THE STANDOUTS (21) - This should go without saying, but these are all must-sees.
Stronger ****
The Big Sick ****
Call Me by Your Name ****
Patti Cake$ ***1/2
Logan ***1/2
Spielberg (HBO) ***1/2
War for the Planet of the Apes ***1/2
The Disaster Artist ***
I, Tonya ***
The Killing of a Sacred Deer ***
The Florida Project ***
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ***
Shot Caller ***
In the Fade ***
Girls Trip ***
Get Out ***
The Ardennes ***
Ingrid Goes West ***
Dunkirk ***
Beach Rats ***
Score: A Film Music Documentary ***
THE GOOD (48) - These represent quality filmmaking all-around.
The Shape of Water ***
Phantom Thread ***
Last Flag Flying ***
Borg/McEnroe ***
All the Money in the World ***
Lady Bird ***
Molly's Game ***
Mudbound ***
First They Killed My Father ***
Wind River ***
Brad's Status ***
Super Dark Times ***
Disgraced (Showtime) ***
John Wick: Chapter 2 ***
Bodied ***
Brawl in Cell Block 99 ***
Oklahoma City ***
Crown Heights ***
Aftermath ***
Logan Lucky ***
Alien: Covenant ***
Spider-Man: Homecoming ***
Wonder Woman ***
The Survivalist ***
Killing Ground ***
The Trip to Spain ***
The Meyerowitz Stories ***
My Friend Dahmer ***
Better Watch Out ***
The Beguiled ***
Sweet Virginia ***
The Girl With All the Gifts ***
Chuck ***
Tramps ***
Icarus ***
Nobody Speak: Trials of a Free Press ***
Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond ***
The Work ***
Mean Dreams ***
Tilt ***
American Assassin **1/2
Win It All **1/2
Handsome: A Netflix Murder Mystery **1/2
Burning Sands **1/2
Downrange **1/2
Creep 2 **1/2
Voyeur **1/2
Casting JonBenet **1/2
THE GOOD... BUT SHOULD'VE BEEN BETTERS (35) - Why weren't these good movies better? I don't really know. But they should've been. Hence, the name of this section.
The Post ***
Coco ***
Only the Brave ***
Darkest Hour ***
American Made ***
Chappaquiddick ***
Baby Driver ***
Good Time ***
The Wall ***
Life ***
The Wizard of Lies (HBO) ***
Lady Macbeth ***
Brigsby Bear ***
The Lost City of Z ***
Hostiles ***
Battle of the Sexes ***
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer ***
Okja **1/2
Thoroughbreds **1/2
Star Wars: The Last Jedi **1/2
Marshall **1/2
Roman J. Israel, Esq. **1/2
Atomic Blonde **1/2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 **1/2
Thor: Ragnarok **1/2
Ghost In the Shell **1/2
Hounds of Love **1/2
Thank You for Your Service **1/2
T2: Trainspotting **1/2
Sweet Virginia **1/2
Wilson **1/2
Landline **1/2
I Love You, Daddy **1/2
Table 19 **1/2
Beatriz at Dinner **
THE GUILTY PLEASURES (20) - These are movies that I shouldn't like but I do, for one reason or another. I only feel ashamed because the Internet tells me I'm supposed to.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ***
What Happened to Monday? ***
Rough Night ***
Sleepless **1/2
Vincent N Roxxy **1/2
Snatched **1/2
Baywatch **1/2
Fist Fight **1/2
The House **1/2
CHiPS **1/2
All Nighter **1/2
Wolves **1/2
The Babysitter **1/2
Leatherface **1/2
Cult of Chucky **1/2
Shimmer Lake **1/2
5-25-77 **1/2
Vengeance: A Love Story **1/2
Stray Bullets **1/2
Sandy Wexler **
THE UNDERWHELMING DISAPPOINTMENTS (40) - Chalk it up to expectations but these movies just didn't cut it for me.
It **1/2
The Square **1/2
Blade Runner 2049 **1/2
Valerian **1/2
Kingsman: The Golden Circle **1/2
The Greatest Showman **1/2
Gemini **1/2
Wheelman **1/2
Jigsaw **1/2
It Comes at Night **1/2
Thelma **1/2
Sand Castle **1/2
Personal Shopper **
Suburbicon **
Kong: Skull Island **
Bright **
The Fate of the Furious **
A Ghost Story **
Unforgettable **
Detour **
War on Everyone **
Death Note **
Happy Death Day **
Mindhorn **
Downsizing **
Small Crimes **
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore **
Let Me Make You a Martyr **
Take Me **
The Assignment **
The Void **
Murder on the Orient Express **
Daddy's Home 2 **
Geostorm *1/2
Transformers: The Last Knight *1/2
Justice League *1/2
Nerdland *1/2
Rupture *1/2
Hangman *1/2
Stratton *1/2
THE BAD (16) - For better or worse, I just don't know what these movies were thinking.
Detroit *1/2
Nocturama *1/2
mother! *1/2
The Bad Batch *1/2
A Cure for Wellness *1/2
War Machine *1/2
The Snowman *
The Mummy *
The Dinner *
The Circle *
Mine *
XX *
Girlfriend's Day *
The Bye Bye Man 1/2*
The Endless 1/2*
Killing Gunther 1/2*
IN PROGRESS (4) - I started watching these but I never quite finished. Make of that what you will.
The Hitman's Bodyguard (45 minutes)
Mom and Dad (45 minutes)
Little Evil (45 minutes)
Fifty Shades Darker (20 minutes)
EMBARGOED (1) - Silence is golden... for now.
