Thursday, September 29, 2016

Morgan

I was somewhat disappointed by the trailer for this one, but thought, hey Ridley Scott's son, Luke directed it, and it is like a studio version of Ex Machina.....well it is a studio version of Ex Machina, "flashier" but not as well made, not as smart, it isn't a bad flick, but it doesn't hold up to that brilliant slice of cinema. I  was holding out hope for it, as Ridley Scott works best in genre films, so I thought perhaps his kid would be the same, but BLade Runner this is not. Now it isn't fair to compare but i am just bringing up aspects of his career, he has talent so the future could be bright. This may not be a raving review, but the film is pretty good, it just felt meh after it was all said & done.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Sully

I knew the story of Sully, most who saw it did, now dramatic biopics are tough, as you can just tell the tale of what we already knew, or you can make a tense, gripping film, Clint Eastwood has done both. American Sniper is amazing, but Sully, eek, i had a tough time with, super boring, it was well shot but it did nothing for me, neither did the Jersey Boys, which sucks cause the past 13 years, has been Eastwood's best films.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Magnificent Seven(spoilers)




I see alot saying why remake the Magnificent Seven, these same people do not realize that the original is Seven Samurai. I also see alot of reviews saying it is too slick, and popcorn. We kind of need that is a western, why get the same aesthetic every time?  Some reviews are saying it is a hollywood western & safe....it is certainly hollywood, and while not edgy, it isn't fully safe. Characters die, i was glad, not because i hated the characters, but because Hollywood liked heroes to live, in real life, they die. To me a safe western, is boring shit like Open Range, this here was fun, a lot of fun, and for a western it was needed. I love most westerns from the past 10 years but this one was lighter. Everyone does a great job, especially Vincent D'Onofrio, he stole the show, he ran with his role! The action is good, it is well shot, and it is a perfect Sunday movie!

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Mr. Fucking Robot Season 2




Holy fucking shit! Not since Breaking Bad has a show been this good, not since Lost(my favorite show of all time) had there been a show this mind fucky. Season 1 was amazing, every episode, and it garnered amazing reviews, fuck, Rami Malek just won best actor in a drama series. The amount of great reviews got me nervous, once shows get good reviews these days, it seems that they pander to critics, American Horror Story had an awesome first season, then the next few(maybe not Coven) seemed pretentious and had some dull episodes tossed in, Game of Thrones, great show, but some episodes(especially the latest season) had episodes that just dragged on & on. Mr. Robot however went all Lost, it got all mindfucky, similar to the Leftovers, they said fuck it and we will keep our audience, we will make it weird, we know out niche and we are fully embracing what they love! Love, i loved this season! Holy fuck, the dynamic between Mr, Robot & Elliot, and later Tyrell was a story of it's own. Christian Slater ran with the role, Martin Wallstrom, while only in a couple episodes was fantastic. The first few episodes were in one's mind, Craig Robinson as Ray was scary, like you felt legit fear for Elliot when he was around. Who is real, what is real? Questions we ask ourselves everyday! Well I do...sometimes. Angela & Elliot, Angela & Darlene, Darlene & Elliot, all three relationships were so different, Angela & Elliot embraced their feelings,Angela & Darlene broke bad, Darlene & Elliot had backstory & you felt their bond! Darlene & the rest of F Society was a brilliant story, and Dom attempting to find them was terrific. Portia Doubleday did her best as Angela this season, adding in new equations to her persona and taking control. Carly Chaikin had so many different traits as Darlene, the sister, the leader, the lover, the killer, she has your back but will murder you, she does what needs to be done. Grace Gummer was introduced as Dom and from the moment we met her, we loved her, she was sympathetic, which was refreshing for an FBI character. The finale left so many questions, is Mr, Robot dead? Is Angela in control of F Society? Did her interaction in the previous episode with the Dark Army make this happen? Is she plotting against Darlene? Is Darlene going to help Dom? Will they try to save Elliot? IS Elliot going to be in a coma? What is real? Is Tyrell real? Is Tyrell's wife, Joanna going to be a key character? Is Leon out of prison? Is Ray locked up? Is Leon seeing F Society just happenstance or is it a part of a mission, or all they all dead? Does Philip Price actually know what is going on? I can't wait til June! THat was how you end a season!

