New in Theaters for September

A lot of movies are premiering in September, but only a few of them interest me. This is why they might be worth watching... or avoiding.

WATCHING

The Magnificent Seven (September 23, 2016)
I'm not a fan of remakes or remakes of remakes, but with a huge cast that includes Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, and Vincent D'onofrio among others and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day (2001), The Equalizer (2014), Southpaw (2015))... I think I have to see this.

Deepwater Horizon (September 30, 2016) 
I know it's Mark Wahlberg, but it does have Kurt Russell. The trailer looks awesome, so I'm hoping for a solid action movie.

The Light Between Oceans (September 2, 2016) 
Michael Fassbender is a lighthouse keeper that rescues an adrift baby. I'm a big fan of director Derek Cianfrance previous work, A Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and Blue Valentine (2010). I'll see this based on those films alone.

Snowden (September 16, 2016) 
With Oliver Stone, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Timothy Olyphant this might be good. Then again, Stone's last movie was Savages (2012), so this is no guarantee, but at least he's attracted better talent this time.
 

AVOIDING

Nerve(September 16, 2016) 

Online truth or dare. I'm bored already. Looking at the trailer the audience is clear, as is my resolution to avoid this movie.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (September 30, 2016)
Another young adult cash grab based on a book. It doesn't seem that dissimilar from Harry Potter, but despite Tim Burton directing, I don't see this taking off.

Sully (September 9, 2016) 
Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood team up to tell the story of a hero plane pilot. I feel like I've seen this movie and it was called Flight (2012) with Denzel Washington. If it worked once it will work again, right? Will this be better than Flight?
I don't think this will be a bad movie, especially with the people involved, but we've seen this movie already.

Bridget Jones's Baby (September 16, 2016) 
I've never seen a Bridget Jones movies, and that streak will continue.

The Night of Mini-series Review

The Night of (2016)
Mini-series: 8 episodes (2016)

Written by: Richard Price, Steven Zaillian, Peter Moffat (based on the novel by)
Starring: John Turturro, Riz Ahmed, Michael K. Williams

Plot: 
This HBO mini-series features Nas (Riz Ahmed), a Pakistani-American, with no recollection of what happened the previous night, accused of murder. Jack Stone (John Turturro) is his lawyer.

Verdict:
The Night of is a solid slow burn. The first episode is simply amazing. While the rest of the show doesn't quite maintain that level of quality, it asks a lot of questions and provides a solid conclusion. It's a great show, but the first episode was really amazing.

It didn't quite live up to my expectations after the first episode. I thought it would explore the systemic racial problems a little harder, but it touches upon all aspects and lets you read between the lines. I can almost guarantee that if I watched this again, I'd have even fewer complaints. It doesn't spoon feed you anything.

I thought this was going to hit the police force hard, but it doesn't. It's a bleak look at how someone innocent can succumb to the horrors of prison. As Andy Dufresne said in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), he went to prison and become a criminal. This explores the plight of someone charged, but not convicted, in a detailed story. It's a harrowing and incredible look inside the justice system. It's only eight episodes long, and there won't be a second season. HBO is famous for it's quality and this is yet another occasion where they succeed spectacularly.
Watch it.


Review:
Check out my The Night of episode reviews!

The first episode felt a bit like the game Clue. I could pick out what would be evidence in future episodes, though there will be a few things you miss.

A silly decision to go to a party can turn into a lifelong mistake. Nas took his father's car, which happened to be a cab so that he could attend a party. What follows is calamity. It ends with him waking up in the apartment of a dead girl, his memory a blank.

Nas could have and should have made any number of decisions different from what he did, but in the moment, when confronted with a body and blood, you make terrible decisions. Nas does nearly everything wrong while trying to mitigate his involvement and escape the charges. His thought was self preservation, and since he had never been under this kind of stress, he buckles.

From college kid...

... to inmate.

The first episode creates an incredible amount of tension as Nas is in the police station, but no cops realize he's implicated in the murder.