Midnighters
OOPS, I MISSED (152): 2:22, 3 Generations, 6 Days, 9/11, 1922, 24 Hours to Live, 47 Meters Down, 68 Kill, 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene, Abattoir, Abundant Acreage Available, All Eyez on Me, All I See Is You, American Anarchist, Amityville: The Awakening, Annabelle: Creation, The Bachelors, A Bad Moms Christmas, Band Aid, Battlecreek, Beauty and the Beast, Before I Fall, Berlin Syndrome, Birth of the Dragon, Bitch, Blind, The Book of Henry, Born in China, The Boss Baby, BPM (Beats Per Minute), Breathe, Brimstone and Glory, Burden, Bushwick, Buster's Mal Heart, California Typewriter, Captain Underpants, Cars 3, Catfight, Churchill, City of Ghosts, Collide, Columbus, The Dark Tower, Dealt, Dean, Deidra and Laney Rob a Train, Despicable Me 3, A Dog's Purpose, Donald Cried, The Drowning, The Emoji Movie, The Exception, Everything Everything, Faces Places, A Fantastic Woman, Father Figures, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, Flatliners, Folk Hero and Funny Guy, The Force, The Foreigner, Frank Serpico, Friend Request, Fun Mom Dinner, Gifted, The Glass Castle, Going in Style, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Gook, Graduation, The Great Wall, Happy End, The Hero, Hollow In the Land, How to Be a Latin Lover, The Hunter's Prayer, I Am Heath Ledger, I Daniel Blake, I Do... Until I Don't, The Institute, Jackals, Jungle, Just Getting Started, Keep Watching, Kidnap, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Last Word, Lavender, The Layover, LBJ, The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, Lemon, The Limehouse Golem, The Little Hours, Long Strange Trip, Loveless, The Lovers, Lovesong, Lowriders, Lucky, The Lure, Man Down, Marjorie Prime, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, Maudie, Mayhem, Megan Leavey, Menashe, The Most Hated Woman in America, The Mountain Between Us, My Cousin Rachel, My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, November Criminals, Novitiate, The Only Living Boy in New York, Opening Night, Person to Person, Phoenix Forgotten, Pilgrimage, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Pitch Perfect 3, Power Rangers, A Quiet Passion, Rebel in the Rye, Rings, The Salesman, The Secret Scripture, The Shack, Some Freaks, Song to Song, The Space Between Us, Temple, Their Finest, The Ticket, Tragedy Girls, Transfiguration, Trespass Against Us, Tribes of Palos Verdes, Trophy, Tulip Fever, Una, A United Kingdom, The Vault, Victoria and Abdul, The Villainess, Wakefield, The Wilde Wedding, Wish Upon, Wonder, Wonderstruck, Wonder Wheel, Woodshock, You Get Me
COMING SOON (0):
Sunday, 31 December 2017
The End of the F**king World Season 1 Netflix Series Trailer
The End of the F**king World (2018-)
Season 1 - 8 episodes (2018)
The End of the F**king World premieres on January 5
Based on the award-winning series of comic books by Charles Forsman, this explores the dark and confusing lives of teen outsiders James (Alex Lawther – Black Mirror, The Imitation Game) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden – The Lobster, Ellen, Penny Dreadful) as they embark on a road trip to find Alyssa’s father, who left home when she was a child.
Images from the trailer:
Season 1 - 8 episodes (2018)
The End of the F**king World premieres on January 5
Based on the award-winning series of comic books by Charles Forsman, this explores the dark and confusing lives of teen outsiders James (Alex Lawther – Black Mirror, The Imitation Game) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden – The Lobster, Ellen, Penny Dreadful) as they embark on a road trip to find Alyssa’s father, who left home when she was a child.
Images from the trailer:
Movies I Watched in December
I NEVER thought I'd say this but... I have a thing for Robert Ryan now. It started last month with Tender Comrade and has continued this month with me watching whatever movies of his I could get my hands on. I also discovered there is a shameful lack of Robert Ryan gifs out there. I'm going to have to fix that...
Also this month I watched, you guessed it, Christmas movies. I didn't watch some of the ones I usually watch - Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop's Wife - as it literally felt like I had just watched them. Some were not classic Christmas films but set at Christmas (Susan Slept Here, Period of Adjustment).
- Anne of Green Gables (1934) - Anne Shirley, Tom Brown
- A Slight Case of Murder (1938) - Edward G. Robinson
- Golden Boy (1939) - William Holden & Barbara Stanwyck, Adolph Menjou, Lee J. Cobb
- *Meet John Doe (1941) - Gary Cooper & Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan
- Manpower (1941) - Edward G. Robinson & Marlene Dietrich, George Raft
- Dressed to Kill (1941) - Lloyd Nolan
- Rage in Heaven (1941) - Robert Montgomery & Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders
- One Foot in Heaven (1941) - Fredric March & Martha Scott
- The Constant Nymph (1943) - Joan Fontaine & Charles Boyer
- Marriage is a Private Affair (1944) - Lana Turner & John Hodiak, James Craig
- Action in Arabia (1944) - George Sanders, Virginia Bruce
- *Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan, S.Z. Sakall
- Homecoming (1948) - Clark Gable & Lana Turner, John Hodiak, Anne Baxter
- Berlin Express (1948) - Robert Ryan & Merle Oberon
- Act of Violence (1949) - Van Heflin & Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Mary Astor, Phyllis Thaxter
- The Breaking Point (1950) - John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter
- Three Little Words (1950) - Fred Astaire & Vera-Ellen, Red Skelton, Arlene Dahl
- I'll See You in My Dreams (1951) - Doris Day & Danny Thomas
- Duchess of Idaho (1951) - Esther Williams & Van Johnson
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe
- Lovely to Look At (1952) - Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton, Marge & Gower Champion, Howard Keel, Ann Miller
- The Naked Spur (1953) - James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker
- Dream Wife (1953) - Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr
- Pushover (1954) - Fred MacMurray & Kim Novak, Dorothy Malone
- *White Christmas (1954) - Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes
- Susan Slept Here (1954) - Dick Powell & Debbie Reynolds
- *Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) - Clifton Webb & Dorothy McGuire, Louis Jourdan & Maggie McNamara, Rossano Brazzi & Jean Peters
- Betrayed (1954) - Clark Gable & Lana Turner, Victor Mature
- The Last Voyage (1960) - Robert Stack & Dorothy Malone, George Sanders
- Period of Adjustment (1962) - Jane Fonda & Jim Hutton, Anthony Franciosa
- *Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) - Alan Young
- *Elf (2003) - Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner
- Psych: The Movie (TV Movie-2017) - James Roday, Dule Hill, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, Zachary Levi
Favorite Movie: There were lots of movies I really enjoyed this month but my favorite performance by far was Danny Thomas in I'll See You in My Dreams. I was so excited that TCM aired it this month as I read Thomas's autobiography recently and really wanted to see it after reading his memories of the film. He was adorable in it and I learned that his character Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics to a couple of my favorite songs. I'll leave you with this scene.
"It Had to Be You"
THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 7: KAIJU CHRISTMAS
Some things have to be posted simply because they exist. Such is the case with the Kaiju Christmas song...
Yeah, I have no idea what he's saying. Fortunately, we live in the Internet era, so it doesn't take much effort to look up a translation for the lyrics listed in the liner notes. Here's one courtesy of MyKaiju.
Go-Go-Gojira Santa Claus! Looking good with a red hat
Full of gifts! With Minilla too! Look! Look! Hear the sound of bells!
La la la la la la! A present!
With a white beard and shaking smile
La la la la la la! A ringing bell!
Everyone sing, Christmas!
Mo-Mo-Mothra is a flying bird! Coming from a distant land!
(Line not translated)
(Line not translated)
La la la la la la! A present!
The monsters' hearts are bouncing
La la la la la la! A ringing Bell!
Snow is falling! Christmas! Snow is falling! Christmas!
Hmm, that seems a little sketchy in places. There's even one line they either overlooked or couldn't figure out. Maybe we should give Google Translate a shot at it.
Go-Go-Gojira! Santa's red hat suits you well
Souvenirs filled with Minilla The sound of a bell that can hear this
La la la la la la! A present!
White beard also shakes
La la la la la la! A ringing bell!
Let's sing together every Christmas
Mo-Mo-Mothra is a flying bird from a distant country
Dance with your hands tightly and sad tears blown away
La la la la la la! A present!
The hearts of monsters also bounce
La la la la la la! A ringing Bell!
Christmas falling snowing Christmas falling snowing Christmas!
