1/21/2016 0 Comments 16 Movies To See In 2016Another movie year has arrived, and bringing with it a film slate filled with promise. Boasting a myriad of comic book movies ranging from dramtic entries like X-Men: Apocalypse and Suicide Squad to more comedic fare such as Deadpool and Ninja Turtles, as well as animated outings such as Zootopia and sequels like Finding Dory and Kung Fu Panda 3, 2016 is shaping up to be a big year. With such variety, it can be pretty easy to get lost among the noise and fall prey to some of the year's less favorable selections, so I've prepared a list of the 16 biggest hitters you should be on the lookout for in 2016. Now, keep in mind that we're only in January, so some of these release dates may change (as was the case with last year's list). But hopefully, some of these recommendations will give you something to look forward to!
High Notes (Estimated February Release) While just about every other movie on this list is directly based on something else, High Notes is something special. Okay sure, it's a documentary, which means its existence is owed to something else already established, but the fact stands that this is a movie that isn't a sequel, remake, spinoff, or other such tie-in that we're already used to, and it's one that you should really be looking forward to. Why? It essentially spotlights A Place to Be, a nonprofit organization based in Middleburg, Virginia. Helmed by music therapist Tom Sweitzer, A Place to Be specializes in using music and theatrical arts as a means to help special needs students enhance social skills. A Place to Be is a place to get creative, a place to be understood, and a place more people should know about. Hail, Caesar! (February 5) Whenever brothers Joel and Ethan Coen direct a new movie, my ears always perk up. From their comedies like The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona to their more serious fare like True Grit and No Country for Old Men, and movies in between like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Fargo, few directing teams can match this duo's versatility. So I'm naturally excited to see Hail, Caesar!, a comedic mystery about 1950s Hollywood, and with an all-star cast that includes the likes of George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johannson, Jonah Hill and more, this could just be the first big movie of the year. Eddie the Eagle (February 26) Maybe it'll be a bit cheesy, but there's just something about this biographical picture that really excites me. The true story follows Eddie Edwards (Kingsman star Taron Egerton), the first person to represent Great Britain in the Winter Olympics ski jump. Egerton was excellent in last year's Kingsman, so it's exciting to see the young rising star take on new roles, and with a supporting cast that includes Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken, Eddie the Eagle certainly looks to be a high-flying story of inspiration. 10 Cloverfield Lane (March 11) In today's digital age knowing when every single movie's release date is staked in the ground months ahead of time (take this blog post as a perfect example), it's pretty impressive when a spin-off to a fairly successful monster movie can sneak up out of nowhere like 10 Cloverfield Lane. This movie is two months away, and the first I've heard about it was just the other day. Normally by this point, the media has been congested with trailers and intereviews, but 10 Cloverfield Lane has come onto the scene pretty late. This could either be really good, or really bad, but either way, I'm really interested. Show me what you got, 10 Cloverfield Lane. Midnight Special (March 18) Do you know what I love more than superhero movies? Superhero movies that can get experimental, and don't have to follow the constraints of a pre-written comic book plotline. Movies like the brilliant Unbreakable, that aren't based on any comic but very clearly inhabit a comic world, and Midnight Special looks to be very much in that style. Essentially, Michael Shannon must go on the run to protect a young boy with mysterious superpowers. With an original script containing such a straightforward-sounding plot (and being helmed by the director of Mud, no less), just about anything can happen, and that has me genuinely excited. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25) They've been the two most popular superheroes ever, and for the first time on film, they're coming to a head. And in addition, this movie is giving us another first: Ben Affleck donning the batsuit, which is the biggest element I'm looking forward to. Whether or not you thought the trailers were too busy and unfocused, you've at least got to give director Zack Snyder due credit for taking so many risks here, going as far as including Justice League members Wonder Woman and Aquaman for their first onscreen appearances (in the likely form of cameos, but it still counts). Here's to hoping that it'll all pay off. Ratchet & Clank (April 20) The Ratchet & Clank series is one of the most well-known franchises for the PlayStation, so an animated film was pretty much inevitable at some point. With the film being co-directed by one of the animators for Finding Nemo and written by some of the game series' writers, Ratchet & Clank has the potential on paper to really work. Let's just hope that they can find a way to transfer their video game-crafting talent onto the screen, because if so, it will do two big things for video game movies: not only will it prove that they can work, but that they can also be made to appeal to a wide audience (as opposed to just action movies). Finger crossed on this one. Snowden (May 13) JFK. Wall Street. Born on the Fourth of July. Scarface. If there's anyone who can direct a tense thriller with political undercurrents, it's definitely Oliver Stone. So who better to direct the true story of Edward Snowden? The story, encircling the controversy around a former CIA member who reportedly leaked thousands of classified government documents, feels perfect for a Stone picture, and with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead