Friday, April 28, 2017

Free Fire






I like Ben Wheatley, but i don't love any of his films....until now. Free Fire is a perfect film, the acting is great, the score is great, the set design, costuming, lighting, writing, directing, every single aspect. The first 10 minutes is early 90s Quentin Tarantino, the rest of the film feels like a Martin McDonagh film. Brie Larson, a total babe, is spunky in this, Cillian Murphy is fucking great, as is Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Jack Reynor & Babou Ceesay. Sharlito Copley gives his best performance yet but the actor that steals the show, is Armie Hammer, Armie Fucking Hammer, of all people, amazing. The dialogue is witty, the violence is Sam Peckinpah esque, and it is pretty much non stop. This was the most fun I have had watching a film in a long time, it is perfect! It makes me want to go back and revisit all of his other films, it inspired me for my own films, hell this story is pretty close to a treatment i wrote in high school, and watching this film, reignites that fire to make fun as fun, kick ass cinema, and that is exactly what this film is!

Thursday, April 27, 2017

THe Circle






Okay, the trailer for this was cool, but i didn't expect much....i liked it better than i thought i would....but i still expected more......does that make sense? No? Well, that is okay, cause the plot doesn't make much sense here either. There are great ideas in this film, really great ideas, however none are realized. The idea of big brother is nothing new, but adding it in with modern societies obsession with social media, and everything being connected makes this barely science fiction, but a drama set in modern times. Everyone's accounts connected, with their phones/tablets with them at all times, recording everything. That is basically it....which leads to the anti climatic finale, why, is it anti climatic? Well Emma Watson(who does good acting in this) is trying to out Patton Oswalt & Tom Hanks(Hanks is really good) for their emails.....however, besides their company being creepy, they never really do anything that makes them the antagonists. I was hoping they were behind something, but nope, they just run a company. John Boyega is misused, and his character is trying to convince Watson that there is something fishy going on....okay, please show us what is going on! Watson's best friend, the BEAUTIFUL Karen Gillan, got super stressed out and had to leave the company....why? Please show us, also, pills? When did this happen? The film is full of plot holes, but atleast explain why we need to care about what happens to these characters? Maybe it needed to be longer? Maybe it needed trimming and then adding in the plot details to fill those minutes. The acting is good but ugh, why was it so important to leak emails? This plot gives me a headache. I can see why the critics are hating it. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't good...it wasn't bad, it just had potential to be really good!

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Letterkenny






Holy fuck this show is brilliant! The comedic timing from all the actors(ALL the actors) is on point, the dialogue is witty as fuck, super snappy & intelligent! The characters are all well developed, the episodes have call backs to previous ones, yet most are still stand alone, but why would you just watch one? Watch them all, watch all 13 episodes, they are perfect, they are quotable, so fucking  quotable. It is like Trailer Park Boys meets Workaholics meets Goon, but in my opinion better than them(save Good, which i fucking love). How this show slipped under my radar until recently is beyond me, Canada has produced a masterpiece in not just sitcoms but in all forms of film! It combines realism & absurdity so god damned well, that it almost doesn't seem like it could be made anywhere else other than Canada! So many sex jokes, so many drug & booze jokes, so many ass kickings, plus Katy & Bonnie are total babes! I know Crave has the show, but damn, this would be perfect to reair on Comedy Central's secret stash, or IFC. I can not wait for season 3!

Friday, April 21, 2017

Colossal







The past few years we have had a few Kaiju flicks in theatres, we had the the amazing Korean film the Host, the film that it inspired, Cloverfield, a full on tribute in Pacific Rim, modern Godzilla & King Kong flicks, Toho Godzilla, and Jurassic World. Colossal i would rank above Toho & WB's Zilla(and Kong). It is your basic Indie Rom Com, but you take away the rom com, because one of the leads is a psycho, then you place it in a kaiju film. It has tons of imagination, it balances humor & fear well, not fear in terms of horror film fear, but fear as in the human psyche, Jason Sudeikis is great in this, he shows a side of him we have not seen, hell you could take away the monsters & robots and his performance could have carried a dark indie drama, luckily the monsters help make this a slight satire, The monster stuff is cool, it gives some laughs, and also shows how power can consume. The monster being alcoholism is a pretty brilliant way to tackle the issue, for those reading this, the monsters are legit but the film has some very deep thoughts and ideas, you can tell  this is a personal film, and in my opinion it is Nacho Vigalondo's best film!

