DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 31, 2018

Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985) Bo Svenson earns a paycheck swinging a sword at nothing in this Corman quickie. Answers the unasked question what if Chewbacca was a souless yeti? TIL: As the kid learns, one of the reasons most magic is wrong is the selfish motivation.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Demons (1985) - "Cinema is the ultimate pervert art. It doesn't give you what you desire - it tells you how to desire." - Slavoj Žižek

And finally, given the especially vile temperament of social media today, I can think of no better time to celebrate #NationalSmileDay than right now!

Tony Manero (2008)

I read about Tony Manero for the first time one or two years ago (it was on Dell on Movies, if I'm not wrong), and I found the concept very interesting. So my quest for the past years has been to find the movie and watch it.

Set in Santiago, Chile, during the dictatorship of Pinochet in 1970s, the film follows Raúl (Alfredo Castro), a 52-year-old unemployed man who is obsessed with Tony Manero, John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever, so obsessed that he watches the movie in the local movie theatre on repeat in order to memorize the dialogue and especially all of Travolta's dance moves. This guy wants to be Tony Manero so bad, he's willing to do anything to achieve his goal.

Unfortunately, as the story started to unfold, it wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. Though it takes some unexpected and sick turns, Tony Manero's story, a story of amorality and depravity, just wasn't that compelling to me and, truth to be told, it bored me to death. 

To that, add the character of Raúl, a character that is supposedly very interesting and yet failed to captivate me. He is a guy who is trying to escape from his miserable life by mimicking an iconic disco dancer, Tony Manero. The problem is that he is a disturbed and repulsive man whose obsession is so dangerous he often physically harms those around him. He has no morality, no empathy, no redeeming quality whatsoever. While the character just didn't work for me, the performance from Alfredo Castro, who looks like just Al Pacino, is pretty good. He gives such an intense performance and embodies the fearless, consciousness monster very well.

Fabula Productions

Another issue I had with Pablo Larraín's (Jackie) movie is related to the themes it addresses. On the one hand, we have Pinochet's brutal control of the country which is probably the reason Raúl became a monster --insane behaviours can only result into insanity. On the other hand, we have the influence and impact of American pop culture, in foreign countries. The problem is that I felt both were dealt with in a shallow way. If Larraín just picked one and focused on it, the result would have been much better. 

At last, there are the disturbing and shocking scenes. Some of them aren't that disturbing, only disgusting, and there's too much emphasis on sex scenes and nudity. 

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 30, 2018

The Revenge of the Teenage Vixens from Outer Space (1985) Occasionally charming student film has frisky femaliens turning their lackluster lovers into garden vegetables. TIL: Not sure this is the consequences the Church had in mind, but she does warn against premarital sex.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Flash Gordon (1980) - "There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds." - G. K. Chesterton

And, just in case you thought my positive review of Solo: A Star Wars Story was the only one out there, here’s Catholic Skywalker’s take on the latest from Lucasfilm and Disney.

PODCAST 310: Tremors : A Cold Day In Hell & Phantasm: Ravager [Sequelitis Edition]

The Horror Duo take on a pair of films - finally completing two fan favored franchises. Forest returns to the wonderful world of worms with Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell. Cory shares his thoughts on and interpretation of Phantasm: Ravager - the Phantasm finale.

CONTINUE READING

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

I didn't remember why See No Evil, Hear No Evil ended up on my watchlist (it was because of Kevin Spacey, by the way), but the title intrigued me, I saw it was a comedy with Gene Wilder and I watched it. 

David Lyons (Gene Wilder), a deaf man who runs a convenience store, befriends and hires Wally Karue (Richard Pryor), a blind man. Then a murder is committed in the store and they both witness it. Because of their impairments, they can't identify the murderer. Also, the police suspect them of the murder and arrest them. That's when the real killer (Joan Severance) and her associate (Kevin Spacey) show up as they don't want to take any chances, David and Wally manage to escape and it's up to them to clear their names while both police and actual murders go after them.

What follows is a very simple and very non-sensical plot --like in Dumb and Dumber, only See No Evil, Hear No Evil was made five years before-- that, in spite of its flaws, still manages to be effective and keep you interested throughout the whole running time. 

