Rent Logan Lucky on Amazon Video Written by: Rebecca Blunt Directed by: Steven Soderbergh Starring: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Seth MacFarlane, Katherine Waterston, Sebastian Stan, Hilary Swank, Macon Blair Rated: R Watch the trailer
Plot Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during NASCAR race in North Carolina.
Verdict A great collection of strange and off kilter characters make this a lot of fun. It's a country version of Ocean's Eleven at a NASCAR race, but it's also more than a redneck heist movie. The entire plan is absurd with the tension stemming from the assumption that surely these people can't pull off a heist of this magnitude. When things go wrong, you begin to wonder. While the plot isn't revolutionary, the dialog, details, and setting make this unique. Watch it.
Review A football injury derailed Jimmy Logan's promising future. Years later, he's laid off from his job and learns his ex-wife is moving away with their daughter. Jimmy decides to act on a plan he's had for a long time, he's going to commit a robbery. He's going to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway. His former construction job provides him inside knowledge, and he knows the perfect date to pull it off.
He begins to enlist family and acquaintances, all of which are varying degrees of rough and tumble. His brother Clyde, an Iraq war veteran missing a hand, agrees to help despite reservations. Jimmy recruits an incarcerated safe cracker, Joe Bang, who finds the whole plan dubious because, as he points out, they're visiting him in jail. All the actors do a great job, but Daniel Craig as Joe Bang is really impressive when you realize he's been James Bond. Everyone had to have a lot of fun playing such odd characters. This is set in the South and all the actors have a heavy Southern twang. The movie's goal isn't to disparage Southerners as simple minded. Jimmy has put a lot of thought into this plan.
Joe Bang stipulates his brothers need to be included in the robbery as internet experts. One of the brothers proudly proclaims, "All the Twitters, I know 'em." Will this plan work? It's a fun setup. The plan has to be moved ahead of schedule as Jimmy's former construction company is about to leave which would curtail his access.
While plenty of things don't go exactly as predicted, I kept wondering if Jimmy and his crew were going to make it. I wondered if the Bang brothers would pose an issue that resulted in the downfall of everyone.. There are more than a few twists and turns with lots of surprises. The completion of the heist is pretty slick. A few details of how things went down are revealed after the fact and Jimmy had more than a few ingenious ideas.
The cast is fairly large, with many of the supporting cast having starred in their own movies. Race car drivers Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards have quick roles as state troopers.
Screenwriter Rebecca Blunt is an unknown, presumed to be a pseudonym for director Soderbergh's wife Jules Asner to prevent any hint of nepotism.
Plot A young couple adopts an orphaned child around dreams - and nightmares - manifest physically as he sleeps.
Verdict A couple dealing with past grief through their newly adopted son makes this more than a jump scare movie, but the logic leaves more than a few questions unanswered. You'll see the conclusion coming before it arrives, but it's still effective for the most part. The biggest problem is this is a bit undercooked. It's an interesting idea that falls prey to a few flaws. It depends.
Review This has a great opening. A man is struggling to kill, Cody. You wonder what could have driven him to that. It's a solid horror moving introduction. Cody's adoptive parents don't keep him, somehow driven mad.
Cody's dreams literally manifest. Cody's new adoptive parents Jessie and Mark begin taking advantage of that as a way to see their deceased son again. This gives the movie a little depth as Cody becomes less of a way to fill the void directly and instead allow them to ignore their grief.
They do seem incredibly accepting of this weird gift. Butterflies appear and disappear and they aren't bothered. Their dead son appears, and they see it as a bonus. I just don't see the average person being so accepting.
Cody tries not to sleep, knowing his dreams eventually conjure "The Canker Man," a boogeyman type that consumes people. The Canker Man does consume a few people, but where do they go? From what we see they just disappear which seems odd.
Jessie and Mark start getting investigated, more for their incidental neglect, but it gets us to the same point. Jessie begins her own investigation into the child, something nobody else ever took the time to do. The big reveal, now how Cody does that, we have to blindly accept that, but the origins of the monster will be apparent long before the movie reveals it. It doesn't make it any less effective.
This week the Horror Duo take on a pair of flicks both found on Shudder and both featuring some iconic females. Forest treats himself to the low budget Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, teeming with old school scream queen talent. Cory re-watches the Able Ferrara film Ms. 45 and discusses it's interesting depiction of a vengeful woman, all in time for Women in Horror Month.
I could say that Blade Runner 2049 was one of my most anticipated movies of 2017, that I couldn't wait for it but I'd be lying since I saw the original Blade Runner for the first time only last June and, while I loved it, I didn't care much about this one. But people seem to be so divided how this - some says it's great, some says it's awful -, I decided to give it a try myself and I think it's somewhere in between of being great and awful.
30 years after the events of the first film, LAPD officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner retiring old rogue replicants. One day while on a job, K discovered a long-buried secret which leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who has been missing for decades.
This is the kind of story that manages to interlink with the original without trying to be a copy or ending up like one, I'll give it that. But that's it with me praising the story because it's pretty weak. It unfolds tremendously slowly, so slowly that I often found myself checking the time bar to see how much suffering I still had to go through. There are a couple of twists but it wasn't nothing that surprising *SPOILER* Gosling being the born replicant was so obvious, I'm not sure it was even a twist, and finding out he actually wasn't wasn't that big of a twist either since Rachael was crying when she saw the memory, said it was real and there's always a bit of the artist in each replicant *SPOILER*, there were many plot holes and the logic wasn't its greatest strength either. But it's not like Gosling's character was rushed since the villains start messing with him about an hour or so in the film. That being said, the boring story is also quite intriguing and interesting and, between a yawn and another, I managed to follow it until the very disappointing ending which had no emotional charge at all.