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Gifted





Marc Webb directed an amazing film in 500 Days of Summer, then he directed the best Spider Man(thus far) and the worse one(thus far). Going back to his indie roots seemed natural, however, this film did not seem like a step up. It is a solid film, but one that anyone could have directed, didn't have the style of 500 Days. While that film mixed happiness & sadness perfectly, this film does the same. It is depressing as fuck at times, but it is ultimately uplifting. Chris Evans gives a great performance, as does Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, as does Lindsay Duncan. However the film's best aspect is Mckenna Grace, i usually find little kids annoying in films but she is fantastic! Spunky, smart, she plays the role perfectly! The issues are great, and the story unfolds in a damn good way exploring different sides, and finding counter balances. It is not 500 Days of Summer but it is a film that i think would be regarded higher had Webb not directed it with 500 Days on his resume.

The Void






A lot of times when the internet is jacking off to a horror film, they don't measure up. This one here totally does. It is pretty much if John Carpenter directed Hellraiser, It has slasher moments like Halloween, an invading force of the unknown like the Fog, questionable team ups like Assault of Precinct 13, and great monster f/x like the Thing. The final act goes pure Hellraiser, hell this easily could have been a Hellraiser flick, the creatures at the end are pretty much cenobites, except their gateway to hell seems like something out of Phantasm. If it is playing near you, check it out, if not, it is on VOD, check it out no matter what.

Fate of the Furious





Ah yes, the Fateful Eight......wait, that is not the name? Oh yes the Fast & the Furious 8, the best & most fun in the series since the original. The first i think is awesome, the second one is not as good but goes for more style, the third one is nothing but style over substance. The fourth one tried too hard to be the legit sequel to the first but was not that good, enter the fifth, where we become over the top as fuck. I still was not sold on it, but the sixth one finally got it right, but was still nothing more than dumb fun. The Fast & the Furious 7, or Furious 7, whatever you want to call it, finally got the heart, not saying the others did not have heart, but the heart of the final scene can make you tear up. I love James Wan but he did not do the best sequel with part 7, nope, this here, the Eighth in the series, sure it is still contrived, sure it is still unbelievable, but it has in my mind, the best story of the sequels and it embraces the B Movie theatrics all the way. Right before the 7th one, John Wick & Kingsmen got over the top action right(well to be fair Shoot Em Up and The Raid films did it first) so this one thinks like them. Jason Staham doing parkour everywhere in a prison, the Rock throwing people around and destroying things with his fists. Hell the humor works the best in this one, the chemistry with Tyreese & Ludacris has always been there, but adding in Nathalie Emmanuel(one of my favs from GoT) brings in a new flavor. Kurt Russell chews the scenery, Helen fucking Mirren does another action flick. Oh and speaking of action babes, holy fuck is Charlize Theron awesome in this, she does the cold & calculating character well here, she has become a genre favorite in recent years, and she happens to be a total knockout in this, smoking hot! I never thought i would like a Fast & the Furious sequel this much, but this was an awesome flick!

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Going In Style





I had seen the original Going in Style once, i barely remember it, there for, it is a perfect film to remake, and it makes sense in today's climate with folks being fucked over by banks. Zach Braff i love, well i loved Scrubs and i LOVE Garden State, like i fucking adore it, it makes me cry, it is not sad, but it makes me cry. His follow ups to Garden State....have been bland, tv movies, Wish I was Here(that had a Garden State vibe, but felt empty) and now this. His career did not have progression, it's almost as if he made one great film, and nothing else. Now that is not a knock on this film, no not at all, just anyone could have made this, it was a director for hire project. Now the film itself, is funny at times, alot of the times the jokes fall flat or make you roll your eyes, but the film has charm, tons of charm. You feel bad for our leads, and they have great chemistry, so their emotions for each other seem legit. Alan Arkin steals the show, he is easily the best part, everyone does good but he stood out. It is not a perfect film, but it is an enjoyable film, it seems like a sunday afternoon movie. It is definitely an old persons film, the theatre was packed with seniors. Don't go in expecting a film that will change your life i swear, but go in just for a decent flick!