As Detective Box tries to deceive him, I mean befriend him, you realize it's a charage. The detective wants a conviction, not a friend. The cops wants a conviction, Nas wants to escape or at least be declared innocent, and his lawyer, Stone, wants a pay day. No want wants to help Nas.
While he's been charged, he's supposed to be presumed innocent until his trial. His treatment is anything but cordial, unless the other person wants something from him. The main issue is the cops don't have time to linger. They have to quickly pick a suspect and begin gathering evidence to fit that story. When Box, in episode eight, casts a broader look at the case he finds details that lead him away from Nas.

A big shot lawyer swoops in, wanting to take the case for the publicity. Stone is a small time lawyer that wants his big time pay day. When Nas refuses to plea, the big shot lawyer doesn't want to waste her time on the case. She assigns a paralegal, Chandra, to work with Stone on it.

The judicial system has problems. It's clear that when a person is arrested, many people are affected. Nas's father owned the cab with two other men. Since this is a murder case, they will never get the cab back. Nas's parents pawn their belongings and work odd jobs to cover the costs. Nas's brother has to quit school to avoid the abuse.

Are the lawyers here for their client or for themselves?

While this explores Nas's lawyers too, it feels a bit contrived. Stone battles Eczema and a cat allergy throughout the season. The cat serves as an allegory for Nas and his situation. The cat's future is in limbo. Stone can't keep it due to his allergy, but the alternative is that it gets euthanized when it's not adopted.Chandra has a strange and unconvincing arc with Nas that compromises her future. It wasn't set up well, and it seemed crazy that she would risk everything on a case that she's expected to lose. Part of this is that the show doesn't do a good job of setting up the timeline. It can take a while before cases go to trial. If Chandra and Nas had spent more time together, or that was even implied, maybe  I could buy her poor decision but it still stretches credibility. You could cut out her part entirely and not lose much. Her arc adds some drama, but we don't need it. She's another example of how even lawyers are caught in the undertow.

Freddy is the king. If Nas is going to survive prison, it's through Freddy.

We don't know if Nas did it. We don't know what happened the night of. The show leaves it ambiguous, and you could easily argue both ways. While the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Nas did it, the defense provided a couple of credible alternatives.
What Nas did, isn't the issue. The show explores how the judicial system can often fail those stuck in it. Nas should be innocent until proven guilty, but that's not the case. he's thrown in jail with convicts. How is that treating him innocent? He's offered protection from another inmate and takes it because he wants to live. His life is in danger. He ends up becoming a drug mule in prison. To survive he has to risk his freedom.
We see him transform from a naive, wide eyed college kid to a cold, hardened man. Riz Ahmed does a great job in this. We see him become a shell of man sixty minutes at a time.
While the tattoos he gets seem almost silly, especially since they are visible on his hands and neck, it serves to reinforced the transformation. Nas is different, mentally and visibly. Even if he gets out of jail, nothing will ever be the same, not with his parents and not when he walks down the street. I could see him getting arrested due to the drub problem he developed in jail. He's been compromised.

Nas is left broken and the prosecution just moves on. Nas isn't reimbursed or compensated for what befell him. He has to live with the fact that even he doesn't know what happened that night.

Hush (2016)

Genre

Horror | Thriller

Director

Mike Flanagan

Country

USA

Cast

Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, Emilia Graves

Storyline

A deaf writer (Kate Siegel) who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer  (John Gallagher Jr.) appears at her window.

Opinion

A couple years ago Jennifer Kent surprised everyone with the outstanding "The Babadook", proving that horror films still have a future. Earlier this year it happened again with "10 Cloverfield Lane". But what are the chances of that happening twice in the same year? Not good considering how bad horror flicks usually are. They are not just plain dumb, but not scary as all.

Well, 2016 gotta be the lucky year because Mike Flanagan did it again with "Hush", this tense, gripping and clever horror film.