The characters are also quite weak. They lack characterization, they are uninteresting and have no emotional depth whatsoever. I guess the latter is normal though them being replicants. The most flawed character is easily Jared Leto's Niander Wallace. He is your typical Marvel villain and by that I mean he's weak, very weak. At least there is Sylvia Hoeks's Luv who makes for a quite menacing villain.
Warner Bros. Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Still, there's plenty to enjoy from Blade Runner 2049. Ryan Gosling, in spite of the poor character he had to work with, does a pretty good job, giving the robotic performance required by the role and making you care about his character. Not to the point that you cry for him though. Also noteworthy is Robin Wright as Lieutenant Joshi, Gosling's chief.
Like its predecessor, this film has some deep and thought-provoking themes such that of corporate oppression and existentialism and aks some important questions. However, at times, they are all over the place.
The score which was supposed to be composed by Johann Johannsson but then handed over to Hans Zimmer as Johannsson's score, according to Villeneuve, the director, didn't resemble Vangelis's score for Blade Runner, is good.
And then there's the real star of this film, Roger Deakins's cinematography. It's not beautiful. It's beyond gorgeous. So mesmerizing it's almost impossible to take the eyes off the screen. The colours are amazing, and the settings, whether it's a desert or a futuristic city, are stunning.
A lot of movies are premiering in February, but only a few of them interest me. This is why they might be worth watching... or avoiding.
WATCHING
Annihilation (February 23 2018) After director Alex Garland's previous movie Ex Machina, I can't wait to see what he does in this sci-fi adventure.
The 15:17 to Paris (February 9, 2018) You can't go wrong with a Clint Eastwood directed movie. Throw in a plot about a bomb on a train and we've got the makings of a solid thriller.
Black Panther (February 16 2018) I'm not a big fan of comic book movies, but with Ryan Coogler heading this, it could be more than just a comic book movie.
AVOIDING
Game Night (February 23, 2018) This seems like a modern attempt at Clue, or it could be an attempt to capitalize on the current popularity of board games. I'm curious, but I don't think it will pay me to check this out in theaters. Could this be a two hour game of Settlers of Catan? It's unlikely, but it IS possible.
Scorched Earth (February 2, 2018) A post apocalyptic bounty hunter story sounds too bland. This isn't just a bounty hunter story, it's post apocalypse. It's a lazy way to try and enliven a tired story.
Plot A former boxer turned drug runner must resort to using his fists to save his family.
Verdict This is violent and gory, relaying the story of a man that will go to any length to save his family. Vince Vaughn does an amazing job as the stoic protagonist, a quip at the ready regardless of the situation. His power defies logic, but this amped up on the rails fight movie crafts a character we hope succeeds and are willing to follow. While this isn't a new concept, the attention to detail and subtlety make this a treat. It's not enough to kidnap his family, this provides gruesome details of what will happen if he fails. We get a feeling of where this brutal, relentless, and frequently horrifying tale is going and it will keep you riveted until the end. Watch it.
Review The first S. Craig Zahler movie I saw was Bone Tomahawk(2015), read my review. That was a genre mashup of horror and western bolstered by a direct story and accentuated with sharp dialog. Based on that movie alone I was going to watch anything else Zahler released. Brawl is Zahler's next movie, again relying on a simple story, great details, and quotable dialog.
Bradley, not Brad, is fired and discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him in the same afternoon. He orders her inside and then destroys her car with his fists. He's a beast of a man, but he removed his anger before talking to her. I don't know if he could tear up the car as depicted, but the message is clear. This guy has some rage and he uses his fists, but he's self aware enough to not fly off the handle at someone else.
He gets back into drug running. He's the big boss's top guy. We see that in the way he talks to his boss as an equal when his boss tries to rope him into a pick up with two unknown guys Bradley would rather avoid. He's got great instincts, but the boss gets him to agree. It's a great scene picking up the drugs with the other two men in silence as they get on the boat and swim down for the trunk. Bradley gets a sense that the situation isn't right and cuts bait to run. The other guys ignore him and walk into a shoot out. Bradley could have left and stayed out of it, but he goes back. It's not to help the two associates he doesn't trust though. Bradley has some level of morality, and he had to know going back was only going to break bad for his future.
I always see Vince Vaughn as the affable goof, but True Detective Season 2 really changed my mind. Vaughn was great, even if the writing left a bit to be desired. He's committed in Brawl. He's an imposing figure, but we get a lot of insight into him quickly in the first few scenes.
Bradley is stuck in jail, but needs to get transferred to a maximum security prison to complete a job and save his family. He fights a prison guard and that gets gruesome. We've seen he has some level of morality, but when it comes to protecting his family he will go as far as necessary. He's a man resigned to his fate. I wondered if he ever stopped to question what he was doing, but this is always going in one direction. He'll do whatever it takes and he ends up at a prison with a warden played by Don Johnson. This prison encompasses the worst of every prison you've ever seen. Much like Bone Tomahawk, this is gruesome in ways I've never seen. You begin to think nothing good can happen in this movie, and it knows that. In a conversation between Bradley and his wife, he knows his time is nearing, but she doesn't and that is brutal.
This has a very measured pace. It's methodical and precise. It's one thing for movies to kidnap family, but this twists it into something obscene. Just the description of what will happen is rough, but it's the details that elevate this. Brawl isn't content to rely solely on a kidnapping trope, there are gruesome repercussions. Bradley doesn't just beat up a guard, he viciously breaks his arm. His cell floor is lined with glass shards and the warden has no problems torturing and killing inmates. While a prison like this would throw up more than a few red flags, this hell hole of place really ramps up the feeling of dread.
