Here comes a supernatural horror movie set long ago. The Witch, critics are loving it, audiences are ehh on it.
The Witch is a period piece dating back to the hysteria over the Salem Witch days. This large family is banished from the town they were living in, and strike out on their own to start a new life in seclusion. Then one by one the children start to disappear mysteriously. The parents begin to think their oldest daughter who is a teen, Thomison is a witch. Are they right? Being honest, who really cares?
This is a movie that supposedly is based on actual events, and diaries, with quoted dialogue from records uncovered. The problem is, the spoken words are so thick with dialect and old language styling it is very difficult to understand fully what is being said. Plus, much of this is simply rehashing dialogue that has already been spoken time and time again.
This is supposed to be compelling, and scary but it's not. It's simply fatiguing and borderline arduous to get through at times, with no real payoff that many will be satisfied with. The sets and costuming are great though as it does propel you back to a time we seldom go to in the movies. But it can't save it. The language barrier, the lack of payoff and the insanely irritating music is too much to overcome.
The Witch. Not so good.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
MOVIE REVIEWS - Out This Week
Three new flicks came out this week. They are all very different kinds of movies, and let's take a look a them right now.
Deadpool
This is an amazingly creative and funny satire of so many kinds of movies that makes for a really fun time at the movies. This stars Ryan Reynolds as a reluctant "superhero" of sorts created out of the X-Men mold. This is funny with tons of action, and is done so well, it is a refreshing comic book movie that clearly breaks free from all the rest.
Deadpool is a parody of superhero movies in general, but also on X-Men, the people that watch these movies and a generation at-large without being offensive or insulting. The fantastic action sequences are fun to watch, and the time between them is well spent too. The use of music in the story telling is incredible, and that starts from the first frame.
Being fair, this is a strong R rated movie, with some graphic violence at times, but it is basically cartoonish. Reynolds and supporting cast a wonderful and really carry the day.
Deadpool. This is must see escapism. Well done!
How To Be Single
Many times going into a movie with low expectations is a good thing. This looks bad on the surface, but this actually is a nice surprise. This stars Rebel Wilson, Dakota Johnson, and Leslie Mann in the story of three single women, all very different in today's contemporary New York City. This is a comedy, and delivers many more laughs through truth than gags and bits.
This in many ways is spot on target with how people this age view dating, and relationships in general. This does take time to develop some nice characters and does put you in their world nicely. Up front, this is not perfect and does make a few really bad decisions that don't make this better, just more crass. This is squarely targeted at young women, but it doesn't wade so far out in the estrogen pool, that it turns off men. There is some good humor here, but more than anything, there is truth.
Rebel Wilson is overused and not as funny as she thinks she is. Johnson is always good in those reluctant lover roles, and Leslie Mann, is just flat out a funny woman and fun to watch on screen.
How To Be Single. Nice surprise.
Zoolander 2
It's been fifteen years since the original, and they should have left well enough alone. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Farrell reprise their roles along with a list of about 100 cameos (which is impressive) but it can't save this really horrible flick. They even drag along the wonderful Penelope Cruz, and it still falls flat. For some reason they still think making fun of the fashion industry is funny. It's not.
To recap. This just isn't funny. It isn't anything except ill-advised and insanely dated.
scott@wqmx.com
Deadpool
This is an amazingly creative and funny satire of so many kinds of movies that makes for a really fun time at the movies. This stars Ryan Reynolds as a reluctant "superhero" of sorts created out of the X-Men mold. This is funny with tons of action, and is done so well, it is a refreshing comic book movie that clearly breaks free from all the rest.
Deadpool is a parody of superhero movies in general, but also on X-Men, the people that watch these movies and a generation at-large without being offensive or insulting. The fantastic action sequences are fun to watch, and the time between them is well spent too. The use of music in the story telling is incredible, and that starts from the first frame.