role, Snowden is bound to be a sure-fire hit. Warcraft (June 10) Of all the video game movies coming out this year, this is the big one. World of Warcraft is one of the biggest video game series of all time, so if this movie fails, it could likely spell the end of video game movies for a long time (for better or for worse). For better, that should only be more incentive on the creative team at hand to make the best Warcraft movie possible for the fans, and the trailer looks to bea delivery of everything that they've come to expect: there's kingdoms and castles, humans and Orcs...I've never played a minute of World of Warcraft and it doesn't look half bad. Consider me at least interested. Finding Dory (June 17) If you saw Finding Nemo (and let's face it, who among us hasn't?), chances are your favorite character was the delightfully ditsy Dory, a sidekick character that many of us saw as deserving of her own film. Well, it took 13 years, but we finally got that movie with Finding Dory. Some viewers have expressed concern, given that Pixar's track record when it comes to sequels (excluding the Toy Story movies) is pretty hit-and-miss (see Monsters University and Cars 2). However, with the same creative team that brought us the original film manning this return to the sea, that's enough to get me excited for it. Dory herself may have a weak memory, but I doubt anyone in the audience will forget this movie. The BFG (July 1) From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Matilda, Roald Dahl is one of the most renowned writers of children's stories, and The BFG (or Big Friendly Giant) is one of his very best works, and one that I've always wanted to see come to life on the screen. The children's book recounts the tale of a loveable giant who is outcast by other giants for his refusal to eat children, and is ripe for adapting to the screen. And who better to take the helm? Two words: Steven. Spielberg. Sold. La La Land (July 14) Yes, the title sounds pretty hokey, but with a writer/director like Damien Chazelle, it's unlikely that the quality of the film will be a reflection of that. With music-driven movies like Whiplash and Grand Piano under his belt, it's about time that Chazelle directs a full-blown musical. This one tells the tale of a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) who falls for an aspiring actor (Emma Stone) in LA. Through his previous films, Chazelle has proven that he has a talent for using music to breathe life into his storytelling, and I can't wait to see how this one fares in comparison. The Girl on the Train (October 7) The Girl on the Train is a novel recommended to me based on my liking of Gone Girl, and the connection between the two is strong. After finishing the final page, I had envisioned seeing a film adaptation, if only in the proper hands. Enter director Tate Taylor (of critical hits The Help and Get On Up), and screenwriter Erin Cassandra Wilson (Chloe). Whether or not that combo will prove able to translate a Hitchcock-style murder thriller remains to be seen, but with Emily Blunt (one of the best features in the already excellent Edge of Tomorrow) cast in the lead, The Girl on the Train is already chugging along to a strong start. Just as I was told, if you're a fan of Gone Girl, be on the lookout for The Girl on the Train. Silence (Estminated November Release) Martin Scorsese is a relic of Hollywood, one of the masters of the 20th century still working today (boasting classic crime thrillers under his belt such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Departed). So whenever he makes a new movie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, Shutter Island), he's already got my attention. Silence looks to be a change of pace for the director, telling the true story of a group of Christian missionairies in the 17th century who travel to Japan seeking to spread the good word of the Lord, but instead face violent persuction. The cast is an impressive one, featuring recent Star Wars star Adam Driver and renowned actor Liam Neeson, and looks to be an intense and visceral experience, an expected trademark of Scorsese. Count me in. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November 18) A Harry Potter spin-off set in 1920s New York? I am in! Not only is the notion of Fantastic Beasts an exciting one for its willingness to expand the world of the Harry Potter universe, but it feels as though it's coming out at just the right time; the youths of my generation who grew up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione (through the simultaneous series of books and the films) are now early-20s young adults, and Fantastic Beasts is shaping up to be a more mature adventure just for us. It's just like when Toy Story 3, a movie aimed at the teens who were toddlers for the original two, turned out to be justifiably gritty (except this time, with magic!) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (December 16) After the release of The Force Awakens, Star Wars fever is in full bloom, so Rogue One is guarunteed to be a smashing hit. The spin-off is set between Episodes III and IV, and is set to focus on Rogue One, a squadron of Rebel X-Wing pilots who embark on a perilous mission to steal the secret plans for the Death Star's construction. If it works, it will open up the Star Wars universe into releasing more spin-off movies set outside of the main series (Episodes I-VII, and the films to follow) that will expand and broaden the world of the franchise. It also promises to boast a much darker tone than the previous films, making for a more intense cinematic experience that I'll surely be attending.
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1/16/2016 0 Comments 'Jessica Jones' Series ReviewIn an age of entertainment where movies and TV shows about costumed superheroes are pretty much everywhere (even for someone who likes superheroes as much as me), it can get a little exhausting. But if you're looking for something a little deeper that shakes it up a bit and does something new with the superpowered formula, check out Netflix's new series, Jessica Jones.