I saw the original Jumanji in its entirety only about 2 years ago. It was enjoyable but I didn't love it so I didn't care much for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. But then I read good things about and decided to give it a try. And you know what, it wasn't half bad.
About 20 years after the first film, four different teenagers, a geek (Alex Wolff), a sports jock (Ser'Darius Blain), a popular girl (Madison Iseman) and a shy girl (Morgan Turner), are sent to detention where they discover an old video game console and decide to play with it. When they plug the system in they are sucked into the world of Jumanji, where they become the avatars they chose and must work together to complete the game and escape from it.
It doesn't start in the best of the ways, it's kinda cheesy and nothing we haven't seen before, therefore the simple plot is rather predictable and yet it's never boring and it makes for a pretty exciting adventure that will most likely keep you on the edge of your seat from most of its running time.
The main reason this new Jumanji worked for me is the characters. Although they are the typical and most stereotyped high school characters that couldn't be more different from one another and as predictable as it can be they must team up to survive, once they get into the game they switch bodies, becoming the avatar they picked, and that's what makes the film so much fun.
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Because of that, Dwayne Johnson ends up being a geek who is scared of basically everything. He is still the big tough guy everyone knows, but he does a good job and his smouldering look makes for a good laugh. Kevin Hart is a sports-jock. He's funny and he's got the most interesting character. Jack Black is a self-obsessed teenage girl and kills it! He easily is the most hilarious of the bunch. At last, Karen Gillian plays the shy, awkward girl pretty well, especially when she tries the flirting tips Black taught her.
The comedy isn't the only thing that works (better than it did in the original) in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The action is pretty solid too. Most of the sequences are energetic and gripping. The special effects, although they aren't the greatest and there's way too much of them, are fine - and definitely an improvement on its predecessor's.
Each unconnected episode examines the pitfalls when technology and society intersect. What happens when technology goes off the rails, creating a horrifying situation? Does technology make us happier, is being connected at all times beneficial, and does it do more harm than good? The stories are known for their harrowing nature and depressing conclusions.
The fourth episode of season four is Hang the DJ, where a dating app tells a couple exactly how long they will be together.
This sci-fi series stars Eric McCormack as FBI Special Agent Grant MacLaren. Technology exists to send a person's consciousness back to the 21st century, where they assume a random person's body and identity at the exact moment they die. Teams work secretly to save the world from a terrible future.
A coming-of-age comedy about bright and street-savvy friends braving their way through the triumph, defeats, and the newness of high-school in the inner city. Co-creators are Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Halt, and Lauren Iungerich who created the MTV series Awkward. The series stars Diego Tinoco as Cesar Diaz, Jason Genoa as Ruby Martinez, Jessica Marie Garcia as Jasmin, Sierra Capri as Monse Finnie, and Brett Gray as Jamal Turner.
Set in 2051 Berlin, a mute bartender searches for a girl in the city's underground. This stars Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, and Justin Theroux. Based on a story by and directed by Duncan Jones (Warcraft, Moon), this is part of a trilogy that includes Moon (2009) with Sam Rockwell.
In this French language series, Robert Taro (Gérard Depardieu) is mayor of Marseille and on the verge of retirement. When he is betrayed his former protégé Lucas Barrès (Benoît Magimel), he decides to run for mayor again.
In season 2, incumbent mayor Robert Taro in the intensive care unit while Lucas Barrès tries to oust him, but he is still nine votes short of becoming the new mayor.
Two nights ago the guild announced the winners for the 2018 edition of these annual awards that honor production design in 11 categories of film television, commercials, music videos and, for the first time, animation features.
ADG President Nelson Coates and Art Directors Council Chair Mark Worthington presided over the awards ceremony with comedian Jonathan Fernandez serving as host.
Winners are in *BLUE. To check winners in all categories check press release at official site here (pdf file). ---///--- 1/5/18 Yesterday the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) announced the nominations for the 22nd edition of their Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and, for the first time, animation features. The announcement was made by Art Directors Guild President Nelson Coates and Awards Producers Thomas Walsh and Thomas Wilkins.
As previously announced, ADG Awards will honor eight-time Academy Award Nominee Katheleen Kenedy with the Cinematic Imagery Award. The “William Cameron Menzies Award” will honor Disney’s Oscar nominated animation filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker. A special Leadership Award will be bestowed upon International IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb. The Outstanding Creative Achievement Award will be given to Production Designer Michael Baugh. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Production Designer Norm Newberry Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated Production Designer/Set Designer James Murakami, Scenic Artist John Moffitt, and Senior Illustrator/Art Director Martin Kline. The late Oscar-winning Production Designer Sir Ken Adam (Dr. Strangelove, James Bond) Senior Illustrator and Bambi’s Concept Designer Tyrus Wong will be inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame.
ADG Awards are open only to productions when made within the U.S. by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
Not easy to guess which film could win the Oscar in the production design category and neither to guess the Oscar nominees but in the past five years, the winner of period film went to win the Oscar twice, once was fantasy category winner and once was contemporary category winner. So our best guess will come when we learn the Oscar nominees and learn ADG winners as of now it's hard to do estimates. For me, production design award-deserving movies are Blade Runner 2049 and Wonder Woman, then perhaps Logan; the other nominees have good production design but nothing that could be out-of-the-ordinary.
