DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 31, 2018

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) Jason sails to NYC (just go with it), and does what he does. As stupid as it sounds. TIL: Alas, just like Mama Voorhees' little boy, real evil will keep popping up again and again. Fortunately, help is just a prayer away.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Money Talks (1972) - "The quest for riches darkens the sense of right and wrong." - Antiphanes

Is MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT The Best Movie Of The Summer? YES!

Wow. I saw MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT last Friday and it was amazing! The action is impeccably done and the movie is peppered with it. With Tom Cruise front and center performing his stunts! FALLOUT has already secured the franchise record for opening weekend box office with $61m ($156m worldwide). It should be well over $200m domestically for the run.

Rotten Tomatoes still has the movie pegged at 97% fresh!

For me, when Ethan Hunt has a love interest involved in the story, everything is amped up a bit more. Definitely applies here. FALLOUT delivers. The stakes are extremely high and I'm caring about the characters.

The 3D conversion was also impeccably done, led by a friend of mine, Corey Turner over at Paramount. The depth was dialed up when it was needed with some very cool tracking shots close to the ground that showed me this movie is nailing it. And the aerial 3D shots? Hold your breath! Plenty of time for the eyes to rest too. Congrats Corey! Next up for Corey is BUMBLEBEE, slated for a December 21 release.

As usual, awesome credits and musical score. Look, if you enjoy spy movies, plots where YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION, characters to care about and technically proficient delivery, go see MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT.

It's the summer's best movie. Seriously.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT is now playing.

Ashes and Snow (2005)

When I became interested in documentaries about a year ago, I read many lists on IMDb and other similar websites about great documentaries and that's when I stumbled upon Ashes and Snow. It was described as a documentary about nature and since I love nature, I added it on my watchlist and, so much time later, I finally watched it. 

Ashes and Snow is a documentary by Gregory Colbert, a Canadian photographer and filmmaker who travelled to many countries --India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and many more-- to capture the interactions between humans and animals. And that's exactly what this documentary is about. An hour of the relationship between humans and animals, but most of all, an hour of humans trying to control nature and use it for their purposes. 

And it's easily the most beautiful documentary I've ever seen and probably qualifies as one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. Unfortunately, it does so only under one aspect, the visuals. Ashes and Snow is indeed a visual masterpiece. The photography is so good, it blows your mind. It is so appealing and graceful and breathtaking. And there are scenes, involving whales and elephants, that are so unique and beautiful. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over again, but words are just not enough to describe the visual beauty of this documentary. 

Unfortunately, that's the only aspect of Ashes and Snow that worked for me. Okay, maybe not the only aspect as the calm narration by Lawrence Fishburne fit the film very well and the music is truly enchanting, but I found it to be such a pretentious, redundant film whose purpose is still unknown to me.

Flying Elephants Productions

And the pace is just terrible, so slow it's a miracle I did not fall asleep. At the beginning of the film, the narrator says, "If you follow me, your seconds will become hours, your hours will become days", and he was not wrong, the film is "only" an hour long but it felt a day, if not more, long. 

Netflix NEWS 07.31.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week. You can always read more about what's coming out this week and in the future on our Upcoming page.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Terrace House: Opening New Doors Season 3 (July 31) 

Netflix Distributed Movie

Terrace House: Opening New Doors follows Boys and Girls in the City and Alopha State, documenting the daily lives of six men and women living together in a shared house.

Switched (August 1)

Netflix Distributed Japanese Language Movie

High schooler Ayumi's perfect world evaporates when her envious classmate Zenko somehow steals her body, her boyfriend, and her life.

Cocaine Coast [Fariña] Season 1 (August 3)

Netflix Distributed Spanish Language Series - 10 episodes

Sito Miñanco, a fisherman skilled with speedboats, starts smuggling tobacco in a ring led by Vicente Otero Pérez "Terito", the head of the Ría de Arousa clan. Miñanco starts his own ring and the different clans consider trafficking hashish, but Terito is against smuggling illegal drugs. 

