TV Shows/Movie Reviews Archives

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari:

Don’t walk on a volcano when it’s due to go off.

Quick synopsis:

The story of a deadly volcanic eruption in New Zealand in 2019.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

The heat of pyroclastic flows is somewhere between 390-1300°. It’s not a great place to be.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Whakaari has been releasing volcanic gas since it was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1769.

My Take on The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari:

So, here’s what you need to know. If you go to New Zealand, there is a volcano called Whakaari. This volcano is on a pretty regular schedule as far as when it goes off with a big ol’ explosion. 2019 is one of those years where an eruption would not be out of the ordinary. This documentary is about a trip to the volcano in 2019 where a bunch of tourists walked right up to the damn volcano. Guess what happened?

The documentary is told by the people who were there that day and survived as well as the rescuers who did some pretty heroic things. Needless to say, not everyone did make it out alive. I would warn people that the ones who survived did not make it out clean, either. There are some hard to look at burns even three years later. This is a very sad but well-done documentary.

One thing you will not see is any sort of follow up on lawsuits. If this happened in the U.S., I am 100% sure there would be a million lawsuits but the documentary points out that there was no real protections in place for these tourists. So, when the show ends and you think, “Wait a minute! What about….” Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Verdict:

Watch it. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Class Action Park (HBO)

Don’t Pick Up the Phone (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Don’t Pick Up the Phone:

If someone tells you to strip a coworker, just don’t.

Quick synopsis:

The story of a string of hoax phone calls by a police impersonator who makes supervisors strip search their employees.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Some of these phone calls lasted over 3 hours.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

There were at least 70 cases of these types of calls.

My Take on Don’t Pick Up the Phone:

Maybe I am giving myself too much credit, but I am pretty damn sure if someone told me over the phone to make a coworker take their top off, I’d give the creeper a big old f-you. Apparently, that is not true for everyone. Big time.

“Don’t Pick Up the Phone” chronicles some of the most insane hoax phone calls ever. If someone tried to write this as a novel, it would be written off as completely outlandish. The first and main phone call covered in episode 1 goes to lengths which would be unbelievable if it wasn’t ON VIDEO. I won’t tell you exactly what happens, but I guarantee you that you cannot guess.

The whole series is 3 episodes, and it covers a lot of ground. It looks into the crimes, the investigation, and the aftermath. I know there is a glut of true crime documentaries out there. However, this one will stick with you and make you ask yourself a pretty complex question. If an authority figure is telling you to do something, where is your line?

Verdict:

Watch it. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Orgasm Inc (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline:

Why can’t sex cults ever keep it together?

Quick synopsis:

The story of OneTaste, a company focused on orgasms and well, some other stuff.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

I don’t want to spoil anything. But it gets crazier by the minute.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

The word “orgasm” wasn’t coined for sex until sometime in the 1680s.

My Take:

When you think about it, it’s amazing there aren’t more sex cults. Usually, cults start as something else before they branch into abuse and sexual control. But not the found of OneTaste, Nicole Daedone, who jumped right into sex feet first! Well, not feet. Moving on.

Daedone started the company OneTaste which major selling point was that it taught people how to give women orgasms. There were classes and seminars around all of areas of instruction. For those of you who just thought, “well unless they are doing live demonstrations, that’s just dumb.” They did live demonstrations. Yes, even the founder Daedone. She put her money where…let’s not finish that idiom.

Like any good documentary, slowly we see how this business seems bold and innovative and then crashes into scandal and coworkers having sex at work. Yes, really. It was encouraged.

The main problem with this documentary is how abruptly it ends. The crash of OneTaste came in 2018 and there are still a lot of questions which are not answered yet. It’s still worth a watch but be ready for the sudden fizzle out.

Verdict:

It’s a crazy story that probably needed a couple more years of waiting on research before release. Pun intended. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

House of Hammer (Discovery+)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for House of Hammer:

The Long Ranger is not his biggest sin.

Quick synopsis:

The story of why actor Armie Hammer is a messed-up individual from a messed-up family.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

“Finsta” means a fake Instagram account.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Armie Hammer’s father inherited $180 million from his father.

My Take on House of Hammer:

If you think your family is messed up, then come meet the Hammer family!

Any true crime doc needs to have two things before it should be recorded. First, does the subject have some insane story with elements no one would see coming? In this case, yes, absolutely. Armie Hammer didn’t become a cannibal by accident. Second, are there people who can come on camera and believably tell their story? A lot of true crime docs lately forget the second part and you are left with very suspect people telling stories which stretch credibility. House of Hammer does not fall into that trap, thankfully. They have ex-girlfriends and family members who tell some truly harrowing stories and fill in a lot of gaps.

