DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 24, 2018

Ghostwatch (1992) Legendary mockumentary has the BBC broadcasting live from a haunted house on Halloween. Naturally, things go all to pot. Believe the hype, it's excellent. TIL: Catholic theology actually allows for ghosts, but wisely advises against seeking them out.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Liquid Sky (1982) - "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months." - Oscar Wilde

Train to Busan (2016)

TV shows, movies, comic books, video games, songs, they all have been infected by zombies which is great if you ask me since I love zombies. The problem is that cinema is saturated with these monsters and very often movies involving them are a let down which is why I avoid most of them. Train to Busan (Korean: 부산행 Busanhaeng) though has been on my watchlist for quite some time as I've heard great things about it --also, it's South Korean and they know a few things when it comes to making horror movies. 

Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), a divorced man who is always busy with work and has no time to spend with daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an), offers to ride with her on the train (the daughter wanted to go by herself) to see her mother in Busan. But as soon as the train departs, a zombie outbreak happens and Sok-woo, with the help of another passenger, Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok), tries to isolate the safe front cars from the infected ones. 

Plot-wise, there isn't much new here. It's the typical and very simple zombie outbreak plot with people struggling and fighting for their survival --which is great as a more complex story could have been harder to follow because of the subtitles-- but it's engaging and compelling from start to finish. 

One of the reasons for that is the film's characters. Though they too are your typical zombie flick characters --there's the anti-hero, the brave guy, the coward, the young lovers, and so on-- they aren't one-dimensional as they usually are in these movies. It looks like they are at first but, as the plot moves forward and they start to interact with each other, we see their personalities and their growth, and it's impossible not to become emotionally invested and root for them. 

Next Entertainment World

The writer, Park Joo-suk, however, is not the only one who deserves the credits for that. Most of them go to the great cast. Gong Yoo is a very likeable and charismatic lead and effectively delivers the development of his character, a selfish, uncaring businessman who turns into the hero we all root for. Kim Su-an is very young --only 10-- but that doesn't prevent her from giving a great performance and being the emotional/dramatic core of the film. Ma Dong-seok too is charismatic as Sang-hwa, a devoted husband who is always on the front line to help the others. He also adds a little comedy to the film. Also worthy of a mention is Kim Eui-sung who plays a selfish man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 

Another aspect to love about Train to Busan is the action. It's executed very well, so well-choreographed and exciting. And let's not forget about the zombies. They aren't the slow, retarded kind, but very fast and very aggressive flesh-eater, like those from 28 Days Later. 

I had somewhat of a deja-vù feeling while watching Train to Busan though. At times, it feels like watching Snowpiercer. Not only both movies are set on a train, but both movies use cars to represent levels of the hierarchy of our society. Is that a bad thing? No, because both movies handle it well. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Friendship

You don't need a plane to fly. Plastic wings may make you cry. Kites are made for windy days.  Lawnchair with balloons fly away. Inflatable pants you may as well skip. If you want to fly, all you need... is friendship. 

Jesus, I just quoted SpongeBob SquarePants. I guess all I need is a therapist. Anyway, friendship is this week's theme for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. Here are some friendships. 

The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas (2008)

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is a young German boy living with his family in pre-war Germany. When his father (David Thewlis), an SS Commandant, is assigned to take command in a prison camp, Bruno befriends Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a young Jewish inmate. Some criticised the film for providing a distorted view of the Holocaust which is fair considering the finale, but the friendship between Bruno and Shumel is the one thing I remember the most about this film. 

The Intouchables (2011)

Driss (Omar Sy) is a lazy, young man who needs the proof that he's seeking a job so that he can receive unemployment benefits. His task gets harder when Philippe (François Cluzet), a quadriplegic millionaire, offers him a trial period to be his caretaker. The one portrayed here is one of the most heartwarming friendships ever, ever more so if you consider it's based on a true story. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a shy and naive outsider who is trying to cope with the suicide of his best friend. His life takes a turn for the better(?) when he befriends two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and her step-brother Patrick (Ezra Miller). This is the kind of movie (and book) that showcases the power of friendship. 

Justice League Movie Review

Justice League (2017)

Watch the trailer
Written by: Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon (screenplay by), Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder (story by), Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman created by), Gardner Fox (Justice League of America created by), Bob Kane and Bill Finger (Batman created by), William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman created by), Harry G. Peter (Wonder Woman co-created by, uncredited), Jack Kirby (Fourth World created by), Bob Kane and Don Cameron (character: Alfred Pennyworth, uncredited), Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher (character: Henry Bartholomew "Barry" Allen / The Flash, uncredited), Geoff Johns and Jim Lee (story "Justice League: Origin," uncredited), Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris (character: Arthur Curry / Aquaman, uncredited), Marv Wolfman and George Perez (character: Victor Stone / Cyborg, uncredited)
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, JK Simmons, Ciarán Hinds
Rated: R

Plot
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally Diana Prince to face an even greater enemy. Forming an unprecedented league of heroes, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash must save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions. 

Verdict
This kind of movie has been done so much better. It's hard not to see this as DC trying to catch up to Marvel without building the necessary foundation. It's formulaic. The movie follows a checklist of what needs to be in a super hero genre movie, but doesn't know how to tie it all together. It feels like multiple movies cut into one. Worst of all it's forgettable.
Skip it.