Based on one of Marvel's grittier and more mature comics, the story follows a superpowered New York private investigator named Jessica Jones (Breaking Bad's Kristyn Ritter), who picks up a mysterious case encircling a missing teenage girl. But as Jessica delves deeper into peeling back the layers behind the disappearance, she finds that all signs point to the presence of a man called Kilgrave (Doctor Who star David Tennant), a sinister and benevolent figure from Jessica's past who has come back to haunt her. Right away, one of the most noticeably strong elements at play here is the acting. Ritter is fantastic as the no-nonsense PI, employing the dry, sarcastic blend of humor that you'd typically associate with '80s-era Bill Murray. However, that isn't to say that Jones is a comedian; she's really likeable and has her funny moments, sure, but more than anything, she's a survivor. She comes from a troubled past and has some really ugly history with Kilgrave, but what makes her such an enduring hero is that she doesn't let her history define her. Even when it's hard for to stomach the very thought of Kilgrave, she steps up to the plate because she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. The only performer who matches Ritter's skill is Tennant as the vile Kilgrave, who possesses the ability to make anyone do anything just by telling them to do it. On paper, Kilgrave is a downright horror movie villain, whose snake-like mannerisms evoke elements of Jake Gyllenhaal's Lou Bloom from Nightcrawler. But on screen, Tennant charms it up in every scene he's in, and although he does admittedly terrible things, you never want his scenes to end. It's like watching loveable Leo DiCaprio play the bad guy in Django Unchained or The Wolf of Wall Street: you hate what they're doing, but you just love watching them. Tennant can switch at the drop of a dime from oddly hilarious to gleefully malicious, to downright cold-hearted and sinister. The result makes for a nuanced and layered performance, and easily my favorite Mavel villain. And while those two are the major players, several of the supporting cast members stand out as well, including Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Jessica's steel-skinned love interest; Rachael Taylor as Jessica's ever-loyal best friend, radio show host Trish Walker; and newcoming actor Eka Darville (I included "newcoming" because this guy is definitely going to be in more things soon) as her neighbor, Malcolm, who manages to break free of Kilgrave's mind-control influence and become a force for good. While the backbone of the narrative ultimately comes down to "Jessica vs. Kilgrave," these three characters add a lot to the story and make the world of the show a little bit more well-rounded, and it's always fun to see them show up. Though the acting is arguably the most noticeable positive right away, my personal favorite aspect of the show is how the story handles superheroes, and does something new with the material. Jessica, Kilgrave, and Luke have powers, yes, but they don't wear flashy costumes, and a scene doesn't turn into an action spectacle whenever they use their powers. In fact, they're used as symbols for their character traits; Jessica and Luke have had terrible experiences happen to them, but are stronger people because of them, and their powers reflect that (Jessica has super strength, Luke has unbreakable skin). Then there's the thing that makes this show a survivor tragedy: Kilgrave's mind-control as a symbol of rape. Though you never see him physically rape Jessica (thank goodness, though the act is strongly implied), he's callously exercised complete control over her mind, body, and free will. She's escaped from his influence, but it feels thoroughly violating whenever you see him use his power on someone else. Even the use of color reflects this theme: Kilgrave commonly wears a purple suit (purple being the color of power), and Jessica is often seen in all black (black being the absence of color, given how she feels that Kilgrave has sucked the color out of her life). It's the skillful handling of this theme that makes Jessica Jones more than your standard superhero fare, but rather a survivor story, and one that treats people who have overcome this sort of situation with a lot of respect. The show isn't a perfect one, however. Certain viewers may be put off by the show's use of sexual content, which carries on through the first half of the season. Though the scenes of sexual nature aren't explicit and don't reveal any nudity, they are admittedly overlong and rather intense. You can certain skip over them, but that doesn't change the fact that they're still there, and while they do tie into the story to a certain extent, you could argue that this an area of the plot that could have been expressed differently. Another smaller issue that I take with the show is the inclusion of some side characters who are around for a little longer than they need to be. As stated earlier, side characters like Luke, Trish, and Malcolm are excellent, and add a lot of dimension to the narrative. But then there's characters like a lesbian lawyer named Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) or a cop named Simpson (Wil Traval). They're well-acted, sure, but they serve the show better as side characters, and I feel that they got a bit more screen time than necessary. For example (without spoilers), Hogarth needs Jessica's help with a legal entanglement involving her ex-wife. This is a fine scenario to introduce her character, but it goes on for the majority of the season before it gets resolved! Hogarth's role is totally acceptable when her legal status helps Jessica's case further the plot, but anything else is just unnecessary. Simpson's role in the show is much the same; he's fine when he's joining in the fight to stop Kilgrave, but when they try to make him a love interest, it feels as though they're making him into something more than he needs to be. Every time either one of these characters showed up, I kept waiting for their scene to be over, which is a real shame considering how great everyone else is. On the whole, however, I really enjoyed Jessica Jones for its (mostly) engaging characters and ambition to shake up the superhero genre by choosing to tell a daringly different survivor story about an investigator taking down the man who wronged her. Even my mom, who is much more comfortable with a good Nicholas Sparks romance than a superpowered throw-down, enjoyably watched all 13 episodes with me (thanks, mom). If Marvel can make a show that can win her over, they're doing something really right. I think that's because the studio is finally starting to realize that character, theme, and plot are more important than all of the fireworks that a big-budget blockbuster can buy, and if Netflix is the place to get that, then I am genuinely looking forward to what they put out next. 1/15/2016 0 Comments 'The Revenant' Movie ReviewYou've seen Leonardo DiCaprio steal audience's hearts in Titanic. You've seen him give some of his best improvised acting in Django Unchained. But now, Leo tests his range as an actor like you've not seen before in The Revenant.