Dinotrux Supercharged Season 3 (August 3)

Netflix Kids Series

Set in a world where dinosaurs are mechanized construction robots, Tyrannosaurus Trux and his reptile-tool Revvit defend against bad guy robots, the D-structs. The Dinotrux are back and supercharged, ready to face new challenges.

I am a Killer Season 1  (August 3)

Netflix Distributed Documentary Series with A + E Networks UK - 10 episodes

Each episode focuses on a different convict, discussing the events leading up to his or her crime, the crime itself, and reflections on it after having spent time on death row.

Like Father (August 3)

Netflix Distributed Movie

When a workaholic young executive (Kristen Bell) is left at the altar, she ends up on her Caribbean honeymoon cruise with the last person she ever expected, her estranged and equally workaholic father (Kelsey Grammer). The two depart as strangers, but over the course of a few adventures, a couple of umbrella-clad cocktails, and a whole lot of soul-searching, they return with a renewed appreciation for family and life. Also stars Seth Rogen.
Watch the trailer

Long Live Brij Mohan [Brij Mohan amar rahe] (August 3)

Netflix Distributed Indian Language Movie

Brij Mohan assumes a new identity to escape his humdrum life but ends up committing a botched murder. First reported on July 25, 2018.
Watch the trailer  

Marching Orders Season 1  (August 3)

Netflix Distributed Documentary Series

A top-ranked college marching band's members fight to keep their spots, memorize routines, tend to their social lives, and slay the competition.

Netflix Trailers
Paradise PD trailer - August 31
To All the Boys I've Loved Before  trailer - August 17
Castlevania Season 2 trailer - October 26
Ozark Season 2 trailer - August 31
The Good Cop Season 1 trailer - September 21

Netflix Previews & Videos

The Break - Pledge of Allegiance
Sacred Games - Where to Find More of the Cast 
New Profile Icons 
Ozark Season 1 Recap
New to Netflix US in August 
Did We Just Become Friends - Danielle Brooks x Priah Ferguson
Demetri Martin: The Overthinker teaser 
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - From Book to Screen Featurette 
The Break - The Husband Did It
The Break - FULL EPISODE - Wet Boys
The Break - Billy Joel 
The Break - Untested Rape Kits
Marvel's Iron Fist Season 2 - Memories teaser - September 7
Maniac Season 1 teaser - September 21
Disenchantment Season 1 - Introducing Bean
Disenchantment Season 1 - Introducing Elfo
Disenchantment Season 1 - Introducing Luci
Disenchantment Season 1 - Welcome to Dreamland 
The Innocents - Behind the Scenes Featurette 
On My Skin teaser -  September 12

Netflix News & Announcements

Netflix Establishes Production Hub in Madrid
Dirty John Anthology Series - Excludes the U.S.
Snowpiercer Series in 2019 - Excludes the U.S. 
The Comedy Lineup Season 2 Returns August 31 
Untitled Chris Keyser Drama Inspired by Lord of the Flies Announced 
Wagner Moura to Play Title Role in Sergio Vieira de Mello Biopic
Locke and Key Season 1 
Meteor Garden Series 
Netflix Acquires Cam Movie 
Long Live Brij Mohan to Debut August 3 
New Profile Icons Coming Soon 
The Crown -  Josh O'Connor Will Play Prince Charles
Netflix Adapting Daybreak to Series 
Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 7 - August 10
Zion - August 10 
Pinky Malinky Season 1 - August 17
Stay Here Season 1 - August 17 
The After Party - August 17  
Ultimate Beastmaster: Survival of the Fittest - August 31 
Bojack Horseman Reruns Will Air on Comedy Central Starting September 26 
Central Park Five Casting 
Stranger Things Season 3 Delayed to Summer 2019 
Netflix Options Nike CEO Phil Knight's Memoir Shoe Dog
Altered Carbon Season 2 Confirmed - Anthony Mackie Will Play Takeshi Kovacs 
New Series Madam CJ Walker and White Lines, Maniac Season 1 Premieres September 21
New Series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and The Curious Creations by Christine McConnell
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - October 26
The Kominsky Method - November 16
Chef's Table Season 5 - September 28
Bard of Blood Season 1 - Emraan Hashmi Cast as Lead 
Netflix Acquires Andy Serkis's Live Action Mowgli Movie 
Netflix Doc The Bleeding Edge Called Inaccurate by Pharmaceutical Giant Bayer 
Netflix Wants Aziz Ansari to Returns for Master of None Season 3 
The OA has a Five Season Plan 

