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.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
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
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