The true story follows DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in on a fur-trading expedition in the American wilderness in the 1820s. After being separated from his men and brutally mauled by a grizzly bear, Glass is hardly able to move or speak. And in the middle of Native American territory, his men don't have much other option than to leave Glass for dead. Now, cold, alone and desperate to survive, Glass must brave the elements (and their inhabitants) long enough to seek his revenge against a fellow fur trapper named Fitzgerald, the man who abandoned him and murdered his son (Mad Max: Fury Road star Tom Hardy). As stated previously, DiCaprio pushes himself as an actor beyond places that he's ever reached before, and it results in one of his most dedicated performances. Onscreen, the star doesn't have much dialogue, giving a mostly silent performance (and what few lines he does have are mostly spoken in the Native American Pawnee language), but he manages to convey a lot of emotion and energy through his facial expressions. And he gives just as much offscreen, learning two Native American languages, as well as how to fire a musket, start a fire, and, despite being a vegetarian, willingly devour a slab of raw bison liver. Hardy is also captivating as the film's villain, though if there's one thing wrong with the film, it's that there really isn't that much to his character. Fizgerald is really just a one-note villain in an otherwise exceptional film, out for himself and completely bereft of redeeming qualities to the point where it almost becomes unbelievable. Fortunately, however, Hardy is able to breathe life into the character and make the role his own; you can really tell that he's having fun with the chance to flex his acting muscles, which is a relief, because the character would likely be completely forgotten otherwise. Bringing it back to the positives, a noticeable aspect of the film that matches DiCaprio's dedication is the overall look of the film, lensed by cinematographer Emmannuel Lubezki and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (the two recently won Academy Awards for their collaboration on Birdman, and their chemistry really shows here). In Birdman, the mission was to achieve the illusion of shooting the entire film in one long, continuous take, and they pulled it off. But now, the duo attempt to top their effort by shooting The Revenant (taking place a good 95% outdoors) completely reliant on natural sunlight. No extra set lights to control how bright or dim the scene will appear, no this time, the cast and crew are completely at the mercy of the sun. It's an ambitious effort, and one that probably made for a trivial filming process, but the movie looks incredible as a result. By excluding digital trickery (as much as possible, anyway), the movie is able to depict nature in its truest forms, both in terms of unbridled beauty and unkempt hostility. The highlight visual scene comes in the form of the infamous bear attack, which is brutal to witness but impossible to look away from. I don't know how the visual effects crew crafted such an authentic-looking bear (whether it be by practical effects, CG or a combination), and I love the mystery behind it. The film's visual style to represent nature in its truest forms is also a representation for the brutality of the action: nothing is held back, and nothing is sugarcoated. Much like the previously mentioned bear attack, all of the film's other occurances are depicted as being raw and uncompromising, but I actually don't think that it's too raw for those squeamish viewers in the audience. Unlike a Tarantino film (which rejoices in being quite literally overblown), The Revenant's decision to depict Glass's misfortunes in the most realistic light possible actually make for a film that's more accessible to a wider audience, and there's hardly a minute of film wasted. Despite its grim setting and plot, The Revenant is a film that tends to offer a lot to its audience: if you're a DiCaprio fan (as many are), watch him give a nuanced and committed performance. And especially if you're a fan of film, you'll get a lot of fun out of analyzing the ambitious filmmaking techniques that went into the making of the film. I thoroughly enjoyed the film as an experience of cinematic craftsmanship, and I'm giving The Revenant three and a half out of four stars. 1/14/2016 0 Comments 'If I Ran The Oscars' 2015Don't you just hate how wrong the Oscars normally are? They either don't nominate the movies you want, don't give the right movies enough recognition, or give too many wins to the wrong movies. Well this year, I'm writing up my own list of nominees, in accordance with what I consider to be the true contenders. All you have to do is vote on who you think should win (on Facebook, Twitter, or ryanperr.weebly.com), and we'll have our own Oscars! Now you can vote and see your own picks win for a change!