It is worth a watch because these elements are there. However, the connections between Armie’s recent disgusting behavior does not jive as well with his family’s history. They probably should have been two different documentaries. It doesn’t ruin it, though.

Whether or not you should sign up for Discovery+ just to watch this is an entirely different question. I can’t make that call for you.

Verdict:

Worth a Friday night watch. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Harry & Meghan (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline:

We need to talk about Harry.

Quick synopsis:

The epic battle of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle vs. the British Royal Family.

Fun Fact:

No one believed I would actually watch and review this, but I did it for you, dear nerds.

My Take on Harry & Meghan:

Now, since I come from Irish ancestry and am an American, you may think I am going to go on a diatribe about how terrible the royal family is. Yes, but not yet. Let’s start with Meghan Markle AKA the Duchess of Sussex. I think she was treated abominably, and race had a lot to do with it. I believe she suffered mental trauma through all of it because quite frankly anyone would when it feels like a whole country is against you. That said, she does come off somewhat disingenuous at times. She seems to be amazingly uninformed about things that you can easily google. If you make me choose, I am team Meghan all the way. That doesn’t mean I didn’t roll my eyes at her from time to time.

Now let’s talk about Harry. I thought this was a series to rehab Meghan’s image. I expected him to be window dressing. Instead, he comes off as the most level-headed, informed, and genuine. Harry mentions his mother’s death, but not as a sympathy tool. He talks like someone who has gone to therapy to deal with trauma and has come out the other side. He owns his own faults like wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party. Since I am trying to praise him right now, we are going to move on from that as fast as possible. It’s not like he liked the Nazis. He’s not his great uncle. (Sick history burn right there in case you missed it.)

Harry is not a raging husband who thinks his wife walks on water and should never be criticized. Instead, he draws the parallel between the treatment of Diana and Meghan. There is a lot of filler, but it was worth it to me when Harry makes it clear the royal family and the tabloid press are basically the same organism. His family didn’t like Meghan (wonder why?) and they put a target on her back.

Harry made me see just how toxic his family is. To call it a family might be too generous.

Is it too late to make him king?

Verdict:

I told you what you needed to know, but if you really want to watch, it will at least give you something to talk about. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Filthy Rich: Ghislaine Maxwell (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline:

All of this sucks.

Quick synopsis:

The story of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was Jeffery Epstein’s….I don’t know how to describe her.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Nope, nothing.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Still nothing.

My Take:

I’m just going to be honest with you, nerds. This one is not good.

Let’s get the most obvious part out of the way. Ghislaine Maxwell is a terrible human being who should never see the light of day. She helped Jeffrey Epstein do horrible things. She deserves no mercy because she showed none to the women she exploited. Case closed literally and figuratively on that end.

As for the actual presentation of this terrible human being, it can’t be worse than her, but it is not good. Much of the crimes are already chronicled in Filthy Rich: Jeffrey Epstein. There is not a lot more to cover or evidence to present. Instead, we get people who say they knew Ghislaine at various points in her life. Are they good friends? Maybe. Although it seems like a few might be stretching their knowledge. And Ghislaine’s relationship with her father is littered with speculation.

There is also at least one person who I audibly doubted the authenticity of while watching. Let’s just say I doubt Ghislaine would meet someone and immediately start telling them about her criminal behavior.

There are victims of Ghislaine who talk on camera. These are the only times this show finally focuses on the right things, which are the crimes of this horrible woman and the human cost. There is not nearly enough time spent with them.

But feel free to hate watch! No judgement here!

Verdict:

Skip! But if you don’t, Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist:

Now this whole story finally makes sense!

Quick synopsis:

The story of all how football player Manti T’eo was catfished during college.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Before you say, “who cares about a dumb football player?”, I would like to point out Manti volunteered with the Special Olympics, was an Eagle Scout, and had a 3.5 GPA. Also, stop being such a negative person.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

This story is nuts. Just buckle up for a wild ride.

My Take on The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist:

Finally, this story makes sense. Before you write off this show because you are not a football fan, let me assure you this story is captivating even if you hate football. Case in point: my girlfriend watched it with me, hates football, and was riveted.

For those of you with no background on this story, Manti Te’o was a Notre Dame football player who was a big deal. He was one of the best players in the country and that is not hyperbole. In his senior year, it came out the girlfriend he talked about didn’t exist. It was always a weird story because no one ever really followed up on it extensively until now. It clearly damaged Te’o’s reputation and people had lots of thoughts whether he was hiding his sexuality, or he made up the whole thing to get attention.

