Holy cow, what was anyone anywhere near Hollywood thinking when this idea came up in some board meeting? I, Frankenstein is simply ghastly.
The character of course is from classic literature, and it has been updated time and time again over the years in cinema so this is nothing new for this story. But now a graphic novel emerged and this is based on that, with obviously a goal of becoming a franchise of a few flicks. Gosh, lets hope not.
Frankenstein (Aaron Eckart) is now a sort of regular looking guy, who was sewn together with the body parts of 8 other people by the insane, but genius, Dr. Victor Frankenstein 200 years ago. Frankenstein has no soul and has immense strength. He is sought after by two rival supernatural forces here on earth, The Demons (evil) and the Gargoyles (good). They Gargoyles want to protect him, and the Demons are hunting him. He, and the manual kept by the crazy doctor hold the key to creating life here on earth by humans and humans alone. The call it "animating" life. So the battle is on.
Guess what? Here is yet another good vs. evil, mid evil sorcery, dark, video game looking movie. Goodness, has this gone on a long time. There seems to be no end in sight for this kind of flick, and we can only hope that they begin to fade, because frankly it's getting a bit old. This really looks like a video game in every single frame. There have seldom been genres of movie making that have held on as long as this kind of stuff. Some of it quite good, some not so much. I think it's the video game look to it. Target audience feels like they are in the movie I guess. This was also in 3-D, and regular, and the up charge is not worth it. This is stinks no matter what the D is.
Eckart is terribly miscast in the horribly written piece of trash. Somehow they got the wonderful Bill Nighy to sign on as a main character too. And the supporting cast is amazingly average in a movie that is so below average it's borderline pitiful. The effects are old, tired, and overdone. Our actors are given a ridiculous script that starts off bad, and worsens into cliche' more and more as the flick trudges on. Watching this was like walking in chest deep sludge, it just got tougher and tougher to watch. There just isn't much more to say.
I, Frankenstein. Aye, yai, yai simply horrible.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
The ONE Guy!
Almost every Friday I am at the movies, seeing the biggest release of the week, and preparing the written movie review seen here. But not today, the dryer is not working and I am waiting on the repair man.
You know the drill. You call, and they are very nice to you at the the service center. They look at the schedule and give you the needed, but dreaded time slot of opportunity. And my call on Monday, gave me the "Friday, between 1-5pm, " slot. This is a tactic I believe made world famous by the cable company. Although as I remember their window was far wider at first, darn near picture window sized. They've had to narrow it down since. Generally it's a 4 hour window, and you of course have to be home for the guy to show up. And for the most part, that's fine. Generally my schedule allows that. There are some benefits to getting up at a million o'clock, doing the show with Sue Wilson on WQMX, and going home early.
But as understanding as I try to be over it, there is something I will never understand about the whole exercise. I have never been the "One Guy." You know, where they show up at 1 o'clock? I long to be the one guy. I mean someone is he one guy! There supposedly is a residence somewhere on the schedule where the repair man shows up at 1, does his thing, and by 1:30, life returns to normal. But over the years of repair people showing up, I am yet to be, the one guy.
To be honest, I don't really think the one guy even exists. I think they just want you to think he does. Or maybe what does it actually take to make yourself the one guy. Maybe my technique is bad when I call. I mean, I am polite and respectful, I know those guys work hard. Wonder if there's some secret word, or phrase, like "The dove only flies at night....."...then they answer, "Yes, but he's flying into the wind." I might try that approach next time.
But being fair, I have never been the Five Guy either. You know, where they repair man shows at 5, and then stays until you are cleaning up the dinner dishes? Today, I was the 2:50 guy. More than halfway through the window, which is better than I expected. I am usually about the 3:40 guy. Long enough wait to make you look out the window a lot, but not long enough to start huffing and puffing and lightly cussing.
Dave called, and about 20 minutes later showed up with a smile and got me going. And I am happy to report that I am drying a weeks worth of laundry care free as we speak. Today, I will proudly proclaim that I am the 2:50 guy, and I will wear that mantle with honor. And luckily the streak is in tact, and I avoided being the five guy - yet again. I still have some daylight, and can catch a late afternoon movie for reviewing.
But sadly yet again, one guy greatness has eluded me, and I can't help but think longingly about the one guy. And wonder if he would mock us all knowing he was at the head of the line - yet again, and was tidied up by 1:30.
Darn you one guy......darn you!