These are the Nominees
Period Film Sarah Greenwood for Darkest Hour Nathan Crowley for Dunkirk Jim Clay for Murder on the Orient Express Rick Carter for The Post *Paul Denham Austerberry for The Shape of Water
Fantasy Film Sarah Greenwood for Beauty and The Beast *Dennis Gassner for Blade Runner 2049 Rick Heinrichs for Star Wars: The Last Jedi James Chinlund for War of the Planet of the Apes Aline Bonetto for Wonder Woman
Contemporary Film Stefania Cella for Downsizing Rusty Smith for Get Out Chris Jones for Lady Bird *Francois Audouy for Logan Inbal Weinberg for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Animated Film William Cone and Jay Shuster for Cars 3 *Harley Jessup for Coco Olivier Adam for Despicable Me 3 Grant Freckelton for The Lego Batman Movie Matthew Button for Loving Vincent
To check nominees for other categories go official site here (pdf file) or here for press release and options to open file. Winners will be honored at the Awards Gala on Saturday, January 27 in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.
Political thrillers are easily my least favourite of the genre, but I do love Spielberg and it's basically impossible to pass a movie of his when it stars both Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, and it's praised by everyone. So expectations were sky high and The Post, while it still is a pretty good film, didn't meet them.
Set in the 1970s, the film tells the true story of the journalists from The Washington Post and their attempt to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents which detail the United States government involvement in Vietnam even prior to the war.
Perhaps I'm speaking as a foreigner who knows very little about this, actually, it's more like nothing, but that's the kind of story that needs to be told and it's indeed very interesting. There are some dull moments but the overall pace was good enough to keep my attention through most of the film.
Spielberg's movie doesn't only focus on the political and financial risks of publishing that kind of documents, but on the difficulties Catherine Graham, the paper's owner, faces because she is a woman as well, because apparently, women aren't as good as men. While showing how hard it is to be a woman in a man's world, The Post also shows how important we, women, are to society. And honestly, it does a better job than Battle of the Sexes.
I think it's needless to say that The Post also defends the freedom of the press and celebrates the search for truth. Also needless to say is how relatable that is in the times we live, when a 'man' like Trump is the leader of the free world. It does, however, have a flaw: the discussion about the freedom of speech is not as powerful as I was hoping.
20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures
What truly elevates this film is the acting. Meryl Streep gives a great performance as Catherine Graham, capturing both her vulnerability and strength. She doesn't always come off sympathetic though and hers is far from being the best performance of 2017 hence I really hope she doesn't win the Oscar. Tom Hanks gives a solid performance as Ben Bradlee, editor of The Washington Post. But again, nothing stellar/Oscar worthy. Bob Odenkirk as assistant editor Ben Bagdikian and Sarah Paulson as Tony Bradlee are also noteworthy.
The cinematography is quite good too. The colours, the lighting, they really help give the film the right atmosphere and build some tension. John Williams's score is quite beautiful but it doesn't always work.
A couple of days ago the ACE society had their awards ceremony and perhaps the biggest surprise is to have I, Tonya winning an editing award as believe there was nothing outstanding in film when it came to editing, sigh.
More expected Dunkirk collected the Dramatic award which paves a road to an Oscar win in the editing category.
Winners are in *BLUE. To check winners in all categories, go official site here. ---///--- 1/3/18 A few moments ago the American Cinema Editors Society announced the nominations for the 2018 EDDIE Awards which recognizes outstanding editing in film, television and documentaries.
Noteworthy are the changes organizers did to television and documentary categories where in general there is a clear category simplification and if you wish to learn changes go official site here.
Know is the first industry tech group to announce nominations but the biggest surprise is that there is NO surprise! (lol) Just check the list of 10 films divided in Dramatic and Comedy categories and will notice that are the same films everybody have been talking about since the start of current awards season. Perhaps the only dark horses are Molly's Game, Baby Driver and Blade Runner 2049; the rest are the films many are betting will get an Oscar Best Film nomination.
Again this year there will be discussions about what is a Comedy and what's not; so, to not spoil the habit here are my two-cents: NONE of the five films nominated in the Comedy category are comedies. Four are (strong) dramas and one is an action film. Know don't really understand or like American humor, but yes, I did not laugh at all when watching any of those five movies. Sigh.
By-the-way EDDIE Dramatic winner tends to become the Oscar winner, but somehow feel that this year winner could come from more from what group calls comedy.
Best Edited Feature Film Dramatic Joe Walker for Blade Runner 2049 *Lee Smith for Dunkirk Alan Baumgarten, Josh Schaeffer and Elliot Graham for Molly's Game Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar for The Post Sidney Wolinsky for The Shape of Water
Best Edited Feature Film Comedy Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss for Baby Driver Gregory Plotkin for Get Out *Tatiana S. Riegel for I, Tonya Nick Houy for Lady Bird Jon Gregory for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Edited Animated Feature Film *Steve Bloom for Coco Clair Dodgson for Despicable Me 3 David Burrows, Matt Villa and John Venzon for The Lego Batman Movie
Best Edited Feature Documentary Aaron I. Butler for Cries from Syria *Joe Beshenkovsky, Will Snidaric and Brett Morgen for Jane Ann Collins for Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold TJ Martin, Scott Stevenson and Dan Lindsay for LA92
To check nominees at official site plus all television categories go here. Awards ceremony will be on January 26 at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom.
When We First Met (2018) When We First Met debuts February 9
Noah spends the perfect night with Avery only to become just friends,but he gets the opportunity to travel through time and alter that night over and over again until he gets everything perfect.