Hype List
Disenchantment Season 1 (August 17, 2018)
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
Ghoul Season 1 (August 24, 2018)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020) 
Stranger Things Season 3 (2018, projected)
Ozark Season 2 (August 31, 2018)
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (2019, projected)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Mindhunter Season 2 (2018)

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 30, 2018

Happy Birthday to Me (1981) Melissa Sue Anderson leaves the little house behind for this silliness, the Scooby Doo of slasher movies. TIL: Oops, looks like these kids forgot birthdays are an occasion to express love and thanks to parents who have shared the gift of life.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Bloody Birthday (1981) - "All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much." - George Harrison

Young Adult (2011)

Having loved both Juno and Up in the Air, and having read/heard some pretty good stuff about Young Adult, especially about Charlize Theron, I finally checked it out only to be disappointed. While it's not a terrible film, it's not as good as Jason Reitman's previous movies. 

Once the high school It Girl, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a now a thirty-seven-year-old alcoholic divorcée who writes a young adult fiction series. The series once was a success but now it's been cancelled due to low sales. She is trying to write the last book of the series but she has a block so she decides to return to her childhood city and is determined to win back her high school sweetheart, Buddy (Patrick Wilson). Not even the fact that Buddy is married and has a baby will dissuade her. 

The plot isn't anything we haven't seen before. It's predictable, not very interesting and boring, and it really hurt me to seeing a woman doing that to herself. And the resolution of the story wasn't that satisfactory either. 

The main theme addressed by Young Adult is the same of Reitman's other movies, the unwillingness to grow up. The entire film is shouting it, from the title to the tagline. It's been done a lot of times before and there's nothing in here that elevates the film and makes it stand out. 

Unless there is. Kinda. There are the characters/performances. Mavis Gary is a horrible person. She is a drunk who does not want to grow up. She is egocentric, so immature it's pathetic but at the same time she is so unhappy and unfulfilled you kind of feel sorry for her. She is the kind of woman who tries to conceal all that with makeup, perfect nails, hair and designer clothes, only beauty can't fix her. And Charlize Theron delivers this pathetic character.

Paramount Pictures

That said, the reason I kept watching was Patton Oswalt's Matt Freehauf. He is one of Mavis's high school classmates, notorious for being beaten up and left for dead by a group of popular kids who assumed he was gay. He has been a cripple ever since and lives a sad, quite depressing life with his sister in the city they all grew up. He is a clichéd character who is given a backstory only to make him sympathetic, and yet he is the most interesting thing in the film and that's because of Oswalt's performance. He is simply great both at drama and comedy --the only humour that works in the film comes from him. And the non-so-unexpected relationship that developed between him and Mavis makes the story more interesting.

Rememory Movie Review

Rememory (2017)

Rent Rememory on Amazon video
Written by: Mike Vukadinovich, Mark Palansky
Directed by: Mark Palansky
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Martin Donovan, Henry Ian Cusick, Anton Yelchin, Julia Ormond
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
When scientist Gordon Dunn dies mysteriously after inventing a device that can record and play back people's memories, guilt-ridden Sam Bloom steals the machine hoping to find closure for causing his brother's death and to find Dunn's killer.

