Fences is adapted from the play by August Wilson. In it, we follow Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) and the lives of his family and friends as they all learn to take the crookeds with the straights. Denzel Washington is our lead and does one hell of a fine performance (maybe even performance of the year). He plays a deeply flawed man that still has quite a bit of goodness inside him. He's humorous, gruff, mean, kind, loving, strict, firm and stubborn. In short, he's a complex character that resembles a real human being. It's fun to watch Troy slide up and down the scale of Hero-Villain, ultimately falling somewhere firmly in-between. It's impressive that Denzel allows himself to be seen as an actual person. He's greying and has a belly, he's still handsome but in a very normal way.
Viola Davis is phenomenal as Rose, Troy's wife and the rock of Troy's family. She stands by her man through thick and thin, and has plenty of struggles throughout where her resolve and commitment is tested. It's so cool to see her take a character that could easily be portrayed as weak, and turn her into one of the best and strongest female characters in film in 2016. She shares a scene with Denzel/Troy that was deeply affecting and made her struggle super relatable (to the point where it may have brought me to tears). I'd say Rose was easily the strongest (and my favorite) character in the film. Viola Davis deserves to take home an Oscar for her performance here.
Stephen Henderson shines as Jim Bono, the good-natured long-term friend of Troy's who often finds himself in the middle of arguments between Troy and others. He takes a supporting role and makes it quite memorable, to the point where when he disappears for a significant portion I started to miss him. Mykelti Williamson (aka Bubba from Forrest Gump) completely disappears into his role as Gabriel, the mentally disabled, kind hearted brother to Troy. He has some interesting biblical beliefs regarding to what role he has to play in his life, and his sub-plot comes to fruition in a tear-inducing way at the end. Mykelti Williamson is another clear standout in the film, and I wouldn't be surprised if he were nominated for an Oscar this year.
If it weren't already obvious, I LOVED this film. It's superbly scripted (Easily one of the best scripts I've sampled this year), shot (by Charlotte Bruus Christensen), acted, and directed (by Denzel Washington himself. I'm surprised he's so good at coaxing such superb performances from every single member of his cast). It's a film that feels timeless. We are given small hints as to what time period it's set in (including clothes worn. The biggest clue is the date on a high school varsity jacket near the end), but for the most part this is a film that feels like it could take place in any era and still be just as relevant. The only problem I had with Fences, is that the last forty minutes or so drags on and on and on as it feels like it keeps prolonging the ending. However, even in these last forty minutes or so, there are still plenty of powerful moments.
It became clear to me by the end that Fences likely works better as a play than it does as a film (It's also shot and staged much the way a play would be), that said this is still one hell of a fine movie that treats viewers to a true Broadway theatrical experience. Fences affected me in ways I never expected it to. I was a blubbering mess by the time the end credits rolled, and for a person that doesn't cry easily, that's one of the highest compliments I can give a movie. I'd say Fences is well worth your time, just be prepared for a long third act.
4.5 STARS
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
LA LA LAND IS A SURE FIRE SMILE INDUCER
In La La Land, we follow Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) as they fall in love and try to follow their dreams in Los Angeles. Sebastian is a struggling jazz pianist who wants to open up his own jazz club someday. Mia is an aspiring actress who wants to make her way onto the silver screen. Together, they traverse the ins and outs of L.A., learning about themselves, who they are, and what it takes to make your dreams a reality along the way.
In case you couldn't tell, La La Land's plot, story, and even characters are ones we've seen before. So, Los Angeles isn't all stardust and bright lights, and making your dreams come true is a real struggle? Gosh, tell me something I don't know. Yes, this particular tale has been told a trillion times over. It's quite telling that I had to look up our two lead character's names before writing this review because I had forgotten them.
Luckily, there is a certain element of La La Land that is joyous, original, and memorable: The musical numbers. The music is by Justin Hurwitz, and the lyrics are done by Benj Paske and Justin Paul, who also made Edges and Dear Justin Hansen. The film starts out with a musical dance number set in the middle of backed up L.A. traffic, and immediately sets the tone of what we are about to see....or so it would seem. Yes, the musical numbers are simply fantastic, and the choreography (by Mandy Moore) and cinematography (by Linus Sandgren) are freaking great (My favorite number is Someone In The Crowd)! That said, as the film jogs on, the musical numbers seem to lessen. For a film that proudly bills itself as a musical, it's a confusing choice.
La La Land is directed by Damian Chizele. Once again, like Whiplash before (which I consider the better film of the two), he has made another film about music. He does a fine directing job, but I still consider Whiplash to be more impressive.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone share fantastic chemistry (as already evidenced in Stupid Crazy Love). I really bought their romance and was rooting for these two crazy dreamers to make it to the finish line together. Ryan Gosling in particular looks constantly dapper throughout the film (impressively so, I'd say). That said, their characters are ones similar to those we have seen before and aren't all that memorable. They are very likable, but they aren't the selling point of this film (the music is, duh).
La La Land is a film that tries to mash together both fantastical elements and realistic elements, with middling results. The tone and pacing are all over the place, there are parts that fly by and parts that seem to drag on for quite a bit. The ending also is nice, but I felt didn't fit super well. Ultimately, I appreciate what the film was trying to do but still feel it was best when focusing on the fantastical. That's why I say the best part of this film is the first act, which is where most of the musical numbers lie.
I've never seen a film reach out and stroke that Oscar statue so hard and fast. Yes, La La Land is indeed Oscar bait, and I wouldn't be surprised if it won best picture (though I feel that's a title the film doesn't deserve. Hollywood loves nothing more than glorifying itself, after all). Looking at just the story, plot, characters and pacing I'd say La La Land isn't all that great of a film. It's the musical numbers that make this one watchable and fun. La La Land is an ode to old school Hollywood musicals (It even opes with a large "Filmed in CinemaScope" logo), life in L.A., and all those crazy dreamers out there. The musical numbers are so fun, creative, imaginative, and unique that it kind of hurts when the rest of the film can't quite match up. That said, La La Land is still a cute little film that is sure to bring a smile to your face (despite some downer moments).
3.5 Stars
In case you couldn't tell, La La Land's plot, story, and even characters are ones we've seen before. So, Los Angeles isn't all stardust and bright lights, and making your dreams come true is a real struggle? Gosh, tell me something I don't know. Yes, this particular tale has been told a trillion times over. It's quite telling that I had to look up our two lead character's names before writing this review because I had forgotten them.
Luckily, there is a certain element of La La Land that is joyous, original, and memorable: The musical numbers. The music is by Justin Hurwitz, and the lyrics are done by Benj Paske and Justin Paul, who also made Edges and Dear Justin Hansen. The film starts out with a musical dance number set in the middle of backed up L.A. traffic, and immediately sets the tone of what we are about to see....or so it would seem. Yes, the musical numbers are simply fantastic, and the choreography (by Mandy Moore) and cinematography (by Linus Sandgren) are freaking great (My favorite number is Someone In The Crowd)! That said, as the film jogs on, the musical numbers seem to lessen. For a film that proudly bills itself as a musical, it's a confusing choice.
La La Land is directed by Damian Chizele. Once again, like Whiplash before (which I consider the better film of the two), he has made another film about music. He does a fine directing job, but I still consider Whiplash to be more impressive.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone share fantastic chemistry (as already evidenced in Stupid Crazy Love). I really bought their romance and was rooting for these two crazy dreamers to make it to the finish line together. Ryan Gosling in particular looks constantly dapper throughout the film (impressively so, I'd say). That said, their characters are ones similar to those we have seen before and aren't all that memorable. They are very likable, but they aren't the selling point of this film (the music is, duh).
La La Land is a film that tries to mash together both fantastical elements and realistic elements, with middling results. The tone and pacing are all over the place, there are parts that fly by and parts that seem to drag on for quite a bit. The ending also is nice, but I felt didn't fit super well. Ultimately, I appreciate what the film was trying to do but still feel it was best when focusing on the fantastical. That's why I say the best part of this film is the first act, which is where most of the musical numbers lie.
I've never seen a film reach out and stroke that Oscar statue so hard and fast. Yes, La La Land is indeed Oscar bait, and I wouldn't be surprised if it won best picture (though I feel that's a title the film doesn't deserve. Hollywood loves nothing more than glorifying itself, after all). Looking at just the story, plot, characters and pacing I'd say La La Land isn't all that great of a film. It's the musical numbers that make this one watchable and fun. La La Land is an ode to old school Hollywood musicals (It even opes with a large "Filmed in CinemaScope" logo), life in L.A., and all those crazy dreamers out there. The musical numbers are so fun, creative, imaginative, and unique that it kind of hurts when the rest of the film can't quite match up. That said, La La Land is still a cute little film that is sure to bring a smile to your face (despite some downer moments).
3.5 Stars
Thursday, December 15, 2016
ROGUE ONE IS AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ANY FAN OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY
In Rogue One, we get to watch the events described in the opening crawl for Episode 4 play out. A spy entrenched deep inside the Empire is able to send a message to The Rebel Alliance, warning of a super weapon capable of destroying entire planets. Imprisoned rebel Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is freed by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a member of The Rebel Alliance, and is roped into a scheme to steal the plans for The Death Star. They are joined by repurposed Imperial droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), blind guardian Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), his bodyguard Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), and Imperial Pilot turned good guy Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed). The mastermind behind The Death Star, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), has Jyn's father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) trapped helping him create the weapon. Our rag tag group of rebels will have to steal the plans and maybe save Jyn's father along the way. The fate of the entire galaxy rests on their shoulders, can they succeed and survive?
Every member of the cast does an excellent job with the roles they are given. Alan Tudyk is memorable and funny as the sarcastic K-2SO, Donnie Yen impresses with his fighting skills as Chirrut Imwe (he gets a scene in which he takes on a bunch of Storm Troopers using just a stick), Diego Luna looks like he belongs in this universe as Cassian (He feels very organic, like he's been in The Star Wars universe for a while. He's also bad-ass. ), and Ben Mendelsohn makes for a terrific, all too hate-able villain. For my money though, Felicity Jones is the real scene stealer. She has a tragic backstory that propels her character forwards throughout the film, and is very likable. It also doesn't hurt that she is drop-dead gorgeous. Felicity Jones is one hell of a talented actress, and the Star Wars universe is all the richer for having her a part of it.
Rogue One is a refreshingly dark, downbeat entry into The Star Wars Saga (It's about as dark as Empire Strikes Back, maybe darker). The whole film is dirty, grungy, and looks worn. It looks and feels like it takes place in the original trilogy timeline, and there are many set pieces that are sure to remind some of places and things they saw in episodes 4, 5 and 6. Some of the costumes worn are also VERY reminiscent of those from the original trilogy. Yes, there is A LOT of fan service in this film, but it all feels very natural and organic. Everything feels like it belongs here. We get Tie Fighters, Imperial Starships, The Death Star, Darth Vader (who is in all of two scenes and is a complete bad-ass in both), Grand Moff Tarkin (via some obvious CGI), X-Wings, AT-ATs, and more (including some super cool surprises). I also loved getting to spend some time with the Rebel Alliance (before Luke joined. They are more morally grey than ever here.) and The Empire (So cool to have them back on screen).
I also really loved that Rogue One has actual stakes in it. It is made clear that any one of our heroes could die by the time the end credits roll, and that helps to keep us on the edge of our seats. We care about our protagonists, and don't want to see any of them bite the bullet. It was also surprising (and very cool) that the last act of Rogue One essentially becomes a war film. Every action scene is fantastic, and the CGI throughout the film is great. The first 45 minutes or so is a little bumpy as we are introduced to our leads and some exposition, and the film does drag at points. It's 134 minutes and can feel that way at odd intervals. We also do A LOT of planet hopping (although I liked this aspect, and getting to explore different planets). Luckily, once Rogue One takes flight, it manages to stay in the air for the rest of the film.
Gareth Edwards has had a shaky track record, but I'd say Rogue One is easily his best film thus far. You can tell he relished getting to be a part of this universe. He does a fantastic directing job, and the cinematography (by Greg Fraser) is consistently gorgeous. I saw Rogue One in 3D, and I'd best describe the experience like watching a living painting. Not much flies out of the screen, but a decent deal of depth is added. Everything looks beautiful, but I wouldn't necessarily say the film is a must in 3D.
Rogue One is without a doubt the finest Star Wars film we've gotten since Empire Strikes Back. It felt good to be back in the timeline of The Original Trilogy, and it was so cool to see some iconic vehicles and characters back on the big screen. I'm surprised I'm even saying this, but Rogue One may be my favorite film of 2016 (for me, it was easily on par with Empire Strikes Back). I loved the hell out of Rogue One. It was thrilling, super dark, nostalgic, action-packed, emotional, and altogether a very memorable, and rewarding film. For myself, it definitely surpassed the hype.
5 STARS
Every member of the cast does an excellent job with the roles they are given. Alan Tudyk is memorable and funny as the sarcastic K-2SO, Donnie Yen impresses with his fighting skills as Chirrut Imwe (he gets a scene in which he takes on a bunch of Storm Troopers using just a stick), Diego Luna looks like he belongs in this universe as Cassian (He feels very organic, like he's been in The Star Wars universe for a while. He's also bad-ass. ), and Ben Mendelsohn makes for a terrific, all too hate-able villain. For my money though, Felicity Jones is the real scene stealer. She has a tragic backstory that propels her character forwards throughout the film, and is very likable. It also doesn't hurt that she is drop-dead gorgeous. Felicity Jones is one hell of a talented actress, and the Star Wars universe is all the richer for having her a part of it.
Rogue One is a refreshingly dark, downbeat entry into The Star Wars Saga (It's about as dark as Empire Strikes Back, maybe darker). The whole film is dirty, grungy, and looks worn. It looks and feels like it takes place in the original trilogy timeline, and there are many set pieces that are sure to remind some of places and things they saw in episodes 4, 5 and 6. Some of the costumes worn are also VERY reminiscent of those from the original trilogy. Yes, there is A LOT of fan service in this film, but it all feels very natural and organic. Everything feels like it belongs here. We get Tie Fighters, Imperial Starships, The Death Star, Darth Vader (who is in all of two scenes and is a complete bad-ass in both), Grand Moff Tarkin (via some obvious CGI), X-Wings, AT-ATs, and more (including some super cool surprises). I also loved getting to spend some time with the Rebel Alliance (before Luke joined. They are more morally grey than ever here.) and The Empire (So cool to have them back on screen).
I also really loved that Rogue One has actual stakes in it. It is made clear that any one of our heroes could die by the time the end credits roll, and that helps to keep us on the edge of our seats. We care about our protagonists, and don't want to see any of them bite the bullet. It was also surprising (and very cool) that the last act of Rogue One essentially becomes a war film. Every action scene is fantastic, and the CGI throughout the film is great. The first 45 minutes or so is a little bumpy as we are introduced to our leads and some exposition, and the film does drag at points. It's 134 minutes and can feel that way at odd intervals. We also do A LOT of planet hopping (although I liked this aspect, and getting to explore different planets). Luckily, once Rogue One takes flight, it manages to stay in the air for the rest of the film.
Gareth Edwards has had a shaky track record, but I'd say Rogue One is easily his best film thus far. You can tell he relished getting to be a part of this universe. He does a fantastic directing job, and the cinematography (by Greg Fraser) is consistently gorgeous. I saw Rogue One in 3D, and I'd best describe the experience like watching a living painting. Not much flies out of the screen, but a decent deal of depth is added. Everything looks beautiful, but I wouldn't necessarily say the film is a must in 3D.
Rogue One is without a doubt the finest Star Wars film we've gotten since Empire Strikes Back. It felt good to be back in the timeline of The Original Trilogy, and it was so cool to see some iconic vehicles and characters back on the big screen. I'm surprised I'm even saying this, but Rogue One may be my favorite film of 2016 (for me, it was easily on par with Empire Strikes Back). I loved the hell out of Rogue One. It was thrilling, super dark, nostalgic, action-packed, emotional, and altogether a very memorable, and rewarding film. For myself, it definitely surpassed the hype.
5 STARS
Thursday, December 1, 2016
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS WILL KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT
In Nocturnal Animals, Susan (Amy Adams) is a curator at an art museum. She receives a manuscript for her ex-husband Edward's (Jake Gyllenhaal) newest book, named Nocturnal Animals, in the mail. Although they parted on bad terms, Susan decides to read it. From here on out, the film switches from the present, to the past, to the events of the novel as mysteries are raised (That's right, Nocturnal Animals is essentially three movies in one). Why did Edward write the book? Does it have some relation to past events? What did Susan do that hurt Edward so much?
Amy Adams (who remains the queen of cleavage and side-boob) does a great job as Susan, a woman living among intolerable rich people. She's made more likable than her peers by her acute awareness that her job is trash. Jake Gyllenhaal is superb in dual roles as Edward (In the real world) and Tony (The protagonist of his novel). As Edward, he is the usual, likable Jake Gyllenhaal character and as Tony he gets to stretch his acting chops in a meaty, heavily emotional role. Like always, Gyllenhaal impresses. Michael Shannon is super enjoyable as Bobby, a tired lieutenant in Edward's novel who is tired of playing by the rules and isn't afraid of breaking them in order to see justice done. He is great here, and it's cool to see him play a morally questionable good guy for a change. By far, I'd say the actor who impressed me the most was Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ray, the antagonist of Edward's Novel. Ray is a skeevy, dirty red-neck who oozes slime and menace. Johnson steals every single scene he is in, and is indeed pretty scary and unpredictable (He definitely kept me on the edge of my seat whenever he was on screen). This is undoubtedly his best role, and I'd say he deserves an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor this year.
