie at the time, with nothing coming even close to it. Then came this commercial about this space film that was set on a spaceship that resembled the Millennium Falcon, or an Imperial Destroyer. Me -a naive kid- thought this new movie was the fourth of the Star Wars saga: “A continuation to Return of the Jedi!” – I innocently believed. Boy was I in for a ride. This movie freaked me out so much, I had to sleep with the lights on and FM radio playing dance music for about two months. Eventually as I grew older, I had the opportunity to rewatch Alien, this time from a more adequately mature perspective that allowed me to appreciate its greatness as an art form.

Alien works in so many levels that it is not challenging at all to properly contextualize why it is so great. The first reason I always name is the atmosphere. Right from the start the film’s mood feels unsettling. It takes less than a couple of minutes for the viewer to realize that something is not right. Not even a single line of dialogue is spoken. Instead, Ridley Scott slowly pans the camera throughout a series of hallways, rooms and corridors of a ship that is perfectly designed to convey a sentiment of hostility that will only be matched by the creature the ship’s crew will eventually encounter. The Nostromo is dark, almost silent, and barely features any comfortable amenities. This atmosphere is consistent through the film, which helps in building the tension within the crew of seven who simply want to do their job and get out of the ship as soon as possible. Then you have the crew.

The second reason why Alien is such a memorable film is the realism driven by each character. Contrary to other films in which a member would be given a specific trait (mostly a physical element associated to them), each character relies on their own persona to stand out and imprint an image of their personality on your brain -an image that will always be there-. Take for instance Friday the 13th. I mention Friday the 13th because at its core, they are both the same: slasher films. However in Friday the 13th, it’s almost impossible to name any of the characters, because they are devoid of any personality. They are just there to be killed and that’s it, with the exception of Tommy Jarvis. It should be noted that this is the case for all Friday the 13th films. In Alien however, each character feels like a real person because of how well constructed they are:

  • Dallas is the ship’s captain: he is a guy who wants to do his job. He does not stand out, nor he believes he’s the best pilot in the galaxy. He knows he is the equivalent of a space truck driver.
  • Kane is the second officer in command: he is similar to Dallas, only that he is more of a risk taker. You can see this by how inclined he is to investigate the findings around the Space Jockey’s spaceship.
  • Lambert, the ship’s navigator: a smart crew member who is shown to be an expert in her field, yet someone who is very emotional on matters out of her expertise. You can see this on every scene that features this palpable tension. Lambert is not a good decision maker, but an emotional decision maker.
  • Mechanics Parker and Brett: the former Lambert’s male equivalent emotional persona. He’s the outspoken and gets easily emotionally involved, in contrast to Brett’s quietness. They both only care about money, but they also care about taking care of the Nostromo, because they understand the ship is what provides them with money.
  • Ash, the science officer: completely passionate about anything related to science. An expert in his area -like Lambert- but unemotional, which is only due to the eventual reveal.
  • …and finally Ripley: the ranking officer after Dallas and Kane. A strong straight-forward thinker, she represents the voice that always makes the right decision. Even if sometimes her voice is ignored, you know that she made the right call.

As you can see, not a single character has a weapon, or an item to distinguish themselves from each other. The only thing they have is themselves.

And then the third and final reason why Alien works, is of course the film’s execution led by Scott’s direction: the camera angles, the lighting on the set, the music, the editing. Everything is done so impeccably, there is not a single flaw throughout the entire film (at least not one worth mentioning).

So there you have it. Alien (1979) in a nutshell. 10 out of 10.

HR

Dexter – Season Four Review

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On February 21, 2024

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

After the anti-climatic ending of season 2 and the writing disaster that was season 3, I am guessing the writers were given enough time to come up with a decent plot line for season 4: a worthy rival. This review contains spoilers.

Award winner John Lithgow stars as the Trinity Killer. A methodical serial killer who has been able to stay under the radar for over thirty years by killing in sprees of threes (eventually it is discovered that it is actually four). On top of being able to accomplish his murders without being detected, Trinity is also a family man, which leads to Dexter befriending him in order to understand how to live his new life as a serial killer, family man, and also recent father of a newborn.

Special Agent Lundy is brought back, as he has recently been able to track Trinity to Miami. However in an unexpected turn of events, another great character is killed off, leaving the series with Dexter and Deb carrying the show- since it was obvious that Trinity was going to be killed off too at the end of the season.

I have to say, this was one of the few times in which Dexter felt really threatened by an external force more powerful than him. Perhaps it was Lithgow’s presence that gave Trinity that aura of superiority, wonderfully manifested at the end of episode eleven when he walked into Dexter’s safeguard, Miami Metro’s Police Department.

As it happened with Moser, a fitting finale would have been Trinity getting away, having murdered Rita, and leaving Dexter defeated and craving for revenge, a revenge that could have been deeply explored onto season five and even further. Instead, we were left of with the season I playfully refer to as “Super Mario Dexter”.

Stay tuned for my review of season five.

HR

It’s always sunny in Philadelphia

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On January 14, 2024

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

Last October I went to the Sunny in Philadelphia live podcast staging at Radio City Music Hall. It was a completion of a journey that started fifteen years ago with me thinking it was one of the stupidest shows I had ever seen.

