Match of November

Possibly match of the year!

Living on a Razor's Edge: The Scott Hall Story

I just finished the Scott Hall documentary, it was pretty good. I am glad it was over an hour, but i still wish they would have gone deeper into the rise in the early 90s aswell as the politics involving the switch to WCW. It was more of a redemption tale and showcased his run ins with the law and his personal demons. It was the opposite of the Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, in it painted him in a better light through recovery, it was touching. I have always been a fan of his, always will be, bad times don't last, but BAD GUYS DO!

Bad Santa 2

Anchorman is brilliant, everyone hated the sequel, I dug it, not on par with the first, but i dug it. Zoolander is brilliant, everyone hated the sequel, i dug it, probably wont watch it again, but dug it. Bad Santa is brilliant, everyone is hating the sequel, i dug it. It is still a dark comedy, but it tries to be a bit more of a broad comedy this time, Billy Bob still runs with the role but he comes across a tad more idiotic and less witty this time around. Not every joke works but it is a fun flick, it will not be considered a classic like the first one, but it still has the charm of the first. I went in with lower expectations due to reviews but glad i did, as it helped, comedy sequels are tough, but go easy on em, have fun and enjoy a movie for what it is, Billy Bob being un pc, drinking, fighting & fucking.

The Handmaiden

I love Park Chan Wook, i adore the Vengeance trilogy, i think Thirst is underrated, i think his other films are solid but was let down by Stoker. THe Handmaiden looked like a return to form, and it is well made, it is a great sexual thriller, but honestly the sex and few moments of violence are the only real memorable pieces. Ultimately i found it rather dull, again well made, but rather dull, sure that might have to do with the fact that it is Thanksgiving, i have been stuffing myself all day and it is too cold out, but excuses for finding it boring aside, it is still a well made film. Just don't go into it expecting Oldboy or anything like that. It seems like a Brian DePalma film at times, and i love DePalma. If someone wants to watch it, i will gladly check it out a second time, perhaps notice things i missed. I suppose if it was maybe 45 minutes shorter i would have enjoyed it more, it is definitely art house, so i should love it, but it got tedious at times.

The Greasy Strangler

Elijah Wood knows how to produce weird shit, the dude has been knocking em out the past few years. The Greasy Strangler isn't great but it is fun, it starts off awesome, almost like a big budget Troma film, but by way of Adult Swim, in fact the film feels like an Adult Swim short. but therein lies the problem, it starts off awesome but the plot runs thing after about 30 minutes. Luckily the last 15 minutes picks back up, the entire film is weird which is good but the first act is bonkers anti humor, the middle act is beating a dead horse, but the final act gets alot more horror invilved and seems like an awesome short from Tromadance.

Officer Downe

The trailer for this film looked like a blast, even if it did have that faux grindhouse vibe ricking in it, something i have grown tired of. Upon watching the film, it is fun, a lot of fun, however it does for sure have that passe exploitation feel. Now i love those kind of films, however now a days it seems if you market a film a certain way or have a over the top gore style, that it is a automatic win. Sadly it is not, while this film is fun it come across as Troma lite, like this is a film people will catch on Netflix but not delve deeper into the films it resembles when it is all said & done. The gore is cool and the colors & characters work, but it doesn't feel authentic, it is definitely better than say the new found self distributed films that scrape by, by pretending to be Troma, it has better production for sure, but still lacks authentication. If i am going to see a film of a cop killing criminals, i will watch Dredd. With that said, check it out, and remember just because you don't love a film, doesn't mean you didn't like the film!!

In a Valley of Violence

We have had a few awesome westerns in the past year, Bone Tomahawk, Hateful Eight, The Revenant, The Magnificent Seven remake, now we have In a Valley of Violence, which easily has the best opening credits and closing credits of the bunch. Ti West recovers from what i felt was a underwhelming film in the Sacrament, that along with some lackluster short subjects in anthologies has made a lot turn on West. I am still a supporter and glad to see him venture out of horror, John Carpenter never got to make his western, which i wish he had, but West can say he has made his, and ignore the haters, this was a good flick. It is not perfect, but it fits, it feels like a film Larry Fessenden would be attached to. Ethan Hawke is pretty good in it, he out shines John Travolta, and Taissa Farmiga & Karen Gillan could have both had more to work with, but this is a man with no name style film, so all eyes on Hawke. Hawke and the violence, cause the shootouts are pretty good in this. It is not West's best film, but far from his worst.