This is Tom Ford's sophomore directing effort, and I'd say he nails it. He clearly has an eye for detail and visual poetry, and he seems to be an expert at coaxing fantastic performances out of his leads. I was surprised to learn he also wrote the screenplay for the film. Ford did a great job there too. Ford started his career as a fashion designer, but the film industry is better for having him in it. Nocturnal Animals is expertly edited by Joan Sobel, and shot with cinematography by Seamus McGarvey (both the editing and cinematography play crucial roles). The editing is confusing at odd intervals, but for the most part it's easy to tell where we are (in the past, present, or the novel). The cinematography in the film is gorgeous, using images and the above mentioned visual poetry to help tell the story we are watching. Needless to say, all the technical aspects of Nocturnal Animals are on point and it is definitely a mesmerizing and haunting film to watch.
There is A LOT going on in Nocturnal Animals. It is another film that requires audiences' full attention. It's not that hard to get sucked into the movie. About 90% of Nocturnal Animals takes place inside the novel Susan is reading. Essentially, this is a film about a woman reading a book, but it is always engaging, tense and interesting. This is not a happy film, it's cold, dark, disturbing (at points), and sad. I didn't find the answers to be all that shocking, and the film didn't resonate as emotionally with me as I expected it to, but it did leave me with a few things to chew on and contemplate (It will stay with you). I have no problem with saying that Nocturnal Animals is easily one of the best films of 2016. It is definitely worth a watch (Just, watch out for the first few minutes of the film.....so disturbing).
4.5 STARS
Amy Adams (who remains the queen of cleavage and side-boob) does a great job as Susan, a woman living among intolerable rich people. She's made more likable than her peers by her acute awareness that her job is trash. Jake Gyllenhaal is superb in dual roles as Edward (In the real world) and Tony (The protagonist of his novel). As Edward, he is the usual, likable Jake Gyllenhaal character and as Tony he gets to stretch his acting chops in a meaty, heavily emotional role. Like always, Gyllenhaal impresses. Michael Shannon is super enjoyable as Bobby, a tired lieutenant in Edward's novel who is tired of playing by the rules and isn't afraid of breaking them in order to see justice done. He is great here, and it's cool to see him play a morally questionable good guy for a change. By far, I'd say the actor who impressed me the most was Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ray, the antagonist of Edward's Novel. Ray is a skeevy, dirty red-neck who oozes slime and menace. Johnson steals every single scene he is in, and is indeed pretty scary and unpredictable (He definitely kept me on the edge of my seat whenever he was on screen). This is undoubtedly his best role, and I'd say he deserves an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor this year.
This is Tom Ford's sophomore directing effort, and I'd say he nails it. He clearly has an eye for detail and visual poetry, and he seems to be an expert at coaxing fantastic performances out of his leads. I was surprised to learn he also wrote the screenplay for the film. Ford did a great job there too. Ford started his career as a fashion designer, but the film industry is better for having him in it. Nocturnal Animals is expertly edited by Joan Sobel, and shot with cinematography by Seamus McGarvey (both the editing and cinematography play crucial roles). The editing is confusing at odd intervals, but for the most part it's easy to tell where we are (in the past, present, or the novel). The cinematography in the film is gorgeous, using images and the above mentioned visual poetry to help tell the story we are watching. Needless to say, all the technical aspects of Nocturnal Animals are on point and it is definitely a mesmerizing and haunting film to watch.
There is A LOT going on in Nocturnal Animals. It is another film that requires audiences' full attention. It's not that hard to get sucked into the movie. About 90% of Nocturnal Animals takes place inside the novel Susan is reading. Essentially, this is a film about a woman reading a book, but it is always engaging, tense and interesting. This is not a happy film, it's cold, dark, disturbing (at points), and sad. I didn't find the answers to be all that shocking, and the film didn't resonate as emotionally with me as I expected it to, but it did leave me with a few things to chew on and contemplate (It will stay with you). I have no problem with saying that Nocturnal Animals is easily one of the best films of 2016. It is definitely worth a watch (Just, watch out for the first few minutes of the film.....so disturbing).
4.5 STARS
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
MOANA TELLS SMALLS 'YOU'RE WELCOME'
In Moana, demigod Maui (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) steals the heart of Te Fiti (an island goddess) to give to mankind as a gift. Unfortunately, he loses possession of the heart and his magical hook (which gives him shape-shifting abilities) during a battle and is banished to a small island. With the heart gone, a darkness starts to overwhelm Earth. Years later on another island, 16 year old Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) is set to become the new chief of her people. The island her people and her live on starts to slowly die, so Moana sets out on a quest to find Maui and give Te Fiti her heart back.
The animation is Moana is consistently exquisite and breathtaking, and the musical numbers are beautiful. Lin-Manuel Miranda helped to write some of the songs for the film, and it shows. It's very easy to tell which songs are written by him. You can hear his voice in them, and they are the best songs in the film (my personal favorite is Maui's 'You're Welcome'). Moana is a film about remembering where you come from and using that knowledge to help guide you on your way, thusly it's a film that feels like it was made for Lin-Manuel Miranda (I also had some flashbacks to his first musical 'In The Heights' while watching Moana). Having him assist easily helps to elevate the proceedings.
Speaking of things that help to elevate the film overall, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is absolutely perfect as Maui. Maui is an egotistical, bad-ass jerk who hides a heart of gold under his tough, tattooed exterior. I'd compare him to Aladdin's Genie. He's a very memorable character that becomes yet another icon in the lexicon of Disney's animated films. It's becoming more and more apparent that there is nothing The Rock can't do. Auli'i Cravalho (pronounce Ow-Lee-E Craw-Vah-Lee-Oh) is also great and memorable as the resilient and fiercely independent Moana. Auli'i fills the character with a genuine warmth and heart that resonates throughout the film, and she is quite a talanted singer (She has a beautiful voice). Moana easily takes her rightful place among Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna as yet another strong female role model for little girls. Little girls deserve great female role models, and Disney keeps on churning them out. Another memorable character is Heihei, a dimwitted rooster who inadvertently tags along with Moana on her adventure. He's voiced by Alan Tudyk, who makes rooster noises for the duration of the film. This is a cute character that almost didn't make it into the finished product. Honestly, I'm glad to have him here. He doesn't add much to the proceedings but he's certainly cute enough to be easily remembered.
Moana was a film that, surprisingly, gave me a lot of feels and chills throughout (I even teared up during a small scene). It's definitely more of an emotional film than Frozen, and the message here is certainly much stronger too. I will say that I liked it better than Frozen. Moana is a touching, heartfelt, sweet film that is another welcome addition to what may be later referred to as Disney's third golden age. It's beginning to seem like a good time to be a Disney fan.
4 STARS
Yes, I did see Moana in 3D but found it didn't add all that much to the experience. The added depth is very nice and appreciated, but other recent 3D films *cough Fantastic Beasts cough* impressed more.
The animation is Moana is consistently exquisite and breathtaking, and the musical numbers are beautiful. Lin-Manuel Miranda helped to write some of the songs for the film, and it shows. It's very easy to tell which songs are written by him. You can hear his voice in them, and they are the best songs in the film (my personal favorite is Maui's 'You're Welcome'). Moana is a film about remembering where you come from and using that knowledge to help guide you on your way, thusly it's a film that feels like it was made for Lin-Manuel Miranda (I also had some flashbacks to his first musical 'In The Heights' while watching Moana). Having him assist easily helps to elevate the proceedings.
Speaking of things that help to elevate the film overall, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is absolutely perfect as Maui. Maui is an egotistical, bad-ass jerk who hides a heart of gold under his tough, tattooed exterior. I'd compare him to Aladdin's Genie. He's a very memorable character that becomes yet another icon in the lexicon of Disney's animated films. It's becoming more and more apparent that there is nothing The Rock can't do. Auli'i Cravalho (pronounce Ow-Lee-E Craw-Vah-Lee-Oh) is also great and memorable as the resilient and fiercely independent Moana. Auli'i fills the character with a genuine warmth and heart that resonates throughout the film, and she is quite a talanted singer (She has a beautiful voice). Moana easily takes her rightful place among Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna as yet another strong female role model for little girls. Little girls deserve great female role models, and Disney keeps on churning them out. Another memorable character is Heihei, a dimwitted rooster who inadvertently tags along with Moana on her adventure. He's voiced by Alan Tudyk, who makes rooster noises for the duration of the film. This is a cute character that almost didn't make it into the finished product. Honestly, I'm glad to have him here. He doesn't add much to the proceedings but he's certainly cute enough to be easily remembered.
Moana was a film that, surprisingly, gave me a lot of feels and chills throughout (I even teared up during a small scene). It's definitely more of an emotional film than Frozen, and the message here is certainly much stronger too. I will say that I liked it better than Frozen. Moana is a touching, heartfelt, sweet film that is another welcome addition to what may be later referred to as Disney's third golden age. It's beginning to seem like a good time to be a Disney fan.
4 STARS
Yes, I did see Moana in 3D but found it didn't add all that much to the experience. The added depth is very nice and appreciated, but other recent 3D films *cough Fantastic Beasts cough* impressed more.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
SMALLS OPENS THE MAGICAL BRIEFCASE THAT IS FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
In Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Newt Scamander arrives in 1920s NYC (1926 to be exact) carrying with him a magical briefcase that contains a wide assortment of magical creatures. He comes to America for a specific reason, but ends up staying far longer than expected when a No-Maj (a term meaning a person with no magical abilities) named Jacob inadvertently opens Newt's case and unleashes some of the magical creatures into NYC. To make matters worse, there is a mysterious, destructive force wrecking chaos through NYC, and it isn't long before Auror (special wizard detectives/investigators) Percival Graves has targeted Newt's creatures as scapegoats. Now it's up to Newt and his new friends (which includes ex-Auror Porpentina Goldstein and her sister Queenie) to round up the creatures, clear their names, and save NYC.
Eddie Redmayne shines brightly as the awkward and introverted, but kind-hearted and friendly Newt. He is a Magizoologist that travels around the world, collecting various creatures so he can research them in the hopes of educating witches and wizards on them. He prefers his creatures to witches, wizards, No-Majs and Muggles (for very good reason, I think). I'd honestly say this is my favorite role of his thus far. He does his usual Eddie Redmayne thing, but it fits the character well. I was surprised by how much Newt grew on me, and I'm even more surprised to say that Newt is actually pretty cool in the film. It just feels good to have the hero be a Hufflepuff for a change, and one that makes me proud of my house as well (That's right, I'm a Hufflepuff too).
Katherine Waterston was pretty good as Porpentina, another kind-hearted soul who just wants to do the best she can at her job. She prefers to follow the rules, but isn't above breaking them if she feels the occasion calls for it. Alison Sudol is magnetic, beautiful and quite charming as Porpentina's vivacious younger sister Queenie. She has the ability to read minds, and is fairly sympathetic to No-Majs. I really liked Queenie and the romantic subplot that she brings with her. Dan Fogler is the best he has ever been as the clumsy but well-meaning Jacob. He manages to balance drama, comedy and real emotion. Fogler's Jacob ends up being a real asset to Newt's team, as well as proving himself to be a brave and good-hearted man.
Ezra Miller co-stars as a creepy, abused, and frightened young adult named Credence Barebone. He is a No-Maj who belongs to the Second Salemers, a society dedicated to spreading fear of witches and wizards (it's run by the evil Mary Lou, played by Samantha Morton). Miller is completely believable as the super-shy and awkward youth who is hiding a good deal of hatred, hurt and fear under his shaky facade. Colin Firth is Percival Graves, an Auror who takes Credence under his wing but has some ulterior, secret motives of his own (He's pretty great here). Johnny Depp also appears as Gellert Grindelwald, an evil wizard who wants to make No-Majs and Muggles alike bow under the power of witches and wizards. He was in the film more than I expected him to be (a nice surprise).
I love that we finally get a wizarding film that's set in America. This provides us with an exciting new magical environment we get to explore, as well as a chance brush up on wizarding politics in the U.S. (and indeed, the setting of 1920s NYC is beautifully and mesmerizingly realized). The wizarding government for America is called MACUSA (pronounced Ma-coo-za), short for Magical Congress of The United States of America. The governing body is somewhat scary but seems to have good intentions at the heart of most of their actions. It's run by Seraphina Picquery (Carmen Ejogo), a serious woman who hides a good heart under her stony facade.
Given the current times we live in, I think it's safe to say that we all need an escape right now. Luckily, J.K. Rowling (who penned the screenplay for the film, a first for her. She does a fantastic job and the film plays much like one of her books.) provides us with that much needed escape, while also commenting on the times we are living in today. Fantastic Beasts is fantastic, completely magical, and whimsical. It's also dark, grey, serious, scary at points, and a little sad. This outing seems to be geared more-so towards adults than kids (for some of the reasons stated above). The film has plenty of the fun, magical moments we've come to expect from the Potter franchise while still providing plenty of thrilling action and wizarding battles. The CGI is pretty great (both for the creatures, which are completely lovable, and for the action), and the 3D is very well done. There are plenty of objects and creatures which fly out of the screen and into our laps, along with a good deal of added depth. I'd go so far as to say that the 3D enhances the film, and the magic and whimsy found within (honestly, it feels like this film was made with 3D in mind).
I went into Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hopeful but trepidatious. I can confidently say that my fears were unfounded, this film is awesome in all the right ways. Fantastic Beasts has great messages that are pretty relevant today, high quality performances from talented actors, plenty of magic and whimsy, and provides us with a much needed reprieve. I honestly can't think of one thing I didn't like about the film (ok, maybe the film ends a few too many times, some of the dialogue is mumbled, and while the pacing is slow, that never bothered me....it may some though). It's been 5 years since we last got to visit The Wizarding World, but it feels like so much longer. It's good to be back. You want an escape? I say let J.K. Rowling whisk you away as only she can.
5 STARS
Eddie Redmayne shines brightly as the awkward and introverted, but kind-hearted and friendly Newt. He is a Magizoologist that travels around the world, collecting various creatures so he can research them in the hopes of educating witches and wizards on them. He prefers his creatures to witches, wizards, No-Majs and Muggles (for very good reason, I think). I'd honestly say this is my favorite role of his thus far. He does his usual Eddie Redmayne thing, but it fits the character well. I was surprised by how much Newt grew on me, and I'm even more surprised to say that Newt is actually pretty cool in the film. It just feels good to have the hero be a Hufflepuff for a change, and one that makes me proud of my house as well (That's right, I'm a Hufflepuff too).
Katherine Waterston was pretty good as Porpentina, another kind-hearted soul who just wants to do the best she can at her job. She prefers to follow the rules, but isn't above breaking them if she feels the occasion calls for it. Alison Sudol is magnetic, beautiful and quite charming as Porpentina's vivacious younger sister Queenie. She has the ability to read minds, and is fairly sympathetic to No-Majs. I really liked Queenie and the romantic subplot that she brings with her. Dan Fogler is the best he has ever been as the clumsy but well-meaning Jacob. He manages to balance drama, comedy and real emotion. Fogler's Jacob ends up being a real asset to Newt's team, as well as proving himself to be a brave and good-hearted man.
Ezra Miller co-stars as a creepy, abused, and frightened young adult named Credence Barebone. He is a No-Maj who belongs to the Second Salemers, a society dedicated to spreading fear of witches and wizards (it's run by the evil Mary Lou, played by Samantha Morton). Miller is completely believable as the super-shy and awkward youth who is hiding a good deal of hatred, hurt and fear under his shaky facade. Colin Firth is Percival Graves, an Auror who takes Credence under his wing but has some ulterior, secret motives of his own (He's pretty great here). Johnny Depp also appears as Gellert Grindelwald, an evil wizard who wants to make No-Majs and Muggles alike bow under the power of witches and wizards. He was in the film more than I expected him to be (a nice surprise).
I love that we finally get a wizarding film that's set in America. This provides us with an exciting new magical environment we get to explore, as well as a chance brush up on wizarding politics in the U.S. (and indeed, the setting of 1920s NYC is beautifully and mesmerizingly realized). The wizarding government for America is called MACUSA (pronounced Ma-coo-za), short for Magical Congress of The United States of America. The governing body is somewhat scary but seems to have good intentions at the heart of most of their actions. It's run by Seraphina Picquery (Carmen Ejogo), a serious woman who hides a good heart under her stony facade.
Given the current times we live in, I think it's safe to say that we all need an escape right now. Luckily, J.K. Rowling (who penned the screenplay for the film, a first for her. She does a fantastic job and the film plays much like one of her books.) provides us with that much needed escape, while also commenting on the times we are living in today. Fantastic Beasts is fantastic, completely magical, and whimsical. It's also dark, grey, serious, scary at points, and a little sad. This outing seems to be geared more-so towards adults than kids (for some of the reasons stated above). The film has plenty of the fun, magical moments we've come to expect from the Potter franchise while still providing plenty of thrilling action and wizarding battles. The CGI is pretty great (both for the creatures, which are completely lovable, and for the action), and the 3D is very well done. There are plenty of objects and creatures which fly out of the screen and into our laps, along with a good deal of added depth. I'd go so far as to say that the 3D enhances the film, and the magic and whimsy found within (honestly, it feels like this film was made with 3D in mind).