Best Picture Creed Ex Machina The Hateful Eight Inside Out Love & Mercy Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revenant Spotlight Best Actor Devin Druid (Louder Than Bombs) Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) Matt Damon (The Martian) Paul Dano (Love & Mercy) Tom Hiddleston (I Saw the Light) Best Actress Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) Daisy Ridley (Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens) Maika Monroe (It Follows) Sarah Snook (Predestination) Shailene Woodley (Insurgent) Best Supporting Actor Michael Fassbender (Slow West) Michael Keaton (Spotlight) Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) Paul Giammatti (Love & Mercy) Best Supporting Actress Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) Jessica Chastain (The Martian) Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) Rachel McAdams (Spotlight) Best Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (The Revenant) George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) Ridley Scott (The Martian) Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) Best Original Screenplay The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino) Inside Out (Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley) It Follows (David Robert Mitchell) Louder Than Bombs (Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt) Best Adapted Screenplay Love & Mercy (Oren Moverman, Michael A. Lerner) Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris) The Martian (Drew Goddard) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Jesse Andrews) Spotlight (Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer) Best Visual Effects Ex Machina (Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Williams Ardington, Sara Bennett) Mad Max: Fury Road (Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver, Andy Williams) The Martian (Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence, Steven Warner) The Revenant (Richard McBride, Matt Shumway, Jason Smith, Cameron Waldbauer) Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Roger Guyett, Pat Tubach, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould) Best Cinematography Ant-Man (Russel Carpenter) Creed (Maryse Alberti) The Revenant (Emmanuel Lubezki) Spotlight (Masanobu Takayanagi) Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Daniel Mindel) Best Production Design The Hateful Eight (Yohei Taneda) I Saw the Light (Merideth Bowswell) Macbeth (Fiona Crombie) The Revenant (Jack Fisk) Slow West (Kim Sinclair) Best Costume Design The Hateful Eight (Courtney Hoffman) I Saw the Light (Lahly Poore) Macbeth (Jacqueline Durran) Slow West (Kirsty Cameron) What We Do in the Shadows (Amanda Neale) Best Makeup & Hairstyling The Hateful Eight (Greg Funk, Heba Thorisdottir, Barbara Cantu, Camille Friend) Mad Max: Fury Road (Lesley Vanderwault, Elka Wardega, Damian Martin) Predestination (Samantha Lyttle, Christine Miller) The Revenant (Sian Grigg, Duncan Jarman, Robert A. Pandini) What We Do in the Shadows (Don Brooker, Michael Krehl) Best Animated Feature Inside Out The Peanuts Movie Best Animated Short Film Lava Scrat Spaced Out Best Live-Action Short Film Kung Fury Power/Rangers Best Editing Creed (Claudia Castello, Michael P. Shawver) Macbeth (Chris Dickens) Mad Max: Fury Road (Margaret Sixel) The Revenant (Stephen Mirrione) Spotlight (Tom McArdle) Best Sound Design The Hateful Eight (Alessandro Checcacci) It Follows Christian Dwiggins) Love & Mercy (Mark Agostino) The Martian (Hugo Adams) Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (David Acord) Best Original Music The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone) Inside Out (Michael Giacchino) It Follows (Rich Vreeland) Mad Max: Fury Road (Junkie XL) Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (John Williams) Best Original Song "Better When I'm Dancing" by Meghan Trainor (The Peanuts Movie) "Bing Bong's Theme Song" (Inside Out) "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith (Spectre) 1/12/2016 0 Comments Top 10 Best Movies Of 20151. Spotlight
The best journalism movie since All the President's Men, Spotlight is a realistic, grounded, and hard-hitting look at the Boston Globe newspaper staff who got their hands dirty to expose a sprawling molestation scandal within the Catholic church. While general audience members can enjoy good performances from familiar faces such as Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton, Spotlight is mostly a movie made for people fascinated by reporting; the body of the film entails the staff conducting interviews, but the information is so raw that the material could engage anyone. Beyond that, the script is mature and balanced, refraining from making the entire church out to be a sinister and benevolent presence, as well as not glorifying the reporting staff any more than necessary. Much like a good reporter, Spotlight doesn't take a side, it just exposes the facts with excellency and lets the audience decide for themselves. 2. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Star Wars is back! Under the surface (and for reasons I'll not dare spoil), The Force Awakens can be seen as a complex family tragedy, but that doesn't begin to hold it back from being an incredibly fun space adventure. Old faces, such as Han Solo and Chewbacca, have returned, and it's great to see them back, but the real spotlight is on the fresh faces in the cast, including the likes of Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac (all of whom are phenomenal). The newcomers certainly hold their own among the Star Wars veterans in the cast, and the only thing more balanced than the story of old and new is the visual effects. The expected amount of computer-generatd imagery is applied, but a more than pleasant surprise is seeing the amount of sets, props, and actual animatronics onscreen. The result really feels like a return to that galaxy far, far away, in a way that feels more like a passionate continuation than a retread, and this new adventure has fortunately just begun. 