Verdict
This is a boilerplate murder mystery that introduces a memory machine but fails to capitalize on how that would alter the story. This makes the machine feel like an afterthought as this doesn't even attempt to investigate the difference between perception versus reality. Contrivances abound and the reveal towards the end is just annoying. Maybe there's a way to make this decent, but it would need a ground up revision of the script.
Skip it.

Review
Peter Dinklage is great as always, but this movie leaves a lot to be desired. I expected a serviceable movie, nothing great. I was surprised at how bland the movie is. This type of story has been done better. Final Cut (2004) with Robin Williams has a similar theme and even Black Mirror's The Entire History of You and Crocodile explore memories in depth. The Entire History of You is the greatest single episode of television I've ever seen (read my review). This concept has been done better and Black Mirror explores concepts so thoroughly that it makes this movie look like a mess. I didn't expect that kind of quality from Rememory, but the movie treats memories like a snapshot. Bloom might as well be using video recordings to investigate a murder. 

How we remember memories and what exactly happened don't always match. Just the act of accessing a memory can alter it. Emotions change perception. In Rememory Sam Bloom's recollection lines up exactly with the recording. I was hoping a twist is that the memory machine records the memories as we remember them, not how they actually are. That's not the case. We're told all our memories are stored in the mind, all the details. This machine allows us to go back and explore them. There is no dissonance.

For the first act of the movie, I was trying to figure out how Sam Bloom fits into this. Why is he investigating the doctor's murder? I did't know if I blinked and missed an important plot point, but I'm going to attribute this failing to the movie. It just doesn't set that part up well. Part of it may be Sam wanting to use the machine to revisit the events of his brother's death, but that isn't exactly credible either.
What do Sam's models matter? He's a model maker, which interesting, matters very little. He paints scaled models of the his suspects for no real reason. Even the way Sam gets the machine is contrived. None of the doctor's coworkers thought to check the doctor's ex-wife's house?

The memory machine should have a big impact, but these memories have meaning only because we're told they do. I just watched a Coca-Cola commercial that exuded more emotional connection and it was a minute thirty long.
This doesn't look at how two people may remember something differently. We can fool ourselves, but this movie doesn't think so. This murder mystery used memories as clues without even considering that could be dangerous and lead to flat out wrong conclusions. If you remove the machine, this is a boring mystery. Adding the machine gives this potential to be interesting, but that isn't the result. The machine is the glue that holds the story together but it's spread too thin. Nothing really matters, not the characters, not the side effects from the machine.

I'd say this is a good idea with poor execution, but there are too many similar properties that have done this idea well. Sam wanted closure, but instead he discovers he's liable for even more tragedy. There's an interesting thread in that, where Sam could be responsible for his own guilt and it's resolution, at least the attempt to resolve it but I'm giving the movie too much credit.

New & Leaving Netflix US Full List for August 2018

Netflix has a lot of new content for August, listed first is what I plan on checking out.
The full list of what's coming and leaving follows.

Disenchantment Season 1 Part 1 (August 17)

 

Netflix Animated Series - 10 episodes
I watched the golden years of The Simpsons and all of Futurama. I'm definitely excited for this series. It looks like it's going to spoof Game of Thrones a fair amount based on the trailer, but I hope it will also broadly skewer the medieval genre.
Taking place in the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland, young, hard drinking Princess Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo, and her personal demon Luci encounter ogres, sprites, harpies, imps, trolls, walruses, and many foolish humans.
Season 1 teaser 
Watch the trailer  

Ozark Season 2 (August 31)

Netflix Original Series - 10 episodes

Jason Bateman stars and directs this drama series about a financial planner who flees to the Missouri Ozarks from Chicago with his wife (Laura Linney) and two children to launder money for and pay off a Mexican drug cartel.
Watch the Season 2 trailer 

Ghoul Season 1 (August 24)

Netflix Original English Language Indian Series - 3 episodes

A horror series based on Arabic folklore and set in a covert detention center, newly minted interrogator Nida arrives at the facility to discover that some of the terrorists are not of this world. 
Watch the trailer 

Paradise PD Season 1 (August 31)