But the credits don't go to the writers, but to the leading duo, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. I haven't seen their previous collaborations --I believe this is their third film together-- but I think it's safe to say they are a match made in heaven. First, their performances. Both Wilder and Pryor are very convincing in their roles, the first as the deaf man and the latter as the blind man, and they are consistently hilarious. Then, there's the chemistry. They have such a great, natural chemistry and that's basically what keeps the film running smoothly. 

TriStar Pictures

The supporting cast is no less. Though far from being his best performance, Kevin Spacey does a good job as Kirgo, one of the criminals trying to kill the duo, and it was nice seeing him before his career took off. Joan Severance is both funny and sexy as Eva, the other crook. Alan North though easily steals the scene as the bad-tempered cop who is trying to catch David and Wally.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil is also funny from start to finish. A few jokes fall flat, but most of them are perfectly timed and very effective --they are pretty juvenile and idiotic though. The slapstick works very well, and there's plenty of hilarious moments to enjoy. My favourite? That scene where the policewoman tries to take a photo of David after the arrest. 

Down Movie Review

The Shaft [Down] (2001)

Rent Down on Amazon Video
Written by: Dick Maas
Directed by: Dick Maas
Starring: James Marshall, Naomi Watts, Eric Thal, Michael Ironside, Ron Perlman
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
When the elevator in New York's Millennium Building start to malfunction and behave erratically, an elevator mechanic and reporter discover the sinister cause.

Verdict
From shaky logic, to flat out wrong physics, stiff acting, and even worse dialog this movie fails across the board. Convoluted explanations about dolphin brains could be substituted for the catch all of voodoo, which is hinted at in the movie. It's a lot like a bland '80s action movie, and it should embrace its own ridiculousness. Being campier and sillier would help, though I'm not sure anything could save this.
Skip it.

Review
Any movie that starts with gratuitous nudity, you immediately have to question the quality. There's an inverse proportion. The more the nudity, the worse the movie. If that's the only hook you can muster, my pending experience is immediately questioned.

The logic is immediately questionable. A lightning strike seemingly brings an elevator to life and it's bent on killing. That's a silly premise, but it works if you embrace the silliness. This movie does not embrace it. It needs to be over the top, and at times it felt like a B movie, but then it would attempt something boring.

The elevator seems sentient. Voodoo is hinted at later in the movie, and that would be better than the real answer which is a dolphin brain processor that can learn and replicate. The mad scientist Steinberg, who of course is German, for whatever reason wants to experiment on elevators. His story is the most intriguing thing in the movie. I wish this movie focused on him. He was kicked out of the military despite testing this technology and finds himself at an elevator company. The owner knows what he's doing, but why? Are they hoping to corner the sentient elevator market? Why would you hire this man? Was Steinberg up front about his intentions or did he start this project after being hired? Is this the only job Steinberg can get that allows him to tamper with a computer processor?

The elevator follows no rules. It can travel insanely fast when needed, can produce blinding lights, spontaneous combusts, and even raises all the windshield wiper arms on cars. Despite all that's wrong with this movie, my biggest issue is the trap door elevator floor. Elevators just aren't made like that. The floor doesn't just drop out. It's such a cheap way for an effect. I won't even get into the speed versus elevator shaft length.

The source of the elevator's power is bewildering because it follows no reason. Events get more implausible by the second. At first I was wondering aliens, then voodoo is hinted, and the ultimate answer is laughable.

Elevator tech Jeff teams up with a reporter, the only ones willing to get to the bottom of the case. They do a lot of nothing as the movie is padding time.

This was Naomi Watts role before her breakout in Mullholland Drive. Based on this movie I wouldn't have guessed she's a good actress. I don't know if it's her, the movie, or the director. The director wrote this remake of his own film from 1983. The original is regarded as a good horror movie. While I haven't seen it, I wouldn't guess it based on this experience.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Watch the trailer
Written by: Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan (written by), George Lucas (based on characters created by)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Joonas Suotamo
Rated: PG-13

Plot
During an adventure in the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future copilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.