Don't Think Twice

Mike Birbiglia is one of the best stand up comedians out there today. His first feature film, Sleep Walk With Me, was charming with tons of heart, i was hoping he would make a follow up soon. It took four years, but that is okay, i would rather have him take four years as opposed to two as long as the quality is there. Don't Think Twice is a great film about a group of Improv performers  in New York. Birbiglia is the heart, the one that wants to hit the next level, but doesn't want to sell out, Keegan Michael Key is the one that gets the shot on Weekend Live *cough*SNL*cough*, Key's girlfriend is Gillian Jacobs, and she could achieve the Live show aswell, but she too feels her heart is at their small Improv group. Tami Sagher is the trust fund baby that still gets unemployment and still lucks out getting writing gigs, Kate Micucci is the comic book writer and most quit of the bunch, i wish they had shown more of her. A lot of the film's heart comes from Chris Gethard, whose dad is in a bad accident and occasionally brings the team together. The film shows how friends need to let their friends do their own things, whether that be letting them stay in their comfort zone or encouraging them to reach higher. There is backstabbing, stealing & lying, but your friends can be your family so show love. Breaking into comedy is tough, i have tried, so i love shit like this, this is the film that Funny People should have been, and i said the same thing about Sleep Walk With Me., Birbligia has passion and heart and his films show case what he loves.

Blue Jay

I am a fan of the Duplass brothers, i think they get better with each film, i thought Blue Jay was one of thiers but it was written by Mark. From first time director Alexandre Lehmaann,  coming from documentary film making, it works. The film almost feels like a doc, Sarah Paulson returns home, runs into her ex Mark Duplass, and the two hang out for the day. They catch each other up on their lives, visit old hang outs, see old people, rehash stories, listen to old rap tapes they made and you feel the love. Love always rears its ugly head,  as it gets too much and we learn why their relationship became rocky. It is funny, it is sad, it is heart warming, and it is cringe worthy.

Masterminds

First, i am not  a huge Jared Hess fan, i like his stuff but i don't love any of them. Napoleon Dynamite is fun sure, but it falls victim of overhype, it is not the indie comedy to end all indie comedies. Nacho Libre i should have loved dealing with wrestling but it felt too sophomoric, with the fart jokes, i blame Nickelodeon. The Gentleman Broncos is my favorite of his, fun underrated flick, i never Don Verdean, but i decided to watch Masterminds for two reasons. One, i wanted to see why it was shelved for a long time, and i don't know why. Sure it is not a good film, but in a fun Comedy Central afternoon type of flick. The second reason, Jason Sudeikis,  the dude looked like he was going to steal to show in this, and he fucking did. The dude is great in almost everything he does, and is fantastic here! I just wish the rest of the cast was as good as he is, i mean they are their basic talents, but Jason outshines all easily. I wish the script was better, even though his lines are great, mainly due to his deliveries. I wish the film was a little better so more critics would appreciate his greatness. The film is worth a watch for sure, as it is not boring, it is quite entertaining, it just is a basic run of  the mill comedy, no reason to get as much hate as it has, especially with Sudeikis killing it!

Bleed For This

We are starting to get quite a few boxing films these days, Southpaw which was highly underrated, Creed which was great, now we have another that fite the mold with Southpaw, Bleed For This. it is not a perfect film, but hell, most boxing films outside of Raging Bull aren't. Miles Teller yet again plays a cocky prick but one that gains a heart along the way. It is a perfect set up for a boxing film, hot shot boxer is told he can't box again after near death, trains and fights his way to the top. Teller is an underrated actor, sure he got praise for Whiplash, but that is about it. Personally i think the dude is great, with this and War Dogs, another overlooked film, he keeps showing how great he will be!