I went into Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hopeful but trepidatious. I can confidently say that my fears were unfounded, this film is awesome in all the right ways. Fantastic Beasts has great messages that are pretty relevant today, high quality performances from talented actors, plenty of magic and whimsy, and provides us with a much needed reprieve. I honestly can't think of one thing I didn't like about the film (ok, maybe the film ends a few too many times, some of the dialogue is mumbled, and while the pacing is slow, that never bothered me....it may some though). It's been 5 years since we last got to visit The Wizarding World, but it feels like so much longer. It's good to be back. You want an escape? I say let J.K. Rowling whisk you away as only she can.
5 STARS
Saturday, November 12, 2016
SMALLS LEARNS A NEW LANGUAGE WITH ARRIVAL
In Arrival, Earth is visited by mysterious aliens (which we dub Heptapods). Twelve of their spacecraft touch down in various different locations around Earth. Top linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) are brought in in an attempt to communicate with the Heptapods and learn what their true intent is. Do they mean us harm, or is their prescence meant to be more beneficial?
Both Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner do fantastic jobs as Louise and Ian. Their performances may be the best I've seen from them. Arrival is a film that demands your full attention and participation. It wants you to try to figure out exactly what is going on. The film lays a jumbled jigsaw puzzle at viewers feet and encourages us to take our time putting it together (and when you finally figure it out for yourself, man is it rewarding).
Arrival is talkative, intelligent sci-fi (much like last year's Ex Machina). The first two acts are fairly slow and kind of plod along, but it's in the film's third act where Arrival really shines as the puzzle pieces start to fit together and the whole picture of what is going on is revealed. There are many layers at work in Arrival. It's not just a film about first contact, but also about time, love, loss, communciation/language and unity (in fact, the first few minutes of the film echo those of Up!). It's a deeply emotional, touching, hopeful, tragic and powerful film that contains numerous messages and deep themes for us to unravel at our own leisure. This is definitely one that you'll likely be thinking about a good deal of time after leaving the theater.
The cinematography (by Bradford Young) is exquisite and subtle, the direction (by Denis Villeneuve, who rarely disappoints) is fantastic, the editing (by Joe Walker) is handled exceptionally well and is a crucial part of the film, and the screenplay (by Eric Heisserer) is exceptional. If the screenplay for Arrival doesn't make it into the Oscars, I'd be seriously disappointed. While Arrival certainly wasn't made for mass audiences (The film is appropriately deep and heady), I'd imagine those that this was made for will eat it up gladly. Personally, I loved the hell out of this film and found it to be a challenging, poignant, beautiful and deeply rewarding experience. There is no doubt in my mind that this film was released at exactly the right time, we need this film and it's messages right now. Arrival is definitely well worth your time and money.
5 STARS
Both Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner do fantastic jobs as Louise and Ian. Their performances may be the best I've seen from them. Arrival is a film that demands your full attention and participation. It wants you to try to figure out exactly what is going on. The film lays a jumbled jigsaw puzzle at viewers feet and encourages us to take our time putting it together (and when you finally figure it out for yourself, man is it rewarding).
Arrival is talkative, intelligent sci-fi (much like last year's Ex Machina). The first two acts are fairly slow and kind of plod along, but it's in the film's third act where Arrival really shines as the puzzle pieces start to fit together and the whole picture of what is going on is revealed. There are many layers at work in Arrival. It's not just a film about first contact, but also about time, love, loss, communciation/language and unity (in fact, the first few minutes of the film echo those of Up!). It's a deeply emotional, touching, hopeful, tragic and powerful film that contains numerous messages and deep themes for us to unravel at our own leisure. This is definitely one that you'll likely be thinking about a good deal of time after leaving the theater.
The cinematography (by Bradford Young) is exquisite and subtle, the direction (by Denis Villeneuve, who rarely disappoints) is fantastic, the editing (by Joe Walker) is handled exceptionally well and is a crucial part of the film, and the screenplay (by Eric Heisserer) is exceptional. If the screenplay for Arrival doesn't make it into the Oscars, I'd be seriously disappointed. While Arrival certainly wasn't made for mass audiences (The film is appropriately deep and heady), I'd imagine those that this was made for will eat it up gladly. Personally, I loved the hell out of this film and found it to be a challenging, poignant, beautiful and deeply rewarding experience. There is no doubt in my mind that this film was released at exactly the right time, we need this film and it's messages right now. Arrival is definitely well worth your time and money.
5 STARS
Saturday, November 5, 2016
THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW: SMALLS REVIEWS DOCTOR STRANGE
In Doctor Strange, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a cocky, arrogant, world renowned surgeon that is passionate about his craft. One night, a terrible car accident renders his hands useless and ultimately brings the good doctor to his knees. Desperate to return to his old life, he travels all the way to Kathmandu in search of a cure and instead finds The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who agrees to tutor Strange in the mystical arts. It just so happens the timing couldn't be better as one of her former pupils, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), has returned with a plan to tear our world apart in order to save it. It's up to Doctor Strange and crew to stop him before it is too late.
Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as Doctor Stephen Strange. Given, this is a role he could easily perform in his sleep, but he still nails it (Only negative I'll say is his natural British accent shone through sometimes). He's pretty arrogant, but still very likable, empathetic, and charming. He also almost always looks good. I definitely felt for the poor guy and his plight. I'd say he's easily one of my favorite Marvel characters (I may like him more than Captain America and Iron Man). Tilda Swinton was superb as The Ancient One, imbuing her role with a sense of power, intelligence and kindness. I really liked her and she's in a good deal of the film. Mads Mikkelsen is also fantastic as Kaecilius. I'd say he's one of the better Marvel villains I've seen, and he manages to earn a few chuckles along the way. Rachel McAdams is sadly underutilized as Christine Palmer, a fellow doctor and potential love interest for Strange. She isn't in the film much, but plays an important role in one of the film's battles. Let's hope she gets an upped role in one of the future Marvel films.
Doctor Strange is a film about mysticism, and as such it is appropriately trippy and mind-bending at points. I'm super into this kind of stuff, but even I still found my head starting to spin at times when pondering the deep ideas this film presents. The visuals in the film are also gorgeous, fantastic, and psychedelic (This would definitely be one of the films I would strongly recommend you see in 3D. I chose not to go with this option, and am kicking myself for my bad decision). The film manages to move at a pretty decent pace, though there are moments where it drags its feet a bit. Luckily, there is always an action scene waiting around the corner. Doctor Strange houses some of the best action scenes in any Marvel film PERIOD. Each one is inventive, unique, and memorable.
Doctor Strange is the most different Marvel film we've gotten so far, and it's all the better for it. It's weird, psychedelic, funny (The film is indeed a good deal funny, though the humor doesn't always work), and very cool (I know I'll definitely be seeing it again, and this time in 3D). I have no qualms with ranking this as one of Marvel's best (I'd say it's between Doctor Strange and Guardians of The Galaxy for my favorite Marvel film), and I look forward to seeing Doctor Strange (and his cool cape sidekick) again in Avengers: Infinity War.
5 STARS
Both end credits scenes aren't necessarily essential, but are still treats for fans of Marvel.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is fine in his role here, but I expect him to have a bigger role to play in future Strange installments. Also really enjoyed Benedict Wong as Wong.
Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as Doctor Stephen Strange. Given, this is a role he could easily perform in his sleep, but he still nails it (Only negative I'll say is his natural British accent shone through sometimes). He's pretty arrogant, but still very likable, empathetic, and charming. He also almost always looks good. I definitely felt for the poor guy and his plight. I'd say he's easily one of my favorite Marvel characters (I may like him more than Captain America and Iron Man). Tilda Swinton was superb as The Ancient One, imbuing her role with a sense of power, intelligence and kindness. I really liked her and she's in a good deal of the film. Mads Mikkelsen is also fantastic as Kaecilius. I'd say he's one of the better Marvel villains I've seen, and he manages to earn a few chuckles along the way. Rachel McAdams is sadly underutilized as Christine Palmer, a fellow doctor and potential love interest for Strange. She isn't in the film much, but plays an important role in one of the film's battles. Let's hope she gets an upped role in one of the future Marvel films.
Doctor Strange is a film about mysticism, and as such it is appropriately trippy and mind-bending at points. I'm super into this kind of stuff, but even I still found my head starting to spin at times when pondering the deep ideas this film presents. The visuals in the film are also gorgeous, fantastic, and psychedelic (This would definitely be one of the films I would strongly recommend you see in 3D. I chose not to go with this option, and am kicking myself for my bad decision). The film manages to move at a pretty decent pace, though there are moments where it drags its feet a bit. Luckily, there is always an action scene waiting around the corner. Doctor Strange houses some of the best action scenes in any Marvel film PERIOD. Each one is inventive, unique, and memorable.
Doctor Strange is the most different Marvel film we've gotten so far, and it's all the better for it. It's weird, psychedelic, funny (The film is indeed a good deal funny, though the humor doesn't always work), and very cool (I know I'll definitely be seeing it again, and this time in 3D). I have no qualms with ranking this as one of Marvel's best (I'd say it's between Doctor Strange and Guardians of The Galaxy for my favorite Marvel film), and I look forward to seeing Doctor Strange (and his cool cape sidekick) again in Avengers: Infinity War.
5 STARS
Both end credits scenes aren't necessarily essential, but are still treats for fans of Marvel.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is fine in his role here, but I expect him to have a bigger role to play in future Strange installments. Also really enjoyed Benedict Wong as Wong.
Monday, October 31, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS INVITES YOU TO BECOME ONE OF US WITH FREAKS
"Gooble Gobble, Gooble Gobble. We accept her, we accept her. One of us, one of us."
Freaks is directed by Todd Browning, and actually stars real circus "freaks". For a film that runs at a swift 62 minutes, it does drag its feet at times. Luckily the scenes that follow the main plot of the film and any that include the "freaks" are actually fairly interesting and are fun to watch. Some of the "freaks" are unsettling to watch, but the film portrays these people as more than just sideshow attractions. They are regular people with their own lives, and their own hopes and dreams. In this way, Freaks is actually kind of progressive.
The actors in Freaks aren't the best you'll see, and some words are hard to make out (due to some accents). That said, it's still cool to watch actual circus performers act in this film. They are all likable and relatable. The film has a strong atmosphere (it really feels like a circus), and some memorable scenes (like the wedding feast). It's also a bit freaky and creepy at odd moments (like the scene where the "freaks" start to gang up on Cleo).
Freaks is a film where it's the "freaks" who are the normal ones, and it's two of the "normal" people that are really the freaks. It's also got a great message about tolerance and acceptance. It's certainly not a perfectly made film, but it's fairly charming, I LOVE it's message, and I was surprised at how much I emphasized with the "freaks". Freaks easily emerges as one of my new favorite films, and is an easy Halloween recommendation.
4 STARS
And so ends another Fright Fest. As the creatures of the night go back into their slumber, I wish you all a very Happy Halloween and a pleasant rest of the year.
And so ends another Fright Fest. As the creatures of the night go back into their slumber, I wish you all a very Happy Halloween and a pleasant rest of the year.
FRIGHT FEST: BLAIR WITCH FILMS
As part of the ongoing celebration of Halloween, I've decided to post my reviews of The Blair Witch Project and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.
The Blair Witch Project: Simple, effective, creepy, and quite scary (There were a few parts that sent chils up and down my back). Perfectly captures the terror of being lost in the woods. Add onto that some seriously creepy, supernatural shit going down and you have a film that works surprisingly well. It's a plus that it moves at a pretty good clip, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also have to give props to the sound design which is great and effective. For a film that was only made on a budget of $60,000 (and that made a domestic gross of $140 million, worldwide total was 248 mil), I'm shocked at how well it holds up even 17 years later and at just how well made it was. The performances are believable (There are some bad lines though, not many), and the setting is a simple but terrifying. The Blair Witch Project may be the most successful film experiment I can think of, and it still stands as the best found footage horror film I've seen (They really should have stopped making found footage after this beauty). It's like a really good, scary, late night campfire story....one that I don't mind re-visiting. Naturally, it's highly recommended (There is also a good deal of shaky cam, so if you get motion sick maybe you should sit this one out....or just close your eyes when these parts happen and listen to the proceedings, trust me, you'll be just as scared).
5 STARS
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2- You can tell that there may be a good film lying in here somewhere, but the studio done fucked it up! The film is edited to shit (so many cuts to the present and the past), the characters are unlikable, and the whole thing is confusing. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here (One example: If a group believes in a fictional thing hard enough, can that fictional thing be brought to life?), and the mystery at the heart of the film is actually an intriguing one. Unfortunately, the film throws all the puzzle pieces in a jumbled heap on the table and tells you to get to it. Figuring out what's really going on is just about impossible. It's clear that the group is suffering from severe hallucinations (sometimes even shared hallucinations), and that one or more may be possessed by The Blair Witch at different times. I suppose the simple answer is that the group is slowly being driven mad by The Blair Witch (which begs the question: Was The Blair Witch real all along, did the group inadvertently bring her to life by believing in her, or have they all been driven crazy by their love of The Blair Witch Project and it's folklore?). Either way, the film leaves you with many, many questions and tons of almost answers (and the film is assembled in such a way that finding the truth is a herculean task). Hopefully one day we'll get a directors cut, but as it stands now Book of Shadows is interesting, frustrating, and maddening. On the plus side, I actually kind of dug the score and I liked the setting of the warehouse.
2.5 STARS
The Blair Witch Project: Simple, effective, creepy, and quite scary (There were a few parts that sent chils up and down my back). Perfectly captures the terror of being lost in the woods. Add onto that some seriously creepy, supernatural shit going down and you have a film that works surprisingly well. It's a plus that it moves at a pretty good clip, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also have to give props to the sound design which is great and effective. For a film that was only made on a budget of $60,000 (and that made a domestic gross of $140 million, worldwide total was 248 mil), I'm shocked at how well it holds up even 17 years later and at just how well made it was. The performances are believable (There are some bad lines though, not many), and the setting is a simple but terrifying. The Blair Witch Project may be the most successful film experiment I can think of, and it still stands as the best found footage horror film I've seen (They really should have stopped making found footage after this beauty). It's like a really good, scary, late night campfire story....one that I don't mind re-visiting. Naturally, it's highly recommended (There is also a good deal of shaky cam, so if you get motion sick maybe you should sit this one out....or just close your eyes when these parts happen and listen to the proceedings, trust me, you'll be just as scared).
5 STARS
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2- You can tell that there may be a good film lying in here somewhere, but the studio done fucked it up! The film is edited to shit (so many cuts to the present and the past), the characters are unlikable, and the whole thing is confusing. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here (One example: If a group believes in a fictional thing hard enough, can that fictional thing be brought to life?), and the mystery at the heart of the film is actually an intriguing one. Unfortunately, the film throws all the puzzle pieces in a jumbled heap on the table and tells you to get to it. Figuring out what's really going on is just about impossible. It's clear that the group is suffering from severe hallucinations (sometimes even shared hallucinations), and that one or more may be possessed by The Blair Witch at different times. I suppose the simple answer is that the group is slowly being driven mad by The Blair Witch (which begs the question: Was The Blair Witch real all along, did the group inadvertently bring her to life by believing in her, or have they all been driven crazy by their love of The Blair Witch Project and it's folklore?). Either way, the film leaves you with many, many questions and tons of almost answers (and the film is assembled in such a way that finding the truth is a herculean task). Hopefully one day we'll get a directors cut, but as it stands now Book of Shadows is interesting, frustrating, and maddening. On the plus side, I actually kind of dug the score and I liked the setting of the warehouse.
2.5 STARS
FRIGHT FEST: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Every year, during the Halloween season I search for a film good enough to watch in theaters during October. This year, we got Ouija: Origin of Evil and Boo! A Madea Halloween. I chose the film that seemed to be the most Halloween-y, and sat down to watch Ouija: Origin of Evil. How was it?
It's 1967, and the Zander family (mother Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and daughters Lina and Doris, played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively) has a pretty decent business going as fake mediums. When Alice purchases a Ouija board to spice up their act things start to turn sour fairly quickly. It would seem that youngest daughter Doris actually has psychic abilities, which sinister spirits are preying on. Can Alice and Lina, along with the help of Father Tom (Henry Thomas, aka Elliott from E.T.), rid Doris of her spiritual problem?
Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a full fledged prequel to 2013's awful awful awful Ouija. Essentially, the studio is trying to legitimize that film posthumously. It's clear that Mike Flanagan (from hidden horror gem Oculus) is having a ton of fun here, and indeed Ouija: Origin of Evil is a pretty fun film though it gets pretty dark and bleak in it's last act and is never all that scary (There were a handful of scenes that gave me a few chills though).
The actors all do pretty good jobs. I like that we get the return of Annalise Basso, who was previously Young Kaylie in Oculus. She was one of the standouts in that film, and she's pretty great here. Henry Thomas is also fairly great and is in the film a good deal as Father Tom, the principal of the school the daughters attend. I'd say the standout (for me at least) was Lulu Wilson as Doris. She sold both of her roles perfect (cute, innocent little girl and creepy possessed medium/psychic), and was very likable and quite creepy and freaky when she needed to be.
As I said before, this IS a full fledged prequel to 2013's Quija, showing us the events of what happened in the Ouija house that led to Doris' angry vengeance in the first Ouija film. I don't understand why the studio didn't just decide to do an original story instead of try to breathe life into a failed film....but that said, Mike Flanagan and crew did a pretty good job with this prequel. Flanagan brought with him Jeff Howard (Co-writer of Oculus), The Newton Brothers (composers for Oculus), and Michael Fimognari (Cinematographer for Oculus). With Ouija: Origin of Evil essentially being an Oculus reunion, you would hope the film would be at least as great as Oculus. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't great, it's not even really super good. There isn't much death in the film, and most of the action takes place during the last 30 minutes or so of the film. It also doesn't help that the script just isn't all that good either.