During the 70s and 80s, the Italians would rip off any movie, just as long as they could do it cheaply , a little bit sleazy, and with no concern that the finished product making any sense whatsoever. And we're not just talking about the multitude of takes on Mad Max, Star Wars, or Conan the Barbarian. You can also find low budget Italian counterfeits of Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and believe or not, Jesus Christ Superstar.
Of course, the Italian version can't just have Jesus doing his thing in the Holy Land. That wouldn't be Italian enough. Instead, they transport the story to modern day Rome, let Jesus fight the mafia, and set it all to a disco soundtrack. Ladies and Gentle, allow me to present to you a few highlights from... White Pop Jesus!
First up we have the introductory number in which Jesus either returns from the spirit world or escapes a mental institution. It's never really made clear...
Then we have this little showstopper, in which three of White Pop Jesus' female followers extol their savior's virtues. I think...
But nothing, and I mean nothing, tops the temptation of Christ by drugs as told through interpretive dance...
In an interview with Vatican Radio, Ted Neely, who played the titular role in Norman Jewison's Jesus Christ Superstar, recalled, "Because of so much protest in America when we were doing the show live, prior to making the film, Mr Jewison was concerned about whether or not the film would be accepted around the world. So he requested an audience with Pope Paul VI to see the film. The two of them sat down together and watched the film, and the Pope said: ‘this is a good film, I think this film will open the eyes to people around the world’. He said that he felt that the music was so inviting and so spiritual that it would spread the essence of Christ worldwide... so we got his blessing to release the film. So thank God for that, and thank Pope Paul VI for that!"
Whether or not that's exactly how things happened is up for debate, but it does appear His Holiness was really a fan of the musical, despite some of its obvious theological shortcomings. A 1974 article in People Magazine profiling the Pontiff noted, "After the sisters have cleared away the dinner dishes each evening, Paul either heads back to his office for a few hours of late work with his staff, or he settles down to read in his bright living room to the accompaniment of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven on the turntable. The papal record shelf also holds the original cast LP of Jesus Christ, Superstar, which has had enough plays to satisfy an unoffended Pope that its fundamentalist hymns and hollers are shattering proof of youth’s groping for God."
Alas, there appear to be no existing records detailing what kind of reception, if any, Pope John Paul II gave White Pop Jesus when it hit Italian movie screens in 1980. I don't want to presume, but if I had to... I'm guessing it wouldn't have been quite as welcoming. But you never know.
I grew up playing with LEGO (and I probably still would if I wasn't busy all the time and their stuff wasn't so expensive -- a thing is having your parents paying it, a thing is paying it yourself) and, on my teen years, I occasionally stumbled upon the series Ninjago on TV. I didn't love it but it was okay when there wasn't anything else interesting on TV. I guess I watched The LEGO Ninjago Movie for the same reason, I didn't have anything better to watch and although I had very little expectations, the film managed to disappoint me.
It's a hard knock life for Lloyd (Dave Franco), the 16-year-old estranged son of Garmadon (Justin Theroux), the evil warlord who keeps trying to take control of Ninjago City and keeps failing because of a secret gang of ninjas. Turns out Lloyd is the leader of those ninjas but this time the battle against his father will be much harder as the ultimate weapon is unleashed.
The plot is like a ninja, so thin you don't even notice it. It has no complexity, which the previous instalments of the LEGO franchise had, no real twists (Lloyd being Garmadon's father is revealed within the first 5 minutes) and it's not engaging. Actually, it's quite boring.
I admit the plot wasn't great in the other movies either, but at least those have great characters. The LEGO Ninjago Movie hasn't got any of those. There's very little characterization, even less development, but most of all, they are not very funny. They are just meh. Also, the villain is pretty stupid. I did, however, like Dave Franco's performance. He really captures the kid's exasperation.
Warner Bros. Pictures
The characters aren't the only unfunny element in the film, the whole thing is unfunny. That happened because first, many funny gags and jokes were given away in the trailer; second, the humour isn't sharp or wit or clever. It's just bland. I did chuckle a couple of times while watching this, but that's not what you expect when watching a comedy, is it?
The father-and-son relationship does have heart though. It doesn't break any new ground, and it really felt like watching The Empire Strikes Back at some points, but it was nice having it.
The animation is still very enjoyable. The colours are vibrant, the settings are very beautiful and the characters look good too. The songs are nice too but it's a bit all over the place and they get a little distracting at times.
I remember seeing the trailer of Darkest Hour about a month ago and thinking it looked good. My expectations soon lowered when I was told the performances were good but everything else was average. In support of that theory, I learnt that Joe Wright directed it, the same guy who directed Pan. Thank goodness Darkest Hour wasn't that dreadful, but it wasn't great either.
In the same year of Nolan's masterpiece Dunkirk, Wright's movie depicts the events that led to the Dunkirk evacuation. In specific, the film follows newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as he must decide whether to negotiate a peace settlement with Hitler's Germany or fight against the odds.
I don't know much about Winston Churchill or about the events leading up to England's entry into Worl War II (in my defence, I'm Italian and we study how Italy entered the war) so this indeed was an interesting story for me to see told. At least, that's how it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, it was poorly executed and instead of being engaging and compelling, it was boring and dull. It brings up many things but doesn't even bother explaining them. We are not told why he was chosen as Prime Minister since everyone seems to hate it or why the kind didn't trust him. What's worst though is that it's not even explained why the king goes from distrusting him to blindly supporting him in the blink of an eye.