Minds Eye

A couple years ago Joe Begos brought us a different kind of alien film, now he is bringing us a psychokinetic horror sci fi hybrd that is if not better atleast on par with his first film. Both are amazingly shot and well scored, i think this one is finer tuned with how it looks, plus the score sounds like Carpenter, so i am always eating that shit up! When it started, it flt like a short, but it did not over stay its welcome, it moved into a nice feature film. I am glad it is a feature & not a shirt, as the story unfolds, there is more & more to like. Each frame oozes style, and you can tell this is a passion project. Begos in someone to watch, and it is inspiring that new faces are making an impact these days, even if in a niche field.  The build up to the end shows he is a student of the game, as the climax is worth it, and fits at home in the 80's , but not in a faux way like so many films are these days, it feels pure & genuine.

Southbound

Damn, i was not expecting this flick to be this good. I had read good things and buddies enjoyed it, plus i am a David Bruckner fan, not to mention Larry Fessenden is attached to it and he chooses wisely, so i thought it would be good, just not like this. Anthology horror is tough these days, for every Trick R Treat we get 2 Holidays. This film is about a fucked up town, the first story is a cool segment of guys stuck in a loop with these demons following them. Those demons follow some girls that stayed at the same hotel as the leads in the first. The girls are taken in by a cult, after an escape there is an accident, which leads us to the third segment, in which we see the town be monitored. That bleeds through to the fourth, and we get more hints that time doesn't matter and that this town is not to be found, and that characters actions make them come here, some deserve to be here. The fifth goes back to the hotel, and also shows us that time, is indeed a loop here,  this is hell! It is easily the most unnerving. The first is probably my favorite segment, followed by the second, then the third, fifth & the fourth, none are weak, all are compelling and suspenseful, the narrative flows together nicely and the score is pretty damn cool! This isn't fun horror, it is bleak, but bleakness & mean spirited horror is refreshing from time to time. This year has had a few bleak horror flicks, and this one is one of the better ones, more so than the wider theatrical released films.

Mr. Right

This is a film that had a fun premise, and a trailer that looked okay, add on Max Landis and it is a mixed bag. For those writing it off, don't, watch it, it is a ton of fun. Sam Rockwell oozes charisma in it, even if it is a creepy form of charisma, Anna Kendrick is adorable, and in a cute psychotic sort of way. The film is pretty damn funny too, funnier than i was expecting. The shoot outs are well done, and Paco Cabezas blends the action & humor together well. This is not a perfect film, but it is a fun film. I am sure it will pop up on Netflix soon or even be at Big Lots for $3 in a year, and i would pick it up that way. Super fast pace, violence, humor, Anna Kendrick & Sam Rockwell rocking chemistry, Tim Roth in a cool role, Anna Kendrick being cute, Anna Kendrick, what more could you want? Also the way Sam Rockwell talks to the guys trying to kill him, pure gold!

Imperium

We have now had two great films in 2016 featuring Nazis, Green Room, my favorite film of 2016 and now this. Imperium is yet again another great debut feature, so that alone should inspire us filmmakers. Daniel Radcliffe again shows how great his post Harry Potter career is, Swiss Army Man is one of my favorites of the year, and this here is some of his best acting. I love horror films, but i don't watch horror to feel fear, i watch them, cause i love cinema. I love all forms of cinema, now this here is not a film i will watch over & over again, it is great but it is not fun, but some film you can rewatch with out them being "fun", this here, makes your heart race, why? Because it is scary, this here is scarier than a horror film. This is real life, and this is the now, this film is highly important in our current climate, we are getting Nazi graffiti in schools, KKK & Nazi support for Presidential candidates, race wars, discrimination, the next four years will be terrifying, and this film showcases how hateful the world can be. It might now show full on attacks but the cold, calculating way the characters talk about others, plot against others & look at others is unreal, so unreal it is real, and sadly, it is real. When Radcliffe enters these facilities you fear for him, the paranoia is there, you feel as if you were in his shoes that you would be jumped or killed right away. These things happen, in our own "safe" cities, in our own "safe" neighborhoods. They will act charming, they can be intelligent, and be cultured, but their views are so skewed that if you were to have a conversation, your heart would race, and mine did the entire film. Great acting, great storytelling, a great film, a scary film, an important film, a film that many should see, i hope it finds an audience on netflix!