You know the drill. You call, and they are very nice to you at the the service center. They look at the schedule and give you the needed, but dreaded time slot of opportunity. And my call on Monday, gave me the "Friday, between 1-5pm, " slot. This is a tactic I believe made world famous by the cable company. Although as I remember their window was far wider at first, darn near picture window sized. They've had to narrow it down since. Generally it's a 4 hour window, and you of course have to be home for the guy to show up. And for the most part, that's fine. Generally my schedule allows that. There are some benefits to getting up at a million o'clock, doing the show with Sue Wilson on WQMX, and going home early.
But as understanding as I try to be over it, there is something I will never understand about the whole exercise. I have never been the "One Guy." You know, where they show up at 1 o'clock? I long to be the one guy. I mean someone is he one guy! There supposedly is a residence somewhere on the schedule where the repair man shows up at 1, does his thing, and by 1:30, life returns to normal. But over the years of repair people showing up, I am yet to be, the one guy.
To be honest, I don't really think the one guy even exists. I think they just want you to think he does. Or maybe what does it actually take to make yourself the one guy. Maybe my technique is bad when I call. I mean, I am polite and respectful, I know those guys work hard. Wonder if there's some secret word, or phrase, like "The dove only flies at night....."...then they answer, "Yes, but he's flying into the wind." I might try that approach next time.
But being fair, I have never been the Five Guy either. You know, where they repair man shows at 5, and then stays until you are cleaning up the dinner dishes? Today, I was the 2:50 guy. More than halfway through the window, which is better than I expected. I am usually about the 3:40 guy. Long enough wait to make you look out the window a lot, but not long enough to start huffing and puffing and lightly cussing.
Dave called, and about 20 minutes later showed up with a smile and got me going. And I am happy to report that I am drying a weeks worth of laundry care free as we speak. Today, I will proudly proclaim that I am the 2:50 guy, and I will wear that mantle with honor. And luckily the streak is in tact, and I avoided being the five guy - yet again. I still have some daylight, and can catch a late afternoon movie for reviewing.
But sadly yet again, one guy greatness has eluded me, and I can't help but think longingly about the one guy. And wonder if he would mock us all knowing he was at the head of the line - yet again, and was tidied up by 1:30.
Darn you one guy......darn you!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - Devil's Due
I can here the old blues song in the background, "Here we go...again..." Guess what? We have another 90 minute demonic possession movie, Devil's Due out this week.
Oh, and guess what again? We have yet another hand held, point of view camera filmed thing. You know when the people in the movie are actually filming the whole thing? And this may shock you, it's another young, attractive newly married couple finding themselves in a demonic situation and for some reason they continue to film the entire thing. Silly? Yes.
This young couple gets married and go on a honeymoon deep in the Caribbean. On the final night of their trip they end up going on a cab ride and end up at some awful underground club and have way too much to drink. The wife, Samantha ends up in some demonic area and passed out. The next morning the couple finds themselves back in their hotel room.
As they come back home, Samantha turns up pregnant. But it becomes clear quickly that it is not her husbands baby. She is carrying the anti-Christ. And some underground group becomes involved by ensuring that nothing is going to get in the way of this pregnancy. They set up hidden cameras in the couples house, and are controlling their environment without the couples knowledge. So, will Samantha actually give birth to the anti-Christ? That is Devil's Due.
It is safe to say, there is not one, not ONE shred of originality to this. There are lots of bumps and bangs. There is also the obligatory devil sounds, the killing and eating of animals, even the old and tired "family dog" knows there is something wrong with Samantha long before they do. This style of movie making, the script, the acting, the herky jerky camera thing, makes this look like about a dozen other movies over the past few years. And it is so predictable and unoriginal, it is of course not at all scary. But it is set up for more depending on its success here.
Devil's Due. It's not anything really. A completely wasted hour and half.
Oh, and guess what again? We have yet another hand held, point of view camera filmed thing. You know when the people in the movie are actually filming the whole thing? And this may shock you, it's another young, attractive newly married couple finding themselves in a demonic situation and for some reason they continue to film the entire thing. Silly? Yes.
This young couple gets married and go on a honeymoon deep in the Caribbean. On the final night of their trip they end up going on a cab ride and end up at some awful underground club and have way too much to drink. The wife, Samantha ends up in some demonic area and passed out. The next morning the couple finds themselves back in their hotel room.
As they come back home, Samantha turns up pregnant. But it becomes clear quickly that it is not her husbands baby. She is carrying the anti-Christ. And some underground group becomes involved by ensuring that nothing is going to get in the way of this pregnancy. They set up hidden cameras in the couples house, and are controlling their environment without the couples knowledge. So, will Samantha actually give birth to the anti-Christ? That is Devil's Due.