Alrighty then. Either way, it doesn't look like we're getting it absolutely right. And this is translating something from a language that over 125 million people use every single day. No wonder we're constantly seeing new translations of the Bible coming out. After all, the Scriptures were written in ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek, none of which are in common use anymore. It's a miracle we can piece together decent modern translations at all, much less agree on what the original authors were trying to say. If only there had been put in place some final authority to settle matters when disputes over the Bible arose. Oh, wait...
Happy Feet Two (2011)
Happy Feet was an okay film but enjoyable enough for me to watch it whenever it was on TV. I never cared for Happy Feet Two because what could it possibly have that the original movie didn't? Nothing, that's what.
Mumbo (Elijah Wood), the dancing penguin, has a new problem: his tiny reluctant-to-dance son Erik (Ava Acres) runs away because he doesn't seem to be able to find his talent and encounters The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria), a penguin who can fly. As if having to compete with this charismatic role model wasn't enough, the world is shaken by powerful forces and Mumbo must save the penguin nation.
Or at least that's what I understood because the plot is an absolute mess. Part of it is exactly the same as the first film, the rest is just a weird collection of short stories. There are indeed way too many subplots in this film that have no relevance whatsoever to the main plot. It's as if the writers didn't how what they wanted the film to be about so they put together a bunch of boring stories and call it a day.
But I'm not quite sure that's the worst thing about Happy Feet Two. The characters are just as bad, if not even worse. Way too many characters are introduced without being given a proper characterization or development, and since most of them are penguins, and they all look alike! It's not like the other characters are any better though. Also, they aren't that likeable -- some are very annoying and creepy to be honest, like those shrimps -- and I couldn't care less about any of them.
 |
| Warner Bros. Pictures, Roadshow Entertainment |
Another problem with this is the musical numbers. They are all over the place! Whatever happens, they sing and dance and it's annoying because not a single one of them is good. They all are mediocre to say the least. Most of the songs are amazing though, but the musical numbers still were unbearable.
The only improvement over its predecessor is the animation. With a seven-year gap, it was nearly impossible though. Anyway, other than the fact that there isn't much creativity with the penguin designs, overall the animation is beautiful.
Saturday, 30 December 2017
Best and Worst Movies 2017
Best Movies 2017
Best:
- Atonement
- La Bell et la Bete
- The Ice Storm
- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
- Sully
- Children of Men
- The Godfather
- Werckmeister Harmonies
- Hacksaw Ridge
- Moonlight
- Silence
- Lone Star
- The LEGO Batman Movie
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Snowden
- Blade Runner
- Blade Runner 2049
- Star Wars: Episode V
- Coco
- Coin Heist
- The Girl on the Train
- Sleepless
- Lucid Dream
- The Leisure Class
- Naked
- The Comedian
Best TV 2017
NOT THE LAST ARGUMENT ABOUT THE LAST JEDI: MY RESPONSE TO BISHOP ROBERT BARRON'S REVIEW
WARNING: This piece contains spoilers for The Last Jedi.
Image nabbed from YouTube
Bishop Robert Barron is a theological expert, intellectual giant, and heir apparent to the Catholic media crown of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He is not someone I care to disagree with, certainly not publicly. That being said, I have to sort of, kind of take issue with his review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. His article is well worth reading in its entirety, but his general conclusion can be summed up in this excerpt...
"The mythic and archetypal dimensions are all but overwhelmed by an aggressively feminist ideology. The overriding preoccupation of the makers of the most recent Star Wars seems to be, not the hero’s spiritual journey, but the elevation of the all-conquering female. Every male character in The Last Jedi is either bumbling, incompetent, arrogant, or morally compromised; and every female character is wise, good, prudent, and courageous."
Yeah, let's talk about that. To begin with, I'm not going to contest the existence in Hollywood of a mindset that would like nothing more than to do away with any portrayal of what it sees as "toxic masculinity." My own parish priest once told me over dinner that he believes it started with Alan Alda's character in M.A.S.H. and he would brook no argument otherwise :) Whether or not that's actually when it began, it's a fact that such an anti-male movement is at work in some corners of Tinseltown. Not every corner, but some.
I'm also not going to argue that Bishop Barron shouldn't have interpreted the movie in the way he did. A film is a collaborative work of art, and each person viewing it may construe what they saw differently. That's how art works. So, if it's His Excellency's takeaway that The Last Jedi was a feminist screed, so be it. What I am going to do, though, is give a couple of reasons why I disagree with such an interpretation.
Reason one is that Star Wars: The Last Jedi is not a stand-alone film. If it existed in a vacuum, I might be more sympathetic to the Bishop's read. However, Star Wars has been around for forty years, and during that time I've seen plenty of guys save the universe. In fact, if you take all of the characters into account, the franchise has been something of a sausage party. Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Mace, Yoda; they've all had their time in the spotlight. So the ladies get to shine in a couple of films while the guys play second banana. Big deal. Nothing Rey does takes away from what all the men did before her. And it won't take away from all the men who come later. Star Wars is going to be around for awhile, probably longer than I will. I'm sure another man or two will get to be the main hero at some point.
Speaking of Rey, that brings us to my other reason. While many who watched The Force Awakens pegged her as something of an insufferable Mary Sue, The Last Jedi actually explains Rey's seeming invincibility. Hint, it's not because she's a girl. Perhaps this is the part where the good Bishop fell asleep, as he admits to doing, but at one point Snoke reveals that as Kylo Ren grew to power in the Dark Side, the Force itself chose someone to bring to prominence in the Light. Why exactly it chose Rey isn't given, but absolutely nowhere is it hinted it's because she is female. By all appearances, she's simply the right person in the right place that the Force can use to accomplish what needs to be done, as long as she's open to it.
As a Christian, I kind of like that. It's actually nice that Rey is a nobody, as the movie goes to great pains to point out again and again. She's just a girl from humble origins whom the guiding force in the Star Wars universe has chosen to bestow its graces. There are plenty of times in the past two films in which Rey is about to have her butt handed to her, but then she surrenders to the Force in a kind of "let it be done unto me" sort of way, and the Force sees her through. It's nothing inherent in her gender that makes Rey so powerful, it's the Force working through her. There's a good Christian lesson in there for both women and men alike if they want to think about it.
I could go on, but I've blathered on enough to make my point. While I can understand Bishop Barron's take on The Last Jedi, I just can't agree with it. But that's always been part of the fun of being into movies. You watch'em, you argue about'em, then you start over again with the next one. And considering how much money The Last Jedi is raking in, there will definitely be a next one. And a next one after that. Happy arguing, everyone!
THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 6: A STRANGER THINGS CHRISTMAS
Of course I watch Stranger Things. Was there ever any doubt? I am, after all, the poster boy for the show's demographic. And, yes, I still watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. It remains a thing of singular beauty in an increasingly ugly world. So, when I saw there was a mix-up of the two, well, all I could say is... sign me up!
I have to admit, Thirteen has a point. Eggos are pretty much the answer to a lot of problems. Sure, there are the rare instances when the golden goodness of a waffle just isn't enough, and when those moments arise, it is good to have someone around who really loves you to help you get through it all. Still, waffles are pretty darn good.