The Edge of Seventeen

The past few years has given us some great teen films, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Dope, Me, Earl & the Dying Girl, and you can add another one the list, The Edge of Seventeen! The directorial debut of Kelly Fremon Craig, is a great one indeed! Hailee Steinfeld is perfect in the role of a cynical, introverted girl that has been having a shitty few years, her dad died, her crush doesn't want her, and her best friend is dating her brother. It deals with relationships with parents, accepting each other and fitting each other in to today's world. It deals with friendships, decade old ones that get rocky once relations happen. It shows how siblings deal with each other, even if they have nothing in common. Her friendship with her teacher, the fantastic Woody Harrelson is perfect, they bicker at each other, are honest with each other but understand each other. Her crush just wants to fuck her, her new friend loves her, and she comes of age. It is a great script, hella better than Juno, it has great acting, hella better than Juno, it looks great, hella better than Juno....and I like Juno. This is one of the best of the year, and for sure one of my favorites. Life isn't fair, people die, people hurt you, people forgive you, fuck those shitty high school years, find your place, and by the end of the film, you will find it, well atleast our main character will!

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them

I hated the first two Harry Potter flicks, but saw the third because i loved Alfonzo Cuaron's Children of Men, and i wound up thinking it was awesome. I no longer hate the first two, but they lack compared to the others for sure, not as dark, but still fun. Now I was going in to the prequel  with open expectations, I wasn't stoked, but i thought it looked good. Eddie Redmayne played the perfect outcast, even in the wizarding world, Katherine Waterson was great as the straight laced Wizard Cop, Dan Foggler was perfect in his role, stealing his scenes, especially the scenes with Alison Sudol Ezra Miller was going all We Need to Talk About Kevin but in a Wallflower sort of way, Colin Farrell showed again why he is underrated as fuck The flick is fun, it is an adventure, and is a great blockbuster, and perfect for this time of year. There weren't any slow parts either, which is a problem the originals had, pacing, this one is fast paced and balanced humor & darkness well. I wish it had shown a bit more of the beasts and the suitcase, but we are getting sequels, so i will gladly wait. I liked how the film had shades of grey, both in the wizarding world politics of how they treat our leads, but also in terms of who is the main villain, because honestly there can be more than one viewpoint. It shows Farrell as the antagonist, then in a better light, then as the antagonist, then once more in a better light making a truce. The end sets up the future of the series in a good way, plus it tied up lose ends that needed to happen.

AHS Roanoke

The first season of this series was great, the second tried too hard to both please critics & geeks, the third, seemed to find its stride, the fourth became post modern, the fifth was lazy, the sixth....is awful. Sure there were some cool moments in  the gore department, and the concept was kinda cool, at first, but got dull quick, then they do a twist midway through, and i thought, here we go, this is going to rock, nope, more dullness. The show needs to embrace the sex & violence more, keep it in the 10 episode limit that it is at, but quit trying to be more artsy than you are. Your characters are flawed, fuck ups, embrace that, don't be afraid to be trash, embrace it, run with it, i want to love this show, but hate this season. Also with all the hype and fake videos throwing people off as to the plot, that was stupid, i get it if this was the final season, which it was supposed to be, but it is coming back, luckily fusing the only 2 good seasons. The finale atleast embraced a bit of camp and fun, something the show lacks, which is fine if that is what you are going for, but the show aims for camp but never delivers. I would say the finale was the best episode since the premier of Hotel. I loved how it was left open ended.