It is safe to say, there is not one, not ONE shred of originality to this. There are lots of bumps and bangs. There is also the obligatory devil sounds, the killing and eating of animals, even the old and tired "family dog" knows there is something wrong with Samantha long before they do. This style of movie making, the script, the acting, the herky jerky camera thing, makes this look like about a dozen other movies over the past few years. And it is so predictable and unoriginal, it is of course not at all scary. But it is set up for more depending on its success here.
Devil's Due. It's not anything really. A completely wasted hour and half.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
The cinematic icon over the past 20 years, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan has been completely rebooted in this weeks, Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit.
Of course, over the years Ryan has been played by many great actors including Harrison Ford for a few, now it has been handed over to Chris Pine. I am liking him more all the time. This also included a nice supporting role played by Kevin Costner, who is starting to settle into more modest roles. This also has the terrific Kevin Branaugh, and the wonderfully flawed Keira Knightley.
This whole thing has been updated, and has reintroduced us to Ryan in 2001, as he is inspired to leave college and join the Marines after 9/11. He is an officer in the Marines, and is wounded terribly after his helicopter is shot down in Afghanistan a couple years later. After physical rehab he is recruited by the CIA to work almost completely off the books as an analyst on Wall Street. His undercover job is to make sure that America is not cyber attacked by enemies.
Not to give too much away, this is a nice story that shows that there are more in the world than just the stereotypical terrorists shown in many movies. This is true to the Ryan franchise. Yes, it has been updated nicely, but this is just a good old fashioned USA vs. Russia, Cold War feeling story. It has been a while since we've gone down this road. And although updated well for a new audience, this story will be very authentic for the already built in fan base that has been a fan of the Ryan character and stories for many years.
Pine is very easy to watch on screen, and is a natural choice to play Ryan. He, over the years and roles has really shown remarkable versatility. Costner is great in his small, but important role, and is still in the process of reinventing himself well. Branaugh as the Russian villain is great, and he also directed this film. Knightley is all grown up now, an is brilliantly cast as Ryan's love. She has a very integral role in this movie, and she is very alluring on screen. Plus, she really injects a ton of welcome and the right kind of estrogen, into this tank of testosterone. Great decision. She is perfect.
Overall, there are a few bits of silliness in this, but not enough to kill it. There are a few draggy parts, but that's not a killer either. This is true to the Ryan franchise, and is pretty good. It also is a nice diversion in January of all the stuff still hanging on from the holidays, and better than most of the releases that are sure to come this month, as it is movie purgatory for a few weeks.
Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit. Perfect? No. But a nice two hours on a cold winters day.
Of course, over the years Ryan has been played by many great actors including Harrison Ford for a few, now it has been handed over to Chris Pine. I am liking him more all the time. This also included a nice supporting role played by Kevin Costner, who is starting to settle into more modest roles. This also has the terrific Kevin Branaugh, and the wonderfully flawed Keira Knightley.
This whole thing has been updated, and has reintroduced us to Ryan in 2001, as he is inspired to leave college and join the Marines after 9/11. He is an officer in the Marines, and is wounded terribly after his helicopter is shot down in Afghanistan a couple years later. After physical rehab he is recruited by the CIA to work almost completely off the books as an analyst on Wall Street. His undercover job is to make sure that America is not cyber attacked by enemies.
Not to give too much away, this is a nice story that shows that there are more in the world than just the stereotypical terrorists shown in many movies. This is true to the Ryan franchise. Yes, it has been updated nicely, but this is just a good old fashioned USA vs. Russia, Cold War feeling story. It has been a while since we've gone down this road. And although updated well for a new audience, this story will be very authentic for the already built in fan base that has been a fan of the Ryan character and stories for many years.
Pine is very easy to watch on screen, and is a natural choice to play Ryan. He, over the years and roles has really shown remarkable versatility. Costner is great in his small, but important role, and is still in the process of reinventing himself well. Branaugh as the Russian villain is great, and he also directed this film. Knightley is all grown up now, an is brilliantly cast as Ryan's love. She has a very integral role in this movie, and she is very alluring on screen. Plus, she really injects a ton of welcome and the right kind of estrogen, into this tank of testosterone. Great decision. She is perfect.
Overall, there are a few bits of silliness in this, but not enough to kill it. There are a few draggy parts, but that's not a killer either. This is true to the Ryan franchise, and is pretty good. It also is a nice diversion in January of all the stuff still hanging on from the holidays, and better than most of the releases that are sure to come this month, as it is movie purgatory for a few weeks.
Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit. Perfect? No. But a nice two hours on a cold winters day.
Monday, January 13, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - August:Osage County
You'll go a long way to find a bigger cast than you will find in the new flick, August:Osage County.