Netflix Original Adult Animated Series - 10 episodes

From Waco O'Guin and Roger Black, the Brickleberry creators, the series is a look at an incompetent small town police station.
Watch the trailer 

Follow This Season 1 (August 23)

Netflix Distributed Weekly Documentary - 20 episodes

Fifteen minute episodes go behind-the-scenes with award-winning BuzzFeed journalists.
Episode 1 Teaser video

Ultimate Beastmaster: Survival of the Fittest (August 31) 

Netflix Original Series

Produced by Sylvester Stallone, competitors from ten different countries attempt to conquer an obstacle course known as "The Beast."

Arriving

Arriving August 1

• Batman Begins
• Chernobyl Diaries
• Clerks
• Constantine
• Dreamcatcher
• Edge of Fear
• Eraser
• Gran Torino
• House of Deadly Secrets
• Los tiempos de Pablo Escobar Season 1
• Million Dollar Baby
• No Reservations
• Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Moby
• Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Nile Rodgers
• Once in a Lifetime Sessions with Noel Gallagher
• Once in a Lifetime Sessions with TLC
• P.S. I Love You
• Secretariat
• Silverado
• Steel Magnolias
• Stripes
• Switched - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Aviator
• The Golden Compass
• The Informant!
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Arriving August 2

• Emelie

Arriving August 3

• Cocaine Coast Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Dinotrux Supercharged Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• I Am A Killer Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Like Father - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Long Live Brij Mohan [Brij Mohan Amar Rahe] - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Marching Orders Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 4

• Flavors of Youth: International Version - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Mr. Sunshine Season 1 (Streaming every Saturday) - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• On Children Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 5

• Paid in Full

Arriving August 9

• Perdida - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Originals Season 5

Arriving August 10

• 72 Dangerous Animals: Asia - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Afflicted - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• All About the Washingtons Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Demetri Martin: The Overthinker - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Insatiable Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The House of Flowers [La casa de las flores] Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Million Pound Menu Season 1 (Netflix Original)
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Package - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Ponysitters Club Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 7 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Zion - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 11

• No Country for Old Men

Arriving August 13

• Alexander: The Ultimate Cut
• Splash and Bubbles Season 2
• The Nut Job

Arriving August 15

• Adventures in Public School
• Hostiles
• The 100 Season 5

Arriving August 16

• Evan Almighty
• Wish I Was Here

Arriving August 17

• Disenchantment Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Magic for Humans Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Pinky Malinky Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Spirit Riding Free Season 6 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Stay Here Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Motive - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Ultraviolet Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 19

• The Investigator: A British Crime Story Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 21

• Year One

Arriving August 23

• Deadwind Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Follow This Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Great News Season 1

Arriving August 24

• Ask the StoryBots Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Bert Kreischer: Secret Time - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Ghoul Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The After Party - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Innocents Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Trolls: The Beat Goes On! Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Young & Hungry Season 5 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Arriving August 28

• The Good Place Season 2

Arriving August 29

• Inequality for All

Arriving August 30

• Th

Arriving August 31

• Inside the Criminal Mind Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Laws of Thermodynamics - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Ozark Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Paradise PD Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Comedy Lineup Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Ultimate Beastmaster: Survival of the Fittest - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Undercover Law Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Leaving

Leaving August 1

• 3000 Miles to Graceland
• Adventures in Babysitting
• Can't Buy Me Love
• Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot Season 1
• Finding Dory
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
• Reasonable Doubt
• The Killing Season 1
• The Killing Season 2
• The Killing Season 3
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Leaving August 2