Yes, I just used clever and horror film in the same sentence, and the credits go to Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan -- aka Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel -- for writing the script to this film. Even though the story is basically identical to many films of the past, it is well executed and well paced. At no point it feels dragged, and although the ending is quite predictable, the film keeps you guessing until the end.

Something some viewers complained about is the fact that it's never explained why the "villain" does all the things he does. Personally, it didn't bother me a lot, but I have to admit that any kind of reason behind those acts would have made a more complex character.

That being said, not only Flanagan is able to make you care about the main character, a deaf writer, since the very beginning, but he is also able to make you feel what the character is going through.

Then of course there's Kate Siegel doing a great job in the leading role. With a character that has a lot to do, but nothing to say, she is very believable and she is quite impressive. Lastly there's John Gallagher Jr., who gives an impressive performance as the cold-blooded killer who is after Siegel's character.

PODCAST 219: Breeders & Harvest Lake [Sexy Monster Sex Edition]

This week the Horror Duo take on a pair of sex themed creature features. Forest shares his thoughts on Breeders, a film that is little more than a R-word peppered peep-show, and Cory reviews the thought provoking indie flick Harvest Lake, starring Ellie Church.

CONTINUE READING

New on Netflix for September

Netflix has a lot of new content for September, this is what I plan on checking out.

Narcos Season 2 (September 2, 2016) 
This Netflix original series recreates the tale of real life drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Season one covered a lot of ground and years, but season two will have to slow down unless it becomes historical fiction.

Luke Cage Season 1 (September 30, 2016) 
A Netflix and Marvel drama series in the universe of Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Luke Cage fights crime aided by super strength and impenetrable skin.

Easy Season 1 (September 22, 2016) 
This Netflix original is a comedy anthology that features guest stars Orlando Bloom, Malin Akerman, Marc Maron, Jake Johnson, Dave Franco, and Hannibal Buress.

Saving Private Ryan (September 1, 2016) 
Tom Hanks and Matt Damon star is this World War II movie about a detachment tasked with saving one soldier.

Jaws (September 1, 2016) 
Steven Spielberg's shark movie that scared everyone out of the water. The first one is the best one, but we're getting 1, 2, and 3 on Netflix.

Zootopia (September 20, 2016) 
A bit heavy handed for children, but it's an animated movie with a strong message geared for adults. (Read my review)

Top Gun (September 1, 2016) 
The Tom Cruise movie that caused a generation to call each other Goose and Maverick. Being a fighter pilot was cool, but being Tom Cruise and a fighter pilot? Who can fathom such awesomeness?

The Walking Dead Season 6 (September 15, 2016) 
Say what you will about this show, but it's my guilty pleasure. I even quit watching in season five, but came back to it when it hit Netflix. Bring on season 6!

Footloose (September 1, 2016) 
Kevin Bacon just wants to dance. Jon Lithgow forbids dancing in his small town, but Kevin Bacon twirls his way into the hearts of everyone. What's wrong with the '80s? This is a good place to begin the investigation.

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (September 1, 2016) 
Before The Matrix, before Alex Winter's star faded from the sky, there was a bogus journey man. I'm not saying it's good, I'm just saying I'm going to watch it.

The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom (2015-)
Season 1 - 8 Episodes (2015)

Watch The Last Kingdom on Netflix
Starring:  Alexander Dreymon, Ian Hart, David Dawson, Emily Cox
Rating: --/TV-MA

Plot: 
A BBC Two show based on The Saxon Stories novels by Bernard Cornwell. Netflix is producing a second season to be released in 2017.
Uhtred is an orphaned Saxon captured and raised by Viking Danes. Uhtred is forced to war against both the Vikings who want to kill him thinking he killed his Viking master who treated him like a son and the Saxons who want to end his bloodline and secure their own right to the throne.