Verdict
With low expectations due to critic reviews and Star Wars fatigue, I was pleasantly surprised. At times it's a fun heist movie when it's not trying to tie directly back to the franchise. Those links often fall flat, and it tries to answer too many questions about Han. Being a Star Wars film is the draw, but it's difficult to watch Ehrenreich play Han Solo when Harrison Ford is firmly entrenched as Han. I constantly gauged one performance against the other. The movie is at its best when it isn't bombarding you with references, but it can't escape the shadow of the franchise.
Watch it.

Review
With Disney cranking out annual Star Wars movies, franchise fatigue is inevitable. I wondered how the first universe adjacent movie, Rogue One, would fare and I liked it. The movie was great because it wasn't constrained by the future events we've already seen (read my review). The latest film, The Last Jedi, while visually striking didn't feel like a Star Wars movie with the humor and tone employed (read my review).
In the span of a few years we've gotten two new numbered episodes in addition to a spin off. Ehrenreich is signed on for two more Solo movies, a Boba Fett movie is in the works, director of The Last Jedi Rian Johnson is working on a new trilogy, an Obi Wan Kenobi movie is in development, and Game of Thrones directors David Benioff and D. B. Weiss are working on a movie too. This seems like over saturation. Why was hype for the prequel trilogy so high? It's because it had been sixteen years after many thought the story was long done. The Force Awakens garnered a ton of hype because it had been ten years since an episode.
Marvel has managed to tweak the formula enough to keep fans coming back, but can Disney do the same with Star Wars? It becomes more difficult when new actors play iconic roles.

Alden Ehrenreich as Harrison Ford as Han Solo.

Harrison Ford is Han Solo, there's no way Alden Ehrenreich wouldn't feel like a knock off, and this movie had a rocky start when  original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were dismissed due to creative differences. The studio didn't like how comedic they were making the film and writer Kasdan didn't like that they weren't shooting the script word for word. Lord and Miller reinvented 21 Jump Street and created the surprisingly good The Lego Movie. Ron Howard took over, and while he is a fine director, he's known for getting the job done rather than being a visionary. Lord and Miller received executive producer credits for their effort, but his doesn't have the visuals that The Last Jedi had. There are no amazing scenes be it visual or sheer action.

Michael Kenneth Williams was originally cast in the film as the main villain and shot scenes, but he was unable to return to the set for the Ron Howard re-shoots and he was replaced by Paul Bettany.

Do we need a Star Wars movie with a backstory exploration that's unnecessary? I've never wanted to know about Han's early life. Would this movie even be cohesive with the well documented production problems? My excitement had waned for the The Last Jedi, but there's something about hearing the iconic music and seeing the text crawl that generates excitement. Both are absent from Solo since it's not a numbered episode, and I never had that same level of excitement. It's a solid film, fun for what it is but more average than anything. It gets points for not being a train wreck. Ron Howard re-shot seventy percent of the movie. That usually spells disaster, but not here.

Han and Chewie.

If this wasn't Han Solo and Star Wars, instead just being a space western it would be free from many of its constrains and my criticisms, but it also wouldn't have the audience draw. Disney knows the franchise name alone is bankable. Han Solo is played by an imposter in essence. I can't help but compare Ehrenreich to Ford. Sometimes he felt like Ford, other times he felt like a bland action movie hero. The performance is the elephant in the room as it's impossible to escape. Ford is the real Han Solo, and it doesn't help that the character isn't as interesting in this movie.

When I can get away from that, the movie has it's moments. Ties to the franchise are contrived. The gold dice might as well get a credit. They were in The Last Jedi, and I had to look up their significance then. Six months later and I've forgotten why they were important. They were shown in the original trilogy in the Millenium Falcon as set dressing, never directly addressed. They show up again in The Force Awakens, again not a story point. They prominently appear in The Last Jedi before their starring role in Solo. They should have been relegated to a blink and you'll miss it easter egg. I was fine with them being a symbol between Han and his love interest  Qi'ra. Unfortunately they show up more than that.

Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett

I liked the plot progression. Han is driven by a goal. He was an orphan, griftng to survive. He's in love with Qi'ra and gets separated, vowing to return. After a few years he runs into thief Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Han realizes this could be his way out and back. With the way Disney is milking the franchise we'll probably get a Beckett origin story in a few years. It's telling in that Beckett is a minor character and that gives him a certain amount of intrigue as there's a lot we don't know. It's parallel to Han Solo.
We then get a heist movie. There's a train robbery which seems odd with so many space ships, but this is a space western so I'll go with it. Along the way it answers all the questions about Han, many that didn't need answering. We don't need to know how he got his name, his belt, or his blaster. Meeting Chewie was fine, but this movie wants to explain every reference we've seen about Han in the other movies. Explaining how Chewbacca got his nickname Chewie is completely redundant. There's even a Han shot first call out which actually isn't that bad.

I like seeing Han as younger and earnest. We see the foundations of how he became jaded and selfish and I wish the movie focused on that and really delved into his emotions. Han meets Qi'ra after becoming a thief. She's left their home planet. I won't spoil anything, but I liked her arc and the repercussions it has for Han. I thought she wrapped up perfectly, but with Ehrenreich signed on for two more movies, I'm afraid we'll see her again and there is no way to prevent that from being contrived. I do not want a Han-Qi-ra love story. That or she'll get her own spin off movie.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian.

Lando Calrissian makes an appearance. Donald Glover does a fine job, and it helps that Lando was a smaller character in the original trilogy. There have been talks about a Lando movie, though it's not a priority yet. Lando was the original owner of the Millenium Falcon and we discover how the ship changed hands.
Lando's droid has a strange sub plot. The droid talks about equal rights and droid revolution, but then it's later uploaded into the Millennium Falcon as an AI, which seems counter to the droids argument. It's just a weird story that felt completely out of place as it unfolded. It could be cut and wouldn't change anything other than making the movie more coherent.

This also links Han to the rebellion origins. There's just no need. That's done seemingly to set up his line of never joining the rebellion and winking at the audience. The movie tells us and then reminds us that Han is the good guy. It just felt off. While the events of this movie may have jaded him, I can see he's good. the movie doesn't need to outright say it. He should be a layered character that balances being good with furthering his own goals. That's who Han is. What we get is a bland good guy hero.

There's the crime syndicate the Red Dawn and a band of marauders which come together for the final show down. I liked Han's final gambit. The movie overall progresses quickly and I liked the flow, it built perfectly. The problems arise with shout outs. This leaves nothing to the imagination. Everything we know or have seen about Han is answered in this movie. I don't wish the writers had saved some for a sequel, though this leaves it wide open for Han's Jabba the Hut adventures, but it seems like the writers went through the other movies, took every reference to Han and Chewie's past, and then started crafting a story.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 29, 2018

Raw Force (1982) Capt. Cameron Mitchell & The Burbank Karate Club fight psuedo-Hitler and a cult of cannibal monks. Also, zombie ninjas. Sometimes quantity over quality works. TIL: If your religion condones human trafficking and eating human flesh, chances are it's a false one.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Dante's Inferno (1911) - "On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup." - Psalms 11:6

Born in China (2016)

Nature documentaries have always been my favourites, and pandas are some of the cutest animals on our planet so (and the most relatable too as all they want is to be left alone to eat and relax), as soon as I saw Born in China's poster, I watched the documentary. 

Set into the wilds of China, Born in China follows a year in the lives of four animal families --snow leopard, snub-nosed monkey, giant panda, and chiru (Tibetan antelope). 

Specifically, the documentary follows a snow leopard, Dawa, as she struggles to provide for her two cubs and protect them from predators; a young monkey, Tao Tao, who joins a group of outcasts as his baby sister steals all the attention and love of his family; a giant panda, Ya Ya, who lives in peace with her growing baby, Mei Mei; and a herd of chiru as they migrate to give birth to their cubs.

Now, for someone who loves nature and animals as I do, watching these wild animals in their natural habitats is magical and fascinating as it is interesting --except for the chiru whose storyline doesn't have a main character like the others and feels out of place because of that. 