Being fair, this is a strong R rated movie, with some graphic violence at times, but it is basically cartoonish. Reynolds and supporting cast a wonderful and really carry the day.
Deadpool. This is must see escapism. Well done!
How To Be Single
Many times going into a movie with low expectations is a good thing. This looks bad on the surface, but this actually is a nice surprise. This stars Rebel Wilson, Dakota Johnson, and Leslie Mann in the story of three single women, all very different in today's contemporary New York City. This is a comedy, and delivers many more laughs through truth than gags and bits.
This in many ways is spot on target with how people this age view dating, and relationships in general. This does take time to develop some nice characters and does put you in their world nicely. Up front, this is not perfect and does make a few really bad decisions that don't make this better, just more crass. This is squarely targeted at young women, but it doesn't wade so far out in the estrogen pool, that it turns off men. There is some good humor here, but more than anything, there is truth.
Rebel Wilson is overused and not as funny as she thinks she is. Johnson is always good in those reluctant lover roles, and Leslie Mann, is just flat out a funny woman and fun to watch on screen.
How To Be Single. Nice surprise.
Zoolander 2
It's been fifteen years since the original, and they should have left well enough alone. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Farrell reprise their roles along with a list of about 100 cameos (which is impressive) but it can't save this really horrible flick. They even drag along the wonderful Penelope Cruz, and it still falls flat. For some reason they still think making fun of the fashion industry is funny. It's not.
To recap. This just isn't funny. It isn't anything except ill-advised and insanely dated.
scott@wqmx.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
MOVIE REVIEW - New This Week
Couple of new flicks this week - here's a quick look.
The Choice
These Nicholas Sparks novels - to the movies are really getting pathetic. Can we just stop? No matter what new coat of paint you splash on these things, they still all look and are the same. This has some fresh faces, but the same formula, set in the same area, with the came cameraman, and the same music seemingly. I am not a stick in the mud, and I love a nice love story, but can we just stop with the dying terminally ill, and the someone is left behind thing?
Doesn't this guy ever get tired of writing the same book over and over again? Yeah I know he's driving the Brinks truck every day, but this is getting embarrassing. Watching this from start to finish is like swallowing a croquet mallet - sideways. Just stop please. Undoubtedly will be one on worst of lists at years end.
The Choice. Make any other choice but seeing this trash.
Hail, Caesar!
The Coen Brothers are some of my favorite film makers. This is an opposite movie. One the critics will love and the fans will not. It generally works in reverse. This is a pretty clever Hollywood spoof of the golden age of Hollywood, with characters and story lines based on real people, but not real people. It makes fun of itself, and has moments of real fun in its humor, its performances and its amazing choreography. But it won't make it with fans.
There is just not enough here to get you through. This has a star studded cast and there's nothing wrong with the performances. The story is silly and hard to follow at times. And there will just not be enough fans and historians to get 90% of the jokes and gags. Luckily, this checks out at about 90 minutes and puts many out of their misery.
Coen Brothers = Great. Hail, Caesar = ehh.
The Choice
These Nicholas Sparks novels - to the movies are really getting pathetic. Can we just stop? No matter what new coat of paint you splash on these things, they still all look and are the same. This has some fresh faces, but the same formula, set in the same area, with the came cameraman, and the same music seemingly. I am not a stick in the mud, and I love a nice love story, but can we just stop with the dying terminally ill, and the someone is left behind thing?
Doesn't this guy ever get tired of writing the same book over and over again? Yeah I know he's driving the Brinks truck every day, but this is getting embarrassing. Watching this from start to finish is like swallowing a croquet mallet - sideways. Just stop please. Undoubtedly will be one on worst of lists at years end.
The Choice. Make any other choice but seeing this trash.
Hail, Caesar!
The Coen Brothers are some of my favorite film makers. This is an opposite movie. One the critics will love and the fans will not. It generally works in reverse. This is a pretty clever Hollywood spoof of the golden age of Hollywood, with characters and story lines based on real people, but not real people. It makes fun of itself, and has moments of real fun in its humor, its performances and its amazing choreography. But it won't make it with fans.