*Slight Spoilers Ahead but Nothing Major*

This documentary finally sheds light on everything and it’s powerful. I genuinely felt bad for Te’o. He seems like a nice guy who was pretty naïve and sheltered even with his superstar status. Also, his dad seems like an overbearing jerk at times which may have had something to do with it.

As for Naya Tuiasosopo, who carried out the catfishing, she comes across as the biggest jerk of them all. I am sure people will make a fuss about her being transgender, but that is immaterial in how she comes off. She seems to be someone who really doesn’t regret what she did, and it shows. At times, she almost seems gleeful with what she did and how she got away with it.

That being said, if she actually apologized to Manti’s face, I think he’d forgive her in an instant.

Verdict:

A must watch for everyone. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

The Most Hated Man on the Internet (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Most Hated Man on the Internet:

Yeah, I’d hate him, too.

Quick synopsis:

The story of Hunter Moore, who ran a revenge porn site.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Hunter Moore called himself a “professional life ruiner.” Edgy, bro.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Hunter got away with posting other people’s nudes because they were submitted to him and no laws governed what he could do after that.

My Take on The Most Hated Man on the Internet:

I should point out that I was alive during the 2010s when this all went down, and I knew nothing about it. Apparently, I was not cool or maybe just not scummy enough to be part of it. Ah, regrets.

Anyway, Hunter Moore is a terrible person. He was on the internet and created a site which morphed into a place where he posted other people nude along with their information so they could be easily tracked down. When people begged him to take them down because they never wanted their naughty bits exposed, he generally laughed at them. Literally.

The documentary chronicles his rise and (thank God) fall from his perch. It focuses on a few brave victims who put themselves on camera and well, there are some people whose motives are a little less clear. I won’t cast aspersions, but some people give interviews that seem less than genuine.

Verdict:

It’s a good watch. Go for it. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

The Deep End (Hulu)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Deep End:

True narcissism is when you do a documentary and don’t realize you look like a psycho.

Quick synopsis:

A look into the cult of Teal Swan.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Teal Swan’s YouTube page has over 1.25 million followers.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

She claims she has clairvoyance, clairsentience, and clairaudience. I don’t know what those last two are.

My Take on The Deep End:

There seems to be a rash of documentaries and shows on people or businesses where the subject takes part in them, and they should NOT be doing so. It is a special kind of narcissism to believe you will come off as sympathetic no matter what happens. This show is a perfect example.

Teal Swan is a guru. Or maybe cult leader, depending on who you ask. You probably have never heard of her unless you listened to the great Gizmodo podcast on her like I did. Swan continually talks to documentarians, and she keeps looking worse and worse. This might be the most abrasive, controlling, and sociopathic portrait of her. She can at times be mesmerizing, but she will quickly do something which makes you wonder why people are drawn to her at all.

Here is the problem with this show. It feels way too slick and produced. Often, scenes will feel very much like a script. However, since I’ve already heard Teal Swan in other media, I can’t be sure because she truly thinks she is always the victim, and she is the single source of truth. If you haven’t heard of her, I highly encourage you to watch it. Even if some scenes seem scripted, it still shows who Teal Swan truly is.

Verdict:

Give it a watch. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (Netflix)

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Keep Sweet:

So gross.

Quick synopsis:

A documentary on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints leader, Warren Jeffs.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

So yeah, some people married their moms.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

You will see some wild hairdos in this documentary because there is a list of required hairstyles for the FLDS.

My Take on Keep Sweet:

Everyone knows there are Mormons. An offshoot of the Mormons is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or FLDS. Basically, the FLDS looked at Mormon history and said, “hey, let’s bring back having multiple wives!”

This is, of course, against the law. However, if you hide in the middle of nowhere in Utah or Arizona, you can get away with it for a while. You know, until people start realizing you have adults marrying 14-year-olds. Then someone is going to come for you. Now whether or not the someone coming after you is a member of the FLDS who will help you get away with it is another question entirely.

This documentary covers all that with a focus on the head creep of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs. To say you will not like Warren is an understatement of biblical proportions. The only complaint I have about this show is that there was a lot more to dig into, but there are plenty of books to help you with that. However, if you know nothing about the FLDS, you will find it both riveting and very gross. I really want to stress the gross part.

Verdict:

It’s worth a watch. Watch it here!

If You Liked This Try:

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