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Ghost in the Shell






I am not the biggest anime fan, but i was told that Ghost in the Shell is anime for non anime fans, i could not get into it. Akira, Midgame, The Animatrix, Pokemon, DBZ, that i can get into. So i figured, hey, tons of non Marvel fans flock to go and see those, and love em, maybe this will be the case for me! The first trailer was AMAZING, the second one did nothing, the reviews were harsh, i figured, fuck it, i bet it is misunderstood. I really hate writing negative reviews, i really do, but ugh, this was one of the worst films i have ever seen. It is rare for me to say that, i generally find something to like....fine, okay, it looks cool, it is a visually stunning film....but holy fuck, the plot is terrible, the acting is awful, it is a piece of shit. FUck, i almost fell asleep during it. THat is all, i don't even want to write about this film anymore.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Trainspotting 2








Whoa, a two decades(21 years in fact) later sequel that actually is a worthy follow up? Fuck yes, take that Independence Day. This is like getting together with your old friends, you laugh, you talk about  the old times, the old times might include when you took money, and now shit might get violent, but fuck it, you are with your old mates! Mark has been clean but his life brought him back home, Spud is a mess, he finds love but finds drugs, Sick Boy has become a con artist and it about to open a brothel, Begbie is back to his criminal ways. Friendships are mended, broken, mended, broken, etc through the entire film, regression happens, steps forward are taken and i loved every second of it. This film looks beautiful, it has a great score, it basically is a perfect sequel to 90s cinema, no joke this is how waiting 20 years to do a sequel should be done. It reminded me of Clerks 2, we loved the first film, we knew the characters but what happened to them? This film answers it, and while there is conflict, the film is ultimately uplifting!

Friday, April 7, 2017

Big Little Lies





Well this was a great series. Five women, two are friends, one meets another women. Another accused the new girl's son of bullying her daughter. The fifth girl is married to another ones ex husband. Is it a soap opera? Well kind of but it is directed to perfect, written so intensely, editing so gloriously and acted in a triumphant way.  You can not discuss this show with out spoilers, and if i mention one, i will mention them all, it is best o let this show unravel in front of you and ambrace its greatness. This is a damn near perfect series!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Best Undertaker Mania Matches







This past Sunday, i cried, i witnessed possibly the final match of the Undertaker. a man I have watched, my entire life. I watched wrestling off & on in my early years. It was always on before my uncle would watch football. The Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, those were my guys. Then come January of 1993, this 5 year old asked to watch a new show, Raw, and i was hooked. On Raw and on Superstars they would always build Wrestlemania as the biggest event, and growing up, and still to this day, it is the biggest event of the year, not just for wrestling, but for everything. One of the main components was the Undertaker, I remember renting Mania tapes and watching him run through opponents, then I rented my first live PPV in 1998, Wrestlemania 14, and i have seen them all live ever since. As a 10 year old, I wanted to see him destroy his evil brother, it wasn't until Mania 18 where he raised up Ten Fingers and celebrated his victory over Ric Flair, in what was possibly the match of the night. Beating the streak first was mentioned in a big deal form when everyone online assumed Randy Orton would kill the legend of the streak, well before it became a legend. I thought he was going to, and i still think it makes sense, however, had Orton won that match, then the rest of Takers Mania's would not have felt as important, his Mania 25 epic with Michaels would still have been great, but the build up would have been different. 29 with Punk, would have been the same, and then the sadness of 30 would have never happened, the emotional punch against Orton, 9 years before Brock Lesnar would not have been as impactfull. Who is to say if he would have continued wrestling after say 28 or so, if even that long. Taker helped define Mania, and Mania helped define Taker. Here is the ranking of all of his matches from all of his 25 matches, i have watched them all in the past 2 months, from his first, a glorified squash against Jimmy Snuka to this past Sunday, his damn fine match with Roman Reigns, and his emotional goodbye.