There is just not enough here to get you through. This has a star studded cast and there's nothing wrong with the performances. The story is silly and hard to follow at times. And there will just not be enough fans and historians to get 90% of the jokes and gags. Luckily, this checks out at about 90 minutes and puts many out of their misery.
Coen Brothers = Great. Hail, Caesar = ehh.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
MOVIE REVIEW - The Finest Hours
Sometimes this time of the year can lead to some really bad movies in theaters. But The Finest Hours is not among them. This is a darn good movie.
National critics have been marginal on this one, and quite frankly I don't get it. This is based on a true story from 1952, and a story you don't know that's told quite nicely. It's the story of a very daring Coast Guard rescue of 32 guys trapped on an oil tanker that has been ripped in half by a winter time hurricane off the Massachusetts coast. This movie breaks between the rescue on land, and the dire situation on the ship. As well as taking the time to develop some characters involved. In short, this is not Oscar winning, but few are. But this is really pretty good.
This stars Chris Pine who I think is simply becoming more of a star every year. This also stars Casey Affleck, Eric Bana and a nice supporting cast that bring this to life. Being honest, there just isn't a lot to not like here. Being tough on this is just looking for something to criticize, in a season at the movies where there is not lack of really deserving cinematic targets to hit way harder than this.
This is exciting, and very well done at times. The scenes on the ship and the rescue are very compelling and extremely well done. Terrific sets, and costuming too take us back very comfortably to 1952. In a time of year where there are a dozen dogs at the theater, this is way above the bar. This makes you feel good, and makes you proud there are still good, strong stories to tell of our neighbors who do incredible things. And this made the theater clap at the end.
The Finest Hours. Pretty darn good.
National critics have been marginal on this one, and quite frankly I don't get it. This is based on a true story from 1952, and a story you don't know that's told quite nicely. It's the story of a very daring Coast Guard rescue of 32 guys trapped on an oil tanker that has been ripped in half by a winter time hurricane off the Massachusetts coast. This movie breaks between the rescue on land, and the dire situation on the ship. As well as taking the time to develop some characters involved. In short, this is not Oscar winning, but few are. But this is really pretty good.
This stars Chris Pine who I think is simply becoming more of a star every year. This also stars Casey Affleck, Eric Bana and a nice supporting cast that bring this to life. Being honest, there just isn't a lot to not like here. Being tough on this is just looking for something to criticize, in a season at the movies where there is not lack of really deserving cinematic targets to hit way harder than this.
This is exciting, and very well done at times. The scenes on the ship and the rescue are very compelling and extremely well done. Terrific sets, and costuming too take us back very comfortably to 1952. In a time of year where there are a dozen dogs at the theater, this is way above the bar. This makes you feel good, and makes you proud there are still good, strong stories to tell of our neighbors who do incredible things. And this made the theater clap at the end.
The Finest Hours. Pretty darn good.
Monday, January 25, 2016
MOVIE REVIEW - New From The Weekend
A few flicks came out this weekend, and both fizzled horribly. Let's look at the damage.
Dirty Grandpa
It is hard to fathom that the great Robert DeNiro made this movie. Dirty Grandpa stars DeNiro and Zac Ephron. This is the story of a very, dirty old man who hangs out with this young grandson in Florida, all the while doing as many drugs as possible and trying to get lucky with college aged young women. All who seem want to sleep with him. -Right! This did not screen for critics and after seeing it, you can see why. This is just wrong.
The list is endless of things I saw in this movie that somehow I am going to try to figure out how to un-see so I can finally eat again without heaving. And they ain't pretty. Truth is, DeNiro has reinvented himself in comedy for the past number of years and at times has been incredibly funny. This though shows just how far from the great, great work he has done. He really was in a bunch of great movies.