Unfortunately, Born in China is not a BBC documentary but a Disneynature co-production and that prevented it from being a great documentary. The first problem is the narration. While it may appeal to a (very) young audience, the anthropomorphic storytelling isn't very objective nor highly informative and, after a while, the projection of human emotions and characteristics onto the animals gets a little annoying. I have, however, no complain about John Krasinski's narration as he nails the playful tone of the documentary and makes it fun (I'm sure kids will love him). The problem is that the filmmakers shouldn't have used this light tone given the material. 

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Especially considering that a big part of Born in China is focused on the snow leopard, one of nature's best hunters --as well as some of the greatest masters of disguise (damn, I did learn something from this film, after all). The hunting footage is nowhere to be found which is a real bummer considering the snow leopard at the center of the story spends half of her time defending her territory and the other half hunting.

The editing also leaves something to be desired. Don't get me wrong, the film is quite beautifully edited, the problem is that it feels staged. The footage just seems to be put together in a way that it would fit the narrative and would make all more interesting and fun. There's no way the baby panda and the red panda were looking at each other like that. 

All of that being said, Born in China is still a quite enjoyable documentary, thanks to Krasinski's narration, that showcases the importance of family and how it outweighs everything else. Also, it has a stunning, breathtaking photography. 

Netflix NEWS 05.29.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Arrested Development Season 5 (May 29)

Netflix Series Continuation

Chronicling the misadventures of the Bluth family, this cleverly funny show stars Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, and David Cross.
In the fifth season, Lindsay will run for Congress to become "part of the problem." The family shoots footage for her campaign videos. This "new new beginning" sees them sticking together this time because they think they're getting an award for "family of the year." Tobias is still chasing his acting dreams, this time attempting to portray Michael.
Watch the trailer
Bluth for Family of the Year 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4 Part 1 (May 30)

Netflix Original Series - 6 episodes

In this comedy, Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) was rescued from an underground bunker where she was one of many wives to a cult leader (Jon Hamm). In season two, her upbeat attitude helps her brave adversity no matter the circumstance.
The second half of season 4 premieres later in 2018.
It was reported on May 3, 2018 that season 4 is the final season with a possible movie.
Read my Season 2 review - It depends
Season 4 Announcement
Tituss Burgess Performs "One for My Baby"
Season 4 Announcement
Little Girl, Big City!
Season 4 trailer

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman Episode 6 - Howard Stern (May 31)

Netflix Original - 6 episodes

David Letterman returns, interviewing a guest in each hour long episode, with segments where Dave explores the world at large.
Episodes will air monthly starting in January. 
Announcement 
Watch the trailer
Howard Stern Talks Trump 

November 13: Fluctuat Nec Mergitur  (June 1)
Netflix Documentary Series - 3 episodes
Jules and Gédéon Naudet, directors of 9/11, explore the human stories behind the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris on November 13th, 2015. Following the chronology of the events, the documentary will share testimonies of the people brought together by tragedy, from the survivors, the fire department, the Police, and the leaders of the French government including French President at the time of the events, Francois Hollande.
Announcement 
Details

 
Netflix Trailers
The Staircase trailer - June 8

Netflix Previews & Videos

Rilakkuma and Kaoru Season 1 teaser
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette Date Announcement
Marvel's Luke Cage Season 2 - Luke Carries the Weight of Harlem
Kristen Bell Interviews Netflix's Furry Stars
New to Netflix US in June videoe
The Break with Michelle Wolf - Featuring a Strong Female Lead video
A Stranger Things Reunion video 
Sense8 - The Finale Behind the Scenes (Spoiler Alert)
Riverdale - Your Brain on Jingle Jangle
The Kissing Booth Cast Kisses a Hairless Cat video