Luke Cage

The MCU is great, it is, i mean, from Iron Man to Doctor Strange, we have had great films, sure the past couple of years have been rough post Guardians, but Strange fixed all that. Now DC, i love their shit too, but they were stupid not to connect their series, something Marvel did do. Look how awesome Daredevil was, especially the second season. Look at Jessica Jones, i mean Killgrave was awesome. Those shows had interesting leads, and even more interesting & charismatic antagonist....Luke Cage, didn't. Now Marvel has had dull villains before, but this one takes the cake, as a matter of fact, the whole show was dull, it was boring, it was AWFUL, i down right fucking hated this series. Folks say DC is boring, fuck that, they are interesting, they just need better scripts. Folks love the fun factor of Marvel, the shows aren't that fun, they are good but not "fun" in a light way. You look at Luke Cage next to Doctor Strange and would not guess they were in the same universe, i like that, i get it, but it makes folks that say DC is lacking of fun to be hypocrites. This was a struggle to get through, i love the comic, hell i have a Luke Cage figure in my room, but the show didn't resemble it, it felt like a crappy flick netflix saw at a festival & decided to release. It felt like a shitty screener with a budget. Most Netflix series i finish with in a week or so, maybe 2 tops, this took me almost 2 months. I wanted more of a 70s vibe, and i decided to not watch a second season, if i am lost in an Infinity War joke, so be it, at least i didn't waste my time watching a show that felt like a 00's single shot series. I am still stoked for the Defenders, i just hope Luke Cage get more to do. His fight scenes were cool, but holy hell, did i not care about anyone other than him & Claire, and she was just there, not as good as her Daredevil run,. Mike Colter is good, but give him more to work with, and embrace the comic!

Tarzan & Ben Hur

We have had Hercules, well two of them, we have had Pompeii, hell we even had Centurion, all of these flicks are supposed to be epic of sorts, whether they be fictional or historic, larger than life, however, none have worked, and neither did Tarzan or Ben Hur. For Ben Hur you have the historic epic original, and this new one did nothing, it was mainly a overbloated bland blockbuster that cost too much, didn't have heart and didn't have support of the studio or fan fare, and it shows. No one wanted this flick, it was unneeded and felt rushed, watching it is a task. Same goes for Tarzan, the classic character of a simpler time, had a great cast, decent promise but felt just like another studio rush job to get a tentpole project off the ground. The thing is, unlike the 90s when we got flicks like these, they were done with out auteurs, but now we have plenty, and we are still churning them out to make a quick buck.

Pete's Dragon

Disney is really hit & miss, more miss, in my opinion with these flicks. The remakes of classic animation, i wasn't big on Maleficent, Cinderella, or Huntsman(never saw the sequel), I loathe the Alice movies(well only saw the first, and yes, i know it isn't  remake, a live action sequel, but whatevs). I thought the Jungle Book was a lot of fun, but Pete's Dragon, ugh, why? I mean it isn't awful, but it was just mediocre, very mediocre. Now the original isn't untouchable, and i am all for remakes of animation to live action, but this one didn't feel gran enough, as if Disney wasn't fully behind it.

Match of October

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t34NTPHCYSY

Ziggler vs the Miz!

Kevin Smith Ranked

When i was like 11 i kept seeing these figures, Jay & Silent Bob, pop up in Toy Fair Magazine, I was intrigued, my uncle had figured out that he had a VHS that contained these characters. Clerks was the film, and it was lost on me. Then around the time of Dogma's release, some stations played Mallrats & Chasing Amy, I liked them but didn't love them. Then for some reason i rewatched them prior to Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and i got them all, i was 13, and i loved them, and i never looked back. For the next 5 years, leading up to Clerks 2,  i watched them every time they would be on Comedy Central or USA, i had them all on VHS(still have Clerks) and bought the dvds, and they took regular spins in my player, and did they recently when i rewatched them for this post. Here is my ranking of every Kevin Smith film, with the exception of shorts, such as his segment in Holidays, utter trash.


1. Clerks
My all time favorite film. For me it showed me on the screen, I related to them, they were guys stuck in a rut, all his Askewniverse films have been that way. I related to it at 13, and especially do these days. It inspired me to be a filmmaker, it was cheap, it was easily shot but it had amazing dialogue. I have seen it well over 37 times, and that is an understatement. The amount of love i have for this film is insane.