Verdict
The first episode is spectacular. It tells the sweeping story of how Uhtred ended up a Vikings. The series a great recreation of the time period, and provides plenty of characters to love and hate as we watch Uhtred's attempt to becomea nobleman. He's accepted by neither Viking nor Saxon, yet wants to be the king of both. It's an underdog story that stands apart due to the setting and side characters. Netflix is producing the second season, and I'll be watching as soon as it's released.
Watch it.

Review
As much as I liked the first episode, I wondered if the following episodes would be as good. It's easy to nail the succinct introduction, but a more difficult job to continue the plot. I wasn't as impressed with the second and third episodes, but they are still good.

The fire that started it all.

Many recommendations praised this as a way to fill the Game of Thrones (2011-) (read my Season 6 review) void, also comparing it to Vikings (2013-). It's more like Vikings but easier to follow, and I enjoy it much more. It doesn't have the mammoth cast of Game of Thrones, and thus is a very different show. You don't need a spreadsheet for all the characters on the screen.

It's difficult to stand out with the breadth of television available. This is a very good show, but it doesn't make it into the great category, granted that is an elusive mark. This is still better than a lot of available options.

Alexander Dreymon doesn't feel as coarse as a Viking should. While that may be the point as he is a Saxon, I can't shake the feeling that he's not quite right for the part. As the season progressed I liked him more. It could be character development or just getting used to him. Emily Cox is believable as Brida, though early on I hoped the show would give her more space to be more than just a sidekick, but unfortunately we see even less of her as the season progresses.

As soon as Uhtred was captured as a child, I predicted we would see his rise to power. That's his attempt at least. This has a great premise. It's fun to root for the underdog, and the production values are top notch. The first episode showcases great editing when Uhtred is pushed into the river as a boy and emerges as a man.

Uhtred tries to play both sides in his bid to reclaim his birthright, but no one trusts him. We want Uhtred to succeed. We know he's a man of his word, but King Alfred who doubts him is a hypocrite himself. It should be no surprise when Alfred breaks his word to Uhtred.
Uhtred still considers Young Ragnar his brother, but the show never plays this connection up. A couple of times Ragnar helps Uhtred, but it just seems like plot contrivance rather than devotion to a brother.

While Uhtred is the protagonist, he's one of the least interesting characters, part of that is due to his focus on becoming a king. This will change later, though it doesn't make him more likable. For much of the season he's just the typical braggart viking. Some amount of vulnerability would help expand on the character.

The story is fairly typical, but told well. A good supporting cast really helps set it apart.

King Alfred watches the fight.

Uhtred is on the verge of earning Alfred's trust when one of Alfred's men, Odda takes credit for Uhtred's battle prowess, claiming the victory as his own. Uhtred flies off the handle, as Viking do, and lands himself in trouble with the king. Even I was annoyed and aggravated at the slight by the king. Not only that but the king makes him grovel for forgiveness. I am surprised that despite all the men that saw Uhtred fight, no one spoke up. This is while Uhtred is at the feet of Alfred, who should be seeking penance of his own. I was ready for Uhtred to kill Alfred, but that's the point. Those in power don't always deserve the power.

Leofric and Uhtred

Episode five starts the lead up to the finale. Leofric and Uhtred gather a band of men and dress as Vikings to start raiding nearby towns. Uhtred is upset that he didn't get the spoils of victory since he single handedly won the battle.
Uhtred's wife, an arranged marriage by Alfred, sees that despite his tenderness Uhtred is still a viking. He's not going to change.

Alfred puts Odda in charge of investigating Uhtred and the raids. This just seemed contrived. Alfred should realize that Odda is a sniveling jerk. Is Alfred that oblivious? Odda was the would be king whose father passed him over for Alfred. We know Odda is jealous of Uhtred for his wife and the position of power he's assumed despite being a viking.

The Saxons and the Viking Danes face off.

The last episode is the big battle finale against the sinister viking Scorpa.  It delivers an epic fight and impressive moments. It isn't on the level of Game of Thrones season 6, but what is?