Darkest Hour is supposed to be a biopic but instead of giving us an understanding of what kind of man Winston Churchill was, the film wears us out with him sitting in meetings and giving speeches without actually telling anything about him. As a result, Churchill comes off as an over-the-top, eccentric man with a lot of power but very little depth.
Focus Features
Churchill's isn't the only uninteresting character in this film. That applies basically to everyone else. Especially to the female characters who are terribly underwritten and have no purpose in the story other than helping the male protagonist, which is a bit of a cliché of the genre.
Joe Wright's movie does have a strength though. That one thing that kept me watching until the end (even though I was bored to death). It's Gary Oldman, ladies and gents. I've seen enough historical footage of Churchill to say Oldman captures all the mannerisms, the walk, the voice. It's not always easy to understand what he's saying but in spite of that, he really gives a great performance. However, although I'm sure he will win the Oscar for it, I don't think it's that great to deserve it. Sure, he's unrecognizable, he entirely disappeared into the role, but some of the credits go to the men and women behind the make-up and costumes. Now, those deserve the Oscar.
About a month ago I watched The Room for the first time and as expected it turned out to be the worst movie ever. I didn't care much though, after all I only watched it to really understand James Franco's The Disaster Artist, the comedy of the year, according to lots of people. The film is based on Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell's novel of the same name and is pretty much The Room's behind the scenes.
In 1998, Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), an aspiring film actor, meets Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), a weird and mysterious guy, in an acting class. Greg is immediately drawn by Tommy's fearless and the fact that he just doesn't care about what other people think of him. They soon become friends and they move to Los Angeles to pursue their dream of becoming famous movie stars. Rejection after rejection, they decide to make a film together, The Room, but it won't be all roses.
Unlike in Tommy Wiseau's movie where literally nothing happens after the second sex scene, The Disaster Artist has an engaging and fun plot that doesn't waste time with useless subplots. To those claiming that Amber (Greg's ex-girlfriend) didn't move the plot forward and added absolutely anything to the film, you're wrong. As little as her part in the story was, she highlights how important the friendship with Tommy was for Greg. Even despite their clashes.
The behind the scenes, the story of Tommy Wiseau, this mysterious forty-something Easter European who passes himself off as a twenty-something from New Orleans, and the heartwarming friendship that forms between him and Greg all are tremendously fascinating, the latter also being the heart of the story. A heartfelt and kinda moving story that encourages the viewer to chase one's own dreams, to never give up because there will always be something or someone that will try to stop you from doing what you want to do.
The Disaster Artist also manages to be insanely hilarious. There's a lot of stupid but exhilarating humour (some requires the viewing of The Room to work though) that has its charms, and the imitation of scenes from The Room works wonderfully. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I watched a movie and laughed so hard my stomach would hurt.
A24, Warner Bros. Pictures
And I'm yet to talk about my favorite part of the film and probably its best part as well. The acting. James Franco gives the performances of his career. His portrayal of Tommy Wiseau is simply magnificent. He captures all the weirdness and eccentricities of this mysterious individual without being offensive. He delivers every single line as the real Wiseau would do. He has the same posture, the same weird and inconsistent accent, he walks like him and he laughs like him. Franco did such a marvelous job that when I showed my mother clips from both movies she thought it was the same guy. Also, his performance is consistently amazing both in comedic and dramatic scenes, the latter being the most powerful.
The other big star of The Disaster Artist is James Franco's little brother, Dave. He comes nowhere near James (he's never been and will never be at this level in my opinion), but he does a really good job as Greg, the more grounded and normal of the two, and their chemistry is unsurprisingly perfect. A special mention goes to some actors having nothing but a cameo in this, both playing characters from The Room. One is Jacki Weaver as Lisa's mother, the other is Zac Efron as Chris-R. He is in the film for like 5 second but he is very intense. Who would have thought he could impress me so much.
The Trader [Sovdagari] (2018) The Trader [Sovdagari] debuts February 9
Gela sells secondhand clothes and household items from the back of his minibus while trekking across the Eastern European country, Georgia in search of potatoes. Money is meaningless in this market, potatoes are lucrative. Young and old peer in the truck, their eyes lighting up at the sight of modern conveniences like sponges and lint brushes. It's a riddle that pits rural value against urban valuation, dirt versus gold. Directed by Tamta Gabrichidze, it is part of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival shorts program.
An American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and musician, Armisen is widely known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2002 until 2013. He has portrayed characters in comedy films, including EuroTrip, Anchorman, and Cop Out. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, Armisen is the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia.
More than 10 years ago I bought Joseph Joffo's A Bag of Marbles. I was supposed to read it for school but I never finished it because I wasn't a big fan of reading at the time and I didn't like the book at all. I've given it another try a couple of weeks ago and, while I finished it this time, it wasn't anything special. Just an average novel about the horrible fate of Jews during World War II and therefore I didn't have high expectations for A Bag of Marbles (French: Un sac de billes). Somehow it still managed to let me down.
The film tells the story of 10-year-old Joseph (Dorian Le Clech) and 12-year-old Maurice Joffo (Batyste Fleurial), two Jewish brothers, who are forced to separate from their family in order to escape Nazi-occupied Paris. On their journey, they meet all kinds of people, good and bad, and in a way or another, they'll help them reunite with their family.
It's not a fictional story, but Joffo's memoirs and he wrote down what he could remember so I won't complain much about the fact that the story doesn't flow very smoothly and jumps from place to place, although this being a film I was expecting a better job. But I will say that director Christian Duguay and screenwriter Jonathan Allouche were able to make the story unengaging and not so interesting to me.