2. Clerks 2
I dressed up as Jay(which was pretty much how i looked back in 2006 regardless, for the premier. The audience was amazing, it was a celebration of the film by hardcore fans, and i legit cried during the opening credits.

3. Chasing Amy
Easily his best film, it has 90s raw indie grittiness to the look, plus it couldn't be made right now, and if it did it would be sparked with controversy.

4. Mallrats
Possibly the lightest of the Askewniverse but still amazing. Sure it has flaws, but Smith clashed with Universal while making it. The upcoming sequel series i am skeptical of, as i watch  these films(the Askewniverse) once a year, and it is a hell of a lot easiler to binge a 2 hour movie as opposed to a tv season.

5. Dogma
This showed Smith can do genre film, and he did it well. , it is a film that had protest back i nthe day, and i can only imagine what it would be like these days.

6. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
This is a film that switches with Dogma in spots, but i still love it. It is a celebration of  the series, and is just a silly flick, a little too over the top at times, but fuck it, you can still have a good time.

7. Yoga Hosers
I don't get the hate for this film, it is stupid & cheesy but that is why i dug it. It starts off kinda lame but it gets so much better. Folks hating on it, must not be trash cinema fans, or shit like Critters. Sure it is dumber than those but it is a lot of fun. Johnny Depp is awesome in it, his daughter outshines Smith's daughter for sure, Justin Long is great aswell. Hell all the bit parts are good, the effects suck, but fuck it, it kind of works in the cheapness, smoke a bowl & enjoy it.

8. Tusk
The comedic version of the Human Centipede, and a hell of a lot better than those films.

9. Zack & Miri Make a Porno
SMith said he wanted to make a Judd Apatow film.....Apatow had been making Smith films, overly long Smith Films, Smith>Apatow anyday!

10. Jersey Girl
Another film that gets a lot of hate, i may not watch it often, but it is not a bad flick by any means.

11. Red State
A highly divisive film of his, and i am still split. I liked it when i first saw it,  but found it flawed. Then upon repeat viewing certain aspects get better, certain ones don't.

12.Cop Out
Nope.....awful.


Now some directors have an evolution, but Smith's is an odd one. Clerks is a solid debut, Mallrats is a solid studio debut. one got loved, the other got hate, his third, got more love. Chasing Amy feels like the film that had fans thinking, holy shit, here it is, the next Smith movie. By time Dogma rolled around he had his cult. Jay & Silent Bob was a great swan song for the universe. Jersey Girl, with its flaws, still feels like a next step, he was trying something new. The backlash was there, he went back to the Askewniverse, and this time, it was a sequel, Clerks 2 was amazing, but that is where Kevin Smith died. Instead of trying to out Smith/Apatow Apatow, he should have just done something organic, hell porn still could have been involved, he just went about it the wrong way. Cop Out? Well we all knew he would do a directors for hire film, but atleast choose a better project. He then went back to "square one"  distributing his own films, his horror films. Red State could have felt like Smith, but instead, feels like a film a Smith fanboy like myself would have made. Tusk feels like Kevin Smith yet, in a self masturbatory sort of way. Yoga Hosers doesn't feel like Smith at all, but i still thought it was awesome. Bring on Hit Somebody, bring on Clerks 3, do Mallrats 2, and close with Ranger Danger & the Danger Rangers.

Arrival

It has taken me a couple of days to write this up, mainly because I do not know what to think of it. The first scene is scene seems like Terrence Malick, which for some could be a good thing, for others a bad thing, next we see the Arrival of the aliens, it plays out perfectly, then Forest Whitaker shows up and the next 10 minutes or so, become rather dull, that all changes when we first see the UFO, the score sets the tone, and once inside, it is a tense, slowburn of a build, walking up the UFO in their gravity up to the window where the aliens are, the score is amazing and just fits in so damn well. It then slows down a bit again, becoming mainly a film about people writing, studying, and not a lot else happening. That changes again however, once Amy Adams boards the ship by her self, it becomes all mind fucky, and that is the films strength, non linear time, a possible multiverse theory because of it, flashbacks & flash forwards intertwining that it would make Lost proud. The end, was satisfying. Overall it was good, but it isn't as good as everybody says. It might be the best of the new trend of releasing a critical sci fi film every fall(Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian) but it is not Denis Villeneuve's best, that still goes to Sicario, I love Sicario.