All the negatives aside, Ouija: Origin of Evil is still entertaining and fun. It's certainly eons better than the first Ouija. While I didn't love this film, I certainly liked it and will gladly admit I enjoyed my time with the flick. It's not super memorable, but for a fun, creepy time I'd say it fits the bill fairly well. Ouija: Origin of Evil makes for a decent Halloween treat.
3 STARS
It's 1967, and the Zander family (mother Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and daughters Lina and Doris, played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively) has a pretty decent business going as fake mediums. When Alice purchases a Ouija board to spice up their act things start to turn sour fairly quickly. It would seem that youngest daughter Doris actually has psychic abilities, which sinister spirits are preying on. Can Alice and Lina, along with the help of Father Tom (Henry Thomas, aka Elliott from E.T.), rid Doris of her spiritual problem?
Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a full fledged prequel to 2013's awful awful awful Ouija. Essentially, the studio is trying to legitimize that film posthumously. It's clear that Mike Flanagan (from hidden horror gem Oculus) is having a ton of fun here, and indeed Ouija: Origin of Evil is a pretty fun film though it gets pretty dark and bleak in it's last act and is never all that scary (There were a handful of scenes that gave me a few chills though).
The actors all do pretty good jobs. I like that we get the return of Annalise Basso, who was previously Young Kaylie in Oculus. She was one of the standouts in that film, and she's pretty great here. Henry Thomas is also fairly great and is in the film a good deal as Father Tom, the principal of the school the daughters attend. I'd say the standout (for me at least) was Lulu Wilson as Doris. She sold both of her roles perfect (cute, innocent little girl and creepy possessed medium/psychic), and was very likable and quite creepy and freaky when she needed to be.
As I said before, this IS a full fledged prequel to 2013's Quija, showing us the events of what happened in the Ouija house that led to Doris' angry vengeance in the first Ouija film. I don't understand why the studio didn't just decide to do an original story instead of try to breathe life into a failed film....but that said, Mike Flanagan and crew did a pretty good job with this prequel. Flanagan brought with him Jeff Howard (Co-writer of Oculus), The Newton Brothers (composers for Oculus), and Michael Fimognari (Cinematographer for Oculus). With Ouija: Origin of Evil essentially being an Oculus reunion, you would hope the film would be at least as great as Oculus. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't great, it's not even really super good. There isn't much death in the film, and most of the action takes place during the last 30 minutes or so of the film. It also doesn't help that the script just isn't all that good either.
All the negatives aside, Ouija: Origin of Evil is still entertaining and fun. It's certainly eons better than the first Ouija. While I didn't love this film, I certainly liked it and will gladly admit I enjoyed my time with the flick. It's not super memorable, but for a fun, creepy time I'd say it fits the bill fairly well. Ouija: Origin of Evil makes for a decent Halloween treat.
3 STARS
SMALLS VENTURES INTO NEW ADVENTURES AT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
I'm a BIG fan of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. I just recently got the chance to travel back to IOA to check out some of their newer attractions. Below are my thoughts.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong- This ride takes place in 1931, two years before the famous expedition led by Carl Denham in the film King Kong (That's right, this ride is kind of a prequel). We are part of The 8th Wonder Expedition Company, which has landed on the mystical Skull Island in an attempt to chart the island, record their findings, and hopefully discover the mythical Kong himself. As we wind our way through the dense, elaborately detailed queue we catch tidbits of info via radio communications and radio news broadcasts. It seems many strange things have been happening on Skull Island, and our expedition has fallen on turbulent times. We are tasked with assisting a supply run. Sounds simple and safe enough, right? WRONG! It doesn't take long for things to escalate from bad to worse and before we know it, we are battling various creatures which call Skull Island their home before coming face to face with the mighty Kong himself.
The queue itself is an impressive feat in it's own right. It's large and richly detailed. Right from the second you step foot in line, the story starts. The queue easily rivals Forbidden Journey. It gave me flashbacks to the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure in California, except more intense. In the first area, we wind through a dense jungle as the occasional expedition vehicle careens past us (Wave hi to the happy passengers, you'll be joining them shortly). Having the ride vehicle pass the queue is an ingenious way to ignite hype in the line, it certainly did exactly that for me.
The first interior room of the queue is pretty large with an animatronic native witch chanting a spell or curse in an attempt to reach out to Kong. The longer she chants, the more things start to intensify in the room. There are flashing lights, fire effects, tribal drums, chanting from the natives, screams, and more. It's quite a cool mini-show. The witch herself is extremely fluid and realistic. She's easily one of the best AAs I've seen. The remaining rooms in the queue include scareactors dressed as island natives (I passed several boo-holes, but didn't encounter any natives. I don't know if I just passed through at a bad time, or if Universal has already removed the natives from the queue due to complaining parents), and a supply room that comes complete with a realistic and freaky AA slug. The queue helps to tell the story of Kong, and is itself part of the experience of the ride. It's an odd thing to say, but the queue itself is far scarier than the actual ride.
Now, onto our expedition vehicles. These babies are a brand new ride system, rolled out specifically for Kong. The vehicles are trackless and self guiding (using wi-fi). They are 13 feet tall, 40 feet long, weigh 17 tons, the wheel height is 45 inches, and each vehicle can carry up to 72 people at a time (They also come with their own AA driver in the front carriage). In short, they are beasts. Each vehicle is highly detailed so they look like rough, rugged, expedition trucks that have been through a good deal. Riding in one that is filled with guests is quite a cool, surreal experience and the cars themselves help to add to the illusion that you are on Skull Island.
The ride itself is very cool and impressive. I wasn't in love with the 360 potion, but everything that came before and after was tops. I'm not going to go into much details about the ride portion, all I'll say is expect impressive sets, some good 3D/motion simulator portions, occasional water blasts, and one hell of a top notch Kong AA at the end (It feels right to have an AA Kong here, especially one that's as fluid, detailed and realistic as the one we got). All in all, I had spent years researching this ride and following the development of it. The hype for this bad boy was very much real, and the actual experience from the queue to the ride itself easily lived up to the hype. I was blown away by what I experienced in this ride, and would gladly ride it again. Expect long lines (I'd say the longest I would be willing to wait would be 70-75 minutes. The wait I encountered was only an hour), but to experience the next game changer, I'd say it's worth it.
Hulk 2.0- Hulk was a ride that changed my life. It is because of Hulk that I finally conquered my fear of coasters. Well, around a year or 2 ago, Universal tore down the old Hulk and re-built it. It has the same exact track layout as before, but with a new plot and updated queue. The story this time around is that General Thunderbolt Ross has been testing a new gamma radiation experiment on hapless volunteers (that would be us). He's dubbed it "Hulk-ification" (Yes, he's basically turning people in Hulks). The queue itself has never looked better. The music that plays throughout is super cool and kind of Rock-y. It's clear that there are constant experiments being performed as we wind our way up to the coaster (every time an experiment starts, there are lighting effects and a loud bass that plays. It does really feel like they are experimenting stuff in here). The layout of the queue is essentially the same, but the old familiar elements have been upgraded (The gamma core thingy at the front is now enclosed and redesigned so that it's constantly flowing with lines and sparks of electricity, and the old wires in water with bubbles have been turned into spiraling DNA Helixes that glow green). The Hulk coaster cars have also been completely redesigned (as has the launch tunnel. It still blasts off like before, but the inside of the tube looks more hi-tech and cool). The cars look like miniature beasts with glowing white eyes/headlights at the front. They look sleek, super-modern, and very cool. The ride also has a brand new on-board rock soundtrack composed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump (played via blaring floor speakers that blast the music towards your face). I was tossed around a little bit more than I remember being previously (I was sitting close to the back, so that could be a reason), but the coaster was pretty much exactly like how I remember it being, just enhanced a bit. If you loved the original Hulk, you'll likely love this updated version too.
Hot Butterbeer: Looks like coffee, has the consistency of Hot Chocolate, tastes like Butterbeer. This is how the beverage is served in the books, so I had to try it out for myself. What did I think? Well, it was weird and different, but not bad. As it stands, I would probably still opt for Frozen or Regular over Hot. I could see it being refreshing on a cold day, though.
So, there you have it. My review of all the new stuff I experienced while at Islands of Adventure. Remember, The Adventure Lives On!
Skull Island: Reign of Kong- This ride takes place in 1931, two years before the famous expedition led by Carl Denham in the film King Kong (That's right, this ride is kind of a prequel). We are part of The 8th Wonder Expedition Company, which has landed on the mystical Skull Island in an attempt to chart the island, record their findings, and hopefully discover the mythical Kong himself. As we wind our way through the dense, elaborately detailed queue we catch tidbits of info via radio communications and radio news broadcasts. It seems many strange things have been happening on Skull Island, and our expedition has fallen on turbulent times. We are tasked with assisting a supply run. Sounds simple and safe enough, right? WRONG! It doesn't take long for things to escalate from bad to worse and before we know it, we are battling various creatures which call Skull Island their home before coming face to face with the mighty Kong himself.
The queue itself is an impressive feat in it's own right. It's large and richly detailed. Right from the second you step foot in line, the story starts. The queue easily rivals Forbidden Journey. It gave me flashbacks to the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure in California, except more intense. In the first area, we wind through a dense jungle as the occasional expedition vehicle careens past us (Wave hi to the happy passengers, you'll be joining them shortly). Having the ride vehicle pass the queue is an ingenious way to ignite hype in the line, it certainly did exactly that for me.
The first interior room of the queue is pretty large with an animatronic native witch chanting a spell or curse in an attempt to reach out to Kong. The longer she chants, the more things start to intensify in the room. There are flashing lights, fire effects, tribal drums, chanting from the natives, screams, and more. It's quite a cool mini-show. The witch herself is extremely fluid and realistic. She's easily one of the best AAs I've seen. The remaining rooms in the queue include scareactors dressed as island natives (I passed several boo-holes, but didn't encounter any natives. I don't know if I just passed through at a bad time, or if Universal has already removed the natives from the queue due to complaining parents), and a supply room that comes complete with a realistic and freaky AA slug. The queue helps to tell the story of Kong, and is itself part of the experience of the ride. It's an odd thing to say, but the queue itself is far scarier than the actual ride.
Now, onto our expedition vehicles. These babies are a brand new ride system, rolled out specifically for Kong. The vehicles are trackless and self guiding (using wi-fi). They are 13 feet tall, 40 feet long, weigh 17 tons, the wheel height is 45 inches, and each vehicle can carry up to 72 people at a time (They also come with their own AA driver in the front carriage). In short, they are beasts. Each vehicle is highly detailed so they look like rough, rugged, expedition trucks that have been through a good deal. Riding in one that is filled with guests is quite a cool, surreal experience and the cars themselves help to add to the illusion that you are on Skull Island.
The ride itself is very cool and impressive. I wasn't in love with the 360 potion, but everything that came before and after was tops. I'm not going to go into much details about the ride portion, all I'll say is expect impressive sets, some good 3D/motion simulator portions, occasional water blasts, and one hell of a top notch Kong AA at the end (It feels right to have an AA Kong here, especially one that's as fluid, detailed and realistic as the one we got). All in all, I had spent years researching this ride and following the development of it. The hype for this bad boy was very much real, and the actual experience from the queue to the ride itself easily lived up to the hype. I was blown away by what I experienced in this ride, and would gladly ride it again. Expect long lines (I'd say the longest I would be willing to wait would be 70-75 minutes. The wait I encountered was only an hour), but to experience the next game changer, I'd say it's worth it.
Hulk 2.0- Hulk was a ride that changed my life. It is because of Hulk that I finally conquered my fear of coasters. Well, around a year or 2 ago, Universal tore down the old Hulk and re-built it. It has the same exact track layout as before, but with a new plot and updated queue. The story this time around is that General Thunderbolt Ross has been testing a new gamma radiation experiment on hapless volunteers (that would be us). He's dubbed it "Hulk-ification" (Yes, he's basically turning people in Hulks). The queue itself has never looked better. The music that plays throughout is super cool and kind of Rock-y. It's clear that there are constant experiments being performed as we wind our way up to the coaster (every time an experiment starts, there are lighting effects and a loud bass that plays. It does really feel like they are experimenting stuff in here). The layout of the queue is essentially the same, but the old familiar elements have been upgraded (The gamma core thingy at the front is now enclosed and redesigned so that it's constantly flowing with lines and sparks of electricity, and the old wires in water with bubbles have been turned into spiraling DNA Helixes that glow green). The Hulk coaster cars have also been completely redesigned (as has the launch tunnel. It still blasts off like before, but the inside of the tube looks more hi-tech and cool). The cars look like miniature beasts with glowing white eyes/headlights at the front. They look sleek, super-modern, and very cool. The ride also has a brand new on-board rock soundtrack composed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump (played via blaring floor speakers that blast the music towards your face). I was tossed around a little bit more than I remember being previously (I was sitting close to the back, so that could be a reason), but the coaster was pretty much exactly like how I remember it being, just enhanced a bit. If you loved the original Hulk, you'll likely love this updated version too.
Hot Butterbeer: Looks like coffee, has the consistency of Hot Chocolate, tastes like Butterbeer. This is how the beverage is served in the books, so I had to try it out for myself. What did I think? Well, it was weird and different, but not bad. As it stands, I would probably still opt for Frozen or Regular over Hot. I could see it being refreshing on a cold day, though.
So, there you have it. My review of all the new stuff I experienced while at Islands of Adventure. Remember, The Adventure Lives On!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: CHUCKY IS SMALLS' FRIEND TO THE END IN CHILD'S PLAY
"Hi, I'm Chucky! Wanna Play?"
In Child's Play, notorious killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is gunned down in a toy store by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). In an act of desperation, he manages to transfer his soul into the closest item he can find: A Good Guy Doll. It isn't long before Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), a struggling single mom, purchases him as a birthday gift for her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). Seeking revenge against those who attempted to stop him, "Chucky" sets out on a new murder spree.
Child's Play is the film that introduced audiences to the psychotic Good Guy Doll known as Chucky. The character has become a horror icon, and is beloved by horror fans the world over. The movie itself is not as fondly remembered as Chucky himself though. Chris Sarandon (who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and portrayed Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night) plays the "good guy" of the film and does a fairly great performance. I'd still say his above-mentioned roles are easily more memorable and iconic than his role here though.
Alex Vincent's performance as Andy continues to get better as the film progresses onwards, and Catherine Hicks does a good job as his mom. Easily the standout performance here belongs to Dourif as Chucky. While we only see him in human form for around 5-10 minutes of the film, his voice work is phenomenal (plus, I love his yells/screams). It's super easy to buy him as "Chucky". The animatronics/stop-motion for Chucky are fairly fluid and believable, and clever camerawork is used at points when live actors are utilized for the doll.
Child's Play's is not ever all that scary, and tends to border on cheese a good deal of the time. The film itself is nowhere near as memorable as the horror icon it birthed (though it does have some good lines and a great death at the end). I'd still say it is easily worth a watch for Chucky alone, and it does have a pretty decent sized fun factor to it. Yes Chucky, I would love to play!
3.5 STARS
In Child's Play, notorious killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is gunned down in a toy store by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). In an act of desperation, he manages to transfer his soul into the closest item he can find: A Good Guy Doll. It isn't long before Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), a struggling single mom, purchases him as a birthday gift for her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). Seeking revenge against those who attempted to stop him, "Chucky" sets out on a new murder spree.
Child's Play is the film that introduced audiences to the psychotic Good Guy Doll known as Chucky. The character has become a horror icon, and is beloved by horror fans the world over. The movie itself is not as fondly remembered as Chucky himself though. Chris Sarandon (who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and portrayed Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night) plays the "good guy" of the film and does a fairly great performance. I'd still say his above-mentioned roles are easily more memorable and iconic than his role here though.
Alex Vincent's performance as Andy continues to get better as the film progresses onwards, and Catherine Hicks does a good job as his mom. Easily the standout performance here belongs to Dourif as Chucky. While we only see him in human form for around 5-10 minutes of the film, his voice work is phenomenal (plus, I love his yells/screams). It's super easy to buy him as "Chucky". The animatronics/stop-motion for Chucky are fairly fluid and believable, and clever camerawork is used at points when live actors are utilized for the doll.
Child's Play's is not ever all that scary, and tends to border on cheese a good deal of the time. The film itself is nowhere near as memorable as the horror icon it birthed (though it does have some good lines and a great death at the end). I'd still say it is easily worth a watch for Chucky alone, and it does have a pretty decent sized fun factor to it. Yes Chucky, I would love to play!
3.5 STARS
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: LET'S ALL GO TO THE LOBBY WITH DEMONS
In Demons, people are invited to a special screening of a horror film in a snazzy, renovated theater. Unfortunately, their evening of popcorn munching fun turns into a night of terror when audience members begin to turn into demons and attack the other patrons. Trapped in the theater with no escape, it's not long until an all-out bloody massacre commences.
This film was AWESOME! I'm getting it out right now: I loved this film. I have been a fan of film, theaters, and horror since I was young, so it's like this movie was tailor made for me. The idea of a movie theater beset by demons is a novel one, and it's a strong and cool enough premise to keep the fun rolling until the end credits. Yes, this is a movie that's set almost entirely inside a movie theater, and it's all the better for it. It definitely takes full advantage of it's cool setting.