1. Shawn Michaels at 25
The build up to this had Shawn wanting to regain himself, he lost a bit of himself after defeating Flair, then was emotionally destroyed by Chris Jericho, forced to be JBL's servant, to him, he needed to beat the Dead Man. The match was foreshadowed two years prior at the Royal Rumble, in a mini match as the final two, and it set up a fantastic remake a year later. The match told a story,  and is easily one of  the best one on one matches in Mania history, These two men not only define Mania, but the WWE in general, both combatants started in the later portion of the Golden Era, were top stars in the New Generation, kickstarted the Attitude Era, were legends during the Ruthless Aggression era and by time this match happened, the PG era was in full swing. The was a hard hitting match with two larger than life stars, the type we do not see anymore. Could the streak have ended here? No, it wouldn't have done anything for Michaels career.

2. HHH at 17
17 is my all time favorite PPV, the build up for the entire card was great, each match was solid, yes even the battle royal(it served its purpose). this match what physical,a spectacle at a spectacle. Both men had come into there own with edgier characters in 99 & 00, and this match was badass vs badass, both with metal theme songs. Could  the streak have ended here? Yes, sure there was a streak, but it was not THE STREAK. But this was a time when Faces won, so Taker winning did more.

3. Shawn Michaels at 26
This is the rematch of rematches, there is no way to top their previous match, A lot hate the match because of that, but it is unfair to judge a match based on one from a year earlier, some prefer this one, most don't, but atleast do not hate it for it not being 25. The match still hit all the emotional notes, it may not be as emotional as Michaels saying I Love You to Flair, or Takers send off, but it is still a sad moment for an HBK mark. Could the streak have ended here? No, same as the last Michael's entree, it would not have done anything for his future career, however, there was the lingering thought of, maybe this wont be Michaels' last match.Oh yeah, their entrances were glorious!

4. HHH at 28
The end of an era match, this should have been Taker's last match, HHH's last match, the end of the Attitude era. I am glad it wasn't as it lead to HHH having great matches after this, and Taker having great matches aswell. I hear a lot of blood thirsty fans bitching that the match was a watered down Hell in a Cell, maybe there was no blood but the match was hard hitting as fuck, and it told a glorious story, i cried after the match, seeing 3 of my all time favorites holding each other up, it was a poetic moment! Could the streak have ended here? Well HHH was in charge so anything is possible but no, no it could not. HHH knew Taker needed the win!

5. HHH at 27
Taker is great in Face vs Face matches, his two HBK bouts, two of his HHH's matches, Batista, Roman, even non Mania matches, he knows how to do it. Usually both men play it dirty a  bit, but with respect always shown. This is one of them, HHH wanted revenge for HBK, Taker wanted to face Wade Barrett(well in real life). Once the match happened, it did not let down, it was pretty much their first Mania match but not as hardcore, and their third match minus Michaels and the Cell. Could the streak have ended here? No

6. Kane at 14
This is a nostalgia ride for me. Kane cost Taker his match with Michaels at Bad Blood in the Hell in a Cell and then set the man on fire in the casket match vs Michaels  at the Royal Rumble(damn Michaels pops up alot on this list). When Taker showed up to confront his brother i marked out, and the match did not disappoint. It was in my opinion the second best match of the night(the first featured *gasps* Shawn Michaels). Could the streak have ended here? Yes, but the face was victorious!

7. Edge at 24
This was still when Smackdown was the best pure wrestling show of the two brands.....oh wait, it still is! This match felt like a legit huge title match, Taker was slowing down but not too much, Edge was showing signs of slowing down, but if you watch the match, you get an amazing contest. Could the streak have ended here? Yes, yes it could have. Edge had some injuries but no one expected him to retire three years later. It could have made those final three years even edgier(haha) for the sleezy heel.