Eric Bischoff: Sports Entertainment's most Controversial Figure

Easy E is a polarizing individual, i for one, love him. His rise to power is interesting, starting off just running commercials through the AWA, getting a interviewer gig with AWA, then WCW, then gaining control. Ted Turner gives him blank checks, Eric uses is to raid WWF, creates Nitro, Thunder, then it crumbles. I wish it would have been more in depth, I wish we could have heard more from talents involved, and heard more backstage stories, but it was still a decent doc,just needed to be an hour longer.

Hacksaw Ridge

I thought the trailer for this film looked good, but it looked sappy. I think Mel Gibson is a fine director, but I don't love any of his films, The first part of Hacksaw Ridge is indeed somewhat sappy, Andrew Garfield is rather creepy, almost to a point where i was turned off by the film, the religious subtext was a little on the nose. Hugo Weaving being the veteran that opposed his kids joining the army yet as a drunken abusive ass, came across a little conflicted at first, but it worked out in the end, well midway through. As far as the end goes, or more or less the second half, holy shit! I wasn't expecting the film to be that gory. It was intense, it was bloody, the effects were fantastic, it makes you feel for the characters more than i figured i would have at the start of the film. In fact the film was better than i thought it would be, the first hour is still spotty but that last half is great!

Doctor Strange

Thank fuck! Thank fucking fuck! Thank fucking fuckity fuck! 2015 had a so so Age of Ultron, a better than expected yet still forgettable Ant Man, 2016 has had a so so Civil War, in these years we have gotten a so so Ghost Rider, a great villain on Jessica Jones, a boring Luke Cage...with the only bright spot really being Daredevil. Now the films can rejoice, now I don't know where i would place this film, yet...however, it was a fucking blast. Benedict Cumberbatch  is great as Stephen Strange, the visuals are great, and it had underlining messages of the human mind, and some that hit close to home about arrogance & success. The villain was your typical Marvel villain, not much to write home about, but gets the job done. It sets up 3 films perfectly, Doctor Strange 2 is set up with the new villain in the post credit stinger, Thor 3 is set up at one point, and Avengers 3 is also set up. This was a damn near perfect blockbuster!This is one of Marvels most visual films, if not their most visual, and the ideas spoke in the flick are perfect for a psychobable peep like myself! Easily the most enjoyable comic film of the year, and yeah, the most enjoyable blockbuster of the year too.

Atlanta

When Donald Glover left Community i was heart broken, then he starts his own show a couple years later, and what the fuck, why, how could you? This better be brilliant! What the fuck, why is this so good? How can this be so good! This show is damn good, it is a slice of life one week, dark sometimes, funny here & there, surreal the next week, a sketch comedy show the following. Glover, stars, writes, produces, directs, performs music, he does it all here, and well!

Phantasm Ravager

So i love the Phantasm series, LOVE it, i had this as my most anticipated of the year....then the theatrical screenings in my area got canceled, then again, then again, so i watched it on Youtube, and it is a cluster fuck. It first feels like a fan film, well the first timeline does, the one with the character of Dawn, Reggie on the run. The second, the hospital time line feels like Don Coscarelli, it feels a bit like Bubba HoTep. The third, feels like a 90s flick that got its budget cut and then went straight to video. Now, why are there three? Are they pulling a LOST? Is his mind split? Did one of these happen, and one is going to happen? I would love for Don to host a tell all, and explain the series film by film. With all that said, i had a fun time with this!

THe Darkness

I love horror, i love Kevin Bacon, i sometimes love films that are cash grabs, this here feels like it wanted to be Insidious....i hated it....end of review!