Look at this cast. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Sam Shepard, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis Abigail Breslin and many more. You would think that tossing all of these stars on screen in this adaptation of a very successful play would be fantastic. And some of this is, but not enough.
In short, this is the story that takes place in extreme rural Oklahoma. Meet Violet (Streep). She is older woman who was three grown daughters and a very unhappy marriage. She has also been recently diagnosed with mouth cancer, and as a result she has furthered her drug addiction to pain killers. She is a monstrously unhappy addict who spreads her venom thick on everyone, but mostly on her amazingly dysfunctional family that comes to visit after her husband kills himself by not being able to live with her anymore. She is simply drugged up all the time, and is unruly to say the least.
As the entire family comes together to mourn, the dysfunction comes to the surface, and all of the family dirty secrets come out. And the airing of exceptionally dirty, if not filthy laundry is on. This is presented with some drama, some very slick, and very sick humor, and a healthy does of reality. Some of this is very good, and some of this is very funny. But this is really tough stuff to watch after a while, as the dysfunction really becomes overwhelming. And our main characters go from charming, to angry to fatiguing, to pathetic. This is far more complicated than simply this, but for the sake of this review we'll leave it at that.
The entire time it was hard not to think that this would work far better on the stage than it does on screen. It even looks like a play on screen. There are award show nominated performances here including Streep and Roberts. The Roberts performance is good, but overrated. For Streep, this is a large and demanding role and as much as she delivers the goods, there are times it appears that she is rehashing the same, and much of her dialogue becomes preachy, lengthy and speechy. That is not her fault of course, but her over reaching at times to sell it is. In short, she remembers she is Meryl Streep, where she generally does not while immersed in better written roles. Feels like an acting class.
The supporting cast is quite good, and what is done well here, is that no one seems to be fighting for screen time. This does have a nice balance to it. But overall, there just seems to be something missing with this. It just doesn't feel right, and when it's over there isn't a sense you've seen something as special as it should have been with all these stars. Maybe this is just a play, a darn good one, but not a movie.
August:Osage County. Moments of laughter and fun, and moments of great drama. But just moments, not the whole package.
Look at this cast. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Sam Shepard, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis Abigail Breslin and many more. You would think that tossing all of these stars on screen in this adaptation of a very successful play would be fantastic. And some of this is, but not enough.
In short, this is the story that takes place in extreme rural Oklahoma. Meet Violet (Streep). She is older woman who was three grown daughters and a very unhappy marriage. She has also been recently diagnosed with mouth cancer, and as a result she has furthered her drug addiction to pain killers. She is a monstrously unhappy addict who spreads her venom thick on everyone, but mostly on her amazingly dysfunctional family that comes to visit after her husband kills himself by not being able to live with her anymore. She is simply drugged up all the time, and is unruly to say the least.
As the entire family comes together to mourn, the dysfunction comes to the surface, and all of the family dirty secrets come out. And the airing of exceptionally dirty, if not filthy laundry is on. This is presented with some drama, some very slick, and very sick humor, and a healthy does of reality. Some of this is very good, and some of this is very funny. But this is really tough stuff to watch after a while, as the dysfunction really becomes overwhelming. And our main characters go from charming, to angry to fatiguing, to pathetic. This is far more complicated than simply this, but for the sake of this review we'll leave it at that.
The entire time it was hard not to think that this would work far better on the stage than it does on screen. It even looks like a play on screen. There are award show nominated performances here including Streep and Roberts. The Roberts performance is good, but overrated. For Streep, this is a large and demanding role and as much as she delivers the goods, there are times it appears that she is rehashing the same, and much of her dialogue becomes preachy, lengthy and speechy. That is not her fault of course, but her over reaching at times to sell it is. In short, she remembers she is Meryl Streep, where she generally does not while immersed in better written roles. Feels like an acting class.
The supporting cast is quite good, and what is done well here, is that no one seems to be fighting for screen time. This does have a nice balance to it. But overall, there just seems to be something missing with this. It just doesn't feel right, and when it's over there isn't a sense you've seen something as special as it should have been with all these stars. Maybe this is just a play, a darn good one, but not a movie.
August:Osage County. Moments of laughter and fun, and moments of great drama. But just moments, not the whole package.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - Lone Survivor
The new Lone Survivor is a great example of the kind of work Hollywood is capable of when it puts its mind to it.
Up front, this is a continuation of a new trend that was started a few years ago by the Oscar winning The Hurt Locker, and kept alive last year with Oscar nominated Zero Dark Thirty. Telling a modern war story, in terms that are honest, straight forward and in a way that brings all the emotions to the surface for the viewer. In short, the star of the movie, is...the movie. This is in that class. Should be noted, it's not made by the same people, but certainly inspired by their style of storytelling.