You know, like almost everything else in the modern world, the Catholic Church had a hand in the creation of waffles. The ancient Greeks are the ones who first started roasting thin cakes between two heated pans, but it wasn't until the Church got involved that their popularity really took off. Called oublies, medieval waffles were basically over-sized communion wafers (unconsecrated, of course). Made from the same ingredients as hosts, these grilled goodies were often decorated with religious imagery and served after meals as a form of symbolic blessing.
Eventually, the Church gave permission for people to make their own oublies, and that's when butter, cream, and spices began being introduced into the recipe. Non-Church oublies, or wafels as they came to be known, also didn't need to be unleavened, so they began to get a bit thicker. And then the Dutch got involved in the 15th Century, started using square pans, and voilà ... Eggos. Okay, so it actually took a little bit more time to reach Thirteen's favorite frozen food, but the basics were there.
So, the next time you're overcome by greed and gluttony and feel the compulsion to shout "Leggo my Eggo!", maybe you should consider the waffle's holy origin and decide to share instead. That's what a friend would do.
You know, like almost everything else in the modern world, the Catholic Church had a hand in the creation of waffles. The ancient Greeks are the ones who first started roasting thin cakes between two heated pans, but it wasn't until the Church got involved that their popularity really took off. Called oublies, medieval waffles were basically over-sized communion wafers (unconsecrated, of course). Made from the same ingredients as hosts, these grilled goodies were often decorated with religious imagery and served after meals as a form of symbolic blessing.
Eventually, the Church gave permission for people to make their own oublies, and that's when butter, cream, and spices began being introduced into the recipe. Non-Church oublies, or wafels as they came to be known, also didn't need to be unleavened, so they began to get a bit thicker. And then the Dutch got involved in the 15th Century, started using square pans, and voilà ... Eggos. Okay, so it actually took a little bit more time to reach Thirteen's favorite frozen food, but the basics were there.
So, the next time you're overcome by greed and gluttony and feel the compulsion to shout "Leggo my Eggo!", maybe you should consider the waffle's holy origin and decide to share instead. That's what a friend would do.
Snowpiercer (2013)
I remember watching Snowpiercer when it came out because of Chris Evans and honestly, I was expecting a pretty bad and stupid-ish film. Instead, I found myself watching a very smart, thrilling and entertaining film. I've watched it again, years later, and my opinion hasn't changed a bit.
Bong Joon-ho's film (the director of Netflix's Okja) is set in a future where a climate-change experiment brought another Ice Age. The only survivors live on a train hurtling around the globe. But not everyone is equal on that train. There are indeed first class and low-class citizens and Curtis (Chris Evans), the leader of low-class citizens, is determined to get to the front of the train and spread the wealth around.
The story, based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, is rather simple and illogical -- there's no explanation whatsoever for the majority of the events and there's some pretty ugly shit going on (Curtis is disgusted when he finds out that the protein bars they've been fed with are made out of insects but it was totally okay for him to eat humans) -- and it has (too) many plot holes and still, it has a nice twist and it's interesting and engaging throughout.
I didn't care much for the plot anyway to be honest because what's important here, like in any respectable dystopian work, whether it's a novel or a movie, is the social commentary made, and Snowpiercer is great at doing that. The film is indeed a wonderful portrayal of the society we live in and a criticism of our capitalistic society. It shows the huge gap between rich and poor. While the first is partying, eating sushi and doing drugs, just for fun, the latter is starving and a victim of abuses, violence and oppression.
Another important aspect of this film is the characters. While there are way too many of them, they are quite stereotyped and the rich ones are pretty ridiculous, the film takes the time it needs to explore their suffering and hunger. The characters themselves aren't particularly memorable but the performances of the actors make them stand out. Evans gives a solid performance as Curtis, the hero who doubts himself (yeah, I know, so clichéd) and makes you like the characters in spite of everything. Octavia Spencer also gives a good performance as Tanya, a mother searching for her missing child and so do John Hurt as Gilliam, a semi-disabled wise man who is helping Curtis, and Ed Harris as Wilford, the guy who invented the train and who is pretty much the big brother figure in this. However, Tilda Swinton is the one standing out. She is unrecognizable in the role of a cruel authoritarian Nazi-like figure and she gives a terrific performance.
There was something I didn't like about Snowpiercer though, the violence. I know violence is the ABC of Korean movies and I'm not complaining about that. I'm just saying that it's a little too over-the-top here, there's really nothing new and I believe a different director, Tarantino to name one, could have handled it better. Also, the action sequences aren't very well filmed, but the effects and visuals are pretty good.
The story, based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, is rather simple and illogical -- there's no explanation whatsoever for the majority of the events and there's some pretty ugly shit going on (Curtis is disgusted when he finds out that the protein bars they've been fed with are made out of insects but it was totally okay for him to eat humans) -- and it has (too) many plot holes and still, it has a nice twist and it's interesting and engaging throughout.
I didn't care much for the plot anyway to be honest because what's important here, like in any respectable dystopian work, whether it's a novel or a movie, is the social commentary made, and Snowpiercer is great at doing that. The film is indeed a wonderful portrayal of the society we live in and a criticism of our capitalistic society. It shows the huge gap between rich and poor. While the first is partying, eating sushi and doing drugs, just for fun, the latter is starving and a victim of abuses, violence and oppression.
 |
| CJ Entertainment, RADiUS-TWC |
There was something I didn't like about Snowpiercer though, the violence. I know violence is the ABC of Korean movies and I'm not complaining about that. I'm just saying that it's a little too over-the-top here, there's really nothing new and I believe a different director, Tarantino to name one, could have handled it better. Also, the action sequences aren't very well filmed, but the effects and visuals are pretty good.
Friday, 29 December 2017
Best & Worst Movies 2017 Year-End Review
Best & Worst of 2017
I posted so many movie reviews I lost count. There was one week where I watched twelve movies.
Check out my previous reviews!
I watched two-hundred and forty seven movies this year. Here are my top 19 and bottom 7 picks for the year. This is based simply on the movies I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.
I frequently forget to catalog the best scenes, but The Conjuring 2 nun scene stands out.
The Top 19 of 2017:
Atonement (2007)
Rent Atonement on Amazon Video
Written by: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Juno Temple, Brenda Blethyn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfie Allen,
Rated: R
Plot
Thirteen year Briony changes the course of several lives when she falsely accuses the son of her family's servant and her sister's lover of rape.
Verdict
This is one of those movies that does everything right. It's an incredible movie, everything one should be. It tells a sweeping story that makes you feel something, while being completely engrossing and deserving of all praise. It's bleak and depressing but powerful, aided by brilliant cinematography. Each frame, each shot is framed with purpose.
It's the opposite of a romance movie, in this two lovers are continually separated while Briony lives with the guilt of one fateful decision.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
La Belle et la Bête
Rent Beauty and the Beast on Amazon VideoWritten by: Jean Cocteau (dialogue & screenplay & story), Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Directed by: Jean Cocteau, René Clément (uncredited)
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély
Rated: --
Plot
A young woman is kept prisoner by a mysterious beast that wants to marry her.