Netflix News & Announcements

Matt Groening's Disenchantment Season 1- Latest Posters
Netflix Producing Michael Bay Action Movie Six Underground with Ryan Reynolds
Six Underground Project for Netflix's Biggest Budget Movie at $150 million
Disenchantment Season 1 Part 1 Premieres August 17
Gina Rodriguez & David Thewlis Join Big Mouth Season 2 Cast
Netflix Signs Deal with Danish producer Kim Magnusson for Nordic Films
Busted! Season 2 Returns June 1
Ali's Wedding June 8
Marcella Season 2 Returns June 8
The Hollow Season 1 June 8
Treehouse Detectives Season 1 June 8
Maktub June 15
Sunday's Illness June 15
The Ranch Season 3 Returns June 15
True: Magical Friends June 15
True: Wonderful Wishes June 15
Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 6 June 15
Club de Cuervos presenta: La balada de Hugo Sánchez June 17
Brain on Fire June 22
Cooking on High June 22
Derren Brown: Miracle June 22
Heavy Rescue: 401 Season 2 June 22
Us and Them June 22
To Each, Her Own [Les Goûts et les couleurs] June 24
Secret City June 26
W. Kamau Bell: Private School Negro June 26
Churchill’s Secret Agents: The New Recruits June 29
Harvey Street Kids Season 1 June 29
Kiss Me First Season 1 June 29
La Forêt June 29
Nailed It! Season 2 June 29
Paquita Salas Season 2 June 29
Recovery Boys June 29
Tau June 29
Idris Elba Will Star, Direct, Produce The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Northern Rescue Season 1 Coming to Netflix
Dee Rees Returning to Netflix with The Last Thing He Wanted Starring Anne Hathaway
Mark Hamill on Working With Guillermo del Toro on Trollhunters
Ken Jeong Gets Netflix Comedy Special
New Spanish Drama Brigada Costa de Sol
Katherine Langford Won't Return if 13 Reasons Why Has a Third Season 

Hype List
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
Disenchantment Season 1 (2018)
Arrested Development Season 5 (2018)
Stranger Things Season 3 (2018, projected)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (unconfirmed)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020)
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
Mindhunter Season 2 (2018)
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 28, 2018

Zone Troopers (1985) Yanks and Nazis battle over downed UFO and it's surviving occupant. Might bore some, but it's Charles Band at his peak. TIL: "Everyone who serves... is concretely called to defend good, truth and justice in the world," no matter what that "good" looks like.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Green Berets (1968) - "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." - Douglas MacArthur

GIVEAWAY: Comet TV Monster Summer Prize Pack

The good folks over at COMET TV have reached out to us to help spread the word about this years Monster Summer! Sure you could have BBQs, swim at the beach or take a family trip to visit the Grand Canyon. But if you love classic sci-fi monsters - and we know you do - inside will be the place for you!

CONTINUE READING

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

My brother and I used to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series all the time when we were kids, and we loved it too. He loved it so much he even wasted money on the new franchise. I, on the other hand, couldn't care less about those movies and I skipped them. This one though, the first movie about those turtles, I checked it out. Not that I thought it'd be good, because it isn't, but because there's Sam Rockwell in it. 

Unfortunately, Rockwell is barely on screen as he plays a thug "working" for the Foot Clan, a mysterious ninja criminal organization that terrorises the streets of New York. It's up to four mutant ninja turtles, Leonardo (Brian Tochi), Donatello (Corey Feldman), Michelangelo (Robbie Rist) and Raphael (Josh Pais) to protect the city. 

If it sounds like a very simple, straightforward storyline it's because there's nothing complex or intricate about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' plot. The film is mainly an origins story, it tells us how Splinter (the giant rat) and the turtles became the way they are (I'm pretty sure there's not a soul in the world who doesn't know that) and how they meet/befriended reporter April O'Neill and vigilante Casey Jones. 

It's clichéd, predictable and not so interesting, but at least it's not stretched to infinity and beyond. Actually, it's got a pretty good pace. It has some drama as well and they both prevent this from being boring. And it shows, mostly to kids, that joining a gang will never be the answer for anything, those thugs will never be family. 

New Line Cinema

The characters are a little better than I was expecting. I guess the filmmakers realized the film would have had a mostly adult audience so there's something resembling character development here. I also like that, opposite to the kid animated series, the characters in this film are more mature. We really get to know them, especially Raphael and his issues. By the way, am I the only one who still wonders why Raphael is the only one without the Italian name? The turtles are named after Italian painters so he should be Raffaello, not Raphael. Am I right?