3. Inside Out Pixar has taken a break from their string of sequels that followed Up (including Toy Story 3, Cars 2, and Monsters University) to give us an original animated film that is every bit as emotional as it is well-thought-out. The mind of an 11-year-old girl is brought imaginatively to life and realized as a colorful world wherein her emotions, depicted as characters, live and operate. Behind the brilliant visual metaphors behind things such as how a happy memory can become a sad memory, there is an excellent message about how we use our emotions: through a deep-into-the-mind adventure with her opposite, Sadness, Joy learns that it's great to be happy, but when you're using joy to push down sadness, that sadness is still there being unresolved. You need to let it out; that's the out of Inside Out, and it's wonderful. 4. The Martian I called it back in January: Ridley Scott (director of Alien) returning to his roots and directing a thriller in space was going to be the best thing for his career, and it absolutely was. Not only was The Martian a homerun for Scott, but also for star Matt Damon, whose acting is out of this world. The funny thing is that while this is a space thriller from the director of Alien, the reason that it works is that its tone is entirely the opposite of Alien, and is rather optimistic and upbeat. Secluded on Mars with about a year's worth of food and disco music as his only solace, Damon has every reason to go insane, but it's his cheery resourcefulness that keeps the movie going. The climax is gripping, the visual effects artists have found a way to make a planet that's almost all desert really visually interesting, and for the astronomers in the audience, The Martian (to my understanding) nails the science perfectly. 5. Mad Max: Fury Road Who would've guessed that after 30 years untouched, director George Miller (of the original Mad Max trilogy) would be able to bring this series roaring back to life and make the best Mad Max movie ever? Some movies have their strong suits in their visuals, acting, editing, sound, or story. Fury Road is a film that excels on all fronts, bursting with a lively and high-octane soundtrack that is paced perfectly to the orchestra of mayhem onscreen. Charlize Theron is a phenomenal show-stealer as Furiosa, the best female action movie hero since Terminator 2's Sarah Connor, and young X-Men star Nicholas Hoult is an absolute live-wire as a twisted hero whose journey will leave you with complex and thematic thoughts. And beyond the action and the acting, there's actually a very well-thought-out story at play operating underneath of all of the madness; it just seems like the plot is nonexistent becuase no one talks about it, but rather you learn about the characters through their actions. "What a lovely day." 6. Ex Machina Talk about low-budget: Ex Machina is a sci-fi thriller that mostly stays in one location, and has a main cast of four actors. With such a small group, you'd better hope that all of them are on their A-game. Fortunately, each of the stars bring their all and more, with the highlights being Alicia Vikander as Ava, a robot who is being tested to see if she can produce emotions or if she's simply mimicing them; and Oscar Isaac and Nathan, Ava's enigmatic inventor. During the sequences in which Nathan's employee, Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson), is testing Ava, the suspense is through the roof, because you don't know who's in control: Caleb, the one asking the questions; Ava, the one holding the answers; or Nathan, the sly puppetmaster who brought them both together. Everyone is playing an angle against someone else, including the movie itself, playing its audience, and no clearer is that more evident than during an out-of-left-field dance sequence that will leave you scratching your head with puzzled enjoyment. 7. Creed Rocky is back, acting as a trainer this time around to Adonis Creed (the excellent Michael B. Jordan), the son of late boxing legend, Apollo Creed. What could have been an easy attempt to make a quick buck off of another Rocky movie quickly turns into a contender for the best Rocky sequel with a heart of fire. Aside from its expertly-edited fight scenes and spot-on acting from Stallone and Jordan (who share remarkable chemistry together), the most notable effort from Creed is its clever script, whose ambition reflects the strive of the protagonist: while he wants to be recognized as his own person, he realizes that the best way to be recognized in the spotlight at all is to use his father's name. In the same way, Creed holds a similar reverance for the original Rocky films, standing alone as its own strong product, but also respecting the fact that it wouldn't be here without the influence of its timeless predecessors. 8. Love & Mercy When I first saw Love & Mercy, a biopic about the career of Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson, I had some mixed thoughts; on the one hand, it was cool to see the story told in two parts (young Brian composing during the '60s, as played by Paul Dano, and older Brian in the '80s, suffering from clinical depression and bipolar disorder, as played by John Cusack), and the two stars do a great job, particularly the young Dano. But on the other hand, I was also confused by the two halves feeling like two totally different movies. Looking back, however, I realized that that is the strength of the film: its narrative structure is symbolic of Wilson's own bipolar disorder, an effective and creative method to establish an easy connection to the character. And of course, there's that classic Beach Boys soundtrack that no one can deny. 9. The Hateful Eight I'm a Quentin Tarantino fan, and The Hateful Eight is just about everything I wanted it to be. The cast share excellent chemistry (the highlights being Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Samuel L. Jackson), which makes for some highly quotable dialogue; the story feels like an R-rated Clue in the old west; and with the exception of the gore and language that have become a trademark of the director, everything about the film feels like a viewing experience from cinema's golden age, shot on 70 millimeter film and complete with an intermission