Verdict
This may be the best example of a fairy tale translated to a live action film. It's a beautiful black and white film that's well made despite the low budget and social unrest of the time.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Rent The Ice Storm on Amazon VideoWritten by: Rick Moody (novel), James Schamus
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood
Rated: R
Plot
Set in the 1970s, two dysfunctional upper-class Connecticut families escape their lives through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
Verdict
While it's a dour movie, it captures people phenomenally well. Great direction and writing draw parallels between adults and children. They're both trapped, searching for an escape. The difference is that adults don't have anyone to admonish them. This has a distinct charm and great imagery set against an incoming ice storm. Why can't these characters find happiness?
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Rent The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp on Amazon VideoWritten by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Starring: Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook
Rated:--
Plot
The story of Major-General Clive Wynne-Candy as he rises up the ranks of the British military.
Verdict
It's an amazing movie, indeed a classic. We start with a blustery old general and the movie shows us how he became as such through his military service, friendships, and loves. It's quite a transformation that brings the movie full circle. It's a sprawling and sentimental story featuring great acting and direction. This is how you tell a story.
Sully (2016)
I posted so many movie reviews I lost count. There was one week where I watched twelve movies.
Check out my previous reviews!
I watched two-hundred and forty seven movies this year. Here are my top 19 and bottom 7 picks for the year. This is based simply on the movies I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.
I frequently forget to catalog the best scenes, but The Conjuring 2 nun scene stands out.
The Top 19 of 2017:
Atonement (2007)
Written by: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Juno Temple, Brenda Blethyn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfie Allen,
Rated: R
Plot
Thirteen year Briony changes the course of several lives when she falsely accuses the son of her family's servant and her sister's lover of rape.
Verdict
This is one of those movies that does everything right. It's an incredible movie, everything one should be. It tells a sweeping story that makes you feel something, while being completely engrossing and deserving of all praise. It's bleak and depressing but powerful, aided by brilliant cinematography. Each frame, each shot is framed with purpose.
It's the opposite of a romance movie, in this two lovers are continually separated while Briony lives with the guilt of one fateful decision.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
La Belle et la Bête
Directed by: Jean Cocteau, René Clément (uncredited)
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély
Rated: --
Plot
A young woman is kept prisoner by a mysterious beast that wants to marry her.
Verdict
This may be the best example of a fairy tale translated to a live action film. It's a beautiful black and white film that's well made despite the low budget and social unrest of the time.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood
Rated: R
Plot
Set in the 1970s, two dysfunctional upper-class Connecticut families escape their lives through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
Verdict
While it's a dour movie, it captures people phenomenally well. Great direction and writing draw parallels between adults and children. They're both trapped, searching for an escape. The difference is that adults don't have anyone to admonish them. This has a distinct charm and great imagery set against an incoming ice storm. Why can't these characters find happiness?
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Starring: Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook
Rated:--
Plot
The story of Major-General Clive Wynne-Candy as he rises up the ranks of the British military.
Verdict
It's an amazing movie, indeed a classic. We start with a blustery old general and the movie shows us how he became as such through his military service, friendships, and loves. It's quite a transformation that brings the movie full circle. It's a sprawling and sentimental story featuring great acting and direction. This is how you tell a story.
Sully (2016)
Best & Worst TV Series 2017 Year-End Review
Best & Worst of 2017
I watched eighty-six TV seasons and mini-series this year. Here are my top 14 for the year. I didn't watch any seasons that fell into the 'worst' category this year. This is based simply on what I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.
The best pilot goes to Dark (2017). It immediately hooked me, granted it's also a show I've seen more recently.
The Top 14 of 2017:
The Fall (2013-)
Season 1 - 5 episodes (2013)
Season 2 - 6 episodes (2014)
Watch The Fall on Netflix
Created by:Allan Cubitt
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) chases serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan).
In season two, Spector's personal life is in disarray as Gibson closes in.
Verdict
This is an amazing season that defies convention to create a subtle yet terrifying serial killer. The best way to catch a psychopath is to use a sociopath. DSI Gibson is clinical and cold, unable to relate to people, where Spector has a family and is employed as a grief counselor.
The mystery isn't who the killer is. This identifies the killer in the first scene. We don't look for clues to determine who, but to determine how he fits into society. This guy looks completely normal, and yet he's not right, causing you to wonder who you know could be a twisted psychopath. That person could be blending in and you don't even realize.
Season 2 feels like the second half of the story season one began. This season is the noose closing around Spector's neck. Season one was slow methodical and chilling, establishing the characters of Spector and Gibson. This season is the chase. It's a different tone, but just as engrossing as season one.
Rectify (2013-2016)
Season 4 - 8 Episodes (2016)
I watched eighty-six TV seasons and mini-series this year. Here are my top 14 for the year. I didn't watch any seasons that fell into the 'worst' category this year. This is based simply on what I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.
The best pilot goes to Dark (2017). It immediately hooked me, granted it's also a show I've seen more recently.
The Top 14 of 2017:
The Fall (2013-)
Season 1 - 5 episodes (2013)
Season 2 - 6 episodes (2014)
Created by:Allan Cubitt
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) chases serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan).
In season two, Spector's personal life is in disarray as Gibson closes in.
Verdict
This is an amazing season that defies convention to create a subtle yet terrifying serial killer. The best way to catch a psychopath is to use a sociopath. DSI Gibson is clinical and cold, unable to relate to people, where Spector has a family and is employed as a grief counselor.
The mystery isn't who the killer is. This identifies the killer in the first scene. We don't look for clues to determine who, but to determine how he fits into society. This guy looks completely normal, and yet he's not right, causing you to wonder who you know could be a twisted psychopath. That person could be blending in and you don't even realize.
Season 2 feels like the second half of the story season one began. This season is the noose closing around Spector's neck. Season one was slow methodical and chilling, establishing the characters of Spector and Gibson. This season is the chase. It's a different tone, but just as engrossing as season one.
Rectify (2013-2016)
Season 4 - 8 Episodes (2016)
The Apartment (1960)
I was searching the internet for New Year's Eve related movies and I could find nothing interesting, so I went on Twitter and asked for suggestions. Easy Riders Raging Podcast suggested The Apartment and since I loved Some Like It Hot I (Billy Wilder directed both) gave it a try.
Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is an insurance clerk who has discovered a quick way to rise in his company: it's letting his superiors use his apartment to take their mistresses. Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), his superiors' boss, finds out and promotes Bud in return for the exclusive use of the apartment. Everything is going smoothly-ish until Sheldrake's mistress turns out to be Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the elevator operator Bud has feelings for and complications arise.
It seems like a very simple and basic plot (and two hours seem like a lot of time to fill), but it draws you and it's very engaging and entertaining. And it isn't as shallow as it may look. The Apartment indeed deals with many heavy themes such as suicide, loneliness and power, specifically the cost of it and how far are we willing to go to have some. Bud here loses pretty much everything to have some power, his apartment, his dignity, love even.