If you like your horror films nice and bloody, Demons is the film for you. Gallons upon gallons of blood flow freely, and the deaths are brutal but fun. The demon designs are gnarly (but not of the highest quality), and there are tons of insane, fun action scenes. The action and kills are constant, so it's pretty hard to be bored here. The film itself is also extremely well shot with a ton of impressive, cool looking scenes.
The actual story is pretty simplistic but cool, and the characters aren't super well developed. The actors also tend to over-act a good deal of the time, and the dubbing is decent at best. While these aspects are normally pretty important in a film, I'd say that's not what Demons cares about. Demons just wants to show us an awesome, bloody, gory, cool time at the theater.
As if good kills, lots of blood, and a great setting weren't enough, Demons also provides us with a rockin' soundtrack consisting of nothing but rock and roll. While the ending is a little sudden and disappointing, everything that came before is so unapologetically awesome and fun that I'm willing to forgive this film most of it's flaws. Demons is pure B-movie goodness. If only there were some way I could actually watch this in a theater. Now THAT would be a meta experience!
4.5 STARS
This film was AWESOME! I'm getting it out right now: I loved this film. I have been a fan of film, theaters, and horror since I was young, so it's like this movie was tailor made for me. The idea of a movie theater beset by demons is a novel one, and it's a strong and cool enough premise to keep the fun rolling until the end credits. Yes, this is a movie that's set almost entirely inside a movie theater, and it's all the better for it. It definitely takes full advantage of it's cool setting.
If you like your horror films nice and bloody, Demons is the film for you. Gallons upon gallons of blood flow freely, and the deaths are brutal but fun. The demon designs are gnarly (but not of the highest quality), and there are tons of insane, fun action scenes. The action and kills are constant, so it's pretty hard to be bored here. The film itself is also extremely well shot with a ton of impressive, cool looking scenes.
The actual story is pretty simplistic but cool, and the characters aren't super well developed. The actors also tend to over-act a good deal of the time, and the dubbing is decent at best. While these aspects are normally pretty important in a film, I'd say that's not what Demons cares about. Demons just wants to show us an awesome, bloody, gory, cool time at the theater.
As if good kills, lots of blood, and a great setting weren't enough, Demons also provides us with a rockin' soundtrack consisting of nothing but rock and roll. While the ending is a little sudden and disappointing, everything that came before is so unapologetically awesome and fun that I'm willing to forgive this film most of it's flaws. Demons is pure B-movie goodness. If only there were some way I could actually watch this in a theater. Now THAT would be a meta experience!
4.5 STARS
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FALLS INTO A NIGHTMARE WITH PHANTASM
"You play a good game, boy. But the game is finished. Now you die."
Phantasm: 1. An apparition or specter.
2. A creation of the imagination or fancy; fantasy.
In Phantasm we follow Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), and Jody's best friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). After the funeral of one of their pals, Mike sees a strange and frightening sight: The Tall Man (The director of the funeral parlor, played by Angus Scrimm), picking up a heavy casket with ease. It quickly becomes clear that there are some strange events surrounding the funeral parlor and The Tall Man himself. When Mike and pals go to investigate, they are sent spiraling into a surreal, bizarre world where they struggle to find a way to defeat the Tall Man and escape with their lives.
The chemistry between our three heroes is quite strong, and it's easy to buy them as best friends. They all do great performances and are super likable. Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man is an imposing figure indeed that feels supernatural and threatening. He doesn't speak much, but stalks around the screen. Make no mistake about it, this is his film and he is in control. Scrimm easily emerges as a horror icon to remember.
Phantasm is bizarrely structured, but is done so on purpose. There is a reason this movie is called Phantasm, and that's because the film is meant to resemble a nightmare. The way it's shot and edited helps to drive this point home. Phantasm is a master class in creating a strong, rich atmosphere and a good deal of tension. I wouldn't go so far as to call it genuinely scary, but it is without a doubt very creepy, suspenseful, and weird.
Phantasm is a film that doesn't waste any of our time. It hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. Yes, it is campy, silly, and nonsensical but in my own opinion this helps add to the film's odd charm (it also oozes 70's style). With strong performances from the cast, a palpable atmosphere (and some really pretty shots), and a cool, creepy villain, I'd say Phantasm is definitely a film you should check out.
4 STARS
Phantasm: 1. An apparition or specter.
2. A creation of the imagination or fancy; fantasy.
In Phantasm we follow Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), and Jody's best friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). After the funeral of one of their pals, Mike sees a strange and frightening sight: The Tall Man (The director of the funeral parlor, played by Angus Scrimm), picking up a heavy casket with ease. It quickly becomes clear that there are some strange events surrounding the funeral parlor and The Tall Man himself. When Mike and pals go to investigate, they are sent spiraling into a surreal, bizarre world where they struggle to find a way to defeat the Tall Man and escape with their lives.
The chemistry between our three heroes is quite strong, and it's easy to buy them as best friends. They all do great performances and are super likable. Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man is an imposing figure indeed that feels supernatural and threatening. He doesn't speak much, but stalks around the screen. Make no mistake about it, this is his film and he is in control. Scrimm easily emerges as a horror icon to remember.
Phantasm is bizarrely structured, but is done so on purpose. There is a reason this movie is called Phantasm, and that's because the film is meant to resemble a nightmare. The way it's shot and edited helps to drive this point home. Phantasm is a master class in creating a strong, rich atmosphere and a good deal of tension. I wouldn't go so far as to call it genuinely scary, but it is without a doubt very creepy, suspenseful, and weird.
Phantasm is a film that doesn't waste any of our time. It hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. Yes, it is campy, silly, and nonsensical but in my own opinion this helps add to the film's odd charm (it also oozes 70's style). With strong performances from the cast, a palpable atmosphere (and some really pretty shots), and a cool, creepy villain, I'd say Phantasm is definitely a film you should check out.
4 STARS
Sunday, October 9, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: HALLOWEEN H20 IS THE ENDING THIS FRANCHISE DESERVES
In Halloween H20, we pick back up with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) twenty years after the events of Halloween and Halloween 2. Still living in fear of her older brother, Laurie has changed her name and become the headmistress of a posh, gated, secluded prep school (she has essentially holed herself up there). Her son, John, lives there with her and attends the school. As Laurie struggles to overcome her growing paranoia (which always gets worse on Halloween), Michael returns one final time in an attempt to finish the job he started twenty years ago. Get ready for the final battle.
Jamie Lee Curtis is back in peak form (even getting to show she is still a Grade A scream queen in her opening scene). Curtis steps back into her iconic role with ease and finesse. Her role is meaty one, with plenty of internal conflict and psychosis she must battle (along with her brother, of course). Josh Hartnett is at his most likable here as her teenaged son, who only wants to go outside of the walls of the school. Laurie, naturally, strictly forbids this. Chris Durand steps effortlessly into the shoes of one of the most iconic slashers in film. His mask is kind of bad, but he is completely believable as Michael here. This is the return of Michael as we saw him in the first two Halloween films. Michael in this film is smart, fast, incredibly strong, and pretty cool. It just feels great to see the return of THE Michael Meyers. I've missed him dearly.
It's pretty awesome that they managed to rope Nancy Chambers back into the franchise. She reprises her role from the first Halloween, Marion Chambers (The nurse from the beginning that's first attacked by Michael, but survives. She wears the same outfit as she did in the original film. This a visual que to the audience as to who she is). It's also a nice surprise to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt pop up as Jimmy, a next door neighbor of Marion's. Both of these actors get very minimal screen time, but it feels good to have them here.
The beginning and ending of Halloween H20 are the strongest parts of this film, unfortunately the middle lags a good deal as we spend a decent amount of time focused on the prep school students. The characters are likable enough, but just aren't interesting. It also hurts that there aren't many Michael antics until the last 30 minutes or so of the film. That said, all the waiting pays off as the last battle is thrilling, epic, and pretty awesome.
Halloween H20 is not a perfect film, it often feels more like your typical 90's teen slasher than a Halloween film. Luckily, the characters of Michael and Laurie are perfect, and the film is filled with cool nods to the original (one example: Janet Leigh appears for one brief scene as Norma. Not only is this a nod to Psycho, which inspired the original Halloween a good deal, but in real life Leigh is Jamie Lee's mother). Halloween H20 sends the Halloween franchise off on the perfect note. Thank God they didn't make another awful, insulting sequel after this one.
3.5 STARS
Jamie Lee Curtis is back in peak form (even getting to show she is still a Grade A scream queen in her opening scene). Curtis steps back into her iconic role with ease and finesse. Her role is meaty one, with plenty of internal conflict and psychosis she must battle (along with her brother, of course). Josh Hartnett is at his most likable here as her teenaged son, who only wants to go outside of the walls of the school. Laurie, naturally, strictly forbids this. Chris Durand steps effortlessly into the shoes of one of the most iconic slashers in film. His mask is kind of bad, but he is completely believable as Michael here. This is the return of Michael as we saw him in the first two Halloween films. Michael in this film is smart, fast, incredibly strong, and pretty cool. It just feels great to see the return of THE Michael Meyers. I've missed him dearly.
It's pretty awesome that they managed to rope Nancy Chambers back into the franchise. She reprises her role from the first Halloween, Marion Chambers (The nurse from the beginning that's first attacked by Michael, but survives. She wears the same outfit as she did in the original film. This a visual que to the audience as to who she is). It's also a nice surprise to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt pop up as Jimmy, a next door neighbor of Marion's. Both of these actors get very minimal screen time, but it feels good to have them here.
The beginning and ending of Halloween H20 are the strongest parts of this film, unfortunately the middle lags a good deal as we spend a decent amount of time focused on the prep school students. The characters are likable enough, but just aren't interesting. It also hurts that there aren't many Michael antics until the last 30 minutes or so of the film. That said, all the waiting pays off as the last battle is thrilling, epic, and pretty awesome.
Halloween H20 is not a perfect film, it often feels more like your typical 90's teen slasher than a Halloween film. Luckily, the characters of Michael and Laurie are perfect, and the film is filled with cool nods to the original (one example: Janet Leigh appears for one brief scene as Norma. Not only is this a nod to Psycho, which inspired the original Halloween a good deal, but in real life Leigh is Jamie Lee's mother). Halloween H20 sends the Halloween franchise off on the perfect note. Thank God they didn't make another awful, insulting sequel after this one.
3.5 STARS
Saturday, October 8, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS GOES FOR A RIDE WITH THE HITCHER
"I want you to stop me."
In The Hitcher, Teen Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is tasked with delivering a car to California. On the long drive there, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) from the pouring rain. Unfortunately for Jim, this simple act of kindness has unforeseen, nightmarish consequences. Winds up that The Hitcher is a crazed psychopath who has been killing off whoever is unlucky enough to give him a ride. He almost immediately starts up a new game with Jim: Kill him, or be killed by him. Now, Jim must dig deep to find the strength (and maybe even the darkness) within himself if he is to survive the Hitcher's crazed game.
The Hitcher is a film with clear Western influences . It's set on a dusty, desolate highway and our hero is on his own for most of the film. It has numerous chase scenes (the police are on a manhunt for Jim because he's been framed for The Hitcher's various murders), the locations all feel empty and dead, and it even has a few cool shoot-outs. The film itself is essentially a tale of good man vs. bad man, and it's made clear that Jim is likely the only person who can stop The Hitcher.
C. Thomas Howell is absolutely perfect as Jim. He makes Jim a relatable, sympathetic everyman who is stuck in a never-ending nightmare where things keep getting progressively worse. I really loved Jim in this film, and felt for his difficult plight. Rutger Hauer is terrifying as The Hitcher. He manages to imbue his character with a supernatural quality. It feels like he could pop up just about anywhere at any time. C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer work very well off of each other, and the scenes they share together are powerful. Jennifer Jason Leigh co-stars as Nash, a waitress at a roadside diner who joins up with Jim later on in the film. She's also quite likable, though her screen time is minimal.
The film is pretty intense for most of it's run-time. We get very little breathing room, as things continually build until it's satisfying and cool climax. The Hitcher is a movie that has a smart script (by Eric Red), great direction (by Robert Harmon), and cool cinematography (by John Seale). It also makes many smart character decisions. The Hitcher is scary, thrilling, tense, super cool, super bleak/dark, and just all around awesome. I'd say it's easily one of my favorite horror films I've seen, and naturally it comes highly recommended.
5 STARS
In The Hitcher, Teen Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is tasked with delivering a car to California. On the long drive there, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) from the pouring rain. Unfortunately for Jim, this simple act of kindness has unforeseen, nightmarish consequences. Winds up that The Hitcher is a crazed psychopath who has been killing off whoever is unlucky enough to give him a ride. He almost immediately starts up a new game with Jim: Kill him, or be killed by him. Now, Jim must dig deep to find the strength (and maybe even the darkness) within himself if he is to survive the Hitcher's crazed game.
The Hitcher is a film with clear Western influences . It's set on a dusty, desolate highway and our hero is on his own for most of the film. It has numerous chase scenes (the police are on a manhunt for Jim because he's been framed for The Hitcher's various murders), the locations all feel empty and dead, and it even has a few cool shoot-outs. The film itself is essentially a tale of good man vs. bad man, and it's made clear that Jim is likely the only person who can stop The Hitcher.
C. Thomas Howell is absolutely perfect as Jim. He makes Jim a relatable, sympathetic everyman who is stuck in a never-ending nightmare where things keep getting progressively worse. I really loved Jim in this film, and felt for his difficult plight. Rutger Hauer is terrifying as The Hitcher. He manages to imbue his character with a supernatural quality. It feels like he could pop up just about anywhere at any time. C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer work very well off of each other, and the scenes they share together are powerful. Jennifer Jason Leigh co-stars as Nash, a waitress at a roadside diner who joins up with Jim later on in the film. She's also quite likable, though her screen time is minimal.
The film is pretty intense for most of it's run-time. We get very little breathing room, as things continually build until it's satisfying and cool climax. The Hitcher is a movie that has a smart script (by Eric Red), great direction (by Robert Harmon), and cool cinematography (by John Seale). It also makes many smart character decisions. The Hitcher is scary, thrilling, tense, super cool, super bleak/dark, and just all around awesome. I'd say it's easily one of my favorite horror films I've seen, and naturally it comes highly recommended.
5 STARS
Friday, October 7, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE WITH ROB ZOMBIE'S 31
Why is it that I keep watching Rob Zombie films? I like the guy, but his films more often than not are terrible. Luckily, this is one of his better films.
It's October 31, 1976 and a group of traveling, foul-mouthed, redneck carnies are kidnapped by warped aristocrats and forced to play a game called 31 where, for 12 hours, they must survive against a murderous horde of psychopaths. I have to give Zombie some credit here. While his characters all start out as disgusting, ugly people by the end I was surprised to find I had grown to like some of them (including some of the psychos too). These characters would be victims Venus (Meg Foster) and Roscoe (Jeff Daniel Phillips), and psychos Sick-Head (a bilingual Nazi midget who speaks mainly Spanish with some English interspersed throughout played by Pancho Moler) and Doom-Head (A truly despicable character played by Richard Brake. He looks pretty cool in his get-up during the last act and has some of the film's best lines). It's a tough feat to start out with unlikable characters and find a way to bring the audience somewhat onto their sides, but Zombie kind of pulls it off (Here's a pat on the back Zombie). I also have to give Zombie props for using Aerosmith's Dream On and The Mama's and Papa's California Dreaming on the soundtrack.
As for the film itself, the script is pretty bad (par for the course for Zombie) and it's one of his ugliest films to watch. All the kill scenes are punctuated by shaky cam shots so it's kind of hard to make out what's going on on-screen (confusing and frustrating). There is basically no plot and our characters are thinly developed (including the psychos). The first 24 minutes are pretty tough to get through as we are introduced to our victims (This part is just the group talking worse than a 5 dollar hooker and making many sexual references). I was also shocked that almost all of Zombie's usual surreal/imaginative visual imagery and atmosphere was absent here. That said, I did find the film entertaining in a bad B-movie/ Grindhouse flick kind of way (I also will never understand why Zombie keeps featuring his wife in his films. Sheri-Moon is pretty bad here, which is confusing because I saw that she could actually act in his previous flick: Lords of Salem).
Rob Zombie's 31 is filled to the brim with blood, gore, some of the foulest language ever sampled, murder, lots of nudity (We see everything here, and I was none too impressed by it honestly), bad lines (sometimes so bad they're funny), and general chaos and anarchy. Naturally 31 won't be for everyone, but if you are a Zombie fan then I'd say it may be worth a watch.
2 STARS
Thursday, October 6, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT CASPER
In Casper, Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a father and daughter who are still reeling from the death of their mother/wife, move into the old Whipstaff Manor (loacted in Friendship, Maine. *insert Stephen King pun here*). James is a Ghost psychologist who specializes in helping the dead tend to their unfinished business so they can move on. Whipstaff manor is haunted by four ghosts, Casper (Malachai Pearson), Stretch (Joe Nipote), Stinky (Joe Alasky), and Fatso (Brad Garrett). Since Casper died when he was 12 and Kat herself is just a young teen, it doesn't take long for Casper to fall, um, head over heels (?) for the girl. Little do they know, the evil Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) and her lacky Dibbs (Eric Idle, who I quite like here) are using James to rid the house of the ghosts so the two can find the treasure that is supposedly hidden inside.