This is based on a true story of a Navy Seal mission a few years ago in Afghanistan where a team of four Seals find themselves outnumbered about 100-1, and their fight to stay alive. The mission to kill a senior Taliban commander goes wrong when the team is accidentally discovered by small group of goat farmers. So what do they Seals do? Kill these innocent? Or release them and know that the battle of their lives is more than likely inevitable.
This also shows, and brings home the powerful points that the network news here at home does not. These dedicated fighting teams are not simply fighting the enemy, that you sometimes can identify. But they are also battling the enormously difficult terrain and geography that is Afghanistan. and many times they end up battling themselves as well. Sometimes those things are every bit as challenging as the actual enemy. This puts you right in the middle of these men's lives and takes you with them on their mission.
Yes, this is violent. Very violent, but to this movies extreme credit it's not more violent than it has to be authentic. There certainly are long gun fight and hand to hand battle scenes that include graphic violence, but this is not video game stuff. And this is certainly not glorified over the top Rambo stuff either. This is an honest account of what happened on that mountain years ago. Many times I use the phrase "this is not for everyone." And most times is apt. But Lone Survivor is movie that I think every adult should see. Yes, it may take you out of your movie comfort zone, but it's important to see what really happens in modern war. In that sense it is reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan. But no as graphic. I think many traveled out of their comfort zones to see that.
This move makes all those cartoonish fake war movies look even more ridiculous that normal. It even makes the superhero flicks look stupid, when you realize that real heroes wear a uniform, walk on two legs, have human frailties and don't fly or wear a suit of iron that flies. Lone Survivor is amazingly emotive, and supremely powerful, as it goes well beyond the battle scenes and into the hearts of those on screen and those in the audience.
At times this is hard to watch, and yes makes you mad, and yes makes you feel helpless. But the operative word here is "feel". There is no question that this is a tactile movie that touches you and makes you want to touch it back. This is an important movie, and another step forward in accurate tale telling of America's longest war. Yes, this will be spoken in The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty breath and it is well deserved. Stretch your boundaries a bit. If this kind of movie makes you squirm, it's important to know not just what these men do, but who they are.
Lone Survivor. More than just really good, really important. A must see.
Up front, this is a continuation of a new trend that was started a few years ago by the Oscar winning The Hurt Locker, and kept alive last year with Oscar nominated Zero Dark Thirty. Telling a modern war story, in terms that are honest, straight forward and in a way that brings all the emotions to the surface for the viewer. In short, the star of the movie, is...the movie. This is in that class. Should be noted, it's not made by the same people, but certainly inspired by their style of storytelling.
This is based on a true story of a Navy Seal mission a few years ago in Afghanistan where a team of four Seals find themselves outnumbered about 100-1, and their fight to stay alive. The mission to kill a senior Taliban commander goes wrong when the team is accidentally discovered by small group of goat farmers. So what do they Seals do? Kill these innocent? Or release them and know that the battle of their lives is more than likely inevitable.
This also shows, and brings home the powerful points that the network news here at home does not. These dedicated fighting teams are not simply fighting the enemy, that you sometimes can identify. But they are also battling the enormously difficult terrain and geography that is Afghanistan. and many times they end up battling themselves as well. Sometimes those things are every bit as challenging as the actual enemy. This puts you right in the middle of these men's lives and takes you with them on their mission.
Yes, this is violent. Very violent, but to this movies extreme credit it's not more violent than it has to be authentic. There certainly are long gun fight and hand to hand battle scenes that include graphic violence, but this is not video game stuff. And this is certainly not glorified over the top Rambo stuff either. This is an honest account of what happened on that mountain years ago. Many times I use the phrase "this is not for everyone." And most times is apt. But Lone Survivor is movie that I think every adult should see. Yes, it may take you out of your movie comfort zone, but it's important to see what really happens in modern war. In that sense it is reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan. But no as graphic. I think many traveled out of their comfort zones to see that.
This move makes all those cartoonish fake war movies look even more ridiculous that normal. It even makes the superhero flicks look stupid, when you realize that real heroes wear a uniform, walk on two legs, have human frailties and don't fly or wear a suit of iron that flies. Lone Survivor is amazingly emotive, and supremely powerful, as it goes well beyond the battle scenes and into the hearts of those on screen and those in the audience.
At times this is hard to watch, and yes makes you mad, and yes makes you feel helpless. But the operative word here is "feel". There is no question that this is a tactile movie that touches you and makes you want to touch it back. This is an important movie, and another step forward in accurate tale telling of America's longest war. Yes, this will be spoken in The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty breath and it is well deserved. Stretch your boundaries a bit. If this kind of movie makes you squirm, it's important to know not just what these men do, but who they are.