8. Batista at 23
To me this was one of Batista's best matches, right under Payback 2014 with Evolution vs the Shield and right above his Hell in a Cell match with Taker. It showed Batista was hard hitting and truly deserving of the previous 2 years. Could the streak have ended here? Yes, it could have been Taker passing the torch on as Batista was undefeated at the time and was the young star and the face on SD!

9. Kane at 20
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! Goosebumps solid goosebumps when this was said! I marked out hard! The Dead Man rose after being gone for months, but he was not the American Badass, he was his old self and he was battling a new Kane, it felt fresh for these two. A great match at a great Mania! Could the streak have ended here? Yes, it could have pushed Kane further into the evil monster heel that he had been the past 9 months.Luckily that did not happen and the streak became a goal for many after this!

10. Ric Flair at 18
The birth of Taker counting his victories, and one of Flairs best WWE matches. The man still had it and this was a brand new Taker, sure he had the American Badass gimmick the year prior but here, was his first heel work with this character, and only his third heel match on Mania all together. Could the streak have ended here? Yes, the face could have one, but it is better for the authority figure to lose and for the Badass to go on to become champion!

11. CM Punk at 29
Punk lost to the Rock, what is bigger than the WWE title? The Undertaker! This match was huge not only for the contest, but for Paul Bearer, whom passed earlier that year. I will get right to it, should the streak have here? It could have, hell maybe Punk would not have bitched so much, and i think he could have, had he not needed to rest up, and had Bearer not have departed. Even if Uncle Paul had still been alive, even if Punk was not going to take a couple months off, i still think Taker would have won, it was needed for Punk to go face, and it helped as the last victory in his Mania undefeated streak.

12. Bray Wyatt at 31
This is the match that the streak should have ended at, Bray should have defeated Cena the year prior, Taker should have defeated Lesnar. Had he lost here, it would have been huge for Bray, hell he never would have needed a single championship. Plus a new streak could have began, not as long obviously but a streak none the less. Regardless it was refreshing being able to watch a Taker Mania match without the anxiety of the streak being on the line, cause from Mania 21 to 30, i was on the edge of my seat hoping tonight isn't the night. Here, i was able to sit back and watch these two horror characters put on a solid contest, and one that fits the spectacle of Mania!

13. Shane McMahon 32
A lot hate this match, they call it garbage, sure the angle leading up to it made no sense, the stipulation was ignored the next night but to me it was a great one off match(though it wasn't a one off) for Shane, and a refreshing Mania opponent for Taker. It had memorable spots and all in all shows why Mania is the granddaddy of them all!

14. Sid at 13
To me this one one of three good matches on 13, the 6 man being a fun brawl, Austin-Hart being amazing, and this here being a solid battle of the giants. Could the streak have ended here? Well the tweener could have won, but better for the face to win, and him holding onto the title meant more, and wound up meaing more as it lead to his loss to Hart, his feud with Michaels and the arrival of Kane.

15. Randy Orton at 21
Orton was the legend killer, all of us on forums assumed Taker would finally lose here, i was a junior in high school and a huge fan of both men, it is an underrated match but one that Orton needed in his return as a heel. Could the streak have ended here? Yes, but as a said, if it had, Takers legacy may not have been as strong had he lost, sure he would still be a legend, but he truly needed this streak, Mania needed this streak, WWE needed this streak.

16. Diesel at 12
This match, along with the main event saved the PPV, jeez, so many Mania's were full of crappy filler until 14. This one is underrated as well, mainly cause folks like to shit on Kevin Nash, sure he isn't Shinsuke Nakamura, sure he isn't even Dean Ambrose, but he is still a showman and knows how to tell a story, and this was a perfect finale for Nash's Mania career. Should that streak have ended here? No, Nash was on his way out.

17. Jake Roberts at 8
Sure it is a squash, but damn, having these two characters in the ring together, brilliance, if it never happened it would have been a dream match, but luckily it did, Roberts was the evil heel, Take had turned face, it worked. Should the streak have ended here? No, Taker needed the win on a huge stage after losing the WWF title.