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Vice Principals




I love Danny McBride, I love Jody Hill, i think the Foot Fist Way is underrated as fuck, i LOVE Observe & Report, Eastbound & Down was terrific. Vice Principals i was stoked for, the first few i was meh on, but the rest, have been great. The shroom episode was hilarious, the house fire was brilliant, the first kiss was triumphant, the finale, holy hell....that pushed dark comedy on TV, and i loved it. I am glad it was said to only be 2 seasons, as that is all it needs, next year is goign to be dark, and i can't wait.

Hell or High Water




Almost a year ago I was blown away by Sicario, Taylor Sheridan, the same writer, has now brought us Hell or High Water. While not as intense as Sicario, it is equally as good. Chris Pine delivers his best performance, Ben Foster yet again proves why is is one of the best in the game today(and highly overlooked), Jeff Bridges gives his best in years, Gil Birmingham may be the best part, hell even the minor parts all knock it out of the park. Some of the best shoot outs this year, if not the best. You can take this, Sicario, Prisoners, The Departed, Bone Tomahawk, and be glad that adult cinema is still alive. This is a modern western, and one of the best(Bone Tomahawk is numero uno), and i think will remain one of the best, and I am glad they are making a comeback, they are a great genre.  The film itself is simple, yet highly effective, this is a great film, try to catch it before it leaves the cinema!

Popstar




I am not a big fan of Andy Samberg, like at all, i want to punch him most of the time. I like a few of his SNL Digital Shorts, but i wasn't a fan of most of his other segments on the series. None of his starrign film roles have done anything for me, his series, Brooklyn Nine Nine, I can't get into at all, so I was in no rush to see Popstar. I thought it was pretty damn funny, like it surprised me how funny it was, the cameos all work, the jokes all hit, Justin Timberlake steals the show, go figure, and it felt like a great mocumentary. Is it as good as Spinal Tap? No, is it as good as Walk Hard(another cameo filled comedy)? I would say on par atleast. Am i now a Samberg fan? Not perse, but i respect him enough, this is a fast watch and gives great laughs.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Morris From America




Morris From America is the best coming of age film this year, not that there have been many, but so far, this takes it, and i am sure still will by the end of the year, unless you count Swiss Army Man, but to me that is more spiraling in & out of sanity. This a fish out of water tale, a black kid living in Germany, he gets fucked with there(yet only the US is full of dicks i thought), he doesn't play basketball, he doesn't dance, so the Germans are confused as to his stereotype. His is an aspiring rapper, so was his dad, Craig Robinson, a former soccer player turned coach, delivering his second great performance this year along with Mr, Robot. Morris meets a girl, smokes pot, drinks, takes Ex(well not really), and gets kicked out of his youth group. Curtis(Robinson) is falling apart raising his son after the death of his wife, and you feel for him, cause Morris can be a little shit, but not enough where you don't feel for him, when good shit happens to him, you feel happy. Super cool moments include water fountains in a park shooting off during a moment with his crush, or going to a museum and everyone bobbing their head to his music, including painting and sculptures. The stand out for me was Carla Juri as his German Language tutor, she nails the role as the lady guiding Morris through his experiences, watching his back, and just being adorable. The music is fantastic, every song feels well placed, and it is shot beautifully.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Blair Witch



I was 11 when the first Blair Witch came out, i had seen plenty of horror by that point yet wasn't allowed to see it because it was "snuff". I wound up seeing it once it hit vhs, i had also seen all the fake docs about the "real witch". The film itself scared me at the time, but over the years has lost the luster, mainly because all it is, is walking. THe marketing was the best part, it was brilliant, a head of its time, and changed the landscape. The sequel, is underrated, it is fun, i dig it, nothing special. Now take elements of the sequel, take the plot of the first, combine them, but this time, the characters are searching for the first film's characters, and you have Blair Witch, From Adam Wingard, the genius behind A Horrible Way to Die, You're Next, and the BRILLIANT THe Guest, comes a film that doesn't compare to the rest of his work. It is fun, especially if you are seeing it with friends and can laugh at it, though to be fair, some may be shit scared, i saw it, i laughed, good times. For a BLair Witch film, it is great, formula of the first but with a twist, for a Wingard film, not so much, but i will say that a few times, i thought they were going to go all Evil Dead on us, it was somewhat hinted at a few times, and the homages to it were spot on. It is a basic film, one that an up & comer should have made, Wingard may be an up & comer, but he has his own voice,  but i do think it is cool how the film went about. THe former The Woods, was actually this Blair Witch sequel, so it took  the 10 Cloverfield Lane route, but non intentional i am sure as the Woods was in production before folks new a Cloverfield "sequel" was in the works.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies




What the fuck did i just watch? Said by many after watching John Waters films, but i am a weird mother fucker so if i say what the fuck did i just watch, i mean it.....what in the name of Romero was this steaming pile of shit? Now I am not a Pride & Prejudice fan nor am a i a Pride & Prejudice & Zombies fan(speaking of the books) but holy fuck, when they said this was garbage, they were correct. I thought, this might be fun, it might be misunderstood like Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters, nope, solid piece of shit. Zombies? What zombies? Ugh, garbage!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Match of August

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4o9bzt

Ciampa vs Gargano

Jane Got a Gun




I was hooked by the poster, title, and star of this film, and i thought the trailer was well done, ultimately it is a good film but feels like a mid 90s to mid 00s western, it plays it safe, i wanted spaghetti for dinner damnit. All the acting is good, and the shoot outs are well shot(rim shot) but it feels more of a throwback to westerns of the 40s & 50s, not that i am not a fan, i love the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but i think if this film wanted more critical praise and a wider audience, that it should not have played it as safe as it did. Granted when Jane finally gets her vengeance, it is worth it, but up until that moment, it feels like a John Ford RKO Picture. It went by under the radar, which it doesn't deserve, and it does deserve better reviews than it has received, i just think we were left wanting more.

Big Fucking Giant



Steven Spielberg, what happened to you? As i said last year in my retrospect of your career, i feel you started off in the basic of terms in TV movie film making, but were better, you went on to create classic after classic in the 70s & 80s, but in the 80s you began to attempt oscar bait, and that continued all your career, now these films were good yes but really the only film to capture the wonder of Spielberg since the 90s in Jurassic Park, that isn't to say you haven't made great films, hell i think Saving Private Ryan is one of the best films ever made, but i want that awe that left my jaw on the floor as a kid. In the past 2 decades you gave us AI, Minority Report, Tin Tin, War of the Worlds, but still none have that vibe, if anything they feel like film inspired by your work, only films truly inspired by your work such as Stranger Things and Super 8 are better than those. I was so underwhelmed by Bridge of Spies, perhaps not your fault since i didn't care for the Coen's Hail Caesar either, but i thought cool, he is putting all his talent into the BFG, the same way Wes Craven put all his talent into Scream 4 instead of My Soul To Take,,,,,wait it is just like that because neither of those films did anything for me either, and BFG, I found to be BORING, super boring, sure it had wonderment of youth, but it felt like a crappy 90s movie you would see on ABC Family(yes i know they changed their name since). It looked cool but visual appeal is not enough, and even if it was, their wasn't enough that we haven't seen already.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Dirty Grandpa



I was hoping to dig this flick, i thought it looked funny, but it was not. Robert De Niro does his best with the material, Zac Efron isn't too bad either, it just is an awful script, honestly the only true bright spot was Aubrey Plaza is easily the scene stealer here, her comedic timing is only outshined by her beauty and reason for that, is as said, weak script, super weak script.

Warcraft




I played Warcraft, maybe once, in high school buddies of mine loved it, hell one of my besties was hooked, i never got it but always said it would be a cool movie if done right. We debated for years over how it would be done, i kept guessing a studio hack but wanted a Peter Jackson or a Guillermo Del Toro to direct it, then it was announced that Duncan Jones would be behind the camera....i was stoked. I though Source Code was underrated, but my love, came from Moon, i a film I adore, i love it, it is brilliant, perfect filmmaking in every capacity. I knew Warcraft would not have the same practical effects as Moon but i was okay with it, and i was sure the studio would back his vision with a tentpole project like this....well maybe, and maybe was right, and on that note, I don't know if it being a CGI fest was right either....this film was pretty much a video game, it was watching a friend play a video game, but instead of being drunk or high and cracking jokes, it is just dull, it wants to be Lord of the Rings, but it isn't, now it isn't awful, it just isn't interesting. If you're a fan of the game, i don't know what to say, if you're not...well maybe you will find something to enjoy.