and playbill to accompany screenings. From the first frame to the last, The Hateful Eight is an unrelenting blast of old school Hollywood fun with none of the limitations of the era. If you're a Tarantino fan, here's a late Christmas present for you. 10. The Revenant From the incredible cinematography, with director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu choosing to shoot the entire film in all-natural sunlight, to Leonardo DiCaprio's groundbreaking commitment to his role, The Revenant is a straight-up achievement of filmmaking. The visuals don't rely on overblown computerized effectsto dazzle you, but rather depict nature in its simplest forms, and the result is refreshing and real. DiCaprio also gets his chance to truly flex his acting muscles and show off his range as a dedictated performer, taking on a script that demanded he learn how to start a fire, fire a musket, speak two Native American languages, and more. The commitment to cinema from all parties (actors, visual effects, and director) come to a dramatic combination in an astonishing bear attack scene that's brutal to witness, but impossible to look away from, which sums up the movie as a whole. 1/12/2016 0 Comments Worst Movies Of 20151. Chappie
I've said it before and I'll say it again: bad movies can be good for showing aspiring filmmakers what not to do, but no movie should be this bad. Chappie has some of the most cringe-worthy characters in recent memory, and is just as confused in terms of tone as it is in terms of story; sometimes it wants to be a light-hearted comedy like Short Circuit, other times, it wants to be a hard R action movie like RoboCop. Oh, and don't forget the borrowed plot elements from I, Robot and Iron Man. The result honestly feels like someone dumped five different jigsaw puzzles onto the floor and pieced them back together into one big puzzle: not one piece fits together with another, and the whole thing just looks like a big ugly, disjointed mess. 2. Unfriended While I enjoy most standout features in movies, such as editing, story, and music, I'm typically a character guy; even if a story falls flat, it's worth it if I can experience the story alongside relatable characters that I can connect to. So it should come as no surprise that I hated Unfriended and every despicable, self-serving character in it. Seriously, who thought a horror movie about a ghost that haunts a Skype chatroom would be anything good? Besides the obvious fact that this is going to be outdated in six months, it's a seriously missed opportunity to make a movie about the effects of bullying and current teenagers' reliance on computers. It could have been anything other than this and it would have been better. Instead, we've got a horror movie that isn't anything close to being scary, occupied by deplorable characters who are nearly impossible to empathize with. Maybe it'll pan out better when they make that MySpace horror movie called Ghost Town. 3. Terminator Genisys I understand that movies are a business and sometimes cheap movies get made simply to make a quick buck, but this is just depressing. And not depressing like The Green Mile or Grave of the Fireflies. Not depressing in the intended way that makes you feel bad for relatable characters in a rough spot; no, it's depressing to see just how little effort went into this movie. Everything about it feels like a by-the-numbers coloring page ripped out of the first two Terminator movies, highlighting all of the sci-fi elements that made them "cool" without any of the characterization, pacing, themes, or even just good editing that made them timeless. Arnold Schwarzenegger's back in action, though, but even he looks bored out of his mind. 4. Insurgent If this isn't a sign that we're draining the "teenage post-apocalypse dystopia" well dry, nothing is. Insurgent feels as though the writers took The Hunger Games (a series that, while certainly solid, isn't even that original of an idea), specifically extracted all of the elements that didn't work, and then made a directionless, explanationless, dragging slog of a movie solely out of those misinterpreted elements. To be fair, Shailene Woodley is excellent as usual, and it feels like she's brought a bottle of actor glue to hold together every frame of this movie. But it just doesn't stick when she's the only one who feels like she cares. No, the story doesn't make any sense as it hopscotches from scene to scene with little purpose, but at least she can act invested. The only other promising facet is a subplot concerning a mysterious box that only Woodley's character can open, and the trials she has to endure to do so are pretty interesting, if not all that suspenseful. Other than that, however, I'm really reaching on this one, and I got nothing. 5. San Andreas To be totally honest, I mostly enjoyed San Andreas - but that doesn't make it good, just a guilty pleasure. The action was mostly enjoyable to watch and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson is effortlessly likeable (even in the most bare-bones terms; he hardly has any backstory or motivation, yet you instantly gravitate towards him). I guess the worst I can say for San Andreas is that it gives you everything you'd expect from a disaster flick (buildings toppling over and the Rock saving people from them), and nothing else. It's not a case of Rocky IV where the movie is bursting with silliness but it works because the script embraces it; here, everything is exactly at the level you'd expect it to be, making for a standard disaster flick that's just too forgettable to be called truly bad. 6. Jurassic World When I saw Jurassic World in the theater, I mostly enjoyed it. It was dumb and simplistic, but I had a good time. But after a second viewing with the cinematic atmosphere having worn off, there's really not much to this movie. Sure, it's cool to watch dinosaurs fight, but it's unfortunately only cool in the same way you watch a Godzilla movie: you know it's not real, but it's good eye-candy. The original Jurassic Park put you through all of your emotions - you were amazed, you were terrified, and in the end, you were relieved - but here, you stay in one place, aware that you're in a seat watching a movie the whole time. And as far as the movie itself goes, the characters are completely stale and forgettable, the computer-generated effects look less convincing than they did 22 years ago, and an opportunity to explore a functioning dinosaur park is wasted in favor of a monster movie that focuses in on one big monster...sort of like a Godzilla movie, if Godzilla had no personality. 