It was a rainy Friday night. I was by myself at home with not much going on. It had been a hectic week at work and all I wanted to do was to sit at home, relax and disconnect myself from the world for a while. I turned on my television -which was rarely the case, as you may or may not know I am not a big television person- and started zapping through the channels looking for something to grab my attention. FX was one of those channels with some unusual creative programming, so it did not surprise me when I caught this odd show that was on: the characters were in the middle of a dialogue which seemed dumb at first glance. Then I remembered that I had seen a couple of clips from the show a few months earlier, and my initial impression was the same, so I paid little attention to it and kept moving on through the rest of the night.

The next day I woke up to clear blue skies and I went out to buy something special for the night. I had enjoyed my Friday, and since heavy rain was forecast starting in the evening, I wanted to stay home again and make Saturday equally enjoyable by cooking something special. Evening time came and I set myself in the kitchen. Once again, I turned the TV on, just to leave some noise in the background while I was preparing my special meal.

Automatic zapping mode went for a couple of rounds, until I do not remember how or why -as I did the night before- landed on FX. This time they were running a Sunny marathon. As I continued preparing my meal, I kept listening and glancing every now and then. I served my food and moved the TV so I could watch the show while enjoying my delicious special dinner. Do not ask me how, but three hours had gone by and I was hooked, and what were initially smiles, became bursts of laughing. “Now I get this show“, I told myself.

Every other person I know who is a Sunny fan, went through the same experience as I did, to greater or lesser degrees. It is a show that at first will not impress you, and will have you question why would something that stupid would air on television. But it has something you cannot put your finger on, that is there and attracts you, and you do not feel bad about particularly rejecting it. Then you start watching it, understanding, and appreciating the quality of the show, until you finally realize the show is nothing short of one of the best shows of all time: the acting is superb, the stories are creative and hilarious, and the overall production is excellent.

If you have not seen Sunny, you are missing a lot in your life. The aspect that I like the most is its realism (realism to an extent). Have you ever wondered of that one or two guys at your office or your socializing circle, who seem to be living their lives without any common sense, and disconnected from reality, and you and your coworkers / friends ask yourselves “What would it look like, to have four or five of those type of guys interacting with each other on a regular basis?” That is Sunny.

About ten years ago a reviewer summarized Sunny in a very quirky, yet accurate way: “Sunny is Seinfeld on crack.” Today, the gang keeps on and slowly but steadily, Sunny is finally gaining the praise and recognition it has always deserved.

HR

Dexter – Season Three Review

By

On December 7, 2023

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

With Brian Moser and Sgt. Doakes gone, there was nothing the writers could come up for the role of a formidable foe that could be an actual threat to Dexter -at least not for now. Instead, they devised this sort of friendship / partner in crime / eventual betrayal scheme masterminded by a new character, who apparently everyone in Miami Metro knew and was familiar with (except for Dexter), yet no one even had mentioned anything about him in the past two seasons: Miguel Prado, a city prosecutor, wonderfully portrayed by Jimmy Smits, who is quite a good actor but felt somehow out of place in the series.

I did not care much about the side plots, especially Debra’s romantic interest, or the final antagonist: the skinner, a mysterious nobody who skins his victims, and who is also in cahoots with Miguel on the side. Rita also gets more annoying with every episode. I do not think there was anything wrong with Julie Benz, I just thought the character was poorly written. At one point I kind of felt bad for her, since she did a good job with the material given.

The season of course ends with Dexter killing both Miguel and the skinner in what is arguably the most unrealistic series of scenes I had seen up until that point (yes, even more unrealistic than the fire drill, but oh well).

There is really nothing bad in particular to say about season three, but there is also nothing good either. It is a season that meets the minimum requirements and checks all boxes for a passable average show. Nothing more.

Stay tuned for Season Four: Back in track.

HR

Final Top 10 Movies

By

On November 21, 2023

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

After much thought and internal debate, I came up with my top 10 movies. In no particular order:

  • 2001.
  • Airplane!
  • Blade Runner.
  • Das Boot
  • The Empire Strikes Back.
  • The Godfather.
  • The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
  • Mulholland Dr.
  • Pulp Fiction.
  • Taxi Driver!

Down the road I may do an individual entry reviewing each one.

HR

Top 10 movies

By

On November 2, 2023

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

We started a top 10 ranking at my office.

The ranking is solely based on personal preference, not on movies one may rank or think that are the best. My top 10 (in no particular order):

  • The Godfather.
  • The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
  • 2001.
  • The Empire Strikes Back.
  • Mulholland Drive.
  • Das Boot.
  • Airplane!

…and I am zeroing in the last three spots.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

By

On October 21, 2023

In Movies and TV/Steaming Series

In preparation for Halloween, I recently re-watched the 1984 classic Wes Craven film and wanted to share a few spoiler-free thoughts about it.

First of all, we should take a moment and appreciate the brilliance of the entire concept of a man that kills you in your dreams. With a base as solid as this, the movie is off a terrific start.

Then there is the narrative that drives the film: the building of two worlds -the dream world and the real world- in which some of the characters are connect to, and some are disconnected from. I like that there is a fascinating struggle for both to relate to each other in this plausibility of two worlds that while foreign to each other, are able to affect themselves.

It should also be mentioned that after forty years, the film holds up pretty well and except for a few minimal details, I am sure that anyone watching for the first time would experience the same emotions as anyone did back in the 80s.

If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it right now.

HR

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