However, what really bugged me about A Bag of Marbles is that it's a story about the strong bond between two brothers who can rely on each other and cannot trust anyone else; the film doesn't deliver that. Their relationship is bland, far from being the soul of the film as it was for the novel. These kids manage to survive in a world of adult, war and anti-semitism because of the strong bond between them but it just doesn't come off in the film.
Gaumont Film Company
Another aspect that doesn't quite come off is the differences between the two brothers. Joseph is naive and has a hard time understanding the reality of war, Maurice, on the other hand, is intelligent and mature. In the film, they barely emerge. Joseph is whimpering all the time because he misses his parents, while Maurice looks pissed all the time.
There's some very enjoyable about this film though, it's Patrick Bruel's performance. He plays Roman Joffo, the father, with such passion and commitment, and delivers the love and pain of a father who must separate from his kids. His scenes are quite emotional.
It's the last Thursday of the month and you know what that means? It's time for another Television Edition of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. This week we are asked to pick TV series that were adapted from books.
Without further ado, here are my picks:
Game of Thrones (2011- ) based on A Song of Ice and Fire by R. R. Martin
In the mythical lands of Westeros, several powerful families fight for the control of the Seven Kingdoms. There are dragons, psychopaths, a lot of sex and betrayal in this one. It has decreased quality over the seasons but I still enjoy watching it.
Is it a good adaptation? Kinda. As I said, I really like the show, but I've read the book (only the first one so far) after watching it and it's better. If I had read the book first I would have probably been disappointed.
House of Cards (2013- ) based on House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
It follows congressman Frank Underwood as he makes his way to the White House. Mainly by killing people. Literally. This is one of my favourites shows. It's clever and has a great cast. Although I'm a fan of Spacey, I'm really looking forward to the new season without him. Finally Claire gets the screen time she deserves.
Is it a good adaptation? Yes. It's even better than the books which I loved but I just can't seem to bring myself to read the 3rd one. I'm kinda ashamed of myself for that because I bought it almost 3 years ago.
Mr. Mercedes (2017- ) based on Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
A psychopath drives a stolen Mercedes into a crowd of job seekers at a job fair and retired cop Bill Hodges tries to bring him down. The plot isn't very strong but the show is thrilling and it the cast does a very good job.
Is it a good adaptation? Yes. I've been waiting for this series for years, literally, and the wait did pay off. It isn't always faithful to the book but it's good enough to make me excited for season 2 which is going to be based on Finders Keepers, the second book of the trilogy.
Recently AMPAS announced the nominations for the 2018 edition of the Oscars honoring films released in 2017. The announcement was made by Tiffany Haddish and Andy Serkis; Haddish performance was not really adequate to be reading the most famous, most expected award nominations where names mean everything for those being honored with an Oscar nomination.
Nevertheless, Haddish and Serkis announced online the nominees in 11 categories at 5:22am PT, with pre-taped category introductions by Academy members Priyanka Chopra, Rosario Dawson, Gal Gadot, Salma Hayek, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Molly Shannon, Rebel Wilson and Michelle Yeoh. Haddish and Serkis announced online and live TV in many countries of the world, the remaining 13 categories at 5:38 a.m. PT. Will not deny that highly enjoyed the format of the first part where categories were introduced with a short video exemplifying what the category was all about and starring female actors. Perhaps because was the first video or maybe because I like Gal Gadot but for me her video was the best category presentation.
As the nominees were announced had some gasps with unexpected nominees but before the second part started already knew (and confirmed what everyone was expecting) The Shape of Water was going to have the most nominations as was collecting noms in almost all craft/tech categories. So, nope, no surprise when film was named leader of the pack and perhaps was a bit surprised of the 13 nominations and the distance to number 2, Dunkirk which collected 8.
There are so much to say about the nominations as there are many notable issues, so will have to order my thoughts to be able to mention a few. Believe none is more notorious than having a female cinematographer nominated for the first time ever! Which means that in the past 89 years of Academy Awards there was NO female cinematographer nominated!!! As her work in Mudbound is remarkable, Rachel Morrison absolutely deserved this and more honors that no doubt will come her way. Then there is also very-well-deserved nomination to Greta Gerwig, who becomes the 5th female director to be nominated in 90 years of AMPAS history and the first female director to land a nomination with her directorial debut. Most remarkable are Mary J. Blige who becomes the first woman to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song in the same year.
This edition has also a remarkable milestone as is the first time the Academy honors a trans director, Yance Ford with his documentary Strong Island and there is a film starring a trans actress with a nomination, Daniela Vega in The Fantastic Woman. So, not only in gender there were broken barriers but also in a LGBT minority.
Even if I question the reason why Christopher Nolan got a nomination for Dunkirk, will not deny the fact that is about time Nolan gets a nomination! Yes, it's the first he ever gets. Unbelievable, isn't? There are a couple of his films that deserved his nomination as more clearly showcased his directorial outstanding skills, but well, the Academy is famous for doing this kind of honor for the wrong film. Sigh. Yes, Meryl Streep becomes the actor with the most nominations breaking once again her own Oscar record; it's her 21st Academy Award nomination. But as much nods Streep has she's not the top individual with Oscar nominations, the title belongs to composer John Williams who just got his 51st nomination.
If we go on with people records there is one that's notable as no one doubts the outstanding cinematography by Roger Deakins -in so many films- who just earned his 14th nomination and has won NO Oscar. That's odd, isn't? One of the biggest surprises was Paul Thomas Anderson nomination, who now becomes the most nominated non-tech filmmaker without an Oscar as there is no writer, director or actor who has more nominations (8) without a win.