Review
With an estimated production budget of $300 million not including marketing, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. It's revenue was underwhelming.

I like the introduction. It's quick cuts and moody music as we see the after effects Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (read my review). That was a movie more concerned with spectacle than story.

A bug creature arrives as Batman is doing his vigilante scene? Who is this bug guy? He's a precursor to the real villain that has reappeared to wreak havoc. He's just in the movie to be a bad guy, and he's not very compelling.

The movie is disjointed. Instead of focusing on Batman gathering his crew, we see vignettes for each. I want to see an Aquaman movie, and it could be good, though at this point I don't trust DC's world building so it will probably be bad. Wonder Woman was great (read my review), DC created a truly heroic hero, something we just don't see in the other DC movies. I actively rooted for Wonder Woman, and she's great in this because she's coasting on her solo movie.

Marvel made individual movies to build the characters so that the Avengers movies didn't need much backstory. the hype was already there. DC is skipping the foundation and trying to do everything with just one movie.

I wish there was an underlying motivation for anything in this movie. Batman could easily be trying to pass the torch to these younger super heroes. The Flash asks Batman his superpower, which is weird because the Flash knows who Batman is, but the punch line is one of the few funny lines. Batman replies, "I'm rich." While other scenes show he clearly knows who Batman was and this was just an awkward way to drop a one liner. Most of the jokes fall flat. I like Flash as an outsider commenting on absurdity, but he just doesn't do it enough. That could have been a way to introduce humor.

The team exists just to fight the villain, the villain exists so the good guys need a team.Why is Steppenwolf? Why are those scenes not back with Steppenwolf the band music? There is a lot of CGI in this, and while it's not outright bad, I can easily spot what's CGI. With all that CGI there aren't any wow moments. The big fight doesn't show ingenious ways the characters work together. It's formulaic, the fights, the story, the conclusions.

If you've seen Batman v. Superman, and you still watched this more power to you, you know this movie has to undo that conclusion. That's the most interesting part of this movie and it doesn't happen until half way in. The reversal seemed plausible as far as this movie goes. This entire movie could have centered on that and delved into the morality of it.

I don't know if this is trying to copy Marvel movies or I'm just projecting. I keep going back to Marvel movies because they are enjoyable. Avengers Infinity War (read my review) is actually funny and introduces moral questions.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 23, 2018

Mugsy's Girls (1984) Alleged comedy has house mother Ruth Gordon take a non-singing Laura Branigan and her sorority sisters to Vegas to mud wrestle. As classy as it sounds. TIL: Someone needs to tell Mugsy the Church holds non-parent caregivers to the same standards as parents.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Monster Walks (1932) - "What an ugly beast the ape, and how like us." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

PODCAST 309: Black Mask 2 & The Heroic Trio 2 [Hong Kong Duo Edition]

This week the Horror Duo take return to Hong Kong to follow up last weeks films. Forest covers Black Mask 2: City of Masks, and it's bonkers. Cory follows that with The Heroic Trio 2: Executioners, a film that takes a dark turn in tone from it's predecessor.

CONTINUE READING

Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

I am not a fan of this series. I didn't even read the novels (I did try to read the first when it was published but only read a chapter or two and I was using the treadmill, that's how much focus I gave it). I had no interest whatsoever in knowing how the story would go but I watched Fifty Shades Freed anyway. Why? Because I have so much fun reviewing these garbage movies and Fifty Shades Freed, just like its two predecessors, falls into that category.

Believing they have left behind their past, Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) get married and set off on a honeymoon around the world. Turns out they did not leave their past behind after all. In fact, Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), Anastasia's ex-boss, is back and continues to threaten their relationship.

Though this is easily the film of the series with the most story, it still is terrible. It's thin, confusing, filled with pointless subplots and plot holes, terribly developed and takes some pretty weird turns. I swear I wasn't sure what the hell I was watching. A spy movie? A parody movie? A romantic movie?  A porn made by a bored housewife? Oh wait, I just described the author of the book series, didn't I?

Just like they did in Fifty Shades Darker, the filmmakers tried to add some layers of drama to the film and they failed. Just like in the previous movie, the dramatic scenes lack any tension whatsoever and are instead unintentionally funny. There's a scene at some point (I think it's at the end but I'm not sure because I kinda lost track of the running time) where Christian gets home late at night and he's drunk. Jamie Dornan is having so much fun in that scene it seems as if it's the last day of shooting and he's thinking, hell yeah, I'm finally done with this crap.

Universal Pictures

And that brings me to the next part, the cast. The filmmakers did an awesome job casting so many good-looking people, but the talent, where the hell is it? Though Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan look a little more relaxed and at ease this time around, their performances are still pretty stiff and wooden. They have no chemistry whatsoever which only makes the sex scenes --whose only purpose is to fill holes. Plot holes, what were you thinking?-- awkward and so not sexy or whatever they are supposed to be. The rest of the cast is just as bad. But, hey, at least they look good! In their defence, they didn't write the one-dimensional characters they had to play. 

The only positive thing I can say about Fifty Shades Darker, and the whole series, is that it has a good soundtrack. I still don't understand, and I guess I never will, why wasting beautiful music like that.