18 Brock Lesnar at 30
Ugh, this is a good match, it is hard hitting, Lesnar proved he was a beast, and Taker proved how much he cared for the business. Should the streak have ended here? No, i think Lesnar was the wrong guy, but Taker wasn't sure if it was his last match, Vince wanted his last match for him to put someone over, it was up to Taker, Taker agreed. Or so it is told....with that said, holy hell, i was in shock, i still don't believe it to this day. A part of me wishes it was a botch, that you were not supposed to lose, this was one of the hardest moments in wrestling to watch, luckily Daniel Bryan won, but damn, just imagine how the fans would have been even more excited for that win, if they did not have to go through this emotional loss.

19. Roman Reigns at 33.
This is not low on the list, I actually thought it was a damn good match, the others just do more for nostaglia for me, plus this match made me tear up, this was a legit sad match, before it i heard it may be his final match, during it reality sunk in, this will be it, i am viewing it, holy shit, after the match, tears poured out, i stood there in shock, i wasn't mad that he lost, i mean sure i wish his final match had been against Steve Austin, but that is just me, but just knowing that a man i had watched almost every week for 15 years then anticipated whenever he returned the following 9 years, was taking his final bow, i was heart broken. Mark Calaway, i love you sir. You put the business in front of you all the time. You had a outlandish gimmick but it worked, it worked cause it was new & dark, being new helped in the mid 90s, being dark helped in the late 90s, you knew how to reinvent yourself, becoming human, becoming evil, becoming a biker, becoming a living legend, becoming greatness, becoming the icon, becoming Wrestlemania, becoming the WWE, becoming professional wrestling. Besides a few deaths, nothing hits me this hard in the business, only one that comes close, your loss to Lesnar.


20. Mark Henry at 22
This is only one of two matches from the past 15 years of Mania to feel like a midcard Taker match. No one expected Henry to do it, he could have, he was built as a undestructible force but that is how all of his heel runs 2003 on have been. Here however, the streak was known about, but being a casket match against a big man, it felt too much like a mid 90s Taker feud. Should the streak have ended here? No

21. Big Show/A Train at 19
This is a rather sloppy match, but it is Taker's only Mania handicap match(originally a tag match) Not much to say, it is the other midcard feeling match, and considering it had two former wwe champions, that is saying something. Should the streak have edned here? The face losing to two other giants? Hell no!

22. Big Bossman at 15
A rather uncomfortable match to watch, the public hanging of Bossman was a hard pill to swallow, no way to really suspend disbelief, you just had to accept it. Sure Lucha Underground does it, but i prefer more reality focused angles, not saying i don't enjoy horror, after all i am a cinephile, but the ending here never set well with me.Should the streak have ended here? No. Taker and his evil character needed a win, even if his evil character was only worshiping Vince McMahon.

23. Jimmy Snuka at 7
Ah, his first Mania victory, and a glorified squash match. Should the streak have began here? Damn right! This match was historic!

24. King Kong Bundy at 11
Like a isaid earlier about Mark Henry feeling like a mid 90s feud, this is what i meant, Million DOllar Corporation stealing the urn, melting it odwn, having a stable of men for Taker to defeat, Henry would have been perfect in this feud. The match, rather meh, should the streak have ended here? No, Taker needed to wipe out this faction.

25. Giant Gonzalez
Ugh, fuck this match, as a kid i loved this Mania, excpet for this match, though i did love Taker coming back out to get revenge on Gonzalez. Should the streak have ended here? FUCK NO

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Match of March


Ricochet, Jason Cade, Sami Calihan, AR Fox & Desmond Xavier vs. Will Ospreay Marty Scurll, Lio Rush, Drew Galloway  & Ryan Smile

Christopher Daniels vs Adam Cole

Kazarian vs Hangman Page vs Punissment Martinez vs Chris Sabin vs Cheeseburger vs Silas YOung
Kirby vs BT Gunn vs Travis Banks vs Doug Williams vs Ricochet vs El Ligero vs Marty Scurll

Christopher Daniels vs Adam Cole vs Zack Sabre JR