• 10 Rules for Sleeping Around

Leaving August 5

• 13 Assassins

Leaving August 6

• Welcome to Me

Leaving August 10

• St. Vincent

Leaving August 12

• For a Good Time, Call…

Leaving August 13

• Help, I've Shrunk the Family

Leaving August 16

• Being Flynn
• Enter the Battlefield
• Jem and the Holograms Season 1
• Jem and the Holograms Season 2
• Jem and the Holograms Season 3
• Littlest Pet Shop Season 2
• Littlest Pet Shop Season 3
• Littlest Pet Shop Season 4
• Pariah
• Pound Puppies Season 1
• Pound Puppies Season 2
• Pound Puppies Season 3
• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin
• The Adventures of Chuck & Friends Season 2
• Transformers Prime Season 2
• Transformers Prime Season 3
• Transformers: Rescue Bots Season 2
• Transformers: Rescue Bots Season 3
• Transformers: Rescue Bots Season 4

Leaving August 23

• Sausage Party

Leaving August 25

• The Road

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 29, 2018

The Love Witch (2016) Ultra-stylized Eurosleaze homage with feminist messaging so in your face that it actually stops being obnoxious and becomes amusing. No, really. TIL: Attempting to usurp free will with love potions? Do we even need to mention that kind of thing is right out?

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Close Encounters of the -Third Kind (1977) - “The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.” - John Paul II

The Return of Jafar (1994)

When I was a kid, I hated my mother because she never let me watch the sequels to Disney classic movies. She always said that sequels are usually terrible and it's not worth wasting money on them. Now that I've seen The Return of Jafar, I totally get her. 

After the events of the first film, Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) and Abu (voiced by Frank Welker) have settled in the palace with Princess Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin) and her father, the Sultan (Val Bettin). But he still goes around stealing, his victim this time being a thief named Abis Mal (voiced by Jason Alexander) who eventually retreats to the desert and accidentally releases genie Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman), who seeks revenge on Aladdin and, with the help of the thief, plots his revenge. 

And there's also some more stuff going on, like Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried), Jafar's parrot, wanting to befriend Aladdin, and the Sultan trying to make of Aladdin the perfect heir to the throne. 

In spite of all the stuff going on, The Return of Jafar barely has a plot. It's just a lot of storylines put in the same movie. It isn't even nearly as interesting, fun and entertaining as Aladdin was. 

On top of that, the characters are terrible too. They all are way less appealing than they were in the original film, they kind of lost their personalities, and, I don't know why since most of the characters are voiced by the same actors, they all sound so weird and different. I stopped the movie and checked on Wikipedia the cast because of how different the voices were, I kid you not. The Genie is no longer voiced by Robin Williams, which doesn't really surprise me considering the mess this film is, and he is no longer fun. Don Castellaneta is great as Homer Simpson but he barely decent as the Genie. Iago gets way too much screen time and becomes such an annoying character. Worst of all though is the thief/new villain, Abis Mal. He is beyond annoying not to mention how little interesting he is.

Walt Disney Home Video

The songs are pretty bad too. While the first film had so many catchy and memorable songs, this one has none. They aren't dreadful, but they are probably the worst of all the Disney movies I've seen. And I saw a lot of them. 

The animation, on the other hand, isn't terrible. It's pretty good, actually, but it's a bit blander that it was in Aladdin and, at times, it really looks cheap.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 28, 2018

Kill or Be Killed (1976) What if leftover Nazis held a martial arts deathmatch and everybody came? Cheap, poorly filmed, and almost impossible not to like. TIL: There are still some who believe the Catholic Church cooperated with the Nazis because, well, people choose to be dumb.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Mill of the Stone Women (1960) - "Beware of pretty faces that you find, a pretty face can hide an evil mind." - Johnny Rivers

Mary Poppins (1964)

I never cared for Mary Poppins as a kid, which is why I never watched the film before. I loved Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music though and I'm kind of interested in seeing Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel starring Emily Blunt, so I checked this one out. 

Set in Edwardian London, the film tells the story of the Banks family. The parents, George (David Tomlison) and Winifred (Glynis Johns), advertise for a new nanny for their rowdy, neglected children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber). The children, not happy with the previous nannies, write their own advertisement for a kind and sweet nanny. All of a sudden, Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) arrives and, with the help of Bert (Dick Van Dyke), a chimney sweep and performer, uses music and adventure to improve the family's dynamic.