Casper is one of the films I grew up with. I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, but how does it hold up now that I'm 26? The answer: It holds up ok, I guess. There isn't any real solid through-line or story for the film. Instead, we get a bunch of threads that are wrapped up by the end. The characters are likable enough, and most of the actors do decent jobs (except for Cathy Moriarty, who is like nails on a chalkboard). Christina Ricci's Kat was my childhood crush for quite some time, and she is still pretty lovely here (no pedo). Bill Pullman's James is pretty doofy and dorky, but still enjoyable. Fatso, Stinky, and Stretch are mean-spirited but never to the point where they aren't likable (Though they aren't funny....most of the jokes aren't funny. There are also quite a bit of bad cameos. ) and Casper is very sweet. The romance between Kat and Casper is cute but also fairly creepy (How would one react if a somewhat hormonal 12 year old ghost fell for you? I'm not sure, but I think the emotion of horror would fit in there somewhere).
The CGI for our main ghosts is pretty decent and holds up well enough, and the interior sets are pretty cool (I wouldn't mind staying for a while in Whipstaff Manor). There is a good deal of whimsy and silliness in the film (most of which feels VERY 90's). The soundtrack is one of the strong points of the film as it is hauntingly beautiful at time. Casper also has some moments that sent chills up my back (in a good way. One example would be Casper remembering his death).
I can't say Casper has much for anyone over the age of 13, but for kids and pre-teens/young teens it's a pretty decent, sweet little flick. I'm not sure I'll go back and re-watch it often, but maybe if/when I have kids I'll sit down and show it to them.
2.5 STARS
Casper is one of the films I grew up with. I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, but how does it hold up now that I'm 26? The answer: It holds up ok, I guess. There isn't any real solid through-line or story for the film. Instead, we get a bunch of threads that are wrapped up by the end. The characters are likable enough, and most of the actors do decent jobs (except for Cathy Moriarty, who is like nails on a chalkboard). Christina Ricci's Kat was my childhood crush for quite some time, and she is still pretty lovely here (no pedo). Bill Pullman's James is pretty doofy and dorky, but still enjoyable. Fatso, Stinky, and Stretch are mean-spirited but never to the point where they aren't likable (Though they aren't funny....most of the jokes aren't funny. There are also quite a bit of bad cameos. ) and Casper is very sweet. The romance between Kat and Casper is cute but also fairly creepy (How would one react if a somewhat hormonal 12 year old ghost fell for you? I'm not sure, but I think the emotion of horror would fit in there somewhere).
The CGI for our main ghosts is pretty decent and holds up well enough, and the interior sets are pretty cool (I wouldn't mind staying for a while in Whipstaff Manor). There is a good deal of whimsy and silliness in the film (most of which feels VERY 90's). The soundtrack is one of the strong points of the film as it is hauntingly beautiful at time. Casper also has some moments that sent chills up my back (in a good way. One example would be Casper remembering his death).
I can't say Casper has much for anyone over the age of 13, but for kids and pre-teens/young teens it's a pretty decent, sweet little flick. I'm not sure I'll go back and re-watch it often, but maybe if/when I have kids I'll sit down and show it to them.
2.5 STARS
Monday, October 3, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: THE SHAPE RETURNS IN HALLOWEEN 4
While I personally liked Halloween 3, most audiences at the time did not. They demanded more of the adventures of Michael Meyers, and Hollywood listened. In Halloween 4, Michael has been lying unconscious in a mental asylum for ten years, both Loomis and him barely survived being set ablaze at the end of Halloween 2. While being transferred to Smith's Grove, he awakens and escapes back to Haddonfield where he commences his usual Halloween hunt. This time, he has a new target in his sights: Jamie (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode who is living with a foster family. Can Loomis track him down in time? Will Jamie survive with her sanity intact?
Halloween 4 is definitely better than Halloween 3. The film has an atmosphere that feels reminiscent of the ones in the first 2 Halloween films, and Michael still retains some of his supernatural qualities we are so familiar with. Danielle Harris does a great job as Jamie (for a child actor, she's pretty impressive), and Ellie Cornell holds her own as Rachel, Jamie's foster sister who is tasked with protecting the girl.
Donald Pleasence just about outshines everyone else as Loomis, putting on a superb performance that is on par with his previous outings as the beloved character (He has some scars from his burning in the 2nd film and walks with a limp). As for Sasha Jenson, I started out not really liking his Brady (he's kind of a douche) but by the time he has his quick fight with Michael I had grown to actually quite like his character. I also liked Beau Starr as Sheriff Ben Meeker, who actually acts pretty sensibly throughout the whole film.
Halloween 4 is a little uneven, but it certainly feels like we are watching a Halloween film and the darkness that pervaded the first film is back here (thankfully). It's not as good as the first two Halloween films, but it's certainly better than the third outing. Halloween 4 is the rare 4th-quel that is a worthy predecessor to the previous films and is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of the franchise. Complete with a pretty cool ending, Halloween 4 makes for good viewing during the haunting season.
4 Stars
Halloween 4 is definitely better than Halloween 3. The film has an atmosphere that feels reminiscent of the ones in the first 2 Halloween films, and Michael still retains some of his supernatural qualities we are so familiar with. Danielle Harris does a great job as Jamie (for a child actor, she's pretty impressive), and Ellie Cornell holds her own as Rachel, Jamie's foster sister who is tasked with protecting the girl.
Donald Pleasence just about outshines everyone else as Loomis, putting on a superb performance that is on par with his previous outings as the beloved character (He has some scars from his burning in the 2nd film and walks with a limp). As for Sasha Jenson, I started out not really liking his Brady (he's kind of a douche) but by the time he has his quick fight with Michael I had grown to actually quite like his character. I also liked Beau Starr as Sheriff Ben Meeker, who actually acts pretty sensibly throughout the whole film.
Halloween 4 is a little uneven, but it certainly feels like we are watching a Halloween film and the darkness that pervaded the first film is back here (thankfully). It's not as good as the first two Halloween films, but it's certainly better than the third outing. Halloween 4 is the rare 4th-quel that is a worthy predecessor to the previous films and is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of the franchise. Complete with a pretty cool ending, Halloween 4 makes for good viewing during the haunting season.
4 Stars
Saturday, October 1, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS IS SUCKED INTO THE GOTHIC WORLD OF BLACK SUNDAY
In Black Sunday, a traveling doctor and his assistant inadvertently awaken the spirit of a centuries old witch and her lover, who immediately set out for vengeance. The ancestor of the witch, a beautiful princess, is their main target and only the dr.'s assistant may stand in their way.
Black Sunday is an old-fashioned Italian gothic horror film. The dubbing isn't great and there is some silliness on occasion (like the romantic scenes), but everything else in this film is fan-freaking-tastic. The sets are elaborate and lush, the atmosphere is chilling, rich, and all encompassing, and the cinematography is superb. It feels like we are in the middle of a classic, creepy ghost story. Barbara Steele commands the screen with her presence as both the princess and the witch. She oozes sexuality and is indeed breathtakingly beautiful ( She's hot enough to make any sane man join Satan just to be with her). The other actors all do fine jobs, but she is easily the standout.
Black Sunday is also surprisingly gnarly, gruesome and grotesque. There is a good deal of material that made me cringe. I was impressed by just how far the film goes at times. It's not hard at all to see why this film has earned it's classic status. The story may not offer many surprises but the film itself is still creepy, chilling and atmospheric as hell, plus our heroine is super easy on the eyes. Filmed in glorious black and white, Black Sunday is a certified classic that is a must see for any horror buff.
4 STARS
Black Sunday is an old-fashioned Italian gothic horror film. The dubbing isn't great and there is some silliness on occasion (like the romantic scenes), but everything else in this film is fan-freaking-tastic. The sets are elaborate and lush, the atmosphere is chilling, rich, and all encompassing, and the cinematography is superb. It feels like we are in the middle of a classic, creepy ghost story. Barbara Steele commands the screen with her presence as both the princess and the witch. She oozes sexuality and is indeed breathtakingly beautiful ( She's hot enough to make any sane man join Satan just to be with her). The other actors all do fine jobs, but she is easily the standout.
Black Sunday is also surprisingly gnarly, gruesome and grotesque. There is a good deal of material that made me cringe. I was impressed by just how far the film goes at times. It's not hard at all to see why this film has earned it's classic status. The story may not offer many surprises but the film itself is still creepy, chilling and atmospheric as hell, plus our heroine is super easy on the eyes. Filmed in glorious black and white, Black Sunday is a certified classic that is a must see for any horror buff.
4 STARS
Friday, September 30, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS IS ENTRANCED BY SUSPIRIA
In Suspiria, many strange events have been occurring surrounding a prestigious ballet academy in Freiburg. It may be up to young, naive American Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper); a newcomer to the academy, to solve the mystery.
There aren't many twists, turns or surprises in Suspiria (It's fairly easy to predict where it's all going). In fact, I wasn't scared at all. That said, what the film lacks in plot, characters, or scares it more than makes up for in cinematography, lighting, colors (There are constant, bloody reds and some soft, supernatural greens), and atmosphere. If there was ever a film deserving of a 4k remastering, this film would be it.
Jessica Harper is very pretty as our main lead, and everyone else does fine performances, but I'd dare say that Suspiria is very likely more so remembered for the above mentioned atmosphere, etc than for anything else. It all resembles a hypnotic, beautiful dream and while we sleepwalk through most of the film, the last 12 minutes are sure to wake you up as things go a bit off the rails.
The blood looks like Ketchup, and there is some unintended silliness at times, but Suspiria remains a classic example of visual storytelling and fantastic cinematography (Luciano Tovoli, who desrves a standing ovation).
3.5 STARS
There aren't many twists, turns or surprises in Suspiria (It's fairly easy to predict where it's all going). In fact, I wasn't scared at all. That said, what the film lacks in plot, characters, or scares it more than makes up for in cinematography, lighting, colors (There are constant, bloody reds and some soft, supernatural greens), and atmosphere. If there was ever a film deserving of a 4k remastering, this film would be it.
Jessica Harper is very pretty as our main lead, and everyone else does fine performances, but I'd dare say that Suspiria is very likely more so remembered for the above mentioned atmosphere, etc than for anything else. It all resembles a hypnotic, beautiful dream and while we sleepwalk through most of the film, the last 12 minutes are sure to wake you up as things go a bit off the rails.
The blood looks like Ketchup, and there is some unintended silliness at times, but Suspiria remains a classic example of visual storytelling and fantastic cinematography (Luciano Tovoli, who desrves a standing ovation).
3.5 STARS
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
SMALLS MAKES A NEW FRIEND IN MANNY WITH SWISS ARMY MAN
In Swiss Army Man, Hank (Paul Dano) takes a boat out to sea only to be stranded on a deserted island. After an undetermined amount of time, Hank decides there is no way he's going to be rescued and so makes up his mind to hang himself. Before he can go through with the deed, a body of a man (Daniel Radcliffe) washes up on shore. It isn't long before Hank realizes that the body is gifted with strange powers (among which are powerful farts), and that it may not be quite as dead as it seems (Has Hank started to hallucinate due to lack of food and water, or is something else even more strange and seemingly impossible going on?). Hank names it Manny, and begins to teach him about what it means to be alive. Together, they form a powerful bond and Manny begins to lead Hank back to civilization in his own, strange ways.
Swiss Army Man is the surreal, imaginative version of Cast Away (And Manny could be viewed as this film's version of Wilson). Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are phenomenal here. They work together perfectly and you completely buy their budding bro-mance. The film is filled with odd, surreal, bizarre moments and manages to be quite uplifting most of the time, while still finding time to balance out these moments with bits of sadness and reflection. This may be Radcliffe's best role to date (possibly even surpassing his iconic turn as The Boy Who Lived). Although he plays a dead body with little to no movement, he is absolutely alive and electric here. If you thought it was all downhill after HP for this young, talented actor, Swiss Army Man offers strong evidence that you couldn't be more wrong. Paul Dano does a fantastic job as well as the quirky, odd, might be losing his mind Hank. Despite his possible mania, Hank still manages to come across as quite intelligent and sympathetic. It's easy to root for these two to make it back to civilization (and for Manny to maybe regain his life and humanity)
Swiss Army Man is a film about finding the beauty in life, even in death. It's an inspiring, uplifting film that had me smiling a good deal. The soundtrack (by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell) is also extremely unique, imaginative, and original (You've never really heard anything quite like it). Directed and written by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (credited simply as Daniels), this is their feature writing/directing debut and it's quite impressive. I have no qualms with saying that these are two dudes we should maybe keep an eye on. Funny, touching, and refreshingly different, Swiss Army Man is a real winner and easily makes it to the top of the best films of 2016 (thus far).
5 STARS
Swiss Army Man is the surreal, imaginative version of Cast Away (And Manny could be viewed as this film's version of Wilson). Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are phenomenal here. They work together perfectly and you completely buy their budding bro-mance. The film is filled with odd, surreal, bizarre moments and manages to be quite uplifting most of the time, while still finding time to balance out these moments with bits of sadness and reflection. This may be Radcliffe's best role to date (possibly even surpassing his iconic turn as The Boy Who Lived). Although he plays a dead body with little to no movement, he is absolutely alive and electric here. If you thought it was all downhill after HP for this young, talented actor, Swiss Army Man offers strong evidence that you couldn't be more wrong. Paul Dano does a fantastic job as well as the quirky, odd, might be losing his mind Hank. Despite his possible mania, Hank still manages to come across as quite intelligent and sympathetic. It's easy to root for these two to make it back to civilization (and for Manny to maybe regain his life and humanity)
Swiss Army Man is a film about finding the beauty in life, even in death. It's an inspiring, uplifting film that had me smiling a good deal. The soundtrack (by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell) is also extremely unique, imaginative, and original (You've never really heard anything quite like it). Directed and written by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (credited simply as Daniels), this is their feature writing/directing debut and it's quite impressive. I have no qualms with saying that these are two dudes we should maybe keep an eye on. Funny, touching, and refreshingly different, Swiss Army Man is a real winner and easily makes it to the top of the best films of 2016 (thus far).
5 STARS
SMALLS SPOILS THE SHIT OUT OF YOGA HOSERS
In Yoga Hosers, high school sophomores and BFFs Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith) are clerks working a 7-11-esque store in Canada called the Eh to Zed. In their off time they perform in their own amateur band and enjoy doing faux yoga (with the help of Justin Long as their instructor, Yogi Bayer). When Andronicus Arcane (a hundred + year old Canadian Nazi played by Ralph Garman)) reappears with a dozen miniature minions named Bratzis (Kevin Smith) , it's up to the Colleens and Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp) to save their fair land and critics everywhere.
Both Lily-Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith actually do good jobs here, and Johnny Depp gets more mileage out of his tired Guy LaPointe character than he did in Tusk (He's nowhere near as grating, awful or annoying as he was in the previous film). Yoga Hosers is (surprisingly) a direct sequel to Tusk. We don't see any of the other characters from that film here (though some of the actors from that film are given roles here), but the events from that film are mentioned occasionally. Kevin Smith actually is chuckle-worthy at times as the Bratzis, and Ralph Garman is called upon to do celebrity impersonation after celebrity impersonation (His schtick gets old and grating). Even poor Stan Lee and Kevin Conroy (Batman from the animated series) do quick cameos here.
While it can be funny at times, Yoga Hosers can also be super annoying. A good example would be the Instagram spoof (Called Instacan....get it? Cuz we're in Canada) that keeps rearing it's head every few minutes during the first 30 minutes of the film. It's constant, annoying, is used for lazy exposition, and comes across like Kevin Smith (once again) lacks self control (a running theme in his more recent films). There's also A LOT of fake Canadian accents and the word 'boot keeps popping up (IT'S NOT FUNNY!!! STOP IT!!). The villain's main plan here involves using his Bratzi's to destroy every single critic in the world (or maybe just Canada, it's really not explained all that well) because they shunned earlier art he had made. Yes, it's clear that part of this film is Kevin Smith's attempt at a FUCK YOU to any critic that had looked down at his previous work (Yes, I belong to that group. Fuck you right back Smith). Guy LaPointe even says that the villain's plan isn't so bad because he's not going to be killing real people (Once again, fuck you Smith).
The bottom line is that Yoga Hosers is not a good film. It can be entertaining and funny at times, and our three main leads all do fine jobs, but a good deal of the material is still annoying and just not good. I imagine I'm not going to be quite as harsh on this film as other critics will be. The truth is, despite it's numerous flaws, I still enjoyed my time with Yoga Hosers (I found myself laughing more than I did not). This is more of an ultra-goofy, ultra-silly, ultra-campy comedy than anything else (Imagine Clerks starring phone-obsessed millenials and goofy monsters. It's Clerks, but also definitely isn't Clerks). You aren't supposed to take any of this film seriously, and that is (surprisingly) a plus.
1.5 STARS
I Definitely liked it more than Tusk
Lily-Rose Depp speaks French with her dad for one scene, and my heart went all aflutter. I LOVE the French language (So beautiful!).
Both Lily-Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith actually do good jobs here, and Johnny Depp gets more mileage out of his tired Guy LaPointe character than he did in Tusk (He's nowhere near as grating, awful or annoying as he was in the previous film). Yoga Hosers is (surprisingly) a direct sequel to Tusk. We don't see any of the other characters from that film here (though some of the actors from that film are given roles here), but the events from that film are mentioned occasionally. Kevin Smith actually is chuckle-worthy at times as the Bratzis, and Ralph Garman is called upon to do celebrity impersonation after celebrity impersonation (His schtick gets old and grating). Even poor Stan Lee and Kevin Conroy (Batman from the animated series) do quick cameos here.