Lone Survivor. More than just really good, really important. A must see.
Friday, January 10, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - Her
The new movie Her is certainly thought provoking and interesting, but will it resonate with movie goers?
Her is written and directed by Spike Jones, and has an all star cast, led by Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson. It is a science-fiction love story to a degree. In fact, this is a tough movie to categorize. To its credit, you have never seen a movie like this before.
In the not too distant future, technology has developed and humans have not. In fact, they have retreated as an compelling, thinking species. Computer operating systems (OS's) have evolved to the point where they can be completely voice activated, no keyboards, and there seems to be no limits to what computers can do. That is what Theodore (Phoenix) finds out.
Theodore is a lonely, introverted and awkward middle aged man who is in the middle of a divorce from his young wife (Rooney Mara). He is so desperate for love, he decides to invest in an advanced OS to help him organize his life. His talking OS friend is Samantha (Johansson). She is 100 percent interactive with Theo, and she actually learns from him, as they help each other adapt to this new relationship. But as we learn, Samantha is far more curious than just helping Theo within his computer. She is wanting to be a real woman, in every regard.
So they develop a romantic relationship in virtually every single way that you can imagine. Only she does of course, not have a body and is virtual. So in reality, Theo is dating his computer. And he is not alone. So is his neighbor Amy (Adams), and seemingly so is half the world. He has all the same problems that anyone would have in a relationship, whether she is real or not. Can this possibly be the trend of the future? That is Her. Of course, it is more complicated that that but that's Her in a nutshell.
There is a whole lot to like about this movie. The performances are stellar. Phoenix is simply great as Theo. 90 percent of his screen time is alone on set talking, and dealing with Samantha and he is terrific. It is certainly one of the best performances of the year. Johnansson is not on screen for one second of this movie, but her dialogue delivery as the virtual Samantha is about as good as anyone could possibly do. She is amazing bringing this character to life you never see. The supporting cast of Adams, Wilde, Mara, and a slew of other voices and small actors are great.
This is really interesting movie making that makes you think, and creates a world you have never seen, and one that might not be that far off. As technology keeps advancing, human interaction skills keep deteriorating. This to me portrays 35 year old's of the future that are about 10 years old today. It paints a real thought-provoking look at how will they grow up in a world that is more and more dominated by computers and technology. It advances, we don't.
Being fair, this is rated a well deserved R, and is not going to be for everyone. There could be a certain "creepy" factor for some. This also makes loud and clear social commentary on where we are now as a society. And how far we could possibly not advance as a result of technology and just how dependent we may become on computers and how less dependent we are becoming on each other. It dares to ask where will love be in 25 years too. And this also shows just how numb that generations could possibly be to the lack of human interaction in the presence of gadgets.
This is highly creative and wrapped up with a slick script and wonderful performances. Its has a ton of Golden Globe nominations, and could be a real player. This is a touchy subject at times, and a daring look at the future that doesn't rely on the end of the world scenario that many big action flicks do, but rather end of the meaningful world scenarios which may be more unpleasant and far more possible.
Her. Every frame good!
Her is written and directed by Spike Jones, and has an all star cast, led by Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson. It is a science-fiction love story to a degree. In fact, this is a tough movie to categorize. To its credit, you have never seen a movie like this before.
In the not too distant future, technology has developed and humans have not. In fact, they have retreated as an compelling, thinking species. Computer operating systems (OS's) have evolved to the point where they can be completely voice activated, no keyboards, and there seems to be no limits to what computers can do. That is what Theodore (Phoenix) finds out.
Theodore is a lonely, introverted and awkward middle aged man who is in the middle of a divorce from his young wife (Rooney Mara). He is so desperate for love, he decides to invest in an advanced OS to help him organize his life. His talking OS friend is Samantha (Johansson). She is 100 percent interactive with Theo, and she actually learns from him, as they help each other adapt to this new relationship. But as we learn, Samantha is far more curious than just helping Theo within his computer. She is wanting to be a real woman, in every regard.
So they develop a romantic relationship in virtually every single way that you can imagine. Only she does of course, not have a body and is virtual. So in reality, Theo is dating his computer. And he is not alone. So is his neighbor Amy (Adams), and seemingly so is half the world. He has all the same problems that anyone would have in a relationship, whether she is real or not. Can this possibly be the trend of the future? That is Her. Of course, it is more complicated that that but that's Her in a nutshell.