On top, age had a milestone as none other that Christopher Plummer (88) becomes the oldest Oscar acting nominee in history. Also 22-years-old Timothee Chalamet is the youngest Best Actor nominee in almost 80 years as record-holder 19-years-old Mickey Rooney got a nomination in 1944.
There are more first-ever like Logan being the first live-action superhero movie nominated for its screenplay, Lebanon gets it's first-ever nomination, Octavia Spencer became the only black actress to follow up an Oscar victory with two nominations, and more, but will stop here.
The major snub for me is in the documentary category as is hard to understand why Jane was not nominated after getting so-many honors in current awards season -still I'm hopeful now Faces Places could win and Agnes Varda will become the first person to win an Honorary and a Competitive Oscar in the same year. Fatih Akin's In The Fade got snubbed after collecting some honors, sigh. Alright there was no spot left but yes, agree with those who say Florence Pugh's powerhouse performance in Lady Macbeth deserved a Best Actress spot.
Will not get into who will win as hope to do traditional Oscar predictions, but we all know there are some categories that have to be locked and we all know the winner. The only disruption to sure-things is the inclusion of Phantom Thread, which have to figure out how could influence Academy voters decision.
The Nominations
Best Motion Picture of the Year Call Me by Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk Get Out Lady Bird Phantom Thread The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year The Boss Baby The Breadwinner Coco Ferdinand Loving Vincent
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman), Sebastián Lelio, Chile قضية رقم ٢٣ (aka قضية رقم 23) L'Insulte (The Insult), Ziad Doueiri, Lebanon Нелюбовь Nelyubov (Loveless), Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul), Ildikó Enyedi, Hungary The Square, Ruben Östlund, Sweden
Best Documentary Feature Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, Steve James, USA Visages, Villages (Faces Places), JR and Agnes Varda, France Icarus, Bryan Fogel, USA Last Men in Aleppo, Firas Fayyad, Steen Johannessen and Hasan Kattan, Denmark and Syria Strong Island, Yance Ford, USA
Achievement in directing Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk Jordan Peele for Get Out Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water
Performance by an actress in a leading role Sally Hawkins in The Shape of Water Frances McDormand in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie in I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird Meryl Streep in The Post
Performance by an actress in supporting role Mary J. Blige in Mudbound Allison Janey in I, Tonya Lesley Manville in Phantom Thread Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird Octavia Spencer in The Shape of Water
Performance by an actor in a leading role Timothee Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri Richard Jenkins in The Shape of Water Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Adapted screenplay James Ivory for Call Me by Your Name Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for The Disaster Artist Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Mike Green for Logan Aaron Sorkin for Molly's Game Virgil Williams and Dee Rees for Mudbound
Original screenplay Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani for The Big Sick Jordan Peele for Get Out Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor for The Shape of Water Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Achievement in cinematography Roger A. Deakins for Blade Runner 2049 Bruno Delbonnel for Darkest Hour Hoyte van Hoytema for Dunkirk Rachel Morrison for Mudbound Dan Laustsen for The Shape of Water
Achievement in visual effects John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover for Blade Runner 2049 Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus for Kong: Skull Island Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanian and Chris Corbould for Star Wars: The Last Jedi Jon Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist for War for the Planet of the Apes
Achievement in film editing Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos for Baby Driver Lee Smith for Dunkirk Tatiana S. Riegel for I, Tonya Sidney Wolinsky for The Shape of Water Jon Gregory for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Achievement in production design Beauty and the Beast Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water
Achievement in costume design Jaqueline Durran for Beauty and the Beast Jaqueline Durran for Darkest Hour Mark Bridges for Phantom Thread Luis Sequeira for The Shape of Water Consolata Boyle for Victoria & Abdul
Achievement in makeup and hairstyling Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick for Darkest Hour Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard for Victoria & Abdul Arjen Tuiten for Wonder
Achievement in sound editing Julian Slater for Baby Driver Mark Mangini and Theo Green for Blade Runner 2049 Richard King and Alex Gibson for Dunkirk Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira for The Shape of Water Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Achievement in sound mixing Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H. Ellis for Baby Driver Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth for Blade Runner 2049 Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo for Dunkirk Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier for The Shape of Water David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original Score) Hans Zimmer for Dunkirk Jonny Greenwood for Phantom Thread Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water John Williams for Star Wars: The Last Jedi Carter Burwell for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original Song) Mighty River from Mudboud Mystery of Love from Call Me by Your Name Remember Me from Coco Stand Up for Something from Marshall This is Me from The Greatest Showman
Short Films
Best live action short film DeKalb Elementary, Reed Van Dyk, USA The Eleven O'Clock, Derin Seale, Australia My Nephew Emmett, Kevin Wilson Jr., USA The Silent Child, Chris Overton, UK Watu Wote: All of Us, Katja Benrath, Germany and Kenya
Best animated short film Dear Basketball, Glen Keane, USA Garden Party, Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon, Florian Babikian, Vincent Bayoux, Theophile Dufresne and Lucas Navarro, France Lou, Dave Mullins, USA Negative Space, Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, France Revolting Rhymes, Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, UK
Best documentary short subject Edith+Eddie, Laura Checkoway, USA Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, Frank Stiefel, USA Heroin(e), Elaine McMillion Sheldon, USA Knife Skills, Thomas Lennon, USA Traffic Stop, Gina Kamentsky and Julie Zammarchi, USA
To check nominations at official site go here (pdf file) or here. Active members of the Academy (7,258 as of 12/21/17) are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories beginning Tuesday, February 20 through Tuesday, February 27.
The Oscars hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be held on Sunday, March 4, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will be televised on ABC at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT. The awards show will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