While it can be funny at times, Yoga Hosers can also be super annoying. A good example would be the Instagram spoof (Called Instacan....get it? Cuz we're in Canada) that keeps rearing it's head every few minutes during the first 30 minutes of the film. It's constant, annoying, is used for lazy exposition, and comes across like Kevin Smith (once again) lacks self control (a running theme in his more recent films). There's also A LOT of fake Canadian accents and the word 'boot keeps popping up (IT'S NOT FUNNY!!! STOP IT!!). The villain's main plan here involves using his Bratzi's to destroy every single critic in the world (or maybe just Canada, it's really not explained all that well) because they shunned earlier art he had made. Yes, it's clear that part of this film is Kevin Smith's attempt at a FUCK YOU to any critic that had looked down at his previous work (Yes, I belong to that group. Fuck you right back Smith). Guy LaPointe even says that the villain's plan isn't so bad because he's not going to be killing real people (Once again, fuck you Smith).
The bottom line is that Yoga Hosers is not a good film. It can be entertaining and funny at times, and our three main leads all do fine jobs, but a good deal of the material is still annoying and just not good. I imagine I'm not going to be quite as harsh on this film as other critics will be. The truth is, despite it's numerous flaws, I still enjoyed my time with Yoga Hosers (I found myself laughing more than I did not). This is more of an ultra-goofy, ultra-silly, ultra-campy comedy than anything else (Imagine Clerks starring phone-obsessed millenials and goofy monsters. It's Clerks, but also definitely isn't Clerks). You aren't supposed to take any of this film seriously, and that is (surprisingly) a plus.
1.5 STARS
I Definitely liked it more than Tusk
Lily-Rose Depp speaks French with her dad for one scene, and my heart went all aflutter. I LOVE the French language (So beautiful!).
Monday, September 26, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TRAVELS TO JERUZALEM
Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) and her BFF Rachel (Yael Grobglas) decide to take a vacation to Tel Aviv. On the flight there they meet anthropologist wannabe Kevin (Yon Tumarkin), who convinces the girls to go with him to Jerusalem. Things take a turn for the worse when the third gate to hell opens in the city. The three find themselves in a fight for survival as they try to escape while the end of days commences.
First, the positives: Our three main leads are likable enough and actually resemble real human beings. They aren't douchbags or sluts (with the most likable one being Kevin) . It's also an interesting choice to film the whole thing with Google Glass, although the result is the film can feel like an advert for the product at times. I also like that the horror here is steeped in Jewish mythology, which is a different road I commend the film for taking (although not much is really done with this novel idea). Having been to a few destinations outside the U.S, I can say that JeruZalem captures how it feels to be exploring a foreign land. It's also appreciated that Danielle Jadelyn shows us her goods in one brief scene (wasn't expecting that).
Unfortunately, all the good will I had built up for this film just about evaporates during the last 30 minutes where things get stupid fast. Our heroes find themselves battling demon zombies via some bad CGI (and yes, this plague is contagious. *FACEPALM*). While it starts out promising enough, JeruZalem winds up descending into your typical dumb found footage horror film (with a complete lack of scares, tension or suspense and an abundance of shaky cam footage during the last act). If you're curious, I suppose it may be worth a watch but don't expect to remember it after the credits have rolled.
2 STARS
SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST BEGINS WITH X-RAY
In X-Ray, Susan (Barbi Benton) goes to a hospital for a routine check-up. Unfortunately, a psycho killer has targeted her as his main prey. Messing with her X-Rays so it looks like she has a life-threatening disease, Susan finds herself locked up in the hospital. As the bodies start to drop, she must find a way out or die.
All you need to know about this film is that it was made by Golan and Globus, who were the kings of bad films from 1979-1985. Indeed, X-Ray/Hospital Massacre/ Be My Valentine, Or Else/Ward 13 (Holy shit, this film has 4 different titles) is an awful, poorly made film, but in all the best ways. It's completely ridiculous and silly (For crying out loud, the filmmakers decided to dress a guy in a wig and try to pass him off as an elderly woman. Did they not have enough money to hire an elderly lady? Was the guy on set and they figured he could do just as good a job for less money? Seriously, WTF?). Barbi Benton is just about the only actor/actress here that does a decent job. She's amazingly beautiful, and isn't afraid to show us her goods. Honestly, I kind of want to see more of her films now. As for the movie itself, what it lacks in suspense, tension and scares (I knew who the killer was going to be the first time he appeared on screen), it more than makes up for in pure, dumb, silly fun. I'd easily classify this as a great party film. Sit down with a group of your friends, switch it on, and have a ton of fun laughing at it and making fun of it.
1 STAR
FUN FACT: Barbi Benton was more well known for her involvement with Playboy than for her film and TV roles.
All you need to know about this film is that it was made by Golan and Globus, who were the kings of bad films from 1979-1985. Indeed, X-Ray/Hospital Massacre/ Be My Valentine, Or Else/Ward 13 (Holy shit, this film has 4 different titles) is an awful, poorly made film, but in all the best ways. It's completely ridiculous and silly (For crying out loud, the filmmakers decided to dress a guy in a wig and try to pass him off as an elderly woman. Did they not have enough money to hire an elderly lady? Was the guy on set and they figured he could do just as good a job for less money? Seriously, WTF?). Barbi Benton is just about the only actor/actress here that does a decent job. She's amazingly beautiful, and isn't afraid to show us her goods. Honestly, I kind of want to see more of her films now. As for the movie itself, what it lacks in suspense, tension and scares (I knew who the killer was going to be the first time he appeared on screen), it more than makes up for in pure, dumb, silly fun. I'd easily classify this as a great party film. Sit down with a group of your friends, switch it on, and have a ton of fun laughing at it and making fun of it.
1 STAR
FUN FACT: Barbi Benton was more well known for her involvement with Playboy than for her film and TV roles.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
SMALLS GOES FOR A TREK IN THE BLACK HILLS FOREST WITH BLAIR WITCH
Blair Witch is a continuation of The Blair With Project. In 1994, Heather Donahue and her friends Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams trekked deep into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland for a documentary Heather was doing on Ellie Kedward aka The Blair Witch. They were never heard from again, but the footage they shot was recovered. Around 20 Years after Heather and crew vanished, a mysterious new video is discovered in The Black Hills Forest and uploaded to the internet. It shows a young woman frantically running through a house. James Donahue (Heather's younger brother, played by James Allen McCune)) has been keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of his sister, and when he sees the new footage he becomes convinced that the house is the same house from the end of his sister's footage, and that the girl MUST be his sister. James' girlfriend Lisa (Callie Hernandez) is doing a documentary on him and his search for Heather. Together with their friends Peter (Brandon Scott) and Ashley (Corbin Reid), and with Burkittsville natives Lane (Wes Robinson) and Talia (Valorie Curry) leading the way, they decide to investigate The Black Hills Forest in search of that house and hopefully, Heather. Naturally, things don't go exactly as planned as the group find themselves traveling in Heather and friends' footsteps.
Blair Witch is directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett (The duo behind such hits as You're Next and The Guest). They clearly have a great love for The Blair Witch Project, and are very knowledgable about The Blair Witch's rich backstory and mythology. The set-up is very cool, and when the characters go over the storied history of Ellie Kedward and her victims, the film doesn't get a single thing wrong. Blair Witch doesn't negate anything the original classic did, and actually adds a little bit to the mythology. As for the actors this time around, they all do a fine job (with my favorite character being James). Of course, I have to talk about The Blair Witch herself as well. She's more aggressive here and seems downright pissed.
With the new technology we have today comes new forms of video recording equipment, which Blair Witch isn't afraid to use. We get over-the-ear-cameras (referred to as POV cams), webcams, drones, and hand-held video recorders. There is still a good deal of shaky cam here, but it's nice to get different angles and views instead of just relying on one source of video.
While The Blair Witch Project resembled an actual amateur documentary/student project, Blair Witch resembles more of a theatrical film. We see a bit more here than we did in the original, but a decent amount is still left in the shadows. Most of the film is pretty creepy, tense and weird but I honestly wasn't scared until the last act or so. For myself, I'd say I felt the first and last acts were the strongest parts of this film. While Blair Witch isn't as great as The Blair Witch Project was (and certainly won't have the impact the original did at the time it was released), this is still a faithful, fun, very cool, and worthwhile continuation of The Blair Witch Project. Blair Witch gets a solid recommendation from me, I'm sure fans of the original (like myself) will eat it up.
3.5 STARS
Monday, August 8, 2016
IT'S TIME TO ROOT FOR THE BAD GUYS WITH SUICIDE SQUAD
In Suicide Squad, ruthless special agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) comes up with a novel idea: put together a squad composed entirely of bad guys (all expendable) that will be dispatched to deal with special threats . The members of the squad consist of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernendez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and June Moon/The Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). When one of the squad goes rogue with the intent of causing some serious global chaos, the rest are sent in to rescue Amanda Waller (who is in the city under siege) and contain the situation. Captain Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) is assigned to keep a collar on the squad. Meanwhile, The Joker (Jared Leto) is hot on their trail, dead set on reuniting with his love.
I was genuinely looking forward to Suicide Squad. This was one of the rare films where I knew next to nothing about the plot or characters going in, and this excited me. What kind of ride would this film take me on? Would it be worth the price of admission?
Let's start with the bad: This film is poorly edited, plotted, scripted, and paced. The editing is very choppy at points, at others downright confusing. It's hard to get a sense of when exactly in the timeline this film takes place (Is it before or after Justice League Part One?). The stakes are never properly established, some of the squad have poor characterization, and some of the more brutal moments are blurry or shot in such a way to make them hard to make out. There are also times that characters act in ways that don't make complete sense in order to further the plot or action.
I've got to address the issue of Jared Leto's Joker. He isn't in the film much, and I could never really get a pulse on his character. He doesn't really do a lot in the present day, though I did dig his flashback scenes. We spend so little time with him that he barely gets to make an impression. Apparently most of his scenes were cut, so maybe he'll fare better in the unrated version.
While Suicide Squad is certainly not all that well made of a film, I still found it to be very fun. The film is stylish as hell, and it's soundtrack kicks all kinds of ass. I genuinely liked the squad members and the dynamics amongst them (Though the beef between Deadshot and Rick Flagg started to grate on my nerves after a while). Each member gets their own little backstory and some flashback scenes (which is appreciated, though some characters could have been fleshed out a little more, like Enchantress). I also liked that this is a film where we focus on the bad guys, and are encouraged to root for them.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was fantastic, and is the clear standout in the film. It's clear she's having a ton of fun with her role. The film handles the character of Harley pretty faithfully, and I felt her backstory was well done. Suicide Squad might as well be a Harley Quinn film. She dominates the screen whenever she's on, and is one hell of a memorable character (we even get a brief shot of her in the classic Harley outfit). I'd love to see more of Robbie's Harley in future films (Hell, maybe a stand alone film focusing just on her and Joker).
I saw Suicide Squad in 2D, and as far as I could tell the film would likely be a complete mess in 3D. It's a dark film (as in brightness level), and the action scenes are shot in such a way that I could see 3D only making them that much harder to make out. I'd say just stick with 2D and save some cash.
Admittedly, Suicide Squad isn't a huge success. It definitely has its fair share of faults and shortcomings, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying the chaos and mayhem of the film and walked out pretty happy with what I got (I'd say the first half was stronger than the second half). Suicide Squad is a film that is trying to do something different, and while it's not a complete success I would still say it's definitely worth checking out. I know I would gladly welcome a sequel.
3 STARS
I was genuinely looking forward to Suicide Squad. This was one of the rare films where I knew next to nothing about the plot or characters going in, and this excited me. What kind of ride would this film take me on? Would it be worth the price of admission?
Let's start with the bad: This film is poorly edited, plotted, scripted, and paced. The editing is very choppy at points, at others downright confusing. It's hard to get a sense of when exactly in the timeline this film takes place (Is it before or after Justice League Part One?). The stakes are never properly established, some of the squad have poor characterization, and some of the more brutal moments are blurry or shot in such a way to make them hard to make out. There are also times that characters act in ways that don't make complete sense in order to further the plot or action.
I've got to address the issue of Jared Leto's Joker. He isn't in the film much, and I could never really get a pulse on his character. He doesn't really do a lot in the present day, though I did dig his flashback scenes. We spend so little time with him that he barely gets to make an impression. Apparently most of his scenes were cut, so maybe he'll fare better in the unrated version.
While Suicide Squad is certainly not all that well made of a film, I still found it to be very fun. The film is stylish as hell, and it's soundtrack kicks all kinds of ass. I genuinely liked the squad members and the dynamics amongst them (Though the beef between Deadshot and Rick Flagg started to grate on my nerves after a while). Each member gets their own little backstory and some flashback scenes (which is appreciated, though some characters could have been fleshed out a little more, like Enchantress). I also liked that this is a film where we focus on the bad guys, and are encouraged to root for them.
It was nice to see Jai Courtney not phoning it in for a change. I thought he was actually fun, and I really enjoyed his performance.Will Smith was good as Deadshot, while this isn't one of his best roles I will say he's more enjoyable here than in other recent films. He brings his old charisma and humor back for the character, but they don't completely fit at times. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller was great, she is threatening and morally questionable (A good thing that keeps true to the character we know, though to see my favorite versions of Deadshot and Amanda Waller watch season two of Arrow). I was also pretty impressed by Karen Fukuhara who plays Katana. It's a small role, but Fukuhara manages to make it bad-ass and memorable.
I saw Suicide Squad in 2D, and as far as I could tell the film would likely be a complete mess in 3D. It's a dark film (as in brightness level), and the action scenes are shot in such a way that I could see 3D only making them that much harder to make out. I'd say just stick with 2D and save some cash.
Admittedly, Suicide Squad isn't a huge success. It definitely has its fair share of faults and shortcomings, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying the chaos and mayhem of the film and walked out pretty happy with what I got (I'd say the first half was stronger than the second half). Suicide Squad is a film that is trying to do something different, and while it's not a complete success I would still say it's definitely worth checking out. I know I would gladly welcome a sequel.
3 STARS
Thursday, June 2, 2016
MY INCREDIBLE THOUGHTS ON POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING
In Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, we follow the Bieber-esque Connor Friel (AKA Conner4Real...get it? He's played by Andy Samberg) . In his youth, he was a member of a music group his friends and him created called The Style Boyz. Connor's ego got the best of him and he broke apart from the group to pursue a solo career. The other members went seperate paths with Owen (Jorma Taccone) staying with Connor as his DJ and Lawrence (Akiva Schaffer) moving out to the country to become a farmer. Conner's star seems to be rising until his 2nd album bombs hard, and he scrambles to find a way to stop his sudden fall from grace.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is the first film from musical sensation The Lonely Island, and I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to see the words 'A Lonely Island film' appear on screen in the first few minutes of Popstar. Yes, I've been a fan of the group for quite some time and they bring the same comic sensibilities sampled in their various songs to the big screen. In other words, if you aren't a fan of the group's comedic style, there's a chance you won't like the film. If it wasn't already obvious, I loved the hell out of this film. It's done in mockumentary style (Think This Is Spinal Tap meets Katy Perry: Part of Me meets Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), and so finds a way to spoof the music documentary sub-genre, the entertainment/music industry, popstars, TMZ, big budget concerts, and even Snapchat.
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer are all great on screen. They are long time friends in real life, and bring that same chemistry to the screen. Samberg plays the well-meaning, lovable buffoon perfectly (It's like the role he was born to play). Taccone is perfect as well as Conner's doofy best friend who only wants to reunite the old group. Schaffer is given significantly less screen time than the other members of Lonely Island, but is still great in his role as the angry, jaded Lawrence who was wronged by Conner in the past and has never gotten over it.
Popstar is filled with cameos from both celebrities and music stars, and to the film's credit the cameos never feel forced or shoe-horned in. They all feel very natural and organic, most are handled like talking heads who appear to comment on Conner's career trajectory and current antics and some are handled like supporting characters. The best ones for my money were Tim Meadows as Harry, Conner's manager, Chris Redd as the Kanye/Tyler The Creator-esque Hunter The Hungry, and Justin Timberlake as Conner's chef (who's character's name I could not find online).
Naturally, this being a Lonely Island film, Popstar is filled with numerous songs. Every single one is laugh out loud funny. The constant jokes also hit more often than they miss (THANK GOD!). Popstar is frequently hilarious, using The Lonely Island's brand of dumb, smart humor to comment on the entertainment industry and pop stardom. It's the rare film that uses dumb humor to say something pretty smart. In fact, I'd dare say the film is actually brilliant. Popstar runs at a swift 86 minutes. I left the theater wanting more (Hopefully they release an extended cut on Blu-Ray).
So, what are the negatives? Well, to be honest.....there aren't a lot. The film does slow down a bit at times and not every joke hits as hard as others although each one is funny enough in it's own right. Popstar is not a perfect film, but it is pretty damned great a large percentage of the time. I can't say if I'll remember most of the jokes from the film a few years down the line, but I am positive that I will remember the film as a whole (It's memorable).