There is a whole lot to like about this movie. The performances are stellar. Phoenix is simply great as Theo. 90 percent of his screen time is alone on set talking, and dealing with Samantha and he is terrific. It is certainly one of the best performances of the year. Johnansson is not on screen for one second of this movie, but her dialogue delivery as the virtual Samantha is about as good as anyone could possibly do. She is amazing bringing this character to life you never see. The supporting cast of Adams, Wilde, Mara, and a slew of other voices and small actors are great.
This is really interesting movie making that makes you think, and creates a world you have never seen, and one that might not be that far off. As technology keeps advancing, human interaction skills keep deteriorating. This to me portrays 35 year old's of the future that are about 10 years old today. It paints a real thought-provoking look at how will they grow up in a world that is more and more dominated by computers and technology. It advances, we don't.
Being fair, this is rated a well deserved R, and is not going to be for everyone. There could be a certain "creepy" factor for some. This also makes loud and clear social commentary on where we are now as a society. And how far we could possibly not advance as a result of technology and just how dependent we may become on computers and how less dependent we are becoming on each other. It dares to ask where will love be in 25 years too. And this also shows just how numb that generations could possibly be to the lack of human interaction in the presence of gadgets.
This is highly creative and wrapped up with a slick script and wonderful performances. Its has a ton of Golden Globe nominations, and could be a real player. This is a touchy subject at times, and a daring look at the future that doesn't rely on the end of the world scenario that many big action flicks do, but rather end of the meaningful world scenarios which may be more unpleasant and far more possible.
Her. Every frame good!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW - Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
This will be short and sweet. Can we just stop with the whole Paranormal Activity thing? Please?
This is another installment of this incredibly successful franchise that is getting more watered down than stadium beer in recent years. This bunch makes these movies on a exceptionally limited budget and rake in money that would make Bill Gates proud. But this is clearly running out of gas.
This is another one of those hand-held camera, piont of view movies like the first 10,000 Paranormal movies. This time it is set in the Hispanic area of Oxnard, California in June 2012. There is this woman that lives in this apartment complex that everyone thinks is a witch. She is killed and the young neighbors think it's fun to go into her apartment after her death. When they do, one of them is "infiltrated" by some paranormal entity that slowly possesses him and makes him dangerous to this family and friends.
In other words, it's just another rehash of the first movies, only targeting a different audience. And then a feeble attempt is made to tie it into the first movie in the series. The first movie was such and underdog and was so original, it kind of worked. As this series has progressed it has not gotten better, just more tedious. This is not scary, there are some new tactics though, and this does do a few things the first did not. This is like running an old car into a dead end street with a concrete wall. This can't be saved.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Uncle!
This is another installment of this incredibly successful franchise that is getting more watered down than stadium beer in recent years. This bunch makes these movies on a exceptionally limited budget and rake in money that would make Bill Gates proud. But this is clearly running out of gas.
This is another one of those hand-held camera, piont of view movies like the first 10,000 Paranormal movies. This time it is set in the Hispanic area of Oxnard, California in June 2012. There is this woman that lives in this apartment complex that everyone thinks is a witch. She is killed and the young neighbors think it's fun to go into her apartment after her death. When they do, one of them is "infiltrated" by some paranormal entity that slowly possesses him and makes him dangerous to this family and friends.
In other words, it's just another rehash of the first movies, only targeting a different audience. And then a feeble attempt is made to tie it into the first movie in the series. The first movie was such and underdog and was so original, it kind of worked. As this series has progressed it has not gotten better, just more tedious. This is not scary, there are some new tactics though, and this does do a few things the first did not. This is like running an old car into a dead end street with a concrete wall. This can't be saved.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Uncle!
MOVIE REVIEW - The Wolf Of Wall Street
The new Martin Scorsese directed flick, The Wolf Of Wall Street is here, and is his latest flick starring his favorite actor and buddy, Leonardo DiCaprio.
This is based on a true story of Jordan Belfort in the late 1980's into the 1990's and his shady Wall Street company and his dealings. That ultimately lead to his arrest by the FBI and the legal deal he strikes. That is not a spoiler, you know the whole time this is where it is going. Sadly, that is about the only place it goes. I was ready to really like this movie, and I am still ready, but there are too many problems.
This is far, far too long, clocking in at 3 hours. 40 minutes of it could have been edited out as the same point is made hour after hour. These are bad guys in this movie. They are crooks, and they do drugs every minute of their lives. For some reason they want to make sure you really are aware they do every drug you have ever heard of. And they tell you scene after scene that they are really bad guys. You get it after the first hour or so.
This movie is a good example of all these big names getting together and deciding that since they are all there, they might was well practice as much self-indulgent behavior as they can in a movie making sense. This has many good points to it, but it also is so in love with itself in so many regards it forgot somewhere along the line that people other than themselves were going to watch it.