Crystal Lake Memories




I know, i little late to the party, but i finally found the acclaimed Crystal Lake Memories in stores....and it is a great doc, but in all honesty, I prefer His Name Was Jason. This one goes a little more in depth but i feel it could have gone deeper, HNWJ was just fun, and a hell of a lot easier to watch with the shorter run time. I liked that it was a more on the field approach with actors & directors, but HNWJ had much more of a fan vibe to it. Would love to see a doc that finds some full on behind the scenes clips and puts them together. All in all it was a great doc just not one i will watch as much as the first!

Monday, September 5, 2016

High Rise

Ben Wheatley is a odd one for me, i respect the fuck out of him, but his films i am not huge on. Down Terrace is a decent film but it seems ordinary, Kill List is easily his best, Sighseers I wanted to love as the trailers sold me, but ultimately left me unfulfilled. High Rise is his best looking no doubt, but the script was jumbled, and i get that it was supposed to be but the weirdness felt messy. I should love a film like this, it felt like 60s New Wave but just because something is surreal doesn't make it good. In fact this was one of the worse pieces of film watching i have had. I respect the ambition & weirdness but i did not like this flick at all.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Rob Zombie Ranked




Rob Zombie is an odd figure to discuss, he used to be defended by legions for the Devil's Rajects but has since become a target of hate, and i get a lot of it, but i really only hate one of his films, and even then, there is shit to respect.

1. The Devil's Rejects
This film blew me away in 2005, my favorite film that year, they way it was shot, the look of it, the setting, the characters(Rob has since to create such amazing characters), the violence, and a great soundtrack. The beauty of the film was them doing an about face, and for my non wrestling fan readers i will say it is when a good guy(face) and the bad guy(heel) switch spots. You begin to feel for the villains of the first film, and hate the cop, when they are saved it is a heroic moment......only to be followed by one of cinemas greatest scenes, set to Freebird, the blaze of glory death of the Fireflys.

2. House of 1000 Corpses
I hated this when i first saw it, but the trailer for Rejects made me want to revisit it, and i am so glad i did. This is a trip, the color scheme is fantastic, the inner cut scenes of Otis & Baby are brilliant, it combines fun with intensity really well, something else he has not been able to recapture.

3. Lords of Salem
I dug the whole Ken Russell vibe he was going for, it made for non just an interesting flick, but his second best(after Rejects). The music is haunting, the atmosphere has a great aesthetic and the acting is pretty solid(even for Sherry Moon). I think it tries too hard to be artsy but fuck it, was his vision, and he nailed it.

4. 31.
Farmilliar plot, friends go missing, get killed off, you know the drill, but with a twist. It is done as a game and if you survive they let you go....well the final scene shows our main killer going back after his final girl, and yet agian the music tells the story and we are left guessing what happens in a stroke of brilliance.....brilliance in an other wise straight to video feeling flick. Not STV in the way Trick R Treat was, or countless others where the distrubtor just dumped it and it was picked up by a stv only distributor, no this has early 00's Lionsgate on it. Had his name not been on it, folks would not be jizzing over it.

5. Halloween
I should hate this film, but i don't, but each time i have seen it, i find something to like, and two things to hate. I think it was perfectly cast, i really do, i like the adult stuff with Myers killing, but the first part, not a fan of, i don't want to feel for Michael.

6. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
Not much to say about this one, it was fun, but forgettable, the comic is better.

7. Halloween 2
Fuck this movie, fuck the white horse, fuck the crap Rocky Horror non sense, fuck Strode, fuck ghost mom, fuck lil jedi Michael, fuck the Hot Topic girls that for some reason work at a hipster coffee shop. This films sucks....but i respect the weirdness.