Popstar is a film that certainly won't be to everyone's tastes. Either you like the SNL sketches of late and The Lonely Island's unique brand of humor, or you don't. For myself, I found the film to be extremely funny and quite smart. It's a film that is immensely entertaining and fun while you're watching it, and you can bet I'll be buying the album to hear the full version of the songs in the film (and to listen to the numerous other songs that didn't make the cut). Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping marks a promising debut for The Lonely Island, perfectly showcasing both their smarts and their humor. We need people like Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg in the world, people with a unique vision and voice. Let's hope that they decide to continue to make both songs and movies for a long time.
4.5 STARS
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is the first film from musical sensation The Lonely Island, and I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to see the words 'A Lonely Island film' appear on screen in the first few minutes of Popstar. Yes, I've been a fan of the group for quite some time and they bring the same comic sensibilities sampled in their various songs to the big screen. In other words, if you aren't a fan of the group's comedic style, there's a chance you won't like the film. If it wasn't already obvious, I loved the hell out of this film. It's done in mockumentary style (Think This Is Spinal Tap meets Katy Perry: Part of Me meets Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), and so finds a way to spoof the music documentary sub-genre, the entertainment/music industry, popstars, TMZ, big budget concerts, and even Snapchat.
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer are all great on screen. They are long time friends in real life, and bring that same chemistry to the screen. Samberg plays the well-meaning, lovable buffoon perfectly (It's like the role he was born to play). Taccone is perfect as well as Conner's doofy best friend who only wants to reunite the old group. Schaffer is given significantly less screen time than the other members of Lonely Island, but is still great in his role as the angry, jaded Lawrence who was wronged by Conner in the past and has never gotten over it.
Popstar is filled with cameos from both celebrities and music stars, and to the film's credit the cameos never feel forced or shoe-horned in. They all feel very natural and organic, most are handled like talking heads who appear to comment on Conner's career trajectory and current antics and some are handled like supporting characters. The best ones for my money were Tim Meadows as Harry, Conner's manager, Chris Redd as the Kanye/Tyler The Creator-esque Hunter The Hungry, and Justin Timberlake as Conner's chef (who's character's name I could not find online).
Naturally, this being a Lonely Island film, Popstar is filled with numerous songs. Every single one is laugh out loud funny. The constant jokes also hit more often than they miss (THANK GOD!). Popstar is frequently hilarious, using The Lonely Island's brand of dumb, smart humor to comment on the entertainment industry and pop stardom. It's the rare film that uses dumb humor to say something pretty smart. In fact, I'd dare say the film is actually brilliant. Popstar runs at a swift 86 minutes. I left the theater wanting more (Hopefully they release an extended cut on Blu-Ray).
So, what are the negatives? Well, to be honest.....there aren't a lot. The film does slow down a bit at times and not every joke hits as hard as others although each one is funny enough in it's own right. Popstar is not a perfect film, but it is pretty damned great a large percentage of the time. I can't say if I'll remember most of the jokes from the film a few years down the line, but I am positive that I will remember the film as a whole (It's memorable).
Popstar is a film that certainly won't be to everyone's tastes. Either you like the SNL sketches of late and The Lonely Island's unique brand of humor, or you don't. For myself, I found the film to be extremely funny and quite smart. It's a film that is immensely entertaining and fun while you're watching it, and you can bet I'll be buying the album to hear the full version of the songs in the film (and to listen to the numerous other songs that didn't make the cut). Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping marks a promising debut for The Lonely Island, perfectly showcasing both their smarts and their humor. We need people like Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg in the world, people with a unique vision and voice. Let's hope that they decide to continue to make both songs and movies for a long time.
4.5 STARS
Sunday, April 17, 2016
SMALLS ACCEPTS THE INVITATION
Will (Logan Marshall-Green) has suffered a great loss in his past and has never really moved on. He's got a new girlfriend (Kira, played by Emayatzy Corinealdi), but when both are invited to a dinner party by Will's ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband (David, played by Michiel Huisman) , Will's growing paranoia about possible sinister motives for the get-together threaten to ruin the good times....unless he's right.
It's best to go into this film knowing little to nothing about it. That's how I walked into it and it greatly enhanced my viewing experience. So, I'll keep this short. Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard are both fantastic in the film. One of the great things about this flick is that there is a very real possibility the threat of danger could just be in Will's head, as his inability to effectively cope with his loss is tampering with his judgement. We are never really sure if Will is the hero or a possible threat himself until the third act.
What are my complaints? Well, none really. The latter part of the third act can't really keep up with the momentum the film had built before, but there are still enough thrilling and tension/suspense filled moments to keep you thoroughly sucked in.
The Invitation is an intricately crafted puzzle box of sorts that is always twisting and turning. The film is filled with suspense and tension that both slowly build until a boiling point. This flick enjoys playing with viewer's heads, and it's sure to keep you guessing right until the end (and that final shot is downright haunting). I really enjoyed The Invitation and the twisty roller-coaster ride it took me on. I would highly recommend it, just don't walk in expecting a horror film as this is more of a psychological thriller/intense drama/mystery.
4.5 STARS
Karyn Kusama;who directed this film; also directed the terrible Jennifer's Body.
It's best to go into this film knowing little to nothing about it. That's how I walked into it and it greatly enhanced my viewing experience. So, I'll keep this short. Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard are both fantastic in the film. One of the great things about this flick is that there is a very real possibility the threat of danger could just be in Will's head, as his inability to effectively cope with his loss is tampering with his judgement. We are never really sure if Will is the hero or a possible threat himself until the third act.
What are my complaints? Well, none really. The latter part of the third act can't really keep up with the momentum the film had built before, but there are still enough thrilling and tension/suspense filled moments to keep you thoroughly sucked in.
The Invitation is an intricately crafted puzzle box of sorts that is always twisting and turning. The film is filled with suspense and tension that both slowly build until a boiling point. This flick enjoys playing with viewer's heads, and it's sure to keep you guessing right until the end (and that final shot is downright haunting). I really enjoyed The Invitation and the twisty roller-coaster ride it took me on. I would highly recommend it, just don't walk in expecting a horror film as this is more of a psychological thriller/intense drama/mystery.
4.5 STARS
Karyn Kusama;who directed this film; also directed the terrible Jennifer's Body.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
HARDCORE HENRY ADMINISTERS A SHOT OF ADRENALINE STRAIGHT TO THE JUGULAR
In Hardcore Henry, Henry awakens after being brutally murdered. His life jumpstarted by a beautiful woman named Estelle (Haley Bennett), who proceeds to upgrade him with cybernetic parts. She claims to be his wife, but Henry can't recall due to memory loss from his death. It doesn't take long before a wicked looking albino named Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) storms Estelle's lab, kidnapping her and having his goons taser poor Henry right off a bridge. With the help of a mysterious man named Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), Henry is going to go after Akan, rescue his wife, and reclaim his life.
Hardcore Henry lived up to my worst fears and greatest expectations. It is a live-action videogame movie, filled with testosterone and it follows a typical Mario Bros.-esque plot (Save the princess, or in this case, your wife). It's loud, dumb, violent, bloody, brutal, surreal, insane and tons of fun. Danila Kozlovsky makes for a cool villain, and Sharlto Copley nails his many roles perfectly (His Jimmy keeps coming back to life in a different form every time he dies, I won't explain why or how. Jimmy also has a very fun and goofy musical dance number set to I've Got You Under My Skin). Indeed, his budding bro-mance with Henry is one of the stronger aspects of this film. I'd say this is my 2nd favorite role of Copley's.
The first person perspective is an inventive, original way to tell this story while putting us directly in Henry's shoes. The result is thrilling and dizzying (I don't normally get queasy in these types of film, but I did here a few times. Wasn't anything I couldn't shake off though). The action is almost non-stop, with very little breathing room in-between set pieces (very impressive stunt work). The only downside to the first person perspective is that it can feel like you are watching someone else play a video game at times (Please, just give me the damned controller). I was surprised at how well the you-are-Henry effect worked at times.
So, what are this film's issues? As I said before, the plot is fairly threadbare, dumb, and typical territory for a video game (but still cool). The script is bad in an action, B-Movie, 80's-esque, guy flick type of way. The villain lacks motivation (and his nifty telekinetic powers are never explained). The film also ends way too abruptly. In other words, it's bad in exactly the ways you'd expect it to be.
If you are an action movie junkie or a fan of video games, there's a chance you may enjoy Hardcore Henry. However, if you want your action film to have a plot, a decent script, character development, and a satisfying conclusion, maybe you'd do best to look somewhere else. For myself, I had an absolute, surreal blast with Hardcore Henry. It may not be a great film, but it's an awesome, unique experience (Kind of like Project X).
3.5 STARS
EDIT: I can only imagine how much crazier, immersive, and nauseating this film would be if viewed on the Oculus Rift.
Hardcore Henry lived up to my worst fears and greatest expectations. It is a live-action videogame movie, filled with testosterone and it follows a typical Mario Bros.-esque plot (Save the princess, or in this case, your wife). It's loud, dumb, violent, bloody, brutal, surreal, insane and tons of fun. Danila Kozlovsky makes for a cool villain, and Sharlto Copley nails his many roles perfectly (His Jimmy keeps coming back to life in a different form every time he dies, I won't explain why or how. Jimmy also has a very fun and goofy musical dance number set to I've Got You Under My Skin). Indeed, his budding bro-mance with Henry is one of the stronger aspects of this film. I'd say this is my 2nd favorite role of Copley's.
The first person perspective is an inventive, original way to tell this story while putting us directly in Henry's shoes. The result is thrilling and dizzying (I don't normally get queasy in these types of film, but I did here a few times. Wasn't anything I couldn't shake off though). The action is almost non-stop, with very little breathing room in-between set pieces (very impressive stunt work). The only downside to the first person perspective is that it can feel like you are watching someone else play a video game at times (Please, just give me the damned controller). I was surprised at how well the you-are-Henry effect worked at times.
So, what are this film's issues? As I said before, the plot is fairly threadbare, dumb, and typical territory for a video game (but still cool). The script is bad in an action, B-Movie, 80's-esque, guy flick type of way. The villain lacks motivation (and his nifty telekinetic powers are never explained). The film also ends way too abruptly. In other words, it's bad in exactly the ways you'd expect it to be.
If you are an action movie junkie or a fan of video games, there's a chance you may enjoy Hardcore Henry. However, if you want your action film to have a plot, a decent script, character development, and a satisfying conclusion, maybe you'd do best to look somewhere else. For myself, I had an absolute, surreal blast with Hardcore Henry. It may not be a great film, but it's an awesome, unique experience (Kind of like Project X).
3.5 STARS
EDIT: I can only imagine how much crazier, immersive, and nauseating this film would be if viewed on the Oculus Rift.
Friday, March 25, 2016
BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: YAWN OF JUSTICE
I'm going to make this a list of complaints, much like my review of Transformers 2 (So yes, there will be HEAVY spoilers). Before I start complaining, let's quickly talk about what I liked:
THE GOOD:
- I feel really bad for all the actors here. I don't blame them at all. They are stuck in a bad film, and there is nothing they can do to save it.
- Doomsday doesn't look good
- Jimmy Olsen is executed early on in the film.
THE GOOD:
-Zach Snyder is only good at directing action scenes.
- I feel really bad for all the actors here. I don't blame them at all. They are stuck in a bad film, and there is nothing they can do to save it.
- The sequence where we get to re-live the end of Man of Steel, except this time from ground level. I thought this was pretty cool, and it reinforced just how irresponsible Superman is/was.
- Ben Affleck was fine as Batman. I liked getting to watch him get pushed over the edge of sanity by Luthor.
- The last act was the best part of the film. Very entertaining; in a mindless, dumb, blockbuster kind of way. Doomsday battle was great, and Batman's takedown of around a dozen or more baddies in a building was great.
- The action scenes all looked good, though there were moments where what was going on was hard to make out. Lots of good explosions though. .
- The 3D was passable...decent.
- I enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg's performance as Luthor. He plays him like an insane, mildly mentally disabled (think Aspergers) yuppie billionaire. I never thought of him as Luthor, but I'd be lying if I said he didn't have me chuckling a few times.
- I liked the new Batsuit and Batmobile, also liked how they explained how Bruce Wayne disguises his voice as Batman.
- Gal Gadot was good as Wonder Woman (When she was in her costume).
- All the action takes place in mostly unpopulated areas. Near cities, yes....but the film doesn't seem to carry anywhere near the amount of deaths Man of Steel had. Still has A LOT of destruction though.
- I like that most of the film is about the powers that be trying to hold Supes accountable for the destruction he has caused previously.
- Holly Hunter may be the best actor here, though she is given little screen time.
Now, onto THE BAD:
- The film is trying to tell five different stories at the same time (It wants to be a Batman film, it wants to be a Superman film, it wants to be the catalyst for a Justice League Movie, It wants to have the battle from The Dark Knight Returns, and it wants to tell the story of The Death of Superman). By trying to tell all five simultaneously, it in turn fails to tell any single one of these stories properly.
- The film lacks focus. This is both a Superman movie, and a Batman movie. It feels like two seperate movies forced into one single film, and they never coalesce or gel together all that well (It all feels very disjointed). It doesn't help that the film constantly jumps between our three leads (Lex Luthor, Batman, and Superman), never really letting any one character shine (Though I will say it feels like Superman gets the blunt end of the stick here compared to the other two). Between trying to tell 5 different stories in one film, and jumping between characters like it does, the film feels like it forgot to take it's ADHD pills. It all feels like one big mess.
- The film doesn't feel interested in what we came here to see. It's so obsessed with setting up a Justice League film, that the film it advertised itself to be (Bats vs. Supes) takes backstage to setting up a Justice League film.
- The film has zero plot. The first two acts are literally poor build-up (and kind of boring) to the big Bats vs. Supes fight WHICH ONLY LASTS 10 MINUTES TOPS, PROBABLY LESS THAN THAT (and what's worse, the fight really isn't all that great. Some cool parts in it, but it's too short and not as impressive and cool as you would have hoped The Doomsday battle is far, far superior....as is Batman's solo fight against Lex's goons).
- Superman dies at the end. He's only been Superman for a good two years in this movie's universe, that's not long enough for him to earn being killed off. It all feels very cheap and desperate, plus you know that they're just going to bring him back to life in Justice League Part One.
- Luthor loses his hair when it's shaved off in prison at the end of the film....soooooo, why does he decide to keep it shaved? It's just going to grow back in a little while. There is no reason for him to decide to keep it shaved. It makes NO SENSE.
- Henry Cavil lacks the screen prescence or charisma to pull off the role of Superman. 'Nuff said.
- Doomsday doesn't look good
- Jimmy Olsen is executed early on in the film.
- Zack Snyder: GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU TALENTLESS HACK!!!! Whoo, that felt good. This film proves just how useless he is as a director. Batman Vs. Superman lacks direction (as can be evidenced by my many points above). He was unable to say no to the Studio's various demands. He acts here as more of a Yes Man than as an actual director, being nothing more than a lifeless puppet for the studio to do with as they please. He also lacked a vision for the film, it's the equivalent of a boy wanting to smash two toys together again and again and again, but he doesn't know how he wants them to clash and is told he has to create his own story for why they are clashing (his reasoning behind the clash? Batman is afraid of Supes and thinks he has too much power. He thinks Supes poses an immediate threat to planet Earth. Supes thinks Batman is out of control, but is more so interested in defaming him through The Daily Planet than by fighting him).
- The film opens with the death of Bruce Wayne's parents and his falling into a cave filled with bats. We've seen Batman's origins how many times on film now? Did you really think that audiences didn't know his backstory, Snyder? This was just a lack of self-control on Snyder's part in my opinion. He did this because he wanted to (Yet another reason he's a bad director, lack of self control).
- So many nonsensical nightmares from Bruce Wayne. We know how he feels about Supes, we understand his fears. Did you really need to hammer us over the head with what are clearly nightmares from Batman, Snyder? It felt like Sucker Punch all over again, except the nightmares aren't even fun or imaginative (flying winged monster-soldiers? REALLY?!).
- Lois Lane exists as nothing else than to be an object to move the plot along.
- Lois Lane exists as nothing else than to be an object to move the plot along.
- The film is completely nihilistic, cynical and dark. It doesn't seem too fond of our heroes, painting Supes as a man who wants to do good but is deeply irresponsible and ineffective (Why are people worshipping this guy again? He causes so much damage in both Man of Steel and BvS, you'd think most would have denounced him by now) and Batman as a completely deranged madman who is hellbent on destroying Supes, even if it means resorting to murder and burglary in order to do so. Most of the movie is very dark and gloomy, and not much action takes place until the final 40 minutes or so. It's a VERY dark film that deals with adult themes (I would have liked this, if the film had been tighter, more focused, and just overall better). What I'm saying is it's not for kids or teens.
- DC and WB have not earned their own DC Cinematic Universe. They want what Marvel has, but aren't willing to put in the time and effort necessary to create their own cinematic universe. It took Marvel eight years to build their universe, DC and WB try to do all that work in ONE SINGLE FILM. The result is about as good as you'd expect it to be, which is to say it's not....at all. They haven't earned this.
SUMMARY:
I had feared that BvS: DoJ would end up being another Spider-Man 3. A film that tried to do way too much and suffered for it. I was right, except that this film's heart is in completely the wrong place. It exists not to tell a story, but to act only as a stepping stone into a Justice League Movie and the start of the DC Cinematic Universe, which has not been earned at all. BvS:DoJ is a film that wants to have it's cake and eat it too. I say, don't let it. This film is going to make a crap load of money, and it doesn't deserve a single cent of it. Also, Zach Snyder: Stop making movies you worthless hack.
1.5 STARS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)