The story of Belfort is an interesting one at its core. He is this young stockbroker that by his late 20's is stinking rich with his brokerage company by selling worthless stock to people who really can't afford it. As they grow, they hit the big time and go on to make millions of dollars daily and with outrageous commissions for the brokers and themselves. Most of it illegal.
But this movie stalls out after the point is made. It doesn't really have the guts to say anything. Are they saying that is is terrible to be rich? Not really. Are they saying that Wall Street is corrupt? Sort of, at least in this brokerage. Are they saying you should or should not invest your money? No. The only thing they really say is that this guy and his traveling troupe of entitled, selfish, drug addict, dirt bag, young people are total scum bags. And after a while you are numb to it.
You are also numb to the record setting use of the F-word in this movie, breaking Martin Scorsese's own Goodfellas record from 25 years ago. There is plenty of immensely crude language for all to enjoy in virtually every single sentence too. It's not offensive, just fatiguing after 3 hours. I have no doubt that is accurate to the story, but it is numbing. And in case you haven't seen your weekly allotted share of hooker sex in the office, you can get your fill here. Because they must think that you didn't understand this was going on a this firm after 2 and half hours of watching this.
It's a shame about this movie. I think Decaprio was quite good in this movie as Belfort, and Jonah Hill too as his partner. The supporting cast is strong, and much of this is very interesting movie making. But it is so belabored, and drawn out you feel like you're watching the same scene over and over again. And you are. The Belfort story is an relatively interesting one, but that doesn't always make for a great motion picture.
Scorsese's movies for many are mandatory viewing, and his fans will love this movie before they ever walk in and take a bite of popcorn (of which you will need the huge tub for this movie). So this is really not going to get an honest look by many fans and critics. But my feeling is this will be one his most forgettable movies.
The Wolf Of Wall Street. Disappointing. And insanely long.
This is based on a true story of Jordan Belfort in the late 1980's into the 1990's and his shady Wall Street company and his dealings. That ultimately lead to his arrest by the FBI and the legal deal he strikes. That is not a spoiler, you know the whole time this is where it is going. Sadly, that is about the only place it goes. I was ready to really like this movie, and I am still ready, but there are too many problems.
This is far, far too long, clocking in at 3 hours. 40 minutes of it could have been edited out as the same point is made hour after hour. These are bad guys in this movie. They are crooks, and they do drugs every minute of their lives. For some reason they want to make sure you really are aware they do every drug you have ever heard of. And they tell you scene after scene that they are really bad guys. You get it after the first hour or so.
This movie is a good example of all these big names getting together and deciding that since they are all there, they might was well practice as much self-indulgent behavior as they can in a movie making sense. This has many good points to it, but it also is so in love with itself in so many regards it forgot somewhere along the line that people other than themselves were going to watch it.
The story of Belfort is an interesting one at its core. He is this young stockbroker that by his late 20's is stinking rich with his brokerage company by selling worthless stock to people who really can't afford it. As they grow, they hit the big time and go on to make millions of dollars daily and with outrageous commissions for the brokers and themselves. Most of it illegal.
But this movie stalls out after the point is made. It doesn't really have the guts to say anything. Are they saying that is is terrible to be rich? Not really. Are they saying that Wall Street is corrupt? Sort of, at least in this brokerage. Are they saying you should or should not invest your money? No. The only thing they really say is that this guy and his traveling troupe of entitled, selfish, drug addict, dirt bag, young people are total scum bags. And after a while you are numb to it.
You are also numb to the record setting use of the F-word in this movie, breaking Martin Scorsese's own Goodfellas record from 25 years ago. There is plenty of immensely crude language for all to enjoy in virtually every single sentence too. It's not offensive, just fatiguing after 3 hours. I have no doubt that is accurate to the story, but it is numbing. And in case you haven't seen your weekly allotted share of hooker sex in the office, you can get your fill here. Because they must think that you didn't understand this was going on a this firm after 2 and half hours of watching this.
It's a shame about this movie. I think Decaprio was quite good in this movie as Belfort, and Jonah Hill too as his partner. The supporting cast is strong, and much of this is very interesting movie making. But it is so belabored, and drawn out you feel like you're watching the same scene over and over again. And you are. The Belfort story is an relatively interesting one, but that doesn't always make for a great motion picture.
Scorsese's movies for many are mandatory viewing, and his fans will love this movie before they ever walk in and take a bite of popcorn (of which you will need the huge tub for this movie). So this is really not going to get an honest look by many fans and critics. But my feeling is this will be one his most forgettable movies.
The Wolf Of Wall Street. Disappointing. And insanely long.
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