7. I Saw the Light If the rest of this movie were only as good as the engrossing set design and Tom Hiddleston's stunning performance, we'd have something really special here. Known for his villainous role in the Thor and Avengers films, Hiddleston does a complete 180 to play '40s country music icon Hank Williams, and gets completely lost in the role. Unfortunatley, he also ends up getting lost in a muddled and poorly-paced script that glosses over chunks of time and gives too little insight into Williams's songwriting process. Some music biopics focus too much on the music, others focus too much on the personal life. I Saw the Light hardly sheds enough light on either aspect, so the movie ends up feeling like a two-hour trailer for a movie that easily could have been great. It's not simply disappointing because it's bad, but because of how good it could have been. 1/11/2016 0 Comments 'The Hateful Eight' Movie ReviewA new Quentin Tarantino film, The Hateful Eight, is out in theaters. From his crime thrillers like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, to his historical epics like Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds, Tarantino has a very particular style, and if you're a fan of his work, then The Hateful Eight is definitely for you.
The story follows a party of eight people - a mix of bounty hunters, murderers, law enforcement, and Confederate soldiers - snowed in a haberdashery together during a blizzard in post-Civil War Wyoming. But when it becomes apparent that one of the group has foul intent for the other seven, the story becomes an R-rated Clue of sorts in which the group must identify the killer among them. If you're familiar with Tarantino's trademark style, you'll find that The Hateful Eight easily checks everything off the list, from the energy-filled acting to the dialogue that's sure to be quoted by film students for years to come. It's clear that the director sees cinema as a true art, as evidenced by (though I wasn't able to view this version) screenings that were complimented by an intermission midway through, patrons receiving programs typical of a theatre show, and a film shot on original 70 millimeter film. That's right, folks: while everyone else is pushing for digital shooting, Tarantino is taking us on a trip back to the golden age of cinema, and as a result, The Hateful Eight feels like a western from the '60s without any of the restrictions of the era. But that brings me to my only issue with the film: I'm a fan of Tarantino's movies, but not everyone is, and this movie is definitely not for that crowd. For every quotable line delivered by an A-list actor, there's an unapologetically grotesque action sequence accompanied by your fair share of foul language. There's a particular sequence in which star Samuel L. Jackson recounts the tale of one of his encounters with graphic detail, and while the actor tells the story with eloquence, it went to some places that it simply didn't need to go, and it's the first time in eight movies that I've felt the director got a little too carried away. While practically everything else in the film was top-notch, the handling of the content was the only aspect of the film that I feel could have been skimmed on (concerning the degree of the action) or cut entirely (concerning the language), and for some viewers, it's simply going to be too much. On a lighter note, however, it's clear that everyone on set is having a blast, and it really shows in the acting. Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson is every bit as entertaining as usual, but it was a pleasant surprise to see such show-stealing performances by Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh, both of whom I haven't really seen in a while. And those are just the big three; all eight costars bounce off of each other effortlessly, and it's just a great deal of fun watching them interact. You feel like you're playing a game of Clue that you don't want to end, and just when you've figured it out, the script keeps on surprising you. Another set of strong aspects that work in tune with each other are the visual and sound designs. From the snowy mountains of Wyoming to the vintage haberdashery the party inhabits, the movie is definitely set in a particular point in history and represents it well. In comparison, the music, composed by Django Unchained and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly composer Ennio Morricone, strongly sets a fitting mood of tension and distrust, and it should also be noted that the soundtrack includes compositions that were intended to be included in the 1982 version of The Thing, but were excluded from the final cut. The decision is fitting, consdering the similarity between the two films, and film fans will have fun with that detail. The combination of these elements effectively delivers the intended outcome of putting the audience in the atmosphere of the film; whenever characters are stumbling around in the intense cold, I actually felt a slight chill, and was relieved when the characters were sealed inside the warm haberdashery. In the end, The Hateful Eight is a Tarantino movie made for Tarantino fans. I am a Tarantino fan, and this felt like a combination of my two favorite films of his, Django Unchained (with its western style) and Reservoir Dogs (with its tale of conspiracy and mistrust). As for everyone else, you need to know what you're getting into; if you're a fan, then you'll love this movie. If not, then this movie isn't really for you, and that's okay. But for my taste, I'm giving The Hateful Eight three and a half out of four stars. |
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