Dirty Grandpa. This is vile. Just awful.
The 5th Wave
I like Chloe Grace Moretz. She is a really nice young actress that can, and has done great work. I loved every frame of her in The Equalizer and others. And she's good here. It's just a shame this script is so insulting.
The 5th Wave is the latest "end of the world" flick of which we are simply over saturated with. This is supposed to be a series clearly, as it is set up for more. Featuring a strong young woman in the lead ALA Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent. But this is silly, and so incredibly predictable there was no one in the theater that didn't know what was coming next. After a few compelling minutes this falls into the really bad realm and cannot recover.
I hope Moretz has better projects on the horizon, as she is really a wonderful young actress. But this reeks of been there, done that long before, and way better.
The 5th Wave. Please stop!
Dirty Grandpa
It is hard to fathom that the great Robert DeNiro made this movie. Dirty Grandpa stars DeNiro and Zac Ephron. This is the story of a very, dirty old man who hangs out with this young grandson in Florida, all the while doing as many drugs as possible and trying to get lucky with college aged young women. All who seem want to sleep with him. -Right! This did not screen for critics and after seeing it, you can see why. This is just wrong.
The list is endless of things I saw in this movie that somehow I am going to try to figure out how to un-see so I can finally eat again without heaving. And they ain't pretty. Truth is, DeNiro has reinvented himself in comedy for the past number of years and at times has been incredibly funny. This though shows just how far from the great, great work he has done. He really was in a bunch of great movies.
Dirty Grandpa. This is vile. Just awful.
The 5th Wave
I like Chloe Grace Moretz. She is a really nice young actress that can, and has done great work. I loved every frame of her in The Equalizer and others. And she's good here. It's just a shame this script is so insulting.
The 5th Wave is the latest "end of the world" flick of which we are simply over saturated with. This is supposed to be a series clearly, as it is set up for more. Featuring a strong young woman in the lead ALA Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent. But this is silly, and so incredibly predictable there was no one in the theater that didn't know what was coming next. After a few compelling minutes this falls into the really bad realm and cannot recover.
I hope Moretz has better projects on the horizon, as she is really a wonderful young actress. But this reeks of been there, done that long before, and way better.
The 5th Wave. Please stop!
Thursday, January 21, 2016
MOVIE REVIEW - 13 Hours
The new Michael Bay flick, 13 Hours:The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is out this week to less than a stellar opening at the box office.
But as low as the first week take was (about 16 million) the national critics liked this, and so did most of the people who saw it. But this may be a case of time of the year, and maybe people being a bit war-weary. But in all honesty this is worth seeing. Although this is good to a degree, this doesn't have the teeth it could have had, which would have made this a better movie.
This is the story told through the eyes of six very brave soldiers contracted by the CIA in Benghazi in 2012 who showed incredible bravery and saved a ton of lives when the attacks happened there on September 11. We all know that 4 Americans were killed that day and the lack of response from the USA was less than good. What we have never learned in total is why that was. And after seeing this, we still don't. If you're going to see this to learn why things went poorly the way they did, you will not. And to me that is the weak link by far in this movie.
But the action and the story here is totally worth telling. These guys holding off a huge flock of terrorists over the course of a long day and night. These guys were flying below the radar, and were not even officially supposed to be there in any way. And that was part of their problem. They were denied. But what is absolute, without them and their amazing skills, a lot more Americans would have been killed that day.
This is long on action, and the story is true. So there is an emotional response received here that is strong. These are just guys, doing a job in one of the worst places on earth. This moves along nicely, but could have been a bit shorter and been more effective. The star of this movie, is the movie. As with most Bay flicks there is tons of action.
13 Hours. Could have been a more poignant movie, but they sidestepped that and went to action. Good, solid movie. Should have been braver in its overall storytelling.