As interesting as that is, what I liked the most about Wilder's film was the characters, especially Bud. He isn't an entirely likeable character -- after all, he helps his superiors cheat on their wives in exchange for career advancement -- but the situations he finds himself in makes you emphasize with him and root for him. The credits for that mainly go to Jack Lemmon who gives a stunning performance as Bud Baxter. He brings so much heart into the role and brings to the screen the right amount of charm and silliness.
The supporting actors are great as well. Fred MacMurray is flawless as Mr. Sheldrake, a man who uses his power to control others and to get what he wants. Shirley MacLaine's performance though is even greater. Her character may be too submissive and her happiness depends too much on men for today's standards, and she is quite naive, to be honest, but MacLaine makes you fall in love with her.
And lastly, kudos to Billy Wilder because this film could have easily been nothing more than a cheesy romantic comedy; instead, it's a more melancholic, tragic and deep film that has the perfect balance between drama and comedy. It's not a laugh-out-loud kind of movie like Some Like It Hot, but it still has enough humour to make you laugh now and then.
I almost forgot to mention the gorgeous cinematography. The black-and-white widescreen provides the film with the perfect, melancholic mood.
As interesting as that is, what I liked the most about Wilder's film was the characters, especially Bud. He isn't an entirely likeable character -- after all, he helps his superiors cheat on their wives in exchange for career advancement -- but the situations he finds himself in makes you emphasize with him and root for him. The credits for that mainly go to Jack Lemmon who gives a stunning performance as Bud Baxter. He brings so much heart into the role and brings to the screen the right amount of charm and silliness.
 |
| United Artists |
And lastly, kudos to Billy Wilder because this film could have easily been nothing more than a cheesy romantic comedy; instead, it's a more melancholic, tragic and deep film that has the perfect balance between drama and comedy. It's not a laugh-out-loud kind of movie like Some Like It Hot, but it still has enough humour to make you laugh now and then.
I almost forgot to mention the gorgeous cinematography. The black-and-white widescreen provides the film with the perfect, melancholic mood.
Thursday, 28 December 2017
The Open House Netflix Movie Trailer
The Open House (2018)
The Open House premieres on January 19
A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.
Written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, Dylan Minnette from 13 Reasons Why and Piercey Dalton star.
Images from the trailer:
The Open House premieres on January 19
A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.
Written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, Dylan Minnette from 13 Reasons Why and Piercey Dalton star.
Images from the trailer:
THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 5: HARDROCK, COCO AND JOE
Most depictions of Santa's annual Christmas Eve delivery show the old fella making his rounds all by himself. When you think about it, though, that's a twenty-four hour trip. Unless Santa is pounding down Red Bull the whole time, he probably needs an occasional hand with the driving. That's where Hardrock and Coco come in. Oh, and Joe, I guess...
Joe. What a loser. Even the lyrics don't pretend he has any use whatsoever. Santa loves hims, though, so he gets to come along for the ride.
It's kind of like the way God loves us, no matter if we're 'useful' or not. As Pope Francis noted, "This is precisely what the prophetic ministry of Jesus consists of: announcing that no human condition can constitute grounds for exclusion from the heart of the Father, and that the only privilege in the eyes of God is that of not being privileged, of being abandoned into his hands."
That's certainly good news for those of us who aren't out there doing the heavy work when it comes to the faith. We can't all be priests or nuns or ministry leaders or whatever. Some of us just do silly things like watching bad movies and trying to find something good and true in them. Some of us are Joe. And God let's us come along anyway, cause he loves us so.
It's kind of like the way God loves us, no matter if we're 'useful' or not. As Pope Francis noted, "This is precisely what the prophetic ministry of Jesus consists of: announcing that no human condition can constitute grounds for exclusion from the heart of the Father, and that the only privilege in the eyes of God is that of not being privileged, of being abandoned into his hands."
That's certainly good news for those of us who aren't out there doing the heavy work when it comes to the faith. We can't all be priests or nuns or ministry leaders or whatever. Some of us just do silly things like watching bad movies and trying to find something good and true in them. Some of us are Joe. And God let's us come along anyway, cause he loves us so.
THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 4: SANTA CLAUS VS. SATAN
Well, yesterday's match-up between Santa and the Frankenstein Monster turned out okay in the end. But that was just a warm-up. Now, thanks to some weird fever dream writer/director René Cardona had back in 1959, Santa has to go up against Ol' Scratch himself...
Hopefully, the first thing everyone learned from this clip is that you should really invest in some sort of home security system, otherwise just about anyone will be able to waltz in anytime they feel like it. Given who might take advantage of the opportunity of an open door, a good home blessing with holy water and salt might not be a bad idea either.
The second thing to be learned from this clip is... Satan isn't always the brightest person in the room. As C. S, Lewis wrote in his rather lengthy preface to Paradise Lost (seriously, it's as long as some books), "What the Satanic predicament consists in is made clear... by Satan himself. On his own showing he is suffering from a 'sense of injur'd merit.' This is a well known state of mind which we can all study in domestic animals, children, film-stars, politicians, minor poets; and perhaps nearer home... What we see in Satan is the horrible co-existence of a subtle and incessant intellectual activity with an incapacity to understand anything. This doom he has brought upon himself; in order to avoid seeing one thing he has, almost voluntarily, incapacitated himself from seeing at all... He says ‘Evil be thou my good’ (which includes ‘Nonsense be thou my sense’) and his prayer is granted."
The short version is, if you purposely make yourself blind to what is right in order to be able to do something wrong unimpeded by conscience, you will almost always screw up by missing something important. This may even include not noticing a fat guy crawling in a window behind you and setting up a cannon to shoot you in the ass with a dart.
The even shorter version is... sin makes you stupid.
The second thing to be learned from this clip is... Satan isn't always the brightest person in the room. As C. S, Lewis wrote in his rather lengthy preface to Paradise Lost (seriously, it's as long as some books), "What the Satanic predicament consists in is made clear... by Satan himself. On his own showing he is suffering from a 'sense of injur'd merit.' This is a well known state of mind which we can all study in domestic animals, children, film-stars, politicians, minor poets; and perhaps nearer home... What we see in Satan is the horrible co-existence of a subtle and incessant intellectual activity with an incapacity to understand anything. This doom he has brought upon himself; in order to avoid seeing one thing he has, almost voluntarily, incapacitated himself from seeing at all... He says ‘Evil be thou my good’ (which includes ‘Nonsense be thou my sense’) and his prayer is granted."
The short version is, if you purposely make yourself blind to what is right in order to be able to do something wrong unimpeded by conscience, you will almost always screw up by missing something important. This may even include not noticing a fat guy crawling in a window behind you and setting up a cannon to shoot you in the ass with a dart.
The even shorter version is... sin makes you stupid.
Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Friendship
Welcome to Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Each week we are asked to pick three to five films (on the last Thursday of the month we pick TV series this year) to fit the week's theme. We are closing the year with another Television edition and what a better theme than friendship?