Anyway, the acting is pretty cheesy, though not terrible, especially Judith Hoag as April O'Neill, Elias Koteas as Casey Jones and James Saito as the Shredder. The latter is a bit over the top but it's in line with the rest of the film. The turtles' voices feel wrong though.

The special effects aren't that good but on the other hand, the turtles' costumes are pretty good and the action sequences are kinda cool and fun. The musical score too is decent and fits the film very well. 

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 27, 2018

The Twilight People (1972) No-budget knockoff of The Island of Dr. Moreau gets points for its amazing man-bat and Pam Grier's panther woman. Better than Brando's. TIL: While against their creation, the Church would still recognize the souls and inherent dignity of chimeras.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Day of Wrath (1943) - “A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.” - Mark Twain

Seoul Station (2016)

After I watched Train to Busan, I learnt that a prequel was released less than a moment later, a prequel that was made before but not released as the studios feared it would be a disaster. That prequel is Seoul Station (Korean: 서울역 Seoulyeok), an animated film that should supposedly tell us how the pandemic started. But that's the problem with Seoul Station, it never explains us anything. 

Taking place in and around Seoul Station, the film follows several groups of people trying to survive the zombie apocalypse that unleashed in the city and the government trying to lockdown people. 

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, the plot doesn't give us any answers, absolutely no explanation for the outbreak is offered. We still don't know how the pandemic started, we just know when and where it started. Which is why the film fails completely as a prequel. 

As a standalone film, Seoul Station is barely decent. Just like Train to Busan, it is driven by a father-and-daughter relationship, only this one is way darker and takes a disturbing, upsetting twist, and it isn't as effective as it was in Train to Busan. The very simple plot is interesting at first but after a while, I lost interest.

The characters don't make it any easier to enjoy the film. This time we only get the people at the lower rung of the social ladder such as members of the sex trade, and the homeless. They have a nice characterization and yet I never found them that compelling and I didn't care for any of them.

Finecut

The zombie attacks also aren't as good and effective as they were in Train to Busan. Actually, most of them lack tension, and there isn't even a memorable sequence.

The animation isn't that good either. It looks very cheap and ugly to be honest, like some old PS2 video game, but at least the characters look like actual Korean people.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 26, 2018

The House That Cried Murder (1973) William Congreve was right, Hell has no fury... Look, if you're gonna marry crazy, don't act so surprised when crazy shows up after you get caught cheating. TIL: Adultery is one of the big ten no-nos. Of course, there are consequences.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Night of the Blood Beast (1958) - "One man with a head on his shoulders is worth a dozen without." - Elizabeth I

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Though I haven't seen it in ages, Mamma Mia! is still my favourite musical. Maybe it's because it's the first adult film, and by adult I mean non-animated film, I saw on the big screen with my mother, or maybe because it actually is a pretty good film, but I love it. Since there's still plenty of time since the sequel hits theatres (September in my shitty country and yes, I'm going with my mom this time too) I rewatched this and I took advantage of it to review it. 

Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), a 20-year-old who lives on a beautiful Greek island with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) and is about to get married, has only one dream, that her father walks her down the aisle. The problem is that she has no idea who her father is. So when she finds her mother's old diary and learns her mother had three relationships before she was born, she invites the three men on the island, absolutely positive that she would recognize her father as soon as she sees it. Of course she doesn't, and things get way more complicated as Donna finds out the three men are on the island.

Based on the famous musical of the same day (which I haven't seen but I'm planning to), the plot is pretty easy and cheesy, it's quite predictable and it's plenty of holes and inconsistencies, and it kinda feels like an excuse to sing ABBA songs, but it's engaging and fun, and I find myself invested in it every single time I watch the movie.

And the main reason is the songs. They are the soul, the driving force of Mamma Mia!. They fit the plot perfectly --which is pretty normal considering the film/musical was based on the Swedish band's songs-- and they really help in keeping your hooked. There are so much energy and joy in the musical scenes that it makes you want to sing and dance along. At least, that's what this movie does for me. As I said above, they are relevant to the story --not all of them, though--, they help the plot move forward and they convey the feelings of the characters very well.