But as low as the first week take was (about 16 million) the national critics liked this, and so did most of the people who saw it. But this may be a case of time of the year, and maybe people being a bit war-weary. But in all honesty this is worth seeing. Although this is good to a degree, this doesn't have the teeth it could have had, which would have made this a better movie.
This is the story told through the eyes of six very brave soldiers contracted by the CIA in Benghazi in 2012 who showed incredible bravery and saved a ton of lives when the attacks happened there on September 11. We all know that 4 Americans were killed that day and the lack of response from the USA was less than good. What we have never learned in total is why that was. And after seeing this, we still don't. If you're going to see this to learn why things went poorly the way they did, you will not. And to me that is the weak link by far in this movie.
But the action and the story here is totally worth telling. These guys holding off a huge flock of terrorists over the course of a long day and night. These guys were flying below the radar, and were not even officially supposed to be there in any way. And that was part of their problem. They were denied. But what is absolute, without them and their amazing skills, a lot more Americans would have been killed that day.
This is long on action, and the story is true. So there is an emotional response received here that is strong. These are just guys, doing a job in one of the worst places on earth. This moves along nicely, but could have been a bit shorter and been more effective. The star of this movie, is the movie. As with most Bay flicks there is tons of action.
13 Hours. Could have been a more poignant movie, but they sidestepped that and went to action. Good, solid movie. Should have been braver in its overall storytelling.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
MOVIE REIVEW - Ride Along 2
Kevin Hart continues to make movies that critics hate, and audiences love. And Ride Along 2 keeps that tradition going.
Ride Along 2 picks up where the original left off, which is good for all of us. If you didn't see the original and want to see this one, you won't be lost because this is simply mindless fun. And let's be clear. This is fun. Let the national critics lambaste this thing all they want, it's an easy target. I know it's well below the lofty standards of the elite who generally only like Meryl Streep,Superhero and teen action/romance flicks. But so what?
There is a long list of these new action comedies out there and many of them border on the raunchy and the disgusting. This, yes has its moments that don't work well, but this does stay on track and entertains in its own way. We still have out bumbling rookie cop (Hart) and our well established Atlanta detective (Ice Cube) trying to solve a crime case together and both for different motives.
This has a strong supporting cast that includes Benjamin Bratt and Olivia Munn that help make this fun, and give it a bit of cred. Yes, this is more of the same, but so what? This is not offensive for the most part, and silly for almost the whole part. Hart is a funny man - period. Cube plays a great straight man and lets Hart shine. This sails along at about 1 hour and 40 minutes and it makes you laugh for a great deal of it.
Ride Along 2. Is this perfect? Heck no. But it's not supposed to be. This is supposed to be an hour or two of fun, in the dead of winter and loosen us up a bit. And it does.
Ride Along 2 picks up where the original left off, which is good for all of us. If you didn't see the original and want to see this one, you won't be lost because this is simply mindless fun. And let's be clear. This is fun. Let the national critics lambaste this thing all they want, it's an easy target. I know it's well below the lofty standards of the elite who generally only like Meryl Streep,Superhero and teen action/romance flicks. But so what?
There is a long list of these new action comedies out there and many of them border on the raunchy and the disgusting. This, yes has its moments that don't work well, but this does stay on track and entertains in its own way. We still have out bumbling rookie cop (Hart) and our well established Atlanta detective (Ice Cube) trying to solve a crime case together and both for different motives.
This has a strong supporting cast that includes Benjamin Bratt and Olivia Munn that help make this fun, and give it a bit of cred. Yes, this is more of the same, but so what? This is not offensive for the most part, and silly for almost the whole part. Hart is a funny man - period. Cube plays a great straight man and lets Hart shine. This sails along at about 1 hour and 40 minutes and it makes you laugh for a great deal of it.
Ride Along 2. Is this perfect? Heck no. But it's not supposed to be. This is supposed to be an hour or two of fun, in the dead of winter and loosen us up a bit. And it does.
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