Cougar Town (2009-2015)
I guess at first this was supposed to be about Jules, a recently divorced, 40-something year-old mom, and her attempts at dating very young guys (hence the title), but it ended up being about her friends and her struggles to rediscover herself. I loved this one and I cried when it ended. The characters are awesome and the cast has such a nice chemistry.
Friends (1994-2004)
I'm pretty sure you all know this one, but in case you don't, it follows the personal and professional lives of six 20-something year-olds living in New York. This is one of my favourite shows ever. I love every single thing about it. It's probably the funniest show ever made. And I cried with this one too. Actually, this was the first sitcom that made me cry.
The Big Bang Theory (2007- )
It follows a group of brilliant but socially awkward physicists whose lives are changed when an attractive waitress and aspiring actress becomes part of their lives. This is another of my favourites. It has decreased in quality over the years, but I still enjoy watching it. And it's still pretty funny.
First They Killed My Father (2017)
I knew very little about Cambodia's history. Actually, I knew nothing at all so I took advantage of Angelina Jolie's latest movie, First They Killed My Father, to learn something about it, specifically about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
Set indeed in Cambodia in the 70s, as the Khmer Rouge invades the country, 7-year-old Loung Ung (Sareun Srey Moch) and her family are forced to leave their home and live in a horrific work camp. As you probably guess from the title, her father (Phoeung Komphaek) is killed and her family is forced to split in order to survive.
Like I said, I didn't know this part of history so I don't know whether the film is accurate or not, but I couldn't help but notice that the film doesn't dwell deep enough into the historical aspects of the story and to me, someone who didn't know the "backstory", was a little confusing. There isn't much of a plot either, to be honest. Nothing really happens other than the main characters going from place to place.
That being said, the story Angelina Jolie told, Loung Ung's true story (the film is based on her novel "First They Killed My Father") is compelling, moving and very powerful. It's told through the eyes of a child, and that's what made it work for me. That allowed me to feel her pain, her struggles, her doubts and her loneliness.
There's very little character development in this but at least the characters feel real and they are quite deep too, especially Loung. She's a young girl who finds herself in the middle of chaos without really understanding what's going on. She feels lost, and the young Sareun Srey Moch was able to convey all that bewilderment so well to make me feel it.
As for the direction, it's a little uneven and it seems as if Jolie wasn't sure whether to make a documentary or a film. At times First They Killed My Father feels extremely realistic so much so it's haunting (the minefield scene to name one), while in others it's very emotional. There are several documentary-like aerial shots that show the work camps that feel very detached, and then there are others that are way more intense and impactful on the audience such as the close-ups of Loung. The cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle is gorgeous though and the score is very atmospheric and fits the film.
Like I said, I didn't know this part of history so I don't know whether the film is accurate or not, but I couldn't help but notice that the film doesn't dwell deep enough into the historical aspects of the story and to me, someone who didn't know the "backstory", was a little confusing. There isn't much of a plot either, to be honest. Nothing really happens other than the main characters going from place to place.
That being said, the story Angelina Jolie told, Loung Ung's true story (the film is based on her novel "First They Killed My Father") is compelling, moving and very powerful. It's told through the eyes of a child, and that's what made it work for me. That allowed me to feel her pain, her struggles, her doubts and her loneliness.
There's very little character development in this but at least the characters feel real and they are quite deep too, especially Loung. She's a young girl who finds herself in the middle of chaos without really understanding what's going on. She feels lost, and the young Sareun Srey Moch was able to convey all that bewilderment so well to make me feel it.
 |
| Netflix |
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
Pottersville Movie Review
Pottersville (2017)
Rent Pottersville on Amazon Video
Watch Pottersville on Netflix
Written by: Daniel Meyer
Directed by: Seth Henrikson
Starring: Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Ian McShane
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
Local businessman Maynard is mistaken for the legendary Bigfoot during an inebriated romp through town in a makeshift gorilla costume. The sightings set off an international Bigfoot media spectacle and a windfall of tourism dollars for the small town of Pottersville.
Verdict
The description conjured an image of a man stuck in a moral dilemma. I didn't realize this was primarily a cheesy Christmas movie. This refuses any drama and instead embraces bad jokes. The movie is ridiculously shallow. Does Michael Shannon ever refuse a role? This movie suggests he doesn't. Michael Shannon could have gone emotionally dark, but instead he's stuck in an ill-fitting comedy that takes a great concept and does as little development as possible.
Skip it.
Review
Maynard (Michael Shannon) is a store owner in a small town that's struggling financially. The movie makes a point to portray him as nice and kind, so when he went home early to surprise his wife I knew exactly what was coming.
I did not expect his wife and another man dressed in animal mascot uniforms. Hurt at the betrayal, Maynard gets drunk and makes his own mascot uniform, stumbling about town and waking up over the toilet. People claim they saw big foot and it makes the news with the small town becoming a tourist destination.
This small town on the edge of extinction is suddenly filled with tourists, bringing in money.
Maynard wants to reveal his folly, but he also doesn't want to turn off the cash flow. He cares for the town and the people in it.
I liked the idea of a moral dilemma. Maynard saves the town based on a lie. Revealing the truth could devastate the town. What I expected and what this is are vastly different. There's an annoying reality television host that wants to film big foot. That character was annoying and added nothing. It made the movie more shallow than it already was as this becomes the focus. We know reality television is fake, so I don't know why the movie wanted to explore that.
This is a weird concept and set up, but it becomes a surprisingly cheesy Christmas movie with the unwanted bonus of a lot of 'furry' jokes.
Everyone hates him when they find out it was all a ruse until they are reminded of what a kind person he is and all is forgiven. Maynard learns a little about himself, and the town opens their hearts.
This could have explored Maynard's emotional state during the ordeal. He doesn't want to lie, but the lie is helping. You could make this morally gray with the money he's making and contrast that with how much he's given away. He' stuck between a soon to be ex-wife and a potential girlfriend, but nothing happens there either.
Watch Pottersville on Netflix
Written by: Daniel Meyer
Directed by: Seth Henrikson
Starring: Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Ian McShane
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
Local businessman Maynard is mistaken for the legendary Bigfoot during an inebriated romp through town in a makeshift gorilla costume. The sightings set off an international Bigfoot media spectacle and a windfall of tourism dollars for the small town of Pottersville.
Verdict
The description conjured an image of a man stuck in a moral dilemma. I didn't realize this was primarily a cheesy Christmas movie. This refuses any drama and instead embraces bad jokes. The movie is ridiculously shallow. Does Michael Shannon ever refuse a role? This movie suggests he doesn't. Michael Shannon could have gone emotionally dark, but instead he's stuck in an ill-fitting comedy that takes a great concept and does as little development as possible.
Skip it.
Review
Maynard (Michael Shannon) is a store owner in a small town that's struggling financially. The movie makes a point to portray him as nice and kind, so when he went home early to surprise his wife I knew exactly what was coming.
I did not expect his wife and another man dressed in animal mascot uniforms. Hurt at the betrayal, Maynard gets drunk and makes his own mascot uniform, stumbling about town and waking up over the toilet. People claim they saw big foot and it makes the news with the small town becoming a tourist destination.