Universal Pictures

The characters aren't very strong --they lack development and don't have a lot of substance-- but they are fun to watch and you eventually care for them. And the credits go to the cast. Amanda Seyfried carries the film very well playing Sophie, the energetic young woman who is determined to find her father, and does a pretty good job singing-wise. Meryl Streep, I'm not sure she was the right cast to play Donna, but she handles the role quite well. Christine Baranski though will always be my favourite. She adds the comedy the film needs as Tanya, one of Donna's old friends. She even gets her solo act and she kills it. Julie Walters, who plays Rosie, Donna's other friend, is good too.

As for Donna's three old flames, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård, it looks like they are having so much fun in this. They don't have great singing voices -Brosnan's is pretty awful to be honest-- but that only adds to the movie. It makes it even funnier. And Dominic Cooper brings charisma to the film as Sky, Sophie's boyfriend.

At last, there's the visual aspect of Mamma Mia!. I was very impressed with it when I was younger, and I gotta say the Greek scenery still amazes me and looks beautiful, but it doesn't look real. The backgrounds often look like photoshops. I guess most of the film was filmed in a studio and then poor green screen skills happened.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 25, 2018

Ava's Possessions (2015) Following her exorcism, Ava is required to attend AA type meetings for the formerly possessed. Clever idea spends too much time on unnecessary murder mystery. TIL: After dealing with a demon, wouldn't working mass into your schedule be a good idea?

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of My World Dies Screaming (1958) - "Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths." - Charles Spurgeon

And finally, over at Aleteia, there’s my mostly positive take on Solo: A Star Wars Story. There’s nothing in the movie that’s going to change the minds of the #BoycottSolo folks, but overall it’s still a fun flick.

P.S. I’m still waiting on all those alleged payoffs from Disney for writing nice things about their movies.

WRITTEN REVIEW: The Horror At Gallery Kay

By CORY CARR

Everyone knows how difficult it is to meet new people and to form a meaningful relationship. The dating game is a mine field littered with all sorts of books, blogs, online services and apps geared to aid in the dating quest. But what's harder than finding love, is paying the price to keep it.

CONTINUE READING

Fahrenheit 451 (2018)

I read Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 last year and to say that I loved it is a little reductive. I'm not the only one who feels that way about Bradbury's novel and therefore turning it into a good movie was not easy. That said, I had high expectations for HBO's Fahrenheit 451 because of the network's resources and the cast, especially the cast. Unfortunately, it's a misfire.

Set in a distant future, when books are banned and firefighters, in order to destroy them, start fires instead of putting them out, the film follows Guy Montag (Michael B. Jordan), a young fireman who does his job without questioning believing that's the right thing to do. One day, while on his job, Guy witnesses something terrible and begins to question his task. 

While the basic plot points from Bradbury's novel are here, there are many changes --that Hollywood ending, seriously?!-- and some parts were completely left out which gives the film a feeling of incompleteness. In spite of that, the film was off to a good start. In fact, the first part is pretty engaging and enjoyable but eventually, the lazy writing took over and the story no longer interested me, it only bored me.

I did like, however, the filmmakers decided to make the story more suitable to our times by incorporating modern technologies, especially live streaming.  Still, I'm not sure having the internet in a story like this makes a lot of sense. And it also made it look like a Black Mirror episode. 

The characters are another problem as they completely lack development. Guy Montag's motives are not clear at all. Also, the filmmakers left out Montag's wife and replaced her with an uninteresting love interest which took away from the character a layer of depth --and it would have been much appreciated here. 

HBO

In spite of that, Michael B. Jordan still manages to carry the film and give a pretty good performance as the leading character. Michael Shannon's performance, on the other hand, is much greater. He once again gives an excellent performance as he truly captures the character of Captain Beatty and delivers the character's evil, satanic presence. 

In addition to Jordan and Shannon's strong performances, Fahrenheit 451 has quite beautiful visuals. It does feel like they were trying to replicate Blade Runner 2049 but the dark and gritty cinematography and the futuristic neon aesthetics are very beautiful to look at.