The plot is very simple so it's very easy for kids to understand but I didn't find it compelling enough to keep me, an adult, engaged or interested. Truth to be told, I was bored, so bored that's a miracle I finished the film. Sure, it's a story that delivers several messages, like the importance of family and imagination, especially at such a young age, but it was tedious. 

Not even the characters were able to make me enjoy this. I'm blaming the plot again as the characters are pretty awesome and memorable. Though I was not a fan of the kids as they looked stupid from start to finish and they were kind of annoying too, I loved Mary Poppins. She is such a lovable governess and Julie Andrews gives such a sweet and charming performance, it's impossible not to like her. The standout, however, has to be Dick Van Dyke and his Bert. I wasn't crazy about his Cockney accent but he is so cheerful and fun, he brings so much energy and enthusiasm into the film, and his dancing and singing are fantastic. 

Buena Vista Distribution

What I also liked about Mary Poppins is how the filmmakers were able to combine live-action and animation. They are combined wonderfully, especially considering this film was made in the 1960s. It does look old today but it still is quite charming and kind of magical. 

As for the soundtrack, some songs are so catchy and memorable, but some, I just didn't care for them. Not to mention that some songs are completely unrelated to the story. 

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 27, 2018

Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987) Your passport into the silly silicone-filled world of Andy Sidaris. Yes, it's THAT one with the skateboard, blow-up doll, and bazooka. TIL: Yeah, self defense is allowable, but I'm not sure that bazooka qualifies under the proportionality clause.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Jigoku (1960) - "The descent to Hades is the same from every place." - Anaxagoras

12 Strong (2018)

I'm not the biggest fan of war movies and I usually avoid them, especially when I haven't heard much about them, whether it's good or bad things. 12 Strong stars Chris Hemsworth though and there's also Michael Shannon in it so I gave it a chance. 

The film tells the true story of a US Special Forces team, led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), who, weeks after 9/11, was sent into Afghanistan to retaliate. There they form an alliance with an Afgan warlord, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum (Navid Negahban), in order to fight a common enemy, the Taliban, and secure the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif. And they have to face off tanks and rockets on horseback.

And that's basically the reason 12 Strong was made, to bring to the screen a heroic and inspiring true story which to me, someone who is not American, looks like yet another propaganda against the Middle East and Islam in general that highlights how Americans saved another country and civilians from terrorists. 

If I were to leave that out, 12 Strong still wouldn't be nothing but a barely average war movie. The story isn't consistently engaging. It's interesting at first but it eventually becomes quite boring, and if it wasn't for Hemsworth's charisma, I would have probably stopped watching. Also, the story isn't even that moving. 

The characters are pretty basic and by that I mean that we learn pretty much nothing about them, with the three main characters being three strangers to us. We learn that they all have a family, period. They have no depth whatsoever and it's kind of hard to care about for them.

In spite of the lacklustre screenplay, the actors do a pretty good job overall. As I mentioned above, Hemsworth is charismatic and makes for a pretty good lead; Michael Shannon is a bit underused but he's great as always and Michael Peña brings some comic relief. 

Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate

The action, on the other hand, is pretty good. If you are expecting 2 hours of pure action, you'll be disappointed. If you are expecting some intense and realistic action sequences, you won't be disappointed. It's a little confusing to watch at times because of the shaky camera you can't always tell who is who, but the sequences are pretty good.

Overall, 12 Strong isn't a terrible movie but it's definitely too long and quite boring. If you want to see something more compelling, watch Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

 

HORROR PACK UNBOXING - July 2018

Welcome back for yet another Horror Pack Unboxing! This month comes with another pleasant surprise - not just one, but two exclusives. Within this months care package is the modern wolf-man flick Howl, the undead western Dead in Tombstone starring Danny Trejo, Deadly Crush about a woman who has sex with a ghost that is also trying to hunt down his murderer. And last but not least, Model Hunger - the directorial debut of Debbie Rochon!