This small town on the edge of extinction is suddenly filled with tourists, bringing in money.
Maynard wants to reveal his folly, but he also doesn't want to turn off the cash flow. He cares for the town and the people in it.
I liked the idea of a moral dilemma. Maynard saves the town based on a lie. Revealing the truth could devastate the town. What I expected and what this is are vastly different. There's an annoying reality television host that wants to film big foot. That character was annoying and added nothing. It made the movie more shallow than it already was as this becomes the focus. We know reality television is fake, so I don't know why the movie wanted to explore that.
This is a weird concept and set up, but it becomes a surprisingly cheesy Christmas movie with the unwanted bonus of a lot of 'furry' jokes.
Everyone hates him when they find out it was all a ruse until they are reminded of what a kind person he is and all is forgiven. Maynard learns a little about himself, and the town opens their hearts.
This could have explored Maynard's emotional state during the ordeal. He doesn't want to lie, but the lie is helping. You could make this morally gray with the money he's making and contrast that with how much he's given away. He' stuck between a soon to be ex-wife and a potential girlfriend, but nothing happens there either.
Manhunt: Unabomber Review
Manhunt: Unabomber (2017)
Mini-series - 8 episodes
Buy Manhunt: Unabomber on Amazon
Watch Manhunt: Unabomber on Netflix
Created by: Andrew Sodroski, Jim Clemente, Tony Gittelson
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Sam Worthington, Jeremy Bobb, Ben Weber, Chris Noth, Paul Bettany, Mark Duplas
Rated: TV-14
Plot
Faced with few clues and an increasingly panicked public, the FBI calls on a new kind of profiler to help track down the infamous Unabomber with this in-depth look at how the FBI tracked him down.
Verdict
An engrossing look at a historical event. The true story part gives this terrorism story a lot of intrigue as we see the successes and failures of the investigation. While this falls into the oft used protagonist who everyone discounts, that doesn't take much away from the story. We even get into the history of the Unabomber, and the series tries to make us feel sympathy for him. The scale of the pursuit is astounding, and the break in the case is facinating. While the FBI got their man, they sacrificed a few people in the pursuit.
Watch it.
Review
The opening monologue, presumably from the unabomber, is effective. It's amazing how the mail operates and by the same turn dangerous, revealing insight into how he worked. This is cross cut with Sam Worthington's character Agent Fitzgerald's first starting the case and after the unabomber was caught. Fitzgerald is a profilers, constantly ridiculed as not real police and his ideas are dismissed despite being accurate. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but I do give the FBI credit, they have years of profiles with top profilers telling them each time they need to start over, so a brand new agent telling them the same thing is easy to dismiss.
The cross cutting from during and after the case works well. In episode three Kaczynski details how he'll evade the charges while we're also seeing the FBI trying to break the case. Episode four is crazy with the FBI's plan to set up Kaczynski and catch him. They plan to find a needle in a haystack by going through the haystack straw by straw. We get a lot of drama in this episode and it highlights how the drama is drummed up for a series. It's easy to misdirect the viewer. Even in the next episode we're introduced to Kaczynski's brother who proclaims Ted cant' be the unabomber. We know how that's going to go.
A lot of movies and series depict a cop or agent bent on catching the bad guy. This obsession leads to them ruining careers, forsaking their family, and becoming obsessed. Maybe that's what it takes to track down people like Kaczynski. Is it worth it? In the broad sense, yes. By the body count, yes. Fitzgerald ruins his own life in the process. He also broke the rules to catch Kaczynski. I didn't do any research so I don't know what's fact and what's drama. Would he argue with his superiors as much as we see? The FBI has a hierarchy. Did Fitzgerald really break rank as depicted?
Episode six gets into Kaczynski's background. I like how the series shows both sides, but he was a sociopath. He had no idea how to express emotion, acting out violently. He was isolated in every step at life and susceptible to suggestion. With no social skills this only highlights the abilities he lacks, fueling his desire for revenge. He was mentally tortured after being groomed for a year in a crude experiment. While I feel bad for him and the irreparable damage this had to do to him, he had tendencies before any of that. The show depicts him regretting what he's done, wishing he had started a family instead of feeding hate, but it feels like emotional manipulation. There's no way to know that, and anything the real unabomber said after he was caught cant' be fully trusted.
I also felt bad for Kaczynski's brother. The FBI sold him out to catch the unabomber, destroying the brother's life. Ultimately the ends justify the means, but more than a few people were thrown off the burning bridge that was this investigation.
Kaczynski eventually accepts a plea bargain. He's aware enough that he would be perceived as crazy during a trial, but somehow doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. I don't know how that reconciles. Did he just want to be heard, to get attention? Maybe it was all revenge for the experiments at Harvard. It was Kaczynski's need for attention that got him caught. That and analyzing his writings and speech patterns. Fitzgerald may not have been "real police," but he caught his man.
Mini-series - 8 episodes
Watch Manhunt: Unabomber on Netflix
Created by: Andrew Sodroski, Jim Clemente, Tony Gittelson
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Sam Worthington, Jeremy Bobb, Ben Weber, Chris Noth, Paul Bettany, Mark Duplas
Rated: TV-14
Plot
Faced with few clues and an increasingly panicked public, the FBI calls on a new kind of profiler to help track down the infamous Unabomber with this in-depth look at how the FBI tracked him down.
Verdict
An engrossing look at a historical event. The true story part gives this terrorism story a lot of intrigue as we see the successes and failures of the investigation. While this falls into the oft used protagonist who everyone discounts, that doesn't take much away from the story. We even get into the history of the Unabomber, and the series tries to make us feel sympathy for him. The scale of the pursuit is astounding, and the break in the case is facinating. While the FBI got their man, they sacrificed a few people in the pursuit.
Watch it.
Review
The opening monologue, presumably from the unabomber, is effective. It's amazing how the mail operates and by the same turn dangerous, revealing insight into how he worked. This is cross cut with Sam Worthington's character Agent Fitzgerald's first starting the case and after the unabomber was caught. Fitzgerald is a profilers, constantly ridiculed as not real police and his ideas are dismissed despite being accurate. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but I do give the FBI credit, they have years of profiles with top profilers telling them each time they need to start over, so a brand new agent telling them the same thing is easy to dismiss.
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| Agent Jim Fitzgerald and Kaczynski. |
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| Everyone in this image was a suspect until proven otherwise. |
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| A young Kaczynski at Harvard. |
I also felt bad for Kaczynski's brother. The FBI sold him out to catch the unabomber, destroying the brother's life. Ultimately the ends justify the means, but more than a few people were thrown off the burning bridge that was this investigation.
Kaczynski eventually accepts a plea bargain. He's aware enough that he would be perceived as crazy during a trial, but somehow doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. I don't know how that reconciles. Did he just want to be heard, to get attention? Maybe it was all revenge for the experiments at Harvard. It was Kaczynski's need for attention that got him caught. That and analyzing his writings and speech patterns. Fitzgerald may not have been "real police," but he caught his man.
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