The Last Kingdom is the classic underdog story with a viking setting. With Netflix taking over season two,  I don't know if the writers and producers will return or the staff will be new. Season two has a lot of potential, but it could also become a mess.

TERMINATOR 2 Finally Getting That James Cameron 3D Conversion?

Looks like it! 2017 Release!! The official TERMINATOR 2 Facebook page posted an awesome new poster for the 3D conversion and because Cameron is involved with it, you know it will be done CORRECTLY. About $6 to 7 million dollars for the effort probably.

Here's what the T2 Facebook posted: "August 29th 1997: The day Skynet first became self aware. August 29th 2016: the day you first saw the brand new poster for Terminator 2 in 3D. Coming to theaters in 2017."

I'm very excited to see this on the big screen. I can think of so many scenes where 3D is just going to amplify the experience so much! More when I get it.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Genre

Drama

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson

Country

USA

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciaran Hinds, Dillon Freasier, Russell Harvard, Sydney McCallister, Colleen Foy, David Willis, Hans Howes, Paul F. Tompkins, Jim Downey, David Warshofsky, Barry Del Sherman

Storyline

Oil prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) travels to Little Boston, California, where he buys lands. Not everyone is pleased to see him though and tension builds between Daniel and the local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano).

Opinion

If it wasn't for Daniel Day-Lewis winning an Oscar for his performance, I would have never watched this film. I don't have a problem with PT Anderson or anything, it's just that the plot isn't much appealing to me. And I would have lost, yes, a quite negative, terrifying, and flawed film, but a beautiful one as well.

"There Will Be Blood" is the story of a man, his greed, and his thirst for money, and at the same time it's a story of war, not between two nations, but between the previously mentioned man and a two-faced, power-hungry preacher.

Which unfortunately brings to a part of the film that isn't perfectly oiled, religion and its impact onto the plot. Even though the film doesn't have a real plot, it's hard to understand how religion works in there. Sure, the film attacks the hypocrisy of religion, but some religion-related events happen but they don't have any real effect on the story. 

Another weak part is the long-lost brother subplot. It doesn't add anything to the film, it just elongates the running time a bit. It can be easily removed from the film without any real loss. 

Anyway, the film manages to outline wonderfully the decline of Daniel Plainview's morals, even though seeing the consequences and impact of his declining morals on other would have been interesting. 

Technically speaking, there's nothing to say. Paul Thomas Anderson does a wonderful job directing this, showing both the rise to power and self-destruction of a man, and the oil fields. He also gives us a beautifully shot film that wonderfully shows the wickedness of man. And since I mentioned it, the cinematography is truly beautiful, the shots, the lighting, the camera movements. All of it.

And of course there's Daniel Day-Lewis's performance. With an intense, Oscar worthy performance, he captures the power of greed, insanity and fear and really brings to life the character, a character that could have easily been uninteresting if wrongly portrayed. But let's not forget about the amazing performance Paul Dano gives as the preacher. 

No Country for Old Men Movie Review

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Written by: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (screenplay), Cormac McCarthy (novel)
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel CoenStarring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt
Rated: R

A hunter stumbles across a drug deal gone wrong.

David Cross: Making America Great Again! Netflix Movie Review

David Cross: Making America Great Again! (2016)
Comedy Special


Starring: David Cross
Rating:--/TV-MA

This Netflix comedy special features David Cross at a stand-up tour stop in Texas.

Lethal Weapon 2 Movie Review

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Written by: Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), Shane Black & Warren Murphy (story), Shane Black (characters)
Directed by: Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci
Rated: R

Murtaugh and Riggs are back tracking criminals hiding behind diplomatic immunity.

Back to the Future II Movie Review

Back to Future II (1989)

Written by: Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (characters), Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (story), Bob Gale(screenplay)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson, Elizabeth Shue
Rated: PG

Marty travels to 2015 and must go back to 1955 to fix the future... again.