CONTINUE READING

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 26, 2018

Up the Creek (1984) Animal House and Porky's alumni assemble for a farcical river raft race. Sadly, everyone in the movie is out-acted by Chuck the Wonder Dog. TIL: The Church recommends time off for relaxation of mind and body, but, you know, common decency still applies.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Spasmo (1974)  - "The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame." - Thomas Hobbes

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Spies

As last Thursday of the month (I can't believe it's August already!), today's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, does not revolve around movies but around TV series, the theme being spy TV shows. And the struggle was real! 

Agent Carter (2015-2016)

It follows Captain America's sweetheart Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) as she is relegated to secretarial duties after the end of the war. This show was so good --and so much better than Agents of SHIELD, if you ask me-- it angers me so much that they cancelled it. 

Chuck (2007-2012)

An ordinary geeky guy named Chuck (Zachary Levi) inadvertently downloads government secrets into his brain so both the CIA and the NSA appoint an agent to guard Chuck and they eventually get involved with him in spy adventures. I freaking loved this show and was so sad when it was closed. 

Homeland (2011- )

It follows Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a bipolar CIA operative who, in season one, becomes convinced an American prisoner, US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), has been turned by Al-Qaeda and is planning a terrorist attack on American soil, and tries to stop him. I really liked this at first, then they killed Brody and the show slowly started to die. Season 6 was so bad, I stopped watching. 

Battle Royale (2000)

I don't remember who told me or where I read it, but quite some time ago I found out that Battle Royale (Japanese: バトル・ロワイヤル Batoru Rowaiaru) is one of Quentin Tarantino's favourite films so I decided to check it out. 

At the beginning of the 21st Century, Japan is in chaos as unemployment is an all-time high, and kids are boycotting school and becoming more and more violent. For this reason, the government decides to introduce a new measure, the Battle Royale Act, overseen by former teacher Kitano (Takeshi Kitano), which consists in randomly picking a school class to be taken to a deserted island where the students will be forced to fight each other to death until only one remains. If they refuse to follow the rules or participate, the special collar they were forced to wear will explode and kill them.

I know what you are thinking, isn't that basically the plot to The Hunger Games? Well, it is as The Hunger Games is basically a rip-off of Battle Royale. There's one huge difference between the two though, the execution. It is way better in the popular series starring Jennifer Lawrence. The problem with this film is that the main plot isn't properly developed and having subplots interrupting the main storyline every 5 minutes, if not more often, is annoying, distracting and really ruins the film's pacing.

Since there are so many subplots, there's no time to develop all the characters --only a few get some development, but even they don't have a lot of depth-- which basically results in not caring one bit when a character was killed --and it's pretty annoying as the film shows every single student die That's like 40 death nobody cares about. The characterization is very little as well, with a majority of the characters being stereotypes. I did, however, care for one of the characters, Kawana, a mysterious tough guy who eventually helps the two main characters. I didn't really care about them though.

Toei Company

There are, on the other hand, some pretty good performances, the standout obviously being Takeshi Kitano. He plays a very underdeveloped character, Kitano, the teacher who leads the operation of surveillance of the "game". He brilliantly portrays the character's sadistic and yet melancholic spirit while also bringing some humour to the film.

As for the horror, I don't think Battle Royale does qualify as a horror movie. Sure, there's plenty of violence and blood but the problem is that it doesn't look very realistic, cartoonish would be the perfect word to describe it, and for that reason, it's never scary. It does work as a decent action flick though.

Still, there's something I really liked about Battle Royale. It's the fact that it's rich in themes --trust, loyalty, selfishness, friendship and love-- and they are handled quite well.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 25, 2018

The Suckling (1990) A mutated fetus seeks bloody revenge against the back-alley abortionists who flushed it into the toxic waste filled sewers. It's Roe v. Wade v. The Thing. TIL: In real life we would prefer to change the hearts of those whom we disagree, not rip them out.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Reform School Girl (1957) - "A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship." - St. Francis de Sales